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Alice watched the exchange between the two men in the front of the store. Oddly the older gentleman face looked to be twisted in pain, but he smiled back at her. It was forced, and there body language was unusual to say the least. This was becoming a slightly amusing, highly interesting situation to observe. Her curiosity was peaked, that was for sure, but she didn’t let on.  She brushed a stray hair behind her hair, and preoccupied herself sorting through the emails on her laptop. [color=c7deea]“Feel free to browse, I’m here if you have questions.”[/color] she said in a practiced shopkeeper voice.
 
They walked just out of sight, but with her fancy ass vampire hearing the men’s private whispered conversation and threats didn’t go unheard.  Alice didn’t have a habit of eavesdropping, but she was intrigued. Whoever they were it was obvious the kid was in charge. Once there was pause in their rather disturbing chat, the older guy looked defeated and left. The teenager on the other hand seemed completely stoic, as he came over the counter and placed an ancient looking ring in front of her.
 
Blissfully unaware human woman, was what she was going for as she politely smiled, and picked up the ring to examine. The way he spoke was extremely old fashioned and nothing like the teenagers of today. If anything he reminded her of the headmaster of Gingore. Alfred was the oldest person she had ever met. Then again it also sounded like English was not his first language, and so maybe he was just taught to speak overly eloquent and politely.
 
[color=c7deea]“We do buy antiques.“[/color] She replied to him as she looked closer at the ring. It was genuine, though she couldn’t date it exactly. Her expertise had more to do with French, German, and Dutch antiques. [color=c7deea]“How much were you hoping to sell it for?”[/color] She asked looking him in the eye, trying to figure him out. 

Valon was not exactly expecting her to ask him that, in truth he had no idea how much this ring was even worth to begin with. The only reason he was trying to sell it was because Councilor Lucretia told him to do so. He didn’t really understand the need for money, it was not like he really ate or drank anything anyways, in some ways he was pretty sure Lucretia just wanted him to fit in the best he could so he didn’t draw attention to himself. The ring in question was actually Lucretia’s from back when he was a Roman senator, in his words it was the only thing he would part with as he wanted no reminders to that era in time.

[color=a95353]“I am… not exactly what you would call someone who sells antiques, more or less I appreciate them for their age and the status in which they represent. This ring dates back to at the very least two thousand years and it was worn by a prominent Roman senator of the time. In either case perhaps you can give me what you consider a fair price and I will… trust… your judgement. I am sure you would not give me… a bad deal.”[/color]

Valon lay his hand on the counter, the ring that gave him his disguise glinted in the light above. The ring was made of a black metal, the band was carved delicately with ancient glyphs. He eye’d Alice, took in her demeanor, her looks, her everything, almost as if he was trying to suss out her very soul. This would look rather eerie but he hardly realized it as this was something he usually did when he was making idle conversation with someone he did not know or really trust. 

[color=a95353]“Also… if its not impolite to ask… your not human, right?”[/color]

Alice smirked. [color=c7deea]“If the ring is as old as you claim I can give you three grand for it, but you would get more selling it to a museum, or at auction.”[/color] She said placing the ring back on the counter. Internally she was trying to figure out how in the hell he saw through her. She was pretty damn sure she hadn't done or said anything to give herself away. She was not some fae who used glamour or a shifter who smelled overwhelmingly like wet dog. She was a vampire, meaning unless he had better hearing then her, and could tell she had no heartbeat…there was no definite way of knowing she was anything but human.  It’s not like he ever saw her feeding. For the last two decades she had been drinking from blood bags in the privacy of her own home.
 
His gaze was intense to say the least. And she felt just the slightest bit uncomfortable. Weirdly she was still amused though, so she decided to play along. [color=c7deea]“Not human? Is this a roundabout way of asking what I’ll be for Halloween?”[/color] she looked him up and down. [color=c7deea]“I see you’re enthusiastic…already in costume and everything.”[/color] She said in the friendliest of tones. [color=c7deea]“I’ll most likely dress up as a vampire.”[/color] She said looking him in the eye for a brief moment, before noticing the black ring he wore. It was definitely spelled for something. Her brows knit together and she looked back at him.

