Participants:
| Scene Title | Maybe Not Red |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Kaylee asks Abby to help her find that perfect dress for date with Joseph, which still needs to be set. She's trying to be prepared here! |
| Date | September 23, 2010 |
Situated on the north end of Battery Park City, the World Center Mall is the largest shopping mall remaining in New York City. With the destruction of midtown Manhattan and the general financial decline following the bomb in 2006, many former businesses that eclipsed this large shopping center have gone out of business. The World Center Mall is a three story establishment featuring 150 stores as well as dozens of fast-foot restaurants and a 20-screen cinema located on the mall's third floor.
Given its status as one of the last remaining shopping malls of its type on Manhattan, the World Center Mall remains a busy and active shopping center, crowded with people during operating hours and severely lacking in parking accommodations that have not been expanded since the time of the bomb.
"Oh… my… god." The worlds are whispered as Kaylee stands there in the large mall, blue eyes hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses. She looks completely lost just in the front door. Thankfully, the world is decidedly quiet, thanks to the generosity of Abby. Today, Kaylee is the equivalent of hungover. Even after sleeping away the day before, her poor mind is tender and any loud 'thoughts' are a small torture. Looking at the mall, the negation concoction that Abby brought with her, was a blessing. The world in her head is silent and for once, Kaylee isn't missing the hum of voices.
"How… will we ever figure out where to start?" The sunglasses are moves to perch on the top of Kaylee's head like a headband, keeping that mane of gold out of her face, while she turns a helpless look Abby's way. Her eyes squint against the glare of light, it's still a little too bright for liking, but she was here for a purpose. "I just know I don't want something like that red thing I wore for Peter." Her nose wrinkles a bit. "Something… not that… clingy."
At least Kay made sure to dress for trying on clothes. Her jeans were loose and comfortable and then just a red t-shirt with words written in white that remind readers that her eyes here higher then her chest.
"Well, not that i'm the expert cause for most of my dresses, I done went to Teodoro and had him help me pick, or someone else with more knowledge would tell me. I guess, figuring out how much you want to spend will be important. I mean, I gotta pick up a dress and I can spend a couple hundred on something pretty" But then, picking out a dress for the functions that Abby attends with Robert or will attend, tends to consume more money than something that Kaylee will be on the arm of for Joseph. "Where are you gonna be going and… what do you wanna … say, with your dress?"
"I… dunno." Kaylee says with a huff of frustration taking those first steps into the mall. "I mean… I've got stuff saved up, but… I don't want to blow it all on a dress." Turing to Abby and motioning to the very outfit Kaylee has on she adds, "But I also know I don't want to go on date, especially our first, dressed like this. Or come across slutty." A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.
"I guess I'm not looking for overly fancy? Something… cute? Knee length maybe, but… not overly cute and just sexy enough?" Kaylee wants to make an impression, but not overly stating anything. "For where we're going… I dunno yet. It'll be dinner, either out or cooking something at home." Eyes roam over the nearest store windows with worry. "Something that would work in either situation." Is there even such a thing?
"Little black dress?" Little black dress. The answer to everything. "Long as it covers your butt and hits your fingertips when you lower your hands, and you're not letting the ladies hang out, it'll pass for Pastor Sumter. He ain't dead Kaylee, and he won't think you a jezebel if there's a flash of leg and polite chest"
"I need to pick up a dress, for something with Robert. So lets go see if we can't find something, somewhere, for the both of us,a nd if it's a little pricey then… then I'll help" Abby's in a skirt, soft shirts, the GPS around her ankle very much not hidden. Which only gets some glances but for the most parts ignored.
"Oh… I know he isn't dead and he's still a guy, despite the title… I just…" Kaylee trails off, moving with Abby, keeping he longer gait shortened for the other woman. "I just don't want to screw this up." It's the truth, her expression falling some. "I waited a long time for this — not as long as some mind you — and I don't want to drive him away unintentionally."
Thoughtful, Kaylee watches the store windows as they pass. "Black dress? Maybe with an airy fabric? Nothing like… what are they called? Sheath dress?" The telepath is completely clueless, growing up her favorite outfit was overalls. "I want a dress that moves. I guess, that's the dancer in me… I want to be able to move and not have to take mincing steps."
"Something with a flare to the skirt in other words" Abigail points out. "Maybe a wrap dress, in like, a satin shiney fabric? Or maybe Kaylee, we just need to pull everything down from the shelves and you just try it on till you find something real pretty that you like, that won't send a Baptist minister covering his eyes"
There's a few stores coming up, none that they'll be interested in save the third one, which has all manner of dresses on mannequins in the front. 'There, here. I want something white, or cream colored, so, this'll be a good place. Surely here's something in here for both of us"
The mention of her wearing something Joseph would cover his eyes over, that unintentionally makes Kaylee chuckle. "Should have seen where Hiro dropped us, I have never seen that look on a man before. Poor Joseph." It's easier to laugh about it now, it wasn't as funny while it happened. "A pastor in a topless bar just seems just beyond sacrilegious and then to be manhandled by the security." She doesn't go any further, turning her attention to business, she finishes with, "Thankfully, no one is the wiser and all being the past and on the west coast."
