Event Twelve

[awashmods]

I am a reaper whose muscles set at sundown. All my oats are cradled.  But I am too chilled, and too fatigued to bind them.  And I hunger.

ou know what's probably amazing? Waking up to your previously normal front door suddenly being covered by a huge, autumn-themed wreath. Or perhaps you're close enough to the center of the Town to look out your window and get an eyeful of that effigy, staring soullessly at you? The point is, there's a festival going on! The Town's been decorated accordingly (don't trip over sudden bales of hay), and towards the center of the Town, there are all sorts of fun games, tables of food, and other amazing things set up. Go prance onto the stage, sample some of the amazing food, convince one of your friends to play one of those bobbing for apples games... Enjoy it! There doesn't seem to be much of a catch this time. (At least, not until you eat the food, and then you'll figure out just what that "catch" is.) Welcome to Awash's twelfth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[thinshadowed]

[ Unfortunately, he's beyond the point where he could simply spit it out. Could it be poisoned? He definitely looks a little feverish all of a sudden, but it seems to be less a physical ailment and more of a by-product of this swelling emotion inside him.

As Toshinori grips his shoulders, Ari shakes his head urgently, struggling with this unfamiliar feeling. He feels—protective? Sort of, it's that and something more. Possessive?

If anyone tried to hurt Toshinori, Ari would fight back with every ounce of might in his scrawny body to prevent them from succeeding.

Still mumbling, unable to make himself clearly heard while he's so overcome with emotion, Ari throws his arms around the older man in a desperate hug and hides his face against his t-shirt. ]

[smaaaaaash]

[Toshinori can't make heads or tails of that mumbling, so it catches him completely by surprise when Ari suddenly hugs him.]

Young Ari...! [He's getting more alarmed by the second, so he just kind of... gingerly pats him on the head to try to soothe him.] Speak up and tell me how you're feeling. Should I go get help?

[thinshadowed]

[ Ari shakes his head again, this time without lifting his face from Toshinori's torso. As long as he clings to the older man, the strange protective-possessive urge burning inside of him eases enough for him to breathe. ]

> "N-no, I don't think... I need help..."

[ Who could they even ask, anyway? Ari's thin frame trembles quietly, but his voice comes out more strongly this time. ]

> "I want to help you."

[smaaaaaash]

Ahaha... You're being serious, aren't you?

[He laughs softly but without malice -- more nervous than anything, given how Ari's sudden shift in behaviour has thrown him for a loop -- putting his hands on his trembling shoulders.]

I'm not in any trouble, but thank you. Perhaps you shouldn't touch any of the other food for a while... [Or, at all, preferably.]

[thinshadowed]

[ Ari nods, slowly. He's not sure he can even convey how serious he is about what he just said. ]

> "The tart..."

[ He's not so far gone that he can't realize that he's acting strangely, and the tart he ate is the likely culprit. Perhaps it's for the best that Toshinori hadn't tried any of the apple pie yet. ]

> "I don't know."

[ He's apologetic, even if he can't bring himself to pull away from Toshinori's side. ]

> "But I mean it. I want to help."

[smaaaaaash]

[There's a worried frown on Toshinori's face. Maybe the tart just gave him a little nudge, and these really are Ari's feelings? It's hard to be sure. Still, Ari seems to be under some considerable stress about it with the way he's clinging, so it's hard to just disregard the behaviour either way.]

If I need your help with anything, I'll be sure to ask. [He stoops down to hug him in return, patting him on the back.] You're a kind young man, Ari. I hope you never change that about yourself.

[thinshadowed]

> "Thanks..."

[ Ari feels a bit like he just wrestled with a nasty Confusion curse from some monster back home. He's not okay yet, not really, but the initial push that made him almost frantic is receding into something more manageable.

Maybe it's because Toshinori has carefully been trying to comfort him and calm him down from this unexpected mood swing, but he can't think like that or else he's going to feel grateful and that might make the whole protective-possessive thing worse again. ]

> "Sorry..."

[ Ari exhales, uncertainly. He has an idea. It's a childish idea, but maybe it'll help assure his out-of-control feelings that Toshinori is all right. ]

> "Would it be okay if, um... if I held your hand? For a little while?"

[smaaaaaash]

[Toshinori's worried expression softens a bit, seeing that he's coming around a little from his strange mood. He straightens, letting go of Ari.]

Sure. [He offers his hand. It's not the first time he's dealt with clingy kids, either through helping with those he's rescued and who need comfort, or just fans that are excited to see him, so he's fine with the request.] If it makes you feel better, hold my hand for as long as you like.

[thinshadowed]

> "Thanks..."

[ Even if he's repeating himself now, this time it's with relief. He's glad that Toshinori doesn't mind the request, and also glad that he didn't laugh at Ari for asking in the first place.

The boy reaches up to take the man's hand. Given his short stature and Toshinori's very tall one, he does inevitably feel a bit like a child for taking this option. But rather than let go, his grip tightens. ]

> "Um, have you seen much of the festival yet? There's more than just the food... maybe we can look around?"

[smaaaaaash]

[Toshinori's grip is firm and reassuring, even if he can't quite make it as strong as his muscled self. He looks up at the question.]

I think I saw some games over there. [He points to some talls and groups of people gathered around a little distance away.]

Why don't we go play some?

[thinshadowed]

> "Ah, yeah. That would be fun."

[ He'll let go when the strange feelings from the tart finally subside, but for now, he'll hold Toshinori's hand while they tour the festival together. ]

> "I heard there is also a corn maze?"

[ It can't be more confusing than the corridors of the World Library, he's sure. Now that place was a maze. ]

[smaaaaaash]

You mean a maize maze?

[He laughs at his joke so much that he splutters slightly and covers his mouth. Then, undeterred:]

Let's try it! Even if we get lost, we won't lose each other if we're holding hands like this.

[thinshadowed]

[ Toshinori's unexpected joke gets a sincere laugh out of Ari, too, even if it's a quiet one. The tension in his chest eases slightly. ]

> "Don't you think that's a little corny?"

[ He smiles up at Toshinori, knowing exactly what he just said. ]

> "Maybe there's something a-maize-ing at the end. Let's find out?"

[smaaaaaash]

[The bad jokes in return catch him off guard and he laughs even harder until he's doubled over in a bloody coughing fit.]

Beaten at my own game...! How unexpected!

[Could it be that Ari had a secret humour weapon all along?!]

[thinshadowed]

> "Are you okay?"

[ Despite the obligatory worried question when Toshinori doubles over coughing from laughter, Ari is starting to feel better. It's been—a while, a definite while, since he's gotten to say anything like that. ]

> "Do you have any other ones?"

[ He asks, referring to Toshinori's jokes with a small smile. ]

[smaaaaaash]

I'm fine. [He waves a hand dismissively.] Let's see... This joke is from a bright young man I met here. It might not make sense to someone from your world, but I'll explain it anyway. While I was helping with carving a pumpkin, the young man carved this particular symbol on it...

[He looks around for something to help with his explanation. Spotting a fallen twig, he lets go of Ari's hand just long enough to retrieve it and draw a symbol in the dirt:

π

Then he looks up at Ari for any recognition, as if to say, Get it?]

[thinshadowed]

[ Hmm. The other joke, he got immediately, but this one...

Ari studies the symbol, but it's ultimately unfamiliar to him. His friend Kisling would probably know, since he's a scientist, but Ari is just a boy from a small village. He shakes his head. ]

> "I don't know what that is. I'm sorry."

[smaaaaaash]

It's okay! It's a symbol used in mathematics; what it's used for isn't important. The important thing is that it's called 'pi'. So in other words...

[He draws a very simple outline of a pumpkin around the symbol.]

A 'pumpkin pi'!

[It's less funny if you have to explain every aspect of the joke, but maybe Ari will see the funny side of it anyway.]

[thinshadowed]

[ As soon as Toshinori explains that the symbol is called 'pi', the joke finally clicks. Ari brightens with the realization, just as the older man finishes the punchline aloud. ]

> "Oh wow! That's really clever."

[ Whoever taught it to Toshinori must be a pretty smart guy. ]

[smaaaaaash]

Yes! If you ever meet a fellow called Ryo Asuka, all credit goes to him.

[He straightens up and dusts off the dirt from his hands.]

I never took you as one to see the funny side of things -- no offense! I'm glad we have the same sense of humour.

[thinshadowed]

[ Ari nods. He'll keep that in mind, if he ever crosses paths with this Ryo Asuka, although starting off meeting someone with 'Hey I really liked that pumpkin pun you made that one time' might be a little awkward. Oh well. ]

> "Sorry... I guess I wasn't really thinking about funny things when I first got here."

[ He was overwhelmed, honestly. He'd already gone on a ridiculous adventure, after all, and waking up in the well in Chroma meant that his life wasn't going back to normal like he thought.

Even if there's still a lot he doesn't know about this town or why he's here, maybe he's taken comfort in the people he's met and the little daily routine he's established in Flavo. ]

> "But I'm glad too. No one usually laughs at my jokes."

[ Usually people aren't listening whenever he does show his sense of humor, or they're quick to write him off because it doesn't suit their ego. Thanks, Stan. ]

[smaaaaaash]

You're not alone, there. I doubt many people were in a laughing mood, when they first arrived.

[Except All Might was, if only because his role as a hero is to laugh and make others feel better. Still!]

But I'm sure you have plenty of jokes! Don't hesitate to fire them at me whenever you think of them, kid. [EVEN BAD JOKES ARE GOOD JOKES...]

[thinshadowed]

[ Ari nods. The first few weeks were definitely tough, probably for a lot of people.

But Toshinori's hand warmly enveloping his own is a reminder that good things have come out of arriving in Chroma as well. The boy smiles. ]

> "Just let me know if you feel corn-ered, since I can't promise they'll all be maize of gold."

[smaaaaaash]

[A dry chuckle, as he leads them over to the maze. The maize maze.]

You're a natural at this, aren't you? [Bad puns, that is.]

[thinshadowed]

[ Maybe it's because his own world is so silly, but he does seem to have a knack for it. ]

> "I'll try not to do it too much."

[ He's feeling a lot better, compared to earlier, but maybe it's okay to keep holding Toshinori's hand for now. They just reached the maze, after all. ]

> "Wow, it's really tall, isn't it?"