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For a moment, all America can seem to do is sniff at the air a little, nose registering the magic before her mind catches up with a pleased whoop that burbles up as a piece of shocked laughter. She slowly reached out to touch the fire, her mouth popping open on contact.

Touch, in its way, meant reality to America. And magic was really really extra super undeniably real at this moment. "What's it like?" The question is a bit breathless, a bit distracted with wonder. "Doing...doing a magic?"

Despite the shrug, the analogy told America enough to have a big old piece of thought to chew on for days to come.

The offer was tempting, despite all of Aunt Prudie's morality tales, made to guide a girl on a firm and righteous path. Or maybe just the more tempting for it, all said. Even a brush with a miracle could be a heady business and in all honestly, America was girl who loved a good temptation.

"I'm real good at wanting, Miss Sunny," she answered, a piece of determination taking root. "Just one more, don't wanna be greedy. Well, more than I already am." A pause, and then, out of the blue, "Are mermaids real? This is so cool!"

How many beings previously labeled imagination things might actually exist? Were there more witches? Were they all like Sunny? Were there dragons?! The witch had conjured questions to swim and flop about America's head more just as readily as any fish.

Staring dumbly at the thrashing fish, America tried to shake that moment of up and up, cradled and lifted. It took a few moments to remember to breathe and when she does it's with a gasp that mirrored the creature's last, dying rhythms. Coming back to herself, she quickly killed it with a quiet sorry. Fishing and hunting were a piece of her upbringing and heritage, to kill and eat and an animal was only natural. But letting them suffer wasn't ever necessary.

Blinking up at Sunny, she started to ask, "Was I...what was...?" Not quite able to phrase it out loud, she continued with the motion of her hand, swimming through the air between them.

"No!" America exclaimed loudly, startling even herself. "I mean," she continued, voice a bit lower, "that was amazing! I'd never really felt anything like it and it was...it was really different but also just like...nice. Was that you then," and here she went a bit shy, "holding me up?"

The girl ducked her head for a moment but then lifted it to meet Sunny's smile with her own. Apparently Halloween had it all wrong, witches were ********' cute as anything."Then thank you, not just for...you know. Magic." Oh my good golly, magic is really. It's real. Magic! What the loving heck?! "And helping me catch some dinner," she gave a huff of laughter at that, "but keepin' me safe for it too."

Tides could be dangerous, especially to the unwary.

There's a but of scramble, getting the wrong fish into the cooler, reaching to get her phone before realizing her hands were covered in fish, finding her handkerchief, and then, finally, America had her phone in hand. The process had been one of small giggles and chagrined smiles, accompanied by a description of her little camper and where it could be found if Sunny ever wanted to visit.

"Alright," she held her phone out to Sunny, "I'll warn you right now, though, I can be a chatty Cathy, so if you got a text limit tell me so I don't run up your bill." She grinned and waggled her eyebrows along with the threat.

Looking up from her phone, wondering if having a magic phone meant always having bars, America beamed at Sunny. The girl leaned forward, eyes wide, as she answered, "Yeah!" There's a chagrined laugh at herself, and she added, "Think the answer might always be yes, gotta say."

America jumped at the sudden empty space in front of her. Slowly she leaned forward and waggled her hand about. Glancing around, she took a step to stand where Sunny had been and began to wave both arms about. "Sunny?"

Dropping her arms to her sides, the girl paused and then lit up, scrambling to the side of the pier to glance underneath. "Miss Sunny? 'Loooooooo?"

Flopping back onto the wood, America gazed up at the sun for a long stretch and then heaved a huge sigh, a little put-out but mostly wistful.

"Well...dang."