lovesspell

[lovesspell]

Walking through the picturesque streets of Cardinal Hill, you find ( luis palacios ), the ( 25 ) year old (busboy at Old Mill Diner & clerk at Mabbit's Magician Supply Store) originally from ( Cardinal Hill, WA ). Living alongside them in such a small town, you know that they're ( enthusiastic ) and ( naive ), but what you might not know is that they are a (witch), and that they’re hiding something… ―  xolo maridueña, bisexual, cisgender male, and he/him.

Born & Raised in Cardinal Hill to a family full of witches.

A middle child with an abundance of energy who will do anything for his siblings and his parents. Though he tends to give them a lot of headaches. He usually makes up for it with a smile and snagging a batch of his father's favorite pies and his mother's favorite pastries.

Loves to read and ask questions but did terribly in school because he was always too distracted by something else. It was a miracle he managed to graduate. All of his teachers loved him, they just said he lacked focus. But Luis knows it's just that he lacks real interest. Why would he need to know math when magic could teach him whatever he wants?

His magic is one of the things he's most proud of but it's something he can be a bit reckless with. He's constantly getting scolded by his older sister about misusing his magic and he argues that last he checked no one was making rules.

Luis is a self proclaimed townie, not really desiring life outside of his hometown. Of course he has dreams but he doesn't quite believe in them or himself that much if he were to be honest. Which he rarely is.

Kind of just floating through life. Kind and big hearted but terrible at making logical choices.

Works two jobs so he isn't constantly asking his parents or his siblings for money. Lives in his older sister's spare room because he seems to listen to her more than most people. He also admires her magic and wants to learn from her.

Luis loves people, has lots of friends, loves to be a hype man for the people that he loves. He's definitely a flirt and has probably had some serious relationships since high school. He's a class clown but a decent boyfriend until he eventually does some stupid shit and ruins it.

+more to come as he develops!

[lovesspell]

Location: Pure Leaf Alchemy Starter for @throughtheroots

The first few times Eve had seen her, they thought they were hallucinating. It wasn't an unusual occurrence for Jane to show up in their dreams but they knew this wasn't that. As much as they tried to deny it. They had spent a lot of time avoiding her but as time went on, Eve's curiosity got the best of them. Well that and it felt physically painful to not be able to see their eyes on her when she was so close. Foolish. At least that's what they told themselves.

But today was different, today they stood across the street from Pure Leaf Alchemy, determined to finally go back inside. The nerves in their stomach threatened them with a fierceness, a wave of nostalgia washing over them as they thought about the amount of times they had walked through those doors with Jane right beside them. "Don't be such a baby," they muttered to themselves, looking both ways before finally jogging across the street. Another deep breath with their hand on the door before pulling it open and walking in.

That nostalgia hit even harder and Eve lingered at the door for a moment before their eyes were drawn towards the counter and there she was. "Well, fuck me," Eve muttered, almost being mad at how much their chest ached at the sight of her. They were 40 years old for fucks sake, how did she still have an effect? "You got any sales going on today?" It was the first thing that came to mind and they mentally winced as they got her attention, taking a few steps closer. The absence of her father lingered everywhere and it made Eve soften as they approached and rested their hands gently on the counter. "Hi Jane."

[lovesspell]

Location: Windsor Sporting Goods Starter for @angstfactory

"I'm two seconds away from tearing someone's head off," Eve complained as they bursts into the store looking for Vivek. It was later in the day and thankfully the store wasn't very full though they did earn themselves a very nasty look from a woman there with her daughter. They shrugged in response, instead continuing until they finally found their best friend. "Do you happen to be in the market of adopting a younger brother? He's a shithead but he'd be good at kidsitting," Eve finally puffed out their cheeks and sighed before running their hands over their face. "My brother is driving me crazy, treating the house like he owns it and he was playing his music so loud last night I couldn't sleep. It's like he's going through latent puberty. He tells me it's cause it's part of his meditation but I feel like he's trying to annoy me to death."

Eve finally took a breath, realizing just how heated they were and shook their head. "Sorry, I just needed to get that out, I came because I figured you'd be closing soon and you could accompany me to drown my frustrations in a stack of cheese fries. What do you say?"

