Participants:
Scene Title | Staying the Same |
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Synopsis | The more things change, the more they stay the same. Following the end of her employment at one bookstore, Robyn Quinn finds a job at another. |
Date | August 26, 2010 |
Roosevelt Island was becoming a place Robyn Quinn could see herself frequenting more and more in the near future. Now that she knew Else lived on the island, she was hoping she’d become rather familiar with the small island. But there was another reason she was hoping to become familiar with the island, and she’s staring up at it with silence, her head tilted as she considers and hesitates. She’s been to Ichihara only once, but the place made a bit of an impression on her. As had it’s owner. Dressed in a burgundy shirt that reads “pro delgado” and a long blue skirt, she closes her eyes.
That’s why she’s here now, with the intentions in the back of her mind. Sure, she could do some book shopping, and why go back to Barnes & Noble without a discount, when this place seems so much neater? Taking a deep breath, she steps in and looks around. “Hello?” she calls out, not bothering to look for the proprietor before doing so. Hopefully, this afternoon would go well. She could use a win right now.
Lydia had sent Kaylee out on an errand after Delia had left to make her deliveries, effectively leaving herself alone to watch the store, continue organizing, appease Gabriel's every whim — which has recently turned into an appetite for human flesh, or, at least, his need to use the staff as human scratching posts.
She leans against the counter while tickling his stomach. "I've never really had a pet. So. We need to figure this out together~" she sings to him. "I promise the kittens won't be here long — we will find them good homes and you will be king of this — " midsentence, Lydia glances up from the white cat to peek at the door. Instantly her cheeks flush a pale pink. "Hello. Welcome back — " her face flushes even brighter as she retracts her hand a bit too quickly, causing it to be scratched with a fierce single claw. Her second hand is pressed over the new wound as she clucks her tongue in mild disapproval.
Quinn giggles as she takes a bit more a step in, shaking her head. “No need t’ stop on my account,” she replies warmly, adjusting the strap to the messenger bag slung around her shoulder. “I’ve never had a cat. It’s cute t’ see them play, though.” She blinks when she notices the hand over Lydia’s finger, tilting her head. “Need a band-aid? I probably have one in here, somewhere…” She’s a bit too nervous, so she’s noting to walk straight up and ask. Instead, she’s going to busy herself looking around shelves for a book. “You ahve a pretty voice, by the by.” Oookay, maybe that was kind weird to say? Quinn laughs nervously, turning back around with something held out. She’s found a band-aid!
Cheeks flush further at the comments. "I've never really had a pet. Gabriel is my first." Although a gypsy lady with a cat isn't out of the question, moving all of the time wasn't conducive to having a pet of any kind. She glances at her cut hand and nods at the idea of a bandaid, "That would be appreciated, actually. I probably have something in here somewhere, but…" getting her bearings has been a challenge, an odd irony considering she used to be so organized at keeping everything together to move all of the time. After being packed for so long it's more difficult. Lydia accepts the bandaid and gently rips it open to put around her finger.
"If you're looking for a cat, one of the alley cats recently had kittens and we'll be looking to give them good homes — " she shoots Quinn a tight smile.
Quinn quirks an eyebrow, head tilting. “Ooooh, really?’ Her eyes widen and light up, and she looks clearly excited by this prospect. “I’d love t’ adopt one, maybe. Like I said, I’ve never had a pet. It’d be nice t’ have one around my flat.” She grins at Lydia, leaning down a bit on the counter. “Yeah, I think I like the sound a’ this. I can ask around the buildin’, see if anyone else wants a cat, if you’re lookin’ t’ get rid of all a’ them.”
There’s a pause, and her head tilts, looking at Lydia with a bit more of a nervous smile. “So, I came by because I had a question for y’, if you don’t mind.” She stands back straight again, clearing her throat. “You said you just kinda like… got this place, right? From a previous owner?” She reaches up, scratching the back of her head. “Do you, um… need any help around here?” Which is her poor way of asking for a job.
