outfit

The witch had turned into such a wanton creature after giving birth. No, ever since she'd obtained more magic. She was powerful, bloodthirsty and now that the weight had come back off, quite insatiable. There was honestly nothing better than that post-coital glow as she got dressed and made the poor man, (or woman) who'd been unfortunate enough to cross her path, pass out from oxygen shortage.

Yes, she'd quickly learned that though her fire alignment was dangerous and possibly lethal on its own, air or water was a far slower killer. She could literally asphyxiate or drown someone without laying a finger on them. This was the reason for the dead witch at her feet as she picked up the grimoire.

Amanda had been meaning to just buy the book from the witch, and they had even agreed upon a price until she'd come to pick up the book. The blonde witch had wanted an entirely different price and Amanda had accepted the final offer. When the naive witch still wouldn't hand over the book, Amanda had followed through with her threat and was slowly asphyxiating the poor woman by siphoning the air out of her lungs.

"You should have just given me the book and this could all have been avoided," she said with a sigh. Before she left she made sure the ground swallowed up the witch, leaving no trace of her at all, until they decided to tear down the house and start digging in the ground. She didn't really think she'd done anything wrong, plus she'd taken away the witch's magic right before her last breath and gotten the book she'd more than paid for. It was dealing with spells correlating to the moon mostly, water and potions moving to a close second.

The redhead walked back to her shop, clutching the book dearly to her chest, knowing there was nothing in the house linking her to the missing witch. She'd been meaning to restock the shelves anyway, both the magical supplies and the artsy stuff, maybe the newly hired help could learn where everything was supposed to go. So, letting herself into the shop, she open a bottle of wine and started slowly unpacking a new box of supplies. Hopefully Maxwell would've gotten her message asking if he could help out in the shop that night.

Sleepless nights were starting to become a regular thing around Somber. Maxxie dreams had become more frequent lately and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because he wasn’t sure of his new surroundings just yet, that or Somber held a lot more secrets than he thought it did.
After yet another sleepless night, Maxxie had spent most of the afternoon in bed trying to catch up on some well needed shut eye. It wasn’t until it had already started to grow dark outside that he finally opened his eyes and glanced at the little clock on his bedside table.
As the bright red letters blinked at him, he realised the electric must have turned of momentarily in the old house again therefore meaning his alarm hadn’t gone off.

Within seconds he had jumped out of bed, opened his cupboard and pulled out the smartest, casualwear he could find. He hadn’t forgotten about the small job he’d signed himself up for but had already started to wonder if it was such a good idea. He needed it but couldn’t rely on himself not to keep nodding off at the most inappropriate of times. He’d fallen asleep on the bus a few days previous, dreamt that Tate had got himself in to some kind of trouble again then looked like an idiot when he had to stop the bus in the middle of nowhere to jump off and run all the way home again. Of course, Tate could handle himself but Maxxie was still fuming that he’d caused a scene yet again and had spent hours worrying before the younger of the two strolled in without a care in the world.


Outside, the evening sky had turned a murky grey colour as clouds rolled over. Already late, Maxxie ran down the street he lived on and on to the main road that lead to town. Once the lights from the road were on him, he unstrapped his skateboard and finished the rest of his journey on wheels. Luckily, they didn’t live too far away from the Amanda’s shop so by the time he reached it, he was only five minutes late.

His reflection in the lit window made him cringe as he noticed his eyes were still framed by dark rings from his lack of sleep. Shaking his head, he quickly strapped his board back to his backpack and took a deep breath. This would be the first time in years he’d actually had a job and he couldn’t afford to mess it up.
Walking to the door, he pushed against in and headed in. It was exactly how it was before, maybe a few things had moved but nothing drastic, which was helpful as he’d already figured out where the main bits were. That’s when he noticed the redhead from before. Her choice in dress made him raise a brow as he crossed the floor towards her, his feet barely making a noise. Stopping on the other side of one of the counters, his eyes wondered around the shop, anywhere but on the girl herself.

