nadiaholme

[nadiaholme]

Nadia finds herself smiling easily at the agreement, and makes her way over towards the seats, too - already plopped in one to catch her breath and soothe her aching calves just from a quick few laps around the place. She's not used to things like this - the fun, easy ones. It always feels like she's going to end up having a catch or that someone will make her feel terrible for smiling.

Those days are long gone, though, and she looks up - "Oh - I was gonna.." She gestures down to her feet with a laugh.

"We can go together, it's fine." Another, softer laugh, a hint of a blush dusting at her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. This is all so much, and she's really just -

She's trying to reach out and make friends and have fun, and feels awkward herself.

"I'll buy?" Now that she has some money, she doesn't mind helping someone out or splurging on some food once in a while. Especially if she uses her discount for food at the shop. Once her shoes are changed, she sits up a bit and looks over at Jac -

"Are you a local?"

She expects Nadia to ask more questions about Lara, or talk about the boyfriend she must have, or altogether just cut the conversation short because she realizes how awkward Jac is as a human being. But the redhead does nothing of the sort, even invites her to stick around and she has to recalibrate the responses she had already prepared.

"Oh! Um... yeah, we can... we can do that." Her head bobs up and down like a bobblehead but she starts moving towards the small gap in the wall that lets people skate on and off the floor. Once they're back on the carpet, she feels a tiny bit steadier, though she is pretty sure she looks entirely ridiculous shuffling along the brightly patterned floor.

"I think... I'm going to switch to my regular shoes," she admits finally after catching herself from falling for the third time. "I mean... if you actually want the corn dog..." Suddenly, Jac is uncertain that maybe she is doing too much. "I can meet you at the concession stand?" At least that way, Nadia had an excuse to walk away before any of this became more embarrassing.

[nadiaholme]

NADIA as A GREEN FAIRY

It's the first year she's felt like she could actually dress up without incurring some sort of heavenly wrath - so she opts for something simple and cute that makes her feel adorable. The wings are from the flea market and the corset is a hand-me-down over the top of a handmade dress.

She's attending AJ's party, though it's not entirely her scene, so she can experience what a real adult Halloween party is like -- And is about to have a true culture shock.

[nadiaholme]

Bones and tea leaves makes her wrinkle her nose and shake her head - the playing cards are the only connection to a home she actually loved. Maybe one day, she could hone her skills with seeing through running water, smoke, and fire - all other things that bring comfort to her.

"Of course." She nods, looking down at her hands - and the card she'd offered - and brings it back to herself while playing with the worn edges. A few people now have only wanted to help, and the teas and potions do help her from having constant flashes --

But she's not sure if she wants to explore all the possibilities of what she's capable of, yet. "Is there a way to ease into it? Or is it always all or nothing?"

"I know, darling." She sighed softly, wishing that she could do more to help Nadia. All she could do was give potions to help, but that would only dim the witches powers and that wouldn't allow her to learn the control she needed.

"If reading them helps, then read them. You could read other things too, like the bones and tea leaves. I can keep giving you potions but, Nadia honey, you need to learn to handle this too. I want you to be able to handle this, you know? It's not me trying to be mean, it's me trying to be nice and help you. You know that, don't you?"

Willow watched as she shuffled the deck and pulled out a card. "Well, that's exactly you. Knowledge and special talents is what you have in abundance."

[nadiaholme]

The person in front of her isn't someone she knows - or someone that even remotely looks familiar, which sets her on edge. The tension tightens up her shoulders and she scratches at the little plastic piece of her hoodie string with her thumbnail.

"Uh, meant to. Right. Uhm. A lady at the coffee shop told me--"

Goodness, she feels ridiculous. It's all so much.

"She mentioned Lipscomb, and a.. a, uh, community?" Swallowing, she barrels forward. "We had a really odd conversation and -- She reminds me of someone I used to know? Who taught me.. stuff."

Kore doesn't often spend a lot of time at Lipscomb. Usually finds it a little too on the nose for their coven, but she can understand that Apsara prefers it. Probably finds some kind of kinship with the rocks she emulates herself after.

There isn't a meeting scheduled that she's aware of, just felt the need to be a little closer to the earth today for whatever reason. Kore has long since learned to listen to their body when it has an inexplicable urge like that. She's barely been there for a few minutes before she comes across someone, a stranger that she doesn't recognize.

"No, not really," Kore replies with a small shrug. "People don't usually find their way down here unless they're meant to. Did someone guide you?"

[nadiaholme]

Nadia follows the gesture towards the girl's roommate, raising her eyebrows at how naturally she seems to move. For a moment, she's almost jealous - but her attention quickly turns back towards Jac, who Nadia can now see looks way more nervous than she originally had expected.

