Calvin's Shoe Store

[trex]

*New Day*

Rex bounced into Calvin's shoe store, a big grin on his face. It had been about a year or so since he had gotten new shoes, and he needed them badly. When he walked, his toes squeezed against the ends of his shoes that by the end of the day his feet were sore and cramped up. He realized he hadn't gotten new shoes since he left home two years ago. Yes, definitely time for new shoes.

What with Rex not ever buying any cigarettes, not having the need to smoke or drink, all he had to provide for himself was supper and lodging. He wasn't Mr. Money Bags, but he had his funds that he stored under his bed, and that would be enough for new shoes. He knew from experience that new shoes were awful. They were stiff and gave your feet bunions. But they would break in eventually.

He sat on the little bench, fidgeting, staring at the several pairs he had already tried that were too small or too big. Rex didn't have superb memory, and he couldn't remember his size from two years ago, also he had grown since then so he had to estimate. He sighed, looking around for some amusement. He slipped off to one of the shelves, looking at all the boxes and shoe styles. He cracked a grin at some of the womens' styles, heels. He wondered how they walked in those, it made him grin bigger when he thought of his sister Muse. She was a tomboy and hated dresses, she would certainly hate those shoes.

He knocked some boxes off the shelf and fumbled to pick them up, set them back on the shelf disorganized. He stumbled upon a shoe size of 17. He laughed and wondered who in the world had feet big enough to fit those! He mosied back to the bench, not wanting to get in trouble if the lady came back to serve him and he wasn't there.

He found a package of shoe strings and his grin grew. Perfect art materials. Rex took them and tied them all together, some hanging at odd angles, very intent in his work. The lady came back, and he held the shoelaces behind his back, an innocent look on his face. She handed him the pair of shoes and told him curtly to try them on. Rex pulled the strings out and held it out to her, so it was practically dangling in her face.

He grinned and said, "Surprise string sculpture! Here, its for you!"

[scamp]

Rio was wandering around, looking at the different shoes, glancing down at her own worn out pair. She still hadn't decided if she really needed new ones or not, but what was the harm in looking, right?

She looked up as a boy came in, grinning. She watched as he looked around, and had to fight back a laugh as he knocked over a stack of shoe boxes and spilling them all over the floor.

Rio watched, amused as he grabbed a pack of laces and tied them together, hiding them behind his back.

She did let out a squawk of laughter then, as the boy shoved the laces into the storekeep's face. The look on her face was priceless.

She clapped a hand over her mouth, quickly turning back to her own stack of shoes.

[trex]

The shopkeeper didn't look so very happy about the shoestring encounter, and Rex was a little worried that she might throw him out before he could get his shoes, but with a big irresistible innocent smile like his, the saleslady just huffed and shoved the shoes into his hand to try on and then stalked away. Rex looked at her retreating back and then to his shoestring sculpture before shrugging. Maybe she liked the painting aspect of art better...

He stared down at the shoes and then tried to pull them on, huffing and puffing until he stared at them pointedly. The last ones were too big, the ones before that were fine at his toes but too big around the ankles, and these ones were worse than the shoes he had on now. Buying shoes was harder than he thought...he didn't even like wearing shoes anyway! Stockings were much more comfortable. He sighed and then his ears picked up a musical laugh and he turned to seek out the beholder of the giggle. He saw her and he stopped movement completely for a moment, watching the girl with the dark brown hair.

He got up and made his way up to her, stood right by her for a second and then with a grin, his blue eyes twinkling held out the strings for her and said, "Here. For you."

[scamp]

Rio listened as the boy tried to put on the shoes. She never liked trying on brand new shoes either, and could sympathize. Give her a hand-me-down pair any day. She dug out a box of shoes that were her size and took them out to look at them.

"Here. For you."

She squawked again, this time out of shock, not expecting the boy to be standing right next to her. She blushed and looked down, seeing that he was holding out the strings. She took them with a grin of her own, her embarassment at being startled fading away.

"Thank you. It's a shame that lady didn't like it. No appreciation." Rio shook her head, examining the gift. She looked up at the boy again. "No luck with the shoes, then?" she teased, knowing full well just how annoying new shoes could be.

[trex]

"Thank you. It's a shame that lady didn't like it. No appreciation. No luck with the shoes, then?"

Rex shook his head but still grinned. "Nope, those darned shoes are just too complicated. First of all, you have to find the right size, and when you haven't bought shoes in two years, that's hard to remember. And second of all, feet come in different sizes. People are never happy about their feet at all. The people who have big feet want little feet, and the people who have little feet want bigger feet."

