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Eion Risk

When Ren showed, Eion reached for a hand and laced their fingers together as if it was something automatic. With the binoculars down, he'd gotten a wider field of view — more were showing up, and while that meant more rippling muscle on display, it meant there would invariably be more White Moon to congregate on top of Albite's aura. That's how it always went: as soon as the White Moon sniffed out Negaverse activity, they swarmed like blowflies on a corpse. Even if Albite wasn't misbehaving now, some of their kind didn't wait to start a fight. Perhaps some of them didn't care if there was an audience.

"Think Diablos will be just fine. Has a crazy look in his eyes, just like the boy with the weird tattoos," he finished, pointing to his own forehead and chest.

"Girl in pink's really showing off, isn't she," Eion observed as he shimmied up to Ren for the body heat. "The arrogance on her." It almost spoiled the view. But even if the world was falling apart on the seams and the White Moon was poised to strike a fatal blow against Metallia, it wouldn't completely extinguish his excitement to watch boys get as naked as legally possibly and flex like they were trying to rip their muscles off their bones.

"Wish she'd get what's coming to her."

The speakers went live and the announcer pealed out an overhyped introduction that startled Eion for how loud the crowds had gotten. When he half-turned, and only half because he'd have to let go of Ren if he wanted to turn any more than that, the stands had filled over twice as much from when he first found his seat. Worse yet, he spotted a few outfits that could have passed for powered individuals who had spent some time manicuring their outfits. He'd heard Don Diablos getting introduced to the back drop of heavy metal. He'd seen the horrible woman who caught the man's tank top meandering through the crowds. He'd taken up the glowstick because it was offered to him.

But it had been years since Eion was around a crowd like this. Playing human, with nowhere to go should anything go wrong. He wasn't sure what to feel, but he didn't feel right. Feeling breathless for it, he looked back at Ren, seeming half-dazed and at a loss.


Laike

Laike had seen the plastic bag get placed behind the tomatoes, but he dared not move and give away his position. Moving meant a chance of making eye contact, and the thought of it immediately raised his blood pressure. What was worse? Making eye contact might inevitably lead to a conversation. Or the expectation of a cash tip on top of the card tip, and Laike never carried cash on him, which set him up for a social failing.

Which was probably the worst thing imaginable. Laike would rather starve to death.

Just when a minute had passed and Laike figured that the delivery driver must have walked away by now, he reached for the knotted plastic bag. And just as he reached for it, his phone bussed on his chest, sending him bolting upright hard enough that he bounced his forehead off the trunk lid with an unfortunately loud thunk. It hurt, but not half as much as the embarrassment of what if someone hears that and looks for where it's coming from and discovers me hiding in here behind all the tomato plants? And the accompanying worse thought, what if the owner of this Chevy comes around back to where the plants are, sees me, assumes that I'm trying to steal plants and/or damage their car, and decides to do something about it? Bad situations all around.

But as the sharp pain faded into a dull, anger-inducing throb, no one had come around to figure out what happened. Most people seemed more interested in the competition. Laike breathed a sigh he didn't know he'd been holding.

Then he checked his texts. Unknown number, but it seemed like it was the delivery driver?

Quote:

Um, if there's anything you don't want? That would be awesome ☆ヾ(*´・∀・)ﾉ

Eternal Husband Albites-off-more-n-he-can-chew, Senshi of Being in TROUBLE!!
(˵ ͠ಥ‿ ͠ಥ˵)

Auras, auras, everywhere as far as he could sense. First they hadn't been, then they were; a blip in the stands that winked out unseen in his periphery, something else far the ******** off and in the muddle of middling crowds -- bathrooms -- booze cars -- beyond that. A sudden Spartan of Mars at his side! Albite realized belatedly that his plan to impress might've impressively backfired. A mask of a glamor wasn't really anything to hide behind if everybody knew it! There was nothing to do for it now though. He was committed to the bit of being here as himself --- like, who better to be than a Senshi!? He'd just have to man up and handle it and --- <******** asked for the one night universe, the one! The thought of a prayer went unanswered by the empty sky as he stood to face all the mounting competition, the overwhelming cattle in a locked paddock crush of it all. He'd be fine though, it was all gonna be fine!

