fandomtownies | Red's Open for business

Red's Open for business

The shop was opened later, because Red was hard at work on his computer. A phone call first thing placed an order for gift certificates, to be delivered as soon as he could get them completed.

Sitting at his computer, his little printer whirred away happily as it printed out the number requested on the card stock cut specifically for the task. Once that was done, he placed them in an envelope and saw to it they were delivered.

Once that was done, he took in the morning mail, paid some bills and then opened up the local newspaper to read the morning news.

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Having no classes that morning, Duce strides into work early. Her motions are quick, almost jerky with some form of repressed emotion. Calling a terse greeting to Red, she methodically starts setting up the henna stuff.

Red looked up from reading and watched Duce come in. The tension was thick. Deciding to let it go for the moment, he kept a close eye on her while she set up.

Depending on how good Red's olofactory senses are, he may notice that something is terribly wrong physically. Duce has been running on an amped up dosage of adrenaline for nearly 24 hours. It's almost as though she were speeding, however, there's no scent of drugs of any kind about her.

Red's nose went into overtime. He couldn't pick up anything definitive but he could tell something was out of balance in her body. Closing his newspaper, Red crossed his paws on the counter and rested his head on them. "How are things, Duce?"

"Fine," comes the answer in a deceptively calm voice. "How are things with you?" One of the applicators rolls off the edge of the counter. Snatching it mid-air, her fist jerks toward her shoulder as if she's about to hurl it. Catching herself just in time, she slowly sets it carefully on the counter.

"Things are good. Very quiet today, which is always welcome after the rush of the week," he said. He watched in interest while Duce worked.

Castor and Pollux, hearing someone new in the shop, bounded out from behind the counter. There were no customers so there was no line and they bounced out to paw at her boots to get her attention, both sitting patiently to be greeted.

Her calm remains until one of the pups inadvertantly snaps the lace of her boot. Spotting the damage, rage floods her face, lips peeling back over a soundless snarl. Muscles shift, and you can see the motion - see the foot rising, see it descend with force upon the helpless pup.

But it doesn't happen. Her foot never leaves the ground. Every muscle, every nerve in her body is suddenly locked in place as something in her mind reasserts it's normal, inhuman control. She stands like that for a moment, completely immobile. When her voice comes, it's a strangled breath past immobile lips, "Something's wrong. Very wrong. Get them out of here, and get Rover."

Red was on the counter, hackles up and his lips pulled back to show his teeth. He barked out sharply and the cubs, already in motion from the rise of aggression in the air, tumbled out of the way and back around the corner of the counter to their father's order. Their thumping could be heard as they raced up the stairs.

He stood there for a moment longer before going over to the phone. His mouthstick punched a number in the phone and after going through a few prompts, was able to get campus security. Speaking low and rapid in the phone (http://www.livejournal.com/users/prisoner_rover/581.html?thread=8517#t8517), after leaving a message, hung up.

Taking a wide berth around Duce, Red went to the front door and shut and locked it, his gaze resting on her, wary and ready.

Duce doesn't move. Not even her snakes move. Occasionally, a nerve will spasm in her face, but she doesn't even allow that to go very far. The sense of menace and fury hovering around her rises, and her hands slowly curl into fists. Knuckles going white, fingers curled around thumbs implicating the gesture is more to retain control than a prelude to hitting anything.

*rover got the call while admiring his balloon flowers.*

*rover rolled to the rescue.*

*...or not...*

*but a student was in trouble.*

*town was not his jurisdiction.*

*but students and campus security were.*

*rover rolled and bounced at high speed to the townperson's store.*

*he rolled slowly up to the front door.*

*he looked in the door.*

*snakehair girl.*

*rover was crack security.*

*even he could tell something was not right with her.*

*her body was tight and full.*

*a good indication of aggression.*

*he waited to be let in.*

The snakes facing the door rise slightly on her head. "Let. Him. In." Words forced through teeth clenched so tightly the enamel squeaks, she seems hesitant to release even that much control.

Red saw the...ball and shook his head. He'd heard the rumors and well, there it was in the flesh, so to speak.

Slowly, still guarded and waiting for Duce to spring, Red rose to his hind feet and unlocked the door to let the ball in.

He nodded to what he presumed was Rover. "I don't think she's feeling well. She asked for you."

*rover bounced once and shimmied in the door with a squeak.*

*there was nothing to do but contain the situation.*

*moving fast for rover, he bowled over her and she disappeared.*

*snakehair girl reappeared in his closet.*

*the closet with no handle on the inside.*

*and a bowling ball.*

*and the broom he never could figure out how to use.*

*and a few bits of clothing he found.*

*they were too pretty to throw away.*

*along with the string...*

*wiggling at the...red thing...rover bounced off toward the dean's office.*

Red watched in - well, fascination was not quite right. He trusted that Duce was safe until medical help or some kind of help could arrive.

Still, just to be on the safe side, Red put in a call to the clinic (http://www.livejournal.com/community/fandom_clinic/335.html?thread=894031#t894031).

The cubs were quiet upstairs and Red closed up shop to head up there to check on them.

Oz headed in to town as soon as his classes were over. He considered stopping at the Perkolator to get some coffee, but that would just b stalling. He needed to go and see Red, and maybe try to explain why he'd been away from the shop for so long.

He almost knocked before he went in, but it's a public shop. "Red?" he called.

Red heard the door unlock and someone come in. Hopefully, it wasn't Duce. That ball thing called rover had that well in...hand? He shook his fur out.

The voice calling his name was male. That was good.

He stood at the top of the stairs and shouted down. "I'll be right down, watch the store."

Oz locked the door behind himself, since it was locked when he went in. "Got it covered," he called back.

He sat on the stool behind the counter tow ait for Red.

It was a few more minutes before Red's soft pawfalls could be heard coming down the stairs. "Oz, I'm glad to see you alive and well." He walked around to where Duce was putting out her supplies. "Could you give me a hand to put this away? I don't think Duce would want this to ruin."

Oz glanced around the shop, then went over to Duce's corner. "I kinda thought she'd be here."

"She was," Red said with a shrug. "I guess she wasn't feeling well. She was quite aggressive and finally asked for me to call your campus security."

It took a moment for that to sink in. For Oz to realise what Red was saying. Duce. Asked for Rover to come get her?

..."Is she...is she okay?

"Hard to say. Something wasn't right, that much was apparent." Red put the henna in his small refrigerator and shut the door. "The big ball I assume is in fact, security, came and got her. She disappeared and he rolled away."

Red shook his head. "Very bizzare."

"Yeah. That's Rover." Oz shivered and rubbed his arms, thinking about something being wrong with Duce, and remembering his narrow escape from Rover on the morning after his wolf had run around campus.

"I should...I want to go check on her."

Red flicked his tail toward the door. "Go. Let me know how she's doing."

((good timing, I have to leave for a bit.))

"You'll be the first to know," Oz assured him. He finished putting a handful of Duce's supplies away before heading for the door. Whatever he needed to say, he could say later. Duce was priority now.

[OOC: Heh. So do I, actually. Talk to you later *g*]

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Red's Open for business

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