2013.07.15 - Let's go shopping!

Emma was in the back of a limo with one of her students, Yeweseisisel. He was a prized yet unusual child. Like all of the others while in class he was to wear the school uniform. But outside of that his wardrobe was well...lacking. Emma wasn't the sort to point out to her own students that their clothing is off the rack, but sometimes you have to put your foot down. Plus she enjoyed the chance to spoil her students once in awhile.

She pulled up to a young men's clothing store and grabbed her silver hand purse. Emma was dressed casually for this venture, a white sundress with very large sunglasses, "And here we are. Don't worry darling, Auntie Emma will take care of you."

157 is at least /wearing/ said school uniform without any argument. Not that one might have expected one from him, really, unless a conflict of orders was involved. He cleans up pretty nice, actually, though he's still quite a scrawny kid. He's been silent the entire trip, going along for the ride without even a question as to where they were going. Of course, he could have just portaled them there, but if Emma said they were taking a car, he had no reason to raise an alternative. He actually spent the majority of the trip just staring quietly at the car's dashboard. Once they've pulled up, he unbuckles his seat belt and slowly gets out of the car, looking up at her. "It is not possible for this unit to experience 'worry'," he informs her, quietly.

Emma looks down at him and placed a hand on her hip, pursing her lips just so. "Try calling yourself 'this one' it's not exactly common but it's more formal than alien. And remember it's best just to humor people sometimes."

In a friendly way she steps towards the door and opens it for him. Inside is a very posh young menswear store. Polo shirts as far as the eye can see.

157 continues looking up at her, silently, but finally tries as she suggested. "It is not possible for this one to experience 'worry'," he repeats. As she goes to open the door, he follows after her, and mercifully does understand what she's doing as she holds the door for him. He steps inside, taking another few steps and turning his head slowly to scan his gaze across the store. "Confirmation required: Objective of outing related to concept designated 'fashion'. Concept 'fashion' involves desire of person to look different or to blend in but does not constitute disguise." He looks back at Emma. "This one does not understand concept 'fashion'."

Her eyes scan across the room. Most of the clothing was common. But she could spot a few gems in the room. But she wasn't here to dress for what exactly she found desireable.

She looked down at him, "I believe you've expressed fashion perfectly. Which direction do you think you should go? Do you want to blend in, or stand out. I can shop for either."

"Query: Do you want to blend in, or stand out? Clarification: It is not necessary for this one to want," 157 says, looking back out at the items in the store. "Query restatement: Does blending in or standing out better support this one's mission? Answer: This one's mission is best supported by blending in. Additional information: Examples of clothing which 'stands out' also valuable to mission."

A grin spread across Emma's face as she ran her fingers along the tops of the hangers as they made their way around the store, determining what the focus would be for their little shopping trip, "Based on what you first told me 'blending in' seems to fit your mission parameters. But you do need a few items to stand out yes, everyone needs at least one well tailored suit. Do be sure to point out anything that looks visually pleasing to you."

157 walks along after her, and actually mimics her by running his finger along the tops of the hangers as well. "Statement: Everyone needs at least one well-tailored suit. Explanation required: Explain need fulfilled by possession of well-tailored suit." He looks about, studying the clothing. "Statement: Do be sure to point out anything that looks visually pleasing to you. Notification: It is not necessary for this one to find an object visually pleasing."

One of Exceptional Male's employees comes by and asks them for help. Emma looks over 157's form and guesses at a size, and if it's slightly off anything important can be tailored. She hands him a simple brown polo, "Yes you can help carry things."

She turns her attention back to the boy, "Doesn't matter if it is necessary, some things look better than other things. Don't you think? Wouldn't you rather look at a flower then a pile of droppings?"

157 does not respond--or even, really, acknowledge the presence of the employee. Emma's in charge of this particular excursion, so unless something happens that 157 needs to question, he doesn't seem to feel the need to interact with the poor guy. As for his size, he's pretty scrawny. "Query: Some things look better than other things. Don't you think? Answer: It is not necessary for this one to form an opinion on the appearance of objects. Query: Wouldn't you rather look at a flower than a pile of droppings? Answer: This one will look at whatever is necessary for the purposes of this one's mission. Clarification: Some flowers can be used in preparation of medicines or poisons by skilled agents of access denied. Droppings can indicate presence of useful or dangerous creatures. Observation of flowers and droppings both valuable to mission in differing ways."

Emma quirks a brow, "They aren't just medicine. Flowers, unlike the other item in question, are life. Regardless of medicine, are a life form of their own that should be cataloged as well. As I'm sure you know, they create oxygen and provide pollen. The other thing is waste. One is more visually appealing."

She looks over to the employee, "Pay no attention to our conversation, just hold onto anything I hand to you."

She grabs a few more shirts and well-guessed pants. Emma asks 157, "In your memory banks, which flower that you have ever seen stands out?"

157 follows along, listening attentively. "Query: In your memory banks, which flower that you have ever seen stands out? Answer: Mird Gelm flower of Pavofar. Approximately six feet tall on average. Color: Dark red and purple. Sentient, venomous, and mobile. Carnivorous hunter which was known to eat other sentient species." Well, that /does/ stand out, one would imagine, if not in the way Emma might have meant.

It gave just as much information as Emma needed. For one 157 does take opinions on things, sure he records but some things tend to actually 'stand out' and perhaps a color preference. Emma turns a heel and grabs a few garments in dark red and purple, with a few black and grey garments to match them with.

She hands this new large pile to the employee and tells him, "Please deposit these to the cashier and grab him things that a young boy needs. The essentials we don't see and choose wisely SCOOT. Oh and size8 in mens. Two sneakers and one pair of dress shoes."

