[The Bizzare] Neither Here Nor There (open)

[Vizyous Aconitum]

OOCPutting a post in Cadence's office would probably be best, the hat might be considered an NPC
Vizyous finally came forward just a bit more, watching Julius greet the woman in his anxious and odd way. Aldoid definitely wanted that hat very badly-- but the hat itself seemed to want to run away. Seeing such a thing jumping about trying to escape made him wander if it had been blown away by the wind, or if it had leaped onto the breeze in order to be free.

The chain tangled and looped around the woman made him curious as to what it was exactly used for. Such chains seemed only to make her movements impossible to execute without imbalance or them being stunted. As she tipped forward about to fall on her face, Vizyous quickly started to move to catch her but the hat beat her to it, providing itself as a cushion. "Do hats often do this here?" He asked in honest curiosity to Julius, watching as the object now made of silk retreated from underneath the woman's chin.

"Giving chase to something in Alvadas is pointless. Unless we're lucky we'll never catch it, especially if it leaves the Bizarre!" Still, he looked to Julius, seeing the woman correcting her chains in his peripheral vision. "How do we go about catching it?"

The trickster returned, messing with the woman who looked thoroughly frustrated once more only this time it planned on being a little bit more devious. In a quick movement of silk and chain, it was off attempting to drag the only Symenestra he'd met while in Alvadas away from him. With a glare in the direction it was headed, Vizyous furiously followed it.

[Julius Aldoid]

OOCAs Cadence said:

Seeing as the hat isn’t a living entity, but merely an illusion, it doesn’t really qualify as an NPC. So, the three of you can absolutely go ahead and selfmod it.

Julius cocked his head to Vizyous, thinking a moment about his question. "What doesn't?" He was about to break into laughter, his smile only growing wider, when a glint of crazy got caught in his eye, "the better question is: why does it do this?"

Laughing a little, he watched at the hat taunted him, his old nemesis trying to the right string to pull to lead him into a chase. He had fallen for it before. As it teased him, he was looking about, trying to find something that would resolve this.

"Illusions have a humorous sort of logic. A play on words, a turn of phrase, which are just words to us, are everything to illusions. Ionu blesses the humorous and inventive, and so most illusions tend to operate as such."

They were walking and talking.

He stopped when he saw just the thing they needed.

"Vizyous, you keep on the trail, I will be right back, try to keep it from making too much mischief. I have a plan,"

And before Vizyous could respond, Juli ran off down the halls of the market, leaving his new friend to follow the trail.

"Trust me, this will be great," he shouted back to the man. Today, he would have his hat.

[Dramiana Rosenthal]

Cobblestone is a horribly unpleasant surface to be dragged upon. If you’re wearing silk and wool, it’s even more unbearable because of what it does to your clothes. The sea of people diverted once she was dragged through cause-ways and alleys, corridors and banisters, and over large sets of parapets that were sure to paint her back blue and purple for this night’s lodgings, but still there was no place with which to get a firm grasp of the situation.

Dark fingernails finally caught grasp of a sandstone wall when the little hat barreled around a corner sharply. “Ngh,” grumbled the young summoner, pulling herself onto her stomach where she could gain bearing and composure, her hair jostled about her face.

The hat would have none of her lip. It bobbed and bounced in defiance.

“That is quite enough!” A bit of fine fetter had slacked around her thigh, and with a careful jostle, she was able to kick the loop around the girth of the trickster pulling it closer to her in a powerful yank. Aloft, it sailed through the air long enough for Dramiana to stand only to find her face all but buried into the sternum of a certain gentleman with white hair.

Wickedly curved fingernails and pallid skin gave him away immediately, though it was the length of his arms that she greatly admired. Purple eyes traced him carefully. There was most likely going to be an introduction and a formal shaking of hands, but the only words she could conjure were not at all kind: “When was last you’ve eaten, Symenestra?”

An awkward reticence grew between them, not to mention the growing anxiety of her curse slowly ebbing its air of distrust around the young man. Was it a prejudice she held, or the mere fact that her day had gone to hell by the musings of a would-be gadgeteer and an insidious looking Nestran. A gadgeteer that had run off and abandoned her and a man of the Web glaring in the creepiest way possible.

“So,you’re here to sedate me with your poison while the fop is waiting at the Hedge Maze with the potato sack? It will do you no good. I’ve no ties to anyone with money.” Indignantly, the young woman huffed and all of her chains resettled. One lie flatly in her palm, grasped and ready to be swung as her hair billowed like jets of black smoke.

