Welcome To The Store (Sharaku/Open)

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 30

It was a boring day as usual for Joshua. The convenience store was pretty humdrum as he simply sat in his spot behind the electric cashier. People come in and go to buy something from this small establishment. Whether it be a drink, snacks, or some of the more "restricted" merchandise, he simply scanned the item and exchanged money. It was a simple job and nothing else was expected of him. He glanced at the windows. All he saw was the busy traffic that swarmed the streets.

It felt like to him that nothing much has changed when he came from the States. Yeah, it was boring alright. But he never really socialized a lot with anyone, not even in school. Sure, it was probably a few days since he arrived. But, this was supposed to be his new chance.

"Maybe I should like... talk with the next shmuck that comes in," he thought idly to himself.

Though no one was coming in yet. And here was Joshua with a school textbook in hand, perusing it as he just simply waited for someone to get in here and force him to smile and complete transactions.

Subject: Re: Welcome To The Store (Sharaku/Open) Tue Aug 18, 2015 9:19 pm

Hm. So much for that. It wasn't usual for Sharaku to go to a shop randomly when outside, and doubly so when he was not even close to where he lived. Afterall, what for? But he had something to blame it on today. It was starting to get hot outside with summer coming in and all that. As much as he did not particularly dislike heat unless it was way too over the top, he did not carry water around on a normal day. Ah well.

With that in mind, he proceeded to walk into the first store he saw while walking by. It's not like any difference mattered in this case, did it now? For now, he would spend some time simply looking around at the stuff they had, thinking absentmindedly. ''Hm...'' Did it even matter? He could just get clear water, most likely. Sounded like the easiest option. He didn't really like the fancy stuff anyway...

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 30

Someone finally entered as the door chimed at the entrance. It was a young adult decked out in a formal suit and appeared regal. He looked out of place in the store. Joshua raised an eyebrow as he saw the man walking around to see what the store had to offer to him.

"What could this guy want," he would wonder to himself.

This store seemed really beneath this aristocratic-looking guy. But, he didn't seem to care as much. Especially when in some stuffy attire and when the weather was actually hot. One's own needs does cause most to overlook what's proper.

But seeing how they were the only ones in the store, Joshua leaned over to get a better look at him and then break the silence.

"Hi. Is there anything ya want?"

Subject: Re: Welcome To The Store (Sharaku/Open) Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:04 pm

Sharaku kept looking at the selection, not really doing anything else at all, until his wandering thoughts got interrupted by a voice. Which was apparently addressing him, as he noted that there was only one other person besides himself here after taking a quick look around. And said person was the one speaking. On second thought..wasn't that the cashier guy? Well, now it made a bit more sense.

''Hello.'', he would finally focus on the younger guy completely. ''I just wanted some water. The weather is getting annoying.'', he would answer fairly simply. He didn't really think a store worker would have much interest in actual conversation to begin with. They usually didn't. Afterall, working with random strangers like this was kind of their work. And he himself didn't particularly tend to go out of his way to start small talk with someone he didn't know for no reason either. Unless he was bored enough.

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 30

"Weather? Oh yeah. It's disgustingly hot outside," Joshua agreed with him.

So he really was here for a bottle. It shouldn't take too long to choose one, but clearly there was a wide selection. Joshua would certainly know. He spent the whole morning re-stocking the cooler with water bottles and all sorts of soft drinks. Soft drinks were understandable when it comes to choosing. But water? They all tasted the same don't they? Despite what brand?

"Hey, uh, I'm sure the water here tastes the same, ya know? It's just water. But bottled and with different kinds of packaging."

Josh glanced back at the window again. It looked pretty hot today and it was empty here anyway and there was adequate air conditioning.

"You could hang out here until you think it's a bit cooler," he offered the formal-attired gentleman.

Subject: Re: Welcome To The Store (Sharaku/Open) Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:21 am

''Perhaps so.'' The weather was fairly acceptable, just a little bit annoying. He wouldn't go as far as calling it disgusting. Not really. That, and it sort of had nothing on the weather conditions in places such as the other Zela and Malstu. Whoever thought it was a good idea for them to be a desert and volcano respectively.

