fandomtownies | Turtle & Canary; Sunday [ 05/06 ].

Entry tags:

Turtle & Canary; Sunday [ 05/06 ].

After getting everything settled in her new apartment and crashing at the picnic to surprise a few people, Valentine was ready to come into the store today and see what kind of state things were left in. It really didn't surprise her to find out that most of the dirty work from getting things organized from a few owners ago had been taken care of by Samus...documents scanned and uploaded into the computer system, the ordering process greatly streamlined...and were those LED lights underneath the SquishyBot?

This was going to be even easier than she suspected. All the really had to do today was go through the schedules and see where the gaps needed to be filled in, and figure out the feeding schedules for all the animals.

Today's Squishy flavors: Nostalgia, Throwback, Grape Judas

Turtle & Canary is open!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Thank you, come again!

She's here for all your general store or awesome big sister needs.

"So is everything as you remembered?" Ender asked, regarding the Squishy flavors list with visible amusement as he came in.

"I see Bob's gone through a little bit of a makeover," Valentine noted, nodding toward the SquishyBot. "Obviously, there's the panda, too, and the office completely reeks of sake. Other than that, though, it's like I never left. I can't decide if that's comforting or sad."

"A little bit of both?" Ender offered. "The island stays as it is - makes it a nice place to get back to, but it does remind strongly of Never Neverland."

"Exactly," Valentine nodded with a small smile. "Just enough to make you feel at home, but you know you don't have to worry about being bored. At least the person I got this from really had her ducks in a row. I barely have to do anything but keep it going."

"Even if it wasn't, I'm sure you'd be brilliant at it," Ender said. He crossed the remaining space up to the counter. "Planning to come in here on Sundays?" he asked. "Ben and I have a decent lunching tradition I wouldn't mind extending to you whenever you're at work."

"I'm not sure," Valentine admitted. "It looks like the one thing that didn't really stick around are a lot of employees. I figure I'll be here unless someone really wants to work on Sunday."

She shook her head, though, trying to push away her amused expression. "You two have lunching traditions," she stated, in the tone of aw look at the cute old married couple.

Ender sighed at her.

"He brings me lunch at work, I return the favor," he said. "It's just practical."

And they'd been doing it for three years.

"But if you start bringing me lunch," Valentine reasoned, "and he brings you lunch at work, when do I get the chance to reciprocate? Or is this all a clever plot on your part to get two lunches?"

Though everyone knew that, if anyone was going to try to get two lunches out of the equation, it should be Ben.

"You could always join me for coffee some day when we're both free," Ender suggested. "I tried it with Peter, but as you know, he's not pleasant company."

"Coffee could be good," Valentine decided, but bringing the other brother into the picture also brought a little frown to her face. "Also, Peter's done radio here?" Yeah, the thought of him near those squirrels still freaked her out a little. "I'm definitely going to be looking those up."

"He has, and almost professionally, too," Ender agreed. "But that arrogant derision knocks him off the path to radio glory every time."

He tilted his head. "He hasn't done anything to the squirrels," he added, softer.

"Hey, I used to work with those squirrels, too," Valentine said with a faint grin, which really did a poor job of hiding how she felt. "I'm pretty sure Peter wouldn't have the vocal chords for doing radio if he did try something. How nice that our alternative timeline brother seemed to have gotten over that little habit. Either that, or he's actually the nice one where he comes from, I'm the one in Battle School, and you're the one taking over the world."

"Our version did, too," Ender pointed out, feeling strange for being the one to do so. "I suspect he figured the risks were too great for the rewards."

Valentine gave a wry little smile. Sometimes, she half felt that he didn't so much get over it, so much as he just got better at hiding it from where she could record it. "Spray paint a turd gold, it's still going to be a turd underneath," she said, but she shook her head. "See, now I'm just being depressing. It's just weird. How...did you manage dealing with him here? Did you guys interact much, or just avoid each other?"

And she wondered if she was just being too sensitive that thinking of Peter during those years just made her fall back so easily into things that happened nearly a decade ago.

"I spoke to him once a week," Ender said. If there was some wry exhaustion in his words, well, she knew Peter, too: she knew exactly what it was like. "I've spoken to ours at length recently. I know the amount of spite and recrimination that runs through his head, and like a fool, I gained some delusions of at least keeping that to an acceptable minimum."

Of course she knew. While Ender was talking to him once a week, Valentine spent the formidable years of her life talking to him every day. She felt a little bad for it, but hearing that almost seemed to lift a little of the burden of that experience off her shoulders...while still leaving it at the fact that she still had to deal with it more.

"You've got to to hand it to anyone who can deal with a Wiggin for more than a weak," she said. "Including other Wiggins."

Ender snorted.

"I deal with you well enough, and you with me," he said. "It's hardly our fault Peter is such a slumbitch."

And Valentine looked like she wanted nothing more than to reach over and ruffle his hair.

"Aw. I've missed you, Ender."

She wouldn't point out that he could be exhausting, too, though. If they were comparing levels, he would at least be much lower than Peter.

"I've missed you," Ender echoed. "But then it's always been hard for me not to."

"Well, I am pretty awesome," Valentine allowed modestly. "Once I have a better idea of what the schedule around here's going to be, I'll let you know and we can plan lunches. Turns out the one thing I'm going to have to work on is hiring; there's only two regular employees on the roster after people who left, and one of them is apparently here to make up for a shoplifting charge."

Valentine shook her head, still a little mystified by that bit of information.

"You wouldn't happen to know this Britta Perry girl at all, would you?"

Ender shook his head. "I've heard of her on the radio, but I've never really spoken to her, I think," he said. "I can check in on the school when she's working, if you don't beat me to it."

Valentine shrugged. "Just curious if you knew her at all," she said. "She sounds...interesting. is there anyone knew on the island these days that you've made friends with that I should meet? I've met Tony, but he seemed more Ben's friend than yours, as much as a delineation could be made there."

"You'll want to talk to Tara," Ender said. "She'll be TAing for me this summer."

He wasn't generally inclined to make friends of the permanent sort, outside of Ben, who was... a lot more than a friend.

"Tara," Valentine repeated the name, though she doubted she'd have any trouble remembering it, and she nodded. "Will do. And when does your class start? Maybe that could be an opportunity to bring you food. Or alcohol, if it gets to that point."

"Friday. I've got the late shift, which has its own upsides," Ender said, leaning onto the counter. "I'm hoping the weather will be good."

For... reasons.

And Valentine had to grin conspiratorially. "What for?" she asked. "Do we need to shoo out a few squirrels so you can tell me, or can I just get a hint and see if I'm right?"

Ender's mouth quirked. "Oh, not at all," he said. "It's a philosophy class, though. I thought it was as good an excuse as any to make like Epicurus." A beat. "Of course, if it rains, it'll give us plenty to talk about, too."

"Like who's got the biggest umbrella?" Valentine asked. "Hey, maybe I'll give you a discount on the ones here. You know, I might have to reestablish my old squirrel connections if you're going to hold class outside, fill me in on how you do. And it's awfully consider of you to have it so that the teal deer don't have to travel as far."

Ender snorted. "Well, you know me," he said. "Everything to increase my audience numbers."

"If a Wiggin philosophizes in the woods, and there's no one there to hear him," Valentine quoted loftily, before delivering the wry punchline, "then it's probably just a regular Sunday."

"Or a Monday, or any day at all?" Ender said, his mouth quirking up. "That seems rather foolish."

There are seriously a lot of spots available. Hit me up if you're interested in a job on any day other than Thursdays or Fridays!

Oooh, Frank would like a shift! Tuesdays maybe? And he could come by... some day that isn't today to ask about employment?

Edited 2012-05-06 20:08 (UTC)

I'm going to try to post all week; no guarantees, but I'll try my best to get one up tomorrow and we can go from there? Or Tuesday, if that's better!

Either tomorrow or Tuesday would work, whatever's easier for you! WHOO.

Whoo! I'll try to get a post up either day, and we'll just go with whatevs.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Turtle & Canary; Sunday [ 05/06 ].

Mod your Shopping - 05/06.

Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

Re: Talk to Valentine - 05/06.

OOC - 05/15.

Re: OOC - 05/15.

Re: OOC - 05/15.

Re: OOC - 05/15.

Re: OOC - 05/15.