008b

Ella attempts not to be a colossal klutz.

[6:48:27 PM] Canto: It's a slow dance, so it's not hard! Just move around to the music and follow your partner's lead.

[6:48:37 PM] Canto: Man: So. What's your name?

[6:49:00 PM] Ella: I'm Ella. You?

[6:50:04 PM] Canto: Man: Max. Max Stintson. You new here?

[6:50:17 PM] Ella: Very.

[6:53:10 PM] Canto: Max: so, what's your trick?

[6:53:58 PM] Ella: Look at your hand.

*there is a tiny shadow person sitting upon it*

[6:58:26 PM] Canto: Max: Huh, that's a neat one.

[6:59:19 PM] Ella: *the shadow looks up and waves at him*

[6:59:44 PM] Canto: Max: So you can control shadows?

[7:01:12 PM] Ella: Yep. I found out there's an actual name for it, rather than "ELLA QUIT SCARING MY CUSTOMERS."

[7:01:25 PM] Canto: Max: Customers? What did you do?

[7:01:43 PM] Ella: I was in the circus.

[7:02:00 PM] Canto: Max: Oh? What did you do?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:02:47 PM] Ella: Fortune telling and such.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:03:12 PM] Canto: Max: ... for real fortune telling? Because that's a thing.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:03:44 PM] Ella: I know it's a thing. Just not a thing I did.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:04:49 PM] Ella: I was mostly the "Oh, you will have a greeeeat life." sort of teller.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:05:06 PM] Canto: Max: And you used your shadows for that?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:08:47 PM] Ella: Yeh, pulling up an image and judging the poor fools' reactions to it is a great way to tell what sort of cryptic jibber-jabber will get a favorable response.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:10:02 PM] Canto: Max: Hmm. I kinda did the same thing before I got discovered. Seperating fools from their money, that is.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:15:39 PM] Ella: Always nice to meet a fellow opportunist. If you don't mind me asking, what's your "trick"? Telekinesis?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">*her eyes narrow very slightly, accompanied by a wide, toothy grin*

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:18:21 PM] Canto: Max blushes a bit. "No. I.. .well, I smell good. They call it pheromones. Like, I can exude these tiny particles that can put people at ease, or make people uncomfortable. Stuff like that. Can't make people do anything they wouldn't do, but I can make myself more convincing."

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:21:07 PM] Ella: Ah, that sounds like it could be amazingly useful, in the right situation.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:21:17 PM] Ella: Mabe not in the rain, though.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:21:50 PM] Canto: Max: Heh. YEah. But now I'm learning other stuffl. Like magic. I have a talent for it.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:23:55 PM] Ella: If you have the knack, go for it! I might look into magic, myself. Mainly stuff that'll bolster my mental defenses. Stupid hypnotic limiter.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:24:20 PM] Canto: Max: Huh?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:26:40 PM] Ella: I can't talk about something, because I got hit with a hypnotic command. It's nothing you likely don't know, but dear stars-in-the-void, it makes certain conversations irritating.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:28:06 PM] Canto: Max: Ohhhhh. Well, I don't know. I didn't even know you before tonight. But maybe vampires? You could talk to Frederich. He might be able to cancel it out.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:28:55 PM] Ella: Good idea, I'll ask him about that some time.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:29:41 PM] Canto: Max: Vampires are super good at that spooky hypnosis stuff.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:35:28 PM] Canto: The song ends!

