10/12 - forward-dated

[strangeandunusual]

[Lydia turns on the video feed while she's sitting in the middle of the garden outside the Graven Image Gallery. She's wearing a black and red dress that looks like Dracula turned a medieval court lady, and holding a notebook shaped like a coffin, her pen topped with a big fuzzy spider with google eyes.]

Hey, everyone! There might be a couple of you I haven't talked to a lot yet, but I'm Lydia Deetz ... one of me, anyway, the one who's been here the longest. There's another version of me, but her hair's shorter and she wears a lot more safety pins on her clothes.

Anyway. I was one of the first Apprentices through the mirror, and I've noticed that trainings have had fewer and fewer people show up. This isn't good, you guys. If the Corroded come by again, or if something else happens? We might not be prepared.

I'm not trying to take charge, and I don't want to. But I was hoping I could at least get people thinking about their powers, and the skills you have that aren't tied to magic. If we put it all here on the network, that way, if anyone does need help for any reason, they know who to ask. And how to find them.

I'll get it started: I'm a Princess, which means I can heal if anyone gets hurt. I can also purify Corroded things, and if anyone's magic needs a boost, I've recently learned how to do that, too. My problem is that if I keep it up for too long, I get dizzy, and if I really push it, I faint ... so I like to have someone around who can help me with that just in case. I can also sew, and bake, and I've been told I give a really good pep talk. So if you're feeling down, don't hesitate to give me a call!

I don't want any of you to think you don't have anything to contribute. Just because you think someone might not find your love of, I don't know, building models? useful, doesn't mean we can't use that for something else. You could help rebuild broken things. Bigger scale, but still applicable, right? I feel like some of us have been living in our boxes for a while, since the last time we had to bring Dreamfinder back. We had a lot of people come and go, and it's ... it's been hard, I know. But we're still here. And I know each and every one of you is here for a reason, and that you can do great things.

So if we can do all those great things separately ... think about what we can do together.. I know we only had one new person show up a few days ago, so training might not officially get set up. If it doesn't? Please consider finding some way to train anyway. The Blue Bayou missions are all done, which means we've got some heavy lifting coming to purify something, the same way it happened at the temple. We need to be ready. And we will. I believe in all of you.

Also: this is less important, but I still wanted to tell you ... the Graven Image is having an anniversary party on Halloween Day! I scheduled it so it wouldn't cut into any parties that might happen at night, but costumes are welcome! I'm remodeling the Gallery to add a new wing, and I think you're all gonna be really excited when you see the surprise. No meeting, no bringing presents necessary, none of that. Just come by and get some cider or cocoa and have fun!

((OOC: She has a top-level in her log post for anyone who wants to meet in person after this, too.))

Comments

[strangeandunusual]

Um ... Yeah. Yeah, it's okay. Where I'm from, once you're a certain age, it isn't ... Well. A lot of adults don't think it's appropriate to see someone else in what they wear to bed unless they're, um.

[H E L P]

You know. ...

[the reddest]

... having sex with them SO YEAH COFFEE SOUNDS GOOD LET'S GET COFFEE.

*mad cackling from mun*

[voidalviera]

[[Rice looks blank for a second, and then has to try very, very hard to keep that facade up without laughing. Oh that's kind of totally adorable! Rice is completely certain that Lydia is blushing from embarrassment from having intruded; because she's not recieved any other kind of attention... Well, ever really. Hadn't ever been able to go through with the occasional offers of one night stands from drunkards in taverns because after all, a glamour is only a glamour, it doesn't actually change the fact that she has horns or scales where a Viera would very much not have them.

Instead, she thinks that the cultural clash is rather funny! ]]

Oh, is that it?

[[She moves the camera so that Lydia can only see her from the neck up. They might have differing values, but that doesn't mean she's going to purposefully disregard her friend's boundaries. ]]

My apologies, I hadn't meant to offend! It's relatively regular for Eorzean's to, well. When you're on the road for months at a time, glimpses of nudity isn't uncommon. I'll remember, I promise!

[[There's a bit of a smirk in her smile, but at least the timing probably let's her get away with it?]]

I'll take mayhap half a bell to get ready and less like Ive just come out of a tussle with a Morbol, and I'll meet you on Main street?

/same

[strangeandunusual]

[the moment Rice moves the camera, Lydia's blush begins to recede. maybe it's because she reacts so well, and doesn't make fun of her or otherwise make it awkward. though there's a part of her that had found that taboo view very ... curious. pretty. intriguing. ... other words that were a little scary to think about. her heart was still hammering even as she tried to rebound]

Oh... Right, camping. I ... I guess I didn't even think about that! I'm so used to the Doctor's big magic tents with all the rooms. Maybe I should try camping your way. Just in case ... So I can get used to it if the big tents break.

[she realizes that half a bell is probably her way of saying half an hour by the railroad station clock]

Only if you promise to tell me about Morbols. And then I can tell you about Halloween. You're going to love it!

Into action?

[voidalviera]

Ha! If only we had such luxuries at home. Though I'm sure that even if we did, my companions would have shirked them in favour of authenticity and simplicity.

[[Her resistance friends also didn't have the funds for such things until after Doma was free of Garlean rule. She knows that her band wouldn't have accepted such 'frivolous' items either, less they were forced on them by Lord Hien himself. She laughs softly, wondering how they're doing. It's not like they've not been seperate before, but she does find herself missing the views of Yanxia and Kugane, the spires and snows of Ishgard.]]

Are there places for us to go camping here? I find I miss sleeping out under the stars.

And please remember that you're the one who asked for information on Morbols when I describe them to you. This is something you asked for.

[[Rice laughs again, and starts to move off her bed, carefully keeping her mirror pointed away from anything lower than her collarbone.]]

Halloween... Interesting! Actually, now that you mention it, around now is the time of year that the Continental Circus starts their tour.

Right, I'll get ready and I'll see you in a bit!

Indeed!

[strangeandunusual]

[Lydia stands in front of her closet for a good ten minutes before she starts to wonder what's taking her so long to pick what to wear. oh. she's over thinking this. why is she over thinking so much? it's not like this is a -- a --- IS IT? no. no, no one mentioned the word 'date', that would be absurd. but she's suddenly very much aware of the conversation she had with Crowley around Valentine's Day about it being perfectly normal to have crushes on, well, anyone. Rice has always been so kind to her, and supportive ... maybe, she thinks, this is one worth tending to. seeing what happens. with a little flutter in her heart, she picks out one of her new dresses and pins her wide-brimmed black straw hat over her hair so the autumn wind won't try to steal it away. she only brings her bag and her Polaroid, leaving the rest of her gear. the Polaroid is simple habit - a good photographer never knows when there'll be a good shot waiting, and it's the easiest camera to bring along. a quick swipe of red and purple at her eyelids, a dash of mascara ... and yes, okay, maybe just this once, some lip gloss ... and she's good to go, a spring in her step as she makes her way down to the lobby and out onto Main Street.

instantly, the smell of the fall air fills her lungs with hope and life and a touch of homesickness, and she raises her camera just in time to catch a swirl of fall leaves skittering past a group of people decorating for the upcoming apple festival]

[voidalviera]

[Rice's outfit is perhaps more simple, but she cannot deny the coziness of it. Since arriving in the Kingdoms, the amount of new fashion available to her had been perhaps a bit overwhelming from the simple garments of the Domans and the standard dress of Eorzeans, though she has to say that the amount that these tailors can so with different cloths and textiles she's never heard of before amazes her. Her outfit is simple, jeans that she's asked to have tailored around her digitrade legs that utilize zips down the side so he can get her pesky hooves through, a long-sleeved baseball tee, and a soft, cozy-looking cape with a hood.

The leaves pick up and swirl around her as she waits at the beginning of Main Street for Lydia, watching the people and the activity around her. She hears a camera shutter and smiles, because of course Lydia has her Polaroid! When Rice turns and sees her friend, her smile turns into a grin.]


"Hi, Lydia. You look lovely," The woman smiles, coming closer.

[strangeandunusual]

Lydia beams with delight at the sight of Rice's new wardrobe - something which completely offsets how much the compliment makes her blush. "Thanks - so do you! I love how you got those jeans altered! The zippers are super rad. And that cape! Aah!" She squeaks with delight at the little pattern on the border. "That looks perfect on you."

[voidalviera]

"Hahah, I saw it in the window and thought it was fate, no? Look-" She flips the hood up as she flicks her long ears back with ease, and now the fluffy cotton ears of the cape take their place.

"Now I have four ears," she laughs, wobbling her head to make them dance before flipping the hood back down. "And I like these jeans, it's just a shame I have to pay extra so that I'm actually able to wear them, but the tailor did a wonderful job," she starts to talk as they walk to the café.

"Getting clothes over my horns is hard enough, too," she giggles, "Though at least on Hydaelyn the fashion in Yanxia and Doma oft account for Au Ra and theirs."

She talks with spirit as she relies on Lydia to lead them to whichever place she picks.

[strangeandunusual]

"Four ears," she giggled, "that's so cute. ... If you ever see other clothes you like, I can alter them for you." She led the way toward the coffee shop near the Graven Image, since it was a little less well-known than the Carnation, and something where she could pay for both of them and not abuse the Free Things For Apprentices rule so much.

"I did a lot of that sort of thing for Crowley and Aziraphale when we first got here, actually, because of their wings." She smiled. "I like sewing, it's relaxing. Unless I catch myself daydreaming and end up needing to use the seam ripper."

She lifted one arm, pointing to a spot on the hem of her sleeve. "From here, all the way up to the shoulder, I sewed it crooked and the pattern didn't match up. I had to take it apart and do it again."

[voidalviera]

She laughs, light and quiet.
She had known that Lydia was creative, but not to the extent!

"I see, perhaps you should get someone to tap you every five minutes to make sure you're paying attention," Rice grins.

"And I'm glad that you like my ah- fashion? Sense? I'm not entirely used to this kind of clothing." Loose and Cute wasn't particularly in demand when you're fighting a lot.

[strangeandunusual]

"If you're offering to be my Sewing Spotter, I wouldn't complain," she smiled. Oh no. Had she really just said that out loud? Was this flirting? And if it was, was she doing it right? Oh dear. Where was Crowley or Eleanor when she needed them...

"I like you, no matter what you wear," she clarified. Yep. Definitely flirting. Help.