bakerstreet | Carnival

Carnival

THE CARNIVAL MEME

"Was it fun where you went?" asked the boy,
"No, it was miserable." said the man,
"It could never be fun without you.
Have you been to the tree house lately?"
"Not since you left," said the boy.
"I've just been sitting here waiting,
for you to take me to the carnival,
where we could eat candy floss
and hot dogs to our bellies ached."
-Paddy Martin, "So You're Back, Than!"

WHAT TO DO:

1. Post with your character--name, fandom and any particular preferences go in the subject line as usual.

2. You can either roll or pick a scenario (or scenarios!) from the list or leave your comment blank.

3. Reply to people!

4. Have fun and be mindful of your partner's preferences.

OPTIONS:

1. Games: From classic ring toss to the shooting gallery, here's your chance to win a prize for yourself or for that special someone. Some say the games at a carnival are rigged, but maybe, just maybe, you'll get lucky!

2. Food and Drink: The sweet smell of funnel cake and the familiar briny aroma of popcorn draw you over to the food and drink tent. There's cotton candy, candied nuts, and cheep booze, all here for your enjoyment.

3. Classic Rides: The carousel, the ferris wheel. All carnivals need these classic rides for kids and adults who aren't looking for the excitement of the faster-paced rides. Snuggle close to your partner and see if you can see your house from the top of the wheel.

4. Something More Exciting: This is for thrill-seekers. Here you'll find the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Gravitron, the Screamin' Swing--all the rides designed to make you lose your lunch. Hope you didn't have too much cotton candy!

5. Freakshow: o they really have a bearded lady in that tent? It's time to find out. Buy a ticket and see the greatest oddities the world has to offer.
Hard Mode: one of you actually is the oddity being gawked at by the other. How does that make you feel?

6. Tunnel of Love: Or perhaps tunnel of mild boredom. The red-tinted lights and quasi-romantic music are meant to make this ride a great makeout spot, if the chemistry is there.

7. Hall of Mirrors: You and your partner entered, thinking it would be easy to get out again, but dead ends abound in this wacky mirror-maze, and each mirror seems to show a more and more distorted image of each of you.

8. Fortune Teller Whether one of the creepy machines or the even creepier women dressed up in a culturally insensitive costume, you cross someone's palms with silver and get your future told. Will it be happiness forever with your partner, or will ill tidings be bound your way?
Optional: Use http://www.wisdomportal.com/JS/RandomFortunes.html o get your fortun

9. Wildcard!: I know I forgot something, probably several somethings, so here's your wildcard for whatever else you can fit into this meme.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[FUN TIME. OR ELSE. 18+ for anything shippy.]

[ um he is the offputting carnival employee watching you waste $10 on barely winnable games for shitty dollar store prizes. he will give you a free prize if you're hot. see also: the guy hosing off the zipper after you threw up pizza midair. or perhaps your character is the coworker he's been pining over for the past month, who knows!! all that to say that most of these would fit. ]

Sonoma County Fair was always fun, with food, roller coasters, games, and goats to pet. Stu liked it; it was silly, but he liked it.

Woodboro wasn't that small of a town, but there were bigger cities in Sonoma County, but the county fair always had all kinds of crap to get up to.

The sun is low in the sky, but it's the long days of summer. Stu wonders what Junior year will bring them; it's a break from planning what they will do to that slag Moreen. Clear their heads a bit.

He pulls off a bit of cotton candy and holds it out to Billy, "Here," He grinds a little, looking at Billy, eyes moving over to the games, "You want me to try and win you a bear or some shit?" He teases.

Billy takes the cotton candy and looks at it momentarily, almost as if he was debating how Stu could even eat such sweet, fluffy stuff. He then looks up at the Ferris Wheel across the fairgrounds and shoves it into his mouth.

It was too sweet, especially after downing an oversized lemonade that he had sneakily poured some vodka from a water bottle into. Then at Stu's sudden teasing Billy moves his gaze over to the game stalls and his face grows warm. Though it's certainly a warm enough day he can pretend it's just the weather causing it.

"I'd be up for playing some games, but come on..." He laughs then punches Stu's arm, "do you really think I'm a girl?"

Stu looks mockingly wounded, "I am very aware after last night that you are not a girl," He grins, laughing a little, and it's obvious he's fighting the urge to touch Billy in public the way he would with anyone else he's ever slept with, or dated.

Maybe they should take a day trip to Gurnville or some shit and not tell a soul, not that he thinks he could ever get Billy to go for that. If someone found out, people would know. Gay-ass fucking vacation town 30 minutes away...he'd bring it up, or maybe go to Bodega Bay and see the house they used in The Birds.

He knows these are stupid thoughts, but he can let them fly rapid-fire through his mind and soothe him a little.

He shoves more cotton candy in his mouth, then shrugs at Billy, "What do you want to play first?"

"I would hope you would be aware after that," Billy muttered but there's a touch of a smirk on this face as he says that.

Billy wouldn't be averse to the idea of ditching town for a couple of days. Woodsboro got suffocating. It got hard to keep, whatever this was, under wraps in the confines of Stu's house during those times. It became harder to play the role he was supposed to play in public when, instead of Sidney, he wanted to just touch Stu or just spend time with Stu instead.

Then he glances at the different games and points to the balloon dart game.

"Let's start with that and work our way around?"

Stu's fingers twitch to reach out and take Billy's hand like it's a date, date. But there's still a giant chance they could run into someone here.

He offers Billy more cotton candy with a slight smile on his face; they could still find a way to make the best of it.

Stu does toss his arm around Billy's shoulders in that best buddies kind way, nods, and starts hauling him toward the dart game.

Billy frowns at the cotton candy but takes some and forces himself to take a bite of it.

"I still don't know how you can stand this stuff."

At Stu tossing his arm around Billy's shoulders he tensed but despite elbowing Stu a couple of times (playfully but Billy's version of "playful" was a bit less than so) and grumbling inaudible "Get offs" for a few moments before settling in as much as he would allow himself.

After all, it was very possible that in this large crowd, there were at least a couple of faces they both knew.

"It's fun?" He says before Billy elbows him. He swears and pulls back, putting distance between them, shaking his head and letting out a laugh, tossing the cotton candy and shoving his hands into his pockets, a trick to keep his hands to himself.

They get up to the dart booth, and Stu pays for darts for them both, a little quieter after Billy shoved him away, but a small smile still on his face.

"Fun? How would cotton candy be fun?" Billy grumbles, "After we finish all these games off, I'm going for something good to eat."

He's thinking something like the french fries they passed a few minutes ago. An assload of bacon cheese fries sounds really good to him at the moment. That and a lemonade would get that grainy sugar taste out of his mouth.

"And you're going to have some actual food even if it kills me - hey, I can pay for myself, stu."

Billy then glances at the balloon targets in front of them.

"Candy is food..." Stu says, grinning a little, "You want me to eat or pay for stuff, you can get me food," He laughs a little.

Stu picks up one of the darts and stares at the ballons before pitching one of the darts at the one that looks most inflated, "Or you can pay for the next game," He scowls when the balloon doesn't pop.

"Candy is candy," Billy sighs then grumbles as he picks up a dart, "You need more than just cotton candy. I won't be carrying your ass to the car if you pass out before the night is over. But fine, if it gets you to eat more than sugar I accept the fucking assignment."

Then he scans the balloons and settles on a yellow one and tosses the dart. He then turns his head and mutters, "I'll do both if that's what it takes."

"I'm a growing boy," Stu laughs, sticking his tongue out at Billy before looking at the balloons. "You do that and win me a bear, I might even put out," He mutters back, laughing again and tossing a dart, "Could totally carry might, not over your shoulder, my head would hit the ground," He teases, "Have to carry me like a princess," He says sticking his tongue out at Billy.

"I'll get my own food; I promise I'll eat; I'll do it before we even get funnel cake," He grins.

“A growing boy?” Billy snorts then shoots back, “God help anyone stuck paying for your groceries if you’re still growing.”

With that he throws another dart.

“Heh,” Billy sounds as he sees the balloon popped, “In theory you’d be a cheap date, but you see how hard it is to pop these balloons.”

“look I don’t care how we handle this, but you’re eating more than cotton candy and funnel cakes,” As Billy picked up another dart then says quietly, “I am not princess carrying your ass.”

"I can take care of myself," Stu shrugs, tossing another dart, scowling a little as it bounces off the balloon, but he grins when Billy pops one.

"I am a cheap date and a little slutty," Stu shrugs, smiling when he finally pops one of the balloons.

"You'd totally princess carry me if you needed to," He grins a little, "I'll get more than that, I promise, jeez."

Billy shakes his head at the assertion, though, he knows that Stu isn't some helpless kid despite everyone else's assertions to the contrary.

"You're really bad at this game, Stu." Billy said, smirking, before tossing another dart that hit the balloon it was aimed at - a green one - then added, "You're a cheap, somewhat slutty date, though."

Billy knows he has to hit one more balloon and he only has one more dart left. He glances around considering his next throw.

"And you're so far from reality I'm amazed you aren't spotting unicorns in your yard if you think I'm princess carrying you." He shakes his head, "You better."

"I saw what happened when that guy in our English class dropped acid, and I will never..." Stu laughs at Billy, saying he should be seeing unicorns. "Maybe, probably do better with like knife throwing or something," Stu shrugs. He throws his last dart, and the balloon pops, but he doesn't pop enough for a prize to shove at Billy. It's okay; he'll win something at another booth to annoy the brunette or win him over; the world may never know.

He smiles, shaking his head, "No one would want me around if I weren't a little slutty," He jokes, "Or if I wasn't great at throwing parties," He laughs. He knows that's not totally true, and it's evident in his tone.

"Well, you were certainly speaking like someone who dropped acid in English class," Billy grumbled, "So pardon me if I have to say it."

Billy then tosses his last dart at the balloon and it pops at his "joke" and his tone of voice. He shakes his head and shoots a look at Stu. Sure, he can hear the one, but he hates this joke. He hates how often it's made, especially. It wasn't true.

"Heh," he then turns to Stu, "Pick whatever one."

Stu laughs, shaking his head a little when Billy tells him to pick; he points at the Grumpy Bear Care Bear, "Tatum will like it," He mumbles, but no, she won't; it's a shitty cover; it's also a stupid bear, and he can shove at Billy at some point or just hide in his closet with other weird shit. Because this feels stupid, a good kind of stupid, but still stupid.

"Should I like kiss you on the cheek now or some shit?" Stu cackles, taking the bear, smirking at Billy a little.

"Come on, to make you happy, we can go get food before we play more games."