metalogs | OPEN MINGLE | County Fair Fun

Who: general mingle
What: Little Love County Fair!
When: Throughout September
Where: Little Love, Kansas
Content Warnings: Animals, animal waste products, deep fried everything, crooked fair games, animals used for food.

Little Love is one of those places that allows you to forget all the hustle and bustle of city life. Except there's a fair bit of hustle of a different kind at the county fair. This is one of the big events of the year, and everyone is keen to show off the fruits of their hard labor. Animal shows and produce exhibits take center stage as people show off their attempt at the season's biggest and best.

Local artisans have crafts of every kind up for display and sale, as well as entered in attempts to win a blue ribbon. Did you want to purchase some apple-head dolls, or maybe you prefer the corn husk variety? Both are plentiful and shown with a variety of skill levels. The local wool and fiber guild has a lovely petting zoo and spinning workshop set up, complete with hands-on learning for anyone who stops by. Or maybe you're more interested in the groups demonstrating and selling tools to churn your own butter, make your own cheese, or even brew your own alcohol of various kinds. Homemade and handmade are the keys to a unique and enriched life, after all.

And of course there is entertainment. In the evening, a whole bunch of live artists take their turns entertaining, with headliners showing up for the weekends and smaller local talent during the less prized weekday slots. And while there's only a simple ferris wheel and some kiddie attractions for rides, one could spend time getting lost in the Maze of Mirrors or the Tunnel of Love. Most of the daytime fun is in the midway, which is expansive and full of people promising that everyone's a winner, although the number of people actually lugging around the giant plush toys is about what you'd expect.

You can't forget the food, either. Sweet, savory, and everything in between. Kettle Korn, sweet grilled corn, meats of every kind grilled to order and put on a bun for your enjoyment send up enticing smells everywhere you look. The cotton candy vendors are serving up a brisk trade, with some specializing in unique flavors of spun sugar and others just winding up clouds of colorful, fluffy sweetness. The deep friers can't be forgotten. If you can put in on a stick and coat it, they're serving it deep fried. Ice cream, butter, snack cakes of every variety take their place alongside the more prosaic corndogs and funnel cakes. There's something for everyone! Well, as long as you aren't counting your calories. Good luck finding a nice salad amongst all the fatty deliciousness.

When the judging is done, there's always time to hit up the auction block, as the 4H kids and other folks put up their livestock for sale. If you're looking for some new friends, you might be able to get them cheap, as long as you're in the market for hoofstock or domesticated fowl. There might even be some lovely peafowl up if you're looking for a little color on your farm and don't mind the noise. Surely everyone could use a few goats or chickens, or a nice yearling steer to fatten up? But you don't have to decide now, unless you actually win that lot.

[OOC: A mingle for all those who want to spend time at the fair. There aren't many rides, but animals are everywhere in every variety, and all the usual fair staples are present. Feel free to add specifics if you want.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(A familiar lizard is also appraising the vast amount of fried food available at the fair. Six feet tall this time, to be a little less imposing around the fair goers. Godzilla's seen all kinds of things humans call food, but from what he's seen, people will put just about anything in a deep fryer and eat it happily, if it's on a stick. He's tilting his head, watching various things be coated in batter and fried and may admittedly be a little curious.

Hearing Tim's objections to it catches his attention, but just in case he's still wary around the shrunken kaiju, he doesn't immediately approach. Jason mentioned what Tim's going through is unrelated to him, but he wants to play it safe. Fortunately, he's taken up a few tricks since they last met, with Godzilla picking up the whiteboard around his neck, quickly scribbling on it with a marker, and turning it his way.)

Hi.

[ It’s less startling when the approach is already comparatively pint-sized. The build-up of panic at seeing a skyscraper approaching, feeling the impact tremors - it’s a lot different. The crowd’s are barely paying the lizard any kind, and Tim himself is considerably less jumpy than he was the first time they met. He looks better too - less brittle and more present and engaged.

Even the whiteboard helps - it’s not like a B-movie and more like reality. Tim waves in response. ]

Hey. We didn’t get introduced properly when I was staying at Bart’s. I’m Tim.

(The less dramatic entrance makes a significant difference; Godzilla won't argue that. He's considered taking a more normal size further away and taking the longer walk to avoid that kind of mixup. Might work, depending on where he's going.

The lizard nods and gets right to work on writing another message. He's been getting a lot of practice in!)

My name is Godzilla. You looked really sad, the last time we met. You seem better now. I hope you are better. At least a little.

[ That's... huh. Of all the people Tim thought would have emotional perspective and a good read on others, he wouldn't have guessed Godzilla. Humans have trouble with empathy, especially the more different they are. Like humans wouldn't be able to read a seal alien's face without a lot of practice. ]

I was - going through a stressful time.

[ He was recovering from a traumatic incident, but that's so hard to say to a close friend, let alone a stranger. ]

I hope I didn't get in the way of your visit with Bart and the chickens.

Not at all. I understand a giant lizard may have made things more stressful for you. Sorry if it did.

(He laughs a little, less at the predicament and more at himself. An accident and one Godzilla owns up to. Bad timing, is all it is.)

I was curious, when I learned other animals would be here. I've never attended a fair before. People keep making all kinds of faces at the food.

[ Tim needs a second to read that. This is definitely a slower, more certain conversation than he's used to. It actually feels a little like he's cheating - he shouldn't be able to be this measured in a normal conversation. ]

Don't worry about it. It wasn't as much stress as you'd think it would be. I bounce back pretty good.

[ He's not sure why it would be rude to say that Godzilla is less fearful than the Joker, but it is. ]

People keep making faces at the food because, well, it's bad-delicious. The concept of a deep-fried pickle is essentially taking a food with negligible calories and no fat that can be a guilt-free snack and turning it into something is completely unhealthy and a "guilty pleasure." We couldn't eat like this all the time.

(If he knew the context, Godzilla wouldn't be insulted by that. A man who enjoys inflicting pain leaves more to be afraid of than a kaiju who doesn't.)

I see. The kind of food saved for celebrations or comfort. Like cake, but with extra steps. And oil. Would you like to try one with me? There's always something new to learn about human cooking.

[ Tim nods along as he reads. ]

Precisely. You got it - this is an indulgence.

[ Eating well enough to keep in shape has been a challenge as an unaligned person - healthy food requires money and a good kitchen, along with actual cooking skill. ]

As long as we split it. I don’t think I need a whole deep fried dish to myself. You can pick whatever you want; I don’t have any allergies.

OPEN MINGLE | County Fair Fun

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