abraxaslogs | Open Log + Closed Prompt

Entry tags:

Open Log + Closed Prompt

Who: Nadine + Open
When: August
Where: Horizon, Nadine's Domain
What: It's a carnival!

Nadine rarely changes much in her domain, save to shift it from season to season or decorate for major holidays. But every now and again she has cause for something a touch more dramatic.

On the last month of summer, she makes one of those changes. In the town square that is the centerpiece of her little patch of the Horizon, the shops and town hall and church and open green park have been replaced with a small town style carnival. The sort she remembers from her childhood in New Hampshire.

The towering Ferris wheel dominates the space, surrounded by a variety of rides such as bumper cars and a Gravitron, a Viking swinging ship and flying scooters, a freefall tower and even a small roller coaster with a fanciful dragon theme to it. Besides those are the tamer rides - a 'haunted' house that's not at all scary but more silly, a tunnel of love, and of course the skeletal carousal that's always there. But for this month it's in bright carnival colors, blues and pinks and yellows.

The horses are still skeletons, though.

And the other trappings are there, game booths and food stalls and vendor booths along the midway. There's even a stage from which a spectral, unseen band seems to be playing classic rock, and a little wooden dance floor in front. Nadine hasn't made any staff for the carnival, as whenever she tries to make people in the horizon they just come out as shadows. Not the vibe she's going for here. But the rides and games function as though manned, and the food stalls have all variety of fair goodies on display for the taking.

There's a sign by the entrance booth that reads 'WELCOME - PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL' - for anyone who may wander in when Nadine isn't there, or simply without warning.

While Nadine is happy for anyone to come and enjoy the little summer fair, she does have some specific purpose for the place.

She doubts Geralt and Jaskier have anything like this in their world, and she imagines another touch of good old fashioned American summer fun would probably do Julie some good. She knows it will do her some good. What better way to enjoy themselves than all four spend a day at the fair?

Considering the amount of time they all spend with one another in various groupings and pairs already, it just makes sense do something as a foursome. It's like a double date, though she doubts Julie or Geralt would describe what's between them as dating. Nadine wouldn't, either, but they're still something of a pair. Just a different kind than her and Jaskier.

She'd extended the invitation and it had been accepted, and she's finding herself rather excited about the whole thing. Life's probably going to go straight to hell again before too much longer, it always does, but for now...she's going to enjoy a day out with her lover and her closest friends.

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[ Carnivals mean something a bit different in his sphere, but not so different that when Geralt arrives he doesn't recognize some elements. The festivities, the decorations, the food are present; the machines and games are new. He does recall Julie telling him she won a fish in a bag once. Geralt's been idly trying to see if such a thing exists in Nadine's version.

Is it all rather frivolous? It is. Does it matter? No. They deserve some frivolity.

Whether he arrives with Julie or alone, whether he sees Jaskier already waiting with Nadine or not—eventually he finds himself with the three of them. They're between some rotating skeletal horses and a long carriage shaped like a dragon that loops around some tracks at an absurd height and an even more absurd speed. Is it something Nadine has spawned from her imagination? Does it exist in her world as a form of entertainment? He's a little concerned it's the latter.

Geralt eyes the structure with some suspicion, as though he's waiting for it to collapse despite knowing they're in the Horizon. ]

[ Courtesy of a life spent in the Midwest, Julie is a veteran of fairs and carnivals. School, church, county, state, street, art, agriculture -- it's a full-blown culture when you're from somewhere that there's nothing else to do. So it's with great glee that she moves through the little funfair. She's certainly dressed down to suit the environment; all the crystals and glitter are swapped for an off-shoulder white top and an extremely short pair of denim cutoffs. Her ponytail bounces merrily as she walks. In one hand, she's got a paper cone bearing a large cloud of blue cotton candy.

