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Meg nodded.

"As long as we don't get any large furniture, we should be fine," She replied.

"I'll just order stuff for delivery," Danny said. "Yeah, I'm with you on Ikea. I think everyone hates buying stuff from there because it is hard to put together and the instructions are a nightmare. I can never follow the diagrams. Still, it's a cheap means of getting a desk. I may go with an office supply store like Staples or Office Max. I'm just mostly concerned about things that I'll need tonight. Once I get back, I can finish setting up Amazon Prime and a few other things and order. Then you'll never see me again!"

"You better not disappear," Meg retorted. "I live next door. I won't let you."

"You sound like Dani now," Danny grumbled. "I'll start calling you Dani 2. You have to like Batman, though. That's like her thing."

"Not Batgirl," Meg asked.

Danny shook his head. "Nope. Batman," he repeated and held up his keychain. On it was a rubber figurine of Batman's sidekick, Robin The Boy Wonder. "She has Batman on hers. She gave me this Robin years ago. It's to remind me that I'm the sidekick. Maybe you can be Batgirl."

Danny turned back to Matt. "Let's check the bicycle section for your headlight," he suggested and lead the way to that section of the store.
Aaron Greenvalley (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

"It seems to be in that direction" Matt said, while noticing the signs at the ceiling. He followed along, gazing the shelves left and right. He got many cool ideas what would be nice to buy, but he did comprehend that he could not buy much before his next payday.

"I never really got into superhero genre. No hard feeling tough. My dad used to show me some Dragonball. Bunch of dudes screaming their lungs out beat each other to pieces. I sometimes wonder, why do people have to invent planet destroying superheroes and planet destroying super villains? Once the planet is gone, what you gonna do? Argue in space? Also, that amount of screaming would only be realistic if they had kidney stone" he said.

"(or going to toilet after consuming 4 pounds of carrots. Man.. that would make a good meme.)" Matt thought deep in his mind. Danny might understand toilet humor, but he would not try such topic with Meg.

"You also like Staples Danny? They have some really good stuff there. Aaron once lend me a Mitsubishi he bought from there. He told me that it was like no other pen in the world, and he was particularly jealous to get it back. That was probably because it had a price tag of 10 dollars."

Group had found their way to the bike section. Matt picked up a set, that he could be attached directly into a helmet. That way he would never lose his lamps again. One white lamp to the front side and one red light to the rear side.

"This looks good. As long as I have my helmet, I have my lights with me."
"It seems to be in that direction" Matt said, while noticing the signs at the ceiling. He followed along, gazing the shelves left and right. He got many cool ideas what would be nice to buy, but he did comprehend that he could not buy much before his next payday.

Danny nodded and followed as Matt took the lead. Meg was pushing the cart and trailing behind the guys a few steps but had no problem keeping up.

"I never really got into superhero genre. No hard feeling tough. My dad used to show me some Dragonball. Bunch of dudes screaming their lungs out beat each other to pieces. I sometimes wonder, why do people have to invent planet destroying superheroes and planet destroying super villains? Once the planet is gone, what you gonna do? Argue in space? Also, that amount of screaming would only be realistic if they had kidney stone" he said.

"Dragonball Z is more anime in my book," Danny replied shrugging. "I never got into those shows where the characters fly around zapping each other with lightning and talking crap to one another. It was pretty mindless. But to each his own. I dig the traditional stuff like Marvel but DC, particularly Batman and Robin was mine and Dani's thing."

"(or going to toilet after consuming 4 pounds of carrots. Man.. that would make a good meme.)" Matt thought deep in his mind. Danny might understand toilet humor, but he would not try such topic with Meg.

"You also like Staples Danny? They have some really good stuff there. Aaron once lend me a Mitsubishi he bought from there. He told me that it was like no other pen in the world, and he was particularly jealous to get it back. That was probably because it had a price tag of 10 dollars."

"Mitsubishi? The car company," Danny repeated. "They make pens? I knew they did tvs and other stuff. What makes their pens so great? As for Staples, I don't know that I'd say 'I like it.' It's just a good source for office stuff. What I like is ordering things off Amazon. I'll probably just get any furniture I need from there unless there is some advantage to buying it from an office place, which I doubt."

