lostcarnival | ⇨ THE CELEBRATION

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Whoa!"

Okay, that was pretty cool. Tamaki looks extremely impressed as Steven rises up out of the water, and he gives an excited clap.

"Nice, Stevicchi! You looked like a pinball."

He goes to climb up to the top of the slide for his turn. He's going to have to think of a good trick, though he can't do anything quite like that (without hurting himself, anyway).

Yeah, don't be like Steven. Rolling down in the ball kind of hurt a little, even, and Steven is superhumanly tough. He bobs up and down in the water, treading with his tiny legs, watching what Tamaki will do.

Steven is still beaming from Tamaki's approval, and waves his arms in the air so the older boy can see him from the top. He's an acrobat, right? He's gotta have something up his sleeve.

"Tamaki, Tamaki!" he chants after him.

Tamaki waves back when he gets to the top, before gripping the edges of the water slide. With a, "Hmph!" he pushes himself up into a handstand, his head hovering over the water below.

It's the sort of thing that would definitely get him grounded for a month, if there were any adult supervision around.

Since there isn't, Tamaki slowly walks his hands down the first part of the slide. Just as the angle is getting too severe for him to stay suspended, he folds his body in, letting his legs fall into the slide before sliding the rest of the way down.

He shakes his long hair when he comes back up. "How was that?"

It's already clear that the answer is "pretty great" just from the look on Steven's face, but he does actually manage to put words to it as well. He waves his arms in praise.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you managed to handstand that long! That was so cool! You were like Spiderguy but just with your hands! And on a waterslide!"

He grins, happy to hear it.

"I've been practicing a lot." Which makes sense, given his position at the carnival. His arms are strong these days, though it's really a wonder he didn't slip. "Once you know, it's not too hard..."

Not that he would really advocate someone else doing handstands on the water slide. But that doesn't mean Steven can't do some cool tricks.

"But Stevicchi's really cool, too! Since you can do magic."

"Yeah!" he laughs. "But magic is kind of like that, too. You have to practice, and train, and try really hard! Or, at least, I do." The other gems seemed to have it come a bit more naturally. "My bubble was one of the first magic things I ever did. Definitely the first one I could actually control!"

Having to practice magic is a bit of a surprise to Tamaki, but he supposes that makes sense. It's just like any other skill, right?

"Did somebody teach you?"

"Um... sort of!" It's sort of complicated. "The other gems tried to teach me, but a lot of it just came down to understanding... myself?" He pauses for a second, and then laughs and messes with his hair. "Which sounds dumb, but a lot of my magic has to do with how I'm feeling! So... when I first did this stuff it was because I was scared or wanted to protect somebody!"

He shrugs. "It doesn't seem to work like that for anyone else."

"Maybe because you're part human?" That seems like the most obvious conclusion to Tamaki. If he's not a full Gem like the others, then his powers must work differently, too. Logic.

"When did you first do magic?" Steven doesn't have to answer, but Tamaki is curious. If he was afraid or protecting someone, it sounds like there's a story there.

"Um..." Well, about that. "Actually, the first time I ever did magic, it was because I ate an ice cream sandwich. But... I think it was because I was really happy more than the sandwich thing."

He'd been convinced that the Cookie Cat ice cream was why he summoned the shield for a while, but that had been disproved pretty quickly. In retrospect, it's obvious it was because of his mood at the time.

"After that... I summoned my bubble the first time because a rock was going to fall on a girl I met! Or, well... I didn't meet her until after the rock almost fell on her. That was the first time we talked."

An ice cream sandwich making him so happy he used magic sounds legitimate enough to Tamaki, a boy with a bottomless stomach and a love for sweet things. But maybe something else made him that happy. Tamaki wonders what.

He seems pretty impressed by the second part, though. "Whoa! You saved a girl? Like a hero?"

It's a good thing he was there to save the poor girl, it sounds like.

"Oh... haha. I guess so! The stuff I did after that was pretty dumb, though." It's been a couple years since then, so he's easier to pick out his own folly in retrospect. "I made a bubble around us to protect her from the rock - but then I couldn't pop it for hours afterwards! It didn't break until after we got launched into the ocean."

Because that's a super normal thing to happen.

Tamaki laughs at the mental image of Steven and a girl getting launched into the ocean in a bubble. Maybe it wasn't as amusing in real life as it seems in the retelling, but it's definitely tickling Tamaki.

"You were still learning," he offers in consolation once he's calmed down. "So it's normal to make mistakes. Was she okay, though?"

⇨ THE CELEBRATION

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject