First meetings…
A first meeting…
First impressions…
They were always important. They matter a lot. It was nothing new to Natsume. Honestly, it was very important for a magician. After all, he had to know how to read people to figure out what will work and what will not, which spells to use or at least try. And he himself cannot come off as a total buffoon, or like a certain second dimwit with glasses. What good is a magician like that? None. A magician is confident in their craft, if they aren't it could never work. None of their magic would have any effect, absolutely none. You can perfect all of them in theory, but if you have no confidence in your craft it is all useless. Utterly useless.
This includes charming spells. Someone catches another's interest to an insane degree, to the point they cannot get the caster out of their mind, feeling drawn to them. It is hard to put to words, you need to have experienced it to exactly know the meaning of this. It is a dangerous type of magic and if not careful it can hit you before you know it. And even then it was never a foolproof method to begin with. He himself was proof.
Natsume was someone who had been practicing the arts of magic for years, and yet not even he could escape at the end of the day. It just hit him. The spell in question had hit him harder than first expected. He didn't even know that this had been in the realm of possibilities. But here he was, having fallen victim to something like this. The unthinkable had just happened.
What was the unthinkable actually? Huh, it is a simple answer, is it not? Something unexpected yet unacceptable for a master of the craft of magic. He had fallen victim to a spell, a charming spell. Apparently an enchantress had found her way to the Ensemble Square, an enchantress from overseas. Mysterious, not much was known about her. Status, skills, relations, none of those things! Just a name. Wolff. Anja-Sophie Wolff. Or just 'Ann' for short. But that is as deep as the information went.
Honestly, this woman had been on his mind lately. And he could not explain why. He saw no other logical reason. She was not what one would call 'attractive' nor an eye catcher. Short, brown hair, green eyes, glasses, and clothing which was conventional at best, her preferring pants over skirts, and always wearing something with long sleeves. Average at best, or an 'acquired taste'. Was it his taste? Honestly, he couldn't answer that question. He didn't bother with such trivial things. Once more, he is a magician. Something like this was not his priority. And he couldn't name any other reason why he would be drawn to her. Her voice? He barely heard it nor did he remember. And if she talked it was in stutters, as if lacking the ability to communicate. Then again, it is excusable for a foreigner so he will overlook this detail. But not even that was enough to keep his interest.
There was no doubt about it! Knowingly or unknowingly she had cast her magic on him specifically. Why else would he pay close attention? It had to be that, a magic spell. Otherwise he would not pay much attention to her specifically. And that did not mean when she had to approach him at points and ask for favors or was tasked to deliver an important message here and there. It was outside of those moments where he had caught himself staring, as if observing her every step, curiously. Once or twice, he could brush it off as something he had caught something off. But to the point it almost became routine… No, this was absurd. It made no sense. And if something made no sense it was explainable with magic. A spell which had captivated him. That was it. Increasing her charm in his very own eyes, him having to notice. So there had to be an answer to break this spell once and for all! Now, he could just ask the woman and be done with it but who would say that she wasn't an experienced enchantress? After all, nothing was known of her background and she always managed to cover her tracks. Anyone would be wary. Maybe Ann had come here after hearing of Natsume's own feats overseas and wanted to overthrow him!
Ah, it may not be that extreme of course. He had seen few things of her yet if he could confirm one thing for certain it was that she seemed to not be the type who plays dirty. It was the least likely option honestly, if he really thought about it. However, a great magician never reveals their secrets. The enchantress should know it as well as him. It would be foolish to reveal the secrets to anyone. So his approach couldn't be that simple. He had to approach this delicately, find out a way to break free from this spell behind her back. How would he do so? A foolproof plan of course!

This required research on every front— Magic spells, potions, rituals. But not just those. He needed to get hints from the enchantress herself. And thus he made sure to make time to observe her activities here and there. He had gotten a brief idea of her schedule, knowing vaguely where she would be at what time and when he could catch a glimpse of any potential hints. Honestly, it had almost become predictable. Then again, that was a given perhaps. It wasn't very hard for him to read someone. Others would call him out on this behavior. Tsumugi did once but who cares what this guy had to say? Natsume for sure didn't. Besides, his intentions were not of ill will. He had no intentions to cause the female any harm. All he wanted were answers, a possible solution to his problem which slowly turned into a nuisance.
One of those times had come just now, him catching her walking down the halls. Even during the weekends Ann could be found at her office, doing all the paperwork she had been assigned to, only allowing herself to catch a short break in the afternoon. Even then she seemed to be occupied with anything but relaxing, judging from her expression alone. If that had not been enough of a hint the books or an open laptop will give away the answer. Even the dumbest of idiots would catch on. A talent for working over and over… It looked all too familiar. The same old dance, just a different person. That's what this was. He had his own thoughts on this matter but it was sadly not what he had been here for. Besides, if he were to try she would probably just look at him all confused, wondering why he, for her a stranger she only knew by name, would bother with her to begin with. And then perhaps she might insist on continuing. He could not say anything in that regard. Plus influencing the situation may not give him the hints he needed. It had to occur naturally, so she can work her magic and things may slip!
Or so Natsume would like to think. This would be the ideal outcome. But sadly his prediction had come true… Because all he spotted was the young female sitting down and typing something on her laptop, mumbling and typing without paying attention to her surroundings. Then again, there was no need. She was all by herself, when ignoring him standing against a nearby wall and observing her with his very own gaze. It was just them and no one else. Just the two of them, all alone. Distant yet by themselves. What a weird way to spend some quality time together, isn't it?
Jokes aside, it was not unpleasant. It gave him time to observe the enchantress , taking in every detail. He found himself staring, right at her. For a moment he may as well have looked so much, he started to drift away in his head and simply observe details one would not spot at first glance. And by that he did not mean the mess in her hair, anyone could probably spot that as one of the first few things. No, a closer look at how she sat, walked, ran. How she intends to present herself and how she came off. Same for the ways she tried to communicate. She trips over her words, certainly, but she is not giving up. The motions she makes to explain what she exactly means can be funny to look at sometimes, her arms swinging around in a weird manner or her seeming to nearly perform a dance sometimes. He had to hold back any type of chuckle, it was just too funny to look at. It is adorable that she is trying but it's still really, really funny all the same. Honestly, he never got tired watching that. This interpreter tries to come off as a serious individual, yet here she is, at points making a fool out of herself. A contrast she might be oblivious to. He didn't hate it and it is one of the times he found himself entertained during his observations. Honesty, if it could just happen now, then—
Ah, wait! No, he was starting to drift off again, in a more dreamy mood than keeping his mind at where it should be. Honestly, he had no idea why but he tended to catch himself in a dazed state rather often these days. Intended symptoms of her spell, surely! Focus Natsume, focus! Now's not the time!
When coming back to reality his gaze met the Enchantress yet again, her right in sight. It seemed that there was no change in her behavior, her still in front of her laptop and—
"Scheiße!" He suddenly heard her voice yell out loud, raising her voice to a volume one believed to be impossible from her. After all, it was usually on the calmer, more quiet end. So hearing such an aggressive outburst would make anyone flinch on the spot, especially coming from her mouth. How can she even reach such a volume? And besides…
"ShiaiSUE?" He found his own mouth repeating, though a little different than she pronounced it. As if he had just delivered a poor man's imitation of the word. And just when he had noticed it was a little too late.
Saying it aloud, that had not been his intention at all! He begged that she didn't hear but of course she did. Next thing he knew their gazes suddenly met, with her having lifted up her head as a result. Their eyes had met, staring at another from afar without a word.
They kept on gazing at another for a few seconds, not moving an inch nor moving their gazes away. It was silence, lasting for a very short moment. Though it may as well just have been an eternity for them. It was only a matter of time until one of them decided to break this never ending silence. Just who gave in first?
Actually, that was a surprisingly easy question to answer: Ann did. Her face went visibly red from one moment to the next, the embarrassment visible to even the blind. At the same time random syllables left her mouth, unable to form a sentence, let alone a word. Apparently it had been that much of a shock to her. Or so it looked like at the very least. Not even he knew what to say to this if he were completely honest. Though he didn't have to as after some time her mouth finally said something coherent: "S… Sakasaki-San!? This… I'm sorry!"
Sorry? Sorry for what? Why the apology? No one had really done anything when meeting gazes besides looking. Was this girl sorry for that? No, she didn't come off as that silly.
A reflex? Yes, that might be it. And she wouldn't calm down otherwise, so he decided to say: "That's not neceSSARY. So quit wasting your breath like tHAT."
