Hearing clattering in the kitchen, Emily shook her head. She knew she had upset Lexi and immediately felt bad. She slowly began to walk out of the room where the wedding style dress was stood and headed down the corridor to the kitchen. When she opened the door, the first thing that Emily saw was her dress; soaking wet hanging up... Yet, it looked clean. Emily sighed as she realized what had happened... Lexi had cleaned it.

Looking around the room, Emily finally discovered Lexi, sat in the corner with her cat sat by her. Poor little Lexi looked devastated. Tears streamed down her beautiful cheeks and her delicate little arms were red raw and sore looking. "Lexi" Emily whispered and went and knelt down in front of the little one. "Darling, what did you do? Thank you for cleaning the dress, but what have you done to your arms?" she asked, and then she stood and grabbed a cloth from the drawer by her head. Wetting the cloth in freezing cold water, Emily went back over to the corner occupied by Lexi and knelt down again. "Here" she said and started to dab at Lexi's arms and hands with the cold cloth. "Silly. Don't do that to me again" she smiled and then continued to dab the scorch wounds on Lexi's arms.

"I'm sorry sweetheart" she finally gathered the courage to say. Emily had never been one for apologies, but she knew she was wrong this time. Yes, the dress had taken hours to make. Yes, it was intricate beyond belief and delicate and fragile. No, she did not have the right to scold Lexi so harshly. There was no need to, the dress could have easily been cleaned; as Lexi had proved.

(what is happening now I missed so much)

Lexi looked up fearfully when she heard Emily enter the room, but was soothed slightly by the serene expression on her face. She winced and yanked her arms away when Emily began dabbing them with cold water. It stung even worse when she did that! "It's from the hot water and lemon juice," Lexi nearly whispered, still feeling horrible. "It'll go away eventually." She was surprised when Emily told her not to do something like that again. Her surprise only grew when she apologized. "I thought it was my fault," Lexi whispered again, completely misunderstanding what the apology was for. She sat still and waited for Emily to continue, or react in some way.

"This scolding may be your fault, but in a way, it is mine to. I should not have shouted at you for the dress, it was not your fault I dropped it. I should not have gotten so upset! It was a dress, I could easily have cleaned it. There was no need to make you feel that way. There was no need to upset you in such a horrible manner. I truly am sorry" she said, smiling a little at the end and then rushing off while Lexi had a few moment to take in what she had said. While she was up, she got some ice from the freezer and put it in a bucket and filled it up with cold water. When she went back over to Lexi, she sat down and placed the bucket in front of them both.

"Soak your arms in this cold water. I will not touch you sweetheart. You need to get the chilled, otherwise they will blister and scar. That is not something you want, believe me!" she smiled, trying to encourage little Lexi to do the best thing for her health.

Lexi felt much better when Emily told her it wasn't her fault, at least not entirely, though a small part of her had a hard time believing it. "Really?" she questioned. "You mean it?" The bucket full of cold water didn't look very inviting in all honesty. "Wouldn't aloe vera help?" she questioned childishly. Regardless, she obeyed, hesitantly slipping her hands into the freezing liquid. She winced and gasped in shock as the freezing cold water assaulted her sensitive arms, but kept them in. After a few minutes, the cold had pretty much taken over and Lexi had begun to shiver rather violently. She looked up at Emily as if to ask, "Can I take my hands out now?" and waited for a response.

"My name is Myra, so why are you up by yourself?" Myra asked Katima, she was a little confused about why she was in the tree by herself. Myra looked at Katima and noticed her orange-redish eyes "Your eyes are very pretty." she said with a smile on her face, "You're lucky, my eyes are pure red" Myra rubbed her eyes with the back of her glove and smiled..

Emily heard Lexi if she could remove her hands, and she nodded "Of course dear. I will get you a towel and some aloe vera to put on your wounds, but the cold water should have stopped your skin from blistering" she smiled, and then flitted around the kitchen collecting up the things she would need. When she was done, she knelt infront of Lexi once more and said "Would you like to take the day off? Your injuries could stop you from doing your best work, and all I really wanted you to do today was mind the store. I have something I must speak with Jack about, and may not be able to stay in the store. I can easily close down for the day. You may go back to my house and sleep for a while in the guest room and ensure that your wounds are a little better by tomorrow!". Emily really did have something she needed to speak with Jack about. Though, it was not something for Lexi to hear or she would have offered to take her along.

Lexi gingerly applied the aloe vera to her hands and arms and let it soak in before wrapping them in a towel to help dry them. "No, I can still take orders," Lexi offered. "Can't you just make today an order-only day or something?" She didn't really mind being excluded; she was used to it from when she was younger. The gang members always excluded her from conversations and such. Besides that, she wouldn't feel like she had earned her pay unless she worked the full day.

Emily nodded "Yes, I can do that. Can you be very detailed in what you write, and make sure you ask for exact descriptions of material and such?" she asked, and stood up. Emily made her way to the store front and found a customer standing by her order desk. "Oh, gosh. I apologize for my absence. There was an accident and I had to tend to my employees wounds. What can I do for you?" she asked and began to take small yet detailed notes on exactly what the woman wanted her to make. "I'm glad your only here to place an order. I wont be making anything today, unfortunately. I have some serious business to attend to and will be leaving my new apprentice in the store to take any orders anyone may have!" she smiled and when the woman had finished placing an order and put down her pencil and walked the woman out. "Goodbye Ma'am. I'll have that for you by the end of the week!" she beamed and closed the door.

"Lexi, dear? I am going to go out. I have put up a sign informing people that I will only be taking orders today! Will you be okay?" she asked as she wrote out a small note and pinned it to the door.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Lexi called out while unwrapping the towel from around her red, sensitive arms. "Seeya later!" Afterwards, she gathered her art supplies and a thick book and went out to the counter. She placed the book on the stool before clambering aboard, putting her at just the right height. Then she took out her supplies and began sketching her idea. The form was four-legged and drawn very lightly, though incredibly precise, in pencil. It was shape of the cat that still hung around her shoulders like a shawl. She figured it'd be best to use charcoal on the entire thing, except the eyes, which would contrast quite nicely. Picking out her charcoal pencils from the bag, she drew in the details, like individual hairs of the coat, the various shades among the fur, and slight oddities, like the small spot on the feline's head where the fur spread out in all directions. Most artists would need something to look at to be so precise and detailed, but Lexi had been doing it long enough that she didn't need to look at her object, something that was enhanced by her memory for details. Every time a customer came in, she would delicately slide her project to the side and take their order on another piece of paper, returning to her work when they left.

Jack emerged from his house hacking and coughing as the pink smoke escaped through the windows. He had been mixing together ingredients to form a cure for cancer when he accidentally mixed pink potassium powder, magnesium powder, and glycerin into the same container. I could have sworn that container was marked "C. Cure 1," he mused as he wiped soot from his face. Ah well, live and learn. There was nothing else to do except wait for the smoke to clear, so Jack gathered his golden aura into his palm and poured it into the earth, seeking the dormant orange tree seeds he had planted earlier. When he located one, he coaxed it to growth, watching in satisfaction as the tree grew to massive size before his eyes. He continued until the fruit had blossomed to a decent size before plucking one down and devouring it hungrily.

Emily shouted her goodbye and then exited the store through the front door. She looked around once she was outside and frowned as the slight rain began to powder her face. Quicky; so to avoid the rain, Emily made her way oevr to Jack's house. She smiled when she saw him sat outside eating an Orange, and then realised that the Orange tree was not there yesterday or the day before. "Jack, did you grow this?" she shouted as she made her way up the small hill quickly. "Hello, by the way!" she bemed when she arrived at the house and sat beside Jack on the ground. "Thats amazing!" she complimented as she gazed up a the huge fruit tree that had appeared literally instantly. "You are very talented!" Emily smiled and then stood and pulled down an Orange from the tree.

Jack roared with merry laughter, surprising for such a lanky man, at Emily's compliments. "T'was nothing my dear," Jack responded after calming down. "Only a bit of coaxing was needed. But I'm surprised you didn't notice the pink smoke billowing freely from my home." The smoke pouring out the windows and open doorway hadn't lessened, though it would eventually. Jack could have used a bit of magic to speed the process, but he was content to wait it out. "So what brings you here?" Jack asked as he finished his orange and chucked it into the bushes. "You normally don't visit during store hours, so I assume something's up." He leaned back onto his palms and enjoyed the fresh air while he waited for a response.

Nathan Lee Smith

Nathan dropped a seed into each of the holes he'd dug, then scooped the earth back over the seeds and patted them down, forming small round lumps down the row he'd dug. He gave each lump a considerable amount of water and set down the can at the back door of his little hut, wiping off his brow. With a little thought, he went back to the closest mound and pushed his hands into the soil surrounding it. He could feel the wet dirt slipping under his fingernails, but right now he could care less. With a little concentration, a small bud began to form at the top of the mound in slow motion, growing two mint green leaves before stopping abruptly as Nate pulled away, panting.

The man looked at his little bud and shook his head, standing up and wiping his hands on his jeans, walking inside his hut to wash his hands. His hut was big enough to hold a bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom, but small and shabby enough to be called a hut. It was all he needed to live, that and his cattle and chickens.

After washing his hands, Nate ventured outside to walk around the town. He decided to drop by Jack's place to find out what was going on with this little affinity that he'd found he had around last year, and whether he could do other things with it. After five long minutes, Nate approached Jack's place, only to find Emily there with him. He strode up to the tree and leaned against it, looking at Jack and Emily with his amber-colored eyes. He didn't say a word.

Emiy had to chuckle a little when she did notice the pink smoke coming from every crevice in Jack's house. She wondered if everything inside it would now be pink as a result, and then pictured Jack sat in a pink house eating Oranges; another thought which made her giggle to herself. When Emily heard Jack's curiosity and assumption that something was wrong, she turned away from the pink house and smiled at him. "Yes Jack, something is wrong. I have left Lexi in charge of the store and have come to speak with you about this curse. I know that it has been around for humdreds, if not thousands of years, but, well. I was wondering what you knew about it, because I have an idea as to how to break it, but I fear people will think I'm crazy if I speak up!" she sighed after her mouthful and then plonked herself down on the lush grass opposite Jack under the shady Orange tree; though there was no sun to shade from. Emily heard a slight sound; footsteps. Which then stopped to the left of her, but behind her somewhat. She turned quickly to see who was there and smiled when she saw Nathan standing by the tree. It was such a small town that everyone knew everyone else. It was nice, in a way.

Emily felt like motioning him over to sit with them, but she decided it would be best for Jack to do that, as it was his home afterall.

"Yes, I have been studying the curse quite thoroughly," Jack began once Emily had finished. "I know what kind of curse it is. First off, it's actually two separate curses that work together to ensure that one can't be broken. It's also a specific curse; another spell won't do diddly against it. There's only one thing that will break it, but the second curse keeps us from figuring out what it is. Fortunately, the second, strengthening curse is breakable with magic, though it is very powerful and I can't break it alone, which leads me to believe it was placed by a coven of witches or sorceresses. Luckily, I think that your little apprentice may have some natural ability with magic, especially because of this Luck she talks about. Ask her about it and you'll see that she talks about it differently than you or I would. Sorry to go off on a rant at you." This last statement was professed when Jack realized just how long he had been speaking. He sensed Nathan's aura nearby and figured he was standing next to the huge tree, which Emily proved to be true. "Come, come Nate. Sit down, enjoy an orange, relax a little," Jack urged, motioning the young man over. "I'd invite you inside, but currently, you'd die, so I won't." Jack was smiling the entire time, enjoying his own little sense of humor as he waited for some else to talk for a change.

Nate looked up at Jack's house and the pink smoke billowing out of it, wondering what it was, exactly. He shrugged and picked the biggest orange that he could find on the tree, and moved over to sit on Jack's other side, peeling at the orange and munching away on it's innards. When he neared the last slice, he cleared his throat.

"Jack..." he started, his voice rough from the lack of use, "I have... a problem, you could say," he said, letting the last slice of orange slip down his throat. His eyes sought out Jack's, and once they found the other man's, held his gaze. "I seem to have... an affinity... with the earth." He quieted and waited for Jack to say something, anything really. His fingers traced a path on his pants nervously. He wasn't used to speaking, and to more than one person at a time, at that.

Emily sat and listened to everything that Jack had to say. It took him a while to finish off everything, but she quite enjoyed the knowledge that he was sharing with her. Once he had finally finished, she smiled at him and said "You think Lexi has magical potential? Wow, amazing!" and felt quite happy that she had taken the little one into her store.
It completely slipped her mind that she had gone there for a reason; to tell Jack her ideas on how to break the curse... And she never did mention it to him. Once Nate was sat down, Emily turned away and let them speak between one and other for a while. She completely tuned out as if she was not even there and couldn't hear a word they were saying to one and other.

A good ten minutes passed and Emily stood and began to walk around the area of Jack's land. She found many interesting things as she wandered but she still could not get over the Orange tree he had sprouted. Turning around, she looked at the tree and thought of new life and growth and something else; something every plant needed to grow. What did her mother used to say? 'A little care, some water, nurture and... Love'. Love? "Hmm" Emily breathed to herself and put that idea to the back of her head. She often ignored things she did not understand. It was a habit of hers.

"Affinity with the Earth?" Jack inquired. "My boy, among the magical world that could mean anything! Does it talk to you, roll beneath your feet, move at your command, or something similar? Though I suppose the first and second aren't necessarily magical." A thoughtful look fell upon his face before he remembered the matter at hand and came back to reality. The ring around his finger, in the shape of a roaring dragon, marking him as a Dragon class mage, appeared to glow for a moment before the pink smoke billowing out of Jack's house abruptly vanished into the sky. "Would either of you care to come inside?" Jack asked standing and dusting himself off. "I think I have some refreshments, though I'm not entirely sure."

Nate began to relax as Emily wandered around Jack's land, but then stood as Jack did, nodding to the other man and continuing, "I guess you could call it moving at command. I... You know how my produce is usually larger than most of the others'? I sort of make it grow," he said, not exactly sure why he was stumbling through his words. "I'm not sure if it talks to me or not. I didn't think it was possible," the redhead admitted with a sigh.

"Ah. Such an ability is a blessing, not a curse. Though, I am intrigued," Jack said, still smiling. "Would you care to show me? My ability may be different from yours." He hadn't sensed any magical potential in the young man, so there was no way it could be magic, though it wasn't unheard of for people to develop power over life energy, being able to speed it up and create growth, or slow it down and even produce death.

Nick glanced around. "You have any flower or plant seed that you were planning to plant?" He asked after listening to Jack. "I didn't mean it to be a literal problem," he said under his breath. The redhead thought that he could use the tree if there wasn't any seeds, but he hadn't tried it on something that was already living.

Watching Nate and Jack, Emily smiled. It was nice to just sit and watch people in conversation; you could learn a lot about a person from the way that they spoke to others. When Jack stood, Emily quickly looked away so as not to seem rude by staring at the two of them. They were both invited into Jack's house; herself and Nate, and so Emily stood and smiled and walked over to where the two were now standing by the Orange tree.

Emily almost spoke, but then she realized that Nate was still talking and decided it would be best of she kept quiet while he finished. Instead of speaking, Emily just stood and looked a little out of place, but her gaze was continuously wandering and she hoped that the day would brighten up soon and that the sky would clear so that when night fell, she could see the stars.

"Hm? Oh, yes. There's a seed to your left, about three paces, and a foot down," Jack replied, smiling at his absent-mindedness. "Holler once you find it. I'm going to set some tea to boil, well, after I check to see if I have tea. Would you like to come inside, Em?" He ambled inside in the direction of the kitchen, oblivious to the soot that stained his walls. Once he reached the kitchen, he began digging around for those tea leaves he thought he still had, though it wouldn't be too hard to turn an orange leaf into a tea leaf with his alchemy.

Emily smiled fondly and followed Jack into his house. Once inside, she realised how truly messy that pink smoke had been; every wall pannel; every floor board and all of the furniture was covered from top to bottom in soot. It was sortof pinkish, which made Emily smile as she remembered her earlier imagining of the situation. All she could see was Jack sitting drinking tea in his pink house.

Banging and rattling from the kitchen disturbed Emily from her silly imagination and she shouted in to Jack "Would you like a hand?" and then walked carefully into the kitched behind him. It seemed that the smoke really had it's way with the whole house; even the kitchen tiles were pink and black. "Cant you find any? I have lots over at the shop, I can run back and grab some for you if you like!" she smiled, hoping to be helpful and not get in the way.

Nate glanced at the spot where Jack had told him about and walked over, dropping to his knees with a soft thud. His hands searched and he felt a familiar warmth where the seed was supposedly planted, and he dug his hands under the top layer of the soil. He concentrated and imagined himself pulling the seed up through all the soil. Of course it would resist, but Nate had known it would. It would be rooted into the soil, and wish to stay there, but Nate would keep pulling, and pulling, until the seed came to the top, but only this time as -

Nate opened his eyes. Before him was a small, light green stem with a beginning of a little bud on the end. He could hear the chatter inside and sighed, pushing his hands deeper into the soil, trying again. After he had grown the plant a little more to his liking, he rose and brushed his hands off on his pants, walking inside Jack's house and following Emily's voice. "Jack? I, uh..." the redhead said, motioning outside.