Looking around at all the cool stuff I can't help but jump slightly in childish fascination.
I make my way around noting and cataloging all the products for sale, filing away all that I could want to buy, what I don't want to buy or have a use for and what I could possibly want or find a use for in future endeavors and projects I conduct.
While walking, looking around and placing some of the smaller products for sale in the shopping basket I found near the front door I spy the strange mysterious little girl who opened the door sitting at the counter and repress the instinctive shiver when it feels like her empty black eye sockets are watching me intently.
After placing all I can into the basket I carry it over to the little girl on the counter and make my way back to the front door to grab another basket and repeat the process another two times before I'm finally satisfied with the smaller products and move onto the bigger items.
Like some of the skulls and skeletons! those are always fun to have around and I can think of a few games I could play next time I'm in my blood fox persona.
After another hour of moving or indicating to the little girl what I want to buy I finally make my way over to her and ask how much it all is.
"…Payment….is…. 200,970,450 Jewels…would you like…. a never ending…. trunk for the larger…. items…. it will…. only cost another…. 50,000 jewels…" she says in a raspy airy and soft voice making me grin.
A trunk like that would be awesome to have and useful too! And a lot and I do mean a lot cheaper than my infinity bag was.
"Sure that sounds good! Hey what's your name anyway? are you the owner here?" I question curiously watching as the little girl who looks about ten years old jumps from her perch and goes behind a door in the wall behind her only to come back with a black wooden trunk.
It wouldn't surprise me if a little kid was the owner of a shady secret shop to be honest. Not the strangest thing that I've ever seen or heard of before.
"…. I am…Weislena…. I am…. the owner…. of this shop…. you are…. Akira…Heartfillia…. are you not…." she informs and questions me while easily lifting the large and heavy objects into the trunk.
Humming in thought I tilt my head at her, I'm known around as Akira Heart FT mage and the inventor of Aurora Stone and while I have died hair I suppose I didn't put much if any effort into hiding who I am.
I'm surprised Jude hasn't already sent some goons after me but then again Jude is a patient if not slightly foolish man so I suppose he doesn't yet have a use for me good enough to send goons.
If that's the case, then I feel a little insulted.
"Yep that's me! So anyway, I find myself quite liking this shop of yours, is there a way to know when you get new stock in or is it a find out whenever you step in kind of deal?" I ask watching as she places the last of my items in the trunk and closes it before she jumps back to her spot on the counter.
"…. I can contact you… by Lacrima… that will cost…. An extra 1000 jewels…." She wasps out staring at me with her empty eyes.
"That's cool I'll take that" I say happily while counting out my money giving her the exact amount required for all my purchases.
Picking up and shoving the trunk into my bag I happily wave goodbye and head back to the door.
"I'll be sure to come again! See you later Weislena!" I tell her feeling her black holes for eyes drilling into my back intently.
The strange thing is though that the feeling I get from her has an edge of curiosity and thoughtfulness mixed in with contemplation.
Should I be worried by the feeling? Probably. It just makes me more interested and excited with anticipation for the future though.
I have a good feeling that we'll become very, very good friends Weislena and I.
How will this game play out I wonder?
"Thanks for the help!" I say to Colombia cheerily watching him disperse back to the spirit whelm.
Turning back to my target I watch as the kid with his dark brown skin, bubble-gum pink hair and silver eyes stares and talks into the mirror happily and animatedly curiously in his hideout. Humming a little song, I wonder what to do.
Shrugging I hop off the tree I'm on and with a quick Soru land behind the kid unnoticed by him and watch in fascination as there is another face in the mirror.
Is it a communication mirror with a twin like in the Harry potter world? If it is then that's a curious piece of complicated spell and rune work to make considering this world has communication Lacrima's.
I can't ponder it for long as the person in the mirror spots me and points to me informing the kid of my presence and I must jump back as the kid spins around with a glare full of hate and holds the mirror to him protectively as the person in the mirror disperses leaving once again just a plain old mirror in its wake.