Group had found their way to the bike section. Matt picked up a set, that he could be attached directly into a helmet. That way he would never lose his lamps again. One white lamp to the front side and one red light to the rear side.

"This looks good. As long as I have my helmet, I have my lights with me."

"Whatever works for you," Danny replied. "Hmm, I'm used to taking the bus or Uber back home, but it might be nice to get a bicycle. I noticed the bus I saw had a bike rack on the front just like back home. It might be useful if I have to go a few blocks to a bus stop. I mean the bus literally stops right outside our apartment complex, but I might go somewhere where the transfer route is a couple of blocks. It might be good to have a bike to get around campus or something."
Aaron Greenvalley (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

"Mitsubishi? The car company," Danny repeated. "They make pens? I knew they did tvs and other stuff. What makes their pens so great? As for Staples, I don't know that I'd say 'I like it.' It's just a good source for office stuff. What I like is ordering things off Amazon. I'll probably just get any furniture I need from there unless there is some advantage to buying it from an office place, which I doubt."

"For me, choosing to buy something from the shop or online store is a sign that they are worth of my time and money. If some store fails miserably in their service or products, I may think twice for going there. I was surprised as well to know that Mitsubishi was making pens as well. To some extent, I understand the price. That pen can write nearly on any surface, on any angle, on any temperature. Aaron told that it even works on sub zero temperatures. Also, it will always write on first draw, so the tip never dries, like common pens do. That is a rare feat for ballpoint pens. The biggest downsides are the price and its tip has rather weak lock. You have to glue it shut, or it will shoot the mechanism out, if you are not careful. Aaron had used some acrylic paint to keep it together. When I start to think of it, that is a really shameful flaw for a Japanese company. But then again, I have heard that Japanese have different quality standards for foreign and domestic market. I guess they either don't want to export their best , or they are afraid of copycats."

Group had found their way to the bike section. Matt picked up a set, that he could be attached directly into a helmet. That way he would never lose his lamps again. One white lamp to the front side and one red light to the rear side.

"This looks good. As long as I have my helmet, I have my lights with me."

"Whatever works for you," Danny replied. "Hmm, I'm used to taking the bus or Uber back home, but it might be nice to get a bicycle. I noticed the bus I saw had a bike rack on the front just like back home. It might be useful if I have to go a few blocks to a bus stop. I mean the bus literally stops right outside our apartment complex, but I might go somewhere where the transfer route is a couple of blocks. It might be good to have a bike to get around campus or something."

"You wanna buy a bike now? We could load some more stuff in the car in that case. You want some suggestions on choosing a bike? Im not a bike expert, but since I have done lots of deliveries, I know the town and its quirks quite well." Matt asked.
"Mitsubishi? The car company," Danny repeated. "They make pens? I knew they did tvs and other stuff. What makes their pens so great? As for Staples, I don't know that I'd say 'I like it.' It's just a good source for office stuff. What I like is ordering things off Amazon. I'll probably just get any furniture I need from there unless there is some advantage to buying it from an office place, which I doubt."

"In terms of shops, how was the saying, your money is where your mouth is? We talk and buy the stuff we like. And what comes to the 10 dollar pen, there is a good reason. That pen can write nearly on any surface, on any angle, on any temperature. It even works on sub zero temperatures. Also, it will always write on first draw, so the tip never dries, like common pens do. That is a rare feat for ballpoint pens. The biggest downsides are the price and its tip has rather weak lock. You have to glue it shut, or alse it will shoot the mechanism out, if you are not carefull. Aaron had used some acrylic paint to keep it together."

"I can't think of any situation where I need to write a note in sub-zero temps," Danny mused. "The fact that you have to glue a $10 pen together to keep it from exploding is also not selling me on it. I'll stick with my cheap-ass Bic pens, thanks." He chuckled a little.

Group had found their way to the bike section. Matt picked up a set, that he could be attached directly into a helmet. That way he would never lose his lamps again. One white lamp to the front side and one red light to the rear side.

"This looks good. As long as I have my helmet, I have my lights with me."