He just had to keep his eyes away from the stands nigh entirely, much as he wanted to ogle Ei' losing his mind and catch Ren being saucy, the stands only got a furtive glance full of shaken confidence that then skittered over Sparta and landed on the Don'est of Diablos pregame performance, stayed glued to the stage there and those that mounted it impressively, one by one--

"Only on a Tuesday? As if I ever put 'em away-- m'here to play though, just, guh--Okay, that s**t right there? That was impeccable -- like -- godamn..." the pun fully intended, spoken softly to the bro-est of sandwhich Knights he'd ever met, as he was quietly blindsided by the bouncing ball of light ping-ponged expertly between Don Diablos chesticles; that s**t was majestic as ********! Not that he had time to enjoy the awe such a volcano of a man inspired as he was apparently being called up to bear his own brazen fruit and getting dumped simultaneously!!!?

Everything had consequences apparently, even this.

"So that's how it's gonna be," whispered quiet, quiet, quiet, hushed sorta shocked n surprised as he watched Nectaris leave the stage, but there was steel beneath it. Pride in Nectaris, a twinge of guilt-ridden relief for himself, because her words had finality to them. Her call out felt sincere as ******** and he could only really take it the one way! "Alright then, I'll be right back Spartacus!" Albite mounted the stage as though it'd offended him personally, was he the bad guy tonight? Was he the enemy in alluv this?

Well that was fine, if they wanted a bad guy then he could be a bad guy!

He nodded briskly at the DJ, lovely touch to it all, smirked at the portly announcer holding the mic all 'gimme gimme' with the hand motions before he took it for himself.

"Yanno? No one gets into Hell without making it through the gates, and when it comes to the underworld of being built the ******** up? I'm Cerberus incarnate--" and nobody wanted to be a dog forever, did they? Albite wanted to be *King*, of love, violence, trials of passion and muscular swagitude combined! He was looking at Don Diablo like he wanted to snatch that mask of his head and eat it raw, without siracha or anything! Let his hungry gaze linger, bared his canines wide, over the crowd, across his opponents, saved Nectaris for last, "If anyone here's got it in their heads to take aim at my a** tonight! I've got ample amounts to share, a brazen slap to his own backside, a laugh that quickly became something severe. Y'all best be careful though, I bite back." and then it was playtime all over again! Albite let out an echoing Awoooooo - practically barked at the attending participants as he ripped the gray and tattered sweats free of his form, there was nearly nothing there for the briefest of seconds (striped biker shorts!?)!! And then there were pants. Albite was only semi shocked to find his Eternal attire garb suddenly present beneath what had been ripped away -- <********> -- but he went with it! Pretended it was part of the worlds best outfit change done on any sort of stage! Flexed before them until he felt the hungry magic that lived so deeply beneath his skin that it was in his very DNA begin to crawl. The magic ached to hold something, that was for sure, a dumbell, a sandwhich, a crown

Then Albite was stepping off and letting the next person through---

Aelius has heard about this compassion from Albite and Eion. Despite there being a mild interest and pricing that he join he'd decided to pass. As comfortable as he was donning tight spandex and flaunting around the stage, he was not all inclined to join a strength competition. It wasn't his thing. He was mutch more content watching from the sidelines where he could be comfortably zipped up against the cold and not oilrd up like a stuffed pig. Though, he had to admit, Albite certainly made the gloss skin look good.

Curious though was the fact that Waru was Albite. It was a choice and a risky one at that with so many civilians around. He wondered why the man had opted to go that route. Probably just for the show of it, knowing him.

