It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest

[ironwood]

Characters: Anyone unfortunate enough to pass by
Date: July 20th, 2017 (2018 in-game)
Location: Water Sector
Situation: For-Con, or a Festival of Fools
Warnings/Rating: Rated D for a bunch of dumbasses
AC Note: This log is eligible for AC counts in both July and August.



The eighteenth dawns with tents and make-shift pavilions being set up in the Water District. It’s a relatively small gathering but still sizable enough that it begins to draw a bigger crowd later in the day. At it’s peak, it may be about 200-250 Kedan wandering around the tents and displays. Some seem quite enthusiastic about the whole thing, others rather bewildered.

There’s a lot available to curious attendees, such as food, games, and, of course, little trinkets to sate rampant consumerism.

-Food stalls are everywhere with Kedanese cooks preparing your favourite meals from home (or reasonable facsimiles thereof. Or barely recognizable, in-name-only attempts).

-Yep, the Kedan officially have their own version of Real-People Fanfiction. Most of it is Foreigners going on adventures with various historical or mythological figures, or fairly tame speculative fiction about day-to-day lives back in the Foreigner’s worlds. But, of course, there’s always a few oddballs. Who do the Kedan ship your characters with?

-Some talented Kedan have sculpted figurines of of Foreigners (some of whom have come and gone) out of a resinous substance. These little figurines are surprisingly accurate.

-"Guest Speakers”, or more accurately, “unsuspecting Foreigners Kyde bribed or otherwise somehow managed to rope into answering Kedan questions”. Most are standard fair, what you would expect to get asked by people curious about whole other worlds, but there’s always weirdos with no filter.

- Trinkets and memorabilia from other worlds will be on sale. Is there something you want for your character from home that you want for them but is too mundane to bother spending AC on? Here’s your chance to get it. The rule of thumb here is that the item has to be fairly mundane (for example: a photo album, a treasured piece of jewelry, a toy, a favourite mug, a pet rock, their favourite brand of shampoo). If it’s magical or high tech in some way, it will still require an item request and the corresponding AC point percentage. Please note in the OOC thread below what your characters will be getting

-Yes, that does appear to be a body pillow.

Comments

[annihilist]

I'm lurking. It's a very different pastime. What are you reading that's got you partaking in dark corners with no witnesses?

[Devin doesn't wait for an answer, pressing his speed to the point of being hard to see and snatching the sheaf of papers out of Kratos' hands before he can turn them into ash, and blowing out any singed corners as he comes to a stop.

As the vampire reads a few lines, his eyebrows go up.]

Oh, my. Oh, my. Wherever did you get this? I need to give the author my compliments.

[It's hard to say that with a straight face.]

[simulsimul]

[The damned vampire is fast enough that even when Kratos tries to yank the pages away, it's too late. Thankful that he has turned off sensations, Kratos does not attempt to snatch them back -- yet. It would be undignified. Instead he folds his arms.]

That isn't relevant.

[It would only be further encouragement and embarrassment, and that's the last thing Kratos needs. For Devin to be encouraged.]

May I have it back, if you please? I need to commit some more arson.

[annihilist]

[So this is Kratos defensive. It's almost as amusing as the blushing. He makes absolutely no move to offer the papers back, eyeing another paragraph and laughing.]

Absolutely not. Come on, mercenary. It's just a story. [He squints at the paper for a moment, and a smirk broadens across his features.] I'd make sure you had a very good time, if any of this actually came close to resembling truth rather than fiction.

But it is fiction, for the time being. Besides, what's there to be embarrassed about even if it weren't? I've easily favored the company of men over women, if that's got you bothered.

[simulsimul]

[It's not just a story, it's someone fantasising about a -- romantic -- liasion. Kratos bites down on these words, and thanks the spirits that he has his blushes turned off.]

I don't.

[This is a touch more curt than he means it to be, and Kratos makes an effort to modulate his tone toward evenness.]

With all due respect to you, I've no such interest. Though apparently I may have been giving you a wrong impression.

[There is something approaching a questioning uplift at the end of that sentence. He isn't actually sure, except that if the kedan are writing stories about such liaisons they must be getting the impression from somewhere.]

[annihilist]

[Devin made up the impression for himself, and he's not exactly been shy about it over the network. That the fantasy has reached paper isn't all that surprising, to him. Clearly, he's hit some kind of nerve, which could just be Kratos being so tightly wound that the idea of a roll in the hay with a near-stranger gets him ruffled.

Devin's going to have to milk this for all it's worth, because it's hilarious. He lets the smirk fade slowly, like Kratos' words have struck down all the mirth in him.]

Oh. I see. It's just that-- I thought-- no, I suppose it doesn't matter. [The vampire rearranges his features into something suitably upset and holds the papers out.] May as well dissuade the idea in it's entirely, then.

[simulsimul]

[Kratos narrows his eyes at Devin, taking back the papers with rather less force than he might have just a minute earlier.]

