008 ✽ It's betta down where it's wetter

[giglio_madonna]

Who: Flowers Over Bones and those in attendance
What: One last solo band performance before the big tour, at the world's largest aquarium. Of course, being a giant aquarium, there's plenty of other things to do too.
When: Backdated to early April
Where: The Vista City Aquarium
Warnings: None planned, but note- this is set before Flowers Over Bones (Luce, Doctor, Rei, Ivan, Pao-Lin) escape out of Virgo's grip. If you want to talk with any of them one last time, now is the chance to do so. Also doubles as a mingle log!


As befitting such an enormous and thriving city, Vista houses the largest aquarium on the entire Americana west coast. Vista City Aquarium takes up the entirety of a multi-floor building, sprawling over a sizeable bit of land in the crowded city and providing nothing but top of the line care for its many aquatic and amphibious inhabitants. Needless to say, the gift shop is an entire floor all its own.

Such a place is obviously a popular place in the city for those interested in aquatic life, but today is special. The Annual Charity Run is taking place to usher in spring, just like every other year, and, to help this goal, they've enlisted the help of Virgo's own Flowers Over Bones. On one of the only levels not for the housing of aquatic life, a stage area has been set up for the band. All proceeds to see them, of course, go straight to the Aquarium.

That isn't to say people are obligated to go to the concert. It's an optional event of the day. There's still an entire building full of water and creatures to explore, an endeavor which can take up an entire day if one is so willing. Notable attractions include:

- A glass tunnel that goes through an entire tank of Caribbean sea life
- A room filled with screens livestreaming the events of oceanic researchers watching over the dolphins and whales the aquarium doesn't house
- A shallow tank where you can pet more docile small sharks and rays
- An area where you can play chess electronically with one out of a pair of octopi, Celia or Pat. Human winners are rewarded a voucher for food down in the food court. Celia and Pat get pieces of crab. Celia and Pat also have a high win rate.
- The food court and gift shop floor, where you can buy refreshments for the day or whatever gift shop knicknacks your heart desires. Not only are there the typical things such as clothing emblazoned with the aquarium's logo, keychains, and lovely coral or shark teeth jewelry.... But there are also plushies larger than most people. There's seemingly one for just about every kind of animal. Yes, even the blobfish.

Comments

Xanxus | OTA

[variaboss]

A. Five Finger Discount
He caught Squalo red handed with the sharks earlier and now he's in the shop. He's not really been thinking of buying anything for anyone. But here he is, looking through stuff. Mostly in the jewelry section. He's sure the people he's sleeping with might like something cause bitches like jewelry. He's found some little golden dolphin earrings that he thinks might look good on Ryouta. There are some coral bangles for Aramat and he's fingering the sharp point of a shark tooth hanging from a necklace.

It's not expensive and yet Xanxus has been needing to feel a rush of adrenaline. It feels like music isn't enough to get that rush any more. That's why he quietly slides the jewelry into a pocket. Now all he has to do is walk out without getting caught.

B. Family Matters - to the Carnies and Mammon and a shark
Xanxus is pacing again. He had arranged this but he's still very nervous about this. He knows that this could be dangerous. Dangerous for them and for her. But he can't help it. He wants for his band to meet her. He wants the Carnies to meet his daughter. He wants them to see the reason why he's trying so hard to keep clean and why he's been reading all sorts of parenting manuals and a bunch of other things that no one might expect of Pride's Bad Boy.

He stops and looks around for a moment before starting again. He's going to wear a hole in the floor if he's not careful. He looks towards those with him and insures them. "She should be here any moment." But it's pretty much more insuring himself that she'll be here.

A

[lightthedarkness]

Sorry, Xanxus, but human beacon may put a damper on that plan.

Not on purpose, mind you since she's also the human walking disaster. So when she backs up, the mermaid bunny in arms, her back smacks right into him... again.

She quickly looked up... and up.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" they really had to stop meeting like this.

[variaboss]

Yeah. She does have a way of keeping bad people from doing bad things. He sort of drops the necklace he had been trying to put in his pocket. He frowns and looks down and down some more.

Meatballs.

That girl! The girl that he'd met in the park. They really did need to stop meeting like this. "It's you... You really need to watch out. Some day you might end up hurt."

[lightthedarkness]

"Ahhh I'm pretty hardy, honestly, comes with being so klutzy." It is an utter lie Xanxus, she is a huge crybaby.

"I'm sorry... ah... at least I didn't get your face this time?" she takes small victories where she can. "You aren't hurt, are you?" she knows asking if he's hurt is like asking if a tree felt a leaf fly into it, but it would be rude not to.

[variaboss]

"So I noticed. Running into me didn't knock you on your ass." Least this time he doesn't have a massive frog to dump on her. "And no, you didn't get my face. I didn't have to hide my face today." He reaches up to tap the massive scar on his cheek.

"And no. I'm just as sturdy. No harm done." He leans down pick up what he had been trying to steal and sees a little hair clip. He likes that better. He picks it up as well as something like it. "Hey, kid. You think these are cute?" Just little fish life barrettes.

[lightthedarkness]

"Oh! Haha, well I didn't run into you that hard. If I was actually running, maybe." She could kill if she ran into people while running, she was surprisingly fast. "Well, that's good, I'm glad you can be more yourself," she offered honestly, scarring never bothering her.

"I do! I tend to wear ribbons myself because of all my hair but those would be nice for someone. Is it the girl you bought the plush for?"

[variaboss]

He grins a little because he's pretty glad he doesn't have to hide his face either. But he's not really being "himself" mostly because he sees her as a little girl, just like his daughter. He's still to brainwashed to be an asshole to her.

"Actually, no it's not for her." He digs through his pocket and pulls out a phone and calls up a picture. It's Squalo. Squalo in a state of shark petting bliss. "It's for him. He's got a metric shitton of hair. For my little girl, I was thinking a cute little purse...." He pauses and frowns. "I'm not to good with cute. You want to pick one out?"

[lightthedarkness]

"Oh! Well, if he's super into sharks," and it looked like he was, "Why not get the shark ribbons! Ribbons are always nicer for that much hair, take my advice. If they don't have ribbons you could always substitute shoelaces, I do in a pinch."

She had to do that more than once, sadly. Still she looked around and smiled. "What's her favorite sea-animal? Or you could always go for a cute penguin purse, who doesn't love penguins?"

b idk if im doing this right

[sharktrash]

[ who are you calling a bitch you piece of shit It's not like there aren't good reasons for those worries, either. But hey, if she's really their daughter, that means she can take care of herself, right? ]

[ Squalo's not part of Xanxus' band, but he's (apparently) part of his family, so yeah, here he is. Watching the bad scary dude trample a path into tiles because he's nervous. Never thought he'd see the day. ]

Vooi, calm the fuck down. It'll be fine.

[variaboss]

[ Too bad. Always his bitch. Yes yes he knows that she probably can, but he's still super worried. This is probably the most nervous he's been in like...ever.

It's a good thing that Squalo is here. He's calming in a way he really needs. He'll made his way back to Squalo to loom over him a little ]

This IS calm, you fuck.

[sharktrash]

[ wow rude as fuck. ]

[ Wonder how much of it is ridiculous codependency and how much is the presence of Rain Flames. They're more like a gentle presence rather than an actual inclination to chill, thanks to the lack of proper jewelry, but that pat on the back might still be a little more relaxing than you'd expect. ]

Yeah right. You're about to jump out of your dick skin.

[variaboss]

[ Probably a little of column b and a hell of a lot of column a. There's just something about about him that makes him calmer. Though with Xanxus, any sort of calming is better than nothing since he's high stung as fuck. ]

The hell I am. I'm just eager. It's not every day you introduce your little girl to your band.

[sharktrash]

[ Exactly. ]

Right.

[ He doesn't sound entirely convinced, but here, have another pat while he looks around. Where is she? ]

[avidita]

[Listen- things happened. Things that may or may not have involved being too goddamn small and getting trapped in a crowd. Mammon isn't a baby anymore, but they're not exactly an opposing figure here.]

[Goddammit. They miss Gola Mosca. Using that to be carried around was so much easier. Why did they let the old man out of that thing again?]

[Finally, however, a tiny figure in a big MÄNTICORE hoodie- gotta make "Momma" happy- is finally trotting over and reaching for dear old 'Papa'. Yes, they are actively relieved about getting free of crowd hell, shut the fuck up.]

Papa!

[Yes, they'll milk this for all its worth. Again: shut the fuck up.]

B

[avidita]

Fortunately for Xanxus' blood pressure, "Avidita" soon makes her appearance. It's the same tiny girl that made an appearance at the Fairy Trial nonsense, this time wearing an enormous MÄNTICORE hoodie she seems likely to get lost in. Almost as lost as she is in the crowd she has to push her way through, making a beeline straight for Xanxus.

Meet your bassist's daughter, Junkyard Carnival.

For all that "she" seems to stick by Xanxus, by no means is Avidita shy. She glances right up to the other bandmembers. "I've read about you before."

Not that it's hard, Vista City and its obsession with musicians being what it is.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

"Yeah?" Luci grins. "So I guess we don't need to make excuses for our behavior, huh? You know exactly how we are."

Xanxus' daughter is pretty cute in that purple-haired, frowny-face way, so it's easy for Luci to keep her promise to Xanxus to support him in this daughter thing. At least she's not a literal baby anymore, that could have been really awkward for a punk rock life.

