oh, mirror in the sky

Tabitha Prior; oldest sister first, owner of Shadow's Curiosities second

[tabithaelicot]

Walking through the picturesque streets of Cardinal Hill, you find Tabitha Prior, the 29 year old owner of Shadow’s Curiosities originally from Cardinal Hill, WA. Living alongside them in such a small town, you know that they're affectionate and a perfectionist, but what you might not know is that they are a witch, and that they’re hiding something… ― Hannah Dodd, bisexual, cis woman, and she/her.

Basics

Name: Tabitha Elicot Prior Birthday: 4 March 1961, 9:02pm Natal Chart: Pisces sun, Libra moon, Taurus ascendant Positive Traits: affectionate, responsible, dedicated, sociable Negative Traits: perfectionist, anxious, self-blaming, self sacrificing Likes: family, antiques, history, fashion, magic, dancing, math & numbers Dislikes: being criticized, down time, trends, change Hobbies: cooking & baking, furniture restoration, sewing & quilting, piano

Appearance

Hair Color: platinum blonde  Eye Color: hazel Height: 5’6” Build: willowy Tattoos: tbd sisters inspired tattoo(s) Piercings: several ear piercings, nose ring Clothing Style: feminine and casual, lots of jewel and earth tones, likes paisley and floral patterns  Distinguishing Characteristics: tall forehead, mole above upper lip, high cheekbones, expressive face

Quick Facts

Everything about Tabitha screams delicate at first glance and, unless you’re unfortunate enough to cross her (usually by messing with her sisters), you probably won’t realize just how wrong that first impression is. 

Tabitha is the prototypical eldest daughter, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She loves her sisters, is very involved (possibly too involved) in their lives, and takes her responsibility of setting a good example for them very seriously. She sees no difference between her two full sisters and her three half sisters and she won’t tolerate anyone trying to insist that there is one. While Tabitha’s never had trouble getting along with people and making friends, her best friends always have been and always will be her sisters.

Tabitha loves all things magic and collects mentors like a magpie. She is always looking to learn new things and hone her craft; as a result she’s fairly powerful for her age. Her favorite form of magic is enchantments, but she’s proficient in all except for dark magic.

While she doesn’t share her mother’s outright distrust of humans, Tabitha is wary and reserved around them, unless she’s certain they already know about magic.

Tabitha is deeply connected to Cardinal Hill and hasn’t ventured terribly far outside of it. She’s never lived anywhere else, and the furthest away she’s ever traveled is visiting her sisters [details dependent on where they went to school and if any of them ever moved out of Cardinal Hill].

Tabitha started taking ballet lessons at the age of 7, and continued dancing all the way through high school. She wasn’t good enough to consider dancing in college or professionally, but she loved it. Even though it’s been more than 10 years since her last class, she still moves like a dancer.

Tabitha currently lives at her parents’ house in an apartment over the garage, ostensibly to give her some privacy and independence. In reality, her door is always open to her family, and she probably spends more time in the house proper than her apartment.

History

As the oldest Prior sister, Tabitha has the clearest memories of her birth father, and how things changed when their mother married Dorothy’s father. Because of this, Tabitha never fully warmed to him.

When Tabitha was 9, her powers started manifesting. Sometimes it was a new skirt that changed its color, sometimes it was a colored pencil that had fallen off the table reappearing in its proper place, sometimes it was the pictures in little Dorothy’s favorite book moving while Tabitha read it aloud.

In school Tabitha was something of a teacher’s pet, not because she was at the top of the class but because she was polite and helpful and always did her work on time. 

Tabitha briefly considered going to college after high school graduation, but ultimately decided that she was needed at home, especially with all 5 of her sisters still in school.

She started working at Shadow’s Curiosities because she’d always been interested in objects with stories. The owner warmed to her, and soon began training her to take over the shop upon his retirement.

After a few years of working at the shop, Tabitha decided to get an associate degree in business administration at the local college, reasoning that it was a practical choice if she was going to be the owner of Shadow’s Curiosities one day.

Tabitha has been the official owner of the shop for a little over a year now, since her old boss decided to retire and spend his time traveling.

[tabithaelicot]

who: Tabitha and Rooney (@wcirdo) where: Riverside Bookstore when: mid January

In the quiet of January, without the distraction of the holidays, it was getting more and more difficult for Tabitha to ignore what was happening to her town. It was clear that Cardinal Hill threatened, and maybe even that someone was hunting witches, and she wanted to do something about it. But Tabitha liked to believe that she knew her own limits, and she suspected this more than she could handle alone.

Sometimes it bothered Tabitha how secretive witches were. She understood why it was important, of course, but she also felt like there was something missing. Like there should be a community there that wasn’t. She didn’t know how many witches there were on Cardinal Hill or who all of them were, but she was beginning to think that needed to change.

All of her thinking led Tabitha to Riverside Bookstore, and more specifically to Rooney Caldwell. She approached them with uncharacteristic hesitance, because while she believed her idea was a good one, she wasn’t sure how it would be received. “Hey, Rooney. Do you have a minute?”

[tabithaelicot]

who: Tabitha and Leo (@blackcatxmagic) where: Cardinal Hill cemetery when: January 1st, 1991

Tabitha arrived at the cemetery with an armful of flowers, one bouquet for her father’s grave and one for Keyelin Locke’s. She always came like this, just like she always came on New Year’s Day. Tabitha was nothing if not a creature of habit, afterall, and she’d been visiting the cemetery for a long time. The gravestones didn’t scare her the way they did most people, or make her uneasy; this was a familiar place, where she came to think or to be alone with her feelings. 

But as familiar as the cemetery was to Tabitha, she wasn’t used to seeing another person weaving through the headstones. At first it set her on edge, and she couldn’t help but remember the letter and the storms, the danger that was looming over her town. Then she recognized the figure as the man she’d met on Halloween, the one who’d said he worked here. She exhaled as Leo approached, and managed a smile. “I guess you really do hang out here,” she joked lightly. “Happy New Year.”

[ziggysarcana]

for: @tabithaelicot location: Hometown Grocers time: post Thanksgiving dinner

Joel's gaze was flitting across the selection of cheese in the deli of the local grocer when he saw her. Tabitha. The person he had first loved, perhaps the only person he ever loved so fiercely. She was an angelic vision, of course. Always was. Just out of the corner of his eye, he was unsure if his mind was playing tricks. So, he attempted to look over at her casually, just enough movement to see whether or not his suspicions were correct. But no, it really was her and not some sleepy town, post turkey mirage. He ticked his head back forward as he wracked his brain for something to say, he would be remiss to only say 'hello'. She was carrying wine. A ridiculous amount of wine, too much wine for the Tabitha he knew. Various kinds, all piled up in her arms.

Not being able to help himself, he steps towards her and with a click of his tongue, he drawled "Young lady, that's an awful lot wine for one person." He couldn’t let himself just stare at her, he had to say something. Even if there never could be the perfect thing to say. An amused smile twitched at his lips as he said it, eyes searching her face and trying to gauge her reaction. Joel raised an eyebrow, asking “Do you need a hand with that?”

[tabithaelicot]

Hometown Grocers was practically empty, and picked over in a way that was a little unnerving, but Tabitha was on a mission. After spending most of the day listening to her grandmother remind her of all the ways she was a failure, Tabitha had decided wine would be the best way to drown her out. She was going to go home, drink a lot of wine, and watch Sleeping Beauty until she fell asleep on the couch. And that would be better than lying awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about all of her failed relationships. 

The problem with Tabitha’s plan was that she was really only familiar with cooking wine, which is how she ended up wandering the store with her arms full of different bottles, looking for someone to help. But Joel Durant was not who she’d had in mind. Seeing him could have been salt in an already very raw wound. Their relationship had been deep and intense and doomed from the start in a way that made Tabitha feel particularly stupid looking back on it. But even with their past lingering between them, he still had the kind of presence that it was hard to feel bad around. 

Tabitha bit back a smile as she rolled her eyes. “Joel, I’m four months older than you.” Then she stopped trying to hide her smile. “And for the record, I’m not buying all of them. I just don’t know which ones to put back.”

[tabithaelicot]

Tabitha edits 001: Happy Birthday, Willa!

For Willa's birthday, Tabitha made an extravagantly decorated cake in their favorite colors, as well as a birthday crown. She reused old decorations, and Willa's gift is actually something Tabitha already had on hand, an old embroidered portrait of John.

@twistxdcrafts

[tabithaelicot]

who: Tabitha and Willa (@twistxdcrafts) where: Willa's apartment when: 7am on November 21st

Tabitha was a big fan of birthdays. She wasn’t sure where it came from, but she’d always loved celebrating the people in her life. Willa had mentioned a few weeks ago that their birthday was coming up, and since then Tabitha had been preparing. Usually she would make a custom, handmade gift for any birthday, something like a quilt or clothing, but even she couldn’t do that in less than a month. Instead she’d touched up an old embroidery she’d done of John, since Willa’s familiar was also a magpie. But she’d made the time to make a cake, and a paper crown, and she had plenty of decorations she’d made over the years.

On the morning of Willa’s birthday, Tabitha waited until a time she thought they’d be awake to head over to their apartment. She arrived laden with bags and boxes, and had to juggle them a moment before she could knock. When Willa opened the door, Tabitha was ready with a smile. “Happy birthday! I need to put some things down before I can give you a hug.”

[wcirdo]

Even though Elias knew just about everyone at the party, it was a collection of Dot's favorite people after all, he didn't really know many people there. Ever since Elias moved to town he was essentially seen as just an accessory to Dorothy. Almost every introduction that was made pointed out the fact he was Dorothy's boyfriend. Elias didn't mind though, he planned to be associated with Dorothy for the rest of his life so he should get used to it and on a day like her birthday he encouraged her to shine as brightly as possible and he didn't mind being in her shadow.

Still, Elias found himself putzing about the party somewhat awkwardly. He had a couple of drinks in his system, nothing crazy, and they weren't exactly acting as social lubricant. Either that or Elias was just finding the wrong people to make small talk with that night while he was away from Dorothy's side. He'd just excused himself from some conversation with a girl who was trying to tell Elias all about how he apparently looks so much like some guy Dorothy'd apparently been with back in high school.

Deciding he'd rather be a wallflower for a while instead of striking up more conversation he found himself watching as Tabitha broke up a seance. He thought the reaction was a little extreme personally. It was Halloween after all. "Oh come on, it's just a little Halloween fun," Elias stated not that he had any experience with Ouiji boards. He didn't believe in any of that sort of supernatural stuff and didn't exactly need to find out who out of his friends was gullible enough to believe that sort of stuff.

[tabithaelicot]

Tabitha had been trying to keep track of Elias at the party, in a very casual way. It was important to her that he felt like he had a life in Cardinal Hill, one that was separate from his connection to Dorothy. If this felt like his home as much as Dorothy’s, he’d be less likely to want to leave. She wasn’t sure he’d really made any friends of his own in the year he’d been here, but she was equally unsure what to do about it. She could hardly set him up on a blind date with a potential friend. She’d hoped he might meet someone at the party, but from what she’d seen none of his conversations had been promising. 

The ouija board did momentarily distract her, but once that was taken care of, she looked for Elias again. She was pleased that he was right there, but less so when she heard what he said. She wasn’t necessarily surprised—it was a pretty typical human response—but still a little disappointed. Even if they weren’t real, Tabitha still wouldn’t like ouija boards. 

“I don’t think it should be fun to disturb the dead.” Tabitha frowned, and caught herself. “Or pretend to.”

[tabithaelicot]

What is Tabitha's favorite thing about herself?

Her magic. She likes things that take effort, and she likes that magic is something where what you get out of it is what you put in. So it’s not the fact that she has magic that is her favorite thing about herself, it’s the quality of her magic and how powerful it is. It’s the fact that she’s earned it.

[blackcatxmagic]

Copper barely knew the Priors. In fact, there was really only one he knew, and even then it was just barely. While Copper had heard about Tabitha quite a bit from Aris, they hadn't spent a lot of time together. The truth was that it made Copper feel slightly uncomfortable. Tabitha was part of Aris's past before he was part of Copper's present, and he couldn't help but feel a little possessive over his brother. But Copper also knew just how irrational that was. There was room in Aris's life for both of them, and Copper knew it.

So that was why he was at the Prior house now despite feeling a little out of place. He was trying to be reconcile his complicated feelings about Aris's past by getting to know Tabitha because she was also part of his brother's present now too. And really she had done nothing wrong; this was very much a Copper problem. So now he was at the Prior house, surprised at the number of people here. He felt a little out of place, but the spiked cider he was drinking certainly helped calm him down a little. Still, Copper would feel better if he could find someone he knew. Taking another sip of his drink, he looked around, and that was when Copper saw her: Tabitha. Finally, he thought, and Copper headed in her direction. And that was when he saw the Ouija board.

Nope, Copper thought immediately. He did not fuck with Ouija boards. Was Tabitha into that sort of thing? Copper frowned until he realized that she was actually kicking the owners of said Ouija board out of her house. Already Copper liked her more than he had a few seconds ago, and he smiled as he approached, watching the chastened kids running off. "Smart woman," Copper said as he reached Tabitha. "Those things are bad news. Why open a door you might not be able to close, you know?" Looking back at Tabitha and trying not to feel awkward, Copper said, "How's it going? It's been a bit since we've talked."

[tabithaelicot]

Tabitha blinked at Copper. She’d never thought of it that way, but she was rarely in a position to second guess her magic. And from what Ari had told her of Copper’s past, he was only recently acquainted with death, unlike Tabitha, who’d been familiar with it since she was 4. “I just think the dead should be allowed to rest.” She didn’t want to go too deep into it—they were at a party, afterall.

Tabitha had made a point of inviting Copper to the party, specifically and personally, but she hadn’t really expected him to come. He’d been somewhat resistant to her reaching out so far, but she couldn’t say she was putting as much effort into it as she should, so maybe that was why he seemed standoffish. She needed to do better. He was important to Ari, but that was also what made it hard. It wasn’t Copper’s fault that Ari loved him more, it even made sense, but that didn’t stop Tabitha from being jealous that Copper had been enough reason for Ari to come back while she never had. 

But she was going to do better. “It’s going good, I'm so glad you could make it!” She smiled, and gave Copper a hug. “Are you having a good time? There’s food in the dining room, and drinks in the kitchen.”

[tabithaelicot]

Despite all the love you have for your sisters, there’s an undeniable sense that you’re controlling them—shaping their paths, choosing their futures for them. Have you ever considered that your need to protect them might stem from your own deep-seated fear of losing them, or of losing control?

Honestly Tabitha would be heartbroken to learn that her sisters found her controlling, because that’s never been her intent. She wants to be a supportive presence in her sisters’ lives, a source of comfort and, yes, advice and guidance, but she would never try to choose their futures for them. 

Tabitha sees the way her grandmother’s behavior has fractured the Proctor family, and she doesn’t want to make the same mistakes. She doesn’t want to tell her sisters who they have to be, she wants to help them be who they are, and she’s willing to let them decide who that is. 

She didn’t try to talk Eden or Dorothy out of going to college so far away. She did ask probing questions about the decision, but it was only to make sure that they were doing what they really wanted. Even the way she pushes Dorothy to tell Elias she’s a witch is Tabitha’s way of being supportive. She knows how much Dorothy loves Elias, and she wants their relationship to last. 

But her protective instinct absolutely comes from a fear of losing them, and she struggles to balance wanting to keep them safe with letting them do their own thing. Even if she’s not always successful, she tries not to be suffocating because she doesn’t want to push them away. That would be the worst way to lose them, because of her own actions.

[tabithaelicot]

what is your favorite memory from your teen years?

Tabitha is someone who has trouble picking favorites, because there are so many things that she loves. There are things that she gravitates toward, styles of quilt patterns that she favors, foods that she likes to eat, dominant colors in her wardrobe, but as soon as you ask her for a favorite of anything she remembers all of the wonderful possibilities and she can’t pick just one. 

So while there are a lot of memories from her teen years that are special to her, she doesn’t have one favorite. There are memories of her sisters that are precious to her, like helping them with their math homework or teaching the twins how to ride a bike. Her junior prom was the first time she made a formal dress from scratch and she was so, so proud of herself for that. When she turned 18, her mother gave her the ring her father proposed with, which has a lot of meaning for Tabitha. There were also several magical milestones that happened during Tabitha’s teen years, each one important in its own way.

[veilxstars-deactivated20260327]

Aris could hardly contain the grin that spread across his face as he watched Tabitha, that same vibrant energy sparking between them as if no time had passed at all. “You’ve always known where everything is,” he said, his tone teasing. He worried that Tabitha wouldn't be happy to see him, that maybe their friendship wouldn't translate off of paper. "I would put something down - and forget where it was- but you always remembered.”

As she stood there, her hands on her hips, Aris felt a rush of emotions. There she was, the girl who had filled his letters with laughter and heartache over the years, the one he had held in his thoughts and dreams since childhood. “It’s good to be back for Pumpkin Palooza,” he said, his voice steadying as he focused on her.

“I’ve missed this place.” He caught himself, the urge to spill everything tugging at the corners of his mind. Not just Copper. But everything before. Things he didn't even tell his fathers. "I came because of my brother, like I said. He needs me even if he doesn't want to admit it -- you were the second person I thought to see."

He was rambling. He was rambling and couldn't stop, and he wanted to start laughing because he thought he had outgrown this, but now he had so much to say that finally in a final rush of words, he said: "I didn’t want to waste your time when I know how busy you must be.” With everything in town square and work..." he had picked up the wrong box. He put it back where he got it and picked up the other two boxes instead so he could carry them out to the truck.

"I just need enough to cover cost of living, food, some emergency money... I'm going to get a jeep, so don't think I'll cart around antiques on my motorbike." There was two more things left to cover, as he slid the first back into a safe spot in the truck. "You're the boss. I don't care if I have degrees. You know why I went to school and it wasn't just because I liked history." His magic would always be more uncontrolled, as he channeled the feelings and energies from objects. The more loved or handled object, the stronger the magic. It only worked through contact.

"Lastly - I'll do my best not to touch something unless I need to. If you find me passed out in the corner, just cover me with a blanket." Aris always wore gloves - it was just a habit. "And don't call Copper, he'll freak."

[tabithaelicot]

Ari’s smile had always been infectious, crooked and mischievous and incorrigible, but now it was fairly devastating. She’d missed him while he was gone, a constant, low ache that had been easy to ignore until now. Standing face to face with him she realized in a rush just how deep that ache went. It made the excitement of seeing him again bittersweet. She was more than willing to follow his lead and lean into the lighthearted teasing if it meant ignoring the way her heart seemed to squeeze in her chest. “Well that’s just because you never pay enough attention.” She said it even though she knew there were plenty of things he paid attention to. 

“I’m glad you’re back.” It slipped out before Tabitha even had a chance to think better of it. It was the sort of thing she wouldn’t hesitate to put in a letter but it sounded so much more intimate spoken out loud. Especially when he was going out of his way to repeat that he’d come for his brother, not her. She was an afterthought, and it shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. “I’m sure Copper’s glad you’re here, too. And it’s the perfect time for a homecoming, with Pumpkin Palooza just starting and Halloween right around the corner.”

Now Tabitha was rambling, too, her voice overlapping and mixing with Ari’s in an awkward chorus. But she heard his last words, and they were enough to stop her in her tracks. So she stopped him, too, putting a hand on his cheek so he couldn’t look away. “Ari, you are not a waste of my time.” Maybe her tone was too harsh, but she’d never been good at half measures and she only knew how to love absolutely. She stroked his cheekbone with her tumb, as if that would soften her tone after the fact. She lingered for a moment, until she realized she was and pulled away, cheeks pink.

Tabitha followed Ari out to her truck, listening to him go on and trying to get herself back under control. She felt like she was 14 again, on the way to the winter formal, which was ridiculous. This wasn’t like that, it couldn’t be. She focused on what Ari was saying instead of following that particular train of thought. He clearly had a checklist in his head of things he wanted to cover, and she waited for him to finish. 

“First of all, I’m going to pay you a fair wage based on market rates and your skills, not the bare minimum to cover cost of living. And stop calling me boss, it’s going to go to my head.” It wouldn’t really, but she still didn’t like it. With the last boxes loaded, Tabitha covered them with a drop cloth and tied it down with a wave of her hands. She closed the truck bed, then tilted her chin toward the cab. “Get in, we can talk about the rest on the way into town.”