Hell, she even feels like she's about to combust just from talking to someone new. It's all just a lot. And she never really knows how to interact with a lot of people out here - either she's too polite or not polite enough, by their measure. Starting conversations at the coffee shop is somehow rude, and she always feels her cheeks flush when she realizes the customer was in a hurry and trying to hightail it quickly out.

Swallowing, she feels her nose wrinkle slightly in disgust at the potential of a 'boyfriend'. "Nope. Definitely no boyfriend." Her legs feel wobbly, and she figures Jac probably feels even wobblier. "What about, uh, we scoot along the wall and just hang over there by the concessions? I was eyeing a corndog someone had earlier."

Jac is smiling back, despite herself, even though her cheeks are flushed still from the exertion and embarrassment. They are mercifully mostly out of the way over by the wall and she expects Nadia to skate away after a moment, relieved to get away from the weird girl. But she asks instead about Jac, if she's here with anyone and the witch almost nods before she catches herself.

Does Nadia mean with someone, or with someone? The thought of the second choice is so absurd that Jac shakes her head quickly with a self-deprecating smile. "Just my roommate," she adds, gesturing at Lara, still drawing eyes with her perfect grace. She prepares herself for a barrage of questions, most of them amounting to asking whether her roommate was single (a question that Jac never really knew how to answer in the first place).

"W-what about you? Boyfriend?" she asks as casually as she can manage even as her eyes keep darting from place to place.

[nadiaholme]

Nadia's eyebrows twitch together as she tries not to feel the surge of anxiety of something real just beneath the surface. Her mind goes to her aunt, of all the warnings and laughs and teachings. And the answer is simple: This card calls to her because she's unsure if she should trust Apsara, but that she feels pulled to her, too.

Swallowing, she doesn't answer, and watches the card transform from her three of hearts to The Fool - a card she's never seen before.

"Can we talk when I'm not on the clock?"

"Three hearts - pulled three ways. Indecision of the heart, yes. That is a blunt and direct summary of the card but what is it that drives you, dear - why do the ink and the stock call you to give this to me?" She places the card down on the table, under her palm. "You feel uneasy here - as if you may have even made a mistake in coming here, in stopping here." She flips the card up; The Fool, blindly and boldy striding forth; does he see the cliff before him? Does he care? "You haven't, Nadia Holme, and while I am uncertain of a great many things, this is not one of them."

[nadiaholme]

When she smiles, her nose wrinkles - half embarrassed, half amused. It's funny just how much she stands out, just for the way she speaks. But she brings a hand to her chest and rubs it with a sigh, as if the magic is forming a thick marble right in the center of it. It feels like it'll never go away, this.. knowing.

"I still don't think it's.." She shakes her head. "It doesn't feel like it's real, half the time." Maybe if she were in her aunt's cottage again. "The only thing I know that helps is, uhm."

Nadia pauses then, and turns to her bag, and pulls out a deck of cards. "Reading these in the morning helps." A quick shuffle, then she pulls out an ace of clubs. "Ha.. thirst for knowledge or special talents."

"Can't blame them for that, I like listening to you talk too." Willow laughed softly, chewing her lower lip as she looked over the other. She listened to the other, knowing her concerns truly bothered her but for Willow she didn't mind if the customers had a reaction; she loved the customers but her staff and their well-being meant more to her. "Honey, this is all just a part of it growing within you, you'll gain more control over it, more control of not blurting out the things you know unless you're asked."

There were things that Willow could do to help, potions that she knew would suppress things for Nadia but she truly didn't think that would help. Nadia needed to learn to control it, for her own benefit more than to the benefit of others. "Have you found anything that helps you at all?"

[nadiaholme]

Nadia licks her lips and tries not to let her breath come out as shaky as it feels - "I.. yeah." Her lower lip is pulled between her teeth. Which question is she answering? She's not sure. All of them? Her great aunt had been.. It had been easier with her. There were meanings to the cards, to be sure, but it was so much easier to feel their meanings by being in tune with them.

Just like the crystals. It all felt so witchy woo and stupid out here in Port Leiry.

"It.. it means indecision." She's staring at the card like she didn't pick it on purpose. And she didn't. And now it's staring her back in the face, telling her exactly what's happening right now. "Lack of commitment.. usually in relationships, but.. can be other things, too."

