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 Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:55 pm
Another day gone to waste. A bright figure stared out of a wide window, fastened into the west side of the building to light up the lounge area of the Bates Motel. It looked out to the small parking lot at the side of the building, further out to a patch of flowers and shrubs that could be better cared for. The sun was bright, few clouds in the sky, though the temperature could not be determined from the room. Nearly unfocused purple eyes flitted around the scene outside, as if calculating something instead of merely taking in the view. His chin rested in the palm of his hand, the arm propped up with the elbow on a crossed leg, as he sat uneasily in the chair.
A familiar face in the front room, Jiki glanced over to where Foxglove sat as he dried his hands on a towel. His eyes sunk into concern, but as an idea brushed in his mind his eyes flashed. Tossing the towel to the counter top in the kitchen, Jiki made his way into the adjacent room with a hastened step that quickly got the attention of the seated demon before he even spoke a word.
"Fox?" he started, leaning against the wall to face Foxglove, "You know, this isn't like you. Maybe you don't know it, but you've been putting a few on edge lately with this uncharacteristic behavior, and it's starting to worry me. No... not just me." His eyes turned to the side, as if trying to determine a better way to go about this, or at least a way to add to what was said.
Foxglove snorted in response, only managing to make the atmosphere more awkward. His voice was lowered, almost difficult to catch if not for Jiki's attuned ears. "How do you know that this isn't like me? Maybe it wasn't meant to sound harsh, but it certainly wasn't what the fox beta was expecting.
His head lowered then, as if suddenly wishing those words hadn't left his mouth. "I-I know you're right about it, I do. I know I'm suppose to be the happy one, the one who can uplift everyone else's spirits..." the words seemed bitter in his mouth, "but it weighs on me. Nobody can be perky all the time, it just doesn't work like that. I can feel other emotions too, can't I?"
There was a moment's pause just then as Jiki attempted to give the demon a little time to relax before he spoke. He wasn't trying to upset him - that was the last thing he really wanted to do - but he was beginning to think that it was the only possible way to get through to him. "I think you're missing the point." Before Foxglove could counter-remark, Jiki went on, "It's not that you can't be depressed or anything, it's that you haven't been trying to shake the depression. I mean, when was the last time you went out and just had fun?"
"You don't think I've tried?" The green-haired demon was beginning to think Jiki might not be able to understand his predicament. "Look, I know you mean well, but you haven't an idea what caused it. You can't find a solution without knowing the cause, am I right?"
Jiki was starting to get frustrated; words weren't working, he wasn't going to listen unless Jiki took action and forced Fox to find a solution himself. Rather abruptly, Jiki grabbed hold of the demon's wrist and helped him up, continuing as he dragged Foxglove to the front of the building and opening up the front door, "You may be right, but you're not trying to solve it yourself either. I doubt sitting around moping about it is going to help you or anyone else! You can't just take it out on other people, you have to try to fix this mess!" With that, Jiki had shoved the demon out of the building, shutting the door behind himself to keep Fox from trying to come back in.
He sighed, ears flattened against the back of his head. I hope that was the right course of action...
Foxglove blinked, surprised at what had just occurred. Jiki wasn't known to be forceful about his suggestions, which was the main reason why Fox hadn't been able to stop himself from being thrown outside. More than one emotion usurped the confusion as it all began to sink in, and as anger overtook thought the demon called past the door, "It's not so simple! I can't just do that..." His eyes lowered once more, claws kicking lightly at a stray stone on the ground before turning, determining his next course of action.
He started walking, not particularly aware of where his feet were going to take him; he was more focused on his thoughts at the moment. He knew most of what the fox beta had said rang true, but Fox himself hadn't been lying either. He hadn't explained himself to anyone, ignoring the worries of others and keeping his problems to himself. Nobody liked listening to nothing but complaints, himself included, so why bother talking to anybody about it? But it was true; while he was trying to keep from bothering others with his problems, he had actually made things worse. He didn't blame them for wanting him out of the house, but depression didn't just evaporate, not even for the outgoing, happy-go-lucky guy he was. Well, normally was...
Before he knew it, Foxglove had found himself in front of the main Anthropomorphs building, what most referred to as the "shop." He scratched his head, pondering about why he wandered this way, but shrugged it off; it was as good a place to start off as anywhere else.