Surely you couldn't have thought me interested based on my words and actions.

[He'd been as blank as it's possible to be. Where could someone have gotten the impression of 'interest' from that?]

[annihilist]

[Devin shakes his head and manages to look just a little more deflated. At some point, he may not be able to hold back the laughter.]

Not as such, no. But you didn't seem strictly uninterested, and... there are very few people that can accept what I am. It seemed like you understood.

[He shrugs and looks away.]

Hope is a bitch.

[simulsimul]

[Well. Kratos does know what hope can do. And he really can't say that Devin hadn't made himself perfectly clear, if in a sideways fashion. Which means that Zelos was correct, a fact Kratos plans to never tell him.]

Understanding and interest aren't the same things.

[Absently he presses a hand to his chest, and is almost startled when he feels Anna's locket under palm. It's habit, but he'd already gotten used to not feeling the locket there -- since he'd given it to Lloyd. He exhales and pulls it free of his shirt to look at the picture inside, his face, for once, showing almost naked emotion: a wistfully raw kind of resignation.]

But I'm not capable of viewing anyone that way. Not anymore. The person I told you I had to kill -- the person I love -- was my wife. I'm not ready to put down that burden. Perhaps I never will be.

[How can he pretend, even for a moment, that he deserves to forget her for fleeting physical happiness?]

[annihilist]

[Oh, shit.

It's practice - and only practice - that keeps the guilt that's just dropped into his stomach from showing in his face. Kratos is not the sharing type, and everything about his body language makes Devin hate how funny he thought this whole thing was. He was yanking Kratos along for entertainment, and now Devin's trampled on his grief.

So this time, it's the gentle smile that's faked, and the quiet, embarrassed laughter that he makes fall flat on it's own.]

Well, I'm an idiot then. [He rubs the back of his neck, sheepish.] I'm sorry, you were... well, it was rather entertaining to watch how you reacted. I wasn't actually after anything, and I didn't realize you were attached.

[He finds that he can't quite keep from demonstrating an iota of care. It shows in his eyes, and in the way his tone is more genuine than it may have ever been.]

I am sorry for your loss. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone, what you had to do.

[simulsimul]

[For a moment Kratos blinks with a wordless head-tip at Devin. Then his brow furrows.]

If you weren't after anything, why would you --

[No. He knows why, even if he doesn't understand it. Zelos is much the same way. Kratos presses his hand to his face and sighs, and there's a scattered almost-laugh on it. Frankly ... frankly this is a relief.]

That's a relief.

[He doesn't know how he would have handled this if Devin had been earnest. And he can tell the difference, now, between that false disappointment and sincerity -- given the change in tone and the shift in Devin's eyes.]

[annihilist]

[Devin considers himself lucky that Kratos doesn't hit him; he might, were their places exchanged, but the mercenary isn't a little further from human than he is. He can spiral over his guilt later.]

You're easier to rile this way than any other. [It's about the only explanation he's willing to give at this point.] I believe you were planning on committing arson; best get to it.

[simulsimul]

Hmn.

[Well, he can't deny that. Anna had taken special pleasure in flustering him the same way. He closes the locket with something close to reverence and tucks it back inside his shirt, and considers the papers in his other hand thoughtfully.

[After a moment he shakes his head and holds them out.]

I find myself less inclined to arson, as I know now it isn't potentially true.

[And since it amuses Devin so, Kratos has no objection. ... Well, not much of one. He can handle a bit of humiliation in good grace.]

[annihilist]

[Kratos may think poorly of himself, but he's a better man than Devin. It was tempting to throw something horrible in his face right now, to ensure they'd part ways badly, but it wouldn't make much sense with the current direction of conversation. He'd have to stop baiting him at every opportunity that arose.]

You might want to; if any of the kedan saw us in here, they may decided to write another with a more public theme. I'd hate for anyone else in this city to have the privilege of making you blush.

[simulsimul]

Only if you intended to keep attempting so.

[Kratos examines Devin for a moment longer, and then shrugs and draws the sheaf back, pulling fire-mana to his fist. Light ripples over ground and flames burst around the pages; Kratos drops them and lets them burn out against the ground.]

I do not blame you.

[In case that's at all in doubt, given the flip from teasing to chagrin.]

[annihilist]

[Well, Devin blames himself, but that's not new. He offers Kratos a wry smile.]

How very knightly of you.

[The vampire glances out the end of the alley he's been lurking in, and bows lightly.]

Well, now that I've made a pretty fool of myself, I should take my leave.

[simulsimul]

Very well.

[Kratos inclines his head, and thoughtfully watches Devin retreat. Hm. That conversation had begun nowhere he wanted, and gone ... nowhere he'd thought it would.]

[The eye he'd be keeping on Devin might be a different one, to be sure, but still -- Kratos intends to keep it focussed in his direction.]