"Whatever works for you," Danny replied. "Hmm, I'm used to taking the bus or Uber back home, but it might be nice to get a bicycle. I noticed the bus I saw had a bike rack on the front just like back home. It might be useful if I have to go a few blocks to a bus stop. I mean the bus literally stops right outside our apartment complex, but I might go somewhere where the transfer route is a couple of blocks. It might be good to have a bike to get around campus or something."

"You wanna buy a bike now? We could load some more stuff in the car in that case. You want some suggestions on choosing a bike? Im not a bike expert, but since I have done lots of deliveries, I know the town and its quirks quite well." Matt asked.

"Hold on," Meg objected. "Unless you are planning to ride that bike home, not today. I don't have room for that."

"Fair enough," Danny replied. "I can take the bus back up here another day and then use the bike rack on the front of it to get it home. That's an excuse for another adventure. So, Matt... as the apparent bike expert what would you recommend?" Danny began looking up and down the aisle of bikes.

Meg had no interest in getting a bicylce. As the boys checked out the selection she stood in the main aisle and sipped her coffee.

"Hey girl," A voice said from behind her. A slightly taller dark haired girl with her cart loaded to the brim rolled up next to Meg.

"Wednesday! What are you doing here," Meg asked.

"Same as you," she replied. "Gotta get my Target fix."

She noticed Matt and Danny looking at the bikes and cocked a questioning eyebrow.

"Who are they," She asked turning to Meg. "They aren't with you, are they?"

"Oh yeah, they're my neighbors from my apartment complex. We just met," Meg replied.

"Time to get out of the ghetto," Wednesday said smirking as she watched the two busily discussing bicycles further down the aisle. The pair hadn't noticed the newcomer Meg was talking to yet.
Aaron Greenvalley (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

Meanwhile Meg was starting her conversation with Wednesday, Matt and Danny ventured the bike area. Most of the bikes were priced between 200 and 500 dollars. They all seemed to have rather similar equipment.

"It seems that they mostly sell 21-speed or 24-speed bikes here. I think the price comes from wight of the frame and quality of the parts. I believe that 200 dollar bikes are durable enough to get you home, but if they survive until the end of their guarantee time, a miracle has occurred. Solid frame might survive, but any moving parts would fail you long before that. I would not consider a suspension on a 200 dollar bike safe. Surely, I would not dare to take such thing to off road environment. If you stay strictly to the paved roads, it might serve you for a while, but going too fast from road to sidewalk may send you to ER. I don't say this for a fact, but more of my personal hunch. Suspension in general makes driving more comfortable, but it also makes your bike look more attractive to thieves. Solid full steel frame can take nearly any beating, but it weights so much that you smell like a skunk once you arrive to any destination. Expensive bikes are somewhat lighter, but for occasional biking it does not make sense. I used to have carbon fiber bike with hydraulic brakes, but those things cost so much, you can only park it safely next to your own bed. In student environment, they are not practical. With my lifestyle, I need to renew my breaks every 2 months, but for less frequent usage, they can operate 3-5 months. They will eventually run out, so its normal. I can show you some tricks how to make them last longer. No matter what kind of bike you choose, select a model that has both wheels covered with fenders. On a rainy days, you will see the difference. Also, make sure that the bike has some kind on cover over the front gears. Preferably, front gears and chain should be covered entirely on one side until the first half of the bike. Some bike have no cover over the gears, and that setting WILL shred your pants to pieces. Been there, done that, not recommended."

Matt pointed to one bike that had no cover over the gears"

