2025-03-14 - Five Stars, Lots of Notes

It's a Friday afternoon at Ruby's Secondhand goods. It's not super busy, but there are customers here and there. Ravin is strolling among the home goods and looking at things. He's wearing a drapey mumu, today apparently going with comfort over fashion. "I really need to remember to bring someone with me for thrifting. So many snarky amusing comments and no one to share them with..."

Aaron has been seen much around the park for the last week or so. He requested the time off for personal reasons, he is in sneakers, a pair of sweat pants, and a hoodie with his hair pulled up with a ball cap pulled onto his head. He does have two small heads poking out from the neck of his hoodie looking around, he heads deeper into the store spotting Ravin he gives them a silent greeting of a up nod for a hello. Five and CC give them their own greeting in soft trills.

Ravin gives Aaron a cheerful wave, with an extra little wave for the snugglebunnies. "Point's at home. Hopefully sleeping." He holds up a particularly hideous vase in lime-green, soft pink, and a distressing shade of purple. It looks like there was an attempt to paint flowers, but even grade-schoolers would be better at doing so. "Where did this come from, and why would anyone want it? Who could be desperate or colorblind enough to put this in their house? I have questions!"

Aaron raises a brow and moves closer to look at the vase in question and blinks again. "Gah, my eyes." He hisses softly, his voice horse-sounding, as if maybe he has been sick or something else. These two hate being alone, so I took them out with me." He looks to the snuggle bunnies and then to Ravin. Perhaps leave a note telling whoever looks at it next just don't do it."

Ravin laughs delightedly. "Notes, yes... wait. I think I have a pad of sticky notes in my bag." He roots around in his giant purse-like bag and does, indeed, produce a little book which apparently contains sticky notes with colorful musical notes printed along the bottom and some little sticky arrows things, as well, then a pen. With sparkly-purple-gel ink. "You okay? You sound a little rough. I'll have to figure out how to phrase this."

He thinks for a moment and then the pen writes:

All the rage in an alternate dimension where the laws of color theory are different.
Please return to its correct universe before it causes any more psychic damage in this one.
1 Star.

The note is stuck to the vase and it is returned to the shelf.

Aaron watches Ravin pull the colorful stickynotes out, "OH those are cute!" he smiles then looks at what Ravin writes down and he snickers, "Oh man, Ravin that was great." he hmms, "Can I have a few of your stick notes?" he doesn't answer the question right away but he does eventually answer it, "No, not really." he looks to Ravin then the shelves. "Josh got pulled home, his father fell ill. Its just a lot not having him here anymore. It doesn't look like he will be coming back either." he frowns and ducks his head slightly. "Ugh, what is up with some of these dishes? why would you put this on a plate?" It's a white plate with a branch and two pigeons on it with the words Let's s**t on everything together around the outside.

Ravin peels off a stack of several of the notes and hands them over, then digs out another pen, this one with almost glow-y, bright blue ink and passes them over. "Oh... oh, that sucks. I'm so sorry. Breakups are awful. Once we're done here, we can get some ice cream and hang out watching sad movies, if you want." He studies the plate and snorts. "As a sampler, that could be cute. As dinnerware... please no." He spots some old, classic Corningware, the ones with the veggies and leaves printed on the side and writes another sticky note:

Time Tested. Grandmother Approved.
The chips in the handles are part of the charm.
4 Stars

"Yeah, I like that thanks." he looks to the pen and the little notes he smiles, "Thank you." he moves to write on one then stops and looks to Ravin, "Really you think its okay as a dampler plate?" he looks to the plate as if studying it for a long moment, "Hmm." he writes on one of the notes.

As a sampler, sure.
Dinnerwear..Please do not recycle.

Aaron looks to him, "I hope you don't mind I added what you said cause that plate just troubles me for some reason." he laughs.

Ravin laughs. "No, no. I meant those cross stitch things for your walls. Hang it on a wall, sure. Eat off it, not so much. But please, steal any quips you like. I certainly do. Theft of phrase is the highest form of flattery."

