MASKTOURN

The refectory has been sparsely decorated with red and gold banners, and lit by fine oil lamps. The most notable change is the food provided- though the offerings haven't changed too much, they're of a finer, more decadent quality. There's a whole lot more meat on offer now, too, as well as fine breads, rare fruits, and other delicacies. The music from the square can still be heard in here, though it is a bit quieter.

Evan quietly made his way to the Gala after spending quite a bit of time in his room. He changed into the clothes that they provided for the event, though Evan was quite uncomfortable in the new robes. Fidgeting with a gold ring upon his finger, Evan took a seat at a table with some water. Here, it was a bit quieter and less tense. He hated parties. He hated loud noises. It would be rude not to show up when the hosts invited them all to it, so of course, Evan had to show up. He just disliked every second of it. His hands shook as he picked up his water and took a sip. At least the music wasn’t too terribly loud over here, that was nice. It was simply background noise in this area. That wasn’t so bad. Maybe Evan would just camp out in this area until it was all over. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Red and gold. Huh. That felt a bit more like his color scheme compared to this...awful black and gold. It was a lot quieter here, though. He'd seen the Lifebringer incarnations on his way here- including Ryu, the tattooed woman with the cigarettes, but he felt if he approached then, he'd get roped into something...unsavory. Like more power stealing, or more blood drinking. But hey, look, food! And water. Ace made a careful beeline over to the water as soon as it was in sight, looking over the various other options. The blood, he assumed, was for Roman, maybe? Probably. As he poured himself a glass of water, he soon noticed a very...small contestant sitting by themself at the table. Jason faltered again. [A contestant- Birds side- small? Short? Very small. Short?] "...Um," Ace said under his breath, doing a quick once-over of the refectory. Empty. Was this another ghost, or just another contestant. "...Hello?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan watched as someone entered the refectory. He tried not to stare, but he did watch somewhat cautiously as the other person moved. When the other person’s gaze rested on Evan, he quickly looked away. He didn’t really want social interaction right now please- Oh? They were speaking to him. Okay. Conversation it is. “H-hi..?” Evan greeted weakly with a small wave. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Not a ghost.] [Definitely a kid.] ".Um." Ace seemed to be at a loss for words- perhaps even a bit more unsure than the kid (kid) was. "You- um, ah. Hell...o." Nathan was better with kids. Nathan was really good with kids. He was awful at talking to them but hey, they liked him because he was cool-sounding. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Ah, you're...on the Birds side, yes?" he slowly asked. There was a child here. "Your black clothing? I...think we're on the same side." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Y-yeah, we’re- On the same side, mmhm,” Evan nodded his head. “I-I’m Evan, a-and you..?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

He took a careful sip of his water as Evan spoke, trying to think of the most rational reason why a fucking child would be here. A child- a kid. Did Naiyta expect a kid to fight here? Adults, sure. They could hold their ground. Children? "I'm Ace," he said, his voice even and gentle. "I...um. I bet this is all pretty confusing, yeah?" [Rule number one; don't talk like a dork to kids.] @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Y-yeah, really c-confusing,” Evan admitted with a small nod of his head. “I st-still don’t really know wh-why we’re here, why we h-have to fight each other..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

They're thankful for the mask, as it obscures the awful wince Ace makes the longer Evan speaks. Fuck. He's a kid. He's literally just a kid. How was this fair? Who chose this?? "I don't really know either," Ace sighed, swirling their cup of water lightly. "It's all just very confusing for everyone here. You're...especially young here, too. Are you feeling alright?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Was he feeling alright? That felt like a loaded question. “I.. I don’t know how I’m feeling,” Evan admitted quietly. “Sc-scared? I’m really scared, but- I-if I focus on that, I’ll just be even more scared..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

