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

"But why?!"

He pushes himself to his feet and stands before her.

"Why the hell is being a leader synonymous with sacrifice?! That doesn't make any damn sense! You and Shiro belong together if that's what you think but what you two don't see is that being a leader doesn't mean you're the first to make the biggest sacrifice! If anything, you should be showing everyone else what it means to live! To live and to laugh and to love and to go every day living your life to the very utmost! What you're describing isn't a leader at all! It's a martyr!"

He huffs and kicks at the ground.

"You want to lead but you don't know the first thing about being true to yourself. What kind of a leader is that, ah? Would you follow someone knowing that they were just one big walking sacrifice? Or would you want to follow someone who can take on the world while still being true to their heart??"

He runs his hand through his hair, a gesture signifying thought.

"You're allowed, you know. You're allowed to live and enjoy your days. You've lost more than most people could even fathom. The least you can do is find your smile for the sake of those who can't anymore. That's what it means to lead. To have the courage to face the world in the place of others, whether because they refuse to or because they no longer can..."

"This has nothing to do with Shiro!" The objection comes faster and sharper than it should -- but it's not out of denial. It really doesn't have anything to do with Shiro.

"And before you go turning your nose at all that, you should know that it was my father who taught me this, that a leader must be ready to give everything for their people. For the people they love and are sworn to protect."

For his daughter. Her hands ball into fists in her lap.

"Everything we built came from that. The least I can do for Altea's legacy -- for my father's legacy -- is to carry on his work."

"'Must be ready.'" Darin echoed her own words.

"'Being ready to' and 'looking for a reason to' are two entirely different things. There's a difference between being willing and prepared to and actively searching to do so. I can't presume to speak for your people or your father, but I'm willing to bet that--"

He stops himself then, eyeing the fists balled in her lap.

It takes every ounce of strength to bite his tongue, but in the end, it's not his place to force anyone into his line of thinking. He's the outsider on this team and he'd do well to remember that.

In the end, he merely sighs, defeated.

"Nevermind. It's not my place."

Her grip relaxes. It's nothing against him. Really, it isn't. And that's enough to lower her guard.

"I'm not looking for it," she insists in a quiet voice. Whether or not that's true is debatable, to say the least, but... anyway. "There's nothing I would want more than to go back to a time before I had to worry about any of this. But..."

Her gaze grows distant.

"The more peaceful it feels here, the more this feels like..." She struggles for a word. "Cheating? As if I'm giving too convenient an excuse. The war hasn't ended, even though it doesn't even exist, here. If I let myself forget that..."

She looks at him now, and the next question is entirely sincere. "What would happen when I go back? Or if I'm given a choice?"

Darin folds his arms. He's thought of this too, of course. He had a place here. A team. And maybe in time, plenty more. But he also couldn't ignore the fact that, as much as he hated to admit it, he was a key player in something much larger than himself.

He had a destiny, a world to save, and someone he could no longer turn his back on.

When the time came, no matter what he had found here, he'd have to give it up. He'd have to make the right choice over the one that made the most sense.

He'd lose everything and it terrified him. And what does Darin do when he's scared?

He puts on the smarmiest grin he can and faces that fear down for the benefit of everyone around him.

"If you're given a choice, it's pretty obvious what decision you'd make. I mean, you'd never find someone as dashing and amazing as me back where you come from."

"I suppose you're right, in a sense. We already have Lance, but he's here now."

Allura, weren't you going to stop trying to tell jokes?

Still, it has to be pointed out. This aggravation is simply too nostalgic of early on, when Shiro and Pidge had referred to him as a second Lance. The comparison had fallen short for her, though. While both were experts of wearing out her patience, Lance held a very specific sort of admiration for her. And Darin...

Darin had treated her like dirt.

Actually, was this the same as the old days? The way he bragged made it sound like he wanted to impress her. Since when did he care about that?

Regardless. "That's aside from the point, isn't it? By now, I'd expect you would come with our team. For Shiro's sake, if nothing else."

That draws an earnest smile from his lips.

"Don't try and pawn this off on Shiro. We both know you'd miss me every moment of every day. And as incredibly flattered as I am, my dear Princess, I'm afraid I can't. Even if I could follow you back...I'm afraid I have something equally as important to take care of where I come from."

He gives her a low sweeping bow, just the same.

She rolls her eyes at the first part. Really, how could she, when she has Lance to fill the same void?

Luckily, the second part makes for a convenient subject change.

"As important as stopping an empire that's out to subjugate the entire universe, and succeeding? You know how many worlds that is, don't you?"

"Oh I know, but what good could I do for your cause? I can't become a part of Voltron. What would you have me do, be your personal bodyguard?"

"What, you think I actually need a--"

However, she doesn't look offended for long. A moment later, she's smiling. Not a sweet, heartwarming smile -- more like the smile of someone trying to butter someone else up -- but it's still a smile.

"You know, that's not a bad idea. You and I might find it pointless, but -- if I had my own personal guard, then the rest of the team might not worry about me quite so much."

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea now that you mention it. It's really take a load off of Shiro's--"

... ... ...

"Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa...hold those horses there Your Highness...I wasn't being serious, just now! You're not seriously thinking of making me...?"

"We could get you a special uniform and everything."

Frankly, she's not sure if this idea is flattering him or horrifying him, so she's treading carefully.

"Nope! No. No way. Not happening! Pass on the uniform, pass on the whole damn thing! You already grate on every one of my nerves, why would I want to be tethered to your hip everywhere you go?!"

He doesn't hate the idea. Not really. But even he doesn't know how to react to something so...personal? Just the idea of going everywhere with this loon is setting off bells and whistles and every other type of alarm in hi sounds head. So instead of stammering like a ninny, he's just going to default to being a rude asshole.

"You're assuming an awful lot here! Chief of which is the fact that I'd even keep you safe!"

"And are you going to tell me you wouldn't?" She rises to her feet. Her smile gets a little more confident.

"Because I think you have more than enough skill -- and just enough pride -- to do an incredible job. Granted, you would be difficult about it, and you would complain the entire time. But nevertheless, you would still see the job done."

And she waits to see if he even tries to claim otherwise.

"Excuuuuuuuse me, Princess! Who the hell do you think you're talking to?! And you're misinformed about one thing: I'd do it not because I want to protect you, but because Shiro would never let me live it down if anything ever happened to you!"

He gets right up in her face.

"And that's even assuming I want the job! Or that I care enough to take it! In fact, if I did take it, you'd be so tired of me you'd chase me off after a week! No, three days! If that!!"

"Why, Darin. If I didn't know any better, I would think that you were issuing me a challenge."

She smiles sweetly. "Or do you care just enough to try to prove the point?"

"Lady, you'll be tired of me after a day if I had to escort you everywhere and you know it. In fact, I would make t my mission."

Despite all of his bluster, it's obvious that her sweet smile is starting to disarm him, evidenced by the fact that he's looking at everything but her in their immediate vicinity.

"You're always assuming that I know this and that. Well, you know what? This time, you're wrong. I think having you around would be a lot of fun."

She doesn't look like she's kidding about that.

"So, you'll do it then? Because you've said I'm wrong about why you'd do it, but not that you would."

"I-I..."

He cranes his neck back and away from her, pretending to find literally anything else interesting. Also, he's doing his best to hide the fact that his cheeks are growing redder by the second.

"Wh...What the hell's gotten into you? For almost a year now you've nagged me and my lifestyle left and right and now you're telling me you think it'll be fun? G-Gotta say, Princess, you're sending a ton of mixed signals here. Why not just be straight with me and tell me this is so you can keep me on a shorter leash or something?"

"Perhaps I've just come around to reason."

Or more like, she knows a golden opportunity when she sees one.

"If you want to think of it as me supervising you to make it fit with all your suppositions about me, then fine. Do that. But the truth of the matter is that I trust you to watch my back. And on top of that, to do it without fussing over me like a toddler. So, can I ask that of you?"

Darin bites his lip and lowers his head, as if he's fighting the urge to mouth off.

In fact, he's grumbling and growling but the fact that his lip is literally pinned shut is keeping him from launching into a tirade.

Because the sad fact of the matter is that she's cornered him. He can protest all he wants but they both know he cares entirely too much about her to let any harm come to her. But he can't just admit that, in fact, his rosy red cheeks are already a surefire giveaway.

He plants his hands on his hips and taps his foot anxiously.

"...One condition."

She looks proud of herself. But more than that, she seems genuinely pleased that he's actually coming around.

"That's fair. What is it?"

He huffs and spins, turning his back to her and turning his nose up into the air.

"I'll accompany you. I'll follow you out on your daily outings, I'll go along with you on any official business you have, whether it be of royal nature or as a galactic ambassador or what have you. I'll even be on my best behavior of the situation calls for it. But..."

He pauses, thankful that she can't see the blush igniting his cheeks.

"Once a week...at minimum. We go out and do something that you would find fun. Something that isn't very "Princess-like." Expand your horizons and get out of that ivory tower of yours. Something that indulges the part of you that's confined by gowns and taffeta and royal decorum and expectations."

"You really are hung up on this, aren't you."

She gives a slightly aggrieved sigh. After all, this is what diplomacy should be about, right? Negotiation, to find a common ground of agreement. And besides, being forced to have fun is certainly better than being forced to keep out of trouble.

"Fine! Fun it is. Although I hope you realize, I'm going to have to do some research to even find out what kinds of entertainment are available to us."

"I am hung up on this, because if you think for a second you're going to confine me to a life of royal bodyguard and not find someway to make you regret it, then you don't know me at all~"

He turns and gives her a winsome smile before he moves to step by her. And only then will he add:

"I care about you. Watching you all stew without a war to fight tears me apart inside because I don't know if I can be with you to end it. The least I can do...is make your time here well spent. Worth living."

He clears his throat and continues on, hoping against hope she can see the blush that's, by now, spread to his ears.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject