(Untitled)

Sep 28, 2010 15:47

Who: variaswrath and ergaleomancer
What: Xanxus is curious what this clockwork can do, Theta is curious about this city, and lord only knows how it'll end.
When: A day after Theta's arrival, a bit after their first chat over the network.
Where: Starting out near the theater, but location is subject to change.
Warnings: Who knows, with Xanxus involved. PG-13 at the most I ( Read more... )

Elizabeθ Buckley, xanxus

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ergaleomancer October 3 2010, 15:09:52 UTC
Theta didn't like admitting her limitations, either. But, plain and simple, the answer wasn't no. It just would take a bit of doing to plan it out and try. "Limits were made to be tested. It's not something I've done before, so I can't just assume that it's possible, but I will say this. Not a single thing that I've attempted has proved impossible. Not a one. It's a matter of determination far, far, far more than anything else."

She thought for a moment about the question and nodded quietly. "Where is indeed a good question. Wherever is convenient? I hardly have a claim on a place to call my temporary 'home' yet, although a place that could double as a shop so that I can earn food and such would be convenient. But I would throw myself on your good will to the location, as you know this place far better than I do."

She wasn't sure how to answer the question of tools, and her bit of confusion showed on her face. Nonetheless, she decided to take a stab at it. "I need woodworking tools--files, knives, those sorts--I also need screwdrivers, wrenches, things of that nature. I need gears and springs and sheet metal and something to cut it with. I've...never had to build a workshop from nothing, I'm simply used to having everything to hand--I don't think I could name it all off. Start with that and if I find myself needing something I shall ask?"

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variaswrath October 5 2010, 08:54:49 UTC
The remark on determination put a smile on his face, though it was a smile people instinctively knew didn't bode well, but that expression faded quickly as he listened to her request. His thoughts wandered off when she started listing her tools, simply from the certainty that there had to be a more efficient way to go about this. Nodding as she had finished, Xanxus paused only for a moment.

"Hmm... You'll excuse me for a minute, I hope? There might be a way to save us a lot of time."

He was already tugging the communicator out of his pocket by its chain as he spoke.

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ergaleomancer October 5 2010, 14:54:54 UTC
She saw him go for the communicator, so she stilled her tongue and nodded quietly, letting him do as he wanted. The ball was in his court, so she didn't think it prudent to interrupt.

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variaswrath October 6 2010, 00:45:02 UTC
He pushed a few buttons on the communicator, stepping a few paces away from her. Not really out of earshot for her but that wasn't his concern. He spoke at the silver, watch-like device in rapid Italian, occasionally waiting for a response. His tone made it clear that it was business, curt description and no formality, all the while pacing as he spoke. A growl that occasionally slipped into his speech betrayed irritation, at least to some degree, he was obviously a man used to being listened to and followed, with no room for questions or debate.

The conversation was over quickly, and the communicator was shut and stowed away without a word of thanks to whoever he had been talking to. Once again the hint of a smirk was back on his face when he returned to Theta, giving away that it had apparently gone well.

"It looks like it'll be much easier than I expected to keep my end of the bargain," he announced. "And you might not have to set up shop from scratch."

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ergaleomancer October 6 2010, 01:04:20 UTC
Theta recognised the sound of Italian, though not as anything more than a recognition of the sound. She couldn't speak a word of it. It was interesting listening to his mannerisms as he spoke, though, as though she could get a feel for him and the nature of man that he was from listening to his speech patterns.

She smiled cheerily when he spoke of having a shop available to her, and she nodded agreeably. "That's wonderful. I can begin work as soon as there is a place ready."

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variaswrath October 6 2010, 01:14:18 UTC
As he'd expected, she did not show any signs of having understood a word he'd said to Belphegor over the network. At the same time he knew that this woman was by no means blind or unobservant, hence why he kept to a different language. There were things she did not need to know about him.

"We can look at it right away. It's not that far off." He gestured down a street that led away from the theater.

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ergaleomancer October 6 2010, 02:28:39 UTC
She moved to follow him immediately, seeing nothing wrong with following him off somewhere. "That would be ideal, actually." It was a -bit- odd to just trust someone so implicitly, but...there was little to be done about that, she supposed. It was trust him or flounder in this place.

