nysalogs | ( closed )

i want to be here

let's do it

[ Clair doesn't know how, exactly, she ended up in this situation... she was simply delivering some food and drinks to one of the model's room before he saw a client, as requested—she'd intended to be in and out before they'd even shown up.

That was her plan, anyway, before JJ showed up and threw a wrench in it. One thing led to another, and they'd found themselves lingering in the model's room with voices approaching from down the hall. Clair, usually one to brazen these things out, seized up at the thought of having to explain what she and JJ were doing here—and of interrupting those amorous sounds.

That's how they ended up here, in the closet, with the door shut behind them. She realizes, belatedly, that it's far too late to brazen anything out now—how would they ever explain emerging from the closet in the middle of... well, let's just say that the amorous noises are more amorous now.

They're completely stuck here. For a while. She's hoping that this is a... what do they call it? "Quickie" session, or they might be stuck here for a good long while. Mila help her.

There's soft, lustful music playing in the background of all this, which she's hoping obscures her stage hiss. ]

Do give me more room.

[ He'd just been curious, not having seen Clair in a while and unaware that she was working in the brothel as well—everyone was working here, it seemed like, and JJ was starting to wonder if maybe he should too, just to be closer to everyone.

But his passion wasn't in the sex industry, and he had to follow his heart.

Regardless, he's not sure which one of them had shoved the other inside the closet first, but JJ finds himself uncharacteristically speechless about this entire situation: the sounds from the other side of the door, and the fact that there is no where near enough room in this closet for JJ alone, much less the two of them.

He breathes deeply, regretting the scent of her perfume almost immediately. ]

How? [ He whispers back, brows drawn and looking unusually agitated.

He can't help it— She's pretty— small and soft, and he's more aware of it than he really wants to be. ]

I'm pressed against the wall on the other side. Maybe you should sit down if you want some room.

[ For Mila's sake, this is just ridiculous. Is this the smallest closet ever constructed? How is anyone to fit anything in here? She makes a mental note to herself to make sure the closets in her next residence can fit at least six people in them. No, ten.

She tries to flatten herself against the opposite wall, but there are clothes and shoes hampering her progress a little. ]

Oh, very well!

[ She hisses loudly, then purses her lips together when she realizes that it was maybe a little too loudly. But... the amorous sounds continue undeterred, and she lets out a little breath of relief and sinks to the floor, tucking her feet underneath her. ]

I say, this is a truly... unfortunate circumstance.

[ For one, the noises coming from the other side of the door are making her decidedly uncomfortable and... aware. She can feel her face growing warm just listening—she's in close proximity to these kinds of ...encounters... thanks to her job, but never quite this close.

Maybe it's a good thing that it's dark in this closet. She certainly wouldn't want JJ to see her face right now. ]

[ It's difficult for him to grasp why she's so angry when it's not like he had planned for them to get trapped in this closet, nor was he in control of how much space there is for them. Moreover, he can't imagine he's the worst person to get stuck in a closet with: tall, fit, handsome, and overflowing with artistic ability.

Maybe she's embarrassed?

Regardless, she's a lady in distress, so he does his best to be gentle, despite the slight bruising to his ego. ]

It is kind of awkward. But it's more embarrassing for them than us. You'd be embarrassed if someone heard you during sex other than your spouse, too.

[ Well, neither of the individuals are likely married, but he's trying to make her feel better. ]

We should use this as a chance to get to know each other better.

[ With words, and not the other intimate details that come with being pressed so closely together, and the way its getting his heartbeat to pick in. Maybe she's right to be alarmed, this situation feels more dangerous than anything else he's faced since getting here. ]

Like, what's your last name?

[ Awkward is right, but she doesn't quite understand how this is more embarrassing for the couple on the other side of the door. They're probably enjoying themselves immensely during—she starts a little at sex, if only because it's a cruder term than she's used to hearing, and she's overheard plenty of crude things from the soldiers—their lovemaking, at least based on what she's hearing.

Well... at least one of them, anyway. The models are very good at their jobs, she's discovered. ]

That is as good a plan as any, I suppose.

[ She'll just have to try to... block the extraneous sounds out. What else is there to do? Pretend she's sitting in a parlor, having a cup of tea as she chats with JJ. This is totally innocuous. ]

My surname? It is [ SUDDEN LOUD MOANS COMING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR ] but I am more commonly known simply as Lady Clair.

[ She pauses a little, rattled by those sudden loud noises. Oh, this is so silly! There is nothing going on on the other side of the door that is not perfectly common and natural. After so many years training and fighting alongside soldiers (that is, men), she's no demure maiden. She knows what happens behind closed doors!

Maybe if she were alone, she could keep her head better. Maybe if they weren't crammed in so close together... she clears her throat. ]

You most certainly have an interesting name, Jean-Jacques. It is most unusual to my ears.

It's French.

[ JJ's answer is fairly distracted, his own plan failing him as he jerks in response to the brief escalation of sounds from the other side of the closet. He can't help but be attuned to the noises; a mixture of a young man's healthy interest in sex, and his natural curiosity and nosiness.

Despite himself, he kind of wants to know what's going on—what exactly are they doing to make one another sound like that?

It's crazy, face feeling feverish, body tense and uncomfortable, all the while trying to keep calm. ]

Clair is a nice name. [ Wow, that was lame. ] Were you named after anyone?

[ He's not really looking at her anymore, gaze drifting over to the side toward the closet doors, curious and wondering. ]

[ I have no idea where Clair picked Yusuke up on this beach, but she somehow did—and so now it's time to begin their culinary tour of Flona Cove...

Clair is way more excited about the prospect of these vendors than any normal, sane person should. Why, they're just serving food on the street! Without utensils! This must be a truly authentic peasant experience. Besides, there are so many different kinds of food here that she's never encountered before, and because she only knows how to go hard, she's particularly enthusiastic about trying them all.

First up: she takes a little bowl of takoyaki from one of the vendors, her eyes wide with fascination. ]

My... do you know what this is?

Edited 2017-09-17 02:50 (UTC)

[ Finally, it's his chance to shine, the starving peasant that he is. ]

Not something I expected to see here.

[ It's a distinctly Japanese dish, and seeing as how the entire country no longer exists... But this is a nice surprise. He takes one of the little toothpicks that comes with it in lieu of a proper fork (which must be Very Quaint for Clair) and stabs a ball for her to take. ]

It was called takoyaki back home. [ And before he launches into an ingredients list... ] Here, you should experience it for yourself first.

[ He doesn't want to take the ~magic~ away. Or warn her about how hot they tend to be in the middle, I guess. ]

[ It's Very Quaint indeed—she blinks at the toothpicked ball, looking torn between puzzlement and fascination, before picking it up and popping the whole ball into her mouth.

Thanks for not warning her about how hot takoyaki is, Yusuke... because it immediately sears the inside of her mouth and tongue. She chokes a little and starts waving her hand towards her mouth in a futile attempt to prevent all her taste buds from melting away. ]

Goodness me! It is quite... hot!

[ He chuckles in response, taking one for himself and blowing gently across the surface like a sensible person. ]

Yes. It's almost a right of passage to burn your tongue on the first try.

[ Anyway, he'll give her the cooled down snack as he talks through her suffering. ]

The flavors of the dough and octopus mingle with the air as you breathe as well. It helps them not to be overpowered by the bonito... You can now say you've had the genuine takoyaki experience. [ Treasure this memory fondly, Clair. ]

[ She would normally be peeved that he didn't warn her, knowing that the takoyaki would make her suffer... but since he called it a rite of passage and a genuine experience then she's just excited about it instead. I hate this... ]

Ah, I see! So it is octopus... how intriguing!

[ I assume Valentia isn't as crazy about seafood as Japan is... but who knows. In any case, she actually blows on the next one to cool it down before popping it into her mouth. ]

Do tell me, what is "bonito"? [ She probably says this like a white person. Boh-NEE-toe. ] I cannot say that I have heard of such a thing.

[ he's excited that she's excited!! :^) :^)

But really, his expression brightens in little too. ]

It's a sort of fish, often dried and used as a garnish. Same with the seaweed.

[ He points out the dusting of bright green along the top of the takoyaki, and the way the wispy bonito seems to breathe along the rising steam. With a contented sigh, ]

I hadn't expected something so close to home. [ Though for her, it seems just the opposite. ] Meanwhile, you have a very adventurous culinary spirit, Lady Clair.

So this dish is a product of your homeland?

[ It's more of a statement than a question, really. Interesting... seaweed and fish flakes on top of fried octopus seems like a very singular dish to her, so she has to wonder how it ended up here. Maybe the universe has more in common than one might think...

She spears her next takoyaki ball with the toothpick with obvious gusto. ]

Truly so? I suppose I am simply overcome with curiosity! I very much wish to know what it is that the peasants eat... it is all so very quaint!

[ It's nice to see someone appreciate something from his home, but that's kind of a weird way to do it. He looks across the stands with their yakisoba and candied apples and whatever else and frowns. ]

...I have to wonder what sort of life you led before all this. [ Because it's impossible to miss her complete inexperience with The Working Class, even for him. Peasant this, peasant that. ] These are rather luxurious dishes to me.

[ Not that Yusuke's perception is right either; they picked up these sorts of snacks all the time, but they were never this freshly made... How can this be anything short of a delicacy. ]

Is that so?

[ She looks surprised by that—this is luxurious to him? The definition is so far from hers that it feels like a jolt of much-needed perspective. The gap between what she grew up taking for granted and what others must accept seems even wider. Her brother may feel that the upper class is needed to maintain order, but... how can this be considered just?

She considers her next takoyaki ball for a moment, then shakes her head a little, as if to dislodge that thought. Maybe it isn't a six course meal of hare, stag, chicken, veal, pigeon, goslings, capon, herons, levert, and wild boar—but, well, it's still tasty. ]

A very singular life, I am sure, as my family is [ was ] one of the oldest and most powerful in Valentia. It's true that I had very little opportunity to keep company with the common people before I became a knight. I suppose that is why I am ever so curious about them!

[ Status and money aren't things he holds in high regard—if anything, they hit a sour note. But there's people like Haru, who for all her expensive tastes was still impossibly generous, and despite Clair's obvious station, she has been kind to him. He listens, curious himself, wondering on the circumstances that could bring their very different paths together. To put it in her own, favorite terms: ]

Well, I am a peasant among common men. [ He's okay with that, mostly. ] And I am not so different from you, am I?

[ Of course, they're all individual and interesting in their own way, but he's too distracted by another food stand to launch into that level of diatribe, instead ushering Clair along with him. ]

Oh, most certainly not! [ Since he falls quiet, she'll launch into the diatribe instead... ]

My brother always insisted it was so but I have come to truly believe it—that a person's worth is not determined by the station of their birth. Why, were it not for our circumstances, I daresay you and I would hardly be different at all.

[ She follows him towards the next food stand, obviously interested. This one looks like it's serving some sort of sausage in a bun—the sign very curiously reads "hot dogs," though she doesn't see any dogs around. They're not... made of dogs, are they? It does smell awfully good... ]

What is the meaning of this "hot dog"? Are there dogs somehow involved in this?

[ flona cove. it hasn't been the introduction to el nysa that he had expected. perhaps, from his own perceptions, he had expected it to be infinitely further from his concept of "home." in the end, perhaps, every world had places of connection and adhesion. always in the strangest ways, too. regardless, it probably isn't just that either. what made a place more familiar was the people in it... and well, he gets the feeling like he's met a lot of people within the past couple of days.

normally, meeting that many people only happened when he was lost on the road. so it's kind of nice... not to be completely lost, but still very capable of making friends (even if they're just one-sided ones). except, that's not entirely true. even now, he's sort of lost.

he's baring a few light injuries from the fight club, but what probably sticks out more than that is the fact that he seems to be looking for something. ] Could have sworn this was a shortcut to the train, but... [ that's when he spots a certain female? had he seen her near the arena earlier? ]

Are you okay? You're not lost, are you? [ says vane... who is probably the only one who is truly lost. ]

[ It's been a long, tiring day—turns out that partying at the beach all day actually takes a lot out of a person. Even though she had a lot of fun today, meeting new people and hanging out with friends, Clair is more than ready to head home and rest.

She would probably be on her way a little quicker if she didn't end up getting distracted so easily—right now she's stopped to look into the dark shop window of a swimsuit store, which might be why she looks a little lost to Vane. Seriously, look at those bathing suits, though—they have two pieces! Some of them are barely more than scraps of fabric and string!

She looks a little surprised to have her reverie interrupted, turning to look at Vane with a wide-eyed blink. ]

I beg your pardon? [ She blinks at him again, taking a little more time to look him over—is he... injured?? ] What on earth happened to you, boy? Should I not be asking if you are well?

[ the surprise in her voice initially throws him off-guard. he wonders if he did it again. was too intense or enthusiastic, or even overly friendly. but, he's received when that doesn't seem to be the case. instead, she seems oddly fixated on his wounds?

which in his opinion are pretty light, granted, his body was nothing but... durable. ] Eheheh. [ he gives an almost dismissive sort of laugh. ] It's nothing! Chances are it looks a lot worse than it is. Guess you could say some of those guys in that fighting place really knew their stuff. [ which was fair. if anything, he supposed it wouldn't be much of an arena if people couldn't at least hold their own.

still, more importantly: ] Sorry if I scared you!

[ It's a perfectly normal thing to be fixated on?? It's generally not good to just walk around with open wounds?? Even if they are small. ]

Why on earth would you scare me? I am perfectly capable of defending myself.

[ She says it like it's a.) not a possible insult, and b.) an obvious fact that she could beat his ass if she had to. Seriously, though, he's not the first guy to say this kind of thing to her and it's kind of baffling. Is she not the very image of a Valkyrie descended? ]

Goodness! If you were a participant in that barbaric spectacle, then it is no wonder! Come, we most certainly cannot allow the boy to wander about in such a sorry state.

[ He is... the boy, to be clear. She then marches off... in some direction, presumably with a plan. And if he doesn't follow: ] Come, I say!

[ orders him around like a dog ]

Eh? [ honestly, she could have been swole and burly, and he'd likely would have paid the same concern. he knows not everyone likes gazing on some guy's wounds, no matter how light. still, it does relieve him to hear that and he can't help the tug of a more softened expression touch on his features.

still, it seems he doesn't have the leisure to relax. clair soon picks up the metaphorical pace in their conversation and has quickly decided that he needed to be tended to? ... he thinks? he's actually not sure where she's taking him, but her authoritative tone makes him give a firm: ] ...

Yes, ma'am! [ he runs after her, and one caught up, he keeps pace with her just at her heels. inquisitively, he pokes his head back in her direction with a: ] You're pretty reliable, huh? You kind of remind me of someone else I know... [ anyone with any good traits seem to remind him of the people he cares for, really. but, he seems genuinely happy with following her. ] Ah! That's a good thing for the record!

[ Well, at least he seems to know what's good for him and is actually listening to her... it's amazing how many people ignore her perfectly sensible instructions! Since he's following her like a good boy, she heads for the ... store, i guess... i didn't actually think any of this through. But she'll go buy some bandages! ]

Is that so? [ She seems to consider this for a moment—but it's fairly obvious from his tone that he wasn't lying about it being a good thing. She'll take the compliment. ]

I do hope this person is much better at keeping you from trouble than you are of yourself.

