nexus_sages | The Samhain Ball - Come as You Aren't

The Samhain Ball - Come as You Aren't

A woman strides through the Nexus, garbed in royal finery of a distinctly Elizabethan style. In the crook of her arm, she carries an ebony scepter shod and capped in silver. There may be something familiar about her confident bearing, her angular features, her mismatched eyes. When she pauses to speak, the cadence of her words might spark recognition--is this Schön?!

"People of the Nexus, friends, in the world from which I hail we stand on the cusp of a special day, a harvest-fest when the walls between worlds grow thin, when masks and costumes are worn to frighten away the wicked spirits--or to invite them in on more congenial terms. So on this day, I invite you, each and every one of you, to join me in a revel to bid farewell to Summer, and welcome with fire and song the coming dark! Join me, won't you?" Letting her gaze sweep the crowd, she raps the heel of her scepter once against something solid, vanishing in a flash and leaving a sparkling trail for the curious to follow.

A cool wind herds dry, crackling leaves through the gathering gloom. On the cusp between the parklands and the residential district, darkness and cloudy skies have been slowly coalescing for days around a stately house of Gothic style, ivy-encrusted and showing its age somewhat. A square tower stands vigil over the entryway, tall windows overlooking the flagstone drive looping around a fountain gone dry. The house’s angular wings stretch to either side, the windows dark save for occasional glints and gleams of colored lights bobbing within. A glow does creep over the line of the roof, however, and the faint throb of distant music hint at something happening behind the house. The door stands open, a silent invitation to every brave soul who passes by.

((Happy Halloween! Enjoy the festivities. All LOLs are optional. Threadhopping is encouraged. Backtagging is forever, so don’t worry about missing out: we’ll still be here when you get back from your more mundane ghosties and goblins.))

Playlist
Visualosity
The Entrance
The Ballroom
The Banquet
The Bonfire
The Corn Maze
Dark Corners
Costume Icon Requests
The Photo Booth

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Wait, who said he could do that? She doesn't like him saying those kinds of things at all. "But you've got the advantage, because you'll be there, so everything's already pretty fantastic." Clearly, more flirting is the way to remedy the situation. That always makes things better.

"I like being with you. If that means magic and adventure, great, count me in. If that means a quiet tea party and then curling up together with books, I will be there with bells on. Well. Not actual bells, that wouldn't be very quiet."

"Verity, I don't mean to be rude, but you're starting to sound like those businessmen who think complimenting me gets them money somehow." Instead he panics and Isidor, the real money handler, becomes poised against them. It's also one of the reasons why he avoids functions and balls. He'd rather Verity remained as unlike that part of his life as possible.

"I like the sound of that second idea. Adventure doesn't seem like something I'd be very good at. Not in my corporeal form, anyway. It's not very thrilling though. Especially not for someone who's been on as many adventures as you."

"Sorry." It's so much easier for her when people are straightforward like that. "I'm not trying to get anything from you, you know that right? I was trying to help you feel more confident before you go face your relatives." Her lip is between her teeth only because she's worried there's been a misunderstanding, not because her feelings are hurt. "It's not rude to tell me to knock it off if I'm bothering you. I'd rather you do."

It's all part of getting to know each other. They both have things to learn, and they won't always get things right the first time, but the important thing is that they want to learn and do better in the future. And she very much does. So much.

Still, it's reassuring she hasn't chased him off. "I'm not sure I've been on so many adventures, but... it's not really my idea of a great way to live. So, quiet evenings with books, and some music, and sometimes maybe we'll go out for a walk?"

It's hard for him to be straightforward, and is a small display of his being comfortable around Verity. Then as soon as he's been direct it's straight into apologetic explanations. "No, I know you're not looking for anything. I-I don't know what to do with all the flattery. If people aren't being sarcastic when they give me compliments, I'm used to them wanting something."

There's a moment where he has his thinky face firmly in place. "Think of me more like water - that's my element. I like to calm myself, ground myself, rather than bolster myself up in preparation for things. You don't need to do anything. You ground me naturally."

Viatorus smiles wide as he imagines it. "Yes, I think that sounds really nice."