Coming to a stop next to Geralt, she peers at the rollercoaster for a moment too, like she's trying to see what's making him so wary. The fact that it might fall apart at any moment is part of the fun! It's not a real traveling carnival unless there's a slight risk of death. ]

You don't get to judge it until you try it. [ Her voice is teasing. ] Nadine, what's your favorite ride?

Viking ship.

[Nadine doesn't even have to think about it. The Ferris Wheel is a close second, but it's always been the Viking - or pirate, or whatever - ship that she had to ride first, back in the days of her youth. God, it's been so long since she had a chance to enjoy a fair. It's another of those things she felt silly doing alone as an adult.

Oh, she'd gone to the State Fair a few times, but she hadn't gone on any rides or anything like that. Just looked at the animals and ate some food and listened to the C-list oldies band desperate enough for the gig. There's something terribly lonely about a fair as a single adult.

This is much better.]

Right at the tip in the back so when it really gets going you feel like it'll just keep going right into the sky. But then it drops.

[The carnival atmosphere has her in high spirits, too, and there's excitement in her voice as she talks about the ride. Even better, as it's the sort of thing one dreams about - they have it all to themselves. No crowds, no lines, no drunk teenagers...

The ideal date.]

[While the others have been chatting, Jaskier has simply been staring skyward, watching what he can only describe as a giant wheel turning. He thought he knew what to expect. A carnival! At last, a word he understands! Carnivals are not a strange concept on the Continent, even if they were rare and generally tied into some sort of harvesting festival outside the cities.

But this.

What is this?

There's a thousand things to stare at but it's the wheel that catches him, spinning with this swinging... things, rocking back and forth.

Nadine bringing up the Viking ship (whatever a Viking could be), at last, has him looking away from the wheel. There is a thing shaped like a ship, which he can only imagine is what she means.]

Is this... like Las Vegas? With far fewer lights.

[It's the only thing Julie or Nadine has showed him that any semblance to what he's looking at. A much smaller version, of course, from what he could tell, but even pictures could only show him so much.]

[ His eyes go to Julie when she arrives beside him, then to the cloud in her hand. It takes him a second to realize it's spun sugar floss, made blue. He sniffs it without hesitation—something she is likely used to by now—but it doesn't smell of any fruit or berry as he expects. Just sugar. Hm.

The Viking ship appears less like a death trap. Possibly because he can better envision the basic concept of a swinging ship as compared to the giant metal wheel or the twisting carriage rails. Both Nadine and Julie seem eager to ride these structures, so. They must've survived it at least once in childhood.

He makes a soft noise—at once amused and relenting. Far be it from him to deny anyone the chance to fall from a great height in the safety of the Horizon.

How high does it swing? Has anyone ever been flung from these unwittingly? ]

[ She is, actually, completely accustomed to Geralt's inclination to smell everything; she even wordlessly holds the cotton candy out closer to him to accommodate it.

Pointing at Nadine, her grin widens. ] That's my girl, you get it. It was always a pirate ship back home, they used to fly a little Jolly Roger up at the top of the thing. Only wimps sit in the middle.

[ Jaskier's comment draws a surprised look, if only because the two concepts are so distant from each other in her mind. It's not that she can't see the resemblance, because she can. It's simply that the two exist in different spheres of her brain. Her nose wrinkles a little and she wiggles her hand to signal "kind of". ]

Mm, like a little bit, I guess? Lots of neon lights and stuff in both. Oh, and Vegas does have a Ferris wheel and rollercoaster, but they're way bigger'n these. [ She tears a piece of the cotton candy off with two fingers and delicately puts it in her mouth before she continues. ] This is like, what pops up in small towns once or twice a year for a bit. They make their money and move on. We have lots of bigger fairs and carnivals, though. And Vegas is in a league of its own.

Yeah, Vegas does have a lot of lights and sounds and so many things happening, but it's so much bigger than this. Like if this were a whole city, but there were huge luxury hotels and casinos everywhere and elaborate stage shows every block. And I mean huge, I'm pretty sure this whole town square could fit in one Vegas hotel.