"That would be… helpful — we do need to find them all homes; I'm certain Gabriel wouldn't appreciate being overrun." She pauses before adding, "And I don't want to be the cat lady. Thank you." Lydia smiles a little easier now that she's more focused.
She listens contemplatively to the words and hmmms. Everything about Lydia indicates consideration. Her brow furrows, her forehead wrinkles in concentration, and her fingers drum on the table absently in silence. "I did just come into this place. But I have hired two other young ladies already — " Again she hmms. Not entirely sold on another hire, but not discounting it either. Curiously her lips quirk into another tight smile. "Why would you want to work here?"
“Alright! I’ll spread the word, then. A lotta the building already has dogs, but I’m sure I can find someone who’d be willin’ t’ take in a kitty.” She laughs, lasting only momentarily before her looks nervous again, sighing and scratching the back of her neck. “I think, the last time I was here, I told you I worked at book store? Not, um, anymore. My old boss didn’t take too well t’ me being tired at 7am because I work some night too, among other- I promise not job performance related things.”
She leans forward again, shrugging. “I like workin’ around books. I’ve done it for several years now. I’m mostly a music person, but I like t’ read too. This seems like a nice shop, an’ you seem like a nice woman, too.” She leans back, looking back toward the books. “But if you’ve already hired people, it’s no worry. I.. can line up somethin’ else, I’m more than certain.”
Concern comes over the blonde's features as she straightens away from the counter, her hands lay flat on it as she pushes herself up. The hands are then slid towards her slowly, fingers lace together to rest just in front of her. With another hmmm, she contemplates. "Where else do you work?" There's a pause before she observes, "We don't open until ten… and I'd been thinking about opening on weekends…"
Despite her recent cat scratch, her hands unfold, and she reaches towards Gabriel again to scratch just behind his ears, causing him to purr rather loudly.
Quinn had been ready to forget about it, having turned back to the shelves and stacks of books, looking for one that catches her interest, one she can take back home and read. But when Lydia poses her question, she blinks and turns back around, a surprised look on her face. “Oh. Well, I work at a club in the lower east side. As a DJ. It’s a fun job, but it’s only a few nights a week, an’ only for a few hours now thanks t’ curfew. But it can be pretty tirin’, you know? Bein’ up in booth, so hot, so many people. Fun as ‘ell though.”
The purr momentarily draws her attention away from Lydia, a smile offered over to “Gabriel”. “His names Gabriel? Like the angel? I do think that’s a nice name. Just not somethin’ I would have thought t’ call a cat. I think it works, though. Is he a good cat?”
"It sounds like a good job. But I can imagine curfew would cut into your hours." Lydia hmmms again before nodding. "Alright. I could still use the help — I'm afraid my talents are better served fortune telling and tattooing at this point." Her smile tightens again. "This means, however, you and your cohorts need to be experts at finding books and knowing what we have." Her eyebrows punctuate this as they simultaneously raise together.
"Gabriel is an archangel when he wishes or a perfect brat when it suits him." Her eyes flit down to the cat as she presses her lips together. "I believe he's training me to be an adequate owner. At the very least he gets much attention."
Quinn laughs at the last comment, shaking her head. “My mother always told me we didn’t get a cat because you don’t own a cat, it owns you.” Another shrug, and she begins to rock back and forth on her heels, beaming at Lydia. “I memorised the layout of a two story Barnes & Noble. Get me started, an’ I can handle the rest, I promise.”
Lydia nods before extending a hand to the other woman, almost like a handshake, but when Quinn accepts it, it'll be more of a squeeze. "Alright then. You are hired." Her lips curve upwards again. "Welcome," while she'd said this earlier, this welcome carries with it more weight.
Quinn blinks, looking surprised again. “J-Just like that?” Her smile widens, an incredibly grateful look on her face. “Fantastic!” she exclaims, still rocking back and forth on her heels. The handshake – squeeze – is accepted. “Thank you, so much. I’m glad t’ be here…” she pauses, tilting her head. If the woman had told her her name, she’s totally forgotten, and that’s rather embarrassing.
