A Different Sort of Customer (Jack)

The business district of San Malarus was quiet today as most of the shop owners and people that usually hung in the area decided to take a break from all the working and buying as they instead piled into a restaurant further down the street to celebrate the owner of the Baker’s 10th Anniversary in the area. It was an odd little ritual to some, but to the people of this section of town, it was a way of telling another that no matter what they were still family underneath it all and that they had hearts to forgive in the face of joy and love.

While the social gathering occurred, music and the smells of food whiffed down the streets filling the empty shops with their divine smells and hums. Anyone poking their head into the area would much rather go to party than linger in the empty shopping area waiting for a shop owner to come back earlier from the fun; however, it would appear that one shop outside of the old antique shop had left its door open.

It was an old medicine shop where a money cat sat in the window and the smells of gentle incense lingered in the door; however, the scent nor the shop would catch the normal eye. Already many had passed it, but the one who owned the shop did not mind this. After all, the customers that came here sought something and so could find the store. Coming here without a purpose was rare, but not impossible to do. Already the quiet owner of the shop had found his expectations challenged and changed by a very different sort of visitor not too long ago, but did he expect the occurrence to happen again? Not really, but he did not count the possibility out as he remained behind the small counter, reading a book in old Japanese writing.

He was doing some research on the angels and demons of the world, trying to find a connection to the ones of old to the one of new. He figured that if he could find some secret in the past maybe a path would be open in the present that could help them all with the mess currently before them…and even if he didn’t have such a task to keep him focus, he more than likely would’ve been reading the book anyway. He found any extra information about the spiritual world fascinating and fun to pass time with.

Besides, it was not like he was expecting anything to bother him. All of his usual customers had gotten swept up by the normal world, so he would remain hidden unless someone was seeking him or his services. And who would do that with the weather finally being nice for a change and festivities to distract the mind and body?

No one, Akumu thought as he flipped the page, the crinkling of the page joining the light whirl of the floor fan for a moment before becoming quiet again as Akumu settled into the quietness of the day.

Damn.... Damn damn damn damn damn! Damn it all to hell! This time... Jack got careless. He didn't think and this is where it landed him... Slumped in an ally with the bright red of his ranger costume slowly being over taken by a much darker crimson color.  He gritted his teeth as he checked on the unconscious man next to him... still breathing... good, at least Jack new the scumbag was still alive. Jack happened upon this not so fortunate mugger in this very ally on his way to the festivities down town. This guy was holding up some poor sap, trying to get his wallet no doubt. So like the heroic idiot Jack was, he donned his costume, helmet and all, and jumped into action without a second thought about what the hell was going on. Little did he know this particular mugger had a snub nose pistol on him. When Jack rushed him screaming of justice and righteousness... well lets just say Jack was lucky this guy was such a poor shot... Got em through the shoulder. Jack was sure he would live but holy hell if it didn't hurt... It was pure adrenalin that pushed Jack forward at that point.

Thinking quick and ignoring the sudden pain, he quickly  grabbed a nearby pipe and smashed the man's knee in, after that he just sort of... collapsed. Must have blacked out from the pain, heh, light weight. To top it all off the guy Jack saved ran off as soon as the gun fire started... Not so much as a thank you... Ungrateful jerk... aw well... at least he saved a life today..."Welp, Ngh!.... Lets get you a doctor buddy... And maybe a bandage for me... Ya got me good... heh" Through clenched teeth Jack slowly got to his feet. Yep... that woozy feeling meant Jack lost a good bit of blood... Eh... He's got more. Jack whimpered slightly as he hefted the mugger onto his good shoulder, and headed on his way...  

As Jack walked down the street he was very annoyed by the fact that most... if not all the shops were closed and empty... All gone to the festivities no doubt... Wait... Maybe it was the blood loss but Jack could have swore that medicine shop was open... Talk about "Exactly what the doctor ordered"!... Yep.... blood loss.... Well hallucination or not Jack hobbled his way to the store front. He slammed his shoulder into the door to force it open... YEP! FORGOT ABOUT THE BULLET HOLE! THAT HURT! OW OW OW!

