2020-08-08 - Shopping Safely at Safeway is Hard

It's Safeway. They've re-arranged the aisles AGAIN and nothing is quite where it was before which is ANNOYING and none of the teenage or middle-age life-hating employees know where anything is when you ask to be directed. It just kind of works like that in this local grocery store. Also, because they move things around so much, the endcaps for display are hastily or unevenly stacked... or at least that's what Lilith is going to blame.

See, she's so distracted while shopping, she's not really paying mind to where she's going with her buggy, or hell, her feet. She's juggling checking her phone, a list, and occasionally glancing back over her shoulder with a bit of a scowl at an unobtrusive man over in adjacent produce area for some reason. He's not doing anything but checking a canteloupe from the looks of it. But it all makes a chain reaction.

Lilith bumps the display case of BEACH BBQ BLITZ which has cans of chili and two liters of pop and cans of ro-tel and boxes of velveeta, buns and all other manner of summertime food display things. The sign falls first and she starts to keep going by because whew. But when she continues walking, it all topples, right on her, leaving her standing there stunned with a hand on her head where a wild cherry Pepsi bottle hit her, "... son of a... ow."

A one Merry Hartwell's dislike of the forever-shifting grocery store aisles tends to run beneath the surface. It's a sort of 'slow burn' brood that rarely shows itself in her kind demeanour.. but it's there. It's there! Just last week she had sniper-like accuracy in where to find all of her necessities but... well, you see how it is.

While Lilith makes her way along, multi-tasking, Meredith isn't quite so far off as she follows a neat perimeter sweep of the produce section. Her blue eyes, too, observe the indecisive man with his canteloupes for a time. She parks her buggy close to a display of apples and is just about to stock up on the Royal Galas when----CRASH. Meredith is naturally hypervigilent to sounds; especially when these sounds are: A. vomiting, B. crying, C. destruction. If you knew her line of work, you'd understand. However, right when poor Lilith is getting beaned by falling Pepsi, Merry is abandoning her selections and melon man -- and her cart -- to speedwalk over in the direction of the other woman.

"O-oh..!" She exhales, and moves to begin pushing aside some of the fallen products. One foot nudges aside the offending bottle of pepsi, and once close enough Merry reaches out in an offer to help steady Lilith is she needs it. "Are you alright? Here, let me help--" Spoken without hesitation. Merry is a slight thing, all eyes and wavy hair in her sandals and sundress. Her concern is a near-palpable thing.

Lilith is thankfully too stunned to be very pissed or embarrassed. Or at least, it seems that way. Inside, she's thinking a lot of FML, but if this is all the day is going to hand her considering other factors, this is probably fine. Ow. But fine. Just fine. The man in produce winces briefly, then looks like he's about to put down his fruit and come help, but hesitates a little. Next though, he sees Meredith speedwalking over to manage the help bit with Lilith and changes his mind. Instead, he wanders over to start selecting a few apples and oranges to put in a bag, supposedly minding his own business.

"... I feel like I should be embarrassed, but Pepsi hurts." It was very loud and it is very messy now that the display has crashed, and none of the employees really are in a rush to help, so eventually, the brunette focuses on Meredith and slides her hand from her dark head with a vaguely rueful smile. In fact, after looking at the woman a moment longer, that kind of look that goes into a person when there's a certain something about them, she tacks on with a partial half-laugh and looks at the mess afterwards, "Honestly, though... we probably know full well that getting hit on the head by falling groceries is... probably not the worst day we can have around here."

While using her other hand to briefly steady herself on the other woman, Lilith's foot works back into a heeled wedge sandal she apparently lost when her ankle rolled and bent with surprise, thankfully losing the shoe itself instead of falling, "Thanks. Sorry for making a damn commotion right in front of you."

Her outfit isn't too off from Meredith's outfit given the summer season-- the halter sundress she's wearing is purple with large white flowers splashed on it, her hair is free casual beachy waves, and her cosmetics are accent. There is, however, some diamond jewelry on her that's far from casual, even though most is small, sparkling and elegant, like the Piaget rose pendant and earrings and charm bracelet. On her ring finger, the diamond there is glittering oval solitaire, but it's more sizeable (yet not gaudy large) and brilliantly impressive.

A quick little glance over a shoulder provides Merry with further reference on what the gent is doing over there, having moved onto the apples. Merry's buggy remains there, the few groceries it it's topmost basket signifying that she had only begun to shop. Her purse, meanwhile, has been looped over a shoulder.. she's not that foolish. She turns right back to Lilith as she replies, and offers forth the sweetest, most reassuring look that she can manage. It's easy, not forced... comes from dealing with children all day. Her eyes watch Lilith's hand leave her dark-haired head, and it is all Merry can do to further assuage the embarrassment... or try to. "Everything will be alright, so long as you are... did you wish to sit for a moment?" She asks gingerly, already scanning Lilith's face for any signs of reddening or bruising.

Once certain of the other woman finding her feet, Merry will draw her hand back gently but her arm is still there should it be required. "Please don't apologize.. I am certain worse has happened here. I saw that display when I arrived.. it was precarious enough. A few layers too tall, for Pepsi missiles." Merry tilts her head, her smile widening a touch. "Just as well.. give this lot something to do." She whispers, scanning the area past Lilith to see if anyone is coming to help out. Merry kneels to at least gather up some of the rolling bottles to set them aside.

Once done, in standing again, the young teacher indeed takes note of Lilith's attire and bearing. Though, Merry is more of a spaghetti strap kinda girl -- that's a risque as she gets -- compared to how the halter flatters Lilith. A silver stud in each earlobe is the extent of Merry's jewelry. As for what she wears? A paisley number with darts in the waist, sky blue and ivory in coloration.. slightly old-fashioned. "You still look very well despite what has happened... I do love your dress. Anything else hurting, miss..?"

"Oh, no. I'm fine. Been dinged up in the head far worse than that a few times or more. Just... not something you expect while going about business in the store." Lilith makes assurances to Meredith and seems to either have forgotten about or is ignoring the guy over in produce now. Eventually, a stockboy responds to the noise with a huge sigh, then mumbles something about 'be right back' before getting on the intercoms.

"SOME LADY RAN INTO THE PEPSI DISPLAY. CLEANUP ENDCAP FOUR."

Really? Lilith stops her assurances to just stare at the intercom as more people wander by and stare with their buggies in slow motion on the way by like they're gawking at a car crash. Then after a little noise in her throat of agitation, she tells Meredith aside with a drop of her voice, "I'm going to make a point of having that guy walk me to the tampons when this is cleaned up, just to make him uncomfortable. Little shit."

After pulling in a huge breath with a whole lot of 'annnnnyways' to move on, Lilith extracts herself from standing in the mess by a few paces, then reaches to tug her buggy free with some cacaphony while making proper exchange with Meredith, "So hi. I'm Lilith. You look... kind of familiar? Maybe. But town, tch. Not like that's entirely surprising. Probably walk by each other at the post office or something all the time."

"Well met.. it's a jungle in here." Meredith asides, pausing to observe the approach and subsequent response of the stockboy. A furrow dimples her smooth brow at the boy's response, her lips pulling into a tiny moue for a few heartbeats' worth of time. 'Where is the empathy?' Her look seems to say; 'where is the patience?' .. etc etc. The world is a puzzling place for a bleeding heart like Merry. Then the kid just goes and does something that pushes the envelope! Merry's big blue eyes are riveted to Lilith's face in her startlement at... then she, too, glares up at the intercom. "Oh, come on now... how--" Then, bless her, she looks ready to flag someone down and ask in that bell-like voice is that was necessary!?