"Lydia. My name is Lydia." And it's entirely possible the painted lady never actually introduced herself. And then as a kind of afterthought because it's important to people outside of Carnivals, and particularly to business owners, "Taylor. Lydia Taylor."
“Lydia!” Quinn repeats enthusiastically, nodding repeatedly. “Robyn Quinn. A pleasure t’ meet you.” She grins, withdrawing her hand after a moment. Hands move to her waist, the Irishwoman turns back around and looks back at the bookstore. A contented sigh escapes her lips. “I honestly did come by t’ buy a book. I guess it kinda worked out for the best!” She turns back, showing a smile. “Thank you again, Lydia.” A pause. “Now, what kind of cats were it you have?”
"Good to meet you Robyn," Lydia says smoothly as her hand is returned to her side, relaxed while she gazes across the counter at the other woman. "Well, they are quite young yet and not ready to leave their mother, but, they're in the back. How about I show you?" quiet steps pad out from around the counter towards the back room where the kittens are being kept. With a small nod of her head she leads the way towards the small back room that has once again been converted from a tattoo space into a new home for the kittens.
“Oh, okay. Well, at least I’ll be able t’ keep easy tabs on them until they’re ready t’ go home,” she remarks, beaming as she follows after Lydia, hands falling back limply to her side. As they reach the back room, she looks around curiously, taking note of the equipment and the general look of the room. “Huh. What do you do back here? When not keeping absolutely adorable kittens?” Sketchbooks, a bed like thing, equipment… “Wait. Do you do tattoos too?”
"I had set it up to do tattoos. I'm just an apprentice, but one day, maybe, I will be proficient." Lydia shrugs with a small nod as she lifts one of the sketchbooks from a shelf. "I need to practice sketching more often." Her lips twitch as one particular book is slid off the shelf and hugged to her chest like it's dearly connected to her through more than just graphite on paper. "But yes, we offer tattoos. When my room isn't otherwise occupied." Although she is considering moving tattoos upstairs and moving out of the loft again and into her apartment.
“Huh!” Quinn says with a smirk, looking over to the kittens, a smile on her face and her head tilted. “A friend a’ mine just got a tattoo, an’ was encouragin’ me t’ do the same thing. Maybe I’ll get you t’ do that once I come up with exactly what I want. If you don’t mind, taht is.”
"It would be my pleasure," Lydia replies smoothly as she combs her hair with her fingers into a long ponytail of thick hair. She hugs the sketchbook tighter to her chest while studying Quinn. Finally she asks, "What did your friend have? Tattoos are so personal and indicative of the individuals who have them." A vague glance is given to her bare arms and the faces imprinted there. "They should commemorate something or be meaningful in some way.
“Well, she- her name’s Ygraine, she’s kinda my sorta girlfriend,” Quinn volunteers. “Given her name, an’ the fact that she’s from the UK, she’s big int’ Arthurian legend. That book I got last time I was here was for her. One of the stories about Merlin, it’s about two dragons, an’ she got them intertwined down her back. It’s really quite beautiful.”
"That sounds beautiful," Lydia replies gently allowing her fingers to curl around the edge of her notebook. Her eyes shut just as gently, a tinge of emotion relatively suppressed is virtually unreadable as she opens her eyes. "And that's a beautiful name." Her lips curl into a wistful smile before she forces it into something with more mirth.
Quinn chuckles, nodding. “I’ve told her that, before. On both counts. I can try an’ get her t’ come by, if you want t’ see it, maybe? I don’t know who she got it done by, so I feel a bit bad kinda… goin’ on about how nice it was. She’ll probably come by at some point anyway, though. She likes t’ come see me at work.” She gives a quick nod, grinning. “When I think a’ somethin’, I’ll let you know. Can’t stay an apprentice forever! I think it’ll be fantastic.”