Valon looked at Alice silently, no emotion was playing across his face. He was however starting to get a notion that this line about him being dressed up for Halloween was becoming an constant occurrence. What exactly was so off about his clothing either with his disguise or original clothes that made him look like he was dressed up? It was safe to say in small ways that Valon did not like this country thus far, it made him wonder though, in no small amount… did everyone see him like this and they just didn’t tell him? A subtle thought did occur to him in that exact moment…

[i][color=a95353]Everyday is Halloween around here, it's like a pirate with terrible taste, give him an eye patch and a peg leg and we could have a start to a bad movie.[/color][/i]

Son of a bitch… they were talking about him… all those years of snide remarks about clothing… oh when he got back to Rome the recruits were going to pay… Valon mentally chastised himself from his self induced moment of realized future revenge and got back to the task at hand.

[color=a95353]“I am afraid that I do not possess the time or… patience for sustained contact with other… humans. People tend to annoy me. Three thousand dollars will be fine for this ring, with that said I wish you luck on your Halloween costume. Although I get the feeling it won’t be too.. Hard to make it work.”[/color]

Valon became quite silent for a moment before he casually leaned in on the counter as to get closer to Alice so he could speak lower to her.

[color=a95353]“The only reason I asked in the first place is because… I would appreciate it if you just forget the altercation with my… partner. We both know he only made it worse with terrible acting, and if your not human then surely you must have overheard what we spoke of. Specifically.. My name, I ask that you keep it to yourself.”[/color]

Valon leaned up off the counter he hoped that she understood the implications or at least that if his name got out, there could be complications. 

The legendary Elder Guardian Valon Valerious, was this pirate costumed, teenage pretty boy? For some reason Alice didn’t have any trouble believing him. She had heard stories about Valon back during her first few months as a vampire. In the eight months Paul had kept her locked away, he would sometimes chatter away about the amazing bloodthirsty Mezmer Guardian. Not that she had paid much attention to Paul’s yammering. At the time, she had been more preoccupied with not losing her mind.  
 
[color=c7deea]“Well…Mr. Customer, some friendly advice… Asking someone if they’re human, can be considered… tactless. People like their secrets. Especially the ones that keep them safe…”[/color] Alice said completely serious. The amusement from before was waning. She took the ring and then stepped back, and crouched down behind the counter to unlock the safe. [color=c7deea]“I hope hundreds work for you.”[/color] She said to him as she place the ring inside, and took out three stacks of bills. She placed the money in a blue paper shopping bag that had Treasures of Time in silver script on the front. After a few second of deliberating she also tossed in her business card. 

She stood up and held out the bag for him to take. [color=c7deea]“Pleasure doing business with you, and considered it all forgotten.”[/color] She said calmly. If he was here that meant whatever was happening in Ruxbury was bigger then she had thought, unless he was here for something else?

Valon took the bag silently, perhaps he had been a bit too forward on such a subject, after all there were far too many dangers in this world. One can forget that when you spend to much time staring at an ancient brick wall in a converted dungeon. He opened the bag and looked inside, he didn’t bother to count the money, it didn’t matter as much if it was all their perfectly, he just needed it to fit in more around this town until he resolved this situation and returned to Rome. He noticed something foreign among the cash, it appeared to be a card, he reached in and turned it over in the bag and read it. He looked back up at Alice, turning his head he looked around the store but no one was around still and no one seemed to be outside within view.

[color=a95353]“I don’t have much skill or tact when it comes to talking, I can be rather forward and even more so being I am in such a… new place. I think an apology might be in order… I am not good with… apologies so I will make up for it another way.”[/color]

Valon moved forward, farther out of sight from the door and reached down removing the black ring from his finger. His appearance changed instantly, the teenager gone replaced by the older man. It was only for a moment his Olive eye’s glowed just ever so slightly before he slipped the ring back on his finger and the teenage boy appeared before Alice. 

[color=a95353]“Perhaps… now, we're even. Thank you.”[/color]

Valon simply nodded without so much as another word and strode towards the front door to the shop.