maskormenacelogs | oh rainy day come round

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oh rainy day come round

WHO: Lapis & you!
WHERE: Nonah & Heropa
WHEN: All through October.
WHAT: Just an open log of daily gem life - PM me if you'd like a closed prompt!
WARNINGS: None.

nonah zoo;

[two or three times a week, depending on how embarrassingly antisocial she's been lately and general attendance, Lapis takes to center stage as the trainer in charge of the sea lion show. this is actually a much less terrible idea than it might appear to be on the surface - while her people skills are grossly lacking, she genuinely adores working with the animals.

the crowd always enjoys the days when Lapis performs as much as she does, as she inevitably adds a little alien flair to the routine. the sea lions jump through hoops made of water rather than plastic, whizz down aqua slides that rise from the pool itself, and elicit probably the most adorable smiles she'll ever make when they obediently give her a kiss. even though her inflection can still be a little monotone in places, it's clear to see that everyone in the stadium is having a good time.

well, almost everyone. with a group of people this large it's inevitable that one or two assholes will drift in, and today is no different. a young man, barely out of his teens, is trying to make a career out of dragging the performance down. his crass voice cuts over some of Lapis' softer exposition, and he never fails to jeer regardless of what trick the sea lions pull out. she's been exemplary in her total stonewalling so far, but when the man decides to throw his empty soda cup into the pool even Lapis can't restrain herself any longer.

it's impossible to tell that anyone's crossed a line at first. all she does is pause in her routine and make a quick flapping gesture with her hand, like she's trying to brush the young man out of existence. several seconds later, however, a pillar of water bursts from the pool with frightful violence - and tilts to pummel straight into the offender.

it's a testament to her skill with her abilities that the people unlucky enough to sit next to the guy are not only free of wayward vengeance, but completely dry by the time his pressure washing is over. the water retreats from the stands, hooking itself around one of the man's legs as it goes. it twirls in a lazy arc and sends him flying over the stadium and out of sight before returning to its more benign composition within the pool.

he's...probably fine, wherever he lands.

the crowd certainly doesn't mind; on the contrary, as soon as he shoots past the lip of the stadium they're on their feet in a standing ovation as if she's just hit the game-winning home run. Lapis doesn't know too much about human congratulatory sequences, but her fellow zookeepers did manage to teach her a trick of her own to use while in the show pool. she implements it now, dipping into a tiny curtsy before returning to the show.]

I'm going to need a volunteer for this next one.

[as exciting as her antics just were, demanding a volunteer immediately following that display comes across as more than a little ominous. do you dare raise your hand?

if the answer is no, there's still a chance to chat with Lapis! she remains near one of the stadium exits after the show is over, unable to squirm out of answering guests' questions about the performance today. her position on the nearby fence gives her a little more headroom than usual, but it's still a bit comical to see her dwarfed by generally average-sized people. most of the inquiries seem to be about her little watershow rather than the sea lions, which is something of a relief - she actually knows how to answer those.]

nonah housing complex;

[with the mere existence of Nonah 5, it's impossible to say that the government housing in North Carolina was peaceful with a straight face. manageable on a good day, perhaps, but perpetually...quirky.

at least for one day the shenanigans seem to be coming from somewhere new: Nonah 7's backyard. residents or passersby will likely notice the blaring classical music first, but if they crane their head even slightly in search of its source they'll see something a bit more arresting: a byzantine tangle of a watery structure rising up into the sky from the back of Nonah 7.

closer inspection finds Lapis perched on her backyard fence, legs swinging idly as she watches her creation with mildly baffled solemnity. when Gran had visited her at the zoo several weeks ago he'd made good on his promise to deliver a soccer ball for the sea lions - and, presumably, for Lapis as well. it was all well and good to watch the sea lions bat the thing around with no concept of the sport, but there's no way that the same thing's going to fly when she herself is on the metaphorical chopping block. if she wants to continue this masquerade of actually knowing what the fuck soccer is, she's going to have to figure it out on her own time.

the problem with this is that she really doesn't have a clue how the sport is played. with no foundation to leap off of she's resorted to building ever-changing ramps and slides with her water in some misguided attempt to make the ball zoom as fast as possible, like some kind of demented Hot Wheels playset. the 'tracks' rise and fall with her whim, corkscrewing and creating walls to bounce off of in some unknowable and ever-changing pattern.

