⇨ THE CELEBRATION

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone, especially YOU.
When: Day 60 - Day 65
Where: The Celebration
What: The carnival workers are invited to spend the week within the realm of the Celebration, the grounds of a party that has been going on for centuries. Accommodations are luxurious, but those with keen instincts might notice something off about this whole arrangement... (Questions can go to the original setting post!)
Warnings: Booze, drugs, sex, and everything in between.

THE CELEBRATION↴ If you observe that the layout of the Celebration grounds seem inconsistent, then you would be correct. In reality, what lies at the end of each corridor depends largely on what the guests of the Celebration want at the time - if a few people find themselves craving a drink, a bar may appear. If a group finds themselves wanting to dance, a club will open up. This goes on at all hours of the night, and given how many dedicated partiers fill the building, the services are well used. It isn't instantaneous, and the Host has to consciously decide to provide that service, but the changes are fast none-the-less. ► ROOMS: Each trailer pair will be assigned a room to themselves - whether or not it has two double beds or a single king sized bed seems essentially random. Hopefully you aren't too sensitive about keeping that space to yourself. The curtains at the far side of the room don't actually lead outside, but instead to a walk-in closet filled with the Host's best guesses at the type of clothing you might like. They may not hit the nail on the head, but at the very least all the clothing will be in your size. The styles could be just about anything, from any universe, but they do tend to average out to clothing that is Earth-ish. Either that, or clothing that looks like they are meant for elves from a high fantasy novel to wear. ► SHOPPING: If none of your pre-picked outfits tickle your fancy, plenty of boutiques and clothing shops can also be found around the grounds - whatever you're thinking of, you'll probably be able to find a shop appropriate for it eventually. Though, maybe it doesn't really count as shopping if you don't have to pay for any of the things you take back to your room with you? Unfortunately, from the sounds of it, you won't be allowed to drag all of your haul back to the carnival with you, so you better enjoy it while you can. ► DINING: There is no daily schedule to follow, after you arrive. You are free to attend the dining room whenever you wish, and will be seated at large round tables with whoever else may be around at the time, and can either order from the menu or most dishes you may think of off the top of your head. If you don't like the fine dining experience, there are also a selection of smaller cafes and eateries that open and close at varying times of day - and, of course, you can always call for room service. ► ENTERTAINMENT: There is plenty of live music around the grounds (not that you can ever seem to remember who the performers were afterwards) whether it comes to harp music while you eat or a full set of DJs in the club you found. If you are inclined to look for them, you may also find some cozy lounges with big screen TVs, and access to a multi-universal quantity of films. What's there or isn't there is unpredictable, but if you come from a standard variety of Earth you probably recognize some of them. ► SUBSTANCES: You don't have to be coy about it - just ask one of your servers, and you'll be able to get whatever kind of vices you might be craving. Drugs, alcohol, ice cream... it's all good. If this sounds like a nightmare for potential addicts, you would be correct. It's not uncommon to see people clearly over-indulging in certain locations, though guests are usually escorted back to their rooms if they take ill - only to see them back at it again the next day. ► SPA DAY: If you'd like to take a swim, pools of various aesthetics are easy to find. So are hot tubs, and saunas, and Host servants who are willing to give you a massage or manicure. If the party crowd isn't your scene, there are plenty of more low-key opportunities to indulge. ► GREENSPACE: There is one park area on the grounds, which appears to be constructed on the rooftops of other parts of the complex. While there are trees and greenery, there is no real sky that you can see - only the illusion of one. It may start to occur to you over time that no window or rooftop actually leads to any kind of outdoors. The Celebration really is there only thing here. These are really just examples, and you can get creative with what kind of services you find offered while here, when it comes to generally mundane comforts. It really feels like the Host wants to win you over, as if you staying just a little longer has some sort of intrinsic appeal.

Comments

annabelle | OPEN

[forkedroad]

► DAY 60 (START): GETTIN' READY
Annabelle was immediately quite excited with the change of scenery. After all, it's her first time outside of the carnival, and she hasn't even wholly adjusted to all the excitement of the carnival on its own as it is.

