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xp_logsAugusta has Words for Rictor, and also a secret of her own to keep.
[Backdated before Rictor talks to Shatterstar.]
Is this what a normal human life was like? Excitement on the weekends followed by a return to mundanity on Monday. No wonder they were always so mad at mutants and their constant lives of adventure. But after the few days that Rictor had survived, a prosaic life was welcome with open arms.
Rictor had not seen anyone when he entered the back entrance of Hordeculture and was prepared for a quiet, restorative morning until he found Augusta standing next to the checkout station, arms crossed over her chest and gazing down at him like she had a secret fear power herself.
"Good morning, Miss Augusta," he greeted. Playing dumb on non-business matters usually kept them off his back.
"What did you do to my sweet Harriet?" the old woman demanded, her tone threatening punishment. And soon.
Fuck. "Uh. What did she tell you?" He could feel the crepe on his face again, and was sure Augusta would do much much worse.
"All she said was men are scum." Augusta's expression indicated that she fully agreed. "And that she was leaving. She was supposed to stay for longer but you drove her away!"
He was already getting yelled at, and he would get further punishment if the store were not ready for opening, so he started his morning routine of inspecting the displays by the front entrance before he responded. "I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," he insisted. "I thought we were friends. Really. I didn't know she thought there was something else."
"Of course you didn't," Augusta sneered, rolling her eyes. "Men are such idiots. I told her not to get involved with you, but does she listen? Of course not..."
Her scolding trailed off into mutters as she started walking around the store.
"Next time you talk to her, can you please tell her again I am sorry? And that . . . my heart belongs to someone else. I guess in a way, she helped me realize that."
Augusta was quiet for a moment as she straightened some pots that didn't need to be straightened. "Is that right?" she finally said with a sniff. "Well then. I guess romance isn't lost in today's kids after all. What's his name?"
Rictor stumbled over a pot and nearly dropped the orchid he was holding. What had he said that clued her in? Did he give off a vibe? Then why the hell hadn't Harriet picked up on it? "Um, his name is Star."
"Star. Kids and their silly names these days." Augusta harrumphed. "Well, finish getting ready. Anything you drop is coming out of your paycheck."
~*~
Opal Vetiver looked up from her microscope when she heard Augusta enter the backroom. "So, did you tear him a new A-hole for scaring your Harriet away?" she asked before returning to her task.
"Oh I started to, but it turns out he's gay," Augusta said with the most put-upon sigh. "I told you no normal boy spends that much time obsessed with plants."
"Ha! Edith owes me a Coke. She thought he'd knock up some little S and live a lie the rest of his life. But I says to her I says, the second any girl learns he knows the difference between a cattleya and a cycnoche, they're going to leave and find a more suitable man. He'll never stand a chance." Opal shrugged. "Well, send Harriet my best. I'm sure she'll find someone new in no time. And she'd better, she's not getting any younger. Her mystery flowers ain't gonna give you great-grandchildren!"
"That's what I keep telling her," Augusta grumbled. "But she doesn't listen to me. You know how kids are. Speaking of mystery flowers, though..."
Her eyes flicked to the microscope in front of Opal, raising an eyebrow. "What've you found?"
Opal scooted her wheeled stool aside to give Augusta space to look herself. "Unusual cell structure. They look like plant cells, and Edith's running tests to look at the biochemistry, but there are also animal elements. It's F'ing strange. And the G-D energy readings don't look like nothing we've ever seen." She paused. "I think you're right after all, Gussie. Harriet brought us something really F'ing special, exactly what we've been F'ing looking for."
Augusta looked into the microscope, then beamed. "Oh, good girl! She may not know how to find a man, but she certainly finds a lot of other interesting things."
[Backdated before Rictor talks to Shatterstar.]
Is this what a normal human life was like? Excitement on the weekends followed by a return to mundanity on Monday. No wonder they were always so mad at mutants and their constant lives of adventure. But after the few days that Rictor had survived, a prosaic life was welcome with open arms.
Rictor had not seen anyone when he entered the back entrance of Hordeculture and was prepared for a quiet, restorative morning until he found Augusta standing next to the checkout station, arms crossed over her chest and gazing down at him like she had a secret fear power herself.
"Good morning, Miss Augusta," he greeted. Playing dumb on non-business matters usually kept them off his back.
"What did you do to my sweet Harriet?" the old woman demanded, her tone threatening punishment. And soon.
Fuck. "Uh. What did she tell you?" He could feel the crepe on his face again, and was sure Augusta would do much much worse.
"All she said was men are scum." Augusta's expression indicated that she fully agreed. "And that she was leaving. She was supposed to stay for longer but you drove her away!"
He was already getting yelled at, and he would get further punishment if the store were not ready for opening, so he started his morning routine of inspecting the displays by the front entrance before he responded. "I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," he insisted. "I thought we were friends. Really. I didn't know she thought there was something else."
"Of course you didn't," Augusta sneered, rolling her eyes. "Men are such idiots. I told her not to get involved with you, but does she listen? Of course not..."
Her scolding trailed off into mutters as she started walking around the store.
"Next time you talk to her, can you please tell her again I am sorry? And that . . . my heart belongs to someone else. I guess in a way, she helped me realize that."
Augusta was quiet for a moment as she straightened some pots that didn't need to be straightened. "Is that right?" she finally said with a sniff. "Well then. I guess romance isn't lost in today's kids after all. What's his name?"
Rictor stumbled over a pot and nearly dropped the orchid he was holding. What had he said that clued her in? Did he give off a vibe? Then why the hell hadn't Harriet picked up on it? "Um, his name is Star."
"Star. Kids and their silly names these days." Augusta harrumphed. "Well, finish getting ready. Anything you drop is coming out of your paycheck."
~*~
Opal Vetiver looked up from her microscope when she heard Augusta enter the backroom. "So, did you tear him a new A-hole for scaring your Harriet away?" she asked before returning to her task.
"Oh I started to, but it turns out he's gay," Augusta said with the most put-upon sigh. "I told you no normal boy spends that much time obsessed with plants."
"Ha! Edith owes me a Coke. She thought he'd knock up some little S and live a lie the rest of his life. But I says to her I says, the second any girl learns he knows the difference between a cattleya and a cycnoche, they're going to leave and find a more suitable man. He'll never stand a chance." Opal shrugged. "Well, send Harriet my best. I'm sure she'll find someone new in no time. And she'd better, she's not getting any younger. Her mystery flowers ain't gonna give you great-grandchildren!"
"That's what I keep telling her," Augusta grumbled. "But she doesn't listen to me. You know how kids are. Speaking of mystery flowers, though..."
Her eyes flicked to the microscope in front of Opal, raising an eyebrow. "What've you found?"
Opal scooted her wheeled stool aside to give Augusta space to look herself. "Unusual cell structure. They look like plant cells, and Edith's running tests to look at the biochemistry, but there are also animal elements. It's F'ing strange. And the G-D energy readings don't look like nothing we've ever seen." She paused. "I think you're right after all, Gussie. Harriet brought us something really F'ing special, exactly what we've been F'ing looking for."
Augusta looked into the microscope, then beamed. "Oh, good girl! She may not know how to find a man, but she certainly finds a lot of other interesting things."