She can learn. Watch her amazing display of willpower at not overdoing it with the reassurances again. Instead, she focuses on listening to him. She's not entirely cured; she's giving his hand a little extra squeeze, but progress is good.

And then there he goes, flattering her. What is she to do with him? "Like water. Okay. Does that mean I'm the pebbles in the brook that make you laugh?" She squints up at him with a funny sort of expression. Poetry jokes are not her forte, but good gods does she ever want to try for him.

"Perfect." It really does sound perfect to her. And it's not much Isidor can complain about, which is a bonus.

Funnily, he feels like he's not complimenting her enough, or at all. These are just facts he's reminding her about, after all, they're not real flattery. The metaphor makes him laugh, happily surprised and delighted. "Yes! I guess you are! The pretty ones that everyone wants to take home and keep in their garden."

And now he's making a mental note to ensure his ~~apartment~~ study in the Nexus has extra comfy reading seats.

That's the exact argument she could have made ~~one comment~~just a minute ago. They both think better of each other than they think of themselves.

Success! She looks so proud of herself for getting him to laugh. "Mm, if I'm destined for your garden, I'd rather be a rose than a rock. You might remember to visit a rose."

A loveseat, at least, for all those cuddles she needs to teach him about. Otherwise she'll end up sitting at his feet like the dog he ought to have.

"If you were a rock then I'd be a brook and I'd be with you all the time," he points out, sticking to the metaphor. "But in reality, you're my best friend, so I will only be with you as much as you want me to be."

Well that's not happening.

She has no defenses against that kind of romantic talk, V. Be gentle with her, because otherwise, she's going to melt. And that would mess up his tux. "All the time," she answers quietly and a little too quickly. "I'll always be your rock."

Which part? The cuddles, or when she leans up against his legs because the other chair is soooo far away?

Again, he laughs. "You'll have me living here. I'll need to get a mansion as grand as this one just so I don't disgrace my family. We'll never be able to find the chao!"

Having her be forced to do anything like a dog. That would be utterly ungentlemanly.

"Ah, but if we lived together, I'd feed you all the time," she mock-warns him. "And then what would you do?" Besides be extremely well-fed and content. That can be taken as a given. "Not that I'd mind. The fact you need to eat better is probably what Isidor and I are going to bond over first."

Not forced. But if it were the only way to be close to him...

"I'd... get fat." Clearly. It's a mildly worrying thought. He pouts a little at that second part. "I don't need to eat better." Debatable. He eats well enough when he's someone else is doing the cooking... "I don't know where you got the idea that I do."

Practically forced then.

"You won't get fat," she assures him. "Look at me. I eat my cooking all the time and I'm not fat." Feel free to look for all kinds of reasons, she doesn't make these invitations often. It's better than pouting. "You eat takeout all the time. That's not good for you. And the restaurant chefs aren't going to care enough to learn how to make it just the way you like."

He may not get fat, but he will get spoiled. As if he isn't already.

Then he'd better get some cuddle-worthy furniture and spare her the indignity of doing whatever the hell she wants.

"You don't sit around sleeping as much as I do," he points out with a raised eyebrow. That might be speculation, but it's a fair bet considering his area of expertise.

At the mention of his take-away habit he shrugs guiltily. "Some of them do... It's not that bad."

"Yeah, but you're working when you sleep, and thinking burns lots of calories too. So does magic I bet. Energy always has to come from somewhere. And I wouldn't let you get fat." As if she'd ever be less than a conscientious caretaker. "You deserve better than 'not that bad'."

Why are they even fighting about this? What does he... oh, wait. Something worth clarifying. "It wouldn't all be sweets. There'd be plenty of vegetables and healthy things too."

"I'd have to pay you if you cooked for me all the time." It's the only reasonable solution. He's far more worried about taking and not giving than he is about her only feeding him sweets.

Healthy things... Suddenly he looks suspicious. "Promise me you won't make me play golf."

"What? No." The idea of taking money from him is so offensive she's actually pulling a face. "I'm your friend, you don't pay for friendship." Hopefully, that's permanently off the table. He'll have to find subtler ways to repay her for things.

