TIME WARP: Hats Off To You (Open)

[Georgina Speer]

Set in 2022

George walked down the streets she knew well from years of being in the area. She was 25 years old, and she'd been living in Pilot Ridge for about half of her life now. After she had graduated from Hammel, she decided to stay in America, instead of returning back to England, other than to gather her remaining belongings and explain her plans. She went to the University of Vermont and took a bachelor's degree, majoring in Business and minoring in Fashion Design (unexpected, I know). After doing so, she began gathering savings through part-time jobs and fundraising with the aid of her family and friends. Eventually, she had enough money to open up her own business, which she has been running for almost a year now, "Hat-tastical!", a fashion accessory store with a focus on hats, obviously. It was only a small corner shop at the moment, but she loved her business with her whole heart. She enjoyed being her own boss, and doing something she enjoyed.

That frosty winter's morning, she arrived at her store smiling, bundled up in scarves and coats. Like a walking fluffy snowman, she entered her shop and turned the lights on, illuminating the shelves and the desk. She swiveled the sign at the front around to 'Open', and went back to the front desk, placing the service bell on top of the cashier point, so if anyone needed her, she would know.

She then went through a hidden door and to the back of her store, into storage, where she began checking all of her goods and choosing some to go out on display. She really loved her job and where she was at the time being. So far, she was her only employee, but she had job advertisements dotted around Pilot Ridge on information boards, at the front of her store in the window and at Hammel (people always needed part time jobs)

She wasn't sure what to expect today, but like every other day, she couldn't wait.

[Deleted]

It was a quiet, normal winter morning for Phoenix, without too much planned for the day. Oriel was off to work on a routine or something for the House, which left the now two-year-old Devi in the hands of her slightly less capable father, who had fortunately grown a lot over the past couple years and was doing a decent job raising the little Korean girl with his husband, or so he thought. He was still working for a rehab center, though he'd been promoted a few times and was in a very stable position with the organization. Overall, life was good.

He decided to take the little girl shopping, since he had nothing better to do on his day off. Phoenix was still very thin, despite Oriel's constant efforts to make him gain weight, so he still froze in fifty degrees and thus bundled both himself and Devi in several thick layers of clothing to venture outside. He drove them to downtown, where he parked near the mall, though he had no real plans as to wear they would go.

"Alright, sweetie, you warm enough?" Phen gripped his daughter's hand as they trudged towards the buildings, and the adorable girl nodded, her nose and cheeks pink under a fluffy wool hat. Phoenix smiled and led the way, though it took only a few meters for a peculiar hat-shaped sign to catch his attention. Intrigued, he asked Devi if she wanted to explore it, and upon her agreement, they went inside.

Phoenix hadn't seen George for some time, so he was unaware of her presence in the back. The shop was pretty empty this early in the day, so Phen wandered around, keeping a hold of Devi as he stopped occasionally to plop various hats on her head. She looked so cute in every one... He wanted them all! "Honey, which one do you like best?" he asked, deciding she could pick out which one.

It took only a second for her to point out dusty pink hat with little bears over the ears. Phoenix approved. He glanced around then, wondering where the owner of the shop was. "Hello?" he called out.

[Georgina Speer]

George heard the footsteps and voices from the back room, so she knew she would need to get out there sometime in the near future to attend to the customer's needs. It wasn't a bad thing, it meant meeting new people, but she still had to put her work on hold.

She was just finish up her last bit of admin when the voice called out a little clearer. "Just a second!" She replied. The accent and the sound of the voice though... they were so familiar. So familiar in fact, that her hurry to meet the owner of the voice made her trip and fall into a pile of empty boxes. Picking herself up as quickly as she could, she dusted herself off and went back into the store.

Ok. That was probably the most adorable kid she'd seen all week. She smiled and stood awkwardly, hair slightly astray, "Hey there," she grinned at Phoenix and the little girl he had with him. She hadn't really caught up with him after leaving Hammel, he was older anyways.

George walked up to the pair and looked at the little girl, trying her best to hold back any cute exclamations. She thought for a second, then ran back into storage, before returning with a cute giraffe hat, which he handed to Phen to give to the little girl, to try on, if she wanted to.

[Deleted]

Phen was still oogling over his adorable little hat-wearing daughter when he heard a faint crash coming from the back, after whoever it was called out... In a very familiar English accent. No... It couldn't be, right? He peeked up and over his shoulder, and sure enough....

"George!?" he exclaimed, standing up and gawking slightly. She was older, but it was definitely her. A wide grin passed over Phoenix's face. "It's been so long! How... How are you?" He looked down at Devi, who was staring up at both of them with bright, curious eyes. "Devi, this is an old friend of daddy's, her name is George."

"Isn't George a boy's name?" The toddler finally spoke up, her voice timid and innocent, tugging at the side of the hat she was wearing. Phen chuckled, throwing an apologetic look at his friend. "George, this is Devi." He wasn't sure how much, if any, George knew about his and Oriel's relationship now, but he assumed she could probably figure it out. "We were just in the area and the sign outside caught our eyes. This... Is an adorable shop."

