She headed out, unlocking her bike from 'The Cage', she called it, where the people of the studio complex could keep their bikes and scooters safely. She made sure the padlocked door engaged its lock and started to pedal off. The evening air was cool compared to the heatwave of before.

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 She noticed the now familiar shops and eateries along the street. Ponce's, Wong's Golden Palace, The Space Bar, Sheldon's Service Station, Rudford's...So many places and all with different flavors of not only but also decor. She took note of wanting to visit and See what The Space Bar was all about. It was out of sight from her workplace and so she didn't know what sorts of people went in and out of it. That and the windows were made out of those ice cube looking individual blocks. That made it difficult to look inside with any sort of clarity. She shrugged and approached the cafe, her workplace.

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As she locked her bike into the rack outside the cafe, she could hear the drums, the guitar and the smooth voice of a man singing. "What a tone..." She took her book bag off of the rack behind her and pulled out the lightweight yet strong bike lock she kept in it at all times that it wasn't being used. One tug, two tugs. The bike lock was secure, she deducted and took off her helmet to hang it from the strap of her book bag.

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She stepped inside the cafe to see the beautiful ambiance of the Nightingale Cafe Lounge during Mic Night. Low lights, little artificial tea candles flickering, the smell of coffee, and loaves of bread. She had grown to feel of it as almost like a second house. A safe space where she could read anything and not be questioned because it was a quirky little bookstore on the side.

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Then she saw who was on the stage. The back wall seemed to stretch out and yet she felt like he was too close. Him. That voice was his voice. How could she not have recognized it? Was it because he was singing. Why were the fates like this? Why had her spell brought him? All she wanted was for someone who understood the struggles she felt of having to hide for her own safety. How could he ever understand? The mechanic from Lodestar dancing across the small stage spinning and dancing to the bop of his own beat.

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She sat down and watched Joe perform another song. The witch took in the details of his outfit. Dark blue suede boots with embroidered stars in silver thread. White pants with a pale blue belt along with that belt buckle which was decorated with the sign of scorpio. Pluto was his ruling planet and water was his element. She looked up at his western shirt which had the triple moon, many stars, and comets decorated it. Wait. Was that the triple moon on the collar of the shirt or simply moon phases? She squinted and adjusted her glasses. It was!

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Before she knew it, the pompadoured man was taking a bow and unplugged his guitar to leave the stage. He seemed out of breath but it was to be expected since she had heard him belting his lines without the need of the microphone that had been provided since she had seen him dancing all across the stage. "Thank you! I'm so glad you've liked my music. I used to be all shy about it but I've really been able to open up with what I love to do." He said to a few people who had gotten up to give him a bit of extra praise. Now that was pretty cute. He felt vulnerable about his hobbies and interests enough to shy away from sharing them with others. Talent like that had to be shared in her opinion.

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She noticed him walking up to the counter to order something. Probably thirsty after singing. She shook her head and pulled out her sketchbook to draw some of the people in the cafe. She wanted to get comfortable before she got her order of the evening. She used her small portable set of watercolors to add a splash of color onto the drawings. Though, What she never expected was for the mechanic to start walking towards her with a tray in his hands. He didn't just have food and drink for himself but also for another-- Wait. The tarot cards. The Steeped One and The Baked Good. She felt her hands shake as she gazed upon the plate that the mechanic down and slid towards her. She knew the drink on smell alone. Pumpkin Chai. The Baked Good? A croissant.

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Damn it. She loved those.

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She had to didn't she? She had to discover if he really was magically gifted. There was just no way on this cursed earth that this was a mere coincidence. But the cards he had given her had been right. She took her brush soap and quietly washed the bristles of the paint and wiped them off on a small hand towel that she kept in her book bag. The mechanic sat down in front of her while she did this. Her hands felt icy and heavy. She saw him get comfortable, putting his guitar, which was still hanging from the black leather strap which, had been tooled with a row of golden stars, against the wall with a lot of care. She could tell he loved that guitar.

"You're that bike girl Aren't you?" He scooted his chair forward and leaned back in his seat. He raised his arms up for what Rori could only assume was either a stretch or an attempt to woo her. He made a low growl of a grunt and sighed before shaking his shoulders and looking down at his food.

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'Wrong shirt buddy' She thought. The ribbed tank top from that time at Lodestar made him look tons better-- She felt her face burning when she noticed the mechanic leaning in. A smile on his stupid face. "What?" She asked him, her eyebrows furrowing. That was such an absurd thing to think and yet it had flustered her. Was this his magic? Magnetism? Attraction? And - Repulsion? She noticed the Blue Lace Agate she had given him around his neck but it seemed that he has refashioned her gift into something that actually fit him better.

"Whaaat?" He repeated with an exaggerated tone.

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"I'm just a little suprised you got something for me." She turned her head and yet looked at him from the corner of her eye. Huh, he didn't..smell like the autoshop. He didn't stink of sweat either. Worst of all, he cleaned up nice, Those boots and that shirt looked great on him. What was she thinking? No. Not this. Anything but this.

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"I told myself I'd get you something nice and I think that those things I got for you are nice. They're my favorite and thought you'd like them?" The mechanic looked at her eyes. His really were like that blue lace agate bolo he wore. His gaze was strong and piercing..yet...she could see a softness in it. She could even see his question in them so clearly.

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 He was despicable! That was...adorable of him. "I do like what you've ordered for me" She took a sip of the drink he had gotten her to prove the point. "I talk to customers all the time and don't remember if you mentioned your name to me. I'm Aurora Westbrooke."

