Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

'Solomon's Scrolls'.

Echo had been standing on the sidewalk for five minutes, looking at the shop's facade. It was six o'clock in the evening. The sun was a blazing deep-orange ball in the sky that cast long shadows. The hybrid grasped the door handle, pulled.

It was cooler inside, and she paused as she looked around at the shelves. She didn't know if she'd find what she was looking for here, but if she didn't at least look, she'd never find out.

There was two hundred dollars folded tightly in her back jeans pocket. Help, real help, probably wouldn't be cheap. If she had to live off of mac and cheese for a while, it would be worth it.

Echo stepped towards the counter, jammed her hands self-consciously into her pockets. Wondered how she was going to start explaining.

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Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

Jazz had commended Mel on her making of the aftershave, though she did warn the young witch to be on alert for young male vampires who happened by, even if they had bought a rabbit as a pet. She was humming to herself, feeling pretty pleased at the results, and smiled when she heard the front door open. She saw the young girl enter, noticed her stance, and walked toward the counter to greet the young customer.

"Hello there, how can I help you today?" she said cheerily, head cocked a little to one side as she looked at the girl's face. "My name's Melody," she added, hoping it might help her feel a little more at ease.

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

"Hi. Uh....hi."

Echo didn't even know how to start. It was one thing to tell Cian, who was like her, or even Rhiannon, who was part of that world as well. But a stranger? It was a daunting prospect.

Still, Melody's friendly approach thawed the icy knot of worry in her belly just a bit. She cleared her throat, took her hands out of her pockets. "I saw your listing in the Yellow Pages," she said slowly. "Then an ad in the paper. I kind of need a...thing."

Her own ridiculousness was so annoying to the hybrid that she lifted her head and squared her shoulders a little defiantly. She was going to have to work on her shell some more. She met the other girl's eyes head-on.

"How much do you know about werewolves?"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"Well, that was a shift, even if not into a wolf!" Melody thought to herself silently as she watched the young girl overcome her hesitation and actually meet Mel's eyes. The witch saw something there, a defiance, that wasn't evident before in anything the girl did. Interesting.

"I only really know what can be read in books," she admitted. "We have a couple in stock I think, but my boss, Jazz, she knows more. What was it in particular you were after, or are you just curious?"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

"I want to remember what I see after I change."

Echo's voice was low, and there was a note of urgency in her words. She'd thought about it after she'd spoken with Cian, had started to wonder if there was a way to keep the Wolf's memories even in human form. If she was ever to meld her two selves, it could only help to be able to recall what she'd seen and done in her other form.

If she didn't send Melody scrambling for safety with the admission that she was different, that was.

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

It didn't so much surprise Mel that the young girl was referring to herself, more that she had admitted it so quickly. She nodded reassuringly and indicated the back of the store, turning and leading the way. Things like this were better handled there as there was less likelihood for a passerby on the search for some trick cards, or collapsing top hat with coloured scarves inside the band to interrupt them back there, should they happen to wander in.

"Come back here and we can see what we can do," she said, not completely sure she would have the answers the girl needed, but definitely intrigued enough to find out more and see what she could come up with. As she lead the way to the back she said over her shoulder, "first, what's your name? Just makes it easier for me," she told her.

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

Echo shuffled after the other girl. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. It wasn't like her to just blurt things out that way, but it had been fueled by frustration with herself. If this shop was the real deal, no one was going to kill her if she told the truth. They might not even think it was that weird.

"My name is Echo," she told Melody as the two of them moved to the back of the store. "I don't even know if anything can help with this, but this is probably the best place to look."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"Yeah, well Echo I can't give you any guarantees, but Jazz is the best in the business," Mel told her reassuringly, and going behind the counter at the rear of the store. She bent over and rummaged through a cupboard beneath the display case that butted up against the counter, crouched down so she could see what she was doing. "I'm just looking to see if I can find her potions listings, see if there's anything in there. I can't be sure there even is anything like this? But again, if anyone will know it will be Jazz. She doesn't usually come in today, but I can call her if you want, and see if she can, or I can talk to her tomorrow, and see if there's anything she knows." She saw the journal she was looking for and smiled, pulling it out from beneath the pile of assorted books and boxes.