He smiled, blinking as George disappeared and reappeared with one of the cutest hats he'd ever seen. "Oh my gosh, sweetpea, try this on," he gushed, squatting his scrawny form down to take off one hat and put on the other. He nearly squealed aloud at the cute. "I don't think we're going to be able to buy just one," he gushed. "Do you like it, Dev?" She nodded, and Phen stood again, beaming. Without warning, he reached forward and pulled his old friend into a hug. He didn't really realize what he was doing, it just felt like it needed to be done.

[Georgina Speer]

The hat-obsessed woman probably would've reacted with a little more energy, but she wasn't a morning person. Don't get her wrong, she was ecstatically pleased to see Phen again, and there wouldn't be a time when that wasn't the case, but she needed more coffee.

"The one and only," she said, smiling like the world would end if she stopped. The adrenaline of the unexpected meeting was coursing through her veins, helping her get her energy back. "It's been too long, and I'm great, now especially. Its amazing to see you again, Phoenix. We should've stayed more in touch!" It was true, that she could've been better at keeping up with all her Hammel friends, but after leaving the school, there was just never the time.

And it had definitely been too long if he had a kid. That probably meant he had a wif- no, a husba- scratch all of that, it all probably meant he had a partner of some sort. She wasn't certain that it was still Oriel like it had been at Hammel, and she didn't want to make incorrect assumptions.

George giggled at Devi's little comment; she was beyond adorable! She looked down at the little girl, then knelt down to her height, beaming brightly and waving a little, "Hi,"

She heard Phen speaking and looked up at him, "I'm glad you like it, and you wouldn't believe how happy I am to see you. This little bundle," she spoke, looking down at Devi for another second, making a silly face, "She has probably made my week."

George loved the pair's reaction to the hat, it just added to her smile, making a giggle slide into the air. She watched joyfully and, although unexpected, she hugged back when Phen pulled her in. Even with her extroverted nature, she had been able to socialize less and less which meant less hugs, less laughter and less chat. She was grateful for every second of this reunion. After a few seconds, she broke away, "What about you, then? How are things with you and... ?" She tried to finish the sentence, but Georgina's worry that she would be wrong stopped her from.completing her words; it wasn't a problem, he'd probably help her out on the unknown front anyway.

[Deleted]

Definitely too long. There were several people that Phen regretted not keeping in contact with once he had graduated, and George was one of them. He was pretty reclusive by nature, still, and didn't often go out of his way to meet people - he was content with his family, and his work, he didn't need much else. But unexpected meetings were always a pleasure.

"It's great t'see you too," he beamed; George's bright smile would have been contagious even if he wasn't ecstatic himself. "I'm sorry we lost contact, I'm not exactly the best at keeping up with people..." he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with an embarrassed flush. "But now that I know where you work, I- well, we're gonna have t'visit you more often," he told her, rubbing Devi's head.

He grinned at the interaction between the two girls, mentally thinking maybe he'd found himself another babysitter if he and Oriel ever needed it. Tak was great, but Devi needed other motherly influences besides the very gypsy-esque, sultry woman. The girl gave a little wave as George greeted her, glancing away shyly as she knelt down to her height. "Hi," she replied quietly, pulling the brim of the giraffe hat further down her forehead.

"She's a little shy," Phoenix chuckled. "But she's a talker once you get t'know her." He was sure Devi would latch onto George's fun personality very quickly, given the chance. His daughter, as though to prove her daddy wrong, waddled behind Phoenix's leg and peered out, her tiny arms wrapped around his knee. "No need to be timid, sweetpea," he laughed. He thought she probably got her introverted side from him - and her loud, expressive side from his husband.

He held the hug for a few seconds until they broke apart, and gave a sheepish grin, blinking as she started asking questions about him. "Oh, things are great," he gushed, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Oriel and I got married a couple years ago-" he flashed the simple gold ring on his finger - "and I'm working for a rehab center now. And now with Devi, well..." His expression was the image of content. "Everything is perfect." Of course, there were always bumps and problems, but nothing they couldn't handle. "So, I mean, apart from opening this adorable shop, what's up with you?" he asked, watching as Devi toddled forward again and decided to latch onto George's leg.

[Georgina Speer]

George's mind span as she thought back on her years at Hammel; just seeing the building gave her nostalgia. She had considered working there, but she wasn't particularly certain what she would be able to do. She had rested on the idea of becoming a trainer, but for now, she'd left that one on the back burner. For a later time.

Possibly.

"Oh, don't worry, its fine. And I'll be glad to see you, anytime." She smirked. She didn't really like the sound of her own voice, it still held onto her British roots in accent, but it had slightly slipped into something more American. Very confusing.

She had to repress the urge to wrap her arms around the little girl, she was so sweet! She grinned at her shy actions, at least Devi wasn't extremely loud and boisterous. That sounded pretty hypocritical, George being who she is, but it was still the morning. She wouldn't have appreciated it one bit.

She tried to look the little girl in tthe eyes the best she could as she tottered back over to her father, latching onto him for dear life. She stayed at her level and peered around his legs to catch sight of her. "I bet she is." She said in reply to Phen's comment, keeping her eyes on Devi… why was she so adorable!

