LATE SUMMER FAIR (NSFW DESSERTS)

[spoofer]

Characters: Ensemble cast, any/all characters of Xistentia!
Summary: The slow transition from summer leads to a fair, complete with whacky treats and activities from other holidays and festivals from around the Multiverse.
Date(s): August 26-September 2
Warnings/Notes: None, please mark your subject headers with content.

Late Summer Fair

I play my part and you play your game

Welcome to Xistentia's first fair, F.A.T.E.S.' excuse to mingle. The setup appears overnight on the edge of town, a nonsensical mash of themes and places from the multiverse. Haunted house and circus tent, facepainting, ferris wheel and carousel, game stands that seem to self-operate, dozens of empty shopfronts, self-regenerating popcorn stands. Pretty soon, however, the people start to come, bringing their own goods and wares. The population of Xistentia is 333, which is more than enough people to fill a fair.

As far as fair food goes, there are penis-shaped waffles^[NSFW] in various flavors, two-sticked popsicles for sharing with a partner, turkey legs, fried dough, cookies as big as your head, fried fish, fried lizards, glutinous fruits, and lembas.

And let's not forget, there is an abundance of alcohol everywhere. Beer, wine, you name it.

But of course, let's not forget the games. Many of them are low-key and prizes vary from the ability to change your daemon's color to any other natural hue, to free food, horrible writing pens, and stuffed animals. Games vary from whack-a-mole to bobbing for apples. Everything is free to eat, drink, and play, barring some excuses for barter with some of your friendly neighborhood natives.

Some games, however, are less casual if not necessarily more costly. The contests of finesse and strength come with special prizes from F.A.T.E.S. and...

THE WINNERS ARE

Note that the "prizes" do not stack. Runner-up winners will not get multiple of the same type of prize, and those who experience a critical failure won't suffer particularly severe consequences. If your character receives a dream or a "unique item," you will receive a reply to your comment on the mod announcement with more information.

Contests of Finesse

DARTS
First Place	Vanyel Greyjoy	The ability to "say just the right thing" once this week
Still Good	Era, Alec, Nico, Vex, Rosie, Aymeric, Jace, Amanda, Zeke, Kavinsky, Janus	Emotional intuition boost
Yikes	Magnus, Barclay	Daemons totally lose filter and start saying the most awkward shit
RING TOSS
First Place	Jace Wayland and Magnus Lightwood-Bane	The ability to "say just the right thing" once this week
Still Good	Era, Alec, Nico, Vex, Rosie, Vanyel, Rafaello, Amanda, Zeke, Barclay, and Janus	Emotional intuition boost
Yikes	Aymeric and Kavinsky	Daemons totally lose filter and start saying the most awkward shit
ARCHERY
First Place	Alec Lightwood-Bane	The ability to "say just the right thing" once this week
Still Good	Nico, Vex, Aymeric, Zeke, Magnus, Kavinsky, and Janus	Unique items
Yikes	Rosie and Barclay	Uncooperative powers (very minor, non-dangerous incidents) and accurate memory of silly dreams
SPARRING
First Place	Kavinsky	The ability to "say just the right thing" once this week
Still Good	Era, Nico, Vex, Rosie, Aymeric, Rafaello, Zeke, Barclay and Janus	Emotional intuition boost
Yikes	Alec, Vanyel, Jace, and Magnus	Daemons totally lose filter and start saying the most awkward shit

Contests of Strength

ARM WRESTLING
First Place	Ezekiel	Precognitive dream later that night
Still Good	Era, Alec, Nico, Rosie, Aymeric, Vanyel, Rafaello, Magnus, Kavinsky and Janus	Unique items
Yikes	Vex and Jace	Uncooperative powers (very minor, non-dangerous incidents) and accurate memory of silly dreams
HIGH STRIKE
First Place	Era	Precognitive dream later that night
Still Good	Alec, Nico, Vex, Jace, Zeke, Magnus, Kavinsky and Janus	Unique items
Yikes	Rosie and Aymeric	Uncooperative powers (very minor, non-dangerous incidents) and accurate memory of silly dreams

See also detailed dice roll information for: darts, ring toss, arm wrestling, high strike, and archery.

Kissing Booth

And what would a fair be, without a kissing booth?

Just like the rest of the fair, the odd thing is that there is of course no payment required.

Instead, a large and lovely lantern hangs behind the booth. It seems to glow a little brighter every time a kiss is transacted. It's hard to know exactly what this means, but considering that emotional intimacy lights the streets of the city, one might guess that F.A.T.E.S. is saving up this particular energy for something special.

But until then, it's a good excuse to make out.

