[OPEN] Changes in Me

[mylastchance]

Who: Lauren and you.
What: He mad.
Where: The carnival grounds.
When: Before agent-nappings

I. He nearly shrieks when he sees it. He's washing his hands, leaving the restroom when he catches sight of himself in the mirror. There it is, a large leaf growing out out of the top of his head, and falling down over his hair. He stares at it in shock, lifting it up and trying to pull it out, but of course it doesn't budge.

"Susan? SUSAN?!"

II. Despite the change Lauren wasn't reluctant to leave his trailer. He had a leaf growing out of his head instead of hair, and it refused to be moved. His ears were longer and more elf-like as well. He should have known it was coming, of course, but for some reason he hadn't expected it to happen like this. Although many individuals at the carnival were strange in appearance, he'd had no reason to assume it was because of working here, or that it would happen to him. He knows he was being naive, and that only makes him angrier. That's the feeling that motivates him now, the only reason he can make himself leave the trailer.

He can't stay in that small space right now. His feelings were getting the best of him, boiling over and he didn't have any idea how to deal with it. Instead he stomped throughout the carnival grounds, staff in hand. He was angry and it showed in the tension of his shoulders and the scowl on his face.

Will you get in his way?

Comments

[fortuneglass]

[SHE WILL SO GET IN HIS WAY.

In a completely oblivious manner.] Lauren~!

I've been looking for you! I think I know a good day for a coffee break, it's just before all the shows start, so right when everyone needs a good drink..~

[Erm.]

[mylastchance]

[He startles back as she appears before, deciding to glare at her instead.]

I don't want to get coffee with you.

[insidescoop]

Whaaaat..?!

[Well that's a shame.] Why not! You were fine with it before!

[mylastchance]

You think I can't take care of my brother or of myself!

[insidescoop]

I think you need to get some help to get him to understand certain things, that doesn't mean I don't think you can look after him! [The girl huffs, continuing.]

And besides, that's not a reason to cancel coffee!

[mylastchance]

[He huffs right back, in no mood to deal with Carly right now.]

You don't make any sense! Just leave me alone!

[insidescoop]

Why! [NOPE, SHE'S MAKING YOU DEAL WITH HER-

wait that's not right] Why doesn't it make sense to get help for something you're doing? I can use magic on my own, but that doesn't mean I don't need help with it!

[wild_magic]

Susan wasn't really doing much, just messing around with Fluff or something of the sort, when he heard Lauren start to freak out about something. So of course he went to investigate, looking curious and a bit concerned.

"Lauren...? Is everything okay?"

[mylastchance]

He turns to look at Susan, his eyes wide in fear. As he turns to face Susan, the source of his terror is obvious. There's a large leaf covering part of his hair.

"Something is growing out of my head!"

He gestures as he speaks before looking back at the mirror in disbelief again. Oh god, what was he going to do?

[wild_magic]

He still looks a little concerned, but not as much once he sees it.

"I get leaves in my hair all the time, I'm sure it'll come out. Just tug on it."

[mylastchance]

He lifts it up, tugs it and lets it drop again with growing silent hysteria.

"Susan, it's stuck to my skull!"

[wild_magic]

Well, that's a little less normal. He frowns and comes closer, reaching up to try and tug on it himself.

"Well, why would you have a plant in your hair, that's just weird!"

[mylastchance]

"Ow!" he cries as Susan tugs. He tries to pull away from his brother, but that only makes it worse.

"I don't know why! Stop it!"

[fragileandsoft]

You know what helps in getting in the way? Carrying too many broken chunks of wood and metal to see where you're going. Really makes it hard to avoid bumping into people.

"Ohh cripes-- I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

[mylastchance]

He steps back, startled, he was so angry he hadn't even realized where he was walking. He hisses in pain, looking at his arm. It's a scratch, but it's small, barely even bleeding. He huffs, covering it with his hand as he steps out of Greg's way.

