Funky Furniture Fun (Attn: Shay and Ana)
Wren got in and pulled the piece of paper with the sketchy directions and address of the store off of the dash board and handed it to Shay. "You get to navigate!"
Wren followed the directions Shay gave and they found the funky little store in no time. Instantly Wren was enthralled. The outside of the building was bright red, and a giant, plush royal blue wingback chair was perched caddywompus on the roof of the building just above a sign that read Kelly's Basement. Wren assumed that referred to the odd bits and pieces of furniture that could be found in most people's basements. "How fun is this place?"
She asked her companions as she parked a couple slots down from the door. A young woman with dark curly hair, dressed in a black mini skirt, white corset blouse, orange and black striped tights, and big chunky mary-janes was pulling a sale sign out the front door. She waved at them and made a beckoning motion with her arm. Wren gave her a wide grin, turned off the car, hopped out and held the seat for Ana.
When she stepped out of the car, she thanked Wren for holding the seat again and stopped in her tracks as she focused on the store's outside. Resettling her glasses on her face, she commented, "Looks like someone shot this place with a heavy dose of LDS."
Ana had no room to complain, for as varied as the colors were in her own place, the store seemed to bring bright bold colors to a whole new level. "If I find furniture here... Don't hate me."
When she began patrolling for the force, she learned tricks to help her overcome the problem to a large extent, but since she had been removed from that environment for so long now, she wasn't sure if the problem would come back or not.
Glancing at the paper quickly to memorize as much as she could before the car started up again, she lucked out and only had to refer to it again twice. That, and the short distance to the store made the trip event-less.
A time or two Shay looked back at Ana, and smiled as she watched her new friend 'entertain' Russ.
As the car neared the store, Shay grinned. It certainly promised to offer a very eclectic style of furniture, if the exterior decor was any indication of what was inside.
"LDS...Latter Day Saints? OH! Did you mean LSD?" Shay laughed, not sure if Ana had made a mistake or not, but finding the idea of someone on LSD decorating the store to be a perfect explanation. Not that Shay herself had ever tried that drug, but she had talked to several people in her life time after they had ingested the substance, and was able to get some kind of idea as what it might do to a person's perceptions.
At least she didn't think she would be in any threat of finding anything for the condo here. And if she did, with Alexi's background she doubted he would appreciate the flavor any piece might have. But then, stranger things had been known to happen too.
"I doubt that would be an issue Ana..." Shay couldn't imagine anyone hating the lovely young woman.
Climbing out of the car, she walked around to where the other two women stood, and then followed them inside the store.
"If you find furniture here that means you and I have like minds, and I doubt I could hate some one of a like mind."
She grinned and fairly bounced into the garishly colored store. She walked in far enough that Ana and Shay could come in too, but not so far that she lost the first impression. She breathed deeply of the paint/wood/cloth smell that permeated all furniture stores, and felt a bit dizzy at the assault of color going on around her. It was mostly living room type furniture, chairs, small tables, couches, in every color of the rainbow and just about any pattern you could think of.
The girl waved at them and bid them welcome to Kelly's, before she went about counting the money in her register. Wren figured she had gotten in too late to do that before the store had opened, or she didn't care about discretion where that was concerned.
There didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the lay out of the store, but she did notice a grouping of ten or so plush arm chairs and made her way that way.
"I don't think I've ever see so much color in one place. Have you?"
She breathed deeply of that heady plastic and painted scent - not unlike that of a new book - and tried to pay attention to the reactions of Wren and Shay as they took in the store. Wren seemed to imitate the deep breath she herself had taken then waved at the cashier. Ana turned her smile to that girl, too, then her attention was drawn to Wren's comment. "Not since last year's Fourth of July fireworks display, no, I can't say that I have recently."
Her mind spoke up, "Yes you have!" and she suddenly remembered all the blood at her late friend's apartment... A wave of nausea overtook her and she stumbled to lean against a nearby green-trimmed indigo filing cabinet.
Walking a little further into the store she watched her friends for their reactions, and even glanced at Russ a second. All seemed fine except for Ana, who nearly fell into a very loud colored filing cabinet.
"Ana? Are you okay?" Shay put a friendly hand on the shorter woman's shoulder in an attempt to help steady her and offer support. The girl didn't look really well, and Shay hoped she wasn't prone to having fits or something. Rubbing Ana's shoulder, Shay glanced up to Wren wondering if they would need to call someone for assistance, but remained calm and focused in the matter at hand.
"Is it the smells? Would you like to sit down? I know I found it rather overwhelming myself, but if you give it a minute you should become used to it..."
Russ had begun to whine and wiggle in Shay's arm. He seemed intent on getting to Ana for some reason, and managed to actually reach the woman's cheek for a quick lick.
