bakerstreet | Wheel

I swore I'd never go on one of these ever again.

[ So, Claire must really like whoever's in the car with her. Not since that fateful night at the Sullivan Carnival has she so much as laid a finger on a Ferris wheel. Not since she climbed up to the top of one and took a swan dive on live television.

She wouldn't say it's trauma that has her so averse, more a sense of anxiety. Heights do not phase her, though it might not appear that way, as she glances out nervously. ]

I'm sorry. I'll try to relax.

( m/f for shipping, ota gen. )

[ care to join her on the wonder wheel? ]

[Info and Permissions. I'm up for anything. Gen and shipping are equally loved here!]

[ Character info/permissions.]

[ It's the peak of summer, which, unbeknownst to Billy, means the county fair. Honestly? He expected more farm stuff, less of the things he actually finds fun. But there are more rides and games than Billy thinks they can even get to in one day, and Gator's in a good mood, and this feels like it could actually be fun after all.

This place has never felt like home, and Billy doubts it ever will. He's never going to be a real country boy, try as Gator might to get him there. But he'll admit some things are nice. From the top of the ferris wheel, he can see the entire fairgrounds and the prairies beyond, and it actually kind of looks pretty.

Taking Gator's hand, Billy interlocks their fingers and squeezes, turning to look at him. ]

Y'know what I used to do to scare the hell out of my little sister?

[ Billy grins, and then he leans forward, only to slam his body back against the back of the seat, making the whole seat rock violently. It's enough to be felt in other parts of the ferris wheel, if the resulting shrieks and curses he hears from below are any indication, and he laughs, bouncing it again and swinging his legs. ]

[voice testing! probably easier to do gen with him. come eat creampuffs on a ferris wheel with Mash.]

[Trey was far less pleased with how high up they are than he thought he would be. The nice atmosphere of a lovely night is starting to feel a little more stifling than magical.]

Do they usually go this high?

Uh...

[Mash looks over as though he isn't sure Trey is asking him at first, but admits;]

This is the first one I've ever been on, so... I guess?

[it is a ferris wheel. it goes THIS high. that probably means yeah.]

Okay, but it has to go back down again, right?

[These aren't informational questions, they're emotional ones. But he may be bringing that sort of energy to the wrong place right now.]

...Things that go up usually do.

[This is probably not the most reassuring thing to say.]

[It isn't reassuring, and Trey is leaning further back away from looking down. If he's sitting closer to Mash because of it, it might not be entirely on purpose.]

... You're really just not phased by this, are you?

Senpai...

[ Mob was probably here with some classmates... who all got paired with someone else, which means he has to sit with a stranger. He's squished himself as far off to one side of the the bench as possible to be polite, but also so he doesn't get any crumbs or cream on him. That's a really, really big pastry. Are they selling them like that somewhere around here?

When he raises his voice, he remembers to keep it very respectful—which doesn't makes him sound any different from normal. ]

Won't that fall on the passengers below us?

[ Oh, there goes some of the filling now, but for now it's nothing Mob can't catch with a careful bit of telekinesis. ]

Edited 2025-06-10 11:15 (UTC)

I've been high up, before.

[as if it's that simple.

he knows what it's like to be afraid of something he's never done before, though, so he offers;]

Don't worry. All those other people before us got off just fine.

[yeah. that'll do it]

You don't have anything to apologize for.

[ He does mistake Claire's anxiety; chalking it up to a fear of the heights they'll soon be reaching. It gives him something to focus on. They share a distrust of Ferris Wheels for vastly different reasons. This? The quiet moments? All but a foreign concept that he doesn't know how to live within.

Oliver exhales and leans back against the brightly painted metal of their car; it lurches, raising them higher as others are being admitted and he reaches over to take Claire's hand if she allows. ]

It helps...if you try to block out the noise and find something to focus on. [ Oliver lets his gaze linger, the corners of his mouth pulling into a faint smile. The noise is still there; the excited yells coming from other rides, a distorted voice making announcements over the PA system. But he's just looking at her. ]

We've got this.

[ Yeah, she likes Oliver a lot. And she'd wanted to experience this the normal way, the way everyone else does. It has to be some kind of right of passage, right? Riding the Ferris wheel with a someone you like, it's one of those cliche things.

Fortunately, once her attention turns back to him, he proves to be a pleasant distraction from the memories and complicated feelings swirling in her mind. She takes the offered hand with a smile, gaze lifting to meet his eyes.

We've got this, he says. Curious. But also mildly troubling. ]

Wait. You're uncomfortable, too?

There may have been an accusation or two that I don't know how to relax.

[ A well placed accusation, admittedly. There's still some part of him, a voice echoing in the chasm of his mind, that says he should be out there. Leaving the suit behind for even a night never comes easily. What helps, though? Intertwining his fingers with Claire's anchoring him in the moment.

They lift higher and he glances towards the lights below before returning his gaze ]

I'm not great at this. Stopping long enough to enjoy something. [ Lips pressing together for a moment, he regards her and then: ] Is it the height? Something else?

[ They have that in common, to some extent. As much as she craves these moments of normalcy, she often feels awkward when claiming them.

But Oliver's palm warm against her own, their fingers entwined, it helps. Claire finds herself leaning a little closer, her arm resting against his. The contact is soothing, enough to let her guard down. ]

It's not the height. I actually like going up to high places whenever I feel a little... I don't know, lost. [ She'll just conveniently omit that she jumps from said high places. ]

The last time I was on a ferris wheel, it wasn't a very good day. I've been to other carnivals, I just avoided this particular amusement.

But I want to enjoy it with you. We can help each other relax, maybe.

I get it. Memory is...tricky.

[ Some of the tension he's been carrying in his shoulders starts to dissipate; it's easy to forget they're steadily rising higher, the rest of the cars fading into the background. ]

I don't remember the last time I was at a carnival. Anyone else, I probably wouldn't have come. [ The smile is more genuine this time; the rare type that reaches his eyes. Maybe having a normal night isn't so bad. ]

If you're feeling particularly benevolent, you can stroke my ego and let me win you a comically oversized stuffed animal after the ride.

Aw, shucks. Didn't realize I was so special.

[ Claire's trying to be teasing, but still cuts right to the heart of it. She knows there's a mutual attraction, knows they clearly enjoy spending time together. It's been hard to see or even conceive of anything past that, at least until now.

That smile gives her butterflies, rare as it is. If she can coax out a few more of those smiles before the night is through, she'll be content. ]

I was actually going to be very disappointed if I didn't leave this place with some kind of gigantic stuffed thing to live in the back of my bus. See, this is just one more reason why I wanted you to come with me.

[ Among other reasons she felt too nervous to admit out loud. Not the least of which, the fact that they were nearing the top of the wheel, and he hasn't kissed her yet. ]

Special is only one of the words I'd use.

[ He doesn't try to mask the light innuendo; there's something about being there, or maybe specifically being with Claire, that bypasses some of his emotional baggage. It's an understatement, to say he's not always the most open with his intentions — but the attraction is undeniable.

and they are close to reaching the top, the movement of the ferris wheel continuous now. ] Lucky for both of us, I thrive under pressure.

[ More words rest at the tip of his tongue, waiting to be given voice, but Oliver finds himself looking down at her instead. He routinely faces down things in Star City that would make most people go running the other way; and the anticipation of what he wants to do is making his stomach twist in knots.

Even seated, there's a noticeable difference in height between them. He leans down to close the gap; a second later and Oliver presses his lips against her's. The kiss is soft, almost hesitant at first...until he raises his free hand, fingers sliding into her thick blonde locks as he leans into the kiss further. ]

I-I-I've taken a broom ride or two, I know about being up high. But I'm in control of a broom when I ride it, I'm not in control of this wheel.

[For a moment he almost looks down, but then thinks better of it, he doesn't want to tilt that far and move the car more than he already is.]

Thanks, I'm glad to hear some people here are okay. Including you. And me.

[Very convincing.]

[ She does well enough under pressure, at least the dangerous kind. But this? Her life for the last ten years or so has been almost nothing but running. She can't exactly pinpoint the last time she'd gotten this close to someone, or even really wanted to.

The wheel turns, their car rising, but Claire's not looking at the galaxy of carnival lights below, nor the darkening sky above. Her attention is entirely on Oliver. Is he going to do it? He looks like he's going to--

And then he does. He kisses her. It's like one of those moments from the rom cons she'd watch with her mom, the moments she hadn't thought were for normal people, not people like her. But no! She finally gets her moment, after all. No better place for it, too, than on this contraption that has become a symbol of the chaos in her life for the past few years. Now she can reclaim it and turn it into something better. A good memory, made even better as the wheel stops with their car right at the top.

