⇨ 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]

It's true. The pink hair is difficult to miss and immediately identifying, meaning Childermass does double back to see what Shima is up to. Landing, though, reveals nothing but a candle suspiciously abandoned on the log. He supposes he shouldn't be too shocked by that, considering this form isn't one anyone would like to encounter alone, in the middle of nowhere.

It doesn't mean he's going to fly off and leave the poor kid huddling behind a tree or whatever, however, assuming he didn't just run off. Instead, the giant crow beast pauses, lifts his head high to survey the area, and then, after another second or two of holding still like that, he stalks clumsily across the clearing, balanced between talons and clawed wingtips, over to the candle. On the ground, he's definitely not made for speed or grace.

What he can do is prod the candle with the tip of his beak, though, and then... with a great, big huff, blow it right out.

[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.

[atouts]

Oh, he does look away from the candle and you'd better believe he sees him there, slouched down low behind the log. There's a long pause, drawn out if only for the drama of it, as the giant bird stares down — unblinking — at Shima and then... Childermass is careful, at the very least, about not squashing the candle when he lurches forward and gets a back talon up on top of the log, levering himself up to loom over Shima.

He looks down, spreading his wings some and making a low, ominous sound, like if a crow could growl or something. It isn't exactly the same but it does sound bad. Like, not friendly at all.

[worldlyafflictions]

WHY THO.

Ssslowly backs up, getting his feet under himself and his prayer staff between them. He's not sure if this is something belonging to that Count guy or of it's native, but either way he doesn't really want to have to tangle with it alone.

"Uwaa.. let's just chill okay? Fighting is tiring..!"

[atouts]

'Something belonging to that Count guy' would, unfortunately, be very accurate. It's just that something is disinclined to ever return to that particular faerie. Regardless, there's really only so long Childermass can drag this out for without actually scaring Shima off into running and he thinks they've about hit that point.

Still looming, the creature's form gives an unnatural shudder and then changes. It's all a flicker of shadows and movement, the transformation itself happening quickly enough that there's no real need to dread how awful it would look to go from bird to human again.

It leaves Childermass with one foot casually propped up on the log, lowering his arms and tilting his head at Shima in a somewhat curious motion, as if he has no damn idea why he would ever be worried.

"Why, I was only saying hello, Mr. Shima. What in the world would make you think there would be a fight?"

[worldlyafflictions]

"Childermass-san??"

He lets out a big breath and sags, staff jangling as he props his hands on his knees before he looks up again in disbelief.

"Even if ya say that, you were a giant crow thing just now! Who gave ya such a taste for mean pranks, huh?" Shima really isn't as offended as his tone might imply, but it's pretty much reflex to put up a fuss, mostly as an excuse to call Childermass out on messing with him.

[atouts]

"Pranks? Don't be ridiculous. That's no prank, just another way I have of getting around." Childermass will never admit to just messing with the poor guy, never. "Though if you're that jumpy around strange creatures, perhaps you shouldn't have wandered so far from camp on your own."