from a prompt on tumblr from a while ago.
Riley does not get paid enough to deal with about 90% of the people that come into this store. He really doesn't. Minimum wage does not adequately cover all of the trials and tribulations of working in a toy /Technically, he doesn't emneed/em to work here, but there's nowhere else and if he didn't have something to occupy himself with he'd go stir-crazy. Plus, customer service is supposed to help him with his nerves about talking to people, or so his mother said when she sent him to work here. So far, however, it has just seemed to make him incredibly bitter about humans.
It's not the biggest store in the world, but it is very cluttered, so usually people can pop in and out of alcoves without Riley realizing where they are unless there's some sort of noise going. He wouldn't actually know there was anyone in the young children's section... except for the fact that there's some obnoxious jingle coming from it. No, wait, scratch that. Two obnoxious jingles, and the faint sounds of muttering. Riley sighs. Alright, let's go see what's up.
What's up is some silver-haired guy that Riley has never seen before poking at infant's toys. He doesn't notice Riley (the benefit of walking very quietly, Riley supposes), so Riley just leans on his broom handle and watches. The stranger seems to have given up on silencing the other two toys he's set off and pokes at another one.
Which, of course, 20 seconds later, starts jingling. The guy leans back in alarm, frowning. Riley would laugh if the noises weren't getting on his nerves. Silver hair guy frets for a couple seconds before Riley clears his throat.
That makes the customer jump, turning around with a half-stuttered excuse already on the way out. "I. Uhm. Sorry for. Ah, disturbing the store, I just. Cannot make them stop doing," he gestures helplessly, "this thing."
"So you set off two more just to join the fun?" Riley comments. Okay, maybe that was mean, but he doesn't care. The customer mutters further, getting red around the ears. This time, Riley does let himself feel amused. "There's usually an off switch on the side." He steps beside the guy and leans over him to flick the small switch on the side of one of the offending toys. It silences. Another victory for Riley Maris. The first toy set off has quieted itself, and Riley shuts off the remaining one shortly
Ah. Thank you, quiet, for always being a true blessing.
Whoops, Riley is still practically leaning on this guy (the alcove isn't very big, he didn't have many other options), which seems to have only made the stranger more flustered than before, if the light red across his cheeks and obviously forced deadpan indicates anything. "Sorry, excuse me." He leans back.
"It's fine."
"Sooooo. What are you looking for and can I help you before you make another cacophony? I'm Riley, by the way."
"Steven." Steven drags a hand down his face, vexed. "Someone in the family– my niece? I think? Is turning two and I'm on gift-getting duty. I don't know what toddlers like." His tone sounds somewhat frustrated. Riley smiles nonetheless. Putting thought into buying something for someone he apparently doesn't even know well enough to remember relation. It's kind of nice, he supposes.
"Toddlers like pretty much anything they can mess with." Riley nods toward one of the toys that doesn't make noise– mostly because his own preference is to give children gifts that won't give their parents a headache. "Why not that one?"
Steven picks it up, looks it over, and nods. "Thank you. You have saved me." Mostly from further embarrassment at being incapable of understanding toys for infants, but hey.
Riley walks him up and checks him out (there's only about two people that work at this store so he's on everything duty). Steven mutters a bit before leaving, fingers tapping on the box in his hands. Riley waits for him to get a coherent sentence out. He knows the feeling. "So," alright Steven, good start. "Do you work just this shift? I mean. If I– Yeah." Steven cuts himself off with a shrug. He lost track of what a good excuse would be.
Riley raises an eyebrow. Usually that's the question he gets from teen girls twirling their hair. "Monday through Friday, eleven to six."
Steven nods. "Thanks. See you."
Steven makes himself scarce shortly afterwards. Talking with attractive people is not one of his skills, not that he would ever admit that's the problem at hand. Riley's just slightly confused. He got what he came for, why'd he need to come back and deal with Riley again…. Not that it would be bad at all should he drop by. Maybe he'll even hope it happens. Maybe.