The door crashes open as Claire stomps into the room. She flops onto the couch of Abby’s office and moans as she muffles her screams of frustration. Abby, unmoved by the theatrics, gets up and closes the door, plopping herself back into her chair all the while reading the sheets in her hands. Abby’s quite used to Claire storming into her office to rant or vent but this time seems to be serious. Finally Claire falls silent and Abby takes this chance to cross some "t’s" and dot some "i’s". Claire says nothing as Abby straightens up her desk and with all the papers put away Abby swirls in her chair to face Claire.
“So…?”
Claire turns her head, poking her eye out to see Abby patiently waiting. Abby was a beautiful woman, with midnight black hair forever in a bun on top of her head but when she lets it down, it’s nothing but silk curls to her shoulders. She wears thick librarian glasses attached to a chain around her neck and wears simple gray and black suits. Suits weren’t required for Handlers or any other Guild workers, but Abby likes order. As Claire was looking Abby over she begun to tap her finger on the desk and raised her eyebrow as her patient grew thin.
“Well…?”
Claire sighs as she shifts into a more comfortable position lying on the couch, “Do you know anything about this new Task Force they’re putting together?”
Abby blinks in surprise as she taps her fingernail on her teeth, a tell of hers, “Yeah I’ve heard rumors. Are they putting you on it?”
“Yes!”
There was a moment of silence as Abby glanced Claire over, “Then I weep for the world.”
She twirls to her desk, shuffling more papers as Claire moans, sitting up, “Abby! You knew about this?”
From Abby’s back Claire hears, “No not really. I just knew the idea was going around and if it was true you would make a good guinea pig.”
“Exactly!” Claire springs up and walks around Abby’s desk facing her, “They want me to be a guinea pig! A guinea pig! How could they do that?!”
“I’m sure they explained it to you.”
“Well yeah,” Claire plops down on a chair against the wall, “I’m one of the few mages with the Free-Pass license and Melvin believes in me, but I know nothing of police work. How can I be of any help if I can’t solve a case?”
“See your already talking like a badge.” Abby looks up and smiles as Claire gives her a glare. Laughing Abby gives Claire her full attention as she tries to sooth her friend, “Claire, your perfect for the job. You really are. Not only are you one of the most powerful mage of your time but you observe everything and watch everything. It still amazes me how much you know and how you can glean things you shouldn’t know. I don’t know what you’re so worried about. This has to do with something else other than the job doesn’t it?”
Claire slowly looks down at her hands as she admits her fears, “I’m insecure Abby. I know you never did but there are humans out there that judge mages like me at first glance. I’m worried…scared that they’ll judge me so much…that we can’t get anything done. I have a real chance to save lives and make a difference here. Can you image how this’ll help our worlds to understand each other? I just…can feel that weight and frankly it scares the hell out of me.”
Abby sighed as she saw her friend start to crumble in her chair. She got up and went to Claire, embracing her in a big hug as comforting as she could get. Soon enough both women were laughing as Claire brushed away small tears. Abby sat in the chair next to her and grabbed her hands, “Don’t worry so much. That’s not the Claire I know. Besides, if they can see you like I can, they’ll love you!”
They laugh some more and as the sound of more piles of paper materializing on Abby’s desk cracks through the small office they talk of getting together after Claire’s first day. They hug once more as they stand and say their goodbyes as Abby goes back to her paperwork and Claire heads out the office. Outside the quiet of the office is shattered by the ringing of the magic help hotline and complaints and questions from everyone. Claire makes her way through, taking her time walking to the port station on the other side of the building. As she walks her conversation with Melvin plays through her head.
“Me?! Are you kidding?! You want me to be a guinea pig or something?!”
“Well essentially yes. Claire look, you’re the only one who’s capable of handling this task. You have a touch of multiple different talents that will help in your investigations. You also have the Free-Pass which gives you the longest full-range use of your magic.”
“Technically, no.”
“Mmm…Claire. You’re the only one I would trust with this. Will you do this?”
Claire sighed as she leaned back into the chair, “Yes.”
“Destination please.”
Claire snapped out of her remembrance as the small holo fairy spoke again, “Oh sorry. Home please.”
