With the cabby waiting again, I made for the Filly and Phial. Jelly seemed hesitant to join me. After the number Ruby did on him, I couldn’t exactly blame him.
“I'll stand guard out here. It's just a frilly soap store, so there can't be much danger." He asserted.
I shrugged. He'd entertained me enough in the Crystal Delicacy, I guess it was fair enough that he sit – or stand – this one out. "Shouldn't take me long."
He grunted noncommittally.
I turned to the shop and tilted my head. Phial and Filly...Alchemist Supply? Maybe the driver misremembered. I shrugged to nopony in particular and pushed open one of the double doors. stepped through into the unknown.
I can’t understate the virtual assault of smells that greeted me upon entering. This olfactory onslaught actually made me a touch light-headed. It was a surprise; I wasn’t usually sensitive to strong odors. Uselessly, I waved a hoof in an attempt to ward off the scents.
“Here, this should help.” A voice said at my side. Its owner dabbed some sort of goo on my snout. My head cleared and I wasn't overwhelmed by smell anymore.
"Thank you." I said, relieved.
"No problem. You looked like you were having a pretty strong reaction."
I wiggled my nose. "Yeah, I don't usually have a problem with smells."
"Made some new batches and the ventilation hasn't kept up. Might be a problem with it. I'm not allowed to touch it anymore after what happened last time."
I had to ask. "What happened last time?"
"I should preface this by saying that the mare's wig survived." I stared blankly. "Oh, and the mare too." He added.
I blinked a few times. "Uh, I heard you sell shampoos and such?"
"This is the place! I'm Runic Phial, at your service. Welcome to my store!"
"Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Life Story."
"Shampoos, eh? Buying a gift for a special mare?"
"No, this is for me."
"Ah. Any particular scent?"
"I'd been using a Bitalian shampoo, but it's been discontinued."
"I don't think I've ever made garlic or spaghetti scented shampoo before, but I can give it a try if you'd like."
I laughed. "No, I don't think that's what I'm after. What do stallions like?"
"I don't get a lot of stallions, but, as a stallion I suppose I could offer a bit of insight.” Runic said with a smile. “Although, you’re a stallion too.” He pointed out.
“True. I’ll give the shelves a look and then ask for your opinion.”
“Sounds like a plan. Happy hunting.”
Hunting was an apt description. Div and I shared similar tastes. Even our ice cream tastes were alike; he loved peppermint fudge as much as I did chocolate mint. Yes, there’s a difference. When it came to our shampoo’s, things became more complicated.
I’d picked up the Bitalian soaps in an effort to be like Div. The difference is Div used much more to clean his white mane and tail. This meant he had to use a less expensive brand. It also meant that every fabric that came into contact with his mane and tail ended up smelling like his products. I personally didn’t mind that as I loved having a reminder of him, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to try having the stronger smell directly on me.
The floral scents proved to be too much to handle. I was left with a wide range of what I consider ‘food scents.' The single scents seemed a little plain. But the combinations weren’t to my liking, either. Unless…
“Runic. You mentioned you made batches here. Would you consider a special order?”
“Personalized products? I wouldn’t like to make a habit of it...” He hemmed.
“I promise not to tell anypony. On my honor as a writer. And I’d pay you for your time.”
“What mix are you looking for?”
I weighed the options. “Cinnamon, Apple, and Honey.”
“I don’t have that yet?” He asked.
I shook my head. “I see ‘Cinnamon & Apple' and ‘Apple & Honey' but not all three.”
“Well, if you wouldn’t mind lending a hoof, I think that combination would make a good addition to the line.” Runic offered.
“Sounds like a deal.”
“Let’s head into the back.” He said, flipping his googles down over his eyes.
I followed the gray pegasus through the door behind the counter. The door closed behind me, leaving us in darkness. Blinking uselessly, I felt around for a light switch. "Mr. Phial?" I asked.
"Oh, please just call me Runic." His voice came from the other side of the room.
"Well, uh, Runic. Is there a light switch in here?"
"Naturally."
I waited for him to continue. Instead, I heard noises from his direction. Glass clinking, cardboard flapping. "Okay. So where is it? I can't see anything."
"You can't? Oh!" I heard a soft thud. "Sorry! I forgot to mention the goggles by the counter. Great eye protection and you can see in the dark. Here, I'll get the light." A small crash immediately followed. "Oh, that's where I put it."
Giving the wall another sweep, I hit the light. Runic was in the middle of the room, cleaning yellowish goo off of his hoof. Looking around, I saw rocks. Lots of rocks.
"Is this Las Pegasus sandstone?" I asked, peering at a reddish smooth block.
Runic looked up and I waved a hoof at the hunk of stone. "Yes, actually."
"And you have a great stash of obsidian. I've only seen it in its raw form a hoof-full of times."
"Y-you like rocks?"
I shrugged. "I'm no expert. But I've picked up a little random knowledge in my travels around the country. I went to a party and ended up spending much of the night listening to a geologist talk about Chert. It's a tough sedimentary rock that is ideal ground for fossils. He seemed a bit excited to find a thick deposit in the Everfree, which would indicate that it was once under water. Or so he theorized. Of course, that only barely scratches the surface of what makes it such an interesting mineral. There's historical use and practical applications and the wide varieties of chert. Sorry if I'm droning, I think I might've picked up a lot of his excitement. A lot of ponies just seem to think of rocks as just..."
"...rocks." Runic said. I nearly jumped; he'd moved at some point and now sat in front of me with a peculiar look on his face.
I smiled. "Yeah." I swished my tail, which caught on the light switch.
The light went out. "Oh, I'll get it." I turned and swept a hoof at the wall.
"Watch out!" Runic warned.
It was too late. I'd gone too fast and missed the switch. Instead, I knocked over a glass bottle, getting myself splashed when it hit the ground and broke.
Runic went for the light and I looked down at the blue liquid on my hoof and shirt. "Sorry, Runic."
He waved a hoof. "No worries. Well, unless it starts burning."
I looked at him to see if he was joking. He seemed serious. "Should I be concerned?"
He looked down at the glass that used to be a bottle. "Can't make out the label. Seems to have smeared the ink." Runic looked up at me. "You feel okay?"
"Just feel like a total rat for making a mess on your floor." I said. "I'll get a broom and dust-pan."
After the rocks and splashing, I gave Runic a hoof making my shampoo and conditioner. The mixing process apparently involved a small explosion that rattled me, but Runic seemed to take it in stride. His explanation largely went over my head as, after getting over the initial shock, I made sure I was in one piece. He made a small batch of only about six bottles, but I bought the first run. It was more than I probably should've spent, but I would be homebound for a while. Taking my haul in my magic, I ignored Jelly's look and loaded up the cab.
***