Scene #9805: I Got Some Lavishing to Do and Maybe Some Adorning Too

Owner	Pose
Calvin Nash	Ten minutes ago... <B-anter> Natsuki Nuki says, "Calvin go offer the fruit of whatever on your closest altar, I've got to see what tail you get." <B-anter> Calvin Nash says, "Baby, you're my closest altar." <B-anter> Natsuki Nuki says, "Then I appear to be shockingly undraped in offerings, don't I? Practically unadorned." <B-anter> Calvin Nash transmits a clipped few seconds of a truck turning over. Five minutes ago... Calvin's truck rolls down the interstate. His COMP buzzes, and he flips open the screen. SPEED EXCEEDS POSTED LIMIT He scoffs, brakes and jockeys for position with the other cars like a natural-- these roads work! These people don't actively intend to kill him (but still might try through negligence)! This is a breeze compared to back home. As the mile markers continue and the green signs fly overhead every so often, he realizes that he left before he had any idea where he was looking. OCALA - Next Exit GATE 54B - 25mi London Gurhal System Terminal Cringe Planet Rather than stop and ask anyone or do any research, he arbitrarily decides on--"London. There oughta be some good shit there." Hell Biker: CAM ON INGERLUND! SCORE SUM FAKKIN' GOALS! Calvin's eyes flick towards the COMP screen. "Don't you get us kicked out. " Hell Biker: I won't even have the chance, hillbilly. You're gonna drive around lost for like an hour and come back with your dick in your hands. Calvin's jaw sets. Now he has to prove he won't. "Am not. Watch this." Calvin grabs the CB. "Hey yall. Just 'bout to head over to London. Do some shoppin' for the lady. Y'all should head over too. Make an afternoon out of it." Hell Biker: They know you don't know what the FUCK you're doing. Calvin's conversational tone is at odds with the vein bulging in the side of his neck. "We could grab lunch after. My treat." And yet, he can't stop looking at the COMP. Hell Biker: 'I don't know where SHIT is so I'm gonna BRIBE people to help me find whatever dumb bullshit I can! Tell you what.' That's you. Calvin's hands grip the steering wheel with an audible creak. Then, for some reason, with an enticing upwards inflection, "'Bout that time of year, to start thinkin' 'bout somebody special." Chernobog: I think you'll find it is October. Hell Biker: HELL YEAH IT IS! Shopping for that SPOOKY SOMEONE? "Look. Just get the hell over here and let's do some shoppin' 'fore I kill this bald headed sumbitch." Calvin hangs up the receiver so forcefully and hurriedly that he has to fumble with it for another second and a half to keep it on the hook. By some miracle, when you meet Calvin, he's not only managed to find parking in London, but he's actually also managed to find a great place to shop for a significant other--the sprawling, stately front of a department store over a century old. Harrods, were it not for the vertical signage at the front corner of the building, looks like it's a government building. The number and style of windows, the elaborate moulding and regal almost-belfry-like 'crown' at the top of it, all speak to an era that some of you may not have known, and that Calvin himself certainly hasn't. This particular London is 21st-century, for all the conveniences or inconveniences that may imply. Calvin is waiting out front in a red-black flannel, tucked into blue jeans that leave little to the imagination when he turns his back on anyone. His square-toed beige cowboy boots and especially the black hat leave little doubt as to his place or culture of origin.
Skipper	"Calvin!" Calvin wouldn't make it far outside of the parking lot before a speeding not-mouse slams into his side in an attempt to hug him. Skipper's made an attempt to fit in to the London aesthetic, albeit on short order. They've sourced a tweed button-top newsboy cap, albeit one that has their ears spread awkwardly to either side, as well as a plaid knit scarf and a set of matching fingerless driving gloves. There's still the blue tunic as the bulk of their outfit, but the cape's staying home today. "It's been ages, I'm so sorry! I hope you don't mind me joining?" they ask, as if he hadn't just blasted an open invite on the radio. "I've never been to London, and it sounded lovely from what I looked up online, and - well, it's all amazing? I don't think I've been in a city this big or this busy before." "Hey while I was looking things up, I also found this place, the 'British Museum'? Apparently they're holding onto a bunch of different artifacts from other countries, for safekeeping, isn't that nice of them? Maybe we can go see it afterwards? And maybe-" "Wait!" Skipper interrupts themselves, gawking at a double-decker bus as it rolls by. "They make cars with stairs in them now???"
Storm Investigators	It's been quite a while since the paired investigators from the St. Pavlov Foundation had last seen Calvin. Aside from a foray into a book world and the events surrounding a plantly butler, their paths had just not crossed much before until today. Today, the two... Actually, it's just the one today. Greta Hofmann arrives in London sans the junior investigator that's been trailing behind her for well over a year now. There's something important she needs to do today, after all, and coming here with Marcus would not be conducive to that very specific task. Spotting Calvin in an unfamiliar outfit with his otherwise familiar hat, the senior investigator greets him with a curt nod as she approaches. "Mister Nash. It's been some time. There haven't been any fatalities since your last transmission, I hope." She says with her usual flat delivery. " Today, Greta is dressed somewhat casually for the occasion in a tan shirt and black slacks, along with a dark gray jacket over it all. She glances around momentarily, pausing to nod at Skipper and taking their excitement all in stride. "Yes, for reaching the upper levels. Those are often used for sightseeing."
Regulus	Regulus is pouty right now so she's going out to shop(lift) and is going to go do that. Not in front of everybody who is coming out on this shopping trip, of course, but when they're all gone and she can just do it peacefully without anybody telling her that it's wrong to steal from a department store. Ironically, Regulus's 1960's mod fashion might be a little out of place in modern london, but look--it's better than wearing the most common outfit of the era... which is SLOP. She rides up in her motorbike, which is also a little out of fashion in this era, but would likely be seen as having some vintage charm. She stretches out her arms in front of her, pulls off her riding gloves and stuffs them in a bag covered in various colorful buttons expressing stars, peace signs, trees, and musical notes. "Yo Calvin!" Regulus says, throwing a wave, but is still grumpy so she's at only about 50 percent of her energy levels which means about normal for most people. "You surprised me when you said you would be shopping in London. I, for one, am thrilled at the idea of seeing the modern modern London in the modern era in action." ''The British Museum'' Regulus sighs, clearly having had people go 'did you know about the British Museum' at her before. Does she have the power within her to teach Skipper about colonialism's impact on cultural heritage sites today? No, no she does not. Fortunately, Marcus is here to save the day! "Marc--" She begins upon seeing Greta Hoffman and then realizes, actually, that Marcus ISN'T here to save the day. It's just Greta. "Is it Marcus's day off?" Regulus asks.