"NGH! Excuse me! Do you have anything for my friend here and maybe a bandaid for me?.... Cus... He shot me... and it hurts a bit heh...." Jack managed a laugh through his clenched teeth.

A rustle of pages and the sounds of the door to the medicine shop being opened with great force. The spirits muttered and whispered in excitement and displeasure as the scent of blood came in with the presence of two humans. Akumu’s blue eyes simply glanced at the scene before him and saw all they need to see before the man was moving. His actions and expression easily falling into that of natural worry of something that was human.

“What happened here?” he asked as he easily took the unconscious man from the other and carried him easily enough to the sofa snugged between two shelves of medicine. This human had a leg injury, but other than that he would be fine. Pain had more than likely blacked this one out, so he could wait. Besides if he woke up early or tried anything, he would be heard. That leg wasn’t going to be very kind to him, especially without being set properly.

A broken bone or two could wait, but the other while dressed quite strangely was bleeding from the shoulder and it did not seem like he would be able to hold consciousness much longer. Moving quickly, yet quietly Akumu went to the other’s side.

“Come,” he said gently before attempting to lead the other to a chair. If the other didn’t struggle, he would be guided into a old yet comfortable chair near the counter. Once settled the attendant would speak as he worked.

“I am afraid this is the wrong place to look for band-aids; however, for your injury I may have just thing. May I?” Akumu would ask for permission to examine the wound closer before actually performing the action, gauging just what he needed for the job before nodding lightly inwardly.

“I can aid you, but I must warn you this will not be as comfortable as being in a hospital of today’s standards if you wish for me to perform this service for you instead,” the old attendant said in calm tones as he quickly found a clean cloth within his sleeve and then folding it with the speed and grace of a trained professional, he press the cloth to the wound. Watching the other for signs that may suggest more than blood lost was the problem. That cursed mask was in the way though...

“I would also require that I be allowed to remove the mask you wear to ensure I have a clear understanding of just how you are feeling and holding up,” he said calmly to the one he attended to now. The blood was beginning to seep through the cloth….hmmm…it would be much better if the other agreed to the service. He wasn’t sure if this one could make it to the hospital without blacking out. It was a miracle he had made it here and carrying another on top of that.

Impressive…..But the old attendant wondered if that was the young man’s will power or perhaps something that had to do with the odd aura that came from the oddly dressed child.

Jack sighed a sigh of relief when the store owner took the guy off his shoulder... He was starting to get heavy. This was probably attributable to the large amounts of blood that Jack had left on his way here and that were now pooling at his feet. Huh... That would probably cause some damage in the long run. Blood is notoriously hard to get out of carpet and tends to soak into hardwood.... It's just a mess no matter how you look at it. Jack would probably just kept thinking about the effects his blood was having on this nice mans's floors if said nice man hadn't asked him a question."This,man my shoulder hurts.... This guy tried to rob and possibly murder a civilian... when I jumped into stop him... well... I got this brand new hole in my shoulder. " Jack struggled to talk, haveing to take pauses between words and sentences in order to catch his breath and stay conscious.

He wouldn't resist being lead to the chair... Infact sitting sounded like a lovely idea. He didn't realize it before but Jack was really sleepy... Like... REALLY sleepy... And this chair is rather comfortable... If the nice store owner hadn't been asking questions Jack may have passed out right then and there."P-Please go ahead... I can't... Can't really go to a hospital. They tend to ask questions and call the police when they figure out I'm a vigilant... Tends to put a damper on my day... I can pay you if you want. But as for the mask. I don't know if I can trust you with my identity... Ya know... the whole super hero thing..." Jack reached up with his good arm and tore away the remaining cloth around his wound to give the man a better view of it..."I'll... Let you know if things get worse...."

When Akumu went to lay the other down, he heard the other answer his question taking note of the breathing patterns as he listened to what was said. The guy was definitely on the edge of passing out, but he had to keep the other talking.

“Ah, being the hero is can be quite a handful. I am surprised one so brave is still around,” the attendant said as he drifted over and lead the other to the chair. The other didn’t resist meaning he was more drained than first assumed. Not good. Keeping the other talking as he moved once he got permission to work on the wound, Akumu would come back with the necessary supplies needed.

“You’d risk your life to avoid having to deal with the authorities and questioning? This job must be extremely important to you if that is the case. How long have you been doing this?” Akumu said as he grabbed a bottle of alcohol from his basket of things. As he uncorked the thing, he would use some of it on a cloth that he then used against the wounded area. While he was gentle there was nothing to stop the bite of the powerful liquid that ironically had a numbing effect after a while.

Still working, Akumu would glance at the other when the subject of the mask came up.

‘You need not worry about something like that. I have the tendency to keep secrets well. Besides, wouldn’t  you prefer to breath easier?” the attendant said as he managed to get enough blood out of the way to see exactly what he was dealing with. The boy moving the remaining cloth out of the way helped also. Hmmm…that bullet was in there, but thankfully he could still see it and it hadn’t bursted through to the other side. Well, that was a plus. Now for the part that was going to hurt regardless of what he did.

“Alright then, here is the part where I need you to be very specific on your condition,” Akumu told the other as he grabbed the necessary tools for this particular job. Being very gentle and precise, Akumu would get to work on the bullet making sure to keep the other talking as he did what he could for him. The bullet was a challenge to get out, but through precise work Akumu got the thing out without damaging the body too much more. Once one stage was done, the old attendant moved to the next which required more alcohol, needles and thread. He would seal the wound, keeping a careful eye on the other during the whole process until finally it was over.

With the bleeding halted and the wound cleaned and safe under bandages, Akumu would move the other to a more comfortable spot in the shop (the second bed wedged between the opposite shelves to the ones the broken legged man was lying. He would help the other lie down if he wanted to and then after making sure he was out of danger's way. He would move from the guy’s side for now and took careful inventory of what needed to be done as he moved to the broken legged man. He wasn’t worried about the blood outside. People following that would find a dead wall. He had even barred the store from the usual customers, so only one person could waltz easily into the store and that was Nilo, who had the key to the door that led to Akumu.

In any case, Akumu would move some things out of the way before dealing with the broken legged man. Once the bones were set, Akumu would take to cleaning the rest of the store making sure to keep an eye on both humans, but more so the shot one than the other.

Even after he had managed to clean the store and managed to stop himself from appearing to be a butcher of some sort, he kept a close watch on the boy allowing him the time needed to hopefully get back on his feet if all went well. If things went downhill, well he’d simply have to go for round two with Lady Death….however, he prayed it did not come to that.

"This job means more to me them my life... If... If I have to put my life at risk in order to continue defending the people of this world... I'll gladly do it a hundred times over," Jack could feel himself fading out. He did his best to focus on the strange man. He had to focus on something if he wanted to stay awake and lucid. The pain had died down however... Which was a both a good and bad sign. Good because it meant he no longer felt like his arm was on fire. Bad because he knew that meant  he was close to passing out. "I've... I've been doing this sense I was... was little... Around 12. I started small with just.... stopping bullies around the school. Heh... my father was so proud of me... He said that when I got older I could join him at the police department." Jack let out a dry laugh as he felt some lucidity return to him,"His tone changed however when I kept doing it... Dressing up like a Ranger and fighting crime... He told me that all I was doing was making it harder on... on the plolice... that hey had to clean up after me... Heh... I honestly don't know why he hasn't turned me in yet... Maybe he still thinks I'll grow out of this...Or... or maybe he's still proud of me deep down..." Jack sat in silence for a moment before speaking once again.

"I designed the helmet to help me breath actually... It's got air filters and a pump that feeds me pure oxygen... Heh... Right now it's probably more beneficial to keep it on, like an oxygen mask." Jack laughed a little but tensed when the man pulled out his tools... looks like he wouldn't get any anesthetic ether....

"Hey Doc could ya spare some pain killers or some thiIIIIIIAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!" The initial shot did in fact hurt more... but... then he was running on pure adrenilen... now he was working on pure pain. He hoped he didn't attract  any unwanted attention....

