take a seat back in your clamshell

“I’m more worried the dog will eat your goose,” Xander looked at the dog, who didn’t seem to think she was doing anything wrong – ever. The shifter told her so, quite often, but he didn’t voice that at the moment. “Kyon doesn’t usually have a temper. She usually just tries to play but – I think she forgets her strength.” He looked over at the witch with a small smile, though her question made him huff out a chuckle. “You mean Atlas didn’t actually tell you?” he pressed, though he only waited a few moments before he shrugged, “I’m a shifter, now. Apparently a ritual was done, and I had the gene from ages ago.”

-

“I think Honkus suffers a bit of Napoleon Syndrome, but don’t tell him I said that.” The goose had always been a bit fighty, stubborn and persistent. She didn’t know what it was about poor Kyon that had set him off, but she didn’t blame her nor Xander for trying to quiet the rambunctious creature that was Honkus Ponkus. Winter’s eyes widen at the once vampire’s words and she nearly spits the sip of coffee she’d just taken. Vampire, human, shifter? Perhaps shifter the entire time? That is more what it sounded like. Composing herself, she swallows and sits up to look to Xander with her brows raised. “You had the gene? This whole time?”

There were limits to what a witch could do with their magic, but they were never helpless, and never truly defenceless. “Think of it as this,” Markus offered, he focused his intention on the small satchel of insects again as it quietly began to stir, “if you can use your power to mend a broken bone, then what is stopping you from breaking it? From popping blood vessels as opposed to sealing them?” Markus asked, his hands came up and over the alter, “Put your hands over mine, lend me this power and focus on the representative objects at the center. The hair, the skin. Think of who they’re connected to, imagine something repulsive growing within them, gnawing at them. Eating away at them. The look of fear in their eyes, the horror of the unknown. Bring it all to the forefront of your thoughts. I will do the rest.”

-

She wants to ask who this person is, but she supposes it doesn’t really matter. This is an opportunity to grow her magic, she’s not about to ask questions when she’s just happy to be being taught something new. Winter does as instructed, puts her hands over Markus’s and lets out a slow breath before nodding her head. It would perhaps help to know the person, but she can conjure someone wicked all on her own. The hair, the skin, the nails, they become a person in her mind’s eye and then slowly they begin to rot. Skin bubbles as if something is underneath it and seems to seep through, like water through a pair of nylons but...Thicker. It is like a fungus bursting forth, shingling like scales along forearms, biceps, and creeping towards the individual’s face and they are helpless, their skin sallow, gaunt like their very bones are sucking at it to conform it to their skeleton.

Kasey leaned back on her palms, feeling the grit of sand against the skin and the softness of the grass—  it was something comforting, to be so close to the ocean, to smell the salt that peeled off of it and to know that the waves brought something new with them with every lap against the shore. She felt warm, not just because the sun was overhead but in Winter’s company— the sweetness of her attention brought a blush to her cheeks as she looked over. She was quite taken by the other woman’s profile, the swoop of her nose, the fullness of her smile, and it took her a moment to respond, shaking her head when she finally pieced together the question that was being asked of her.

“Not yet,” she said, looking at the pretzels before reaching for the one offered over, plucking it from Winter’s grip to pop into her mouth. She’d never had hummus before, but she didn’t want to say such a thing in case that was embarrassing, chewing idly as she worked out what it was that she thought of it. “It’s nice,” the spirit witch decided with delight, leaning in to get more. Her own taste in treats was juvenile, but she pushed a bag in Winter’s direction. “I picked up some Haribo, if you like those.”

-

It felt like such a normal thing, to just be there with Kasey in such a way. Winter smiles as the other witch takes the pretzel and her eyes widen a bit as the bag of gummies is brandished. “I don’t think I’ve had these since I was a kid.” She muses as she plucks a few of the bears from the bag and pops them into her mouth. It is hard to do anything but smile, for all of her previous anxiety, she truly does feel comfortable on the seaside with the other witch and the early fall breeze. Winter’s gaze goes from the water back to Kasey and she wonders if she’s imagining it sometimes, what seems to be almost a faint twinkle in the other blonde’s eye.

“Have you thought about Halloween yet? They don’t do a lot for it here, but there’s little parties here and there, I found some stuff last year.” Stretching her legs out so her toes touch the sand, she leans back to rest both hands flat on the grass. “I used to do a lot for it in France. The 31st is actually my sister’s birthday so we always try to do something.” It’s maybe a way of trying to subtly plan other dates, future ones.

“It sounds nice.” The crispness of Winter’s accent spoke of her upbringing, Kore didn’t need to hear about vacations or beach homes to know that the girl who sat next to her now came from money. It was in the clothes she wore, in the lines of her polished accent. That was the life Kore had craved when she was a child, it was the one she’d come into now: distilled through blood, greed, and hard work. “Quebecois.” Kore said instead, “The land of the midnight Sun.” Dark, cold, and unforgiving for months out of the year, then bright and warm all Summer. You could sit on the beach for all day and night and simply watch the sun circle the sky, that wasn’t what Kore remembered though- just what had come after. “Is your family here in the city with you?”

-

“I’ve never been. I hear the winter’s there are absolutely beautiful.” Cold, nothing like the mild one she’d just experienced last year in Corinth, but it was a little appealing. There was something pleasing about seeing branches of pines heavy with snow. But despite the name she’d chosen for herself, she would rather view such a thing from inside while cozied up with one of their romance novels. Winter gave a slight shake of her head at Kore’s question, briefly thinking of Celeste. “My siblings are here. My brother and sister came to see me and are now staying in the bay.” They were all happier here, she thought. “What brought you to the bay?”

