E: Pride - Blog Posts
Mantis watched Kwannon with wide, curious eyes, sensing the depth of his emotions. She tilted her head and took a step closer, her voice soft and filled with empathy. "Your words, they carry weight. This must have great significance for you," she commented with a warm smile, wanting to let the other know that they could speak more freely, should they choose. She smiled warmly, reaching out a gentle hand towards Kwannon. "Have you been by the stage yet? There's a dance floor and everything!"
No one quite grasped how monumental these celebrations were. For Kwannon, anyways. The narrower the world had become; in terms of connection and information, the broader acceptance and living in wholeness had become. Just within his own cultural difference, they weren't allowed to display such intricate and intimate moments. Then again, he was raised to be a blade and refined like Damascus. Pressurized and resilient like diamond. "I'm sorry," he pauses. The faux glasses pushed upon the bridge of his nose. Mouth certainly ready to collect the sweetened confection of American cotton candy. He anticipated the over-saturation of sugar and wanted nothing more in the moment. His tongue hefts as he freezes where he stood. "I don't think you all understand how pivotal this parade is. I encourage you to celebrate and ...," Eyes shift down to the myriad of spun strands, immediately breaking himself from the impulse to count each one. "...Me to enjoy my sugar rush."
Mantis wasn't sure what she expected when she hosted her first party on Earth, but so far this party had exceeded all expectations. The outfits were amazing and creative, not to mention colorful, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. It was perfect. Exactly what was needed after a stressful few months. Hearing the comment on glittery wings, Mantis had to stop and turn around, wanting to see them for herself. "Oh, I must have just missed them," she said with a slight pout, but that quickly turned into a smile as she watched Klara's daughter hand off her discarded candy. "Well, she seems to be having fun. How about you? Need a hand with them?"
"I saw this guy wearing full-blown glittery wings and honestly, I am mad at myself for not coming up with this idea," Klara mused with a sad sigh but a smile appeared immediately on her face as her daughter ran up to her to give her the half-eaten glitter cotton candy she didn't want anymore. "Though, I suppose wings aren't too practical with two kids," she chuckled as she watched the little girl run back to her friends.
opheliancano:
Ophelia watches in amusement as the incubus tries, and fails, to hit his target. She wonders if it was on purpose, if maybe he finds more value in hiding his strengths than showing them off; a move to make her underestimate him. Or maybe she’s making chess out of checkers, and he just truly has bad aim. Still, she finds it better to be overly cautious than overly trusting, especially when dealing with a creature whose true nature remains unknown to her. Everything he shows her could just be a precalculated move. “I think you sell yourself short too much. I’m certain there’s a game around here somewhere in which you would excel.” She grins as she speaks, and picks up the next dart from the counter, before taking her aim and letting it soar with a flick of her wrist. Not a bullseye, but close, only off from the red center by an inch or so. Let him make of that what he will, she thinks, as she turns back to face Silas. “I believe this means I’ve won this time. Unless you’d like to go best out of three.”
“I’m up for the challenge,” he states, even if his more pacifist nature showed no real desire to continue playing any of the games. None of them were his speed, but the incubus’s curiosity for Ophelia outweighed the inclination to find something else to do with his time. Not to mention Silas didn’t know what else he would fill his time with anyway. Maybe find Rimona again, see what trouble she may have found while he was away, but his feet stayed planted in the dirt. “There’s got to be something else we can try out,” charcoal irises scanning the location they were in as if there would be much more than this. After all, it was Pride and carnival games weren’t as prominent. “That booth looks like it might have a kind of game, maybe trivia?” he peered around the crowds of people that started to gather, “Want to go check it out?”
kieratandanu:
Kiera had learned earl on in life that food was a huge source of comfort. Maybe not for everyone, but for a lot of people. Whenever she had a bad day, her father’s food could cheer her up – or make a good day even better. Now she was happy to do the same for everyone in Corinth Bay who was willing to try her treats. And the expression on his face was pure gold, causing her to laugh. “I wish you could see yourself right now. Like a kid in a candy store,” she teased, as she picked up a piece of brownie to take a bite herself. Maybe one of the downfalls of running a booth at the festivities was that she was seemingly constantly eating herself. “I told you it’s a free taste test and I meant it. Let’s say it’s a thank you for your help with the mask – if you still remember. My aunt loved it.” Picking up a napkin that read love is love, she held it out to him. “You got a bit of frosting on your face. Not that it doesn’t look cute, but if you want to impress someone today, you better get rid of it.”
