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Post by indeath on May 28, 2023 19:12:14 GMT -6
One of the greatest charms of the 8-bit club was the ‘retro’ music they pumped out of the speakers. None of this modern chaos they deemed to call music. Casper had a particular fondness for the 80’s and it seemed fitting in today’s body. He’d started using it in that era after all. He appreciated seeing things from a higher perspective and people were more likely to leave him alone.
He was tall and muscular with tattoos that covered his arms, shaggy black hair with shaved sides and many piercings. Tonight he wore a tank top with Led Zeppelin written artistically across the front and jeans with many tears and holes. He didn’t have guns to show off normally so he took full advantage. The second charm of the place was the retro arcade games they had near the bar. Casper was determined to fill the high scores with his name. He even used just a little magic when no one was looking. It wasn’t technically cheating. No one had to know. A half empty glass of beer sat upon the top of the machine threatening to fall off yet somehow it stayed put despite the jostling.
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Post by jarahamee on May 29, 2023 2:22:10 GMT -6
Vars Bishop, Magician Extraordinaire, Travelling Master of Illusions, was predictably enraptured playing the pinball game Theatre of Magic. It was so cliché, he felt like he could probably take a picture of himself playing and put it on social media as a joke, but it was in fact, one of his favorite pinball games, and he didn’t need to cheat to be good at it.
Vars was, by most considerations, a beautiful man. His long dark hair was well-kept, and flowed down to his mid-back. He had doe-like soft-eyes, and was wearing a beautiful purple and black suit today, with the black shirt half-open. He looked down at his perfectly manicured nails, wondering if he should have them redone on Tuesday. Probably. There was a little chip in the side now.
He checked his score, and then heard a soft noise. Someone clearing their throat. Looking at the growing line behind him, he did realize that others in bar were probably less enthusiastic about his skill, and he should consider fumbling a few times on purpose so that they could have a try.
He put down his pina colada and felt a twinge of disappointment as he sent his next ball directly to its doom, then took a shot.
What a shame, he liked the little animated sequences that this machine had. Doing magic tricks was really the best part of the game.
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Post by indeath on May 29, 2023 2:55:49 GMT -6
Casper made a loud huffing noise and swore in German as the high score slipped through his fingers again. He took the beer off the top of the machine and finished it off. It wasn’t cream but he did get a slight tingle from it. Time to try his luck elsewhere. That’s when he noticed the people lined up for pinball. Theatre of magic was definitely a classic but the anachronism annoyed him. It had been made in 1995, well after the 80’s. The high score was impressive but not quite as impressive as the man playing it. Air caught in his throat as he forgot momentarily how to breath. Was he seeing things? He wasn’t even sure real people could look that good. His heart felt a little tight in his chest. It wasn’t a member of his mistress’s court… He knew all their faces but the man definitely didn’t belong in here. He was so dazzled he almost didn’t noticed the sharp tug on his ankle as a tiny dog stared up at him meaningfully.
“I want him… Bring him to me.”
The words fizzled and burnt in his ear like fire. Shit. Couldn’t he have just one night off?
“Oi! No dogs!”
A young bartender looked over from clearing drinks off a nearby table. Casper nodded but the small dog had already vanished back into the shadows. The poor bartender just looked confused but continued clearing away the glasses anyway.
Casper sighed, his eyes back on the young man. Drinking him in. His hair looked incredibly soft. It was certainly a shame but he couldn’t disobey her again. He still bore the scars from the last time. He continued watching the man, waiting for the right moment to approach. Damn he needed some cream.
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Post by jarahamee on May 29, 2023 3:11:22 GMT -6
Vars finished losing his last ball, and stared with immense disappointment at the game over screen’s MATCH SET words. He could have kept playing for at LEAST another thirty minutes, but apparently the game was popular, and unlike what Pinkerton thought, he did, actually, have interest in being fair to others. He turned the other way, taking his drink. He picked up the cherry by the stem, and manipulated it with his lips, ignoring the prolonged and unbroken gaze of the man next to him. Sometimes people thought he was a woman, but that was more of a them-problem than a him-problem. He loved his hair. It was so soft and lovely with the addition of coconut shampoos, he wouldn’t give it up for the world.
He wandered towards the bar, finishing the rest of his drink, and considered ordering another. Maybe a mojito this time. Just two. Too many and he’d gain weight, and he couldn’t be having that, could he?
Vars settled on placing the order, and then stood there, waiting, occasionally glancing up at the screen above him. Someone was playing pacman. Fun. They were better at it than he was for sure.
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Post by indeath on May 29, 2023 20:28:31 GMT -6
Casper made a choking sound as the man ate the cherry and promptly managed to trip over a nearby chair with a loud crash. Not exactly lending to using his charm to lure the guy into a trip to the fae realm.
He tried to regain some dignity by standing up but somehow he pushed several drinks off a table in his attempt. The staff were downright glaring at him. People were staring unkindly.
