tushanshu_logs | she's just a problem that doesn't want to be solved [August, catchall, open]

Characters: China Sorrows and YOU
Date: August! ...And a tiny bit of the end of July, backdated, shhhh you saw nothing.
Location: Fire Sector apartment; the shell's edge; the turtle's head; anywhere else we feel like!
Situation: a couple.
Warnings/Rating: Obligatory headsup for China's emotion magic problems; anything related to the mis-spell plot has a chance of getting into her past, and she was Not Nice; I'll update this if things change.

A | Very late July mis-spell alert | Fire Sector, China's apartment | OPEN ~~if you're the sort who swings by her apartment~~

Anyone who had an appointment with China, or knows her well enough to be comfortable dropping by, may catch an unusual sight once she's let them in the door. China herself looks somehow a little less than her usual cool perfection, almost human, and a usually-closed door off the sitting room is partially ajar.

She'll close it when she notices, with an irritated sort of a scowl marring her features, but before that a sharp-eyed visitor may spot that there's a near-perfect replica of China in the other room, apparently chained to the wall. She has a cold sharpness to her, a multitude of dull gray symbols visible across her skin as well as one distinct black one at the base of her throat.

The China who is hopefully the proper China locks the door with a sharp flick of her wrist.

B | any August | various tea shops, any sector | OPEN

China seems to be making herself visible this month. It looks, in some respects, like holding court. Here and there, usually in tea shops, she meets with a kedan contact who doesn't mind being seen in public with her; at other times she looks like she's simply watching passersby.

In truth, China wants to be seen, to draw attention away from certain of her other contacts. At least there's only one loud declaration of love, which is easily brushed off.

C | any August | Midnight Hotel | OPEN

Eventually China makes her way to the Hotel again, to see what's become of it in Anton's wake. She almost respected the man, certainly did respect his accomplishments, and while it's in a little of a sad state after its proprietor's departure, it isn't terrible.

The locals really are doing good work.

What's left of the wards are her department, however, and while China's not completely convinced she's actually going to help, she does spend some time tapping at the walls in the quest to see what's even there to work with. Occasionally this effort yields a symbol; mostly, it results in China frowning, and the staff giving her something of a careful berth.

[ooc; for questions comments concerns or plotting just drop me a line, I'm happy to work out something more specific or discuss the problem that is China at length. cheers!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Klaus had recovered his human form (not that there was much to recover considering he still somewhat resembled a large cat that was trained to walk on its hind legs) and stopped by with scones and a small jar of one of his personal blends of tea. He had wanted to speak with China and apologize for ...well... being a lion. But even when covered in fur, he'd felt rather guilty for going without a pair of trousers. It was ungentlemanly.

After they had finished with the usual niceties, Klaus caught a glimpse of the 'other' China before the door was snapped shut.

He turned slowly to the China that had let him in.

"...I'm going to assume you don't normally have a doppelganger chained in your parlour?"

China frowned at him, fractional but still evident. She'd been oddly scattered since the other one split off from her, and she wasn't much enamoured of the feeling at all. "You assume correctly," she said, testing the lock before turning away and leading him into the sitting room proper.

Perhaps the other one had taken something with her, besides being young and terribly foolish.

"She's... a new development," China allowed, grudgingly, in deference to that part of her which wanted Klaus' good opinion. (Because it would be useful to have him think well of her. Only that.) "What brings you here, my dear?"

"I see."

China certainly seemed ... off. Perhaps not as composed as usual? It was hard to say, but if he had some alternative version of himself locked up for Reasons, he'd be a bit on edge as well.

"I wanted to stop by with a blend of tea I know to be drinkable," he said, holding up the little jar. One of his floral blends, it seemed, with what looked like dried orange peels. "But it seems I'm a tad late on that front. I also wished to apologize."

"I must assume it's related to the rash of transfigurations," China said with a sigh, sounding a little put-upon. She had no need to explain herself to Klaus; she was perfectly within her rights to chain up doppelgangers with no explanation.

And yet she found herself trying to provide some vague explanation anyway. Ridiculous.

She took the jar from him, holding it up to the light with some curiosity. "I can always find a use for good tea, my dear. Why on earth are you apologizing to me? I'm afraid I've missed the grievous slight."