He only saw a slight nod coming from the brunette, facing down for a moment before looking right at him again, continuing slowly yet softly (at least softer than her outburst): "How long… here? You I mean…"
Ah yes, her speech is of course as broken as ever, though not as broken as when he had talked to her for the very first time. Not like he had a hard time making out what she was trying to say but it had been a little tiring at points. But again, it is forgivable.
"ME? Not for a long tIME." Was his response. Depending on how one wants to see it he was either telling her a lie or the truth. It may as well be something in between. It all depends on how one interprets 'not for a long time'.
Her response was to nod at his words before adding something verbally again: "Do you… need… thing— something!"
'YeS, a way to nullify that spell of yOURS.' Though of course he could not say it right to her face. He would give himself away otherwise to a potential rival. That or she might laugh at him, asking if he cannot nullify the spell of his own and needs help from someone else. The risk was too big to take. She strikes him as the kind of person who would abuse a weak point, even if it were for what one calls 'teasing', it would be a way of humiliation for him, a crushing defeat. And if there was something he could not allow himself to be defeated at by a mere stranger, it would be magic! Thus he needs to approach this carefully, not allowing himself to let this slip.
"No, nothing in particuLAR." He responded, trying to stay as calm as he usually would be. "I was just passing bY."
"Ah… R… Really?" Was her reply to that, not sure what else to say. In fact she seemed rather tense all around, as if he was some sort of monster. Hah, this woman, seriously. What an odd enchantress all around. He didn't have any intentions before to approach her and talk but it was as if she didn't leave him any choice. Seeing her so tense and nervous… He couldn't leave her like that. It might cause a bit of trouble if she believed that he would bite her at a moment's notice.
And thus he moved forward, approaching her slowly, getting closer than originally intended, away from the spot from before. When close enough he pointed at the chair nearby him. "This seat's fREE, isn't iT?"
"Huh? Yes. But—"
Needing to hear nothing else Natsume shoved the chair a little backwards before sitting down, still a noticeable distance from the enchantress across the table. He then took a closer look at the books, all of them seeming to be written in the Latin-script alphabet. At least that's what he could tell from the ones open in plain sight. His gaze then wandered right back at her, looking not really amused. She's one of those. "Working yourself to the bONE?"
The brunette tilted her head for a moment, as if not understanding or taking her time to process… That was until she tilted her head back into position and seemed to want to signal that she understands. "Sort of. Lots of work after all… Lots of assignments."
"AssignMENTS?"
"Yeah, university…" She nearly mumbled yet he was still able to hear her loud and clearly. A university student… Honestly, he could see it. In fact, the signs were all too obvious if he were to think about it for a little while. It might even explain the bags under her eyes… But it didn't irritate him any less. Instead of taking time to relax he saw her here, stuffed between books. Even if it is routine… What was she? A Japanese salaryman? No, even a salaryman knew when to take a break. … Wait, he's getting so worked up over this now and losing focus again. It's not that this behavior isn't alarming but—
"But necessary to pass. So it's fine!" He heard the woman speak next, all while he saw her body moving from side to side. It was as if she was trying to not fall down and sleep. And then he finally spotted a few cans of soda next to her, emptied to the very last drop. Not two, three… Five. She tried to keep herself awake that way and now she's at the brink of crashing, isn't she? Honestly, he became more and more annoyed with her as this went on. Who would've thought…
"Why didn't you take the day oFF?" He asked, not even hiding his opinion while speaking thanks to his tone. "Sitting here and doing work while doing your assignments is dUMB."
She wasn't totally oblivious to how he was speaking, given that she flinched backwards in her seat, as if caught off guard. "But… Passing…"
"If you want to exhaust yourself and colLAPSE, be my guEST. I don't expect you to follow any advice honestLY."
Natsume wasn't even entirely sure why it had escaped his mouth, though it was probably because it reminded him a lot of his former upperclassmen and member of Switch, Tsumugi, who's recently doing nothing but work like an utter moron. All while managing idol work. This was no different, except Natsume's witnessing it in the form of a part time job and a student. Not his problem though if she dies at 50… If she's lucky that is. Maybe that's why he didn't hold back. It was nothing personal in any way, just him being annoyed by this.
The Enchantress had no words for this however, only sitting there in silence. She didn't understand what he was trying to say. This can have many reasons— Either he's speaking too fast or uses vocabulary she had not learned at this point in time. Regardless, she seemed to somewhat catch on all the same, wanting to hide her face in shame. Talk about this conversation taking a turn… And even then no hints at canceling her spell either. Maybe this was bad timing on his part. If he wanted to have any leads he'd need to keep the conversation going. Maybe within the books—!
"AnyWAY, since I'm hERE… What's this assignment aBOUT?" He decided to bring it up, though talking a little slower. Perhaps there would be valuable information hidden within. The brunette looked up again, surprised he had even taken interest. Well, yes and no. But he decided to leave her in her belief, unaware of his motives.
"Uhm… Nothing special…" She responded, being a little hesitant. "Just… Discussing… Love…"
"LoVE?"
She nodded. "Yes… Romeo & Juliet… How people… see it and… think about it…"
Romeo and Juliet… A classic. Though couldn't it be any more clichée? But he had to give it that– It is a love story, though tragic, which captivates its audience hundreds of years later. One could say it's magical in its own right perhaps. Could the hint to escape her spell be written there? How peculiar…
But what an odd choice all the same. She didn't strike him as the type to be interested in such stories. "Was it your own choiCE?" He was somewhat curious but the answer mattered little to him if he were completely honest.
"Yeah… I got my professor to… agree to it. Even though I… don't like it."
"You doN'T?" So wait, his prediction was sort of correct?
"No. I just… Love is interesting. People bonding, getting closer and falling in love… It's fun to see it happen." She admitted without shame, the calmest she has been during this conversation and the most she had spoken. Her answer is not too unexpected, but it is a way to view it. He could connect the dots, why she had decided on this topic.
"I like exploring relationships. Never experienced it but I want to understand and—" Though she suddenly came to a halt, remaining silent for a few moments before turning away, once more embarrassed. "Ah, I apologize."
"What noW?" He asked her, rolling his eyes. Ugh, this woman…
"I just… Talking and talking. And more talking. Probably boring. I'm deeply sorry!"
That's why? "It's fiNE. I was the one who had asked after aLL."
"Eh? Not boring?"
"If I minDED, I would've already ripped that tongue out of your mOUTH." Natsume decided to respond, direct yet chuckling shortly after. A little joke didn't hurt after all. Or did it? Well, the Enchantress herself seemed to catch on yet had a slight worried expression on her face when turning back, a little unsettled perhaps.
"I… see…"
Before the conversation could have gone anywhere further however an unfamiliar voice echoed through the hall, coming closer. "Miss Wolff, there you are!" Said stranger would yell which made the two turn into their direction. A face not familiar to Natsume so they must've been some random employee.
Regardless, they got the woman's full attention, making her close her laptop in an instant. "Yes, what is it?"
"We've received a letter from overseas but no one of us can read it. Could you come and help us understand it?" They asked, first having disregarded her company yet noticing at the last second, adding: "Ah— Sakasaki!? I didn't see you there! Did I interrupt something?"
"No, not at aLL." He decided to reply before she could get a word in it. It seems the time was cut short but whatever. He can continue this later if he so wished. "I was just about to lEAVE."
"R… Really? I'm not interrupting something important?"
"Ugh, nO! You areN'T!"
"Waah! Right, sorry! If you say so!" The person flinched for a moment yet turned to the Enchantress once more, then continuing: "Could you then?"
This was met with a nod, her closing the books as well. "Yes. Can I… Clean up first? This stuff is…. Necessary. Warte, das war nicht das richtige Wort. Ich meine…Ähm…"
"Haha, it's ok! I know what you mean! Clean up first, then come to my office! Ok?"
She nodded as a result before they took their leave, then getting up and facing Natsume one last time. "Sorry, work."
"Don't worry about iT. I was just killing time anyWAY." He responded, getting up himself. He was about to leave yet not before adding: "Just a fair warnING: Don't overdo iT. I see you aROUND."
He had then turned away and walked off, not paying any more attention than necessary. Following her up to this office would be too suspicious and people would probably get the wrong idea. He was done with his observations for today anyway. So there was no need to push it.
But even when they depart ways like this, he still didn't get her out of his head. Even less than before. Just what type of game is the enchantress playing?