social distancing || torr

Briony would not have asked for his help unless she truly needed it, she decided, and it was with this purpose that she had somehow found the will to approach him about the subject—all in the name of furthering her knowledge, of course. After all, no matter what history they shared, in the past when she was overly consumed with the emotional instead of the rational, her initial interest in him had been considerably intellectual and nothing more. But at her level in Potioneering and the fact that these were requests that she simply could not consult with anyone freely, Briony felt forced to explore her options somehow leading her back to a past she had been so desperate to leave behind.

She hesitated to enter for some time, biding her time with a cigarette as she paced around, busying herself looking through the windows of the shop next door, finding the idea of simply returning to London and finding someone else to approach on the matter a much easier task than taking the steps to walk through the door. Briony felt considerably out of her element, not used to hesitating after she had already made a decision. She had considered every possible outcome, had taken into account the reaction she might receive, and after all of this had come to the conclusion that if she valued her work if she wanted to be the best, then there were steps necessary to take in order to achieve what she wanted.

The ambition had to outweigh the heart, this much she knew. Bringing a hand up to her hair, she tucked some loose strands of her short, black hair behind her ear, inhaling one more time before letting the cigarette drop onto the cobbled stone, and pressing against it with her shoe, a little more aggressively than necessary. It was a small, but a much-needed gesture to express her feelings, the ones she had always claimed didn't exist and allow them to sink beneath and become untraceable.

The potion requested had been a very particular one indeed, something along the lines of a love potion that was untraceable and had the possibility of lasting for some time, enough time for its user to sign over his entire lover’s inheritance to himself. It had been a rather nefarious request but Briony had no interest in the morality of the situation but rather the hefty sum that she would receive should she achieve his request. If she was able to master a loophole in the way something like Amortetia worked, she might even have the opportunity to present her work in consideration for her silver cauldron. But there was much for her to learn regarding the subject.

Finally convincing herself that she was overthinking a simple exchange, she made her way into the shop, waiting quietly at the counter until its owner made an appearance. Without a greeting, without so much as a smile, she spoke firmly. “I need you to teach me how to make a potion and I won’t take no for an an0swer.”

@Torrence Regan

Sweat rolled down his forehead as he stirred a potion as black as midnight in a magically fortified cauldron, a slick sheen of sweat covering his arms as well. It was sweltering in the back workroom of his shop, but it was needed for this tempermental, tricky potion. He leaned over to jot down a note, his barely legible scribblings filling an entire length of parchment. Just then he heard the charmed bell ring above his head, signaling there was someone in the front. "Shit," he cursed as he glanced toward the doorway and then back at his potion. Whoever was out there was going to have to wait. This was a crucial moment.

The potion burbled aggressively and as soon as it started to turn from midnight black to a slightly grimier mud brown, he smirked. It was working. He reduced the heat with a quick spell, stirred counter clockwise for exactly 11 times and then let it simmer. He checked the clock, wrote down the time, and made an additional note about the color and consistency.

Then he remembered there was someone waiting. Better be a good fucking reason for bothering him right now, he thought as he walked through his workshop and into the front. As his eyes fell on her, his brows went up in surprise, a smirk playing about his lips. Briony Kent, here in his shop, and not even a hello. Wearing his usual get up of dark black jeans, a black tank, and his worn-in boots, Torr leaned against the front counter as he brought his hands up, biting at the tip of each glove to pull them off slowly as he looked at her, giving her a once over, wondering how long it had been since he had seen her last, not that he could remember, and generally, taking his sweet ass time to reply. He felt a familiar pull of satisfaction as he looked at her. She needed something from him and that made him feel powerful. He loved it. And he didn't mind lording that over her either. Especially since it was her.

"And why would I do that, Bri?" he asked sweetly as he crossed his arms, relaxing back onto the counter.

