Bloodwyn reached out for the small vile with her mind. When it did not float into her hand she gingerly picked it up. “Darn, I still can’t get a hang of that spell. Mistress Aubriene makes it look so effortless.” She heard the vile with the same Karen delicacy, she held a carafe of steamed milk while swirling the potion bottle in her right. “Slowly, one drop at a time,” she told herself as she gradually added the wind essence into her potion. The liquid in the vial gradually turned white and cloudy. "That's it, I almost have it," she said to herself.

"Have what?" asked Mossy, hopping up on a stool to see what Bloodwyn was doing.

"Quiet, I'm working," replied Bloodwyn.

"I mean, I know we're working, but that doesn't look like coffee," Mossy said, curious.

"No, no, it's not coffee. I'm trying to make a potion of flight, you know, for my internship," Bloodwyn explained.

"Oh, right. That whole witchy thing. I gotcha," Mossy replied.

"That whole witchy thing, as you put it, is literally the most important thing in my life right now," said Bloodwyn, losing track of how many drops she had put into the vial. "Mossy, you threw off my count. Mossy, go clean the espresso machine."

"I already did."

"Okay, then clean out the tray on the pour-over machine."

"I did that too.”

“Then sweep.”

“Tawney's on it." Said the elf gesturing towards their faun coworker lazily pushing a broom across the room.

"Just find something to clean. Why are’n you cleaning?"

"I know. I'm a terrible example right now. But this is important," Bloodwyn said, peering at the vial in her hand, trying to gauge how much had already been added. "Probably wouldn't hurt to add a couple more," she said, dripping a few more drops in.

The potion began to glow with a faint blue light, and Bloodwyn smiled. "That's probably it," she thought, putting down the vial and picking up a pouch full of moon dust from beside the espresso machine. While moon dust was a common additive in the lattes they made, it was also exactly what she needed for the potion.

She began sprinkling the moon dust pinch by pinch as she swirled the bottle. "All right, that oughta bring a sense of lightness. Now, the last piece... just need to add something grounding to make the whole process controllable. Where's that crushed garden garnet?" Bloodwyn asked.

"We're out of crushed garnet. The team of Geomancers came in earlier, ordered a bunch of bedrock bold brews, and cleaned us out," Mossy replied.

"Oh, what am I gonna do?” She looked over the counter where all of the various powders and creams and additives for drinks, set ready to fulfill any order no matter, how outlandish. “I know, I'll substitute garnet with lava rock. Lava rock has all kinds of airy pits to it. It's soft, it's porous, yet grounding. I'm sure it'll work just fine," Bloodwyn said, trying to stay focused.

She added a pinch of ground lava stone to her potion, and the clouds within took on a kaleidoscope of grays, blues, reds, and purples. "That's a bit different than it's supposed to go, but it should be good," she thought, carefully judging the effect.

As she realized that Mossy was once again looking at the vial over her shoulder, Bloodwyn said, "Mossy, what did I tell you about getting back to work?"

"That I should find something to clean?"

"Yes. Now, why are you bothering me?"

"It just reminded me, of a really cool lighting effect I saw at a concert last week. If you could do that 20 times bigger picnic for one heck of a light show. That's all."

"Can you please back off? I'm trying to concentrate. I need to get this perfectly. Otherwise—"

"I gotcha. If you don't impress your mentor, then she's not going to recommend you to continue with your studies," Mossy interrupted.

"Exactly. Then I'll never be a witch.”

“Okay, Okay. I'll go clean.”

“Thank you," Bloodwyn replied, trying to refocus on her potion.

At that precise moment, the bell on the front door of the cafe tinkled, and Mossy perked up. He leaped up on the counter, jostling Bloodwyn in the process. "Chaz, you'll never guess what!” The entirety of Mossy's old band was traipsing in the front door. “I got a guitar!"

"That's awesome, Mossy man,” said the young human Bloodwyn thought was named Steve.

