genessia | 1st Despair // Video/action

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1st Despair // Video/action

Video

[The feed opens to a shot of the Bay area, hologram fading having delivered its message with the racks of maps and literature clearly visible. It then tracks as the person broadcasting gives up on the Bay area and heads out into Genessia proper, and soon enough a young woman's voice provides the soundtrack alongside the general sounds of the city.]

Congratulations, Genessia. I can honestly, one hundred percent, truly say that I did not see this one coming. Denying me my own death, that takes some pretty incredible skills and I'd just love to know exactly who I have to thank for that.

[It's here that the woman stops in her stride, shop window in front of her - and thus is reflected the face of one Junko Enoshima, indistinct for the way the light hits but she either doesn't notice or doesn't care.]

And don't worry. I promise I won't waste this second chance I've been given. That really would be a waste, right?

Action

[Junko's found her way to one of Genessia's parks, and now stretches out on a bench that lets her watch the goings-on around her. Nothing like learning the people to learn a city, after all, and in a place where she doesn't know anyone it's all the more important that she figure out who might be useful to her sooner rather than later.

Of course, she can't just sit and watch, that would be boring. So occasionally, when people are walking past while seemingly not paying attention, Junko will stretch and extend her leg to try to trip them, curious to see if they'll notice in time or pay the price for their lack of attention. Or if she spots someone with a pet that has the energy, Junko will find a stick or something nearby to throw to see how pet and owner will react.

And should anyone just happen to notice the young woman sitting by herself and come over to talk, regardless of intentions? She'll lean forward, deliberately tugging down her shirt to best display her cleavage while simultaneously putting on the most innocent face and tone she can muster.]

Well, I am new around here. Did you notice and come to see if I needed help?

[All the while, the way she moves implies they came over for less savoury reasons, regardless of who they are.]

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[He's not slow, then. That wins him more points. But she's more intrigued by the skill he's apparently good enough at to not need a basic primer and more than that, it's a skill she has absolutely no experience in.

Which makes it a challenge.]

Alchemy? I don't think I've ever met anyone who was much good at that. I suppose it's not a talent there was ever much need for back home.

[Which, considering some of the things Hope's Peak counted as a talent, is pretty surprising even for her.

Still. If he's obviously mastered the basics it leaves one clear question:]

Though if you're beyond the basics, what were you hoping to find?

New versions of the underlying theory. The ones I know from my world are a bit clunky. The ones outlined here are simpler, but they lack safeguards.

[Oddly, he does not seem to be all that intimidated by her appearance. ...Nor does he seem particularly ensnared by it.]

[Junko notices the lack of interest but she can't say she's too surprised by it. Curious, perhaps, but she's done nothing here yet that should give anyone who doesn't know her already cause to think that she's anything other than a slightly quirky young woman.

Besides. She's far more interested in his brain than in anything else, right now.]

What kind of safeguards?

[She's got the title of the book memorised already but the more information she can get beforehand, the better.]

[It's probably a good thing she hasn't tried the shirt thing on him. He may be dense, but he does know when he's being played THAT blatantly.]

Things like preventing anything you might accidentally summon in the process from ripping out your soul through your nose, among other things. Anyone who tries to use this stuff without reading more advanced material is going to be in for a world of hurt, if they try to experiment.

[It's entirely possible he's feeding her a line at this point. The name of the author on the book's cover is Gandolfi, and the title's in Romanian; if she finds a copy of THAT book in the library, she deserves it. But in the several seconds he had time stopped while recovering from her attempted trip, he was quite clearly able to tell that it had been done intentionally. He figured he'd earned the right to yank her chain a bit.]

[Really, it's not as though Junko doesn't have contingencies in place if she can't find the book by herself. The real question is if it's worth her time to even bother, or if there are ways of getting someone else to do it for her.

Either it's a line and nothing will go wrong, or it's not and she gets to sacrifice a nobody to learn a valuable lesson. Either way, it's a win for her.]

Still, I guess it's a pretty big thing around here if just anyone could walk into the library and learn how to. Or did you have to break into some hidden area to get hold of that one?

[He quirks a brow. She's quick, he'll give her that.]

If they have another copy, it's in the foreign languages section. It's a pretty rare book, though - this copy is something like a thousand years old, or so I've been told.

[He also hasn't told her WHICH library. It's easy enough to assume he means the one here in Genessia...]

If you really want to learn, look to Fayren. There is magic there in plenty. But I should warn you. If your goal is to create gold from lead, make sure you wear a radiation suit.

