epidemiology | CLOSED. Watching from the edge of the circus

[ Shuyi was so excited to hear about a stable right in Perdition's Rest that she rushed straight to see for herself without even asking what the stable houses. What she saw disappointed her, at first, but the more she time she spent with the mechanical animals, the more she questioned whether living beings could only be made of flesh and blood. Perhaps metal could be just as alive.

She has taken a liking to one in particular, smaller than all the rest with white painted dots against its coppery body. The horse leans against her hand when she strokes its head, laughing. ]

I wish I can keep him.

[ The first thing she says to whoever walks into the stables. She doesn't even know what her challenger looks like. ]

[ to lance's credit, he hadn't intended for this all to end up into some big contest. he had been genuinely curious by the person's claim, despite his rather blatant doubt and dismissal of it. he never once thought he'd be offered a demonstration, especially right off the bat, and certainly not under the banner of a bet.

but lance is nothing if not an opportunist, and the way he saw it is he's got nothing to lose. the guy's either proven to be a fake, and he gets to laugh as someone tries to dance in front of other people, or the guy's the real deal, and he gets some questions answered. he doesn't have much shame to begin with — he doesn't think there's really anything this guy could do to make him regret any of this.

—except, of course, turn out to be a girl all along. ]

Oh quiznak—

[ lance swears under his breath a second after stepping towards the stables. luckily, he manages to veer his footing so that he pivots at the last second, pressing his back against the wall while his mind rushes to keep up. okay. okay so it was a girl all along. a really pretty girl.

shoot he wishes he'd asked for a date instead...! ]

Who, me?

[ nbd nbd he can roll with this. that's how lance announces his entrance, stepping back into the stables with a grin on his lips as if he had planned this all out himself, yep. he laughs a little, running a hand through his hair. ]

There's no need for wishes — I'm all yours.

[ Shuyi likes taking chances. Throw her a bet, a challenge, and she would jump through hoops to give her best to win it even if she knows from the start how terrible she would be at it. This time, it's a sure win for her, so why not?

She gives the mechanical horse a last tickle under the chin, still laughing, when she steps closer to her new company with hands linked behind her back. She could correct him and say she meant she wanted to keep the horse, which would straighten any misunderstanding, but where would the fun be in that? ]

You? And why should I keep you?

[ oh, he'd known she'd been talking about the horse, but lance is definitely nothing if not an opportunist. and when the chance to lay out some smooth lines to a pretty girl come up? who is he to refuse.

though the true surprise here is that she's playing along. ]

I think the easier question to answer would be: why shouldn't you keep me? Because there's only one answer to that, and that answer is: nothing. There is no reason not to keep me. I'm a keeper, a real winner, you're not gonna find any better Lance in these parts, no sir!

[ ... ]

Ma'am.

[ Shuyi has had a lifetime's worth of experience flirting with all kinds of people. Isn't that what courtiers are for? The difference then was the mutual understanding that she was irrevocably off-limits, which meant the banter was done for its own sake. Wordplays without real intention. It's only too easy to slip back into those shoes.

She crosses her arms in front of her and leans back on her heels. ]

And what use would I have for a Lance, even if I were to have the best one in all the lands?

I'm glad you asked.

[ no really, he truly is. how often does anyone actually ask him to talk about himself? ]

This Lance model happens to be top of the line, new and improved! With a never-ending supply of clever puns, suave mystique, and a boyish but roguish charm, you'll never find yourself with a dull moment. He even comes with his own laugh track, ha ha ha!

[ ...and then he realizes the appliance analogy probably wasn't the best route to go, considering all things mechanical in this place. he deflates just a little bit. ]

I'm, uh. I'm actually a real person, by the way. That was just a joke, this is all totally flesh, I can even prove it to you I swear.

[ Look, his lines may be so utterly cheesy that he's better off opening a deli, but it still has her breathlessly laughing with her head thrown back. She remembers her manners only a moment later, covering her mouth with her hand while trying to stop her giggling fit. Should she keep him going?

She draws in a sharp breath to compose herself. ]

A real person is better than a model, as new and improved as it may be. How would you prove that to me?

[ Please don't, like, pull down your pants or anything. ]

[ lance's mind, naturally, goes to about a dozen different places at once with that invitation, for it is as real an invitation as he had ever heard before. she can probably tell, too, where many of those thoughts have drifted when he suddenly grows so quiet, and his eyes widen, and the complexion of his skin shifts towards a dark, rosy red.

his mouth opens, and for a second he very nearly defaults to a suggestion that would have probably bumped up the rating of his canon kid's cartoon show to something way past pg-13— ]

[ but no sound comes out of it, and instead his hand juts out, palm up and offered to her in silence. his lips quirk at the corner, the beginning of a sheepish, imploring smile. ]

[ And what could he possibly mean by that?

It occurs to her that they had met here under the guise of a challenge now summarily forgotten, but this is so much more fun than showing him what she already knows to be true. The unknown is that much more exciting. Nevermind that following her curiosity has gotten her into trouble many times before.