“Umm… Amanda. Hi. Sorry I’m late… I wasn’t well.”

.::NOTES::.
Outfit

Normally, Amanda wouldn't tolerate tardiness or disgruntled looking people working with her in the shop, but Maxxie had really seemed like there was more to him than met the eye. Besides, she could relate to the not sleeping thing due to her daughter who just loved to keep her up.

"No bother at all, Maxwell, I'm sure you'll find I can be very accommodating," she smiled slightly, placing the newly acquired book on the a shelf by her desk. "I guess it's better to just get started, if you could just start on one of the boxes already here and I'll go get some more from the back." Keeping herself all business like was almost refreshing after wearing nothing but sweats at home to tend to a fuzzy baby.

Turning on her heal, Amanda moved to where she'd stored the boxes with books and other stuff and lifted it up as if it weighed nothing. She was allowed some benefits of magic, wasn't she? When she returned to Maxxie she placed the box on her desk and looked at her help over it.

"I know something that might help with your sleep deprivation," she chuckled slightly, not wanting to be rude, but it was pretty obvious he wasn't sleeping enough from the dark rings under his eyes. Maybe she could drug him so he'd get a decent night sleep? Surely she had some things that might help against those kinds of things as well.

It was a relief to Maxxie that his lateness hadn’t caused him any trouble on his first day, the last thing he wanted was to start his new placement on a bad note with his new boss. He gave a slight nod of his head as though agreeing with her statement before realising what she had called him.
“Umm... could you call me Maxxie? My mom always used to call me Maxwell and it always makes me sound like I’m in trouble.”
He half returned the small smile though it vanished again within seconds as his eyes carried on wondering around the small shop
It was warm and cosy, much like the ones he knew back home in the town he was originally from.

It was always a good thing to get stuck straight in; it saved the awkwardness of proper introductions and small talk. Hearing Amanda ask him to make a start on the boxes, his attention was brought back to her as he watched her leave the room.
The place had an almost calming atmosphere which Maxxie liked, it helped him relax more and push the problems closer to home to the back of his mind.

Dropping his bag to the floor, he propped it against one of the work cabinets and then removed his blazer jacket too and dropped it neatly over the top. His beanie then followed and as soon as his hand had brushed through his hair to tame it, he went straight to the first box.
Inside it was aligned with books and what appeared to be paint set. The books he careful started to place in order on the shelves whilst the paint, well he hadn’t figured out where they went yet so he left them piled neatly on the side.

A few books caught his attention as his eyes gazed along the titles and authors each time he took one out. His mother had always been a great artist and had many books along the bookshelves back at home and this is where he recognised them from. They probably weren’t there anymore though. They’d have been sold along with the house once the authorities realised the occupants had left.

He paused on one of the books as he slid it in to place and watched as the young redhead made her way back through with another of the boxes. Frowning, he placed the book down properly and turned to face her.
“You should have asked for help with that. You don’t want to cause yourself an injury. I'm not really good at first aid if you hurt yourself.”
As always, Maxxie blushed slightly on realising he was being nice again and quickly turned back to the books which suddenly seemed more interesting.

Amanda’s offer caused him to start thinking about what she meant. He hadn’t noticed how sleepy he looked as it was something he considered normal now. Without looking at her to see the smile she had offered, he answered her with a hint of interest in his voice though his expression stayed impassive.
“Oh Really? Enlighten me, what might that be?” In his eyes, it would be a miracle if anybody could help him have at least one sleepless night as nobody knew the reasons as to why he wasn’t sleeping in the first place.

Another chuckle escaped her when he asked to be called Maxxie because it sounded like he was in trouble when she used his full name. She gave a slight nod, she could call him by his nickname if he wanted that, it didn't make much of a different to her really anyway.