She turns to 157 and leans forward slightly, since she is a bit taller than him and talks softly, "Is there something you see wise to own, to further your mission? Or an item that just catches your eye but can't quite place why?"

She's got more than a foot on him, actually. 157's pretty small even considering his youth. 157 looks up at her, then slowly looks around the store. A long pause, and he looks up at her again, then walks over to a display of sunglasses nearby. "Query: Is there something you see wise to own, to further your mission? Answer." He points at the sunglasses. "Explanation: Season designated 'summer' on planet designated 'Earth' features frequent bright sunlight which may interfere with vision. Item designated 'sunglasses' may assist in maintaining view of critical observation targets." He turns to face her fully again, and points over to a display of nice hats--dressier kinds like fedoras and such rather than ballcaps. "Item designated 'hat' may also fulfill this purpose. Query: Or an item that just catches your eye but can't place why? Answer: Negative."

Emma pushes 157 towards a display of hats, "Good thinking! I'm going to go pick out a pair of sunglasses for you. I want you to pick one or two of your liking."

She gives him a small smile and leaves him on his own to make his decision while she sorts through the available sunglasses.

157 is herded rather easily over to the hats, and while she goes over to the sunglasses, she might notice him just about freezing up staring at the display. It seems that 'pick one or two of your liking' is a very, very difficult task for the poor kid. He just stares, and stares, and stares, almost motionless. He's like that for an impressive length of time...but finally, he does reach out and pick up a hat--a dark grey fedora. Slowly, he looks over at her, and holds up the hat, then puts it on his head. Scrawny kid in a nice school uniform, long blonde hair in a ponytail, snazzy grey fedora...well, it's a better combo than if he was still wearing those old tattered robes, at least.

Emma was looking through the sunglasses display about thirty feet away when she caught him putting on the fedora for her. She smiled and nodded, and grabbed a particular pair of frames.

She gestured towards the cashier desk and met him there, while the clerk was adding up the total. While Emma waited, she showed 157 a pair of circle-shaped sunglasses in a purple tint, "They reminded me of you. Just a little unusual, somewhat retro. But cool. That is you, young one."

She took the glasses out of the case and handed it to him.

157 slowly walks over to join her at the cashier, watching the cashier work on scanning the items and adding things up. As Emma holds out the sunglasses, he slowly looks over at her, then takes the sunglasses, looking at them. "Statement: Somewhat retro, but cool. Statement not understood." He looks up at her again, and obligingly puts the sunglasses on, taking the fedora off and holding it as he looks about the building. "Initial analysis: Item designated 'sunglasses' lowers light levels effectively." He puts the fedora back on, looking up at her, then at the cashier, then up at Emma again. "Notification: Low probability that this one possesses sufficient money to pay cost of items. Options: Abandon retrieval of items. Negotiate alternative cost. Quid pro quo. Theft."

She told her eyes, "I thought it was obvious, I'm buying."

She takes the fedora off of his head and onto her own, and lowers it, "I thought that was obvious. I guess your observing skills need some refining. Tisk tisk."

Once the total is calculated, she hands a credit card over, "Before I take you back to the academy, is there an item you require?"

"Statement: I am buying. Understood. Items will be given to this one at no cost to this one." The jab at 157's observation skills doesn't appear to bother him--though really, expecting him to show emotion even for that is probably expecting too much at this point. He watches the transaction with the credit card carefully, and looks up at her again. "Confirmation required: Card is substitute for money. Explanation required: Describe manner in which card substitutes for money. Query: Before I take you back to the academy, is there an item you require? Answer: Negative."

Emma takes the hat off of her head and fixes it back onto 157's own head, "It is a card that accesses money I have access to. Starting your own finances will be covered in 'Intro to Economics'."

A few moments later they are back in her limo while the employees load in the bags into the truck. She asks 157, "Did you learn anything new today?"

157 follows her to the limo, taking a seat and buckling himself in. "Query: Did you learn anything new today? Answer: This one learned that 'this one' is a preferable reference as opposed to 'this unit'. This one learned about cards that access money. This one learned that subject Miss Frost regards flowers as preferable observation targets over droppings. This one learned that subject Miss Frost describes this one as a little unusual, somewhat retro, but cool. This one learned to buckle a seat belt."

Emma made herself comfortable and leaned back into the chair and crossed her legs in front of her. She was silent a few moments as she listened to him. As 157 finished his point a small smile spread across her lips and responded with, "That describes you to a T, darling. And anyone who says otherwise can talk to me."

Emma thinks of one last additional thing and moves a bit closer to him, and speaks in a softer voice, "One last thing. When someone does something out of their way for you, something done in a polite nature say 'thank you'. Don't say it now, it's forced. But remember in the future, even if it isn't me."

"Clarification required: Should this one add 'young one' and 'darling' to recognized identifications?" 157 asks. He listens to her instructions, and actually opens his mouth to start saying 'thank you' as she tells him not to. He kind of freezes there with his mouth open for several seconds as a result, but finally seems to wake up again. "Understood. This one will say 'thank you' to blend in on planet designated 'Earth'."

Emma adjusts the hat and new sunglasses upon his face and just smiles, proud of her work. He didn't need to perfectly blend in, this wasn't exactly what her school was about (arguably that was the Xavier school) she tended to favor towards those who broke the mold, and 157 was that sort of type, in his own way. "Young one and darling are things likely only I will say, so associate them to me. And you can say thank you, only to blend in. But perhaps sometimes someone will do something that will surprise you, and the words are genuine at that time it isn't about blending in, but legitimate gratitude."