ioduanlogs | [OPEN] a departure, and an arrival

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[OPEN] a departure, and an arrival

Characters: The Fool, various starters + OPEN
Date: Early April.
Location: The Dreaming Bridge; throughout Aifaran; the turtle's head
Situation: The Fool makes some changes to his living arrangements, and checks in on the progress of a sensitive situation.
Warnings/Rating: None yet, will update as needed.
Notes: Just one prompt for now, but I will add the others over time!

I. New Digs (closed to Devin)

The impending departure of the Bresilykians from Aifaran has injected anxiety into the city that can be felt at all levels; prescribed or not, the upheaval leaves people tense and on edge as they try to make space in their lives to accommodate the change. The Fool hadn't expected to benefit from it, but fate has always been peculiar in the hands she has dealt him in the past. In Aifaran, her mercurial temperament will be no different.

A Bresilykian has left the Fool with the keys (and the lease) to her apartment, in exchange for an elaborate bit of woodworking that she will take back with her to Evidet. Good fortune, it appears, has followed on the heels of his trauma the month before; a space to live located directly above the cafe where he is now sells his work. The Fool owns very few personal belongings, and so moving himself into his new space takes little time, and is accomplished without drawing much undue attention from the Bridge's other inhabitants. With that task now dealt with, it is easier to devote his attention to developing his craft; it is, it seems, going to be his primary means of making a living in Aifaran for the foreseeable future.

It is a drizzly, overcast day that finds the Fool leaning against a bit of outside beneath the cafe awning, slender arms folded over himself and his expression pulled into one of prim disapproval with the weather. He dislikes the cold--and the wet, but mostly the cold, and perhaps he expects sheer willpower to be force enough to coax the clouds aside and usher back in a bit of sunshine.

II. Dreaming Bridge (Gene, Bakura + OPEN)

It is inevitable with any move that one forgets things. Or, possibly, the Fool is just sentimental, and so finds himself back at the Dreaming Bridge in order to revisit the grounds that were his first home upon his arrival in Aifaran.

At present, he is waiting out the latest in a series of sudden downpours in the cafeteria, a small case packed full of his belongings at his feet and a cup of tea held between his palms. He's found an unoccupied window seat and has tucked himself into it, gazing out one of the open windows with a pensive, distant expression on his face.

III. The Turtle's Head (OPEN)

This is the place in Aifaran that brings him the most peace. Not even foul weather can keep him away from it.

Though by this point he has at least invested in one of the many colourful umbrellas and raincoats peddled by numerous vendors throughout the city, meaning that on this particularly drizzly day, he's able to perch in relative comfort atop a stone on the turtle's broad head. Here, he's able to reclaim some semblance of the peace that has evaded him since long before his arrival at Aslevjal; the nearness of the turtle's great mind helps his to grow still, and quiet. His demons lay dormant, at least for a time.

It's hard to know how long he's been sitting here with his eyes closed in meditation, but unless he's interrupted, he'll likely continue on in this fashion for quite some time.

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They've established that Devin is less concerned with the rain and the cold, but his delay would likely turn into the Fool's delay, and either of them getting soaked is undesirable. He tries to shake off most of the moisture before entering. The shopkeeper looks both pleased to see customers and concerned by how wet they are, but the former overrides the latter with the Fool's immediate interest.

He gives a resigned but amused sigh at what has caught the Fool's eye. Even from a little distance, that fabric does not appear to be ideal for inclement weather. "It would be perfect on a sunny day," he allows. "If you stepped outside right now you'd be miserable within five minutes. Colorful, but miserable."

"Miserable but for the joy I shall derive from wearing something so extraordinarily impractical." The Fool turns a sly look bright with amusement Devin's way, threads a stray lock of damp hair behind his ear, and then turns to engage with in a hasty bit of conversation with the shopkeeper. Indeed he does not part with the cloak, but instead allows it to drape in an elegant fall of silken fabric across his arm; to his credit, though, he does ask after clothes better suited to the weather, and is directer further into the store.

He looks back at Devin and motions him after, his lips quirked into a smirk. "Since you insist on spoiling my fun," he teases. "There are rain coats and ponchos this way, I am told."

And there are, many of them in just as wide an assortment of colours and patterns as the garment the Fool still holds to like it is something precious and irreplaceable.

As Devin has no real experience with joy, much less joy for the utterly impractical, the Fool's sly look is met with bemusement. The day may never come when the Fool ceases to perplex him, and that is a true rarity for Devin as he prides himself on reading people. They both wear their share of masks.

"You asked me along to spoil your fun, as I recall." By the quirk of his mouth and tone, Devin is clearly teasing. He trails after the Fool, eyes sliding over garments that vary from garish to tasteful as they head towards the more practical attire. Without fail, his gaze falls on the darker colors: blacks and grays and browns. Many of those garments also meet his preferences of structure and cut, but Devin is aware that these are not the best options for his shopping companion. Something looser but stylish and still protective from the weather, and presumably colorful, would be better.

