General Plot

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In a quaint little town seemingly forgotten by others is filled with activity. While they all have the hustle and bustle by the locals and the few historic sites that attract some tourists. Yet alongside the locals there is a hidden crowd, a paranormal one. They enjoy their lives in seeming anonymity with the mortal crowd. For this crowd there is one spot that is a favorite.

A little coffee shop that not only sells good food and drink, but also works on potions and wares. Run by witches that keep an eye on the small town and keep everything running smoothly. Yet it's not all wonderful. There is a darkness lurking amongst the dark shadows. Whispers of something foul and evil is on its way through the horizon. So it's all hands on deck in keeping the peaceful town peaceful, as it should be.

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Ru turned the silver urn in her gloved hands, studying the intricate engravings through the bruise-colored tarnish that dulled the old work of art. The floral motif tooled into the somewhat polished silver was indicative to a Rococo design yet it was conservative, not as ornate as more museum worthy pieces. She lightly passed a cloth over the urn, cleaning it up from it’s wash removing as much water as she could. When she felt she had removed the most she could with the cloth she placed it down carefully. Cracking fists, Ru lightly touched the twin bracelets in either hand.

‘Aero’. The sorceress in training invoked, as wind lightly passed through her fingers concentrating by her hands. With careful movements, guiding the air to the urn she dried it. ensuring no water stayed with it. Pleased with herself she lifted the wheel of the yagen by her side, and with a spoon began to scoop up the peppermint that she had grind finely.

Filled, she returned the urn to its place in the shelf, grabbing a large glass jar and shaking it a few times before putting it back. A low yawn left Ru as she moved through the basement, making her way to an opened book. She recorded her tasks dutifully onto the old tome. Closing and putting it away when done, Ru moved onto her next task checking up on the large ovens situated on the other side. It looked like the timer was still working with thirty minutes left.



Sympathy for the Devil suddenly blurted out causing Ru to jog lightly to the discarded phone. Looking at the alarm and the time; 6:00 am “GET UP TO WORK” blaring on her phone screen. She groaned noticing that she pulled an all nighter again. Grumbling to herself over how idiotic she was for losing track of time she made her way to the bathroom. There were cubbies with different labeled boxes and she grabbed the one that had her name on it. Inside was a change of clothes so she wouldn’t be at work with the same stuff as yesterday. Half assed she removed her clothing to take a quick shower and all other necessities. Getting dressed was an easy chore afterward as she arranged her hair with her bangs forming a braid and the rest of her blue hair forming wavy locks.

Phone in hand she went upstairs, organizing trays of cookies, Madeleines, and other small pastries down. She still had a couple of minutes for the coffee cakes and muffins to finish baking. Apron on, she also started preparing the coffee makers and heating up water to make the gallons of sweet tea. Ten minutes passing Ru walked to the door unlocking it while still keeping the ‘we are closed’ sign facing the world. Grabbing a cup of coffee she made herself she yawned knowing today was going to be a long one.