"See, this makes a nasty damage very quickly. Then, about the security matters. Two locks is a must. One lock should be integrated to the frame, and one U-lock with a key. Bigger you can get, the better. Don't ever buy number combination locks or cable lock as your primary security. Steel cable is easy to cut, even if it is thick. U-locks are solid steel, and they are significantly safer. Always lock your bike into a solid object from the frame, even if it takes more time. If you want to be extra safe, have an integrated lock on rear wheel, lock the froth wheel and frame to solid object with U-lock and use steel cable to lock both wheels and frame. This will help in most cases, but professional bike thieves will take any bike, no matter how well its locked. Fortunately they have bigger interest on brand bikes, so our bikes would not be their primary target. Many bikes have quick lock "switch" to remove front and rear wheels for maintenance. That is why you must have a separate lock to secure every wheel. I have seen many people lock just front wheel of their bike to an object. The day after, I only see a front wheel with a lock on it. If the bike has a quick lock switch, thieves don't even need any tools to steal rest of the bike. Also, you don't want a bike with hydraulic brakes. They don't necessarily sell them here, but if they do, they are a goldmine for thieves. With one hexagonal key and 30 seconds, they can steal a component worth of 100 dollars, that can sold anywhere with minimum risk of getting caught. This is why you never ever should leave bike with hydraulic brakes to any unsecured location, because there is no way you can lock those components. If you lose 100 dollar brakes from 500 dollar bike.. you get the point, right?"

Matt had the full steam on, since he was biking year round. Many of these things he shared with Danny he wish someone had told him already many years ago.

"Oh, and one more thing. They might sell here U-lock under the brand of "Kryptonite". I have heard a rumor that there is circling a YouTube video that shows you how to pick any Kryptonite lock with a pencil. After hearing that, I don't dare to buy their products. Just in case."
Danny listened attentively as Matt pointed out different features and gave his reasoning on what to look for in a good bike and what to avoid. Danny looked at several models. "Well, let me think about it," he said finally. "As Meg pointed out, she doesn't have room in her car and I was just here to get the essentials to get me through the night. I can always take the bus up here again and either ride the bike home or use the bike rack on the front to get it back to the apartment. I saw we have a bike rack by the apartment building."

"Oh, and one more thing. They might sell here U-lock under the brand of "Kryptonite". I have heard a rumor that there is circling a YouTube video that shows you how to pick any Kryptonite lock with a pencil. After hearing that, I don't dare to buy their products. Just in case."

"I think just having a chain with a good old-fashioned combo lock should do it," Danny replied shrugging. "I'll worry about that when I get a bike."

Just then he noticed Meg was talking to another girl. "Whoa, who is that," He asked aloud. He glanced toward Matt to see if he knew the newcomer.
Matthew Smith (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

Matt looked curiously towards the newcomer as well. Even tough he had been in the town probably the longest time, he had never seen her before. Squirrelden was not the biggest town in the area, but it surely was no tiny village either.

"This is new for me as well. However it seems that Meg knows her"

Matt started heading towards two of them, spinning the lamp in his hands.

"Hey Meg, found a familiar face?"
"Hey Meg, found a familiar face?"

Meg turned to Matt and Danny as they came back down the bicycle aisle toward the cart. "Oh, hey! This is Wednesday! She's the one I was telling you about. We're in the band together," Meg replied excitedly.

"I just met Danny today. He literally just moved in and we're helping him get a few things to get through the night until he can get stuff ordered," Meg explained. "I met Matt yesterday. He lives in my apartment complex, too. We're all neighbors. Danny plays; bass. If we ever decided to expand the band maybe we can use him."
Matthew Smith (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

"Nice to meet you. Im Matt. Meg was generous to give us a ride today." Matt said to Wednesday.

"Im just hanging around, came to fill up my supplies. Sports is my thing, music unfortunately not. I only know how to ring the bell of my bike. Is anyone hungry by the way?"
The newcomer smirked slightly as the pair approached.

Meg turned to Matt and Danny as they came back down the bicycle aisle toward the cart. "Oh, hey! This is Wednesday! She's the one I was telling you about. We're in the band together," Meg replied excitedly.

"Yeah, that's right," Wednesday replied. "Meg backs me up on stage."

"I just met Danny today. He literally just moved in and we're helping him get a few things to get through the night until he can get stuff ordered," Meg explained. "I met Matt yesterday. He lives in my apartment complex, too. We're all neighbors. Danny plays; bass. If we ever decided to expand the band maybe we can use him."

"I doubt that," Wednesday replied dryly. "First off, we're an acoustic duo. Second, A Week From Wednesday stays an all girl band even if at some point we get new or replacement members. It's an image thing."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Matt. Meg was generous to give us a ride today." Matt said to Wednesday.

"How nice of her," She said rather smugly.

