Do You Believe in Magic?

[Ravenbelle]

Cassandra Bronwyn smiled brightly at the exhibits as she walked through the museum, gazing at the artifacts with wonder. She'd been saving up for a ticket to get in for weeks and now she was finally here! She'd be labeled a total nerd at work if they knew this was what had gotten her so hyped recently, but she couldn't help it. It's all just so..fascinating. That she could be born basically lost and soon thereafter all alone into this crazy big world where so much has already happened! Lifetimes she'd never know or understand no matter how hard she studies the autobiographies and history books...even a hundred years seems like so little time on a textbook timeline. She took slow steps through the near deserted halls clutching her sketchbook to her chest as a strange buzz began in her chest, surrounded by the sorts of outdated objects with fingerprints of the dead. Cass took in a deep breath, chalked up the feeling to simple excitement and stopped short at an old rope noose covered with a glass box. Her brown eyes widened as she read the little text in the corner.
Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts 1640s
She blinked and noticed her hand already moving on her sketchpad, shading away at the morbid new doodle: a woman in a colonial dress with black eyes and a noose around her neck, casting a long shadow with sparks in her hands. Cassie shook her head and squeezed her pencil. How had she drawn that without even looking?​

 

[mr_pibbs]

Matthias Asmer started his day believing that things would be relatively normal. He had a nice bowl of cereal for breakfast, decided he was going to spend the day engaging his inner 'history nerd' by going to the museum, and bought himself a rather sizeable burrito for lunch. The best part was the burrito wasn't that expensive, so all in all, it had been a good day. Pretty average considering what he was normally used to, but sometimes Matthias liked to indulge himself to a life he knew he probably wouldn't get to live.

After all, it was hard to live a moderately normal life when one was able to wield the phenomenal powers of magic.

Generally speaking, Matthias was a wizard. Young and somewhat inexperienced, but a wizard nonetheless. He had just recently graduated from a prestigious boarding school where he would learn to hone his magic abilities, in won as "the Ambrosias Academy for Witchcraft and Wizardry". It was a famous institution known throughout the wizarding world for it's incredible staff and lessons which helped train some of the most powerful witches and wizards throughout history. It was founded by a group of 4 legendary wizards, all of whom shared the same goal; to teach and inspire the younger generations to be adept in their abilities.

But Matthias didn't want to think about the mystical side of his life today. All he wanted to do was have a nice relaxing afternoon at the museum, then go home and finish making fun of the discrepancies found in the Harry Potter films. House elves. Ha! As if elves looked like goblins!

Crossing through the large and beautifully decorated halls while quietly munching on his burrito, Matthias came across a young woman staring intently towards a display of the Salem Witch Trials. Shifting somewhat uncomfortably at the sight of the horrific acts, Matthias nodded his head and said "Tragic, isn't it? You know the whole thing was started by a group of lying teenage girls who didn't want to get in trouble, right? The worst thing is only one of them was actually a witch... And she just let those trials happen."

 

[Ravenbelle]

"Tragic, isn't it?​

Cassie jumped slightly at the sudden voice beside her and instantly held her sketchbook to her chest, hiding the drawing. She hadn't heard him coming, but she had also been a little too engrossed in the exhibit so she couldn't really blame him. ​

"You know the whole thing was started by a group of lying teenage girls who didn't want to get in trouble, right? The worst thing is only one of them was actually a witch... And she just let those trials happen."

She blinked up at him with chocolate brown eyes to meet his liquid blue. She was surprised a guy who looked to be about her age knew much about the history of these kinds of things. It was a rare sight to see someone under 30 who wasn't doing a project.
"Y-yeah I read it...and The Crucible..hehe..I don't think Abigail was a real witch though; that would kinda ruin Miller's whole comparison to McCarthyism I think. Anyway, It might have seemed like some weird things happened around there,... but most people just chalk it up to ignorance and the devout devotion to the Christian God in the Puritan settlements." She shrugged nervously. She knew she was rambling. He must be thinking she's a huge weirdo nerd right about now.
"..Personally, I think the Quakers were right all along. (Most of the time anyway)." She mumbled and blushed, turning her eyes back to the macabre noose with her bottom lip between her teeth, lightly scratching behind her ear with one finger (a nervous habit of hers).
​

 

[mr_pibbs]

Matt looked at Cassie with a smile as she mentioned 'the Crucible'. "A good read, that's for sure. I kind of like the film as well. Witches be trippin' for Daniel Day Lewis. At least, my sister used to say that." joked the young man, continuing to listen to her explanation of the story and her interpretation of the events. Nodding as he discovered she was very well-learned on the subject of the witch trials and especially the time period. "That's very true. But I didn't say Abigail was the witch. She was just a jealous brat who did stupid things. Now Mercy Lewis, on the other hand... She was just too terrified to stand up to Abby and stop the whole thing. There's actually an alternate reality where Mercy attacked Abigail in the courthouse and outed herself as a witch. It's a pretty disturbing universe though. Needless to say, imagine the future from the Terminator; but instead of robots, it's witches and wizards."

Despite the fact that his words might've seemed like the ramblings of a psychopath, Matthias continued to casually chew on his hot dog as if nothing were wrong with what he just said. "You're very smart, you know that? And pretty. That's a hard thing to find nowadays. Most people are too busy trying to figure out what the Kardashians are up to rather then doing something like going to the museum for a fun day out. I'm a bit of a history nerd myself, I don't care what people think about that. I am as I am, like it or not."

Then, he turned away from the exhibit and looked at her, his piercing blue eyes shimmering in an almost magical way. "I'm Matthias. Probably should've opened with that, but the opportunity's already passed."

 

[Ravenbelle]

She'd giggled lightly at his sister's comment (not that it was ill-founded), but looked up at him quizzically when he implied Abigail wasn't the witch. Her eyebrows furrowed. Mercy Lewis? Hadn't she been the aggressive enforcer of the group? She hadn't quite seemed scared when Cassie had read it, but it wasn't hard to believe she supposed. However, the way this stranger put it was almost like his version was the real thing, but surely Arthur Miller never wrote it that way. He casually took a bite of his hotdog and Cassie mentally explained his mysterious expression with an assumption that he must have read some weird fanfiction version or something.
She couldn't deny his sincere interest in the subject however, and that was intriguing to her on its own. He was really cute..
And apparently he thought the same of her as he voiced it aloud and she immediately clutched her sketchbook tighter to her chest and blushed as her eyes focused straight on the floor. God how many times had she daydreamed about a hot guy she might meet in a museum who was a history nerd like her? ..is she dreaming?
Cheeks red, she watched him take a few steps away and her sneaker squeaked on the hardwood floor as she moved to take a step after him, but then he met her eyes again and she stopped short, blinking up at his incredibly blue eyes as her blood rushed quick through her veins. She'd felt the latter sensation before, mostly in her tween puberty years, but didn't recognize the magic sparking now, too focused on the present.

Cass bit her lip and stepped toward him, both hands still gripping her notebook a bit too tight.
"No worries. I'm glad uh.." she stuttered, shook her head a bit shyly and held one hand out for a handshake "--I mean it's nice to meet you, Matthias. I'm Cassandra, but most people shorten it all sorts of different ways..uh" She smiled awkwardly and shrugged with her hands still out between them in a sort of invitation for him to call her whatever he wanted when he decided to shake her hand. All the while, internally scolding herself for being so weird, she did wonder what he'd call her and what that nickname would mean. Is he called her Cass would that imply more of a friendly connotation over Cassie or vice versa? Recently she's heard people call her Cass, Cassie, even 'Sandra, but it'd been a long time since anyone called her 'Andie, then again, that was back when she went through her tomboyish phase in 7th grade. god I am being such an idiot he probably already has a girlfriend... but then why would he flirt with me? Could his comment even be considered flirting? Dammit I don't know.

​

 

[mr_pibbs]

Matthias' face stretched into a pleasant grin when she finally told him her name (but not without getting a little flustered at his obvious compliments). Cassandra clung her notebook tightly to her chest as she looked at him, similar to how a love-stricken schoolgirl would've stared at the boy she's been crushing on for years. The pinkish hue on her face betrayed the fact that Matthias was starting to get to her. Not that he was looking to pick up a random girl at the museum... But given the fact that Cassandra was quite the package deal (a living combination of both looks and intelligence), Matthias figured he would at least try to see where things might go.

Taking her hand, Matthias suddenly felt an almost electric sensation rush into his body. It was a common reaction to physical contact which he had felt thousands of times in the past, but never before had he felt it to this degree. It was powerful, almost cripplingly so. But it wasn't enough to force Matthias onto his knees, or even injure him. It was strange, but the meaning behind such a reaction could only mean one thing. No way... he thought, feeling the tingling vibrations of powerful, yet previously untapped, magic flowing through his right arm. She's smart, attractive, and a Witch? Dude, just propose and be done with it before some Dracnoa* picks her up.

Gently letting go of her hand when he noticed the startled expression on her face (most likely caused by the dumbfounded look present on his own), Matthias quickly broke the silence to try and move past the obviously uncomfortable moment. "Cassandra... That's a beautiful name. Maybe when we get to know each other more, I can start calling you by a nickname. Something adorable and catchy, probably. You can call me 'Matty' right off the bat if you want. Most people I know do that." explained the young wizard, staring deep into her eyes while flashing her his charming smile once again. Finishing off the last of his hotdog, Matthias gulped down the delicious meal and licked his lips clean. Then, he addressed Cassandra again. "Hey, I've got an idea. Want to go through the museum with me? I came alone, unfortunately, and you seem like the only person who didn't call me 'pretentious' for trying to start a conversation based around the displays. Plus, you seem kind of lonesome. If there was ever a time for me to act like a gentleman, I think it would be now."

