Met bowed his head slightly in thanks and walked outside. He inhaled slowly, half-closing his eyes as he walked down the familiar path. He remembered when he first walked it. He shivered slightly in remembrance.
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Andre placed a supportive hand on the boy's back noticing him shiver. He suspected it was from the cold however.
"How about we go and get you those clothes, hm?"
Met looked down at his clothes. They were a dull gray sweats combo, with no shoes.
“No, I’m alright with these.” He looked up at Andre curiously. Who needed more than one pair of clothing?
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(What season are we going to say this is by the way? I was thinking spring or fall)
(Fall sounds good.)
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Andre gestured to his bare feet, probably chilled from the cold pavement.
"Please. I'm not letting you walk around barefooted and in a single outfit for the rest of your life. I know you're old enough to care for yourself, but I'm in charge of preparing you for that. Plus, it's cold out and winter is only a few months away," the adult said, opening the door to the passenger seat of his red Honda Civic.
Met looked down at his feet. He really didn’t mind walking around barefoot. After all, before the orphanage, it was really all he did. And he only ever wore one stinky shirt that was a sickly orange color, and a crusted pair of shorts. It took the orphanage and CPS workers hours to convince him to take off those clothes and put on new, clean ones. They were unable to convince him to wear shoes, or socks, therefore making his old habit die hard.
“I don’t mind, though. I’ve always done this. I have to.”
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Andre's calm demeanor changed to a stern one.
"Not anymore you don't," the man affirmed, crossing his arms and setting them on the top of the open door. His dark eyes never changed despite his more serious stance. They looked quite sad actually.
Met dipped his gaze a little. He could almost hear Mother’s sneer. Good boys don’t change clothes. It’s so unhealthy!
“Um… okay. I guess.”
(Also I was curious, where do you know Metaphorical “M” W. from? I don’t think I’ve mentioned him to you?)
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(We attempted an rp with him in it and it kinda died immediately. And then M was in the character chat thing that got too chaotic)
Giving a small nod, Andre walked around to the driver's seat to start the car. Something told him that there was more to being afraid of women than Met felt comfortable with saying, but he would simply need to wait until he felt more at ease and able to talk about his past. His father before him was a very strict man, that often coming off as harsh at times. It was all he could do to simply let things happen on their own.
(Oh righttttt.)
Met shuffled into the passenger’s seat. He remembered being taught how to drive by someone he didn’t even know. Not by his father, as it always was in shows and movies. He buckled in and set his bag at his feet, twirling his keys in his hands nervously.
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Noting the keys, Andre spoke up. "If you'd like we can come back after and get your car," he offered as he began pulling out of his parallel park.
Met looked down at the keys, not realizing he was spinning them. “Y-yes. That’d be nice.” He continued to spin them, fidgeting in his seat.
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Smiling, he continued on towards a local shop to purchase Met some clothing. After a couple moments of awkward silence, Andre suggested the younger male could turn on the radio if he wished. Now having custody over him, he wanted to know what he liked and disliked.
Met looked down at the centre console. He wasn’t sure what type of music he even liked, but he tenitively put it on anyway. He was used to loud noises, so the silence had gotten to him rather quickly.
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A song unfamiliar to him began playing through the speakers. It was a bit off from what he usually would listen to, but far from bad. Drumming his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, he began to attempt some small talk.
"Anything you'd like to ask me? To you I'm still somewhat of a stranger," Andre said with a light hearted chuckle.
Met fiddled with the stations until they came across a talking show. It seemed to be a comedy one. He smiled a little. He liked to hear people laughing and having a good time. He heard Andre talk but didn’t register what he said.
“Sorry?”
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Andre felt a sudden warmth in his chest seeing Met smile for the first time. He hoped he would smile more often like that. "No need for apologies," he started, giving him a warm grin. The older man then repeated himself, interested in what he might say.
Met shrugged a little. “I don’t know what to ask. You seem very straightforward and intelligent. The only thing I can think of is, what type of living space do you live in?”
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"I have a large apartment a little ways from here," he replied, starting to slow as he approached their destination. It was a fairly priced place, ranging in clothes from teen to adult ages. Smiling, Andre took out the key and opened the door, allowing the cooler air from outside in. Frowning slightly, the adult wanted to make sure they at least left with a coat.
Met got out of the car, impassive to the cold air. He never truly cared about the cold, since he always walked and slept out in it. He walked around the car, the gravel tickling the bottoms of his feet, to meet Andre.
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Offering Met a small smile, Andre sauntered up to the building, holding open the door for him. After he was inside, the man let the door gently shut on its own.
"You're allowed to pick what you like from here. Don't bother worrying about the price, alright?"
Met gave a little thrill of anxiety. Everything in the store looked very expensive.
“Um… okay.” He spotted a rack of nice little scarves. It was over in the Women’s section, though.
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Noticing where Met was glancing, Andre softened his look.
"I won't judge if one of those catches your eye," he commented quietly.
Met chewed on his lip. He glanced over at the Men’s section. Nothing really appealed to him over there. Maybe a few lounge shirts, but the softer colored femnine wear looked healthier and more fitting for his body type. He glanced at Andre, not sure what to think. He didn’t want people to think we was weird. Especially if he were going to go to school soon.
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(Sorry, heck I am so bad at this. I'm not as sure with my responses because I'm used to playing younger characters ahaha)
Andre gave Met a soft nod. If anything came up, then it would be an easy lie to say they were picking out clothes for a sibling or something of the sort. For the younger male's skinnier form, perhaps the women's clothes would fit better.
(It’s okay. If ya want, we can send wittle Met to school and watch him suffer there.)
Met looked back over at the clothes and slumped slightly in his posture before scooting over. He felt highly aware of everyone in the store, including Andre, whose quiet footsteps behind him sounded intimidating.
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(Aw oof)
(Oof what?)
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(The idea of Met having to suffer oof)
Honestly, the look of some of the shirts seemed quite nice. Thinking about it, some of his clothing probably was in a woman's size, including the black and blue plaid shirt flannel he currently was wearing. Huh, go figure. The man smiled to himself giddily, wondering if they had something similar to something he already had so he and Met would match. It sounded quite weird actually, but the idea was nice for a moment. Figuring Met didn't want to be left alone in the section, he stayed in the vicinity, looking at different patterned long sleeved shirts. It was likely he needed a large in some brands, an extra large due only to the boy's tall stature.