[While Nadine never actually made it to Vegas, she'd seen it on television plenty - she'd liked that sensational crime show set there - and she did see the view from Flagg's penthouse. It hadn't been real, exactly, but it had been as real as this right here.

But she can understand why Jaskier would make the connection, with what little context he has for Las Vegas.]

We'll show you pictures sometimes. Or a part of it. It's too big to recreate in the Horizon in total. But this, like Julie said, is small-town fun. The carnival or county fair is pretty much the highlight of small town summer where we come from. They usually just set up for a week and then they move on, and where I grew up, almost the whole town would come to the fair on the weekend. Even my first family took us, once. I don't remember it much, I was five I think, but I remember being mad that I wasn't big enough to go on all the rides my brother could.

[There may have been a candied apple as consolation, but she's not sure if she's conflating memories. That happens, she's found, with the old ones.

But today is about making new memories, with what she's come to think of as her real family.]

And I promise all the rides are safe, no matter what they look like. They just feel like they're not. They're fun.

[Jaskier is trying to imagine it. The amount of scale that is. This entire place fitting in a -- well, he doesn't know what a hotel is, but he can guess it is some sort of structure.

This place is the size of Novigrad's market. Which isn't tiny, by all means, and it's still the largest market he's been to.]

I've run into traveling carnivals on my travels, but they were nothing like this. A few shows, or musicians, and a market, at most. [These things -- these rides -- did not exist on the Continent. Nothing like it.] I would love to see your Las Vegas at some point. If only pieces of it.

[Jaskier laughs to himself, taking in the swinging -- ship? -- again.] So you go out on these things to scare the shit out of yourselves for fun? [How can a man who followed a monster hunter on said hunts for a good time ever understand such a concept?] Well, how about this ship you're talking up, then? I won't even sit in the middle! And if I should be flung off of it, then I believe that'll be half the fun.

Edited 2022-08-17 16:49 (UTC)

[ At the end of the day, he can acknowledge scaring the shit out of yourself for fun sounds typical for the average human. It's half the reason curses are unleashed from old crypts.

Geralt lets most of the talk of Vegas pass by unremarked upon, though part of him has been curious, too. He's seen parts of it, bits and pieces from Lloyd's domain, but not near what he imagines the scale of it encompasses.

A beat. He turns his head towards Jaskier. ] I can assist if you wish to be flung.

[ For optimal fright. Is he joking? Perhaps. He could probably catch him on the downswing before Jaskier hit the ground. Not that he's sincerely contemplating this. Entertaining image, though.

Well. Here they are. He pushes open the metal gate that leads to the ship. He'll pile to the end of it with everyone else, following closely behind Julie. ]

Ooh, y'know, we can do Vegas movie night! Viva Las Vegas, Diamonds Are Forever, Ocean's Eleven -- he can see old Vegas and new Vegas. [ She gently prods Nadine's shoulder with a grin. ] Plus, you know he'll love Elvis, right? We'll have to get 'im a shiny jumpsuit.

[ Geralt's quip makes her cackle as she goes through the gate after Nadine and Jaskier. She leaves the cotton candy on the unmanned operator panel before boarding the ride, hand outstretched behind her for Geralt. Once seated, she lowers the safety bar (making sure it clicks twice, of course), which seems to signal the nothingness running the ride that they're ready to go.

The first few swings are slow and gentle, like always. Building momentum. But the pace doesn't stay that way for long. ]

Oh my god...Nobody is getting flung out of anything. This isn't Action Park.

[Though she imagines only Julie would get the reference. Still. No one is going vaulting out of any of the rides. Unless Geralt throws them but it just isn't that sort of outing. Though it does give her another idea for later...]

But yes, that's a perfect idea, a Vegas movie night. Or an Elvis movie night...because I haven't gotten to Elvis when it comes to sharing classic music from home with Jaskier.

[There's a lot of music she wants to introduce him to, Elvis just hasn't come up yet. But Julie's right, he'd rock a classic Elvis jumpsuit. And could probably do that hip thing...