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variaswrath October 7 2010, 11:00:19 UTC
As they started out down the street, Xanxus took careful note of just how much of a problem her leg was and matched his pace to what she was capable of. It annoyed him, being slowed down, but if he wanted her to do something for him, appearances needed to be kept. Same as the small talk or filling people in, which he generally just didn't do. If a person wasn't capable of doing their own homework, he had no intention of making it his problem, but this had been part of the deal.

"The only good thing about this city is that food and lodgings are free. There aren't any shopkeepers to speak of, but everything gets replenished without our help."

At the same time, he did not bat an eye about her following him like this. His intentions never got much purer than this, but if she was useful to him she had no reason to assume he would want her to come to harm. He would, in fact, have been surprised if she hadn't followed. That was just what happened when he lead the way.

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ergaleomancer October 7 2010, 11:37:49 UTC
Once Theta got into the swing of following him, somewhat reassured that living in this city seemed to be a bit more straightforward than living in London even--no back alleys she had to navigate, and certainly no paparazzi to deal with--she sped up a bit. With her leg the way it was, she'd found out long ago that if she walked faster she spent less time on her bad leg, and that made it hurt less. Of course it tired her out faster, but he had said it was close.

"It's like the old stories of a clockwork city, then...but even I am an ergaleomancer and I find the ideal a bit...frightening. Clockworks are meant to be like human beings, not the other way around."

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variaswrath October 7 2010, 11:56:33 UTC
It's not like he would know about any story like that, but it seemed pointless to remind her. "I imagine we have a certain lack of freedom in common with the clockworks while we're here, but we don't have any particular purpose."

Truthfully, Xanxus would have preferred if it wasn't so ridiculously easy to survive in this city. It left too much trash alive. At least this cripple wasn't as useless as some out there, and it pleased him that she walked quicker than he had initially anticipated. His eyes assessed the surroundings quickly, looking for the place they needed to turn and spotting it only a block away. Good.

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ergaleomancer October 7 2010, 12:22:00 UTC
"Not all clockworks serve a purpose, either. Not one that is readily apparent, at any rate. But that's the real horror of the clockwork town..." She sighed softly, looking around and remembering by the foreign appearance of the buildings that it likely wasn't a common story any more.

"It's a children's story...one to keep them in line... When they misbehave, parents say they'll be sent to the clockwork town. It's more trouble than it's worth to recount, but...everything in town happens by clockwork, even meals."

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variaswrath October 7 2010, 12:28:54 UTC
"Making them part of one big clockwork." An interesting attempt at teaching children discipline, certainly. "While we're on children's stories... there's a park here in the city on the edge of the forest. Don't go in too deep unless you're looking to be torn limb from limb by the monsters there." Unless, of course, she managed to come around and surprise him with a clockwork that could defend her. But he doubted it.

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ergaleomancer October 7 2010, 13:42:43 UTC
She wanted to ask him if he was kidding. Surely he was. But not only was there no mirth in his bearing...he just didn't strike her as the type to tell an idle joke like that. She nodded quietly. "Are things always more dangerous than they seem here?"

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variaswrath October 7 2010, 14:00:26 UTC
Her assumption about him was right, he was by no means kidding. Even though the creatures posed no threat to him. "Not really. Stay out of the forest and the catacombs and you should be safe." The only other dangerous creatures in the city were some of the guests, and Xanxus counted himself among them. Again, not something he would mention for no reason, and the woman seemed to have some amount of common sense. After a sidelong glance at her he turned down a different, more narrow street, certain she would follow.

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ergaleomancer October 7 2010, 21:10:01 UTC
Well, that was good to know. And realistically it was good to hear it from someone who wasn't going to dance around the topic and try to play coy with information, so it all worked out. She nodded quietly, moving to follow him along down the narrower street. Streets in London could get very narrow, so she wasn't unnerved at all.

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variaswrath October 7 2010, 21:55:05 UTC
He continued in silence, which didn't bother him in the least. Passing another few houses, he stopped in front of a shop. The storefront window was dusty and dirty, the paint where the name had been barely visible anymore let alone legible, but there were a few watches as well as jewelry laid out for display that indicated what it had once been.

A gentle push opened the shop's door that set off the clear sound of a bell to anounce the presence of a customer, revealing a dusty but otherwise well-kept interior, and Xanxus held the door open for Theta to follow. The workshop itself he imagined would be in the back, possibly an apartment above or below. But this would be her place, and he waited for her to enter and see if it was suitable.

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