Petra Soroka	"HELL YEAH IT IS! Shopping for that SPOOKY SOMEONE?" Hell yeah. Love should be a little bit scary. Also, Calvin's sheer desperation in trying to entice other people here has made Petra very interested in coming, despite the fact that she's more than capable of shopping on her own, and maybe if she's in the mood, she'll even help him! Also, the record must state, for Petra's own safety, that she doesn't have a girlfriend, officially. She's just shopping normal-style for no one in particular. Tamamo, if you're reading this, I did nothing wrong. Petra internally recites this mantra, before turning the corner and waving to Calvin. By coincidence, she's dressed almost-appropriately for the surroundings, in a kind of tomboy-chic sort of way, with high-waisted cargo shorts tucked into by a white shirt with a deep v-neck cut, laced up with string. Over top, she's got a corduroy jacket with sleeves rolled up above her elbows, and her mirror pendant dangles down at the middle of her chest. "Hey, guy. You have a hot Halloween date planned? I'd believe it for Natsuki." She looks up at the Harrods front, having-- despite her frequency of being near-ish to the former territories of the United Kingdom-- basically never actually been to London. She's got no worry at all about being out of place, of course. Like, first of all, she's a Concord Partner, and second of all, she's kind of technically a model, so they should actually be begging her to come into their store and she's doing them a favor. "So did you google 'clothing store in London' after getting here?" She lets that sit for just a moment before relieving Calvin with, "It's probably a good choice." "Hey while I was looking things up, I also found this place, the 'British Museum'?" "Hey, snail girl. You remembered us!" Only reason to remark on this is to be a little bully! "Yeah, I blew up a British museum before. Wait-- no, I'm misremembering. It got pillaged before I was even there, and then I, recovered all the artifacts except one that I needed?" The details are muddied by the various time loops Petra's experienced since then, and she frowns as they come back to her. "That doesn't sound like me. Weird. Anyways. Let's go shopping!"
Symbiote Duo	Oh shit, London. Flash has never been there, but he's worked for a guy called Captain Britain so he likes to think he knows a bit about the place. Like, uh, Bangers and mash! Toad in the hole! Nobby Nuts! Spotted DICKS! Yeah, no, he doesn't really know anything useful actually. Damn. Still, doing some shopping for Andi as an appreciation gift could be nice. Would also allow him to stretch his legs out some more. Well, it was supposed to be just him and Venom, but as he heads towards the meeting place, he bumps into Andi. They just kind of gormlessly stare at each other as their brains try to make up a lie that isn't completely bullshit. They're just shopping for friends. Yeah. Not gonna say WHO but that's what they're doing. Yup. She definitely knows. Yeah, and I know too. THEN JUST SAY WHY YOU'RE HERE, THIS ISN'T A FUCKING CHRISTMAS GIFT! Well she knows that I know, and I know that she knows, so it'd be weird to- Just SHUT UP. God. I get it. None of you want to admit to being owned. But it's okay, I'll just list you as the owned one instead of her. WHY ME!? Funny. "Hey man, nice meeting you." As he's having this mental battle with Venom in his head, he walks up to Calvin and extends an arm out for a handshake. He's dressed pretty standardly and boringly, a black jacket, t-shirt, jeans, boots. The most standout thing about him is his cane honestly. 'Yeah, I blew up a British museum before.' "Sick actually." as Petra corrects herself, Andi does also. "A little less sick but still pretty cool."
Petra Soroka	"Hey man, nice meeting you." Guy. "A little less sick but still pretty cool." "I know, right?!" Rather than greeting the guy whose voice she has actually heard over the radio and should recognize, she instead swivels to Andi, groaning. "Like, do I seriously have a record of zero museums I've busted up? I'm in the green on my pillage : restoration ratio? It feels totally wrong." "Anyways, I'm Petra. You know that guy?" Petra thumbs over her shoulder towards Calvin, but it's also ambiguously towards Flash because of the ongoing handshake.
Calvin Nash	Calvin, who is used to being side-tackled by small fast-moving entities, lights up and turns to catch Skipper before he realizes who's coming. What results is that he catches them, makes a surprised oof-laugh, "Hey-hey there," and gets all the way into the pickup-and-balance on-the-arm maneuver before he confusedly, but good-naturedly, says, "Skipper?" He pauses, awkwardly, then puts them down and pats them on the shoulder. "No, I don't mind. It's my first time here too." Hell Biker: We GOTTA take this little shit to the museum. Calvin closes the COMP and clears his throat, watching the bus pass. He lifts up a hand to Greta and gives her a smile and a nod, offering an explanation for the double decker. "Must be 'cause--" There haven't been any fatalities since your last transmission, I hope. "What the hell's that s'posed to mean?" he asks, perplexed and seemingly a little insulted. "No. Nobody's died, Greta." Calvin's COMP buzzes. He ignores it. You surprised me when you said you would be shopping in London. "I figured it'd have shit Natsuki's never seen," he says, thumbs in his beltloops and savoring every second of whatever he thinks this is. His COMP buzzes twice. This one takes more effort to ignore. You have a hot Halloween date planned? I'd believe it for Natsuki. "Yeah," Calvin says brightly. He didn't. He does now. So did you google 'clothing store in London' after getting here? Calvin's COMP goes crazy while he tries to calculate something that's soooo down to earth and cool. Five or six times is enough for him to angrily throw the screen open, and rather than type, spit, "What?" Chernobog: No one has died, but the night is still young. Hell Biker: 'Figured!' More like FINGERED. Hell Biker: MY ASSHOLE. Hell Biker: Oh my God he thinks he's so FUCKING smart. Hell Biker: Like she doesn't know you just drove around in circles until it showed up on your map. Hell Biker: HEY! HEY! Hell Biker: HEY! HEY HEY! Hell Biker: LOOK OVER HERE! Hell Biker: ... Having finally caught Calvin's attention, Hell Biker makes an important announcement. Hell Biker: Awright awright, wots all dis den? "That's why I ain't summonin' you here. 'Cause you'll piss somebody off and I'll have to crack you like a wishbone. Whatever you been smokin' since we got on the interstate, stop." He even gesticulates an outwards sweep of his downturned palm. It's probably a good choice. That pulls Calvin back from the brink. "Oh. Thanks." It's at this moment that Flash extends his hand. Calvin transitions gracefully into a firm handshake. "Calvin Nash. Good to meet you too." The inside of the store is as sprawling as the outside, but unlike the outside, it spans a jarringly diverse gamut of interior design styles. There are some halls that look relatively unchanged from the era of the building, except for the inclusion of escalators, or modern brands on the various placards and storefronts. There are some that are more visually modern, like the floor that's got a lot of the designer handbag and clothes going for a relatively contemporary two-tone cream aesthetic with gold trim that gives it a touch of something timeless. Then there's the shoe salon that looks like a cutaway of a space ship, the dining rooms that range from early 20th century to 'the evil sorcerer's lair,' and of course, the inexplicable room that's themed entirely around ancient Egypt, complete with a golden sphinx and hieroglyphics all over the walls.
Regulus	Love IS a little scary! She can turn into a dragon that shoots giant magenta lasers! That's scary! Regulus, though, doesn't find Love scary at all. It's comforting and wonderful and if there is something scary about it, it's scary in the way a rollercoaster is scary, you should be cheering while it runs away from you and does loop-de-loops and you feel like if you aren't careful you might bonk your skull against something and totally lose your head! Regulus also doesn't have a Girlfriend (Official) or Boyfriend (Official) but she does like shopping and also window shopping and also not paying for items from stores. But she's not going to bring that up in front of Petra lest she derive some sort of secret ironic punishment for her that involves a robot rat (typical) ratting her out and sending her to jail. ''I, recovered all the artifacts except one that I needed?'' "That sounds almost like the opposite of blowing up the British museum. Unless you kept all the artifacts, I guess. Though if you returned them to where they originally came from, that's sort of doing the whole Robin Hood thing." ''I figured it'd have shit Natuski's never seen'' Regulus pretends she knew Calvin and Natsuki were a couple instead of learning this at the time of that echo text. "Well that's probably true. But I don't know... how groovy is this place?" She glances to the COMP as it keeps making noise but doesn't read any text. Regulus's eyes drift towards the shoe salon. "Oh my gosh, what's that?" Then over to the sphinx and hieroglyphics. "Hold on a minute... is this Harrods?" She raises her sunglasses above her head so she can indicate squinting.