[lovesspell]

"Hey if it makes you feel better, I kind of over socialized. I think my parents would have preferred me becoming a doctor," he admitted with a laugh. "But consider this a practice run then. A slow on ramp to being social. I mean the key to it most of the time is energy and interest. Most people love to talk about themselves or their lives or whatever complaint they have for the day. If you're interested and ask questions, it kind of goes for them. I'm not so great at sharing about myself anymore but I try," he admitted. He felt like the more his friends in Cardinal Hill grew on him, the more he was able to open up. Be vulnerable even.

"Yep the same one. What can I say, she's kind of unstoppable," he admitted, a bit of admiration shining through his words as he talked about Koda. Though there was a lot more than a bit, not that he would talk to anyone about it who wasn't her. Xander winced at Brook's story, imagining the injuries. "Sheesh, talk about ambitious. I mean I've actually tried that before, jumping off a roof into a pool," he admitted. "But the pool was deep and the distance was small. You gotta know what you're doing."

Since they had met, Brook and Xander had always gotten along, so he told himself to just relax. And Xander was being really understanding about all of Brook’s quirks. “I know it seems silly to say this as a 43 year old, but I don’t think I ever really knew how to socialize, not well. In high school, I was…” Brook trailed off, not wanting to reveal too much, so he finished, “Involved with a bad crowd. And then I went from college to med school to residency to being a surgeon, and I just never had time to learn the social skills I missed out on. Now that I have time, well…I’m learning how much I need to catch up on.” Brook felt a bit like a kid who’d been homeschooled his entire life and was suddenly thrust into a school with other students, how jarring that would feel to try and adjust. 

“Wait,” Brook said, “are you telling me you helped the same person? They might want to think about not climbing trees anymore. Or at least ones that aren’t as high.” Brook laughed, taking his beer when it arrived. He clinked his glass against Xander’s, feeling more relaxed now. “Well, I had a guy that somehow shot himself in the leg with a nail gun,” Brook told Xander, “and another who broke his leg trying to jump off of his roof into his pool. He didn’t quite make it.” Again Brook laughed, adding, “I guess even Cardinal Hill has its fair share of stupid people.” 

[lovesspell]

The touch of her hand in his made him feel both grounded and like he was lifting off of the floor at the same time. He felt himself blush again, laughing as he held up his hands to show his innocence. "What can I say, you woke up the party guy in me, I put him into retirement about a decade ago," he joked but it was pretty much the truth. It was part of why he barely had more than two drinks if it was liquor, anything beyond that and he knew that motor would turn on like a superhero putting on their mask. "But you know, I'm also kind of an acoustic guy," he admitted. The diner was still empty and Xander felt like he and Fallon were in their own world, despite the staff still very much there in the kitchen. He walked over to the jukebox and glanced over the choices before he found there right one.

In a few seconds, the opening note of the song he had picked started to fill the space. The sound of the guitar always hit him right in his chest, making him feel a wave of nostalgia. He hummed softly to the melody, swaying by himself for a moment before he held out his hand to her. "May I have this dance Ms. Cooper? I promise I don't have two left feet."

⋆⋆ ★ ⋆⋆

Fallon's features scrunched at the idea, imagining her in that gaudy yellow showed clearly on her face. It twisted in uncertainty but she tried to put on a semblance of a smile for Xander. Not everyone had the same ability to look good in that attire the way he did. In fact, she might've even argued that he looked attractive in his bunker gear. That wasn't attire that suited everyone and Fallon would rope herself into that category too. "Maybe I'll stick to the singin' and you stick to the savin'." That was what they seemed to be better at, not that anyone except her shower heard her voice as of late. It used to be something that defined her and now she'd forget if it weren't for the encouragement of her mother. Even though it was the woman's illness that kept her daughter planted in Cardinal Hill, Fallon was often requested to serenade her with the encouragement to one day sing for the masses, if it were only that simple.

This performance was needed, maybe even more than she knew. Something felt right when she danced around the diner without a care. That was where the world couldn't hurt her. When Xander joined her the blonde was quick to reach out for his hand, moving his arm as if to loosen up rusty bolts. The final note brought his praise to which she bowed theatrically before motioning for him to do the same, Fallon taking over the clapping. "I didn't know you had that in you," the girl replied with an arched eyebrow. "What else are you hidin' from me?" A joke but curiosity unlocked after seeing him begin to let loose.

