[PRP] What do you mean my pants don't fit?

[Venti Mico]

Alright, so Lu knew his clothes weren't especially well fitted. It couldn't have been that noticeable though, no one ever said anything about it. Sure, he could use some better shirts(after he lifted a heavy box and ended up tearing a shirt at the shoulder, Lu would admit a problem with the shirts), but his pants were fine. As long as you think showing your ankles was, like, a bad thing.

Apparently, his roommate noticed, and didn't like it. Which was odd, but it just meant he was concerned, right? Concerned about appearances, and they were roommates, so they kind of reflected each other. Maybe. ...Or something.

Having already gotten himself dressed in a white t-shirt(just a little snug, not too small, probably), a blue jacket, and some jeans, Lu was brushing his hair out and braiding it. Sitting down on his bed as he braided, he glanced over at KO. "We're definitely going to the fabric store before we come back, right...? I'm out of black yarn. So..." He asked tentatively, pulling a hair tie off his wrist as his finished his braid. "Maybe I should get my haircut too, it's getting kind of long.."  

[TawnyAngel]

It was awful.

It was simply awful.

He liked Lu, in fact he liked the kid quite a lot but most of that wardrobe simply had to go.

While Lu braided his hair KO - currently clad in fitted jeans and a white tank top - peered into a mirror and touched up the line of his beard with a cut-throat razor. The nature of the razor was partially for style and partially for the accuracy that the single blade offered, it was a lot easier to take the fine line down hair by hair than it was with modern razors.

"Ooooh we're going to the fabric store alright," KO said as he finished a stroke. "I need some more red thread for adjusting trainee uniforms, nearly fresh out, and I want to make myself a couple of new summer shirts too... and a couple for you?" A man could try. If he did not, he might go mad at the unending sight of badly fitted garments.  

[Venti Mico]

Lu could appreciate KO's helping trainees with their uniforms. They were already stuck in such awful clothes(even for Lu's standards), at least KO made them fit right. It was better to talk around in well fitted, awful coloured clothes, than a red potato sack.

"I could use some smaller knitting needles while we're there..." Lu said, taking up watching KO touching up his beard while he waited. "Eh, summer shirts..." Lu scratched his chin, "You wouldn't mind? T-shirts from stores always feel tight on my shoulders, maybe if you know how to make them not so weird..? I could pay you back for material, and um, maybe I could make you stuff, for winter, you know? ...Oh, speaking of, I know it's summer and all, but, remember when I was in the infirmary?" Maybe a bit of a dumb question. "I made you a hat. It's kind of warm for those though." KO had come to visit Lu and even brought him his knitting supplies. Lu had already liked his roommate, but that put KO up on the "I like you so much I'm going to knit you wintry apparel" level. The brunet pushed himself off his bed and shuffled around his bottom drawer, digging out the folded hat he'd stashed away after he'd made it. He tossed it over to KO's bed, looking away with a sheepish sort of look.  

[TawnyAngel]

KO wasn't unaccustomed to presents; there had been a time in his life when he had cultivated relationships that were likely to get him expensive ones on a regular basis, and even today he liked to charm people with more in their wallets than in their heads where he could because who didn't like gifts?

This was a different sort of gift though, this was... thoughtful. It had been a long time since anyone had been thoughtful to him. KO put down his razor and picked up the hat, stroking the soft fabric with his thumb with the smallest hint of a smile playing on his lips. "It's lovely," he said eventually, "it'll look great in my autumn collection... and who knows, I might be called upon to go up a mountain again soon."

KO set the hat back down on his bed and smoothed his fingertips over it before making a quick check of his reflection. Finding his face satisfactory he washed off with water from the small basin and then patted dry with the towel beside it. "And it'll be no trouble," he said as he grabbed a shirt to go on over the tank top, "it's just a matter of getting the right measurements, off the peg is always going to be hard to find in your proportions."  

[Venti Mico]

Lu watched KO's reaction, then looked down and started fiddling with the end of his braid with a grin on his face. He could be wrong, but Lu had a feeling KO liked the gift, and that made it worth it.

"I hope it comes in handy," Lu said, smoothing out his shirt as he stood up. Maybe it'd save him from frozen ears someday. That was a nice thought.

Lu snorted softly. "Shirts are hard to find, especially. You short people have it pretty easy, h-haha." He hoped teasing was okay, it was always an awkward process to figure out if he had reached a level of friendship good enough to tease people. ...Teasing or not, short people had it way easier with clothes. Lu patted his pockets to make sure he had everything he needed, and headed for the door. "So, are you driving, or am I? And, uh... where exactly are we going..?"  

[TawnyAngel]

"True enough, being near average does make a lot of things easier," KO replied with a lazy grin as he followed Lu out into the hall and closed the door behind them. "Not that I wear off the peg if I can help it but I have the option at least, it's unusual for me to be unable to find something that fits at least passably.

"I'll drive if you don't mind, I don't get to do so much these days," he continued as he made for the lift. "Part of me thinks perhaps I should have applied to the transport division but the call of the labs was too strong." He needed something to do with his brain anyway, he'd soon get bored just shipping things from place to place with no room for flare. "And we're headed into Sandalwood; we can find a place to eat, browse the shops, take in the sight... and explore the fabric store I found online. I must admit I'm not familiar with the city let alone the shop but it comes with a high customer feedback rating on Places so I think we should be fine." If not then he fully intended to leave a scathing review of his own.  

[Venti Mico]

Last time Lu had tried to wear something off the rack at one of those normal-sized people stores(translation: most stores), he'd learned how to accidentally turn your average t-shirt into a crop top. Not his idea of fun. Not exactly his style, either.

"I don't mind. I always feel cramped trying to drive, even with the seat all the way back," Lu said with a nod. "Transport? Zacharie's friend is in that, I think... I guess it might be nice to, uh, see the world a little more. I mean, just roads and trucks and stuff... labs are probably more interesting, actually," Lu concluded with a soft laugh. "I've been thinking about the Botany Department, that or Maintenance..." He was already stuck in Rocket til the end of his days, so Lu thought it might be good to get out of being just an average Field Agent. At least it'd give him new things to learn and do, and he'd feel more useful. "Sandalwood? I've been a few times, I guess I could probably show you around, maybe, if you want... I know some nice places to eat, at least..?" He suggested, reaching the elevator and stepping in after it'd arrived at their level.  

[TawnyAngel]

"That would be great, a little knowledge is better than none at all," KO replied as he stepped into the lift, waiting for Lu to join him before pressing the button to take them up to garage level. Wherever Lu picked to eat would probably be fine; KO had expensive tastes but was prepared to compromise when he couldn't afford them, which was most of the time really. So long as it wasn't some vast fast food chain he'd be content enough.

"I can see Botany suiting you," he continued after a few moments of thought. "Maintenance is all very creditable I'm sure but it hardly strikes me as an interesting career path, I mean you're hardly going to make exciting leaps in the field of keeping the toilets unblocked. Botany on the other hand, well there's a lot of ways to go with that and I gather some quite interesting research going on in that area of the labs though I only catch bits of the unclassified gossip of course." Whatever was really going on was probably a lot more interesting than he knew and that currently went for his own department too which was more than a little disheartening. He really needed to work on getting himself promoted but that meant going out into the field, showing himself willing to risk life and limb... which frankly he really actually was not. One or two missions however, if selected carefully, sounded like a better option than being a grunt for the rest of his life; retirement options, he imagined, were not up to much if you never got as far as a white uniform.  

[Venti Mico]

"I was thinking this little family run diner, it's not the most original but they've got the best stuff. Unless you want Thai, I know a good Thai place..." Lu looked down in thought, wondering which would be better; maybe both. Lu could definitely eat both. ...He was a big man to feed, geez.