Opening the box with books, she realized the titles might seem a bit odd for an artsy shop, but she figured it wouldn't matter. He'd learn sooner or later about all the secrets of the shop, so if he got any suspicions that made it easier to let him in on the secrets of the backroom and her locked drawers.

"Oh please, I can handle a box of books. Hardly an effort at all," she shrugged, adoring how he was blushing all of a sudden after being nice. After all, she didn't think she'd manage to hurt herself in the magic shop, not by herself anyway. "You'd be surprised really, there are so many little things that needs to be stocked in their proper shelves, so a girl's gotta be able to handle her share of the lifting." If it was one thing she'd had enough of, it was people thinking that just because she was a female that she was weak or otherwise unable to do some lifting of her own. Just because she had a daughter didn't mean she was all fragile.

Her mood strayed from that place of frustration the moment the question was posed. Pouring herself a glass of the white wine, she sipped it slowly before she answered his question. "Well, for one, I could always get you drunk, though that's no fair at all." She was walking with the glass in one hand, running a finger down the spine of one of the older books on the shelf and smiled slightly. "Drunk sleep is no better than no sleep. Sleeping pills don't do no good either." Walking past the human now, Amanda reached for something on one of the higher shelves. Pulling down a small glass vial labeled lavender oil, she turned around to face Maxxie again.

"This might help, a few drops on your pillow should do the trick. Why, what ever did you think I was insinuating?" She chuckled slightly and handed him the vial. "And if it doesn't work, there's always other options."

It wasn’t unusual for some females get a little defensive when told to ask for help. Maxxie could never understand why girls were like that which is why usually he would have left them to it. He opened his mouth to tell her he was sorry for speaking but then thought it would be best to just keep it shut.
Again, he went back to placing books on shelves, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to make sense of some of the titles though he thought nothing more of it.

After his question had left his lips, silence fell across the room for a moment before the redhead spoke. Her answer was not one he had been expecting and caused his heart to stammer slightly. He really had to learn when people were joking. He should have known she was anyway as he knew for a fact that getting drunk didn’t work.
As she carried on, he felt himself tense as she walked past him. From where he stood facing the shelves, his eyes followed her. He wasn’t prepared to let her out of sight just yet. Call it paranoia or what you will but safety always came first in new places.

The small vial that she pulled from the shelf intrigued him. Placing the books from his hands back onto the table, he turned and took a few steps forward to see what she held in the palm of her hand.
His eyes widened as she passed him the vial and spoke again, suddenly hoping that she hadn’t got the wrong idea when he had asked.
“No! I didn’t… I know what you meant. I just wanted to know your theories on sleep help. I mean, a lot of people say different things so I really don’t expect anyone’s suggestions to help anymore… I am sorry you though I thought you were insinuating something…”

Realising his mouth had suddenly taken up a mind of its own and was confusing even him, he forced himself to stop talking and smile slightly at the girl before nodding his head in thanks and quickly turning away. Of course, the girl never ceased to amaze him with ideas and had to yet again inform him that there were other ways.
This time he grinned as he turned to face her, taking extra care with what he said so as not to feel like a fool again.
“Like? Drinking warm milk before bed? Don’t eat cheese? Try buying a dream catcher?” -He quickly glanced at the vial in his hand and raised a brow again in slight amusement.- “Putting lavender on your pillows? I have to say, I haven’t actually tried this one but like all the rest, I’m sure it’s just an old wives tale. Please, I am more than interested to hear your theories.”

Now Maxxie never meant to sound obnoxious or rude but that’s just the way he spoke sometimes. In fact, he was very curious as to hear more of these ideas that people kept throwing at him and though he wouldn’t admit it, he had tried pretty much all of them. He leant back against the work table again and grinned at the redhead with a mildly entertained expression.
It had actually been a long time since he had grinned properly but right now, he hadn’t even noticed.

Maxxie's expression was priceless. If he really thought she was gonna get him drunk, it was best not to tell him she had a way or two to make him fall asleep. It probably wouldn't be the best idea to use her methods anyway, as humans in general were better off not knowing about the magic part.

