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

[sponsorigami]

Y-You did?

[ He wishes he knew that Trucy was coming. He would have brought her a gift as well. They see so little of each other. Still, he's happy that she thought of him.

There's a table that's in view of the otters, so he goes there to sit down and look at the menu. Someone will be by to take orders. ]

[magic_to_do]

Um, it's nothing much.

[She sits down at the table and opens her little handbag.]

Just, after I made that flower I've been trying other things. And when I learned to make these, I thought of you.

[And she pulls out several origami shurikens.]

[sponsorigami]

[ He beams when she says that she's trying to make other origami, and it's an honest smile. It's probably the most honest smile he has put on today. ]

These look great. Do they really remind you of me?

[ He reaches for one and twirls it between his fingers. He sees himself as a child looking up the directions online and folding them out of scrap paper. His smile turns a little wistful. This is the first origami he tried folding. ]

I wouldn't have really thought of it, but it... fits. I've been thinking that origami means a lot to me, like it's a part of my identity. ... Does that make sense?

[magic_to_do]

Of course! You're really elegant. Plus you've got that whole ninja thing going, right?

[Ninjas are traditionally associated with origami, right? Well, it sounds good in her head.]

I'm still working my way up to things like those flapping cranes though. I tried one, but it was really lopsided. And the wings wouldn't flap like did in the pictures....

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan blushes a little at being called elegant. He really doesn't think he's like that at all. But it still feels nice that she thinks so. ]

Cranes are hard. The flapping ones have a fewer steps, so they're a bit easier... but still hard. There's so many steps. A little misfold, and your precision can be thrown way off.

[ And yet his fingers and memories know more than he does. ]

S-Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble like that. But you know me, Origami...

[ ... Huh? ]

[magic_to_do]

Yeah, tell me about it. Mine looked alright, but when I tried to flap the wings they kind of fell apart...

[She shrugs.]

It's fine. You can give me some...

[Trucy frowns and tilts her head curiously at him when he trails off.]

pointers...

What's wrong?

[sponsorigami]

I... Me, Origami. Origami Cyclone!

[ He cringes when he realizes how loud he was, but he can see himself wearing the blue armor of Origami Cyclone, the Hidden Hero on Hero TV, sponsored by Helperides Finances. After a quick look around to see if anyone heard him over the buzz of the crowd, he quiets again. His eyes are wild with energy. ]

I... my name. My hero name, the--uh... the name I'm used to being called and giving out. I'm Origami Cyclone. I'm Origami. I-I'm a hero.

[magic_to_do]

[Trucy jumps a little when he shouts suddenly. But it looks like the outburst went unnoticed.]

Origami Cyclone...

[She repeats it in a thoughtful tone. Almost testing it out. Trucy isn't terribly surprised to find out he's a hero. Ivan always seemed heroic to her.]

Wow, that's so cool! It really suits you.

[sponsorigami]

Y-You really think so?

[ He says the name a few more times in his head. Yes, it's his name. ]

I guess I don't have much of a secret identity, but if I was going to trust people with it, you're one of them. Definitely. You helped return my name to me.

[magic_to_do]

Sure! It's like a combination of classy, exciting, delicate, and versatile.

[Why was delicate even in there? Her eyes are practically sparkling though. Being trusted with his secret identity is totally worth so many points on... some... scale somewhere.]

Did you have a costume? I bet it was super cool!

[sponsorigami]

[ Because Ivan can sometimes be a delicate paper flower on one hand and a dynamic ninja tool on the other. ]

Yes, a blue hero suit with a large shuriken on my back... I wonder if I could show you...

[ He closes his eyes and thinks. Ivan's not planning to shapeshift in the crowded cafe. That would be very foolish and dangerous. However, he is trying to see if he has the form copied, and he does. Of course he does. He has to touch the hero suit to put it on.

The form wouldn't be him in the suit, but the suit itself. (He can't shapeshift into himself. That's his default.) It'd be more like a statue, but she could see what Origami Cyclone looks like. ]

If we can find a place where no one can see us, I think I could...

[magic_to_do]

Oh, I totally want to see!

[She glances around. There has to be somewhere around here where they could be alone for a minute.]

Maybe we could find an empty hallway. Or a really unpopular exhibit.

[There has to be some kind of fish no one in interested in, right?]

[sponsorigami]

I can be really quick. I just need to not be seen, or we'd be in trouble.

[ Him for having a power he shouldn't and her for knowing about it. He looks around for a door, maybe even an employee only area they could duck into. An aquarium has to have an area filled with pumps and tubes to keep water fresh and moving. Or even a broom closet of some kind.

Definitely tabloid material but better that than getting into real trouble with their labels. ]

Let's go look around.

[magic_to_do]

Sure!

[Trucy is pretty excited, both because secrets and sneaking around are always exciting and because this is sort of like a date and eeeeee~! For the record, she wouldn't mind the broom closet, tabloids and all. But that's not the first opportunity she spots.]

Oh, look! That could work.

[It didn't take long for her to notice an area of the Aquarium blocked by a velvet rope. The sign describes several new exhibits that are currently under construction will be open sometime next month.]

[sponsorigami]

Okay.

[ He ducks into the area. There doesn't look to be anyone around, most likely because FoB's manager made sure that there wasn't going to be any mechanical ruckus while they perform. Still, that doesn't mean they can dally in there very long, or at least, not very long while Ivan is shapeshifted. Getting into trouble for trespassing construction areas as musicians isn't nearly as dangerous.

Ivan moves so he's partially blocked from the entrance by a sign explaining about the fish in the (currently empty) tank. A quick flash a bright blue covers his body, and his shape changes in that instant. He's now the hero suit of Origami Cyclone. ]

I-I can't move like this because I am the suit, but I can still talk to you somehow...

[ He doesn't make the rules to his own power. ]

[magic_to_do]

Whoa! That's so.... cool...

[Man, Trucy wishes she could do tricks like that. And that armor is just awesome! It reminds her of the Steel Samurai. Wait...

Oh! Right. That was a tv show she saw....somewhere. A long time ago. She remembers stacks of dvds that someone kept sending to her father.

In combination of awe and reverie, she doesn't even notice her hand move until her fingers are very lightly touching his chest. She snatches her hand back hastily.]

Oh! Sorry! I got a little...

[So much blushing.]

carried away...

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan changes back, not willing to risk keeping the form for too long in case someone comes along. He's much smaller than his armor. Shorter and thinner, muscles slight. How could anyone connect him and Origami Cyclone? It doesn't feel fully real even if he knows it's true. They seem so different.

A bright blush covers his face and matches Trucy's. ]

I-It's... it's all right...

[ He's not entirely sure what he means by that. ]

[magic_to_do]

Umm...

[Her cheeks are still burning and it's tough for Trucy to meet his eyes. She self consciously twirls a lock of her hair in her fingers.]

You're really amazing. I mean, the armor. It's really cool.

[Stringing words together should not be this difficult.]

[sponsorigami]

I wish I could remember more about it, but now that I know that it's mine... it's going to be easier, right?

[ He adverts his gaze to the unfinished display for the exhibit; he's trying to give himself (and Trucy) a moment to compose himself. ]

Have... have you remembered anything about yourself?

[magic_to_do]

[She shrugs.]

Only a little. I... think I was always a magician. I remember performing when I was really small. I was really proud of myself for being a pro.

And... I remember my dad... disappeared.

[sponsorigami]

[ He opens his mouth to speak, but then he closes it. Ivan says quietly, ]

I'm sorry.

[ He didn't mean to bring up bad memories, even if they are her true ones. And part of him is relieved that she knows that they are her actual memories, and he doesn't have to convince her of such. ]

I... I bet you were a really cute magician as a kid--I-I mean, not that you aren't one now! You are, but um. Yeah.

[ Hasn't something like this happened to him before? ]