swim with me? [klance au]

Witchcraft

dedicated to Hales002 for telling me about Bass Lake and being so kind~

"This place looks creepy as shit," Matt commented as the five stood outside the witchcraft shop.

"Well duh," Pidge replied, rolling their eyes.

Shiro stepped forward, "Let's just go in," and the group followed him into the dimly-lit shop.

They were in Oakhurst, a small town 15 minutes from Bass Lake. Last night, they'd arrived at Pines Resort, their hotel, which sat right on the lake, at around 11. Exhausted, they'd all collapsed into bed, not even bothering to unpack.

They had two rooms connected by a doorway, with four beds and a pullout couch that they'd rotate sleeping in. That morning, after an early state due to Shiro's obnoxious alarm clock, they'd gotten breakfast at the buffet in the resort, then headed out to explore Oakhurst by a recommendation from Keith.

It had been a little cold that early, but was warming up considerably and was now in the upper seventies. The rest of the week looked very hot, though, looking to be in the nineties every day. Thank god there was a vast, cool lake that they could swim in anytime.

Inside the (air-conditioned) witchcraft store, the scent of woodsy incense drifted over the group as they took in the interior decoration. Plants and herbs grew in pots around the shop and wind-chimes hung from the ceiling.

Shiro walked forward into a display room that contained large mineral rocks and crystals, smiling softly at the glittering gems, no doubt imagining them as eyeshadows.

Pidge bent down to examine the aroma-therapy candles, doubtful of their legitimacy, but shrugging because they smelled good anyways. Lance was, of course, drawn to the display case by the checkout counter that held jewelry with spiritual charms on them, delicate and beautiful.

Matt moseyed around the store, trailing his fingers over different odds and ends, picking up a stack of tarot cards. Drawing a random card from the deck, he squinted. "'The Moon'?" He read aloud. Someone's hand ghosted over his shoulder and he flinched, turning.

"Oh, sorry!" Bright purple eyes met his gaze, followed by musical laughter. "'The Moon'! It's the card of intuition and dreams," the young woman, assumably an employee, said excitedly, "Come here! I'll read your fortune!" She grabbed Matt's arm and led him over to a small nook with two cushions positioned across from each other, then sat. "I'm Romelle, by the way. And you are?"

Matt blinked, still a bit flustered from the surprise. He sat gingerly across from the girl, handing her the cards. "Matt," he said slowly, eyes running over Romelle's intricate pigtails and flowing clothing, identical to the clothes that hung on the walls around them.

Romelle eagerly began shuffling the cards, pulling Matt in with her hypnotic voice. Soon, he felt like he was just as invested in the tarot reading as she was, selecting cards and watching her shuffle, reshuffle, and flip them.

Unfortunately, several minutes later, just as Romelle was about to explain Matt's first card, she was startled by something she saw past Matt's shoulder. Standing abruptly, the cards dropped from her hands. Matt craned his head to look behind him.

A tall, muscular man with surprisingly long white hair stood, stone-faced. Matt scrambled to his feet. "What can i get for you, sir?" Romelle asked, and was it just Matt, or did she bow?

"Quartz, calcite, and sage, Romelle." The man requested, smiling slightly. Romelle hurried off to the mineral room, leaving Matt squinting at the strange man. Thankfully, Lance walked over to Matt, holding up two bracelets.

"Which one?" he asked, paying no mind to the white-haired man who was now examining an aloe plant. However, he looked up when Lance spoke, squinting.

Matt didn't have time to answer Lance before the strange man was face to face with Lance, backing him into a corner. Lance's face grew hot- he wasn't going to deny that the man- probably only a few years older than he was- was attractive. A glint in his eye led to a small smile from the man. "So you're the one," he tumbled in a low baritone. Something about him was off- and Lance would even venture to say vaguely mermaidian.

"Excuse me?" Lance managed to blurt. Seconds later, the stranger was stumbling back, having been pulled by a very annoyed-looking Shiro with Keith behind him, whose arms were crossed as he scowled at the man. Lance felt his heart beat happily- Keith to the rescue!

The stranger paused for a moment, glancing over Shiro, Keith, and Matt, gave a lingering look at Lance, and then walked briskly to the checkout counter where Romelle was wrapping twine around a bundle of sage. She packaged everything in a plastic ziplock, which Matt found very odd but didn't question. Matt also found it odd that Romelle didn't charge him, only waved goodbye when he exited the shop.

Before Matt could question it, however, Romelle was rushing to the back of the store and tackling Lance with a hug. "Lance! I can't believe it!" She cried happily, and it only took the mer a few seconds to recognize her.

As it turned out, Romelle used to be a mer, and even more, Allura's cousin. "The man with the white hair that you saw was Lotor," she explained, and Lance's jaw dropped.

"Dark Kingdom Lotor? The witch prince?"

"That's him!" Romelle conformed, "He's the one who changed me, y'know. The rumors are true about him. Not only that he changes mers, but also that he's against his father." Romelle seated herself on top of the counter, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Did he change you as well?"

Lance explained how he was on the mission to go undercover with the humans and learn about society in order to update the mers knowledge on humans. "Alfor was the one to suggest it, and I definitely prefer this over Keith dying and my exile." Romelle laughed while the humans looked at the two mers in horror.

"Speaking of Alfor, how's Allura?" Romelle asked anxiously.

"Well, she took over the village. Alfor left to join the front so she's in charge," Lance said, proud of his best friend. Last week when he'd gone to visit the village, Alfor wasn't there. He'd had to report to Allura and the council instead, and nearly broke out laughing a dozen times because of how hard Allura was trying to look serious.

"The front?" Romelle's eyebrows raised in worry.

"A sector of the Dark Kingdom is planning to attack near Costa Rica. Remember Ulaz and Thace? They went down to negotiate with Lotor about an alliance a few weeks ago, I think. I wonder how it went... anyways, the Blade and the soldiers from a lot of villages in the Pacific are coming to help the fight. Who knows, maybe I'll have to go down too."

Keith felt his heart tug at that. Leave? To fight in a war? Not Lance...

Romelle nodded seriously, clasping her hands. "We knew it was going to happen eventually. I just wish I could help."

Lance thought for a few seconds, "Well Ulaz and Thace did say that some mers from the Dark Kingdom could come on land. So if you see anyone fishy," Matt snorted at the pun, "be sure to call me." Lance wrote his phone number down on a pad of paper Romelle handed him.

"Absolutely," Romelle agreed, tucking the paper into her apron pocket. "By the way," she smiled hopefully, "Do you think Allura could come visit? Just for one day? I miss her so much and I'd love to see her. Plus, she must be stressed so I'm sure she could use a break."

Lance bit his lip, thinking, "I dunno. She's probably needed at the council, just in case anything happens, but maybe she could. I mean, I'm sure these guys would like to meet another mer," Lance gestured to his friends, who were distractedly looking around the store.

"I'll call her and see, then." Lance nodded when he remembered that Allura did in fact have a phone, kept in a waterproof Aqua Pac that was used for communication with her father and relatives.

"Let me know, alright?" Romelle nodded sincerely.