Pick Your Poison, Monday

[joan_of_bark]

School was back in session, and this week would be just another week, its days slipping by like a breeze. Pam, for her part, was back in her store. The garden didn't need much upkeep-- it was beginning to take shape quite nicely, and needed some time to grow.

The shelves were full of products that, as far as she could tell, were at least made with some sense of responsibility. And her mind kept drifting elsewhere, to her phone, to news from the mainland about that chemical plant.

Eventually she got up from the sofa in the corner to sit back behind the counter, pen in hand. Dear Harley...

For now, on this ordinary day, the store was open.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[the_best_sister]

"Hello!" Yelena called out after opening the door and sticking her head in. "Are dogs allowed in the shop? I promise Fanny will not eat anything and she will be leashed at all times."

[joan_of_bark]

Once upon a time, Pam would have answered with a firm no. But that was several lifetimes and two extremely excitable hyenas ago. Now, her tone was just faintly resigned.

"Sure," she said, "As long as she doesn't damage anything." A brief pause: "And hi, Yelena."

[the_best_sister]

"Of course she won't damage anything! She is a very good dog, aren't you Fanny?"

Fanny had no response other than to sniff the floor and look around as Yelena came into the store.

"Thank you, she's been in a kennel all week so she's been extra clingy," Yelena explained as she pulled out a package from her tote bag. "I got you a gift from Canada! Found it an an eco-friendly coffee shop that only purchases beans from farmers with documented sustainable growth practices and of course the packaging is recyclable."

[joan_of_bark]

Pam blinked.

"... Thank you," she said, with real surprise. And then, with a touch of actual warmth: "That's very thoughtful of you."

She honestly hadn't expected that.

[the_best_sister]

"Eh. I was in Canada getting coffee and they had a whole lot of little notes about their practice. You mentioned a couple of things in passing as did Adrian about your commitment to the environment so I thought it would be something nice. Plus I don't know a lot about you other than you drink coffee," Yelena admitted, with a shrug.

[joan_of_bark]

"You don't really have an inside voice, do you?"

Pam sounded amused as she took the coffee.

"But I do like coffee. I especially like coffee that doesn't enable terrible practices." A pause. "How was your trip?"

[the_best_sister]

"I'm only quiet when I need to be," Yelena said with a slight smirk. "The trip was fine. Adrian and I got stuck in a room together, but we made do. How was the week here without half the island around? Sounded pretty quiet."

[joan_of_bark]

"As far as 'getting stuck in a room with someone' goes, I can think of worse people than Adrian," Pam said, with a hint of wry amusement.

(No, she wasn't halfway to adopting him, and how dare you insinuate as much.)

"It was quiet," she added. "Almost peaceful, without all those college students stomping around."

[the_best_sister]

"He was a... complete gentlemen," Yelena said with a nod. "And I'm glad you were able to enjoy the quiet. I may have to do that next time."

[joan_of_bark]

"So you didn't like Canada?" Pam had to ask.

[the_best_sister]

"No, no, no, Canada was fantastic," Yelena said shaking her head. "Great experience. And since I can't go back to my world? I would normally take any option off the island I can. But a little quiet now and then would be nice."

[joan_of_bark]

"Well, you'll get plenty of that," Pam said, snorting. "You know, I don't think most of the stores in town even opened last week."

[the_best_sister]

"That's not surprising at all considering Stark and almost all his employees were in Canada. I assumed that was the case for most shops," Yelena agreed. "Did you do anything fun last week?"

[joan_of_bark]

Absolutely wrecked a chemical plant and a very rich, very stupid man's nightmares?

"Nothing exciting," Pam said easily. "I spent a lot of time pruning the bushes in the garden. Pulling out some weeds. And a lot of other things I'm sure would bore you."

She'd never been to Stark's. That tall building set off her instinctive violent urges towards billionaires gave her the creeps.

[the_best_sister]

"Well I of course would be enthralled by every detail," Yelena joked. "Fanny would lose interest very quickly. She has no attention span."

[joan_of_bark]

"Well, she's a dog," Pam pointed out dryly. "They only like plants they can pee on."