Aaron ohs and looks back at Ravin his cheeks turning pink in a blush, "Yes I could see it hung on a wall but not to be eaten from." he makes a face. He shakes his head as he continues to look around. "Oh no! What is this!" he looks horrified at a set of pots and pans that are a forest green color but more like pea soup green. "That's the color of myaunt'ss kitchen, all her cabinets, her stove, frid,ge everything!" he picks one up to show Ravin, "How could they decirate with this color, I think its the same color to this day!"

"I'm told it was the 70s and you had to be there," Ravin quips. "My personal theory was they were on so many drugs that they didn't see the actual colors of the walls anymore." He spots a waffle maker, then opens it and starts laughing. "I think this makes waffles that look like Lego bricks, so you can build things with them. Oooh, hey, this one makes hearts and smiley faces."

"I am glad I wasn't there." he looks at the color of the pan again and puts a sticky note on it that reads.

Drugs are bad, M'kay
0 stars

He cover the poor snuggle Bunnies eyes, "Don't look babies, people didn't know what they were doing when they made that color." he kisses the tops of their heads and moves on. When Ravin finds some interesting waffle irons he gives over to look, "OH I seen these before! I almost got one off of Amazon that makes start wars waffles!"

As an adult, no one can tell you not to play with your food!
5 stars!

Note left on the waffle irons, Ravin grins. "I may come back for those. We'll see. Though I don't ever actually make waffles, so they should probably go to someone who will use them." Across the aisle he spots a selection of blankets and bedspreads and quilts. "Is that a Yoda throw blanket? I... I may need that."

One would think Aaron just got whiplash when he heard the words "Yoda throw blanket" come from Ravin, There is a gasp and a "What!" that almost comes out as a squeek. His eyes go searching to see where Ravin is looking. "Ooh, blankets!" he loves them. "You can never have to man, and the more, the better your blanket nest will be!"

"We can ro sham bo for it." Ravin heads across and sets the Yoda throw to one side, then starts sorting through the other blankets. "Ohhhh, Aaron, come feel this one. This may be the softest thing I've ever felt." The colors of the blanket Ravin is holding out aren't great. A little too pastel-cartoony, but somehow clashing in a bad way. It's hard to get pastels to clash, but they've managed. And the printing registration was clearly slightly off so the flower pattern looks slightly blurry and dysoptic, but it's a super plush, soft, silky blanket that makes you want to pet it.

"We can what for it?" he smirks as he is called over to feel the blanket Ravin found, his fingers caress over it. "OMG its so soft, it almost feels like the little guys." he looks to the two heads popping out the neck of his hoodie. "Thats amazing feeling, ugly as sin but amazing feeling." he brings part of it up to cress over his cheek and chin like he was trying to snuggle to it. "So soft."

So ugly. So soft.
Please someone find me this with a better pattern and color scheme.
2 stars.

Ravin digs out a safety pin and attaches the post-it to the corner of the blanket. "Rock, paper, scissors. And right?! I don't think I can bear the colors, but I'm almost willing to."

Aaron laughs at the post-it note that is left on the blanket, "So very tempted but the colors and pattern!" he shakes his head putting it back down. "It makes me sad. It would have been an amazing blanket to snuggle up under." he grins at Ravin. "Oh tes RPS!" he smiles moving to see what other kind of blankets there are, "Holy mother of sea pearl what is this." he pulls out of of those old quilted blankets with lace and beads sown on, you know the one your mom tells you when your a kid your great, great grand mom made and was passed down.

"Ooooh. That is both lovely and terrifying. And the beads always look so nice, but then they're hard and awkward for actually using it as a blanket. And heaven help you if the thread breaks." Ravin finds one of those blankets where they took two pieces of fleece and made fringe around the edges that they then knotted together. Which would be fine if one of the fleeces weren't day-glo yellow and the other weren't an acid-trip-rainbow-heart pattern. "Do you ever wonder if someone, somewhere is trying to see how ugly of a fabric they can make and still have people buy it? I almost like the heart side. Almost."

