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 Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:57 pm
Nuxaz While out and about in Destiny City, you notice a particularly strange street performer who isn't getting much attention on the corner he's stationed himself at. He's a rather peculiar looking clown, complete with cliche red nose and squeaky shoes. No matter how many balloon animals he makes or tricks he tries to play, no one seems to pay him any attention. You happen to make eye contact with him and unfortunately, it seems to excite the fellow to have finally won over someone's attention. You manage to cleverly excuse yourself from the situation but nearly everywhere you go after that point, the strange clown is following you. The more you try to ignore him or brush him aside, the angrier he seems to get - and it's a little creepy, just how menacing he looks with that bright red smile gets turned upside down. Even as you manage to make your way to you or your friend's home, you can't help but notice the familiar, disturbing honks of a bicycle horn or the squeaks of oversized shoes following you... even up onto the front porch steps.
Giulia kicked at the pavement on her way home from school. It had been a long day, learning maths and stuff, and she hadn't done a very good job of it all. She had spilled her paint all over her picture, and... On top of that, one of the other kids had pulled out half of her braid on the way out of the class, and while she'd yelled at him lots, she hadn't been able to get it fixed, and it hung sadly over her shoulder. It wasn't a very good day. She was just wandering morosely down the street, avoiding the rare person coming the other way, when a squeak got her attention.
Bright blue eyes jerked up, and there, on the corner of the road, was a clown. He shifted, twisting balloons, and approaching people to... was he trying to get them to take a card? But no one seemed to be paying him any attention at all, and Giulia watched him for a moment- until he looked right at her, and began to make his way across the street. She smiled, nervously, and began to walk past him as he met her in the middle of the street, reaching behind her to pull a coin out of her slightly-tattered braid, and Giulia swallowed, then smiled.
There was something uncomfortable about the clown. "That's a very nice trick. I'm sorry," she told him, "But I have to go home and do homework." Giulia tried to slide past the clown, but her eyes flicked up- and for a moment, there was a terrifying expression on his face. He was angry, and she didn't like that at all. He caught her eyes, his face transforming again into a smile, and something crawled along her spine, settling in her tummy.
She continued her way down the sidewalk, shaking her head when he offered her cards. Ducking away when he reached out to try and touch her hair. "No," she said again, and picked up her speed, listening to the footfalls behind her. She didn't want the clown to know where she was going. She didn't want to take a shortcut, and didn't want... It was the first time she had felt so odd, and-
The eight year old clutched her backpack tighter, slim shoulders hunching, and she picked up her pace, shifting her direction to head towards DCBC. She could call from the ballet studio, and maybe the clown wouldn't know where she lived that way.
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 1:05 pm
Tristan had been out and about picking up some things at Fiona's request. He had his camera around his neck, because he thought it might be nice to take photographs of the city as fall took over, and his bag was bouncing along his hip as he walked.
Both his wallet and his phone were securely in his pockets, though he checked more than once whenever he stopped to catch a picture.
It felt nice to be home and falling back into some sort of a routine and practice. His photography didn't make a lot of money, except from the jobs that Fiona procured for him, but it still earned him something which was better than nothing and as Amelia would say it, it was progress.
He had stopped to snap a picture of children spilling out of an elementary school when he noticed something odd. Uncomfortable.
A street performer who'd gotten terribly close to a little girl...one who looked very, very familiar.
Without another thought he was striding towards them. "Est-ce que ça va?" He called, trying to put himself between the girl and the clown. If it was who he thought it was, she would understand.
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:27 am
The clown was coming in again, that greedy, grasping hand aiming for behind her ear, when someone pushed their way between her and the performer, asking if she was okay. "Il est effrayant. Je ne veux pas qu'il me suive." Giulia didn't even register that the person had spoken in French or that she had replied in kind- her blue eyes focused on the look of anger on the performer's face. She half-hid behind the stranger, hand grabbing at a piece of his shirt. "Excuse us, Mr. Clown. Have a good day, okay?" She felt immediately safer with someone between them, reassured by the presence of someone big and strong to protect her when she couldn't be Charybdis. Though even as Charybdis did she want to meet the clown- it was a bad feeling, and Giulia wasn't used to having a bad feeling about people. "I have to go to ballet class," she lied to the stranger and the clown, tugging on the stranger's shirt. "I have been waiting on you. I'm late." Hopefully, if he had realized what was happening, he would be willing to play along and walk her to her 'lesson'. She couldn't see the look on the clown's face anymore, hiding behind her savior, but after a moment she could hear the sad squeak of shoes, and a jingle.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2018 7:44 pm
Tristan's mouth twisted into a frown, his brows furrowing at the various responses coming from the little girl. Green eyes glanced over at the irritable clown but he was quickly reaching for her hand.
"Je suis désolé," he apologized, offering her the best reassuring smile he could offer. He was going to simply walk her but their unwanted companion tried to put themselves between them and Tristan was having none of that.
So, he did what any rational adult would do, he stooped down and scooped the little girl into his arms so that he could carry her, and better protect her from the damn clown who wouldn't relent.
"Let's get you to ballet, princess."
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:12 pm
Giulia knew better than to just walk with a stranger, normally, but she had relied on this one to help protect her from the clown, and when the man reached down for her hand, she lifted it into his without complaint, squeezing it tightly. "Merci," she murmured quietly, and her shoes plopped against the sidewalk- until she was swept into his arms, to the clown's apparent fury.
She wrapped her narrow arms tightly around the man's neck, clinging to him tightly, settling on his hip. She was a big girl, and probably should be ashamed to be carried like this, She was just under 50 pounds, and over 4 feet tall, now. Her added weight might not be easy for the man, but at least she would be safer like this than if the clown was able to separate them.
Giulia turned her attention away from the clown, burying her face in the stranger's warm neck, as if not being able to see the clown would make it go away. But it didn't- the sound of squeaking wheels and an occasional honking sound seemed to be following them, even as they walked away from the corner he had been standing on. "My name is Giulia," she told the stranger in a low voice, "Thank you for helping me."
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:17 pm
Guilia might not have been small but Tristan hardly considered her to be large by any means. It had been a minute since he'd carried anyone in his arms, but he was well equipped enough now that he was back from his wonder and he'd started putting weight on again much to his friend's relief.
One hand was securely pressed against the young girl's back and he made sure that he kept her out of the clown's line of vision if he could help it.
At one point the street performer attempted to grab ahold of Tris's arm and he shook him off, long legs increasing the pace of his gait. After that, he couldn't see the man in his peripheral vision but he could hear strange clown noises behind them. "Pardonne-moi mon audace, Guila, je voulais m'assurer que tu étais en sécurité," Tristan said, only choosing to set her down once he knew they were far enough away. "Est-ce que tu vas bien? Je m'appelle Tristan."
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:20 am
The tall stranger kept her safe, and with her face buried, she didn't know that the clown had tried to grab them, only knew the difference in pace. She disliked having to lie to the clown to get away from it, but that performer had been scary and no one else had stepped in. If the man was taking her anywhere other than the school, she didn't know, and really... didn't care. He felt familiar, and safe, and that was better than the alternative.
At last, the man spoke again, in French, and the familiar language relaxed her further- she didn't even think about how unusual it was to have someone randomly assisting her, speaking a foreign language that she knew. "Pas d'audace, monsieur Tristan. Merci de m'aider à échapper au clown. Je pense que je vais bien, mais il était vraiment effrayant." her reply was soft and quiet, and she could almost swear she could still hear squeaky wheels in the distance. Tristan had brought her more than three-quarters of the way to the studio, and she reached up to clutch his hand again. "Je m'appelle Giulia. Pourriez-vous s'il vous plaît marcher le reste du chemin avec moi? Je peux appeler quelqu'un pour venir me chercher."
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:27 pm
She didn't seem to recognize him and Tristan thought it for the best. The less people knew about him and the other side of his life, the better.
