Wake me if you're out there

Ah, MinuteMart. You’re one-stop shop at Baycourt Corporate Center. Chelsea had just gotten take-out from Jade and rather than a styrofoam cup of soda or black tea from the restaurant, she decided to grab a bottle of her preferred drink from MinuteMart on her way to AMR.

The vibe inside MinuteMart today was… off-kilter, to Chelsea. Some people standing around were drinking iced coffees and gossiping about who-knows-what, but it certainly didn’t sound like their business. Nearby, an employee was restocking the shelves with the drinks Chelsea wanted. He seemed a bit stiff. She smiled and, digging in her bag of take out, decided to make someone’s day a whole lot more interesting.

Tap, tap.

He turned around and smiled at her, the usual retail-and-such deal. Chelsea smiled back. Hopefully he had a sense of humor…

“Don’t let the past choke your existence,” she said with the most mysterious voice she could muster, and held out her unopened fortune cookie.

Toy was surprised at first, the woman who he doesn’t know suddenly handed him a fortune cookie and said something very much inspirational...As well as an advice he should probably heed greatly. His surprised look, turned into an amused smile as he gently took the cookie the woman offered him. He crushes the cookie in between his fingers without effort and unravels the fortune.

He reads the fortune quietly. “Pff--” He covers his mouth as he tries not to laugh, breathing in before he speaks his fortune. 

“Cookie said: You really crack me up.” Toy let’s out a chuckle, as he shows the exact words on the cookie to the woman. Soon he couldn’t help but laugh due to the sudden inconsistency the cookie gave, since the woman told him something inspirational. Sometimes the people making these fortunes have a crack at making jokes.

“Yes!” Popuri said nodding. Her next instructions were to observe the surroundings of the rabbit, so she smushed her face against the glass so she could see as close as possible.

“Well, surrounding the rabbit there is a dog and two hippos and……… a bear?….. and a dolphin. And it looks like the rabbits on top of some other plushies too.” She turned to the man and continued, “There’s other stuff in the machine but that’s what’s closest to the rabbit. Is there anything important that I missed?”

“Good job!”

He excitedly says as he gives the smaller girl a brotherly head pat, before he moves closer to the machine to point at something. “See the hippos? They’ll hinder you from getting the rabbit, since they’re much bigger and are closer.” He points to the claws. “So you’ll have to use the cranes position to your advantage.” He gives the girl a kind smile.

Popuri mimicked the man, putting her hand on her chin as she looked around the arcade. The claw machines were all in a row so it made it easier for to look at them. She walked down the line of them appraising all the prizes inside the machines.

She stopped on one machine that held a rabbit with comically big eyes. “I want to win this one!”

“Now teach me, Sensei!” She said, probably too loudly.

He loved the young preppy woman's energy, it’s very infectious. Toy found himself feeling as giddy and excitable as the woman. He nods as the other points to the claw machine with the large rabbit.

Toy was surprised when she called him sensei though, what does that mean again? Teacher? He chuckles at the thought. How nice, he felt nice.

A walk through the park wasn’t Gray’s ideal way to spend his break, but when the office got too noisy, he preferred the silence of the park in the middle of a weekday. However, today was not his lucky day as he was suddenly tackled by a random loose dog in the park. Gray tumbled to the floor with a grunt and managed to hold the dog back from licking his face. 

“C’mon man, control your dog.” Gray gently moved the pup off of his chest, then moved to sit back up, brushing off the front of his formal button-up. At least he wasn’t holding a drink or eating something, as it’d surely be on the floor if he was. “I’m fine.”

“C’mon boy, let the guy go!” He gently pulls Claus away from him, only to be greeted with Claus’ sweet doggy kisses...By kisses slobber. He chuckles as he gently pets his little friend. 

After he gets his excited pup to calm down, he holds out his hand to help the man stand. “Sorry bout that, he’s very energetic, and happy to meet new friends!” Toy looks around for any sign of this mans dog. Since Claus wouldn’t just jump on someone, unless Toy introduced them, or they had another scent of a dog.

