Kind of Magic {Agent B52/HiddenBeauty13}

[Agent B52]

The princess blinked as she heard the snapping sound and glanced down to see a man that looked very much in pain. Resisting the urge to laugh, she pointed to his pocket. "I really hope you have more of those in that magical hat of yours."

"Plenty. No w-man of my profession goes out the door without proper preparation for the day ahead." Joseph said amicably.

"Potions. The merchant that sells those is right up there." She pointed to the small hut that was only a few feet away. Inside, it housed a woman who sold multitudes of potions. "Let's go."

He couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at the small hut that served as the potion shop. Granted, what with the whole 'burn the heretic' thing this kingdom seemed to have going alchemists would of course be suspect, but the image still clashed with the one he grew up with. Back home, the potions shop was a huge affair with wide open windows and a shopping area large enough to fit this entire hut with plenty of room to spare.

On the inside it was a different story though, with neatly organised shelves and a clean old woman behind the counter. Even her teeth were spotless white. Joseph idly noted the sheer amount of make up the woman was using, guessing she probably wanted to look like a twenty year old but coming off as a doll with her unnaturally smooth features. Alchemists, they never knew when to stop. He idly looked at the selection available, mentally picking out the useful survival potions and salves hidden among the beauty products and household cures.

"Welcome to my shops dears. How can I help?" the woman asked. Joseph opened his mouth before looking at Raine questioningly. Technically she was in charge here. On top of that, while he did have plenty of experience with adventuring, Raine was a local, and probably knew the better brands.

"May I?" he asked.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine nodded at his question. Although she knew the shop, she didn't need to come here too often for potions, since she was capable of using her magical abilities to heal minor wounds. "Go ahead. Ask her what we need. I'm sure you know all the tecnical names for the more stronger and exotic potions and etc." She said with a half smile. "I'll stay right here and listen, though. I'd love to learn more than just the regular healing potions." And with that, Raine stood beside him and waited for Joseph to ask away.

[Agent B52]

Joseph shrugged.

"There's not a lot to them really. The most important thing is actually the ease of carry. For example."

He plucked a clay pot off the shelf labelled 'Wound soap'. Even through the seal it produced a poignant smell.

"This stuff, as you can tell by it's scent, is alcohol based. Not as in fine wine or beer, but the actual pure unfiltered stuff. It kills bacteria, which are tiny little bugs that like to live in open wounds and cause infections. Very potent." he explained. The shop owner gave an approving nod.

"Very good. Are you an alchemist as well then?" she asked. Joseph gave her a sideways glance, shrugging.

"Partially, it's not my main focus. Still, my fair lady here was interested, and I can easily teach her the basics. Now, as I was saying, alcohol, while potent, is actually less useful than for example, eucalyptus leaves or garlic. Reason being that while pure alcohol needs special labour to distil it, and tends to evaporate easily, eucalyptus and garlic both can be dried and powdered. Like these here." he said, putting the jar back and grabbing two small sacks of powder, holding them out for show.

"Of course then there are the things that simply don't occur naturally, or are so much less potent it's really not worth it to go look for them. These salves here spring to mind." Joseph said, dropping the bags of powder on the counter and grabbing another pot. He made sure to explain the basics of his choices, avoiding boring lingo where possible in favour of analogies and easy to understand English. Raine wasn't dumb by any stretch, but he preferred teaching dynamically and with plenty of practical examples rather than chew over the theory again and again. Now with a small bag full of potions, powders and salves, they left the shop again.

"Best part of that, if anyone tries to trace our trail, all that woman will be able to tell them is that you showed some interest in learning alchemy rather than planning on going off on an adventure." Joseph said once they were out of anyone's earshot. "Okay, I can fit this in my hat easily, but I'd rather wait until we're out of view for a bit before doing that. Armour next?"

[HiddenBeauty13]

The princess listened intently, mentally writing the names and memorizimg the looks of these items im her mind. She was almost positive that Joseph was holding back slightly with his explanation, since he never went into full detail about the potions themselves. With a wave, Raine exited the store behind him, a small smile on her face. "Good thinking back there, Joseph." She commented before nodding. "You can put the stuff in your hat once we make it to the amour shop. It's a lot bigger and there are plenty of blind spots." And with that, she gently grabbed his arm and led him through the growing crowd.

Minutes later, the two were entering a large wooded building with the name 'Andy's Armour Shop' spelled in steel on the front. "They have everything from.metal armor, leather armour and just cotton..if you don't plan to do any fighting." She added and gestured to the various rows of different sized armour. "Now, which ones are we looking for?"

