lostcarnival | ⇨ EDEN

Entry tags:

⇨ EDEN

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 79 - Day 85
Where: Eden
What: Everyone arrives in Eden with their new animals forms - unfortunately, the welcoming party is a bit more intense than expected, with a ritual called 'The Anointment.' Better get this place figured out before anything gets any crazier.
Warnings: Hopefully no ritual sacrifice!

FLAME OF INSPIRATION↴

So it begins. After everyone has been given their new animal form and have had about an hour to readjust to it, the Ringmaster begins the infiltration. You don't see a lot of the specifics of the magic - all you know is that Pru's sword, the Hand of God, is somehow involved. It alone can tear through the wardings of Eden's realm, and once that entrance is made, the teleportation is instant. Everyone will find themselves in an open grassland overlooking a dense forest, with buildings and lights poking up out of the leaves. Behind you, there is a darker place - the barrens, the Ringmaster has explained. It's were the Outcasts are sent after they're banished.

You are scattered across the area as if you've been dropped in with nothing. You've been given specific instructions - act as if you have no memory besides the vague life of being an animal. None of you know each other. You don't know how you got here, you've just been suddenly found yourself enlightened. Hopefully feigning ignorance will be what the residents are expecting, as what information the Ringmaster could find suggests it should be.

Before the beasts of Eden come to claim you, you'll see the Ringmaster once last time, in the form of a giant serpent. With a nod of her head, she slithers away towards the barrens - she'll be in touch.

► THE WELCOMING: It's not long until you're discovered. The first to find you is a pigeon, who seems rather surprised. She'll ask the first few new arrivals she sees a couple questions - 'did you just get here?' 'did you meet the great Lilith?' Regardless of your answers, she'll hurriedly say she's going to go get help, and will fly away back into the forest. A short while later, an entire welcoming party of different animals will have come to greet you, sweeping out to find every straggler and explaining that you are the newest of the chosen. After they are sure that nobody is being left behind, they will invite you into Eden.

► THE GARDEN: Eden is a beautiful place. Every street, every structure, is surrounded by flowers and vibrant plant life - every bit as idyllic as its mythos would imply. The architecture is ambitious and creative, as if the residents have been perfecting the art for thousands of years, which they almost certainly have. There is the sweet smell of perfumes and incense on the other animals are you are led into the city. This is your home now, the locals will explain. You have been chosen by the Creator to serve Her cause. You will become one of the Honorable, one of Her artisans working towards the Divine Clarity. But first, of course, you must be sanctified.

► THE ANOINTMENT: On that first night, everyone is brought to a vast cathedral, covered in unknowable writings in a shining script. You are brought in through several gorgeous hallways lit with shining crystals and blue flame torches, only to emerge in a great hall built around a circular, sparkling pool of water. There are several braziers around its circumference blazing with fire, with sets of tools hanging out of them, like iron pokers. All of the new arrivals are gathered into the grand hall, and scriptures are read in the background that you can't really make out the specifics of.

You will all be made to stand around the outside of the pool, and the local animals will gently explain to you what needs to be done. To become a new Honorable, you must be Anointed with the Flame of Inspiration - that is, they are going to brand you with the metal pokers they have heating up. If you go along with it, they will burn the mark into a highly visible part of your person (they have smaller brands for smaller animals), and then cool it off in the pool of water, where you are encouraged to bask until you are comfortable again.

There are obviously a couple concerns with this. The biggest one is that it's sketchy as hell. The second one is that the brand is definitely made of medium grade iron. While the painful difference it makes won't be super obvious from the outside, long-term veterans and those with superlative fae qualities will find it very uncomfortable, and it will blister for a fair while afterward, which is seen as unusual. If your character refuses, or tries to get around it somehow, please explain in reply to the post down below.

► THE DAYS AFTER: After everyone is branded (or isn't, as the case may be), you'll be given the opportunity to dry off and head back into town. All of the fancy structures here are communal, they will explain, and you can choose wherever you'd like to sleep. There are a few buildings that are mostly empty that newbies seem welcome to hole up in, though the locals assure everyone they will be nearby in case they need help.

In the days that follow, everyone will be welcome to explore Eden and find their bearings, and begin to discover what gifts the Anointment has bestowed on them. Whether or not you were good at a creative pursuit before, you will find yourself filled with inspiration for something - any artistic talent will do. It's like a creative talent will have been born in you overnight, or like an existing talent of yours has been boosted to near perfection. This effect will last as long as the characters are in Eden unless you are told otherwise.

You won't feel the need to eat, but there is breakfast available, if you'd like it. The locals are very courteous, though they seem a bit confused. Something about your entry seems to strike them as different than usual.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[EVENING 79 | THE FIRES OF INSPIRATION]

The Honorable who handles her branding is gentle. Initially they fuss a bit over just where to brand. It's clear to them that the new Honorable about to be granted the 'Fires of Inspriation' is young at heart, younger than typical, and that sort of thing never goes well with pain. She's watched many of the others receive their marks- through grit teeth, through screams, through cries, all of it the stuff of bad dreams and small nightmares certainly.

But Reira hobbles- her wings more like crutches, her legs not wanting to move any proper direction- straight for the pool, right for the spot in front of the Honorable, and gets ready. It's clear to them that the brand can't go on the wings- they fold up too greatly while on the ground, and no one would ever see. Perhaps the ears, but that would be especially small and-

And politely the Honorable decides to ask just where would be alright from a small list of choices, perhaps taking in a deep and long breath when the answer is 'back'.

The brand is applied, and Reira doesn't even flinch. It isn't until the iron is removed, and the girl is looking back to the Honorable to look them over- spotting a similar mark upon themselves, much to their relief- that she even allows herself to sniffle, asking about where they go now, and if it always hurt.

