lostcarnival | [Closed]

It's odd. Strange tries his hardest to seem upbeat and like nothing's bothering him, but there's a distinct tenseness in his voice and hardness in his expression as he talks about Portland. Now that he's back in the carnival, sane and not dying, the memories resurfaced like a scar Strange had forgotten about.

Yuya's voice snaps him back to reality as he turns to look at the shopkeeper with an apologetic smile. "Terribly sorry about that."

And so, he pays for their purchase. There's a little back and forth because Strange doesn't have as good a grasp on how the currency exchange of Greysol works as he thought he did and overpays the shopkeeper at first. Eventually, everything's sorted out: Strange has two swimsuits and the proper amount of change and the shopkeeper has a story about the odd carnie who came in to buy swimsuits.

As the shopkeeper hands him his bag, Strange gives a little nod, then turns back to Yuya. "Well! Shall we start the lessons now or set a different time for us to meet?"

He kind of has a feeling Yuya will want to start the lessons now. Damn.

Edited 2017-09-18 17:56 (UTC)

It would be odd, if it wasn't a sort of coping that Yuya is intimately familiar with. Still, the middle of the swimsuit shop isn't the place to broach the topic, and he's been waved off of discussing it with Strange before. He lets the thought drift out of his mind in favor of the swimming lessons, however--those are a more immediate issue anyway.

"Well, it's up to you, but performances start tomorrow." Of course, they'll both have a lot less personal time the next couple weeks. "So it'd be better to start while we have time, right?"

The problem with vanishing for a day to deal with a time back in his world that's longer for a day is that Strange is still working on reassembling his mental calendar. As such, he totally forgot that performances start tomorrow and just stares at Yuya blankly for a moment before the penny drops. Oh good Lord. Performances start tomorrow!

Swearing slightly, Strange scowls. "Damn. We'll have to refine our act."

"Just use the fire trick," Siobhan helpfully chimes in.

"I'm not using the fire trick, the fire trick set someone on fire," Strange complains, forgetting that this is PROBABLY NOT A GOOD CONVERSATION to be having in public or around Yuya in the first place.

Yuya raises an eyebrow, staring at Strange--this time less with contemplation and more with confusion and mild concern. Even Koemi has turned her attention from the surroundings to look at Siobhan like she has a better explanation on hand.

"What's the fire trick?" He's assuming, something that isn't meant to actually set anybody else aflame.

"The main problem with the fire trick is the ending," Strange explains. "I spend most of the act manipulating the fire, making it into fireworks and such like that. However, the trick ends when a jet of flame shoots towards the audience and stops right before it actually touches them."

Aaaaand therein lies the problem.

As Koemi looks at her, Siobhan's the one who gives an answer to the unstated question of how he forgot about performances in the first place. "We lost track of time," Siobhan explains with a sigh. "He went back to England for a bit and that just put everything out of sorts."

And Strange can't help but frown at Siobhan as she says that. It's not entirely a secret that he went back home for a bit: he's already told Childermass, after all. But it is something that will bring up plenty more questions and answers that Yuya probably won't like.

"Maybe you should just get rid of the ending... but you have other acts too, right?" He knows Strange was working on his smoke trick, but he doesn't know what the progress on that is.

But it's true, once Siobhan follows up on their temporary leave home, it immediately piques Yuya's interest for more questions. "Huh? I didn't even notice you go anywhere..."

He'll feel less bad about that when he realizes how short their time away from the carnival was, but for now he frowns to himself.

"How was it?" Koemi follows up with genuine curiosity.

"I do, but only a few of them are tailored to work with Siobhan." Unsurprisingly, when you've got a four hundred pound seal hanging out near the stage, things need to be changed around a bit.

At Koemi's question however, an odd expression comes over Strange's face. There's really no way to say 'well, I'm hella cursed and don't know when I'll see my wife again but I'm aokay with that' without Yuya prying for more details and prying for more information and worrying about Strange in the process. Thankfully, the seal interrupts before he can say anything.

"Don't feel bad! It was longer then but just a day or so here, though. I think," Siobhan buts in. She attempts to give Yuya a little nudge with her head in a sort of comforting gesture. But that doesn't change the fact that Strange hasn't answered Koemi's question yet.

So, he simply shrugs and answers with, "It was fine. I accomplished what I needed to do so I don't mind coming back."

What an amazingly anti-climactic answer.

Siobhan's attempt at comfort is very successful in derailing Yuya's focus, at least. He's kept himself so aware of the taboo that he doesn't expect her to touch him until she already is, and it makes him jump a little in surprise. He moves to put a hand on her head that neither pushes her away or lets her closer... but he stops just before he reaches and pulls his hand back instead.

He knows by now that if she's allowing it that it shouldn't be hurting, and he certainly doesn't feel anything uncomfortable, but he still looks up at Strange to gauge his reaction. He just didn't expect such a close gesture from them.

"... If you say so," He and Koemi finally say, in unison. They don't sound terribly convinced about it being fine, but at least they aren't pressing on the matter. "Maybe you should do a water act instead."

Because seal, duh.

Strange also looks a little surprised at Siobhan's actions. However, his surprise fades as he gives the seal an ironic little smile. It's not like Strange is the sort of man to hide his feelings or underplay his friendship with someone. But this is amazingly unexpected. He gives Yuya a little nod, with a sort of 'well, go on' expression on his face, as Siobhan tries to put her head underneath Yuya's hand.

Don't worry about them. They'll be fine.

Strange happily continues the line of conversation with regards to magic over what he did back in England. "I do use a puddle for my exits, so there's water on the stage already. It'd be a bit of a terrible act if I made it rain in the tent, but I'm certain Siobhan and I can smooth out something."

Yuya turns his attention back down to Siobhan with raised brows. But, well, if that's what she wants... then why not? Its unexpected, but not necessarily unwelcome. So he sets his hand gently atop her head, already prepared for the funny spike of happiness that seems to occur when daemons allow themselves to be touched.

He smiles. "If you want to practice your act first, I can teach you to swim later. I wouldn't want to mess up your performance over it."

It is a bit of an unrelated distraction, he'll admit that much. Probably neither of them are going anywhere from the carnival anytime soon soon, right?

Strange shakes his head. "We've already got the swimsuits, might as well start the lessons now."

They've already got the swimsuits, he's already gotten himself prepped to deal with potential drowning, let's do this and get it out of the way. With regards to the performance, he'll just do what he always does: make something up and hope it actually works.

"Shall we change in our trailers and then meet at the lake?"

Impromptu is the sign of a good performer or... something. Yuya nods, if Strange is up for starting now.

"Yeah, that sounds good." He holds his other hand out to receive his swimsuit in the bag. "We have a lot of time before it gets dark."

Because trying to teach Strange in the dark would probably be a little too stressful.

Trying to teach Strange in the dark would be a goddamn trainwreck. As Yuya holds out his hand, Strange passes over his swimsuit.

"In that case, I'll see you at the lake!"

And then Strange turns to head off to his trailer to put on the swimsuit, get ready, and then scramble to find something that looks vaguely like a bathrobe because he is not walking around the carnival wearing just a swimsuit, okay?

Oh, Strange. Yuya takes the swimsuit and gives Siobhan a quick pat on the head before he departs. "Yeah, see you soon!"

Yuya no doubt beats him to the lake, then, because he's only concerned about changing into the shorts and grabbing a towel before he runs out to the lake. The fabric still doesn't feel like a swimsuit but, well, it's better than trying to swim in heavy cargo pants.

The towel's crumpled, forgotten on the grass while Yuya watches Koemi swim about in the shallow waters. Yuya's attention turns away as he hears someone approach, though, and once he catches sight of Strange he offers him a smile and a wave.

Even as his expression shifts from pleasantness to bemusement as he takes in the bathrobe.

Strange also has a slow, four hundred pound seal to worry about so yep, Yuya definitely beats him. the bathrobe he's wearing isn't a traditional fluffy bathrobe sort of thing but a dressing gown, all in black, that drags the ground as he walks. He definitely looks odd but hey, this means he's not wandering around in the carnival in just a swimsuit. Siobhan's got a towel over her back which she happily tosses off as soon as they approach the lake.

Strange gives Yuya a little wave as well, before he takes the dressing gown off to lay on the ground next to the towel. And hot damn, considering that he's just wearing a swimsuit, it is way too apparent that Strange is a skinny nerd who doesn't really do things like 'exercise' or 'lift anything remotely heavy.' He looks amazingly comfortable in the old-fashioned swimsuit, though. It actually covers his chest! This is amazing!

"So!" said with a grin. "How shall we begin this?"

Yuya at least doesn't notice his fitness level enough to point it out. He didn't really expect Strange to be secretly beef under his coats. Besides, if he stats doubting Strange's ability to swim it'll fall into a cyclical crash and fail.

Rather, what he does notice is how far those mirror scratches on his arms go once the robe is removed. He stares for a bit too long before bringing his attention back up. "You're taller than me, so I can show you how to do it before we get deep enough that you have to swim."