Shuyi makes a show of it too, standing up straight and granting him her hand with a flourish befitting a true princess. She can barely contain the grin that keeps threatening to break free. ]

[ her laugh is a nice sound to his ears, and he feels bolstered by it. it's certainly a lot nicer when that laughter isn't directed at you, that's for sure.

with a wider grin, he takes her hand up and presses the palm of it against his chest, right over his heart that is perhaps beating a little too wildly to be anything less than incredibly embarrassing. ]

See? Flesh and blood and bone.

[ Shuyi can be many things, but she doesn't want to be cruel. It takes a lifetime to do just that, to put oneself in someone else's shoes and guard against words and deeds that shrivel the soul, and she hasn't always succeeded.

With another chuckle, she steps closer so she can bring her hand up, off his chest to trace his chin. Flesh and blood. And bone. ]

But a heart is made of much more than that.

[ this

this usually how this works out.

usually, by now, someone's either laughed at him, or rolled their eyes, or brusquely rolled over his words to move the conversation along.

even nyma, whose entire purpose was to humor him into submission, hadn't quite been this forward.

so all lance can do is stare at shuyi in stunned wonder, the grin slowly fading from his lips, quickly replaced by the growing shades of red taking over his complexion. ]

What, uh, [ he finally rasps out, when he remembers that conversations typically require the other person to respond, ] what's that...

[ She could break the silence with a laugh or a wave of her hand to dismiss the tension in the air, but why would she when the look on his face is something she wishes she can keep and carry with her? But enough of this torment.

Taking her hand back, still with a smile on her face, she takes her eyes off of him to busy herself with the horse. It would give him room to breathe. ]

Bonds that even I can't severe.

[ he's. not entirely sure what just happened... but he's fairly certain he likes it.

when she steps away, though, he is granted enough space to finally remember to breathe again. he clears his throat a little roughly, tugging on the suddenly too-tight high collar of his suit. ]

Uh... yeah... about that.

[ he reaches behind him and tugs out a wilting flower that he'd picked up on his way here, off of one of the saloon tables where he's staying. this he holds out towards her, twirling it idly between his fingers. ]

Weren't you gonna show me something?

[ The horse gets a few more scratches behind its ear as she watches him twirl that wilting flower, holding back from asking if that's for her. Patience, now. ]

Do you have something that needs destroying?

[ She rather hopes it's not the flower. ]

No, [ he says, with a face that seems to imply why would anyone ever need anything destroyed? ]

You said you'd prove your power though, didn't you? So here.

[ sadly, it is the flower. he doesn't have much here, and she indicated to bring something that didn't mean much to him, so... ]

[ Her expression turns into a frown, but it lasts only moments before it turns into acceptance. Flowers die, as they do, and there's little use in mourning them. So she takes that already wilting flower from him and holds it aloft between two fingers while her other palm goes below it as if she's holding an imaginary pot.

And just like that, blades too small to be seen by the human eyes cut into the petals and the stem, crisscrossing relentlessly through the poor flower until all that's left is unrecognizable dust and the sense of something electric in the air. ]

And so.

[ lance isn't entirely sure what he'd been expecting, but it sure as heck wasn't that.

for a good while he doesn't do or say much apart from some very blatant staring. it's... kind of terrifying, isn't it? that kind of power... ]

...How?

[ Shuyi bites her lips in hesitation, never quite sure what to make of people's responses to her power. Back home, it's unusual, but hardly so surprising. ]

Everything is made of smaller parts of itself. [ She puts her fists together to illustrate, then takes them apart. ] I can cause them to let go of each other.

[ he's — surprised, that's for sure. maybe even a little afraid, but rather suddenly he's glad he hadn't thought to bring anything else that looked more human-like...

still, he wants to understand, because he's also pretty certain a lot of this fear is from uncertainty too. she doesn't seem like a bad person... even if her powers are scary, that might not be so bad if she's on their side, right? ]

That's.. pretty wild. Could you always do that?

[ She smiles wider in hopes that he would see her in the same light as he did before. Before she showed him any of this, when he was just being a boy, flirting with a girl he just met. That's much, much nicer.

But she still needs to answer his question, doesn't she? ]

As long as blood runs through my veins.

[ She tries a grin this time. ]

Does this mean you will dance for me?

[ hey, if it's some levity she wants, lance has it in spades. ]

I dunno...

[ he shifts back a little, and then does a snazzy (read: not so snazzy) little turn on a heel before ending with two finger-guns aimed right at her. ]

You sure you can handle all this swag? I'm not responsible for any and all swooning that may occur once my sick moves have been unleashed!

[ She nearly snorts with laughter, despite all those years training it out of her, the habit returns at times when she lets down her guard. That's easy to do with Lance. Perhaps that should make him dangerous. She crosses her arms in front of her and pretends to be unaffected. ]

I have not swooned in ages. Your warnings fall on deaf ears, Lance.

CLOSED. Watching from the edge of the circus

LANCE.

drags body in here so late, please forgive...!

you're all good!! i'm also really slow this week...

grips your hand and weeps...

this is beautiful . . .

apologizes for him on loop 1/2

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oh dear me

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and... this...