For whatever reason, she hadn't quite felt happy with what was provided in her wardrobe in her and Foster's room; it could be that Foster himself was too much of a rowdy, distracting presence for her to wholly think about what to wear, but there was also the fact of the matter that Annabelle had actually never dressed up before. She wasn't even sure of her own tastes.

Now that she's at the shops, she's decided it's a lot more fun exploring and trying on things that are kind of more eclectic and random.

She's on probably her fifth dress, which she's pulled off of her back, her hair wild and full of static from the on and off of all the fancy garments. Unabashed, despite standing there in only her under bottoms, she glances at the patron beside her, raising her eyebrows with a bewildered little laugh.

"This is sort of exhausting," she remarks as one of the keeps takes away the rejected clothing, and she prepares to pluck through the rack in front of her. "Are you going with that, then?"

► DAY 61: FUTURISTIC WONDERS (ENTERTAINMENT)
Annabelle has been a little bit peripheral with the festivities. She's been chatting with all sorts of people who are, for various reasons, just as coincidentally in this place as she is, at various stages of party brainwashed. She might not notice, or maybe she does—but either way, she doesn't appear to pay it much mind.

Her second day, while she has had the occasional shot of liquor or glass of wine over the course of at least twelve hours, she's mostly preoccupied with and mesmerized by a series of large screen televisions in some kind of lounge, all lit up in unusual ways with black lights. The images on the screen hypnotize her, and she stands there, watching mouth agape. It's even more impressive that she can hear what's happening on the screen, as well.

The whole environment, television aside, is completely, overwhelmingly amazing. In fact, she's so amazed with it, she doesn't realize she's feeding the fancy marble tile her glass of pinot grigio.

► DAY 63: EXPERIMENT FOR EXPANSION? (SUBSTANCES)
Annabelle has made a few transient friends, each day—she doesn't seem to get stuck to any cluster of people, easily detaching and attaching to new groups, utterly nourished and exhilarated by the revolving door pace of socialization. Each group is new and fascinating, each in various stages of lost to the thrall of the celebration—though Annabelle isn't terribly clear that's what the distinction seems to be. She's rather unconcerned, after all.

One girl—short, curvy, busty and with light, pin straight hair, is someone Annabelle has been hanging out with for at least four hours or so during day 63. She has seemed rather fond of a particular ...something, a sort of powder she both inhales and eats, and Annabelle has been ogling her with curious fascination all through out as she and her friends partake. The girl doesn't pressure Annabelle to try it, nor does she offer; her friends, all with pointed ears as she is, seem familiar and receptive to the substance, and so partake with her.

Annabelle reaches over the bar, grabbing the tender's arm enthusiastically, thereafter demanding some of the same for herself, unable to help her enticement and curiosity.

After she inhales it, her eyes go wide as she blinks, seeming almost stunned. Colors become more vivid, leaving trails, and her body suddenly feels very heavy. She staggers, catching herself by the elbows on a stool beside her friend, who laughs, grabbing Annabelle by her arm. Annabelle laughs, throwing her head back, her mask jostling a little loose. Whoops.

► DAY ?? : WILDCARD
there's a good chance you have something more interesting in mind!! HIT ME

(ooc: FOR REFEreNCE, here's what anna went with for attire)

day 60

[pipers_son]

"Dunno," Joker says, turning around to look at his back in the mirror, wings flaring out a bit. "All the fur makes me look a bit like a twat, doesn't it, now?" With that verdict given, he lets the person attending him help slide the coat off, trying not to seem like it makes him feel more than a little off. Instead, to distract himself, he grins at her.

"How many have ya gone through now? I think you've been here longer than me!"

[forkedroad]

Annabelle laughs. "I'm not certain it's wholly possible to look like a twat, given what appears to be the nature of this place!"

She pushes her fingers through her hair to get it out of her face, distantly wishing she hadn't forgotten her hair tie. She ducks her head with almost a bashful smile as she laughs when he calls into question the number of dresses she's shifted through.

"Perhaps I have," she concedes. She takes another dress, examining its sleeves before she looks at Joker. "I'm not very familiar with this sort of thing. I'm having fun, even if I can't decide."

[pipers_son]

The fact that she has a point that he can’t really argue against has Joker laughing again, feeling a lot more at ease shrugging out of the coat and letting the attendant go off to find something else suited for him. That there are things that even cater to those with wings is certainly interesting, although a relief. He’s had enough of figuring out clothing problem himself lately. At least, for a little while.

“Well, that’s the most important thing, then.” Letting his hand rest on his hip while he waits, he grins wider at her. “I mean, this place is made for havin’ fun, looks like. Even if it’s this sorta thing, that’s more than fine, at least in my book.”

[forkedroad]

Annabelle glances at Joker, then holds his gaze, smiling in a way that's fond, but possibly looks a little dark (unintentionally). Right now, she decides that Joker is another one of the Carnival people she really enjoys. It's decided!

"And what of your book?" she asks, her attention now on some complex series of straps that's supposed to be clothes, somehow. She turns it in confusion. "What do you find fun?"

[pipers_son]

Ah, the clothes with all those straps. Joker has seen some people wear things like that- especially when the carnival stopped by in that fashion world, wasn’t that a trip- but he’ll still never understand it himself. At least, not while it’s too much of a hassle for him to bother with. Since that’ll take up all her attention, he wagers, he glances back at the attendant as they bring him something in a striking purple. He still keeps talking with relative ease, however.

“Oh, all sorts of things,” he says, with more than a little slyness in his words. “I like ta keep my pages a little empty so I can fill ‘em with just about anythin’. When yer hoppin’ throughout all sorts of different places, it’s good ta keep it open for anyone ta fill, right?”

[forkedroad]

Annabelle laughs.

"I can agree with that!" she decides out loud, grinning at Joker emphatically. She hasn't wholly devised her own logic around that sort of thing, but decides that his logic is inspiring. "I mean, to an extent, I suppose; I can imagine where that might get dangerous. But you seem smart."

As she says this, she's trying to step into a new dress. Well, sort of a dress. It's a sheer, loose and lacy bodysuit kind of deal.

[pipers_son]

“Oh, ‘course-” Being helped into a new coat, he waggles his hand a bit as the beset he can manage instead of a sweeping gesture like he might usually do. “Gotta have a dash of common sense in there somewhere. But for the most part, well…” And he glances back into the mirror, trying to see how this looks on him.

“Have a bit of fun with it when ya can.”

61

[atouts]

Unfortunately — or not, depending on one's point of view — it'll be Childermass with a headache and a generally bad mood that Annabelle will find relieving her of the wine glass before she can spill out the rest of its contents. He imagines the bizarre servants that pop in and out so abruptly will be along shortly to clean the mess up, but there's little point in letting it continue and, well, it is in part habit. While he was never actually the head butler at Hurtfew or at the London house or anywhere, really, he filled in when necessary and watching that go on had been a bothersome thing.

"Miss, I believe you have misplaced half your drink on the floor," he'll point out. While he is in a bad mood, he at least doesn't let that show through his usual impassive way of speaking. He doubts she spilled it on purpose, so what's the point in being mean?

[forkedroad]

Annabelle jumps when her glass is taken, seeming alarmed; she hadn't noticed she was spilling her wine at all, in the first place. Hand flattened against her bare collar bones, she looks at Childermass with wide, surprised eyes.

"Oh!" she says suddenly. Were she more socially well adjusted, she might have flushed with embarrassment, but she doesn't seem to move beyond being spooked. "My goodness. I suppose that's a sign that I've had enough, then," she comments. It was only one glass prior to this one, but she wasn't a heavy drinker as it was. "I've never seen anything like these trapped, moving images—" she explains, glancing back at the screen while her head remains turned to Childermass, and she gestures towards them with her hand. "—I was so fascinated, everything else stopped existing for a moment."

