⇨ 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

[atouts]

"No? And here I thought you might dispense them."

Look, he may not have called him a fool outright, but there it is, there it is.

And the witcher inviting himself along would have been an issue if Childermass could muster the will to care. He cannot, so he only shrugs and picks his way carefully back over to the open door. What they've stumbled onto may have sobered him somewhat, but unease can only belay everything he'd been up to prior to Lambert's wild chase for so long. At the door, he'll grip the frame and look up and down the hallway just outside.

"I am not sure it matters which way we even go. I have noticed something about this place..."

[whattaprick]

For that, Childermass is just gonna get Lambert making a face, like he's not sure if he should be insulted or not. He probably should, from the tone of his voice, but it's hard to focus on more than one thing at once, and being offended rates pretty low on that list ... a sign of how serious times are, really, when he can't maintain the snippy banter.

"You mean the constant redecoration?" Well, he has some snippy banter left in him, at least. "Can't complain. It makes getting around easier. It's your room, so you should think ... room thoughts." He twirls a finger around, vaguely.

[atouts]

"Exactly that. I've been wondering if it's not just some more expansive version of the labyrinth spell," Childermass begins once he steps out into the hallway, picking left at random and keeping a hand braced against the wall as he walks down the hall that way. It would be too easy to fall back into rambling about magic, he thankfully realizes, and so he leaves it at that.

He can only hope Lambert will know to follow along closely or be left behind because three doors down the scent of lavender perfume that the man had followed is rapidly vanishing, along with anything else he may have attributed to that area of the Celebration.

On the fourth door, Childermass reaches out to grip the handle and turn, shouldering it open without hesitation. He fully expects it to be his and, unsurprisingly, it is. One room with a king bed, mostly due to the fact that his usual trailermate is literally a talking bird. He hasn't brought all that much with him, either. Only what could be packed into what appears to be... a bag shaped like a killer whale?

Yes. That is a thing, a thing he owns. It's nothing he would have picked out on his own, but useful nonetheless, all right?

[whattaprick]

"Labyrinth spell?" The witcher apparently hasn't learned his lesson, for better or worse, about inviting rambling on magic, but hopefully their swift arrival at Childermass' room will end that train of thought before it can get started in earnest.

Lambert keeps pace easily, not quite at the magicians heels but close enough he nearly stumbles into his back when he pushes open the door. When he glances inside, the decor isn't much different from his own, though he quirks a brow at the magician's possessions, but marvelously doesn't comment.

Instead, he'll step into the room after him, rubbing his arms as he beelines for the closet.

"So what do you need a fool for?" When he throws it open, it displays the usual assortment of clothing he's come to expect, and he doesn't waste time in rummaging through, though he seems to discard pants arbitrarily before he picks one acceptable enough. It's too long on him, given the closet's still set to welcome Childermass, so he has to roll up the cuffs.

[atouts]

Their arrival does, actually, forestall any explanation. Lambert lucks out this time.

Meanwhile, any future commentary about the orca bag will have to be brought up to the stage manager. Childermass is only working with what he has here, ridiculous as some of it might be. That being said, he does have to rummage through the damnable thing to find what he's looking for, even to the point of turning the entire bag out.

"The Fool is a card in the tarot," he answers, although he suspects Lambert won't have any idea what that is. He's obviously not from Earth and not every world has such a deck. "One that I am, unfortunately, lacking, but that does not mean I cannot improvise."

From the contents of the bag, he'll find what he's looking for. Joker leaves a playing card with everything he sends and it's no surprise there's an actual joker card still in there with his own personal effects. That in hand, he'll move over to something a little more solid to work on than the bedspread.

The room has a little table surrounded by chairs, naturally, so that will be where he sits and takes out the rest of the cards at. The deck has been hidden in one pocket or another throughout the past few days, being the one thing for certain he would never let out of his sight. It would be the first time Lambert has seen it, though.

The cards are as shabby as Childermass normally is, handmade from more than one kind of paper, yellowing with age, and dog-eared around every edge. A few of them have what looks suspiciously like dry blood smeared across them, but that's only apparent on closer inspection. The art is more stylized than what Childermass had in his notes before, but still very much his own hand.

The playing card joker is starkly out of place with these other cards, but he shuffles it in nonetheless.

[whattaprick]

Childermass is correct in that Lambert doesn't recognize what he's talking about, but when he brings them out he'll understand better at least. Divining's a tradition as old as humanity; the only thing that changes is what they use it with. Once he has the pants buttoned up to his satisfaction, he'll join Childermass at the table, curiosity evident in his expression, though he doesn't reach out to touch the cards. If they've any magical properties at all, he knows that would be rude at best, potentially painful at worst. They look well-used, in any case -- almost as shabby as Childermass is on a non-carnival day, but somehow in more cared-for condition.

"A magician and an oracle too? You're a man of many talents, Master Childermass." He'll find himself a seat and plunk himself right down across him, folded arms resting on the table edge.

"Whose fortune are we reading today?"

[atouts]

"My own is the simplest way to check for anything having gone amiss," Childermass admits. "Although oracle is not a word I would care to use."

It's too fancy by far. At least a street magician, which he would still some irritation at being called such, was something that existed. Oracles, though? No, no oracles. He doesn't bother looking up when he answers, either, intently focused on getting the deck shuffled and then laying out the spread, face down. They're nine cards in all.