[lovesspell]

[lovesspell]

"How about if anything needs fixing you give me a call first, huh? Save you the money and the headache. I have a pretty high success rate when it comes to being handy." One of the few things his father had taught him but he pushed that thought away quickly. He was enjoying this afternoon and he didn't want to ruin it with things he worked hard not think about. "Like I said, I might just have to go chat with your maintenance person. Give 'em a hard time about fire codes and shit," he added with a laugh. It he could use his height and build for some good then he would, he wasn't above some friendly intimidation.

"Yeah of course. I mean I really just wanted to help you have a good afternoon off, doesn't matter where." He liked the idea of being able to give her an easy day after she spent all day listening to other people's problems. "About me? You sure you wanna know stuff?" He was joking mostly to diffuse how hard it felt to talk about himself but Nell had a way of making it feel a little easier. He supposed that was why she did the job she did.

"I don't have pets, no. I love dogs but I didn't want to make one be cooped up in the trailer when I'm at work. Though I have been trying to campaign or our chief to lets us have a dog at the firehouse," he admitted. He was quiet for a second but the wine had already gone straight to his head so he felt himself loosen up a bit, be a bit more willing to talk to her than just keeping to himself. "Let's see uh, I didn't always want to be a firefighter, it kind of just became the best option. Now I love it. I love being helpful, useful. Makes me feel like I turned a new leaf," he paused to sip more wine before continuing. "I used to get in a lot of trouble when I was younger. Mostly for not showing up for class, drinking and partying way more than I needed to, I uh was in a frat in college," he admitted with a bit of a blush. He hadn't even talked to Felix about his time in the frat. "Omega Psi Phi, which actually does a lot of great community work, I was just I don't know, always more interested in the parties. Anyway, I haven't talked to anyone about that in a long time,not sure why I just did," he admitted and rubbed the back of his neck. "You're just really easy to talk to."

He drank more wine before sitting back in his seat, his face already feeling hot. "What about you? Enough about me and my regrets."

"I'm thinking about getting a manual out about how to fix these things and just do it myself." She laughed softly, trying to hide any annoyance she felt at the situation. A hot apartment was not ideal. When getting dressed this morning, Eleanor didn't plan on taking off the sweater until much later in the day, only wearing a white undershirt and no other support. The cool breeze coming from the open windows made this even more obvious. Instead of running into her room and putting on a bra, she just stood there with Xander, allowing this moment to be whatever it may be. He made her feel comfortable in both her body and feelings, always listening to her the same way she did with clients, and she'd be lying if she didn't find his attention exhilarating. For a few years, she shied away from everyone's affection, even her own. The betrayal still lingered from her past relationship, stunting growth, but here she was, vulnerable and unafraid. Excitement bloomed in her chest when he looked at her. Nell had to hold herself still as he did, the sensation causing a tingling chill to crawl up her spine.

Turning to face the bottle and glasses, she took a deep breath and did her best to pour the pink liquid into the foggy cups. Somehow, despite all the heat and flustered feelings, Nell managed to not cause any spillage before looking back at him. "I am not the type of person who is going to shame someone for the giggles." She watched him closely, trying so hard not to stare, but when he lifted his shirt, she couldn't help but hold her gaze. When he walked to the thermostat, only then was she able to come back to earth. Taking a deep breath, she silently thanked the heat because it made it impossible for Xander to tell if she was blushing or not. "If it isn't fixed by tomorrow, then I will probably just have to take the day off and bother them until they fix it."

Sitting down, her fingers laced around the cold stem of the wine glass. The apartment was now at a more mild temperature, but it was hard to tell with her body so aflame. A grin on her face as he sat in front of her and held his own up. "I'm flattered." Nell felt as if she was on a rollercoaster; every time his skin brushed hers, she'd feel that same sensation of being at the top of the lift, but she had no idea when they'd drop. "Thanks for being so cool with the change of plans..." Her voice trailed off, still wanting to know more about the man before her. "So, Xander, tell me more about you. Do you have any pets? I was thinking of adopting a cat, but not sure where to start." She wanted to ask him deeper questions, but also didn't want to scare him off. Taking another sip of her drink, she did her best to keep her cool, hoping that the wine would soon give her more courage.

