Ye Olde S33k & Finde

[fr33ks33k]

*He can't stifle the raucous laugh that bursts from his lips as she snags the bird and runs off with it. He yells after her, the laughter causing his voice to tremolo*

Don't be too rough with him! He was one of the harder ones to assemble!

*The bird itself squawks again as it is snatched from its perch, flapping clockwork wings futilely in an attempt to escape. When she asks it to say hello, it cocks its head to the side once before straightening up*

Yes I can, but I'd be more apt to do so if you let me go first.

*It follows it's speech with another tinny squawk*

 

[zydrate]

laughs and puts him down That's soooo cool!!!

Now...do this! dances along

 

[fr33ks33k]

*The bird flaps and lands on a shelf, bobbing its head and shuffling from side to side; the best a bird could hope to do where dancing is concerned. It squawks and chirps along, metal wings beating against various objects on the shelf it's perched itself on*

 

[Aurantica]

Aubrey poked her head out from between the shelves, astonished to see a woman and what appeared to be a mechanical bird performing some form of dance. At least, the woman was dancing. The bird could have been experiencing a malfunction for all it looked like a dance.

"How bizarre...."

She goes back to studying the micro-elephant's skull, gently taking it off the shelf and flipping it over, examining the base for signs of damage. All the delicate little seams where the bones fused together looked solid, convincing her that this was a mostly, if not fully, mature animal at the time it died.

But if it's a big herbivore, relative to its enviroment..... what killed it?

The skull showed no signs of advanced age, like missing teeth or damage to the gumline indicaitive of infection.... there weren't even any scratches in the skull to indicate that whatever killed it went after the animal's brains...
.
She walked out of the shelved area, the skull still cradled upside down in her arms like an bony baby. She walked past the dancing woman and set it down gently on the counter.

 

[fr33ks33k]

"I see you've found something that piques your interest....pygmy mammoths were quite rare. Is this what you propose to trade for?"

*He smirked, still hearing the young lady and the clockwork bird dancing. Ah, to be carefree...his eyes came back to settle on Aubrey, his smile slipping slightly*

 

[Aurantica]

Offers a polite smile, discreetly not noticing the funny sag on the corners of his mouth
Yes, that's right. What do you want for this?

 

[fr33ks33k]

I was under the impression that we were trading, whatever you found interesting for the saber-tooth teeth? Or did you wish to revise the agreement?

 

[Aurantica]

Looks him dead in the eyes, calm but firm

I am willing to exchange those teeth for this skull.... If that is not agreeable to you, we can discuss other options.

Ignores the hummed music and screeching gears from the woman and mechanical bird, still dancing in a corner

 

[fr33ks33k]

It's perfectly fine by me. So, the deal is struck then.

*He hefts the teeth up, one in each hand, turning them over again, admiring them. He ponders a spot to place them in the shop, coming up with a few suitable locations*

Feel free to keep browsing. If something else should catch your eye, don't hesitate to ask about it.

 

[Aurantica]

* Watches him carry the teeth off into the shop, hit by a pang of regret for leaving them*
"I... yeah, thanks..."
* Leaves the skull on the desk and wanders back into the shop, following the man at a comfortable distance*

 

[fr33ks33k]

*As he wandered into the stacks, he noticed Aubrey following him, a few paces behind. His brow knit into a curious expression, but it was gone as he found the proper spot for the teeth. The shelves here were full of ancient tablets in obscure languages, various implements and tools, and a few other sets of teeth, different in size shape and color. He put the saber-teeth on the middle shelf, next to an elongated tablet etched with hieroglyphs that could have been Egyptian, or perhaps Sumerian. After ensuring they were set properly, he continued to wander into the depths of the stacks, wondering if the girl would follow him still.*

 

[Aurantica]

Aubrey stopped at the place he chose for the teeth, studying the location and objects nearby so she could find her way back id she had to. A large window let light stream in from the right, making little rainbows where it passed through a old chandelier hanging low from the ceiling. That would make it easy to find.

The man moved on, not returning to his desk at the front of the shop, but walking deeper into the shop. Curiousity tugged her after him like a puppet, and she followed, at more of a distance this time, but still as silent as before.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*Taking twists and turns seemingly at random, he came to a large crossing of aisles. This place was empty, or so it looked. He moved to one of the shelves facing the center of the 'room', taking a small black bead in his hand. The bead seemed to have a fire burning inside it, flickering and flowing as he turned it over in his hand. He smiled, having forgotten about this area for quite some time. He set the bead back down and stepped into another aisle. If the girl was still following, she was doing it more clandestinely. His entrance to the aisle would be missed if she was too far behind. Surely she could find her way back out...the aisles weren't that labyrinthine.*

 

[Aurantica]

