light_of_the_world: (Default)
Hild ([personal profile] light_of_the_world) wrote2016-08-29 01:15 pm
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fresh coffee at sunrise, warm my lips against the cup

The deal was all but done. The unimpressive little shop with crystals and pointless little herbal concoctions had gone into something called bankruptcy. The man selling the shop -- a real estate broker -- had explained that meant the business had no money and so, to pay off some of the people owed, the shop had to be sold.

For cheap. Cheaper, at least, than any other shopfronts on the market, which were few.

Hild had thought handing over money would be enough. She had already gone to the bank and learned what a loan was, had applied, had done the math and been sure she could make the payments, provided the business did well.

But then there were things called escrow and deeds and taxes. There were rules for how to run a business, rules set by the city for what she could sell and how the building must be kept and how she must pay and treat her employees. They all came together in a vague pattern that Hild thought she could understand, but it was a painfully slow process to stop and look up the meaning of every phrase or concept she did not understand.

She could have gone to Luke. She had already asked questions of him, learned from watching and doing. But she hadn't realized the sheer number of laws that dictated his actions. All of his actions simply made sense.

She could have gone to Luke. She could have gone to Derek. But she wanted to go to Spencer. They saw each other often; at the very least, Hild could expect to see him whenever she had a shift at the bookstore. But they had not sat down and had a proper talk, with coffee, just by themselves, in some time.

So she placed her folder full of papers, two coffees (Spencer's favorite blend, made as he liked it), and a plate filled with pastry on the table of the coffee shop, and waited for Spencer to arrive.
youfeelluckypunk: (shy smile gross)

[personal profile] youfeelluckypunk 2016-09-19 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
Reid arches a brow at that, but he doesn't comment on the statement because Hild doesn't appear to be looking for validation or sympathy. It's not like he's a stranger to being disliked himself, he knows people can find him off-putting for various reasons, and he'd learned to stop letting it bother him because dwelling on it had always seemed so pointless. Besides, he'd had an excellent group of teammates who'd found him valuable enough, even if they did like to tease him every now and then.

"A greenhouse," he tells her, "and the broker is right. I can help you read up on the ordinances, Darrow's list might not align with what I would've known where I'm from. We'll have to figure out the size restrictions because depending on how large you want to make yours, there might be permits required. You're within city limits, and I'm almost positive there's not going to be any issue with zoning regulations but we'll make sure."

There's a lot that goes into running a business, which Reid knows Hild is aware of, especially watching Luke manage the bookstore. It isn't an easy thing, taking on so much, but Reid admires Hild for the efforts she's already made. When they'd met, this likely wouldn't have been a feasible option for her for a lot of reasons, but she hasn't backed down from the challenge. He doubts there's a challenge she'd ever back down from, frankly.

"I know it probably feels like it's going a long time, but it does take some patience," Reid tells her, his tone slightly apologetic. "It'll be worth it in the end, though, I'm sure of it."
youfeelluckypunk: (Default)

[personal profile] youfeelluckypunk 2016-09-26 05:38 am (UTC)(link)
"It's not yours yet," Reid reminders her cheerfully, reaching for another pastry.

He understands why Hild would be so eager, taking on something like this is a huge responsibility but it's also surely immensely satisfying. Reid has never owned a business of his own, but he sees how happy it makes Luke, and he's at least aware of how good it makes him feel to know he excels at his chosen profession. Under no circumstances can Reid see Hild doing anything but succeeding in her venture, and he's told her before that if she ever needs help then he'd be happy to come in on his days off.

"And there are rules about stealing employees, it's called poaching, but I somehow doubt that if the business she's working for now is going bankrupt that you'll have very many problems. If she's looking for a new job now that her current one is coming to an end, it might as well be with you." He pauses, narrowing his eyes. "If you want to retain her for her marijuana, though, just make sure you've got your license to sell ready. It isn't illegal, but it is still controlled. It's supposed to be, anyway."
youfeelluckypunk: (Default)

[personal profile] youfeelluckypunk 2016-10-04 06:24 am (UTC)(link)
Reid arches a brow at that little revelation. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, if only because investigating someone who's already filed for bankruptcy seems a little too cruel." The current owner is still violating the law but then again, Reid has a sneaking suspicion that Hild would try to get away with the very same thing, if she could. Besides that, the department is so short-staffed that wasting manpower on something that doesn't appear to be causing all too many problems (at least, not as far as he knows) seems rather pointless, especially since the owner is going out of business anyway.

"But no, it's not difficult at all. There might have been a lot of red tape if we weren't in Darrow but like I said, it is legal to sell here. So please, please, for me? Just get the license. And if you buy from the girl that doesn't have one for resale, just... leave that part out when you talk to me about how business is going."
youfeelluckypunk: (srs thoughts)

[personal profile] youfeelluckypunk 2016-10-10 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
Reid opens his mouth to say something then closes it again, thinking better of it because honestly, it's not worth the argument. Besides, he trusts Hild's judgment, for the most part. Whether or not he believes alcohol is ever really "needed" is neither here nor there and in any case, the reasons for those particular beliefs are far more personal than he's willing to talk about with most people. In the end, Hild is an adult, she's her own person, and nothing Reid says or does is going to keep her from doing what she wants. Nor should it.

"Anyway," he says, deciding it's necessary to steer the conversation away from anything else that may be potentially incriminating, "you'll have my support. Luke's, too. I'll march up and down outside of City Hall handing out fliers if you need me to, I'm sure nobody would mind."