Red's is Open for Business

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

The sign said Open.

Red sat behind the counter, perched in his usual way on his stool and reading his current US News and World Report magazine. The cubs played along the floor, delighting in a game of 'scoot and slide', occasionally sliding to a stop against a counter with a rather large 'thud'.

Comments

[cabal-boone.livejournal.com]

Aaron headed through the door at 9am, carrying a styrofoam cup of coffee. Stepping over the cubs, he walked around the counter. "Good morning, Red," he rumbled.

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

"Morning, Aaron," Red said looking up from his magazine. "How was your first weekend in Fandom Town?"

[cabal-boone.livejournal.com]

"It was interesting," he noted pleasantly, "Got to meet a bunch of people. Did you know there's a girl over at Chaucer's who does illuminations?" His voice is warm and nearly bubbles over those words.

Recalling something he'd meant to mention to Red, he asked, "Do you know Duce's roommate, Wednesday Addams?"

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

"Yes, I know Wedneday. Lovely girl, if not a bit on the strange side. She held a wonderful Halloween ball." Red tilted his head. "I haven't had the chance to go visit Mr. Chaucer lately."

[cabal-boone.livejournal.com]

"I met her yesterday, down by the quay. Had to help her off the rocks before she slipped and brought on the birth or worse," Aaron frowned, his eyes flashing angrily, "I wouldn't mind meeting the dumb bunny who got her in that condition. She's such a tiny little thing, having a baby won't go easy on her."

He changes the subject, trying to control his temper, "Haven't gone into his shop myself yet, although I thought I might swing by tonight sometime. He sounds like an interesting fellow. He the same Chaucer who did 'Canterbury Tales'?"

[ooc: Wednesday plot pimping brought to you by New Folgers Crystals and the letter 'G']

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

Red's foot slipped from the stool and soon all that was seen of Red as he went was his tail flailing around until he spilled into the floor with a thud. Th stool tipped over on top of him. With more thumps and a clatter as the stool was kicked out of the way, he leapt up onto the counter and stared at Aaron in disbelief. "Let's back up a moment. Wednesday? Having a baby?"

HENNA OPEN

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

Fighting with the door to get it to open against the wind, Duce shuffles in earlier than she was expected. A few stray leaves are blown in with her. Hitching her knapsack higher onto one shoulder, she explained her presence, "Spider hit himself with his bowel disruptor or something and class was cancelled for the day."

Heading behind the counter, she ditches her knapsack and begins setting up henna.

Re: HENNA OPEN

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

Red trotted out of the backroom. "I'm not sure I want to know what a bowel disruptor does, it sounds nasty." He trotted around the counter and sat down. "Duce? Why didn't you tell me Wednesday was pregnant?"

Re: HENNA OPEN

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

"It hits you with a sonic beam that makes you shit yourself unconscious," she says calmly, completely disregarding the fact that Red had just said he didn't want to know, "if the reports of what happened to the art teacher's evil twin are accurate."

Giving Red a blank look, she says, "Because we just found out ourself yesterday."

Re: HENNA OPEN

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

"Um, Duce, now I'll admit I don't know a lot about the female...uh processes and the like but..." Red shook his head. "She was in here last week and wasn't showing. Aaron said he saw her this weekend and she's quite uh...gravid."

Re: HENNA OPEN

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

"She looks like a beached whale," Duce agrees expressionlessly. Shrugging a shoulder, "Don't ask us how she got that way. This is Fandom. If we went a day without some wierd shit like this dropping in on us out of the blue, we just wouldn't feel at home." She frowns slightly, "She said Six hadn't done it, so maybe it has something to do with Hyde's growth."

Re: HENNA OPEN

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

Marty walks into Red's and waves hello to him as he makes his way over to Duce. After his conversation with Crowley, he thought it might be a good idea to check in on her.

"Hey Duce. How's the Henna business treating you?"

Re: HENNA OPEN

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

Duce looks up from the counter, where she's busily mixing henna, lemon juice, and some sort of essential oil that smells positively petrochemical in foulness. Her features are set in a calm mask, and her voice lacks any sort of emotional inflection whatsoever, "Hello, Marty. Can't complain. What brings you in today?"

Re: HENNA OPEN

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

"Actually I'm thinking of getting a Henna design done and wanted to check to see what your specialty was," Marty says.

He looks at her carefully seeing if there is anything out of the ordinary for her.

Re: HENNA OPEN

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

Every motion she makes is done with precise control. The few times they've ever interacted, Duce has gone through a gamut of facial expressions and tones of voice. She's normally ascerbic with a nice cynical sauce and a big dish of sarcasm on the side. She lacks all of that. She's impassive, as though she's locked down everything. Where she'd normally show interest in just about anyone or anything talking to her, right now she seems to be simply going through the motions.

If Marty looks at her hands, he'd see that both her palms and the back of her right hand are slightly reddened, as though they'd been scalded at some time in the recent past and are now healing, or perhaps they're just really windburned. Her snakes are moving lazily over one another, seeming to pay more attention to each other than the world around them.

"We don't really have a specialty. We can do everything through the range, from traditional middle eastern to modern 'fake' tattoos. Depends on what you're looking for." Her voice is calm, and again, without inflection.

Just after 9am

[the-ascended.livejournal.com]

"Good morning," Daniel smiled as he pushed open the door to the shop.

Re: Just after 9am

[cabal-boone.livejournal.com]

Looking up from his task, Aaron nodded a greeting, "Good morning, Daniel. What brings you in here today? Thinking about getting some ink to go with your paint?"

Re: Just after 9am

[the-ascended.livejournal.com]

Daniel laughed. "Morning Aaron. I'm still not sure about the ink... I was hoping to look and see what jewellry Red has."

Re: Just after 9am

[cabal-boone.livejournal.com]

"Red?" called Aaron, "Daniel here would like to see your jewelry. Care to come give him the downlow?"

Re: Just after 9am

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

Red came around the counter and sat down in front of the two men. "Absolutely. What can I show you?"

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Closing down for lunch, Michael makes a trip over to Red's to pay for and collect the ring he'd asked Red to hold for him. He shuffles in the door, and has to manually close it thanks to the wind.

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

"Finally seeing a change in the weather like it's supposed to be," Red said as he came around the counter. "Hello, Michael. How's the nest now the cub has returned home?"

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"Feeling a little empty, actually. We're going up to see him for Thanksgiving, though, so I can't feel too sad yet. I just came by to pay for that ring you were holding for me."

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

"Yes, let me go get it," Red said. He trotted into the back and after a few minutes, came back out again, holding a ring box gently in his teeth. Up onto his stool, he placed the box down and turned to his computer to click on the mouse. "He was such a wonderful young man, I see why you and Ben are so proud of him."

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael smiles. "Thanks. He's generally a good kid, although he still has his moments." Michael chuckles. "Then again, my mother would still to this day say the same thing about me."