“okay, see, that actually makes me feel better because i was fully convinced i was about to accidentally do the most embarrassing thing possible,” mavis laughed, glancing over the setup again with obvious curiosity. she nudged his arm lightly. “and thank the gods this is your first time too, because i was about two seconds away from pretending i suddenly had somewhere else to be. we can mess up together.. or i can just blame you now." she teased.

mandy was thankful to hand off her shift tonight in order to enjoy the event at gloam market, the longer she stuck around. the way they managed to highlight all these businesses from different corners of the city was not lost on her, much less anyone else. even mandy couldn't resist good food, good music, and a giant jewelry drawer marked at 70% off.

that was where she was now, standing in front of this drawer of rings sitting on a box in the middle of the grotto. she sifted through the gold side, sticking anything that fit on her fingers and tossing anything that didn't aside. the blonde was normally the type to wear stacks of rings, so this is what she did now - curated a stack, held out her hands, and observed.

but she needed a second set of eyes, obviously. she and mavis had parted ways after their tattoo excursion and now she stood alone, scanning the room for a random opinion. the closest person to her would do, honesty.

"hey," she said, still holding out her hands - making eye contact with the guy next to her before guiding his attention with her gaze. "any chance you have an opinion?"

he was stood just slightly to the side of mandy, scanning the tables for something he might be able to begin his new collection with, when his opinion was asked for.

milo looks both ways to the side of him, assuming the question was for someone who might actually stand a chance of answering it. “you’re asking me? i mean, i can try and help but i should warn you that no one’s ever asked my advice in jewellery before, and probably with good reason.”

“well, what’s the worst that can happen?” he shrugs and leans down slightly to look closer. “what exactly are you looking for? is it for a special occasion?”

there’s a short, thoughtful hum from milo before he moves his eyes back toward the painting, hand moving up so his chin could rest on it. “i haven’t ever thought about it, but now i can’t help but hope they don’t, y’know? they’re stuck there, right? so i’m pretty sure if they could think, it wouldn’t be good for them.” he pauses. “what do you think these guys are thinking?”

“I had a feelin’ you could use some comfort food today, so I made your favorite.” Tiana slid the pan between them with a small smile. “And yes, before you fuss about it, I swapped the walnuts out. Used smoky praline pecans this time.”

he wasn’t proud of it, but it was much better than any attempt he’d actually made of cooking when he was left unsupervised. this, however, reminded him of how much he missed having a real meal that wasn’t thrown together in thirty seconds.

“wait, are you sure you’re sure? can i give you something for it? this looks way too good for me to just take and it must’ve taken ages, right?”

ariel had worked in every version of a community market the greater area had to offer, but the gloam market always had a very prominent piece of her heart. to find home here full time and to be able to host an event that celebrated her neighbors at the same time - it was a dream come true for the mermaid. organizing this event introduced her to businesses she had never stepped in before - beautiful shops and restaurants that helped breathe culture through the cities. she had a feeling that this would be a great marketing opportunity for everyone showcased this evening, not just the grotto.

with the shop left in capable hands, ariel was making a lap around the rest of the market, where traditionally empty spaces had been filled by stalls that normally didn’t see this side of the bridge. whispers of the event seemed to be mixed, for some didn’t necessarily agree with ariel that the underland could be welcoming if it so chose, but still she ran around with a grin on her face. twirling in her dress. basking in the fanfare.

one of the events she was looking most forward to was the line up of DJs and bands that would soon get ready to play into the night. with the help of mister o’malley and the rest of the crew at scat cat, they managed to get a robust spread of entertainment. she watched as the next act set up, excitement bubbling up as instruments started to tune. she looked to the person next to her and grinned. “just to warn you - if you stay next to me, i’m eventually going to ask you to dance.”

making sure he had a good enough space to enjoy the music without being shoved in like a school of fish, milo waited with anticipation for the next act to begin.

he was mid-drink when he notices it was, in fact, him being spoken to and after an awkward rushed swallow, milo shakes his head with a laugh. “oh, i really don’t think that’s a good idea for you. i’m all limb, i’ve been told. and my grandfather never got me dance lessons, i don’t think he ever considered it an important skill.” he shrugs nonchalantly before catching himself and straightening his back. “sorry — he was wrong, probably, about that. i’m sure dancing is great if you’re good at it? i’m more of a … swayer, i think.”

option a: hey! don't touch that.

