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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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[infusion]

Ah...! Hey, let's not go too far out to the water now...!

[But Iona allows Gus to pull her along. Strange, it's usually the other way around.]

[effet]

[ He doesn't stop when he gets to the edge, and keeps plowing through—

—and he eventually lets go of Iona's hand so he can flop backwards into the water.



He's staying down for a weirdly long amount of time... ]

[infusion]

... Gus?

[Iona kneels down, tilting her head at him.]

Having fun?

[effet]

[ And, well.

Like the Loch Ness monster, one hand shoots up from the water, fumbles blindly...

...and tries to pull Iona down. ]

[infusion]

[She yells out in surprise as she's grabbed, resisting, but getting pulled in all the same. After the water washes over her she gasps for breath, shaking her head.]

Oh my god! What was that for?!

[At least she's laughing! And clearly enjoying this, it's all in good fun.

It is a good thing she is a witch sometimes because she didn't bring a change of clothes for this. (Meanwhile, Oren is watching from a distance, thinking, ah, so the date continues.)]

[effet]

Hey, you're the one that suggested we go to th—

[ And he gets a mouthful of sea water, which he promptly starts gagging on. ]

—Aughhhhhh! My throat's burningggggg!

[infusion]

[Gus, no...! And with that, Iona effortlessly lifts him up from the water and pats his back.]

Alright, cough it out you goofball. I don't think Claude will appreciate it if I let you gag on seawater.

[effet]

[ Wait for it, Iona... ]

...You can give me mouth to mouth...?

[ Nailed it. ]

[infusion]

[Cue a raised brow.]

Don't tell me you've used that line on other girls before?

[effet]

I've been waiting for my chance.

[ Is he serious? Yes, the answer is yes. ]

[infusion]

[Speaking of though... Something in her expression softens and she reaches up to ruffle his hair affectionately.]

Guess you wouldn't have that many chances, huh?

[Not with the way he lived, not with the life he was born into.]

[effet]

Well, I've fallen into the Seine a few times? But it's always been at night, so. Yeah, not a lot of chances.

[ He knows what she's talking about, but he chooses not to talk about it because of Oren's warnings: there are things she doesn't need to pull her heart into, is what he figures. ]

Maybe I should try drowning during the day more often!

[infusion]

Hey.

[She reaches down to take a hold of his hand with her right hand. Because of the glamor and magic, it feels normal. But there's that faint feeling of roughness from her hand.]

You don't have to sidestep things. That makes it harder in the long run, you know.

[effet]

[ And, well. He knows that Iona is old enough to make her own decisions— older than him, even— so he stops, sighs, and throws a little bit of water on her in acquiescence. ]

Yeah, you say that, but Oren'd turn me into pâté if anything happened to you.

[infusion]

For a guy who's spent the past few years also telling me to take responsibility for my own decisions, he still worries too much.

[She lets go of Gus's hand to squeeze the water from her hair.]

Not that I blame him too much. Being a witch has is its own baggage, but hey. It got us out of a bad ending on our date, right?

[effet]

...Yeah, it did. But I'm gonna say it again: don't do something like that again, okay?

[ Shaking some water out of his eyes, he goes right for the eye contact this time. ]

There are people who're gonna be hurt if you get hurt. Don't forget that. Okay?

[infusion]

... Mm.

[Don't throw her life down so easily...

After what's been done for her, it's easier said than done.]

Say... Not that I want to be a letdown, but are you expected to take charge of your family's half of Paris someday?

[effet]

Me? Well...yeah, I guess that's the plan.

[ He says it like he doesn't really care, which is the only reason he's still able to keep going: to some degree, he doesn't take his role so seriously. he cares more about the people who get caught in it, honestly.

(It's what'll give him more trouble in the long run, but Gus will be Gus.) ]

Kind of glamorous, huh?

[infusion]

[Iona digs her feet into the damp sand, wiggling her toes, and eyes furrowed as she thinks.]

Ah, but isn't Claude older than you?

[Instead, he's Gus's doctor and allows the younger brother to do what he wants for the most part and doesn't even seem to regard his own words as significant as Gus's...

Yup, Iona thinks, I'm dealing with some weird family dynamics here.]

[effet]

[ Ooh, sore subject. Gus's expression wavers and wanes for a moment, before they smooth out and turn, just briefly, to his brother: still in his shoes near a piece of shade, arms folded and looking at nothing in particular. ]

Claude's...different. He's technically my half-brother, not that it makes that much of a difference to me. It does to him, though.

[infusion]

It's always gotta be complicated as hell, huh?

[SIGH. The witch crosses her arms and shakes her head.]

Still, you're definitely both related. Both of you know how to drive a person batty.

[effet]

[ And, well. That eases Gus up a little, takes out the tension in his shoulders so he can turn and float on his back on the water. ]

I don't think it's that complicated, but everyone else does. I'm not gonna diminish Claude's feelings about it, though. He's contrary, but he's not a bad person.

[infusion]

... Yeah. I don't think he is.

[There's brief flashback to that sincere smile she ALMOST saw. Would that count as just seeing it to begin with?]

Alright, one more serious question. That okay?

[effet]

Yeah, sure! Shoot, I don't mind.

[infusion]

[She narrows her eyes and gives Gus a rather sneaky smile as she puts one hand on her hip and the other hovering over her lips.]

Tell me, how many dates have you been able to go on that haven't ended terribly?

[Iona, is it okay to even joke about that pls]