Briony and her patience were wearing thin; the desire to leave as she approached the counter overwhelming her and causing her to glance back at the door, shifting her weight from one foot to another as she calmly reminded herself of her purpose. A part of her wondered if he was making her wait on purpose, wondering if he had somehow caught sight of her from the backroom and was planning to ignore her. The more rational part of her decided that he must be busy and that once he was done with whatever it was that he was doing, something Potions related and not women related, if she were lucky, he’d come out and they’d get on with their business without a hitch.

By the time he had finally appeared, that feeling of hesitation made a reappearance, one that she could only hope was not as visible on her face as it was in her mind. Briony refused to allow her ridiculous emotions get the best of her, and decided that if she ignored any and every interaction they had had in the past, none of it would matter. She knew people like Torr, he had probably forgotten her from the last time she had walked out of the door. After all, he had never bothered to apologize or seek her out before. In his eyes, she was probably just a walking female body with a face just like everyone else’s. That was rational, feeling anything other than passing interest, she decided was not.

She watched him closely, her eyes trained on him as if to prove that whatever effect he thought he was having on her no longer existed. The first sign of weakness and he would pounce—she refused to give in. But then there was the issue of needing something from him. Whether she liked it or not, she had already come in with a losing hand. “Because you are passionate about your work and missing out on the opportunity to create a potion that could effectively bring you a great sum of money would be ill-considered, even for you,” she replied calmly, forcing herself to give him a small, polite smile, the same ones she often gave when answering a question in class, with confidence.

She paused for a moment before continuing, “I need to learn how to make a very specific formulation of amortentia,” she started, “a love potion whose effects are untraceable and long-lasting,” she continued, “Are these well within your abilities, Torr?” she asked.

Torr watched her, watching him. He was all quiet predator to her nervous prey. He felt rather than saw some kind of hesitation in her. She wasn't a raptor like Evie, out to get whatever she pleased, or a bulldozer wrapped in silk and primness like Perdy. There was some steeliness to her that he couldn't wait to try and bend. It felt like she was keeping herself off limits because she wanted something from him and off limits never really worked for him.

Passionate about his work? He almost had to laugh. Torr smirked at her and bit his lip as she went on. Her tight little smile doing nothing for him. "Ill-considered?" he repeated, laughing at her. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do." Had he ever made any decision that wasn't "ill-considered." It was kind of his wheelhouse.

"Of course I can do it," he snapped as he stood up a little straighter, the challenge in her words irritating him. But then he took a beat. "The question is why would I help you do it." He looked at from under his heavy brows, the question evident, the challenge unsaid. He softened a little with a smirk as he added, "Can't get anyone to love you so you're trying to magic it?" he tsked derisively and spun the ring around his index finger. "Have to warn you it probably won't work out for you.."

“And I haven’t any interest in knowing you any more than I already do,” she reiterated, her tone much colder than she had intended but at this point in her life, it was natural for her to speak to those who had hurt her in the past with much disdain. Even if only done for the sake of keeping the appropriate amount of emotional distance from the people she often had no choice but to surround herself with. “Is money not enough of a motivator for you?” she asked, her head tilting just slightly in curiosity as she attempted to figure out if he had grown a conscious or if he merely enjoyed saying no to her for the sake of doing so. Briony naturally suspected the latter but was unwilling to play this game with him considering how many times it had burned her before.

“Sure you can,” she added sarcastically, “Is money not enough motivation for you anymore? What about your good-will or better yet, the fact that it wouldn’t take more than a few minutes of your apparently extremely busy schedule after which you wouldn’t have to see me again,” she offered. Briony was more than certain that Torrence was capable but was not about to grovel at his feet for him to help her, if that’s what he was expecting. All things considered, Briony realized that this had not played out like she had initially intended and that coming to see him had been a much more terrible idea than she initially anticipated. It was times like this when she cursed her naivety for leading her down bridges she should have set on fire a very long time ago. That point further echoed by the way her mouth tightened in frustration at his words. A potion to convince someone to fall in love with her? Briony might have had periods of loneliness but would never stoop that low.

