Coombs & Co. [OPEN]

[jiyunnies]

Working multiple jobs is rather difficult, but nothing that Riley isn't used to. Since inheriting Knights of the Round Pie and beginning the renovations to transform the place into a museum, Riley's miraculously also kept up with her job at Coombs & Co. She credits Lily Middleton almost completely for being able to balance the two, since the sharp business woman/socialite has taken a recent interest in managing the museum project (probably due to the fact Lily is currently not speaking to her son and looking for something to work on to pass her days). 

 

And with Valentine's Day around the corner, every February, Coombs & Co. announces some of the biggest discounts of the year on their merchandise. On top of their regular potions and remedies, they offer cute, fun, and safe magical items revolving around love and friendship specially made for the holiday. For the past week, Riley has worked late in the evenings preparing these items and organizing the shelves. She even decorated the shop's front window to draw customers in. Really, she's gone a tad overboard, but Valentine's Day is a fun holiday and there's a bit of a humbug sister at home harshing Riley's mellow.

 

After lunch, she flips the closed sign over to open and unlocks the shop's door before taking a seat at the counter where she has packaging supplies laid out. Today, she's the only one in the shop, but Riley doesn't mind. The quiet means she'll get a lot done today. Placing a bar of "love" soap on a sheet of paper, she begins her task of wrapping the products one-by-one, humming a song to herself as she waits for a customer.

 

ooc: feel free to visit Riley at Coombs & Co or come by to buy some stuff & thangs (4 ur lovah~)

Comments

[bewitchinghaze]

Avant Garden is overflowing with customers, as per the norm when it comes to February. Normally? Val would be all about it, gleefully taking all of the money she can get. But considering what's going on with Grant and his new... wife, she's not particularly in the mood.

She lets her incredibly forced cheerfulness drop as the last of the latest wave of customers leaves the store and gives a sharp sigh. Resting her head on the counter top, she wonders what her sister is up to.

[txt] unnie... i'm dying

[ATTACHED: rip me]

[txt] unnie save me...

[asharpertongue]

Lara hasn't been to Coombs & Co for a while and her supplies are running low. Plus she's feeling in the mood to splurge a little and Riley always makes the most gorgeous stuff for Valentines.

She pushes the door open and breathes in deeply, enjoying fragrances in the air. Riley is wrapping things behind the counter but looks up when Lara comes in. "Hello, Riley." She said, stepping up and leaning on the counter. "Help my skin, please? It's hopeless. The winter has ruined me." she made a dramatic gesture and fell on the counter.

[aoife_coombs]

Valentine's Day and Aoife had a boyfriend to consider. That was definitely new, because she tried hard to not have anyone around during days like these. No boyfriend had ever joined her during December either, it was just too much of a fuss and wrong implications.

But now there was Isaiah and although they hadn't really discussed the day ..it would be rude to completely ignore it. Some assembly was required.

And it had simply been ages since she had been in the family business. Were those large discounts necessary?

[jiyunnies]

Riley feels the vibration of her phone in her back pocket quickly followed by a cute little tune she picked as her sister's text tone. Hauling it out and onto the counter, she scrolls through the texts and smiles. "Cuuute!"

[Txt] Such a cute Soo-Yun! How can I say no to that face?

[Txt] Are you done yet? Come help me wrap gifts and I'll order us a meal, alright? Unnie will rescue you with delicious food.

[jiyunnies]

Looking up from her work, Riley beams as Lara walks in and that's quickly followed by a laugh when her friend dramatically falls onto the counter. Riley reaches over, wrapping her hands around an arm and lightly massages it.

"Oh, poor thing," she coos. "These dry months just do nothing for your sensitive skin. I've got just the stuff for you, of course." She releases Lara and moves over to the shelves behind the counter. "Any preference on scent?"

[jiyunnies]

Riley looks up from her work to see Aoife Coombs and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't more than a little surprised. Aoife doesn't usually visit the shop, at least while Riley is around. So a part of her naturally wonders what could have brought her here.

"Hi," she offers with a smile. "Shopping or visiting?"

[asharpertongue]

"You're a life-saver, as always." Lara said, standing up and looking over at where Riley was moving through the shelves. "Have you got anything new? I feel like something fruity." She winked.

[aoife_coombs]

"Both."

Aoife needs nothing more than the family connection to know that her oldest sister isn't around, else it would have been Riley firmly in the back, ready to jump in when a Coombs matter would strike. This makes things just a little bit easier.

"And it simply has been ages since I've seen the inside of this place."

[jiyunnies]

"Mm, we have quite a few new things this year. Val's been growing some new breeds and I've been dying to try them." She glances back at Lara with a grin. "Feeling experimental? We can put togehter a custom scent just for you. Did that lotion work for you last year?"

[jiyunnies]

"It has. I feel like we keep missing each other and I haven't seen you or Amelie in forever." Setting down the wrapping, she gets up from her seat and walks around the counter.

"We have a lot of new products, as you can see."

