wanderinghamsa (wanderinghamsa) wrote in shadowlands_ic, @ 2018-01-12 23:20:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | caspian finn, zipporah bakst |
Who: Zipporah Bakst, Caspian Finn, Miriam(NPC)
What: Zipporah stops by the theater, Caspian is charming
Where: Spectacular Review
When: 15 December [Backdated]
Rating: G
Zipporah had a rare day off, and was spending it wandering.
She liked exploring London -- the flashy, brightly lit newness mixing with the centuries old grime, the odd little pockets of neighborhoods that differed so dramatically from one another.
Today, she found herself wandering along a row of theaters, looking at the brightly colored posters, the advertisements for acts of every sort -- magicians, singers, comedy, animal acts, all eye-popping and intriguing, but one in particular caught her eye.
‘Mermaids!’ it called out in a flowing cursive. ‘See the Wonders of the Deepest Sea Unfold.’
She paused and looked at that particular poster, lingering, examining the painted depiction of a beautiful mermaid swimming underwater, tracing the edge of her tail with a gloved finger.
Caspian was very proud of the latest theme because it hit so close to home. It was a subject he was very familiar with and because he did know it it’d turned out to be one of their more successful shows. There was very little in his life he was truly invested in considering the world was often dark and gruesome but the theater was his true passion. Well, next to a certain demon.
He had been sweeping the doorway of the theater when he saw the young woman pass him by without a glance. A smile formed over his lips and he watched her touch the poster. “They are quite lovely, aren’t they?” Caspian called softly to her, still holding the broom. Sure he had staff for this, but there was something about tending to your own things once in awhile that reignited that spark of pride.
Setting the broom aside, Caspian gathered his coat around himself and slowly approached the young woman. Out of the shadow of the awning and into the lighter part of the world, his blue eyes shimmered in delight as he looked the young woman over. She was a beauty.
She looked over, a little surprised that she’d been seen wool-gathering, and flushed, biting her lip. “They are,” she replied. “I find them quite intriguing. Mysterious, even.” She looked over at the man, whose eyes were so very bright blue in the crisp fall air. “You work here? For the theater? What will it be like? The show?”
Caspian offered a patient smile at the reddening of her cheeks. He hadn’t meant to startle her but oh was she a pretty thing, especially when her cheeks flushed. Admiring her was easy and by the way she spoke he was curious to know if others did it often. It didn’t seem like it, and that wasn’t an uncommon occurrence unfortunately.
“Mm, they are quite mysterious, but I suppose that is what makes them so intriguing. Mermaids have more to them than meets the eye, I’d suspect.” And then Caspian nodded, “I do. It’s spectacular. Have you been to one of the shows here, before? This subject is a favorite of mine and from what I hear about town it’s been spoken of very highly.”
She shook her head. “I have been to the Hebrew Dramatic Club and the Pavilion,” she said, tipping her chin. “They are reviews done in Yiddish, concerts and plays, but I have not been to other theaters. I have read the Shakespeare, and a few others, but that is all.” She looked back to the poster. “It does look very beautiful,” she added. “Do they swim during? How are the costumes? Do they truly look as if they have the tails of fishes? Wrapped around their legs? I wonder how they are able for to move.”
She laughed a little. “I am sorry for to be pestering,” she added, “it is such a different topic, so fantastical, I am imagining what it would look like, and I am sure I fall short.”
He listened to her when she spoke regarding the places she’d seen shows. Religion was still a new thing to him and Caspian didn’t mind who was what either way, that had never mattered to him. “Oh? I should make it a point to check into those.” He said, a promise that he really would. He delighted to see what others were doing in their Reviews.
And then Caspian laughed softly at her inquiries, offering a playful smile, “My lady, if I told you all of those things you’d never be inclined to see them for yourself. It would ruin the magic, I think.”
Caspian reached into the inside of his coat and produced two tickets, offering them to the young woman, “Here. You come see for yourself, the best seats in the house, and then you’re welcome to inquire all you’d like after the show. I am happy to entertain your ideas for the duration of the evening if that shall satisfy your need to know.”
Zipporah was about ready to insist that she liked to know the inner workings of things, that she found it no end of interesting, but the appearance of the two tickets made her pause in surprise, a flush of color rising to her cheeks.
