⇨ 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]

Reira turns with rather big eyes, and immediately stops Joker's words. "Tyrannosaurus is a Girl," she corrects. Because it was clearly obvious! Super obvious, sir!!

As it is. "Umn...she doesn't try to clean me, but she tries to give me her food a lot..." The drawbacks of being tiny. Apparently T-Rex has deemed her FAR TOO SMALL, and in need of growing help.

[pipers_son]

"Of course, of course." Joker laughs softly. "My mistake~. And she's a lovely girl as well." You know, for a given value of lovely, when one is enormous and has a lot of sharp teeth and is covered in feathers.

It's all about perspective, or something.

"What kind of food does she give ya then?" Carefully, he reaches up to adjust a branch so that he doesn't get his antlers snagged in it.

[soft_focus]

Her plummage is beautiful and fluffy, so Yes, Super Lovely.

The food is not very lovely. "It's her meat," she replies. "She chomps it up and tries to drop it for me, when she's supposed to eat it." So...kinda like birds, but it's no less gross really.

Ew.

[pipers_son]

Oh. Wow. Hm. That sure does make for a pretty unpleasant mental image, and Joker pauses as he tries to figure out how to react to that. It's not really something that they should encourage, right...?

"Have ya told Ginko she's been doin' that?"

[soft_focus]

"Ginko's trying to train her not to," is the reply. So, apparently it's a work in progress. At least it shows T-Rex cares??

[pipers_son]

"Well, that's good ta hear, then." Godspeed, Ginko. He'll be rooting for you. Still, pausing to make sure he's not going to get lost, Joker glances down at her from the corner of his eye. "How's he been doin' lately with the animals?"

[soft_focus]

Ginko will have his work cut out for him-

Or he would, if the animals weren't all going to the Summerlands. As it is. "Umn, he's doing ok! I'm helping, and Jasper's also helping...so he has a lot more help I think."

[pipers_son]

Funny how the timing all works out! And maybe if they all survive this whole ridiculous venture that they're going on, the animals will have learned how to be less disastrous. Maybe. But probably not.

In which case this could almost be a temporary vacation if not for the life-and-death bits, but, it's fine.

Blissfully unaware of the ridiculous future that awaits them, at least on the details, Joker gives a small, fond smile. "Good. He's overworked himself almost the entire time I've known him, so I'm glad he has someone like that strong lady there ta pick up the slack."

[soft_focus]

The T-Rex is absolutely going to continue obsessively mothering, Sadly.

But hey, whatever works in the interim.

"...I guess," is what she says about the 'strong lady'. "...She'll listen if Ginko says she has to do something, at least..." Bit of a failing point there but Jasper IS definitely a hard worker and she can't deny that. "...she still said not to talk though," she grumbles, apparently quite sore about that.

[pipers_son]

Oh boy, other department drama. Joker's ears flick up. He knows Jasper isn't exactly a "good person", although they haven't interacted a whole lot, but to make Reira be annoyed about it...

"Not ta talk in general, or just while yer working'?"

[soft_focus]

"I don't know. I just told her how I know what the animals want, and then she said 'don't talk to me ever'! So if I want her to do something, I'll just have to write it down."

That.

That isn't how it works,

[pipers_son]

Oh, sweet child. Joker looks away, his hand curled up over his mouth. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite cover up his wide grin. Very few things can, alas.

"I. Ha, I don't think that's what she meant."

[soft_focus]

"We have to work together," is her response.

She turns to Joker with an entirely straight, and serious face. "...So it is now."

[pipers_son]

"Oh, without a doubt," Joker agrees, not even trying to hide his grin now. Sometimes, it's just not worth the effort when something is this funny. "But I think that she won't really go along with it that easily, whether yer speakin' or writin'. People are stubborn like that."

[soft_focus]

"She still has to deal with it, especially if Ginko has to tell her to listen though." As far as Reira is concerned, Ginko is boss.

So if Jasper doesn't deal, then Ginko has to scold her. It's that simple!!

(It's quite the image, in any case.)

[pipers_son]

That is the most hilarious mental image, and Joker is going to take the time to enjoy it, thank you.

"So has he done that yet?" he asks, once he's got it nice and memorized.

[soft_focus]

....

She frowns.

"...I don't know, he only lets me work with small things, and Tyrannosaurus."

In other words, she hasn't actually had to ask Jasper for...Anything.

Which in turn means she's been just fine at the job she's been given.

[pipers_son]

Alas, so nothing yet... Which means he just has to make the opportunity himself. So with that thought already in his head and set on its path, Joker raises one finger with a wide grin.

"What would ya like in return for gettin' a picture of him doin' that? Bossin' Jasper around?"

[soft_focus]

What-

"....You want a picture of Ginko telling her what to do?"

That seems a mighty odd request, so she doesn't even think about 'rewards' honestly.

[pipers_son]

"Mostly I want a picture of his face while he's trying to do it."

Joker is positive that his imagination can't even conjure up how potentially hilarious it could be. Ginko has been around about as long as he is, and yet there's a reason he's not a supervisor.

[soft_focus]

Reira pauses a moment to try and ponder why that would be something remotely interesting to take a photo of in the first place. After a while she gives up. "....Isn't she supposed to listen if he says something? ...Since he's worked with all the animals more? ....Why would he make a face?"

[pipers_son]

"Well, for starters, that's not necessarily true... Some people can be stubborn even in the face of good ol' common sense." Jasper will probably listen to him on seniority, since Joker doesn't think she's the type to do otherwise, but, hey. He feels like it bears mentioning. People can be very strange.

"And he might make a face because Ginko ain't much for bein' a leader type.... or people bein' dumb." So anything could happen, is what he's saying. "And Jasper tellin' ya not ta talk ta her is probably a wee bit dumb, dependin' on how she explains it."

[soft_focus]

"Hmnnn..." Reira seems to think along similar lines about the parts that Joker isn't saying out loud. Jasper is Jasper- she's pretty sure Jasper will listen. "...Some people aren't 'Jasper', so..."

So there. The rest seems to be greek to her, however. "...I already knew it was dumb." No holds barred on that one. "....I still don't think it'll be a weird face, but ok..." If the chance comes, then the chance comes she supposes.

[pipers_son]

"Ha, right enough. Everyone is just themself~." Whether they like it or not. "Anyway, there's only one way ta see what kind of face he makes, so I guess we'll just wait and see. In the meanwhile..."

Pushing aside another branch, he grins a bit and points with his other hand. (And it's still sure a thing to be able to do that.) "I think that's the lights of the camp up ahead! So we outta be just fine now, don't ya think?"

[soft_focus]

"Um!! I think so!" she exclaims, trotting ahead. Her daemon, ever silent, follows calmly along. "I can probably get to my tent too...or maybe practice things..."

Really, whatever she does next will be a mystery. So she simply looks to Joker and nods. "...Thank you for helping with the birds," she tells him.