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 Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:03 am
After Luis had informed her of the Shop's apparent jump from pulling passerbys into the shop to blatantly advertising to it's victims through the local media, Switch really DID have a heart-to-heart with her shop. Luckily for her no one decided to visit while she did so, as she imagined it would look mildly strange if someone found her sitting in the middle of her shop, talking to it out loud.
When she was finished talking to it, it was hard to tell if the shop understood. It was just a big building after all. All she could do was cross her fingers and hope for the best, really.
The talk was over and no sign was given, so Switch just decided to sit behind her giant oak desk that was somewhere to the left of the front entrance. A few moments of silence passed before she got incredibly bored and decided to go through the desk drawers; it was something she hadn't get done, since prior to this she mainly focused on the shop itself, despite her efforts being in vain.
All she could do was to wait for someone to come in.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:16 am
"No, I'll be there in an hour. An hour. Just fend them off for me - it's not like they're wolves, they're fuc---"
Scott's feet pattered along the sidewalk as he glanced up at the occasional sign. His cellphone sat plastered to his ear, as if it were a digital extension of the future and cyborg-hood. Of course, he was no cyborg, and the phone was most definitely not physically attached nor difficult to pull away from when the busy signal began to jitter. He felt himself quirk, his muscles tightening as he heaved a breath. The phone was eyed for the time, then tucked into his suit's pocket. Another hang-up call, but what else was new in a world that continued to move to the hustle and bustle tune of everything else? Such was the life of a lobbyist - yet even he had a life beyond his industry, and one which had taken an interesting turn.
A piece of paper rested within his mouth, placed their temporarily as he fixed his red tie. His eyes locked with the shops surrounding him until at long last he'd pulled the paper away to realize he'd found the place. Two shops down; he'd nearly passed it. Such a realization had caught him off guard. He'd nearly doubled over, dashing backwards before pressing forward and into the shop's interior with a quirked look on his face.
It was odd. He couldn't begin to fathom how such a place - one he'd never heard of - had managed to get his name, let alone why they'd specifically have generated a television advertisement for him. It was compelling, nevertheless, and his ego had been amused by the prospects. It never hurt to take a small vacation in the middle of the day. The place looked secure enough, legitimate enough.
"Hello?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:28 am
Letters, notes, doodles, a few outdated plans to fit a certain little boy with sheaths for his arms...the contents of the drawers, at least the top middle one, wasn't filled with anything remarkably interesting. Sure some of the letters were mildly amusing despite not being addressed to her or anyone else she knew of, and the doodles were entertaining due to the absolute lack of talent the artist had. But on the whole? Not remarkably interesting.
What was interesting though, was a particular notebook she had found at the bottom of the drawer. A quick flip through the book showed that the one who wrote it had scribbled down some information on living items. The blue haired woman was about to start at the beginning for a more attentive read when a man's voice cut through the deathly silent air of the shop. Switch dropped the notebook with a gasp and stood up instantly, managing to NOT hurt herself in the process.
"Oh! Um, Hello! Welcome, My name is Switch, how may I help you?" The green eyed woman said, absently straightening her green hoody and brushing some dust off of her dark jeans.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:38 am
Scott's figure had jolted at the sudden motion. The sound of the notebook dropping startled him. Rather, it had wrought him with a fragment of anxiety. Had he shown up at a bad time? Was there ever such thing as a good time? His shoes had scuffed the floor lightly before he'd crammed the piece of paper he'd been carrying into his pocket with his cell phone. A sharp breath entered him, escaping as he placed his fingers in his unruly tan hair.
"I'm sorry if I surprised you." He smiled faintly, lowering his hand to his side. His fingers flexed somewhat; his hand was extended forward after he'd taken a few steps towards the desk. "Scott Tole. My name's Scott Tole. I, ah." His brows had furrowed somewhat. "I had a few questions. There was an advertisement on tv last night. A little unorthodox there, calling people out by name. Mine's not hard to get, I'll grant you that..." He shook head head, clearing his throat as if altering his train of thought. "I just wanted to stop by... Here."
Up and down, all around. Scott's eyes had fleeted in every which direction they could, the dark brown opticals taking in the scene in passing. It was unlike anything he'd seen. Surely, it wasn't the type of shop he frequented.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:59 am
Switch laughed nervously, scratching the corner of her mouth sheepishly. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's what I get for wrapping myself in my own thoughts." Or rather, a curious book about a few of the items in this very store! She reached out with her right hand to grasp the man's, shaking with a firm but not tight grip. The woman listened to what he had to say, trying to keep the irked look from her face.
Despite the talk she'd had with the shop, it STILL acted like this?! Stupid thing.
But, damnit, how would she explain that? 'Hi, my shop's a magic brat and it wanted you here'? Yeah, no. Um. Um...think, woman! Green eyes drifted to the desk beside her, catching what was probably a phone book of sorts. ...That's it!
"Well, yes, I suppose it does seem unorthodox and I do apologize for any inconvenience it may cause." Switch said empathetically, bowing her head a tiny bit. "But it's part of this new advertising idea my associate had...choosing random names from the phone book and 'inviting' them in essence." Oh PLEASE let his name be listed in the phone book. Please, Please Please! "I'm mildly surprised that it worked though, there were so many factors against it's success!" Switch was doing her best to bullshit her way through the scenario, so far it sounded pretty good to her!
"Please, take your time." She offered, making an inviting motion into the mess of stacks.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:13 am
A rush of air escaped through his nose at the explanation for the matter. Scott retracted his hand, setting it neatly within his pocket. His hand grasped his cell phone as he lifted it, holding it up. His brows raised high, a broad grin passing over his face.
"I don't have a house line, only a cell phone. They don't list those." He wiggled the phone slight, setting it back into its safe haven. "Haven't had a house line in months. Never could pay that bill on time - but you know how those phone companies are." Oh, how he knew how those phone companies were. Of course, what if the phone book were old? It was probable. "Old phone book, I take it? Might want to update that or you'll be wasting money on dead potential clients. Interesting campaign, I'll give you associate that. Never thought of personalizing advertisements. That could be revolutionary!"
He had laughed himself, nodding his head at the invitation to look around. A glance had been given to his watch. Plenty of time. Which seemed plentiful. He'd won the name lottery for his own private campaign! That simply made it a greater intrigue. "How old's this place?" He'd leaned over, taking a few steps away to peer at the items which were set out. They were dusty and old antiquine junk to him - articles of any Salvation Army that may have flooded the world. Old toys, old books, old, old, old - new and worn, new and not worn. It was an array of ... Of many things.
He'd leaned a bit further, staggering forward once losing his balance. It was then that something caught his attention towards the back of the store. Something he had only seen in books. A projector? A classic, original projector? And was that a canister? Film? His face had grown long, his jaw hanging slack as he pulled his hand from his pocket, stepping towards the two items curiously.
"No way one of these is out for sale. These are. Do you know how old these are? These are legends. Legends! How old is this projector?" He'd touched the film canister, picking it up as if expecting to see a title on it. Memories of things he'd never done. How horrible, yet how delightful at the same time. "Jesus. These are worth your lungs and your kidneys."
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:27 am
...Damnit, he didn't have a landline! Switch only smiled and nodded about the phone bill, trying her best to think up an excuse then, since that one didn't work. In the end, he ended up answering himself...and it was genius! "Yeah, old phone book...old like almost everything in this place. I'll have to update the phone book eventually, I guess I just wanted to see if it worked." Whew, that sounded good enough to her! Green eyes watched Scott head into the stacks. For a moment or two she pondered following, but ended up sitting back down and picking up the book she had previously dropped.
"I'm not exactly sure how old it is...the owner before me just left me a note and disappeared. I do know that it's at least three generations old, so I'm going to ball park it at around 150 years?" Switch sounded thoughtful, leaning her elbow against the desk and her chin in her palm. The book was put back into the desk for now; it would be rude to read while a customer was here. Her free hand was tracing some of the designs on the ledge of the desk when Scott seemed to be honestly amazed by a couple of the items within the shop.
"Really? Wow, I didn't have any idea, honestly!" She really was surprised, and even got to her feet in order to go investigate which items he was talking about. "I don't know how old it is, I haven't been able to get to look at all the items in the shop yet..." Her head canted, staring at the two items then to Scott out of the corner of her eye. That feeling was there.
Ah, this wasn't going to be about price...this poor man. Not one, but two.
"Well, lucky for you they're free if you want them."
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:38 am
It appeared unprofessional for anyone to simply leave a note and disappear. Such an odd business practice running small shops seemed to be. "They just left you a note and split? Not too dedicated, I take it?" He hummed, leaning over a bit more to look at the back of the projector. Things were racing through his mind. Did it run? What was on the film - was anything on the film? Was there anything in the canister at all? He'd peeked momentarily, fumbling with it at Switch's declaration.
The lid clattered against the ground near his feet as his head turned to peer over his shoulder. "You're serious?" He'd looked her up and down, his brown eyes squinting skeptically. "Free? No way. There's got to be some catch to it. Some..." He'd bitten down on his lip, kneeling to pick up the canister to cover the film inside of it. "These are as old as the film industry, ma'am. For free?" He was flabbergasted. Every portion of him wanted to take it, yet there had to be a catch. Something.
Nothing was ever free.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:56 am
"She was very dedicated to the shop...that's what mildly frightens me. She knew I was going to be in that morning and just...left it all to me. Very out of character for her, I assure you." As upset as she had been to suddenly have all this responsibility, she was mildly suspicious over the events that must have transpired for Marilyn to just up and leave with Faline and Erich.
