it was still mostly dark out as rune took me through an area Id never visited, although the further we went the more the weak blues of the morning light turned to long, arching shadows and a mildly annoying glare over the horizon.
I wasnt sure if I disliked the silence or just rune, being there.
"so, is it nearby?" I asked.
"we'll get there when we get there." rune replied curtly.
"sorry... Im not too heavy? you dont want me to walk?"
"and youve started bothering yourself with that since when?"
"ah, of course. let me just call you something nasty and be done with it." I quipped.
"thats the spirit." he said pleasantly. if only he could talk like that all the time.
we reached the crest of a hill. "Its right down there." rune gestured to a small building below us. I held a firm grip on the egg basket as we descended.
sachets pillow fort lived up to its name, surprisingly literally. while it did seem structurally sound (from the outside, at least,) there was a lot more fabric and bedding than I was expecting. although I suppose I shouldnt be surprised...
rune extended one claw and twisted, causing me to stumble.
"off."
I hurriedly slid down his extended pincer onto the soft dirt. I checked the egg to make sure everything was alright, and rune, face twisted, shook dirt from his foot.
"I could go inside while you stay out here?" I offered, looking up at rune.
"look at that thing. small. disquieting." he turned a critical eye to me. "it looks liable to collapse at any moment."
"um, right." that certainly didnt ease me. I started toward the entrance, and rune followed me, to my surprise.
"think youll fit through the door?" I asked him.
"its a wonder some of your kind lived long enough to go through metamorphosis. look at how unstable this is." he gave one of the walls a sharp tap.
"...I take it you like architecture...?"
"dont try to get friendly with me."
I opted to just walk through the door. rune attempted to get his head inside, but his horns knocked against the doorframe. he cursed under his breath.
a purple paca with darker, pink speckled feelers scampered out from deeper in the shop. apon noticing me, she let out a cheery "hello! welcome to my shop! can I help you with anything?"
she had a bright and friendly smile, but her eyes had dark circles under them.
"are you sachet?" I asked.
"yep, thats me." she said with an affirming nod.
"oh good. so, we need to know about this basket..." I started. sachet peeked around me and spotted rune in the doorway.
"ah." she said.
I quickly waved my nub at her. "we're here together, dont worry."
"ah." she said again, more relieved. "so, did you both get a basket too?"
"so you know about them?" rune called to her, and she flinched.
"yeah, we both got one. sorry about... him?"
"Im right here you know. listening."
sachet dismissed me with a wave. "would you believe hes not the first one?"
no wonder she looked so tired.
"but, Im terribly sorry, I dont know about the baskets. I DID recieve a large order of the plush snekkets, but it was anonymous, and multiple pacas came to pick them up."
"ah, thats unfortunate..." I said.
"well, who picked them up?" rune asked fervently, knocking his horns on the doorframe again. the tremor caused a couple of items near it to fall, and he rubbed his horns, annoyed.
"please dont knock my shop down." sachet said timidly.
"I oughta." rune snapped. "theres not enough structural support. its gonna fall on your face anyway."
"...I'll... look into that...?" sachet glanced around at her walls with an unreadable expression. "oh, but the egg, right."
she closed her eyes, thinking. rune twisted and reached one pincer through the door, aiming for the fallen things most likely, then paused and retracted it, which was definitely a better idea.
"you should ask monet," sachet said. "he knows a lot about snekkets. since there were so many eggs, hes almost certain to know something about this!"
"ah, thank you so much..." I said. "oh, here, I can buy something..." I glanced around the shop quickly.
"oh, thank you! but its alright, you dont have to. Im glad to help in any way!"
I grabbed an ocean wave patterned hoodie that caught my eye and brought it to the counter anyway. sachet looked grateful as she rang me up.
she glanced down at my purchase and giggled. "and the squacky is free."
"the what?"
the hoodie quacked. a squacky poked its head out of the pocket. I laughed in surprise.
"they get in sometimes, especially this time of year! a bunch of them hatch nearby. sorry about that. but you can keep it if youd like!"
"haha, look at that..." I pet its head gently, and it let out a contented warble. "thanks."
I waved goodbye to sachet and left the store to find rune sulking some distance away. he watched me slide on the hoodie. it fit me nicely, kept away the still chill air, and was well made. I should shop here more often...
"this is pretty warm and nice," I said to rune. "you should-" I stopped myself before accidentally telling him to shop there. he looked at me as if he absolutely knew what I was about to say.
I looked at rune apologetically. "so Ive acquired another animal."
I held the squacky up.
"a right fount of chagrin you are."
"yea lil bit."
rune got up and twisted his neck until it let out a series of sharp cracks, something I forgot he could do and was briefly horrified by.
"so, I suppose we have to find monet now?" he grumbled.
"no time like the present." I said. I picked up the basket, and we awkwardly started off to the more populated areas of chrysolopolis.