| Missing Keys |
| Summary: | Lillie makes headway in rooting up a typewriter, upon asking Eloise for help. |
| Date: | 1942-10-17 |
| Related: | None. |
| Players: |
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Antique Store, Higsi
Tue Oct 17, 1942
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The small antique shop, with its bay windows and bare brick walls, is chock full of antiquities from all over. It looks like someone went to a lot of trouble to find all sorts of unique, and in some cases bizarre, things to sell.
The bay windows display some more common antiques, small furnishings and house goods. The rest of the shop is cluttered with other displays, antique tables and curios displaying other smaller antique housegoods, furnishings, jewelry and miscellany.
At the rear of the store is the sales counter, and behind it there is a curtained archway that leads to the private Back Room of the shop.
Weather:
It is fall. The weather is warm and clear.
Ah, summer yet holds on with tenacious fingers! Mind you Lillie chalks it up to the nature of the location and maybe… it's just the norm for the autumn being on the warm side, here in Higsi? The gentle Empath traipses down the sidewalk, purse slung over one shoulder, a generously-sized sketchbook nestled beneath the opposite arm. Her color is high, body language pointing to an overall… excitement of sorts? She sure looks fetching in a butter yellow dress with fluted shoulders and her hair left hanging down, the reddish-brown hue contrasting prettily with the color of her attire. A sprig of some manner of cream-colored flower, plucked from her waning planter boxes, completes the package. Lillie looks… optimistic, perhaps?
That has to be it. It's funny how she is optimistic over progress made in the cause to fashion a birth certificate for the man she loves, to aide in his marriage to his pack match. How's THAT for fucked up? Seriously, Lillie has figured out her logic in the whole matter, finally… but that's a story for another time. Somehow it makes SENSE now… though she is not above the occasional thrum of pain in her heart over what cannot be.
Anyway! This fine fall day sees the Irish woman stepping up to the storefront of Higsi's Antique store, and with a quick glance to assure herself of operating hours (whatever sort of indication there may be, whether it's a formal sign or written one) she lets herself in! Sunshine follows her, and Lillie pauses to breathe deeply of the store's scent. There is something so mellow and nostalgic about the smell of old furniture, baubles, collectibles… and—-
Lillie suddenly sneezes into the crook of her elbow, blushing. So much for her subtle entrance! Despite her small size, she sneezes BIG.
Eloise liked to keep the door of the Antique Shop propped open, more welcoming to visitors that way. However, with the coming winter that might change…but for now it was a nice gesture! As for the store owner herself, she was seemingly nowhere to be found. In actuality, she was under the sales counter looking through some of her files to try and catch up on inventory. Between a few new items coming in and a more being bought, this little shop was getting life breathed into it once more!
With Lillie's mighty sneeze, an alarmed 'oh!' comes from behind the sales counter. Quickly followed by the dull thump of head meeting wood. Ellie is then seen standing up from behind the counter, wincing behind her glasses and rubbing the back of her head with one hand. She recovers quickly though and sees Lillie standing there, offering a welcoming smile only slightly hindered by the fading throb from the bump. "Try and try as I might it seems I just can't get all the dust out of here. Sorry about that!"
Stepping out from behind the counter, she approaches Lillie but stops a respectable distance. "Let me know if you're looking for anything specific. Otherwise, you're welcome to look around the store at your leisure. Just got a few new items in and they'll be featured on the front table." A few figurines. A doll. A couple books. "It's…Lila right? I'm terrible with names, but know we've met."
