[Text/Action] 002

[wishingalone]

[A: Text, to everyone]

I hope that everyone is recovering from the recent ordeal. It was worrisome, to say the very least. Nonetheless, it seems that some benefit may have been derived from it, at least.

Has anyone successfully done one of these new evolutions?

[B: Text, private to Kyouko]

[Yeah... here's why she did text. She doesn't trust herself to not get emotional talking to Kyouko about this.]

I saw it in my memories. Inside of that cave that the others went inside of. Not the real thing.

[C: Action, later, at Junes!]

[Mami promised that she would stop by Junes. She wants to go see it, besides; she could stand to buy a few things, especially a few things from home. But her friend boyfriend it's complicated really there's not a good word for him special cute buddy Yosuke works here. And that is more than enough reason to get her here.]

[You might find her browsing the aisles, looking over the various goods. Especially some of the clothing. Winter is coming, after all, and she means to be ready for it. But she's also looking for Yosuke, peering about all parts of the store.]

[And later, she's sitting down at a table in the cafe portion, sipping tea. Because of course she is!]

Comments

[punchesyu]

Ted? He doesn't even know what he is. He can talk like a human, but he's a Cubchoo through and through.

[It's weird.]

But, he's got opposable thumbs and the customers love him, so he's working to pay his debt off.

[wishingalone]

Debt? Ah, did he cause some damage?

[She pauses, wondering about that, then Mami just shakes her head. She's not sure what to make of that. A four foot tall Cubchoo with opposable thumbs. Who can talk.]

[Damn.]

I... I can see how. He sounds positively adorable.

[punchesyu]

Don't let that fool you. He can put away more Topsicles than what our freezers here can hold.

[If that tells Mami exactly what the crime was. An entire freezer. Emptied.]

[wishingalone]

How... biologically fascinating!

[That sounds disturbing, really. She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head.]

Hopefully your new employees haven't given you too much trouble, though. Maybe they're just learning, still?

[punchesyu]

Yeah, that's what I'd like to think...

[He sighs, puts his hand behind his head and thinks on the nuisance that is Teddie and Rincewind.]

That guy's creepy chest waits outside for him sometimes, but I told him it's banned from coming in. And Ted is just gunna have to learn to moderate himself.

[wishingalone]

I had to make that thing chase me across a library, a couple of blocks, and tie it up and hang it from a tree. He needs to get rid of it.

[She sighs.]

I wish I knew what it was.

[punchesyu]

You faced that thing down? Man, I don't even want to know what it was...you are seriously one tough Valkyrie!

[He was scared out of his wits and he's pretty sure he wet himself, but he won't tell her that.]

[wishingalone]

[That makes Mami crack a smile, and she nods at him.]

Of course I am! It's what I do~. It's not the most frightening thing I've faced, either. [a beat] It's close, though.

[punchesyu]

Yeah. [He says a little more softly, not without a smile though. He knows she's been through worse, but won't bring that up now.]

You shoulda seen what it did to Junes. It took almost two weeks of cleanup and restocking to get it back to normal! I thought it was gunna take my arm off!

[wishingalone]

[Ah, yes. That could be a problem. The Luggage was... destructive, wasn't it?]

How did you get rid of it, finally?

[punchesyu]

About that...

[He rubs his hand on the back of his head nervously.]

I sorta got the hell outta dodge before I knew what happened, there wasn't anything I could do! It was taking shots at my hand! [He whines, a little embarrassed that he was less courageous than Mami.]

[wishingalone]

It was quite fierce. And feisty. I don't blame you in the slightest.

[She pats Yosuke on the hand, gently, and shakes her head. There, there. It's okay. She's the coolest. Diancie's in her heaven and all's right with the world.]

It all ended well enough, right? The damage seems repaired. I certainly didn't walk in and think, "This place was recently destroyed by ravenous luggage."

[punchesyu]

[The pat on his hand doesn't make him feel any better, sighing.]

Yeah, but telling people you ran away from a box is totally embarrassing... [He glances over at the time.] Crap, my break is almost over! But, I can show you around while I'm on the clock. I would be helping a paying customer, right?

[He winks. He's got this.]

[wishingalone]

Once they see the box, they'll understand. [Mami nods, then she stands up. She looks around for a moment, then back at him.] Of course! I wanted to get a few things. Such as a new book to read, perhaps.

[punchesyu]

A book? Just follow me!

[He stands up from his seat, turning in the direction of the book section of the store, trotting along happily to be spending time working with Mami instead of doing something like lifting boxes in the back or stocking.

He leads her there, stepping to the side to allow her to go into the first aisle, bowing while holding his hands out to the side like a proper chauffeur.]

Here we are, the book section as requested, miss. [He says in a gentlemanly voice.]

[wishingalone]

Why, thank you! [She stops as she reaches a shelf, and begins to peruse the titles. Should she take up too much of his time while he's on the clock? Probably not. Ordinarily, she would refrain from it. But, lately... she wants to.]

I've always enjoyed reading. It's something to pass the time. And I haven't read many of the books from Union.

[It's a nice thing to do when she you spend a lot of evenings alone, too. She doesn't say that, though.]

Maybe... hm. [She's pausing over some of the romance novels, curiously.]

[punchesyu]

I didn't know you were into that cheesy stuff. [He follows her down the aisle and glances at the titles she's hovering over.]

Uhhhh, I mean, I didn't know you liked romance novels!

[wishingalone]

Sometimes I enjoy them. They're not my preferred book, but...

[She tucks the one she had been considering back into place. Probably not a romance novel today.]

...They can be nice. And cheesy.

[punchesyu]

[He calms down a little bit. He hopes he hadn't discouraged her, but she doesn't seem mad at him so he'll take that as a plus.]

Well, what about this one? [He reaches up to the spine of a book he's spotted that looks cool by the art on the spine, but didn't really look at the title. Taking it off the shelf, it reads "Riding with a Cop", along with a cover picture of just a guy's abs. He pulls a face and immediately puts it back.]

Uh, never mind. That doesn't look like the cheesy type.

[wishingalone]

I-I see that Junes has some interesting ideas about their romance novels...!

[She's flushed red. Mami coughs, quickly, and sidesteps to the other side of the aisle. Because she's blushing up a storm. At least he didn't seriously suggest the book!]

Per...haps the adventure stories. I like a good travel journal sometimes!

[punchesyu]

Don't look at me! I'm not the one in charge of inventory here! [Someone else does that, and he's not sure how that book even got in the store.]

Yeah! Adventure! Good idea! [He frantically goes over to that section of the aisle, flustered himself now over the book he'd pulled out on accident.]

What about this?! [He pulls out a more normal, generic kind of adventure novel that looks safe, and hands it to her.]

[wishingalone]

I-I see! [Mami coughs, before she takes the novel and flips through it. It takes her a couple of seconds to form an opinion; she checks the back and reads a couple of pages, out of curiosity.]

Hmm. It does look interesting...

[punchesyu]

Way more interesting than whatever that creepy book was! [He just doesn't want to look at some other dude's abs on the cover of a book in a romantic way whatsoever.]

Y-You should get that one!

[wishingalone]

I think I will! It seems interesting.

[She smiles and tucks the book underneath her arm, her head tilting to the side.] You were quite helpful, mister salesman.

[punchesyu]

[He grins back. Victory. He bows, making a big show of it.]

At your service, madam! We like to make every customer feel appreciated here at Junes!

[He drops the act though, folding his arms.]

You need anything else, Mami? I won't lie to you, I'm trying to avoid going back and stacking the new shipment in for as long as possible. [Even though he'll stay until it's done.]