[Later That Afternoon]
Later, while still drying off near the boardwalk, the group found themselves sitting beneath a shaded pavilion far away from the shoreline. They had decided to settle down for a bit before moving on to the next activity to relax their bodies. And after spending over an hour on the water, they definitely needed some rest.
Well…that was the plan, until an unexpected source of entertainment suddenly appeared.
Two local-looking guys approached the group right as they were in the middle of their drinks. Their blatant confidence suggested they thought they were very charming. And the fact that they immediately approached Cassandra suggested that they thought rather highly of themselves.
Unfortunately for them, their intentions were obvious for all to see.
"Hey!" One of them said while smiling at Cassandra. "Didn't want to interrupt, but my friend and I thought you looked pretty cute!"
Cassandra immediately looked annoyed at the two interlopers. And she made no attempt to hide the contempt on her face. Even if they were decently good-looking, neither of them was a sorcerer. So, there was no reason for the dread-headed woman to pay them any mind.
Valerie nearly choked on her drink after hearing what the first guy said. Davante looked entertained, but kept his mouth closed and just decided to enjoy the show. Victor didn't even bother looking their way. And Keisuke was too busy enjoying his drink to care about what was going on around him.
The second guy smiled before speaking. "Maybe we could get your number and hang out sometime? We're going to be here for the next couple of days and thought that you'd-"
"No." Cassandra didn't even hesitate. The answer came so quickly that both men blinked.
"Sorry?" The first guy asked.
"No."
"Not interested?"
"Not in the slightest."
The two men exchanged a quick glance with one another and shrugged.
"Okay then."
To their credit, they accepted defeat gracefully. Which was something that neither of the sorcerers was expecting, considering how the tourists around here usually act.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Valerie decided this was the perfect opportunity to test something.
She was having such an awesome day so far that her confidence levels were particularly high. So, the tall blonde saw no reason not to see if she could capitalize on all the positive energy she was feeling and flirt with some hot guys that she was probably never going to see again.
"Hey!" Valerie stood up and faced the two men with as charming a smile as she could muster.
The two men looked at her. Well, to be more specific, they looked up at her. The 'fire magic' user was easily a good three inches taller than both of them. And they were quick to notice how muscular the woman was compared to the two of them.
It was at that moment that Valerie suddenly realized she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. For some reason, her brain just froze up the moment she met their eyes. And whatever she planned on saying suddenly evacuated her brain.
"Uh..."
A painful silence followed. One so awkward that the tall blonde now had everyone's undivided attention.
One eyebrow slowly rose on Cassandra's face. Victor covered his mouth to suppress a laugh. Keisuke quietly lowered his sunglasses. And Davante had somehow pulled out his phone fast enough to start recording the entire thing.
Valerie pushed forward anyway, despite the sudden onset of nervousness that she was now feeling. There was no way she was about to fumble this hard after already getting the guys' attention.
"So...uh...how's it going?"
The men stared.
Valerie stared back.
The silence somehow became worse.
One of the guys looked genuinely confused. "Pretty good?"
"Cool."
More silence.
"Yeah."
"Okay."
Another pause.
Then one of the men pointed awkwardly toward the boardwalk. "Well...we're gonna go now. Sorry for bothering you."
"Yep…" Said the other.
And just like that, the two men left so quickly that they were already out of eyesight before anyone could blink. Valerie watched them disappear as the wind blew dramatically across the beach. And she could already feel the disappointment washing over her body.
Nobody spoke for a good ten seconds after that. But that quickly came to an end when Davante completely lost it and doubled over laughing so hard that he nearly fell out of his seat.
"Oh, my God!"
Valerie glared at the 'lightning magic' user. "Not a word."
"That was the most painful shit I've ever seen!"
"Not. A. Word."
"You looked like you were trying to negotiate a hostage exchange! What the hell was even that?! Is that what you call trying to flirt?!"
Victor was laughing too. Even Keisuke had to hide the smile that was forming on his lips.
Cassandra folded her arms and looked at the woman. "Why did you do that? You know those guys were just trying to hook up with you, right?"
Valerie slumped. "I was…curious."
"And?"
"I'm no longer curious."
Davante laughed even harder as soon as the words came out of the woman's mouth. "What happened to all that confidence from earlier, blondie?"
Valerie pointed at him. "I hope a seagull steals your food, asshole."
-(o)-
Thankfully, the embarrassment didn't last long. And the day continued with even more adventures around the city.
As the sun began to set over the horizon, the group found themselves heading somewhere Valerie had never expected to visit. A hidden bar that was tucked away between a pair of ordinary-looking buildings, a couple of miles away from the beach. Hidden in a quiet corner of the city that no one who didn't have any business here would ever show up at.
Except this wasn't an ordinary bar….
In reality, it was a sorcerer-only establishment. The kind of place nearly every major city in the country had tucked away in quiet corners, far out of sight from prying eyes. A place where only their kind were allowed to enter. Somewhere where sorcerers could go out and enjoy without having to keep their powers under wraps.
The moment Valerie stepped inside after walking through the concealed entrance, her eyes widened.
Floating lanterns drifted through the air without the need for chains or wires. Magical symbols glowed softly along the walls. Mana-enhanced decorations shifted colors throughout the room. People were moving around the dancefloor and mingling with one another. And a live band performed while subtle bursts of colorful 'light magic' accompanied the music.
"This is awesome!" Valerie said as the group made their way to their table. "I've never actually been in a place like this before!"
Back in San Francisco, places like these were restricted to those who were twenty-one and up. So, despite being a sorcerer herself, Valerie had never had the chance to enjoy a space like this, unlike some of her other relatives who always talked about them as if they were the greatest thing on Earth. And Charlotte only had a few places that she's never had the chance to visit.
The others laughed at her reaction. But their smiles held no malice behind them.
As the group walked toward one of the free tables near the center of the dining area, the tall blonde took a moment to take it all in. The atmosphere of the bar was as warm and welcoming as anywhere else in the city. The food was amazing. And the music was even better.
For hours, the group relaxed, laughed, and enjoyed themselves. Stories were exchanged, drinks were passed around, and old arguments resurfaced amidst the sound of the band lighting up the building.
At some point during the evening, Davante and Cassandra nearly started a debate over who had the most cryptid kills this year that lasted nearly ten whole minutes.
Victor somehow became friends with a random witch at the next table who was in town for a cousin's wedding. Keisuke, ever the calm and aloof kind of person, looked perfectly content simply listening to the music. And Valerie soaked in every second of it.
This was exactly the kind of experience the tall blonde never would have found on her own.
Something completely unique.
Something memorable.
Something she'd remember long after leaving Miami.
-(o)-
By the time they finally left, the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon.
Orange and pink light stretched across the sky far beyond the ocean. The city glowed beneath the approaching evening. And beneath it all, the group piled back into Victor's SUV and began making the short journey back home.
For once, everyone seemed content to simply enjoy the quiet.
Valerie tiredly leaned her head against the window as the city lights drifted past outside. She thought about the training. The challenges she had faced so far. The people she'd met. And this ridiculous, wonderful day she had just experienced.
The beach.
The food.
The waterskiing.
The magical bar.
Even the disastrously awkward flirting attempt.
Especially that, if she were being honest….
Davante was still chuckling about it from the back seat, but Valerie smiled despite herself. She could at least admit that the whole thing had been pretty funny.
Maybe Miami hadn't been what she'd expected when she first arrived. But she'd found something worthwhile here. Something that was never going to be forgotten for a long time.
Friends.
Memories.
Experiences she never would have traded for anything.
As the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon, Valerie looked around at the people sharing the ride home.
"Thanks, guys."
Victor turned his head and smiled at the woman. "No problem."
Cassandra nodded.
Keisuke gave a lazy thumbs-up.
Davante grinned. "Still got rejected, though."
"Hey, look on the bright side…at least she has Evan waiting for her back home. I'm sure that our dear old cousin will make up to it as soon as she gets back." The dread-headed woman chuckled.
Valerie groaned.
Everyone else laughed.
And for the rest of the drive back to Victor's house, the sound of their laughter filled the car as Miami's evening lights sparkled outside.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Cassandra
Name: Cassandra Lorena Owens
Alias: N/A
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Birthday: December 21st
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida, United States of America
Height: 67in
Weight: 126lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Race: Black
Magic: Lightning
Occupation: DPA Agent
Stat Chart: B
-Physical Strength - 3
-Intelligence - 3
-Magic Amount - 4.5
-Magical Control - 4
-Magic Sensing - 5+
-Special - N/A
Fun Fact:
-Favorite food is stone crab.
-Alma Mater: Miami Dade College (AS)
-Favorite TV show is Duck Dodgers.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Davante
Name: Davante Malik Owens
Alias: N/A
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Birthday: February 14th
Birthplace: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
Height: 70in
Weight: 160lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Race: Black
Magic: Lightning
Occupation: DPA Agent
Stat Chart: A
-Physical Strength - 3.5
-Intelligence - 3.5
-Magic Amount - 5
-Magical Control - 4
-Magic Sensing - 5+
-Special - N/A
Fun Fact:
-Favorite food is shrimp gumbo.
-Is scared of snakes.
-Favorite TV show is Kim Possible.