on being a wish-granting witch;

[bargain]

[ Tessa's good mood floats in front of her like the smoke dissipating from the cigarette in her hand. ]

Is this a good enough look for you? I could give you more if you ask me. I dare you.

Comments

[larue]

[ the question seems rhetorical, and josh is smart enough to get that.

but still-- ]

With a line like that, sounds to me like people asking need to check themselves first.

[bargain]

A pretty face and a skill with dreams can get a girl so far, but only just so far.

I wouldn't be sweet if I didn't have teeth. [ And yet - the scowl. It remains. ]

[larue]

[ he gets that. skill and talent can get you places, but other bargains need to be struck to make things work. ]

A bit of bite never hurt anyone. [ he makes it a point to be a good person, because good people are a rarity in places more familiar to him. but niceness doesn't mean pushover. the world isn't that bad a place if you're careful with the people you trust. ]

[bargain]

[ And some things need to be broken too, to get to the marrow and the gold. She's not ashamed of her ambition. ]

Do they teach boys like you to be sweet in the mouth, where you're from?

[larue]

[ he doesn't like talking much where he's from. he can be persuaded to, when in company that makes him feel safe and with people who won't really press or dig.

tessa strikes him as none of those things. ]

You might say. [ it's cryptic enough and still transparent enough. everything about josh speaks of small town pride and community, things he can't leave behind any more than the memory of family whose safety came first when he'd made his decision to run. ]

[bargain]

You couldn't cover the smell of your mother's lipstick on you if you tried. [ This is her, smoothing an invisible crease on your shirt. She's only nice when you're new. ] They should teach you to hide better.

[larue]

[ something in his eyes closes off at the mention of 'mother'. it's not that he has hard feelings towards his mum, but a man would have to be a saint not to feel the slightest bitterness at their family being abandoned just like that.

though really, he can't say much to that. he ran. but he'd had to. it wouldn't have been safe for him to stay for either dad or cindy. ]

A body doesn't need to hide if they've no reason to.

[ the life he lived as a boy in san diego is behind him. he is Joshua Larue now. a child of the street, once an apprentice cook at the Blue Coffin in Vancouver. he's in Manila now, for reasons that are his and those reasons are things he doesn't need to discuss out loud with a stranger.

the line of questioning is bothering him though, and Coach has that frown of his that prompts more than tells that they should turn this conversation around. ]

What's your story then, Miss...?

[bargain]

Boring father, stupid mother, no brothers or sisters to terrorize, but plenty of friends willing to play around. It's not a very stellar background, admittedly, but not everyone gets to have a magical origin.

[ She sums her childhood up with the word meager, and it's more than what she feels it deserves. The touch of magic is the only thing she kept from it, and even that magic could have done better to be more useful. ]

And you, what's your story?

[larue]

Not much of a story. [ he shrugs. let's it lie that she sidestepped the question of her name. ]

Just a guy looking for answers.

[bargain]

That's the least satisfying story, oh now.

The world doesn't give a shit about your questions, sweetheart. You'll just break something the way you're running.

[larue]

Well, that's my story.

[ And that's all she's getting. ]

Sorry to disappoint.

[cassock]

The Guild always told us apprentices not to accept gifts from wish-granting witches.

[ A laugh. ] Is the cost my soul? Magic always has a cost.

[bargain]

Your guild must've met such poor witches, that they need to get paid often. [ She makes it sound brittle; a girl would like to be paid for her efforts every now and then, but her skill is just so generous. Tessa blows smoke his way. ]

Can I get you anything? I don't lie when I say it's for free.

[cassock]

'Witches' and 'warlocks' are the people shaking staffs topped with skulls and feathers, usually half-naked. Mages, on the other hand, are those who practice magic.

[ He swallows, realizing his statement could be offensive. ] No disrespect meant, of course.

[bargain]

[ Offensive or not, it's still fairly accurate. For some. ]

I don't strip for the first wish, sweetie. [ Still, consider her intrigued. ] What kind of magic are you?

[faithhealer]

People have more than enough as is. They don't really need more.

[bargain]

I could use to have more. [ Said with sigh that unravels into a sneer. ] I don't have enough.

[haemokinesis]

Pretty face like that? Who'd really need more from you?

[bargain]

Men would. Men are greedy things, most of the time.

[haemokinesis]

I wouldn't pretend to not be greedy myself, but I don't really see the point in being greedy if I can't appreciate the things I'm eager to keep all to myself. It's just a waste of greed if I don't.

[bargain]

That's sweet of you to say, really. Greed though - it should be wasted, if only to keep it alive.

You can't be greedy if you're not covetous, now, can you?

[haemokinesis]

You just have to be covetous over the right things. Why be covetous of another when you've got a face that others already covet? Covet something more sweeter that you'll enjoy more. Diamonds wouldn't be amiss. And nothing is sexier than power.

[bargain]

A girl can always desire the destruction of others.

It's much more fun to get things that way.

[haemokinesis]

Now you're really talking a language I understand. Nothing wrong with a little chaos.

[bargain]

[ Tessa throws her head back, just a bit, laughing from the base of her throat. ]

Sweetheart, darling, baby girl. Wish it from me. I'll make it happen for you, especially.

[haemokinesis]

It's not fun if someone just gives it all to you, at least not for me. I like to get my hands a little dirty at least.

Unless I stole you first. Then it might count as enough work to warrant plenty of reward.

[bargain]

[ Tessa just smiles - sweetly, and sharply, but there's a happiness in her eyes that dares to go on. ]

I've never been stolen before.