“hey! i wouldn’t do that if i were you.” eric’s voice cut in quick, a hand shooting out to grab someone’s wrist before they could pick up one of the stranger-looking items sitting on a nearby vendor’s table. whatever it was, it pulsed faintly, like it had a heartbeat of its own. he let go just as fast, stepping back like he didn’t want to be any closer to it than necessary. he ran a hand through his hair, glancing between them and the object with a frown. “do you have any idea what that thing is?”

option b: cat therapy? yes, please.

eric hadn’t expected the underland to include… this. tucked between darker stalls sat the lucky cat café pop-up, warm light spilling out as a handful of cats wandered lazily between patrons like they owned the place. he crouched down, one already climbing into his lap like it had chosen him specifically, and let out a quiet laugh under his breath. “yeah, alright,” he muttered, scratching behind its ears like this was the most normal thing in the world. then he glanced up at someone nearby, a grin breaking through. “don’t tell anyone, but i think this might be the best part of the night.” he paused, eyeing another cat weaving between ankles. “you thinking about adopting one, or just here for the cuddles?”

note: this is a choose your own starter edition. reply to the thread of your choice. either state which starter in your reply or the tags!

milo simply blinks at eric in response, eyes shifting between him and the object in his hand, slightly startled at the sudden interruption. admittedly, no, he had no idea what was in his hands. “uh — i thought it was just a shell. do you think it could be cursed? do shells get cursed? feels a little harsh to curse a shell when just anybody could pick it up. especially when i’m that anybody.”

the worry fades for a moment when milo sees him backing up, a small smirk curling his lips. “you’re really worried about this thing, huh? how many times have you been cursed by a shell?” milo bites back a laugh when he realises just how strong a possibility that could be. “wait, have you been cursed by a shell before?”

Semra was certain the event would end in disaster. in fact, she was hoping for it. a little entertainment never hurt anyone, and she was all for free entertainment. if she didn't have a hand in it, even better, sometimes a girl didn't want to have to do all the work. she wanted things to come to her freely. someone must have been listening to her because a fight broke out between an underland vendor and merchant. their bickering was loud enough that a crowd was starting to form. someone beside her looked like they were about to play hero when semra put a hand in front of them to stop them "don't try anything," she warned. "i want to see who wins."

“you don’t think we should do something? someone could get hurt, or more people could jump in and then even more people get hurt?” he pauses, eying her. “are you enjoying this? do you know them?”

clover is not particularly ditzy, not unless on purpose to claim the attention she so fiercely believes belongs to her, but she is focused when needed be and that leads to accidents sometimes. she has been on a mission of surveiling the underland, making sure there is no trouble to be found, at least not out in the open. and her eyes scanning the shops fail to notice the people right in front of her, causing her to walk into someone in full force.

"oh my, geez, i'm so so so so sorry, ouch."

once he knew the map was safe, an easy laugh left his mouth and he shook his head. “i’ll take the blame for that one, i’m sorry. i have a habit of not being very visible, socially. that and i should’ve been looking where i was going. are you alright? are you late or lost?”

option a: dungeons, dragons, and a vampire?

she hovered just outside the setup for the midnight dungeons and dragons one shot, arms crossed as she watched people gather around like it was some kind of ritual. mavis didn’t look like she belonged there... a bit too guarded, too shy, but she hadn’t walked away either. “so… we’re all just gonna sit around and pretend we’re pirates or something?” she asked, glancing at someone nearby with a faint smirk. her tone wasn’t mocking just curious, edged with something almost playful. “because i could be convinced.” a beat. “but if i’m doing this, i’m not playing anything lame.”

option b: a tattoo, maybe?

she stood just outside starlight tattoo + piercing, staring at the celestial flash sheet like she was trying to talk herself out of something she’d already decided on. the designs glimmered under soft light... stars, constellations, something that almost looked like it moved if you stared too long. mavis huffed a quiet breath, glancing sideways at whoever had stopped nearby. “don’t look at me like that,” she muttered, already defensive. “it’s just a tattoo.” her eyes flicked back to the sheet, lingering. “besides… could be worse decisions i’ve made down here tonight.”

note: this is a choose your own starter edition. reply to the thread of your choice. either state which starter in your reply or the tags!

milo gives mavis an excited grin when he notices her presence, notebook tucked in his crossed arms as he looked between her and the set up. “you wanna know what the beauty of it is? there are no lame options, unless you make lame choices. which means the world is your oyster and nothing can go wrong — well, a lot can go wrong but i guarantee it’ll be cool when it does.” the enthusiasm is clear as he speaks, the grin still not leaving his face.

