⇨ WISMUTH

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

[periphrasing]

You're the one who riled her up, pal! YOU CREATED THIS MONSTER! You, and also Wismuth's weird magical emotion-amplifying atmosphere.

Peridot hisses, stumbles, and then digs her heels in, trying to yank her wrist back from his grasp. "HEY!" she snarls, ears flattening back. She grabs onto part of the fake bridge with her prehensile tail in order to anchor herself into place better, because fuck you Strange, now staying put is a matter of pride.

"Sir!" Joshua chimes in a warning from his post, starting to sound VERY annoyed.

[kingsroads]

"I know!" Strange yells at Joshua, either unaware or not caring that they're causing a scene. He grabs harder on Peridot's wrist and once again, tries to yank her out of the way and off of the green.

By now, the people behind them have decided you know what, let's just skip this hole and ignore the weird family. They start to walk over to the next hole. Not that Strange notices it, of course, as he's still trying to physically drag Peridot off the green, a fact which would be a lot easier if Strange could actually lift more than twenty pounds without complaining.

[periphrasing]

"OW?!" Peridot exclaims with outrage when he tightens his grip. "Get off, let go of me, you-- I AM YOUR SUPERIOR, YOU CAN'T TREAT ME LIKE THIS! Put me down and let me finish this hole or I swear on all the Diamonds I will BITE YOU Strange, I MEAN IT!"

[kingsroads]

"We are in public," Strange hisses, despite the fact that he too has apparently forgotten that they're in public and is continuing this petty nonsense. So no, he's not letting go and apparently doesn't believe that Peridot would actually bite him. "Let the others play through!"

The other group has just fucked on off to the fourth hole, abandoning this trainwreck and probably gossipping about them in the background.

[periphrasing]

Too bad Naruto isn't here so that SOMEONE could help Strange to Believe It, because guess what Peridot does? Surprise surprise! She bites him.

Actually, first she lets go of the bridge and plants both her feet flat on the ground, and THEN she bites him. Right on the wrist of the hand that's clamped around her own. She's not intending to draw blood? But her teeth are very sharp, and also very hot, because her temper rising to such a critical level means she's been spitting off sparks here and there for the last ten minutes.

In her defense, she gave him PLENTY OF WARNING.

[kingsroads]

Holy shit she actually bit him.

Part of Strange's wrist is actual flesh and yep, those hot sharp teeth sink into those. But also on his wrist are mirror covered scratches. Which means that at least some of Peridot's teeth are hitting glass and who knows what sort of trouble that will cause (please don't break his wrists).

Needless to say, the pointy bits of Peridot's teeth hurt. They really hurt. They hurt enough for Strange to let go of Peridot and also start swearing up a blue streak. "Goddamn, I can't believe you actually bit me! What the hell, Peridot!?"

That seems to be the last straw for poor Joshua. "This is a family friendly establishment!" Joshua responds, as he reaches to his waist to get a walkie-talkie to at least see if security can threaten these two into behaving.

[periphrasing]

Yeah she hadn't at all been expecting to hit glass when she made the decision to chomp down on him. "OW!" she squawks, and recoils with her hands at her mouth. She glowers at the man, like it's his particular fault that she just hurt her teeth while enacting physical violence on him.

"I warned you what would happen!" she counters, pointing an accusatory claw at him. "It's not my fault you didn't listen!"

Joshua is all but ignored, for now.

[kingsroads]

"Of course I didn't listen, I didn't expect you to actually bite me." Strange rolls back his sleeve slightly to examine the wounds. Congrats Peridot, you broke skin. Thankfully, the wounds are relatively small and Strange isn't just gushing blood all over the floor. Still, the fact that he's going to probably end up spending some of his allowance on bandages makes him a bit grumpy.

"For someone who's supposedly older than I am, you don't act it."

Says the person who barely acts his age to begin with.

[periphrasing]

"You're the one who assaulted me and escalated to physical violence first!" Peridot argues.

Suddenly, Joshua's backup arrives in the form of a tall, sturdily built woman whose name-tag identifies her as "Susan". She is literally in a security guard uniform. Some people might not think a miniature golf course would need security, but if you've ever been to a Chuck-E-Cheese before, you know horrible truth: the world of hosting children's birthday parties one that is fraught with violent conflict.

"Sir, would you mind telling me what seems to be the problem here?" Susan asks Strange sternly, her muscular arms folded at her chest.

