⇨ 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

[whattaprick]

Lambert is used to people being unsettled by death, so Peridot's visible discomfort doesn't mean much to him besides being a reaction he pretty much expected.

"I thought gems lived for a long time," Lambert muses, brows raised. Steven had mentioned the whole rebellion thing, but Lambert wasn't quite sure he believed it, though Peridot's version of events seems to confirm it. "How'd she die?"

He figures if it was a sensitive subject, she wouldn't have brought it up.

[periphrasing]

Hey, it's not a sensitive subject to Peridot. Lambert's in the clear here.

"Heck if I know," she says irreverently. "Evidently it had something to do with whatever process produced Steven, since her gem is a part of him. Which, I suppose it isn't really surprising that something like that would cause her to succumb to something as unnatural as death, since gems aren't meant to--" and she looks utterly disgusted when she says the next part, the words unsavory on her tongue-- "give birth."

She shakes her head. "Don't even ask me how that was supposed to work. I mean, I generally pride myself on my inquisitive tendencies? But that's a mystery I do not particularly want the answers to."

[whattaprick]

To be fair to Peridot, giving birth is usually a bit of an unsavory process even for actual organics, so it's a pretty gross topic as far as Lambert's concerned too. But trying to imagine someone who looks like Lapis or Peridot getting together with Greg Universe to produce Steven is sort of a headache.

Normally, it's also something he'd make a filthy joke about to take advantage of her obvious discomfort, but he just isn't feeling it right now. Steven's mother dying during childbirth, whatever that looks like for a gem, must give you a whole new set of issues.

"Neither do I," he shakes his head. Though now that he's thinking about it... "Steven's dad was here for a while, wasn't he?" It's a vague, hazy sort of knowledge, the kind where you see people around and know they're related but also don't really have a reason to invest in or care for them. "But then he left."

[periphrasing]

"A whole bunch of people from our world left after Portland happened," Peridot shrugs. "For one reason or another. Sucks for Steven, though... I'm pretty sure he made his contract with the Ringmaster exclusively to protect his dad."

[whattaprick]

"Wouldn't be the first person to make a contract that turned out to be useless," Lambert muses. He's not thinking of himself, but of Strange.

[periphrasing]

"Well... it won't be useless forever, if you think about it. Greg is still in debt. He'll have to come back and finish his contract at one point or another."

Their home universe hasn't proven much safer for the poor guy anyway. What with the alien abductions and the ever-present threat of Homeworld gems popping up to cause trouble...

Peridot falls quiet. Thinking about Greg, and then about Homeworld, makes for a quick jump back to the Cluster, and how uncomfortable she is now, with the prospect of explaining how she first arrived on Earth. It's not like it's a closely guarded secret or anything, and no one is exactly pressuring her to spill the beans, but. All the same? She's worried that her friends might resent her after all if they knew the truth. After explaining everything to 9S and having it count for exactly nothing, it's hard NOT to be concerned. Even Strange had acted a bit weird when they'd touched on the edge of the topic.

It's getting late, and Peridot knows she should really check in on Steven, and let Lambert go change out of his gross shirt already. Before she does, though...

"Hey. Can I ask you something?" she says, staring with a frown at the ground a little ways ahead.

[whattaprick]

The lapse into silence kind of felt like the end to a conversation, without actually being dismissed, giving Lambert a moment to lapse into his own thoughts. When Peridot speaks up, though --

"What is it?" he asks, frowning. He's already had one uncomfortably heartfelt conversation this night; he's not sure he's up to another.

[periphrasing]

"I-- Hmmph," she starts and then breaks off, frown deepening. What the heck is she even trying to ask? She craves reassurance, some kind of validation, but stars she'd never be so bold as to ask directly for that, and even if she did it would certainly provoke a lot of questions to contextualize the request. And that's to say nothing of the fact that she's barking up the most wrong tree possible pestering Lambert for that kind of support.

On the other hand... Peridot feels she desperately needs some sort of feedback on this dilemma, and who the heck is she going to ask? She can't ask anyone from her own world; they're all obviously too biased by how great she is to give an honest answer. She already saw how Strange reacted to this sort of thing, and she's not entirely sure she trusts Sans to take her seriously. Lambert's kind of the only option, and he's the guy she trusts the most.

"Neehhh... Do you... Believe that it's possible for someone to make amends for something that they did in the past that was really, really bad, by doing something really really good?" she asks slowly, pointedly avoiding making eye contact by continuing to stare at the ground ahead.

[whattaprick]

The more Peridot hems and haws about it, the deeper Lambert's concern grows -- what could be bothering her this much? -- but the question isn't what he expected. It's surprisingly heavy stuff, and he doesn't particularly need a high amount of empathy to understand that it's a fairly big deal to her, even though he doesn't see why it should be. As such, he's going to at least try to give the question the serious consideration it deserves before he gives her his reply, crossing his arms over his chest.

"On principle? No. Whatever someone does afterwards won't change the fact that it happened, and that it sucked. But..." he tilts his head, consideringly. "Guess that depends more on who they're trying to make it up to, doesn't it? People have different ideas about what's bad and what's good, what they'll forgive and what they won't. Can't please everyone ... but maybe you don't have to. Why waste time on the people who don't matter?"

[periphrasing]

Initially, when she hears the word 'no', Peridot's heart sinks, and her whole demeanor starts to just droop. She's listening to Lambert's words carefully, taking everything to heart. By the end, she looks more confused. Edging on distressed, even.

"But-- What if it's someone who does matter?" she blurts out; she was intending on hearing Lambert's answer and then ending the conversation there, but she can't help but ask. "What if they only just found out about this thing, because you never felt it relevant to mention before?"

[whattaprick]

And in answer to Peridot's distress, Lambert scowls, feeling put out. Steven looking at him for answers, Peridot looking to him for answers ... do they really think he knows anything about this kind of stuff? Although he does have to say--

"You can't really make amends for something the other person doesn't know about, can you? Sort of misses the point."

[periphrasing]

Poor Lambert. His advice actually would have been really helpful, if it had actually applied to what Peridot is fretting over.

“I… guess that’s true,” she says reluctantly, staring down at her feet now. She kind of scuffs the ground with one foot, and sighs. “Sorry. I’m… being emotional, I know. I’ll let you go, so you can change out of your disgusting shirt.”

[whattaprick]

It happens without really thinking about it -- maybe it's because she looks too despondent to let it go, maybe because he's tired and it's a lingering remnant of another life that, according to Childermass, they actually lived -- but when Peridot looks down, Lambert reaches out to rest a hand between her horns.

"Whatever it is, you'll figure it out." And naturally, since he can't let any moment of affection go without tweaking Peridot's nose about it, he punctuates that by ruffling the hair under his fingers and making a thorough mess before he pulls away, grinning like the shithead he is.

"Good night, Peridot."

[periphrasing]

Peridot lets out a little surprised grunt at the contact, and then makes a weird guttural/gurgling noise when Lambert starts mussing up her hair. It's a ridiculous sound, and she makes an equally ridiculous face while making it.

"Yeah, goodnight," she snorts, trying to fix her hair as he turns and walks away. She watches him until he disappears from sight, a thoughtful frown on her lips, before turning and heading into the medical tent.