ArchivedLogs:Capricious

Capricious
Dramatis Personae Clint, Lucien, Paige
In Absentia	2017-09-17 "Oh, I /love/ magic."
Location <NYC> Central Park South
Central Park South is home not just to the park itself, but also to the Belvedere Castle, the Alice in Wonderland statues, and the Central Park Zoo. These areas tend to draw tourists like a magnet - it is, perhaps, for that very reason that places like Bethesda Terrace tend to attract more New Yorkers than not, if just to escape the press of tourism that infiltrates the whole city. Even as sunset approaches it is warm in the park, cheerful and lively -- even moreso down in the southeast corner of the Great Lawn, where there are food vendors, merch vendors, a stage set up -- plenty of music, for today's (family friendly!) Broadway-in-the-Park festival. Children wander the crowd in plastic Lion King masks, holding sparkly Glinda-wands, munching on Wonka candies. On stage at the moment is kind of a /spectacle/, Aladdin's genie explaining (musically) how lucky Aladdin is to have found a Friend Like Me. Here and there through the crowd there is spectacle as well, various performers intermittently milling or frequenting their respective booths. Some of the more elaborately made-up and costumed draw more excitement -- Elphaba in full witch attire, any number of heavily furred Cats, a number of strange and somewhat eerie looking Lost fae. /One/ of those -- goat-legged, sharp-clawed, a coating of soft grey fur lining parts of his skin, an elegant emerald-green tailcoat /probably/ overly hot for the day, especially given the fur -- is just finishing up posing for a picture, dropping a wreath of flowers onto the head of a wide-eyed and excited young girl. When asked if the wreath is /magic/, Lucien's laughing response: "-- It's as magic as you let it be," does nothing to diminish the child's excitement before her parents usher her away. Similarly featured as Lucien, sans claws and emerald coat, Paige is attracting her own amount of attention, though the horned young woman is not stationed at a booth. Indeed, she is not at all dressed for such a performance - wearing a pair of black jogging shorts and a dark blue athletic top. Her ears are pressing back, though not down, and she looks more bewildered to find herself in the area than anything else. Furthermore, instead of entertaining the attention she is garnering - much to the disappointment of small children and some anger of parents - she has been making her way towards Lucien's booth. She's standing nearby as the young girl is escorted away from Lucien, magical wreath adorning her head, and moves out of the way to allow her exit. The furred mutant's eyes clearly run up and down Lucien with only a touch of bashfulness. When she does approach him, her speech is a bit stuttered, her expression a mix of curiosity and entrancement. "Are -- " she gently touches one of her own horns, perhaps subconsciously. "Are you -- the -- um." Now her ears push down slightly and her brows knit together. "You have, um, hooves." And /now/ she is blushing slightly beneath her fur, apparently having realized how foolishly she is behaving. Wending his way through the festival, Clint is looking not /overly/ spectacular, his sunglasses not quite fully disguising the weary dark rings around his eyes. He's wearing a red 'Great Comet of 1812' t-shirt, worn-in blue jeans, and old combat boots. There's a purple leash looped around his wrist with a scruffy brown mutt trotting along at the other end. He's making his slow way over to Lucien, as well, a half-smile on his face. It's unclear whether he caught any of what Paige said, but he doesn't respond or interrupt. His dog strains forward toward the faun, tail wagging fast and tongue hanging out. "Easy there, Arrow," Clint says mildly. "It's not play time. Not for /you/, anyway." Lucien's brilliant green eyes widen, a fey smile touching his lightly furred face. "Well noted." It comes with a deep bow, an inclination of horned head, a small flourish that ends with a rose -- a deep shade of purple near to black -- presented out to Paige. "Though I suspect you come by yours more honestly than I. Would that I could wear them with half of your grace." The smile stays in place at the dog (and handler)'s approach. "On the contrary, my good sir." Footsteps light as dancing, he slips closer to the pair -- dropping a be-ribboned wreath atop Clint's head, too. before stooping to offer Arrow a small sausage-like treat. Tipping his head back upward: "Here, it is playtime for everyone." "Oh. I -- " The goat girl looks quite embarrassed as she blinks at the rose before taking it gingerly from Lucien. "Thank you. I just, you know, got -- I get excited sometimes. Not too many people have hooves. And, thank you, I guess." With her apology comes a sheepish look while she stands on one leg and carefully angles the other forward to look at her hoof. "I just had ... a lot of practice. " The compliment causes her to blush further and she inhales deeply, pressing the breath down and inwards in an attempt to calm her nerves. She soon manages to get a smile on her face. "I -- Oh." Now a dog has appeared and the performer is presenting the creature a treat; Paige makes use of the time by smelling at the rose. At Lucien's announcement, her ears flick up momentarily. "Your, um, costume is ... very realistic. Very, you know, impressive." She inclines her head politely to Clint in friendliness. "Merci beaucoup, Milord." Clint adjust the wreath on his head as one might tip a