lostcarnival | ⇨ WISMUTH

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⇨ WISMUTH

Who: Everyone!
When: S2:D6-D11
Where: Wismuth and the Carnival Grounds
What: The carnival enjoys a few days in Wismuth, a coastal city on this planet's version of the American east. However, there are a few things very unique about this version of the planet...
Warnings: The usual, wholesome fun.

PILLAR OF CREATION↴

Upon arriving, things in Wismuth will seem pretty peaceful. It's a massive city, with no shortage of things going on, but things like violent crime and homelessness are at an all time low. You can wander the streets without much scrutiny, presumed to just be tourists, and most people here come across as helpful and friendly.

► VIBRANCY: The main thing that sets this planet apart is its vibrancy - AKA, the raw creative energy its filled with, flowing from its status as a Pillar of Creation. There is no literal pillar, but Wismuth and its planet is a place where Creation's energy comes through strongest. As a result, everything here feels somehow more real, more intense in a way that's hard to put a finger on. Life is abundant, and its bleeds through in every sensation.

► ATTRACTIONS: There are plenty of things to see while going around the city. First and foremost, there is a lovely beach area bordering the ocean, and a number of tourist aimed attractions built around it. There are giant malls, movie theaters, live stage performances, museums and all kinds of other points of cultural interest. Anything you can do in a big city you can do here, but better.

► ALLOWANCES: The Ringmaster will be giving everyone a reasonable amount of local currency for a few days on the town. You can't make any massive acquisitions with it, but it's more than enough to eat out, see some shows, go to the beach, and whatever you like. You can feel free to pick up some casual supplies, like mundane clothing and souvenirs. There will be more given out later, after the performance week.

► PERFORMANCE: Performance week is starting early this time, after only a couple days of exploration. When the carnival has already been on vacation for a month, the Ringmaster figures they may as well get right to it, and then do more touring afterwards. Members of the local populace will find themselves in the carnival once performances begin, dazzled by the other worldly sights. Magic doesn't seem to exist here, despite the fact that it will flow easier for people bringing it from other worlds.

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"Lighting, special effects... and mercenary, now," Rita answers as she rotates her shoulders, giving them a stretch while she's at it.

"I'll probably be backstage during some of your performances, so if you have a good idea of what you want, you can run it by me." Rita's gotten familiar enough with the work that she can work with vague requests or even just wing it, but she knows some performers prefer to plan out every detail.

Just like that, she has his full attention again, even the thought of tea brushed to the side. He's been watching lighting and the rest, but he hasn't actually spoken with her before, or anyone else managing lighting. Now that he knows who she is and what she does, Victor finds himself nodding. "Great! Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about what the carnival's equipment is currently capable of handling? I've seen the spotlighting. What kind of mood lighting and filters do you have on hand? What about sound systems? Or means to play any kind of pre-recorded music? What variety of special effects are you confident in handling?"

Not that he knows if he needs any, particularly, but having an idea of the array of things available to him gives him better guidance on creating a grounded sort of performance dance. After all, it's the closest he's getting to skating as far as he knows.

"Huh..." Rita's eyes widen as he blabbers on. "You actually know a few things about this. Didn't expect that." Considering how most people here don't have any actual background in performing.

But those are way too many questions for Rita to even attempt to answer on so little sleep, so... "You should probably take a look at our equipment yourself. I don't know how it compares to whatever world you're from, but there's a lot to it. If we have it, I know how to use it." She says so confidently, with a hint of pride despite her general apathy. "And... in addition to the provided tools, I happen to be an expert in elemental magic, which can be used to produce unique special effects."

Taking that as carte blanche to come do exactly as she says, he makes a mental note to do so later. Hearing she does manage magic as well makes him feel that odd mixture of curious and resigned: life sure has managed to get weirder real fast, relative to his general expectations.

Then again, he's talking to a young woman with an impressive pair of wings that certainly don't appear to be for decoration. Life's weird, full stop. So he smiles, bright eyed, and asks his question for clarification.

"Oh? Enough to, say, coat the performing area in ice three finger-width's deep?"

Let it never be said he doesn't Try.

Rita meets his smile with a furrowed brow, seemingly uncomprehending. "Coat it in ice? What for?"

She's never actually seen a skating rink before.

"For skating. Figure skating, in specific, but people tend to be more familiar with ice skating." She might be, or she might not. It's not unilateral even back home, though most are familiar with the concept of gliding across ice if they're from countries above or below certain latitudes.

"Back home we have whole areas with ice floors, sometimes for fun, other times for performances. Most often for practice for competitions, but here it'd be more of a performance idea. I don't really expect anyone can set that up, though maybe I should talk with the Ringmaster and Engineering..." Probably not what 9S would be expecting, but if there were ways to make a system and have a flooring that went over it... he sighs. No, most those were made up in the day beforehand, and disassembled for the purposes of using a given venue for other activities.

"Skating? Hmm..." Rita cups her chin with her hand. Fortunately, she was introduced to skating over the winter break, so she can imagine what he might need for that. With elemental magic and the tools they have at their disposal...

"It might be possible," she says after a moment. "Could be an interesting project to work on."

He grins, bouncing up onto the balls of his feet at her reply. He holds his hands out to the side, figuring that being vocal enough about this One Thing might meet with eventual results. Maybe even permanent structures, but right now, temporary ones of any kind work just as well for him.

"If it is, that'd be amazing! Even if it isn't, it's nice figuring out if it could be. Thank you for listening, Rita!"

He sounds so pleased over what amounts to nothing more than a maybe. On this, and in other things, he's so simply made happier.

"Huh?" Rita didn't expect to be thanked just for doing her job, and it shows on her face. "...It's no big deal."

She considers going back to her book, but instead pauses as she remembers something. "Oh, yeah... If you want a place to practice, we technically have a place to skate. But..." Her gaze drifts up to the sky, and she points to the larger of the two moons, faintly visible in the daylight. "It's on the moon. You'd have to find a way up there."

Victor looks up where she points, taking a moment to focus on the moon. Or one of the moons. "... If you have any suggestions, I'm happy to hear them. I'm sadly not flight capable without mechanical assistance."

It seems unlikely there are any airplanes to the moon from the carnival. Very, very unlikely. (Why the moon?!)

"Ask the Ringmaster," Rita suggests with a shrug. "She created a portal that allowed us to go between the carnival and the moon during the winter break. Maybe she can make another one."

The alternative is Victor getting someone to fly him up... which is supposedly doable, but Rita sure as hell isn't attempting it. She hates flying.

"Huh." He taps a finger against his lips, humming under his breath. "All right, I will." Hand falling away again to rest at his hip, he smiles. "Thanks for the tip off, Rita. It's worth asking if nothing else."

He's hoping the worst that can happen is a no. Note to self: don't be a jackass when posing the question. Or any of the other things he has on hand to ask the Ringmaster once he gets the chance.

It does not even occur to him that one might literally be able to simply fly there. Portals sound like teleportation which also sounds like science fiction, so that, hilariously, makes more sense than an actually obtainable moonflight by wing.

"Anything else you think a newcomer should keep in mind while here?"

"Something else to keep in mind? Hmm..."

Rita looks away, seemingly thinking. When she turns back to him, there's a serious look in her eyes, contrasting the casual apathy she's shown up until now. "Don't underestimate how dangerous the fae can be."

If there's one thing every newcomer to the carnival should understand, it's that.

Her warning falls in line with what he's heard of the fae: brainwashing, murder, permanent changes above and beyond the ones like the wings she wore (though he shouldn't assume, perhaps she's always been winged) or the various ways people have mentioned they've changed since they first contracted with the carnival. He lets his smile slip away, returning her serious look with one of his own. "From what little I've heard about the seasonal themed courts, amoung other things, it sounds deadly to make that mistake."

It also sounds difficult to predict, but to him, that comes from not knowing enough to guess at what's safer behaviours versus what's obvious and blatant in its danger. "And even from what little I remember from folktales growing up, the fae aren't to be taken lightly. Even more so if they seem to be doing so themselves." He laughs, just an exhalation with a hint of a smile at the end of it. "Not that I ever expected any of those to be anything more than stories."

"So you've heard a few things. Good." Rita's tone is curt as always, but there's a hint of approval in the way her expression relaxes slightly.

"Our contracts with the Ringmaster give us some protection... but it's no guarantee. If you don't have any way of protecting yourself, then you'd better stay far away from any fae we encounter." Not like being able to protect oneself is enough, against overwhelming power... but Rita has to believe that there's something mortals like her can do.

"I'd planned on it, but thank you. It's good having that reaffirmed." He smiled, albeit with his eyes remaining serious. "My best protections are the kind that have me not getting close enough to end up in a bad situation. When it's avoidable." With a small shrug of his shoulders, he glances away. He hopes there's always that option. It's the kind of belief he chooses to have, while considering... well.

Mortality.

"Rita, if we do die here, what happens to our remains? Do they get sent back home?"

"Huh?"

That question catches Rita off guard. Her brow furrows, as it often does when faced with a question she doesn't know the answer to. "I've never really thought about it. Maybe we'd just... disappear, as far as anyone back home would know." And considering some of the dangers they get mixed up in, there's no guarantee there'd even be a body to send back to their worlds, if the Ringmaster was inclined to do so in the first place.

"Why?" she asks after a moment.

Just disappear? He doesn't like that thought, as little as he likes the alternative of showing up as a body. Avoiding death altogether is best. He flashes Rita a smile and lifts his hands to shoulder height, shrugging with his eyes closed in somewhat morbid amusement. "Just wondering!"

Carnival workers aren't to harm each other. It's everything else that goes above and beyond what he knows how to navigate that brings out the more morbid concerns. He might as well ask the Ringmaster when he tracks her down for a proper conversation about the rink potential and the rest. More to do before all that, but it's another thought to hold onto, for better and worse. "Hopefully about what won't be relevant, but I'd like to know what might be in place to let the people who don't know they're waiting on us that we're never coming home."

"...Right."

A dark, distant look crosses Rita's face as she considers that. The fact that her life is sometimes endangered here at the carnival is something she knows well enough, but it was usually something she could brush off without much thought. I won't die. That's what she said... just before she did, not long ago.

Rita was lucky to have been brought back. She might not get lucky again. If that happens... will Estelle and the others ever know what happened? Will their plan still work without her? And what about 9S...? She wouldn't get to show him her world.

"If you're worried about it, you can try asking the Ringmaster to give you something to help protect yourself with. Can't promise anything'll come from it, though." Whether friend or foe, fae tend to be capricious like that.

He's amassing an interesting list of questions to pose to the Ringmaster, to be answered or sidestepped as she would. He tries to keep this one in mind, knowing he won't forget. At the very least, it's a concern he has because of those he loves. There are certain stories he never wants them to hear, but it is worse, he thinks, if he were to disappear entirely, never seen again.

"I'll see," he says, not so much cheerful in this, but considering, hands resting on his hips. "Want me to pass along anything relevant if I hear?"

Rita slouches back in her chair and turns her book over, running her fingers over the fore-edge, searching for her place.

"Yeah," she answers, somewhat absently. "The more information, the better." That's just her policy in general. It's not that she wants to know for any particular reason...

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⇨ WISMUTH

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