despite the utter mystification that spawned this exercise, Lapis appears to be having a good time. there's an air about her that could be reasonably construed as content, at least, especially when accompanied by the too loud music. the radio blaring it sits on the grass below her, too far down for anything but the extended antenna to be within physical reach. it's an older model that occasionally splurts out static when the newfangled airwaves become too much for it; whenever this happens Lapis simply reaches down and fusses with the antenna, raising and lowering it or swinging it side to side. clearly she has no idea how to work a radio any more than she does a soccer ball. at least the tunes are pleasant.]

heropa;

[Lapis has been in this world long enough to have already experienced a Halloween. when the season rolls around this time she's got a vague grasp on the concept - and most importantly, on the emphasis on candy.

it's why she's stopped by a convenience store on her way back from her weekly visit to the beach and picked up a large variety bag of fun-sized candy bars; thankfully for everyone involved, she remembers to pay for them this time around. although she could simply fly back to Nonah now, she's in a people-watching sort of mood and instead settles down at a bus stop to munch on her sweets and watch the humans pass by on their way to wherever. the scenery isn't as important to her as just being out in the middle of it.

she's eating the candies with the wrappers still on them. she doesn't seem to notice that this isn't how the food works.]

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( Cassandra is slowly, but steadily, getting used to the strange inhabitants of this world. There is an even greater variety of races than she is accustomed to, some of the humans have pink hair, and for some reason, they worship pumpkins. (That one, she fears, will forever be a mystery.)

However, the form of what appears to be a young girl sitting on the bench where the large, long car occasionally stops, is so peculiar that Cassandra swears, for a moment, that it must actually be a demon.

Then she takes a step forward to have a closer look, and frowns. She is no expert on the rituals of this world (it is evident in the way she still dresses, all armor and sword, otherworldly but uncaring) but even she can tell something is wrong.

She clears her throat as she approaches. )

I -- believe you are supposed to remove the paper.

( That will do. )

[while there's certainly someone from home who might agree with that demon moniker, right now Lapis is a pretty benign little blue girl. she looks up when someone approaches her, chewing only slowing enough to pull her lips into a bemused frown.]

Are you sure? They taste pretty alright to me.

[not that she actually knows what any human food is supposed to taste like, but she's put a lot worse in her mouth before this so she's fairly confident in this particular assessment.]

[ Yeah Mint is 100% here to talk to the birds and somehow has ended up in the sea lion show. She did not expect the sea lion show to go this weirdly, what with the weird blue girl forcibly kicking the heckler out via strange water powers. The vulgar person deserved it, of course. But it's still a little overkill.

And now the blue person wants a volunteer? Well then.

Obviously, nobody's volunteering. But the show must go on and she is an actress, so Mint tentatively raises her hand to volunteer. ]

[honestly, Lapis is just as content with receiving no volunteers and modifying the trick for a solo performance as she is with things actually proceeding as intended. she's used to working on the fly with the show, mostly because she never really had any preconceived notions about how this sort of thing was supposed to go. as long as no one complained it was fine, right?

but today that sort of existential crisis for her fellow zookeepers is mercifully avoided. someone's raised their hand, and as Lapis squints up into the stands she...does nothing. after several moments pass, she does at least speak.]

You can't do anything if you're up there.

[...well, Mint, guess this is your queue to come on down and enter the pool stage.]

Well that much is obvious, [ Mint sarcastically calls out with a little hmmph, as she leaves her seat and walks towards the pool stage. Honestly, weren't people skills needed in order to work as a showman? At least, that's the impression Mint got.

Eventually she makes her way to the stage. She regards Lapis with a critical look before she stands to the sidelines, waiting for Lapis to tell her what to do now. ]

[the sarcasm glides right over Lapis' head, as does the scrutinizing gaze leveled her way when Mint finally gets her butt up on stage. instead she turns to face the pool and claps her hands, giving the sea lion small fish reward as it jumps out to sit eagerly in front of her.]

Finley's going to teach you how to play catch.

