A Day at the Market (Open~)

[Deleted]

Rachel walked cautiously down the streets of Radiant Garden, making her way to the bazaar and keeping her dress raised. It wasn't too early in the morning, but the streets had not yet gotten to their mid-day rush, and she was free to casually stroll instead of briskly jog from place to place. The cool morning air played lightly across her cheeks as she moved. She was on a mission to purchase a few specific items for trying to create a few items alchemically.

"Let's see..." she mumbled, looking at her list. "I need... some tufts of Phoenix Down... a couple phials of ether... and a couple of apples." She nodded, and folded her list back up and placed it in her bosom, next to her coin purse. She stopped first by the sundries shop, run by a small fowl child, but when she asked about Phoenix Down, he seemed confused. The next three shops she visited also did not stock the item, and Rachel found herself at a loss.

"How can no one stock Phoenix Down?" she said. "It is such an essential item."

[Charme]

Syn sat at one of the lawn tables near the shops, enjoying the light crowds of Radiant Garden. The morning was nice, a breeze filtering through that had en edge cold enough to make you shiver, even though the sun was shining down on them. Synthest thought that later he may go visit the fountains. His blue eyes lazily stared a the sky as he pulled his jacket close. The furry lining of the hood tickled his cheeks.

Virtegon was propped up against his chair. The dark grey blade had undergone some cosmetic changes, like normal. Synthest hated for his weapons to look exactly the same every day. Fortunately, as a Synthesizer, he was free to change them at will.

Radiant Garden. Forever peaceful.
How can no one stock Phoenix down? It is such an essential item.
An argument with a store clerk?

Phoenix Down... Synthest hadn't heard that term for a long time. They simply didn't use them as much in these Worlds. As far as he knew, Phoenixes weren't natural creatures to this area of Worlds in general. He'd only seen one, from a sad girl in the snow, and he couldn't even say if it was a real phoenix or not. He picked himself up and reached inside of his coat, brandishing the down of a phoenix. It was a tuft of soft fur with the scent of cinnamon, orange and fiery in nature.

"You won't find them in any shop here," he said easily as he held his own out. "But I have an extra one from my travels."

[Deleted]

Rachel blinked when she heard someone walk up next to her and commented on her target item. They didn't use Phoenix Down here? What an odd phenomena... Perhaps there was something about this section of the worlds that rendered Phoenix Down unnecessary... But if that were to be the case, then did that mean...

Doe that mean I could have run out of tim and not know it?

Rachel took the small fiery tuft from the man who was offering it to her and bowed her head slightly in a gesture of thanks.

"Thank you," she said slightly. "But when you said that the people in these worlds don't use Phoenix Down... Can you tell me why?"

Borrowed time... Borrowed time... All she could think of now was an hourglass tethered to her, its sand running slowly through the thin opening and away into a black abyss. She was living on borrowed time.

And I have no way right now of borrowing any more...