Aaron writes a sticknote and pins it to the blanket.

Please recycle me
1 star

Looking to the blanket that was found he blinks, "Gah, you almost need sun glasses to look that that thing." he looks it over, "Its like a box of Crayola neon crans had a kid and it was the blanket." he wrinkles his nose, "Man what are people thinking."

"I don't know. I truly don't. Somewhere. Someone had to approve the production of both of those fabrics. And someone had to buy them. And someone had to choose them to make a blanket from. So many people. So many horrible choices." Ravin shakes his head and adds a note.

How many people had to make poor life choices for this blanket to exist?
Make better choices than they did.
1 star.
(Because it will at least actually function as a blanket so long as you can't see it.)

If ever there was an 'I just got off work, and it's been a day' look, it would be painted all over Zack's tanned face as he comes into the thrift store. The untidy state of his hair sets off that look pretty nicely, but that at least looks as though it's probably intentional. He pushes it away from his eyes as he comes through the door and looks around.

Aaron and Ravin are off near a bin of blankets. Aaron is laughing with a smirk and shaking his head at a blanket Ravin is holding up to him. "Oh man, spot on with that one." he chuckles; it looks like the two of them are sticking little sticky notes up on a lot of things around them! Welcome to the sticky nite party!

"I don't think I can face more horrors in the blankets..." Ravin glances around and his eyes light up when he spots a pile of stuffed animals. "Oh... oh no... wait! Is that?! It IS!" And he pulls out a stuffed Hulk Hogan print doll about two and a half feet tall. One of those old pattern things where the two sides would be printed on a piece of cloth so someone could cut them out, sew the halves together, and stuff it. This one is in surprisingly good shape for probably being at least forty years old. It's got a few stains and one or two sewn-up tears, but still. "I'm not sure there are words for this one."

Faced with the chaos of the thrift store, Zack looks lost for a moment, before he notices Ravin and Aaron, and their sticky notes. The smile that had faded into a look of confusion at his first sight of the thrift store returns, wide and open, full of an enthusiasm that even a long day at work apparently can't dim. He closes the space between them at a trot.

"Hey, uh. Excuse me?" His accent is less East Tennessee and more East! Tennessee!, thick enough that some might have trouble understanding him. "Do y'all work here? Can y'all point me at the pants?"

Aaron looks over as Zack moves over. "Hey!" he waves his hand quickly at him, he is dressed in sweats and a hoodie that has two small heads peeking out, ears up looking at Zack as Aaron does. But then he is back to looking over at Ravin, "Yo! Ravie! You found a Hulk Hogan pillow!" he laughs looking it over, "That is so retro!" Did he just drop the word retro? He looks back to Zack, "Sure, they are right over there." he points a couple racks down. "I'm Aaron, and this is Five and CC." he looks to the snuggle Bunnies in his hoodie. "Thats Ravin."

"I don't think either of us actually work in the store..." Ravin looks Zack over...and then Aaron helpfully points out the location of the pants. "But there you go. Welcome." He considers the pillow and then writes on a post-it note and attaches it.

For when you absolutely MUST body slam someone.
Mud wrestling not recommended.
3 stars

"If you find something gorgeous, hideous, or weird over there, let us know and we'll come snark about it."

"I'm Za - ah. Whoa."

Zack has already launched into introducing himself before he really registers the sight of the two pink heads peeking out of Aaron's hoodie. He takes a quick, instinctive step back; he's light on his feet, capable of moving pretty quick. His golden hazel eyes are wide, the look of someone who's trying, and failing, to process what he's looking at.

"Well I'll be. If those ain't the weirdest darned rabbits I ever seen. They yours?" He asks this question credulously, despite, you know... the snugglebunnies being in Aaron's hoodie.

Aaron blinks at how startled Zack is when it comes to the snuggle bunnies, and so are the snuggle bunnies themselves. They dip into the hoodie to hide, there are soft little trill sounds as they move around to curl up to one another. "It's okay, they won't hurt you."