She slides into the seat herself, a little feeling of giddy excitement pooling inside of her as the bar drops. That building, anticipatory thrill as the ship starts to move, seeming labored at first before it begins to build speed and smoothness.

She hasn't felt this in years.]

Don't threaten me with a good time, Geralt. Besides, when you put it that way, it sounds rather exciting.

[And then, to Julie: a wide smile. He knows, vaguely, the concept of movies. Sort of. Nadine has shown him some, but all he sort of sees them as is sort of like... magic pictures. And if he's honest with himself, they're strange. Uncomfortable, sometimes, even if they are only stories. But he wouldn't mind, he thinks, seeing more of Las Vegas. More than a picture can really show.] I would love that. I'm pretty sure, at least. And this Elvis -- I think Dean has mentioned him once?

[That really doesn't put it into perspective. But he knows the sorts of people his friends anticipate he enjoys: entertainers. Musicians.

(And they're not wrong.)

However, his smile is growing a bit smaller as they approach the -- the ride? The ship? They climb on and there is this rather startling cold, heavy bar across their laps. He does not truly catch on, until the ship begins to move, that the bar is meant to keep him in place.]

This seems... unsafe. Excessively so, actually.

[His fingers wrap around the bar, and as he turns around, he sees the ship is swinging. (Of course it is. He watched it do it.) But it's. It's different. To be on it. To see the ground, and then suddenly see a patch of blue sky.] It's going to stop going higher, isn't it?

[ The bar, Geralt suspects, is meant to make one feel safe, which he supposes if you're human, it should. For him, he prefers the option of diving off the side if need be. It's fine. He's snugly inside this odd ship next to Julie. Which beings to swing—not as quickly as he might've thought.

The reality of Jaskier's good time appears to catch up with him in steady increments, akin to a man on a raft watching a dolphin approach that he is quickly realizing is a shark.

Geralt is not really paying attention to the swinging ship. Perhaps he should; it does go fairly fucking high, but aside from a drop in his stomach that reminds him of sliding down steep mountain cliffs, the risk of tumbling out actually feels. Minimal. Now that he's in it.

No, his eyes are on Jaskier: partly entertained, partly concerned. So far, entertained is winning over. This might change as Jaskier grows paler, heart beating faster. Is he going to vomit? Pass out? Can one die of fright inside the Horizon? They might learn the answer in the next five minutes. ]

[ For Julie, it's a pretty familiar feeling; the plummeting sensation gives her the same rush as it had in real life. The fact that they are in the safest place she can possibly fathom doesn't take away from the thrill. The music, the smells, the grinding sound of the machinery running the ride -- it's all right, pitch perfect even, and she almost expects to be able to look over the side of the ship and see cornfields swaying in the wind.

But Jaskier's reaction is... concerning. Julie knows this is new for him but she realize he would be quite so sensitive to it. She reaches a hand toward him. ]

Honey, this is one of the most common rides in our world. It's okay, ain't no one ever died on one of these things. [ This is a lie. She knows damn well that people have died on these things, probably a lot of them. It just seems like a good thing to lie about at the moment. ] Besides, it's the Horizon. If you can't take it, you can just blink out.

[ God, she hopes Nadine didn't make this ship to be one of the ones that goes in a full circle. ]

[Nadine is also sliding her hand along the bar to cover Jaskier's, giving it a reassuring squeeze and pressing against him in comfort. She hadn't imagined a relatively tame carnival ride would cause this sort of response. Sure, it's something entirely new, but it's contained and within the Horizon.

And it's always been nothing but pure fun to her. There's something so very nostalgic and free feeling, experiencing it again after so many years. But these kinds of rides aren't for everyone.]

I promise it's completely safe. This is my domain, Jaskier. I'm in control of everything here and I would never make anything that could actually hurt anyone. Especially anyone I care about, which includes everyone sitting right here.