It was Mel's favourite book in the store, along with the spells book that Jazz kept with her at all times. She had only started to leave the potions journal in the store for Mel, when the young witch had shown a keen interest in practicing, and Jazz figured she could trust her with the information. She looked at Echo and smiled. "But first we can look through this!"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

Echo looked for somewhere to sit down, or at least a place to put herself where she wouldn't be in the way, then settled on a spot a few feet away from Melody. Her cheeks were still a dark pink, and she put her hands on them as if her palms would absorb the heat there.

"I don't know as much about this kind of thing as I should," she admitted. "Y'know, what it means to be...like I am." The hybrid offered an uncertain smile, lifted one shoulder in a shrug.

"I want to learn, though. I need to learn."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"How long's it been?" Mel asked gently, the colour in Echo's cheeks evoking an empathetic response from the young witch. She knew only too well how that felt and could only offer words of reassurance. "And don't worry, it's just you and me here, and it's nowhere near the full moon!" she offered, thinking the embarrassment might have been caused by some concerns on Mel's part.

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

"Forever. Since I was born. My Papa, he's a full were."

The color in Echo's cheeks was gradually subsiding, or at least becoming manageable. She watched what Melody was doing, hooking her thumbs through her belt loops. "I've been working on shifting, but I can't remember what it's like after I change back. I want to be able to remember."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"Oh! Really? Well that's so cool!" Mel said, genuinely surprised. "And you can shift when you want, without the moon phase?" she continued, the book of potions momentarily forgotten. "Is it hard? Or is it harder to stop it? Or do you have to on the full moon anyway?" There was no doubt as to the sincerity of her questions.

[wolfs_daughter]

Echo smiled fleetingly, pushing one hand through her hair and tousling it. "I learned to control the change, then got out of habit of doing it. I didn't even know I could until I was eight. But somebody said that I should try again."

It would have been too complicated to explain everything, how isolated she'd felt when she was younger, combined with the fact that Papa hadn't helped her when he could have. The basics were what mattered right now, and details could wait. The hybrid tried to be less self-conscious.

"I brought money," she said, patting her back pocket. "Y'know, in case."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

The money was something that hadn't even really entered Mel's mind, a fact that Jazz pointed out she needed to remember because Jazz needed to pay not only the rent and electricity, but that Mel liked to get a paycheck at the end of the week.

"Oh, well the money part we won't know until we see what we can do for the potion," she replied, opening the worn cover on the thick journal in front of her and flicking a few pages till she had the contents listing. It wasn't very complete, or accurate, and given that the whole journal was handwritten and a little dogeared, it wasn't particularly up-to-date either. Despite all this Mel would usually start there, just to see if there would be anything that sounded like it might be what they needed. Back when Jazz had been starting to compile it, when she was sure she was going to make the best potions book in the world, she had been fairly good at keeping it sorted, and had left herself a few blank pages, to add lines as she added potion recipes, but as time wore on and her experience grew, plus her repertoire of potions expanded, it became of lesser priority, to the point now where Mel thought it wouldn't be long before Jazz finally agreed to let Mel start to add to it too.

"So, it's memory, the main thing, and being able to recall your Were's memories," she said, lowering her eyes to the page and running her finger lightly down the list, murmuring to herself as she did.

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

Echo continued to hover a respectable distance away, although it was tempting to try and see what Melody was looking through. She probably wouldn't have understood much of it, but she wanted to get comfortable with more aspects of the world she lived in. If she accepted herself as being supernatural, it might pay to know more. Lots more.

Besides, Melody was pretty. Mutant or not, the brunette had eyes.

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "I mean, I can remember stuff, but none of it's ever coherent. It's all blurry, like looking underwater."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"Well, I'd have to check with Jazz, but we could try a regular memory potion, see if that helps," Mel suggested, grabbing the top corner and a wad of pages and turning them, skimming the page quickly and turning some more. "Don't want to give you something that might react badly for you." She paused and looked at Echo for a moment, thinking.

"So when you change, do you know what you were thinking about now? Or is that the sort of thing you can't remember?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound ridiculous, or confuse Echo.

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

"Mostly I think abut how long it'll take to get back, and whether or not I'll have to sleep in the desert." Echo held her thumb and forefinger a millimeter apart, adding, "The place were I live is this big, so I don't have many neighbors, but sometimes I wonder if people have seen this black wolf coming out of nowhere and then disappearing again."

The hybrid thought in silence for a minute, drawing an invisible line on the floor with the toe of her shoe. "I don't think I have any allergies or anything," she said, then amended that with, "Well, I can't wear silver jewelry, for obvious reasons. And I know wolfsbane is poison. But other than that..." Her shoulders lifted in a shrug.

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

Echo's answer about her memories was a little confusing to Mel, but she didn't say anything, figuring she could find out more later on. Instead she asked, "so where do you live? On the edge of Vegas from the sounds of it, not in the city. And the allergies isn't really what I meant, it is more to do with what the potion might do with what it is that makes you a Were," she added in explanation.

"Sort of like the whole silver thing. There might be somethings that cause reactions like that, and I wouldn't want to have you come back in and throw the potion at me because it was worse than eating ghost peppers, with hot sauce!"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

"Oh. Oh! Heh."

Echo looked up at the ceiling, trying to think of a reasonable way to put it. "I live in Searchlight, about an hour's drive down the highway," she explained to Melody. "Mostly older folks live there, people who are retired, so not a lot goes on after dark from what I can tell. That's why I feel pretty okay about shifting."

Her brow furrowed with thought. "What kind of things go into potions, anyway?" she queried. "What would be needed to make it work?"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

Right from the very beginning of her working with Jazz the older witch had told Mel that no matter what, she must never reveal the ingredients of their potions. "They're a trade secret, and you never know who might be asking, or who might then in turn ask them, and if they find out they can develop their own, or worse still, make something that can cause havoc with what we've done," she'd told her sternly. And Mel respected that. The only time any of the recipes left the store was when Jazz gave them to her coven sisters.

"I can't really say," Mel replied, not wanting to seem like she was hiding anything, but also cautious. "There's not just the ingredients, but also how they're mixed, and the time it takes to make it, and at what time of the moon's cycle, all of those things make a difference," she explained. She gave Echo a wry smile. "There's not many potions that we can keep in stock, they just don't keep, so we make them to order, and depending on the potion it can take a little while to get it perfect."

She smiled, remembering how long it had taken her to get the last one she worked on to be just perfect, and she could happily say from experience it did work, even if at first it had been more than she'd wanted to take, thanks to Brian!

"Were you in a rush, because I can call Jazz and see if she can come in for you if you like?"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

"No, I didn't have to be anywhere. I'm off work now, so I don't have anything planned until tomorrow. The traffic will be lighter later, anyway."

Stop staring. She's going to think you're a weirdo. Find something else worth looking at.

The stern internal lecture had Echo directing her gaze towards a spot over Melody's shoulder, and she said, "If it wouldn't be any trouble, could you phone your friend r something and see if she's got time for me?"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"Sure, let me just give her a call," Mel said, closing the potions journal and tucking it under her arm. "The phone's just out back, so I'll be back in a minute."

She headed out to the back room, putting the journal on the small desks out there and dialing Jazz's home number. It took a while but the older witch and store owner did answer eventually. After a brief conversation Mel nodded and hung up, heading back out to Echo.

