⇨ 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

[whattaprick]

“The Queen could find him,” Lambert says blinking. “His father could find him. And then England would be in danger, and everything he’s ever worked for.”

Lambert clutches the book tight. The title seems to shift before their eyes again: The Queen’s Miracles.

“Stupid idiot didn’t get himself protected when he asked for protection for Steven and Strange. Maybe we just need to ask the Starlight again.”

[starseedling]

It's unnerving to have confirmed, even if he'd thought his relationship to her must have had something to do with it. Giving the phenomenon a name makes it feel more real, like something more than coincidence. Despite the warmth of the day, he finds himself chilled.

"I wasn't sure if it was just a regular enchantment thing or if it was because it was me, but... yeah. That makes sense." He kind of wants to sit down. "I suddenly started thinking that I wanted to go with her, that she'd look after me... but after everyone else was gone I realized what I'd done and I couldn't even believe it."

His ears fold downward as his shoulders sink.

"I really didn't want them to think I'd just given up. I made that mistake once already."

[prazerbutterfly]

"No, I wouldn't mind at all. I'm sure Strange hasn't fallen asleep yet and Rhys might been too spooked to sleep just yet." The new pup didn't seem to like anything around him when it came to this camping trip. A lot of people were wrapped up in their drama or studying notes to really enjoy the place.

He looks for a place to sit that isn't right next to Ginko to give him a little space. Tucking down, he'll let his tail sway off to the side.

[hippocarnival]

Oh. Yuya hadn't considered that until now. Of course, Strange had mentioned the Fae he's contracted with might pursue him, but nowhere in that did he suggest he'd never return to England. To his wife, and home.

Was it worse than he was saying? Yuya bites his lower lip, suddenly deeply worried for both of them. Wouldn't it be awful, to be forced away from your home because you become a danger to it?

"We'll have to ask her for a lot of wards," Yuya determines, trying to push up a smile despite it. But it doesn't last long, and then he shifts around on the rail to better face Lambert as he regards him with curiosity.

"... How far would you go for Childermass?" To save him, protect him. See him happy.

[soft_focus]

Reira looks almost insulted.

"....I'm not going to trip into fire." she insists, shoving her stick over the flames. "...Tall people would get hurt if they fell into fire too, anyway. People just keep thinking I'll get hurt by everything easier, and make more mistakes than normal people do."

That's her story and she's sticking to it-

Delicious

[prazerbutterfly]

He tilts his head at 9S, remaining wet instead of using his powers to dry off like usual. It felt good on his skin and he didn't mind it soaking his pants. It's not like he was wearing much of anything else right now.

"Mister Nines, what do you use for fishing?" He says in a teasing voice. "Come now. You can't tell me you don't fish like humans do." Again, teasing knowing how much he loves them. "I'll show you."

[whattaprick]

Dreaming, yet unaware he’s dreaming, Lambert can only be bluntly honest.

“I’d do anything to keep him safe,” Lambert says, simple and to the point. He’s thought about this a lot over the past few days, and the words come tumbling out of him in a rush.

“Kill a thousand fae. Betray anyone. Become something he hates.” There’s a fierce, sharp certainty to his words. He’s looking less like Portland’s Lambert now, as the fingers curling around the book begin to turn clawed, eyes flashing gold. It’s greedy, possessive, and entirely unashamed of itself in a way he never would be conscious, and there’s a terrible purpose to his words.

[soft_focus]

And...this one doesn't go quite as great. Oh it certainly blocks it fine- the shield even clunking and vibrating slightly as it physically gets held back against it.

The problem is simply that Reira doesn't have that much stamina- they might not have all been full 'blasts', but she's simply not prepared herself for anything striking the shield. With a shaky sigh, her arms finally fall to her sides as the shield vanishes.

"Hhahhhh... hahhh....I don't think...I can block more for a little bit..." That's tiring..!

[hippocarnival]

If Yuya notices the way that Lambert starts to change, physically, he doesn't react. Instead he holds a careful gaze on Lambert, his attention completely captured by his words and the emphasis behind them. He feels them, very personally, especially what Lambert says last.

Yuya grips the rail a little tighter. "Even knowing how much you hurt him... even if he'd rather suffer so he doesn't have to see you go that far?"

Would Childermass rather carry the burden than watch Lambert tear himself apart, in any level? He knows there's a kindness to Childermass, he's seen it. Is it the same? "Would it be too hard to be the one left behind?"

[soft_focus]

"Mmnnhhg- Bleh..." GOSH. That was far too many feathers, and Reira takes some time to shake herself from that shock before turning about in order to face Joker. "Umn...I'm ok, they didn't hurt me..."

"Charcoal annoyances..!" chimes in the daemon, who has shifted itself into the form of a marbled white and black fox now.

"...they're not that annoying..." (They were)

[whattaprick]

“He isn’t like me,” Lambert says, like it’s an obvious answer to Yuya’s question. “I’m already a monster.”

Even as he says that, his agitation seems to calm, like saying something like that out loud was enough to settle it more firmly in his mind.