Comments

closed to vanyel;

[hasitsthorns]

Vannnnnyyeeeellll, [ comes a tipsy whine from his girlfriend. Who is currently sitting in his lap, no less. Speaking of wine, she definitely needs more. Because, because- ]

I can't believe I lost everything! I can't believe Kavinsky beat me at sparring! Can you believe that? I'm stronger than a fledgling, I know I am. It was rigged! Somehow, it was. [ A positively childish pout. ] These fair games always are.

I hate it. [ If he didn't know Rose was the sorest of losers before, he's definitely learning so now. The blond sulks for a brief moment longer before turning big brown doe eyes up at him. ]

Kiss me until I feel better?

[drehnifusbahi]

[He doesn't trust himself to cast spells that require actual concentration, at the moment, or he'd summon the bottles to them - because he's not keen to stop cuddling her even for the short time it would take them to reach for their drinks. But he does, in the end, because he can never deny Rose things she wants for very long.]

The drinks being stronger than advertised might have something to do with it, too. [He theorizes; he's certainly a little fuzzier in the head than a few beers would ordinarily leave him. Not that it stops him from taking another sip now.

His free hand rubs slow, soothing circles on her back, and when she turns on those eyes on him... were he a little more sober, he might be embarrassed at how quickly he melts.] Of course.

[And, suiting words to deeds, he sets the beer bottle aside and cups her cheek instead, then leans down and kisses her, slow and sweet and a little clumsier than usual due to the alcohol.]

[hasitsthorns]

Maybe, [ she concedes, but doesn't seem happy about it. Rose herself is a little drunker than anticipated, spurred into drinking more than planned because of her consistent losses. It was Kavinsky beating her in sparring that had been the hardest blow though clearly. ]

You're the best, [ she says, perking up almost immediately. Love is one hell of a drug. Her lips curl into an almost coy smile as he obliges so quickly. If there's one thing that could turn this night around, it would be kissing the man she loves. It's sloppy and slow and sweet and perfect-

Until Apollod decides to speak. He seems rather unimpressed at his owner sucking face, opting to interrupt loudly with, ] Rose, based on your recent activity with fellow residents of Xistentia, I thought you'd like to know that Jaden Cosgrove is nearby.

[ She draws back, just enough to mutter, ]

I'm fine, Apollod, [ before kissing Vanyel again. But the daemon continues with, ]

He is mildly inebriated and likely agreeable to making out again-

[ At which point, a mental record scratch happens and she ceases the kisses to snap: ] Apollod! [ A sheepish glance at Vanyel. ] Sorry, uhm, I don't. Know what's gotten into him.

[ She's not... embarrassed about her relationship with Jaden, but. She hasn't told Vanyel (or Farraige) about this other interest of hers just yet. It hadn't felt serious enough, honestly, to be something important enough to call attention to just yet. Jaden himself wanted to keep things casual so they were. For now. ]

[drehnifusbahi]

[Vanyel, by contrast, has managed to scrape at least a few wins - but unfortunately none of his prizes are the sort that would make good presents for his girlfriend.

So, kisses it is. He grins slyly back in the face of that coy smile, lips still curved with it when they meet hers. Whatever he's lacking in finesse at the moment he more than makes up for with enthusiasm (surprise surprise), and maybe this 'kiss Rose back into a good mood' plan might have even worked-

Then Apollo speaks, and Rose has to break away to chastise him. Vanyel, for his own part, gives a soft huff of amusement. It's not a name he knows, but that's not so surprising. He's never insisted on knowing the names of everyone she was even slightly interested in, after all.

He cups her cheek and leans into it when they go back to kissing, trying to make up for the interruption. But then-] He does seem awfully insistent, doesn't he?

[That would be when his own daemon swoops down, landing on Apollo's head and lashing the back of it with his tail.] Then mine would have no other partners readily available! [Zeymahd hisses at Apollo in what it seems to believe is a whisper. (It is not.)]

Zeymahd! [Vanyel barks. There's a little embarrassment there, maybe, but it's overshadowed for now by annoyance at all these interruptions when he just wants to kiss his girlfriend in peace.]

[hasitsthorns]

I don't know what's gotten into him, [ she sighs. He's been acting up ever since she lost one of the competitions, spouting unimportant and irrelevant things. Butting into conversations and adding personal anecdotes that were unnecessary. Making everything generally awkward and uncomfortable but Rose had been able to laugh it off until now.

The dog gives a gruff at the dragon's tail making contact; he shakes his head to try and get the creature off. But what it says is planted in Rose's head. It takes root and maybe it's because of her already sour mood or the alcohol or- Who knows, really, but it grows and twists in a way she doesn't like. ]

What is he talking about? [ she asks, before she can stop herself. Looking at Vanyel now, looking for answers. ] Have you not-? Since we've been here?

