Asra and I decided to take a stroll around the market district after leaving the pizzeria. She mentioned that she needed to buy something for a friend and invited me to come along. Since I wasn't ready to go home yet, I accepted.
After an hour of wandering, we stopped at a rainbow-colored tent. "Well, here we are." Asra said, "Should I just get the potion for my friend, or do you want to look around?"
"Let's look around. We might find something interesting." I said, stepping inside.
Inside the tent, we found a few shelves stocked with potions, powders, and balms. At the back of the room, there was a desk with a small bell on it. Behind the desk, there was a door-shaped hole in the back wall. Looking through the door-shaped hole revealed that the back room of the tent was an alchemist's workshop.
We wandered the shelves for a bit before I found a luminescent silver potion that caught my interest. I only knew what it was from their frequent appearance in stories as a plot device. It was a question potion.
A question potion could answer any three questions but only using the information you already have. If you need more information to answer the question, it won't work and will waste a question.
Most people thought they were useless. The main argument against them is that if you have to already know what the answer is, then why buy the potion? But that was based on a misconception of how the potion worked. Having all the information needed to find the answer and having the answer were very different things.
I had always been interested in trying a question potion. Growing up, I would spend thinking of questions to ask if I ever got one. Back then, it was only a dream. They were far too expensive. But now, with the contract I had to supply weapons to the guard, and I had money.
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I turn to see Asra's smiling face. "Find something?" she asked.
"Kind of. I'm not sure if I want to get it. It's pretty expensive." I answered.
"Well, I got what I came for." She said, holding out a bright pink potion." I can help you pay if the cost is the only problem?"
"No. I just don't know if I want to spend that much when I don't have anything important I want to ask it. The questions I want to ask feel pretty silly after seeing the price." I said, feeling a little embarrassed.
"If you don't buy it, I'm buying it for you." Asra sounded annoyed. "If you want it, you should get it. When was the last time you got yourself something you wanted? Not something that would help in the forge, but something you actually wanted."
I couldn't answer her question. I couldn't remember. I stood there silent, looking at Asra.
"See, you can't remember, can you?" She finished speaking with a heavy sigh. Both her concern and annoyance were evident.
"I'll get the potion." I said, picking up the silver potion. " what does the one that you're getting do?"
"It's called Eluna's blessing. It's mainly used by women for treating especially painful... cycles. It can also fix a damaged womb or grow one if it's not there. Finally, if a male drinks it, it makes them more feminine." she explained.
I was stunned. I didn't know something like this existed.
"Do you think if a male drank enough of it, they would grow a womb?" the words had left my mouth before I even realized I had been saying it out loud.
Asra gave me an easing smirk before she spoke. "I don't know. Someone would have to try it. Want to be the one to test it."
I glared at Asra. This, for some reason, caused her to start giggling. So I turned around and started walking toward the desk in the back. I was angry at her; I definitely wasn't blushing.
Arriving at the desk, I placed the question potion on it and rang the bell. A voice rang out from the back room. "customers." the voice sounded odd, lying somewhere between masculine and feminine.
I could hear Asra approaching from behind when a person stepped out of the back room. I had never seen someone like them before. They had a primarily feminine body shape and face, but clearly visible through their open vest was their chest, which looked like a petite man's. They had dark blue hair was cut just below their ears.
" ahh, hello, I don't think we've met before. You can call me Squirrel." Squirrel said, looking from me, then to the potion on the desk, then to Asra, then to the potion in her hands, then to me again, then back to Asra before stopping on me.
" one question potion, an interesting choice. I hope it serves you well. Five hundred crowns." they said, giving me an ominous smile.
I wrote them a check And stepped aside with my potion as Asra approached the desk. "Hello, Squirrel, just picking up a bottle of Eluna's blessing for a friend."
"Alright, 20 crowns. Now, I will let you know since you have someone waiting for you, but we should catch up. I'm sure there is plenty you want to talk about." Squirrel said with a little smirk toward Asra before turning to me. "See you around, August."
