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 Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2023 2:55 pm
Stepping into the store, Malory briefly enjoyed the mingling scents of an autumn afternoon and those of the antique store: greatly aged and gently tended wood, glass, and paper. Carefully closing the door behind him, he looked around the floor to see what had changed since his last trip over. Typically Malory's visits over the years had been for his parents, perpetually overseas and forever in search of the perfect piece for this set piece and that project. Sometimes he'd pick up something for himself, old books and the sort of used journals typically picked up at estate sales. But they were always a side-purpose. Today, rarity of rarity, Malory was here with a real purpose, that only slightly involved his parents. Well, their warehouse at least. Humming to himself, Malory took his time to playfully trace along the soft scrollwork and gilded edges as he moved, both familiar yet mindful in his actions. He'd been long trained to not hurt the furniture. Turning his head something lovely caught his eye, and he turned to realize... "Oh, hello there." It was, of course, himself. Leaning down a bit, he peered into a small bronze mirror, completely unusable for Dark Mirror things in every way. And yet. Well, he should really go find Mr. Draven or whoever he had at the counter today. Malory turned his head and considered his reflection once again, enjoying the natural filter of it and the way it was similar yet counter to modern day image software. At any moment, he would undoubtedly stop looking at himself and start looking for a staff member.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2023 8:09 am
“Young Mr. Medraut,” Jett greeted. He’d seen Malory come in but hadn’t wanted to call across the store to welcome him; he wasn’t tacky.
He’d been doing a bit of bookkeeping while in the area, and luck must have been on his side because he’d decided to visit just ten minutes before learning that the shop needed someone to cover it for the next hour. He had a mostly clear schedule, so he didn’t mind. Even with other buildings and greater tasks to look after, he’d have still dropped in just to visit. This place had started everything for him, it was important.
Being behind the counter was nostalgic. It felt like home, here.
The stock might have gone in and out, but he still knew it like the back of his hand. From this angle, the bronze mirror was practically invisible to him, but it was too easy to assume Malory had gotten distracted by it.
He was standing behind the desk already but looked up from his phone and the email he’d just sent.
“Find something you like?”
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2023 12:40 pm
Straightening up with a small laugh, Malory sauntered up to the counter and leaned over on his elbows to peer up at Jett with a grin. "I always see something I like when you're here, Mr. Draven." Time hadn't solved Mal's habitual flirting, but at least the years made it less awkward than hearing lines from a high schooler. "Buuuut," he walked his fingers along the counter, "I am looking for something specific this time. And quite a few of those somethings, really. There were some accidents at home and at my parents' warehouse," Malory explained, expression turning a little helpless. "I'm going to need a lot of mirrors. Only full length will do, little to no foxing would be preferred."
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:50 am
Jett was not unused to Malory’s antics, though it was impressive that he had never grown out of them over the years. Jett supposed he was still young; he'd grown quite a bit himself since he was that age. Though, he really wasn't old enough to be reminiscing about such things, especially not when there was business to be done.
“Oh? That’s too bad, I’ve got quite a set of them. Foxed mirrors are very high in demand, I expect they’ll go for quite a bit at auction. But, I was hoping not to have to move them back and forth.” He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
“How many are you looking for? Antique mirrors aren’t always easy to come by in the condition that you’re asking. Replica mirrors, I’ve got plenty of those. I doubt most people could tell the difference between them and the real antiques.”
Malory might be able to, but it depended on how picky he wanted to be right now.
“I had to have quite a few shipped in, given…”
He shrugged. Destiny City had its oddities, and business was doing quite well after the mirrors had their little tantrum. Everyone had to replace them. So what if he happened to have a supplier on demand to suit his own needs? Of course he was going to capitalize on it.
“Would you be interested in seeing any of those or did you have something else in mind?”
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Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 9:49 pm
Considering for a moment, Malory nodded, "A few foxed ones could help fill my parents' warehouse back. They love that sort of thing. But my ah... personal project needs them to be clear." He ran a hand through his hair and managed not to sigh over its current length, " Those ones should be authentic, you know how they are. But replica's are fine with me, I just want them to look nice." And here was a good part of the reason his parents had never tried to get him to join their business. In the war between aesthetic and accuracy, aesthetic always won, followed closely by comfort. "Plus I'll likely need to weatherproof them, and I'd rather not ruin genuine antiques for this." Winter was coming, after all. In fact, he should probably see about treating the mirrors that had remained intact. Ugh, being a good and hardworking little mirror boy just kept creating more work. This was why he'd spent his whole life avoiding the first hint of usefulness. Taking in Jett's expression, the shrug that didn't seem at all annoyed by the business all those broken mirrors must have brought in, Malory felt it'd be fine to lay out the full numbers. "A dozen genuine articles and...about fifty replicas? Full-sized only, the taller the better," he said again for emphasis. "It's important for the project."
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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2023 4:17 pm
A few foxed were easy, and Jett was confident that he could pick a fine enough selection to appease Malory’s parents. They came with a bit of a hefty price tag but Jett doubted that would be an issue. He might have had more to say on the matter if Malory’s words hadn’t shifted his attention a bit.
Jett was a curious creature by nature, just as much in his personal life as his business life, even if he knew where to politely draw the line in both.
Mirrors, though. The line was a bit less defined when fifty mirrors that needed to be weatherproofed were brought into the picture.
“Hm,” he said, and made no effort to hide his curiosity. “Fifty. That’s a big number, even for you. What are you going to do with that many mirrors outside?”
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:23 pm
"Oh, hide them." Malory explained breezily before freezing for the barest of moments and going on, "As a little prank of sorts." He wiggled his fingers and smiled in a way that made his cheek dimple up, all mischievous innocence. "People strolling through the park, and seeing something move in the corner of their air," the boy narrated with hushed excitement. "They look closer and...nothing's there! But as they turn to go, something moves again! It'll be especially fun in the graveyards, don't you think?" Fifty mirrors is, perhaps, a bit much for a prank, Malory thought, internally giving a flustered little flail. But the best lies were the ones couched in truth after all! But his confidence was a little shaky in the face of Jett who, with his keen and assessing gaze, never struck him as very easy to fool.
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2023 7:07 pm
Part of Malory’s answer seemed sincere. The other part seemed too rushed to be a real answer. If Malory wasn’t being dishonest, he was at least being suspicious.
Of course, fifty mirrors for a prank was a bit overkill.
“That’s a lot of labor, you must be very committed.”
Full sized mirrors? He could play a prank with smaller, less expensive mirrors, no doubt. And no foxing? What would that matter for a prank? It didn’t add up. And–what was he going to do, hide in the bushes and giggle while people got spooked? No, he’d have a better reaction if he just hid in the bushes and jumped out, himself.
Funhouse mirrors might be better off for a prank. Cheaper, too. Silver plastic would last longer than a real mirror.
“Are you the one who’s been hiding mirrors in strange places around town?”
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2023 10:57 pm
"Well I do love my job," Malory nodded without thinking and with the habit of insisting his virtues to the Dark Mirror. "I'm very hard working." A pause and then, "At pranks." Another vapid grin. The not quite accusation had him drumming his fingers lightly along the counter. He'd noticed them? "Yeesss?" He drew out the question, increasingly uncertain and not quite able to get back into the headspace of acting the part. "I mean, maybe some other people are too?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2023 6:34 pm
The more Malory spoke, the more Jett was convinced that he was hiding things. He kept an easy expression and could have effortlessly pulled off ‘just curious’ if he’d wanted, but he had no intention of giving Malory enough time to come up with something that might pass as a believable lie.
“Maybe some other people?” he prompted, raising one brow. “If you’re hiding mirrors, I think you’d be aware if someone other than you leaving them around. It seems like an oddly specific prank.” He hummed thoughtfully and leaned back a bit as if to size Malory up.
Jett hid mirrors. Hid them all the time. He didn’t have to ask someone to provide them to him so he didn’t have to have awkward conversations with anyone like this.
He crossed his arms over his chest and squinted.
“Do your parents know about this?”
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