Moth To A Flame [Christine]

[Tobias St Valentine]

It was dark. Of course it was dark, it was always dark now, except when it was light, but the light burned, and it had been explained to him patiently why he should never step out into it. Toby didn’t really like the idea of burning into dust, as Julien had put it. That was a scary thought. So he went out at night. It wasn’t that late though, so he didn’t think he’d get into trouble. It was just winter, and because it was winter, the light didn’t last so long, which was good. He vaguely remembered that he hadn’t liked the winter at all, when he’d been alive. It had been cold, and dark...but now, he didn’t feel the cold, or fear the dark. He didn’t feel warmth either, actually. Why, he didn’t know...he’d have to ask.

He skipped along the pavement, hands in the pockets of his jeans. His hair was windswept, but he didn’t notice. He never really noticed his appearance anymore, because he couldn’t see himself no matter how hard he tried to, and anyway, no one seemed to mind it. So it couldn’t be bad, could it? People liked to pet him, and stroke his hair, or the vampires did anyway, and that was nice so he couldn’t really complain. He only really complained if he was bored anyway, or hungry...Hmm. Was he hungry? The more he thought about being hungry, the more he found himself to be...which was annoying. Perhaps he should find food....

The windows were bright with lights that kept drawing his attention, rather like a moth is always drawn to a light. He couldn’t see himself in the windows...but the sights from within them were beautiful. One in particular caught his gaze, and he stopped, tilting his head to the side. Oh, there were shiny things in that one. Very shiny things...pretty things! All thoughts of finding food were wiped from his head as a bright grin spread over his face, and he crossed over the road towards the shiny shop. It looked like a shop.

Pressing his face up against the window, rather like a kid does at Christmas, didn’t really let him see much...everything was so pretty in there though. So he didn’t even think as he reached out and pushed at the door to open it, before walking through. Though, the bell that chimed did make him jump slightly.

[Christine Moore]

Christine stood behind the counter picking the nail polish off of her nails. It was a bad habit, one of the reasons she rarely wore nail polish to begin with, but it was her first week working at the magic shop and she wanted to make a good impression. A good impression on who she wasn't too sure. She was apparently the only other employee at the small shop and magical supplies weren't really in high demand. There was not a whole lot to do as an employee there. She has already dusted all the surfaces, rearranged the talismans (talismen?) and counted the register to make sure she wasn't short. Within an hour she had resorted to flipping through some of the hundreds of magic instruction books that were stacked in the back of the store. Ever since she had learned about the kind of power serious witches could have she had been interested in possibly learning a few things but these books were beyond confusing. She was positive the things in these books were far more advanced than she could ever achieve but she had no idea where to look. There didn't seem to be a beginners guide in the store that she could see, so she just continued to flip through the pages and look at the pictures.

It had been so quiet in the store for so long that the sound of the door hitting the bell made her jump. She had been wholly engrossed in a picture of a demon with spikes jutting grotesquely from every part of its body that it took her a minute to remember that she was at work and it was her job to help the people that came into the store. She studied the new arrival and soon realized that she thought he was attractive. It wasn't usual for her to notice guys like that right off the bat, but there was something about this new boy. She shook herself out of it when she realized she was staring. She didn't even like blondes! There was something in the way he moved though. Like he was pleased with everything, interested in everything, it made her smile.

"Can I help you with anything," she tried not to sound too eager.

[Tobias St Valentine]

There was someone else in here. Someone else...a human, unless he was very much mistaken. Instantly all thoughts (most the thoughts...) of the shiny things in the window went out of his head, and he turned towards the sound and smell of the human girl. He could hear her heart beating...he loved to hear that sound. That was another reason why killing, like the other's did, wasn't really a good idea, for him. The taste wasn't good after a while, and the sound of the heartbeat stopping was scary. It reminded him that, according to Julien, his had stopped as well...

