⇨ 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

[espigeon]

Julien tries to pout, but he crosses his palps like arms over his mouth and it looks so silly that he can't help smiling, even if he tries to sound wounded. "Why do you tease me with what I can't have."

He sweeps in with all the wounded dignity he can conjure, looking in all directions with floating angel eyes, and gets a menu and directed to a spot.

Sitting alone in an armchair a chubby individual with very short, curly hair catches Julien's eye - in fairness, he saw them looking with his glamour-hidden spectral eyes - and winks. Julien seems inordinately pleased by this and starts to kiss a palp, then remembers they won't see it and kisses two fingers instead as he settles down. If Joker follows his gaze he may or may not get a wink himself. They've got different aesthetics, after all.

"I'm such a stereotype," Julien says under his breath, stifling a laugh. He looks over the menu and his eyebrows raise.

[pipers_son]

One would like to say it's the magpie in him, courtesy of his wings, that has Joker so curious at what's got Julien's attention... but no. He's just always been this way. So he glances over, not hiding his interest, before his face splits into a grin. Does he wink right back? Of course he does.

At least his attention drifts back to Julien and he laughs a little. "Has the price taken the wind out of the S. S. Flirt's sails?" he teases, leaning forward.

[espigeon]

Immediately responding to the implicit challenge Julien says "Do you think they'd take handjobs as payment, or would they hold out for oral? Maybe the mx. with the curly hair over there will take my tab if I bat my eyes enough." He snorts, pushes his glasses up his face with his palps.

"The S.S. Flirt is unsinkable. It's survived an exorcism." Or rather his partner at that time had expressed interest in resuming and who was he to say no? This is about as far along the road to kissing and telling as he's ready to go. "But this is a little much. Ouch. I noticed it a little in the jewelry shop too, I think it's also that a dollar here doesn't buy as much as a dollar where I'm from, but still. Man all these patrons must have really well paying jobs. I think I'm jealous."

[pipers_son]

Sometimes, he does so love his coworkers, and Joker has to duck his head down a little to hide his laughter with his hand. Clearly one should never challenge Julien in the way of flirting, unless they're like Joker and looking for an entertaining moment. "Well, ya could always try," he says, finally looking up again with a grin once he's gotten his amusement out of his system.

"I've given up on tryin' ta figure out how money changes across the world. S'all too much for the wallet I used ta know back in my England." Which is to say, what wallet.

[espigeon]

"I could. With how everything pops and is all intense here, would I be an amazing lay right from the start or would I begin easily overwhelmed and struggling?" Julien muses like it's a philosophical question, though he then says, "I need more data for this conclusion. For science, you see."

"Yeah, it's nice we get a stipend. It's the same for you and me, do you think?" That is, a Supervisor veteran and a relative newcomer who works a support role. "How communist! 'From each according to his ability, to each according to his need' or however the phrase goes."

A waiter with earlobes stretched around immense plugs comes by for drink orders and Julien, suddenly afraid for his budget and plans, has to request a water. He's not ashamed though, his smile says. Everyone goes for a water sometimes, despite the extensive and interesting juice bar, the artisan sodas, the elaborate mocktail menu, the actually hard stuff.

[pipers_son]

Well, if Julien wants to go bang people for "science", Joker by far is the last person who can possibly judge him. It's an entertaining idea, one that he toys with for himself. After all, he likely won't see this stop for the rest of the years that he's with the carnival. He'll see how he feels before they leave... but for now, he'd rather just get back into normal routine before really playing around.

As it is, there's something more interesting to him, and he leans a little closer with his hand gesturing vaguely. "Y'know, I've heard a bit about that here and there, but nothin' solid, so tell me a bit more about communism- ah, water," he says to the water with an idle nod of his head, mostly following Julien's line. Might as well keep things cheap anyway.

Also, is it just him, or does the waiter almost seem approving of the subject matter...? Ah, different worlds.

[espigeon]

How into sex Julien seems depends a lot on how the people around him feel about that. At home, after becoming a bird and before getting the ability to remote pilot a more human body, he'd ended up acting like he had virtually no interest at all because the optics were just better, and because overnight he'd become a massive sensation among tweens and he hated the thought of being creepy.

Here, well, maybe he will maybe he won't, but he won't really talk about success or failure. It's just not classy to brag or whine in that way.

Yeah, the waiter seems to have overheard and that won't hurt at all in this instance. "Man I wish I could check a 'pedia but like... It's a reaction against uneven power structures, it's trying to put power into the hands of the workers who get exploited for money. Upending everything, sharing out resources, money's not such a thing. And it's a wonderful concept but like... when you have a revolution you've always got people swarming up to the top, you know? And people with power don't like to give it up. So it always seems to end up with most people at the bottom and new and different people on top, being horrible."

[pipers_son]

Patiently, Joker listens to the brief explanation. There's definitely stuff that's getting passed over in favor of simple layman's terms, so he knows he's probably missing out on all sorts of details and whatnot... but that's fine. He was asking for a layman's explanation in the first place, after all. This isn't some fancy college for nobles, where they can flaunt their knowledge using often unnecessarily long words. (At least, that's what Joker's understanding of college is, from what he can tell.) Just this much is enough.

Certainly, it does its job, and he clicks his tongue sympathetically. "It seems like the kind of thing that ya would really have ta keep a close eye on, and have the exactly right people leadin' the way with enough power or skills ta make sure that it doesn't all go south."

[espigeon]

Julien knows some of the jargon, and since he speaks French he wouldn't stumble over the proletariat and the bourgeoisie and so on, but he's not particularly interested in the topic and hasn't retained a lot of specifics. Dimly he's aware that if various friends with interest in history or governance could hear him now they'd have a lot to say about this elevator pitch. Oh well.