[ It's not as barbed as it could be... she's already starting to soften to his honest demeanor. Still, there is one thing that's bothering her—and she suddenly spins towards him and stops in the middle of her stride. ]

You speak to Lady Clair, knight of the One Kingdom of Valentia. The boy shall address me as such, or as "milady." [ ...Yes, ma'am was bugging her.

Anyway, she extends her hand towards him. For him... to kiss. ]

[ store or wherever else, vane has no issues with falling in line behind her. though he'd never admit it (or perhaps, lacks the proper awareness for it), it was relaxing to just follow after her. to have a clear direction. one that wasn't simply made up out of convenience. ... or just running with it.

anyway, he's relieved to see she doesn't take any offense to his words. while still relaxed in stance, he puts his arms behind his head idly as he walks along. ] Hahaha, definitely. Lancelot is a really reliable guy. He's the captain of the order of knights back at home! He's strong and he's also... [ vane will pretty much never forfeit an opportunity to praise his childhood friend... ]

Mi— [ ?? ] What!? You're a knight as well!? What a coincidence! You've really got to wonder about how small the world is sometimes, huh? [ but, it's in the middle of this, he catches sight of clair's hand. ... he tilts his head?

before giving an enthusiastic "ah-ha" sort of sound, before reaching out and ... shaking it vigorously. ]

[ So he's doing the handshake thing as well—does anybody here know proper manners? Wait—she just answered her own question. No, unless you're Siegfried or Percival. Come on, Vane, you're literally the only knight to fuck this up.

She just sighs and shrugs it off, since she's long since come to terms with the fact that very few people here are well-educated in etiquette, especially as well-educated as her. The ignorant masses can't really be faulted for their ignorance, can they? At least he's presumably a knight too, which is at least a few points in his favor. ]

It appears quite small indeed at times. You are well met, Sir— [ He didn't actually give her his name??

Wait a second. Did he say Lancelot? Surely there can only be one... her smile brightens. ]

Ah, so you are a comrade of Sir Lancelot's? I had the pleasure of escorting him through the transporter just the other day. [ And some other stuff in there. ] Please, you must give me your name, sir.

[ if he's messed up, he doesn't seem to notice....

especially not when she seems to recognize his childhood friend. ]

Ah! You know Lancey!?!? [ maybe it paid off to use his real name for once. he's only ever really used it on one or two occasions, but he supposed there was merit in it, after all. at the very least, vane looks extremely pleased and absolutely thrilled at the prospect. ] Then you must already know how great of a guy he is! He's always been that way. He's especially soft to ...

[ fortunately, he stops himself, if just for her "please, you must give me your name, sir." he seems to scratch at the back of his head, as if to catch himself in the act of (once more) being too much. ] You don't have to use anything like sir. Just "Vane" will do!

Unless you want to tack on "Big Brother"? [ ... ] A... hahaha. Just kidding.

[ Lancey—wow, that is an unexpectedly cute nickname. They must be longtime friends, or maybe even childhood friends, to earn a nickname like that. She still fondly remembers calling Fernand Fern when she was a child, if only because his full name was too complicated for her toddler self—he hated it, though, once he was old enough to decide how childish and uncool it was.

Lancey is pretty childish too... but still cute. ]

Why on earth would I call you Big Brother? I already have one. [ She shakes her head a little—how silly. As if anyone could replace Clive in her heart! ]

Oh, but you are a knight. Surely you have earned your title, no? Come now, Sir Vane. [ Look... etiquette is important to her. They've only just met! And no matter how friendly he is, there are standards to uphold here. Maybe one day... they can be on a scandalous first name basis, but today is not that day. ]

Have you known Sir Lancelot for a great while, then? You sound quite close.

( closed )

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

yusuke.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject