⇨ 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

[atouts]

Thank god, he at least stopped at that point, but that only brings up a completely different puzzle. It leaves Childermass slowly sitting up straighter and fully turning to stare at Strange for a moment. It is definitely the look of someone trying to wrap their mind around something really, really dumb.

Inevitably, he asks, "You spied up until that point and then never even wondered why I didn't leave before then myself?"

[atouts]

"It doesn't change that he tried," Childermass mutters and moves to push Baker's head off his lap, which only earns him a bratty whine from the huge dog. He looks down at him, frowning. "Oh, go on. I'm not a pillow."

Which does absolutely nothing to get Baker to move. Of course. Fine, he'll just grouch and grumble where he is, trapped by pet-in-lap syndrome.

"I have half a mind to ask everyone to check his head and see if he's still enthralled at this point."

[atouts]

Yeah, that just gets... Childermass moving his attention from the puppies to Reira, at whom he just stares for a second or two before resettling the sunglasses properly on his nose and taking an obnoxiously loud sip of whatever overly fruity tropical drink he has. In reality, he would absolutely never order something this terrible, but it's a beach dream, okay?

That done and Reira still clearly still here, he supposes he'll actually need to talk to a person. That makes no sense. This beach is only for watching Bakers play. A beachful of Bakers. Yet, here's a child.

"That implies what I usually wear isn't," he can't help but point out. "Clothing isn't an emotion, Ms. Akaba."

Wearing happy things, yet still sounding so very much like he's hosting a funeral.

[betheman]

"MNH!?" Gongenzaka, suffice to say, is immediately covering his. "It is not meant to be seen..! To read another's wish is to bring ill fate, after all..!" he protests, sounding almost as though he actually believes it for a moment.

[betheman]

Aah- y-yes, [He coughs, dreading what is possibly going through Rhys' mind.] Gongenzaka Noboru is my name...

...I, the man Gongenzaka, imagine the 'hazard pay' would be such changes reversing over time once my contract has been fulfilled, actually... [He adds, not thinking too hard about it.]

[hippocarnival]

"That's why I asked instead of looking at it." It's definitely different if you openly share your wish.

Yuya absently pushes the back of the pen against his mouth as he stares at his own wish slip. Half a tag left, and no ideas. It's kind of embarrassing--he doesn't want to look back and see if there's a line forming behind him.

"I'll tell you mine." Once he... actually knows what it is. Is this just nosy?

[textsfromhotland]

What could I possibly miss out here? Oh, there was a squirrel! Then there was another squirrel! Pass.

[betheman]

Hmn! Is that so... [He gives that some thought while turning his attention back downward to where his friend stands, blinking.] ...I, the man Gongenzaka, imagine this relates to your ability to simply walk upon the air..?

[It's a fairly impressive ability, after all- definitely outshines running up trees and waterfalls. If he thought about it, he could probably learn to do the same thing though.]

[kingsroads]

Sorry Syrlya, that's a question that puzzles Strange. Everyone should know that the books would be from the time of the Raven King. Shouldn't they? He gives Syrlya a bit of a confused look before he answers, "Of course they are. None of the theoretical magicians have published anything and Mister Norrell and I have only published articles."

He continues walking, but he's giving Syrlya a little frown, as dream logic tries to butt up against actual logic while Strange sorts this out.

"There's very few books of magic or books about magic that haven't been bought up already. I consider it a small miracle that Arabella and I were able to obtain the modest library that we have." It's got like ten books. Strange's personal library is much more modest than he's implying.

[kingsroads]

"You aren't always there when Lambert takes his clothes off," Strange responds, as if that's the most obvious thing in the world. There's plenty of times when he's been scrying and accidentally caught Lambert changing clothes or in the buff or one time actually in the shower (and that one made it so Strange didn't scry on Lambert for like a week straight).

"Besides, I've only actually seen the two of you in bed together once or twice. It's easy to write off something that seems implausible when you only encounter it rarely."

[kingsroads]

Strange lets out a little laugh at Tyki's warning. He 100% is going to straight up jump to people, but no need to worry Tyki about that. As for the potato chip, it is the exact same one that Strange magically shoved in his shoulder to begin with. It tastes salty, still fresh, but it's oddly cool, like someone had left it in the freezer for a minute or so.

"Apparently it was only two days or so," Strange explains, also obliquely commenting around the problem of Ignatius's influence on him. "It felt so much longer."

But back to the talk of mirrors. Strange idly taps a nail on the stab wound on his chest. "I've a larger expanse of mirrors on my back, but I can barely reach them. I can also store items in other reflections: ice, a hand mirror, the lake, and so forth. I've mostly been working with smaller objects but I'd love to try something large sometime soon."

[kingsroads]

Strange never had as much interaction with Aslla as some of the other carnival members did. But he remembers it existed and remembers that the shadow did something to Carly's magic.

Surprisingly enough, her tale of coming back from the afterlife doesn't seem to surprise Strange too much. It isn't a common practice, but magic has brought people back from the dead in his world—Strange even brought a few people back himself. What, did this mean Carly was implying her shadow was from hell? But why would the Ringmaster bring in someone and an attached demon?

"I still don't see how the shadow has anything to do with mind control or enthralling. Unless, of course, it tried to enthrall you." Did it? He looks over at Carly with a curious expression.

[anti_nonsense]

Technical isn’t boring!

[She sounds almost personally offended. Technical information is the best kind!]

And... yeah. He was able to detect detailed biological information, for one. Don’t think he would’ve guessed my fighting style at a glance, though.

