Carnival Meme

[21stcenturyguy]

Step right up, folks! It’s a non-terrible AU Crystallis carnival! No Calamity, no Palitutu, no dead or crystalized friends. Just some good, old-fashioned carney fun.

• 1. Food: We all know why we’re here, and it’s deep friend and on a stick. Sample the local delicacies, like kupo nut funnel cake, deep fried Touch Me-nuggets, chocobo egg custard, and Marlboro tentacles on a stick (warning: may cause Poison).
• 2. Games: They’re rigged, and the prizes are cheaply made, but it’s a point of honor. Only the best and most skilled Heroes can win the prized Fat Chocobo Plushie!
• 3. Rides: Aqures Ixen doesn’t have much by way of roller coasters, but there are chocobos with brightly dyed feathers and even a modified magitek unit for kids to ride on. Maybe some Heroes will lend their various mounts?
• 4. Contests: There will be dance-offs, bake-offs, eat-offs, craft-offs. Whatever your Hero knows how to do, do it best and you may go home with a blue ribbon!
• 5. Music and Dancing: There’s a small dance floor set up, and some locals are playing their instruments and singing. Anyone who wants to can join in to dance or play. There’s been enough drinking and merriment at the carnival so far that nobody will care if you suck or not.
• 6. Charity Events: We have to think of those poor Hypello families whose boats have been commandeered by the Heroes of Light. Help raise money to get them back on their sea-legs by volunteering at the Kissing Booth, Pie Throwing Stand, the Dunk Tank, Face Painting Stand, or other such carnival staples. Won’t you pleash helpibble the Hypellosh?
• 7. Fortune Telling: Come have your fortune told by the great yet tiny tarutaru mystic, Madame Fortururu! (Accuracy of the fortune is NOT GUARANTEED)
• 8. Tunnel of Love: Yeah, there’s not actually a stream flowing through the middle of the city…but in AU-qures Ixen, there totally is. Float along in a scuffed-up old swan boat with that special guy or gal, and think to yourself, what a wonderful world.
• 9. Other Assorted Merriment: Make up your own carnival prompt.

Comments

6. Charity

[rialynn]

Oh...! That's incredible!

[Rialynn has never seen a balloon before. They haven't been invented yet in her world, and what she expects to be a thick bladder-like sphere is shockingly light, and feels fragile to the touch. She's even more amazed when he shapes it so cunningly, and laughs as she takes up her 'weapon.']

Where did you learn to do this?

[Some titters catch her ear, and Rialynn looks back to see some of the ladies at the kissing booth eyeing Ramza, and exchanging not-so-subtle words that it might be nice to have at least one man there to draw in passing females, that he's quite handsome and would be sure to earn a lot of gil. She surreptitiously sidles right in front of him, trying to block him from their eyes as if that will surely solve the problem. Never mind that she's only 5'3", and neither as tall nor as broad. But she's trying to protect him anyway, he'd surely get suckered in with the 'for a good cause' bait. She speaks a little more loudly, trying to make sure he doesn't hear their obvious schemes that they definitely want to be overheard.]

SO! Business is good?

[zodiac_brave]

[Yes, someone else who appreciates the magic of the Balloon Sword. Ramza is so proud of his balloon-smith skills.]

The hypello who owns this 'Balloon cart' taught be when I volunteered. She can make dogs and hats and other such things. She told me I had a talent for swords and snakes, and that I should 'focush on my schtrenshs'.

[That is, she had not thought he could handle the harder shapes, but had not wanted to quell his enthusiasm. It was very diplomatically done.]

Business has been very good. [He nodded toward the gil till on the cart. It was partially full of shining gil coins. He did not even notice the talk at the kissing booth. Assassins and monsters, he could pick up from any direction, but gossip and suggestive talk tended to go right over his cow-licked head.]

[rialynn]

That's great! What do the snakes look like?

[Because that sounds really easy.]

[Well if he's not going to pick up their hints, they're just going to have to be more aggressive. One of them starts to approach, and another is close on her heels. HORSE APPLES. Rialynn's hands fly out to turn Ramza in place in an attempt to herd him along toward something safer.]

Well hey, there are some other exhibits here, have you had a chance to check them out? You might be able to better sell your balloons somewhere with...uh...more people.