tushanshu_logs | Event

Event | Yard Sale!

Characters: Come one, come all!
Date: July 21st - July 27th
Location: The City of Keeliai
Situation: The rationing is officially lifted and the kedan are celebrating by conducting one citywide yard sale! Think big! Think small! Think tribbles! Think all!
Warnings/Rating: Tribbles. Lots of tribbles. Please indicate content warnings in subject headers as applicable.

The morning of the 21st kicks off with heralds roving about the city of Keeliai to declare that the rationing edict has been lifted and that citizens no longer have to contribute one-fifth of their productions (juulan or physical goods) to the communal stores maintained by the police force. These announcements trigger a state of celebration across the city as kedan drag months worth of hoarded items to the street to sell, steal, or trade in a wave of mercantile goodness that stretches for nearly a week. Not even the rising tide of tribbles seems to dampen their spirit, with kedan citywide finding new and inventive uses for the fuzzy paperweights.

Characters are free to do as they will during this event, with police oversight relaxed in the aftermath of the long rationing and strained relations. Impromptu sales out of suites will rarely be inspected and purchase made elsewhere are no longer monitored. Everyone is taking a breath of fresh air, so to speak, and most do not want their first fun in months to be ruined.

OOC: See the OOC announcement for details and this post for subheaders in which you may ~~wreak havoc~~ celebrate the lifting of the rationing. Feel free to start your own thread header if you like! <3

Fire Sector | Earth Sector | Metal Sector | Water Sector | Wood Sector | Other

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Tony is helping too. And by helping, he's actually just trying to herd some of the tribbles out of the streets and pathways so they don't clog traffic and create a fire hazard. The ceremony is more like a city-wide spring cleaning, but it's not completely foreign to him. They had garage sales, after all. He knows what they look like. It's just more elaborate than most people put effort toward.

When Tony gets to the shell's edge, he's toting a large pile of tribbles he collected crammed into a blanket. The suit at least makes it easier for him to haul them away from the more populated areas. He doesn't see Arthur when he flies overhead, distracted by the squirming fuzz hanging under him. He probably would have thought better of his plan if he had, but instead he drops two corners of the blanket and lets the furballs drop out.]

[And seeing that? Someone flying overhead and just casually dumping a load of live tribbles into the water? Has him on his feet and scrambling for the water, trident in hand, voice booming out with a surprising loudness. When you're a king, you learn to project.] What the hell do you think you're doing?

[He wasn't expecting to butt heads quite that quickly, although Tony did have at least a passing thought that this might not be the best method for clearing the area. He didn't think about it long enough apparently, because the guy below him looks like he's going to skewer him and serve him for dinner. He lands nearby, but not near enough to be in range.]

Uh, just out getting some air. There a problem?

[If he did, it wouldn't even be cannibalism, Tony. Keep that in mind.

But yes, he does look furious, standing waist deep in the water with trident in hand, staring out at the sea instead of Tony.]

You're tossing a bunch of live pests into the ocean, we have a problem. You need to wait for the predators to come around or you're just littering and potentially causing issues for the other species. [Are those fins (albeit strange fantasy-land versions of shark fins) out on the horizon, occasionally skimming above the surface of the water? Yep.]

[If he did, he would find Tony was a hard bite to swallow anyway. Just, you know, if it came to that. For the moment, Tony is putting on his diplomatic hat, because there's a chance he won't have to fight this one out.]

Well, to be fair, they don't have any limbs. I doubt they're going to organize a mass invasion of the waters. I thought maybe that the local wildlife would...

[And his eyes catch sight of the fins approaching.]

Uh. Are those friends of yours?

[Thankfully it won't come to that. Really, it probably won't even come to a fight unless he catches Tony doing it again. Arthur tends to be loud, and he gets frustrated with surfacers thinking they can just dump their trash in the seas, but it's something he's reluctantly come to... not accept, really, nor condone, but to expect.]

Need I list possible effects on the local marine life? They continue to breed and clog the waters and eat native fish and plantlife. They die and rot and release non-native bacteria. They agitate the fish with that god-awful noise- [And that is half-shouted toward the water and the sinking batch of tribbles.] -thus driving them away. It's bad enough that I'm already disrupting the natural order of things by feeding these thrice-damned creatures to the predator species, but it has to be done, as long as it's a controlled process.

Yes, actually. [He slides farther into the water, swimming out to meet the pod of shark-like creatures, who seem as tame as anything with him, but... well the tribbles aren't so lucky.] They were too far out to notice.

[Tony's not exactly contrite, but he's not going to push this further just yet. Arthur kind of distracted him with the sea creatures and lecture on marine ecosystem.]

