⇨ HOME AGAIN

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone!
When: Day 68 - Day 72
Where: Carnival grounds.
What: Everyone makes it back to the carnival after their adventure in hell. The Ringmaster makes a new lake to celebrate, apparently.
Warnings: A notable absence of torture.

TO HELL AND BACK↴ The rescuers and the liberated captives will emerge from the portal like bats out of hell. Much like their previous return, this arrival will be met with a flurry of medical activity as everyone gets their injuries seen to, particularly those that had been held prisoner within Morningstar's hell fortress. It will still be night when they arrive, and the rest of Day 68 will be clouded over completely, for the benefit of the new vampires as they get settled in. After the immediate panic is dealt with, the Ringmaster will disappear into the forest until the morning of Day 69. It will be raining off and on during her absence. ► RECOVERY: Unlike the last time, the Ringmaster will be supplying the carnival workers with some healing potions from her private hoard, given that most of the healers are already wounded or spent. Damage caused by iron poisoning will not be cured by healing magic or healing items though, unfortunately, and those who have spent a lot of time in contact with iron will take at least a week to fully recover. However, regular healing remedies like bandages and herbs may help speed things along if the patient is suited to them. ► A BRAND NEW LAKE: On the morning of Day 69, the Ringmaster will return the forest to announce that she's built a new lake into the carnival grounds, only a short trail's distance from the backyard. Unlike most of the forest, this area won't just lead you in circles when explored, meaning that it can actually be modified and developed as the workers see fit. The water is always clean and just the right temperature for swimming, though it gets a bit cooler the deeper you swim. At the far side of the lake, there is a warm, stone pathway leading up the side of the mountain, that will eventually take you to some bangin' hot springs. Brought to you mostly because the Ringmaster doesn't know how to say sorry with actual words. At least it gives you something to play with while you try to shake off the trauma. ► FRUITS OF VICTORY: On Day 70, all the workers who came to hell for the rescue mission will be given a gift from the Ringmaster. Each of them will receive a bright green, glowing seed, about the size of your thumbnail. She will tell you that, when planted, the seeds will swiftly grow into a small citrus tree, which will grow fruits with regenerative properties. More details about these plants will be written up in a separate post, but for now your characters can ogle them and decide if they are going to plant them or not. ► TAKE ME TO CHURCH: Staring on Day 71, the Ringmaster will be starting to work on removing the vampirism from those infected with it, which apparently involves a lot of... meditation? She will take the newbie vampires out into a shady area of the forest and encourage them to look inside themselves and attempt to separate themselves spiritually from their demonic beasts. How well you character masters her teachings over time will determine whether or not she is ultimately capable of stripping out your demon soul and returning you to life. Of course, not all demons are made equal, and some will be more difficult to separate than others...

Comments

[periphrasing]

Lapis you're making her get kind of choked up again. "Aw, Lazuliiii..." Earth friendship is so beautiful? She can barely stand it.

"I don't even remember where they took me," she admits, rubbing the side of her head thoughtfully, frowning. "Everything's kind of a blur after the first few hours."

[mirrortide]

What do you mean friendship?? She thought they were smooch buddies now??

"Well, the important thing is that you're back and safe now."

[periphrasing]

Well yeah OK that too.

"Yeah," Peridot says distractedly; she can't help but to try and fill in some of the black holes in her memory, but every time she tries this horrible sense of dread starts to creep over her.

She shakes her head and blinks up at Lapis. "Um... Hey... really though, Lapis. Thanks."

[mirrortide]

She grins, her disgustingly sharp teeth showing. "You don't have to thank me. I'll always come get you if you need me too." Which is a really awkward thing to say, honestly, but here she is, saying it.

[periphrasing]

Peridot blushes. That smile is so cute? What the fuck. She's so doki for this gem.

Much as she appreciates the sentiment (more than she will ever be able to articulate to Lapis, really), this conversation is getting a little mushy and awkward. She laughs it off with an appreciative snicker.

"Okay, a side note: I know you hate them, but seriously... those teeth are a good look on you," Peridot says, flashing her own sharp little chompers.

[mirrortide]

"Not a fan is putting it mildly. I'm sure I've probably almost destabilized myself on them." She's being hyperbolic, but it still feels like that. "I've been actually hiding my changes for a bit as I get them." Sort of adapting to them on her own time, but it is exhausting to do.

