I read the news today, oh boy, about a lucky man who made the grade [February 4, OPEN]

[dead_black_eyes]

Who: Lazarus Lawliet and open to anyone!
What: A day in the life
Where: Multiple locations around town
When: February 4, Wednesday
Warnings: Mild swearing and suggestive content



A- Willow Ridge Boarding Academy, Morning

With the help of various Numbered individuals, a few discreet contractors and one chameleon-faced custodian, Willow Ridge is coming into its own and turning into a somewhat respectable establishment. By now, it's common knowledge that the teleporter is in the finished basement that Shou has helped to turn into a very comfortable work space, and a clear and efficient path, complete with helpful paper signs, has been established to help anyone who wants to use it get there as quickly and easily as possible. Since he owns and inhabits the building housing the main mode of Numbered travel between echo zones, Lazarus sees some serious traffic, and has gotten used to it. He no longer automatically looks up every time he hears a door and footsteps, but sometimes if he knows that there will be a lot of people coming through, he makes sure that coffee and donuts are available for travelers coming and going.

That's not to say that people don't come to inquire about other matters. L employs Numbered when and where he can, whether they're handy with tools, good with computers, or are just capable enough to learn how to make a good latte. He's easy enough to find, tending to stick to where the teleporter, computers and coffee are located downstairs. That being said, if he's not there and you're looking for a quiet moment to speak with him in private, he's probably upstairs in his room, sitting by the open window and taking a cigarette break.

B- Espresso Yourself, Afternoon

Now that Espresso Yourself is open again, it means picking up slack as the Numbered population worldwide seems to be thinning out. While that makes the remaining Numbered more high profile and curious to the general public, it also means that Lazarus is scooping up shifts and stepping behind the counter on days where he's short-staffed in an effort to keep the business running smoothly. As long as he's making something like a profit, he can put that money into other projects and causes. Espresso Yourself isn't a cash cow, but it takes in with enough to keep up renovations on the school and provide the people working for him with a respectable paycheck. Considering the social climate they're occupying, that's not bad at all, and Lazarus won't complain.

Maybe you're here to sample the vegan offerings on the menu, or for a mid-afternoon smoothie, but if you drop by after school lets out, you might get caught in the middle of some trouble. Four of Locke City High's football players come in wearing varsity jackets, laughing and joking as they order the most needlessly complicated drinks they can. L knows they're trouble the second they start teasing Torin's parrots, but even after he tells them to cut it out, they're talking too loudly at their table, making audible fun of Lazarus, his employees and the hipster clientele. He stares; one of them makes eye contact with him, and grins as he dumps what's left of his latte on the hardwood floor.

"Hey, this coffee sucks!" he says loudly, to the answering laughter of his friends. Lazarus sets his jaw, reaching under the counter for a bucket half full of soapy water and grabbing a mop as he comes out from behind the counter. The offending football player snickers, standing up to allow him access to cleaning up the mess, but Lazarus holds the mop out toward him.

"Uh, I don't work here," he snorts.

"Clean up your mess," Lazarus says softly, pressing the handle into his chest.

Another one of the football players stands up, and the one who dumped his coffee knocks the handle away.

"Look, it was an accident. You're lucky I don't ask for my money back. What are you going to do about it?"

"No accident," Lazarus says, picking up the mop and practically flinging it at the kid. "Clean up your mess, and then get out."

"You taking crazy pills, bro?" the coffee spiller's a big guy, and he's not used to getting this kind of lip from people he could absolutely smear into the pavement.

"Actually, I..." Lazarus eyes widen, then he pinches the bridge of his nose, cringing. "Oh, shit. My prescriptions. I forgot to refill my prescriptions. Uh..." he nudges the bucket toward the jock, who takes a jumpy step back. "Just clean this up, please. I have to make a phone call."

C- Drug Store, Evening

Lazarus avoids eye contact with the old lady in line to pick up her prescription.

"Heart medication," she says sweetly, turning to glance at him. "When you get older, everything just starts falling apart!"

"Yeah... I know," Lazarus answers. "I can see that."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I didn't mean... just that I know it's hard getting older. I'm sorry."

There's a frosty silence for a few moments. "What are you here for, multivitamins? Those look like the jeans my granddaughter wears."

"...yeah, multivitamins."

