[Activity] Festival of the Atom

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez tried not to smile too much. As far as disguises went, it wasn't too bad of one, even if it made the princess look like a highschooler loitering outside of a Hot Topic.

"If this was an American carnival, ooooh the stuff that you can get deep fried. I guess you're off the hook, this time." No deep fried butter or Twix-stuffed bacon-wrapped Twinkies... but it should be a fun day all the same. the girl reached out and touched Katarina's shoulder. "You doin' alright sweetheart?"

[Katarina Karkov]

To Katarina's credit, she only jerked a tiny bit when Jez tapped her on the shoulder.

"Y-yes. I'm doing fine. It is good to get out," she said, lying optimistically.

[Ashlie Minamida]

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.

A woman in a simple, casual white linen suit steps out of the beer garden, holding a small (plastic) stein of beer in one hand and a partially eaten soft pretzel in the other. She seems quite pleased with something as she pauses right outside the entrance before stepping fully into the busy flow of the crowd. She takes a very deliberate sip from the beer and ends up with a slight foam mustache that almost matches her white hair that glints oddly in the sun.

[Will Stanton]

A woman in a simple, casual white linen suit steps out of the beer garden, holding a small (plastic) stein of beer in one hand and a partially eaten soft pretzel in the other. She seems quite pleased with something as she pauses right outside the entrance before stepping fully into the busy flow of the crowd. She takes a very deliberate sip from the beer and ends up with a slight foam mustache that almost matches her white hair that glints oddly in the sun.

"Enjoying the local color, are we, he...Ashlie?" Will said with a slight laugh, dropping the title.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

To Katarina's credit, she only jerked a tiny bit when Jez tapped her on the shoulder.

"Y-yes. I'm doing fine. It is good to get out," she said, lying optimistically.

Jez moved in nice and close and took Katarina's hand in hers.

"Remember, if things get too much for you, you let me know."

[Katarina Karkov]

Katarina nodded. "I am alright. For now, at least. And I am trying."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Enjoying the local color, are we, he...Ashlie?" Will said with a slight laugh, dropping the title.

"Indeed. I've had little opportunity to actually partake in anything like this in any meaningful way. Beer is more bitter than I would have expected for such a popular drink."

[Will Stanton]

"That's especially true over here, though. British cuisine, am I right?"

[Ashlie Minamida]

"So I'm told but I don't have many reference points to compare. Or perhaps you Americans aren't used to the lack of processed sugar in everything."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Katarina nodded. "I am alright. For now, at least. And I am trying."

"I'm proud of you, babe." Jez interlaced her fingers in Katarina's and began to guide her toward the entrance and the attractions within.

[Will Stanton]

"So I'm told but I don't have many reference points to compare. Or perhaps you Americans aren't used to the lack of processed sugar in everything."

Will giggled a little bit. "I haven't lived in America in a couple billion years. The accent's just sticky, is all."

[Katarina Karkov]

"I'm proud of you, babe." Jez interlaced her fingers in Katarina's and began to guide her toward the entrance and the attractions within.

"We shall see if that lasts the night," Katarina said, under her breath, as she followed Jez in.

[Ainsley Green]

"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.

"Try again. You're still adjusting after all."

[Leo Eskandari]

He nodded and imagined himself using his quills like darts. Breathing out, he threw the second dart. The dart popped a balloon but from the look on his face, it wasn't quite the one he was aiming for.

"Better at least..." he said, unsatisfied.

His third, however, hit a high-value red balloon.

"Finally hit what I meant to," he said a little more happily.

[Ainsley Green]

Ainsley's face lit up as he clapped merrily for his boyfriend.

But also because he was fairly certain he was gonna get something good.

[Leo Eskandari]

Leo smiled.

"Hrm... not enough for the lion. Think I'll go again now that I know what the hell I'm doin'."

He surrendered a few more tickets and went again. He scored a green and two reds, producing a proud grin on his fuzzy face.

"One jumbo lion, please!" he requested.

Upon receiving it, he held it out to his boyfriend. "One substitute me, as promised," he said happily.

[Ainsley Green]

Ainsley made greedy little grabby motions as Leo handed the toy over.

"What should I name him?"

[Emilie]

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.

In a pair of neon pink heart lenses and a dress matched to Victor Emilie followed along quietly, nibbling on her cone of cotton candy. Her pastel Vans hinted she too was looking to get into a bit of activity.

"So where we goin' now?" She asked, semi distracted by the flurry of the carnival.

