[ step right up ϟ open ]

[kirkwalled]

Who: Hawke + Merrill + Anyone who comes to visit their balloon booth
When: IC: 6/9
Where: The Cultural Festival
What: Hawke and Merrill try to run a con. It goes just as well as you'd expect.
Rating/Warning: None!

---

HAWKE AND MERRILL

[ today at the cultural festival, there is a certain booth crammed in amongst all the other booths. it's bright and colorful and very much open to the public. the most noticeable thing about the booth are the stuffed plushes surrounding the edges -- plushes of mosley, bellona, and all kinds of fantastical creatures (dragons, unicorns, three wolves howling at the moon, etc etc). on the wall of the booth and the main attraction of it, is a wall filled with different brightly colored balloons and a sign that reads “BALLOON GAME”. pretty straightforward, huh?

then there are the two manning the booth: hawke and merrill. hawke, just as scruffy as usual with a t-shirt that reads TRUST ME, I'M A DOCTOR and merrill, elfy and pure. as your character approaches, they'll catch a conversation between the two friends. ]

You can't just tell them how to play, Merrill. It's a whole process, you have to convince them! Let them figure it out themselves and say nothing while they do it.

— But Hawke, if we don't tell them how to win, how ever will they— [ merrill's voice lowers to a slightly muffled whisper. nevertheless, she isn't being too discrete. ] Oh, I see. It's a trick, isn't it? You're always thinking ahead, Hawke.

First, thank you, I try. Second, no, no. Not a trick. [ hawke, stop lying. ] A challenge! They have to use their wits. Will the dart pop the balloon? Will they pop enough to win the prize? Will they use all three chances wisely or have to pay to play again? Only the Maker knows, of course.

But we're hoping that the dart doesn't pop the balloon, yes?

[ does this question even require an answer, merrill? unfortunately, hawke's actual answer is drowned out by the buzz of the fair but their booth is open and they're waiting for any sort of customer so, uh...

... step right up? ]

HAWKE

[ as the day goes, hawke decides to give merrill a bit of a break (or told her to go enjoy herself at the festival because she kept BLOWING THE CON -- either one) and hawke takes over the booth completely. hawke is charming and personable to those who approach the booth and encourages multiple attempts to win a prize. surely, you'll get it next time! surely. she even lets a few people win (if only to keep up the integrity of their reputation).

but at one point during the festivities, anyone who comes across hawke will find her at the booth, sitting on the table and leaning against the booth wall, arms crossed over her chest and... asleep? yes, hawke is asleep on the job.

you're welcome to wake her up. or not. you do you, friend. ]

MERRILL

[ with the culture festival wrapping up, merrill found herself levied with the grand, insurmountable task of breaking down the booth. she had to be useful somehow, seeing as how every time she cut in during a transaction, she ended up ruining the con.

this would be easy (easier, at least) if the booth wasn't so— so fancy, but unfortunately, it was way too future-y sci-fi for merrill to figure out. there were hinges in places merrill didn't know hinges could even be, and merrill had forgotten to ask hawke for the instruction manual. she decided, then, to just wing it — she moves to a nearby hinged corner and begins to fold it, when suddenly, it electronically takes over and flips wildly, causing merrill to fall on her back. damn.

when she gets up, everything looks good except... oh, well, it looks like a plush got decapitated. the three wolf moon plush was now a two and a half wolf moon plush. she grasps the head tentatively, wondering what to do now, when she sees someone approaching. she scrambles to her feet, hoping it isn't hawke.

when she sees it isn't, she sighs, holding out the... head. ]

Ah... you wouldn't happen to want a headless wolf for your, um, collection, would you? I'll gladly give it to you if you help me fix — fix this.

[ she waves over to the booth rather sadly. ]

Comments

h & m hahaha...

[sayonaradumbass]

[he's seen plenty of these kinds of booths in his day (speaking like an old man when you're actually a baby, ok), and the fact that he'll have to provide his own con isn't a surprise.

So when he saddles up to their booth, he leans an elbow down and smirks.]

Don't tell me this isn't a kissing booth.

