[Activity] Festival of the Atom

[Leo Eskandari]

"But so what if your voice doesn't ooze sexuality. The way you make me feel is more important."

[Ainsley Green]

"But so what if your voice doesn't ooze sexuality. The way you make me feel is more important."

"Yes. I suppose.

Not sounding like Idris Elba is still a bit disappointing. "

[Leo Eskandari]

"For you and me both," he smirked.

"So! What next? You win me somethin'."

[Ainsley Green]

"Well they don't make toys shaped like poor black blokes from Lambeth. At least, not ones you can win at a fun fair.

What would you like?"

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Katarina, however, missed Jez's reaction, and so continued with the needling. "Well, Victor has promised me an army and a throne. So take that into consideration when selecting an appropriately fuzzy stuffed animal," she nodded.

"But... you already have both of those. So I have to offer you something they can't. Like deep-fried Mars bars, and throwing baseballs at milk bottles to win a fifty-cent stuffie from China."

[Leo Eskandari]

"Well they don't make toys shaped like poor black blokes from Lambeth. At least, not ones you can win at a fun fair.

What would you like?"

"Well, if you were an animal, what would you be?"

[Victor Freud]

"They had waaaaay more staying power than I expected." She laughed.

Victor grabbed Emilie's hand and tugged it, pointing to one of the little shops nearby. "Oooh, exactly what we're looking for." Between the smoke shop with the skulls on the sign and the place offering henna tattoos was a place that sold t-shirts, knock-off purses, and of course sunglasses. Because that was every bit as essential in this part of town as a kebab shop.

"I don't suppose you're looking for a new Bazinga shirt, eh?" He asked as he perused the selection of glasses, trying on a pair of tiny dark-lenses spectacles.

[Katarina Karkov]

"But... you already have both of those. So I have to offer you something they can't. Like deep-fried Mars bars, and throwing baseballs at milk bottles to win a fifty-cent stuffie from China."

"You have several other things that Victor can't offer me, either, but I shall settle for the, erm, 'stuffie'," Katarina smiled.

[Emilie]

"I don't suppose you're looking for a new Bazinga shirt, eh?" He asked as he perused the selection of glasses, trying on a pair of tiny dark-lenses spectacles.

"Perhaps to bookend that hole in my head. " She commented, picking up a pair of strawberry lenses

[Ainsley Green]

"I don't know.... a rat perhaps?"

[Leo Eskandari]

"Really?" he asked, brow raised in surprised curiosity.

[Ainsley Green]

"I dunno..... what do you think?

[Leo Eskandari]

"Assuming you mean the cute friendly kind and not the mangy sewer kind... I guess I can see it?" he answered a little hesitantly. Knowing his boyfriend didn't like his height brought into things made the choice a surprise.

[Ainsley Green]

"I suppose..... but that's the thing about rats. They're... like people.

They come in all sorts, all walks of life. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, what defines you as a street rat, a lab rat, a pet rat is out of your control.

But rats don't give a fuck about any of that, because rats know the truth: It doesn't matter how others perceive you. Rats survive, thrive, regardless of the judgement of others."

[Leo Eskandari]

Leo nodded, smiling warmly with a slight smirk, "Well, when you put it that way. I like it."

"And what does my assortment of animals say about me? I know the cliché about lions and bravery and the stubbornness of, well, anything with horns, but you probably have a better idea of how to put a positive spin on my scorpion parts. Though I'm not sure I'm all that brave."

[Victor Freud]

"Perhaps to bookend that hole in my head. " She commented, picking up a pair of strawberry lenses

"Damn, those actually really suit you. Now I gotta find an actual good pair." He poked around a bit before moving more toward the back, where the more "premium" product was being kept.

"Oooh, now this are my style, I think. What do you think? Blue? Or red? I can be your angle, or yuor devil."

[Emilie]

"Oooh, now this are my style, I think. What do you think? Blue? Or red? I can be your angle, or yuor devil."

"Blue. You must be the angle, because the devil wears a blue dress, and I'm already decked out."

[Ainsley Green]

Leo nodded, smiling warmly with a slight smirk, "Well, when you put it that way. I like it."

"And what does my assortment of animals say about me? I know the cliché about lions and bravery and the stubbornness of, well, anything with horns, but you probably have a better idea of how to put a positive spin on my scorpion parts. Though I'm not sure I'm all that brave."

Ainsley paused before continuing.

"Depending on the culture, a scorpion can be seen as a sign of death.... or rebirth. Acceptance of that which is new, and letting go of the past."

[Leo Eskandari]

"Well, that's... really damn appropriate for my whole situation isn't it?" he said with a laugh.

"Sounds a lot better than a manifestation of my tendency to try and scare people off before I get hurt, which I hope to never do to you."

[Victor Freud]

"Blue. You must be the angle, because the devil wears a blue dress, and I'm already decked out."

"Flatterer." Victor tried on the shades and looked around to try and see how much the blue lenses changed how colours appeared. "Well, what do you reckon?"

[Ainsley Green]

"Well, that's... really damn appropriate for my whole situation isn't it?" he said with a laugh.

"Sounds a lot better than a manifestation of my tendency to try and scare people off before I get hurt, which I hope to never do to you."

"Doubtful. Takes more than a stinger to shake me."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"You have several other things that Victor can't offer me, either, but I shall settle for the, erm, 'stuffie'," Katarina smiled.

