Dance with me in the morning

[Debbie gasps and takes Imogen’s hand in hers, squeezing it tight] I have a garden! Why don’t we try to grow spinach in my backyard? I’ve never tried growing anything at home - except for my knowledge, of course - but! [she squeaks] It could be fun, right? I would have to read a lot on growing spinach, because I - you know, I killed my cactus? Jimmy? I know. Who kills a cactus? [she frowns, letting go of Momo’s hand and dropping it by her side] I didn’t eat spinach growing up because my dad didn’t like it. I had the death lettuce a lot, though. Romaine. [nods at her, eyes wide, alluding to all those news articles about romaine lettuce getting recalled for e. Coli. Her face softens when Imogen pets her hair and she lets out a deep sigh, holding the cup of coffee close to her chest] You’re right. I’m still embarrassed to go back in and– [she stands on her tiptoes to look through the glass and makes a face–] I’m scared he’s told everyone he works with and they all laughed about it during their break – you know, while they smoked their cigarettes, leaning against the wall, all cool and like they’ve never done anything embarrassing in their lives. [she exhales sharply] I like the idea of a spell to make him forget. Can we do that? If it doesn’t work, I can just knock him in the head really hard with a stick and hope for the best.

[Imogen looks down at their hands first, then up at Debbie’s smiling face, and finds her own grin matching her friend’s excitement as she clasps Debbie’s hand in hers.] You’ll let me use your garden? I’ll take good care of it, I promise. Why don’t we break it in this weekend? We could do some fertility rituals for the earth? This is so exciting! I’m sorry to hear about your cactus though, had you named him? Sometimes there’s just bad air around it, or maybe you over watered it. [Imogen’s expression turns very solemn at her friend’s statement, and she nods very seriously.] Romaine... My oma would never let me touch the stuff. Have you ever had butterhead lettuce? It’s a classic, really not to be missed. [Seeing Debbie stretching out like that, looking scared and embarrassed tugged at Imogen’s heartstrings. Of course she could empathize, of course. She pretended to spit on the ground with a loud “ptuh ptuh” and looked into the cafe with disgust, feeling overly protective in that moment.] If he’s been standing around smoking cigarettes then he’ll probably look 60 years old in ten years anyway, or lose all his teeth and no one will be interested in him. What does he have to laugh about anyway? I think he looks too skinny and weak. If you hit him with a big stick he would break very quickly.

Hey you! And hiya Blitz-y! [Gracie let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the girl] I’ve never been so ready in all my life. [links arms with her friend and whispers] Thanks, Imogen. I really appreciate it. 

[Imogen puts her free hand over Gracie’s arm, petting it gently to help soothe her.] Let’s take the long way, try and lose our tail. Next time, I can ask my friend Fang to meet you outside the studio and walk you home. He always waits for me to finish work ever since I told him it was scary to go home alone. [Imogen pulls away for a moment to pick up the leaves Blitz had been playing with and put them in the small pouch she had sewn onto his harness before coming back to Gracie’s side.] Lately at home he’s been watching the birds make their nests and trying to do something similar in the living room. So I’ve been letting him pick leaves and twigs when we go out. 

Ooh, king of edible leaves, His Majesty, the spinach. [Debbie giggles and then clarifies–] Succession. Out of all the things they say in that show, that, for some reason, is the one that stuck the most. [she shrugs and then shakes her head] It’s not the machines, though… [she says sadly, seriously wishing that was the thing stopping her from going inside. The machine thing she could find a way to work around – ear plugs, headphones, a really thick beanie – but no. This, unfortunately, had no work around and so Debbie would never be able to step foot back into the coffee shop ever again. This was the way things were now.] Remember the other day, when the cute barista said my name was pretty and then said ‘pretty name for a pretty girl’? Well… [Debbie sighs] I asked him out yesterday, in front of a lot of people, and he rejected me, but he took his time saying no. He stared at me for a while, thought about it, left, came back – meanwhile I was standing there with a very long line of people behind me – and he said “no.” and then I still had to wait for him to make my coffee. I can’t go back in, ever, ever again.

