bad witch coven.

At the very least, he now had another direction in which to point his search: not on someone who could help him, exactly, but on the person who had placed the curse to begin with. It would be difficult to find the enchantress who had been disrespected by Adam all those years ago, but Claude was hardly in a position to give up hope now. If anything, being pointed toward another source was the exact kind of help he'd been hoping for. "I can do that. I mean, I hope I'm able to--if I can ask Adam if he remembers anything about the woman who had done it, all those years ago. But, to be fair, she did set the curse because he was being rude to her, so, he may not be the best of help," he reasoned aloud. It made Claude want to kick his friend practically daily, knowing that the reason they were in this position was because he had been an asshole. Eda's demeanor shifted to a much more serious one, and though he heard exactly what she was saying, Claude simply couldn't afford to think like that. "No," he replied simply, shaking his head, "this has to work. I cannot live the rest of my life like this, and neither can my friends. I will do anything, everything, to fix this. And, I know what you're going to say: it doesn't matter how much I want it to happen. But, until we've searched every possible avenue, tried every solution, I have to at least try."

From the way he spoke of this enchantress and the interaction that had led to the curse originally being placed upon the group, she didn’t think it would be very likely that Claude would get much of anywhere in his search. He didn’t even have the basic information of what she looked like or what kind of magic she used… and considering Adam had outright refused to even meet with Eda himself, she highly doubted he’d be of much use. “I can ask around, see if there’s anyone or anything that someone knows in the witch’s community,” she offers, even though she’s hardly the most liked person amongst the other magic users on this island. “But anything you can find out would be helpful.” It was clear that the man was feeling some sense of hope at the way this was all going, refusing to even acknowledge the simple possibility that things might not end up the way he wants - and normally Eda would let him have it, this potential false sense of an end being in sight… But she knew all too well, all too personally, how hard it can be when you get to that end and the answers you had been desperate to find are nowhere to be seen. “I’m not saying it’s not worth trying. I’m gonna do my best to help you all, but I just… I don’t want you thinking this is gonna be a guaranteed fix. Curses are messy and often cast improperly on top of it. And some are, like I said, simply irreversible. Trust me when I say, it’s just best not to get too hopeful. You gotta keep some level of your feet on the ground in reality.”

It was at least comforting to know that she might be able to do something, but it almost felt a bit unfair that the only one she could think she could cure was Adam. Though Claude tried not to think of it this way, and he certainly never mentioned it, he was the reason they'd gotten into this mess in the first place. "It's the full moon--that's what makes him turn. On the night before, the night of the full moon, and the night after: that's when it happens for him," Claude explained. If this was who the ?Order had recommended look into their curse, he trusted their judgement, but surely there was someone out there who would know what to do, if not Eda. That kind of thinking was the only way Claude could seem to cope with the grim diagnosis. "Well, would it help if we tried to find the source of the curse itself? Would finding whoever cursed us be of any sort of help in fixing it?" Not that Claude had a single clue who that could be, but perhaps one of his friends, namely Adam, would know more about the woman from years ago. "I don't mean to be dramatic, but I will do anything to help, sincerely. I understand Adam can be reluctant to give any information, but I will do whatever I can to cooperate."

At the mention of the full moon being the trigger for the curse, Eda’s head tilts to the side ever so much and she lets out a soft hum as she considers what that would mean for altering her elixir to help this Adam fellow. It was certainly different than her own curse, which was impacted by her stress levels primarily, but she figured with a bit of influence from werewolf magic - she should be able to get some kind of remedy easily enough. Her mind was busy running through all the potential options she could try testing when Claude speaks up again, pulling her focus back to the task at hand. “Of course it would help,” she answers with a bit of a snicker, not meaning to be rude but feeling like that should have been kind of obvious. “Finding the person who cast the spell means they could tell you what they did - what magics they used, how wide their cast was, whether they combined spells or built a really, really complicated one all of their own accord. Hell, they may even be able to completely revoke it.” It’s only when she realizes just how desperate this man seems to be that Eda realizes she needs to make the potential severity of this all a bit clearer for them all. Sighing softly, she sets her glass down onto the desk and leans forward in her chair, a small frown forming on her lips as she prepares to potentially ruin his day. “Claude, I gotta warn ya though… There’s a chance even finding the witch who did this might not change anything. Curses… are complicated. And some are for life, no matter how much the caster may regret it or try to take it back.”

