|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 6, 2016 20:27:35 GMT
Anya asked Chance to meet her over by Kings Cross and to bring his sax. When he shows up, she's wearing a low cut dark red crop top with a matching full skirt that brushes the top of her feet. She's got darker eyeshadow and liner on today, and she's put on lipstick almost as dark as her outfit. When she notices him, she grins, takes off her headphones, and winds her way through the crowd to meet him. "There's an ice cream shop near here that looks amazing. First stop?" www.rubyviolet.co.uk/ice-cream-sorbet/She assumes he'll agree and follow her and so she heads over to the shop. As she sits down to eat her ice cream (one scoop of raspberry, rose water, and prosecco ice cream and one scoop of lime and star anise sorbet) she says, "So, this whole shadowing thing. I'm not too concerned about it. Especially not doing it all formal like. If we're together and we need to, we'll figure it out. I do stuff because it works. And what works changes depending on the situation. Sounds like you do the same." After a second, she adds, "But. If you ever have a question about what I do, or anything really, just ask, ok? Now or whenever." |
|
|
|
Post by Chance on Jun 7, 2016 17:27:43 GMT
Chance orders himself a Blood Orange and Campari scoop and joins Anya sitting at a high top table. His booted feet rest with an audible clang against the metallic foot rest. In between making the rather enjoyable sound of "Mmmmm" after taking a bite of the ice cream, Chance manages to smirk, "I think we should make a little wager. Let's see who gets the most tips on the street." He leans forward conspiratorially, "You have your dance and whatever magick you want to use. I have my saxophone and my magick."
As he lets the challenge sink in for Anya, he continues, "I'm guessing you're going to rely on convincing people to tip, and I'm going to see how well giving myself good fortune pays off. It all has to be realistic...we don't want the black suits coming down on us." Finally, he leans back and takes another lick from the dark orange ice cream in his cone, "Winner buys drinks...that way, we both win!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 7, 2016 17:47:13 GMT
Anya lights up at the challenge. "You're on!" She takes another quick bite of ice cream, ready to be on her way, but still wanting to enjoy the dessert. "So set up nearby spaces so we can keep an eye on what the other is doing, but still far enough apart so no one accidentally tips one of us thinking its for both? Or work together and have separate tips jars? It'd probably be easier to tell who wins if we do it separate, but your music is so fun to dance to!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Chance on Jun 8, 2016 12:09:45 GMT
Chance looks out the window of the ice cream shop for a moment and seems to consider the question a moment before turning back. There's a rather wicked looking smile that grows as he responds, "I think we should make it an obvious challenge...like a...the Americans call it 'dueling banjos'?" The wheels of thought are turning..."Let the people know we're competing....give each other enough room to work, but close enough that the marks know we're competing. All's fair too, as long as it's not obvious magick. This is gonna be ace!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 8, 2016 14:35:33 GMT
Anya claps her hands in excitement. "Yes, perfect!" She takes a couple more large bites of ice cream in before throwing away what's left and declaring, "Come on, let's get to it. And." Her own smile turning mischievous, "I'll let you have home team advantage. You can pick the spot."
|
|
|
|
Post by Chance on Jun 8, 2016 16:29:37 GMT
Chance takes the final lick of his ice cream and with a loud, exaggerated *crunch* chews up the last bit of waffle cone. "Done!" The two of you take off down several London streets; it's a beautiful late spring day so it's slightly overcast but no sign of rain in the clouds. "I think I have the best spot for this challenge. Lots of foot traffic, few cars, and a lot of easy marks. It's near Oxford Station too." After about a half hour brisk walk, the two of you turn a corner and arrive at Carnaby Street. It's just before lunch, so the crowds aren't too heavy yet, but there's a fair amount of people window shopping along the many stores or scouting out a seat to eat their lunch. A few businessmen and women hurry back and forth to office buildings nearby. As he moves to one side of the pedestrian street near Eastpak, he casts a sideways glance at Anya, "I think you're dressed more appropriately for this, so we'll see." With a wink, he sets his saxophone case on the ground at the corner. "You can take that corner," he says pointing to the opposite corner of Carnaby by Pretty Green. Though the weather is fair, Chance is probably a bit warm wearing a black undershirt beneath a black and burgundy leather jacket that extends past his upper thighs. A pair of black pants end just above his ankles, where a glimpse of white socks can be seen before disappearing into his trademark Doc martens complete the look. The ever-present bolo tie with the skull-shaped dice hangs to the middle of his chest, a glittering contrast to the otherwise dark ensemble. Once he's opened his case and taken out the bone-white saxophone with the black keys, he smiles at Anay with what can only be described as a challenging smirk, "Ladies first, of course." He's opened his saxophone case and rested the lid against the wall so that passersby can easily drop money from either Carnaby or Ganton. A thought reminds him and he calls over, "All's fair, right? We'll do it in rounds, about 5 minutes each. Sound good?" (This is where we're performing: Carnaby Street) (This is what Chance is wearing:  |
|
|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 8, 2016 20:20:31 GMT