Whew.. it's not often that Lillie deals with dust, or has a reaction! Her green eyes, watering slightly from the force of the sneeze, scan the interior of the little shop as she makes sure nothing else follows. Her hand lowers to dig into the pocket of her cardigan, slung onto the very same arm which carries the book, to seek out her own little handkerchief. Just in case. In her silent perusal of the room she seeks out the one running the show; might that same girl be here? All of this happens in the seconds following the sneeze and Lillie only just realizes she startled someone! She heard the 'WHUMP' of head meeting counter…
Eloise is met with a powerfully apologetic look in the Empath's features as she stands there, brow furrowed and feet shifting awkwardly. "I am so very sorry, miss," She hugs the book to her chest, watching Ellie with dawning recognition. "Your head.. is it alright? You thumped it a good one… I sure do sneeze like a man, do I not?" The Empath asks sweetly, padding into the shop and approaching the counter. Ellie comes around too and the two face one another at that polite, conversational distance.
"I have questions.. I hope that I may be in the right place, or that you might be able to point me toward whatever the right place is." Lillie explains, her color still vibrant and eyes alight with mirth. Her accent is a song, in her chipperness. "But first, we've met.. you had just come to town. Lila could work, but let's stick with Lillie." Her lips curve into a larger smile. "You're Eloise?"
Ellie gives a reassuring smile, "I'm fine honest. Trust me I've given myself worse bumps in my own clumsiness so not a thing to apologize for!" Her dark wavy hair falls just above her shoulders, a hand moving to push some behind her ear before a grin spreads at the mention of questions.
"Oh I love questions! They're how you find out the most fascinating things!" A look around her shop before back to the woman "Yes I'm Eloise. Or you can call me Ellie if you prefer. And Lillie! Of course that's it! I'll make sure to remember that for next time. What is it I can help you with?"
"I shall see to it not to be cause for more trauma to your head." Lillie chuckles, speaking onwards in her eloquent way of keeping the shopkeep at ease. Green eyes observe Ellie's gesture of smoothing her hair back and the Empath's lips curl once more into that honest, open smile. She is about to carry on until her breath hitches, shoulders twitch—-Lillie unloads another shotgun sneeze into her hankie this time. "My word, you think I would be okay with a spot of dust.. it's really not a bother here. I've been around an array of chemicals all day."
Blink, pause. "Cleaning." Said with a grin. This grin spreads further at Ellie's enthusiasm at her impending questions, and the recognition of her (Lillie's) name.
"Kindest thanks, Ellie." The Empath says gently, padding toward the counter as if placing something down to purchase. "May I use a portion of your counter? I've something to show you, so I shan't blather like a fool in explaining my plight to you." She sets the book down but does not open it yet, hands resting atop the black cover as she watches Ellie, awaiting her answer.
Following Lillie back towards the counter, Eloise gestures her hand out towards it. "By all means, help yourself." Her eyes go to the book as it's placed there, a curiosity to her gaze. She looks back to the Empath and gives a reassuring smile "I will do my best to offer any help I can. If I'm unable to perhaps I can point you in the direction of the appropriate shop."
<FS3> Lillie rolls Drawing: Amazing Success.
Ellie moves to join her, and the Empath smiles again. "You're very kind.. I won't keep you long." She says once more, before gingerly opening the cover. It looks to be a 'new' book; ie. she needn't leaf through it very far to see what she is looking for. There's about seven pages' worth of artwork — a lot of it scrawled with pencil — passing the two of them by. Some pages reveal smatterings of still-life, of random everyday objects such as plants, windows looking out upon vistas, creatures. Another? A broody-looking man with dark eyes and wild hair, hulked over a bowl eating soup. Huh.
Flip, flip.. and there.
Again, done completely in pencil and clearly Lillie has taken her time. She peers down at the drawing, looking sideward to Ellie almost shyly. "T'was the better choice to do this.. this morning, you see. Rather than lug this thing around and find a way to get it into your shop, after all the trouble taken to get it home yestersay." She explains, stepping aside some and revealing a perfectly rendered forward-facing drawing of a Remington Brand typewriter. The very name 'Remington Standard 10' is written down cleanly alongside the artwork, along with the year of the model: 1912.
