2017.01.17 - Shopping Can Be An Adventure Too
Shopping. It's something many Americans absolutely love to do... and something Ganymede has literally never done before. Armed with a credit card given to him by Diana, the Amazon youth has been sent out into the world to find some clothing that actually fits his slightly unusual build. Why he's by himself is anyone's guess, but he flew here and landed outside the mall, causing quite a stir. How dare he skip the toll bridge!? As he stands in the entrance, looking up, up, and up, his jaw drops slightly. "<It's like a temple to excess... Dionysus would love this place.>"
A sleek Mercedes sedan pulls up to the curb in front of the mall, not far from where Ganymede has just landed. The rear passenger side door opens and none other than Bruce Wayne gets out.
"I'll be fine, Alfred," Bruce assures the driver of the sedan who is his trusted family butler. "What can happen at the mall?"
Turning around, Bruce spots Ganymede and a smile blooms upon his handsome face. He walks over to the Amazon and offers a greeting, "Hello. What brings you here?"
"Mister Wayne!" Ganymede recognizes the voice, turning and favoring Bruce with one of his brightest smiles. "I am here to purchase more garments, as I have been informed by Eubea that sweaters should not hang over my hands, nor should I need belts to hold up pants." He shrugs slightly, and gestures at the mall. "It is massive..."
"The halls of capitalism, at their finest," Bruce quips, grinning at Ganymede. "What do you want to get? I've been here a few times and even if I don't quite know my way around, there's always the mall directory to help."
"... Clothing?" Ganymede asks, after a moment of thought. He really has almost no clue of mortal fashion, and probably shouldn't be allowed to shop alone, lest he end up looking like a 40 year old art teacher with no clue how to dress.
Bruce chuckles, still smiling at Ganymede. "All right. I know a thing or two about clothing." He lightly lays his hand against the Amazon's back. "Right this way," he says, attempting to gently guide Ganymede to the entrance of the mall.
The Amazon allows himself to be led along, leaning slightly into the hand, clearly not minding the touch. His back is slim but strong beneath the baggy sweater he's wearing, promising of more enjoyable features just south of the hand should it wander. "I would appreciate your aid..."
"Not a problem," Bruce assures Ganymede, giving the Amazon a friendly pat on the back before withdrawing his hand.
The man does at least know his way to Nordstrom's which is a large department store. But once there, he has to stop to ask for directions to the men's department. It's not too hard to find with a bit of guidance and soon enough they're surrounded by aisles of men's fashion- from sportswear to three piece suits, there's a little bit of everything!
"How about some casual clothing to start?" Bruce suggests, pointing out a mannequin dressed in blue jeans and a sweater that actually fits the plastic model.
Ganymede stares at all the clothing, head tilted slightly to one side as he does... and looks a little confused at the garments, moving to examine them thoughtfully. But his expression is one of confusion, rather than one of interest. "They are very... drab?" He finally says, lifting one of the sleeves of a suit curiously. "The fabric is very nice."
Bruce chuckles again. "Those are suits," he explains. "They're considered normal business attire for men." He smoothes a hand down the front of his own designer suit for emphasis. "You could buy one and then pair it with a bright colored shirt and tie," he says, pointing to the displays of vividly colored shirts and ties available. "A suit would have been just the thing to wear at that reception for the charity," he adds.
"Over there is some more casual clothing, stuff you wear day to day when you're not working," Bruce says, pointing to the tables and racks full of jeans in a variety of different shades and all sorts of different sweaters.
"It is very masculine." Ganymede explains, after a moment of thought, trying to find the right words. His body is male, but his aesthetic is decidedly feminine. He bites his lower lip, then looks up at Bruce thoughtfully. "Are... there other options for formal attire?" Moving over to the casual clothing seems to bring a more relaxed and smiling expression from Gany. Many of the garments are bright, colorful, even feminine in color, and those attract his eye. Diana would kill to be able to wear a three piece suit... Ganymede seems to want dresses, or at least more gender neutral attire.
