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It didn't take long for Hiei to join him. Kurama shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled along with a carefree attitude. The weather was gorgeous and his plants would be happy to soak up some sun. He too was happy to be outside in the sunlight with his love interest beside him. The fox could feel Hiei's gaze upon him and it and decided he liked the attention. For now he was happy but a little voice in the back of his head told him things would likely get a bit stressful as soon as they entered the first shop.
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Hiei was distracted from his study as the crowds began to thicken. He could see a number of small shops along the street and he assumed (and hoped) they were close to wherever Kurama was leading him.
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As they approached the shopping district, more people were milling about in the streets. Most were teenage girls shopping with their friends but there were others as well. Any shop that catered to menswear would do but Kurama had done his best to pick out the "friendliest" stores for the fire demon to visit. The first was an open face shop without any doors or windows that might heighten feelings of claustrophobia. He steered them towards it when he spotted the shopfront. There were a few people browsing the racks of clothing inside but not an overwhelming amount and Shuichi stepped inside. Doing a quick scan of the store, he tried to assess the best place to start but decided there really wasn't one so he simply began looking through the nearest rack. It was likely that they would have a difficult time finding clothes that fit Hiei properly but the redhead knew how to sew and he could play tailor if needed.
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Hiei followed Kurama into the shop with only a moment's hesitation. While Kurama looked at the rack of clothes, he wandered around the shop studying the other racks curiously. A glass case near the back of the store caught his eye and he drifted over to investigate it's contents. Men's jewelry and watches glittered back at him. One watch in particular caught his attention and he leaned over the case to get a better look. It was a silver pocket watch on a chain, but what made him notice it over the other timepieces in the case was the sinuous dragon engraved on the lid. It reminded him of the Kokuryuha and he found he rather liked it. Just as he was debating the merits of acquiring the watch while no one was looking, a voice interrupted him.
"Can I help you kid? Looking for something for your dad maybe?" The shopkeeper smiled at the startled looking dark-haired teen. Hiei wasn't used to humans talking to him, since he usually went out of his way not to be noticed, and he found himself momentarily at a loss for a response. He looked up at a friendly looking, elderly male with wispy white hair and intelligent eyes. "I'm older than I look." He finally said slowly, addressing the confusion about his age. "I'd like to see that one." He pointed at the dragon watch and waited while the man apologized profusely for his mistake and unlocked the case. Soon the fire demon had the coveted watch in his hands and he studied it carefully for defects. The watch seemed to be of decent quality, though he couldn't say for sure, having never owned a watch before. |
Kurama was still sifting through the various racks for styles and sizes that might be suitable for the shorter fire demon when his ears perked at the word, "kid". Looking up, the redhead noticed that Hiei had made his way to the cases in the back and seemed to have attracted the attention of the elderly shopkeeper. After hanging the shirt he had pulled out to look at back on the rack, Shuichi casually approached the pair to ensure that everything was alright. When he got there he found Hiei holding a rather handsome silver pocket watch. After taking a closer look over the fire demon's shoulder, Kurama realized why it had likely attracted Hiei's attention. The eyes of a thief quickly assessed the object. It was in good condition, not marred by any unattractive scratches that might indicate that it had already been used. Turning his attention to the man behind the counter, the redhead asked, "How much for the watch?" indicating the one in Hiei's hands. Kurama had planned on giving Hiei his spare watch but it was obvious that this one would please him more.
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Hiei felt Kurama's approach and didn't startle as the fox spoke from behind him. Closing the cover, he held the watch up so the redhead could take it to look it over properly. Kurama would no doubt have a better idea of the contraption's value than he did.
The old man turned his professional smile on the tall redhead. "That one is 30,000 yen." He said with a small bow. "The case is sterling silver, with a precision self-winding mechanism, and it has a five year warranty against damage or defects." The old man rattled off the watch's qualities from memory. "The face is real onyx inlay too." He explained, pushing the button to open the silver case. "And the hands are inlaid with mother of pearl." OOC: I think that is around $300. Seemed like a fair price for what I'm describing. I just got a new watch that isn't nearly so fancy and it was $160. It's solar powered though. I should never have to put batteries in it. Yay! |
Kurama took the watch when Hiei offered it up to him but did not immediately look it over. Instead his eyes focused on the elderly shopkeeper's face as he began to speak of its qualities for any signs that he might be trying to cheat them. He did however look down when the old man's hand brushed his own to pop open the lid and reveal the interior. As the man went silent, Kurama began to study the object for himself. The outside was certainly sterling silver as the man professed and the time read correctly. The warranty hardly mattered though; five years was merely a drop in the bucket when it's owner might live to be five thousand or more. The cover was beautifully decorated with the form of a dragon and the mother of pearl hands sparkled in the sunlight against an onyx face.
