lostcarnival | ⇨ ATLANTIS

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⇨ ATLANTIS

Who: Everyone!
When: The morning of D44 and onward.
Where: The ocean realm of Atlantis.
What: The carnival abruptly arrives at an underwater realm, and everyone is transfigured into merpeople just as suddenly.
Warnings: Body horror, I guess.

THE CITY OF ATLANTIS↴

The visit starts without much warning, but at least there is a full week of free time before performances start. In the meantime, your characters will be given ample opportunity to adjust their acts for an underwater audience, get used to their new fishy appendages, or just spend the whole time enjoying the sights and sounds of Atlantis city. King Triton will not be immediately seen, but it's possible to gain an audience with him if you get in contact with the ambassadors of the kingdom. Just, make sure that you're not wasting his time. He's a lot less patient with nonsense than the Ringmaster is.

► FISH FRIDAY: You fell asleep, whether or not that's something you usually do, and the next morning you wake up as one of the merfolk. A few last additions may grow in after you're awake, but for the most part everyone will have a method of swimming and a method of breathing underwater transfigured into them upon waking. Don't worry about your belongings - everything is waterproofed, and technology will work the same underwater as it does above it. That doesn't mean there won't be plenty to get used to, though.

► GREAT BLUE YONDER: The ocean realm where Atlantis resides is enormous, and the depths seem to be unending. Despite the fact that there doesn't seem to be any surface, sun glimmers all the way down to the ocean floor. Atlanteans use creatures like whales and dolphins as rides and beasts of burden, and they can be seen swimming in and out of the city as constantly as roadways filed with cars in earth civilization. Beyond that, there's everything you would expect to see on the ocean floor here - huge reefs of coral, both familiar and exotic, enormous ocean plants, deep ocean trenches, and all kinds of weird critters living in them. There are a mix of mythical and standard ocean creatures, and are likely a combined populations of many oceans worth of beings.

► THE ATLANTEAN MARKET: The Atlantean market (aka the "merket") is a long trench between rows of buildings in the middle of the city, lit with bio-luminescent plants and rocks, and filled with all kinds of weird mer stuff that you can buy. There are a great many individual booths, mostly with hand crafted wares and objects that have been salvaged from various sunken ships. The Ringmaster has already traded a large number of goods to the merfolk here, and has taken the profit to award each worker with 100 Atlantean Gold to spend as they please. One gold is worth roughly five USA dollars, for a comparison of how much that is. There is a top level set up below in which characters can make their purchases, and you can also handwave the purchase of random common, necessary items (food, drink, etc) at your convenience.

► TREASURE HUNTING: Right now, the only major salvage areas are a few left over sunken ships that have mostly been picked over by the merfolk. However, you are welcome to head over to them and explore, and see if fortune smiles on you when it comes to finding anything that hasn't been taken yet. The current options are three similar looking brigantine that all probably came from the same world. Merfolk do not seem to consider them to be anything extraordinary, though magical items and gold have allegedly been found within them. Whether or not anything is left, is the real question.

► LIMELIGHTING: Merfolk are curious and generally socially forward, as a species. This mean that they find the carnival's workers to be a fascinating novelty, and also are unafraid to make that fascination obvious. Given the opportunity, merfolk will demand your character's attention for bombardments of questions and for general socializing, especially if they are particularly unusual for some reason. Don't be surprised if you get invited to stay at total stranger's houses, or dragged off to a merfolk bar to surprise party with their friends. They'll let you say no, reluctantly, but they will also be pleased as punch to get up in your gill.

It's also possible to make some money, this way, if you're willing to do street performances, or are willing to sell your "skills" in a more private environment. Yes, there are opportunities to become a fish hooker if you are so inclined. Merfolk may also offer money to take you as arm candy to various public events, escort style. They don't consider this to be a particularly socially inappropriate thing to do, either.

You can ask general questions about this setting over on the event post. There are top levels below for buying Atlantean merch, and also for making dolla dolla, if your character is inclined to try.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Nagisa.

