👀🦇: Curious Eyes
The morning sun had barely climbed high enough to chase away the cool mist when Lena and Lixia arrived at the market. The cobblestone streets were already bustling with activity—vendors setting up their stalls, baskets of fresh produce stacked high, and the air filled with the rich scent of baked bread, roasted nuts, and herbs.
"We're here to check the delivery of mana crystals and copper sheets, right?" Lena asked, adjusting the strap of her satchel as they walked. "No detours, no touching random tools, no—
"Of course, of course," Lixia replied, though her eyes were already darting everywhere, scanning each stall with a sharp, critical gaze that looked far too old for her youthful face. "I know the drill. But that doesn't mean I can't observe what passes for 'quality' around here."
Before Lena could even reply, Lixia had already stopped in front of a stall selling iron fasteners and hinges. She picked one up, turned it over once, and let out a sound somewhere between a scoff and a sigh.
"Pfft. Look at this. Forged too quickly, uneven tempering. If you hang a door on these, it'll warp and stick within a month. And the finish? Barely polished. It'll rust through in a single rainy season."
The merchant, a burly man with a thick beard, turned around ready to snap at anyone who criticized his goods—until he saw Lixia holding the piece, her expression one of obvious disappointment. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, suddenly looking nervous.
"Ah—well, they're standard grade, miss! Good enough for most uses!" he stammered.
"Standard grade shouldn't mean bad grade," Lixia said, setting it back down with a clink. "You're wasting good ore and good labor making things that won't last."
The merchant just scratched his head and nodded rapidly, not daring to argue. "Y-yes, miss. I'll... I'll speak to the smith about it."
Lena hurried over, cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and gave the man an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry—she's very particular about craftsmanship. Please don't take it personally."
As they walked away, Lena hissed softly, "Lixia! You can't just go around telling merchants their work is rubbish! Half of them will throw us out of the market!"
"Rubbish is rubbish," Lixia said, unbothered, already eyeing the next stall. "I've been forging and building things for longer than most of these men have been alive. I know bad work when I see it. Besides, did you see how quiet he got? He knew I was right."
They moved on, but it happened again and again. A stall selling glass vials got lectured about uneven thickness and poor annealing. A seller of wooden planks was told his wood wasn't properly dried and would crack. Even a potter got a thorough review on the shape of his spouts—"Too narrow, the liquid will splash instead of pour. It's basic physics, really."
Every time, the merchants would start off defensive, only to shrink back under Lixia's sharp, knowledgeable comments, their stubbornness melting away like snow under sunlight. Lena spent most of the walk rushing behind her, bowing, apologizing, and trying to smooth over the tension, her face growing tired by the minute.
"Honestly, Lixia," Lena said, exasperated, as they paused near a wider aisle. "You're going to give us a reputation as the most difficult customers in the entire city."
"Better to be known as difficult than ignorant," Lixia huffed, crossing her arms. "If they don't learn how to make things right, they'll just keep wasting everyone's time. Someone has to tell them."
"IÂ can tell them nicely," Lena muttered, though she was already reaching into her pouch to hand a coin to a nearby fruit seller just to make up for Lixia's earlier comment about his baskets being "loosely woven."
Before Lixia could reply, a loud, energetic voice cut through the noise of the market from further down the street.
"Step right up! See the wonder of the new age! No more heavy lifting, no more sore backs! Let the magic do the work for you!"
Both of them turned their heads. A small crowd had gathered around a stall, where a young man was gesturing wildly toward a metal device mounted on a wooden frame.
Lixia's eyes immediately lit up, her earlier complaints forgotten.
"Oh~? Interesting... let's see if it's truly effective and convenient for others," she said, already starting to move toward the crowd.
"LIXIA, WAIT—!" Lena called out, reaching out to grab her arm.
But it was too late. Lixia had already slipped through the gap between two stalls and vanished into the gathering of onlookers, curiosity pulling her forward faster than Lena could stop her.
Lena let out a long, dramatic sigh, her shoulders slumping. "Of course. Of course she does. One minute we're here for supplies, the next we're investigating every new gadget in town."
She shook her head, and turned to look around while she waited.
As her gaze drifted across the row of shops, she paused.
Her eyes landed on a small, neat building tucked between a busy bakery and a cloth merchant. It had a simple wooden sign hanging above the door, painted in soft gold letters: Dunham Pharmacy – Remedies & Skincare.
Lena tilted her head, frowning slightly.
Was this shop here before? she wondered, stepping closer to get a better look. I come to this market at least twice a month, and I've walked this same path a hundred times. I don't remember seeing it at all...
The exterior was modest but clean. Large windows let in plenty of light, and through the glass, she could see rows of jars and bottles arranged neatly on shelves, looking organized and inviting. It didn't look like the loud, busy stalls around it—there was a quiet, calm air about it that felt completely out of place in the bustling marketplace.
Curiosity tugged at her. It wasn't just the name that felt familiar; there was something about the way it looked that made her want to step inside.
Mother's pharmacy? But she runs it from the house... when did she open a branch here?
Lena hesitated only a moment longer, then pushed open the door, the little bell above it jingling softly as she crossed the threshold.
🌿💥: New Finds and Familiar Chaos
The little bell above the door jingled softly as Lena stepped inside. The air was cool and smelled of dried herbs, sweet flowers, and something clean and fresh—nothing like the noise and dust of the street outside. Rows of wooden shelves lined the walls, filled with glass jars, ceramic bottles, and neatly labeled boxes. Sunlight filtered through the windows, making the contents inside glow gently, and the whole place felt calm, organized, and welcoming.
Lena walked slowly, her eyes drifting from one shelf to the next, taking in everything. It was clearly a well-kept shop, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that it had appeared out of nowhere.