Stopping to look at one of the mannequins, her head tilts a little. "Yeah… best not beat around the bush." Kaylee murmurs, eyes squinting against the light throb in her skull. At least entering the store the light isn't as harsh. Her hand seeks out the fabrics as she passes, rubbing them between her fingers. "I'm… feeling a little overwhelmed." At least she sounds a little amused.
"Oh my lord, really truly, y'all both got dropped in a flipskirts?" Well, at least they made it back fine. Abigail's hands come out to touch the various fabric too, look at cut and style, trying to choose something that she might like. Not much in the white color palette unless she went for a longer dress, but she didn't want to. "Oh, here's something, it's red, but it'll look nice on you, the color" plucking a dress off the rack and holding it up. Just above the knee, bit of flow and easily going from day wear ot night, if you changed your make up and shoes and accessories.
"Yup…Right in the middle of it." Holding the red dress against her, Kaylee's brows drop as she conciders it. "They thought he was some pervert… or something. I think I'll try this one." She looks out and her brows lift. "Ooo. Look at that dark blue one." Bringing the red on with her, the telepath makes for a simple dark blue one with thin shoulder straps. Fingers rub at the fabric thoughtfully.
"It… was good to have Joseph there tho' he really saved the day. I wouldn't have been able to save Lynette on my own." The dress is pulled off the rack and hooked on the same hand as the red one. "I think I'll stay away from grays and greens." Passing a few racks, Kaylee turns to look at Abby, giving her a small smile. "I get the feeling that Hiro expected him to go with me too. Sneaky son of a gun."
"Hiro's pretty sneaky, like that. Sometimes though, I think he doesn't realize that what he's asking for, sometimes, is just beyond the means of those who he's tasked something with. I dunno like… he's not quite living in the world like the rest of us are" She murmurs, fingering a pale blue dress.
"You should totally try that one on." Kaylee comments lightly from where she is, a black dress having been added to the others in her hands. "And I agree, he… seems…. well, he seems like he needs a friend, to be honest. With as often as he's popping into my life lately and carting me off to various points in history to manipulate this memory, or block this other. I just see it." Brows furrow a bit. "I dunno."
Looking at the dresses handing in her hands, Kaylee's brows furrow a little. "So… This guy of your's, Robert? I don't think I've met him."
"It's blue, I don't want to wear blue" She murmurs, mentally placing that dress in some imaginary closet in her mind to come back for if there's ever an occasion she needs a new dress for. "Maybe you have. Robert Caliban. He works for the Linderman Group" She's not finding anything that strikes her attention, more appropriate for the function that she wants to wear it too, but there's some things for Kaylee.
"Your both back now, not going anywhere? When's this dinner with Joseph supposed to be happening?" Distract, move away from the question of who abby is dating.
"Wait… Caliban?" Kaylee's brows lift a bit. "I — I remember him from when I woke Mrs. Petrelli from that coma." She suddenly look impressed, "Nice catch." But she leaves it at that, moving on to let Abby direct the conversation.
"I dunno yet, he said after that little adventure. I'm… trying to keep ahead of it, so if he suddenly out of the blue says…'Hey, how about tonight?' I can go 'Sure!' and maybe stun the heck out of him." Her eyes drop to the dresses again, hands sliding down the fabric of the black one. "Screwed up with Peter, but… honestly, I've always liked Joseph. Not that I was going to hit on a married man… I'm not that low, my mom…" She trails off, brows furrowing, cause it wasn't true anymore. "I was gonna say she was a married man's mistress, but… that's all a lie, she was married to Ray."
There is a soft sigh, "Either way, I was kinda shocked when I found out he actually divorced his wife. Felt bad for him, I can't imagine it was easy… and despite how I felt, I had hope for the best. I mean… you marry someone cause you love them, I can't imagine what he went through." Kaylee glances back at the dressing rooms, nodding that way, glancing at Abby again. "Come with while I try these on?"
"That would be the right Caliban. Robert. We've been seeing each other for a little bit now" Someone who isn't going 'that's nice' or placating her. 'Well I'm sure that whatever you end up going with, you'll be beautiful Kaylee and Joseph will not be caring too much what you're wearing and paying more attention to you as a whole and your mind and just don't go straight to French kissing and y'all should be fine"
"Have you? He's got those kinda… rugged good looks going on. As long as your happy." Kaylee comments lightly, turning towards the dressing rooms. She is after all the one that dated Peter and thought his mother was an alright lady. A grin is flashed at Abby, cheeks coloring a bit at the kissing comment. "And how do you think we broke the ice?"She sounds almost mischievous as she says that. "Seriously, tho Joseph has been a gentleman. Got that country boy charm that I didn't even know I was attracted too… Guess I had to get away from all the bad boys to see it."
Stopping suddenly, Kaylee takes a few steps back and picks up another red dress, a different style and make this time. She had passed it cause it looked a bit too much, but… she might as well try it.
Reachign the fitting room, she holds the dresses out for the attendant to count, before heading to her assigned room. Kaylee stands on the threshold of it, palm of her free hand holding the door open. "Sorry… I just… I'm glad to have someone to talk to about it. Especially, since you know him and all. Okay, I'm gonna try these on."