I gave them a nervous smile before quickly exiting the tent. Asra joined me outside after paying for her potion.
"So, what did you think of Squirrel." Asra Asked
"I don't know, I don't even know what to call them, much less what kind of person they are. I don't think I can really decide yet. I feel like I'm missing some key information." I said, stroking my chin.
"Well, Squirrel is non-binary and prefers they/them pronouns," Asra replied, gently smiling at me.
"I have no idea what non-binary means, and since when can you choose your pronouns?" I asked, looking at her in disbelief.
"First, non-binary is a term used for anyone who doesn't identify as a boy or a girl. It's kind of a broad term, and some people use more specific terms for more specific identity. That is my understanding of it anyway." she explained.
She gave me an odd look before continuing. It was hopeful and something else I didn't recognize. "As for the second question, you could always choose your pronouns. Just tell me if there's ever something different you want me to call you. It doesn't matter what it is, he/him, she/her, big man, good girl, shoe. It just matters what feels right to you."
"Oh" was the only response I could muster.
Asra started walking, and I followed her. Neither of us spoke as we walked. I was too distracted by trying not to think about which words felt right to notice the look of victory on Asra's face. I was definitely NOT having an argument with myself about asking Asra to call me good girl more.
Eventually, we stopped, and I looked around. We were standing in front of my shop.
Asra walks up to me and wraps me in a hug. " I need it head off. I've got to take care of some reports before the night patrol goes out. I would have liked to walk you all the way home, but it looks like we have to part ways here. I'll see you in a few days. Good night."
"Alright, good night Asra. See you soon." I said, smiling.
She ruffled my hair before heading to the guard station, waving at me as she left.
gNatonthewall Hello everyone. So, since the release of the last chapter, the story has passed 200 favorites. Thank you to everyone who's left a favorite it means a lot to me to see people enjoying my story. The story has also recently taken the #100 ranking in the Artifact crafting tag. Speaking of tags, are there any that I should add to the story? anyway thank you for reading, and have a nice day.
Asra and I decided to take a stroll around the market district after leaving the pizzeria. She mentioned that she needed to buy something for a friend and invited me to come along. Since I wasn't ready to go home yet, I accepted.
After an hour of wandering, we stopped at a rainbow-colored tent. "Well, here we are." Asra said, "Should I just get the potion for my friend, or do you want to look around?"
"Let's look around. We might find something interesting." I said, stepping inside.
Inside the tent, we found a few shelves stocked with potions, powders, and balms. At the back of the room, there was a desk with a small bell on it. Behind the desk, there was a door-shaped hole in the back wall. Looking through the door-shaped hole revealed that the back room of the tent was an alchemist's workshop.
We wandered the shelves for a bit before I found a luminescent silver potion that caught my interest. I only knew what it was from their frequent appearance in stories as a plot device. It was a question potion.
A question potion could answer any three questions but only using the information you already have. If you need more information to answer the question, it won't work and will waste a question.
Most people thought they were useless. The main argument against them is that if you have to already know what the answer is, then why buy the potion? But that was based on a misconception of how the potion worked. Having all the information needed to find the answer and having the answer were very different things.
I had always been interested in trying a question potion. Growing up, I would spend thinking of questions to ask if I ever got one. Back then, it was only a dream. They were far too expensive. But now, with the contract I had to supply weapons to the guard, and I had money.
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I turn to see Asra's smiling face. "Find something?" she asked.
"Kind of. I'm not sure if I want to get it. It's pretty expensive." I answered.
"Well, I got what I came for." She said, holding out a bright pink potion." I can help you pay if the cost is the only problem?"
"No. I just don't know if I want to spend that much when I don't have anything important I want to ask it. The questions I want to ask feel pretty silly after seeing the price." I said, feeling a little embarrassed.
"If you don't buy it, I'm buying it for you." Asra sounded annoyed. "If you want it, you should get it. When was the last time you got yourself something you wanted? Not something that would help in the forge, but something you actually wanted."
