genessia | 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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He kneels in seiza, holding the box on his lap, and extracts a pair of chopsticks from the bag.] They look and smell great, Anya. You've gotten quite good at this.

[A few bites confirms his initial observation - she's got the flavors nailed.]

[That gives her hope that she can keep him well fed. It's the least she can do for him.

She begins starting on her box, quietly thinking about what to talk about.]

Mister Spector was like a father to me, you know? I'm going to miss him.

[That... gets another sigh from him, and he sets his chopsticks down.]

He was the only person who ever treated me like... like a normal person. Or maybe it was just that his definition of normal was broad enough to include something like me. [He shakes his head.] We got caught in a gunfight once, outside a bank. It was right after he started teaching me. Looking back... I can't tell you which of us was crazier, me for walking out there or him for agreeing to the hair-brained plan I made up on the spot.

[The only other person.

Hearing about this gunfight, it gives her a child, wrapping her arms around herself. She can understand why she never heard of it. She often avoids the paper.]

I'm just glad neither of you were hurt. I... I don't want to lose you.

[The only other human. Most monsters tend to shrug at his nature, to be honest.]

There wasn't a huge amount of danger, to be honest. If I know I'm going to be shot at, I can... pretty much nullify the possibility of being hit, for a while. [He picks his chopsticks up again, and picks up an octodog.]

I don't think Marc was entirely normal. Human, sure... but not normal.

[Nothing will stop her from worrying about Soma. With all these abilities, he can still get hurt, just as he was awhile ago.

But this comment amount Marc caught her off guard before she got take a bite of her own octodog.]

How do you mean? Is he like me in some way?

[He shakes his head.] No. I don't think he had any kind of magic. But... he was stronger, faster, and sturdier than any other human I've ever seen, in any lifetime, barring maybe the Belmont clan. He kind of reminded me of them, to be honest.

I see... And we can't ask him about it now.

[She begins her lunch, going slow as to prolong their time together.]

...Actually, I was thinking... I knew a masked hero who sounded like Mr. Spector. But... That's probably my imagination.

[That gets an odd look.] A masked hero? That... nah. I mean, he could probably do the job, but... most of those who turn up here have some kind of special ability. I mean, look at the murder kid.

[He's not exactly wolfing down his lunch, either.]

Yeah, you're right. Running a gym by day and being a hero at night? That would be too much for one man...

...What murder kid? There were a few who...were not quite...

[Right in the head.]

The explosion one. Katsuki, I think? The one who said 'murder' every other word.

[Soma can think of a couple ways the hero-by-night thing could be done, but... really? Marc?]

Oh, him. I offered to help him with sensory training when he asked on the network, and he completely blows me off.

[Why bother asking for help if you're not even going to listen to offers?]

But, boo on him.
[Moving on since it put her in a slightly sour mood.]
Do you want to do anything after lunch?

He didn't really seem interested in letting anyone help him, to be honest. Kind of an idiot if you ask me.

[He takes a couple more bites from his box, using the moment of chewing to think.] Well... I've got the room rented for a couple more hours. Is there anything you would like to do?

[Anastasia does the same when posed with this question. It takes her a while because there were a lot of possibilities. Another space adventure, displaying wonders of the world in her homeworld.

But after a short while, she has an idea.]

...We can dance, if you want to.

[That takes him aback for a second. Their new 'status' has only been such for about sixteen hours, now, and it's still sneaking up on him. He finishes up his bento - just the large one, they can share the small one later - and nods.]

We could do that, yes. Do you have a preference for the type of dancing, or the music?

[She smiles as she finishes the last bit from her bento. Well, she only knows ballroom dancing. But she has an idea.]

No music preference, and I only know ballroom. But I am willing to try something new.

Hmm... [He considers their options for a moment before coming to a decision.] Computer. Give us a ballroom scene. Access my device and pull the song 'Dance of Pales'.

[A lovely tune, one that is perfect for ballroom dancing. With their lunch finished, she gathers up the stuff back into her tote bag.

She moves the bag out of the way and she is ready to go, for the most part. It's not a party dress, but it's still good. She holds her hand out to Soma, ready for him to lead her to a dance.]

[Neither of them is really dressed for this, but that doesn't matter. Nobody else is going to see them, anyway. And it's good practice for the upcoming masquerade, after all.

It becomes obvious pretty quickly they've both had some experience with the waltz. Soma is the rustier of the two, and his steps don't match hers precisely at first - he is, after all, relying on memories centuries old at least. But by the halfway point, he's found his pace and is matching her easily.]

[It felt clumsy at first, alternating with taking the lead and letting Soma lead. Once he found his pace, she eases up and lets him lead. She keeps her eyes on him, which is still a habit for her, but now for a new reason.]

It's like almost yesterday we danced together at prom.

[It doesn't take long for them to reach a level of competence one might expect out of someone trained in the waltz. Because... really, both of them have been. Soma's training is just a little more out of date than Anya's. He keeps his eyes locked on hers, and he can't help smiling.]

The night we decided to stop caring what everyone else thought.

[It's just so hard for her to not have a dreamy look in her eyes watching him. She smiles and nods at his response.]

The very one... It was emotionally heavy, but... I'm glad we went.

November Catch-All

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject