we even giggle in the darkest corners of the mind [nessa]

Brown eyes looked out around her as she watched the people walking pass the doorway in which she rested. If Mishka was being honest it was weird being surrounded by so many people when she had spent too many years alone. Her eyes moved with an intense interest as each new face entered and exited her view. Small delicate hands dropped down to pull her thigh high stockings up, fixing the clip that held them in place before stepping out into the flow of traffic. It would get better it had to. All she needed was to find Grims and the world would be set, right? If she had been confused before being released she was ever more now.

The thought that maybe she might be alone in the cold cruel world nearly made the girl feel sad. It was a sad thought, yes, but really how could she be when there were so many people to meet. So many people to steal from and swindle out of their money. Mishka had never been one too afraid of being reckless. She acted on impulse and at times with a blatant disregard for everyone around her. So, it came as no surprise when the young witch sought out something to amuse herself. There had to be something that could keep her - "Ooooooo" Mishka bounced in placed practically willing herself not to bolt across the busy street.

Once there she rested her hands on the glass and looked inside, eyes big with both wonder and excitement. Candy, her only weakness. It had been far too long since she had tasted the calming affects of the right piece of candy. It was then that the witch took the time to replace her singular ponytail with two on either side of her head. Spinning she slipped into the door behind a man as he entered and in the same motion gathered a few glinting coins from his pocket as she brushed pass him.

Thus began her dance, fluid and precise she spun - basically - danced around the room taking from a pocket here in there. Her body moved and slipped pass children and adults alike, taking things from each until she came face to face with what she felt was the worlds largest lollipop collection. She stood still eyes locked on the vast assortment in front of her. She didn't glance to see if she was being watched as she took pieces of candy off the shelf, stuffing them into the bag that hung at her wrist. A bag that held everything she'd picked up on her stroll that day, as the inside was far larger than the out.

Once she felt she had enough candy to last she felt relaxed, more closer to who she. One here, one there but always two in her hair. She shifted the suckers that rested in her ponytails as she spun, opening the third to put into her mouth. Slow was the smile on her face as she made her way to the door. The world had changed, oh yes it had but the witch knew change never lasted.

With a nice supply of her differntly flavored treats giving a bit more weight to her bag, the witch wandered then what she might do with her time. Her gaze shifted through the shop to land on it's register, a slow grin took over her face at the sight. Prepared to skip forward she paused feeling as if there were eyes on her. Blonde hair whipped to the side as he head moved from left to right to if that sinking feeling was real or not.

August 2000 

This was one of the very last places Nessa had thought she would be today. She'd spent the whole afternoon shopping, looking for the perfect gift, but in the end she realized it had always been candy. Her grandmother had a bit of a sweet tooth and so Nessa found herself standing in the middle of a cavity waiting to happen. She wasn't sure what to get, it was all so colorful and there were too many options so she spent a good ten minutes just eyeing people. She was watching to see what they got, trying to get an idea of what was popular. Had she stood there for much longer though she probably would of started to look like a bit of a creep, staring at families in the candy store. She picked up a few things, just to make it look like she was shopping and when she turned her dark eyes back toward the rest of the store they landed on a bubbly looking woman who was entirely too old for pig tails. Not one to keep her opinions to herself Nessa's face instantly changed, a frown and an eyebrow raised showing her distaste. What was the girl doing prancing around like that.

She was dancing, spinning in circles, and had Nessa not had such an obsessive eye for details she might of just missed it. The girl wasn't just here for lollies she was a pick pocket. The nature and finesse of the girl actually made her smile. She was still whole heartily against a full grown woman wearing pig tails but Nessa wondered if it was all part of the act. Keep the unsuspecting distracted, it wasn't a half bad plan really. Nessa pushed away from the counter she had been leaning on and circled a row of displays to find her way to the other witch without being in the path of theft. She came up around her as the girl stopped to look at the sales counter. Nessa stopped for a moment, waiting to see what she was going to do, and then with the lack of social skills she had been burdened with she approached the other woman. She was close enough to whisper, but not close enough to get an elbow to the face in case the other girl was skittish. "Pretty sure they send people to Azkaban for larceny these days..." She lied, but it didn't matter.

"You wouldn't want to get stuck in that black hole would you? Endless solitude, except for when the Dementors come..." She was just trying to scare the girl, it'd be easier to manipulate her later and steal what she had stolen if she was frightened. Nessa had no idea that this thief in particular had just been released from the very prison she was trying to frighten her with.

She caught sight of no one in her search and so her shoulders lifted in a shrug. Oh well, no one to play with just yet. One step, two steps then three before the witch paused. The loose strands of her ponytails shifted as her head tilted to the side. She moved gracefully to spin on the balls of her feet, eyes casted up at this new person. This new person who spoke of the place that had brought Mishka so much despair it had nearly broken her will to live. Mishka could tell of the horror of those dark lonely cells. She could speak of the terrors the followed the presence of a Dementor. But she knew no one would understand. No one would conceive even a fraction of what she had gone through.

There had been no hope deep enough to keep her sanity intact in those dark days. She dreamed less and less of finding herself and more and more of the sadness that overwhelmed her. The darkness had become somewhat of a comfort and the lack of emotions something more. If she hadn't found herself while locked alone in a cell taking to herself to keep sane, she never would. But she was free and those thoughts of death and destruction only whispered in her brain instead of shouting. The girl gave a giggle as her right hand rose to twirl the hair hanging there, the stick of her lollipop dancing between her lips as she rolled the candy with her tongue.

"Azkaban Azkaban will take the soul right out a man..." She spoke with a certain melody to her voice as the candy was removed from her lips. With this she leaned up on her toes to get closer to the other woman's face. "..If not bet the Dementors can." She twirled with a fit of laughter that caused her body to shake. The soft humming of her words somehow making her giddy. Coming to a sudden pause next to this new found friend or foe, Mishka dropped her voice to a whisper.

"Shhhhhh, sweet cheeks." The skirt resting just long enough to keep her underwear hidden gave a light swishing sound as she bumped her hip into the taller woman's.  "You have to keep a secret..." She looked around as if what she had to say was the biggest secret in the world. "I've already been." Mishka shifted just a bit to let a man pass with his son, a small hand lifting up to her face to look at the pocket watch she now held. Yes, this one would be for Grims. With a satisfied look and a nod the watch was dropped into the bag on her wrist.

Mishka moved to be more in the center of where she was standing, right in the flow of traffic. People had to literally walk around the girl as she stood there bouncing slightly from the joy of having a new person to play with. "Tell me friend would you want to get lost in the hole?" Her sucker was placed back into her mouth and she pranced back over to the other girl a serious expression on her face. "Could you survive alone in the darkness?"

The way the other girl spun around toward her made Nessa take a small step back. Her head tilted to the side as the woman rambled off some rhyme about the prison and she gave her a funny look. This girl was a little bit crazy, not that Nessa wasn't, but this girl was a different kind of strange. She wanted to keep backing up away from her but instead she stood there listening to the little song. It was interesting to say the least but no where near as interesting as what escaped the blondes lips next. She heard the girls voice lower, like she was going to confess to something and the with couldn't help but be curious about it. Hearing that Mishka had already spent time in the horrifying prison made Nessa take another look at her. She stared her up and down, shocked that some how this tiny little thing had survived Azkaban, and then things started to make sense. She was a little off her rocker after all.

"Really?" She asked, still incredulous though it wasn't that hard to believe considering the behavior she'd witnessed. The way she asked the next question gave Nessa pause. She supposed she'd never really thought about it. Sure she bent the laws to her but she didn't exactly go around committing crimes bad enough to get the Dementor's kiss. She wasn't a goody two shoes, but she wasn't entirely evil either. She shrugged her shoulders as Mishka moved back to her, asking if she could survive alone in the darkness. Instead of answering she smirked and plucked a lollipop out of the girls hair before promptly unwrapping it and placing it in between her lips. The sugary taste wasn't exactly her favorite, but it was more about the point than the treat after all. "You tell me?" She said cocking her head to the side, daring the woman in front of her to judge her. She'd seen true horror, Nessa could understand that, and she wondered where she stood on the spectrum.

Most people chose to take opinions and thoughts from sane people but Nessa preferred the opposite. Crazy people rarely lied because they had less reason to. Less to cover up or make up for, less worry about impressing people, and she valued their honesty. "If all I need is an aptitude for theft and a love of sweets I think I could handle that." She was pushing for information in a round about way, insanely curious how this woman landed herself in prison and then back out again. What had she done? Nessa knew it was wrong but she kind of hoped it was something gruesome.

"Mmmmmhm." Came the soft sound of her agreement as her head nodded along. She had been and she had suffered but undoubtedly she had survived. She had lost small pieces of herself, but she was in no rush to find them again. This version of herself was better, more refined. She had been through the ringer and would do it all over again if she had the chance. Robbing those banks had been little amusement but the chaos left in her wake had been amazing. It had been the fuel that made it all worth it. And now she stood face to face with someone who seemed intrigued by the idea. Curious to know what it was like to live in a dark hopeless place. Mishka might have been crazy but never would she wish such a fate on anyone, not ever.

Big brown eyes blinked in pure disbelief as the lollipop was taken from her hair. Her mouth fell open before a frown distorted her features as she felt anger for the first time in years. Her hand reached up to touch where the sucker had been and the scream that followed was bloodcurdling. The sucker in her mouth was thrown to the ground with such force it seemed to lift her feet from the floor. She had crossed a delicate line, this girl was no friend. Friends asked for sweets, they did no take them. Her body moved as she paced oblivious to all the eyes now locked on her as she moved to push a display case over with a laugh. "No! You wouldn't last, it would destroy you from the core." Her once bubbly voice was now dripping with venom.

Her hand twitched and she wanted so desperately to pull her wand from the strap of the halter top she wore. "You think it's fun and games little bit to joke about the darkness." It was here that she took a step towards the other woman, her eyes narrowing as she did. "I am one of the things that go bump in the night. Snatching.." Her hand rose as if to snatch something from the empty air between them. "..the innocent from their bed for my pleasure and entertainment." Her hand rose to touch the stick hanging from the other woman's mouth. "I should kill you what you've done." The anger was gone and smile rested on her lips as she spoke. "I should skin you alive and owl your parents the remains."

She twirl as her hand rose to let her index finger wiggle from side to side. "But....then I would have to wait even longer to finally get what I want." She spoke as if moments ago she had not been truly upset. This could have been because she now was placing a new sucker from bag in her ponytail and it somehow seemed to even her mood.

Taking the sucker was probably crossing a line, Nessa knew that, but she didn't care and the display that followed amused her. She'd met some crazy witches in her day but she was pretty sure this one was about to take the cake. The scream that came from the lips of the tiny woman was almost unbelievable, she had some lungs on her. Nessa smirked behind the sucker as she rolled it with her tongue. She didn't even like candy but it was more about the principle of the thing now. She liked to push buttons, to see how far people could bend, but this woman was different than most of the people the Irish witch came into contact with. Usually she was the alpha, the toughest kid on the playground not to mention the craziest but it seemed Mishka was about to take that title. She circled her like a shark but Nessa didn't back away, not even when she stepped closer to her. Dark eyes looked on from behind her lashes, staring down the pig tailed witch like she wasn't the least bit nervous about the encounter. She could protect herself if need be and a dark part of her wondered if the other witch would actually attack her in the middle of a candy store. She wondered how far she'd have to push to make that happen but then a voice rang in the back of her head. As fun as it might of been, what would she gain from it? She wasn't like Torr, she didn't crave violence for adrenaline.

As the other witch moved to snatch at the air Nessa didn't flinch but the words that came next made her smile shrink a little. Not only was she bat shit but she might of actually meant it. That smile that crossed the other witches face as she threatened to do nasty things to her reminded her of someone. The crazy look in her eyes as she plotted evil deeds... it reminded her of Grisha. Nessa pulled the sucker from her mouth for a moment, watching the woman twirl before speaking again. It was only a moment before Mishka had replaced the sucker Nessa had taken and it seemed like a switch had been flipped. She didn't seem as fired up, but that didn't make her seem any less crazy and Nessa was entirely amused now. This girl had attitude, fire, she wasn't just another chink in the chain. She was different and Ness could appreciate that. She put her free hand on her hip as it swayed a bit to the side, "And what is it your waiting for?" She asked, actually caring to know the answer.

Mishka took a moment to reach into the bag hanging at her wrist, pulling a sucker to open and pop into her mouth. She gave a grin, turned towards the shopkeeper who looked both shocked and annoyed by her tantrum and waved. "You've got a mess over here lovey." Her hair whirled around as she spun to walk for the door, leaning against it as it swung open. "I have to find my family." She looked over at the other woman motioning her to come along as she moved to walk the rest of the way out of the store. She had what she had come for there was no use in sticking around.

Her hand rose to twirl the hair hanging from her ponytail as she lead the way down the street. Her eyes washed over the buildings with a sort of wonder. She took in the aged brick and peeling paint. The dusty window frames and worn front doors. "I feel like I'm seeing the world for the first time.." She gave a giggle. "..strange to think that would be possible." It was strange to be free. Strange to now have a choice. Strange to remember what it felt like to be alone and scared. Her brows came together for a moment as she thought of Grims. She would seek him out because he was all she had left.

"Tell me of all that has happened...You hear the whispers and rumors among the walls of Azkaban but really what is true." As she thought of the prison a chill slide it's way up her spine. She had been locked away while the Dementors had still guarded the place. She could still feell the sense of hopelessness. Her feet stopped moving as she was hit by a wave of memories. She had been tortured and trapped in a haze nothingness. It had been so hard when they had sudden left and the onslaught of emotions rushed to the surface.

It had been then that she had truly lost herself. She had always had trouble understanding emotions but to feel them as intensely as she had broke something beneath the surface. Her hand shook as she reached to hold on to the stick of her sucker, before taking a much needed deep breath. "Can you point in the direction of a place with good food?" Her shoulders rolled slightly with a look around them. "Don't ever do anything bad enough to have to go there..." Her voice was low. "Azkaban is meant to break a person's soul in half."