Pixie Dust; Thursday [05/18].

[beautiful_boc]

Boc's week had been quiet and uneventful, filled with mostly taking care of shipments as they came into the store and working on more of Nell's skirty pants and trying to figure out the best way to modify that floral skirt she'd liked to a more preferable length. So, pretty much, Boc's week had been quite good and he was in a very good mood as, having been successful with the skirt, he could put his attention into tidying up the shop a bit.

Not that there was much to be tidied, but it was a good way for him to keep good and busy without bothering anyone too much.

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[mylandmyrules]

Nell was in bright and early with some scones and rolls she'd made. And a jar of her jam, because, really, she wasn't a heathen.

"Good morning, Boc," she said cheerfully. "How are you this beautiful morning?"

[beautiful_boc]

One day, Boc might stop being so startled when people came into the shop and did things like greeting him or saying his name or acknowledging that he even existed.

Today was not that day. But he did recover from the little jump and immediate urge to flee rather quickly once it processed that it was Nell.

"Oh! Um. Good....good morning!" He hopped off the crate he'd been on to help him reach something a little bit higher than usual and bobbed his head a little in greeting as his focus shifted on Nell. "I'm fairly well, well as can be, kind of you to ask! Errm, how are you? Have you come to pick up those other trousers you had me see to? Or maybe the skirt? I've worked on both of them, since last week, if you'd like to come have a look."

He started to hobble his way over to where he had them kept underneath the counter, but, of course, he'd also bring them right over to Nell, too, if she preferred that.

[mylandmyrules]

"Yes, I'd love to see them," she said following him happily. Nell wasn't one to sit around and be waited on. "I've been so excited to see if you could make that skir for me. Oh! And I hope you don't mind. I had some extra scones and rolls, so I brought some along for you. And since you really need jam to go with them I brought some of that as well."

Nell had quickly figured out that presenting things in a way that made Boc feel as if he was helping was far more comfortable for him.

[beautiful_boc]

And Boc may have sort of noticed that Nell always seemed to have extra rolls or biscuits or whatever else when she came by, but he certainly wasn't going to be the one to say anything about it. Not with the way his stomach may have let out an appreciative little sound once they were mentioned, and he tried not to get distracted by that as he fetched the clothing in question and hopped up his little ladder of boxes behind the counter so he could reach it and spread them out for Nell to inspect.

"Well," he stated, almost a little gravely, in his seriousness, "I suppose it won't do, will it, to let any extra go to waste, though I'm sure you'd have no trouble, no trouble at all, finding any number of people willing to help you out with that issue, miss. They're very good scones and rolls, but perhaps the recipe might need some adjusting, if you keep having all these extra."

With that, he made sure to take some time to point out his work. Not to show off so much as to just save her the time of trying to find out where to find anything critical or any particular fault in them.

"As you can see," he explained, "I've just done the same with the trousers, that's no big news, of course, but with the skirt...well, that was a bit more difficult, you see, to add the length in a way that didn't make it immediately obvious, so what I did was add a bit of layering, do you see, here at the bottom? Changed the silhouette, just a bit, but a decent way, I thought, to maybe add that length and hide the stitching."

[stykera]

Stark was going to need to start doing laundry on Thursdays or Fridays to deal with things getting gross from 'lava' and paint every week.

He'd already changed out of lava clothes and into something for paintball but he wanted to pick up his suit from Boc when he wasn't covered in anything sticky or gooey.

"Hello, Boc!" he greeted as he walked in. "I was hoping to pick up my suit?"

[mylandmyrules]

"Some recipes are hard to make smaller," Nell said, "But I've been lucky that most people don't mind helping me out with the extras.

The pants were lovely and she told him so, but the skirt, oh the skirt! It was beautiful!

"Oh Boc!" she breathed. "You've made it all beautiful and floaty! I don't think I've ever owned a skirt that was even half that beautiful. How did you ever come up with the idea?"

[beautiful_boc]

Today was definitely not the day for greetings to not startled Boc, because there it was, happening a second time that day, and this time, if he wasn't holding something that was hanging from a rack, he'd have surely dropped it. But at least it was just a shirt, and therefor wouldn't have been too loud or anything if he had dropped it.

But he needed a moment to recover from that jolt of surprise to realized it was a customer, and a familiar one at that, and not just some random ruffian here to cause trouble.

"Oh!" he said. "Oh, yes! Yes, of course! I have it all ready for you, right back here, good as new!" He started to make his way over to where he'd had it hung up in a little wardrobe behind the counter. "Just give me a moment to fetch it and you can see for yourself, of course."

[beautiful_boc]

Something softened a bit in Boc, at those words, a sheepishness that mingled in with a rare sense of pride; he couldn't quite blush, but it was nearly the thing, as he lowered his head gratefully at the kind words. There was a good chance, he felt, that she was just saying them to be kind, but he did rather like the idea that, if he himself couldn't be beautiful, then he could at least help make beautiful things.

"Oh, it isn't half so impressive, miss," he managed to stammer out, his head ducked, so the words were mostly going into the countertop. "I just noticed the layering style seemed a bit popular, on some of the dresses that came in, even a few of the longer ones, so I just figured, well, that's an easy enough way to adapt it, it's really quite a clever way to hide a seam, isn't it, all those layers and flounces?"

[mylandmyrules]

"It's impressive to me, Boc," she said with quiet sincerity. "I wouldn't say so otherwise. You're making your mother proud. And me very happy."

[stykera]

Stark was going to have to remember to make noise as he came in so as to not have his voice be quite so much of a shock to poor Boc.

"No need to rush," he assured him. "I've plenty of time before I need to be at my next class." His favorite class (besides the one he was teaching, of course).

[beautiful_boc]

Oh, no, Nell. Invoking Boc's dear old mum? There was no hope for him now, as his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped open.

"Oh," he said. "Oh, do you think so? Truly? All I can hope for, is to make me mum proud. I have been working hard, too, miss. I'd like that, to make her proud."

[beautiful_boc]

But then the noise would startle him, Stark! The noise.

But Boc made quick work all the same out of fetching the suit, and going to lay it in its garment bag up on the counter for him.

"I used a stronger thread," he explained, "for the mends. And the buttons. Hopefully, then, they'll stay on much better for you next time."

[mylandmyrules]

"I do think so, truly," Nell said. "You've done an amazing job here. I never thought I'd own anything so pretty."

She had no idea what an appropriate place to wear it would be, but maybe she'd dress up at home for fun once in a while.

[stykera]

"It looks very good," Stark told him. "Stronger thread seems very wise. Thank you. I'm sure it will do fine. I don't think it will be damaged again."

Was there another ginger, somewhere on the island, suddenly feeling like she'd been challenged?

[beautiful_boc]

"Well, I've hardly ever imagine I'd be able to work on anything so pretty," Boc said, almost as if to counter Nell's statement. "So thank you! Ever so much, for putting your trust in poor old Boc and giving me the opportunity. I am truly, endlessly grateful, miss."

[beautiful_boc]

To be fair, that other ginger pretty much spent her whole life feeling like she was being challenged, by something, somewhere.

"I should certainly hope not!" said Boc, still feeling mildly scaldalized by the fact that it had ever been damaged in the first place! "But..." His head hung much more obediently now. "...should that occur, I'll be more than happy to fix it up again,especially since it will no doubt be merely the result of an inexpert hand."

[stykera]

"I am certain," Stark said, fighting back a smirk, "that any damage would be the fault of the, ah, expert hands doing the damaging. Certainly not your fault."

Those hands hadn't managed to do any permanent damage to his gym clothes, at least. Though it was possible some new space clothes might be in need of a little TLC.

[mylandmyrules]

"It's really almost too pretty for someone like me to wear," Nell admitted. "I mean, I will, but goodness, Boc! If I had anywhere fancy to go I'd have you make me even more!"

[beautiful_boc]

"Oh, no, miss," said Boc, with his head wagging back in forth in soft protest, "someone like you is certainly worthy of even prettier! And certainly crafted by much better seamster than I, though I am glad you're satisfied with the job I have been able to do. And I would be truly honored, if the occasion occured that you were in need of more lovely garments to be of any assistance to be offered."

[beautiful_boc]

Boc was tempted, almost, to look up at Stark with skeptical reproach, but, of course, he could never be so bold.

He could, however, wag his head a little and comment, "If you say so, si--"

He stopped, catching himself with the title, but not stopping himself as well with the, "Perhaps those expert hands ought to be a little more careful, then."

[mylandmyrules]

"You will certainly be the person I turn to for any of my clothing needs," Nell assured him. "I think you're amazing. And you're only going to get better."

[stykera]

"Sometimes they are very careful," Stark told him. "Sometimes they're less so. I'll try to remind their owner to be more mindful in the future."

He would probably not actually do so. He rather liked when she wasn't too careful. He was careful enough for the both of them.

"But should anything happen to any more clothing I'll bring it all straight to you. I promise."