Chaz, maybe Chad? The half-elf, didn't seem as excited. Something in his expression made Bloodwyn think that he didn't see this as particularly good news. However, Mossy seemed oblivious to Chaz's slight grimace.

"Guys, you'll never guess what!" Mossy exclaimed, jumping to the front of the shop to tell his friends about his new guitar.

As he leapt down from the counter, he misjudged the location of a stand of snacks which tipped back and knocked over Bloodwyn's potion. The potion sprayed all over bloodwyn.

“Dang it Mossy what have I told you about jumping on things. I know elves are short, but you still have to watch out.” But Mossy wasn't paying attention, he was too busy telling his band members about how he had saved an adventure, and she had given him a guitar.

Bloodwyn slithered to the back of the café, to find something to wipe herself off with. “can you pass me that towel?” she asked the Orcish cook, who casually picked up a cleaning rag and tossed it her way.

She fumbled the couch, but as the rag sailed past her to land on the floor, she realized she was already dry. “crisis averted, I guess. Hay Grog you don't by any chance have any crushed garnet back here?”

“here." He grunted, grabbing a shaker full of red powder, and passing it back to her. No sooner had it left his hand then it too clattered to the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Grog. How can I be so clumsy?" she lamented.

Bloodwyn reached down to snatch the shaker and somehow came away empty-handed. "That's it," she said, reaching down again, some how failing to lift the Crushed Garnet. "Well, I guess I'll have to be more careful. Maybe I'd better clean my scales a little bit better. They seem slippery. Be right back.” said Bloodwyn, slithering back to the front of the house.

"Thought that I was so clumsy," thought Bloodwyn. "I'm not usually such a butterfingers." She washed her hands in the basin behind the counter and then looked at what was left of her experiment. "I'm gonna have to start over. Hey, Tawney, can you grab a mop?"

The faun girl looked up from where she was lazily pushing the broom across the floor. "What?”

“A mop? Can you get a mop?"

"Oh, okay,” she replied.

Bloodwyn looked over the front of the house where Mossy was still gabbing along with his former bandmates, bouncing up and down with enthusiasm. There was definitely something off about them. Their smiles didn't seem to make it all the way to their eyes.

"Anyway, guys, what can I get for you?"

"Oh, I'll have a Mystic Mojo Mocha."

"I'll have a Lyrical Latte."

"Just a black coffee for me."

"You got that, Bloodwyn?” called Mossy over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I got it," said Bloodwyn, bringing up the order.

She looked over the order. It didn't quite look right. "My fingers must have slipped on the keys," she thought to herself, realizing that she had only managed to enter about half of the drinks. Oddly enough, it seemed to take her several tries before she could get the drinks fully rung up.

Once the customers had passed over gold coins for their order, it seemed to just clatter to the counter, almost like it passed straight through Bloodwyn's fingers. "Wait, it did pass through my fingers," thought Bloodwyn. "Oh no. That flight potion must not have been a flight potion. It was a very airy, misty kind of potion. Oh no," she said. "It's like I'm becoming intangible like a cloud."

She looked down at her curvaceous red scale body and could just make out the tails beneath her. "This is bad," she said. "I can't let anyone know."

Bloodwyn slithered to top speed to the bathroom, where despite not actually opening the door, she somehow found herself passing straight through it. "Oh no, this is bad," she thought, attempting to sit on the toilet and instead landing on the floor. "It's like I'm just a cloud of mist. It's like I'm just passing through everything. What do I do?"

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Bloodwyn looked down at herself. Her body was just a cloud of red mist, enveloping the toilet. She couldn't sit; all she could do was lay on the floor and cry. "This is a disaster. I'm never going to be able to get that apprenticeship I've been looking forward to. If Mrs Aubrena hears about this, no witch in the whole kingdom is going to take me seriously. I'll just be a complete failure."

After a short while, maybe a minute, maybe five, a meek little knock came to the door. "Bloodwyn?” Mossy's voice sounded almost as wet as Bloodwyn felt. “Were you done in there? I... I need... I just... I need to turn."

