[Log] Halibel, Harlene Quinzelle
Title: The Red One
Characters: Halibel (imladra, Harlene (tsuyosaoboetai)
Timeline: 13 March, 1950
Rating: PG
Summary: Harlene had a long day at work and swings by a swanky clothing shop to cheer herself up.
Halibel didn’t normally work at the shop. It was what she hired girls for. They were perfectly content to walk around looking pretty and being helpful. Halibel didn’t much care about looking pretty and there were very few people she had any desire to be helpful towards. All the same, Halibel did find herself, sometimes, with nothing to do. She had to spend a certain amount of time in the shop in order to keep up appearances, and so she did….but there were really only so many things to do behind her desk in the back room. Her staff were so well-trained and efficient that if she needed to, she could leave them for days at a time. They were able to handle a lot of the work that she, as the owner, should have had to do.
This was why she found herself sitting idly, mentally reviewing everything she had to do. She had done it all….all she could do while staying in Campanilla Azul, that was.
Halibel didn’t much like being idle.
She quietly slipped out of her office and into the back of the shop, where women were busy exclaiming over colourful bits of silk and ribbon. It was busy. Her girls were all helping a couple of people each, Halibel noted with satisfaction. They even managed to make it look easy. Good girls. Since they were all so nicely occupied, Halibel decided she would help the next customer herself.
She didn’t mind at all.
---
The door gave a tinkle and a clink as it opened and shut, an average-looking woman walking into the shop. Blond hair that reached her shoulders had been tied into a bun toward the base of her head. Rounded glasses, thin and just barely used for vision correction, were perched atop a small nose. Blue eyes roamed the room in the front half of the store, glancing off of various clothing articles. No, that's not what she wanted. She had plenty of outer garments, but what she needed were some new bras, some panties. With the new decade beginning came a rush of new styles that Miss Harlene could not turn away. Her father had the money, she had the desire.
Why not go shopping?
Besides, today had been a long day at the institute. It was just one of those days that everyone seemed to have now and again, where nothing seemed to go right except for one or two things. This psychotherapist needed a pick-me-up, and how.
Slender fingers passed over the smooth fabric of a shirt sleeve, of a dress skirt, the other hand grasping hold to a purse strap slung over her shoulder. This place was hopping! Harlene was glad she had come to what appeared to be the perfect place. It was hip. But all of the sales women seemed to be busy. Her mind toyed with just mingling and keeping an eye on the ladies until one was free, which was a perfectly fine decision before she saw the sign for the back of the store. Perhaps more help was there, too. That was what she required, anyway, the lingerie. With her mind half divided between shopping and wondering if she turned off the coffee pot in the office, Harlene stepped into the back and smiled. Lips turning up, her woes were washed away upon seeing the garments.
"Yay," her mouth mused before she sought out the nearest rack and began to pick at it. These purples were real nice, though she was definitely more of a red person. It made her eyes pop.
---
Halibel did not have to wait for long. A blonde walked into the back section, purse over her shoulder and with what Halibel would have judged to be a pleased expression on her face. At least two of her girls also noticed the young lady and seemed torn between going over and greeting her and staying with the women they were currently attending to. Halibel shook her head slightly at them and they relaxed, turning their full attention back to their customers.
The new customer looked well-dressed and capable enough. It was doubtful she’d wandered in here by accident, which mildly pleased Halibel. She loathed wasting her time.
She held back long enough for the blonde to have the chance to get comfortable before smoothly crossing the room to stand nearby. Halibel waited to be seen by the woman before speaking. “If there’s anything you would like help with, let me know.” She made her tone as polite as she was capable of. She couldn’t quite bring herself to say 'please’. She appreciated the blonde’s business, and would take the girl’s complete satisfaction into her own hands, but she could not add that word.
It had always been a difficult word for her, in any situation.
---
Not wanting to be like her parents, Harlene chose not to analyze the fact that this fellow blond had not greeted her with the typical speech. It didn't matter, really. She only smiled white teeth at the owner when she came over. Her hands ran over some of the silk and she gave a small sigh.
"When I was younger, my daddy used to say I was gonna go to hell in a fast car," her blue eyes looked away from Halibel to the nightie her fingers were holding on to. Lips untouched by rouge smiled again as she looked at it before turning her glance up. "Do you have this in a small?" asked Harlene. The ones on the rack didn't look tiny enough to fit against her slender body.
