| Trouble in Housewares | ||
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S-Mart. One of the last great pieces of the American culture. How this one found its way onto Twisted is beyond anyone's guess. It's a normal day like any other. People crowd the aisles and way in the back in Housewares a particular aging man tries to make it look like he's doing work when he's definitely not. His name is Ashley Williams, and he's amazing at his job. Just so long as his job doesn't involve actually working. He's also the lowest person on the totem pole around here, but with enough job security that it doesn't matter. You don't work for a company for 30 years in various locations and not earn a little seniority. He should probably be running this store, despite it not being the store he originated from, if it weren't for the fact that he keeps getting demoted for slacking off. Right now he's hiding from customers and the rumored new manager. Apparently being a manager at another location is enough to automatically get that position here. That can't be good for people who were already in that position. Maybe they have a system for that? Or maybe they've just gotten lucky so far.
Rayne, meanwhile, is just being a customer. In full armor, sans helmet and decorative 'wings'. Because reasons. It's Twisted, does a woman in rainbow colored hair wearing banded mail armor really that odd for here? At any rate, she's looking through the pillows right now, for some reason. She pokes, she squishes, she picks up and hugs, she even sniffs. Quite the picky one she is, it seems, as she keeps going through them, unable to make up her mind.
A youngish (but still old enough that to be looked down on for being any position in retail) man is currently standing somewhere on the sales floor, staring over some information or another on a clipboard. God the district manager is such a hardass! ...wait...why are there EVEN district managers in the multiverse? How does tha---ahh, no time, no time for that. The man scribbles some lines and check marks through what he'd been given and signs a single name at the bottom of the page. Shaun... is that one of those single word names, like Madonna? Whatever the reason is, no last name revealed! He then turns toward a certain, younger man with red hair and hands him a different paper. "Could you make sure your department manager sees to these notes here," Shaun asks Shirou.
Ashley creeps along one of the aisles to get a look at the new guy. "Crap. He's already got a lackey!" He scowls at the floor, "I should have a lackey." Casting a glance around he spies Rayne and decides it's the perfect way to continue to be lazy. He creeps over to the armored woman, giving a pat to one of the pillows. "I see you're interested in the sleep master 2000 hybrid foam pillows. This is a good model. I like to sometimes take a few into the back and set them up across some of the old shelving in the loading bay. I mean wow. You can just pass right out. But if you want a real good pillow for your money, you should consider investing in some memory foam." Did she need help? Did she want help? Well she's getting it. At least until the new manager goes away. Ash grabs a memory foam pillow and practically assaults the rainbow haired girl with it. "See that? Great isn't it?" Smack. "You can really feel the foam, am I right? I mean what are you needing these for? A slumber party? That's what girls do around here, right?"
Rayne blinks and looks up slowly as the man suddenly starts talking to her. She actually looks confused at first as he starts talking to her unbidden. "Um... No thanks, I don't need help with-" and then he does it. He gets in way too close to the rainbow haired woman, shoving that pillow into her. You see, those that know Rayne have learned something very important about her by now. She doesn't like to be touched. As such, when Ashley gets in that close, the result isn't a grateful customer that is now better informed about the pillow selection. No, the result is a woman screaming and jumping away from him. The look on her face is an odd mix of fear, anger, and confusion, and she doesn't seem to be able to string a word together at the moment.
Shirou isn't so much Shaun's lackey as an overly dutiful sales floor guy from sporting goods... Who's already doing pretty much all HIS boss' work and getting no credit for it cause it's not like anyone says anything. As a woman's heard screaming, however, Shirou turns right back around from starting to head back to sporting goods. Shaun does not look like he's used to hearing a woman scream for no good reason either... This results in Shirou RUNNING in the direction of the screaming, and Shaun just caaaaaaaaaautiously doing a bad attempt to SNEAK over and peek around the corner unnoticed like.
Ash drops the pillow and starts backing away with his hands held up in front of him. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!! H-hold on now! I didn't do nothing, baby!" He straightens up and winks, "I mean I'd -like- to, but uh... I'm on the job right now." Taking a cautious step towards her he continues digging this hole. "N-now you just calm down. Did you see a spider or something? I know how girls are when they see a spider." He finally puts his hands (hand?) down. "Why don't you tell ol' Ash where it was and I'll take care of it for you, and then maybe you and me we can talk some more. That sounds good, right?" Real smooth, hero. Real smooth.
Rayne just GLARES at Ash. She's a woman wearing banded mail armor with a sword on each hip and a quiver of arrows on her back. "Spider? Spider?!" She looks downright insulted at the suggestion that she would be afraid of a spider. Her left hand is resting on the hilt of the sword on that hip, but her right is held out in front of her, palm facing Ash. "Just... don't touch me!"
Suddenly the running Shirou LEAPS at Ash, attempting to full on tackle him away from Rayne. Shaun face palms. Please don't let this become an incident! He JUST started and there's already two salesfloor associates involved in an assault and a woman who seems VERY offended! Shaun holds up his hands, one empty and one holding the rather unthreatenening clip board. "Oookay now...What is going on exactly?"
Ashley eyes her sword as she reaches for it. How did he never notice that before? His missing hand suddenly itches. Maybe it's the threat of impending-INTO THE SHELVES HE GOES, pillows raining down harmlessly. "WHAT THE HELL, CHIEF?!" He tries to get back to his feet as quickly as he can, his good hand balled up into a fist and ready to strike. "YOU WANT A PIECE OF THE ASH-MAN, COME AND FIGHT ME FAIR!!" Depending on how long it takes Shirou to do the same he'll try to find time to wave at Rayne with the wooden hand. "Just a moment miss! This is just a misunderstanding!" For good measure he gives a kick in Shirou's direction, probably hitting a pillow. "I don't even KNOW this asshole!"
