BEAUTY PAGEANT EVENT - LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON A ROLL [OPEN]

[tarotcards]

WHO: Anyone and everyone!
WHERE: Recolle Square
WHEN: 03/25
WHAT: The beauty pageant is live! Come and see who this year's contestants are and vote!
WARNINGS: N/A


ONE

Much of Recolle Square has been taken up for the venue. With the numerous amount of tents and planners running around, it's hard to get through the normally peaceful park without running smack into something (or someone) related to the pageant. But even though the stage has been set and most of the preparations have been done, there is still at least a few hours before the main event begins, so why not spend this time wandering around the park or preparing for the pageant?

Many of the booths are open to the general public, providing refreshments (such as the Black Lion Bakery) or entertainment until the main event. There are even tents specifically open for contestants of the pageant to get a little bit of help with their makeup or costumes before going up on the main stage. Of course, no one can really tell whether or not someone's signed up for the pageant, not without the master list, so technically... anyone could just walk in for a free makeover while "borrowing" an outfit. Whoops. Well, that's a flaw that could be fixed for next year.

But kill some time before the pageant begins! This is probably the only chance you'll get before everything goes to goreous hell.

TWO

"Welcome to our first annual Mr., Miss, and Crossdressing Retrospec Pageant!"

With everyone seated and given a whiteboard and marker, the host, Souji Seta, wastes no time in beginning the event. Donned in a simple tux, he stands in the corner and announces each contestant out onto the stage ("Come on out and introduce us to the crowd! Tell us a little about yourself!") and to let them have their fifteen minutes of fame. Up here, these contestants are left to the whim of audience.

Whether they're also participants of the pageant and wish to bring down their competition or whether they're just innocent bystanders who genuinely want to have a good time, this crowd holds all the power in their hands. Literally. With their little whiteboards, they can write whatever score (or comment) they want and display it towards the starring contestant. Or, if they're lucky and they manage to get a hold of the microphone going around the audience, they'd be able to ask whatever question they want.

It might get a little ugly and these fifteen minutes may very well become the hardest thing characters will have to face in their lives, but if they manage to pull on through, they'll be able to finally show everyone their special talent or skill to blow them all away. Show off those amazing juggling skills or your best America's Got Talent voice, because you gotta kick it up a notch if you want to win!

THREE

Not so much for screaming "kyaaa, I love you, insert name here!!" in real life? Well, have no fear, the internet is here for you and all your unncessary screaming!

Thoughts on the pageant so far? Likes? Dislikes? Suggestions for next year? Want to rate someone?

Everything goes in here! ☆٩(´ ∀ ` *)۶

Posted by Souji, a general catch-all discussion post goes up in the Retrospec network at the same time as the pageant. It's for all those who wish to discuss anything about the event through a more... reserved manner, so log in and comment around!

FOUR

"And now, it's the moment you've all been waiting for... to announce our winners!"

The votes are in, the judges have spoken, Souji has apparently changed costumes, and it's time to figure out who captured the hearts of the audience.

"The winners for the Mr., Miss, and Crossdressing sections are, in the following order..."

Pause for the dramatic drum roll.

"... Dirk Strider, Catherine Durand, and Honoka Kousaka!"

Confetti bursts on the stage, the audience cheers, the winners are rounded up to be given their crowns, and the rest of the contestants are left there to stand awkwardly on the stage to watch. The ceremony is rather long and tedious and each one of the winners is encouraged to say something to their dying fans.

Were these the results that you've expected? Are you satisfied? Disappointed? Angry? If so, speak now or forever hold your peace!

FIVE

Well, that's the end to one ridiculous and unnecessary event. As the pageant finally draws to an end, the venue starts closing up. Tents are brought down, the stage is dismantled, chairs are being folded... it's the end of the day and Recolle Square has finally settled back into a peaceful and quiet park.

Participants of the pageant are encouraged to return their costumes (don't be thieves now!) and while it's not necessary, any kind souls with some free time on their hands can help clean up the park of all the trash that's been left behind. As for everyone else? They can reminisce on the pageant and wonder whether or not it was worth it all...

But thanks for coming and see you next year!

OOC info is over here while questions can be redirected here! Credit for the art of Souji in his crossdressing outfit goes to birdseed. Thank you everyone for participating in the event! I hope you all have fun!

Comments

[appraiser]

thanks for believing in me Anya
what i want to do most, is to be there for every single person across the entire world
but individually, so i can touch their heart and let them know how they touch mine
it's an impossible dream
but i'm going to do all i can with the time that i have left

[constellates]

do not say it like that
as if you do not have time
because i think the way that we connect with people
ah by laughing and smiling and sharing feelings
that will last forever
and ryoji will have forever to be with the people he cares for

[appraiser]

[ he's already used up a quarter of the natural human lifespan being realistic about these sort of things, but that "forever" anya talks about, that's what he wants to believe in ]

sorry, it's hard to get away from old ways of thinking!
right now, everybody that i care for is right here in this city!
so i'm going to stay right here, and meet everybody here,
and laugh and smile and share feelings with everybody here
i think that's a good place to start

[constellates]

i think so too
but after talking to ryoji i think i might want more
even if it is scary
to travel and meet others
not now but later
if i could meet the whole world
i would love that

[appraiser]

i think the whole world would love to meet you too
it was a little scary when i traveled,
but i had my mother, and my teacher, and then later i was okay by myself
wouldn't it be fun to tour the world together?

[constellates]

it would be !
ryoji could show me all the places he loved
and all the new places to see too
the world is so big

[appraiser]

it's so so big and there's so much to see
i'm already looking forward to taking you everywhere
to see the polar lights
and the deep sea trenches
and someday
to stand on the moon and gaze upon the entire planet and everybody in it all at once
when i was really little, that's what i always wanted

[constellates]

the moon !
to see the stars
so many stars and comets and planets
i would love to see space
that is my other dream
and to find a new star !
!!!!

[she's never going to bed is she]

[appraiser]

it's a wonderful dream!
we can become astronauts together
we'll need a math or science degree from university
and experience flying planes
i think there's a physical exam?
so you need to stay happy and healthy, okay Anya?

[constellates]

! !
a lot to learn
but that is ok
anya will learn to do it all
ryoji needs to be the same !

[appraiser]

i will!!
i'm going to learn how to fly, just like my father!

[constellates]

ryojis papa is a pilot ?
exciting !
so he visits all sorts of places?

[appraiser]

yes! all around the world!
he used to bring back all sorts of stories
and i would look forward to those days the most
but then i couldn't be satisfied with just stories
i wanted to see everything with my own eyes
hear things with my own ears
and feel things with my own hands
so that's why i visited all sorts of places too

[constellates]

["used to"

she zeroes in on it - mindful of details, as always - but she doesn't ask yet]

your papa sounds like a wonderful person
i am happy that he shared so much with ryoji
wonderful parents with a wonderful child
a lucky family

[appraiser]

he was a very very wonderful person
he would have been very happy to hear that
i think i am very lucky to have the parents i did
they made me who i am today
so the wonderful Anya must have a wonderful family as well

[constellates]

anya feels the same
mama is also busy but maybe one day ryoji will get to meet her too
she works very hard for me so i can do what i want
and it is because of papa that i want to see the stars
i did not get to meet him but mama has so many stories
and our house is full of all his charts and books
if anya gets to go to space
and ryoji gets to see the world
then we will both be closer to our papas

i want to do this
can we promise that we will ?

[appraiser]

i would love to meet your mother someday
i can already tell that she's an amazing person
who is very loving, and is very loved
we can tell each other our stories, so that they can live on forever
and like that
be a little closer to those we love

so yes

i promise that we will

[constellates]

mama is very sweet
she took care of me along with grandma and grandpa
does ryoji want to tell stories ?
hm it is late
but maybe one before sleep ?

good
anya has a good memory
so i will not forget our promise ok ?

[appraiser]

oh
it is pretty late
it's like time stops when i'm talking to you, so i didn't realize
do you have a story you want to tell?
or anything you want me to talk about?

ok
i know you won't let me forget either

[constellates]

i like talking to ryoji too
mama always tells good stories about papa
does your mama have a favorite story about your papa ?

i will not
ryoji is not allowed to forget our promise

[appraiser]

i want to hear them someday~
my mother doesn't tell stories very often so i'm not sure which one is her favorite
but there is one i used to always ask her to tell because i was so fond of it
then i stopped because i wasn't sure if it made her sad to keep telling it
it's a cute story though
of how they met

[constellates]

!!!
will you tell me
i want to hear

[appraiser]

it's easier to tell in person because there are so many words to text
but the short version went like this

my mother was visiting Alexandria at the time, as she used to live across the Mediterranean
my father was a pilot and had a layover there, and so he left the airport to see the beach
that is where they met
the way my mother remembers the beach, white sand and a shining ocean, how she describes it, that is why i love the beach
it was her eyes that made him fall in love, blue like the ocean
he said, "I love your eyes."
and she responded, "Thanks. I use them to see."
and then she left
and he had to return to the plane

every month after that, he would fly to Alexandria in hopes of seeing her
my mother didn't know that
she never went back to Alexandria

but she didn't forget him either
she remembered his uniform, his smile and the way it was just a little lopsided, with the left side lifting higher than the right
she looked up airline schedules
found what planes landed or took off on that day
what airline staff served those planes
and hunted him down
and gave him a call
and said, "Sorry, I panicked."
it had been six months lol

[constellates]

!!!
that is so sweet
and funny
and cute

it is just like something out of a movie
i am so happy
my heart is warm just to hear it

i love stories like that
when someone just
knows
that they are in love

[appraiser]

right? that's why i love it too
i wish i could have asked my father for his side of the story
what he thought when flying away
what he thought when flying back
how he knew she was the one
and only one
i can't imagine it