Of Lorenz Theory & Love

JHMD: A Cosmopolitan Coven

36 JHMD: A Cosmopolitan Coven

6 am PDT/3 pm France, Three Weeks Later, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Macy curled up in the warm, soft covers of her bedsheets, enmeshed in her slumber. All was still in Vera Manor (or so she thought), her business clients wouldn't be contacting her for cell sequencing for another several hours at least, the Bram Castle vampire was laid to rest for the seventh time, and she could finally allow herself just those two extra hours to sleep in that she had eagerly anticipated for the past week.

She suddenly felt a finger tapping her awake. What now? Macy turned over in the bed, attempting to reposition herself away from the annoying intruder, but it was of no use—she felt her downy pillow unceremoniously ripped out from over her head, and the bright lighting glared up from overhead. What the—?

"Get up," ordered Mel.

"Now," said Maggie. "Do I need to use the spray bottle?" Maggie brandished a clear plastic bottle as if to spritz Macy with ice-cold water.

"Ugh, you two are SO mean sometimes..." muttered sleep-deprived Macy. "This had better be good."

3:30 pm Paris, France, Coven Coffee

After portaling from the Command Center, Maggie consulted her iPhone and enunciated the word "coffee," hoping that Siri (French: Mademoiselle Siri?) would steer her in the right direction. Turning two corners past the Seine River, and a swerve past the Quai du Louvre street post, she made another right near a marble statue of St. Genevieve and came face-to-face with Coven Coffee, with Mel and Macy close behind, trying to keep up with her speedwalking.

"Maggie," asked Macy curiously. "How did you find out about Coven Coffee?"

"I had to help the ghost of Gérard de Nerval find his pet lobster in the 4th arrondissement," Maggie replied, matter-of-factly. "It was every bit as weird as you'd expect. Told him to stop harassing the theater patrons too. I found his lobster and he took me here to refuel." Macy and Mel exchanged quizzical looks, then shrugged. Plausible enough.

They pushed the shop door open, as the overhead chime rang, and the Charmed trio heard the beginning lyrics of Melanija Paradis' latest song, which belted out fiercely over the sound of tin canisters and pressurized espresso machines.

...To fight for joy, the right to be alone,

Yet with my warrior clan,

They say blood runs thicker,

But you drown me in quicksand.

Heroes come in all sizes,

They always seem so wise,

One for all, all for one,

These are our battle cries...(3x)

After everyone placed and obtained their orders at the counter, they sat on stools, Macy in the center, facing the window that was directly in front of them. Maggie ordered a latte that had the Eiffel Tower drawn in (she snapped an Instagram photo), Mel ordered a Vienna-style cappuccino that came with a small glass of water and a lozenge-sized piece of dark chocolate, and Macy ordered a vegan Noisette (French espresso with a dash of coconut cream).

Several minutes of silence ensued as the three delicately sipped their warm beverages. This, however, was suddenly interrupted by Mel, who spotted Macy wearing the necklace that Harry had given her. "Ooooo...shiny," Mel remarked, pulling the silvery bauble closer, and nearly choking Macy in the process.

"Do you mind?" Macy massaged her neck. "Some of us are trying to cultivate cosmopolitan ambiance here," she stated, mock-jokingly. Mel dropped the necklace bead, but continued to examine it closely, between tiny sips of her cappuccino.

"Is that—" Maggie tilted her head "—a honeycomb?"

Macy shook her head. "It's the molecular structure of oxytocin, the...um...love hormone," she shyly admitted. Mel and Maggie gave each other a not-so-subtly furtive look. "What was that look?" Macy asked. "You just gave each other a look."

"Nothing!" chorused Mel and Maggie, who turned their attention to their respective caffeinated drinks, grinning to themselves all the while. When their drinks were roughly 1/3 finished, they continued their conversation.

4 pm Paris, France, Coven Coffee

"So Macy—on the topic of love—" said Maggie.

"And, by extension, kids—" interjected Mel, "Harry is..." she thought aloud. "Ninety? Ninety-eight or so?"

"Your point being?" Macy raised an eyebrow in response to Mel's question, unsure of exactly where this exchange was headed.

"Our point being," Maggie paused. "Is everything...working ok down there?"

Macy sucked her breath into her teeth. She was about to throw a fit over being yanked out of bed in the wee hours, for a highly inappropriate cross-examination about geriatric sex (and why hadn't Harry blockaded her bedroom?), but Maggie wore a "please don't shoot the messenger" expression on her face that was impossible to ignore.

Macy, by turns, peered at Maggie and Mel. After a few seconds, Macy replied, "to my knowledge, yes." She added, "even if it weren't, I would still love him anyways. Also, in case you both forgot, he's thirty-seven in physical appearance. Why are you both so curious about my intimate life, anyhow?"

"We'd like to know our sister and our dear older brother-from-another-mother Harry are in tip-top shape for baby-making, that's all," remarked Maggie offhandedly. "Having extra little humans in Vera Manor might be nice."

"Whenever Harry and I decide to have kids is entirely our business, and nobody else's," Macy attempted to create well-meaning boundaries.

"Oh, so it's a when, not an if," Mel astutely noted.

Macy sighed. This was going to be a very long day.

7:30 am PDT, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Meanwhile in the basement of Vera Manor, completely dark save for a lone utility light, Harry was drawing pictures of a certain circular-shaped piece of jewelry commonly found on one's left hand ring finger, and doing so in a notebook he had found in the attic. Thank goodness Maggie and Mel took Macy to coffee in Paris this morning; that would give himself enough time to have a few blueprints ready for next week.