"NNNNNERG!5 4 3 2 1! RANGERS! IN SPACE! SET CONTROLES TO OUTER SPACE! NOW FLYING HIGHER THEN EVER BEFORE! RANGERS! IN SPACE! AAAAHAHAHAHA! Damn that hurts!" Jack chose to sing in order to distract himself from the pain... It help only in the sense that he wasn't screaming like a little girl..."I-I'm fine... You... you did... an amazing job... barely... Barely felt a thing heh"

Jack would offer no resistance to being moved to the bed... once on it he fought with all his might to remain conscious. He looked to where the store owner had layed the other man..."Is... Is he gunna be ok?... I didn't do any serious damage did I?" Scumbag or not... Jack shouldn't have broken his leg...

Akumu would work on the other listening as he spoke regarding his job. He was struggling to stay conscious, but the young man couldn’t sleep. Not yet.

“That is quite brave of you. It is rare now a days to find people so dedicated to such a threatening job,” Akumu would say as he continued his work on the other. He fell quiet when the other began to speak of how long he had been doing the job he currently held dear. The young man even managed to get out a laugh through it all. Impressive, considering even with the numbing alcohol there, most would’ve been in tears to go through such a process; however, this was good for Akumu as this kept him in tune with the other’s state.

“I would think your father is quite proud of you. Even if you dress up and seem too old to be doing what you do, any parent should be proud of a child that puts so much at stake as you do. Perhaps one day, he’ll be able to express the feeling out loud,” Akumu told the other in calm tones as he continued to work.

When the other became silent, Akumu glanced up at him briefly.

“Are you still with me? I need you to tell me what this Ranger is you dress up as,” Akumu said to the other doing his best to keep the other talking while keeping his mind off the procedure occurring. Whether or not the other answered, Akumu would eventually question the mask issue getting back a rather interesting response.

“Oh. Now that is impressive. An engineer or a tinker?” he would ask staying curious about the other while keeping focus on his work. Once the initial prep work for the second stage of the procedure was done, Akumu would use the numbing alcohol before picking up the tools needed for the job. When the other asked about pain killers, Akumu shook his head.

“I have medicine for pain, but….none that can help you with this. I will do my best to be as gentle as possible, so here we go,” he said and then becoming silent he went to work as his shop was filled with screaming…no…loud singing. That is right loud singing. On a normal day, this would’ve been highly uncalled for, but for this procedure Akumu did not mind. While the child was indeed loud, the fact he could memorize a song at this time and use it to distract himself was impressive and it helped the old attendant not worry so much about just where the boy’s condition was going.

When he was done and checked on the other, the child said he was fine and tried to play off the pain, but Akumu knew better than that. Still, he appreciated the compliment anyway.

“You're welcome,” the attendant said with a small smile of thanks and then being as gentle as he could he moved the other to the extra bed before moving to deal with the other human and then moving to clean up. As he worked, the other was quiet for a moment before he spoke once more.

Picking up the bucket with red soapy water and a stained rag up in it, he would stand as he spoke to the other.

“He suffers from minor bruises in some places, but otherwise will have to deal with a broken leg. Outside of this, he should be fine,” Akumu told the other before drifting off to depose of the water.

He would return later and kneel next to an odd box that he kept near the counter. He would open a door of the odd box and look through it for the right medicine on the neatly lined shelf as he spoke.

“Your strength is quite impressive, but thankfully not superhuman,” the attendant said as he found a small bottle of powerful pain killing herbs. With the bottle in hand, he would go about making a warm brew for the other of the herbs, water, and some honey to take off the bite of the herbs.

When the brew was ready, the attendant poured the warm drink into a cup and carried it over to his patient.

“If you can, please drink this. It not the tastiest of drinks, but at least it will help with the linger pain,” he told the young man as he stayed near just in case the other needed assistance with the task.