"Welcome!"
A bright, cheerful voice rang out from behind the main counter.
Lena turned around to see a young girl standing there—she looked around the two year's younger than her, with long, vibrant green hair tied back in a loose braid and pointed ears that marked her as an elf. Her eyes were warm and friendly, and she wore a clean, simple apron over her clothes.
An elf...?
"Feel free to look around," the girl said with a smile. "If you're interested, we have a wonderful selection of skincare and cosmetic products, as well as remedies for all kinds of minor ailments."
Lena raised both her hands in a quick, frantic gesture, her eyes widening slightly. "Uh... no! Thank you, but I'm not here to buy cosmetics or medicine. I'm just... looking around. That's all."
The girl blinked, then smiled again, unfazed. "Oh, is that so? Well then, would you like me to guide you and explain what we have here?"
"No, no need," Lena said quickly, shaking her head. "I can look around by myself, thank you."
"Very well! Just call if you need anything," the elf replied, leaning against the counter casually.
Lena wandered deeper into the shop, her gaze moving thoughtfully over the shelves. She wasn't sure what she was looking for exactly—just satisfying her curiosity—but as she turned toward the back section, her eyes landed on a small, unassuming jar with a plain white label. It sat between bottles of healing salves and herbal tonics, and something about the description caught her attention.
She picked it up, turning it over in her hands, then called out softly. "Excuse me... about this product here."
The green-haired girl walked over immediately, her steps light and quick. She leaned in slightly to look at the jar Lena was holding and nodded with recognition.
"Ah, that one! It's called Preservative Solution," she explained. "It works to slow down or stop decay and deterioration. It can be used on skin to keep it fresh and protected, on fabric to prevent rot and weakening, and even on metal parts to stop rust and corrosion from setting in."
Lena's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Really? It works on all those different things?"
"Absolutely!" the girl said proudly. "It's formulated to be gentle enough for organic materials but strong enough to protect hard surfaces too. Just a thin coat is enough to last for several months."
Lena stared at the jar, her mind already working fast. So it's basically a universal inhibitor... she thought. This is exactly what we need! It will help Lixia so much with maintaining the moving parts and mana circuits in her inventions—they always wear down or rust far too quickly.
She looked up with a grateful smile. "That sounds perfect. I'll take one, please."
The girl's expression brightened instantly. "Wonderful! Follow me to the counter, then."
They walked back to the front, and the girl set the jar down gently. "That will be three silver coins and two copper pieces, please."
Lena reached into her satchel and counted out the exact amount, placing it on the counter without hesitation. "Here you go."
Just as the coins clinked softly against the wood—
BOOM!
A loud, muffled explosion came from somewhere behind the back wall of the shop, followed by the sound of shattering glass and a small cloud of dust drifting out from under the door to the storage room.
The elf girl's eyes went round. "YOUNG MASTER!"
She turned back to Lena, looking flustered and apologetic, and bowed her head deeply. "I am so sorry about that! Please forgive the noise—my master is a bit... eccentric when it comes to his experiments. He means well, but sometimes things don't go exactly as planned."
Lena let out a small, nervous laugh, wiping a bead of sweat from her temple. "It's alright, really. I understand perfectly."
Looks like I'm not the only one stuck with a chaotic companion who loves to tinker, she thought dryly, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
The girl quickly wrapped the jar in soft paper and placed it in a small cloth bag, handing it over. "Here you are! Thank you for your purchase.
Before Lena could say another word, the elf turned and hurried toward the back door, calling out, "I'm coming! Don't touch anything else until I get there!"
Lena shook her head, smiling to herself, and walked back out into the sunlight. The bell jingled again as she closed the door behind her.
She had barely taken three steps away when a familiar voice called out from the crowd.
"Young Mistress! There you are!"
Lena turned to see Lixia pushing her way through the people, looking pleased with herself and even a little smug.
"Here I am," Lena replied, tucking the bag safely into her satchel. "Did you finish inspecting that invention?"
Lixia nodded vigorously, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh yes! I took a very close look. It was poorly designed, weak in structure, and the mana flow was all wrong—no wonder it could barely lift half the weight it claimed to! I had to tell the inventor exactly what was wrong with it, of course."
Lena's expression went completely deadpan. Of course you did, she thought, already imagining the poor young man getting an earful from a centuries-old vampire who knew far more about engineering than he ever would.
"But," Lixia added, her tone softening just a little, "I also gave him a few simple tips to fix the flaws and make it actually work properly. He looked like he was about to cry, but he was writing down every word I said, so I suppose it will turn out fine."
"Is that so..." Lena said, sounding more amused than surprised. She gestured toward the direction they needed to go. "Come on, let's get back to the workshop. I found something useful while you were busy causing trouble."
As they walked side by side, talking about the day's finds, the scene shifted back to the pharmacy.
In the back storage room, Paul was kneeling on the floor amidst broken vials and scattered herbs, looking at the new hole he had accidentally blown into the wall with a mix of frustration and scientific curiosity. Standing over him, hands on her hips and green hair swaying with every sharp movement, Lisse was giving him a thorough, scolding lecture.
"Young master! I told you to heat the mixture slowly—not blast it with concentrated liquid! Look at this mess! We just repaired the table last week, and now you've made a hole in the wall too! Do you want us to get evicted?!"
Paul sighed, picking up a piece of broken glass. "The formula was correct. The reaction was just... more energetic than calculated."
"More energetic?! You nearly blew the roof off!" Lisse huffed, grabbing a broom. "Kneel there and think about what you've done while I clean this up!"
And so, while two pairs of inventors and their partners went about their days, the small threads of their lives were slowly starting to weave together, whether they realized it or not.