⇨ 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

CARLY | OTA

[fortuneglass]

FIRST HALF OF EVENT | OTA

[fortuneglass]

[Site Picking | D64]

"Hmmmmm-mmmm...." Carly, it seems, is quite deep in thought. Where she'd typically hover in fact, she's bothered to plant her feet firmly on the ground- the somewhat lizard-like toes digging into the dirt. She's dressed for the location at least; longer shorts, a shirt better made to keep bugs away than attract anything, but most notably is the backpack.

The minute there were supplies to take, she looted the lot impressively. "Okay-!" she announces- turning to those who have bothered to follow after her. "The most important thing about setting up a tent, is finding the best spot~! We need a flat spot, without anything on the ground that's too lumpy...otherwise we won't sleep well at all," she insists, nodding furiously.

Beside her, Nuna the marowak is nodding in agreement. "So! Which way should we go~?"

[Fire Dancing | EVENINGS]

A camping trip is nothing without evening festivities- tent pitched, supplies organized and put away, it's time for a night around the campfire with marshmallows, hotdogs, and more. Carly has a few local dishes preparing too; de-haired trout has been wrapped up in tinfoil, and is now cooking alongside some campfire baked potatoes in the coals. What Carly's really eager to do however, is show off-

"Okay, Nuna..!" she cheers, the marowak lighting its long bone-staff off the marking from her head. It quickly goes alight with violet-orange flames, matching Carly's own spectacularly as she creates a few floating orbs. "Let's go..~!"

Nuna is a pokemon that lives to dance- it's what the species did in her native country, after all, which means that those who have joined at this particular camp circle get to watch a dance that's meant more for fun than anything else. Spinning flames, loud whooping- and if one is especially lucky (or unlucky, depending on), well!

"Come on~! Join in, join in~" She cheers, pulling another up. "You don't need fire to join in, I promise~!"

[SAY CHEESE | 'ALL TRIP']

"Annnnd click-!" Among the supplies Carly brought with her- such as her ever-vital cloak of shadows, lest everyone be blinded in the night- she also brought her photography supplies. Camera and tripod, along with various lenses, are all being employed throughout the holiday trip at various points in time. If anyone had wondered if the woman truly had her roots in reporting before, they could at least now wonder if it was photography at the very least- she seems to know her stuff, after all.

Whatever anyone is doing (or at least, whatever one is doing with exception to anything they'd otherwise be ashamed of), Carly is ready with her camera raised and smile wide. "Hey, hey~! Want a picture?"

[WHO WANTS TO DATE A BIRD | DREAMS, D68]

The scene....is definitely an Imposing one. A game podium stands in front of you, along with a series of buttons, all labeled with characters that are, unfortunately, impossible to read. There seem to be other contenders not far either- in fact one is...

Carly? "HEHHH...how did I get signed on for this, it's not my fault I'm single again..!!" she whines, bright lights shining down as someone who looks like the Ringmaster waltzes about the stage.

"WELCOME EVERYONE, TO YOUR FAVORITE EVENT..~ CARNIVAL'S HOTTEST!~"

"HEH!?!? Hey!! I didn't agree to this!!"

"Of course you did it's in the contract!"

"What, seriously-"

(It's not.)

Carly certainly hasn't realized she's in a dream, apparently. Actually, she hasn't quite clued into the part where HER podium is...opposite everyone else's.

"So Carly," says Dream-Ringmaster, leaning against the wardrobe manager's podium. "...are you ready to CHOOSE..?"

"I'M NOT GOOD AT QUIZ GAMES, RINGMASTER..!!"

[WILDCARD]

[Carly isn't the MOST knowledgable about Camping, but she's trying her best! She'll be seen doing everything from taking pictures, to camping, to...Sunbathing?

She's not really much for the swimming thing, apparently. She might even dart around as a Hummingbird! All prompts are dated relatively early to be safe, but feel free to plot!]

[SAY CHEESE | 'ALL TRIP']

[haides]

Can a camera capture Hades's "true" form? Does he have one? Surely he must! Carly might be shocked to find photographs of a furry, feathered and horned man with a pale, handsome face and talons on his shadow black hands.

Of course, currently, all Hades does is blink at the flash and give his head a small shake. He is too accustomed to darkness; the light hurts his eyes.

"Enjoying yourself?"

[insidescoop]

Considering that her idea of 'death' tends to come with the same demonic god bird she made a contract with (and later ate), Carly is very surprised indeed.