Husky? That sounded adorable. Basil was always more of a plants guy than an animal pal, but hey, as long as it was someone else’s dog, that was all that mattered.

“I’m sure he’d love the exercise! They’ve got a ton of energy to burn, right?” He winced. “We’ll take a shady trail. I can’t imagine a winter dog would like being in the sun all day. Maybe I’ll take us by a lake he can swim in.”

He handed his phone to Toy. “Here, put your number in, and I’ll put mine in yours, and we can get together sometime soon, yeah? I’m looking forward to it.”

“Awesome! He’d be really happy to meet a new friend too!”

Claus had always been a grade A ball of fluff, more so with other dogs and people. Toy doesn’t know why he was this lovable, but he sure was glad that he was. He nods at the others words, handing Basil his phone as he takes his.

Julia started to laugh and brought her hand to her mouth to try and stifle it. She couldn’t believe he was so clueless as to why there were more customers. He had to be able to hear them talking amongst themselves before they approached the counter or even the way they stared at him when he was checking out the items they had. Oh, this was too funny.

“Are you kidding?”

She took a deep breath to control her laughter, but couldn’t tame the large smile on her face. He was something else.

“It’s you!”

“Huh? Me?”

Toy was dumbfounded when Julia began to laugh, he became more dumbfounded when she said it was him. What’s so interesting about a convenient store manager though?

“You lost me there Julia.”

He chuckles as he scratches his cheek. Was there a story going around about him? Hoo boy... His thoughts began to wander to his aunt, but only in his thoughts. His face still showed a happy smile.

Popuri nodded at him excitedly and watched in anticipation. The way he played he seemed skilled, like he knew what he was doing. He must’ve played the  game a lot before. As the claw held the item she squeezed her hands, nervous that the prize might fall before it got to the prize chute. When she saw the prize drop into the chute she let out a loud cheer.

Popuri returned his smile with hers, “That was so awesome! You were really good! You have to teach me how to be as good as you!”

Toy puts the small stuffed toy in his bag before slinging it back over his shoulder, then placing his hands in his pockets. “Sure! I’d be happy to help you!” he says before bringing a hand up to his chin in thought.

“First things first though, which machine do you want to win?”

Not for the first time, Basil felt the ache to explore again, out into other countries where he could see plants that no human ever had before. He remembered the long dead plans that he and Calvin had whispered into each other’s ears during grad school - how they’d roam, adventuring and tasting and living - and then just as quietly let the memory go again, like a small bird that would fly back to his shoulder some other day, when the laboratory walls felt too constricting. When he needed that faint ray of sunshine.

“Then we’ll make it happen.” He pulled out his phone, more for an instant distraction from the ache than anything, then chuckled. “Sorry, I just…realized I did the thing I always do, like, immediately steamrolled over you. There are no strangers to Basil, that’s what my mom always used to say. Is that weird to you? Am I being pushy?”

Toy waves his hands dismissing the thought of being too pushy.

“Nah man, you’re cool. I hope you don’t mind me being your hiking buddy though!” 

Truly. He wondered if the other was alright with him who he would add has 0 experience in hiking. He just didn’t want to slow the other down. Giving the other a reassuring smile, Toy pulled  out his phone from his pocket and opened it.

Julia nodded.

“That sounds good!” 

There’s something so satisfying about the combination of sweet and sour flavors on the taste buds. It was just as nice as sweet and salty, which was her favorite flavor combination when she had cravings. There was no real explanation for it, but it worked. That’s all there was to it.

When the waiter returned to take their order, he looked to Julia saying ‘ladies first’ and took out his pad to jot everything down. She didn’t hesitate for even a second, grabbing the menu and pointing to the same item that Toy had showed her only moments ago.

“The sweet and sour pork, please, and a water to drink. Thank you!”

Toy let Julia finish her order before he turned to the waiter and spoke.

“Same order please, but instead of water i’ll have black tea. Thank you.” 

He hands the menu back to the waiter who finished listing their orders, bowing after. Once the waiter left he turns back to his companion, and as he is decided to make another ice breaker.

“Oh right. Hey Julia, there’s no weird rumor going around about MinuteMart is there?” 

Popuri was so excited this city had an arcade. She always loved to go to them when she was little, thought it was rarely. Mostly she’d be allowed to go on her birthday. But her favorite game was the claw machines. But her brother never let her play on them because he said they were a waste a money. But he wasn’t here now so that meant she could play anything she wanted!

She put in money in the machine to exchange for tokens, ignoring her brother in her head telling her to spend less, and started looking around the arcade. As soon as she saw the claw machines she made a beeline there. One of the machines was already being played by a man. She crept her way over and looked over her shoulder as he played. Maybe she’d get some pointers.

When he gave himself encouragement she couldn’t help chiming in, “Yeah! That’s the spirit!”

Whoa, wait. Someone was cheering for him? That was...A first. Regulars at the arcade already know him, so they usually don’t bother him until he wins. Though he doesn’t mind it. He stops playing for a moment to turn to the cute cotton candy haired girl a kind smile. 

“Hey thanks for the cheer!”

Toy felt pumped up this time. He held the token in his hand, clenching it before putting it in the machine. Okay! He can do it this time. He maneuvered the claw machine like it was easy play doh, and soon the sound of victory rings! He grabs the small stuffed chef, and turns to the girl giving her a another smile. 

“I would love to meet him!”

After taking her seat at the table, she looked over the menu handed to her by the waiter. Surprisingly with as much as she eats out, she hadn’t been to this place often. When it came to her meals, she preferred places that had a quick to-go option so that she wasn’t sitting alone in a restaurant or café. Julia was alone for most of the day and if she had to eat alone, she’d rather do it in the comfort of her own home where her dogs were and with the possibility that her roommate would be there, too. 

“I haven’t either! I don’t know if it’s the hunger or not, but everything looks so good! Do you recommend anything?”

“I think he’d be happy to meet you too!”

Now though Claus doesn’t have many interactions with other people or other animals,he was still a big ball of unconditional love. Toy worries sometimes that if a burglar enters his house Claus would just smother them with love. Though he would technically stop the burglar with love. He chuckles at the thought.

     “I wouldn’t call that bitching.” 

     Sebastian shrugged and stood back up, knees popping as he did. “It’s a shitty situation. You have the right to be upset.” Everyone did, no matter how big or small their problems. “If you gotta blow off some steam then blow it off. Your aunt sounds like the bitch.” That was his best attempt at some dry humor.

     “Family is fucky sometimes, but so long as you don’t let ‘em get to your head and show them you’re better than what they think you are then I’d say your doin’ pretty alright for yourself.” Learn to take your own words to heart, Sebastian.

He turns his head to the other. Blinking almost dumbfounded. Who’d have thought a stranger would say things that he needed to hear. A small smile appears on his face, soon turning into one that emits thankfulness. And in a matter of seconds Toy laughs. 

But he wasn’t laughing at the other, he was laughing out of pure happiness in the others words. Only stopping to finally speak. 

“Man...Thanks...I needed that.” He gives the other a kind smile now. The anger and sadness welling up in him dissipating. “Never have i thought i’d be glad to smoke again.” If he didn’t he wouldn’t have met this man. Toy looks at his wrist watch before finishing off his stick, soon crushing it on the trash lid. 

“Right, time for work.” He opens MinuteMart’s back door before stopping himself. “Oh and if you want discount smokes or liquor feel free to stop by. You’re free to loiter here as long as you’d like though. Then have a good one!” He says before walking in the store. No introduction yet, that’s a conversation for another day. Toy returns to work, feeling confident for today. The other was right, no crying over spilt milk, specially if he had worked hard up to present to be who he is right now.