Elk indicated a side street across the uneven road from them. "That street, Redding Street, is a very interesting place. I would strongly suggest not going that way after dark or between the hours of one and three in the afternoon. If you do need to go, I would recommend taking Mug with you."
Mug glanced over upon hearing his name, his forehead wrinkling.
"No, not right now. Later," Elk assured Mug.
Mug huffed and turned back to their current walk as if annoyed that Elk had caught his attention for no good reason.
"In any case, there is usually not a particularly good reason to go that way unless you need a shortcut to Tanager," Elk informed her. "It is mostly just a bunch of residential places. No shops or anything. Other than Redding street, you're fine to walk wherever you please around here."
Mug glanced over upon hearing his name, his forehead wrinkling.
"No, not right now. Later," Elk assured Mug.
Mug huffed and turned back to their current walk as if annoyed that Elk had caught his attention for no good reason.
"In any case, there is usually not a particularly good reason to go that way unless you need a shortcut to Tanager," Elk informed her. "It is mostly just a bunch of residential places. No shops or anything. Other than Redding street, you're fine to walk wherever you please around here."
"Interesting?" Anna's left eyebrow quirked upwards and hid behind her ashen bangs. "I had a friend who used to live near a store we 'fondly' called the Stabbing-Super, do you mean that kind of interesting?" If so, she wasn't particularly bothered. That particular kind of danger was easy enough to avoid if you knew how to read a parking lot and, indeed, didn't tempt fate after dark. The recommendation to not go there in the early afternoon, though, piqued her curiosity.
"Maybe we'll go on a walk sometime, huh?" She cooed at Mug, holding out her trembling hand with a treat in it at a second attempt at diplomacy. She already knew that she would try to find out more about why exactly Redding Street was deemed risky at such an odd time during the day, but Elk's tone told her that it would be wise to follow his suggestion to bring the giant dog with her.
A summer breeze rustled the leaves, and she suddenly shivered in the shadow of the buildings. With one last look at Beldad's, Anna began the home stretch back to their apartment at a brisk pace. She was going to ask her cards about Redding Street.
"Maybe we'll go on a walk sometime, huh?" She cooed at Mug, holding out her trembling hand with a treat in it at a second attempt at diplomacy. She already knew that she would try to find out more about why exactly Redding Street was deemed risky at such an odd time during the day, but Elk's tone told her that it would be wise to follow his suggestion to bring the giant dog with her.
A summer breeze rustled the leaves, and she suddenly shivered in the shadow of the buildings. With one last look at Beldad's, Anna began the home stretch back to their apartment at a brisk pace. She was going to ask her cards about Redding Street.
Mug glanced at the treat and turned away, dismissing it. It was not something he was interested in. He would go with her if she needed him to walk with her because Elk asked him to, but he was not interested in making friends.
Elk made a few casual comments as they walked, keeping things light and positive, not wanting to focus on the more unsavory aspects of Anna's new home area. She'd learn them well enough soon enough. There was no point in making things out to be worse than they were, and he had no doubt that she was clever enough and potentially skilled enough to find out what she needed to know in her own way.
When they arrived home and Mutt was freed from his leash, Elk asked, "So, how would you like to handle the food situation? Do you want to share regular meals on a schedule, fend for ourselves most times, or perhaps a weekly or monthly catch-up time?"
Elk made a few casual comments as they walked, keeping things light and positive, not wanting to focus on the more unsavory aspects of Anna's new home area. She'd learn them well enough soon enough. There was no point in making things out to be worse than they were, and he had no doubt that she was clever enough and potentially skilled enough to find out what she needed to know in her own way.
When they arrived home and Mutt was freed from his leash, Elk asked, "So, how would you like to handle the food situation? Do you want to share regular meals on a schedule, fend for ourselves most times, or perhaps a weekly or monthly catch-up time?"
"A weekly catch-up dinner sounds great, actually. I have a pretty boring routine; I don't even have colleagues I can bitch about to you," Anna replied with a crooked smile. "But I'm sure you keep busy." He struck her as somehow both scatterbrained and highly organized at the same time. The type to lose his passport the day of a flight but remember exactly under which pile of books he had seen it six months ago. "Take turns cooking?"
It wasn't terribly late, yet Anna could feel the new impressions and physical exhaustion of moving creep into her body. She remembered with delight that there was a bathtub in her new bathroom. Some other time, maybe. She had something more important she wanted to do before she crashed.
