The Kettle, on the outside, looked like your average Mom and Pop tea shop. Nestled near a city street corner between an Italian restaurant and book store, it had a white storefront, a dark window with the name and logo in gold lettering, a red door, and a brown hanging sign with the name and logo written in white in the same script as the window.

Inside the shop there was a welcoming, small business feel to it. The wall were pale green with a dark wooden trim, the door were all of the same dark colored wood as was the counter with the register and the glass cases of pastries and small sandwiches. Behind the counter, along with the typical stove, kettles and other items needed to prepare tea, was a large shelf, made from the same wood, filled with cups, saucers, pots, plate, as well as a large number of jars filled with the various tea leaves. Alonng the opposite wall were more shelves, still of that dark down wood, decorated with various tea china from around the world, as well as small containers of tea leaves and other items customers could purchase. There were also several small round tables with white table cloths and chairs around them positioned around the room, as well as a small private tea room in the book used for special events.

All in all it was a nice little place, but sometimes people wondered how the owner manged to keep the Kettle open when there were much larger chains of coffee and tea shops. They didn't know that the Kettle's owner didn't just sell a good cup of tea to regular mortals. She also operated a very successful apothecary, where witches, vampires, and any other member of the supernatural community could buy potions, herbs, ingredients, charms and amulets, and other small magical items. Aggie Brier's real business was thriving, not just because the products were good but because she was reliable and most importantly discreet.

It was just after lunch time, and quite a few people had stopped by that afternoon. Most of them had returned to work or gone home when their lunch hour had finished, and currently her only customers were three elderly human ladies at one of the tables. The three of them were nibbling on tea cakes and sipping chamomile while they gossiped, as they did every week when they came. Aggie was in the middle of restocking the orange cranberry scones, smiling a bit as snippets of the old ladies' gossip found its way to her ears, when she heard the bell above the door jingle. She looked up to see another one of her regulars striding into her shop with an easy grace and a crooked smile. Even if she didn't know him she would have been able to tell on sight that he wasn't one of her human customers.

Ian Moreau's smile was handsome and dangerous as he leaned against the counter. "Hey, Aggie. How've you been?"

"Same as ever," Aggie replied casually as she set down the box of scones. He was charming, like vamps usually were, but she'd known him for too long and she knew him too well. "What about you? Getting into any trouble?"

That made him chuckle. "No more than usual. Got my order?"

"Yep. In the back. Give me a minute." It was a quick trip to the store room and she emerged with a small brown bag that had the Kettle's logo printed on it and the name Moreau written neatly in permanent marker in a corner. Inside were some small drawstring pouches filled with a mixture of herbs, both magical and benign, that were used to cure stomach aches. It was a mixture powerful enough to work on vampires and other non-humans. "For your mom?" she asked curiously as she handed it to him.

"Nah, my sister. She accidentally drank some...thing not so good for her." Ian cast glance over his shoulder at the trio of ladies, as though suddenly aware of them for the first time. He handed over some cash and then dropped the change she gave him into the glass tip jar. He gave her another smile that parents warned their daughters about as he gave her a salute, and Aggie rolled her eyes but couldn't stop from smiling. "Anyway, thanks a lot, Aggie. You're the best in the business."

It was going to be a good day, come hell and high water, at least that was how one Cameron Rogers was thinking, his bright emerald eyes following a pretty brunette number into a small tea shop. A beautiful girl like that couldn't have been human, but every time he got on her trail, she poofed and was gone until he crossed her path again. It was like she was taunting him, and with the recent rise in supernatural attacks against humans, that left humans dead or damn near it, he was looking to find the newer supernaturals in town. And he hadn't seen her before.

Still, he sat, lazily watching from the bus stop across the street. He had seen Ian Moreau head in there just a few moments before the brunette, and welll... Cam was beginning to find the vampire a nuisance. Granted, most of the trouble he got into wasn't severe enough to piss off the council that he had been working for, he had still crossed paths with him more times than he cared to remember.

He finally stood, and he entered the small tea shop, the shop owner being who he wanted to talk to, but the brunette had him intrigued, especially since very few creatures could resist a vampire's natural charm, and she barely passed Ian a glance. "Afternoon, Agnes." He said. He always dropped in around this time if he needed help with whatever he was doing. He'd learned that it was one of her slowest times, so she could actually speak with him.

--

Dahlia Frost. The Siren. She hadn't been discovered as a siren yet, which was good... no one needed to know that she was there and that she would be there for a good long while. That meant she could cause utter chaos when she so chose, but an annoyingly attractive hybrid had been hot on her heels. Luckily, the brunette knew how to handle things like that, and so long as he never got close enough when she was hungry enough, her secret would be safe.

Not like he would die if she sucked out his whole soul, not like humans did... well, humans either just straight died or went insane. She always found a way to cover her tracks though. However, her mind was hazy... she needed more of whatever her favorite tea keeping witch put together to keep the hunger at bay. She had never straight told Aggie what she was, but something told her that she'd figure it out sooner or later if she hadn't already.