Yes, indeed. Simple water tasted the same no matter what kind of bottle it was in. He knew as much. However...''Perfectly aware of that. Although, I never really implied that I even meant plain water. Any kind of drink is made out of water in some way, is it not?'', he'd give the younger man a raised eyebrow and a slightly amused expression. Of course, he did moreso intend to just go with simple water, but that wasn't really the point. You had water even in those flavored drinks afterall.

Hmmm. He would glance towards the window. Then back at the other. ''I could, yes. However, I didn't think that shops are meant to be hang out places.'' Normally, you don't stick around in that kind of establishment for long, do you? It's a bit awkward to go in, buy something, and then stand around just like that. Silly weather or not.

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 30

"I mean. Well, if you put it that way, yeah. I suppose," Joshua agreed with him while being a bit confused, "So. What does your taste buds want anyway?"

He raised an eyebrow at the customer. Whoever this formally dressed person was, he seems to be some odd guy being somehow cryptic and stuff. Yeah, any drink is made from water. That's more or less common sense. Joshua didn't comment on anything else about it.

He admitted to him with a shrug, "Yeah. They really aren't. Though there's not a lot of people today. Kinda gets boring here these days, you know? But it's kinda up to you if you want to hang out here or not."

It really was boring in this place. Like any cashier clerk, all he does is just scan items and exchange money. And probably just sit around to make sure nothing gets stolen like booze. Joseph already caught a couple and handed them straight to the manager to deal with. That guy is already sleeping in the back, like an old log.

"The name's Joshua Bae. What's yours?"

Subject: Re: Welcome To The Store (Sharaku/Open) Wed Aug 19, 2015 1:58 pm

Hmm, what did he want? He didn't even really know anymore. Sure, he did come here for water, but it was whatever to a certain extent. He could live without it too if it went that way. It had just been a thought, as it could be useful in this weather. But not a complete necessity as of yet. He would shrug somewhat. ''Almost anything, I suppose. As long as it is cold.'' There were some tastes he would possibly pass over, but nothing was too horrible in the end.

''I see that.'' Afterall, he was pretty much the only person here, aside from the staff guy. Though, if it got so boring, why even work a job like this? Emptiness was bound to happen here and there. ''But, I don't have anything to do, so I could hang around for a while.'' As long as he himself didn't start dying from boredom. ''Say, if you find this boring, why are you working at this kind of job?'' He was curious to an extent.

''Sharaku Rikei. A pleasure to meet you.'' Not that it mattered. Half the population here probably already knew his name. From those that he told personally, to those that could read it on that broadcast list...and who knew about the Rally. Simon did kind of call him out by name too. In front of a big crowd, nonetheless. Maybe he should start feeling popular.

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 30

He took the offer to much of Joshua's surprise. This guy didn't seem to be the type to stay around in some mundane convenience store. But, supposedly, he's going to entertain the boy for now. Again, somewhat odd, but he does give a whimsical impression to Joshua. Not that he really cared or anything.

"Well..." Joshua began to reply back to him and sheepishly this time, "I'm really no good with people and I'm trying my best to move past that, you know? I thought I could probably start with baby steps. Something like that."

It was boring, yeah. Though a job that requires him to be active in interacting with others would make him work with too many people. It would be too much for him. But now that this guy is here...

"Well, nice to meet ya, Mister Rikei. While you're here at the moment, you mind telling me more about this region? I just got here and all. So I don't know much..."

Subject: Re: Welcome To The Store (Sharaku/Open) Wed Aug 19, 2015 4:45 pm

Was that so? This kind of job seemed a bit awkward to use as a means of betting along with people. Usually, customers don't have much of an interest in socializing with a worker behind the counter at a store. They're there to simply buy what they need, not to chit-chat. Most likely assume that the other side views it the same. Of course, exceptions happen, but probably not too often. ''Good for you, I suppose. But, I'd say people are more interested in simply buying what they need from a store, rather than engaging in a conversation with someone working there. I'm not sure how much do you get out of this.'' Well, he was the one to talk. Since he was doing exactly the opposite of what he said. Then again, he just had nothing better to do.

