astrid maikdottir

"If we're not supposed to dance, why all this music?"

[dantehart]

Unlike the space that Astrid had given him, he decided it would be in his own best interest to move closer. Was he positive that he could provide an impressive enough distraction to lead himself into victory? Dante was confident about many things, but he was never over confident. He enjoyed giving himself a clear description of the problem at hand, and solving it the best that he could manage. Astrid was an entirely different person to deal with. She was magic.

He leaned in on the opposite side of her throwing hand, knowing it would be best if he kept himself out of range of being hit. Dante was trying to be annoying, yes, but he didn't want to end the night with a black eye. No matter how funny it would be. Instead, he blew lightly on her ear, his breath all sugar at this point. If it changed anything, that was up to fate to decide, not him.

[astridmaikdottir]

You’d think an immortal creature trained in the art of ballet would have a touch more composure, yet she all but yelped and flew out of her skin when the unexpected distraction was blown her way. Her eyes opened wide, and she was laughing but not a single ring had landed where she’d wanted it to and that was Dante’s doing. 

It impressed her, really. Not everyday someone surprised her. Then again, humans were such good tricksters. But rather than admit that, she thought it more fun to swat at him; only a gentle smack to the place where shoulder met chest, accompanied by the sternest of brows. 

A signal to the young attendant, and soon they had two fresh stacks of rings to compete from. This time she wagged at finger at him, but it felt wrong. She sort of hoped he would continue to distract her.

[dantehart]

Dante shrugged, never having been bothered with the art of sharing. In fact, nothing felt more important to him than the exchanging of food. There was something so intimate about the act. So sacred that nothing else could quite compare. He enjoyed watching her face as she took a bite, considering the colors, making her decision, and finally giving her exact opinion on the matter. While Dante knew that honesty was a Fae trait, that it was her nature, he appreciated it endlessly. Sometimes it was nice to not have to worry about what could have been lurking around in someone's mind. Astrid said what she meant, and he was trusting enough to take it as face value.

He stared at the ring toss, then back at her, believing immediately that it would be something she was good at. Because he was, at this point, convinced she was likely better at most things than he ever could be. Time helped. So did the natural grace that she carried with her. Dante, despite working hard, knew that he wasn't light on his feet, nor expertly capable of having the aim necessary for many things. His biggest skill was having a large heart, and there was no measuring contest a person could have for that.

Dante picked up a ring, nodded at her, and began his attempt.

[astridmaikdottir]

For what might’ve been the first time since they’d arrived at the circus, Astrid shut her mouth. Her heels guided her a tentative step back, giving him any space he might require to make his attempt at the game. Astrid’s lungs were full of the breath she held in anticipation of his show, hands clasping together in front of her chest while she watched.

Nary a gasp escaped her while he let his rings fly, and she watched them land one by one where his careful aim flung them, occasionally to victory but just as often defeat. The prizes that hung from the tent’s awning could not catch her eye when his hands were there, a distraction and desire, but when it came time for Astrid’s turn she did her very best (which was really very good, after years of blocking out distractions onstage) to focus. 

The bridge of her nose wrinkled, her brows lowered in a seriousness foreign to her features, and the pink tip of Astrid’s tongue poked out between her teeth. Then in one gesture she shut her eyes and let all the rings soar at once, listening closely for the clinking echoes as they rung around the bottlenecks, or their dull thuds against the tent’s muddy carpeting. 

[dantehart]

Silently, Dante passed over the cotton candy to Astrid, providing her with an offering that could have been religious if one squinted hard enough. He certainly wasn't worshipping her, Dante believed in treating everyone equally, and deities had never treated him especially fairly. Mostly, it was the connection. Sticky fingers to sticky fingers. Candy floss that clung to every surface it was smashed against, leaving the kind of lasting impression that would be hard to remove from one's own skin.

