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“Oh my god, Gingrich, get a grip,” Steph cursed under her breath.
She had been anxiously pacing back and forth between the window and the shop counter, peeking over the purple curtains every now and then to see if Alex and Ethan – pardon, Alwynn and Thaynor – were already on their way. So far, it seemed like they were still stuck at the park. She wondered what the frickin’ holdup was. Did she hide the scrolls too well? Was Ryan playing his role a bit too enthusiastically and had he already killed them off before the game had even started? Honestly, if she thought about it, there were about a thousand things that could possibly go wrong.
Oh-hoh, but that wasn’t the real reason she was so nervous.
“Shut up,” she told Valkyrie. The black cat sat lazily on one of the spell displays of the newly inaugurated Magpie Emporium, licking her paw as she stared at her with glowing yellow eyes. To be sure, she had certainly worked some magic of her own: from the displays to the freaky decorations and the ambiance music in the background, the store could easily pass off as a set piece in a high-budget fantasy film. Not that Ethan – Thaynor, come on, Steph, she berated herself – deserved anything less. In fact, she had come to view it as a kind of moral duty to cheer everyone up after the events of the past couple of weeks. It made the sense of responsibility a little harder to bear, of course, but she was fine with it as long as it kept her mind off the drama. She just did what she did best. And even that she couldn’t do right.
“Oh, grow up,” she muttered, this time to herself. Everything had gone smoothly so far. Everyone was excited to participate, the weather was beautiful, and the little world she had built right in the middle of Haven Springs was absolutely gorgeous. So why couldn’t she shake this horrible, doubtful feeling, as if she had to constantly question herself?
She picked you as a joke, of course. Because that was the whole point: it was a joke. Just a little scheme between Ryan and you to put her on the spot and finally settle which of you two is the hottest. You knew he can’t hold a candle to you, but it still felt nice hearing it.
Yes, very nice.
She clenched her sweaty fists and went up to a garlic-rimmed mirror for the fourth time in the past hour. She spent a few minutes making sure her costume looked alright (it didn’t), her hair neatly fell down the way it was supposed to (it was an absolute mess) and her make-up was properly applied (god, was this literally the first time she was doing this shit?) and then went back to the counter, taking deep breaths along the way. At some level, she couldn’t stand herself. All the selfless work and yet she had still found a way to make this about her, when instead she should be focused on making sure she didn’t forget her lines when Ethan – fuck, Thaynor! – came in. And Alex. Cute, funny, smart, strong Alex…
Fuck, why? There was no way in hell she was developing a crush now. Not now, after she’d finally managed to get her life somewhat back on the rails and was already looking toward getting back out there again. It was all just a set-up for a massive disappointment, and she knew this more than anyone. Above all, it was disgusting. Why would she take advantage of a grieving woman like that? Just because she had her own issues didn’t mean she had any right to make them anyone else’s.
She let out another frustrated sigh, kicked against the counter… and then heard the knock on the door.
She didn’t waste any time. Nearly tripping over her own feet as she ran toward it, she put on her voice and called out, wary, “Monster or Mortal?”
There was a slight moment of hesitance, and then Thaynor’s voice answered: “Mortal!”
“Alright, Gingrich, cut the bullshit,” she whispered to herself. “It’s showtime.” She then opened the door, and invited them in.
Thaynor and Alwynn entered the store and looked around in wonder and fascination. Their perilous journey had brought them far, yet this new shop of magical somethings and thingamabobs was beyond everything they had ever seen. The mysterious Proprietor watched her new customers from the shadows, eyeing them as they inspected the merchandise and whispered excitedly at each other.
God, she was just gorgeous. Sure, the hat was a bit silly, but it was actually more adorable (adorkable?) than anything. The way she beamed at Thaynor’s enthusiasm was nothing short of infectious, and Steph found herself suppressing a slight grin as she stepped forward, spreading her arms in a wide gesture. “Sorry for the lock, but these are dangerous times. Welcome to the Magpie Emporium,”
“This is so cool,” Thaynor gasped in awe.
“Feel free to feast your eyes on my top-quality magical merchandise, but be sure not to touch anything,” the Proprietor cautioned with a chuckle. “I’m certain you’ll find something to aid you in your noble quest.”
“It seems like word about our task got out rather quickly,” Alwynn remarked, raising her eyebrow. “I thought it was supposed to be a secret?”
