Straight-Up Not Having A Good Time At Night Raven College: Chapter 1

Chapter 12: Egg Destroyers

"Whatever your wayward little hearts desire, I personally guarantee that anything and everything is....IN STOCK NOW!"

"Um," Kat said awkwardly, blinking back into the... Shopkeeper's?- Blindingly white grin.
"I..."
She looked back over at Deuce again.

It looked like he'd finally caught wind of what was going on.
Coming over, he cleared his throat.
"Um... We'd like to buy all the items on this list, please," he said politely, proffering the folded piece of notebook paper.

The shopkeeper turned to face him.
He stepped away from Kat, taking the list, and Grim jumped out of her arms, running over to Deuce with a grin.
"Ooh-- an' I'd also like a couple cans of tuna, too!"

"Hang on," Deuce interjected, putting his fists on his hips and scowling at Grim. "We didn't come here for tuna!"

Turning back to the shopkeeper, he gave a small, polite bow.
"Just the things on the list, please."

"Well now-- let's see, let's see..."
The young man flipped open the folded list. He scanned it with a critical eye, raising his eyebrows and nodding.
"Fresh cream, eggs, fruit cocktail.... Well, well, well! Isn't this quite a sweet lineup!"

He folded the paper in one hand, waving cheerfully.
"OKAY! I'll be sure to get everything right away for you!"

Tucking the list away into his jacket, he winked, touching the brim of his hat.
Then he turned, striding across the shop and vanishing through a doorway with a tapestry and bead curtains hung haphazardly over it.

"Ohhh..."
Deuce's eyes widened in surprise.
"I guess he really DOES have that stuff, huh?"

He walked over to Kat, stopping a little ways away from her and looking at her in concern.
"Are you okay, Prefect?"

Kat shook her head, looking at him. "Y-Yeah... I'm fine. The dude just kinda jumpscared me a little bit..."

First Crowley, then Lilia, now this guy, she thought. Is it an NRC thing to just pop up out of nowhere like Batman?

She barely had time to complete the thought before the shopkeeper reappeared...
From a doorway on the opposite side of the one he'd disappeared into.

"Thank you for waiting!" He announced proudly.
He strolled over to what was probably the counter, even though it didn't have a cash register or anything on it.
Both his arms were laden with white plastic grocery bags, but he didn't seem to be breaking a sweat, or even so much as a wobble.
With another grin, he deposited them on the counter, brushing his hands together.

Kat's eyebrows raised, and she looked at Deuce, who seemed to be just as surprised as she was.
"Wow," she commented quietly, following him.

Deuce approached the counter, pulling Trey's wallet out of his pants pocket.
"Th-Thank you," he ventured.

"Hey, no problem, little imp!" The shopkeeper replied, spreading his arms magnanimously and winking.
"All this is pretty heavy, though... Will you two be able to carry all this?"

"Um-- I think we'll be okay," Deuce said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right, Prefect?"
He looked over at Kat, who nodded.
"Yeah, I think so," she said. "Thank you, though."

"You sure?" The shopkeeper asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. "As it happens..."

He snapped his fingers.

There was a loud whirring sound, like an RC drone, and something zipped out of one of the doors. It zoomed around in a wide circle over their heads.

Kat ducked instinctively, hair blowing in the wind kicked up by the object.
It came to a hover at the shopkeeper's side, bobbing slightly.