[outcast]

No, it's a game booth.

[ said very matter-of-factly, but in a saccharine voice. ]

Would you like to play, perhaps? —I am allowed to ask that, yes, Hawke?

Hawkeye

[2cool4guardian]

[It's the dragon plush that calls Jack's attention, bringing memories of a friend now gone. It wouldn't hurt to do this gesture in his memory, right?

Right. Except the one in charge is... ugh. Hiccup better appreciates this, wherever he is now.]

So I find the boss sleeping means I get a prize for free?

[kirkwalled]

[ you love it, jack. but hawke does crack an eye open when jack speaks and lets out a grunt, waving her hand dismissively at him. ]

It means you have to pay fifteen credits for a round. Ready to try your luck, kid?

GIMME BOTH. We can do one thread or separate threads I am down with either.

[animated]

[ Charlie is well-aware that carnival games are rigged as shit. That's pretty much a law of the universe, and he's not really looking to blow his money, but the sight of a familiar face draws him over to the booth. ]

Just what are you ladies up to?

[outcast]

We're just attempting to garner some credits!

[ see, merrill, that was honest but also not too honest. do that more often, hawke would say. ]

And yourself? Aside from patroning the festival, of course.

hawke and merrill!!

[faceplate]

[ anything like this draws zero's attention, though they don't care all that much for a fair. throwing sharp objects, though, that's good. ]

Show me the arms here. [ zero... this isn't a weapons shop... ]

[outcast]

I'm afraid I haven't much muscle to show, but..

[ she'll hold out her arm and flex lightly. she's a bit too weenie hut juniors, as you might expect. ]

Hawke's arms might be a bit more exciting. They have so many scars! Mine are just a bit boring, I'm afraid.

gimme an m!

[ukakus]

I'll help you. Just— Just keep it.

[She doesn't need a headless wolf for her collection. Or, any other headless animal for that matter? She's trying to avoid making a face at the mess and failing spectacularly. Sorry, you sad, sad booth attendant.]

[outcast]

I'm not sure what to do with it, then.. I can't help but feel like he deserves a home, too.

[ he? she's gone and gendered it, so it's all over now. it was a vagabond wolf-head that would find a home, even if she had to ask everyone in the colony. either way, she motions to put the wolf's head in her bag, so as not to forget about him. ]

Well! Where should we start? I have this flap covered.

[ the one she flipped, that is. ]

hawke and merrill!

[adornmental]

[AH, IT'S THE PUNK. And a pure bean who's clearly somehow been roped into these shenanigans because Hawke is a bully who bullies...

But no, Kashuu's actually curious about this booth. He's been trying a little bit of this and that all night long, both by way of snacks and entertainment, so of course he'll be stopping by here too.]

What's all this for? Is it some kinda game?

[outcast]

Yes! A game! It's a very fair and very fun game.

[ maybe a bit too on the nose there, merrill.. she'll scamper over to the plushes and motion towards them, vanna white style. ]

Any of these lovely dolls could be yours with the low, low cost of.. winning!

[ she'd heard that before, somewhere, around the colony, but it didn't seem to quite work this time. she'd have to brush up on her marketing skills. ]

[cultivations]

[ The Champion of Kirkwall and a Dalish elf walk into a tavern...

Dorian recognizes the both of them, of course, and a part of him is a little surprised they know each other; it logically follows, he reasons -- people do tend to cling to what is familiar. Even more mysterious is how or why they've become carnival barkers. Tough times, one supposes. Or a trick of some sort. Possibly both.

He catches snippets of their conversation as he approaches, which does little to assuage his doubts. ]

Ah, yes. This looks like an honest and upstanding establishment.

[outcast]

Why, thank you! We certainly are trying.

[ sarcasm flying directly over her head aside, Merrill is happy to see Dorian! she does, indeed, feel a sort of camaraderie with him, given that he's a mage, and one not lacking in talent — the first magic user who uses it at least similarly to how she does that she'd met in the colony.

she'll wave him closer, hoping he doesn't try to skitter away before she gets a chance to have a conversation with him! and also before he gets a chance to play their game. ]

Would you like to play? I haven't tried it myself but Hawke claims it's quite fun.

