Mallrats

Preston Forest Shopping Center


The Preston Forest Shopping Center is large and classy. The entrance is open and spacious, a rectangular fountain surrounded by potted trees leading up the middle of the mall, with pathways on either side for shoppers. One can easily see both floors from here and the lighting is amazing - beside the typical electric bulbs, the roof is comprised of glass allowing the sunlight to filter in.
Shops and businesses spread out here both east and west as well as to the back of the mall. Hidden away in the back corner one can find the escalator to the second story, as well as washrooms and a bank of payphones.


So. Turns out there's something of a drawback to this whole dating thing. Turns out, it's not just having sex twenty-four seven and not-quite watching movies. But he is now actually required to, gasp, do things with her! Publically! As it is, when Scarlett first mentioned hitting the mall, Hyde turned to her, blank faced, and said no. When she tempted him with the possible lie that she wanted his help in picking out new underwear, he paused thoughtfully, but still said no. When she slapped his arm lightly and demanded that he accompany her, he still found it in him to say no, and threw in a derisive insult for good measure.

Therefore, it's baffling even to Hyde himself how she managed to drag him to the sinkhole of capitalism. And as a result, he is particularly broody as he follows behind Scarlett, glowering sullenly at anyone that dares cross his path.

-

This is because Scarlett likes to get her way. She's sometimes pushy, and bossy, and doesn't take no for an answer. Granted, she likely also told him she'd sex him in the car on the way over, but then didn't make good with the promise. Hence the sullen man beside her.

"Is it my fault you keep stealing them? Geeze, Hyde, with the amount of my underthings that appear at your place mysteriously I'd almost think you want me to move in." A very obvious tease, since they're hardly anywhere near that step in the relationship. "Victoria's Secret is over there, right across from that book shop."

-

Hyde grunts emphatically like the glorified caveman that he is, also allowing his eyes to roll in a liberal fashion at the tease. "I don't steal your underwear. It isn't my fault you lose track of them. I'm not your panties' keeper." A moment is taken so that he may slip his hands into his pockets and examine the crowd around the mall's forum cautiously. "Yeah, well. Awesome. Did you really need to duck over there or was that a lie too?"

-

"Quit being so surly, Surly," Scarlett says, quite happily. "We are heading over there. Unless you wanted to hit the book shop first?" Glancing around she frowns. "Or you can just go get your own shopping done so what I buy can be a surprise."

-

That's like asking Hyde to stop breathing. Like asking him to hover instead of walk. Hyde thrives off of dispelling negativity into the world, that's just the kind of person he is. "Yeah, whatever. Going to go see if they've got any new sellers." It's telling, the fact that he even goes out of his way to explain his walking off. Usually, he just stalks off silently. It's a habit that's gotten him in trouble with many a woman.

-

Before he's able to stalk off, Scarlett grabs for his hand to try and yank him back toward her. All this, just to give him a kiss before he goes off on his merry way. "I'll be over there in about fifteen minutes. If I'm not, please come rescue me from the saleslady who wants to put me in puce."

-

Hyde is literally jerked back by the sudden grab, and shocked, he turns around to face the woman, only to have her lean up and deliver a kiss to him. He is, literally, stunned. His scowl has disappeared, and for a good five seconds he just stares at the woman as, slowly, his brain catches up with what just happened. But then, he nods his head and allows his tongue to dart out and lick his lips gingerly before disappearing into the commercial bookstore.

-

Hello, shock! Scarlett almost laughs at it before he turns to go, but she's gracious enough to wait until she's crossing the mall to get to the Victoria's Secret before she snickers. He's just so adorable when he's not expecting her to do something, but why shouldn't she kiss her boyfriend in the middle of the mall? Glancing back at him to make sure he disappears into the bookstore, and doesn't intend on leaving her here, she takes a deep breath and steps into the lingerie store, a small grimace on her face.

-

Every once in a while, there comes a frat boy so skeezy that they decide to work at the women's clothing stores in search of someone to pick up. And today? Just so happens to be one of those days. Gary is a tall, lanky kid with a perpetual six o'clock shadow. But what's most impressive about him is that he has a system - and one that he sticks with.

