Coleman Collects

Drew didn’t have a lot of friends these days, but all those she did were fair weather. People she had a couple of drinks with at the bar after work, they cracked jokes and had a good time but she wasn’t about to spill her life story to them or any shit like that. She’d learned the hard way not to rely on other people for that kind of support.

Not that she’d had a lot of angst or problems to share with people in her youth, but when things fell to crap after she barely graduated highschool all those people she’d partied with- including the drunk heart to hearts always had on the kitchen floor at 3am- fell away, with more important things to do than try and help her keep her head above water.

She hadn’t been super close with Lucas before he’d dropped off the face of the earth, but he was four years older than her and at the time he’d probaly seen her as little more than an entertaining novelty. Some down on her luck kid who read auras and was so desprate for somewhere to belong she’d wriggled her way into the supernatural community despite barely belonging there. 

Was she curious about what had happened? Sure. There had been whispers, though. Rumors and questions swirling around hunters and other supernaturals alike. By then Drew had known better than to stick her nose into that kind of business though.

Still, she was glad he was okay, and these days she had a lot more going on in her life to be proud of then she’d had back then. A steady job, a thriving business... Well, alright, maybe it wasn’t a lot, but still. Drew ducked through the door of Yum! Pizza just before closing time, and hopped up onto a barstool after explaining to a tired looking member of staff who was clearing tables that she was here to meet a friend. “Lucas!” She called out towards the kitchen, whistling sharply- she was excited to see him, she realized- “you’ve got a hungry customer out here, dude.”

I Find You Amusing | Drew & Julie

“Bragging rights aren’t all that.” Not to say Julie had never sought after bragging rights but at the moment she would have preferred something other than a stuffed animal. What the hell do people do with stuffed things? It was stupid, not even worth collecting or giving. “If I opened the door to a stuffed animal I’d just throw in the trash.” She commented before taking another ring to try and toss it. While the incentive to win wasn’t that spectacular, Julie’s competitive nature still wanted her to win regardless of what she won.

Still, she had to roll her eyes and keep a hand in her pockets, not able to come off as too invested in the game because then she’d look like a complete loser. Julie wasn’t about to look like one and be one. Of course, as she tossed a ring in the direction of a bottle it bounced off. She gritted her teeth letting out a small huff before grabbing another ring. “This is stupid.” 100%. She was not going to lose at this stupid game where all she had to do was toss a ring around the neck of a bottle. On the second toss she clearly threw too hard and it just ricocheted into the young kid’s leg. She hoped that hurt but it was just a stupid plastic ring.

“Alright, what’s the deal?” She slammed her hands on the counter and leaned forward to him. “You have some fucking magnets on these shits or something?” Julie knew just how intimidating she could be and if she had to fight with the guy to get what she wanted, she’d do just that - even if it led to them being kicked out.

Drew didn’t disagree, honestly. She bragged about stupid shit; winning prizes on rigged games, speeding past sleepy cops on her bike. Stuff that didn’t matter. Julie wasn’t gonna catch her bragging about the basalisk skin she’d found, or the huge payout she’d secured for finding a couple of important books for a client. She sure as hell wasn’t going to be bragging to anyone about taking a kitsune on a date either, that was for damn sure.

Would she have to find a polite way to thin out their contact, after this? Drew wasn’t a cold person really, just set in her ways. Hadn’t dated a lot these past few years. White Crest wasn’t exactly renowned for its eligible singles... Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing, to see her again. If they kept it light. “I’m sure most people throw them away.” Drew shrugs, “the humor is in the initial reaction. Not what they do later.” She was always up and out the house early doors, so sometimes she even passed by a house she’d dumped a toy on in time to see the occupants find it. 

She watched Julie’s aura wriggle and grow as she grew frustrated, like hackles rising on a cats back. She wasn’t worried about the dangers of it- as far as Julie knew Drew was just your standard issue clueless human, so there wasn’t going to be a flashy display of strength or power over the game. Which meant Drew was free to stand back a step, barely concealing a chuckle at how into it she was getting.

To be honest, I really don’t know. I never go anywhere like that, or where a gathering is, and it ended so poorly. People got really sick. It was disturbing. Probably a good thing you were laying low. I hope no one died. 

[pm] Really? Just the same? Lucky you. Yep, but if you come at closing it can just be you and me out there while my staff cleans up.

Who the fuck are you? It’s called covering my ass. 

[pm] Drew! What’s up? How have you been? Come over, I’ll make you whatever you want. 

Pest Problem | Drew & Athena

The Archive was a fascinating place. Athena didn’t stop by all too often - though it was handy on the occasion that her parents’ hunter journals and the documents that they had around the house didn’t quite suffice. Besides, though she was nothing quite like her brother when it came to a love of history, she would have been entirely lying to herself if she denied any curiosity about history.

Thankfully, nothing in the store was setting off her senses today. On occasion, she’d wander in and feel something rush through her and because getting rid of a supernatural creature in a supernatural bookstore was difficult to explain. Though there was no way that she’d never run into another hunter in the store. Still - it was nice to peruse and see what sorts of information she could track down. She didn’t buy every book but she knew that she could easily blend in, especially if she put on a simple sweater and dress and curl up in one of the corners, paging through books, delighting in the firsthand accounts that some provided, scribbling quick and secret notes into the back of her chemistry notebook.

Today she was only there for browsing. She didn’t have anything in particular in mind to get that day, and so up and down the aisles she went, occasionally pulling out a book before reshelving it. Apparently her back-and-forth behavior had attracted the notice of one of the people who worked in the shop, Athena mused as she turned around at the woman’s question. “Just browsing.” She grinned. “There’s something so wonderful and calming about bookshops, don’t you think?” She paused for a moment, running her fingers through the ends of her hair. “I mean, duh, you work here, right? I think I saw you shelving some books earlier.” She bit her lip for a moment. “Actually, you can. I’d love to see any recent acquisitions you’ve got, if you don’t mind? Maybe something people have brought in. I’m itching to read more about our town’s history.”

Was she doing research? As far as Drew knew hunters didn’t often stray for from within their own community of resources when it came to seeking out knowledge pertaining to their work. Information would be passed down through generations, if you were so fortunate that your parents survived long enough to pass it all onto you, which presumably not all young hunters were. Perhaps that was what led her here, a need to fill in the gaps. 

Whatever the case it wasn’t really any of Drew’s business, as long as she wasn’t here looking to cause trouble. The Archive thrived mostly because of the supernatural community here in town so she was generally wary of any hunters who visited. People trusted this place to be safe, and honestly Drew wasn’t afraid to enforce that. A lot of people who came here were repeat clients of her own side business, so making an enemy of them here wasn’t really smart for her.

Sure, but then what would you do when you got to the island? Oh, you know! I’ve been hearing a lot about animals crossing some islands. You know anything about that?

I Find You Amusing | Drew & Julie

Friends. The whole concept of it made Julie feel nauseated. She still didn’t quite understand the point of them - aside to make things bearable apparently. Julie found this bearable on her own so she never understood why you would seek other people for that. The only reason she would seek someone’s company was for sex. But she was aware that was a thing friends did. She was still learning, albeit slowly and begrudgingly. 

“Jeez, your aim sucks,” Julie insulted, giving a scoff. Mildly teasing, mostly to get a rise from Drew. She took one the rings, moving in her hand, figuring she just had to get it around the neck of the bottle. Seemed easy enough, right? She didn’t aim for anything specifically, just gave a toss to test the waters. Of course, it bounced off one and despite the fact that she wasn’t trying, she didn’t like that she missed. She frowned taking a step back. “This game sucks.” She said, her eyes moving to the game attendant. He looked young, probably hated his job. She waited him to say something but he was silent.

“What even are the prizes? Money or some shit?” She looked up to see stuffed monstrosities. Bears missing limbs, some weird looking green alien. “Is it even worth the prizes or is it just bragging rights?” The things people do for fun in this small town. Julie wondered what they would do in a big city. Probably cry their way back home.

There were a lot of kids who’d wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of White Crest. Not even because of all the creepy goings on, just because it wasn’t LA or London or Paris. The desire to break free of this place had never struck her, perhaps because she’d always known there was more to the town than most people would ever see. The opportunity of it all fascinated her back then.

Now? She just didn’t know where else she’d go. Wasn’t like she had a stellar education to take advantage of for some upstanding job, and the money she made as a collector was more than enough to make it woth staying in town, even if she sometimes wished for somewhere bigger.

When her first throw failed Drew took a step back, simply scoffing at Julie’s insult. “Oh yeah? Do better.” She challenged. She’d figure it out in a moment ifi she really didn’t know already, these shitty games never went how you thought they would.