⇨ CAMPING GROUNDS

[ringleaders]

Who: Everybody!
When: Day 64
Where: The Camping Grounds
What: While the Ringmaster attempts to purge the carnival of magical tracing spells and deal with the angry fire fae in her belly, everyone else is getting sent on an emergency camping trip with some unusual local fauna.
Warnings: Camping.

CRYPTIC CAMPGROUNDS↴ You're given about three hours to prepare, after the Ringmaster tells you her plans for the coming week. There is a vast selection of camping equipment at your disposal, and the means to take along enough food for the length of the stay. The wilderness of the planet you're left on is nearly idyllic, but some people just don't like the great outdoors. ► CRYPTOZOOLOGY: As it turns out, the carnival won't be alone here. There is a varied ecosystem of cryptids to be found as well, living in relative peace and mostly reacting to the newcomers with curiousity. More details can be found on the plotting post. You are free to NPC the cryptids as much as you need to, as long as you stick to the behaviours described. ► DREAMSHARING: There is a player plot going on which will allow characters to share dreams! These are specifically more dreams than nightmares, and the mushi-adept characters will be here to help. ► CHILLAX: There isn't any plot twist for this setting, so this is mostly an opportunity to decompress from the last plot and get ready for the future. The Ringmaster will show up occasionally to help with needed medical treatments and check on things, but won't stick around for long.

Comments

RIN | OTA

[flashover]

[A: Hellbats for Rent]
[As Rin promised over the radio, he has all his demonic, fiery bats in all colors of the rainbow with him. There has to be at least 20, and some look significantly smaller than the others. Rin has strung up some metal cable through the trees near his tent, giving the creatures a safe place to roost. They yawn, stretch, and chitter amongst themselves. Almost like normal bats! Except for the way their eyes move around their heads and bodies like balls in water. Sometimes, the eyes even pop like bubbles, only to reappear again elsewhere in their plasma bodies.

Rin definitely knows which ones have good control and which ones should probably stay outside… so if you want to borrow one of these guys, it’s probably best to ask him!]

[B: Cooking in the Great Outdoors!]
[Maybe you need some cooking utensils, or maybe you need some food to take back to your part of the camp, maybe you need to know which berries are edible and which will give you horrible hives, or hell, maybe you need help figuring out how to use an open fire to cook your food! Never fear, the cookhouse crew is here!

Well, Rin is, anyway. Hinawa is probably around somewhere, too.

The large tent near the center of camp doesn’t have anyone staying in it — it’s just full of supplies. Pots, pans, cups, utensils, knives, small grills, chopped wood and charcoal, plus food and baskets of wild fruit and berries! There’s even some smoked trout (skinned, no fur here!) and some cooked jackalope. It’s not quite glamping, but no one should go hungry!]

[C: Cryptid Protection Squad]
[All that food and all those shiny forks in one place make for a tempting target for the local wildlife, especially at night. Rin’s familiar and pokémon take turns guarding the stash. Depending on when you arrive, you may be greeted by a large bug-dragon or perhaps a small black cat with twin tails. ]

C-1: [ One night in particular, there’s a loud scuffle going on, with enough screeching and roaring to wake anyone nearby. What on earth could it be?!]

[WILDCARD]
[HIT ME UPPPPP]

B

[whattaprick]

[ Baker catches far more jackalopes than Lambert can efficiently cook, so on one particularly bountiful afternoon, the witcher will stop by with Butcher. At least six cleaned and skinned jackalopes have been bound by their ankles and slung over the little Mudbray's back, the smell of meat and blood apparently not bothering the Pokemon at all.

So yeah, Rin will be getting a visitor stopping by, waving at the jackalopes on Butcher's back as he goes. ]

Think you could use any more of these?

[ Unless he misses his guess, the cooks have a few already, but the Carnival is a ravenous bunch. ]

[flashover]

[so. many. horned rabbits. It's a good thing they have some other protein sources, because these suckers are lean. But super tasty, too!

