Angry with herself, Mystake slammed around the pots of tea leaves on her upper shelves. The rickety ladder protested such treatment, and she eventually stopped and took a deep breath. She had quit her cigarettes recently, but that meant she also started craving them all the more. She knew "just one more" would turn into "just a few more packs" in no time. It wasn't her fault there weren't many warnings when she was young. Maybe the taste should have given a clue...
A small voice spoke up, "Auntie, what's wrong?" Her nephew, that also helped her run the store, looked up at her and adjusted his round glasses. He was another reason she stopped them, since the risks of something harming her was much greater. The boy was so fragile and she loved him too much, as hard as it was to show affection back. This was a way she could prove she wasn't selfish like everyone believed.
"Nothing is wrong, Yasu," tried the adult sweetly, but her harsh vocals made that tone difficult. She stepped down from the long ladder eventually and slid it along the shelves until it rested against a bare wall. Turning back to him with a small smile, "It seems we have a slow day... But I want to wait until closing to do something else and have fun. What do you say?"
Yasu's eyes practically glittered behind the glaring frames, "Can we go to the comic book store, then? I saved up money and stuff..."
She chuckled, but then broke into a coughing fit. Calming down and making a disgusted face to that, she sighed out a breath. After recovering physically, "How about I buy you things? I have money, you know."
"Mother says I'm not supposed to make you have to get me anything," recited the brown-haired, tilting his head slightly up at her.
"What she doesn't know won't kill her," thoughtfully responded Mystake, resting an elbow on the table before them. She really wasn't related to them, but was a close friend to the child's mother. She never had time for him, which made her feel the need to watch him most of the time.
Tugging on the side of his ninja mask slightly, he grasped the remote under the table in one of the slots and turned on the television hanging nearby. It clicked on to his mother's smiling face, pointing back at something, "Recently 'Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo' has expanded to any age and the campaigning has included guest appearances from the city's very own ninja! The number to call in to Dareth will be across the screen below. This is Gayle Gossip, now back to you, Nathan..."
Soon Yasu began to frown, "Why does she work so much...? I think she hates me..."
"She's just busy," murmured the woman, hugging the quivering boy to her body and allowing him to cling to her. She nearly said more words to soothe him, but he slipped away and into the backroom. She was at an impasse what to say the woman who supposedly raised him. Biting her lower lip in worry, she turned back around to find the jingle of the door's bell. Straightening up in stance, she awaited to see who appeared in the doorway.
It turned out to a graying man about her age, peering around softly. He looked weary and very sleep-deprived. When they locked eyes, she felt her cheeks flush gently, but he seemed unfazed. He walked over to the counter and thought for a bit.
A bit excited by the fact she actually had a customer for the day, "Can I help you?"
"Yes," he spoke like she slightly bored him, "I'd like some Oolong tea, please."
Mystake nodded softly and turned around to get the requested item. Thankfully she placed it arm-level, or she would have screamed. It was very popular so she did this so she wouldn't have to constantly get her ladder or something. Getting hold of a baggie, "How many would you like?"
"My brother has it constantly, so I wouldn't know... How about a few, then he can just get these himself." He sounded half-joking and mostly fed-up. That was understandable, because she knew annoying brothers when they actually kept kept in contact, which was never anymore. Saddened by said fact, she got a couple more in her hold and turned back around to put them on the table. Adding in her head, she spoke the price in her raspy voice.
During their exchange of product and finance, he smiled at last, "Thank you, my brother and his friend will be pleased."
"Really, would you mind telling me who they would be... Stranger?" Amused with her commentary, Mystake made sure he had good hold in the paper bags full of tea leaves.
Huffing slightly, the bleach blond began, "Wu is my brother and Morris is his friend." After another thought, "I'm Garmadon, by the way."
She barely noticed the last statement. Her blood went cold. "Morris... who?" At the confirmed last name in confusion, "Oh... Julien was a guy I used to know well." 'It's not like he was little brother that used to sneak my cigarettes to sell to older teenagers. Then I would pretend to be mad and we'd fight just like siblings. Until he stopped sending me letters or calls when we grew to be adults, that is. I was so worried something happened to him like what happened to our younger brother...' Her thoughts rarely got this depressed, so she distracted herself with the countertop and tracing the swirls within it carefully with her sight.
Sensing the bad thoughts, Garmadon picked up his change delicately, putting it into a side pocket of his loose kimono. Without much else to be said, he glanced at the screen with a man in so much perfecting makeup it looked bad. Amused now, he waved with his free hand and walked towards the door.
"Wait!" The woman cried out, startling them both, and causing her to turn pink in embarrassment, "M-my name is Mystake."
"A pretty name, very fitting," teased the slightly older. As he left she wished he had meant that.
Shaking her head to clear it of thoughts of this man, she went into the backroom to soothe the only male she figured she would like in any way. He was so much more special than any crush she had. Little boys told the truth, while men said what you wanted to hear. That's the way it would always be.