After a long exhausting conversation with Giles I decide to head into the magic box for some supplies. With all the magic flyin’ around lately, it never hurts to be too careful, ya’ know?
The beginners magic book had a section on magical herbs and things that I'd like to learn more about. Herbs seem a little less freaky than the blood magic stuff, anyway. So I'm looking through the books at the Magic Box, trying to find something that looks comprehensive but not too arcane and full of Greek and Latin. And with pictures--pictures would be good.
I look up when a woman with hair redder than mine comes in, looking a little rushed.
Just my luck, I finally get the time to come in and do some quality witch-time shopping and there’s no Anya here to help me locate what I need. Which is odd in itself considering she practically lives here. Then I notice an attractive girl lookin’ in the basics section -looking a little lost in the basics section- an’ I can’t help it but smile at her. We all have our starting points, right?
“Hey,” I smile, makin’ my way over to the girl. She’s slender, red hair and way too young to even consider-not that I would-mind you. “You haven’t by chance seen a muscular blonde or snippity shopkeeper around, have you?”
I grin. The snippity shopkeeper I'd seen last weekend when I was here. The muscular blonde I'm guessing is Buffy. "Uh, no one was in here when I came in a few minutes ago, but Buffy hangs in the back sometimes," I say, pointing my thumb in the direction of the door, then add in a low voice, "I'm kinda glad the shopkeeper isn't here, she always looks at me like she wants me to hurry up and buy something when I come in to browse."
I start laughing, “Well, she likes money more than people. People can so rarely be exchanged for goods and/or services,” I frown, “you know, I think she actually said that once.”
The first shipment of the new supplies I ordered came in this morning and so I've spent most of the morning in the back room sorting. If Buffy has a complaint about me using the training room as the store room it is suppoed to be for a few days then... Well, she won't get anywhere with it. Anyone would think she owned the place.
I put down the jar I had been holding when I hear voices out front. Potential customers take precedence over stock, after all and I wnader out to the front of the store.
I don’t think she’s noticed me yet, though she gives Janice a sour look when she passed by. “Hey Anya,” I can’t even remember the last time we talked. Sure, we’re not really the best of friends and I do on occasion want to rip her eyes out, but that’s no excuse not to talk to her. Even if there was that brief period of estrangement a few months ago that was beyond our control.
"Willow," I say, surprised to see her here. "And, well, you," I add to the other girl in the room whose name I don't know but who seems to be spending an increasing amount of time here, but not always to purchase items. "Are you buying today or do you intend simply to read the books and put them back on the shelf again." Then I recall that I am meant to be polite to the customers and smile forcedly. "Please, do that, becasue the customer is always right and I will have no problem selling the books to someone else with your greasy fingerprints all over them."
I glare at the shopkeeper's remarks. "I am buying some stuff and my fingers aren't greasy," I say, annoyed. It was nicer when Buffy was manning the counter, she just sort of didn't care how long I looked at stuff.
I watch Janice leave, feelin’ pretty good about myself before I turn back to Anya, she’s giving me a look that’s a cross between petulance and delight. I’m not sure what I did to deserve that, but I figure it’s better than nothing. I know I came here for some supplies, but it doesn’t hurt to be polite, so I ask, “how’ve you been? Didn’t you go on a trip? I mean, apart from our ill-advised-sabbatical-to-the-past-in-which-you-were-in-eighteenth-century-England-and-I-was-in-what-I-can-only-describe-as-hell-itself--and for the love of Hecate, please stop me.”
"Oh, yes - Cordy and I went to England - we felt the need to get away from here for a while and I decided that it was high time I sourced some more interesting items for the store. After all, we're very specialist and I'm hoping to set up an online branch. If it is to be successful then I have to have something out of the ordinary to offer the distance customer." I have a thought. "Oh! Maybe you could help me set it up." It is useful knowing people who have skills.
She sounds like she’s making it up. I suppose her earlier visit to England wasn’t as traumatic as I’d hoped -thought- “Well, I do have some spare time, and it does give me the chance to get more acquainted with your stock”, why did that sound dirty? “Goddess knows I could use the magic time, I’ve been very slack- ” Anya doesn’t care about that, “um, sure. How soon were you thinkin’ of setting it up?”
"Oh, whenever's convenient," I say airily. After all it was something that has only just occurred to me but it really is a very good idea and if successful could increase the profitability of the store no end. Yes, I really should have thought of this sooner. "When can you start?"
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I look up when a woman with hair redder than mine comes in, looking a little rushed.
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“Hey,” I smile, makin’ my way over to the girl. She’s slender, red hair and way too young to even consider-not that I would-mind you. “You haven’t by chance seen a muscular blonde or snippity shopkeeper around, have you?”
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“I’m Willow, by the way.”
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I put down the jar I had been holding when I hear voices out front. Potential customers take precedence over stock, after all and I wnader out to the front of the store.
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