[M] Anima Mundi IC (Namingtoohard and Headwrapper)

[Headwrapper]

Clair remained quiet as she took in Shallan's take on her and Mec's journey. Her brown eyes flicked between the pair, struggling to take in as much as she wanted to. She coveted tales such as these, and she was clearly delighted to have such an intimate conversation with who she viewed as protagonists for such stories. "I can't imagine what seems like the whole world being against you to not be fun," she replied, returning Shallan's statement with a similarly humored rebuttal. "But I must be honest. I am glad that the events transpired the way they did. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened to me. So thank you, both of you, for your choices."

Mec sat quietly, offering only a halfhearted smile in response to Clair's thanks. As much as he might have done to help alleviate the performer's curse, it hardly amounted to much. The treatment of the effects was only temporary and in effect if he was around, so Clair was hardly free from them. G had even told him that such a curse should be trivial, at least in some way, to remove with his power, and yet Mec could not muster such power even with the mysterious voice's help. Was it possible that Mec's own powers were only remnants of what G claimed was his old strength? Was Mec's so-called prowess with his training merely G regaining his own power?

"You needn't think anything of it, Clair. You're hardly undeserving of what little I am able to do to help you. I'm only returning the kindness you had already shown me, even though we hardly knew each other."

Clair gigged. "You mean when you commandeered my wagon as a bed? I hardly had a choice in that matter, now did I?" Her eyes narrowed smugly and she grinned, flickering a glance in Shallan's direction. It was as if she knew with certainty that Mec had not dared recount such an event to Shallan, and that she would be once again putting him on the spot. "Or I guess maybe it's the clothes you're wearing. I think I made a good choice, considering you're not quite the same size as most of my boys." She cocked her head slightly, looking over Mec with one eye closed. The eye that remained open still managed to convey a certain smugness, thanks to Clair's natural expressiveness. "Most of them have much larger muscles...

"That reminds me. Are public baths not commonplace where you're from?"

[Namingtoohard]

A simple nod of acceptance was Shallan's response to the thanks their hostess lavished upon her. A subtle gesture, but an appreciative one nonetheless. Had Clair tried to thank them both for their actions in defeating her curse, Shallan would likely have tried to deflect her gratitude, insisting that it was Mec who had done all the work. She might have tried to give him a little motivation, certainly, but he was the one who had risked his well-being to assist her. Given that her thanks was for her involvement as a whole, however, there was little the girl could do but accept her thanks with grace.

Still, the overall tone of the conversation shifted rather quickly when Clair brought up something in their joint past. A little fact that Mec had failed to share with her, for reasons that were immediately evident. Shallan snorted softly in something akin to amusement at the image Clair's words brought to mind. She opened her mouth to comment, intending to make some idle remark about how he had never shared such information with her, only for the words to die on her lips as Clair continued. The talk that followed served to raise more questions than amusement, and seemed suspiciously lacking in answers.

"No, as a matter of fact we didn't" Shallan answered, throwing a rather pointed look in her companion's direction. She spoke up quickly again, slipping her next question into the pause that followed before either of the others could continue.

"I feel like there's another story here. So, allow me to ask the obvious question. Just how did the two of you meet? We saw you in the square on the day the misfits first rolled back into town, Clair, but neither of us got particularly close" she added, idly running a fingertip around the top of her wine glass. Another thought quickly sprung to mind then, and Shallan quickly directed her attention back towards Mec.

"Actually...this wouldn't happen to be the same time that you met Haul, was it Mec?" she questioned. Her tone was casual, but her gaze was more than a little pointed. If he so much as glanced at her then, Shallan would meet his gaze without flinching, her expression unreadable.

If Clair had wished or intentionally planned to put the young mage on the spot, it certainly seemed like the young actress was going to get exactly what she had wanted.

