fandomtownies | The sign says OPEN: Red's Tattoos

The sign says OPEN: Red's Tattoos

Aaron arrived just before 9am. He frowned a little at the obviously empty shop, but shrugged and dug out the shiny new key Red had given him before closing the day before. Stepping inside, he brought the lights to life and went to take a look at the appointment book. A hastily scrawled note red, "Aaron + Duce, I'll be at city hall most of the day. Aaron, please call clients to transfer them to you or reschedule - their choice. Thanks. =Red"

Moving the note aside, he began to go down the list of Red's appointments. Depending on what they answered, he either changed them to his schedule or put them on Red's for another date and time. He was wondering where the puppies were when the galloping of 8 giant paws came thundering down the stairs in answer.

"Hi guys," he greeted them. The puppies ran around his ankles, babbling at him in babytalk. He tried to listen, and nodded sagely. Then he distracted them by throwing a ball for them to chase.

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Rolling up on her skateboard, Shane skids to a stop outside Red's. Picking up her board, she slips into the shop. She'd made it a habit of stopping by Red's at least once a week - twice, if he hadn't stopped by the diner for his cherry pie. She knew he was terribly busy now that he'd been elected town mayor, but she couldn't imagine a person better suited for the job.

Slipping her aviator shades off, she tucks them into the breast pocket of her jacket as she looks around.

So intent on throwing the ball for the pups, Aaron didn't hear the door, so Shane gets a glimpse at what unadulterated joy looks like on his face. As the door closed behind her, he raised his head to look over, his expression changes to one of slight chagrin. Pushing his hair out of his face nervously, he nodded politely and greeted her, "'Morning, Shane. What brings you in?"

Taking a deep breath, Shane moves over to the counter and places her skateboard atop a pile of Red's old magazines and newspapers. "You," she says simply. Her brows wrinkle slightly. "Kind of. Look, I... I just wanted to... apologize, for what you saw last night."

[ooc: next pose will be delayed, going to store to grab food.]

Aaron looks slightly appalled as she says 'him', causing him to take a step back involuntarily. His stance relaxed when she explained further, and a shoulder lifted to shrug. "If you mean because I left, it was more the lack of service than the ruckus, really. It's not the first time that's happened when I was in there, and when I only take an hour for lunch, I really don't have time to deal with the cold shoulder routine." He says that without heat, just an explanation.

Shane nods slowly, her expression understanding as she idly spins one of the wheels on her skateboard with her fingertip.

"I'm sorry about that," she says sincerely. She takes another deep breath and lets it out in a sigh. "I... it's just... a really long story that's got nothing to do with you and there's absolutely no reason you should give a shit. That's cool. I understand that. It's not gonna happen again, though... just so you know."

Shrugging a shoulder genially, he said with quiet certainty, "I don't. You and Deb have some beef with people as walk in her place, that's your business and your right. But this wasn't the first time I've had bad service there, and no offense, but there's other places in town to catch a meal. I understand it's a small town and so the staff all pretty much know their regulars, but making a new joe feel auslander isn't good business sense." He pauses, "You might want to mention that to your boss."

"Yeah," Shane says, leaning against the counter as she hooks her thumbs into her pockets. "Maybe. Once she's feeling better." Her brows furrow for a moment as she thinks. "I think last night was the first night I was working when you came in... right?"

Having retrieved the ball, he chucked it once again for the pups. "Think you might'a been walking in when I was walking out once, but no, don't rightly remember you waiting tables while I was in."

Reaching down, he tussled a moment with Pollux for the ball, growling back at the pup's fierce antics.

Shane nods. "I am sorry it happened," she said again quietly. "Those two girls showing up... just kinda knocked me off my game."

Seeing that he wasn't going to be able to beat neither Pollux nor Boone for the ball, Castor let out a soft hmph and padded up to Shane, patting questioningly at the toe of her sneaker with his paw.

Looking down, Shane smiled. "Hey, Cas," she murmured warmly, bending down to gather him up into her arms. "How's it goin', kid?" She scratched the scruffy fur under his chin.

