[OPEN] The First Annual Charm-Off

[twoninths]

Characters: Christopher/Argent (twoninths), Dean/McQueen (crossroaddeal), and OPEN to all
Date/Time: August 4th, noon until evening
Location: The Marketplace
Rating: TBA but expect McQueen's mouth, at least, to be filthy
Summary: McQueen and Argent decide to hold a contest to see which one of them really is the more charming.

[Like Matcha, Iaza, and Tussah before us,

Comments

Going with 1:00pm-ish~ ^^

[shouldve_didnt]

What the heck is a 'Charm-Off'? Sight wondered to himself as he wandered through the Marketplace. He'd decided to head in and make his usual visits to his friends who worked there when he saw a few of the fliers posted about. Interesting.

While he'd met Argent and heard a little about him from Bastet (weren't they supposed to train him together? So many things to do, and so little time!), he didn't really know the guy or this McQueen character either. But the masked man figured that he might as well check it out, whatever it was. Maybe he'd be charmed, maybe he wouldn't.

Not that he had any idea what he was getting himself into as he approached their spot in the Marketplace.

[twoninths]

Argent spotted Sight out of the corner of his eye, just as he and McQueen were finishing bickering over Bastet's final verdict. His eyebrows went up for a moment, as he did a quick mental calculation over whether or not this one was more in his favour or not and then smiled slyly at McQueen. "Frying pan to fire, my friend. Think you can keep up?" he muttered and then turned around in a very fast spin and trotted over to their newest guest.

"Sight, old sock," he said in a loud, friendly voice, "it is good to see you again. It has been much, much too long, and all the promises I hear of seeing you again keep seeming to evaporate." He clapped the man on the shoulder and mock-sighed. "But I hear you have been having some boisterous times, so I shall excuse you. Are you here to take part in our little event?" He twiddled his fingers in McQueen's direction to indicate who the other half of "our" was.

[shouldve_didnt]

Looked like his acquaintance Argent was quick for the kill, while the other still had yet to approach him. Old sock--oh yeah, his hair. He remembered that Bold pulled something similar, but with hair as silver as his own, he was an easy target to poke fun at and call an old fart. Not that he took the issue seriously, although a strong desire to correct Argent did bubble up from somewhere within him.

He would've interjected and explained the manner of his recent disappearing acts, but Argent pretty much had the ball rolling. Well, that didn't stop him from being curious about the event and exactly what it entailed. With a glance toward the other, he finally replied, "Ah, this little event, eh? Hn, what exactly is this so-called 'charm-off' that you two have set up?"

[crossroaddeal]

McQueen walked over casually when Argent started pointing at him.

"Hey," he said interrupting the two and then paused realizing that the person Argent was speaking to was a guy, "Uh...I'm McQueen. You've come to watch I'm assuming?"

McQueen put his hands in his pockets, suddenly rather awkward, he hadn't thought of the possibility that he might have to hit on some men.

[shouldve_didnt]

"Ah." He paused for a moment, although an explanation hadn't yet been given to him. "I... Guess I'm watching?" He rubbed the back of his neck and wondered what the heck he'd gotten himself into--after all, something about McQueen's actions tipped him off that this had suddenly become an awkward moment.

With an awkward grin on his masked face, he couldn't help but ask again, "Err, hold on--what exactly am I watching? And what is it again that you two are doing? I don't recall getting an explanation of this..." He was still rubbing the back of his neck and couldn't help but feel a slightly uncomfortable from a strained sense of tension from the situation.

[twoninths]

Argent whapped McQueen lightly on the shoulder and frowned. "Do not be silly Mr. McQueen. Sight is surely here to join in the fun!" He looked at Sight with an hopeful glance and made a few rapid hand gestures.

"You see," he explained, "Mr. McQueen and I have had an ongoing disagreement about which one of us is more charming, so we have decided to invite all of Edensphere to help us judge. We charm you and then you place a donation into the jar of the individual you found more charming! Quite simple but elegant in its design." He quirked an eyebrow playfully. "What say you? Watch or join in?"

[crossroaddeal]

McQueen choked a little when Argent slapped him on the back. "Oh, yeah, of course. Sure," he said nervously looking at Sight.

This guy had the most interesting hair he had ever seen, McQueen almost couldn't stop staring. "Dude, how'd you get your hair to do that?" he asked.

[shouldve_didnt]

...so basically, the two were going to duke it out and see who was more preferred. Alright, guys weren't exactly Sight's cup of tea, but that meant the whole situation was awkward for all of them, right? So... why not throw a wrench in things and give it a go?

His hand had dropped from rubbing the back of his neck, and instead he semi-crossed his arms over his chest while one hand rubbed his masked chin in thought. "Hn, seems like an interesting challenge." Then, a smirk crossed his face, faintly indicated by his mask and that amused crinkle at the side of his eye. "Well, I guess I wouldn't mind joining in, then."

May the best man (whoever that was) win, he guessed. Turning back to McQueen, he replied, "Err, I think it's natural. I pretty much wake up with it like this, too."

[crossroaddeal]

"Wow," McQueen said still staring at the silvery points. Finally he tore his eyes away and looked back at Sight.

"So uh...why the mask?" McQueen's attempt to make small talk seemed to only further the awkwardness, "Fuck, sorry man, this must be odd for you right?" McQueen asked realizing the situation wasn't the most relaxed it could be.

He laughed awkwardly, and wiped away the sweat of his forehead.

[twoninths]

Argent also followed McQueen's eyes and gave Sight's hair a considering look. It was not quite his preferred style, as he much preferred smooth to spiky, but he had known enough persons with unusual, gravity-defying hair at this point that it almost seemed normal.

However: "You really do nothing to it?" he said, leaning forward to blink at his hair and then grinning. "How grand that must be! An eye-catching style so effortlessly. I am... practically jealous!"

As he leaned back, he whacked McQueen again in the arm. "Have you no manners," he hissed. To Sight, he said, "Please feel no pressure to answer that, good Sight. We are beholden to please you here, not you us."

[shouldve_didnt]

Doubtless that Sight did find it awkward, and at least he wasn't alone when it came to that. On the other hand, he also found it strangely natural to further its uneasy tension. Part of him was even more amused at the mask question, though he'd never actually answered that for anyone... and he had this feeling that even when people had asked him in the past, he'd never given anyone a straight answer.

Sight couldn't help but chuckle at the game and its mechanics. If he was to judge right then and there, he'd definitely give Argent the win. While he did have some money to spare, the masked man was more frugal than anyone would have expected. "Mm? Hn, since you're both here to vie for my pleasure, then I'll venture now to ask which of you is currently in the lead."

Pushing the awkward buttons was go.