Well, no, but they're not going to breed if the fish eat them. Although I can understand why you'd complain about the noise. That could rival some sonic blasts if you just turned it up a bit.

[He takes off, keeping above the water but hovering so he can see the sharks.]

Nice trick. Does it work on other things?

[At least he seems to have listened to some of it, maybe. That's more than most people. And especially more than the people running around demanding to free tribbles, saying they deserve to live too and that they're lives just like anything else! (Don't make him laugh.)]

Most of the smaller species won't touch them, and it's the smaller species that tend to stay closer to the shore. [Poor things, they don't much like the furry invaders. Though he shudders at the thought of turning up the sound on the tribbles.] Let's not test that.

It isn't a trick. I asked them to come. [One nudges against Arthur's hand before circling underneath Tony, fin breaking the surface of the water.] He's wondering if you're a bird, for the record. Apparently he enjoys bird.

[He listens to and misses more than people realize. They always seem to assume he's paying attention to the wrong points. Currently, Tony is watching Arthur and trying to figure out where he's from. Which means making semi-polite conversation.]

So I should have flown further out. I guess that makes sense. I thought they'd just drift out to sea if they caught a current. And I wasn't planning on using them for that. It's pretty useless unless you managed to change them individually. Not very cost effective.

[The circling fin honestly has him nervous, but like hell he's going to be scared off.]

Asked? You mean they talk? [There's doubt in that question. But he goes with it.] Unless he likes getting a mouth full of metal, I'd recommend sticking with the fur buffet.

Farther out, and waited for them to gather first. I've been feeding them at dusk, so they tend to come closer around then. [Keeping it at a set time keeps them from expecting it elsewhen, or from deciding to show up and snack on some kedan or foreigners instead. Arthur is good, but when a creature's biological imperative is to eat, it can be difficult to stop.] And I only toss out as much as they can eat.

[Arthur focuses on the circling shark for a moment, and it turns around in a manner that could almost be considered huffy to join its brothers in feasting on tribble. He seems to be relaxing slightly as the problem is being taken care of.] All creatures have a voice, just not ones humans can understand. Marine telepathy. More useful than you'd think.

Yeah. Uh. I'll remember that next time. [Nope. He's totally forgetting it already. But at least the shark thing isn't planning on eating him.]

No offense, but aren't fish stupid? I mean comparatively.

[Tony's at least not picking a fight. He's still prodding, because he's curious and the best answer for that is to ask more questions than the other person can stomach. He's at least not getting too out of hand. Not yet.]

They can't be great conversation partners. Although you're right about it being useful. They really cleaned the mess up.

[That just gets a look that says 'you better'. Dickish as he might seem sometimes, he wields his perceived authority comfortably.]

Not really. It depends on the species. I find them better conversation partners than most humans, especially whales and dolphins, though of course things like microbes and coral polyps have very little individual sentience. [He reaches out casually to stroke his fingertips along one of the sharks' side.] You've never met a telepath?

[Yeah, he's definitely got a familiar attitude. Not necessarily in a bad way. Tony stays out of reach, still not trusting the sharks, but not retreating either. Now that he has an idea of where the limits are, he's more comfortable.]

That's not what I said. I know telepaths. But talking to fish isn't the same thing. I'm pretty sure.

[Which then brings him back to the question he wanted to ask from the beginning of the conversation. He's just been holding back.]

Where are you from? My name's Tony by the way.

[He quirks an eyebrow.] It's only a few steps away from that sort of telepathy. [He and J'onn used to complement each other pretty well, helping to bolster each other's abilities. And though he may not be very good at the mind reading, he can still do things like induce seizures in white Martians.]

Atlantis. Specifically Poseidonis, from the world with a Superman, not the one with a Namorita. [It's not like it's really a big secret.] Arthur Curry.

Atlantis. Right, well, that explains it.

[Tony could try to look more surprised, but it doesn't seem like Arthur expects him to be anyway. He chuckles, saluting with a gesture that's less than official. At least Arthur can't see how much he's grinning.]

Iron Man. Tony Stark, from the world with a Namorita. Can I call you Arthur? It makes things easier.

[He looks down at the water around the Atlantean, weighing his position.]

They aren't going to bite me if I come down, right?

So your surface news reporters come up with terrible names, too. They stuck me with 'Aquaman'. [He's just assuming it was the press, anyway. Most of the 'something'man names in his world are newspapers-given, like his own and Superman.] And please do. I have a lot of names, Arthur is the easiest to remember. Do you prefer Iron Man or Tony?

[He bends over a little, practically nose to nose with one of the shark creatures, stroking the side of its body idly with one hand and looking it in the eyes.] Probably not. They enjoyed the food and hope you'll bring more tomorrow, so eating you would be counterproductive. Just don't make any sudden, thrashing movements.

