Based off of the amazing cover  made for me!

(edit, 9/26/20: maybe you'd rather read on tumblr? Go down to the external link)

Lillian walked down the busy street. Five more minutes, and she'd be home. But before she could turn onto Stars Ave, a small shop caught her eye.

A DRAGON'S ECCENTRICITIES

Lillian thought it might be a nice shop to check out, so she went in.

As she walked inside, she gasped in awe. Oak bookcases ran around the back four walls, almost like the walls were the bookcases. In the middle of the store were half-shelves, maybe three, three and a half feet tall. She walked down one of the aisles, and looked closer at them. On top of the shelves were various merchandise, all fitting a dragon aesthetic. Below, were things like sketchbooks, quills, and ink bottles. But then there were things that puzzled her, like flags with colored stripes in queer patterns. And then there were weird things that looked like books, but made of- plastic? When she opened one, instead of pages, there was an odd metal disk. It looked quite useless though, so she put it back.

All of a sudden, she noticed a man behind her. She turned around. He was wearing a gray shirt, with sleeves that came down to the shoulders. He had a tan apron, with a print. It showed a dragon spewing fire. Inside of the fire, were the words, "A Dragon's Eccentricates". He also  wearing a pair of dark blue pants. The man had fair skin, no hair, and a fluffy-looking white beard. His eyes were electric blue. Although he looked about sixty or seventy, his eyes suggested he was much, much older.

"Hi! Welcome to A Dragon's Eccentricit- oh no." He paused, looking at her. In the blink of an eye, his outfit changed. Now, the man was wearing a white button down shirt, a bright green bow tie, black pants, and a black coat. He cleared his throat. "Hello, and welcome to A Dragon's Eccentricities. Are you looking for something, or did you simply stumble in here?" Lillian stared at him. "You just changed your clothes in an instant." He rolled his eyes. "Yes, but that's not important. Now, is there a reason you came here?"

"No, I simply thought a shop with an interesting name such as A Dragon's Eccentricities would be a shop worth checking out." The man smiled. "I'm glad you like my shop. Now, let's see what you're looking for." Lillian gave him a puzzled look. "Sir, I told you, I'm not looking for anything." "Nonsense!" The man said. "Anyways, you said you had no reason, not that you weren't looking for anything. Everyone is looking for something, but not all realize they can find it here- or even notice that they are looking for it. Now, let me see." He stared at her for a few moments. Just before she decided to head out-she felt like she had been here for a while now- he spoke again.

"First off, I should get you a flag- oh wait, those won't come around for a while. Don't want to steal credit from Mr. Baker now, do we?" Lillian gave him another confused look. "Ah, never mind," he said. "Now, let's see. You're alone. Parents barely home, no siblings, and no friends. You're only lonely sometimes though. You create stories, and make friends with the characters you create. You've always wanted to write those stories down and share them with the world." Lillian stared at him. "How-how do you know that?"

"Well, it's quite simple. Your eyes, facial expression, posture, and way you talk tell me all I need to know about you- without you even realizing it. Not to mention some magic and guesswork." Lillian couldn't believe what she just heard. "Magic?" But the man paid her no mind. "Now, follow me. You're going to need more than just imaginary friends to get through life."

Lillian stomped after the man. "I am just fine! I do not need any other friends!" She didn't believe this herself, but wasn't exactly keen on having a random old man make friends for her. "You don't need a lot, but you'll need at least one. Anyways, we're here now. See anything of interest?"

They were in an aisle towards the end of the store. She knelt down, as something was pulling her to the bottom shelf. She gasped. Right next to copies of The Twisted Crown and Orange Tea was a beautiful milky white quill-and-ink set. "This, this is beautiful! I've never seen a better quill-and-ink set, not that I've seen many." The man knelt down with her. "I told you, everyone is looking for something, almost everyone can find it at the Dragon."

Lillian reached into her pockets for some money, but came up empty handed. She sighed. "I'm sorry sir, but I just don't have the..." She trailed off, and looked up. She was kneeling in an empty lot. A Dragon's Eccentricities had simply disappeared. Yet somehow, next to her, was the quill-and-ink set. She sat in shock for a moment, then picked it up, and resumed her journey home.

So, what'd you think? This is only part one, part two will be coming soon!

If I've made any mistakes with spelling or grammar, or if there are any spots that could be improved in any way, let me know in the comment section!

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Thanks, and have a great day/night!