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Post by danielle on Aug 21, 2006 9:12:27 GMT -5
Gravel crunched underfoot as the pair of restored humans walked toward town, making conversation that was still slightly awkward. The little house tour had gone well, and Dani had fetched her wallet from her bag, shoving it in her pocket before bounding out the door with Simon. She could be considered slightly hyperactive for her enthusiasm for the walk, but Dani had spent most of her childhood in the great outdoors and still loved it - even if it was just a walk down a few streets and then back into the thick of buildings.
Though she'd considered trying to look casual and detached, the young woman knew that it would fail miserably if she did. She was pleased to be walking along on such a nice day, the warmth of the sun tempered by a gentle breeze, and she was pleased to be walking with Simon, who had so far seemed to ignore the fact that Dani just wasn't quite normal.
"So, what're we doing in here? Anything in particular? Or... just wandering around?" She had a few things that she wanted to do, aside from just checking out what was available in the town - and she hadn't forgotten that coffee thing, either. She wasn't going to bring it up, though, in case he'd just been being nice when he'd accepted. Things were going well - and Dani couldn't help but feel a slight uneasiness at that fact, an expectation that things would all crumble as they always seemed to.
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Post by Simon Burkett on Aug 21, 2006 9:25:38 GMT -5
After a brief wave to Marie to say they were taking a walk to the store he had ducked out before anything embarrassing could happen while the new girl was there. The possibilities were small but Simon didn't doubt for a second that something was poised to strike if he lingered too long.
As he walked he was once again reminded that he needed not only more clothes, but lighter clothes. He very quickly found that he was overdressed for Caldecott County. If every day was as warm as this he would quickly sweat himself to death.
"Well," he finally replied, "I need ... more clothes, I quite literally only have ... the shirt on my back." He flapped the black and white long-sleeve to demonstrate. "Seems Caldecott County isn't the place for jackets ... and baggy pants."
"It would be good to ... have a proper look around town though ... see what's there."
He hadn't forgotten about the coffee either, but he would cross that thorny bridge when he came to it.
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Post by danielle on Aug 21, 2006 9:48:45 GMT -5
"Oh! Well I'm sure we can find something for you." Dani tended to wear the same kind of thing all the time - tank tops and jeans, or some kind of shorts (usually denim) with combat boots. She wasn't exactly a fashion plate, nor was she ever likely to be - it was easier to pick out an outfit if everything matched everything else. And her wardrobe was kinda limited to the size of her suitcase, in case she needed to pick up and go again.
"I wanted to check out a couple of places that Lee mentioned, too, to see if they're hiring. Don't really have much money left, and... Well, I'd rather pay my way, just in case." She wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon, but it just seemed to be the way of things with Dani - eventually, even the most patient people had trouble dealing with her.
"I had a job, and even my own apartment for a while, a few months back. But I... Uh," she paused. "Well, it didn't work out." Rambling again. "What'd you do before you came down here, Simon?" Hopefully that wouldn't lead to talking about powers. It was innocuous in intent, anyway, even if she did realise after she'd said it that it might not be the best question to ask.
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Post by Simon Burkett on Aug 21, 2006 10:25:08 GMT -5
"Yeah ... I know what you mean ... I donated half my money to Marie when I arrived," he didn't like the idea of living on somebody else's grace. "I suppose I should probably ... look for a job too ... I don't know ... what sort of things I could do." He doubted very much that there would be any call in Caldecott for a mostly trained software engineer.
They walked on in silence for a while, Simon content simply enjoying the day, the country and the company, even if he was more than a little warm. At least it hid his almost constant blush.
"Before this ... " he paused a moment, thinking about the time on the streets as he made his way to the Worthington labs distribution place. Best not to mention that, he didn't like thinking about it anyway.
"Before this ... I was at college ... in New York ... I was ... learning software engineering ... you know, geek stuff," he said self-depreciatingly.
It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been true.
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Post by danielle on Aug 21, 2006 11:02:10 GMT -5
"You mean actual useful stuff. Working as a checkout chick - and not a very good one - isn't exactly the kind of thing that'll set you up for the life you want, is it." Not that Dani even really knew what that was - she'd thought before her mutation that she'd wanted to stay in the reservation, with the people that she knew and loved, eventually have a family of her own. Simple dreams. The kind of dreams that would never come true when you scared all the people you knew and loved away. She'd still never found out what had happened to her parents after that night, still dreamed about them sometimes.
She didn't know what she wanted now. She'd been cured, she could go back to that life, go back to that dream, but when they'd taken away her mutation they hadn't made her normal. There was no magic pill to fix up years of being afraid of your own powers, years of being ignored by so many people who were just as afraid.