Briony rolled her eyes, “I haven’t any interest in brewing potions to make people interested in me, but if you’re struggling with that department, I’d be sure to save any leftovers for whatever romantic ventures you’re planning,” she offered with an amused smile on her face.

"No interest?" he repeated sarcastically. "Little white lies we all tell, right?" Torr mused as he gave her a once over. He had remembered their little fling, how she had caught feelings and he clearly had not. Feelings weren't really his thing. He shrugged and let it go. If she wanted to lie to herself, it was a free world. Go right on ahead. It didn't mean he was going to believe it though.

His amused expression turned darker though, his eyes going harder as he sent her a glare. His mood switching on a dime. "I know what I'm doing - both with potions and with women. I don't need potions to do the work for me. Trust me, love," he told her with a biting tone. He didn't like the fact that she doubted him in those ways. He hated his job but he was damn good at it. The bit about his love life didn't bother him as much. He was getting enough ass that he thought her accusation was almost amusing, but her attitude did nothing for him. Especially when she was asking for a favor.

"For someone who's looking for me to do them a favor, you're certainly not going about this the right way," he told her as he crossed his arms in front of him. "I don't need the money. My clients pay my high prices already. So.. convince me." Then he gave her a slick smile.

"Whatever minimal interest I might have had in you died a long time ago, I wouldn't flatter myself, I've always been a little too curious for my own good," she replied flatly, unwilling to give him the pleasure of admitting he was right no matter how true such a statement was. But Briony had been younger, extremely naive, and had somehow managed to convince herself that she felt something for someone who obviously would never replicate her feelings.

"I would like to think I came to the right man for the job," she started, "your talent with women or lack thereof, I don't care about that," she continued, nodding in agreement at what he said, and finding much pleasure in his obvious irritation with her statement. If he would not be sensible and help her, then she would have to make him do it out of spite. Things could never be straightforward with Torrence, it was almost as if he enjoyed making things difficult in order to make a point. What exactly he was attempting to prove, Briony was still not certain.

"Will batting my eyelashes and saying please do the trick?" she asked sarcastically, smiling a little as she spoke in case her tone had not properly conveyed how she felt about his suggestion. But Briony had rarely been in a position where she had to ask someone else for help, and when she was, the benefit to the other person outweighed her own needs in such a way that it only made sense for them to help her. What could Briony offer someone she had already made herself a fool in front of in the past? "What do you want?" she asked, "if not money then my promise to not bother you again surely is an attractive bargain? Or must I sell my soul to the devil just for a little advice?" she continued, resting her hands on the counter.

He shrugged and waved a hand at her explanation. It bored him. "Whatever you want to tell yourself," Torr told her. He didn't particularly care about it. If that's how she wanted to pretend, she was more than welcome to it. But he didn't have to buy the shit she was selling and pretend like it didn't stink.

"Yeh, you came to the right fucking place, congrats," he told her, his tone still sharp. He didn't need her validation or her opinion or whatever the hell she thought she was offering. If she hadn't insulted him, this whole thing might be amusing. It still was to some degree all things considered. He did like to hear a woman beg for him.. or for his help. All the same thing really.

"As long as you're on your knees. That would be a start. Drop the attitude though," he told her, smirking. He wasn't holding himself back and he wondered how truly desperate she was. Would she storm off in a huff like some women would? Or did she really need his help enough to let go of her pride a bit. Torr liked pushing the edge. He shrugged carelessly at her question. "Sell your soul to me, love. I'll take that option," he told her with a grin.

"How about this?" he said, pushing away from the counter he had been leaning against and taking a step closer. "You have to do one thing for me at some point in time. No questions asked. No limits. And then I'll help you with whatever you want." He smiled, slow and sweet, his devil's deal hanging out there for her to take.

Briony hated the idea that she had to bargain with someone like him. Rather than being reasonable and taking the money in exchange for the advice, he wanted to assert some sort of power over her, one which she had stupidly allowed him to establish years ago when she had allowed him in emotionally. But she had promised herself not to allow him the pleasure of getting the best of her, giving him an in would only escalate the situation rather than help her in getting what she wanted. If only Briony had not been so desperate for the money, she figured, she wouldn’t find herself in this sort of situation in the first place.

