039. Video/Action

[foolishwren]

_{[You know how most workplaces have those ridiculous, seemingly-arbitrary rules concerning things like cell phones and mp3 players that make sense in theory but really don't in practice? Well... turns out Johto's no different.]}

[The feed flickers on and off a few times so anyone who's looking at Heather's channel is being treated to a sort of trippy view of the ceiling of one of the many floors in the Goldenrod Department Store, jiggling around as though the 'Gear is the subject of a tug-of-war.]

[And uh... judging by the voices that are conversing in heated tones somewhere off-screen, it is.]


I'm telling you for the last time, Temp! NOOOOO PokeGear use during your shift!


It's my break! I'm not even DOING anything right now!


DON'T you backsass me, young lady! I know your type! Traveling trainers who want to make a quick buck-- you're all the SAME!


Wh-- jeez, calm down! I'm not like-- trying to question your authority or something!! Take a chill pill!


YOU ARE OUT OF LINE!


The guys on the fifth floor said they could use their 'Gears during break!


WELL. This isn't the fifth floor, IS it?!

_{[There's a pause, and then a low, almost inaudible mutter on Heather's part of:]}

Oppressive tyrant....

_{[... But apparently it wasn't inaudible enough.]}

BACK IN MY DAY WE HAD TO TIE OUR MESSAGES TO PIDGEYS AND HOPE TO DEAR ARCEUS THAT THEY DIDN'T GET EATEN BY ARBOKS ON THE WAY THERE!!


E-eep!


I HAD TO WALK TWENTY MILES TO WORK EVERY DAY IN BLINDING SNOWSTO--

<sub>[The feed clicks off.]





[A very resentful-looking Heather slumped in her seat at the cash register, smoldering darkly and glaring at the file cabinet in the staff-room where her PokeGear had been dumped, locked, and left. The words 'AND YOU CAN HAVE IT AT THE END OF THE DAY IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!' were still ringing in her ears.]</sub>

[Jutting her chin out resentfully, she planted it on one palm with her scrawny elbow on the counter, plucking uncomfortably at the fairly-silly-looking Department Store clerk's uniform she had to wear. Yes, there was even a cutesy little hat and a popped collar.]


God, it's like high school all over again....






_{[ooc: Video replies will be answered later in the day when Heather gets off of work and has her PokeGear returned to her!]}

Comments

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She looked up at the ball. ... And then back at him. ... And then up at the ball again. And then, wordlessly, she pointed a spindly claw down at the bottom shelf.]

[SHE'S BEGINNING TO SENSE A LITTLE BULLSHIT HERE.]

[WILL KAITO INSIST ON THE TOP SHELF ONE, Y/N]</sub>

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[IT'S OKAY HE'S A GOOD ACTOR.

HE WILL INSIST with a very innocent and pained looking expression on his face]

No, I can't take that one. It has to be that pokeball. That specific one.

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[>8T;; KID ARE YOU FOR SERIOUS]

[She mutters something about how children were so spoiled these days, before reaching out and dragging a smallish stepladder practically out from under the feet of another employee, without even looking. Then she steps up onto it-- and her freakishly long arms are enough to do the rest.]

[She plucks the Great Ball from the box with deft accuracy before looking back down to Kaito and holding it up for clarification.]</sub>

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[he reeeeeaches up for it to take it from her an inspect it.

And then he frowns]

No, not this one. Try the one on the right! [and he hands it back to her :>;;]

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Not a single hair on the old woman's body so much as changes position, yet somehow there is just... a slight snap in her every fiber of being. Like a hairline crack in a pane of glass. And her expression is this: >8I]

[Slowly she takes the ball back, then reaches up and plucks out another one.]</sub>

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[Kaito's expression is this: >: I am naught but an innocent and slightly OCD customer, and the custmoer is aaaalways right.

He takes that one from her and inspects it as well, before shaking his head]

No, it's too small! Maybe that box, the one behind the one next to the one you just took?

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yes. Yes, the customer was always right. This was something that any good department store employee lived by, and she'd been here for a loooong time.]

[So, lips growing thin, she reached up and started to tug the second box around, with some difficulty.]</sub>

Just what do you NEED this ball for?

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

A very special Pokemon! It's gotta be the right size and weight and everything-- no, not that one, it's a little further back!

[TROOOOOOOLL]

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[She was starting to fume. Just a little. Mouth turning ever more into a straight line, she stretched her arm up and started to reach for another box.]}

I've never heard of Pokemon needing a particular size of Great Ball before....

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

It's a very special Pokemon. [firm nod, but he's snickering. On the inside]

[action]

[foolishwren]

What Pokemon IS it?

<sub>[It wasn't questioning the customer's rightness if she just wanted to know what it was, right?]

[She tugged yet another box out and looked down at him bitterly for approval.]</sub>

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

Oi! That's private!

[scrutinizing the Great Ball now] No! Still wrong!

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[>8( HRRRGNGHGHGGNNNN.]

[Shoving the box irritably back onto the shelf, she croaked out in her terrifying old woman's voice.]</sub>

There are a LOT of balls on that bottom shelf. Why don't you make sure there are none the size you need in there before making me pull down every box up here?

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[slightly whiny]

I've already looked at those. I just couldn't look at the ones on the top shelf! Could you pleeeease check the one on the right? Please?

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Oh Kaito. You're lucky you're so charming!]

[Sucking her lips inwards resentfully, she reached up and, with a spindly hand, checked the one on the right. >8T;;;;;;]</sub>

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

The one behind it!

[he is cute, this is why :>]

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[His adorability carries him far~]}

This is highly irregular...

_{[She growled as she reached for the next ball.]}

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

I'm sorry, I must be a pain, but it's really important...

[and then, just as she's reaching, he ducks down to scoop a Great Ball off of the bottom shelf. He studies it for a moment, before his expression lights up]

I found it!

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She FREEZES-- her fingers CLENCHING dangerously, just inches away from the ball she was reaching for, at the very back of the box. >8I;;;;]

[Must... retain... calm...]</sub>


... Will that be all, sonny?

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[pause, and he opens his mouth, as if he's almost about to say yes--

-- but then he doesn't]

I need a Super Potion, too!

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[............ D8< ..........]}

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[innocence]

Could you help me?

[action]

[foolishwren]

_{[Have the dryest, most intense glare ever to pierce someone's soul in the history of ever.]}


.... Second aisle to the right.

_{[PLEASE GO AWAY SMALL CHILD.]}

[action]

[bakaitoukid]

[COMPLETELY INNOCENT]

But it's on the top shelf again.

[action]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She was going to have some kind of psychological breakdown before this day was over.]

[Pursing her lips (doing so made her face look kind of like an anemic raisin. ... That had hair on it), she started to climb down from the stepladder.]

[Thecustomerisalwaysrightthecustomerisalwaysright....]</sub>