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A collab between [@Hedgehawk] and [@Soufflegirl123]

Mary had only intended to duck into the nearest Trader Joe’s to pick up some groceries but that intention seemed to change the moment her eyes settled on the figure of Amanda Aston sitting at one of the tables at the nearby restaurants. Amanda seemed to have been mysteriously absent from the coven house from the moment her son took over and somehow more so when Mary started working there. It was almost peaceful not having the woman glaring down at her for once in her life but after all the revelations of the handover weekend Mary had a lot on her mind in regards to that woman. 

Mary walked straight into the restaurant and beelined for the woman, ignoring the gawking expressions and watchful eyes. [color=fff79a]"Mandy, I think I might join you here,”[/color] she greets the woman with an almost sarcastic level of syrupy sweet cheer in her voice as she takes the lone seat across from her. [color=fff79a]"We have much to catch up on, don’t we?”[/color]

Amanda had been finding retirement a bit boring. She had been looking forward to not having to deal with the shit of all the other coven leaders, but in one regard she was certainly missing being able to meddle and mess with people. Sure she had her plans in the background, and they were good plans, but that didn’t exactly fill in eight hours of the day. So as a result she had found herself at her favorite restaurant nearly every day now. It was the only high class place of eating in this dingehole of a town, so it wasn’t like Amanda had much of a choice.

She had just finished her salmon dish when suddenly Mary came swooping in and sitting at her table. Amanda rolled her eyes at her tone and place her fork and knife on her plate before responding. [color=FFFF00]”Come now Mary, this place isn’t for the pigsty people. Don’t you have that diner place where you common folk pick up your swine food or something?”[/color]

[color=fff79a]"I think you got me misunderstood, Amanda. I wasn’t offerin’, I was tellin’,”[/color] Mary replies as she shifts herself to get more comfortable in her seat. [color=fff79a]"Funnily enough you really ain’t all that intimidatin’. Who else would I go to for sad attempts at berating me, huh? Come now, you can do better than that.”[/color] Mary was asking for it, she was very well aware she was asking for it and honestly part of her was almost excited for the insult attempts she knew Amanda would throw at her. Sure, she had business to talk but she wasn’t against letting Amanda get some of her insults out of her system first. 

[color=FFFF00]”It isn’t really that fun when you come in here asking for it. Though I suppose when it comes to you and getting knocked up, you were always asking for it”[/color] Amanda retorted, grabbing a hold of a red wine bottle form the table and pouring herself another glass. [color=FFFF00]”So what are you doing here then? What is it that you are tellin’ me?”[/color] Amanda made sure to put her mock southern accent on for the “tellin’” part of her response.

[color=fff79a]"I would remind you that we’re not in the late 90s or early 2000s anymore but livin’ in the past was always your forte, wasn’t it?”[/color] Mary quips in response, dragging the water jug toward her and pouring herself a glass of water into the empty glass. [color=fff79a]"Y’know Amanda, I learnt some interestin’ things at the coven party. You and I already both know I knew you wanted me and my boy dead. I even suspected you havin’ Carlisle was purposeful. Your daughter though?”[/color] The woman takes a drawn out sip of water, her eyes not dropping from the other woman’s. [color=fff79a]"Now that’s a new development.”[/color]

Amanda simply stared back at Mary as she spoke back to her. Taking a sip of her wine she placed the glass down and ran her hand across the edge of the table. [color=FFFF00]”I was sure you would find out eventually. You alway stick your nose into places where it doesn’t belong. Yes I have a daughter. What of it?”[/color]

[color=fff79a]"Come now, Mandy. I hardly had to go lookin'. Can't blame me for the fact you like to throw every aspect of your life in my face now, can you?"[/color] Mary drawls before leaning forward in her chair. [color=fff79a]"Now, I clearly remember in '96 was it? Or was it '97? You lost a child. You wouldn't have lied to me, would you?"[/color] Mary asks. She knew the answer, of course she did but she wanted it directly from the woman's mouth.

[color=FFFF00]”Well I am sure Carisle came running to you the second he found out. It is not like he can actually stop her. I will admit that I was shocked when I checked up on her to discover that she actually had magical power, and at that, quite a good set too”[/color] Amanda leaned in a little bit and lowered her voice so that the few people eating in the restaurant could not hear her.

