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Post by Jewel on Mar 10, 2020 13:04:31 GMT -6
Jewel didn't strictly have the money for this kind of endeavour.
Well, he could argue that he never had a fund dedicated to clothes shopping, and shouldn't worry regardless. It had been a hellish few days. Why shouldn't he take some time for himself and do some browsing, even if it would end up draining him of the last of his coin? No one was around to judge him. So, accompanied by his standard iced coffee, he had decided to wander around the first boutique that caught his attention.
For one so vain, it felt uncomfortable to consider wearing anything showy. At least for the moment. The City had accepted him thus far, and no ghouls from the past had appeared to trouble him. However, even with that encouragement, he'd refrained from using his makeup or donning bright colours. It might trigger something. What, he wasn't sure; perhaps he was being irrational, and if someone knew him, they would know him instantly.
It wasn't worth the risk. He was plain Jewel, broke Jewel, living-in-the-kennel Jewel. That suited him fine.
He could still look, and appreciate. The local tailors weren't the most inventive he'd come across on his travels, but there were new designs and fabrics to appreciate, and he could always take inspiration and make his own if need be. A rack of shirts had piqued his curiosity, and he was thumbing through them when he came across a piece he liked the look of. Casual as could be, he reached for it.
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Post by Linyü on Mar 11, 2020 20:47:30 GMT -6
"I'm telling you, Chime, a new accessory would be just the thing. Have you seen his wardrobe? Ugh. I didn't know someone could even own so many of the same shirt. It should be a crime against humanity to be that bland..." Ahhh, a clothier's. How revitalizing it was to find one! As soon as he stepped in, he could feel his soul blooming like a desert drinking in the rain. He hummed as he browsed, his fingers ghosting over the fabrics, an irrepressible smile playing over his face. As he fingered the silks, he kept up a running commentary to the little spirit rising from the charm he wore on a cord around his neck. "Sir?" "And the way he keeps buying things that don't even fit! I know we're supposed to be trying to put on weight, again, but he---" " Sir? I'm sorry, but there are no pets allowed in here," said a woman's voice. He blinked, turning, and Chime dissipated in the same instant. Flashing her his most winsome smile, he said, "Oh, you must be mistaken. I'm talking to myself! Or, well, to my dear old grandfather here, you see." He held up Chime's charm. "He passed on five years back, but I keep a pinch of his ashes in here, and I'd like to think he's watching over me. It's just comforting to talk to him, you know? Sometimes I feel like I can still hear his voice calling my name..." He trailed off, looking up and sighing as if in fond memory. The woman smiled, though it was pinched at the corners, and there was a faint crease forming between her brows. "My mistake," she said. He waited until she had walked away before sighing, flicking the charm with a finger. It made a little musical 'ping' as his fingernail struck. "People here are so stuffy," he said. "The whole city is overrun with monsters. What's wrong with bringing in a little slip of a thing like you anyway?" He drifted over to the shirts, but his good mood was gone. The first display was all more of the same bland fare he had at home, and though he supposed he could buy something that fit better, there was hardly any point if it was still going to be so boring. He browsed halfheartedly through the lot, then moved on. No... No... Hmm... No, nevermind. "The colors that looked good on me before don't work now either," he murmured. "Pity. I did so like blue. I wonder if..." He trailed off as something caught his eye--- a silk shirt in the most delightful shimmering fabric. "Oh, where have you been all my life?" he said, reaching for it with a grin.
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Post by Jewel on Mar 16, 2020 14:44:50 GMT -6
Jewel was lost in his own little reverie, and didn't even hear the other man approaching. He was mentally sizing up the shirt he was going for - was it the right size, shape, color? - and was taken rather by surprise when another hand touched it. A moment of confusion ensued. His own hand? No, no. Then... he looked to the side, and saw someone else with obviously impeccable tastes.
Though... their appearance didn't strictly match their choice of garment. Far more unassuming than Jewel, if he said so himself; the fae was quick to utilise his shameless up-and-down stare to get a measure of this person. Cute, in a humble way, but not flamboyant. It was endearing. He found a smile spreading across his face, despite his uncertainty.
"You've got good taste," He said. There was no shame for him in blowing his own trumpet, nor flirting with strangers. "I didn't see you there."
Be that as it may, he was not going to let go of his prize. Like a jealous little dragon defending its hoard of gems, he kept his fingers brushing against the fabric. Even if he wasn't going to buy it in the end, he got there first. Pettiness came as easily to him as breathing.
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Post by Linyü on Mar 22, 2020 18:51:12 GMT -6
So caught up was he in the euphoria of discovering a dazzling gem hidden away on the rack that for a moment, he lived in a world where other shoppers didn't exist.
Unfortunately, he wasn't quite magical enough to make that kind of thing a reality just yet.