Rayne takes a step back as the guy she was about to have an arguement with gets tackled into the shelving. She rolls her eyes. /Twisted./ She sighs and shakes her head, her hand leaving her sword's hilt as she crosses her arms over her chest. She glances over at Shaun and says, "The 'Ash-man' here was a bit overly aggressive in his unasked for sales techniques. I don't like being touched." Well, at least she knows about her own problem. "As for how 'chief' here responded... Well, that's all on him." She then peers over at him, then tilts her head. "Shirou?" Well, apparently she /does/ know this asshole.
Not bothering to do anything but stand there, and of course completely failing to diffuse anything, Ashley frowns nervously at Shaun as he asks Rayne about help. Trying to take advantage of his seniority he takes the statement and redirects it at Shirou "Y'know you can do something to help too, sparky." He points at himself, "Stop crowding another guy's department and pick up this mess you made me make!" He turns enough towards Rayne to smile lecherously at her. "Hey, sorry, baby doll." A brief moment is used to look towards Shaun and his disapprovment. "Ya see, I just get so excited to be selling.... um... pillows... to hot babes like you." He tries to smile real big again. He's just oozing with charm, isn't he?
Rayne nods to Shirou, then looks to Shaun and shakes her head. "No, I'm fine. Just... let me pick out a c... pillow in peace." She looks like she's about to let the whole thing drop, really she is. But then Ash has to go and call her 'baby doll' and just overall sound horribly misogynistic. She turns back to Ash slowly, her glare returning. She gives him a bit of an unstable looking grin and asks, "Do you really want to see how 'hot' I can get?" Her right hand flexes into a fist briefly as she says this.
Shirou shakes his head a little. God...this guy...he's coming off like someone combined Lancer and Matou Shinji into one person! He tries to dismiss that thought and doesn't even argue or otherwise rebel against Ash's statement, as he just sets right into cleaning when Ash notes that he should. These two...they don't seem like they'll get along, but the thing about Shirou is that he's the kind of guy that, unless you are some MIRACULOUS level of terrible, you'd probably never know he doesn't like you. Shaun nods and gives a sigh. "Ash, I think there was a spill that needed cleaning on the next aisle if you could...just be an awesome guy and take care of that real fast?"
Ashley winces at Shaun giving him orders. Maybe he can get out of it? He glances over at Rayne and wonders briefly if it's worth it, then back to Shioru who's basically at the same level he is. Eh, what does he have to lose? "I-I'm sorry? Could you repeat that? It's your accent. I don't know Canadian very well." The hole is already this deep! He holds his hands up, "Y'know what? I just remembered that I was trying to... do the thing... in the back room. How about I just go take care of that real quick?" Yeah, that's probably for the best. But not before one last smile at Rayne, "Doll face? If you wanna come by after I get off, I'll gladly take you up on that offer."
Rayne is absolutely glaring daggers at Ash, and seems to not even notice as Shaun talks to him. Receptive to the smile? Absolutely not. A close look at her hand, flexing into a fist again, would reveal a bit of smoke coming from it. "I want to set you on fire," she says bluntly. Whether or not Ash realizes her intent, the other two probably can figure out that she's not using a euphemism. She looks like she wants to burn him down to his namesake right now. She then turns away, taking a deep breath in, then out. The poor woman is on edge, and Ash isn't helping at all! "Go to your back room and take your damn nap. Just get out of my face."
"Whichever you're doing, Ash, just get on itttt," Shaun says a bit stressed like, trying to gesture away from Rayne whenever he thinks she doesn't see it. Come on. Get away from ground zero man! We do NOT need a murder or a sword fight! IT'S JUST MY FIRST DAY!!! ...is what he wants to say, but he's just forcing a smile and standing there between gestures. Shirou finishes cleaning the mess he caused...probably leaving it better than it looked BEFORE he ruined it. He watches Rayne with some concern. Not only for Rayne's sake, but for Ash's. Sure he's already gotten off on a bad foot with the guy, but that doesn't mean he wants his name to be literal!
Ashley lightly punches Shirou on the shoulder as he goes past with a wink and a thumbs up afterwards. "See that? Totally how it works around here. A nap AND a date." Luckily he keeps walking. Maybe he won't come back? No, he'll be back. Give him an hour or two.
Rayne closes her eyes and breathes in and out. She's trying to calm herself down, she's really trying. He's just making it so DAMN HARD to. She waits a moment after she thinks he's gone to open her eyes again and turn silently back towards the pillows, which she goes back to inspecting on her own.
"Err, anyway...I need to go give this to my manager," Shirou remembers hesitantly before drifting off back to work. He'd rather not just leave things off like that, but he's at work and thus has work to do. "Sorry again," Shaun insists, "If there's anything I can do, feel free to let me know, but for now it seems like you'd prefer some space to do your shopping, sooo just leave a message at the fitting room if you need me."
Rayne sighs as her shoulders slump, an action visually muted by the way her armor is articulated. "I'm fine. Just.... just let me find a pillow that won't go flat in peace." She seems quite intent to do just that at the moment whether he stays there or not.
Shaun makes his own way out of the situation now...going....who knows where, he's got way too much he has to handle. | |
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