genessia | November Catch-All

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November Catch-All

1: Cloak and Dagger: New Employee Orientation
[In the couple months since Soma inherited the magic shop, it's gone through a few changes. Biggest among them, perhaps, is the array of magic available, now including necromancy and other 'dark' arts. Admittedly most of the texts on offer are of a 'What NOT to Do' bent, but still. Acknowledging that those other branches exist is a huge step forward.

The other big change is the personnel. Entirely new to the business are Grima, Tina Goldstein, and Anastasia. All they need now is a scribe, and the shop will be at full operating capacity.

Of course, working in a magic shop is... not really something you just walk into and start doing. Hence this little meeting. Direct your questions and suggestions to the white-haired dhampir, folks.]

2: Out and About in the World
[Over the coming weeks Soma can be seen at random times out and about in Everglade, Nova City, and Fayren, doing random things in random places. Feel free to randomly bump into him!]

3: Moving Day
[At the first of the month, following his successful acquisition of the lease on Satsuki's old apartment, Soma carries his few belongings from the haunted apartment complex in Everglade to his new home in Heaven's Court Apartments. Feel free to meet him along the way - for someone who's moving from one place to another, he has a shockingly small amount of luggage.]

4: Holodeck'd
[With Marc gone, Soma continues his capoeira training on his own. With the assistance of Holodeck'd's simulations, he's steadily adding to his unarmed combat repetoire, and anyone who's studied the arts will notice he's learning at a shocking speed. Almost like he used to know some of this stuff, and is just brushing up...]

5: Castlevania Shenanigans
[With Lisa back, plus Alucard and Trevor showing up, things are likely to get very strange around the castle. Soma will be spending some time there, just hanging out with his adoptive family.]

6: Surprise me
[Just what the label says!]

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[The hard part was over quickly. She shook her head and pushed off the counter.]

No... No, I'm okay.

[Anastasia glanced up at him, and one look at his face... Her heart skipped in delight. Her cheeks redeemed as her eyes observed Soma's silvery hair, his boyish face and broad shoulders.

She managed to avert her eyes enough to scan her surroundings. She's alone with him, and though she's happy about it, it also makes her want to shy away to her room.]

Is... Is this what nirvana feels like?

[Oh no. The dreaded Shoujo Goggles. This is more serious than he feared... though he doesn't know it, so he is completely unprepared and unawares.]

I... wouldn't know. I'm immune to the potion, and any others of its kind.

[He rubs the back of his neck - an old, familiar awkward gesture. He doesn't know what to say or do now. She seems to be okay, at least?]

[Anastasia is full aware of what she's doing, staring at her new roommate, his arms, imagining them wrapped around her protectively.

She tries to dismiss the thoughts, but it feels like she can't.]

W-well, I guess that's that. Um... Have I told you... How, um...

[How cool he looks? Dreamy? Wait, no, she's grateful. Grateful! That he took up the lease so she wouldn't go homeless.]

I... I think something isn't right...

Talk to me, Anya. Do you need an antidote? I have some in my coat. Do you need me to get one?

[You're frightening him, Anya. Pushing all his Concern buttons. He's going to start to turn away, to go get his coat, to get... whatever he can find in there, to counter this.]

I, I don't know. I...

[The feeling of something fleeting, like if she doesn't do something, it's gone. Though her legs won't to carry her off away, her heart forces her to move and get in back in front of Soma, gazing up at him pleadingly.]

W-wait, please... Just... If it's okay, I mean, you can say no, it's no big deal, but... C-can you... H-hold me? Just for a little while?

[Why can't she stop? What is happening?]

I know I'm being selfish, and this is no way to express my gratitude, it's just...

[And now she feels herself beginning to shy away again. She's trying to fight through this, finally stepping out of the way so Soma can get his coat.]

I-I'm sorry, Soma...

Edited 2018-11-07 10:41 (UTC)

Anya...

