Siobhan's Blurry Adventure

Lian hadn’t intended to say anything at first, but after several long minutes of watching Siobhan shuffle around peering at everything with narrowed eyes, as though the books and furniture had personally offended him somehow, they had to speak up.

“Did you lose your glasses?”

Siobhan stopped in the middle of reaching for one of the books that Lian had requested, whipping around instead to squint at them. It was hard to tell if this was due to annoyance or because he couldn’t see them, but they were pretty sure it was at least partly the former.

“What? No.” Siobhan huffed and turned back to the bookshelf, and proceeded to take an almost agonizingly long time to parse out which books were right in front of his face.

“It’s two over to the right,” Lian piped up helpfully after another couple minutes of watching him struggle.

“I knew that. Hmph.” Siobhan grabbed the indicated book, as though he’d intended to do so all along. He brought it to the counter where Lian was waiting, laying it neatly (though with more force than strictly necessary) atop the pile of other books. At least it wasn’t one from his special collection, Lian reflected; he’d agonize over it for ages if he ever treated one of those roughly, once he got over his indignant tiff.

They laid the carats that they owed for the books on the countertop, and then struggled not to wince as they watched Siobhan squeeze one eye shut and glare at the pile of carats to try and bring it into focus as he counted out the money. “Do you want help looking for your glasses, or…?”

“No!” Siobhan snapped immediately. He didn’t need glasses, for hell’s sake! The ones he wore were just for aesthetics. He just had something in his eye. Eyes. It was allergy season, probably. “I haven’t misplaced them, I just- put them down somewhere. And I don’t need them. I’m fine.”

“Uh-huh. You’re giving me a sympathy headache just from watching you.”

“Be less sympathetic, then,” Siobhan huffed. He gave up on counting the carats - it wasn’t as though Lian had ever intentionally shorted him, and if they had done so by mistake this time, they’d surely make up for it later - and deposited them in the bookshop’s till.

Lian rolled their eyes, confident that Siobhan wouldn’t be able to tell, and collected their books. They packed them carefully into their tote bag and shouldered the bag once more. “We-ell, if you change your mind and want someone to help you look, you know where to find me. Though you’ll probably want to call, since I’m not sure you’d be able to see me,” they teased, fond despite the mild exasperation. They’d been through this song and dance before.

“Good afternoon,” Siobhan said with exaggerated firmness, making it clear that the conversation was over.

“Good afternoon~!” Lian sing-songed back to him, and then made a swift exit from the shop before he could get more annoyed.

Siobhan huffed once more through his nose and went back to organizing the books. They remained stubbornly blurry.

…Where had he put his glasses?