Who: Okie and you!
What: Store prep and opening
When: Early to mid december
Where: A previously empty storefront downtown
Barn Raisin’As it turns out, opening up a store from scratch takes a huge amount of effort. From figuring out the furniture and storage, getting all the signage in order, and especially making sure he has enough stock built up that people actually have stuff to buy, it takes Okie more time than he initially planned for.
If you’re passing on the street in the week before opening day, there is a good chance you are being recruited to help move tables or just give opinions on layout. If you’re passing on the street and you’re one of his friends, there is an additional chance that you are getting recruited to help with the move into the apartment upstairs.
Grand OpeningWhen everything is finally in place, the sign for Hitchcock Textiles is unveiled, and the front door is unlocked to the public. Inside are yards of fabric, yarn bundles, spindles of thread, throw blankets, scarves, socks, even bundles of unspun cotton. Okie tries to stay behind the counter as often as he can, but he paces laps around the floor, making sure all the displays are in order and trying maybe too hard to make small talk.
”Staff Was Rude”As you shop, there is a decent chance you’ll run into one of the critters belonging to the owner. This reality was foreseen, as Okie has put up a hand drawn sign at the desk reading
here are their names for when you have to complain.The goat,
Jolly, is both large and very determined to help. The more things you pick up, the more he tries to shove himself bodily under your arms in an attempt to carry it for you, regardless of protests or assurances. The smaller cotton ball,
Danny, is overly nosey, perching on shoulders, heads, and yards of fabric you might’ve been attempting to inspect. The larger cotton ball,
Bunny, actively pranks anyone in the establishment, including Okie. Shoes untied, cotton balls stuffed into pockets and bags, tables moved to barricade the dyed yarns. Okie will intervene when he can, but when you make a magical bargain for your life with a trickster archfey, you only try so hard to stop mischief.
Community BuildingA week into operation, a chalkboard sandwich sign is placed outside the front door for all to see.
Cowboy Craft Corner, third Sunday of every month
Needles for sewing provided, other crafts welcomed but must be personally suppliedCome in on Sunday and you’ll find a number of tables set up in a line, topped with pincushions and pitchers for water, as well as Okie himself, making the rounds to make sure everyone is having a good time as well as planning and plotting patterns on sketch paper.
I’d Like To Speak To The ManagerIf you don’t see the specific scenario you have in mind on the shelves, we can see if we’ve got it in the back. (This is the wildcard prompt)