"I bet New York is nice. I never made it there yet, maybe one day you could show me around." It was a flippant remark, but she blushed after she said it. The sentence could be taken to imply several things, and she didn't realise until after she'd said it.
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Post by Simon Burkett on Aug 21, 2006 17:50:19 GMT -5
"It is," he said a little bit wistfully, "I liked the college, it had a nice campus. It was warm in the summer and really cold in the winter. The fountains would freeze and there were icicles like you wouldn't believe." He stopped suddenly, realising he'd been lost in the memory for a moment. It was the first thing he's said to her that wasn't hesitant or halting.
He looked somewhat embarrassed for a moment.
"And ... uh ... yeah, I could show you round the city ... I guess," he smiled shyly down at his feet.
"Need to get a job first ... or I won't have any money at all soon enough."
They walked on in silence for awhile longer until the white edifice of the store came into view through the trees.
"So ... how long are you planning on ... staying here?"
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Post by danielle on Aug 22, 2006 0:16:19 GMT -5
"That sounds beautiful." Smiling at Simon, Danielle did notice that he'd actually spoken a sentence without hesitating, but she didn't comment on it.
"Hmm? I don't know, I was planning on staying, but things don't always happen the way you plan, right?" In Dani's experience things almost never happened the way you planned.
"Lee mentioned that the grocery store and the fast food place are always hiring, so I thought I'd pick up a couple of applications and see what happens. Don't have a whole lot left in my savings, y'know?" She could see the store in view, the little block of businesses that was probably the Caldecott equivalent of downtown.
It was pretty basic, not enough that the local kids would have been happy hanging out there every day, but enough to get by. Enough that you could feed and clothe yourself, even if you did have to make your own entertainment - there was no big cinema, no arcade. "I wonder where the local kids go to make mischief." It seemed like the kind of place where everyone knew each other - well, except for them - and no doubt anyone caught doing anything would have the whole town informed within five mintues.
"So.. Clothes? And what about you, are you planning on staying around here a while?"
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Post by Simon Burkett on Aug 22, 2006 3:59:34 GMT -5
"Things don't always happen ... the way you plan ... you got that right," he agreed whole-heartedly. If things had turned out the way he'd planned, he'd still be finishing his course in college instead of a runaway ex-mutant fugitive.
Right here and now though, things didn't seem so bad.
"I've got enough to get by ... for now, I don't think it will last ... that long though and work ... is good. I think I might start to go ... out of my mind if I had to stay ... at the house every day."
He suddenly realised how that sounded.
"Not that I don't like it there!" He said hurriedly, "but all those kids ... you know? I'll stay as long ... as they'll take me ... there isn't exactly anywhere else I CAN go."
They turned into the store parking lot and past the rows of sun-heated vehicles.
"Clothes," he agreed and looked down at himself, "preferably cool ones."
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Post by danielle on Aug 22, 2006 4:28:48 GMT -5
"Well, I don't know that Caldecott County really has a huge fashion scene, but I'm sure we can find something half decent." She grinned at him as she wandered into the store, tugging at his sleeve to point to an old lady with purple hair. "Oh, wow, look at that!" She'd leant over and whispered in his ear, and the grin that stayed on her face as they walked past the lady working checkouts made the woman smile indulgently.
Walking over to the racks of men's clothing, Dani pulled out a few shirts and threw them to Simon, then spotted a discount rack of women's stuff. She was quite small - in fact, sometimes she had to shop in the kid's department to find things that fit her.
Thankfully, Dani's taste in clothing was pretty universal, and she pulled out a couple of pairs of cutoff shorts and some tank tops and held them up with a grin. "I'm going to try some stuff on." Pointing another rack out to Simon - men's clothes, pretty generic in terms of fashion (though with a few classic checked shirts in the mix), she bounded down to the corner and into a room.
Quickly enough, she'd pulled herself out of her boots and jeans and into the little shorts, and she padded out of the change room in bare feet. "What do you think?"
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Post by Simon Burkett on Aug 22, 2006 4:52:57 GMT -5
Simon caught the shirts and held them up to himself. They looked pretty good; short sleeves, not too loud. They kinda worked. He started moving down the aisle examining a few articles as he went. There were some baggy shorts that would be loads more comfortable than the pants he had on at the moment.
He watched with a small smile as Dani bounded away into the changing rooms without really paying attention to what she was taking with her. He really should have.
So it was that when she emerged a few minutes later clad in the little denim shorts Simon found himself momentarily robbed of speech.
What do I think?
He looked at her, trying to look like he wasn't staring, but it was hard. Very hard.
The athletic legs, tanned, well formed thighs.
He could feel the colour creeping slowly back into his cheeks again.
What do I think?
Gorgeous.
Shut up.
Sexy.
Shut up!
Smokin'!
SHUT UP!
"The ... " Simon stuttered, "they look really good on you!"
