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Ficlet - Meeting the Local Families [Incepted Verse]
Verse: Incepted Universe because I am on a roll. Somewhere at the beginning.
Ever since running into Ms. Fabienne that evening nearly a month ago, Piper had felt more settled into her skin, and truth be told, even her magic felt better. It was a good feeling.
A really good feeling.
She was learning a lot about Louisiana Voodoo and Hoodoo. Truth was, she didn't feel she had much right to such teachings but Ms. Breaux was insistent and if there was one thing drilled into her, it was she respected her elders.
So.
She watched, she listened, and was an avid pupil. It also meant she would remember everything Ms. Breaux taught her.
The other thing that has started happening was the introduction and re-introduction to the families and covens in crescent city. Many families were the same (it hadn't been that long ago) but there were others who had come and gone in the years she was away. She was also being introduced to the other Voodoo and Hoodoo priestesses because "it was important that she makes her presence known", or so she had been told.
Even if she was, at this point, still undecided if she was staying long-term.
“Cher, you are an - no, you are the Enchanted now and this is your home. These are your people as much as they are mine and any other witch practicing in this city. Your family may have left many years ago but it’s still in your blood, in your soul and roots. Own it. You belong here. I saw it all those years ago with Jessie and I see it more now.”
So, she did.
Or she was learning to anyway.
Most of the families and covens she visited were hospitable and gracious (they were New Orleans Southern, after all) and a few were even almost star-struck but there were others who were cold and/or indifferent. Which, honestly, didn’t surprise her.
Later, she would have to ask how much people knew about her recent activities. She had a theory that those who didn't like her knew quite a bit.
For now, she took it in and was gracious to all her hosts, bringing something with her as a thank you. If she was going to stay for any length of time, the last thing she wanted or needed was to get on the bad side of a witch, no matter their practice.
“We don’t need or want you were. Run along back to England or wherever you’ve been hiding,” a woman, younger than she was, says snidely, her arms crossed in front of her.
They were visiting a coven on a Tuesday morning and the Fabienne had left her to speak privately with the priestess on some secretive business, no doubt. It was the first she'd been spoken to like that in a while and frankly, if she were honest, it amused her.
Piper tilts her head as she considers the girl before her. She sensed a decent amount of power (nothing to scoff at) but the attitude left a bit to be desired. Then again, who was she to talk about attitudes? She'd had one herself at that age.
“You’re allowed your opinion. I’m sorry to say I don’t take orders from you. What is your name?”
The girl rolls her eyes. “Amelia McHenry”
The more Piper took in the magic of the coven who gathered and practiced here, the more she could sense something familiar about it. It wasn't something she was intimately familiar with but enough to know she's felt it before, recently.
Pushing that back for the time being, Piper smiles and holds out a hand. "Despite the less-than-welcoming approach, it’s nice to meet you, Amelia. I’m Piper.”
She didn’t need to introduce herself, the girl already knew who she was from the quick introductions earlier but she was nothing if not nice. Especially to those who didn’t seem to like her. It seemed to really irk them and that amused her. “So why don’t you want me here? Not that I blame you at all, but I'm always if not curious why someone doesn't like me today.”
Piper watches closely as Amelia’s eyes widen a fraction as she shakes her hand. Whether it was because she felt her power that she no longer squishes down or because she was being nice in the face of her cranky ass, she wasn’t sure but either was likely.
After a moment, Amelia answers. “You’re friends with the vampires and they’ve been nothing but trouble for our coven. And others like us. How could you be okay with that?”
Well, that was fair enough and Piper says as much out loud. “Fair. I may be friends with vampires but not the ones that I’m sure you’re thinking of specifically. You'll find things will be changing for the better very soon.”
“Pfft, they’re all the same though, aren’t they? Old, hell-bent on blood, destruction, and ruling the city with an iron fist while making no effort to actually make it better or safe.”
