⇨ 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

[soft_focus]

Whether it works or not, she's managed to brute force some form of progress, even in just the area of shields- most of that was just off basic instructions from Taako after all. It may have caused some issues with feathers on her arms, but she's had more instruction for the wind magic by far.

When Yuuya begins asking about tents however, she begins making her way out of the water- it's pretty clear they'll be talking for a bit. "We put it up in the air," she explains, quite pleased about this. "It's tied to three trees, and has a ladder!"

[hippocarnival]

"You got one that hangs in the air? That's pretty cool." That is, in fact, actually pretty cool. Yuya almost wishes they had gotten one instead, except Gongenzaka probably would have just fallen through the bottom??

As she comes out of the water Yuya straightens himself back up, offering the creatures a wave of acknowledgement. "Has Reiji ever been camping before?"

He's pretty sure Reira is going to be a solid 'no', but he wonders how much instruction Reiji can provide... although, he's having a hard time imagining him roughing it in nature.

[soft_focus]

"Mnh. It doesn't feel like hanging though- the bottom is almost flat, except when niisama is all the way inside," she explains with a nod. He is, after all, sort of a giant snake now. "...I don't think so," the girl answers. A few bits of gold dust trail behind her as she makes her way to the shore, strange flower-like 'antennae' bobbing behind her as she goes. "He knows what it is though- he said he's going to be able to do everything fine, even if it's the first time."

He's Absolutely Dedicated.

[hippocarnival]

"Well, we're all camping together. So we can all help each other." Not that camping is especially difficult, especially when they are in such a large group and the cooking staff is still on duty.

"Did he tell you about any of it?" Does Reira know what to anticipate from the camping trip yet?

[soft_focus]

Naturally, Reira shakes her head immediately. Though presumably, she is responding to his second question. "Mnh...he said it's supposed to be a 'vacation', so I can't do school things now. It's why I couldn't pack any of my books, or the pieces... ...just in case I lost them."

She does, however, briefly unzip the pocket of her vest to check something before zipping it back up. "I'm working on magic things instead because of that..! And, um..." She looks back to the lake. "...I guess meeting all the animals, and making sure Eagle doesn't eat any of them..."

[hippocarnival]

Eat them...

"That's good! But you know, there's lots of fun things we can do while we're here. Like sitting around telling stories and roasting smores is popular. Or watching the stars, going on walks..."

He pauses, looking around and then just... vaguely gestures. "You know, we should all sit together one night and do just that! You and me, and Reiji, Gongenzaka, and Yugo."

[soft_focus]

It's an eagle that's almost as tall as her. It's gonna chase those jackalopes, Yuuya.

Not to mention the fish. "...............What's a smore?" She recognized everything EXCEPT that part. Also she's already doing everything except that part. So.

"...Everyone at the same time? Do we have to find a big spot to sit then?" she wonders, blinking. They are not the smallest bunch, thanks to changes after all.

[hippocarnival]

"We'll make a spot to sit! I'll get Gongenzaka to help set it up." He's getting excited about the idea even before he's asked anyone else, but he can't see any reason why any of them would decline. They're all friends here, or at least friends of friends.

"And a smore is a snack you make with a marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers." He presses his hands together for emphasis. "And you press it all together like a sandwich! You'll like it."

Not the least because it's sweet.

[soft_focus]

This is, suffice to say, the new focus of her attention and the most baffling food item she's heard of since sweet-potato salad (seriously, marshmallows??).

"...How do you make a sandwich with marshmallows and chocolate..." she mutters, squinting at Yuuya with what is likely disbelief.

[hippocarnival]

"You put the chocolate and marshmallow in the middle so it's shaped like one. I'll show you how to make one when we get together." Or sometime, because there's no way he's letting her go this trip without trying it. Reira's had too much of her childhood robbed from her as it is.

He hopes when they go back, the war with Academia really will be over and they can have the space of peace again.

He blinks once, then glances around. "Uh, if you're done, did you bring a towel?"

[soft_focus]

"...But it wouldn't be flat enough, or soft enough, or..." Well apparently they're not talking about smores now, so never mind.

Reira just blinks. "...Why would I need a towel here? I can get a towel from the tent." There's nothing wrong with running around wearing a swimsuit and a soaked vest! Nope!

[hippocarnival]

So much doubt over the smores... but Yuya doesn't elaborate when Reira explains her lack of towel, raising an eyebrow. "If you run around wet, you might catch a cold."

Which isn't going to do if he's going to encourage her to stay up late with them, so Yuya reaches to gently start nudging her back to camp. "Come on, let's get you dried off."

[soft_focus]

"How does being wet mean you get a cold?" she protests, blinking. "It's not even cold now. It was a lot colder on the moon." Remember, the moon, where she was in her shirt and shorts for a good long while until Julien had a panic and rushed her back to the Wardrobe tent?

Good times. But here she is being nudged along. "I always walk back to the trailer for my towel after going in the lake at home..."

[hippocarnival]

"It still makes your body colder so you're more likely to get one, or something like that." Yuya is definitely the wrong person to ask for the specifics here. "Is Reiji teaching you anything about health...?"

He assumed so, he definitely assumed she was doing pretty standard curriculum for an elementary school kid. The nurse is basic stuff.

[soft_focus]

There is a blank stare. "...I don't feel cold though," she repeats, blinking slowly.

"...I still didn't get a cold on the moon..."

Naturally, she has not answered the actual question At All.

[hippocarnival]

"I said might, Reira." The moon doesn't prove anything. "So is that a no?"

Yuya's not much for the education system himself, but this is basic life skills, isn't it? He hopes Reiji isn't neglecting the physical stuff.

[soft_focus]

"I don't know. I'm just answering the questions in the books that everyone brought back from Wismuth- niisama looked at them to try and make a 'school day' for after I finish my work with the animals though, so he probably knows. ...I didn't want to cheat." Which is to say, she hasn't read ahead.

That's cheating, right?

[hippocarnival]

"I don't think that's cheating... but if you had a workbook for it, you probably would have seen it by now."

Well, that's fine! He'll just make up for where Reiji's lacking. "I know enough I can tell you about that stuff. Like making sure you bring a towel when you go swimming so you can dry off."

[soft_focus]

"How would I see the questions I haven't reached yet..." Without, you know. Reading ahead.

Or anyway. "..I'm still not cold," she insists, still apparently insisting on No Towel. "...If I bring a towel, and leave it somewhere, I'll have to make sure I get out of the water at the same spot."

....Where....did she initially enter the water from....

[hippocarnival]

He's pretty sure a health textbook is not going to be mixed with the math and science, even in Wismuth.

He's not exactly following this new protest, however. "Well... yeah? Most people do that when they bring stuff to the beach. It's the same as you going back to your tent every day when you camp."

[soft_focus]

Do children even start Health Class that early? Who even knows. Especially with psuedo-american curriculum.

Reira still seems to be finding this argument Terrible, in any case, but her defenses are becoming so outlandish that it's no doubt more amusing than anything else- "....No, I go back to the tent because that's the temporary home," she explains, frowning quite seriously.

"I'm not going back to shore to sleep, it's just part of the way back to the tent."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya isn't even remotely following her line of logic there. It's like she's completely skipped the concept of taking stuff with you when you go places.

"Uh... okay." Well, the day she gets a cold is the day he told her so. "Then you better get to the tent so you can dry off quickly."

[soft_focus]

"Mhn! I will! I have to be careful so that niisama doesn't get too cold I think," she adds, frowning rather seriously.

As it is- who knows how kids think, these days. Even normal ones are a little out there sometimes... ...but at least she seems to be happy for the moment?