George listened to the older boy gush about his life, adding comments like "Glad to hear it!" and "Congratulations!". He seemed... like he'd actually done something with his life. Not that she hadn't expected that, but it suddenly made time catch up with her, in a sense. He seemed to contrast her in many aspects. He was married, she didn't even have a lover. He had a kid, she was still a virgin. Everything was 'perfect' for him, and everything for her... was good. Her situation wasn't bad, not in the slightest; she was very happy with where she was at. But the comparison did send a minor shock to the system.

She watched Devi come over and attach herself to her leg, and that alone widened her smile against. She patted the girl's head as she spoke, "Other than this shop? My shop is probably the most exciting thing happening in my life as of now." She sighed, telling her story, "After Hammel, I gathered my things from England, and moved here, into a flat, got a bachelor's degree in buisness and then bought this building, including the housing above it, which I now live in." She sighed again, with a chuckle on the end, "No boyfriend, or girlfriend, and nothing extremely interesting. I have a few friends, but I wish I had more." She smiled, "Don't get me wrong, I love having my own buisness, but I don't like being alone."

She looked down at the girl on her leg, and then back up at Phen, "I've been working on something. It's not quite finished yet, but Devi might like it." She looked down at the girl once more, "D'you wanna see something?"

[Deleted]

"I'll definitely bring Oriel by sometime, I'm sure he'd be happy t'see you," Phen told George with a smile. He could only imagine the man trying on all of these hats, making theatrical gestures and overall just being an entertaining goof. It would be his kind of shop, he was sure.

He beamed at the pair, watching George trail after Devi behind his leg. The little girl smooshed her face into the back of his knee, but gave the shop owner a giggle as she came closer. "You'll have t'see her sometime when she's in one of her moods," he chuckled. "I think she might wanna be an actress when she's older, like Oriel wanted t'be." Although whatever she ended up wanting to pursue, Phen would support her wholeheartedly.

Phoenix hadn't meant to be all 'look at my life and look at yours' at all; he'd never want George to feel bad about anything he said. He was just so ecstatic that his life had turned out alright that he couldn't contain it sometimes. Who would have guessed, a messed up, incredibly worthless guy like himself turning out to have an amazing family? If someone had told him eight years ago, he never would have laughed at the absurdity.

"Honey, be gentle," he cooed towards Devi, not wanting his daughter to bump against George's leg too much. At least the shop owner didn't seem to mind. He listened curiously as she spoke her story, both happy and sad for her. Happy with her successes, and sad that she seemed to feel alone. "It sounds like you've done a lot," he told her kindly. And then an idea sparked in his head. "You know, we only have one babysitter, and she isn't always around all the time... You think maybe you'd want t'take care of Devi sometime?" He had no idea if she was even interested, but he thought he'd ask. "She's easy t'take care of. Her tantrums are few and far between."

Devi peeked up again at George's offer, nodding enthusiastically at the question. Phen smiled at them both, curious to see what it was. "She'd love t'see it," he told George, answering for the girl as she reached up for Phen's hand. He took the tiny limp lightly, waiting to see just what this 'something' was. "I'd love to, too."

[Georgina Speer]

"And I him." George grinned and giggled a little at the thought; Oriel could be a proper dork but he was amazing fun to be around.

Ok, ok, she had thought about it a million times now, but Georgina was just about ready to EXPLODE from how bloody adorable Devi was! She just... and she... and... gah! "I bet she'll be amazing at whatever she wants to be when she's older, I can see it." She smiled and looked at the little girl again. Even with her timidness, she seemed determined and capable of emotions in the least. That would bode well for the future.

"Yeah..." She had actually accomplished a lot, considering, but... yeah. She listened to Phen with intrigue, though, and almost gaped with disbelieving happiness, "Seriously?" She grinned widely, "I'd love to!" She was practically free whenever, seeing as she could open and close the shop at will. Oh, her mind buzzed; this was so exciting! And about the tantrums? She was a tough cookie, she could deal with Devi.

George grinned at both of their eagerness to see. She began walking to door, that seemed pretty normal on the outside. She grabbed a key from her belt and unlocked it, going inside. It was half finished, the girl's side was practically complete, but the boy's side was hardly begun.

It was a themed room, split in half. The girl's side was pink and sparkly (as much as she hated stereotyping, it was what was most popular in younger girls). It had princesses and stuffed animals and boxes shaped like castles filled with hats. It was gonna be similar on the other side, but for boys. Both sides had sofas and beanbags, and there was a big TV that sat bracketed in the middle of the wall. She flicked the lights on, there were two main lights on the ceiling, and fairy lights that draped around. The boy's side, although with a little blue paint on the walls, was practically just boxes.

"I'm pretty certain I'm gonna make this into a kid's area," (way to be obvious, George) "So parents can drop off their kids to play games and watch TV and whatever else while they go shopping." She scratched the back of her head, "It doesn't have too much to do with the rest of the store, but I like it." She smiled at Devi, hoping for a good reaction. She'd spent quite a lot of money and time on this place; if it was gonna be hated, she preferred to know sooner rather than later.