Humans, more humans. Why did they smell so bad? Didn't they shower? Humans were the ones to invent soap after all. The least they could do was use it.

Bryn's nose wrinkled as he dodged another human with eyes likely glued to their phone if the slight thumb tapping was right. He didn't understand what was so important on a little screen they couldn't look up and avoid others. They had eyes, they should put them to better use.

"Hurry up!" Lily's excited voice tickled at his ears.

Bryn picked up the pace. He had been volunteered to go into town with Lily to get supplies. Well, not exactly volunteered. Lily had told him he was going despite the objections of Cy. Sin hadn't necessarily cared expect for not being able to indulge himself on human sweets. For someone who liked the taste of flesh so much, he had an awful big sweet tooth. Another thing that didn't make sense in this world, human and sugar tasted nothing alike. Regardless, he had ended up on guard duty as he was the "least injured" as Lily pointed out.

It had taken them a while to find a big enough city to have a shop with what they needed. It was a risk to be on the streets, but hopefully a worthwhile one when they finally found this place. He didn't like all the eyes here, all the overwhelming attacks on his senses. He scratched at his skin. The caking of cover-up flaking off a bit, having to wear all this crap to blend in didn't help his mood. How human women wore this on their face all day long was beyond him.

A hand swatted at him, gentle and stern at once. "Leave it alone. You're as bad as Sin."

He grumbled, but let his hand fall back to his side. Lily's feet fell into a rhythm beside him. After a couple more steps, he tugged her right, which she did without complaint. She knew he was following his nose to their destination.

"Ooh look!" Her froze beside him, her excitement rising then falling just as quick with realization. "Oops I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine." He turned his nose toward the general area she seemed to be looking based upon how her voice had changed directions. "I don't smell anything."

"It's...nevermind. Let's just get going."

He shrugged walking on, not waiting for her to fall back in step. She'd catch up and match to sound again soon. A pattering came quick before joining his rise and fall. He nodded to himself satisfied.

"Sin says you are too indifferent."

"Why would I care what Sin thinks?"

She fell silent. He began counting their steps to zone out the other loud sounds of life. He missed the underworld and its quiet the most in big cities. His brothers didn't get that.

"I don't, don't think you are indifferent I mean."

He remained quiet, wondering if she'd drop her train of thought.

"It's not that you are indifferent, I mean maybe you are about somethings. But you obviously care about others. If you didn't you'd never have come topside with me." She jumped in front of him, causing him to stuttered to a halt to keep from hitting her. "See logic. If you were indifferent about everything, then you wouldn't have helped me."

"Sure whatever you say." He side stepped her and kept walking.

She hummed, falling back into their stroll. He turned them both left at the next intersection. They were getting close. Her rise and fall of sound helped him concentrate. There.

He froze on the sidewalk, causing Lily to pass him. She skipped backward to reach him.

"Oh yay! We're here."

"Yep." He walked inside, opening the door for them both. It confused him how she trusted him. He could've been lying.

She strode through the door first. Her fingers though stopped to tap and check her scissors. Girl may seem like an airhead sometimes, but it was a level of an act. She knew what was up and the potential threat by going in first. So she made herself ready for it. He had always admired that, even when she was a little girl. It wasn't stupidity that drove her into risks. It was bravery.

A small twinkle set an atmosphere as they entered a second door. He could smell the ingredients. Not up front where the humans could find them, but definitely there somewhere.

"Hello." Beads clanked together as someone emerged from the back. It was a woman based upon the scent and pitch of voice.

"Hi." Lily called. "We are here for..."

"We are just looking." Bryn interrupted her.

He could feel Lily giving him a look as he moved away to feel different things. He could tell what they were before even picking them up, still he worked the act. Be the blind human. Lily floated over and trailed behind him.

"You're a wanted fugitive. Think before you speak." He said.

She nodded before holding up a bag of dried tea leaves. "How much?"

"For someone as pretty as you, ten dollars."

"That seems expensive."

"A keen eye," the woman drifted closer and Bryn put a hand on Lily's elbow. "I can see why you like her."

Bryn shrugged, not looking at where he knew she was. Most blind people couldn't pin point that easily a person. Lily shifted on her feet as they all became quiet. No one else was in the store. It was both a good and a bad thing depending on how it went down.

"Eight."

"Hm?"