He would look at a random point absenmindedly. ''Honest? I'd say you might end up regretting that you moved exactly here. Can't say it's exactly the best place to be right now.'' It really wasn't. Not when everything was blowing up here and there.

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 30

"...Yeah," Joshua sighed in agreement, "I mean, I suppose I could join a school club or something. Just not sure which one to go for and I apparently can't go out to see how it works for me since... well, school's closed apparently."

He grimaced at the end. It did put a roadblock to his own progress in both academics and for socializing. Now, he was just stuck here on a boring clerk job while everyone else is just running around doing stuff and talking with others.

He flitted up an eyebrow quizzically at Sharaku's statement, "What makes you say that?"

The boy was starting to get worried. Having something bad happening around these parts was really the last thing he wanted to deal with. And he had thought this was a good place to start over and stuff. What great luck.

"Did anything happen or something?"

Subject: Re: Welcome To The Store (Sharaku/Open) Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:20 pm

Well, there was no denying that. The school was out of comission, and probably for a good while longer at this rate. It didn't seem as if anyone was actually planning on getting the sand out of there and opening it againt. Not to his knowledge, at least. ''True. You could try other things, however. Perhaps meeting someone at the amusement park or such. I'm sure many around your age go there for fun.'' Or something. It was just a random suggestion.

He would shrug a little. ''Many reasons. One of them being the school you mentioned a moment ago. Unless you think having it buried in sand is...normal.'', he'd answer somewhat vaguely. It's not like he could go into detail without sounding ridiculous.

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 30

"Amusement park, huh? I guess I could go ahead and try that once I get enough money to blow it off," Joshua considered it and then muttered to himself, "If the boss-man let me get a day off, yeah..."

Didn't seem all too likely that the one in charge would just let a kid have some fun. And he was the new guy too. So a day off is probably going to be available to him later on. But Sharaku, on the other hand, definitely looked he could afford those days and probably carry himself in an aristocratic manner at the same time. Oh the imagination...

"Sand? So someone went up and dumped it onto the school? This sounds a bit..." Joshua clicked his tongue to pause to get in a momentary lapse of thought to figure out what word best suits this.

"Far-fetched? I mean, really? Sand? Someone had some massive prank master plan and it went through?"

Subject: Re: Welcome To The Store (Sharaku/Open) Wed Aug 19, 2015 8:14 pm

''I doubt they can hold you here permanently. Vacations are a thing.'' Usually, at least. Sharaku didn't really know that much about work of that kind. But it would be ridiculous to not allow workers any days off, in his opinion. That wasn't exactly fair. Getting worked to death didn't sound pleasant.

He would actually laugh under his breath a bit. The image of someone literally dumping this much sand onto the school was hilarious. In its own way. The place was totally a beach without water now. How would one even get so much sand there without anyone noticing, hm? That was the question. Farfetched indeed. ''It looks like a beach yes. It lacks the water, however. So probably not a good vacation spot.'', he would remark jokingly. ''Regardless of that. No, it's not a prank. It wasn't exactly caused by a human. Other than that, another island had a volcano erupt recently.'' He actually wondered what state Malstu was in right now. ''At this rate, I'm sure you'll notice that things are going on without even really being told. It's kind of obvious.'', he would shrug nonchalantly. If the Rally was anything to go by. And the fact that even normal people could actually see the rifts to the other worlds.

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 30

"Yeah, they are. Though I don't want to give them a bad impression about taking a vacation at this point. Like I said, I'm still pretty new around here," Joshua explained to the older gentleman.

First impressions were important, as a lot of people told him. Most judged others based on that and he certainly wanted to be judged in a good light by his employer who is still sleeping in the back. It helps on getting another job with a more loaded resume and a recommendation.

"No water? Gee. Already it sounds boring."

It sure isn't a beach in that case. But, it sounds like it wasn't "exactly done" by human methods. Sharaku is making it sound like as if nature itself was starting to shift and move. Or some stuff like that. Now things are getting weirder and even more worrying. What the hell?

"Welp. It'll be more obvious to me the more I stay here. So things are happening, huh? Damn it. I came here to start over and stuff. Sheesh..."

What a pain. But, it looks like the socializing was becoming easier now. That's at least a plus.

"So you a local around here?"

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