The little holo nods as she smiles at Claire, “Please step into the platform and keep your hands and feet inside at all times.”
With a whoosh and flick of a wrist Claire’s back home at her loft. She sighs again as she feels the weariness of the day crashing down on her. A clink is heard and she looks around her sunny loft to find the noise. Her loft was at the very top of the building and with permission from the landlord she transformed the north facing wall into a glass wall to flood the space with light. In and around the wall she made several small greenhouses and grew numerous different types of herbs and flowers and vegetables from all walks of life. To her far left against the west wall was her craft area where she created potions and lotions from orders and her bedroom to the right. To her right was a bright sunny kitchen but the center of the room commanded the most attention. There she had a massive oak round table with all types of books and scrolls scattered about encircled by a large circular couch. It was her study area where she continued to study and research her magic and it was there that she found the source of the noise.
“Crystal, what are you doing?”
Amongst the piles of paper a clear glass head of a small dragon popped up and smirked as the sunlight glinted in her glass eyes, “There’s a critter amust.”
“So don’t kill it, you can’t even eat food like that to begin with. Why are you hunting the poor thing?”
Claire made her way into the kitchen to pour herself something to drink as Crystal pulled the rest of her body out from under the piles of paper. Despite her name, Crystal was a living dragon model made of glass. Claire was experimenting with her magic back when she was a child and well, let’s just say the experiment went a little haywire and a living breathing glass dragon was the result. Since then she demanded to be called Crystal and Claire’s first friend came about. Crystal pulled her glass wings up and flew to Claire’s shoulder landing without a noise as Claire pulled some lemonade out of the fridge.
“I’m not hunting him nor was I going to eat him. He’s a messenger and was lost.”
“A messenger? From who?” Claire stared at Crystal’s glass beaded eyes as she poured herself a glass of the bright yellow lemonade.
“I do not know. That is why I’m searching for him.”
Poor thing, no wonder he’s so scared. “Fine.” Claire takes a swig of the cool lemonade and sets the glass down. She walks out of the kitchen and walks up to the oak table. She holds out her hand palm up over the table and says a quiet chant. Soon enough glowing fingers of purple light emit from her palm and snake their way down her hand, to the table and begin to search for the mysterious messenger. He was quickly found and a squeaking mouse floated its way to Claire’s hand. She gently cups the shaking animal, soothing it with her words as she takes the rolled up message from the mouse’s back. There was only one person she knew who communicated with her by mouse. Old lady Midge. Sure enough Claire unrolled the small scrap of paper and Midge’s chicken scratch handwriting asked Claire to visit at her convenience.
She let the mouse go and watched it as it bounded its way out the window, running home. Claire straightens up a small bit before she starts heading out the door and quickly makes her way two stories down to Midge’s loft. Just as she’s about to knock the door creaks open and the room filled with incense spills into the hallway around her. Crystal growls and buries her head into Claire’s shirt above her chest as she walks into the room. Claire holds her breathe as she stumbles through the darken room tripping over knick knacks and the like as she follows the glowing orbs to the center of the loft. Reaching the orb she plops into the offered chair and waits for Midge to show. She didn’t have to wait long as the light turns on, blinding Claire at the sudden change. Midge laughs as she hobbles her way over to the table, clacking as she walks.
Midge always reminded Claire of those hippies she heard about. Her hair was long and old with wisps of gray and some other dull color mixed in. But no one knew just how long her hair was for it was always braided with beads of every size, color, and shape braided in. It was those beads that gave Midge her clack as she walked with her cane at her side. She always wore free flowing clothes, neither dresses or robes. There were sandals on her feet and a handkerchief tied on her head, but it was probably the eyes that scared people the most. Midge was a clairvoyant, meaning she could see visions of the future, but as a price for sight of the future, she was born blind. Her eyes were nothing more but milk whites that always seem to stare at you and she forever smelled of hemp even though she never smokes the herb. She says the smell alone is enough for her. Claire tries not to cough at the overwhelming smells as Crystal digs deeper into her shirt. Midge walks over with her always present smile and sits at the opposite side of the table.
Midge starts laughing at Claire as she looks her over, “Oh my dear child what are you doing here? You’re already late!”
Comments (0)
See all