MASKTOURN

2:18 PM

“Mhm, i-it’s a nice place. B-big, and there’s this cool fountain in the middle of the city with an ice statue of a fox on it. It’s p-pretty nice.” Evan hummed. “I’d be happy to see some flowers.. I haven’t seen many in my life before, except for in books..” “K-Kairas? O-okay, I’ll look for her, then, to ask about it. Thanks,” Evan smiled. “Well- It’s through the sledding dogs on the surface, when it isn’t storming outside, o-or it’s through the u-underground tunnels,” Evan fidgeted with his ring once more. “P-people can travel that way, s-so- That’s two ways..” “U-uhm- The sledding dogs? There’s lots, I’ve lost count, b-but some of them have silly names, like Toaster. He’s one of my favorites. His fur makes him look like a piece of toast.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I see," Ace quietly said, smiling faintly. Poor kid. Just wanted to see some flowers and birds here. "Well, I hope the flowers you do find here are as wonderful as those in your books- perhaps even better, actually. And it's not an issue- Kairas, she's a bit shorter than I. Wears black clothing, has short black- and has rather large crow wings. She's the, ah, leader of our side. Her sight is excellent." As Evan spoke, they let out a little 'hm' of consideration, taking a sip from their glass. "Oh- so Roston is a bit like...a tunnel and chamber system, then?" they asked. "I, ah, might be off, apologies." Suddenly, he coughed a bit into his fist, the faintest bit of laughter escaping them. Toaster. "Khm. Ah, there's a sledding dog named Toaster?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I hope so. It’ll be nice t-to actually see the r-real thing,” Evan hummed a little. He continued to fidget with his ring. “O-okay- Crow wings? Okay- I’ll keep an eye out, then.. H-how does she have crow wings..?” “No, that’s kinda how it is,” Evan nodded. “There’s other cities that all connect like that, s-so- That’s a good way of putting it.” “Mmhm, Toaster,” Evan couldn’t help but giggle quietly. “He’s a good boy.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah, Kairas is Corvi; essentially bird people. Which, ah, makes sense, as she's the leader of the Bird side." Huh. So maybe the Reagan of the Snake side was a snake person. As Evan giggled, Jason smiled from behind their mask, lightly tapping their fingers against their glass. [Their healing was stolen away, but...] "...And you said this Toaster's fur kind of looks like toast, right? Do you know what sort of dog he is, breed-wise?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Huh.. I didn’t know b-bird people existed..” Interesting. The world was a lot bigger than Evan ever imagined. Still smiling, Evan nodded. “Mmhm. Most of the dogs are either huskies, Alaskan malamutes, and Samoyeds. Toaster’s a brown husky.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Neither did I, up until today," Ace hummed in agreement. They seemed to be lost in thought. Brown husky, huh? They noticed the extra robes in their chest earlier, though those were black. Perhaps he could try his chances with Albanes to get some dyed fabric- ah, as for the stuffing; probably some shredded up fabric? [There was extra bedding in there, right.] Tap, tap, tap. The water in their cup warbles lightly, and they smiled again with a small nod. "I see. I haven't seen sledding dogs before, aside from in photos, so it's rather interesting to learn about then." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Cr-crazy stuff, huh?” Evan hummed quietly. He definitely seemed to be calmer as he spoke about the dogs. “Mhm, they’re all really good dogs. They love running and pulling the sleds. They’re also really n-nice to lay against, I spend some t-time in their area with them. They’re soft and warm.” Soft and warm, oh Evan yearned for that sense of comfort right now. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I can tell you really care a lot about them. They all seem very sweet and wonderful." Ace seemed to notice it, too. Evan didn't seem to be stammering as much when he was talking about the dogs- any time they shifted topic the slightest, he got all nervous again., which- fair. "Do you feed them, or do those in charge of their area feed them? I'd assume that they'd eat some combination of meat and kibble, aside from just the kibble?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Mmhm, they’re nice and friendly.” Evan smiled. “Sometimes, they let me help feed them since I’m there a lot. We give them a combo of meat and kibble. They can eat a whole lot.