strangetrip | [GP] Midnight Carnival

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[GP] Midnight Carnival

Once, back at the beginning, Songrans had started the Carnival at midnight and ended it an hour later at one minute past. At least, it was reasonable to suppose they had, but, in truth, it had been such a long time ago, it was an article of faith rather than fact. Nowadays, Midnight Carnival began when the sun went down and ended when it came up again. It had been wryly suggested by many more than one Songran that it ought to be renamed "All Night Carnival," but somehow it never was. It made for convenient fiction on the Day of Kosal that all licentiousness had taken place in a single, short, non-existent hour, and so it remained as it was.

What it was depended on who did the describing. It might be wild twists of fortune at games of chance tended by sloe-eyed men and women in brilliant costume. Or it might be fine rice wine sampled from one end of the street to the next until the world spun like Samnang's wheel. For lovers of the Youngest, it might be greasepaint and cartwheels or blindfold-tag in a crowd or blowing soap bubbles at passersby. Chanda's devotees spent the night in sexual revels or romantic trysts under firework strewn skies, while enterprising followers of Vanna might find selling candy or trinkets or operating currency exchange more to their delight.

As soon as the sun set, buildings vomited forth a brightly festooned sea of humanity lit by colored silk or paper lanterns. The night smelled of sweetened puffed rice, rich and salty fish dumplings, spicy chili-fried insects. Turn a corner and chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, gave way to sweat, smoke, wine and sex. By midnight, the Carnival resembled nothing so much as a bejeweled caterpillar comprised of myriad masked and painted faces, in wild distortions of ecstasy, agony, and joy.

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He noticed the change in lighting, and arched a brow beneath the mask he wore.

"They have one of these carnivals every seven days. A little bit party, a little bit ritual."

He had said he was more conversational in the dark, so she shrugged and smiled quixotically at the raised eyebrow. Let him decide whether she was suggesting they add naked to the equation.

"Is that an invitation?" she asked, voice somehow richer and huskier in the darkness.

"We're already here," he pointed out. Though he wasn't adverse to a little naked, but he wondered if she would be when it wasn't dark anymore.

"For next week," she answered and ran her fingertips over his bicep lightly. She no longer knew what she was doing, beyond reacting from one moment to the next.

"If you still feel like making the offer when the sun has come up and the masks have come off, we can talk about next week." But now, this moment it felt a bit like taking advantage.

Still he punctuated the refusal by bending to capture her mouth with his.

Regina had barely enough time to mentally acknowledge that his response was both considerate and perceptive before he was kissing her. In retrospect, she should have seen it coming, should have realized she was angling for it, but in the moment, it caught her off guard.

She stiffened briefly -- not Robin -- but only very briefly. Her lips parted in invitation and she kissed back, the fire that fueled her magic roaring up in answer.

He felt it, the slight hesitation and the heat as she sank into the kiss and his grip shifted, tightened as the kiss lingered and deepened.

Without intending to, Regina brought one hand up to grip his shirt by his neck and the other grasped at his shoulder, fingers curling and clutching to find purchase.

There was fire underneath that icy exterior, something he was profoundly pleased to discover. Gradually though he loosened his grip, and pulled back just enough so his words whispered across her lips.

"Next week, when the sun is up." If she was still interested.

Rebekah had a mask in hand but she had yet to put it on as she stood still in the middle of the crowd like a statue in a sea of activity. Her eyes were half closed as she let the sounds and smells swirl around her, nearly drowning her senses as she waited for something.

In truth, she was hunting at the moment. This was the perfect place to find someone to feed on and it would allow her to go a longer time before she would need to feed on Sam again. It would give him a little more time to recuperate and she thought that was important.

Her long blonde curls cascaded down her back when she lifted her chin, sorting through the sounds in hopes of finding someone who would be a good target. Maybe someone causing trouble? There was always one or two in a crowd like this. Someone she wouldn't feel all that bad feeding on.

Even night time in this place was much to hot for Thorfinn's liking, like with his past experiances with world travels, every place seemed hot when his heart ached for the chill of snow and ice. Still, he was an adventurer at heart, and a new world called to him. He had spent most of his day fishing in the hot sun since it was free.

With the sun long down and the heat still around, Thorfinn moved quietly through the Carnival, it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He had a pair of tunic pants on, but no shirt. He didn't usually like to display his scars, but, tonight he figured few would pay mind yo him. It was hot, and it was about the only way for him not to let the humidity choke him. He was following a smell more than anything as he walked past the merriment around, the smell of cinnamon had caught his attention. Spicy, hot and sweet, it made him curious to find that smell.

Next week, when the sun is up.

Regina's upper lip curled in a snarl of frustration. She'd bent her pride enough to let herself enjoy him and she got 'next week'? He'd probably been mocking her. The whole thing was too... fairy tale, with masks and kisses, and pretenses, to be real.

She snatched an ale off a nearby table and dropped the appropriate coin in its place. She didn't care what it was. She needed a drink. Or three.

As tangled up inside her head as Regina was, she didn't see Rebekah until they were nearly face to face. So much for her efforts at avoiding her ex-lover who didn't know her from Eve. (Lillith, who was she kidding?) "Rebekah," she said with a nod and tried to keep several years worth of friendship and affection out of her voice.

Sansa didn't mind the heat so much. It was true that she had spent most of her childhood in Winterfell but the last few years had been spent in King's Landing which had helped her to adapt to warmer weather enough that she wasn't in shock when she ended up somewhere a lot warmer. Still, she was aware of the fact that her hair was damp against the nape of her neck as she walked down the street with a curious gaze going this way and that.

Then she caught sight of someone walking around without a shirt on and she did a mild double-take when she noticed the scars as well. Of course, she recognized the man and she found herself calling out to him before he could get too far.

"Thorfinn!"

Thorfinn turned at the sound of the voice, almost expecting a head of blonde hair to be there instead of the beautiful redhead. Sometimes Sansa sounded like Arneis, he knew she didn't really sound much like her, but the part of him thats always lost in his dark dreams and old memories would overlap the two women, the same as he had once done with Margaery.

When he saw Sansa he smiled for her, he couldn't help it. The smile lit his face up in the rare way that seemed to wash the constant brood away. He moved to make his way towards her, careful not to cut anyone off or walk into anyone. When he came forward, he tipped his head for her, like her the nap of his neck, and his forehead both were damp with sweat, as was his chest but, he was not built for hot places. Even summers for him had always been more like spring.

"Good evening, Sansa." He spoke as he kept his head dipped, at least until the long blond locks started spilling over his shoulder, only then did he staighten his posture and look up at her.

Rebekah had seen the stunning brunette around since she was kind of impossible to miss. That and there was a strange vibe around the woman, a sort of tension that Rebekah could pick up on but didn't understand. Still, she offered a polite smile because it was someone from the hotel. Someone who was in the same boat as her.

"It's Regina, right?" She asked before the woman could even move on and she arched a brow while tilting her head to the side. "Your name, I mean? Is it Regina?"

Hearing Rebekah's voice saying her name--like a question, uncertain, instead of intimately knowing--summoned the sting of tears behind her eyes and she bit down on the inside of her lip to stop them, then nodded.

"Regina Mills," she said after a minute, and then, because she'd had enough of this night already, "If you're looking for a meal, I'll feed you." It was hardly the first time she'd done it.

There were times when his quiet, brooding nature reminded her slightly of Jon but there wasn't much else to compare beyond that. Thorfinn was different and intriguing in his own right, especially when he was walking around without a shirt and causing her cheeks to warm when she realized it.

Trying very hard to keep her eyes trained on his face, she offered a sweeter smile while dipping her head in much the same fashion again. "Good evening, Thorfinn."

She liked to say his name.

"If I had known you were coming here, I would have asked to accompany you. This place is very busy, I keep worrying that I might get lost." She wasn't sure what would happen to her if she did.

He smiled down up to her, she was one he didn't mind having to look up to. He had found her beautiful in both worlds, something like a princess from the sagas. Someone to protect. He tried hard not to brood around her but he often did.

He offered his arm as Margaret had taught him so they could walk together. "I hadn't planned to, it was a last moment idea. I spent my youth exploring, so I guess that side of me never died. I would be pleased to walk with you now, if you want it."

Rebekah recognized the struggle to hold back unbidden tears because there had been plenty of times when she had bit her own lip to keep the emotions back. It was rare that she succeeded given her nature and what she was but she still recognized when someone was visibly struggling for control over something.

Tilting her head a little again, she watched with the same sense of curiosity as before but it swiftly turned to surprise. Then she scowled, stepping closer. "How..." Then she pulled herself together. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't say that I spent my youth exploring but I did often wish to see different parts of the world." Which was why she had pushed so hard to go to Winterfell when her father was made the Hand. It was a decision that she would ultimately come to regret but that didn't quiet the urge completely.

"I have never really seen anything like this before." She added, looking around with an expression akin to awe. Then she was looking at him with a curious smile. "Have you?"

Anyone approached by a vampire of Rebekah's power ought to flinch away, anyone but an enchantress of her own power--or a woman who'd made love to her dozens of times. "I knew you. A version of you. Somewhere else." She ached for the familiarity of that friendship, needed it badly. "It's all right. I'm safe for you. We rescued Hope together, with Hayley. You helped me save my son. We were... friends."

Having some experience already with the idea of different versions existing somewhere else, Rebekah doesn't immediately dismiss the idea put forth to her. She did blink a little but the further mention of Hayley and Hope both sort of help too.

"Friends?" She really didn't have a lot of those but she was still a touch wary as she looked the woman over. "If you know Hope, who is her father?"

"Lovers." It seemed pointless to hide that now, when Regina would be more than happy to take Rebekah back to her bed. "Hope's father is your brother Niklaus, who you usually call Nik."

She paused to let that sink in, knowing it would be as close to proof as she could get without reciting intimate details.

The mention they were lovers caused Rebekah's brows to arch but she didn't dispute the idea. Instead, she gave the woman another slow once-over while Regina answered her question. The mention that Rebekah called her brother by a nickname of sorts helped to reassure her further, so she relaxed with a little nod.

Yes, it could still be a trick but she was going to keep an open mind at the moment. "Well, this is all very interesting. You do seem like my type, though."

Regina laughed, a soft, sultry sound and moved closer. She slid a hand along Rebekah's side and offered, "A dance or a quiet corner might give me a chance to show you how right you are," although she didn't plan to take it all the way home. It would take time with this new version of Rebekah before Regina could have her without the memories of the old intruding. But it wouldn't hurt too terribly to provide evidence in the form of a few knowledgeable kisses and caresses. "The latter provides an opportunity for you to feed, as well."

Her heart warned her this wasn't what it felt like and she was reacting to Dyson's rejection, but no evil came from this connection in Gotham; it had strengthened them both, and right now Regina needed all the extra strength she could get.

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[GP] Midnight Carnival

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