unfinished business

ahhh so I’m heading on holiday for 3 weeks and won’t be on from the 2nd to the 24th. I haven’t really met everyone yet, but will definitely be more active when I come back! 

See you all soon! x

“see,” he started to say, “it was lost in a house fire a few years ago. the place was burnt to the ground, nothing was recovered. it was tragic.” he could’ve probably got a lot of money for it. witches and their possessions.

Elias hummed in response, pausing to push up his glasses “I’m sorry, it sounds as if it were important to you” he replied, turning his head to look at the other “I’m curious though” he continued “why did you decide to try and pick up my bag? yours burnt in a fire after all” 

He seemed to ask a lot of questions which could mean one of two things, either he was being overly polite or overly cautious. It probably had something to do with his bag and as curious as she was about it now, she was having too much fun speaking with a stranger. The beauty about strangeness was that she never quite knew what she was speaking to.

“I’ve been employed to deal with his nightmares.” She said honestly, though she wasn’t sure what exactly was stalking her employer. All she cared for was the fact that he paid daily and paid a large amount. “In reality, it just means that I’ve just been doing…” She wiggled her fingers as a method of giving her something to focus on while she searched for the word. “Busy-work. Picking up after him and getting books. Being an assistant is hard.”

Michelle chuckled while she opened the book. Of course, her employer would be looking for a incomplete history of New Orleans’ occult. As she leafed through the pages, she couldn’t prevent herself from smiling. As if witches would care too much about him. “It doesn’t matter what I think, I’m not paid to ask questions.” She muttered. “I’m sure that you have a better chance of being magical than me.”

Elias listened with interest as his eyes scanned the shelves of old books-- while he was usually one to stick to himself, due to being raised that way, he couldn’t help but attempt to branch out once in this new town. He had always had a love for learning new things, whether it be magic related or simply being curious in a new person he’d met-- so speaking to someone such as this, who seemed to be just as vague about sharing their life details as he was, he was immediately interested. 

“Sounds like you’re babysitting” he replied, looking over his glasses as her and quirking a brow at the book in her fingers “He’s employed someone to fix his nightmares, and wants a book on the occult? I don’t think those two factors will mix together very well” he snorted, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

“I’m Elias, by the way, I’m not quite sure if I introduced myself” 

“ uh, no. not really. unless you don’t mind. ” she began moving chairs out from the tables and searching underneath them. “ i lose things a lot. i don’t know if it’s obvious. ”

Elias watched the woman curiously, before replying with a nod-- he wasn’t usually the type to act friendly towards others, but coming to a new town, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least have some connections. 

“Forgetful?” he asked, helping pull out the chairs “or just distracted easily?”

elliot nodded, “yeah, it was ancient. a hand me down from a few grandfathers ago.” if there was an award for lying fluently, he would get it. or at least, he’ll be nominated. “you can’t expect things to stay the same when people change constantly. everyone is so materialistic nowadays y’know? and with that, of course the industry has to keep up with consumer’s needs,” he rolled his eyes as he rambled on. “it’s a pile of shit if you ask me.”

Elias watched the other over the top of his glasses, the corner of his lips quirking every so slightly at the strangers story “I see” he breathed “then if it’s so special, why would you leave it lying about in a street for someone like me to find?” he tilted his head slightly. 

“ — t-this is yours ?? i thought it was mine. i left it over by a window, sorry. ” she informed before moving her arm away from the bag. nasrin quietly glanced around the shop for hers, “ i need to stop setting it down everywhere… ” 

Elias quirked a brow at her question as he reached down to pick it up-- he knew he could fight off anyone who tried to take his bag, but he was far too exhausted from travel for something so bothersome. 

“You lost your bag?” he asked finally, tilting his head “Did you need help finding it?”

“If you would be so kind to, sir.” Magic was certainly dangerous and was meant to be feared. Her grandfather could tell her stories about how many men it took to put down a witch, but then there were the stories of their family working along side the magical folk. Michelle had never gone on a mission that involved working with witches, but it sounded like fun. “I’ve been told by my employer that magic flows through New Orleans’ veins.” She lightly ran her fingers across the spine of a large book before she pulled it from the shelf. “Could that be why we’ve been brought together?” She joked.

Elias tugged his heavy back up on to his shoulder, thankful she’d given it back without a fight-- it had been a long journey, carrying all he owned to this new city in his leather bag, so fighting wasn’t high on his to-do list for the day.  “Oh?” he hummed, glancing to the girl as he adjusted the strap of his bag and headed to the door “What does your employer employ you do to?” 

He walked beside the woman, watching as she grazed her fingertips across the spines of old books, before picking one “Do you think so? So would that make YOU magic, or ME?”

       oh how emmeline LOVED the city streets of the french quarter. so much opportunity. so much POTENTIAL. so many victims. emmeline saw people as OBJECTS. playtoys. for she was a D E M O N afterall. a dark haired male catches her attention, or more so, his bag. like a c h i l d she seeks to know what isn’t seen. to know what’s beyond the surface. or in this case, in his bag. as he seems distracted she swoops down, manicured nails a glossy black as they sweep over the leath fabric in interest. as his question sounds off, she GRINS in greeting. she’d been caught. but she plays cool nonetheless. ‘ well firstly, what’s in your BAG OF GOODIES. ’ she chimes straightening back up and giving a innocent shrug. cooper hues gleaming in the setting sun. ‘ but now i think i’ve found something, or rather SOMEONE, much better and far more interesting. ’ she chimes smugly, following a theatric curtsy of greeting from emmeline. 

Elias kept his gaze on the woman before him, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that had suddenly settled in the bottom of his stomach. He’d dealt with creatures before, more than he could count and he was usually good at sensing magic on other beings-- but something about this woman struck him as odd, something he couldn’t seem to quite put his finger on. 

“Didn’t your parents ever tell you NOT to take items that DON’T belong to you?” he replied with a playful hum on his lips. As she continued to speak, he tilted his head, watching her over the top of his old glasses “Oh? and what might it be that’s captured that interest of yours?”

“oh sorry,” elliot looked up, retracting his hand and standing up again. “it’s just that i used to have a bag like that except it was burnt in a house fire,” he sighed. it wasn’t like elliot to be sentimental but it was a gift from one of his witch lovers from centuries ago and it contained some pretty magical spells. he only kept it for blackmail in case of future… problems. “it’s hard to get genuine leather bags these days that aren’t littered with tacky designs or expensive designer symbols.”

Elias picked up his bag once the handle was let go-- he knew he could take it back if the stranger refused, but he was far to tired to deal with something so bothersome. As the stranger spoke, he watched him with a curious gaze over the top of his glasses “Did you?” he replied, hoisting the bag up and slinging the strap over his shoulder. 

“I agree” he chuckled quietly, the conversation taking a turn he wasn’t expecting “Everything is so materialistic these days” he hummed 

“Just for the moment. It pays to have good behaviour.” Michelle chuckled. She caused quite a scheduling conflict earlier for her boss, so he sent her out to do some errands. Most people would have been disappointed, but she liked getting out of the office. Sitting in a suit was one of the more uncomfortable things she had ever experienced and she was used to getting her hands dirty. “And that was the plan. Have you gone in yet? I heard they had magical books in there. It’s a little eerie, if you ask me.”

Elias hummed in response, bobbing his head in a poor excuse for a nod “I suppose so” he breathed. He grabbed the strap of his old bag and tugged it up over his shoulder, letting out a sigh at the dull ache that is caused-- he’d travelled with this bag for so long, it had left a constant bruise on his shoulder. 

“Is that so? Would you like me to escort you inside?” he asked in response, glancing back to the woman beside him-- the mention of magic catching his interest. 

Michelle lifted his leather bag and and dropped it back into his hold. She had no intention of taking it; she was a mercenary, not a thief. “Letting something like this down is a sure way of getting it stolen, especially on a busy street like this.” She smiled at him. Now she could get on with the rest of her day without worrying about committing another good deed. “I was actually looking for a book. My employer is peculiar man.”

Elias watched the woman before him with a quirk of his brow “Some ‘do-gooder’ are we?” he breathed, taking the bag back, practically snatching it from the woman’s grasp. He couldn’t risk anyone stealing the bag, perhaps he has been a little careless. 

“Well... Looks like you’ve come to the right place” he hummed, motioning to the words ‘book store’ painted across the shopfront window. 

- Black magic is deep rooted in Elias’ family, known to date back to his ancestors in the early 1600’s in the surrounding villages of Navarre (northern Spain), where black magic was practiced as a religion and way of life for them.

- In 1660, the Spanish Inquisition Tribunal initiated one of the largest witch-hunts in history in Zuagarramurdi and the surrounding villages of Navarre-- which resulted in 300 people accused for witchcraft, one of which being an ancestor of Elias, the woman who introduced black magic into his family (which would be passed down from generation to generation)  

- Of the 300 accused, 40 were burned at the stake and 12 tortured before being burned as a form of symbolism and warning for those who had managed to remain hidden during the hunts and trials.

- Watching from afar, the women's children went into hiding, practicing their magic out of spite for the people who tore their lives apart-- in turn ingraining a sense of responsibility into their future generations to carry on their tradition and keep black magic alive in their blood line (some taking this more seriously than others)

- They functioned in the shadows for generations, until the opportunity arose for them to travel overseas and start fresh in America, following the Spanish settlement to New Orleans

- Once feeling safer about themselves in their new home, the members of the now Muller family felt safe enough to continue their practice without hiding away in the dark-- something which immediately turned against them

- They were chased from New Orleans and forced to take settlement in a new location, hidden away from society

- From there the family lived and strived, until Elias was born and was determined to gain the power that had been torn from his family on more than one occasion

“Is there something you’re looking for?” He breathed, finally dragging his gaze away from the frosted shop window, to watch the person touching at his worn leather bag.