The day progressed quickly, even though she had to endure her least favorite class. She never did like math. but it seemed today it seemed more excruciating to stay cooped up in a classroom trying to earn her grades for a subject she didn't really need. Eliza took notes diligently as the professor went on with her ongoing lecture until it finally came to a close. It was odd how those fifty minutes could go fast enough. She held back a groan of exasperation and began packing her stuff.
Eliza let go of the classroom's door as she held her touch screen phone with her mouth to keep putting her stuff back into her purse. Once she was done, she saw the nearest elevator was about to close. She let out a startled squeak as she hurried to the closing metal door and finally pressed the button to open them again and let out a sigh of relief as she entered the small and somewhat crowded area. She saw a few of her classmates from her College Algebra class were there and waved at them shyly while they waved back. Once the elevator stopped, it opened its doors to let in the steamy hot air she'd been dreading today. Eliza cringed slightly and exited, masking her horror at how hot it was today.
If only I could do something about this, she thought to herself, shaking her head in disappointment.
Her phone started buzzing, interrupting her thought. She lifted her phone to see a picture of her grandmother and her name while the phone was waiting for its owner to answer the incoming call. She touched the screen where it said Answer, tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear and lifted her phone next to her face.
"Good morning, Grams," she said. "How did you sleep?"
"A lot better with the medicine the doctor sent me. Oh, it's more suitable than the rubbish he sent me before, always left me quite knackered during the day," Elizabeth's English accented voice murmured into her granddaughter's ear. "Are you done with classes already, dear?"
"Yeah, thank god," she scoffed. "I hate Algebra so much, it's like learning a new language. It's like Latin or something. Nobody understands it but me, and even I have a hard time with it." She took a moment to look at her phone's screen, which automatically lit up and showed the details of the call, and looked at the time. "It's still pretty early, so I can get Brent to take me back to the bakery so I can help you out, okay?"
"All right then, sweetheart. I'll see you at home. I do suppose you'll fancy a nice cup of tea when you get home, so it'll be ready. I'll make sure to save some food for your friend."
"Please and thank you," Eliza smiled as she touched End on her phone.
She could already see a familiar looking black Mercedes parked in front of the pick-up area where the buses usually stopped to drop off or pick up people. A man around her age was already outside of the car, waiting for her. He leaned his back against the passenger door, his arms laced across his chest while holding his phone, visibly sliding his finger upward. His legs were crossed, his left foot tapping anxiously on the concrete lightly. He lifted a hand to pass it through his jet black hair to keep it out of his eyes, which were covered by a pair of mirrored sunglasses.
Eliza was about to comment on his odd, early arrival, but she saw something he was wearing that made her somewhat disgruntled.
"Are you serious?" She snapped, clacking her shoes with her hasty pace until she reached the car. "A leather jacket in this weather? It's like, eighty-five degrees right now, without a single cloud in the sky. How are you not rotting inside that thing?"
The man's sunglasses fell a little when his head snapped up to see Eliza walking towards him, revealing his light blue eyes. He looked confused, looked at what he was wearing, and sighed. "Hello to you too, your Majesty," He said with a smirk.
Eliza squinted her eyes into a glare. "I'm not an idiot, I know what you're referring to. It's not funny."
"Well, maybe if it bothers you so much, I should call you that every day." Brent said, smiling while sliding his sunglasses back in place and going to back to browsing the Internet on his phone.
Eliza snatched it away in a second.
He only looked amused. "Okay, Eliza. Give my back my phone and nobody gets hurt."
Eliza shook her head. "No can do, you have to get inside your car first." She said, smiling smugly. She placed the phone directly on her palm face up and turned her hand as if she were going to drop the phone.
Brent let out startled yelp when he realized nothing fell. He looked at the hand Eliza had his phone on and found it had disappeared.
"Wait, what?" He backtracked. "Where did you put my phone?"
"It vanished into thin air," Eliza voice was marred with sarcasm as she showed him her other hand, turned it around and back to reveal Brent's phone.
He froze for a second as he considered what he saw, slowly taking off his sunglasses. "How did you do that?" He demanded, surprised at Eliza's trick.
"Magic," Eliza replied. It was the first time she said something so completely true about who she was. "My Gramps taught me a few tricks before he died and he was always pretty good with magic. It was amazing that I learned what he learned to do."
"Uh... huh," said Brent, still a little stunned. "How about we go to your store before my head explodes?" He said, opening the car door for Eliza so she could get in.
"Let's hope you don't pull that disappearing trick on me someday," Brent murmured to himself.
"Did you say something?" Eliza looked up, away from her phone's screen so she could pay more attention to her friend.
Brent smiled and shook his head. "It's nothing," he said as he sped off.

---

As soon as the car drove up to a parking space near the store, she let out a sigh. "Thanks a lot for the ride," Eliza said as she began to gather her things. "Are you coming inside? I'm sure Grandma has some things for you ready."
"Sure, but I shouldn't get too comfortable." Brent exited the car and met Eliza at the bakery's entrance. "I'm going to go play basketball with a couple of friends."
Eliza grinned. "Maybe I should join you. You'll need a referee, right?" She shook her head dismissively.
"Wouldn't be too bad. We never had a referee before," said Brent, glancing for the first time at what Eliza was wearing. "You might want to wear something else so you don't distract the players," he said, smiling in amusement.
Eliza smacked him lightly on the shoulder before grabbing the handle of the shop's door.
The bell on the bakery's door sounded as the door opened. It was a small, quaint, and elegant place. The walls were colored canary yellow with different shades of the color in the beautiful furnishings spread throughout the place, like a restaurant. There was a large display right in the center of the store. Different pastries lied in wait behind the clear display window to be bought by loyal customers who eagerly came to eat these delicacies, along with plenty of shelves behind the counter to show off their freshest types of breads. It also had a few potted plants nearby, hanging from the ceiling as their vines grew to descend exquisitely while flowers adorned the greenery.
Eliza heard the ringing of the cash register and turn to find her grandmother counting the money.
"Hi, Grams!" She skipped over to kiss her grandmother on the cheek.
"Why, hello sweetheart," Elizabeth greeted her granddaughter warmly with a hug. "I see you brought Brent with you. Would you like some lunch?"
"Sure, Mrs. Beaumont, I'm starving!" Brent enthused, putting his hands behind his head.
"All right then, go wash you hands and I'll get things ready here." Elizabeth said, taking a fresh batch of Scones from the oven.
"Okay, Grams," Eliza complied.
"Sure," said Brent, pushing Eliza gently to the bathroom.
"Hey! Ease up or I'll break your nose, got it?" Eliza's voice echoed to the front of the bakery.
Elizabeth shook her head in amusement as she set a table for both of them to eat.
As soon as they made their way to the small green room, they headed towards the sink. Brent got started in washing his hands while Eliza began to empty her purse to look for her make up.
"Seriously?" Brent demanded. "What do you need make up for? Are you planning on going out again?"
"No, you idiot." Eliza scoffed, smacking him lightly on the head. "I was sweating like a pig out there. It's so weird, I don't understand why it's so hot today. Today's forecast was supposed to be a little chilly at seventy-five degrees." She complained as she used a medium-sized brush to apply the make up onto her cheeks and forehead. "I mean, look at me! I look like a birthday cake with so much foundation on! I can't believe it's eighty-eight degrees now!"
Brent let a few chuckles escape while Eliza punished him by elbowing him in the ribs.
"Ow." He said sarcastically.
"Okay, whatever." Eliza said as she began to put away her make up. "I'm done, now let's go eat."
The two of them left the bathroom in a hurry, hoping the food was still warm.

"Once again I would like to say congratulations on your baby on behalf of the shop." Willa spoke sweetly to the two women before her who practically glowed with love, their fingers interlocked casually.

"Thank you." The obviously pregnant woman said with a smile. "We heard you guys are the best."

"Well I hope we can reach those high expectations." Willa said with a smile. "So do you two have an idea for a theme already?"

The younger women looked down to her smartphone and swiped somewhere extending the phone's screen ito Willa who saw a pinterest board. Within it were ideas for a tea party. "We want something like this for the baby shower."

"Well we also do custom tea blends for events. When and where are you thinking in having the shower?" Willa asked writing down so far what she was told.

"We want it in the beginning of Autumn." The mother to be said caressing her belly. "In the park's gazebo, the one with the long patio/deck by the pond."

"Gorgeous location. Oh have you decided colors? Style?" Willa asked taking notes.

"Oh, we aren't that sure." The mother said.

"Well Autumn is a great time for apples. We can do a fall theme with a warm spiced cider or apple teas. Candy apples, miniature pies, spice cakes and tarts with tea sandwiches. We're also in the south so iced sweet tea is also a possibility." Willa offered. "What sex is the baby?"

"We don't know. Ana wanted a gender reveal at the party with the cake." The younger women stated.

"So we aren't limited to colors or decor; we can do a warm scheme of brown as our neutral with pastel red, orange, and green. We can tie it all together for a cute tea party too." Willa suggested continuing to write down options.

"Can we see how it might work? The apples and tea?" Ana asked hopefully.

"Of course I'll just go.....and get." Willa mentioned looking up and pausing. There was a new guest for the private consult. Besides Ana was a man, who looked down to her tenderly. Willa hummed to herself lightly, seeing how the aura surrounding the man was mainly faded, proving that he was dead. The man looked at Willa for a moment, his eyes widening when he noticed that Willa was indeed looking at him. 'You can see me?'

"Here, this is a list of some of our specialty fall cakes, also written with possible menu items we can include. I'm going to see Alan to see if we got anything ready with an Autumn feel that we can offer you as a sample; or if he can whip something quick up." Willa explained charmley extending the notes and booklet to the two women.

''You know ignoring me won't make me disappear. Right?''

"I'll get some possible tea combinations ready; at least hot teas. Sweet teas can be done later, as they need to be chilled before tasting." Willa told the two women excusing herself from the cream room. When she turned, the man was staring at her alone.

''Why are you ignoring me?''