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"That's pretty nice of them," Ace hums. Soft, warm- they couldn't do the warm part, but they could definitely make it soft. "I'd imagine they're a hungry bunch. Dogs tend to be...eh, not ravenous, but very. Fast when they eat. And loud." "Hm, I know you said that Toaster looks a bit like toast, but could you tell me what markings he has?" Was he being too obvious? "I, ah, haven't seen a husky before." Fuck yeah, great save. [Ask Albanes for fabric, soft, stuff w/bedding?? Straw? Ask] @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Yeah, they're always pretty hungry. They always want treats, too. I tend to sneak them treats. They're good boys, they deserve it." Evan chuckled. "Markings? Uhmmm.." Evan paused for a moment. "He's big, and fluffy, and has a white underbelly. It kinda looks like he has a white mask around his eyes, and then he has light brown fur in most places, but then some darker spots in other places. Really fluffy." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"They must be a handful, especially when you have treats," they said, laughing a little as well. "I'm sure they're all patiently waiting for more when you return." As Evan went on to describe Toaster, Ace was mentally storing every bit of information as well as they could; light brown with dark brown spots, white mask and underbelly. Maybe asking more about the spots would feel a bit too obvious, if he wasn't before. "He really does look like a piece of toast, huh?" he asked. "Are any of the, ah, other sledding dogs named after kitchen utensils?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Patiently waiting. Evan's smile faltered slightly. Yeah, they'd be waiting, and so would Evan's father. God, he was probably worried sick. He missed his dad. He missed his hugs. He missed everything about him. He missed being home. He'd never get the chance to be back home. He was going to die here, there was no way he'd survive- Thankful for the mask for hiding his tears, Evan spoke, "M-mhm, I-I'll be sure t-to give them lots of treats wh-when I get back.." "U-uhm- I-I think so.." He paused. "I-It's kinda slipping m-my mind right now.." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Huh. He didn't really know why he said that. It felt...right, though. Darcy went through a tournament similar to this and escaped- who was to say it wouldn't be the same this time? Did he believe...everyone would escape? Ah. Ah. That was...hard to say. In this tournament, it would be 'kill, or be killed', and there was no other way around it. But he was just a child. He didn't deserve to be here. Just a child, only a child-] Ace faltered, a little bit startled from their thoughts as Evan began to speak again. Argh. ".Frying Pan?" he weakly offered, suddenly feeling a little less...brave than when he was mulling over his thoughts. "..Airfryer? Ah- are you...alright, Evan?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I-I-I’m o-okay, I’m just-” The boy’s voice cracked. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his shoulders trembled. “I just- M-miss home- I just wanna g-go home..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ah. Evan was cyring. "Hey," Ace gently said, their voice quiet and reassuring. "Hey, it's alright, Evan. It's going to be alright." "I know it's...ah, very scary and unfamiliar being here right now, but I assure you, you will get home." [What was a prize compared to a child's life here?] @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I-In a body bag,” Evan sobbed out morbidly. “Th-that’s even i-if our b-bodies get sent h-home..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[

] "I- uh- n-no?" Ace looked more than just 'out of his depth' here. Ai, this kid was morbid. [Stay calm. Stay composed.] "Evan, there's...hm. There's a competitor here who's already been through one of these...tournaments before. Ah, Darcy," Ace said, fingers clutching a bit at the fabric of their robe. "He believes there might be a way for us to get out of this; if there was a way for us to be brought here, there must be a way for us to leave, yes?" "No one will be leaving here in a body bag. And- and no one will be dying here, either." Shit. Shit. "I promise you, you will leave here safe and sound. You will get to go back to your family, your sledding dogs, and- and home." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan continued to cry, though he stopped shaking as much as he had been. “S-someone’s been to a tournament b-before? A-and they’re alive?” Evan asked in disbelief. “So th-there really m-might be a w-way out..?” The boy reached up to rub at his cheeks. Metal coated his fingertips, so he used his palms to brush the tears away. “R-really? We c-can get b-back home..?” @kipology (edited)

"Mm, Darcy Sterling, from the Snakes side- we don't know much about this tournament so far, but there must be a way for us to leave this place." Home- back to a quieter apartment, the ceramics room that's been gathering dust. Back to an apartment with one less friend. "Yeah," they softly said. Crows feet crinkled in the corner of their eyes, though obscured by their mask. "Yeah, we can get back home." That wasn't home. That couldn't be home for them. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Sniffling, Evan’s tears slowly came to a halt. The boy took in several deep breaths to help calm himself down. “Y-yeah, that- Th-that sounds right, that- There’s a w-way out,” Evan spoke softly. The metal retracted from his fingers. “That m-makes sense.. Then we can- All g-go home and f-forget about th-this nightmare..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace took note of the metallic tint disappearing from his fingertips, but didn't say anything else. "Deep breaths, it's alright. Take your time." "Mhm- just like a nightmare," they reassured. "Like a nightmare you'll wake up from when you're back at home. I promise." I promise. "If you want, I could keep an eye out for you through all of...this. Albanes is kind, yes, but I'm not sure how much we can trust the Lifebringer when it comes to getting out of here." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟 (edited)

Evan took several more deep breaths. The metal entirely went away. He leaned back slightly in his seat, sniffling quietly. “M-mhm, i-it’ll be l-like a n-nightmare.. A-and then everything’ll b-be okay after..” Evan whispered. “Y-you’ll be o-one good part of the d-dream..” “I-I’d like that, I c-could try and k-keep an eye out for you, too,” Evan sniffled. “Yeah, I’m- N-not sure how helpful she’d be for- An e-escape..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace offered one of the tissues sitting on the table to Evan, leaning back slightly as well. He seemed...to be doing a bit better. That was good. Though, they seemed a little surprised when he spoke, before smiling softly again. "That's nice," he quietly said, tilting his head to the side. "But we should be focusing on getting you out of here, first. If you being here was an accident, then it should certainly be a bit easier getting you out of here...ah, however it is. Hm." "Albanes does seem very...nice, though she isn't as, ah, trustworthy. I think." They sighed a little bit, tapping idly against their glass. "But that's neither here nor there." "Are you...feeling a bit better?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan took the tissue and used it to wipe his face clean. He lifted up his mask slightly to dab at his eyes. “A-Albanes said there’s nothing she could do about sending me back,” Evan spoke softly. “B-but maybe there’s a way to get all of us home s-somehow..” Sniffling, Evan nodded his head. “Y-yeah, I feel a bit better..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Hm." Unfortunate. And expected of their hosts. "I see, well. Nonetheless, there has to be a way to get out of here. It just might...take a bit of time figuring it out." Hopefully before anyone had to fight each other. Oh, he was going to wring out Naiyta's neck when he got the chance. "That's good, though," he hummed. "I, hm. Noticed that metal tint fading from your fingertips, so I just assumed." Tap, tap, tapping on their glass. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Mmhm, there’s- We’ll have time, we just- We’ll figure it out..” Evan nodded. “O-oh, yeah, that,” Evan looked embarrassed. He lowered his hands. “I-I’m not so good with my powers yet, th-they act up when I get upset..” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

We'll figure it out. Ace blinked a little in surprise as Evan seemed...embarrassed?- and they let out a quiet 'hm' of acknowledgement. "I understand. That's alright- powers are a little bit difficult to get a grasp on. But you'll get better with time, I assure you." Threads of golden string appeared at their fingertips, and they spun their pointer finger around slightly. The little shimmering threads followed, smooth and coiling around his finger. "It's nice to meet another person with powers, though; I figured most of the contestants here also have some sort of magical ability." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I-I hope so, it can- Get a bit annoying when it spreads more..” Evan sighed. At the glimmer of Ace’s powers, his eyes widened. He immediately looked intrigued, scooting a bit closer for a better look. “Whoaaaa.. That’s so cool, Ace- Is that- Magic?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace seemed a little proud at that compliment, shifting slightly so that Evan could see a bit better. While they seemed to act just like threads from a spider, upon closer inspection, they actually were rather sturdy and resilient. He was pulling lightly at the golden, wispy, strings with his other hand, plucking at the strings between interlocked fingers. "Hm- well, yes, pretty much. Most elemental powers are drawn from some sort of magical ability, so it's pretty much magic." "It takes quite a bit of time to understand and I guess, fully 'control' your powers," Ace said, nodding a little. "And it can be very annoying, yes. But once you learn how to guide it as you want, rather than just wrangling it into working condition, you could do some remarkable things with it." With a bit of a flourish, they drew both hands apart, a glistening spider web hanging between their fingers. [It was one of their favorite party tricks. Nathan adored that damn thing.] Peering up a bit at Evan, they asked; "When your powers 'spread', do you mean further along your arms?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan watched in awe as Ace displayed his abilities. He smiled. "Huh- I never thought of it like that.. Our powers being magical, that's- A really exciting way to look at it!" "'Wrangling' is- A g-good way of putting how I handle my powers," Evan was entirely entranced by the spider. "Mmhm, yeah. Yeah. It spreads- All o-over, actually. I h-had Vengestone with me, b-because sometimes, it covers my entire body and- K-kinda locks me in, which isn't so fun, but-.. That's something I'm w-working on.." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Mhm- our powers are just a magical extension of our physical abilities. It's a very interesting concept," they agreed, absolutely beaming. They pulled the string taut between their fingers, and it warbled with mana in response. "So it makes sense to train your magic, in the same sense you'd train other abilities; running, archery, hiking, et cetera." They lowered their hands as Evan spoke, nodding a little as he explained his plight. "Being locked in- I'd get why that'd be pretty annoying when using your powers." "You, ah- you. You said you had Vengestone?" Ace asked, sounding a little more than surprised. "Just like- you just had Vengestone on hand to restrict your magic?" [Wasn't that like. Y'know. Kind of expensive and only reserved for criminals in Kryptarium? Ignore that they had a sample of it back on their shelf.] @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Ohhhhh- I'll have to do that- 'Train my magic'- I'll start looking at it that way! It sounds a lot more positive when you put it that way," Evan smiled. "Y-yeah, it can be- Kinda scary, but my dad said that it- Does that because I get anxious and feel like I'm in danger, s-so- It's my powers trying to protect me. It c-can be a bit much, though," Evan sighed. He gave a nod of his head. "Mmhm, my dad has a lot of it back home. I had a bracelet of it that I could just click, and it'd activate, and then shut off my powers." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Well, if it helps with your powers, then it helps," they said, laughing lightly. "But I understand what you mean. It can get a bit overwhelming quickly, especially with your powers trying to protect you when you're already worried." "Vengestone bracelets that could be activated for use, hm," Ace murmured. "I- that's actually very clever." [One of those Elemental Masters that returned from Chen's Island- didn't he also have some sort of metal ability?] "Your magic, does it have to do with metal, steel, something of that sort?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Mmhm, it can be a bit overwhelming. Th-that's why the Vengestone was such a big help. I kinda wish I still had it with me." Evan sighed. The boy gave a nod of his head. "Yeah, actually! Metals. I can cover my body with metal, and I could control metal, too." Reaching into a small bag that was at his waist, Evan pulled out a few scraps of metal. In the palm of his hand, it liquified and began to turn into different shapes. Eventually, Evan had it settle into the form of a small dog. He extended it out to Ace. "Tadaaaaa." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Odd. Are you sure it isn't in your chest? A few of my belongings came with me, though I only found them after searching through the chest in my roo...m." Ace's voice trailed off as they watched Evan transform and move the pieces of metal. [Liquification- looked like mercury- did his element extend to all those considered 'metals'] "That was incredible!" Ace quietly gasped, the spiderweb disappearing into faint orbs of mana. "Bravo, it looks wonderful!" "You did it so quickly- and so efficiently," they said, absolutely awed by the show of powers. They reached out to touch the little metal dog, drawing their hand back briefly- "Ah. May I?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"I didn't see it in there- M-maybe I'll take another look." Evan hummed. At Ace's compliments, Evan grew rather bashful. "Th-thank you- I'm not too good with my powers yet, b-but I like making little animals and shapes with them.." "Mmhm! You can even keep it, if you'd like." Evan smiled. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Jason faltered, tilting their head a bit to the side as they considered it. "Hm. Maybe I will," he said after a moment, still smiling as he took the offered trinket. [Small, shiny, smooth- it felt far too fragile to hold, despite being made from metal.] "Even so, you seem to have a good grasp on your powers." Jason held the small metal dog up to their mask to inspect it better. "It's very well made. Absolutely adorable, too." With a quiet 'clink', they set the dog down on the table, adjusting it so that it was standing by their cups. "Thank you, Evan, truly. It's very nice." [*Now they * had *to make the plush for him.] @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan smiled as Ace took the metal dog. “Thanks! I-I’m glad that you like it.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I adore it. It's very sweet," Ace said, absolutely beaming. "I'll carry them with me throughout this whole ordeal." "Hm. What do you think I should name this little one?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“He’ll be like a little good luck charm,” Evan smiled. He paused for a moment. “Uhmm.. Wanna name him after Toaster?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Toaster the Second," Ace mused, picking up the little dog again. "Twoster. Twoaster. Hm. That sounds wrong. Ah, I'll work on it." "But again, thank you," they said, still smiling all the while. "I'll be sure to make a little good luck charm for you, as well." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Twoster!” Evan giggled. “I like that. Clever.” “It’s okay,” Evan smiled. “I-I’m just happy to be able to do something for someone.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Twoster it is, then. I dub thee, ah, Twoster the Metal One. Dog." Ace lightly tapped the newly dubbed Twoster with their finger as if they were knighting it. Twunk. "Ah, I get that- it just feels, hm. Nice," they hummed. "Doing things, making things, especially for others. It just feels nice to see others happy. I guess that's the simplest way to put it." After a moment longer of looking at Twoster- ha, Twoster -Ace downed the rest of the water in their glass and stood with a quiet groan. Ow. Back. "I think I'll explore this gala a little more before it ends," he explained. "I thought I saw a stage out there earlier- and hopefully I can find some other competitors who might know a bit more about this place. It's a bit easier since everyone's gathered here now." "Will you be alright on your own?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan laughed a little as Twoster was knighted. Congrats, lil guy, you’ll do great things! “Mmhm, it feels nice to do things for others. E-even if it’s something small, it makes me happy.” Evan smiled a little. He nodded his head. “I’ll be okay on my own, I’ll probably just- Stay over here. It’s a bit less crowded a-and quieter.” He raised a hand and waved. “B-bye Ace, bye, Twoster.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Mhm. That's also a very nice way to put it." Ace set their cup where the rest were, nodding in agreement about the general...noisiness of the gala. "And that's fair- it's not as...energetic as it is outside." "Well, ah. Good-bye, Evan. It was very nice meeting you- your powers and home are all very interesting, and hopefully we can talk another time." Jason wiggled Twoster in the air a little, kind of like he was waving good-bye, too. "Twoster says 'bye', also. Thank you for making him." [He really shouldn't be in this tournament.] With a final wave, Ace took his leave, little knight-dog in hand. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Y-yeah, I’d like it if we can talk again.” Evan smiled. “Have f-fun, and be safe.” He waved goodbye to the two of them, and stuck around in the refectory.