What draws his attention is a plum-colored coat, which on closer inspection seems to be more of a cape and made of a tweed-like material. Devin doesn't offer it up yet, instead attending to his usual checklist: examining seams and buttonholes, counting pockets, and so on. "I haven't seen a design like this in years," he remarks, flipping the cape open to check the lining.

That Devin has taken an interest in any of the wares on display is enough to snatch the Fool's attention away from a particularly gaudy piece of fabric--his tastes are eccentric, not gauche--and he allows it to fall back into place as he steps over to Devin's side, inquisitive.

"What a lovely colour," he remarks thoughtfully and reaches out to run his fingers across the tweed fabric, appreciating the texture. Then, with another wry look Devin's way, he remarks, "Though I am not sure purple is your colour."

The clear look of chagrin on Devin's face is, he realizes belated, exactly what that comment is designed to elicit. Even knowing that, it takes him longer than he'd like to rearrange his features into something less annoyed. He's being teased and that's... not new, exactly, but it's not common either. Especially not about clothing.

He reflects that this is one of the lighter conversations that he and the Fool have ever had. "You might be surprised," the vampire replies, arching an eyebrow. "But we are not here to ruminate on the color palettes that I work best for my skin tone. Is this why shopping takes people hours? Tangential conversations?"

"...Is this why shopping takes people hours? Tangential conversations?"

"That," the Fool rejoins with a growing, whimsical smile, "and trying on far more clothing than you ever intend to purchase." As if to make his point, he plucks the purple-coloured coat from its hanger and drapes it across his arm with the turquoise cloak he'd collected earlier, evidently intent on admiring himself in both of them before they leave the shop.

Laughing, he says, "But I shall take pity on you today, and limit myself just to these two. Just a moment." And he turns towards one of the tall mirrors affixed to one of the walls, slipping off Devin's coat and hanging it on a nearby hook.

It's hard to say what exactly draws the shop's Erol'an vendor back towards them; either way, as she comes into view of them both and smiles (it's probably a smile anyway), she asks Devin earnestly, "If we don't have a coat of that cut and colour in your size, sir, perhaps we can find one in a complementing shade?" She beams between them. "You do make such a striking pair."

The Fool freezes, one slender arm halfway into the sleeve of the coat that Devin had selected. His reflection, visible in the mirror, is perhaps more shocked than he's ever allowed himself to appear in public before, and his eyes dart to Devin just for a moment before flicking away. For once, he's momentarily speechless.

Something about the comment triggers an instinctive response in Devin; this is hardly the first time he's found himself in an unexpected situation, though usually his life is at stake. He's suddenly more aware of everyone and everything in the shop, reminding himself of where the exits are and what he knows of Erol'an customs and how many knives does he have.

Odd, that someone mistaking them for a couple merits the same reaction as someone attempting to kill him.

Devin buries the shock under a sly smile and tears his gaze off the Fool's reflection in the mirror. There's a sharp edge to his smirk that gives the Erol'an pause. "We do, don't we? But there's no need." He gestures to his coat on the hook. Grey and black go with everything. "I already have a coat that complements his wardrobe. Once he has his own, I'll just get to wear it myself again."

"We do, don't we? ..."

Devin's brief, albeit smoothly delivered exchange with the proprietress gives the Fool the time he needs to reclaim his poise and slip into the little masquerade that Devin has supplied for him. Theatre of this kind has always been second nature to him (and, more than once, a character trait that had driven Fitz to distraction); it is no difficulty for the Fool to turn himself about before the mirror, considering how well the plum-coloured coat suits his frame and flatters his complexion. (It does, on both accounts.)

"Black and grey, of course!" He scoffs, catches Devin's eye in the mirror just long enough to crack a conspiratorial smile, then turns and steps lightly back to his side. To the Erol'an, he confides knowingly, "Perhaps I am deluding myself, but I still hope for the day I manage to persuade him to be more adventurous in his wardrobe choices. I have had little luck so far, but thank you," he adds, beaming. "I will never say no to a bit of flattery."

This seems to be enough to satisfy the Erol'an that she's not been too much of a bother and has done her job well, for she smiles, pleased, at both of them, before hurrying off into the rest of the shop to see to her other customers. The Fool watches after her until she rounds a corner and is out of sight, before some quiet, nervous laughter escapes him.

"Well that was a fun bit of play acting," he informs his friend, willing himself to look up at his face as though certainly that's all it is. (It is. It must be, no matter what his quickening pulse might suggest.) The Fool moves a fraction too quickly back to the mirror, where he busies himself shedding the coat. He seems almost too self-conscious suddenly to try on the turquoise one.

Devin hides his discomfort with a practiced ease that has often escaped him since his arrival. He drew the sketch and the Fool colors it in effortlessly; however incorrect the Erol'an is, the two of them play off each other well. He recognizes now, more than ever, the similarities between them. Only Valdis has been a match for him on this kind of stage before, and they know each other much better.

Perhaps that's why he doesn't entirely let the facade drop when the Fool meets his eyes again. It only shifts from pretending to be someone he is not, to masking who he is. He can't afford the Fool's clear nervousness, or to ask himself why it's even there in the first place.