[ This is obviously a tough conversation and Strange obviously isn't going to get anywhere else with Carly and learning about her death. So, changing conversations it is. ]

Have you been with the Carnival long?

[And what a welcome change at that-her smile returns more strongly, and she nods.] I have~ Over three years now, in fact! It's been a really wild ride!

Three years? [ he can't help but be a little bit shocked at that. Logically, there had to be people who stayed at the Carnival for that long--after all, there were supervisors. But in practice? That's such a long time. ]

That's longer than expected.

Mmmhmm! I wasn't always working with the jobs I have now, but I've been here that long-that's why my changes are so far along, I'm pretty sure...though, apparently some of it might just be because I'm trying to practice magic on top of that.

There were people that were here even longer than that before though!! ...They just finished up their contracts and left.

[ As she mentions magic, Strange can't help but perk up a little. Because if there's one thing that'll get his attention and distract him from this conversation, it's talking about magic. ]

What sort of magic do you practice? I only ask because my magic is quite different from that found in the Carnival.

[ It's a lot slower, for one thing. Thanks, incantation requirement. ]

Oh! It's a very unique magic, [She admits, attempting some form of it for the moment; in her hand, it appears that a violet-orange flame appears...yet the fire does not create heat. If anything it feels getting too close might make you woozy, or dizzy, or...

Worse.] ...I asked the Ringmaster to help me understand Aslla Piscu more...but I guess she thought that meant I should learn how to use his magic, [she laughs nervously.] So...I guess that makes it demon magic?

[ Strange peers closer to get a better look at the fire, He might be mad, but he's not an idiot. As soon as Carly mentions 'demon magic', he can't help but be a little bit worried. That is not a good sign! Maybe demons work differently in other worlds but at least in Strange's, that is not a good sign in the slightest. What he needs is more information. ]

How interesting...my magic is classified as English magic. [ And now it's his time for a demonstration. He places his hand over a patch of sand, briefly mutters an incantation, and the sand shoots up in the air like a fountain before settling back on the ground. ] So this Aslla Piscu is a demon?

[ He mostly got the name right, though Strange did stumble a bit in the pronunciation of 'Aslla Piscu' ]

English magic...I wonder if magic in Japan would be really different then, or if it'd just be different words, or-

[The jellyfish jumps from where she was watching the sand move, her attentions snapped to the question presented. Is Aslla a demon? Well, sort of, she starts to think-but her shadow immediately leaps to life, 'eyes' glowing from within it to hiss. A deep, masculine voice comes from it-]

Hardly! ...I am GOD-of Darkness, War, and DEATH-you would do well to both remember this..!

Ahh! Hey, I was going to say Demon God, [Carly argues to it, huffing.] That's practically the same..!!

It is an INSULT.

It's the truth..! [She looks to Strange, continuing to insist as she nods.] He's an 'Earthbound God'-sealed underground normally! He's not nice at all either, so that makes him a demon!

Tch...the logic you humans use...

He's from hell too after all!!

[ Jesus Christ what is going on here.

Carly started talking to her shadow? Which is talking back? And apparently Aslla Piscu? And this is just a thing that she's comfortable with, comfortable enough to argue? Strange has to briefly wonder if this is yet another onslaught of madness before no, this is actually happening, it's really real. ]

Well, at least in my eyes, 'not nice' and being from hell sounds demonic enough. After all, these things need multiple qualifications.

[ And then, turning to her shadow, Strange gives it a small little nod. ]

I've introduced myself to Miss Nagisa, but I haven't introduced myself to you. I am Jonathan Strange. Pleasure to meet you, Aslla Piscu.

[ If it's sentient enough to argue, it's sentient enough to warrant an introduction. ]

[It's something she's taken time to adapt to-a whole year or so, in fact. What seems normal now distracts her from what's important about it-accepting the presence of a demon is more than just madness. It's danger.

Carly, certainly, agrees and nods furiously.] Exactly! It's like what he said-you even ate souls!