A smile beaming over his face at Ravin then looking to Zack, "Well Yeah, they are both mine now but one belonged to someone else. But they had to leave so I keep Five for him." there is a dip in his smile and he moves to look at the stuffies again. "I wonder what else we can find."

"I think people have been calling them snugglebunnies. They showed up in February. We're not sure some where. But they're cute and they're cuddly, and they've mostly stopped constantly singing." Ravin pauses. "Do NOT leave them alone around anything even vaguely sweet that you would like to still be there when you get back. Are you new in the park? How... much about the unusual things here do you know?" Ravin pulls out a stuffed, plush, cartoony Santa Claus. "I can't decide if this is perfect Christmas decor or just kind of sad because you can only really have him out one month out of the year without looking weird."

The turn of Aaron's countenance causes Zack's wide smile to temper into an expression that's so earnest it's almost painful. "Ah man, I'm sorry to hear that."

He doesn't demand that Aaron remain on the subject, however; in fact, there's a certain amount of 'giving of space' in the way that he turns his attention to Ravin.

"I've been working here I guess... a month, little more? I been so busy I ain't had time to look around at things much - new job and all that - but, uh..." He hesitates, and pitches his voice a little bit softer to confide: "I seen some stuff I can't really explain, if you get me. Nobody seems bothered about it, so I ain't really wanted to ask. You... you ain't serious about the singing, are you?"

"I think, sad Ravie. He is too cute not to keep out." Aaron smiles as he starts to dig through them more, "Oh my god! Is that a.." he digs in deeper in the box of stuffies, "It's a munch chi chi doll!" he pulls it out showing Ravin, "Why would someone let this go!" it's such an adorably cute and creepy monkey.

Aaron looks to Zack, "I am kind of new to working here as well, welcome to the park." he smiles then looks to the monkey.

"I am absolutely serious about the singing. They sort of come in pairs, but were separated and had to find their match by singing little songs to each other. They also used to be screaming pink and are now all gray." Ravin sounds fond, though. "Mine is at home." He considers the Santa and then sets it aside with the Yoda blanket. Well, the decor will be interesting at least. "I begin to think that someone had a large box of toys from the 80s and 90s that they decided to turn in." Ravin nods along. "I got here just after new years. Where do you work?"

Zack's grin for Aaron is part friendly, part wry.

"It been as weird for you as it's been for me?" He asks. And then, filling in for Ravin: "I'm a paramedic. It's been real different, just dealing with sprained ankles and scraped knees instead of drug overdoses and bums who want a ride to the hospital. And bloody noses." He laughs, rueful. "Teach me to wear brown pants to work. Some kid had an unholy bloody nose, today. Kid panicked and it got everywhere. I been to car accidents and stabbings where I saw less blood than that."

The stuffy that Aaron pulls out finally catches Zack's attention as to what the two of them are actually up to.

"... What is it that y'all are looking for over there?"

"It's been a bit of getting used to that's for sure." his hand gently pets the lump that's in his hoodie that are he two snuggle bunnies most likely sleeping now. "Yes, if you come across them do not leave anything sweet near them." he gets a sticky note out and writes on it then pins it to the Munch Chi Chi.

Please adopt me.
Needs a good home.
5 star

"I am a photographer for the park." he tells them both as he digs further into the stuffed animal bin to see what he can find. "Srsly look at all these things, this is crazy, Oh! Ravie look!" he pulls out a blue carebear, "Its grumpy!" he laughs.

"You know, I knew someone who did the voice of Sunshine Bear for a while." Ravin comments, then nods to Zack. "It takes some getting used to here, yeah. People will just... change into animals or there will be two of them walking around. The first time I changed the lighting around me I almost didn't realize what I was doing. I just thought the techs were doing a run. Though also... I can see how if you're used to dealing with drugs and violence this would be nice, even if panicking children with bloody noses is a recipe for biohazards."

Ravin grins at Zack. "We felt some of the items needed commentary. So we've been leaving reviews. Want some sticky notes and a pen?"

Zack looks... not skeptical, exactly, but people turning into animals is probably beyond his limited realm of experience, working in the park.

