There was just something special about nightfall, the way the darkness seemed to encompass everything, as though the world were being wrapped in a big, thick blanket. The sky became transformed into a tapestry of navy blue, embroidered with black lace and thousands upon thousands of glistening diamonds in the form of stars. And outshining them all was the moon, smooth and pale in all of her beauty.

Nimble fingers reached out and grasped the warm wood handle of a small silver bell, lifting it from the ground and shaking it back and forth. The crystal-clear sound broke the comfortable silence.

"I hear the power."

The bell was sat down gently, so as not to make any further sound, and her hand shifted left just slightly, until her fingertips traced along the edges of a cold metal chalice, smooth and untarnished by the elements. She lifted it to her lips and easily drank down half of its contents, the smooth yet sweet taste of wine flowing across her tongue and making her mouth water. She swallowed gently and set the glass down, clasping her hands on her lap.

"I taste the power."

A box of matches was grasped next, slid open as she pulled out one of the slim wooden sticks. She slid its bright red head across the side of the box carefully, pulling her fingers back as it burst into a small flame. The light danced across her features and her skin tingled, watching the sensual sway of the flames as they flickered for a moment in her movement, lowering it to light the small cone of incense resting on a brass plate just to her right. The tip began to smolder and blacken and she shook the match, only feeling a small remorse when the flame was extinguished. Slowly, she took in a deep, cleansing breath, drawing in the fragrance of lilac, rose, and sandalwood. The first breath of smoke burned slightly in her nostrils, but she refrained from coughing or sneezing, instead controlling her breath as she exhaled deeply.

"I smell the power."

Amber-colored eyes watered as they stared up unabashedly at it, tan lips curling into a smile so sweet it was practically lovesick. 'She's looking particularly full this evening… There's the faintest bits of blue on her surface. A trick of the light playing upon my eyes, surely, but it makes her look all the more beautiful.' After a few long moments she closed her eyes, turning her face downward and returning her mind to the earth, where she sat. Her knees were beginning to ache slightly from spending such a long time kneeling on the hardwood floors, but she took it on gladly. Anything for Her, anything and everything.

Releasing a slow, measured breath, she felt her weight returning to her body as she opened her eyes again.

"I see the power."

Her fingertips lowered to her lap, stroking across the soft cotton sash for a moment before picking it up. She held it between her hands, pressing her palms into it and savoring its feeling, looking at the way the deep violet color contrasted so well against the brown of her skin. It was warm, comforting, soft enough that she wanted to wrap herself up in it.

"I feel the power." The cloth slipped from her fingers and landed soundlessly on her lap again, falling in folds and ripples that she did not dare move to correct or smooth out. With her eyes returned to the moon, just visible outside the open window she was knelt before, she felt something within her chest stir, and her voice was quiet yet strong as she spoke.

"With earth and air and water and fire, my strength increases to realms much higher. I invoke the power here tonight." Her chest tightened and swelled from within, and she raised a hand to rest over her breast, pressing lightly into the white cotton of her top. "I've heard the call. It is my right." Then her arms raised, fingers splayed and palms pointed upward, as though she were a small child reaching for her mother to hold her. She reached for the moon, and she could feel it reaching back.

"I am the power." A small flash of purple light shone off of her eyes for a moment, but only a moment, and, when she blinked, it was gone. Her heart felt full and her lips were spread in a calm, blissful smile. Her arms slowly fell to rest at her sides, hands clasped on her lap. "All for good, harm to none, for now I claim this spell is done."

Her knees only ached in protest a bit as she got to her feet, holding her hands up above her head in front of herself, palms pointed toward the floor. She imagined a force beneath her palms, and could practically feel its presence there as she slowly lowered her hands, returning it to the earth. "And so it is…" she murmured quietly, little more a whisper as it was words captured in a sigh. The white candles at her feet extinguished, their flickering flames no longer casting dancing shadows across the simple, barren walls around her. The only remaining light was that of the moon, and she sunk to her knees again in its presence, feeling a warmth flood through her as she gazed up into its face.

'Thank you for blessing me with this power, and with your cold light…' A shiver ran down her spine and she wrapped her arms around herself, smiling and basking in the strange yet familiar sensation of magic pooling at her core.

'That man of fire… It has been some time since I told him I would teach him of our ways.' Craning her neck slightly, she turned to peer up at the clock hung on the wall behind her. It was just barely past ten o'clock, surely not too late for a bar to be open. She ran a hand through the thick, dark waves of hair pulled over her shoulder, a soft hum slipping past her lips.

"Perhaps I could venture into town and pay him a visit…"

The evening had been uneventful, though just busy enough to keep it from being completely boring. Between cooking the food, bussing the tables and moving the dirty dishes to the kitchen, mixing and serving drinks, and making idle conversation with his patrons, Grillby was satisfied to say that it had been a good night's work. Even if his eyes would consistently flicker between where his attention was being called for and the door to his establishment, waiting and watching for someone that he was starting to doubt would even come.

'She had been in a state of shock after being taken hostage, surely. She had seemed so coherent and well put-together, though…' A small hissing sigh escaped from him, and he slid the glass in his hands across the smooth bartop effortlessly, giving a simple nod in response to the bark of thanks he got from Lesser Dog who bounded back to his table to continue his game of solo-poker. Another customer raised their glass and gave it a slight shake, making the clinking of ice cubes inside the now otherwise empty glass evident, and he immediately set to the task of mixing them another drink. This was the kind of work he thrived with. The tasks that were busy, just enough of a challenge to remain interesting, but repetitive enough that he could fall into a rhythm. But unlike most other nights of work, he found himself not enjoying the company as well as he usually did.

A few other patrons tried to blame it on Sans' absence which, while it was true that Sans had been his biggest and most frequent customer, he was actually quite happy that he hadn't been showing up. Despite seeing the skeleton monster's resistance to opening up to her, he was pleased to see how well their relationship had progressed. His friend was happy, and if that meant less nights out drinking, then Grillby was more than supportive of it. (Although it did start to get a little boring when people stopped randomly being assaulted by whoopie cushions…)

He'd just loaded up a drink order onto a tray when the small bell above the bar's front door gave a gentle chime. He set the drinks down in front of their correct owner and turned to the door to greet his customer, only to be slightly taken aback.

It was her.

The odd human he'd met on that awful night, the only positive of that evening that he could recall with absolute clarity. She had her dark coffee-brown hair left loose to hang in thick, bouncing waves around her face and shoulders, framing her light brown skin and amber-colored eyes in a way that made them stand out. She reminded him of Sans in the way that her eyes seemed to always be half-lidded, never fully open, and her smile, although more at ease and less lazy, felt genuine to his very soul.

"Ah, I wasn't too late," she said quietly, almost too quiet to be heard above the bustle and commotion inside the bar, yet he somehow heard every word. A small spark of realization flashed within her eyes and she raised her hands, fingers moving fluently to sign.

"I thought you may be closed at this hour. Not everyone is up with the moon so late as I am." Grillby swept an arm out slightly as he motioned toward the bar, and the human gave a small nod before walking past Grillby to hop up on one of the bar stools. He actually felt somewhat grateful that there wasn't a forgotten whoopie cushion on it; he tucked the tray beneath his arm as he walked around the back of the bar, depositing it on a stack of similar ones by the back wall. When he turned back to the human again he saw that she was staring at him, expression slack in a look of vague wonderment. He cleared his throat, the sound similar to a crackling of a fire, and that seemed to draw her attention enough to snap her out of whatever daze she'd been in.

"It's not uncommon for a bar to be open late hours. I didn't expect you to come by. Usually humans avoid my establishment," he admit, flames rising a bit higher when she gave a low hum of thought.

"I suppose that a fire burns brightest after dark," she chuckled, amused with herself. "I apologize for waiting so long to come by. These last moon cycles have been particularly powerful."

He wanted to ask her what that meant, but she was leaning forward and laying her head atop her folded arms on top of the bar, eyes fluttering closed for a moment before she forced them open again, eyes that were reflected gold staring back at him. "We all have our prior engagements. Though I am curious as to what you meant about magic, it isn't important enough to inconvenience yourself over."

"No, not at all. I'm happy to help, just…" She trailed off, her lips parting with a yawn. "I am rather worn out from tonight's spell. Recharging my magical energies takes a lot of focus." Grillby gave a small nod and fell silent, the two of them looking at one another without words between them. He couldn't help but notice the way his flames made shadows dance across her face, from the high sharpness of her cheekbones to the narrow ridge of her nose. It gave her skin a warmth and glow it didn't have otherwise and it was, admittedly, rather lovely. Compared to how cold and calm the moonlight looked on her before, this was vastly different. Dynamic and warm, moving, caressing…

"Well, if you're certain, then I'm eager to listen. I have been around for quite some time and I have not heard of this moon magic." The look she shot him was almost pitious, but it only lasted a fraction of a second before she raised a hand to smooth over her untameable hair.

"It is not just the moon. There are several elements involved…" With a small sigh she lowered her hands, eyes turning to him imploringly. "I'm sorry, but…do you mind if I speak normally?"

Oh…she was asking his permission? He didn't quite know how to handle that, but he settled with a single nod, soul bouncing a bit at the thankful smile she gave him. Speaking of souls…was she glowing just the slightest bit, or was it a trick of the light? The reflection of his flames in her eyes cast them in warm colors of gold and they resembled glowing embers, warming her gaze.

"Thank you. …Ah, but, how do I begin to explain?" She glanced down at the bar top, fingertips tracing the wood grain and looking slightly saddened when she was unable to feel the ridges there. She hummed thoughtfully and smoothed her hand across the bar, meeting his gaze with a small smile. "I suppose I should start with the elements… While the moon is where we derive our power, the four main elements also come into play. Earth, water, air, and," she paused, though only for a second as she glanced him over, pupils dilating slightly as his light dimmed, shifting into a more calm glow as he listened. "…Fire. Each of the elements has a cardinal direction that they resonate with, and they all have their own special 'power' that they affect more. …For example, the element of fire corresponds with the South, and it is the element of emotion, romance, and creativity."

She talked for however long, though he wasn't keeping track of for how long, really. Her voice was so calm and soft that it was soothing, his magic calming in response, and though he tried not to be too forward, he felt a spark of something within his soul that he couldn't help but respond to. He had so many questions. All of the things she spoke of, either he knew about and wanted clarification on, or they were all new to him, and he wanted to know everything. She told him of the elements and the moon, of human religions and differently held beliefs. It made him want to know more, made him want to listen to everything she had to say and hang upon every single word…

"What are your beliefs, then?" She seemed the slightest bit surprised by his interruption, and he was quick to sign an apology, flames flickering atop his head and casting dancing shadows on the shelves of alcohol and glasses behind him. "It just seems like, despite all your speaking of these things, you haven't said what your thoughts are." She seemed to have realization dawn on her and he gave a small shrug of his shoulders, flames dimming the tiniest bit, "But if you would rather not, I understand. I apologize for interrupting you-"

His words were cut short as a hand rested upon his, and though he tried his best not to flinch from the sudden contact, his fingers still twitched beneath her touch. She seemed to sense his unease and promptly pulled away, instead shoving her fingers through her thick waves of dark brown hair in an attempt to comb it.

"It's alright, no need to apologize. I tend to forget that people might be interested in hearing my thoughts." The white-hot spots that were Grillby's eyes narrowed the slightest bit and she chuckled and waved a hand at him, as if trying to remove whatever upsetting thought he may have had away. And, while he took her ease as a sign that it didn't bother her so badly, he still didn't like the thought of such an intelligent and unique person not having people listen to her. "Anyway, what was it you were wanting to know? …Hmm, if you don't mind my blathering, I can answer as many questions as I can."

The fire elemental gave a small smile and nodded, leaning over with his folded arms resting on the bar. The human's tan lips parted as she gave a comfortable smile, and she settled in as she prepared to talk about herself for the first time in what felt like a long while.

He wasn't sure how they'd wound up spending hours talking, but they had. Before he noticed it, his bar was empty, and his phone was going off silently in his pocket, save for the faint buzzing sound of vibration. His face burned a bright blue as he fumbled to get the phone from his pocket, thumb sliding across the screen to silence the alarm. After a few attempts it finally fell quiet, and he set the device on the bartop before striding out from around the bar and to the door. The lock slid into place with a soft click.

"I see, it's closing time. Do you need me to go?" Her voice came from behind him, soft, almost silent footsteps moving up closer before moving to his right. Violet gave a small chuckle as she glanced at the door, hands moving to smooth out her skirt. "…Well, it seems like you intend to keep me here." It was a joke and he knew it was, but something about it and his already flustered state had him embarrassed, the flames above where his cheekbones and nose would be beginning to turn almost white. Stars, he hadn't blushed like a schoolboy in ages, it felt like.

"No, I was just making sure no one else came in. No more customers, I mean. I'm not keeping you… Here, I mean. Not keeping you here." His hands fumbled slightly, and despite his attempts to explain, he only seemed to be making things worse. She was still watching him calmly, though the corners of her lips seemed to be tilting upward the more he kept on.