Now, young Miss Quinzelle didn't want to admit to having a shopping problem. She was quite sure this was not an addiction, she could stop buying things any time. Why, however, would she want to? The psychotherapist only bought one or two items each trip, and she always made sure they were affordable and in her budget. New things were just so nice and comforting. . .The real world was nothing like that. She worked with crazy men and women in an asylum, her parents analyzed every thing she said or did!
Really, the real world sucked.
Sometimes you had to be bad. Real bad. And that meant a few extra luxuries to soften the blow when you fell down and skinned your knee--or other parts. Harlene was only trying to make her life bearable.
---
Not reacting to the woman’s first words were easy enough, even if she hadn’t been able to hide behind her scarf….which of course, she did. Halibel did not believe anyone was going to hell…..but if there ever was such a place, she could think of many people better suited for the place than the young lady in front of her. Many people she would personally send.
Had already sent.
The blonde’s question, however, she answered right away. “We do have that in a small size. We also have the robe to match, and I believe there are also slippers we found to finish the set. If you’d like, I can bring all three items, or just the nightie, to a changing room. You are welcome to try them on, or keep looking around if you’re not done yet.”
---
This place was definitely the fashion forward of the era. Harlene smiled at the shop manager and gave a wave of her hand around the shop. "I'd like to keep on lookin'," she said. Sometimes her accent leaked, sometimes it didn't. Considering she had just come from work and looked rather professional, she liked to keep up the appearance. It was easier to deal with patients, too, if one could speak smoothly and clearly. Harlene had it down to a science--more or less.
"But I'll just try on the top, thanks. I don't need to match."
She gave a look back at Halibel before taking a step away to keep on shopping. This place was fabulous. Harlene approved and figured, instantly, that she would be returning whenever she had the chance. So moving along the racks, she picked up things that fit, things that would look good on her pale and strangely shaped figure. When she had five items, which would be enough for she decided she needed to narrow it down to one, she sought out Halibel once more.
"I'd like to try these on," she said and held them out to the woman nicely. These bras were so awesome.
---
“Certainly.” Halibel took the items, noting the woman’s choices without even thinking about it or why. Observation due to habit was difficult to stop. She had kept her distance while the blonde had browsed, watching out of the corner of her eye and waiting until her presence was required once more. There was something about her that bore watching, Halibel was certain, she just couldn’t say what it was.
She brought her to one of their curtained dressing rooms, placed the items carefully inside. “Take your time, and ask if you need anything.”
Halibel would stay close by until she was needed or the young woman was finished.
---
Nice lady. Harlene gave a smile and followed after Halibel to the changing room. When the one blond was out of the way, the other stepped in to try her garments on. Closing the curtain, Harlene checked it over quickly to make sure it was as gapless as possible on the sides before stripping out of her day's clothes.
It felt ridiculously good to try on new things. Harlene unfurled her shoulder-length hair to let it fall down in a wave before her hands tugged at it and ran through it. Shaking the strands loose, a lock fell down the side of her face. "Hmm," mused the woman to herself, hands on her hips as she cocked the right outward. The outfit looked damn good on her, the red accenting her pale skin like it was smooth cream. Shame no one but she would see it.
Less than five minutes passed between that gorgeous piece of lingerie and the rest. Back in her clothes that she had worn out to the office and around the asylum, Harlene didn't take the extra moment to put up her hair. The elastic remained stretched around her wrist as she yanked open the curtain.
"I'll take the red one," she said with a smile. Of course. Red. Harlene really adored the color red. It was the color of her favorite lipstick, her favorite flowers. It complimented so many other things, too. Other colors looked great with red! Like black, or white. She had an adorable red top that she wore with a white skirt and black belt. Very stylish.
"Thanks for helping me."
---
"It was no difficulty, believe me. If you would like to keep looking, I can put that aside. If you are done, I’ll wrap it up for you immediately.” Either answer would be fine by Halibel. Even if the blonde left now, she would likely be back. Everything Campanilla Azul sold was carefully chosen…..Halibel had confidence in her customer satisfaction. It was not unusual for one purchase to lead to more.
Then there was, of course, Halibel’s sense that the young woman was not to be easily dismissed, though she was at a loss to say why. Her expression didn’t change, but inside, it bothered her. There was something like potential in the woman.
Something.
If she was right, Halibel thought, it would show in time. For the moment, she simply waited for an answer to her offer.