"Now, now no need to get all aggressive kid! I'm not here to hurt you so don't worry! I'm just here to collect the family heirloom you stole!" I try to placate hands up in a show of peace… or at least to show I'm unharmed.
"No way I stole it fair and square so it's mine now!" the kid shouts stubbornly in defiance sticking his tongue out childishly and then running off mirror clutched tight to his chest.
Sighing in annoyance I blow a piece of hair out from my face and without even a thought appear directly behind the kid again and grab him by his vest getting a surprised shout and frantic struggling for my efforts.
Using soft touch on one of his pressure points between his neck and shoulder he instantly goes limp and drops the mirror, catching it in one hand before it could smash on the ground I drop the kid carelessly and intently study the mirror wondering how it works.
Spotting extremely tiny runes etched into the delicate black and white frame of the mirror I tilt my head curiously and grab my spectral magic magnifying glass from my bag and try to make them out.
While I have studied many forms of magic I admit runic magic was a low priority of mine in my younger years and is a pretty complex art of magic with many different branches and not many can use it let alone well…. at most I only know the most basic runes available and these runes are evidently beyond my level of understanding.
This is completely unacceptable! I will need to rectify this as soon as possible in the foreseeable future.
Perhaps I'll request either Freed or Levy to teach me runes? Freed uses said magic and Levy is a genius in decoding ancient languages and runic magic…
Food for thought.
For now, though…. "Open gate of the Sothern cross! Crux!" I can't help but laugh when he's already asleep when he arrives in a flash, he knows me so well!
While I'm waiting though I may as well restrain the kid, brats like him will scurry away if you don't keep a close eye on them.
Grabbing some normal ropes from my bag I grab the kid by the vest again and haul him up leaning him against a nearby tree as I tie up both his hands and feet before ultimately tying him securely against the tree for an extra measure.
Thieves even child thieves are tricky little buggers and are good at escaping…. Well good ones anyway I must admit in my old-world people where forgetting what being a true thief meant and were descending into no more than idiotic fools.
Well technically they were more like robbers then thieves and yes there is a significant difference between the two if you know what to look for and what you're doing.
Thief's are meticulous, they study their intended targets in intimate detail and plan and prepare themselves for days, weeks and even months to get what they truly desire! The ultimate jewels Silver and gold! while robbers just steal whatever valuable or useless object in sight and usually end up getting caught.
Just thinking on how my past life's underworld thieves was descending into nothing more than mindless robbers is sickening.
"Woah man what a trip…. Hey my man Aki how's it hanging?" Crux draws out in his usual lazy way drinking a lemon ice tea that somehow appeared.
"Hey Crux I'm doing alright you? and what you find out on this here mirror? Is it some kind of discreet communication device?" I reply happily spinning on my heels to face him with a clap of my hands getting a lazy stoned like smile.
"I'm cool man… and yeah its communication alright… communication with the dead that is… it's all so trippy man… put your hand on the mirror and speak the name of those deceased souls and man… instant connection! It's some kind of ancient runes and magic that's been purposely forgotten in the ages man and was banned and labelled forbidden dark magic like over three thousand years ago man…" Crux informs me with a slight shiver making my eyes widen in both surprise and delight.
This mirror could make some of my games oh so much more interesting! Shame I can't keep it, I'm too much of a professional and have much too good of a reputation to even pretend to switch it out with a fake or that it somehow broke while I was taking in the thief.
Still…. Maybe if I lay down a high enough price the owner will let me buy it? or at least copy down all the runes on it so I can try and make my own later?
Worth a shot in any case.
"Thanks Crux you've been a real help! You can go now" I tell him waving when he disappears in a shover of golden glitter.
Lifting the mirror back up to eye level I tilt my head curiously in thought, I wonder If I could call Lucy or Layla… if I call Lucy and apologise perhaps I could finally lift that pesky little feeling of guilt for missed possibilities?