Lazarus gets his seven different paper bags, dropping them in his basket and ignoring the way the old women watches his back as he walks away. He takes a turn down his favorite aisle; the assorted scents don't make a difference to him, but he takes a few of every color anyway, filling the rest of the basket with disinfectant spray and wipes. As he's putting the last can on the shelf into his basket though, he pauses, placing it carefully back. Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Spring Waterfall Scent. Not today, no room...

He glances up at the signs hanging above the aisles, labeling their content. Isn't there room in his life, now? Taking a quick survey of who is around and who might be watching, he goes several aisles down, staring at a pink, orange, and purple array of boxes. Words are printed on them to evoke pleasure, ecstasy, the promise that they won't be noticed. He reaches for one, selecting it more or less randomly, shoving it into his basket along with the many bottles of Lysol. As an afterthought, he reaches for a bottle of lube, debating whether or not to pocket it or put it back, but feeling strongly that it's a decision he needs to make quickly before anyone sees him.

Comments

[dead_black_eyes]

It's a reasonable concern, considering L has done precisely that before. He's very justice-minded, and while that's fantastic for a motivated detective, it's not so much when it comes to a business owner who's more concerned with keeping the peace than exacting vengeance, deserved or not.

"You're right," he responds doggedly. "Are you sure you've got it? I know you can handle it and that is in the manager job description, but I feel bad constantly handing these types of conflicts off to you to deal with. It's unpleasant."

[radiantchicken]

"Of course I've got it, unpleasant or no." Torin chuckles. "Have you ever seen a group of misbehaving children storming through a zoo? This is nothing. Besides, I have a bit of help if I need other ways of taking care of them."

He gives a parroty-sounding whistle, and Pedro, the African Grey parrot with the horror movie fixation, hops off of his little perch and flies over to land on Torin's shoulder. "Pedro's excellent with the art of distraction. I'm trying to channel his energy towards more positive outlets."

[dead_black_eyes]

He hasn't, but it's sad and awkward to bring up his miserable and lacking childhood too much, so he shies away from the subject. He clears his throat, doing his established thing for these types of instances and beginning to go through the paperwork. Expense reports, inventory... dull and tedious, but they require a good and thorough eye for detail. He's got this.

"...what do you have in mind?" he asks warily, eyeing Pedro. "Does this have anything to do with that tendency of his you mentioned?"

[radiantchicken]

Torin reaches over and strokes Pedro's chest feathers, making the small parrot puff up a little bit. "He's very smart. And many humans have soft spots for animals misbehaving. He can bring small items to people, and he can just as easily take them away. Some people might become distracted by a parrot stealing coffee stirrers.

"And in a worst-case scenario, there is always...the divebombing." Torin sighs. "It's not the best way to handle a problem, but I can testify that it does work..."

[dead_black_eyes]

L seems a little hesitant initially about permitting it, but he made a decision a long time ago to trust Torin's frequently superior judgment. He pinches the bridge of his nose, but nods, ultimately acquiescing before throwing himself into paperwork.

Outside, the highschoolers are grumbling, but they'll stop immediately the moment Torin is in view again.

[radiantchicken]

Annoying people with parrots as a last-ditch scenario probably isn't the best judgement Torin could exercise, but it's at least creative. He goes back out there to keep a wary eye on the high school students, arms crossed. He is the picture of the irritated, unforgiving birdman.

Pedro, for his part, will flit off of Torin's hand to follow L into the office to curiously prod and poke at the paperwork before finding a pencil and starting to gnaw on it. He is such a helpful parrot. At least he'll come when Torin calls.

[dead_black_eyes]

That picture is enough to strike fear into the would-be troublemakers, but if Torin relaxes his watchfulness for even a moment, they'll mutter among themselves. Wounded pride doesn't make for happy workers, and they resent that someone bigger and tougher than all their posturing put them in their place.

While Pedro "helps" with L's paperwork, the man gives him a wan smile and holds out a finger to engage with the bird's head and beak. For someone who's not always ideal with people, L has a gentle and patient temperament that's especially noticeable around children and animals.

[radiantchicken]

Torin wishes he didn't have to play the villain like this, but particularly foolish humans often respond better to visual threat displays than reason, sad to say. He's very good at keeping an eye on them as he wipes down one of the counters.

Pedro eats up the attention, and he'll make sure to maneuver himself so L can give him the very best head scritches.