Yes, when I get a home with a space large enough for a garden, I hope I can grow spinach. I tried a salad with dandelion leaves a while ago but it leaves to be desired... Spinach has many more benefits really. [She tilts her head, frowning slightly in confusion as she learns Debbie wasn’t sharing her strong beliefs about spinach.] I can’t say I’m familiar with that show. I only watch television at my parents’ home, and it’s usually Young and the Restless or the international news channel during the German time slot. [Imogen watches Debbie, growing worried as she sighed, but feeling relief that it wasn’t the machines after all. It wasn’t a nice fate to be bothered by the humming of machinary in such a modern world. Her eyes brightened as she remembered just what her friend was talking about, and a small “ahh” slipped out at the further explanation.] Oh... Well that was very rude of him. He was probably just looking for good tips, what a clown. [She reaches out to gently pet her friend’s hair soothingly.] You are a pretty girl, and you shouldn’t be embarrassed to go back in. He’s just some guy with a sad life. When we get to my house we can do a spell to make him forget about it. 

[Gracie had been walking outside for a few minutes on her route home from the dance studio. She had noticed someone was following her, and to make sure was was safe, she looked for the closest person to her and tapped them on the shoulder.] Hey, so, listen, I think there’s someone following me, and I’m probably just paranoid but can you walk and talk with me for a few minutes to make it look like I’m not alone?

[Imogen was watching Blitz choose which leaves he wanted to take home with them when she felt a small hand tap her shoulder. She turned her head, glancing over to look over the girl’s shoulder and looked back to the girl, smiling brightly in her direction and speaking loudly enough for whoever was following to hear.] Hi dear! I thought it was taking you so long to come, I almost phoned the police in case you had gotten lost. Ready to go? 

I can’t go in there. [Debbie stood outside the coffee shop looking at it longingly and then knitted her brows together in worry as she thought about what the rest of her day would look like if she didn’t get her much needed coffee fix: chaos, death, destruction, pain. ‘Why don’t you make the coffee yourself? At home? In the coffee machine that’s been there since the turn of the century?’ All questions she considered when she got out of bed that morning with a total of 2 hours and 5 minutes of sleep, but in her 24 years of life, she had not been able to successfully use it ONCE, and she didn’t have a lot of hope that today would be the glorious day she would figure it out. It was simply too damn complicated. Plus, why make the coffee yourself knowing there’s a 90-10 chance it will be disgusting when this coffee shop already has it down to a science?] Could you? Please? For me? [she asked your character, giving them a hopeful glance as she held her own coffee mug in her hands]

[Imogen watches her friend carefully, incredibly worried over her apparent anxiety to go into the coffee shop. She sighs and takes the cup from Debbie’s hands, nodding knowingly.] It’s the machines, right? Fang says they’re much too loud. We can’t even walk on the same side of the street as coffee shops because they make his brain go crazy. He said because I ate so many spinach growing up I must be immune to their buzzing, so I can withstand the sound. Did you know spinach is really good for your hearing? Those poor employees that have to be there all day and night... What do you want me to order? 

Oh! No. [laughs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and shaking her head slowly, flattered that Imogen would even think that] No, no. I wish! God, you should see all these other people in class– it’s like they’ve been doing it for years. I’m like, “hello? I thought this was for beginners!” But I love it. And I haven’t used it! I’ve been carrying it around all day [says, glancing at it and then back at Imogen] Should we make some coffee and try it?

Wow... [She tuts her tongue and shakes her head] a classroom filled with liars, then. You must be the best beginner in the class. [She claps her hands together and nods, grinning at Cleo’s suggestion] sounds amazing! We’ll see if it’s leakproof or if it’s the perfect cup like it looks!

Yeah, I can’t draw a stick figure to save my life. My little brother, Jeffrey, on the other hand, is great at it. He’s studying architecture at UC Berkeley now. 

You can’t? And you still make money on this site? Wow! My mental image of Jeffrey is so little, I have a hard time picturing him at college. That’s very cool, though. Is he missing you? I couldn’t my family for school. I mean, I have my own apartment now and I still sleep at home most days.