He didn't want to remove any aspect of Astrid from his life. Dante intended on keeping her as close as he could manage, her voice more soothing than any ocean wave could ever be. A siren's song meant only for him. It was presumptuous to be sure, but as he made the move to lick one of his fingers clean, wondering how a person could say so much about so little and make it be so interesting, he couldn't think of anything else.

Some people were just magic. And yes, Astrid was Fae, there was magic in her skin that he could never understand. An otherworldliness that he couldn't be included in. But it wasn't the interesting shine. It was just her. With her big brown eyes, and the long brown hair. The way she moved through the world and loved it all, instead of trying to fight against a current. That's what it was. She moved with love.

[astridmaikdottir]

“Oh. Well, what do you know. The blue actually isn’t as good as the pink. I bet it’s the red dye. It’s a good thing it can’t hurt me, because I’m mad for the stuff. Quite literally! I think it gives me a bit of a zing. Whereas the blue... Well, no matter. You can have that back and I can be satisfied knowing I didn’t want it after all. 

“That was all very generous of you, by the way. I can’t say I’d have done the same. Then again, I also can’t say I wouldn’t haven’t done just exactly the same. It’s all well and good to theorize after the fact, but truth be told I suppose we’re all capable of making every possible choice. Depending on the day. And how hungry we are. 

“Anyway, should we play the ring toss? I’m quite good at these sorts of games, you know.”

[dantehart]

Dante stood with his arms crossed, fighting off the smile that was already on his face. There was no point in pretending to be serious where Astrid was concerned, not when everything that came out of her mouth was something he found interesting and amusing. Whether it was the fact that she had just been around that much longer than him, or she just naturally had the charisma, he couldn't tell, and it didn't matter. Instead, he began to pick at the cotton candy in his hand, the kind that was already melting on his fingers, causing him to be stickier than he might've liked. The heat didn't help, either. Already he was aching for the refreshing breeze that came with fall. Those cool nights when he could open up his windows, and feel the air flying across his bare chest.

Talking to Astrid felt like that. Like a breezy window with curtains billowing, the kind of refreshing emotion that removed the constant weight that pressed so firmly against his heart. Dante remained an odd contraction. A mix of lightheartedness, and the kind of seriousness that only came with loss. He loved to laugh, and yet, some bouts of laughter felt more like a stab to the gut than the lifting of one's spirits.

The bear, well, the bear could have been completely nonexistent. The poster just imaginary, and he still would have done everything in his power to keep Astrid going. To push her all the more to allow her lips to move, and her tongue to wag. The circus was entertaining, sure, but his eyes didn't waver from the curve of her neck, the pull of her mouth, and the bright sparkle in her eyes.

[astridmaikdottir]

“And another thing! Not to complain of course, because I really am having a lovely time and they’ve done a very good job of keeping the charade entertaining, but don’t you think the whole thing could do with a bit of a modern twist? I mean if you’ve seen one circus it seems you’ve seen them all, for all the innovation they’ve made in the last several centuries. Now, an underwater circus! That I’d like to see. What’s a bit of friendly competition? It’s a monopoly right now is what it is, no wonder it’s a bit stale. Anyway, you’ve got to eat that faster or I’ll have to march back to the cotton candy stand and buy myself a second one. It’s very irritating, you taking your time with it like that. Only because I didn’t, of course. It’s no fault of your own.”

[astridmaikdottir]

August 19, 2023 Obsidian City Circus @dantehart "—but that was so long ago! And I'm sure it's not the same bear. See, she doesn't even have the same coloring. The real Bloodhearth Beverly had a patch of gray around her snout, and this bear has none. I bet they'd say they've dyed the fur if I asked, but you just won't convince me the same Bloodhearth Beverly that ransacked all those fishing huts is the ballet proficient bear before us today, even if the correlation between ballet students and kleptomaniacs is deceptively positive. But that's neither here nor there. The posters are very misleading, is all."

[astridmaikdottir]

valentinethorn​:

Valentine was never put off by anyone who was enjoying themselves, especially when it came to wine. As far as he was concerned, laughter solved most of what ailed people, though he had to admit, he couldn’t quite remember the last time he openly laughed. As though maybe he were just now finding out that there was a piece of him broken that he hadn’t even felt until this exact moment. No expression on his face change, just the same amused look that served him well.