"Russ! Stop that a minute, would you?" Shay whispered loudly in her attempt to calm the pup.
"Are you alright?" She murmured gently, her unpainted lips touching Ana's temple.
Mentally, Ana took the photograph-like memory of Olivia's destroyed apartment and crumpled it in her mind's eye. She smushed at the 'paper' of the memory and tried remembering Olivia's face, seen only briefly in a few pictures, but somehow ended up with Fallon and Aishe. When she slowly opened her eyes, the fog of darkness split to the concerned faces of Shay and Wren before her. Clearing her throat, she nodded, "Just a bad memory that decided to remind me that it still existed. I should be okay. Thanks for... well worrying."
Ana stood straight, adjusted her glasses, and took a quick breath. "Are we ready to go psychedelicly shopping, ladies?" She held out her arms to the other two women.
Fortunately Ana seemed to get herself back to 'pre bad memory' condition rapidly, and was ready to go in just a couple more minutes. Shifting Russ to her other arm, Shay took Ana's offered elbow, and nodded.
"Ready when you are, but if you feel icky again, just say so, and we can stop till you're ready." Smiling softly at Ana, Shay hoped there wouldn't be any 'yarfing' in the store. That would be just so embarrassing for everyone, but especially poor Ana.
The psychedelic reference made Shay laugh, coming on the heels of Ana's earlier LSD remark.
"You know, when you look out over the entire store, and see all the colors, it does kinda look like someone threw up Peter Max all over..." Releasing Ana's arm to move to a section of the immediate area where a small grouping of furniture had been arranged, Shay stood and admired the setting.
"But when you look at the individual groupings, they really seem to go well together." Noticing a purple chair in the next setting, Shay moved over and rolled it out from the table it was nestled beneath.
"How about this one Wren...anything like what you're after?"
"After you."
She gave Ana's arm a squeeze and moved to the grouping Shay was in. She liked the desk chair, but she had one of those already a big cushy executive chair Drev had given her. He'd surprised her with it when she came home one evening after a long run.
"Actually I am looking for an arm chair to curl up in between classes with a cup of tea."
She turned to the near by green version of on in this particular grouping. It wouldn't match the green of her walls, but she liked the style of it.
"Kind of like this, but his green wouldn't match. Though that green over there would."
She spotted another chair that looked like it would fit two people in it and drown them in its big fluffy cushions. She moved over to it and flopped down in it, a soft moan escaping her lips.
"Now this is a chair. Come sit with me."
She beckoned to the two women. The chair would probably fit them all, but it would be squishy.
Throwing caution to the wind, but taking a skeptical look on her face with her, Shay walked to where Wren sat and sat down as well. Initially she remained poised on the edge of the chair frame, cuddling Russ in her arms. However to judge the chair fairly she then leaned back and sort of rolled into Wren's body before she settled.
Laughing Shay tried to right herself, so it didn't appear that she was trying to get to know Wren in the biblical sense, but wound up just making it more difficult. A small 'help' escaped her lips as she managed to look at Ana.
"I guess if it's just you, or you and someone...special...this would be quite the chair." Holding a free hand towards Ana, she begged for assistance.
"Help, please, Ana?"
After a moment or two she calmed down, leaning somewhat against Shay. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the brunette then at the raven haired dance teacher. "My turn." Turning, she hoped she aimed her bottom correctly as it fell to the side of Wren.
The feeling of falling into the chair was as if being enveloped by cotton. Super soft, body-conforming cotton. A sound reached Ana's ears; that of someone moaning in near-ecstasy. After it quieted and she felt herself sigh, she realized it was her own outburst. She felt her ears pinken as embarassment flushed her, but she felt so lazy she couldn't bring herself to cover her own face.
Her giggles finally subsided about the time Ana flopped in with her and moaned, an echo of the one she'd given. She sighed along with Ana, and snuggled deeper into the chair. It was perfect for two people, but wouldn't do for curling up with a mug of tea in her office, but it would be lovely in the corner of her bedroom or Drev's. Her cheeks pinked at the pictures in her head at the thought of Drev in the chair with her. Several shaky breaths, a cough and a shake of her head had her back to rights.
"After what just went through my head, I don't think I can have this chair in my office."
She grinned at Ana and Shay and started thinking about how in the world she was going to get out of the comfy softness.
"Between the sounds both of you are making, we better hope they don't kick us out of here for indecent composure."
Russ gave a short yap, as his two cents, and Shay began giggling all over again.
Wren's comment led Shay to shake her head, somewhat mimicking those of the dancer.
"They need a warning label on that thing. I can only imagine what that thought was, but it would seem to me that chair would be dangerous in any room of the house."
