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

"Nah, ya were bein' sassy," Joker mutters as he works on the noodles, but not minding much as he does His Best. Eventually, sort of, he gets it, and beams around a small mouthful of noodles before going to work on everything else he's been missing. He can't miss out on all of it, after all! And he might even get the hang of chopsticks. Maybe. Sort of.

Give him a while.

Partway through the meal, however, the woman behind the counter comes over to drop off a small bowl of mochi ice cream, saying it's on the house before taking her leave with a smile. Joker won't understand the parting Japanese, but Ginko can probably pick up on the fond reminiscing of 'young love'.

Whups.

"Aw, c'mon, I can't try to encourage you?" But, after giving Joker one last grin, he turns his attention to the food and keeps quiet, letting his friend focus on eating.

When the woman approaches a few minutes later, he looks up from his food with a slightly surprised smile, and replies with a quick "thank you"-- then he hears that last comment. It's a good thing he wasn't in the process of eating at that moment, or he probably would have choked.

Instead, he starts to open his mouth to correct her - then shuts it again, with a quick glance at Joker. If he said something, Joker would know what she had said, and that's... yeah, that's just a non-option.

So he settles for staring at the ice cream in vaguely distressed silence. Much less suspicious.

Totally less suspicious, nice going, Ginko.

Although Joker does miss it for a moment, if only because he's focusing on getting the last of the crab cakes with his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth. Even if he's had a good life the last few years, both in the carnival and back in England (not counting, well, everything else aobut his life in England), that can't erase a childhood of starving on the streets. He won't even a bit of this food go to waste, not if he can help it.

However, as he finally pops it into his mouth, he notices Ginko's stuck stare, and pauses. "Y'alrigh', Ginko?" he asks, tucking the cake into the corner of his mouth.

Ginko jolts at Joker's voice and looks up, blinking. Fuck. Yeah, that was suspicious, wasn't it. "--Yes. Yeah, I'm alright. Just, uh... thinking."

Yeah, just a little suspicious, Ginko. Joker quirks up his eyebrow. "About what?" Because of course he's going to ask that.

Goddammit.

Okay. He's got to think carefully about how he's going to approach this, right? The more suspicious he acts, the more Joker is going to push, and the stranger the whole thing will seem. So he could try and brush it off and keep evading. Or he could make something up.

Or... or he could be straightforward - and straightforward about how ridiculous the whole thing is. Right. Yes.

So he manages a quiet, weak laugh, and replies, "Uh-- well, I guess the owners think we're on a date or something."

Hilarious!

Hilarious.

At least, the way Joker just blinks at him, brain stutter-shocked by that bit of information, and loses a vegetable into the udon with a splash that makes him jolt and swear a little might be a little hilarious.

The real question here, in Joker's opinion, is how the hell old people are so sly. Is this what they mean by old people wisdom? Either way, his brain scrambles for some sort of reaction even as he tries to fish his lovely piece of fried vegetable out of soup.

"Are ya sure ya heard her right?"

Okay, yes, see, that’s legitimately funny and not just… incredibly stressful. Too bad Ginko can’t properly appreciate it, since he is essentially a man-shaped pile of nerves right now, and also… well, he doesn’t know what reaction he was anticipating to that information, but the one he got only makes him more nervous.

“Uh— well, I’m pretty sure, but... guess there’s no way to be totally certain, right?” Leaving the possibility that he was wrong sounds like a good plan. Even though he’s... pretty sure he didn’t mishear. But, since he can’t actually take it back, this is the next best solution.

Yeah, well, it was sort of a stupid idea, to think that the guy that speaks Japanese got it wrong. Joker tries not to draw attention to that, however, and just drags his veggie out of the brother with a laugh.

"Well, hey... free food, yeah?" Yeah, just... focus on that. And not on how completely awkward Ginko is just at the idea of dating him and the idea of cheating on Psi.

"Y...yeah. Not turning that down." Oh god Joker is so uncomfortable. Ginko is so uncomfortable. This is the worst.

But Ginko manages a smile, however forced it may be, and reaches for one of the last bits of vegetable. Better to occupy his mouth before he says something even dumber than he already has.

It's really not as bad as being outright called out and being dragged for all the things he's secretly thinking in public view... but Joker has to admit that it's pretty awkward. Still, what can he say? For whatever reason, he can't quite bring himself to lie about the truth of the matter, but he's too much of a coward to say anything otherwise.

So, instead, after a moment of finishing off the food, Joker lightly nudges one of Ginko's legs with his foot and grins across the table at him. "Maybe ya outta come with Psi here, then, huh?"

Ginko looks up with food still stuffed into one cheek, and only falters for a moment before giving a small nod and swallowing so he can answer. "--Uh, yeah, maybe. Though I don't know what the owners would think of me then."

He gives a weak smile. Jokes! Great for pretending everything didn't just get super weird.

⇨ WISMUTH

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shall we finally end around here lmao??

SURE