Any hopes Alexander had of getting some research work done today went right out the window as soon as a big box of Japanese odds and ends came through the door. He could only assume these were considered somewhat vintage in the Japan on the mainland...the one he felt no desire to explore, finding the whole thing confusing and rather terrifying. ( Read more... )

As announced by the posters that had appeared around the dorms earlier in the week, there was a party on the beach this warm Friday evening. Or at least, there would be, once people arrived.

The setting was party-like enough, at least. Along with a lovingly modded Bod who'd been drafted in to carry stuff around, Kate had somehow managed to recruit ( Read more... )

Alexander certainly had his work cut out for him today. Unfortunately, none of that work had anything to do with the shop ( Read more... )

Inspired by his pleasantly surprising success in yesterday's class (how could one not take pride in being the best at not dying for the day?), Alexander decided that today was the day he would finally fix up that shelf toward the back of the store. Several of the shelves, it seemed, had fallen under the weight of its own pretentiousness as it held ( Read more... )

Alexander was running late for work today, not only because of radio, but because he and Ariel did go over to the spot on the beach where the princess had found Mr. Kyōraku passed out from too much to drink. At first, he was worried that they might not be able to resuscitate him, but after a few pokes at him with a stick, he stirred and awakened ( Read more... )

As much as Alexander would have liked to have poured over some more of his maps from home or even spend the day sprucing up some mirrors or hutches, he was being very good and dedicated and studying for some of his more difficult exams to come. Most of them were certainly all the classes his mother had ensured that he had not been missing ( Read more... )

A new old piece had come into the shop that morning, and Alexander could not be happier about it. It looked as though it had seen some better days, but it was nothing that he didn't know how to spruce up and make much more presentable. It would take some hard work, of course, but Alexander did love a good project to keep both his hands and mind ( Read more... )

Alexander knew that, for the most part, all the antiques and other items in the shop were of a relatively normal nature. The mirrors were not typically magical; there was nothing endless about the chests and there were no secret worlds somewhere behind the wardrobes or inside the cupboards ( Read more... )

Alexander was hoping he would have a cat-statue free day at work today, and things were going quite well until he found what he thought was just a random, out of place, polka-dotted pole hidden behind some other things. But then he went to lift it up and move it and it got stuck, and further investigation revealed...

"Ack!The cat and its ( Read more... )

Feeling an awful lot like he'd been slacking when it came to his job lately (the threat of death was a wonderful motivator, it turned out, and without it, well...), Alexander planned to make it up by cleaning extra well at the shop today. He was good at cleaning old things, anyway, and it was easy to fall into a familiar rhythm.

Until..."Ah!" ( Read more... )