genessia | Event start!

Event start!

Let the Cirque du Vrai begin!

OOC: The event starts today. It affects Attleton. Players can make their own posts and have fun with it or they can reply to this post with top levels and have fun that way! Up to you! There will be a separate log posted for the Showstopper on the 29th. If you have any questions or would like to sign up for the Showstopper, please check out the event details and remember that sign-ups for the Showstopper close tonight at 11:59pm PST.

Please note that if your character tries to enter the circus without a mask and costume (cannot be something your character already owned because it's not a disguise if it's theirs), they'll be prevented from getting in one way or the other. Don't try to get around it and don't try to be like WELL NO ONE CAN STOP MY CHARACTER!! If your character goes right past them they'll find themselves in the field the next day the second they go past the gates, capiche?? No cheating it's not fun for anyone.

As the sun sets in Attleton, a strange haze seems to glow over the barrier for a few moments before in the distance, a sequence of lights flickers on. The entrance sign first, then tents and merry-go-rounds and booths and all manner of dizzying fun illuminate just as darkness falls. It doesn't take more than a few seconds for the sounds of cheers and fun to fill the Attleton air. It almost seems like it's calling to you, inviting you in. As you approach, a man on stilts greets you. He explains that the flyers that have been floating around town with the wind and on the walls were all for this, the Cirque du Vrai! Become someone else to become yourself, step right up! You don't need to buy a ticket, you just need to buy a costume.

"There's a costume shop right next to the entrance for those who aren't prepared, and a master mask maker who will create any mask you desire, or leave it up to him once he decides what he thinks suits you. If you brought your own, that's fine too! The Cirque is here for days, there's time to spare! Don't let reservations drive you to despair! You'll miss out on fun if you let your life run all over the mystery we've so prestigiously spun. Test your skills, test your wills, find your chills, thrills, and pills. Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for is just beyond the gate! Accept who you are and you'll need none to commiserate!"

The man laughs, leaving before you can ask what that means to invite another in, and the game begins. Welcome to the Cirque du Vrai. Enjoy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kay's posture relaxes. Cassian might not trust him fully, and that's understandable, but he's bantering back and that's also a good thing.]

Promises, promises. Perhaps later we can leave the Circus. Let's see if you can get me to apologize or beg for your food.

[He's not sure why he felt like choosing that particular word, beggin, yet the idea of Cassian ordering him around it's not unpleasant. He takes a step forward when Cassian makes his request, even leaning forward a bit.]

As much as you want.

[It feels like there's a hidden challenge in Kay's choice of words, and Cassian tenses at it, his eyes darkening with a whispered thought of but what if I do? A moment later angry frustration wipes it away, angry with himself, with Kay... no, just with himself, it's not fair to drag Kay into his confusion.

He pushes away the frustration as well, forcing himself to focus only on here and on now. His fingertips brush over Kay's chin, they trail the contours of his jaw before they go up to explore his cheek, then the shape of his brow. He studies him with the intensity with which you would discover a new alien species, and he is, in a way.]

You feel so human. [But when he presses down harder the give is different, metal instead of bone. Not bad different... just different. Different's not bad to him, just a fact to be noted and filed away in case it becomes relevant later on.]

[Kay has been feeling a bit odd since he stepped into the Circus' grounds but blamed it on the fact that his cyborg body has different sensors. The new cybernetic neurotransmitters send all sort of signals to his processor, some make little sense. Like the urge to touch Cassian or hug him.

Instead of reaching out for the other man, which could startle him, Kay leans into the touches even when Cassian's fingers dig harder into the synthetic skin.]

Funny, I was about to say the same about you.

[Amusement softens Cassian's eyes.] But I'm supposed to... [Kay, on the other hand, should be all hard metal. He brings his hands up to his hair, though he has to reach far up to ruffle Kay's hair.] It feels soft. So real.

[It really feels nice touching him - strange, yes, and his brain keeps telling him that this is all wrong, but... Still nice. How would it be to hold Kay now that he has this near-human body? Or be held by him, more like it, since he is still so much taller and broader.

Cassian shakes his head and pulls his hand away, trying to shake off all these distracting thoughts.] You need to eat, and keep hydrated. And you shouldn't overexert yourself, you don't know this body's limits yet.

[For a second he's concerned the mask is going to fall off but it would have been worth it. Cassian's fingers through his hair feel oddly pleasant.]

Your touch feels nice. [Kay fidgets, his fingers itching to reach out, touch Cassian back, do something. He smiles again at the concern, it's sweet of Cassian to worry.] I can eat food but it doesn't get transformed into energy for me, I've been told this body gets powered on its own. I'll be fine. But...[He gives in, taking another step closer.]...maybe discovering this body's limits could be fun.

[His heart skitters. Cassian inhales sharply. It's another temptation laid out before him, this one more vague, and far more dangerous than the others he has faced. The others will only make him hate himself, this one... He gulps.]

