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

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.

[It's not such a sore spot, really, but Arthur himself tends to be a private person, and he really doesn't think any further explanation is necessary.]

You have every right to feel that way, people should not be taken unwillingly and unknowingly. But as long as the threat remains, he's dying. He will die, just as all the rest of his kind have, if we don't stop this creature. Asti is genuinely kind, and he cares about our welfare. This world would be... much darker, without him in it.

[This time privacy counts. Maybe not always, as Tony does have a habit of forgetting where his boundaries are when he feels like he should know something, but for the moment he respects Arthur's right to his own business.

The rest makes him feel guilty for his last statement. Arthur seems like the type that always takes the high moral ground, and as impractical as that is, Tony envies people like that for their ability to do it. And he's right. Asti is in danger. They've seen it. And if it were anyone else--if he were human--would Tony have said the same things? There's something in Arthur's choice of words that touches a familiar chord too. It reminds Tony of home and people he knows.]

Yeah. I don't agree with the way we're being kept in the dark, but I'm not blaming Asti for that. I just wish we knew what was really going on. It'd be easier to help everyone if they told us the whole story.

[The funniest part is that he's not nearly the most morally sanctimonious person on the Justice League. Out of all of them, Diana is probably the only one more likely to kill if necessary, though it often isn't necessary.

Basically though, Arthur's always had a soft spot for sea life, no matter how big it is.] You and me both. The Emperor has been largely uncooperative, as far as I know. The most information I've seen distributed by the palace came from Evandau when they were calling people in to investigate things. Before that, I got the most leads from speaking to Asti directly. I can only do that when he... facilitates it, though.

[Sea-Papa is protective of the ocean life. Yeah, he understands that.]

The Commander? I've talked to him a little. He seems like an honest enough guy, but there's no real way to be sure. I take it that the Emperor doesn't really have time to waste on our trivial affairs?

[Isn't that always the way? Entitlement is frustrating. Yes, even to Tony who has lived with that kind of privilege for much of his life. He doesn't like the attitude. He's used to dealing with it, though.]

A few other people told me that they could speak to him too. Is that through telepathy or something else?

From what I hear, she's prone to leaving a lot of things out, for whatever reason she may have to do such a thing. I can't say for sure, I haven't bothered to talk to her. [How does he people? Can he just talk to the fish instead? Someone should give the Emperor a pet goldfish and then they can learn all kinds of stuff.]

Not telepathy, dreams. You don't want to try direct telepathy. [A slight cringe.] It's an interesting experience, but largely unhelpful. Basically though, we can't initiate the conversations.

Never?

[Tony sounds surprised, but he hasn't really made an attempt to approach the palace yet either. He's thought about it, but he hasn't gone to an audience. It's avoidance, really. But no one he knows has really pushed him to take that step, so he just hasn't gotten around to it yet.]

So you can't use telepathy on him, but he talks in your dreams. I can't usually do either, so I'll take your word for it. Did he have any advice for us?

Not yet. Didn't seem like there was a point when I was just hearing that she's a pain in the ass to deal with.

[And he sounds like he has experience with pain in the ass royalty. Because he does.]

...He doesn't want anyone to give up their life for his. He was very clear about that. Even he doesn't know much about the threat, or getting rid of it.

You never know. [Tony says that offhandedly and lets it drop off without a reply. He doesn't want to bother with the Emperor that much either.]

Isn't that kind of why we're here, though? Giving up our lives?

[The question sounds light and innocent, and even Tony's expression seems oblivious to the implications of what he just said. But maybe the casual air hangs just a bit too freely and his posture is just a little too at ease even in the air. No one can be that absent, right?]

I thought that's what we were born to do.

I'm sure the Emperor would say so. [He doesn't seem too fussed at the idea of dying either, honestly. Been there, done that, seen it a million times over and lost most of what he ever had to live for.] I don't believe that, though. There's a balance in all things, including between self-sacrifice and self-preservation. Even dying for a good cause will cause someone else pain.

Would you give up your life so easily, if there were other ways?

[Tony takes in the question before answering. It could be because he's comfortable with his answer. After all, Arthur can't see his expression and he keeps his voice even enough that he doesn't sound like he's hesitating.]

I don't like giving up anything if I can help it.

[He chuckles.] Can't make it too easy on them.

[He doesn't blink at the pause. It's a difficult question for some people, and years ago, he might have answered it differently himself.]

No, we can't. We also shouldn't make things too hard on ourselves.

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