Her white, strapless sundress moved with her, the heels of her black pumps clicking against the floor as she entered the Kettle and she leaned against the counter. "Hello there, lovely." She smiled, dropping some cash in the tip jar before placing some more cash near the register. "Sorry I am so late, been a bit... busy." She said, also placing a bag witha to-go box in it.

So, she kissed the witch's ass a bit, but she hadnever been around one that was so willing to help her. "Got you your favorite lunch too." She smiled, running her fingers through her hair as she awaited her order.

Then, cue the annoyingly attractive hybrid, and... well... where did the charming man come from. Oh well, she couldn't be bothered with that. She needed her stuff and to get out rather quickly now.

At least it was becoming apparent to her. Besides, after she took her dose and fed properly, she had chaos to cause.

The bell jingled again as Aggie and Ian were finishing their small talk and they both paused to turn and see the stunning brunette walking through the door. Aggie knew her, of course, since many of the local supernatural scene and had passed through her shop at least a few times. Ian, however, almost seemed to take a step back at the sight of the beautiful stranger. He had also smiled in his charming, vampire fashion, as it was in his nature, but the usually effective smolder barely earned a passing glance from the newcomer as she made her way into the shop and to the counter where Aggie was waiting for her.

Dahlia Frost greeted her with a smile, flattery, and dropping some money in the tip jar. Aggie was ignoring Ian's significant look as she nodded in greeting and thanks. "Hello there yourself, Dahlia. It's a been while. Was getting worried that you found someone else to make your tea." She smiled, making it clear that no such worried actually passed through her mind. The other woman placed a bag with a familiar looking logo on it onto the counter top and Aggie could almost smell the broccoli and beef radiation from the to go box inside. "Aw, you shouldn't have."

Was it ass kissing? Almost definitely. Should she not accept such things from a customer? Maybe not. Was she going to anyway? Yeah, probably. It was just how it was with Dahlia, how they're transactions always had seemed to go. The witch made the tea, the customer showed her appreciation by throwing in a few lunches there, some extra tips here, and other such things. Aggie's teas must have satisfied her a lot because Dahlia always seemed to be trying to make her happy whenever she visited.

Honestly Aggie didn't know much about Dahlia. She had started coming to her shop a while ago and Aggie had known after her first visit that she was some sort of supernatural. It was usually easy to tell since the supernatural community never stopped by the Kettle for the earl grey and Dahlia had known exactly what kid of business Aggie secretly ran. She always ordered the special blend that the witch had concocted for her, and had become a consistent and loyal customer. And that...was about it.

Aggie would have been lying if she said she had never wondered what Dahlia was. During their initial encounter she had thought maybe she was a vampire, but she had quickly eliminated that theory. Now she tried not to wonder about it too much. She had a policy that she upheld with her customers: she didn't ask, and they didn't have to tell. When they purchased items from her they also purchased her discretion. Discretion was, after all, one of her middle names. Alright not really, but it should have been. Aggie couldn't help but have her suspicions as to what Dahlia truly was though. The blend she made her was very strong, and some of the leaves she used in it were meant for rather specific purposes. She used the same leaves in mixtures and potions to suppress thirst for vampires or the craving for the hunt in weres.

Before Aggie could speak up again or move to get Dahlia's order from the store room the bell above the door jingled for the third time and another supernatural entered her shop. This time when she turned to see who it was a neutral mask carefully slipped onto her face. Another regular of hers, but he rarely came in to purchase anything.

Cameron Rogers was trouble. Not that Ian or Dahlia or any of her other customers were trouble or caused trouble or anything like that. But they all had the good sense to leave their troubles at the door and not involve her in them. Cameron was the opposite. The hybrid brought his troubles into the Kettle with him and always tried to involve her in them, dropping in on a regular basis and asking for her thoughts, advice, and help in whatever he was doing for whatever council he was working for. He had actually succeeded in involving her in his work more than she cared to admit, despite the pledge she had made since starting her little business that she would stay out of those sort of affairs. Maybe he was just good at being persistent.

"Afternoon, Agnes."

She was quiet for a brief moment, studying him with her neutral expression before nodding politely. "Cameron." She looked at the three supernaturals in her shop, not remembering the last time so many had been under this roof at one time before. Aggie briefly looked back at Cam before she turned away from him and to Dahlia. "Be right back with your order. and I'll be with you in a minute." That last part was directed at Cam, and she vaguely gestured to one of the tables, resigned to inviting him to sit down.

"I'll see you around, Aggie!" Ian called to her as she retreated into the store room and she gave him a wave as she vanished from sight. The brunette that Aggie seemed to be on good terms with had enticed him to stick around, but as soon as Cameron had showed up he knew it was time to retreat. He had met the hybrid multiple times before and never under friendly circumstances. The vampire glanced over to him briefly before looking back at Dahlia one more time. "See you around," he said nodding casually with a small smile before slipping out of the door.

A few moments later Aggie reemerged with another brown bag with the name "'Frost" written neatly on one of the corners. She was starting to ring up Dahlia's order when the trio of old ladies decided tea time was over. They began bustling out, calling back to her that everything was lovely as usual, Aggie dear, and they'd see her at the same time next week. And Aggie was alone in her shop with her mysterious customer Dahlia and the thorn in her side Cameron.