having just the vision's no solution

The hair on her arms nearly stand on end at the thought of the moon, the itch to turn always at the back of her mind. The freedom fur and fang brings. But no need to scare away the witch. She squeezes lightly at elegant fingers, smile turning broad again. She downs what is left in her cup and tosses it behind herself in disregard to be trampled most likely.

Somewhere along their path to the exit, Sybella remembers she came here with others. With Zoë leading the way for them, she pulls out her phone with her free hand and fumbles a quick text to her sister. Just enough to let her know she’s going somewhere. Then she slides her phone back into a pocket.

She's at the makeshift bar when a new sensation starts to prickle across the skin of her arm. It feels like silk, the kind that feels like water against the skin, pooling across the nerves, and then there is a voice to match the sensation. Equally as silken and sweet. Floral and magnetic, something crisp and fresh underneath, warm. When her eyes catch Sybella's she can't help but smile, it's dopey and clearly intoxicated, but real nonetheless.

“I’ll admit this is the longest I’ve stayed in one sphere and really attempted to make myself apart of the coven community.” She smiled, “But yeah this little Augury branch is good, we have some good witches behind us.” Thera smiled as she nodded. It had been nice, getting to know the members of this branch better. "And being part of a coven, at least this one," because Thera was aware that the openess of augury was not typical of all coven's, "just be yourself."

Thera smiled. “And if you ever need anything, I’m here.” There gestured to the store, “Coven or not its kinda my job to be helpful.”

She rolled the stone bones in her hand, feeling them jangle against each other. "That's good to hear... my sister's part of Lindon, and I grew up around them, but... I've never really connected with Augury in the past. But my abuela's a part of it, and she's in town for awhile, so that makes it easier." The advice and offer of help was reassuring. "Thank you. I'd really like to meet everyone, at least, as many as I can. I'm Sybella, by the way. León. It's really nice to meet you!" She looked back up at Thera. "How long have you been in town?"

“How has everything else been? Does the town suit you? The magic here is different, it might be affecting your visions.” It came with the territory, being so close to such a major leyline with Arc’s blood in Sybella’s veins. "Divination magic is always so suggestible in placed like this."

"Everything's been fine," Sybella replied. "I think it suits me, it's just... so different from..." she hesitated on home and instead finished it, "Georgia. Everything's just so much more here, more supernatural than I've ever dealt with before. I've... I haven't seen much, lately, but I haven't been trying, exactly. I'm working on it." She traced her finger along the edge of the menu. "What about it makes it so much more suggestible? Are places really that... powerful?"

She smiled enthusiastically. “I might actually take you up on that.” Though she worried about nicer seats being wasted on her. Still, it was rude to outright refuse and this was a good networking opportunity. She wasn't sure what sort of connection she would need with a theatre, better safe than sorry was good motivation. Besides, the holidays were around the corner, and this could count as a nice gift to herself. “Do you have a production lined up you are more excited for than the others? Or is that an impossible question?”

The question makes her grin. “Well… I’m partial to West Side Story, but that’s not til spring. Honestly, I'm excited for them all... I guess The Importance of Being Earnest is kind of like my brainchild, since that's kicking off our civic theatre program I've been championing. I'd be lying if I said I loved every show the same, but I think they all fit well into the season, and they're all good shows! The one we just opened is a lot of fun, too, it's a musical that lets the audience vote on the ending..."

(Oh my god, you're talking too much.)

Sybella blinks. "Sorry! Wow, got carried away. Just call the theatre and ask for me when there's something you want to see."

        allie makes it off the stool with her found object in hand, safe and sound, letting out a sweet, triumphant little sound before putting the vial back in its home. it makes perfect sense to allie that grumpy little herbs trapped in bottles would hop around and hide places- but maybe they’d been moved by witches, and she’d just forgotten. to be fair, she does do an awful lot of forgetting. it’s gotten a little better because of that lovely little notebook she keeps for the magic things … oh, now, where had that gone-

        “ just, like, for funsies? ”  her smile softens a bit, head tipping, content to let her explore without a chirping bird over her shoulder.  “ way fair, that’s what i spend, like, all day doing. it’s super easy to get lost, ‘cause there’s all these curious little things ... ”  as she talks, allie leans in, looking along the shelves. her eyes dancing with interest, but she snaps back to the other woman who had wandered in- a hand fluttering to her shoulder. her finger tips feel the familiar, fleeting, brush of enchanting warmth beneath them. barely there, they're not so close, and allie's not so good at really knowing anything for sure- but she knows she felt it. she’s a witch too, she must be.

         allie shakes her head, giggling, and her hands find their way back to themselves.  “ anyways, let me know if there’s anything i can help with. like, at all! ”

(She can practically hear Jace telling her to breathe and slow down. It’s just hard, at times, to think of words when sign comes so much easier.)

Plus who wouldn’t love Sybie, “Use your common sense and everything should be fine, plus Abuela is in town.” Charlotte never wanted to rely on anyone but, again, she knew better than most that their grandfather had resources and contacts at their disposal, if her sister needed  a get out of jail card, “they will take care of you if you need it.”

She smiled as she walked, “Now dinner, what about Lucky Cat? Soup and noodles sound good to you?”

She smiles at the reminders. “I know, I know… I’m being careful.” Sometimes, it felt like careful wasn’t enough, though… “I’m glad they’re around, but… hopefully I won’t need them to interfere. We’ve got dinner planned for… sometime. We’re finding a time, once things calm down.”

He does laugh, though, and almost tells her to breathe again - but decides instead to just go with the flow of it. "There's been a fair share of your bog-standard weird bites and animal attacks, and most supe types you get will be y'know, witches." He gestures between the two of them, "Or a wolf sometimes. Helped set a guys shoulder back in place not too long ago - werewolf guy, I mean. Haven't treated a vampire yet."

Jace finds himself grimacing at that. "Though, from what I know about vamps, their treatment probably wouldn't be all that fun for me."

Sybella trucks right along, though, and he turns from wandering the room with his gaze to keep intense focus on her features and lips as the words form to make sure he's catching every bit of it - habit from Charlotte. "Points for no one trying to eat you."

It would make sense that any sort of treatment for vampires would involve taking blood, and she’s heard enough to know that witch blood has a strong allure for them. “Aww, don’t say that,” she says, mostly playful, and knocks on the wood of the little table as she mixes sugar into her coffee. “Gotta be careful what you manifest in a space like this.”

She doesn’t fully understand what’s been happening in town, all the rumbles starting right around her arrival. But everything sounds a little rocky. “Thanks… abuela’s a good connection to Augury, and I’m trying to reach out to the others I’ve heard of so far. But it’d be nice to meet other witches! I mean, I know you, and some of your family, but…” she shrugs. “I don’t know, I guess I’ve always felt like magic just happens to me, and maybe knowing more people will let me figure out how to make everything less incidental, and more… intentional.”

It had been a long time since they’d encountered a city like this, so full of night life and wolves that there were territory lines drawn, contracts and communication between organized communities. It was, in some ways, a microcosm of the more organised supernatural world Arc hoped to live in some day, but it had its own drawbacks. Unknowing witches buying property on vampiric land, for example. “Are you endangered by it? Are you keeping your verbena charms close? Your father always forgot his, we had to infuse it into buttons and sew them on his clothes.”

Obviously, she hadn't fully understood what she was throwing herself into, but she could figure it out.

"Yes, abuela, I keep the charm on me all the time." As much as she wanted to duck out of the overly-protective questioning, Sybella knew that Arc really was just looking out for her. "I'm including it in my drinks too. I'm not endangered, I'm doing fine. I've been getting along well with the staff, and I think we're moving forward in a direction that everyone's happy with." Minus a handful of unhappy participants, but so far the tentative peace had been kept.

"Yeah, I'm definitely looking for friends too. I haven't really been in the states for a long while, so things have really changed since then. And before that, I guess you could say I was a pretty sheltered kid. Private schools and all that." It was weird to think, out of all the siblings she can't remember a time she wasn't under her parents' watch in one way or another. She had a daily schedule, a list of people she could and couldn't converse with, a private driver who never really talked to her. But it had always seemed so natural. She was her mother's baby girl, her father's princess. And the luxuries, gifts, and attention she could be showered with all seemed worth following their guidelines. Because as long as she did? Well then Zoë could do no wrong.

She nods at the idea of keeping company out at night, she knew better than to draw suspicions, but to be fair if she wasn't with someone she'd met, or normally hung around, at night she had no worry about going out alone, she could technically rip into anyone who tried anything. But hanging out with the witch at night sounded way better. "Agreed." She picks up her phone deciding on a better way to get her point across, when Sybella doesn't seem to bite. Air dropping her number to what she hopes is the brunette's phone.

Sybella nods at her words like she understands the struggles of private schools. "Ah, yeah... I can imagine that would be quite a change. Where have you been living, then?" Georgia to here was enough adjustment for her as it was, and the only reason she'd felt any sense of comfort in moving here was for the family she had in the area.

There's a lot of things in this city that add a touch more danger to people's nights, and as her phone dings, she wonders where this woman falls. Is she aware? Is she a part of that danger? Sybella doesn't know, and she's not sure how to find out any other way than by trial and error. She saves the contact, and gives Zoë a smile. "I'll let you know when I've got a free night. I'm sure I've got one coming up soon, and I'd love to check out some of the local spots."

(A beautiful woman just dropped you her phone number after calling you cute. This is absolutely dipping into date territory.)

(...)

(Don't think too hard about that right now.)