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Locke Lamora ([info]richercleverer) wrote in [info]vas_captio_rpg,
@ 2009-04-26 00:25:00

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Entry tags:!complete, day 05, location: thrift store, locke lamora, shannon rutherford

Who: Shannon Rutherford & Locke Lamora
What: Scavenging for goodies
When: Morning, probably around midmorning?
Where: Thrift Store
Rating: TBD (Oh, let's say PG-13 to start)
Status: Complete





Sleep deprivation was nothing new for Locke - he had experienced sharp changes to his sleeping patterns when he was in training to be a clever pirate and then again when he had come to be a member of the Orchid's crew. The only difference between that time and this was that, currently, Locke had no strong coffee to perk his mind back to its normal speed and, to make matters worse, there was the unpredictable wail of a siren every few moments. The first few times he had heard it, Locke had been sure that he would find a raging fire as soon as he left the confines of the church - but there had been nothing. After the fifth or seventh time, he had come to realize that it was nothing but a nuisance but that made it no less irritating when tore through the early morning peace. Realizing that sleep was now impossible, Locke resolved to head to the thrift store in order to scrounge together anything which might be useful - which meant anything that could either replace what had been taken from him or anything which might help in his self-appointed mission of having a good look at the glass walls and any trees which might be near them.

Locke shivered unpleasantly in the cool of the morning as he hurried toward the spot on the map marked as the thrift store and, when he came to what appeared to be the right building, he let himself quietly inside. He quickly glanced around for any sign of the woman whom he had agreed to meet but, seeing no trace of her, he decided to start his scavenge without her - well, as soon as he found some warmer and more appropriate clothes, at least. He supposed that he would just have to put up with the strange garments of this time and place.



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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-26 01:30 am UTC (link)
It had taken more effort than Shannon had thought to get away from the museum without a body guard. She'd woken with a start at the sound of the first siren when the sun was barely up and had been greeted by a raging headache from the previous night's liquor binge as well as a crick in her neck from where she'd fallen asleep at an awkward angle in Sam's arms. He'd been the most difficult to convince to let her leave, and while it was sweet, she thought, it was daylight. So long as she stayed out of the forest, she was pretty sure she'd be fine.

So, after what had originally felt like a passive uphill battle, she'd left to meet Leo and hopefully to find Domeki, amongst other scavenging. Since it had taken longer than she'd have thought to get started on the walk to the thrift shop, she was unsurprised when she got there and no one was waiting outside. So, she just let herself in. "Hello?" she called out tentatively.

After a short pause, she went further inside. "Domeki?" Another pause. "Leo?"

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-26 02:28 am UTC (link)
His instincts were still sharp enough to cause him to freeze with the gaudily colored shirt caught in his hands but Locke easily remembered the role which he was currently playing in this supremely fucked-up place. An easy grin stretched his lips as he turned his attention to the young blond woman and he was ultimately unsurprised to note that her appearance was fairly far removed from most of what he had known.

"Not Domeki, I'm afraid," he answered with a slight shake of his head. Deciding that it wasn't much to his taste, he began to fold the amazingly vivid purple shirt. "He might be around, though - I haven't looked around more than just this small part of the shop."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-26 02:45 am UTC (link)
Shannon gave the man a small smile. "Stab in the dark, then, that you're Leo from the journals?" she ventured again, wanting to be sure. Her eyes were already scanning the room instinctively for some sort of weapon, should she need it for whatever reason.

"He'd have answered me," she added, not bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice. "If he was here, I mean." Somehow, Shannon knew he would. Or at least telling herself that made her feel oddly better when she didn't really think she should feel better. ...well that was an awfully confusing feeling...

"Find anything good?" she asked, craning her neck slightly. She caught sight of the shirt he was folding and smirked. "Oh, now that's sexy, you should totally take that one," she teased.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-26 03:01 pm UTC (link)
"That would be me," he agreed cheerfully enough. Locke - or Leo, as he was beginning to call himself - noted that the blond was furtively scanning her surroundings but he couldn't really blame her. If she was scanning for her missing friend, then that was entirely natural. If she was scanning for some manner of weapon - well, he could understand completely. He had no reason to believe that he would need them, but Leo had been sorely missing his stolen stilettos ever since he had noted that they were gone. "Which means that you must be Shannon?"

"He might have left if he heard other people come in? This place doesn't really lend itself to trusting anyone or anything," he spoke perhaps a bit too readily of that and so he tried to remove any implication that she was untrustworthy with an easy grin. Remembering his guise as a priest, he held up one hand and gestured lightly with it - a move which he could vaguely remember some member of the priesthood or another using. "Lord Perelandro works in mysterious ways - but he also provides. I'm sure he'll guide the lost back to his friends." This was followed by a silent prayer to the Crooked Warden that, just this once, his words would be proven true and he kissed the back of his left hand as he turned his attention back to a display of clothing.

"Do you think?" Leo laughed and unfurled the shirt with a flair. His heavier coat cast aside, he held the eye-burning shirt up against the plain tunic he was currently wearing. "Does it bring out the color of my eyes?"

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-26 03:32 pm UTC (link)
Nodding, Shannon gave Leo a small smile. "That I am," she confirmed. Well, he was rather nice looking...she'd have to tell Kaylee about him, later. This place was just swarming with good looking men. A fleeting, amusing thought rolled around in Shannon's brain for a split second. Maybe the clownshoes who were running this show were gay men. It made her think of the conversation with Dean and she snorted slightly, shaking her head and holding up a hand to indicate to Leo that it was nothing about him she was laughing at; just that she was maybe a little cracked and worse for the wear.

"That's true," she agreed softly. Still, it would've been nice to see Domeki's face again. To know that he was all right and that he wasn't merely another body in the woods that no one had found yet. That thought made her stomach turn with nervousness, so she pushed it away. She had to keep her hopes up that she'd find him. If she resigned herself to the fact that he was dead, she'd break down again the way she had in front of Sam the night before.

Shannon was not a religious woman, but she remembered, as he spoke, that Leo was. Or at least that had been the implication, when he'd said he wanted to say a few words for the woman's body to help her on her way. In any case, religious or not, the sentiment was appreciated. "I hope so," she replied with a sad smile.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Shannon replied in mock seriousness when he unfolded the shirt again. She couldn't help laughing a little when he set his coat aside and held the eye sore up against himself and asked if it brought out the color of his eyes. "Totally. Very chic," she laughed, giving him the universal sign for 'okay' by curling her thumb and first finger into an O, leaving the other three fingers extended as she winked and gave him a grin. "We should make sure you get yourself some green or red plaid polyester pants to go with it, because really that's the only thing I can think of that would make the outfit complete," she giggled. It was nice to joke around and distract herself from her worry for a little while.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-26 04:23 pm UTC (link)
"Hm?" Leo raised his eyebrows and smiled questioningly at the amused reaction. He naturally didn't take it for granted that Shannon was necessarily laughing at him, especially when she held up her hand in indication of just that, but he couldn't help but be curious as to what had so amused her when there was nothing obviously funny about the current moment. "Well, that's a disappointing reaction from a beautiful woman. I would claim that my ego was badly bruised but I think that ship sailed long ago." The fact that he was still smiling easily should have been enough to prove that his words were in jest but there was still that small part of him that was curious as to what had triggered her amused reaction.

The reaction which he could easily understand was the sadness Shannon was showing at the continued absence of her missing friend. Though he had arrived here without the comfort of his presence, Leo couldn't help but continue to look for and to wish for Jean's presence - even if he knew that it was entirely selfish to want Jean to be a part of what amounted to a nightmare. Because of this, he felt that he could understand what it was to long for a missing friend and so Leo smiled his understanding as he nodded to her latter words. "Well, what the gods fail to provide man supplies - so, if this Domeki of yours fails to show himself, I'd be glad to help you track him down."

"Oh but what man doesn't look his best in garish purple? I can't tell you how many long night I spent awake just wishing for a shirt like this to come into my life," he sighed dramatically as he picked at the oddly slick fabric of the garment. It really wasn't like anything he had felt before but he was beginning to have doubts that it was natural in any way. Despite that - and likely because it did seem to be distracting Shannon from her darker thoughts - he toyed with the idea of trying it on but he was soon distracted from that thought by the strange gesture Shannon had flashed.

It was clear that the gesture wasn't vulgar in any way - that much could be drawn from context - but it was still unlike most he had seen. His mind flashed nonsensically to the hidden hand signals which were a second language among his brothers but he knew that couldn't be it - why would she be using hand signals when there was no one to overhear them? Shaking his head, he fought down vague annoyance at another example of the gap between his experience and the current times but he hid this emotion well behind another easy grin.

