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Stupid For You [Carina]
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:53 pm
by Charlie
A • C H I L L Y • A F T E R N O O N
Ash 3, 121 AoS
The Commons bustled today even more than usual. Crowds shuffled from stall to stall while honest merchants tried to sell their wares, and they shouted prices over one another in order to attract customers. The winding streets were alive with the sound of joyful conversation and spirited haggling in equal measure. The air itself was heavy with the aroma of cuisine both local and exotic, though there was precious little place to actually sit and eat in peace on the crowded streets themselves. Most found their way into a side street like the one Charlie was in right now, and finally the time seemed right for the young man to strike once again. In matters of being a charlatan, Charlie could not afford to be shy. As a few more men and women filed into the alley for a quiet lunch together, Charlie stepped forward and placed one foot on top of his crate of 'wares'.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Charlie said, throwing his arms out to either side with such exaggerated self importance it was almost impressive. "Know it or not, you've come upon a bargain like no other." He pointed quickly at a man already making a move to leave the alley. Charlie couldn't have that! "You sir! Just answer me one simple question before you go." Charlie said with an admirable confidence. His accent was also very clearly practiced, enunciating syllables with specific intent to avoid losing them altogether. "If I could promise you this tonic, this little bottle right here," Charlie produced a small glass bottle of blue liquid from inside his coat. Nothing more than water, dye, and drops of various herbal extracts to give it an appealing scent. "If there was one thing it could do to make you buy it, what would it be?"
The man turned, and locked eyes with Charlie. In that moment, the connection was made. The man's symphony was laid out before him, and Charlie could hear the notes as plainly as he could see them. It was important, Charlie realized, to keep the first detractors from leaving, so he focused his effort on this upstanding gentleman who had seen right through his lies. His effortless, charming smile never left him even as he composed a melody of his own making. He took the irritation the man already felt and added to it a desire to see Charlie proven wrong, but also he found the man's insecurity over his own balding head, and dialed it up as well until it nearly ruined the symphony with its irritating little whine.
"Psh Let me guess, it can regrow my hair?" the stout, balding man said indignantly, crossing his arms and giving Charlie a hard stare. He hadn't even noticed his own mind betraying him. Charlie's smug look of satisfaction was impossible to hide.
"Oh, sir..." Charlie said, stepping forward into the crowd that were gathered in the alley. Most of them looked at him. He was a spectacle, dressed in an expertly tailored suit but with hair so windswept it scarcely looked like he brushed it. Adding to the display, A cigarette hung between his lips that burned slowly enough it was clear he hadn't taken a drag from it since lighting it. "It can do that and so much more. Hair loss, weight loss, headaches, aches and pains! Now step right up folks, let me show you exactly what Angelov's Ail-Fixin' Elixir can do you for. Just a whiff of this stuff clears your mind. Swear it to all the gods of men, I do!"
And on his performance went, promising each of them the world for only a few silver. He was not a strong enough mage to control the entire crowd, so he took turns influencing anyone that seemed interested, and ignored those that he could tell were only there to gawk. Once released from his direct influence, their minds did the rest for him, reinforcing the fleeting feelings all on their own. Not only was it a spirited performance, it was damned loud, echoing through the alleyways before finally getting lost into the cacophony of the street. Charlie himself was as lost in his work as his targets were, scarcely sparing a look behind him as he worked to part honest men and women from their coin.
Re: Stupid For You [Carina]
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:48 pm
by Carina
Carina was on a walk. It was a normal walk. She liked the movement, as she liked any movement, and she liked to see the city. Sometimes she would walk for hours if she really had nothing better to do. She took them frequently, or as frequently as she could, because they distracted her just enough that she could actually think. Considering the responsbility now placed on her shoulders this season, she had a lot to think about. Taking normal walks also made it less conspicuous when she went out at other hours, or to meet other people. It made her leaving her temporary residence or her inn room seem normal, and though she didn't always have reason to believe that she was being watched by Zaichaer, she erred on the same side of caution that prevented her from freely using her rune.
Her route today had taken her meandering through the Commons. It wasn't a usual route, but she was in an unusual mood, and an unusual mood needed a change of pace. The city was always noisy, though, and she didn't hear the man until she'd ended up in the midst of the small crowd he'd drawn. Whether these people were gullible or entertained by his antics, she wasn't sure. She removed herself from the crowd and began to walk the other direction, but a detail had caught her eye. One task she had set for herself on the walk was to buy more matches; she had used the last that morning, and it had escaped her time and time before to get more before she ran out. But he had a lit cigarette in his mouth, and she knew she was pretty enough to take her chances.
Her new route took her up next to him, and it seemed he scarcely noticed her approach given his focus on the scam. Carina tapped his shoulder, and when he turned to look, she held an unlit cigarette in her fingers and an apologetic smile on her face.
"Can you spare me a match?"