"Plus, most of those other things we can't do here. At least, not without getting in big, big trouble." Jez pointed out as they walked toward the carnival games, the level of physical affection she was doting on the princess not yet socially inappropriate.

"... are those people throwing balls at... coconuts?"

[Emilie]

"Flatterer." Victor tried on the shades and looked around to try and see how much the blue lenses changed how colours appeared. "Well, what do you reckon?"

"I reckon they make you look like a steampunk villain. But I also reckon that's how you like it, so they suit you too."

[Katarina Karkov]

"Plus, most of those other things we can't do here. At least, not without getting in big, big trouble." Jez pointed out as they walked toward the carnival games, the level of physical affection she was doting on the princess not yet socially inappropriate.

"... are those people throwing balls at... coconuts?"

"...That would appear to be it, yes," Katarina said, squinting through her mask. "Though I would imagine those coconuts are...significantly heavier than the balls?"

[Leo Eskandari]

"Doubtful. Takes more than a stinger to shake me."

"Good to know," he smiled.

"Now let's go find a game with a stuffed rat. Or a mouse we can say is a rat. Seems more achievable."

[Ainsley Green]

"Maybe theres a pound-shop Mickey hiding around here somewhere."

[Leo Eskandari]

"I just pictured you in a Mickey Mouse outfit," he smirked, "Which is oddly hot."

[Ainsley Green]

"I mmeeeeeaaaaaaan he *is* incredibly loyal to Minnie. So if that's your jam, he's the OG in committed lovers."

[Leo Eskandari]

"Or maybe I just like to see you shirtless," he said with a flirtatious smirk.

As they walked and talked, hand in massive hand, a game came into view whose prize rack featured a gray plush rat/mouse about the size of a teddy bear. The game was a water gun horse race.

[Victor Freud]

"I reckon they make you look like a steampunk villain. But I also reckon that's how you like it, so they suit you too."

"But am I the despicable mustache-twirling villain, or the kind that get fanfics written about them on Eh Oh Three?" He reached into his pocket for his wallet.

"You decided on the strobberies?"

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"...That would appear to be it, yes," Katarina said, squinting through her mask. "Though I would imagine those coconuts are...significantly heavier than the balls?"

Jez tugged Katarina closer, watching some of the other festival patrons try their luck at it. It looked like each ticket got you six wooden balls, and if you knocked two or more coconuts off of their pedestals you won a prize.

"Weird. Back home we'd be throwing softballs at milk bottles." She looked over at the princess. "Is this a challenge worthy of your knight?"

[Katarina Karkov]

"Our feats of strength back home are slightly different," Katarina noted, forgetting for the moment that Jez had competed in some herself.

"But this shall do nicely, I believe," she nodded.

[Ainsley Green]

"Or maybe I just like to see you shirtless," he said with a flirtatious smirk.

As they walked and talked, hand in massive hand, a game came into view whose prize rack featured a gray plush rat/mouse about the size of a teddy bear. The game was a water gun horse race.

"I think it's safe to say I am definitely blind enough to play this... what about him?" Ainsley asks, motioning to the mouse plushie.

[Emilie]

But am I the despicable mustache-twirling villain, or the kind that get fanfics written about them on Eh Oh Three?" He reached into his pocket for his wallet.

"You decided on the strobberies?"

"Why not both?" She asked in return.

"I think so. They match my don't give a fuck aesthetic."

[Leo Eskandari]

"I think it's safe to say I am definitely blind enough to play this... what about him?" Ainsley asks, motioning to the mouse plushie.

"He'll work," he nodded.

"Want me to play against? Though it'd go faster if I let you win," he smirked.

[Ainsley Green]

"Want me to play against? Though it'd go faster if I let you win," he smirked.

"Zat a challenge? I'll best you and everyone here."

[Leo Eskandari]

"Oh, you're on," he grinned.

Soon they had handed over the requisite tickets and were waiting for other players to join in. Some kids rapidly filled in the row of mounted water guns.

"Ready to show the kiddies how it's done, babe?" he asked. He immediately felt self-conscious about his use of 'babe.' It, of course, showed on his face.

Never play poker, Leo.

[Ainsley Green]

"The crumb-crunchers and you, Tiger." Ainsley replied, shrugging off Leo's nervousness as he took up his seat at a gun.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"Our feats of strength back home are slightly different," Katarina noted, forgetting for the moment that Jez had competed in some herself.

"But this shall do nicely, I believe," she nodded.

Jez paid for her turn and got her six balls, already slyly gloating about how big of a prize she was going to win. Which made the outcome all the more surprising. Three complete misses, twice she hit a pole and made a coconut wobble, and on the one throw when she did hit the coconut she only succeeded in making it turn on it's stand.

"This... is a lot different than cans or milk bottles." Jez said with flushed cheeks, not realizing how embarrassed she looked by her poor performance. She immediately began to reach into her wallet for another try.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Our feats of strength back home are slightly different," Katarina noted, forgetting for the moment that Jez had competed in some herself.

"But this shall do nicely, I believe," she nodded.

Jez paid for her turn and got her six balls, already slyly gloating about how big of a prize she was going to win. Which made the outcome all the more surprising. Three complete misses, twice she hit a pole and made a coconut wobble, and on the one throw when she did hit the coconut she only succeeded in making it turn on it's stand.

"This... is a lot different than cans or milk bottles." Jez said with flushed cheeks, not realizing how embarrassed she looked by her poor performance. She immediately began to reach into her wallet for another try.

"Ah, the sloth of the decadent west, claiming another victim," Katarina teased.