Entering, he realized that the place... well, was pretty much empty. Nobody he saw in there he ever recalled meeting, and he didn't feel up to introducing himself to them either. I've really fallen a long way... he mused as he wandered past, preferring to be out of sight of the main traffic. His eyes caught sight of the phone, open for anyone to use, and an idea briefly flicked into mind. He shook his head in response to it at first, but started to think more deeply on it. There was somebody he could call, but should he really do so, in his state of mind? Well, either way, the one on the receiving end of the call could always turn down the offer...
After a few moments of indecision on the matter, Foxglove finally decided to go ahead with it. He had nothing better to do, after all, and he could always try to find something else to do. Grabbing an address book out of his jeans pocket, he flipped through the pages until he found the number he had been looking for. Raising the receiver to his ear, he took a deep breath before punching in the numbers.
The phone rang a few times, but upon answer Foxglove was able to make his voice out to sound like what it once did, unsure if it belied anything of what he was truly feeling. "Keelin? It's Foxglove. Hey, are you doing anything today? I was thinking maybe we could just go out and just have some fun, like we used to. How about it?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:05 pm
Keelin had found himself at the center of a similar conversation. The differences? No alpha was involved and the cat was faring a little better than the demon had been. He had accomplishments that a few years ago he had thought impossible. He had become a surrogate mother to several of the anthros whom had grown up at the Nullspace, a responsibility and privilege he had always cherished. Always, no matter what happened to bring him down, he could look back upon that and feel a sense of pride, satisfaction, and a profound sense of belonging. Some of the boys called him, “Mom,” even if they lived here with their own parents. That was simply how it was.
There were certainly things to be improved upon of course, voids in his life that unfortunately some people just would never be satisfied unless they helped to fill. The cat’s tail swatted the ground lightly and a soft groan issued from his lips as he gazed with naturally-wide cobalt eyes upon the anthro seated opposite him.
A quilt hand-sewn with a multitude of colors and patterns had been lain out on the lawn under a tree. The grass was starting to grow out and the occasional insect found its way from a verdant blade onto the vibrant fabric to tool around along its edge. Mostly however, the only disturbance to the fabric’s surface was that long, white-furred tail slapping at it and a certain wolf-bear hybrid absently picking at a random knot of yarn.
“It’s always the same,” he commented idly in a tone meant to convey his mild irritation but that nevertheless rolled in a tone adoring of his son.
This one was in fact his legally adopted son, a young man who, because of this little technicality, felt it one of his missions in life to make his mother’s life “perfect.” Part of that perfect little world, in his mind, was to find his mother “a man.” He nodded, light-brown eyes glimmering as he grinned cheerfully at Keelin. “It will be, until I find you the perfect mate. Or you do, anyway.”
“Can’t you just allow me a nice relaxing afternoon in the shade? The sky is actually clear for the first time all week.”
Kallisto scoffed, arm swirling out with a swoop of gauzy, wide-sleeved fabric, voice tinged with something like hurt. “What better time to dream and scheme? Under this beautiful sky, beneath this tree; it’s almost blooming, did you notice?”
“I noticed.” The cat’s voice continued it’s almost indistinct purr. He knew his son meant well. “I’m fine as I am, you know.”
“I know you get lonely sometimes, can’t help but notice.”
Keelin glanced at Kallisto. His expression matched his suddenly sober tone. “Perhaps so, but then I think of my friends and family and I’m content,” he smiled. It was not as full as he had meant it to be, but he was also confident. He had grown up immeasurably in the past few years, a lifetime for his sons. He was no longer naïve and impulsive like he had once been. He also approached life more realistically.
“Nevertheless, I’ll keep looking, and you need to get out more!”
Caught a little by surprise, the cat blinked. “Get out more?”
“Yes! I saw a flyer for a party. We should go.”
“I don’t party.” Frowning lightly, he had not thought about doing such a thing in quite some time. Back then times were different, he was entirely different.
“Right, right, but think about it. You have not been out socializing outside the Nullspace in ages. What if you met an old friend? Wouldn’t it be nice to see them again? Or to meet some new friends? I think a bunch of us should go, it would be a lot of fun.”
