lostcarnival | ⇨ GREYSOL

Entry tags:

⇨ GREYSOL

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 155 - Day 169
Where: Greysol
What: The carnival resumes its tour, this time heading to Greysol, a city tied deeply into the fabric of the multiverse. Here, everyone has an animal companion from birth that is the second half of their soul - and thanks to the Ringmaster, so do you. (Remember,

joysweeper is our guest event runner for this location, and location specific questions should go to them.)
Warnings: Individually marked!

THE CITY OF GREYSOL↴

The carnival arrives in a manicured park in the center of a big city that sprawls out along where the river reaches the ocean. It’s spring, early enough that nights are chilly, warm enough in the days that people and their souls savor the weather, and sometimes shelter together from the rain. Greysol was designed from the bottom up to accommodate the human-dæmon bond. Go out and see!

► THE SHAPE OF YOUR SOUL: The dæmon-forming spell kicks in at about four in the morning. Most characters will wake up with their souls in some small form, curled against them. Even if they were awake, they became dazed and unfocused while their souls were being drawn out of their bodies and have little memory of how it happened.

Until that evening every character's dæmon is able to change shapes, and children and some teens will continue to do so. Most will settle on their permanent forms by evening. Characters without dæmons will just look on, and the few who are thousand-pound bears have to handle being really big.

► IT’S GOOD TO SETTLE: Elaine Tavis Aracari, sixteen-year-old daughter of two actors and a moving pictures sensation herself, just ‘settled’ - her dæmon Tavis stopped changing shape - as a stunning blue peacock. Settling is a major coming of age milestone and celebrated as such in different ways all over the world. She and her family are throwing a massive party in the central park and inviting the public to join in! Enjoy easy access to free catering, live music and showings of moving pictures, and displays of mostly trivial magic. There are also form readers from across the country setting up booths, happy to accept a small fee to inspect your dæmon’s settled or most favored forms and tell you what they mean. Is there anything to these analyses? Eh, maybe, but they’re flattering and fun.

► WITCHING HOURS: Characters who are clearly witches for this event will often be assumed to be in town for a lover, and people, witches and not, may want to know who that is. Humans usually regard them with wary respect and interest. Real witches living with their human families or on business quickly suspect that something’s up, but without clear and present danger take a relaxed wait-and-see attitude. Wait for long enough and any possible decision will come around again, they believe.

There isn’t time to learn much witch magic, but witches, real and carnival-made, have an inherent power: the ability to fly using branches of “cloudpine”, an attractive soft-needled tree common in the park. Witches usually ride large branches as if they’re steeds but can use even short sprays, and you’ll probably see the few witches in the city coming to the park to do so. Why not try?

► BEAR PUN: Human-panserbjørn relations have historically been troubled, but have warmed in the past century. It’s the 65th anniversary of the breaking of the Siege of Bertin, a much-mythologized time when Spectres flooded Greysol and a company of panserbjørn arrived and directed efforts to get the survivors out of the city. A statue is being erected and many florid accounts of the story are being told. If you’re in a panserbjørn shape for the duration of the visit you will probably get thanked and celebrated by people trying to hide their nervousness of you. Expect someone to ask if your dæmon would be a human - it’s a common supposition.

► KERNER ISLAND: From the harbor you can see a wooded island. Although there are no rocks to speak of it sports a tall lighthouse, and nearly all boat traffic avoids it carefully. On a clear day someone with binoculars or a particularly sharp-eyed soul can see loads of trash, birds and various other animals that don’t seem local, and… children? Adults and settled teenagers will see tall vague shapes moving about too.

When asked about it the most important thing adults will tell other adults is don’t go there. They’ll hold their dæmons close and tell you that on that island are things that eat souls. They may also admit with mixed pride and shame that it’s been a source of wealth and innovation for the city. There’s a facility there that can open windows into other worlds, and the children who can reach it can cross through and bring things back. Many of the children are recruited by research and development teams on the lookout for items they can use, but there are also kids out to have adventures or who’ve run away. More on this later.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Yuya moves to gently place his hands on her shoulder from behind, once he squeezes through the growing crowd. They don't seem to be anything more than curious and concerned, so he looks down and focuses his attention on Reira.]

Hey, Reira! Looks like you're the center of attention today--are you nervous?

UM!

[Needless to say she jumps a bit, and the 'readers' shush for a moment-there is a slight mutter about how they're just worried because no child should be in such a state, but really this isn't the time-]

...I don't know how to answer their questions...

[...Mostly because she really doesn't know if they're supposed to talk about where they CAME from, at all. But. Erp.]

That's okay. It's a lot to be asking you, right? [He looks up at the crowd, still smiling. He overheard some of it, and Koemi is even watching Reira's daemon with a slight nervousness... but he doesn't think crowding and questioning a kid helps things at all.]

There's nothing to worry about. Reira's under good care!

Y...yeah, [She replies, though to what, it is unclear. The others leave, while Reira's daemon just briefly flits through an infant otter itself, before switching instead to a few 'baby dragons' of familiar sort and into yet other, entirely different things. They all have perhaps thirty seconds apart, but...

Reira swallows at Koemi.] ...why are you worried..? [Nervousness feels close to that. It's her best word for the 'feeling' itself.]

[Yuya's shoulders sink a bit in relief as the crowd disperses. He doesn't want people getting too interested in Reira's soul here, even if they seem nice.

He glances sideways at Koemi as she looks between Reira and her daemon. She shuffles back a bit, shy about addressing Reira directly, but this wasn't something Yuya could articulate for her.

So she looks at the daemon instead.] You're changing too much. How do you do anything if you can't hold a form?

[Ooooooh-now to that she takes a bit of offense. With narrowed eyes, it's as if the pair didn't even need to speak aloud-there are juvenile versions of very, very dangerous monsters in the world, monsters memorized with the aid of a computer headset courtesy of LDS and Himika Akaba....

