⇨ 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

65

[perverses]

Shima has no freaking clue who this guy is apart from the fact that he is obviously — or at least mostly probably — from the carnival, so! It's difficult to peel himself away from what he was up to himself when Lars' outburst began, because, for one, he's a little drunk himself and, two, dancing is definitely more fun than helping people, but what can ya do?

"Hey, hey, everyone give him some air. It's fine, it's fine!"

He pushes his way past the various servants and party friends who've been doing the opposite of anything useful, making shooing motions towards them once he's by. He's being friendly and smiling and all that shit, so sure, why not leave Lars alone with random carnival patrol loser number who knows.

Of course, once that's done, he'll turn around to squint down at Lars and scratch his head. Yeah, he has nooo idea what the next step here should be.

"Uh, hey, is it fine? Or are you about to die down there?"

[mossbuds]

"How would I know what that feels like if I've never died before," Lars slurs irritably. If he had more clarity, he would appreciate Shima shooing away passers-by; he was definitely starting to feel kind of cramped. Shima is, unfortunately, not much different—but Lars is grateful he's not trying to give Lars more alcohol or drugs.

He clumsily pushes his mask up, which results in it just kind of toppling off, and he boggles at Shima blearily with a squint. He props himself up by his elbow, swaying a little, and reaches forward without warning to touch his hair.

"Holy shit, man—your hair's fuggin' incredible."

[perverses]

"You could always guess! People do that all the time, y'know? 'Ohhh no, I feel like I'm dying, everything hurts' and that stuff," Shima replies.

He is sounding way too upbeat than he probably should be, but that's the perk of only being pleasantly buzzed over completely trashed. Although cheerful deeefinitely does not mean super okay with a drunk guy touching his hair, yet here we are, with Lars and his hand suddenly on it. His first inclination would be to duck away, but his reflexes aren't up to par at the moment and, well, that might startle this other guy into falling over again or something.

So, he'll just... tolerate it. Awkwardly.

"...dude. Yeah, I know it's the best hair ever, but personal space."

[mossbuds]

Shima has a point, and Lars would know—he acts like he's dying every time he twists his ankle or catches a cold, but that has conveniently left his memory at the moment.

Shima's comment, however, is sobering in some ways—it reconnects Lars with a trait that's very whole and grounding as a core of his entire being: shame. His face flushes and he snatches his hand back, embarrassed to have done something like that so thoughtlessly and almost unintentionally.

"Er—right," he says awkwardly, cradling his own wrist as he glances away. "I was just—this place..." His shoulders slump. "Damn, dude, I kinda forgot about that kinda shit after a while, you know?"

[perverses]

And with the amount that Shima himself has complained every time he's gotten himself hurt, well, it's not like he would be able to judge anyway!

"Yeah, yeah, don't sweat it," he's quick to say back, raising his hands up in a placating way. Like, hey, hey, it's cool, it's fine. "If going after my hair is all you're gonna do, trust me, that is sooo not the weirdest thing people have tried here." He just wanted to check on Lars, not make him feel worse! "Guess all those guys I chased off could've used the same message, huh?"

[mossbuds]

Lars's body language seems to relax a hair with Shima's diffusing gestures, but it could also be the fact that he's so shitfaced he can barely move.

He pauses, then scoffs with a brief little laugh. "Yeah. People here ain't great with restraint," he agrees, rubbing an eye more wildly than he intends with a scowl, still smiling. "I woulda taken someone feelin' on my hair over some'a the other stuff that's happened, so far." He stifles a laugh behind his hand.

"...But some'a that was pretty alright, too!"

[perverses]

Being shitfaced tends to help most things (all except not wanting to be shitfaced).

"Ha, right? Hopefully more than just some! If I knew getting nabbed by faeries would mean going to an endless party, I think I would have signed on ages ago," Shima grins and says, mostly in jest. It went from oh crap what happened to this isn't so bad with the ink on the contract barely dried!

But focus, he hadn't intervened just to be chatty. Shima turns to point towards the— where is the door again? That way? That other way? Over... there? Okay, he's not sure, so he settles on a random direction (it is wrong) to point.

"Did you wanna get out of here? Or are you doin' better now that they're all gone?"

[mossbuds]

Lars is guided back out of what was the beginning of an anxiety spiral pretty effortlessly by Shima. Whether that's because of Shima's finesse or the fact that Lars is wrecked is up to debate, however.

"Shyeah, s'actually pretty alright sometimes," Lars agrees with a dorky laugh, reminiscing on Atlantis. And this has been pretty cool, up until... right now. Everything is blurry and confusing. The noise of the party is distant and muffled, like cotton's filled his ears, and things feel like they're moving too fast, even though he can barely move.

He pauses, his eyes widening a little as that feeling twists to a head.

"—uh," he says suddenly. He then struggles to push himself up. "I. I think I gotta get outta here."

[perverses]

Yeah, that's what he thought. Whatever Lars has gotten into, Shima's pretty glad he's avoided those! Being cheerfully tipsy suits him far better than absolutely trashed and, right here, a very good example as to why.

"All right, all right, just promise not to puke on me, okay?" That is all Shima asks, Lars, just that. He offers a hand up off the sofa he'd ended up sprawled on. "I was tired of this party, anyway, so it's no matter to me to help ya out."