"I'm gonna hit the hay," she told Elk, stifling a yawn. "Thanks again for letting me move in with you and Mug. I know I'll come to really like it here." A half-empty cup of tea in hand, she left for her bedroom. It still looked like a mess, with nothing exactly where she really wanted it; the distinct feeling of a state of being in-between. The door swung gently closed behind her with a soft click. She registered somewhere in the back of her mind that it didn't reach all the way: A thin stream of light flowed under the narrow gap at the bottom. Unimportant. The box of stormproof matches was sitting innocently on her writing desk.
She shuffled the cards, finding herself unable to decide on what to ask for. Redding Street? No, too mundane. The apartment? She'd learn its quirks soon enough. Elk? She paused. That ‒ felt almost invasive. She'd done readings about people before, plenty of times, but asking for magical insight on people she herself was close to felt like prying. Even if she didn't 100% know if what she was learning was true.
Screw it.
She spread a handful of the cards into a fan, chose three at random, and flipped them over. The Wheel. Eight of Wands. Five of Mirrors. She frowned. The Wheel made sense, it was all about fate and the unknown, with a side order of things being out of her control. She'd just moved into a new place with someone who occupied a space inbetween stranger and acquaintance, and she filled the same role for him. Nothing too surprising there. It was the other two who worried her: They spoke to acting with speed and decisiveness, and keeping up appearances that would eventually shatter. Learn fast or die trying. The tea lost the last of its warmth as she sat, mezmerized by the story she was being told.
What on earth is he hiding from me?
"I'm gonna hit the hay," she told Elk, stifling a yawn. "Thanks again for letting me move in with you and Mug. I know I'll come to really like it here." A half-empty cup of tea in hand, she left for her bedroom. It still looked like a mess, with nothing exactly where she really wanted it; the distinct feeling of a state of being in-between. The door swung gently closed behind her with a soft click. She registered somewhere in the back of her mind that it didn't reach all the way: A thin stream of light flowed under the narrow gap at the bottom. Unimportant. The box of stormproof matches was sitting innocently on her writing desk.
She shuffled the cards, finding herself unable to decide on what to ask for. Redding Street? No, too mundane. The apartment? She'd learn its quirks soon enough. Elk? She paused. That ‒ felt almost invasive. She'd done readings about people before, plenty of times, but asking for magical insight on people she herself was close to felt like prying. Even if she didn't 100% know if what she was learning was true.
Screw it.
She spread a handful of the cards into a fan, chose three at random, and flipped them over. The Wheel. Eight of Wands. Five of Mirrors. She frowned. The Wheel made sense, it was all about fate and the unknown, with a side order of things being out of her control. She'd just moved into a new place with someone who occupied a space inbetween stranger and acquaintance, and she filled the same role for him. Nothing too surprising there. It was the other two who worried her: They spoke to acting with speed and decisiveness, and keeping up appearances that would eventually shatter. Learn fast or die trying. The tea lost the last of its warmth as she sat, mezmerized by the story she was being told.
What on earth is he hiding from me?
"Taking turns sounds fine with me!" Elk said cheerfully. "Have a nice evening! See you tomorrow."
He turned and went about cleaning up the kitchen and generally tidying. He would be the first to admit that keeping things tidy was not his forte, but now that he had things nice and clean and tidy, he was going to do his best to keep it this way as long as possible. His decision had nothing to do with trying to keep a roommate, of course. Nothing at all!
He walked around the end of the kitchen peninsula toward Anna's room, intending to take out the trash, and her door was on the way to the front door. He paused briefly when he saw the door slightly open, feeling a tingle of magic tickle his skin. She was using magic? Now? How curious! He peeked through the gap in the door, taking great care not to touch the door itself, and saw the cards laid out. Ah, she was doing a reading, and judging by her expression, she wasn't too pleased with the results. He cast his eye over the revealed cards, barely able to make them out with his less-than-optimal situation. Card reading was not his strongest skill, but he could make out enough to guess what she was asking about. Doing a reading on her roommate? Both understandable and just a bit rude. Ah, well, it was unlikely the cards would be able to tell her anything dangerous about him.
He walked away, stepping outside and taking out the trash. It was a very nice night, but he did not delay, not wanting to invite trouble. The night itself was not typically dangerous, especially not for him, but there were always visitors to the area. Visitors who did not understand the rules. He had no interest in playing teacher tonight, so he slipped back inside quickly and headed upstairs.
Mug waited for him, giving him a studious look as Elk washed his hands and then headed to his office. The dog followed him into the former bedroom, nudging the door firmly closed behind them.
"Don't worry," Elk assured the dog as he picked up the large, glowing green stone. "It'll work out. It always does! Eventually. Now, shush. Tonight is the perfect night for this ritual, and I need to get it done quickly and quietly."
