It's an art studio. A cluttered, bohemian, art studio. One wall is a mess of various artwork and trinkets, mirrors, clocks, a small shelf filled with art books and records, old lamps, fans; pretty much everything the resident artist has ever worked on or treasured. To the right of the studio is a wall filled with neatly organized drawers filled with paints and brushes, several easels with unfinished paintings, a small pottery wheel and kiln, a sculpture stand, and a table filled with implements to create jewelry.
Late afternoon sun has begun to filter in through the windows of the ARTS, alerting Scarlett that it's time to stop focusing on this particular piece of artwork. It's taken a great deal of time and care to get it to the point it's at, but as the spell she's weaving only works for her during the sunnier parts of the day, she sets it aside. The paint-filled brush is given a flick toward the floor, creating a rather artistic spatter pattern, and then it's wiped carefully with a cloth and set in a bottle of soapy water to soak. Arms stretch high above her head as she tries to work out a few kinks before tidying the studio a little.
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Two people invited him to stop by, but then his mother had to go and be caged and he had to rescue his baby sister from rent hell. It's been a rough time lately but at least he's sober. Robert walks into the studio, fully intent on purchasing whatever it takes. What he sees isn't what he's expecting, but then again he doesn't know what to expect. The door should alert her, but even if that doesn't he clears his throat.
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Dingle-dingle throat clear.
Scarlett turns around, grins, and says, "Hey there, Slugger. 'bout time you showed up." Her hands are wiped onto her little painting apron, and she starts to remove it to welcome him into the shop. "So what specifically were you looking for? You said something about protection, right? Any kind in particular?"
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At least she's picking baseball and not football to reference. That just might kill him. "Something unexpected came up. Well, sort of. It's complicated." Robert walks further into the shop, meeting Scarlett face to face. There's no reason not to, after all, unless she plans on getting revenge for Ivan. "That's complicated, too. I have a lot of women in my life that matter, you know, and I can't keep them safe. And I'm really worried about them." Wait, that could have sounded better.
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"How many are we talking here?" Scarlett raises her brow, motioning for him to come further into the shop. "I might have just the thing to suit, in the form of general protection. I can't guarantee they'll work in all instances though. I have a few that light up or heat up to alert the wearer to impending danger. One or two that I think may work against glamours though I've not tried them yet myself, and something I've just finished yesterday to enhance strength for brief periods."
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As she lists the different kinds of protection his eyes almost gloss over. "Three, I guess. I would say four, just for Hope, but I think your brother should be in charge of that." Robert would try for something but it just seems awkward. In that ever nervous way he rubs at the back of his neck. "This is going to sound odd but I think my sisters need protection against werewolves." Beat. "And vampires. And the third just protection in general. There are some people that just have seen too much in their lives, you know?" He certainly doesn't sound like a thug.
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"That sounds like an awful lot of protection," Scarlett surmises. She leaves him standing there for a moment, moving around several heavy looking racks from the wall to spread them out on the jewelry table. "General protection is my best seller. I make sure to have a lot of those. Not a whole lot of need for werewolf protection, unfortunately. They're pretty tame, if not a bit abrasive." Her lip is nibbled on briefly. "I can likely have a couple ready before the next full moon. I'll give you a book to look through designs, but I make each piece by hand so they won't be exact to what you choose." A third rack is pointed to. "Protection against glamour. Unfortunately I can't really stop a vampire from biting anyone, because a lot of people use biting in their love lives and it tends to backfire."
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He's still rubbing at the back of his neck. "They are in a lot of trouble, even if they don't think about it like that. Hell, my baby sister is a fangbanger for crying out loud. And our mother" He stops. Bobby may have admitted to the truth to Ivan but Chloe warned him to keep it on the down low. Instead he shakes his head as he considers it all. "Hope is easier. She has a deep hatred for vampires, which I think is both self explanatory and appropriate. I'm very concerned for my sisters but more for her. It's like all these bad things just keep happening to her and her sister. I'm not really good at this. I mean, I'm supposed to be the one to protect people. But since I'm one of the few actual humans I know anymore I feel a little inadequate."
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That brings a somewhat dry look to her face. "Hi. Hello? Human, standing right here in front of you. I may have been born into power, but witchcraft can be learned." Scarlett replaces the dry look with a smile once again. "It's not necessarily easy to learn, but it can be when someone has the determination for it." Afterward, she places a hand on Robert's shoulder. "Look, Slugger. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. I feel for you, and I feel for them. But barring you being around twenty-four-seven, there's not much you can do to keep them protected at all times. Charms will help as much as they're imbued to help, but even they aren't one hundred percent fail-safe."
