Well
it’s another day. After what had happened yesterday, I shuttered to think what
will happen today. I approached the store.
“Aw.”
I see dejected people walking away.
“The world is so cruel. So, cruel I tell you.”
What a weirdo.
“Hm?”
A sign reads “No cat girls here.” Brilliant Elise. Can’t believe that worked. Well it’s time to enter the shop.
“Hello, guys.”
Everyone was quiet.
“So, everyone alright?”
“Boss…”
Klein was slumped on a chair. Seems he hadn’t recovered from yesterday’s event.
“Klein rest.”
I turn over to Elise who is mixing vials around.
“Yes?”
“Oh, I never actually seen you make a potion before?”
“Want to stand next to me and get a closer look. Claude?”
Ah there she goes giving that smug look.
“Elise here are the potions. Wha!”
Elise catches Hana before she can trip and fall over.
“It’s no rush. It’s not like we can sell much anyways.”
“Eh, you’re not opening shop?”
“Well, that’s why Hana and I are mixing potions. We’re out.”
“Ah, sorry about that.”
“Are you not opening shop?”
“The sign hasn’t been changed.”
“What about the small sign then.”
Elise points directly at it. The small sign stand was tucked into the corner. Seems like Klein hadn’t written anything on it. It’s okay Klein, I’ll do it. I grab the brush and walk over to the door.
Ring ring ring.
Elise? You’re not?
I quickly turn around to face Elise. Yep, she is still wearing the bell.
“Elise, the bell.”
“I like it.”
“After what had happened yesterday?”
“It was the car ears that you bought.”
“Yeah, now that I think about it.”
I pause for a second.
“Did you keep the car ears?”
“Oh?”
Elise smiles. Glad to see she still has energy.
“Did you think I looked cute in them?”
“What? No.”
A little. Only a little.
“Aw.”
“Well did you keep them?”
“I threw them out.”
“Elise you did what?”
“Eep.”
I grab Elise by the shoulders. She looked all flustered. She shyly glances at me with teary eyes. But I know she’s going to tease me back. So, I got to watch my words and actions.
“I’m a dead man.”
“Why?”
“The car ears were on my tab.”
“Claude. Naughty.”
“No, I don’t go to the cat café. I would only go if you were there.”
Oops.
“Hm?”
“Look Elise, Klein said they were not accepting money and I had to put it on my tab.”
“Sounds ominous.”
Elise releases from my grip.
“Why was it on your tab and not Klein’s?”
“Now that you mention it.”
I look over to Klein. He is still slumped over. Ah, you deserve the rest I can’t be mad at you today.
“I could have put it on your tab, Elise?”
“Hmph.”
Elise pouted.
“What you don’t want car ears? The customers loved it. Your entire stock was sold out.”
“Nope. It was only for your eyes, Claude.”
Ah. Stop that. I’m blushing again.
Elise giggles.
“Well would you wear it for me again?”
“Haha. Sure.”
“Oh?”
“Claude. Naughty.”
Elise acts smug.
“Don’t say anymore, Elise.”
“Okay.”
“Well I have to decorate my lame sign because someone is being greedy.”
“Who? Is it Claude?”
“Yes. It’s Claude.”
I crossed my arms, closed my eyes and nodded in agreement.
“Wait no it’s you Elise.”
“Eh, it’s just the store sign.”
“That doesn’t have my involvement in it.”
“Okay good luck with that.”
Ring ring.
“Wait I’m doing this by myself?”
“Yes. Problem?”
“Elise?”
“No.”
She returns to her counter.
“Eh, I don’t want to do this alone.”
I pace back and forth. Klein is pass out. Elise won’t help me. Hana likely won’t either. I slouch on over to my counter. It was really quiet. All I could hear were the vials being stirred. Maybe I’ll nap.
“Yep.”
Without Elise’s part of the store being open, no customers were coming in.
“Um, Claude?”
“Yes, Elise?”
I jump up from my seat.
“Do you want to try brewing a potion?”
“I. Why yes. But I never done it.”
“I can teach you a little.”
Elise teaching me. Ha. What an experience.
“I’m sorry about the sign Claude.”
“Hm? Don’t be.”
“I’ll help out with your sign later sometime. Okay?”
“Thank you, Elise.”
“I’m going in the back room, Elise.”
“Alright Hana. If you have any trouble let me know.”
It was just Elise and I by the counter.
“Since you’re new. I’ll let you choose the potion you want to make, Claude.”
“Oh?”
“Just browse through one of the books over there.”
Elise is resting her face on her hand while mixing a potion around with the other.
“Hm? Are there any love potions?”
Elise gives me a smile.
“Claude. Daring.”
“Well?”
“You realize it won’t work on apothecaries if that’s what you’re trying. We’ve developed natural immunities to potions that causes ailments or diseases.”
“Huh.”
“Unless you want Klein to love you.”
“No, no. I already got his love. I wanted yours.”
“I know.”
“Hm? I’m having trouble deciding. There is a lot of variety.”
“Here. I’ll choose this potion for you to make.”
“Once Bright potion?”
“Mmhm.”
