[At that, he looks at her, arching a brow. What confidence; and yet, he can hardly say that he doubts the validity of such a claim.
They'll see, at any rate. Anything is probably better than what he tends to wear anyway.]
I don't mind the walk. [While true enough, he also doesn't mind the company!] It adds to the slow build of anticipation and my growing curiosity, wondering at what you're going to dress me in.
If you tell me what sort of impression you want to make, that will contribute. I do take suggestions, after all.
[she has her own opinions, but she had mentioned compromise.]
Though for color I was thinking something classic. Which means not venturing out of your usual palette, but better to go for something that you know flatters you.
What sort of an impression? A positive one, I hope. [He chuckles, shrugging with broad shoulders. Is it all that surprising that his consideration of this hasn't really gone past the "surely Grell will find clothes that everyone else thinks suits me" stage? Maybe not.]
Simple, I suppose, nothing terribly over the top. [Don't laugh, don't let the hypocrisy kill you. He's quick to make an addendum:] Because apparently, that's a complaint often filed against me.
Where color is concerned, you've seen my usual preference. Darker tones, black in particular, tends to suit me better. But then again, what do I know? Everyone is critic these days.
You know yourself better than anyone else. And despite agreeing with the critics on certain aspects, I do think that I've not seen you go wrong with color.
[one of these days she's going to pluck the hat right off his head if only to see if he's expected such an attack. but as she makes the proclamation, she knows they're arriving at their destination, and takes a sharp turn into a small storefront, unassuming if painted green.
inside, it reveals itself to be full of clothing and the like, evenly divided between women and men's, though the styles seem to follow no discernible pattern - the price one pays when looking through vintage clothing is that they have to actually look for what they want. Grell for her part knows it well - but since they want something nice on such short notice, she's putting her faith in it.]
Right. Now the goal is to find something that both fits and looks nice - and while I said that compromise is a goal, if you consider seriously for one second that neon anything will be acceptable, I assure you, it's not unless you want to pattern an entire outfit after it, in which case I won't help coordinate a single thing.
[god, she hasn't had to think about suits or anything close to them in years. at least it's a guarantee that everything here is in decent condition.]
[Grell, you wouldn't dare steal his fedora off of his head, would you? (The inhumanity of it all.) Still, Ardyn has quietly resigned himself to the fact that the hat may have to come off at some point; such are the trials and tribulations of shopping for clothes, and trying on new outfits.
He eyes the expanse of clothing when they enter the shop, and any lesser man might feel intimidated. Ardyn instead only wonders to himself, idly, what they might find.]
Come now, surely you can be lenient enough to allow for a splash of color. Even a small amount.
[It's often what he delegated his scarves for during the colder months of the year.]
Color may find its way into this look yet, but you are not looking like you dragged a piece of the eighties with you on the stage. Maybe next time.
[that said, she leaves his side to go look through the jackets. it will click to her in a few minutes that she doesn't know what will fit him, but for the moment, she's looking for style. once that part's nailed down, it'll be just about things fitting. it would be less than ideal for him to be unable to lift up his arms comfortably.]
Even I'd not go that far without a proper sort of reason to. [Though one cannot be blamed for thinking otherwise of his judgement, when it comes to how to dress himself...
Well, he'll not stop her from going to have a look. It's funny, however, that Ardyn takes only a moment before he trails behind, eying various articles of clothing on hangers, but commenting on none of them.
[the moment strikes, and then she pauses, turning to him with her hand resting on a gray jacket.]
...If I pick out something that decidedly won't fit you, feel free to reject it out of hand.
[definitely not that one, then, she doubts it would be long enough. but looking at things is giving her a more concrete idea. it is also making her occasionally chuckle when other things appear. one can never account for taste.]
Also, which of your scarves would you consider most in the spirit of spring?
[There's definitely no accounting for taste. But there are a few things that even Ardyn will admit to not feeling particularly inclined to wear. Probably. (Because good heavens, what is that.)