"Apsara's eyes rest not on the drink she's handed, but the card the girls slips into her hand along with it. Three of hearts. It makes her smile for what it represents, even if, bereft of any other of its cardboard compatriots compatriots, it is little more than vague advice. She lets her head fall to one side as she regards the girl, holding the token between two fingers before putting it on the counter, face down. "You read cards?" She says, bluntly. "Or do they speak to you, in their way? What do the suits speak? What truths do their ranks whisper?" She flips the card - three of hearts. "What is it that compels you today, about this card?"

[nadiaholme]

closed starter for: @witchkore where: near the lipscomb caverns

She fiddled nervously with the strings of her hoodie, wondering if she's walking into something ridiculous or dangerous or both -

Swallowing, Nadia tried to push down that sinking feeling in her gut, and made her way over towards the entrance of the crystalline cave. Caverns and underground exploration wasn't all that new to her, really, but she knew the dangers all too well.

It was a beautiful place, though. A sound of footsteps echoing makes her jump and she whips around, eyes wide - "S-sorry. I was just.. I'm not trespassing, am I?"

[nadiaholme]

hc + 📿 for a faith-themed headcanon

Faith is a sticky subject for her. It was nothing but a curse and plagued her every waking moment for most of her life - and still does. Lately, though, she's been able to find moments here and there where her mind doesn't immediately turn to the faith-based teachings she was brought up with, and it's been a relief to escape it.

[nadiaholme]

hc + ☕ for a drink-themed headcanon

Alcoholic beverages are something that Nadia has never touched - even after moving across the country to Port Leiry. However, she does have a bit of a sweet tooth, and a craving for coffee, especially after working at Brewed Awakening. So she loves to mix the two cravings and find out what sort of sweet treat she can make for herself each morning when she clocks in.

[nadiaholme]

Nadia had grown used to the way things worked at Brewed Awakening. Willow was a fantastic first boss, and it's not like she'd ever trade her in for anyone else with all the horror stories she'd heard over and over again. Still, though, there's always the nerves. Her reassurances do a lot to help.

"I don't know about shinin' light or anythin'." Said with a laugh. "I think people just like listenin' to how I talk." Thick southern drawl, and all. She shakes her head, though, and pats Willow on the hand. "I'm doing okay. Things are - you know, I've told you about the weird feelings and knowing stuff."

Probably the only person she has told. "It's getting worse, and I don't wanna scare any of the customers."

@nadiaholme

Traditionally, these meetings at a workplace were supposed to be regarding performance and targets, sales and figures. As long as they were turning a profit, Willow didn't care about that. The people that worked at Brewed Awakening, her staff, her friends... She was very protective of. They were all like a found family to her, whether they felt the same in return or not, and she feared that recently she had been neglectful. The witch couldn't remember the last time she had spoken to Nadia about anything that wasn't work related, and that just wasn't right to her. "Don't panic, honey, it's not a formal meeting or anything. I just haven't caught up with you in a while, and for that I'm truly sorry." Willow offered a smile, sweet and genuine as she reaches for the others hand to give a soft squeeze. "How have you been?"

The coffee shop was newly decorated for Halloween, Willow's absolute favourite holiday, and she had to admit that this time of year drew in customers new and old towards the more witchy side of the business. "I've missed our chats, Nadia. You know you're an absolute shining light here, don't you?"

[nadiaholme]

"Good, good." Nadia tries again - smiling a bit now that there's a bit of reassurance. The warmth that had flitted up her fingers has faded, which means she can focus a bit. She tired of these strange happenings, these strange instances of her knowing too much. There's nothing that comes now so she's grateful for it.

Instead, she's just left with good old-fashioned dumbstruck fear in the face of a cute girl. Swallowing, she finds herself nodding along and not really saying anything until Jac speaks again. "Jac - I hear a lotta names back home that people don't wanna keep sayin' the whole thing." A laugh, hopefully that comes off as not as awkward as she feels.

"It's, uh, it's my first time, too. You're not - You're not here with anyone?" She looks around, as if trying to ascertain the situation here.

The first thing Jac notices about her is the Southern twang in her words, and there's something about it that is soothing. The second thing is that she's tall, well, taller than Jac which is not that much of an accomplishment, but she cranes her head slightly to look at her.

"I'm okay," she reassures her with a nod, and this time tries to add a smile to really sell it. But her voice fades slightly as long fingers reach out to brush against her collar and there is a sudden warmth where they barely touch her skin. "It's okay." One more time for good measure.

"Um, sorry, I'm Jacquel- Jac. My name's Jac," she stutters out, her cheeks flushing a little as she trips over her tongue. "I don't really come here much... or at all I guess, so I'm not very good at it."

[nadiaholme]

"Well, uh, I guess so." The true terrors were back home, but that's a lot to dump on someone she doesn't know. Her smile is a little shaky - and she's not really sure where to go from here. Instead she turns and finishes the drink the woman has ordered.

