ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʜᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴀᴅᴇᴅ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ

He was one of the best souls she'd ever come into contact with. Not everyone would've even bothered to check back in after all these years but there he was, Alex looking as curious yet worn as ever. She wished life had been kinder to him, or at least been gentler with its blows. Now that they had grown even time hadn't kept them from one another and an interest in their ever-changing lives. "You two would get along so well, I might feel like a third wheel," the woman teased though it was a valid concern. The difference was that she wouldn't mind but actually find joy in seeing two of her favorite people finding good company in one another. Jane knew them to be as such but hoped they'd think the same. "Would you believe I happened to ask him out of the blue at the nursery?" It'd been luck, or maybe fate, in finding Penn. He'd already saved her father's begonias that were hanging on under her care. "Oh, yes, I've decided to slow down on my partying," she joked, both of them knowing that couldn't be farther from a consideration in her mind in the first place. Jane had always been addicted to her work but now felt more inspired than ever. "Perhaps I'll return to my days of drinking at night and forgetting it in the morning sometime in the future." What she was actually interested in hearing was how her friend had been holding up. "Enough about me though, how are you?"

There was something so compelling about Jane, something so nice about speaking to her. It was strange and somewhat unexplainable, but Penn was picking up the most genuine and most pleasant energy from her; if he didn't know any better, he would have guessed that she was in possession of some enchanted item that brought ease to their conversation. There was no magic detected, however, though that only made the feeling more special and more impressive in Penn's opinion.

He had an aura about him that made the woman feel at ease. Maybe it was his lack of alarm at her odd request, or that was simply his nature. Whatever it was, Jane took notice. Her hopes of finding someone who could help had been a pipedream, really, but still seemed to stumble on the impossible. Penn was a stranger, yet she would be welcoming his thoughts into the places currently nearest to her heart. "You mean it?" A light came from her eyes as they sparked in surprise. He didn't need to say yes by any means; she was a newcomer to his life as well as the plant world itself.

"Perhaps you can start by helping me pick out a few plants to put out at the shop, and come by to assess the damage to the garden," the brunette explained with what could've been misunderstood as shyness instead of shame at her own failures. If those plants died, she felt a part of her parents' memory went with them. Penn didn't know what he'd provided Jane when she needed it most. While Danny would've been happy to help, the woman didn't wish to only rely on her friend; besides, he'd done enough for her already to continue asking for help. This was something she had to figure out on herself, and a pressure released from her shoulders now that she'd found a guide. "I need a two that can go in the front and in direct sunlight, but don't need to be watered every day. Then two more that will be alright with being in dimmer lit areas." If she didn't know of the apothocary she wouldn't bring it up and let him to make his knowledge known. Until then, Jane would remain vague while having the strangest sensation that he'd know exactly where she was talking about.

“I come from a long, long line of witches,” Brook told Jane, “so even though I don’t actively use my magic anymore…well not usually at least, I still have a lot of knowledge.  That doesn’t really go away in a family like mine.”  His bloodline was ancient on both sides, different brands of magic running through his veins, and Brook still felt connected to it despite not being an actively practicing witch since he was a teenager.  Surprised by Jane’s request, Brook nodded.  “I’d be happy to,” he told her.  “What can I do?”

The customers were family, or at least that's what her father, Jim, told her. Her mother had a place at the head of the family, but she seemed to follow her husband when it came to the shop. It'd been his dream that she would support and find her own passion in doing. They were one of those couples that simply made sense. Jane saw love in their faces, and it'd been painful now to remember the image so clearly. Now that their life's work had been passed down to their only child, the weight lay heavily on her shoulders. Seeing those like Brook who appreciated her father and all the work he'd done, those who left an imprint on the man she loved so much, they were who drove her. Jane wondered if he'd felt the same. "He said he learned from people like you more than any book could ever teach him," she explained. The Adlers weren't witches, not a drop in their blood, but Jim was determined to provide them with a safe place to find the ingredients they needed as well. "I think that's what kept him with us for so long." He could've been taken sooner, from what the doctors said, making her all the more thankful for the time she had with him.