This. This was what made him glad to be a changeling. He might not be able to show this face here again but his other ones were just fine. At least for now. This was salvageable though, he’d caused worse scenes sadly. Casper placed a charm on himself and suddenly angry and amused faces turned to interest and admiration. He placed a $50 in the tip jar and apologized to the staff who seemed more than willing to forgive him.
His hair now seemed perfectly tousled and his outfit seemed newer and cooler to those around him. There wasn’t a single stain or evidence of his recent ‘trip’. It wouldn’t last of course and everyone would eventually remember the incident the same as it was. If not worse but that was the price and he only needed one person to like him again after tonight.
He turned to the beautiful man with a large grin. Teeth so perfectly white they were almost blinding. Perhaps he’d made it a little strong but it was too late now.
“Do you also like getting caught in the rain?” He pointed to the pina colada. He died internally from the cringe. Why had he said that? “Heh I mean… Hi! I’m Dietz. Dietz Niemand. Fancy a game?”
In this form he had a crisp German accent under the American making his consonants sharp and slightly harsh.
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Post by jarahamee on May 29, 2023 22:27:58 GMT -6
Whether or not Vars was able to see through the magic that Casper had done, he gave no indication. Likewise, he gave no indication that he understood the pick-up line.
Being an entertainer gave him no dearth of young women and sometimes men, who expressed their interest in him, and he needed a little more than that to be interested.
Still! This could be an opportunity!
Vars turned, giving Casper his most charming smile. He placed one hand on the other and leaned forward, picking up his drink.
“I’m Vars. Actually, I don’t like getting caught in the rain. I wear too much silk.”
He patted the handkerchief in the front pocket of his jacket.
“What’s your favorite game here?”
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Post by indeath on May 30, 2023 3:43:32 GMT -6
Casper tried not to show the flailing that was going on inside. With this charm, it should have been easier. Still he appreciated someone who wasn’t easy. It boded well for his survival rate in the fae realm.
“Well, as long as you’re not into yoga we’ll be made in the shade. My favorite?”
Casper dragged his eyes across the different games. He needed to pick something he could win over Vars. Still one particular console called to him.
“Joust… It was the first game I played with real graphics. Pong was amazing, but Joust… Joust really sparked my interest. Uh though I feel like we should play something a bit more competitive. Then if I win… We’ll go somewhere cool.”
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Post by jarahamee on May 31, 2023 0:59:55 GMT -6
Vars raised his eyebrow. Going somewhere cool? Like a back alley where he could disappear forever? The faint ring of alarm bells went off somewhere in his brain, but he chose to ignore them. They were in a populated area, and he had nothing to fear with his powers.
He wasn’t a coward. He was a magician! And a damned good one at that. “Joust is a good choice. I like the knight theme. I used to really like them when I was a kid but I’m more of a…” He put out his hand and twirled a coin on the tip of his finger, before rolling it down his arm. The coin disappeared and reappeared in his other hand, clutched tightly between thumb and forefinger; “Merlin sort of guy.” Vars handed the silver dollar to Casper, leaning towards his very forward new friend. Was this a new flirting technique he hadn’t learned yet? He had to admit, this felt a lot like one of the interactions he had before he gained his full shapeshifting skills, but that didn’t deter him. “What sort of game do you think would be more competitive?”
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Post by indeath on May 31, 2023 3:52:37 GMT -6
Casper clocked the eyebrow and realized it had been a little creepier than he’d intended. It was lucky he had magic because he definitely wasn’t smooth. Years of practice and he’d never got better at it. He took the coin, intending to show Vars a trick of his own. The second it touched his skin he regretted every moment, burning pain erupted from his fingers and he dropped it. Red welts already forming on his skin. For a split moment his form shifted before returning to his current visage. Shit. It had to be silver. Time for a distraction. He pulled a small rose from his sleeve and presented it to Vars with a slight bow.
“M.. metal allergy. Cool trick.” He winced. “ Well if you like Merlin. The place I mean isn’t creepy. It’s uh very Merliny. A whole different world almost. “
Why did he become so corny when beautiful men were around. This couldn’t be going any worse.
“Ah.. I think it has to be Street Fighter, right? No magic there I’m afraid. It’s pretty gnarly though.”
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Post by jarahamee on Jun 1, 2023 0:19:52 GMT -6
Vars’ eyes lit up. He accepted the rose, holding it between his fingers as he considered what he just witnessed. The shift in his new friend’s appearance just about confirmed that he was some kind of super, and whatever had happened there was more than just a metal allergy, but it did mean that at least his abductor was probably going to be trying an exciting sort of abduction and not the normal, uh…less exciting type of abduction.
“That’s super cool, but are you ok?”
He leaned forward to look at Casper’s hand, doing his best not to touch it. He didn’t want to make this weirder than it already was, but he did hurt himself!