Before she moves to her corner, Anya smirks at Chance and says, "I might have had reason to suspect something like this would happen." She pulls a couple of small speakers out of her bag and sets them up behind where she'll be dancing. She takes off her shoes and puts on sandals and a red and gold embroidered belt. As she quickly scrolls through her iPod, eyeing the people passing by and looking for the right song, she calls out to Chance. "All's fair EXCEPT interfering with the other person's performance or their crowd. When my five minutes are up, they're all yours, but not until then." She pulls a couple of flat baskets out of her bag and places them to either side of her dancing space, dropping a few quid in each as a seed. As she kneels to the back of her “stage”, starting the music, and moving into a more elegant bearing than he’s used to seeing from, Chance realizes that all the other times she’d been dancing around him, so far, had either been for her own pleasure or to get something done in ht heat of the moment. This time, she’s performing for an audience. Anya’s every movement is graceful and controlled as she bellydances. Her hips and chest and arms all work on counterpoints to each other. She frames first her face, then her body, then her hips with her hands, before raising her arms back to shoulder height and letting them undulate as she turns to the music. If he looks closely, Chance will see that Anya’s smile is somewhere between sultry and smug. When he catches her eye, she winks at him before turning to her audience again. And an audience is there, and growing. With each push of her arms and sway of her hips Chance thinks he can almost see energy radiating off of her to the people beyond. As she pulls her arms into her torso, a few people take unconscious steps forward. While the people of London largely do what any city dwellers would do in the face of yet another busker (that is, ignore them while going on with their lives), many are slowing down and many are stopping to watch. More than the usual. And the more that stop, the more that seem to slow. Tips are no more generous than usual, but with the number of people paying attention, she is getting a fair bit. As the song finishes, she grabs one of the baskets and extends it to the crowd as she takes a deep curtesy. As she collects more tips, she catches Chance's eye again and raises her eyebrows as if to say 'your turn'. (Ooc: Song is Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman. It's on the top charts in the UK at present. Dance isn't perfect, she'd throw a bit more ballet in there, but this gives you a decent idea. Especially towards the middle of the dance, when Irina gets more energetic and does more turns. m.youtube.com/watch?v=98oyprnIT1o ) |
|
|
|
Post by Chance on Jun 8, 2016 21:02:56 GMT
(Aw you broke the first rule of fight club, you told the crowd about fight club)  |
|
|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 8, 2016 21:10:11 GMT
(Ooc: He said make it obvious we're competing! She made it obvious we're competing!  ) |
|
|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 8, 2016 21:13:32 GMT
(I'll cut the speech and leave it non verbal if you prefer. Wasn't trying to break the rules.)
|
|
|
|
Post by Chance on Jun 8, 2016 23:39:37 GMT
While Anya gets ready and begins to dance her show, he uses the crowd's diverted attention to prepare for his eventual good fortune. He also seeds his sax case with a couple quid and a few euros. Anya's speakers send her song across the street, Chance closes his eyes a moment to let it flow over him. One hand holds his tenor sax and the other idly moves up to his tie, about which he begins to run his fingers in a familiar circular pattern. Focusing on himself and the good fortune he's had lately, he whispers to himself something that no one else hears. However, almost immediately a smile crosses his face as he feels a surge of confidence. He listens and watches Anya's performance intently, joining the crowd in their adoration. Her attire, her build, and the choice of music go a long way to getting the attention of a good number of men and women as they go about their shopping. Even knowing what she's doing, he finds himself feeling drawn in. When her music fades and she speaks to the crowd, Chance shakes off the effects, but let's the music longer in his mind. He decides to start with a more jazzy sound and with but a small bow to Anya and the few folks who draw their attention to him, he puts fingers to keys and begins slowly, building into a swing like selection ( Chance's song). Being in a band, Chance is used to playing for an audience, though usually they've already paid. So, he not only plays smoothly, he begins to work the crowd. His good fortune seems to be paying off, as some of the folks who were about to pass on by toss in a quid or two. While not everyone who watched Anya turns to watch the musician, a fair number do, joined by a handful of new arrivals drawn by the unusual mix of music. Chance loses himself in the music, eyes closed for most of the performance, though something about his posture and positioning belies that he is keenly aware of everyone around him. He engages with a few of the passersby, offering a nod, a wink, or some other connection that only serves to strengthen the good fortune he begins to experience. By the time his song is winding down, there's at least 10 quid or so in the case. Instead of a speech, Chance opts for the traditional "Challenge!" Which he aims at Anya (adding a of liting sound of 'shallonge') with an out raised arm and bow. Many in the crowd turn back to listen and watch to see how the dancer will up the ante... (OOC: No real rules, so it's fine to leave it if you want. I just assumed folks would get it was a contest but not that we were betting against each other) |
|
|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 8, 2016 23:45:44 GMT
(Eh, I'll tweak it. Im not that attached to the speech. Ibesides, Anya would have done a better job of getting what chance was saying than I did. Also how did I miss your post for an hour omg?)
|
|
|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 9, 2016 2:08:06 GMT
As Chance plays, she listens raptly, toes tapping and shoulders twitching. She's making great effort not to draw attention from his performance, but she can't help but close her eyes and visualize what she'd be dancing if it were allowed. She applauds with the rest of the crowd when he finishes. Anya accepts the challenge with an upturned chin and another deep curtesy. Picking up a basket again, she starts the song by slowly turning, showing off the basket, currently empty. Right before the song picks up speed, she balances the basket on her head and begins dancing. (Anya's song, first in the video, and inspiration for her dance.)
