thisavrou_log | OTA ツJune Event☽ CARNIVAL

Entry tags:

OTA ツJune Event☽ CARNIVAL

Who: Everyone!
When: Month of June (whenever)
Where: Kauto: Region II: Ellguana Fields.
What: Carnival!
Warnings: Please warn appropriately on subjects, thanks.

Illguana Fields Carnival

The Ellguana Farms is hosting a carnival this month. There are rides, food, shows, and experiences surely to be had by all! Most importantly this is a great occasion to come together and meet new people, to learn of each other, to branch out and broaden your horizons! Perhaps most importantly this is a great opportunity to reminiscence on worlds of your past and to learn through the cumulative efforts of those come before you. The carnival will have various components of technology and diverse themes to facilitate an excellent experience enhanced by the sheer will of hard working inhabitants coming together to celebrate diversity!

☾ Rides ☽

The rides were something Ardyn can imagine as fun and attractive for those who were easily captivated by bright lights and adventure! Although he would have find more fun flying around with his own power, he could appreciate the allure of being strapped into a mechanical machine and carried through a series of spins and gravity defying lifts. The lines were evidence enough of many people who have come to the rides for one reason or another;
the bright lights or that daring feeling of being at the mercy of machinery. He stood in line, his partner for the ride was tight against his chest. A prized teddy bear that he won at the coin toss booth. He was quite fond of the stuffed bear, the brown animal had an uncharacteristically large square head and a much smaller body. It reminded him of a moogle.

☾ Food ☽

Ardyn has been assured that one of the main events at any carnival should be the food. The rides, the games, the fun lights and vibrant characters were great, but give the crowd something wonderful to eat and they'll be sure to come back for it again and again. In fact, he was guaranteed that the food would stick to memory more than a show or ride! Naturally, with the hype he'd been described, he would have to try the carnival food.
With so many booths, however, he was finding it difficult where to sample first. To receive further direction he decided to ask the next person he would come next to. "If you would be so kind as to direct me to a food booth, perhaps your finest recommendation?"

☾ Games ☽

There were various booths set up with all kinds of entertainment. Some games required skill in fine motor skills, others strength, and most of them required simple luck. Ardyn had played most of the games, some he had lost (which he was delightfully frustrated about)
and some of the games he had won a prize, though he was finding the fun in the game to be even more rewarding then the obligatory prize at the end of a win.

☾ Shows ☽

Freak Shows seemed a bit derogatory in his opinion, however, having been at this function for quite a few days already he found himself educated in the culture of the carnival life. There was a sense of unity amongst the workers and so called Freaks, it left an impression of genuine homeostasis amongst the workers. Everyone had their part in bringing this carnival together and there did not seem to be any bad blood causing tension between one man to another. Be it the bearded woman, the ticket accountant, the pinheads, or lizard man, they all seemed to get along and look after one another while gaining a profit for all. He found that quite interesting, especially here in the worlds where humans were not the only species of people here. Ardyn was in line for a show of sword-swallowing and fire blowing. It sounded dangerous and exciting.

[ ooc; hello! Ardyn's taken up the position as an event organizer, which just basically means I'll be posting a log each month of some local even in which everyone is absolutely invited to!! This month's event is the Ellguana Carnival. Please enjoy! You can reply to any of these prompts or create your own, and/or make a top thread OTA/CLOSED to CR etc! You don't have to respond to Ardyn at all in any of the prompts! Additionally, you may see an instafeed on his mobile page re: events!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I've noticed. Trust me, I've taken notes here and there."

Darin taps thoughtfully at his chin.

"Where else would my urn'ad be? That's pretty bold to ask though, I don't think I should be whipping it out just like that."

"You'd have a hard time. It's the gland that produces alrinerone for the belia."

As if that explains everything.

"But it's one of seven reasons why you're missing a very important Altean trait."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"You said you were taking notes on us, right? Then here's a test: What's something that Altean skin can do that humans' can't?"

"Change its natural pigmentation so as to better camouflage yourself. I'm assuming it's a trait associated with survival rather than a cosmetic one. You don't seem like the type of person to doll herself up that way."

Darin actually yawns as if this conversation and this challenge were boring him.

"You can also alter your size, though I imagine there's a limitation to that. I've considered it might have something to do with the limits to your strength: basically, your strength and your size are relative to one another. You can't get any bigger than you are strong. You're also able to telepathically communicate with your mice. I don't know if that's something you can do with animals in general or if it's because you share an empathic link with them. I haven't seen you talk to many other critters, so it leads me to the conclusion that it might be limited to other Altean wildlife."

He stretches and rubs at the back of his head thoughtfully.

"The markings under your eyes also change when you alter your skin color which has led me to wonder if the markings are there from birth or if it's something you consciously choose to adorn yourself with. They don't seem to serve any other purpose and I don't know if you have any other similar markings...I guess it kind of reminds me of plumage? Anyway, I digress."

He gives a slight bow.