Rin is in the process of washing and sorting some fruit and berries from the forest when Lambert heads his way with his little donkey-pokémon. Pokémon are so great. SO GREAT. While he's around the tent, his Flygon Nosh is curled up and snoozing, and Kuro is... somewhere. The bats a short distance away react to Lambert's presence by chittering noisily for a moment before going back to sleep.

He smiles and waves to Lambert, then walks up to pet Butcher on the head and around the ears]

Well, they're the best meat we have around here, and people seem to like 'em, so-- Wagh!! [he's just noticed how many there are!] Where did you get all these?!

wildcard!!

[exaomori]

[HEY RIN, so maybe he should cut back on how much manga he's reading at night or something. Regardless of how all that shounen manga might be rotting his brain might be rotting his brain from the inside out, he's now currently on some crazy adventure, climbing some mountain to get some artifact from a temple at the very top of this old mountain. Shura's along with him for the ride, looking suitably cool for this fantasy shounen dream adventure.]

Hey, Rin! Don't go running off so fast.

[She's in shape, sure, but this was going to be a really long hike. No need to waste all of his energy when they were just barely halfway up the mountain!]

[flashover]

[HE WILL NEVER CUT BACK ON THE MANGA. He found so many mega collections at the giant library and he'd been binging on them ever since he managed to bargain for them. Shounen and shoujou, both! IT'S FUN, OK, SHURA?

Rin is dressed similarly, with a sort of samurai flair to his outfit, complete with a pair of completely ridiculous geta. Kurikara looks more like a large, curved broadsword in this dream because bigger is Cooler. Kuro is there, too, sharing in the dream himself! But he is not a cat.

Oh no, Kuro is hot.

Rin just laughs and pauses at a level spot on the trail]

You're falling behind, Shura! We have to get the treasure so we can tame the dragon and rescue the princess and live happily ever after and stuff!

[Kuro chuckles goodnaturedly, patting Rin's head. Being taller than Rin is very good.]

C-1

[sunflowerfields]

[Hinawa's tent is set up relatively close to the food and cooking supplies, so it doesn't take much to wake her up. She pokes her head out of her tent apprehensively, trying to peer into the darkness.]

...Hello?

LAUREN // OTA

[mylastchance]

A. THE UNDER A WATERFALL CLICHE
You know that trope where the warrior stands under a waterfall for no explained reason? Basically that, but it's not a warrior, it's Lauren. There he sits, on a convenient rock that is placed in exactly the right spot for someone to get hit with a ton of really loud really cold kind of heavy falling water. And he just sits there, letting the water hit him without moving for over an hour.

B. MAKE LIKE A TREE AND LEAF
Not under a waterfall this time, no, instead Lauren is standing in the middle of the woods with his feet planted firmly below ground. Like before, he isn't moving, simply standing still and smiling like he's having the greatest time of his life. His eyes aren't even open. It's like he's begging someone to come prank him.

C. COUNTING MU-SHEEP
It's one of the mushi's peaceful dreams that's captured his mind tonight. And while it's definitely not a nightmare that you walk in on, it's not anything particularly exciting. Lauren is himself, or rather the him of before the carnival, wearing a Taco Bell uniform and standing at the register. Unfortunately the rest of the room looks nothing like a Taco Bell, there are no chairs or booths, only an open forest.

"Can I take your order?"

d: none of the above

[wild_magic]

After his conversation with Lambert, Susan is anxious to talk to Lauren. Of course that means waiting for Lauren to get back from whatever... druid things he's doing, or whatever, but he can wait. Even if he is impatient by the time Lauren actually gets back - it's nothing unusual for him, really, but he's eager to tell Lauren about his new plans.

But first he just smiles and waves as Lauren finally approaches their... Well, not tent, since he's not actually in it, but the area around their tent.

"Hi. Did you have a good day?"

e: before the mushi-eep

[mylastchance]

Of course magic ghost plants that make you have nice dreams are all well and good, but after a traumatic event peaceful sleep is rare. Before the mushi infect Lauren's dreams he finds himself having a dream very much like a recent terrible experience. It's one he'd rather forget than relive. And yet, when he closes his eyes he's back there, beneath the earth, closed in and without air. He struggles, trying to shift the dirt, to do something, anything, but he can't.