Skipper	> "Yes, for reaching the upper levels. Those are often used for sightseeing." "Wait, you can go sightseeing on a bus?" Skipper sounds like they've just been told you can mix peanut butter and chocolate together. "Regulus! Hi!" Regulus also gets a side-hug unless she's quick on the QTE. Skipper seems to be in a huggy mood today. > "Hey, snail ØØØØ. You remembered us!" Skipper's smile flickers just for one eighth of a second. Relationship chart updated. "Ah. Hi! Yes. The snails. Not a girl though, thank you." Is it the scarf? The scarf's probably too feminine. It's probably the scarf's fault. Probably Skipper shouldn't have tried dressing up to begin with. Back to just the tunic and cape, soon as they're done here. "Well, um, if you blew up the museum, then I guess they deserved it? Maybe?" More new people! "Hello!" Skipper says to Flash and Andi. "What brings you two out here?" > pickup-and-balance on-the-arm maneuver > puts them down Skipper has one singular goal in life right now. > "That's why I ain't summonin' you here..." "Oh is that Hell Biker? Hi Hell Biker!" Skipper tries to shoulder-surf, despite the obvious challenges of being four feet tall (including the ears) versus Calvin's six feet tall (not including the ears). "Maybe if you promised to behave, you could come join us out here?" Inside they go! And surprisingly, there's even more city inside the city! Inside is a perfectly normal department store with- "Um." Skipper stares. They tug on the back of Calvin's shirt to get his attention. "I appreciate it, but I thought we were doing shopping first, and the museum later...?"
Penelope Usher	Penelope Usher shows up by peeling herself out of the crowds of busy shoppers inside Harrod's already. It's so unconcerned a maneuver that it's tricky to pick out she's even fixed herself on the group, and her posture carries the same confidence as if she owned the very store itself. And yet, she gives a little wave, one handed, with her middle and ring fingers stuck together! She stares at Calvin, before saying anything, and whistles. "Looking sharp, lumberjack!" The flannel, probably. "You've gotta be the 'Demon Marshall' Calvin Nash. Sooooo? What'd you write down on your shopping list that's dragged you all the way across the pond?" Extremely forward, Penelope extends a hand for Calvin to shake, loose at the wrist. "It's good to catch you in the flesh. You look just like how you sound! Penelope Morgana Usher, of course~!" She points her other hand loosely towards herself for that- here in London, her distinct Bostinian accent stands so out. So many Americans here! Penelope has dressed quite daringly for the occasion, in what can only be described as her 'autumn leathers': a cropped leather jacket, over a leather bustier, with a belt, fingerless gloves and mid-waist trousers all, again, of leather. Short heeled boots don't break the mold, but a hair ribbon does, tied low around a loose ponytail, kept over a shoulder. To cap it all off, she has a newsboy hat. All of it is white leather. That's so much it's a little concerning. From wherever she'd been until now, she's acquired a square-sided shopping bag, off-white in color, and without any tacky logos on it- definitely not from Harrod's. Where her lipstick not already made all the more red-seeming for the lack of saturation in anything of her outfit, the lollipop in her mouth stains the corners in red 40. ''Cause you'll piss somebody off and I'll have to crack you like a wishbone.' Another little whistle! "So, you're that sort of occultist?" 'I, for one, am thrilled at the idea of seeing the modern modern London in the modern era in action.' Penelope pulls her lollipop out to point at Regulus, smiles with her teeth showing, and just says "Tour guide! Tour guide, guide us a tour! Tell me a London fact!" She knows Regulus! She's just teasing! "You know, I was in Paris," the s is silent, proper French pronunciation, "Just a couple of days ago! It's just a coincidence, but I feel like I'm getting a whole vacation in Europe! I've got to be in Venice, in a couple days- but, y'know, the one in L.A. Hahhh..."
Storm Investigators	"Is it Marcus's day off?" "Regulus. No, she was just engrossed in her studies regarding your project." Greta answers Regulus with a tone that's kind of hard to place even for herself. Unwilling to examine that line of thought any longer, she instead narrows her eyes slightly, looking as though she might be suspicious about something. "Actually, you are one of the people I was hoping to find here. Yourself, and..." She looks over at Petra a moment later, giving her the same inquisitively cautious look. "And Soroka, if either of you might be inclined to assist. I was hoping to purchase some modern clothes for Marcus." She explains, that look on her face settling down a little once she's done putting that thought into the aether. "Something easy to move in and more fitting for someone her age, ideally." "What the hell's that s'posed to mean?" "You asked for us to come before you killed someone. Was I mistaken?" Greta asks, looking slightly confused herself and only glancing briefly at Calvin's COMP buzzing before shaking her head. "My mistake. Now, were you looking for clothes, gifts, or something else? We may be able to find one or all of those within this..." Forgetting what word she was going to use as she heads inside, Greta's eyebrows furrow just a smidge at seeing the inside of the store. The clash of styles doesn't seem to be appealing much to her sensibilities, but perhaps that's just the in style these days? Or something that appeals to some kind of customers, at least, based on how many people are already inside. "Tour guide, guide us a tour!" Penelope's status as an unknown face is also notable to Greta between being someone that both knows Calvin, is here to help him with his shopping tasks, and seems to have some kind of fashion sense! "A tour in the museum store? That could help with brainstorming. Regulus, what do you know of the Harrods Sphinx?"
Calvin Nash	I appreciate it, but I thought we were doing shopping first, and the museum later...? Calvin turns around, also used to having the back of his shirt tugged on from behind. "So did I. What the hell's that about?" Hell Biker: I actually know this one. Hell Biker: I'll tell you if you let me out. "You'll behave if I let you out," Calvin says, pointing his index authoritatively at the screen. "And NO motorcycle shit." Hell Biker: UGH! Fine. It's packed. Like, comic convention or theme park packed. Standing still means finding a bench or a wall to lean up against, just so that you're not being rude or being bumped into by the rudely inobservant. Calvin finds a place to do that and then summons Hell Biker. He appears in a cloud of monitor-green binary and pixel artifacts. The audacious screaming skeleton stretches his arms wide, bellowing "OHHH YEAH BABY!" This understandably startles some of the people around, who back up hastily to give the seemingly spontaneous skeleton a wide berth. 'He's behaved.' 'He's fine.' 'He's housebroken.' All of these cross Calvin's mind, but the one that wins is, "He's normal," uttered authoritatively with a palm held out, which is enough to prevent a panic but nowhere near enough for anyone to believe that he's normal. "So this isn't actually a hundred percent bullshit, it's just mostly stupid. This Egyptian guy bought the store in the 90s and did a lot of renovations. This was one of 'em." Looking sharp, lumberjack! "Well thank ya. Like the hat there." His handshake is firm, his hand no stranger to hard work. "Penelope," he repeats with a brisk nod. "Good to meet you, too. I'm lookin' to get some shoppin' done for my lady. Got some lavishin' to do and some adornin', too." "So! Who you all shoppin' for?" asks Calvin innocently.
Petra Soroka	"Yeah," Calvin says brightly. This earns Petra's equivalent to a handshake, which is a passing hi-five as she enters the store. "Fuck yeah, dude. Find someplace freaky for her." Harrods is a kind of weird place for Petra to shop. It's moderately classy, but in a 'putting on appearances for tourists' way, so any actual class it could have is undercut by being some modern western commercial slop-fest where you can turn the wrong corner and end up in a gift shop full of AI generated t-shirt prints of the brand. The appeal, she must imagine, is to Americans and other tourists who exoticize London as being inherently classy, and come from their own rotted out postmodern husk societies to feed at the trough of having a gilded every-store, but British. Naturally, Petra has no intrinsic love for London. Lilian's distaste for the English is completely parasocially inherited in her. However, this is a big shiny well-lit building full of lots of expensive stuff, and she can be swayed by such things! "'Cause you'll piss somebody off and I'll have to crack you like a wishbone." Petra doesn't know what Hell Biker said, on account of not looking at the COMP because it's weird to read over someone's shoulders! However, just Calvin's reaction makes her secondhand-humoured enough to giggle to herself. "Well? What're you thinking of getting her? It's no fun if we just all split up immediately; we'd literally never see each other again in a store this big." "Well, um, if you blew up the museum, then I guess they deserved it?" "That sounds almost like the opposite of blowing up the British museum." "No, I kind of super don't remember. I think they got robbed? And I helped them?" Petra really has no reason to be talking about this with Skipper still, besides externalized disbelief at her own actions. "Surely there must've been something else about the museum, and I didn't just help the fucking British Museum out of my own goodwill. Like, I turned down stealing all of it, to return it, for no compensation." "I mean, I'm really into recordkeeping? Is that enough of a justification? Do I just think museums are an automatic good, and that at the very least, they're trusted to archive and document and preserve stuff? I do think all of that's good." "Penelope Morgana Usher, of course~!" Insane person alert! Insane outfit alert! "Chevalier? Is it? Penelope?" Petra leans into frame to introduce herself. "Petra, Concord Partner. What's your bit?" "You know, I was in Paris," "Oh! With Matilda!" There's no confirmation of that! Petra just most recently heard about Paris from Lilian about the Matilda thing, and everything exists in the context of how it was most recently mentioned by Lilian. "You're Matilda's friend?" "And Soroka, if either of you might be inclined to assist." Petra frowns. "Don't call me that. How old's Marcus? Like, fourteen? This is gonna be kind of expensive, but you should be able to find something cute." Petra isn't really locked in on shopping for anything in particular yet, herself. There will come a time! But it's not so urgent that she would leave her weird little group!
Symbiote Duo	'Anyways, I'm Petra. You know that guy?' "Andi. And that's my former high school coach. She lets that explanation hang for a bit before actually answering slightly more seriously, "Yeah, I work with him. Got a bit of a hero duo thing going on. I guess more of a quartet really if you count Venom and the other one." "DUO! That's a good word." It takes Andi a bit to realize what the heck Flash is talking about, before quietly ignoring him and moving on. 'Calvin Nash. Good to meet you too.' Oh FUCK it's the one dude who argues with the funny sounding guy. HEY! Ask him where he is, I like that guy! "Already introduced myself over the radio I think, but it doesn't hurt to do it face to face. I'm Flash Thompson." DON'T IGNORE ME! HEY! 'What brings you two out here?' Andi and Flash turn to Skipper, looking at each other briefly before answering. "Shopping." "Shopping for friends." "What she said." KILL ME! Once they finally go inside, Flash scratches his head. Man. This mall is a bit fancier than he was imagining in his head. Wait! Is that EGYPT!? "Hoping they have the store I'm hoping to find, otherwise I'm up shit creek without a paddle." Stop sulking about there not being a Hot Topic, that's EGYPT! Who the hell runs this place? APOCALYPSE??? Flash, we're FUCKED! Andi doesn't seem nearly as distressed as Flash, though she does pull out her phone and start pulling up her bank account just to make sure.
Skipper	> All of it is white leather. "Ah. Hello! That's a very bright outfit." > "You'll behave if I let you out," Skipper perks up. "He'll behave!" They promise on Hell Biker's behalf. > "He's normal," "He's normal!" Hell Biker gets the hug QTE next, as soon as he's done speaking. > "So! Who you all shoppin' for?" asks Calvin innocently. "Actually!" Skipper perks up again. "When I heard you were going shopping, I was really relieved, because the person I'm shopping for is a lot like you." "So how about, if you see something you really like, you point it out to me? That way I have some ideas for what to get my friend." Skipper beams. > "Shopping." "Shopping for friends." "What she said." "Ah. Um. Do you not know why you're here?" Skipper invents a reason. As soon as it wouldn't be too conspicuous to do so, they go to corral Andi and Flash off away from the rest of the group. "(Are you spies? Here to spy on London things like in the movies? It's okay if you are, I'll keep your secret.)"
Regulus	''Tell me a London fact!'' Regulus has actually never had a bad experience with Penelope, even if she does carry a kind of spooky ritual antler-formed dagger, so she thinks she's pretty groovy and gosh she's just so grumpy today that she should try and turn this day around with a chipper attitude and a willingness to act as a tour guide for a London that's like sixty years in the future. "Well, Penelope, since you asked... This version of Harrods was originally opened in--I think it was 1905? But that was after its original burned down in the late 1800s. They say this was the site of the first escalator!" ''Regulus! Hi!'' It takes a lot for Regulus to turn down a hug, she isn't one of those people with an auto-evade passive against hugs from people they don't know too well, rather she uses a clashable counter that allows her to catch Skipper as they're moving in for a hug, hugs them first, spins them around, and sets them down after. Regulus is kind of surprised Skipper wanted a hug in the first place but she isn't about to turn them down but, hey, it's good to be friends and show friendship. "Huh, you know, we ''were'' just in Paris!" She doesn't normally skip the s there, but she does because Penelope just skipped the s and she's still feeeling a little fancy having gone. ''engrossed in her studies regarding your project.'' Regulus is surprised to hear that Greta was both looking for her and that Marcus is involved in some--AHH! Doublejumping. That must be it. "Me? Um, I might be from a later era than Marcus, but I'm still ... sixty years earlier than this London is now." She mulls it over. "But you know, color theory is still pretty stable and fits can only change so much with what matches with what, so I'm sure we can make something happen. I bet Petra's all in the know about the modern era too." She thinks of the puppy best t-shirt. "At least it shouldn't look too out of place." ''What do you know of the Harrods Sphinx?'' "I know it wasn't there in 1966! It was actually put there in the 90's, designed by William Mitchell. But I actually only found that out like three months ago." ''This Egyptian guy bought the store in the 90s'' "Oh-ho! So you know why. That must be why it took so long for me to recognize it." It IS a fancy shop so Regulus is pretty much okay with stealing whatever since there's no way she can actually afford anything here with the amount of money she's got, which is perpetually not enough. ''No, I kind of super don't remember.'' "The stuff you don't remember amazes me." Regulus admits. "But I don't know if I'm any better, it feels like the dog rescue was like a thousand years ago already. In a year or two I'll probably be forgetting all sorts of insane stuff." Regulus is a pirate that can forget. ''How old's Marcus?'' "How old IS Marcus?" Regulus feels like the answer could be anything.
Petra Soroka	"He's normal," "Wow... I can watch their minds being changed from the wave of your words washing over them...." Being a man comes with such strange powers. But this is a dignified (citation needed) establishment, and Hell Biker's clothing simply doesn't fit. Petra reaches over and grabs a silly little black flat cap off a shelf, and plants it on top of his shiny bald skull. "Hey, that looks good! That helps him blend in, don't you think, Calvin? Now he looks practically cozy." "So this isn't actually a hundred percent bullshit, it's just mostly stupid." Petra raises up both of her hands, gesturing broadly at the entire mess of a store. "Behold! It's all stupid!" "So! Who you all shoppin' for?" "Well, you know. The women in my life." That actually didn't feel great to say, for whatever reason. However, it does make Petra think of more than just Lilian (also, perhaps, not-great to say). It could be fun to get stuff for Nika and Sakura too, now that she's here. "I guess more of a quartet really if you count Venom and the other one." "Oh, shit! That's the guy! Wait, so he really does just spend all his time inside you? --Wait, four? There's another Venom?" Lesbian symbiote, perhaps... Petra considers the possibilities. Hmmm... it's very difficult for Nika to go out shopping, but this coming winter, she's probably going to be going to more places than just the Dragon's Garden that she's used to. And the most recent thing Petra's heard about the Motherlobe is that it was really cold, on account of a blizzard, and it could also be nice to get her something kind of fancy? Petra ends up wandering into a designer outlet and browsing through British-looking trench jackets. She settles on a fluffy padded white jacket, belted around the waist, with a fur collar, and brings it up to the register to buy. Automatically, she tells them to ship it to her castle, then wanders away unburdened by the big coat. "I know it wasn't there in 1966!" "Oh my god. You actually kind of are a London tour guide." Petra wonders briefly whether this is a thing to praise or to make fun of, and lands on the former. "You're so ¶boots on the ground/coming to you live¶ about it." "The stuff you don't remember amazes me." "I spent a while up in space between then and now, and it made me just a little bit more loopy. That, and, like, the whole thing was a grocery trip for an ex. It wasn't very glamourous."
Calvin Nash	Skipper hugs Hell Biker. Hell Biker lets it happen, goes so far as to pat Skipper on the shoulder, then kneels down, hand still on their shoulder. "Gay!" He claps them amiably on the shoulder and then rises. Calvin disciplines him by kicking him in the shin without getting up from his seat. Right when he's about to complain about being kicked, Petra puts the flat cap on his head. This draws a smirk for Calvin. "He looks like if the Village People had a train conductor." "Oh, that's real fuckin' original," says Hell Biker, crossing his arms. He's mad. "You know what, I'm keeping it. You can pay for it." "Whoa now," says Calvin sarcastically. "Don't break the damn bank on me, sweetheart." He is blissfully unaware of the price tag, and will be until his comeuppance later. So you know why. "Yep! Can't remember the name of the first guy I kissed, but I can remember some shitty rich sex pervert guy that plastered his face all over a mall pharaoh-style." What're you thinking of getting her? Calvin has actually done a lot of thinking about this, as opposed to the zero thinking he did about 'where.' "Couple of things," he says. "She'd made a comment about takin' 'the Fruit' to the altar, whatever that is. Sounded like a capital F. Now, I don't have no capital-F fruit. But soon as she said how unadorned she was, I started thinkin', okay, offerings." He grins, and finger-guns at Petra. "Wine. Perfume. Jewelry," Calvin makes a sweeping gesture with both hands, like unveiling a marquee. "Get her all three, hand her the perfume and the jewelry up front, then, Halloween, 'hey, baby, let's go out tonight,' and bust out the wine." He smiles, very proud of himself. "Heh heh. Yep. I know my offerings." When I heard you were going shopping, I was really relieved, because the person I'm shopping for is a lot like you. "Is that right?" Calvin chuckles, rubbing his chin. "Well, I guess we do both come from small towns. Sure, I'll help you out." Hoping they have the store I'm hoping to find, otherwise I'm up shit creek without a paddle. "Yanno, I can't really get it up to hate you. You're just kinda too normal-seeming. Think you could, uh, say something racist? Maybe yell it? Maybe yell it at the top of the Egypt escalator? That'd really get my motor running." "Don't listen to him," Calvin urges with a shake of his head.
Penelope Usher	'Ah. Hello! That's a very bright outfit.' Penelope squeals- excitedly! Good squealing! She even puts both of her hands (even the one carrying a bag!) up to her chest, and then points at them! "Ohmygosh! Little mousie! Hiiii!" She ansi124, stares) when she looks down, with her front-facing eyes. "It takes a bunch to clean it, you know! If it wasn't bright and tidy, it'd all stand out, and we can't have that, now, can we? Hmmmm!" Then, her lips purse, and pout, "Oh! Don't worry! None of the animals that went into it were people!" 'Chevalier? Is it? Penelope?' "Of course it is, and of course I am." Faux whispering, "Did the bow give it away? I've always liked the color, but it does match the colors." "I'm the one and only heiress to the House of Usher! I carry the torch of enlightenment through occultic practices and infernal truths, serving-and-served by the 66th of the 72, Marquis of Ever-Wasting." Demon magic heiress richgirl! "So? I've shown you mine, what's yours?" Bit, of course. 'Oh! With Matilda!' "Got it in one! Are you buddies? You both have..." She 'tsks' through the lollipop stem, and then smiles wide, with red-covered teeth. "You're bouncy! So is she! I don't think she and I are friends yet, though? I thought it'd be fun to stop by, and it was!" The fact that Harrod's is so busy, simply does not bother Penelope. Whenever she's walking, she doesn't get out of the way for people, and they just divert for her, like they would an employee with a cart, or a traffic bollard. Whenever she's leaning, whatever it's up against, isn't bothered by other tired tourists. 'OHHH YEAH BABY!' "Shoot. I can't let your buddy meet my buddy, here." Penelope adjusts a stray hair, and looks Hell Biker up and down. "He's so bald all the skin fell off, too." 'Got some lavishin' to do and some adornin', too.' Another, third whistle! She leans in a little, before letting go of the handshake. "Lavishing and adorning. You didn't do something bad you're making up for, did you? You're not the bad boy type, so, you better keep her real adorned!" She pats Calvin's shoulder, with another flashed smile. Both as suggestion of purchase-topic, and a demonstration Penelope shakes the bag she'd already had, "It's the turning of the seasons, that needs new scents! Everyone loves a seasonal scent! This one, it's a gift~! I had to hunt it down, and I just couldn't wait! I caught a whiff in the warpgate terminal, and a store here smelled just the same! What a lucky coincidence! Today must be my day~!"
