Lux Opening [OPEN]

[apostatises]

Who: YOU. This is an OPEN log, heck yeah.
What: Lux's Grand Opening
When: Day 69, all night
Where: Lux, in the Baldr District
Rating: PG-13 to be safe—If the rating goes up in a thread, please let me know!

Welcome to Lux —

It's been under construction for about a month, and anyone in the Baldr district (or who just liked to wander) surely would have noticed the bar's construction. It was only a few days ago that the sign was finally put up—Lux.

Maybe you saw the owner's post on the network and decided to come see. Or maybe you were just walking past and was curious about the crowd of people who had gathered. Regardless, you'll be welcomed into a ritzy bar and lounge. There are some locals mingling about, and jazz is drifting through the air, since the owner is currently playing.

Should you decide to stay, you'll find that the drinks and food are very generously half price for grand opening. Or, if that's not to your taste, then surely the music and crowd will make up for it.

Welcome to Lux, the bar owned by the Devil himself.

quick jump to threads

outside lux ☄ around the bar ☄ general mingling ☄ by the stage ☄ speak with the owner

Comments

[madamemoiselle]

No, it's alright. They all died the same way, after all.

[The wine returns, and Diva takes the glass, swirling it lightly as she looks at the red color with a smile]

Saya and I, our blood is poison to each other. If even a drop of Saya's blood mixes with mine, my blood and my whole body turns into a crystal, and I die. It's the same for my Chevalier. My blood kills her Chevalier, and her blood kills my Chevalier.

[Diva takes a sip of her wine after chuckling, meeting Nina's eyes again with a smile]

Sister killed all of us by stabbing us with her bloody sword. It's easy to talk about.

1/3

[imhome]

[Nina regrets asking.

She looks horrified.]

2/3

[imhome]

[Nina knows what happened. Diva told her a little while ago, but it's still distressing to accept.

Saya did that to not just her sister, but also her Chevalier?]

[imhome]

[Nina thinks of Johan again, and her memories fill her with a guilty and bitter ache.

Somehow saying "I'm sorry" doesn't seem like enough.]

That's horrible.

[madamemoiselle]

I guess.

[She shrugs, taking another light sip of her wine]

I knew for a long time that Saya wanted to kill us, so it's not like it was a surprise. All of my Chevalier knew that too. It was just part of being Us. But it doesn't really matter now, does it? I'm here in this nice place, and there's no Saya to worry about.

[Diva sets the glass down, and her smile is definitely soft and encouraging, and it's genuine. It always feels weird when people feel bad for her.]

Hey, don't worry about it. I don't, so no one else should have to either.

[imhome]

I'm sorry.

[Nina knows Diva doesn't want an apology, but she doesn't really know what to say.]

Thank you for sharing so much with me.

[madamemoiselle]

Oh, you're welcome!

[That makes her laugh a little bit] I'm just a really straightforward person, I guess? I don't mind talking about stuff like this, because... Well, I guess because I never really got the chance to before! I wasn't allowed to really tell anyone what I was, or talk about my past. It was always fake, you know? I've had so many different fake names that I can't keep up with them.

[Diva gives a light shrug] So it's nice that I can just be honest here. It doesn't really matter if people know the truth, so that's kind of a relief. I wish Johan felt the same way, honestly, since I'd like to know more about him, but... [a light sigh] Well, he'll tell me when he's ready, I guess! But I'm just impatient with stuff like that, I guess.

[Diva's eyes light up like she'd just thought of the idea, though of course this was her original goal all along]

Ah... If it's not too much trouble, do you think I could ask you some little things, actually?

[imhome]

[Nina hesitates a little, anxious that Diva will ask about Johan. But could she really deny her questions after she shared so much?]

Ah, of course.

[madamemoiselle]

[Diva takes a few moments to link her fingers together in thought, trying to pick from the many, many questions that she had. Some of them were more practical, like what sorts of things he had done, and others were purely trivial, like his birthday. But she settles for the thing that interests her the most, because it's the thing she's never had or understood.]

Well, I know about you, of course, but... The rest of your family, what were they like? Your parents? I guess that's not technically about him, but... That's important, right?

1/?

[imhome]

[Nina tries her best to remain composed, but she can't help the brief look of distress that shows on her face.]

2/?

[imhome]

[It was an innocent question, but one that held so much sorrow.

When Diva asks about her parents, Nina's first thought is the Fortners. She can picture their smiling faces. Her mother cooking dinner with a laugh, her father reading the newspaper and asking how her day was.

She loved them dearly, missed them so much.

She remembers seeing them on the night of her twentieth birthday. If only she hadn't left them...]

3/5

[imhome]

[After a moment, Diva's entire question sets in. "I guess that's not technically about him..."

She was asking about Johan's parents, her parents too.

Only then did Nina think of Anna.]

4/5

[imhome]

[She has few memories of Anna. She was so young, after all, and most of them are still buried within the recesses of her mind.

She remembers her mother dressing her and Johan similarly, though never explaining why.

She recalls eating meals together, usually bean soup. Nina remembers feeling loved by Anna (and listening to her lovely singing voice), but she can't recall if she ever saw her truly smile.

She remembers holding her hand tightly, so afraid and confused and not wanting to leave. Please don't let go. I want to stay with you. Who are they? I don't want to go.

"Mommy, please don't let go!"]

[imhome]

[After a long pause, Nina looks stoic but composed.]

