Though necromancy is a branch of witchcraft with its own limitations and specifics, it still adheres to basics that are prevalent in the other branches. Key among them, of course, being ingredients. A necromancer could go through eye of newt just as quickly as a white witch. 

In Mara’s case, she goes through cinnamon and moonwater like air. So when she checks her cupboard and finds it to be more covered in cobwebs than usual, she sets out for Hunter’s Moon. And she makes certain to go in her suit this time, eager to finally take advantage of that superhero discount.

“Can of Worms”, she murmurs to herself in the Canned Goods aisle, lavender brows furrowed as she ponders the can in question. Lately, Jefferson hasn’t seemed too keen on his usual diet of crow’s feet (and there are plenty of crows flying around Miracle City, so he has plenty to choose from), so she wonders if she shouldn’t switch things up a bit. She’s scooped up another can, stuck between earthworms and moonworms, when she hears the approach of footsteps. She glances up and startles at the sight of a young man and woman. “Oh, sorry. Lemme just scoot on over-”

The man just grins, then shoves a slip of paper at her before he says, “You’re Tombstone, aren’t you? Bramble’s new partner? Can I get an autograph?”

“...Oh, uh. Well, yeah, I am.” After a moment’s shock, she grabs a pen from her cloak to scribble her pseudonym across the slip of paper. It strikes her as vaguely strange. People seldom ever acknowledge her, and when they do, it’s normally because she’s accidentally unleashed a torrent of zombies upon the Grand Canyon. She clears her throat, passing the paper back to the man. “So, uh, I take it y’all are fans, then?”

The woman just lets out a breath. “Are you kidding me? We’ve been following you since you were in Calamity City. There aren’t many magical superheroes out there, much less ones that specialize in necromancy.” Her eyes dart to the can of worms in her hands. “Cool. Do you use that for exorcisms?”

“Uh, sometimes. My jackal’s a picky eater, so I was looking for something different”, Mara remarks with a shrug. She tucks the can in question, moonworms, into her basket. “I was thinking of doing some divination later. Y’all know if they restocked on the chicken bones?”

The man shakes his head sadly, then explains, “I think they’re out. When I’m in a pinch, though, I usually just use leftovers from my takeout”. His eyes then widen considerably. “Say, we were wondering. What’s going on with you and Bramble?”

“M-Me and Bramble?” She lets out a sheepish laugh. “We’re partners. Friends. Nothing more to it.”

The woman and the man share a look before she turns back to face her. “Are you sure? You know everyone’s saying you’re gonna help him reclaim his throne as the city’s chosen hero. That harpy’s got her work cut out for her.”

“Well, I’m sure Cupid’s a nice lady and that Bramble doesn’t hold anything against her”, Mara counters, defensive before she corrects her tone. “A-And in any case, Bramble and I are just friends. We help each other. That’s all.” At the sight of the check-out line, she politely bids the two goodbye, then makes her approach, unloading her basket one item at a time.

She’s just reached for a jar of bay leaves when the cashier suddenly says, a disbelieving smile upon her face, “Oh, my gosh, are you Tombstone?”

Mara offers the tiniest of smiles. It’s nice to have fans, she decides. But next time, she may just forgo the superhero discount.

When at last she returns, she opens the can of worms and dumps it into Jefferson’s bowl, being knocked flat onto her ass when the magnificent beast comes barrelling after her. She groans, then affords the jackal a half-hearted scowl and props her head up by the palm of her hand.

“Do I even want to know?” She casts a glance up and finds Beau towering over her, an amused smirk upon his face as he extends a hand.

Cheeks grown warm, she brushes her hair out of her face before accepting the hand and allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. “Probably not.”

“...Rough time at the store?”, he asks, and when Mara remains silent for a moment, brushing herself off, he sighs. “Jerks?”

She tilts her head to the side, then says, “No. They were nice, actually. Just a little nosy. I might go back to shopping in my civvies”. She then falters at the sight of shaving cream upon his face. She smiles. “Sorry. Did I come back at a bad time?”

“No. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now.” He rubs the back of his neck. “It was overdue.”

She nods, petting Jefferson before she strides to her room to tuck away her stuff. She returns to the doorway, curious. “You’re, uh, bleeding.” When he remains silent, she bites her lower lip. “You want some help?”

“No, I just, well, I haven’t done this in a while”, Beau insists. A drop of blood drips down his cheek, and he wipes it away before crossing his arms over his chest and sighing. “Are you offering?”

She perks up considerably, and before long, they’re in the bathroom, Beau sitting on the rim of the bathtub, Mara gently gliding the razor against his emerald cheeks when she says, “I didn’t wanna say anything, but this was long overdue. It was starting to give shrub, and that’s a look I don’t think even you could pull off”.

“Ha ha.” He keeps his body still, eyes closed as he takes in a deep breath. “You know, I used to have the buds do this for me.”

Curiosity piques in her as she swipes away a strip of shaving cream and moss-like stubble. “Really?” She gestures the razor at the scar running from just under his eye to his chin. “That how you got this?”

“Yes, well, that’s why I haven’t shaved in a while”, he remarks dryly. He’s quiet for a moment, his voice gentle when he next speaks. “So you’ve done this before then?”

Pain flickers inside Mara’s chest, but she maintains her smile and answers, “You could say that”. Her smile turns sad. “Decay used to say I had steadier hands than his barber. About the nicest thing he ever said to me.”

“You’re better off without him.” When she cuts a curious stare his way, he looks away. “And I’m not just saying that because I’m biased.”

 She smiles in spite of herself, then passes him a towel as she takes a step back and sets the razor on the counter. “Well, I’ll just take your word for it.”

“So”, he says. “How do I look?” He turns around, and Mara finds her breath caught in her throat, a warm feeling gathering in her stomach

She gives a confused smile, then answers, “Great. You look…really great”. She holds his stare for a moment before the ground suddenly rumbles. She loses her footing and falls, to her horror, flat in Beau’s lap. They hold one another’s stare for a moment before they detangle themselves, faces flushed. Mara takes in a deep breath, then brushes a lock of curly hair behind her ear. “What in Hades was that?”

“A sign that we’re not working hard enough.” Beau clears his throat as he wipes off the remaining of his shaving cream. “I, um, need a moment to get presentable. Why don’t you go on ahead, and I’ll catch up with you?”

Relieved, Mara nods and all but sprints out of the bathroom. She calls for Jefferson, and the two leap out the window, ready for battle.