[Finley at least seems happy to see his new catch partner - but he also seemed genuinely ecstatic to see Lapis when he popped out of the water, too, so his opinions may not count for much.]

Once you introduce yourself we can get started.

[the sea lion, on cue, waddles up to Mint and sticks his flipper out cheerfully. say what you like about her charisma, but it seems the gem is a more than competent trainer.]

[ Mint can't help but smile: the sea lion's fairly cute. She takes the flipper and gently shakes it ]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Finley. My name is Mint Aizawa.

[ Look, she might as well be polite to the dear. Who knows if he gossips with the birds? And if he's stuck with this rude...blue thing all day, then he's probably desperate for a kind word or a lovely smile!

Mint is straight up ignoring the fact that Finley was ecstatic at Lapis, she has her own narrative dammit. ]

[Normally, volunteering isn't really something Yukyun would be into...since that potentially involves him exerting himself, and he's not a fan of work. But...well, why not? It's not every day you get to see a show like this one.

He doesn't seem bothered by the guy getting hurled out of the stadium at all- he'd been cheering right along with the rest of the crowd too, of course. No one likes a spoilsport anyway, right? There shouldn't be any reason to worry, as long as he wasn't the one causing the scene. So when he raises his hand, he waves it lazily back and forth a little, like he's relaxed about it, and also like he's trying to get her attention (even though no one else had volunteered so far).]

Over here!

[Finley gives a bark of greeting himself, putting his flipper down just in time for another fish treat to be tossed his way. he certainly isn't bothered by the fact it was tossed by a watery hand extending from the pool itself as Lapis busies herself with collecting something a little further downstage, although it might startle Mint a bit.

the hand recedes as Lapis returns in short order, her arms full of a jumble of brightly colored balls and plastic rings. most of them have been used in the performance before now, so at least they're familiar.]

Alright, we can get going now.

[and just like that Finley leaps back into the pool with a purposefully exaggerated splash, floating in place as he eagerly awaits his next cue. Lapis smiles, proud of him.]

He's pretty good at this game, so you'll have to work hard to keep up.

[how hard can playing catch with a sea lion be? pretty tough, it turns out. with a small noise in the back of her throat to indicate the game's begun, she starts throwing the toys into the pool.

despite her size Lapis has a good arm, and the objects go flying all over the pool. Finley, clearly an old hand at this, rises to the challenge nicely; every ring is neatly caught around his neck and each ball is retrieved and summarily tossed back on stage for Mint to catch - also in all directions. don't trip, Mint!]

[it takes Lapis a moment or two to notice him anyway, most likely because she's not particularly committed to this whole thing. it's just as fine with her to receive no volunteers as it is for somebody to step up to the plate.

but it looks like she won't have the non-dilemma of improvisation to deal with today, as she finally spots the wayward hand floating back and forth in the stands. after a moment or two where staring unblinkingly at the guy doesn't prompt him to start moving down towards the stage, she settles for extending a tendril of water up towards him.]

Well, come on.

[...apparently he's supposed to step on it. this is clear to Lapis and probably no one else.]

[ Both of them know what they're doing more than Mint does. She catches the rings and balls thrown at her—after all, she's a ballerina, she's got good reflexes. However, a few of the balls and rings get out of her reach.

Eventually...she's just laden down with balls but they keep coming. So, Mint tosses a few of the balls in Finley's general direction. Hope he can still play catch. ]

[he sure can! he bats them right back with powerful slaps of his tail, giving barks of excitement between each dip underwater. the rings stay safely around his neck thanks to the sort of balance only an aquatic mammal can possess.

Finley's having an awfully good time, and Lapis doesn't want to intrude on that just now. so instead she gives a sharp whistle that must have taken her weeks to perfect and another of the resident sea lions splashes eagerly into the pool. congratulations Mint, you've now effectively doubled your catching duties.]

[ She did not sign up for this.

Mint's trying her hardest to catch all the balls and rings and toss them back but the fact remains that they're coming at her from both directions and those sea lions are surprisingly good at getting the balls airtime. Mint is less than five feet tall. Some of those balls fly straight over her head while a couple of them just smack her in the face.

With a huff, she snaps at Lapis, ]

You can help out as well!

