16th Trial of Ymiden, Arc 720.
Nicholas stood behind the store desk, elbows propped against it, back in a slight curve, and eyes roaming the human traffic buzzing past the windows. It was a slow, hot day with only a few customers coming in. There was an old man that needed one of their more common pain killers, a couple of delivery boys that came for some custom orders and a guy who was so ordinary that the boy had forgotten about his visit or what he came to pick up once he was out of the door. Almost anyone else would panic about something like that but employees of Serpent's Remedies had already gotten through that stage. While the master doesn't mind, they don't care.
He still remembers how weird it was at first when he noticed that every other person here called Inkwell "Master". The man itself didn't indicate throughout their interactions that he wished to be called such and the youngest of Eroberns was suspicious it wasn't his idea in the first place. As he had asked around no one really knows why they were doing it, beyond the explanation "The guys before me were calling him like that." It made sense and Nicholas didn't prod afterward.
Back to the present, as there weren’t many people at the moment Nicholas should have been doing something else. Heck, he had quite a list of chores like dusting, checking stock, making a list of ointments and remedies that should be re-filled, making some of them, just to name a few of the responsibilities. Working here was nice, but the place was for sure busy. If there weren’t orders to fulfill then they were just packed with customers on the spot. If like today, it was empty there was, for sure, a long list of orders and more common remedies that were in need of making. On top of that, and the boy gave a guilty look at his backpack behind the counter, he had an assignment to hand in a couple of trials. The redhead should definitely stop lazing around.
There was a sudden ring of the bell attached to the door, the moment where the noise from outside crawled into the room, filled the space, and then left as soon, as the doors were closed again. Instantly, a small, polite smile formed on Nicholas's face, back straightened out, him already feeling how his voice was preparing itself to go in “clerk” mode. It was slightly calmer, less all-over-the-place, and much softer then what he uses every day. People even mixed it up often for a female voice.
” Hello and welcome to Serpent’s Remedies!” Nicholas spoke as he took in the person that just arrived. And his brain froze. Just...Froze. Everything just stopped, all higher functions died as he had decided to snack on some of the backroom mushrooms again (it was a dare). There were some large, well-defined muscles just there...In front of him...Saying something...
” Wait!!? Talking muscles?” Upon that thought he snapped out of the daze and directed his eyes to the man’s face.
”...Suggested coming here.” The guy finished, looking slightly out of place. Nicholas swore that one day he will find a way to kick his own ass.
” Yes, yes...Sure! We have everything and...Yeee, if we don’t have it...Emmm, we can make it.” Nicholas had a half of mind to just jump out of the window now, run home and never look back. The man looked equally awkward, his eyes shifting from left to right, never landing on the redhead.
” So...I apologize, but...What you wanted, again?” That seemed to work the trick as the 200 pounds of muscle looked in his direction, chewing on the bottom lip.
” Muscle pain...Something for sore muscles.” The customer almost whispered, his body radiating awkwardness. Or, maybe, Nicholas was just channeling himself at that moment. Anyway, once the man had spoken out the redhead's mind had already decided where to take his body while trying very hard to not imagine how one gets sore muscles. Had it been mentioned that it has been a while since his last successful date?