The idea of him in those puffy golf pants does distract her from what would have been a brief showing of temper anyway. "No golf," she promises. "Walks. Walks are nice. But I can't picture you doing anything strenuous enough to muss up your hair."

"No, but cooking so much for me would be work. You're offering your skills. I have money and magic. That's what I have to offer. And when we last talked about it, you didn't seem to want me to help with your dreams."

No golf means that he relaxes quite a bit. "I don't mind riding. Or cycling. But walks are the best... I like swimming too. I don't know if you can swim, but spending time in water is very relaxing."

"You have so much more to offer than that, darling." Verity stops dancing to pull him into a hug. Not wearing a mask makes it easier for her to tuck her head against his shoulder. "I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Then you'd understand."

It's always good when he relaxes. "I've never been riding. But I know how to swim." A little. Enough to not drown. An important skill growing up on a small granite island. "Of course you'd be at home in your element. So is there a lot of swimming in our future?"

The hug startles him. Usually he has a bit more warning than this. Her words are about as easy to understand as the sudden comfort. Perhaps when she meets his family she'll share his views more. Slowly, he pats her back. "If it helps, sometimes I feel that way about you."

"If you want." Only if she wants, of course, always, but there is a hint of restrained excitement at the idea. "There's something wonderfully refreshing about swimming and then getting cleaned off and comfortable. It used to be that I went swimming, then afterwards I'd watch an old movie while I had my tea."

She could warn him, but where's the fun in that? She's going to stay cozy and close a little longer if he allows. There's a small laugh in answer to his comment before she manages words. "Yeah, probably. We're both kinder to each other than we are to ourselves."

"I'd like that. All of that." She hates movies, but she'll try. She'll really try. Maybe he can help her understand this whole... acting thing. He's so smart, he should be able to explain it to her. "What kinds of movies?"

He'll allow it, since she doesn't want to continue dancing right now. Though he might adjust himself into a more comfortable position if she hugs him for too long. "I don't know... I can be pretty selfish sometimes."

"Oh, you know, old movies. Roman Holiday, Lawrence of Arabia, Gone with the Wind, those kinds of movies. But we can watch whatever you'd like," he adds hastily after rushing through the list. He knows his sister hates those kinds of movies, so he's vividly aware that classics aren't everyone's cup of tea.

There's no such thing as 'too long' for a hug. He's allowed to shift positions if he wants to. They might both want to once the chao realize dancing is done and come in to join the hug. "Everyone's selfish sometimes. It's how we protect ourselves."

She listens to the list with no sign of like or dislike for the movies. She doesn't seem to even recognize most of the titles. "I'm sure they'll be fine. You'll help me understand them when I get confused, right?"

She would like them, if she could like fiction. She'll like watching them with him.

Viatorus is unaware of these rules. He's mostly hoping Verity knows them and is taking the lead, not knowing that he might be stuck in this hug forever... "Some people aren't. I've never seen you be selfish."

"I will, but you won't get confused. They're easy to follow, but some of them are very long. Oh!" He gets all excited as something. "I can show you Jason and the Argonauts, and Clash of the Titans. They're really inaccurate, but very cool."

"I can be just as selfish as anyone else." By wanting him to stay in this hug with her forever, for instance. But would he really want to leave with her in his arms and chao on his feet?

His excitement is adorable and she loves it. "Darling, I don't have a suspension of disbelief. I've never been able to watch a movie or read a novel and... and enjoy it, or understand how people can..." She gives a little shrug, because she doesn't even know what people get out of movies. "I'm trying to learn."

The Samhain Ball - Come as You Aren't

I think that's a good idea.

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https://youtu.be/wy9f4HFw7FI (She is secretly a romantic. Shh.)

V is not-so-secretly a romantic.

He can teach her it's okay to be romantic and she can teach him it's okay to tell her what he needs.

She might /want/ to be romantic when she sees how goofy he gets around romantic things

You sure you want her acting on all the things she wants to do? ;)

V might get overwhelmed by it all, but it amuses /me/

Which is the point. :D

Then yes

I will keep that in mind ;)

^^

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