Aubrey hesitated at the junction of two lagre aisles, waiting for the man to get moving again. She heard the faint rustle of cloth, a soft scraping sound as if someone had taken a tiny object from one of the shelves, then a louder, faster rustle and the rat-a-tat-tat of something being dropped swiftly back onto whatever shelf it had come from. The man moved again, and aubrey slipped into the shadow of the aisle, scanning the shelves, looking for whatever had captured the man's breif interest. She stepped lightly down the aisle, but the only thing on the shelves that was small and hard enough to make that specific sound was a tiny black-red bead. She reached out a hand and delicatley picked it up, wondering what was so special about it that it was left here, alone.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*As she held the bead in her hand, the fire started to burn brighter, flicking tongues of flames outward until the entire orb was consumed with it. A gentle heat began to emanate from the smooth surface of it. On another shelf, a small statuette of a dragon began to rattle around of its own accord. The dragon had a cavity in its chest, approximately the size of the bead Aubrey held. The statuette continued to shake on the pedestal it sat upon, seeming to be growing more restless as the bead's fire intensified*

 

[Aurantica]

The loud rattle of something on a nearby shelf made her whirl around, dropping the bead. On a shelf opposite her, a statuette of a dragon rocked back into place with the last of it's momentum.
She bent to pick up the bead, unnerved by the statues seemingly independent movement. The bead was now fire-orange, and oozed heat, though it did not burn the carpet of the shop. She knelt, examining the bead and wondering whether it was safe to pick up.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*As the bead rested in the plush of the carpet, the fire ebbed, slowly lowering to the flickering it had been before. The statuette settled back onto its pedestal, though a low hum of vibration continued to reverberate into the open area between the aisles*

 

[Aurantica]

Aubrey quickly grabbed the bead and slapped it back into roughly the same spot as before, then rose and followed the man deeper into the shop, hoping he hadn't heard. She kept following him, like a wolf stalking a stray sheep, curious.

 

[fr33ks33k]

I'm sorry. I'm going to be brutally honest. I don't want you in here. Please don't come back. It was...well, it was almost interesting, mostly on my part. If I'm being rude, so be it. I just...well, I can't take it anymore....

 

[Aurantica]

Fair enough, thanks for your time.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*He returned to the lobby, accompanied by the small mechanical bear he'd built some time ago. It bellows in a tinny voice as they come to the counter. He sits heavily on his stool, while the bear climbs the front of the oaken counter. Once it reaches the counter top, it stands on its hind legs and walks over to a tall glass, pushing it to him. The glass is full of ice, mysteriously void of liquid, though he reaches into a drawer and remedies that. His first sip is crisp and clean; it's been a long while since he's had apple juice. It was definitely a good choice.*

 

[fr33ks33k]

*Heavy steps announce his presence, and he doesn't even bother with the mountain of junk on the counter. The solid oak door slams shut, and he trudges off into the shop to find something to help his sore muscles. After a long trek, he ends up in an aisle full of suits of armor. They are all different sizes, styles, compositions, from super-high tech bodysuits with power nodes and long glowing lines to ancient armor crafted from the bones and tendons of some awful beast. One set of armor, classic Arthurian knight in design, has in its hands a small red orb. The orb has a soft ruddy glow that seems to beat like a heart is encased within. Taking the globe in hand, he turns and heads to the small cot he has off to one side of the shop. The globe seems to lessen the stiffness of his muscles, ease the tension in his mind. Laying down on his back, he holds the orb to his chest, eyes drifting closed for a short nap. Hopefully his batteries will recharge by the time he has to rise again*

 

[fr33ks33k]

Excerpt from High Cost Of Living. Row 129, Bottom Shelf.

Yet again I find myself on the verge; of crying, of failing, of falling right
into the abyss I've created. Yet again I've let myself slip into the drudgery I
tried so hard to avoid, and I'm just making it comfortable. I guess living in a
box is preferable to living in a coffin. Sometimes I'm not so sure.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Excerpt from Alternate Forms of Beauty. Row 1034, Bottom Shelf.

She's got tattoos from chest to ankle, she looks damned good from every angle.
She's an angel with a crooked halo, she's a devil in disguise, beast full of
teeth with an innocent smile. In darkness she's a supernova, and in the light
she's the envy of the sun. She's an atom bomb hitting critical mass, she's a
nice pair of legs walkin tall and with class, she's the poison I pick when I
wanna have a good time. They say luck is a lady and god damn I sure am lucky,
this lady is mine.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Excerpt from High Cost Of Living. Row 129, Bottom Shelf.

Running on empty, and may my tank contain enough to get me to the next stop on the line. And if not, may I break down on this wretched highway, right in the middle lane of traffic while I meet my demise. Let the lookers-on break their necks to see my suff'ring, let them pile on the pain. And on the news that night, let the headline read: Man ascends from squalor by meeting head-on with destiny.