[color=fff79a]"So, tell me if I'm wrong, you had the baby, she was perfectly healthy but you couldn't feel any magical energy comin' off of her so you just gave her away? As if she wasn't yours. As if she was worthless. That's low, even for you."[/color]

[color=FFFF00]”In reality I should have done that with Carlisle instead and kept her. But we all make mistakes. But yes. I couldn’t allow the Aston name to be seen as being weak because there was a child with little to no magical ability. Carlisle is a fuck up, but he was at least somewhat salvagable”[/color]

Mary scoffed, looking the woman up and down. [color=fff79a]"You've got no shame, have you? Givin' your daughter away and lyin' 'bout it all. Not to mention treatin' your son the way you do. Do you care 'bout anything but yourself and that name if yours?"[/color]

[color=FFFF00]”I don’t exactly expect the peasantry to understand. But being of a higher class, reputation is worth more than character.”[/color] Amanda wistfully mused to Mary as she finished her wine. [color=FFFF00]”Look, I made a mistake, turns out Violet was worth alot more than I originally thought. But now she is here. I get a chance to correct that mistake. And get my own way at the same time”[/color]

[color=fff79a]"Y'live in small town Washington, Mandy. Y'really ain't all that important."[/color] Mary quips in response. [color=fff79a]"If you truly were y'wouldn't be dinin' here alone now, would you,"[/color] she downs the rest of her water before continuing. [color=fff79a]"You put me through so much hell over havin' Miles after your miscarriage. Turns out it was all fake,"[/color] she muses. 

[color=FFFF00]”If it helps you sleep better at night, that little deception wasn’t aimed at you. But watching you hurt over it was just that little chef's kiss on the top.”[/color] Amanda mentioned before picking up the wine bottle and pouring out a final glass. [color=FFFF00]”I am the most influential person in all of witchkind. I command the coven of covens, the one that rules everyone else. Well…I used to. But I am still the matriarch of the family itself. Protecting the reputation is my business.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]"Probably good it weren't 'cus I might have become convinced you've become unhealthily obsessed with me,"[/color] Mary replies to the woman's first statement with a chuckle. For as long as she was in Tanner Amanda seemed to have it out for her for what seemed like no real reason. It her youth it was an annoyance more than anything but nowadays Mary couldn't help but find entertainment in the effort Amanda went through to get on her nerves. What was once meant with snapped back responses from Mary had become chuckles. 

[color=fff79a]"Command[i]ed[/i], Amanda. It ain't your coven no more, that fact you've made abundantly clear with your absence. But y'know what,"[/color] Mary leans in closer, wiggling her finger to gesture to the woman to come closer. Quietly, her voice barely breaking a whisper, she says [color=fff79a]"You may be the Aston Matriarch, but I'm the woman who gave birth to the magi great family member 'bout to usher in a generation stronger than you could ever be."[/color] Her coming grandkids were hardly a gloating matter in many ways. Mary knew that but she couldn't suppass the chance to throw one of Amanda's common insults right back at her.

Hearing Mary’s words as she leaned in only served to anger Amanda. Miles was a stark reminder of how she failed to have the child that should have been hers. Splitting up their family was the easy bit, but trying to make Mile’s life a living hell was difficult, made more so that her own useless excuse of a son had befriended the moron. [color=FFFF00]”Assuming that they even survive to have the child”[/color] She snapped back still close to Mary.

Mary had almost forgotten that Amanda wasn't up to date on the status of her grandkids, namely that there was more than one. She wasn't going to be the one to spill that. [color=fff79a]"My boy's survived 24 years despite all your attempts. I doubt somethin' will change now. He's a fighter, that kid. Gets it from his mumma."[/color]

[color=FFFF00]”Yes quite”[/color] Amanda retorted in regards to the comment about Miles being a fighter. [color=FFFF00]”My objective has changed though. I don’t need Miles dead. I just need to stop that devilspawn form ever being born. And now I have Violet. Someone who is capable, unlike that pathetic wimp of a son Carlisle. So I am going to get everything I want. That Brat Lilith and Carlisle both gone in a single swoop.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]"It's funny how you do all this talk on how Carlisle's incapable yet you're not even capable to even consider yourself to carry out your tasks."[/color] For as well as she could cover it Mary was starting to get mad, this woman was threatening the lives of her god-daughter and her grandchildren. Unlike Claire though, Mary was scarcely blinded by her anger. Besides, Amanda was giving away her whole plan, for that point alone Mary let the devilspawn comment slide. [color=fff79a]"But thank you for displaying every piece o' that plan for me."[/color]