She had a point. From what she could tell, Marcel hadn't done anything to make things better for the people in the city. So she couldn't even be mad. “That's a valid point. To your question, if they're all the same, with how many vampires I have known and dated over the years - they're not the same at all. They have different priorities... except for their love of blood. That's a universal vampire trait." Watching Amelia frown and make a face at the thought of drinking blood, she laughs. "They have to eat too. But you're right, they don't use their position to better the city. And if they can't do that, are they really fit to rule?"
If anything, it made Piper think about that a little deeper, more than she would have before.
"Whatever," the other girl mutters and looks at the doorway when the older Voodoo Priestess returns.
“Are you ready to go, mon cher,” Fabienne asks walking in and staring at the two closely having overheard the last bit and knowing well fate brought Piper back home at the right time.
“Ready,” Piper says with a smile before looking at Amelia with a nod. “It was nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”
“Unless you leave first.”
“Perhaps,” she says with a laugh before leaving with the woman who was quickly becoming a valued mentor during her time in New Orleans.
“What was that about?”
“Not everyone is thrilled I’m back - especially considering how close I am to vampires."
Fabienne hums. "How you handled it was just fine," she says with a sure nod. "You're not going to win everyone over right away but I see it, you will. Even with those boys of yours."
Piper blinks at the mention of her boys and can only assume she meant Adonis so she smiles with a laugh. "Whatever you say, Ms. Fabienne. I trust you." And she did. More than she expected when she stepped into House of Voodoo that Thursday afternoon.
"Good, you'll learn Ms. Fabienne knows all."
Much later, after returning to her AirBnB, she walks over to the dresser where she'd placed the grimoires they'd taken from Marcel's safe and slides her fingers over the spine of one. "You belong to Amelia, don't you," she murmurs, lifting it up and opening it.
Ella McHenry
"I'll return you to your proper home in the morning, you'll be back where you belong soon enough."
Piper lifts her phone out of her back pocket and sends a quick message to Kol.
Up for a late night visitor?
She had quite a bit on her mind and she wanted to know what his thoughts were for New Orleans.
Ever since running into Ms. Fabienne that evening nearly a month ago, Piper had felt more settled into her skin, and truth be told, even her magic felt better. It was a good feeling.
A really good feeling.
She was learning a lot about Louisiana Voodoo and Hoodoo. Truth was, she didn't feel she had much right to such teachings but Ms. Breaux was insistent and if there was one thing drilled into her, it was she respected her elders.
So.
She watched, she listened, and was an avid pupil. It also meant she would remember everything Ms. Breaux taught her.
The other thing that has started happening was the introduction and re-introduction to the families and covens in crescent city. Many families were the same (it hadn't been that long ago) but there were others who had come and gone in the years she was away. She was also being introduced to the other Voodoo and Hoodoo priestesses because "it was important that she makes her presence known", or so she had been told.
Even if she was, at this point, still undecided if she was staying long-term.
“Cher, you are an - no, you are the Enchanted now and this is your home. These are your people as much as they are mine and any other witch practicing in this city. Your family may have left many years ago but it’s still in your blood, in your soul and roots. Own it. You belong here. I saw it all those years ago with Jessie and I see it more now.”
So, she did.
Or she was learning to anyway.
Most of the families and covens she visited were hospitable and gracious (they were New Orleans Southern, after all) and a few were even almost star-struck but there were others who were cold and/or indifferent. Which, honestly, didn’t surprise her.
Later, she would have to ask how much people knew about her recent activities. She had a theory that those who didn't like her knew quite a bit.
For now, she took it in and was gracious to all her hosts, bringing something with her as a thank you. If she was going to stay for any length of time, the last thing she wanted or needed was to get on the bad side of a witch, no matter their practice.
“We don’t need or want you were. Run along back to England or wherever you’ve been hiding,” a woman, younger than she was, says snidely, her arms crossed in front of her.
