fandomtownies | The Magpie Emporium, Thursday (10/3)

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The Magpie Emporium, Thursday (10/3)

There was a new season of a certain animated adaptation of an actual play series out today, and while Steph had cancelled her Prime account in a fit of pique she had run into an awkward shy redheaded girl with fancy futuristic computer tech at the Perk earlier in the week. And, well, mega-nerds recognized mega-nerds, plus as it turned out the girl had Very Strong Feelings about billionaire CEOs on top of having an uncanny ability to find basically any film or TV show ever, so...

Well, the upshot of it all was that Steph had her laptop hooked up to a TV, free popcorn snack bags in a mimic treasure chest on the counter, and a marathon of the entire series running.

And she was just going to do a whole extra order of merchandise directly from the production company to assuage any guilt she had about it.

[OOC: While I cannot watch until tonight and am sulking about it, open!]

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"Afternoon, Steph," Watts said cheerfully as he made his way in to the shop, tote bag slung over one shoulder.

His hat, as per usual, made it on to the usual beholder tentacle before he beelined for the dice, picking up a couple to roll in his hand.

"Llewellyn," Steph replied, giving him a playful salute. "How goes it today?"

"I'm doing well," he said, setting the tote bag down on the counter. "Came by to give you a little something, actually," he continued.

"Yeah?" Steph slid over a set of fancy hollow metal dice in case he wanted a totally different sensory experience with his dice fidgeting today. "Oh, right. Isn't it Rosh Hashanah?"

"It is!" Watts said, pleased that she remembered. "And thus, to wish you a sweet new year..." he fished out a bag of apple slices followed by a small jar of honey, which he presented to her before, yes, poking curiously at those fancy-looking metal dice.

"Shana tova," Steph said -- after a moment of trying to remember the greeting -- as she took the apples and honey. "And thanks, dude. Oh man, I was about to say I should text Izzie, but it's still 2022 for her so it wouldn't be the right day."

"Ah, yes," Watts said, a troubled look flickering over his face for just a moment. "The issue of- different times. Does make such things more difficult."

At least Izzie had unblocked her number now, so that was something.

"Yeah, little more complicated than working out time zones," Steph said with a wry smile that faltered when she noticed his expression. "You okay?"

"Ah," Watts said. "I'd- written a letter to a friend asking if he'd care to visit this weekend. The date written on his return correspondence was- concerning. Our, ah, timelines? Had previously been aligned. But it seems they may no longer be so."

"Not... aligned?" Steph asked, frowning and pushing down a twinge of chagrin about not having anyone available to visit for the weekend. "How? Time travel isn't a thing in your world, though, right?"

She had no idea.

"Well," Watts said slowly. "Two of my Constables did once encounter a man who claimed to be from the future," he said. "His claims- seemed outlandish at the time but having now lived in the future for several years I can confirm that they are true."

"Wait, seriously?" Steph's eyes went wide. "But nobody could confirm it at the time, huh."

"Exactly," Watts nodded. "But- unconnected to what appears to be happening now. Which is that time previously passed at the same rate there as it did here. But now it seems as if mere months have gone by there where over a year has here."

"Oh." Steph blinked. "Oh. That, um. I realize that doesn't necessarily have to mean anything bad because time is ridiculous and bizarre, but... that does seem potentially very concerning."

"Yes," Watts nodded. "In speaking with the fellows at the Portal travel office, it has subsequently affected the frequency at which travel between there and here can be arranged. Which would normally not be a problem, as I have no intention of returning. I was, however, looking forward to George potentially visiting."

"Damn. That blows." Steph made a face. "I'm really sorry. If it makes you feel any better, apparently that one weekend a little while back where a bunch of people were randomly entire other people instead, somebody was my friend Chloe who I haven't heard from in years and I missed it because I was someone else?"

Yeah, now that she said it, she wasn't sure it would make anyone feel even a little better.

Watts had been someone else too, which had resulted in an awkward situation for one of Midnight's boarders, who had known the young man in question.

"That does remind me," he said, because the name had rung a bell. "If you need- anything. A shoulder to lean on. A strong drink. Some baked goods. I am available. I know this month is a- difficult one for you."

For a long time Steph's instinct would've been to close off and say curtly that she was fine, but she nodded and smiled slightly.

"Thank you so much. Yeah. It's... much better than it used to be --" funny how not shutting everyone out and actually letting herself have a support structure helped with that -- "but I don't think it'll ever really be completely fine. So I'll probably be taking you up on at least some of that at some point."

Watts totally understood that instinct; it was one he too had spent the past few years unlearning.

"My door is always open. Or at least, it quite literally will always open so far as you're concerned," Watts told her.

"That means --" Steph turned one of the apples over in her hand, smiling. "A lot. So much. Plus it's just really fucking cool."

If only Arcadia Bay had a house like -- well, never mind.

Watts chuckled. "It really is. You should see how Midnight interacts with Raphael. It's quite charming. Though we did have to instruct it that the cupboard with the cat treats is, in fact, off-limits to cats."

"Aw, was it being a little too helpful?" Steph asked, laughing as she snagged an errant bouncy d12 on its way past her. "That's actually kind of adorable."

"Agreed," Watts said.

Such was his life that an eldritch-being-slash-pocket-dimension could rightly be described as behaving 'adorably'.

Edited 2024-10-04 23:16 (UTC)

There were so many worse ways an eldritch-being-slash-pocket-dimension could behave, so honestly, win.

"Better watch out, Raphael's going to find some other way to persuade it," Steph said wryly. "Because cat."

"You know, you're probably right," Watts groaned.

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The Magpie Emporium, Thursday (10/3)

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