spirit_touched | Lost in the Gardens

She didn't know what it was, a sharp pulse in the air that took her breath away. Tim, her boss, told her to drop what she was doing and go look, a strange knowing in the shamans eyes. Distrustful of that expression, Ana was reluctant but went anyway, gathering her back and her magically charged coat.

Prepared and protected, the coat like armour to most things, Ana latched on to the residual touch of magic in the air and followed it to it's source, quickly finding herself in the Gardens of her city. Following the main path, and cutting across a neat green lawn to the gathering of figs close to the university, Ana slowed as she felt herself get close. Reaching for her personal wards and readying them, she peered into the shadows. Someone was there. Someone vibrant, their aural signiture like a brilliant band of colour.

What were they?

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"They're transport. Like metal carriages." Gingerly she lays a hand on his shoulder, braced for the feel of his magic.

Her legs don't buckle. Good.

"I'll explain later but it's best if we get inside first."

It's like putting a fish in a desert, but he follows her, if she wants to lead, which would be best so he didn't walk off into a car by accident.

'It's so loud.' More so to his ears.

"You get used to it." She said leading him to the intersection to cross. She presses the switch and waits. "When those lights go red, those cars will stop and we can cross."

'But this is not magic.' he put his hand on the pole and he can't really feel anything but the cold metal, which he doesn't like and moves back, unconsciously closer to her, to the blip of warmth, other life within all this mess of manmade things.

"No. it's technology. Science." she said as he stood close to her, again aware of his warmth. "But I promise you, inside the store... Life everywhere. Herbs, crystals, plants. Growing living things."

It helped that the shop itself was like a TARDIS, bigger than it looked, bigger than what was possible for what looked lijke a two story house.

She leads him across when the traffic paused and up to the house. Crossing the threshold to the property, she feels the thrum of all the energy gathered there. The trees in the yard that hid the patch of grass and growing garden from outside eyes, the house that almost seemed alive in it's own right and Tim's signiture thrum of power.

'Science?' he'd never heard the word, the place he's from is, well, worlds away from her, in so many more ways than magic or fashion alone. Still, he follows her quite closely even as he stares, until he's inside the store, which is slightly better.

'This place, it's very loud...'

"Very crowded." Ana says. The storefront is filled with crystals and other items. taking him by the hand, she leads him through the main area to the back where it was much quieter, only the whsipered hush of herbs and books to disturb the silence.

"Sorry, not every day we get a... What.. What are you if you don't mind my asking?" she asks, not noticing that her hand still holds his.

That's even better, and he focuses on her again, on the hand in his which he gently rubs, traces lines over with his thumb. His hands are strong, not entirely calloused but they're not just smooth, either.

'My father is an elf, my mother a nymph, a bit of a half breed.' but he doesn't sound like he minds, or that it's an insult.

"Oh... oh." She's not that far away from him. "Elf and nymph. That explains the... Presence."

And just why she feels a desperate need to get closer and touch him. Why wasn't Tim coming down to see them? Where was he?

"I'm... sorry you're very... Are you aware of what you're doing?"

'I'm still holding your hand?' he says, with a mild shrug. 'I can let go if you don't like it?' otherwise, no, it's not intentional, it's just him. His warmth and presence and magic that isn't likely to go anywhere anytime soon.

"Oh... Ah... I... You should." She says firmly.

"It's a little hard to behave myself and I really really should." She stepped forward. "I mean, it's never wise to lay with an elf unless you're one or so I've been told.."

He blinked slightly at that. Oh. That's what was wrong, and lets go, takes a step back to give her breathing room. 'I don't think it's my elven side that is doing that to you, my Lady.'

"Nymph... Whatever." She forces herself to step back, arms crossing infront of her body as she looks away.

"I'm... Sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm not usually like this."

'It's not your fault, really.' he takes another step back, hoping it will help. 'It hasn't done this in years since I learnt to control it,' but the magic may well have been more intense than here, and people so used to it that he simply hadn't noticed.

She gives him an embarrassed look and sighs.

"Sorry. Ah... this is Tim's home. Tim is a shaman. And He should've been here by now. It's actually a little odd that he isn't."

As if on cue, from upstairs there's a loud thud like books falling and Ana jumps a little.

Ana may jump but Torin practically teleports to her side the speed he moves at, staring at where the noise had come from, pressed up against her side. 'Shaman?'

He startles a surprised sound from her.
"Yeah... he works with... Spirits. Gods..." She breathes in and smells him and from somewhere she feels a push.

"You're very close again."

'So he's a Priest?' Torin asked, still staring where the noise had come from with a frown, before he ears what she says next and looks to where they are, and she's not wrong, he's nearly pressed against her completely.

'I don't understand, I don't effect people this badly in this state at home.'

"Kind of, yes." Ana shivers at the sound of his voice. "I don't think it's entirely you. Part of it's me." Ana say's breathlessly. "Do you know Cernunnos?"

'...No? Am I supposed to know Cern... Cenu... that fellow?' because he really has no idea, has no way to know what she's beginning to broach with asking him that.

"No... Sorry. That's..." She closed her eyes for a moment. It helped her collect her thoughts. "I want to lay with you, I .... What are your thoughts on this matter?"

'I've gone from dangerous elf to a must fuck,' if he looks suddenly, genuinely amused, it's because he is, and there's a noticeable smirk on his lips, just a little one. 'Have I gotten you drunk on my magic? or do you actually... can you even tell when I'm standing near you?'

She laughs and suddenly finds her head clear.

"No it's just... woken up something I've needed to deal with." She gives him a smile. "It's been a long... Long time since I've... fucked. Or been fucked." She rubs at the back of her neck.

"If you want me to back off, just say so. NO harm, no foul."

He gives her a considering look, as if he's trying to work out if she's befuddled, but when he's satisfied that no, she's not, or at least not more than mildly, he smiles, shrugs.

'here?'

She looks down at the floor. It's clean, layered with rugs, and there's a plush couch against the wall with a blanket at it's head. Huh.

Looking back at Torin she shruged. "I don't see why not."