Penelope Usher	'Then, Halloween, 'hey, baby, let's go out tonight,' and bust out the wine.' "If it's Halloween, you have to make sure it's as red as they come," She says- lollipop comes out again, to demonstrate color! "If you don't, I'll cast a spell on you. If she can, I hope she'd cast a spell on you about that sort of flop, too! So, don't flop, m'kay?"
Storm Investigators	"OHHH YEAH BABY!" "Ah." Greta doesn't look particularly enthused as she hears and sees Hell Biker's screaming appearance, but she doesn't show nearly as much concern about his presence as the other visitors to the department store. "Who you all shoppin' for?" "Marcus. Her wardrobe is more outdated than mine, and I'd like to fix that." Greta answers Calvin while peering at a display for little accessories, hmm'ing after a moment and squinting more closely at a little dog charm's exorbitant price tag. "And yourself? If our targets' tastes align, that may simplify matters some." She suggests, having no clue who Natsuki is or what she's like at all. "Don't call me that. How old's Marcus? Like, fourteen?" "How old IS Marcus?" "My apologies. She is somewhere between fifteen and seventeen, at our best estimates. We know her birthday is in January, but her memories from..." Greta answers, starting to sound like she's going through a debriefing before stopping herself. "... Her earliest memories and other notes from before that Storm have only given us that rough range. " She affirms with another slow nod, that thoughtful wrinkle returning to her brow after a moment. "Something cute? I'll keep an eye out. My wallet is prepared for it." She adds, trying to draw a mental image of what would be considered cute these days. Considering everyone else here, though, she might have better luck watching what everyone actually reacts to. "color theory is still pretty stable" "A more colorful outfit... That may help her stand out some." Greta comments, not fully certain if that would be good or bad considering Marcus' Marcusness. "Or blend into a crowd better, if it's contemporary enough. Perhaps avoiding graphic t-shirts could be the answer, then, to not date herself." If only she had seen the puppy best shirt.
Skipper	> "Ohmygosh! Little mousie! Hiiii!" Skipper's at the point where they'll take the 'cute' reaction and accept it as a good starting point. It's not the first impression they want to make, but it's the first impression they have. "Thank you! Technically it's 'critter', not 'mouse', but that's fine." > "Oh! Don't worry! None of the animals that went into it were people!" Skipper's smile falters. "Oh, was that- I didn't know that was in question?" "Do- I mean, is that a thing...? Leather made out of people? I feel like that's something we should stop, if that's a real thing?" > "Gay!" He claps them amiably on the shoulder and then rises. "That's not behaving," Skipper chides. Hell Biker gets a flick on the elbow. "Actually, for that!" There's another QTE, one with a much harder input sequence, and then Skipper is sitting up on Hell Biker's shoulders. "For that, I get to be Hell Biker Rider!"
Regulus	''You're so boots on the ground/coming to you live about it'' "Well I've been to future London a few times now, and it's normal to be interested in how where you grew up turned out. People like hearing trivia when you're doing a radio show too, you know? You gotta know lots of random trivia for sure. Though uh, I've obviously never shopped at a place like this. Even in the 60s this place was way too upscale for me." Regulus honestly doesn't have anyone she's shopping for, but maybe something will speak to her about someone. Maybe the person she's shopping for is Marcus who may be fourteen or forty one, who really knows okay? ''It wasn't very galmorous'' Regulus winces, having been the person who has heard about people complaining about their exes for most of her life. "Not groovy, sorry for the foot in mouth there." She doesn't have the heart to tell Petra that the fact that robbing the British Museum was that banal to her is kind of the point she was getting at so she leaves it at that. The mention of Halloween makes her think that she better finish prepping for her costume. But she's not gonna get what she wants here. Anything she gets here she better plan on wearing a bunch even if she IS planning on shoplifting, but she is keeping her eyes open. She ends up with Petra in the designer outlet as she goes around and buys a padded white jacket. She tries to figure out just who it is for. It doesn't feel like Lilian's but she isn't really sure whose. Tamamo? Hmm... Obviously none of this stuff is for Marcus. "Marcus wouldn't want anything too daring, but then again she does seem to want to work on her confidence so maybe it ''should'' be something she might need to work herself up to wear just not too much." ''Between fifteen and seventeen'' "Do you know her size? I can guess at it but it's not like I did proper measurements or anything." She mulls. "Something cute. Okay, something cute." She looks over to Greta. "Well I mean, every outfit has color, I didn't mean a colorful outfit exactly. I just meant that the basic principles of what looks good probably hasn't changed, but Petra would probably know better about modern style. I'm still catching up!" Did she already forget? ''For that, I get to be Hell Biker Rider!'' Regulus does her very best to keep cool here. So cool.
Symbiote Duo	'Are you spies?' Andi just raises a brow at the question, leaving Flash the only one to whisper. ("Nah. We don't work for any agency or stuff like that.") 'Wait, so he really does just spend all his time inside you?' "Yeah. Either in or on me. Currently he's on me." Flash Thompson tugs on his jacket for emphasis. Venom internally screams at once again someone openly tells people where he's hiding. WHAT'S THE POINT OF BEING IN DISGUISE IF YOU JUST TELL EVERYONE!? 'There's another Venom?' "Yeah. Mine, Mania. She's not very verbal." Andi blatantly lies, and just kind of stares off for a bit before remembering she's still in a conversation. "Sorry if that's disappointing." >Hell Biker Flash looks at Hell Biker. Andi looks at Hell Biker. They're both thinking it, but they don't want to say it. It's Venom that eventually just says it because he's not a fucking coward, briefly appearing as a head tethered to a tendril that sprouts from Flash's jacket. "HOLY FUCKING SHIT, GHOST RIDER IS THAT YOU!?"
Petra Soroka	"Can't remember the name of the first guy I kissed, but I can remember some shitty rich sex pervert guy that plastered his face all over a mall pharaoh-style." "That's fucked, man. Who's the first one you kissed since coming back?" "But soon as she said how unadorned she was, I started thinkin', okay, offerings." Petra's tail swooshes back and forth excitedly, and in the packed environment of the Harrods, accidentally clips someone's leg. She hisses and frantically apologizes, then cooly turns back to Calvin like nothing happened. "Alright, now you're talking my language." "All women are goddesses and perfume is basically incense," Petra declares authoratatively. "That's good. That's definitely very good. Maybe it's just missing a little, like, touch of something on top. Goat sacrifice? Think this place sells any cursed daggers?" "Think you could, uh, say something racist?" Petra helpfully, and somewhat commiseratively, informs Hell Biker, "He doesn't do anything entertaining if you call him racist. He's really normal about it and it bothers him to hear." "None of the animals that went into it were people!" Out of the blue, Petra announces, "I'm so glad Doctor Eggman never wears real leather." "Did the bow give it away?" Oh! We're gossiping now! Petra leans in to match and faux-whispers back, in the dense crowd, "Nah, it's because you knew Calvin but not me. I'm super popular and everyone loves me, so you had to have met him at work." "So? I've shown you mine, what's yours?" Magic rich-girl! Petra does lock onto 'infernal truths' but it's hard to talk about those in a department store, probably. She looks around and sighs-- it's actually hard to do much of anything in a department store. "Man, I can't show much of anything at all inside. Uh, psychic, roboticist, supervillain, ultraviolent ideologue, junior at CMU. Not an heir to anything, but I've got apprentice and apostle on lock down, so you could average those out." "Got it in one! Are you buddies?" "She's really funny," Petra says as an automatic deflection away from saying yes or no to that, and then double-takes when she realizes what she did. Is there some sort of built-in psychic process in people to deny being Matilda's friend? Is that why she doesn't have any? "Yeah, we're friends. Shared bounciness does a lot." "Something cute? I'll keep an eye out." Petra sighs and lists out on her fingers. "She's a teenager, she's a wallflower, she's a nerd, she doesn't get out much except for work. I imagine she doesn't have many friends her age. She's not bold enough to try anything adventurous, but she isn't socially contained within the sphere of 'teens her age'. You shouldn't get her a coat, because she's already always so bundled up, but she clearly needs to be wrapped up in something to feel comfortable." Petra ends up grabbing a light blue long-sleeve shirt, with thin but high thread count cotton, a collar and a long ribbon that ties in a bow in front of the neck. To go along with it, she grabs a pair of statement jeans, straight-cut but with girlish rhinestones all up the leg, that'll be visible in the diagonal cuts in the hem of the shirt. These, together, when she hands them to Greta, are around fifteen hundred dollars. "What do you think?"
