lostcarnival | ⇨ CAMPING GROUNDS

1 - day 64

Camping. This isn't the worst or the best thing in the world, and Shura's stayed in worse conditions. Still, this isn't Shura's idea of relaxing. Maybe if there was a hot spring or something here, she could really kick back and enjoy herself, but this place is boring.

So it means once she's done with patrol, she's finding herself a nice tree to climb up, laying out on a sturdy branch, and cracking open one of the beers she brought with her. If she's going to be stuck in nature, she's going to enjoy it the best way she knows how.

Unfortunately, she only thought to bring two cans of beer up the tree with her, and she finished them off pretty quick. Anyone walking by might see her peering forlornly into an empty can and letting out a mournful sigh. Getting more beer meant getting down from the tree, and she's finally comfortable. Ugghh.

2 - any night

Shura's dreams aren't always pleasant, but this time seems decent enough, if a little mundane. Anyone who walks into her dream that night will find themselves with Shura in the produce section of a little Japanese supermarket. There's something specific Shura seems to be looking for as she rifles through the produce, picking up a bundle of indeterminable greenery before setting it down.

"Nah, that ain't right..."

3 - day 68

Camping wasn't the worst. Except for the part where it really is and she's out of alcohol to help her cope.

Desparate for anything to do, Shura finally finds herself pulling out something she threw in her bag on accident--the copy of Space Dream Phone she was given at the Space Olympics after her terrible run at the obstacle course. She mostly has it set up at one of the tables, and she's actually even reading the directions on how to play, carefully trying to sound out the names and grumbling to herself.

"I can't even say this one--Yebb? Eybb? What the heck..."

It's Ybb, but feel free to correct her.

Strange hasn't actually died before. So this entire experience is new and interesting in ways he could never imagine. He's aware of his body first as it starts to regrow and become less disgusting. The mind comes next as Strange becomes more aware of the sensations outside of his comfy enclosure and becomes more aware of himself as a whole. However, Strange's thoughts are still a little bit hazy when he realizes he's got memories and dreams and also realizes there's one very important thing missing.

Arabella isn't here. This sucks, he can't see Arabella if he's stuck like this! He can't see anything if he's stuck like this! With that one thought, Strange has officially decided that the egg is dumb and that he feels enough like himself to try and get out.

He can't move that much, this is getting a bit stuffy, and for someone who's normally as animated and all over the place as Strange is, that's not ideal. Wherever he is, it kind of sucks and he'd like to get out. So, he flexes his body, stretching and trying to move, until his elbow hits something solid. He's still faintly aware of the idea that he's stuck in an egg to begin with, but this is keeping him from being where he wants to be and Captain Impulse Decisions is going to straight up break it.

The egg, which already was weirdly warm to begin with, grows hotter to the touch. At the same time, there's a crack as Strange's elbow smacks into the side of the shell, breaking away a section. It's currently sitting outside of Papyrus's tent so anybody getting breakfast, getting their day started, and so on, can see the egg start to hatch.

a. small, fluffy, and probably edible [cw: dead animals up in here]

As far as campsites go, you'd better believe Childermass picked a flat space of dirt as feasibly far away from everyone else as possible. It's still technically a part of the main campsite with everyone else, of course, but only barely. As such, being far enough away from the center means having a campfire to themselves (yes, themselves, as it would seem he and Lambert are sharing a tent for some reason or another). It also means close enough to the edge of the wilderness for he and Baker to go practice a very unique kind of... uh, fetch.

That fetch happens to be fetching jackalopes and they've returned with at least two of them. Now, Baker, a big fluffy Arcanine with cream-colored feathers poking out of his mane, lounges nearby, watching with obvious interest, tongue lolling happily out of his mouth. What is he watching?

Childermass is similarly seated out in front of their tent, at work skinning the first jackalope, of course. Why else would he be doing with a massive, super-fast dog out there? Admittedly, it has been awhile since he's done this kind of thing, but he's getting minimal amounts of blood and gore on his feathers as he works on that, very much out in the open.

They look like rabbits, so that makes them decent enough eating, right? Right? Well, he supposes they'll find out soon enough.

b. mothmen, lake monsters, and... giant... crow things?

Another perk of being out in an alien wilderness like this is there's no one to protest over Childermass getting some practice in with his massive, fairly monstrous crow form. The damn thing is about the size of horse and could easily be mistaken as a griffin of some sort, although the kind with clawed wingtips to walk on rather than forelegs and no real sign of cat legs, just more wicked talons.