"I'm just hanging around, came to fill up my supplies. Sports is my thing, music unfortunately not. I only know how to ring the bell of my bike. Is anyone hungry by the way?"

"Guess we don't have much in common or things to talk about then," Wednesday remarked. She turned back to Meg. "So, I guess I'll see you at practice tomorrow. Hopefully, your new friends are coming to the gig on Friday? Anyway, It sounds your neighbors need you to take them to Taco Bell or McDonald's or whatever. Talk to you later."
Matthew Smith (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

"(Wow. Now that is an effective way to kill a conversation. No room for small talk. What is this woman?)" Matt thought baffled.

He was stunned on how cold Wednesday behaved. He looked towards Danny, and wondered did he had similar feeling.

"So.. how about we go full random? I can open google maps, tap my finger in random spot, and see what comes out first." Matt said, and shared a neutral gaze with Danny and Meg.

"Is she usually like this, or did I just have wrong word in wrong time?" Matt asked when Wednesday was out of hearing range.
Danny raised an eyebrow at the cold reception from Wednesday. Who pissed in her Cheerios this morning, he wondered to himself. Watching Matt's reaction, he was pretty sure that he was thinking the same thing.

"What the hell," Danny asked as Wednesday continued on her way with her cart full of stuff. He waited to comment until she was far enough away she wouldn't hear him.

"So.. how about we go full random? I can suffle the restarant list for us from the website of the mall." Matt said, and shared a neutral gaze with Danny and Meg.

"You mean like the food court? Is the mall close to here? I mean Meg's driving so that's her call I guess."

OOC: Does Matt say the last part aloud? It's not written as thoughts, but I'm confused by "he asked silently". Did you mean to say quietly? Silent means he didn't make a sound, like he's thinking it in his head but didn't actually say it.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure they come to the gig," Meg called after Wednesday as she continued on her way. She then turned back to Matt and Danny.

"Oh, don't mind her. She takes a little warming up to," Meg said quickly noting the guys' reaction to Wednesday's somewhat standoffish behavior. She quickly changed subjects. "The mall isn't far. If we go there, everyone can pick whatever they want in the food court and we could walk around there a bit. That is if you guys all want food. I have a feeling once Danny gets settled, he'll be living off of cheap ramen delivered by Prime or pizza and Chinese food deliveries and may not ever leave his apartment again. While he's dependent on me for a ride, why don't we go to a nice sit-down place? This could be our one and only chance! There's a Mexican place not too far, uh... Chili's, IHop, Denny's, uh... I don't know anything about Vietnamese food, but there's one of those Pho* Bistros..."

*Not knowing any better, Megan pronounces the word "Foe". The correct way to say it is "Fuh". That's a common American mistake for people who don't know Vietnamese culture.
Matthew Smith (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

(OOC - matt said his extra comment about the same time with Dannys reply, as soon as Wednesday was out of range)

Matt scrolled google maps for a short while.
"Green Lotus *Foe. How would that sound? Its only 3 minutes away. It has 26 seats and a takeaway service. If you like the stuff, you can order later on again. I have had some delivery orders from there, but not recently. I had forgotten the place already. We can wrap up things here if we need something more, and then get moving. Do you need anything more Danny?"
"I'm good," Danny replied. "That is if Meg is okay with Vietnamese. By the way, the word is pronounced "Fuh" like the first half of the f word. I only know that because we ate pho a few times back in Portland. Dani knew all about that kind of thing and insisted we try it. She got all red in the face when I said it wrong right in front of our server when I tried to order."

"Sure," Meg answered shrugging. "I'm open to trying it, but someone will have to show me what to order since I have no idea."

Danny began making his way to the front of the store to checkout. He pulled out his phone so he could use his Target app to pay for his purchases. Since he wasn't terribly social, he opted for the self-checkout lanes so he didn't have to interact with the cashier. Once he got his receipt, he waited for Matt and Meg to pay for their purchases.
Matthew Smith (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

Matt paid his lamp, and then waited as Meg finished with her stuff. After that they packed everything into the car and took a short ride to the restaurant. As they got closer, Matt remembered the place. It was cozy but simple restaurant with nice large portions. Their pho bowls were unusually large for a takeaway meal. Place was owned by elderly lady, who spoke very little english. If there came any issue, she would summoned someone from kitchen to translate.

