#i'm soooo bad at describing settings SJDKLFJSLD something to work on <3

[playername-player-of-games]

Cleo strides across the deck to the gangway where Lizzie is waiting for her, gripping the straps of her bag. The sun is rising, the sky and the sea the same color as Lizzie's hair and cheeks, her expression set and determined.

"Hello, trinket," Cleo greets, towering over her.

Lizzie straightens her back, chest puffing out a little more. She frowns up at Cleo, "You're the one looking after me today?"

"I am."

"Good."

Lizzie seizes her wrist and starts down the gangway. Cleo stumbles after her, startled into laughing and nearly losing her hat. She manages to catch herself before she can fall into the water, and falls into step beside Lizzie.

"Alright," she says, amused, fixing her hat, "where are we going?"

Lizzie drops her hand, her face a light, dusty red, "you'll see."

They step onto port and Cleo checks behind them to make sure someone's still there to babysit- she spots Grian and Scar chatting on the rigging, good- and follows Lizzie to wherever it is they're going.

Past all the busy ship hands and reloading cargo, out of the port and into the town proper, down cobblestone paths and past old brick buildings. It's a shopping district of sorts, and Lizzie looks just as determined as she did on the ship, though has the air of someone who is desperately lost.

"What are you looking for?" Cleo asks.

Lizzie does not answer, instead perking up at one shop sign and taking Cleo's hand again.

It's a white building with a deepslate tile roof. A bell dings as they step inside. Lizzie releases Cleo's hand, approaching the counter, while Cleo stays by the door.

"Just a minute!" comes a shout from another room.

It's a cozy interior, packed with shelves upon shelves of magical trinkets- she spots dragon statues and crystal balls, belts, armor pieces, loose bits of cloth. There's black curtains around the windows, letting in the natural light as the sun continues to rise, and fading fairy lights strung about the ceiling. Lizzie is looking down at a glass counter full of jewelry, tracing her fingers lightly over the top.

There's a crash and a yelp, a hurried "I'm fine! No problems here!" before a man comes bustling into the room, his face round and freckled, his hair orange, and his eyes a bright, friendly blue.

"Hi!" he beams. There's something strapped to his back- black wood and red cloth, clattering together as he hurries to put a box down behind the counter.

He straightens, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt and stepping over to be across from Lizzie, "you've caught us just before we close for the night! What can I do for the two of you?"

"I'm hoping to get something for me and my captain," Lizzie answers, "I think jewelry, maybe?"

"Of course!" the man presents the counter with one hand, "take your pick."

Cleo raises an eyebrow, caught on something the man said, "you close at dawn?"

The man winces, "yeah, well, they'd only let me have the space at night so we're making due with what we have."

Cleo frowns. Lizzie points to something in the case and asks him about it.

He directs his smile back to Lizzie, easily rambling about practically everything in the case. A pair of bracelets that let you read each other's thoughts. Rings with the power of fire and ice, one keeps you warm and the other cools you down, no matter the weather.

"This here's a disguising bandana!" the man demonstrates by tying it around his own head- his skin turns more green and his ears grow longer and pointier, "perfect for traveling pirates!"

"Not what I'm looking for," Lizzie says. She scans the counter again, pointing out something else in the case, "what about these?"

"Teleportation rings!" he provides, whisking off the bandana and smiling again as he explains the enchantments- this time Cleo notices how sharp his teeth are- this man has fangs. Cleo folds her arms, keeping one hand close to her sword, and leans back on the doorframe.

"No I'm-" Lizzie sighs, offering a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry about all the questions, I just want this to be perfect."

"No worries!" he returns, "I'll close up after we're done, it's no trouble."

"How about these?"

"Earrings that let you hear each other's heartbeats."

Lizzie's eyes widen.

"Bad choice, trinket," Cleo pipes up, "I don't have a heartbeat."

Lizzie waves her off and hurries to open her bag, "how much?"

The man offers a price- surprisingly reasonable- and Lizzie hands over the gold in exchange for two simple, golden hoop earrings.

"Thank you," Lizzie says, and returns to Cleo's side.

"Did you miss the part where I don't have a heartbeat?"

"Don't worry," Lizzie waves one of them in Cleo's face, "if your heart ever starts beating again I'll come back and kill you myself."

Cleo laughs, pushing off the wall, "thank you, dearest trinket, I'll be sure to remember that."

She smiles. There's a clattering and a rushed, "ah- don't go! I have to help you guys attune to those."

Cleo follows Lizzie back to the counter. The man beams at them again, all fangs and freckles, "put the earrings on and hold hands."

Putting the earring on is easy- Cleo swaps out one of her old ones easily. Lizzie laces their fingers together and gives a squeeze. Cleo squeezes back, a little harder.

"Okay, now," he wraps his hands around theirs and begins murmuring to himself, a spell of some sort, his eyes glowing a slight red. The magic is warm, comforting, spreads up Cleo's arm, shoulder, into her neck and splitting off to her chest and her ear, and-

A slight, phantom hearbeat begins to thump lightly in her ear. It's a little too fast. She smiles.

He pulls away, the warmth evaporating as his eyes fade back to blue.

"And there you go!" he offers one last dazzling smile, "thanks for coming in, you two."

Lizzie reaches up to feel her new earring, her heart still a little too fast, "I-I'll hear something if my captain ever gets her heartbeat back, won't I?"

"Yep!" he says, "so long as it's attuned to your captain it'll let you hear their heartbeat."

Lizzie sighs, looking relieved, "thank you."

"No problem!" he waves as they go to leave, "come back anytime!"