Besides, he could protect her from the scary thing as plain old Tristan. It wasn't like the youma that had attacked and required the guise of Midgard to ward off. "Je resterai avec vous jusqu'à ce que quelqu'un puisse venir vous chercher," Tristan assured her, feeling that perhaps they were far enough away from the performer that it would be safe to put her down.
Even after he did so, Tristan remained kneeling, ready to whisk her back into his arms at a moment's notice. "You'll be safe with me, little princess," he told her, the english feeling clunky on his tongue after the seamlessness of french.
How long had it been since he'd gotten to speak to someone in french?
He wondered if Amelia spoke French.
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 6:28 pm
Her small shoulders dropped with a relief that she hadn't realized she was holding, when he assured her that she wouldn't be left alone. Not even at the ballet company- she had a guard until she was safely in Jada or Marlo's car, whichever one was able to make it to come and get her. "Merci." the sigh was rich with relief. Giulia's head tilted as he switched from French to English.
"You don't have to talk in English, if you'd rather keep talking in French." her voice when speaking English was light, not particularly accented by either language. "It's nice to have someone other than my brother to speak french with me. My sister isn't very good at it, and my niece is only 3." She imagined he would be able to guess how well a three-year old could speak at all, much less in the mishmash of languages in their odd little family.
She uncurled her fingers from his hand and swung her bag off her back, digging around in it for her phone. The clown might have stolen it, if she had tried to pull it out with him around- he seemed to have been a very grabby clown. It only took a moment for her to have a text message sent to Jada, and before she had even zipped up her bag, there was a reply. I'll be there in 30. Stay inside.
Not a problem. Giulia lifted her hand back up for Tristan's, tiny fingers looking for a larger hand to curl around.
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Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 7:31 pm
The switch had been something that had happened without thinking, much like his regression into French was at times.
"French isn't the most common language in my household," Tristan admitted, watching her carefully when she pulled her hand free to rifle through her bag. He waited patiently as she messaged her (assumed) guardian or whomever she hoped to have come get her.
While he waited, green eyes would flick up, as if he was expecting the clown to materialize again. If he listened intently, he would have sworn that he could hear the squeaky shoes pounding against pavement.
Once Guilia's hand was offered, he allowed his to be taken, taking comfort in the small touch.
infinities sorry for the delay, his muse is a butt, but we can wrap soon & maybe do a new rp?
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 3:44 am
"We don't speak a lot of french in mine either, because not many of them speak it good. My nanny used to, but she went and got a job somewhere else." Her hand clamped down on his tightly. "You can talk to me all you want. I need to keep practicing or I'll forget." probably. That was what they were afraid of, anyways. "My guardian will come get me soon." her comment was punctuated by a squeak of rubber that made her flinch, pulling him after her.
Giulia led the way to the studio in relative silence, brow furrowing as they headed down the street, huddling her body next to his. A car drove by and she still glanced over, wide-eyed, as if she expected to see the clown staring at them as he drove by. If she picked up the pace some, he might not notice, right? Mr. tristan had long legs. So she sped up, quietly, leading the way to the dancing classrooms, smiling to greet the nice lady at the desk.
"It won't be long. Will you need a ride back to your car? I'm sure we can give you one, in case-" In case the clown followed us. In case he decides to be bad to you for being nice to me.
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 9:23 am
As long as Guilia held his hand, Tristan was going to follow. Once they were inside the residual clowny noises seemed to stop and while he remained on edge, he looked more visibly more comfortable.
"Ah, I don't have a car," he admitted, suddenly flustered by the knowledge because this was a child who might not understand why someone would opt out of a vehicle or why they might not have one.
Tristan wouldn't allow Fiona to get him one and his photography gigs weren't consistent enough to warrant him being able to get alone. Besides, he had no credit and he hadn't even tried to build it again.
"But I'll stay with you until your guardian comes," Tristan assured her. He didn't have anywhere else to be anyway.
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