"Nghh..." hearing a soft grunt and moan I turn back to the kid surprised he's waking up so fast, he should be out at least another hour or so! Guess he must be real thick skinned then.
Inwardly grinning to myself I can't help but let out a soft chuckle, this kid somehow found out about an extremely ancient forbidden magic mirror and was decently skilled at stealing it without leaving much if any indications of there being a thief at all….
Oh, I do just think I found a wonderful new toy to play with!
Humming happily at acquiring the wonderful mirror from the old man who had no children to pass it onto and was happy someone wanted it I make my way back to the inn where Yin is guarding my new toy after helping me knock him out with her poison earlier.
Skipping into my room I throw my bag in the corner and turn to an amused Yin and a now awake and heavily glaring kid.
"Hello mistress you seem in a good mood, I take it the owner of the mirror accepted your proposal?" Yin questions stretching out and getting up from her position on the floor using her tail to scratch behind her ear getting a slight shiver from me and the kid to it looks like but either way I eventually grin.
"Yep! I managed to convince the guy since he had no children or family left and I gave him a little more than half a million jewels! Money does make things go so much quicker and easier! Also got the kid off too so aren't you glad about that eh kid?" I say happily before turning my tone teasingly to the surprised kid but still gives a mightily suspicious glare.
Kids got good instincts…. Oh, he truly will be such a fun toy!
"Thanks a lot Yin for watching him! you can go back now…. Oh! can you also tell all the others that I'm planning something special so expect to be called in large sometime within the next year?" I ask excitedly thinking on my grand plan getting another amused but curious look from her.
"May I ask what your planning mistress?" She questions tilting her head and giving the old infamous puppy dog eyes getting a chuckle from me and a shake of the head.
"Nope! That would ruin the surprise!" I say popping the P getting a fond chuckle for my efforts.
"Very well then, I shall inform them, see you soon mistress" With a last tilt of her head in farewell she disappears in a flash.
Grinning I spin to face my captive with a clap of my hands and with a skip I gently remove the rag I used as a gag from his mouth and before he can scream like he looks like he's about to probably to say I kidnapped him which to be fair I kind of have done I place my lovely little butterfly knife to his neck right on his jugular and press lightly making him instantly shut his mouth with a loud click.
Smiling sweetly, I giggle slightly in innocent amusement, "Now that we have come to an understanding of exactly what your position is here how about we properly introduce ourselves eh? I'm Akira Heart but you can call me Aki!" I exclaim sitting on the bed next to him finding amusement to his defiant glare.
Smirking I wait a few moments and when it's clear he isn't about to introduce himself I press the dagger on his neck just a little harder and watch him twitch with slight fear in his eyes.
"This is where you reciprocate my introduction with one of your own kid" I tell him casually and with a death glare aimed my way trying to hide his nervousness and a slight gulp he grits out his own name.
"Names Vinnie Mac"
Smirking I remove the dagger watching lazily as a bead of blood bubbles out as I do and twirl my dagger between my fingers as he watches me warily.
"Nice to meet you Vinnie Mac! now that those pesky introductions are out of the way let's get down to business shall we! I've got a proposition for you" I tell him happily as he continues his one-sided glaring match though he looks slightly intrigued though still understandably knowing he doesn't really have much of a choice.
"What kind of proposition"
Word Count: 2547
Not going to lie here, Weislena is my favourite OC in this whole story, no offence to my darling Akira but Weislena is just plain awesome for a side character. Considering she has only just been introduced that is saying something! Anyway, Weislena is pronounced Wes-Lee-Na the I is silent, I don't know if Weislena is an actual name or even word or not I just made it up because it sounded nice XD
OnepieceZoroOc thanks those for anyone reading this! also this chapter is the one before my writing block so I don't know when the next chapter is going to be posted… hopefully soon because I am working on it.