Bright lights! An abundance of color! A cacophony of laughter and delighted (?) shrieks! Welcome, everyone, to the carnival! Enough of those nonsense protein shakes and that hoity-toity recycling; it's time to let loose, have some fun, and live a little! No judgment will be allowed today, not when everyone’s dressed up in ridiculous costumes and eating those unnecessarily huge turkey legs (it... is turkey, right?). For you see, CERES has invited the Traveling Circus of Tjghsldiwk (they hail from a different planet, but here's a hint: the h is silent) to bring some joy to the colonists. This is a safe place to let your inner wild child out, really. Definitely safe. Promise.
Yet for those who are a little less easily convinced to follow the sounds of laughter and amusement (bless your sensible hearts), they will find themselves grabbed and forcibly dragged by a pair of friendly souls in matching costumes. Everyone should be able to enjoy the festivities, don’t you think? Can’t have them missing out on all this jolly good, innocent fun!
The Public Announcement System crackles with... well, a fit of coughing first. But then a gravelly voice speaks! It seems the ringmaster has an announcement for you all. What joyous news can he bring?  Listen... I know that we’re supposed to keep these idiots entertained for at least another day or two but the machinery’s starting to complain. I think I heard the gates of the petting zoo groan – they’re on their last legs.
... Wait, this isn’t the direct line
Oh.
Ohohoho!! Have a great time, everyone! Everything is perfectly fine!
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PHASE I [ 11 00 ] Come one, come all!! There’s quite a large amount of people here, isn’t there? You’ll find yourself tugged this way and that – up until you get dragged right into a changing booth. The helpful attendant meets you with a worryingly large grin – how is her face not breaking? – before pushing you right through the curtain. Then you’ll be given your choice of one of these lovely garments to change into. Look, one of them has to match your skintone, right? Don’t be picky about it! You also have... 90 seconds to figure out how to wear it before you’re tossed out into the middle of the crowd again. Have a good festival!
If you’re not willing to put on the outfits though, that’s fine. Instead, they’ll top you off with a cape and crown, shoving you out onto a... stage? Your adoring public cheers for you, yells your name, and throws confetti in your honor! Then a jester appears again, announcing your grand title:
The Ugliest in All of Cerealia.
Don't worry, that's just your introduction to the carnival; enjoy the rest of your time here! (They may or may not have given you back your clothing.)
PHASE II [ 1600 ] Do you hear that? Cymbals crashing together, trumpets blaring off-tune, the march of absurdly tired feet – a parade is coming! Best move off to the side before an acrobat quite literally tumbles into you. If you are an unfortunate casualty, they’ll actually just start to fall asleep on you because they’re tired… so very, very tired.
Yet the parade continues to march on without them and you can let yourself be distracted by the impressive jumping around and festive partygoers (who seem to be joining in the parade as they please, in various states of undress). But be wary. Distraction will only make you easier prey for the very hungry caterpillar that’s coming up the street next. Run if you can, but it has so very many legs and it’s coming after you.
For those unable to make it away from the caterpillar, they will find themselves gulped right into its gross, drooling mouth – and about five minutes later, they’ll be released out again onto the streets covered in a pink slime. It looks like you won't be able to free yourself from the stuff, so hopefully you can find a friend to get some help! Or one of the strangers around you? Unfortunately, when a kind soul finally comes by to pull you out of the slime, they’ll find that the outside of the gunk is not only immensely sticky but also slippery. If they're not careful, you'll both end up stuck to the gunk together.
You both better get out of that stuff quick because once someone joins you, the slime starts to move. Quick and gooey, it'll pull you and the hapless soul with you down the street at a much too quick pace. Hopefully you won't slide into too many people as you skid your way through the streets of the Entertainment District like some sort of demented Katamari Ball. This is why you should never trust giant bugs!
