Red's Open for business

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

Cleaning, straightening and putting out stock, Red was busy around his shop. The cubs played, well, not quietly....just played behind the counter.

His new copy of People magazine came in the morning mail and he rewarded himself with a bowl of Frosted Miniwheats and reading at the counter.

Comments

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Shane stepped inside the shop, dressed in a faded black t-shirt with a white long-sleeve tee beneath it, a pair of suprisingly (for her) baggy blue jeans, her burgundy-colored jacket and her sneakers, all topped off by an impossible brown- and beige-checkered cabbie's cap.

"Hey, Red," she said, hearing the familiar thump and scramble of paws on the floor as the cubs both poked their heads out and looked to see who it was. "Hey! Thing One and Thing Two!" She greeted them, grinning.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

The magazine wasn't particularly interesting this month and Red gladly welcomed the company. "Shane!" he said happily.

The cubs, seeing it was one of their favorite ear scratchers, tumbled out from behind the counter to greet her.

And her shoelaces.

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Shane said, chuckling as she moved quickly to one side of the door, beside the counter so that she'd be out of the way, and settled down on the floor. "How are you? Has it been busy?" She asked, looking up at Red.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

She wasn't even in the floor before Castor and Pollux were vying for her attention. Red leaned over the edge of the counter to watch and shook his head. "Actually, it has been, which pleases me. Of course, nothing pleases me more than to see the brightness to your face."

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Smiling as she tried to gather up the wriggling red armfuls, Shane looked up at him, the smile lingering and, in fact, getting bigger. "Still no word about school, yet, but everything's... everything's really good," she said, nodding as she looked up at Red again, the amazement and thankfulness easy to see in her eyes.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

Red stretched out on the counter and let his head hang off so he could talk with her. "I am very glad to hear that, Shane. Perhaps you'll hear something about registration soon."

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"I hope so," she said sincerely. Originally, she hadn't even planned on going back to school, but after she met CJ and the Doc, they managed to convince her that it was possible to have back a little piece of the life she'd missed... and that she, in fact, deserved to have it back. Something normal, even in a place like Fandom, was already better than anything she'd gotten used to everywhere else. She had a life here, now, whether she wound up getting accepted or not.

Shane chuckled and leaned back just slightly as one of the cubs patted curiously at the brim of her cap. Taking her cap off, she stuffed it down deep into the pocket of her jacket so that the kids couldn't get to it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"What other classes will you think you'll take once you get in?" Red asked. "I hear they offer quite a bit up there. A wide variety. Will you get involved with the clubs?"

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"I don't know... from what I've heard, the teachers and classes are always changing," she said with a slight shrug. "I know one of my friends who's a teacher wants me to take her speech class and her boyfriend who's also a teacher wants me to take his class, too. Remember the books from the other day? Quantum Physics? That's his class."

She'd finally managed to gather both Castor and Pollux up into her lap and folded her legs up in front of her, scratching behind an ear each. "I've heard they have a class about magic. I thought maybe it might come in useful, even though I'm not... you know..." she trailed off.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

Castor and Pollux settled down almost immediately. "You don't need to be magically inclined to learn something." His tail swished around above him. "And it just might come in useful around this place."

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"That's what I was thinking," she murmured, glancing up at him to give him a small smile. She returned her attention to the kids, her long, nimble fingers skritching the pair of them underneath their chins, and sighed. "When I told someone else that, they said they'd rather have a gun, but ... that's not what I want it for."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

The comment about the guns concerned Red. "Shooting a gun isn't always the best way to resolve a situation. Knowledge is power."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John stops in after his classes.

"I just wanted to come by and thank both yourself and Duce for the service yesterday. I like the ambiance and feel of your shop a lot."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

Red closed a display case, having just straightened a few of the necklaces that had gone askew on their trays. He turned to see John and nodded with a wide grin. "Thank you. Are you pleased with Duce's work?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John nods quickly. "I am, very much. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was easy and I also learned quite a bit about the art itself."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Aesthetically pleasing and educational, that's an excellent combination," Red nodded.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John nods back and smiles. "I feel a lot more comfortable about getting something permanent now that I know what the shop and the owners are like. I'm a little nervous about certain things, if you couldn't tell."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Caution is always good to exercise," Red said solemnly. "There's nothing wrong with checking out a place before making that large and quite permanent step." He pawed along his nose and whiskers. "And I'm always available for questions if you have any concerns."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John nods and smiles brightly. "Thank you, sir. I should probably head back to campus, get some study time in but I just wanted to thank you before I forgot about it. I'm sure I'll be back."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Thank you for stopping by, John," Red said with a grin. "I look forward to seeing you again."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_jubilation_lee/]

*pokes her head in*
Um, hi? Wow, great place.

I just wanted to see, could ya tell me, how old do you have to be to get a tattoo?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

Looking up at the sound of the voice, Red grinned. "Hello there. Age of consent for Fandom Town, and I'll have you sign a consent form. I will take signatures of parents or guardians that can be verified too."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_jubilation_lee/]

*blinks*
Well, I'm inda...emancy...on my own, ya know?

*smiles*
Do you have examples of the sort of designs you do?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

With his head, Red gestured for her to come in. "On the wall are a few designs I can do and," he rose on his back feet to lean on the counter to pull a notebook over. "I have a book of stuff I've done in the past. I'm pretty open to whatever you want. If I can draw it, I can ink it."

((ooc: I'm thinking the 'consent age' is 16 in accordance with the age limit the mods have put in place for players, so no worries.))

[http://users.livejournal.com/_jubilation_lee/]

*glances through notebook*

Wow. Totally rad.

*smiles wryly*

Hmm. I should think this over.

A tattoo would be pretty rockin. I'll be back soon, when I have a better idea of what I want.

Thanks!

*leaves the store*