[kingsroads]

Strange is about to fuss at Peridot that grabbing someone's wrist isn't physical violence when Susan shows up. And Strange suddenly realizes that the sturdily built and muscular Susan could snap the skinny and not at all muscular Strange like a twig. He knows he's going to lose this fight if Susan decides to toss them from the building, but does Peridot know that?

Probably not. Strange is starting to get the realization that they're fucked.

His attitude changes on a dime as he goes from grumbling and fussing at Peridot to smiling weakly at Susan, trying to show that everything's under control! No problem here! "We just got a little too wrapped up in the game, I'm afraid. A nasty problem when you've, erm, got two people who are quite competitive."

This is an absolutely awful excuse and Strange knows it. Back him up, Peridot!

[periphrasing]

Peridot cannot back him up. Peridot is gone.

Actually, she's on the other side of the bridge. Having realized that they're probably about to get their asses tossed out of here, she has decided that time is of the essence to wrap up some unfinished business.

Plunk. She just took her last shot and sunk the ball into the hole. She looks up at Strange and points decisively down at it.

"THREE STROKES! That beats your four, I WIN!"

Susan turns back to Strange with the most unimpressed glare imaginable.

[kingsroads]

It's a testament to Strange's petty stubbornness that he takes the time to count out all the strokes so far. 3 + 3 + 4 versus 1 + 6 + 3....goddammit that's ten for both. "Technically we've tied," Strange grumbles, audible enough for Peridot (and unfortunately Susan) to hear.

"I think it'd be a good idea if the two of you left the building," Susan remarks, in a tone that implies 'if you don't leave the building, I'll make you leave.'

"We'll leave," Strange agrees. Because he's also realized that they're going to get their asses tossed out of here and it's better if they leave willingly than be forcibly ejected. "Come on, Peridot," he states a bit insistently.

[periphrasing]

"But--" she starts to protest, ready to insist that a tie-breaker is mandatory... But then Susan catches her eye, and Peridot's self-preservation instincts finally kick in, as she shrinks back a little, knowing from just this one look that Susan absolutely can and will bring a world of pain down on them both if they don't hit the road.

"...Fine," she agrees sullenly. Except before she moves anywhere, she grips her putter around the middle, holds her arm with it straight out, opens her hand... and spitefully drops her club right there on the green. Then she pads over to join Strange. "This place is a waste of our time anyway!"

[kingsroads]

Strange at least hands his club back to Susan before the two of them start to leave the building, Susan walking behind them to make sure that they actually do leave the building. It's only as they approach the exit that Strange realizes aw dang, he straight up left his drink in there.

And so, a grownass adult and one of the carnival's supervisors get kicked out of minigolf. As the doors close behind them, Strange takes a moment to look back at Wismuth Fun Palace, taking a moment to briefly lament that they couldn't even get to the hole with the windmill on it. "Now what should we do?"

Because obviously they're still going to do something.

[periphrasing]

Strange's willingness to keep hanging out with Peridot even after she just threw a veritable tantrum and bit him is exactly why he's a friend worth keeping around.

At that question, the gem makes a thoughtful sound and glances up and down the street, figuring that checking if there's anything else in the immediate vicinity is probably a good place to start. That's when her eyes fall upon...

She gasps. "There!" And she points to another building just up the street with a huge flashing sign that proclaims: "Jurassic Putt - Miniature Golf. It's a blast! (From the past.)"

"Maybe they won't be quite so tyrannical about their precious rules at that place," Peridot snorts, making a horrible dinosaur pun without even realizing it. Clearly, the next best thing to do is to learn from their mistakes and go try to break that tie. Maybe they'll even get past the third hole this time!

[kingsroads]

And Peridot's willingness to keep hanging out with Strange after he got into plenty of arguments and tried to forcibly yank her off the golf course is exactly why she's a friend worth keeping around.

Jurassic Putt does sound amazing. And he really wants to beat Peridot at minigolf. Still, Strange looks down at his now-bleeding wrist for a moment as he frowns. He's still bleeding...but minigolf...but treating his wounds.

Fuck it, time for minigolf. They'll probably have bandages at the place, right? Herbert can deal with this later! He gives Peridot a big grin at her wonderful idea which obviously won't go wrong in the slightest. "And maybe they won't care as much as things like that family friendly attitude, whatever that means. That's a wonderful idea!"