thecapitol | [OPEN]

Who: The Signless and YOU!
What: Signless braves the wild and scary world of shopping.
Where: The Capitol shopping district.
When: Now-ish, during the day.
Warnings: None that I can think of.

The Signless hasn't really done much shopping in the Capitol -- none at all, as it happens, except for when he accompanied Karkat on his last trip but paid for nothing that was bought. He doesn't really trust the credit cards; he doesn't like the idea of being in debt to these people. But this is a special outing. Karkat got him a tribute token doubling as a sign of their moiraillegience, and he can't very well not return the gesture.

So far it's been a wild ride, out alone with all the Capitol people. Many are still wearing horns, some of them disturbingly like his own little nubs, and three of them already have stopped him and asked him to write his name in Alternian script on their arms or faces in glittering red pen. It's strange, as confusing as it is flattering for someone who lived most of their life only interacting with the same three people and expecting only skepticism or violence from strangers. So far the worst thing that's happened to him out here has been a human with blue and red glasses and two sets of horns in honey gold giving him a rather dirty look as they walked past each other. The thought that people he doesn't even know have been watching his relationship with the Helmsman crash and burn and might be angry at him about it is a deeply disconcerting one.

Still, he can't just ignore everyone around him. He likes Peeta and Cinna, and despite all his efforts Effie is growing on him, and he knows it'll help them tremendously if he presents a gracious and open public persona.

Also, he needs a second opinion. He's found a ring he likes, but he's never had jewelry and doesn't have much of an eye for whether it looks good or not. Whoever your character is, they are being recruited for the cause!

"What do you think of this? Too garish?"

(Of course, if your character isn't one he'd ask the opinion of, they can feel free to butt in and give it anyway.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Terezi isn't really paying attention to the person browsing nearby, but she overhears his question to another. The voice catches in her ears, and it holds her attention enough that she turns just a bit to get a better scent from its owner. And that's all she really needs to realize that she's in the presence of something truly breath-taking...

A Jumbo-sized Karkat.

Okay, not exactly, but those nubby horns are so strikingly familiar that she almost starts laughing on the spot. There's another feeling, more melancholy than laughter on its heels, but she doesn't let that take root. She doesn't have time to reminisce on the fact that she hasn't met a single person she knows, yet, or how terribly lonely and worrisome that is.

Instead, she sidles closer to the older troll once he's done conversing and nimbly plucks the ring out of his hand.

"Garish? Have you looked around yourself lately? This ring is like the shitty cake topper for a five-story confectionery disaster. It is the least of your worries, but it would be a crime if I let you put this cherry-coated junk on your stubby paw. Absolutely not allowed, so terribly sorry!"

He's about to tell her to give that back, please, when he realizes exactly what he's looking at.

A miniature Latula.

But it can't be her. The eyes are wrong, and the hair is too short (did she wear it shorter, when she was younger?). He hasn't seen her since a universe ago, of course, he could be misremembering.

"Latula?" he ventures.

Not quite the reaction she was looking for. She's a little confused at the name, which should be answer enough for the older troll, but she responds anyway.

"Nope. Not even close." She slips the ring onto her finger so he can't snatch it back for the moment. As much as she claimed it to be garish, she doesn't seem to mind it on her. "Who is this Latula person, and why did you think I was her?"

His face falls, just a little. "She was someone I knew, a long time ago. You look a lot like her. That's all."

This is already awkward. Valiantly he tries to steer it back toward a topic of conversation that's a little safer.

"Do you really think it's that bad? The ring?"

That answer gets a skeptical expression from Terezi, but if she believes it or not, she doesn't say anything.

"It is utterly obtrusively loud. I could smell it from a mile away, but compared to everything else in this city..." She shrugs and holds the ring out on her finger to get a better angle of it. Then she sniffs it. "It's not an utter nightmare, I guess!l

She waves her hand around a bit more, inspecting the ring. "Who is it for?

"My moirail," he responds, watching her sniff the ring with genuine intrigue. Definitely not Latula, if she relies on her smell for anything. "He's already given me a ring, so I thought it was only right to repay him in kind."

"Hmmm..." Terezi is not necessarily the guru in romantic gestures, but she seems to give this some legitimate thought for a moment.

"I suppose for a conciliatory romantic gesture, it is not too terrible. It's still garish as hell, but who knows! Maybe your papping buddy likes that sort of thing."

She takes the ring off again, then flips it into the air like a quarter. The aim is fairly accurate and the arc is high, dropping down in front of Signless if he has the reflexes to catch it.

"Why bright red, though?"

[OPEN]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject