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For all your magical mirror needs, Janus Galloglass is the place to be. Sure, you could go to some other knick knack store that doesn't specialize in mirrors, but if you want quality, if you want customization, if you want pure craftsmanship, then you're in the right place. When you walk inside you'll have a hard time not seeing your own reflection somewhere on the walls and displays, and yet equally, not every mirror shows you yourself as you might expect. Some show reflections of completely different places and faces, some show you what you would look like as a different gender or age, some show you how others see you, and some appear not to reflect anything at all. Many of the mirrors call out compliments or advice as you walk close to them. Some seem to watch you as you make your way around the store.
Janus Galloglass deals in three main areas when it comes to mirror making: mirrors for communication, mirrors for vanity and appearance, and mirrors for divination, though there are other types of mirrors available for other needs - just ask. Fancy a foeglass? Need a talking mirror to tell you how fabulous you are? Want a hand mirror charmed to never fog up? Do you need a mirror that will zoom? Maybe you need mirror parts for your telescope, or a mirror charmed to show you the back of your head. Perhaps you're in the market for a prank mirror of some variety. Whatever you need, if it isn't already on the shelves, you can get a quote here, just be aware that some more complex custom requests might take a little time to craft.
You mustn't forget, of course, that Janus Galloglass also provides a Psychomanteum that its valued patrons can make use of, for a price of course. Your Catoptromancy session can be guided too if you need a little help with interpretation, or you may pay to use the Psychomanteum by yourself for a 15, 35, or 55 minute session. Please note there are multitudes of security spells in this store. It isn't wise to try and steal when so many of the mirrors are watching you, not to mention, if you break you DEFINITELY buy, or you might just get sucked into a holding mirror until an auror can be summoned to deal with you.
Text Cut: inventory
A note about inventory:
At Janus Galloglass the price of a given mirror depends on several factors that make an exact pricing menu unwieldy and difficult. Please use the following price brackets for a guide as far as what you can choose to RP as a quoted price, and remember the more complex the charms or magic of a mirror, the more expensive it is likely to be.
Mirror Sizes
ring mirrors - starting at 1 galleon, 1 sickle
compact mirror - starting at 1 galleon, 1 sickle
hand held mirror - starting at 1 galleon, 2 sickles
book-sized mirror - starting at 1 galleon, 10 sickles
half-length mirror - starting at 3 galleons, 7 sickles
full-length mirror - starting at 5 galleons, 4 sickles
larger custom size - starting at 8 galleons, 2 sickles
Aries stepped into Janus Galloglass with the kind of hesitation that didn’t come from fear, but from bone-deep exhaustion and the quiet hope that maybe, just maybe, this place could help him fix one small thing in a kid’s very messed-up week.
The moment the door swung shut behind him, a dozen reflections blinked back at him from every angle. Some were him, most weren’t. A few mirrors whispered soft things - 'You look tired.', 'Oh dear, someone needs sleep.' - which he ignored with the patience of a man who spent most of his life pretending he wasn’t running on fumes.
He didn’t come here for himself, after all.
He came because Louis, age nine, quarantined for dragon pox, was losing his mind without seeing his mother. And because the boy was still quarantined behind three layers of protective charms, because his mother wasn’t allowed inside the ward yet, because Aries understood that kind of loneliness - so he was here, doing something extra as usual.
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......................let's be reckless, unaffected, running out until we're breathless ...............let's be hopeful, don't get broken, and stay caught up in the moment ♥
Anna was here for a very specific purpose. Otherwise one would be hard-pressed to find her in a mirror shop. Therefore, she was planning to get in, get out, and hopefully never come back.
She grimaced when, as soon as she stepped into the shop, a large mirror to her right loudly proclaimed, you look dead on your feet. Have you tried coffee? She knew she looked terrible - that was why she needed a mirror. But not any mirror. She wanted a nice one. One that complimented her. For reasons.
