⇨ 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

SHIMA | OTA

[worldlyafflictions]

DREAMSHARE MUSHI | D66-68ish

[worldlyafflictions]

Shima hadn't paid any mind to the translucent little white flowers that had sprung up near the head of his tent a few days after he'd gotten it pitched, noticing it but thinking nothing of them when there was already so much odd greenery and life everywhere already. It was all part of the atmosphere that made their latest stop strangely peaceful, and despite any excess energy he may have had after everything that happened at the Athenaeum, he doesn't find it too odd that he's able to get to sleep without much tossing or turning.

A. The mushi have definitely taken hold as he falls asleep and now he's dreamwalking. Perhaps he's wandered into one of yours?

B. You're dreamwalking and have either fallen into Shima's or yours has merged with his. At the moment he's dreaming of effortlessly jogging along a foggy walkway, railed off on one side as it overlooks an oddly Spanish European inspired hill of a town which falls away below, with high stone walls rising up on the other side as the town continues up. There's an excited sense of purpose here, though there's no one else around. It feels like you can reach anywhere you want to be, just by running toward it.

C. Those are definitely mushi around Shima's tent. Come bug him about it.

((ooc: anything to do with the dream stuff or mushi can go here! I'm around on discord or plurk if anyone wants to do extra plotting. See below for camping shenanigans!))

A: DREAMSSSS

[whattaprick]

Upon dreaming, Shima will find himself, oddly enough, on a boat.

To the right are tall, jagged cliffs that threaten to dash to pieces anyone who dares approach. To the right is open ocean, dark and glassy. The sail creaks in the wind — what little there is of it — but otherwise things are eerily still.

And manning the rudder? None other than Lambert, though he’s looking a little preoccupied at the moment, scanning the open water. He also looks a little different from how Shima knows him. No horns or tail, though his eyes are the same slit-pupiled gold, and the scars remain constant. Two scabbards are strapped on his back, one sword drawn and resting in easy reach.

He hasn’t caught on to Shima yet, it seems, or just isn’t acknowledging him.

[worldlyafflictions]

He feels vaguely concerned that he might not know how to sail a boat, but not so much that it bothers him, or really even helps him register that there is anything odd about this dream. Instead he looks out at the water too, since that seems to be what they're supposed to do, his perspective potentially blending with Lambert's for a moment.

Is there something out there?

[whattaprick]

Lambert's holding himself still, the only motion the gentle rocking of the boat. In the strange way that dreams work sometimes, Shima might find his perspective overlaying Lambert's for a moment, seeing through his eyes as he looks at the water. At first, there's nothing.

Then-- there. Ripples under the surface of the ocean, sleek shapes that are just a bit darker than the rest. Slowly, their perspectives separating again, Lambert reaches a hand over his shoulder and wraps his fingers around the hilt of one of his swords.

It happens quickly -- an unearthly screeching fills the air and three bodies burst from the water, leaving an impression of writhing bodies and scales. One lands heavily on the mast, spines tearing through the sails as its tail lashes. Two other bodies heave themselves onto the boat, dumping water along with them. They're humanoid bodies attached to monstrous limbs -- a torso displaying bulges that could vaguely resemble human breasts if you had a good imagination, stringy hair like seaweed clinging to bulging skulls.

[worldlyafflictions]

Lambert knows what those are, so Shima doesn't feel as much of a shock when the monsters start throwing themselves at the boat--that doesn't mean he can just stand there and gawk though. He pulls his spear from where it's holstered on his back, kicking at the nearest creature that's thrown itself on deck, ready to drive the bladed tip through any exposed vitals.

[whattaprick]

Sirens, the name supplies itself readily into Shima's mind.

Watch the teeth, use silver, don't be fooled-- As soon as Shima lashes out, the creature reels back with a shriek, its body shifting into a beautiful, damp woman ... albeit one still attached to monster parts it can't disguise. Those are some awfully life-like breasts on display, a deceptively vulnerable belly, but when Shima brings his blade up, he'll find a heavy tail swinging up to attempt to knock it -- and him -- into the water.

In the meantime, the one on the mast launches itself at the witcher, whose response is swift and brutal. An arc of silver slices through the air, and monster ichor sprays the deck as the siren slams into the edge of the boat, one of its wings cut clear through the membrane.

C, before the mushi announcement!

[dontpokethat]

Bugging people about mushi is, in fact, one of the things Ginko is best at. So it doesn't take him long to wander over, hands in his pockets, as he looks over the flowers around Shima's tent.

He squats down to get a closer look at them, tilting his head, before glancing at Shima. "...You know what these are?"

[worldlyafflictions]

Wow what's with this guy just invading somebody's campsite and poking around their tent?? Shima gets up from arranging the branches for the campfire to come around the other side of the tent just as Ginko looks up and points out the little white flowers.

"Erm, why, are they poisonous?"

[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?"

[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?"

[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."

CAMPING | D64 on

[worldlyafflictions]

A. TRAINING
Busy campers who are struggling with their hammocks or trying to sort out how to pitch their tents may find themselves startled by one pink-haired boy suddenly showing up across the tent they have laid out when they look up, or catch him leaning over into their field of vision from just beside them with a cheerful wave, almost as if he'd appeared out of nowhere. Or maybe you just didn't notice he was there?? Weird.