Alas, Lilith keeps her from the warpath, and the uttered proclamation breaks Merry out of that jab of irritation. She cries out briefly with laughter, "How brilliant! Perhaps I can help you there... right when he is trying to scurry away, I will ask him about the pad choices. The more pillow-like the better." Said with a tiny sniff, lips curving back into their previous touch of cheer though her gaze is still doe-like and soft, concerned for the other.

"Pardon a moment, just let me grab this.." Merry bids, and in the span of ten seconds she's collecting her cart and making her way back 'round to Lilith. "Hallo Lilith, my name is Meredith. Local... sure, we've seen one another. But you know how it is in these small towns... I fly beneath the radar." She does that well. A glance in her cart wil reveal a small but eclectic array of goods: dog shit bags, a few Cara Cara oranges, dish soap and Paw Patrol bandaids. Merry takes care around the fallen display, "What do you do here, in town?" She asks politely.

Lilith cracks a lopsided grin at Meredith's laugh and planning claim to further bother the surly and mouthy teenage stockboy and clearly approves. Very little in life makes a teenage boy more uncomfortable than detailed talks of lady biz, "Comrades. And if I see him next time I'm in here, I'm making him show me where more feminine hygiene products are, I'll get creative. I might be petty. Or easily entertained and a little mean, but I guess those things go together."

Watching the other female steer her cart around, Lilith's head tilts again subtly when Meredith makes the introduction on her own end, then blinks a couple of times before tipping a quick nod, "Right, right. I've only been back here in town for about a year and some, was gone a good long while after high school. Took over my father's pawn shop when I came back, so I'm a business owner for the time being. I just got engaged, so my work situation might change, we'll see." She pauses briefly, as if the town drunk connection explains it all to another townie, "My dad was Hank Winslow. Sure you saw him pissing in a corner or yelling somewhere, growing up. What about you?"

Comprehension dawns like sunrise across Merry's face: "Oh...! Harbor Mist Pawn...!" She pauses, making sure to keep that buggy under her control lest she strike down the next display. Merry collects herself and nods gently, her long tresses quivering over both of her shoulders. "Forgive me.. now I do know of Hank Winslow, but not for reasons you might expect. My father knows of him." It's her turn to look apologetic, "Da is a tinkerer and he so loves that shop. He has been in and out since your father was involved there, and even now.. though not quite so often." Surely, though, Alan Hartwell's perfectly pleasant, average mug blends in with the multitudes of other customers over the years.

"A year belated.. but welcome home, Lilith. Congratulations on your engagement." Merry offers genuinely, but even as she stands there she is rifling through her memories for some purchase on Hank. Certainly.... certainly she has bore witness to such a man, even harbored brief worries as one would when seeing a person carrying on like that in public. "I am really very sorry for not knowing you as well as I should, given my being a local and having never travelled far. My life is very... it's very simple, you see. Like Wonderbread. Da is an electrician, Mum an RMT. Little brother in college... we even have the picket fence. I look after and teach children." Now it all makes sense! Her patience!

"I will not keep you much longer," Merry offers, blushing a bit after describing her livelihood, "Let's not be strangers, alright? It's really nice to properly meet you."

Lilith makes a little 'ah' of noise, as if she at least recognizes Meredith's dad's name, but the gap of age in school and having no children kind of limits her acquaintance then and now with Meredith as yet, so she doesn't really dwell on trying to place the woman's family or other contacts right now. You know, small town nosy chat. It's mostly not her bag anyway, to be fair, the pleasantries schtick, despite being forwardly amiable enough when engaged in conversation.

"Sounds and looks like you're well-suited to it. Though..." Lilith eyes the teenage stockboy returning with a buddy to start picking up the mess on the floor, clearing having opinions about the local youth, "Not sure how you deal with other people's children all day. I guess at the age you deal with them, though, they're still cute. But yes, let's finish our shopping and hey, if you want to stop by the Pawn sometime, I'll give you a discount on something vintage and pretty and recommended for being a nice lady."

Turning her cart, she flashes a smile and carries on, "See you around. Mind the displays!"