Moody Youth Starter Kit (is not a euphemism for 'baby')
Ryan Ross was having a No Good, Very Bad Day. And he couldn't even go to Spencer's and listen to him make up creative and painful deaths for the assholes at school because Spencer had the plague and Mrs Smith didn't want Ryan getting sick too. Like Ryan would have minded.
Ryan shoved his hands in his pockets and glared at the world. He was just starting to work himself into a deep dark black mood when he noticed a strangely compelling shop. The sign had Croix Grise painted in gold over a gray primrose and skull design.
"Must be new." Ryan muttered. Curious, he stepped into the shop, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim interior. There was a display of Gothic porcelain dolls to the right and shelves of books to the left. Ryan moved further into the shop past a table of candles and a rack of incense.
"Welcome, Youngling, to the Gray Cross." Ryan turned toward the voice, a woman was standing by an ancient wood and brass resister. She looked the very definition of 'old crone' - gray hair, crooked teeth and long sharp nails clicking against the stone counter top. "Can I help you find something?"
Ryan shrugged, attention caught by the little drawers behind the woman. They looked like a massive card-catalog only labeled with things like 'Crushed Death Watch Beetles' and 'Sassafras Tea'. The woman narrowed her eyes and swept her gaze over him. Ryan shivered, she hummed and tapped the counter twice.
"You'll be wanting the Standard Starter Kit then." She remarked and pulled a box out from under the counter. "Delux Voodoo Doll pack," she added burlap sack to the box. "Dark and Light Candles, Moody Youth Book of Spells." Both were added to the box. Ryan glared and started to protest but the woman just talked over him. "Now, Youngling, you have your choice of tarot cards: Dragons, Wicked Fairies or Penguins."
"Penguins, are you serious?" Ryan finally came up to the counter to peer at the card decks the crone had laid out.
"You'd be surprised at how popular they are, my boy."
The dragons weren't very impressive and the penguins were sickeningly cuddly, but the picture on the Wicked Fairy deck reminded him of Spencer, only with wings and sharper teeth. Ryan pushed the pack closer to the woman and she added it to the box with a few other things.
"How much?" Ryan asked. Some of the things did sound interesting and Spencer would probably get a laugh out the spell book.
The crone grinned and opened a book on the counter. "I tell you what, Youngling. Sign the registry and I'll give it to you for hmm ... ten sixty-three." She grinned widely at him.
Ryan shrugged and signed the blank book. He took the ten from his wallet and counted out the change from his pocket on to the counter top. He had just enough silver and a penny to spare. The crone winked at him, "Have fun, Youngling."
Ryan didn't linger he just thanked her and headed for the exit. He could have sworn he heard her cackling as the shop door closed behind him.
-END-
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