And Grell, are you certain you want to open up a discussion about scarves with Ardyn........]
That depends. Would you cringe at the mention of floral patterns?
Because people always make snide remarks when I bring patterns into the conversation.
[A joking exaggeration. (They don't so much make snide remarks than just roll their eyes in exasperation.)
He idly watches as she continues to search, continuing.]
But to answer your question... going along with the idea of patterns, a floral damask seems appropriate for spring, doesn't it? Done up in a forest green... no. Kelly green. That's a scarf I would wear.
[imagining said scarf, she nods, thinking about it in the vague design that she has.]
It'd offset your hair well and be striking without being overwhelming. Suitable for both occasion and for you.
[eventually she pulls out two jackets, one a darker gray, one black. simple in style, but yes, more tailored than he usually would wear. not true choices, even as she's getting more thoughts.]
Try these on, I want to know which will fit better.
Grell... I didn't realize my hair was something that needed offsetting. [He's quick to tease her choice of words, but it's good humored as usual. At any rate, Ardyn will be obedient, shrugging off his current coat and exchanging it for the black one in her hands.] If you'd be so kind as to hold this for me.
[(Isn't it odd to actually see the implied lines and contours of his body when he's just wearing a regular dress shirt and not a hobo jacket, Grell?)
In any case, he slips the garment on with relative ease. Definitely a more tailored fit, but it lends to his image well.]
[offsetting. contrasting. she's not as precise with her words as a lawyer must be, and the quick twitch in her expression is enough to say that the teasing landed, not that she takes it personally. Grell knows enough to not do so. instead she takes the coat, watching him try on the other. (and it is a little odd to see him in something that actually lets on that he has a figure instead of it being hidden underneath his usual style, but not that she minds in the least. more the opposite.)
making herself look at the jacket with a critical eye, she takes stock. close enough to his size, she thinks, if he's able to put it on that easily. it gives a benchmark to look for an actual jacket, one that will feel...right, that's the only way to put it. it's easier to look for someone else rather than herself, she's finding.]
Well, that rules out any thoughts about gray. Black will be best.
[black and bright green. they'll look well together. now with size and color in mind, she goes to look again. though she's still holding Ardyn's actual coat, having absently folded it over her arm to carry it with her. hopefully he doesn't need it back for a little bit.]
[Ardyn is not unused to the feeling of more tailored clothing; he could hardly be expected to practice law without a properly fitted suit, all those years ago. Still, he can’t help but roll his shoulders a bit, adjusting to the way the material aligns closer to the curve of his back, to the broadness of said shoulders.
It’s an idle sort of motion, not indicative of annoyance.]
This might be a more expedient shopping trip than I expected. You’re more efficient than my niece.
That's because we have a goal in mind, instead of aimlessly wandering about. It takes longer when you have no ideas. Or if you're simply going for your own sake. Also, you said simple. But don't get too comfortable, whatever jacket works best we'll have to match with pants.
[color matching takes time and a careful eye. she wants it to be as close as they can manage. and keeping her eyes fixed on the clothing removes any temptation to look back at him to make sure the fit was right. yes. that's why she wants to look back. certainly not just to see.]
Of course, you could decide to overrule me at the last moment, if you were struck with a wave of inspiration.
When I said I was in your hands, I meant it fully. I’m determined to hold my tongue even if a wave of inspiration hits me. I assume you won’t so easily shatter the trust I’m placing in you.
[Said with nothing short of a teasing lilt, though the sentiment is true enough. He trusts Grell to make the right sort of decisions where fashion is concerned (since no one trusts him to do it himself).
He’s silent only long enough to allow of moment of consideration to pass, and then:]
Have you always had an eye for fashion, Grell?
[It’s worded very purposefully. “Have you always been interested in shopping for clothes” sounds rather mundane and an inane thing to say, and “are you having fun dressing me up” even more so.]
[she considers the question, half of her mind still in the clothes.]