“Oh, but you wouldn’t really expect an endeavor of this magnitude to remain a secret, would you?” Steph replied, settling more into her role. “It was about time someone stood up to rid this realm of its infestation of beasts, and your reputation as monster slayers seems to be well-earned. Besides, I might know a thing or two about reading minds,” She said the latter with a wink at Alwynn, almost instantly regretting the move. She was actually embarrassed by herself; why the hell was she acting like such a hopeless flirt? She knew for a fact that Alwynn – Alex – wasn’t into her. Heck, she probably wasn’t even serious about liking girls, so why exactly was she still vying for her attention at every opportunity she could get her hands on? Was she really this desperate?
Yes, she was, as a matter of fact. She had come to realize that even in spite of the new life she’d manage to build for herself in Haven, there was still a glaring black hole in the middle of her life that just couldn’t seem to be filled. She tended to lock herself away from it, but even in the quiet world of her DJ booth the loneliness still lingered over her, like a dark cloud that seemed to follow her everywhere. She had her friends, sure, but she sometimes felt herself longing for someone she could confide in on a deeper level, someone who she could snuggle up to at night, heck, maybe even someone who could make her feel special with just their mere presence.
Fuck, she felt lonely.
She suddenly noticed a pair of golden eyes fixated on her. Alwynn was staring at her intently, a thoughtful expression on her glowing face. Steph blushed and looked down, as if the wide brim of her witch hat could protect her against any attempt by the empath to probe her emotions. Was that what she’d been doing? Reading her emotions? No, of course not, that would mean she’d managed to pick up on everything she had just been thinking… fuck.
“Hey, look!” Thaynor suddenly yelled, pointing at one of the objects on the shop counter. “It’s one of the sapphires we’ve been looking for!”
She took advantage of the interruption to slide into her role again, donning a mysterious smile as she hovered a hand above the yellow jewel. “Oh, so it is this particular artifact you happen to be interested in? A wise choice, weary traveler, though an expensive one at that. I do hope you have enough coin on you,” She gestured at the price card, prompting Thaynor to take a closer look. The young hero narrowed his eyes and yelled in shock: “What? There’s no way we can afford that!”
“Seems like we’ve hit a snag,” Alwynn suddenly piped up, though with a rather curious… smirk on her face. Steph desperately tried to stay in her role, feigning an unimpressed reaction. “So it would seem.”
“I say, would you accept any form of alternative payment, perhaps? I might have a particularly interesting offer for you,” She moved closer to the counter. Steph swallowed. “And what might that be?”
Alwynn smiled, leaning on the counter as she replied: “My hand, in marriage. And all of its associated benefits. And, you know…” She paused for a moment, briefly looking down before meeting her paralyzed gaze, a small glimmer in her eyes. “I wouldn’t offer it if I didn’t really mean it.”
She had no idea how long she was standing there, totally frozen as she felt every tingle of heat in her body being directed towards her cheeks. She was searching Alex’s face for any sign of insincerity or amusement, but all there was was a kind of confidence that she had never seen from the young woman before. When she finally managed to produce a sound, she only stuttered: “I… well, uh, I…”
“Holy shit,” Ethan chuckled, “this just got real.”
The comment seemed enough to kick her out of her catatonic state, prompting her to shake her head and struggle to regain her composure: “Uh, well, I have to say I’m definitely intrigued, but I’m afraid that I will have to pass up on your offer, for now. However, I do have an alternative proposal for you. Legends speak of a rare fish native to the river in this realm, which is said to have magical properties. If you are able to deliver me one of its scales, I would be willing to give you the sapphire in exchange.”
“Oh! This one?” Thaynor asked, quickly digging up a small box out of his pocket. The Proprietor took it with a gentle smile and, upon examining it, nodded her head approvingly. “Yes, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Here, the sapphire is yours. May it guide you on your journey, and aid you in fulfilling your dangerous quest.”
“Awesome!” Thaynor cheered. “Okay, let’s go, I’m pretty sure we can find the last one near the bridge… didn’t they mention something about a troll living there?”
Before Alwynn could answer, he was already rushing out the door, barely able to contain his excitement. Alex chuckled and closely followed him, but not before turning around one last time and leaving Steph with an endearing wink. The Proprietor blushed again, collapsing against the shelves behind her with a deep breath as she shook her head in disbelief and desperately tried to comprehend what had just happened.
But in the end, just a single thought dominated her ecstatic mind: fuck yes, I do!