“Oh!” She exclaimed, flattered and pleased. “Oh.” She looked over at him, biting her lip. “You are… you are most generous. Are you some sort of magician?” She asked, laughing a little, and extending her hand. “I am Zipporah Bakst, and I am pleased for to be making your acquaintance,” she said, warmly.
He chuckled and shook his head, “My lady, I cannot say that I possess any magic at all, though I am quite fond of a good magic trick now and then.” He handed her the tickets and then reached out his own had to take hers, though instead of shaking he twisted her hand slightly and pressed his lips against the backs of her knuckles kindly. “Miss Bakst, it is my pleasure to meet you on such a fine day. I am Caspian Finn, and this is my operation here.”
Releasing her hand slowly, Caspian stood to his full height and offered a warm, patient smile, “Where is the day taking you, Miss Bakst? Please do not let me keep you from any errands that you may still have while there is light.”
Zipporah continued to have two spots of pink high in the apples of her cheeks as the admittedly gorgeous man kissed her knuckles. He reminded her of Mr Allen -- smoothly charming, and very nearly too pretty to be real, with startlingly blue eyes.
“Psh,” she said, shrugging, “it is my day off, so I am going for a walk with my brother,” she nodded her head down the block, where Ach was patiently lingering. “I have nowhere I need for to be. Except for a play I have got tickets for this evening,” she added, laughing and tossing her head a little. “I am told it will be spectacular by the man who runs the place.” She looked up at him, grinning. “You really will show me around in the back of the stage after?” She asked, leaning towards him a little.
“Oh? Then you are enjoying the day,” Caspian replied, casting a sideways glance at the figure down the street. When his attention returned to the young woman he smiled again, “That play will be spectacular, I’ve heard. The town is alight with positive words.” His opinion would always be favorable, no matter what, it was the public opinion that mattered.
And then he smiled, bowing some, “I do not make promises that I do not intend to keep, my lady. Should you arrive and see the show, once it has concluded all you must do is wait for me in the lobby. We shall find each other and I will give you the tour that your heart desires.” He offered a wink as if to seal the deal.
Later that evening, Zipporah stood in the lobby at the end of the show, her auntie’s arm slipped through hers. She was wearing her second-best dress, and her auntie was wearing her nice beaded shawl and a gold pin, and both women were talking quietly and eagerly about the show.
“Ah, the dancers!” Miriam said in Yiddish. “The way the fabric floated through the air, as if they were under water… and this Mr Finn will take us on a tour, you say?” She looked up at Zipporah, cackling a little. “This man is not vying for your affections, is he? Should your wolf be jealous?”
Zipporah flushed and laughed, nudging her aunt affectionately. “He is pretty, to be sure, Auntie, but I shall lust with my eyes, and not with my heart.”
Miriam laughed back. “Good,” she replied, “All the more for me, then.”
The events of the evening were not any different than usual. Caspian entertained a number of guests after the show, but usually those guests were dear friends. Sometimes, when he had gotten a wild hair (like earlier that day) his guest were new, potential friends. Either way he delighted in the company and didn’t mind the questions that came. There were always questions.
Entering the lobby area post show, Caspian found the familiar face waiting for him. His smile was charming as he approached the pair of ladies, “Ah, Ms. Bakst!” Caspian said, pausing before them. “And who might this be? You did not tell me you had such a lovely sister.” He offered Zipporah’s aunt a gracious greeting and welcome before turning back to the young woman, “How did you enjoy the show?”
Miriam was thin and willowy, and while she had wrinkles in the corners of her eyes and a few silver strands shot through her thick curly hair, she was a Bakst woman. When she laughed, pleased, the color high on her cheeks, the family resemblance was clear.
Zipporah looked over at her fondly, as if to say, I told you he was a charmer, and then back up at Caspian.
“My Auntie Miriam,” she said, and Miriam nodded her head. “It was wonderful,” Zipporah added. “Thank you for the tickets.”
Miriam grinned in agreement. “The name,” she said, a little haltingly, “the name is most good. Spectacular Review. Very true.”
“It was my pleasure to extend the invitation, Madam,” Caspian said to Miriam, before turning back to Zipporah, “And to you as well. I am very glad you both enjoyed the show. This is one subject very close to my heart and it’s execution had to be perfect.”