He takes off his pendulum, the only accessory he's kept on, and sets it on the towel by the bank before he wades into the water, just expecting Strange to follow.

The mirrored scratches are mostly around his wrists, though there are a few that are higher than that. However, there are a few faint scars on his upper arms that are also scratches, though they aren't mirrored and have started to fade away. All of the scratches are short and thin, as if Strange fell into a rosebush or brushed up against some thorns.

And Strange notices Yuya staring. "A leftover from Portland," he simply says, as he rubs the mirrored scratches on his wrists. His tone implies that he doesn't really want to talk about it—at least, not now anyway.

Thankfully, the conversation changes as Yuya starts to wade into the water. Strange follows in as well, though he can't help but let out a hiss of annoyance at how cold the water is.

Yuya had a feeling he didn't, but he still rubs the back of his neck with a vague expression. "Yeah, there's a lot of that."

He takes a deep breath, pinches his nose, and ducks under the water to quickly project himself where the water gets deep enough. He pops back up shortly with a shuddered gasp (it is cold!) Before he waves Strange over, keeping himself afloat in the same spot.

"Come as far out as you can! I'll show you how to stay above the water."

Thanks to his height, Strange is able to get a few feet further from Yuya. He walks out in the lake, shivering as he does so, until he's just touching the lake's bed with the tips of his toes.

"I'm barely touching bottom," he calls out, rubbing his arms under water as if that'll help warm them up. Unlike Yuya, he hasn't gotten his head wet yet.

In contrast to her shivering and slightly annoyed other half, Siobhan's just having a grand time, swimming around the two and swimming off to the side, though always staying close so that she can keep Strange in eyesight. He is an idiot, after all, and who knows if she'll have to move in to help yet again.

Koemi is also less invested in the swimming lesson as she is having her own grand time. She's floating a few feet away from them all before diving down to explore deeper.

Yuya nods, pushing himself back a couple feet in the water so there's plenty of depth. "Okay, so--" His gaze drifts up to the sky as he thinks about how to describe it. He learned to swim such a long time ago that the lessons are kind of fuzzy in his head.

"We'll just start with treading so you get used to floating in the water. It's really easy! You just move your legs kind of like your walking, but not bending your legs as much? And you push your arms across the water like this."

He demonstrates, then gestures. "You don't have to come too deep, just so you're not touching the bottom of the lake anymore."

Strange watches Yuya intently for a moment before nodding. Alright, move your legs like you're walking, push your arms over the surface of the water, that seems simple enough, he can do that. Cautiously, he takes a step backwards, pushing himself so that he won't touch bottom...

...and then just straight up goes under. That only lasts for a few seconds though as Strange manages to push past the innate panic of sinking to move his legs and arms like Yuya demonstrated. After those few seconds, he pops up from the surface to catch a breath of air.

"I think I'm—" And nope, he's sinking again. This is how it's going to be for the next however long, Strange alternating sinking and succeeding at treading water, swapping between the two every few seconds.

Well it starts okay, but Strange just keeps bobbing up and down and Yuya can tell this is not working as well as it probably should be. Still, he's not going to just say that.

"Hey, you're getting the hang of it!" At least for a few seconds--focus on the positive! He reaches forward, trying to gently grab Strange's arms in hopes that it grounds him on staying above the water. "Just try not to panic. You're not in any danger, remember? Just focus on keeping your head above the water."

"I'm not panicking!" he snaps, in a slightly panicked tone of voice. Strange is only slightly panicking. Still, as Yuya grabs his arms, that helps a little. What also helps is Siobhan diving below Strange and using her bulk to gently help push the magician a few inches up, so that there's more of him above the water in the first place.

Of course, she quickly moves out of the way so that Strange can't stand on her. It's not going to be that easy. But since that's happened, Strange is treading water much easier. Of course, he still sucks at it. But it's more along the lines of him going under every fifteen seconds instead of every five.

"There," he says, slightly winded. "Is that better?"

Thank god for Siobhan. Maybe it actually is best to practice while Strange has a 400 pound seal to save his ass, as opposed to a 100 pound teenager.

"Yeah, you're getting it!" Mostly. He can tell they'll need to take this slowly. But at least he says it with a smile. "Just practice treading right now. When you can stay above without sinking for a few minutes, I'll show you how to actually swim."

"I think I'm doing just fine at it," says the man who accidentally finds himself submerged every fifteen seconds or so. "Can't we go ahead to actual swimming now?"

Yuya's about to discover one of those annoying facets about Strange's personality: he has absolutely no goddamn patience. This, unfortunately, also extends to swim lessons.

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