Edited 2018-04-20 11:10 (UTC)

Maybe because of those safeguards you mentioned.

[Hide it away, in a section people wouldn't think to go looking in. Either they don't expect anyone to be persistent enough to find it or they don't care, and neither one of those speaks well for them.

Not that Junko minds.]

Legit magic or rabbits from hats? Wouldn't want to get my hopes up for nothing.

[If she's brave or dumb enough to go looking in Castlevania's library, she deserves everything she gets in the process.

Soma holds up a hand in response to her question, calling a fireball up to float above it.]

Real enough.

[He dismisses the fireball, and offers a courtly bow.]

And now, I'm afraid I must be on my way. Perhaps when next we meet, it will be a hand you extend, and not a leg.

[And he turns to leave.]

[Oh so that sort of thing actually works here and isn't just fantasy? As soon as she catches sight of that flame, her expression shifts ever so slightly into a fascination that isn't as entirely innocent as she might like to suggest.

Magic - actual magic - has been impossible for her so far. But the thought of how she could use that to cause further despair is one she's not ready to let go of.

Which means she can't let him get away that easily.]

Hey now, it's not like I meant to get us off on the wrong foot or anything.

[Pun intended.]

Maybe I just couldn't figure out how else to get your attention, you know?

A simple 'Hey, you, with the book' would have sufficed. Though that implies you had a reason to get my attention in the first place...?

[Okay, Junko. You've got his attention. What do you intend to do with it?]

Exactly. And I didn't know I had one until you did whatever you did. That's what makes you interesting.

[If he's hoping for shame, he's chasing the wrong person. Junko wouldn't know shame if she was face to face with it.]

You could at least let me have a name.

[He's tempted to laugh. He really is.]

If you think that was interesting, then you have quite a lot of experience to gain here. There are people in this city that can destroy planets. That's not even counting the gods, demons, angels, and assorted others. I'm starting to think ordinary humans are rarer, here.

As for a name? You can call me Soma.

Well yeah I've got experience to gain here. I only showed up today and not even I can figure out a place like this that quickly.

[Her tone is not offended in the slightest; if anything, there's a hint of patronising for him either not being able to figure out she's new or not understanding the implications of that.]

[Oh, he's figured out she's new alright. Her reaction to magic was a huge tipoff. That she's decided to be a jerk to some random schmuck wandering by? That told him something else. That she finds his abilities interesting tells him still more, especially when all he's demonstrated so far is the ability to recover from a fall and a fireball. One seemingly innocuous enough, but the other... there's really only one use for fire.]

I believe it is considered common courtesy to give your own name when you ask for someone else's, newbie or not. [No malice or anything, just a request for her name. He actually sounds kind of bored.]

Maybe I just didn't think you cared.

[It's not like it's a hard assumption to make, considering how disinterested he's seemed throughout the entire conversation. She doesn't need her abilities to read that much, though it's evident there's something more going on somewhere.]

But, since you asked. Junko Enoshima.

[Ho boy, if she could read him. He's. Basically a walking disaster looking for someplace to happen. Does she want to see most of humanity on pikes? Hordes of demons walking the night? People getting their throats bitten on the regular? All this one needs is the right push.]

A pleasure to meet you formally, Enoshima-san. [He bows in a fashion she should be familiar with. See? He can be polite.]

Aww, come on, you don't have to be so uptight. Just Junko is fine.

[At least, for someone who intrigues her enough that she doesn't want them entirely at a distance. She might not figure out everything, but then she hadn't known at first why Ryota had been interesting and that had worked out for her pretty well.]

Very well then, Junko. Was there something else you wanted?

[You have his attention. What will you do with it?]

Well not right now. But I can't say I won't be interested to see what more than an amateur is capable of.

[She hasn't decided quite how she'll play with him yet. But she has a feeling it won't be dull either way.]

[And he hasn't quite decided what he's going to allow her to get away with, just yet. He knows there's something off about her; he's on his guard, even if he isn't showing it just yet.]

Any time you wish for a demonstration, you need but ask. But not here, and not now. I rather like this park, you see.

Well obviously I wouldn't ask right now. I said I was interested in seeing, not in giving the general public a free show.

[Not this time around, anyway. Not until she knows what the likely fallout would be and whether that would serve her any purpose.]

[Give it time, Junko. You'll certainly find a use for him, someday.]

Then until then, adieu. I have to get to work, I'm afraid.

Then I won't keep you.

[She won't forget him, either. That's probably not a good thing but too late now.]

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1st Despair // Video/action

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