lostcarnival | [OPEN] Changes in Me

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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

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!"

"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.

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.

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.

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.

"My problem is that this place sucks!" Lars shouts back, matching Lauren's invasion of personal space pretty...uh, unthinkingly. Testosterone is a horrible thing, and no one recommends it. "And it sucks bad enough without havin' random jerks knockin' you on your ass!"

Like... you just nearly did to Lauren, Lars?

He isn't expecting the aggression he gives to be matched or returned, and Lars does more than that. He comes right back invading Lauren's space and yelling even louder than before. It's more defensive than anything when Lauren pushes Lars away, but he does it hard.

"So then watch where you're going."

Lars also wasn't expecting the space invasion in the first place, and had responded with escalation—as did Lauren, which...shocks Lars in turn. Being probably only 130 pounds or so, he almost falls over again—but he manages to keep his footing with some graceless staggering.

"Ugh!" Lars thrusts a finger in his direction. His heart is racing, and he feels keyed up, not understanding he's experiencing flight. "You watch where you're goin'! You already knocked me over once! Chill out the fuck out!"

"Why don't you chill out?!" Lauren asks, now shouting, upset and getting angrier by the second. Every time he tries to back down from this fight Lars says something that makes him even madder than before. He pushes him again, this time it's not defensive at all.

Lars winces and grunts with the second shove, staggering again—this time bracing himself by sticking out a leg behind his body in a sort of wide stance. "You're the one losin' it!" Defensively, at the moment of impact, Lars slips his hands between Lauren's wrists to force them apart, seamlessly pushing them forward to push Lauren back on his shoulders, feeling threatened and attempting to get him out of his space—even though Lars is totally the guilty party in this. "Get your friggin' hands off me, man!"

He steps back as Lars pushes his hands away instinctively. The result of a combative readiness he's tried to cultivate ever since he started living on his own back in Faerun. So when Lars moves to push him Lauren doesn't fall over, and depending on how long Lar's reach is the other boy might fall forward instead. Lauren's shoulders are no longer where Lars thought they were, so they aren't their to catch the weight of his push. Still, Lauren can see Lars wants to get away from him, and something about that is sort of distressing. He wasn't trying to intimidate anyone, at least, he hadn't realized that was what he was doing. Lauren didn't want to fight with anyone, that wasn't who he was. He steps back again, distancing himself from Lars and the situation. He doesn't say anything, not sure if there's anything to say. If Lars steps towards him again he will fight back, but if Lars leaves he's just as likely to let him run away.

Lars is prickly and defensive, and he doesn't like people. But he's also pretty damn harmless, and he's never had the desire to really inflict violence despite his shitty attitude. So when Lauren steps off and doesn't say anything, Lars is a little jittery where he stands. His chest heaves a little, his eyes wide and skin a little flush. Similarly, Lars feels kind of jarred.

And now, awkward as shit.

He tilts his head a little, clenching his fists to calm the trembling of his hands. There's a pause.

"...you good?"

Lauren just nods, looking away feeling awful and embarrassed. This was dumb and stupid and he was dumb and stupid for letting it happen.

"Yeah... Sorry. Again."

He does actually mean it this time, though Lars is free to take this apology however he likes.

Lars doesn't care for Lauren's apology, mostly because he doesn't care for apologies in general. By the same token, however, Lars isn't particularly grudging—strangely, despite his hostile, negative personality.

...But he does feel bad, also. Lars has never been someone for scrapping, and he actually isn't a fan of violence outside of videogames. Despite that, Lars manages to look hassled and flippant. He raises a hand dismissively, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever, man. Don't worry about it."

[OPEN] Changes in Me

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject