All In a Day's Work [Open]

Arthur stepped into his Apothecary, holding Theban close to his chest. It was still dark outside, which meant that his internal clock had awoken him much earlier than normal. That was alright though; it meant that he had more time to straighten things up before opening shop. He set the rabbit down and shooed him off to his window seat, grabbing his copper kettle. He nodded to the fireplace and watched the flames start to burn, setting the kettle over them.

With a snap of his fingers, Arthur flicked the lamps in the room on, moving over to his register and unlocking it for the day. He grabbed his staff, tapping the register twice and resecuring his anti-theft spells. He gave a wide gesture with the elder wood staff and smiled at his newly dusted shop, and newly polished vials. He refilled the candy bowl with another nod, and, after checking over the shop, crossed the floor to his door.

Arthur flipped the sign just as the sun was beginning to peek over Mythos, unlocking the door and opening it wide, securing it with the crystal set aside for this very reason.

In the few hundred years she had been living exclusively outside of the Kingdom Under the Hills, there were a few things Rosy had never been able to adjust to. People rarely feasted and it was never for the extended lengths she was familiar with. She would not find gifts left out for her and assuming something was meant for her without ascertaining it was a bad idea. Perhaps the most difficult concept others expected her to adhere to was the rigidity of time. Out here it always seemed to more forward in such a precise, unwavering manner, that it left no wiggle room. Back in the Kingdom, time had always been so fluid, slowing, quickening, sometimes it even doubled back over itself.

This is why Rosy was walking down main street at dawn, having only closed the pub eight minutes ago. There was no way of telling when she'd open it again, it could be a matter of hours or another full day. The streets were very empty so early, so Roisin amused herself by studying the buildings along the way. New ones seemed to spring up overnight in her mind, but then again, she never noticed things when she was drifting.

Something caught her attention from the side and she came to a stop in front of the Apothecary store front. She didn't remember when it had shown up, nor could she ever remember going inside before, but she had the feeling she should.

And so she did, stepping inside silently and looking around in subtle fascination at all that lay within.

Arthur looked up at the sound of his spell activating to let him know that he had a customer. The tinkling bells also caused Theban to look up from his nap. He snorted and snuffled into the pillows and sunbeams to sleep more. Arthur set down a cup of tea before him, smiling at the woman who stepped inside.

"Good morning, miss." He greeted, heading back over to his kettle. "How can I help you on this fine day?" He poured himself a mug of tea and offered the kettle to her. "Some tea?"

Roisin glanced over at the young man who must be the owner. He was dressed well and had a pleasant look to him that reminded her of home. She smiled sweetly back at him. "Good morning to you, too," she said, voice gentle and lyrical in a way that most people's weren't after spending all night awake. "It's a rather sudden one," she confided, "Caught me completely by surprise."

"Some tea would be lovely," she said, walking over. Now that she had a better look at him, she realized he was the new councilman. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak with him yet because she had missed the last meeting. Another casualty of her refusal to wear a watch. "But I'm not sure how you can help me, I don't know what I need help with."

Arthur laughed a little and made her a cup, offering it over. "Well, I'm Arthur Kirkland, resident mage." He held out his hand for her to shake, before offering milk and sugar. "If you need any sort of potion or balm, this is the place to come to, I assure you."

As he walked, the potions started rearranging themselves, getting into a fresh order for his other customers. "Has anything been bothering you lately? Stress, lack of sleep?"

Roisin decided she liked his laugh, and chuckled lightly with him, accepting the teacup. "Arthur Kirkland..." she repeated, "Yes. That sounds right. They call me Roisin Gallagher." She shook his hand with gentle but firm grip, noting that his fingers felt somewhat rough, no doubt from the tools he used in his trade.

She overlooked the sugar, but took the milk, pouring it into her tea until it reached the very brim and was an almost white pale color. The drink should have tottered and sloshed over the edges, but the surface barely rippled as she lifted it to her lips and took a sip. She considered his words briefly before answering, "Dreams have been bothering me."

Arthur sipped at his tea and regarded Roisin with curiosity, especially her cup of tea that failed to obey gravity. "Dreams?" He nodded to the bench in front of his fireplace. "Have a seat and tell me about them. Are they disturbing? Frightening? Prophetic?"