One would have to wander farther off to come across him like this, though, seeing how only a handful know he has this spell up his sleeve and he is, as ever, a private man. Easy enough to think such a beast is one of the world's own creatures and simple enough to spot him overhead wherever the forest clears, a great black-feathered shadow winging his way through the sky, inevitably changing direction and landing nearby whoever might be keeping an eye on him with a loud thud of mass settling on rock or dirt.

Be prepared to be eyed up and down by this thing. With the serrated beak and sharp claws he has, well, it really doesn't lend a friendly look, now does it?

c. dreaming of a beach, not a forest [dreamshare]

As far as dreams go, Childermass doesn't really have a lot of good ones. At best, they're as quiet and stoic as he is, but in this particular one, that's far from the case. It has color, it's warm, it's a lot of things he sure isn't.

The dream is of a beach overlooking a brilliantly blue ocean. There's a breeze, it's warm and sunny, palm trees, and Childermass with a beach chair, a big ol' umbrella overhead, the whole deal for just chilling out somewhere like this. Yes, that is a purple with white flowers Hawaiian shirt -- or, in this case, Alolan shirt. Yes, sunglasses, too.

He isn't even alone. While there are probably other animals around, you'll chiefly find Growlithes chasing around the beach while he watches, drink of unknown origins (very likely alcoholic) in hand.

d. wildcard?

For other ideas and dream prompts, etc.

Edited 2018-06-10 23:53 (UTC)

[a: scholar gonna scholar | any day]

On most days during the camping trip, Rita can be found sitting on a tree stump with a notebook on her lap and a pen in her hand. Said hand is in near-constant motion as she writes down notes.

A few small stacks of paper sit on the grass around her, each held down under a stone that was apparently placed there to prevent them from being blown away should the wind pick up. A glance over the exposed pages may be enough to gather the general topics of the notes: one focuses on the Silver Mirror and all related intel, one on the various fae the Carnival has encountered, and the last delves into theories about the Source and the nature of the multiverse itself.

Rita doesn't seem to notice your character approach, as she's apparently too focused on her writing.

[b: even in dreams, scholar gonna scholar | d66-d67]

As your character dreams, they may find themselves walking through a wooden door and entering a round house, with one section of wall made up of the thick rock of a cave wall, while much of the rest of the walls stand lined with towering bookshelves reminiscent of those of the Athenaeum. Scattered over the floor are books, apparently too numerous to fit on those already-full shelves, and a number of strange-looking devices, each with a jewel set in them. Rita sits on the floor with a book in her lap while Francis, her Litten, lies curled up next to her.

What looks like an enormous crystal pillar stretches from below the floor, up through the ceiling. At your character's arrival, it emits a soft glow as it speaks in a gentle, feminine voice. "Look, Rita! We have a guest."

"Maybe they should learn to read," Rita mutters without looking up.

The guest in question might notice the words 'keep out' written on the door they just entered through, though they definitely didn't see it until now. Was it even there before?

[c: wildcard!]

Feel free to encounter Rita around the grounds! For the duration of the trip, she'll usually be wearing an Alolan tank top and shorts and will be sharing a tent with 9S, which she's not being particularly subtle about. In addition to studying, she may be found jogging along a path in the woods or practicing her magic (mostly of the fiery sort). Go ahead and reply with a unique scene or message me to plot one together!

A: By the campfire

There's hardly a moment where Hinawa isn't cooking. She's up at dawn making breakfast, then she hardly sits down for the rest of the day to keep everyone full and happy. They were able to bring plenty of stock from the kitchen, but she supplements with mushrooms, berries, and roots gathered from the nearby forest. There's a smorgasbord of stuff available throughout the trip, and of course, she's willing to make something special if you ask.

Hinawa is also trying out the rack of spices the Ringmaster gifted her, and if you stop by she might hand you a small plate of something. "Here- try this!"

She doesn't actually know what most of the spices do. Hopefully you get one of the better ones.

B: ~~Don't~~ feed the wildlife

Over the course of the camping trip, some of the local fauna might wander close to the food stations. At first it's just a few jackalopes that seem braver than normal, then some nightcrawlers start hanging around. One evening, you might spot a bigfoot skulking at the edge of the woods, waiting patiently as Hinawa brings over some leftover cooked fish.

...Apparently no one ever told her not to feed the animals.

C: Checking in

And when she's not cooking, Hinawa, tailed by Sunny, is stopping at tents and hammocks to make sure no one is hiding. Because if there's one thing she's learned while being here, it's that everyone needs someone to check up on them once in a while, especially after a traumatic trip like the Athenaeum.

"Knock-knock! Have you eaten? Can I get you anything?"

