#sbsopen

Essie was pale like she’d seen a ghost, and considering who she thought she’d seen an outline of in the black dust she might just as well have. Her shopping bags split open on the ground at her feet, her hands were firmly covering her eyes.

A string of expletives were spewing quietly from her mouth. Slowly Essie uncovered her eyes, looking to her left and heaving a massive sigh of relief. It was only once her eyes were uncovered that she realized she was taking up the entire pavement. Stooping down she looks up apologetically and embarrassed at the people she was holding up. “I’m sorry, don’t know what came over me.” it was a lie though, she felt she was going mad.

It was almost novel to Miguel, to be so frustrated all the time. But between Lilo being missing, and the wall trying to guilt trip him, and a new dad trying to... well who the hell knew what papapup was after? But it had made dealing with his remaining brother somewhat agitating, not for anything that Iann did, but the fact that whenever they were together their father seemed to hang over them like a guillotine. 

There was a lot about the town that Jacky didn’t understand. She didn’t understand how friendly and forward so many people were. Especially since most of them seemed to be infected with bad medicine. There were witches, out in the open. As well as shapeshifters of all sorts. There were people that sucked blood and people that turned to stone. And yet they all seemed like... well... people. No violence or terror so far. In fact, Jacky’s suitmates at the college seemed more than happy to help her move in when she transferred in for the spring semester, more than happy to cook dinner and share. It was almost unnerving.

That’s why Jacky went for a walk in the woods, to clear her mind, to figure things out. But even the landscape was wildly different than what she was used to. While she could find her way in canyons and arroyos, across mesas and under cedar and juniper and among tumbleweeds - all the pine trees looked the same to her. And the way the forest closed in made her feel almost claustrophobic. Not being able to see the sky put her a little on edge.

There appeared to be a clearing up ahead and she jogged toward it, spurned on by the beautiful blue of the sky. With everything covered in snow that reflected the light, it was bright even under the trees.

Once she was in the clearing she breathed a breath of fresh air, and her shoulders sunk a little. She was relaxing, albeit slowly. Under the sky, under the sun. That was when she realized that she was a little bit lost. Maybe a lot lost. On all sides all she could see were trees. When she took out her phone to check where north was it wasn’t working, something was interfering with it. Maybe the odd magic that seemed to bubble under the town like a cauldron.

The rain had put a dampener on her spirits a little as she’d been at work, but the rain hadn’t lasted an awful long time, so her walk back to the temporary accommodation Essie had were simply littered with puddles rather than full with a sea of open umbrellas. 

Puddles brought their own challenges specific to Essie, she had a hole in the bottom of her shoe, one she only became aware of after stepping outside for the first time after the rain. She’d heaved a heavy sigh and started dancing around as much of the ground water as she could. Her ferret familiar Finn however was jumping in ever single puddle they walked past. She tutted at the silly behaviour and opened her mouth to berate him when she walked smack bang into someone. Standing on their foot in the process as well as dropping her phone face down onto the tarmac as she stumbled backwards, her foot directly into a puddle just where she didn’t want it.

“Oh fu- I’m sorry.”

There was always a lull just right before lunchtime. It was as if the people of Soapberry were either sneakily taking lunch early, and thus were too busy eating to call or come to the station or they were saving up all of their aggression, worries and bad deeds for the full lunch hour to hit. So they’d have time to take up hers. Despite knowing what was to come, Alessa took the lull every day to get some practice in. Today was not going well.

Hands hovering over a barbie doll she’d found in the storage room for some bizarre reason, but she’s fully focused. Fairy dust swirling into the air as it’s used in excess on the doll. All of a sudden the doll shoots backwards off her desk and hits someone in the leg as they come in the door. She raises a hand in apology mumbling to herself “I’m going to have to outsource this favour.” before speaking louder to the arrival. “Sorry about that, just leave it there I’ll....pick it up later.” she says sighing down at the deformed lump now on the ground

Suggestions;

The hex tank - Just a little fun at the sheriffs department, the lost and found is full of things both magical and non, your character missing something? Maybe it was handed in? Lets delve deep into the store room to see what weird and wonderful stuff is in there.

Homesick - Essie is definitely homesick after having her birthday without her family around. So she’s gotten prone to blasting bagpipes through her headphones and not paying attention to much else. Did she just trip over you? Maybe. Did she walk into somewhere she’s not supposed to be? Perhaps. Is you character supposed to be there either? Debatable.

Wings - Essie is getting a serious hang of giving humans wings, she’s so proud of it that she’d gotten maybe a little mad with this new confidence. You now have wings you didn’t before and a bouncy fairy following you to admire them.