Rex stopped talking and realized the first thing he does when he meets a girl is give her loopy string art and then ramble on and on about feet. He trailed off for a moment and then grinned a little embarrassed.

"What about you? Having an easier time than me? Basically, I wouldn't get shoes if I didn't have to, cuz I don't like wearing shoes anyways, but I can't just show up to work in my stockings."

[scamp]

Rio smiled as the boy rambled on about his shoe finding process, nodding in agreement and shaking her head as he grinned, finally catching on to his rambling.

"What about you? Having an easier time than me? Basically, I wouldn't get shoes if I didn't have to, cuz I don't like wearing shoes anyways, but I can't just show up to work in my stockings."

She shrugged, glancing at the shoes she'd been looking at earlier. They were a bit more expensive than she had hoped.

"Not really. Shoes are shoes. I don't really need them, and I can't stand breaking them in. The leather cuts into my feet and leaves sores and 's just a horrible, horrible ordeal. Though, if I worked somewhere I needed a good pair of shoes... " She shook her head, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she thought about it.

The shoes would be staying here today. Poor, poor shoes.

Looking at the boy again, she realized that she hadn't caught his name. Oh well. Never one for being shy, she stuck out her hand, grinning slightly.

"My name's Rio." she said, wrinkling her nose again, laughing slightly.

[trex]

"Not really. Shoes are shoes. I don't really need them, and I can't stand breaking them in. The leather cuts into my feet and leaves sores and 's just a horrible, horrible ordeal. Though, if I worked somewhere I needed a good pair of shoes... "

Rex just nodded with a smile, knowing perfectly what she was thinking about. She didn't like shoes either. He was rocking back and forth on his heels for a moment and looking around, until the girl introduced herself.

"My name's Rio."

"Rex," He told her simply with one of his big crazy grins and shook her hand. He listened to her laugh and laughed softly too. He liked the sound of her laugh, it was a nice sound.

[scamp]

Rio laughed again, the whole exchange seeming a bit awkward to her. She shook her head in amusement.

"Good to meet you, Rex." she said, grinning at the boy's own wide grin. "So, where is it that you work, if you don't mind my asking."

[trex]

"So, where is it that you work, if you don't mind my asking."

Rex shook his head, "No, I don't mind. I'm a stable hand for the adequate racetrack in Queens. I've always liked horses and everything that came with them, so I guess its a good job for me. Sides' for the empty times of the day when I pull pranks...my boss throws a fit...you work?" He asked curiously, he couldn't really tell if she did. She looked like the common working class kid, but he wondered what her area of expertise was. She could be a factory worker, or a newsie, or a pickpocket, there were so many jobs in the city. He remembered the time he had been some big shot's son and didn't have to work a lick. He hated that fact. He didn't see how any rich people could look down on the working class because working for your living was honorable and honest, while the rich took the easy way out.

He snapped out of his thoughts and sighed softly, staring around. It felt funny, being surrounded by shoes. He smiled at Rio and gave her a small mock exasperated sigh and then gestured to the shoes. "I don't think I'm ever gonna find the right pair."

[scamp]

((Urgh. Sorry this took so long. Couldn't come up with a post no matter how hard I tried, and this one is probably rubbish as well. D:))

I'm a stable hand for the adequate racetrack in Queens. I've always liked horses and everything that came with them, so I guess its a good job for me. Sides' for the empty times of the day when I pull pranks...my boss throws a fit...you work?"

Rio smiled, wondering if she'd ever had a job doing something she liked to do. She... didn't really like to do anything that had to do with work, unless reading was something, but she doubted that she'd be able to get a job at the library, so...

She shrugged at her own thoughts, grinning as Rex mentioned the pranks. "Ah. I bet he does. Sounds fun though."

She shook her head and then nodded. "Kind of... I'm sort of... new... to this whole 'work' thing. Selling papers seems to be the thing for me, at this point." She blushed, looking down at her feet. When she said it out loud, it made her realize how naive it made her sound.

"I don't think I'm ever gonna find the right pair."

Rio glanced up and around at the store. "Well, what kind of shoe are you looking for? Regular shoes, or boots, since you're working at a stable?"

[trex]

"Ah. I bet he does. Sounds fun though."

Rex nodded and grinned energetically, bouncing a little with excitement and shifting his gaze around. He forgot to show Rio his lucky Clover! He showed everybody his lucky clover! It was in the place of his lucky dollar...it got lost, slipped down a sewer hole...so he had needed something lucky. Muse's "real" brother, Thomas, had supplied him with the clover, and Rex was so dang proud of it he just had to show it off to everybody, just like he had done for his lucky dollar.

"Hey Rio! Look! Look! See this? It's my lucky clover!" He exclaimed, holding it out for her to see, it was a little silver clover attached to a string that he wore around his neck. "I used to have a lucky dollar, I had it for five years, but the wind took it and put it down a sewer hole, but now I got this! I have a new dollar, but its not lucky yet...cuz' I've only had it for a month. Have you got anything lucky? Cuz' if not you should really get something lucky cuz if you have something lucky then...." Rex trailed off for a moment, trying to think of an explanation, "Cuz then you'll be lucky!"

"Kind of... I'm sort of... new... to this whole 'work' thing. Selling papers seems to be the thing for me, at this point."

Rex nodded, so she was a newsie. "I have a sister in Brooklyn who sells the papes, her name's Muse. And I know what you mean by being new to work, I was too a couple years ago, I hadn't worked a day in my life before then...but I really don't mind it, working is a whole lot better than sitting around and doing nothin'."

He could just tell that Rio wasn't particularly fascinated by selling newspapers, there was something about her, something thoughtful, even if she was poor, she still looked like she had a little more about her that she should be using, not just selling newspapers. "Well, maybe you could keep selling for now, raise your funds, until you find something you really wanna do. I dunno...whaddya like? What you like can help you choose a job you like. You looks pretty smart to me, I can't see why somebody wouldn't hire you." He flashed her a big grin again.

"Well, what kind of shoe are you looking for? Regular shoes, or boots, since you're working at a stable?"

Rex listened to her question and then sighed, tipping his head as he looked at the boxes, he was terrible at making decisions. "Probably boots. Boots better for work, my old ones boots," he told her, hoping she could help him, the saleslady didn't seem to be helping any. He looked at her and just smiled in a sweet dazy way. Rio. Rio. Rex. Rex. He grinned, they're names both started with R and had three letters! He grinned happily at his new discovery.

[scamp]

"Hey Rio! Look! Look! See this? It's my lucky clover! I used to have a lucky dollar, I had it for five years, but the wind took it and put it down a sewer hole, but now I got this! I have a new dollar, but its not lucky yet...cuz' I've only had it for a month. Have you got anything lucky? Cuz' if not you should really get something lucky cuz if you have something lucky then... Cuz then you'll be lucky!"

Rio laughed outright at Rex's antics and chatter, thoroughly enjoying his energy and enthusiasm. It was so much better than the stuffy monotony that seemed to revolve around her home, if it could even be called a home. There was no laughter there.

"No, I don't have anything lucky, unfortunately. I think that if I'm supposed to have something lucky, it'll hit me in the head, and I'll know it." she said, shrugging with a grin. "Maybe I'm not suppossed to be a lucky person. It's entirely possible." she laughed, wrinkling her nose again.

"I have a sister in Brooklyn who sells the papes, her name's Muse. And I know what you mean by being new to work, I was too a couple years ago, I hadn't worked a day in my life before then...but I really don't mind it, working is a whole lot better than sitting around and doing nothin'."

Rio nodded. So, he did understand then. It made her feel a little less stupid and childish. "Yeah, you're right. I'd rather be working than shriveling up into nothing. Seems like a boring way to live."

I dunno...whaddya like? What you like can help you choose a job you like. You looks pretty smart to me, I can't see why somebody wouldn't hire you."

Rio shrugged again, biting her lip. What did she like? "Well... reading, I guess. People. I dunno. Never really thought about it, you know?"

She blushed again at his compliment, not used to getting them and didn't really know how to respond to it.

"Probably boots. Boots better for work, my old ones boots,"

Rio nodded, looking around at the shelves of boots and walked over to them. "What color? Black? Brown?"

[trex]

"No, I don't have anything lucky, unfortunately. I think that if I'm supposed to have something lucky, it'll hit me in the head, and I'll know it. Maybe I'm not suppossed to be a lucky person. It's entirely possible."

Rex nodded, never thinking about it that way, he just always picked an object he liked and declared it lucky. "Well, I hope you do get hit in the head with something lucky....gently. Cuz' you don't want a concussion neither," Rex joked and poked her in the side before grinning his wide continuous grin that never seemed to falter.

"Yeah, you're right. I'd rather be working than shriveling up into nothing. Seems like a boring way to live."

