09/08/12

[pixelsnlines]

WHO: Lillian and Anthony
WHERE: Plush. Aka that fabulous beauty supply store that Anthony works at on the weekends.
WHEN: September 8th; a boring Saturday afternoon
WHY: It's Anthony's first day actually working, and Lilly supposedly stops by out of curiosity (and a desire to score some deals?)

Comments

[azuranthine]

It wasn't an ideal day for shopping for Lillian. She was still exhausted from her late night exploits with Rolf though the practice had been worth it. She was more comfortable with Nephele now than she'd been before they'd started and had little more of the things she might be able to do. Lillian would have much preferred to take a nap but as usual, Terri couldn't just let her sleep in peace. She had to chatter and gossip with her girlfriends back home and just when Lillian had hoped the girl would go out and do something, anything that involved her being out of the room, she'd turned on her whiny, pop music.

Rather than make an issue of it or cause a scene, Lillian had simply grabbed her purse and left, shutting the door a little harder than she usually did behind her. She hadn't had any destination in mind, just somewhere she could unwind in peace for a few hours, maybe treat herself a bit, and so she'd wound up catching a cab to the mall. Lillian had never tried retail therapy before and strangely, she found herself cheering up. She hadn't bought herself much so far, just a stuffed unicorn and a pack of shiny animal themed stickers she'd found herself admiring, but they'd made her smile nonetheless. Lillian's parents gave her such a generous allowance that usually wound up getting stuffed in a lockbox in her trunk and forgotten about. Today, she put it to use.

Lillian's smile widened as she spotted Plush across the corridor of the store she'd just finished browsing in. Wasn't that the store Anthony had just gotten hired at? She'd said she would stop by the next time she was at the mall. Maybe she could find some nice things there.

Lillian entered the store, noticing a familiar mop of blond hair though the boy attached to it was crouched down instead towering over everyone around him. Oh, good, it looked like she was the only customer today. There was no one else to hold up while she looked at everything thoroughly before making a decision.

"Hello!" she called out as she approached. Anthony looked so intent on his reorganizing, she didn't want to spook him by appearing out of nowhere.

[pixelsnlines]

Even if Lillian was trying her best not to frighten Anthony as he rearranged the makeup, he still jumped visibly just milliseconds after her voice called out -- enough for him to fall backwards onto his rear, and the lipstick to slip from his hand and clatter onto the tiled floor. There was a short pause as he blinked and snatched it back up quickly, making sure there was no damage, before angling his head towards the customer that had disturbed him. He regarded her with a quirked eyebrow. The figure was blue, but ultimately blurry and unfocused. Easily remedied as he fixed the glasses that had made themselves crooked at the bridge of his nose. A second glance, and finally, he recognized her.

"Oh, hey!" He couldn't help the smile that lit up his face at that moment. Company from people he knew (somewhat) was unexpected but always a welcome surprise, especially if that made his first sale of the day an easy one. Anthony pushed the lipstick where it belonged, and got back up to his feet. The floor was a dirty place that he didn't enjoy being. "'Sup?"

[azuranthine]

Lillian had winced a little when Anthony jumped and fell on his rump. Maybe she should have tapped him on the shoulder instead. Physical contact with people she didn't know very well seemed invasive on her part, though. No matter, the moment had already passed. No use dwelling on what she should have done instead now.

Anthony's smile helped put her at ease. She quickly found herself smiling back.

"Um, just doing a little shopping," she said, indicating her bag. "I was in the area and remembered you worked here. So I decided to stop in and say hello and maybe pick up a few things."

[pixelsnlines]

If Anthony got any hint of her initial unease, he didn't show it. Instead he merely brushed the imaginary dirt from his pants and apron, once so clean and now tarnished from tiles that were sullied from the shoes of other people. It was odd how Anthony could go every other day without showering, but as soon as his body touched the floor, he was picking microscopic debris from his clothes for hours. He didn't freak out about it or anything; just another quirk to add to the quirks.

Of course he got the message as Lilly motioned to her bag. She was at the mall, so naturally the variables would all add up to a little shopping excursion, though the lack of friends by her side did strike Anthony as odd. He thought of girls as people who traveled in packs. However, if Lilly was lonely, Anthony wouldn't mind offering his company, and the wheels in his head were already beginning to turn as she suggested doing some shopping there, at Plush. He didn't have much retail experience, but he believed he could sell a product if the inspiration was there.

"Oh really?" He grinned, almost playfully. "Whatcha looking for exactly?"

[azuranthine]

"I'm not sure," Lillian replied a little sheepishly. She hadn't really had anything specific in mind besides coming in to say hello to Anthony and ask how work was going. But she had said she wanted to look at a few things while she was here so she needed to decide what she wanted to look at. "Um, maybe lotions and body wash? And some new shampoo."

[pixelsnlines]

"Gotcha," he nodded as Lilly finished listing the items. Lotion, body wash, and shampoo. It was easy enough to remember, and only seconds after she finished was Anthony putting his hand on her back and ushering her down to the first isle -- Lotion. It was nice when things were labeled so generously; enough for Anthony to pretend that he knew exactly where things were, and convincingly so.

He only had a basic knowledge of these things so far, but he grabbed first the round tub of body butter. Butter was thick and creamy, and he assumed that it would do wonders for the skin as well. Anthony twisted the lid off of the test bottle and took a generous whiff of the sweet, citrus scent. It was lovely. "What about this? You can try it out if ya want~" He held his palm out in front of him, "Give me your hand?"

[azuranthine]

The feel of Anthony's hand on her back startled her but before Lillian could say anything, he was already directing her toward the lotions. Still, when Anthony asked for her hand, she found herself placing it somewhat uncertainly in his.

You're being silly. There's nothing to be nervous about. He's just a boy. And he wants to put lotion on your hand so you can try it out. That's all.

[pixelsnlines]

Oh? He sensed her uncertainty this time, but he didn't outwardly acknowledge it. It was amusing to him to know that Lilly was uncomfortable by such a small amount of physical contact, something that he just did without much thought about it. He needed to touch people. It could almost be considered depressing how many people shied away from something so simple and harmless, but who was he to change a person's opinion? Anthony only smiled at her and gingerly grasped the hand that she had placed in his palm.

"I don't bite much~ Loosen up," he offered lightheartedly while scooping an adequate amount of creamy-white lotion onto his fingers. He smoothed it into a circle over the top of her hand with ease, sweet and painless -- she could do the rest if she so desired. "How's that one? I should've asked if ya like sweet smells or fruity ones... Or flowers. We've got just about everything as far as I can tell."

[azuranthine]

Lillian took a deep breath to calm her nerves and nodded. Anthony was right. She did need to loosen up. Her brother, Matthew, often told her the same thing in the rare moments they weren't bickering over one thing or another or giving each other the silent treatment.
Lillian rubbed the rest of the lotion into her skin. It felt nice and it did smell great, if a bit too citrus-y for her tastes.

"I like sweet and floral scents," she responded. "Do you have anything I can wash this off with?" she asked, indicating her hands. Lillian doubted citrus would mingle well with the other scents she liked.

[pixelsnlines]

Anthony blinked at the request -- the girl didn't like the lotion. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised at this, but it didn't stop him from shuffling through the pocket of his apron for a wet wipe (because the aprons here, he discovered early on, had just about everything). Perhaps he was expecting Lilly to be the kind of girl who politely accepted whatever was put in front of her, whether or not she was a fan of it. A low maintenance sort of person. She was still low maintenance, his opinion had not changed there, but the fact that she was making him look for a different lotion made him sigh. Because, extra work.

He flicked the packet at her and patiently ambled over to the other scents. He wasn't lying when he said that the place had just about everything available, and when his eye caught the Lavender Vanilla, he couldn't help but scoop it up curiously. "Sweet and floral all in one here."

[azuranthine]

Lillian followed, opening the packet to wipe off her hand. The second lotion was better than the first but just a little too sweet. If she couldn't find anything that she liked better, she might walk out with that one but if this place truly did have everything, she'd certainly find something a little closer to what she wanted. Whatever that was.

"Maybe this one but do you have anything that's a little more herbal than this? Something that isn't as sweet?" she asked.

DENY THE SCENT AGAIN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS 8| <33

[pixelsnlines]

That wasn't the one either, huh? Anthony raised an inquisitive brow before moving on further yet, hunching over to scan the various floral scents through. He didn't even know anymore. Eventually he simply snatched up the single most boring label he could find; Sweet Pea.

"Maybe? I see this scent around a lot, so it must be good." Trying to keep his composure there.

SHE'LL BE MERCIFUL THIS TIME. :| <3333

[azuranthine]

Lillian took the lotion and put some on her hand. She rubbed it into her skin. It did smell nice, much better than the citrus, but it was a little too bland for her. Still, it was worth a try. Lillian grabbed some of the Sweet Pea and the Lavender Vanilla she'd tried on before.

"Do you have any shopping baskets for customers?" she asked.