[lovesspell]

Shawn had forgotten he was standing there so long until someone spoke to him and he jumped for a second, pushing his headphones down to his neck. "Oh uh, neither do I," he admitted, looking at her for a moment. He was pretty sure he didn't have enough money to actually get any seafood but it was nice to think about. He had become used to this routine, roaming around the supermarket like he was window shopping. He'd pocket a few things where he could but the more he stayed in this town, the more he felt like he'd get caught if he wasn't careful. "I hear their salmon is good," he offered, having no evidence to back that up but it felt like something someone who bought salmon would say. "You uh, cooking for yourself or for a group?"

CLOSED STARTER: @lovesspell (Shawn). LOCATION: Hometown Grocers.

Candace had a few things she needed to get, so she found herself in Hometown Grocers after work to stock up. She preferred fresh produce, as she really valued her health. A side effect of knowing so much about biology, she supposed. Having a craving for some kind of fish dish, she made her way over to the fish counter and weighed out her options. "Why don't you go ahead of me?" She said, to a man behind her. "I still don't know what I'm going to get."

[lovesspell]

"Oh absolutely. Olive, and a big K on it, I'll make sure my designer gets the notes," he told her with a smirk. "Yeah? You think I can sell people on rentals? I mean I've only seen so many movies," he admitted. "But I don't know, as gross as it is, the community center is kind of growing on me. But if you have part time gigs, I definitely don't say no to some extra cash." Maybe then he could get some actual furniture for his place. "Yeah I hear you on that. Kind of makes you curious enough that you want to stay," he admitted. "I've also lived a lot of places. Look at that, another thing we have in common. We gotta be careful here or we might actually become friends." Shawn hadn't had many actual friends in his life as other people did and he wasn't sure he could be a good friend. But he was sure that he could drink coffee with Koda in the woods and feel at peace. That felt like start. "Then again, that might mean I need to get my own cape if I'm friends with you. Or I don't know something fit for a sidekick. A nice hat. Anything but tights."

༝༝🔪 ༝༝

"Could you get a big K on it too? I think that would be pretty siiick," she asked with a waggle of her eyebrows as if to entice him with her suggestion. "Olive green sounds perfect." That might've been her favorite color but sky blue was at a close second. Koda wondered if she'd told him that or if he just so happened to say it. Either way, her contentment was sealed with a nod. "I like it black usually unless I'm feeling wild," the blonde laughed, a change in coffee order being one of the more minute things she did. The sound only continued as he explained the day he'd had, not laughing at him but at the reality of the unpleasant situation. In these moments Koda was glad the worst she had to do was rewind everyone's tapes because almost no one bothered to. "I don't know how you do it. Maybe you should apply to come to work with me at the video store." A suggestion she didn't intend on him taking but gave for his consideration. The silence that a hot cup of coffee brought was unmatched. She hummed softly, breathing in one of her favorite scents. "I get you," Koda replied with her eyes on the horizon. "That's why it's so nice out here." They both understood that about the forest which was part of how they connected in the first place. "You know, it's grown on me. I've lived a lot of places but there's something about this weird little town."

[lovesspell]

"Bullshit, you'll totally bring it up at least two more times but that's okay, it's deserved. I should be more devoted to you," Lupe told her with a dramatic sigh before blowing her a kiss. "The chances of me breaking another wine glass is high so really I think it's best for everyone that I don't really use them. I don't need to step on another piece of glass," she added with a shiver, a memory from her time in a hospital in the middle of Turkey flashing to her mind and she quickly pushed it away.

Lupe was grateful that Tessa took her seriously and she leaned back against the couch cushions to listen actively to her best friend. "You'd make a hot firefighter. Probably pull of yellow better than most of them." The more Lupe listened, the more she knew she hated whoever this assistant was. She was already mapping out free time in her day when she could stop by the store to see what was going on with her. "You want me to beat her up? Actually, I'm not even asking, I'm beating her up. Like does she think she's in high school?" Lupe rolled her eyes, probably getting more heated than she needed to but she took Tessa's well being very seriously.

But her mood quickly changed, her smile growing as Tessa talking about the father and daughter she had played fairy godmother for. "Look at you, modern day superhero. I know all of the Cardinal Hill prom cuties are singing your praises right now. You're a life changed, my best friend, the saint," she told them with complete sincerity. Lupe wished she could have a talent that actually helped people. "You thinking of taking any time off this summer? We could take a little trip," Lupe told her, wiggling her eyebrows as she took more sips of her wine.