[Agent B52]

"Light armour for the both of us. As far as I understand, we're both reliant on our mobility. We need something protective, but something that under no circumstance will slow us down." he said. Joseph hummed as he walked by the various armours. A model at the end of the heavy metal line caught his eye, and immediately he got an idea.

"In how much of a hurry are we?" he asked with a slight grin.

[HiddenBeauty13]

"Makes sense." the princess added thoughfully as she listened to Joseph explain why they needed light weignt armor. She then raised an eyebrow curiously when he got this mischevious look in his eye. "We're in a big hurry....I want to leave as soon as possible..." Raine told him before wagging a finger. "I don't know what you're doing but it better not get us banned from this store..." Just what exactly was he planning to do?

[Agent B52]

"Oh no no, nothing so rash. It's just-" Joseph walked over to the heavy metal armour on the end of the line. It was a massive affair covered in spikes and other fine details, obviously a showpiece of craftmanship rather than a functional warplate. The chest piece was made of a series of overlapping metal rings with gold filligree on the ends. Curved spikes covered in a silver coating jutted out at shoulders and joints. Over the heart a patch of bare metal waited for the crest of a potential buyer. The entire armour was so gaudy only an amateur would consider wearing it to a battle. Standing right behind it Joseph grabbed the helmet and put it on, making it appear as if he was wearing it.

"- don't you think this looks good on me?"

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine simply stared at him for a few seconds before laughing, a wide smile on her face. She had never imagined that he'd wear that type of armor before but she figured he'd look kind of weird in such clothing. Her laughing caused a few people to look at her weirdly and she quickly composed herself. "I mean, you look nice." The princess said once she'd caught her breath. "Now take that off...people are looking at you funny...."

[Agent B52]

Joseph looked around, noting the stares, then shrugged.

"All else being equal they're probably wondering where the beautiful laugh came from. Anyway, moving on." he said, nonchalantly popping the helmet off and putting it back in place. Raine wanted him to at serious, he would act serious. At least hiding behind the bulky equipment had given him a chance to slip the bag of medicine into his hat of holding. Following the scent of fresh leather directed him right to the lighter armour section in the rear of the shop. Interestingly enough a shopkeeper was busy there in an open workshop. The man was so large Joseph suspected he had giant blood in him, easily reaching over six feet. A brown, well maintained beard and moustache set adorned his face where intelligent brown eyes glanced over the two once. Then he returned to dipping leather scales into a pan of boiling water, getting other pieces out and fastening them lightning quick to a half finished vest of armour before restarting the cycle.

"Good sir, both the lady and I wish for some light armour, could you perhaps-" Joseph began, before suddenly the man interrupted him.

"You." the man started, his voice hoarse and deep as if it had a rough time just making it past the man's vocal cords. His finger was pointing at Joseph.

"Lean. Worn shoes, some callus on the fingers. Hit and run crossbowman. Medium leather plate, light leather bracers for knees and armour. Maximises movement. Top shelf right."

His finger moved to Raine.

"You. Martial artist. Possible nobility. Utility armour to be light, third shelf from the top on the left. Custom armour possible, will take longer. Day or three."

Joseph cocked his head to the side at the man's odd display, but the shopkeeper continued working on his armour with single minded intensity.

"You don't talk much do you?" he asked. The shopkeeper shook his head once.

"Busy. Difficult." he said, fishing in the pan with a pair of tongs. The shopkeeper frowned as he fished out a piece of leather darker than the others.

"See? Ruined." he said, tossing the piece over his shoulder on a small pile of others.

Shrugging Joseph turned to Raine. "Well, I'd say this guy knows his stuff at least. See anything else you like?"

[HiddenBeauty13]

The girl couldn't help but to feel a tad bit bad for raining on Joseph's parade. He was simply trying to have a little fun and she'd ruined it. Silently, she promised herself that she'd muster up what little fun she had in her body and make it up to him somehow.

Raine followed her companion over to the front where the owner, or that's what she assumed him to be, was standing. Then she simply stared at the man as be began to shoot out sizes and the places where they would be able to find armor that would fit them. Man, this guy is good... He should work in the castle. He'd make a nice amount of money but, then again, I bet he's happy just where he is. she thought to herself then addressed the man.

"May I ask if there is anyway possible that the alterations be done today. I need to have my armor for class and I can't go without it not can I be late." She said and the bulky man paused for a split second to think about it. "Let me measure you. Come back in two hours." He replied, making the princess smile. "Thank you. How much do I owe you?"