PHASE III [ xxxx ] In a smaller booth, toward the outskirts of the carnival, some may find a familiar face manning a quiet little shack on her own. Although those who have been in the colony long enough may have first encountered her as an 8-bit version of herself, Aria the fortune-teller is now back and more than willing to drag unsuspecting people into her hands again. Once you step into her stall, she takes one long look at you before sliding over a fortune cookie and a mask. What do you mean you didn’t ask for a mask? That's too bad, because it's yours now. She won't say anything more than that, giving nothing more than a quiet dismissal with a hand and an enigmatic smile to match.
When you step back outside, you’ll find that you just can’t get rid of the mask. If you toss it into a trash bin, it’ll be right back in your pocket. Throw it at a friend? It’ll be in your hand in the next second. Throw it away enough times and it’ll suddenly plant itself on your face -- which leads to all the alien carnival goers in the nearby vicinity suddenly going still with fear before moving to get as far away from you as quickly as possible. Well... you seem to be able to take it off for now if you still want to enjoy the carnival. It just won't go away, and every time you try to throw it away, it'll attach itself to your face. Might as well just keep it.
But... still, it's strange how none of the aliens running the carnival will look you in the eye now, isn't it?
PHASE IV [ 1200 ] For those who aren’t interested in dealing with the abundance of people, there’s also an assortment of critters gathered around for the petting zoo! They all seem to follow a general theme… kind of. That might be floppy ears and a tail if you... squint. The alien staff is right there and quick to ask you not to worry, they're perfectly harmless -- they don't eat humans! It would be bad for their diet, so feel free to pet them, if you can gather enough courage to do so.
Unfortunately, it seems as though this part of the circus was not put together very well; the rickety fences and cages don't really seem to do much against these giant...creatures. Towards the end of the circus' time here, it looks like those cages will start breaking down more and more, too.
The animals rattle the makeshift fences of the petting zoo, until finally, the fences just... collapse. Oops. The ground shakes as the animals stomp and immediately move to break out of their little ring. Well, would you look at that? You’ve apparently found yourself in the middle of a little stampede -- and those warnings about these animals not eating humans doesn't seem to hold much weight when now they're looking at you -- and they look pretty hungry.
BONUS [ why o'clock ] Left and right, there are voices shouting for your attention. "Hey pretty young miss!" or "Excuse me, you stud!" or "Look at this, jackass!" – that said, aliens think that you all manage to look the same, so who knows if they’re yelling at you in particular – and they’re all daring you to come and try your hand at their carnival game.
It’s run of the mill stuff: shooting games, tests of strength, and knocking down a couple of milk bottles. You might actually be doing well! Or... you might be embarrassing yourself in front of whatever cute person you’re trying to impress! But regardless, in the last allotted ten seconds of your game, no matter what, you’ll find your point score plummeting right into the negatives. Did you get a bullseye? What do you know, that’s now worth -1000 points! You missed? -5000 points.
The stall assistant seems to be having a grand old time, laughing at your pain and when the clock finally runs out, they'll give you a large grin. "Look at that score! Well, you know what that means, don’t you? Now, we win you!" With that, metallic tentacles suddenly sprout from the booth itself, looking to capture you and whoever you’re with. Welcome to the carnival, now you're one of the prizes. And it seems you'll be here for quite some time. That is, of course, unless someone can win you back from these really horribly rigged games.
Looks like you'd better get comfortable hanging motionless from a display, like an oversized stuffed animal. You'll be here for a while.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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WILL HE... will he!!
I'm starting to think you don't actually own any normal stuff after all.
[HE'S TEASING THOUGH... Even if it's kind of hard to tell, ah.]
probably not at the rate we're going lbr. alas poor Yuri
Wha-- I do! [KASHUU PLEASE?] It's this place! I don't dress like this by choice. [She says this firmly, because honestly, who would?] The booth has my old clothes, you'll see. If.. we can find it again.
[She looks at Kashuu expectantly, as if to ask, 'you will help, right?']
her wardrobe will live in infamy
[ALARMING. Was Yuri's whole wardrobe lifted and she's just trying to play it cool?? A mystery...