"If you can find any of those, then I'll be glad to show you just how fine such an outfit can make any man look," Leo promised. He still wasn't sure about choosing something like that for a permanent change of clothes but he would be willing to try them on - provided he could find a room which could be used for that purpose.

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-26 06:52 pm UTC (link)
At his response, Shannon laughed even harder. Maybe a bit hysterically, before she shook her head again, holding up that same hand one more time. "No, no, I'm sorry," she laughed. "Just...a conversation I was having with one of the other girls here over the journals popped into my head completely at random and it made me laugh," she explained. It was mostly true, anyway. Except the random part, that was. "I promise it's not you," she added quickly as her laughter finally settled again.

She smiled gratefully when Leo said that he would help her look for Domeki, if he didn't come back on his own. "Thank you," she replied. Shannon very badly wanted for Domeki to come back on his own, because she was terrified have to go out there and look for him. At least, though, she wouldn't be alone. This guy wasn't as bulky as Sam or Dean, but he'd do just as well, she thought. Maybe it was premature to think so, but there was something about his confidence that lent the idea to her.

"Garish! Yes, I love that word, that's the word I was looking for," she said quickly, pointing at him. "It was on the tip of my tongue, thank you; that was going to drive me nuts. I'm very glad that you've found such a shirt, in that case," she said with a solemn nod and a gentle smile that cracked into an amused grin almost immediately. "It's perfect for you. It's like it was meant to be," she mused dreamily before giggling.

He promised, she thought, to try on the outfit, if she could find it. Shannon laughed and took this as a challenge. "Okay, uh...hmm..." she said as she started to peruse the disgustingly tacky selection. She picked up a pair of shockingly yellow, sequined parachute pants. "Ooohhh, I changed my mind," she said in reference to the plaid polyester idea and held the parachute pants up to him. "These. It's gotta be these with that shirt," she said seriously. "You'll make my fucking life if you have the balls to put those on. And I dare you to wear them for the rest of the day. I'd love you forever for the laughs," she replied, laughing already at the very thought. "I can see if I can come up with some outfits for the whole week if you like," she added with a giggle.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-26 10:45 pm UTC (link)
"Ah, I see how it is," Leo joined in her laughter with a natural ease. There was no trace of offense in either his tone or his posture as he watched Shannon give into the amusement of whatever it was that had passed earlier between the two women - if anything, he seemed rather amused himself. It wasn't very often that he had the chance to make a young woman laugh simply by being present. "I won't pry but I can just imagine what secrets you must be trading."

"It's always my deepest pleasure to bless the tongues of maidens with inspiration," he responded eloquently, folding his body into the elaborate sort of bow that would generally only be appropriate for the finest of occasions. Straightening again, Leo eyed the shirt critically but with a faux expression of love touching his features. "Ah, it was clearly fate that I found this shirt in this time and this place. All those years searching in the shops of the finest tailors, only to stumble upon it in the least expected of places."

It was likely a credit to his careful skill as a mummer that Leo managed to keep a look of disgust from his features when she held up a pair of blindingly yellow pants with glitzy paste jewels of some sort liberally applied. It was true that he had worn the costume of just about any given job and of all levels of poverty - but those were simply beyond anything he had ever seen, let alone worn. Still, Leo was a man of bets, balls, and challenges and he was not about to back down - even from something as distasteful as that outfit.

"I accept your terms but I think we can make it a bit more interesting," Leo mused. His lips pursed, he spent a moment sorting through stacks of unsightly clothes but he paused as soon as he saw it - though other clothes he had passed over could well have been normal or fashionable in this time about which he knew nothing, Leo simply could not imagine that a short dress marked in the most unnatural shades of orange and green and patterned after what he assumed was the markings of some exotic cat with a trim of feathery fur at the bottom could ever be in fashion, even for the most foolish of nobles. Grinning, he held the dress up for her to see. "Why don't we both dress up and see who can stand to stay in their chosen fashion the longest? If nothing else, we'll give the rest of the group a good laugh."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-26 11:13 pm UTC (link)
Shannon smirked and cocked her eyebrows. "Girls never tell those sorts of secrets," she joked. Whatever it was that Leo was probably imagining, she really doubted that he was too far off, given the tone between the two of them and the way she'd waffled her response.

To say she was impressed by his loquaciousness would've been an understatement and Shannon didn't bother hiding the impressed expression etched on her face at his words. She said nothing, however, in response to it, favoring instead to move onto his next statement. "Clearly, the fashion gods are smiling down on you, mon ami," she said in her most serious voice. The facade was broken only a moment later as she snorted in an effort not to laugh outright. Giving in, she broke into a bout of laughter when he looked back at the pants with an expression probably very carefully devoid of the horror he had to be feeling upon seeing them. Shannon, herself, wouldn't have bothered to keep the expression of horrified disgust to herself if he'd held up the same pair of pants for her, anyway. "You have one hell of a poker face," she laughed appreciatively.

Shannon's eyebrows arched curiously when he said that he was going to take the bet but that he wanted to make it more interesting. And then, Shannon realized, he was beginning to look for something else in the piles of hideous clothes. Shannon let her head fall back and she closed her eyes as she laughed. "Oh, what have I gotten myself into?" she wondered aloud as she tipped her chin back down to look at him. "Ooohh, no..." she laughed, drawing out the latter word as she covered her mouth with one hand and wrinkled her nose. That dress was the most disgusting display she'd ever seen. It was like a fabric store threw up on the sewing machine and the sewing machine went to work as normal. "Who designed that? They should be shot!" she laughed. She held the pants out to Leo and snatched the dress from him, holding it up against herself, posing as if she was in front of a mirror, checking it out. "You think I can rock this?" she asked, smirking.

All right, if a challenge was what he wanted, a challenge he would get. He never specified that she had to actually be seen in the damn thing; she'd just hide out in the museum and close herself into one of the back rooms so that the brothers Winchester and the Doctor wouldn't see. "You..." she started and then shook her head, looking visibly bested. "You've got balls, I'll give you that," she told him almost with admiration mingled with her amusement.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-26 11:44 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, now you've got me really curious," Leo joked in sort. To be honest, he couldn't imagine what had passed between the two women was anything worse than most of the other gossip rumored to travel among women but it was rather more interesting to think that there was some grand secret in the not telling. "Still, I've heard it said that women must have their secrets and so I'll speak no more."

That very combination of eloquence and a good poker face were as much the tools of his trade as his packet of thieves tools and his stilettos - but Leo never did get tired of hearing it said that he could fool the best of them with his lack of expression. Still, the weight of knowing that most priests generally had no reason for needing to disguise their thoughts and emotions caused him to shrug casually. "Perhaps that's why they say to never get into a game of cards with a priest," he suggested with a slight grin. "That and that you never know who might be stacking the deck."

Leo adopted a look of mock outrage at her reaction to the suggested dress and he rocked it gently back and forth on its narrow hanger. "Whatever can you mean? This is the finest dress I've seen in all my years. I have not a single doubt that every dona will be wearing something exactly like this in the year to come." The bitterness of the thought that he wouldn't be there to see it even if such a thing came to pass came and went through his mind but he didn't allow his expression to falter. He accepted the pants gingerly, almost as if afraid that they would bite him, and he gave her the dress quite willingly. "Oh, you'll look absolutely stunning in it," he agreed with a slanted grin. "In fact, I'd guess that you could stun at a hundred paces wearing that."

Oh, there was a damn good reason that the one of the most famous rules of dealing with a Camorri, beyond never ever do anything to draw his wrath, was not to make a foolish bet with him - because he'll walk through fire and swim naked in a sea of salt and blades to win. Not that Leo would say as much - instead, he just offered another grin. "As do you, I have to say. You are playing along with the bet, after all. There aren't too many who'd be willing to go along."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-27 12:33 am UTC (link)
Shannon laughed again and shook her head, wagging her finger back and forth while playfully tsk-ing him. "At least you're willing to let it drop," she replied with a smirk. She had to admit, though, she had teased a little bit by wording things the way she had. Since it was unintentional, though, she didn't feel the need to apologize, even if she probably should have.

Her eyebrows arched again as she gave a facial shrug. "Good point," she agreed. "Are you a cheater, then? Stacking the deck?" she joked. She wouldn't push it, because it wasn't her business if he did; not that she'd have cared either way. 'To each their own' was practically becoming her motto these days.