When she turns to give it to her, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out the 'lucky card' she keeps with her. A habit from back east, another holdover of grief. "Here, uh, I kinda just feel like I should give this to you. For some reason." 3 of hearts today.

"I'm sure it's just a bit of culture shock, Nadia," She says. "I grew up further east, myself." Apsara waits on her drink and smiles to the younger woman. "A good trip, I hope - free of troubles or terrors?" She isn't being subtle, or even trying to really; she sees little point in the endeavor when courting a potential new addition to the Circle. She knows, in her heart and mind, the eventual outcome anyways. Apsara, as ever, is simply following the rhythm of the world in the steps to an ancient cosmic dance.

[nadiaholme]

"Definitely not - might make you look kinda weird." It's said as a joke, and she does laugh a little. When he starts to introduce himself, though, the name appears in her mind and spills from her lips before she even can take a moment to process what's happening.

"Rafael Garza, yeah." Pause. "I - Er. I don't know why I said that."

She shakes her head and turns to start to walk away, but then remembers that they were actually in the middle of a conversation and that would be rude. As much as she hated where she was raised, the manners were still very much a part of her. Clearing her throat, she turns back towards him.

"Sorry, I - got distracted. I'm here by myself, yeah. But - Maybe I can help you find Theo?"

"Glamour..." he says, perplexed behind his mask before she clarifies. "Yeah! It's weird; everyone's just sorta blending together - I keep thinking I see her and then I get stared at. I thought I'd at least recognize her dress but there's a bunch of red lacy dresses here... Don't wanna go running around yelling her name yeah?" God, she looks good in that red lacy dress. Then 'name' triggers something in him. "Oh, Sorry, I'm so out of my element here, aha... I'm Ra-..." He catches himself, snaps his finger. "Wait, that's a party foul at one of these things, right? With the masks and all. Wouldn't wanna break kayfabe. Are uh, are you here by yourself? I don't wanna like, bother you with my problem if you've got somebody waiting on you."

[nadiaholme]

Nadia's hand rested on her stomach, as if she could prevent the feeling from spreading. "Er, I think neutral? Or -" Clearing her throat, she shakes her head and tries to laugh it off. "Sorry, I - uh, I feel so weird. It's just like a wild deja vu feeling, you know? Can't super shake it."

With a bit of a sniffle, she turns her head away as if to hide the blush on her features. "No, I don't think we do know each other, but - uhm. I'm Nadia. I swear it's like I've seen you before, though." Maybe that's what it was. A customer at the coffee shop or --

"You weren't recently in harm's way, were you?" The words spill out of her lips before she can gather her thoughts, which make her look even more embarrassed. "I mean. Like a.. papercut, or something." Yeah, totally nice save - dumbass.

Rose allowed the other to help her to her feet and then she took a step back. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the woman. "A feeling about me?" The ex hunter asked. She didn't understand what that meant. "In a good way or a bad way?" Because now, she needed to know.

With everything that had happened to her in the last couple of weeks, Rose hoped that whatever this feeling was, that it was good. She wasn't sure how much more bad things -- or bad news -- she could handle. "Have we... met before?"

[nadiaholme]

"Your - Oh, okay!" Nadia allows herself a small smile, thankful that this man isn't going to attempt to hit on her or anything. There's a relief there that she doesn't want to put words to, but it does settle in her chest - blossoming like a small flower.

Her laugh is a little nervous, though - She'd been told there was a glamour on the masks, and she hadn't really believed it, or why she was told of these things. Chalk that up to not really wanting to accept what she was, even though she'd been told time and time again.

Her smile softens just a tad. All of that just means he's.. normal. Normalcy is good. Safe.

"You mean you don't recognize her even with the glamour?" The words are out before she even realizes they are and she smacks herself in the forehead. "Mask. I meant mask."

He lets her go, once he's sure she's not going to topple over. "No no, my fault entirely, uh, wasn't watching where I was going." He inspects her a little and realizes that he hasn't ruined a dress or anything and, at least in his mind, he lets out a relieved sigh. "Me?" He asks at her question. "Oh, I'm great fine. One hundred percent. Just uh... looking for my girlfriend, we got split up a bit ago and I'm having a little trouble spotting her again." He laughs, motioning to his own covered face as he looks around. "You know, usually I see these masks in movies or whatever and think they don't seem to cover much but like, I don't know they're doing the job tonight, it seems. I guess stand corrected."

He thinks to look back at her then, tilting his head. "No okay cool, you aren't Theo. That would have been tough to live down."