“Now, I do believe that I offered to take you on a tour to the stage and be forthcoming with any answers that your hearts desired. Shall we?” He offered an arm to each woman and waited until they were ready.
The three of them made their way back toward the stage. The theater was quiet, empty, and perfect for discussion of the inner workings of the show without interruption. “Please, explore as you’d like. You won’t disturb anything.”
“The ribbons from the…” Miriam pointed upwards. “The ones the dancers… twisted… spinned…they are hiding now?” She gestured with her hand. “When they came down from…” she pointed up again. “I was very surprising.” She looked up at Caspian. “They were the beautiful. The ribbon dancers. They were the most best.” She shook her head. “My words, they are not so good,” she said, “but it was full of the beauty.”
Zipporah smiled over at her auntie before looking up at Caspian as well. “It was very beautiful, yes. And the platform,” she added, “the… the mechanism for raising peoples, from underneath the stage, so they appeared for to be floating up -- that was something I have never seen before.”
He waited patiently as they looked around. It delighted him, the looks of wonder on their faces. Beyond the curtain Caspian would usually stand, peering out at the crowd in effort to see the expressions. He always hoped for awe, and most of the time he succeeded in getting it.
Turning toward one of the side stages, Caspian saw one of the dancers. He motioned for her and she smiled, twirling out toward where they all stood. “Una, these are very dear friends of mine,” Caspian explained to the dancer, motioning to the two ladies. Warmly, Una paused her dance, offered a smile and to each of them one of the ribbons from the show. His theater was rigged with many things, trap doors, the works. Anything floor level was fair game. The ribbons may not have been the ones from the ceiling but they would work.
“Thank you, Una,” Caspian said. The dancer waved and then twirled away to continue the task she had been partaking in when summoned. “I have many things here that you will not find in most other places.” How he came about such knowledge was his own secret. He liked to keep the audiences guessing.
Miriam held her ribbon carefully in her hand, looking after the dancer with a wistful look. “I used to dance,” she said, “but never as she. So lovely.” She patted his arm. “You are good man,” she said, looking up at him, “to have us here, to give us the passage.” She paused. “The tails,” she added, “the fish tails, may we be seeing one? I should care to touch.”
“You still dance well,” Zipporah replied, grinning over at Miriam. “And oh, yes,” she said, looking up at Caspian, beaming. “They were so very shining.”
He watched the expression on Miriam’s face change and appreciated it for what it was. “I am sure that you are still capable of dancing,” Caspian grinned. He knew that Miriam probably had been a beauty back in her day. And when she patted his arm Caspian beamed, offering her a humble look, “Thank you. I do try.”
And then he laughed softly, nodding, “I could show you one. Of course!” Sweeping a hand toward the side of the stage where Una had come from, Caspian lead the women to the dressing area. It was a narrow and yet wide area lined with mirrors, small lamps for illumination, rows of places for the dancers to sit and apply their cosmetics. Costumes of all types were hanging here and there.
“Ah, here we are,” Caspian said, motioning to a tail hanging nearby. “Please.”
The tail glimmered in the lighted room, ‘scales’ made out of a mixture of iridescent fabric and small gleaming sparkling sequined bits that hit the light just so as she brushed her fingers over it. It looked beautiful, but not quite as bewitching as it had on the woman who’d worn it -- it was the sort of thing that looked best when filled out, and in motion.
“I wonder if it looks as it would?” Zipporah murmured, very nearly to herself, as she fingered the richly detailed cloth. It was a question she supposed she’d never see the answer to, but the play had shown a cornucopia of images as to what it might be like to see one. What did Keira call herself? A Mer.
Caspian heard the mumble of a question giving nothing away. “Who are we to know, really?” He purred, very softly. “Our imaginations sometimes must do the work for us.” Why spoil the magic? He guarded his own fin very closely. Not even Gabriel had seen it. He never wanted anyone he loved to associate that pain, the torturous process with him. Yes, the beauty was there but the thought of enduring it just for show as Keira had made Caspian uneasy.
Zipporah looked up at him, shaking her head a little and laughing. “Of course,” she replied. “You have quite an imagination, Mr Finn, for to dream up such wonderful magics as these.” She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek impulsively. “Thank you,” she said. “Should you ever wish for to go to one of the plays at the Jewish center, you should let me know, and I should join you.”