Magnus' POV

"I hate rain," I grumble as I round the corner, nearly colliding with a bright green hijab. 

"Watch it, Chase," the owner of it said.

"Sorry, it's a little hard to see with Niagra Falls peeing in my eyes," I retorted to Samirah.

She huffed and replied, "Should've brought an umbrella, if the rain bothers you so much."

"Don't own an umbrella," I said as we started walking. "I would've had to borrow Halfborn's. He's the only one on Nineteen that has one, and I'm pretty sure it belonged to Mary Poppins."

"But Halfborn wouldn't even fit under an umbrella!"

"I know right? But if I brought that thing,  Alex would never not make fun of me."

"That, I agree."

We made the rest of the short journey down the sidewalks of Boston in silence. Sam spoke up again when we were outside the door of Blitzen's Best.

"What did he want to show us again?" she asked.

"No clue." I pushed open the door and heard a little ding above me. Sam and I walked into the little shop. It definitely looked like Blitzen. There was clothes of all different colors everywhere, so chaotic and crowded that it was organized. It was toasty and the light was dim, probably so it was more comfortable for him.

"Hello?" I called out. I couldn't see anyone behind the counter or in between the racks of coats, pants, shirts, vests, scarfs, and pretty much anything else you can wear. "Blitz? Hearth?" I heard a smack to my right.

"Magnus?" asked Sam, who had face palmed.

"What's up?"

"He can't hear you."

"Oh... right, right." Well that was embarrassing. But not as embarrassing as the one time before the whole finding-out-my-two-best-friends-are-actually-creatures-from-my-old-mythology-bedtime-story-and-that-I'm-part-god-and-this-angry-fire-guy-in-black-with-anger-management-problems-wants-me-dead-and-I-died-and-became-immortal fiasco, Blitz, Hearth, and I were sleeping out under this little bridge and I literally spent two whole minutes saying Hearth's name trying to wake him up. But Blitz didn't wake up either, so apparently I didn't try very hard anyway.

"Magnus! Sam!" I hear a voice yell from the back of the store. Out sauntered Blitzen, looking his best. Sorry, that was bad. But he did look good. New black dress slacks, deep red vest over a black dress shirt, polished shoes, and a very stylish (probably stylish, I have no idea) black hat, that I don't know the name of, with a red stripe.

"Hey Blitz," Sam responded. I did the same.

"So what are you showing us?" I questioned Blitz, plucking his hat from his head to look at it.

"We're just waiting on Alex, then I'll show you." He grabbed his hat back from me.

"Can't you tell us?"

"No it's a surprise." 

I was about to demand he tell me but I was cut off by a bell.

"I'm here, the party can start now," declared Alex Fierro, making her way into the store. She (He? Pretty sure "she" right now) sounded sarcastic and disgruntled.

"Do you hate the rain as much as Magnus or something?" Sam asked her.

"Why would you ever hate the beautiful rain?" Blitzen cried. "The rain means I don't have to wear five hundred pounds of clothes to go outside. Well, Hearth has good reason. But you two don't!" Blitz pointed an accusing finger and Alex and I.

"I'm so sorry," Alex began, holding up her hands in surrender, "for not growing up in a place that you have to wear sunglasses so your eyes don't melt."

"Your outfit makes my eyes melt. Have I ever told you that? After we're done, I'm giving you some sensible clothes to change into," Blitz replied without missing a beat.

"Oh snap," I said under my breath. Sam just rolled her eyes.

"Absolutely not." Alex crossed her arms over her typical lime green and pink sweater.

"Oh yes-" Blitz tried to argue but Sam cut him off.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I still have my Calculus homework to do and Odin has some 'special work' lined up for me."

"Special work?" Alex asked.

"Last time he said 'special work', I had to pull raven hair out of the vent in his office."

"Fun."

"I have to get going soon too, I promised TJ I'd duel him to the death tonight," I told Blitz.

"Oo, can I play?" Alex practically pleaded. "I want to be on TJ's team."

"You don't want to be on my team?"

"No."

"Fine, then you can join the cheerleaders, a.k.a. Mallory and Halfborn."

"Okay then, I'll just ask TJ since you're such a party pooper."

"I am not-" I started but a heard a clapping sound from behind Blitz. The four of us looked towards the source of it.

Are you coming or not?  Hearthstone signed.

"We're coming, we're coming," the dwarf told the elf. All five us walked to the back of the shop, Hearth in the lead. I felt my pendent grow uncomfortably hot against my chest, so I tugged it off and it grew in size until I was holding my sword.

"It's about time, Senor!" Jack yelled at me.

"Sorry, sorry, you're kind of long and dangerous for the shop," I responded.

"Did I miss any hot lady swords while you refused to bring me to life?"

"Bring you to life? You are so dramatic."

"AM NOT! But did I?"

"Hey Jack," Alex said to him.

"Yeah?"

"Please shut up."

"Fine," Jack scoffed. "But just remember you're dueling me tonight." With that threat, Jack did shut up and started humming something that sounded suspiciously like "Can't Stop The Feeling" by Justin Timberlake. Him and TJ listen to the radio too much. It's really hilarious to watch them listen to the songs, TJ not quite getting the 21st century vibe and Jack tilting back and forth, trying to dance and singing horribly off key. So maybe not hilarious, more like painful.

"Ta-da!" Blitz exclaimed, holding his hands like the girls on "The Price Is Right." He was gesturing to a little mirror-type thing in Hearth's hands. A light was coming out of it and shining directly in Hearth's eyes. His mouth had one corner turned up slightly, which was basically his equivalent of beaming. Okay, okay, I'm done with the bad puns now.

"Er... you wanted to show us a flashlight?" Alex said.

"It's not a flashlight. Blitz, this is great!" Sam interjected.

"Isn't it?" Blitz replied somewhat smug and Hearth nodded happily.

"So if it's not a flashlight," I began, "what is it?"

"Do you remember when we went to my house there was that tanning bed for Hearth?" Blitz eagerly explained.

"Yes."

"Well, it's like a smaller version of that that he can carry around anywhere. The light shines into his eyes, sending the light all through his body, acting like the tanning bed. Get it?"

"Uh, sure." I didn't get it. Even my few years of school told me that was impossible, but it also seemed impossible that I was standing in a room with a dwarf, an elf, and two girls that could change into any animal they wanted on command, but oh well.

"I don't," Alex answered bluntly.

"I'll tell you again after you try on the new outfit I'm going to go pick out for you."

"Nope," Alex tried to tell him, but he was already out in the shop.

"But you looked so pretty in that dress," I teased.

"Mention that one more time, and I'll kill you before we get back to Valhalla."

I don't have any rights over Justin Timberlake's songs, or game shows.