"Just like a crow chasing the butterfly
Dandelions lost in the summer sky...
I never thought you'd slip away."
The Crow and The Butterfly ~ Shinedown
The sun was setting on another sticky Chicago day. It was mid-summer so, the heat and humidity had been oppressive. Not that Chicagoans would ever let a little thing like extreme weather slow them down. It could be the hottest day of the year and people would still mow their lawns, ride their bikes, or play ball in the park.
It was Saturday so the shops along Milwaukee Ave., in Wicker Park, had seen a steady stream of visitors. Wicker Park was a quirky Chicago neighborhood with a bohemian vibe that had long been popular with artists and fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants young people. Some chain stores had started to move in but, they didn't force out the small, independent shops. The big flashy stores coexisting with the "mom and pop" shops, plus the large number of galleries, made Wicker Park one of Chicago's more unique and eclectic neighborhoods.
After a day spent shopping and perusing art galleries, a cold dessert was a welcome relief. The iCream shop had been busy all day, with lines out the door. Many believed it was worth the wait. The owners were alchemists and instead of bins of ready-made ice cream, the walls were lined with tubes and bottles. They used liquid nitrogen to flash freeze the ingredients and make each individual serving on the spot. This allowed their patrons to create their own, custom flavors. A little boy could barely contain his excitement as he was handed a cup of blueberry and banana flavored ice cream, colored green.
"Just like the Hulk," he exclaimed.
Businesses that practiced real magic had been popping up around the city for a few years. They were regulated, which usually just meant they were registered. Everyone agreed there should be strict guidelines but, until they could decide what those guidelines should be, practitioners of magic were mostly self-regulated. The iCream shop, by anyone's standards, used minimal magic in their creations. They didn't peddle anything like love potions disguised as frozen treats. They just wanted to give everyone the best ice cream they'd ever had.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6hPQ-1kyX4)