Chapter 1: Meeting

Click!, the sound of her new camera was always excited Felicia. She took pictures of the various flowers around Paris, France. She had done this for a week now and it was about time she left to go to a different city. Felicia used her last day in Paris to check out her usual hot spots; her camera with her of course.

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Felicia revisited her favorite restaurant in Paris, a small café name "Bella Rosa." Although she had been there a week, this wasn't her first time in France since she started freelance photography. Paris was always a good place for photo opportunities.

The teenage photographer always came around the current time: 3:15pm. It was a warm, summer day.

"Hey, Javier! My usual please!" Felicia came through the door of the café. The waiter, Javier, was seated at the breakfast bar. He seemed annoyed.

"Lisa, why don't you have proper café manners? You're a regular here. Shouldn't you know not to disturb the customers by now?" Javier scolded her.

Felicia laughed under her breath "Haven't you heard the customer's always right?"

"Not when she's purposely making a scene."

Javier pinched her nose and pulled on it. Felicia was a couple inches shorter than Javier, and less bulky. Of course, it hurt her.

"Javier, be nice to her. If it wasn't for her…" an older chubbier man came to the front. By the outfit and authority, he must be the café manager. Felicia and Javier would know. Javier let go of Felicia.

"Bella Rosa wouldn't be so popular…" Javier, Felicia, and the older man said in unison.

"Plus, I worked here a couple times in the past. I'm at a much higher rank here than you are." Felicia walked over to the breakfast bar. "Come on. I gave you my order already Javier. Chop chop."

The older man placed his hand atop of her head and looked at Javier.

"You heard the little lady. Hop to it." He ordered Javier. With that, Javier went to the back kitchen as the manager sat next to her. "So, how long till the next excursion?"

"Few hours. I'm off to Morocco next, to take photos of the wildlife." Felicia responded.

"Morocco, in Africa huh? Are you going by plane?"

Felicia shook her head, "Boat. It's way cheaper. And I can take photos of the Mediterranean Sea and the people on the boat. Never a photo op missed by the Felicia Blackthorn." Felicia posed with her camera.

"You're never going to just settle down, aren't you? Why not finish school? You dropped out your freshmen year of high school, right?"

Felicia shook her head and looked at her camera "I can't. Too many things to do. I can't waste it behind a desk and listening to some teacher telling me things I already know."

"Lisa, you have to at least get a high school diploma now-a-days."

"I can live without one. I'll travel the world like I've been doing for the last year. Not like I'm needed anyway."

As Javier came back with Felicia's order, a Mushroom Swiss Burger and fries with a cup of Sprite, silence fell among the group. Felicia set aside her camera and started to eat. The manager and Javier looked at her "You know you're always welcome here, Lisa."

"I sure hope so. Your burgers are best by far."

"I mean, you can work here like before and live upstairs with us."

Felicia stopped eating as she listened to the manager speak. Javier spoke "Lisa, you're only a teenage girl. You shouldn't be out travelling the world on your own. You always end up back here anyways."

Felicia looked at them with a smile, continuing to eat "You know I don't stick around for very long. I'll come back here 'cause you two are the closest thing to family I've got. I always come back, do I?"

The manager and Javier shrugged, knowing Felicia wasn't going to change her mind. The manager spoke "I guess there really isn't any stopping you, is there?"

"You're going on that boat either way, aren't you?" Javier crossed his arms.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Felicia finished up her food. She left her money and put her camera around her neck. "I have to hit the hills before sunset. I'll get that photo this time for sure."

"Alright. Good luck." The manager said. Felicia left the café as she was watched by Javier. The manager grinned "You can take the rest of the day off Javier."

Javier blushed, shocked "Wh-what? Why would I do that?" Javier headed to serve the other customers. "We're low staffed today. Come on, Manager."

The manager laughed as he watched Javier walk away from the breakfast bar with Felicia's dishes and laughed a little.

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By 5:45, Felicia made it to the hills on the outskirts of town. "Aww man, I'm going to miss it again!" She got her camera ready as fast as she could and started taking the sunset photo in many different angles. The sunset didn't last too long. She stopped as soon as the sun disappeared, 20 minutes later.

"Shoot, it's over. I didn't get that many pictures but…" Felicia checked the photos she took.

Come on, give me a good shot!, she looked at the reel.

Hah… Hah…, the sounds of heaving breathing as someone ran towards Felicia. She had a demon's spellbook in her hands as she ran through the forest near Felicia's location.

"Shoot, not today either. I was hoping to get it before I left…" Felicia became disappointed.

The unknown figure emerged from the forest and leaped into the air.

"Huh?" Felicia looked back and was landed on by a girl about her age with a small dragon's tail and horns. She wasn't dressed conservatively, that's for sure.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I gotta keep moving." She walked over Felicia. She continued running.

"Hey, you can't just-" Felicia looked toward the direction the dragon girl ran off to. "What was that anyway? Some kind of cosplayer? Weirdo…" Felicia looked at her watch "Shoot! I gotta get my stuff. My boat leaves port soon."

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-Felicia's POV-

And that was how we met. She wasn't the most graceful of girls around, but that was the start of our journey.