The Glove: Part 1

                                    

                                          
Although it was an uncomfortable truth, it was certain that mages were responsible for developing one of the most attractive narcotics in history. It was called oculix; more commonly, ollie. This drug was not swallowed, snorted, nor injected, but intended to be dropped into the eye. The effects could show gradually, like decaying retinas over years, or loss of brain function. Sometimes, dropping would result in instant traumatic bodily harm, particularly when the liquid contacted parts of the body other than the eye like mouths or hands. Other times, nothing would happen at all. People could try to predict what factors would lead to what outcomes, but no amount of study could give a full picture of the drug's nature. Whether it was bought from a store, or dealt, despite the potential risks, it gave people previously unimaginable satisfaction, and more and more people, mage or not, found its temptation impossible to resist.
Azura had resisted it, for many years, which admittedly wasn't particularly hard for her. It was easy for her to resist dropping poison into her eyes the way it was easy for her to resist eating uncooked meat or staring directly into the sun, and yet she still found herself one day in a rundown convenience store, looking to buy a tool to administer poison. 
The lights were unbearable for her. They were consistently emitting a harsh, sickening buzz and were constantly flashing brighter and dimmer; they looked and sounded like they were a single puff of a gentle breeze away from falling from the ceiling and crashing into the floor. She wished she could divert her attention towards something more pleasant, but all she found were repugnant stains on the floors and walls that could have been weeks or months old. The air almost felt toxic to her, being unusually humid and smelling of grime, and full of flies that the owners couldn't be bothered to swat. 
She wandered around from aisle to aisle looking for where the droppers might be, and as she searched, she noticed a few people enter the store... people with glowing golden markings that coated their arms and neck. She swallowed and turned away for a moment, trying to shield herself behind the rows of snacks in front of her, starting to read the nutrition facts on the back of chip bags as she tried to tune out their loud chattering. She stood waiting for a moment awkwardly looking around acting as if she had some great interest in the delicate intricacies the effect of her choice of processed carbs had on her bodily health. 
She glanced back for just a moment and saw the mages now in the southeast corner of the store, still smiling with each other. One picked up a dropper, and they started moving back towards the counter. She stayed still while they walked, silently staring at them from the corner of her eye as they approached the cash register.
They reached the counter near the entrance of the store, and she started her walk to the droppers, trying to subtly stand behind the aisles. She saw a few rows lined with eye droppers, all seeming to belong to the same brand, stuck in a red plastic and cardboard packaging that comfortably dangled from the hang tabs. There were at least a hundred of them. They were all different colors, some of them had bulbs that were blue, or yellow, or green. It seemed there was a different dropper for every color of the rainbow. 
While she was taking her time looking at the droppers, she was disturbed by an annoying snickering sound coming from her left. She knew what it was and didn't want to look, but she took a short, focused glance anyway, and saw the mages from across the room covering their mouths, giggling in her direction.
Instinctually, she covered her neck with her palm and darted her head back to the rack. She breathed in, preparing to grab one, but before she did, a fly landed on the one she was going to take.
It was only there for a moment and then flew away. She frowned, then picked up one of the droppers and headed for the counter.
Azura prepared herself. In her head, she tried to logic her way through it as if she was just going about any other completely normal part of her day.