His mind races as he scans one outfit after the next without aim or purpose; his feet quicken with each step, pressured and uneasy with the thought of finding the perfect top. What would fit him? What does he even like? What are his preferences? What—?
His…friend…scowled. “Nothing is ‘perfect,’ bud. People just do the best they can under the circumstances. You need to realize that someday.”
He suddenly trips and falls, narrowly avoiding the worst of the impact with his outstretched hands. Searing pain runs up his arms as he struggles to stand, and his knees sting and crumple uselessly onto the ground. The blanket flatters down and reveals a big, ugly hole at its center. The culprit of this very disaster was a nearby metal rack rolled out of its position, strayed far enough to hook an unsuspecting corner of the flowing fabric. He can feel the judgmental eyes of passing shoppers bearing upon his hunched-over body, and embarrassment weights down on his already burdened heart.
“Red and green don’t go together.” He sighed. “Just like you and girls, apparently.” A flinch. “Since when are you the one with the snarky remarks?!”
“Is everything alright?”
Ó.Ò
*wants to rush over to Guy and help him up, asking him "Are you all right??"*
His mind races as he scans one outfit after the next without aim or purpose; his feet quicken with each step, pressured and uneasy with the thought of finding the perfect top. What would fit him? What does he even like? What are his preferences? What—?
His…friend…scowled. “Nothing is ‘perfect,’ bud. People just do the best they can under the circumstances. You need to realize that someday.”
He suddenly trips and falls, narrowly avoiding the worst of the impact with his outstretched hands. Searing pain runs up his arms as he struggles to stand, and his knees sting and crumple uselessly onto the ground. The blanket flatters down and reveals a big, ugly hole at its center. The culprit of this very disaster was a nearby metal rack rolled out of its position, strayed far enough to hook an unsuspecting corner of the flowing fabric. He can feel the judgmental eyes of passing shoppers bearing upon his hunched-over body, and embarrassment weights down on his already burdened heart.
“Red and green don’t go together.” He sighed. “Just like you and girls, apparently.” A flinch. “Since when are you the one with the snarky remarks?!”
“Is everything alright?”
Ó.Ò
*wants to rush over to Guy and help him up, asking him "Are you all right??"*
-last edited on Jul 31, 2018 0:57:57 GMT by TeaLeaf❀: Shopping! :D
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Jul 31, 2018 0:57:04 GMT
“It’s that little voice in your head, right?” Annoyance. “Look, tell her—” “In case you’ve forgotten,” He grinned. “that ‘voice’ of mine now has a mind of her own. I merely acquired a sense of humor.”
“Sir? Can you hear me?”
While most of his mind is still in complete shock, the stranger manages to catch a quick glimpse of the world above. A young woman is studying him with what seems like a mixture of dread, bewilderment, and mild amusement. She is kneeling as well, half-crouched to the same level as his head. Messy locks of hair fall past her shoulders despite having been tied together as a pony-tail; thin brown streaks trail down her cheeks and tangle with an oval earring dangling near the left side of her face. It's a unique and asymmetrical piece of jewelry that bizarrely matches the silver frame of her glasses, whose gigantic lenses so carefully shields her eyes to the point of absurdity. He then realizes, from her signature vest and certified name tag, the young woman is actually a store attendant.
And she is waving her hand in front of his face like a wild animal.
“I’m…alright.” He blinks. “A bit shook, but alright. You…” He changes to a sitting position and awkwardly gestures to her rapid waving. “You can stop that now.” “Oh, of course. My apologies, sir. Uh…here.” The attendant pauses and rises from the floor, offering a hand to the fallen youth. Now understanding the motion, the stranger accepts it without question. Upon standing, he discovers they have the same height: his vision aligns perfectly with her soft grey eyes. She then breaks his trance by handing back the torn blanket, which she has carefully folded into a neat little square.
