The Magpie Emporium, Monday [28/8]

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi was in a much better mood than last week. Whether it had anything to do with the upcoming semester, or the fact that Saffron still hadn't lost interest in the bouncing silicone dice was anyone's guess.

It was probably the cat chasing dice all over the store though.

p[Open!]

Comments

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph emerged from the office after a too-long call with a few other stores about an collectible card game whose release was getting delayed now due to an issue involving accidental interdimensional portals that came up during play testing, watched Saffron chase after an erratically bouncing d8, and sighed. "We're never getting those contained, are we?"

[giveittoyoursister]

"Doubt it," Vi replied. "Pretty sure she's actively knocking them down when we collect them."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I think Little Bot throws them for her when we're not looking, too," Steph added. Though she did also cast a wary look in the general direction of the plushie displacer beasts. "Did I miss anything exciting while I was on the call from hell?"

[giveittoyoursister]

"Just the show," Vi said, nodding in Saffron's direction. "It's been going a while."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"She'll get bored of it eventually, when some new toy --" Steph punctuated this with some very large air quotes -- "catches her attention instead and then we might be able to finally round them up."

She paused.

"God, I hope they don't breed in the meantime."

Look, you couldn't rule that out here.

[giveittoyoursister]

If anything, Steph had just ensured it. "Why would you put that out as not the universe?"

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph made a choked noise and put her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, it just popped into my head and it was too horrifying to keep to myself!"

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi reached for Steph's hands. "Obviously there's only one way to stop you putting more of these ideas out there."

Hint,it involved both their mouths.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph snorted inelegantly.

"Let me guess, this way involves your tongue in my mouth for at least a quarter of the time."

She knew you, Vi.

[giveittoyoursister]

That didn't mean it was a bad idea.

"Hey, it also involves your tongue in mine for the same amount of time."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Hey, Steph never said it was a bad idea!

"As long as we're being fair about it, I guess," she said after making a show of deliberation for all of three seconds.

[giveittoyoursister]

In fact it was a very good one!

"I am scrupulously fair."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph was rather fond of it, as it happened.

"Oh, is that what we're calling it?" Steph asked, raising her eyebrows.

[giveittoyoursister]

So was Vi, obviously.

Vi shrugged without a single once of shame. "I mean if you want to use words like 'smoking hot' or 'devastatingly attractive' I'm not going to stop you."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph put a hand to her chest and gasped dramatically. "Are you saying I don't compliment you enough?"

[giveittoyoursister]

"I'm just saying a girl likes to have her ego stroked." Butter would not have melted in her mouth.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph huffed playfully and reached out to hook her fingers into Vi's waistband.

"Oh, her ego, is that it?"

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi grinned, looping her hands behind Steph's neck. "Do you call it something different?"

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Nothing appropriate for the workplace," Steph replied, waggling her eyebrows as she tugged Vi closer.

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi was more than happy to let herself be tugged. "Is it appropriate for your office?"

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I mean, that is still technically a place where I do work," Steph replied like that had ever stopped them before. She leaned in against Vi. "Technically."

[giveittoyoursister]

Technically.

"I don't work in there." Though she did put in a lot of effort.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"You do a lot in there, don't sell yourself short," Steph pointed out with another little tug at her waistband for emphasis. "But no, what you do in there is definitely not what you get paid for."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi snorted and pressed in closer to Steph. "If it were we'd have to discuss all this unpaid overtime I'm doing."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I thought you were being compensated very well for it." Steph moved in to steal a quick kiss. "Or do you think you deserve more? Because that's a conversation I'm definitely, uh, open to having."

If Steph had an HR department they'd be having an absolute fit over this conversation.

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi grinned against Steph's lips. "I think we need some very detailed negotiations about it."

Steph's hypothetical HR department would have thrown up their hands long ago.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph caught Vi's lip in her teeth. "Are you saying we need to review everything you're getting right now and examine what more you think you should be getting?"

They just wouldn't have thought the nervous breakdowns were worth it any more, and who could blame them?

[giveittoyoursister]

"That sounds like a very reasonable starting point," Vi said with a soft hiss, her own hands drifting down to Steph's waist.

No one at all, that's who.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"A very thorough review," Steph said, kissing her again. "Just... going down the whole list, point by point."

Not even Steph would blame them for that.

[giveittoyoursister]

Was Vi oh-so-subtly tugging them towards Steph's office? Yes. "And of course, negotiations are all about give and take."

There were only so many shenanigans a person could be expected to put up with.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Was Steph picking up on the cue and happily going along? Absolutely.

"They can also get pretty drawn out and go on for a while. Are you okay with that?"

No, Steph, the question was whether the customers would be.

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi grinned and leaned in to kiss Steph again as they made their way officewards.

"It's best to be completely thorough."

If the customers hadn't yet figured out there were better days to do their shopping, that was on them.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph laughed and trailed her fingertips over Vi's side. "You know how I can get about attention to detail, right?"

Hey, the gremlins were just fine with the Monday routine around here, at least?

[giveittoyoursister]

"You're very focused," Vi agreed cheerfully.

Not least because Little Bot was there to keep them in line.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"You can definitely be just as focused," Steph pointed out magnanimously. "In fact I'd go so far as to say I've noticed that you do excellent work under pressure, with a tight time limit."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi blushed, just a little. "Think of how good I can be when I'm not rushed."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph shuffled them both the rest of the way into the office, then stretched up to kiss Vi's cheek.

"Oh, believe me, I'm thinking about it right now."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi grinned and bent to pick Steph up. "I guess I'll just have to live up to expectations."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph grinned as she wrapped her arms around Vi's neck, but her voice was sincere.

"There's no pressure at all. Except the fun kind."

[giveittoyoursister]

"I mean, that's the best kind," Vi said, kissing her.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Obviously." Steph nudged the door shut with her foot and reached out to lock it -- without looking, thanks to a lot of practice. "Especially when it's mutual."

[giveittoyoursister]

"Naturally," Vi agreed, moving to deposit Steph on her desk. "Now we should really take this to the negotiating table."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Absolutely." Steph leaned back on her hands, her legs dangling over the side of the desk. "Gotta lay absolutely everything out so we know exactly what we're working with."

[giveittoyoursister]

"My thought exactly," Vi said, leaning down to kiss her. And a bit more than kiss her.