So engrossed was she in trying to avoid looking at any mirrors until she found the one she wanted, she almost, almost ran into another shop patron. She stopped abruptly, holding up her hands, which just barely grazed the back of his shirt, and hurriedly took a step back to out space between them. “Sorry,” she murmured, her cheeks flaming. Merlin, she really was dead on her feet. She was getting careless and clumsy and it was highly unfitting for her.
Aries stopped when her hands brushed the back of his shirt, a faint contact, but enough to pull him out of the tunnel-vision he’d been operating in since he came through the door.
He shifted half a step to the side to give her space, shoulders loosening in a subtle apology for being in the way in the first place. “It’s alright,” he said quietly. “These things are everywhere.” His eyes flicked to the nearest wall of mirrors, one of which immediately offered him unsolicited advice about moisturizing. He ignored it.
He took her in briefly and the perceptive healer in him understood more than he cared to admit. “Long day?” he asked with a small smile, just enough for politeness, not enough to pry. He didn’t linger on her answer either, instead just cleared his throat softly before adding: “If you’re looking for something specific… might want to avoid the left side. They’ve got the chatty ones there.”
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......................let's be reckless, unaffected, running out until we're breathless ...............let's be hopeful, don't get broken, and stay caught up in the moment ♥
A flicker of gratitude lit up in her chest as the man stepped slightly away from Anna. She let out a deep breath, her own shoulders sagging slightly. She was still on higher alert than the situation truly called for, but the guy appeared incredibly unthreatening and she was trying to learn to actually trust the tattoo on the back of her neck that warned her of danger.
Another deep breath, then she let it out in a soft huff when the man suggested she’d had a long day. She gave a slight nod, again grateful that he moved on without apparently expecting a real answer. She glanced to the side of the store that he indicated. “Those must be the ones that greeted me so politely when I entered.” Her tone was less bitter than it would be under normal circumstances, but her brow still furrowed slightly at the memory of the unsolicited insult.
“You must be looking for something else, then.” Anna most certainly was not going to tell him that she did, in fact, want a chatty mirror. Just a different kind of chatty than the ones she’d encountered so far. “Do you come here often?” She almost cringed again at her words as soon as they left her mouth. “I mean, enough to know where to find what you want?” She wasn’t flirting. She was sleep-deprived and out of practice in social situations outside of work. Hence the mirror.
Aries couldn't really help himself as he laughed softly, “Yeah,” he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck as his gaze flicked toward the towering wall of enchanted glass, “they’re… enthusiastic greeters.”
When she spoke again, Aries shook his head, “Not often,” he admitted. “First time in years, actually.” He slipped his hands into his coat pockets, shoulders relaxing a little. “And I wouldn’t call this a place you get used to unless you enjoy being judged by your own reflection.” He said dryly, and resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
“I’m not here for anything fancy,” he added, glancing toward a quieter corner of the shop where the mirrors just gently hummed. “Just a communication mirror. Something durable. For a kid who’s… having a rough time.”
A mirror behind them whispered tell her she looks tiredbut in a poetic way, and Aries reached out absently to thump the frame with two fingers. “Don’t,” he warned it under his breath.
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......................let's be reckless, unaffected, running out until we're breathless ...............let's be hopeful, don't get broken, and stay caught up in the moment ♥
Enthusiastic, indeed. Anna followed the man’s gaze to the other side of the store before returning her attention to him. It was then that she realized he also looked like he’d seen better days. She let herself linger on his face for another moment, then hurriedly looked away, becoming interested in an ornate mirror that showed absolutely nothing in the reflection.
“Your child?” She asked, curious in spite of herself. She wasn’t sure what was possessing her to continue talking to this man. Something, though, held her feet in place, even after some mirror made another comment. She pretended she didn’t hear it.
“I think I see the two-way mirrors, just there,” she said, gesturing behind the man and down a cramped aisle made from two full-length mirrors facing each other.
Aries followed her gesture, a small, relieved smile flickering across his face when he spotted the right aisle. “Ah perfect. Thank you. I might’ve ended up arguing with a vanity mirror for the next fifteen minutes otherwise.” he said with a smile.