---
Smiling, happy with her day, Harlene took a glance around as if considering more shopping. She knew she would not be buying any more right now, but at least gave the courtesy to pretend she might. When her gaze found the darker skinned woman she gave a tilt of her head, yellow hair falling over her shoulder.
"I think I'm done here," said Harlene kindly. One purchase could lead to more on other days, but today she promised herself one thing. Her spirits had already been lifted, so there was really no more to do. That would just be selfish!
"I should probably be going anyway," she mused on the way to the cash register. "Daddy won't be happy." Of course Harlene didn't really care any longer about her parents wishes, not completely. She was an adult now and could do what she liked, but without a phone to at least check in she knew she would worry her mother and that would make her father angry.
---
As Halibel moved around the counter, the other woman mentioned her ‘daddy’ for the second time. The shop-owner’s step didn’t falter, her eyes showed no reaction. Inside, she had been wound a touch tighter. Daddy. Father. How unfair for this girl, for anyone to have to put up with that. To have to put up with the squandering of talent, of promise…..it was almost sickening.
None of this showed as Halibel calmly rang up the purchase and began wrapping up the nightie, swaddling it in blue paper before setting it just so in one of their well-known gift bags. She would not allow anything she might have felt to interrupt her work. To interrupt her. She was perfectly in control of the rage, of the desire to lash out. It was nothing of any importance.
She kept her eyes on the gift-bag for maybe a heartbeat too long.
Halibel looked up, across the counter. “If this doesn’t please you, come back to us.”
---
Whether the outfit pleased her or not didn't matter. Harlene was sure she would be back soon enough. These clothes looked great on her! She just had to make sure she didn't go buying out the entire place. Knowing herself, she just might.
Taking her back, the blond swung some hair over her shoulder as she stepped back away from the counter once she had paid. "Thank you," said Harlene. Her smile was brilliant, though fading quickly. The purchase was perfect and she couldn't wait to just wear it around her room because she could.
Turning away, she wave a wave over her shoulder at Halibel. Nice woman, she thought. Though she wondered what had caused her to zone out for just a moment. Ah well, nothing to worry about. Harlene swung her bag on the way out the door before heading toward the nearest corner to catch a cab back to her home. Today had been a good day, hadn't it?
Characters: Halibel (imladra, Harlene (tsuyosaoboetai)
Timeline: 13 March, 1950
Rating: PG
Summary: Harlene had a long day at work and swings by a swanky clothing shop to cheer herself up.
Halibel didn’t normally work at the shop. It was what she hired girls for. They were perfectly content to walk around looking pretty and being helpful. Halibel didn’t much care about looking pretty and there were very few people she had any desire to be helpful towards. All the same, Halibel did find herself, sometimes, with nothing to do. She had to spend a certain amount of time in the shop in order to keep up appearances, and so she did….but there were really only so many things to do behind her desk in the back room. Her staff were so well-trained and efficient that if she needed to, she could leave them for days at a time. They were able to handle a lot of the work that she, as the owner, should have had to do.
This was why she found herself sitting idly, mentally reviewing everything she had to do. She had done it all….all she could do while staying in Campanilla Azul, that was.
Halibel didn’t much like being idle.
She quietly slipped out of her office and into the back of the shop, where women were busy exclaiming over colourful bits of silk and ribbon. It was busy. Her girls were all helping a couple of people each, Halibel noted with satisfaction. They even managed to make it look easy. Good girls. Since they were all so nicely occupied, Halibel decided she would help the next customer herself.
She didn’t mind at all.
---
The door gave a tinkle and a clink as it opened and shut, an average-looking woman walking into the shop. Blond hair that reached her shoulders had been tied into a bun toward the base of her head. Rounded glasses, thin and just barely used for vision correction, were perched atop a small nose. Blue eyes roamed the room in the front half of the store, glancing off of various clothing articles. No, that's not what she wanted. She had plenty of outer garments, but what she needed were some new bras, some panties. With the new decade beginning came a rush of new styles that Miss Harlene could not turn away. Her father had the money, she had the desire.
Why not go shopping?
Besides, today had been a long day at the institute. It was just one of those days that everyone seemed to have now and again, where nothing seemed to go right except for one or two things. This psychotherapist needed a pick-me-up, and how.
Slender fingers passed over the smooth fabric of a shirt sleeve, of a dress skirt, the other hand grasping hold to a purse strap slung over her shoulder. This place was hopping! Harlene was glad she had come to what appeared to be the perfect place. It was hip. But all of the sales women seemed to be busy. Her mind toyed with just mingling and keeping an eye on the ladies until one was free, which was a perfectly fine decision before she saw the sign for the back of the store. Perhaps more help was there, too. That was what she required, anyway, the lingerie. With her mind half divided between shopping and wondering if she turned off the coffee pot in the office, Harlene stepped into the back and smiled. Lips turning up, her woes were washed away upon seeing the garments.
"Yay," her mouth mused before she sought out the nearest rack and began to pick at it. These purples were real nice, though she was definitely more of a red person. It made her eyes pop.
---
Halibel did not have to wait for long. A blonde walked into the back section, purse over her shoulder and with what Halibel would have judged to be a pleased expression on her face. At least two of her girls also noticed the young lady and seemed torn between going over and greeting her and staying with the women they were currently attending to. Halibel shook her head slightly at them and they relaxed, turning their full attention back to their customers.
The new customer looked well-dressed and capable enough. It was doubtful she’d wandered in here by accident, which mildly pleased Halibel. She loathed wasting her time.
She held back long enough for the blonde to have the chance to get comfortable before smoothly crossing the room to stand nearby. Halibel waited to be seen by the woman before speaking. “If there’s anything you would like help with, let me know.” She made her tone as polite as she was capable of. She couldn’t quite bring herself to say 'please’. She appreciated the blonde’s business, and would take the girl’s complete satisfaction into her own hands, but she could not add that word.
It had always been a difficult word for her, in any situation.
---
Not wanting to be like her parents, Harlene chose not to analyze the fact that this fellow blond had not greeted her with the typical speech. It didn't matter, really. She only smiled white teeth at the owner when she came over. Her hands ran over some of the silk and she gave a small sigh.
"When I was younger, my daddy used to say I was gonna go to hell in a fast car," her blue eyes looked away from Halibel to the nightie her fingers were holding on to. Lips untouched by rouge smiled again as she looked at it before turning her glance up. "Do you have this in a small?" asked Harlene. The ones on the rack didn't look tiny enough to fit against her slender body.
Now, young Miss Quinzelle didn't want to admit to having a shopping problem. She was quite sure this was not an addiction, she could stop buying things any time. Why, however, would she want to? The psychotherapist only bought one or two items each trip, and she always made sure they were affordable and in her budget. New things were just so nice and comforting. . .The real world was nothing like that. She worked with crazy men and women in an asylum, her parents analyzed every thing she said or did!
Really, the real world sucked.
Sometimes you had to be bad. Real bad. And that meant a few extra luxuries to soften the blow when you fell down and skinned your knee--or other parts. Harlene was only trying to make her life bearable.
---
Not reacting to the woman’s first words were easy enough, even if she hadn’t been able to hide behind her scarf….which of course, she did. Halibel did not believe anyone was going to hell…..but if there ever was such a place, she could think of many people better suited for the place than the young lady in front of her. Many people she would personally send.
Had already sent.
The blonde’s question, however, she answered right away. “We do have that in a small size. We also have the robe to match, and I believe there are also slippers we found to finish the set. If you’d like, I can bring all three items, or just the nightie, to a changing room. You are welcome to try them on, or keep looking around if you’re not done yet.”
---
This place was definitely the fashion forward of the era. Harlene smiled at the shop manager and gave a wave of her hand around the shop. "I'd like to keep on lookin'," she said. Sometimes her accent leaked, sometimes it didn't. Considering she had just come from work and looked rather professional, she liked to keep up the appearance. It was easier to deal with patients, too, if one could speak smoothly and clearly. Harlene had it down to a science--more or less.
"But I'll just try on the top, thanks. I don't need to match."
She gave a look back at Halibel before taking a step away to keep on shopping. This place was fabulous. Harlene approved and figured, instantly, that she would be returning whenever she had the chance. So moving along the racks, she picked up things that fit, things that would look good on her pale and strangely shaped figure. When she had five items, which would be enough for she decided she needed to narrow it down to one, she sought out Halibel once more.
"I'd like to try these on," she said and held them out to the woman nicely. These bras were so awesome.
---
“Certainly.” Halibel took the items, noting the woman’s choices without even thinking about it or why. Observation due to habit was difficult to stop. She had kept her distance while the blonde had browsed, watching out of the corner of her eye and waiting until her presence was required once more. There was something about her that bore watching, Halibel was certain, she just couldn’t say what it was.