"I'm fine."

[fragileandsoft]

There's no clearer way to say he's not fine. Greg's attention quickly turns fully to Lauren, and he shuffles his load in order to start putting it down.

"Oh no. Here, lemme see."

As soon as he gets his stuff down, he starts reaching into onee of his belt pouches. "I think I've got a bandage."

[mylastchance]

He hesitates, but soon draw closer, showing the cut to Greg. He could just heal it, but it was stupid to waste magic on something like this, especially if someone was offering to help.

"Thanks." Even though he genuinely means it, somehow the words comes out sounding resentful.

[fragileandsoft]

"If it keeps hurting or gets inflamed or anything, you should talk to the doctor. I don't think I got you with the metal, but better safe than sorry." It's a bit of an overreaction for a cut like that, but Greg's been on edge and twitchy ever since he came home to find these absurd horns on his head. He's kicking himself for being too distracted to look where he's going.

"It's Lauren, right? This is the first time we've gotten to talk in person." They went different ways in searching for Susan, after all. "I'm not much for first impressions, I guess."

[mylastchance]

He nods as Greg asks his name. He's really not sure what to say about an introduction like this, but for once he's too busy stewing over other things to feel embarrassed. He wears his frustration like armor, it makes him brash.

"It's fine."

Of course a brash Lauren isn't always a jerk. He really wasn't upset by Greg running into him, after all, it was his fault too. If it weren't for his stupid changes this wouldn't have happened at all.

"I wasn't paying attention."

[mossbuds]

Yes, obviously.

Lars was stomping around himself, as he's won't to do, angrily staring at nothing in particular—over one shoulder, or the other, but most importantly: not watching where he's going. When he crashes into Lauren, he makes a strangled yelp of surprise, falling on his bony ass. Knowing full well that was either half his fault or completely his fault, Lars glares up at Lauren, propped up by his palms on the ground.

"Hey, Keebler, watch where you're goin'! Some of us got places t'be, you know!"





Lars has nowhere to be.

[mylastchance]

He steps back, knocked into again by someone who wasn't looking where he was going. He doesn't know what a Keebler is, but the expression and the tone tell him Lars isn't trying to be nice.

"What we're I'm going?" Lauren says, clearly angry, "You ran into ME!"

[mossbuds]

"Whatever," Lars concludes very maturely, pushing himself up to dust himself off. "If you were really lookin' where you were goin', you coulda avoided me!"

Okay, Lars, so you... just admitted you weren't looking where you were going... and continued to blame Lauren in the same breath.

[mylastchance]

He can't even argue with Lars, because it's true. He had noticed Lars, but only at the last second and so he hadn't been able to step out of the way. Still, he doesn't want to admit that to someone who's so ready to throw blame onto someone else. He especially doesn't want to apologize to someone who's first instinct is to be rude and insulting. He can hear his mother chiding him in his head though, so with a huff he replies.

"Fine. Sorry." and he steps to the side, ready to walk past Lars and continue on his way. Whether he's actually sorry is highly debatable, it certainly hadn't sounded sincere, but he had said it at least.

[mossbuds]

Apologies are trash to Lars, anyway, which makes sense, given that he so rarely gives them; he doesn't care for the sincerity of Lauren's obviously flippant sorry.

He narrows his eyes as he gives Lauren room to pass, crossing his arms as he shows his teeth and gums in a sneer for no particular reason than Lars is extra bitchy today. Which is impressive. Every day, he's increasingly bitchier, because distress, lack of stimulation, etc.

"Yeah, y'better be," he grumbles at Lauren for literally no reason at all, especially since he knows Lauren was talking out of his ass.

[mylastchance]

He stops abruptly, jerking back to face Lars at the comment. His scowl meets Lars' sneer, his lips pulling back from his teeth.

"What's your problem?"

The question is asked particularly loudly, as Lauren inches closer getting in Lars' space.