Prompt 29: Dote the Devil
“S-so you’ve b-been working on th-that since you came b-back?” Yuti asked as she knelt down near the door, surveying the frame with a few scattered papers near her. Mana was sitting on top of the counter, knees bent and crossed as she leaned forward and scrawled on pieces of parchment. There were papers everywhere, although there was some semblance of organization with them. She nodded in response, tapping the end of the quill at her lips.
“Yes. I wrote down several notes on a trip for him- ah, the friend- but I need to expand on it.” She shook her head, “I’m lucky he hasn’t stopped by for it yet.”
“Th-that’s nice of y-you! If… you don’t m-mind me asking, wh-what kind of notes?”
Mana hesitated before she glanced over at Yuti and smiled brightly, “Oh just a bit of history. He has a very strange hobby.”
Yuti nodded, the curiosity not fading from her gaze but she seemed to catch onto Mana’s lackluster summary and turned her attention back to the door.
Things had been eventful to say the least. Mana felt a tad guilty for hiring Yuti to come and redo the wards on her shop, but the Raen had a sneaking suspicion that the Miqo'te woman appreciated the distraction. Yuti’s house had recently been lost. The two of them were content to work on their own endeavors in the same space, although Mana had insisted that they stay on the main floor of the shop. Downstairs would have been far more comfortable with actual couches and a fireplace to sit by, but the Au Ra was avoiding letting anyone down there. Her last visitor had thoroughly wrecked the downstairs doorway and everything along one of the walls and she did not feel like explaining herself. It would have just caused more problems than it was worth. She could have blamed it on the burglary, she supposed but two people would have known that to be a lie.
Yuti was a kind soul though and was content to stay above. Security wards were a bit too complicated for Mana to use, since she could not activate nor control them, but it helped to have an alarm and something to help against the weather. So they worked diligently, although her mind wandered as she absently elaborated on her notes. It was busy work mostly and it didn’t require a lot of thought to expand on her shorthand in a way that Kolven would understand. She still read the words that she had written- in some ways it did have history, although it was the sort that she didn’t want anyone knowing she had gathered together. The information was available to all who knew where to look back at the library, but when notes from certain books were piled together… well, it looked suspicious. She hoped it helped him. A part of her stomach twisted though- this information… was it really going to be useful?
She had never thought about the void or voidkin before. Not until she’d found out about Kolven’s eye. There had only been one incident in her life where such monsters had given her a scare, but she was too young to remember that. Her father had never elaborated either, but she still could piece together brief flashes of memory. Large leathery wings. Stinging eyes. A gnawing hunger. Anger.
Mana paused in her writing and looked up, glancing over her shoulder towards the back workroom. Alchemy was not all about plants. True alchemy, especially when delving into less than savory concoctions, could take pieces from almost everything. Plenty of discoveries had been made by individuals with a penchant for risks and a curiosity of the unknown. If one combined what they knew with what they suspected and didn’t fear a little risk and experimentation, perhaps anything was possible.
It clicked. The answer or at least the riddle was clear to her. She might not be able to lead him to a solution, no but she could make one. This would be unknown territory. It might be dangerous. It would most definitely be new and risky. It was exciting. It was also confusing in a way. Why? Why bother at all? Why did this idea almost… please her?
“You just make everything interesting.” Mana said out loud to herself, a good-natured smirk growing on her features. Yuti’s ears twitched and she looked up.
“D-did you say s-something?”
“Oh! Just talking to myself a little. A bad habit.” She smiled at the Miqo'te before with renewed vigor, she slipped from the counter and began gathering up the papers. The old notes were put to a pile that she would keep while she sorted the fresh ones into another one. Her nimble fingers were meticulous about organizing it all, but her mind was also dancing elsewhere.
After that animal had invaded her shop under the guise of a customer, she had been shaken a bit. It had only solidified her reluctance to keep her shop open for business. Lately ever since her return from Coerthas, the desire had begun to allude her. Or maybe it had just grown loud enough for her to hear it. The tumultuous events had disrupted her life and worse yet, thanks to that visitor, she felt snagged in a net she didn’t want to be in. It was unnerving, but she continued to remind herself that she could handle it. She had treaded in dangerous waters before.
This new idea was also precarious, but at least it was of her own making! In the end if it helped Kolven… well, that was the goal, wasn’t it? She would need help though. She was no adventurer or hunter, especially in regards to those demons. Mana couldn’t ask those she knew, considering the danger and the concern that could arise. This was something that Kolven could be suited for, but…
Mana bit her lower lip, pausing as she opened a drawer to rummage through some packaging material. Then she blinked, the idea clear. A demon to fight a demon. She narrowed her eyes, pausing pensively. They might say no, but if they didn’t then that was her answer. If she was going to be snagged in a net, then she might as well make use of what was caught with her. Mana could spin the terrible deal to at least be… well, a little beneficial.
“R-ribbons?” Yuti had finished working on the door and wandered over to the counter to watch Mana. Out of respect though, her gaze was not focused on the papers and she offered the Raen a smile. Mana paused and looked at her own hands, noting she had taken out a black and red ribbon and cut them into the appropriate length. A laugh bubbled from her and she nodded to Yuti, moving to tie the ribbons around the bundle of fresh papers neatly together.
“It makes it look like a nice gift, doesn’t it? Hopefully he’ll like it.”
“I’m s-sure he’ll appreciate you d-doting on h-him like th-that!” Yuti nodded, tail swaying behind her as if such an idea brought her delight.
“What? Oh, no! No.” Mana’s vibrant cyan eyes widened as she glanced to Yuti and then the papers while her face grew hot. She waved a hand at the air, rapidly shooing away the very notion that her friend suggested. “He’ll roll his eyes at it. Probably will think it’s strange. It’s just to tease him!”
“O-oh! S-sorry! I d-didn’t m-mean to assume! I just… s-sorry!” Yuti looked a bit mortified herself at the assumption and squirmed in place, panic upon her features.
“It’s quite alright! He’s… it’s just an arrangement. I like to think we’re friends, but this is… is purely business. A bit.” Mana cleared her throat and neatly finished tying the ribbons, soon picking up the papers and moving over to set them carefully within the nearby cabinet. Yuti nodded along, ready to accept any explanation at this point.
“I-it m-must keep you b-busy! Th-the arrangements! You s-seem to have a lot with b-business!”
Mana couldn’t help but wince a smile, thinking of bullets, broken horns and lightning. Her neck ached a little bit as she laughed and simply nodded, pushing the papers into place.
Busy or business wasn’t nearly the right word anymore.
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