He wakes up gasping for air and sits up, throwing his blanket from his body as he does so. He's sweating, as the cold night air hits his skin he shivers. Without thinking he summons a small spark of flame to his hand, lighting up the surrounding area. A mothman, startled by the light, takes off into the night sky, flying into the distance.

DREAMS | CLOSED TO DOLL (DAY 68-69, AT NIGHT)

[npcarnival]

In the night, you find you are someone else.

You don't know who you are or where you are, but at first all you see is ice. Endless caverns of it, stretched in all directions. You've been walking for a while now, but you can't find your way.

At one point, you stretch out your hand before you. It's unfamiliar, but it's yours. Your skin is purple and black, burned at the fingertips as if by frostbite. Though the cold doesn't seem to translate fully to the realm of this dream, you know you are cold. You need to get out of this cold soon, or you know it will be too late.

As you continue to walk, you hear a voice, devoid of body or source.

"Are you afraid?"

[steadydollypegs]

She tries to remember how she got here, and why she's there, but everything comes up blank. All that she can do is keep moving forward, despite how cold she is. Despite how terrible her hands look. Despite how this doesn't make sense.

But she's determined-- if she knows anything about herself, she knows that much. She'll make it through this, she's been cold before. Somewhere. A long time ago. She thinks... It's hard to focus, no doubt because of the cold.

The voice makes her jump, and she looks wildly around, turning in small circles while keeping her hands to her chest. Her behavior seems to answer the question-- but she steadies herself in the next moment.

"No! I'm just lost. I'll find the way!"

DREAMS | CLOSED TO SHURA (DAY 68-69, AT NIGHT)

[npcarnival]

In the night, you find you are someone else.

The first and only thing that comes to mind is that you are uncomfortable. The halls outside of the throne room are quiet, and anticipation gnaws at you. You feel like you aren't dressed right, like you don't know enough for this. You haven't had enough time to prepare.

Yet, you aren't alone. To your sides, there are two others - on one, a fair-skinned fae without hair, and only tattoo-like inscriptions on her bald head. On the other, is a fae with a charcoal complexion and intricate, golden markings. The three of you are waiting for something, but you're not sure if you're the only one feeling the nervous energy.

You want to say something, but you're not sure what.

[exaomori]

Waiting is the worst. It itches in her heels, makes her shift her weight for side to side, curling her fingers into a loose fists at her side. She cuts a glance to the others beside her. What, were they feeling cool about this? Well, good for them. But she doesn't like it, and she doesn't mind opening her mouth to try and distract herself for a moment. Maybe it'd help them, too.

"Ha, it isn't nice to keep us waiting for so long. Wonder if somethin' happened back there?"

It's possible that she should keep quiet. The others are. But who knew how long they were going to be waiting like this?

Scout | OTA

[stillwinningthehardway]

CAN'T FORCE IT Scout's vaguely aware that things have happened, but she's been entirely preoccupied by things she found in that library. While she'd gone in looking for items of interest to the Carnival, she'd only wound up finding writing that hit closer to home. A lot closer. At some point she'd given in and let herself collect and collate it, copied the shorter things and traded for the longer ones.

Some of her findings are like a punch to the stomach. If not for the fact that she knows full well that there's nothing on Kyrimourut for her but condescension and despair she'd ask to go 'home' for a while. There's half a year left on this contract and it feels like an eternity. Oh, yes, she knows very well that she's not missing anything by being here, that she could serve ten years and become entirely unrecognizable and things would be exactly unchanged when she stepped back in.

She wants to go home. There's no home left to return to, so she wants to help her people, she wants to be there. Scout keeps to herself out in the woods, by herself or with her togetic, who doesn't understand a thing about her change in attitude.

After the first couple of days she doesn't bother keeping herself cloaked all the time. She raids the camp for things she can eat without preparation and lives off them, off by herself, getting increasingly disheveled and upset looking as she pores over things repeatedly.

NOT ALLOWED: The local mothmen and bigfeet are curious about the young woman who's so preoccupied she doesn't seem to notice them. Black shapes swoop low overhead, and great apes take turns finding long twigs and prodding her, then rustle away like mischievous kids. It's not a threat, so she doesn't pay attention after the first couple of encounters.

Her togetic Thranta, on the other hand, does. Its angry chirping and trilling sound in the woods for a fair distance as it chases the cryptids, scolding, and returns to perch on Scout's shoulders, clucking and tugging at her hair.

DREAMSHARING:

"Relax, you must!"

A classroom for young children, all soft edges and large, simple writing and bright colors and scaled down furniture. The windows are open and the room is warm and sunlit. On an assortment of mats there are a variety of children, some human, around five years old, eyes closed, mostly quiet but giggling and whispering when the teacher's eye is elsewhere. The teacher himself isn't any larger than they are, and smaller than some, green-skinned and large-eared and clearly as fond of the students as they are relaxed around him.

"A child full of the Force like a cloud carrying lightning is. Let the charge run through you to the ground, to the ground."

Scout is there and not as a child, a touch of heaviness to her but peaceful in a way she rarely is while awake.

CAN'T FORCE IT - D68

[spaghettimonster]

With Strange's egg safely hatched - outside a brief alarm over his new propensity for being on fire - Papyrus is freed from one task, facing again the prospect of being alone with his thoughts. It's alarmingly adrift, going without the day-to-day routine of cleaning and maintenance at the carnival...

But Papyrus is nothing if not an expert at coming up with things to do. Listening to the radio chatter, chattering on the radio, even helping search in the woods for these missing herbs that Ginko and Tanyuu need.

Really, the herbs are important for everyone. Dreaming about private things and having people stumble in on them could be a little embarrassing. And with mushi interacting it's especially important for Papyrus, to make sure that dreams stay just dreams so he can safely sleep a little without incident. Going a solid week without a nap just isn't feasible, he's learned from unfortunate experience.

So he's out a little ways from the group camp area, squinting at various herbs on the edges of clearings for matches to the one described earlier.

Dream Sharing

[whattaprick]

"I am relaxed."

There's at least one person in this dream who isn't a child, though the argument could be made that he's certainly sufficiently immature. Lambert sprawls out on his back on one of the unrolled mats, in no sort of proper meditating position at all, eyes shut as he suns himself in the light spilling from a window.

"I don't even know what that means."

DREAMS | CLOSED TO JOKER (DAY 68-69, AT NIGHT)

[npcarnival]

In the night, you find you are someone else.

You are somewhere you shouldn't be. You feel too big for the stone corridors you fill, your wings awkwardly brushing up against the ceiling and your tail making it difficult to conceal yourself from guards. This seems like an unideal situation, but you can't leave yet.

All the same, you hear footsteps in the near distance. Maybe if you close your eyes, you won't be seen.

[pipers_son]

An utterly unideal situation, with little choice of what he can do.... So all he can do is keep moving forward, isn't that right? It feels too nerve-wracking to close his eyes, as nice as the idea sounds...

...Although trying to go backwards is also an option with about as much naivety to it. Sorry, did he say the only choice was moving forward? That was a lie. He might try to see if he can move backwards, although he suspects the tail won't do him much favors there.

Yukio | OTA

[reflash]

A: general wildcarding
[Yukio isn't used to having downtime. It makes him uncomfortable, tense, makes him feel like he's missing something, like there's something else he should be doing.

Yukio can be found in the makeshift medical tent, if you need help. Or away from the camp practicing with his bow or his throwing knife. Or sitting under a tree, surrounded by books and notebooks, studying. Or out in the woods gathering plants.]

B: dream
[Isn't this where you wanted to be? Of course it is, you're walking into the well-maintained courtyard so this place must be where you wanted to go. The monastery is smaller than the buildings around it, and not any fancier or nicer than the surrounding buildings, the train trestle, the sidewalks. But it's clean and maintained, taken care of by the people who live here, and walking through that open gateway feels like coming home.]