She smiled at the lore of his bloodline, though opposite from hers, that made things all the more interesting. "We haven't got a bit, I'm doing my best to learn from my father's journals, but they only include so much." Years of experience and experiments were woven into his being; some things just couldn't be learned through paper. Jane gave a gentle wave towards the hidden entrance to the apothecary, assuming he already knew their destination, being a regular. "Do you mind following me?" Her question lay in the place where she was doing her best to understand. Danny acted as her guide but Jane knew another opinion never hurt, especially from someone who'd known what the shop was like at her father's prime.

"I'm alright, busy. Haven't seen you at the cafe yet, I don't think. There are some delicious sandwiches and pastries you're missing out on." Eve seemed to remember their own confidence now as they moved to stand in front of her, arms folding on the counter. "I came to see you and ask why you haven't come see me yet. Surely you couldn't have found more exciting people to hang out with." A whisper of a smile appeared and then faded quickly as Eve looked at Jane up close. "I also need some things for a new experiment," they told her without explaining much but took a handwritten list out of their bag. "I've been working on some pain relievers, something that targets inflammation and then I had a thought, an inspiration really and started to get curious about mild..sedatives? Like meditation enhancers," Eve said with a shrug, not even knowing if that was a thing beyond just smoking a joint but they wondered if there were other ways they could achieve what they wanted, which was mainly a higher state of connection with their magic.

Eve set the list down and slid it over to Jane. "You look good," they said finally, waiting for their eyes to meet. "But I'm sure that's never changed, has it?"

She knew it had been too long since they spoke. Jane hadn't been the best at staying in touch with the life she left in Cardinal Hill. Upon returning, she'd been bumping into familiar faces, but Eve's held a different feeling when seeing it again all these years later. While it had been ages ago now, what they once had was real and left an imprint Jane hadn't remembered was there until now. A space she didn't even know could be vacant until realizing it was Eve who had once filled it. They had grown up, and still, Jane hoped there was a way they could be in each other's lives. Now they might've been one of the only people who knew her parents as she remembered them.

"I've been meaning to stop by. I smell your pastries every day, driving to work, you know. I can only imagine how delicious they must taste," she confessed with a contented hum. Jane knew she needed to stop by, and this prompted her to make sure she did so soon. "Completely my fault, you have every right to be here to question me. I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off for weeks." A truth not everyone saw, but Jane told Eve without thinking twice. That was only the tip of the iceberg, but she didn't wish to bring down the mood they had established. "We both know that isn't possible," the brunette said, only to be proven true moments later with the appearance of a list. Jane took it quickly, excited to dive into what exactly Eve had gotten up to this time. She read through it, giving a nod every time she hit something she knew they had in stock. There was only one item that stuck out as an unknown where she'd need to check. "I should have all of this here. I'll have to ask Danny about a few, but I don't see it being a problem." He handled the magical side of the store while she manned the front. "I only ask you to tell me all about this experiment of yours," she suggested, thinking that would be fair payment.

Eve's comment bounced off of her and sat in the grey area between them. Finally, her eyes settled on those she once had memorized. "You'd be surprised," Jane admitted. "I could say the same thing about you." A smile consumed her features then, giving a nod to the person from her past, and she hoped this was a step towards a future where they were back in each other's lives. The list served as her guide as she began walking around the store, checking off items she selected from the shelves and placing them into a basket. "So, tell me about these meditation enhancers you're working on."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Theo blinked a few times and, as his vision came back to him, he couldn’t help but notice the way light framed her, the flicker of candlelight catching in her hair as she moved toward the wall of herbs and glass. Wow. The music made his shoulders drop without him realizing. He hesitated before following, the sound of his shoes hushed by the old rug beneath him. “Oh,” he said, like he hadn’t meant to say anything at all. “Tea, maybe?” He paused, then rubbed at the back of his neck, suddenly shy. “Sorry. You just–this place is really pretty.” He caught himself, cheeks going warm. “It’s a really nice shop. Did you by chance get to help decorate it?”

He had an effortless sort of charm, unsure if he even knew it himself. Jane found him as a customer she wouldn't mind returning even if it meant she could only catch a glimpse. She'd always been fond of a man in glasses, and the stranger seemed to pull them off so well. "You can't go wrong with tea," the brunette thought out loud, finding a smile to follow her words. It was part of her own nightly routine. "Something about a warm cup of tea always gets me feeling ready to turn in for the night. We have an amazing blend of chamomile, lavender, and valerian root that is perfect for bedtime. I like to add a little honey too." Jane's eyes danced from the box she plucked for him to their surroundings.

