Aiding Eustace with his need for a Miner's Delight potion was simple enough. The elder man had quite the nasty cough from his time in the mines, but the Homunculi knew that the potion was a common buy in the town. A lot of the miners enjoyed the reprieve from the chest pains, and Ezra had ended up trying one of the potions as an experiment, and rather enjoyed the minty flavor it contained. The Homunculi could never understand how the brews Nevin created could be so delicious yet the man could not cook to save his life. Another thing for Ezra to fix in the man's life to make sure he could sustain himself if they ever had to separate.
The little girl who came in next wanted candy, and showing off her missing teeth left Ezra somewhat confused. Why would someone who has already lost teeth want to eat something that would promote more teeth loss? They opened their mouth to ask, but the alchemist shook his head and they could only shrug in response. The little girl had the coin to pay for the candy, and it wasn't Ezra's decision to deny this little girl when she was being nice and buying candy for her brother too. As the little girl made her way out of the store, Ezra called out to her, "Do not forget to keep your teeth clean after ingesting the treats! Enjoy them!" They turned to Nevin for a confirmation of a job well done but only got the man with tea cup in mouth and eyes looking anywhere but the Homunculus. They sighed, slumping slightly against the counter. They thought it was a good thing. It was informative and to make sure the little one stayed safe? Why was it a bad thing?
The girl's scream as she fled from a rather large dog brought Ezra back into focus, and a small blonde child made their way to the counter. The child hadn't responded to their greeting, but instead took a finger to the counter and began writing out words onto the wood. Ezra blinked at the insinuation of being Nevin's lover, looking at the man for a long moment before letting out a small sigh. How did this child seem to know more adult topics? Calling someone your lover was a rather serious accusation, no? "I am sorry, little one. I am not Nevin's lover, as you have claimed. I am simply an apprentice for alchemy, and he is my mentor in that field of study. If I was his spouse, I assure you that the shop would look much more presentable, as would he. Never mind the fact he would be on a much healthier and much more consistent diet consisting of vegetables, proteins, and grains. But, I digress."
As Ezra spoke and kept their focus on the little Fenn, a flash of imagery appeared in the Homunculi's mind and begin to play out. They could see a small child in their arms, no more than a year in age, with pointed ears and raven-black hair. The little one's eyes were bright green, and a toothless smile shined brightly. A voice that sounded so similar to their own kept asking how their 'little dragonfly' was, and the infant would continue to respond in smiles and coos. As soon as the memory had appeared, it vanished and a single tear streaked down their cheek. The Homunculi continued speaking, apparently unaware of what had occurred. They, however, seemed to pause after their question, and their face contorted into one of pure confusion.
...Where had that come from?
They shook their head and let out a breath. "How may we assist you today?"