Hawke!

[feminine_carnivore]

[ Games of skill and strength are exactly up Chie's alley. She's used to festival types games, catching a goldfish with a paper poi, or other stuff like that. But this is different. She watches someone else play first, and notices how enthusiastically the booth runner encourages the guy playing. But of course, he fails, and that only makes Chie want to win all the more.

Besides, it looks easy, right?

Dressed as usual in her plaid skirt and green track jacket, Chie slaps her credit card down on the counter (she's still pretty unused to using it rather than having cash) and rolls up her sleeves like a champ. ]

One try, please! I know I can do this! There's no way I can lose! [ Oh god, she's so enthusiastic but infectiously confident, smiling brightly. Could someone really ruin her dreams?! ]

[kirkwalled]

[ that enthusiasm is enough to wake hawke out of her doze and she just sort of blinks blearily at chie before rubbing the sleep out of her eye and yawning. she reaches out a hand for chie's card and pushes some darts towards her afterwards. ]

Of course, of -- [ a yawn ] -- course. Thirty credits for a round and if you hit all three, you'll get the grand prize. Let's see what you can do, messere!

[ hawke is in totally no way ripping chie off at all. ]

both... i'm so sorry

[manolia]

[Chibi's paid his ten credits, he's locked his eyes on a unicorn plush (a gift for someone), and he's ready to go. Right now. Let's do it live. In a display of confidence, he licks his fingertip and runs it over the tip of the dart...]

[Only to find out that the dart isn't sharp at all; it's gone completely flat. Chibi being Chibi, he doesn't realize this is a con, but instead assumes the two just haven't been tending to the metal properly.]

You really ought to take better care of these little ones. [And he... Takes a small whetstone from his hat, the same one he uses to sharpen his pocket knife, and starts working at it.]

[Just. Right there.]

[outcast]

Oh, my! How did it get so dull? I'm glad you have a convenient whetstone handy.

[ is she being sarcastic? is she trying really hard not to blow the con? or is she genuinely shocked by the state of the darts? who knows, but merrill is playing it off pretty well. ]

Perhaps you'll have a fair chance now! One of these dolls is calling to you. Figuratively, of course.

both!!!

[bheidh]

( She'd heard the conversation. The game - the 'trick'. It's not that unlike things that Leliana had seen, even taken part in Thedas herself. There were some that loved games, especially the dishonest ones.

It made the challenge interesting, at least. Particularly when it was a skill that Leliana had. Arrows, daggers. Piercing objects. It was one of the few things that could possibly be considered comfortable in this place. Little was so far, but something familiar - especially the faces - helped )

And how much does it take to win?

( Not that Leliana expects an honest answer, anyway. She's met Hawke before, and heard more - though how much of that is Varric's embellishing Leliana will place no bets on. Plus there's a reasonable amount of skill too, and whatever else may be in the game )

[outcast]

[ ah, it was her! the.. redhaired lady. she never got her name, but she remembers she was from Thedas, her accent one she had heard around Kirkwall from time to time; merrill associated with a certain high society type of woman, one coming to kirkwall for business ventures who seemed disgusted with the way of life there.

this woman, however, seemed different. rough around the edges, a bit like aveline. she respected that! admired it, even. she likes listening to her words roll off her tongue so much that it takes her a second to reply. ]

—Oh! I'm sorry. Your accent is so pleasant. It's only a few credits to play! Hawke?

[ she wouldn't accidentally undersell how many credits to charge (as she had many times that day), so she turns to Hawke to set a price. ]

Hawke - I'm back from con so late is better than never i hope?

[cestmagnifique]

[ A Cultural Festival seems strangely placed after the events not too long ago, but perhaps everyone needs a way to distract themselves of the horror that was witnessed. Mitsuru remembers having fond memories of culture festivals at Gekkoukan previously, and knowing that the one during her senior year had been cancelled, she decides to take part.

As a spectator, of course.