Not always - there was a time when I didn't care very much for clothing at all. It was simply something to wear, I couldn't care if I matched or if I looked sensible or if my hair was neat. Though of course it was shorter, so it was easy to get away with...
[careless was a good word for it. a style she still has on days she doesn't need to leave the apartment at all.]
And one day, I simply realized what I was missing out on, and everything sort of fell into place from there. It became something to enjoy instead of so much effort.
[looking over her shoulder, she smiles a little.]
Do you dress the way you do because it's something you enjoy?
[an honest question, actually. for three seconds she'll suspend the judgement of his choices and whatever else, and simply ask.]
[Ardyn is exceedingly observant, enough to know an honest question when he hears it. And in return, he believes it deserves an honest answer.
Therefore there’s no teasing to his tone this time, no affectation of carefully chosen words. Just the truth in all its simplicity — at least only as much as the word can apply to a man like Ardyn Izunia.]
It’s easier. Comparatively speaking. [A pause.] Than what I was forced to wear day in and day out, years ago, when I practiced law. Suits, hair cut short. Tremendous dry-cleaning bills.
[The smallest twist of a grin. Speaking plainly didn’t last terribly long, it appears.]
Now I feel excessively free to wear whatever it is I please, to suit my own tastes and no one else’s. It’s freeing — even if others tend to disagree with my natural inclinations towards patterned scarves and “ill-fitting” [can you hear the scare quotes] coats.
[there it is, simplicity, peering out for just a moment before it conceals itself again. surprising enough to make the smile fade by a degree from her face as she listens before it comes back. it makes sense, really, when he puts it like that, and for a moment she might even feel slightly heartless for the critique she's had about his clothing. (it doesn't last too long, since it also comes to mind that she's free to still consider the hat impossible given that he'll never give it up of his own volition.)]
But you wear them anyway, so clearly the disagreement is nothing to be taken seriously.
[if he ever truly took the words to heart and changed, they'd need to check his house to make sure he wasn't somehow replaced.]
Besides, the scarves aren't bad.
[it's only....everything put together in that particular mishmash.]
[That's right, the flippancy has returned in spades, forever indicative of the fact that, no, Ardyn is not at all bothered by the criticisms tossed his way. He does better than merely take them in stride -- he finds them endlessly amusing, in any number of ways.
Scarves, though.]
Oh, I hope you didn't hurt yourself admitting to that. [He jokes, of course.] Perhaps we'll pick out a new one, while we're here?
[You can't expect for him to not give the scarf collection here a gander!]
There's no reason why not. That section of things I yield back up to your expertise, since you seem to be quite the discerning collector.
[if he finds something he'd prefer more, then what she has in mind should accommodate. turning back towards the clothes, she moves to a different section, not pleased by what they have there. maybe this one...]
For all your trust, there are some matters that simply aren't my area.
So discerning that I even keep a list, sorted by color.
[Another jest? Or is he being serious this time? He'll not say.
Ardyn follows, still wearing the jacket that belongs to the store, since his own is safely tucked around Grell's arm for now. Like a lost puppy following around a potential new owner, if only the metaphor didn't sound so ridiculous when applied to a man like Professor Izunia.]
Don't tell me you don't have your own collection of scarves for the cold winter months?
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They'll see, at any rate.
Anything is probably better than what he tends to wear anyway.]I don't mind the walk. [While true enough, he also doesn't mind the company!] It adds to the slow build of anticipation and my growing curiosity, wondering at what you're going to dress me in.
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[she has her own opinions, but she had mentioned compromise.]
Though for color I was thinking something classic. Which means not venturing out of your usual palette, but better to go for something that you know flatters you.
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Simple, I suppose, nothing terribly over the top. [Don't laugh, don't let the hypocrisy kill you. He's quick to make an addendum:] Because apparently, that's a complaint often filed against me.
Where color is concerned, you've seen my usual preference. Darker tones, black in particular, tends to suit me better. But then again, what do I know? Everyone is critic these days.
