”Fear is temporary.
Regret is forever.”
Velonix hummed as she made her way towards the bookstore, her run in with Ellyion and the human girl named Reiya having raised her mood tremendously. It was clear in the way that the two of them had been conversing that there were piqued interests there, whether romantic or otherwise, and it made her happy to think that her younger brother was expanding his otherwise dim horizons.
She halted in her stride, her brows suddenly drawing together as a melancholic thought flittered through her mind.
It’s your fault that Ellyion turned out this way.
Biting her lower lip, she turned her gaze down, her eyes locking the toes of her boots. The thought wasn’t entirely incorrect. She held a lot of blame towards herself for her brother’s introverted tendencies. Of course they had a lot to do with his powers, but if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have paused in his studies on how to control said abilities and would have progressed much further far more quickly.
Her fist clenched at her side, her nails digging into her palm.
If only she had been there for him when he had needed her, instead of frolicking around doing God knows what on Earth. Her fingers curled harder into her hand, her teeth biting down on her lower lip. If only she had continued to help guide and teach him, instead of getting wrapped up in her own pity story, maybe he would find it easier to speak to people, especially to their siblings and, well, her.
Loosening her death clench, Velonix stared down at the peach skin of her palm which was now speckled with crescent dips that were slightly spotting with red liquid. Whatever were to happen to her, she deserved it. She was a horribly despicable person and a sorry excuse for a sister, not only to Ellyion, but to Phoebus and Aurora also. She should have been protecting them, instead of the other way around. Truly she was pathetic.
Velonix removed a tissue from her bag and wiped it across her palm, slightly smearing the ruby blood across her skin. After scrubbing fervently for a moment, she threw the crumpled ball into a nearby garbage can, inhaled deeply, and continued along the sidewalk to work.
It didn’t take very long for her to reach the quaint little building on the corner of Sable Road and Ivory Boulevard. Gazing up at it from the outside, she felt a small smile cross her lips. It was cute from that viewpoint, with black finish coating the small amount of building that actually was the outside. The rest of the walls were windows lined with bookshelves that allowed mere strips of sunlight to seep inside due to the immense amount of books that clad the shelves. From what one could see of the inside through the panes, it was small and a well-organized mess, cluttered with very magazines, books, and books apparel, but in an oddly put together fashion. There was no risk of tripping over anything, but they definitely weren’t lacking in goods to be sold. Mr. Zwemmer was definitely prepared for anything that a book seeker may want to purchase.
The bell above the door let out the soft chime of Fur Elise as it was opened, causing the elderly owner to pop his head out from behind one of the bookshelves. When he saw Velonix a warm smile crossed his lips, instantly brightening her formerly chagrin features. He would never admit it out loud, but he already thought of her as the daughter that he never had, which was another fact that she only knew because she had made skin-to-skin contact with the man. He adored her, as he did with his beautiful kitty who she doted upon whenever he brought her into the store.
“Welcome back, Velonix,” he said cheerfully, he voice betraying his years with its slight croak. It was clear that he had aged quite a bit since his lovely wife had passed, but despite that he still always greeted her with a happy smile and a boisterous welcome.
Making her way behind the counter, Velonix fixed an equally bright smile on her boss. “Hello, Mr. Zwemmer. I trust your evening was well?”
Mr. Zwemmer chuckled a bit, striding around the bookshelf with a small stack of books in his hands. “Ah, it went very well, my dear, thank you for asking. After I closed the shop, Ms. Ponsi and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Bake My Day, and then lovely night stroll through the park as we usually do before making our way back home. We watched the news, and then went off to bed so we could open shop bright and early today.”
Velonix giggled a bit, sliding her bag underneath the counter. “It sounds like you have an eventful night. I’m glad that you enjoyed it. Now go and enjoy the rest of your day off; I can handle the rest of the day and close on my own just fine.”
The old man frowned a bit, setting the books on the counter. “I don’t know … Wouldn’t that be taking away from your teenage experience? Shouldn’t you go out and enjoy yourself?”
Immediately Velonix waved him off, shaking her head at him. “Oh, no. You won’t be arguing with me this time. I had last night off, as well as not having to open this morning. Besides, we close early tonight so as to prepare for the holidays, remember? I’ll be fine!”
His frown deepened and he began to shake his head in return. “But I-”
“Ah! No buts!” Velonix cut him off, crossing her arms. “Gather your things and go and enjoy yourself with Ms. Ponsi. I will make sure to call you if anything comes up, but for now I want you to enjoy yourself.”
He seemed to hesitate once more before finally sighing and grabbing his own bag out from under the counter, chuckling softly as he did so. “You remind me a lot of my late wife - a spit fire through and through. Could never take no for an answer, and once she set her mind on something, it was in stone.” He sighed slightly, a faint forlorn look reaching his eyes. “I miss her,” he said softly. After a moment, his smile returned and he moved his gaze back to her. “That’s why it’s so nice to have your company around the shop. I can’t tell you enough how glad I am that you’re here.”
Velonix blushed slightly and waved both her hands at him. “You flatter me too much, Mr. Zwemmer. Now go! Enjoy your afternoon and evening!” The man chuckled, donned his hat and jacket, and made his way from the store, waving slightly over his shoulder as he left. As for Velonix, she settled into the chair behind the counter, flipped open one of the many books in the store, and settled in for a long, quiet day.