[color=FFFF00]”It is not like you could stop it. Violet is bristling with that Aston power. And who is to say I won't get involved?”[/color] Amanda said with a soft smirk, leaning back in her seat. [color=FFFF00]”It is really interesting at how long I have waited for my legacy to be saved, and now it is finally coming together.”[/color]

Mary couldn't help but chuckle. As much as she wanted to lean back in her seat and make clear she also had some cards up her sleeve she didn’t want to take any chances that may lead Amanda figuring out how she'd gotten to Violet already. Instead she shook her head. [color=fff79a]"Y'forgetting the status m'boy holds. Even if I didn't know that power still lives in him. Hell, Aloysius Leighton has found a home here and I think we both know who he's fightin' for."[/color]

Amanda gave out a short laugh [color=FFFF00]”You kid is an enchantment Magi, yeah he can swoon and make people like him, but that's it. And Aloysius, please. A simple call back to Salem, and I am sure I can make him run away a second time.”[/color] Amanda looked down at her nail, rubbing her one finger along them as she contemplated. [color=FFFF00]”I still don’t see what he saw in you. What was so special about that raggedy ass face of yours.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]"Oh Mandy,"[/color] Mary tuts, wrapping her hand around her water glass. [color=fff79a]"You need to brush up on your skill sets. Enchantment can be a powerful thing. I woulda thought you'd know that better than anyone."[/color] Mary retorts. [color=fff79a]"Y'still wrapped up over that? 25 years later?"[/color]

[color=FFFF00]”It isn’t that powerful. You know that. And yes, I still am. Life gave me everything I needed right there and then for some insane reason, he decided that you, of all people, were the one to settle down and  have a kid with. You!”[/color] Amended responded pointing her arms out at Mary.

Mary leaned deeper into her seat, a smirk forming on her face. [color=fff79a]"Funnily enough some people care for more than a name. I mean, what else have you got goin' for yourself?"[/color] she throws back. 

A look of disgust and frustration fell upon Amanda. [color=FFFF00]"Shut it you brat. You have no idea if the power and influence I still hold even if I am no longer the coven leader. The only reason I kept you alive all these years was so that you could suffer"[/color]

[color=fff79a]"Amanda, you and I both know y'never really held any power over me. Y'tell me I'm sufferin' but which one of us routinely eats dinner alone because noone can stand to breathe the same air as them, hm?"[/color] Mary asks, tapping her fingers on the empty glass before her.  [color=fff79a]"Y'talk so much 'bout me sufferin' but not all my life was quite so bad. Y'might have suffered more than I ever did."[/color]

For a the briefest of moments, a small flicker of sadness appeared on Amanda's face as the realisation of what Mary had said sunk in. That face was just as quickly replaced with one of anger. Unable to come back with a taunt, she grabbed her wine glass and simply threw the wine directly into Mary's face. 

Had Mary gone too far? She couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she had. That was when Amanda threw the wine at her face. She runs a hand across her face, pushing the excess wine onto the table. From there to attempts to blink the sting out to no avail. She was a little unsure how to act. Did she yell? Did she swing? Or should she stay quiet? She could feel many pairs of eyes watching the pair of them. Not quite sure how to act she pours herself another water before throwing it in the woman's face. [color=fff79a]"I'd be careful if I were you, Amanda. I'd hate to see you get hurt on account of me,"[/color] she threatens

Amanda gasped as she felt the water splash on her face. She wiped her eyes clean using the table cloth and glared back at Mary. [color=FFFF00]"Try it. Try and hurt me. Get whoever you want to give it a go and a I promise you Mary Price, they will be given a free early grave"[/color]

[color=fff79a]"Oh [i]please[/i]. You've been trying for decades and how far have you come? My boy's still alive and well despite your [i]many[/i] attempts to end him all those years ago and you never had the guts to even try to kill me. Try your best, Aston, but I have always been one step ahead if you. Always have been and always will."[/color]

Amanda got up, almost flipping the table in the process. She glared at Mary once last time before simply storming off to the toilets in the back of the restaurant, leaving Mary on her own.