Laughing, Shannon shook her head. "Buddy, I don't know where you came from, but that is a fashion disaster," she replied with a smirk. She laughed again at the way he had taken the pants from her. "What's the matter? You don't like them?" she asked, feigning hurt, complete with her bottom lip pouted out just slightly. The expression didn't last long as he told her that she'd look stunning in the clusterfuck of fabric she was pretending to try on. Instead, she broke into another grin. "Oh, I bet I'd at least catch a few eyes, that's for damn sure," she replied with a chuckle. "You know, in those pants, you might be able to stand in the clock tower and signal any passing airplanes to pick us up. They'd see you for sure," she teased back good-naturedly.

"Oh, I'm not playing yet," she pointed out. "I might've agreed, but you have to put those on, first, before I put mine on," she added. "And anyway, it's not like anyone's around to see except us, so what have I got to lose? Just try not to stare; this thing is gonna be so small on me," she finished laughing. There was no way she'd be able to move very far without the skirt riding up to her waist and her boobs falling out entirely, from what she could guess judging by the material used, never mind that it was clearly made for someone shorter and thinner than she was. "Did you take this from the kids' section? Christ," she laughed.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-27 01:36 am UTC (link)
Leo very nearly choked when Shannon asked if he was a cheater but her facial shrug was enough to let him know that she was joking - and that she wasn't all that concerned with his answer. This little tell satisfied him and made him feel just a bit more comfortable with the current situation - even if he did intend to stick to the guise of a priest for a little bit longer. He did his best to look as innocent and as guileless as possible when he turned to blink at her. "Come on, now. Do I look like someone who would cheat or stack the deck?"

"You know, you're probably right. I don't think even the dullest of the nobility would wear something like that," he nodded his agreement. Of course, the thought of trying to convince a dona to wear a garish dress such as that one did amuse the part of him that took pleasure from harassing the nobility but the possibility for that particular manner of mischief was far removed his current situation. "On you, though - I bet you'd start a new trend. All the women of Vas Captio will be looking for one just like it."

"As for these," he sighed theatrically as he held up the garishly yellow pants. These, at least, felt to be of some material a bit more natural than the shirt - but it was still nothing compared to even the roughest of the worker wear Leo had donned in the past. "I could signal from the docks of the West Needle and it would easily be seen all the way in the Wooden Waste. I'm not sure these are pants as much as they are some perverse sort of flag worn about the waist."

"I didn't realize it was that small," he mused as he squinted a bit at the dress. Only ever having to supply costumes for himself and his brothers, Leo was a bit rusty at picking out well-fitted clothing for women but he supposed the smallness of the dress only added a new and interesting element to the bet at hand. He offered another innocent expression and smiled. "I could try to pick out something that'd fit you better, if you'd like." It went unsaid that, should she pick that option, he'd just end up picking out something ten times as ugly as what she was currently holding.

"Alright. I'll try mine on first," he agreed readily enough. Turning his head, he glanced around for some room into which he could duck to change but no such option presented itself - which meant that he'd have to go for the next best option of finding a display tall enough to hide him. "No rule about dressing in front of each other, I take it?"

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-27 01:53 am UTC (link)
Cocking her eyebrows just once, Shannon gave a nonchalant shrug. "Not really, but you'd be a shitty cheater if you looked like one, wouldn't you?" she asked. "You can never really tell by just looking at a person what sort of person they are. I learned that the hard way," she replied. She was thinking of Sayid. To her, he'd looked like a terrorist and after the events of September 11th, she hadn't felt badly about thinking it. ...until she'd gotten to know him, that was, and then she'd felt like a bitch for thinking such a rotten thing about such a sweet guy.

With a laugh, Shannon shook her head. "If anyone else here wanted to wear one of these, I'd really feel sorry for their taste in clothes," she said. "God, I'm used to Gucci and Prada; this thing is a trip," she added with a smirk as she pulled the dress away and held it out in front of herself to look at it again. "It's like Jo-Ann Fabrics threw up and someone took it upon themselves to put it back together again. Badly."

When he gave a dramatic sigh, Shannon smirked, pleased with herself for having picked something so heinous. "Ha, oh my God, that's the best visual ever!" she exclaimed with amusement. "The sad thing is...those kind of pants actually were in style when I was a kid. Crazy, right?"

"Whatever, yeah you did," she joked when Leo said that he hadn't realized that the dress was as small as it was. She waved off the suggestion to find something that'd fit better. "No way, you'll pick something a million times uglier," she retorted. "It's okay, I've been living on fruit and Slim Fast bars for like two months. I just won't move too much," she said. Then she paused and smirked at him. "Or breathe."

Shannon arched an eyebrow. "I'm not getting naked in front of you, Cassanova," she replied with a grin. "I won't look if you won't," she added. "We can, uh..." Her eyes scanned the store and she found a display a few feet to the left of where they were both standing that she thought would at least come up around her chest. "We'll just each stand on either side of that thing," she suggested, pointing. "If I bend my knees a little, you won't be able to see anything and your upper half is definitely nothing I haven't already seen a million times on a million other guys, so..." She did live in California, after all. It was not abnormal to see men walking around in shorts and no shirts in the summer. Even if it hadn't been, he'd have to be a hell of a prude to be worried about her seeing his chest and torso, anyway, she thought.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-27 02:30 am UTC (link)
"That is true - but it isn't something you hear said very often." Leo turned his own look of surprise and admiration to Shannon and he couldn't help but grin a little. Part of what had made his job of mumming so easily was that he was often working within people's expectations - a merchant acts this way while a noble acts like that and Vadrans are always doing this or that. It was rare to run into anyone who was willing to look past that and, while he was impressed to see that Shannon was one of the few, it also put him a bit further on guard. "Not everyone is willing to look past the surface to see what swims underneath."

"Gucci and Prada? I know this is going to be a deadly shock but those names mean nothing to me." To his credit, Leo managed a laugh at his own ignorance - but that was mostly due to the fact that taking out his annoyance at the continued culture lag on Shannon would accomplish absolutely nothing. This constant state of bewilderment seemed to be something to which he was just going to have to become accustomed - as annoying as that might be. "You might be right about that dress, though. I wouldn't be entirely surprised to learn that it was stitched together by a blind seamstress who had lost her right hand in a tragic hemming accident and who had taken to getting blind drunk every night of her life in order to forget."

"These were once in style?" He asked doubtfully as he studied the pants a bit more closely. "Well, it would be hard to say that I've seen worse but there is no accounting for what one'll wear just for the chance to be in fashion."

"Hm? So you're going to get out of this shop without moving or breathing?" He offered a grin that was a large part amusement and a small part challenge. Not that he would deliberately cause her to embarrass herself but he sure as hell wasn't going to miss the chance to see where this bet sent the both of them. "I really can't wait to see how you manage that."

"Alas, my life's dream has been shattered," he sighed dramatically in response to her refusal to get naked in front of him but a rather large part of that was joking - he honestly hadn't expected her to agree to stripping down face to face and he was partially relieved to find that the suggested display was tall enough to do a decent job of hiding the both of them. "I'll even turn my back, if that'd make you more comfortable," Leo offered lightly. He was silently hoping that the offer would just seem the gentlemanly thing to do - even if his true intention was to keep Shannon from seeing the complex of scars scattered over his chest, torso, and arm. Not that he had any reason to believe that she would even notice or care if she saw them but he didn't want to have to flounder for a reason why a self-proclaimed priest would be marked so.

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-27 03:32 am UTC (link)
"Fair enough," Shannon agreed easily. He wasn't wrong. Even she had spent most of her life judging books by their covers. Even if she'd learned her lesson, it was so ingrained into her being that she doubted it would be an easy habit to kick. Of course, in this place, where most of her interactions with the other inhabitants were taking place in writing over the journals, it was a little easier to judge others based on their conceived personalities. Still, for the most part, Shannon was still a self-centered little girl on the inside and she spared little interest in the inner workings of those around her. If they didn't ask her for her life story, she didn't want theirs. Hell, most of the time, she probably didn't want theirs anyhow. "You're not wrong. Especially where I come from. Most people are too busy living their fast-paced lives to give a flying fuck about other people, much less trying to look past the surface to see what swims beneath, as you put it," she admitted.

With a small smile and a dismissive wave, Shannon shook her head. She hadn't really expected Leo to know what she was talking about; the names had simply rolled off her tongue reflexively and nothing more. "I didn't figure, it's no big deal," she replied. "They're just really expensive names in fashion, that's all." Even if she didn't really own the rights to the lifestyle anymore, Shannon still fancied herself a rich daddy's girl. She supposed some things would never change, even if she was grudgingly adjusting to living a far more meager lifestyle between this place and Craphole Island before it. "I have a feeling we're all going to be feeling some form or another of culture shock, so you're not alone, you know," she added with a sympathetic smile. Judging by his clothes, he was probably from her past. He'd have more adjusting to do, she thought, than she herself would.

His response about the dress startled a laugh out of her. "Hey, that's not too shabby. You're quick witted as well; that's nice. Keeps me on my toes," she said with a smirk. "And yes, they really were. They were all the rage in the '80s, I think it was. Then again, the '80s was the biggest fashion clusterfuck ever, unless you count the insane bell bottoms from the '70s. Men should never wear those. Ever. Keep that in mind," she laughed.

Bested again, Shannon cheeks went pink as she wrinkled her nose. "Hey now," she said reproachfully, "you never said anything about leaving the shop, mister." She gave him a pointed look as she made her way toward the display. The second she was behind it, she was unbuttoning and unzipping the jeans she was wearing and wiggling out of them. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she told him with a playfully apologetic tone. "Although," she went on as she pulled the shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor before pulling her focus into figuring out which side of the hideous dress was the front, "you're probably in good company back in LA..." True, it was a bit self-centered of her, but she felt it for good reason: she'd never experienced it any other way. Men fell all over themselves for her back home. Even on the Island, Charlie had and Sayid hadn't been too far behind, although at least Sayid had been a bit more smooth about it.

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-27 03:32 am UTC (link)
Shannon looked back at him after turning the dress in her hands so that it was facing the correct way and she gave him a wink. "Whatever you want, I'm not actually that shy, to be honest," she replied. "But, uh, if you'd rather turn your back," she went on, bending her knees just slightly so that she was hidden a little more effectively behind the display before she took off her bra and dropped it on the floor beside the shirt and jeans, "that's fine by me." If he was from the past, she wouldn't be surprised if he was a little more shy about nudity than she was.

Pulling the dress over her head took a little more effort than Shannon would've been willing to admit, except that when she finally got it on and tugged it into place correctly, she looked down at herself and laughed. "You picked a real beaut, Leo, let me tell you," she replied, rolling her eyes playfully.

Shannon was by no means overweight, but in the current outfit, every curve of her body, including those she'd rather not see - namely, love handles she hadn't realized she'd had - were clearly visible through the clinging fabric. The skirt of the dress stopped a few inches down her thighs and the top, while secure, displayed a fairly liberal amount of cleavage. She let the straps lay at her sides because they weren't adjustable and at their current size, if she'd put them on, the dress would end at her pelvis which was, obviously, unacceptable. Not to mention completely and appallingly inappropriate. "Uh, I look like a hooker," she deadpanned, looking back up at him. "I hope you're happy," she added with a laugh.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-27 01:39 pm UTC (link)
"Well, that's comforting." Leo laughed a little, shaking his head. He found it a touch amusing - and just a bit disturbing - that one of the few things that hadn't managed to change in however long it had been since Therin had sunk into the water was that people still tended to be oblivious to what was going on past their own noses. Of course, this was another fact that made his work all the easier so he really couldn't complain - even if that particular fact did absolutely nothing for him just now. "You can probably guess as much but that's pretty much how it was where, and when, I come from, too - people too busy to look away from their own business to see who they're stepping on and unlikely to care, anyway." He paused a moment and offered a light grin. "Some things never change, huh?"

"Is that how fashion works these days?" He asked lightly. After a moment of thought, he shrugged lightly and laughed. "Well, I suppose it isn't all that different. There always were a few bigger names among the tailors of the city - those who knew that they could charge more for their wares." In response to her reassurance about everyone feeling some degree of culture shock, he grinned wanly and nodded. "Oh, I know that you're right and that this can't be easy on anyone. It's just that I--" It was with effort that Leo bit back the rest of his words - the ones which would have included complaining about how he wasn't used to working at such a disadvantage in knowledge and it wasn't natural for him to have to flounder so. Instead, he forced himself to shape a believable smile. "Well, let's just say that it's a fucked up situation all around and leave it at that."

"Charming and witty with a far-talented silver tongue - that's pretty much the definition of Leocanto Kosta." This rather egotistical statement was followed with a rather silly grin in order to show that he wasn't quite that caught up in himself. "Bellbottoms?" He repeated, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I can't even begin to imagine what those might be, but I'm fairly sure that I really don't want to find out either."

"No, I never did say anything about leaving the shop but if you want to win the bet..." He trailed off with a teasing grin. To be entirely honest, Leo didn't have any real intention of forcing Shannon to leave the building - especially if the dress was both as horrible and as short as it seemed when she held it up against herself. Not that didn't mean he couldn't have a bit of fun in the meantime. "Oh? You have many admirers and yet you agree to dress for me? I'm deeply touched by this show of kindness to this poor soul." He paused in the act of unbuttoning his shirt to offer her a teasing grin but he soon decided to give her privacy while she changed into her new attire.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-27 01:39 pm UTC (link)

It took him only a moment to decide that Leocasto, as a priest, would likely be far more modest than Locke had ever been in his life and so he did turn his back to Shannon as he began to unbutton his shirt. Once this was removed and placed to the side, he pulled on the filmy and slightly slick material of the garishly purple shirt - only to discover that it was obviously made for a man a slight bit larger than he. Leo frowned at this fact and his mood hardly improved when he noted that the only buttons on the shirt started a few inches above his navel - which meant that he would have to walk around with most of his chest exposed. The thick layers of ruffles on either side of the low cut neck did remind him vaguely of some of the fashions he had seen in his day and the cuffs hanging over his hands could be useful - but it really didn't make up for the general ugliness of the shirt. "Oh, it's even more lovely than I had ever hoped."

His breeches went next but Leo found himself having to struggle with the blindingly yellow pants which had been chosen for him. It was true that the basic mechanics were the same as those on the clothing with which he was more familiar but the fit was odd. Leo would be the very first to admit that he was perhaps a bit undersized compared to most other grown men, having never quite outgrown the appearance of an orphan who had missed more meals than he had found, but these pants were so baggy that it was almost possible to get lost in all of the fabric. It was because of all of this that it ended up taking Leo a few long moments to adjust the clothing to his approval.

"Oh, it can't be that ba--" He had begun to speak as he turned toward Shannon but the words died on his tongue as soon as he caught the full glory. The dress was -- well, it would be kindest to say that even the wenches of the Lily wouldn't be caught dead in anything like it. Not that Leo was foolish enough to say anything like that. "Come, now. You look absolutely...radiant. I've never seen a woman look more beautiful - or less comfortable. Honestly, can you breathe at all in that?"

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-27 07:13 pm UTC (link)
With a roll of her eyes that wasn't playful at all, but completely undirected at Leo himself, Shannon nodded. "You know, somehow that doesn't fucking surprise me at all. You're right. Some things really never do change," she agreed, mirroring his grin. It was annoyingly pathetic that the one thing that they could both agree on and understand about where one another came from was that people, in general, don't care about other people.

"Yeah, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't secretly think half of my designer clothes were ass ugly," Shannon admitted. "So I don't really know where they get off charging hundreds of dollars for stuff that the average person wouldn't wear in a million years. Plus, they're so uncomfortable, and there's an unspoken rule that you can only wear each outfit once. It's stupid, really; I don't know why I even bother," she replied. She did know, though, why she bothered. It was because she was expected to by society as a whole. Beautiful, blonde, leggy rich girl who had the means and the body for those sorts of clothes were just expected to wear them. So, she had. It showed off her status and she liked that...but that was about as far as the desire for wearing those clothes went.

Offering Leo a sympathetic smile, Shannon nodded. "Yeah, it's fucked up all right. That's the understatement of the year, though, if I ever heard one," she added with a humorless laugh and another roll of her eyes. Whoever had picked them and put them here had an awfully sick sense of humor if they were finding this whole thing funny.

"Oh, you think you're charming?" Shannon asked with mock confusion. "Huh." With that, she grinned and winked. In all honesty, she thought he was charming, too, but she wasn't going to come out and tell him that. "Bell bottoms...they're like tight pants that flare out somethin' crazy from, like, the knee down," she replied. "I feel you should be informed so that you can avoid them, you see. I would hate for you to unknowingly stumble upon a pair and see fit to put them on, after all," she laughed.

Shannon wrinkled her nose. "Oh, okay, so now we have to actively display our fashion sense in order to win the bet? Okay, have it your way," she said. "But, for the record...it's like four degrees outside, so...you're gonna have to find me a coat or something," she pointed out. If those were the terms he wanted to go by, Shannon could do that. She wouldn't like it and she'd feel like an idiot, but she'd do it; she started it and she fully intended to finish it.

A cheshire cat grin crossed Shannon's lips. "Droves and droves of them," she replied sarcastically before laughing. "You're just that special, I suppose," she added with a smirk. She was not surprised to see him turn his back on her and secretly her level of respect for him rose exponentially. Normally, any other guy would stare.

"What's your name? Shannon? You're staring."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-27 07:13 pm UTC (link)
Shannon shook her head to push away the memory. She hadn't been staring at Claire because Claire had been dressing, but it might've actually been better if that had been the reason. Shannon had been staring because Claire had been missing. Because she had had no idea that she'd been gone, that she had been in the plane crash, or that she had developed some relationships with other people on the Island. The parallel made her think of Dean and that bothered her even more. Twice, she'd seen people with amnesia and in two separate places. Twice, it seemed, she'd somehow dodged the bullet. She wondered how lonely and frightening that must be; not to know the people who surrounded and knew you. A pang of pity for both of them hit her and she had to physically shake her head again in order to shake it off. This was supposed to be fun. She was supposed to be getting her mind off the terrible things around her.

Leo's comment about the shirt had successfully pulled her out of her train of thought and she snorted back a laugh. "I'm so glad," Shannon said. "It would hurt my feelings, of course, if you didn't like it," she added with a laugh.

After she'd complained that she looked like a hooker, Leo started to try to tell her that it couldn't be that bad and she raised her eyebrows incredulously, smirking at him when he cut himself off as he turned to see for himself. Tipping her head just slightly to the side, Shannon put a hand on her hip and laughed. "Oh, I don't know if radiant is the word for it, mon ami..." she reproached playfully. "I'll take the beautiful compliment, though; that might actually be true," she added with a wink. Nodding, Shannon laughed again. "I can actually breathe," she said, "if just barely."

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-27 08:57 pm UTC (link)
"From what you're saying, it sounds like the way fashion works hasn't changed all that much either," Leo laughed lightly and gave his head a slight shake. It wasn't that he had too much experience in the world of trends and how they began - more, it was that he was all too aware of how random and unpredictable the tastes of the nobility could be and he also knew how disposable clothes were to the majority of those fortunate enough to born into money. "What you've just described could be attributed to a rather large number of the nobles I've known in my life - but it always seemed that they bothered with the unspoken rules mostly either to have something to occupy their time or to have a way to show one another up." He paused for a moment to think. "At least until the noblewomen discovered alchemy."

"It's strange. I'm not sure that I can call this the most fucked up thing to happen in my life," he admitted with a slight catch in his voice. "It's definitely among the top five, though. There are a few things that make it fairly bearable - but I can easily think of at least a dozen places I would rather be."

"Oh, I know you think I'm charming, too. I've heard it repeated too many times to not believe it." To show that he was kidding, Leo offered her a slanted grin and a quick wink but he chose not to spend too much time trotting out his ego - especially since the majority of priests weren't supposed to be all that full of themselves, anyway.

"Those bell bottoms sound absolutely stunning." Despite his words, he couldn't quite keep a slight hint of disgust from showing in his features. Not only did those pants sound rather unattractive, they also sounded as if they'd be entirely uncomfortable. "I'm pretty sure you could probably find a pair of them buried somewhere in these piles of fabric - not that I'm challenging you to do so, before you even think of asking."

"I did assume that we were going to leave this shop at some point in the future," Leo reasoned with a slight shrug. Of course, before that happened, he did want to have a look around. He still intended to scavenge any goods that could help to replace what had been stolen from him - even if it meant reverting to the simpler things from his childhood. "If you want a coat, though, you can borrow mine - or I can try to find something which would match that beautiful dress of yours."

"I cannot tell you how loved and special I feel just now," he deadpanned. Still, he wasn't all that surprised - a young woman as attractive as Shannon would quite naturally have a trove of young men willing to do just about anything for her attention. Such was the way of the world, past and present. "Perhaps, someday, we can all gather ourselves together and start a guild - all in your name, of course." A teasing grin took any of the sting which might be found in his words and he even managed an easy laugh. "You never know what you could probably get any of the men gathered here to do for you - if you so chose."

"You do have an impeccable eye for fashion, madame," Leo managed to speak without betraying his true feelings about the clothes which had been picked - but it was only a matter of time. Rolling his shoulders slightly, he found that he didn't care in the slightest for the almost greasy feeling of the material against his skin and the thin looseness of the fabric would do nothing to protect him from the cold - still, he wasn't going to give up on the bet now that it was underway. "These are surely the finest clothes I have ever been allowed to wear."

"Beautiful - I think that still applies. Radiant - if just for how it scorches the eyes to near blindness." Leo spoke almost clinically, a hand curled under his chin as he cocked his head at her. "It is good to know that you can breathe - I would hate for you to collapse and ruin such a work of art..."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-27 10:01 pm UTC (link)
Furrowing her brow just slightly, Shannon looked confused. "Alchemy? I know this is going to sound really stupid, but...uh, what? I feel like I've heard that word before, but call me retarded; I have no idea what it is," she admitted. She nodded her understanding when he said that this place wasn't the most fucked up thing to happen in his life. "I'd have to say this is tied for most fucked up thing," she told him, "tied with the place I came from, that is. That place was seriously fucked up," she added. She nodded again and gave a small smile to his sentiment about being able to name at least a dozen other places he'd rather be. "Amen to that," she said solemnly.

Smirking, Shannon wrinkled her nose. "That obvious huh? You're pretty smart ass for a holy man. Gotta love that. Usually they're so dull and boring," she said, looking impressed. Shannon hadn't been to church in years, but she did remember vividly the way Boone used to flick the back of her ear when she'd start to nod off. She'd hated it, but it had come in handy fairly often, even she had to admit. Daddy would've killed her if she'd fallen asleep during mass.

Before Shannon could even finish opening her mouth to jokingly ask if he would prefer her find him a pair of bell bottoms, he cut the thought off by telling her that wasn't what he meant. "Shame. Maybe next time," she teased.

And then Shannon was bested. Again. If he wasn't so damn adorable and wasn't so good at making her smile both on paper and in person, she'd probably start to dislike him for it; Shannon didn't like being bested. She liked being right all the time. He was taking her down a peg without really even trying. "Fair point. I'd take yours, but then you'll freeze. I need something long, though, or my legs will freeze," she pointed out. "I'd love to see what else you can come up with. Who am I to mar your masterpiece of an outfit by coming up with my own outerwear?" she teased.

Laughing, Shannon shook her head. "I don't know if I could handle that much attention all at once. Would you be their leader?" she joked. Shannon's smile faltered only for a split second at the latter of his statements. I think Sam would do anything for you, Shannon, Dean had said. So weird that Leo had said essentially the same thing, only in a more generic form. Totally coincidence, but still. Strange.

"Most amazing poker face of all time," she repeated the sentiment when he was able to tell her that the gaudy outfit she'd chosen for him was surely the finest he'd ever worn. "It's okay if you want to say how you really feel. We both look fucking ridiculous, if you ask me," she replied, laughing.

A blush crept its way into her cheeks without her permission when Leo said that his description of beautiful still applied. "Yeah, I guess radiant is one way to put it. I'd probably go with eye-sore, personally, but to each their own," she replied with a smirk. "It would be pretty awful, yeah, if I fainted for lack of breath." She paused and grinned. "You'd catch me, though, right?" she joked.

Looking over her shoulder, Shannon surveyed the shop. "I like how we originally were meeting to get supplies and instead all we've been doing is playing dress up," she said with a smile. "We should probably stop horsing around and actually make ourselves useful soon, huh?"

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-27 11:10 pm UTC (link)
"Alchemy," Leo nodded lightly. It was something which had become such second nature to life in Camorr that he had temporarily forgotten that it wouldn't necessarily be so in this time and place - especially since the technology in this land seemed to be eras ahead of the clockwork and alchemy he had always known. "It's -- well, a science of sorts. I never quite caught the finer nuances of it but it has a lot to do with finding the right proportions of certain agents and chemicals. There were all sorts of applications - from glowglobes to exquisite lamps to liquors to just about anything you can imagine. It seemed to almost be an on-going competition, to see who could conceive the newest and cleverest way to grow or design a new alchemical plant or device. There was even --" It was here that Leo finally caught onto the fact that he had been rambling and he silently cursed the part of himself that had actually managed to get homesick for the dark streets of Camorr. Shaking his head, he offered Shannon a foolish grin. "Well, you get the idea. It's nothing much compared to what's scattered around here, though."

