08-17-2014, 04:08 PM
Bruno was efficient and conversational at the same time, as he led Marcus over to the mirrors and began measuring him. He was a professional- no surprise there, given the clientele- and wrote nothing down until a girl came in with a tray and some papers where he wrote things down. Marcus noted the girl's nervous nature and wondered if she was new. She wouldn't last in this job if she didn't make the customers feel at ease.
Marcus ordered more champagne- he'd stop at that second one, as he could feel the slight relaxation already having taken effect. Too much more and he knew his senses would be dulled, which was not an option.
When Bruno was all finished he held out a cobalt blue silk vest and said "Take off your shirt. Looks like you have good arms. No sense hiding them."
Marcus couldn't help but chuckle at that, but he complied, slipping on it on. It was surprisingly light and cool. It did feel a bit exposed for him, though, to wear so little. He wasn't used to it, at least not in a public setting. But he was pretty sure Bruno meant to pair it with something else.
And he was partly correct. Bruno brought over a pair of black leather trousers and black boots. He also brought some accessories to accentuate the look.
Looking in the mirror, Marcus took stock of what he saw. It was definitely different that what he normally wore. And it was simple and yet a definitely statement. Was it him though?
As if sensing his internal musings Bruno began to make conversation again, this time, though idle, as he went over to a computer pad. "A Sigma is a great achievement. Your parents must be very proud."
Marcus looked at him sharply in the mirror for a moment, eyes narrowing. But the man's distracted face looked innocent of any malicious intent. And the truth was, for normal people, it might very well have been true. Marcus dismissed his suspicion. He was just making small talk. Aside from that, his life, especially up to the and since becoming a Sigma, wasn't exactly a mystery. There had been a few articles published about him since his acceptance.
Briskly, he said, "I don't have parents. And they certainly wouldn't have cared, even had they been alive."
His eyes flicked over the other materials as he said it, indicating his disinterest in the topic of his progenitors.
Bruno took things in stride. He knew what he was about, after all. While Marcus was the customer and a Sigma, Bruno had clients just as powerful and important- and more so. Of course, he didn't needlessly try to cause offense either. But he was not obsequious in the least. "Ah. Well then that makes your accomplishment all the more impressive. Chosen out of tens of thousands of applicants. When did you decide you wanted to be a Sigma?"
As Bruno spoke, he seemed to be going through materials and clothing on the screen. The girl returned with a glass of champagne for him and a ginger ale for Bruno. Marcus took it and then a sip. Despite that brief moment, he was enjoying himself.
"When I was 16 I read one of the biographies on the Ascendancy and decided that I wanted to be part of the CCD. From that moment forward, I made it my goal to somehow get here. When I found out about the Sigma program a year later that became my goal."
He looked at Bruno in the mirror. "Simple story."
Bruno looked up from the screen he was working on, a small smile on his face. "Simple? I don't think I'd call that simple. I take it that no one helped you."
Marcus thought about the various teachers who had tried to "mentor" him or the students he'd "worked" with on projects or in study groups. He supposed they could have been said to 'help' him. But given the fact that he controlled the relationship with them, chose what to show and to take from them, he decided not to view it that way. He nodded to Bruno. "Well then, not simple at all."
A quick swipe at the screen and he turned to face Marcus. "Alright. I think I can find something that works for you. This one, of course. But I have some other items for you to try on."
Marcus smiled, immediately getting it. Idle chit chat indeed. The man was good, very good. The conversation had had a point. He was getting a feel for Marcus, for the type of man he was, the image that he wanted to project.
As if reading his thoughts Bruno explained. "Clothing is about showing people how you view yourself, how you want the world to view you. In your case it is simple. And you'll forgive if I offend. I am only making assumptions, you understand. You are a man who has ascended from humble beginnings to the heights of power. You did not do this based on birth or family connections. You did this through sheer force of will and hard work. Your clothes must reflect that. You are not a scion of a rich house, a spoiled monied brat. So you should not dress as one."
The girl came back, along with a couple others, all equally attractive- clearly that was a prerequisite for working here- with clothes and shoes. It was a bewildering array and for a moment Marcus stared at it with a bit of apprehension. Again Bruno seemed to read his mind. "For most of these, you will see very easily what works together and what doesn't. The chief thing to remember is this. The outfit you where will create a subtle psychological effect on people. So I have chosen items that accentuate your natural physique. As I said, you have good arms. And you are broad in the chest and back. You are not too tall, but that is fine. You have a narrow waist. Those two things together create the illusion of largeness, regardless of actual height."
As he spoke, he pulled out items of clothing out to show him. A long navy blue pea-coat with a slash across the chest; long black wool jacket with tuxedo lapels; shiny boots and shoes in brown, blue and black ; a grey leather jacket; a black shirt- streaks of cotton and silver-cloth across arm and chest; leather pants in dark purple, black, grey and dark brown; wool sport coats in brown and blue and black checks; thick scarves in an assortment of colors and patterns; a tuxedo jacket; sport coat of navy blue crushed velvet and one of shiny platinum-cloth; v-cut t-shirts in blues and blacks and whites and grays and browns; athletic shoes in black and reds and blues and grays and whites; brown hiking boots. The list went on and on. Through it all, Bruno explained.
"With these clothes, it is simple. Your goal is to express your power and individuality. Many of these things don't go together, at least from a conventional perspective. But that is just the point. You are going to mix and match things that don't normally seem to go together. They will be jarring and demand attention- but not too much. Nothing here will make you look like a buffoon or a clown. But they will be unconventional- individualistic."