[Headwrapper]

"Hmm, I suppose that would make sense, in a smaller town with less people," Clair mused, resting her chin between her thumb and index finger. Her eyes turned casually as Shallan continued then, recalling that she had not been aware of how Mec and Clair were acquainted. Of course, such curiousness was natural, as Shallan was not present when the rest of the present party had met.

Much to the performer's entertainment, a more direct question was then pointed towards Mec before she could respond to the previous inquiry. She didn't know who this Haul was, but it was not ambitious to presume that he may have had something to do with whatever late-night troubles Mec had roped himself into prior to ending up in the Misfits' wagon. Rather than express any knowledge, or lack of, that she had, Clair chose to simply allow Mec the chance to answer himself. Her lips fought to suppress a smirk, but her eyes twinkled as they peered from behind a stray lock of hair that fell down the middle of her face.

Being seated and unable to truly take a step back, Mec backpedaled by shrinking back into his chair. "Um, Clair and I met that one day, on the street, remember? I think I told you, we had run into each other as we rounded the same corner... That day I bought you a comb."

He tried to disappear more into his chair, but one could only force themselves so deep into any cushion, regardless how lavish they might be. After clearing his throat, he added "I met Haul a few nights later. Um, that night I went out alone. I didn't really have anywhere to go, really. That guy likes to talk a lot, I guess, and he somehow could tell I was upset about something that night. He tried giving me some advice and got me to drink." The young mage placed a hand on the back of his head bashfully, averting his eyes from the rest of the company. "I don't really remember much else from that night, other than there being a lot of music and yelling. And howling. Haul's band likes to howl."

Clair began to giggle then, covering her mouth with one delicate hand. "And that's how I ended up finding a young drunk boy in my wagon one morning," she said through her laughter. "He's lucky I was feeling generous that day! Actually, I had recognized him from the time before. From the way he shrinks back like he is now when he's embarrassed, or turns a little red when speaking to pretty girls, he couldn't have been much of a night lifer. I figured it must have been the first time he had suffered the morning gift of a hangover. A bath and a full belly of water and I had him as good as new by the end of the morning!"

Mec forced himself to straighten up in his seat, defiantly shaking his head. "I don't do either of those things. But it was my first time drinking that much, and my last. In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, this cup here might just be my last."

"Hmm.

[Namingtoohard]

Shallan pressed her lips into a frown as her companion claimed that he had, in fact, already told her about his first encounter with Clair. Her gaze drifted upwards as she dove into the depths of her memory, as if she might find the answers she sought emblazoned on the ceiling somewhere. Whilst she thought, the girl tapped a finger against her chin idly.

"That...does sound vaguely familiar, I admit. I suppose its possible that you did mention it" she begrudgingly admitted after a moment, before giving a casual shrug. Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she turned her attention back to the other two members of their little group, instead focusing on the rest of the story that was currently unfolding.

She found herself grinning at Mec's little story, and her amusement quickly progressed into full blown laughter when Clair made a point of mentioning two of his most obvious tells, right in front of him. Shallan was almost disappointed that she hadn't gotten to see the scene Clair described in person, but getting to watch the boy squirm now was just as good. She felt a brief flash of embarrassment as their host's earlier question about public baths sprung to mind, and felt her cheeks warming slightly as a result. She wasn't implying that the two of them had actually bathed together, right? No, certainly not. Shallan was just overthinking things...probably.

"You almost sound disappointed, Clair. Don't tell me that you brought the two of us here with the sole intention of getting Mec drunk again" she teased, grinning playfully. The girl threw another subtle glance towards her glass of wine, but exercised her self-control, forcing both of her hands down into her lap.

"Truth be told, I don't think I've ever been properly drunk before. At least, not 'wake up in the back of a stranger's cart' drunk. I'd like to try it eventually, just for the experience. But tonight probably isn't the time or place" she answered, throwing a subtle glance out over the balcony again, and down towards the crowd and stage beyond. "The wine that our host has gifted us with is...tempting. But I've only really been drinking once or twice before this. There's no telling what sort of trouble I'd end up getting myself into" she muttered, almost speaking to herself as much as her two companions this time.