[atouts]

"I suppose it must be," Childermass agrees. As what he suspects is normal for this place, it's only a matter of seconds until one of the Host's servants — blank-faced and impossible to truly focus on — sweeps past the both of them to clean up the mess. Another second or two after that one, another one arrives, but this one is here to offer Annabelle a new glass of wine from the tray it carries with plenty of other options.

Their presence is something Childermass himself considers unsettling, so he'll only frown at them as they arrive. At the very least, he'll set the glass he took away on the second servant's tray.

"She won't be having another," he tells it, though it'll ignore him as it isn't there for him, not really. Blasted things. As for the moving images, well, he supposes one good thing to come out of the Matrix stop was an introduction to modern technology. Since he can't shoo the servants away, he'll look up at the same screens, though without any similar fascination. "And those are televisions. The images are not trapped, only displayed from elsewhere."

[forkedroad]

Annabelle, on the contrary, watches the spooky, ethereal servants with a sort of fond fascination. To her, they're merely a testament to one's magic; a manifestation of the Host's power, even if Annabelle doesn't know quite that much. She looks as though she might be admiring them, when they come and take her drink from them.

She rolls her eyes back at Childermass, smiling with interest to him as well—she finds it amusing he's asserted that decision on her behalf, and showing no further want for the treat, the servants obey—even if it isn't Childermass they heed to, in this case. They disperse, sensing Annabelle is satisfied.

She then looks back at the televisions, ruminating on Childermass's explanation.

"Fascinating," she answers sincerely, blinking with a little bit of a squint. She wonders if it's like how light reflects as a prism, sometimes—some grand, convoluted thing similar to that. "Is it magic not unique to this world? You seem familiar," she observes, looking back to Childermass.

[atouts]

Telling off other servants when they've overstepped has not been an uncommon occurrence in Childermass's life, though less so now than ever before. Still, some habits die hard and these servants, as mentioned before, unsettle him. Telling them politely to piss off was the goal of speaking for Annabelle, though that he's ignored only causes him further irritation.

They're gone, though, so it's not like he has anyone to glower at.

"Magic? Oh, it is not magic at all," he'll correct instead. Chances are trying to explain televisions will be more interesting than going around and being rude to the Host's staff, so there's a plus. "They are machines, man-made." He tips his head up towards the same displays that she's been looking at. "And while I have only encountered them in one world thus far, it was an analog of Earth. I imagine we'll be seeing them plenty of other places."

[forkedroad]

"Machines..." Annabelle says distantly, watching them. That almost makes it more magical to her, though of course not in a literal sense. Magic can of course accomplish almost anything—such that technologies are neglected, a little bit. In her world, magicians are rare enough that it doesn't stunt its progress completely, but one sworn-in magician is enough for an entire region to slack on that front for a decade or so.

For the first time, she feels a fond attraction towards machinery. That it could have this type of mystery and wonder!

"I suppose machines this sophisticated are common in most other worlds, then?" she asks, glancing at Childermass. Not for long, though. While she's looking at him, her eyes are back on the screen. "To think something so incredibly advanced is being used for something equally incredibly mundane... It's amazing; brilliant."

The humor isn't lost on Annabelle, but somehow, neither is any of the poetry. Whether or not there actually is any poetry to it is very debatable.

[atouts]

"How many, I would not be able to say," Childermass admits. He won't be surprised when they run into that level of technology again, however, although he may be very irritated depending. "If you think these so amazing, however, I am sure you will find no end of amusement when we do come across such a place. There are far more advancements than only these."

Cars, for instance, but he really doesn't like cars.

day 61

[wild_magic]

Even by the second day, Susan is still excitedly exploring everything he finds interesting - which honestly, in a place like this, is literally everything he sees. This basically consists of him flitting from place to place just to experience everything, before darting off to explore some other room or cool thing he finds.

