((This thread will contain mature content.))
The tinkling of a bell announced Eva's entrance into Bartleby's Apothecary. Sunlight shone in through the windows of the little shop just off the Marketplace, glimmering off the rows and rows of glass bottles in a variety of colors and sizes. Eva pulled out the little bottle of rose oil that Mrs. Bartleby had given her as a Christmas gift, now empty, and moved down the aisles to try and find its full match.
"Oi, Doctor Luna, you're out and about so soon?"
Eva looked up as Mrs. Bartleby squeezed her round body through the narrow gap between the sales counter and the wall, her skirts swishing as she came towards her. The red-headed woman looked at Eva with a warm smile, but Eva could sense some concern behind it as well.
"I'm sorry?" Eva smiled at her, confused, her attention drawn away from the variety of scents in front of her.
"I said, you're up and about right quick," Mrs. Bartleby reached a hand out and touched Eva's wrist and looked back behind her in the store, then towards the door as if she expected someone to be accompanying Eva. "Mighty quick indeed for someone who's recently been in the way."
"In the way?" Eva blinked, looking down at Mrs. Bartleby's plump fingers on her wrist, still holding the empty green bottle of rose oil in her hand. "I don't... I don't know what you mean."
"Aye, in the way... was it a boy or a girl?" At Eva's blank look, Mrs. Bartleby frowned deeply. "You did just have yourself a little babe, nah?"
Eva's eyes widened. "A baby?" She laughed and shook her head. "No, no definitely not."
Mrs. Bartleby leaned back, releasing Eva's wrist to smooth her hands over her apron, looking down as she concentrated. "That is powerful strange... I could swear to the heavens I just saw you across the square not two days ago..." Mrs. Bartleby shook her head and looked back up at Eva and smiled. "Tis no matter, I must have been mistaken. Did you want some more of the rose oil, love? Here we are, I'll just go ring it up."
Mrs. Bartleby selected a small green bottle from one of the racks and then moved back to the sales counter to wrap it up. Eva stood staring after her, then reluctantly crossed the floor, following.
"That's pretty strange... that you mistook someone else for me... don't you think?"
"Aye, it is pretty strange, but I've seen all manner of strange here in Rhy'Din. That'll be 12 silvers for you, love."
Eva counted the correct coinage into Mrs. Bartleby's palm. Mrs. Bartleby watched the coins drop into her palm, then looked down further to place them in the till. Without looking up she slid the small package across the counter towards Eva. With a frown, Eva realized that Mrs. Bartleby was avoiding her eyes.
"Mrs. Bartleby, what exactly did you see?"
Mrs. Bartleby smoothed her hands down her apron again and then finally looked up at Eva. "A pretty girl, just as yourself, well in the way... in a few weeks it looked like...she were going to have a baby."
The tinkling of a bell announced Eva's entrance into Bartleby's Apothecary. Sunlight shone in through the windows of the little shop just off the Marketplace, glimmering off the rows and rows of glass bottles in a variety of colors and sizes. Eva pulled out the little bottle of rose oil that Mrs. Bartleby had given her as a Christmas gift, now empty, and moved down the aisles to try and find its full match.
"Oi, Doctor Luna, you're out and about so soon?"
Eva looked up as Mrs. Bartleby squeezed her round body through the narrow gap between the sales counter and the wall, her skirts swishing as she came towards her. The red-headed woman looked at Eva with a warm smile, but Eva could sense some concern behind it as well.
"I'm sorry?" Eva smiled at her, confused, her attention drawn away from the variety of scents in front of her.
"I said, you're up and about right quick," Mrs. Bartleby reached a hand out and touched Eva's wrist and looked back behind her in the store, then towards the door as if she expected someone to be accompanying Eva. "Mighty quick indeed for someone who's recently been in the way."
"In the way?" Eva blinked, looking down at Mrs. Bartleby's plump fingers on her wrist, still holding the empty green bottle of rose oil in her hand. "I don't... I don't know what you mean."
"Aye, in the way... was it a boy or a girl?" At Eva's blank look, Mrs. Bartleby frowned deeply. "You did just have yourself a little babe, nah?"
Eva's eyes widened. "A baby?" She laughed and shook her head. "No, no definitely not."
Mrs. Bartleby leaned back, releasing Eva's wrist to smooth her hands over her apron, looking down as she concentrated. "That is powerful strange... I could swear to the heavens I just saw you across the square not two days ago..." Mrs. Bartleby shook her head and looked back up at Eva and smiled. "Tis no matter, I must have been mistaken. Did you want some more of the rose oil, love? Here we are, I'll just go ring it up."
Mrs. Bartleby selected a small green bottle from one of the racks and then moved back to the sales counter to wrap it up. Eva stood staring after her, then reluctantly crossed the floor, following.
"That's pretty strange... that you mistook someone else for me... don't you think?"
"Aye, it is pretty strange, but I've seen all manner of strange here in Rhy'Din. That'll be 12 silvers for you, love."
Eva counted the correct coinage into Mrs. Bartleby's palm. Mrs. Bartleby watched the coins drop into her palm, then looked down further to place them in the till. Without looking up she slid the small package across the counter towards Eva. With a frown, Eva realized that Mrs. Bartleby was avoiding her eyes.
"Mrs. Bartleby, what exactly did you see?"
Mrs. Bartleby smoothed her hands down her apron again and then finally looked up at Eva. "A pretty girl, just as yourself, well in the way... in a few weeks it looked like...she were going to have a baby."