Switch calmly watched Scott's surprise and skepticism, smiling honestly with a small shake of her head. "They are old, and yes for Free...but you're right, there is one catch." Still smiling, she held up her right hand, her index finger pointed matter-of-factly. There was something odd about the shop; she knew what this man was getting roped into and she knew what the shop was up to in general, but there was some force forbidding her from telling the poor victim the absolute truth until after the child had materialized.
"I have a no returns or exchanges policy, no matter the circumstances." She said matter-of-factly, smiling at the poor guy. Not one, but two! Poor man...and such priceless items, too. It reminded her of poor Oliver and his priceless novel that turned into poor Gregory. "Oh, make that two catches." She amended, since she was recalling Oliver...and Greloren. "You have to treat them with respect, no matter the circumstances."
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:12 pm
Scott had stared in disbelief at the woman before him. His jaw hung slack, shifting slightly as he thought a moment longer. The circumstances were simple enough. There were no loop holes in regards to an exchange or return policy, and somehow he sincerely doubted he would be indulging in such things anyway. They were, after all, not things intended for practical use though curiousity ate away at his mind to test the functionality. Even if they didn't work, simply having them seemed appealing. The love of technology and film was a pure selling point. The deal was a steal.
"Deal!" Scott's lips had quirked into a broad smile. "That's reasonable enough, no reason to negotiate on that." He'd straightened his back, his fingers shifting into his hair. It was like winning the lottery - and he deserved it as far as he was concerned. As hard as he worked? Of course he deserved it.
"Thank you ... Switch, you said?" His eyes had wandered towards the shop's entrance way. He'd parked his car clear down the road. That was going to be one hell of a hike unless he drove it down, and hopefully they would fit. He'd find a way.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:24 pm
"It's a deal, then." Poor, Poor Scott. Nobody deserved what he was about to get into. Twins and now useless but once priceless items. She could only smile at him.
"Yes, that's right. You're welcome." She said pleasantly, confirming that he had in fact gotten her name right. Green eyes drifted from the man and his two items to the door way, following his gaze. Ah, he must've been wondering how to get them home. "Did you drive or walk? If you have a car I can help you load them in." She offered graciously, her bright eyes slowly sliding back to the taller man.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:31 pm
"Read my mind." Scott's smile had grown broader. He'd nodded his head, a rush of air escaping his nose. "I just parked down the street is all. Uhm..." He'd licked his lip, taking a few steps forward towards the door. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes, yeah? And really, thank you again."
Keeping calm was difficult. He felt like a pent up volcano on the verge of eruption, and as he passed through the door to head back towards his car he couldn't resist happy dancing over the cracks. He was a small child again, not even bothered by the fact that he was going to be terribly late for his meeting. His boss would understand - and if he didn't, Scott didn't care. When he'd sat in his driver's seat and pulled out of the parallel spot he'd taken to drive up to the shop, the only thing on his mind was truthfully the now and the self-satisfaction of knowing that luck was a lady.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:01 pm
"I'll keep an eye on them, make sure they won't go anywhere." Switch said with a giggle, grinning in amusement as he headed to the door. Once she was sure he was out of range she turned to the two items, looking from one to the other.
"You two be nice to him, he doesn't expect either of you so don't hold it against him if he acts strange." She told the items, honestly unaware of they could even hear her, or understand what was being said to them. "But I'll always be here if you need me, just in case." It just made her feel better to do this, only because Scott seemed so very interested in these two items. She lightly brushed her hand across both items, then looked over her shoulder when she heard a car out front of the shop; ah, that must have been him.
Switch headed to the door and propped it open to make the transport of the Projector at least much easier. "Want some blankets to put down to protect them and your car?" She had plenty of blankets here.
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:22 pm
Scott had never driven a nice car. The need for it had never been there, and the old beat up thing was enough for him. His first car, still in-tact, still functioning in tune, and ever the same. There was something great about that, and as Scott opened the door and stepped out, he couldn't help patting it lightly. He'd looked up in time to see Switch propping the door open.
"Blankets?" He'd thought for a moment, his head lolling somewhat. "Yeah, that's a good idea. I think they'd be alright, but it's better safe than sorry."
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:35 pm
Yes, better to be safe than sorry. Wouldn't want to hurt the little ones. With a smile and a nod she wandered towards her desk, more specifically a box that was near the desk. This particular box was already raided by the cute little Ryan, but there were still a few blankets in there. She handed one the blankets over to Scott so he could lay it down in his car first, another couple blankets over her shoulder, and set to very carefully wiping some of the dust off of the projector itself.
When Scott returned Switch moved to stand on one side of the projector, holding what seemed to be a secure spot. "Ready?" Naturally she waited for him to get himself situated, then helped the poor man get the projector into his car.
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