But of course he won't leave her floundering on her own in this, so he'll meet that expectant look with a nod.]
Let's go take a look! And if it's the same guys who stole mine, we can beat 'em up. [Which is a step above stabbing, his first choice.]
she didn't ask for this life
She rubs her arms self-consciously and there's a vague feeling of sulkiness around her.]
...I'll leave the beating up to you. [Yuri you're supposed to say VIOLENCE ISN'T THE ANSWER or something wha--] I don't know how to fight if it isn't against a ghost. [And if she doesn't have her camera... She feels a little useless when she says it like that. How often are they going to go up against ghosts??]
TOO LATE...
Okay, I believe you. [HE DEFINITELY DOES... 100%. He has faith, Yuri, in your potentially nonexistent wardrobe.
But he'll nod in response to that, clearly a-okay with the notion of just destroying some carnies.]
I'll do a good job, pro-mise! [Though that other addendum has him pausing for a second.] D'you know any hand-to-hand or something?
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[The question surprises her a little, but she figures it's logical to ask after her admission.] No, I don't. [She shakes her head.] I guess I never had to learn it before. [A pause and she adds] I suppose I have to start learning, right? It'll be useful here.
[She crosses her arms over her chest, thinking about it.]
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But there's a natural follow-up to that, too, and Kashuu responds without hesitation.]
You can come to the dojo that my comrades and I built, if you ever wanna learn stuff like that. We teach a bunch of different sword styles but also some hand-to-hand combat and defense!
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Do you practice with-- yourselves? Ah, is that weird to ask...? [She glances automatically to Kashuu's hip where his sword--er, self??--usually sits] Could even I wield you, some day?
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Sure! You're a friend, so you're welcome to come. It's open to the public anyway, y'know? And it's not weird! [Or at the very least, a ton of people ask similar questions so he's used to it. His sword is still there at his hip, and he rests a hand against the hilt briefly.] We do, yeah. Unless we're training beginners, then we just use shinai or bokuto like everyone else!
[As for that question-- It's not like he trusts just anyone to even hold his vessel, but he's already seen a lot of Yuri in the small amount of time they've known each other.
Still, he can't help but tease a little...]
I dunno, I'm preeetty hard to handle. You'd have to work hard so you don't cut a finger off! [RUDE.] ...But I wouldn't mind letting you wield me once you train up a little. You'll treat me well, right?
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She drops her hand to her side and rubs her arm to distract herself.]
Ah, well-- [She feels her face heating up instantly; emotionally distant as she can be, she recognizes the tease when it comes.] Of course. But I don't think you're that delicate. You could handle rough treatment once in a while, right?
Besides, I think I could handle you well enough. You'd behave for me, right? [TWO CAN BLAME THIS GAME except she's more-or-less serious about it; she glances at him and then quickly away.]
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But I guess I can try to behave, if it's for you. Just don't be too rough, okay? I may not be fragile, but I like it best when people are gentle with me!
[Now's also probably not the best time to offer this, when he's being a merciless punk and Yuri needs to hunt down her clothes and there are rude carnies trying to pedal their wares around them, but-- He did notice the twitch of her fingers. Since it's something he's seen before, he also knows it's a signal to slip the sword from its spot at his waist and hold it out.]
Here. If you've never fought hand to hand, you've probably never held a sword before, yeah?
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She starts and stops a few sentences, stammering inelegantly before she goes quiet and swallows hard.
She inhales sharply at the offer, surprised despite herself. She reaches out a moment, then hesitates, uncertain.] Is--is that alright? Isn't it strange to... hold you like this? Do you feel it? [But Yuri reaches out again anyhow, fingertips brushing over it-him?- in reverent awe.]
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It's fine! As long as you treat me nicely, I don't mind. [She can even take it if she wants! He's holding it out to her, palms flat like an offering. All teasing aside, he does trust her to treat him with care.]
I can feel it, yeah. I guess you can say the blade's more important than the sheathe, but they're both "me".