Mug sighed and laid down across the door, conveniently blocking out any light that might seep out through the bottom of the door.
Elk worked late into the night, not going to his bedroom until the wee hours of the morning. Mug groggily followed him, and the office door magically locked behind them. The spell could only be unlocked by either the person with the "key," or the magic equivalent of brute force. For those trying to open it without a key, the spell would give them the strong impression that there was something they had forgotten to do, which was usually enough to distract anyone who was merely curious and send them off elsewhere to do whatever it was they'd forgotten, or be annoyed by the lingering idea that they were forgetting someone. As a bonus, it recorded whenever someone touched the knob, preserving an impression of whoever or whatever tried to open the door. The same spell was set on the window. Not even the front door to the apartment had that much security.
He turned and went about cleaning up the kitchen and generally tidying. He would be the first to admit that keeping things tidy was not his forte, but now that he had things nice and clean and tidy, he was going to do his best to keep it this way as long as possible. His decision had nothing to do with trying to keep a roommate, of course. Nothing at all!
He walked around the end of the kitchen peninsula toward Anna's room, intending to take out the trash, and her door was on the way to the front door. He paused briefly when he saw the door slightly open, feeling a tingle of magic tickle his skin. She was using magic? Now? How curious! He peeked through the gap in the door, taking great care not to touch the door itself, and saw the cards laid out. Ah, she was doing a reading, and judging by her expression, she wasn't too pleased with the results. He cast his eye over the revealed cards, barely able to make them out with his less-than-optimal situation. Card reading was not his strongest skill, but he could make out enough to guess what she was asking about. Doing a reading on her roommate? Both understandable and just a bit rude. Ah, well, it was unlikely the cards would be able to tell her anything dangerous about him.
He walked away, stepping outside and taking out the trash. It was a very nice night, but he did not delay, not wanting to invite trouble. The night itself was not typically dangerous, especially not for him, but there were always visitors to the area. Visitors who did not understand the rules. He had no interest in playing teacher tonight, so he slipped back inside quickly and headed upstairs.
Mug waited for him, giving him a studious look as Elk washed his hands and then headed to his office. The dog followed him into the former bedroom, nudging the door firmly closed behind them.
"Don't worry," Elk assured the dog as he picked up the large, glowing green stone. "It'll work out. It always does! Eventually. Now, shush. Tonight is the perfect night for this ritual, and I need to get it done quickly and quietly."
Mug sighed and laid down across the door, conveniently blocking out any light that might seep out through the bottom of the door.
Elk worked late into the night, not going to his bedroom until the wee hours of the morning. Mug groggily followed him, and the office door magically locked behind them. The spell could only be unlocked by either the person with the "key," or the magic equivalent of brute force. For those trying to open it without a key, the spell would give them the strong impression that there was something they had forgotten to do, which was usually enough to distract anyone who was merely curious and send them off elsewhere to do whatever it was they'd forgotten, or be annoyed by the lingering idea that they were forgetting someone. As a bonus, it recorded whenever someone touched the knob, preserving an impression of whoever or whatever tried to open the door. The same spell was set on the window. Not even the front door to the apartment had that much security.
Anna woke early the next morning, just as a pale, gray dawn crept through the curtains. She blinked, irritated ‒ she was a light sleeper, and doors being opened and closed during the night had disturbed her rest. Elk must've gone to bed much later than her, she guessed. She made a mental note to get darker curtains, and maybe some earplugs later. Just another thing to get used to.
Deciding that any more sleep wasn't happening at this point, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and into a pair of fluffy slippers. In her faded, oversized t-shirt, bearing a motif of a rubber duck that said 'Bath-lieve in yourself
', and frizzy bedhead, she couldn't have looked less like a witch as shuffled into the kitchen, laptop under her arm, to make a cup of tea. Couch. Blanket. Emails. And then maybe a 9 AM nap... As the kettle did its thing, she fished out the packet of dog treats again and placed it strategically on the coffee table next to the laptop. If Mug decided to wake up, she wanted to be prepared for another attempt to win his friendship. Hell, she'd settle for just his approval.
After brief consideration, she took out a second mug and bag of tea from the cabinet and placed it next to the kettle. She stopped short of pouring the water for him ‒ if he'd gone to bed late, he might not be up for a while yet, and though she didn't know Elk very well yet, she doubted that cold, over-steeped tea was very high up his list of favorite presents to be given. If he didn't make an appearance in an hour or two, she'd just put it back. If the couch hasn't claimed me by then, I guess.