"She's with some people now, and won't be able to make it in here till tomorrow. She said she might be able to help, but she needs to talk to you herself, so when's the next time you can come by?" Mel still had the potions journal in her arms, hugging it to her body as she spoke. "And she gave me a couple of things for you to take with you to try before coming back, so she can know for sure if you have any sort of reaction. Is that OK?"

[wolfs_daughter]

Echo dawdled while Melody made her phone call, looking around at things and wondering if something would randomly explode if she touched it. She knew a little bit about glyphs and wards now that she'd been doing some research, but not enough to know whether or not every little thing could be protected magically. In the interest of safety, she put her hands in her pockets.

"I can come by pretty much any evening after work," she said. "I have a job at a daycare center n the city, and they close pretty early. If I have to be here at a specific time to catch your friend, I'm sure that can be worked out."

Her eyes drifted towards the book the other girl held, then added, "And yeah, I can take stuff home. I only know a little bit about real magic, so better safe than sorry."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

Mel smiled and nodded. "It is," she agreed, and went across to the workbench, the wall behind it covered in small drawers and shelves full of bottles and flasks. She found some small brown paper bags and after opening and closing a few drawers, popping some things in each of four bags she walked back to the counter and put them down, side by side, and proceeded to write on each bag, talking as she did and explaining to Echo what she was writing and what Jazz suggested she should do.

She looked at each, then gathered them up and held them out to Echo "She must have something special in mind, because I've not seen anything in her book that uses all these together," Mel admitted, her curiosity in what Jazz might be about to pull together for the werewolf piqued. "And remember, that fourth bag is for in the morning, twelve hours after the others."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

Echo took the bags, the weight of which were negligible. Out of curiosity, she opened one and took a sniff at the contents. A piquant aroma touched her nostrils, like strong tea, and she closed the top of the bag again.

"Twelve hours after," she confirmed with a nod. There was a very small knot of anticipation in her stomach. She'd been taking baby steps before this, steps so small that this seemed like a giant leap in comparison, and she was nervous and excited. She offered Melody a smile that she hoped looked confident.

"Do I pay now or wait until your friend does...whatever she's going to do?"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"Oh she said not to worry about it till she does the potion," Mel told Echo, capping the pen she'd been using and putting it back in the tin sitting on the counter next to the old cash register.

She indicated the bags Echo was holding and added, "get yourself some honey to take after bark one you have to make into a tea, it's as bitter as anything. Don't add it into the hot water, it won't make any difference, just have a spoon of it ready to take, unless you're really into bitter!"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

The hybrid was making mental notes as Melody talked. She would have to run to the little grocery store in Searchlight and see if they had honey, because she was pretty sure she didn't have any in the kitchen cupboards. Should she use a big mug or a little mug?

"I'll remember that," she said with a shy laugh. "I can't even drink black coffee, so I'm definitely not a fan of a bitter taste."

She shuffled in place a bit self-consciously, then said, "Let me give you my number at home, in case your friend has any questions."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"Sure," Melody said, grabbing the pen out of the pot again and flipping a small note pad to a new page. She turned it around and put it on the counter for Echo, and reached over and picked one of the shop's business cards off the cash register. "Probably a good idea, in case you don't turn up we can call and find out what happened!"

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[wolfs_daughter]

The brunette wrote down her phone number at home, then picked up the little card and put it in her shirt pocket. "Thanks for your help," she told Melody,picking up her bags again. "I'm looking forward t seeing how this works."

Re: Wolfy Mojo and Memories

[melodymagic]

"Me too," Melody replied. She could tell from the response Jazz had given that this was also a really interesting job for her boss, the older witch having not had this sort of request before. She had sounded like she wanted to come in straight away, but the people she was with needed her, and had been waiting for her to see them for ages.

"We'll see you tomorrow evening," Mel added, giving Echo a small wave and watching the girl leave.

So, a hybrid therian who wants to remember, this will be interesting! Mel put the potions journal down on the counter and opened it, flicking through to a section and starting to read.