soul_logs | [OPEN] Love Shack

Entry tags:

[OPEN] Love Shack

Characters: OPEN
Location: Nocturne Bazaar
Rating: Gen… Maybe. Don't do anything you wouldn't tell your mother about!
Time: April 3rd, April 4th
Description: The "attraction" was quite the hit last time. Who will you find yourself shacked up with now?

The island the Bazaar sits on is certainly big, but who thought they'd be able to fit an entire river on top of it? The line for the ride is just as large as you'd think it'd be, and it's been split in two with a tall screen to prevent people in both sides from seeing the other.

The staffers operating the line don't seem to care about making it grow; they're literally pulling people unlucky enough to wander too close and shoving them in a line before they can protest. You could try to get away, but the rest of the crowd's pushing impatiently forward and before long, you're up.

You might as well just get it over with. Hopefully the company's nice.

((ooc; this log takes place over both the first day and the second day. please use the subject line indicator [ NAME | DATE | OPEN/CLOSED ] and keep in mind that during the second day, characters will likely be under the effects of growing madness!))

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Hmm. [There was still plenty of the future he knew nothing of... but to sit in a strange carnival attraction such as this, passing it off as a 'tunnel of love' seemed awfully strange to him. Lezard wasn't entirely worried over the treatment of a complicated, yet base human emotion, but there was only so much sarcasm could quell. Sitting up straight, he ignored the music and the sights, turning instead to his companion.]

So that, at least, refuses to change. What good would love be were it so simple?

[He couldn't help but think of Lenneth... ah, but to pine for the dead was no good, was it?]

...To what end is the word defined for you?

Then, I guess you should know how difficult it can be for those of us with magic, who aren’t normal. [Or maybe not… It had sounded like magic was more accepted where he came from and not thought of as freakish or fiction by the majority of people. Yet, his words made it seem like he had his own issues with relationships.]

[But did she really want to talk about love with this man? A sorcerer who she normally couldn’t hold a conversation with without it degenerating into sarcastic remarks and bickering. He’d probably mock her for her folly, just like Aidan had. Even she was starting to think the situation with Max was hopeless.]

[Lily turned away, a small slump to her shoulders as she peered over the edge of the boat and into the water.] You’re probably asking the wrong woman. I don’t do well with love and have a history of driving away all the people who care about me.

Suppose you were not the wrong one as you so claim, and your gift was not outright wasted on those who seek to turn their backs on you. ...What then, my dear?

[With a devil-may-care shrug, he gestured a hand to the silly cartboard cut-outs and the little puppets dancing hand in hand all around them, followed by a comical smmmmack of a kiss. Lezard could hardly pay attention to the idiocy of the tunnel at this point.]

I, for instance, covet love. While it was not my magic that prevented-- ...

[He fell silent, rubbed his chin in thought, before that mischievous grin formed again.]

--Ah, yes, it was my magic that angered her so... ha! Well, I suppose you would be correct, then.

[Lily stared at the dancing puppets, feigning interest in the scenery. She didn’t really want to talk about this. It just reminded her of how out of reach her wishes were, for someone who would accept and love her naturally, free of enchantments or ulterior motives.]

Anger? [She turned back, raising an eyebrow at that grin. Lezard’s talent for annoying her made Lily wonder if he had used his magic to play tricks on the lady he had fancied. Or…] You didn’t try to cast a love spell on her, did you? It’s not right to enchant someone into loving you!

[She might have sounded a bit too indignant about the idea. Ever since Max Carmichael first walked into her shop, she herself had been very tempted to cast such a spell, to try to control him. But that would have been highly inappropriate.]

[Hesitantly, she added…] He couldn’t accept my magic, that I was a witch, even after seeing me exorcise demons… And I wouldn’t deny that part of myself for him.

As entertaining as that idea was, a love spell would never work on a goddess... [He shrugged carelessly.] And all spells of the sort only lead to an unstoppable obsession, ever onward as a growing madness. No, she was merely angry with me, for the older, near-forgotten magics were reserved for the gods themselves.

[So there was a man, but he seemed none too keen on coupling with a witch.]

Nor should you. They say two ought reach a compromise. Of course... I would ask nothing of you~

[And he leaned forward in rapt attention.]

Save for stories, anyway. Do regale me with tales of your exorcism of Hel's pitiable beasts.

[Lily gawked and it took a few seconds before she managed speech again.] A goddess? Literally? [Lezard had given her the impression of being presumptuous but attempting to woo a deity? The man must have had an ego the size of Texas! And it was true that the stronger love spells only produced mindless obsession; she gave them a wide berth although she had created a simple love charm at a customer’s request, just something to give the other person a nudge.] What kind of magic? Trying to replicate ancient spells without the proper knowledge and training is dangerous.

[And Lily leaned away. She didn’t trust him that much and this new information didn’t really help his case.]

There’s not much to tell. A spirit kidnapping children and dragging them into the bay with her. And a demon that had been sealed in a closet at an art school getting loose. It’s not my normal line of work and I reckon you know more about dealing with demons.

[And there were small incidents like Sitri sending mares to harass her—fortunately, it had only taken walking around the room with an amulet and a bit of chanting to send them away—but she certainly wasn’t going to tell him about having to kick uninvited spirits out of her bed!]

The Goddess of Fate. A Valkyrie, specifically. [He noted with a chuckle.]

Ah, teleportation magic, for starters. Most of my stronger spells are also outright forbidden from use by humanity as well. The gods had felt that we as humans are not ready to wield and be responsible with said magics, but I myself am living proof that it can be done: My studies of the old arts, my careful practice has left he able to cast whatever it is I wish without the threat of my very soul being torn asunder, or my mind to shatter to pieces. Though most would jest the latter has all ready happened.

[A cheeky grin.]

...Demon extermination is not a new line of work for me, indeed, but all in the supernatural sway of things are bound to have interesting stories.

[He paused for a beat.]

A spirit kidnapping children... that rings something of a bell. Had I not seen something to that effect on that Mission Board in the school...?

Edited 2012-11-06 15:10 (UTC)

[She blinked.] A valkyrie? As in those women on horseback?

Teleportation? But that’s impossible! [Or at least, she had never known of anyone being able to perform such a feat outside of fiction. She eyed him with suspicion, thinking of her father…] You didn’t make a bargain with a demon or something, did you? [That was an almost certain path to spiritual ruin. No wonder Brunnhilde had been upset with him…]

[Lily didn’t find the sorcerer’s claims very reassuring and leaned as far away as she could, considering the small amount of space in the boat.]

I wouldn’t know. As I’ve told you, hunting demons isn’t my profession. [And she wasn’t in the habit of climbing all those stairs without good reason. Still, a small frown formed at the thought of another spirit stealing children.]

[He laughed at the thought of making a bargain with a demon, leaning back in his seat upon the silly floating swan of wood.]

Is it truly that preposterous that a mere human could acquire the magic crafted for the gods?

[Hmm, and he ought to look into the Mission Board. His curiosity demanded it.]

[Irritated by that laugh, Lily crossed her arms and looked at him severely.] Yes. In case you forgot, magic isn’t normal where I came from and I was considered a freak. All the townspeople shunned me growing up. They tried to exorcise me when I was a teenager. Even my own mother was scared of me!

[She wondered how much longer this stupid ride would last as the swan drifted past a wedding tableau. As soon as it ended, she intended to get away from this shady sorcerer and return to her apartment so she could change out of this dress. Wait a minute… Gai had said he wasn’t the one who signed her up when she talked to him after the pageant. And if Lezard had found out her last name from the people at that school… It finally clicked into place.]

[Accusingly…] You were the one who signed me up for that pageant.

[When his laughter settled down, he hitched his shoulders in a shrug.]

But you're here now, aren't you? Your townspeople are gone, as is your dear mother. Why let such thoughts plague you when they've no direct concern to you as you stand right now? Do you think, perhaps, it would be high time to let such thoughts go?

[The swan took a final turn as the tone changed. Ah yes, something Lezard would not recognize as 'porn sax'. But he wasn't focused on that... no, the cat was out of the bag now. Would he continue to play dumb?]

I figured such beauty should be seen by all of this City of Death!

[Of course he wouldn't play dumb.]

And you looked positively radiant under the spotlights in your ensemble~

I can’t just forget, not after what happened when—[No, it wouldn’t be prudent to spill her secrets to this magical nuisance.] After being run out of town. [It might have been nice if she could simply forget all the alienating incidents of her youth but her near perfect memory prevented that. Despite all the years, it still hurt.] For years, I wandered the world, looking for a safe place to call home. Even in a city like San Francisco, I still couldn’t openly admit my powers to normal people. I’d be considered crazy. [And in Death City? She didn’t intend to admit she was a witch to anyone if she could help it!]

And I don’t appreciate being forced into things by patronizing magical men. [She huffed, folding her arms across her chest and muttering…] You’re almost as bad as Aidan.

Edited 2012-11-10 01:02 (UTC)

Ah, then we are quite alike then, aren't we? I have been dubbed 'mad' on frequent occasions. [A shrug.]

Regardless, taking our foes into consideration, I cannot be surprised you keep the truth of what you are something of a secret. And yet... we hold a Witch here in Death City who has allegedly agreed to grant us aid, and there are few BREW has brought upon us that were once witches in their own right back home. If anything, my dear, I would say you bear a great deal of importance in this war because of that in which you feel ashamed of.

[He paused, and simply smiled.]

'Almost'? Damn.

I doubt we’re that alike. [Folks might have considered her strange but Lezard with his talk of teleportation spells and wooing goddesses would have been clear round the bend into insanity!]

[She shook her head.] More self-preservation than shame. Tens of thousands were killed as witches in the past in my world. Burned, hanged, drowned. Some were just victims of personal vendettas but many were natural witches. Countless others were tortured, driven from their homes. [That was why this war didn’t completely sit well with her. Exorcising demons was one thing but accusing people of witchcraft was a much uglier prospect.]

The woman with the lion? We’ve met. [Her expression said she wished they hadn’t.]

Aidan Rhodes is an annoyance of a male witch who fancies himself in charge of all the witches in San Francisco. He’s always trying to force me into things like investigating murders without explanations. [Lily glanced over at him. Maybe, it was mean but she was irritated…] And he is much more attractive than you.

Self-preservation or not, you would do well to gather allies that know of your true character. My heart would simply ache at the very thought of Shibusen turning their hunt on you... you have my loyalty.

[Then she'd gone for a sting. Mean? Yes. But there was one flaw in this plan...]

Ah, so you consider me attractive. My my~ It has always been said in the social circles of Flenceburg that I was quite the looker.

'If only he remained with the school,' they lament...!

[The man was dense.]

Thanks for the concern but I’m a solo act. [Even if her witchy ways had become something of an open secret among her San Francisco friends, even if it would be nice if there were people she didn’t have to hide that knowledge from, she doubted it would be wise to let her secrets spread any further than they already had in this place.]

And that wasn’t what I said. [She was miffed that egotistical man had twisted her words around in his mind to be some backhanded compliment.] The people at this school of yours must have liked the nerdy look I reckon. [Lily’s tone implied she didn’t find it very appealing.]

Edited 2012-11-11 05:21 (UTC)

I was top of my class, and one of the most brilliant students the instructors had ever seen. My mother was nobility, to boot, so I would surmise that most of my admirers were less interested in me and more for my... genetics. [A shrug.]

All the reason to turn my back on the Academy and study magic on my own time. The instructions were slow, unfocused... nothing like the way you handle my alternate form granted to me in this universe, chanting and hurling flames as if it were second nature.

[The swan boat took its last sharp turn, and plunged them in darkness. Lezard sighed aloud.]

...This ride is entirely too long.

[Nobility? Maybe, that helped explain the egotistical attitude…]

It isn’t. I was never good at fighting magic. I’m more the stay-at-home-and-brew type of witch and usually do my chanting in the kitchen. [Even if she could light candles with her mind—that was basic magic—it wasn’t as if she’d ever cast fireballs before that day on the mountain.]

It really is. [She grumbled in agreement. And they were in the dark again…]

Did this thing stop? [It felt like the boat wasn’t moving anymore. She leaned forward and half rose, trying to see what was ahead. Was that the end of the tunnel a short distance away? Unfortunately for Lily, that was when the boat started moving again with a lurch, causing her to fall back with a startled exclamation and land sprawled across Lezard’s lap.]

Edited 2012-11-13 06:23 (UTC)

Yet what I've said still stands. While I admit there are a few knots in the twine to work undone, I am even more impressed you've managed to wield me so efficiently and so quickly.

[And Lezard was rarely genuinely impressed. But he silenced and looked up in the dark, tried to get a feel for the vehicle beneath them and see if perhaps the swan was still moving. Even he couldn't tell. He shifted and tried to discern some sort of platform in the dark.]

The... 'scenery'... was little more than within arm's reach. If it has stopped, we can disembark and find an-- oof--

[The swan lurched and moved once more, and the only shape he could make out lost her balance and plopped right atop his lap. It seemed to be part of the ride's programmed 'route', however; the swan emerged from black curtains and out into the open night and another attendant giving an appreciative wolf whistle- the Tunnel of Love was a quick worker, yet an efficient one!]

[Lezard, still rather confused - and mildly annoyed when he saw a flash of light, something he of his time frame knew not as a camera as a 'memento' of the ride - couldn't help himself while he tried to work out where his limbs were placed in accordance to hers. He'd always found the phrase 'a tangle of limbs' preposterous, but was finally experiencing it first hand.]

For the record, madam, none of this was my doing!

[Yes. Just to be clear, you see!]

[It took the whistle for Lily to realize they were finally out of the tunnel. And was that a camera? Her face turned pink, a combination of embarrassment and indignation. Contrary to the myth, witches could blush.] Dag nab it!

[There might have been an elbow poking into Lezard’s ribs somewhere and a hand pushing against one of his knees as she tried to right herself. After she succeeded in untangling herself from the sorcerer, a woman with a camera approached, showing off a photo of the two that would give anyone the wrong impression, and tried to interest Lily in buying it.]

No, I’m not paying five dollars for a souvenir of this doggoned ride!

[What was this, blackmail?! The witch concentrated on the offending photo, trying to make it hot enough to burn the photographer’s fingers, with the intention of grabbing it afterwards and setting a match to it later.]

[But, of course, that didn’t work. The photographer just smiled and tried her sales pitch on Lezard instead. Wouldn’t he like a picture with his sweetheart to remember tonight?]

And I’m nothing of that sort!

[For a man who had little to no shame, the blood vessels in his face were awfully active right now, and he worked to untangle himself as well. Perhaps it was because, just for a moment, he'd been caught off guard.]

Souvenir?

[He looked up and witnessed the sales pitch. For five of this world's currency, they could have the photograph it turns out was made of their compromised position. But it was too perfect- the way Lily was fiercely defending her status of being completely unattached to him, and just how ridiculous the photograph was...!]

Ha ha ha! Well, who am I to say no~?

[Now to quickly fish a bill from his pocket and try to make the exchange while dodging the fair Meister...!]

[Lily gaped at him as he reached into a pocket.] You're actually going to pay for that photo?

[Her attempt to snatch the picture from the photographer was unsuccessful. The woman quickly accepted Lezard's bill and presented him with his souvenir before moving on to take incriminating photos of whatever unlucky couple came out of the tunnel next.]

[Lily blew out an exasperated breath and glanced at him as she stepped out of the boat.] Please tell me you intend to burn that thing.

And ruin a perfectly good conversation starter? I think not! [He pocketed it, and climbed out of the boat as well.]

There will come a day that you see this photograph on my mantlepiece and think, "Well, well, do you remember that day where the rude individuals shoved us upon that wretched wooden swan?"

And I will laugh and say, "Yes, yes indeed, my lady. Would you care for another cup of tea?"

[Snickering? Yes, he was snickering like a devil.]

[Lily frowned as the photo disappeared into his pocket.] You’re not really going to show that ridiculous picture to anyone, are you? [She moved towards the ride’s exit.]

And you’re assuming I would even willingly visit your home and have tea with you. [Her tone and the look she gave him implied this would be as likely as her announcing to the entire city that she was a witch and would be opening a fortunetelling parlor.]

[Although the idea of breaking into his apartment later to retrieve it had occurred to her… Unfortunately, she had no idea where he lived. Plus, the Hand of Glory was back in San Francisco; it was pretty handy for unlocking doors as long as she didn’t think about the gruesome fact that it was the dried and pickled hand of a dead man.]

I can't imagine ever showing it to anyone. No, 'tis our little memory! [...Or he never gets house guests. but would he admit that? Of course not.]

Well, you never know when we might find ourselves in need of kind company... [Spoken wistfully with a shrug, following her out of the ride.]

Nevertheless, I will not be broadcasting the photo over the DEMISE Network, if that is indeed your next question. Take solace in the fact that I am not one of Death City's esteemed gossips.

And since Lily has to go do this again with a Pharaoh...

vintage_magic - 2012-11-15 17:21 (UTC) - Expand

Jeez, poor girl.

lezard_valeth - 2012-11-15 17:38 (UTC) - Expand

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[OPEN] Love Shack

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And since Lily has to go do this again with a Pharaoh...

Jeez, poor girl.