[Headwrapper]

"I might be a little bit disappointed," Clair replied mischievously, squinting her eyes slightly as she curled her lips into a smile. She gave Shallan time to speak, before chiming back in. "Nowadays I have no business overdrinking, but I find it does help one relax the mind after days of planning, organizing, rehearsing, traveling." She paused briefly, before refilling her cup. "But you're right, this is some good wine."

The performances below stayed largely interrupted throughout the night. The hosts of the tavern had a good handle of their patrons, and any that may have interrupted others' enjoyment were removed or convinced to dial back their celebrations. Eventually, even Clair seemed content with the night and the group's indulgence. She instructed Perro to remove what was left on the table, and once it was cleared, allowed herself to rest her feet upon it. "Before ending the night, I did want to speak to you both about our upcoming travels. Normally we travel only by daylight, so the progress at times can be a bit slow. We can't risk being attacked by bandits, so it is simpler to travel from town to town alongside others."

Mec nodded. "That's understandable. Our appointment isn't urgent, anyway, as long as we are able to make progress."

"Alright then," Clair replied simply. Her eyes steadily stared at some fixed point, only apparent to her, as she seemed to play out the scenario in her mind. "I'll see to it that you'll have room on my wagon. But the troupe will expect that you both do your fair sure to help, of course. We usually take kindly to strangers, given the groups background, but not to lazy ones. And naturally, the true nature of our acquaintance should stay a secret.

To keep such a secret, we should make sure all three of us have our stories straight. Who you two are, why you're traveling with us, and how we met. Right now the only ones who can vouch for either of you are Shaun and Sarah. We will have to rely on them to spread good favor about you, but right now neither one of them understand who either of you are, and why Mec was able to help me when doctors could not."

[Namingtoohard]

In a rather unladylike gesture, Shallan snorted softly when Clair expressed disappointment at her decision to remain frugal. The idea of their hostess trying to get them drunk was mildly amusing, and Shallan had already expressed more than a little curiosity. She couldn't help but wonder what exactly Clair expected to happen, though, and this was definitely neither the time nor the place.

"I'd rather save that experience for a time when I'm surrounded by friends, and the only harm I can cause is some measure of personal embarrassment. Maybe while we're between towns"

Her offer made, Shallan nodded in simply understanding when Clair pointed out her own reluctance to push things so far nowadays, given her current responsibilities. She was content to simply relax and enjoy the conversation that followed, sinking just a little lower in her seat as the night continued to wear on. When talk finally turned to their current situation, though, she made an effort to straighten up a little. This topic seemed important enough to warrant her full attention, at the very least.

"I think that we should keep our stories as close to reality as we possibly can. The less we have to lie about, the safer we'll be" she offered. Tapping a finger against her chin idly, she contemplated the issue in silence for a moment, before finally continuing.

"We might not want to give away our real home town, since someone could possibly link that to rumours of a runaway mage who escaped captivity. So, we tell them we came from Avoorka instead" she said, naming the first town that she and Mec had passed through once they had fled together. "We keep the bit about hiring a caravan and making our way here, though we may want to exclude what happened in Taunteas on the way"

"As for the why...I can probably spin some tale about wanting to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a performer. That'd probably explain away my being here easily enough, and it wouldn't technically be a lie. I'm sure stories like that are common enough to be believable around a place like this" she added, a wry smile flickering across her features.

"The real challenge will be explaining away the magic. Unless you think Shawn and Sarah are trustworthy enough to keep quiet about that if asked?" Shallan asked, throwing a questioning glance towards Clair.

[Headwrapper]

Clair shook her head quickly, immediately dismissing the idea that Shawn and Sarah would be successful confidantes in such matters. "No. They're plenty trustworthy I suppose, but they would not take such information well. I'm afraid my young Sarah worries too much about even the normal things, let alone things of such mystery and danger. And Shaun, well... He means well, but he is an open book by all accounts."

