The Trouble with Time, Part 2 - Eyes

A bell dings above a door and she steps inside. Glancing around, one would find that the space they've entered appears to be an antique store consisting of a single room, filled with all manner of items, from furniture to books to bric-à-brac. This, of course, is typical of any antique store, but if one would attempt a closer look, one might start to notice some more unique items among the clutter. Books with unreadable titles. A bottle with something light blue and wispy inside. A sword in a scabbard, with just a hint of a glow emanating from inside.

Regular people rarely stay inside long enough to succeed at that closer look. She, though, is anything but regular.

"I got it," she says and Kevin doesn't look up from his news paper.

"Cutting it a bit close, aren't we?" he says instead and holds out his hand. She walks over to the counter, behind which he's lounging.

"Don't start," she says, pulling out the red hairs with a flourish. "I know we don't have much time--"

"You don't have much time," he cuts in. She rolls her eyes, and slaps the hairs onto his expectant palm.

"I don't have much time, but... I can do this," she says. He closes his slender fingers around the hairs and finally puts down the paper. He pushes his glasses back up his nose. "There's only a few more ingredients to get and the rest is a breeze."

"Next ingredient is also a breeze," he says as he inspects the longest strand against a light. "And I do mean that literally."

"Great," she sighs. "That's fine. I will need a containment bottle though."

"Sure, thing," he says, absently waving a hand towards a cupboard. One of its drawers jerks open with a chorus of clinking, exposing dozens of glass vials. She walks over and picks one up. "Help yourself. Take a few, in fact, you can bring me back a few breezes since you have to go anyway."

"Any chance it can be just, a random breeze?" she asks, even though she knows the answer. He barks out a laugh, and she glares back at him.

"The first breeze of the morning, as it shakes fresh snow off trees," he says as he draws a sigil into the air and lets go of the hair. It floats. "Lucky for you," he says and grins at her, "it just snowed."

He claps his hands on the hair and a shockwave explodes from it. She has just enough time to shield her eyes from the accompanying flash of light. The whole room shakes and the items perched precariously on the shelves rattle but don't fall. Kevin recites the incantation and his eyes glow red, the same red as the hair and a soft glow pulses around his clasped hands. Then the light subsides and his eyes turn back to their regular dark brown. He smiles and opens his hands and on his palm sits a long fiery red ribbon. For a moment text glows along it, but it fades quickly.

"Here ya go," he says and tosses the ribbon at her. She fumbles a bit but manages to catch it.

"Thanks," she mumbles and ties it around her wrist.

"Sorry what was that?" he asks, cupping a hand around his ear. "Didn't quite catch it."

"Thank you," she says, a little louder.

"Once more?"

"Thank you, Kevin, you're the best!" she over enunciates. He sits back and grins at her again.

"Hey, what are friends for," he says and she rolls her eyes, but there's a small smile fighting its way onto her face. "You wanna hang out for a bit? It's gonna be at least 12 hours before you can get yourself a morning breeze."

"Sorry, no time right now," she says. "There's some more preparations I have to finish."

"Shame," he says and picks up his news paper again. "Well, I'm always here, in case you change your mind."

"I know. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye~!" he calls after her. And he keeps watching after her for a while even after the bell above the door has jingled again, signaling that she's gone.

For a moment his brow is furrowed in worry, but then he sighs and turns back to the paper.

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Sup.

I don't have a lot of time, unfortunately, so like... idk, I'll try to write consistently but who knows.

Next topic is Serenity.

Pie out.