Chapter 200 - Ghost's Gifts

"That went reasonably well," I said outside of my grandparents' apartment building. "They don't hate me, they don't hate you, they didn't even revoke my right to date you. I guess I should consider it great, even."

"It was… an educational experience." JJ looked a little shaken, too. Good—we could be shaken together. "Your grandfather likes to cook a lot."

"He's one of the people who believe that food solves all your problems. It's a wonder he doesn't have more of a belly on him than he has." I shook my head. "Sorry, I never thought he might affect you like that. With all that was on the day's agenda, this part just went entirely over me."

"Don't worry about that, ma chèrie." JJ grinned and playfully rubbed my cheek. "I was just momentarily overwhelmed, that's all. I accepted all that I lost and gained long ago. Today was just overwhelming in general, you can say."

"That it was. Well, at least now that part is over!" I said with forceful cheer. "Then, I gotta go to Ghost, and after that we can just relax… Are you still bent on not watching Dracula?"

"You might convince me, but you will have to try very hard." JJ said with a teasing glint in his eyes and a smile that tightened all the naughty bits inside of me.

"What you won't do for a noble goal of culturally enriching some Neanderthal who didn't even watch the classiest classic…"

⠀⠀

"Diana! I was just looking for you! And hello to you too, Jean-Jacques." The cheerful and familiar voice was the last one I expected to hear as I and JJ approached my store, but here it was.

"Ghost, what are you doing here?" I asked the man when he ran up to us, full of youthful energy and smiles as always. "There's…" I checked the time, "still an hour until our meeting." I was going to run close, but not late.

"Right… I remember that, I remember," Ghost nodded to himself. "But then I found that thing, and finished the amulet, and thought that I might find you sooner. It could help you, sooner, then, too. You have a very nice shop. Neat and pretty."

"Thanks. Why didn't you call me?"

"Call— the phone, you mean? Ah, I forgot." He smiled sheepishly.

"Since you are here anyway, why won't we come in?" JJ interrupted, gesturing at the door. "That's just not a conversation for outside."

That was something I could agree with, so I hurried to unlock the door and urge Ghost in. He took his time as we passed from the first floor to the second, whipping his long hair left and right as he looked at the antiquities on the shelves, walls, and floors.

"Yes, pretty and neat, even on the inside. Cluttered, but neat… neatly cluttered?" he muttered as we went to my kitchen.

"Putting all the things so they won't create a dissonance is a special art," I said, not without pride. "Especially when there isn't much space. Items like most of what I sell normally require their own space for showing off. They are all vying for attention, and if a person comes in and gets overwhelmed by all that, he'd end up not buying anything at all. But if you don't fill the space, you lose profit from things you didn't show. It requires a lot of balancing. JJ is pretty good at it too, but then, he's just generally amazing."

"And very happy to hear it from your lips, ma chèrie."

"Now, Panda can't do that just as well, but that's alright, since she does everything else well."

"Fascinating. I never knew selling things was so complex. Just like magic. Hey, I remember we had a lesson scheduled for later, but since I'm there, I want to start on it now. Are you alright with that, Diana?"

I weighed my mental capacity. "Sure, but why won't you," I glanced at JJ, "grab something to drink or eat first? Have you had dinner yet? And I want to change into my house clothes before we start."

"No, no. Good idea, I think I just remembered that I was hungry. Meanwhile, look at this," Ghost reached into the pockets of the loose robe-like clothing he wore and passed me a ball.

It was fist-sized and looked like a misty marble—amber and half-transparent, with something darker visible in the middle of it. It laid heavily in my hand. When I looked at it through my well, the purpose of it became clear.

"A protective amulet! Thank you the veriest muchest, Ghost!"

"This one works the same way, but won't melt so easily. Has a lot of thermal resistance and insulation. Heavy, though…"

"That's alright. As long as it saves my hide, I'm ready to carry around a brick. Brick might save my hide in more than one way, too." I put the amulet away.

"I pass my gratitude as well, Ghost," JJ put in. "Diana explained to me how these amulets work. It's amazing."

"Simple, simple thing… In comparison, of course," Ghost grinned and pulled out another thing. "Then, I found this while I searched for the right base for the amulet. Doesn't do anything, was just lying around in my junk… but I remember that, if the tale is right, it once belonged to one arch-witch, or something? From what I know, it's a part of some seal. I thought it might end up educational for you. You'd see more in it than anyone else."

I accepted the item. It looked like a triangular palm-sized shard from a dish made of jade and was covered in lines of seals. "Are you sure you want to give me it? It looks very valuable," I said. "The jade itself adds value. It looks worn and old, too."

"Oh, what I would need money for?" Ghost waved at me. "I can't even remember how much a ruble is worth. Not to mention, I can't remember how that thing ended in my stuff. Have it, have it. At least I know you will have it gather dust with more style than I ever might!"