The sidelines was where exactly he went and it didn't take long to find Eion who was already chatting it up with a white-haited young man. Great. He steeled himself as he joined the duo unsure what he was walking into.

"Hey." He said to the two, a smile on his face. The blanket he'd carried had been a last minute grab from the back of his couch knowing damn well Eion would be chilled. To be honest, he probably will be chilled too if the flakes were any indicator. "Brought this for you. "

He turned his attention to Eion's companion who looked well put together in black. Certainly a good looking young man. Aelius wondered if this was a new acquaintance or not to the General. "Aelius." He said as he offered up his free hand.

Zotsholo Mjoli

Zotsholo took this competition quite seriously.

The moment he was told it was starting, he burst forward and ran to grab an item to carry back. He wasn't necessarily thinking about the item he was picking up -- like was the case with most things, a lot of things -- and grabbed the smallest thing he could think of before starting his way back.

Of course, he managed to grab a living thing, and it hissed distastefully at him as he marched it back across the night market. His brow quirked as he kept his speedy walk across the land -- a snake, he had scooped up a ******** snake -- and he pondered how to quiet the thing or stop it from biting him as he ran.

There had to be something --

Ah!

He snatched up a piece of food from an unoccupied stand, figured he'd apologize later, and shoved it at the snake as he walked. The snake snatched it up with some satisfied munching, and The Sensation let down his snake on his shoulders to let it go eat while he stretched overdramatically as part of his showboating as he prepared for the next item.

Richard Bell (and NPC siblings)

When Richard heard about the "underground night market", he was psyched and hearing Livie talk about it only heightened that. If she was going to enter, he had to see that. Plus, he knew his siblings would want to go. Garber was the dad to two teenage boys (they were freshmen in high school now!) and needed those good deals. Tammer would think it was fun just to watch people, and she might bring one of her wives along. If she brought Dominique, then Constantine might bring Lee, and that was always guaranteed to be a fun time--

Not to mention Alan being a physical type himself.

So the gaggle of them clustered together like gossiping old women, watching as the competition actually started. Ignacio hadn't been able to come--something something this was underground and Ignacio wasn't--but had asked that Richard bring him back snacks, both photographed and literal. To this end, Richard was sat at the end, where it'd be easiest to see. Lee was sat in Constantine's lap and Dominique in Tammer's, talking at a thousand miles an hour about... something. Richard couldn't quite hear them over the general noise of the area.

He saw Don Diablos first and immediately snagged a picture of that fine example of a human being. Then-- Nectaris?

Livie?! He barely kept himself from saying anything out loud. He couldn't use her civilian name--that would endanger her if someone overheard. He couldn't use her powered name--that would endanger him. But why was she powered? Why--oh, she broke up with Albite. That should probably be sent to Ig, too... But why was she powered up in public? Sure, so was Albite, apparently, and there was another person he was pretty sure was also a senshi, but...

He noticed, then, that Garber had followed one of the contestants with his gaze and was currently watching where the man had gone to stand as other people came up onto the stage. Richard took a second to send out texts to Livie and Ignacio, then glanced back to the eldest of them.

"You seem stressed."

Garber jumped like Richard had shocked him, giving a sharp look in the process. "I," Garber frowned, "am not stressed."

Richard caught the way Garber's eyes flicked back toward the stage, then away to where the competitors were standing after walking the stage. He let a grin of mischief pull at the corners of his mouth, Livie breaking up with Albite momentarily forgotten. "You seem stressed."

"I am not stressed."

"It's okay to look! That's what people are here for!"

Red was creeping up Garber's neck. "I wasn't looking!"

Richard's grin widened as this exchange caught the attention of the others, Dominique and Lee craning their necks to see and Lee nudging Constantine in the ribs. As he texted, 'I think you'll be relieved' to Ignacio, "Garber, please. Of course you were looking. Why wouldn't you?"

"Richard Arra Bell--"

"Ooh, middle name!"