And rather abruptly, the otter is not only at risk of getting knocked off someone's shoulder by the swiftly changing things, but is face to face with what looks almost like a living blade, followed by a winged demon, an axe-faced bird...

No matter what the pointy danger end is PRETTY well primed however, and the daemon itself is who speaks.]

"With Ease."

[....that sounds too much like reiji]

[Koemi jerks back, clinging to Yuya as tightly as she can while Reira's daemon cycles through various threatening forms. Yuya's attention snaps to it as well and there's an instant where the both of them are still in horror.

And then just as quickly, Komei screeches and turns to jump off of Yuya. Yuya scrambles to catch her mid air and they both cling to each other as Yuya turns his body to put himself between the two daemon. His voice is tense as he speaks.] Stop it! Don't start fighting!

[Neither Reira nor her daemon move-her own shifting back to better things, like flower cats, butterflies, birds...]

...it's not a fight. They showed you, they weren't fighting you, [she says calmly, staring at the others.] ....like summoning a new card.

...I don't know how to explain not having a right one...but we can still stay safe if we copy things, for now, [she decides, though despite the calm tone, her unease Is there. ....for other reasons, as she fights the urge to run.] ....

....please don't be upset though...

[Koemi curls herself into a lump in Yuya's arms, and he starts to stroke her to calm the both of them down--his hand frequently stops at the scar on her back, rubbing his fingers in a soothing gesture over the wound.

No, no part of Reira would try to hurt them... despite being momentarily shaken, he forces up a smile for her.] I'm not--[Well, that's not totally, true.] I mean, it just startled her. [Scared him, but he projects all of that on his daemon.] It's okay.

[She certainly would never-but the thing about forced smiles is that both of them can see through them. The cycle of more comforting animals starts up beside and behind her, but even then it starts to falter into fearsome things, things baring their teeth with wide and almost white-less eyes as the daemon draws back.]

....no it's not... [she manages, swallowing as the pressure starts to build.]

Don't fake-happy, it's not....

[It's only a prickle in the air. Yuuya isn't fathoms upset after all, and it's far cry from what's ever caused her PAIN but....a prickle is still a prickle.]

[Well that attempt at comfort fell through--but Yuya wasn't really putting his heart into it, so how could he expect to reflect ease to Reira when he wasn't himself?

He takes a deep breath to steady himself, shifting Koemi partly over his shoulder so he can offer Reira his hand.] It's really okay! [He pulls up a more genuine smile this time.] Let's go take a look around. Do you like ice cream?

[He remembers seeing a small shop when he was wandering the streets earlier. He can probably find it again.]

[It may bit be a hundred percent, but it is at least honesty, and that much has the effect if calming the daemon down. There are bristles...but it is something.

Anxious as she yet is, her curiosity is snatched.]

....what's ice cream...

You don't know? It's a really sweet dessert and it comes in a lot of flavors. I'll show you!

[He gestures for her to follow close so he can lead her to the ice cream shop. It's small with a crooked, hand-painted sign and smashed between other buildings, but it's quaint. It's also the perfect distraction for the both of them.

He nudges Reira to go in first, so he can follow right behind.]

I know what candy is? [She offers, easily led away as she blinks.] ...Is there a candy flavor?

There's similar flavors? [How does he break to Reira how diverse candy itself is. A small shop doesn't have a huge selection, but there's the standards--vanilla, chcocolate, and strawberry--and a couple unique flavors: butterscotch, pistachio, and peach.

Yuya points at the flavors.] You can pick one first. Chocolate and butterscotch are candy flavors if you really want that.

Ummmmm.... [Well this answers basically nothing. But, what with already knowing Exactly what chocolate is, she does manage to at least point to the butterscotch.] I'll...try that one?

[Yuya nods and points out the butterscotch for her and the strawberry for himself. While the shopkeeper is scooping out the cones, Yuya fishes through his pocket and dumps his pocket change onto the counter.

Being good with kids has its benefits when adults are willing to give you their stray bills because you're also a kid, and it's an easy way of saying thanks. It's just enough to pay for the two cones.

Yuya will pass Reira hers first.] Here, keep it upright so it doesn't spill.

Mmmmm... [Alright, taking the cone, holding it up and...

SHE'S ABOUT TO MAKE THE FIRST MISTAKE OF ICE CREAM AND BITE THE ICE CREAM, STOP HER-]

Uh, wait, it's gonna be cold--[Well. Either she'll hear him or learn the hard way.]

[Psh, she already knows it'll be c-

OH GOD HER TEETH] MFGGHHMMNN...! [She very quickly pulls her face back, looking decidedly betrayed by her food.]

[Yuya covers his mouth to stiffle a laugh.] Sorry! I didn't warn you fast enough... you'll enjoy it more if you lick it.

Mnnhhh.... ...why would you just lick food, that's slow...

[Yuya moves to ruffle the top of her hair.] Because otherwise you get brainfreeze. Anyway, ice cream is better when you eat it slower.

[... Mostly because then you don't get brainfreeze, but Yuya makes a point by licking his own ice cream.] You want to sit outside and eat?

That wasn't my brain, that was my teeth, [She huffs, apparently quite fine with the ruffling at least.] ...Let's go sit though, [she adds. Sitting is good.]

[He didn't make the name up, Reira. So he just shrugs, leading her outside the creamped little shop so they can sit on a bench just outside it.

Once they sit, Koemi finally jumps off of Yuya and sits beside him, on hand on his leg and she looks around attentively. Yuya, himself, is far more attentive of his ice cream cone.]

Hey, I didn't ask, but what's your daemon's name? [Because he can't keep calling it just 'Reira's daemon', right?]

Mystery

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