When she asked about the child, he blinked in mild surprise before shaking his head gently. “Oh no. Not mine.” A tiny huff of breath, almost a laugh. “One of my patients. He’s stuck in quarantine at the moment and… well, he misses his mum.” His shoulders softened at that, an unspoken warmth threading the words. “Thought one of these might make it easier for them to talk until he’s cleared.”
A mirror to their left chimed in unhelpfully Your hair could use a trim, and Aries didn’t even bother turning toward it. Instead, he asked, “And you? what are you looking for, I mean”
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......................let's be reckless, unaffected, running out until we're breathless ...............let's be hopeful, don't get broken, and stay caught up in the moment ♥
Anna laughed softly, surprising herself with the sound. Maybe she was getting more used to this. Work had probably been good for her in that way. She was momentarily distracted by a mirror that suggested she smile more often, so in an effort to ignore it fully she turned to face the man again, eyes lighting up a bit at the mention of his patient.
"You must be a healer, then," she guessed. Her head tilted slightly at his explanation of what he was doing in this shop. "Is it typically up to you to figure out the communication?" She had a feeling it wasn't. At least, no healer she'd known before had done that. To her knowledge, at least.
The man's next question made her pause. She looked at the mirror that had commented unhelpfully on his hair, buying herself time to figure out a response. She could lie, but that would mean she'd have to ditch him and wait for him to leave the shop before she found and bought her own. And that would be fine, but at least mildly inconveniencing. She didn't particularly want to tell him the truth, though. I'm buying a mirror that'll say nice things to me because I'm lonely and have no friends. Yes, definitely not going with the truth.
So, she settled for the age-old, "I'm looking for one of those talking ones, but one that's a bit nicer. For a friend." Don't ask any follow-up questions now, okay?
Aries’ brows lifted a fraction at her guess, then he nodded. “Mm. Guilty,” he said lightly. “Healer. And… no, it’s not usually up to me.” There was a brief, self-aware curve to his mouth. “But sometimes the practical things get missed when everyone’s focused on symptoms. Someone still has to notice the quiet parts.”
Her answer earned her a sideways glance, perceptive and gentle. It was why it was so easy to notice the deflection and the careful chosen phrasing. Though, he didn’t call it out. He was very good at not calling things out. He merely nodded instead.
“For a friend,” he repeated, easy, unpressing. His gaze slid down the narrow aisle she’d indicated, mirrors facing mirrors, reflections stacking into infinity like they were trying to outnumber reality. “Then you’ll want one that talks with you, not at you.”
On cue, one of the mirrors nearby murmured, she might have nice eyes when she isn’t tired, and Aries immediately shifted, blocking it with his shoulder like an old habit. “Definitely ignore that one,” he said under his breath.
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......................let's be reckless, unaffected, running out until we're breathless ...............let's be hopeful, don't get broken, and stay caught up in the moment ♥
Notice the quiet parts. That was exactly what Anna didn’t want others to do around her. She liked her quiet parts to stay quiet. Still, she couldn’t help but admire it in this context. She could imagine herself as a child, sick and just wanting her mum. “That’s kind of you,” she said before she could think better of it. “You must be good at your job.” As far as compliments went, it wasn’t the best. But it was what Anna herself might be comfortable with.
Her shoulders tensed slightly as he repeated her words, as if she was bracing for an attack. None came, though, and when she took a deep breath and tuned back in, she realized that it hadn’t even been a question.
“Talk with me…” she repeated, her gaze flickering to the mirror that made a comment about her eyes. She rolled her shoulders almost imperceptibly, stood a bit straighter, and side-stepped past the man, fitting herself between him and the mirrors before taking another step back once she had the room. “It’s right, you know.” She played at a cheerful tone, trying to dredge up that bit of comfort she’d felt a few moments ago. “I do have nice eyes.”
Janus Galloglass 
x5
