⇨ 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

[kingsroads]

He watches intently, only wrinkling his nose slightly when Lambert gets to the gross guts bits. At Lambert's question, he gives the other man a look like he's an idiot.

"Of course I can," Strange answers, like Lambert asked him to do something as simple as pick something up. "Do you have a bucket or something like that to catch the water?"

Because of course Strange is going to make it rain.

[whattaprick]

"There's a pot behind the tent you can use. Do it over there, by the trees." Lambert points away from them, to a goodly distance. Butcher likes the mud, so creating a big spot near the tent that's practically an invitation to roll around is overall a terrible idea (assuming Strange even cares it's a terrible idea). Also, Lambert doesn't want to get wet.

[kingsroads]

Strange nods. He stands up, walks behind the tent to grab the pot, then goes out towards the trees. It's about ten minutes before he comes back with a pot mostly full of water. Strange himself is mostly dry, though there's the sort of muggy stickiness that lingers in the air, after the rain.

Wordlessly, Strange sets the pot down near Lambert. There's a few chunks of ice floating in the water as well: this thing is cold. Give Mr. No Upper Arm Strength over here a moment to catch his breath because he definitely needs it.

[whattaprick]

By the time the magician comes back, he'll find the witcher hasn't moved far from where he left him -- except to light up a slighty squashed cigarette to while away the time.

The water's cold, but that's exactly what Lambert needs for this, and he won't even make a snarky comment about Strange's obviously huffing and puffing before he takes the pot. He uses a mug as a makeshift dipper to start scooping water out for what he needs, first cleaning out the body cavity, then letting the jackalope rest in the water to keep the meat cool while he works on the skin, using a knife to scrape membranes and blood free. The head with its antlers is set aside for now, Lambert having yet to decide a satisfactory use for those.

Unless Strange has anything to say, the witcher's going to keep working quietly. It's not a comfortable silence, exactly, but it's theoretically better than picking another fight, which would be all too easy.

[kingsroads]

It's as Lambert starts cleaning out the animal that Strange realizes he's just so tired of this. He could continue to hound Lambert and bother him, but what's the point? The witcher obviously doesn't want to talk. Strange could be doing so many better things with his time.

He is going to try and get the last word in, though. Because he's petty like that.

"The worst thing about all of this is that I'm happy for you," Strange explains. His tone is a mixture of tired and annoyed as he continues talking. "It'd be so much easier for me to hate you and yell at you for keeping this a secret for all those months. But I'm happy you found someone and you're comfortable enough to say you love them." There's a pause. "But God in heaven, you two idiots should have done this differently."

Having decided that's enough for him to say, Strange hesitates for a moment before turning his back and starting to walk away.

[whattaprick]

Yeah, well, about that ‘comfort’ thing — Lambert can’t help grimacing when Strange mentions it again, looking up. He could point out that Strange did, in fact, yell at him, seems to be looking for excuses to yell further at him (since generally Lambert opening his mouth is reason enough), wouldn’t have had to find out this way if he hadn’t made the dumbass assumption Lambert was in love with him, and has a funny way of showing he’s happy for him, but—

All that would accomplish is more yelling, really. Also, he can 100% tell this is Strange being petty.

“Get some rest while you can, Strange,” is all Lambert answers, finally, loud enough to be heard over the sluice of water.