Things Reborn, Sunday

[iguessiamaclone.livejournal.com]

As Ben was going through some new donations, he came across a box of old-timey alarm clocks. The ones you had to wind, with the bells on top of them and everything. And so, of course, he had to put up a display, set them all for exactly the same time, and wait for alarm-based carnage.

The sad thing was that he did this repeatedly throughout the day in hopes of getting them to go off when a customer stopped in, just to get their reaction.

[OOC: I don't feel like OCD today. So there is none! If you stop in, feel free to mod the alarms going off at any point during your shopping.]

Comments

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

Sophie sailed in, Geoffrey in tow, and headed for the suit rack. "Right. At least two decent suits. For opening nights, and anything else that might come up."

Forward momentum was going to get Geoffrey decently dressed before he even knew what was happening, hopefully.

[suit-of-sables.livejournal.com]

He looked over at her, almost hiding in his big black coat.

"You really don't have to do this, you know."

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

"I really do, Geoffrey. I can't bear it any longer. And since you pour all of your money into the theater...." Sophie shrugged one shoulder, nonchalant, and held up a blue suit to him to judge the size. "Besides, I adore shopping."

[suit-of-sables.livejournal.com]

"You can't bear what any longer? I know I don't smell, Sophie. I'm an artist, not a hippie. I do shower, and these clothes do get washed, thank you very much."

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

"Yes, and they're ugly," Sophie said matter-of-factly. "And worn, and re-patched several times, and with some interesting permanent stains on a few of them. And while that's fine for rehearsals, and you really wouldn't want to waste good clothes there when there may be unexpected incursions of maple syrup--" She picked up an Oxford and held it against him, trying to judge the width of the shoulders, and then picked out a different one, and gave him a charming smile. "A few other things? Wouldn't hurt, would they?"

[suit-of-sables.livejournal.com]

He looked at her warily before giving a grudging nod.

...maybe Tony Stark would have been less convinced that he needed a restraining order if he'd had a nice suit. Fair enough.

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

"Right." Sophie handed him a couple shirts to hold, then turned to the rack of slacks. "Waist-- 34? 36?" she questioned him. "And maybe, possibly... a new coat?" Just a suggestion. He wouldn't really look like Geoffrey without the coat, so she wasn't sure if he'd even hear her say it.

[suit-of-sables.livejournal.com]

He reflexively wrapped his arms around himself before hunching down a little.

"...maybe."

Switching off. He could do that.

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

"Or not," Sophie said, not wanting to see that. At all. Shut-down Geoffrey was a sad, sad thing. "Keep your eyes open."

She grabbed a couple pullovers, because the theater got drafty, and then a pair of trainers that didn't look like they'd been through the wars. "Right. Try all these on, then come out and show me, yes?"

[suit-of-sables.livejournal.com]

He eyed the sneakers skeptically before nodding and taking the clothes into the dressing room.

When he came out a minute later, he didn't look bad, but he still felt weird. But it could be worse.

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

Sophie circled him carefully, a little smile on her face. "Better. Much." With a decent haircut, someone might mistake him for a respectable individual. Best not to push that yet. "How does it feel? The shoes, are they the right size?" She reached up and fiddled with his collar, frowning.

[suit-of-sables.livejournal.com]

He'd only tried on one set of shoes and now he was wearing them. 'Not fitting' wasn't necessary when he wouldn't wear them.

"The shoes are fine," he said quietly, feeling self-conscious for the first time in years.

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

Sophie looked up at his eyes, then smoothed the collar in place, taking a step back. "If you hate them, we don't have to get them." She refrained from making an excuse, kept her voice light. "You look good, though. Rumpled and comfortable is all very well for every day. You deserve to look professional, every once a while."

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

See, and the thing with being a regular...well, not customer since she rarely ever bought anything, but a regular visitor at the very least...was that it made it easier to totally mod that he might determine a good time to set them all off. Daisy always had been a punctual person, after all.

"Morning, B--"

And that would be the rest drowned out by alarms.

"Well, that was...something."

[iguessiamaclone.livejournal.com]

"That was excellent timing," Ben said, walking over to the clocks to start resetting them for later on. "Good morning."

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

"Well, I certainly am awake now, at any rate," noted Daisy. "Good morning, Ben. I trust you've been testing the alarm clocks today?"

[iguessiamaclone.livejournal.com]

"Testing, playing, same difference," Ben said. "I got a box full of them. I couldn't resist."

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

"You'll get no sympathy from me," Daisy warned him, "if you wind up with a headache by the end of the day at this rate."

[iguessiamaclone.livejournal.com]

"So noted," Ben said. "But I have aspirin, so I think I'll be okay."

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

Daisy's head bobbed a little in an approving nod. "Very good," she said. "And other than massive alarm clock synchronization, how've you been, Ben?"

[iguessiamaclone.livejournal.com]

"Who needs anything but that?" Ben asked. "I've been really good even if it's been nothing but work work work. Stock here, bartending at Caritas. I think I need a day off. You wouldn't have any ideas for how a guy could spend a free day, would you?"

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I think I could come up with a thing or two," said Daisy, with a slow smirk, one that didn't quite disappear as her nose wrinkled and she gave her head a small shake. "But I'm not sure if you'd be very interested."

[iguessiamaclone.livejournal.com]

"Daisy, I value your opinions," Ben said. "I'd be interested in hearing anything you suggest."

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

"Well," Daisy affixed a warning look toward Ben, "I have to admit, I don't want to disappoint you. There are no alarm clocks involved. In fact, any of them that try will be promptly defenestrated, as far better methods of waking up will come first."

[iguessiamaclone.livejournal.com]

"I could never say 'no' to a woman who can use the word 'defenestrated' in a sentence," Ben said.