(Something I started on a whim, but am not sure how to continue...)

One day she realised she had forgotten how to spell. It was not as if she opened up Microsoft Word, typed and had little red squigglies under all her words. Clara had forgotten how to magic-spell.

It was strange, because people said it was just like riding a bicycle, excuse me for recycling the age old cliche, but for the life of her Clara could not even remember the simplest magic-spell, even though she was more than proficient in her youth.

When she mentioned it to her usual lunch group, they stared at her for a while, before returning to their food. "It's normal." one said. The other murmured that she should count herself lucky that she was even one of the witches.

Hardly helpful, but that's not the purpose of lunch groups anyway.

Returning home from work that day, Clara told her parents, who were feeling nostalgic and decided to buy dinner that night. Her mom had snorted, in a rather un-ladylike manner, whilst her dad ladled out the food.

"Did you think you would be able to do it forever. You've never even practiced one spell since you started work, have you?"

Clara sat there thoughtfully, her fingers still absentmindedly snapping, but with no characteristic spark of magic. It was true that she had neglected her mystical side since her work in the government had started, but nobody told her she would lose her magic if so.

"So if I practice, will I remember?"

Her mother shrugged. Her dad smiled, but stayed silent.

She started that very night, digging out her old notebooks for the spells that she had written down. It wasn't easy revising, she could barely read the script, not that her childish handwriting helped much. Wikipedia was infinitely useful in deciphering the glyphs though.

Message Classification: Restricted

(I know I'm going to be crazy busy later on at the end of November so I'm cheating a bit and writing a bit even before November starts. So sue me.)

(Most of these snippets are written when I'm falling asleep at work anyway. Keeps me awake.)

[Written at Starbucks Suntec Tower 4, whilst having lunch alone and trying to come up with a good skeleton for a paper for work. Yawn.]

She blinked, and then blinked again, but the blade in her hands was still pink even after her double-take. Raising one eyebrow, Tida turned to the diminutive girl beside her, who with another careless flick of her purple hand turned every blade in the store clay-doh yellow.

"Um. Faeyff?"

"Yeah?" The faerie turned a bored face to her fellow colleague, before suppressing a yawn.

"I know it's a slow day, but would you please stop that before I skewer you with me..." she paused, glancing down, "...green broadsword?".

Sticking out her blue tongue, Faeyff waved her hand again, before slumping down on the counter-top. Tida went back to her polishing, already used to the faerie's odd ways, methodically buffing away the rest of the oxide build-up.

"Tida? Am I really that unattractive?"

Tida raised her eyebrow again, her eyes flicking from the sword to Faeyff, still slumped on the counter-top.

"Why? Did that gnome... reject you?"

"Well..." Faeyff flicked a navy lock of hair out of her eye. "He never did return my messages..."

"Oh." Tida put the blade down, and leaned against the counter-top herself. "Well, there are always others, dearie."

"I thought he'd be the one, you know. Same height and everything." Faeyff pouted. "At least he didn't have to bend down to talk to me." Tida hid a grin. Faeyff's previous attempt required her to fly up in order to kiss the guy.

"But you know, even though you're kind of compatible in that way... he does look a hundred years older than you..."

"I don't care for that, you should know." The gnome in question had a wrinkled face and a typical white beard, but apparently Faeyff was more liberal than that. "Anyway I am actually a few decades older than he is. Can't help it if pure-bloods age faster."

Tida's sympathetic reply was cut short by the ringing of the little bell hanging above the door. Dyst had installed it, despite it being eons old and entirely out of fashion. Its retro, he had retorted. In any case it was a good way of informing the occupants of people coming into their store. As it is it was too cluttered and far too big for the people at the counter to actually see the door opening, for one.

"Oh. My." Tida barely heard the breathed-out exclamation before she joined in with one of her own. For turning around the corner of the mace rack was the biggest catch they had seen in a month. Well. Big being a description of how perfect the male was, not his size.

"Hello." The dimunitive male gave a smile, stopping right in front of Faeyff.

"Ha... hallo." Faeyff gulped audibly. The male faerie standing in front of her was just an inch taller than her, his luminiscent skin pale and glowing, untainted by dark elf blood like she was. And his face! Faeyff was already contemplating her seduction plan before the other faerie replied.

"I'm looking for a potion." He smiled again, dazzling both ladies with a flash of pearlescent white teeth. "I hear this is the best place to get one."

"Oh my." Faeyff's uncommonly short answer made Tida hide a smile, despite herself. The male faerie had complimented Faeyff so smoothly that it smacked of multiple rehearsals in front of a mirror. And possibly an irritated and unwilling audience roped in to give feedback. She shot a side glance at the other girl behind the counter. Faeyff was already too involved to see past the pretty face. At least it worked, Tida thought.

Tida: Hot, sexy, desirable female warrior very much in love with her broadswords, disc-scythes (she collects antique guns too), who constantly wonders why she cannot get any guy to commit to a long-term relationship with her, even though she has a very active one-night-stand record. Department: Weaponry

Faeyff: Dimunitive and impish dark-elf/winged-faerie half-breed, who is far too intelligent and independent for her own good. She intimidates men and anyone brave enough (or foolish enough) to date her, and is still wistfully waiting for her prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet. Department: Spells and Charms

Nate: Shy but somehow very attractive human healer, who is constantly hounded by female attention and is frankly scared out of his wits when approached for a date. Secretly nurses a crush on one of the other employees of the store, but swore never to let it be known. Department: Potions

Dyst: Huge and brawny dark-elf, armed with a killer grin and a goofy smile. Is actually extremely clever, but prefers to let people think what they will (which is usually the wrong idea). Aims to be a playboy and acts that way, but constantly breaking up and getting back together with his Dwarf girlfriend. Department: Armour and Food

That would be 4000 gold pieces, please.

Tida, Faeyff, Nate and Dyst run the corner weapons, potions and food store in the magical, ever-warring, filled-with-quests world of Shy'ield. All looking for love, but after the umpteenth break-up with the cute night elf, faerie, gnome or orc that comes knocking on their establishment, would they ever be able to find that special someone and settle down?