GreenKai Named ‘Spirit of Progress’ for Expo ’13

The traditional Fair Monarch Pageant was hosted by BunnyHugger, fair organizer, on Friday night at Edgeworld Park Grandstand as a prelude to the third SpinDizzy World’s Fair, Expo ’13: Fifteen Years of Progress. The Fair Monarch, this year styled as the Spirit of Progress, was chosen based on a talent show and a short interview. After a display of some unique talent, each contestant was asked, “What do you think the word ‘progress’ means?”

The first contestant was Featherwing, often-dragon, who demonstrated his skill at shapeshifting between a variety of forms. According to Featherwing, progress “means advancing in some way for the betterment of all around.”

The next contestant was Sora, black fox. She prefaced her talent demonstration by stating, “Over a relatively short period of time, I have gone from being merely a creation of Commander Morticon’s to my own person. In addition, thanks to Tzann, I have become partially a dragon. This to me is progress. I am learning much about the world as a fox, bird, and dragon, making new friends, and learning about emotions. Though it is a long journey, I am progressing along it. This to me is a definition of progress: To move towards a goal. My talent is an illustration of how far I have progressed.” She then blew smoke rings and an arrow of smoke through them, and together with Tzann finished it with a fiery display.

Next was Kern, clockwork Inca tern. Kern explained that the greatest talent of all is that of being a bird and making sure that all of the unfortunate “unbirds” are looked after by birds and kept in good repair, and that this is his talent, though he did not offer a demonstration of this, just his assurance that it is done. In response to the interview question, he stated, “Progress is the bringing of everyone to the fullest finest and smoothest operating of their escapements and cogworkings until the tickings are the perfect music of the spheres!”

Beltrami, balloon olinguito, went next, pantomiming a history of her life on SpinDizzy starting from her arrival from space, emphasizing her talent for inspiring and creating things: the Mayor’s office, friendships and families, and New Town. Asked what progress means, she cupped her hands together around BunnyHugger’s head, and lifted it up, holding the shape, to be better visible. She then folded her fingers together and flipped her hand inside-out, so the fingers spread out instead of folded in. She then spread her fingers, and arms, wide, out and open to all. Fluffy asked for clarification and BunnyHugger asked and received permission from Beltrami to try to interpret.

“I think she might have said ‘To make ideas into reality,'” BunnyHugger said. Beltrami nodded agreement.

GreenKai, Kai norn, took the stage next and told a story about her native Albia, the land of norns. She explained how on Albia, there are seven stages of life, and dramatically illustrated each stage in the style of an expert storyteller. In response to the interview question, she replied, “Progress means . . . whatever those with the will to change the world want it to mean!”

Fluffy, critter, went next, picking up a guitar and playing a song that began rather ominously with the words, “I heard what the robot said, I’m going back to bed.” It even provided a recording for everyone to listen to at leisure, and told the audience that this was a debut performance and that they were the first ones to hear this new song. The audience reaction seemed very positive. As for progress, fluffy said that it “is the inexorable forward march of time, with the inferior ideally being replaced by the superior, although usually it’s just marked by severe entropy and decay.”

Austin then stepped up to declare that his talent was “a little bit conceptual,” to which BunnyHugger replied, “We’ve been having kind of a lot of conceptual talents tonight.” Austin explained that his talent seemed to be “getting interesting people to come together, to open themselves up, to share, and to find in one another these people they couldn’t have imagined being without, and because of that, we have a wonderful community that can support events like the World’s Fair 2013: Fifteen Years of Progress.”

He said, in response to the interview question, “I think that progress is that moment when you feel yourself brushing against the conceptual boundaries of your universe, and you press just a little behind, and find the feeling of that transition is so exciting that your fears dwindle, and you press on.”

The last contestant of the night was Carl, robot. He floated up into the air, promising “a bit of a show,” and rapped his wands together. He then became obscured by white light, and then by the blackness of space, from which drifted up points and then swirls of color. An amazing three-dimensional light show ensued, culminating in a phantom vessel with the form of a nautilus riding the currents appearing, before everything faded away.

Finally it was time to determine the winner, and a panel of judges including BunnyHugger, Chitter, and Edgeworld Park assistant manager PolarStar chose a winner based on input from other members of the audience. GreenKai’s story of the stages of life on Albia intrigued and moved many in the audience and was felt to symbolize the cycle of life and progress in a way that fit well with the theme of the Carnival. The judges expressed admiration for all the performances and based on the applause, so did the audience.

BunnyHugger explained the history of the Edgeworld Crown, which was destroyed in 2011 by the evil Crossroads Carnival and had to be remade by the people of SpinDizzy at that time. She then presented it to PatchO’Black, 2011’s Fair King, who presented it to GreenKai as the new Spirit of Progress. BunnyHugger also gave the Mantle of Progress, the symbol of Expo ’13, to GreenKai. She then gave ceremonial sashes to all other contestants, marking them as Muses of Inspiration for Expo ’13. Finally, she told GreenKai to choose an official Consort if she wished, and GreenKai chose Featherwing for that royal position.