It's... a long story. Johan and I... our mother, we haven't seen her since we were children. We never knew our father.

[madamemoiselle]

[Diva looks surprised and concerned about Nina's reaction, but not for the reasons Nina probably thinks of. Diva was hardly above asking difficult questions, digging into dark places that people would rather keep hidden, but she had meant that question entirely innocently. She's not really surprised, in a way, that Johan probably didn't have a happy childhood, but she feels awkward, a rare feeling for her.]

Ah, I see...

[She wanted to press and to know out of curiosity, but decides against it.]

I didn't mean to ask such a sad question! It's just... Ah, well, I guess it's similar, even if I was hoping it wasn't! I never knew either one of my parents, so I like to hear what other peoples' are like...

[Diva trails off as she says that, feeling a bit embarrassed. That was a personal detail, and a part of herself that she was used to keeping very hidden from other people, since Amshel never liked to see it and discouraged her from feeling this way. She fidgets a little, but then shakes her head]

Maybe something simpler? Oh, like where are you both from? I'd guess Germany because he has a little bit of an accent, but [she laughs] it's pretty easy to fake an accent.

[imhome]

No, it's okay.

[Nina pauses a moment to think. She doesn't want to lie to Diva, but there's no need to discuss the details of their past either.]

Well I've lived in Germany a long time, so I definitely consider it home. Johan too, I think. [Nina wonders if Johan would consider any place "home." Plus, she's not exactly sure where Johan lived during the ten years they were apart.]

[madamemoiselle]

[She nods, smiling fully again]

What part of Germany did you live in? Germany was definitely one of my favorite places that I lived, even if it was really only around Munich and Berlin. It's not as nice as France, but definitely better than Russia. Ah, I bet it's changed a lot since I lived there, though! I haven't been back since the 40s.

[imhome]

Heidelberg.

And I've never been to France or Russia. I haven't traveled that much, to be honest, but I'd like to visit both places someday.

[madamemoiselle]

Heidelberg... It sounds familiar, but I don't think I ever went there. [She shakes her head like it affirms that] But I'd definitely say that you should go to either if you can! Oh, but go to Russia in the summer. That's the only time I could really bear it. All of the rest of the seasons were awful and cold. Summer I could at least stand... France is always nice, though. I grew up in the Bordeaux region, so...

[Diva nods to her wine glass as she picks it up]

Wine might as well be in my blood. Ah, actually, it's kind of funny because the chateau I lived at is in ruins now, and they grow grapes for wine there. Their vintage is definitely my favorite too, but I can't get it here.

[She takes a sip to think of another question. She has one in mind, but she had been hoping to lead up to it with happier questions first. But maybe the mood was right for it after all. Her expression drops to a solemn one, though it's forced, because really, the question fills her with excitement.]

Hey, I guess I do have one more question... I mean, I know that Johan has done bad things, but nothing specific. I understand if you don't want to answer, but... [Diva looks up from her glass, her eyes full of a concern that she doesn't feel at all] What sort of things did Johan do?

[imhome]

[When she hears Diva's question, Nina looks conflicted. While she realizes that Diva might not be upset when learning about Johan's actions, the topic wasn't one Nina felt comfortable discussing.

Still, after everything Diva shared with her, could she stay silent?]

...Many terrible things.

[madamemoiselle]

[Inwardly, she's annoyed because obviously she knows that. But her expression stays sympathetic and kind. Her voice is gentle too, soft, but not pushy.]

...Like what?

[imhome]

[Nina sits in silence and hesitance for a moment.]

He's... [A pause.] Manipulated others. [A longer pause.] Caused many deaths. [Uncle Josef, Aunt Clara, the Lieberts... the Fortners.]

[madamemoiselle]

[So what? She has to really stop herself from saying it, because to her, that isn't anything that notable. Diva runs a hand through her hair, making a sound as if that information bothers her, but it's more out of frustration at how vague she's being.]

Ah... Well, I knew that much, actually.

[She meets her eyes again, giving a sheepish smile, hoping that sharing a bit of information about herself will make her feel a bit more obligated to be more specific.]

It's not as if I haven't done the same thing. But... [She pauses, looking down at her wine, feigning embarrassment at admitting it] Well, I guess I'm asking too much, to be hoping for something specific. Sorry. I'm too curious for my own good sometimes.

[imhome]

[Talking about any of the chaos or destruction Johan has caused (much less in detail) has always been difficult for Nina.

Usually, it was hard because she didn't want to burden anyone with the knowledge of her past or because talking about it overwhelmed her with sorrow, guilt, and resentment. This was a little different, though.

Hearing that Diva was curious doesn't surprise Nina, but she instinctively feels tense. Nina knows the question is innocent, and Diva's been kind to share so much with her, but she still hesitates.]

I'm sorry. This is difficult for me to talk about.

[madamemoiselle]

No, no, I'm sorry for asking.

[She shakes her head to dismiss her worries, but she's thinking to herself that she'll just have to ask Johan directly. But ultimately, she feels like it'll have the same unsatisfying sort of answer as Nina's.]

Ah, but maybe this is a better way to ask... The reason I want to know, I guess, is because I'm curious about how... careful I should be, maybe? It's hard to say, because I don't want it to seem like I don't trust him... [She trails off with a sigh, sounding very much like a girl worrying about some flaw in her boyfriend, though to a rather extreme to degree. After a pause, she asks,] How dangerous do you think he is? Um, on a scale of one to ten, I guess? I hope that's a better way to phrase is.