Jack let out a sigh of relief when the store keeper told him the mugger would be alright. Just a broken leg. Nothing to serious but it would make him think twice before he attacked another innocent civilian. Jack felt a mix of relaxation and sharp pain flow through him. If he had to guess, he would say the last of the adrenalin that had pushed him through the fight had worn off. Now he could fully comprehend the amount of pain he was truly in... lucky him. He clenched his teeth and let his hand go to his shoulder as he did his best not to let out another scream.

As the wave of pain passed, a flood of nausea fallowed in his wake. Jack's head felt as if it had been hallowed out and filled with helium... He had to keep talking... Wait... He... he asked what a ranger was... Good...that should keep Jack talking for at least twelve to fourteen hours.

"Y-You asked me what a Ranger was.... Well... A ranger is... A hero. Some one with gifted with a kind heart and a righteous soul. We... we come in all shapes and sizes... And colors heh... We fight against any evil that threatens the world, be it ancient eldritch demons from the very darkest parts of man's psyche, or a random mugger on the street." Jack thought for a moment before continuing... for some reason he was feeling very truthful,"In reality it's just the name for a type of super hero from a TV show called Featherman Rangers... It's a children's show..."

Jack's rambling would be cut off by the odd man handing him a cup, he didn't hear what he said it was but Jack truthfully didn't care. He didn't realize it until he saw the liquid, but his throat felt more dry and rough then it ever had before. With one hand he quickly grabbed the cup and unlatched his helmet with the other. A small hiss sounded from the helmet as he pulled the front forward slightly, just enough to drink the liquid. Nearly out of his mind with thirst, Jack took a greedy gulp from the glass only to start coughing and reaching,"Oh man! What's in this? It's almost as bad as that ZyuGreen Tea Oki gave me! Ach!"

The young man seemed relieved that the other would be okay. An interesting show of compassion considering the one who had won usually showed no remorse for actions that were in their heads justified. It was nice to see a change up from the usual finally waltz in his store, even if circumstances were less than preferable. In any case, as the other rested…or rather attempted to, Akumu had asked what a ranger was and at first was highly impressed with what was being said.

If these rangers could fight demons and the common criminal, then they should be highly respected, but then the child had to go and burst that lovely bubble with the truth. The rangers he spoke of were fictional and so he mimicked what he had seen on tv. While Akumu had no clue what Featherman Rangers was, he could not help, but to smile lightly as he continued to make the drink that would kill the pain once it kicked in.

“Ah. You mimic what you saw. I suppose the goal is noble enough to want to obtain. Just be more careful next time you decide to tango with Lady Fate” Akumu said before bring the drink over to the other. While Akumu stayed near by and understood that the other was thirsty from the blood lost. He needed to get the medicine in him first. At least with the pain gone the other could rest easily….that is…if he didn’t choke himself first.

Thirst was indeed a strange thing and sometimes it caused one to act impulsively rather than logically to a situation. For example, the medicine which should’ve been drunk at a slow rate was taken from the attendant and with one mighty gulp half of it was gone. As a result of drinking it too fast, the other started to cough and gag. Quite prepared for this one, Akumu took the necessary actions needed to help the over recover a bit from the coughing fit.

“It is warm water mixed with an ancient herb that kills pain. I apologize if it is too strong still, but there is not much more that can be done to it without ruining the effect with too much honey,” Akumu said to the other as he got to his feet and went to get the other a glass of water. He made sure to bring a pitcher of water with him when he returned. He wasn’t sure how much water the other would drink, but at least he would have refills nearby if the child needed them. As he came back with the water, he’d wait for the other to finish the medicine before allowing him to have the water. As the glasses were traded out, Akumu spoke.

“ZyuGreen Tea. That is quite rare these days. I am assuming the person who had it was a tea collector or hunter, then?” the old attendant asked as he kept an eye on the other. The chat would be interrupted by the other human moaning lightly in his sleep, but after looking over at the man, the moaning ceased and the injured man began to rest again. Hmmm…he could stay a bit longer before being sent on his way.

In any case, Akumu's attention returned to the young man he was attending.

Once Jack finished coughing and regained his composure, he couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all. This guy not only knew of ZyuGreen Tea but of it's rarity and how valuable it was.... Yet he had never heard of Featherman Ranger. Seemed like a case of the cart driving the horse to Jack... or was it... Jack never really got that saying, or many sayings for that matter. Like "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"... Why can't you just you just put the bird in your hand in a cage while you go for the two in the bush? He supposed there was the argument that "Well what if you don't have a cage?" Well what kind of self respecting bird hunter goes hunting without a cage? The one that has to chose between the birds in the bush and the one he's got in his fist that's who...

".... Ach! Y-Yeah she is, among other things..." Jack thought whistfully about Oki for a moment... his face turning just as red as his helmet.... damn... he thought he had beat this feeling down with a lead pipe! "Wonder how she's doin...."

Jack shook his head once he heard the mugger start to stir. That was probably his cue to start getting ready to leave. Just because he couldn't stay at a hospital didn't mean his buddy with the broken leg couldn't"Heh... I think he wants to go see a doctor. Don't blame em really. Though I must say from how well you patched me up... I may recommend you to all the villains I take down! haha!" Jack was pleased to see he could laugh again with out cringing in pain. He opened up one of his pouches and pulled a small wad of bills from it. Ya know... cash for if he gets hungry while out on patrol... Hero's need snacks to ya know!

"So how much do I owe you... uh... um... Oh... Oh wow! I just realized I never caught your name! Sorry about that..." Jack would hold out his good hand to his new friend and tilt his helmeted head to indicate he was smiling" You can call me Red Ranger."

The boy managed to compose himself before laughing at something he was thinking about. Akumu wasn’t sure what it was that the boy found so funny, but he had to wonder if it had to do anything with his mention of the tea. The laugh had come after that comment, but if that was the case then why were the words funny? Did he think he knew not his plants well? He was a doctor after all, so he made it his business to study both old and new herbs and potions that supposedly cured the sick and feeble. It was the only way he kept his own selection of medicines so in line and helpful to others. Is that not what doctors were supposed to do? Provide the best solutions to their patients’ problems? So was it not natural in these studies to find mention of the herb that made the tea the other spoke of? Hmmm…a curious subject, but one that Akumu did not question much.

The only reaction the boy got from Akumu was a light tilt of the head, but outside of that the attendant was silent as he waited on his patient. When the other was able to speak, Akumu listened to the way the voice seemed to trail off not with fatigue, but something else as the other talked. Being no expert in the field of human emotions, Akumu didn’t pay much attention to the trailing off as he gave the other a glance. He took a small note of the portion of the child’s face that was revealed when the boy had moved his mask to drink the liquid from before. It the skin in the area was red for some reason. Hmm…

“Perhaps when you are better you can check up on your lady friend, if you know where to find her that is,” Akumu said before tilting his head to the right with concern. “On a side note, are you alright? While I cannot see all of your face, the small portion I can see is red suggesting overheating. Have you gotten a fever?” Akumu asked as he rose to his knee slightly; however, when the other human began to stir whatever action Akumu was going to perform halted as he glanced over to see how awake the other was. While the man groaned, he went black out once more quickly enough, so Akumu didn’t worry about him too much as his attention turned back to the young man on the bed.

“You can do that if you wish, but I wonder. Would they be able to find me,” Akumu said as he gave the other a smirk that made it very hard to tell if he was joking or if he was telling the truth as he got to his feet, quite pleased with the compliment. His smirk faded and turned into a light smile as he saw the young man pull out the money.

“Lady Luck is on your side today. I will let you have this one on the house today. Please take all the time you need to recover before leaving,” the old attendanat said before looking out at the extended hand. It was that odd guesture again he did not quite understand. Well at least the question being asked was simple enough.

“My name is Akumu,” he said giving a low bow in response to the out reach hand before he was standing up straight once more and tilting his head at the name the other gave.

“If that is truly what you wished to be called, then I will not argue. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Red Ranger. Please let me know if there is anything I may assist you with, ” Akumu said in polite tones as he kept a respectful distance from the other and watched him to see what he would do.