Tessa laughed so much that a snort escaped. As per usual her mind visualised the entire scenario, down to the disapproving frown. “Okay, you’re forgiven,” Tessa happily sighs, while dabbing at the corner of her eyes with the pads of her fingers. “Oh for sure!” she agrees, “I can picture him now– cliché appearance, and thinking that his choice is groundbreaking or something.” In her time at Cardinal High School her drama teacher was a woman that had a decent career in the performing arts before deciding to teach. The last she heard of Mrs Dichen was that she moved to New York. 

“You mean, aside from sitting by the phone like a teenager waiting for your call?” Tessa snickered, she couldn’t help herself. “That was the last one, I swear!” Tessa held up her hand like a scout, when she was anything but. “Mine too, but I kind of feel like she would expect it and just not bother to argue with me about it.” Tessa brought her wine filled mug to her lips for a sip. 

“Alright, so my day turned out to be so chaotic. I felt like I was running around and putting out fashion fires all day. Hm, maybe I should have been a firefighter.” Distracted, she thought about it, but then immediately forgot about it when thinking about the dangers. “First, the store owner’s new assistant misplaced my sketches for the new summer lineup, then tried to push the blame on me.” Luckily, Tessa never actually submits her first drafts to the store, so she’s always in possession of ‘backups’, but the new girl doesn’t know that. “I secretly think she’s out to get me, but I can’t prove it aside from me just not vibing with her." Sighing, she takes another sip of wine. "Like, if she wants to be a designer, work your ass off like I did, don’t try to oust me from the entry level position, that you just got,” Tessa rolled her eyes, then sipped some more wine.

“Anyways, so after dealing with the new girl and her nonsense, this dad and daughter duo came in with a prom dress they brought elsewhere a month ago. The girl was so crushed about the fit, and clearly panicking, plus the dad was at his wits end– they were a mess.” Tessa lived for moments like that where she got to swoop in and play fairy godmother. Bonnie’s even markets her alteration and custom services for prom under that theme, and Tessa loves nothing more. “I loved being able to put her at ease and transform that monstrous purchase into a gown that they both could appreciate.”

[lovesspell]

"I mean is it really competition if they have food and we don't?" Lupe laughed at the idea of her doing food prep and being trusted to serve someone their lunch. "But Brutus is kind of a badass name so I'll go with it. See, you love me, though you did really great with that stern voice this time. So much improvement, I almost actually got scared," she teased and gave his shoulder a squeeze. She wasn't totally oblivious to how annoying it must have been to have her as an employee but at this point she had accepted herself as she was and the best she could do was be as transparent with Copper as she possibly could be. "Oh, Lori, of course. But I hear she has a girlfriend so that's not as fun," she told him with a shrug.

"I promise I'll stay and close tonight, and come in early tomorrow. Okay well I can't promise that second part but doesn't mean I won't try." She moved to stand properly behind the counter so she could be ready if someone came in. Still, she was clearly interested in catching up with Copper as she wrapped her arms around her coffee cup and smiled at him. "And how was your weekend? Any fun parties or crazy times?" She knew what the likely answer was but that didn't stop her from asking.

Lupe was late - again. If she weren't such a damned good barista - and if Copper weren't such a laid back sort of boss - he probably would have done something about it by now, but that was the part of running a business that Copper felt weakest at. He wanted to be friends with his employees, wanted them to like him, so when it came time to talk to them about their negative qualities, he...well, dropped the ball a little. But did he? Apart from being late - frequently late - Lupe was his star employee. "Late and fraternizing with the competition?" Copper asked, pretending to be indignant, hands on his hips. "This is a betrayal of the deepest order, Lupe," Copper said even as he took the bag from the barista. "I might as well start calling you Benedict Arnold or Brutus." Obviously Copper was just kidding. Lupe knew full well that he was actually more of a coffee guy, only The Ceramic Cup hadn't been for sale when Copper had moved here, so here they were. And she knew the treats he liked from the coffee shop. "Luckily bribery goes a long way with me," Copper said, reaching into the bag and taking out a cookie, biting into it. "And which barista was it this time?" he asked after taking a bite, his voice muffled by the mouthful of cookie.

Even though this was a lot, this was pretty typical Lupe, and secretly Copper found it endearing. Plus it helped that not only was she not above bribes, she really was good at her job. "Well I handled a rush without you," he said, coughing slightly; he really shouldn't talk while eating. "I will of course be keeping all of the tips from that time frame," he added, though Lupe would know he was kidding - Copper never kept the tips. "As you can see by the empty shop, things have settled down now."

[lovesspell]

Athena's Wardrobe Aesthetic

[lovesspell]

"That's pretty sweet. I might have to actually go there now, take a workshop or something. Let everyone know that they have a gift in having you work there," she added with a wink, taking any moment she could to try to celebrate Jackie. They were different in a lot of ways but it was part of what made Lupe like and care about her so much. Even in all of her chaos, she helped give Lupe perspective. A reminder that there were always other choices even if she kept making the same ones. "Well shit, I don't think that's her job but you know, she could be a bus driver for all I know. Or a secret agent. High powered CEO. The mystery of women," she added with a dramatic sigh.

"Oh I would have also felt ancient. Of course you like butterscotch, I'm gonna have to start keeping them around. I've found a few small delis that sell them. Either that or one of those big chain pharmacies they have in the city." Lupe tried not to roll her eyes at the mention of a hike because it wasn't a bad idea, she just knew that it would require her exerting a type of physical energy she preferred to use in other areas of her life. "A hike? Can I bring my flask?" It was a joke mostly and she smiled. "Count me in, do we have to get up at the ass crack of dawn or something?"

Jackie snorted softly as Lupe spoke. “Well, that’s something at least,” she agreed dryly. She supposed part of it was simply down to the way she had been raised — by avid readers, in a house full of books, not to mention in an environment where academics took top priority. “In any case, libraries are about more than books. Just this afternoon we held a workshop helping people improve their resumes.” She smiled faintly. “So if she’s ostensibly needed a job in the past few years, well, who knows? Maybe I helped her and I remember because she had a unique job. My mother had a friend who worked as a prison guard, and he knew a serial killer from South Carolina.” 

She gave another quiet laugh, shaking her head. “So far, I’ve been spared that,” she said. “I think children might be a little intimidated by me. A little eighth grader called me ma’am the other day, and I felt just about ancient.” She laughed a little and shrugged. “I don’t mind butterscotch,” she said. “It reminded me of my grandmother. Although she liked those strawberry candies, too. I’ve never actually been able to find them in the stores.” She couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose at the mention of parties. She didn’t really mind library functions or work parties, but she doubted that was the type of thing Lupe meant to invite her to. “Oof,” she sighed softly. “I don’t know. Hike, maybe?”

[lovesspell]

Lupe's Wardrobe Aesthetic

[lovesspell]

"Sorry, were you saying something? I got kind of distracted thinking of you in that hat and button up. Is it hot up here? I think it's hot," he said with a laugh, making a motion as if he was fanning himself off. Honestly he hadn't expected what was transpiring between the two of them. It felt so silly to be shy around someone who had already seen him naked but here he was. It felt like in a way, Koda had accessed a part of him that he hadn't quite let anyone into in Cardinal Hill and that made him feel vulnerable.

"I'm sure you would have," he told her with complete sincerity. He could understand already that Koda had no problem getting by on her own. But it didn't mean he still couldn't be there. "Oh I know exactly where I'd fly to. I've always wanted to go to New York. I'd give anything to see the Knicks play at the Garden," he admitted. He kind of felt that New York City would probably overwhelm him but that didn't make him want to go any less. "Maybe. I hope we do someday," he admitted. Maybe being this high up was just making him more sentimental.

"Alright, I'll set my watch then." He looked down again, retracing his steps with his eyes as he thought of all the best places to place his feet. "Okay, best option, you gotta wrap your arms around me like a Koala. I'll hold you, promise, just," he shifted so he could stand fully in front of her. "Wrap your arms and legs around me and I'll get us down, okay? Promise."