hat, settling it at a somewhat jaunty angle. Arrow scarfs down the treat happily and snuffles at Lucien's hooves. Then over at Paige's, before lifting his head up to gaze soulfully into her eyes, perhaps in an attempt to /will/ her into producing treats or affection. "I suppose you haven't seen the show, then?" the man asks Paige. "'Lost', that is." "Not too many, no. I apologize, if I misled you." Lucien is rising again, after one firm pat to Arrow's head. "We aim to enchant, not to deceive. Though the boundaries between the two are --" One clawed hand lifts, fingers spreading into the air. "Somewhat capricious, non?" Arrow's gaze does not go unnoticed by Paige and she looks down at him, ears flicking up again. "No, I apologize, I /apologize/." The last word is said with /such/ sorrowful emphasism. "I don't have anything for you. But I would give you all that I had if I did, yes I would." Grinning at the dog, the young woman shakes her head. "No, I -- I just --" Now she looks towards Clint, one ear staying up and the other flopping down. "Well, I knew it was happening, but I forgot? Like, if I planned it, I would have come, but I thought I was just going for a jog today, because I forgot. It's how I get better on my hooves." Both ears have now settled into an idle position. "Well, you are very enchanting," Paige remarks to Lucien, a hint of amusement entering her voice as she takes another inhale of the rose. "Perhaps I am just very easily fooled -- wait, you're -- you're on some of the -- " A quick glance around does indeed confirm that Lucien is on a -number- of posters and her eyes widen. "Oooooh, I knew that was a person in a costume, but seeing you in person, I just ... capricious ... yes." Arrow doesn't seem very put off by Paige's failure to produce treats, still wagging his tail at her in friendly interest. "It's a good show," Clint says easily. "If you're into magic and music, I recommend checking it out. And in your defense..." He tilts his head in Lucien's direction. "...all of the shots of him on the posters are in profile, or half-lit, or at a distance." "It's no slight to your powers of observation. They pour so much magic into preparing me," Lucien's tone is light and cheerful, "but my young costars," one hand flutters toward one of the posters on sale (autographed!), a dancing satyr (half lit /and/ in profile -- though it's easy enough with the live comparison here to tell that it is definitely Lucien) extending a black rose to the reaching hand of a (much better lit) young girl. "-- are truly the captivating ones on stage. /Do/ you like magic? Or music?" His head quirks slightly, a horn pointing down toward Paige's hooves. When his hand extends toward her this time, it is empty. Just extended, palm turned up in offering. "If it's practice that you're out for, would you care for a dance?" "Oh, I /love/ magic," the horned young woman enthuses to Clint and Lucien, her grin growing. "Music has become difficult to listen to." To demonstrate her point, one of her ears raises. The extended hand is met with a momentarily blank stare and blinking before Paige's face turns a shade of red - pink beneath the coating of fuzz - and she stammers, "I have not really, you know, danc -- I mean -- Okay?" Her voice comes out a slight higher-pitched as she accepts Lucien's hand in one of her own. "Difficult because you don't hear enough? Or hear too much? " Clint's question is casual, and comes at a slight delay. "Theatre will make accommodations for one but not the other, I'm afraid. Make way, Arrow." He clicks his tongue and takes a step back. The dog drops into a polite sit beside him. "It is not something we've given much thought to," Lucien admits with a furrow of brow, "though our sensory-friendly productions do try to minimize any jarring noises --" The small shake of his head comes with a faint flick of long pointed ears. His smile blossoms brighter when Paige takes his hand -- the touch comes with the subtlest whisper of cheer, a buoying flutter of happiness. "And if you love magic, we offer all types. I've always found dancing to have a charm all its own. Here -- it's just one step," he moves slow, at first, one hoofed foot gliding back and the slightest press of hand indicating Paige to follow, "And then another." Slightly back again and to the side here. More subtle still than the previous touch of warmth is the thread of his powers through Paige's mind -- it is its own kind of buoying. Not /forcing/ any movement from her but bolstering, supporting her limbs to allow a greater stability, a more confident ease to the unfamiliar movements as he continues to lead. The goat mutant's limbs are a little tense as are her ears as they press upwards in nervousness. "I /do/ love magic. Even if it's not really real." Paige's breathing is tight - anxiety from the concept of dancing and with /hooves/. Excitement is mixed in as well, bringing a slight edge to her mind. Trying something new, learning. A faint hopefulness, too - perhaps she can do this. Her own hand is lightly and softly furred on the back, and she inhales to hold a breath at the first movement; fear, anxiety. "No, I -- well, sometimes?" She becomes partially distracted, for a moment by Clint's inquiry, and furrows her brows. "I mean, yeah, I sometimes hear a little too much, but mostly I was thinking about, you know, um...headphones and earbuds. They just don't ... stay put ... very well." As she follows, placing one hoof and then another as Lucien leads, the effects of the other mutant's powers