[fortuneglass]

Given the slight grimace she has, the answer is a Big Fat Yes. "...I had to give some context on 'who' before explaining that part, I thought," she awkwardly points out, even trying to smile. It doesn't last- but it's a bit easier to explain when the name and identity of the one doing the mind control is known isn't it?

That's how she thinks of it, at least.

"...It wasn't just 'tried'. It 'was'. Where I came from, Aslla Piscu was one of the 'Earthbound'- Demon gods, who made contracts with chosen servants in their dying moments, bringing them back to life in exchange for servitude. If they helped them win the war, then it would be glory, power, the heart's desire..." Should there be a spin here, she wonders as they dance, taking a deep breath. She feels like their should be- but of course, she is not the one leading, so she continues.

"...But I didn't want those things... ....So it was a tight leash, right until we lost. ...And when we did, the price was joining him in hell, and even farther below."

But Carly doesn't leave it at that- after all, as she had said- "...For...most of the time I was like that...I thought I was doing something I wanted. ...I thought I was doing it for someone I loved. ...It wasn't until I realized it wasn't at all, that he took hold entirely."

She grows quiet from there, her feet moving quite automatically with memorized patterns for dance. It's a detail she hasn't even brought up to Yuusei- the one who's from her world, who's from that war- and certainly not one she was able to speak about with the one who had known from it.

It's strange to bring it up so directly this time.

[bananaspeedrider]

I wasn't in that much trouble.

[Saying so may or may not be considered rude as far as the dragon's are concerned, but naturally Yugo's going to defend his own skill as a duelist.]

Course, there's no way for us to know if that idea's on the right track without giving anyone another heart attack.

[kingsroads]

Strange nods...and then starts to lecture Reira a bit again.

"Magic isn't just a switch that you can flip on and off. If you truly want to be a magician and truly want to learn the spell, it takes practice and experimentation. And yes, that practice should boost up your stamina as well."

If only because getting Reira active and making her move around more should boost up the stamina by default. He knows she gets some activity just doing her job and walking around the carnival, but it's not the same sort of concentration that could help boost up her magic.

[bananaspeedrider]

"Hey you never know, you might see a moment you missed... or a moment you were a part of at another angle you never would've imagined."

With all of the life experience he has himself, it's not hard to be amazed at the album's magic. Though it would be the kid's memories he's offered to have them look through so...

"But if you don't want to see what else it brings out from you, I don't have a problem with that."

[whattaprick]

“I thought so too, but the Ringmaster would have done something by now if he was,” Lambert says gloomily. “It’s not enthrallment. It’s just Strange.” Which is arguably worse.

Shifting around, the witcher reaches out to move the pot off the fire before he can let it burn while he’s self-absorbed.

“It sure seems like they got friendly,” the witcher says sourly. “He says Ignatius is the only person who respects him in this Carnival, says he can’t let himself comfortable with us binding him. Comfortable! Did Ignatius make sure he was comfortable? Maybe we shouldn’t have bothered getting him back since he obviously loves the Summer Court so much!”

His voice has raised, even if it’s not directed at Childermass, and he’s stabbing the spoon into the stew with increasingly violent motions. Of course he wouldn’t have left Strange, of course he doesn’t expect gratitude, but what the fuck? He’s struggling to wrap his mind around how someone could come back from that not just having goodwill but willing to defend his captor and preach about his virtues. It’s frankly disgusting.

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. ]

[whattaprick]

“More than I want to, and not enough,” Lambert admits. It’s strangely not that hard to say.

“The Ringmaster says ... that was real. All of it. Even if I don’t remember all of it, it really happened.”

For a little while, in another life, he was happy. Lambert took a while to accept that ... and now, part of him aches thinking about what he’s already lost, mourning a life that wasn’t really his own.

[whattaprick]

“To see if it holds if your concentration is broken,” Lambert answers, with a grin. Looked a little touch and go there, but...

“It’s a common weakness among mages. Spells are powerful, but they require thought.” He pauses, like he’s mulling something over, then figured there’s nothing to lose by asking.

“Ignatius never trained his changelings in combat?”

[hippocarnival]

"That's what I said the first time, wasn't it?" Well, not exactly that, but when they crashed that air balloon and were left to their thoughts until help arrived--what they felt there was real. How much of it was manipulated memories versus manipulated reality, Yuya can't tell. But he knows exactly what he was, what he did, what he felt was true.

But he can tell there's something else to the way Lambert looks at it, now, and Yuya regards him curiously. "Do you want to go back?"

[dontpokethat]

Ginko gives a quiet hum, looking upward at the sky again. He appreciates the distance, really, even if he doesn't comment on it; he likes Tyki alright, but they're not exactly close enough yet for Ginko to be comfortable being very... well, close.

"Rhys is one of the newer guys, right? He having trouble settling in?"

[dontpokethat]

"Doesn't matter how good the weather is. It's dangerous."

Ginko gives a brief shake of his head; if he notices how Shima is examining him, he brushes it off as unimportant pretty quickly. Gotta talk about mushi!

"Moving your tent may not help; if we've got an infestation moving in, they'll spring up wherever they can find someone sleeping. I can get back to you once I've looked around more, but for the moment it's better to be safe than sorry."

[dontpokethat]

"The light vein is an origin point of all life. It's concentrated, a purer form of life itself than anything else in the world." Which might sound like a complete non-answer at first, but he's getting there.

"Touching that river could be fatal to a human. At best, you'd probably contract a fatal mushi infection." He gives a small shrug and sits back, closing his eyes for a moment. "We're simply not made to get that close to it."