She eases into the kiss, truly letting herself savor it all. He feels solid and steady beside her, but there's also a softness she might not have expected. Her free hand lifts to cup his cheek, eyes closing, lips parting in invitation. How easily she loses herself to the moment, the kiss, the way he fills her senses. It's even better than she'd imagined, and she's letting it last as long as possible. ]

Oh. I rode a broom too, before.

[it sucked in his opinion, but that's probably not the important part.]

...Are you scared of heights?

[Mash looks like he might have been about to say something, but that cream falls below them... making his point moot.]

...Oops.

[well, that's that. hopefully Mob's timing is good.]

I didn't think that through first...

[what else is new?!]

[ It is! Master is very messy, so he gets good practice...

An invisible force collects the cream into a casually levitating blob. The only thing that indicates it's Mob's doing is the fact that he's pointing a finger at it while looking kind of focused. ]

I'll help you finish.

[ But Mob doesn't mean that in the way most people would probably mean, by sharing. What is happening instead is Mob is making the cream-blob float toward Mash's face. He wouldn't simply throw away part of someone else's food, so this is logical.

Please, put the sugar away somewhere safe. ]

Maybe a little.

[He never considered it before. He's never been at heights like this without people below him to catch him if things go wrong. This is a lot.]

[Mash is quiet for a moment, and after a beat, he offers his hand Trey's way, palm up.]

[He would normally at least give a moment's thought to how awkward this might be, but right now he grabs onto Mash's hand like it's the only thing keeping him from falling.]

[Mash's grip is warm and his hold is firm. he leans over a little, intending to say something— but the last passenger gets seated, and the ride begins its slow circling.]

Oh. Here we go...

[ gator pulls billy close in the ferris wheel as their fingers lace, giving billy and kiss to the side of his neck. when he leans up and slams back, however, gator grabs the restraints out of instinct. he looks at billy, slack-jawed and eyes wide, and then it hits him - it's just billy goofing around. it's cute, and gator can't help himself, he begins to join billy, rocking the seat, before the operators shout from the bottom for them to stop. gator rolls his eyes, throwing the middle finger over the side of the handrailing. ]

Fuck, can't do nothin' around here.

[ he pulls out his vape, then puts one of his legs in billy's lap. he leans lengthwise down the seat, brows up as he stares at billy with dark eyes. he licks his bottom lip. yeah, he's been eyeing billy all night, how good he looks, button-down flannel open, tight jeans. he's the picture-perfect wife tonight, and gator feels his cock twitch. he'll keep it to himself, for now. ]

What the hell's left to ride here?

[ Billy barks out a laugh at the startled look on Gator's face, and that laughter only continues as he joins him on rocking and bouncing their gondola. Once they get yelled at, Billy gives it one last extra-hard shove, then flashes Gator a grin. ]

Buncha pussies. We're just trying to liven up a boring ride.

[ He shifts in his seat, letting his hand rest on Gator's leg he drapes it over his lap. Giving it a squeeze just above his knee, Billy's content to stare right back at him. It's a shame, he thinks, that Gator just wants to be all hard edges and cruelty when he's so pretty. Long lashes, pouty lips. Great hair, if he'd just stop slicking it back so tight. But he likes him just the way he is. Loves him, even. The winter was harder than anything he's ever experienced, but he's better for it now. ]

You mean besides you?

[ Maybe if they got stuck at the top for a while, but even that's a stretch. Besides - there's kids everywhere. No thanks. ]

Mm... There's those big swings, the Zipper... We could try and see who can win more games on the midway. [ He smirks. ] Could win you a big teddy bear.

Wheel

Claire Bennet ∞ Heroes ∞ OTA

esther moreau / original / ota

euphemia li britannia | code geass

machi kuragi | fruits basket

hilda valentine goneril | fire emblem: three houses/hopes

kyouko kirigiri | dangan ronpa

sumire yoshizawa | persona 5 royal

Midge Maisel | The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

Vincent Valentine | FF7/Rebirth

Taylor Grayson | OC | m/m

BB | FGO | ota

Nirei Akihiko ☆ Wind Breaker ☆ OTA

Pauline Bonheur | OC | OTA

GATOR TILLMAN, FARGO.

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sonia nevermind ; danganronpa ; ota

Inumaki Toge ( JJK )

Mash Burnedead | MASHLE | ota

This feels like a perfect match

Honenuki Juzo | BNHA

oh wonderful

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Astolfo | Fate | OTA

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