He wasn't great with kids. Everyone liked to go, 'oh, Jason, you're reliable, you're smart, why don't you watch my kid for a bit,' NO. Wrong. Bad assumption, all he did was research magic and mana, he doesn't know anything about talking to people, or talking to kids, or watching kids or anything. "That...is honestly very fair," Ace agreed, keeping their voice as gentle as they could. "Ah. Um." Shift. Change the conversation. Now. Do it. "You're very in tune with your emotions," he said after a moment. "Especially for someone who...who. Ah. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I-I try to be in tune with- My e-emotions.. My d-dad a-always helped me try a-and recognize how I f-feel..” The mention of his dad. God, how worried was he? He must’ve been worrying himself sick over Evan’s disappearance. “I-I-I’m- Fourteen..” Evan managed out. He took in a shaky breath to keep himself relaxed. “H-how- Old are you..?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah." [The stammering was getting worse.] "Fourteen? Well, it's good to recognize and understand your emotions," Ace helpfully supplied, trying not to let the worry show. If he showed he was uneasy, then Evan might feel uneasy. The mask was doing it's part hiding it, though. "It's not always a bad thing to talk about how you feel- to others, or just to yourself. It's helpful." "I'm afraid I'm not as young as you are. Um. Why don't you guess? I can tell you if you're hot or cold." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Y-y-yeah, it’s s-something I’ve been working on l-lately..” Evan looked back to his hand and took off the ring, fidgeting with it a little. “It h-has been h-helpful..” He lifted his head to look back at Ace. “U-uhm- Your age? U-uhm- Twenty-five..?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace's gaze shifted to the golden ring for only a moment, before peering back up at Evan when he began to move. He was still standing by the buffet area, swirling around his half-drank glass of water. "It's not a bad habit to keep," they agree, and they leave it at that. [Fourteen- young. Young. Fidgets when uneasy?] "I- twenty-five? You are. Incredibly generous," Ace said, laughing lightly. "Um. Hm, a bit cold. You're a bit on the colder side, let's go with that." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Really? Oh, uhm-” Evan paused for a moment. He wanted to just give up and ask Ace for the answer, but he felt that Ace was attempting to distract him from the situation a bit. Better to just play along. “Th-thirty..?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

How do you distract a fourteen year old being thrown into a tournament? Maybe by talking to them, or offering to take them fishing later- or asking about them. [Everyone he'd met since this started had powers- Kairas' allsight counted as powers, right? It counted. Darcy, Kairas, Roman- Hiker Mel didn't exactly count (ghost). It'd be safe to assume Evan had powers too, right?] "You're getting warmer," he said, drinking the rest of his water. They didn't think they could stomach actual food right now. More water it was instead. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan squinted slightly. Was Ace older than that? He didn’t seem like he was that much older than Evan originally guessed. Good genes, then. “.. Th-thirty-five?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Wait. Kids were absolutely relentless. Like, cruel and relentless. They could be the sweetest things alive, but one wrong move and they're laughing at your misery. Evan seemed like a sweet enough kid though?? ".Very warm." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Are you.. Younger than that?” Evan asked. “I-I’m not too good at guessing games..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah? Oh, it's alright, you're doing great," they quickly reassured. "Um. I'm thirty-seven, so you were very close with that last guess." "...I'm not too great with guessing games either," Ace admitted with a small sigh. "Or talking to people. Especially kids, I- I didn't exactly expect there to be children here, after all." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“O-oh, thirty-seven? That’s a good age,” Evan nodded his head. He paused as he listened to Ace. His gaze rested on the ring again in his hands. “Y-yeah, I-.. Wasn’t s-supposed to come here, i-it was an a-accident..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Not a mean kid. Huh. That was...good to know.] "An accident?" they repeated, a bit confused at that as well. It wasn't like people had a choice coming here, but accident or not, they certainly should have sent Evan home. He definitely should not be here. "I...huh. That's unfortunate, I'm sorry. Ah, if you don't mind me asking, who did you talk to after you arrived here?" [Knowing Naiyta, they'd snark and be mean to a child, or something. Talk about the Lifebringer. Eternity, incarnate, et cetera.] @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“O-oh- I spoke to Albanes!” Evan answered. “She w-was really nice- She said she could look out for me a-and keep me safe, so I’m-.. Hoping to r-run into her again.. We were going to go b-bird watching together, t-too..” Evan tilted his head. “D-did you speak to her, or- The other Lifebringer..?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Hm. Albanes. While Albanes was admittedly a bit shifty, she didn't seem to be as...cruel as Naiyta. Kind, yes, but still a bit off putting. It was still bit of a relief to know that Evan had spoken with her when he arrived, though. "That's nice of her," Ace simply said, smiling. "I saw a few birds while I was hiking earlier, so you're in for quite the treat. I won't spoil it too much, but I believe there were quite a lot of crows around." "Hm, I didn't speak with Albanes when I first arrived- I did a little later, when I was hiking, though. She's kind." They took a sip from their cup, managing to mask their disappointment in their next sentence. "I spoke with Naiyta instead. The other one." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Really? I like crows, they’re pretty intelligent,” Evan managed another smile. “Naiyta? A-Albanes warned me to stay away from them.. Wh-what are they like..?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Crows are very intelligent. Quite clever, too. There was quite a few of them by the fountain out in the front." Their voice seemed a little brighter at that, though it quickly went flat as they thought about...eh. Oh, thank the First Spinjitzu Master and Nuwa. Albanes, still shifty, but a little less so now. Oh, they were not a fan of that guy. "Naiyta is an...interesting character," Ace simply said, starting to swirl their drink around again. "They, ah. Hm. This is...tricky." They like to seal away powers and stare at people and do freak things or whatever it is that they do in their free time (like, steal blood, or something). "Naiyta is...powerful, in their own right. I'd only assume so, because they're, well, an incarnation of the Lifebringer, and whatnot. Ah, but they're...not as...calming as Albanes is? And they'd like to observe rather than help. They're, ah, just genrally not the person you'd want to go to for help. Albanes, or perhaps Kairas could help you with any problems you run into here." "Ah, but Albanes is right, you should steer clear of them. And she most likely knows them the best," they finished, downing the rest of their water in one go. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"I'll have to check out the fountain soon, I-I'd like to see them.. Maybe I can bring them something to eat, if I can find some b-birdfeed," Evan smiled a little. His smile flickered as he listened about Naiyta. "O-okay, I'll definitely stay away from th-them as best as I can.. Th-thank you for the heads up, Ace.." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"You might bump into them from time to time, but it's just for the best to avoid them when you can," they sighed, setting their cup down. There seemed to be something a bit wistful in their words. Wistful? No- wary. Apprehensive. Ace made some sort of attempt to readjust their glasses, but they just ended up bumping against their mask instead. Glasses-adjusting would have to wait, unfortunately. "It's alright. You asked, and I just answered as best as I could." "Ah, I didn't explore...inside buildings? But I'd assume Albanes would have a bit of birdseed somewhere," Ace said, shifting the conversation to something a bit lighter. "But if not...have you made birdseed before?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"O-okay, I'll just- Do my best to a-avoid them, and if I do bump into them, I'll- Do my best to get through the interaction." Evan nodded. He could do that. He could be brave and get through it. Maybe it wouldn't be too terrible.. Evan blinked a few times and tilted his head. "N-no, I haven't made my own birdseed.. There weren't really birds back where I grew up.." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"And you'll do great," Ace reassured, nodding in time. "I'm sure of it." [Evan was a brave kid. Fourteen, had a pretty good handle on his emotions- despite all of this, he seemed to be doing pretty...well.] But still. Poor kid, even if Albanes was nice and kind, she should have sent him home first thing. "Hm. Not many birds around? I'd see why you'd be interested in bird-watching here, then," they lightly said. "Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Th-thanks.." Evan managed a small smile. At the mention of home, Evan's smile grew a bit bigger. "Wh-where I'm from, it's n-nothing but ice all around. I l-live in an underground ice city called Roston, s-so there aren't really birds around.." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Roston, Roston. I've never heard of it before," they mused, a little relieved that question didn't backfire. Asking someone about their home after being dragged so far out probably wasn't the best sort of question to ask. At least it worked out in their favor. "I've seen underground cities before, but not an underground ice city. It...well, it makes sense why there aren't really birds around." "Is it fully enclosed, or can people come and go as they'd wish?" they asked, genuinely intrigued. "And is it, well...cold? Down there?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"R-Roston's pretty well hidden, not many people know about it," Evan hummed a little. "People can come and go, but a lot of people stay. They really like it there. It can be cold, but people got used to the cold after so many generations of being there. It doesn't really feel too cold, but chilly enough to feel it a bit." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Hm. Getting used to the cold makes a lot of sense," Ace said, nodding a bit. "And it sounds like a very interesting place to live- and a very beautiful place, at that. Minus the wildlife. Then again, I am a bit more biased towards snowier areas." "Are...there wildlife? Plants, and other animals around? Ah- do you mind if I sit with you? I could stay here if it's a bit more comfortable." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟 (edited)

"W-we have some animals, but not a lot. Th-there's livestock that people raise, a-and we have a whole hut dedicated to the sledding dogs!" Evan smiled a little. He really did like spending time with the sledding dogs. "There's s-some plant life, but that's m-mostly fruits and veggies that are in greenhouses. We d-don't have flowers, or other things like that.." Evan nodded his head. "Mmhm, you can sit! I-it's okay with me." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Incredible. Managing greenhouses and livestock in a cold environment is always pretty impressive. Roston sounds wonderful," they lightly said. Evan seemed pretty happy talking about home. "I'm not sure if there are many flowers here- I'd assume so, but Albanes might also know best." Or Kairas. She could see pretty well. Ace offered a slight smile as Evan spoke, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. Sitting. Wonderful stuff. "Kairas might also know; her sight's rather, ah, incredible." "I'd assume most of the work and transportation is done with the help of the sledding dogs, then?" Ace asked as they carefully set down their glass of water. "Do you know how many there are? What are their names?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Now that night was rolling in, it was definitely time for Evan to return back to his room. He stood from his spot at a table and fidgeted with his ring when he realized just how dark it was. It was definitely dark and spooky now.. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki had been chilling and enjoying the food in the refectory. As the gala came to an end, they stood and headed out. On the way, he noticed a small person standing alone, seeming a little lost. Seki frowned slightly, tilting their head, and walked up to the guy. "Hello, there, buddy! Are you doing alright?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“O-oh- I’m-” Evan turned to face the person- Not person. Who.. Whomst was this. They had a tail and very long ears. Kind of reminded Evan of a bunny? He wasn’t sure- Bunnies weren’t this big. Or tall. Intimidated, Evan shrunk down on himself slightly. “I-I’m o-okay..” @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki blinked, and then melted into a warm smile. "Aw, heh, no need to be so meek. I'm not gonna hurt you. You just seem kinda... out of place, so I thought I'd come and check in. Do you live here?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟 (edited)

“N-no, I don’t,” Evan spoke quietly. “I’m a-a c-competitor..” @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Really?" Seki frowned again, and crossed their arms. "How.. old are you? You seem pretty young to me, but I might be wrong..." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I’m f-fourteen- I’m not s-supposed to be h-here..” Evan took in a deep breath. “H.. How o-old are you..?” @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Fourteen?!" Seki barked out, unraveled their arms to their sides, fists loosely clenched and taking a slightly wider stance out of outrage, their ears pointing upright and facing forward. "No way they brought a kid here, shit, I'll kill that self-righteous bitch-!" Seki gnarled, fists tightening as they looked around as though looking for Naiyta, but caught themself and forced themself to relax and focus on the boy. "I'm sorry, I got all worked up.. but you really shouldn't be here, that's for sure. Don't worry, though, we'll figure this out, yeah?" They smiled. "Oh, heh. I'm 49, if I remember right", they chuckled. "I'm Seki, by the way. What's your name?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan had whimpered and taken a step back as Seki grew furious. The boy was half tempted to run away, at least, he was before Seki forced themself to calm down. He took a few deep breaths to make himself relax as well. “Y-yeah- I- Don’t wanna b-be here.. B-but we’ll f-figure a way out..” Evan shifted on his feet slightly. “I-I’m Evan.. Wh-what’s your name..?” @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Yeah, yeah it's gonna be alright", Seki nodded. Evan, huh? Sounded familiar somehow... They smiled as Evan asked their name, and they hummed. "Kiseki, but you can just call me Seki. Say, it's pretty creepy out there, would you mind if I saw you to your quarters? Just as far as I'm allowed to come, seeing we are on the opposite teams, anyway..." then they paused. Opposite teams. Their eyes widened, and their fur bristled. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“H-hi, Seki,” Evan managed a small smile. “U-uhm- I’d appreciate it i-if you could walk with me, i-it’s kinda d-dark..” He paused for a moment. “O-oh- We’re on different s-sides.. That’s th-the snake side, right?” @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki stared at Evan for a moment, though the mask concealed their wide eyes. "Yeah.. Yeas, that's right..." Was Seki mistaken? Evan didn't react to their name in any particular way. They tilted their head and thought back at the announcement. They were pretty sure his opponent's name was Evan... "Alright, well. Let's get moving, then", they gestured towards the exit. #main-square @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan gave a nod of his head. He stuck close to Seki, fidgeting slightly. “U-uhm- Seki? Do you m-mind if I ask a question?” Evan asked. @Twig | Seki / Aarni (edited)

ace and evan

evan and seki