Work Text:
The 'wisdom steep’ pet store is the only one that was near the ninjago hall building. Also the one where Lloyd worked there, he also hired a new staff member named Arin as his new employee. Apparently the pet store was used to be where Lloyd and his family worked at, that is until Kai, Jay, Nya, Zane and Cole got picked at another job. So they all went away and only left Lloyd alone with his uncle and now Arin.
“Thanks for your help Arin, ever since we all have been busy it looks like this place is almost empty” Lloyd told Arin as he went to take some stuff out from the truck. “No problem Lloyd, happy to help anytime!” he simply said while cleaning the window and changing the water from the vase nearby. While he went out to take some water behind the alleyway, he could hear a small whimpering behind the stack of crates behind him.
He was curious about the sound and decided to check it out, but when he checked on it there was nothing. “I swear I heard something earlier here… must be my mind playing tricks on me” he shrugged and went back inside after he changed some water on the vase. When he met Lloyd again and he introduced some new staff to work with, it was a guy at his age and seemed friendly enough. “Arin, I want you to meet Roby! He will work with us from now on.” He simply said as the two greeted each other and not long after they became close friends.
“So what's bringing you to work here Roby? Any interesting stories you wanna tell me?” Arin asked him as Roby told him the reason he works, “well uncle Bleckt told me I atleast need some experience if I want to lead something on my own. So he told me I could try here” he smiles as he displays a carrier and toys on the window while admiring the view of their store.
The pet shop itself wasn't that old considering that they had just temporarily closed half a year ago. But still both boys thought there was something missing for their store, so they might have just needed to ask Lloyd for some stuff or two on some opinion. “You think there is something missing here that could at least make this place… less abandoned or anything??” Roby asked Arin, who was also in the same boat as him. Both then looked at each other and pointed out, “A new banner and flyer!” they said simultaneously and laughed, Lloyd seeing from the sides then smiled as he went back to finishing his work.
For the next two week, Roby andArin working together making some banner and flyer for the pet store as in for the reopening of the store. While they work on it, Arin might have met a pink haired girl wearing cat headphones while he was printing some flyers. Afterall she’s part time working there too, “busy work this week?” she asked as she handed out the result of the print.
“Yeah, I've been helping my boss with the new opening of his store. How about you? Been busy too?” he asked back while the girl just shrugged her shoulders, “not much. But, I did try to find another part time job that is nearby here. The name Sora by the way” Sora extend her hand to him as Arin shakes her hand, "I'm Arin. Nice to meet you too Sora, I probably should leave now… my friend is looking for me and I promised him to help with the banner after this” he simply said as he takes the flyer and waved goodbye to the girl. Leaving her on her own now.
Sora then takes one of the flyers that was falling behind and looking at it, “the wisdom steep pet store? I should visit sometimes” she mumbled to herself with a small smile appearing on her lips.
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As Arin then arrived back, he already saw Roby was clearly occupied and was in trouble because of the giant banner, “Aakhh!? Someone help me get this thing off of me!!” he squealed as Lloyd, who was nearby, helped him immediately and Arin also helped Roby get up from the floor while his arms were still full of flyers. “Roby? What are you doing hanging it by yourself?!” he asked panickedly while they were putting down the stuff they needed to do.
“I was about to hang this banner, but pretty much with just us three is clearly impossible” he complained about it just as they were about to try hanging the banner again, Sora then came to them with more stuff in her arms. “Hello Mr. Lloyd, I brought the stuff you need for the animals. Oh? Hi there Arin!” she exclaimed while waving at the boy, making Lloyd look over the two. “You two know each other?” he asked with a smile and Roby also smiled behind his hand, clearly going to tease Arin who gave him a sharp glare. Sora nodded and showed the flyer that he left behind earlier, “yeah he kinda went to the photocopier place where I work, also I was curious if you guys needed any help?” she asked, which Roby relieved and happily dragged her with him to help.
“Yes, we need as much help as we can! Do you know how difficult it was only doing this stuff with only three people?!” He told many things as Sora immediately helped them with the work, Lloyd and Arin looked at each other and shared a small laugh, “we should help them” Lloyd said as they went inside and prepared stuff for the opening of the pet store. “This is going to be an interesting work year for me…” Arin snorted and picked up the flyers and banner and went inside, he didn’t notice a small shadow was looming over from the giant crate behind the alleyways and went away again.
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Roby and Lloyd then watched both Arin and Sora working together side by side and could see that amusement in each other, they could sense that something like that could happen and just smiled knowingly at one another.
“Thanks for helping us. Without you, we couldn’t finish our work in time” Arin sighs and Sora just giggles as she helps him by putting away boxes and taking out trash, “what can I say? I’m pretty much multiwork and hey why not help people along the way? Nice seeing you work here though” she said as the two went back to work in peace.