[EVENT] Moon and Mirrors (Welcome Mingle Log)

[khuimods]

Characters: ALL
Date: January 15
Location: At the Dreaming Bridge and all over Aifaran!
Situation: A large influx of Dreamfolk arrive in time for one of the Lunar Festivals, and they're all invited!
Warnings/Rating: N/A


A surprising amount of Dreamfolk have arrived within a short time frame - a peculiarity remarked upon by a number of Aifaran's residents. It is unusual in that it coincides with a lunar festival, one which only happens every fifty or so years.

Newcomers will find the streets packed with all sorts of people, stalls of fried and sugared foods, carnivalesque games and rides, and all other manner of things to do. Merchants are very keen to get their wares out there, and the stipend given may just burn a hole in your pocket when you see what's for sale.

Comments

[afoolsgold]

"A... what?" The Fool gives Devin a puzzled look at his assessment of his abilities, but he doesn't pause to ask for clarification as his new companion continues on. He has a very straight forward, matter-of-fact way of assessing their circumstances--and is quick to identify the limits of his abilities.

At that, the Fool grimaces and gives his head a shake. "No," he confesses sadly. "As I said, what little Skill I possess, I came by it by chance." Or fate, he could say, but whether Devin would hold to the concept of a future beyond his control is, the Fool suspects, a subject for another time.

And then that last question--or a statement, worded as a question, and the Fool goes still. For a moment he appears almost perplexed; then he smiles, all whimsy, and gives his head an odd little shake. "No, in point of fact--I barely knew King Verity at all," he replies with arched eyebrows, thinking back into a past that is, apparently further away than his youthful appearance might suggest. "I served his father, the late King Shrewd, until his murder."

Another pause, and the Fool looks down to his fingers again, with tenderness in his eyes. "It was Verity's nephew I loved. Fitz. I followed him beyond the Mountain Kingdom to find Verity. I think I would have followed him anywhere."

There he grows quiet again; what a thing to share with a stranger. He sighs and puts another smile on his face. "Ah, but that is the past. Here--I've made another friend since arriving here, one who might be able to aid us in finding the missing girl. Shall I contact him?" An abrupt change of subject.

[annihilist]

As it happens, Devin and fate have an exceptionally complicated relationship.

While the Fool's answer is revealing, his body language is infinitely more intriguing. The Fool is open with both his words and his gestures, and the fact that he does not disguise the affection for Fitz is completely alien to Devin. With long practice, the vampire keeps his expression impassive, though a subtle edge of tension pulls at the corners of his mouth. He's thankful for the question, since it allows him to ostensibly ignore what else the Fool has shared.

"We aren't friends." It's a statement of fact, and just barely laced with discomfort. They don't even know each other's names. He shrugs. "Acquaintances at best. If you think this person can help without getting in the way, fine, but we may as well get started in the meantime."

[afoolsgold]

"We aren't friends."

A curious smile answers that, more accepting than mocking. The Fool dips his head in acquiescence. "As you like," he replies, gives another gesture with his hand, and adds, "I believe my additional acquaintance might be of help to us, yes. I shall contact him."

And he turns, yimo fetched out of one scarlet pocket, to type a message to X with painstaking slowness. (Evidently, he still struggles some with this technology.) "In the meantime," he says as he does so, "you may call me the Fool. How should I address you?"

When he looks up to regard Devin expectantly, it's plain that he's being perfectly serious about his own name.

[annihilist]

Over the decades and the self-imposed distance Devin places on himself, he has largely forgotten what friendship even looked like. The ready acceptance of his refusal is met blankly, and he's not sure if he'd rather the Fool take offense or not.

The vampire almost offers to help with the yimo, but his hands remain resolutely in his pockets. An eyebrow arches at his companion's chosen 'name'. "That sounds more like a title than a name," the Englishman remarks. He shakes off the impulse to give a pseudonym, and his gaze goes to the ground. "Devin Parker."

[afoolsgold]

Perhaps the Fool derives some minor delight from confounding Devin, or perhaps he does just accept such things with ease. (Likely a bit of both. He did smile, after all.)

"Aren't all names titles of some kind?" he replies almost cheekily, then taps a bit more on his yimo. With the message sent, he slips it back into the folds of his cloak and then extends out a hand towards Devin. "Friend or no, I'm glad to meet you, Devin." And he sounds like he means it.

[annihilist]

A grimace flickers across Devin's face, barely there before he reins it back to impassivity. The urge to turn heel and vanish into the crowd rises, whispering nastily about the way he is ignoring his own rules. But he's stuck here, isn't he? Keeliai had shown Devin that there was nowhere he could run that people he met would not find him.

"They can be," he allows, offering a stiff handshake and withdrawing again. His own name carried a title and power in it that Devin had almost chosen to abandon, but it gave him too much of an edge to set aside. A cold smile emerges. "You may wish you hadn't, someday." He gestures back to the street for them to continue walking. "Shall we?"

[afoolsgold]

"You may wish you hadn't, some day."

It's those words at the cold smile that follows that brings a certain stillness about the Fool that is hard to identify. Looking back at Devin, he isn't afraid; but there's a somber quality to his gaze, his expression, and he nods once. "You may be right," he replies quietly. But that doesn't stop him from falling into step at Devin's side and accompanying him back into the streets of Aifaran.