HI YUKIO

[worldlyafflictions]

[Shima hasn't needed to drop by the medical tent since they arrived in the forest full of cryptids, and he's been keeping himself plenty busy as it is, so it's probably at least a few days before he goes purposely poking around to see what Yukio is up to. Though he doesn't really have to search long since the temporary medical tent is the first place he looks.]

Yo, Okumura-sensei! Why don't ya come set up with the rest of us! I know West-sensei pretty much lives in the medical tent even normally but we're supposed ta be taking a break!

here to wreck yukio's peaceful dreams

[exaomori]

[Was this old monastery her home? No, not quite. But today, it's good enough. She doesn't have to think too hard about it as she makes her way through the gate and beelines to the kitchen. There should be something to eat in there, right? She was hungry. There had to be some juice at the very least...

Oh, and maybe she should announce herself or something. Well, it's not like she was a total stranger here.]

I'm back~

[Back from somewhere she couldn't quite remember. But that's fine, she knows she's somewhere decent now.]

B. bring me a dream

[flashover]

[For Rin, it's absolutely where he wants to be. He steps through the gates, and he's home. Really, truly home. It's not his dream, though he's had hundreds just like this.

He's young again, just a dumb kid with no demonic powers and bandaids over his scrapes and cuts. He sits down in the courtyard and curls his tail around him, the tail he shouldn't have but does because it's part of him now, like it was always there.

Maybe it was.

As much as he likes the Carnival, as much as he enjoys his time at school--]

I miss this place.

[stillwinningthehardway]

[Scout comes by late in the stop, tall and direct. It's a little awkward since she's never spoken to this person before, but that can't be helped.]

Hey. It was Yukio, wasn't it? I never thanked you for helping me back in Wismuth.

Sollux Captor // OTA

[psionichax0r]

1. No Place Like Home

True to his word, Sollux had not set up his tent. Instead the cloth and poles of what were probably part of a tent lay on the ground beside a tree. All except for one, which Sollux was using to write with in the dirt. The scribbles are nearly illegible, but they must mean something to Sollux, because if you accidentally move to step on one he catches your foot in a flash of red and blue psionic light, holding it still.

"Walk around."


2. Bored to Fruit

Of course it only takes a while before writing code in the dirt becomes less than interesting. He figured working at the carnival might be a challenge, but he never thought the first challenge he faced would be boredom. Eventually he starts to wander, looking around for ideas on what he might do. When he spots a fruit tree he gets an idea.

Collecting a pile of rocks he floats them into the air one at a time with his psionics. After hanging in midair in a flash of red and blue for only a moment, the rock hurls itself towards the fruit. He's trying to see if he can knock it down from the tree. Most of the time Sollux misses, having some difficulty hitting a small target from so far away, but he's bound to get it eventually, at least, when he's not hitting the fruit straight on with the rocks instead, making them explode into a pulpy mess.


3. Midnight Stroll

Nocturnal as his species is, it's at night when Sollux feels the most restless. He walks through the dark, having little difficulty seeing as he desperately searches for things to do. He mostly just ends up disturbing the other nocturnal animals and making a bunch of noise. Mothmen startle as he comes near, flying away with loud screeches that have Sollux cussing right back at them. Hope he didn't wake you up!

MIDNIGHT STROLL

[soft_focus]

Reira's tent may have been difficult to spot in the middle of the dark, high up in the trees as it is. Actually, she was rather insisting when it came to keeping reflective things Off, entirely so that nothing decided to go perching on it in the middle of the night.

She's not really sure where her brother went, when she wakes up to loud shouting. Maybe he went to 'take a leak', as someone else put it. With the snake tail, that probably involves going very far away, or at least far enough that no one sees even an inch of you.

At any rate, it means she's alone, and she sleepily grabs a flashlight and beams it out into the dark from where her head pokes down the exit hole of the tent.

"...........whos' there," a tiny voice mumbles, somehow managing to do it rather loudly. Having the flashlight beaming out in front of her is likely making a lot of her hard to make out, in any case- possibly the most identifiable features are her gills, wiggling at the sides of her head, and maybe the ears of her hooded pjs. Which, thanks to gravity, are far less bat-cat and far more rabbit thing at this point...