In this case, the cool thing is the televisions. They catch his eye as he's looking around everywhere, and he comes in to see, eyes wide and staring. After a long few moments of staring at the screens he looks to Annabelle, seeing her just as mesmerized.

"This is one of the best things yet." Best of course is changing by the moment, but things that are completely new to him are the highest contenders for the title of best.

[forkedroad]

Annabelle acknowledges Susan with the slightest tilt of her head, though she doesn't initially tear her gaze away from the screens. What incredible, sensible magic, she thinks. It would be a far more sufficient way to share stories, and information... Though it seems like, in this room, it's mostly artistic and abstract. But even that makes her feel some sort of way that she finds very lovely and breath-taking.

She does finally look at Susan, and her expression suddenly brightens with a smile. "Isn't it?" she agrees, seeming to come back to reality a little. At which point, she notices her glass, and corrects how she holds it. Oops. There's only a fourth of a glass left, by the time she realizes.

Cradling the glass in her thin, long fingers, she smiles back at the screen.

"I've never seen anything like it."

She looks back down to Susan. She's seen him around, kind of—fleetingly, and briefly.

"You're the green one's little brother, aren't you?"

[wild_magic]

He's entranced by the screen a moment longer after her question, but finally he looks to her again and nods.

"You mean Lauren, right?" He can't think of anyone else green, at least (even if it's still weird to think of his brother as green, since it's only been a couple days at this point).

[forkedroad]

"Yes!" she answers, then laughs behind her knuckles, fingers curled daintily—as she snorts in a way that's not particularly flattering for a lady. "Oops, yes. Lauren," she says, once she recovers from her giggles. The wine made that funnier than it was. "How could I forget? He was the first person I met here."

She laughs a little bit again, then glances at Susan.

"Is he as dull as he seems?"

[wild_magic]

He laughs too at the question before shrugging a little.

"I guess that depends on how dull you thought he seemed!"

[forkedroad]

"Hm..."

Annabelle tilts her head and her hip, tapping the beak of her mask as she crosses her arms.

"He seemed rather dull... but he also gave me the impression he is someone who is less dull than he seems."

Logic.

ENTERTAINMENT

[mylastchance]

The screens immediately catch his attention as well. He can't help it, there's almost something spellbinding about them. The moving images capture his attention, and for a moment he forgets where he is and what he's doing. It's entirely understandable that to Annabelle the experience might be the same. He comes up to the television she's watching, looking the object over front and back, before glancing over to Anna. That's when he notices the spill, and he looks away, suddenly nervous.

"Um... You've got some... You've spilled."

[forkedroad]

"Huh?" she asks, not even looking away, initially. The voice is kind of familiar, though—she blinks hard, breaking her gaze, and glances at Lauren. "Oh!" Then, belatedly, she parses her words with a little gasp. "Oh," she says in realization, lifting up her glass so suddenly she just—kind of flecks some drops of wine on her torso.

"Goodness," she laughs breathlessly, then beams at Lauren in recognition. "Silly of me. Lost myself a moment, there."

She glances back at the screens.

"Have you ever seen anything like it? It's incredible."

[mylastchance]

He shakes his head in answer, glancing to the screen before glancing back to Annabelle. The image was so clear, so realistic. Even with magic, something like this would have taken an incredible amount of time and focus to create. Certainly it would have cost a fortune as well.

"It's astounding."

And for what purpose was it made, simply to entertain people with it's pictures? He had a hard time believing something that miraculous could be used for a purpose so mundane.

"What is it for?"

[forkedroad]

Annabelle tilts her head a little, towards Lauren, her eyes still fixed to the screen.

"Probably many wonderful things, I would imagine," she says thoughtfully after a pause. She curls her fingers around her chin thoughtfully, tapping above her lip. "This sort of thing would be very useful in education, or strategy in war."

She then looks at Lauren, still holding her chin, her smile returning.

"...In the case of this place, however, I suppose it's for nothing more than to captivate and stimulate."