Second Story Bookstore

Will slowly climbed the stairs to the store. He had nearly no energy left to work with, after what he did in the tavern........ he was using the alchemy too much.......... Will crawled up the next staircase, and before he reached his room, he collapsed on the floor, unable to move.

Joseph comes in and looks around.
"Hm."

Ace followed Joseph in and let out a hearty, "Mhm."

Rei walks out from behind a bookshelf, a large stack of books in her hands. "Oh, hello," she said, spotting the newcomer. She set the books down on the counter and walked over to him. "You're a new face. May I help you?"

She glanced behind him at Ace. "Ace."

Joseph waves at Rei "Names Joseph, you know Ace as well? He seems to be following me.."

Ace patted Joseph on the back and laughed. "Yes, I was helping him find the bookstore. Poor ole Joseph is new to town. How are you, Rei? Do I get a finder's fee? I didn't even have to wear a book costume."

"No, Ace, you don't," Rei said, rolling her eyes. She turned to Joseph and smiled slightly. "Yeah, I know him, unfortunately. He seems to torture me." She shook her head and sighed. "Anywho, I'm Rei. I own this place. Did you need any books or did Ace just drag you here?"

"A bit of both!" Joseph said. "He is trying to show me around town and I don't mind reading a book or two."

"This is Rei, the kindly bookstore owner," Ace bowed to Rei. "And this over here is my favorite bookshelf."

"If you mess that bookcase up, so help me, I will beat the ever-loving snot out of you, Ace," Rei said sternly, watching Ace.

"Well, I definitely have books. Got a certain kind in mind?"

"Hey Mister Ace, wont that Bookshelf look nice in your place?" Joseph asks before going back to Rei. "Lots of fighting. Lots."

Ace patted the bookshelf. "No sir, this here's a one of a kind. If it moved an inch or two it'd no longer be the beauty she was. Gosh, book shelves choke me up sometimes."

Ace looked away. "So what's new, Rei?"

"Fiction or non?" Rei said, laughing. "I've got a bit of everything here."

Rei looked quizzically at Ace a moment. "Nothing really. It's been oddly peaceful around here."

"Hm" Joseph thinks for a moment. "Well reading up on some history would not hurt"

"You really care for those bookshelfs there mister Ace."

"Nothing?" Ace said and sat down on the floor. "That's not normal. I vote an adventure!"

"Absolutely not!" Rei said, snatching a book from a shelf and hitting Ace over the head with it. "No adventures with you." She shook her head and walked back to Joseph. She handed him the book and shook her head, keeping Ace in her sight. "You can try that one," she said. "I don't know how suited it will be to what you want, though."

"I'm sure it will be fine." Joseph said as Rei handing the book over. "I would like an adventure as long as I can shoot someone, Ace." Joseph smiles at Ace.

"Don't say stuff like that," Ace shook his head. "She's spooky!"

"Who's spooky?" Rei demanded, putting her hands on her hips. She blocked Joseph's comment from her mind as best she could.

"I think he said you were. How so Ace?" Joseph smiled.

"You!" Ace said and smiled. "You get mad and then it's the end of the world."

Ace made a fist and ran it into his other hand. "But usually you're cool?"

"You show up and it's the end of my peaceful existence," Rei said calmly, crossing her arms.

Joseph looks to them both one at a time. "YOu two seem very close~"

"We're best friends!" Ace shouted.

"We are not!" Rei shouted back. "Far from it!"