“I’m new,” Freya said with a charming smile. “Which is why I asked…” Her head tilted a bit. “I was wondering if you knew your way around here pretty well.”
“Ah, makes sense.” Luna smiled sweetly as she listened to the young woman. “Sorry, I kind of live in my own bubble.” She explained with a shrug. “I do actually, I’ve lived here for a while now. Anywhere you want to get Chica?”
Honestly, he was far from in the mood to be dealing with customers. However, this came with the ownership of this place, and it was something he would have to deal with no matter how shitty he was feeling. If a discount was all she needed to satisfy her and to stop any bad reputation, that was easy enough to do.
“That is very unusual. Normally we make sure all our orders as quickly as possible, we rarely have any sort of delay unless we are exceptionally busy, but we always try our best to be efficient. Can I ask when the order was placed? So I can speak with the employees about this.” No doubt it was a slip up with one of the waitering staff, one that could effect the reputation, or at least lose a customer or a small income loss from having to give a free order to make up for the mistake. Not completely disastrous if it was a one off, but one he may have to bring up in future should it continue to happen.
“Please. Allow me to give you the order for free as an apology for this. I’ll make sure one of the waiters refunds the full amount of your order. I’ll make sure this will not happen twice.”
Luna looked down at her slip of paper confirming the order. “It looks like the order was placed a little over half an hour ago.” She nodded as she handed the paper to him. “I’m picking it up, for my boss.” She explained with a shrug of her shoulders. Luna had done this before without any trouble, but she also knew that when you let things go unaddressed it sometimes lead to becoming complacent.
She was surprised when he offered her a refund. But she nodded, and gave a slight smile. “Well that would actually be really great. I’m sure my boss would appreciate that.” Luna nodded her head as she shifted a little nervously. “Do you need the card number or something like that?” She asked as she rubbed the back of her neck. She could always call her boss to get it from him.
She returned the womans smile, her dark eyes sparkling almost, Imogen was the sort of witch who couldn’t just leave a person in need. She watched the woman start to pull the socks on and tugged the other earphone out, playing with the little buds while she stood there. When asked her name, she looked up to meet the womans gaze, “Imogen” she replied simply. Her fingers were still twisting around the earbuds, a trap beat could be heard playing, as she stared evenly at the woman, waiting to see if she would be okay.
Luna smiled up at her. “Imogen, that’s pretty.” She spoke softly as she slowly slipped her broken shoes into her bag. Standing up and looking down at the soft socks she laughed a little. She did look a little silly in all honesty. But at least she would be a bit more protected. She lifted her eyes to meet the dark ones of the woman across from her. “May I ask what it is you are listening to?” She wondered out of curiosity. She didn’t mean to be pushy or nosy, but she was thankful to this person, and striking up a conversation seemed like the least she could do.
Freya looked at the other’s hand in confusion. Was this a land-person greeting? She began to move her other to connect their hands and, since it seems the other wasn’t at all surprised to see her do so, she put her hand on her’s. The only reason she knew to take her hand was that she felt the other’s fingers closing in. Freya followed on and shook her hand only after a moment of realizing that was what the other was doing. “Hi,” she said with a charming smile. “I’m Freya… How long have you been working at the Tap X?” Information. That’s all the young siren wanted. If Luna had been in this town for a long time, she might have known her mother.
Luna registered that she looked a little confused when she stuck out her hand. She wondered if maybe she was unfamiliar with this. Then she wondered if she was some sort of supernatural creature. “Hello,” Luna smiled as she withdrew her hand. “Freya, it’s nice to meet you.” She nodded as she tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear. “Um I’ve been working there for about 3 years now I believe.” She nodded thoughtfully. “How about yourself? I sometimes get lost in my own little bubble.” She admitted in an almost sheepish tone.
“Yes, I have to agree. Though I admit I’m never one to really… initiate conversation if it could be avoided so,” she paused, “I rarely get to meet new people around here unless it’s customers in the bookstore I work at.” Talking out loud, she realised how saddening and lonely that must have sounded to the woman. Laughing at how ridiculous it was she added hastily “I mean, I guess I really am living up to that stereotype of growing old with nothing but cats. I’ve already got two and, that’s enough company… though adopting more animals certainly is still an option.”