The rest of the deck is set aside for now and he carefully turns over card that's been laid out across the table. La Lune, La Maison Dieu reversed, the nine of Swords, Valet de Baton, the ten of Batons reversed, II La Papess, La Roue de Fortune, the two of Coins, and, finally...

It's on the ninth card that Childermass draws back suddenly, perturbed.

"The Devil? No. That can't be right." Oh, he knows it is. Even with the haze of drugs and alcohol still clinging to his thoughts, his cards should have read true. "Maybe the joker has thrown them off..."

He sweeps the cards back together, up and into the deck again, where he'll reshuffle them thoroughly. The cards more with practiced ease through his hands and he has nine out again in no time. Turned, however, they will reveal the exact same cards as before and Childermass can only frown.

[whattaprick]

The cards are interesting things, but it's the confidence Childermass handles the with that is arresting, a focus intense enough that Lambert really can believe he's a magician after all. For all that he says he doesn't care to be called an oracle, Lambert doesn't know what else would fit the obvious ritual these cards seem to possess, and the magic that gathers around it. It's thin, but it's enough for his medallion to vibrate as he begins laying them down.

None of the illustrations are familiar, but he can guess at some of the symbolism, and he'll watch silently when Childermass frowns and reshuffles. When he lays them out again, exactly the same spread as before, Lambert reaches out, taps the table just above the Devil without actually touching the card itself.

"This, here. What does this mean?" It's obviously the one that's bothering him, so he'll not bother to ask about any of the others.

[atouts]

"What will happen if nothing is changed," Childermass answers generally at first, to at least explain the card's position. It's end game in the ninth place. He does know Lambert meant for specifically, however, so he waves a hand distractedly over it and goes on in a way that's more akin to him working out the meaning himself, going over the possibilities.

"In this case? If we assume the card is meant to relate to where we are, I would say it's a warning. The Devil means bondage." Which, yes, they had joked about before in some weird sense, but he's going to continue on seriously. "Being taken in by false appearances, giving in to overindulgence, one's will becoming tied to some outside force. On the other hand, the Devil also means Satan..."

A name Lambert might recall, even if he may not have any real context for it.

[whattaprick]

"So even your cards want to see you tied up, huh?" No circumstances are too dire for Lambert to make an inappropriate remark, although his usual biting sarcasm is traded for sharp anxiety. He was concerned before, but he's definitely worried now, and unsurprisingly the way that chooses to manifest itself is anger.

"What does that mean? That we've been cursed? That we're going to hell?" 'Satan' isn't the name he might know it by, but the glimpse of fire and brimstone he'd caught through that portal? Yeah, he knows what that is.

Ugh, why can't fortune-telling be more specific? He'll gesture at the cards, frown deepening. "You said that's what will happen if nothing is changed. Is there any advice in there about how to change it?"

You know, something useful???

[atouts]

"Ha," he does actually laugh at that, honestly. If this were him back to normal entirely, oh, he wouldn't even crack a smirk at that, but he's not quite free of the party just yet. "It could mean that, too, however..."

Childermass really doubts that's what the cards are trying to tell him, okay? Just trust him on that. Probably. A little. He idly taps a nail against the card, a slow drum against the table underneath it, considering for a moment.

"I think it may pertain more to the location than what we were up to before," he says eventually. They may have firebombed hell, but could hell follow them here? Even he doesn't know. "Though if I had to guess at changing it, I would say finding a way to leave."

[whattaprick]

"Which means finding the Ringmaster," Lambert concludes, then frowns. It's strange, but now that he thinks about it... he can't remember when the hell he saw her last after he got here. That doesn't sound right -- not just not seeing her, but not thinking to look for her, for days.

"Where the hell is she? Can the cards give us a direction, at least?" He'll get to his feet and begin to pace, restlessness taking over. "She wouldn't have left without telling at least one of the superiors, would she?"

[atouts]

"With the way this place shifts about, even the cards would not be able to help us there," Childermass has to, unfortunately, admit. For all that he can try and ferret out with them, that will have to remain a mystery. He can't imagine it would be easy to get a reading on the Ringmaster directly, either, for that matter.

He looks up, watching him pace for a moment before attending the cards again. He'll hover over the spread a little while longer, then fold the cards back into the deck.

"Finding and asking one of the supervisors would be a good place to begin, though, on that much I can agree."

[whattaprick]

"Right." Come on, Lambert. Focus on what can be achieved, here ...

"The masquerade's tonight," he says suddenly, as if remembering. "Everyone's going to be there -- if we could find one of them before then, maybe we could..." Warn them? He's not sure. He watches Childermass put the cards away, and frowns.

"Can't get caught up in the party again." But even as he says that, he can feel the invisible pressure to yes, get caught up in the party again already pressing at his mind, and he rubs at a temple. How's he supposed to remind himself of that?

"I can try to find Zecora, see if she's got something ... what are you going to do?"

[atouts]

"A good question," Childermass replies. He reshuffles his cards and lays them out a third time, though the cards are different this time around. The last one, though, that's still the same. He won't say who that one refers to, but when he does look up again, it's to wave Lambert off towards the door.

"You had best go find her while you can. There is no telling if any of your plans will survive the masquerade."

Yeah, Lambert might say he can't get caught up again, but Childermass knows better. It's a very real danger.

[whattaprick]

Lambert's not sure if those words should be taken as a warning or an insult, but either way ...

"You didn't answer my question," he'll point out, laconically, but he smirks all the same. "All right, I'm going. See you around."

If I remember, goes unspoken.