Meg parked the car and they got inside. Relaxing oriental music was playing on the background. Place had a decoration theme of bamboo forest and flowers. Primary colours were dark brown and light green. On the celing there were hanging round hats made of some kind of plant. Restaurant was about half full. There was one middle age woman making an order as they got closer to the counter. Menu was hanging on the wall by the counter. Names of all the dishes were in vietamese, and under the names were listed descriptions in english and vietnamese. Vietnamese used english alpabets, but some letters had dots or dashes above or below them. They looked fascinating for Matt.

"No grass! I said I don't want any grass to my portion! This is America! Learn english or go back where ever you came from!" Why do you come here if you can't even understand a simple word in english!" Woman suddenly started to yell to confused looking woman behind counter, Matt recognized her to be the owner.
Hue Nguyen (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

Young woman quickly rushed out from the kitchen. She had pitch black hair and apparently black eyes. She looked young and kinda innocent, almost like a teenager, but she had very determined and wise look in her eyes. It was difficult to evaluate actual age of asian women, so in the eyes of an average american she looked like a girl, rather than a woman. She also looked very familiar. Matt had sometimes seen a girl kinda like her running at the inner yard of their appartment on very early mornings. But then again, asians looked very similar in his eyes.

"You are using child labour? What is this place? Im gonna call cops!!" Woman shouted.
"Maam*, the order that gave is unclear. We are capable to leave out vegetables in some extent. Are you refering to sprouts, spring onion or lemongrass?" Young woman spoke in fluent english. She looked calm and professional, but she did not smile.
"I dont eat any grass. Leave them all out." Woman said proudly, lifting her chin as she spoke.

"In that case I suggest you choose another dish. Lemongrass is a key ingredient in pho. It is grinded into such fine form it cannot be removed."

Owner said something in vietnamese and young woman nodded. She replied quickly in vietnamese. Owner sounded to be upset, but the young lady had neutral tone.

"Are playing games with me?" Woman asked with hostile tone.
"We have no intrest in games. This is a business. Are you choosing another dish, or would you kindly allow the people behind you to place their orders"? Young woman said, leaning forward over the counter, and started to slowly tap the counter above a place where a wooden sign was attached, which read: "Smile, we have 24/7 recording surveilance system with audio, for all of our security"

(OCC: *polite way to refer to female customer inteded)
Meg had listened to the exchange patiently, although she didn't approve of the woman's racism at all.

"I need to speak to a manager, now," The woman demanded.

"Uh, hey look KAREN," Meg suddenly interrupted when the woman glanced behind her when she was informed that there were other people waiting to place an order. "I'm pretty sure you're talking to her. McDonald's is right down the street. I suggest if you don't know anything about food from another culture or don't want to do business with a restaurant that won't accept your white privilege card, you can get in your BMW and drive your rich yuppy ass down there and order a happy meal. Better yet, if you choose Burger King, I hear they'll make it your way..."

She glanced over and noticed Danny was standing a few feet back now and filming the whole exchange on his phone.

"How dare you! Stop filming me right now! I'll sue you," The woman snapped.

"Best of luck, we're in a public place. The security camera is also on you. The courts will get two angles, plus you have 3 witnesses. It won't end well for you, Karen," Meg replied with a big fake grin on her face.

"Well...," The woman stamped her foot and turned to storm out the door. Her face was bright red at this point. "I'm going to get on Trip Advisor, Yelp, and every other review site I can find online and leave your business a terrible review," She threatened before exiting. "I'll tell all my friends to do the same!"
Matthew Smith (played by Semegrex) Topic Starter

"Sure, just go ahead. This is country of the free and the brave!" Matt yelled back at her.

"People like you keep giving these parasites a signal that they can just walz in here, sell weed, traffic children to work for food, and evade taxes and what ever! You should be ashamed of yourselves! When tax inspectors come to raid this place, you should be grateful! Im doing this country a favour! Because of people like these, our society is always lacking tax money!" Karen roared, and grabbed the door handle.

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