Lucy raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her left ear. “Gosh sorry, I can’t believe I’m rambling like that. I can’t say it’s very interesting to hear. I’m Lucy,” she smiled. “At least I know someone in this town now, right?” she spoke with light laughter.
“Oh really?” Luna asked quizzically but still gave a smile. “I suppose sometimes I’m overly friendly. I just like to get to know people.” She shrugged her shoulders looking down at he hands. “Oh, so you work at the bookstore, that is lovely. I’ve been in there a few times, but not enough to be a regular. She explained with a shrug. Luna laughed and shook her head. “Well I see nothing wrong with that. If you are happy and don’t mind looking after yourself who has the right to judge? So you have cats?” She smiled curiously.
Luna listened to her apology and shook her head. “No you are fine, I rather enjoyed your rambling frankly.” She assured her with a firm not of her head. “Lucy, I love that name. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Freya had noticed the other woman leaving the Tap X as the rest of the employees closed it. Instead of walking back to her own home like her co-worker was, the siren took a turn to follow her. She returned a smile, charismatic and calm after the other addressed her. They least she’d been smart enough to realize when someone was following her. “Yeah,” Freya responded casually with a slightly tilt of her head. “I’m, uh, not sure if you noticed… I’m one of the singers at the Tap X. I wasn’t up much today but I did see you. Just thought I’d say hi but you were really busy.”
Luna blinked as she looked at the woman. She hadn’t really talked to any of the singers. Luna was usually buys taking orders and making her rounds. But what was even more surprising was that this woman had followed her down the street in order to introduce herself. “Oh hi,” the petite blonde smile shaking her head as she paused. “Yeah I recognize you, but I guess I just wasn’t expecting an introduction. Hi, I’m Luna,” she smiled as she offered her hand to the other woman.
He was fresh from a fight, but there was hardly any evidence of that on him tonight. Lorenzo had already been worn down by settling the most recent exhibition, and after that he had to deal with getting intel on some drugged up werewolf for Griffin. It was safe to say that today had tried his patience more than usual. When he realized that he was being tailed by someone he didn’t try to lose them. Lorenzo simply stepped into a secluded place, waited for the person to follow him and then dealt with the person there. He might’ve not been able to glamour but he supposed that the way he had snapped the other’s neck was persuading enough. All he wanted to was to give Griffin what he had collected and then go home.
It hadn’t been his intention to fall into step with the nearest person, but when he heard the other speak up he came out from the recesses of his mind and into the present. “Yes, it certainly is,” he said in an even voice.
Luna looked at the man with a slightly puzzled expression. She couldn’t entirely get a read on him. Although something in his body language read as distant. Maybe even tired, the way she often felt after a long day of dealing with customers and and feeling defeated afterwards. She pulled the strap of her bag more on her shoulder as she looked the man over carefully. Debating whether to even bother continuing the conversation.
“Long day?” she finally spoke as she turned her to look straight ahead. She wanted him to have the option to brush her off, especially if he was uninterested in continuing their conversation.
When the girl lifted her head and spoke, Imogen relaxed and the worry lifted from her shoulders. Looking closer, she saw the broken shoe in the woman’s hands and bit her lip. It looked expensive. Looking at the womans bare foot anxiously, her tongue ran across her lip as she thought before swining her backpack round and unzipping it, crouching down and rooting through it. After a minute or so, her hand surfaced clutching a pair of clean, thick socks that she kept in there just in case her steel-toed boots rubbed her feet at work. She zipped the pack back up and stood, her left earphone swinging out of her ear to dangle down the front of her shirt before stepping forwards and offering the socks to the girl wordlessly, thinking that something was better than nothing in this situation.
