[open log] AND SUNDAY COMES AFTERWARDS

[topslug]

Who: OPEN to anyone and everyone in Siren's Port!
When: June 19th, 8AM-6PM
Where: Crow's Head Beach
Summary: June's been a busy month, and busier for some. It's time to chill out and relax at the beach in the company of good friends and better company. Stick around for the talent s how afterwards: there might be something worth watching.
Warnings:

Comments

[stabilimentum]

[Claude arrived at the beach in his usual butler attire, and his master decided fairly quickly that he ought to wear something more appropriate for a warmer day. It's awkward to only have on a plain black T-shirt and pair of khaki shorts; he prefers not to show this much of his too-pale skin. Since his master is pleased with it, Claude won't really complain, and he's been left on his own while Alois plays in the water. He keeps himself preoccupied by scoping out the local populace--now isn't the time to hunt, but it can't hurt to window-shop a little.

So his meandering has led him over to the table for talent show registration. He is always interested in special abilities both mundane and supernatural, and he idly looks over the list of participants, memorizing names here and there. While he doesn't plan on signing up for anything, he might look like he's in need of assistance.]

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[ And it did look, to Yako, as though he was someone waiting to sign up. Hurriedly wiping her hands on her apron (leaving an unbecoming greasy streak, heedless of the soot on her nose) she stepped back over to the table to assist him. He wasn't as familiar to her some others (nor as traumatizing) so the recognition didn't sink in immediately. After all, the last time she'd seen Claude wasn't exactly the clearest view of his face. ]

Thinking of signing up, sir?

[stabilimentum]

[Likewise, Claude doesn't feel any immediate recognition when he looks up at Yako. They've only conversed once, using text messages for the duration (while she was temporarily afflicted by an amusing virus). What he does notice, however, is something that causes his insides to cringe: the unmistakable smell of Hell.

She isn't the source of the stench, and it really isn't too recent; it just lingers from a hellspawn strong enough to make it linger.]

I'm thinking about it, [Claude replies, lying smoothly, since he's too intrigued to send her away. The velvety slither of his voice and intense gold eyes distinguish him from other attendees.]

/TRACKS DIS MOFO LIKE NOBODYS BIDNESS

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[ There's something about his voice that makes Yako pause, caught between surprise and sudden, inexplicable wariness. Her bright smile doesn't fade, though the quizzical look on her face is a fair approximation for the curiosity stirring inside her.

He isn't human, is he?

The realization is a calm one, all things considered, but nothing explains the prickle of (almost familiar) unease that crawls across her skin when he speaks. Something about his voice... no, she can't place it after all. ]

I see. Well, take your time! Registration won't close until 1 o'clock, anyway, so there's plenty of time to make up your mind.

fuck yeah.

[stabilimentum]

Hmm. [Claude sounds contemplative enough, looking from Yako to the sign-up sheets and back again. The most curious thing: despite the strong smell, Yako doesn't seem to possess a contract. A demon took up with her, but didn't bother to claim her soul. Of course, there are many different kinds of demons, all pursuing differing goals; and if a parallel universe is involved, who even knows what's what. There might be demons that don't need to eat human souls to survive.

He reaches up to adjust his glasses out of habit.]

At the bottom of the rules here, what does it mean by "general nature" of the audience, Miss--?

[It might be best to walk away. He's not a fool; he knows whatever he senses shouldn't be trifled with. Demons do tend to be territorial on the whole.]

Re: fuck yeah.

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[ There's certainly no sign of a seal anywhere on Yako's body-- not that can be seen, anyway. Given that she's wearing a swimsuit, there aren't really any many possibilities left as to where a seal could be. ]

Katsuragi. [ She flashes him a smile-- the skin across the bridge of her nose is already pinker than it should be, promising sunburn and peeling later. ] Yako Katsuragi.

