Making Plans (Artskaf)

[Ezvin Marveet]

“I love it when you say that with absolutely no idea what it means,” he murmured, mostly to himself, though he raised his coffee cup to her like a toast anyway.

He slid his wallet from his pocket and flicked it open with the kind of fluid, unconscious grace that came from long habit and a tiny bit of flair. “Let me check with someone about Hex,” he added.

He thumbed out a message with deft fingers and kept chatting as he waited.

“But I appreciate the enthusiasm. Risking your reputation in the name of nightlife? That’s real growth, Cady.” He'd never tried a nickname with her before. He hoped it landed okay, and he flicked his gaze toward Lore, to see if she might approve of the flirtation.

When a response came through, he scanned the message, then let out a faint whistle as he slid the wallet face-down on the table.

“Alright, good news and bad news,” he said, lacing his fingers together with a click of the knuckles. “Bad news is Hex is closed down. Allegedly something about zoning. The good news is there’s a place some of the same crowd swears by. It’s not underground, but looks interesting. Some surrealist carnival just off the river, near the red-light district.”

Tarot readers. Psychics. Ghost shows. Fire dancers. Trapeze. He flipped the wallet to show some social videos to Cadence and Lore. "They say the cotton candy is ‘unreasonably erotic,’ which is either a selling point or a cautionary tale, depending on your relationship with sugar.” He laughed, leaning back in the chair, looking satisfied and playful.

“And if it all turns out to be a little too strange, I’ll win you both teddy bears for good luck?”

[Lore]

The occult did not particularly entice her, but Lore was the type to try anything once. She was still looking bewildered, but also vaguely interested in the novelty. Not of a venture that arcanely compelled honesty – she was honest, too much sometimes; she had been told so on more than one occasion – but of the simple pleasure in being included in the social excursion. She sat back in her seat, and sipped her coffee while Ezvin thumbed his wallet. And she would certainly never judge anyone’s dancing, but she did judge his offering of Hex before even checking if the place would be accessible to them. Not that it was a condemning sort of judgement. Just a faint smile and narrowing of her eyes.

She had only just met Cadence, but neither Hex or the carnival immediately sounded like the sort of thing that would hold appeal for her. However she was also fairly certain Ezvin could have suggested anything and Cadence would have found the merit in it. Lore understood the whirlwind of that kind of pull – she had always felt it around Damien, and it could be quite dizzying. Men who promised excitement on one hand and safety on the other were not always a good thing. Not that it was remotely Lore’s business. Given everything Cadence had shared during their conversation, she imagined the change Ezvin intimated he saw in her was quite a sweet thing.

“I’ll pass on the “erotic” candy floss,” she repeated with a grimace that edged on a confusion she certainly didn’t want explained to her. It sounded sticky and unpleasant, and carnivals didn’t strike her as strictly clean places either. She peered at the wash of neon and noise emanating from the videos on Ezvin’s wallet, and did not otherwise appear dissuaded. “So what time are we meeting?”

[Cadence]

Cadence blinked at Ezvin’s statement. He’d given her a nickname. Casey always called her “Cade,” but until that moment, Ezvin had always called Cadence her full name. More importantly to her though, he had confirmed her growth as a person. Both of those statements together made a warmth blossom in her chest. She shifted slightly, moving closer to Ezvin.

Surrealist Carnival? That sounded just as unique as an occult-themed club. She looked at the video that Ezvin showed with interest. Neither his first suggestion of Hex or the carnival seemed like something she would have been interested in to begin with, but this one - with live performances - seemed more akin to what she would like. And even with that, she didn’t know for sure. She didn’t get out much. That was part of the reason for her curiosity and excitement about going.

Her eyes widened at the mention of “unreasonably erotic” cotton candy. What made cotton candy erotic? When she thought of “erotic” snacks, cotton candy pretty much was at the bottom of that list. Regardless, she was still game to go. ”Sounds like a plan. You should win me a teddy bear either way though,” she said with a smirk. ”What Lore said - what time are we meeting?”