"Oh?" Leo raised his eyebrows at the fact that Shannon apparently had come to this place from someplace that was equally as fucked up. "I can't imagine what that must've been like, if it was just as bad as this." He paused a moment to weigh his hours split between the Orchid and Tel Verrar but this place just slightly edged out both. "Can't say I'm jealous of where you must have been, if all that's true."

"Ah, there are many dull and boring among some of the other orders," he agreed with a careful smile. "The Order of Perelandro seems to recognize that there's no better way to bring mercy than through lightheartedness and joy - since there's so little of either in the world most of the time." That might have been a slight exaggeration of the true tenets of faith but it locked in well enough that Leo felt comfortable speaking so. Necessary Pretexts protected him, anyhow.

"I'll see if I can't find something long that won't clash with the beautiful colors of your dress," he agreed. He almost immediately started to pick through the piles of clothing in search of something appropriate. At her mentioning of him being the leader of her guild, Leo forced a light laugh and a slight shrug. "Oh, I don't know. I'm not sure that I'm fit to be the leader of much of anything." It wasn't entirely a lie - not when his attempts at leadership seemed to always end with a large majority of his crew killed in some messy way or another. "Besides, I can't imagine a group of men more willing to backstab just for a chance to get close to the glorious object of their undying affection."

"Oh, but what else can I say about these clothes other than--" He trailed off with a laugh. "You are right. These are some of the most hideous clothes I've seen in my life. I believe I know gaze-addicted blind men who would go clean and swear themselves to a life of purity before they'd be caught dead in something like this."

"I would be right there to catch you, madame, long before you could even think of hitting the floor." Again, Leo traced an elaborate bow and offered her an easy smile. "Of course, I don't know what good I could do for you - anything past remedial care is quite beyond me."

"How could we resist playing dress up when there's all this--" His words trailed off as his hands happened upon the most perfect bubblegum pink jacket with a pale yellow zebra print. Holding this up, he judged that it would likely fall well past Shannon's knees and it seemed to be of warm enough material that she wouldn't have to worry about freezing. "Ah! Just what we needed to finish the masterpiece!"

"Yea, I would like to have a look around," he agreed with a slight nod. "I'm not sure if there's anything useful but I certainly wouldn't mind having the chance to restock a few of my goods."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-28 06:38 pm UTC (link)
A small smile crept over Shannon's lips as Leo seemed to get lost in his own explanation. It was like watching someone relive a memory without realizing they were doing so. Maybe that was, indeed, what she was witnessing. She was almost sorry when he cut himself off and gave her a grin. "Yeah, well, I'm still holding to hope that we're getting out of here soon and then you can go back to that again. Sounds like you miss it," she told him, her expression both fond and sympathetic.

In reference to the Island, Shannon's smile fell away. "It was...well, like I said. A long story. I'm not really sure I'm ready to tell it yet in its entirety, if I'm honest," she said apologetically. It wasn't anything personal and she didn't have anything to hide, but after the previous night sharing with Sam, Shannon wasn't really ready to delve back into those thoughts. Especially not when she was having so much fun here with Leo. No reason to drag it down.

"Oh, please, yes, I'd hate it if the jacket clashed," Shannon replied, laughing. "That would really be awful if it took away from the focus of this love, lovely outfit," she added with mock seriousness. "Ah, that's a fair point," she agreed in the same tone of voice. "You know what's funny?" she asked, laughing and shaking her head. "Is that that fuckin' guy Rorschach? Thinks that he's the glorious object of my undying affection. He's decided that my friend Domeki is merely a cover story. What a tool," she sniggered.

Her eyebrows raised in challenge as he started to try and contradict her and then she joined in his laughter when he finally relented. "Well, good, then at least we both look like assholes," she joked. Her eyes followed him as she listened to him and he was looking for a jacket for her. When he held it up, Shannon pursed her lips against another laugh and then, after a short pause to pretend to collect herself, Shannon nodded. In a purposefully emotionally dramatic voice, she said, "I don't think I've ever seen anything that exquisite in my life." Fanning her face, she shook her head and held up one finger as if to say she needed a moment and then she dropped the guise again and took the ugly thing, pulling it on over the barely-there dress. "This is maybe even uglier than the dress, but I'm not sure. It's a close call, but hey, it's warm, so that'll do," she replied with a smirk.

When he agreed that they should get back to business, Shannon picked up and folded her discarded clothes, carrying them around as she started to look through some of the sections of the store. Picking up random things that looked like they might fit as well as be warm and comfortable, Shannon started to think maybe she ought to look for something to carry them in, because her load of potential wardrobe was starting to get heavy. "There's actually some not-so-ugly stuff over here," she said from the men's section, where she'd grabbed an over-sized hoodie.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-28 09:43 pm UTC (link)
"I--" Leo stumbled a bit on the chance to say that he missed Camorr. Truth be told, he knew that he likely could never return to those streets on pain of death - and there was a large part of him that was wholly content to let his memories of that place sink away to the bottom of his mind. The only problem with doing so was that it would all but demand that Leo forget the people who had done so much to shape him into the man he now was - and he would never let go of those memories. Again, he hid his thoughts well under an easy smile. "Well, you obviously know how it is, but I think just about any place would look like a paradise after a few days here."

"Hey, don't worry about it," he shook his head and offered a sympathetic smile in response to her words about the Island. He knew, all to well, what it was to have things which were better left unsaid and he wasn't about to demand that she drudge up anything painful - even if he was a touch curious. "If you ever feel like telling me about it, I'll listen. If not, I'll live." He grinned and gestured vaguely with one hand. "Women, their love for mystery, and all that."

"Huh, I don't know," Leo tipped his head to one side and crossed his arms over his narrow chest. He did his best to sculpt his features into a perfect mimicry of deep thought as he squinted slightly at Shannon. "Has anyone other than you met this Domeki kid? It could be that your deep love for psychotic bastards with justice fetishes has caused you --" He broke off with a snicker and shook his head. "Yea, sorry. I just can't do it. There's something clearly cracked about that fellow and I'm just waiting for him to set himself up as the law of this place."

"Well, at least we can look like senseless assholes together," Leo laughed and handed the coat across to her. The combination of colors, once the coat was pulled on, was enough to blind and he couldn't imagine even the most desperate of wenches from the Lily allowing something like that within fifteen yards of their bodies - but he still managed to clap loudly and whistle on his fingers. "Ah, you're a vision shaped by the very hands of the gods themselves! I've never seen such a glorious combination of color and pattern! You look like someone ate from the bottom of the canal and threw up all over your dress - but at least you won't freeze to death."

Leo found that his attention wandered easily from the stacks of clothing to some shelves against one of the walls - but he detoured long enough to pick out the largest of a few assorted packs left forgotten amongst a stack of dress pants. Into this, he put a few of the larger glasses found on the shelf - after checking them for strength and the thickness of the glass. He was just beginning to sort through small bottles of what smelled like cooking spices when he heard Shannon call to him and he turned to glance over his shoulder. "Oh, that's good. I'll probably need to pick a few things out since I can't imagine my clothes will do much good should it get much colder."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-29 02:34 am UTC (link)
Nodding, Shannon gave Leo a small smile. "That I do, my friend," she agreed with a soft air of nostalgia in her tone. "That I do." Another nod came in response to his offer to listen, should she ever be ready to talk about the Island. She doubted that day would ever really come, but it was a nice gesture on his part, in any case, and she appreciated it. A tiny grin tugged at the corners of her mouth, though, when he added the sentiment about women and their love for mystery. "Well, we do have to keep some air of mystique, do we not, to keep men interested in pursuing us?" she teased.

Her eyebrows arched as Leo started to side with Rorschach, even if Shannon could tell he was joking. When he laughed and shook his head saying that he couldn't finish and why, Shannon laughed as well. "Yeah, that dude is seriously off his meds or something," she replied. "Also, I've decided that he's a closet homo and we - the vaginas - scare the ever livin' out of him. What a misogynistic prick," she replied, wrinkling her nose.

