genessia | [Video/Closed Actions]

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(Video: OTA)

[The image on the screen is that of a young woman, roughly mid or late teens, dressed in a formal black gown and a silver tiara which draped a sheer mourning veil over her face. She removes the veil to reveal the saddened face of Anastasia.]

I'm back from the dream docks… Has anyone ever lost a parent? Sibling? A child? Or have watched them wither away? …How do you cope with it?

(Closed Action: Trunks)

[Rain. How thematically appropriate. Yet, also a problem. Anastasia is without cover as she walked out into the open, hugging her father's grimoire. Her heels made light splashes as she walked. But then she heard a deeper-sounding splash near by. Glancing up, she sees Trunks. Her face is still veiled, but it hid nothing, not her identify or her sadness.]

(Closed Action: Soma)

[Scattered showers all over. As if she wasn't soaked to the bone already. An odd thing to note was the grimoire she held in her arms remained dry. As the veiled young woman clad in a black gown entered the Cloak & Dagger store, she made her best attempt to gain attention.]

Excuse me… May I see the store owner?

(Closed Action: Satsuki)

[One way or another, Anastasia found her way back home at Heavens Court. With the Ruby Circlet now gone, the sunlight is pure, absolute torture. But she made it, with help without a doubt. As she entered the apartment, she listened for a moment, then spoke up in a way that Satsuki would recognize. But can she still recognize her, despite only growing about 6 or so inches and looking more distinctly like a grown teenager? Only one way to find out.]

Tadaima.

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If you're sure... [He doesn't mind trying to help, and he doesn't think she's a fool. The fact that she just went through several years of war, and her father's impending demise? Those are enough reasons to make anyone feel a little lost.]

How's Satsuki taking all this?

Satsuki took it well. She says I don't look any different, so I made a note to visit a doctor to get my measurements.

[Because it is somewhat of a problem if she didn't grow at all.]

What do you think?

I think Satsuki is blind. You've definitely grown.

[Completely sincere, and completely oblivious to what he just said.]

You're several inches taller, you look more mature, and just... overall, more developed.

[Wait for it... aaaand there's the blush.]

I-I mean...

[Whoa whoa whoa whoa.

Whoa. That was a hell of a lot more than she had hoped.]

S-Soma! Where exactly have you been looking?

[Not that she isn't flattered, but really dood.]

[Blush blush blushy blush. He did NOT mean to say that. But he can't exactly take it back now, can he?]

I-I mean... it's obvious just looking at you, at all. Before, you were frozen, now... you're not. It's just... there.

[He's looking away now, as if he feels guilty for noticing it at all. He wasn't even talking about her chest!]

[What a big, bumbling idiot. Of course, she is aware that it's her own fault for even asking.

She just got a lot more than she expected.]

T-this is too much~
I mean, I am flattered you see me as a woman, but...

[Quick, change subject! Anastasia picks up the grimoire to show Soma.]

Look! Grimoire!

[He coughs a couple times, and tries to regather the tattered scraps of his dignity. What's left wouldn't even be enough to preserve modesty, were it converted to clothing.]

Yes. A convenient subject change. Let's focus on literally anything else, please. [He tries to make it a joke, but it's obvious it's still on his mind. Probably will be for some time to come. That was one hell of a Freudian slip.]

I noticed it when you came in, but I figured you'd tell me about it when you were ready. I... don't think it'd be a great idea if I touched it, just now. Not as closely connected to the castle as I am.

[She is in all the agreements possible. She set it back down.]

This is the Tyrinolim. A sacred treasure of my kingdom. Said to be written by the God-Queen herself and and passed down through Nivian nobility. As Crown Princess, it comes into my hands now.

My father used to defend Nivia, and now it's my turn to use it for the same purpose.

I'm certain you'll do well at it, Anya. You had a great example to learn from. [Soma's never heard much about her father, to be honest - an anecdote here and there, but that's about it. He isn't even sure he knows the man's name. But considering how Anya clearly looks up to him... yeah, he feels confident in saying that.]

How does it work? Is it like a normal book of spells, or... something different?

[Honestly, she never got much attention from her father, which made her grow to be timid around men. It's only the last three years that he started spending more time with her.]

Its like others. It amplifies my magic power, but I can also write down specific spells in it and pull them back out to use instantly. Other magic-inclined people can write a spell in for me to use later also.

[Please, tell him how he can get his foot further into his mouth. This entire conversation has been all about shoving it deeper.]

Other people...? Interesting. I may have something for you later, then. After this thing with the castle quiets down some.

You do?

[She shifts around in her seat. Slightly uncomfortable now.]

What is it? Or do you intend to make it a surprise? And I suppose I can't help with the castle somehow, can I?

Yeah. I know a few spells that aren't directly related to my innate ability, and one that is - though I kind of doubt you want to learn that one. [He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.] Knowing how to rip the soul out of an enemy isn't exactly something you get to sleep peacefully after learning.