“I like that,” Vale stated. “A sound. That’s part of the joy in tasting something, isn’t it? We don’t always know what will surface to the top when we do. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but it’s such a visceral reaction no matter what. Like it opens up some part of ourselves that we never knew existed before.” He wasn’t sure where all of that came from, but he was more than willing to run with it. No, he knew. He didn’t know the song at all, something about it not triggering any response in his brain.

He pointed to the next option. “Next is a Sauvignon Blanc, as it’s important you travel from Sparkling to White.” A gentle pour signaled the beginning. “This is Dutcher Crossing. You may notice a few interesting notes here, including shishito and bell pepper. An acquired taste, but I always admire someone willing to push the limits.”

.

“Yes, and it can be an awful lot like smell the way it jogs your memory if the right chords are struck. For instance, I can never have a pineapple juice and rum again because it tastes far too much like summer of 1897, and if I burn lavender I’m in my first ballet teacher’s bathroom again.” Astrid had spent quite a few lessons hiding in there. “I’m completely removed from the present moment. Memory is so intoxicating, isn’t it?” Astrid sighed and hummed and reached for the next glass. 

The flavor surprised her, and she blinked a few times in rapid succession. “Oh. Hmm.” Without taking another sip she gave it a sniff and pulled back immediately. “Maybe in another hundred years,” she told him, and the glass, meaning to let them down gently. “Perhaps then I’ll have acquired it.” Today though, she had not. “If you want to try getting away with it on the job, you’re welcome to the rest of it.” She pushed the glass to the side of the table. “I won’t have it go to waste, so it’s you or me.” 

[astridmaikdottir]

valentinethorn​:

With almost supernatural precision, Valentine placed four wine glasses down before her. He couldn’t very well pour the wine beforehand, and instead had brought with him a cart, the wine still chilling in a bucket of ice. There were few things in this world that he appreciated more than popping open a new bottle. Some in the restaurant even sought him out for the task, given the fact that he could perform the task in record time. With all of the practicing he had with it, that shouldn’t be a shock for anyone.

“I’m happy you asked, since I’m much more knowledgeable in this area than if you started peppering me with questions about the dessert that should be coming out in a few minutes.” Really, he was almost relieved. Valentine loved wine, yes, but he loved sharing what he knew even more.

To start, Vale showed off the La Marca Prosecco. “The first should always be a sparkling. It’s a great way to kick start your palate, and everyone loves Prosecco.” He poured a small amount, though he might’ve added more than was strictly protocol for a tasting. “You’ll have to tell me what you experience as you taste, but this particular Prosecco reminds me of the beginning of summer. It’s citrusy, and light, and it makes me feel warm, as though I’ve been outside all day in the sun.”

.

Astrid felt her smile growing wider the farther her mind was left to wander away from the empty chair across from her. By the time he’d explained the sparkling hypothesis to her, Astrid’s sister was already forgotten. 

Taking a delicate sip she tried her best to keep the ladylike composure that had once been drilled into her, but as always she failed and the tip of her nose gave a twitch before one singular hiccup disrupted the performance. “It happens every time,” she explained to him, laughing. Three-fourths of the prosecco was gone before she remembered she was supposed to be thinking about it. 

To take the job seriously, she closed her eyes and with a wiggle straightened her back. “Alright. Ah-hem. It’s very...” The same loud thoughts rattled around her head that came any time she tried to meditate. Astrid shook them out physically. What she was left with was a melody. “It’s more like a sound I hear.” Carefully now she let the last of it settle on her tongue, “Maria,” she said, and opened her eyes. “That’s the song. Tárrega and Madariaga. Do you know it?” She thought probably not by name, and started to hum the tune for him, conducting herself by waving her index fingers around until she thought she’d probably made enough of a fool of herself and he either recognized it or didn't.

