⇨ 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

[pipers_son]

As long as he's not hit, it's fine. He tries to remind himself of that, with debatable success, even as he crashes through more than a few areas. It doesn't matter. What matters is-

This. He thinks. Bewildered at the tiny ass doorway and absolutely ignoring stealth- he's shit at it anyway (apparently?)- he tries to reach forward. Even if he can't fit in the doorway, can a part of him....?

Or at least break the door, since he's already causing property damage. It's fine. It doesn't matter.

[npcarnival]

You tear the doors off their hinges with trivial effort. They come right off in your hands, and you toss them to the side. This probably isn't what she wanted you to do.

"You're being such a fool, right now," a voice says below you.

You look at your feet, and she's there. Standing in the doorway is Winter.

But she's smiling. She comes over and lays a hand on your paw, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. You're not sure if you should be apologizing right now.

"Did you forget what you learned?" she asks.

[pipers_son]

It might not be what she wanted, but he doesn't think she minds too much. She's important, and, more than anything else, that tugs at him.

"I did try," he says, in a sort of apology. "But it wasn't a particularly fruitful effort." He sort of want to touch her, but is he allowed? It's hard to remember if he is, only that he wants to.

"I'm glad I found you."

[npcarnival]

She laughs wryly, cupping her hand over the back of your paw. It should be impossible, with how large you are, yet somehow it fits - and then, just as impossibly, you are standing before her in a humanoid shape, just tall enough to have to tilt your head downward to meet her eyes.

You can touch her, you remember. You smile back putting a hand to her face. Your skin is scaley black and your claws are long, but they fit. You fit. She leans in, and presses her lips to yours.

Just as quickly, she pulls away, grabbing your hand and tugging you along into what is apparently her bedroom.

"Come on!" she says. "We need to make the best of this."

[pipers_son]

Oh. Yeah. This is definitely worth all the probably expensive decor he just knocked off some hallway walls.

For a couple of reasons, not in the least because Winter is a beautiful lady in a pretty lovely room, but, mainly... Mainly because it's nice to be looked at like that, like this. A vase got broken, paintings are on a couple different floors, an explosion sort of happened that he had nothing to do with, the door to the bedroom is completely gone which means 'making the best' will mean it being made with no privacy...

But he's still able to smile. Still able to feel like it doesn't matter, if he can still earn a kiss like that, and a few other things in the near future besides.

It feels a little easier to relax, and he teases, "Oh, if you're so eager, maybe you should have tore the door off." He can touch her now, he could always maybe touch her, so he gladly speeds up to press up against her back.

[npcarnival]

She allows you to press against her back for a few long moments, before slowly spinning around to face you again, circles by your arms. She presses a finger to your lips.

"I thought we were going to talk about your speech tomorrow," she says, coyly.

"Speeches don't exist where I come from," you say, grinning through her finger. You pick her up into your arms and spin around until both of you fall into bed, with her on top.

"We're never going to accomplish anything if we keep getting distracted like this," she says, and she's joking, but only half joking.

[pipers_son]

Ah, half joking. The trickiest thing in the universe. Fortunately, he is very charismatic. Or, at least, very pretty. That should count for something, or at least he sure hopes so.

"A compromise, then?" he asks, trying for honey glazed innocence and probably failing. "You can stay right on top of me, and we can talk about the speech tomorrow."

[npcarnival]

"Mhm," she hums, making no move to go anywhere. You smile dopily. Or, at least, in a way you assume must be dopey.

"You should really call it a 'rally,' anyway," you say. "Wyld Fae have never sat through a speech and they won't start now."

"Now, isn't that the true meaning of being an agent of change," she says, looking at you with eyes half-lidded with contentment.

[pipers_son]

Victory. For the bedroom, at least, if not yet for the speech-now-rally. But that's a pretty good victory for right now, isn't it? The rally is all tomorrow.

Only thinking about it still feels a little foggy, for some reason. Eh.

"So we'll make it a very exciting rally to keep their attention," he says, "but I'm sure a new name isn't all you wanted to talk about, is it?"

[npcarnival]

"Mm, no," she admits, her smile fading, if only for a moment. "But... I suppose it can wait till later."

She slips her arms over yours, leaning down to trap you in a kiss. There is a coldness to the touch, but the emotions behind it is warm. The encounter begins to take on a dizzying effect, your interactions escalating in smooth and dream-like ways.

There is pleasure. Lots of it. And there is love.

'I missed you,' you think.

[pipers_son]

Yeah. He has, hasn't he? He really has missed her. That feels right. And, more importantly, it feels wonderful. The lack of details isn't important so much as the warmth overlapping all of it.

Still, even as he wants it to never end....

...It's going to.