"This is a public place I can't be seen speaking to you." Willa said as she moved out going to the main floor. "Perhaps after closing"

She appeared to glide through it, the young owner of the shop. Direct descendent of the McAllister's who settled here many years ago. The outer skirt of her dress floated by her as she moved. Noticing young Eliza with her friend. A smile on her face she made her way to them.

"Eliza, good to see you. I am going to need your help with a client." Willa said stopping the duo short. "You'll help me arranging tea in the cream room for the clients." She spoke not giving the newly appointed sorceress a chance to go against her wishes. "I'm sorry to be stealing Eliza away, please enjoy enjoy yourself, on the house." She spoke charmingly to Eliza's friend warmly. "Come along Eliza we need to get the trolley ready." She spoke moving her way down to the 'back' of the house where Alan, the resident Wizard worked in preparing pastries for the patrons.

"Alan, baby shower client's, Autumn event. I suggested apples. Try to see if you can whip something quick while Eliza and I sort for tea blends." Willa gave her orders going to the wall to wall pantry filled with different tea leaves and combinations from berries, fruits, or flowers.

"Baby shower, autumn and apples." Alasdair asked with a light frown. His simple buttoned down shirt had the sleeves rolled up as he looked at the woman with a slight frown. "Positive it isn't a harvest party?"

With a shrug, the man began to prepare a pastry for the clients. The perks of magic as it's known, he thought as he grabbed two apples and quickly cored them, also removed the waxy skin. He dipped them in lemon juice to stop them from turning brown. He prepared a basin with spices; cinnamon, cardamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg and light brown sugar all in one space. He rolled the apples in it, coating every part of the apple. He then moves and rolled some fresh pie dough and placed the apples in each one.

Dropping the apple in the center, he filled the inner cavity with caramel squares and closed the pie crush over the apple, turning it into domes and brushing them with eggwash. He then passed his hands over the two domes, the two began to cook rapidly in seconds turning perfect and golden. He brushed some turbinado sugar on then and placed them onto two identical plates. He then snapped his fingers, chilled bread came out of the fridge, as a vareity of freshly prepared spreads and cheeses all came to the prep table.

Alan expertly prepared some checkerboard cheese sandwiches, sun dried tomatoes and basil, traditional cucumber sandwiches, cucumber salmon, goat cheese and waknut, ham brie with apples, and prosciutto mini paninis with asparagus. He arranged everything together elegantly on their platter. He also got some ginger spiced scones with clotted cream and some jams.

He praced everything on the trolley and sighed looking at the arrangement. The youthful wizard shook his head lightly. "Good thing I kept tabs, you forgot to tell me tea party." He told Willa when a book began to shake lightly. "A squirmish at the barrier, something fun."

Eliza's eyes widened a little when Willa came to ask for her help. So much for lunch, she thought.
"Gotta go, duty calls," she said, giving Brent a light push on the shoulder. She jogged to keep up with Willa as she threatened to disappear out of her sight.
"Bye," Brent shouted in return. He grabbed his sunglasses from within his leather jacket's pockets and opened the door and left. The bell rang as the door opened and closed.
As Eliza began to catch up with Willa, an idea occurred to her. I may not be able to eat lunch, she mused, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't eat anything.
She turned her head slightly to use her peripheral vision to make sure the customers weren't watching, and as soon as she saw everybody was distracted, she lifted her index finger and flexed it twice, lifting a scone from the baking tray her grandmother took out of the oven and napkin from a holder and set it in her hand. She readily took a bite out of the delicious pastry and enjoyed how the heat from the delicacy made her mouth water.
She hastily passed the napkin over her mouth so she'd still look presentable and continued to follow Willa to the back room.

"Now Cider, cinnamon, allspice." Willa began to gather placing them on her trolley. "Oh Eliza you will take the dessert trolley; we need the burner to prepare the tea."

She began to pick from different tea leaves, and got dried apple peels, and apple blossoms. Also some jasmine and hibiscus flowers pineapple, and even some berries to create different potential blends. Once everything was arranged and into the trolley, she walked it to the end of the room where there was a door in it. While the door didn't connect to another spot physically, it did through magic. Having created a portal straight to the second floor.

"Come along now Eliza, guests don't like having to wait much." Willa told, grabbing a tray of cookies and mini tarts and went towards Eliza's trolley.

Eliza spoke a muffled confirmation and slipped her hands onto the handle of the trolley to amble silently behind Willa, passing through the portal she created.
She finished the last of her scone and wiped her mouth with the napkin in her hand. "Okay, now what?"