“How could I possibly forget,” which was a very true statement coming from the incubus. He had a habit of journaling the days to help him remember them, but placing the proper items with the right people never leaked from his memory bank. It also helped that he enjoyed Kiera’s company, even if most of the times they actually found a way to chat was when either of them was working. Delicate fingertips found their grip on the napkin that was offered, licking his lips to snag the reminisces of cupcake before pressing it against his mouth and cheeks. “I appreciate the kind gesture, as usual,” a gentle grin, charcoal irises still holding onto their childlike quality as he attempted to get all the frosting off his face, “Even if I’m not exactly looking to impress, still not sure I would want to walk around with food all over my face.” Though the color might match some of the displays he had seen as he meandered around the festival, Silas had always wanted to blend rather than stand out, “Been able to step away at all?”
opheliancano:
@silaskyun
An incubus is capable of recognizing furies. Ophelia knows this, and dislikes it heavily. So why is she hanging around one of their kind, again? The thought is slightly perplexing, and one she does not readily have an answer to. Perhaps it’s because she finds him interesting — of that she has no problem admitting. And incubuses were created to sow chaos and harm, and she hasn’t quite decided on how much of a threat he poses to the good people of the city yet, so maybe that’s it too. He visits the tea shop, she visits his knick knack store; it feels like a delicate game being played, each side sizing the other up and taking notes. Yet for all her reasons and excuses, the one she least of all wants to acknowledge is the simple fact that… well, she wanted to. And here they are now, standing in front of what appears to be a dart throwing competition, at a celebration she never would have dreamed about in her lifetime. Ophelia smiles and turns to her companion. “Well Silas, how’s your aim?”
So he was more than just a little curious about the tea shop waitress, the incubus was allowed the right. It wasn’t just that his senses would buzz the moment Ophelia would find her way around him, holding onto much of the same interest as himself, but the intrigue of who she was and what made her tick. They shared similar qualities and maybe that was part of it. Both quiet, but much like an iceberg— the two of them held many layers of depth underneath. “Rusty,” he replied honestly, grabbing for one of the darts and shifting his body for a good aim. Years had gone by since the last time the incubus had actually attempted a game such as this, but he tried anyway and watched as his dart missed the desired target. A defeated smile emerged as he turned to look at Ophelia, wondering if she was choking back a giggle and moved to let her continue the game. “Definitely much better at being moral support than playing the game, it seems,” Silas wasn’t all that upset about it, spending much of his life being on the outskirts looking in and finding comfort in the position.
kieratandanu:
for @silaskyun.
“You look like you need something to eat.” Kiera’s feet hurt from standing in her pride boots all day, and as the streets had lightened up a little, she had decided to take a break by taking a seat on the counter of her booth, legs dangling in the air as she presented a plate with rainbow colored cupcakes to anyone who passed. She’d recognized the man from the shop she bought a mask for her aunt from not too long ago, and pointed her free hand at him with a wide smile on her face. Most importantly, he looked like he deserved to have some fun, and she’d always argue that it was easiest achieved with some good food. “I’ll give you a free taste test if you want. There’s nothing better than some rainbows in your stomach at pride.”
The witch that ran Kiki’s was easily one of his favorite individuals in town, admiring that even at such a young age she could carry all that weight and still place a smile on her face. “I could always use something to eat,” charcoal irises landing on the cupcakes in her hand, an array of colors being presented and sparkling details, “And rainbow cake always hits the plot.” Feet gently made their way over, fingertips reaching for one that displayed a light blue frosting with what looked to be a rainbow sour gummy on top. A childlike expression found its way on his face as he shoved a large bite into his mouth, eyes gently closing with delight and Silas had to stop himself from chatting with his mouth full. “I couldn’t possibly take anything from you for free,” he finally stated, frosting still along the creases and on his cheeks, “How much are they?”
Same set up, different event. That didn’t mean the thrill of it all wasn’t plastered on Silas’s face. He loved shifting between bodies in the crowd, snapping photographs or jotting down highlights of moments as the incubus observed others having the time of their lives. This was normal, keeping tabs on history as it happened before his eyes. Being present without being openly involved, the only way Silas really knew how to exist. Long before the change he did much of the same, weaving in and out of sight during times of war in order to document the terrors he was seeing. While this was more of a celebration, it was forever going to be a habit and the repetitiveness of it never bothered him. “Do you mind?” he asked sincerely as he approached a man sporting a devious grin, displaying his camera to see if he was alright with being photographed. It was better to ask then find himself getting scrutinized like some had tried in the past, “You just seem to really be enjoying yourself.”
@reapersoriano