Mostly what I can offer you is a set of seals that can bind people or monsters from receiving power from outside themselves - like, say, a demon that draws energy from Hell to regenerate. [Nope, not speaking from experience, nosiree. ~~He's totally speaking from experience.~~]

I can show you how to draw the seals; would that let you copy them into your book?

[Yeah, while she is proficient in Dark magic, that falls more in Black magic, which is foreign to her.]

I'm not certain. There are no seal type magics in my world. Not that I am aware of, of course.

[Seals of this sort fall almost entirely under Holy or Divine magic - the kind of stuff a cleric usually is able to cast. They are, after all, meant to bind demons.]

No harm in trying, at least? Here, let me get a piece of paper and a pencil...

[He fetches tool and medium, and sets about outlining a series of hexagonal dot diagrams.]

Okay. The first step is forming this matrix in your mind - it's the grid you'll be drawing the symbols on. [He points to one of the six-point diagrams.] You can draw it literally in the air with points of light-emitting mana, if you need to. When you do, make sure it's not bigger than you can reach with the full extension of one arm - you can't stop in the middle and start over, if you mess up. Most of the things you'd want to use these against won't take long to get back up after you knock them down.

I see.

[She turns Tyrinolim and opensbit up to pages mysteriously blank. With a flash, she pulls a feather pen from the book and offers it to Soma.]

I'm still barred from actually learning magic that is not native to my natural power. So I will need you to write down the incantation, like signing a contract stating you give me permission to use your magic.

[What a honorable book.]

[With some trepidation, he accepts the pen - and drops it immediately, shaking his hand as if it's been scalded. Angry red marks - burns - are visible on his fingers.] Yeah, I was... kind of expecting that. We're going to have to wait until I'm done with the castle, I'm afraid.

[That look in his eyes. Regret? Fear? Pain? Hard to tell.]

Oh...

[The pen disappears and Anastasia closes the book.]

I suppose it can't be helped. What now?

[At this point, Anya might notice something on a shelf behind Soma. It's... a doll? A rather creepy looking one, at that. It seems to be looking at her.

Glaring at her.

But surely it's just a trick of the light, right? Anyway, Soma is completely unaware of it.]

Hmm. It's about noon - would you care for lunch?

[Anastasia noticed the doll the moment Soma asked the question.
She didn't answer, she just stared at the doll, trying to make sense of what it is or why it unsettled her so.

If Soma asks again, she'll point to the doll while she pulls Tyrinolim into a protective hug.]

Soma...? What is that? It's...looking at me.

[He does ask again, and blinks when she points out the doll. Having dealt with things not being what they look like before, he does not try to pick it up.] I have no idea. I've never seen it before - it looks kind of like Mina, though. ...Actually...

[He reaches out and pulls a plush doll out of thin air, and the other doll's eyes are immediately drawn to it. There's a certain similarity - but where the one Soma's holding is cute, the one on the shelf is... odd. It doesn't really even look bad, just odd. There's something off about it. It takes Soma a minute to figure out what it is.

It's the eyes.]

Anya. There's a case of bottles on the floor behind you. Take two and put them... carry them with you. [He belatedly realizes she has no pockets on that gown, and doesn't appear to be carrying a handbag, either. In the meantime, he's keeping his eyes on the creepy doll, while the one he conjured poofs away. As soon as it's gone, the creepy doll's eyes refocus on him, giving him a look that says 'Why did you trick me?']

[She wasn't going to ask or argue in anyway. She'll slip off the stool and look for the bottles he asked for. Since it is true her funeral gown has no pockets, it would be a chore to carry the bottles and Tyrinolim at the same time.

They were easy enough to find, the only ones she can seen and takes a couple.]

I have them, Soma. What now?

Now we back out the door. Slowly. I don't want to fight it in here, there's too much stuff that could get broken and I just got most of it sorted out.

Why do you want to fight me? I just want to be your friend! You and me, together forever~. You don't need her, she's going to be gone soon anyway. That's how mortals always are isn't it?

[Of course, neither of them can hear the doll's thoughts. It has no mouth to speak of, just a line of stitching - it can't talk. But the instant both of them take their eyes off it for even a second, it's going to reappear in a different location. Where?

On his shoulder, of course.]

[She only took her eyes off it for a second to confirm the plan with Soma, and it was gone.

She looked around for it, behind her, at her feet? But when she looked to Soma, she let out a frightened shriek and backed away.]

Soma!! Your shoulder!

[And thus it was that Anya first saw Soma perform the maneuver known as the Nope Dance. A brush to the right shoulder, a flinch to the left, and a noise that might just have contained bad words in a language that isn't English.]

Don't throw me around! I just want to be your friend! Is it because this girl got scared? We can get rid of her!

New plan. RUN!

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