"I think I answered your question."

She stands there for a moment, like she's not sure whether to be impressed or annoyed.

"... I... well... yes. I meant the skin. You really are thorough, aren't you?"

But as if she's caught the look on her face, she clears her throat and does her best to look suitably unimpressed.

"You made one fairly large mistake, though. Not all Alteans can speak with the mice. And most wildlife I can speak with is itself telepathic." She just drops that in there, casually, as if that's not a big deal. "The link between the mice and I -- that's something more special."

"Huh...so you're about a unique an Altean as I'm as unique a human."

He nods, pleased with himself that, once again, he was right.

"Like I said, we're hardly that different."

"I'm not sure how the mice will feel about being compared to a demon lord."

They are not with her right now. They would get lost.

"You're really not that keen on the idea of being so similar to a scoundrel like me, huh." He says as he folds his arms across his chest.

Whether this was just banter or something else entirely, Darin couldn't help but notice how vehemently the Princess was denying even their base similarities. In fact, he chose the word 'scoundrel' on purpose to gauge her response.

"What?" She looks offended. And naturally, that means Darin has to hear about why. "I think I'm taking it rather well, considering how much you've told me about your situation. Not many would take being compared to a prophesied destroyer-of-words so lightly -- nevermind want to stay friends with one."

She crosses her arms dramatically. She doesn't huff, but it's the sort of pose where you can just hear it, in your mind.

That...cut a lot deeper than Darin would ever care to admit, but it showed on his face for the slightest of moments.

That's right. He can't exactly escape what he was even if he went around calling himself and even identified himself as a human. He takes a step back and shoves his hands back into his pockets.

"I...I meant..."

He sighs.

"Nevermind. My mistake."

He spins on his heel as nonchalantly as he could and starts off in another direction, all the while swearing to himself inside his own head.

I really should have known better. Their kind really only ever see the worst if guy's like me.

Of course she picks up on that. She has the empathic abilities to commune with a planet-sized creature. Why wouldn't she be able to understand the feelings of a human?

Which is sort of ironic, because if she really had understood, she probably shouldn't have said that.

So, reluctantly, she says it:

"What I mean is that you're right. We are hardly different. Including the fact that we both need to think before opening our mouths."

He doesn't really miss a beat, nor does he slow his pace or even turn around, firing back with a little more venom to his words than he meant to.

"In my experience, the first words out of your mouth are always instinctual; that means those words are far more honest than the sugar coated words one might let 'slip' after they've had more time to think. I may open my mouth without thinking but I own my thoughts, no matter how ill-informed they might be. Don't try and fan away what you think of me by saying something as stupid as 'I misspoke.' You damn well know I'm too smart for that."

He stops then, but he still refuses to turn around.

"You're the one who is right, Princess Allura." Somehow using her full name and titles adds more weight here.

"I am a destroyer of worlds. I cannot escape what I was born into my world to be and no amount of pretending that I'm 'just some human' is gonna change that. So, forgive me my insolence in trying to lower you down to my level in an attempt to find some commonality."

With that, he's on his way again.

Edited 2017-07-26 04:32 (UTC)

She bristles.

"Fine, if you'd like me to be honest? This is why you're insufferable, Darin!"

And she hurries after him, because she wants to make sure he hears this. "It has nothing to do with something so impossible to fathom as that demon lord, or you being some sort of scoundrel otherwise! It's because you decide for yourself what I 'honestly' mean, and what I think of you -- you keep building your own reasons to push me away!"

"I'm not correcting myself because I'm trying to dismiss my own feelings! It's because I regret hurting yours!"

Surprisingly, he doesn't whip around and tell her off. He doesn't defend himself, nor does he acknowledge what she's saying to be true.

But perhaps what's most telling is the fact that he won't even look at her. He stops when she's done talking and he's silent.

He's picking his words carefully. Lining them all up in his mind before he begins to speak. That's what's so frightening. When Darin chooses his words, when he makes a calculated effort as opposed to relying on instinct and feeling; when he lets his mind do the work instead of his heart.

It's a rather stark duality.

"The only thing you've been dismissing from the start, Princess, have been my feelings. Not your own. Whether or not you feel bad for what you said doesn't mean anything to me. I'm used to it. When you grow up being labeled a freak because of one lone characteristic, when you've spent a lifetime hiding what you are because you're terrified of people hunting you because you terrify them, you tend to grow a thick skin when it comes to people labeling you as something bad. No, I don't care if you're sorry or not, really, because 'sorry' is just another word."

He exhales slowly before continuing.

"No, what bothers me? What hurts me most? Isn't that your go-to assessment of me, on impulse, was what I'm prophecied to be. It's the fact that you, yourself, refused to acknowledge my effort in the first place. Not just in trying to find commonality between our races, but because I tried, maybe foolishly, to see a kindred spirit in you. Someone being held back by trappings beyond our control, someone else who just yearns to take action rather than stand around and let the world decide what we should and shouldn't be doing. I was trying..."