"Better that than the alternative," Devin observes, resolutely casual. He busies himself in disinterested examination of another piece of clothing, as any bored partner might while they're waiting for the fashion show to end. "Don't rush," he suggests. "There's no need; she'd decided on her misconception before coming over here. More pretense won't even be necessary."

Resolutely casual. That makes two of them.

"What an immense relief," the Fool replies drolly, his smile almost light enough to be convincing were it not for the fluttering of his pulse. He finds the hanger for the purple coat, slips it into place, and sets it aside for the moment, then reaches for the turquoise one instead. The fabric is light and airy; even the simple act of removing it from its hanger and holding it up for closer inspection causes it to billow some within the close air of the shop. Even with his nerves alight after their peculiar pantomime, the Fool's expression warms with clear pleasure as he considers the garment.

It's such an extravagant indulgence, but--why not? He slips it on and considers himself in the reflection, turning this way and that again.

"I shall buy the purple one," he assures Devin smartly, as though anticipating some commentary about how this slip of a thing will do nothing to keep him dry outdoors. "But this one must come home with me, too." Fortunately, this choice seems to be final, and he turns to sort through his bag to ensure he has enough rhinn to cover the cost of the purchase.

Whether to further the ruse or simply because the movement catches his eye, Devin looks up for a moment when the Fool dons the turquoise garment. It's more his spirit than the heavy coat, and the color is a good choice for him.

Not that either of those observations is especially pertinent, but they arise nonetheless. Devin smiles wryly when the Fool selects both. Of course he selects both; if Devin has learned nothing else of the Fool by now, it is that he likes his frivolities.

"Well, that was relatively painless," the vampire remarks with mild amusement, folding his arms across his chest. "And here I thought it would take significantly more wheedling to get you to pick something sensible."

"...And here I thought it would take significantly more wheedling to get you to pick something sensible."

The Fool finishes counting through the currency in his hands one more time just to make sure he has enough, before sending a sly look Devin's way. "Oh," he exclaims, "well, if you were expecting that I might dither about in the shop a bit more, I would hate to disappoint you." And with an artful flourish, he plucks up a sun hat adorned with a number of vibrantly coloured ribbons, and deposits it directly atop his head, turning one more time to check his reflection.

His teasing seems to be at its end there, finally. With his purchases in hand, he leads the way back to the til and, after a bit more cheery conversation with the shopkeep, pays for the coat and cloak... and the hat. Which, as it turns out, was a smart acquisition as far as impulse purchases go; once they step out of the shop, the sun has crept out again, spilling light and warmth into the street to chase away a bit of the chilly gloom.

The Fool sighs with obvious satisfaction, smiling, and needles Devin kindly as they make their way back down the street, "It seems you survived our outing together no worse for wear."

Apparently, the Fool likes being mildly obstinate at every occasion that offers itself, but in this case it's not particularly annoying. If Devin had somewhere to be, maybe it would bother him more. All the same, he arches an eyebrow at the Fool, in a clear expression of 'really, must you?'

He's glad to be outside again soon enough. Shopping is not really a pastime he enjoys.

"It was such a trial, I assure you," Devin returns dryly, squinting slightly as his eyes adjust to the sunlight. "But if it means you avoid making yourself ill standing outside in damp clothing, then it was worthwhile."

"...But if it means you avoid making yourself ill standing outside in damp clothing, then it was worthwhile."

"Ah, you worry! I'm touched," the Fool sighs and smiles up at Devin, cheeky but affectionate. It's a short-lived expression, however, with the Erol'an proprietress's misinterpretation of their relationship still in the forefront of his thoughts, and so a moment later he looks away and plucks up a new topic of conversation as though it is one of the many trinkets he seems incapable of purloining when out wandering the market.

(Better not to dwell on the odd racing of his pulse when he considers how he'd caught Devin's eye in the mirror.)

"I imagine Klaus will be finished with--" an airy, vague wave of one hand, "--whatever business he was tending to, when we return. Will you stay to have your chat with him? Or have I put you off further socialization today?" This last part added with an apologetic smirk that is really... not that apologetic, truthfully.

Generally speaking, wanting those people he knows and associates with to remain in good health just seems like logic, more or less - or he would assert as such, if questioned. Devin would not have claimed it as worry, but before either of them has time to dwell on the subject or any adjacent ones, the Fool diverts their topic of conversation.

No doubt he will be examining all of this encounter later.

His expression is nearly undiminished as the needling continues. "I would be in a great deal of trouble trying to live in this city if one unexpected errand was my limit of socialization," Devin points out. "I believe I shall survive long enough to tease Klaus about knowing where he lives."

The Fool's eyes glitter with amusement. "Oh, what a relief."

The cafe comes into view ahead of them before too much longer, coinciding as well with the clouding over of the sun. Sending a grim look skyward, the Fool sighs out his clear displeasure before turning his attention to Devin again. He puts a pleased smile back into place.

"I suppose this is where I shall leave you," he says, gesturing over his shoulder towards the door leading up to the second floor apartments; there's only two of them, and ostensibly the other belongs to the cafe's proprietor. "Say hello to Klaus for me if you see him--and thank you," he adds, letting real sincerity into the corners of his smile, "for the company."

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[OPEN] a departure, and an arrival

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