Welcome to Gaia! ::

There was, upon one of the hardwood shelves of Equinox, a collection of items that a layperson would probably consider decoration to add to the new-agey atmosphere of the shop. Another practicioner or fan of witchcraft, however, would immediately recognize it as a simple altar, which Eve took great pains to set up and take down each day during her hours there. A few members of the local pagan community had become regulars upon learning the Craft was an important facet of her shop and merchandise. Some other folk, naturally, pointedly avoided it for the same reasons.

Along with a handful of crystals and a scattering of dried herbs, there was an offering plate piled with treats from the candy store next door, and a candle -- hand-poured and filled with more herbs and oils -- to entice protection, prosperity and new connections. Eve was finishing up a prayer and drawing a sigil to place near the candle before lighting it, which meant her attention was momentarily away from scanning for potential customers outdoors.

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The noise startled both Eve and Clover so simultaneously it was almost comical. Parsing the silhouette behind the window, though, took a little more time. For a second Eve thought it might one of the large tree branches near the building bumping up against it in the wind, but the symmetry and clear humanoid shape underneath the offender quickly did in that thought. Then, for another moment, she peered, then stared, at who was on the other side of the glass. Was... that... a costume...? Furthermore, why were they staring in instead of coming inside?

"Clover, let's go get the door." Maybe she'd absentmindedly locked it. As her dog trotted ahead, she maneuvered herself around and across the store, wheeling through the doorway once Clover dutifully pulled it open with a rope. Which... meant it wasn't locked.

"Hello? Can I help you with something?" she offered, and --

Hooves. Those were hooves.

"How... did... you know that?" Eve asked, slightly baffled. It wouldn't have been easy to see her from the window. "And you... know Autumn?"

Clover made no moves toward Pax, and seemed only passively curious about its presence. The dog simply sat by Eve as she attempted to process who, or what, this person was.

"Do... you... want to come inside?"

Not human? And the deerlike appearance, like Leila had tried to describe a while back, but more constrained to a finite shape... "Are you from the otherworld?" Eve asked while leading Pax inside, somehow with the same casualness she would give her sparse customers when she asked if they attended Rider-Waite. Being so composed was taking more than a little effort.

It smelled pleasant inside, like sage and rosemary, and the dim lighting made the whole place feel cozy and home-like. Pax's hooves would be a little loud on the hardwood floor, which was decorated with a few richly-colored rugs. "I was just about to light my candle before you interrupted me," she explained. "Not that I'm angry. I'm more curious to know how you could tell what I was doing."

If this were a friend of Autumn, then Eve was happy to give it a chance in spite of... well... everything about it.

"My wife dreams," Eve answered, "but you're right, I don't." She went back over to her altar, Clover following as close as a shadow, and smoothed the cloth beneath all the items as a small gesture of picking up where she left off: she lit a match, traced her sigil with her other hand, repeated her prayer with a low, murmuring voice and lit her candle. Then, with a deliberate deep breath, as if in doing so she was setting her will at the altar along with the rest of the items, she turned back around to face the not-quite-a-satyr again. "My name is Eve, by the way, and that's Clover, my helper."

This being could feel her magic? On the inside, Eve was absolutely reeling at all the possible implications.

"Some humans develop lifelong partnerships with other humans," Eve began to explain, after a moment of consideration. "And we have a few words we might use to describe that partner, depending on what resonates with us. So, for mine, I use the word 'wife.' Someone else may have a 'husband,' a 'spouse,' or simply a 'partner.'" Hopefully that was an adequate explanation -- she moved on to the next.

"Generally I work with Nature, and the Blessed Dead. Would you like a treat?" She gestured over to the offering plate, which had "May You Never Go Hungry" painted onto it.

"I'm glad to hear that." The warm response and sincere smile didn't do much to communicate just how glad Eve was. This simple, amicable encounter was turning out to be a profound experience. Even without the fantastic origins of the being in the shop with her, its simple and sincere observations and affirmations of her spiritual practices were giving her a renewed sense of confidence and contentment in them.

"You know that's for eating, right?" she continued, gesturing towards the bit of candy Pax had chosen. "Have you head tea before?"

"O-oh no." Eve's hand rose up to cover her mouth as Pax struggled through the candy, wrapper and all. "I didn't think about the wrapper, I'm so sorry! Here, have some water." She produced an unopened bottle from a bag in her chair, pouring some of it into a nearby mug and handing it over. Then she plucked out another candy and, with gentle pacing, held it up in front of her guest and slowly removed its crinkly plastic covering before presenting it in her palm for Pax to try again, if it wished.

"Tea is also a word describing a kind of beverage made from a specific plant, though you can also mix in others if you like."