[Victor Freud]

In a pair of neon pink heart lenses and a dress matched to Victor Emilie followed along quietly, nibbling on her cone of cotton candy. Her pastel Vans hinted she too was looking to get into a bit of activity.

"So where we goin' now?" She asked, semi distracted by the flurry of the carnival.

"Well, I think you know what I'm after." Victor said as he nodded in the direction straight ahead. "But there's lots of good distractions along the way. Maybe I can win you some star-shaped glasses or something."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"We shall see if that lasts the night," Katarina said, under her breath, as she followed Jez in.

Jez either didn't hear it, or didn't choose to acknowledge it. At the same time another of herself peeled off to go see if there was anything she could do to help out at the festival.

"I'm gonna win you a big dumb stuffed animal, and I'm gonna make you carry it around all night." She teased.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Going to feats of strength so early, are we?" Katarina smiled. "You don't have to try to impress me."

[Leo Eskandari]

Ainsley made greedy little grabby motions as Leo handed the toy over.

"What should I name him?"

Tapping his chin in thought, he said, "Howabooouuut... Rory?"

He gave a cheesy smirk.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez couldn't help but grin. "It's all part of the experience. Gotta impress the girl."

[Katarina Karkov]

"To ward off other suitors, right?" Katarina smiled back.

[Emilie]

In a pair of neon pink heart lenses and a dress matched to Victor Emilie followed along quietly, nibbling on her cone of cotton candy. Her pastel Vans hinted she too was looking to get into a bit of activity.

"So where we goin' now?" She asked, semi distracted by the flurry of the carnival.

"Well, I think you know what I'm after." Victor said as he nodded in the direction straight ahead. "But there's lots of good distractions along the way. Maybe I can win you some star-shaped glasses or something."

"Or, wait, maybe those ones with the year number on them? That would be aces."

[Ainsley Green]

Tapping his chin in thought, he said, "Howabooouuut... Rory?"

He gave a cheesy smirk.

Ainsley bobbed his head back and forth."I like it.

Where is he from?"

[Leo Eskandari]

"Somewhere with a goofier accent than mine," he answered as he moved his bulk out of the way of future players.

"Maybe he's Cockney," he smirked.

[Ainsley Green]

"Ohhhh." Ainsley furrowed his brow, trying to piece that out.

"Oi, pipe down you lot!" He mimicked a bit more gruffly.

It was an *ok* accent.

[Leo Eskandari]

"I didn't know you could do accents with mindspeak," he chuckled, "Though I guess it fits with bein' able to speak different animal languages."

[Victor Freud]

"Or, wait, maybe those ones with the year number on them? That would be aces."

"And quite fashionable for at least a decade, I'm sure."

Of course, they could always just hit up a stand that actually sold sunglasses, of which there had to be at least two... one probably next to stall selling bootleg t-shirts of various unlicensed characters smoking spliffs.

[Ainsley Green]

"I didn't know you could do accents with mindspeak," he chuckled, "Though I guess it fits with bein' able to speak different animal languages."

"Exactly.

Different breeds speak in different accents. At least, that's how my brain interprets it.

Different species, different languages."

[Leo Eskandari]

"So is the British accent I hear from you what your voice would sound like, or is that what lion sounds like?" he asked with a playful smile.

[Ainsley Green]

"The one you're hearing now?" He asks.

"Well now that's a real kicker, cuz I don't know what I sound like to you right now. I don't even know how your my thoughts translate into brains like yours.

Maybe it's just my inner monologue. Or *maybe* it's what *you* think I should sound like."

[Leo Eskandari]

"You do sound like a typical Lambeth guy, which doesn't disprove that idea. But I choose to believe I'm hearin' the genuine you."

"Also, if I were imaginin' you an accent I think it would've turned into a sexier one by now," he said quietly, grinning impishly.

[Ainsley Green]

"My voice isn't sexy?

What quality does it have?"

[Leo Eskandari]

Realizing he had put his foot in his mouth, he stammered, "Well it's... it's, err... well, it's kinda... well, nerdy."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"To ward off other suitors, right?" Katarina smiled back.

Jez tried to hide her reaction to the mention of other suitors, but it might not have worked all that well. She felt sick to her stomach just thinking about it.

"Right, of course. I'm your knights of the round table, after all."

[Katarina Karkov]

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.

[Ainsley Green]

Realizing he had put his foot in his mouth, he stammered, "Well it's... it's, err... well, it's kinda... well, nerdy."

"Oh." He commented simply, uncertain of how else to comment.

[Emilie]

" And quite fashionable for at least a decade, I'm sure."
.

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