Cheers

0.5: Prologue

The bakery was her sanctuary. 

They left her alone in there, at least for the time being. She surrounded it with her power to block the world out, though Gavin had managed to slip in, in cat form, before she did so and seemed to be able to come and go as he liked. And if she wasn't baking, she was up in her apartment sleeping.

Eventually someone would come and force her out of this habit, she knew this, but so far they were content to let her remain hidden behind her walls, trying to come to terms with... everything. The human world was horrible, far more horrible than the world she lived in now. She didn't even trust the  humans she had spoken to anymore, couldn't fathom how much ignorance and evil could exist in one species. She had lost her faith in good, in purity, no longer even thinking that she had any of it in her.

So she baked, because her mind could clear as she focused on what she was doing and she could control what was happening in her kitchen. Or, she thought she could, until she felt an odd sensation tremble through her wards, leaving a woman standing before her. Red hair, fancy dress in a pastel pink that reminded her of strawberry icing, and a pair of heeled shoes. The air smelled of roses, overpowering the scent of the vanilla sugar cookies she had just pulled out of the oven, and Ferya took a cautious step backwards, feeling her back pressing into the counter.

"Ooo! Kitty!" Gavin had stood up to glare at the woman, only to find himself accosted with petting and cuddles.

"Uhm. Hello?" Ferya put her cookies down on the metal counter, watching the woman carefully.

"You're Ferya!" The lady beamed brightly to her, standing up and looking around, "this kitchen is... perfect, it smells like everything I love."

"I'm Ferya. Who are you?" There was something reassuring about the woman in front of her, something soothing, though she could feel her heart flinch at the thought. People this nice didn't actually exist in the world.

The woman turned back to her, still smiling, though her expression was sad, the emotion palpable I the air. "I'm Samantha. Everyone called me Sammy."

Ferya blinked then, relaxing, "you're Urdu's Sammy." 

The demon had explained to her about the scary vampire, Tim and the witch, Samantha. The fact that they were all mates, together, and that's where Urdu had been spending most of her non-working time.

"She's my Urdu. And Timmy is my Timmy." Sammy nodded at that, taking a cautious step forward. "I know you're sad. And I thought we could be friends."

Ferya watched Samantha approach, the witch sidling closer a little more bravely when she didn't object. Though Ferya frowned, suddenly feeling more tired than anything else. "Why do you want to be friends with me?"

Samantha stopped, blinking at Ferya before losing focus and staring at a spot behind her. Ferya turned around, only able to see a stack of measuring bowls where the woman was looking. "Because I think we could be friends. And you're not a meanie. And Urdu loves you like a friend and says you're a good person. And Tim was really angry about the people who were mean to you, though I know you haven't told anyone who it was who was horrible to you this time."

The woman paused to take a slow breath, giving her a smile, "can I help you with the cookies?"

"Do you want to decorate, or cut some more?" She motioned to the bowl that was still half full of dough and the counter space where she was rolling it out and cutting shapes in it.

"Oh! You made hearts! And kitties and bats! And Christmas trees?" Sam grinned down at the baked cookies, reaching down to touch one and jerking her hand back quickly, making a face, "whoopsie."