“So the hat’s in on it, then,” continued Mia, beginning to swing her chain, brandishing it in a threatening manner. Oh dear. She thought the two of them were con men that had been staking her out for ransom. “How are you going to pay it? In pins?”

Surely Vizyous would defend himself at such wild accusations, but as ill fortune would have it, the moment she had finished her statement, the hat sat itself squarely on his head and refused to come off.

And that was when Vizyous would witness the angriest shade of amethyst he had ever seen.

[Vizyous Aconitum]

Julius had apparently thought of something that would remedy the situation and so had run off, leaving Vizyous with the task of trailing the woman and the hat that dragged her. The small hat made of cloth was ridiculously strong, pulling the woman all about the Bizarre and was doing what looked like a lot of damage. His leisurely pace had been enough to keep up with the two, but when the poor woman had been dragged over a parapet and slammed down onto her back on the other side, Vizyous hurried to catch her.

Would she take offence if he laid hands on her to pull her away, and if that illusion was powered by Ionu, wouldn't that mean that it would have the strength to pull far more than only two people? He still kept up his fast pace, although his steps were slightly unsure. Just when he'd caught up to her he'd decided to do his best to help and managed to position himself so that he could grasp her shoulders, the clothing and chains enough to provide leverage for him to pull her away.

Before he'd been able to do so, she turned suddenly as they took a sharp corner and held the corner of the sandstone wall tight. Through a motion that was too fast for him to fully understand what she did, the hat was suddenly flung a fair ways away and the woman had finally stopped being dragged. "Thank Viratas..." Vizyous let out, not realizing how pent up the tension and worry had been within him until then. He'd stilled from his position to grasp her shoulders, and just as he straighted up the woman stood.

Instinctively, the Symenestra kept away from others physically unless he was the one to initiate the physical contact, so when he found his chest to be invaded by the woman, as familiar in race as she seemed, Vizyous couldn't help the look of surprise and dismay that crossed his face. Hopefully Julius would return soon, because as exotic and strange as this woman seemed, he didn't feel like he could handle her for very long before snapping.

The usual feeling of eyes roaming his body came, only unlike most times the feeling was not a stroke to his ego but more like a prickle of discomfort. Finally her roaming eyes settled on his eyes, making the discomfort and anxiety grow within Vizyous as he hadn't seen eyes alike his in a very long time. "When was last you’ve eaten, Symenestra?"

The question had been unexpected, but his mind went backwards to try and find the answer to it rather than registering a feeling of being disrespected. His stomach did feel quite empty, but Vizyous was definitely not starving-- when had he last visited his home? It couldn't have been too long ago, since he wasn't craving human... His eyes narrowed in thought. When had he last eaten?

“So,you’re here to sedate me with your poison while the fop is waiting at the Hedge Maze with the potato sack? It will do you no good. I’ve no ties to anyone with money.” Now Vizyous was lost. The woman had gone from asking when he last ate to speaking of poison and potatoes. He understood where the potatoes came in, but where did the Hedge Maze and sedation come in? "I don't--" He began to say, but the woman wouldn't let him speak.

“So the hat’s in on it, then,” She had huffed and begun swinging her chains throughout her accusations, something Vizyous saw as a threat considering she knew how to use those chains as a defense. He back away slightly, eying the metal grasped in her hand. “How are you going to pay it? In pins?”

Here he'd been ready to pursue and save the woman, and she apparently thought that he'd been the one to start the whole mess. Wouldn't the wind be at fault here, or Ionu? But not the civilians, not the innocent bystander that was simply curious about a man walking backwards! Julius had better get back there soon to help explain to this woman, or he'd find a Symenestra struck by sudden hunger at his doorstep. "Nonsense--"

His sentence had been cut off once again, only this time it wasn't by her but the hat. It took a moment for Vizyous to realize exactly what happened, his attention far too distracted by the extreme change in expression on the woman's face. Her slightly restrained anger became unleashed, and without a second thought Vizyous did what he thought best fit the situation.

"I can't possibly understand what you speak of, Miss." Although he found it hard to remain calm when faced with a dangerous looking woman glaring intently and solely at him, Vizyous tried to clear his mind and focus on persuading the woman to calm down. "My acquaintance, Julius was simply looking for a hat. You must have felt that wind that blew--" The Symenestra was intent to keep eye contact, looking for any signs of doubt. "Ionu is playing with us as he always does. Are you new to Alvadas? You must be, as things like this happen everyday here."