If the last dance was about sensuality and drawing in a crowd, this dance is about technique. No dramatic turns and hair flips, instead she goes for hip drops and lifts, belly flutters, chest circles, and careful arm and shoulder movements. This isn't her first time working a crowd either, so when she goes on her knees and leans back, basket still balanced on her head, she does so near the crowd, so their admiration can more easily translate into cash. And they hey are showing their appreciation. The crowd doesn't grow any larger, but she has regular contributions to her baskets. Each one seems to spur two more. At the end of the song, she removes the basket from her head and lays it gently back on the ground. Neither of you are sure how much is in there, but it's a little more than 10 quid. She curtesys again gratefully and then gestures back towards Chance. She stands, hand on her hip, expressing without words that she's waiting impatiently for him to bring it. |
|
|
|
Post by Chance on Jun 9, 2016 16:41:49 GMT
While Anya's dancing, Chance tries his damnedest not to watch, but it's pretty hard not to. She's a tidy bird to be sure, but he's come to think of her more like a sister. He tears his gaze away and turns towards the reflective surface of the storefront window to watch the crowd in reverse. He touches the glass, moving his fingers like he's peeking inside at some designer backpack or satchel, when in fact he's beginning to see the reflections of the crowd change. He focuses his mind on the Matter sphere and concentrates on sensing silver or gold, and other previous materials. A few women in the crowd and a couple well dressed men, in their suits and briefcases, stand out and when Chance turns around towards the end of Anya's set, his eyes focus on where they are. When his turn comes, he's already begun to play a few seconds before the appointed time, but nothing that would interfere with his rival's performance. Instead, the tunes this time are more upbeat, giving him the opportunity and reason to move about the crowd. His tune is upbeat and some in the crowd start to tap their feet and even clap along, which brings a muted smile to his lips as he plays. ( Chance's Song). In fact, he makes his way towards one of the businessmen he spotted in the window earlier and quickly drapes his left arm over the man's shoulder and then continues to play. There's a look of embarrassment on the older man's face, but as the crowd claps and cheers him on, he slowly starts to sway with the music. After a score of seconds, Chance releases the man, pats his back in thanks and moves on to another listener, perhaps someone else he spotted earlier. A few more quid are tossed into his case, though it seems that the crowd is more interested in clapping along and getting a chance to be near the musician than in tossing in tips...such is the way of the fickle whims of fate. As he brings his current tune to a close, he looks to Anya and gives her a nod to begin dancing even as he's finishing up, forming a seamless bridge from his instrument to her dance music... |
|
|
|
Post by Anya on Jun 9, 2016 21:17:29 GMT
Anya claps along as Chance works the crowd. She eyes his marks and nods in respectful approval. At the four minute mark, she starts to look over the individuals standing nearest to her, humming quietly to herself, and lets out a quiet snort of laughter. She quickly picks her next song out and gets it ready to start. She pulls the sleeves of her top down over her shoulders and adjusts the rest of her shirt to make it even lower cut. Anya catches and returns Chance's nod before starting her next song. As she starts to dance, she turns her head away from the crowd in a show of flirtatious shyness. She peeks from under her eyelashes as she gently lifts her hands over her head. As she lets one hand travel down her body, she circles her hips and rolls her torso. Her dancing doesn't scream sex, but it certainly suggests it. Heavily. She picks a woman from the crowd, and beckons her into Anya's dance space. Taking the woman's hands, she leads her in a few steps, raising the woman's hand above their heads and letting herself be spun in toward her mark. Still holding onto the woman's left hand, she lets it cross the top of her chest and sways in time before turning out again and walking the mark back to the rest of the crowd. She waits for a few seconds before moving on, and smiles, gratified, when the woman carefully places a tip in her belt. She returns to the middle of her space, dances alone for a bit, once again letting waves of sensuality wash off of her, and looks up coyly for a new partner. She repeats this through the rest of the song, picking people towards the front of the crowd, the ones that had been watching her most avidly, but she refuses to let any of them tip her before she dances with them. Some she'll dance chastely with, spinning about in a waltz, others she'll run her fingers along their neck and shoulders as she moves in and away from them, others she lets practically embrace her. At no time does she allow anyone else to be in control of her movements. As the song ends, she returns to the center of her space, with money sticking out of her belt and the neck of her shirt, well, more probably her bra, at every angle. She blows a kiss to Chance, letting him know it is his turn. |
|
)