Window Shopping (Piper)

[duck]

Emet felt like a fool as he entered the city's shopping district. He'd remembered to pack all of his cards, coins, and almost all of the other paraphernalia that he needed to put on a show and somehow managed to forget cards. Cards! He needed them for at least half of his tricks and were such an integral part of his routine that being without them made him feel half naked. He had a few single cards of course, like the ace that was literally up his sleeve, but it wasn't enough! Some of his more complicated displays needed multiple decks to pull off correctly. He sighed irritably and smoothed his dress jacket, adjusting the collar and settled the tailored fabric comfortably on his shoulders. His dress shoes tapped the cobblestone streets quietly as he strolled down the street with his hands in the pockets of his slacks and began to search each shop he passed for one that would have a suitable deck. He ignored the curious looks people cast his way as if they didn't exist when he stopped to peer into the window of a promising store, then scowled as he realized it was a general store.

He resumed his walk and had to pass up another store, though he did go inside to investigate the quality of their cards. He could perform with any old deck of playing cards if he had to, but he felt it would be like a master chef using ever day kitchen knives to make a masterpiece. He needed cards that were the proper weight and size, cards he could just as easily stack on each other as shuffle from hand to hand. His demanding standards forced him to pass up two more stores. Frustration crept into his gaze as he stopped to look in another store. It was another 'general' store but he found a small display tucked into a corner next to a candy display that held a brand he actually recognized. Emet laughed as he snatched up a pack from the rack to inspect them and his eyes gleamed eagerly as he realized he had finally found exactly what he was looking for.

The magician gathered up three sealed decks and turned, then paused to inspect the display next to him. The bright colors boldly displayed that any piece of candy in the moderate sized display was on sale at half price. Dum-dums were displayed prominently underneath the sign with other, 'inferior' candy arranged below it. He wasn't looking where he was going when he turned to head towards the front of the shop, his eyes lingering on the multicolored display of sugar. Emet had to force temptation away as he scanned the selection and he brutally reminded himself that he didn't have enough money to spend on frivolous things like sweets. Not yet, anyway.

[piper]

It was time she restocked her sweets. For Piper this was a secret task to be followed through with the utmost care. She donned large sun glasses that dwarfed her face, her hair was left uncharacteristically down. This was a covert mission. No one should ever know she had a soft spot for sweets. No one. She was standing outside the shop now, lowering her glasses and peering around. She wanted to be sure no one would notice her in the store and seeing as she did not recognize any of the current patrons, she pushed herself into the door. There it was. The glorious fountain that sustained Piper's life. It was like water in the desert or finding a spoon for soup after searching for hours. Her mouth watered and her eyes landed on the prized dum-dum suckers.

The store clerk knew her all to well. Piper was certain he thought her as some sort of freak. But that was only one person. If other people knew she had such ill self control they would assume the worse of her. She grabbed a nearby baggy and started dropping pieces of candy into it, specifically the suckers.

It was about here that she noticed the other guy. He had momentarily hesitated at the candy but then walked away. He obviously had far more self control than Piper did. Her grabbing stopped for a second as she eyed the boy. He walked away. Is he human or do I have a problem? she thought, picking up one of the suckers and eyeing it meticulously.

But she could tell he wanted some. He wanted that candy as bad as she did. She knew it. Piper could bring him over to the dark side. She just needed to try a little,

"Hey. You want some? I could buy it for you," she said. Her moment of bravery left her with dread and a clenching stomach. Nervousness swept over her along with a red tone.

[duck]

Emet hadn't paid much attention to Piper when he passed her on his way to the register other than a polite nod of the head and a friendly smile. His thoughts were already turning to other less important things he had to take care of, like actually finding his way back to his room. He'd been given an address when he first arrived but Death City's layout was so foreign that he was still having trouble navigating the winding cobblestone streets. He'd just begun plotting his course like a medieval sailor when a female voice broke into his thoughts. He turned to see the girl he'd passed looking at him and blushing furiously. She looked positively nervous, as if she'd just asked him out to dinner instead of offering to buy him candy. The offer made Emet's cheeks turn a faint shade of red too, though. Had his hesitation been so obvious? His grin turned sheepish as he turned to face Piper and he unconsciously adjusted the battered fedora on his head.

It took him a moment to compose an answer. Indecision waged a small battle behind his eyes. Pride dictated that he deny the hand out with as much grace as he could manage. He'd have enough to buy his own, especially at the price they were at, after a performance. Besides, Shibusen gave him a small allowance to live on so it wasn't like he needed any candy. He had horrible teeth anyway and even looking at the sweets had probably formed a cavity or something, too. He didn't need it. But if she was offering... they really weren't that expensive and he could pay her back later if it came down to it. His eyes shifted to the display again and the last of his resolve crumbled away in the face of the rainbow colored sugar. He'd figure out some way to pay her back.