“Wow,” The young woman whispers as she takes in his battered attire in its full glory. “You’ve seen better days.” “…” "I know exactly what you need.” She flashes him a mysterious smile. “Follow me, sir.”
“Fine.” His friend rolled his eyes. “Since you think you’re so great, why don’t you do the picking this time?” He chuckled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“It’s that little voice in your head, right?” Annoyance. “Look, tell her—” “In case you’ve forgotten,” He grinned. “that ‘voice’ of mine now has a mind of her own. I merely acquired a sense of humor.”
“Sir? Can you hear me?”
While most of his mind is still in complete shock, the stranger manages to catch a quick glimpse of the world above. A young woman is studying him with what seems like a mixture of dread, bewilderment, and mild amusement. * She is kneeling as well, half-crouched to the same level as his head. Messy locks of hair fall past her shoulders despite having been tied together as a pony-tail; thin brown streaks trail down her cheeks and-- * tangle with an oval earring dangling near the left side of her face. It's a unique and asymmetrical piece of jewelry that bizarrely matches the silver frame of her glasses, whose gigantic lenses so carefully shields her eyes to the point of absurdity. He then realizes, from her signature vest and certified name tag, the young woman is actually a store attendant.
And she is waving her hand in front of his face like a wild animal.
***
“Fine.” His friend rolled his eyes. “Since you think you’re so great, why don’t you do the picking this time?” He chuckled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
More flashbacks?? O3O
Hey, that kind of sounds like me if I'd actually gone over to him and asked "Dude you OK?"
OK, that sounds a lot like me. Miss Leaf, are you a--? Ō.Õ
“It’s that little voice in your head, right?” Annoyance. “Look, tell her—” “In case you’ve forgotten,” He grinned. “that ‘voice’ of mine now has a mind of her own. I merely acquired a sense of humor.”
“Sir? Can you hear me?”
While most of his mind is still in complete shock, the stranger manages to catch a quick glimpse of the world above. A young woman is studying him with what seems like a mixture of dread, bewilderment, and mild amusement. * She is kneeling as well, half-crouched to the same level as his head. Messy locks of hair fall past her shoulders despite having been tied together as a pony-tail; thin brown streaks trail down her cheeks and-- * tangle with an oval earring dangling near the left side of her face. It's a unique and asymmetrical piece of jewelry that bizarrely matches the silver frame of her glasses, whose gigantic lenses so carefully shields her eyes to the point of absurdity. He then realizes, from her signature vest and certified name tag, the young woman is actually a store attendant.
And she is waving her hand in front of his face like a wild animal.
***
“Fine.” His friend rolled his eyes. “Since you think you’re so great, why don’t you do the picking this time?” He chuckled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
More flashbacks?? O3O
Hey, that kind of sounds like me if I'd actually gone over to him and asked "Dude you OK?"
OK, that sounds a lot like me. Miss Leaf, are you a--? Ō.Õ
Oh, never mind.
*blink blink* I want to know moooaarrrr. . .
For a second there I thought I was telepathic. o_o We good now. *backs away from moar* o.o
-last edited on Aug 2, 2018 0:33:21 GMT by TeaLeaf❀: Oooo
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Aug 2, 2018 0:32:36 GMT
“Now, before we get there,” The attendant directly leads him into the inner parts of the store, chattering away with an eagerness unusual for such a small ordeal. “Tell me a little bit about yourself. What’s your favorite color?” “You’d laugh.” He answers. “We strive to not offend our customers, sir. You have my word.” “I…well…I don’t know. I don’t remember.”
At this, the young woman halts, spins around and examines him for a good minute or two before resuming their shopping journey. “Nice hair.” She comments. “I think it fits very nicely with our lighter selections. What do you think?”
He just nods in response, completely baffled by her odd and decisive behavior. There is no rebuttal to her suggestion since he has no clue about his actual appearance, other than that his hair is a puffy mess as a victim of the icy Birchwood air. He can only hope the attendant has a good taste. It took him a few minutes, but when he returned, his friend did a double-take. Was it out of shock? Was he pleased? He wasn’t sure, but he probably picked well. As expected of him.