"It sure won't be boring, I'll give it that," he says after a moment, diplomatically. When offered the sticky notes and the pen, he raises a hand in a warding gesture, with a smile. "I don't know what I'd write." He laughs. "Don't know that I'd want y'all to see my handwriting, anyway. Is, um. Is that a thing people do? Review stuff like this is Amazon?"

Aaron moves to put the blue carebear near the Yoda blanket and whatever else has been put to the side. He looks over to Zack, "Ahh medic, always good to have one about." he chuckles shaking his head, "As long as you don't write lock a doctor you're good and just write what comes to mind." he grins as he looks over to ravin to see if they have found anything interesting.

Ravin laughs. "So far as I know, it isn't a normal thing, but... I got this strange urge to do it and it seemed harmless, so why not?" Then he nods to what Aaron says. "Seriously, just write whatever you want. I don't think we need to review the reviews. That might be a bit too meta."

Ravin looks into the pile of toys again and pauses, blinking a few times and then pulls out a... plushy.. skull? Yep. A very round, cartoony, plush skull. "I... am keeping this one, unless one of you wants to fight me for it."

"My buddy used to say I should go to medical school, just so's I'd have an excuse for my writing," Zack chuckles, but he takes the pen and the sticky notes, anyway.

He's about to gamely search for something to review when Ravin pulls out the skull. This causes him to stop and blink. "There has GOT to be a story behind that one. Who gets their kid a stuffed skull?"

He has, seemingly without being aware, started to fidget with the pen that Ravin gave him.

Aaron laughs at Ravin, "I am not fighting you for anything except maybe that blanket Ravie!" he moves over to the bin next to it that has more toys well action figures in it. "Why would anyone bring these to the park thrift store? It's like they knew I would be here!" he pulls out an old-looking green and yellow striped trigger, "It's Battle Cat / Cringer!"

A sticky note is attached.
Please adopt me I am a brave cat!
5 star

"I'm guessing someone brought a bunch of stuff with them then realized they didn't have enough space for it all, but figured someone else working here might want it." Ravin looks around. "You were looking for pants, right? Why don't we come figure out what you should wear? We can return to the land of misfit toys later." Ravin does, though, write a post-it note and attach it to the bin itself.

Full of wonders and terrors.
Also childhood memories.
5 stars

"Might be someone trying to get rid of stuff before they move, you know, so they don't got to move with so much," Zack suggests. "That's what I did, right before I took this job here. Offloaded mosta my stuff to Craigslist."

Zack lets Ravin guide him towards the pants; hopefully the other man is willing to take the lead on that, because he's already forgotten where they are. He's gone from fiddling with the pen to spinning it around his thumb in quick little flicks of his hand, still without really seeming to be aware of what he's doing.

"Don't need nothing too fancy or nothing," he comments. "They're just pants for work." Then, with a laugh, he adds: "Maybe better go with black this time, though."

Aaron lets Ravin bring Zack over to the pants and he wanders over to the rack with shirts. There is a soft gasp then a wrinkle of his nose, "Oh no." he pulls this mustard-colored track pants and shirt from it, "First it's on the wrong wrack and second what is this." he holds it out, it looks like something they would have worn back in the day. "I can't."

Ravin stares at the track suit. "Not even for a costume party. Is that fabric as horrible feeling as it looks? Because it looks like it's that horrible polyester that somehow manages to be scratchy."

He looks over Zack and hmms, then goes digging through the rack of pants. "Or a pattern. You'd be surprised the sins that patterns can cover, if it's the right one." Still he pulls out a couple pairs of black jeans and a pair of black slacks, and then he comes across something that makes him freeze for a moment. "Dear god. Why? Who?" He pulls out a pair of pants which are clearly intended to look like jeans with retro patches sewn on. But instead they've been printed on some weird, flimsy, stretchy material and not printed particular well. Also some of the placement is questionable. No one needs a daisy by their crotch.

