Convenience Store Idiots Log

[cyclonely]

Who: John Egbert, Dirk Strider, Solus

Where: Goldenrod Department Store

When: May 29, day

Summary: Two Rockets walk into the same store for different reasons and also John is there.

Rating: pg? Dirk and Solus are here

Log:



John's not usually on cash. He's good at lifting heavy things and bad at putting on the retail mask everyone else here seems to just naturally have, so he ends up in stocking and order prep more often than not. But there was a staff shortage today, so here he is, the lone employee on cash today in the most basic, PokeMart-est area of the Department Store, wearing a red apron and hoping that it's a slow day.

Or like, that at the very least, nobody's a real jackass. John's manager knows what he's like by now but if he really loses it on some asshole, he's still gonna get written up. Adult jobs are hard.

He still does make the effort to try and catch the eye of and smile at any customers he sees come up or down the escalator. That's probably preemptive situation control, right?

Comments

[uber_marionettist]

He doesn't let go of the cane, though he doesn't pull to help Solus up--just lets his body act as a counterweight before letting it go once the significantly taller man is upright.

Dirk is not, by nature, a relaxed person. He carries his tension in his jaw and shoulders, often telling on himself in the process. The lack of it is also telling, inevitably more deliberate than the visibility of tension itself.

He's not relaxed right now. He is fully prepared for Solus to use this moment to take him off balance and get the better of him in some capacity. What he gets instead is a lot more interesting. Entertaining for sure, and way less embarrassing than being obligated to knock a cripple onto his ass a second time.

One heavy brow quirks up, not quite interrogatively.

"I'm holding you to that."

There's no trace of smile, no additional emotive quality of any kind, before he turns to glance at John.

[cyclonely]

This is starting to actually make John feel really uncomfortable, like he shouldn't be here watching this. Does that mean he's a homophobe??? He hopes not. He hopes it's just general...PDA coming from two assholes discomfort. Is it PDA if it's all weird and snipey like this?

(Based on many of his more embarrassing public interactions with Terezi, he assumes so.)

They're both looking at him now, and he escapes his worried internal monologue to realise that FA has his hand extended again with the money. John decides to address Dirk, as possibly the least predictable element in this equation.

"If you push him out of the way again I am going to kick both of you out."

He's serious!

John's going to reach for the money again, and take it and finally cash out Solus if there are no other interruptions to his dang job.

[amaure]

Well, it seems Dirk is playing it cool, and John is doing his job. Certainly looking up from moments ago, huh? Though, if John was worried about some measure of PDA, this isn't even close to how bad it could be. Fortunately, Solus fancies himself more of a gentleman than that.

With the transaction finished, and his wares and change acquired, he doesn't even offer John a proper thank you. Or one at all, because his attention is back on Dirk.

"I had not taken you for one to keep such incompetent company, has your time here truly been so rough?" He shrugs all the same, turning slightly away from them, as if with the intention to leave them both. However, he keeps his gaze on Dirk, a little pointedly, "no matter, should you want for better company, you know how to find me."

[uber_marionettist]

"...right. Okay. I need to preface this statement with the disclaimer that I am fully aware of the destination intended by that invitingly leading statement. And I intend to take you up on it in very short order, actually."

Dirk presses his voice as low and inflectionless as it can go, leaning back against the counter with his palms braced on the edge and his elbows bent.

"....so I hope you don't find it too gauche when I straight-up acknowledge that the question you asked at the beginning was rhetorical and still find it begging an answer."

He's done with the part of this particularly audacious solicitation that requires physical engagement, so if this is still making John uncomfortable, that's just too damn bad.

"One, it has been that fuckin' rough, thanks for asking. But two," His brows come down and his jaw sets purposefully. "John and I have a bit of a history. Not a big one, but he was a pretty important guy back home. He sucks shit because this is the absolute god damn opposite of what he's meant to do."

[cyclonely]

God, John is sick of this guy treating him like a non-entity of a peon. He's sick of this guy period, honestly. With any luck, getting through the transaction as quickly as possible will remove not only FA from the store, but maybe John will be lucky enough for Dirk to follow him, and he can escape his biweekly nagging session for today.

He's really only half-listening as he cashes Solus out, not even bothering to make an effort at a Customer Service Expression, and as Solus isn't even looking at him, John says "your change," flatly under Dirk's side of the dialogue and puts it on the counter in front of him.

Thus, he's paying attention again by the time Dirk tells him he was important but now he sucks shit.

"I am meant to be dead, Dirk," he says, wrinkling his nose up. "That is what I'm meant for and you know that. I'm not Red or Blue here, I am just a dude who would prefer to not get hassled at work!"

[amaure]

He's utterly not bothered by Dirk's need to answer the rhetorical, in fact he likes that he feel such a stubborn need to indulge his pedantic nature. So, as he goes on, Solus turns a bit more fully to look at him, clear amusement on his otherwise condescending features. In fact, it might even enhance the condescension.

However, what's more interesting than the fact these two have history or that John is (somehow) important, is rather what John has to say about that. Finally, John is capable of pulling Solus' attention from Dirk outside of the necessary earlier transaction, his scrutinizing gaze resting heavily upon him as he quirks an eyebrow.

"So, you are among those that should well be resting in the Lifestream, then?" He forgets himself for a moment, calling it the Lifestream when they might call it something otherwise, but it matters not, "how very interesting. I find there are more and more of you here... Does leave one to wonder what that may mean."

Is this some strange afterlife? He knows he isn't dead, and not everyone here are dead either. Oh well, it doesn't matter. Yet, he then quickly turns his attention to Dirk, his eyebrows raising, "if he is of the dead, then 'tis better to let him live out the rest of this meagerly prolonged existence as he sees fit. He has naught to return to, after all. Besides, I doubt he would be much help even if he wasn't set on his indolence."