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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".

Comments

[effet]

You have to be kidding, have you spent 4 hours in a corset?! Never again, never again.

[ Meaning, Eva is ruthless... he shudders just thinking about the things she's capable of without batting her very long lashes. ]

...How do you know Iona, by the way?

[ Just. Making sure. ]

[ataraxic]

Huh. They still wear those?

[He gives Gus a dry smile as he asks the inevitable question. Solomon seems to give his question some fairly deep thought before replying.]

Well.

She makes me good drinks and lunch.

[YOU WANNA INTERPRET THAT GUS.]

[effet]

[ NO... ]

It's too late.... she got married?!

[oren]

[Okay, Solomon's face breaks into a smile as he cracks up. Oren comes back with his and Gus's coffee and he tilts his head slightly as if actually reacting to Solomon's laughter (because honestly, it's been a while since he's laughed).

He turns to Gus as he sets down his serving, intervening with one word.]

Illegal.

[effet]

[ This doesn't compute with Gus for a second, and he looks back and forth between Oren and Solomon, with the look of someone who's slowly trying to digest this. ]

...You're not telling me he's younger than 16, right.

[ HE JUST HAS NO IDEA ANYMORE... these magical people and their ages?! ]

[ataraxic]

Kid, I'm an adult.

[Solomon exhales deeply to recover from his laughter and then stands up to move over to where Gus is, holding out his hand.]

And I'm an Oakes. Solomon Grey Oakes. I'm Iona's brother.

[effet]

Oakes...

[ Right! Now it finally all sinks in, and Gus springs up from his chair to take Solomon's hand in a firm, enthusiastic handshake. ]

...Brother, right! Dieu, you almost gave me a heart attack— I'm 'Gustave', call me Gus.

[ Bright!! Shining! Smile! ]

Has Iona said anything about me, or...?

[ataraxic]

She might have mentioned a name or two.

[Casual as casual can be. He plops himself back on his bench and rests one arm on the table.]

Apparently you've been away for a while.

[effet]

...About that...

[ Gus is noticing that Solomon is very even-tempered, which seems almost like a running theme among people who stick by Iona: calm, grounded. Maybe because Iona is so fiery? He's glad that she has these people to lean on, if nothing else. ]

...She didn't think I'd forgotten about her, right?

[ataraxic]

[Compared to most of her peers, Iona was an unpredictable spark. Oren, Hei, and now Solomon; all who allow her to do her thing for the most part, acting as pillars of support in the background.]

Nah. She was more worried that you got tossed into a body of water more than anything else.

Tell me, who does a guy gotta piss off enough to even get to that point?

[Solomon though, definitely shares Iona's penchant for harmless teasing.]

[effet]

Ahh, I didn't really 'piss anyone off'.

[ That gentle teasing is met with something slightly muted on Gus's end, which may come as a surprise, since he's usually so much more forthcoming with his emotions— but then again, Solomon might not know that. ]

They wouldn't have thrown me into the river! Look how handsome I am, that'd be a huge waste.

[ataraxic]

Right, right... Anyways, Jackie's told me enough about who and what's been keeping her busy. I'm surprised you keep coming back.

[So that means, he knows about he parallel timeline about Iona's adventures in alternate 1879 Paris and she mentioned Gus and Claude's names a few times.]

Although it makes her happy. Repeat visitors I mean.

[effet]

[ He huffs a bit at that first assertion, and works on correcting that one before anything else (even if Gus sympathizes, even if he's also just as grateful for the 'repeat customers' in his own life). ]

What do you mean, surprised— Iona's a gorgeous girl, inside and out! Why wouldn't I want to bask in her!!

[ BEAMS... ]

[ataraxic]

Wow.

That was a nice compliment, but wow.

[Oren... May or may not be debating about making a cake with non-sugar sweetener soon...

Solomon's just weirded out by this weirdo.]

You're pretty bold. Saying something like that to the big brother.

[effet]

[ Let's be real, Gus, as worldly as he can be and as jaded as he is about certain things, is still a rich boy sheltered by his circumstances.

AKA: sometimes, he's used to being able to get away with being stupidly forthright. ]

Is it? It's just the truth— what's lovely is lovely, right.

[ataraxic]

Kid.

[Solomon shakes his head.]

Jackie may be pretty to you, but that's probably because you haven't gotten on her brutal side.

[There is a reason why Solomon would not-so jokingly call Iona a half-pint blood knight.]

That aside, glad you're getting along. Most non-magickind would be more nosy and annoying about the whole, well, magic thing.

[effet]

There's nothing wrong with that! I know some scary people.

[ Weirdly... upbeat about this confession, because it's true. Though, to be fair, he doesn't underestimate Iona at all— he knows that she's capable of a lot more than how she seems, and his brother would know a little more about that. ]

But... well. I guess it comes with the territory? She doesn't need to tell me everything about herself if she doesn't want to. [ He deals in secrecy all the time, and he's grown accustomed to it. So he shrugs, acts like it's not a big deal when sometimes, all he wants is a degree of honesty. ] It's amazing, though, huh? She's really amazing!

[oren]

[Oren has a slice of blueberry yogurt cake with strawberries for Gus. He's biding his time with replacing sugar with Splenda, just you wait bastard]

Not helping your case.

[Oren... please... Solomon did raise his brow up at the "knowing scary people," part, but it does explain how Gus isn't spooked by Iona and her crystal arm.]

[effet]

[ !! Cake!!! Oren, you lifesaver... even if a Splenda future is in Gus's horizon.

He puffs slightly when Oren mentions that he's not helping his own case, though. Spoilsport!! ]

You don't think anything ever helps my case, Oren.

[ataraxic]

Ah. [Solomon grins at their banter.]

So I see that Oren's got his own personal punching bag?

[oh no gus]

[effet]

[ SOLOMON NO!!! ]

Hey, hey, hey!!! I can punch him back!!

[ Liar. ]

[ataraxic]

Have you tried? Iona's tough, but Oren's on another level.

[Solomon gives a friendly pat on the arm to Oren who just turns to go back to the kitchen.]

Seriously though, he isn't argumentative a whole lot of the time, but you're definitely something special if you get him out of his shell too.

[Being a jerk is Oren's way of getting out of his austere shell??? APPARENTLY???]

That or he's just trying to protect Jackie from you... That's usually it...

[That too.]

1/2

[effet]

Hahh, don't worry about it.

I know Oren has a soft spot for me, deep down!

[effet]

Deep...deep down.

[oren]

. . .

. . .

[Oren turns around, walks back, and slooooooowly reaches over to take away the blueberry yogurt cake...]