His comment made her glow from within, her gaze admiring the shop she'd been trying to make her own without losing the essence of her father. "Thank you, it's actually been what I've poured my heart into the last few weeks." Jane was comfortable speaking about the loss of her father, but didn't wish to scare him off or produce pity she had no need for. Some things were better kept to herself for the time being. "You know, the first decoration I ever put in here was when I was five. I told my father I wished the walls could grow ivy, and before I knew it, he'd found a way to do it," she said, giving Theo a quick glance before her eyes flicked back to the walls now covered in the plants stretching their arms. "My latest addition is the dried chamomile. I know it's simple, but I find it so pretty. And it's the very same strain in your tea," the brunette said proudly, as if referring her to more than just dried flowers and the shop as a whole.

Danny tried to imagine what sort of man Jane's father had been. Hearing her speak of him, he wondered if he had been an accomplished witch, and had little doubt that there was nothing the man couldn't do. It made him a little envious, really. Danny had only ever known two things bout the man who fathered him and disappeared, and none of those things were magical.

He laughed at Jane's joke and shook his head. "If you remember the four cardinal rules of gardening, you'll be alright. Soil, light, water, and plant selection," he said. "You need good dirt, enough light and shade, and enough water. Then adjust dependin' on what kind of plant. Once you got that, the hardest part is knowin' your plants," he mused. "I learned a lot through my mother. She was an apothecary too, and so was my grandmother, so I grew up around plants and medicines. It's how I know so much about all this. Sort of the thing I knew about growin' up but didn't think it was for me until the opportunity presented itself," he said with a smile, thankful for that because of Jane. "But I never ran a shop or anything. So... I'm still learning. And learnin' how to deal with customers," he chuckled. At the end of the day, he wasn't the worst at customer service, but there was definitely room for improvement.

"Did you grow up around the shop, or was the shop something your father had later in life?" he asked curiously.

Jane’s father lived on through her and the work they did at the shop. His daughter took the responsibility on herself to keep his dream alive. While she wished Danny got the chance to meet the man who made her the person she was, it was that loss that brought them together in the first place. Now, he too was part of the Alder family legacy, whether Danny knew the man who started it all or not. “See, what’s always where I falter,” she explained with a deep exhale at her own downfall. The woman did her best to learn, but with so much information, she feared the worst for the plans she inherited. “I got two mixed up the other day and overwatered one and completely starved the other.” Her best was all she could give at the time, while she continued to adjust to her new life.

“I wish I’d listened more like that when my father tried to teach me, I was far too focused on medical qualities than the plants themselves.” They were similar in that way, maybe part of what made it easier for her was knowing she wasn’t alone. “We both are. We’re learning how to do this together,” she reiterated with a smile, having settled perfectly into place. “But I think you’re doing great so far.” Jane meant it, too, not trusting just anyone with her parents' pride and joy. While it was her father who brought his dreams to life, Jane’s mother was happy to dedicate everything to the same cause. It became another way in which they, in turn, showed love for one another was through the shop that held their livelihood. That was until something came into their lives that they loved even more. “I’ve been wandering around here since I could stand.” The brunette smiled at the memory of her childhood and parents, she still could find glimpses of in through the past. “It’s been around longer than me, can you believe it?” She laughed at her own age and how much the place had grown along with the times, ever changing to Cardinal Hill’s growing community.

"I certainly have heard of it," Penn told her with a nod of his head. He was a relatively frequent customer at Pure Leaf Alchemy actually, and while he was already more than happy to help the woman, the knowledge that he would also be helping a store he valued also made him feel extremely confident in his choices. "Jane," he reached out and took her hand delicately, shaking it softly in greeting. She was a beautiful woman with a beautiful name, he thought, though he didn't dare share the thought aloud. "I'm Penn," he finally introduced himself in return. "It's lovely to meet you Jane."