“Well... I don’t know...” He was hanging, certainly. He had nothing to wear, his social skills had shrunk to strictly domestic ones.
“It will be fun,” Kallisto insisted. Then, a wicked grin passed across his features as he hunched just a little, leaning toward his mother. “I hear back in the day you were a shopaholic and that even the way you are now pales by comparison. I find that hard to believe but we should go to the mall today and get party clothes. Then I’ll know for sure, won’t I?” He sat back with a smug grin, watching the cat reconsider.
The gears in his head practically squealed in protest. Motherly barriers forbade such frivolous spending. It was not as if he could not afford it, it was just the way he had become. But Kallisto was right. It will be fun. I miss shopping...
Before Keelin said a word Kallisto knew he had won. He practically wiggled in place and cackled (he had so many bad influences not to pick up that kind of idiosyncrasy).
However, as the cat opened his mouth to concede defeat, he paused, ears twitching.
“Let someone else get it,” the wolf-bear frowned, picking up the sound of the phone a moment later. But as they listened, the phone continued to ring. No one was around; they were out enjoying the nice weather! In fact, there was a ball game of some sort going on out back; the cheers and laughter were clear even from the other side of the building.
“I’d better answer it,” the cat said, calmly rising to his feet and straightening the fabric of his skirt. He smiled, just as his son’s face was beginning to sag. “We’ll go later,” he purred before jogging back to the house. Laughter chased him inside.
Taking up the phone, he answered it and listened to a voice he had not heard in years. “Fox!” He could not think of a better way to spend his afternoon than with both his son and his favorite shopping buddy. “Actually, I was thinking of going shopping. You know, like we used to do ages ago? And... I have someone I want you to meet.”
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:45 pm
It was funny how one's mind worked after so many months, with such a severe drop in social interaction. Being so withdrawn from everybody, one would start to believe that anybody associated with the past, no matter how far removed, wouldn't want anything to do with them. After all, hadn't Fox abandoned the world during his long absence? Who was to say it wouldn't happen again? Why would anybody want to take up their time with him when there were better uses for it, uses that wouldn't be ultimately wasted?
However, upon reflection, it is obvious how ridiculous such thoughts are. Not everybody was so callous in the world, and certainly not anybody the demon had grown attached to enough to call "friend." He couldn't help the broad grin that ensued when Keelin had immediately remembered who he was, even after such a long time.
His spaded tail twitched and twisted at Keelin's suggestion to go shopping. He knew that he wanted to go, deep down, but... He blinked, glancing around the room briefly as if to stall for a bit of time. Ah, the hell with it. He smiled, as if the pale cat could see it, "Sure thing! I'd be glad to come, and meet whoever it is you want me to see! It's been a long time, so I look forward to it! Meet you in an hour; would that be long enough for you?"
As he stood there, receiver held against a pointed ear, he thought idly to himself who Keelin would want him to meet. Branching off from there, he pondered if the day would be just like old times, or if the time the two of them spent on their own would show. He hadn't changed too much, had he?
Hmm, I might have to go back home to get some more cash from my room before I head over there, he thought to himself, hand fingering the wallet in his pocket, as if to shake himself free of his previous thoughts. After all, any way this day went would be a step forward; he should stop worrying about it.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:16 am
"An hour? That sounds good," the cat purred with a happy swish of his tail. That should be more than enough time to get ready! "And we're meeting at the shop, or at the mall?" Or did Fox know where he lived? He probably did at least through Nightshade; they were brothers, after all. It was good to ask and be sure.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 1:38 am
Quickly, Foxglove began assessing how quickly he could head back to the Bates Motel to either the mall or the shop. The shop was certainly closer than the mall, but he could make it to the mall pretty fast. However, there was no telling if he'd be able to go inside right away, depending on if Jiki believed he was just passing by to pick up some extra money. If that were the case, he might be a while yet.
His eyes narrowed briefly in thought. He didn't want to head back so soon, even if it was just for a few minutes, but he didn't like going to the mall with such little cash on hand. "Better make it the shop. That way, I'll be sure to be here on time," he concluded with a swift nod. With a quick smile he added, "That way, we'll have the extra time heading over to the mall to catch up!" Not that there's much of me to get caught up on... he thought with a mild twist in his stomach.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:28 pm
Keelin frowned just a little. "Well if you need more time, that's fine! Do you have a cell phone? You could call if you're running behind." He had no idea that Foxglove just needed to run home for some money. He'd happily have loaned it to him, or outright bought things for him as gifts. "I like the idea of meeting at the shop though. We definitely have some catching up to do!" he laughed.
