Book Haven, Wednesday, 05/11

[not_a_moonie]

Midway through the morning, Alana realized she hadn't seen any evidence of other people opening the shop in quite some time. Which made her realize that, oh yeah, hiring some people would probably not be the worst thing for her to do before she left at the end of the summer.

She made a Now Hiring sign for the window and settled at the register with a bag of kale chips and a serial killer novel. It was gearing up to be another productive day.

[OOC: Open shop, open post! Shifts are open for any day but Wednesday.]

Comments

[studyingfear]

Rufus stopped outside the book store and studied the sign thoughtfully.

He had intended to merely purchase a number of books but it occurred to him that having access to the books by working with them would provide a better cover for anything he wished to study.

How interesting.

Entering the store, he paused just inside the door, letting his eyes adjust and taking a good look around.

[not_a_moonie]

"Hi, let me know if I can help you find anything," Alana said, cheerfully enough. Cute new kids were among her favorite types of clients.

[studyingfear]

"I'll be sure to do that," he said amiably. He did not smile, but nodded his head at her in a friendly manner. "My thanks."

Rufus drifted off into the aisles, first, to see what their selection was like.

He drifted back, some time later, and set three books on the counter. Two were on world history, and the third was a selection of fairy tales that seemed to have their origins in the world the school usually co-existed with.

"It almost feels as if someone could get lost in here," he said lightly.

[not_a_moonie]

"You can, and I have," Alana said, smiling as she began to ring up his books. "But to be totally fair to myself, it was one of the weeks when the books were moving around on their own."

Working in a bookstore on the island brought with it interesting complications.

[studyingfear]

"The books have minds of their own?" Rufus asked, intrigued. "Does that happen often?"

[not_a_moonie]

"It's been calmer lately," Alana said, screwing up her face as she tried to remember. "But yeah, everything on the island gets a mind of its own sooner or later. So sometimes we get things like the history books moving around to act out different wars."

She smiled, half-apologetic. "I promise, once you've been here a couple months that won't sound totally crazy."

[studyingfear]

I am honestly not sure if I should consider that a reassurance or a threat.

"That seems relatively benign," Rufus replied. "I daresay situations like that will not be too difficult to adjust to, compared to the idea of transforming against your will in, oh, just about anything from what I understand."

[not_a_moonie]

"Oh, so you already got the full rundown," Alana said dryly as she passed the book of fables over the scanner. "And you didn't run screaming. But yeah, the first time you wake up a different gender is ... an experience, that's for sure."

[studyingfear]

"I expect I'll find out." Rufus... did not sound particularly thrilled. "I've heard it doesn't last though, which is a comfort."

It really was.

"Would you say it happens more or less frequently than the books acting up?"

[not_a_moonie]

"Way less," Alana assured him. "Something strange happens during a shift practically once a month, but transforming is like a three-times-a-year thing. And like you said, even when you change, it's usually just for a weekend."

[studyingfear]

"That is reassuring," Rufus admitted. "Especially as my next question was to ask you what qualifications were needed to apply for a job here."

[not_a_moonie]

"We don't have a lot," Alana admitted easily. "Basically, if you like books and you don't seem like the type to set things on fire when you're bored, you can work here. The application's basically a formality."

She tilted her head, curious. "I'm Alana, and I'm the manager by default. You're looking for work?"

[studyingfear]

"I like books," though really, what he liked was knowledge, "and my father runs a company. This isn't the same kind of company, but I thought getting some ground-level experience could prove useful."

Well, that was one way to talk about the most powerful corporation on Gaia.

"I'm Rufus Shinra."

A beat.

"And I can honestly say I've never set fire to anything." Except his father's temper, but that was a small detail, surely...

[not_a_moonie]

"Hi, Rufus," Alana said, and dug around through a pile of papers under the counter until she found a basic job application that was only slightly wrinkled. She didn't need it, strictly speaking -- Rufus was hired either way -- but having paperwork made paying people a little easier. She passed it and a pen over the counter.

"So you're slumming it a little," she said, teasing. "Boss's kid, starting from the bottom, all of that."

[studyingfear]

He looked vaguely amused as he took the application and the pen and read it through.

"It could be worse," he said, as he started filling it out. "My father could be watching over my shoulder. I'll consider myself lucky here."

[not_a_moonie]

"This isn't the kind of job where you have to worry about anybody looking over your shoulder," Alana said. "I'm not sure where the owner went, but I've been the only person opening the shop for at least a couple months. And I just graduated, so I'm out at the end of the summer."

[studyingfear]

Rufus looked up from his application at that.

"Does that mean the shop will be closing upon your departure?" he asked.

Or would he become the manager by virtue of being the last one still around, the way she had? Though he supposed it was still possible she would hire others between now and then.

[not_a_moonie]

Alana shook her head. "I don't see why it would. The rent and all of that seems to get paid automatically, and we get our checks. You'd have a job no matter what happens to me."

[studyingfear]

"That's good to know," he said, and smiled faintly. "Though I hope you're moving onto good things."

Rufus didn't actually care, but white lies were the easiest ones.

He signed his name on the application with a flourish. Since she hadn't mentioned any day not being available, aside from her own, which didn't need mentioning since it was obvious, he'd ticked the box that picked which day he cared to work: Fridays.

If that was a problem, he trusted she would let him know. He was amendable to changing it, if need be.

"Is there anything I need to know prior to my first day on the job?"

[not_a_moonie]

"I'll come in Friday possibly handwavily and show you how the register and the inventory software work and give you the full tour," Alana promised, once she'd read the application and noted the day he'd checked. "Before that ... I'm not sure. What kinds of things are you curious about? Other than the part where weird island stuff happens, it's a pretty normal bookstore."