"Why so nervous?" she chuckled slightly. She wasn't an expert on the subject of sleep and what she knew was mostly magic related anyway, so it was probably best to keep that to herself for the moment. Sipping her wine again, she watched him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was thinking about when he turned back to her and asked her what else she thought might work.

"Oh I was thinking more along the lines of physical exhaustion," she smirked slightly before addressing his statement of the lavender oil. "You should never underestimate a good wives tale, they tend to have a lot of truth to them. You can always find a witch to lull you to sleep," she shrugged, turning her back on the guy for a moment to walk back to her desk and put down her glass. After all, she couldn't keep working with just one hand without getting all kinds of lazy and use magic.

"If you believe in those sorts of things, of course."

Maxxie listened to Amanda with a slight smile spread across his lips, giving what sounded like a small chuckle at her idea. That could be taken many ways but Maxxie being who he was decided to save the innuendo’s and go with something safe that she wouldn’t be able to turn back on him and embarrass him with again.
“I’m sure I’ll be getting plenty of that around here if you keep me busy.” He mumbled just loud enough for her to hear before he shot her another grin and turned to place the vial in his bag.

He shook his head as the redhead carried on, wondering why so many female believed in silly things like that. They were all placebos; ways of making you believe they helped when they actually didn’t. It was still amusing to hear her talk about it though and would give it a try if only to prove her wrong.

No sooner had he placed the small, glass vial in the side compartment of his bag did he feel his blood freeze over and his jaw clentch. His body tensed yet again before he turned to face her. The warming smile was no longer there but instead a very cold look of hatred had crept up in its place.
The young redhead had her back to him by now which was probably a good thing because he didn’t want her to think that the look of disgust was aimed at her.

Quickly turning back to the books, he kept his eyebrows furrowed as he went back to placing each book in the correct order on the shelves only this time, without much delicately.
“The last person I would ever let near me whilst I slept would be a witch. Those things would probably cut you up and leave you rotting once they manage to use whatever it is they use to get you to sleep. They’re the same as all the other freaks around here. And yes, I do believe because my brother had his life snatched away and is a freak too now. I’d rather carry on suffering sleepless nights than ever let one of those near or help me.”

He hadn’t meant to snap his words with such hostility at the young lady. Immediately he felt bad for taking it out on her when all she had done was mention it and the cold expression fell to that of a saddened one. That was just how things were with Maxxie, he blamed them all for the life he had now. For taking the life of his brother and parents. Even if they weren’t the type that could change you, they still brought others in to the world. What kind of life was that? Maxxie honestly thought it was sickening. Then again, Maxxie had only heard the myths and stories his mother told them as children and the hearsay along his travels. He had to admit, Somber wasn’t the most liked place outside the community.

Maxxie was making her almost glad she'd hired him, as long as he didn't take anything she said too seriously it could actually be fun. After all, she wouldn't have been able to be so frank with a fragile human girl, they tended to break easy and that wasn't fun at all. "Oh I'll just make sure to work you hard then," she giggled slightly.

All good humor disappeared the moment she felt him tense up, even if she wasn't looking at him. When she turned around again he was already back to the books, but his whole demeanor had changed. Watching how he was placing the books in the shelves without much delicacy, she moved over to him and gently grabbed his hand after hearing what he'd had to say. "Stop, please. Don't take it out on the books," she said softly and let go of his hand.

She knew better than to take his offensive statement personal, after all it wasn't like he knew she was a witch. Sure, he'd probably find out sooner or later, but that didn't mean she would tell him any time soon. Especially because she'd hate for someone to turn against her just because of what she was.

"You sure did come to the wrong town if you hate the supernatural that much," she shook her head slightly, saddened that someone could so truly hate something they didn't understand because of what a vampire had done in the past. They weren't all the same, and it wasn't very nice of him to think that they were, without trying to understand. She needed the help though, so she decided to drop the subject as she didn't want to say more to make matters worse.