Rex nodded in agreement, "S' sure would be boring..." If there was one thing Rex hated, it was being bored. He hated just sitting around doing nothing. That's why if he was bored he would pull a prank or find something to draw or create art with, or do some flips.

"Well... reading, I guess. People. I dunno. Never really thought about it, you know?"

"Reading wow, see I told you you were smart. I've never been there but they got a big library in Brooklyn, probably thousands and thousands of books. We could go check it out after I find my shoes!" Rex liked Rio, and the thought of parting with a new friend so soon made him sad. He got a little shy, blushing and fiddling with a button on his shirt, glancing up at her. "I mean...if that's okay with you."

"You like people? I like people. It's a good thing to like people. I don't understand why soembody wouldn't like people so much that they would be hermits and live all alone! Er..." He just had to keep bringing up the funniest subjects. "Well, or you could be one of those social workers, you know, the type that visits people and tries to help them out if they're really struggling, inspect tenements and stuff. Some people are prolly too stubborn to accept charity, but some families really do need help out there..."

"What color? Black? Brown?"

Rex leaned over to look at the shelves again, scratching a mosquito bite on his neck and squinting with one eye, trying to make a decision. "Hmmmmm...Black." He decided simply, and grinned.

[scamp]

"Well, I hope you do get hit in the head with something lucky....gently. Cuz' you don't want a concussion neither,"

"Naw, that wouldn't be fun." Rio laughed, squealing slightly and flinching away as Rex poked her in the side. She shook her head as the ridiculous notion of a horseshoe flying at her head out of nowhere. "The bruising. That'd be worse than the concussion!" She made a face at the thought.

"Reading wow, see I told you you were smart. I've never been there but they got a big library in Brooklyn, probably thousands and thousands of books. We could go check it out after I find my shoes!...I mean...if that's okay with you."

Rio smiled at the thought of that many books, doubting that she could even read that many in her entire life. She loved reading. She shook her head at Rex, wrinkling her nose. "Of course it is! Can't go into Brooklyn all on my lonesome now, could I?"

"Well, or you could be one of those social workers, you know, the type that visits people and tries to help them out if they're really struggling, inspect tenements and stuff. Some people are prolly too stubborn to accept charity, but some families really do need help out there..."

Rio bit her lip. Social worker? She hadn't thought about that job before. "I dunno... I bet I'm not smart enough or patient enough for the schooling needed for that."

Sure, she liked to read, but school had always bored her and she'd never really seen the point, much to her mother's dismay.

"Hmmmmm...Black."

Rio nodded, looking at the boxes of shoes, tapping her chin in thought. She saw a box labeled with some sort of black boot and tried to shuffle it out carefully, but to no avail.

The whole rest of the pile wobbled and toppled over.

She looking down at the shoe boxes and, knowing that the same thing had happened earlier, looked up at Rex sheepishly. "Opps?"

[trex]

"Naw, that wouldn't be fun. The bruising. That'd be worse than the concussion!"

Rex laughed at the face she made, thinking Rio was awfully cute when she scrunched up her nose that way. He picked at a scab on his hand, before making a stubborn little face. He knew his Mother always used to swat his hand and scold him about that. He hated being scolded about anything, like the time he was a little boy and he had used some paints his governess had given him, to paint a picture on the foyer wall. He had painted it for a surprise for his mother, and when she saw it she screamed and nearly fainted. He had gotten in so much trouble that day...he didn't understand, he had worked hard on it, he thought she would like it. Rex scratched his head. Maybe he should have used paper...paper was boring though, too plain.

"Of course it is! Can't go into Brooklyn all on my lonesome now, could I?"

Rex shook his head energetically, his grin at its widest. He was so happy Rio had agreed to go with him. Maybe he could introduce her to Muse. Muse would like Rio he thought. "Maybe we could find Muse, she should be somewhere around there. Who knows? She would like you, like you lots. And maybe on the way, we'll find you something lucky!"

"I dunno... I bet I'm not smart enough or patient enough for the schooling needed for that."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I never liked school neither, always gave me ruler waps, could never sit still. I never got good grades neither."

Rex watched the pile collapse and grinned, laughing and called out, "Incoming! Shoe avalanche! RUn for your lives!"

He laughed at the look on Rio's face and then stared at the pile of shoe boxes, before laughing again. "Hehe, oh well."

He just hoped the shoe attendant wouldn't come their way anytime soon, but then again, he could make a shoe string structure as a peace treaty!