Shannon laughed heartily at his comment once she'd put on the coat. "That right there? That just made my fucking day, you're hilarious!" she exclaimed, still laughing. This felt good. Even if she had to look like a complete moron, laughing felt like a more than welcome release of all the shit she'd been mulling over, worrying about, or dumping on Sam the night before. Shannon made a mental note to remember to repay the offer. "Peach schnapps and cranberry vodka as soon as physically possible," Shannon told him. "We'll play a game of I Never to get to know one another and then maybe when I'm drunk enough, you can coax the story of Craphole Island out of me," she said, only half-joking.

Moving past the clothing and into what looked like the sporting goods section, Shannon eagerly snatched up a tattered backpack and shoved her findings into it, slinging it over her shoulder and looking around. "Oh! Tarp!" she shouted, looking over the top of the display nearest her to see Leo again.

"Help me out with this?" she asked. "I don't have room in my pack, but take it...we'll need it if we start to run out of water. That's how we managed on the Island because it nearly never effing rained and the bottles of water from the plane only lasted so long. So, we built this big thing with plane parts and, like, tied a tarp to it to catch the rain whenever it did come down. Then we didn't have to fuck around with trying to figure a way to work with salt water or trek all the way to the Rape Caves to get water from that little waterfall back there," she explained probably unnecessarily.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-29 11:48 am UTC (link)
"Mystique definitely helps in keeping men interested," Leo agreed with a slight nod. He knew that, in his particular case, mystique often gave way to other things - things such as impulsiveness and craziness and the strange ability to both attract and repulse but he had always been a bit of a strange duck when it came to matters of attraction. A grin broke out on his features as he cocked his head at her. "Then again, mystique isn't always necessary, as long as there's a pretty face and a nice body involved. In your particular case, though, you do seem to have all the essentials covered."

"Homo?" He blinked at the unfamiliar phrasing but he felt that he could easily discern what she meant from the rest of her statement. "You know, if he does chase that particular prey, I suddenly feel quite concerned for any guy who catches his attention - and I also suddenly feel that I might have to keep dressing like this if it might keep him away." Leo paused a moment to glance down at himself and then laughed. "Though, from what I've read, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if this was just his sort of style."

Leo grinned in response to her hearty laughter. He found that it really did feel good to be able to cheer someone with something that came as naturally as banter - even if it was a touch odd that his tongue was, for once, getting him in better standing with someone as opposed to causing him trouble. "I Never?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. Leo was never one to pass a chance to learn a new game - especially one that was seemingly intimately tied to the use of liquor and especially one that included Shannon as a player. He had the feeling that getting drunk with her would be a very amusing time. "I will most definitely take you up n that - just let me know where and when."

"Tarp?" Leo asked. He was clearly puzzled by what she was trying to tell him and he offered her a quizzical look. Still, as soon as she began to explain, he smiled and nodded - rather impressed with the ingenuity of her idea. After stuffing a few bottles of the more potent spices into his own pack - along with a few assorted other goods - he moved to help her. "That has to be one of the best ideas I've heard. I was beginning to wonder what would happen once we ran out of water bottles but this pretty much takes care of it."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-29 01:45 pm UTC (link)
Oh, ever the complimentary one, Leo was, it seemed. Shannon certainly didn't mind. She found herself smiling brightly at the remark. "Why, thank you," she said graciously, even as a blush crept into her cheeks in response to it. Well, in the wake of Dean's teasing and Sam's complete failure to notice her at all, it was sort of nice to have someone tell her she was attractive. Jay, she figured, didn't count; she kind of got a feeling he'd tell anyone with tits and a vagina that they were hot if he thought that she'd fuck him as a thank you. Didn't mean she liked him any less, but it certainly made his compliments have less significance.

"Ha, yeah if that outfit doesn't keep him away, I don't know what will," Shannon laughed. Especially, she thought, if Rorschach really was gay. Because, even if she wouldn't say it out loud to him, she thought Leo was ruggedly handsome. Okay, she thought he was fucking gorgeous, but again, she'd never admit it out loud. At least not yet.

"Yeah, 'I Never,'" she said with a grin. "You've never played that? You just keep making statements of things you've never done and if the other person or people has done them, they have to drink. So I could say, 'I never willingly put on a pair of parachute pants to call bullshit on someone's bet,' and then you'd have to drink. You know? It's kind of a fun way to get to know someone new, I think," she explained. "It takes the edge and pressure off, especially with the drinking and all," she added with a smirk.

Shannon beamed when he said that the tarp was one of the best ideas he'd heard. "I wish I could take credit for it, but I think it was Sayid or Jack back on the Island who had suggested it," she replied. "I just think it's really smart and I think we should do it here next time it rains," she added with a shrug, struggling to fold the thing so that Leo might have an easier time getting it into the pack he'd found.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-04-29 06:58 pm UTC (link)
Oh yes. Leo was quite the complimentary one. He had learned early that, when the sharpness of a blade wouldn't do, then the clever use of the tongue was the finest weapon to choose. This held especially true when dealing with women - but, even if it weren't so, Leo found that he was enjoying the mix of banter and compliments which he had been trading with Shannon. In his estimation, she was definitely the sort he wouldn't mind hanging around and perhaps getting to know even better when the chance arose.

"You know, I'm not entirely sure of that," he sighed dramatically. Crossing his arms, Leo glanced down at himself with a pensive frown. The outfit was ugly, that much went without saying, but that weirdo seemed to have a taste for ugly and crude dressed in the disguise of fine words. "I wouldn't be entirely surprised if this sort of thing was exactly what gives him shivers in the middle of the night."

"I've never heard of anything like it," Leo shook his head but he was smiling his clear interest in the idea. Of course, if he played something like that, he'd have to be rather careful about what he exposed but it did sound like a damn fine example of a good drinking game. "I think I'd like to give it a try - just name the where and the when and you're on."

"Hey, they may have been the ones who came up with the idea, originally, but you're the one who's trying to make it work here. That has to count for something." He dropped his knapsack, ignoring the clattering sound it made, and hurried to held her to fold it up small enough. "We'll probably all be thanking you once we run out of bottles."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-04-30 01:43 am UTC (link)
Leo's comment about giving Rorschach shivers in the night surprised a loud succinct laugh out of Shannon. She covered her mouth with one hand and blushed at her outburst. "Oh my God, sorry, that was hilarious," she replied when she'd recomposed herself. "Worst visual of all time, but still hilarious," she amended.

"Ohh, really? Oh, it's so fun. We should do that tonight or tomorrow," she said with a grin. "Definitely soon, either way. Dropping of inhibitions helps with being honest without feeling like an idiot. Plus, it's always good for laughs," she replied. Oh, awesome, she hadn't played a good game of I Never since she was in high school. Never mind the fact that she shouldn't have been drinking at that age, ever since her father married that witch Sabrina, Shannon had gained herself a horrible rebellious streak. She hadn't lost it since, only it had manifested itself in the form of cold manipulations for money as she got older.

Shannon smiled a thank you to him when Leo helped her with folding the tarp. "Oh! Oh, that reminds me...people should be saving empty water bottles in case that happens. So that we still have something to put the water into, that is, you know?" she asked. "That's what we did on the Island," she added and as they finished folding, she handed the tarp to Leo and took her journal back out of the backpack where it had been stuffed in along with her jeans. "Before I forget, I should mention that to everybody..." she muttered more to herself than to him as she jotted a note in the journal for all to see.

Then, she looked back up at Leo. "Do you have everything? I think I'm good..." she replied. "I've kind of had a look around but there's nothing really that strikes me as super useful that I haven't already grabbed," she added with a small frown. She'd been hoping for some more things that would come in handy, like she'd said before, for example, a lantern would've been nice.

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[info]richercleverer
2009-05-06 12:58 am UTC (link)
"It does sort of make the skin all along the arms crawl, doesn't it?" Leo agreed with a slight wrinkling of the nose. Some part of him did suppose that it was a touch unfair judging someone whom he had never formally met - but just the brief bit of interaction writing in the journal was enough to tell Leo that this Rorschach was just exactly the sort of man he would hate on principle alone. "Though perhaps if he did find someone, or something, to do that for him, then he wouldn't be quite so uptight."

The unintentional parroting of words spoken to him quite often by his now-dead crew caused Leo a brief moment of uncomfortable sorrow but he attempted to hide this as he stuffed a few old and ratty shirts into his now-bulging pack. "I would be all for playing that game whenever you're ready," he agreed with an eager nod. He always did enjoy learning new drinking games and, though he knew that he couldn't be entirely honest in his answers, he felt that it could be a revealing time all around. "Just give the word and I shall be there."

