[Activity] Festival of the Atom

[Narrator]

The van(s) carrying XU students to the festival let them out at a park that had been transformed into a colorful, enchantingly chaotic fairground under a strangely localized night sky, allowing it to glitter with the artificial brightness of carnival at all hours. It was full of people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and elemental compositions looking for a day of entertainment. Clearly all were welcome at these festivities. There were probably even a few normal humans milling about but it was hard to know.

From the Ticket booth, there were three paths that the map on display showed re-converging and splitting again to form a sort-of double-helix shape with open areas in the middle and one where the curves meet. Or perhaps it was two eyes?

To the left of the middle path which split down the center on both "eyes" was a bustling outdoor market where mutant-run businesses, mostly of the local variety, offered goods and services. Among the most popular were a fortune teller, a tattooist, and a terrakinetic sculptor turning colorful stones into custom artwork.
Down the middle of the first "eye" was a carnival midway with a dedicated food court in the center. The second half of the middle path contained the rides, centered around a very imaginative funhouse with different features at different times, presumably because the mutants powering them couldn't maintain their portion of the attraction all day without a rest period.

To the right were the entertainment venues: small stages, a dance hall, a puppet show, and others defying quick two word descriptions. A litany of buskers were present to keep people entertained in between the full acts. There were many telekinetics, some fire breathers, and at least one mutant claiming to be able to eat anything with ease.

Scattered everywhere were food stalls full of creative snacks and sweets, the preparation of which were often an attraction by themselves. The most popular by far was a mutant going by the title of a 'sucrose-kinetic' who was spinning candy floss into works of consumable art.

And last but not least was the large stage at the center of everything where some kind of electro-swing band from Genosha was currently playing. The stage itself was decorated with strangely colored plant growth, which pulsated with bio-luminescence in time with the music. Like all good swing bands are known to do, a makeshift dance floor had been set up for visitors to show off their moves. The whole affair was what a person from the late 1930s might imagine a dance hall on an alien planet would be like.

(Wide open. Feel free to narrate any individual attractions you have ideas for or make any spinoff thread you wish. Basically, a community coming together for a few days of extravagant fun and free expression in celebration of everything that makes them special. A good opportunity for XU kids to be as publicly mutant as they wish.)

[Leo Eskandari]

Leo, who had come dressed in an ornate red top and flamboyant brown sarouel pants was among the first to exit the vehicle(s).

"Wow... this is..." he said with amazement before he even fully straightened out from the hunching he had to do to get out, "Totally wicked freakin' awesome."

His accent even flared up.

[Ainsley Green]

Ainsley's brightly colour hightops hit the pavement with a thump as the much smaller boy jumped out of the van after his boyfriend.

"Welcome to the freak show." He replied in a jovial manner, adjusting his bag on his shoulder.

[Leo Eskandari]

"Let's go let our freak flags fly then," he grinned, visibly excited by the spectacle laid out before them.

[Drake Martin]

Drake stepped out of the van and immediately returned to dragon mode.

"Then what are you waiting for?!" Drake asked energetically, running ahead and letting out a whoop.

[Robin Stanton]

"I knew it!" Robin exclaims mere moments after hopping out of the van and surveying the fair and setting her eye on the mutant creating cloying cotton-candy creations. "So you exist here too, my arch-nemesis!" she glowers dramatically, then loudly mutters under her breath. "Candymanceeeer!"

[Leo Eskandari]

Leo looked back at Robin with a raised brow.

"Candymancer?"

[Robin Stanton]

"Candymancer." Robin confirms with a grim tone and a nod. Then she bursts out laughing. "No but seriously I bet that guy's stuff is delicious. Could you imagine? Someone calling themselves the Candymancer?"

[Leo Eskandari]

Leo chuckled a little, then shrugged.

"Though... considerin' the endless parade of weirdo supervillains in the world... is it really so farfetched for one to pick a name that dumb?"

[Robin Stanton]

"Yes." she says, dead serious. Is she kidding again? Hard to tell. "Anyway, I'm gonna go see if he'll sucro-kinesis it straight into my mouth!" she grins and off she goes to bee-line for the cotton-candy-man.

[Drake Martin]

Drake was already there watching the mutant fashion a candy dragon that looked suspiciously like himself. Because of course he asked for that.

Accepting it, he said to it, "My what a distinguished gentledragon. I almost don't want to actually eat you. Almost."

[Leo Eskandari]

Leo looked to Ainsley and said, "Well, let's go have some fun before meetin' up with your friends."

[Ainsley Green]

"Sure thing." Ainsley replied, taking his boyfriend by the hand to mill about.

[Narrator]

The entity Drake addressed was masculine in appearance wearing a boater's hat, a candy striped vest, and a pale pink set of trousers and dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was rather predictably set up with loads of sugar, stacked on a pallet to keep it safe from the elements, and the paper cones one came to associate as the handle to a candy floss. He wasn't given much else, but then again he didn't need it.

"Take your time, start at the bits you're less attached to." He quipped back, then turned his attention to Robin. "Hello young lady." He replied, tipping his hat to her.

[Leo Eskandari]

The couple unknowingly followed close to Robin, Leo entirely distracted by the sights, sounds, and smells bombarding his senses. The way his nose and ears were twitching about made this fact all too obvious.

[Robin Stanton]

"Take your time, start at the bits you're less attached to." He quipped back, then turned his attention to Robin. "Hello young lady." He replied, tipping his hat to her.

"Yo. I have a request almost as gauche as Mr. Narcissism here. Cotton Candy, right here." she says, pointing at her mouth. "Bonus points for loops and swirls, but the relevant part is the sugary goodness, straight to my system."

[Drake Martin]

"Hey, it's not my fault dragons are awesome," Drake said before biting off a sugary appendage.

[Narrator]

"Take your time, start at the bits you're less attached to." He quipped back, then turned his attention to Robin. "Hello young lady." He replied, tipping his hat to her.

"Yo. I have a request almost as gauche as Mr. Narcissism here. Cotton Candy, right here." she says, pointing at her mouth. "Bonus points for loops and swirls, but the relevant part is the sugary goodness, straight to my system."

He smirked, and was more than capable of pretending he hadn't been asked this before.

"Weeeelllll, I can do that. But what kind of tip are we giving for such special attention luv?"

[Robin Stanton]

"You tellin' me that spectacle's not advertisement enough? Fine, 15 minutes of cajoling, coercing and cadoodling of customers to this here fine service." she says, twirling around and her torso elongating a good 3 or 4 feet until she's towering over the crowd and swaying in the non-existent breeze, waving her arms around that are turning into wafts of what at least looks like cotton candy.

[Narrator]

The Candyman laughed at her antics.

"Alright luv, I suppose that trade's fair enough.

Brace yourself!" He replied, readying to aim for her gob while she was up there playing wacky waving inflatable arm man.

[Ainsley Green]

The couple unknowingly followed close to Robin, Leo entirely distracted by the sights, sounds, and smells bombarding his senses. The way his nose and ears were twitching about made this fact all too obvious.

"You okay luv?" Ainsley asked, concerned about his boyfriend's twitchiness.

[Leo Eskandari]

Ainsley's voice in his head snapped him back to his senses.

"Huh?" he asked, taking a moment to become present, "Oh. Yeah. Just... a bit much goin' on for my wild side."

[Ainsley Green]

"Anything I could do to help you focus?

[Leo Eskandari]

"Just keepin' me occupied until I get used to all the input should be enough."

"So maybe, like, let me win you somethin'," he said, looking down the midway.

[Ainsley Green]

"Alright... but the Midway is on the honour system with our kind.

Meaning you're not allow to do any feats of strength games." He smirked.

[Drake Martin]

"You tellin' me that spectacle's not advertisement enough? Fine, 15 minutes of cajoling, coercing and cadoodling of customers to this here fine service." she says, twirling around and her torso elongating a good 3 or 4 feet until she's towering over the crowd and swaying in the non-existent breeze, waving her arms around that are turning into wafts of what at least looks like cotton candy.

The Candyman laughed at her antics.

"Alright luv, I suppose that trade's fair enough.

Brace yourself!" He replied, readying to aim for her gob while she was up there playing wacky waving inflatable arm man.

"And people call me a showoff," Drake smirked before biting the tail off of his candy double.

[Leo Eskandari]

"Alright... but the Midway is on the honour system with our kind.

Meaning you're not allow to do any feats of strength games." He smirked.

