The Magic Box, Monday

[existencemisspent]

"Was that wall that color last time I was here?" Eliot mused as he got set up for the day. ". . . When even was the last time I was here?"

He was a terrible employee.

Of course, then when he looked at said wall again later, it seemed to be a different color again.

"Okay, either I took something and totally forgot about it, or the shop is messing with me."

Who was he talking to? Did it matter? Maybe it was the lizard man.

These things just kind of happened to him sometimes.

[open!]

Comments

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"You're back." Had Jon seen Eliot was back in public and shown up just because he missed him?

You couldn't prove anything.

[existencemisspent]

“Jon,” Eliot greeted. “Tell me you haven’t been lurking around here every week waiting for me to remember I have a day job.”

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"Of course not!" Jon protested. "I just...might be keeping an Eye on the place. Just in case."

[existencemisspent]

“You’re using your creepy eye powers to stalk me. I’m not sure if I should be flattered or horrified.”

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"Well, I...hopefully not too horrified," Jon said. "I hadn't seen you in...I mean, I try not to watch anything too private, but you hadn't been around for a while, and..."

And he'd worried, okay?

"I just...wanted to check."

[existencemisspent]

“And the phone simply wasn’t an option?”

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"I...um. I don't really...well, you're here, so I just thought I'd drop in."

Use the phone? What was he, a boomer?

[existencemisspent]

Not if he was texting he wasn’t.

“And so you have.” Eliot decided he’d chided Jon enough for now. “And how have you been? You seem . . . Not too horrifically undernourished. . . .”

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"No, I, um. Billy." Jon shrugged. "I'm doing well. And I hope you are, too."

[existencemisspent]

“Ah yes the one who doesn’t seem to mind nightmares. Well, to each their own, I suppose.”

Eliot leaned back with a sigh. “I am . . . bored. Who knew I’d ever miss trying to fix a fucked up magical kingdom?”

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"What...hm. There must be something you'd like to do, either here or...well, some people use the portals to go other places," Jon pointed out. "Universe's largest pub crawl, if nothing else."

He didn't quite approve, but he knew his audience.