Stardust - Foxxay

Chapter 1 - a typical encounter

Valentine's day was coming up, and gosh did Misty hate that day. Every year it was the same thing, the same struggle. Dozens of couples walking hand in hand, people smiling lovingly at each other, and Misty just couldn't stand watching it. She'd always wondered how it would feel like to be in love with someone. Actually, she had never really dated anyone before, besides her junior school crush who'd left her almost as soon as she'd started seeing him, which is why even the mere thought of celebrating Valentine's day just caused her more frustration.

This year though, Misty had decided that she wouldn't let this bring her down anymore. So on that morning, since she hadn't planned anything, she decided it was time for her to gather her courage and try to get the best of her day. She gazed out of her bedroom window and wasn't surprised to see that the shop facades were already lit up, even though it was still quite early in the morning. She jumped out of bed and pulled out of her wardrobe the frilly flower-patterned dress she'd just bought, pairing it with her favourite shawl and a pair of brown boots. She ran down the stairs, grabbed her coat and walked out the door, without taking the time to have breakfast. I'll grab some food in town, she figured.

As she stepped outside, she felt a snowflake softly landing on the end of her nose. She grinned at the cold feeling as she started walking down the street. She lived a few blocks away from the town centre, so it would only take her a couple of minutes to get to the place she was intending to go to. The swamp witch shivered as she felt the cold air caressing her neck. Silly me, I should have taken a scarf, she thought to herself. A few moments later, she was standing in front of a small chocolate shop. The store was charming looking, brightened up by fairy lights and decorated with sparkly balloons and pink lilies.

Misty had spotted the shop a few days before and she'd thought about giving it a try, but she hadn't really taken the time to do so. Heart shaped chocolates were put on display in the window, and as she peered through the glass, Misty could see that four couples were already cuing up in front of the counter. She didn't really want to go in, the sight of all these people holding hands made her a little uncomfortable. She was starting to regret this impromptu shopping spree. The swamp witch hesitantly stood in front of the shop, not knowing what to do. People started coming out, and as the shop started to empty, Misty still hadn't moved. As she swept her eyes across the inside of the small boutique, she let her gaze lay on the cashier standing behind the counter. The young woman was squinting her eyes and concentrating on her task. Her long blond locks fell gracefully on her shoulders, her blouse slightly revealing her collarbones, and her long dark high-waisted trousers seemed to hug her figure perfectly. The vision of this woman was mesmerizing, and Misty simply couldn't take her eyes off her. While the witch's eyes were still glued on her, the shop employee looked up at her and smiled. Misty smiled back and felt herself blushing, looking down at her feet. The cashier, seeing that the woman outside had been standing in front of the shop for a while and still hadn't come in, walked towards the door. She opened it and stood on the porch, now facing the other woman.

"Are you going to come in or are you going to stand there forever?" She asked jokingly, flashing a smile, big brown eyes lighting up.

Misty felt her cheeks fiercely turning red, and as she looked up at the woman opposite her, she could barely get a word out of her mouth.

"So?" The woman questioned, motioning her towards the door of the boutique. The witch simply nodded and followed her inside. As the employee slid herself behind the counter, Misty managed to gather herself, thinking about what to say.

"Hum, I'm sorry, I'm just... I just didn't know what to do, I... I'm not really a Valentine's person I guess...I got a bit scared." She mumbled, hesitatingly.

"That's fine, you can just have a look around if you want." The woman replied softly. Her voice was calm and soothing, and she seemed to be the kind of person who always wore a smile. Even Misty, who was usually tense and nervous and tended to panic around strangers, found her smile simply irresistible.