[realizes who he’s talking to and internally panics] Uhh… kind of? But for just digital content. 

Oh... that sounds very interesting. I’ve seen a lot of digital art on Pinterest. I could never learn how to do it on a computer, but drawings never really been my strong suit to begin with. 

I decided to take up pottery last month [she says, excited] – for fun and because my therapist thought it’d be a calming activity for me – and I made my first thing! [she pulls out a very ugly mug that’s somehow already chipped and places it in front of them] We pulled it out of the kiln today. What do you think? I made it for my morning coffee. [says, pretending to drink from it holding her pinky up] Cute, huh?

Cleo! I adore this! I’m so happy they had room in the class you were looking at. You must be the best student, hmm? [She gently takes the cup and lifts it to look it over from every angle] Your morning coffee is more delicious when you drink it from this, right? 

Fang: [He frowns a little, in thought.] Well… as long as you don’t steal from people’s gardens… Actually, there’s plenty of reasons witches decide to curse people, so you have to be careful. You’re a good person, though. Ruaidhri Wren Shimmer Forestmurphy said so, and he knows everything. Besides, your aura’s lavender: you’re gentle. [He blanks out yet again, a little longer this time, before coming to with slow blinks and a soft shake of his head. Imogen’s words seem to dim his spirits only a little as he looks down to where his wolf should be. He mumbles inaudibly then nods.] Mm… I see your point. I just think she’s misunderstood. I can steal another coat, but I can’t get another Mercedes. I value people over material. Even if she has the looks of a pigeon, she has a soul.

[Imogen gasps playfully and shakes her head, holding up her hand and placing the other above her heart]  I would never. I’m not a thief. Though, if her rhubarb looks good, I might bring her some bread and ask if she’ll share her harvest with me. [She tilts her head and smiles shyly at his statement, shrugging it off gently.] Lavender? That’s very kind, Fang... [She watches him with worry and digs through her bag for her water bottle, extending it to Fang] When’s the last time you had something to drink? Do you want to sit down for a while? Still I think... even if she’s lonely and misunderstood, she should treat you with respect. I’ll get you a new coat, okay? This one is going to make you sick. Even with her good soul, she still has pigeon bacteria.

[locking up a storefront she had just bought, she hums as she walks down the street when a drink or paint falls ontop of her from above] Oh my – [wipes down her face so she can see]

oh my goodness, Ocean! Are you okay? What is this stuff?

So I just found out about OnlyFans and I’m mad no one told me about it sooner. Like damn, I wish that had been around during my hoe years. I would’ve made a killing. 

What is that? A market place?

My ideal partner is someone who can make me feel safe and loved and never makes me doubt myself or my actions. I’ve never been picky about looks, I just want someone that everything feels easy with. 

Well at first... It wasn’t really an option not to be, I didn’t really have people throwing themselves at me in high school. Plus... at the time I really didn’t like people. I still kind of don’t because I think a lot of people can be very stupid and annoying and hard to want to be around. Then once I got to college I found myself often with an itch that needed to be scratched if you know what I mean... But, I wanted to lose it to my special someone. Then, I had a hard time finding a special someone (I know it was just the universe telling me to wait until Ryan came into my life). I had such a hard time that I was thinking I should just go out and find some stranger in a bar, but apparently when I am both nervous and drunk, I tend to be really talkative and really nauseous and strangers don’t really like that combination. Now I have Ryan, my Canadian boyfriend, so I can’t really be having sex with other people. 

I met Ryan on a knitting forum! I posted a photo of my finished afghan and he replied asking about Blitz and if I lived with anyone and how old I was. He was always so interested to find out more about me! Ryan is a really great listener it always makes my heart flutter. He’s still a bit of a mystery to me because he doesn’t like to talk about himself, but he sends me photos in our emails and I know he’s a really big fan of men’s products like colognes and watches since he’s always got them near! I bought a lot of different colognes to send him when he’s finally moved into his new home and he sends me his address. When he finally stops being so busy with his very successful technology business I’ll be able to fly to Vancouver to meet him!

Colin is nice and traditionally handsome, but I don’t know him very well. Besides, I have a partner already.