[ It's a slow day for the rain gear store. It's always a slow day for the store, because the weather almost never changes. It's a wonder how they even stayed in business before the colony flood happened. Even afterwards, business never quite picked up and stayed that way (save for the rush of purchases in preparation for a similar event), but that suits Edna just fine. Money's still money, and work is still work, however slow it may be, and it's a good break from her other job anyway. Most of their clientele is hydrophobic aliens and the occasional colony resident who wants to venture out to the jungle outside.
Leon has stepped into the store, and is neither a hydrophobic alien nor a jungle explorer. Therefore, today is already much more interesting than any other that has passed this week. Edna puts on her best apathetic store clerk voice to greet him at the door. ]
Hello and welcome to [ insert store name here ]. If you can see me, great. I'll be happy to help you with whatever questions you have about any items in stock. [ The enthusiasm in her voice is anemic as always. ] If you can't see me or you're here to return something, take it up with the cashier over there.
[ She points to where said cashier is, and she's...taking a nap on the counter. Okay. This is just routine at this point. Sad, sad routine. ]
[Leon may as well be a hydrophobic alien, let's be real here.
But either way, the voice is familiar to him and to Chal both; he turns immediately (much like a startled cat) and Chal is the one to exclaim (with a lot more cheer than Leon would've used) "Edna!"
Dunno. Sometimes I take a nap. Sometimes I gaze longingly at that sweets shop over there. [ YOU KNOW THE ONE. ] Most of the time I just check what's going on on my device. The news is usually pretty uninteresting, but it's not like I have much else to do.
[ Technology is a strange and wondrous thing...she has found many recipes as well as memes. In fact, she has exactly 1 whole grumpy cat meme saved on her device (which she did while Dezel was still here), titled "dezel.jpg" in his honor. Strange and wondrous things indeed. ]
In the very rare occasion that someone actually comes in, I do my job. That's about it.
So you're saying that you happened to step into the wrong store, which has a completely different name, completely different exterior, and completely different products on display.
[YOU WANNA GO, EDNA....... it's less embarrassing to try to sell this story than it is to admit that he was almost caught looking at sweets, in Leon's world.]
[ Leon is so transparent when it comes to sweets, he might as well be a window. A window in a sweets shop, proudly advertising their latest batch of fudge. ]
...Nope. Which store were you trying to get to, then?
Are you always this offensive? Is it just how you are as a person, or do you put legitimate effort into it?
[He doesn't seem.... too offended, at least? Strangely. There are some things that offend him more than others, but this is barely a blip on the radar as far as insults towards himself go, especially when it's Edna.]
I can be perfectly polite when I want to. Too bad I don't want to be most of the time. Sucks for you.
[ And frankly, it'd get tiring having perfect manners all the time. How do Alisha and Lailah do it, she doesn't know. ]
Besides, I don't have much of a reason to be in the first place.
[ Since...seraphim can't even be perceived by 99% of the population back in Glenwood. Here, it's a little different, as more can perceive her here, but she still has to wear a sheet over her head (with eye holes cut out) when working at the cafe so others know where she is, like the tiny ghost she is. ]
[It's kind of a relief to hear, strange as that may seem. Leon doesn't tend to trust things like manners and propriety; not only was it all beaten into his brain when he was a child, which automatically turns him off of it, in his experience it's only ever been used to try to get something from him.
At least he knows that Edna, rude as she is, is also sincere.
So, in the end, he just flicks his bangs from his face, and his answer is simple.]
... Good.
[Time to change the subject!!]
Regardless, this confirms what I suspected. They are not giving us proper work to do, they are simply keeping us busy while also mocking us.
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Leon has stepped into the store, and is neither a hydrophobic alien nor a jungle explorer. Therefore, today is already much more interesting than any other that has passed this week. Edna puts on her best apathetic store clerk voice to greet him at the door. ]
Hello and welcome to [ insert store name here ]. If you can see me, great. I'll be happy to help you with whatever questions you have about any items in stock. [ The enthusiasm in her voice is anemic as always. ] If you can't see me or you're here to return something, take it up with the cashier over there.
[ She points to where said cashier is, and she's...taking a nap on the counter. Okay. This is just routine at this point. Sad, sad routine. ]
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But either way, the voice is familiar to him and to Chal both; he turns immediately (much like a startled cat) and Chal is the one to exclaim (with a lot more cheer than Leon would've used) "Edna!"
At least one of them is happy.]
...What are you doing here?
[She's working, Leon.]
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I work here.
[ She looks around the store, dead as always. ]
...For a certain definition of the word.
[ Between her and the cashier, they just do the jobs that need doing all around in a small store like this...whenever there's work to be done, even. ]
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... This is... an umbrella store?
[A beat.]
Ah, and other rain gear. [...wait, does it even rain here--] Why?
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[ The actual verbalization of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]
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How do you keep yourself occupied?
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[ Technology is a strange and wondrous thing...she has found many recipes as well as memes. In fact, she has exactly 1 whole grumpy cat meme saved on her device (which she did while Dezel was still here), titled "dezel.jpg" in his honor. Strange and wondrous things indeed. ]
In the very rare occasion that someone actually comes in, I do my job. That's about it.
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but wow... wow he actually feels kind of bad for Edna.]
... That sounds incredibly boring.
[Ah.]
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[ Look at what she's become.....she's clinging to Leon Magnus's company of all things in order to relieve her of her boredom. ]
Lucky for me, I have another job before this that actually has me do work. This is like paid downtime in comparison. ...Do you need anything?
[ Why are you here, is what she wants to ask. ]
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[Well, at least he's honest... the last thing he needs is an umbrella in a place where it never rains.
Why is he here... he knows the question is coming TIME FOR SOME BULLSHITTING.]
I...stepped into the wrong store by accident.
[smooth]
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[ ... ]
Yeah. That makes a lot of sense.
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Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying.
[YOU WANNA GO, EDNA....... it's less embarrassing to try to sell this story than it is to admit that he was almost caught looking at sweets, in Leon's world.]
Is there a problem?
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...Nope. Which store were you trying to get to, then?
[ Waiting oh so patiently for his answer. ]
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What were the stores around here called? He wasn't paying attention. Was there even one he'd be interested in?
....]
... That is none of your concern.
[YEAH.]
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[ She is truly a demon. Not pure at all. ]
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[She is such a demon!! Edna why!!
... Wait.]
What did you call me?
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[ Like so. ]
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Are you always this offensive? Is it just how you are as a person, or do you put legitimate effort into it?
[He doesn't seem.... too offended, at least? Strangely. There are some things that offend him more than others, but this is barely a blip on the radar as far as insults towards himself go, especially when it's Edna.]
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[ She enjoys it a bit too much, too. It's terrible. What a rude. ]
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Lord help him.]
I see.
[...]
So you have no sense of manners whatsoever, in other words.
[Oh. Rude.]
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[ And frankly, it'd get tiring having perfect manners all the time. How do Alisha and Lailah do it, she doesn't know. ]
Besides, I don't have much of a reason to be in the first place.
[ Since...seraphim can't even be perceived by 99% of the population back in Glenwood. Here, it's a little different, as more can perceive her here, but she still has to wear a sheet over her head (with eye holes cut out) when working at the cafe so others know where she is, like the tiny ghost she is. ]
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At least he knows that Edna, rude as she is, is also sincere.
So, in the end, he just flicks his bangs from his face, and his answer is simple.]
... Good.
[Time to change the subject!!]
Regardless, this confirms what I suspected. They are not giving us proper work to do, they are simply keeping us busy while also mocking us.
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[ Even when talking about colony matters, she has to be a grade A rude. ]
Feels like there should be something else they want out of us besides providing amusement, though.
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Naturally.
[He just huffs faintly.]
I suspect the jobs are merely to keep us distracted and complacent while they continue their actual use for us more furtively.
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And that would be...what? Got any ideas?
[ Because she doesn't really, at the moment, as much as it pains her to admit it. ]
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