[the look that Mint receives is completely flat and utterly devoid of mercy. she warned you, girl. she told you that the sea lions were monsters at this game if you didn't happen to have perfect control of the medium through which they swam in order to make perfect catches in return.]

I already am.

[maybe she didn't see her throwing the balls in, busy as she was with the bad attempts at catching everything. to help her out (and despite her expression Lapis does genuinely mean this to be helpful) she lobs her next ball into the pool very slowly, keeping eye contact with the human at all times. there, that should do it.

the crowd, assuming this overkill is meant for intentional comedy, is lapping the whole schtick up. looks like Mint has a promising career as a slapstick performer if she ever wants to pursue show business.]

[ Lapis lobs the ball in very slowly. Finley's response is FUCK THAT NOISE as he just spikes the ball in Mint's direction...which connects with her head with a thunk.

Yeah, that ball's getting tossed RIGHT AT LAPIS'S HEAD, this has gone from 'fun' to 'honestly a bit annoying.' ]

[water rises up immediately from the pool to catch the ball; it hangs suspended in the liquid, sparkling with a sort of alien beauty in the sunlight.

the fragility only lasts for a moment, as soon enough it's tossed right back at Mint...along with all the water. someone still hasn't learned the difference between benign and actually threatening violence, judging from Lapis' still stoic expression.]

Looks like we've got a winner.

[and just like that she's turned to give her full attention to the sea lions, who are cheerfully rewarded with several fish each. a small smile tugs at her lips, very fond.]

Well, two winners. Good job, guys.

[Well, he at least figures he's supposed to do something with this water tendril, since it's pointing right at him.

But as far as stepping on it, that's...not the first thing that comes to mind, no. Good thing he's not too concerned about looking like some idiot who doesn't know what he's doing at all. So instead, he just reaches out and grabs at the tendril- like he's trying to shake it's...hand? Can you shake a hand made out of water? This is what he's supposed to do, right]

This part of the act?

I'm not acting.

[why would he think that? she hasn't even attempted to be anything but herself this whole time. the actual point flies straight past Lapis' head, most likely landing somewhere behind her in the pool.

thankfully she's a lot better at rolling with unexpected twists and turns when it comes to more practical things. when he touches the water it snakes around his wrist, slithering down his arm to thicken and grab hold of his waist - a strong enough grip to allow Lapis to pull him down to the stage like that.

she gives no warning or explanation before doing this. she figures (incorrectly) that he's just going to know it's coming.]

[ The water hits Mint with a large whumph. Almost instantly, she's soaked. Also instantly, she's really pissed off. ]

I do hope you have a plan for drying me off,

[ she hisses at Lapis, partly under her breath but loud enough for the gem to hear her talk. ]

Why would I? You're done now.

[the complete and utter bafflement is easily genuine, which somehow makes it even worse from a non-Lapis perspective. after shooting Mint the mystified look she's already starting to clean up the balls and rings in preparation for the next part of the performance, mind running through the various tricks she still has left to show the crowd.]

You got me wet! [ she fumed, stepping back from the sea lions, who are probably now just hanging out, being sea lions. Hell no Mint's not going to let this go without more fussing. ]

So obviously you must have a plan for drying me off because surely you can't be that inconsiderate.

[Lapis pauses in her collection to simply point up. it takes a second to parse her intentions, the gesture being unaccompanied by words as it is, but enough craning of the neck should elicit the realization that she's indicating the sun above them.

and, well, she's right. it's pretty warm out today, Mint ought to dry off fairly quickly with no outside interference.]

I'll be speaking with your manager.

[ Because dammit, there's still the point of the matter! Mint starts to storm out of the sea lion performance space, still scowling all the while. ]

[Lapis simply shrugs...and maybe that would have been the end of it, if she were a lesser gem. but she's always had a problem with people challenging her autonomy, even when she doesn't even know who (or what) her manager is, and so she can't leave it alone.

as Mint departs, a small tendril rises up from the pool. like a snake, it whips out to gently smack the other girl on the ass before retreating back into the water. my, who could have done that? certainly not Lapis, who is currently busy feeding the sea lions a few more reward fish.]