"Your brother the one keeping you up at night?" She asked as she stepped a bit away from Maxxie under the pretense of putting the paint where it belonged. She was curious though, how someone so angry would even allow his brother to keep living if he considered him such a freak.

It wasn’t intentional that Maxxie had taken a rougher hand with the book when moments ago he had actually been close to laughing; he barely even noticed he was doing it until her felt Amanda’s hands on his own. For a moment, he stopped shoving the books in their places and took a deep breathe in the hopes that it would help calm him, if only a little.
As soon as his hand was released, he let his arm drop to his side and turned to Amanda with his head down.
“Sorry.” Was all he managed to mumble before he felt his cheeks burn slightly again and took a sudden interest in his feet.

He listened to Amanda as he scuffed his shoes together, like that of a school child that had just been told off and was hanging his head in shame. He sighed, though not loudly. It was becoming a problem trying to keep his thoughts to himself when people mentioned the town and its people. For a moment, he considered telling Amanda that he didn’t really have a choice; they’d had to run from most of their previous homes because of Tate’s uncontrollable behaviour and that here seemed like the best option they had. At least the townsfolk had a chance if they were supernatural right?

There was also the fact he was looking for someone though, that part he wasn’t prepared to tell her. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and kept his voice controlled and hushed this time.
“I think it’s the safest place for my brother right now, he's... emotionally unbalanced. Even if I do believe the people here are all the same and I’m putting myself in danger. He comes first. Always.”

The last question made him think a little again. This was another touchy subject that he preferred to avoid. He would prefer not to have anyone find out that his dreams held truths too them, nor that his brother was always plaguing them with the stupid violent acts that he pulled. It didn’t matter how much he tried, there was just no stopping Tate once his mind was set. Even Maxxie knew that one day Tate was going to seal his own fate if he carried on but he didn’t want to think about that, he didn’t want to know. In the meantime, he could cover up for him and try still being there for him as a loving brother but there was only so much a human could do.

Quick thinking had him forcing a slight smile on to his face again in hopes of putting his random outburst behind them and changing the subject slightly. He only now looked back up at Amanda and shrugged again.
“I guess you could say that. He’s always been a little on the annoying side and I don’t think he has quite grasped that he can’t have everything he wants. He’s never been one to sleep much either so nights are usually the worst part of the day for both us. He gets agro cooped up in his room…”

He had decided to leave out that Tate also took over his dreams and the fact Tate only got agro because he was constantly trying to keep his thoughts from leading him astray, this being more likely to happen at night when he was bored and alone. Even when he was still breathing he had problems being by himself and would often wake the whole household up in one of his desperate attempts to cry out. He hated being ignored and that was that. But sometimes, that was the only way.

It saddened her slightly to see how worked up about the whole thing Maxxie was. Though she could see where he was coming form with it all, from what little he was saying, she almost felt like she could relate to this brother of his. This was the only place she could be who she was now, anyplace else and she would be an easy target for hunters because the town's magic was a safe haven for a lot of them.

"There are people in this town that would help keep you safe, if you let them," she muttered and returned to her work, determined not to say more about the subject. It was none of her business why they were in town so she would do best not trying to meddle. The last thing she wanted was for them both to get on her case for being nosy as Jack would surely find out and all hell would break loose.

"Well, I can't say I know what having a spoiled sibling like that, but I'm sure my little girl could compete with that any day of the week. If she doesn't get her way, you bet there won't be any sleep for me that night at all," she chuckled slightly, glad to change the subject really. She wanted to bring a smile to Maxxie's face again and try to distract him from his troubled brother.

"She can be quite the little monster at times, but nothing calms her down like playing with the cat." Why on earth she would be talking about her cat or daughter to this guy was beyond her, but if it helped get his mind off his troubles, it would be worth it. "And if the sleep issue gets too bad, you can always just nap in the back," she was completely serious, but she was still grinning slightly at the thought. There was a reason why she didn't open earlier in the morning, she had to get some sleep herself.

