any -- all -- grocery store

[yelling_muse]

It isn't a bar.

It isn't even anywhere that is, strictly speaking, canon.

It's just a great, big, no-nonsense grocery store.

You don't know how you got here, but at least it seems to be a relatively harmless sort of locale.

ooc: thiiiis is hopefully allowed. in the interests of promoting threadhopping and other such party-like hijinks, i give you a

Comments

[extra_devious]

It is just barely possible you might be able to catch Ryurik as he barrels through the store. He's going to be late for a meeting, and he hates meetings, but his AI wanted him to investigate this place so here he is. Investigating. At a very brisk walk.

He may or may not slow down if he sees something that looks particularly interesting, or criminal, or both.

[mm_aura]

"Sonorous!"

"Bing Bong!"

An announcement is being made from somewhere in the store. However, the muzak on the PA system hasn't cut out. It sounds more like a young boy with a megaphone.

"Attention shoppers, attention shoppers. If anyone has seen a short, pale girl, blonde curly hair, grey eyes, wearing dark clothes and holding a gorgon doll, answers to Narcissa, Majesty Narcissa, Cissa, and Pipsqueak, please direct her to the produce section so that her older brothers will be very very not dead. Thank you!"

"Quietus!" says the blonde boy next to his brother so that the word wouldn't ring out through the store. "Are you sure this is a good way to find Cissa?"

"This is what they do in those muggle television shows," Cepheus replies before Scorpius returns to inspecting the bulbs of garlic.

The girl in question is in the deli section, looking curiously at the different kinds of cheese and sandwiches. Her gorgon doll is pressed against the glass and she says, "Look, 'Gon! No icky grog loaf here!"

[extra_devious]

Finding lost children.

Amilcar rubs at his forehead and sighs, long-sufferingly.

The gesture and the sigh are repeated when he actually catches sight of a child fitting the description, some thirty seconds later.

"Excuse me," he says, standing a good distance away from 'Cissa (at six foot eight it is difficult not to look intimidating, but he does try). "Might that announcement have been about you?"

[mm_aura]

The girl turns her head.

"C's just worried Mama's gonna kill him. He said he could watch me an' that he's 'sponsible 'coz he wants a new broom. But they're the ones who're lost, after all. I told 'em I wanna stay here an' get a sammich."

[extra_devious]

"I see."

He nods to the selection of, er, sammiches.

"And have you gotten one yet?"

[mm_aura]

"I never had Blue Star food before!" she says excitedly. "At least, not Blue Star food that didn't come from the candy store when Papa goes to trade! So I gotta pick somethin' reeeeeeeeeeeally good to share with 'Gon!"

The last is said while holding up her..... unusual doll.

She stands on her tiptoes for a moment.

" 'Sides, I'm not sure anyone b'hind the counter can see me."

Five year olds tend to be short, and Narcissa is an excellent example of that.

[extra_devious]

"Aha."

Amilcar tries a smile. It half succeeds. (He isn't very good with children.)

"In that case, why don't I get you a-- sammich-- and you can go rejoin your... brother? with it."

The doll doesn't even get a glance.

He's seen weirder, honestly.

[mm_aura]

True, but even where Cissa lives, it's weird to have a doll of one.

"Brothers," she corrects. "Scorpius is with him."

She looks at all the interesting things and then points to what is probably the least likely meat she'd ever encounter: Turkey.

"What's that?"

It looks tasty the way chicken is tasty.

[extra_devious]

"I have no idea," he says, shrugging. "D'you want it?"

[mm_aura]

She nods. She's likely eaten weirder, so turkey will be fine with her.

"With this cheese," she adds, pointing to the muenster.

[extra_devious]

"As you say."

Sandwich: obtained.

Narration: minimalist.

How d'you like, Cissa?

[mm_aura]

Very well, thank you!

She looks gleeful as she takes the sandwich, 'Gon under her arm.

After taking a bite and finding it to her liking, she looks left. Then right.

"Um, where is the produce section?"

[extra_devious]

"Ah...."

He gestures to himself, frowns at a brief flicker of light in the air, and points. "This way."

[mm_aura]

" 'Kay!"

She wraps up her sandwich, having only three bites right now, and holds it in her 'Gon hand, reaching up to take Amilcar's.

Hey, if he ends up being some sort of creepy child molester or whatever, she could always use the spells she's learned in her lessons at the Magic Guild. Her mother's trusted her with ice magic, and ice lances hurt.

[extra_devious]

Hand! Right! Okay!

La la la off towards the produce section he's going to be late why do there have to be children in this grocery store argh.

At least it's close.

[mm_aura]

Scorpius notices her first.

"Good to see you again, Narcissa!" he says kindly. "Sorry we got split up. You know how C is."

"Hey!" Cepheus says. "I did the announcement! And it worked, too. Real leadership, worthy of being Guildmaster of the Magic Guild."

"Sure, sure," Scorpius replies as he picks Cissa up. "Thanks for helping. Cepheus likely wasn't lying when he talked about our parents killing us particularly in ability."

One being a war veteran and the other being a Death Eater can scare any kid straight.