[The shadow merely huffs, its violet eyes somehow rolling in the absence of dark.] 'Jonathan' hmm? I'll see if I bother remembering that.

Don't be rude..! [He's a demon-he will be very rude.]

How does one even eat a soul in the first place? I always thought they were immaterial.

[ Don't mind the conversation, as it swaps to something bizarre like that. Strange is legitimately curious about how that would even work. Does the demon make them physical? Is it part of his magic? ]

Mmmh, it's probably like sapping energy, or drinking water, or breathing air that has stuff in it, or-

That is for me to know, and for you to find out, if you fancy yourself a fool.

ASLLA..! [Honestly, getting answers out of this thing is about as fun as one would expect when talking with a soul eating demon.]

[ Strange can't help but laugh. He's taking this potentially serious topic with ease, talking about it as if it's something that you know, just happens. ]

I'm afraid I'll pass. I've metaphorically given my soul to someone else, I'm afraid she'll be a bit put out of I literally give it to someone.

Metaphorically..?

[While Aslla goes silent (typical of the demon, really), Carly seems to perk up a fair bit, blinking curiously at the word.] ....OHHH! [It doesn't take her long.] You have a wife~! That's wonderful!~

[MARRIAGE MAKES HER VERY HAPPY...]

[ AND TALKING ABOUT HIS WIFE MAKES STRANGE VERY HAPPY so he just gives Carly such a wide grin as he continues talking. ]

I do! Her name is Arabella. We've been married a few years now. I miss her tremendously but a year apart isn't so bad in the long run.

[ she's wonderful and amazing and is straight up the person who Strange wants to bring back from the dead. He's grown to like Carly during their conversation, but he knows he's got to be even more careful talking about Arabella now that Carly knows his intentions. ]

[Definitely do your best to never say she is dead, Strange, or you might find Carly crying over parallels before she even thinks of a lecture on raising the dead. She might not have been married to Jack, but in her head she might as well have been.] Ahhhh~ That's wonderful!!

Oh! And time won't pass wherever she is either, so that's good for you! ...Well, you'll still miss her, [she figures, frowning as she tries to correct herself,] But she won't have to wait, is what I mean!~

[ Once again, Card Game Anime and English Magician Soap Opera share more similarities than either of us realized ]

You're not the first person to mention that, [ Strange remarks with a little shake of his head. ] Honestly, this sort of timeline magic is entirely out of my jurisdiction. I'm glad that you and others here can wrap your heads around it—if I spend too much time thinking about this sort of thing, I end up confused.

Really? [Oh no..! She frowns, trying to think of some way to 'explain' it. Something simple, something...] Oh!

I always thought of it like pausing a video game, really! Where you hit pause so that nothing else is happening, and you can go get a drink or a snack in the meantime...

It's like that!

[Yes because Strange knows what those are, Carly.]

[ There's a pause while Strange thinks things over because what on earth is a video game. ]

Like setting a bookmark in a book, you mean?

[ he has no idea what the hell a video game is but he THINKS he gets the analogy. ]

Oh! [Well, either way, he's got it, right?] Exactly like that then!

And your life is the book!

[ Strange grins, pleased that he's go at least gotten the gist of it. ]

I can't imagine what sort of magic would be able to do that for all of us. Every time I think I understand the Ringmaster's limits, she manages to surprise me even more.

Well, I guess since they're all different worlds, it's like reading lots of books at once...and putting bookmarks in all of them, right? [She's good at sorting things in her head, thus far.] And when it comes time to send someone back, you just grab their book and continue reading!

...Or. Um. Let them continue reading, I guess?

The analogy falls apart when you view it on a grand scale, [ he says with a shrug. It's not bothering him, though. At least it's an analogy that makes sense of some things. ]

Still, I suppose that's the case with most analogies.

Hauuuuuh, and I thought I had it... [Ah well. She sighs.] It at least makes sense more now though, right?

It does, thank you. And honestly, between you and everybody else, sooner or later I think I'll understand the ins and outs of this entire Carnival!

⇨ ATLANTIS

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Tie this up you figure?

works for me!

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