D: Wildcard

[ANYTHING ELSE. If she's not cooking she's probably doing laundry by the waterfall or picking berries.]

A: DESPAIR

"T-three hours for what?" Alphys groggily pokes her head out of her trailer just in time to hear the tail end of the Ringmaster's announcement. She had slept in, because of course she did. Being in between worlds meant she had some time to stay up late and catch up on the series she's been watching.

She rubs her eyes and puts her glasses on, and after her vision focuses for a few seconds she finally sees what that blurry pile of stuff in the middle of everything.

Wait.

Tents. Canteens. Hammocks. Oh no.

"...We're going...camping!?"

B: MISERY

THIS IS THE WORST THING EVER. It's muddy. It's humid. There's bugs everywhere. And Alphys can't for the life of her figure out how this stupid tent works!

She wrestles with it for about 20 minutes before tossing it on the ground in a help, then plopping down next to it with an exasperated SIIIIIGGGGGHHHHH. She just wants to roll out a sleeping bag and sleep through this entire horrible trip, but she's not about to do that without a tent to hide in.

And worst of all, there's no electricity out here! She doesn't want to run her laptop too long and kill the battery, so she can't even finish watching the last DVD in the series she was binging. This, truly, is torture.

C: ANGUI- Actually this part's not so bad (Mushi dreams)

Once she finally has a tent, Alphys bunks down with the intent of sleeping the trip away, because what else is there to do? ~~Enjoy nature, fish, socialize, help with medical stuff...~~ She's incredibly grumpy when she finally lays down and fortunately it doesn't take long for her to drift off.

Alphys is often plagued by nightmares, but this time she finds herself in a dreamlike facsimile of Wismuth. She's standing on top of a skyscraper, transformed into a Star Guardian again. Oh, right, it's time for the nightly patrol! Summoning her staff, Alphys flies into the starlit sky, looking down at the city below in search of any evildoers who need to be punished.

If anyone's wandered into her subconscious, they might very well be those evildoers, so watch out. "Stop right there! I am Mew Mew Kissy Alphie-chan, and I'll punish you~!"

D: WILDCARD

[Come bother the grumpy gus]

[Breakfast | Morning]

Anyone that knew Tyki Mikk well enough could say that he enjoyed sleeping in and lounging about whenever the mood and time presented itself. It's why it might be somewhat of a shock to note that Tyki often rose before the sun on performance week and worked hard throughout it. In a place like this without either of those factors present, he was free to get up whenever he chose to, late or early. The air was just so nice, refreshing and coarse in the morning just as much as it was in the evening, and he found himself rising a little earlier than expected for a pampered and spoiled noble.

Thanks to Rin's diligent lessons on cooking a decent breakfast, again influenced by being up at the crack of dawn with the cookhouse not open yet during performance week, Tyki had strove to at least pay attention to the basics and was in the mood to test out his progression. The luring smell of eggs and potatoes, seasoned with light salt and pepper instead of watery mush for once, might tantalize the nose of any passing stranger. He actually has an easier time at cooking over an open fire compared to a stove. He also hates how good he's gotten at peeling potatoes. It almost seems strange how neatly the campfire is placed, how controlled the fire is burning, or how evenly how everything is cooking. He's had years of practice after all of cooking outside in his hobo, his separate White Life, state with his travelling band of three friends. Of course, that's hard to see with the way he always plays the role of Lord Tyki Mikk.

So, whether it is the scent, the strange sight, or Tyki's cheerful grin etched on his face, there will be logs placed in a way that seems inviting. He'll even wave others over to come sample the breakfast, to fill the belly with food and the mind with conversation, "Come, come. Let me fix you a plate and give me your honest opinion!" It's not 5-star culinary degree but it is pretty good at this point. Also, there is coffee heated against the hot fire.

[Fishing/Swimming | All Day]

Apples were Tyki's favorite food besides fish. It's why after breakfast he'll make his way down to the water where he's set up his boat and two fishing poles. If there is something bigger lurking in the water, he doesn't seem all that bothered by it. Right now he wanted to relax with the ease of fishing. Other times, he'll dive right into the water for a bit of swim or a challenge of hand catching fish for a small workout. Unlike most in Victorian times, Tyki isn't wearing a shirt while in the water but his looser and more casual pants are rolled up to his knees. He hasn't really adapted to the swim trunks of the modern world just yet.

Without his performance water tank, he'll sometimes dip below the water for a long time. His Power to Choose helped in avoiding the water for a short time but occasionally he'll allow it to touch him, holding his breath for as long as he can in training for the more believable experience. It's refreshing and inviting.