[tabithaelicot]

Your dedication to your sisters and your home is admirable, but do you think you’ve built your identity around them to the point where you’ve forgotten who you are outside of that role? If you were to step away from your family responsibilities for a time, what would you discover about yourself that you haven’t yet faced?

Tabitha definitely believes that she has an identity outside of her sisters, it’s just that her sisters are the most important part of her identity. But she has accomplishments that have nothing to do with them, like being a small business owner and even her magical ability. Her hobbies are also her own; she’d enjoy quilting even if she wasn’t making things for the people she loves. 

However, there is absolutely an extent to which her identity as a sister has taken over. There are things that she’s left behind, given up, or made smaller not because her sisters asked her to, or even needed her to, but because Tabitha didn’t want to stray too far from home. If Tabitha ever got to the point where she didn’t feel like she had to be physically present for her sisters to love her, the first thing she’d rediscover would probably be her curiosity. She does love Cardinal Hill, but she’s also interested in the world outside it. She would actually find it very fulfilling to travel some and meet witches from other cultures or countries and learn about how they do magic. Also any kind of gastronomy tour in a foreign country would be fascinating to her.

[tabithaelicot]

Does Tabitha feel adequately loved by those in her life? Or does she feel as though she's always giving more than she receives?

For Tabitha this is two different questions. Does she feel adequately loved by those in her life? Yes, she’s worked hard to be worthy of her family’s love, especially her sisters. You may ask, is there anyone in her life outside her family that she’d like to feel loved by? Yes. Maybe. But that’s a conversation she’s not ready for yet.

Now does she feel as though she gives more that she receives? Absolutely, but it’s no less than she deserves.

[tabithaelicot]

what is a skill or talent that tabitha immediately picked up? did it surprise her?

Tabitha can play piano by ear. She can’t read sheet music, but she has a knack for hearing music and then reproducing it. There was a piano in her home growing up, and she used to play on it as a child. It was a few years before anyone realized that she wasn't just banging on the keys, but was actually playing bits and pieces of songs from the radio. It comes from her innate skill with numbers, which also contributes to her love of quilting and her head for business.

[tabithaelicot]

how old were you when you went on your first date? describe the date.

Tabitha’s first date was to the winter formal her freshman year of high school, so she was 14. At the time it felt like the perfect age for a first date, although in hindsight she recognizes that she was still really young. Her dress was dark fuchsia with an empire waist and crochet trim, and it only bothered her a little bit that the corsage her date got her didn’t really match. It mattered more that he got her a corsage, that he picked her up at her front door, that he danced with her for every slow song, and that he kissed her goodnight when he brought her home. 

further headcanons nobody asked for under the cut

Her date was a junior, two years older than her, which felt less like a new indication that she was mature for her age than a confirmation of what she already knew. It was pretty cool that he had a car, though.

This was her first relationship, and also one of her shortest. It only lasted a few months, and ended because he wanted more from her than she was willing to give—not physically, but emotionally. He wanted to be the most important person in her life, but when he expressed his concerns that she cared more about her sisters than him, Tabitha just laughed and said, “of course I do, they’re my sisters.” It was an honest answer, if, as she quickly realized, the wrong one.

He was polite and respectful and from a good family and to this day, he's still Grandma Proctor's favorite of Tabitha's exes. But Tabitha was no more satisfied in the relationship than he was, because while he wanted things from her, she didn't feel needed.

[tabithaelicot]

Dear Tabitha Prior, inquiring minds would like to know — what are three things you want to do before your time?

3 things Tabitha wants to do in her lifetime:

Make her own wedding dress (she’d really like to make her sisters’ wedding dresses, too)

Get married

Have kids

Somewhere along the line, Tabitha missed the memo about dreaming big. Bucket lists just don’t do it for her. She tells herself, and anyone else who might ask, that it’s because she likes a simple life—family, home, something to do with her hands—and she’s not entirely wrong. But there’s something sad that happens when the central star of your little solar system goes out when you’re only four years old: wanting things starts to feel dangerous.