nysalogs | ( closed. ) the clock keeps ticking over

[ if he had to be perfectly honest, with the somber undertones of olympia, he had been curious to how wyver was faring. what he doesn't expect, however, is how celebratory they are. how their mood, though laced with tension, seemed to be infinitely higher and brighter than he expects.

which, without context isn't entirely negative, no. but, it's difficult to parse whether ... it really was okay.

probably not. but, then he begins to wonder if it would have been the same were things reversed?

while vane has loosely come up with a half-hearted conclusion to this inquiry, he supposed complicated (or delicate) matters like these were probably better suited for some of the other knights. hence, he conveniently pockets the ideas for later. at least now, in addition to the others, he had lancelot to share these thoughts with. either way, it's the midst of these thoughts that he's aggressively asked to partake in their festivities.

well, it seemed rude to decline? so vane does his best to dive into it. though, admittedly it's hard when he's just been giving some paint? ] Body painting, huh? [ well, it seemed innocent. it's here that a familiar shade of red catches his eyes. ] Yona!? Great timing...!

[ or ... is it. ]

Edited 2018-02-10 13:03 (UTC)

[She's in Wyver for similar reasons - curiosity, mainly. She likes both Olympia and Wyver (even if the humidity here is awful for her hair), so of course she took the opportunity to slip through the gates and check things out.

Being able to change her hair color while en route helped keep things on the down-low, but now that she's safely inside the city walls, she's gone back to her usual color.

Things are definitely a lot more festive here than they felt in Olympia. The people walk with a spring in their step, and the flames of the pyres seem almost inviting - though maybe that's because nobody has yet tried to get her to burn any of her belongings. Instead, she's been able to make it out to the fighting rings, where there are people doing much more than fighting.

Honestly? She's sort of impressed by the artistry here, even if it is a little strange to be applying the paint directly to someone's body. She watches, curious, as some people get to work - one man catches her attention and asks her if she wants to be a model for his next piece, and while she's trying to figure out how to decline, Vane calls her name.

With a sigh of relief, she hurries over to him.]

Vane! It's good to see you! [...then she spots the paint he's holding.] Oh, are you an artist too?

what about me

ho wait for me

[ sometimes it's hard to adjust to the mood of the cities, he thinks. especially, with how different both appeared to be, and how little he actually understood about it. but, it's undeniable there were standards for both. areas where he was forced to "act." in this case, it's infinitely more ... literal, however. when he's thrusted with a new costume (a little dusty, too), he almost doesn't have time to react, before ...

he steps to the stage. well, this was awkward. soon after stepping to the center, he's ordered to vanquish another knight with a sword, and seeing the guy that roped him into this on the sidelines giving him cues, well, he does so and makes p. quick work of it.. but, man .... do these swords feel real??

it's from here that he subtly attempts to to eyeball parts of the script from his sleeve. so it says the knight he just knocked out was ... holding someone captive. interesting. he reads quickly before, turning to his cast mate, who despite their present state of dress, looks oddly...

familiar?! vane nearly yells out his name, but just barely holds it back... what was the line? unrolling his sleeve, he takes a quick glance back at it. ah, ... that's right. ] M'lady? Are you un... harmed? [ does he sound wildly unsure? it's because he is. ]

[ it's always reassuring to see a familiar face, and so his shoulders slump in a slightly more relaxed stance as he smiles at her. it's like all the tension in the air dissipates. at least for a little bit, and vane finds solace in that. or, he does until he remembers the paint and tools he's given. with a nervous laugh, he rubs the back of his neck, getting a bit of paint on himself in the process. oops. ] It's nice to see you too!

I'm glad you still seem energetic. [ he starts off, before... ] Ah, this? No, no. I'm not much of an artist, but since everyone's doing something, I thought it'd be rude to not at least try it out. [ which brings him to his next brilliant (or not so brilliant) idea. ]

Whaddya think? Want to help out? I'm not exactly sure how good it'd be if I painted myself.

[Painting, huh?

Yona thinks about it. It's probably going to be more fun to be a painter than the paintee - so if she goes along with this, she's going to have to convince him to let her be the artist. Just lying there while someone else paints designs onto you sounds pretty boring.]

Mm, okay! I'm glad to help. Between the two of us, we'll make a masterpiece!

[except yona has never even really painted on canvas, let alone a body. so, uh, good luck guys.]

[ that sounds fair, to be honest.

he feels a bit bad about putting paint on her, but if she says it's all right. seems like it'd be a bit of fun, after all. kind of like mud-wrestling, but less physical and more colors? ] Definitely! [ it's here vane begins rolling up his sleeves. ] Maybe we can start on our arms? [ it's here, he gingerly tries to balance the can on his palm as he takes some tools from the side. there are a lot of brushes of so many different sizes... ]

I was going to use my finger, but I don't know if it'd draw delicate enough, so... [ he smiles. ]

Should I go first? I thought of a flower that would really suit you.

[ being under the guise of something he isn't... has never been vane's forte. perhaps, it could be said that he was hopelessly honest. sometimes even reckless in his pursuits; always defaulting to being as straightforward and direct as possible. if anything, it's something that's been ingrained in him. after all, he's normally left the complex decision-making to others that he trusted. but, it seems like here, he doesn't always have that leisure.

but, still, he decides to do his best.

besides, there was someone with him who he could trust. he doesn't actually know a lot about her, but his impression of her has been positive so far, and somehow... he gets the gut feeling like he could put all his faith into her, and so he does. he didn't think twice when he leaves his back to her. or in this case, sneaks into the altar of volkkra. honestly, this whole place was sort of dark and weird for him, but he supposes a mission was a mission.

they're hidden behind a wall, crouched down, and it's here vane tilts his head in the direction of two shamans. whispering (or doing his best to keep an indoor voice)— ] What about those two? Is it time to get to work? [ somehow, vane is ... excited about this. stealing shaman robes. who knew...

but well... it's been a while since he got to really stretch his legs. or so he says, but in reality, he's just restless. sorry red. ]

A flower...?

[Well. She was intending to see if she could be the artist and he could be the canvas, but... this is fine, isn't it? Especially if it's just her arm. She nods and reaches over to roll up her sleeve.]

Mm, that sounds nice. What kind of flower are you going to paint?

[ Cain, dressed in the best princess finery that this quality production can afford — which is to say, the dress only has three patches — is set up in a rickety wooden cart that's supposed to be a tower. There's at least a wooden frame nailed up that's serving as a window, and it's out of this that Cain leans, beaming at Vane, waving a handkerchief at him in a way that the audience luckily takes as fervent relief at his rescue rather than the hilarity at the whole situation that Cain's feeling. ]

Oh, brave knight, thanks to you, I'm as radiant as the dawn!

[ Unlike Vane, Cain's having a ball. He's not even looking at his script. Was that line even what he's supposed to say?? ]

give me chocolate making!!!

[ Some part of her misses he power she held.

Even if it was for a brief moment. The point is that she held it, it was her's, regardless of whether or not it was supposed to be. It gave her a chance against the end of her world, gave her the means to be triumphant. And while the prospect of a singer saving an entire city is surreal and almost terrifying, some part of her relished it.

But the Transistor, while her's still, is with better hands. More capable hands, in time. She has utmost faith, but it doesn't mean that she misses it. Relishes the few chances she's had with it.

Unfortunately, she doesn't have her giant, glowing, USB sword on her. It's just her, and the guy who accidentally took out a thug and had a smile that practically radiated off of him. Surely, it will be fine. They managed to get in and no one's caught them yet, either.

And the two shamans are just standing there, like sitting ducks. Red's head peeks out into the hall once more, checking their backs are turned. Nods in confirmation at the question, hand carrying a book they swiped from some table.

Which she slides across the ground, quickly coming into view of their targets. It hits the wall with a dull thud, which seems to cut off their conversation. Footsteps approach, closer, closer, closer...

Red presses her back against the wall, waiting for them to come in view ( she believes in you, Vane. Surely you can't screw this up. ) ]

[ he watches her roll up her sleeves with natural interest, his head tilting along to the way the fabric moves up across her forearm. but, at her inquiry, he gives a slightly uneasy laugh. ] What kind of flower... ?

I don't know if they had them where you were from, but I was thinking something like the lilies that grow in water. While I like how strong they are, I also just like the colors they come in. Besides, I think they'd really compliment the color of your hair...

Is that weird?

[ as always, it seems like cain doesn't really sweat the small stuff, and while that should concern him— it's also kind of relieving. actually, if cain was forced into it, well... quite frankly, it's hard to tell. which gets a small initial look of shock and then a small hint of laughter. something he tries to hide behind a small smile. ] That's great. [ he means that in a lot of ways. not just because he thinks it's his line.

still, he supposes if he's meant to act, it's always reassuring to have a familiar face on stage. besides, cain has had his back on more occasions than one and the concept fuels him as he holds a hand out from the bottom of the "tower."

he coughs meaningfully. once, twice, then— ]

Your safety is my number one concern. Now, please... jump ... into my arms!?! [ eh??? was he supposed to catch him??

from here?? it's not impossible, no, but would cain actually jump? ]

[ times of strife are always ... hard to deal with, and vane has never really been one to delve deeply into political matters. it's why it's nice to know that there are those out there who do make this a focus for themselves, and who craft missions like these. while vane doesn't comprehend the deeper complexities or implications of the elaborate plans, if he can find a safe space for these people— that would be good enough.

it also helps that he's with nami, and well ... from what little he knows of her, he trusts she'd guide him correctly. besides, she seemed to have a pretty good head on her shoulders. but, more importantly, these crystals they were given? vane has zero experience with them (and he assumes it's the same for most considering it's a prototype). still... what could go wrong right? besides, vane is actually kind of excited to see what they do!

between the two colors, vane holds both out for nami. while they're already out, they're in a safe distance (debatably). at least enough to figure what to do with these. they were given the details, but well .. actually using them and all was probably different? maybe? all the same: ] Which one did you want?

... also, it's kinda funny, huh? This doesn't feel like it's the first time. [ they're on a mission together, he means.

it's honestly super reassuring! ]

[ it's strange how despite how dire circumstances can be, or how removed from home they are (and would ... continue to be) that the heart doesn't often forget. in a way, he starts to miss some of the customs from home and the sense of normalcy they carry. but, well, that's where cooking came in, right? besides, he liked the idea of bringing home the bacon... or in this case the chocolate. :bacon: :chocolate_bar:

besides! this wouldn't be the first time he's made chocolates for himself or his companions.

though, the whole point of making them for himself was to ... pretend that they were from an actual girl. now that he thinks about that he was getting sort of depressed? another year, another day of being that guy with zero chocos. oh well.

(maybe he could still go with this plan?? but there was no convenient excuse of the baker's daughter to back up his already flimsy lies..)

still, it's in the midst of shopping or finishing up with it that he encounters clair. a fact he doesn't expect. with an armful of ingredients, he greets her cheerfully! ] Oh!? What's this!? Are you also here shopping to make something for the holidays?

Weird? No, not at all.

[She shakes her head, then holds her now-bare forearm out to him.]

I can't wait to see what it looks like once you've painted it. Um, do we need to sit down somewhere?

[It probably won't be easy for him to paint if the're just standing, will it?]

[ She's not the heroic sort (being a ...criminal, in the life she had before), but this job sounds more in line with her ideals. She wants to earn money, but she doesn't have it in her to do something that could harm someone else. None of these people have wronged her, after all. That's why, when she heard about this job becoming available (and paying fairly well), Nami took it on, enlisting a reliable friend she's met so far.

As Vane holds out the crystals and speaks, she's barely listening to him, gawking at how beautiful they look instead. ] So pretty ... [ And they are magical, too? Something like this could go for a really good price.

Regarding the matter of which one she should take, though: ] What do you mean? Aren't they both for me?

[ Welp. Vane should have expected this. ]

[ Now that Yusuke has informed her of the various intricacies of that very important holiday, Valentine's Day—namely, the giving of chocolate to friends and loved ones—Clair is determined to do just that. And since she can't do anything by halves, she goes shopping immediately and heads for the most expensive chocolates that the stores have to offer.

But... it has to be perfect... ]

Oh! Vane! Salutations. How very serendipitous for us to run into each other like this.

[ She turns away from the chocolates on display, her gaze drawn to the various ingredients he's carrying in his arms. Her head cants curiously to the side. ]

Make something? Ah, the chocolate! [ She looks very proud of herself for already knowing about the tradition. Heh. But a second later— ] It can be made?

Edited (typo........................) 2018-02-20 17:20 (UTC)

[ there's a degree of restlessness to his movements as he waits for a proper time. while others were better at biding their time and creating an swift, yet effective plan— vane was more into simple action. so it helps that red always seems to have a plan.

for example, with the book.

honestly, vane was thinking it was for throwing or hitting them over the head with? so there's a small smile that slips across his lips. a small, but quiet: "so that's how you use it" escaping his lips briefly. honestly, if he was going to take action, he probably would have joined along in the convo before having to engage in a fight...

so this helps. a lot. though, now... he realizes now he hasn't swiped a really good weapon and it's here that he scrambles to pick up the closest stick-like object (in this case, a long rack holding candles) and he uses it to quickly trip both the guards up, before a small: ] Sorry! [ he quickly uses one edge of his makeshift weapon to firmly hit one of the shamans over the head. it's a quick k.o. then the next. only, woah—!?!

was the edge of his robe touching the flame? vane does his best to quickly extinguish it with his foot, before giving red an uneasy smile. ] That was easy? What do you think? [ he's doing his best to whisper, but whispering has never been his best skill. ]

[ it's a reaction he should have accounted for to a degree and yet, he still finds himself chuckling a little at her enthusiasm. ] You really like sparkly things like this, huh? [ it was the same in the vr, wasn't it? but, before he could lose focus, he's suddenly hit with her questions? ] But, I guess s—

[ at first, he's about to go along with it, until: ] Eh—!? I mean, I don't mind, but I thought they said we had to use one each? Besides, it'd be difficult to juggle so many things, right? [ or so vane says, but he can hardly remember how to use one. ]

Though, honestly... they both seem pretty complicated. I've never been much of a spells and magic item kinda guy.

Is that so? That... that's great! [ to be honest, he's a bit relieved when she says it's not strange. it isn't unusual for vane to doubt his own words, whether out of intensity or awkwardness, so he finds himself feelings a little lighter by her words.

he gives a firm and chipper nod, before moving to place some of the paints down.

fortunately, vane did bring a small bag and in it, a blanket. he normally used it for eating outdoors, but he supposed it worked for a situation like this. he sets it down, smoothing it out, before eventually gesturing towards it. ] I don't know if it'll be super comfortable out here, but it's probably a little better than the ground. [ hence, with a small clearing of his throat— ] Have a seat, princess.

Seren... ? [ serendipitous ... ???

as always, clair has a bit of a funny way of speaking, but he does his best to adjust accordingly. or at least, to work around the context. ] Haha... ha, yeah! It's like fate running into you here. [ is that what she means? he hopes.

he wouldn't want to embarrass himself in front of another knight, after all. especially, one he's... [redacted]

fortunately for him, it helps that she's swiftly moved onto a topic he's infinitely more familiar with. chocolate. ] Of course it can! But, uh, that's not to say that's what I was doing! I definitely wasn't making chocolates for myself or anything. [ sweats. ]

But, ah!! Don't tell me... you've never made it before?

That's true. I'll loan you one crystal, but you have to return it to me later.

[ But the real question should be why she's speaking like both crystals belong to her when they probably have to return it to the temple afterward. Now, on to which person should hold which crystal. Honestly, the blue crystal is more suited to Nami's skills, seeing as she would better utilize a magic item that can help her to predict (to an extent) the enemy's movements. The red crystal would give Vane a speed boost when he's fighting. ]

Here. [ She'll pass the red crystal over to him. ] You remember what this one does, don't you?

( closed. ) the clock keeps ticking over

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