Deciding that any more sleep wasn't happening at this point, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and into a pair of fluffy slippers. In her faded, oversized t-shirt, bearing a motif of a rubber duck that said 'Bath-lieve in yourself
', and frizzy bedhead, she couldn't have looked less like a witch as shuffled into the kitchen, laptop under her arm, to make a cup of tea. Couch. Blanket. Emails. And then maybe a 9 AM nap... As the kettle did its thing, she fished out the packet of dog treats again and placed it strategically on the coffee table next to the laptop. If Mug decided to wake up, she wanted to be prepared for another attempt to win his friendship. Hell, she'd settle for just his approval.After brief consideration, she took out a second mug and bag of tea from the cabinet and placed it next to the kettle. She stopped short of pouring the water for him ‒ if he'd gone to bed late, he might not be up for a while yet, and though she didn't know Elk very well yet, she doubted that cold, over-steeped tea was very high up his list of favorite presents to be given. If he didn't make an appearance in an hour or two, she'd just put it back. If the couch hasn't claimed me by then, I guess.
About an hour after Anna got up, Mug nosed open Elk's door and wander out. He yawned, stretched, and then sniffed at Anna suspiciously before walking over to his food and water bowl and helping himself. Anna was studiously ignored. Once he'd gotten his breakfast, he headed back into Elk's room.
Inside Elk's room, Mug got up on Elk's bed and pawed at him. That didn't stir the redhead, but a couple of "woof!" blared right in his ear did wake him up enough to moan and roll out of bed. He grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on with minimal falling and grabbed a robe as he staggered out of his room. The short, floral, clearly feminine robe did its job in covering his bare chest, but its length covered his shorts and gave him the unfortunate appearance of being pantless. Still half asleep, he wandered toward the front door, grabbed Mug's leash, and clipped it on the patient dog. He never even noticed Anna.
A brisk, chilled walk outside to let Mug take care of business in the closest grassy area did wake him up enough that when he returned about fifteen mintues later, he blinked blurrily at the kettle and sniffed at the scent of breakfast. He spotted Anna and stared at her blankly. "Hello."
Inside Elk's room, Mug got up on Elk's bed and pawed at him. That didn't stir the redhead, but a couple of "woof!" blared right in his ear did wake him up enough to moan and roll out of bed. He grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on with minimal falling and grabbed a robe as he staggered out of his room. The short, floral, clearly feminine robe did its job in covering his bare chest, but its length covered his shorts and gave him the unfortunate appearance of being pantless. Still half asleep, he wandered toward the front door, grabbed Mug's leash, and clipped it on the patient dog. He never even noticed Anna.
A brisk, chilled walk outside to let Mug take care of business in the closest grassy area did wake him up enough that when he returned about fifteen mintues later, he blinked blurrily at the kettle and sniffed at the scent of breakfast. He spotted Anna and stared at her blankly. "Hello."
A booming bark shook Anna out of the doze she had drifted into; her laptop had slipped halfway out her hands and was resting precariously halfway off of her lap. She was wiping a bit of drool away from the corner of her mouth with the base of her palm as Elk came into the living room, sporting a look on his face that told her that all he was currently registering was that there was a front door and he needed to go out of it. Her cheeks flushed bright red as she realized he probably wasn't wearing pants under the floral robe he was wearing, and she hurriedly fixed her gaze on the window behind him instead. Either he's forgotten that he has a roommate now, or he is way more comfortable around strangers than I thought he'd be. Waiting until the door clicked shut behind him and Mug ‒ whose interest in Anna could clearly still fit in a matchbox ‒ she scarpered into her room to put on a pair of sweatpants so as to reduce the amount of bottomless people present.
Hello.
Having busied herself with toast, tea, and scrambled eggs, she hadn't noticed that Elk had come inside again. She startled, sending a spoonful of hot egg onto the floor where it splattered on the yellowing linoleum and her foot, making her yelp in pain and surprise. "Hello, good morning, all of that." She winced at Elk, allowing herself a chuckle at the situation once her body realized that she hadn't been badly hurt. "Ow. Come here often?" The toaster dinged by way of punctuation. "Oh, perfect timing. I've been up for a while, or at least, that was my goal, to get some work done, but then I fell asleep on the couch and I don't think you noticed I was there when you left, but, I mean, that's also new for you, right, to have people in your living room at all hours of the day..." She was babbling as she put down plates and cutlery, warring instincts of politely looking at people when you talked to them, but also trying to avoid looking too much at a half-clothed person she barely knew making her eyes dart all over the place.
Hello.