“I remember, I had to pick you up and drive you home every shift.” Bastien pointed out, he’d worked at the club himself once upon a time, though they’d agreed with his line of work it had come with some level of disagreement. Common was how Celeste had referred to law enforcement, but Bastien wouldn’t be discouraged. It was never really about him, it was about Val and his sisters who were still alive. His parents had understood that much at least. Not much of the detective’s life had changed since he’d come to Corinth, maybe he was monitoring his sisters less, but the city was dangerous and Bastien had thrown himself head first into his work. There was a guy, but there was always a guy. It would pass when one of them got tired of the other. “You’re happy here then?”

-

“I didn’t realize I’ve never been happy until I got here.” She admits, looking over her shoulder at him with a frown. Complacent maybe, comfortable, but that had been the problem. Winter hadn’t wanted some room to make mistakes. Corinth had been the place for such a thing, she’d made many, but she’d grown, too. Turning to look at her brother, Winter leans against the counter and crosses her arms loosely over her chest, fingers going to the little Eiffel Tower charm around her neck. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt my magic like this. So sure of it. It can do so much more than I thought. I feel like I’m using it for the first time in my life.” Breaking Markus’s curse had been her first real taste of what she could really do, and she couldn’t say she didn’t feel like she was still chasing that high. “Didn’t you feel it? When we broke my curse? I’m stronger now.” 

Kasey nodded, and the up and down motion made her ceramic earrings bob, the dangling feet from a maneki neko cat rattled on one side of her head and on the other a skeleton’s bones shook. She was never properly dressed for anything, her socks were pulled up high and were different colours, her shorts were a shade of fluorescent that likely glowed in the dark. “Yeah, right now.” Nothing else really mattered, just the company: and Winter’s was one that would swallow up all the details, she didn’t have to bother with anything fussy like an outfit or how her hair looked. (A little patchy from her at home dye-job, but otherwise, perfectly acceptable and pink.)

“I love the beach,” she returned, reaching for a bag of chips from one of the aisles. “I think I could spent just about forever there, turning into a creature from the ocean.” Kasey’s smile curved as she held a package of cookies in the other witches’ direction trying to see if she approved of the selection of snacks, “Swallowing down saltwater like gatorade and spitting out all the briny bits, isn’t that how dolphins do it?”

-

They are going on a date. They are not dressed for the occasion, they are picking out snacks, they are going on a date. To the beach, the place they’d first met and it goes through her head on repeat in circles as if it’s a banner on a carousel. Winter finds herself almost floating towards the snacks and looking for anything that seems appetizing considering there is no way this is actually happening right now. She settles on some pretzels, her tea, and she’s looking at Kasey with this dreamy smile that can’t seem to leave her face. “I thought we’d already been over that you’re a creature from the ocean.”

*

“Have you had this yet?” She’d wound up getting a little tub of hummus to go with her pretzels and she dips one in it before presenting it to Kasey. Little strands of her hair blow against her face, free from the messy bun she’s put it in. They’re in her spot, the perfect little patch of grass just before the sand of the beach starts, facing out towards the waves. It’s comfortable there, feels more familiar to her than the snack section and whatever awkwardness she’d felt seemed to dissolve more and more as each wave beat against the sand. “It’s red pepper.” 

“I don’t.” Markus admitted, his tone completely dismissive as he worked a few regents through a mortar and pestle. The witch hadn’t come out here because he needed help, he’d come out here to not be disturbed and the very opposite had occurred. “But, you’re welcome to if you’d like.” He gestured with a simple cant of his head as he looked from Winter to the place opposite him. “An extra witch never hurts, we’ll make this curse especially painful.” Markus’ smile was dark but genuine, “For a witch, intention is everything. These writings are of my own creation, a curse should always be personal. I’ve written nearly every spell in my collection of grimoires.” A century worth. “You’re a healer, aren’t you?” Markus remarked, “Have you ever used your magic to hurt someone before?”

-

She steps around the set up to perch herself opposite him and she contemplates his question. Markus is someone she can trust, she decided that months ago. He was older, wiser, more experienced with magic. The extent of her knowledge was mostly everyday casual magic, some defensive stuff she’d picked up but hadn’t gotten to put to use yet. She could have her dishes do themselves, magic out any stain out of a designer handbag, but she’d never cursed anyone. It could come in handy, she’d dealt with a curse of her own, she’d helped Markus with his, it was time she learned. “No.” Winter admits, thinking back to that time on the roof at Anxietea where she’d wanted to hurt that vampire. “But I’ve wanted to.”

“That says more about your own feelings towards her than anything else.” Eidolons were spirits meant to drive a person to madness, he imagined that if one was tethered to him it would likely take the form of their departed sister. Or perhaps Zara. “It doesn’t make them right.” Bastien pointed out, just because their parents had their reasons for sheltering their children didn’t give them the right to treat them as rare birds in gilded cages. “They won’t, they aren’t the sort of people who can take accountability for their own faults.”

-

“Exactly. I remember when I tried to convince them I wanted a job,” She sets the pepper shaker she’d picked up down a little too hard on the counter at the memory. A little barista job, that’s what she’d decided on at the time, she’d thought perhaps she’d have a meetcute, find someone who would give her the confidence to up and leave. “We settled on me working at the club pool so their friends could still keep an eye on me.” Celeste had looked at her like she’d grown a second head, had asked her why on Earth would she want to work a job. It’d been their father who had suggested the compromise. “It didn’t feel like living, those last few years there. I felt like I was under a microscope.” Winter looked over her shoulder at her brother, expression borderline apologetic. It’s not his fault, it’s not hers either, she doesn’t even know if she can really blame their parents. “It’s better out here.”