And her own mind quickly placed her and Alexi in the chair and she nearly moaned then. Instead she looked around at the other furniture pieces nearby, and wandered off to the next display.
The furniture she saw now was a little more to her personal liking, and she could see several of the items in her home.
"Of course we need to get out. I'll go first... Age before beauty, after all. Or something." Ana leaned forward and tried to rock out of the chair. Her momentum wasn't sufficient, so she turned to Wren with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I'm going to borrow your thigh." Placing her hand on Wren's knee, she pushed herself to the edge of the chair and stood carefully, then extended a hand to her former chairmate. "Your turn hon."
"Oh, Ana, I'm sorry!" She put her hads to either side of Ana's head, ad tried to right herself. She looked down at the younger woman and wrinkled her nose. "I don't think this is what either of us had in mind when we thought of getting to know one another. Hi! I'm Wren, the world's most klutzy dancer."
Grinning she lowered her head and gave Ana an eskimo kiss, then pushed up and rolled off the couch onto the floor, landing on her rear with a thump.
((permission given to abuse Ana *snicker*))
The closest she'd ever been to another woman was when Fallon and herself had their 'interludes'. Though, she rationalized, that was a completely different set of circumstances. But being that close to Wren was still... enjoyable. Rolling her eyes behind her closed lids she decided to try to figure out her thoughts later.
Rolling onto her side, she simply looked at the other woman for a moment before saying, "I bet you give great hugs."
"Well my boyfriend thinks so, but he's a bit biased."
She grinned and pushed up from the floor, standing with the boneless grace a life time of dancing had given her. She stepped back from the couch and stuck her hands in her pockets. "I was going to offer to help you up, but we might end up upside down in an umbrella stand or something."
She waited for Ana to stand before moving over to where Shay was standing looking at another grouping of loudly colored furniture. In that grouping stood a yellow wingback thickly cushioned chair with a matching ottoman. It looked like sunshine captured and pinned to a chair. It was perfect. With a small squeal of delight she dashed across the floor and flopped into the chair. It was soft and comfortable, but easy to get up and leave. She could curl in it or sit with her feet to the floor or on the ottoman. Plus, this yellow was an accent color in the paint Joey had applied to her walls.
"I found my chair!"
She smiled her thanks at Wren as the other woman moved over towards Shay. The novelist was looking at seemingly random items with no particular choice in mind, but Wren's sudden exclamation of striking gold was much understood - the chair she chose looked like someone carved it out of liquid sunshine. Or gold. Or postit notes. Or Big Bird. Shaking her head to shake her simile search, she giggled as her fellow shopper got into and out of the chair repeatedly, moving the ottoman back and forth.
Standing at the chair, she looked around, noticing sudden silence in the store. There seemed to be four somewhat-obstacle covered aisles leading away from the chair Wren was fawning over. Mentally measuring, she commented, "Looks like you struck gold, Wren. And guess what? X does mark the spot." She pointed unobtrusively at the aisles.
Casting a glance at her two friends Shay smiled. It was nice to be silly like this, and not worry about appearances. It wasn't really a mood Shay found herself in often, and she felt slightly uneasy. But since she was more or less a bystander, at the moment, she pushed the unease away, and enjoyed watching the other two.
When they both climbed out of the chair and joined her she looked at the table and decided it really wasn't what she wanted after all, and again refocused on Wren's new find.
"That is a beautiful chair...and I'd dare anyone to sit in it and not immediately feel chipper!" Shay wasn't exaggerating either. Just being around the bright yellow made her feel a little happier. "Put that in any room and instant sunshine!"
Winding her way through the few pieces that separated her from the other two, Shay moved next to Ana, and put free her arm through her friend's. The fact that the bright, sunny chair was in the middle of the man made 'X', truly did seem to be a sign.
"You're very observant Ana...it has to be a sign."
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yep, I want that yellow chair there." Wren pointed. "Do you guys deliver?"
"We do, but only on Thursdays. Is that ok?"
Wren made a metal tally of her week and decided Thursday would be fine, the guy at the storage place would take the delivery and call her so she could come put it in her unit. "That's dandy with me."
"Great!" The shorter goth-clad woman pulled a little square of paper from a pocket on the back of the chair and lead the way to the counter. Wren followed with Ana and Shay. Her two new friends stood off to the side so that she could conduct her business in private. She didn't care if they knew how much she paid for the chair, but it was nice to be given that kind of curtesy. She quickly settled the bill and arranged for the chair to be delivered to the storage facility. Joining her friends with a smile, they headed back out to the car. Once the engine was purring and the heater warming the chilly interior, Wren turned in her seat so she could see both Shay and Ana.
"So where to? The Studio or the mall or someplace I haven't even thought of yet?"