[Damn. She's hitting all his buttons. Small and vulnerable, and afraid. On purpose? ...No. She wouldn't do that to him, not now, not ever. So she's either in genuine distress... or that potion was wrong, somehow. It doesn't appear to be acting as a poison, though - so his stock of antidotes won't be much use. He reaches to catch her, prevent her from running, and takes a moment once he's got her by the shoulders to look into her eyes. Nothing he can see there - no diluted or heart-shaped pupils.]

There's nothing you need to apologize for. You've been through hell in the past month. I told you before - I'm here for you. Anything you need.

[And he draws her into a hug. That's what she wanted, right?]

[To feel warm and protected in his arms, it's just as she needed. Or at least, she didn't know she needed. All these weird and selfish needs all started the moment she drank that potion. Is that what's making her act this selfish? Yet it feels right.

What is right? What is wrong? Why does she want to stare longingly up at him as she takes a gentle hold of his shoulders? Why does she want to bring her face closer to his? Because that's what she's doing now.]

[Every situation he's ever been in like this has led him to expect a flash of fangs and a fight for his life at this point. Every fiber of his being wants to tense up and ready itself for a fight, no matter who she happens to look like - the succubi in the castle have certainly never had a problem assuming forms he's familiar with.

But he knows Anya's aura. No matter how good a succubus's impersonation might be, it's not perfect... and he can't feel anything off about her. So. Can't fight. Can't run. That leaves freezing in place, like a deer in the headlights.

All the opportunity she needs.]

[Her heart and mind races between wanting this to continue and forcing herself to stop. What are her feelings? What is the potion's influence? As her face gets closer, she realizes she can't stop herself.]

Pankosmia aide moi...

[She closes her eyes as she feels her lips make contact with his. Her heart races at how right it feels.

Then suddenly, it feels like something released her. She opens her eyes, her lips still on his. She suddenly breaks it in shock over what she has done, cupping her hands over her mouth in timid embarrassment.]

Oh mon dieu...

[That... was not what he expected. At all. The whole thing was so unexpected that he hasn't moved, at all. He's still got his arms around her, and quite frankly, he looks like someone just poleaxed him.]

A-Anya... wh...

[Wh- indeed. Anastasia can barely remember what lead up to this point. All she can clearly remember is the kiss. Can she call it that? She's too much in a euphoria-induced panic to think of anything else at the moment than how nice it felt.]

I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.

[She still remembers it started with the potion. Something went wrong with it. She, no, they need to investigate it immediately. But right now, she would really, really rather run away to her room now.]

[His brain is slowly getting back into gear, and things are starting to fit themselves into a pattern. The potion. It had to have been the potion. Right?

Knowing that makes the embarrassment... less. He pulls her in close again, this time just for a hug. He's not going to take advantage of a situation like this.]

Anya... a potion like that can't make you do something that isn't already a part of you. That's why love potions are forbidden - to be effective, they have to break a person's will. You and I... care for one another very much. I know that, and you do, too. And you're no longer trapped in the child's body you were when first we met. I... I don't know if I'm ready for anything more. But if you feel you are... we can try.

[The potion only made her act on what she tried so hard to deny was the truth? And Soma...]

...I don't understand... Soma, do you mean you...?

[She needs to hear it from him.]

[Gee, make this more difficult.] I mean that if you would like to try... being in a relationship with me, I'm willing to give it a shot. I like you. I might even love you - it's a very complicated feeling, and there are obstacles. You know some of them already.

[He reaches up to brush a finger across her cheek - as if wiping away a tear.]

You don't have to answer now. Sleep on it - and if you still feel this way tomorrow... we'll follow the path where it leads.

[That brings a smile to her face, a pure genuine reaction. She wants to say she feels the same way, but after that potion...]

I... I will.

[Her heart's doing the flippy-things, such an emotional roller coaster that keeps flying high. She wants that to stop enough so she can clearly think on this. She tries to pull away, but she's still being held. Not that she minds, really.]

[Finally, reluctantly, he lets her go. She definitely isn't the only one who has things to think about, tonight - and he's going to be trying to sleep in an unfamiliar bed, on top of that. This is going to be a long night.]

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November Catch-All

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