"Eight dollars for the lovely couple."

"Oh." Lily hesitated, before he gave a slight nod. "Okay we'll take it."

The three made their way toward the counter. Lily guiding him across the store, though unnecessary. Standing at the cash register, Bryn breathed in deeply. His nostrils flared looking for anything unusual.

"One last thing."

"Oh? I wondered how long it'd take you to ask for what you really want." The woman's voice held a giddiness and her pheromones smelled sweet.

As far as he could tell, she wasn't seeking them harm. If anything she was excited to have some nonhuman customers. It had probably been a while. They were about to pay through the nose for her goods. Hopefully they could afford it.

"We need some herbs." Lily slide a list over the counter.

The woman picked it up and made some quiet noises as she thought. "I think I have all of this. But some of this is pretty rare."

And there it was.

"I hope you can afford it." Even without seeing, he could feel her inspecting them as though to tell.

Bryn gave Lily a nudge and she reached into her bag to drop five gold coins from the River Styx on the counter. He could practically taste the woman's greed in the air as she fell silent. Her fingers darted out before he stopped her.

"Do we have a deal?"

The sound of her licking her lips was disgusting. "I don't know. Like I said, this is pretty rare and hard to get items. They are in high demand."

"Unlikely," Lily said. "Even in a big city like this, nonhumans are getting rarer every day. I'm guessing you haven't done business from the back in years based upon the dust coating everything."

He felt her lean over to gesture at what she could see behind the beaded and, if he wasn't mistaken, spelled curtain. Mostly likely it was rows and rows of shelves with various labeled bottles, jars, and boxes. Given the muted smell from everything, he doubted it was magically sealed or used air tight containers. A bit unprofessional in his opinion. The woman hissed in anger.

"Perhaps not. But that just means those I do see are easier to remember and you two don't take me as the types that want to be remembered. You want to keep this little exchange quiet, then you better fark over more."

Bribe for silence. He wasn't surprised. Still going through all they could smuggle out of the underworld in one shot wasn't a good idea.

"Fine, but we don't have anymore money." Bryn let the lie roll off his tongue in smoothing cadence. "Will you take a trade?"

"Alright. Better be good though, my silence is not cheap."

Lily grumbled. "No, but your death would be."

She was listening too much to Sin.

Bryn reached up and plucked his eye right out of his socket. He held it out, not flinching at the pain or blood now streaming down his face. It'd grow back. They always did. Lily had let out a straggled sob beside him, but was trying to fight making a scene.

Pudgy fingers slipped over his and wrapped around his eye. He was surprised, because while the woman had seem overweight from her movement, it wasn't common now a days. It was hard to be unhuman sometimes.

"A blind eye, now why would I want this?" She couldn't disguise the eagerness though in her voice.

He didn't have time for this. "Then give it back."

"No!" She shrieked, then quickly recovered. "I mean I guess that'll be a fair trade."

She retreated, noises of herbs being cut and crushed could be heard before she came out with a basket full of bags. Bryn leaned over and smelt it closely.

"Don't cheat us or you'll regret it."

Silence.

"Fine." She came back a moment later with the rest.

He ushered Lily out the doors, the bell ringing its goodbye. Once out on the street, he could feel the tension. She had questions. Instead, the sound of fabric ripping greeted his ears.

"May I?"

Bryn nodded crouching over so she could reach his head. A cloth was tied around his empty eye socket so he wouldn't attract attention and blood carefully whipped away. Staring at where he knew she was and seeing nothing but black, he sighed.

"Just ask already."

"Why did you do that? We had more money."

He turned walking away. "It'd be foolish to spend it all when we met need more. Plus it'll grow back, you know that."

"It must have hurt though." She caught up to him and continued when he didn't agree or disagree. "Why did she want it so bad?"

"Creatures like use aren't known for our imperfections. We are supposed to be above humans and their faults. So when we have them,"

She finished. "It makes them valuable."

"Regardless of if the idea of perfection is true." Bryn nodded.

"I see. How interesting."

Bryn looked to the sky, listening to the modern world race past them. "I suppose. It's a very human thing though to consider interesting."

"Is that so bad?"

He turned his head back toward her. Breathing in her scent and once more trying to place it. Sure he could identify what she smelled like, flowers and wool, but what she actually smelled like. The thing that she was. He couldn't tell and it bothered him.

"I don't know."