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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oh man you're right i didn't even realise HAHA wow i am the worst...
The shotgun is lifted once more into a firing position against Rapunzel's shoulder. ]
Nothing. Never mind. How are you. [ .............BANG. ]
I LAUGHED...
I'm like, fine. But you aren't, sooo maybe that should be my question instead?
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Kashuu, wh– [ f-fumbling with the loaded weapon jesus!!! ] Are you crazy!? I - I could have hurt you!
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[CAVALIERLY. Apparently loaded guns being wielded by upset people with fine aim aren't on the list of things that unnerve him.]
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Apparently the vendor doesn't mind. ]
It's complicated!
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You don't have to say anything if you really don't wanna talk about it, but if it's bothering you this much, it might be better if you do. [A beat, and then an addendum:]
But if you don't, at least let me get you a candy apple or something. CERES does whatever it can to make people sad and angry, so one of the best ways to fight back is by not letting 'em have the satisfaction of seeing you down.
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Better if I do?
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...I hear humans talking about it a lot, anyway. Like, how you should talk about stuff that's bothering you 'cause it'll just bother you more if you don't.
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I'm pretty sure this will bother me either way. It has nothing to do with - with anyone else or... talking about it. [ LIAR ]
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[Since he's guessing the answer is "no"... As someone who's a tried-and-true "hold it in for 300 years" kinda guy himself, he at least understands the allure of that option.]
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Have you? Everything you said about being lonely and your master– What have you been holding inside for all the years you were alone, Kashuu?
[ Then in yet another uncharacteristically petty move, she turns away - though not before hissing a rather nasty: ]
Don't be such a hypocrite.
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(Kashuu is trusting and foolish, but he's also the child under the river and far more guarded than most people credit him for.)
Silence stretches out a little longer this time, but then:]
I have, yeah.
[Which he isn't lying about. He shifts where he stands, and if she were to look, she'd find his expression is unfittingly passive.]
I'm working on it together with someone. [It's a long process. It's painful and grueling and he's asked more than once, how do humans live like this?, but it's... a little less lonely in the end, maybe.] And it's not that bad. Not really.
1/2
But it would also be sad. ]
...I don't know how. I feel like there's - like there's so much inside me and - and people... People wouldn't believe it. Not coming from me. Mother, she– I'm overdramatic, I know it. I'm moody and weak and careless and I like other people to take care of me instead of doing things myself. I have no reason to be sad.
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How can I talk about pain I deserve to feel?
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But still, not surprising.
He knows enough about humans too, from listening and watching and waiting for hundreds and hundreds of years, to tell when words are self-born and when they've been parroted back so many times that it feels like they are when they're not. He can also hazard a guess as to where these ones come from - things that are treasured do have their unique share of trouble in the end, don't they? - but that's neither here nor there. Not his place to handle, anyway.]
You sure about that? I mean, not that you need a reason to be sad, but I dunno. Kinda sounds like you have one to me. [He steps closer, heels clicking with a certain sureness that stands out even against the din of the carnival around them, and crouches down where she's collapsed.]
Look. I'm not gonna pretend I know you well enough to say this or that. I mean, I don't even know humans well enough to give good advice! I'm not one, so there are a looot of things I won't ever get. ...But I'm pretty sure about this. If you feel bad, or if it hurts, or if you're sad, you don't need to beat yourself up over it or deal with it by yourself. You're out here with all these people, right? So that means you can make as many friends as you want, and one of the good things about friends is that you guys can help each other out when you need it. [...] You can count me in too, y'know. Even if I'm not good at some stuff, I'm pretty good at listening.
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[ This is actually false, and Rapunzel knows it. It isn't that she can't depend on anyone it's– ]
Heh.
[ She raises her head, still walking with her hand firmly in that of regret, although for a different reason this time as her eyes roam from Kashuu's feet to his head and back again, wondering what it must feel like for him to be here, talking her down off an imaginary ledge. After all he's done and seen and the horror he's lived with - loyal and steadfast, she imagines, though it's funny to imagine Kashuu that way, all serious. Still it's in his eyes: steel. ]
It's just... not that simple, you know? To - trust just like that? Everyone's trying to get home, Kashuu, not - build a new one. How am I supposed to lean on someone who might not be there someday? Someone I might have to say goodbye to forever.
[ Like Lili or Hikari or Sougo or Rock or Jaune. Or anyone of the handfuls of people she's met and cherished, all of them equally and all of them unexpected. ]
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That's the way it is anywhere you go, you know.
[Because people come and people go, and sometimes the greatest people come - ones that beckon others to put their whole selves into them, to dedicate everything they are, to write them into the pages of their own life - but those people also leave eventually. Or sometimes, they have to be left behind.]
So sometimes you gotta take that risk. I mean, I know people who don't and that's their business. [Several come to mind. He sometimes wonders if they're any happier than those who choose the other option.]
I guess everyone just decides which hurt they wanna avoid more. Leaning on someone who might have to leave, or walking all by themselves. That's something you'll have to figure out on your own. ...But you should at least know that you deserve to have someone to talk to if that's what you want.
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I'm so happy. [ Good to know because her voice on this line is flat. ] I'm scared. I... I feel like – [ Quietly, as if it were a dirty secret: ] Like I've been waiting my whole life to be this happy. To feel, for once, that the world wants me to be a part of it, and...
And that I can.
What do I do if I lose that? [ Her head swivels to the side again. She is, after all, quite literally a force of nature. It goes against her soul's nature for her to be caged and limited. ] I don't know that I could bear it. Not again. [ Wait, what? What is again? supposed to mean?
Not even she knows.
But that's a revelation for another time. ]
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I don't know.
[And he doesn't. Everyone reacts to loss differently.]
You won't know unless it happens, either. But if you're too scared about losing your happiness, you might lose it anyway, y'know? It's really hard and confusing and I don't think even humans know how to do it without being messy, but I guess that's just part of being alive and out there and part of the world.
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How... How do you find the courage to do it anyway? To live.
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In the end, his answer is sparse and bare-bones, but still completely honest.]
Living's what I do, so I keep doing it. [Because he's known death intimately, too, and that's a loneliness and pain that far exceeds all others.]
But I also like being alive, y'know? The world is reeeally big, and filled with lots of people and stuff to do and goals to make, so I don't think it's ever impossible for anyone to find courage or reasons or anything else that they want to find. Even if it's hard or painful sometimes, I think it's just... that there's a lot more things that are happy and good, see? Doesn't make the bad things go away, but it makes 'em bearable.
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You must think I'm a child.
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[Everyone's a kid to a grandpa sword... But that's mostly just a half-joke in an attempt to cheer her up a little, so he continues on with his real answer, reaching out to tentatively rest a hand on her shoulder. It's a brief touch this time, just in case she's still upset, but one that's meant to convey at least a small sense of the "you aren't alone" he's been talking about.]
But I don't think you're like, childish or anything, and it's not like I think less of you now.
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Plus: physical contact and affection...... ]
Oh - [ l-laughs ] Come on, Kashuu. You don't mean that. I've been basically trailing around after you since we met.
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I do, I'm serious! For one, sticking with people you know's normal when you get to a new place. Besides, it's not like you've been following me everywhere, and it's not like I'd mind it even if you did. [He himself is a barnacle?!] So I mean it. Promise!
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