Re: Stupid For You [Carina]
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 7:49 pm
by Charlie
Coins and bottles changed hands in equal measure, and Charlie tucked away the silver pieces he was offered so quickly it was its own sort of magic trick. On and on he went, extolling the virtues of his snake oil and fielding questions from the few gullible souls in the crowd. He was in the middle of answering one woman's question when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He had already identified all of the fools in the crowd so he knew this had to be one of the gawkers. "Listen, can't you see that I'm in the mi-..." Charlie's voice trailed off to nothing, all of the strength sapped away when he looked at Carina.
Just a moment with her sent Charlie's heart racing, and he unknowingly chewed on his bottom lip. Only a second had passed, but to Charlie it had felt like a dozen more. He sought her eyes, he needed to see her symphony. His cyan colored eyes locked with hers, and he was so stunned by what he beheld that he actually took a half step backward and hit lit cigarette tumbled from between his lips where it was promptly trampled by foot traffic. Her symphony was as beautiful as the rest of her. The violins were like none he'd ever witnessed, and he realized that despite the symphony's beauty it was utterly implacable. He could often pick out emotions and personalities based on a few melodies, but not Carina. He was not even able to impact the notes, let alone shift her song. In these few moments of clarity, the crowd had begun to thin out, though some gawkers remained, convinced this made for equally enjoyable peoplewatching.
"Beggin' your pardon, ma'am." Charlie apologized, the words coming quickly like he'd been caught doing something wrong. And what could he be apologizing for, taking up time in her overwhelming splendor? His carefully crafted accent was gone too, so swiftly replaced by a slight country drawl that left his words hanging. Finally, he looked to her cigarette, and her request actually registered in his mind. He fumbled clumsily with his pocket and retrieved a small box of matches and another cigarette for himself. So taken with her, Charlie took a single match, and then handed the box itself over to Carina. "Of course!" He said, his lovesick tone a complete departure from the confident huckster he'd been just minutes ago.
He struck his own match down his sleeve and hit her cigarette before his own, just barely managing to light his before the matchstick burned down to his fingertips and forced him to drop it with a sharp inhale. He stepped on the match to ensure it was properly extinguished, and then took a drag from his cigarette. "Charlie." He said, a bit too excited as he extended a hand towards her. Already his mind raced. Didn't she deserve more than just a handshake? Already he was missing his ability to read intent and emotions, but at least his utter infatuation did have its own sort of charm.
Re: Stupid For You [Carina]
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 4:29 pm
by Carina
Carina did not usually try to use it to her appearance to her advantage, but in this case, it seemed like she didn't have to try. This man was falling over himself at the sight of her. It was equal parts endearing and strange, but she managed to stop his dumbass scam in the same breath. Even his accent changed, as if how he had been speaking before had been a performance as much as everything else. She leaned forward a bit with the cigarette between her lips while he lit it, and after a drag, she took the hand he held out.
"Carina." Unlike him, she had really made few attempts to hide her accent no matter how often she came to Kalzasi. Carina liked the way she sounded, and the people who found it offputting were not usually the same people she needed to talk to, anyway. She pocketed the box of matches with a smile and a tilt of the head, and her ponytail swayed behind her. She pulled the cigarette from her lips for a second.
"Are you from around here, Charlie? Do you always make your living as a snake oil salesman?" She held the cigarette in her fingers. She assumed there had been some use of magic in the endeavor — he was just making more sales than had made sense, and as soon as he was distracted, much of the crowd dispersed. Those that remained would be able to hear her remark, but she doubted they were the same as the ones who actually purchased the stuff. Carina smiled at him. Someone so brazen was unlikely to be very clever, but she could always use new friends.
"Care to join me for my walk?"
Re: Stupid For You [Carina]
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:43 pm
by Charlie
Gods, her voice. The heavenly tones sent Charlie deeper into lovesickness, were that even possible. So enraptured he was that he could not even bring himself to protest her estimation of his wares. A proper huckster would have vehemently defended his product in the strongest possible terms, but now? That would have involved lying to Carina. and how could he have done that? With such ease she sheared through his illusion of confidence and left the carefree man on the backfoot. He might have minded, but not when it was her.
Charlie meekly wrung his hands before turning them palms up a. "Ah, well. No. Not always!" he began, rubbing the back of his head. "Just a bit of a side thing, really. I'm a tailor, y'see?" He admitted, Carina managing with such little effort to convince him to give the game away. That he was a tailor did explain how well he was dressed, though it did not yet explain the clearly Zaichaeri influence on his choice of attire. "But born and raised here, yes ma'am!" Still that pesky little rural twang persisted, making his attire all the more confounding for a native born citizen.
While they stood, Charlie again wanted so dearly to see her symphony and hear the melodies. Gone was even the idea to twist or turn them, only behold them. He tried again when she held his gaze, channeling aether through his eyes with such intensity that his irises alit with a halo ring of teal. Nothing. Not even the telltale tickle of a Mesmer's influence so much as breathed across Carina's thoughts. He was too lost in his own emotions to have any hope of seeing hers, though he would have been able to say that himself. The glow dissipated as quickly as it came.