He turned his head, caught the eye of a man who was, if anything, even shorter than himself--- an accomplishment, given his current height, and the general distribution of races in this city--- with pink hair. He wondered if it was dyed, or...? Seeing that the stranger was giving him a quick once-over, he decided to return the favor, but all he managed to conclude was that, sadly, the man was more attractive than himself.
Well, it wasn't like that was a rare thing. He knew that. But it still made him sulky to admit it, just like it made him sulky to admit, even to himself, that the shirt would look better on the stranger.
Fair was fair, and he wasn't in the mood to try it on anymore anyway. But he still held onto the shirt for just a moment, staring the other man down, before letting go all at once with a smile.
"You know, on second thought, I can't afford this anyway," he said, pointedly ignoring the man's barb about having not noticed him. San did say they wanted to lay low, and he was pretty sure that lady was looking for any excuse to throw him out; if he started a fight, that would be it for him. "Say, I don't think I've seen you before. I'm," and he had been working on this, on his delivery, so there was only the barest perceptible pause before he said, "Linyü." Pronounced exactly like San would say it, or at least as closely as Ichaival could coach him into, since San couldn't be present for his attempts. Why had he picked such a difficult name to say anyway?
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Post by Jewel on Apr 8, 2020 9:55:48 GMT -6
Jewel found it amusing, how he had to stand his ground against someone who appeared quite plain. Appearances could be deceiving, certainly, but it was almost laughable. The stranger would look sweet, but would not be able to pull it off as well as he could. That was the truth of the matter. He'd defend his prize no matter what.
Thankfully, it didn't need much defending, and was relinquished to him with less drama than he'd anticipated.
"That's a shame," He simpered, and reached for the price tag. "I'm sorry about tha-- oh, damn. Guess I'm not getting it either."
Damn those boutiques for their extortionate pricing. The fae was visibly pouting when he at last accepted that it wasn't meant to be and folded his arms across his chest. Boo. His loose change wouldn't have put a dent in the figure, so he was going to allow himself a few moments of grumpiness.
"Likewise. You new here?" It was rich of him to ask that question, having only been in the city for a matter of months. Still, he'd seen certain faces more than once, and this... Linyü... didn't rank among them. "I'm Jewel."
His sullenness wasn't helping him with living up to his namesake. He couldn't hold onto his disappointment for long, though. Within a few minutes, he'd undoubtedly have forgotten and moved on.
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Post by Linyü on Apr 25, 2020 21:42:47 GMT -6
Linyü laughed as Jewel read the price tag, but there was no--- oh, very well, there was very little malice in it. But really, he was already over the shirt. The prospect of a new acquaintance was much more interesting. "Oh, I'm new in town alright. Fresh off the boat, you could say." He arched a brow at Jewel's introduction. "Is that your real name, or just something fun for strangers to call you?" he said, even though he was the last person who ought to be calling someone else out for using a false name.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could spot the shopkeeper giving him the stink-eye. Which was, of course, grossly unfair, but whatever; he had seen more or less everything there was to see here anyway. "Say," he said, "how do you feel about catching a cup of coffee? Since we're both too broke to afford anything here." That last bit was more of an assumption on his part, but that shirt had been pretty standard fare as far as prices went for this shop.
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Post by Jewel on May 6, 2020 19:10:17 GMT -6
Jewel laughed. Yes, it was something fun for strangers to call him! He'd hidden under that name for so long that he barely remembered the one he was born with. He didn't think he could ever go back - Jewel was his identity, for better or worse. There was no returning to whatever, or whoever, he had been before.
"Suits me, doesn't it?" Ever the charmer, and not one to resist an opportunity for a casual flirt, he smirked. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and all, but... call a spade a spade. It's pretty, I'm pretty. Everyone's happy. Let's get that coffee."
The bad mood regarding the shirt had melted away. It needled at him slightly, to hear an outside party tell him that he was broke, but what could be done? It was damn well true. Lying about it wouldn't do any good. His budget could stretch to a drink, so he was happy to move away alongside his acquaintence, offering the shopkeeper a synthetic smile as they went.
"So, Linyü, where are you from?" Jewel didn't hang around. Tact wasn't his strong suit, and he wasn't ashamed to be nosey, letting himself observe the man's behaviour while they walked. "What brings you to this fair ol' place, hmm?"
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Post by Linyü on Jun 6, 2020 19:27:58 GMT -6
"You certainly make the picture of a rose," said Linyü agreeably, gesturing to Jewel's hair. Idly he wondered what his own name meant; San had explained it probably, at some point, but he had glossed over it at the time. Well, it would be there in a journal at home when he got back, so there was no rush. It was probably something generic anyway, since San did so like to be uninteresting.
At Jewel's question, Linyü laughed. "Oh, me?" he said. "I'll leave that to your imagination. A little mystery makes a person more attractive, wouldn't you say?" He arched a brow at Jewel, smiling conspiratorially. "As for why I'm here, well... I like to travel, and you do hear so many interesting rumors about this place. Though now that I'm here, I wish they'd warned me about the smell. Is it just me, or do the animals outnumber people here ten to one?"
