M a g i k

            ‘ i don't know what your highness could possibly need with someone like me. working with herbs and plants isn't exactly a CRIME is it? but its not worthy of notoriety of any kind. ’  

           She doesn’t want to talk about tiles and at first she ignores the question. Except her good taste got the best of her so soon she’s nodding absently at the ceramic square. “It wasn’t Quinn-….well it was him but whatever he done he had a good reason for it. Course he did… does. He’ll be back. Romeo doesn’t leave Juliet. He’ll return triumphant. And anyway, you and I haven’t talked in months. What’s new?”

                 ‘ you guys really aren't giving me a break this week, are you? ten normal customers, one little old lady looking for an aphrodesiac and four vampires. ’ the tip of her finger rubbed against an empty glass jar, an ice-shovel ( yes, one of those little hand-held ones that you use to get snow off of your car. innovative, no? ) buried deep in a barrel of coriander seed. yes, she was FRIGHTENED. who wouldn't be? but the best way to deal with those who could do you harm was, in her mind, to treat them normally. with respect, of course, and with no small amount of humility. her heart was pounding, adenaline  r u s h i n g  through her stomach and screaming in her lungs.  ‘ can you give me a few minutes before we dance? assuming you're here to fight. if not, take a number... any chance you’ve got a name? ’

“If ‘yah save up 'yah wouldn’t have this problem. It’s like I’ve been saying for months, sweetheart, but ‘yah just don’t wanna listen to me none.” 

Her shoulders roll back. She takes a breath. Unneeded as it was she has yet to break the habit. 

“No dahlin’ I’m not drugs. Uncle Julien would come right out’ah that grave if that was the case” not like he hadn’t already made his presence perfectly known. “I’m fine mon chere, I promise” 

               ‘ my aunts not in... did you need something? she  u s u a l l y  doesn't start doing her bake sales until november. that is when pumpkin tends to be more 'in', halloween aside. If you need something that bad, I can try and whip something up. ’ joane turned, setting down the ignition key to the beetle that sat parked outside. she looked slightly disheveled, like someone who'd been out running in the sun for no more than ten minutes. the damage wasn't so bad. just a few things out of place. maybe a little more oily than usual. he hand grasped the little, blue-capped bic pen nearby, scrawling a tornado-shaped doodle on her aunt's tablet to test the ink.  ‘ so, something you need mister...? ’

           ‘ its a pretty rare thing to find someone who trusts strangers.  you sure you want to take the risk? ’  one hand worked at unscrewing a copper-colored lid, the jar of mushy, blackberry preserves picked up from the farmers market she'd passed outside of georgia southern. statesborough could always be counted on to have good food out on the side of the road.  honeysuckle was usually abundant this time of year, too. good shit.  ‘ they say that blackberries are natural combatants for things like BANKRUPTCY. ’

               ‘  if i had time to go to rock concerts, do you think i'd be taking another shift? maybe if ya’ll stopped dying for a god-damned second, i could think about doing other things. 

                 something's different about you...                            you're not on drugs, are you?  ’ 

                  ❛  don't tell me... you're going to be the one to tell me that there's more to life than pretty gems and painted nails? the world's changing, and i'm all for that, but shouldn't we focus on more pressing matters, first? i mean, you're a VAMPIRE, i'm a witch. things just...  ❜  she gave a soft sigh for emphasis, hand dropping to 'clap' on the flesh of her thigh, thoroughly covered by gray, faded denim.  ❛  they wouldn't work out between us. crushing, i know.  ❜  

            talk about new a tackling a whole different kind of ball-game.  although she wasn't entirely sure what the appropriate protocol was for DEALING with them, of course. she'd certainly read her fair share about them, about the way they could be skilled mages or simple workers.  about the different, elemental beings that could offer them their abilities, so to speak. she didn't know the exact science; she wasn't an elf. 

            ❛ elves? elves are new. different, not bad. never dealt with one before, but there's always room to learn, right? ❜

                   the colour of her lips was red, red, RED. it would always be her go-to shade, worn only by her mother in the earlier years of her life. but it also matched shades of black and accentuated the royal hue found in her eyes. fashion, of course, had never been her main focus, but her clothes did have a sort of STYLE to them, she supposed. she liked it, that was what mattered.

                  ❛ ---how'd you come to be in this place?  ❜

                 was that humor she sensed? some foreign feeling of enjoyment? she could feel him laughing at her in his own, special little way. no doubt giddy with how MAD he drove her. but it was always the same with vampires. you gave them a little bit of leg room and they took over the dance floor. this one wasn't proving to be any different.

               a SMALL BRANCH compressed under one’s feet, not hers. Head quickly fixated towards the sound, it was a naive bad habit of India’s

                 ❛ ——– who is there ?! ❜

                 of course, just a girl.  ( a silly, little girl. no older than she, perhaps younger. who cares? )  pale fingers yanked on the fabric coveing Joane's body, keeping her away from the cold. she had never been a fan of autumn or winter's cold reach, but it was a necessary part of every year. the way the seasons came and breathed their finals breaths only to be reborn. a natural cycle and beautiful in its own way. but death it brought, as did the spring rains and the terrible HEAT of summer.