[Dramiana Rosenthal]

"Nonsense--"

You’ve got to know how Symenestra speak to understand just how deeply ‘Miana confided in Vizyous’ words. A Symenestra speaks eloquently, beautifully, and matter-of-factly; pert and direct, they don’t waste much time unless they are busy trying to persuade or flatter. Consequently, young Mia’s hand went limp and the chains did also. The intimidating manner of her form was shrunken, and she was quiet and soft spoken again.

"I can't possibly understand what you speak of, Miss." Although he found it hard to remain calm when faced with a dangerous looking woman glaring intently and solely at him, Vizyous tried to clear his mind and focus on persuading the woman to calm down. "My acquaintance, Julius was simply looking for a hat. You must have felt that wind that blew--" The Symenestra was intent to keep eye contact, looking for any signs of doubt. "Ionu is playing with us as he always does. Are you new to Alvadas? You must be, as things like this happen everyday here."

The half-‘Nestran’s look became aloof and weary, her pupils dilating slowly while her body panted from the previous escapade. “I-Ionu?” she inquired, her voice fighting for breath. In all of her reading, that was a name she had missed. “He and I shall exchange words…”

Dusting off her long black train and coif, the heavy material accumulated dust like mad, and there really was no way to keep a good bit of dust off of a black kirtle.

“I am sorry for the accusation. Forgive me.” Her melancholy voice was now softer than spider silk and barely audible. Surely, when riled, her demeanour sprang to life, but otherwise, the girl was too introverted to even remember to say her name.

With fervent care, the girl swept her bell sleeves gingerly across the spine and sleeve of her book, cuddling it close to her chest until breath returned.

“So…” her voice trailed away. The sort of journey a voice takes when they are socially awkward. “…are you pure-blooded?”

What had once been a violent spectacle quickly cooled to a state where one had to question their visibility. Did the crowd see them, or was it that the crowd didn’t trust them? “Is the fop your betrothed?”

[Vizyous Aconitum]

His words worked magic, the woman suddenly calming and seeming drained from the whole escapade. She had been dragged quite a long ways, maybe it would be better if she were to sit down and rest somewhere. Speaking of being dragged though, he hoped the hat atop his head wouldn't become active again. When the woman seemed clueless as to who Ionu was, Vizyous couldn't help but let the startled look on his face slip through his calm demeanor. "Ionu is the God of this city, the God of illusion. He and His magic controls every aspect within these walls."

She began dusting her clothes down, the light material from the floor clinging to the black fabric vividly. Her apology was quiet but seemed sincere, not at all reluctant. Her book, heavy and dusted off, was cradled against her chest as if it was her child. "No apology is needed, perhaps it was Ionu's wish that we meet in this way." The Symenestra smiled when she asked of his ancestry, although it was more out of curiosity than pride. It was interesting that she asked first if he was full blooded, which hinted towards the possibility that she had encountered a half blood before. Of course, there was the other option that explained her eyes-- she had mixed parentage.

"My name is Vizyous Aconitum, full blooded Symenestra indeed. Pardon me if I'm wrong, but may I ask if you're of similar blood to me?" Vizyous looked into the woman's eyes, heart pounding in excitement at the amethyst he missed so much. Perhaps he would have to visit Kalinor in the Summer. "It's just, you're eyes," He emphasized the word, smile becoming less curious and voice becoming deeper with interest, "they're the most striking color I've seen in Alvadas."

Vizyous decided at first to ignore the question about Julius, but then added after a pause, "As I said before, we're merely acquaintances. He's an interesting man. He was walking backwards before you came along," The man shook his head, an amused tone coming to his voice, "or more accurately before that cursed hat came along!"

[Julius Aldoid]

From behind a shop, there was a clattering. There was a mild amount of swearing involved, but after the clamor had settled, a hatbox was pushed out from around the corner. It was a purple box, ovular, and looked well designed to hold a top hat. It was placed upside down, lid removed, so when the pale, delicate wrist of one Julius Aldoid lifted it up, the prize within was revealed: a feather.

But not just any feather mind you- a deliciously puffy feather, long and fair, and would likely make a hat look quite dashing when placed upon the brim.

The seductive hand (to hats at least, for it presented something that only hats would desire) then simply followed to place a forked twig upon the edge of the hatbox to prop it up, with a simple string tied to it.

There was immediately a snickering, and one had the sense that Julius might be writhing his hands together from his hunting blind.

