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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]

Prince of the Kitchen, maybe. They're all onto something.

[She leans on one elbow, rolling her eyes.]

Still, I gotta say, "seductress," is a first. I'm not that sneaky if you're able to tell by now.

[Truly, for someone who's magical nature is supposed to be secret, Iona was quite the, "Wham, bam, boom," kind of person.]

[pragnanz]

Yes, I've gathered. Though I suppose seductresses don't require tact if they have magic on their side.

[ Not that he thinks Iona is just going to go around using magic like that willy-nilly. He's just blithely teasing. ]

Or if they're as open about showing your knees are you are, incidentally.

[infusion]

You and Gus have seen plenty of my knees. It shouldn't be a problem at this point.

[pragnanz]

[ A slight tip of his head, here. ]

Have I. How rude of you to assume that I look anywhere below your face— I've manners, you know.

[infusion]

[She actually may look like she's put off-guard here and tries to recover, waving her hand dismissively.]

H-Hey, c'mon! Even I'm not making that assumption. And they're just knees. Like they're just... there...

[Her gesturing is very energetic, but what isn't energetic about her?]

[pragnanz]

[ Ah yes, good, now he's got her. He smiles languidly to himself, a cat with a canary, and breathes a short chuckle under his breath. ]

Well, well. Now I won't be able to help myself from looking, will I? What have you done.

[infusion]

[Not even Oren can save her from this because he figures she better deal with it She takes her glass of water and takes a long drink before replying with a wrinkled nose.]

What haven't I done at this rate...? You're making it sound as if things are gonna go downhill.

[pragnanz]

And what if it does? You'll earn the interest of a man quite a bit older than you, and all the baggage that comes with him. I'd be hard-pressed to find that anything but downhill.

[ He laughs again, gently pushing his empty cup to the side. ]

[infusion]

[Well. Can't say she saw this coming and for a split second she isn't sure how to respond. But just a split second. Because she just reaches over and pokes Claude on the forehead with one finger.]

The "stripping seductress" here is thinking that you're being a being disingenuous.

[pragnanz]

She would be right. I've never been candid about anything in my entire life, unfortunately.

[ Is this also him being disingenuous? Absolutely.

He returns the poke with a tilt back in his chair, pulling his face out of her range. ]

[infusion]

[Iona deflates by pulling back and then resting her chin on the table with a sigh.]

... It goes without saying, but I'm happy both you and Gus are safe. When I didn't hear anything, I was starting to... I don't know. I didn't prep myself well enough.

[pragnanz]

For what? Our absence? I'm sure Auguste must have shattered any illusion you may have had about a life in which he didn't come knocking, so I've nothing further to add to that.

[ Immediately defensive the moment Iona starts mentioning feelings and emotions: Claude Aubert. ]

You worry too much. If you'd spare half your heart worrying about things of actual importance, I'm sure you wouldn't get yourself caught up in messes like ours.

[infusion]

I worried about my brother getting a cold and wrestled a werewolf... Does that count?

[She may be joking, but for reals it's not as if she isn't busy...]

[pragnanz]

Wrestled a werewolf.

[ SO, SO BLITHELY... ]

Your seduction techniques leave much to be desired.

[ CLAUDE?! what is this assumption?! ]

[infusion]

[Okay, that makes her chortle, lightening the mood around her a bit.]

Thanks for the critique on my wooing skills.

[pragnanz]

A sad day, when you need to take advice from me on the art of wooing.

[ Not that he can't do it, but??? ]

Does that work for you? Wrestling?

[infusion]

Everyone runs away in the end. Strange.

[She sips her water and smiles pleasantly at Claude.]

[pragnanz]

I'm sure Auguste wouldn't. Be gentle with him.

[ Claude?! But he mirrors her smile, and carefully leans back in his chair. ]

1/2

[infusion]

Man, if I was a lesser person, I'd spit my water out...

Although if we're talking about actual wrestling and not the other wrestling, he'll have to get through Oren first.

... I'm confused.

[oren]

Wouldn't live.

[not helping oren]

[pragnanz]

My God, I do hope he won't be wrestling with Oren anytime soon. I've no desire to watch that sort of illicit affair.

[ What is he implying ]

[infusion]

[Okay, okay, Iona is giving up, although giving up as in burying her face in her arms because she is cracking uuuuup. She lifts her head up to grin at him, trying to catch her breath.]

I have no idea how we directed the conversation this way, but I for one, am having a great time.

[pragnanz]

[ Ah, oh no, why... he thought she'd be more put-upon by implying something like this?! And yet, she's laughing. Why is it that for all his attempts to make Iona Not Like Him, she manages to smile at him anyway...?

He looks puzzled for precisely a second, before the expression smooths over. ]

...So you're in support of Auguste courting your golem?

[ Claude you know that that's not what she's saying.... god. ]

[infusion]

Gus can at least try to get on Oren's good side so he won't put fake sugar in his food to inflict on your brother.

[Oren is not reacting because. He's Oren. But he WAS planning on the fake sugar thing, and by god he will abide by it.]

[pragnanz]

Ah, how sadistic of you both. Remove those simple pleasures from Auguste's life, and he'll be a third of the person he is right now.

...It may calm him down some, though.

[ Gus, somewhere, sneezes into his donut. ]