[asharpertongue]

Lara's eyes sparkled. She loved being a guinea pig for Val and Rileys experiments. "It did. And I am always feeling experimental, you know that." She leaned over the counter a little. "The mango was lovely. Can we have some of that?"

[aoife_coombs]

Riley wasn't on anyone's side, a smart, sweet girl that would never be on Coombs level but wasn't plain enough to be far beneath them. Although Aoife couldn't think of Amelie right now without getting angry in public, Amelie and her horrible ideas about dating.

"What would you gift a man with?" Why not be out with it right away.

[bewitchinghaze]

[txt] Best unnie ever... Be there in fifteen. Just have to clean up ok??

Shoving her phone into her pocket, Val flips the sign on the door to 'closed' and sets about tidying up. A cursory clean up (she can always finish later) and she's out the door and on her way to her sister's work. Its a short walk and, soon enough, she's letting herself in and flopping across the counter dramatically.

"Unniiiiee... I'm so tiiired," she pouts, looking up at her sister with puppy dog eyes. "Please say you have good food here..."

[jiyunnies]

As soon as she receives the text, Riley puts in a call to a little restaurant nearby for delivery. And thankfully, it arrives before her sister does. She reaches out to pet Val's hair as she slumps over the counter.

"Aw, just think of all the wonderful sales. You've been working hard." She scoffs a little, lifting the bag of take-out from behind the counter and sets it in front of Val. "Please. I got us some Italian delivered. I asked for extra bread, of course."

[jiyunnies]

"Perfect," she grins. "Mango we can do. And maybe add a bit of Val's new herbs, kick up the scent a bit." She grabs bottles and containers off the shelves as she speaks, setting them down on the counter for Lara to expore. "Oh, and maybe some sea salt, give your skin some of that ocean feel."

[jiyunnies]

Riley blinks a few times as she processes Aoife's question. She shouldn't be so surprised by the bluntness of it. Aoife does tend to cut to the chase.

"Something personal, for sure. Depends on the guy? Does he like store bought or hand made?"

[asharpertongue]

"You're a witchy genius." Lara said, picking up a bottle and taking the top off to sniff it. "So are you set for the Valentines rush?"

[aoife_coombs]

Aren't those questions Riley is supposed to have the answers to? She crosses her arms under her chest and tries not to tap her foot in impatience.

"I ..don't really know that. We have yet to discuss products. Don't you have best sellers or something?"

[bewitchinghaze]

Sighing happily as the smell of the food winds its way into her senses, Val stands up straight and practically rips into the bag. "Oh my god. I love you so much. Best sister ever," she grins, mouth watering as she takes out the food and sets it up. "How has work been today? Busy?"

[phoenixfalling]

"Hey, Jungs!" Kim called out as he entered the shop, dragging a large, flat, rectangular package behind him. He was actually halfway through the shop before he noticed all the decorations around the place. There was all sorts of pink and red and it clicked with him that Valentine's Day was getting really, really close. He should probably start thinking about that. Turning toward the counter he saw that it was Riley there, which made him smile even more.

"Hey, just the sister I wanted to see. Not- not that Val isn't a delight," he added, glancing around nervously.

[jiyunnies]

"I know," she grins as Val practically dives into the food. Riley leans onto the counter. "Busy prepping everything. Not really a lot of customers today though. I expect tomorrow will be busier." Grabbing a container of lasagna, she pulls up a chair and takes a seat before digging in.

"How's the shop? From your texts, I'm guessing busy and hectic as hell."

[jiyunnies]

"Please, Lara. Flattery will get you everywhere," she laughs. Riley pulls a large bowl from under the counter and sets it out along with the ingredients for Lara's custom lotion and sets to work on carefully measuring out the ingredients.

"I think so. Much more prepared than last year. And since Moira decided to advertise the big sales, I'm confident we'll get a good turnout." She glances up from her work and smiles. "How are things in your world?"

[jiyunnies]

"Oh definitely." Getting up from the counter, she leads Aoife to a shelf decorated for the holiday. "Our chocolates magicked to enhance the taste are pretty popular. There's also this pack of candy that is charmed with inspiration. So whatever the person is motivated by, they'll be inspired for 24 hours."

[jiyunnies]

Riley looks up from her work and smiles when she sees Kim. "Don't worry. She's not here. And if she was, she'd be rather pleased to know her rep is still intact."

Noticing the large package following behind Kim, she cranes her neck a little to check it out.

"Okay I gotta ask. What do you have there?"

[phoenixfalling]

Kim visibly raxed at hearing that Val wasn't there. She had been a lot nicer once Riley turned Kim down for a date but he hadn't forgotten how scary she was. It was probably for the best that she wasn't here for this right now anyway.

"It's a late Christmas present. I know how your other poster of me fell down, so I decided to get you a new one. This time I had it framed and put behind glass though," he said, grinning as he handed her the brightly wrapped gift. It was actually a giant, black and white photo of them the day they painted the museum. It was a selfie and they were both giving the "V" and had smudges of paint on their face. It was one of his favorite pictures. "Besides, I've gotten a new tattoo since that last poster."