Leo gave an exaggerated sigh, "Oh alright, I guess I'll do it the hard way."

[Victor Freud]

Victor was dressed more like he should be working one of the stalls than attending as a guest, the almost fluorescent pink of his suit jacket made him pretty easy to pick out in a crowd. Between the navy dress shirt, faded pink skinny tie, white slacks, and pink Chucks it almost looked as though someone had hit the randomizer button on a character creation screen. Maybe it was the well-worn newsboy cap that brought it all together, or just the way he held himself, but somehow it just worked?

The sight of so many mutants enjoying so many festivities did make him feel good, but that wasn't the real reason he was here. Oh sure, he'd hit up a few games, try some food he'd regret, all the good carnival stuff. But there had been one real reason why he'd came, and that he could just make out over the sound of the crowd. The stage was at the other end of the helix, and that was his destination. Everything else was secondary.

[Will Stanton]

Will -- well, a Will, at least, who knew how many of the fuckers were planning on coming down here? -- looked more dressed for the beach than a festival, though he pulled it off, somehow. A tatty straw hat, purple flowers ringing it as decoration, hid his mop of green hair; his white tank top provided contrast to the red and gold sarong worn low on his hips.

He walked slowly through the center of the path, checking out the market and the buskers as he strode barefoot through the festival.

[Ainsley Green]

Leo gave an exaggerated sigh, "Oh alright, I guess I'll do it the hard way."

"How's your hand eye coordination?"

[Leo Eskandari]

"Hasn't quite lined up with the new hands, but it's pretty good."

[Ainsley Green]

"Sounds like that's the way to go, keep your eyes out for darts."

[Leo Eskandari]

Leo wandered around until he spotted a dart game. He pointed it out and laughed when he saw that one prize was a big plush lion.

"Well, isn't that just perfect?" he cackled with a smirk.

[Ainsley Green]

"That giant fluffy space eater shall be mine."

[Narrator]

Will -- well, a Will, at least, who knew how many of the fuckers were planning on coming down here? -- looked more dressed for the beach than a festival, though he pulled it off, somehow. A tatty straw hat, purple flowers ringing it as decoration, hid his mop of green hair; his white tank top provided contrast to the red and gold sarong worn low on his hips.

He walked slowly through the center of the path, checking out the market and the buskers as he strode barefoot through the festival.

As Will wandered taking in the carnival festivities, he would eventually come across a pair handing out some form of flier. There were lot's of these, but this particular pair stood out due to their matching themed outfits. They were both dressed in elaborate getups that were difficult to pinpoint into a category, but existed somewhere between Neo-Victorian and steampunk. The feminine one's outfit was themed to the character 'The White Rabbit'. The masculine one was a bit harder to pinpoint, but his pipe seemed to indicate he was supposed to be The Caterpillar.

These two were posted up at the exit of a beer garden which had an 'adults only' sign at the entrance and an ID checker verifying ages at the entry point. It seemed likely whatever they were advertising was meant for a mature audience, being that their placement was so deliberate.

[Leo Eskandari]

"That giant fluffy space eater shall be mine."

"And, hey, if I fail you've still got this one," he smirked, thumb pointed at himself.

[Ainsley Green]

"Mmmm...... Still feel like i need a facsimile, in case you're busy doing hero shit."

[Leo Eskandari]

"Alright then, let's do this," he said before approaching the dart game.

He handed over the red carnival tickets required for the game and took up a dart. After some experimentation, he found the right way for his big beastly hands to hold it.

"With any luck, I'll hit something I'm actually supposed to."

His tongue stuck out just a little in concentration as he lined up his shot, which was hard with a lion's snout in his field of vision. He let it fly...

... and hit no balloons.

"... stupid sausage finger slipped..." he grumbled as an excuse.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez was still out by the vans, looking through the little duffel bag she'd brought with her. Given that she had volunteered to help at this thing, and had other duties as well, she couldn't really outfit herself in one way and just let however many copies she made do their thing - they needed their own special equipment. Nothing too serious, but she liked to be prepared. And it helped to have a few things that she thought that Katarina might need.

[Katarina Karkov]

Katarina...err...a totally random girl was ALSO there, stepping out of the vans, an Xaviers hoodie pulled up and cinched tightly over her head. The faint glint of metal from the protective mask could still be seen, if one looked closely.