Elim Garak (simpletailor) wrote in parabolical, @ 2008-12-20 23:12:00 |
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Entry tags: | cameron phillips, clark kent, elim garak, john hart |
Who: Garak, John Hart, Cameron Phillips, Clark Kent [Open to Everyone!]
What: Opens his tailor shop in L.A.
Where: Random, centralized commercial district street storefront
When: 9:00 am
Status: Incomplete
Rating: PG-13
Garak had quickly discovered that being an alien and attempting to procure a legitimate loan from a financial institution in Los Angeles was not as easy as one might think. All in all he visited five different bank chapters in the city. The first three laughed at him, claiming that they couldn’t give him a loan because they feared that some fellow named Scotty might beam up all the money. Garak thought that was a rather paranoid and Ferengi-esque view of things. But he soon learned that humans of this time period had a lot in common with the Ferengi. Quark would make quite a handsome profit off of these people. Too bad their positions hadn’t been reversed. The fourth bank refused to provide him a loan on the basis that he was not a registered citizen, visa holder, or federal work sponsor. And because he didn’t have any credit. Garak found all of this to be quite hypocritical. What sort of society ran on money but required people to have credit? Didn’t that negate the other?
But someone’s fates were smiling on him, because the fifth financial institution agreed to provide him with a meager loan provided he make a certain quota within the first three months of opening his business. They also attached a rather hefty biweekly finance charge. On the good side, however, it seemed his two slips of gold pressed latinum were worth something on the exchange in this century. Mostly because of the gold. Though the latinum might have also been part of the intrigue. Humans liked things they thought were valuable, even if they weren’t. He also opened a checking account and got a free toaster oven.
But none of that was really important.
What was important was that with that loan, Garak had managed to purchase the lease on a small storefront in a relatively nice and bustling section of the city. It was right across from a park, and within view of a couple hotels and pleasant restaurants. There were a lot of pedestrians, which was always good for a tailoring business. People loved to window shop. Even in the 24th century. And that was a sales tactic that Garak had been determined to bring with him to Earth.
The inside of the shop closely resembled the one he had on Deep Space Nine, with a few modifications in size. The main entrance brought the customer into a gallery area with various designs and attires. All hand sewn (he’d stayed up most of the night before) and all original in their creation. Actually, most of the outfits had a very … futuristic look to them. But that was only natural seeing as how Garak was from the future. But that didn’t mean the clothes couldn’t be adjusted to fit the current trends and fashions of 21st century Earth! Garak did plan to do more research into the styles of this day and age. He was a little excited about this. It would allow him to work with new (and never before seen) fabrics! A clothier’s dream come true.
Towards the back of the shop was his sales counter. On the far right were four fitting rooms. And in the far back was his unfinished work station, scattered with spools of thread, cut fabric pieces, and makeshift patterns.
He had also acquired the second floor, which was more like an attic than an actual second floor, which he planned to organize into a living space and kitchenette. But for the time being all he had up there were boxes. And maybe a few termites.
And, at a brisk nine o’clock in the morning, Garak reversed the CLOSED sign on his door to OPEN. He didn’t expect a crowd. No one was waiting. But he wasn’t one to be put off by such things. People would come. People always came to see Garak. Some for the clothes, others for … well, the many different services wherein Garak could provide assistance. Such as … gardening and weeding and telling elaborate stories. And things of various other natures, which the mysterious Garak never outright admitted to.
Nevertheless, the day was new, the sun was bright, the air was a little cooler than his Cardassian skin would have preferred, but Garak’s Clothiers was open for business.