Anthophilia

“I’m fairly drunk and -hiccup- they won’t give me anything more.” Felicity said glumly, looking down at her empty glass with a deflated expression. 

“Of course they won’t,” Gabriel managed smoothly, wrinkling his nose slightly at the redhead. “You’re acting like an absolute fool.”

“I am not -hic- a fool,” Felicity turned, her cheeks puffed out slightly. “You’re so unfriendly.” 

– ☾ The woodland isn’t the best place to practice her magic, per say, but it is the most natural and no matter what kind of source she’s pulling from it’ll be the strongest. Thus, she’s found herself in the middle of a meadow clearing as flames rage in front of her and knees press into the soft soil beneath her. “I wouldn’t stare for too long,” Words break as she’s made aware of someone stepping into the clearing. 

“O-oh! I’m sorry,” Felicity said quickly, casting her eyes downward just as fast. She hadn’t meant to spy on the witch but there were fairly few that would give her the time of day, and well...the redhead often got curious of the strange magic they possessed. “I was walking and saw you make the fire, and I-I...I was curious.” 

“I can’t believe I am actually saying this but, whose body am I in?”

"You appear to be that cocky werewolf, and I'm...I'm the fish doctor!"

“I’m not complaining, but shit, it was stupid to let everyone out of the cells in all this. They really make things too hard for themselves here.”

"Would you please care to explain why you look like me? But most importantly what you've done that everybody will think I did?"

Martha’s lips curled into a smile of satisfaction as she watched the impudent human cower on the floor, her red locks in disarray, blood dripping down her cheek where the broken pot had cut her. It had only taken a small taste of her power to reduce the defiant woman to such a state, and she was confident the redhead would be too frightened to resist any further.

“I’m the stubborn fool?” Felicity shouted, lifting a hand to wipe the blood away from her cheek. Red smeared across her pale skin, making her look almost…odd. There were very few times Felicity Shaw had ever been anywhere near blood. She could count on one hand the number she’d even seen it on herself. “If you haven’t noticed, you’re the one crashing about because I won’t-”

Felicity didn’t even bother to sit down. Instead, she walked into the room, up to the table, and quickly places down a stack of money and crumpled bills, change clattering onto the wooden surface. Taking a deep breath, she began pacing around the table, her words seeming to rush out all at once, as they tended to do when she was a nervous wreck. “Kade. We have to get K-kade out, and I can’t do it o-on my own. He’s stuck in t-the cells again and he just doesn’t d-deserve it! I mean, he has his moments, I-I know the two of you haven’t been on proper terms since Cordelia came along, but he was just following the r-rules! I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it, he was p-probably just frightened. I nearly have half of the price, so if you could just- just-” She sucked in a deep breath, her next words coming out even faster than her previous ramblings. “WillyoupleaseclaimhimbecauseIcan'tdoitonmyownandIdon'tknowwhoelsetoask?”

Felicity nearly jumped out of her skin as Elijah’s grip latched onto her wrist. She knew he was a decently kind person, but she could only assume he wouldn’t do anything to harm her. Then again, she could only assume so much. “W-well Kade has talked about you before, he works for me so you’ve j-just come up in conversation before. A-and obviously if you’re asking that question t-there’s definitely something b-between you two, and I-I’m not implying that’s a bad thing!” Felicity said quickly, letting the man push her into a chair at the table, despite that she wanted to continue pacing. It helped clear her thoughts.

Lee huffed and looked at the bartender in annoyance. “This is your drunken menace?” she said. She rolled her eyes, but she was there and she might as well do her job. “Come on,” she said to Felicity. “Let me take you home, I think your night here is over.”

“Wha-?” Felicity looked up, blinking at Lee. “Menace? He’s calling me a menace?” Quickly, she turned to the bar tender, looking quite offended. “You’re calling me a -hiccup- menace? I thought we we’re friends.” With a purse in her lips, she lazily let her gaze travel back to the head guard. “Oh, don’t be silly. My flat is in the square, I can walk. I’m a very mature grown up. See? I can stand.” With that, she stood, waving her hand in example. 