Here, the words catch in his throat and he has to swallow the lump to continue.

"I was trying to create...I don't know. Something. Something here. Because all I've ever been good at is creating things so I thought 'hey, maybe?' But in the end, it turns out destroying is something that just comes more naturally to me. So...thanks. I'm seeing things a little clearer now."

He starts to make his way towards the exit of the carnival, glancing wistfully at the photo areas where people were lining up to take pictures with their heads sticking through the holes of humorous scenes. He shakes whatever thoughts he may have been having away.

Dumbass...

Edited 2017-07-26 05:40 (UTC)

Something?

Had it actually been Darin who had destroyed things? He claims that it wasn't what she said that bothered him, yet as far as she can tell, that's more or less where things went wrong. He made the comparison, she attempted to make a joke (and see if she ever tries that again), he taunted her about her not being keen on it, and that...

That was made her mad. She hadn't taken any issue with the idea itself, and yet he had acted like she was recoiling in disgust. What had he expected her to do? Turn all emotional and sappy over it? Wasn't taking it lightly progress over taking it with anger?

And from there, he proved he was a destroyer. Of her patience, that is.

Well, wasn't she supposed to be the one healing things? Even if it meant sacrificing a few things. Usually it was more of a literal burden, but swallowing her agitation and pride... she could do that.

Still, her impatience probably comes across when she grabs him by the sleeve and starts attempting to steer him towards another part of the fairgrounds, without any word of explanation or request for permission.

Darin's frame locks up and he proves ever the immovable object when she seizes his arm. With a sigh of agitation and a roll of his eyes, he stays planted firmly.

"Let go of me, Princess. I'm not in the mood to fight with you right now."

"I'm not fighting you. I'm going to--"

She huffs and lets go of his arm.

"Food. I am going to treat you to something to eat." She averts her eyes. "... it... worked well, as a way to help the Paladins bond as a team."

"I'm not one of your paladins" he said curtly.

"And I'm not really all that hungry anyway."

"You are completely missing the point," she insists, trying once again to pull him along. Naturally, it's still failing, but much like the gesture itself -- she has to put in the effort, whether or not it actually amounts to anything.

"You said you wanted to create 'something', didn't you? So I am trying to open up a second chance for you."

"Why?" He shot back.

"What is the point here? Forcing me to take a second chance? What good will that serve? Is it really being done for me? Or is it being done for your sake? Answer me that."

"For both," she replies, taking the third option. "Do you actually want things to end like this, after all the fun we had today? To let it all fall apart so easily? Because I know that I don't."

"I don't get you. I don't get you at all."

Darin runs a hand over his face, then combs it through his spikey blue hair.

"You argue with me every step of the way when I try and build something between us, then when I try and walk away you try and rope me back in. And on that note, you seem annoyed about it. Are you doing this because of obligation? Because I'm Shiro's friend?"

Finally, he throws his hands up in exasperation.

"Why me? I'm not asking that to whatever gods might be listening, I'm sincerely asking why is it me that you seem so dead set on antagonizing? Ever since the Moira crashed, you've made it your mission to keep tabs on me. Is it because you don't like the idea of someone not liking you? Is it because I'm human? Is it because I try and pretend I'm human when I'm so obviously not? Stop me when I guess it, will you?"

Edited 2017-07-28 03:42 (UTC)

"I'm only annoyed because you're making this difficult, and making me wonder why I bother! You don't accept 'sorry', you scoff at a peace offering -- I'm doing this because I'm concerned about you! Not for myself or for Shiro, or -- really, am I actually that bad at this?!"

... ... ...

Yeah, no. She's not going to give him a chance to answer that.

"I don't want you to be unhappy! Is that such a hard thing to believe?!"

"Well, I am unhappy! I'm unhappy because, for a damn moment, I didn't actually feel like such a stupid mess of a person! I thought that maybe by comparing myself to someone I respect, then maybe my circumstances wouldn't seem so impossible! Maybe I'd even learn to appreciate what I can do, and then you went and reminded me of how bad an idea that is!"

Even he's a little surprised at how quickly he just...erupted. Why this was bothering him, now of all times, when he's spent his entire life not caring what others thought of him would be a mystery he'd likely be up all night puzzling over later. For now though, he takes a literal step back.

After a shaky breath, his speaks again, though the fire he had shown a moment ago had been forcibly snuffed out.

"I was happy, alright? I was happy here. Today. With you. But then you reminded me why getting close to people is...difficult. Why it's a bad idea. And it is, there's no denying that. But I wanted to...for a moment. For that moment I had forgotten that maybe I'm not so strange and dangerous. That humans can come in all shapes and sizes and have all kinds of abilities and maybe one day I won't just...succumb. I won't just lose my mind and wipe out everything I hold dear. Alright...? So...that's it. That's why...it's difficult to just shrug my shoulders, accept the apology, and get on with my day. But you don't deserve to bear that cross so...I'm sorry."

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