Whether one catches him before he heads out into the water, as he's swimming or fishing, or catching him emerging from the water, he certainly doesn't mind the company.

[Stargazing | Evening]

All is peaceful at night, or as much as can be had with the carnival involved or the creatures lurking in the shadows. Before bed he'll clear the ground of rocks and obstacles and lay out a rather large blanket to comfortably lay on. It's times like this, when the world is quiet and company is scarce, when he actually misses his family. He often traveled alone when on a mission or an errand for his family.

There are snacks laid out, from ramen to chips, bagged popcorn, and other small junk food items from Wismuth. Jackalope jerky has also been smoking all day in the set up a little bit north from basic wood, long poles, and a tarp to smoke.

"I could get use to this," is the only thing he'll really say on occasion and mostly because he doesn't want to actually get use to it.

[Wildcard]

Want something else or have another prompt in mind? Come talk to me or hit me up on plurk or discord. Tyki can be found all around from lurking as himself or a cat, to dropping off dead fish to certain people, to taking Butcher for a ride, or generally taking a nap anywhere. I'm open as usual to just about anything!

[Day 67 | Returning]

Syrlya's disappearance from the carnival is fairly short from everyone else's perspective, though there's only one person he actually notified about leaving in the first place. He simply didn't appear at the camp site with the others until a few days later. Of course, a few days at the carnival was more like a few weeks for Syrlya, and he's more than a little disoriented when he finds himself among the tents in some strange forest and not in Tyria or the carnival proper.

He's a little evasive his first day back, bewildered, but he won't actually try to dodge anyone who comes up to him.

[Day 68+ | One with Nature]

Of course, leaving for a trip home right when the carnival was going to get locked out of the Ringmaster's realm means he doesn't have any actual camping equipment.

Which is fine! There's something comforting about the large foliage and soft glow of the forest, that reminds him much of the parts of home that don't leave him weary and traumatized. Rather than attempt to worm his way into any tents, Syrlya is instead often found moderately high in trees--a sturdy branch makes a good enough rest while he peels fruit from the trees and drops their cores carelessly to the ground below (try not to get hit). The trees he finds himself around seem especially plentiful, entirely because he encourages them to bare a little more fruit. Talking to plants has its perks.

[Wildcard]

For all miscellaneous dreams and camp adventures. A) other carnival members can find their way into his dreams, or he may walk into theirs. B) Syrlya will openly offer assistance to any carnival members who seem to be struggling to navigate the actual forest, aware that not everyone is used to roughing it in the wilderness.

Edited 2018-06-12 03:26 (UTC)

[All Trip | Camptime Funtime]

Camping's not a completely foreign experience for Yuya, and he can appreciate a short time (short time) away from all modern amenities for the sake of appreciating good ol' mother nature. He'll just have to be careful of his battery life.

He's restless during their first arrival, and once he and Gongenzaka establish their own tent he wanders around the rest to offer anyone help who needs it.

The consequences of their last stop are a bit of a cloud hanging over, but as the days go on Yuya determines to make this a time to actually relax and find the good things in the carnival (and in the struggle). Throughout the week he'll invite anyone to: roasting smores on a fire, telling ghost stories, or any stories, or exploring parts of the nearby forest and ogling the animals. He also has the mind to actually grab his swimsuit before they're kicked out, and makes trips to the lake for swimming around.

[Day 66+ | In a Dream]

In a way, the Mushi are almost a relief to Yuya who struggles to sleep when he's miserable and stressed. It's some of the best rest he's had since the attacks in the Athenaeum, even when he hops from dream or dream. He's not terribly aware he's doing it, but it's happening, and he's likely to end up in anyone's head.

Or maybe it's his own dreams inviting company. To anyone wandering in, Yuya's dreams are often bright, colorful, vibrant in a way that's very reminiscent of Wismuth. A lot of it is the gently encouragement of the Mushi, but it's also simply an idealized interpretation of his experiences. Some dreams set themselves in a coastal city in modern Japan, full of sky scrapers and beach and that duel monsters game he likes to play. Others, however, are in situations very much made up and cobbled together from stories and memories.

[Day 68 | Closed to Gon and Yugo]

Everyone remembered to bring their duel disks before departing, and with Yuya in better spirits he and Yugo makes a valiant attempt at triggering the same mental synchronization as what occurred in the Friendship Cup. Far enough from the carnival to have place to use solid vision, Yuya sits to the side with Odd Eyes and watches Yugo and Gongenzaka duel, and duel... and duel... concentrating on his counterpart in some attempt to force them together. Often he looks down at Odd Eyes, expectantly waiting for the card to shine.

