Magic Box, Sunday, 03/22

[not_every_mage]

Anders got to the shop a little later than he did on most Sundays, and more haphazardly groomed. It was hard to think about things like jobs and toothbrushes and combing your hair when everything you ever dreamed of was held so neatly in the palm of your hand. It took a lot of mental struggle to make himself leave his dorm room and go to work;

Comments

[hexentotchen]

Hanna had decided she was going to need magic to hide her record, and the player, but always have them where she wanted them. Unable to bear letting them out of her sight, she'd put them into a huge carrying bag, and gone into town, heading for the magic shop she'd seen a couple times.

She rang the bell, then patiently waited, clutching the bag to her chest.

[not_every_mage]

Anders looked at her through the window, then undid the lock and pushed the door open just enough to talk. Hanna didn't pose an obvious danger, but there was really no such thing as being too careful.

"Hello," he said through the crack. His hand hovered over his shirt, brushing his phylactery through the fabric. "What did you need?"

[hexentotchen]

"Does this shop sell any spells for hiding things?" Hanna asked hopefully, knuckles white on the bag. "Hello. Sorry. I am all distract." And her English was breaking down a little too.

[not_every_mage]

Anders eyes darted from side to side as he considered the request, and whether it might be some kind of trap. "Yes," he finally said, almost a whisper. "I can't promise any of them will work for you,but you never know until you try, do you? Come in."

He opened the door to let her in,seeming anxious to do it. He was "all distract" too.

[angelo_wings]

She heard it. She heard it. A few days ago she hadn't heard anything, she had just been absorbed into the book, but something had changed. Because the book was too valuable. She knew it now.

The book kept talking about secret notes, and hiding messages, and being watched. Sorceresses were watched. Nobody trusted them, and nobody trusted their books. So she had started jumping at every noise in the store, every time something called her away from the book.

Was it Squall? Was he sneaking in again? She was going to box his ears if he was. Wait, he might have brought food, if he did come back, and she liked food.

She peered out of the back office with narrowed eyes, before spotting who it was who was IN HER STORE. Oh! Anders. Right! Right, he worked here. He was one of her students.

He was probably not here to take away her book. Right?

"Hi," she said. She might have felt sheepish, if she wasn't still halfway convinced he was up to something.

[not_every_mage]

Anders almost jumped out of his skin at the voice before he realized it was Rinoa, Rinoa who owned the place and had magic herself and almost certainly wasn't in league with Cassandra.

He thought. His hands would stay close to the amulet while they talked, anyhow.

"Hi," he returned, cautious. "You normally aren't here Sundays."

[angelo_wings]

Sunday? It wasn't Sunday, was it? ... Maybe it was. She hugged her book closer to her chest and eyed him suspiciously.

"I like it here," she said, defensively. "No one comes into the back room."

Unlike her house, full of people who kept trying to talk to her.

"Is the store open?"

Please say no, Anders! Customers sounded like they'd be nosy.

[not_every_mage]

Anders scrunched up his nose, as much at the question as at the obvious suspicion. ".... yes?" he said, hoping that was the right answer. "Only, I left the door locked. It sounds from radio as though there's a lot to worry about on the island lately. I put a sign so people will know to ring the bell if they need us."