Going back to the work at hand, Maxxie took the last of the books out of the first box and placed them on the side before placing the empty box on the floor. He was still slightly surprised the girl had managed to carry it on her own but as he already knew, some girls were stronger than they looked.
He gazed at the covers for a while as Amanda informed him of how some people could keep him safe but in response, all he did was shake his head. He didn’t need protecting.

Glancing around, he found a shelf for the next lot of books in alphabetical order and crossed the room with his arms full to make a start on that side. It surprised him when he heard Amanda mention her little girl. She didn’t look the type to have kids, nor did she really look old enough but he thought it best not to be rude and ask her for her age.
His lips twitched slightly as he compared his brother to a kid, sometimes it did feel like he was living with a spoilt five year old, or a baby, but he was sure babies and five year olds didn’t trash their rooms and tear the house apart.

He started straightening out the books and other odd objects before he placed the new ones on the shelves, only now did he chuckle as Amanda compared her daughter to a little monster. He could relate to that, quite literally. He’d heard a lot of parents compare their kids to monsters but most of them, once they reached past the terrible teens, calmed down. He prayed for Amanda’s sake that her girl would as it was hell living with the boy that never grew up.
“I think the idea is not to spoil them. Tate was always spoilt, though I don’t fully blame my parents. He was a handful from an early age if he didn’t get his own way and it took its toll on them. I’m sure she’s not a monster. She just wants to be loved like the rest of us. One day we all realise that we don’t need to be treated constantly to know we are special to someone.” –He paused for a second with a sigh and a roll of the eyes.- “At least most of us do.”

Half way through placing a small trinket carefully on the display cabinet, he turned to look at Amanda with a startled expression. Did she really just say that? He thought most placements of work would fire you on the spot if you stopped for a nap halfway through. He appreciated the offer though and smiled at her.
“Thanks, really. But most of the time I don't even make it to sit or lie down. I don’t sleep; I just daydream on the spot… if that makes sense? I can’t control it but usually it only happens if there's something I need to know…” –He clamped his mouth shut as he realised in horror what he was saying. Inside he cursed loudly at himself for letting himself get too relaxed around Amanda and speaking without thinking.- “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I think I just get paranoid and worry and over think things to the point I get so lost in my own thoughts and phase out…”

He stared at her for a moment before averting his eyes to the ceiling and then back to the shelves as he hoped she would buy it. He was making himself look stupid now, maybe even crazy. Quickly, he turned his back to her though listened very carefully for any indication that told him she was moving.

Oh, she hadn't been kidding when she called Kailah a little monster. That baby was trying to kill her, or at least her chances of sleeping. Apparently she was all kinds of sweet and good when she was with Jack, maybe it was a werewolf thing, who knew, but she couldn't stand not being able to sleep because the baby was crying, or waking her up for some attention in the middle of the night.

"It's hard not to spoil them though, especially if her dad spoils her when he has her. You'll see soon enough, I have a feeling I'm gonna need to bring her here from time to time when Jack's working. I would move heaven and earth for the little critter, but I could also use some peace and quiet from time to time," she chuckled slightly. It seemed whatever was left of her old self was tethered to her daughter, any dark thoughts of feelings all went away when dealing with her. She never thought what she was doing was wrong, just that she might need to try to be kinder to certain people. After all, everything she did was to try to make life easier for her daughter once the time came to embrace her heritage.

When Maxxie mentioned how he would daydream on the spot, it sounded almost like he would go into a trance of a kind and it made her grin slightly when he tried to cover up his slip-up after the fact. "Oh Maxwell, how can you despise the supernatural so when you've been granted a gift of your own?" She asked, almost sad. It made no sense to her how someone with gifts would be so hostile. "Luckily for you, I've grown up with a father that zones out in the middle of a conversation so I've learned to ignore such behavior."