It doesn't. Eventually, he lets out an aggravated grumble and drops his head on his hand, slumping over. "Nothing's happening. Maybe that really was all Zarc..."

[Wildcard]

Yuya will be in a largely sulkly mood until day 67, when he'll start perking up. Anyone entering Yuya's dreams will get a unique story a la the Athenaeum, but feel free to say what kind you'd prefer!

Camp Prep
The Ringmaster, although intelligent in other respects, has an incredibly awful concept of what counts as a vacation. Herbert, thankfully, has enough time to bring over everything he needs (medical supplies, clothing, the Noctus in its tank) but ends up placing them beside the large bag of the general tent he's been provided and digging through it with growing misery.

There are instructions included, yes, but they involve a great deal of heavy sheets, and poles, and dragging things around and laying things out and Herbert ends up aggravatedly struggling to jam some stakes into the ground before getting stuck fussing with the layout of the main tent, dragging it around over the footprint of the tent. It's hateful, and he's looking more and more wide-eyed and stressed as he goes, and the longer he's out here the more the insects are bothering him and he doesn't understand why anyone would ever enjoy this nonsense.

Herbert is a bad Canadian, probably.

The Med Tent?
Once it's finally set up, Herbert has a fairly minimalistic medical tent, but an absurdly large tent for one man. One half of the inner sleeping tent has an air mattress in it for himself and is therefore zipped closed, with the other half containing two cots and left open. There's a table folded open, with the Noctus and a pared down chemistry set, a few chairs, and other varied supplies stored as neatly as possible. There's an additional cot in the main area to serve as a sort of examination table, just in case.

Herbert is generally in the tent, with the fly netting always as zipped closed as possible to allow airflow, and prevent him from being bitten further. He's often sitting in a fabric folding chair, wings unfolded and slumped to either side of him, reading a book. At night, there are lanterns hanging from the roof of the tent he switches on until even he feels the need to sleep, at which point he shuts nearly all of the opaque curtains and doors save one of the doors, which he leaves somewhat accessible in case of emergency.

Moulting
It doesn't take too much travel to accidentally find Herbert in the forest. He's only a little bit away from the campsite, standing in front of a tree with blood streaked up the trunk of it not too far up. Herbert is contorting slightly, not particularly flexible but trying to reach his own wing. His feathers, such as they are, are various shades of grey but the blood is fairly dark and visible on them. For anyone in any way familiar with birds, it will be pretty immediately clear that Herbert's wings, charred by Ignatius' fire barrier, are not only bristling with pinfeathers, but additionally, Herbert has managed to snap a bloodfeather somehow.

"Damn idiot thing!" he hisses fervently, trying to lift his left arm up somehow, his left wing moving around as he reaches with his right arm to try and get at the bleeding tube located on the back of his wing. It's one of his secondaries, and thus more difficult to get his hands on: he can't just curve his wing around forward to get at it. Obviously, he's going to need some help. It seems to be a theme of this location.

Dream [cw: animal death unless you ask for me to exclude it]
In his dream, Herbert isn't in a forest, nor does he even have wings. Instead, you'll find yourself halfway down some stairs on the way down into a basement. It's fairly large, unfinished with small windows that have been covered up. There's various random storage on shelves around the room, a furnace, and a fridge--but most obvious is the large table set up in the centre.

A blue cloth has been thrown over it, and Herbert's general chemistry setup is laid out in the middle of it, along with various bottles and notebooks. Herbert himself is leaning over a microscope with a tray next to him that he hurriedly reaches and pulls a cloth over as soon as he hears the creak of someone's approach on the stairs.

"Dan," he says, conversationally, looking back at his microscope and absolutely not turning around, "I have a new theory you'll be glad to hear--I've solved our previous issue."

Exploration | All trip

While others might be having trouble adjusting to wiling away spare hours with nothing but green surrounding them, this little respite is almost as good as the Summerlands for Tanyuu. The cool shade under the trees and the fresh scent of growing things is a welcome change from darkened halls filled with living words.\

(Not that she had disliked the Anatheum, but...)

She spends little time lingering around the campsite, instead taking long and winding treks through the woods. Bigfeet and Mothmen tail her curiously, but other than a few amused glances she pays them little mind. Instead her focus lays on the other sort of life here; stooping beside a paticularly colorful flowering bush, Tanyuu reaches out to inspect the iridescent leaves with one delicate claw. Haruki almost immediatley dives into the plant with happy squeaks and chirps, and Tanyuu laughs at his playful antics.

"Seems these are in quite good health, aren't they?"