Bad enough she had to rub her eyes and quietly tell herself that any glimpses of such a 'bird' were just her imagination, but when she recognizes the voice it's entirely too much confusion over identity to immediately respond. Eventually, she shakes herself off, and chokes out a reply. "Ahh- O- Of course..! It's not often that we have a trip like this, even if the circumstances behind it are less than great..."

More importantly. She squints. "...I didn't think anyone here would be wearing a glamor though..." What's that about...

[haides]

Is she going to eat him? No one has tried that before. Hades fluffs his wings, observing her with a gaze that always carries a hint of irony. There is a cycle to most lives and they tend to overlap at the end in a way the departed doesn't initially see. But he notices all the similarities.

"They could be worse." the circumstances, that is. He speaks remarkably well through a beak.

Then again, does the beak even exist?

"I have no glamor." he raises a hand and points at her eyes; it will likely look like he is raising a wing and pointing instead, "The fault lies with your sight."

[insidescoop]

That'd be rather tricky- Aslla Piscu was extremely large...it's probably a matter of subconscious convenience that prevents her image of him from towering the trees.

Carly has a rather dry expression, in any case. "And how would it be 'fault' and not just 'how things are'? Glamors aren't something everyone puts on consciously, you know- plenty of people see things as something else, it's what we do at half of our stops, even..!"

She's still wrong, but she certainly doesn't think it right now. Alas.

As it is- "Obviously they could be worse! But the point is, she's given us a small vacation," Carly explains, looking over the photo she's taken again. She wonders, quietly, what she would have to do to make herself see this...Hmm. "So best not to waste that~"

[haides]

"Mm..." he could argue or even explain why everyone seems to see him in a different form, but where is the fun in that? Instead he smiles as if he knows a secret and murmurs:

"How I am is bound to change."

Death is viewed with curiosity, fear or even love depending on a life's events. One person can see him, first, as a beast and then as a beloved companion. But Carly is young and it's good that she sees him in a fearsome light.

"You are full of life." his approval is obvious, but there is something like sadness in his tone too, "What will you do with your free time?"

[insidescoop]

".............you sound like some sort of faerie..." she mutters, somewhat dryly. It's a shame- she views him less with fear, and more with disgust. Death brings to mind her jailor, and with it the crimes committed within undeath.

Either way- 'Death' is no friend of hers. ...E...Except when he is??

At the very least, she's willing to be friendly with Hades, considering he seems nice enough beyond the Oddness. "Mmmm, for the most part though, I'm taking photos~ There's no sense missing out on a chance to do that. It's always fun to look back at times like this when you're not feeling great- they remind you that better things can still happen in the future~!"

[haides]

"The fae are a creation of mortal imagination. The gods have always existed." he states plainly and without emotion, "There are but four, yet many will claim there are twelve or more."

He is very odd and the longer they speak, the odder he might seem. Or, as is the case rarely, he might become more of a friend to her. Those who have passed on count him as such more often than not once they have accepted their fate.

"You desire to capture hope." Hades motions not to the camera, but at her chest, "There it rests and there..." he raises his hand to point at her head, "it comes to life. Pictures are only tangible proof of what you know."

Fire Dance: Night 65

[mylastchance]

Seeing her dance, he's struck again by how good looking she really is, even with (or maybe in some ways because) of her changes. It's a silly dance, more cute than anything else, but it's hard not to notice how attractive someone is when your watching them move. Of course than she's trying to get him to join and he cringes back, immediately forgetting his previous thought process. In fact for a moment he's too surprised to even speak, just shaking his head in surprise.

"I can't." he finally says, taking a step away.

[insidescoop]

"Heh..?" Suffice to say, between having a drink or two and having a dance that's truly meant to just be 'a dance', Carly doesn't understand why the other hesitates. She stares, widely, and confusedly, before shaking herself.

"...But... ...Why not?" she asks, staring. "You're not worried about not knowing how to dance are you..?"

d64

[pipers_son]

Sometimes, he's really glad that he has a sharp eye, which means in this particular case that he'd noticed how much Carly had picked for herself and immediately tagged along. Oh, he's not going to steal any camping location of hers, he's just curious to see if maybe she'd let him borrow something if he ever runs out. Good will, and all that, right?

And there's something else, besides... but that can happen in a bit.

For now, he hums. "Oooh, it sounds like you've done this before! Or at least done research." His ears quirk a little bit, one flicking upwards, followed by the other one. A couple of years has helped him learn to use the big ol' things to their best effect. "Then, that way, I think." And he points one direction.