"I'd love that." He responded a bit too excitedly to her proposal, and stepped up beside with. With a foot, he pushed his crate of bottles back into the dark of the alley in a gap between market stalls. "Are you from around here?" Charlie parroted back to her. "Couldn't be, else we'd have met before." He was presumptuous, but that mirthful smile made it clear enough he did not take his assessment too seriously.
Re: Stupid For You [Carina]
Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 6:10 pm
by Carina
"A tailor? A good tailor is a good friend to have, and I'm sure you're a good tailor." She winked. Carina had no idea to the quality of his sewing, but if he was selling snake oil in an alley, he was either underappreciated, underpaid, or not very good. But she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt for the sake of friendship. Though his Zaichaeri clothing was enough to raise eyebrows, especially for a man born and raised in Kalzasi, she didn't remark on it. She was dressed plainly Zaichaeri herself. She loved Kalzasern clothing, but the idea of having to pack it up and bring it home, potentially wrinkling it in the process, made it a desire that she left for the future. One day she would have somewhere in Kalzasi to keep it.
Carina was not paying so much attention to his eyes to even notice the teal. She took another drag of the cigarette. "Kalzasi is a big city, but you're right. I'm from Zaichaer. Can't you tell?" Her accent was very obviously not Kalzasern, though perhaps it was a bit softer than someone who had never been to Kalzasi before. She never made an effort to hide or soften her accent, though. Any variations were simply from the amount of time she spent in the city. It was noticeable that it changed throughout her stay, becoming softer until she returned to her home, and then harsher as she stayed in Zaichaer. The process repeated into perpetuity.
Taking the lead, she turned out of the alley and snaked through the Commons. "Do you specialize, then? Alterations, mending, entirely new garments?" She didn't know much about tailoring, but she had spent enough time taking smoke breaks with the costumers in the theater that she wasn't clueless. The job of a costumer necessitated accuracy and creativity, but that was not always the case with every tailor.
Re: Stupid For You [Carina]
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:02 pm
by Charlie
Charlie's cheeks flushed when she even so much as implied he had skill as a tailor. Even the sly little wink was not enough to make the compliment fail to land. His pulse quickened, throat growing momentarily tight. he kept himself from speaking until he got himself under control, but that left a few second of dead air that left him staring in awe at Carina. "Of course I am!" Charlie began, pointing to himself with a thumb. "One of the best, really." That was not so much a lie as it was an overestimation of his skill. There were few professional tailors in the city, so there was precious little work to compare himself to, other than his mentor's. Charlie patted his pocket for one of their business cards, only to realize he had not brought any with him.
Already, she was well in Carina's hand without her even having to try. He followed behind her as they wound their way out of the alley and down through the commons. "Zaichaer? My family hails from there as well, generations and generations ago, or so I'm told." Then, Charlie decided suddenly that he wanted to impress Carina. He spoke without thinking, blurting out. "I visit Zaichaer quite often, you know." And there were very few legal reasons that a tailor and charlatan would have even visited that city, let alone why he would have been admitted in the first place. Even a law abiding citizen would have known that, but still she managed to draw it out of him without so much as asking after it. Yes, Charlie had overplayed his hand, but he scarcely even knew they were playing a game. He spoke what was at the top of mind, hoping that something might linger on her mind the way her words did in his own.
"I'm best at alterations, but I'm always looking for practice sewing whole garments." Charlie stepped up beside her. "You could come by, if you ever needed something made, of course!" Charlie said, eager for any opportunity to see her again. He walked backwards now, so that he could keep his gaze on her. It did nothing to dim his confidence though, knowing these streets well enough to avoid tripping over loose stones. "Someone like you wearing one of my designs? Oh, I'd be booked with clients within a day!" Charlie had regained a bit of his usual charm, though still the thoughts came slowly.
Re: Stupid For You [Carina]
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:40 am
by Carina
"What do you do in Zaichaer? They've got a good selection of imported cottons, I've heard, but I can't imagine you can't get the same in Kalzasi." Carina knew little of fabrics than what she had overheard from costumers at the theater, so she had simply regurgitated that.
"Where's your shop, then? Maybe you can show me some of your work...?" She asked, though at this rate she was surprised he hadn't immediately tried to drag her to see it. She'd had cloesly tailored costumes before, but usually most of her clothing was already made. Sometimes she could convince one of the costumers to add a few inches to cinch a waist or hem the trousers she liked, but most of the time she just wore it as is and fixed anything with belts or pins. Learning to sew would be a brilliant skill to add to her repertoire, if only so she could do such simple things herself.
"I've thought about learning to sew. Not quite become a tailor, but mending, small alterations." She hoped her encouragement would lead Charlie to start leading the way to the shop he worked at. If he made dresses, perhaps she'd even consider having one made, this season or the next, whenever she could actually afford it. "I always thought it was a good skill to have. Just never had the time to learn."
Her tone of voice was just quiet enough that Charlie would have to look at her to hear what she said properly, but not so quiet that it got lost in the sea of sounds that made up such public spaces in the city. Though she wanted to have a normal conversation, she also thought it was funny to tease him. The man probably fell head over heels for every woman in the city in less than a glance.