Every species had it's monsters. I knew that well considering the coven my parents had belonged to had turned on me viciously. I had spent much of my life practicing my earth magic and forgoing any other kind, which left me weak compared to them, plus I struck out on my own. I was not a part of a coven and had no one to watch my back. Independence was in my blood, from my ancestors who walked the woodlands of Ireland and were revered as Druids. They did not rely on the welfare of others and had a sense of wanderlust. Now that I was older, I did not desire to travel so much, but I had an insatiable need to learn. Some of that came from the attacks on myself from my parent's coven and some because of ambition. There was much to do and I had only a short lifespan to do it.

I had never asked much about Erik's past and he knew only very little about mine. Despite the weeks that I had spent staying at his house, we had only barely begun to know each other, even though I felt like I knew his being. He always seemed calm, playful, and a gentleman. Adele's presence was enough to reveal to me that he was a good soul for she was boisterous and kind.

Earthy, he says, and I nod sagely at him. It seemed accurate enough. The essence of the blood infused with the magic used might be rancid only if the person was into dark things. All magic took a toll, but dark magic was the worst. It stole pieces of a person, of life, to make itself into something against the rules of nature. Necromancy was among the most hated of magics from where she came from and at the mention her lips twitch down, fingers involuntarily twitching. She was not overly religious yet it seemed wise to pray to some being at the mere mention of such sacrilegious magic. The dead were meant to stay dead and at peace, not be toyed with by some perversion of magic.

Pyromancy used to be her dream. She had tried hard to master the magic of fire but it was not to be. As a child, there was a romantic sort of allure to such strength. The ability to set one's nemesis on fire if they bothered you, but she had grown to love the peacefulness of her earth magic. It could be used to fight as well. Vines to strangle an enemy, poisons to loosen their tongues. Not that she had a whole lot of enemies and since she had extracted herself carefully from the selling of potions on the Ark, well, her exciting life had begun to grow tame again. Thank goodness for that.

Erik claims to not be a people person and I smile congenially at him. "Despite running a shop, I guess I'm not much of one either. Hence my solitary lifestyle." It was accurate. I might be considered an introvert to most, but most never got the chance to know me. If Erik hadn't shown up when he did, would I have even reached back out to him? I would have wanted to, but would I Have followed through? Sometimes I hated thinking about myself, analyzing why I was the way I was.

My face softens more at his mention of Adele and Darwin. The housekeeper had grown on me swifrly and my cat as well, what with her spoiling of him. It felt wrong to leave when we did but it also felt wrong to stay. I hadn't been ready for that, the implications, even if Erik never pushed himself at me. We both had felt the pull between us, at least I thought so, and after having lost so much, I wasn't ready to get something else again to lose. Life had been tough to me. Was I ready to be tough back?

"Well, you could always become my apprentice if you get bored enough." I grin playfully on our walk. "I could teach you all about herbology and what is needed for potions and you could teach me everything you've learned about the watching of people. Or you could just work for free in my shop. I bet I would get a lot of new customers with you around." My face turns positively mischievous, my reasoning obvious. Erik was highly attractive and could be considered the 'white knight' type of guy that all women chased after. No doubt I would get an influx of college girls looking for some new cream, potion, or wash. A sort of swooping feeling strikes my middle and I decide against that. I wasn't sure I wanted to see that in action.

The apartment is warm enough I shrug off my jacket, Darwin winding back and forth between us happily. Maybe I should get him a friend, I think, before turning my attention back to Erik. I blush at his words, feeling prideful. "Don't let this fool you," I say, gesturing, "I had the lady at the store pick it out of a magazine for me. I've got the decorating tastes of a corpse." I chuckle, sobering as he talks. "Thank you," I say, feeling a bit of raw emotion in my chest. It was difficult being so honest sometimes. I had a bit of a problem with it, preferring to jest and play, but it felt good. It felt pure even as I stepped closer to Erik and grabbed his hand, cradling it in mine. It was much larger than mine, my slender fingers wrapping around his cold palm. "If it wasn't for your help after... well, after my last shop, I don't know that any of this could have happened. Thank you Erik." I search his face for a moment, heart pounding as I rise up and placed a kiss on cheek, breathing in the scent of him. His skin is cold, a byproduct of his species, but he smells clean and fresh. I almost want to press my nose into his short hair the same way I had done Darwin's, but I pull back, cheeks pink again, eyes burning.

"So, stay for a movie or a game or, well, whatever," I start, my words becoming stilted as I tried not to sound so lame. I hadn't had anyone over in a very long time and I wasn't sure where we stood. Friends or somewhere between friends and more? "You can tell me all about your walks and people watching."