Tsenre Tue Apr 20, 2010 2:07 pm
Assorted knick-knacks, gee-gaws, and the occasional doo-hickey filled the shelves on the walls of Lauren's Junk Emporium. A rack of clothing specially tailored to be two sizes too large on whoever wore them was placed in the center of the store, with the hope that someone might attempt to buy them if they were in the way. A look inside told the customer that this one their one stop shop for trinkets, baubles, novelties, and other items that serve no discernible purpose.
Lauren herself was occupied at the counter, attempting to polish the wood to a shine. The best she could manage was a sort of murky luster. She sighed to herself, and slumped down with her elbows on the counter, staring at the clothing rack. She didn't really want to run a thrift store, but her father wouldn't hear anything of it. She remembered the faithful night where she confessed that what she really wanted to do was fashion design, and the old man had nearly exploded. He yelled on and on about how running a thrift store was a good, honest trade and threw away her designs and art books. She sighed again, absentmindedly sketching a design for a dress with her fingers on the counter. A jingling from the door near the front of her store told her she had company. She pulled herself up and put on a glassy smile. "Welcome to Lauren's Ju-"
Lauren got a full view of what just walked into her store. An old man wearing a pointy hat, a tattered robe, and clothing that appeared to have been washed in a chimney was staring at the junk on her walls. His pockets, one of which was torn open, were bulging with things she decided she was better off not knowing about. The man had a face only a mother could grudingly admit to liking, a posture that would've shamed a hunchback, and an expression that implied he was a child that just walked into a candy store.
"Woo-ee badger, would you look at that!" Tsenre muttered, staring at a sphere of glass.
"It be a crystal ball, fer seein' into ye future!"
"Master, I think that's just a glass ball."
"Nonsense badger, it be magic! I can be sensin' it in my bones!"
Badger felt it best not to comment about the old man's bones. "We're here for clothing, remember master?"
Lauren, realizing that unless the man was an extremely good ventriloquist in addition to being insane, must've been talking to someone. She looked down.
Beside the man was a badger. It was small, furry, black with streaks of white, and most definitely a badger. However, it was talking, and badgers didn't talk. She thought it safest to ignore this for the time being.
"Er, welcome to Lauren's Junk Emporium! We have a wide variety of trinkets and baubles for the enterprising adventurer, and..." Lauren realized she was talking to herself. The old man seemed completely absorbed in analyzing the contents of her shelves, while the badger continued to follow him around. She slumped a bit, and watched them.
"Look at that! A magical potion!"
"Master, that's a candle."
Tsenre tilted the vial upside down, and frowned when the contents failed to spill out. He rallied and broke into a grin. "Aye, a magical candle!"
"Master, there's clothes in the center. We can likely trade those daggers for something you can wear."
Tserne placed the candle back on the shelf and shuffled over to the clothing rack.
"Now these be clothing fit for a mage like meself!" Tserne yelled, pulling out a rather large and dark blue nightgown adorned with yellow stars.
"Master, perhaps some plain clothing would be best. There appear to be a number of work shirts in the rack."
"Badger, how I be showin' off me grandoor in a work shirt? This here's a wizard's robe, and I bet ye it be magical to boot!" Tsenre pulled the nightgown on over the rest of his clothing. He looked like someone's grandma, but no one would admit to having a grandma with a face like that.
Tsenre turned suddenly and acknowledged Lauren for the first time. "Lass! How for ye robes?" he bellowed, once again obliterating the concept of speaking quietly indoors.
Lauren jumped, startled by both the sudden attention and the yelling of the old man.
"Er, that's priced at two silver, sir." Lauren eyed the door nervously. She regretted having only a single exit in her store.
"I be havin' better than silver, lass!" Tsenre reached into his pocket and pulled out two daggers. Lauren shrieked and ducked under the counter.
Badger scurried over and climbed up on the counter. "It's okay, miss! We're not trying to rob you! He just wants to trade in the daggers!"
Lauren hunched down lower behind the counter and covered her eyes. First the kooky old man pulled a pair of blades on her, and now a badger was telling her that it was okay. "Just take the nightgown! I don't want any trouble!" she moaned.
Tsenre scratched his head, careful not to knock his hat off. "What she be goin' on about badger?"
"She thinks we're trying to rob her, master."
"Wot? I be payin' wit daggers is all."
"Yes, master, sometimes that can be percieved as a threat."
"This be silly!" Tsenre bent over the counter and waved a dagger at Lauren. "Lass, we not be tryin' to rob ye! Oh, do ye have any needle and thread by chance?"
"Yes! Yes! Second shelf to your left! Just go!" she cried.
"Aye? Well I think that and the robe be worth a dagger." Tsenre tossed a blade onto the counter, shuffled over to the sewing supplies and stashed a few spools of thread along with a sewing needle in the pocket of his gown.
"We be off, badger! Our work be done here."
Lauren waited for the bells on her front door to stop jingling, then slowly rose from her counter. She picked up the dagger, examined it, then stashed it underneath her counter. Walking slowly to the door, she flipped the "open/closed" sign hanging in the window and turned the lock.
(( Tsenre has a fancy new blue night gown adorned with yellow stars! He also has some needle and thread, but traded his dagger for it and the gown. Badger is still with him. ))
Last edited by Tsenre on Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:41 pm; edited 5 times in total