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At least this is offering her a distraction form her current state of undress, which is something. She picks the sword off at the reassurance, visibly starting at the weight.] You're heavier than I thought you'd be. [Rude...??
She handles it--him?? god it's weird she doesn't know which version to use--carefully, gently turning it over to examine it. Her fingers trace over the sheathe, her attention concentrating fully on every detail. At length she grips the hilt and slowly tugs the sword part free (that took a little more effort than she initially thought it would too).
She's no expert, but--] It's beautiful... [She drags her thumb over the flat side, and then, curiously, over the blade. Which predictably slices her thumb...Gj Yuri. Somehow the idea of 'yeah this is probably really sharp dumbass' didn't quite cross her mind-- or, rather, she was curious as to how sharp. There's a slight twitch and a frown, but otherwise she doesn't seem to mind.
It just serves as an uncomfortable reminder of the memories gained from the shrine maidens she 'glanced' at, of a blade shoved through her back, the taste of steel in her mouth, the flash of metal before the edge comes over her eyes--
Yuri blinks slowly and moves her injured thumb away to avoid getting anything on him.] Ah, sorry-- I'm going to end up getting you dirty. [It's almost comical how legitimately concerned about this she is, considering he's, you know. A sword that's killed a countless number of people and doubtless been stained with more blood than this.]
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He always enjoys watching people who look at him like this, or who handle him with this much care, and he's finding that he doesn't at all regret allowing her to hold him. Her fingers are gentle and the compliment earns her a fleeting but proud smile - something that seems to say good eye without being quite so arrogant.
But before he can say any of that out loud, she's-- actually cutting herself?! He'd just been kidding about that losing a finger thing. Yuri!!] Hey— [And then she's talking about getting him dirty like a little dribble of blood is going to do that...
But, more importantly!!] Are you okay?! You should be more careful! Geez— [And he's reaching for the hand she's cut to inspect it and see how deep the slice is.] Let's find you some napkins you can wrap this in until we can get you a bandaid.
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Her brow furrows slightly when she looks at the blade again, a spot or two of blood still manages to find its way on it.] I'll clean you. There's a special way to do it, isn't there? Will you teach me? [She's so serious about this even as she lets him take her hand.] I-- [Yuri hesitates a moment, worried that what she's about to say will come off as Too Weird.
But Kashuu's always been so thoughtful of her, teasing aside, so... Her voice lowers, softens] I want to take care of you. If I'm going to wield you some day, if you were serious about that, I don't intend to let you go for anything. I'll choose you every time, so... I'll learn and do my best. [She remembers the memory she saw. The broken sword tip, being tossed away. She knew a similar pain (or was it selfish to try and compare the two?) and--
And she was possibly taking this more seriously than she should, but she looks at Kashuu and the corner of her mouth gives a hint of a smile] You're beautiful, Kashuu. I don't want to be someone unworthy of that and ruin it.
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But really, that's-- more than he expected. He had been teasing a little when he talked about her wielding him someday, not in that he wasn't serious about letting her try but because he figured it wouldn't be a very big deal or a terribly serious thing. The way she's talking makes it sound like she already thinks he's precious, though - even when she hasn't wielded him at all, she talks like she knows he's worth something before he even has a chance to prove it.
He's not sure how to react to that, and the surprise is written on his face.]
Are you serious...? [And then she calls him beautiful, what the heck - she'll choose him every time? And everything about being unworthy-- Kashuu shakes his head, holding a hand up. It's definitely a little too much for him.]
—Hey, hey! I only choose the very best, you know! [Which is a roundabout, clumsy and awkward way of saying "you aren't unworthy", but he can't phrase it better than that. His bravado can only take him so far, though - he finds himself stumbling over his next few words.]
But— really, like... ["Are you serious?"] ...I mean, yeah. Yeah, if you really want to wield me someday, I'll teach you what you need to know about cleaning and all that stuff. So, um— [Lord, he's too flustered. AN ABRUPT SHIFT IN TOPIC--]
Even if that's shallow, you should stop the bleeding.
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