lostcarnival | ⇨ 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Miko mirrors Scouts stance as best she can on the other side of the barrel, setting her feet apart and clutching the rim. She gives a small nod to confirm that she's ready, and--

Oh god she regrets everything right now. Miko makes a possibly-exaggerated gagging noise and her ears pin back against her head. "--Oh, that is rank!"

Scout makes a noise of complaint and agreement. There are absolutely worse odors in the Carnival, but this is still notably chemical and unfun. Her gloved hands are steady, though, lowering the barrel until water the murky gray of questionably doctored tea slaps and surges out across the grate. From there it flows over the packed earth, pooling into a small, temporary meandering stream dotted with bubbles and rafts of foam. When enough has poured out to lighten the barrel Scout starts lifting the back end with her tail, and what comes out then is mostly a kind of sludge. "Gross... I shouldn't have left this for so long."

The mechanical bull parts caught in the grate still aren't clean, but have gelatinous mystery substance caught in their lower elements. "I think the grease we put in these so they'll run more smoothly just breaks down when it's time to clean it up."

The longer she's standing over this stuff, the more Miko's face is scrunching up. "How long did you leave it for? Ugh, it's like... some kinda toxic sludge river."

That explains a lot, though she does make another face at the description. "Cool. Great! Disintegrating grease-goo, just what we need."

"Yeah. Backrocket equipment, backrocket maintenance techniques and supplies," Scout grouses. Steadying the barrel's opening with her hands she shakes it ponderously with her tail, bounces its back end a few times. The good thing about things being this sludgy and viscous is it doesn't splash.

"We can lay it on its side now. I guess I'll get a hose..." She sighs hugely. Scout had found other things to do, which wasn't a great choice, but other parts of the job had been more urgent. This is just going to be tedious. "Thanks. If you hadn't come I think I would have had to scoop water out first."

She'd already fished out the larger, more solid components that had needed the barrel to be pretty full to be submerged, and cleaned them off before things could dry. That still left a lot of smaller items at the bottom.

Miko sticks her tongue out, but her relief at being able to set the thing down is palpable. Putting it down means not having to be so close to it, and that's great.

She does, however, brighten up a little at Scout's thanks. "No problem! Man, that would've been extra gross. Wouldn't be surprised if this stuff was, like... acidic or something, too."

There is absolutely no evidence that it is, and in fact the presence of machinery pieces in it suggests it isn't, but Miko is not a scientist and as far as she's concerned if it looks gross and smells gross it could probably kill someone.

"Toxic, I'm sure," she says with all the authority of a sarcastic eighteen year old. "You don't want it in your mouth or eyes, if you got any on your skin wash it off, and it's a good thing we're outside and the fumes can't build too much."

Scout lays the barrel down and shakes out her tail in a sinuous ribboning motion. The river of discarded water is starting to conceal or pull into more of a standing pool. It looks extremely unsavory. Is the grass going to survive? It does look rather patchy in this area.

She pulls off her gloves to lay on the barrel's side and tugs the handkerchief down to throat level. "I'm Scout, by the way. Nightrunner and repairbeing."

"Oh, great. So maybe worse than acid."

She grins, showing fangs that look a little big for her mouth. "Nice t'meet you! I'm Miko - roustabout, and... that's it." Hence why she's just been running around pestering people for stuff to do.

"Maybe. You don't want to breathe acid fumes, either. I think the people we have in the med tent these days wouldn't have anything as nice as Zecora's medicine." There's still a stock of ingredients and prepared potions, but no one with her knack for them. It's a shame, really.

Scout inclines her head. "Hi! Lots of running around, huh? Have you been off carnival grounds for this stop yet?"

"Man, yeah. Guess now we're extra screwed if someone gets hurt, huh." Even with how briefly her time here overlapped with Zecora's, she definitely got the impression knew what she was doing pretty well.

"Oh, yeah, I headed out right away! This place seems pretty cool; have you checked it out yet?"

"I'm sure the Ringmaster wouldn't appoint a doctor who can't help with injuries," Scout says with doubt clear in her voice. "Anyway there's still Steven for magic healing, and Ginko and Lambert for medication, and me for pain control, and probably some others. So we're not totally lost if the new one's useless. Just... kind of."

She nods. "I'm a scout! It feels so different here somehow. It's like the air is more charged or something."

"Being 'kind of' lost is way better than being totally lost, huh." It is, but there's kind of a sardonic edge to her voice anyway; even if it's an improvement, it's obviously not a great one.

Miko leans forward a little, and her ears flick upward. "Right? Everything's just... intense. It's super rad!"

Scout shrugs with a raised palm. "Maybe we'll get lucky," she says in an absolutely neutral tone, though she rolls her eyes.

"It is intense," she allows, inferring 'rad' from how Miko uses it and her tone of voice. Honestly Scout finds that kind of worrying. "You're a thrill-seeker, then?"

It's not a good trait in Jedi, but Scout had had it once. Maybe it's still in there.

"Hell yeah!" Absolutely no hesitation there; denying it would be pointless, and, frankly, she's kind of proud of her thrill-seeking tendencies. They're how she got to do stuff like beating up Starscream.

"Just workin' here helps a lot with not getting bored, but if there's more to do I don't see why not to go for it!"

It's not a good trait in Jedi, but you can't judge others by those standards. Or not too often anyway. Scout smiles a little wryly.

"Sure - that's part of the reason to be here. I always wanted to go to other planets as a kid." If for very different reasons than to entertain. "Is being roustabout interesting, at least?"

"Same here!" Despite that theoretically not being very likely where she was from but anyway.

Miko sort of wobbles a hand, making a face. "Sometimes. We kinda help out all over the Carnival, so sometimes it's pretty cool, and others it's just... super, super lame. Like, there's nothin' fun about cleanng toilets, even in a magic faerie carnival."

⇨ WISMUTH

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