"I'm not sure I do--I'm more of a wine man myself, but if you'd like me to call in a bartender to order from, you're more than welcome." Still, he poured identical glasses of whiskey, sliding one to her side of his desk before taking his seat. As Eda gave him the basics of what she knew, Claude nodded along--she had the main points correct, which he supposed was the most important part. He was here to fill in the gaps. "There were a few of us, yes, but no, we don't all turn into beasts. That's specific to Adam. I believe it might've been because he was the only intended target, whereas the rest of us were collateral damage." The rhyme or reason for how the rest of his friends had been affected didn't make much sense to him, though they all seemed to have lost something, some sense of self that made it difficult to live day-to-day. "For example, I can't tell the time. Every clock I see is permanently and forever at twelve, even the digital ones. Blaise, on the other hand, lost his sense of taste, which, as you can imagine, is quite difficult when you're a professional chef." He wasn't sure what she'd make of that, if anything, but he hoped the specifics of their individual struggles might help her see something he couldn't.

Her smirk turned into a bit more of a genuine smile, though a bit surprised, as he responds so normally to her mention of apple blood. Normally humans, or honestly anyone from this dimension even if they’re magical, all got at least some level of flustered or confused at her mention of the drink from the boiling isles. It was why Eda always brought it up - not because she ever expected anyone to have any, but she simply liked making others squirm. But then again, considering he mentioned talking to a bartender he likely simply thought it was some kind of cocktail or mixed drink. Which was less fun, but she supposed they weren’t here for jokes and tricks anyway. Taking the offered whiskey, Eda downed a good portion of it before nodding her head and taking in the new information. “Well like I said, the beast I know what to do. I can’t cure him completely, but I can make it more manageable. How often does he change? Is it triggered by anything specifically?” she asks, her mind already running on just what she’ll need to do to modify her current elixir recipe for her own curse to fit for this situation instead. “As for the rest of you… I’m not entirely sure. I could work on remedies as well, but I’ve never dealt with anything like this before. It sounds simple, all of your conditions, but the fact that it’s from just one curse and not multiple complicates things greatly.” It wasn’t what he likely wanted to hear, but it was unfortunately the truth of the matter.

Claude didn't exactly know what to expect from a witch, but he supposed this was about it. She looked fairly normal--like a human on the outside, though he knew better than to judge based on first appearance. In all honesty, he'd expected someone more eclectic, but if she'd dressed for the occasion of coming to a restaurant like this one, it was appreciated. "I do. Well, I don't own it, but I'm the manager. My friend, Adam, is the owner." He hoped she'd pick up on the name, the connection he had to Arthur. "I don't want to bore you with a lecture on fine dining, but the short answer is yes, we do. The difference is the experience, the rarity and quality of materials that simply doesn't come from a less expensive establishment. That's why it's so much more to dine here, because each dish is far costlier to make."

Instantly she took note of the easy name drop of the man that had originally come to Arthur regarding these curses, and the connection the two men had. They were friends. Worked together to run an upscale restaurant of all things, even. It was a piece of information that to anyone else may not seem like that big of a deal, but one that Eda knew better than to overlook. If they were friends and both suffered from some type of curse, potentially even the same one, that meant someone had specifically targeted them. And while there weren’t many open witches or enchanters on the island, the community was still small enough that there was a good chance she could find the culprit if she did enough digging. “Hmmm. That’s… interesting,” she responds, though her tone indicated she was anything but interested in his explanation. Truthfully, she had barely listened to anything he said - for all he promised not to bore her with a lecture on fine dining, that was kind of exactly what he did. But she supposed she couldn’t complain too much, she was the one who had asked the question in the first place, after all.

Claude had been anticipating a phone call from the woman whose business card he'd been keeping in his coat pocket since Adam had given it to him, but it had yet to come. He supposed he could've very well have reached out to her himself, but it seemed a bit rude to do so when she was supposed to be the one finding him--perhaps she had been busy. In fact, the matter had been slipping his mind, admittedly, as he'd been tediously working with Blaise to get their summer menu prepared for the public to try.

The man’s handshake was firm, which wasn’t a surprise and really didn’t say much about him that she didn’t already know, but Eda still makes the mental mark of it. He wasn’t afraid of her, or at least if he was he was hiding it well - and that was a good first sign. Even though she loved having a bit of fun scaring a client from time to time, it was always best to be on her better behavior whenever she was working with someone Arthur had brought to her. Not because she cared what he had to say or think, but rather because he only ever gave her the serious cases - the people that truly needed her help. And she remembered what it was like, back when she was first cursed, having no idea what to do or where to go for her own assistance. It wasn’t a feeling she’d wish upon even her worst enemy (well, maybe she would wish it upon Belios, but that’s a different story).

Arthur nodded to confirm, knowing how strange and unique the case was. He also didn't know exactly how each person had fared the night that they were all cursed, not having spoken to any of Adam's friends himself. What they were cursed with was still unknown to him, even Adam's own results still not entirely clear. "You can speak to the man I've been contacting, Adam. But, he's rather protective of his friends, and keeping that he's speaking to us a secret from them." It wasn't exactly the way Arthur would've gone about one of these things, but it wasn't his case. The best he could do was to pray that none of it would become his problem in the future. "I suppose that's about as good as it can be, right?" Arthur wasn't good with small talk, especially not with the older women in the Order who he knew were way smarter than him. "Well, everything's good on our side, you know, if you're ever interested in coming to any meetings, or anything. I know that's not exactly your speed, but, you know, you're always welcome," Arthur offered, having shared the same sentiment nearly every time he saw her. He had a feeling it would be turned down again, but he still felt obliged to extend the offer nonetheless.

Now that peaked her interest even more. Multiple different curses, all stemming from seemingly the same spell, and the man in question that brought all this to Arthur’s attention didn’t want the others getting involved. Figuring anything out would be quite the challenge - which might have deterred other witches from taking on the case, but Eda was no ordinary witch. She was the owl lady, wild and chaotic, and she loved nothing if not a good challenge. Plus, ever since being cursed herself, she’d always had a soft spot for others suffering from other conditions. And if she couldn’t find a cure for them - hopefully at the very least she’d be able to draft their own version of her elixir to help with the symptoms. “Alright, I’m in,” she agreed, setting aside the envelope for further inspection when she was alone. She expected that to be the end of their conversation, but of course Arthut couldn’t leave without throwing out another offer to join in on his little organization. An offer that was met with a roll of her eyes and Eda falling backwards into her chair, feet coming up to rest on the counter as she lounged. “Nah. I’m a wild witch, remember? I fly solo. That coven life isn’t for me.” Or at least, that’s what she always said. Truth of the matter was now between King and Luz, as well as all of their friends, she had started building a coven of her own. Even still, she wasn’t about to openly join another group that required her to be obedient or subordinate to anyone.

"I know," he assured her, already expecting to have to pay for whatever advice she was going to give. Arthur had saved the Order so much money with the careful way he ran things that he wasn't too concerned about dipping into the consulting budget. He slid a manila folder onto the counter, containing everything he'd gathered that could possibly help Adam and his friends. "I need help with a curse. This man and potentially his employees and friends, I think, they were cursed the same night, with different results. I guess they've finally gotten tired of it. You are the expert on these things, so, I figured I should go to the best, to get to the bottom of it." The shop smelled the same as he remembered it: dusty, and like something could've died in the back room that Eda didn't care to dispose of. There were definitely things older than he was for sale, and others that he knew were probably old tools of her own. "How's it been around here? Business booming, per usual?"

Leaning forward from her reclining position, the front legs of her chair landed on the floor with a clang as she reached to grab the folder pushed her way. A small hum of intrigue left her lips as she peaked inside to see a considerable stack of papers waiting within the folder. Arthur was nothing if not thorough, as she already knew, which was helpful but also meant quite the amount of work for her. When it came to charging the order for her help, Eda had a tendency to want to give them a discount, knowing they were doing good work for the island - but the more paperwork that the leader slid her way, the more compensation she was going to want for having to deal with such formalities. “One curse affecting multiple people differently? Strange,” she mumbles as her brain starts going through any spell or curse she knew of already that could have such impact. Nothing came right to mind and she knew she was going to have to give this a bit of research. “Are they trying to stay hidden or will I be able to speak to them for myself?” The answer might have already been in the papers, but Eda wasn’t about to start pulling those all out right in front of the man. No, her work would be done in private, with perhaps the help of King and Luz, but no one else. “Well I’m not getting rich anytime soon, but the bills are getting paid and I have my apple's blood supply covered, so yeah - sure. We're booming."

There were few people who Arthur knew of who he rarely contacted for help when it came to matters of the Order, mostly out of the courtesy not to bother them with silly things he could figure out himself. On a mental list filed away in the back pocket of his brain sat the experts in their respective fields who he knew he could contact if the situations became dire, one of them including the owner of the shop he'd only set foot in once or twice before. Eda was the only person who he could think of that might know how to solve a curse with little context to a solution, which had been racking his brain since Adam came to see him. Arthur noticed there was little movement from the woman until he knocked on the front counter lightly to get her attention. "There's a passcode now? I can't say I have the slightest idea of what it might be, but I hope that doesn't leave me out of luck." He gave her a small smile, raising his hand for a wave. "Long time no see."

At the familiar voice responding to her question, Eda’s eyebrows rose as she moved to stand from her spot on the couch she’d been lounging on. “Well looky who it is,” she starts as she makes her way over to the counter where the man was standing and waiting for her. He looked pretty much exactly how she remembered him from the last time they’d met, which was probably a good thing, but she couldn’t help being a bit disappointed in the fact. Not that she actually wished any ill will on him, but well she simply wasn’t the biggest fan of the organization that he happened to be the leader of. Granted there wasn’t anything actually all that wrong with the Order, but the simple existence of it reminded Eda far too much of the coven system she had run away from all those years ago when she moved to the isle. Which was exactly why she had never joined and always refused any invitation sent her way. “What brings the all mighty Arthur my way? Stuck in a jam or just searching for some well priced treasures? I can help with either, but there’s gonna be a cost, you know.”