[variaboss]

Xanxus is glad of that. He's totally happy that Luci is willing to do this. That she's supporting this all. "That's right. She knows all about her papa. But Avidita here is still my little girl." He's totally going to snuggle Mammon like they're a certain large cat.

"I had hoped that she and my rock family could get along." But he won't try to force it.

[avidita]

From the depths of Xanxus' actual-to-god cuddling, there's actually a brief flicker of a smile. "Yeah, I know all about you. You seem exactly like Papa's kind of people."

Because of course Xanxus would be fast friends with someone who calls herself Lucifer.

"Are you going to kidnap another person soon?" It'd be something to popcorn, if there's enough time for it.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

"I don't think you have to worry about that, Xan, if she already knows that we're your sort of people and doesn't take issue, I'm sure we'll get along great."

What a snuggle that is. It's so adorable. Luci can already tell she's going to really enjoy being Auntie Luci.

"We are missing a drummer you know... just haven't found somebody who's good enough to keep up with us."

A: the hero nobody deserves

[agains]

Since becoming king for a day on television and singing his heart out about justice, Keith has been having more and more almost-memories pop up. They get conflated with his programmed past -- that he ran away from a cop family to pursue his music career -- and so maybe he feels this weird little itch to be a goody-two-shoes.

But that is irrelevant! He's at the aquarium to support Flowers Over Bones. Even in the gift shop, he's paying as much attention to the speakers as the merchandise. He's a dog person, not Aquaman.

When he notices Xanxus, a striking figure who definitely stands out in a place like this, perhaps you could call it a hunch that makes Keith move in for a chat.

(They could have been friends once. He remembers his manager warning him against it after their first music festival: Carnies weren't good for anyone's image, let alone a Virgo star. Maybe they can still be acquaintances, somehow.)

"Enjoying the day?" Keith asks out of the blue, because it's not a hunch at all, it's just the fact that he regrets not making a friend when he had the chance. Goddamn it, Goodman.

[variaboss]

Xanxus is about to shove the bracelets into his pockets when Keith ambles on up. He doesn't even care about looking guilty. He's stopped feeling that sort of thing. He's certain he's done a lot worse than having some light fingers. Besides, he's hoping blondie over here isn't very observant about things slipping into pockets.

He still raises an eyebrow as the man greets him. He has his usual answer for that. Super rude and utterly full of himself. It's what's expected of him. He's got to be the bad boy and he loves doing it. Still, it's not like Keith has done anything yet to deserve such a thing.

Xanxus scoffs a little. "I was good until you showed up." Damn it, Xanxus. "Wait no.. that's a lie. I fucking hate fish." He was only here because he's supposed to meet up with someone later on, so he has to endure stupid sea life. "You here for the free publicity?"

[agains]

Keith actually looks troubled. Partially because his delicate magnanimous feelings have been hurt and partially because it's not okay for people to have a bad time. "I'm here to support Flowers Over Bones, of course."

(And to come to the aquarium when one doesn't like fish! How odd. He'll get to the bottom of this not-so-feelgood-mystery.)

"Do you prefer the octopus tank, then? Or the dolphin research stream?"

[variaboss]

Feelings being hurt? Good! Xanxus is all for that. Besides, he's just being himself. It'll probably get worse before it gets better. "What is this? Twenty questions? How about none of the above. I'm not here for the stupid fish." He crosses his arms a little. "If you have to know, I'm just here because I'm supposed to meet someone important. This just happened to be the best place because we can get lost in the fucking crowd without anyone noticing."

So he hopes. Sort of hard when they're both rock stars. They've probably got fans stopping and basking in their joint glory.

[agains]

"...I see. You're right. This is a perfect place to blend in. I'll refrain from questioning you any further."

Look at what you did. You ruined a perfectly good puppy. Keith is busy wondering why he hasn't played Twenty Questions in so long -- probably because there are literally millions of other ways to pass the time that are more interesting, even to him -- and lets his gaze turn downward.

He hasn't mastered his powers yet, but their use is marked with a faint blue glow. Maybe a "blink and you miss it." As he sighs, so too does the wind.

A flash of... gold... dolphins?

"Oh! You dropped your earrings."

He'll reach down to pick them up. Race you.

[variaboss]

He's good at that. Kicking adorable puppies. He's a cat person for a reason. Because cats are assholes and he identifies with his own kind or something. But he's glad that there won't be more questions. He doesn't want to stand there and talk about his daughter.

Nor does he want this guy to notice that he just pocketed some shit. Instead, he notices the earrings and reaches down for them at the same time. "They're not mine. They're for someone else." Like he has to defend his reasons for holding onto some pretty gold dolphins.