Having busied herself with toast, tea, and scrambled eggs, she hadn't noticed that Elk had come inside again. She startled, sending a spoonful of hot egg onto the floor where it splattered on the yellowing linoleum and her foot, making her yelp in pain and surprise. "Hello, good morning, all of that." She winced at Elk, allowing herself a chuckle at the situation once her body realized that she hadn't been badly hurt. "Ow. Come here often?" The toaster dinged by way of punctuation. "Oh, perfect timing. I've been up for a while, or at least, that was my goal, to get some work done, but then I fell asleep on the couch and I don't think you noticed I was there when you left, but, I mean, that's also new for you, right, to have people in your living room at all hours of the day..." She was babbling as she put down plates and cutlery, warring instincts of politely looking at people when you talked to them, but also trying to avoid looking too much at a half-clothed person she barely knew making her eyes dart all over the place.
Mug heard the splatter of eggs and trotted around the kitchen peninsula to lap up the fallen goodness. He even cleaned up Anna's foot for her, whether she actually wanted that or not. Satisfied he'd done his duty, he went to his water bowl and got a good drink.
Elk peered blankly at the woman babbling before him, his sleep-deprived brain slowly providing the necessary information for who this was and why they were standing in his kitchen talking to him far too energetically for so early in the morning. "Right!" he suddenly blurted, cutting off the tail end of her sentence about having people in his living room at all hours. "You're the new roommate!" He smiled, brightening a little, that mystery cleared up. "Anna. Right. Yes. You're my new roommate and all of that." Then he frowned. "Why are you saying ow? Did you hurt yourself?"
Elk peered blankly at the woman babbling before him, his sleep-deprived brain slowly providing the necessary information for who this was and why they were standing in his kitchen talking to him far too energetically for so early in the morning. "Right!" he suddenly blurted, cutting off the tail end of her sentence about having people in his living room at all hours. "You're the new roommate!" He smiled, brightening a little, that mystery cleared up. "Anna. Right. Yes. You're my new roommate and all of that." Then he frowned. "Why are you saying ow? Did you hurt yourself?"
"... I did. A little bit," Anna replied, distracted by Mug. Ewww. Dog saliva. On my feet. Nasty. But at least it's not dog teeth? "Just dropped some egg. Nothing to worry about, your dog took care of it."
She took a deep breath. The pleasant aroma of tea and toast filled her nostrils. Sunlight filtered in through the kitchen windows, illuminating the steam rising lazily from their mugs. She forced herself to look Elk in the eye, gray meeting red.
"And, as your new roommate ‒ can I please ask you to wear pants in the common areas? The robe is lovely, don't get me wrong, but it is a little short. Pinky promise I'll do the same thing." Anna exhaled slowly. There. We're setting boundaries, we're having breakfast, and we've survived close contact with the giant dog. Good start to the day.
She took a deep breath. The pleasant aroma of tea and toast filled her nostrils. Sunlight filtered in through the kitchen windows, illuminating the steam rising lazily from their mugs. She forced herself to look Elk in the eye, gray meeting red.
"And, as your new roommate ‒ can I please ask you to wear pants in the common areas? The robe is lovely, don't get me wrong, but it is a little short. Pinky promise I'll do the same thing." Anna exhaled slowly. There. We're setting boundaries, we're having breakfast, and we've survived close contact with the giant dog. Good start to the day.
"Good boy, Mug," Elk said in satisfaction, following his nose toward the tea. "Hmm? Pants? Oh, I have pants on." He shifted his robe to show the fact that he did, indeed, have shorts on. They were rather short shorts, but they did technically cover everything that needed to be covered. "Not my first choice, but who puts on their first choice for walking the dog first thing in the morning, am I right?" he gave her a sleepy, winning smile. "I don't suppose any of that tea is for me?" He pulled his robe tighter and looked about hopefully for breakfast, appearing more like a puppy than Mug did with his big eyes and messy red hair spilling all around his face.
Mug, for his part, had gotten bored of the kitchen. He wandered out and sat near the living room on the carpet where he could be more comfortable while keeping an eye on his person and the new person. He did not trust the new person, not yet, but at least so far she hadn't shown any trace of aggression. He was okay with that. She still needed watched. Observed. Studied. And cleaned up after, apparently, which was a nice perk of the job.
Mug, for his part, had gotten bored of the kitchen. He wandered out and sat near the living room on the carpet where he could be more comfortable while keeping an eye on his person and the new person. He did not trust the new person, not yet, but at least so far she hadn't shown any trace of aggression. He was okay with that. She still needed watched. Observed. Studied. And cleaned up after, apparently, which was a nice perk of the job.