“This isn’t an enhancement potion but more of a healing potion. Well a bit of both actually.”
“So, we need some boiled water as the base. We need light crystal shards, and light moon shards. Careful the differences are hardly noticeably. A firekeeper lily, A sprinkle of stardust, and some love.”
“You need love to make a potion?”
“No, I’m messing with you.”
“Aw.”
“Photon wyvern scales, Grim wyvern scales, and finally hope crystals.”
“Claude here is your beaker.”
“Ah, right.”
I hold onto the beaker and move it all about. Very lightweight.
“Okay, so put the light crystal shards and the light moon shards into the beaker. Not too much now, Claude.”
“This much?”
“You can put a little more.”
“I want to dump the whole case then.”
“No, they’re expensive ingredients.”
“Really?”
“No, not really.”
“Crystal shards are usual on the fairer side from a price standpoint. You should know that Claude.”
“And flowers are on the lesser, since you can pick them?”
“Never picked flowers before?”
Elise pulls my hand over to pour the water. She lights the stand with some fire.
“No, I get all my ingredients from the suppliers’ warehouse.”
“Oh, then we should pick some together sometime.”
“Oh? You gather your own ingredients?”
“Hm? Some of them, I know a person who can gather ingredients from more dangerous sources.”
“Like dragon fangs and the like, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you know the price of dragon fangs have gone up?”
“Oh, really? Why?”
“They’ve been used in a lot of weapons lately.”
“Ah, that explains it. Weaponry takes the most priority.”
“Yeah, I realize. I’ve had experience with that.”
“Okay, the firekeeper lily goes in next. Its powder melts the shards. We tend to just use the whole flower. Hope crystals melt extremely fast so they don’t go in next.”
“I’ve never worked with Hope crystals.”
“Well they are rare.”
“Ah, that explains it.”
“The wyvern ingredients go next. Oops I mean the Photon wyvern scales and the Grim wyvern scales.”
“Do you really have to clarify?”
“Well I ‘m teaching you. Usual I short hand terms to Hana. But since you’re new to this, I have to specifically list the ingredients names.”
“Once you become an expert., you just know what’s what. Like I’d say Grim scales, or even stuff like add rare crystals. That’s how other apothecaries usual talk to another when the see the ingredients in front of them.”
“Ah, I understand. Well I think you’re a good teacher.”
“Uh, thanks. It’s really one potion. You could easily create it reading the book.”
“I rather listen to your voice than read some stuffy book.”
“Thanks. Put in the hope crystals next with the stardust last. Then you pour it into a vial and mix it around.”
I did exactly as instruct, as I was swirling the vial, I could see the stardust shining through it reminded me of that night.
“It’s why I chose this potion.”
“Ah.”
“Well I think you’re an excellent teacher and a better apothecary.”
“Nah. Not really.”
“Don’t be modest.”
“Okay.”
Why would think you’re not good Elise?
“Elise, why are you questioning your abilities?”
I stare directly at Elise.
“I’m not. Let it go Claude. I just think there are better apothecaries than me.”
Those thoughts clouded my mind as well. That I was not better than someone. It hurt being compare to everyone else. I was always getting compared to someone else from my parents.
I didn’t have a strain relationship with them. But you could never stop parents from bragging about their kids. I was always considered the failure of the bunch. At least from what I could hear.
Eventually I accepted that I was pretty worthless. It didn’t make me happy but I kept going.
“You’re don’t have to be the best, Elise.”
“I know.”
Elise kept turning her face away from me. I must have made her resurface some bad memories. But instead of ignoring it like last time, I kept going.
My anxiety flared up. Would this conversion kill our relationship?
I don’t know why. If someone got too personal with me, I’d push them away the same. I would do exactly as Elise would, kill the conversion down.
But I wanted to learn more about Elise. More than anything in the world right now. I was going against my own stance on life.
Do I really think I could help her now? Maybe I’m a fool. What changed from last time? I guess it was my acceptance of being who I was. I didn’t know if Elise thought differently.
Maybe that’s where my courage came from. That slight difference.
“Elise, you’re an excellence apothecary. I never seen someone so knowledgeable.”
“It’s just standard stuff. Any apothecary can learn this.”
Elise’s voice was quieting.
“But Elise, I’ve never seen you look at any book when making a potion. You can list ingredients off the top of your head. I can’t do that with alchemy. Hana has never corrected you, where as Klein has corrected me.”
“Claude that’s enough. Thank you. I never thought you observed me so much. Hehe.”
Elise smiles, but I knew Elise put her barrier up.
“Elise stop hiding your pain with a smile. I do the same.”
There it was, I had gone and said it.
“I’m not hiding anything. I appreciate the kind words Claude. Sometimes you can be so sweet.”
Elise gripped my hands with hers but I brushed if off.
“Huh?”
I gripped my hands over Elise’s instead.
“Claude? What are you?”
“Talk to me, Elise. I want to support you. Not as this stupid co-owner but as your damn partner.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about Claude. Are you feeling okay?”
“I am. But you’re not.”
“Of course, because you made me remember something.”
Elise paused. There it was.
“Claude, we were just making a potion. Just leave it be.”
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