༝༝🔪 ༝༝

He wasn’t wrong but Koda couldn’t let him have it that easily. Their situationship made it clear that there was a physical attraction, she couldn’t give up her bit without more of a fight. “I don’t know, I kind of think it would look good with my skin tone, especially if I got one of those button-downs.” The outfit was already forming in her head, knowing it would never come to fruition. Halloween might’ve been her best bet but even then, Koda usually had another whole new crazy idea by then. It was her favorite holiday, always had been, and she took it very seriously. Maybe it was to opportunity to be someone she wasn’t or that the occasion provided a day when everyone felt that they could be their true self. “You would look pretty fit,” she eventually conceded with a waggle of her brow. For being as attractive as he was Koda thought Xander to be on the shy side or at least humble enough to not realize the obvious.

The kitten had been her priority, never considering her own stake in the game. That was how Koda functioned. Things were rarely planned out to the extent they should have been, but one way or another, the job got done. "I would've figured it out," the blonde replied with a shrug. To her, it hadn't been a problem but to anyone else, it was an apparent situation she'd gotten herself into. A smile formed at the story he revealed and similar memories came flooding back. There was a time when she was happy before her childhood was tainted by the truth. "No way. I used to want to fly too, didn't know where, but I would've done anything for that view," she reminisced with a click of her tongue. Times had changed. "Maybe one day we'll sprout wings." A delusion she indulged in for the moment, giving him a gentle nudge with her knee and a smile growing to fill her cheeks. Then Koda returned to reality where they couldn't stay in the tree to overlook the town for the rest of the day. "Only for the next ten minutes though," the girl teased before giving a nod of approval. "So I guess that means we're in." Even if the kitten had no say in the matter, she decided they were of one mind with more involvement than only napping in her jacket pocket.

[lovesspell]

Xander's Wardrobe Aesthetic

[lovesspell]

"I don't really know what to think," he admitted, "Though to be fair I only started actively thinking like two years ago," he joked. "Honestly, I mostly feel like there's some big secret I'm missing out on but I can't tell if that's just me being paranoid." He felt comfortable admitting that to Neylani. Not just because she was pretty much his mentor but because he trusted that she would always be honest with him. "Maybe it's just the change in seasons, you know? Like the world's PMS," he joked, actually laughing a bit more at his own joke. "Sorry, result of growing up with three sisters."

"Yeah? You think so?" The fact that she believed in the idea made him actually believe in and he perked up a bit. "I mean many people don't know this about me but I am pretty good when it comes to a grill. I think I could handle grilling for the masses. What do you think we'd need to get that done? Some kind of permit or something?"

He gave her a little salute before he headed inside to get their coffees and a few pastries since he couldn't help himself and he had been curious about the frosted pecan cinnamon bun. As he waited, he stuffed his pockets with enough sugar it was kind of ridiculous to him but he wasn't about to disappoint his Lieutenant. He thanked the barista for the order and carefully balanced the coffee in one hand as he held the paper bag of pastries in the other.

"They told me they were gonna start charging me for sugar packets," he teased as he hand her the coffee tray through the window before climbing back inside. "I also may have gone a little wild with the pastries but I couldn't help myself. I am weak when it comes to a sweet treat."

"Don't you think?" Ney shielded her gaze briefly to get a clear look of Xander, in a rare moment of self-doubt. The woman was usually so sure and confident, bit of a hardass actually, and tough as nails, to boot. She was able to flatten most the men on the team without breaking a sweat, too, thanks to that former marine training. Yet here she was, looking to another in a moment of vulnerability about something she didn't quite know how to explain, let alone even talk about. But now that Xander had confirmed her unverbalized suspicions that something strange was going on in Cardinal Hill lately, she was inclined to sniff out what else he thought on the matter. "I thought maybe it was just me," Ney said, trying to sound casual as she climbed up to her seat and buckled in, "but there's been something heavy.. I don't know how to describe it... Like there's trouble not far off."

The other night, she had even witnessed what appeared to be a certain kind of darkness to the moon. It wasn't exactly a good omen. Her family usually interpreted such things as trouble looming.

"Ooh, a cookout," Ney brightened at this idea, because maybe the guy was right. Maybe the townspeople did need some excuse to let loose and relax. "That would be a lot of fun actually," she agreed, shooting a smile his way. "Could be just the thing we all need." And it just so happened, that Neylani was an expert at event organization, too. The damn woman had her hand in almost anything there was to have a hand in around town; she was connected, and she was busy.

She leaned out the window to address him, "The usual, black and bring lots of sugar packets. And I mean lots."