She nearly laughed with relief. "Yes, the tea is for you, as is one of the plates with eggs and toast. I don't know how you like it, so it hasn't steeped for very long. There's time to change everything about it, still." The reading she had done on him last night—she felt even worse about it, if she was honest with herself, as he sat there in front of her―resurfaced in her mind. Adapt and overcome; learn fast or die trying. She took a thoughtful sip of her own tea, gray eyes looking glassily at nothing in particular. Anna could not for the life of her decide whether to come clean about her choice of career. She knew she was reluctant to admit to spying on him via the cards, but who wouldn't be. No, that particular little social transgression would probably remain unspoken, if it were up to her. Telling Elk she was a witch at all felt simultaneously like boring smalltalk and a deeply personal secret.
A cheerful chime from her phone pulled her out of her reverie; the tea leapt from its mug and splashed neatly back into it with a grace that seemed almost supernatural. Anna let out a shaky chuckle. "I really am having some sort of morning this morning, huh. Sorry. So, listen," she said, the words rushing out before she could think too hard about it and stop herself, "I told you already that I work from home, but uh, I'd like to be more specific. For my own comfort. I do spells for people. I have my permit, you don't need to worry about that at all, but I just ‒ I dunno, I felt like. Maybe it was better that you knew right away. If you're not comfortable with it, or something." She looked at her breakfast and crossed her fingers in her lap, out of Elk's sight. Very, very old magic; almost never worked—unless you counted 'making someone feel a little better' as magic.
A cheerful chime from her phone pulled her out of her reverie; the tea leapt from its mug and splashed neatly back into it with a grace that seemed almost supernatural. Anna let out a shaky chuckle. "I really am having some sort of morning this morning, huh. Sorry. So, listen," she said, the words rushing out before she could think too hard about it and stop herself, "I told you already that I work from home, but uh, I'd like to be more specific. For my own comfort. I do spells for people. I have my permit, you don't need to worry about that at all, but I just ‒ I dunno, I felt like. Maybe it was better that you knew right away. If you're not comfortable with it, or something." She looked at her breakfast and crossed her fingers in her lap, out of Elk's sight. Very, very old magic; almost never worked—unless you counted 'making someone feel a little better' as magic.
Elk gratefully helped himself to the plate of eggs and toast, only too happy to enjoy a bounty someone else put together. Maybe having a roommate was going to work out well after all! Alright, fine, that was selfish of him, but it was nice to have food that he didn't have to cook just waiting for him! He shouldn't get too attached. This was likely a one-time thing.
Her words didn't register at first, so lost was he in his own breakfast, so he didn't respond right away. Then, as he was sipping his tea, he realized what she'd said. A witch. A witch?? Oh, great. That was not something he'd anticipated! He finished his tea, sipping slowly, staring off at nothing in particular, expression calm and passive while internally he scrabled to figure out what to do.
"You do have your permit?" he finally asked politely, turning to look at her. "Sorry if this comes across as rude, but may I see it? I do not mind the witch thing, really, but I really, really do not want to get caught up in anything dodgy. If I ended up jailed, who'd look after Mug?" He looked incredibly sorrowful at that statement, like that really was his only worry.
Her words didn't register at first, so lost was he in his own breakfast, so he didn't respond right away. Then, as he was sipping his tea, he realized what she'd said. A witch. A witch?? Oh, great. That was not something he'd anticipated! He finished his tea, sipping slowly, staring off at nothing in particular, expression calm and passive while internally he scrabled to figure out what to do.
"You do have your permit?" he finally asked politely, turning to look at her. "Sorry if this comes across as rude, but may I see it? I do not mind the witch thing, really, but I really, really do not want to get caught up in anything dodgy. If I ended up jailed, who'd look after Mug?" He looked incredibly sorrowful at that statement, like that really was his only worry.
She watched realization dawn on Elk as he sipped his tea for what felt like minutes. Already, fear of rejection was rearing its ugly head; she felt like a snake had risen from the grass, poised to strike at any minute.
But the rejection didn't come. The snake coiled peacefully back in on itself. She beamed at Elk.
"Of course you can see it, let me just..." Disappearing into her room, she soon emerged holding a thin, purple plastic folder, and emptied its contents unceremoniously on the counter. "Look, this is the copy of my initial application, and there's the permit itself that allows me to practice ‒ city stamp there ‒ and I got it renewed last summer, so it'll be a while before I have to go do that again. So, no worries. We're not going to get into trouble," she finished reassuringly in an attempt to dispel his suddenly somber expression.
"Do you know any other practitioners? Since you say that you don't mind the witch thing, and all."
But the rejection didn't come. The snake coiled peacefully back in on itself. She beamed at Elk.