[valentinethorn]

He shrugged, the idea of being stood up sliding off his back as though it were water. Vale had never experienced emotion the same way that other people had, often accepting things that were usually unacceptable. He couldn't help it. His brain was used to processing complex equations. Everything else felt secondary. Like it was more of a relief to be saved from that kind of interaction than actually have to go through with it, no matter how much he may have been looking forward to the moment.

"Sounds to me like you could use a wine tasting, not just a singular bottle. It's an excellent way to waste time. Even better if it means leaving here a little wobbly." Not that Vale knew, but still, the point stood. Most people that came around here didn't mind their heads swirling around a little. But he took the thanks, and he left, his mind already coming up with possible wine combinations that he could offer her. There was nothing he hated more than an unhappy customer, except, perhaps, a problem that couldn't be solved.

[astridmaikdottir]

"I do so love a sample. There's something very satisfying about trying very many little somethings rather than getting sick of the one thing halfway through." That might explain why she liked most nights to order her dessets first and have appetizers as the main.

In his absence she found she had to let her mind and eyes wander back to the empty seat across from her, only her imagination filling it. It wasn't as though she had been particularly looking forward to seeing her sister. On the contrary, she’d been dreading it for several days now. Still, she’d had the decency to show up. Astrid couldn’t help but feel, yet again, the butt of some joke between her siblings for no reason other than the cruel whims of their boredom. At their age! However did humans manage to grow out of it in their short times? She wondered if maybe they didn’t.

It was a train of thought she’d rather not board, and resolved to threaten her moral compass with a little iron to point it askew. All so that she might find herself asking the poor waiter questions that might keep him there once he returned, and thus free her mind from dwelling too much on itself.

“Is there an order you think I should have them in?”

[valentinethorn]

Valentine shook his head resolutely, which means it was one singular motion that punctuated the words he spoke. "Absolutely not, ma'am. One of the most important aspects of this institution is that our patrons should always feel welcome, and we never intend on forcing anyone out. In fact, I think there's something nice about taking extra time for a meal. So many people intend on rushing through it without properly resonating with what they're actually doing." Did he believe what he was saying? Vale couldn't know for sure, only that it seemed right coming out of his mouth.

He nodded, a happy, warm smile on his face. One that was a permanent fixture on a face that couldn't always contort itself in the right manner, no matter how long he stared into a mirror. "You're leaving a lot to my own discretion," Vale said with another bright smile. Anyone else might have considered it some kind of challenge, where he simply felt honored that someone trusted him with such a decision.

"I'll be right back with the wine, and I'll place the order in for the dessert."

[astridmaikdottir]

In a polite way that didn't reach her eyes, Astrid smiled at the lovely little spiel. "I think so too." It was nice to savor something. "Only, I prefer taking my time when it's something I enjoy. And though I'm sure the food will be outstanding," --her hands reached for her heart-- "being stood up is not quite so delicious. Something you'd really rather get on with, you know?"

Finding herself in the midst of oversharing with strangers wasn't a rarity, but she did try her best not to do it when the person was financially obligated to pretend they wanted to listen, so she soon and with effort shut herself up and left it simply at thanking him.

[valentinethorn]

WHEN: July 2nd, 2023 WHERE: L'Arpège WHO: Open

Valentine stood poised, his hands behind his back as he waited for the patron to make their decision on what they'd be having for lunch that afternoon. He had no issues with stillness, always finding it more comfortable than the exaggerated movements that seemed to happen around him. As though most people couldn't handle remaining frozen. Like something in their coding forced their little twitches and nervous habits. Valentine had none.

"If you have any questions," Valentine ventured, more than happy to provide his expertise despite his own lack of consistent appetite. Food rarely brought him any real pleasure, but he did have a kind of penchant for wine. He could drink it continuously, without feeling a thing. Was it normal? Valentine simply believed some people were more predisposed for tolerances, and he had been blessed with excellent genetics.

