OPEN RP POST SIX

[formidable]

MUSELIST This a post where I'll RP anything with you! Got a scenario in mind? I'LL DO IT. If you wanna chat IDEAS.GIF, contact me at maiscribbles or my Discord (Fujinon#6780). Have at it! ➢ Cool Mood Music No. 1 ➤ Cool Mood Music No. 2

Comments

[infusion]

[She stands up already formulating the food items she'll fill a basket with including chocolate before looking up at him with a slightly confused expression. She gives him a blink.]

"Goodbye?"

[Give her a second.]

Oh. Ohhhh.

[Her hair bounces as her head bobs back and forth as the realization comes to her and she puffs up her cheeks at him.]

I can't dump you yet! It's too early.

[pragnanz]

[ Oh. Time to laugh. ]

I'll be expecting a polite retraction of your affections for me within the week. In writing. Thank you.

[ CLAUDE!!!!! ]

[infusion]

Oh?

[Iona puts her hands on her hips in an exaggerated manner.]

Before or after you show just what exactly you had in mind for me?

[Younger she may be, but Iona is... Bold. This is a woman who faces down customers from all dimensions, magical creatures, rowdy criminal syndicates, and yes, a self-loathing doctor.]

[pragnanz]

[ He's essentially a mob doctor who was raised to be a diplomat, which means he can put on many, many faces— including smarmy.

The challenge is met, and he rises to it. ]

After.

So you'll always be left wanting.

[ A 'charming' smile. ]

[infusion]

[Alright... So maybe for this kind of situation, Iona will admit that they're at an impasse (no, she's flushing) and she throws her arms up in the air and shrugs, trying to be casual about his remark.]

Right. Right, right!

[She's fanning herself with one hand god Her words come out in a rush again.]

I know walking you to your job isn't exactly an ideal "real" date, but I can at least do that much. Um. I'll be here tomorrow too. And then I should probably open up the cafe and let everyone else know what's up.

["Everyone" consisting of her close circle of Monts, Solomon, her grandmother, those strange psychic twins, and yes... That one guy...

(Dominique Vargas is going to have that, "I told you so," look towards this new duo for a week. Mostly at Claude, rip.)]

[pragnanz]

Don't trouble yourself. If you'd like a 'real' first date, I'd prefer to be the one setting it up.

[ Because, you know, he's usually the customer and she's usually the one cooking and cleaning after him. Hardly an even playing field, if you ask him.

(he's a stickler for things like this, sometimes.)

The faint flush doesn't go unnoticed, either. It makes him smile, and the expression actually reaches his eyes; a little twinkle, one that says that he is, in fact, smitten.

He starts gathering his things. ]

—Will you be telling everyone?

[ gggggggggod no ]

[infusion]

[Iona puts her hands behind her back, shuffling her feet as she waits for him.]

I won't be announcing it over a loudspeaker if that makes you feel better? I'm direct, but not for everything.

[She's also strangely shy about some things.]

Knowing the people around us, it might not be hard to figure out on their own. So... Yeah. We'll be discretionary if that's what you'd like to call it.

[pragnanz]

Discretionary.

[ He repeats, rolling the word around on his tongue. Given his upbringing, he'd rather keep things under wraps unless absolutely necessary— it wouldn't do for anyone who harbors illwill against his family to take advantage of things that Claude holds dear. He doesn't have many of those things to begin with.

On the other hand... Iona doesn't have to deal with those politics. If she has the freedom to speak candidly about her situation, shouldn't she exercise those rights?

He stops and thinks about it with a measure of care that speaks to how much he's had to calculate his actions in the past. A beat or two of silence passes, before he passes his verdict. ]

I'll leave your side of things to you. It isn't so simple with me, you realize. [ A light half-breath, verging on a sigh. ] The person I'm most averse to will find out anyway, one way or another. I won't hold you responsible for his...

[ A grimace. ] ...prying.

[infusion]

[Let it be said that Iona will always be secretly amused by Claude's distaste and outright dislike of the mind reader that is her ex. Of course, he'll find out first whether she said anything or not.

But they'll deal with that as it comes.]

Hey.

[Iona reaches out with her arms and hugs him from the back, pressing herself into him.]

As I said, it'll work out. But I promise I'll be careful too.

[pragnanz]

[ They'll adapt. Claude doesn't doubt it, and he's already aware that Iona is stronger than any manufactured weapon or semi-automatic pistol.

Still, he'll be alert. It's his job to be. ]

Careful isn't your forte.

[ A quiet warning, as he looks over his shoulder and sighs. One hand draws up to bury itself in her hair, ruffling once, twice. ]

...I wouldn't worry overmuch. I don't expect things to be much different from before; you'll go charging forward, and I'll be pulling you back. That's how we've balanced things up until now, no?

[infusion]

Heh.

[She grins as Claude ruffles her hair.]

What if I'm the one pulling you instead?

[pragnanz]

[ A snort. ]

Spare yourself the trouble. I'm quite heavy.

[ In more ways than one. Then again, Iona has superhuman strength, doesn't she? He's doomed. ]

—Iona. [ He lifts his hand, and then crooks his index finger. ]

[infusion]

Hm?

[Iona lets go of Claude, letting her hands fall to her side as she looks up at him quizzically.]

What is it?

[pragnanz]

[ There's a moment of hesitation before Claude speaks up again; he's forgotten how their universal translation system works, so he's not even sure if what he does next will have the intended effect of being unknowable to Iona.

Still, he leans in and recites, in reedy French: ]

Si je ne sais plus tout ce que j’ai vécu, c’est que tes yeux ne m’ont pas toujours vu.

[ Two lines of a poem he'd stumbled upon when he was back in Iona's world. He's no romantic (far too pragmatic for that, really), but this stuck with him.

("If I lose all inkling of everything that I’ve lived through until now,
It’s because I haven’t always been seen by you.")

One last ruffle of her hair, and Claude steps back. ]

...Well. It's back to work for me.

[infusion]

[She should have studied more French.

But she understands not through the magical filter although that helps, but hears the words for what they truly are. The witch's heart beats and there's a weight that comes with it, bittersweet and precious and it aches because of its importance.

He's important, he's precious, and this new connection they have will be bittersweet to its very core.

Her hair is ruffled, breaking her out of her reverie and she shakes her head at Claude, smiling shyly again. Iona runs her hand through her hair and lets out a chuckle of disbelief.]

Right. Work!

After lines like that, kinda makes me wish that wasn't the case...

[pragnanz]

[ It's already bittersweet, this thing that they share. Claude is already counting down, sifting the sands of a giant hourglass— usually, people say "all we have is time", but they don't have enough of it.

He gathers his things. Reaches inside his pocket to find his work gloves, to wear the impartiality he always tugs on in front of everyone body but a select few. ]

Not to worry. I'll be making good on my threats in the near future.

[ Breezily, as if he's just telling her he'll be around to have a cup of coffee. ]

Until then, you'll have to live in suspense. You're fond of that, aren't you?

[infusion]

[She acts defiantly in front of him again, crossing her arms.]

Ha! That may be the case, but that just means I'll totally be ready.

[That's up for debate, but...!!]

You better kick work in the ass. One can only live in suspense for so long!