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[one of these days she's going to pluck the hat right off his head if only to see if he's expected such an attack. but as she makes the proclamation, she knows they're arriving at their destination, and takes a sharp turn into a small storefront, unassuming if painted green.
inside, it reveals itself to be full of clothing and the like, evenly divided between women and men's, though the styles seem to follow no discernible pattern - the price one pays when looking through vintage clothing is that they have to actually look for what they want. Grell for her part knows it well - but since they want something nice on such short notice, she's putting her faith in it.]
Right. Now the goal is to find something that both fits and looks nice - and while I said that compromise is a goal, if you consider seriously for one second that neon anything will be acceptable, I assure you, it's not unless you want to pattern an entire outfit after it, in which case I won't help coordinate a single thing.
[god, she hasn't had to think about suits or anything close to them in years. at least it's a guarantee that everything here is in decent condition.]
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He eyes the expanse of clothing when they enter the shop, and any lesser man might feel intimidated. Ardyn instead only wonders to himself, idly, what they might find.]
Come now, surely you can be lenient enough to allow for a splash of color. Even a small amount.
[It's often what he delegated his scarves for during the colder months of the year.]
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[that said, she leaves his side to go look through the jackets. it will click to her in a few minutes that she doesn't know what will fit him, but for the moment, she's looking for style. once that part's nailed down, it'll be just about things fitting. it would be less than ideal for him to be unable to lift up his arms comfortably.]
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Well, he'll not stop her from going to have a look. It's funny, however, that Ardyn takes only a moment before he trails behind, eying various articles of clothing on hangers, but commenting on none of them.
He won't break her concentration, not yet!]
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...If I pick out something that decidedly won't fit you, feel free to reject it out of hand.
[definitely not that one, then, she doubts it would be long enough. but looking at things is giving her a more concrete idea. it is also making her occasionally chuckle when other things appear. one can never account for taste.]
Also, which of your scarves would you consider most in the spirit of spring?
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And Grell, are you certain you want to open up a discussion about scarves with Ardyn........]
That depends. Would you cringe at the mention of floral patterns?
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[she says this without even looking at him, having moved onto things that are not bizarrely metallic and thankfully just reliable solid colors.]
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[A joking exaggeration. (They don't so much make snide remarks than just roll their eyes in exasperation.)
He idly watches as she continues to search, continuing.]
But to answer your question... going along with the idea of patterns, a floral damask seems appropriate for spring, doesn't it? Done up in a forest green... no. Kelly green. That's a scarf I would wear.
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It'd offset your hair well and be striking without being overwhelming. Suitable for both occasion and for you.
[eventually she pulls out two jackets, one a darker gray, one black. simple in style, but yes, more tailored than he usually would wear. not true choices, even as she's getting more thoughts.]
Try these on, I want to know which will fit better.
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[(Isn't it odd to actually see the implied lines and contours of his body when he's just wearing a regular dress shirt and not a hobo jacket, Grell?)
In any case, he slips the garment on with relative ease. Definitely a more tailored fit, but it lends to his image well.]
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making herself look at the jacket with a critical eye, she takes stock. close enough to his size, she thinks, if he's able to put it on that easily. it gives a benchmark to look for an actual jacket, one that will feel...right, that's the only way to put it. it's easier to look for someone else rather than herself, she's finding.]
Well, that rules out any thoughts about gray. Black will be best.
[black and bright green. they'll look well together. now with size and color in mind, she goes to look again. though she's still holding Ardyn's actual coat, having absently folded it over her arm to carry it with her. hopefully he doesn't need it back for a little bit.]
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[Ardyn is not unused to the feeling of more tailored clothing; he could hardly be expected to practice law without a properly fitted suit, all those years ago. Still, he can’t help but roll his shoulders a bit, adjusting to the way the material aligns closer to the curve of his back, to the broadness of said shoulders.