The woman placed her pointed chin against her slender fingers, taking a brief moment to think. "They are still confused about what happened. They should accept nearly any explanation we offer them as long as it's easy to believe."

"I don't think they could have seen me use magic when I can to help, either," Mec offered. "Shaun had only brought me along thinking that it would make you feel better if he brought you a friend. Sarah was preoccupied with finding a real doctor."

"Sarah most likely thinks I snapped out of it on my own," Clair said, continuing where Mec had left off. "And sweet Shaun most likely thinks his plan to bring a friend worked. In a way, he'd be right." She let out a small chuckle, smiling widely. "We'll have to play the curse off as some temporary affliction. My ability to perform and carry out my duties should be proof that the worst of it is over. Mec, I don't suppose that you are hoping to be a performer as well, do you?"

Mec laughed, only ever so briefly, before managing to stifle himself. "I'm afraid not. However, my father was an avid traveler in his youth. It would make sense that I would follow in his footsteps, and when my childhood friend decided to travel I seized the opportunity and tagged along."

"Ah, after all, it would be a dangerous for a fair lass to travel alone," Clair chimed.

"Exactly."

"And who better to travel alongside her than her childhood friend? Her longtime admirer, madly in love, just waiting for the right m-"

"Wait what!?"

Clair giggled loudly, curling her legs beneath her as she shrunk into her seat. She raised her shoulder to mask her grin, peering over to Mec. "Too much?"

[Namingtoohard]

Shallan nodded along placidly in something akin to agreement when the discussion turned to magic, and her two companions began to discuss the best way of disguising what had actually happened. For once, she found that she was content to sit back and let other people handle the problem. Mec was the closest thing they had to an expert on hiding magic, after all, and Clair was the trained master of distraction. She nodded in simple agreement when the two decided on the approach they were to take, and Mec's cover story, but that was about it.

A soft chuckle would escape her lips when Clair once again decided to poke fun at the relationship between the two of them. A warm-spirited laugh that hopefully helped to conceal her own awkwardness over the issue. Her cheeks were already tinged a gentle red by the wine she had consumed, a noticeable blush would have doubtless crept across her features. As it was, they were reddened slightly further, though hopefully it would avoid notice.

Still, after their earlier conversation with Haul, and the discussion of their own that followed, she couldn't help but feel a little curious. Emboldened by the alcohol in her system, she spoke up quickly after the laughter had faded away.

"It shouldn't be that difficult to sell. Haul certainly seemed convinced that was the truth, after all. I can't help but wonder just how much of his assumptions were true" she offered, another soft giggle escaping her, accompanied by a coy smile. After just a moment's pause, she would throw another brief glance towards Clair.

"Perhaps your idea simply hits a little too close to the mark for comfort, hm? Though it does seem a rather embarrassing thing to declare as part of a cover story, and a touch impersonal at that. Unless you'd rather I feign ignorance, of course."

She turned her attention out over the balcony. This time, however, she didn't focus her attention on the crowd below. Rather, she seemed to just stare off into the distance for a moment, as if lost in thought.

"Truth be told, a more personal confession would probably have a better chance of succeeding. A word of advice if you ever do try to woo a girl, Mec, regardless of who it may be" she offered, a wry smile flickering across her features. "Or perhaps I'm just something of a romantic"

[Headwrapper]

Clair continued to muffle her giggles behind her turned shoulder, her eyes squinting as she listened to Shallan carry on Mec's torture. When she managed to briefly make eye contact with her, she gave her a quick wink, one that would be easily missed if no one was paying much attention to it. It was clear that she had much amusement in teasing Mec, introducing him to situations that made him uncomfortable. The way she would pause when Shallan spoke, careful not to interrupt even the slightest moment when the girl began to talk, made it clear that Clair enjoyed witnessing her interactions as well.

Her smile grew larger as she watched Mec's face grow more and more red. She even scrunched her nose when Shallan addressed her. "I suppose. Especially if others have already taken notice..." Once Shallan paused, lost in thought, Clair also took a moment to sit back, providing Mec a moment of respite.

Mec took the quiet moment as a chance to draw a long breath, cooling himself off. The heat on the surface of his skin hardly had a chance to subside when Shallan redirected her attention to him one last time, her moment of mercy ending abruptly. He drew a long breath before mustering the courage to look the girl in the eye. "I'll keep that in mind. Just in case. Anyway, we should really get back to discussing our plans."

"Making sure you both share a concise story is important to our plans. I could lose my troupe if it's discovered that I took knowingly took in a mage. Or worse if certain authorities found out." Clair spoke more seriously than she did before. There was no hint at the joy she felt in toying with Mec earlier left in her face, rather, she seemed calm and serious. "It wouldn't be outlandish to think that someone would rather chase after the one they admire, rather than have to live without them. People do a lot of things for love, after all.

It isn't necessary to embarrass yourself by saying you're in love or anything like that. However, it's the small and intimate details that will make your story more believable. As far as I'm concerned, I met both of you here in Convittas. After meeting Mec, I was acquainted with Shallan and agreed to let you both travel with the troupe. Anything that occurred beforehand is on the both of you to decide, but the important thing is you both keep your stories straight."

Clair's attention went down to the crowd below. "It's getting late, huh? It's about time I retire, just in case I need to wake up early and help pull Mec out of the wagon again. You should be able to find me at the same inn tomorrow morning."

[Namingtoohard]

A soft, almost gentle smile lingered on Shallan’s features as she listened to both of her companions talk. The discussion had moved on to more serious topics, and the atmosphere had shifted to match, but the memory lingered. Laughing and teasing and getting to know each other and planning the future together. For once, it seemed that everything had turned out in their favour. The lingering threat of imminent persecution felt like a distant memory, at least in the small moments like these. Yes, it had truly been a delightful evening.

These are the sort of moments we’re holding on for. The ones that make all the running and struggling seem worthwhile

A gentle thought, and a hopeful one. After a few moments of wistful thinking, Shallan returned her attention back to the conversation at hand, before nodding in simple acceptance when Clair announced that it was up to them to get their stories straight. She wasn’t particularly worried. They would have plenty of time to discuss it over the next few days, and it was a subject better approached when they had slept and the alcohol had drained out of their systems. Still, she managed another soft chuckle at the recurring mention of Mec’s newfound tendency to pass out in places that he shouldn’t.

“Mm. Probably a good idea. I’ll do my best to escort him home safely, but I don’t think I have the upper body strength to carry him if he does pass out, so the sooner the better” she answered. Taking that as a sign that their evening was drawing to a close, Shallan finally rose out of her seat. She let out a soft groan as her muscles protested against the sudden and unexpected movement after such a long period of sitting, revelling in the feeling.

“In any case, thank you for inviting us, Clair. It’s been a wonderful evening, and wonderful to meet you”

With that their little group finally absconded, leaving the alcove behind and exiting the same way they had entered. With whatever parting words they wished to offer, the two groups went their separate ways, marching out of the showroom and into the brisk evening air beyond. The cool wind felt soothing against Shallan’s wine-flushed cheeks, and she was quick to take Mec’s arm this time. After a few moments of just strolling along and enjoying the night, she allowed her gaze to drift upwards slightly, to the twinkling stars above.

“It’s good to be making progress again, I think. The visit to Convittas has been a lovely one, all things considered, but I feel like it’s definitely time to move on. I think we’ve already been here longer than intended“ she offered, her tone soft. Some relaxing and honest conversation seemed an enjoyable end to their evening, even if she did need to compete with the sounds of the night life.

“Ever since the fear of leaving home passed, I’ve been looking forward to seeing each new town. There’s something...liberating about being able to pull up your roots like this. To walk away, leave it all behind, and go discover what’s beyond the next hill. I’m not sure how I’ll ever settle in one place again”