As she sat down, Arthur gestured, summoning a few of his potions about dreams. "I can give you a dreamless sleep if you so choose . . .?"

Roisin moved over to the bench he indicated, feet silent on the wooden floors. She sat lightly, tea cup still held in her grasp.

Her eyes followed the potions dancing through the air. It was an amusing sight and she smiled as they moved. "The dreams are..." she trailed off, unsure how to describe them in a way that made sense. "They are persistent. Not very disturbing, except that they like to slip in when I wouldn't want them to. They are very much like the world, except distant from it." She watched him with curiosity. "Will it work while I'm waking, too?"

Arthur considered this, his mind growing baffled as he pondered the situation. Finally after a long moment, he sent the potions and examined Roisin with narrowed eyes. "Roisin . . . . Forgive my forward manner, but, what are you? You're certainly not human."

His gut churned as he considered her, and worst case scenarios played in his head. His fingers twitched, aching for the familiar feel of his elderwood staff.

"There's nothing to excuse," she replied mildly, "Everyone seems very open, nowadays. It's rather refreshing." She paused to take another sip of her milky tea, savoring the flavor.

"I am Sidhe."

She then took another sip, completely unconcerned. She tilted her head to one side. "Will that change how you approach the dream problem?"

Arthur tensed immediately and shot up, his cup falling to the floor and shattering in a mess of porcelain and tea. He stretched out his arm, grabbing a hold of the staff that came flying and pointing it threateningly at Roisin. "I warn you. I will go nowhere without a fight. Your kind may have come before, but you now have the youngest, angriest and strongest Kirkland brother to mess with. My powers are unrivaled in the world of magic."

Well, people didn't usually react like that. She blinked at the young man with his staff and took another sip of tea. "Why would you be going anywhere? We just started talking, after all," she said, still sounding calm if somewhat confused, "I thought it was considered rude to leave in the middle of a conversation, or has that changed?"

She took another sip of tea, noting that there was less then half left in her cup. It was a shame, especially since some of it had already been wasted on the floor. She stood up and decided to fill it a bit more, stepping delicately over the shards of porcelain and past the obviously distraught mage. After pouring a bit more milk into the cup, she moved past him again and took her seat again.

"You seem upset," she noted, just as calmly as before, "I assure you that you have no need to be, on my account." She then took another sip and smiled. Lovely.

Arthur's eyes narrowed further and he took a breath, focusing on Roisin. "Leave my store." He ordered gruffly, pointing his staff at the door. "Never darken my doorstep, nor invite any other of your kind into my place of residence. I may have no power over you, but rest assured, I will hunt down your full name and use it to punish you, should I be visited by another Sidhe." He growled, slamming the staff against his wooden floor and shooting sparks into the air. "Leave!"

Roisin regarded the mage in a new light. The young man was much more aggressive than she had anticipated. It was completely unprecedented in her time in Mythos. She kept a level gaze on him and his display as she set her tea cup to one side, careful as always to make sure none spilled. "Have I offended you in some way?" she asked, voice cool and steady, "You are acting most inhospitable."

She rose to her feet in one smooth motion, head held unbending. "The threats you make are very serious, young mage. You should put more thought into who you level them at," she spoke with an unwavering voice. Her eyes were sharp as she studied Arthur. "If you should cross paths with any other Sidhe, it will not be by my doing. I have neither seen nor spoken with any of my people since before the time of your grandparents." In truth, it had been since before his grandparents' grandparents' time, but that was beside the point.

Roisin moved to the window of the store. "If you wish me gone so badly, I'll finish with what I came here for and be on my way," she said, not facing the angry boy. Here was what had drawn her to the Apothecary in the first place. Her hands extended and picked up a saucer of milk from where it had been set on the sill. She lifted it to her lips and drank.

"I know exactly what I am leveling my threats at." Arthur snapped, glowering at Roisin. His eyes narrowed, watching her as she moved, before gaping at her as she approached the bowl of milk. "H-Hey! That's not left for any Sidhe to drink from!"

An embarrassed flush crossed his face and Arthur, clutched his staff. He was almost hiding behind it, like a scared and embarrassed little boy. "Th-That's for pixies and those who bring luck!"