Bloodwyn sniffled and tried her best to dry her eyes with her misty hands; it turned out to be much more complicated than she had originally thought. "One sec, Mossy. I'll be out in a sec."

She turned towards the door handle and stopped. Another meek tap came to the bathroom door. "Bloodwyn, please."

"Yeah, Mossy. Um, I'm almost out." She reached out, and her hand passed right through the doorknob. "How am I gonna get out of this?" she thought, slumping her shoulders. "Um, Mossy? The door is kind of stuck. Can you press on it?"

"Okay."

"Hey, Mossy, it's fine. Go ahead. Just... just go ahead and open the door on your side."

"Alright, if you say so."

The door creaked open the barest inch. "Bloodwyn? Yeah, Mossy."

Bloodwyn leaned around the door, hopefully in view of where Mossy could see her. "Come on in."

At first, Bloodwyn tried to trade places with Mossy, moving around him, but he just opened the door and stood there with tears in his eyes. "What is it, Mossy?"

"Oh... sniff... it's just... sniff... my band. They... they don't want me back."

"What? But you've been saving all summer. You've been working so hard to get that guitar. Heck, you've even been practicing with that busted old thing that Tawney glued back together with jam."

"Yeah, but I guess they like Hoit better.”

“Oh, Mossy, man. I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, Bloodwyn, can I have a hug?"

A hug sounded amazing. And all she wanted to do was throw her arms open and just connect with another person, but almost too late, she remembered she was just mist now. There was nothing for him to hug. So she ducked back. “Umm, not right now, Mossy. The bathroom's kind of a weird place to hug.'"

"Okay, I guess you're right. In that case, can I have a turn in there? I kind of need..." He rubbed his eyes. "Just a little moment."

"Yeah, Mossy. Hurry back in case we get busy. Okay."

Bloodwyn felt a little ashamed telling him to hurry back when she had been ready to spend the rest of the shift in the bathroom. But if she couldn't touch anything, she wouldn't be able to make many drinks, and so at some point, she would need him. "How am I going to even get through this shift?" she thought to herself.

Up front, Tawny was slowly and methodically working her way through a string of coffee orders as several customers stood at the front counter waiting.

"Oh, you're back," said Tawney. "Good. We've got a few people at the register." Bloodwyn slid into place behind the cash register. "What can I get for you?"

"I will have 42 Divine Delicate Dance dark roasts and 32 Miter Topped Macchiatos," said the customer.

"Great," said Bloodwyn, completely failing to input the order. Her face fell as she watched her hands once again move through the cash register. "One sec." She dashed back to the bathroom. "Mossy, I need you on the register."

"But aren't you on the register today?"

"Yes, I'm supposed to be on the register today, but I need you to do it.”

“But?”

“Don't ask questions. Just trust me. I need you to do it. Okay?"

"Okay," Mossy replied.

She heard the whoosh of the sink, and moments later, Mossy stepped out of the bathroom. "Alright, I got it. I'm good." Pools of water still danced on the corners of his eyes. "I believe in you, Mossy. You got this."

The two stepped back to the front of the house to see the line had gotten even longer, and Tawney seemed to have made no headway in making drinks. Bloodwyn rushed over to the pour-over station and realized yet again that in her current state, she couldn't do much of anything.

"All right, Tawney. I'm gonna need you to hustle," Bloodwyn turned around. "Going as fast as I can," said Tawney. "We can't all be as fast as you on the espresso machine."

"Hey, want to trade spots? I could do pour-over, and you could do espresso."

"Now, I really think it's best to stay right there."

"You sure? Cuz I'm sure you could get through this whole line in no time."

"I probably could, just not today. I need to help Grog in the back."

"Oh, what's Grog need help with?"

"It's really important. You guys have to man the front."

The doorbell rang, and Bloodwyn looked up to see Mistress Aubriena, her mentor, walking through the front door. "Oh, Bloodwyn, I thought this was the place. What are you doing out here? You don't leave your swamp well."