The talent is going to be seen by people of all ages, so I figured it would be best to remind people to stick to appropriate performances. [ She steps around him to peer at the sign-up sheets and check if there are any new names, but no luck on that front. Sigh. ]

[stabilimentum]

[Plus, the location of a contract seal is indicative of the demon's power. For Yako to not have one in an obvious place--on the eye, tongue, neck, or hands--doesn't make much sense for the powerful demon that Claude is sensing. There are anomalies, like anything else, such as demons capable of rendering their seals invisible, but he doubts--

Oh, what did she just say?]

Miss Katsuragi, [Claude replies, and his smile isn't so slow to form.] I believe we've met previously, in the loosest sense of the word. You might not remember me, but I am Claude Faustus. It's a pleasure to see you in person.

[He has no trouble remembering names, since getting a few degrees of separation to everyone in the Port is one of his goals. Knowing someone who knows someone else can come in handy.

As for the talent show's rules, he nods and drops his hand back down.] --Nothing too frightening or risqué, then.

[topslug]

[ The name she does remember, now, and the rest clicks into place, a smile automatically blooming across her face. There's genuine, uncomplicated pleasure in that expression. For all that it's the first time they're meeting, there's a warmth there that seems more suitable for meeting an old friend than a complete stranger.

A demon, some long-forgotten part of her corrects, softly. Unconsciously, her back straightens just a little, shoulders squaring back as she lifts her head to meet his gaze without fear. ]

Of course I remember you, Mr. Faustus. I'm sorry-- I didn't recognize you at first, because of... [ A small, vague hand gesture that nonetheless encompasses the entirety of Claude's body from head to toe. ]

[stabilimentum]

[It's kind of startling for Claude, actually. Her open expression is startling and Claude doesn't know what to think to it. He can't be sure that Yako knows what he really is or not, but something about that smile reminds him of Jim Macken's undisguised delight at seeing the demon time and time again. Yako's fearlessness, too, is startling but encouraging in a weird way. Most humans are suspicious-scared of him on a purely instinctual level, but Yako seems to be reacting otherwise. It isn't like he's trying to hide his true nature, or that he could hide it if he tried to; he'll always have the dark, influential aura of a predator. So for her not antagonize him is a relief, to be honest, since he lives in a household of people who at the very least dislike him.

Either way, there's no need to potentially spoil the meeting by bringing up differences in their species. (Though he doesn't want to admit it, Claude Faustus is a very lonely creature.)]

I wouldn't blame you for that much, [he replies, slowly shaking his head.] Because

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Oh, no-- it isn't, not really! I wouldn't have been able to put it together without Ms. Aino and Doctor Xavier's help. [ Yako laughs, even as she shakes her head in negation, hands coming up in almost instinctive protest. She might have been accustomed to celebrity status back home, but as far as Siren's Port is concerned, she's just another Newcomer like all the rest. Truth be told, she almost prefers it that way: fame comes with its own conveniences, and she isn't all that eager to play the part of the Great Detective in this city again.

There are other ways she can put her talents to good use. For now. ]

I'm glad you found the time to come. We've been lucky today, I think-- if the weather hadn't warmed up, I'm sure everyone would have shown up in sweaters. [ A careless grin. ] Are you here on your own, or...? [ Her gaze flickers around him, as though the act of searching for his companions (real or imaginary) might produce them out of thin air. ]

[stabilimentum]

[Claude tilts his head just a little, filing away those names for future reference. In idle moments, of which there are many, one of his favorite things to do is look up and learn all he can about other people in the Port. Investigating isn't part of his job description per se, but you know what they say about knowledge and power. All the same, he wishes this modern era relied less on digital technology; the Network's efficiency is nowhere near as pleasing as the feel of a paper under his fingers.]

The weather seems just on this side of unpredictable, but the sunshine doesn't go unappreciated.

[When he first arrived, it wouldn't stop raining for days.]

Ah, I am here to accompany my master--the Earl Alois Trancy. [He gestures to the shore and the water beyond it, where he knows Alois is lurking in the shallows. Sharklike.] It was my suggestion to attend, however, if only to see the beach for my first time in quite a while. [Maybe he means that about going outside in general, judging by the pallor of his skin. He must stay