[ As the tendril rises up to hit her butt, she spins around...to see no one there. Who could have possibly done that? Certainly it wasn't the weird blue girl with water powers who Mint saw earlier goddammit she is just going to murder Lapis. Mint storms out in a huff, with an impressive amount of anger for someone who's just so so tiny.

fuck this zoo and fuck the tiny little blue person, Mint's going to bitch to the birds and hope that she can convince some of them to poop all over the sea lion enclosure (and possibly on Lapis) because she's a petty asshole. ]

[and for her part, Lapis watches her former volunteer stomp away with nothing more than a quiet giggle. that was pretty satisfying, she'll admit.

and just like that, she goes right back to the rest of her show. the audience assumes the little theatrics are more comedy and applaud, quite appreciative of the fresh spin on something that could easily become tired and stale.

the likelihood of Lapis actually remembering this encounter as anything significant is pretty low. sorry about your future vengeance, Mint.]

[Noooope, definitely didn't see that one coming. Maybe he should start expecting the unexpected a little more often in a place like this though ("this" being this whole world). Or maybe he should've had some idea that he might get dragged after that last guy got flung into the air.

All things considered though, he still doesn't seem very flustered or anything. He's just a go with the flow kind of guy in general, so he can deal. Even when he lands kind of ungracefully onto the stage, he gets right up- brushing his shirt off a bit, and laughing a little breathlessly.]

Well. I just mean you're putting on a show, right? I'm not saying it's fake.

[He looks around at the new vantage point, and back up to where he'd come flying from the stands.]

Thanks for the lift too. Saved me some walking.

You didn't look like you could move very fast.

[Lapis that's not fair, humans only have their stubby legs to get along on and can't fly around like you do. but at least she only means it as a statement of fact rather than anything cruel, and moves along onto the next topic without delay.

she claps her hands in the direction of the pool, and the sea lions hop out of the water to line up cheerfully in front of her. they receive a smile and a fishy reward each before she turns back to her volunteer.]

Do you know any songs?

( She makes a noise of amusement in the back of her throat, moving her arms to clasp her hands behind her back. )

Not entirely. Still, I have seen others here do it. I believe the paper prevents the sweets from sticking together.

Edited (words words words) 2016-10-30 08:34 (UTC)

[she considers this for a moment before digging around in the bag to hold up a cluster of candies that are pretty well stuck together, most likely due to the Florida heat.]

...I think you might be wrong about that.

( Cassandra just stares at the stuck sweets, corners of her mouth turning down in disappointment. )

It seems it is even less effective than I thought.

It's not really surprising. That seems to be how anything humans make turn out.

[she pulls one apart, daintily so as to keep any stick off her fingers, and pops it into her mouth.]

[Lapis is extra right about Yukyun not being fast though, because he definitely would've taken his sweet ass time moving down those stairs if he'd needed to walk. So she probably did everyone a favor by literally dragging him down to the stage instead.

The sea lions are cute though- he peers over her shoulder at them...trying to convince himself it's probably not a good idea to reach out and pet them on his own. But it's tempting.

At her question, he shrugs a bit.]

Sure. I mean...I listen to the radio.

[If that counts, as far as...happening to know some songs that exist, and remembering how they go. For the most part.]

[unfortunately for Yukyun it's more than close enough for the alien who only recently learned what humans even consider music. she whistles and the sea lions scatter, barking happily as they set themselves to their task.

what exactly that task is quickly reveals itself as they push and nudge a wheeled platform from the back of the stage to front and center. on the podiums sitting there are horns, each podium marked with the note its horn will play. they take their places quickly, waiting for further instruction as Lapis gives them a fish treat each.]

If you point at a sea lion, they'll play; keep pointing if you want them to hold the note.

[and that's...all the instruction she gives. go ahead, boy, you're the maestro to this pop-up aquatic orchestra. better hope you've got good musical taste because the stadium is watching.]

( That statement piques Cassandra's curiosity, what with the casual dismissal of humans to the face of an unknown human. So, she braces herself, and says: )

If I may ask... what are you?

I'm a gem. [she says, like this should be obvious] My name is Lapis Lazuli.

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oh rainy day come round

heropa

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zoo!

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Nonah Zoo

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