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 Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:04 pm
"Ouch!" Maia looked down to Seamus, frowning slightly. "Alright kitty, we'll go," she muttered. "Sorry, we'll come back later," she lied, looking to the shopkeeper. "C'mon guys."
The next store for sure!
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:09 pm
Seamus began to strain on his leash, and then yelled. Yes, yes, let's go! This place was a sham! As they left, the shop boy could be heard muttering: "wait, is that a cat?"
Toby's shoulders were aching. His feet were protesting. They'd already been out here far longer than necessary and while Maia had some nice new clothes, this was nowhere near where they wanted to be. The cloudy sky was beginning to grow more ominous as well, as if they didn't have enough issues to deal with.
"Alright, one more," Toby said, and for once he was trying to stay positive just for that sad look on Dari's face, "If we don't find anything here, we'll go online."
"If there's anything to the legend at all," Dari said a bit mournfully.
"...come on. It'll be okay."
Seamus bumped Dari's leg and the alien crouched to pet him. Seamus meowed at him and purred, giving a good squint. Yeah, it'd be okay!
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:18 pm
Even Maia was feeling discouraged. She sighed as they went back to the car. Dari's words reminded her how important It was to succeed. "Don't think like that, Dari," she said, looking to him. "All three of us were legends at some point. I bet Lori finds her. We've got two weeks. These can't be the only crystal carrying stores in all Ireland. We'll figure it out."
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:23 pm
Ireland used to be different than it was now, Toby thought. Maybe not in his lifetime, but certainly in those of people he knew. He held the car door open for Dari, who was now clutching their shopping bags like a lifeline, and waited for Seamus to hop up and settle in before he started the drive.
"This one's a little ways away, outside of the shopping district. I dunno, maybe it's fourth time's a charm today. Does the second one even count if it was closed?" He was trying to keep the mood light, but poor Dari. Maybe they should have told him anything about this until they were sure that something could be done.
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:30 pm
"Doesn't count," Maia said, shaking her head. She still seemed a bit discouraged. The two they'd been to had things similar to what they needed--or phonies of what they needed...and this one had to be it. It had to be.
"What will you do if it works, Dari? What's the first thing you want to do?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:45 pm
"I didn't think so," Toby agreed.
Dari's face went vacant, then his lower lip upturned and his brow furrowed. It was painful to even think about life if it worked. It was still a big "if." It would change his life in so many ways! He looked down and considered the question.
"I want to go to the grocery store." It seemed silly. He didn't eat, after all, but the grocery store was a place full of people who wouldn't look twice at another human being. He wanted that feeling of fitting in. "I want to make a cake."
But he may never get to.
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:05 pm
Maia decided they would do that, no matter what. "We'll go to the grocery store," She promised. "And make the best cake." They had to remain positive. They had to succeed. They would. "I want to take you to the movie theater," She said. "It'll be fun."
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:25 pm
Dari just nodded.
They arrived at the shop some time later to find a small two-story structure that was clearly well-cared-for. There was a big star next to the front door, and to the other side a wooden sign that read "Free Spirit." Toby got out and approached.
"Hey, look." He gestured to the signs on and near the door. Some advertised local events or pets for rescue, but directly on the window was an advertisement for 'crystal healing' straight from the shopkeeper themselves. Huh. Well, okay. The place looked a little cheesy but that at least gave him some hope.
" 'Pets welcome'," Dari read, and then looked down to Seamus. "Well close enough, right?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:37 pm
"Looks promising," Maia said. The place wasn't run down like the second shop, and wasn't as cheesy looking as the first.
She led them inside. She looked around. What exactly was crystal healing? Hmmm. She scooped Seamus up as she looked around. "What do you think, kitty? We could get you something pretty." She didn't think he'd take well to a collar, but maybe a crystal attached to the end of a string? Oh, maybe she could find something for Peaches!
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:47 pm
The inside of the shop smelled pleasant and warm, but not of incense or any such smoldering thing. All of the products in the area were hand-bagged and labeled although a few that must have come from elsewhere were more professionally packaged. Smudge sticks, incense, incense burners, worry dolls, stones with faces carved into them, some jewelry but none too flashy or intrusive.
Seamus meowed in reaction to Maia's question. How should he know what to think? Ireland was weird!
It was Seamus that caught the attention of the shopkeeper who stood behind one of the jutting aisles in the small book section. She was a woman in her late forties or early fifties, all natural with grey hair pulled into a braid over one of her shoulders. Her smile was as warm as the shop.
"Hello! Welcome!"
Dari smiled.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked. Her voice was sweet. "Oh, lookit that kitty! What a big boy you are!"
Seamus' tail swayed and he gave a hearty meow. The woman smiled and her eyes crinkled at the corners.
Toby's hopes were rather high.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:53 pm
Maia looked up, smiling at the shop keeper. Seamus had a fan! "This is Seamus," She said, "We're actually looking for aventurine crystals. Maybe in jewelry? Its supposed to be lucky. Do you carry it? It said you do crystal healing?" Maia was still curious about that.
She was hopeful. This woman was kind, and she liked Seamus--and that tended to be a good sign, didn't it?
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 5:09 pm
"Hello, Seamus," the woman said. "I have one of my own. Penny. She's hiding out somewhere around here." She gestured randomly around the room and up and then nodded. "Okay! Well which do you want to see first, the jewelry or the crystals?"
"The jewelry," Dari suddenly piped up.
"Okay!" the shopkeeper said happily, "Then come right on over here- excuse me--" She had to turn sideways a bit to get past the others and around the jutting aisle to get to the jewelry.
"We have a lot of silver and quartz and amethyst... I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for?" She began to peer through the necklaces and rings, looking for something. "See, now this is aventurine," she said, smiling and offering up a ring that had a polished bar of aventurine in it. Dari took it in his hand and looked it over gently. He smiled. "There's a lot of positivity in this place."
"Well, thank you!" the shopkeep said, "We do try."
Toby looked at his list. Huh. That looked far too small.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 5:15 pm
"Do you have anything completely made of aventurine?" Maia asked; she'd been distracted by the chance to see the shopkeeper's cat, but had so far been unable to spot her. "Or maybe a medium sized crystal?" The one on the ring, while nice, was too small.
She looked to Toby after a moment. He was studying the list. "I think amethyst might work, too," she said. "Do you have any chevron amethyst?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 5:20 pm
"Oh! Something bigger, let's see..." the woman looked over her stock and mushed her mouth over to one side. Her wrinkles were mostly smile lines. "Well we do have these." She put her hand beneath a line of crystal point necklaces. "They're good for all different sorts of things, but no aventurine, unfortunately. I don't think any chevron either, but this right here is amethyst." She gestured to a purple one.
"Do you have any raw crystal?" Toby asked, "Like good chunks of just... rock."
The shopkeeper laughed. "Yes! Yes, I do, is that more what you're looking for?"
Toby couldn't help but smile.
A cat, large and fluffy and grey-striped with white, appeared in the back door and stretched. Seamus wriggled to get Maia's attention. Look, another stupid kitty!
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 5:35 pm
Maia looked at the necklaces and admired them. She smiled at the shop keeper. "This ones pretty," she said, pointing to a quarts necklace. She looked to Seamus and petted him. "Oh hi, kitty! You must be Penny!" Maia knelt down to greet the new cat, releasing Seamus.
She spotted polished heart stones, and selected two. She showed them to Toby. "Look. I'm going to buy these."
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