I couldn't answer her question. I couldn't remember. I stood there silent, looking at Asra.
"See, you can't remember, can you?" She finished speaking with a heavy sigh. Both her concern and annoyance were evident.
"I'll get the potion." I said, picking up the silver potion. " what does the one that you're getting do?"
"It's called Eluna's blessing. It's mainly used by women for treating especially painful... cycles. It can also fix a damaged womb or grow one if it's not there. Finally, if a male drinks it, it makes them more feminine." she explained.
I was stunned. I didn't know something like this existed.
"Do you think if a male drank enough of it, they would grow a womb?" the words had left my mouth before I even realized I had been saying it out loud.
Asra gave me an easing smirk before she spoke. "I don't know. Someone would have to try it. Want to be the one to test it."
I glared at Asra. This, for some reason, caused her to start giggling. So I turned around and started walking toward the desk in the back. I was angry at her; I definitely wasn't blushing.
Arriving at the desk, I placed the question potion on it and rang the bell. A voice rang out from the back room. "customers." the voice sounded odd, lying somewhere between masculine and feminine.
I could hear Asra approaching from behind when a person stepped out of the back room. I had never seen someone like them before. They had a primarily feminine body shape and face, but clearly visible through their open vest was their chest, which looked like a petite man's. They had dark blue hair was cut just below their ears.
" ahh, hello, I don't think we've met before. You can call me Squirrel." Squirrel said, looking from me, then to the potion on the desk, then to Asra, then to the potion in her hands, then to me again, then back to Asra before stopping on me.
" one question potion, an interesting choice. I hope it serves you well. Five hundred crowns." they said, giving me an ominous smile.
I wrote them a check And stepped aside with my potion as Asra approached the desk. "Hello, Squirrel, just picking up a bottle of Eluna's blessing for a friend."
"Alright, 20 crowns. Now, I will let you know since you have someone waiting for you, but we should catch up. I'm sure there is plenty you want to talk about." Squirrel said with a little smirk toward Asra before turning to me. "See you around, August."
I gave them a nervous smile before quickly exiting the tent. Asra joined me outside after paying for her potion.
"So, what did you think of Squirrel." Asra Asked
"I don't know, I don't even know what to call them, much less what kind of person they are. I don't think I can really decide yet. I feel like I'm missing some key information." I said, stroking my chin.
"Well, Squirrel is non-binary and prefers they/them pronouns," Asra replied, gently smiling at me.
"I have no idea what non-binary means, and since when can you choose your pronouns?" I asked, looking at her in disbelief.
"First, non-binary is a term used for anyone who doesn't identify as a boy or a girl. It's kind of a broad term, and some people use more specific terms for more specific identity. That is my understanding of it anyway." she explained.
She gave me an odd look before continuing. It was hopeful and something else I didn't recognize. "As for the second question, you could always choose your pronouns. Just tell me if there's ever something different you want me to call you. It doesn't matter what it is, he/him, she/her, big man, good girl, shoe. It just matters what feels right to you."
"Oh" was the only response I could muster.
Asra started walking, and I followed her. Neither of us spoke as we walked. I was too distracted by trying not to think about which words felt right to notice the look of victory on Asra's face. I was definitely NOT having an argument with myself about asking Asra to call me good girl more.
Eventually, we stopped, and I looked around. We were standing in front of my shop.
Asra walks up to me and wraps me in a hug. " I need it head off. I've got to take care of some reports before the night patrol goes out. I would have liked to walk you all the way home, but it looks like we have to part ways here. I'll see you in a few days. Good night."
"Alright, good night Asra. See you soon." I said, smiling.
She ruffled my hair before heading to the guard station, waving at me as she left.
gNatonthewall Hello everyone. So, since the release of the last chapter, the story has passed 200 favorites. Thank you to everyone who's left a favorite it means a lot to me to see people enjoying my story. The story has also recently taken the #100 ranking in the Artifact crafting tag. Speaking of tags, are there any that I should add to the story? anyway thank you for reading, and have a nice day.