"Well if you're offering, I can't really turn you down without seeming rude, can I," he asked with a grin. He plucked his hat off his head with his free hand and performed a small half bow that seemed far more casual than it should have. "Since you're buying me a ticket to my next visit to the dentist, my name is Emet Anderson, magician and meister extraordinaire."
His grin widened as he finished his introduction and returned his fedora to its rightful place on top of his head, adjusted it, and extended a hand towards Piper in an offer to shake.

"I'll be able to pay you back once I get my allowance from the school, too."

[piper]

He had said he would pay her back, to which Piper replied, "It's cool. I have too much money to deal with," immediately she regretted her words. Why would she say that? It made her seem snobby. Her mind didn't want to function properly for some reason unbeknownst to her. She felt a pang of insult when he mentioned the dentist. Was he saying her teeth needed to be cleaned better? She'd already brushed them three times that day and it wasn't even 2 pm yet.

She laughed nervously, "Not that, I just blow my money around. I.. Just.. She stopped her excuse, not knowing what to say. She brushed his arm as she walked to the cashier with the little bag of candy in hand. Her sunglasses still hung over her eyes so she took them off and hooked them onto her shirt, revealing two large redish brown eyes. The cashier took care of her purchase and then she turned to Emet, realizing he had introduced himself and she had pretty much ignored him. Oops. How more awkward could this get? She smiled and mumbled, "Sorry," and then took his hand, "I am Piper. A weapon at Shibusen. Here's your sucker," she pulled her hand away and reached into the bag to hand him one of the sweets, presenting it to him with one arm stuck awkwardly out holding the very end of the small sucker up.

[duck]

Emet shook his head at Piper's response to his offer, no, his promise to pay her back. It went against everything he'd ever learned to accept charity from anyone or for any reason and that included for candy. Especially for candy since it was a luxury! He ignored the flash of jealousy at her comment about having 'too much money,' something he couldn't even comprehend, and barreled on stubbornly. "Nonsense. I can pay you back after I put on a show," he insisted and flicked a card out of his sleeve to demonstrate before he continued, "Maybe two, depending on how the crowds are here. I'm a professional, so I can work for my candy."
He grinned as he finished to prevent the girl from taking any offense at the forcefulness behind his words. The trickster just didn't like accepting charity for any reason and especially not when he could actually do something about it, which he could. The card disappeared back up his sleeve as quickly as it had appeared and Emet quickly raised his hands in protest at Piper's nervous explanation.

"Don't worry about it. I think I know what you meant."
He laughed with her, both in genuine amusement and to keep her embarrassment from escalating any further, and straightened his jacket. He pivoted easily as she brushed against him and followed the Weapon to the register. His eyebrow rose in interest when she removed her sunglasses and exposed eyes that had a curious red tint to them that he'd never seen before. His own shone amber as sunlight from the storefront hit them and they shifted minutely as his gaze darted about, taking in the store yet again. His smile grew into a grin as she shook his hand and finally introduced herself. His calluses, built up from years of practice with coins, contrasted with the smoother parts of his hand to leave a pattern of rough and smooth skin on his palm as he gently squeezed her hand.

He bowed over her hand in yet another antiquated gesture and released her hand while sliding the sucker out of it with nimble fingers. He unwrapped the candy and dropped it into his mouth casually and shifted it around till the stick hung out of the corner of his mouth like a cigarette. Had he actually been smoking Emet would have looked almost exactly like a gangster from the old mafia and his lopsided smile would have been one of a conman rather than a personable magician. Thankfully Emet didn't smoke.

"You're a Weapon? Cool! Am I allowed to ask what kind or is that... rude or something? If it is I'm sorry! I'm just curious. I still don't have a partner, so I don't know what Weapons are like past the few I've met in passing."

[piper]

She smiled. He was very likable; verging on charming. Of course, he seemed offended at her comment and he had right. Why would she of said that? He seemed quick to shrug it off so Piper ran away from the topic and filed it in a "DO NOT OPEN EVER AGAIN" folder in her mind. Emet had the sucker in his mouth already and mumbled through the stick. He wondered what sort of weapon she was. He also was worried whether or not it were rude to ask a weapon that.

To be honest, Piper wasn't sure if it was rude. Her father had taught her a lot of etiquette but anything relating to Shibusen he had never even spoken of. It was her own inquiries that had gotten her shipped away to Death City. She mulled over the question, taking the time to pull out another sucker and unwrapping it. Her nose crinkled as she took in the sour green apple taste and her mouth screwed around it in thought.

"Mmmm.. I am a chain-spear. Might could show you one day. You seem pretty cool," she wanted to move the topic away from her so she shot back, "Are you about to preform? I want to watch! I bet it's so cool," she said, her already wide eyes growing even wider. She had never experienced anything like magic before. Maybe if she bugged him enough he'd let her in on some of the secrets.