What the hell, that's some dedicated theming. What is this, 'cottagecore'? Is it playing up the 'mysterious cursed object emporium' trope? She takes a photo of it with her phone.

She now has a picture of the right edge of the pet store and the left edge of the pizza place.

She tries again, presumably to the same result.

...She looks between the photo and the sight in front of her a few times. She people-watches for a bit, trying not to freak out too badly, seeing if they, like, glaze over the place, or spatially jump right past it, or what. Okay, sci-fi is more her thing than fantasy, but going by fantasy tropes... Maybe a masquerade. Maybe something's fucking with her and going to use her as a patsy or lock her into an unfair deal? Fey gardens bullshit, where even being polite traps you for a thousand years?

Maybe she's going crazy?

...Is there any glass to the place? A way to peek inside without going inside?

There's glass windows, but they're pretty frosted or smoky or something and she can't get much of a sense of what's in there from them. She could open the door and not walk in, though!

That's how they get you.

...But seriously, what is she going to do. Walk away? Back to ordinary life, worrying about money, about college, about Dad maybe randomly showing up again and trying to interfere, the freaking Taco Bell job and that ... colorful supervisor, Henderson?

What's the worst that could happen?

No, really, what's the worst that could happen?

...If she's kidnapped or killed or some other fey realms bullshit, her mom would be very sad. Also, she'd never go to college. As expensive as it is, and despite the idea that it's overpriced and underdelivers these days, the way everyone talks about it... The way her Mom talks about it, about wanting better for her...

...Ahhhh fuckit. The analysis paralysis strikes again! She's probably being way too paranoid. And if some fey bullshit is out to get her, she's doomed no matter what she does or doesn't do, not knowing The Rules.

No need to have an existential crisis in the middle of the street.

Peeeeeeeek carefully into the door?

A friendly looking young woman dressed up as a witch sits behind the counter. The shop is full of fun eclectic things, most prominently a column of glass full of giant butterflies in all colors; the walls are covered with highly detailed fantasy maps in a variety of styles; the shelves have crystals and herbs and decorative boxes and corked bottles of liquid, and a few dead giant butterflies preserved in plastic cubes, and arts'n'crafts type tools and blocks of wood and stone and wire, and clockwork sculptures - actual clocks? - ticking along nonstandard time systems, and rolled-up rugs, and surprisingly normal cat supplies but in hippie packaging that doesn't feature much plastic or glossy print.

"Good morning stranger!"

"Hey! I'm, uh, probably being paranoid but what's the word on the shop that my phone can't see? Sus! I mean, you saying 'no, really, it's fine, come in and sign this contract' would be... Some information..."

"No contracts here! Just my magic shop and my magic self in it. I don't bite. Come here, let me have a look at you!"

"Magic seems a lot more likely than it did this morning, but, no, see, that is a sus thing to say."

"From over here you look like probably you could be a witch your own self but I cannot check for certain sure till I touch your hand."

"I obviously can't walk away from maybe magic but can I ask you, without implying any debts given or owed, to come over to the door to do it? Or solemnly swear that you aren't up to no good?"

"I am a professional witch awakener! No cost to you as various factions like there to be neutral professional witch awakeners. The neutral part means occasionally I awaken someone who wants to do not-so-nice magic without even saying tut-tut but I myself am sweet as pie. I can come over to the door if you are insisting." She hops over the counter and makes for the entrance.

"I'm sure my paranoia will calm down in a bit if everything's peachy but, uh," she discards the first four ...Five ways of concluding that statement. "Yeah."

The proprietor pokes her in the back of the hand. "Yes indeedy you here are a potential witch! I do recommend having it done to pro standards, the other way is to have something traumatizing happen and for your soul to cast about for things to do that might help till it lands on being a witch and this involves very little explanations and thoughtfulness and synergistic choicemaking."

"Trigger event is a possibility, got it. I don't want one'a those!"

Deep breath.

"...Okay, sure, uh. Thanks for indulging me. I can come in and sit down? Do I get to... Choose spells?"

"Sure sure come in!" Nia gestures her into a rocking chair that doesn't match any of the other furniture at all. "You get to choose wild magic and ranked magic. The first is more like single spells, the second is like bundles of it that come all stacked on top of each other. You also get to pick a species and a class and you can endure awkward inconveniences for more magical power and you can pick a faction to be friendly with to start out."

Sure okay she will sit in the chair. Messenger bag sits in her lap. Phone in coat pocket. She fiddles with the clasp, anxiously. "These factions have some kind of neutrality treaty about awakening?"

"I would say detente before I would say treaty, but there are many important sorts of people and they all like witches to arrive on the scene informed and equipped and intelligently magicified, and do not like witches to arrive on the scene unduly prejudiced against whatever it is they are up to, so they all agree more or less that I am Switzerland and so long as I stay Switzerland I have diplomatic immunity sorts of niceties for me and mine."

"Seems better than trigger events. Okay... Uh, is there any time pressure to choose?"

"I can keep the shop entrance here for a few days, but not for always."

"Masquerade?"

"No, actually, I have to contract out the fanciness with the door; there is a schedule."

"Huh okay. On a meta level I... Do probably want at least one day to sleep on it after discussing things now? This is... Big. Magic. Feels like a mistake to leap in head first. As a matter of general principle. I spent weeks mulling over mundane colleges."

"Sure. Still here tomorrow. Nothing final till you say the word."