"Little weird to be sitting here' She's taking up a seat outside the change room. "And listening to you talk about kissing my pastor but… I mean, someone has to talk" Abigail points out. "Stick with the reds, you look really good with the reds"
The door is shut, but Abby can hear her chuckle. "Trust me… it is totally surreal for me." Cause it really is. Kaylee looks at the dresses and nods her head. "I'm kinda with you on the whole red thing…" Then she falls silent for a long moment, clothes rustling as she switches out of her normal clothes and into the the first dress and…
"Uh… noooo." She turns one way then the other, her head shaking. "That neckline plunges way too low. I'm afraid to bend over, my boobs might fallout." Off goes that dress… Moving on.
"Keep the ladies in" When Kaylee bemoans the exposed sweater puppies, Abigail's shaking her head outside, finding a comfortable spot on the chair where she doesn't lean against her back. "Just… just have fun kaylee, give it a try, and see if you both can go beyond being friends to something more. If it doesn't work, then.. it doesn't work and there's no harm yeah?" Abigail cranes her neck, looking around where she sits in the hopes she might find something else from where she sits, but is seeing nothing.
"I know… and I was happy to just be his friend before." Kaylee comments as she settles the second red dress on. "Hadn't planned on what happened, or… that he actually felt something too." She stands there for a moment, brows lifted, turning where she can look at it from over her shoulder. "Oooh. I think I like this one." There is a happy sound in her voice.
The door opens, where she can show Abby, a hand out to one side in a 'well?' sorta way. It's isn't clingy, but falls along her form, emphasizing it without being too much. She gives a twirl and the fabric spins out and seems to almost drift back down to lay. Almost an airy fabric without being too thin. She runs a finger under one of the thin spaghetti straps, that make it a sexier dress with a modest enough neck line.
"Pair of red heels? Maybe something to clip back some of this hair?" A hand reaches back to gather some of it at the back of Kaylee's head.
"Not red heels. Black, black or something gold, but certainly not red. Because you'd have to search for something to match the right shade and that in and of itself, would be a nightmare" Abigail points out. "But we can find some shoes, I have a pair with a bit of height to them, that are pumps. You'll look good in them" Abigail points out.
"See… that's why I need you here." Kaylee comments brightly, her mood having lifted quite a bit, even with the ache behind her eyes. "Keep me from fashion mistakes." Stepping into the room again, she gives it another looks. "By George, I think this is the one." Same color, but a different type of look for a different sort of man.
"At least, I'll be ready when he decides it's the right time for that dinner." Long thin fingers smooth over the fabric over her hip, Kaylee looks happy. "Definitely this one." She murmurs.
"Kaylee, I'm the far from fashion expert. I have to go to others to tell me what works. It's just.. some things I've figured out like, unless you can dye your shoes the same shade as your dress, unless it's black, you don't wear matching colored shoes. You'll be fine. He'll like it. he'll like a potato sack on you. In fact, we could test that theory, and hit up a grocery store adn see if they have one"
That gets a laugh from Kaylee, as she works her way out of her the dress. "No… that's okay. We already did the whole…. me covered head to toe in blood thing." Pulling her shirt back on, she is quiet and thoughtful. "I shoulda seen it then. Cause first thing he did was grab me into a hug… He seemed a bit shaken up."
Finally, Kaylee steps out with dresses in hand, the ones she doesn't want are giving over the the attendant. "Okay… your turn. Time to find you a dress, then we can deal with the rest of it."
Well that's alarming. "Maybe red then isn't the shade we should have been looking at. That just might bring about bad memories" Abigail points out, standing up when Kaylee emerges with her purchase over her arms. "There's nothing here that caught my eye anyways, lots of beautiful stuff but just nothing that screams at me" Nothing that screams get married in me tomorrow. "Did you try the blue one? Maybe the blue one will be better"
Brows tilts up as she comes out, glancing at the dress in her arms, Kaylee looks a touch disappointed, but at the same time… "I didn't think about that… I guess I'm more use to all this." She glances towards the rack. "I… I think they had it in black, maybe I'll do that. I did like how It fit me."
Her teeth chew at the inside of her lip in thought. "Yeah… I'll so that. I'll get the black one." She gives Abby a smirk. "I should have thought about that." She seems a little embarrassed she hadn't.
"Get both" Get both says the girl with the opening bar and the cushion of money that won't keep her out of jail is Sarisa doesn't like Tamara's answer or if Tamara never shows. "Come on, i'll buy you the red one, you get the black one, and we can go shoe shopping for you and I'll just see if I don't have something in my closet. Then you can wear the red when a couple months has passed"
An arm is thrown across Abby's shoulders to give her a quick friendly half hug. "Thank you, Abby. I mean it. For coming with me, for listening to my worry and the advice…" She lifts the dress. "And the dress." Kaylee chuckles. "I needed this, it's been a rough couple of weeks outside of Joseph.
"I just hope he and I get that date and that your right." Kaylee flashes her a grin. "And I hope I can at least wow him once."