become more evident. The feeling of success she finds at moving correctly, boosted by Lucien's 'gift', helps to melt away her anxiety, eroding it into a hesitant level of confidence. There's a hint of surprise, too, that grows as she revels in 'her' ability to stay balanced. Then there's enjoyment. Dancing. "But, yeah, somethings can be pretty loud. And my ears, also, they like to, uh, move." Speaking of which, her ears relaxing and a grin forms on her face - satisfied, proud, having fun - and she manages to pry her downwards gaze away from her hooves. Clint gives a small, close-lipped smile as he watches the two hooved people dance. Beside him, Arrow also watches with interest, tail wagging sedately. "Ah, forgive me, I misunderstood you. I suppose the theatre isn't very accommodating on /other/ fronts, either?" One step follows another, easy but graceful; Lucien's power keeps Paige buoyed through each turn and each twirl. He dips his head, touching a light kiss to the back of softly-furred knuckles before releasing her with a bow. "Magic is as real as you want it to be. Especially when you help to create it." He takes a step back, hand dropping to scratch at Arrow's head. "Theatre does have quite a long way to go to make its magic universal, though. A thing we sorely need to work on. I do thank you for trusting me enough to indulge my small version of spellcraft, though." Paige is quite pleased. Smiling and blushing by the end after the dance. Indeed, she is flattered, especially by Lucien's lips brushing against the back of her hand; the action itself brining pink to her face as her ears twitch. She returns the costumed man's bow with one of her own. There's perhaps a slight deflation in her posture as the effects of Lucien's powers recede; whether she notices it or not is unclear. "Thank /you/," she replies. "Thank you. I have never ... done that before." Brows pinch and eyes narrow in a moment's thought, but soon relax again. "That /was/ magical. Perhaps we'll do it again sometime?" Her words are not flirtatious, but certainly hopeful. Her eyes fall to Arrow and then pull back up to Clint. "Inside, it is hard to sit sometimes. My knees are weird. They're farther up than most people's so it makes it harder to recline sometimes. And seating can be ... I mean, I really haven't gone to any /show/ shows, but, like, I've read that sometimes you can get seated next to someone not so ... friendly. And I sometimes get worried, sitting anywhere, that a kid or someone might come up behind me and pull my ears or horns or ... " she waves a hand dismissively in the air. "Oh! My name is Paige." She seems unsure of what to do with this introduction and there's a brief awkward pause before she stretches a hand out to whoever decides to shake it. Clint inclines his head toward Paige with intense focus while Paige speaks. Nods slowly, thoughtful. "Well. If you're interested in giving it a try, I might be able to hook you up with box seats sometime. Might still be rough on your legs, but no ear- or horn-pulling." He pauses a moment, thoughtful. "And, if you go with my pack of theatre bloggers--well, I can't guarantee /friendly/, but they'll be civil. I'm Clint." He shakes Paige's hand. "I'm not trying to put the moves on you, by the way, I just like to recruit people into the fandom." "It was my privilege. And it would be again, some time." Lucien's head inclines deeply; almost another bow, though not quite. "Ibeonus," he introduces himself with a quick smile and a gesture of curled clawed fingers toward one of the posters behind them, "and I highly recommend this good gentleman's company at the theatre. -- If you'll both pardon me," on stage, now, the /Aladdin/ cast is just starting "A Whole New World"; Lucien's head cocks at the familiar strains of songs. "I believe that's my call. It was lovely to meet you, Paige. -- Clint. Arrow." The dog gets another scratch on the head before he is traipsing away, neatly dodging any more requests for photographs to disappear off to the side of the stage. "A pleasure, Clint," Paige says in response to his introduction as one of her brows raises. "Putting moves on -- no, I didn't -- didn't think you were? But I would totally be interested in giving a try. The legs aren't so much a priority as the other things, you know?" At Ibeonus' introduction, the goat girl cranes her neck to catch a glance at the poster, ears flicking up. "Yes, but I -- " By the time she turns her head back around, Lucien is heading off. "-- oh. Well." With a shrug, she sighs softly and her ears press back before relaxing. "Oh! I should probably give you my number or something, right?" This, to Clint. "Then I might head back home. I think that was enough hoof-practice today and I suddenly feel a bit, you know, under-dressed." "Well, I /am/ a strange man offering to take a young lady I just met to the theatre," Clint allows. He pulls a business card from his back pocket, printed with his name, email address, and the URL for his blog ("Take a Bow!"). "You can email me, or, if you prefer text..." He produces a pen as well, to scribble a phone number on the back and the words "Text only!" This done, he presents Paige with the card. "If you try calling, it won't work. And you don't have to read my blog--these are just the only business cards I have." He offers a crooked smile to this, and tips his ribboned garland at her. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Paige, and I do hope you get a chance to see the show." Waving, he wanders off with Arrow in tow.