"As I said.. it isn't the first time," Aaron noted, dismissing the incident. "Met her son and his husband the other night. They seem like nice folk." His brows knit, "And that reminds me I should go over to their shop tonight and pick up some stuff."

"Yeah... Ben and Michael are... they're really good people," Shane says, nodding. After a moment, she grins a little. "They kind of unofficially adopted me."

"Ahh.. so you're one of their strays, then?" His voice is friendly, apparently referring to some sort of in-joke he has with them. "Must be rough."

"Yeah," she says, chuckling good-naturedly as she kisses Castor's muzzle and carefully places him back on the floor. "Deb adopted me, too, though, I think. So... that makes the family tree a little... confusing."

"Guess it would, at that," Boone agrees. "Had my own fair share of that lately. Red, and Duce, and maybe Sonia.. Not that I mind. It's just strange, after being alone for so long, is all. Kinda nice, though."

"Yeah... I know how you feel," Shane says quietly. "Red and Duce are amazing. Almost all the people I've met in town are... so amazing."

"Red only loves me for my drawing," he joked. He paused a moment, and added quietly, "And Duce.. she's.. intense." He smiled lopsidedly, "Our second conversation ever, she threatened my life, then stood there and heard me out anyway." He reflected, "Well.. not threatened, so much as gave me the 'you're a stranger and I don't trust you and if you hurt anyone I care about I will kill you twice' speech without sayin' so many words."

Shane grins. "Yeah, that sounds like Duce," she murmurs, chuckling. "She gave me almost exactly the same speech and I said that she and I were pretty much on the same page. She's cool."

"Glad to know it's not just .. guys she gives it to then." The pause indicated he'd had to hastily reshuffle whatever word he had intended to use. "She was one reason I had to get out of here yesterday for lunch. She's acting all weird, and both Red and one of her friends were jumping down her throat about it."

Shane's brows furrow just slightly as she sees his hesitation but apart from that, her expression remains calm. "How was she acting weird?" She asks, quirking her eyebrow.

Aaron frowns slightly, throwing the ball again to give himself a moment to think. "Numb," he finally said, "Don't know how to describe it better'n that. Same girl who got in my face for no reason at all said nothing unless spoken to directly, and answered everything.." he waved his hand in exasperation, "politely. Which," he added almost abashed, "from anyone else wouldn't be anything to sneeze at, so I probably sound nuts. But Red was worried too."

"That doesn't sound like Duce," Shane agrees, the crease between her brows deepening as she tries to think about what might be wrong. It had been quite a few days since she'd seen Duce last, but from what she could remember, she'd been her usual self.

Shrugging a shoulder and shaking his head, Aaron said, "Not unless she's manic depressant and nobody knew. Maybe it's her roommate's pregnancy that has her bothered. I don't know. She hasn't come in today yet."

"Her..." Shane begins, only to trail off. Wednesday was pregnant? She recalled, vaguely, seeing someone that had fit the description that Duce had given her of her roommate at the Halloween party. And, as best she could recall, Wednesday had been decidedly not pregnant then.

"Her roommate's not pregnant," she says finally, frowning a little.

"Oh, she is. Met her myself the other day, down on the quay. She looked about ready to go into labor right there," Aaron confirms. "Duce said it came on sudden like, but.. around here, somehow, that doesn't seem so strange."

Shane tries to process the information and winds up shaking her head. None of it seems to add up. "Yeah," she murmurs. "Maybe not, around here. You weren't here for the zombies."

"No, but I've only been here a week and you're the fourth person to have mentioned them," he sighed. His hair flopped into his eyes only to be ruthlessly raked back with splayed fingers.

Studying him for a few moments, Shane then picks up her skateboard, tucking it under her arm. "Anyway, uhh... I just thought I'd stop in," she murmurs.

Nodding politely, Aaron said affably, "I appreciate you doing that, Shane. Thank you."

Picking up the ball, he resumed throwing it for the pups.

"No problem," she said, offering him a small smile as she headed for the door, slipping her sunglasses on as she went.

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The sign says OPEN: Red's Tattoos

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