[astridmaikdottir]

“No,” Astrid sighed, long and somewhat forlorn. “No questions. I don’t mean to hold you up. You probably wish I’d hurry up and order and go so you could turn the table.” Quickly, for the hundredth time, her eyes flashed to the clock behind his head and back again to the menu. 10:45, it read. Astrid had sat down at 9:30 on the dot.

Okay, fine. 9:32. 

“Oh, alright, this is pathetic. Clearly no one else is coming. I want an entire bottle of whatever wine you like best and the most indulgent dessert on the menu, times two.”

[astridmaikdottir]

[astridmaikdottir]

fenriksblade​:

Fenrik didn’t respond right away. His instinct was that no, he wasn’t worried that death wasn’t the end. However, given the argument he and Elba had just five days ago, he could only pause to actually consider the question. Ghosts and more seemed to linger even if only certain people could see them. 

As a result, he could only shrug in response. “I never used to believe that there was more to death other than it being the end.” He wasn’t sure what to believe nowadays, really. “And then I met someone years ago who died and came back to life. Maybe not quite reincarnation, but definitely not the end for her. Not sure I believe that there’s much on the other side, but I think for some people there might be more. What do they call it? Unfinished business?”

He watched the coyote for a moment. He’d heard once that dog’s had good judgment. Granted, Bone wasn’t really a dog, but he was still a canine so it felt close enough. “You believe in that? Reincarnation?” 

.

“I want to believe in almost anything that sounds lovely,” she admitted, confessing a fault she had no interest in changing. “And I suppose if enough people believe in something, it will become real even if it wasn’t before. Minds are very powerful things. Entire universes inside us, really. They can make anything real if you believe it is.” A bus went whizzing past along the main road, one she intended to catch. “I hope I see you again before the next life,” she called over her shoulder. Whether to the man or to the coyote, it was unclear. “If there is one.” 

the end.

[astridmaikdottir]

leepackett​:

Lee let out a bark of laughter, using the spin to pull her deeper into the crowd of dancers. He was on cloud nine, all moonshine and birthday bliss, the kind of mood he would happily stay in forever if life allowed it. A mood he often chased, after all it was a rarity to find Lee Packett in a state that do not involve some level of joy – a privilege he knew he was lucky for. “Now that’s a great birthday present.”

.

Was it? She wondered. He may be impervious to the effects of a hangover, but how would he feel after a night of relentless dancing with a fae for partner? Fortunately for him, he had said the magic words. She hadn’t known it was his birthday. And she so loved a birthday. It would be impolite to send him into his next year with jelly for legs.

the end.

[astridmaikdottir]

nadiacattaneo​:

“In that case,” Nadia started, as she slipped on the final and arguably second most important part of the outfit, her shoes. Men were pigs, and a woman in heels like those, they only needed to see a slip of her leg before they were clambering to listen to whatever song she was singing, purchase whatever she was selling. She hated them, but she sure enjoyed the attention and money that came from it. “I know the perfect place.” Business aside, a night out wth a friend was just what she needed.

~~~ fin ~~~

[astridmaikdottir]

dantehart​:

“This is probably why I decided against going to University, and why I should stick to just being a drunk philosophy. You know, those people who suddenly sound that much smarter when they’ve had a few drinks in them? That’s when I’m at my brightest.” Just not his best, was the qualifier he didn’t bother in adding. Was anyone actually at their best being blackout drunk? Dante figured he knew the answer, but he couldn’t assume much these days, not when fate itself had walked into his apartment and his entire world felt right and yet so oddly distant. Like he was watching it, while also living it.

He watched, almost as enraptured as he was with the picture before him. Though it would be easy for anyone to admit that the actual person was far more interesting than any image on a phone ever could be. That the living and breathing Astrid before him was the biggest breath of fresh air his likely fucked up lungs had ever had the pleasure of experiencing. She was the first moment one knew they were awake on a weekend. The bright blast of the sun just before it set below the horizon. 

“Well? I need you to rate the experience, maybe even leave me a kind of review on Yelp. I don’t own a business so that might be hard, but the point still stands.”

.

“Well then this can’t be the last time we ever meet,” she told him matter-of-fact. “As we’ve got no drinks tonight, and I’ve got to see you at your brightest.” Morbid a thought though it was, she felt she also wouldn’t mind to see him at his darkest. Not out of any curiosity for what that looked like, or what might cause it, but because it was a facet of him and she was fascinated. 

Pulling away from the sink she couldn’t keep from laughing, dabbing away any excess with the soft heel of her palm before it could drip from her chin to her neck and raise shivers up her spine at the cold. “Why, Dante, I think you have the finest flowing taps in all the city, with the freshest refreshment. But I will not leave you a review on Yelp, because I am an incredibly selfish woman from time to time, and I’d rather all the traveling Yelpites not tarnish it by rushing to have some themselves.” It was no fault of her own that the girl had been born with a generous soul and a covetous mind. 

“And if just your unfiltered tap water is that good, I really can’t wait to eat that pig. Now, you said something about a garden?”

the end.

[astridmaikdottir]

fenriksblade​:

Fenrik actually cracked a smile at her question. “Not so much the impending death of myself, but for the people around me,” he shrugged. “I know what it’s like to not appreciate people close to you while they’re around. Death can be quick and sudden. There’s no warning most of the time, so may as well make use of it when the people closest to you could die at any moment. Those who aren’t immortal, anyway.” 

He paused for a moment as he thought about how to word what he wanted to say next. Despite what Elba said, Fenrik didn’t see himself capable of writing a book, no matter how much his words might have touched her in the past. “See, death isn’t scary for me because once I’m dead, I’m dead,” he went on. “I won’t miss anyone. I won’t feel fear. I’ll just be nothing. There’s nothing to be afraid of when you won’t even be conscious of it. It’s the people who live on that’ll have to actually deal with those consequences. Dying isn’t hard.”

.

Astrid nodded once, solemnly. “Yes, I suppose death is really only terrible to those it overlooks in it’s reaping, and those it takes too long to reach.”

She’d always believed firmly that there was nothing less important than a first impression, despite what everyone else seemed to say. First impressions were so often wrong, and always incomplete. True, Obsidian City was not a place that leant itself to amicability. A pervasive sense of paranoia haunted almost everyone here, and most of that paranoia was not unfounded. Terrible things happened here. Death happened here. A lot of it, and as he said it was often sudden. She hadn’t been wrong to keep her distance when her first impression of him had been that he was a threat to her. She hadn’t been wrong, but her impression had been. Astrid was glad about it. She thought now that this was a very smart man who had felt love deeply.

“Do you ever worry that death isn’t the end?” The coyote had rejoined their party, and Astrid considered it and its animal knowledge with fondness. “That maybe you’ll come back as someone else? Something else? I suppose the word is reincarnation.” She held out a hand for the animal to sniff at. For some reason or another reincarnation had been on her mind a lot recently. It was a strange thing for someone who wouldn’t die to become concerned with, but Astrid had a lot of strange interests that didn’t really concern her, and thought this was probably just another of them. 

[astridmaikdottir]

leepackett​:

“Now you’re talking,” Lee downed his drink and placed the empty cup down on the table. Dancing, he now recalled, was what he’d been doing before this woman had caught his attention. In all his ridiculous jellyfish-man dancing glory, he was more than happy to spend more of his birthday with her. “I’ll warn you. I’m an excellent dancer.” He held is hand out, ready to spin her into the music as soon as she took it.

.

No stranger to spinning, she took her cue with no hesitation or question, dancing the way the wind moved through the trees, animated by some unseen force into hypnotic fluidity. Some dancers where the flame, like the bonfire that raged behind him and lit up the forest. Bright, loud, striking. Her grace was in the restraint of her power, not the fueling of it. 

She didn’t think she would trick him, or dance him to the realm of exhaustion some never came back from. She replied, “Then out of curtesy I’ll warn you that I’m an excellent partner.”