Valori giggled at Benton's mishandling of the paper, taking a second to move back to Audence, thanking the blonde man and blushing hard, wondering why her co-workers had her make the man spend more money. Though he could have just turned it down, so it wasn't such a big deal. Valori found herself picking up the note and smiling. It was definitely Brinlee her friend, maybe even best friend, if not her only friend. Besides work, home, and the library the tall girl almost never left her home except to visit the club, get drunk and forget all her worries. Brinlee just so happened to run that club and was always teasing with her. Valori was quite aware if Brinlee's playful nature and was confident her budding fondness for the club owner was completely one-sided. Not like it could be helped, though she frowned heavily as she saw her friend outside with her twin. "Busy setting up the bar my ass. Fine, if that's how you want to play it." She whispered under her breath and continued to serve people until her shift ended not too long later.
Now finally free to her own devices Valori left out the back of the store and across town by herself, making sure to hug her warm coffee close to her chest to help with the growing cold of an approaching autumn night. Eventually coming to the end of the street. A car zooming behind her before vanishing into the growing darkness and taking the light with it, leaving Valori to step onto the forest path in the dim light without a soul around, not as anyone would really notice anyway. She's just the village witch after all. Not like it was untrue, for the most part.
Every step onto the root covered path brought the girl deeper into it's winding grip. Passing through tunnels under unused bridges, through droves of trees, the sun dying just beyond the horizon, bringing in a faint red glint over her face before vanishing entirely. Something she was completely used to. Stopping only to take out a small lantern from her backpack. Had the young woman had an address and internet she may have bought something more timely, but for now, a flame lit lantern was more than enough. Having found it long ago in the derelict mines behind her home. Quite sure she was the only one in town to even know the area existed aside from possibly a historian or librarian. The forest had always been mysterious, there were many structures and odd constructions throughout, hinting that the town used to be larger but for some reason was abandoned and reclaimed by the forest.
Valori slinked her way through the trees with precision, the route burned deep in her mind. Hand outstretched, holding the old lantern, flickering and dimming inconsistently the only light for almost half a mile. The muddy ground beneath her boots threatened to swallow the girl whole as she walked up a quite large river before then crossing at a fairly new bridge, one she made herself after nearly being swept away herself after a storm. It was a dry-stacked brick construction, which meant the only thing holding it up were the bricks applying force to each other without anything in between to keep them together. This allowed for water to pass through, though a single loose stone would be enough to easily compromise it, something Valori checked on often to make sure her next crossing would be her last.
After a good half hour or so of creeping her way through the secluded woods, Valori came to a clearing, a small one but a clearing none the less. The large house looming eerily above her, while the shadowy silhouette of the trees danced across the white paint of the old shelter, which Valori called home, and headed straight into. Making sure to check over the minor repairs she's been making as she went along. Sealed leaks, replaced wood beams, among other things. She did her best to make sure the house while old and rotting, stayed in good condition over the years, crash course running her way through carpentry and handy work just to keep her only protection against the world from crushing her while she sleeps. Over time the inside at least has become comparable to the Ship of Theseus. Replacing and we working, making parts of it seem much more new and frankly safer.
Moving swiftly deeper into the dark abode Valori headed down the deep stairs and abnormally long basement stairs and into the large stone room where she lived. It got cold here easily but it also heated the fast while also containing an old-style furnace, the kind that gives children nightmares of being swallowed by its large black gaping maw filled with the flames of hell, but for Valori, it was a warm and comforting item in her home. Setting down the lantern next to the massive pile of books at the foot of her sleeping bags, the girl moved to the closet and began fumbling about. Pulling out a pentagram harness top and corset minidress. Smirking to herself Valori heartbeat starting pittering against her chest. Brinlee will notice her tonight for sure she thought as she moved to get her matching knee-length laced boots, putting her wardrobe together in near-complete darkness. Last but not least some makeup along with a pair of bright red contacts. "If I can't steal your heart, I'll steal your soul."
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