He hones in on Scarlett the moment she walks into the store - his newest mark. And with a smile, he waltzes over to her - around his neck the official lanyard marking him as an employee of the store. "Hey there. How's your day been?" He sounds polite and completely professional.

-

A glance is given to the boy, and then with a completely straight-faced deadpan, she replies, "Peachy until now. Gladys not in today?" Not that Scarlett shops here often enough, but Gladys is one she knows to avoid. While she waits for a response, she begins to browse, pretty much ignoring the clerk. Why? Because shopping for undergarments doesn't really need supervision, nor the discerning eye of someone younger than her baby brother.

-

Gary isn't a boy - at 22 years old, he's old enough to do whatever he'd like. However, considering her age, it's not surprising her reaction. Blinking calmly, he looks around the store. "Gladys? No - she's covering a shift a town over, I think." Really, the smile that he offers her now is nothing short of disarming and amiable. "You're safe for the time being. I am required to tell you that we're having a buy three get one free sale on panties though - so if I were you, I'd look into that. If you need any help, at all, hit me up, okay? The name's Gary." He knows when to give space. And so he'll back away, hovering around his mark until it's time to strike.

-

"Caught the name on your pretty lanyard there, Gary," Scarlett says without bothering to look over from her browsing. Glancing over at the sale table though, she shakes her head. Definitely not the sort of stuff she was really looking for, though she may revisit it after she takes a look through the various lingerie and sleepwear.

-

And for a little while, she is left alone to do all she may wish. For the time being, it seems that Gary might have given up and found someone new to prey upon.

-

Which is good news to Scarlett. There are only two reason men choose to work in shops like this: they're desperate for female attention, or they're gay. The latter she can deal with readily enough, but Gary over there wasn't giving off that ultra-vibe. So she stands at a rack of babydolls and slips, and gently ruffles through it until she finds something that piques her interest. Mesh, lace, dots, gingham… cute, elegant, and sexy all in one.

-

Only later does Gary return. Much later. And it comes out of supposedly left field, too - a surprise for Scarlett. "Oh, excuse me!" He offers politely as he moves beside her, reaching up to grab a lazy number off of the rack. "Got to go dress one of our 'sexy mom' customers." He's amused by the concept. And it's all above brow, all good…

Until, that is, his hand settles upon her lower back as he reaches for the article of clothing, perhaps just a smidgen to low. But to be honest, it could be a mistake - Gary seems to be an upstanding kind of fellow so far. But it just so happens that this is the time during which Hyde begins stalking into Victoria's Secret in search of his girlfriend.

-

"Gah!" Surprise does happen, mostly because Scarlett is ogling the new babydoll. When the hand settles a bit low on her back, she grits her teeth and gently rams her elbow backward to try and catch Gary the skeeve by surprise as well. "I'm sure she'll like it," she says, "though you really don't have an eye for color." And she's not yet noticed Hyde has come in search of her, she's still just trying to focus on the outfit and getting the salesman to stop touching her.

-

"Oof!" Gary lets out in surprise when he is elbowed in the stomach. And though it achieves the desired effect - the hand does leave her back - it's not all good. Afterwards, he lets out a laugh, clearly assuming that the elbow was an accident and rests his hand upon her arm to try and ease her…not to mention maintain contact. "Ah - yeah? You think? I'm partially colorblind, so probably. Did you know that alot of men are and don't even know it?" See? He's all good.

But, not exactly all that good to Hyde, who's just caught sight of them. Immediately, his expression steels up and he ends up, slowly and cautiously, stalking over to the pair. He's silent, like a ninja.

-

"What in the world are you…" Scarlett yanks her arm away from Gary's touch and then spins to frown at him. "If you're colorblind, you really shouldn't be working in a store that's designed to make a woman feel good," she states. She's big on color, and the way it looks, and how different lighting can change the shades of it. Such is being an artist.

After spinning around though, she spots Hyde, and sends him one of her patented 'help' looks.

-

Gary is awed by Scarlett's sour personality, as well as her insensitive statement. "…Just because I can't see reds like you can, doesn't mean that I don't deserve to work where anyone else works. Don't you think that's a bit close-minded of you?"