Jack smiled... boy was he ever a magnet for the weird ones... though now that he thought about it he shouldn't call the kettle black. Akumu eh? Seemed like a nice guy if a little weird. Then again Jack liked weird. He would nod slightly and slip his helmet back down to cover his entire head. Then slowly he would stand and stretch his shoulder slightly. Yeah... still hurt, but it was more of a dull pain. He had some pain killers at home he could use once the drink Akumu gave him wore off.

"Thanks, I think I may do that. It's been a while sense we last spoke." Jack laughed and wondered if Oki had put anymore thought into taking him up on his offer of becoming the yellow ranger... Only time would tell.

"I am in your debt for your hospitality my new friend. If there is anything I can do for you, anything at all just let me know" Jack would move to pick up the gently groaning man and sling him over his good shoulder. He would bring him to the nearest hospital and drop him at the door with a note for the police. He'd probably get a call and a good scolding from his father tonight for intruding with police affairs again but that was just par for the course at this point.

"Akumu, I hate to ask this but... If I were to find myself injured in the line of duty once again, would you mind if I came back here? I will be more then willing to compensate you for any of your supply used on me and your time."

Akumu took note of the smile the young man called the Red Ranger gave and in turn gave the other a polite nod as he collected the empty glasses and got to his feet as the other pulled the mask down to cover his face once more. Taking the glasses to the counter for now, Akumu would pause and turn slightly to Jack as he spoke.

“I am sure your friend will be very pleased to see you then,” Akumu said to the other before falling silent to listen to what else the other had to say. As the other spoke, the attendant turned to face him as he gave a light shake of his head.

“I will keep your offer in mind, but please do not feel you need to return the favor. I am just glad you are healing nicely,” Akumu said as he watched the other test his luck with his injured shoulder. He was very sure the location of the wound still hurt and if the other wasn’t careful, he could break the stitches that held it closed. Despite this concern, Akumu gave the other a bit of trust on not doing that. When the other moved over and picked up the man that was groaning a bit more and slung the heavier one over his good shoulder, Akumu held his tongue on scolding the injured young man. It was highly unwise to pull such a stunt, but on the other hand Akumu was bound not to interfere too much with what humans chose to do…so he let the action play out deciding to play assistant only if the other needed him to do so.

So far, it appeared the boy was quite sturdy as he took the man towards the exit. When he paused at the door and asked his question, Akumu who now stood in the middle of the store, would nod lightly at the other.

“My door is always open to those who seek me, but let’s hope we can meet with you unharmed next round,” he said with a polite smile. It was a vague way of giving the other a yes, but in the end, it was up to the young man if he ended up back at his shop or not.

Jack nodded and let out a hearty laugh, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he moved towards the exit"I may actually pop by for some more of that herbal tea. It really killed my pain! Hehe," Jack shifted the man on his shoulder and pushed open the door.

"Thanks again Akumu, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from here on out... I hope the next time we meet It won't be under such dire circumstances. Well, until then... Watch the streets for a flash of red... For it just might be..." Jack did his best to strike a heroic pose while keeping his shoulder still,"The protector of the galaxy! Prsonanger Red!"

With a heroic shout and a cringe of pain, Jack took off into the night...well... more like midday...

(exit)

Akumu stayed where he was watching as the other moved towards the exit with the man. As the young man moved, he was able to give out a hearty laugh despite his injuries. When he mentioned the tea, Akumu smirked lightly at the remark.

“If you truly seek the tea, then you’ll find my door open for you,” the attendant said as he watched the child move the man on his shoulder and then pushed the door open again. Once in the door way, the young man gave his thanks and spoke some words that only made Akumu nod.

“Let’s pray that Lady Luck and Fortune guides you then,” Akumu said in response to the first set of words and then tilting his head at the last set, Akumu was only able to give the other a farewell bow before the young man dressed in red was out of the door and back into the streets. As Akumu stood up straight again, he listened to the bells on the door jingle lightly as he thought about the child that had just left. Unlike the other human, that one had the strange aura of someone with power in them and that strange word he had called himself….Personanger Red….Did that mean he was a persona user? And if so had Fate just blew his way another potential guest? Hmm…What a curious encounter a supposedly quiet day had brought.

Thread Ended.