⇨ 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

[periphrasing]

"Lapis," Peridot whines again, frowning desperately at her. YOU'RE JUST MAKING THIS EVEN WEIRDER BY FORCING AMETHYST TO BE HERE? Also for her own part, Peri is super not together enough to make this discussion work right now, and she certainly looks it, sitting there with her ears drooping and a miserable expression on her face.

[drrdrrdrr]

Amethyst makes an agitated noise. She just wants to get away, because she knows before she threw up she was totally losing her resolve and then Peridot started petting her hair and it was so nice and she likes Peridot so much and it's the worst??? And... on some level she feels like it would be. Good. For Peridot to talk to someone else about it instead of her.

"I just need some space, okay," she says, shoving past Lapis. "We can deal with this later."

[mirrortide]

The only reason Lapis doesn't burst the water pipes in the room and fling Amethyst back in is because Peridot is giving her A Look. So instead she steps aside for Amethyst, frowning at her as she leaves.

And then she directs her attention to Peridot, and gives her a very, very disappointed look.

[drrdrrdrr]

Amethyst frowns back, kind of hoping that if she makes a bad impression here Lapis will make her argument for her when she's gone.

She still can't keep from glancing guiltily over her shoulder at Peridot as she closes the door behind her, though.

[periphrasing]

Peridot doesn't see her look back. She very decidedly doesn't want to watch Amethyst leave. Instead, she's staring pointedly down at Pumpkin, who is scooped up into her lap now; the little green gem is sitting hunched over the vegetable with her knees up and her arms around her pet, and she only glances up again once she hears the door click shut.

That's when she catches that Look that Lapis is giving her.

"What?" she says kind of defensively.

[mirrortide]

"Seriously?" Is all she asks, giving a vague motion to the door. "I thought you liked each other." Love isn't really a word Lapis wants to use because she just doesn't know about that much, but she does know that they're... particularly intimate? So obviously they like each other a lot.

[periphrasing]

"We do!" Peridot insists, squeezing Pumpkin a little tighter. "I don't know what just happened, she just... I don't know!"

[mirrortide]

"You sure about that?" Because that's the opposite of looking like they liked each other to her. She really doesn't think she should have let Amethyst leave.

[periphrasing]

She shoots the other gem an irritated look. "Lapis if there's one thing you should have learned from Camp Pining Hearts by now it's that matters of the heart are often VERY COMPLICATED."

Peridot doesn't even know what that quote really means for herself either? She just wants Lapis to lay off.

[mirrortide]

"Are they really." She sounds entirely unconvinced.

[periphrasing]

"Of course they are!" Peridot explodes, throwing her hands up. Startled by the outburst, Pumpkin hops off of her lap with a yelp and dives under the bed. "Do you not remember that time that Penny and Paulette got into an argument? And the other campers tried to force numerous different methods of getting them to make up? It was an entire arc in season 3, it took them SIX EPISODES to work things out!"

[mirrortide]

"Yeah, if only they'd actually talked to each other instead of disrupting the other campers with their petty fight and making them think that they had to fix it." Lapis is unfortunately used to Peridots sudden outbursts, positive and negative. She doesn't even flinch, only reclines a little further against the door.

[periphrasing]

"Or maybe the other campers shouldn't have kept trying to FORCE them to talk to each other when they weren't ready!" she shoots right back, unfazed. "Especially when Penny and Paulette HAVEN'T EVEN DISRUPTED ANYONE YET, AND NEVER ASKED THE OTHER CAMPERS TO STICK THEIR SCENT SPONGES IN THEIR BUSINESS!"

[mirrortide]

"Whatever then. But if this messes up my fun at this party we're going to have an issue." She makes a point of pointing at Peridot in a slightly menacing way.

[periphrasing]

"It won't," Peridot insists, glancing away. Angry tears are pricking at the corners of her eyes under her visor, and she doesn't want to have to reach underneath and clear them away.

[mirrortide]

Wait a minute. Is Peridot doing what Lapis thinks she's doing? Wow, that actually does make her feel a little bad. She straightens up a little, going slightly wide eyed.

"Wow, you're really upset about this." Thanks, captain obvious.

[periphrasing]

"Of course I am!" Peridot snaps. Her throat is so tight she sounds creaky. She sniffs, giving in and wiping away a tear. "I just don't... I don't get it." It's a vague statement, addressed broadly to no one in particular. Amethyst's just.... doesn't make sense to her.

[mirrortide]

That's not what she wanted to hear at all? Thankfully for Peridot, Lapis' lowered inhibitions means that she's going to pus off against the wall and come to awkwardly sit next to her, gently putting a single arm around her shoulder. And only hesitating once.

"I'm sorry." Unfortunately, lowered inhibitions do not make her a better person of comfort. "It'll probably work itself out?"

[periphrasing]

Lowered inhibitions also mean Peridot will readily lean into Lapis, taking a shaky breath. "Whatever!" she says abruptly, after a moment of silence. "Who even needs her!? Not me, that's who!"

[mirrortide]

"Yeah, you don't need her." Lapis huffs, pulling Peridot a little tighter against her. "She's just a jerk. Who needs a jerk like her anyway?"

[periphrasing]

"But what if I do need her?" she says just as suddenly, sinking down, resting her cheek against Lapis' side-boob and staring straight ahead with dead eyes. "I don't know how any of this is supposed to work!"

[mirrortide]

Wow, this is so unbelievably awkward. Lapis sort of just. Pats her head. Pat pat.

"You've been fine for thousands of years without her, haven't you?"

[periphrasing]

"Yes but that was before I knew! How rewarding such an intimate relationship could be!" argues Peridot, gesturing wildly with both hands. "And Amethyst... I really LIKE Amethyst! She's so cool, and, and tough!"

[mirrortide]

Lapis, ever so helpfully, just shrugs. "So find someone else then, and stay friends with her if you like it so much?" She honestly doesn't understand why this is such a huge issue to Peridot, but she's trying to be a good friend?

[periphrasing]

Peridot doesn't look convinced, but sighs reluctantly. "I guess that could work. But who--"

She pauses mid-sentence as an idea occurs to her. Slowly, with an EXTREMELY unsettling intensity, Peridot turns her head and looks up at Lapis.