The brunette smiled at his familiarity with the shop she held so dear. In her youth, she hadn't appreciated Pure Leaf to the same capacity, and now it held the strongest memories of her parents, some days feeling as though they were there working alongside her. Penn. She wondered if it was short for something or a nickname obtained through life, but knew better than to dig for answers like that so early on. Jane made sure her curiosity didn't get the best of her and took his handshake with only a smile. "The pleasure's all mine, Penn." A charming fellow, one that her gaze could linger on too long if she wasn't careful. Somehow about his aura raised more questions than she didn't dare ask the near stranger, but she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to learn more about him.

That was a phrase she'd gotten accustomed to hearing since the loss of her father. Jane appreciated the sentiment, even if Penn couldn't have had any way of knowing about his passing. "My father always wanted me to take over the shop, while I preferred the medical side of things. It just wasn't where I was meant to end up," she explained, making sure to leave out a few of the details. It was more of a stumble out of her nursing career, but she wouldn't have changed it for the world, knowing this was where the woman was supposed to be. "You're joking, maybe it's my lucky day after all." A soft laugh danced out, and a shake of her head at the unbelievable nature of their meeting. "You wouldn't happen to have the time to teach a nurse a thing or two, would you?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, about your Dad." It felt like all Alex was doing was apologizing for the past week. Apologizing for the time he missed, apologizing for falling off of the face of the earth. It wasn't that Alex hadn't lived outside of Cardinal Hill but so much of that life had been wrapped up in survival and chase. He had spent the in between moments thinking of home, thinking of what he was missing and feeling guilty for every bit of a moment of relief he got along the way. "I know that doesn't make up for it but maybe this will," he told her with a laugh as he poured them both a glass of wine, a bottle from his parents collection that they wouldn't miss or ever know about.

"Please tell me more about what's going on with you, in your head, in your life? Anything for me to stop wallowing and being so self-centered. Honestly I'm starting to annoy myself."

Jane understood, not wanting her friend to feel any sort of guilt for his absence, especially when there was nothing anyone could do to help. The end of her father's life was inevitable, the disease finally consuming him after all these years. In fact, Jane was happy for the time they had together, feeling grateful for the extra years when it could've stolen him sooner. She reached across to him, taking his hand for a moment, and giving a warm smile of reassurance. "It's alright, you needn't be sorry, Alex." Guilt could be all-encompassing, as she'd come to learn, and didn't wish a sliver of that upon her friend. "Though wine always helps," she said, releasing his hand to take the stem of the glass. It was the red liquid that helped her through the first few weeks after losing her father. While she didn't consider herself a heavy drinker, something about a drink took the edge off the pain. Jane gave him a look of disapproval at his self-criticism, but didn't bother to voice it as it would do neither of them any good. She'd done a fair share of her own wallowing. "Honestly, most of my life has gone into the shop. I want to make it mine without losing Dad's presence in all. Danny's been a great help, I couldn't have done it without him," Jane explained after taking a sip of her wine. "I might've even found a botanist to make sure I don't kill their garden."

✿ Closed starter for Jane (@throughtheroots) at Pure Leaf Alchemy.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The bell above the door jingled softly as Theo slipped into Pure Leaf Alchemy, the scent of dried herbs and something faintly metallic curling around him like smoke. The shop was dim, lit mostly by a few low-burning candles and the soft glow of jars lining the shelves. He shoved his hands in his pockets, bleary-eyed and tense, the ghost of another sleepless night clinging to his shoulders. His heartbeat felt like it had migrated behind his eyes. He sauntered toward the counter and ran a hand through his hair. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything for sleep, would you?”

Jane hummed as she restocked the herbal tinctures; music softly danced from her record player, which she'd moved from her home to the shop. Fleetwood Mac had been on rotation since she arrived, her personal favorite. Besides, the mood it set with the candles and incense reminded her of home. The love for the shop she used to have no interest in was surprising to even her. Sometimes she'd wonder if her parents were proud that their daughter had finally fulfilled their lifelong dream. As life seemed to do, the plan Jane had for her life wasn't the one written for her. "Welcome in," she greeted, making her way back to the counter to refill her basket of bottles. It worked out when he needed a hand, a smile forming on the brunette's lips, waving him to follow her. "Of course, we have a few different options, actually." Jane took a few steps to the wall where the sleep aids were displayed, selecting a few to show him. "Are you looking for a tea, a tincture, or a supplement?"