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 Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:17 pm
The english language had escaped Lucrezia, and just when she'd thought she finally had all of its weird little tenses and expressions down, too. But it wasn't so bad. This most recent jump had brought the cirque to Paris, and though she had never visited Paris in her own world, she was pretty sure they spoke French there. So really, forgetting all of the English she had picked up in the last year and a half (at least temporarily,) wasn't too much of a tragedy.
She had stepped out of her trailer this morning to discover a giant glittering metal elephant looming over her (that had been distinctly unsettling, if only for a few seconds before she got her bearings). Then two scantily-dressed dancing girls who she didn't believe she had ever seen before (so they couldn't possibly have been with the cirque) had walked by speaking in rapid-fire French. It was a bit different from her French, but still very close.
The place they were at was called the Moulin Rouge - the red mill, which was reasonable enough once she'd gotten outside the building and checked out the neighborhood. Her grip on English had been slipping ever since she had woken up that morning, but seeing street signs and shop names written in French had finally propelled it away.
Inside, someone had disclosed the nature of their show on this world - a special commission. As such, Lu was now sitting on the steps of her trailer trying to sew gold piping onto a blood-red, sequined, very revealing corset. She hadn't yet figured out how she would perform in something like that, but she reasoned it would come to her eventually.
"Zut," she muttered as she accidentally pricked her thumb.
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:48 pm
___This was interesting, for Hazina. It had been a very long time since she'd been to Paris, well technically only a few but still the time jump seemed promising. She could not recall the Moulin Rouge exactly, but she remembered several very attractive females who had flaunted themselves around Paris back in the day. What a promising establishment, she hummed, wiggling her eyebrows in a pleased manner. French women were always just so ... kinky. Swinging her arms behind her back she moseyed along, her eyes enjoying the flamboyant representation of an Asian Elephant, decked out in Hindi garb. Colourful, bright, definitely Paris. Female giggles drifted into her eardrums, and almost smugly she waved teasingly at the performers. She'd see them soon enough, and luckily, in the dressing room.
___Hazina reveled in the new clothing she had finally been given the opportunity to wear. Comfortable white shirt with long sleeves, a token souvenir from Port Royal. She might even go so far to daresay the waist-high pants made her look quite dashing, and with the shirt tucked in showed off her assets quite nicely. Of course the shoes ... well, it's hard to compromise when you go barefoot most of the time. After noticing the horrific sanitary conditions of the city however she settled for some strong boots. Sometimes it was fun playing dress-up.
___The young woman tilted her head, eying a small girl she hadn't noticed until today. She wasn't bad-looking, adorable almost. Great makeup, really made her eyes pop. Hazina got a little bit of an amused thrill out of the small twist in her brown hair. Very cute, and sewing on a corset no less. Clearing her throat, she made her way over and leaned on the trailer casually.
___"Bonjour, la jolie dame." She grinned charismatically.
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:08 pm
"Zut," swore Lucrezia again as a small bead of blood welled up from her thumb. She put the needle down and sucked on her finger intently, hoping it would stop before it got on anything. (At least, she thought vaguely, the corset was red.)
Someone addressed her - or, at least, she supposed they were talking to her. Though there were plenty of girls who fit the description of la jolie dame around here. Thumb still in her mouth, she looked around for the source of the voice. The only logical person was the one leaning against the side of the trailer - a tall, dark woman with strikingly bright red hair. That couldn't be natural - could it?
Lucrezia pulled her thumb out of her mouth and waved hastily before pressing it against her trouser leg. "Salut," she replied. The woman was with the cirque, she supposed - she looked familiar, though she didn't think they'd ever been introduced. "Ca va?"
She studied her thumb intently again. It seemed to have stopped bleeding.
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:42 pm
___So she was with the Cirque and she knew French, eh? Interesting. Oh and how cute she'd pricked her finger and was now sucking on her thumb. Suggestive, much? Hazina clucked her tongue and knelt next to her, gently taking her thumb and wrapping a small piece of cloth around it. Hazina was always getting knocked around during practice, so she kept them in her pockets just in case. You can never be too safe. She motioned to the corset,
___"Be careful, blood stains even the reddest cloth." Hazina smiled, she was so cute. "Would you like some assistance?"
___Hazina wasn't an expert seamstress, but she did have a metal arm that was impervious to needle pricks. She would be more than happy to find some way to help, whether it be accosting one of the pretty females who surely knew how to fix their own costumes, or even buying one. The Masai looked at the girl and then realized she hadn't introduced herself.
___"I'm Hazina, and what should I call you?" She winked.
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 6:01 pm
"I'm Lucrezia," she replied, looking at her bandaged thumb for a moment before returning to her attempts to sew piping to the corset. Lucrezia was a fairly accomplished seamstress - she'd been making and mending costumes for years - and her fingers were nimble with a needle and thread. "I think I can handle it," she told Hazina.
Her new acquaintance spoke good French, she thought. She remembered another cast member with similar coloration she had met, a long time ago, who also spoke French, though his accent had been rather different. He was probably before Hazina's time, though. Lucrezia had heard talk that he had fallen terribly ill.
"Are you performing in the show tonight?" she asked, though she supposed that the whole cirque had been recruited for this nightclub erotica business.
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 6:32 pm
___Hazina nodded, amused but still unhappy about having to dress up like a fool. She needed to go over her act, but figured that could wait till later. She was in the presence of a very attractive young lady. Business could take a vacation tomorrow. Hazina had worked on her outfit with Ankita, and it had come out very nicely if she said so herself. It would probably be the most girly or sexy thing she'd ever worn, besides herself. Her mind wandered briefly to the other girls in Cirque, and if they would be getting all prettied up as well. She definitely hoped so.
___"Yes, I haven't quite figured out what I'll do. Have you?" She inquired, her curiosity piqued.
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 6:50 pm
"I have," said Lucrezia, pressing the trim into place as she finished her last few stitches and tied the thread off. "I'm an aerialist," she explained, turning the corset over in her hands, inspecting her work. It looked good. She picked up another piece of gold piping and lined it up. "Silks, trapeze," she continued, threading the needle. Her thumb was beginning to throb where she'd pricked it.
She rested her work in her lap and looked up at Hazina. "But I think just silks tonight," she said. "I've got to work with the theme, and there's not really anything amorous about solo trapeze."
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:16 pm
___"Well, I know I've seen several very appealing acts involving the trapeze." Hazina winked. She was a nice girl but didn't seem to be too interested in anything besides her outfit. Hazina could respect that, she was a lady with a set mind. Dropping the flirtatious act, the young woman settled herself on the ground and facing Lucrezia with honest interest.
___"So you are from France?" Hazina questioned, feeling mildly certain of the answer.
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Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 3:35 am
"Sort of," replied Lucrezia, considering the best explanation. It could be a bit confusing, really. "Rome, actually," she continued, "But it was a French province when I lived there." Franciscan Empire, actually, but it was close enough. They spoke French there.
"Your French is good. Are you from France?" she asked, though she wasn't sure what the answer would be. She had a feeling it was no, but maybe Hazina came from a time in the future when France was populated by African cyborgs?
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Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:52 am
___Hazina chuckled, she was from the furthest thing from France. Well, depending on what era you meant. She couldn't remember if she'd wandered through Rome, there were several European countries she'd hit in the process of her breakdown. Language had been something she'd picked up everywhere, but English she hated so much because of that horrific domineering woman. As a result, Hazina really didn't bring her A-game, and now had to struggle for everyday conversation here. Her English was getting better though, with practice.
___"No." She shook her head. "I just have been here a few times, many many many years ago."
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Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:39 am
That confused Lucrezia. After all, Hazina didn't look that old. But she didn't say anything about it - it wasn't polite. She snuck a few more stitches onto her corset before replying.
"I learned English when I joined the Cirque," she explained, feeling silly. "But then I woke up this morning and went for a walk and in the course of wandering around Paris I forgot all of it." She laughed. "So, you traveled before joining the Cirque?" Lucrezia hadn't, but she'd seen a fair part of the universe since. The first few weeks had been hard. Adjusting to what was considered "modern" in many places had been difficult, but now she couldn't imagine returning home.
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Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:12 pm
___Hazina fingered a spare piece of cloth Lucrezia had been using and started absentmindedly counting the threads. It was pretty, the crimson was interesting, a more passionate colour than she figured the girl for but who was she to judge? Lucrezia's sewing skills were certainly impressive, at least they were better than her own.
___"Yes I did, very much." The Masai mused over the answer in her head. She supposed being a disoriented nomad counted for something. The young girl's dedication to her outfit made Hazina wonder if she should be more concerned about her own. It wasn't every day that she got to look so glamorous, perhaps she should take full advantage of it.
___"I look forward to seeing your act." Hazina smiled, "Being up in the air leaves lots of room for potential."
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:35 am
"Yes, in either direction," agreed Lucrezia. "It's always an adventure. You cannot use a safety wire in silks because it would just get tangled and hang you." It was always an adventure getting up in the silks, but she trusted them and they trusted her. If she did her wraps right she would always be okay.
"It was nice to meet you, Hazina," she said, smiling. "I look forward to seeing your act as well."
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:56 am
___The Masai girl grinned, this little lady was obviously quite a busy bee. She could relate, and understood. Hazina was absolutely excited about peeking in on her show, but decided she should leave the young girl to her own devices. Reaching out she gently took Lucrezia's hand in her own and kissed it gently.
___"L'adieu fille douce." Rising from her squatting position she did a short bow and smiled, this place was full of very intense people. Turning on her heel, she waved as she walked away. Hazina wondered, how the old Basilica was looking today?
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