⇨ 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

[kingsroads]

It's as Lambert starts cleaning out the animal that Strange realizes he's just so tired of this. He could continue to hound Lambert and bother him, but what's the point? The witcher obviously doesn't want to talk. Strange could be doing so many better things with his time.

He is going to try and get the last word in, though. Because he's petty like that.

"The worst thing about all of this is that I'm happy for you," Strange explains. His tone is a mixture of tired and annoyed as he continues talking. "It'd be so much easier for me to hate you and yell at you for keeping this a secret for all those months. But I'm happy you found someone and you're comfortable enough to say you love them." There's a pause. "But God in heaven, you two idiots should have done this differently."

Having decided that's enough for him to say, Strange hesitates for a moment before turning his back and starting to walk away.

[kingsroads]

And when Lauren walks away, Strange lets him. He's picked way too many fights in the past few days—he won't continue this conversation if Lauren doesn't want to.

[kingsroads]

"I'm a man of many talents," Strange responds, with a wry little smile. Seeing Susan has lightened his mood considerably. Where Strange had been glaring at and working with the magic to an extent that he wasn't paying attention to anything else, when he hears Susan's voice and turns to look at the kid, Strange gives him a small smile.

"Something odd happened with my magic in the Athenaeum. I want to make certain it still works properly."

With a gesture of his hand, one of the large spikes of earth starts to vanish in the ground. And then, wry smile still on his face, Strange nods at Susan's feet. The ground beneath Susan rumbles slightly: it might be enough to knock him on his ass, but it's certainly not a large enough rumble to cause any sort of major damage. This is just him playing around and being a dick.

[whattaprick]

Yeah, well, about that ‘comfort’ thing — Lambert can’t help grimacing when Strange mentions it again, looking up. He could point out that Strange did, in fact, yell at him, seems to be looking for excuses to yell further at him (since generally Lambert opening his mouth is reason enough), wouldn’t have had to find out this way if he hadn’t made the dumbass assumption Lambert was in love with him, and has a funny way of showing he’s happy for him, but—

All that would accomplish is more yelling, really. Also, he can 100% tell this is Strange being petty.

“Get some rest while you can, Strange,” is all Lambert answers, finally, loud enough to be heard over the sluice of water.

[prazerbutterfly]

"Cats are cute, gentle in nature unless disturbed, soft and comforting to pet. One can certainly make a hobby out of it if they want to."

And he did mean it about her passion for studying. It was hard to be a Noah of Pleasure and yet not lock in on what made people happy, even if that wasn't for him at all. He liked gathering information but he couldn't ever make a hobby out of it. "I have. It's not as quiet as I would like but then I like the chatter of people. I enjoy the company but then I enjoy time by myself. Fishing is much more grand here than at the carnival. There is something about actual stars that brighten up an entire sky at night. Not knowing what they are, what they mean, or where they lead to."

[prazerbutterfly]

That's something.

[Sorry, Tyki has no idea what toaster is. He toasts everything on a stove.]

I can do the fishing, if you can do the hunting. [He's teasing of course. He can't peg Rhys even being able to kill one of the jackalopes.]

[hippocarnival]

No. [Yuya frowns, glancing between them before grabbing one of the water bottles he brought from the cook tent and tossing it to Gongenzaka.]

Odd-Eyes always shined before it happened, but maybe it really was Zarc? [That the dragons shared their power with Zarc in a way that they aren't with Yuya and Yugo, now.

Maybe they're just being stubborn.] Maybe it's because you're not in trouble this time? You would've been sent underground if you lost in the Friendship Cup.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya glances up and around the scenery as it shifts, smiling just a little at the familiarity. Most of his memories of that life are gone, and yet somehow he still feels something close to it.

"How much do you remember about living there? Besides the month that everything got weird." Okay, the whole thing was weird, but Yuya hopes his intention is clear. Everyone remembers when they were starting to recover their memories.

[chronosynthesis]

"So be mindful of the foliage I consume." He has no idea what Mushi are, but sure! But hey, if they're handling it and Syrlya doesn't have to he'll accept that. He's had enough handling problems for a lifetime, he could at least get a break for a day.

"Is there any update on the state of Ignatius?" Despite that, though, it's really hard to actually put business down once he's started.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya steps around Harbert's back, raising an eyebrow. "So, you want me to remove the damaged feather entirely?"

He doesn't know much about bird anatomy, but if that's what Herbert's asking for... he will, at least, reach to take the offered coat just so they aren't smearing blood absolutely everywhere. The tree already looks like a murder scene.

One he has the coat in hand, he carefully brushes his hand over Herbert's wing, trying to locate the damaged feather.

[soft_focus]

That almost easter-egg type heart honestly has Reira rather distracted for a bit. Too distracted actually, and rather abruptly (as often occurs in dreams) Reira is right there, tilting her head around and all over to try and look at it.

"...Why do you have a magic egg?" Reira asks, apparently not really paying attention to the conversations now. "...Is it a candy egg? Is it cooking?" she wonders, blinking at the fire.

She only now realizes that yes, there were questions she was supposed to answer. "A lot of people say you can't trust rabbits. But rabbits are still nice, and mean well, I think." Or at least, this particular rabbit did.

"...Cats are nice too though," she adds, apparently hoping she hasn't been too rude.

[soft_focus]

With the exodus of puppies, it takes Reira a few sandy moments to get her bearings straight. Much of it is spent on her back, making 'bleh' sounds as she tries fruitlessly to get rid of all the fur that somehow got itself stuck to her tongue or similar. Gross! Yuck!

