the "p" doesn't stand for pretentious, FYI. [art gallery, may 6th—??? ]

[theearth]

[ Welcome to Locke's very own Taste de Louvre, everyone! Predictably, the unveiling of the new set of statues at the magnificent Hugh P. Thadson Gallery of Fine Art has turned out to be a rather fanciful affair. The upper echelon of snobby society, in their snobby society attire, has come to mingle amongst one another—and is endeavoring to ignore you, fair citizen, as much as possible—and discuss this fantastic addition to our city's fair culture.

The first statue is a touchingly metaphorical piece, the prominent carving of a snake coiled around a human heart that looks so real you can almost hear it beating within your ears. This statue appears to be the most popular; the crowds drawn around its base simply can't stop going on and on and on about how wondrous it is, along with the rest of the works on display tonight.

The second statue also depicts a snake, but has its blush-brushed scales cut dramatically open to display its own wicked black heart. The Thunder Corporation and its latest line of tacky memorabilia is the primary subject of discourse here.

The last statue is strikingly different from the other two, and features a wolf howling at the open sky,* dying in apparent agony with a sword driven through its chest. You get a distinctly unsettling impression from it that the other, ordinary folk don't seem to notice—that perhaps your adventure to meddle in recent affairs is ill-advised. Inscribed below the pained wolf's paw is a link of sorts to a peculiar forum that, when accessed, bears only the topic "Let's Negotiate" with the same message enclosed within. Strange, but since no one else is talking about it, you wonder if you can't have just imagined the whole ordeal... and yet stranger things have happened, right? Perhaps it's worth looking into, in any event.

There's plenty to do with the statues about and the gift shop buzzing, with lots of familiar faces to run into. So what's your agenda for the evening? ]

(( General mingling post for the plot as related to art gallery affairs! There will be base threads for OPEN INTERACTIONS, open to all as implied, CLOSED INTERACTIONS, for planned out one-on-one interactions between player characters, and a general purpose EVERYTHING ELSE, for characters who wish to explore the gift shop, just mull about. Just as a general reminder:

1) Touching one of the snake statues will grant you one (1) Echo, for two (2) Echoes max. However, touching a second statue will definitely arouse suspicion, so be prepared for that. One safe Echo, two potentially risky ones up for grabs here! No Echoes from touching the wolf statue, though, so slither your way towards the snakey-snakeys for those.

2) If you'd rather not touch the statues themselves, hanging around them for awhile -- about an hour or so -- will grant one (1) Echo.

3) Accessing the webforum will not grant an Echo, but posting a reply to it will. It will be possible to get a second during conversation, but as for how it happens... it's a secret to everybody!

4) Little statuettes are available for purchase in the gift shop, but do not grant an Echo themselves in any way.

You may also handwave the mingling NPCs being snobby snobs at you, just for fun. Because why not.

As before, please wait for all base threads to go up before posting. OPEN FOR BUSINESS! In your character's subthreads, please put your character's name, the day, and optionally the time you are visiting in the title so things remain nice and neat. Remember, open to all interactions in the open section and one-on-one time in the closed section. Everything else goes in Everything Else. This post will remain stickied throughout the entirety of the plot duration, for easy finding.

The plot post for this week, detailing about the art gallery and more, can be found here.

*This awesome picture drawn by our very lovely Lucas-mun! Thanks, MC! ]

Comments

[formermagicalgirl]

[Well, teasing him is a bit fun and it is good to see he actually is familiar enough with fairy tales. Yeah, she's a bit of a hopeless romantic at heart and wants a happy ending with her own version of Prince Charming.]

I doubt that a kiss from even the most beautiful princess would be enough to turn you into a prince. Knowing my luck, I'd just end up with warts for the attempt.

[But his attempt at being mischievous did earn a bit of a smile, though a rather tired looking smile.]

[wordsgate]

[Honestly, he'd half-expected a smack, or for her to get angry. Now he's really pleased. Knowing that he can joke around with her makes him feel pretty comfortable.

He makes an exaggerated wince.]

You're cruel, you know! I've been working so hard on my Prince Charming act lately and you go and shoot it right down! [And then he laughs--until he notices how tired her smile looks. The laugh fades, and although he still smiles he's a bit more noticeably worried.]

Hey...you look a little tired. Did you stay up too late studying?

[formermagicalgirl]

[Hey, she firmly believes in not dishing it out if you can't take getting it back when it comes to teasing and trolling people and Sam is just too easy of a target.

But great, seems like he noticed it. Honestly, she's attributing it to all the stress from everything. But yes, may have to give a good lie rather than say she didn't stay up late at all.]

Who isn't staying up late to cram for finals this week? I have to keep at least a B average, after all.

[wordsgate]

Mm. I know the feeling. [He's barely been able to keep up with the Network lately because of how much time he's spent trying to make sure he passes all of his classes. The additional stress is difficult to manage.]

I'd scold you and tell you that you need to give yourself a break sometime...but, well, you're here, so you seem to be doing that.

[formermagicalgirl]

It is good that you are not doing so, because I'd just say you're not my mother. [And then there is the fact that she didn't specifically say she was up late studying, just implied it with her question.]

I could use some fresh air, though. It's just getting too warm and stuffy in here.

[wordsgate]

Hmm. Maybe you should take a walk outside? [He glances in the direction of the exit. He doesn't want to make her uncomfortable, but he's a little worried about her wandering out by herself if she's not feeling well, and the conversation has actually been rather pleasant so far, so...] I can keep you company, if you'd like.

[formermagicalgirl]

You really would do better at trying to imitate Lancelot rather than Prince Charming, you know. But you may keep me company, if only because it is dark out and a damsel such as myself shouldn't be out alone.

[wordsgate]

Hey! [He laughs, and starts to walk toward the door, but slowly enough to make sure she'll follow him.] You make it sound like I'm just looking for an opportunity to steal away married women!

[formermagicalgirl]

[She'll follow him, stopping for a moment as she sees a waiter and grabs a little bit to eat from one of the trays. she grabs two of the small finger sandwiches and offers one to Sam.]

Any woman to be more precise. But one cannot argue that outside of that, Lancelot was a good knight with many redeeming qualities.

[wordsgate]

[He takes the sandwich with a nod of thanks.]

Oh? Does that mean you think I have redeeming qualities?

[formermagicalgirl]

[He may notice that she ate hers quite quickly, but then they are tiny sandwiches. It's just so weird how rich people want to eat such tiny portions.]

Maybe a couple.

[And once they get a bit closer to the exit Sam may notice she does look a bit better. Likely because it was pretty crowded by the art.]

[wordsgate]

[If Tamara keeps this up, the grin on Sam's face might be permanently stuck there. He's rather pleased by the compliment--and also that she already seems to be feeling better.]

That means a lot, coming from you. I know you have high standards.

[He only just now starts to nibble on his sandwich--the conversation had distracted him from it. Now that he's actually trying it, he's regretting not paying more attention to the food at the event.]

[formermagicalgirl]

[Well, he does have a nice smile and is good enough to be friends with at least. Plus there is the fact that there is obviously some connection in their weird visions and hanging around together is bound to cause more.]

Very high standards that you haven't met yet, Sir Lancelot.

[Hey, if he's going to call her Rapunzel, then she's going to give him a nickname from an old legend. That and it makes it seem like she's feeling all right when really she's starting to feel very shaky. Hopefully the cooler night air will help a bit.]

[wordsgate]

[with a chuckle] Maybe I'll claw my way up there eventually. I could probably even use your hair to climb up.

[formermagicalgirl]

But that is a prince, not a knight who wanted to free Rapunzel and his fate was not a good one depending on which version you are reading.

[And then as they get outside she notices that as much as she was hoping it would, the cooler air outside isn't really helping and now her vision is getting all blurry. She tries to close her eyes to see if it clears up and means to do so for just a second. Instead her knees buckle and she starts falling towards the ground.]

[wordsgate]

[He has some half-formed comeback in his head--something about making sure to avoid briar patches--but that all dissolves away when he sees her start to fall.]

Tamara!

[He rushes to her side and catches her, letting her fall against his chest as he does. As he puts his arms around her to support her, he suddenly feels his body go hollow, and that strange beating noise resounds within his mind...

He remembers wrapping his arms around her, and the warm feeling of her hand on his chest. They're so close that her soft hair is brushing against his face.

He knows it's an act. A performance meant for an audience. But as she leans closer and her lips touch his, he doesn't care. For a brief moment, he's happier than he's ever been.

Except that's not him, and she's not her, and the girl in his arms right now isn't playing his lover in some strange play--she seems seriously ill. He forces himself not to think about the memory for a moment and focus on the real girl that's in his arms here and now.]

Are you all right? Stay awake!

[formermagicalgirl]

[Sam will likely be able to tell that she's seen about the same thing since she unconsciously ends up cuddling him. Though to Tamara it's definitely a very strange dream since she did black out there for a second.]

I'll be all right. I just felt a bit lightheaded and had the weirdest dream. [Though she's speaking quite softly and still sounds rather tired, but more like someone who was abruptly awoken from sleeping soundly.]

[Also of note, now that Sam has seen Fenrir, he may later note that Tamara's dress is nearly the exact same shade of purple as Fenrir's was.]

[wordsgate]

[Oh, he can definitely tell--and he also guesses that she's probably still a little out of it. He has no doubt that if Tamara was really thinking about what she was doing she'd be out of his arms in an instant.

Not that he himself minds. He feels a little guilty about it, but the cuddling makes him a little happy. Besides, he's not quite ready to let her go--he's worried she'll fall if he does.

He forces the tone of his voice to be light and conversational as he glances around them. There's a bus stop with a bench a few yards away. If it seems like she can't stand for much longer, he'll try to take her over there to sit down.]

A weird dream, huh? Why don't you tell me about it?

[Anything to keep her talking, he thinks. Just to make sure she's staying awake. Even though he's already pretty sure he knows what it was.]

[formermagicalgirl]

[Oh yes, she'd definitely be a good distance away from him by now if she wasn't so out of it.]

It's too embarrassing to talk about. I probably should just go home and go to bed early, sleep does help.

[And with how out of it she is, she doesn't even realize that she's admitting she's felt pretty bad already, though she has enough sense at least to not speak of what she saw in a place where the two of them could be overheard.]

[wordsgate]

[He frowns. This can't be just the result of a finals crunch, can it? Is she sick?] How did you get to the art gallery? Are you with anyone you know?

[formermagicalgirl]

I took the bus. Alone. [She pulls away from him now, and while she still seems a bit shaky, she is able to stand on her own now.] See, I'm feeling better already.

[wordsgate]

[He lets her pull away and doesn't make any effort to support her now, but he's still obviously worried.]

You made it sound like you've been feeling unwell for a little while. How long has this been going on?

[formermagicalgirl]

[She knows very well it has been since visiting the now destroyed snake statue, but a way to explain that without outright stating it is evading her right now.]

Since about a week before we met up at the cafe, but it wasn't so bad then. It may have to do with what we discussed there since the timing fits.

[wordsgate]

You mean your...? [He points to his own hair. Then he sighs.]

Maybe you should visit the clinic run by--er, what's his name? Strider, I think.

[formermagicalgirl]

[She nods.] It might not be needed. I think I found part of the manual I was looking for earlier. Another of those pieces we're looking for.

[She leans over to whisper into his ear.]

It is powered by energy from drained from living creatures.