“Losing me won’t change who he is.” And there’s both a wistfulness and pride in the way he says that — not that he’s even sure what he means by that himself.

[hippocarnival]

"You're not a monster," Yuya says plainly, firmly. He knows what a monster looks like. He knows what it feels like. Lambert isn't a monster.

It steels Yuya's emotions a little. He was wavering, but now he's determined to force his way through this conversation for both of them.

"Do you think that? When you lose someone that precious--it's like a piece of you gets ripped out with them." He places a hand on his chest. "You don't think he'd lose something by losing you?"

[whattaprick]

Lambert frowns, like he’d like to argue the monster bit a bit more, but Yuya’s question catches him off guard.

“He’d survive it,” he answers, then glances away. The shadows are long on the ground. It’s sunset, now, over this sleepy hodgepodge of a town.

“I’m not that strong.”

[hippocarnival]

Yuya lowers his gaze, a sad smile reaching his face. "Neither am I."

Is that what it is? He's just not strong enough to be the one left behind? Or is it just because he's selfish, and doesn't want to be? "But I know it'd still hurt him, and... I feel awful."

His tail curls around the rail between his legs as he absently scuffs the back of his shoe against it. "I didn't think there'd be so much pain in caring about someone, until all of this."

[prazerbutterfly]

Ah, she's kind of cute when she blushes but he won't say it outloud. He's both seen and heard her temper rise easily from the slightest comment.

"I don't know. I think it's a wondrous hobby. Anything is what you make of it, even your love of studying. To you at least."

[soft_focus]

Reira has a bit of trouble completely understanding what Yuugo is even talking about until she sees the book he's waving around- at which point the girl blinks, rather confused.

"Umnh- your picture book?" she asks, staring. "...But I already take lots of pictures..." And after all, if she has pictures of the Good Memories already, why on earth would she need that?

[dontpokethat]

"Not exactly. But they shouldn't be here."

He sighs and sits back on his heels, frowning down at the little flowers. At least it's not too urgently dangerous of a species, but he'll need to talk to Tanyuu about this if more of them crop up.

"Just try not to sleep more than you have to for the time being, alright?"

[anti_nonsense]

Rita grimaces. She was hoping he was disoriented enough not to notice her slip away...

"Both," she retorts, looking annoyed. "The others looked like they had it under control, so I wasn't going to touch you if I didn't have to."

[anti_nonsense]

That's a reasonable enough answer, and Rita does remember him using it that way... It was the first time she noticed him brandishing iron, though at the time, she only had a fleeting glance at it.

"'Perhaps'..." she echoes, looking mildly disturbed, because the implication seems to be, "So she didn't actually tell you what she had in mind?" With how concerned she seemed about iron, Rita thought the Ringmaster would have clearly laid out the rules... but then again, when has she ever done that?

[dontpokethat]

"Right. They're a kind of organism made up of a higher concentration of pure life energy than most living things; they can have a wide range of effects on their surroundings, including on other creatures. They're not inherently dangerous, but their effects can be."

He gives a quiet snort at the "inner ear infection" comment, which... you know, that's not inaccurate. But he's guessing Herbert doesn't have quite the right idea. "That would most likely be the Un; we've had some trouble with them before."

As they draw closer to the campgrounds, Ginko takes note of the occasional floater drifting around them. He slides a hand into his pocket, taking hold of his box of cigarettes - but, first. He points out one of the translucent mushi, his tail flicking along with the motion. "First, remind me - can you see those?"

[anti_nonsense]

Rita turns the stick around in her hand, adjusting her grip and feeling out its weight.

"It goes without saying, but... in that fight against Ignatius, if I didn't have the Athenaeum's power and the rest of you backing me up, I probably would have been killed," she begins, frowning. "I mean... I get it. I'll never be strong enough to fight a high fae head-on without relying on external powers. But I'd still like to be able to evade and survive their attacks... especially when we won't have those book spirits to help us next time."

[worldlyafflictions]

Hey hey hey, Shima still needs that for later! He watches with some dismay as the candle is blown out right next to him. He's hunkered on the other side of the log and had felt a momentary thrill of accomplishment when the creature didn't seem to notice him despite that it was standing right above him, but it's short-lived. The combination of Childermass knowing exactly who he's looking for and Shima's focus shifting to the candle (and the loss of protection against bugs) means that when Childermass looks up again and sees him, he'll have Shima staring back with that characteristic 'oh shit' expression that's caught somewhere between a grimace and a smile.

[worldlyafflictions]

Squints at him, listening to his voice...

"I dunno, it's pretty good weather for a nap. Shouldn't I just move my tent then?"

[seniorvicejanitor]

[ was this really happening? was tyki offering up all this? rhys couldn't help but be suspicious but also hopeful that maybe this wouldn't be so bad. he'd bunked with vaughn before so this could work. ]

You can cook?

[ was there anything he couldn't do? rhys was starting to feel a little useless here. ]

[dressedtothe]

9S nods. "Yep. The Carnival has a real problem with getting mind controlled all the time."

Seriously! All the time.

"I hope I can use this to return people to normal. Or if that doesn't work, I can at least make them stop attacking us."