"Even I know better than to wear something like that," Zack laughs, after Aaron produces the track suit. "And the good lord knows, I don't got the sense of style that my mama gave me." His jeans are patched with duct tape. And not in a cool, hip way, so much as a 'I don't know when to let go of my clothes' way. The poor sense of style goes without saying.

He finally has to stop twirling the pen around his fingers and stick it behind his ear so he can flip through the pants; he's bypassing jeans (might not be allowed to wear jeans at work) in favor of slacks and especially cargo pants. He checks the tags for the size every now and again, but seems comfortable eyeballing them for fit and (probably) relying on a belt to cover for any of the sins of his laziness.

"Hey, those ain't so ba - oh." Exhibit B for Zack having no innate sense of style - he has to actually see the crotch flower before going from 'hey those might be neat' to 'just... no'.

Aaron holds it with one hand and touches the fabric with his other, "Oh god, no!" he shakes his head, "It is horrible polyester" he shakes like a shiver went through him then grins, "One of you want it!?!" he chuckles of course teasing them he moves to stick a pin in and a sticky note.

Please for all that is right in this world
burn me!
1 Star

Ravin looks at the sticky note. "I'm fairly certain that stuff doesn't actually burn, just melt, and possibly release toxic fumes." He then eyes Zack. "Oh, honey, no. Actual jeans with proper patches, yes, possibly, depending. These? No."

Two Words
Crotch Daisy
0 stars

Ravin takes the pants he's holding and the track suit from Aaron and carefully buries them as far into the middle of the rack as possible. Though in doing so he manages to find some dark purple corduroy pants which he offers over towards Zack. "See if these ones fit."

Ravin bringing up the idea that some fabrics might melt rather than burn gets a wince out of Zack. It's just a moment where his smile fades and his eyebrows draw together, genuinely pained.

"It melts. Y'all don't want that stuff next to your skin in a fire. Toxic gas ain't what you'd be worried about." He leaves it at that, and takes the pants from Ravin. He holds them up, and then gives him a skeptical look. "You sure 'bout this? These're... they're real, uh, purple."

"Oh well." he moves to grab the track set, "Let's just not have these hanging around at all." he will buy them and dispose of them in some way. He looks over at the pants and the purple ones Zack is holding up with a grin, "Oh come on, they look great on you." he moves over to where they are with the pants. "You have the right skin tone to get away with it."

Ravin grins. "They're plum... possibly even aubergine. The color would be good on you. I can't tell, yet, about the fit," says the guy in the muumuu. He goes back to picking through the pants and then pulls out some in a green paisley. "These feel a bit like one ought to be on drugs to be allowed to wear them."

Zack starts to hold the pants up again, to once again eyeball the fit with the cavalier attitude of someone who doesn't pay nearly enough attention to what he wears. Then he lowers them and eyes Ravin and Aaron.

"Y'all aren't having me on, are you? Haze the new guy by talkin' him into running around in purple pants by saying they're au- whatever you said they was?"

Aaron looks at the green pants, "Umm yeah, someone was hitting the acid a bit with those pants." he looks over to Zack and grins, "Auberfine? Nahh I am not messing with you and I mean look how great Ravin looks?" he smiles more, "I take any fashion advice he gives."

"I'm not at my best today. This is a very casual outfit mostly for lounging around." Ravin shakes his head a little. "Usually I'm a lot more put together, but I just wasn't feeling it today. But no, I'm not teasing you. Though if the pants fit right, it might get you hit on by guys. So as long as you're okay with that..."

"Don't seem right to give anyone the wrong idea about me."

It's a tossup whether Zack just doesn't want to get hit on by guys - that accent marks him as coming from a part of the country dominated by a certain set of ideas about people - or whether he's really worried about stringing someone on who he's never going to be interested in, but either way, this seems to decide the subject of the aubergine pants. He puts them back on the rack, exchanging them for something more practical for what he's buying them for, if a lot less exciting. Black cargo pants made of some kind of thick, sturdy twill. Made to last, assuming no medical emergency-related fate sends them the way of the pants they're replacing.

