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Aphismet rolled up his sleeves for the third time today. They were being rather difficult, since he'd lost the pins he normally used to keep his longer sleeves tied.

Aph glanced over to Rivener, hoping the Frei wasn't completely annoyed just yet. As usual, every girl that came into the shop instantly drifted towards the gorgeous Raevan... until Riv lifted his eyes and flayed their skin off with his glare. Then they left him well enough alone. It wasn't so good for business, but at least Rivener hadn't poisoned anyone yet.

The Frei was working at one of the tables; he'd brought a beginner's book to physics, hoping he could learn enough to keep up with Aphismet in this difficult subject... Aph was no genius, but he DID know more about physics than Riv did. This was much harder than math, so Riv wanted to learn the basics before getting into Aph's books. Thanks to this demanding work, the Frei was, for once, behaving.

Aph smiled.

"Aphi!" Sam called as he walked past, "I'm going out for my break, mind the front counter for a few minutes, would ya?"

"Sure," Aph replied. He did this every day for a few minutes, but never liked it. Dealing with people was always hit or miss... Dreading the front door's bell, Aph walked up to the counter, ready to take orders if there were any.

Aphismet gulped loudly as a client came in, thanking his lucky stars that, at least, it wasn't a girl. He was always too shy to deal with girls properly. Doing his best to remain calm, probably wearing one of the most fearful expressions ever made by a human face, Aphismet listened to the order carefully, ringing it in as the man spoke.

He then heard the thin sound of the man placing something on the counter.

"A...a coupon?" Aph asked, looking for all the world like he was about to cry as he glanced down at the small strip of paper. "H-how.. how do I, erm..." The man muttered to himself as he looked at the buttons on the machine in front of him.

"If it's the fifty percent off with a large order," Rivener piped up from over on the table, "You have to push the Bonus one, then enter the full price and it will calculate it for you."

Aphismet, startled, looked up at the client. "Erm, excuse me... Rivener, what do I do if I rang it in already?!"

Rivener sighed, looking to the ceiling. He closed his book, using the pencil to keep his page, and floated over, nodding a curt hello to Asahi. He leaned over the machine, hit a few buttons, and then leaned back, crossing his arms. "There, all done. Now try not to mess it up even more."

Aphismet blushed hotly. "Erm, any drinks with that, sir?" he asked the customer.

Aph had just been about to hit a certain button, but he yanked his hand back quickly before it decided to hit that button anyway. He grinned sheepishly at the man, and nodded.

"Medium cola, coming up." He reached forward tentatively and pushed a different button, then printed out the order and placed it on his prep table. "Erm, cola first, right," he muttered to himself as he fished a cold can from the refrigerator. "Here," he announced. "I'll get to work on your order right away."

Relieved that he could go back to doing work he was more comfortable with, Aph turned and hurried to the prep table, starting on the personal pizza.

Rivener levelled his gaze at the client. A handsome man. Had a strange aura about him. Riv smiled at him for a moment before floating behind the counter, keeping "watch" at the usual counter person's place. He leaned his elbows on the cold counter, and blinked at the newcomer.

"Never seen you in here before," Rivener said in a voice much different than the one he used with Aphi; it was now mellow, honeyed, seductive.

Rivener smiled, tilting his head. "I haven't been alive very long, so I wouldn't have met you a year ago. ...You have nice hair," the Frei added, reaching out to touch the strand of hair if the stranger would let him.

Aphismet glanced over his shoulder for a second after he'd put the small pizza into the over. His eyes widened to plates when he saw what Rivener was doing, trying to touch a customer!

"Rivener!!" he yelled, running to the front of the shop and grabbing one of Riv's arms, pulling him back a bit. "You can't just touch people! Oh, I'm so sorry sir..." Aph bowed his head and apologized profusely.

Aphismet smiled apologetically and shook his head. "I'm really sorry, he didn't mean anything by it..."

Rivener sniffed angrily, and turned his head away, sending his own long hair flipping over his shoulder. He yanked his arm out of Aph's grasp, and floated back to his table, glaring at his guardian. Always spoiling his fun.

Aph continued: "Your, um... Your pizza should be ready soon. Th-the smaller one, that is... I'll uh, understand if you don't want to eat it here." The pizza cook turned and rushed to the back of the store, removing the personal pie from the oven; not a minute too late. He placed it on a paper plate and brought it to the front, also carrying a carton box if the customer decided not to eat here.

"Here's a box if you want to take it to go... I'll, um, go cook the bigger one now." Aph smiled sheepishly and walked back to his prep area.

Aphismet constantly looked over his shoulder, keeping an eye on his Raevan as he placed all the ingredients on the Classic. As a result, the pizza wasn't as well-balanced as it usually would be, but it would still be delicious, no doubt. Aph hurried to place the pizza in the wood oven before hurrying back to the front of the shop.

"It shouldn't be long," Aph said.

His face paled greatly as he spied Rivener, who was grinning evilly and stretching his wings, red eyes glacing between the necromancer and the pizza maker. Aph knew what the movement meant; Riv was threatening to poison the customer!

Letting out a yelp, Aph hurried out from behind the counter and came to stand between Riv and the other man, frowning as he berated. "Riv, stop doing that, seriously! If you do that again I'm taking back to Dr Kyou and I'll have you... dissassembled or something!"

Rivener glared hotly. "You'd do that?!" he hissed.

"I, erm... W-well I... Just don't poison customers, ok?" Aph blushed, thinking he may have crossed the line this time.

Aphismet, slowly backing away from Rivener (who was narrowing his eyes at the guardian quite threateningly), chuckled nervously as he answered Kumo's question.

"Errr, yes... I take it you know him, then? You're a doctor too?"

After all, this man didn't look like any of the guardians Aph had seen at the party, that one time... Could he be a rival of Kyou's? Perhaps Aph shouldn't be talking about his Raevan?