Deciding not to push the subject further as she didn't want to embarrass him or make him feel awkward, Amanda dutifully went back to work. She didn't even notice at first, but she was humming along to a tune that popped into her mind and when she realized, she slapped a hand over her mouth and giggled slightly, embarrassed that she wasn't alone while doing such things. "Sorry," she muttered and continued with the paint in silence. After all, she just wanted to keep her extra set of hands and not scare him off. Lately she'd been singing and practicing magic a lot at the same time, so she really had to focus on not doing that in front of someone who despised witches so much, what if she'd accidentally used magic and done something silly without even realizing?

Things went from awkward too double awkward within seconds as Maxxie’s face fell at Amanda’s words. So she had picked up on his little slip up? Hadn’t she? As she went on to explain about her father, he couldn’t be too sure. It was a well-known fact that older people tend to zone out from time to time but it didn’t mean it was a gift. It didn’t mean he had a gift.
He carried on stocking the shelves though when he mumbled back, it was barely loud enough for her to hear.
“It’s not a gift. It's a condition and a curse.”

It could have been true. There was a condition that some humans got but it was very rare that made them fall asleep unexpectedly. He could pass of as having that. Or just a lack of concentration and a big imagination.
Luckily, Amanda seemed to want to avoid all awkwardness too leaving Maxxie with his thoughts running around his head. He was cursing, arguing, shouting at himself and calling himself all the names under the sun for being so stupid. Still, it had been so long since he’d talked to anyone normal that it was proving harder to keep his own secrets under wraps.
This was a place for the supernatural kind and though he didn’t want to admit it, nor would he ever admit it, it was also a place for him.

He couldn’t help but crack a smile as the sound of humming broke through the awkward silence, the smile turning to a grin before he started to laugh and turn to look at the cheery redhead. He shook his head at her apology and the hardened look he had held before had vanished.
“It’s fine. It’s good to see that not everyone in this town is so miserable. Humming is a sign of that someone’s happy. They do it involuntarily without realising, and I’d rather be working with little miss sunshine than the Grinch.”

He kept the cheery look on his face as he slid the last book from the box in to place and crossed the room to Amanda. He was glad to see that he wasn’t being too noticeable yet, most people only hued or sang when they thought no one was with them. He even hoped she felt comfortable around him as it would sure make things a hell of a lot easier and when he thought about it, he had to admit that he was warming to the redhead quicker than he had imagined he would.

The witch barely caught his comment on it being a curse and shook her head slightly in disappointment. What some ordinary people wouldn't give to be extraordinary, and here he was wanting nothing more than to be normal? She would have to make it her mission to get him to see things differently, because she couldn't have him stumble across the truth about some of the artifacts in the shop by accident if he really felt like that.

Amanda couldn't help but chuckle slightly at his comment. If he only knew the truth, he wouldn't be so quick to accept her humming. Actually, it was probably for the best if she didn't hum or sing or listen to any kind of music at work with him around as she tended to use magic way too freely with music.

"I love to sing, don't get me wrong, but recently I just can't pay attention to what I'm doing while singing or humming and I end up doing silly things. Like placing the paint with the books instead of in its proper place," she shrugged slightly and fixed her little screw-up. Of course that wasn't the entire truth, it wasn't what she was afraid of doing, but it was close enough anyway.

"I was miserable, at first, but then everything sorta fell into place. Sorta like I expect they will for you," she smiled warmly at him, not really wanting to go into details about anything. After all, his rogue brother was doomed to find someone in this town that could show him right from wrong and how to go by unnoticed. Most people did if they caused too much trouble. Which was another reason she couldn't stay home anymore. Just sitting at home playing happy little housewife and mother drove her to do crazy things when she had time off. Maybe working would keep her too busy to get into too much trouble.

"What kinds of arts do you do?"