"Of course you can see it, let me just..." Disappearing into her room, she soon emerged holding a thin, purple plastic folder, and emptied its contents unceremoniously on the counter. "Look, this is the copy of my initial application, and there's the permit itself that allows me to practice ‒ city stamp there ‒ and I got it renewed last summer, so it'll be a while before I have to go do that again. So, no worries. We're not going to get into trouble," she finished reassuringly in an attempt to dispel his suddenly somber expression.
"Do you know any other practitioners? Since you say that you don't mind the witch thing, and all."
Elk didn't say anything as he read over the permit carefully, brushing his hair away from his face as he bent over to get a good look. He was intimately familiar with the permits that came with magic practitioners, though he could not claim to be an expert in every single of the thousands of variations. He could, however, tell the difference between forged and fake, and this one was real. That was good. Very good! He did not want to get caught up in someone else's illegal activity when he had enough of his own to worry about.
"That looks all good and proper!" Elk said with a smile, stepping away from the paper and letting Anna reclaim it. "Thank you for showing it to me. I appreciate that. As for practitioners..." He paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I do know a few," he admitted, "and I can ask them if they are amenable to me giving you their information. These are... delicate times for practitioners, I'm sure you are aware, so I'd rather get their permission before tossing their details around."
"That looks all good and proper!" Elk said with a smile, stepping away from the paper and letting Anna reclaim it. "Thank you for showing it to me. I appreciate that. As for practitioners..." He paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I do know a few," he admitted, "and I can ask them if they are amenable to me giving you their information. These are... delicate times for practitioners, I'm sure you are aware, so I'd rather get their permission before tossing their details around."
Simon was fixated on the cat on the table in front of him. He had given her some anesthesia, because she had plain refused to allow him to take a look at the bite she had sustained when she was awake. Some kind samaritan had found her hunched behind a dumpster on the outskirts of town and brought her in, bundled in a blanket that now lay, quickly folded, in the singular chair in the room. No collar, chip, or ear tattoo; a stray, like so many others. Her injury, however, was like nothing he had ever seen before: Rows of small, sharp teeth, maybe the size of another cat, but far more shark-like in the pattern of indentations. Simon brought up his phone to take a couple of pictures of the bite. He would have to look it up after work, send it to some colleagues. Maybe someone's exotic, poorly behaved pet had gotten loose, or some wizard's research animal. He let out a huff of annoyance, glad for the many restrictions that magical creatures were under. Cryptozoology was one of his least favorite fields.
"Yeah, if they don't mind, that'd be nice. I don't know many other practitioners. Any, in fact." The last bit of Anna's reply fell uncertainly from her lips. She shot Elk a crooked smile. "Knowing some of my colleagues would be ‒ well, it's a bit lonely, sometimes. I feel like a bit of a nerd in my own little niche."
"If you're curious, I could show you something. If you're not busy today?" She couldn't quite hide her sprouting excitement, her gray eyes alight with the glow of an academic finding an unsuspecting victim to foist their hard-won knowledge upon.
"If you're curious, I could show you something. If you're not busy today?" She couldn't quite hide her sprouting excitement, her gray eyes alight with the glow of an academic finding an unsuspecting victim to foist their hard-won knowledge upon.
Elk knew that look well, and he smiled in amusement. "Sure!" he agreed. "I don't have the entire day free, but I do have a good chunk. What have you got for me?"
He started cleaning up the breakfast dishes, wiping down all the surfaces and getting everything nice and clean for the next session of cooking. If he didn't do it immediately, he would forget, and dishes piled up, and it was a whole mess.
He started cleaning up the breakfast dishes, wiping down all the surfaces and getting everything nice and clean for the next session of cooking. If he didn't do it immediately, he would forget, and dishes piled up, and it was a whole mess.
"Oh, a little bit of everything!" She bounded into the room and emerged once again in the kitchen, holding her cards and an assortment of leatherbound notebooks. Elk had barely cleared the counter of plates before she covered it with the tools of her trade. One book ‒ a bright purple, but unlabeled tome ‒ fell open before them, pages flipping gently by themselves until they settled on one with the heading 'Cartomancy in Practice'. It had a number of illustrations of different three- and five card spreads.
