bloodstainedshackles:
Dissonance || Nyb & Shizuku
“Really lucky, huh? Hey, that’s interesting. That kinda luck’s gotta be a boon on the store, huh? Maybe like some kind of protection.” After all, it would take another strike of such luck, combined with Nyb’s own bargaining skills, to convince his superiors to let the shop go. He had a great case in mind for it, but of course, whether it would be enough to to make them lose interest entirely in the shop was another matter. So even if it might have just been wishful thinking, the thought that some divine entity had blessed the store as such, Nyb had a strong desire for something like that.
Contemplating on this, he slipped the ring out of the box it came in and slid it over one of his fingers. “It kinda matches my eyes, huh…?” Staring at the glistening gemstone as it sat on his hand, his pulse quickened and he once again felt a tug on his heartstrings. Imperfect or not, it was perfect in his eyes. He had always been kind of a sucker for sparkly, pretty things like this, but he thought this went even beyond that. Whatever the case, he was pleased that it was his now.
“Eh, ahh… A bag for the box would be fine.” But he was already wearing the ring and had no designs for taking it off any time soon.
“It’s good to be in with the young crowd though, isn’t it? When they get older, maybe they’ll even remember this place.” If it was still standing, that was. And Nyb sincerely hoped it would be. “You’re right, though, it looks kinda misleading. But I dunno… It kinda gives it a comfy feeling, at least to me. It’s like… This place isn’t as intimidating as the big retailers, you know? You walk into one of those and not only are you looking to get swindled half the time, but you feel everyone’s eyes on you the entire time. It’s not like that so much here. You’re even able to embrace the idea of the flawed gems and use it to your business advantage. I mean, your prices… Because of that, they have to be the best on the market, right?”
“Protection, huh...That’d be nice, wouldn’t it,” Shizuku laughed softly. Maybe it was right, in a way. The Emerald Clan specialized in shields, after all. Of course, she doubted that there was some force protecting the shop, but it was nice to think about. Well, it wasn’t like it was totally unprotected, given she lived on the second floor and could easily make it down quickly to deal with any intruders stupid enough to try.
Still, she smiled seeing how much he liked the ring. “It does,” she agreed. “That must be why you’re so drawn to it, like you were meant to have it.” Some things happened for a reason, after all. It was just funny how things worked out like that sometimes. She wasn’t superstitious by any means but at the very least, she could believe when things worked out like that.
“Alright then,” she smiled, grabbing a bag and tucking the box inside. He seemed genuinely happy with the purchase, and she couldn’t help but feel happy for him. She was glad the ring was going to such a loving home.
“That is true, and it is nice to see them come in and buy gifts for their friends or significant others.” If there had been a place like this when she and Kaori were still in school, she was sure her friend would have dragged her there and she would have lamented out most of the things there didn’t suit someone like her. That opinion had mostly changed though. At the very least, she did find something that suited her every now and then.
Her smile widened at his assessment though, and she chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it. That was essentially my goal, and why I chose this place. It started to help a friend out, so he could make some money, so I didn’t want it to feel like one of those brand name stores. Keeping a comfortable atmosphere was important to me.” It had also been convenience, with the building already being in her family’s care, so it was both the easiest solution and the best one. “Personally speaking, I think our prices certainly help but...I also feel like everything being handcrafted makes it mean more. Everyone can find something they feel connected to on a more personal level, like that ring there.”













