Dauphine Laclare's Story

Dauphine and Loretta had heard somewhere along the grapevine about an alchemist shop needing some new employees. As they entered the shop, they noticed several useful things, they felt like little kids in a candy store again. Dauphine liked to be in her wolf form, she didn't like to be seen in public, so she remained on leash. Loretta patted the wolves head, as the wolf wagged her tail, beating against her sisters leg.

”Isn’t this place lovely?” Loretta asked aloud, she had a sparkle in her eyes, the kind a child would have. Dauphine began to pull towards another shelf, but Loretta tugged her sister back and gave her the sit command, which Dauphine did reluctantly.

"D, would you behave?" Loretta said as she bent down to be face to face with the wolf.

The Cackling Cauldron was indeed open and with the mess of goods littering the streets from extra cauldrons to welcoming signs and an open door. Within the shop the mess seemed like an organized chaos that had its own unique feel to it. The interior was that of most of the older buildings but it was modified so that the second floor was open to the public revealing several shelves packed full of books and bottled potions. The shop room was a unique source of strange goods and odd wealth and yet there was something else hidden among all the bits and bobbles.

Past the counter the owner of the shop sat with his head cradled within the palm of his hands and he could only grown as he ran his hands through his hair. His eyes perked up at the newcomer and her pet or so it would seam only to frown at the prospect of cleaning up a mess that was not his to deal with. However he was not ignorant as to what the two where as his tattoos began to burn his flesh warning him of the possibilities of danger and knowledge.

'Welcome to the Cackling Cauldron." Titus offered as he seemingly straightened himself up. The Alchemist began to lean in on the counter and he realized they where like Rowan, a contact he had made earlier this week. "Can I offer you the latest of my concoctions? Maybe you would like something special made or perhaps you are looking for goods involving the usual workings of this city."

He offered a devilish smile as he produced out from beneath the counter several large leather bound books with earthy tones and lovely vellum that looked well age. Besides the books Titus also had produced several strange vials containing what appeared to be liquid shadows and unseen monsters. "Maybe I can find something in the back of upstairs for you two?" He offered once more as he moved about behind the counter to look over his books while he waited for any kind of response.

"Hello, I am Loretta, and this is my sister, Dauphine. We were actually wanting to look for a place of employment" she said with her sweet smile. Dauphine put her two front paws on the counter, sniffing everything, she began growling.

"D. stop it" she hissed at her sister.

Titus smiled at the woman as he was sure he could use more help around his shop. Having the aid of a ghost was one thing but a living flesh and blood worker was another story completely.

'Well I am sure I could find...." Titus stopped as her dog seemingly began to investigate the counter and growled. The Alchemist frowned but he was not the only one to share his disapproval and it showed not only in Dauphine's words but in the actions of the small homunculi that Titus had created so many years ago.


The creatures small candlelit flame began to grow and change from its orange flame to a deep purple as it jumped in between Titus and the wolf.

"I am awfully sorry." Titus groaned as he began to rub his temples. "I am fully aware of what the both of you are and my little pet here does not like it when someone like your companion acts like a wild beast. Could you please have her change into something more easily spoken with if we are going to discuss if you are to be hired on." Titus continued to frown as he moved to swiftly scoop up his creation just to set it up in a cage and out of the way.

Daulphine gave a confused look, tilting her head at it, then sat back down on the ground, Loretta pointed her finger at her sister, turning her into a bearded dragon, putting her on her shoulder. "My apologies, tomorrow she will be her human self" she said with her most charming smile.

Loretta nodded "Completely understandable, I am 100% in, I have worked with the best in New Orleans"[b] she said with a smile. [b]"As for my sister, she will be on her best behavior" she added as the bearded dragon puffed up at her sisters words.

Titus had a raised eyebrow as he looked at the two. Both clearly witches in some regard of skills but he was not willing to turn down an extra pair of hands. Even his more ghostly employee would be happy to hear that there are others now wandering about the shop.