Vars turned his head towards Streetfighter. Not his favorite game, but it was a classic none the less. He was fairly sure, whether this unusual fellow was cheating or not, he would probably lose to him. That’s a shame. Maybe they could do a pinball mini tournament instead.
He flicked his hair like a high-spirited horse, and gave Casper his most dazzling smile. “I’m no good at Streetfighter, but what if we played pinball. The same game, for the best score. I think that’s a little more fair, hm?”
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Post by indeath on Jun 1, 2023 4:23:33 GMT -6
Casper took a breath in as the rose was accepted and Vars didn’t run screaming. He hadn’t noticed Casper’s discrepancy thankfully. There were those who would call him reckless but people believed what they wanted to and most preferred to remain ignorant. Just a trick of the light. Or at least that’s what Casper told himself. He hadn’t been thrown out of a village yet. He moved his hand from view, it still stung. It would bother him for a few days but it could have been worse.
“Oh? Fine. I’m just a bit of a klutz sometimes… I’m funky fresh and ready to rumble! Pinball it is. Yolo, right?”
Nailed it. He’d done his research on the current slang. It was hard but you had to keep up or be square. Casper melted a little under Vars’ smile, his eyes becoming larger for a moment. He smiled back feeling awkward as hell.
“I’ll let you pick which one. Beauty before age.. heh.”
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Post by jarahamee on Jun 2, 2023 0:35:15 GMT -6
Vars smiled and tapped his own cheek with a black-manicured nail. He knew exactly what game he wanted. He forgot, for a moment, that Casper had given him stalker-vibes, and winked at him once, before realizing he should probably not do anything that might lead him on. At least…not that way.
He hard swallowed, and tried to smile, putting the rose in his breast-pocket. Breathe, think. He was not in actual danger. He was a powerful magic-user and he would be ok.
“Medieval Madness.”
The young man added, trying not to falter too much. This guy was just super friendly. Maybe he was just a very awkward super who didn’t spend much time among humans. He liked those.
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Post by indeath on Jun 2, 2023 4:03:18 GMT -6
Casper’s heart skipped a beat at the wink and guilt snuck up on him. What was another wing? At least they’d grow back together. He wasn’t even sure they’d ever had a chance to grow to full size. He involuntarily reached for his back. He felt increasingly unsure of himself. A soft growl reached his ears and he shivered.
“Right… Medieval madness..Let’s do this. So, Vars do you believe in real magic?”
He put a coin in from his own pocket, no silver. He half-heartedly pushed the button and began. His halfheartedness creeped into his magic as he tried to push it in the right direction. Instead it hit heavy against the side before disappearing back. He was out. Already. This night just wasn’t his.
“Show me how it’s done.”
Casper felt cornered. He’d have to come clean to his new friend. He’d lost, it was a sign Vars wasn’t meant for the fae world.
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Post by jarahamee on Jun 3, 2023 1:34:04 GMT -6
Vars smiled brightly. How did he feel about real magic? He though that Dietz would never ask!
He put a hand on his shoulder, leaning towards him conspiratorially, as if telling him the best possible secret. His long, loose hair cascaded over his shoulder as he turned his head. His perfume was floral with a touch of fruit, maybe peach.
“Well, as a matter of fact, I’m someone who knows a great deal about magic! I’m a professional magician! I’m Vars Bishop! You know, the Vars Bishop from the hit show “Is It A Trick?”
Vars opened his hands dramatically, suddenly releasing a small swarm of butterflies into the air, which moved in every direction, before making their way towards the front door. Admittedly that trick had been enhanced with actual, real life magic, but he was pretty good at the sleight of hand trick too. Just not at the bar in the middle of the night, sans-real-butterflies.
“Yeah, let’s do it!”
He put his hands on the machine, and though it was far from his best effort, his score quickly exceeded Caspers,’ then surpassed it. He felt like a god among men as he turned around with a half-spin, before shaking Dietz’ hand.
“You did great, but it looks like I won this round!”
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Post by indeath on Jun 3, 2023 21:45:20 GMT -6
Casper couldn’t hide a small chuckle at ‘professional magician’, was he serious? He took a sniff, there were notes of real magic but some humans could do small magic without ever realizing. As much as he wanted to recognize Vars from his show, he did not. Heck his tv didn’t even work most of the time thanks to that ghost. It was hard to tell with the perfume whether or not Vars smelt of magic. It was an amazing trick but that’s all it could be. That was the name of his show after all. Why were humans so difficult to read? Casper was floundering.
“Magicians don’t do real magic… How about as the winner of this round you can either ask me something and I’ll tell the truth or I can show you my own trick?”
It seemed only fair, as a fae he felt like he had to stick with the rules of engagement. An eye for an eye when it came to winning. He attempted to redeem himself in this round and the ball did stick around a little longer but it was still pretty awful. He looked around for Jonny, surely this was more than bad luck.
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