She brought her to one of their curtained dressing rooms, placed the items carefully inside. “Take your time, and ask if you need anything.”
Halibel would stay close by until she was needed or the young woman was finished.
---
Nice lady. Harlene gave a smile and followed after Halibel to the changing room. When the one blond was out of the way, the other stepped in to try her garments on. Closing the curtain, Harlene checked it over quickly to make sure it was as gapless as possible on the sides before stripping out of her day's clothes.
It felt ridiculously good to try on new things. Harlene unfurled her shoulder-length hair to let it fall down in a wave before her hands tugged at it and ran through it. Shaking the strands loose, a lock fell down the side of her face. "Hmm," mused the woman to herself, hands on her hips as she cocked the right outward. The outfit looked damn good on her, the red accenting her pale skin like it was smooth cream. Shame no one but she would see it.
Less than five minutes passed between that gorgeous piece of lingerie and the rest. Back in her clothes that she had worn out to the office and around the asylum, Harlene didn't take the extra moment to put up her hair. The elastic remained stretched around her wrist as she yanked open the curtain.
"I'll take the red one," she said with a smile. Of course. Red. Harlene really adored the color red. It was the color of her favorite lipstick, her favorite flowers. It complimented so many other things, too. Other colors looked great with red! Like black, or white. She had an adorable red top that she wore with a white skirt and black belt. Very stylish.
"Thanks for helping me."
---
"It was no difficulty, believe me. If you would like to keep looking, I can put that aside. If you are done, I’ll wrap it up for you immediately.” Either answer would be fine by Halibel. Even if the blonde left now, she would likely be back. Everything Campanilla Azul sold was carefully chosen…..Halibel had confidence in her customer satisfaction. It was not unusual for one purchase to lead to more.
Then there was, of course, Halibel’s sense that the young woman was not to be easily dismissed, though she was at a loss to say why. Her expression didn’t change, but inside, it bothered her. There was something like potential in the woman.
Something.
If she was right, Halibel thought, it would show in time. For the moment, she simply waited for an answer to her offer.
---
Smiling, happy with her day, Harlene took a glance around as if considering more shopping. She knew she would not be buying any more right now, but at least gave the courtesy to pretend she might. When her gaze found the darker skinned woman she gave a tilt of her head, yellow hair falling over her shoulder.
"I think I'm done here," said Harlene kindly. One purchase could lead to more on other days, but today she promised herself one thing. Her spirits had already been lifted, so there was really no more to do. That would just be selfish!
"I should probably be going anyway," she mused on the way to the cash register. "Daddy won't be happy." Of course Harlene didn't really care any longer about her parents wishes, not completely. She was an adult now and could do what she liked, but without a phone to at least check in she knew she would worry her mother and that would make her father angry.
---
As Halibel moved around the counter, the other woman mentioned her ‘daddy’ for the second time. The shop-owner’s step didn’t falter, her eyes showed no reaction. Inside, she had been wound a touch tighter. Daddy. Father. How unfair for this girl, for anyone to have to put up with that. To have to put up with the squandering of talent, of promise…..it was almost sickening.
None of this showed as Halibel calmly rang up the purchase and began wrapping up the nightie, swaddling it in blue paper before setting it just so in one of their well-known gift bags. She would not allow anything she might have felt to interrupt her work. To interrupt her. She was perfectly in control of the rage, of the desire to lash out. It was nothing of any importance.
She kept her eyes on the gift-bag for maybe a heartbeat too long.
Halibel looked up, across the counter. “If this doesn’t please you, come back to us.”
---
Whether the outfit pleased her or not didn't matter. Harlene was sure she would be back soon enough. These clothes looked great on her! She just had to make sure she didn't go buying out the entire place. Knowing herself, she just might.
Taking her back, the blond swung some hair over her shoulder as she stepped back away from the counter once she had paid. "Thank you," said Harlene. Her smile was brilliant, though fading quickly. The purchase was perfect and she couldn't wait to just wear it around her room because she could.
Turning away, she wave a wave over her shoulder at Halibel. Nice woman, she thought. Though she wondered what had caused her to zone out for just a moment. Ah well, nothing to worry about. Harlene swung her bag on the way out the door before heading toward the nearest corner to catch a cab back to her home. Today had been a good day, hadn't it?