Thirty thousand yen for such an object was not far off the mark but it was also about how much he was planning to spend in total that day. It wasn't like he didn't have the funds however and Kurama decided the object would be worth it if it made Hiei happy. If the fire demon took care of it and the self winding mechanism was as good as the old man professed, the watch would hopefully last a long time. "Twenty-seven thousand five hundred yen," Kurama offered, trying to haggle the price down a bit. He knew the watch was of good quality however and would not cheat the man out of what he deserved in payment for his merchandise. ((LOL, thanks for the conversion so I can be lazy and not have to do the calculations myself. ^///^ The 27,500 yen should be $275 in case you need it. Oh, that's cool. But what about when you're not outside? Does it hold a charge for a while? Or does it have a battery backup?)) |
Hiei watched the exchange with interest. He had never actually been shopping with the fox before it was interesting to see the calculations taking place behind his green eyes.
The shopkeeper frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm...no, I can't go that low. I could maybe take 29,000 for it." He said after a moment's thought. "It's a bargain at that price and I do have to make a profit, ne?" OOC: It holds a charge for up to six months, or so it claims...and it will charge from synthetic light as well. Oh, and Hiei's watch, the case and dragon engraving are plain silver. The face inside is what is black onyx, with the numbers marked in silver. Sorry for the confusion. O_o' This watch sounds pretty, I want one. |
Kurama nodded slowly. He knew the price would not drop as low as he asked but his offer had gotten the old man to rethink the original price. Though the fox could have pursed the matter and possibly haggled another thousand yen off the price, Kurama didn't want to short the man so he let the bargaining end prematurely. "Would you accept a debit card?" Kurama asked, signaling that he would take the item at the newly offered price, so long as the shopkeeper would accept the offered method of payment.
((That's pretty spiffy. Ah, okay. I edited that bit about the onyx. I want one too. The mother of pearl did it for me. Heading out to go walking, be back in about an hour.)) |
The old man's smile broadened and he nodded. "Certainly. Shall I hold it for you while you continue shopping or would you like to purchase it now?" He asked politely, holding out his hand for the timepiece so he could package it up for them regardless of the answer.
Hiei stood silently and watched the exchange conclude. He was even more determined to come up with some way of bring money into the relationship now, whether he brought it from Makai or acquired human funds some other way. Kurama might be ridiculously wealthy in secret, but Hiei would not except infinite charity. He held his tongue for the moment, not wanting to make a scene in front of the shopkeeper. |
"No, that will be all thank you," Kurama replied before handing over the pocket watch. During the few minutes he had browsed the story, he hadn't seen anything particularly suitable for the petite demon and Hiei hadn't expressed interest in anything other than the watch. They didn't need to buy everything in the first store they came to, there were plenty of other stores in the district.
That decided, the redhead reached into his pocket for his wallet and withdrew a small rectangle of plastic which he offered to the shopkeeper. He only used his debit card for large purchases, usually preferring to pay in cash. Shuichi also avoided buying on credit: he didn't need to and paying interest was a waste of resources. He liked the finality of knowing that anything he bought was immediately paid for. As he waited for the old man to ring the order through, Kurama smiled at Hiei, unaware of the fire demon's secret determination. He didn't mind spending money doting on his companion and the pocket watch was handsome gift. |
Hiei was surprised when the fox said they weren't buying anything else. True, he hadn't seen anything that looked very appealing in the clothing selection... 'Hmph, not that most of this stuff would fit me.' The shopkeeper's innocent mistake rankled. Hiei was young for a demon but he was older than any human alive and it frustrated him to be mistaken for a child.
The cheerful shop owner placed the watch into it's jewelry case and then put that in a giftbag with the shop's name on the side. He took Kurama's card and completed the transaction with the ease of long practice. Smiling pleasantly, he handed card, receipt and bag to the redhead and bowed politely. "Thank you for your purchase. Please enjoy it." |
Hiei didn't seem to notice the redhead's smile and Kurama could almost sense the annoyance under his companion's apathetic exterior. Turning back to the counter, Kurama watched the old man complete the order and took back his card and the bag when the man offered them. After a return bow to the shopkeeper, Kurama quickly stowed his card and the receipt away in his wallet and started for the exit. Once they were back out in the street and away from the gaze of the old man, Kurama turned and handed Hiei the bag containing the pocket watch, "A present," he said simply as he held it out for Hiei to take.