Then, in a rather suave motion, Matthias extended his arm to her so she would interlock her arm with his own, similar to how a man would've walked down the isle with his bride. "Well, Miss Cassandra... Might I escort you through these exquisite exhibits?" he asked, somehow managing to pull off a perfect imitation of a British accent (primarily from the area around London), despite being from a small town in the middle of Massachusetts.

*Dracnoa are the 'Slytherin' house of the Ambrosias Academy. Matthias was a member of the Algrey (house), which acts as the academy's 'Gryffindor'. The two houses have a friendly rivalry and neither are considered good or bad, since the school doesn't want to promote the sense that if you're sorted into Dracnoa, you're going to turn into a wizard serial killer or anything like that.*

 

[Ravenbelle]

Matthias reached out to meet her handshake and just as their fingers brushed, palms met, a powerfully charged current passed between them, a sort of signal that she felt all they way up her arm before it spread warmly through her ribs..her heart. Cassandra's eyes widened and met Matthias'. By the dumbfounded look on his face, she could at least rule out another hallucination. He must have felt it too. What was that? Her fingers hesitated in pulling away but she didn't want to awkwardly continue the handshake. Her hand dropped to her side, still tingling slightly as her other hand gripped her notebook still tighter. She hadn't previously believed in the fairytales or overly romantic novels she used to read, but how could she deny the obvious attraction between her and this random stranger? Any hopeless romantic would be ecstatic to point out this must be some sort of sign that they were 'meant to be'. Cassandra was doubtful but how else could she explain that?
She blinked up at him nervously and he simply continued smoothly, trying to dismiss the awkward moment. She followed suit, smiling shyly as he complimented her yet again before inviting her to call him by his own nickname. He met her eyes then, and gazing into his, melting under his charming smile, she could have sworn there were things he couldn't possibly know about her that somehow, he knew. It was such a strange sense of familiarity, but she shook it away as he finished his hot dog and proposed an idea she was glad to hear. Though his comments felt a little arrogant, she teased him for it (because no one goes to a museum alone just to pick up chicks) and narrowed her eyes up at him. "Oh is that so?"
He didn't miss a beat, instantly coming up beside her with a hilarious british accent and an arm for her to hold. Her free hand came around his arm formally and she stuck her nose up in the air pompously. "You may, good sir." She giggled​

 

[mr_pibbs]

"Then let us be off, mi'lady!" proclaimed Matthias, continuing the British accent as he slipped his arm around her own and swung his right leg around in a cartoonish-fashion. Once his foot found its way back to the floor, Matthias clown-stepped forwards for a moment or two, playfully over-doing it to get a laugh out of Cassandra. By the time they reached the display case next to the Witch Trials display, Matthias had slowed down to his regular pace and began to take himself more seriously, smiling pleasantly at his 'date' now that they were roaming the halls together.

-- Later that Day --​

"You know, scientists have calculated that DNA has a 521 year half-life. That being said, the youngest discovered dinosaur bones are thought to be approximately 65 million years old. So if we do the math, we discover that the oldest clone-able samples of Dino-DNA couldn't be more then 2 million years old. Ergo, "Jurassic Park" is full of crap." Matt explained, happily scooping up another bite of his frozen yogurt as he and Cassandra made their way out of the museum. They had spent nearly six hours just wandering through the museum and admiring the various exhibits, learning all sorts of fun facts from one another and generally having a good time. At the four hour mark, Matthias decided they needed 'cute food' and seeing as how Cassandra was eyeing up the dinosaur-themed frozen yogurt stand, he decided to be a gentleman and bought them each a bowl of 'You Bet Jurassic's Triple Chocolate' frozen yogurt.

Smiling at the cute brunette as they walked through the front doors of the museum, Matthias let out a happy sigh. "Hey, thanks for putting up with me today, Cassandra. You're a pretty awesome girl." he said, placing his plastic spoon into the now-empty bowl of defrosted yogurt. As he began to look around for a garbage bin, his eyes popped wide open. "Yikes, how long were we in there?" Matthias gasped, staring up at the now-darkened Sky. Quickly checking his watch, Matthias was shocked to discover it was almost seven o'clock. "Hooo boy... Apparently six hours. I didn't get there until one, so... Wow."