"Ya need any help?"

He does happen to know a useful amount about camping, considering he'd grown up near mountains and had been dragged along on his brother's rock-climbing trips a good number of times, and his cram school's training trip was also in the woods.

B. IS THIS EDIBLE?
"Oi, how's this one look??"

Whoever happens to glance up at that moment may find themselves on the receiving end of a strangely glowing fruit that just got lobbed at them. Shima is hanging off a branch up above and had meant that for Rin, but since there's a decent sized list of edible stuff that Rin had been given--which is why Shima had been roped into helping him gather to feed the Carnival--it's just as likely that Rin had seen something else on the list and went off to grab it, or else Shima simply mistook where Rin was last standing and just accidentally chucked the fruit he'd picked at the nearest person he'd seen from the corner of his eye. Try not to get beaned?

C. WILDCARD
Shima will spend his time honing his perception manipulation spell he picked up in Wismuth, being fairly helpful to people so long as it seems like a fun social activity or doesn't put him out too much, or hugging a bug-repelling candle as he explores. THIS AND MORE OPTIONS. Feel free to provide a prompt or hit me up to plot!

B

[dressedtothe]

And it just so happens 9S is nearby! As usual, Pod 153 is hovering by his shoulder, though this time, his sword is floating at his back via a glowing ring of light, the blade covered in a scabbard.

9S yelps and catches the fruit before it can bean him in the back of his head. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

Speaking about the back of his head, a mouth at the back of his head cracks open, the tip of its spine-like 'tongue' poking out beneath his visor.

[worldlyafflictions]

Looks back down just in time to catch that and makes a face. He's never seen one of those 'Two-mouthed Woman' youkai, but the concept is familiar enough that seeing the weird second mouth on 9S's head completely distracts him from actually recognizing who he is for a second, especially since he's mostly only run into him incidentally.

"Holy crap."

[dressedtothe]

???

"What? What?"

What's got him so surprised/disgusted? It's not the fruit, is it? It can't be.

[worldlyafflictions]

"The crazy mouth-thing on the back of your head," Shima says as he makes a big loose gesture toward the back of his own head illustratively. Oh yeah, wasn't this guy one of the Guardians in Wismuth?

"Ya didn't have that before did ya?"

WILDCARD!

[soft_focus]

Thus far in the camping trip, Reira's managed to cool off from various upsets over the recent radio conversations with ease. Between her conversation with Lambert, and what little she'd heard from Rita and Yuuya (A true shame, given how quickly she'd have felt better if she knew what they said in private), it had started off sour indeed. Only a few hours had been needed to rectify that however- with the time and conversation spent setting up the tent and everything inside, she was quickly feeling far more cheerful and ready to try what her brother had blandly referred to as 'camp food'.

He had then noted that he would be taking a bit of time to get down from the tent, and that Reira was free to go ahead with the food provided she didn't go too near the fire alone. She had the strong feeling that he was going to get stuck up in that tent, given that he didn't have legs.

Ah, well. With a baggy of hotdogs and a food stake, she was thus making her way to the nearest lit pit. That, it seemed, was in her favor. ...Except for the part where there was practically no one there among the fire and the candles.

"Mnhh..." ...Correction...One person there, right near the candles themselves. With little other choice, she therefore stalks over with the baggy, the stake, and a somewhat determined expression. "....Can you watch while I cook the hotdogs..?" she asks, getting right to the point.

[worldlyafflictions]

Shima's sitting by the fire waiting for a couple of wrapped potatoes to roast where they've been set in the fire. He gives Reira a baffled look when she approaches, not really understanding her request.

"Uh, why?"

[soft_focus]

"People keep saying I'm not supposed to sit near fire alone," is her short reply. She's already dully pulling out hot dogs and trying to stick them on the cooking stick, on that note.

"...And I want to cook food right now."

Therefore, she needs someone to watch. And that someone gets to be you!

[worldlyafflictions]

He wonders vaguely who's been telling her that...

"Oh. Right, I guess nobody would be too happy about it if ya tripped and fell inta one, since it's all face level on ya."

B

[flashover]

In this case, it actually IS Rin who gets beaned with the fruit. It smacks him right on the back of the head (POIT!) and he lets out a yelp of surprise. The now bruised fruit rolls carelessly across the ground.

"Shima!!"

[worldlyafflictions]

Shima scoots back down the branch so he can get his feet against a more solid foothold and actually see where he just threw that fruit.

"What, you were supposed ta catch that! You're wasting my hard work here..!"

[flashover]

"Well maybe you shouldn't just THROW them at people!! What's wrong with just tossing them gently?"

Rin glares up at Shima, picking up the bruised fruit and eating it in one bite. Waste not, want not?

"Or you could, you know. Use the basket we brought."

[worldlyafflictions]

"Whatever Okumura-kun, that was totally a gentle toss. And aren't ya like super strong anyway? What difference does it make? I thought you had the basket!"

Bicker bicker.

"Anyway, just tell me if that one's ripe, is it supposed ta be glowing or not?"