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[formidable]

Private AU/PSL RP, set anywhere from 1879 alternate history France to 21st century North America. A tale of two brothers and the witch and her golem who gets entangled in their lives. Urban fantasy, steampunk, magic, guns, and coffee collide. ➤ PART I ➢ "La Caravane".

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[effet]

[ And, with slight petulance: ]

Who's the one that said not to ask too much from each other?

[oren]

Not asking. Telling it like it is.

[SEE WHAT A BABY OREN CAN BE TOO]

[pragnanz]

[ CHILDREN...

Without saying a word, Claude reaches for the rest of Gus's food, finishes it off in a few quick bites, wipes his hand on a napkin, and gets up. ]

Problem solved.

When will we be leaving?

[oren]

[Oh my god that doesn't count!!! Well, whatever, Oren supposes.]

20 minutes. Be ready. Will lead you around the city.

[Because he's going to wrap up the rest of the toasts and put them in a basket to give to Iona's classmates. Yeah.]

[pragnanz]

Whenever our host is ready.

[ It's not like Claude hasn't been ready since he got dressed...but still. He moves over to his sulking brother, fixes his hair for a few seconds (Gus lets him, as sullen as he looks), and then steps back: Gus is a better fit for this century, he concludes to himself. Not that it surprises him, knowing how malleable his brother is in most situations.

Meanwhile, he tries to think of the few English phrases he knows from literature and the occasional foreigner that he's met. He tries out a 'hello', then a 'how do you do'. Has language evolved since the 1800s...? He supposes it has, but it can't be helped. He'll have to make do with 'how lovely' and 'yes, very much so'. ]

[oren]

[Oren, while also adding some bottled water (college students these days love free foods and drinks), overhears Gus.]

Hm.

Could reread some French myself.

[effet]

[ Gus's English is a little less stilted than Claude's, but they've both decided that they'll make do. I mean, Oren does fine, and he speaks in syllables... sick burn.

A shrug, and Gus gets up, smooths his new ~modern~ threads down. ]

Well, good thing you have conversation partners right here. The best way to learn anything is by doing it firsthand, yeah?

[ Says the guy that has a knack for picking things up, but shh. ]

[oren]

Last time I was in Paris. Early 1900s.

Interesting time period.

[effet]

Yeah....definitely wasn't...isn't? Alive for that. Yet? Time is weird.

[oren]

Probably will be different for you.

[And that's all Oren's saying about the matter. He closes the basket and takes out a phone in his front pocket to text Iona.]

Leave now. She'll be expecting us.

[pragnanz]

[ And...that's that. Claude, of course, waffles with whether or not weaponry will be required in their merry romp around modern-day America, but decides (wisely) that carrying his pistol will likely draw more attention than less. He elects to carry nothing at all while Gus totes his phones— one intact, the other put haphazardly together in a loud jumble and crammed in wide pockets.

For all intents and purposes, they look very...normal, save for perhaps the way Claude carries himself, tall and straight, and the way Gus roams the moment he gets let out, like a dog off his leash. ]

Don't stray too far.

[ Is the only reprimand Claude offers to his brother, currently engrossed in looking at someone's parked car. ]

[oren]

[The City of Angels aka Los Angeles dwarfs Paris when it comes to size and scale of buildings. While they're still in a residential area, the intimidating and clustered architecture can be seen at a distance. Outside, the sky is blue and the sun is already beginning to warm up the asphalt roads and the sidewalks.

Oren waits for Gus to stop looking at the parked car before speaking.]

We'll take bus. Faster and you can see the city as it goes by.

[And it'll keep Gus in one place, Oren doesn't have time for his shenanigans.]

[effet]

[ Literally anything that happens is going to make Gus flip out and overreact at this point, since energy conservation doesn't seem to be high on his list of priorities... Thank god he stands still enough to wait for the bus and let Oren do the paying for him. He isn't stupid enough to press the buttons for every stop, but you can bet he's tempted. Sorely tempted. Why would you put these buttons on the buses if no one is going to press them...