Luna was quiet, as was the girl. She watched wordlessly as she seemed to shuffle through her bag, before handing her the pair of socks which Luna smiled at, without hesitation. “Thank you,” she managed in a hushed tone. She wondered if this girl was shy. She reached out to take the thick socks form her and ran her fingers along the thick soft fabric. She looked over at the girl as she because to unbunch the fabric and slip them on to her feet. “What is your name? I think I should know it seeing as how I owe you a favor now.”
A day off. Lucy used this time to unwind, or at least she tried to - but today she was having difficulty concentrating on anything, and decided to do some cleaning and laundry. On the way to the kitchen she had discovered she was low on cat food for her two cats, Oscar and Tigress, and groceries. With nothing better to do, she thought she could use the walk - and she retrieved her handbag along with a reusable bag from the kitchen cupboard and made her way out of her apartment. Oscar had followed her to the front door, mewing and rubbing his fur body against the side of Lucy’s right calf as if to say ‘stay’.
“I’ll be back soon, Oscar. Don’t worry,” she spoke softly, heaving her bags over her shoulder and leaning down onto her heels to caress the ginger tabby across the head and behind the ears. As she stepped outside the door, her eyes squinted as they adjusted to the strong ultraviolet rays, not shaded by any cloud she could see. It was a straight path down to the nearest supermarket, and she remained in a daze as she walked almost in auto-pilot down the street. When she heard a woman speak, she did not initially think she was speaking to her until she glanced across and saw her staring with one earphone in her hand.
“Hm?” Lucy did not expect anyone to attempt conversation on her way to the store. “Oh, yes. It is nice. Forgive me for staring into space there - I was surprised you were speaking to me. I mean, people passing by don’t often stop to say hello or make conversation do they nowadays,” she smiled at the woman.
Luna smiled at the young woman and shook her head. “No it’s okay, I do that all the time.” She admitted. Luna was known to get lost inside her own head, allowing her thoughts to carry her away to new places for a while. “I know, it is a little odd talking to strangers. But I always think it is kind of important.” She explained as she slowed down a few paces so that she could walk alongside the other.
“Knowing the people in your neighborhood is sometimes nice.” She shrugged her shoulders as she searched her mind for a better way to explain what it was she was getting at. “I mean when something happens, or rather if something happens, knowing a friendly face is a good idea?” She offered up with a shrug of her shoulders.
The blonde girl leafed her fingers through her hair as she glanced sideways at the other woman. “I’m Luna,” she offered, she was sure this seemed a bit awkward. But meeting new people often was, until they were no longer strangers.
It had been at least five years since his brother’s death, since the end of the rift. Yet he could still remember that war, and the battle that had ended his brother’s life instead of his own. Bad luck cursed Caspian, and it seemed life always made sure that he continue to serve his eternity in hell - this life was a curse, his entire being was nothing more than an omen, and although he embraced and craved death - even death, abandoned him. He was there when it happened. No chance to say goodbye. It was, again, because of him, that his brother fell to the fate of misfortune. It was him, that caused those witches to attack them millenniums ago, him that met that vampire that turned them both into monsters, him that made Callum go into hiding for thousands of years in order to keep Caspian himself from being hunted, him that ended up being the cause of his final death.
He pretended to be unaffected by it, but he had become more reckless still, more promiscuous, more dangerous, more destructive both toward himself and others. The woman’s hips he caressed in the office of The Sweet Oak, was a distraction that failed to fully remove the bitter sweet memory of the first time he was reunited with his brother, and the last. It played constantly in his mind everywhere he went. Another sin etched deep into his skin, and burrowed in his bones. Yet slowly, it was mending, slowly he was removing the memories of his brother from his mind. One year at a time, he was placing the past truly behind him.
With a knock on the door, the woman’s lips suddenly became bitter to his mouth, and he backed away from the girl that was pinned against the desk. “Get out,” he commanded, coldly. He was still drunk from the night before, that much was obvious - and this was the first time he had actually brought some prostitute to his own business. Something he would not be repeating again.What the hell was he thinking? That was the problem. He wasn’t. He already had someone for this, considering he still owned their tails, but he couldn’t be here with him right this second, and at the time while he was most intoxicated, this alternative solution somehow seemed like a good idea to him.
