⇨ 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]

"Pretty much! Or I could put some personal touches on it and set it up around my trailer. I suppose it'll depend on what I'm feeling at the time, or what the carnival winds up needing. Either way, stocking up on this sort of thing can only be beneficial."

At least until she runs out of places to put stuff, and then it becomes a hoarding problem.

[atouts]

Which brings up that exact question in Childermass's mind. If she stocks up on anything she may think could help them, then—

"And just where do you plan on keeping this sort of thing? As I assume this is something you do on any world you get a chance to." Seeing as she's been a supervisor longer than he's been with the carnival, it can't be that far of a reach to think as much. "And that you plan on bringing even more back with you."

[periphrasing]

"So far, I've just been keeping it all in my trailer," Peridot admits, scratching the side of her head. "But lately I've been considering asking the Ringmaster for some kind of proper base of operations for the engineering team. Somewhere I can store all these supplies for easier access..."

[atouts]

"A warehouse might be a good idea," he prompts, though not entirely without his own reasons. Acquisitions could use one, too, and so far they mostly have... what? The Ringmaster's treasury? Not so useful if they want people staying out of that. In any case, he'll suggest that and, while still leaning idly against the dumpster, go digging for his latest — and recently acquired, thanks to this being an Earth variant — pack of cigarettes.

"Failing that, start sneaking it into Lambert's pile of junk. He won't notice so long as it's shiny enough."

Good luck getting it back, though.

[periphrasing]

Peridot just gives him. A very confused look.

"How would putting it in Lambert's trailer make it any more accessible than if it was stored in my own?" she asks, brow creased. "No, wait. Follow-up question: Why does Lambert keep a pile of junk?"

Like, she keeps piles of junk, and Amethyst cultivates MASSIVE collections of stuff, so it's not exactly unheard of to her? Lambert just doesn't seem the type.

[atouts]

This what happens when a man who never looks like or sounds like he's telling a joke tries to joke around with an alien with a suspect grasp of Earth humor. Childermass looks up again, cigarette now in hand, and squints at her for a second or two.

He won't try and explain his bad attempt to be funny, so it's good that she had a follow-up question.

"He collects jewelry," he tells her. "Though I suppose he would be offended to have it called junk."

[periphrasing]

"...Huh," she grunts, after a moment of contemplation. "Jewelry. So he collects shiny earth baubles... some of which are likely adorned with vastly inferior non-sapient varieties of earth rocks. Right. Hm. I knew he had an eye for that sort of thing, but..."

Look, the last person she'd encountered with such a penchant for collecting shiny valuables like that was Tamatoa, and that was a bad scene for every gem in the carnival. You'll have to forgive her for finding this information momentarily concerning!

[atouts]

"Probably non-earth rocks as well but I can't imagine he would pick one up that would argue with him," Childermass says with a shrug. Of course, Peridot is thinking one thing — that he might collect a Gem gem — and the magician is just thinking in general, sapient things. For all he knows, they might end up in a world full of highly polished rock golems next.

[periphrasing]

She is, at least, less concerned that Lambert would actually do something like that, and more just caught up in being unexpectedly reminded of someone who would.

She shakes her head rapidly, banishing all uninvited crab related memories and getting back to the point. "I don't know about that... The way you two go at it sometimes, you'd think he actually enjoys arguing. That might just be a bonus feature to him."

[atouts]

"Well..." It's not like Peridot is wrong. Lambert's favorite hobby is yelling at people, as far as he can tell. "He does, I suppose. In a way. Though I very much doubt you have to worry about arguing with him the way he and I do, which is, frankly, over every little detail."

Which isn't exactly true. There's plenty of details Lambert won't even blink at but all the ones concerning the magician's own safety, well, that seems endless. In any case, he'll just leave it at that and fish out his lighter, sticking the cigarette between his lips and lighting up.

If he's going to hang out next to trash, he might as well enjoy the rare space free of modern society's most insidious 'No Smoking' signs.

[periphrasing]

Peridot wrinkles her nose a little, unaccustomed as she is to the smell of cigarettes. She's almost tempted to ask him what the appeal is in doing that, but. On the other hand? She doesn't really care. It doesn't particularly bother her, anyway.

Unfortunately for Childermass, Peridot has already heard Lambert's side of things. So there's nothing stopping her from basically saying aloud what he's thinking, as she sinks back down to start digging through the scrap once more: "I dunno. He mostly seems to argue with you when he thinks you're putting yourself in danger. Seems like he worries about you more than he does most other people."

Just a bland observation her part. Nothing coy, nothing implied.

[atouts]

That it's a bland observation isn't lost on him. Ultimately, he already gets the feeling that space gem people definitely don't get a number of, well, human things, which means her reply is, at first, a shrug. Childermass has more to say about that but won't say anything until he's taken a drag off the cigarette and blown out the smoke. In a direction away from Peridot, though that only helps a little. Smoke goes where smoke wants to go.

"Probably because I don't feel the need for his opinion before doing something." He won't disagree that he does dangerous shit. It happens. That's life. "Though I imagine he would worry the same way about you if you were flying off without saying anything or Strange if he were... well... just being Strange. I suspect the difference there if Strange actually has to report to him."

[periphrasing]

There was an instance not too long ago where Lambert DID get that worried about Peridot literally flying off without saying anything. Which is weird to think back on? Sorting out what place the events of their stay in Portland has in her life certainly hasn't gotten any easier with time. And great, now she's thinking about Portland way too hard again, her next thought being that she's fairly sure Lambert wouldn't be anywhere near as concerned about her well-being if the whims of the multiverse hadn't seen fit to slap them together as adoptive siblings in a real-but-not-real alternate history. Hell, the same thing is true the other way around! If not for Portland, the two of them probably would have just gone on as vaguely acquainted coworkers, with no particularly interesting opinions about one another. Peridot certainly wouldn't have been so intensely devastated when he got taken by the Prince, if it hadn't been for that.

Which reminds her...

"That's... Probably a fair assessment." She looks distracted all of a sudden. Ponderous. She clears her throat awkwardly, and picks her next words carefully. "By the way... I... Believe I still owe you an apology. For uh... You know..."

Peridot kind of jerks her head slightly to one side and shrugs, as if that's supposed to clarify whatever the heck she's talking about.

[atouts]

He... doesn't, actually. While Childermass can recall the conversations well enough, for the most part, he can't really discern what she might have to apologize for. Overall, anytime she yelled at him or otherwise was uncertain about him (in Portland, anyway; he's not sure if that uncertainty carries over) hasn't ever been too off.

So, he raises an eyebrow, giving Peridot a curious look.

"For... what?"

Why would anyone apologize to him, of all people, anyway?

[periphrasing]

Okay she looks kind of annoyed that he doesn't automatically know what she's talking about, which is kind of counter-intuitive to what she's trying to accomplish here? Good going, Peridot.

"For shouting at you that one time after the ball?" Her brow is furrowed in consternation. Geez Childermass, she was hoping you'd just pick up on what she meant and brush it off so she wouldn't have to lay her embarrassing feelings any more bare than they already are. "I told you it was your fault, things got kind of uncomfortable... I shouldn't have said any of that. So. This is me, apologizing. I'm sorry."

[atouts]

"Ah. That."

Childermass hadn't forgotten that or anything but after that night in particular, how long and stressful it was, with no chance to truly rest in sight, he also hadn't held it against her. It happened. They moved on. Being apologized to is about as awkward for him as it is for Peridot to apologize in the first place, that being something he's wholly unused to.

Which means he puffs on his cigarette silently after for a bit, his expression one of mild uncertainty, all directed at the gem. Unintentionally making it even more awkward, probably.

Inevitably, he'll stop sucking on smoke and staring like a goddamn weirdo and say, "It's... fine." Is that good enough? Does he need to say anything else? Well, for certainty's sake, he'll also add, "Apology accepted."

[periphrasing]

The whole time he's staring, Peridot is staring right back, worried and expectant. "...Oh. Um. Okay. Good!" She looks kind of uncertain, about that answer? Like it should be the best outcome theoretically but--

Yeah OK this is super awkward. She has some regrets.

"...You have my gratitude, as well," she adds. "For protecting Steven. I might have said that already, but it's important to me, so it bears repeating."

[atouts]

Some regrets, some regrets all around but they can't help that now.

But hey, there's a shift in topics, even if that one is almost just as awkward. Slightly better than accepting apologies, however, even if Childermass's response to it is to, initially, just shrug. He is... not a man of very many words, but that much is likely obvious at this point.

So here comes another silence while he smokes, though he does eventually manage a, "It was the least I could do for him." The very least, after Portland. Although now that Steven is a part of this discussion, he does have to quirk an eyebrow at Peridot and ask, "Are you Steven's guardian while his father is absent, Ms. Peridot?"

[periphrasing]

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm," Peridot hums at length, unsure how to answer that question. "Define 'guardian', in this context? Do you mean like a parental figure? Because if that's the case... No. Absolutely not. But I do have a vested interest in protecting him, if that's what you mean."

[atouts]

"A guardian is who cares for the child in place of a parent," Childermass tries to clarify. "It does not necessarily mean parental. Mostly I want to know if I should be keeping you appraised to anything related to Steven that may come up in the future, although he does seem like a fairly independent in his own right..."

But still rather young. Probably. Technically, Childermass was looking out for himself at that age already but he can't apply 'vicious little street thief' to everyone else's childhood over here okay.

[periphrasing]

Peridot blinks, considering all that. "Oh. Well... He generally tells me everything anyway." She says that like it's a immutable fact. Steven? Lie to her? Never. "But then again... I guess he did fail to tell me about your protection deal just as much as you and Lambert both did, so. Perhaps an agreement to share extra information might be beneficial."

[atouts]

"When it concerns his safety," Childermass amends. Not that he expects to have Steven telling him all sorts of random secrets, mind, but plausible deniability is a nice thing to have. "Anything else and you're on your own. I don't really suspect I'm someone he'd care to confide in too often, in any case."

[periphrasing]

"...Even with that stipulation, the terms are agreeable," she nods after a second of contemplation. "At any rate, I don't feel that he requires as much supervision or adult intervention as all you humans seem to think he does. Steven is more than capable of handling himself. He faced down his fair share of catastrophes even before ever even setting foot on carnival grounds."