⇨ 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

[small_reservations]

"I can see that. My home was pretty weird like that too." He's got memories of Radiant Garden, at least, and it pulled from all over. THERE WAS A DUCK IN CLOTHES.

"Where are you from?"

[amusicaladventure]

"Me, I'm from a nexus world. One of those places where countless countless worlds overlap," she said, lacing her fingers together demonstratively. "I think the carnival even visited one once, maybe it was mine? I didn't come in there, though, I kinda dreamed my way in."

I never got a notif for this tag... I only found it when I was scanning old threads.

[small_reservations]

"See, my home... universe has lots of worlds, and they can be visited if you know how, but they don't usually overlap. Some are easier to get to, though." Like Traverse Town.

[amusicaladventure]

"Probably the same universe, it's a really big universe, but who knows," Ash mused.

[small_reservations]

"Maybe. We've got a lot of worlds." He shrugs. "I guess it could be the case."

[amusicaladventure]

"Doesn't matter, though. Wherever someplace is in relation to someplace else, the only thing that really counts is if you can get there or not!"

[small_reservations]

"I don't think we can get anywhere from here." He shrugs a little, letting the water run off his shoulders.

[amusicaladventure]

Which Ash appreciated the view of, albeit subtly. "Sure, we can get anywhere from here -- if the Ringmaster takes us. That's why I figure we're in the same universe."

[small_reservations]

"Could be, could be. Or we could be floating outside multiple universes and connecting to whichever the Ringmaster wants. Like some kind of scifi story." To be honest, he's not opposed to the idea. He's not really passionate about most things, but this he just accepts, even as he rubs a knot out of one shoulder.

[amusicaladventure]

"Maybe... Hey, you need some help with that?" She curled her fingers in midair with a twitch, aiming vaguely at his shoulder.

[small_reservations]

"You offering freely? That's a dangerous thing to do in a fae carnival, y'know." He grins, though, and lifts himself further out of the water.

[amusicaladventure]

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." Which was also true literally, since the act of rising out of the water emphasized her height pretty significantly. She sidled on over to take a seat on the edge of the pool behind him.

When she gripped his shoulder, it was with quite a fair amount of strength. Ash was no sissy masseuse who just did light rubbing that accomplished nothing -- she put some force into it, possibly painful but definitely enough to be effective.

[small_reservations]

He hisses at the first contact, a little sound of discomfort, but sighs and goes a little limp as she begins to work. She's an impressive lady - her strength, personality, and body are all appealing. And gods above does she know how to give a massage.

"You're pretty good at this, huh?" He manages to speak between little sounds. "You got any other talents?"

[amusicaladventure]

"There's nothing I can't do," she said matter-of-factly as she adjusted her fingers slightly. The right kind of pressure could make her claws pop out, which was totally not what she was going for here. "Though it pretty much all comes from the music in the end."

[small_reservations]

"Music, huh? What kind of music?" His voice is broken by the occasional non-verbal noise as she massages - it hurts a little. Not as much as it would if she wasn't mindful of her claws, though.

[amusicaladventure]

It was supposed to hurt. She was getting in deep, after all. "Literally anything. There's no instrument and no song I can't play. I like heavier stuff, y'know, hard rock, metal, but if it's music it's in my scope."

[small_reservations]

"Huh. Really? Does that take practice, or is it something you can jump right into?" He sighs as another knot is loosened, a little gasp preceding the sound.

[amusicaladventure]

"I have never practiced music once in my life. Honestly, it's pretty un-- oh hold on." This might suck, as Ash brought up her elbow to jam the point of it into a knot. Give it a few seconds for the muscle to release with a wet crunch and a wave of tingling pleasure from the relaxation. "Unfair, really. S'why I don't do a lot of the stuff I could."

[small_reservations]

He gasps loudly when she drives her elbow into the knot, but audibly lets the breath out as the tension dissipates. "Did you have to practice this?"

[amusicaladventure]

She made a noncommittal noise, now just rubbing the spot gently to soothe and relax it. "Yes and no. Learned this from Mom, she was a physical therapist and picked this up to help expand her repertoire."