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"A human with a gift that I could never have. Even your brother has it, I know, since the day I met him he thought it was a good idea to mess with my mind." It's so funny to Robert, just now, how things have evolved since that day. The man winces slightly as he's touched but doesn't say anything or even move away from Scarlett. "I just have this need to protect them. Dad's gone, Mom's… as good as gone, in a way. And Hope's only family here has likely gone off the deep end again. I just can't help it." It's now that he offers that charming grin. "I suppose I'm attracted to women in distress. That's something I would never have thought about in high school."
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"Ivan is an ass. He's my brother, I love him, but he's still an ass." Scarlett laughs as he explains himself, but nods in understanding. "I'm the family's fixer-upper, so I can sympathize in a way." An awkward pause ensues, her hand is removed to fall at her side. "Well go on. Choose what you want. I'll need to look up the right enchantment for the werewolves." Another pause. "You could possess the gift if you wanted to."
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That little bit of information causes him to laugh and rather loudly at that. "I don't know. I mean, yeah, sure, but sometimes I think he's okay. Have you seen him around her?" Where her is the mental case, of course. "I kind of can tell that about you. You were there for him but even then still didn't press charges. I'm lucky." He doesn't really notice how awkward it is but then again Robert is just different. "What I want…" The words are tumbled around as the first two pieces are picked out easily enough. "I don't think so. I'm good at hitting people and that's about it." Bobby continues to look before he reaches for one thing in particular, a ring.
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"Nope. I've met her, I've seen her lacy underthings in his couch, but he won't introduce us because I think he's using and manipulating her." Scarlett shrugs. Maybe it's a sibling thing, but she is sort of worried for the other girl. "Slugger, if he pressed charges it would look bad on him. To have harassed a guy who was having family troubles and all. I'm not saying what you did was right, but I can understand it at any rate." Her eyes fall to the ring, but she says nothing about it. "You'd be good at something more physical. Elemental magic maybe then."
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Unexpected. Robert looks fully to Scarlett, considering her well. "You think so? It could be, but if you're worried? You should ask him what's going on with her." If Ivan will say anything, that is. Only now does Bobby actually look somewhat sheepish. "He implied that I'd knock someone up and then leave them. I know I'm a jerk but I'm not /that/ bad." The ring is picked out for a reason, indeed, but he doesn't mention it. Hell, he might never actually do anything with it. "How does someone learn that? It can't be as easy as going to the occult section at the local bookstore."
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"Pfft. If anyone is going to knock anyone up, it's Ivan." Scarlett has been through her brother's relationship dramas before, but he's old enough now to handle himself, so she's leaving her twin to deal with his own messes. Mean, maybe, but everyone needs to grow up sometime. "Do you know what happens when I'm worried? I go to talk to him, he gets angry and tosses me out. It's the way we roll. If he wants me to know, he'll tell me. Otherwise, I'm being nosy." Her head is given a small shake. "It depends. I just learned to focus. I can't create the elements, but with focus and a few small words I can control them. I wrote everything down into a grimoire, but the difficulty is that everyone has a different ritual or manner of doing things. For some it's innate, and for others it takes more work."
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"That's a scary thought. I don't think I could stop Hope from going to jail for murder if that happened." He'd do the same in her position, after all. "I've got a sister like that. She doesn't like anyone in her business, unless they're showering her with attention." Or money. Or a free place to live. "I don't think she's ever really opened up to either of us before, especially not Chloe. That doesn't mean that I ever give up. They can call me over protective all they want; they're my sisters and they're all I have left." That are human, anyway. Something causes him to shake his head. "I think the church would be directly opposed to all of this." Beat. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not interested in learning about it. Even if I really can't do anything."
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Scarlett moves to extract a few necklaces, fitting for women, and set of matching bracelets. "What do you think of these for your sisters? I can possibly make them rings or earrings to match, with the werewolf incantation." Exhaling a sigh, she makes a face. "I've not given up on him, but I'm not his mother either. I can't keep cleaning up his mistakes, you know?" The face is made again, scrunching up in distaste. "Oh. Them. Nothing against you, Slugger, but you don't seem the bible-thumping type. If you want to learn. If your mind is open to it. I'm willing to help out the best I can. I make no promises or no guarantees, but I can educate you as to how things work."
