I know the wind-swept mystical air

[unweaving]

Who: Aranea Highwind + any customers, window shoppers, or potential employees.
Where: Britches and Hose
When: Just in time for Valentine's day, how convenient!
What: Aranea opens her lingerie store to the public.
Warnings: Fancy knickers? Innuendo? Gladio might be there in his undies at some point, I don't know what to tell you.

Open to all!



[ Being a true romantic at heart, Aranea knows the real meaning of Valentine's Day. Money. That's why she's in a rush to open before the holiday itself; there should be just enough time left to attract people looking for a little surprise, people who want their partner to feel just as sexy as they (hopefully) think they are, people who are buying a gift that's really more for themselves than for the recipient, and the last-minute panickers.

Ah, romance.

Inside, there's something for just about everyone, ranging from demure to saucier pinup styles and right through to items that are more straps than fabric. There are also complimentary flutes of chilled bubbly to be poured for customers who are of-age. The front window has a display that holds zero mannequins, and a small notice near the door:

HELP WANTED

Can you:
-sell shit
-tidy shit
-not steal shit?

Apply within.

Britches and Hose is officially open for business! ]

Comments

[unforgivably]

[ He doesn't look over at her, not yet, as he puts the hanger on the rack. ]

No, brooding wouldn't go with the merchandise, would it. [ And he looks back at her now. ] Someone's going to have to break it to my brother. It's his number one past time. I was reminiscing. [ And how wrong does that sound and feel. Elena and -- someone. He nears her counter. ] There's a photographer in this town, I'm sure he's snapped a photo or two of Stefan. I could have him develop a few, tack them onto a big bulletin board. To ensure the brooders are kept away.

I'd introduce myself, but I've been here. Do you keep customer records?

[unweaving]

That photographer does have a way of getting into things you wouldn't expect.

[ Which is all said with a much fonder tone than the words probably account for, but hey. She trades it off for something a little less warm when he continues. ]

You might be reminiscing a little too hard there, buddy. Store opened today. It was empty when I got it, and I think before that it was a toy store. Train sets and Lego, not the fun stuff.

[unforgivably]

I'm pretty sure, it's still a toy store. [ There must be some around here somewhere. ] My bad, though. Memories do seem to be coming to me when they want, sometimes without any context at all. [ In this case, score one for a real memory, perhaps. But, why would he even think of another girl. That's disheartening to say the least. ]< So, you got the empty bra store. Did an overly enthusiastic, yet sinister sheriff give you a set after your maccident? Or, have I finally met someone who doesn't need to go back to driving school?

[ Be a person who didn't wake up here two weeks ago with no memory. While it would complicate things, he may be able to glean some information from you. ]

[unweaving]

[ She gives him a smile, bright and brittle and intentionally fake. As much as she'd love to get into the nitty-gritty, the cheerily warning tone she'd been instructed not to remove the official notice in the front window makes her eager to follow its rules. At least in a store she knows damn well is bugged, anyway. ]

Sorry to disappoint. I'm still fuzzy on the finer details, but apparently I'm just as inept as everyone else here.

[unforgivably]

And with your license intact. You'd assume there'd be a town-wide driving seminar. Real droll, Ben Stein guy at the front, or a film reel. [ One of those awful after school specials, or drunk driving videos they show in driver's ed. ] Ben Stein, the local milkman. [ Because he's from before, and they can't talk about before. ] You like your new job measuring cup sizes?