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

Annabelle laughs as Susan expounds his logic so excitedly. She's flattered, but despite her own inflated ego, Annabelle is a little humbled at the prospect of imparting any kind of know-how.

"Well—I'm no teacher. I think. And we're from different worlds, so it might not be the same. But if nothing else, it's nice to meet someone who sort of understands, isn't it?"

"Well... Yeah, it is nice! You're right." And he really means it, too, even if he's slightly disappointed after getting ahead of himself. Lauren would have been happy if he'd found himself a teacher. But this is still good, and so he's still happy.

"You'll have to show me your magic, sometime. I wanna see."

"I think it's nice, too," Annabelle replies, smiling eagerly. "I would be happy to show you my magic, if you do the same for me."

"Yeah, okay!" He definitely is alright with that, he loves being able to show off.

"We've got to wait til we go back though, there's too many people around here and I could hurt someone on accident."

"Oh, certainly," Annabelle agrees. She pulls her mouth into a straight, low line, and talks behind her hand, leaning down to whisper at Susan as if this might actually be scandalous at a giant magical almost-orgy eternal party. "Especially because I'm a mite inebriated. Drink and magic are not well known friends."

He laughs a little at the 'secret', amused to think about it.

"Really? I never knew that it could make problems for magic..."

"It just makes control a little bit more difficult, and your intentions can be a little muddled. Perhaps it's different in your world, but that's how it is for me."

"I don't know about it in our world, I've never done it before. Lauren doesn't let me get drinks when we go to inns and stuff." Not that he really wants to, the couple of times he's tried alcohol he hasn't liked it.

"Good," she says with a nod. "A young, bright mind like yours has no business with drink anyhow. You're still growing."

Technically, so are you, Annabelle...... but okay.

"I'm not that young." Not that he isn't growing, but still. If he wanted to drink he could!

"Too young for drink," she concludes, folding her arms. "Your brother says you're twelve. Better to try at fifteen."

"I'm almost thirteen. So I can do it if I want."

Annabelle laughs.

"Why, of course! You can do whatever you want right now, even; you're your own person." She taps her temple once, cocking her head. "I'm merely suggesting what's best for the health of the precocious youth, based on wisdom and facts."

Is that what it felt like, being the hermit and dealing with Annabelle? She wonders.

Well... He's maybe not happy with that answer, but at least she isn't telling him what to do like a child, so it's a little better at least.

"I do lots of things I want, even stuff that isn't best for the 'health of precocious youth'."

"Oh? Like what?" Annabelle asks, popping her hip as she beams at Susan.

"Like climb really tall trees! Really, really tall ones. Oh and this one time I was at a magic school and they told me to sleep in a bed but it wasn't comfortable so I snuck outside and slept in a tree and they got really mad."

Annabelle laughs again, but in a way that kind of has her incapacitated for a response for a moment. She holds the side of her hand against her lips as she peers at Susan, her eyebrows high as she stifles down another giggle. She remembers also getting in trouble in school for similar things, like crawling out the windows when she decided she was bored and had enough.

"That's not the same," Annabelle says through a smile. "That's not bad for you as a boy the same way that alcohol is. Have an affinity for trees, do you?"

He laughs a little too.

"It's the same! It's dangerous, to most kids, 'cause they aren't as careful at it as me."

He has to think about her question though.

"I don't think I have an affinity for them, not as much as Lauren? But, there were always lots of really big trees around in the forest so, I got really good at climbing them... And so when I'm somewhere else, even if it's far away, the trees are still familiar."

Annabelle shakes her head, because it's still not the same, but she lets it drop.

"Is that right? I ended up moving sort of far away from trees. I stopped climbing them as often. I'm probably not too good at it now, so I'm not sure I relate to that."

"You should try again! I don't think it's something you can get bad at, you just might need to practice."

"Well, there's a lot of trees around the carnival. Perhaps I'll climb up a tree to get away from my insane trailermate."

He nods excitedly at that thought.

"You should! I can even show you the best ones for climbing, me and Lauren go out in the forest a lot!"

⇨ THE CELEBRATION

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