No. Bad thoughts. He shook his head to dispearse them, his hair falling back over his eyes. "Hello," he said brightly, taking a few steps towards her before coming to a halt, glancing around again. He wanted to move towards her further, but that might freak her. Or make him hungry. Despite spending so much time with Julien now, he still felt those painful pangs of being alone, and loved new company. "Pretty place this, isn't it?"

He tilted his head with a quirky grin in her direction, one hand reaching out of it's own accord, and brushing his fingers delicately over the feathers in a dreamcatcher. He followed the feeling with his eyes, lips parting in a small look of wonder. That had been soft...

"I just...saw it all from outside. Hope you don't mind me...coming in like that." The shop wasn't closed, was it? Damn, it could be. He'd forgotten things happened like that in the human world, outside his own little world. Things closed, and were finished, and...and this girl had very pretty eyes. He blinked.

[Christine Moore]

"Hello," Christine smiled back. He was definitely strange, but in a good way. Christine liked it. "It's fine, you can come in. We are open, we just don't get to many customers in here. I never really thought of it as pretty. It's, uh, it's definitely different." She was rambling, wasn't she? Oh god, pull yourself together. She wasn't the kind to ramble. In fact, it had been years since she hadn't had the perfect witty response to any situation. It had been years since she was really attracted to anyone like this. She tried to rectify the situation, "I guess there are some pretty things in here," she stepped out from behind the counter and stood beside him in front of the dream catcher. "Do you think they work?" She reached out and touched the feathers as well. This was much more interesting than the magic books. There was something a little strange about the boy but it drew her in for some reason. There was something alluring about his eyes.

She turned from the dream catchers and stretched her arms out, "So, is there anything I can help you with? Magic books, talismans, eye of newt. We've got it all here," She picked up a scoop full of something that looked suspiciously like little black eyes and dropped them back into their barrel. Christine tried not to pay attention to everything that was being sold in the store, she was sure she would get creeped out if she really paid attention to what she had to sell. The boy seemed a little bit lost, Christine wasn't sure he realized what kind of store he had stumbled into. A lot of customers were like that; they walk in thinking it's a gift shop and end up screaming at the mummified hand in the glass case. She was positive her mother would be the same way, that's why Christine told her she got a job at the coffee shop instead of this place. Her mother wasn't too interested in Christine's life but it might cause some alarm if she knew she was selling mandrake root and belladonna everyday. Anyway, having a job made a great excuse for being out late on the hunt. At least she didn't have to sneak out every time. She rocked nervously on the balls of her feet, what was wrong with her?

[Tobias St Valentine]

"Oh, good," he said with a relieved smile, "I mean...would be sort of foolish, wouldn't it, just wandering into something that could be completely private, or not a shop at all." Could he have done that, just walked into someone's house? He wasn't sure, actually. Someone had said something about that, probably, but he'd been rather distracted at the time. He looked around, before moving his gaze back to her, and smiling. "Indeed there are some pretty things in here..."

He turned his head to look at the dreamcatcher, tilting his head to the side so he was unconciously leaning towards the body heat radiating from her. He always ended up doing that...he'd never realised how warm humans were before the incident. "I don't know..." he murmered softly, reaching out to dance his fingers over the feathers, "I like to think they do. A basic need for anyone is to try to control that which they can't, like dreams." Even if they didn't, they were very pretty. He liked the little glass beads amongst the feathers. It was almost like they were tiny mirrors...at which thought, he pulled away slightly. No point looking in mirrors for him, which was still ever so weird.

"Oh, is this a magic shop?" He raised an eyebrow, before turning on the spot, looking around, "I didn't know this town had something like this. Nice." Magic wasn't something he'd ever thought about before. Or had a cause to, really, and even now...well, it was there if it was, and if it wasn't then nothing was up. As long as it didn't affect him, he was cool either way. "And...um, not really. Just looking around, y'know. I got attracted by the pretty things in the window." And the idea of company, not that he said that. She's was pretty, like the shop, and that was nice.