"Bad day at work?" He asks Ravin. He folds the pants over his arm and plucks the pen from behind his ear again, only to immediately start fiddling with it.

Aaron He takes the pants that Zack puts back. "I like them." He doesn't mind being hit on by guys, though right now, it would make him feel a bit odd, given his circumstances. "See, I would worry about getting hit on in cargo pants." He smiles, moving to look through the pants rack. "Something about a good-looking guy in a uniform." He ohs and finds a nice pair of blue geans that have been bead-dazzled.

I am pretty please pick me!
5 Star

Ravin grins at Aaron. "Hopefully they fit you well." Then he shakes his head at Zack. "Not particularly. Had two shows earlier, but my last show on Fridays is often a bit early and I didn't feel like putting on a full face after we finished." Then he adds a post-it note to a pair of fairly plain jeans.

Jeans. A classic. Nothing special.
3 stars

"I wouldn't get too excited. The other half of my uniform is them polo shirts they give us to wear," Zack laughs to Aaron. "With the patches on the arms. I ain't got near enough game to get hit on in a polo shirt."

He's back to twirling the pen around his thumb again.

"Are you guys both performers? I saw one of the characters in the tunnels the other day. You know the people who wear the big animal costumes? Head off, smoking a cigarette, lookin' real mad about something." He grins. "That's one moment when you really think you ain't in Kansas anymore."

Aaron He shakes his head. " You might be surprised what someone might find attractive on someone." He smiles, looking to Ravin and then back to Zack. Looking, he finds another pair of dark blue cargo pants. "They have these," he holds up, looking at them both.

"No, I am a photographer for the park, I walk around taking pictures for people."

He drapes the pants over his arm turning to look to see if there are any more interesting pairs of pants when he comes across a black and white checkered pair, "Holy mother of pearl." if he could clutch pearls right now he would.

"I sing at the amphitheater. The show is called Some Enchanted Evening." Ravin considers Zack. "You underestimate the power of 'hurt/comfort'. Just being a medical professional makes you someone some people will hit on." He considers the black and white checkered pair. "Those... could work. It would depend a lot on the other pieces and the event."

"Taking pictures sounds like a fun job. Bet you get to meet all kinds of people. Really get to talking to them, right?"

Zack takes the dark blue pants from Aaron to inspect them.

"Yeah, these might not show blood too bad." He sighs. "My momma can get blood stains outta dang near anything, but she din't never tell me how she did it. I never thought I'd need to know 'till I got my certification."

He leaves off fidgeting with and twirling the pen around his fingers long enough to lay the blue pants over his arms with the black ones.

"Do you?" He asks Ravin. "Man, that's awesome. I bet that IS real tiring, gettin' on that stage every night. I ain't had a chance to see many of the shows yet."

"Yeah, most times people are really nice but then you get those few that just." he shakes his head.

Aaron watches as Zack takes the pants, he looks over at Zack and then looks back to the pants, "Maybe with a black shirt and some kind of belt." he looks to Ravin to see what he thinks about it.

"I was taught cold water and provide do wonders on getting blood out." he grabs the checkered pants and finds another pair of sweat-like cargo pants but he keeps them for himself.

Aaron nods, "I plan on going to see Ravins show soon, I am excited for it." he smiles.

"Castille soap like Dr. Bronner's, they have a liquid unscented that works amazingly well. And, yes, only cold water. Hot water tends to set blood stains in particular. Once you have the stain out, you can rewash in hot water if needed." Apparently Ravin also knows about removing blood from clothes. "Most days, it's two shows, though we have several hours of downtime between. I'm off Tuesdays and Thursdays. But the exact showtimes move around a bit."

They consider the black and white pants. "Honestly, anything solid and a saturated color. Black would work, but you could also pair it with a ruby red or a sapphire. What you'd have to be a lot more careful with are any patterns or pastels." There's a flash of a smile at Aaron. "Do let me know when you're coming, we can save you a seat." They consider the clothing rack again. "I should remember to bring things here when I next clean out my closet."

"Cold water's one of them things you learn early," Zack agrees with Aaron. "And everyone's got their own little tricks they do, like salt or sand or pasta water or rubbin' a tide pod on it. But I swear, my mamma had some kind of backwoods witchcraft." He breaks into a grin. "Ain't never heard of... Castle soap? Maybe that's her secret. Do ya think?"

He listens as Ravin opines on the subject of fashion, and gives the pants a considering look as the performer lays out how best Aaron should wear them like he's got ANY idea at all why any of that should be true.

Aaron was about to say something before his phone started to go off he looked down at his pocket and quickly pulled the phone as if expecting it to be someone, Seeing not he frowned but looked over the text anyway. "I think I need to head out." he looks at all the things in his arms and moves to grab the grumpy bear. Putting his phone away and pulling his wallet out, "Here I got your stuff Ravin." he moves to the checkout and tells the person to hold onto it till Ravin is done, and then he pays for his stuff. "Sorry, I, I need to head out." he seems to close up and become a bit guarded.

Ravin nods to Aaron. "Of course, honey. Want a hug before you go? We'll meet up for ice cream and cheesy movies soon. Maybe I can bring Point over for a playdate."

He glances towards Zack. "Entirely possible. Seriously, buy a bottle of Dr. Bronner's liquid castille soap. Just, ignore most of the insanity on the label. It's really good soap, but the guy who founded it was... kind of.. unusual. On the other hand, they pay their employees well and seem to... mean well, at least."

Hey, now the post its are coming in handy! Zack shifts the pants and finds a surface to write on, then painfully starts to write out... probably not 'Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille soap', so hopefully whoever he tries to buy it from will be able to guess what he means by 'Dr. Ben's Liquid Castle Soap'. He wasn't kidding about his handwriting being a little bit embarrassing. Just the process of him WRITING is a little bit embarrassing. Some people give off a sense of being comfortable with words, with reading them and writing them. With Zack, it's the opposite of that, and the tight way he holds the pen and the slow stilted quality of his writing speaks to someone who probably avoids reading and writing whenever it can be avoided. He looks up and brushes his hair out of his eyes, noting the change in Aaron's demeanor.

"Hey man, it's cool. Thanks for helpin' me with this stuff." He motions to the blue cargo pants and then, after a moment's hesitation: "You want company for as long as we're goin' the same way? I should probably buy this stuff and hit the hay anyway, y'know? Work comes early."

Aaron grabs his bag moving over to Ravin and nods at the hug, "Yes please." he doesn't give them a chance he wraps his arms around them. "Thank you." he nods, "Five and CC would like that." he gives a weak smile.

Looking to Zack, "Hey, yeah no problem was nice to meet you." he backs up from Ravin and turns to look to the door, "I am needing to head into the city, I'll be ok thanks though." he tucks his hands into his hoodie pouch his bag hanging from his arm and his hood comes up as he heads for the door and out.

Ravin hugs Aaron back tightly. "Good."

Then he glances at Zack and writes out a post-it that says:
Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille Soap
It's the one with all the weird writing on the label, light blue is unscented.

Then he adds his name and phone number and hands it over to Zack. "Here, sweetie. Dyslexia, dysgraphia, or both? I'll see you both around, I'm sure. I should be getting home anyway. We have an early morning rehearsal and morning shows on weekends." He watches Aaron go and then says, "You're welcome to walk with me, if you want, once I pay for this stuff."

Zack's too much of an open book to hide his concern as Aaron goes, but he doesn't press the matter of sticking with him a bit longer. Instead, he takes the note from Ravin. The slight widening of his eyes is the moment of realization that what he heard was not, in fact, what Ravin said.

"What? Oh, nothin' like that. I just ain't great with letters." He grins. "Just about done me in when I was goin' for the EMT certification, but I pulled through. Hey, it's been real good meeting both y'all."

Ravin gives him an amused look. "You might want to get tested. You could get accommodations. Because 'not great with letters' is often one or the other or both and there are ways to compensate that can help a lot." Still he nods and heads towards the counter to purchase his items. "It's been good meeting you. Don't be a stranger."