Order Only: Private message to Pansy Parkinson

[alt_gredforge]

Pansy:

We're sorry your godfather gave you a hard time over the business. We've been working to pull together the records you want to provide to him. Do you want us to forward them to you to send to him? Or do you think they should be presented to him in person?

It occurs to us that if he's angry enough, he might come by the premises to harangue us. Or more likely, send a minion or something, come to think of it. Don't worry, we won't let him play divide-and-conquer. We'll be polite, promise, but very firm that we'll be more than happy to speak to him as long as our partner Miss Parkinson can be present at the meeting, too. That may delay a confrontation until the next school break. Will he be patient enough to wait that long?

Any tips as to what to say or how to act if he does come looking for us? Painfully polite, deferential to his experience, that sort of thing? Any advice or other approach you can suggest we'd certainly appreciate.

We're going to be moving into the building soon. It's bare bones, but we don't mind roughing it at first, and at least that way it'll be easier for us to work on product development and keep an eye on the place as we get on with retrofitting. (Not to mention we can escape goat-and-chicken chores! It's a win-win.)

The work counters were delivered today. A little bigger than we expected, but they fit in the space and can be easily sectioned and moved if we decide to rearrange. It looks like it'll work.

Comments

[alt_pansy]

Good.

Yes.

I've done similarly -- I told him that if we were to talk about the money that's been invested any more, than you should be present for it.

I'm trying to do my best to convince him that you're not taking advantage of me, and that we're all working on it together. So if you do end up talking, play up what I've been helping with a bit.

If we're going to show him that we won't be pushed around, appearing too deferential might be a wrong move. I'd be polite and respectful, but keep it firm and direct. That's what I'm trying to do right now. I've no idea if I'm pulling it off, because the entire time I want to run away and hide, but I'm trying my best.

He doesn't think it'll be successful, and he's assuming that starting a joke shop is going to be a waste of money. I don't know if we'd be able to say anything to change his mind about that, so I wouldn't try overly hard to convince him of it. Focus on how thorough we've been with keeping track of expenses and budgets, ask that he give us a fair chance to try it, and maybe imply that some of the things you're currently working on would be for a non-joke-shop market as well, in case that helps him take you more seriously.

[alt_gredforge]

That helps. Thanks!

[alt_pansy]

And it's good to hear that you're keeping up with things. I think we ought to continue as planned until we hear otherwise.

Camping in the shop sounds like it'll be interesting. And a bit drafty. I could send Hitty round to make sure you lot don't starve without regular access to your mum's cooking -- she's always looking for things to do while I'm away at school, and I'm sure she'd be rather happy for the chance to help.

Unless it'd be weird. You can tell me if it'd be weird.

[alt_gredforge]

We like camping. Dad took us every so often, so we're used to it. We bet Mum will give us a bunch of quarts of stuff from the garden she put up this summer, and she won't be able to resist sending a home-cooked dinner, probably about once a week. And we'll be going home for Sunday dinners. Sort of a family tradition, although Percy's starting to ignore it, the plonker.

As for Hitty, well, we wouldn't want to presume. She's your house elf, yeah? But the more hands the merrier and if she's interested in helping, we'd be glad of it. We make sure she'll be happy here...especially by telling her that this is partly Miss Pansy's business, and we're all working to make it a success.

Thanks for offering.

[alt_pansy]

She's heard all about the business, and you, so I'm sure she'd love to lend a hand however she can. I'll write her to see what she thinks about popping over.