(OOC: Likeness -> http://typewriterdatabase.com/1912-remington-10.4725.typewriter )
"A.. dear friend of mine once used this consistently in her lattermost days as a teacher. I have need of a typewriter for a project and believe that which is old can yet have use. But it's… missing a few things and needs work." Lillie explains, after a moment. "I am no authority on typewriters but found out quickly that the ink ribbon is as old as the hills and it's stuck… and the rig is missing the 'Y', 'W' and 'U' keys." Lillie explains, "Needs a good cleaning too… so my question…"
She takes a deep, nervous breath. "Might you have anything in the shop here for parts, to repair this typewriter…? Would it be worth the cost..? Or have you any machines as a whole that are in better working condition for a decent price?"
Ellie watches as the woman flips through the book, curious about the different sketches but not asking and trying not to let her gaze linger into rudeness. "You drew those? They're wonderful! You have quite the talent, Lillie!" It is said genuinely, the young woman then looking to the picture of the typewriter.
She looks at it a moment before a laugh escapes her, a hand moving quickly to cover her mouth at the sudden outburst. "I'm sorry. Oh please forgive me, I'm not laughing at you. I just…oh you won't believe this! Stay right here a moment." Hurrying from the counter she moves past the curtain and into the back room. A bit of sound as things are moved around, a box scooted or a drawer pulled out and closed again. In a few short moments, Eloise is once again coming through the curtain with a large shoe box sized container held against her chest.
"When I was doing inventory after first buying this place…well you can imagine all the manner of things I found and had to sort through. Some things were very easy to organize and price. Other things. Well they were either in poor condition or broken altogether. I've gotten rid of some of it, but other boxes have just been sitting around while I've been trying to get this place running."
With that she sets the box down on the counter and opens it up. Inside is a variety of odd and ends for electronics and other such devices. A roll of film. The knob to a radio. Various other items, but then there scattered among it all, were typewriter parts. "Feel free to take a look and see if any of it is what you need. If the right keys aren't there, I don't know if they will work in the place of the others, but we can find some tape to cover the wrong letters and write over them with the correct ones. If that would suffice?"
The Empath colors, rubbing the back of her neck in a classic Lillie move. "I.. I did, yes. Thank you so very much." She replies humbly, unable to help grinning. "A lot of practice. I hope to expand more with the winter approaching, and my being home more." Is admitted next, and that's when they happen upon the drawing of the Remington.
The sense, quiet today, feeds Lillie just the barest hint of Ellie's amusement and it is with a curious, amused gaze that she observes the other young lady as she hurries from the counter to the curtain and into a room beyond. "Of course," Lillie says and waits patiently, gazing down at the drawing with a look that is equal parts hope and concern. Even by 1940's standards, this relic from the turn of the century is just that: a relic. Finding parts, and someone with the knowhow of installing the parts… will be a haystack situation.
What IS Lillie getting herself into? Why is she working so hard?
No use wondering, Ellie returns with the box and explains the situation and Lillie laughs outright. "Well look at you then, today is my lucky day!" She exclaims.. maybe. She waits a moment so as to not seem rude, and gingerly opens the box to have a look through. What, now, is she looking for…? A minute or two in… Lillie's smile remains but it flickers some, like a dying lightbulb. A look of anxiety passes through her features just briefly… dare she even ask to borrow this box to bring it along to someone who knows what they are doing, in repairing… typewriters?
It's like a cloud passes briefly and the Irish woman brightens again, though lessened a bit. "My, I am sure this would suffice… but… I know naught what to even look for. I worry about imposing on you, asking if I could.. borrow this box of parts, see what could work with the machine I have.. then pay you in full after. Surely somebody in this town can help me, I could.. check at the library…" And then there's the matter of finding a ribbon to match the mechanism, for actual ink.
Lillie looks more and more dire.
"Miss Ellie, my… a-ah.. plan B.." A rueful smile. "Have you any full typewriters in stock? It's a stretch I'm sure.. if not, I wonder if I may borrow this box. I promise, promise nothing shall go missing without being paid for, first."
