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[ Well, Cassandra certainly perks up at the mention of her friend’s name. For a moment she wonders if she’s mistaken, but Cecelia certainly has some noteworthy ears, and the imPort community is small. She perks up, interested now- fuck whatever’s in this weird-ass store. In fact, she has an idea of who this could be. ]

You’re that girl who came in a few months ago. The one who was going on about how clean the streets were. [ She remembers weird things. ] Right? You mentioned Riptide.

Ec...scuse me? [blink. what. sorry?? that's a weird thing to remember. creepy! she's creepy!

her mouth twitches. good customer service...]

Sorry! I was...talking too loud, wasn't I? Yes. That--that was Riptide. And... [her face gets hot.] And whatever you heard about us is a filthy lie, okay?! That article was fake! Fake and wrong!

[she hesitates, mouth twitching back into a smile, mortified.]

I-I mean! If...you read...I mean, I assume, if you already...know about me? Remembering something that arbitrary...? Uh...

What articl- oh, whatever, I can probably guess what it’s about. I bet they’ve said the same bullshit about him and I, the sick fucks. [ She waves a hand. ] No actual imPorts will care. And I know Riptide too well to think he’s into anything romance-adjacent.

[ Cassandra looks around the room again. This is what she’s got? Woof. ]

You know, you really don’t have to go to these jobs. I didn’t even show up to mine.

[she still looks fussy, because she is; one does not un-fuss in a hurry when one is Cecelia.]

Um? I mean, I know, but isn't the alternative having to go have a swing at government-mandated heroism? I'm not really cut out for the amount of attention that sort of thing comes with.

At least here almost nobody except clowns who take themselves very seriously.

[beat.

oops.]

That is--sorry. I'm sure your trade is very dignified and I'll help you find whatever, um...props or whatever you're in here for.

[because, come on. that makeup? possibly some avant garde mime.]

What-

[ Wait.

What? ]

[ wait, is she saying

hold up

hold the fuck up ]

Wh- what- this isn’t what fucking clowns look like!

[ Is this funny?? Should she be offended?? Is it a joke? Look, there’s an explanation where Cecelia’s world has clowns who just put on black facepaint, but there’s also-

What? What?? ]

No clown has ever looked like this! There has never been a clown, in all of human history, that looked like this!

[ After a pause: ]

I’ve dressed like this for nearly two years and now people think I’m a clown?

[ Did they all think she looked like a clown? ]

[WHOA LOUD--

Cecelia recoils, bumping into the display glass behind her, clamping her hands over her ears.]

I-I'm sorry?! I'm sorry! How would I know?! All the other people with their faces heavily painted are!

Everyone? Have you seen makeup these days?!

[ There’s a short pause, and then- well, her obvious example isn’t in this world, huh. She puts her head in one of her hands. ]

Although most of the style icons of my world are no longer present. Fuck. Okay, look, my point is that there are many other designators of a clown than this. Bright red hair, perhaps? A red nose?

[she remains somewhat pressed back against the display glass, watching with great discomfort and unease.]

Okay? Okay. Sorry. Will you forget I said anything if I get you a discount or something? [seriously, she didn't expect to go deaf or get murdered at work today.]

I’m not here to learn how to pull a rabbit out of a hat or anything. I’m here because it’s pouring.

[ She flicks some magician’s hats next to her. God, this place is cheesy. ]

Let me guess. This was a government position?

[gesturing:] In the paperwork. Yes. As if I'd pick such a place on my own... [psh!]

You could always go for a different job. Or- like I said- just not show up. You’re an imPort, there are ways to make money. Some of which require giving up your dignity, but...

[ Well, she has a feeling Cecelia may not want to go for that angle. She seems like a girl who’s a bit into being prim and proper. ]

[she makes a bit of a "really?" face as that suggestion trails off.]

I'm aware, thank you. However, until I have a better...grasp of the workings of things here, the...money aspect...this is probably the easiest of tasks I can be set to. And the schooling part is challenging enough; this may as well be the gentler swing of the pendulum.

School can also be skipped. Not that I recommend it, but I get why people think learning all that is a little tedious when you’ll likely forget it all.

[ Unless she has something to say about it. But she hasn’t gotten there yet. ]

I imagine elf school is a little different than this? High school’s shity enough when you’re not an imPort.

[she grimaces.]

Elf-school? That's...a way to put it, I guess. [she slowly unsticks herself from pressing up against the display, rubbing at her shoulder.] It was mostly private tutoring with a smattering of group lecture. When you age...three, four times as fast as your peers, you...tend to do a lot of independent study? You know?

...Or not. I don't know. I have...no idea who you are, so.

No, I don’t? Mostly because of the “aging faster than your peers” part. I thought elves lived for hundreds of years? At least in the pop culture of my world.

[ Cassandra may not be much of a nerd, but at least she’s picked that up. ]

Then again, I probably shouldn’t assume every world with elves would be that similar.

[a bit flat:] Yes, that would be wise. Already I've encountered other elflike folk about that are way different from what I know.

In the case of what I do know...yes. Hundreds of years. Seven, eight tops? But since I'm only half, I'll probably see two hundred before tapping out. And since they've got ages ahead, it means they aren't fully adult until about a hundred, which means... [grimace.] Age gaps beyond years...

You’re a half-elf. That’s...a term I’ve heard nerdy people use before.

[ An awkward response, but she’s nothing but honest. Speaking of which: ]

That does sound pretty fucked if you know nobody but other elves, though. Although I can’t say I should be assuming much about elven culture. [ After a pause- ] Jesus Christ, you must put up with a lot of freaks, huh.

Plenty, in fact! [she's quick to agree with that, though she does recoil a little in saying so.] I mean--here. Definitely more here. Any...freakishness afoot back in the valley was either business as usual for the other species present, or...or whatever hell-portal what needed closing at a given time.

[she makes a face.

or Turin, she thinks.]

Anyway, never mind. Um--here-- [she fumbles around, tearing open a pack of trick handkerchiefs and offering it over.] I don't have any towels, so...

Ah, so you're used to hell-portals. Honestly, you might be well-prepared for this world's usual bullshit, then.

[ Cassandra sighs and grabs the handkerchief, wiping her face off. ] Thank you. Don't worry, this makeup doesn't come off, it's all godly bullshit.

[ Even she doesn't know how that works! ]

Oh. [squint.] I...Sorry. That sounds very...very troublesome. If ever you wished to style yourself differently, I mean. [the cost of ONE piece of makeup alone here makes that true enough.]

Oh, I mean- it’ll come off if I want it to. But usually it stays. It’s a useless fucking power? Shouldn’t I have gotten the ability to, I don’t know, teleport or what the fuck ever?

[ She hands back the hankerchief, wet but otherwise spotless. ]

My point is, this isn’t stained. If that was something you’d have to explain to your boss.

Ah, I...I see. [she waves her hand.] Ke-keep them. On the house. They're opened up, so I can't exactly sell them off, unless I wanted to be sleazy. And I don't.

[she does a fast, sidelong glance back at that makeup. she...wants to look like that on the regular?

wow. some people, huh?]

A-anyway, the power to...maintain a look you like? I think that's pretty decent, as far as powers go. I know I wouldn't mind it.

Ah, shit. Alright.

[ Cassandra promptly...throws them into her cloak, where they just vanish with a few white sparks. Hammerspace! It’s useful. ]

It just seems useless sometimes. I mean, what logical reason is there for a god to maintain an aesthetic? What does that actually do for humanity? [ A pause. ] Never mind. That’s all shit you don’t care about.

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