It’s an idle sort of motion, not indicative of annoyance.]
This might be a more expedient shopping trip than I expected. You’re more efficient than my niece.
[Sorry Iris…..]
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[color matching takes time and a careful eye. she wants it to be as close as they can manage. and keeping her eyes fixed on the clothing removes any temptation to look back at him to make sure the fit was right. yes. that's why she wants to look back. certainly not just to see.]
Of course, you could decide to overrule me at the last moment, if you were struck with a wave of inspiration.
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[Said with nothing short of a teasing lilt, though the sentiment is true enough. He trusts Grell to make the right sort of decisions where fashion is concerned (since no one trusts him to do it himself).
He’s silent only long enough to allow of moment of consideration to pass, and then:]
Have you always had an eye for fashion, Grell?
[It’s worded very purposefully. “Have you always been interested in shopping for clothes” sounds rather mundane and an inane thing to say, and “are you having fun dressing me up” even more so.]
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[she considers the question, half of her mind still in the clothes.]
Not always - there was a time when I didn't care very much for clothing at all. It was simply something to wear, I couldn't care if I matched or if I looked sensible or if my hair was neat. Though of course it was shorter, so it was easy to get away with...
[careless was a good word for it. a style she still has on days she doesn't need to leave the apartment at all.]
And one day, I simply realized what I was missing out on, and everything sort of fell into place from there. It became something to enjoy instead of so much effort.
[looking over her shoulder, she smiles a little.]
Do you dress the way you do because it's something you enjoy?
[an honest question, actually. for three seconds she'll suspend the judgement of his choices and whatever else, and simply ask.]
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Therefore there’s no teasing to his tone this time, no affectation of carefully chosen words. Just the truth in all its simplicity — at least only as much as the word can apply to a man like Ardyn Izunia.]
It’s easier. Comparatively speaking. [A pause.] Than what I was forced to wear day in and day out, years ago, when I practiced law. Suits, hair cut short. Tremendous dry-cleaning bills.
[The smallest twist of a grin. Speaking plainly didn’t last terribly long, it appears.]
Now I feel excessively free to wear whatever it is I please, to suit my own tastes and no one else’s. It’s freeing — even if others tend to disagree with my natural inclinations towards patterned scarves and “ill-fitting” [can you hear the scare quotes] coats.
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But you wear them anyway, so clearly the disagreement is nothing to be taken seriously.
[if he ever truly took the words to heart and changed, they'd need to check his house to make sure he wasn't somehow replaced.]
Besides, the scarves aren't bad.
[it's only....everything put together in that particular mishmash.]
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[That's right, the flippancy has returned in spades, forever indicative of the fact that, no, Ardyn is not at all bothered by the criticisms tossed his way. He does better than merely take them in stride -- he finds them endlessly amusing, in any number of ways.
Scarves, though.]
Oh, I hope you didn't hurt yourself admitting to that. [He jokes, of course.] Perhaps we'll pick out a new one, while we're here?
[You can't expect for him to not give the scarf collection here a gander!]
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[if he finds something he'd prefer more, then what she has in mind should accommodate. turning back towards the clothes, she moves to a different section, not pleased by what they have there. maybe this one...]
For all your trust, there are some matters that simply aren't my area.
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[Another jest? Or is he being serious this time? He'll not say.
Ardyn follows, still wearing the jacket that belongs to the store, since his own is safely tucked around Grell's arm for now. Like a lost puppy following around a potential new owner, if only the metaphor didn't sound so ridiculous when applied to a man like Professor Izunia.]
Don't tell me you don't have your own collection of scarves for the cold winter months?
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[said in the most deadpan manner she can. the truth is that she doesn't mind the cold that much, but it sounded more dramatic to say it that way.]
Do you already own a pair of gray pants?
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[Someone's getting a scarf for Christmas. Ardyn won't forget.]
And I do. More than one, actually.
[One of those pairs might have thin pinstripes but surely that's not inadvisable to wear?]
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