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Post by Jewel on Jun 8, 2020 11:02:27 GMT -6
Compliments suited Jewel. Well, he was going to take it as a compliment, whether that's what his acquaintance intended or not; being compared to a flower couldn't possibly be a bad thing. Pink always suited him better than other hair colours. Blond wasn't too bad, though... maybe he'd consider going back at some point, just to keep things fresh...
"That's fair," He replied with a shrug. God knows he didn't want to talk about where he'd come from, but he was a little disappointed to be missing out on a potential juicy tidbit or two - thankfully, Linyü was quick to distract him with the observation about the City's creatures. "Oh, yeah. Man, you can't go anywhere without seeing them. You learn to leave with it, but... yeah, they have their own kind of aroma, don't they?"
Not a pleasant one. In his mind's eye, he could see himself spritzing his Chiryma with perfume.
"Hey, here we go!" A cafe was upon them in no time, and Jewel bounced forward to open the door, holding it for Linyü to step through. "After you, my good sir."
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Post by Linyü on Jun 20, 2020 21:38:58 GMT -6
"Do you?" said Linyü, frowning slightly. "Well, I have that to look forward to, I suppose." He didn't look particularly cheered by the prospect, but if there was no other recourse... At least the shops were far enough from the kennels to avoid the worst of the stench, so they could eat in peace.
Linyü grinned as Jewel held the door open for him, making a slight bow in return. "Don't mind if I do, sir," he said, walking in. The cafe was a quaint affair, filled with mismatched antique furniture and potted plants. Old photographs lined the walls, and the air was filled with the unmistakable scent of coffee.
"Are you a tea or a coffee person, Jewel?" he asked. "Ah, wait, no, let me guess. Herbal tea? Rosehips?" Jewel did seem like a rosehips sort of man, though maybe Linyü was just thinking of his hair now. Pink left a very distinct impression.
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Post by Jewel on Jul 5, 2020 17:59:08 GMT -6
Jewel rather liked this person. Since the initial brief annoyance regarding the shirt, Linyü had risen in his estimations - it was refreshing to find someone who didn't appear to take themselves too seriously. A lot of City folk were terribly sullen.
"I'll take tea, but I gotta be honest, I've been fuelled by coffee since I moved here," He explained. Even the scent of it in the cafe was making him desperate for a cup. Was that an addiction? Maybe, but it was a mild one. Not like drugs. "Love me a frap. Anything iced helps keep me awake, you know? Still getting used to the, uh... constant animal sounds."
It wasn't an ideal thing to mention to a new arrival, but honesty was the best policy. The kind of thing you could hear in the middle of the night was downright disturbing.
"Think I'm gonna get a latte, though, and... ooh!" Attention piqued, he gestured at a cake in the display cabinet, frosted in shimmering white. "Look at that. Divine intervention."
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Post by Linyü on Jul 20, 2020 15:16:50 GMT -6
Linyü laughed lightly. "Point. I prefer tea myself, though only because I grew up with it. Coffee wasn't the fashion where I came from." Insofar as he knew, this was true even for San, though frankly he suspected there may not even have been coffee where San had come from.
"Of course, there's nothing I love more than a good glass of wine... or champagne... or a nice Cosmo. You drink yours to stay awake, I drink mine to get to sleep." His words were rather belied by the shadows visible beneath his eyes, not entirely diminished even with the help of cosmetics, but... Well, that one was mostly not his fault. "I live pretty close to downtown, so I think I'm avoiding the worst of it, but maybe you could use a nightcap habit too."
At Jewel's gesture, Linyü blinked, then smiled when he saw what had caught Jewel's attention. "I like the way you think," he said. "I'll take... Let's say, an Earl Grey with milk, and one of these." The cupcake he pointed out was labeled 'Fairy Floss', iced in pastel hues that promised a sugar high to anyone who so much as inhaled its fumes.
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Post by Jewel on Aug 9, 2020 17:42:45 GMT -6
Man, a Cosmo sounded good. When was the last time he'd had a drink? Jewel didn't remember - it was a luxury now that he wasn't getting them bought for him at taverns he danced at. Putting a roof over his animals' heads and food in their bellies had become the priority. When did he become so old and responsible?
"I'll take a slice of that pretty little thing with my latte," He said to the person behind the counter, with a winning smile to boot. At least, it was winning in his books; it was going over the head of a cashier working too many hours for too little pay. "Shall we wait, or--"
"I'll bring them over," The cashier stated.
Hmm. The fae nodded, polite, and made his way to a two-seater table a little way apart from any other patrons once the money was settled. He was sitting down before even checking whether Linyü was accompanying him.
"Whereabouts do you live? Is it nice? I was looking for a place myself."
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