[She's also not about to argue with lying about the real-world safety of these kinds of rides. That doesn't matter anyway, this isn't the real world. This is their world. Hell, she could slow and stop the thing right now if he'd prefer. She does make sure it doesn't go any higher than the point it's at now, before it reaches that maximum height where it's almost vertical.

She's not certain Jaskier could handle that. Thank god they hadn't tried the roller coaster first....]

Me and Julie have tons of experience here, we've got you.

There's more than one of these things?

[A little gasp comes out of him as the ship swings down. He isn't quite sure how everyone else is handling this, other than it is not the first time he's seen Geralt launched through the air (by something attempting to kill him, usually.) That feeling of something akin to a solid ball in his chest suddenly dropping down to his ass as the boat swings is --

It's increasingly becoming concerning. Half of him loves it. The other half? Is getting rather dizzy. And there's a sort of dim ringing in his ear...]

I'm fine! I promise! It's very -- very exciting! [Except the death grip he now has on one of Julie's hands AND one of Nadine's hands may say otherwise. Except it isn't fear. It's -- well, adrenaline, perhaps; the feeling he first felt when he saw that devil with its large eyes, curling horns; the excitement that ran through every limb at the hunt of a devil, of a large Witcher with a larger sword, and the promise of adventure and/or bloodshed --

His head hits Nadine's shoulder once his vision blacks out.

And then he opens his eyes to see a wide berth of blue sky --

Passing out a second time. Then waking as the ship sails down, then yelling as it picks up momentum and he's sure, so sure, it's going to go in a full circle and he'll fall out ---

It might be hard to tell if he's enjoying this or not, and if the loss of blood in his brain could catch up with him, it would definitely agree this is badass.]

[ In an effort to save Julie's fingers from that crushing grip, Geralt reaches over to take one of Jaskier's hands instead. Nadine is on her own on the other side. It is not the first time he's been launched through the air, no. More than that, he's been on a motorbike and in a car. Unlike Jaskier, who's never travelled at any speed faster than a gallop.

Until now. ]

Ah, fuck. [ There he goes. Geralt stares at Jaskier, who wakes up only long enough to unleash a piercing shriek. Perhaps a less thrilling ride to start with would've better suited. ] We should—

[ —mm. Put this ship down. Before Jaskier passes out several more times. Look, Jaskier isn't dying—Geralt can hear his heart—but he'd still prefer his friend...not do that. If possible. It's disconcerting. More so than if he simply stayed unconscious. Fortunately, the ship has been losing momentum inch by inch; soon, it comes to one final gentle swooping stop.

With a silent sigh, Geralt frees himself and climbs off the ship. Then he sort of reaches back in to haul out the dead weight of a bard. Slings him over one shoulder. He'll come to in a moment. ]

He's fine. [ Truthfully, Geralt can't say who might've had the more alarming experience: Julie and Nadine, in witnessing Jaskier faint multiple times. Or Jaskier, for being catapulted into the air. ]

[ Geralt extricates her hand and Julie shakes it a little, trying to get feeling back. Her fingers are white from how tightly Jaskier was gripping them. She looks to Geralt with blatant confusion -- this is all happening very quickly and also unexpectedly. She has seen plenty of people not like rides, get sick on them, be afraid, but never has she seen someone fucking pass out for a moment.

Jaskier's abrupt shriek makes her jump in her seat. The whole time, the ship continues to swing before it finally slows back down to a stop. Well, that was... a thing. ]

Uh, you sure about that? [ Julie absently offers Nadine a hand as they climb out, watches Jaskier just sort of flop against Geralt's back as they go back down the steps to the ground. She lets Geralt take a step in front of her, so that she can bend slightly, peering at Jaskier's still very pale face. With a fingertip, she very delicately pushes up one eyelid to make sure his eyes haven't rolled back entirely. ] I've seen eight year olds handle this better.

[As soon as Nadine realizes what's happening, she exerts the will to begin slowing the ride - stopping it outright at this speed would only make things worse.