For a moment she wasn’t certain if he was serious about her getting on her knees and begging for his help. She had said it sarcastically, only intending to make him laugh or roll his eyes before proceeding to give her what she wanted. Obviously, she had gone about it the wrong way but it was difficult for her to think logically around it, lingering feelings somewhere in the back of her mind had remained, no matter how much she longed to kill them. If anything, Briony was grateful that he was being his usual self, that she could now see him for who he truly was rather than what she had wanted him to be so many years ago.

“And what would you do with my soul, Torr?” she asked, a little more honest and serious than intended. Frowning slightly at his offer, she considered it for a moment. Wasn’t this a good time to leave? She wondered to herself. But, she couldn’t. He would have been expecting her to storm off. Briony wasn’t here for him, she was here for the potion, to further her career, to have the money to continue taking care of her bills and her parents and her education.

“Fine, you’ve got yourself a deal,” she said, extending her hand to shake his as it seemed like the professional thing to do. “But you must teach me how to make it in its entirety, you have to keep your end of the bargain or I won’t keep mine,” she added, relaxing her shoulders a little. She didn’t know what he would ask for but she didn’t want to dwell on it either. “So, when can we get started?”

He shrugged at her question. "Whatever the hell I wanted. You're the one offering it up to the devil, I'm not forcing you to do it," he told her, carelessly. She's the one that came to him, after all. What exactly did she expect? For him to graciously give her everything she wanted with a cordial smile in simpering agreement? She should have known better.

Torr watched her hesitate and think over his offer. He smirked at her, lazily watching the gears turning in her mind. He was almost curious if she still had the guts enough to agree. And if she needed his help that desperately. Her sticking her hand out to him made his brows rise high on his forehead, surprised but smug. He leaned forward to stand in front of her, wrapping his larger hand around her smaller on, squeezing tightly with more force than was needed. "Agreed," he told her as he looked down at her and then he dropped her hand.

Her pushiness did nothing for him and he turned his back on her as he turned to look at some notes near the register. "Get the hell out of here, Kent. We can start next week sometime."

He said he wasn’t forcing her and Briony supposed that he wasn’t but it certainly felt as if she didn’t have a choice. But it was only work, she decided, something that would be over as soon as it started and then she wouldn’t feel like she owed him anything anymore. Except now she did owe him something, whatever that favor was she only hoped that it didn’t cost her any more of the dignity she had already wasted on him. But she could (and therefore would) tolerate it, reminding herself that he was still a master of his craft and this was a learning experience, probably in more ways than one.

Briony frowned only slightly when he squeezed her hand tightly, unsure if this was her way of punishing her or reminding her of his ability to do so. She almost opened her mouth to say something witty but decided against it, the last thing she needed was to give him any ideas in regards to what he could make her do in return for his help. Not that the thought had entirely abandoned her head, but she was trying, in her own way, to be a more sensible version of herself.

“But—” she started when he in turn kicked her out of his shop, ready to protest but again, not wanting to argue with him about it. Her mother had always told her that she could win over others if she was sweeter to them but she could never agree with that, Torrence couldn’t be won over with sweet words, she had tried that once. It had been a complete failure. “Fine,” she said curtly, “Owl me a time and a date and I’ll be here. I’ve got a pressing deadline so the sooner you could see me—” she paused for a moment, “the more I would appreciate it,” she added. Sighing a little, she turned around and left without another word.
[/end]

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," he told her, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He almost thought she was going to protest and fight for them to start this second, but Torr could be oddly patient when he wanted to and dragging out this torture was something he didn't mind in the least.

He flicked a hand at her talk of deadlines and strutted into the back workroom, disappearing from her view before she had even finished speaking. And then he grinned. He hadn't expected this at all, but playing with Bri proved to be an interesting new little adventure. He wondered how much she had changed and how far he was going to be able to push her.

Only time would tell.

/end