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 9:53 pm
Fox tilted his head a little, uncomfortable standing still for too long. "Yeah, you know I wouldn't stand you up. I'll be sure to give you a call, but I'm not planning on running late," he nodded, maneuvering to lean his back on the nearest wall. A single arm wrapped around his waist, propping the other arm's elbow up. "Okay, the shop it is! I'll see you in a bit!" he chirped, waiting for any final responses from Keelin before hanging up the phone.
He exhaled, as if he had been holding his breath the whole time. He took his time to get moving again, but once he did, his movements were brisk. His face was unreadable, his mind suspended in a war of differing emotions as he trekked closer to home. His wings, folded back, were pressed close to his back defensively. He wasn't exactly angry at Jiki, for although he had forcibly evicted Foxglove, he had also helped him out. No, it was more out of annoyance, or apprehension of the situation.
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Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:07 pm
"See you soon." Keelin's reply was pervaded with joy and excitement as he hung up the phone."Who was that?"Kallisto's sly tones sent shivers up the feline's back and his feet propelled him two inches off the floor. Apparently he had been so caught up in the conversation with his old friend that he had tuned everything else out. "Kallisto...""Sorry," the wolf-bear chuckled, though his amusement kept that sentiment to a minimum. "Who was that?" he repeated."That was a friend of mine, Fox. I haven't seen him in ages...""I remember you mention him once or twice. Isn't he... Nightshade's brother?" It was obvious the way he spoke the demon's name that they were not currently on good terms."Yes, that's right. They're nothing alike," Keelin chuckled. He turned to face Kallisto and for the first time realized that he had folded up the blanket and brought it inside with him. "Oh you didn't have to do that.""Yes I did," the wolf-bear contradicted. "I caught the end of your conversation. You're going to go meet up with him, aren't you?" The sly grin had returned. "I figured you were done outside. I think that's great. You should get ready to go."Keelin chuckled. "Nice try. You're coming too.""What?"They arrived at the shop almost an hour later. There were a few moments to spare, but Keelin still looked the room as they entered, trying to find a sign that Foxglove was already there. Kallisto dragged him over to the bulletin board. "See, this is the party I was telling you about. We could all go, your friend too. Today we could all get outfits for the party. Doesn't it sound like fun?""Hm, I suppose..."
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:47 pm
"Back already?" The concerned voice, tipped with slight irritation, came from down the hall as Foxglove snuck in. He tried to hide the sigh that escaped his mouth, but it was no use.
Foxglove froze for a moment, finding it slightly amusing that he thought he could sneak in undetected. Relaxing his tensed muscles, he brushed it off with a feigned smile. "I'm just dropping by to pick something up. I'll be out of your hair in just a few seconds." Turning back to enter his room, he scowled under the curtain of bright green bangs despite himself. He hated feeling this way, but he couldn't seem to do a thing to stop it.
Jiki peered in to his room, sticking to the doorway as he watched the demon pocket his wallet. He saw as the demon, standing still for a brief moment, inhaled to hold his breath and pass by the beta fox quickly without taking the slightest of glances toward Jiki. Fox was tense once more, that much was obvious to Jiki in just the way that he had carried himself past.
Following Foxglove back to the front door, he kept the distance between the two of them. As the demon opened the door, Jiki decided to speak up, "Fox!" He hesitated when Foxglove's head turned in his direction, once more refusing to make eye contact. "Just... don't get yourself hurt."
It took him a moment, but in that awkward silence, Foxglove turned to fully look at Jiki. A small smile made its way across Foxglove's face, finally realizing how concerned Jiki was. "Don't worry; nothing's going to happen to me," he replied before waving and sliding out the door.
He had a little bit of thinking time to go over what had just happened as he made his way back over to the shop. Arms crossed behind his head, he barely paid any heed to the road itself. Was he really that concerned about me? He knew I wouldn't do anything dangerous... right? He blinked, ...Has it really gotten that bad..?