He had probably never given a more honest assessment in his entire life.
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Post by danielle on Aug 22, 2006 5:09:53 GMT -5
"Thanks." She beamed at him, walking over to see what he'd found and nodding her approval for the shorts.
"Are you going to try anything on, or are you one of those boys who just buys it and doesn't care if it doesn't fit right?" She started unbuttoning her shorts as she walked back to the changeroom, pulling her jeans on and wandering out with her boots in hand. No point putting them on again if she was going to be trying more stuff on, and she tucked the shorts and a couple of tank tops under one arm as she returned to him.
"So do... do you only have the clothes on your back?" She pointed to a rack of underwear and blushed. She'd only gone shopping with a few boys in her life, and most of them didn't need to get a whole new wardrobe. She just didn't know how she was supposed to act about things like that.
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Post by Simon Burkett on Aug 22, 2006 5:42:06 GMT -5
"These should ... fit me ok," he said, indicating the shorts, "I AM one of those boys," he hoped that wasn't a bad thing. He glanced around at some of the other racks. Two pairs of baggy shorts and a few shirts should be fine for now. Enough to tide him over at least.
He watched as Dani returned to the changing rooms and his heart almost stopped cold in his chest as she began unbuttoning the shorts before she was even hidden from view.
The effect was somewhat similar to hypnosis.
For the sake of decency and respect he desperately wanted to turn away but found himself completely unable to do so.
The spirit was willing but the flesh disobedient.
Finally, mercifully, the curtain swished closed, eclipsing her from view just as the shorts were about to drop.
Simon realised he had been holding his breath and let it out in an explosive sigh. He shook his head and fidgeted nervously but he had a feeling the sight of those lovely legs and the TOP of those lovely legs would haunt him for a very long time.
Dani emerged with the clothing stowed safely away and she asked about the thorny issue of underwear.
He did blush then.
"Yeah ... literally the clothes on my back ... but I'll just grab a few packs of shorts ... should be enough." He shuffled uncomfortably for a second before grabbing a pair of one-size-fits-all packs of shorts and an equal number of socks.
"The ... that should be enough clothes for me for now," he said, "want anything else while we're here?"
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Post by danielle on Aug 22, 2006 6:05:38 GMT -5
Yeah, apparently underwear wasn't a good thing to discuss. She'd actually been thinking about buying more bras, but decided against it since he'd gone red just at the thought of his own underwear.
"No, I think I'm fine. I have other stuff, you know, back at the house." She sat down in the middle of the store to put her shoes back on, leaning over to pull each boot on and lace it carefully. No point walking along in barefeet if she didn't have to.
Soon enough she'd approached the counter and was paying for her clothes. As the woman put them in a bag, Dani enquired about jobs and applications and was given a couple of forms in case they had an opening soon. She waited for Simon to pay for his own things, blushing at the woman's insinuation about the two of them, and then emerged into the sunshine with still warm cheeks.
"Um." She bit her lip gently. "So... Grocery store for applications? And, uhm, were we still going to have coffee?" Her cheeks warmed again, thinking about what the clerk had said, and she fiddled with her bag while she waited for his answer.
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Post by Simon Burkett on Aug 22, 2006 6:26:27 GMT -5
With the relief of the underwear ordeal finally over and the promise of being able to escape the clothing store to safer locales Simon made his way to the checkout with Dani. There weren't that many people about in the middle in the afternoon, though looking at the size of the town Simon doubted that the place ever got as busy as the supermarkets he was used to. The pace of life seemed so much slower. It was nice.
The older lady at their checkout greeted Dani and helpfully pointed her toward the information booth to get an application form before billing her for the clothes.
When she was done Simon moved up and handed her his things.
The lady, Maurine, her name tag said smiled and winked at him conspiratorially.
"That's a fine young lady you got there son, you take good care of her."
He stood there for a few moments, his mouth opening and closing like a landed fish. He couldn't begin to imagine how he should respond to that. He felt he should make some sort of denial or protest, but would that be rude? Would Dani be offended?
His mind worked furiously, his colour rapidly rising into a full blossomed blush once more.
"Uh ... " he started to say something.
He didn't know what, he hoped it would come together once the words started coming out.
"That'll be sixty four ninety five son!" Maurine cheerfully cut him off in time. He dumbly handed the money over and smiled gratefully when she gave him his change.
"You kids be good now," she called to them as they walked away.
The pair paused briefly at the information booth (where Jeanette wasn't at work today he noticed) to grab an application before making a hasty retreat from the store.
Out in the sun he shuffled a little nervously, almost mimicking Danielle's own actions.
"Y ... yeah, coffee would be ... great," he said with a little smile and gestured for her to go ahead.
Somebody, he was sure, was having a cosmic joke at his expense.
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