[drehnifusbahi]

[Zeymahd krees sharply back, but takes off again in fairly short order to perch on the nearest inanimate object instead.

The dragon tends to be unhelpful at the best of times, and butting into conversations and sniping and Vanyel aren't entirely out of the ordinary for him either - but it's admittedly been worse than usual tonight. Ever since he lost one of the competitions...]

Well, there's been Vex-

-but not for the last two months or so. Since he decided to enter a monogamous relationship with- [Zeymahd buts in, and Vanyel turns his head to glare at the daemon.]

Thank you, Zeymahd, now stop. Helping.

[hasitsthorns]

[ Meanwhile, Apollod contributes with, ] Rose has taken to multiple people over the course of the last two months.

[ 'Multiple' is a stretch, but. There was Farraige. She had flirted with Declan, wants to make out with Jaden, met a really cute boy earlier she's already thinking untowardly about. But that's what they'd agreed, that's what-

Soon as his daemon says the word 'monogamous' she draws back from him like she'd been shocked. It only registers after that it means Vex and Kavinsky, not them, but. She can't take it back now, how much the idea of monogamy rattled her. She didn't think it what was Vanyel wanted but it still probably doesn't feel good to have her recoil in such a way at the idea of being with only him. ]

This isn't what we agreed on, [ she says, before she can stop herself. She feels- She's not sure. Guilt, definitely. Worry. She had never wanted to change Vanyel, to take away such an important part of himself as she knew following Dibella's ways was. Had she? Has she? ]

[drehnifusbahi]

[That comment causes a pang of... not possessiveness, necessarily, and certainly not jealousy. They'd agreed that this was an open relationship, after all.

Still, the knowledge that she's had plenty of other partners these last two months, combined with the way she jerks back at the mere mention of monogamy... for all that he doesn't even want it, it's an undeniable blow to his pride, to think that if he did it wouldn't be enough for her. That he wouldn't be enough for her.]

I know that! [He protests, stung, and it comes out sharper than he intended.] Gods, I'm not- if I wanted anything different [anything more] I'd say so!

[Following Dibella's commandment is important to him, of course, but he's capable of prioritizing other things over sex, when necessary - and he's had plenty of things higher than his priority list lately.]

[hasitsthorns]

[ Which isn't the case at all. Actually, it's the very fact that he would be enough that has her recoiling. Because that makes total sense, doesn't it? He'll never be though and she never wants him to be and that's- Confusing at best and causing her heat to ache at worst. And right now, she's at the worst. There's a lot of crossed wires in this moment. Logic and cognitive facilities impaired by inebriation on top of the other slew of negative emotions. ]

Obviously not! [ she snaps back, responding to the cut of his words. Not a yell, not quite, though certainly edging on it. ] And isn't that just rich? I thought I was the one who had problems being honest in this relationship.

[ One of the only things she'd inherited from her father: his silver tongue. Her words could slice when she was angry. It's one of the many reasons she hates letting hern temper get the better of her. ]

[drehnifusbahi]

[A lot of crossed wires indeed. He's wrestling with his own wounded pride, confusion that her reaction the idea of monogamy should be such a blow when he doesn't want it any more than she does (someday, perhaps, but not now), and he's half-drunk, or possibly more than half, on top of all that.

It's definitely not a headspace conducive to calm, reasoned discussion. He's not about to let that stop him from trying, though.] No, listen, that's not-

[But his words get lost under hers, and hers... well, they certainly hit their mark. And his own in response are fueled entirely by wounded masculine pride. Dragons, when attacked, have this tendency to lash out in retaliation - and he's too drunk and too angry to curtail that instinct now.]

Well, it sounds like you have plenty of other options, at least. Maybe you'll have better luck with one of them. [He's actually gone quieter, colder, face terribly blank as he plucks her out of his lap and deposits her on a nearby barrel instead, then turns to walk away.]

[hasitsthorns]

[ Even from the start, Rose has never heard his voice stripped of the warmth she'd grown to love. He was always a spot of sunshine she reveled in.

She knew he was capable of chill though from the stories of his home he'd told. Vanyel was a man with the soul of a dragon and apparently one's bite as well. His tone is bitterly cold and, worse, directed at her. She looks like she's been struck for a split second before her own anger and hurt resurges.

Hers isn't cold but fire hot and volatile. Rose tended to feel in extremes and it seems this is no exception. ] Fine, [ she hisses at his back. The woman stands abruptly to leave herself. ] I will.

[ She just neglects to mention her options of choice go by the names of Jose Cuervo and Captain Morgan. ]