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Music brought together even the most distant souls.
For a species so violent in a relentless inpherno, peace was easier to come by than Vinestaff thought. Flowers could thrive in even the driest soil. Though, Vine never saw her brother as the loving type.
That was, until he met Boombox.
The two were perfect for each other, spending every moment they could together. Vine was just glad Shuri wasn’t pestering her as much anymore.
“A date?!”
“Yeah. Don’t make it a big thing, he just recommended a good record store in Crossroads and I wanted to hang out with him.”
Vinestaff was ecstatic. Shuriken, on a date? She never thought it’d be possible.
“Okay, I know what you’re gonna say, but you have to let me come along. I’ve gotta see this.”
“No way! I’m not letting my sister come with me on a first date!”
“I’ll do all your chores for a month.”
Shuri reluctantly obliged, and Vine found herself browsing through an endless display of records. Perhaps she’d find something to bring home, or at least some she recognized. The soothing scent of old books lingered in the air, filling the store with a soothing atmosphere.
Shuri and Boombox lingered around the pop section with Boombox providing some good suggestions while Vine sifted through the new releases. A few albums caught her eye, but nothing notable had revealed itself yet.
“Lookin’ for something?”
The sudden voice jolted Vinestaff out of her thoughts, turning to see who it belonged to.
A tall yet cunning inphernal, her single glassy eye shaded under the brim of her white cowboy hat. Her shining teal horns complemented the teal accents of her pearly white suit, glowing in the bright fluorescent lights. A light smirk dawned her face as she inspected Vinestaff.
“Just browsing.”
“If ya need some suggestions, I’ve got a few.”
Was she trying to start a conversation? Why was she so interested? Vine spoke with a sliver of caution, rivaling the mysterious inphernal’s invitation. She was interested in how this would play out.
“Sure. What’ve you got, mysterious stranger?”
She laughed, a gruff yet witty sound.
“Well, for starters, the name’s Scythe. You’re not gonna find much good music in the new releases, it’s all hidden where you least expect it.”
Scythe gestured for Vinestaff to follow, to which she hesitantly complied. This “Scythe” inphernal felt a little sketchy, but she seemed to know exactly what she was doing.
The pair made their way to the back of the shop, and Scythe ran a clawed finger along the rows of unsorted records. There were so many, lining the back wall with an array of colors. She pulled out a worn album with a faded green cover, passing it to Vine.
“This one’s a classic, one of my favorite bands. I’d recommend startin’ with this one, but any album of theirs is fine.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, thanks for the suggestion. My name’s Vinestaff, by the way.”
“Vinestaff,” Scythe repeated. “It suits you. Hope you enjoy the album.”
Scythe pranced off, disappearing into the twisting maze of shelves behind her, leaving Vine alone. The ambient music felt quieter here, and a silent tranquility filled the atmosphere.
Looking down at the album in her hands, a folded card caught her eye. Upon opening, it held nothing but a phone number. Scythe’s, presumably.
“Ey, Vine! We’re leaving if you wanna check out!”
“Oh, yeah, be right there.”
Maybe this wasn’t the last time Vinestaff would see the strange inphernal. She didn’t know why, but she felt something was about to change.