[There's a muffled noise behind the faceplate that Tony hopes isn't too pronounced as it comes through the speakers.]

Uh. Well it originally made more sense...

[Maybe he should just sweep old nicknames under the rug. Like Shellhead. Arthur would probably find that one equally as terrible as his superhero identity.]

Depends on what I'm doing. Tony is fine. It doesn't really matter.

[He doesn't have anything hidden in his name at the moment. Even if he could resume the whole bodyguard act, it would be busted wide open within minutes. Tony lessens the output on the jets so that he lowers toward the water.]

How about if I bring them food further out tomorrow? Provided they don't eat me.

[And he can't help but ask:]

How many names do you have?

[Arthur tilts his head slightly at that. Oh, did he pick his own name? Huh.] Well, I can see where it makes sense. Metal, and all. It's a suit? [Whoops might be talking to a robot???]

Tony, then, and code names in the field. I know the drill even if I don't have a secret identity. [He still thinks it's kind of stupid though. Then again he's an incredibly public figure and how do you hide the fact that you have gills?] That would be acceptable.

[The shark creatures, as they finish their meals, start to gather a little closer, curiously, toward where Tony is lowering. Arthur just hums.] Several. Arthur Curry, Orin the Second, Aquaman, and [And here he makes a series of noises rather like dolphin clicks.], mostly.

[Okay, yes, that's kind of embarrassing. Tony has to admit that his naming trend hasn't always been the best. But to be fair it was a tense moment. And from the heart, if that means anything at all.]

It's a computerized suit of armor build out of nanotubes. A smart suit.

[He nods, feeling the irony in that answer.]

Well, mine isn't that secret anymore. It used to be. I sort of blew my cover. A few times...

[Because nothing in Tony Stark's life can ever be consistent. He's trying to balance being closer to the water and staying out of jumping distance from the sharks in the water when Arthur lists off his names. The last one nearly makes Tony lose his balance in the air.]

Uh. You sure those are all names?

Sounds useful. [He's not even going to question that. Nanotubes? Computerized smart suits? Sure, why not, his team's headquarters is on the moon. And it's no weirder than motherboxes.] Does it go underwater? If so, could have used you when the satellite crashed.

No judgement here, I never had one. Too many other things to worry about. Besides, it's important to be honest with yourself.

[This is Arthur suppressing a snort. Might have done that on purpose.] It translates roughly to 'Swimmer'.

Yeah. It's made to withstand deep sea pressure. Well, to a point.

[He's got going to go trench diving, but he can reach the ocean floor in many cases.]

I wish that I had seen it. From what people have been saying, it was unlike anything on the turtle now.

[Tony is still hovering, so thankfully Arthur can't see his face when he talks about being honest with himself. He's gone back and forth with the whole secret identity game. It's hard to tell just how honest he feels sometimes. Time to change the subject.]

So some dolphins named you?

It was. I salvaged a lot of it from the crash site underwater, but surface tech obviously isn't my area of expertise. [He's pretty much just making conversation at this point, occasionally reaching out to stroke the fin of a shark that swims close enough to him. Half his attention is on them, half on Tony. It's hard to hold an out-loud conversation and a telepathic one at the same time.]

Mmhm. A pod of them took me in when I was a teenager.

So you were adopted by dolphins.

[Even with the speakers making his voice come out flat Arthur can probably hear the tone in his voice. It's a very dry tone.]

What about your parents? Or... you don't have to answer that one.

[Tony can tell Arthur has other things he'd rather worry about. It's kind of like talking to Thor. Or Steve some of the time. He's there, but only as a minor factor.]

Are you worried about going back?

[And in return, he'll glance upward and give Tony an answering flat look.] We're living on a giant sea turtle that can communicate with us through our dreams, and you think dolphins taking me in is weird? My parents had passed away. I was on my own. [A light shrug. Unlike certain other heroes, he isn't hung up on being an orphan.]

About going back home? I'm not... worried, necessarily. I have business to take care of, but I want to be here for Asti's sake. This is where I should be right now. [He says it easily, as if all the mysteries of the universe have been solved and he knows all the answers. It's indisputable fact that comes from easy confidence and faith.]

Why not? One thing being weird doesn't make another thing any less-

[Oh. Shut up, Stark. He cuts off when Arthur explains what happened. He's only insensitive half the time. Ish. And when Arthur moves on, Tony decides that the best response is probably to do the same. Arthur doesn't seem to avoid the subject, but it's still not something he needs to go digging into.]

You think so? I know they brought us here to defend them from the big evil or whatever it is the Emperor is fighting, but I'm not sure we should be anywhere. No offense to Asti, but then again I can't talk to him.

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