Apothecary | D67-68

The vacation doesn't last long, unfortunately. With a fresh infestation cropping up, her unique services to the carnival are once again required. It's somewhat embarassing to be missing a key component to this particular type of mushi purge, but the lack is easily remedied by some foraging--and, of course, the preparation.

In the middle of her family's small circle of tents Tanyuu has set up a drying station of sorts--a smoldering fire lets off an oddly aromatic smoke while racks of carefully harvested leaves lay soaking in the low heat. By nightfall all of these will be ground to a fine powder and added to the purge mixture and a special incense to be set burning in small braziers around the campsite. Coiled up by the fire, Tanyuu works on an already dried batch with pestle and motar, seeming serene despite the minor emergency...at least, until a fresh and glowing bloom of kaoriyoroboki forces its way out of the soil nearby. Her antennae twitch, and she levels an exasperated look at the innocent-looking mushi.

"Really now."

Dreams | D66-68

In a house in the middle of a barren field of dry grasses, a young girl sits in front of a low table. Clad in a kimono with hakama and haori, she reads from a scroll that spills across the floor, looping over itself to the point that there seems to be no end to it. he room itself is dimly lit, but around her is a soft light that seems to come from no source--just enough to read by, while still giving the feeling of quiet solitude.

When the door is slid open, she blinks and looks up curiously. The text on the paper seems to react to the presence as well, shifting and moving as if anticipating something. She smiles, and gestures to a cushion on the other side of the table from her--the invitation is clear.

"Are you here to tell your story?"

rest & recuperate, day 67
Strange still isn't at 100%. He looks well, he's not bleeding or bruised, but he's tired as hell. So, he's spending the rest of this day in the medical tent, mostly because that's where he got dragged after reviving and Strange doesn't really want to move. For a large portion of the day, he's sleeping. But occasionally, when his strength is a bit better, Strange is staring off into space, idly playing with some fire magic, or looking at the ends of his hair in a contemplative manner.

It's easy to distract him and get his attention. In fact, he'd welcome it. Any sort of noise of someone entering grabs his attention, and Strange perks up to look at them.

no rest for the wicked, day 68 onwards
Strange now knows the gist about the whole Ignatius business. And man, is he pissed about it. As if they needed any more reason for the Summer Court to hate them and call for their heads, now those idiots attacked and kidnapped a True Fae himself! Didn't any of them think before doing something stupid?

At the same time...he's oddly relieved that Ignatius is just injured and not dead. Because Strange is certain that if Lambert and Rita got the chance, they'd murder him on the spot. But the fact that he's relieved makes him more aggravated and he's just a chaotic swarm of dumb feelings that he's going to work out through magic and violence.

Strange has found a more secluded area of the forest and is going through an improvised training routine. Today's focus: earth magic. The ground rumbles, it splits, a few spikes of earth shoot up at odd angles, a pillar quickly shoots up, this is Strange messing around and magicing up the terrain in new and offense-based sorts of ways. He's sweaty, single-minded, and doesn't seem to be grasping the fact that this is partly for relaxing. The only relaxed thing about him is his outfit: Strange is wearing a loose cotton shirt and a pair of shorts that stop right above the knee. People have seen more of Strange's legs in the past week than they've seen in the past few months.

dreams a little dream, day 67-68
Strange's dreams are predictable enough. There's a large ballroom, filled with people chattering and talking amongst themselves. A ball of some kind is happening as high energy music plays in the background. All of the attire is definitely Regency and a definitely formal: this is Strange's England. And on the ballroom floor, there's a dance going. Strange and Arabella, his wife, are in the center of it, as the two dance, twirl, and move their way around the ballroom. Strange looks happy and relaxed, possibly the happiest he's been in ages. There's no interruption as they dance and Strange's eyes never leave Arabella's. It's only when the song ends and they break apart, Strange catches the eye of whatever carnival member's intruding on his dream.

"Wait your turn!" Strange laughs, as he looks over at the carnival member. And then, he leans in and starts to make out with a charmed yet taken aback Arabella. Yep, that sure is his tongue going in her mouth, have fun watching sloppy make-outs for a bit everybody.

On one hand, Peridot has been doing so much sleeping lately that it's becoming sort of ridiculous. On the other hand? It's generally a nice and relaxing activity, and she deserves a break. Besides, from her understanding of things, one of the main purposes of camping is to enjoy sleeping outdoors and being under the stars or whatever, and she's not about to deprive herself of such a vital camp experience.