Seeing the worry on the other woman's features, Ellie's own frown "Is something wrong? Like I said it is a bit of odds and ends so I'm sorry if it won't work after al-" Then she's being asked a favor. A favor that most store owners should probably be hesitant against, at least if they want to stay in business. However, this is Ellie. Yes she wants to stay in business, but she also wants to see the good in people.
"Borrow the box?" still, there is a moment of hesitation as she goes through her thought process. No. She wouldn't let the incident with the boys and the board game skew her view of the world. Her smile spreads fully once more "Of course you may borrow it!"
She shakes her head "I wish I could be more help myself, but if lending you the box helps you find out what you need then by all means take it. It's my pleasure."
Here's where it is a boon to be in the presence of an Empath. Lillie knows she has asked a rather big thing of Ellie; a risk, even. There are parts in this box that could fetch income even if Lillie does not buy them herself. She turns to look into the shopkeep's face, her gaze as soft as a doe's, her sense wrapping around Eloise like a shroud. What IS Lillie feeling here, tuning into..? A few things in fact: concern, hesitation.. perhaps a touch of wariness. As Ellie ruminates on what to do, Lillie simply watches her.. heart in her eyes.
The sketchbook left open to the antiquated typewriter, Lillie smiles slowly as Ellie concedes to 'lending' her the box. One lithe land reaches forth to settle upon the woman's forearm, if allowed, in a fond gesture. "I promise.. promise… to pay for what I need, I shall bring everything back in a couple days' time once I determine what is needed and who can help me. You will get what it is worth, that which I decide upon. I promise you, Ellie." She insists, holding Ellie's gaze in her enigmatic way. There's something about Lillie's expression and tone that one could hone their truth on.
"You have been a wonderful help. I could bring the machine here myself if that is better, but I would rather have someone at my home to look everything over and choose what I need. But please, tell me if you are uncomfortable."
At the offer of bringing in the machine, Eloise shakes her head. Lillie's reassurance had done enough to affirm the store owners confidence in her decision to trust her. "I'm fine. Truly. Take the box and return it once you have figured out what you need, if you end up needing anything."
She offers a smile to Lillie again "I can tell this is something that is very important to you and I believe that what is important should be encouraged."
"I am in the middle of some.. home improvements." Lillie says thoughtfully, eyes still bright with appreciation. "What say you come out and have a few drinks one evening, so that I may come to know about how your time in Higsi has been. Settling in, and all." She smiles then, not thinking it to be too forward to extend a hand in friendship or cordiality.
"This.. is quite important to me and I thank you for your trust. It couldn't have been easy to consent to lending me your product.. but you've my promise. Allow me to repay the favor sometime in kindness." Lillie insists, meaning it.. not even trying to butter Ellie up but simply because she wants to.
Green eyes glance down toward the drawing, then, and the box of parts. "I've some projects in mind, that I shall need this machine for…" Not just a birth certificate. Inspiration glimmers, though the favor for Dot.. that strange, unexpected favor.. is at the forefront of her mind. "Give me just two days, and I will be back with payment.. for I hope to find what I need."
Not just parts, but… who can fix an antiquated typewriter?!
At the offer of drinks, Ellie blinks a bit, hand moving to push hair behind her ear again. "Oh I…well…that would be nice." She looks to the other woman and gives a bit more of a shy smile now. "This is going to reveal how dull I am, but I'm afraid I haven't really…gone out much since arriving in Higsi."
The woman wasn't a homebody necessarily. The sense and thrill for adventure was there in her, but picking up and moving to a new city all on your own was…well…it was terrifying in ways she had not been prepared for. She still had to convince herself most nights that she had made the right decision.
"Mostly I tend to the shop and then head straight home after. I may grab food from the diner at some point in there, but yes. Forgive my rambling, drinks sound just lovely. Thank you."