"Mr. Beanhammer is an old friend of mine, and he invited me to tour the facilities. Mr. Beanhammer is here, of course." Mistress Aubriena gestured behind her, where the stout dwarf stepped into view. "I know Ignatius here from my adventuring days. He speaks very highly of you. You know, he wanted my consultation on some dragon-related problems. And, well, I thought it would be the perfect chance to talk over his concerns and come in and see all these wonderful coffee drinks you're always talking about. If you wouldn't mind, I would love to get something extra special, just from you."

"Yes, Mistress Aubriena," said Bloodwyn, staring at the espresso machine. This was it. It was all over. Her mentor would know that she had screwed up a potion she'd been experimenting with. There's no way she could bluff her way out of making this latte. A failure like this could well cost her entire career, and right in front of Mr. Beanhammer as well. He had never really approved of Bloodwyn practicing potions on the job, but he had at least looked the other way because she had been so efficient in making drinks. But if he knew, how could she lose her apprenticeship, her internship, and her job all on the same day?

"What's the matter, Bloodwyn? Your scales look a little pale?" said Tawney next to her.

"Well, you see, right over there with Mr. Beanhammer, that's... that's my mentor, Mistress Aubriena. And she... well, she's supposed to be evaluating me to see if she'll take me on as an apprentice after my internship. She's one of the best, most skilled witches in the whole city. Heck, even the whole kingdom. I've been working my scales off for months just to impress her, and, well, right now I kind of messed up that potion I was working on earlier. It won't let me show you." Bloodwyn reached out and passed her hand straight through the steaming carafe of milk on the counter. "Wow. You just passed right through that."

"Yeah."

"Yeah, and if I can't even lift the carafe, I can't make a latte. And if I can't make a latte, then... well, she'll know something's up, and then I'll never get the apprenticeship. And... and it's all over. I'll never be a witch."

"But you'd have an amazing career as a burglar. Oh, but he wouldn't exactly be able to take anything, would you?"

Bloodwyn just shook her head at that thought.

"Can you still use your magic?" asked Tawney.

"What do you mean?" asked Bloodwyn.

"Well, you're always creating interesting clouds of things or little illusions or lifting things with your mind. What if you use some of that magic to... I don't know... steam some milk?"

"Well, I have been working on the Magic Hand that lets me lift things…Then that's brilliant! Tawney you are brilliant!” Bloodwyn focused on her magic, attempt to summon the spell that she had only learned the previous week. She reached out her misty hand, even more transparent and ghost-like, and flew forward a few inches to grasp the pitcher of milk. 'I got it,' then she looked at the espresso machine. 'Oh, this is gonna take two hands.' 'You can do it. I believe in you,' said Tawney."

"That makes one of us," said Bloodwyn, trying her best to summon a second version of the spell. "Alright. Let's make something special for Mistress Alana."

"Here, I'll turn that on for you," said Tawney, offering to rotate the wheel that started the steam wand. "Thank you, good only one hand."

The moment she heard the familiar scream of steam swirling through milk, Bloodwyn fell into a deep trance, that heightened awareness and hyper-focus that came when she did magic or brewed coffee. All thought fell away, and even though she was using magic to move the carafe and turn on the espresso machine, everything was second nature to her. She knew exactly how to juggle the pitcher, exactly when to jostle her wrists, when to add the espresso, how to pour the milk. It all came together.

Bloodwyn blanked, floating in front of her was the perfect Starphire Latte. With a thought, she guided it across the room, floating it with her magic right into the hands of her mentor.

"Oh, that's absolutely bewitching," said Mistress Aubriena with a big smile on her face. "Ignatius, you were not lying when you talked about the girl's talent and utilizing that spell that she only learned last week, what a talent."

Mistress Aubriena and Mr. Beanhammer nodded at each other and walked back towards the storeroom and roastery. Mr. Beanhammer paused for a moment to look back at Bloodwyn and give her a nod of approval.

Bloodwyn breathed a huge sigh of relief, “So glad that's over."