Unfortunately, her dreams aren't quite as sweet and benign as her waking surroundings would hopefully encourage. She hasn't been infected with the mushi yet, and some of her lingering stress is still hounding her even as she rests. Case and point: She's back at the Beta Kindergarten, a canyon that's all red sandstone with with peculiar, vaguely human shaped holes pockmarking it's smooth, curved walls. It's broad daylight, but curiously enough, there's no heat from the sun, even though it seems to be beating down hard from above. Spindly alien looking machines cling precariously to the walls, casting shadows on the canyon floor below.

Peridot isn't out in the canyon, though. She's lurking in one particular hole which eclipses all the others here in size. She runs her hands up and down the walls, feverishly inspecting each millimeter of it while muttering under her breath, brow furrowed with concentration.

i. GOTTA GO FAST - Day 64+

Oh, StarClan has certainly blessed Tigerstar today. That library was fascinating, if not a little on the annoying side, but this! This forest may not be his,but it still feels more like home than most of the other places he's been since joining the carnival. For once, Tigerstar is a very happy cat - and, in typical very happy cat fashion, he's going to be rushing around, enjoying the wind in his fur and the scents of bracken and soil. Here's hoping he doesn't run into anybody, or make too much noise with his late-night zoomies...

ii. STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT - Day 66+

Tigerstar's dreams involve a lot of things - hunting, probably some stranger things inspired by his recent carnival experiences, and likely more than a few power trips - but perhaps most interesting are those brought on by memories of his brief brushes with his ancestors. StarClan is a legion of fallen warriors young, old, large, and small, who are responsible for guiding their living descendants and granting leaders their nine lives. And, while they may not be here, they still stick around in Tigerstar's subconscious.

Any mushi-infected carnival worker might find themselves standing beside Tigerstar as he remembers his leader naming ceremony, something that begins with a trek through a winding tunnel underground...

iii. WILDCARD

Spend some quality time with Tigerstar while he's less of an angry furry jerk! He'll be spending most of his stay outside, hunting what small animals he can get a hold of and likely sleeping in places he really shouldn't be. He won't be infected by mushi himself, but those who are may also wander into hunting or training dreams (or maybe even some murder dreams).

[A: In the Wilderness]
[Awww yiss. This is way better than the musty library. The power of the Athenaeum was amazing and intoxicating, once he figured it out, but the actual surroundings could definitely use some work. This forest, with glowing plants and trees as big as skyscrapers, was much more Zangetsu's speed.

He claims a set of camping supplies for himself and throws them over his back. Then he looks up the tree, picking out a group of branches that would work just great...

Well, not "great", but good enough!

Leaves and sticks rain down from above as Zangetsu begins constructing something of a "nest" in the giant tree. Would it be easier and more comfortable to camp on the ground? Yes. Yes it would.

But that wouldn't be any fun.]

[B: ~~Cat~~Worm Fingers]
[sometime later, under that same tree, Zangetsu can be seen sitting cross-legged, looking intently at one of his hands. Now was the first time in a long time that he could just sit and think about what Mari had told him about changing shape. He was certain it wasn't in his power to change other people, like she could, but he himself was a different story. He already had a mutable appearance. Claws or fingernails, long or short hair, masked or not, beastly or humanoid... He was a soul after all, and not as confined as beings of pure flesh.

That said, it's not the easiest thing in the world. Even growing a tail, an essential component of his fully Hollowfied form, was difficult to do without transforming completely.

It's just not something he ever had to worry about before. He form was what it needed to be, in the moment he needed it.

He flexes his hand, and black nails are replaced by black talons, and back again. That was easy enough. But he had another thought. He focuses, hard, one one finger in particular. The flesh bubbles and stretches like putty, forming into -- yes, a single tiny version of his worm mouth. He snaps its jaws with a grin. He wonders...

... Yes, after an hour or so of practicing, he has five little worm fingers, all squirming and biting and laughing in high-pitched voices. Zangetsu is delighted.]

[C: Bring Me a Dream -- Raining Cats and Dogs]
[Your dream-wandering brings you to a strange place. The ground you were walking on turns into sheets of glass and steel, and gravity seems to have flipped while you weren't looking. Indeed, this place is a city lying on its side, and standing and walking is a bit of an dizzying ordeal.

Zangetsu is here, conspicuously missing his fae-related changes and instead bearing a unique look, though the full mask isn't present -- only the two obsidian horns stick out from his head.

He lies on the skyscraper, arms and legs out and long hair spread behind him like a halo. He's holding an old, beat-up umbrella in one hand and looking toward the clouds as they grow dark]

Oh come on. Rain again? Ichigo, what the fuck.