"Another good idea," he agreed with a grin and a nod. The tarp was unceremoniously stuffed into his pack and Leo decided, with a judicious eye, that he was likely best off not trying to cram anything else inside - not at the immediate moment, anyway. "You seem to be full of them today. I can't even begin to imagine how much all of this will help in the long run."

"I...think I have enough for now," Leo eventually agreed. He hadn't really had time to pick through all the various piles but he did have enough to begin work on putting together some of the smaller and crueler weapons given to the children of Camorri streets. "If not, I can always find my way back. It's not really that much of a walk from anywhere in town."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-05-06 01:39 pm UTC (link)
Grinning slightly, Shannon nodded. "That it does," she agreed. Actually, when he put it that way, she could almost actually feel her skin crawl. The idea of a guy like that with anyone in bed was hard for her to wrap her head around. Even if she'd never met him and had no idea what he looked like, it was difficult and quite frankly a bit disgusting to consider. "That's my thought," she agreed again. "Maybe if he can get laid he'll just chill the hell out and all that, you know? Though, yeah...still gross to think about," she laughed.

The prospect of getting to know someone in such a simultaneously adult and juvenile way was exciting; it had been a long time and she found herself nearly itching with anticipation for it, if she was honest with herself. Mostly, she just liked the idea that maybe she wasn't the only one dying for an excuse to get drunk with someone else instead of alone in the back room of the museum like the pathetic loser she felt she'd been the night before. "Awesome, I'll definitely let you know," she said with a smile.

"I seem full of them, but they're still not my ideas," Shannon pointed out with a wink. "So don't go giving me too much credit that I don't actually deserve. I'm just recycling ideas and trying to put them into practice here so that we can survive." She left off the addendum of longer to the end of the sentence.

When Leo agreed that he had enough for the time being, she smirked, having noticed the way his pack was already bulging and she wondered if he thought that there was any chance at all of fitting anything else in there that was any larger than a button. "I'm sure this place'll still be here when you come back. Where are you staying?" she asked curiously. And then she shook her head and held up a hand. She didn't want him to answer, because then he'd ask where she was and she didn't like to tell. "Never mind, none of my business. You're right, anyway, it's not that far a walk from anywhere, really." Taking a deep breath, Shannon let it out, then, as a sigh. "I think I'm gonna hit up the gas station for some more water and Slim Fast bars, if there's any left. And then I'm going to hole myself up in my room with my torch and try not to freeze my ass off," she added with a smirk. "How 'bout you? Got any plans for after this?"

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[info]richercleverer
2009-05-06 04:19 pm UTC (link)
"I can't even imagine what he'd likely do to anyone unfortunate enough to be partner, though. I can't imagine it'd be a pleasant prospect, either way." Leo shuddered slightly and shook his head. Normally, he wasn't one to care much about went on in the bedrooms of other people - well, so long as they didn't try to draw him into it and thus make it difficult for him to make a timely escape. Not that he knew about such things from experience. Really. Still, the thought of just about anyone wenching this fellow made him feel uncomfortable in a way which he couldn't entirely name. "Ah well. So long as he doesn't try to draw me into the deal, I suppose it doesn't really matter all that much, hm?"

"As you'd have it," Leo agreed with a grin and a graceful wave of his hand. He wasn't one to argue when it came to giving or taking credit and so he felt no real need to try to give Shannon any more credit for the idea than she wanted to take. "Though if you do come up with any other ideas, yours or borrowed from others, you'd most definitely be doing all of us a service."

There was really no strong need for him to feel that he had to protect the location of his current hideout but the instinct to protect his chosen home was still rather strong - especially after what had happened in Camorr once the hiding place of the Gentlemen had been ferreted out. Leo opened his mouth to make some excuse not to answer her question but Shannon cut him short by changing her mind as to whether she wanted to know. This caused a natural grin to come to him and he nodded to her. "I'm sure I'll be coming back before too much longer, but I think I have enough for now." With effort, he hefted the heavy bag onto his back and then he glanced around the room curiously. "I haven't really thought about what to do next. Sleep would be the most lovely thing but, since that's entirely out of question, I might go back and see what I can do with the few things I managed to gather. Though, since you mention it, I might have to see about gathering a bit of food and water, too."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-05-06 08:42 pm UTC (link)
With a shudder of her own, Shannon nodded. "Me either. And yeah, I guess not. Although I think I'm safe, alcoholic whore that I apparently am," she laughed, deciding to put an end to that subject. The empty visuals were bad enough, but they certainly didn't make her feel like any less than the obsessed crazy person that Rorschach seemed so content to think that she was.

Shannon blushed slightly and smiled at the response and wave of his hand. Leo had to be from the past. He was too polite, she thought, to be from her time and she could only assume that the future people of her race would only grow more impolite with time. She nodded. "I'll try to keep 'em coming, then," she agreed.

She, too, hefted her bag and gave him a tentative grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I hate to say it, but I have a feeling you'll have plenty of time to come back..." she admitted almost apologetically. "But yeah, see what you can do about getting sustenance. It's looking like we'll be here for a while and the last thing we need is more corpses. Especially one with such a keen fashion sense," she added with a smirk to lighten the mood behind her words.

Heaving a sigh, Shannon started toward the door. "I gotta get going before I get sick to my stomach...you know that feeling when you haven't eaten in so long that your stomach starts to churn? I'm like totally almost there right now," she said, looking over her shoulder at him. "I'll catch you again soon, right?"

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[info]richercleverer
2009-05-06 10:06 pm UTC (link)
"You're likely right. I rather doubt that I'll be leaving this place any time soon." There was a note of bitterness in his voice which Leo just couldn't quite suppress. It irked him, as it always had, to have his life at the mercy of someone else and it certainly didn't help that this entire situation was stacked against him - he could plot and he could scheme but there was only the smallest chance that anything could work properly. Of course, there was the even more appealing thought that he'd likely be dead in a matter of weeks and so it was all a futile gesture in an even more futile situation. A smile came to him and, though it was bright as any he had shown, it didn't exactly reach his eyes. "Oh, I highly doubt that starvation is what will end up killing me - especially not when I have so much further joy to give to the good people of Vas Captio."

"I think I know exactly what you mean - and I do suggest that you eat rather soon." Leo nodded and followed her toward the door. "I'm sure we'll be seeing very much of each other - and I do look forward to seeing you again soon."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-05-06 10:13 pm UTC (link)
Shannon knew that smile very, very well. She wore it almost more often than all other expressions combined. But, she didn't call Leo on it, because she didn't think she'd like it if he would've pointed it out had she been the one with the empty smile.

"Ah, yes, I'm sure that you do," she said with a smirk, instead. "Especially wearing that." She winked and grinned, stepping aside as she held the door open for him. "I hope we'll be seeing a lot more of each other," she agreed, even though it was partially a bit cheeky of her; she couldn't help it. Flirt was one of her default modes. Manipulate being the other, she thought to herself with an inward frown.

Stepping outside the door, then, she let it close behind them and gave him a mock salute. "Lookin' good, Leo. I'm sure if I wanna find you later, I just have to get to the nearest high rise and I'll be able to spot you," she teased as she started walking backward up the road toward the gas station. "See you soon...and thanks for the laughs. You have no idea how bad I needed them."

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[info]richercleverer
2009-05-06 10:45 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, I believe that the mere sight of me in these beautiful clothes will strike anyone who sees it dumb with awe," Leo intoned seriously. A bit of humor was back in his words and in his manner and he even managed a wink as he walked past her to exit the store. "I get the feeling we'll come to know each other rather intimately before long."

Once outside, he turned to face her and returned the mock salute with another rather elaborate bow. "And if I need to find you, I only need to look for the most fashionable madame in all of this place - either that or the poor woman half frozen to death." Leo offered her a light wave as he moved to walk back in the general direction of the church. "It was a pleasure meeting you - and I'm glad I could help distract you for a bit. I look forward to doing so again."

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[info]ballerinadreams
2009-05-06 11:00 pm UTC (link)
"It's true," Shannon agreed with a very serious expression and tone that only managed to last a few seconds before cracking into a grin and a hum of laughter. She raised her eyebrows a little at his next statement though. "Naughty!" she pretended to scold, winking at him quickly thereafter. She probably wouldn't mind. Maybe not quite as intimately as the suggestive words inferred, but then maybe he didn't mean it that way either. Better to leave it unsaid, for the most part, save the playful chide.

Grinning, Shannon shook her head. "You're a fuckin' trip, Leo," she laughed. "See ya later!" she called and with one last wiggle of her fingers in the form of a wave, she turned and headed up toward the gas station to stock up on edible provisions.

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