He didn't really like this train of thought. With a nervous snort, he brushed these thoughts from his mind as best he could and focused on getting to the shop. It wasn't a very far walk, but when one is trying to escape from their own mind, it seemed to be much longer than it should have.
Heading back on through the front of the shop, Foxglove jostled on past the unfamiliar forms through the room as his eyes scanned past. It wasn't difficult to pinpoint Keelin at the back, and as soon as his eyes fell on the cat, he couldn't help but call out, "Keelin!" He beamed, and promptly stumbled over a random passerby's foot. Catching himself, almost as if he hadn't noticed, he waved. "Good to see you!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:20 pm
Kallisto watched his mother's resolve crumble before his eyes. It was not as if things weren't working out perfectly anyway. The pair had planned to go shopping later today. Keelin needed to catch up with his old "shopping buddy." Make that with capital letters 'S' and 'B.' So why not, right? He grinned from ear to ear. The expression froze on his face as he heard his mother's name followed by the sounds of a collision. "Ah..." he blinked. "That has to be Foxglove."
"Yes, that's him," the cat replied, suddenly in a rush to see his friend. "Fox!" He nodded in apology to Foxglove's victim as he arrived on the scene, then scooped his friend up off the floor and onto to his feet. "Are you all right?"
The wolf-bear helped the other anthro in a similar fashion, making sure he was uninjured, and more importantly that he had no ruffled feathers. It was difficult to suppress his ever-present grin as he did this. He was too amused for words, not out of any sort of condescension but because these two had missed each other so much that the world around them seemed to just disappear. It was just too adorable, and muttered as much to the stranger. "Aren't they so cute?" How could anyone be angry after seeing this?
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:30 pm
Foxglove grinned sheepishly as Keelin and Kallisto helped him off the floor, snorting a playful, "Well, how's that for a grand entrance? I'm fine, really. Thank you." He beamed, but didn't speak for a few moments. When one is away from what they love to do for so long, it can take a little while to jump back into the loop again; conversation was currently not one of his strong points. Fortunately, he was regaining his bearings with relative ease and swiftness. "It's great to see you again! I hope you've been doing well."
Glancing toward Kallisto once he lost the dizzy feeling, he gambled a statement, "So... you must be the person Keelin wanted me to meet." His eyes briefly flicked over to Keelin, just to make sure his assumption was correct before holding his hand out in greeting. "My name's Foxglove, though you probably know that. It's nice to meet you! And... thanks for helping out." Awkward first impression... but at least it wasn't a completely bad one.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:05 am
"Doing wonderfully, thank you Fox," Keelin purred his reply, pleased that Fox was physically all right. There did seem to be a sort of pallor about the demon that he had not immediately noticed in all the commotion. Was he feeling all right, or was he not getting enough sun perhaps?
Of course, he could inquire about that later, they had plenty of time. He gestured to Kallisto, beaming ear-to-ear. "Yes, this is the man I wanted you to meet." It felt a little strange calling his son a man, but at the same time it sent a thrill through his senses. The wolf-bear was indeed a strong young man whom he was immensely proud of.
It was probably the first time he had heard those words, Kallisto realized with a surprised p***k of his ears. 'Young man,' of which he was more accustomed, has just a little different meaning. Just a little. His mother was acknowledging something profound. It energized him to realize just how proud his mother was for him, and he approached Fox with an extended hand to shake, feeling a little flushed. "Hello, Fox... My name is Kallisto. I'm glad to finally meet you. Mom has told me all about you over the years."
All right, it had only been two years. But he had heard stories as long as he could remember; his entire life. Two years. For Kallisto Fox was like that favorite globe-trotting uncle children hear exciting stories about, and as a result put up on a pedestal of reverence and awe. Meeting the diminutive, brightly-colored demon did nothing to diminish the idealized image in his mind.
Son. Yes. He's my son. His smile felt like a permanent fixture on his face at the moment. It was still exciting to be able to say that he had a son, even after he had been left alone, lonely, for so long. The fact that Kallisto was adopted had no bearing whatsoever on Keelin. Kallisto was his most beloved, only son.