[Thunder rolls, and Zangetsu grumpily opens the umbrella. But then, something amazing happens -- instead of the cold water he's expecting, something fluffy falls from the sky. Puppies and kittens, still covered in baby fluff and just old enough to be playful and adorable, of all breeds and colors, tumble gently onto the glass and begin running around, yippin and mewling. Zangetsu gasps and sits up, throwing the umbrella aside]

--!!!

[big scary monster sword dreams of kittens, news at 11]

[C: Bring Me a Dream -- Moonlit Desert]
[another night and a different dream to stumble into. Now that Zangetsu knows he can control these dreams, to an extent, it's time for him to go on safari. The locale? Hueco Mundo, world of Hollows. And his quarry, of course, are the ferocious Hollows that call the desert home.

Unfortunately, this makes for a rather dangerous dream for those who wander. The desert seems calm and beautiful, at first -- miles and miles of white sand and sparse crystalline trees, lit by bright moonlight, as far as the eye can see. But then, something attacks from the sand below. A giant creature with a skull-like face, a long armored body, and sharp claws explodes out of the sand and snaps its jaws.

-- If you die in the dream, do you die in real life?!]

[D: WILDCARD]
[BRING IT ON]

Dreaming

Wherever you are, it’s dark. Black bleeds in all directions, leaving little distinction between ground and air; you may feel moss or grass under your feet, but, though you may look down and see it one moment, it will surely be gone the next time you look, giving no visual sign that there’s anything around you but shadow.

The only real source of light is the river.

It stretches out below you, close enough to touch and yet too far to ever reach, glowing green-gold and illuminating the otherwise empty space that you’ve found yourself in. You see something in the distance, a circle of flickering lights, almost humanoid in their form – but they’re too far to make out clearly, and much too far to provide light the way the river does.

By all rights, it should be unsettling, to say the least; but this strange space, with its glowing river, the little particles of living light that float off its surface and disperse, only seems to give off an overwhelming sense of peace. It feels frozen in time, untouched by all else, unmoving and unchanging even as you may watch the river undulating like a living thing in front of you.

Ginko is sitting by the edge of the river, and it’s hard to tell whether his changes from the carnival are intact or not. Maybe it doesn’t matter. Either way, he lifts his head slightly from watching that flowing light, and glances over toward the person approaching, seemingly unbothered.

“Don’t get too close.”

Herb Gathering

Though completing the mushi purge to handle the current infestation is still at the top of his priority list, Ginko isn’t going to pass up the opportunity to examine the other plant life here. He’s crouched by the roots of a tree, gently scraping some faintly luminescent moss into a jar or collecting small leaves from the surrounding undergrowth.

As he hears someone approaching, though, one of his ears flicks toward them, and he glances over his shoulder with a start to check who it is. “—Ah, alright. Sorry, I got worried there that one of those ape things was going to try to grab my supplies. ...Again.”

Campfire Stories (night)

Ginko stays out for a good while after the sun sets, sitting by the little campfire outside his tent. At first, he was just taking his time eating, but even now that he’s done he doesn’t see any real reason to go inside for the night; for the moment, he’d rather just sit here for a while and enjoy the scenery.

That’s not to say he won’t welcome company, of course; in fact, anyone coming by will get a small wave and a genial, if only very slight, smile. “You still up?”

Wildcard

(( OOC: These three prompts took me long enough I should probably stop now, BUT want to watch some mothmen? Hang out by the lake? Watch Ginko try to figure out how to clean a fur-bearing trout??? I’m up for a lot of things and Ginko is very up for teaching people CAMPING STUFF, just message me here or at

omixgirl10; I’m also around on the game discord a lot. ))

Life Hacking
9S had aquired some magic from the Ringmaster recently. Magic isn't something he can natively use, but really, this was more just a way to convert his usual functions into something that can actually be used on non-mechanical beings. In a way, the magic is merely an extention of what he normally can do.

But seeing the less than thrilled response over the radios about the mind control has him thinking twice about just testing his newfound magic that would allow him to hack non-mechanical living beings. Still, he needs to test it and there's no other way to do so without using his abilities.

If you're a Nightrunner or someone who has been mind-controlled in recent memory, then 9S will be approaching with a, "Hey, do you have a moment?"

Unless your name is Strange. Then he's just trying to find the best way to sneak up on the guy.

[ooc: tl;dr this is a prompt for testing his mindhacking powers. Details here]

Wildcard
[ooc: Want to do something else? Drop me a line at

jesii! Aside from what's mentioned above, 9S will be fishing (the android way, which is mostly sitting and making his box bot fish for him) and sharing a tent with Rita and just generally poking around the campgrounds. As an android, he won't be dreaming.]

CARLY | OTA

REIRA | OTA