“They’re only looking out for you, sunshine. It’s not wise for an innocent little thing like you to get so drunk in a place like this…” she smirked. “Somebody might… take advantage of you….” she grinned, running a finger up the creamy skin of the girl’s arm.

“The big man behind the counter he’d watch out for me, but I didn’t know that meant he’d stop letting me drink.” She grumbled, her hazy gaze sidling over to the woman. “What kind of bar -hic- doesn’t let you drink? And I-Ah! D-don’t do that! I’m extremely ticklish!” Felicity practically squeaked, shooing the witch’s hand off of her arm with a puff of her cheeks. 

“Maybe that’s for the best? I mean, it doesn’t look like you could take much more and still—maintain the ability to walk your way out of here… You okay?”

“The best? I’ve just discovered they make -hic- whip cream flavored vodka. That’s the best. Definitely worth loosing my ability to walk. But they won’t give me more! It’s rude.” She declared with something of a giggle, and then hummed, ignoring his question. 

“Did you expect something different?” he asked, turning to eye the red-head. His face remained impassive, eyes sweeping over her in one glance like he could read everything about her in just that one look. Whatever decision he came to, he kept to himself. “I won’t approve your plans until I see them. You’ll schedule a time to show them to me, that’s how I do business. Planned, not on a whim.” 

“N-no, i wasn’t expecting anyone, to tell you the truth.” Well, isn’t he pleasant, Felicity thought. She retracted the folder against her chest, quickly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she cleared her throat. “I’d be happy to schedule a meeting with you, b-but there really isn’t any need. It would really only take you a moment or two. They’ve been planned for quite a-a long time, they’re far from a simple whim.”

“So this is my manor,” Liam walked slowly in the halls, surveying the vampire manor as he got acclimated to his new role here. “Interesting.” 

"You’re the new manor h-head?” Felicity asked, feeling a bit exasperated. When she realized the tone she’d used, she quickly straightened up, her eyes widening. “A-ah, sorry, Sir, I’ve j-just been trying to find out w-who is in charge since the old one left, your roses are wilting and your magnolia trees look dreadfully s-sad and-” She held up a folder, swallowing. “I’ve had plans drawn up for weeks and I c-can’t do anything until the Head approves.”

“If I tell you to leave <i>my</i> store, you will leave, due to the fact that I <i>am</i> your equal on this island. Even you aren’t s-stupid enough to go against the law of a place like this, knowing the risks.” Felicity kept her gaze forward, her crystal eyes narrowing even further. She would stand her ground, because though she wouldn’t say it out loud, the new cove witch was a bitch. Plain and simple. “Do I need to tell you again?” Felicity snapped, her face hardening. She wouldn’t hesitate to call someone if she needed to. Felicity might not have been able to physically defend herself from the woman’s threats, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to go down without a fight. “The store is closed. You’ll need to find another place to find your herbs. Leave.”

Martha couldn’t believe that this pathetic human was still resisting her, still trying to order her around. She would have found this absurd situation highly amusing, had any of the masters been in her place, but being on the receiving end of the woman’s insolence was extremely aggravating. “I will not take orders from the likes of you” she declared angrily, her menacing gaze locked intently on the woman. The plant pots around her began to shake as she clenched her fists in frustration, several of them tipping over as the vibration intensified, before they began to shatter loudly one by one, leaving the floor coated in broken shards and compost. “Give me what I want, now!” she commanded fiercely, sending several terracotta pots flying through the air in the human’s direction, to smash against the wall beside her, the soil spraying out in wide plumes.

Felicity’s first and only thought was hit the deck! The human ducked behind her countertop as quickly as she could, but not before she heard the pots shatter against the wall where she’d just been standing, following by a sharp sting on her cheek. Her red hair splayed around her shoulders, falling loose from the braid she normally kept it in. She lifted her hand to where it hurt, her crystal eyes wide with shock. When she pulled it away, red dripped from her fingers. One of the shards had cut her across the face, and if she was correct, it was in more places than one.