“Here we are!” The young woman announces in a sing-song tone, her hands clasped together in sheer anticipation. Her gold earring jingles along as she rushes ahead toward a collection of hoodies lined in a discreet location deep within the men’s section, partially sheltered by heavy winter jackets and fur coats probably too fancy to the likings of this suburban community. She expertly picks out several tops and compares them under the yellow-orange lightings of the store. “Let’s see: Sharp? Crisp? Clean?” “Wait, wait,” He backs up, at last aware of the situation. “I…I can’t wear this!” She raises an eyebrow. “Why not?” “…I don’t have any money.” “So?”
“You have very kind intentions, ma’am, but I’m afraid—” “Expensive or not, why not try them out first?” The attendant shrugs. “This is the true shopping experience, sir. It’s not about perfection, but fulfillment…entertainment…satisfaction, if that’s even possible.” As she is saying this, the young woman dangles her final choice in front of the troubled stranger, and they both gaze into a mirror placed several feet away.
-last edited on Aug 4, 2018 1:53:48 GMT by TeaLeaf❀
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Aug 4, 2018 1:51:06 GMT
The fabric feels smooth to the touch and is surprisingly thick for such a simple-looking hoodie. And he…he sees himself for the first time.
“How…” His friend laughed. “How did you know I like orange?” “It’s not much of a secret.” He handed over the suit. “Besides, I think I’ve known you long enough to guess your color preference.”
“White it is,” She declares triumphantly. “Though with the black…it’s a bit monochrome. We can try other colors, sir, if you—" “No,” He quickly responds, still dazed by his reflection. “No, it’s...H-how much—?” He draws in a shaky breath when the attendant reports the price. He can’t take this…not with Lillian’s money. She has already done so much for him, and he has nothing to give back to her generosity. He is asking too much of her, of them! A shameless part of him wants it, however, and he is stuck in between, nowhere to go.
“Sir?” “…Thank you so much. But like I said, I don’t have the means—"
The store attendant suddenly lets out a sharp gasp. She dramatically pulls back the hoodie and brings it closer to her eyes. “I can’t believe this!” “What happened?” Full blown panic sinks into his voice. “Look at this! A terrible stain!” She frantically shows him the left sleeve, where the “stain” is clearly the third arm stripe. “A defective product here in Birchwood?! This cannot stand!”
“Uh, ma’am, I think—” “No, no!” The young woman covers his mouth without any warning and violently shoves him toward one of the display shelves. Her face is rendered pale and entirely drained of joy. “Listen to me, if my supervisor finds out about this, my career is over! Finished! FINITO!” She spits out the last three syllables like poison.
“We cannot let anyone else know about the defect.”
The fabric feels smooth to the touch and is surprisingly thick for such a simple-looking hoodie. And he…he sees himself for the first time.
“How…” His friend laughed. “How did you know I like orange?” “It’s not much of a secret.” He handed over the suit. “Besides, I think I’ve known you long enough to guess your color preference.”
“White it is,” She declares triumphantly. “Though with the black…it’s a bit monochrome. We can try other colors, sir, if you—" “No,” He quickly responds, still dazed by his reflection. “No, it’s...H-how much—?” He draws in a shaky breath when the attendant reports the price. He can’t take this…not with Lillian’s money. She has already done so much for him, and he has nothing to give back to her generosity. He is asking too much of her, of them! A shameless part of him wants it, however, and he is stuck in between, nowhere to go.
“Sir?” “…Thank you so much. But like I said, I don’t have the means—"
The store attendant suddenly lets out a sharp gasp. She dramatically pulls back the hoodie and brings it closer to her eyes. “I can’t believe this!” “What happened?” Full blown panic sinks into his voice. “Look at this! A terrible stain!” She frantically shows him the left sleeve, where the “stain” is clearly the third arm stripe. “A defective product here in Birchwood?! This cannot stand!”
“Uh, ma’am, I think—” “No, no!” The young woman covers his mouth without any warning and violently shoves him toward one of the display shelves. Her face is rendered pale and entirely drained of joy. “Listen to me, if my supervisor finds out about this, my career is over! Finished! FINITO!” She spits out the last three syllables like poison.
“We cannot let anyone else know about the defect.”
-last edited on Aug 6, 2018 1:32:26 GMT by TeaLeaf❀
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Aug 6, 2018 1:31:46 GMT
“Umm—” “I have an idea, but I need your full cooperation. Can I trust you?” “U-Umm—!”
“Okay. Now here’s what’s going to happen,” The attendant purses her lips into a thin line. “The product will disappear from our inventory and remain unlisted. I will make sure of that. You will walk out with the defect and get away from here as fast as you can. But!” Her voice lowers into a whisper. “Do it quietly. Act normal. Don’t make it suspicious. Got it?”
He nods, and she removes her hand. “But…the store detectors…” He asks with jagged breaths. “How do I explain—?” “Like I said, I’ll clear it from the system. It will take a while but after that? Voila!” Her serious expression breaks into a smirk. “You get a free hoodie.” “Do you…do this on a daily basis?”
She meets his eyes. “What do you think?”
The next couple of minutes flew by in a breeze, and it wasn’t until Lillian calls to him that he snaps back into reality. He is standing alone under the railing lights, just a few feet away from the store entrance. How did he get out? The encounter with the store attendant seems unreal, and if not for the folded blanket and packaged hoodie tucked under his arms, he would have thought that the whole thing was a dream. The mother and son explain to him how they saw him walk out, alone, into the night and were afraid that he was going to get lost again without their help. At this he thanks them, shame flooding into his heart as he once again thought of his greed.
With joint effort, the three of them pack up the last of the clothes and finally settle into the car. It is just half past six, and a small patch of blue is still visible beyond the fading clouds and the setting sun. Somehow, this reminds him of her. Like how, upon a closer look, her grey eyes have a hint of emerald green.
-last edited on Aug 6, 2018 1:59:42 GMT by TeaLeaf❀: Spaces mean something.
Post by TeaLeaf❀ on Aug 6, 2018 1:55:21 GMT
“Did you have fun?” Lillian asks. She looks like she’s in a better mood now, and her voice is no longer an inaudible mumble. He leaves the bag on his lap, letting the fabric and plastic warm up his bruised knees. Maybe he will see her again during his next visit. Maybe then, they can laugh at how insane they were to pull off such a heist. “A little.”
“What did you pick, mister? Show me, show me!” “It’s too dark, Théo. You won’t be able to see a thing!” He answers as he pries the youngster’s hands away from the bag, grinning not only at the boy’s enthusiasm, but also at the lime green scarf flattering gently in the wind. Théo pouts and crosses his arms, but the young boy’s irritation is quickly replaced by sheer delight. His eyes widen and sparkle as he says: “You smiled, mister!” “I did?” He blinks. “Is…is that good?”
“The best!”
“Alright, big guy. Since you’re such a good friend…I’ll pick one for you!” “…You? No thanks. I—” “Oh c’mon, don’t be like that. I was just fooling around before.
This is where the real fun begins!”
~~~~~ Double update!
That brings us to the end of Chapter 3! Thank you so much for your patience. >v< Unfortunately, this would be the last update for a while. School is coming back in session and Life is kicking off once again. I'll try to come back between breaks...hopefully then I'll have a better idea of how to continue the story. xD
Well, so long! ^-^ Have a lovely day. Don't worry... We'll meet again.8)
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)
![[y]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/WYWPH2VRo26pOFDid7QZ.png)
Loving the moar! 
