Chapter 32: Chapter 30: Mistwood Town

"Jeeeereeeed!"

Ah, what a lovely melody.

Jasmine skated around the corner, bared her teeth, and pounced at him. He blinked, smiled, and threw her fluffy possession up in the air. Her eyes went comically wide as she stumbled to a stop, and struggled to catch the airborne muffin. She was successful, but she had to sacrifice her dignity as a woman and a sister, for she couldn't control the inertia, and rolled down on the floor.

Still, her sweet was unscathed. 

"You... you... you muffin thief!" 

"Oh, there there, don't pout," Jered waved his hand dismissively, "We're going out, so go wash up."

Jasmine rubbed her back, sniffing dramatically, "Where are we going?" she asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Wherever you want to go."

"REALLY?"

He sighed, "Yes..." 

It was his mother's will, and it was an important day. He had to respect that. 

"Hmm... suspicious..." Jasmine narrowed her eyes, "Very suspicious."

"Alright, I'm going without you."

He turned around with a shrug, but the begging hand of his sister clawed his shirt, "NO! I'll go now!" she scuttled off, disappearing up the stairs. Jered hovered a hand over his body and chanted the sub-spell 'Cleanse'. It was enough to ward off the dirt, but not enough to feel fresh. Even magic couldn't give the same satisfaction a shower could.

Jasmine came back around twenty minutes later, with a smile on her face and a glint in her eyes. It was as if she was determined to accomplish something. Her long, blond hair cascaded in waves down her back. Her pretty face was accentuated with light make-up. Her long eyelashes fluttered coyly above her green pearls. Her celestial nose was like an invite for him to bite there. Her luscious lips were served with a glossy swipe of chapstick. She was dressed in a way that would have made Kenny proud, but less revealing.

Her light pink baby doll blouse gave her an innocent, youthful look. The look of someone who was in the full bloom of womanhood. Her denim hotpants, though, were a different story. They highlighted how sexy she had become over the years, proudly showcasing the alluring curves and the soft, smooth skin that had only been taken care of by the best of products. Jered was briefly surprised by the fact that, at some point, his sister had become such a gorgeous young woman. 

It was his sister. Logically, he had always known she was a pretty girl, and was likely to grow even prettier. 

He just didn't expect to see such a striking change happening so soon. 

She approached him with a half twirl of her body, "How do I look?"

Jered caught a strong whiff of her expensive perfume, "Perfect," he smiled, "Don't ever question it. It runs in our blood."

She reared her back, giggling uncontrollably, "You really know how to flatter me and our family."

"I'm just stating the truth."

"I know you are, still, thank you!"

He chuckled, "Anytime, sis. Now, shall we venture out?"

She rolled her eyes above a goofy smile, "Yes, yes."

He opened the door, waited for her to walk out first, then followed her. 

---

The sun was warm, cozy, with the slightest hint of the turbulent weather that had raged through their town days prior. Jasmine had her window down, enjoying the morning breeze, "So, what's our first destination?" Jered glanced at her.

Jasmine stared back at him, her hand too occupied keeping her hair from flapping around. Her lips curled into a soft, wistful smile, "Well, I'd like to do many things. Shopping, lunch at a restaurant, a movie, then a walk on the beach, but... I feel like that would bore you."

"Why would it? Today is your birthday. You can ask for anything you want."

"Anything?" 

"Yes, sis, anything."

"Hmm," Jasmine tugged her feet out of her shoes, bringing her knees up to her chest, "Just... keep driving. Take me somewhere. Anywhere. I don't care where it is, as long as it's far from here, far from the people we know."

That was surprising, and completely outside of his plans. She had truly become different from the memories of that brat who used to doodle on his arm, to pester him with her glitter addiction and slobbery kisses. She had become more complicated, with a keen intellect she hid behind a klutzy exterior. Jered nodded, not taking his eyes off the road, "Fine. Let's see where this old car takes us."

She grinned, propping her elbow against door as she watched the outside scenery blurring by.

Only the soothing engine's hum could be heard. Jasmine was lost in a world of her own, and he didn't want to intrude, so he drove forth, aimlessly. The civilization slowly gave way to vegetation, and they were the only ones on that road to some unknown destination. It had been well over an hour, and Jered didn't know what to do with such a silent Jasmine, "Hey, what's wrong. You've been oddly quiet..."

"Keep driving..."

He chuckled, finding the situation humorous, "It sounds like you want to escape..."

"Maybe..."

"Hmm... and you won't tell me why?"

"Didn't you say that you would find that out on your own?"

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"Oh, I see, a challenge..."

She smirked, narrowing her eyes at him.

A sign that said 'Welcome to Mistwood' appeared on their right. A few minutes later, buildings started to spread around them.

"Such a quiet town," she murmured.

"The perfect place for us, then."

She smiled, "Yep... come on, bro. Let's go take a look around."

"As you wish, birthday girl." 

"Psh!" she shoved his shoulder playfully, "I wonder what their shopping malls are like..."

Jered groaned, "And here I thought you didn't want to go shopping."

She shrugged, "I'm not here to buy anything..."

"Hm, really? Mother gave us a quite a lot of money to cover our expenses."

"Yes... and she's already spending too much on my birthday. Hah," Jasmine let a flimsy chock of her blonde hair fall over her eyes, "I know about our financial situation... I know how much she struggles to make ends meet. Things are tough for us..."

He nodded in understanding, "Don't worry. We'll pull through..." he said reassuringly. 

She pursed her lips inward, but didn't say anything.

Jered parked the car in front of a quaint pub. Jasmine slipped her feet back inside her shoes, and stepped out. He unbuckled his seatbelt, and tailed behind her.

There was only a smattering of people strolling around. It was quiet, serene, and peaceful, "Nobody knows us here..." Jasmine said, stretching. 

He tucked his hands inside his pockets, eyeing his surroundings, "So, what now? Shall we go find some shady dealers to sell us fake IDs? We could start anew here, grow some crops, and leave everything else behind us." 

She chuckled behind a hand, "You're so silly."

"Not my fault. You're acting weird, I'm just copying you," he grinned, prompting her to stick her tongue out at him. 

A breeze swept by, cradling a few leaves up in the air. They walked around, side by side, basking in the unfamiliar environment, and the sense of freedom it gave them, if only briefly. Was that what Jasmine wanted? To be far from home, far from them? Or was it because he was there with her? He didn't know what to think, or how to interpret it. Still, Mistwood was nice, and he could see that she thought the same by the smile on her face. It was a town with a small population, and everyone seemingly knew each other there. Therefore, visitors like Jered and Jasmine garnered quite a bit of attention.

"I want a muffin," Jasmin grumbled.

He rolled his eyes, "You always want one."

"You steal all of them..." she said morosely.

"I'm your brother, it's my job to make your life a living hell."

She pouted, but didn't argue with that logic. 

"I still want one though..."

"You ate one before we set off."

"I want another."

"You're difficult," Jered ran a hand through his hair, which made her chuckle mischievously.

Feeling a bit resentful, he decided to load a powerful flick on her ear.

"HEY! That hurts!"

"You deserve it."

She snorted, brewing plans of vengeance in that pretty little head of hers. It was all she could do since she was no match for her brother. They passed by a bar, where Jasmine insisted on getting her hands on any muffin on display. It was a tragedy when Jered paid only for one muffin, "But why?!" she sniffed, tugging at his arm. 

"Because we have plenty of sweets prepared for your birthday. And no, don't you dare saying you're warming up your stomach for later."

She groaned, giving him the stink eye.

The old lady behind the counter laughed, "You two have very beautiful eyes," she said.

"Thank you!!" Jasmine beamed, a huge smile on her face. Jered, instead, just nodded at her.

However, he soon slowed down to a halt, and stared at the elderly woman from the corner of his eyes. It was a bit sudden, but it didn't escape him. A faint yet strong tang of mana tickled his nose, making his own reserves react. He didn't know what to do. Rainey had never prepared him to deal with other magicians, and Evelyn didn't really leave the best of impressions on him. 

He turned towards the lady, and smiled, "You have beautiful eyes too."