Still sputtering a bit, she finally sits off when she realizes something- or at least something that her dreaming mind certainly can't stand for. "...You can't all be Baker," she mutters, wrinkling her nose. "Baker is big..."

About one and a half seconds from continuing on with the question of whether or not Baker could have exploded into a number of tiny bakers, and whether that was how Baker-puppies came into being, she realizes who actually spoke.

And turns, eyes wide and unblinking. "...Mr. Childermass?"

She pauses, catching a look at the shirt and sunglasses. "...You're wearing happy things..!" Finally, happy in public???

(She's not sure a number of puppies counts as 'public', see)

[textsfromhotland]

[SOCIALIZING... the very thought makes Alphys screw up her snoot.]

I'm so bad at small talk though!

[soft_focus]

It takes a few moments of gathering her breath to steady herself enough for a response- during those moments, she seems to nod rather mutely, listening to Strange's words with the slightest frown. It's a bit of an embarrassment- but then again, she reminds herself, it took her this long to make certain she could hold the shield for prolonged periods without being hit.

At the very least, she's got something that can take a blow in an emergency, rather than that risk. That thought gives her a little more hope, but she does have to think now.

"Mnh... So people need to hit it with things... ...Like you?" she asks a little nervously, looking back to Strange. After all, after they're done camping he'll...probably be busy right?

It feels like everyone will, actually.

[soft_focus]

"They all wanted the apple I gave one," she pouts. "...The birds thought it was nice, but they still weren't listening..."

When Joker mentions that Feathers has been losing food to them however, she finds herself handing him the remaining apple. "Umn- you should have this then," she determines. "...Since they took your things."

[insidescoop]

Carly, having had at least one glass of faerie ale and definitely one or two more of otherwise mundane alcohols, isn't so quick to accept the refusal. She pauses her dance while Nuna keeps at it, the marowak's own flames more of a blue-hue than a violet, and practically whines.

"Hehhh..! Come on..! You have to at least try, right..~" She can tell there was silent refusal, but also, she doesn't 100% want to simply take that to heart.

[insidescoop]

Carly cannot help but stare at that bird for a bit. "Hehhh, he can...is he going to need costumes too, or..." She trails off, shaking her head. "Right-! Let's find those spots~! I managed to grab one that's supposed to be really easy to set up too, so I can definitely help with yours~" She cheers, holding her Two Second-But Actually 5 And A Bit tent bag.

[insidescoop]

"Right?" She can't hide the relief there. "She wasn't in as much danger as she could have been...so..."

And there is something that has admittedly been on her mind- something she tries to keep from interfering with the dance, as awkward as the question is. "...When I was taken by the void..." she starts, only to find herself switching gears on the question.

"...What was it like?" she finally asks. "...Being 'enthralled'..?"

[kingsroads]

His third eye is still going and his magical eyes are on fire. And now that he's actively dispelled the magic, it's easy to view it and trace it to it's source. He walks over to where the magic came from, only to find it's 9S.

Well. Strange is a bit surprised by that. He looks confused for a moment before the expression shifts to a raised eyebrow and a wry smile. Yeah, you're busted, he knows it was you, Nines.

"Do you mind explaining just what the hell that magic was?"

Strange isn't angry at being mind-controlled. If anything, there's a hint of interest in his voice. Because seriously, what the hell was that? And when did 9S learn to do it?

[kingsroads]

"Like me," Strange responds, giving Reira a little smile. "We need everyone to be able to protect themselves now, not just the Nightrunners." That chaos in the library when the Count split everyone up in the shadows only proves that in Strange's mind.

And really, the more people who know magic, the better.

"If you want me to help boost your magic and strengthen your shield, then I will help. And on the same note, if you want any help with that wind magic you were working on in the Olympics, then I will help with that as well."

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.

Forward dated note confirms it's basically just Faerie Silver Mint so eyy

[soft_focus]

And to that, Reira beams quite loudly. To that, in fact, she almost feels as though she's ready for another go right now, but talking to Tanyuu back in the Athenaeum makes her think twice about saying as much. People can feel strong enough for anything when they're excited, and it just means being even more tired and sore at the end.

So she nods- elation building when he adds that he'll even help with the Wind Magic. "Even that..?" She has to ask all the same, but instead of waiting for an answer she's exploding into description of what she's been doing to practice since then. "I couldn't find any books for it in the Athenaeum, but... ...But I've been sitting in the water, in the middle, to practice- and here, the lake animals like to throw you into the air to play, so I've been able to feel the wind easier that way..!" she adds, barely keeping herself from bouncing in excitement. "And..."

And slowly, she pauses, carefully pulling out a large coin from her pocket. It would be about palm-sized...in Strange's hand, at least. For Reira, it's a bit larger, just large enough that it becomes somewhat awkward to hold and hide in one's hand. "...Since using feathers gave my arms feathers, Foster gave me something else to use and think about...it says 'Wind', see?"

'Of Winter's Wind', to be more precise, though she's very careful about how she holds it. "....I have to be careful though, since I didn't get to ask the Ringmaster about what it is..." Best to not push magical things too far...though really, it probably doesn't have much magic on it Anyway.

[seniorvicejanitor]

[ rhys wasn't all that bad when it came to talking but it still wasn't his favorite thing to do when he didn't know the other person. ]

You could just...sleep the entire time?

[seniorvicejanitor]

[ tyki, please be joking. ]

Sure, I can -- I can hunt.

[ no. ]

No problem.

[textsfromhotland]

She nearly doesn't get to finish that last sentence before Alphys is off like a bullet, nabbing shrimp chips and cookies and cakes by the armful.

"D-drinks?" She asks afterwards. "Oh, I think I might need a cart..."