"Back the fuck away, you colorblind freak. I'm sure if you bled enough, you'd learn to recognize what red is." Hyde's murmur is low, and lethally dangerous, and it comes from directly behind Gary. After the threat has been offered, Hyde even goes as far as to clamp his hand upon the shoulder of the taller, younger individual and physically shove him away from Scarlett.

-

"Close-minded? Not really. If you tried to put me in that puce babydoll, I'd be worried." Scarlett glances around to see if she can find the 'sexy-mom' woman, and when she can't spot her readily, she frowns a little more. "You can learn colors in a different way, there have been colorblind artis—"

Hyde to the rescue. Scarlett bites her lip a little, and once Gary is away from her she slips behind the boyfriend. "No need to hit him," she points out. "He was just being overly friendly. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to ring up what I pick out and we can leave."

-

Gary is completely taken aback by the physicality of Hyde, so it's no wonder he backs away from the pair, looking shocked. "Sir," he begins, uneasy as his eyes flicker from the man to the woman. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store. We don't condone inappropriate contact between employees and customers, and your violence is not appreciated."

This prompts Hyde to narrow his eyes darkly. "Funny how that didn't apply when you were trying to cop a feel a couple of seconds ago, eh? I should lay you out, right here. Break that wandering fucking hand of yours." And the worst part? He'd do it, too. Even with the police scrutinizing him over the weapon fiasco, he'd do it, unless stopped. As it is, he is already advancing towards the employee.

-

Quickly assessing the situation, Scarlett grabs for Hyde's arm once more. "Come on, it's easier to press sexual harassment charges than it will be for you to get brought in due to breaking some kid's face," she says gently. "I can go to a different shop, or place an online order. Please?" Gently, she tries to drag Hyde away, even though she's not yet put down the outfit she was looking at.

-

"Go ahead, asshole! We have cameras everywhere - make my day! I could use the money to pay off the rest of my college debts!" Gary provokes, frowning as he tries to stand his ground against Hyde. But it's not a very convincing stand.

For his part, the only thing that stops Hyde is the very literal way in which she grabs him to hold him back. He stops advancing then, turning around to glower silently at the very woman who's honor he's going to fight for, before pausing. "…Fine." He grumps, finally, fingers flexing with energy. "Let's get out of here." And with that he's already trying to stalk out of the store. Clearly not wanting to spend any more time there, least the urge to pop the college kid one becomes too great for his will power to overcome.

-

"Actually, no. We're not going," Scarlett says, still holding onto Hyde's arm. Even though he's sort of dragging her toward the door. "I want to talk to the manager. I think your behavior was inappropriate Gary. I think…" She glances up as though looking for the cameras, then turns back to glower at the employee. A small swish of her finger is given as she tosses the babydoll back at the pervy clerk. The swish causes the forced air in the shop to pop the cap off one of the sprinklers, which in turn starts to set the sprinkler system off.

"What the… c'mon, Hyde, let's go. I really don't want to be soaked…"

-

And before Hyde knows it, it's raining - only inside! Unwilling to be wet either, Hyde already begins to drag Scarlett out of the store, only picking up speed as he feels the water crash down on him. Behind their backs, there is a chorus of screams of surprised as they get soaked, and Hyde only stops jogging when he's stepped out of the way of the store, his lips pursed. Looking back at the establishment, his eyes travel over to Scarlett for confirmation. "You did that?"

-

"Me? I would never." Only, there is a slight twinkle in her eyes to show that she did indeed do that. Scarlett exhales a sigh afterward though. "Too bad that guy was a pervy ass, I really liked that outfit." Lamentation over the outfit can come later, brushing some of the water off of her is a must first. Twisting her wet hair up into a bun, she uses a small paintbrush from her purse to secure it into place. "Find anything at the bookstore?"

-

There is a curious anomaly that is happening right now to Hyde's face. His lips are curving upwards. If anyone else did it, it would be considered a smile. But Hyde doesn't smile. So it's just…there. And curiously, though she's busy preparing herself and primping what with the new water problem, he doesn't give her much room to work with. Why? Because the moment he can, he's wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into a rare but public hug. There will be no commentary on the action. "Nah. Just the usual Oprah's bookclub bullshit."

-

Hugs from him are still new, so Scarlett is taken aback by it. When she realizes that he's hugging her, she smiles at him. "Thanks for the rescue," she says quietly. "And for not pummeling that guy." Truthfully, if it weren't for the fact that the cops would have gotten involved, she would have loved to see him punch skeevy Gary in the face for being so fresh. "I know a great rare bookstore a few blocks from here if you don't mind the walk. Bet you could find something there."

-

"I wasn't rescuing you," Hyde lies. "I just wanted to punch a bitch, and he happened to be the closest one around." He can't be known for fighting for his girl's honor or anything of the like. It's just so unlike him. Plus, it was never included in their little 'deal' of sorts. The hug doesn't last very long, because soon nough he's pulling away, putting ample distance between them, as always when in public. "Meh. I like you better naked anyway, so it's just as well that shit happened." When she mentions the bookstore, all Hyde can do is shrug his shoulders with mild disinterest, not against or for the idea in particular.

-

"Okay, you just wanted to punch the guy," Scarlett placates. "I get it. Don't blame you either. Would've punched him myself if I could have gotten away with it." When he pulls away, she looks down the mall and then starts off toward the food court. "Let's grab some take out then, and wander." Her back is turned toward him so that the blush from his 'naked' comment can't be seen.

-

Hyde grunts. "Alright," he decides, moving to follow after her calmly and clearly placated. As a result, he is quite oblivious to her blush, something that he'd surely regret had he known about it. But then, he seems to recognize something, his eyes eyeing her from behind slowly but deliberately. "…Wander?" Beat. "You mean, we have to loiter around this hell-hole without an actual purpose now? Jesus. Women are crazy."

-

"Nooo, the purpose of getting take out is so we can wander outside. Away from pervy men that aren't you, floods, and mallbrats." Since Scarlett's only purpose in coming to the mall is now ruined, she just continues on toward the food court. "They've got a great Korean Barbecue place in here that I've been dying to try." Glancing over her shoulder once the heat's left her cheeks she smiles. "Coming?"

-

"Are you calling me a pervy man, Princess?" Hyde inquires, arching his brows as he looks over the girl, eventually catching up to her. "I…hm. I might be. What's in it for me?" It's the usual sort of reticence, the one that is token and dishonest. Because the truth? Of course he's going to go with her - no matter what.

-

"I seem to recall being pinned against the bar, and kissed." That Scarlett was the one doing the kissing isn't mentioned at all. Because today? She is a pristine little princess. "Play your cards right, Surly, and maybe I'll show you." He did mention liking the nakedness and all. "So food, a walk toward that book shop, then back to grab your car?"

-

"I don't recall that incident, and therefore negate your argument entirely by virtue of my awesomeness. But I do know that, even if it did occur, that's hardly perverted." Hyde points out simply. Mere moments later, he lets out a slow, easy sigh before pushing forth and placing his hand upon the small of her back to prompt her forward. "Yeah, yeah. I guess, if we have to."

-

"True, it's no naked hula in the park." Scarlett is ushered forward, and doesn't stop to say anything again until they nearly reach the Korean place. "On second thought, let's go grab the car, get a burger, and head to the lake. Quieter there, and I don't really need to stop at the book shop." She spins around in place, to face him. "What do you think?"

-

"I…wait, what?" Hyde is confused then when she brings up naked hula, the look on his features seem to hint at the fact that he is wondering if he forgot about some sort of park hula incident. But then she's changing her mind, turning around in his arm to face him. "Eh? Ah - sounds good to me."

-

Meant to confuse and confuddle! "It hasn't happened," Scarlett says, to put him more at ease. "But there's not telling what the future holds." Not that she would be doing a naked hula in the park, but with everything else going on in the city… who knows? Leaning in quickly to kiss his cheek, she starts off again. Away from the food court, toward the exit where the vehicle resides.

-

Hyde takes the kiss. And with that, he offers her a faint nod of his head. He strides out, following her rather faithfully to make it to the car that resides in the parking lot.

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