quietmounds | (no subject)

(no subject)

WHAT in person
WHERE AT THE MALL!!!!
WHEN Day 16? Something?

[ it seems like there is a BLACK FRIDAY IN JULY!! Sale going on. You know, to come before CHRISTMAS IN JULY!! WHICH EVERYONE LOVES!!!!

So stores have MEGA SALES and you are probably caught unaware by the celebrations, possibly conned into taking a picture with a mall Santa. Possibly you are an EMPLOYEE just trying to make a living and also pick up the chaos of sales sale sales, deals on deals on deals!

Maybe you have no idea what Christmas is, but luckily Quiet Mounds was prepared for that and there are pamphlets explaining both commercial Christmas and the religious holiday. Educational.

But, don't you want to try out some of these Starfucks holiday exclusive drinks? Surely you do. . . ]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ there is a kind of short teen(?), young woman (?) standing in front of the window at a clothing store. she's dressed a bit like you might expect someone to be from a Black Ops division of a movie, down to the bullet holes like. All through her clothes, though she seems fine. A little confused, probably unarmed, but fine.

You can tell she's just arrived because there's a pair of Rebel(TM) sunglasses on her head, pushed up back into her hair and the broken wine bottle hangs from her fingers.

Maybe you should tell her instead of windowshopping she can just buy some new clothes. ]

[ARRIVED WITH BULLET HOLES IN YOUR CLOTHES YOU SAY. sounds familiar.

stooopps what he was doing, which was also window shopping for a store that sells camping supplies, and backs up a couple of feet]

Ah... hey. You just get here?

[ her fingers tighten, just barely perceptibly, around the wine bottle neck and more obviously she studies him. The expression is blank but it's probably very obvious she's figured out like 15 ways to gut him before she responds. ]

Yes.

[That's cute. He's in maroon slacks and a black dress shirt, jacket abandoned somewhere cuz it too hot for that shit. Tie loose. When he sees himself being checked out for violence he smiles wryly and makes a point to show both palms in casual surrender gesture. All he's got is one of those pamphlets explaining christmas that he was reading.]

I'm not interested in a fight, but I'll answer questions about what's going on, if you want.

[forget pictures with Santa, Ai has been chosen for a very special indignity-- so passersby might be treated to the world's tiniest, angriest elf, expression daring anyone to acknowledge her even as she says, totally monotone:]

Need something from the tippy-top of your head down to your mistle-toes. Ask Santa here and he might just make your ghost-of-July present appear.

[ her eyes drift from his hands and then down to the bottle she's holding. she sort of hefts it, a mimic of being casual ]

I am not looking for a fight, I did not find a recycling bin.

[ as if that explains everything. ]

We are trapped.

[walking by and grinning at the sunglasses, not totally stopping though]

Nice choice on the starter pack.

[Orga seems to understand just fine, though he grins for some reason.]

Aa, there's some this way.

[gestures her toward the food court, and steps backward in that direction to see if she will follow]

Yeah, everyone here is stuck. No one leaves, no one dies. No one asked to be here, but now we're all on the same ship.

[ she doesn't double take, she just outright stares. ]

Anthony Edward Stark.

[okay, that stops him, spinning on his heel]

Well that sure doesn't sound like a question.

[ and she does follow, but her steps quicken up just a little so she's not behind him, but more next to him. ]

I do not believe in them. The welcome is not genuine.

[ just stating her position on the matter. ]

[That's cool, he turns around to head toward the food court or rather the little trashcan island in the foodcourt. With there ways to sort your garbage! and helpful little signs telling you which hole to use and a guilt trip about protecting the environment]

The whole thing is definitely shady, but you probably won't be meeting anyone who wrote the welcome. It just said you were here to recover from trauma, and you had a free apartment and should get a job and all that, right?

[ she deposits it within the proper bin and then shoves her hands into her pockets. she's real good at being casual. look at how casual she is. a cool casual person. ]

Yes. It is unlikely that this is not a trap.

It is not a question. I am identifying you by name.

I guess it depends on how you mean trap.

[good we are both great at meeting new people in casual settings]

We definitely can't leave. But I think if whoever trapped us wanted to do something cruel, they have plenty power and opportunity for it. But I haven't seen or heard of anything like that happening. Everyone here just seems to be living comfortable lives.

[looks her over again, eyes stopping on the bullet holes]

Were you looking for new clothes?

Then they are observers.

[ which, she doesn't sound positive on but overall her tone is fairly even. more than even, absolutely neutral. ]

Yes, but I am unaccustomed to picking my own clothing. [ followed by, with a very small hint of wryness ] And I do not take care of them very well.

Yeah. Picked that up. Care to elaborate on how you know me? You don't strike me as much of a 'fan'.

[For a very small hint of wryness, that gets a very large, if brief, grin out of Orga.]

I arrived in a similar state. Someone was... helpful enough to show me where to get some new clothes.

[back toward the stores then]

Who usually picks out your clothes? Ah, wait, first. I keep forgetting.

[Holds out a hand.]

Orga Itsuka.

[ going with the more neutral option, probably. ]

I have read your files.

It is nice to meet you.

[ the reply is automatic and so is the way she grips his hand and shakes. her handshake is firm, but impersonal. businesslike almost. ]

A. . . friend took me shopping before. Her tastes are very bright.

[Business like impersonal handshakes aren't new. He's shaken a SHITLOAD of hands in the last two years. Someone accepting his name but not giving their own is unusual, but he decides to let it side for now. He picks at the shirt he is wearing, which looks Quite Expensive.]

My bro helped me pick this out.

[He's still reserved, but sounds obviously fond just the same]

Before this, it was company issued stuff. So I'm probably not much help in choosing clothing, but I don't think anyone here cares very much how you dress anyway.

You have to know that doesn't narrow it down much. I'm a good read.

Your brother.

[ it's meant to be a question but doesn't have any inflection to indicate that it is. She presses her lips into a line for a moment before making a nod. ]

Yes, I have worn uniforms before. Are you attempting to be a businessman?

[This is also funny, though Orga is quite wry about it.]

Aa, I was trying really hard. Still am, I guess. My bro had a lot more experience in that kind of thing and gave me advice, but he's not here.

[He manages to not put any emotion in that last part only by stripping out any real inflection, which is probably just as telling, really.]

I guess if you don't know what to get, it might be easier to think of what sort of job you want here and buy something that suits that.

Yes.

[ honestly where does she even start ]

I did not expect to see you here.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 12