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Hiei's eyes widened at the phrase. Kurama had bought him things like food and even clothes a time or two in the past but it was always out of necessity, or in an attempt to drag him on an annoying human outing with the rest of the team. The redhead had never called those things gifts. Hiei couldn't actually remember ever receiving a gift without strings attached and if it were anyone other than Kurama he would not have accepted it...but he knew Kurama wasn't expecting anything in return. He reached out and took the proffered bag with a nod of gratitude.
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Kurama caught a hint of surprise as Hiei's eyes widened and an inkling of gratitude as the fire demon nodded and accepted the gift. That was enough for him. With a smile, Kurama started off in the direction of their next stop. The streets were becoming more crowded as older couples and a few families with small children joined the throng milling about in the shopping district but even so it didn't take them long to reach the store he had in mind. Kurama stopped in front of the large glass window and looked inside for a moment before pushing open the door. This shop specialized in smaller sizes and the redhead hoped they might find clothing more suitable for the shorter demon inside.
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Hiei followed the fox quietly, focused on not being trampled by over-exuberant children or couples too absorbed in each other to watch where they were going. The bag containing his watch dangled from his hand and he unconsciously pulled it closer anytime someone got too close.
The fire demon was relieved when his guide ducked into a store. Anything had to be better than the press of humanity around him. He hid his distress behind an indifferent mask as he followed the redhead. The shop was blissfully quiet compared to the street and he took a moment to push the lingering discomfort away. Feeling much more calm, he glanced at the racks of clothing curiously. This store seemed much more suited to his tastes and he actually thought some of the clothes might fit him. That was good, he wasn't sure how much more shopping he could take. |
Fortunately for Hiei this shop seemed rather vacant compared to the others. Looking back at his companion Kurama noticed a hint of curiosity in his gaze and took it as a good sign. "Look for something you like..." he prodded gently. While Hiei looked he would do his best to figure out what size would fit the demon's proportions. He had bought Hiei a few things in the past but those items had come in simple sizes and it had been easy enough to assume the fire demon would take a small. The pants in this store came in distinct sizes and lengths which would make things a bit more difficult.
((Sorry for the delay, I kept getting distracted by other threads. V_V)) |
Hiei nodded and began drifting around the store, fingering objects to judge the quality and occasionally holding something up to gauge the size. He found a deep red dress shirt that he liked and a pair of black slacks that should fit him around the waist..though they would likely need to be hemmed.
About the time he was holding them up and judging how much too long they really were, the shopkeeper noticed him. 'What is it with these people...' He thought as he felt the young man approach. 'Why don't they pester Kurama?' He braced himself and turned to face the salesperson with a carefully blank expression. "Hello, sir. Welcome. Is there anything I can help you with today?" The chipper young man with the bleached blonde hair asked with a smile that looked almost painful. "Just to let you know, we offer alteration services. We want our customers to get the best possible fit from all our clothing." Hiei kept his expression neutral with some effort. He really just wanted to be left alone to look around. "I'm fine." He said, when the man stood waiting expectantly. "I don't need any help." OOC: lol, I imagine the shopkeeper is doing what I used to have to do at Walmart. Loss Prevention 101. Talk to people and they are less likely to steal something because they know you are watching them. lol. |
Kurama browsed through the pants, occasionally pulling a pair out to hold them up and glance over at Hiei as he tried to guess which size would fit best. About the third time he looked up, a young man had honed in on Hiei with a greeting and a sales pitch about alterations. Though the service would no doubt do a good job, Kurama didn't intend on taking advantage of it. He highly doubted the fire demon would patiently stand by as someone he hardly knew wrapped measuring tape around various parts of his body. No, Shuichi would do his best to do any necessary hemming or resizing himself. It might take longer but it would save Hiei (and himself) a lot of stress and get them out of the shop sooner.
Kurama quickly joined Hiei to save him from any further interruptions, "We'll let you know if we need anything," he said with a smile, gently indicating that the pair wanted to be left alone to browse. The redhead waited for the blonde teenager to back off before holding two pairs of pants up to Hiei's waist, "For size," he explained briefly. The one in his left hand looked like it would fit best. Curious, Kurama fingered the tag on the pair that Hiei had in his hands. Conveniently enough it was the same size he had in his hand. Though the waist looked the right size, the slacks were still a bit long. It wasn't anything he couldn't fix at home with his small sewing kit. "Don't worry about the length," Kurama said, "I can hem them for you." ((LOL, I was taught about that too and yeah, given Hiei's general appearance it probably wan't a bad idea on the part of that shopkeeper.)) |
Hiei watched the storekeeper move away with mild annoyance. He allowed Kurama to hold the pants up to his waist, trying to control his heart rate even at the innocent touch. The odd thing was, he couldn't say for sure whether the fluttering was from fear, or something else.