She's never heard of a "balloon game" before, but she is curious. ]

Excuse me. I--

[ Oh. Are they asleep?

That...seems to be setting a poor precedent for anyone else on the job. Even if these are volunteer positions, they are meant to be taken seriously. Mitsuru crosses her arms, staring down the sleeping woman.

Unacceptable. Especially since she appears to be a doctor. ]

Excuse me.

it's fine with me!! i've been pretty slow myself so o/

[kirkwalled]

[ hawke is definitely a doctor and that is in no way a lie, at all! she jerks away a little when she hears the sharp tone and blinks up at mitsuru.

oh no, she's hot. hawke just lets her mouth hang dumbly open for a moment before clearing her throat and flushing red a little. she sits up properly and slaps her cheeks to wake herself up. back to the con, back to the con! ]

Ah! What can I do for you, Messere? Here to play a little game? Test your skills with a... dart?

[ that seems kind of underwhelming a reply now, huh. ]

both ofc

[buttonedup]

( Cassandra had a poor enough experience at the previous carnival to be immediately leery of anything remotely similar. She already has a glare on her face as she approaches, but as she nears and -- Maker help her -- recognises the people running the booth, her expression briefly flickers into one of confusion before she steels herself and again schools herself into a look of general disapproval. )

What are you two up to now?

[outcast]

Oh! Hello, Cassandra.

[ she was used to people talking to her gruffly, even when they didn't necessarily mean any harm (like aveline).. and, of course, when they did (like fenris), so she really thinks nothing of Cassandra's typically rough tone of voice. it wasn't an indicator of her feelings! maybe. ]

We're hosting a game, here! It really was Hawke's idea. She orchestrated all of this. She merely asked me to assist.

[ that should give cass an idea of how things were going.. ]

Both??

[bewrightback]

[Phoenix happens to be wandering by, still wearing a fake beard as he goes to and from his mock trial set-up, when that stand catches his eye. And the talk of trickery catches his ear.

But he draws near curiously, raising a confused eyebrow as he takes a closer look at the set-up.]

This game looks pretty straighforward to me... [Where's the trick? Throw darts, pop balloons, get prizes. Sounds simple!]

[outcast]

It's straight as an arrow! Or a dart, I suppose, in this case.

[ unfortunately, the people managing the stand weren't straight at all. well, one of them at least. merrill was as innocent as could be, just naive and blind to hawke's crookedness. maybe hawke asked her to help because her earnestness would help put some stock in their good will.

either way, merrill's beaming as if nothing's wrong. ]

Would you like to play, perhaps? I hope the darts don't get caught in your beard.. It'd be a shame to have to cut one out.

h & m

[feytality]

[Is Maya gullible enough to fall for this act? Or will her own conning skills save her? ONLY TIME WILL TELL]

Oh, oh, is this a game? What is it?

[She's looking at those cute little dolls with interest... this would be the perfect game to make Phoenix play for her]

[outcast]

[ we will see how the card lay very soon... merrill's beaming, anyway, as if she's just as unknowning to hawke's shenanigans as maya was. ]

Yes! A game of darts. I wasn't familiar until just the other day, but Hawke explains it so well.

[ looks like you're up, hawke. ]

both please!

[extremelycute]

[Who let this small child into the booth? While Merril and Hawke are busy fielding their game to customers, Miu just slips in from the back and picks up one of the darts that hasn't been picked up yet. Hmm. Very interesting. Very stealthy, or so she thinks, though they're bound to notice her in a second or two.

She presses the dulled dart to a ballon that doesn't pop, all while making eye contact with whichever of the attendant girls is closest.]

I'm impressed. I wish I'd thought of this. It could be better, though.

[outcast]

[ well, merrill really should have been keeping an eye on the back entrance, apparently, but now this girl's here and she's critiquing their con.. she smiles nevertheless. ]

Oh! Hello, Miu. Have you met Hawke? Hawke, this is Miu. [ she picks up a dart of her own, inspecting it. ] Do you have some tips, perhaps? I'm sure Hawke would love to hear them.