#othqstart

[quixoticquincy]

the book had been in his hand, he was sure of it. it was a thick book of poems, beautifully bound in a green hardcover with gold writing printed into the front. it had definitely been in his hand. except then it wasn’t. and he wasn’t alone in the bookstore. he watched as the book seemed to just tumble from his hand, right onto the foot of the other person in the aisle.

a gasp caught in his throat as he ducked down to grab it, struggling a moment before he focused and lifted it from the floor. “i’m so sorry! oh my gosh, i’m a total clutz lately. if it’s not books, it’s a glass or keys or pencils and paintbrushes.” he grimaced a little and looked up at the other. “is your foot okay?”

[capriciouscal]

cal was tired. he’d already been yelled at by one woman for not having the right colour skates for her and then the delivery company for the vending machine called and postponed the delivery. so all in all, it had been a long day and he was ready to shut himself away in his house and shut out the rest of the world. however, that wasn’t all that easy to do when you had a business to run.

he didn’t even lift his head up from his hands when he heard the doors open, just huffed out a greeting in response, “welcome to letum skate. what size d’ya want?” 

[duffree]

duffy wandered into the minimart at some late-night-early-morning hour with a giant, dazed smile. she’d spent most of today her crow self instead of her person self, and that always made her a little giddy. and sometimes when she was feeling especially birdlike, she liked to go to the minimart and buy a buncha stuff all separate just so she could watch earl count out her change again and again.

earl didn’t like her very much.

but she didn’t care. she grabbed a bag of corn nuts to start with and waited happily behind the next person. “whatcha gettin’?” she asked pleasantly.

[manpyre]

“hey, down there,” manny called from the top of the fence he was perched on. he had his satchel over his back, full of contraband as one does, and he was looking for his usual buyers.

and maybe a few new ones. “yeah, you. what are you doing today?”

[gotyourtongue]

this afternoon’s lull finds our resident bowling alley clerk grump in their prime –– toyin’ with shoe laces to pass the time. nyx has their back to the counter, the one rule boss-man keeps insistin’ they gotta stop breakin’, but they pay the transgression no mind. these shoes are so shiny. all leather blues and reds and greens. and the laces !  gah !  the laces have tiny gold nubs on the ends, painted plastic of some sort, and they are just so... fun... to... chew.

only when there’s a shufflin’ at the counter do they jolt up from where they’ve sprawled out on the carpet, one bowling shoe cradled to their chest, a long string still clamped in their teeth. caught in the act.

“ hi. ”  nyx blinks. the lace stays. “ ‘sup. ” 

[leeveit]

lee was not pleased by the shadow some fool was castin’ over her sketchbook. she’d been starin’ up at her new chaperone for a couple minutes now, glarin’ in the hopes they get the point and move on along. no such luck.

“i’m sorry, but could you stand over there, please and thank you? you’re blockin’ my light.”