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:35:38 PM] Canto: Max: Well, it was good meeting you. I'm gonna get some food.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:36:04 PM] Canto: Another young man comes over! This one with brown hair and brown eyes. "Can I get this next dance?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:36:29 PM] Ella: I don't see why not. ^_^

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:37:55 PM | Edited 7:38:02 PM] Canto: New Guy: Ella Burke. At last we meet.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:38:51 PM] Ella: Ah, you already know my name. Would you mind giving me yours?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:40:27 PM] Canto: New Guy: Davey. I was supposed to meet you. But I got stabbed and killed by Thule agents. Nice to put a face to the name.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:42:42 PM] Ella: You're not dead anymore? How does that work?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:45:41 PM] Canto: New Guy: Oh, I'm still technically dead. Shh. Dont' freak out. Just keep dancing.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:47:57 PM] Ella: I'm still in the "This is all some sort of weird dream" phase. Some horrible monstrousity could show up in a bathrobe and I'd likely react by saying something along the lines of "Oh, look, a thing."

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:48:45 PM] Canto: Davey: Ah, perhaps it is a dream.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:48:50 PM] Ella: Followed by "Oh, that's not normal?" If people start panicking.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:50:31 PM] Ella: If I wake up back in the circus, I'm punching Greta in the face.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:51:04 PM] Ella: If this thing goes as far back as Iowa, I'll aim for Brian, instead.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:52:00 PM] Canto: Davey: That's teh problem, isn't it? You were all tossed into the deep end and told to swim. There was no period of adjustment, nothing to let you catch your breath.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:53:04 PM] Ella: And now we're all laying on the bottom, looking up at the waves.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:54:54 PM] Canto: Davey: Very poetic.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:55:39 PM] Ella: Indeed. Until what you thought was a banana leaps up and tries to eat your nose.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:56:01 PM] Canto: Davey: That wasn't so poetic.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[7:58:24 PM] Ella: Neither is most of the contents of "Periwinkle's Pop-up Bestiary."

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:00:09 PM] Ella: Or much of life, for that matter.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:00:37 PM] Canto: Davey: No, not so much. So far undeath isn't terribly poetic, either.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:03:42 PM] Ella: If you don't mind me asking, were you... recently turned? As in right after that guy stabbed you to death? Or was it just "Welp, I got knocked down again."

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:05:03 PM] Canto: Davey: I was recently reanimated by the Thule society. We dont' have much longer before someone recognizes me, I figure. They wanted me to ask you a question.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:05:46 PM] Ella: What kind of a question?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:14:08 PM] Canto: Davey: Well. Are you *sure* the only thing the vampires did was make you unable to speak about that? They could have put all kinds o stuff in your head. How would you know?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:15:52 PM] Ella: I am completely unsure. I can only hope that at some point in this dizzy nightmare parade, I get a chance to find out.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:18:26 PM] Canto: Davey: Also, I know that magic and its workings are still unknown to you. But the spell that is animating me requires a constant connection. Which means that there is a Thule agent on this rooftop, maintaining the spell.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:20:06 PM] Ella: Interesting.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:25:25 PM] Canto: Davey: I'm not really Davey, you see. Just his shell and the remnants of his personality. I was told to ask the question, but apparently he had a strong personality so I'm able to warn you to be vigilant.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:26:48 PM] Ella: Well, thanks for that, you poor soul. Or, you know, lack of one.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:29:27 PM] Canto: Davey: Well. It's only a matter of time before this body gets obliterated in any number of ways. They won't like it that I warned you about the Thule agent, but what do I care?

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:31:19 PM] Ella: Heh. It's Max, isn't it. Max or someone else who was in earshot.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:32:29 PM] Canto: Davey: I have no idea.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:32:52 PM] Ella: Eh, worth a shot.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:32:54 PM] Canto: Davey: Could be anyone.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:34:42 PM | Edited 8:37:08 PM] Canto: Davey: Hell. It might not even be true. Maybe this is all just to mess with your head and sow discontent.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:34:56 PM] Canto: Davey: I'm really just a mouthpiece here. No clue.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:37:30 PM] Ella: Unfortunately, I am treating this situation a great deal less seriously than I likely should be.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:38:27 PM] Canto: Davey: Probably. You --

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">[8:38:53 PM] Canto: And then he gets hit by a bolt of magical energy and is sent flying across the dance floor! Your pretty dress gets singed. And that's where we'll leave it.