Now that the original owner was out of town however, there was no one telling him to get his act together - though for the majority of the time he remained a sober and relatively civil manager when the one responsible of management was off. He straightened himself out, and as the woman left, there was a quick outline of the stranger standing behind the doorway.He gestured with his fingers for them to enter. “Complaints? Requests? Looking for work?”
Luna had been working a long shift, and it was all going pretty well. She was good as a waitress, and rather trustworthy. She was often sent to run errands for her manager who was unable to leave the bar when they were working. But Luna gladly would run to pick up food, drop off things at the cleaners. Sometimes other tasks that need to be done quickly. She loved doing them, and she always got this sense of pride, the fact that she was asked all together made her smile.
So when her manager came to her and asked her to pick up their carry out meal from Sweet Oaks she was happy to do it. She quickly took down the name and the order on a slip of paper, so nothing would be left behind. She tied up her dirty blonde hair into a ponytail and bounce out the door. Luna was wearing what she usually did for work. A pair of slim fitting black jeans and a rather tight black top. She liked to be covered but still knew that her curves would help her make the good tips.
She walked down the street quickly and when she arrived at The Sweet Oaks to pick up the order she was informed that the order had not been place.
“But it is already paid for...I have the confirmation right here,” she showed the waitress the slip. But she just gave Luna a dead eyed look. “Can I speak to the manager or owner?” The waitress looked at her with wider eyes and looked towards the door.
Luna didn’t wait for any protests or pleads. She walked over and firmly knocked on the door stepping back. She watched as the woman walked out and she snickered a little. Stepping into the office she folded her arms across her chest. “Complaint actually, I’m here to pick up an order, it isn’t ready.” She informed the man as she narrowed her eyes. “I don’t have time to waste so...can I get a discount?”
Luna was walking back to her apartment. A small canvas bag was tossed over her shoulder, it carried a few things the young woman needed through out the week. But it was nothing unusual, she had learned what she needed and what was important to keep in mind to make sure ends were met and she never went above her limits.
The fair haired young woman walked at an even tempo, she listened to the music playing from her head phones, as she often did. This was until she noticed someone walking, matching her tempo but perhaps a few steps behind. She didn’t instantly go on the offense. That was alway a dumb tactic. Instead she removed one of her ear phone and angled her head slight. Offering a warm and friendly smile.
“Nice day isn’t it?” She attempted to make small talk. That was the best way to continue.
Imogen had just finished a late shift at the Sweet Oak, after closing up the kitchen and getting changed out of her chef uniform, she ran a brush through her hair in the staff room and pulled a face at the knots getting tangled. She couldn’t wait for a shower when she got home. Waving goodbye to all the front of house staff as they finished setting up for the next day, she stepped outside into the cool night air and halted for a moment, enjoying the breeze, before making a sharp left and beginning her walk home.
As she walked she listened to music, a hip-hop playlist she’d created on spotify, and browsed her itinerary for the day. She had an early morning appointment with a vampire to strengthen a charm on a piece of jewelery that he owned, and then she was free until 12pm when she started her mid-shift at EEnked. Pondering what to do with herself for the hours in between, her attention was snatched when she noticed someone sat alone on a bench in the park. Worry blanketed her body as she checked the time, it was pretty late, so she altered her course to pass by them, stopping about two feet away and peering at them with slight concern, hoping they were okay.
Luna sighed heavily as she got out of Tap X. It had been a pretty long shift and a few customers giving her a hard time. She tried her best to ignore them and keep her winning smile on. She had learned that her smile was a tool, if she could manage to keep it painted on she was more likely to get tipped. But the tip wasn’t even worth it after some point. She combed her fingers through her blonde hair as she walked.
That was when she heard a snap and stumbled before catching herself. She looked down to see her favorite pair of shoes had snapped at the heal. “Oh this has got to be a joke,” she muttered under her breath as she hobbled over to the nearest bench. She picked up her shoe and turned it over, checking to see the damage. Just as she was doing so someone walked by. Normally she would have smiled but today she just sighed. “Rough night y’know?”
