The Emporium is open -- Sunday

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael opened the shop and yawned. He hadn't been getting enough sleep lately, and it had affected his mood. Not that the e-mail this morning had helped...he hadn't been snooping, really; he'd been retrieving Ben's Palm Pilot for him, and bumped the mouse, which stopped the screen saver. The e-mail had been up on Ben's screen already. It made Michael a little sick to his stomach to think about, but he was afraid to ask Ben about it. Michael tried to put the thought out of his mind, and sat back behind the counter with a comic book.

Comments

[fates_jaye]

Jaye walks in early in the morning, and goes right up to the counter. "Tell me you have doilies," she says, as if this is the most important thing in the world.

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael nodded. "Aisle 12." He recalled the last time this girl had been in. "Did your Disney stickers go over well?"

[fates_jaye]

"No," Jaye pouts, yelling over the aisles as she goes to find the doilies. "I didn't even get to see my work in action, dammit! But next time!"

When she returns from the aisle, she's carrying several packages because I'm pretty sure they come in packages of the white lacy weird things, and drops them onto the counter. "Thanks for asking, by the way."

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"Sorry to hear that. Hopefully this evil escapade project will go better for you." He rings up the doilies, reasonably certain he doesn't want to know what they're for. "That'll be $6.42."

[fates_jaye]

She hands over the cash. "It's for beautification purposes only, I swear," she nods. "There was a... thing. I'm making it pretty."

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael nodded, not quite sure he believed her, but as long as he wasn't the victim just as he hadn't been hit with the water balloons he'd sold to the stealthy ninja, it didn't matter. He handed over a bag with the doilies and grinned a little knowingly. "Good luck making things prettier."

[fates_jaye]

"Thanks," she says, and grabs the bag before heading out the door.

[deadly_little]

As Jaye exits the Emporium, a water balloon flies at her shoulder.

[fates_jaye]

Of course it does. Jaye shrugs a wet shoulder.

[sooo_cute]

"Hi," Quinn says when she walks in. "You have paint here, right? Good paint? None of that cheap stuff? And in good colors hopefully? Maybe something in a nice burgundy?"

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael nodded. "Paint's along the back wall. There's a sample book back there, and we carry quite a few colors in stock, so I'm sure we have something to suit your tastes."

[sooo_cute]

"Perfect!"

An hour later, Quinn finally returns from the paint section. Because she has to make sure it's completely perfect. She makes one trip with a couple cans of primer.

Then a second trip with a couple more.

Then another trip with a couple gallons of paint.

"Um. This can get delivered, right? Somehow?" she asks, for she is a mere weakling and only has two arms.

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"I can call Kiki, if you like," Michael offered. "I think she's the only delivery service that can get on campus. It'll cost you a little more, but it'd be worth it."

[bugofjustice.livejournal.com]

The Tick was wandering through town and happened to spot a tiny girl with several gallons of paint in the Emporium. Being a kind person who was willing to help out someone in need, the Tick stopped in.

"I can help with that, actually, if she needs a helping hand. And hello, Michael!"

[sooo_cute]

"Perfect!" Quinn says, and goes to retrieve a few more gallons of paint, because the common room is like huge.

Returning, she asks, "You take Visa, right?"

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael nodded, looking over the painting supplies. "That's $114.42." He smiled at The Tick. "Good to see you, Professor Tick."

[bugofjustice.livejournal.com]

The Tick picked up the point cans as Quinn handed over her credit card with permission from Quinn's mun. "I'll see you later, Michael!" he said.

Tick looked at Quinn and said, "Lead the way, chum!"

[deadly_little]

Miho throws a water balloon at the Tick. It is blue.

[bugofjustice.livejournal.com]

The water balloon hit Tick in the face. "Huh. This balloon thing is getting kind of weird," he said, shrugging it off.

[deadly_little]

It's that girl again! The one who screams so satisfyingly. An unseen ninja hurls a water balloon at her.

[sooo_cute]

Quinn shrieks, omg!!

Now she's wet. Woe!

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

Walter wandered in quite early. He took a basket and dropped a small black dog in it before he walked over to the clothing section and began looking bemusedly at the men's clothes.

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"Hi. Anything I can help you with?" Michael looked at the dog and shrugged. This was Fandom -- you couldn't have a "no pets" rule considering some of the clientele was just as -- if not more -- furry.

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"Um... Yes. Thanks. I'm not used to American sizing and well..." He looked down at his usual uniform of trousers, waistcoat, shirt, and tie, "I'm not used to wearing other things. I just want a pair of dungarees and a jacket, I think."

He thought for a moment. "Oh, and one of these." He pulled on a t-shirt.

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"Well, we've got dressing rooms," Michael pointed to the back, "and I'm not good at sizing by sight, but if you hold things against you, you'll start to get a feel for what might or might not fit."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"Thanks."

It didn't take long for Walter to make his selections, returning to the counter with a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a denim jacket.

"It's a surprise for my boyfriend. He teases me about my clothes."

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael started ringing up the items. "Boyfriend, hmm?" He grinned. "Wait, you're not Victor's boyfriend, are you? He's a great kid." The grin grew bigger. "That'll be $38.14."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, he is," Walter agreed, pulling out his wallet and fishing out oa couple of twenties. "I guess you've met him."

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"He's been in a few times." Michael made change and handed over the bags. "My husband and I are always happy to see kids comfortable with who they are. I don't think I ever could have had a real boyfriend or an out relationship at your age. Fandom is a great place for it, very open."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"I couldn't have done this where I'm from." Not a chance. "I'm still getting used to being able to call him my boyfriend and nobody blinks."

He took the bags and set Pup down on the floor where he wiggled and sniffed at Michael's feet while Walter processed the last bit of information. "Husband?" Wow! "Things are even more different than I thought."

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"Well, not officially -- not here, anyway. We were married in Canada; it's only legal in Massachusetts right now. But Ben and I have been together almost ten years now." Michael smiled as he reached down to let the puppy sniff his hand and scratched his back. "Still, like you...it's nice to be in a place where I can cuddle Ben in public, and say 'husband' without raising an eyebrow."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

Walter nodded enthusiatically. "Yeah. Feeling 'normal' has got to be one of the best things ever."

He smiled down at Pup and nudged him gently with his toe. "Come on, Pup, let's show Victor my new clothes."

Glancing back up at Michael, he smiled. "I'd love to meet your husband sometime. It might be nice to have some sane role models for a change."

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael laughed. "Sane is a relative term around here." He waved. "I hope Victor likes his surprise."

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"Thanks. Have a good day, Michael." Walter escorted Pup out of the shop before he found something to chew on.