He usually isn't so bad, but the combination of all these Americans talking their confusing language and everything being so!! new!! has Gus being incredibly unsubtle about being foreign as fuck. Every few minutes, as someone new gets on the bus, he tests his English with a clunky ' 'ello, a fine day today'. Someone save him. ]

[oren]

[OREN'S NOT SAVING HIM, HE STANDS OUT ENOUGH AS IT IS. Although, the bus driver seems to be familiar with Oren enough that he even greets him. It's just one of those daily life things.

The bus is a good way to gauge the population of any area especially for such a populous city like LA. Within a few stops there's not only American English being spoken, but there's a lot of Spanish, Korean, some Vietnamese, and even some Armenian spoken by two old ladies. A city this large most definitely had it's problems, but a colorful mixture of different peoples is not one of them.

Throughout the ride, Oren barely moves. While people move around him, he remains as is and it's like time does not even touch him.]

❇ ❇ ❇

[After being dropped off in front of the university and leading them inside the building where Iona's current class is going on. It's the arts building and it's apparent due to the displays with student artwork being shown; pencil still lifes, nude and clothed life drawings of models, landscape paintings...

Oren's on his phone texting Iona.]

She'll be here. In a minute.

[Look Gus... Vending machine... with candy...]

[effet]

[ WHY ARE THERE SO MANY TEMPTATIONS FOR GUS TO LATCH ONTO... he immediately beelines for this magical box with candy on the other side?! Uwooh?! They're all labeled and there's a keypad for putting the letters and numbers in and everything, this is the best thing he's ever seen.

He's so fascinated by the row of Snickers bars that he doesn't see or hear the people giving him Looks; fuck the haters, he's going to sound out the names of these magical snacks, one by one. ]

Do-ree-tos... Cool Ran-ch!

[ YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]

[oren]

[Oren looks at Gus gushing over the hideous snacks. And then he looks a Claude.]

His diet. Always terrible?

[In a way, it's not that different from Berna except she eventually grew to appreciate Oren's effort as a cook.]

[pragnanz]

I couldn't say. I don't dine with him often enough.

[ A simple truth. But since that's an underwhelming answer: ]

His cholesterol levels, however, are miraculously average.

[infusion]

[You know, it's amazing how Oren can express so much distaste with his constant drywall expression.

Before he can reply, the elevator across from them pings and the door slides open to reveal Iona, wearing jeans, sandals, and a patterned sleeveless top. There's a smear of blue paint on her cheek that she hasn't taken notice of. Iona waves to them energetically with a skip in her step as she bounds towards the odd trio.]

Hi guys! How're you liking your first day in LA, huh?

[She pauses to give the brothers a once over and beams.]

Heh. At least you both look great!

[pragnanz]

[ Iona's presence is enough for Gus to tear himself away from the vending machine, and he emphatically replies with a 'not as good as you'—

—which Claude promptly ruins with: ]

You look a bit blue.

[ the worst pun, the absolute worst, someone remove Claude from the establishment, someone eliminate him from this earth. ]

[infusion]

[And a snappy reply is given in turn.]

Right back 'atcha.

Anyways! [she claps her hands together and rubs her palms.] We got a language barrier to deal with don't we?

[pragnanz]

A bit of one, yes.

[ And, after a beat, in heavily accented English (that should come across as such, magic or no): ]

"I can speak English if I work very hard."

[infusion]

. . .

[Iona puts a hand over her heart and then looks up at Oren, her eyes shining.]

Oren, it's so cute...!

[Of course, the golem gives her the, "Does it look like I care?" expression.]

[pragnanz]

[ 'cute'..... ]

On second thought, yes, let's break this language barrier.

[ never call him cute again!!!!! ]

[infusion]

[HAHAHAHA FAT CHANCE]

I don't think I can get rid of the accent, but I think I'll be able to break the language barrier regardless!

Like it or not, on this continent, we find accents charming.

[pragnanz]

'Charming'. I'll be sure to keep my mouth shut, then, lest I shatter the illusion.

[ Please Claude, cooperate...but he does smile at a group of girls who walk by, sidesteps them so they can pass. Being personable is so hard. ]