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Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:58 pm
Fox smiled, glad to hear that everything was going well for Keelin since they had last met. He wanted to say so as well, but couldn't seem to pick the right words to show how glad, considering he had been worried. Ahh well, actions speak louder than words, right? He sure hoped that was the case, because he didn't want to give the wrong impression in that respect.
Unintentionally, his muscles tensed halfway through his handshake with Kallisto. "M--" he stopped himself, eyes going wide for a moment before he could catch it. Mom? Wow... He really had missed a lot! Though, thinking it over, it had been quite a long while since they had last seen each other. However, he hadn't realize just how long he had been cooped up inside.
Blushing, he recovered before he let the silence drag on to an uncomfortable level. "O-Oh, I'm sure there wasn't much to tell. I'm not that interesting of a guy, I'm sure!" Modesty... he wondered, for just a moment, if that was how he always had been, or if it was a nature he had developed from the lack of being social for nearly two years.
He jumped slightly, realizing that he was being rather rude. Turning his head suddenly, he tried to locate the person he had run into moments earlier, but it was no use; the other had already disappeared. "...I can't believe that I just--" he was blushing a deeper violet now, as he turned back to Keelin and Kallisto, "...I forgot to apologize!" He let out a nervous laugh. I feel like I'm losing my mind..!
He tried to brush it off quickly; it wasn't like there was anything he could do about it now, whether he wanted to or not. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kallisto! And just for the record, I'm not always this... ahh, feather-brained." Scanning through his mind, he tried to come up with an excuse to be acting like this without having to come out with the obvious, "I think it might be because I haven't eaten in a while. How about you two? Would you like to go catch a quick bite to eat before hitting the shops?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:24 am
It was all Keelin could do to keep from hopping in place. "Yes, he's my son. Can you believe it's been two years already?" Two years is a long time to be apart from a friend. A lifetime for some. At the same time, the days and months and years had passed so quickly. How could both opposing truths possibly be the same? "Oh come now, Fox... you've never been a dull person."
"I've always wanted to meet you. I hope that doesn't sound too forward, but it's true. You've always seemed like an uncle to me." There, he said it. Kallisto did not ooze excitement quite as much as Keelin, but some of the mannerisms were there. He let go of Foxglove's hand before the gesture lingered too long. He was far too laid-back for that.
He grinned while he watched Foxglove's nervous behavior. He really was too adorable. "Apologize? Oh, him. I already apologized. I explained the situation and he seemed to understand, so please don't worry about it."
"Food sounds like a wonderful idea," Keelin grinned. There was no sense in dwelling on what was making Fox feel so awkward. Today was going to be a lot of fun. "What are you in the mood for? We can grab something on the way, or we could eat at the food court in the mall."
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:19 pm
"Two years..." he mulled the statement around in his mind, shaking his head. "Has it really been that long..?" Seemed like an eternity that he had opted to lock himself up. It felt like it was for such a trivial reason, but painful also. There was a reason, but he didn't want to think of it now. Acknowledgment of passing time only managed to scar his demeanor, so he quickly threw the thoughts out of his mind and focus again on the situation at hand.
Fox laughed at the "dull" comment, holding an arm out under his own vision. "Well, I guess in some cases, 'dull' wouldn't really be the right word, huh?" He waved a hand, dismissing his own joke to show that he was kidding.
But Kallisto's statement seemed to strike an immediate chord. "R-Really?" 'Uncle,' eh? That was unexpected, but by no means was it unwelcome. In mock anger, finished by a grin he couldn't quite repress, he grumbled, "You mean I've been an uncle for two years and didn't even know it?"
He scratched behind an ear, irritated with himself about not saying that he was sorry to the person he had run into, despite Kallisto's urge for him not to do so. Instead, he decided to apologize to Kallisto, "I'm sorry, you shouldn't have had to deal with that." As a side thought, however, he wondered how exactly the situation had been explained.
Fox thought about where they could eat, and when Keelin mentioned the mall's food court, it seemed to click. "Whatever's at the food court would probably be best. That way, we'd be able to plan where we want to go and where to hit first while we're eating. Matter of fact, it'd take the least amount of time -- give us more time to scope the stores out. Unless there was something you guys had a craving for; honestly, I'm game for anything!" Hum, that was a lot of thinking out loud.
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