They were visiting a coven on a Tuesday morning and the Fabienne had left her to speak privately with the priestess on some secretive business, no doubt. It was the first she'd been spoken to like that in a while and frankly, if she were honest, it amused her.
Piper tilts her head as she considers the girl before her. She sensed a decent amount of power (nothing to scoff at) but the attitude left a bit to be desired. Then again, who was she to talk about attitudes? She'd had one herself at that age.
“You’re allowed your opinion. I’m sorry to say I don’t take orders from you. What is your name?”
The girl rolls her eyes. “Amelia McHenry”
The more Piper took in the magic of the coven who gathered and practiced here, the more she could sense something familiar about it. It wasn't something she was intimately familiar with but enough to know she's felt it before, recently.
Pushing that back for the time being, Piper smiles and holds out a hand. "Despite the less-than-welcoming approach, it’s nice to meet you, Amelia. I’m Piper.”
She didn’t need to introduce herself, the girl already knew who she was from the quick introductions earlier but she was nothing if not nice. Especially to those who didn’t seem to like her. It seemed to really irk them and that amused her. “So why don’t you want me here? Not that I blame you at all, but I'm always if not curious why someone doesn't like me today.”
Piper watches closely as Amelia’s eyes widen a fraction as she shakes her hand. Whether it was because she felt her power that she no longer squishes down or because she was being nice in the face of her cranky ass, she wasn’t sure but either was likely.
After a moment, Amelia answers. “You’re friends with the vampires and they’ve been nothing but trouble for our coven. And others like us. How could you be okay with that?”
Well, that was fair enough and Piper says as much out loud. “Fair. I may be friends with vampires but not the ones that I’m sure you’re thinking of specifically. You'll find things will be changing for the better very soon.”
“Pfft, they’re all the same though, aren’t they? Old, hell-bent on blood, destruction, and ruling the city with an iron fist while making no effort to actually make it better or safe.”
She had a point. From what she could tell, Marcel hadn't done anything to make things better for the people in the city. So she couldn't even be mad. “That's a valid point. To your question, if they're all the same, with how many vampires I have known and dated over the years - they're not the same at all. They have different priorities... except for their love of blood. That's a universal vampire trait." Watching Amelia frown and make a face at the thought of drinking blood, she laughs. "They have to eat too. But you're right, they don't use their position to better the city. And if they can't do that, are they really fit to rule?"
If anything, it made Piper think about that a little deeper, more than she would have before.
"Whatever," the other girl mutters and looks at the doorway when the older Voodoo Priestess returns.
“Are you ready to go, mon cher,” Fabienne asks walking in and staring at the two closely having overheard the last bit and knowing well fate brought Piper back home at the right time.
“Ready,” Piper says with a smile before looking at Amelia with a nod. “It was nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”
“Unless you leave first.”
“Perhaps,” she says with a laugh before leaving with the woman who was quickly becoming a valued mentor during her time in New Orleans.
“What was that about?”
“Not everyone is thrilled I’m back - especially considering how close I am to vampires."
Fabienne hums. "How you handled it was just fine," she says with a sure nod. "You're not going to win everyone over right away but I see it, you will. Even with those boys of yours."
Piper blinks at the mention of her boys and can only assume she meant Adonis so she smiles with a laugh. "Whatever you say, Ms. Fabienne. I trust you." And she did. More than she expected when she stepped into House of Voodoo that Thursday afternoon.
"Good, you'll learn Ms. Fabienne knows all."
Much later, after returning to her AirBnB, she walks over to the dresser where she'd placed the grimoires they'd taken from Marcel's safe and slides her fingers over the spine of one. "You belong to Amelia, don't you," she murmurs, lifting it up and opening it.
Ella McHenry
"I'll return you to your proper home in the morning, you'll be back where you belong soon enough."
Piper lifts her phone out of her back pocket and sends a quick message to Kol.
Up for a late night visitor?
She had quite a bit on her mind and she wanted to know what his thoughts were for New Orleans.