“some people actually dress up as their characters, too, which means you and i are aggressively underdressed. have you got any plans for what direction you wanna go in? this is actually my first time doing something like this, so we at least have each other if it all goes terribly.”

dash often found himself jumping into situations in order to get what he wanted, in lieu if choosing a more casual option. for example - eyes scanned the beer tent as he passed through (again) for (another) refill, landing on the only open stool at the end of the bar. now, dash was fast - you know? he could have sped over, slipped through the crowd, sat down without anyone noticing until he was there, and waited patiently for the bartender like a normal fucking dude.

that is not what happened.

well, he sped - but his precision after a few beers was nowhere near as good as it was on a normal day. he bumped into someone, maybe two or maybe three, before escaping the cluster of people, hopping on the stool, and looking over at the person next to him. no one saw shit - it was fine. "hey," he said, willing to make conversation with a wall at this point and without much effort. "what are you drinking? next is on me."

milo jumped slightly when he finally realised dash was sitting next to him, coughing in surprise before he could get any words out. “wait, were you here the whole time?” he takes his glasses off for a moment and hums. “maybe i should look into getting my prescription checked.” there’s a beat of silence as he considers the question, picking up his cup and looking at its almost empty contents. “a beer, or at least it’s what they’re calling it. but i’d feel a little guilty asking for a drink when i haven’t introduced myself. i’m milo, and you are?”

ah, yes. a human who took chess’ questions as seriously as they did – it was a rare response, but that’s what made it welcome. chess absorbed every word. no direct answer? well, that checked out. people were not great at being direct, the cat had learned over time. joe shmoe and all that. it was true, though- how could they claim their hours were the same when one could spend scrolling in a telephone, one could spend drawing a master, and one could spend it watching it all happen? would all three of those hours hold the same value? how could they describe them as the same? then there were schedules. maps and throughlines. then the question was thrown back to the cat – how did chess understand time? well, they didn’t – not really. only now did they start to understand a human’s understanding of time. “when it’s dark, things turn off. people turn off. the world breathes, but it goes somewhere else. when the sun wakes up, so does earth. that’s what I know.” a simple observation, in the grand scheme of things – but it felt profound to a being that didn’t sleep. didn’t sleep, gaining so much more time than the average person – and yet he spent it watching. waiting. “what do you do in your free time?”

——— A sense of calm never lingered long in the city of Elias. Any moment of peace was stripped away as quickly as it came on. Since taking a position on the council, Jasper’s life had been non-stop. It seemed like no matter how hard the council tried, Hades was always two steps ahead of them. Being who he was, Jasper had thrown himself into work. He wouldn’t stop until a solution was found. His tunnel vision had come to a halt due to the recent news about Orion. For the first time in a very long time, Jasper felt like he could breathe. Of course, he didn’t want to get his hopes up. He relished the good feeling but remained realistic, though his optimism dared to break through. To escape his mind, Jasper decided the best place to do that was the Ice-skating rink. The last time he had skated was when he had visited Christmas Town. He wasn’t the greatest skater, but he wasn’t terrible by any means. He wasn’t embarrassing himself, so that was a small win. “Are you needing help?” the skeleton asked. He was on his second lap around the rink when he noticed someone struggling on the ice.

——— “I don’t know how to feel about these.” The two best times of the year, in Leo's humble opinion, were Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Easter, solely for the candy. Perhaps it was nostalgia that tainted his vision; the days of his youth with his brothers always colored how he viewed things now. It seemed in this day and age, many places were getting experimental with their food flavors. He had seen endless TikTok’s involving food atrocities. His palette was adventurous, but there was a limit. The KFC-flavored jellybeans staring at him seemed like a perfect example of that limit. “Just because we can .. doesn’t mean we should.” His attention turned to the Dr. Pepper-flavored peeps. He quickly grabbed them. “At least these seem more reasonable.” He paused. “I promise Dr. Pepper isn’t my entire personality.”

she felt like she was sometimes a bit of an inconvenience when she asked someone to pick her up. she looked at him. "do you happen to drive?" there was something in the air that was... well, sinister and sylvie didn't want to be alone. "i live a bit away from here and was going to ask one of my roommates to come pick me up. If not, I'd appreciate the company."

——— “I think I’m doing this wrong.” Luz was staring at the painting before her. The Aurora Art Center was holding another one of their paint and sip classes. The art for this month was a bunny. Luz of course, believed she had great artistic abilities until this very moment. She had been staring at the painting for so long she couldn't quite pinpoint what was off about it. “Did I make its head shape weird? Is it the flowers? Somewhere … I went wrong, I don’t know how.” She sighed, dramatically. “Yours looks amazing! I love the color you chose for the eggs.”