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 "Aurora..." He said almost as if tasting the sounds of her name, "I'll call you... Rori." He placed his hand on his chest, "I'm Joseph Alexander King but they call me Joe and it feels weird when people call me Alex, so don't call me that..well...unless you like it."

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"Whatever you say Alexander the Great jawline." She had felt the need to compliment him to gauge his reaction and she saw how he moved his hand to place his thumb and middle finger of his left hand on the corners of his jaw and trace it to his chin. "So I know you come here often, what do you like about this place?"

"I like the atmosphere. I could go somewhere else but its really relaxing to be here. Besides, I get to eat inside after a long day of the sun burning my skin." Joe shrugged with one shoulder and then nodded at her. "What about you- Oh right, you work here." He shook his head. "Well- uh...hm. What do you do at home?"

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She had noticed the sunburn on his shoulders the day she had come into Lodestar for get her bike fixed. She presumed it wouldn't hurt to give him a salve to help give him some respite. "I care for a variety of plants at my home. I even have some catnip for my feline friend a sphinx cat named Gremlin." She pulled her phone out and searched for a picture of her cat to show to Joe. She thought the picture was completely adorable.

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"Lotsa plants? Damn, the oxygen at your place must be mad crisp!" Joe chuckled and had a good look at the picture of Gremlin. She could see how his eyes focused on the screen of her phone and that was something she always liked was seeing in people. Those subtle eye movements. It was as if she could see them thinking. Then she heard him speak again, "Ah, you got one of those Zener Cordas phones. How do you like it? I have a Deltoluxe StartoSurfer." He dug into his pocket to show here the bright red and chrome phone. It was very him. He pulled up a picture of his own pet which happened to be a pink and grey cockatoo. "Cute right? Her name is Queenie."

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"I didn't expect you to be a parrot dad." She looked at the cockatoo in detail. The parrot looked fully feathered without one out of place. Bright colors, trimmed claws, and a wonderful shine in her little eyes. "She looks very happy with you."

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 He picked up his cup and drank from it then followed up by taking a bite of his sandwich. "You know, I probably can't bring her to your place since you got a cat. I just want to be safe and keep her safe."

Rori caught his wording as soon as he said it. She leaned in slightly and placed his red phone down on the table, "Are you...inviting yourself to my place?" He thought he was slick didn't he and yet acted so natural. How many times had he done this before? Planted little seeds like these in the past?

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"Am I?" Joe lowered his sandwich. His expression changed from bright to a little concerned. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

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She cut him off, "It's fine. I actually don't have many visitors. I think it would be fun to have you over some time." She then felt the need to clarify, "In the future. Not the sooner either..more of the later." She picked up her croissant to eat.

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Joe looked at her for a long moment, took in a deep breath, held it, and then sighed. "Yea, that'd be nice but that's...can I invite you to the park sometime?" He smiled. Rori noticed his teeth were fairly straight and nice looking. Sure they weren't perfect but no one had perfect teeth.

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"Wednesday." Rori dipped her croissant into her chai as she ate the rest of it with no hurry but it wasn't like it would last her a long time. She came to the idea that she could order something more substantial to go in a few moments. "That's when I don't work."

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"Ah, wonderful! I have that day off too, what a coincidence." Joe leaned in with his elbows on the table. Did he have no manners? He still had half his sandwich too but that was beside the point. She was simply eyeing it as something she could order. Nah. Something different. "I can pick you up if you want me to, Ah, you remember my car right? The Plymouth?"

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She squinted her eyes. No way. She didn't believe him. That was not his day off. "I'll meet you at the park, at the water fountain. Oh and its better if you walk, there won't be much parking." She didn't tell him why. He should know if he had lived here long enough. Even she knew and she was a new resident.

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"O-oh! The farmer's market! Yeah yeah!" He wagged his index finger in the air, "You're right. I'll just meet you there."

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"I'll see you then." She knew a few booths to take him to that should spark his interest if he knew a thing or two about magic. This would be how she would start. Ease in carefully to not out herself as an actual witch. If anything being interested in things didn't mark you as one nowadays. He looked a whole lot more warlock-y than she did witchy at this very moment. She drank the rest of her drink and slowly put her things away. 

He didn't seem to notice since he had become busy eating the rest of his sandwich. 

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She stood up and placed her hand on his well-defined shoulder, knowing that under his shirt he was very sunburnt. She felt him wince and turn to look up at her with his eyebrows knit together. She leaned in to look at his face and that horrible looking gash across his face and the bruise around it. "What happened there?"

"Queenie bit me on accident. She's fine, I'll be fine." Joe pouted a little, "Is it really still that obvious or am I just used to it?"

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"It's a...look..." Rori cleared her throat, "But it suits you or it will once it's all better."

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"Yea I hope," He sounded a little defeated about it, his eyes lowered to the remnants of his sandwich which was still in his hand. "I guess I'll look tough. Not that I really wanted to. I was happy with the way I was."

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Rori felt a little awkward now. She refused to compliment him further for her own sake. She wanted to keep this as close to acquaintances or friends as possible and without leading him to believe that anything else could happen. "You still look like you. Just a bit more special. See ya around, Baby blues." She walked toward the counter to purchase some of the Nightingale Lounge's signature chili and biked off back home. 

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"A parrot for a familiar is quite unheard of." She said to herself over the sound of her bike chain whirring and the evening cars whooshing by on her left. "But he certainly has to be a warlock."