After mulling it over for about a minute, Stinky finally decided to head to the video store. The name of said store was "Cinemasters," a portmanteau of the words "cinema" and "masters," a pun Stinky always thought was clever.
The store itself was a video rental store, where customers could rent either DVDs or even the occasional VHS tape for three days at a time, before having to be returned. It was a local store, so it was not part of a larger chain, and was one of the few remaining video rental stores in the United States, as many have were shut down, with video rental services being converted into Redbox stations, rather than dedicated buildings.
This made Cinemasters a rather novel store - even somewhat retro, which Stinky couldn't help but find cool.
As Stinky stepped into the store, a ringing bell greeted her, attached to the top of the door-frame. It was designed to be rung whenever a door opened or closed, so it could notify the owner.
"Hello, I'll be right there!" said a male voice from the room behind the front counter.
Stinky recognized the Irish-accented voice - it was Tim O'Roma, the man who owned the store. When he stepped out to stand behind the front counter, Stinky waved and replied, "It's just me, Tim!"
"Oh, Lulu! It's good to see you! You're up early today."
"So are you," Stinky answered in a playfully sarcastic tone. "What sorta store opens at 7:30 anyway?"
Tim just chuckled. "What do I keep tellin' ya, Lu?"
"Early to open, early to earn..." the two said simultaneously.
"Yeah, yeah, but doesn't it get boring?" Stinky asked. "I mean, you even people coming in?"
"Well, you're here, aren't you?" Tim answered with a knowing grin.
Stinky couldn't help but grin back.
Tim O'Roma was a 30-year-old man who opened Cinemasters when he was 26, and despite the ups and downs, has managed to keep the store afloat ever since. He was the same height as Stinky's dad, sported ginger hair, and dark-green eyes. Before she knew his name, Stinky would call Tim "Leprechaun," since that's what he reminded her of - especially with his accent.
As for why he called her Lulu instead of Stinky, that was a personal choice - Tim always thought it was a strange nickname for a young girl like Stinky, and simply refused to call her that because he would feel bad if he did. Stinky herself has since tried stop trying to convince Tim she was fine with and just let him call her "Lulu" or "Lu."
"Anything I can help you find today?" Tim added.
Stinky shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for - just sorta... looking around."
"Well, if you need me to, I can always give you a recommendation!" Tim said with a thumbs up.
"Will do, Tim - thanks!"
"Oh yeah, and if you can, try not to fart too much this time, OK?" Tim requested. "Nothing personal, the AC has just been on the fritz a bit lately, and I don't want you stuffin' the store up."
Stinky laughed. "Pffhaha, alright Tim, you got it! I'll be sure to just toot every so often instead."
Tim rolled his eyes and gave a wry smile, before attending to other matters in the same back room he was in previously.
Stinky decided to walk slowly around the store, gazing at the shelves full of DVDs.
Hmmm... what do I wanna watch today...? She thought. Actually, why not - I'm in the mood for an oldie!
Stinky decided to head to the corner of the store with the biggest dedicated VHS shelf - it wasn't just the classics you'd expect to see either. Tim was able to start Cinemasters with a large rental catalogue, since much of what he rented out to customers was just his own collection of movies he had built up over the course of his life. He had a wide, eccentric taste in films, and it's why Stinky would sometimes call him a "movie nerd."
Alright, let's see here, Stinky thought. Am I in the mood for a weird one or a REALLY weird one?
As Stinky stood and stared at the shelf full of VHS tapes, she suddenly heard an all-too-familiar sound.
Brrrrpphht...
Just to the right of her, someone had let a fart slip. Stinky turned to see who it was that dealt it, when she saw a young woman.
The woman Stinky saw was--
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