closed starter // @hauntcdtales elixir of life apothecary
after an impromptu what are you doing with your life talk at breakfast with their father , phe is in desperate need of a distraction . usually phe is one to walk past elixir with just a glance into the window for childlike amusement — today they charge right in , the bell above their head dinging loudly to announce them . god , how they hated being announced .
whatever bothered phe on a good day was going to bother them ten times more today . hopefully that would be true about all of the witchy things that usually made them chuckle . nothing is funny as they scan the shelves , but phe does notice that the flowers aren't ones you can find at my little peony , the cups didn't come from come clay with us , and they had never seen playing cards placed beside burning incense or a skeleton hand or astrological teacups , let alone all of them at the same time . they take in each exponent and feel a chuckle brewing in their chest , lips tugging at the corners .
their direct stare at the cards is interrupted by hands picking them up . phe looks up at the face that belongs to the hands and the pancake from breakfast does a fully - formed flip in their stomach as a response . phe lets out a big , involuntary laugh in discomfort . it had been building up and finally come out , like a long awaited burp ... but this burp felt more like a hiccup . phe clears their throat and turns their attention off to the most random object available , picking it up in mock interest and turning it over in their hand as an excuse to cower away from the cardholder's eye .