"Well, that may be over," called Mossy from the cash register, "but we've definitely got a few more coming."

"Oh no," said Bloodwyn, "Oh, no, no, no, no."

An hour later, the crowd finally died down. Somehow, she had been able to keep her spell going the entire time, but she was exhausted mentally and physically.

"How am I supposed to undo this?" she said, looking down at herself. "Well, how did you do it in the first place?" asked Tawney.

"I told you, is that potion I spilled earlier?"

"Oh, well, can't you just make another one to undo it?"

"Probably if I was sure what exactly it was that I did that created the potion that did this. But it was kind of a mistake."

"Why couldn't you just ask your mentor? I mean, she's still in the back with Mr. Beanhammer," asked Mossy.

"Ask me what?" said Mistress Aubriena, as she heard Mr. Beanhammer shuffle out from the back of the store.

"Ask you for advice on just how old to get my hair to look as amazing as yours. Are you feeling all right? You don't have hair, you have scales, right?"

"So, Bloodwyn, I don't have hair, but maybe with the right potion, I could grow some. Maybe. What is this really about?"

Bloodwyn looked down at the floor. If she told the truth, it would mean the end of her career. Her dream of becoming a witch and possibly even losing her job if Mr. Beanhammer was angry. At the same time, she couldn't live like this. Sure, she had somehow miraculously made it through this shift, but damn, the magic was taking its toll. She looked up and took a steadying breath.

"Mr. Solana, I screwed up. I was experimenting with a potion, and I accidentally turned myself into mist."

The witch leaned her head back and cackled, "Oh my dear, I've been waiting weeks to hear you say that."

"Say what?"

"No. Say that you screwed up. You've been trying too hard to be perfect this whole time. And well, witchcraft and potion brewing are messy. Sometimes you screw up. I've been waiting for you to acknowledge when you haven't done things right. And finally, although you didn't have to wait until it was quite so extreme... well, I know now, dear. Tell me what you mixed."

"I was trying to make a flight potion. And I was all out of powdered Garnet. And so, I used lava rock instead."

"Oh, so it's some sort of mystification potion. Simple to deal with. Let me see."

She poked around the counter of various drink mixers and additives, pouring several powders into a cup and swirling it and adding a dash of hot water. She looked at Bloodwyn. "You won't be able to drink it, so..." She added a pinch of powdered quartz, and the entire concoction began to evaporate, at which point she flung the mixture cup and all towards Bloodwyn.

Bloodwyn flung up her hands, only to feel the cup pass right through her. She stumbled back and bumped her tail on the counter behind her. She wobbled off-balance and put up her arm, knocking over a teapot.

Mistress Aubriena once again flung her head back and cackled. "It worked, my lady! Ah, well, quite inventive mix you got there, but it's always good to keep an all-purpose antidote on a necklace around your neck with a very fragile vial. That way, if you accidentally turn yourself intangible, it will break and re-terrify you."

"Oh, that's good advice. Thank you."

"Any day, dear? Well, now I must be getting back to my swamp." The old witch walked out the door with Mr. Beanhammer and turned towards Radacast’s Soundstage.

"I can't believe she's been waiting that long for me to admit that I was wrong," said Bloodwyn.

"I can," said Mossy. "I mean, you're right a lot of the time. Don't get me wrong, you're kind of brilliant. But you do have a hard time, you know, not being perfect."

"Guess you're right. Maybe I need to acknowledge when I'm screwing up more often."

"That would be nice," said Tawney. "No offense, but it's really hard living up to your standards."

"Okay, let's not all pile on me just because I finally admitted defeat."

"Speaking of piling on, can I have that hug now?" said Mossy.

"Sure." Bloodwyn opened up her arms and looked at Mossy and then over at Tawny. The three wrapped their arms around each other and squeezed. "Thank you guys. You really got me through a bind there."

"Of course, what are friends for?" said Mossy.

Bloodwyn smiled and realized maybe there was more to life than studying to be a witch.