His surprise turned to hilarity in almost an instant, forcing the young man to chuckle at his discovery. Shaking his head softly, Matthias' long brown hair casually fell in front of his eyes, giving him an unrefined and somewhat messy appearance for just a moment before he tilted his head upwards, forcing his hair to fall back into place. Taking a deep breath as he stopped chuckling, Matthias turned to Cassandra and nodded. "Well, at least we had fun in there, am I right?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

Cassandra laughed at Matthias' antics again and then smiled up at him sweetly. He was a bit of a jokester, in a childish way and when it came to first impressions, he was nailing it. It wasn't the last time she laughed either. She'd never had so much fun in the museum before! As much as she loved exploring its expansive halls by herself and reading every plaque of information, Matthias made it a goofy adventure, which was a totally new experience she didn't know was possible. Maybe she really does take life too seriously sometimes.

~~Later that Day~~

"Mm." She smiled, swallowing the last bite of her chocolate frozen yogurt, courtesy of the man now spewing facts she couldn't believe he'd memorized to debunk some of her favorite dinosaur movies. "Remind me to never watch Jurassic Park with you." She teased. She shouldn't be surprised, considering how many historical facts she'd bothered to remember, but at least it was valid human history. More of which she had learned today, which she hadnt thought possible until she walked out of the museum with her new handsome acquaintance that made her smile yet again as they walked out to a now dark sky. "Likewise...uh, I mean. You're pretty awesome too." She laughed awkwardly.
He had kept a near constant smile on her face for around...how many hours now? They seem to share the thought so he checked his watch and her eyes blew wide when he told her. 6 HOURS? Cassie's breath left her in a whoosh while Matt just laughed and she started walking down the sidewalk with him, throwing away her yogurt container in a nearby trashcan. When she next met his eyes it had started to drizzle and he turned to her with those startling blue eyes. "Y..yeah. definitely." She gave him a genuine smile and bit her lip after a moment, looking away with a small blush. She turned her head up toward the sky, breathing in the scent of the impending rain with little droplets caught in her eyelashes. "It's gonna rain soon...I..should probably get home." She walked backwards for a moment, sucking in one of her cheeks and trying to make it clear she was reluctant to go without having the means to see him again.​

 

[mr_pibbs]

Matthias cast Cassandra a slightly disappointed look when she mentioned having to get going, believing that the day they shared was probably one of the best he's had in recent memory. Everything about it just felt right. The museum, the fun facts, the fro-yo, the girl... It was like the beginning of a corny romance novel, but Matthias could care less. He felt the spark in her and he knew she was a witch. It was hard to come by other Magi* in the modern world without properly knowing how to spot them (or you already knew who they were), but somehow Matthias had found her in the most mundane of places. Even though he was a man capable of wielding powers far beyond the comprehension of the modern day human... Matthias didn't believe in fate. But funny coincidences were quite common, he found.

As she wandered away from him, Matthias noticed she lingered a little longer then what was normal of a departure. He looked at her inquisitively, cocking his head to the right as he silently contemplated what was going on. Was she expecting him to kiss her goodbye? No, they had just met. Did she want him to throw out her empty cup of yogurt? Cassandra hadn't handed him the cup, so that wasn't it...

Suddenly, it hit him like a ton of bricks and, rather loudly, he excitedly exclaimed "Oh shit! You want to do this again!"

Before she could even ask why he shouted, Matthias reached into his pants pocket and rummaged around for a bit before producing his cellphone. "Here, put your number down in this. I'd like to see you again, I had a lot of fun today. I know it's a bit rushed, but how about tomorrow night? I know a great little Italian place just south of city hall. It's got a bit of a dress code, but it's nothing super uppity. Just a dress would do, or even just a nice shirt and pants. But to be completely honest, you'd look beautiful in about anything, I imagine."

*Magi - the term used by witches/wizards to differentiate themselves from regular, non magic humans.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Though he looked disappointed for a moment, he didn't ask what she hoped he would. If she were bold or brave enough to assume he liked her as much as she liked him, she might have asked for his number herself. But the awkward silence seemed to hold them captive too long as she took two slow steps back while he stared on with a slightly confused expression. He probably though she was the weirdest person in the world. Okay time to go.. she thought, about to turn on her heel with her cheeks burning in embarrassment, but then he loudly exclaimed the realization she hoped he would come to. However, she was briefly afraid the phrase was a taunt or insult as if he thought it impossible she might be worthy of a second....date? Or first official one.
She bit her lip and focused on the sidewalk dejectedly for a second until a phone screen lit up near her face and she took the phone offered to her, checking for sincerity in his bright eyes. Cassie breathed a silent sigh of relief at his genuine excitement and put both her full name and cell phone number into the device before handing it back as he spoke about seeing her again. It did seem a bit quick, but today didn't really count as a date and Kimmy would be so excited to hear about everything. Besides, after such a great day, how could she refuse?
"That's sweet...thanks, uh that sounds perfect. Just send me the address and I'll meet you there I guess." she smiled , waved slightly and took a step back.
"I'm glad I met you, Matthias."

​