"You think so?" Lu asked, feeling a little more sure of his choice in Botany. It was his first choice, but he thought he might not be good enough for it. He wasn't the smartest, but he did know his plants. And Lu liked his plants. Like, KO might get mad at him eventually because of all the potted plants Lu tried to bring home. "You always undervalue a plumber until your pipes are broken though, r-right? Haha... but, I think you're right. If I got in, I guess I'd get more chance to garden. I really want to look into h...hydroponics, too," he continued, stumbling over the word. He gave a small laugh, "I guess it'd be better for you too, if I kept all the plants that don't match our room in a lab."  

[TawnyAngel]

Daww, Lu was getting all stuttery again; he really was a sweet kid and KO supposed it was kind of a shame he'd ended up in Team Rocket. The elevator dinged and released them, KO sauntered out with his hands casually in his pockets. "I like Thai," he replied with a nod and then, with one of his smirky little smiles, "and I'll grant you that plumbing is important but that doesn't make it a stimulating career choice. I definitely think Botony would be better for you and not just in the interest of our decor. I see no reason why you wouldn't get in; we can find out who's in charge of the sub department when we get back if you like and go see them." That sort of thing - meeting people, selling his skills, and so on - was no big deal for KO to say the least; if self confidence were light he would shine like a floodlight.  

[Venti Mico]

"Their Thai is really good, I like the soup a lot," Lu said, thinking if he wasn't careful he'd end up spending his pay check on soup. One thing that came with being a little bit on the tall side was having a big appetite, too. Lu's family had all mastered finding cheap but good places to eat, though. Otherwise they would have gone bankrupt before they had their second kid. Lu laughed, "Stimulating, probably not... maybe if you really, really liked toilets it'd be....stimpoolating." Lu had to hold back a snort.

"Ah, you wouldn't mind helping me with that..?" Lu knew KO was a good friend to have if you wanted to get on people's good sides. Lu could appreciate that, because he tended to find himself on people's bad sides after accidentally assaulting them with a broom(though one particular case of that worked out in the end), or running into them(what? Short people were... hard to see).

When they got to the car garage, Lu was glad KO decided to drive. It wasn't that Lu was a bad driver or didn't know where he was going, but driving Rocket vehicles? That was a little unsettling. And that made Lu nervous. And nervous Lu made for a very, very jerky driver.  

[TawnyAngel]

KO stared up at his roomate for a few moments before cracking a little grin and shaking his head. "You've reached new heights with that pun, or possibly plumbed new depths," he said, emphasizing his own pun with inflection and a smirk.

"And sure, it's no trouble; you know me I'm happy to walk right up and talk to anyone," he continued as he signed out the keys and headed over to the discreet dark blue saloon they would be taking for the day. KO inspected it for a moment before sighing and commenting; "I miss my ride."  

[Venti Mico]

Lu bit his lip, staying quiet until KO replied; his shoulders shook with quiet laughter, "It seems like we'd both be good at plumbing, doesn't it?" He gave KO a small nudge with his elbow before heading to the passenger side of the car.

"What kind did you have?" Lu asked, opening the door and maneuvering himself in. Before he managed to get all of his legs in, Lu pushed the chair back as far as it would go. Still cramped, but better than extra cramped. The only car his family had had was an old pick-up truck, mostly used for the rare times people ordered lumber. Lu didn't miss it, as he was the one who got to chop, stack, and deliver. "If I had to guess... I'd say it was probably red?" He asked with a small grin.  

[TawnyAngel]

KO sighed wistfully and then chuckled softly in quick succession, shaking his head as he adjusted the seat and mirrors; some tall person had driven this last. "Red is right; Aston Martin DB9." Beauty, grace, class! There were few cars like it, which was of course why he had stolen it. "I still have him, I just don't see him often. A bit of my wages goes to keeping him in a garage in Camphoreon, though I might move him here now we're all settled nicely into the base. Would be nice to take him out for a spin on the forest roads, or out over the plains." Looking slightly dreamy as he thought about squealing tires and revving V8s KO started up the very ordinary car he was actually sitting in and headed towards the exit tunnel.