⇨ 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

[genice]

"A pleasure, I'm sure." He grins and he winks, but he's already distracted at how fast those physical alterations must strike if it's an actual marker. Then again, given what he's seen with everyone, it might be a matter of degrees of subtlety in changes. Black feathers on the sides of Childermass's face versus the shifting light Carly seemed to exude. Or is that a function of time spent with the carnival?

Huh. "The whole changes thing had been mentioned, but no one really said how fast they might happen. Only that they're usually a sudden surprise whenever they do show up." He doesn't like the thought, but he also has plenty of visual evidence in his fellow carnival workers to say they happen, so he'll... brace himself for whatever inevitable bit of body horror might come along. He can just hope against everything that it doesn't effect how he skates. "Is there anyway of requesting those sorts things? Or is it really all up to complete, random chance?"

[tacosgay]

"Yeah, uh, it kinda... depends," Taako says, thinking over his own changes; he's only had a few, so far, and the most noticeable is one that's generally invisible unless he's been injured, or the one in his pants, so to speak, but the first changes occurred fairly quickly after his arrival. "I mean... I got my first couple of things during my first month, but my last one only showed up a couple of weeks ago, and I've been here a while now, so..."

He shrugs, sighing.

"I mean-- I did get two at once right after some pretty intense magic stuff went down, so maybe it's just part of hanging out with a bunch of fae all the time, and them sort of... doing their fae things around you." And, as for requests... "An, uh, buddy of mine did make a request for one once, and he did get it, uh, eventually, so I guess that's a thing you can do sometimes, but you might want to be careful what you wish for, given he spent a week as a literal entire horse with a human face before she got his situation sorted out."

[genice]

He's a few days in, giving him a few more weeks of checking himself over in the mornings to see if anything's changed. Not the most pleasant prospect, but he figures once he's endured the first of whatever it is, the rest will get slightly less alarming. "Transforming because of prolonged contact with fae magic?" Like radiation exposure causing mutations, but it's not a helpful association. Radiation exposure tends to lead to radiation poisoning and tends to end in death. From what he understands of the carnival, at least, most people don't die through...

... Scratch that, he has absolutely no clue. Maybe they do, but probably they don't, and he's choosing to stick with that theory for now. He goes wide eyed and blinking as he tries to imagine a horse with a human face (where does it go, on the end of the horse neck? in the horse chest? does he want to know?), lifting a hand to card his fingers through the fringe of his bangs once again. "A horse with a human face. Of course. Either get great at eliminating loopholes, or accept the consequences, I guess. I might stick with the unannounced random changes for now."

He does not want to be set back a week in training time just because he hoped to avoid exactly that. He exhales a laugh, letting his hand fall back away from his head. "It's too early for half these mental images. Does anyone get anything like perfectly soft hair? No conditioner need ever apply again." He quirks his lips in a small smile, figuring nothing's precisely that easy.

[tacosgay]

The end of the horse neck, though one could argue that anywhere on a horse body is a bad place for a human's face to be.

"Yeah, uh, I wouldn't suggest dealing with the Ringmaster much in general unless you have to? She's... well. She's a fae, I mean, they're kind of known for messing with people." He's heard that some people have willingly formed contracts with her, and even asked her for powers or alterations to their bodies that she actually obliged-- even Foster's bizarre horse situation was sorted out in time. But Taako refuses to trust her beyond what he absolutely has to. Any magic user who happens to be more powerful than him is honestly not worth trusting, as far as he's concerned.

Victor's question actually makes him laugh, though, and a hand goes to run beneath his long braid, pulling it over his shoulder pointedly. "Nope. This is all natural; the only changes that happen around here are weirder ones, like animal parts, or, uh... horns?"

He reaches up to push the brim of his pointed hat up a bit, clearly displaying a small, pointed pair of crimson horns atop his head to Victor.

[genice]

Taako brings up a salient point, considering the nature of what little he's gleaned in the last two days and the smattering of fairy-tale and operatic knowledge he has. Dealing may even be the particular word to keep in mind. "It's a warning I'll try to keep in mind." He'll forget, or set it aside, if he believes there's reason. He supposes at that point he'll learn if it's worth it to ignore better sense or not.

Animal parts and... Oh! He leans in, not much, but enough to be focusing in on those horns once they're revealed. Victor blinks, finding himself quirking another smile. "Surprisingly cute," he says, reminded of certain costumes and affinities, "The colour's a bit impish."

Then again, so is his amusement, and he doesn't try hiding it. If there's no stopping this, might as well find some amusement in what he's apparently joining. All without ever having wanted to join, but that's neither here nor there. He looks forward again, leaning back away out of Taako's space. "These changes, they're permanent even when a contract ends?"

[tacosgay]

Taako giggles at the word "impish."

"Well, uh, they're kind of a leftover from this whole Portland thing where I spent a month stuck in a demon body, so, uh, I guess 'impish' is one way to put it," he says with an only slightly awkward grin; honestly, if he'd had his choice of what to keep from Portland, it would not have been the horns, but at least these are significantly smaller and less awkward to handle than his full-on demon horns were.

Wings would've been pretty cool, though.

"Yeah, I mean... well." The question has him folding his arms thoughtfully, and he tilts his head with a hum. "Technically, yeah, they're there forever, as far as I know, but the Ringmaster can put this, uh, fancy glamour over them when you go home so that nobody but you can see them. Uh... come to think of it, though, I don't know if she does that when you leave for good, so..."

He shrugs.