[dead_black_eyes]

The dynamic has gone from machismo to fear to an uneasy mixture of fear and resentment. When they're done, they don't even look his way, keeping their heads down and gathering their things quickly as they leave.

L pokes his head out of the office a little while later, holding his arm level and steady as Pedro seems to have decided to use it as a perch for the time being.

"They're gone and there are four new 1-star reviews on Yelp, so... I guess that's a victory?"

[radiantchicken]

"We don't have the greatest Yelp score, no," Torin says sadly. "I'll try to respond to the complaints later." Though he does feel like he's fighting a losing battle, he still valiantly tries to keep up with the social media side of things.

Pedro's rather pleased with his new perch, and he's happily pacing up and down L's arm.

[dead_black_eyes]

L laughs ruefully. Their Yelp score is absolutely in the toilet, along with their score on most other websites of that type. The frustrating thing is that it has everything to do with the sordid reputation and the Numbered association, and nothing to do with the quality of the food, atmosphere, or cleanliness. L works hard to maintain those things, so it stings.

"You work so hard," L says softly. "I've told you before that your optimism is all that keeps me going some days, have't I? No pressure or anything."

He watches Pedro pace, a smile flickering briefly across his troubled features.

"These guys are nice, too. I'm glad you brought them in, they have a way of making a person feel... big. Capable. Able to provide."

He speaks exactly like someone who never had a pet and was never responsible for taking care of another living thing growing up.

[radiantchicken]

Torin tries so hard with the social media aspect. So hard. At least he's gotten good at Instagramming photographs of coffee. There might be a few hipsters out there who appreciate him.

And L appreciates him too, which is infinitely more important. He puts a hand on L's shoulder. "I appreciate your faith in me, my friend."

Pedro's still happily pacing along L's other arm, and Torin would smile at that if having a beak allowed for it. "They are something, aren't they? And you're very good with them." It's reassuring, for Torin knows that if he were to lose his echoes, L would be able to take good care of him.

[dead_black_eyes]

L struggles with all aspects of social interaction. He's better in some ways than others; his earnestness and sincerity, for example, come through clearly, as does his willingness to stick his neck out for people. It's earned him some powerful friends. But engineering an online presence through social media? Forget it; Torin is far better suited to the job, and if even he is struggling to keep them afloat, there's a definite problem.

"Well... you've never given me a reason to doubt you. It comes naturally," he says briskly.

He brightens considerably at Torin's observation. "You think so?" he asks animatedly, taking the praise right to heart. "OK, that makes all the rest of the trouble today worth it. I'm good with parrots and that knowledge thrills me."

He pauses.

"Fuck teenagers, though. At least a great many of them."

[radiantchicken]

Torin has to laugh. "Parrots are more straightforward than human teenagers. And even when they're being mischievous, I don't think there's any real malice behind it. They're just trying to have fun and don't realize it isn't fun for everyone." At least, that's how he's explaining away Pedro's penchant for shrieking about the Shining at inopportune moments.

[dead_black_eyes]

"Parrots can be forgiven," he decides, allowing Pedro to climb his sleeve and eventually settle on his scrawny shoulder. Its lack of flesh and prominent bones probably make it a pretty ideal perch. "And I guess that I should extend that to human teenagers, as well... I was a hellion at that age, and I should really understand more charitably."

[radiantchicken]

Torin chuckles. "I was a bit of a hellion as a parrot. I know the feeling." He watches Pedro perch, amused. "Though I was much more likely to bite than Pedro is. He's well-behaved in that regard." No, with Pedro, the problem was the strange noises he'd chosen to mimic.

[dead_black_eyes]

"From what you've told me, I'd probably want to bite in your place, too," Lazarus admits. "But everyone needs that outlet. Hopefully demonstrated in a healthy and constructive way, and not... a damaging one. That can happen without the right guidance, for parrots and humans alike."

[radiantchicken]

"That it can," Torin agrees. "But I think I've got these three well in wing. I'll have help with it, after all."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Of course," L is quick to supply. "Whatever I can do to help, I'll definitely handle it, and don't hesitate to ever let me know if you could use more. I might not be a natural like you, but I do very much like seeing living things grow and thrive."

[radiantchicken]

"Thank you." Torin gives L a satisfied nod. "I'm sure that between the two of us, these little parrots will do just fine."