[insidescoop]

"Mmmhm~ Ah, a little anyway," she decides, laughing a little nervously. Time, boredom, vacations...she's managed to figure it out somewhere in the middle after all.

"Do you have everything you need?" she asks, hoping the other says yes- it would be no good to find the good spots only to have to run back for supplies after all. "If you can, it's best to get the tent set up out of the way- more time to enjoy everything else then~"

[pipers_son]

"Yup yup~." Looking over his shoulder, he whistles for Feathers, who wanders away from a tree with a delighted coo. ATTENTION? ATTENTION, YES? Joker does indeed give him attention, patting him on his hooded head. Somehow, a backpack of his own has been strapped to the bird's back. Considering the wide range of changes in the carnival, perhaps it's not surprising that one was able to be found.

"Feathers can carry things now, so we both got stuff of our own~. So, shall we start workin' on the tent together?"

[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.

I WAS ABOUT TO SAY what a misleading product name

[pipers_son]

Carly, no... "His feathers are his costume." So hopefully that helps discourage her well enough. Regardless, he leans in curiously for the tent that she holds up. "Oooooh, this is one of the more future-y ones, isn't it?" Well, future by his standards. "Is it really sturdy?"

[fortuneglass]

"Hehh..? Is he always going to match your costume, then..? He doesn't really carry the look of a 'small animal companion' anymore, you know..." Don't remind poor Feathers, Carly. Don't remind him.

As it is. "It depends on what you mean by 'future-y', I think. It's just as stable as a normal tent when you have the pegs secure- it's just easier to put up, since all the poles are spring loaded inside~"

[pipers_son]

"Hey, don't-" Joker doesn't have time to answer either question, on the basis that Feathers suddenly pushes forward with a trill of offense. Immediately, his wings spread out, ready for a little hop... a big hop...

Rather ineffectually, Joker flails one arm at him and tries to edge away. "Feathers, no! I've told ya that ya don't fit anymore!"

FIRE DANCING -> BIRD DATE? | D68, EVENING

[alphudo]

By the time evening hits, Yuusei's generally back from wherever it is he runs off to in the day, often times early enough to help Carly set up whatever festivities she wishes to partake in that night. It's incredibly unlikely that she'll need help getting a fire going, but he can at least help arrange a space for a pit of sorts. If anything, he noticeably busies himself with something else whenever she goes to actually light it for what might be obvious reasons.

Still, if he can help out, then he'll absolutely try to. He's not a bad cook by any means, so while Carly and Nuna set up the rest of the circle, Yuusei tends to the food to make sure none of it burns. Having many hands is nice for this reason.

Having many legs, however, is not great for dancing. He's quite content with sitting and watching, thank you. Or at least, watching as intently as one can when having Dark Signer fire fairly close to one's face. Should Carly's eyes meet his, though, he'll offer her an encouraging smile.

[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.

[alphudo]

His smile wavers and curls up tighter into a nervous grin when Carly slows and stops to approach him specifically. A chuckle rumbles in his throat as he glances elsewhere, lowering his head. "...I am," Yuusei murmurs over the crackle of the campfire, "and I will always be at this rate, a lousy dancer." What is it with (former) Dark Signers asking him to dance, and why can't they understand he's just bad at it?

More importantly, though, he would very much prefer to keep a good amount of distance between himself and those flames.

[fortuneglass]

"Pssh! You don't have to be good at it, it's about letting loose, and having fun..~" Though as she says that, Nuna is starting to grumble. HOW DARE YOU IGNORE HER PRETTY BLUE FIRE!! HOW DARE!!!

"You're not that worried about your coordination still are you..?"

[alphudo]

HE'S NOT IGNORING YOU NUNA HE'S JUST DISTRACTED--

"I... A little bit?" He stands up, although he still has to look up to speak to Carly. "I can walk just fine now, but... Listen I could barely do anything competent with two legs, it won't end well--" His excuse is breaking down help.

[fortuneglass]

Carly, ever oblivious, simply shakes her head- though she does disperse her flames, much to her pokemon's chagrin. "I could always help you know...you never know when we'll have to dance our way out of a place~!"

That sounds both horribly fake and horribly likely.

[alphudo]

Despite the near-painfully embarrassing thought of actually having to dance their way out of a location, Yuusei finds himself much more able to at least consider the offer once those flames are gone. And, indeed... he does take a hesitant step forward. "Well...

"...alright." It wouldn't much be in the spirit of things to back down from this, now, would it?