"Fine then. What skills can I expect from the two of you?" Titus finally spoke feeling more alive as he cracked his back and his knuckles. "I am sure you are well aware of the alchemical skills I require from the both of you but keep in mind that my shop also offers other goods as well."

Loretta smiled and chewed on her nail, "Well I specialize animal potions and old fashioned magik, Daulphine specializes in a lot of things I can't think of at the moment" she said and waited for his response.

Titus looked at her only to shake his head a bit. She was clearly nervous and she must have been new to these parts. "Why don't you come by tomorrow so that you can be a bit more relaxed. I assure you that the position you are looking for will still be here when you return." The Alchemist began to chuckle a bit and offered his hand for her to shake. "I am sure it will be a pleasure to have you two on board."

Loretta smiled and shook his hand. "We will gladly come by tomorrow, now to look for a place to live" she thought outloud as her sister sat up on her shoulder.

Titus simply gave a rather concerned look as the woman clearly stated that she was without a place to stay. The Alchemist quickly moved out from behind his counter. "You know." Titus spoke up a bit as he crossed his arms and strode with her towards the door. "There is a few places that you can stay for the night if you know the right people. For example if need be just a few blocks down the road is a cheap little inn that will house you until you find a more permanent place to stay."

He simply began to eye the two of them up only to make note of their dress and simply shook his head. "Also I would suggest that you find something a bit warmer to wear. From what I hear it will be getting colder here soon and we would not want to get ourselves trapped in the snow."

Loretta bit her lip in a cute manner, the way she always did when she was thinking, her head snapped up when he mentioned an inn. "That sounds grand" she said in a upbeat tone. "Thank you" she said as she did a little skip out the door. "Oh believe me, sweety, we don't get cold" she responded with a warm smile and skip out the door.

Loretta bit her lip in a cute manner, the way she always did when she was thinking, her head snapped up when he mentioned an inn. "That sounds grand" she said in a upbeat tone. "Thank you" she said as she did a little skip out the door. "Oh believe me, sweety, we don't get cold" she responded with a warm smile and skip out the door.

It was the following day and Titus had his storefront door closed and his eyes shut tightly as he tried to escape his woeful boredom with little to no avail. The Alchemist knew he could open up his shop again only to wait for his contacts to arrive first or for the two witches who wanted employment. He was even aware that he still had plenty of time to kill and what was another shot of adrenaline for his mind before the new found workforce would arrive.

The man smiled like the devil himself and kicked back slightly only to reach for a box enclosed with wax which he quickly broke open. Within was several strange vials full of amber liquid that seemed to slosh about at the slightest bump and a syringe marked with eldritch runes from a bygone era of time.

"Just once more I suppose." Boredom wracked his very existence as he lifted the tool of his existence only to plunge the needle into the cork of one of the vials he was now holding. Maybe he could even get away with doubling the medications prescribed amount with only minor repercussions this time. "Not even a bit of this will go to waste this time." Titus muttered as he looked over the tip of the syringe only to press the arm of it in to admire the easy flow of the amber stuff. He set the strange drug down and began to tie a bit of cloth around his arm and grunted slightly as he took one end of it in his mouth and pulled a bit more.

The Cackling Cauldron was silent when the euphoria took hold and with that silence came the bitter sweet realization that not all was well. As Titus untied his arm he could feel himself slowing down mentally as the world around him seemed to take on a new perspective. Smells became more evident and the sound of something at the edge of his mind seemed to rush through him like a wave of surf from the ocean on old black sandy beaches in a far away place. The inked wards on his skin seemed to burn slightly at first but grew to a roaring inferno that sent waves of pain and pleasure throughout his mind. It suddenly all came to an end as a loud crash interrupted the alchemists high and the only thing that took him by surprise was that he was suddenly on the floor along with his broken chair and the company of his waxy creation whose wick burned a pale blue flame of disapproval.

Waking up was never something D liked to do, but this time she was the first one up. As Loretta's eyes fluttered open she saw her sister pacing in the hotel room. "D, what's wrong?" she asked, looking at the unslept in bed beside her. As she sat up she saw her sister had her ipod blaring in her ears, reaching under the covers she took a sock off and lobbed it at her sister, causing her to jump, falling to the ground with a soft thud.

"Oh sister, I am sorry" she said in a soft voice as she turned off her ipod.

"Why are you pacing?" she asked, wagging her fingers at her sisters pajama's, turning them into a old Victorian style dress, minus the corset, the sisters figures were perfect enough without the corsets. Wagging her own fingers at herself, she sat in a black laced Victorian style dress, a black umbrella held in her free hand.

"Now let's go before we are late" she said in a cheery tone, collecting her bag.

They headed out the door and down the street to the Alchemist's shop.

Moments seems like seconds though in all reality the seconds possibly were hours but Titus seemed to manage through the daze as he pressed his left hand against his eyes as he tried to fight the overwhelming pain that was forcing tears to form at the edge of his eyes.

"Verity!" The Alchemist shouted as he slowly began to stumble forwards onto his feet just to catch himself as he rose above the counter. "Verity, I need you, please help." He blindly began to fumble about as his vision faded and his inked skin began to burn. This would not be the only time that Titus would do something this foolish but it was a way to cope with the inevitable headache of his standard workday. The little humonculi, Waxy, stood next to its master and simply allowed its master to continue his self destruction while they waited for their two newest workers.

A harsh breeze stirred through the shop, windows rattling as a mist grew near Titus' feet. Hands cold as ice grasped firmly onto his wrists and pulled him firmly away from the destruction. The mist flew up towards the hands and finally coalesced into young woman looking frazzled and concerned. Dull silver eyes flashed black as one of her hands released him and snaked up to his forehead, pressing her chilly wrist to it in imitation of a health check. In reality, she was simply prodding his emotional being, looking for a meal..."You don't need to yell. I'm always here," she whispered calmly as the breeze suddenly halted.

Mist seeped from her feet, gently moving some of the broken and toppled items away from Titus' feet and into a pile out of the way. Her voice echoed eerily from behind him and from across the store, emphasizing her point. "What do you need of me?"

Her cool touch was welcomed with mixed comfort as the heat from the drug worked its way to the surface of his skin while his ink burned his body allowing him to know the physical danger he had placed himself in. The Alchemist tried to look around only to fumble a bit more as he reached for the box that held the other corked vials of the drug he was testing.

"Verity, the needle and any of those, please get them for me." Titus begged her as he hopelessly flung his arms towards the box only to feel as if he was being pulled further away. His mind seemed to race in all directions if she tried to find an easy opening but her will would only be pushed off his mental barriers due to the magical inscriptions that had been placed just beneath his skin.

"I need to be able to function. We have potential new hires for the shop and I....." Titus began to trail off a bit as he bit his tongue wondering what was keeping him from his own thoughts. The Drug was indeed successful in its regards to almost incapacitate its subjects but this was only a weakened state of the drug. "Other minds besides my own. Now hurry Verity.....I promised you didn't I?"

The two oddly dressed women walked down the street to the door they had entered yesterday, "I have a bad feeling about him" Daulphine said in a low growl.

"Daul, would you hush, you think bad about anyone I find attractive" she said rolling her eyes before knocking on the door. "Daul, behave yourself today" she warned.

Verity seemed disappointed, but she merely nodded her understanding before going about his request. One chilled hand stayed firmly on his wrist while the other drifted down the side of his cheek and the broken away from him as she moved back towards the box. The wrist seemed to pull off of her arm, mist connecting them weakly as the rest of her rummaged through the box and her connected hand picked up a needle and a vial, returning to him and pressed them both into the palm of his hand.

As the knock echoed toward her, Verity swiveled her head and with a soft voice asked Titus, "The hires you mentioned?" The lock on the door moved with a soft hiss and then a wind pushed it open, allowing the two women entry into the shop. "Welcome," Verity's musical voice called to them on the wind.