Petra Soroka	"People like hearing trivia when you're doing a radio show too, you know?" "Nah, yeah, it perfectly tracks when you say that. I was just surprised. I don't really, uh, keep up with the minutiae of the Earth-locales much anymore." Left unsaid, though she thinks it's implied, is that this makes a good dual host dynamic. "Even in the 60s this place was way too upscale for me." "And you didn't just steal? Come on, man. You lived in the 60s! That's before the surveillance state got ramped up! You could steal or murder pretty much however you wanted before the late eighties!" "Not groovy, sorry for the foot in mouth there." "It's whatever. I didn't even say she was evil. She was, but, you know. It's all just, like, circumstances." Petra has more shopping to do! Much more shopping, actually, which starts to get a little worrying. All of the clothes she's buying are in different sizes, and therefore presumably for different women, and most of it doesn't seem to suit Lilian at all. Her next goal is to get something for Sakura, for which she goes an entirely different angle than with Nika. Petra goes into a shoe store that has everything behind glass for display, the type where you have to describe your aesthetic to the artist at the register, to even get them brought out. After a moderately long conversation, Petra comes away with a pair of sleek heeled sandals with pearls along the band, and picks up a box of fancy liquor chocolate to go with it. "Mine, Mania. She's not very verbal." "Damn. That's fucked up. Is she chill?" Fuck, 'Mania' is such a good name for a symbiote. Infected with mania... Petra contemplates this before her attention is totally seized by something else. "HOLY FUCKING SHIT, GHOST RIDER IS THAT YOU!?" "Head tendril! Dude! You're so goopy! Why didn't you lead with this?!"
Penelope Usher	'I'm super popular and everyone loves me, so you had to have met him at work.' "Oh, yeah, that's true! And I'm also super popular, and everyone loves me- so it's really doubly clear to you that we don't work in the same place, hmmmm?" 'Thank you! Technically it's 'critter', not 'mouse'' "Noooooo? You're definitely a mouse. You have the ears!" Penelope pantomimes round mousie ears on herself. 'Goat sacrifice? Think this place sells any cursed daggers?' "For a special occasion, you'll want to pamper the goat ahead of time, too, but you can skip that if it's important it be sooner!" Of course the demon magic heiress advocates for this! "Velvet- my own ritual dagger~, she's busy, so she won't get jealous if I give a look to any cursed blades here..." There won't be any. It's Harrod's. Or maybe? 'Junior at CMU,' "Sophmore at Harvard." A pause, a toothy smile like 'hey watch this', "Double major." 'Ultraviolent idealogue', though? Like, from A Clockwork Orange?" Penelope tilts her head to the side, and braces her elbow on her crossed arm, holding her own cheek. "I'd hope not. I'm going to assume not! What's your ultraviolent ideology?"
Calvin Nash	Who's the first one you kissed since coming back? "Since coming back? Nobody. Big fat GOOSE EGG. Haven't really put myself out there, yanno. The pool's wider now than it was, so there's that. It's like, I could get with a human, but there's demons out there too now." He's really normal about it and it bothers him to hear. "What is this guy, fuckin' NICE or something?" he asks, mock-disgustedly. Lavishing and adorning. You didn't do something bad you're making up for, did you? "No ma'am," Calvin laughs. "Just a nice little surprise for a real special lady." All women are goddesses and perfume is basically incense. "You ain't never said a thing truer than that." Calvin says, giving her the (so he imagines) coveted finger-point of agreement. "We'll see about a cursed dagger, but I like a personal touch. Line, right across the palm, that does you fine," he says, tapping an index to his palm. If it's Halloween, you have to make sure it's as red as they come. He nods fervently. "You better believe it!" Her perfume demonstration has him slap his knee in sudden determination. "You're damn right," he says, standing up. "I'd be awful grateful if you could show me to that place. I'm 'on swing down there, take a look around, pick out somethin' good for the harvest season. Then, I'm gonna get that jewelry and that red wine." For that, I get to be Hell Biker Rider! Hell Biker doesn't attempt to do the QTE at all. "Yeah, okay." He doesn't actually seem that bothered by it. HOLY FUCKING SHIT, GHOST RIDER IS THAT YOU!? "Common misconception. That guy is all," he pantomimes fire around his head. Then he takes off the silly flat cap to demonstrate that there is no fire, and communicates it as, "Me? Bald. And I also don't give a shit about vengeance." "He's more about spite. And some other stuff that's a little heavy for a shoppin' trip. So. You a plague spirit or what?" Calvin hits up a winery first, going with a red vintage of Penelope's advisement. Next up is a jeweler--Calvin goes pale at the price, but bites the bullet anyway on a gold bangle that's sleek and modern enough to go with Natsuki's preferences, but filigreed elaborately in a way that almost hearkens to antiquity--or at least someone's idea of it. Finally there's the perfume, and that's what he leans on Penelope the most for. "I'm lookin' for somethin' that catches that change-of-the-season stuff." As for what he likes, for the purposes of Skipper's friend, Calvin likes things that are either practical, like swiss army knives, or 'practical' (forma dumb novelty like beer hats). He also likes vinyls, and has a fairly broad taste in music ranging from folk artists to country to prog rock to rap.
Skipper	> "Noooooo? You're definitely a mouse. You have the ears!" More attention is paid to this than to Skipper worrying out loud about people being made into leather. That's concerning! Anyway. Skipper doesn't leave their perch on top of Hell Biker for as long as possible, and also goes to get a really nice Swiss Army Knife, glossing over the price tag with the ease of someone who's spending someone else's money. "Oh! Wait, I want to stop and look at that. That's cute!" Skipper gets for themself a tiny little woven leather charm in the shape of a toy breed dog, something that wouldn't be out of place at a flea market or craft fair. The price tag isn't even looked at.
Storm Investigators	"Either in or on me." "Mine, Mania. She's not very verbal." "Are they comfortable fits? " Greta asks with a brief glance over at Flash and Andi. Even though her eyebrow's raised slightly, there's a distinct feeling that she might actually be impressed with how they (the symbiotes) look! She's also assuming a lot about the symbiotes being their wardrobe versus just being inside the jackets or something. "maybe it ''should'' be something she might need to work herself up to wear" "Sensible. Something too plain would be easy for her to wear without a thought, but something slightly more daring to get her to push herself..." Greta comments while browsing more displays, once again having trouble with the assortment of shirts and the price tags attached to so many of them. Can she truly find it in herself to justify paying 200 pounds for a t-shirt? "Do you know her size?" "I do. Picking out the sizes should be far easier compared to the outfit." That's something Greta's more confident about, at least, but it's getting harder for her to really settle on anything the longer she's wandering around. Prepared as she was to pay such prices, she's clearly out of her helement picking clothes for someone less than half her age! Petra's breakdown of Marcus-appropriate fashion "All accurate assessments." Greta confirms to Petra with short nods as she commits that advice to memory, repeating the key bits of information in her head so she can remember to write those down later. "She's made a few friends since joining Laplace, but their fashion sensibilities are distinct and flashy enough that she would not be able to mimic any of them comfortably. Something like this..." Taking the offered shirt from and jeans from Petra, it takes Greta a moment to will herself into not looking at the price tag so she can focus on the clothes themselves. It takes a few seconds for the mental images to fit together properly, but she's soon nodding in slow approval of what she's picturing. "This can work. Sufficient coverage, Lighter than her usual wear by far, but with sufficient coverage to keep her from feeling too exposed. I'll trust in your judgment." A beat, and then she gives Petra a light nod while draping the clothes over her forearm. The shift in her eyes in subtle, but there's a slight softening in her usual flat expression! "Thank you, Petra." LATER Greta dies a little inside at checkout, but she couldn't NOT get that little dog charm to go with the outfit.
Regulus	''These, together, when she hands them to Greta are around fifteen hundred dollars.'' That's a thousand in pounds sterling! Regulus is staring at the price tag. Is this inflation? Or is it just THAT upscale. Now she's starting to worry about shoplifting but she judges that outfit to be overcharged by at least four times that sticker price. And Petra's not even thinking twice about it. A Devil Regulus climbs up onto Regulus's shoulder. "You should rob this place blind and give all the clothes to all your friends!" The Angel Regulus clambers up on top of the other shoulder. "No, Regulus! That'll implicate them and they'll totally wonder where you got all those clothes from! Sonetto will sigh!" Regulus decides to be strong. She'll only steal one outfit today. Maybe one day, if she really believes in herself, she'll be able to fashion clothes for them instead and nobody will suspect a thing! #-1 INVALID ANSI DEFINITION: 2453 ''I don't really, uh, keep up with the minutiae of the Earth-locales much anymore.'' Distracted, Regulus admits, "Well, you do know a lot about a lot of places, but yeah you're really keyed in to the multiverse." ''And you didn't just steal?'' "Hey, don't accuse me of not stealing!" Regulus says. "But in the 60s they also pick you up if they think what you're wearing is also too fancy for you, so I had to be careful not to pilfer any designer labels. Besides--" She is about to just tell Petra she's planning on stealing today, in fact! But thinks better of it. There's, like, a Demon Marshall here. And a superhero? She doesn't know how cool Flash is with petty theft even if she imagines Venom would be cool with it. Of course it might be suspicious that she hasn't picked anything out yet and is still looking intently at the offerings but she's being so good by not saying 'I'm gonna do robbin'!' ''I didn't even say she was evil.'' "Yeah, but you know. It didn't exactly sound that amicable either." ''You'res o goopy!'' "Who is Ghost Rider? Is that a friend of everybody?" ''This can work.'' "Alright. Sounds--Er, you sure Greta?" She senses her death at the checkout. "Good luck, Greta..."
Petra Soroka	"Sophmore at Harvard." "Fuck." It might be true that, as a Concord-affiliated school, CMU is highly prestigious and coveted by many! However, Petra got into it basically for free, by being a Concord Partner already! It doesn't get her any points. "I've barely got time for the one. Journalism, by the way. --Oh my god, you might be the only other Elite I know in college? Lilian got her doctorate a few years ago by now, and.... No, if there's anyone else, they're slipping my mind." Next in Petra's shopping, she picks up... an uncomfortably high-quality cat-ear headband. Not high quality because it is realistic, of course! No, instead, it's exactly like a Party City cat ear headband, but the fur is very very soft, and the band is very very comfortable, and it's built durably. None of these factors should really be relevant for a cat ear headband at all, and certainly not enough to justify one hundred times the price. Even Petra must end up balking at the price of jewelry, where nothing that catches her eye dips below five digits in cost. That's okay!!!! It's good to get gifts, but that's way too expensive on a whim! Not that all her other gifts haven't also been too expensive, but she must have limits. Instead, Petra ends up getting a set of cushy green pajamas with flower patterns, a luxuriously plush bathrobe, and then heading over, oddly, to the cookware section. From there, she ends up getting a cute flower-designed cast iron dutch oven, and looks very satisfied with herself, holding a bounty of practically wedding-night gifts. The true heights of her greed are only to be expressed when, after all of that, she still looks like she's missing something. "What kind of thing would Tamamo want, though...?"
Symbiote Duo	'Why didn't you lead with this?!' "I WANTED TO! BUT FLASH WAS LIKE 'NOOOO, YOU'RE GONNA SCARE EVERYBODY AND BRING A LOT OF ATTENTION!' AIN'T LIKE WE WERE WITH A TALKING RABBIT AND RAT- Rat??? Mouse? Bandicoot??? Critter?????? WHATEVER!" The amorphous head scowls and Flash just looks around as if he's done nothing wrong. 'Common misconception' "Oh. My bad. I'm now SKELERACIST I guess. No, you gotta be like relatives or something. Then again you didn't immediately make everything center around you or Hell the moment you showed up so what the fuck do I know?" 'You a plague spirit or what?' "MY STORY BEGINS TEN BILLION YEARS AGO IN THE FORGE OF- I'm an alien, what else could I be? 'Damn. That's fucked up. Is she chill?' "Yeah. Totally chill. We've got an understanding I guess." She lies again, though honestly, she feels less bad about it than the last lie because this one is a lot more obvious. It's also got a truth buried in there, in that they do got an understanding. 'Are they comfortable fits?' Some of the best feeling clothes around. "If I ever half assed a fit I'd kill myself and then everyone else in this room."
Regulus	''What kind of thing would Tamamo want, though...?'' "Something elegant, right? Maybe something that reminds her of Lilian?" Regulus considers. "Mm... I think of her with warm colors, though." She looks at the price of the jewelry. "T'be honest, this is overpriced even compared to overpriced." ''NOOOO, YOU'RE GONNA SCARE EVERYBODY'' "Man, I've seen goop like you wouldn't believe out there." Regulus tells Venom but then frowns as if maybe she's thinking it's a bit rude to tell goop that it's not the scariest goop she's ever seen but she has to be honest and real here. "There's, like, so much black goop in my world it's insane." She then thinks maybe this is misrepresenting her world. "Well, at the very least, I run into it a lot."