Second Story Bookstore

"Your right! I could! I must never give up!" Emi said jumping up onto her feet.

Rei smiled at her enthusiasm. "I would advise looking for a job, then."

"Yeah, I should really, haha. So.. where do you find jobs? My Daddy never told me." Emi asked looking straight at Rei.

"A newspaper's a good place to look," Rei said, digging through a pile of papers beside her. She pulled a newspaper out and handed part of it to Emi. "There's an entire section in here for people to look for jobs."

"Ohhh, really?! Thank you!" Emi took the part of the newspaper and began to flick through it.

Rei leaned on the cash register and watched. The girl had to be about the same age as Will. "And she's Resistance? She hardly knows how to do normal day-to-day things."

"Um, hey Rei, what job would I be good at doing? Cause I'm not sure, hehe!" She pointed to the paper she was looking at.

"What do you like to do?" Rei asked.

"Me likes to practice my ice alchemy, read, cook and eat sweets. Yays!" Emi started to jump on the spot, then she spotted the clock. "Ahhh, me has to go! My Daddy will not be happy if me is late! Thank you so much! M'kies, byes!" Emi ran down the stairs and out the bakery waving at the same time.

Rei waved uncertainly as the girl raced down the stairs. "Strange people," she muttered, looking around the empty bookstore. It occurred to her that she had had no normal customers in a while. They were all either part of the Resistance, crazy, or both. The only possible exception was Will, and he had his own version of crazy.

She laughed. "I should rename my store the Gathering of Crazies."

Will was still in bed, still sick from last night.

Durin somehow got out of his cage and was standing beside Wills head. He tilted his head, then begun to chant.

Rei was sitting in a chair reading a book. The room was quiet and peaceful. Suddenly, she looked up, hearing something. What sounded like music drifted through the store. She listened for the source, the tune haunting and beautiful. "Upstairs," she thought, putting the book on the seat of her chair and going upstairs.

Tosh climbs through a window, jumping out from it and lands on the floor. She took of her bookbag, opening it up to look at all the money she has collected today. $100 is a good fit, she thought taking her money box. "Lets see, 100 plus the current money I got makes $5,624. Yay! Hehe, this is great~" Tosh said before putting her money together and back in her box. She placed it back into the bag, and sighs heavily climbing into her bed.

Rei heard a window open then muttering in addition to the music. She looked around the room, eyebrows together in concentration. She walked around slowly, trying to find the source. She stopped at a door - Will's room. She quietly opened the door and looked in on the sleeping boy.

The music stopped, Durin back in his cage.

Will was back to normal, and was no longer sick.

Tosh yawns and stretches, ready to eat some food that was probably waiting for her to consume. She walked out the room and rounds a corner whistling.

The music stopped just as Rei opened the door. Looking in saw Will in bed, sleeping peacefully. "What was that?"

[Will, Tosh, Rei ]

Durin looked at Rei and chirped. Then he flapped his wings, sitting with his mouth open, hoping to be fed.

Tosh popped up behind Rei whispering to her, "Gots any foodz?" she asked.

Rei jumped slightly when Tosh appeared behind her. "Huh? Yeah, in the kitchen," she stammered. "Don't make a mess or eat too much. I don't have the money to replace my entire store."

She walked over to Durin's cage and, crushing a worm from Will's store of worms, fed the firebird. "Do you know what that was?" she whispered, not expecting a response.

Durin chirped, rubbing Rei's hand.

Tosh went to the kitchen and retrieved a turkey leg and a bottle of milk from the fridge. She soon returned to the room, starting to nom the leg. "Oh hi Duran!" she whispered.

Rei stroked the bird's feathers and smiled. "You're practically oblivious," she said thoughtfully. She closed the birdcage, deciding to supervise Tosh in the kitchen.

Will opened his eyes and looked around

Tosh started eating the turkey leg and drinking the milk all at the same time, somewhat gorging herself.