"Right? And it's so hard to find the right people, and sometimes someone seems right but then goes all mad with power, it's just a mess." He shakes his head, uses a palp to adjust his glasses, and checks no one's close enough to overhear. "Makes me think of Portland a little - that angel that, I don't know, was and wasn't me, I remember how different they were before the Severing, way more coherent but very full of themselves with that seraph authority thing."

His memories are kind of shuffled and clouded to a degree, but a lot of them still exist, and he remembers Iuliael as rule-bound and superior and kind of pulling rank in petty ways. When they hadn't been fascinated with mortals and music they'd been kind of a jerk.

[pipers_son]

In the end, it sounds like the problem with anything is when it just gets far too big. On a very small scale level that he knows is nothing like running a country, he kind of sees the issues there. When he'd been young, he'd only have to deal with the rest of his family, his adopted brothers and sisters of the streets. Extremely ragtag, all of them flying by the seats of their pants. Then they'd been taken into the Baron's care, and that had been a little larger. More kids, more names and faces to know, more things to organize, but it'd never been too bad. Being a ringleader himself had been the final step, with all the responsibility and numbers and even more people.

Joker had loved his job. Still loves it, when he thinks of all the good parts and not the bad ones. Still.... He knows how that kind of thing can get all the more complicated, and no one can watch over every person in their group... or stay alive long enough to make sure it never turns sour.

Well, he supposes, thinking of the Ringmaster, save for certain cases.

At the same time that he thinks of certain immortal beings, of course Julien brings up Portland, and he taps his fingers against the table. "Yeah, I remember somethin' about that too," he muses aloud, making sure to keep the volume of his voice low. No need to get people involved in this, although maybe they'd just think they're both on drugs, or talking about.... He doesn't know. A play? "Jael," he says, trying to remember the name right. "That version of me, I think he was different before then too. I mean, a little bit of a smarmy bastard, but then, nothin' has changed there." He winks playfully at Julien before easing up back into something faintly more solemn.

"He figured himself lucky compared ta everyone else, up until everythin' started goin' ta shit."

[espigeon]

Julien snorts and makes a gesture with one palp, as if swatting Joker, though they're nothing like long enough to hit him from here.

"Getting cut off changed everyone," he says, choosing his words. He'd rather not be too worried about the waiter, even as they come back with water and he has to interrupt himself and order a spicy-sounding special. As a bird Julien couldn't taste capsaicin, so he's eager to try it again.

"Anyway, yeah. Do you know why he didn't like going by Jael? I kinda wondered. Iuliael kinda wondered. Whatever, you know?"

[pipers_son]

Definitely not, but Joker will blow a saucy little kiss to him anyway before his attention is drawn back to the waiter. Oh, right, they're here to actually eat. Gotta remember that. A quick glance to the menu, and he orders the first thing his eye lands on with a witty name and food he hasn't tried before.

It'll be a good thing to cheer up to, when Julien continues on, and Joker has to think on the question. "Yeah, I know," he says idly, thinking back to the fuzzy memories in his head. "I think it was just... He hung out with humans so much, y'know? It was his whole purpose- be there for someone, protect 'em. Usually since they were little." A different kind of smile twitches at the corner of his mouth. "And maybe I'm just mixin' it up with my own thoughts, but it's less intimidatin' ta kids that way, innit?"

[espigeon]

"Minx," Julien mutters, drawing his palps back to their curled default position, where they cover the corners of his mouth. It's an odd change for someone who smiles as readily as he does.

"Oh, I get it. They thought his name was 'jail' and he wanted to avoid those kinds of associations." The pronunciation isn't quite the same, especially to someone who does know the language of angels. Julien's trying to lighten the mood. He wants to ask why 'Joker', then, it's a name with faintly negative connotations where he's from, it doesn't sound like a dependable guardian sort of name. But that feels like a really insulting sort of question. The Stage Manager would probably roll with it, but he likes Joker, he wants Joker to think he's all right.

[pipers_son]

"And it made 'em worry less." His fingers flick through the air, as if to tear apart how much that statement really means. It's not like he can really remember for certain, and him and Jael were always two different people anyway. He tries to remind himself of that a lot, especially whenever he sees his mismatched wings.

"Important kids were usually the ones who dealt with guardian angels, weren't they? But that's a lot for a wee one. Easier ta handle if it's just yer ol' friend Joker, and not holy warrior Jael, hangin' about."

[espigeon]

"Heh... It makes sense. Casual's easier on everyone than constant portent. I remember..." Julien takes a glance at his own hands, laced together on the tabletop. The glamor shows him with glossy gray-black nail polish and unremarkable dark knuckle-hair. Underneath that of course the nails are dark and the polish over them is clear, the hair is white over varied shades of blue skin.

He touches his palps together, too, as if raising those laced hands to his lips. "The pre-Severing Iuliael could measure that stuff, and I don't think it always lined up with, you know, pretty white blond rich kid with inherent talent. What people usually say is important and all. But after that? Fuck, man. I remember understanding so little of the world but being so thrilled by it. Everything was confusing and everyone was important."

[pipers_son]

Julien glances down at his hands, thinking or seeing who knows what, and Joke respectfully crowd browses so that he doesn't seem too probing. Those people, those two angels, they weren't them. Of course they weren't them. And yet even as he sits here in plain view at some hipstery little cafe, a regular man who's just got caught up with the fae instead of an inhuman entity following divine guidance....

It still feels weirdly intimate and truthful in a way both Jael and himself sometimes shied away from. Well, him more than Jael, he guesses.

"Somethin' new and unexpected, a change of pace, right?" he asks, which seems to line up with things. Some angels did sort of revel in something new when everything else in their life followed the same road.