Death's Fated Love

Both the detectives look at her, notebooks at the ready.

Carrington shakes his head but points his thumb at Selene. "A couple of months back, this nerd bought an entire collection of manga in the store's name, although we don't sell that kind of stuff."

"They can be considered antiques!" Selene defends. "They were an original collection of the series The Rose of Versailles. How could I pass that up?"

"You used the store just to buy it for yourself!" 

Carrington sighs, shakes his head again and looks back at the detectives. Selene smiles at the detectives, ignoring her dad's never ending frustration over the particular topic.

 "Now, every now and again, some other nerds will come in looking to sell or buy manga or things like that," Carrington says to the lot. "And no matter how many times I tell them to spread the word that we don't have that kind of stuff, they still show up."

"Any chance our missing person could have come in looking for manga?" 

"Maybe," Carrington says, "come to the back and we'll check the security cameras to see if he came in."

Selene watches as the detectives follow her father into the backroom without sparing another look at her. She doesn't mind, though, being used to being alone. 

She checks the open sign on the door which is facing out, but everyone is looking inside the window instead of coming in to browse, so she gives up her customer service smile and turns her back to them, picking up the inventory clipboard instead.

Walking around the counter to look at the inventory inside the glass cabinet, Selene holds the pen and clipboard but uses it to just doodle on the paper, drawing a small angry Carrington.

Yes, it was an antique store, but it was more than that, and some items they sold weren't ever going to be on that inventory sheet. The clipboard was more for a cover, like if police officers ever came looking. 

Like the old tarnished sapphire ring that makes whoever wears it more desirable, yet secretly sucks the life out of them, or the small hookah that houses a Jinn, that gives you three wishes but makes you regret it. 

She quickly caresses the protection amulet hanging around her neck, before going back to her doodle, adding leprechaun attire to her tiny angry father. Though he's not a leprechaun but an imp, rarely do you ever see stories of imps that wear clothes.

She chuckles to herself but a shadow appears upon the glass, making her heart jump out of her chest as the face of a woman comes into view in the glass and Selene looks up trying to hold in her scream as a man and woman stand in front of her. 

"Jeez! You scared the shit out of me. I didn't hear either of you come in."

The woman, dressed in a black blouse and black skirt, looks behind her and then back at Selene.

"Normally the bell on the door rings, and I may be hard of hearing, but… I guess I was so distracted that I didn't hear you come in at all."

Selene watches as confusion fills up the woman's face. "You can see me?"

Selene puts down the inventory clipboard and watches the young man standing next to the woman, himself in an all black suit, look down at the doodle and smile. The woman continues to stare at her.

"...yes," Selene says to them. "I can see you. Are you from an item in here and you acquired… consciousness? I'm sorry, I don't know how that works. Are you a Jinn, or a Tsukumogami?"

The woman continues to look at Selene, but the man with her looks around the shop.

"Ah," he says. 

His voice is a deep baritone, and it catches Selene's attention. And she keeps her eyes on him. 

"This is… not your normal antique store, though I wouldn't expect a mischievous imp to run a regular antique store," He smiles.

"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you smile."

Selene ignores the woman's whisper but the man obviously does not as he looks down at his companion, wiping the smile off his face before clearing his throat and looking at Selene again.

"You know that my dad is an imp?" Selene asks.

"Yes," he says. "And we are not Tsukumogami, though there is a tool spirit over there in that corner that is soon going to gain awareness. We are Guides."

Before she can ask what that was, Carrington and the two detectives come out of the back room and walk up to the counter. Carrington looks at the two people on one side while the detectives look at her.

"If you have any more details or find anything later, call the number on this card." The detective slides a card across the glass counter and nods at her, while his partner signs to Selene what he said. 

The male detective waves at Carrington and walks out of the store without looking at the other two people, his female partner following him. 

"Am I dying?" Carrington asks them.

"No," the male guide answers.

"She can't die, so you're not here for her," Carrington says.

"She can't die? What is she?"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on." Selene holds up her hands as they all look at her. "What is going on here? You know what guides are, Dad?"

Carrington chuckles and nods at his daughter. "I'm an imp. I've run across death a time or two. Even made friends with him."

Selene looks at her father, her brows furrowing in question.

"A Guide," Carrington explains, holding a hand out to the guest in front of them, "Is the politically correct term for it. Just like I'm called an imp. If you want to be rude, you would call me Rumplestiltskin."

Selene nods, knowing full well that her father's name in her phone was indeed Rumple.

"If you want to be… rude to Guide, you'd call them Grim Reapers."

Selene looks away from her father and looks to the handsome man in front of her, the Grim Reaper. 

"This man, who holds an extreme amount of power, is the King of the Reapers. If you want to be rude or know him personally, you might call him Death—"

The man in front of Selene, who only has eyes for her, holds up a hand to stop Carrington from saying anymore.

"My name is Nic," he says to Selene. Then he looks at Carrington. "Neither one of you is dying. I'm here to escort you to see an old friend before he dies."

"Who?" Carrington asks.

"Who you used to call Death."