He nodded and looked at the little tag on the pants he held. He found the mark that read "size" and assumed from Kurama's words that he should look for other pants with the same mark. With that in mind he found a pair of jeans, two pairs of something called cargo pants in black and a drab greenish color (he thought the pockets made those a particular good choice), and another pair of slacks in a soft slippery feeling fabric that was rather appealing because it seemed like it would not wear out from the friction when he ran. He then sought out Kurama to look over the clothing, to ensure it was acceptable for everyday use among humans. |
As Hiei went back to looking, Kurama returned the two pairs of pants he had used for sizing purposes to the wrack he had taken them from. That finished, he stood back and watched the darker haired demon look about for bottoms. He seemed to be doing well on his own so Kurama let him be. In the end came up with a nice variety of dress and casual items. Kurama quickly checked each of them over to ensure they were the correct size before draping them over one arm, "Just a few more shirts and we should be done," he said with a smile. He would have liked to have Hiei try on at least one pair of pants to make sure they were indeed the correct size but was certain that the demon wouldn't agree to it so he didn't ask.
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Hiei continued perusing the store's wares, moving on to the racks of shirts. He pulled a few items down for inspection but found many of them to be unappealing for one reason or another. He did find a black dress shirt that seemed well made and a red t-shirt that had no annoying pictures on it. That gave him a total of three shirts and five pairs of pants. Not enough for a week. He frowned and turned to Kurama, frustrated. "You're better at this, Fox." He shrugged slightly. "What do I still need?"
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As Hiei went back to looking through the shops wares with a new goal in mind, Kurama fingered the price tags of the items the fire demon had already picked out. It didn't really matter how much they were but he was curious. The jeans and cargo pants were about average price for such an item and the slacks a bit more expensive but still affordable however the last pair he had picked out were about double the price of the others. They were made of a very nice material that even the redhead had never owned and Kurama subconsciously commended Hiei on his taste.
The redhead looked up when he sensed Hiei's gaze upon him. His attention was drawn first to the way the fire demon had phrased his question, more specifically the nickname he had used. Hiei had used the term on more than one occasion and it had always served as a reminder of his true heritage. He couldn't say he was particularly fond of it but as long as the term wasn't picked up by the other members of their team, he wouldn't stop Hiei from using it. This was the first time that the fire demon had used the name in such a public place however and Shuichi had to wonder about its possible repercussions. Had the shop's attendant heard? What would he think it just an innocent nickname or wonder at it's true meaning? Would he be able to guess the nature of their relationship from the term of endearment? Kurama felt a moment of nervousness wash over him before quickly pushing it away. What would it matter if the man knew? It wasn't likely that they'd see the human boy again unless they came shopping at this particular store again and if he was smart and wanted to sell to his customers, the boy would hardly mention such a personal thing at the possibility of driving them away. Realizing that he had left Hiei waiting, Kurama looked to see what the fire demon had picked already picked out: a black dress shirt and a red tee. Kurama mentally listed through the possible outfits that could be made with the items already chosen then determined what items were missing. "Tee shirts," Kurama replied decisively. Most of the ones on hangars were graphic tees which usually had ridiculous things plastered on the front of them. Kurama avoided these like the plague and instead visited a shelf near the back of the store. Neatly folded atop were various colored plain tee shirts from which he picked out a grey one and a white one. They were neutral colors that would go with any of the items the fire demon had already chosen. "How about these?" he asked, seeking Hiei's opinion on the items he had chosen. |
Hiei dismissed Kurama's hesitation, thinking it was merely the redhead considering the question. He followed the fox to a shelf he had not paid attention to before. Eying the selections, he nodded, picking up a black t-shirt and adding it to the pile. He did not usually wear short sleeves other than in battle, but the fox had mentioned a jacket as well. "That's fine. What about a jacket? And sleepwear?" He asked, looking around the store to see if he could spot the desired items on his own. It was no use, the racks were taller than he was and blocked his view.
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Kurama nodded, his thoughts had been elsewhere and he'd momentarily forgotten about the jacket. He was slightly confused about Hiei's request for sleepwear though. He thought the shorter demon had already dismissed his need for clothing items specifically for sleeping. Still, if Hiei was going to use them he didn't mind buying pajamas. Doing a quick scan of the store Kurama spotted a few jackets in another corner of the store and lead the way. There were suit blazers, jean jackets, some black ones made of a heavy fabric and a couple fake leather ones. "Do you like any of these?" he asked, "If not we can look elsewhere." While Hiei inspected the jackets Kurama looked around for sleepwear but didn't spot any.
((Glad you mentioned the jacket, I had forgotten earlier when I had him say they only needed shirts and was trying to figure out how to bring it back in. >.<)) |
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