Anyone watching is probably wondering if the Honorable is going to just melt or disolve into little tears, the way they gently handle the tiny bat and console them before helping them into the pool to recover.

'We'll help you out once you're cooled down, so that you can find your way to the communal homes, alright?' they assure her, and for the time being Reira is to simply cling to the edge of the pool with her odd thumbs while her back soaks.

It's hard for her to see, from here. She peeks out and about at everyone else, speaking only when someone is near.

"...mnh...a..." It's hard to ask things you know the answer to, but... "...are you ok..."

[LATE EVENING 79 | In the Communal Dwellings]

In the housing building she's at, darkness has only begun to settle in. It is unnerving, to see so much, so different, right now. She is tiny, and small, and even things the size of cats are enormous in her eyes- let alone such beings as wolves, or bears, and beyond.

But Reira sniffs, and fumbles in the darkness, nested in some fabrics and things and peering about the area with wide eyes. "H'llo..?" She doesn't 'know' anyone here. Not technically, and perhaps even not really- she doesn't know who else went into this building after all, and she can't see.

But she swears her voice returns to her, practically painting a picture of what is where in the room. "..Who's there..?" she manages eventually, her squeaking still ringing in her ears.

[DAY 80 | Learning to Bat]

In the morning, breakfast is a welcome distraction. Indeed, food doesn't seem to be a huge deal here- she's not hungry, not at all- but the taste is a good distraction, and her teeth shear into a grape almost as large as her head with ease.

Unfortunately she cannot walk and eat, so she's long since finished the fruit by the time she makes her way outward.

Walking is a pain. Eventually it looks a bit like someone trying to hop with crutches- arms forward, propelling the rest of her along, her legs barely moving while on and off the ground. But walking can't be the only thing she does. She knows it can't be, and yet for all that she's sure the others have some vauge idea of how to be animals, she doesn't know how to fly AT ALL.

If she'd given that more thought, it'd make sense. She's far too young to be doing anything other than clinging to a mother bat if in the wild. But this isn't the wild, and the late morning of Day 80 Reira can be seen slowly trying to climb up some taller-than-she surface in some vain attempt to try and launch off to learn flight.

"Mngh...nghh... U-umn..!" With trouble, comes asking for help. "Um...can you get me up to the next branch..?" Reira calls out, her voice just as squeaky as one would expect of her size.

[DAY 81 | Names & Art]

"Phannnnu...Phaaaanu...Phhhhhanu..." Reira repeats her new name a few times to try and get it to sound right on her tongue, hopping each step of the way in the same manner she has for the last little bit with her wings. It's a more extreme hop this time however- as she cannot simply vault and swing her legs forward, what with them clutching a few scrap materials tightly with her feet.

Reira moves with dedication- perhaps even mild obsession? It would be rather early to call it that, but she's gathering for herself a significant pile of 'junk', beside which she's gotten some kindly Honorable to leave a card that reads: 'Phanu's Materials'.

If that is to be her name, she must grow as used to it as she has Reira. And surely, that can't be hard. As it is, she adds her scrap to the pile, before slowly disecting the junk to try and stack it in various ways. Even with how miniscule each part is, it appears the task is quite difficult. Two inches doesn't lend much to creating eye-catching pieces, and she needs to make up for that as best she can.

Somehow.

So whether it's the humming mutterings of her own 'name', or even the curious...state of her pile, a pile whose shadow she keeps glancing at, don't mind her, please.

Or maybe do, and ask how long she's been out here.

[WILDCARD | Got another idea? Hit me up with whatever you got!]

Herbert isn't really clear at which point they're supposed to know their names. Potentially he should already know his, have been born knowing. He has no clue. They were sent in with aggravatingly little information.

Thankfully, he is new here, and they don't know him, which means it doesn't seem immediately out of character when Herbert stops by the bat he's aware is Reira, asking for help.

"What are you trying to do?"

It likely isn't now. It likely won't be for a while.

(A whole few hours!!)

But fortunately they can hold a conversation without names, and they'll all be fine and dandy. Unfortunately, it does not help Reira now, and she awkwardly swivels her head around until she sees the cat. "I'm going to get up higher," she explains determinedly, a shakey wing-claw moving upward again. "I have to learn to fly, it's important..! Bats are supposed to fly!" If this were any proper Honorable receiving this explanation, it would no doubt be considered 'adorable', at this point.

"Yeees, this can't be convenient--you weren't, born? Knowing?" He sounds very stilted and confused, unsure of how to talk about it. His tail has gone all twitchy with anxiety, his ears tilted slightly back.

"I don't think so," she decides, still wobbling up the tree. "I don't think I was um... ...I don't think I was supposed to fly before," she decides, trying to avoid outright saying she's Pretty Sure she's a BABY animal right now.

Baby animals don't DO stuff, normally. But unfortunately she has a feeling that doesn't really make sense as a 'known statement' on her end, and who knows how many Honorables are going to overhear them.

Many, many animals, hear better than they after all. "Mnh...but...since I have to now, I'm just going to try falling and moving my wings. That's how flying works, I think."

~~it's really not~~

"Well, I don't know anything about bats," Herbert says, almost truthfully, "but there must be. Pillows or other such things you could be practising over." Herbert's only about 30 cm tall so he's not particularly helpful as far as boosting goes, but he is here to try and stop Reira from dying! Doctor stuff, probably.

REIRA AKABA | OTA

lern 2 bat

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Communal dwellings

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Day 80

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day 80

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I watched a vid of this process actually it was rlly neat...

day 81

I just noticed that gif-bird is holding something in their beak....cute...

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LATE EVENING 79

his cover, saved by being an asshole,

Re: his cover, saved by being an asshole,

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