[periphrasing]

"You what?" Peridot frowns up at her, mildly concerned. "You mean you've just been. Shapeshifting and holding it? How have you not exhausted yourself?"

And more importantly, what changes have you been hiding from her?

[mirrortide]

"I take naps." Lapis shrugs, because honestly that is the most logical thing. "And I let it go when no one's around, even if I don't like it." It gives her a bit of a breather too, something that naps can't exactly take care of. Any realistic nap.

[periphrasing]

"Wait," she says, features scrunching up. "But I've seen your teeth and those webs between your various touch stumps. So what else is different?"

[mirrortide]

"Oh, um." Lapis moves, so she can put one of her feet into Peridots' lap. Congratulations, you now have a foot. And then that foot shapeshifts in a blue glow, and there's a giant hind paw there, with the same webbing between the toes.

And hidden claws. "These came in pretty recently. It's weird to walk on them."

I SWEAR I DON'T HAVE A FOOT FETISH?

[periphrasing]

Peridot leans back a little when she first puts her foot down because, you know. what the heck is she doing. But then her foot changes back to what is apparently the new normal for Lapis, and her eyes widen.

"Woah," she breathes, eyes alight with SCIENTIFIC INTRIGUE. One small green finger lifts to poke at one. It's so... velvety?

"They're soft," comments Peridot, and then two fingers grab a toe and give it a firm squeeze. A claw pops out. "WOAH," Peridot gasps with wonderment, leaning in a little for a closer look.

sounds fake

[mirrortide]

Oh. She has foot claws too now? She couldn't actually see them before Peridot gave her toe a squeeze.

"Are they? I didn't know. they're pretty weird though, don't you think?" She gives them a sort of wiggle, and would you look at that, she can make all of her toe claws pop out at once when she flexes her foot.

That is super weird.

It also feels really weird when Peridot touches them.

[periphrasing]

She leans back again when all those claws come out at once. What the heck.

"It's not that weird. Steven's lion has appendages like this, if memory serves." Peridot gives the tip of one of the claws a poke.

[mirrortide]

She pulls her foot back at that, relaxing her toes to sheath the claws there again. "Careful, they look like they're pretty sharp." Sharper than the ones on her hands, which have been worn down a little from constant use.

[periphrasing]

"Meh," Peridot grunts, not all that concerned. "Whatever. I like them. They seem useful, it's like you have tiny knives on your feet! You should just embrace it, quit wearing yourself out trying to cover them up."

[mirrortide]

"Why would I need knives in my feet?" That is honestly the least possible optimal place for them? But now that Peridot knows about her feet, there isn't really any point in hiding them.

She'll completely take her foot back now, tucking her paws underneath her. "The hand ones I get, but I don't really get the feet ones." They're for disembowelling prey, Lapis.

[periphrasing]

"Why wouldn't you want knives in your feet?" Peridot counters. To be fair, she's looking kind of droopy-eyed and sleepy again.

[mirrortide]

"They could get caught in the blankets. Or the hammock." Just imagine poor Lapis, falling out of the hammock, dangling by the foot because of these foot knives. "It's not exactly practical."

[periphrasing]

"Well duh, that's why they retract."

[mirrortide]

"And what about when I'm stretching?" They'll get caught then!!

[periphrasing]

"I think you're overestimating how statistically likely of a scenario this is," Peridot counters. "Anyway, I'm sure they're useful for something. Maybe ask Steven, next time you see him."

She trails off, frowning contemplatively at the wall. "So... You said Amethyst came with you to help find me.... Right?"

[mirrortide]

"Y...es?" But Lapis found her first so instantly Lapis is better, just so everyone present is clear on that. "So did Steven."

[periphrasing]

"Right. Of course! I was just... You know..."

She trails off again, awkwardly. There's... probably no good way to phrase what her thoughts are here. Better to just let Lapis fill in the blanks.

[mirrortide]

"I know...?" No, tell her. It's probably very interesting, right?

[periphrasing]

"It's just... nice to know that she still cares enough to come looking for me, I guess," Peridot says, glancing away and rubbing her shoulder awkwardly.