Anna coughed lightly as she shuffled the cards, mismatched card backs rapidly replacing each other at the top of the deck. "Now, this is my bread and butter," she said. "It's a steady income. People have always wanted a glimpse into the future, or sometimes the past. But it is by necessity an on-demand-only job, so I began dabbling in protective sigils and potions and such a while ago. Still learning, so I stick to the fairly simple stuff for now, y'know, making bike locks extra difficult to break, ensuring rolling pins always roll things out evenly. Stuff like that. Oh, and ghosts. I like talking to ghosts, so I do that fairly often, too." She shrugged. "Think of necromancy as ‒ recycling. I know it has a bad rap, but that's really the fault of fantasy authors, and nothing to do with the actual practice. Anyway,"
She ceased her shuffling, and a handful of cards fanned out before her. She held them up to Elk. No two of them seemed to come from the same deck originally. One was bright pink and purple and had a lightning strike motif; one presented two skulls resting on opposite sides of a circle; another had a list of Roman numerals; one wore an elaborate golden dragon's head; and the last appeared to be a common, if somewhat odd, baseball card.
"Pick one? If you want to." A simultaneously mischievous and earnest smile played around her lips. "The fun thing about divination is that you can take it as seriously as you like."
Anna coughed lightly as she shuffled the cards, mismatched card backs rapidly replacing each other at the top of the deck. "Now, this is my bread and butter," she said. "It's a steady income. People have always wanted a glimpse into the future, or sometimes the past. But it is by necessity an on-demand-only job, so I began dabbling in protective sigils and potions and such a while ago. Still learning, so I stick to the fairly simple stuff for now, y'know, making bike locks extra difficult to break, ensuring rolling pins always roll things out evenly. Stuff like that. Oh, and ghosts. I like talking to ghosts, so I do that fairly often, too." She shrugged. "Think of necromancy as ‒ recycling. I know it has a bad rap, but that's really the fault of fantasy authors, and nothing to do with the actual practice. Anyway,"
She ceased her shuffling, and a handful of cards fanned out before her. She held them up to Elk. No two of them seemed to come from the same deck originally. One was bright pink and purple and had a lightning strike motif; one presented two skulls resting on opposite sides of a circle; another had a list of Roman numerals; one wore an elaborate golden dragon's head; and the last appeared to be a common, if somewhat odd, baseball card.
"Pick one? If you want to." A simultaneously mischievous and earnest smile played around her lips. "The fun thing about divination is that you can take it as seriously as you like."
Elk listened attentively if a bit amused, not saying anything, just nodding now and then as he took in the stream of words, nodding now and then. He looked over the pile of items on the counter, recognizing most of them, though he, himself, had little to do with necromancy or cartomancy. He was familiar with the basics of both, but neither had ever really been something he needed in his life.
When Anna asked if he'd pick a card, he hesitated. He wanted to go along with this and let her enjoy herself, but at the same time, there was a lot in his life he had no desire to let her see, and he wasn't certain how good she actually was. The good thing about cartomancy was that, for the most part, readings were general. It took a lot of skill to learn how to read any sort of deep detail in the cars, but even generals were something he wasn't sure he was ready to trust with her.
Then he remembered a small spell, a quick little cantrip he'd learned years ago that deflected most truth-seeking spells and similar things under that umbrella. It wasn't perfect, but it did manage to save him the two times he'd used it before. Maybe it would work on card readings? She'd get to have her fun, and he'd get to keep his privacy.
"Alright," he agreed.
Below the height of the counter and out of Anna's sight, he made a quick little motion with his hand. Mug saw the motion, as intended, and grumbled in annoyance before making a quiet woof. Just enough noise to hopefully distract Anna so she wouldn't see or hear the three-word spell Elk quickly murmured under his breath.
"Easy, Mug." Elk reached out and plucked the baseball card, intrigued by its inclusion. "There we are! What does this tell me?"
When Anna asked if he'd pick a card, he hesitated. He wanted to go along with this and let her enjoy herself, but at the same time, there was a lot in his life he had no desire to let her see, and he wasn't certain how good she actually was. The good thing about cartomancy was that, for the most part, readings were general. It took a lot of skill to learn how to read any sort of deep detail in the cars, but even generals were something he wasn't sure he was ready to trust with her.
Then he remembered a small spell, a quick little cantrip he'd learned years ago that deflected most truth-seeking spells and similar things under that umbrella. It wasn't perfect, but it did manage to save him the two times he'd used it before. Maybe it would work on card readings? She'd get to have her fun, and he'd get to keep his privacy.
"Alright," he agreed.
Below the height of the counter and out of Anna's sight, he made a quick little motion with his hand. Mug saw the motion, as intended, and grumbled in annoyance before making a quiet woof. Just enough noise to hopefully distract Anna so she wouldn't see or hear the three-word spell Elk quickly murmured under his breath.
"Easy, Mug." Elk reached out and plucked the baseball card, intrigued by its inclusion. "There we are! What does this tell me?"
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