While she'd expected Jaskier might be a bit nervous and unsure of carnival rides, she hadn't in a million years imagined he'd pass out. Repeatedly. This is not the outing she'd intended.

At least it's the horizon....

When the ride's stopped, she takes Julie's hand with a thankful nod and hauls herself out after the others. And promptly takes Jaskier's wrist to check his heartrate. She really isn't sure if you can die in the horizon, but she doesn't want to test that. Even if it wasn't real, it was sure to be traumatic.

And Jaskier really doesn't look good.]

He's not having a heart attack, at least. But he might have had a panic attack...we should lay him down and get him some water.

[ Outings with Jaskier are never as intended. Last time he took the bard on a simple trip to Aquila, he ended up on a fucking chase after a wayward pet gryphon. Comes with the territory, being friends with Jaskier. He's learned that lesson early on.

At least no one fell out of the damn boat.

He stands patiently while Nadine and Julie poke and prod at Jaskier. When they're satisfied Jaskier is not dead, Geralt carries him to the nearest outdoor table and sets him down. One bejewelled hand flops over the edge.

He leans over the bard. Pats him on the chest, like he's waking him up from a nap. ] Jaskier.

[ At worst, he can leave the Horizon and shake Jaskier awake in the real world. ]

[Jaskier wakes with a gasp.]

Whoa! Oh. Ooooh. [He holds his head with one hand, and his heart with the other. The world wavers around him as he sits up.] Gods, that was -- oh, hello, Gerald. Geralt. [He blinks. The world is wavering, but it is not swinging back and forth.]

Wait. Where's the ship? What happened? Don't tell me you stopped it! We were just getting to the good bit!

[ Julie takes a step back when Jaskier wakes so suddenly, as if he might lash out in confusion. She doesn't believe he will, but it's automatic to simply give him more space. Looking between Nadine and Jaskier, her brows knit. ]

Well, yeah. You passed out, hon. Like, a couple times. We didn't want you to have an aneurysm or a heart attack. [ Which, honestly, still seems entirely possible. ] Maybe we stick to the b-- tamer rides for you?

[ Yes, she did have to stop herself from calling them baby rides. ]

Jaskier, you looked like you might die. Of course I stopped it. I don't think you'd be able to handle the full height.

[Nadine stays at his side, concern knitted clear across her brow. The good part? He couldn't even handle the medium level speed and height of the ride. Julie's right, Jaskier needs to start with slower, easier carnival attractions.

What, she's not entirely sure, but they'll find something.

Thank god they hadn't eaten beforehand.]

Your heart rate's up, just try and relax for a few minutes.

[ There he is.

Geralt leans slightly to the side so Jaskier's head doesn't smash into his nose upon waking. Somehow, he's not surprised Jaskier's concern is getting back on the ride. Unfortunately for the bard, Geralt, too, has zero inclination to getting back on that swinging ship. He isn't spending the rest of their time here watching his friend pass out on and off while Nadine frets herself to death.

He does not miss Julie catching herself. He tries not to let his amusement show. ]

We can all use something less exciting. [ He glances over his shoulder. ] And stationary.

[ Isn't there a juggler or a flame swallower around they can watch? What else do they have at carnivals in Nadine's world? ]

[Jaskier first blinks at Julie, as if he's processing that he's actually startled her. And then he huffs.] My heart is perfectly fine! You're all treating me like a child. And I know you were not going to say "tamer," don't lie to me.

[He blows them all a raspberry because the lack of oxygen to his brain has obviously done a bit of damage in the moment, smoothing his shirt down and fixing the collar to where it's meant to be. And then brushing his hair out of his face, fixing the wayward strands.]

I'm not going to die, you know. Not in here. I've done much worse. [He sniffs.] Though now you mention it, [no one actually did] I am rather hungry. What about something sweet? That's a specialty of this sort of place, isn't it?

[Yes. He's clearly unbothered by the idea he passed out multiple times. Who wouldn't? It was exhilirating!]

double date.

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