Turtle & Canary; Monday [06/13].

[somethingwithturquoise]

Maybe Summer was just feeling a little bit cranky because all the efforts with the Chocobro Situation were turning up bust, despite all the progress it felt like they'd made over the last week, but she was really starting to get annoyed with Apu following her around the store while she was doing her inventory checks, just so he could tell her all about softball.

Finally, at some point, about halfway through the process, in the middle of the hardware aisle, something snapped and she turned on him.

"Apu!" she said. "I am a bisexual white girl from the suburbs. I know about softball, okay?"

He just sort of looked at her for a moment and then started to say something about how those kinds of stereotypes surrounding the sport--

"Ohmygod," Summer lifted her hands. In surrender? To strangle him? The world may never know. "Just...go make a display or something! Please!"

And that was how a giant pyramid of softballs came to all but block the Squishy machine. Proceed with caution. It looked....tentative as best.

Today's Squishy Flavors
Peanuts
Cracker Jack
Red

Turtle & Canary is open!

Comments

[mother_love]

"Not especially" Billy said with a dry laugh. "Always been a bit more into the contact sports honestly. Football and the like. Wrestling was actually my thing before I ended up enlisting."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Really?" said Summer, the surprise in her voice absolutely nonexistent. "I would have never guessed."

But she was appreciating the visuals that went along with this shocking revelation, so thanks for that, Billy.

[mother_love]

Hey what could he say? When you were gifted with muscles you put them to use. But you were welcome for the visual there Summer.

"Anyway, with the weather finally getting warmer I figured it was time to start really ramping things up at the shop. Got some classes lined up and all but realized I still needed a few things."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Makes sense," Summer allowed. "You need some special order things? Or do you think they'll be stuff we might already have lying around the shelves somewhere?"

It was at times an absurdly large and resourceful store. The fact that it only took a few mere hours on a Monday to do the inventory checks was kind of shocking, really, from a technical standpoint.

But Summer was wont to just skip whole ass aisles out of the mere assumption that no one had been in the market for cheap new bedding sets for at least a few weeks or so.

[mother_love]

"I just placed an order for most of the specialty stuff I think," Billy said with a slow thoughtful nod. "But figured I'd be better getting the general stuff here. Easier, cheaper, and ya know... gotta help support the local do-it-all entrepreneur on the island and all."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"I mean," said Summer, "I don't actually own this place, you know, I just make sure it doesn't crash and burn because the guy who does own it is a lazy, useless piece of shit, but....you know. I appreciate the sentiment."

And honestly, she wouldn't be surprised that most people thought she did own the place.

She had! At one point. But that was a while ago.

[mother_love]

"Well, job security then," he said with a smirk. Because really, you had your hands in so many jobs around here Summer, it really was hard to keep track of them. "Though that sounds like you pretty much own the place by proxy."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"You're not wrong," Summer allowed, and at least her paycheck did, thankfully, reflect that fact. Shunsui may be lazy as shit, but he was undeniably generous.

And apparently kind of loaded.

"So did you need help narrowing down anything specific?" she wondered. "Or should I just set you off to go wander the aisle in pursuit of your all and sundries?"

[mother_love]

"General direction should be fine. Don't want to keep you from your other duties."

There was a slight pause.

"I mean unless you want to help me find towels, beach chairs, coolers, and such."

[somethingwithturquoise]

There was a pause at that particular list.

"Goddammit, Apu," she murmured, "why do we not have a display out of all that stuff instead of goddamn softballs."

She sighed a long-suffering sigh, retracted her earlier narrative statement about her financial compensation, and said, "Check Aisle Handwavey, Seasonal Goods, and if what you're looking for is not there, I have to go kick someone's ass about slacking on switching out the seasonal merch."

And that conversation would mostly involved Apu protesting that it wasn't even technically summer yet, as if the woman literally named for the season didn't already know that.

[mother_love]

"Will do,"Billy said with a nod. "Thanks .. and let me know if you need any help with Apu'" he added with a smirk.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer snorted. "You let me know if you need any help with Apu," she said.

Because you've been warned, Billy. Summer knew how that man could get while in one of these moods.

[mother_love]

"Guy can't be all that bad can he?" Billy asked, quirking an eyebrow somewhat skeptically.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer opened her mouth to answer, thought better of it, and altered her track.

"I sincerely hope you never have to find out," she said.

And would be texting Apu as soon as Billy disappeared to let him know a customer needed help over in Aisle Wherever Billy Wound Up.

#sorrynotsorry Billy, but some things just had to be experienced to be believed.