Don't say such things, Kay. You don't know what you're talking about. [His voice is sharp again, but he's not backing away as he gets crowded. Not anymore. All that fight to resist has been spent hours ago on flying fists and alcohol and giving in to the lure of no longer being the perfect soldier, no longer carrying all the burdens of the galaxy. He'd fought his fight and lost it, and what has he got left to fight with now?] You've got no idea...

No, I don't yet. But isn't that the point? To figure things out? [Kay tilts his head to the side, not unlike to how his usual body moves. His readings are not so precise in the cyborg body as his droid one but it doesn't take a genius to see the tension on Cassia's shoulders.]

You are showing some signs of distress. [Hands reach out to cup Cassian's face, giving in his need to touch him more.] Don't worry. I'm here to take care of you, Cassian Andor.

[The hands lower, leaving the captain's face and wrapping around his waist to pull him into a hug.]

[He grits his teeth, because of course he is getting distressed and whose fault is that, but then Kay wraps warm, human-soft arms around him and pulls him against a body just as warm and soft and no longer oddly mismatched, with too many hard angles and jutting edges. They're a good fit now.

Cassian melts against him, he's hugging Kay back before he even knows it. His body shakes with emotion too much to bear, though he still stubbornly grits his teeth and keeps quiet. Just his harsh, ragged breathing betrays him, that and how fiercely he clings to Kay.]

You've always been here for me.

[All these years since the reprogram... His best and only friend in the rebellion and now... Being robbed of their war and brought to this place has disrupted their delicate balance, things have been changing in ways he doesn't understand. Or doesn't want to understand.]

[It's strange for Kay as well, in a good way, how they fit without little issue. How he can feel Cassian's still tense body against his own, prompting him to give the man a squeeze to show him that he's not going anywhere.]

And if I have any saying in it, I will always be. You're my best friend.

[Kay has been lost too, all those weeks in the city without Cassian had seemed like years, empty and meaningless. Now, he glances briefly at the mirror and notices that it finally shows what is actually happening in in the tent.]

[ Cassian's grip tightens a little, and he makes a soft noise at the back of his throat that sounds more pained than anything else. They don't really speak of what they are to another, they acknowledge it through their actions. That had been enough for him. But to hear it...

He abruptly pulls away from Kay. His gaze lingers on the mirror, though it holds no power over him now, it's just full of painful what ifs and memories he isn't ready to deal with. ]

Let's leave this place behind us. Maybe we can still track down some chilaquiles. Or other food. We'll get you food, even if you don't need it for nourishment. You shouldn't waste this opportunity.

[ His voice may still be a little bit shaky, but he's feeling more like himself with every moment. More grounded in this, in his real life. ]

[He let's go but it feels like, at the loss of contact, something important is being torn of off him. Kay knows it's his imagination, that his sudden need to be close makes no sense, but it still makes him upset. Which translates into him pouting for the briefest moment.]

Yes, ah...yes. That sounds good. [Kay nods, more enthusiastic about the idea and puts and arm around Cassian's shoulders. They're closer in size now but he's pleased to see he's still taller as they walk away from the mirror.] I've tried a thing called cotton candy. It's great, really sweet but it melts in your mouth. You need to try it too.

I know what that is. [ Too childish and silly for his liking, but he's willing to eat it since he will be able to share the experience with Kay. ] I wouldn't mind having some, if you can find the stall again. Did you try ice cream yet? And we should have different drinks. You need to try caf. [ Mostly since Cassian loves it, and he'd love to get Kay addicted to it, too. Then he can't complain that Cassian is drinking too much caf instead of getting sleep.

As they walk back into the circus he doesn't protest Kay's arm around his shoulders, and walks very close to him. His eyes keep going back to him, a smile showing in his gaze, and sometimes even on his lips when their eyes meet. They do look the part of the happy couple, not that Cassian is aware of it. ]

There's more than one around the Circus, I'm sure it wont' take us long to find one. [And if after trying it again Cassian doesn't want to finish the candy, Kay will do it for him.]I had ice cream yes. Did you know it tastes terrible if you mix it with french fries?

[The food betrayed him, Cassian. BETRAYED HIM.]You are always drinking it, I'm curious about caf. They make different kinds, right?

[He's pleased that Cassian doesn't push him away and Kay's matching that smile in his own face. Cassian feels just right by his side.]

[ Cassian listens to the chatter, just nodding and making sympathetic noises, and not even trying to stifle his smile. The wistful sadness the mirror had awoken in him feels ever further away as Kay keeps speaking. ]

Yes, there's all kinds of caf... we can try several, they go from bitter to sweet. I'm sure we'll find one you like. [ He makes a pained face. ] But please don't try mixing ice cream and French fries again, that's just plain horrifying, and whoever does that deserves to be shot.

[ He catches sight of a stall selling cotton candy, and prods Kay towards it. ] Why don't we start there?

[It should be wrong how natural it feels. How relaxed they are. Sure, they always trust one another adn they have been together for almost a decade but there still moments were Cassian just want to be left alone and doesn't know how to handle it. It's nothing like those times now and Kay gives Cassia's shoulders a squeeze.]

