lostcarnival | ⇨ 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

As one of those who screamed and cried, Yuya's not sorry about being a crybaby about that. It was agonizing.

He glances around, hoping the other animals aren't listening closely. Even so, he'll steer away from even slightly suspicious topics. "I'm sure it'll be better in the morning. Eden's supposed to be an inspiring place, right?"

Fortunately Reira by now recognizes that most people don't just Not React to pain the way she has. She simply nods, and tries to get closer- probably sitting right on the other's paw. It's rather cold.

"Umn, I guess so...everyone else has the 'brand' too, and when I asked if it's supposed to hurt, the other Honorable said it'd feel better soon... ...so I hope everyone else feels better too."

"I'm sure they will." His gaze falls sideways to her. Like this, she's so small... he hopes Eden stays safe aside from the branding.

"Why don't we go look around tomorrow? And I can stay here tonight with you, if you want."

"It won't make people confused?" she whispers- as softly as she dares.

There is a pause, and she curls up a little more with a nod. "...I'd like that," Reira decides. "...everything's too big, and cold."

"Confused?" Yuya tilts his head. "Confused about what?"

They don't have to behave like animals, since all the animals seem to be people now, so he's not quite following Reira's worry.

"People aren't friends that fast. ...they were confused when people got worried about...the little lizard," she adds, pausing a moment to wonder just how to refer to Ignatius in all of this.

Lizard works, she supposes. "...We're not supposed to be close."

"Not being too friendly doesn't mean we can't be friendly at all. We've had a day to know each other now, right?" Yuya does make fast friends, anyway. Maybe not in five minutes, but a day is easy. And it's not like he isn't going to be equally affable to the actual Honorables, after all.

"We don't have to ignore each other."

"Yeah but it's still weird if you're that worried about someone you meet right away, isn't it?" Well, technically they were all 'born' yesterday or something, so not really.

But anyway. "That's different from ignoring."

"Hanging out doesn't mean I'm worried about you." Which he is, but companionship doesn't have to come from trying to comfort other people. "It's normal for feel bad for people hurting even if you don't know them, anyway. But we don't have to if you don't want..."

She just blinks. "...I thought we were talking about everyone still."

Yes that does explain why she thought it'd be weird.

"...It's ok if it's just us, I need help walking still."

So she says, as if she shouldn't simply figure out the walking part.

"... You are pretty small." He's not sure if that's anything to do with the walking problem, just being the size of a finger seems like a huge problem. Couldn't the Ringmaster have found a better animal for her?

"Youn shouldn't be on the ground that much anyway. Can't you fly?"

"Yeah, really small." They're in agreement, here. "...I don't know how to fly yet. I'm still learning to walk, but my legs are all weird..." Fortunately that statement is open ended, or the slip on being upset about her backward knees would cause quite a question.

As it is, the flight is less so a point of oddity. She just needs to teach herself, after all.

Yuya doesn't make too much of a move to look at her at this angle, but he's not terribly assuaged by her difficulty moving around. Someone should look after her, and without Reiji that's probably going to fall onto him.

"I can't fly at all, but we'll figure it out. I'll help you in the morning before anything else, okay?" Surely they still have a sense of instinct that taking care of someone small and helpless won't stick out.

"Mnh, of course you can't, you don't have wings," she replies plainly. But, nestled on Yuuya's paw, she at least seems to feel happy for the offer.

"...Thank you," she says simply, smiling toothily. (Those are some Interesting fangs...) "...For helping," she adds. Just to be safe.

Yuya smiles a little before resting his head over his other paw, shifting to get comfortable before closing his eyes. It's really weird, sleeping like this, but as odd as it feels it isn't enough to keep him from being lulled to a sleep kept light only because of the pain on his hip. But that's still better than none.

They can wake up in the morning, settle in, go about their merry way...

At the very least for now Reira is able to settle in for the night.

Things like this are better with friends, even if they have to pretend they're new friends.

⇨ EDEN

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a cute wrap,,,,