The Toy Shop pt.1

The child wandered the cobblestone streets, eventually stopping at a quaint brick building. A large sign swayed in the light breeze, a rustic style with chains holding the carved plank up above the doorway reading, Tony's Toy Shop. The front display had a variety of toys and other playthings, arranged in a haphazard manner behind the pane of glass. The beautiful colors of the toys attracted the child, as they drifted closer to the doorway. A hand pressed against the glass, then a face trying to get a better look, fogging up the window with their breath. After a few moments of just staring at the objects, they pulled away from the display and approached the door.

It was heavy, but MJ pushed open the door, the slight tinkle of a bell rang out across the store. He closed the door behind him, staring at the shelves filled of toys and other colorful plushies. The building had a sweet smell to it, a faint aroma of roses and honey. It was like entering another world, a magical and fantastic place. The perfect attraction for kids, drawing all attention to the shop. Well, it worked. MJ was almost mesmerized by the whimsical atmosphere. He stood in the doorway, clearly visible from the outside as the door had a two-by-two glass window frame towards the top of the wood.

Noticing a toy store placard in the distance, Frisquet made their way towards it. Toys were never too interesting to them, even as a child, but their sister was another story. Just as they're about to step through the door, they're stopped dead in their tracks by another patron. A young boy stood in front of them, blocking the way. A bit surprised, they let out a quiet, "Ummm..."

They've never been good with kids in the best of circumstances, and this is certainly not the best of circumstances. Unsure of what else to say, they lean down and pitch their voice into a cheerful tone, asking, "Hey little guy! Do you mind if I come through here? Are your parents around?"

The child swiveled around, facing the originator of the voice. Their freckled face lit up in the warm sun that flitted through the windows. The shaggy brown hair was messy, as if they had just hopped out of bed and started exploring. At this age, like most kids, the child didn’t really rely on looks or even thought about their appearance.

MJ moved to the side, realizing he had been blocking the entrance. He have a shy smile, almost embarrassed by his lack of spacial awareness. His eyes lowered, staring at his blue sneakers. In a split second, his head raised and he made eye contact with the stranger.

“Hiya! I’m MJ! What’s your name?” He said loudly. After a moment, he thought it was best to answer the other’s question instead of asking his own in response. “I don’t know where Mom and Dad are, but I think they think I’m a big boy now.”

"Well it's very nice to meet you MJ!" They reply, attempting to keep up their overly cheerful façade as they step into the store proper. "My name is Frisquet. Do you want to look at the toys together?"

The child whipped back around to face the interior of the shop once more. The large brown eyes sparkled with eagerness.

“Yes! Yes! Can we?” he cheered, bouncing up and down like children usually do when excited. Before waiting for an answer, he took off into the store, sneakers thumping heavily against the wooden planks of the building. He tore down the aisle of legos, pausing to stare at the Ninjago™︎ Lego sets.

It was strange. There was no one manning the store. It was eerily silent. The vintage exterior matching the vibe within, old and abandoned. Yet there were modern toys and trinkets within, contradicting the aesthetics of the entire place. The lamps that hung above lit the room with a soft glow, illuminating as the sun dropped lower in the sky.

"Sure, sure." Frisquet replied, but before they could get the words out, he was already gone. As they followed after, Frisquet looked through the shop. It felt...off. A crude facsimile of what a toy-store was supposed to look like. Everything was perfectly arranged, perfectly clean. No child had gone through the aisles, grabbing everything in arms length before abandoning it moments later in some far-flung corner of the store. No one has looked painstakingly through the dolls to find the exact one their child asked for. No screams of joy filled the air, instead there was only heavy silence. Employees didn't annoyingly ask them if they needed help, simply because there were none to speak of in the first place. The longer they thought about it, the more unnerving it was, and so they turned their attention back to their young charge.

Looking between the Legos and MJ, they chuckled a little. Even here, kids still loved Lego. "Are these your favorites? This..." They read the box, the words coming out sounding unfamiliar and odd. "Nin-Ja-Go? Why don't you tell me a bit about it? I'm looking for a present for my little sister, and maybe she'd like some lego too!" She wouldn't, she was well into her teens, but it was something to connect with him on. Maybe it'd keep him from noticing the oddness of the store, or maybe it'd be a welcome distraction for them.

The child reached for a set, making a grabbing gesture towards one that was far from their reach. They seemed very intent on getting that one specific box, the green dragon and green ninja set. They squinted, as if narrowing their vision enhanced their focus and reach. It obviously didn’t. Good try, though. After failing to reach their intended target, an unwelcome pout creased their youthful face. The silence of the store and surroundings didn’t seem to bother them, at least not as directly from what Frisquet could tell. A common thing for children, to be more focused on themselves and their immediate surroundings rather than the environment. Anything outside their attention was irrelevant, just like the homework I should be doing right now.

“You don’t know what Ninjago is?” He asked, not in a rude way but in a genuinely surprised manner. Apparently not everyone knew lego TV series like he did, a stunning development to him. “It’s like, ninjas! There’s like, a blue one, a red one, a green one, a white one, and stuff.” MJ turned to the other, smiling. He seemed to enjoy speaking about topics he knew a lot about, well, at least knew more than the other about. While explaining, he pointed to different sets, each having their own miniature ninja figure within.

Their eyes lit up upon hearing the mention of a sibling. They liked knowing they weren’t the only child here. That’s what they thought at least. Because, why wouldn’t they think they weren’t the only child here? It just made sense in their small child brain and I don’t have the heart to tell them otherwise.

“Ooo! You have a sister? I think she’d like legos because we all do,” they said, nodding at their own statement. The “we” most likely referred to their age group or friends they had.