I don't know what's bitter but that sounds fine by me. And no, I learned my lesson about that one, yuck. [Kay scrunches his nose in disgust but still in a rather cutesy way, mask and all.] Sounds good, I still have plenty of money to spend.

No. I'll treat you.

[ And he quickly goes ahead, buying the cotton candy before Kay can protest. There's an almost shy little grin on his lips as he presents it to Kay with a flourish. ]

You go first. [ He presses close to Kay's side again, hip bumping into hip as he shamelessly gives in to that urge for closeness. A hand hovers over Kay's back, not quite touching, though his fingertips keep brushing over the fabric of his costume. ] We'll get you drinks next. And then more food. Circus food should be sweet, we'll find you sweet things.

Well if you insist...[Or rather, you are already paying. He takes the cotton candy with a smile that's more timid than the previous grin.]

Thank you. But later I get to give you back something nice too. [It's only fair and Kay very much likes to pamper Cassian when he can. Now that wish is stronger. Since they're so close, Kay's voice also gets softer and lower, since it's for Cassian only.]

I really wish I could try your cooking, as much as I like to pester you about it. Doing the next best thing will have to be enough for now, I want to try the sweet you like too. There's a lot of curious things to see in the Circus, maybe we could try some attractions?

[But none with mirrors, mirrors are now banned.]

I don't think I've ever been to a circus just for fun. [ And there are very good reasons why that's no priority to him, but it's hard to care about them now that K-2SO is right here, and duty a galaxy away. ] We could do... circus things. Once we have figured out what these are.

[ Cassian lets his gaze wander over the circus attractions, but his eyes keep returning to Kay. It feels like a magnet keeps drawing his eyes back, everything else just pales in comparison to his delight, and the wonder of this new human-like android body. His face is so expressive now... He's expressive even as a droid, but now... ]

I saw a stall with air guns, but that's no challenge.

We should seize the opportunity. [Who knows for how long the Circus will last or how much Kay would be allowed to stay in the borrowed android body. No time to waste.]

After observing the population here and gathering data, I concluded that doing 'Circus things' basically implies a lot of eating, drinking, laughing, smooching on occasion, and strange performances such as a person willingly leaning against a wall while someone throws knives at them. I am not particularly interested in trying that last one but the rest are good options.

[He lights up at the mention of guns, regardless of challenge, as he was putting a piece of cotton candy in his mouth.] ...mRheally?

Really. You can even win toys. I bet we could rob them.

[Eating, drinking, laughing, kissing, hm?]

Wait, you've got something... [Cassian reaches up, wiping away a little bit of sugary mass from the corner of Kay's mouth. It's so easy now. Everything is so easy, he feels so... unburdened. Earlier that had meant drinking and responding to every provocation, but now... His fingers linger a little longer than necessary before he pulls back, and self-consciously wipes his fingers on his pants.] Never mind.

The pokemons and Fest would love those. Perhaps even leave the furniture alone if we had them. I'm sure we could, let's go.

[Toys guns are still guns, so he will find enjoyment in them. Even more so if Cassian's is by his side, the man often looks his best while handling weapons. Kay stops on his feet, eyes wide behind the mask, when Cassian touches his face. It ends far too quickly and Kay's tempted to lick his finger but Cassian's moves his hand away too quickly for him to do so. Instead, Kay licks his own lips and then bites the lower one.]

Thank you. But you are not eating. [Kay grabs a piece of the cotton candy and hold it up in front of Cassiasn's lips.]

Ah...

[He just freezes, the only sign of life in him his very wide eyes. It feels like a challenge, though he doubts Kay is even aware of it. But it's a challenge... and there's no good reason to back down. Despite this resolution, Cassian gives a nervous laugh as he leans forward the tiniest bit. His lips close around Kay's now very human fingers. Sugary sweetness hits his taste buds, and he quickly withdraws, the brashness that had driven him all used up.

He chews, eyes going every which way except for looking at the man next to him.]

[For once, Kay is not actually trying to antagonize him of having second intentions. Not consciously, that's it. There's still that nagging sensation on the back of his processor prompting him to do what he wishes, to try all the things that are usually forbidden to him and to not waste time thinking about the consequences. Kay always thinks of those, far too much and too often.

His mouth feel dry as he watches Cassian, his eyes fixated on the man's lips closing briefly around his fingers. He forgets about what were they going to do next.]

[This sudden awkward silence between them feels deafening, the circus music is suddenly too loud, the laughter of the crowd too grating.

Cassian clears his throat loudly and forces himself to peer at Kay again, just from the corner of his eyes.]

We should... Caf. I promised you caf.

[That's enough to break the spell for Kay as well, so to speak.] Right, y-yes, Caf. You are always drinking that and I wanted to know how it tastes, yes, that's what we said. Lead the way...

[Oh he's babbling now. Kay grabs another piece of candy and puts it in his own mouth to stop himself from saying something worse. But then he also licks his index finger as they walk, because part of the sugar got stuck in it.]

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