Private Finished Shopping for Antiques

Ezra had heard of the antique shop in passing from Asteria, his often eccentric guardian. She had always enjoyed antique things, telling the spirit that each item had history; a story that could give insight about the people who owned it and the time they lived in. It was an important thing to be aware of, she had told them, because it would allow you to understand people better. The spirit didn't quite get Asteria's logic, but went along with the woman's explanation. She hadn't steered the spirit wrong so far.

And that conversation had led the spirit here to the entrance of the little shop. It was a quaint little store, as Asteria had described it. It was older in appearance, yet rather well maintained. Ezra was fortunate enough to have the front door open enough for them to enter without issue, as having to push, or worse, pull, a door open while using Salem was far too difficult for exploration. With soft steps, the dapper cat plush made its way inside and began glancing about at the many items for sale.

The goal was simple: find a nice gift for Asteria, purchase it or put it on hold for pickup (depending on the size), and surprise the guardian with a gift of appreciation. People liked gifts, right? Adjusting the small white top hat atop the plush cat's head, Ezra continued to puppet the toy through the aisles in hopes of finding something that stood out as a fitting gift. Upon reaching the bookshelf, however, the spirit could only stare as the shelf was quite high and made it quite difficult to see all the old books. They glanced around the shop, hoping to find some way to get a better view of the shelf.

"This is a bit of a hindrance, huh, Salem?" The spirit asked, their voice projecting out from the sewn cat smile on the plush's face. Salem would not answer back, of course, as Salem was merely a toy, but it was a small comfort.

Ezra continued to glance around in hopes of finding a ladder or chair or even a stack of books they could climb onto but nothing seemed to be a reasonable option or one that wouldn't cause property damage. With a sigh, the cat plush took a seat on the floor and continued to look up at the bookshelf. They couldn't describe it, but there was a feeling. Some sort of primal force that beckoned the spirit towards that particular shelf. Perhaps the gift they were looking for would be here and that's why the shelf seemed so inviting.

Either that or some cursed tome rested there that would unravel space-time and plunge the world into eternal darkness. But that seemed unrealistic and unlikely and something that their guardian would say. With a small huff, the plush rose to its feet and began walking around the store once more, attempting to figure out the safest way. The obvious answer would be, of course, to ask the shopkeeper for assistance, but they did not wish to disturb the old man. He seemed very content in his book when they walked in, so that would be a last resort. There had to be another attendant around that could help the spirit.

As they moved through the next set of shelves, the plush stopped upon seeing a white haired woman in the shop wandering as they had been. How had they missed her? She seemed very ethereal in nature, definitely something beyond human. But how does one ask someone so mysterious for assistance? The woman seemed to be looking for something and it could be quite distracting if they were to interrupt her process. Ezra quickly turned on their little cat paw heels and made their way back to the bookshelf. The optimal solution, then, would be to just climb the bookshelf towards the higher level. Salem was rather light, so it should be fine.

They carefully took off the white tuxedo jacket and folded it properly, revealing a dark green vest underneath. Once it was set to the side so no one would accidentally step on it if they came down the aisle, Ezra began to carefully step onto the bookshelf and reach up to get to the next shelf. "As long as we go nice and slow, there will be no problems. Patience is key."

@Zora

(Sorry, I realized I phrased that weird. Ezra's remotely controlling the cat plush via magic but basically experiences what it sees/hears/feels. The talking part was more that the plush is talking but the plush's mouth isn't moving as it's just a stitched on mouth. Ezra is controlling the puppet from their home due to their abilities being rough for them in public.)

Ezra froze mid-reach as a voice called out to them, asking if they needed help. They were definitely caught doing something they shouldn't have, but the voice didn't seem angry, but rather more helpful in tone. With a careful glance back as to not fall, the cat puppet turned and looked at the kind samaritan who had offered their assistance. Realizing it was the ethereal woman from before, they could only give a small wave of acknowledgement from their perch without falling.

"...I suppose that would be the more appropriate thing to do, yes. And I do believe apologies are in order for this, I assume? I am not quite versed in social etiquette but I do believe that is the correct course of action." With careful steps, the cat climbed back down the case before standing to examine the woman more thoroughly. Her hair was quite a striking grey in color, but her eyes were beyond simple description. A writer might describe them as the color of an overcast over the ocean, the calm cool color before the storm hit the port. But Ezra was not a writer, but this woman's eyes caught them still the same. Her eyes reminded them of their guardian's; eyes that were not satisfied with simple answers and were constantly searching for more.

"I am actually looking for a gift for my guardian as a token of appreciation. I thought there was a rather unique book up on the higher shelf but I am not exactly the proper height for looking at most bookshelves." They paused for a moment, plush paw tapping their chin. "Perhaps you might have a recommendation for a gift?"

@Zora

"Well, my guardian is... older. Well, to be honest, I do not know how old she is but she is definitely older than her physical appearance. She is what one would call a witch or sorceress. She enjoys all forms of cinema as well as well as television shows. Also, she enjoys antiques and older items as they each have stories to tell, or so she says." Ezra paused. "However, she is prone to flights of whimsy where she will disappear for who knows how long. It is in her capricious nature, I suppose."

Stepping towards the woman, the cat plush offered a polite bow of greeting, realizing that they had not introduced themselves properly. "Apologies, miss, I have not introduced myself properly. I am Ezra Taliesin Vrall, recent arrival to the island." They waved a paw over the stuffed animal's body, still keeping the head slightly bowed. "This is Salem, my arcane puppet and companion. I apologize for not being able to give a proper introduction, but due to the unstable nature of my powers, this is the safest way for me to socialize." The cat held its paw out to the woman, and if she placed her hand out, the cat puppet would give a gentle boop of the snout to her hand as if to kiss it properly.

@Zora

"A pleasure, Miss Lockwood."

With a gentle press of fabric to the grey-haired woman's hand, the puppet proceeded to give her a polite 'kiss' as one would do in a gentlemanly fashion. Ezra still had not quite grasped the intimate nature of this gesture, but had been told by his guardian multiple times that it was a proper way to greet a lady. So going through the motions was proper etiquette, right? The spirit would have to ask upon his guardian's return.

When Natasha mentioned being a newer member of the island herself, Ezra could not help but feel... something. It was a strange new feeling lingering in their chest, which meant not only was the feeling through Salem but very likely through their own physical body as well. It was an odd sensation, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. "It is nice to meet someone who is new to the island like I am. I was a little worried that I would not meet someone like that for quite some time."

"As for my living situation, I currently live with my guardian on her property in the Golden Hills Estates area. I have been told it is more affluent than other sections of the island, but I do not know much more than that about the area." Ezra paused, the plush once again tapping its chin. "On a related note, I cannot be more specific due to privacy issues as well as unstable powers that could become problematic if others were nearby. But I digress. What recommendations would you have for a present for a magical researcher?"

@Zora