"Almost certainly," Klaus agreed. "This was an effect others described as well."

Klaus cleared his throat, the tips of his ears going just a bit pink.

"Ah. Em. Well. Lion or not, I was in a state of undress for the entire ordeal," he explained, as though he should have immediately gone out and had a suit tailored. "And the smell could not have been pleasant. For whatever reason, I developed an aversion to any water save for that I drank."

He'd spent three hours in the tub just scrubbing the leaves, dirt and debris off once he'd turned back.

China looked notably irritated at this. "No word on who or what might be responsible, save 'the Dreaming?'" she said, giving a heavily sarcastic weight to the last. It seemed the Dreaming took the hand-waved blame for almost anything that went wrong in Keeliai.

But it always was amusing to see such a giant of a man blushing, which mellowed China's mood some little ways. "You were a beast, darling," she said, waving one hand as though to dismiss it. "I'd hardly expect clothing. Although if you do feel the need to grovel, I'm hardly going to object." Her tone was light enough it might be teasing, or might not be.

~~She did enjoy the sight of men on their knees.~~

"It's possible there was some kind of tampering," Klaus said with a nod. "It's hard to say for certain though."

He hid a small chuckle. "I was still mostly myself, save around the proximity of certain plants. I'll pass on the groveling for the time being, however - I'm trying to regain some semblance dignity."

~~Maybe another day China.~~

China didn't say anything to the first, but her gaze flicked with some minor annoyance toward the locked door before she recovered herself well enough not to show any hint of her thoughts on her face.

"Did you run afoul of catnip, my dear?" she asked instead, with the hint of an amused smile. It's a shame she missed that. "You may rest assured I'm not dreadfully offended."

Honestly, all things considered, this isn't how she'd thought another conversation with Klaus would go; but she isn't going to object to this, either.

"Well, something like it at least," he said, just a bit pink in the cheeks from embarrassment.

"You said back at the hotel you wanted to talk when I regained the capacity to do so. I imagine it's about the very thing I've rather been avoiding for too long?"

"What did you have in mind, my dear?" China inquired, eyebrows raised. She certainly wasn't going to bring up the awkward thing that sat between them like the skeleton in the room.

She herself had had something else in mind, anyway. Tangentially. "I thought I might inquire about your taste in gifts," she said instead, turning toward where it sat on a shelf against the far wall. "Wherever did you find this?"

Ah, the book.

He looked away, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"An antiques collector was selling it in Hatal," he explained. "It wasn't the first thing that caught my eye, but it seemed the most ... appropriate."

There had been jewelry, and glittering perfume bottles and stylish looking hats that wouldn't seem out of place with China's usual wardrobe. But the book had been the most interesting by far, with its elegant cover and the delicately coloured illustrations.

"I hope I did not overstep my bounds."

"Darling, you brought me a book, that's hardly compromising my virtue," China said, waving a hand to dismiss his concerns. Virtue had something of a sarcastic weight to it, though she continued in bland sweetness thereafter. "It's lovely. And the translation's proving an interesting project."

And a challenge, which she does appreciate, though lately she does have more than enough challenges to be getting on with.

"You're too kind," she adds, and it doesn't precisely sound like a compliment.

Her tone wasn't lost on Klaus, who exhaled with a soft 'ah.' He wasn't an idiot - the book had been a gesture of affection as well as an apology. Neither seemed to sit well with China. Klaus was quiet for a moment, fidgeting.

"I'm sure you guessed the reason behind my avoidance - Leonardo explained... well. He explained everything. Or at least everything he was able to discern."

He frowned, folding his hands in front of him as his brow knit together.

"It's not how I would have preferred to find out."

China lifts her eyebrows. "It isn't how I would have preferred it either," she says, unusually blunt for her. Granted, her preference would have been that he never find out, really.

She's used to a place where people know her by reputation; where Skulduggery warns the innocent about her and everyone assumes she's trying to bewitch them.

China doesn't have to try, but the point stands. That trick is most useful when people don't see it coming. Why would she explain? "You have questions, I assume," she says finally. She may even answer them.

She is not examining whether or not she feels bad about this one.

she's just a problem that doesn't want to be solved [August, catchall, open]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject