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It's hard to keep a track of time when you're a sleepwalker. One second it's day, another it was night, you'd go to sleep, when you wake up it's still night... but apparently you had been gone for more than 10 hours.
A watch didn't help much either; It didn't really magically adapt to the time of the dream the sleepwalker went into, it'd keep going at it's own pace. So by the end of the day, you'd end up at sunrise with a watch that told you that it was barely 3PM.
Nashatra had given up on keeping the time quite a while ago, guided purely by instinct and the word of anyone she could ask.
And most of the time, this was Eunoia. It had become an habit that, whenever she knew there was one of her stores nearby, she'd pass by to ask her about the time, even if she had no need for any of her items, or even if the store was outside of her path at that moment.
Today was no different: Passing by graveyard sea, she waltzed into the little store that the android ran on the back. A little bell rang as she opened the door; that was new. Eunoia had added it not too long ago, a special detail to know when someone came in, even if it was just for Nashatra — given she was the only one that ever came to that store.
Eunoia was quick to greet the woman with a smile, folding her hands gently in front of her. "Good morning, Valencia."
"Morning." She greeted back, although more than a greeting, it was Nashatra aknowlodging it was still early. She came to rest on her elbows over the shop's counter, carefully analyzing the place. "May I ask, exactly, what time is it?" As she spoke, she noticed how the store seemed to be cleaner than usual. It wasn't that the android was the unorganized type; quite the contrary, giving her code, but this specific shop always seemed to be a bit dusty and dull compared to the others. Not any duller than the ones at the Dying Mall, though. She's seen retirement homes with more colors than those.
Eunoia nodded, closing her eyes for a second. "It's 10:37 AM." she affirmed as she opened them back up, staring right at the sleepwalker, who seemed rather.. dissappointed. She was quick to caught on to it. "You don't look too happy to hear so."
"It's morning, but the sky is dark outside.." Nashatra pointed out, staring behind her at the shop's window. Eunoia's hands came to softly clap together up to her chest, eager to explain her knowlodge to her favorite client.
"I told you what time it should be back at the waking world." She started. Nash seemed surprised. "It's quite hard to know the exact time in this place. Giving that you're right: It's never daytime in some of these places. We could keep this talk back at Ten Mou if you'd prefer some sunlight, it's still day back in there."
"How do you know what time it is back in the Waking World?" She was quick to dismiss Eunoia's offering, more focused on the question at hand. "As far as I understand, you shouldn't be able to have that knowlodge, or anyone from the Dreamsphere for that matter."
"It's all thanks to that pretty little watch you gave me!"
"I don't recall giving you a watch.."
"Well, maybe you didn't exactly give it to me."
Nashatra tilted her head for a second, trying to understand what the android meant. She was right that she owned a watch for a bit, but she remembered losing it at the Dying Mall during her little 'investigation' after being generously thrown several balls with gunpowder back at the butcher shop and being too in a rush to stay and look for it.
Then, the gears clicked, and she smirked at the android.
"Did you steal my watch?"
"I didn't steal it; I found it and took it in case you needed it back."
"I have been to the Dying Mall quite a lot after the inicident and talked to many of you, enough for you to remember to give it back."
"You didn't ask for it; I assumed you didn't want it anymore!"
For an android, her little smile was as much of a giveaway as it would've been if it came from a robloxian. And Nash couldn't bring herself to get mad. If anything, seeing that playful smile made her feel warm at her chest.
"Of course, if you need it back I'll hand it over when you next visit the mall."
"I figure I don't need it when i have you to tell me the time. it'll be way less of a hassle, since I won't need to take care of it."
Nashatra could swear she saw Eunoia's eyes light up. And while it could just be a feature of her model, it warmed up her heart to see something so alive coming someone so far away from it. It took a smile out of her, which the android inmediatly noticed. Yet, she decided to push it aside, staying on the current subject.
"If that's how you think, I might start charging you for the time too!"
"To little old me?" Nashatra batted her eyelashes, causing a giggle out of her friend. She shaked her head in amusement, standing upright.
"I let you have too many free passes, Beahild!" Her hands came to rest on the counter, leaning in closer towards the sleepwalker.
"I guess so.. I might not be the most worthy of such special treatment. But I always pay you back, don't I?" She fixed her jacket as she spoke, turning around, ready to leave.
"You certainly do."
She always felt a bit heavy whenever she had to leave one of Eunoia's stores. Sometimes she wondered for how long she was left alone until someone came into one.. Which probably wasnt that long, if we counted Dying Mall stores. They might be a bit short on costumers, but the mafia surely never went hungry while in there. Yet again, Eunoia didn't seem to mind the loneliness too much either.
Atleast that's what she would say to herself.
As her hand went to the doorknob, her head turned to stare at her friend one last time, who waved at her with that gentleness Eunoia always seemed to carry with her. It was one of the very few things that actually brought her peace in this place.
"If you wanted a gift from me, you could've just said so." She grinned before walking out. But through the door's window, she noticed the way Eunoia smiled, and she knew that it had to be a sign.. of some sorts.
....But what do you gift to someone who doesn't need anything?