Bruce shrugs, the movement seemingly emphasized by his well tailored suit. "There's tuxedo's, but you don't wear them day to day just for business. Tuxedos are for formal occasions, black tie or white tie dress. But you need to go to a specialty store for a tuxedo. You won't find one here."
The man follows along after Ganymede. "Here's some Gotham Knights team wear," he offers, pointing out the black and gold sweatshirts and team numbered jerseys.
Looking confused at the jerseys, Ganymede raises an eyebrow. "What are the Gotham Knights?" he asks, after several moments of silence, toying with the fabric thoughtfully.
“They're the local football team," Bruce explains. "It's a sport, a competition of athletes."
"... Football." Ganymede says with a thought, then shakes his head slightly, not understanding, still. It's not that he doesn't like sports, more that he doesn't understand organized sports yet. Rifling through a rack marked CLEARANCE, Ganymede comes up with a red t-shirt with a Wonder Woman symbol and laughs. "They make them for males, as well!" he says, clearly delighted, turning his smile to Bruce once more.
"Yes, they do. Heroes are fashionable," Bruce replies, smiling back at Ganymede. "Who knows what you'll find in the clearance rack. They just lump it all together there."
"And it is less expensive... which means there will be more money for other expenses?" Ganymede still doesn't get money, either. On Themyscira, there's no such thing. If someone needs a pot, they either make it for themselves, or someone gives them one. He does hold onto the shirt, and finds several others, and a pair of jeans that are woven with spandex to be flexible but still maintain denim toughness. Possibly from the women's section, but they look like they'd fit his wider hips. "There is somewhere to try them?" he asks, at last.
Bruce nods. "Yes, the stuff on clearance is less expensive." Does the price tag even occur to him? Probably not.
At Ganymede's question, Bruce looks around. "There's the dressing room over there," he says, pointing out the sign over an open archway that reads 'Dressing Room.'
Ganymede's mouth makes a little moue as something so obvious is pointed out to him, but then he's smiling again, moving swiftly, though within the realm of human speed, to the dressing rooms, curls bouncing. He glances over his shoulder at Bruce, which on someone else might be taken as flirtation, but with Ganymede seems to be assuring himself that the man isn't going anywhere.
Bruce follows along and offers Ganymede a reassuring smile when the Amazon looks back for him. He takes a seat on the bench outside the dressing room and slips his smartphone out of his pants' pocket to browse while Ganymede tries on clothing.
The Amazon boy is gone for only a few moments, the sound of fabric garments rustling at high speed as the boy tries on shirt and pants, then the other shirts he's sorted through, some swinging up to land atop the divider wall back on their hangers, others, going up without the hanger. At last, he steps out wearing the form fitting jeans and a body skimming dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to expose his bracelets, his casual sneakers visible beneath the jeans. The top few buttons of the shirt are undone, exposing a bit of his slim chest. "Is this acceptable?"
Bruce looks Ganymede up and down then nods approvingly. "Looks good. That's a start. Got anything else in there?"
The Amazon blushes at the question, clearly taking it wrong. After a moment's hesitation, he seems to understand the meaning, then blushes deeper, laughing and turning back into the dressing room and changing back into his baggy sweater and looser fitting jeans quickly.
Bruce looks a bit dismayed when Ganymede reappears wearing the clothes he came in. "You didn't pick out any other new clothing?"
Ganymede laughs softly and lifts the small pile of garments without hangers in one arm, then casts about, spotting a rack that says 'PLEASE LEAVE DISCARDED ITEMS HERE' above it. The Amazon rehangs the garments, then looks down at his small pile. There are several t-shirts, two dress shirts, and the jeans he tried on. "I tried them on and they fit acceptably." he explains. He was only in the fitting room for a minute or so...
"Oh, all right," Bruce says in an agreeable tone. "There's a J.C. Penney in the mall too if you want to check there?" he suggests. Of course his first thought was to come to Nordstrom's which is the high end retail store in the mall.