Vizyous would feel a scuttling from atop his head before the aforementioned 'cursed hat' had flopped on the ground, closer to the trap then to him. He would perhaps quickly come to realize that he had looked quite dashing a moment or two ago, but only in time for a pink tongue to slide out the top of the hat and blow a raspberry at him.

The hat then wandered over to the trap, seeming to sniff the air despite having neither a nose nor a face to hold it on, but it then gently crawled under the open box, and seemed to be doing something to the feather.

"With cat-like tread!" Julius yelled, landing on the box, it struggling against him.

"Ha ha- hat boxed," he smiled, waving to Vizyous and Damiana, though not knowing the name of the latter.

The rumbling in the box stopped for a moment, but then, with explosive power, the top hat changed from a standard top to a massive, six-foot stove-pipe, it well able to support Julius as he hung on for dear life from the hatbox he now rested on. The hat then bolted out of the bizarre, Julius letting go of the box elsewise he'd become the prey.

It sped off, quickly disappearing out of The Bizzare.

"Oh no," Julius said, hysterically laughing, "What am I going to tell that eagle? I said I was only going to borrow the feather."

oocCost of feather: x. Cost of hatbox: y. Total cost: z

[Vizyous Aconitum]

The conversation was interrupted by the silk hat atop his head coming to life again, making Vizyous tense up and brace himself for a nice drag through the Bizarre. His wince was left unanswered though, and after a moment he spotted the object on the ground, nearby the snickering Julius, who seemed to have found the prized trap he was looking for. The hatbox held a unique feather within it, tempting the hat to come towards it.

The trick was simple to a more intelligent mind, but apparently hats didn't possess such a thing, illusion or not. "With cat-like tread!" Julius cried out, pouncing upon the box and capturing his most wanted top hat. The yell of triumph was squashed just a moment after both himself and the woman he spoke to was waved at by Julius.

The hat pulled off an impressive and unexpected escape, transforming itself into a six foot stove pipe, taking off with box still in tow. Julius hung on for a moment before landing on the ground, then began laughing uncontrollably. "What am I going to tell that eagle? I said I was only going to borrow the feather."

Vizyous frowned, staring at the man; he was beginning to think that every long-time resident of Alvadas was like Julius. He would have to find other residents and compare them before declaring the man as uninteresting, but for now, he would keep observing. A while after staring at Julius perplexed, Vizyous cracked a smile, a small laugh coming from him. He approached him and pat his shoulder in comfort, "Friend, what will we do about your hat now? I believe it may have beaten us for good this time!"

[Dramiana Rosenthal]

There was an unsettling dissonance that rolled over the girl when the hat blew a raspberry and tussled with the assumed con-man that could only be communicated with slow blinks. The grip on her grimoire tightened and a few gentle footfalls were the only signs that she was disappearing back into the crowd. She was very good at it, too, moving like smoke caught in a winter wind.

Preoccupied with their [gentlemanly] spectacle, Dra-Miana kept the level of disturbance to herself, quietly biting her lip and heading back into the bizarre bazaar.

The pages of her book flew open: blank, or so it seemed, though she was so dangerously caught in their borders that carriages and patrons had to double their efforts to walk around her.

Her strides were long and uncertain, she becoming engrossed to a fault all over again.

[Julius Aldoid]

Julius brushed himself off, grinning like a maniac and clearing a small tear from his eye.

"Ah, it will be back," standing up, looking down the corridor to where it ran off two, "that makes six times it has gotten away from me."

Julius rolled his eyes, and fixed the fit of his clothing. He felt the inside of his pocket, noting that the letter he was to deliver was still in the right place.

"Something I don't get though," reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a very thick deck of cards, each one quite a bit longer the the normal playing cards. He shuffled them looking about, trying to see where the lady they had met had ran off too.

Withdrawing a card, he saw an image of a tower getting struck by lightning, flames coming off of it, people falling into a harsh and stormy sea below.

"Ya see," showing the card to Vizyous, "they say this is a good one, but I have my doubts."

"Did we lose her," Julius asked his friend, "I cant really see her. where did she go? Your lady friend. So sneaky! My powers of misperception succeed again."

Placing his cards back into his pocket, he withdrew the letter, minding it with a somber sobriety he had not displayed up until this point.

"But I have to deliver this, so I don't know what you wanna do, but I gotta get to the Temple of Ionu. Fastlike."

And Julius ran off into the Bizzare.