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He is not one to shop for jewelry. Poor Bobby just stares at it all before he nods. "I like those, at least. If they don't, well, too bad. I think they're nice." Hopefully they all appreciate exactly what he's doing for them. He doesn't expect it but it would be nice. "I think I'll be cleaning up messes until I die. Like how I decided to rent out to my sister when she asked me for money." Even now Bobby doesn't expect Mellie to take advantage - because he is a fool. When she reacts to the church all he can do is shrug. "Long before he died, Dad stopped talking to me. Things kind of hit rock bottom and they were there. I'm not an active member or anything but I do help out if needed." Thankfully he's not been doing much. Thankful because he has other things to worry about. "You don't even know me, Scarlett. Why would you make such an offer?"
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"For one, if you can learn a certain type of magic you can work at protecting a home or a place of business against certain things. Mask them even, from certain eyes. That type of magic is well beyond my little protection trinkets." Scarlett has a secondary response to it as well, but that's one she wants to keep to herself for a while longer. The third response though? That comes easily. "Also it'll piss off Ivan." There is no detrimental comments about the church, but she nods. "Thankfully, I've not hit rock bottom in my life as of yet, but no matter the situation, it's good to know someone is there for you. It's obvious you care about those around you, and that, Slugger, is what makes you a good person in my books."
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He's almost clueless at first while he listens but before long he nods. That charming smile returns, almost as if he is flirting with the woman. That's just Bobby. "I feel so used," he jokes. "Are you sure that you would want to tell your brother? He'd melt down and I'd likely have to flatten him again. Next thing you know he'd accuse me of getting /you/ pregnant." The man rubs the back of his neck again before forcing a chuckle. "But glad. It sucks, but now? I know at least two women who will slap the sense back into me. Literally." The chuckle turns into a full out laugh that eventually fades. "So what are the damages and what all would you like in return? Equal trading and all."
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Scarlett laughs. "Slugger, you already made the mistake of coming into the shop. I've no doubt he'll be accusing me of being pregnant before long. Like I said, my brother's an ass." At least sometimes. "Let's say… a hundred now, sixty when you pick up the matching rings?" She does a few quick calculations in her mind in regards to her time and effort, and figures that sounds about right. "You can teach me how to brawl. I'm not really a fighter, but I've got a feeling I should at least learn enough basics to get out of a fight if necessary."
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At this he throws up his hands as if he's never touched her. "It was his idea. If he says anything, it could be implied that he sent me to get you pregnant." Oh, it is such a good thing that Hope isn't here. This isn't exactly her style of humor, not in Bobby's eyes. Thankfully for him he's made a recent trip to the bank to help bail out a certain sister of his. Pulling out his wallet he slowly begins thumbing through it, his hand slowing him down slightly. "Are you sure? I'm willing to pay more, really." Just the ease of the thought of doing good is worth the money. He again chuckles. "You're asking someone as beat up as me to show you how to fight?" That's a joke. "I'll work with you, though, if you'd like. You've got the right spirit."
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There is a long drawn out silence. Then Scarlett waggles her eyebrows at him. "Though it would be awfully sad if I needed my younger brother to pick out dates for me. So if that's his intention, I suppose he could have picked a much worse candidate." Veiled compliment in there somewhere. "Positive. I'm giving you the friends and family discount, Slugger. Besides, I'd feel awful charging you more when you're doing it for such altruistic reasons. It's not like the kids that come in here looking for love trinkets or whatever."
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He looks shocked, appalled, and then laughs. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were hitting on me." He doesn't actually feel as if she is, or is strongly enough to signal is shutdown reaction. Women who go out of their way to hit on him are universally ignored. When she confirms it he fusses with his wallet again but eventually gets the money out. It is handed over without a thought. "I don't believe in trinkets for love. Things just have meanings and reasons, you know?" He really isn't that bad of a guy in the end. "But thank you. This really means a lot."
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"That's good," Scarlett says with a wink. "I don't sell love trinkets. I generally send them down to the Ogham for that. I hear the proprietor really likes to push that sort of thing, though maybe it was just because of Valentine's Day." It's not a place she's ever gone, just heard about. "Love is something that's either bound to happen or won't. No matter how much you try for it. You're welcome, Slugger. I'll call you when I get the rings done." The money is taken, and simply pocketed. No receipt, no fuss other than getting her ring stuck on her jeans pocket. "Hope they help."