He laughed at Marcus' look. "I am not saying dress like that when in the Kremlin at a meeting or when speaking to Ascendancy, may he live forever. Though of course, individually many of these items would be fine in that setting."
He pointed to various jackets and vests. "But when you go out- here, for example, or to a restaurant or wherever- this is where you will be able to be most creative."
Marcus looked at everything. "Well, I guess we should get started then."
Edited by Marcus DuBois, Aug 17 2014, 04:16 PM.
Marcus ordered more champagne- he'd stop at that second one, as he could feel the slight relaxation already having taken effect. Too much more and he knew his senses would be dulled, which was not an option.
When Bruno was all finished he held out a cobalt blue silk vest and said "Take off your shirt. Looks like you have good arms. No sense hiding them."
Marcus couldn't help but chuckle at that, but he complied, slipping on it on. It was surprisingly light and cool. It did feel a bit exposed for him, though, to wear so little. He wasn't used to it, at least not in a public setting. But he was pretty sure Bruno meant to pair it with something else.
And he was partly correct. Bruno brought over a pair of black leather trousers and black boots. He also brought some accessories to accentuate the look.
Looking in the mirror, Marcus took stock of what he saw. It was definitely different that what he normally wore. And it was simple and yet a definitely statement. Was it him though?
As if sensing his internal musings Bruno began to make conversation again, this time, though idle, as he went over to a computer pad. "A Sigma is a great achievement. Your parents must be very proud."
Marcus looked at him sharply in the mirror for a moment, eyes narrowing. But the man's distracted face looked innocent of any malicious intent. And the truth was, for normal people, it might very well have been true. Marcus dismissed his suspicion. He was just making small talk. Aside from that, his life, especially up to the and since becoming a Sigma, wasn't exactly a mystery. There had been a few articles published about him since his acceptance.
Briskly, he said, "I don't have parents. And they certainly wouldn't have cared, even had they been alive."
His eyes flicked over the other materials as he said it, indicating his disinterest in the topic of his progenitors.
Bruno took things in stride. He knew what he was about, after all. While Marcus was the customer and a Sigma, Bruno had clients just as powerful and important- and more so. Of course, he didn't needlessly try to cause offense either. But he was not obsequious in the least. "Ah. Well then that makes your accomplishment all the more impressive. Chosen out of tens of thousands of applicants. When did you decide you wanted to be a Sigma?"
As Bruno spoke, he seemed to be going through materials and clothing on the screen. The girl returned with a glass of champagne for him and a ginger ale for Bruno. Marcus took it and then a sip. Despite that brief moment, he was enjoying himself.
"When I was 16 I read one of the biographies on the Ascendancy and decided that I wanted to be part of the CCD. From that moment forward, I made it my goal to somehow get here. When I found out about the Sigma program a year later that became my goal."
He looked at Bruno in the mirror. "Simple story."
Bruno looked up from the screen he was working on, a small smile on his face. "Simple? I don't think I'd call that simple. I take it that no one helped you."
Marcus thought about the various teachers who had tried to "mentor" him or the students he'd "worked" with on projects or in study groups. He supposed they could have been said to 'help' him. But given the fact that he controlled the relationship with them, chose what to show and to take from them, he decided not to view it that way. He nodded to Bruno. "Well then, not simple at all."
A quick swipe at the screen and he turned to face Marcus. "Alright. I think I can find something that works for you. This one, of course. But I have some other items for you to try on."
Marcus smiled, immediately getting it. Idle chit chat indeed. The man was good, very good. The conversation had had a point. He was getting a feel for Marcus, for the type of man he was, the image that he wanted to project.
As if reading his thoughts Bruno explained. "Clothing is about showing people how you view yourself, how you want the world to view you. In your case it is simple. And you'll forgive if I offend. I am only making assumptions, you understand. You are a man who has ascended from humble beginnings to the heights of power. You did not do this based on birth or family connections. You did this through sheer force of will and hard work. Your clothes must reflect that. You are not a scion of a rich house, a spoiled monied brat. So you should not dress as one."
The girl came back, along with a couple others, all equally attractive- clearly that was a prerequisite for working here- with clothes and shoes. It was a bewildering array and for a moment Marcus stared at it with a bit of apprehension. Again Bruno seemed to read his mind. "For most of these, you will see very easily what works together and what doesn't. The chief thing to remember is this. The outfit you where will create a subtle psychological effect on people. So I have chosen items that accentuate your natural physique. As I said, you have good arms. And you are broad in the chest and back. You are not too tall, but that is fine. You have a narrow waist. Those two things together create the illusion of largeness, regardless of actual height."
As he spoke, he pulled out items of clothing out to show him. A long navy blue pea-coat with a slash across the chest; long black wool jacket with tuxedo lapels; shiny boots and shoes in brown, blue and black ; a grey leather jacket; a black shirt- streaks of cotton and silver-cloth across arm and chest; leather pants in dark purple, black, grey and dark brown; wool sport coats in brown and blue and black checks; thick scarves in an assortment of colors and patterns; a tuxedo jacket; sport coat of navy blue crushed velvet and one of shiny platinum-cloth; v-cut t-shirts in blues and blacks and whites and grays and browns; athletic shoes in black and reds and blues and grays and whites; brown hiking boots. The list went on and on. Through it all, Bruno explained.
"With these clothes, it is simple. Your goal is to express your power and individuality. Many of these things don't go together, at least from a conventional perspective. But that is just the point. You are going to mix and match things that don't normally seem to go together. They will be jarring and demand attention- but not too much. Nothing here will make you look like a buffoon or a clown. But they will be unconventional- individualistic."
He laughed at Marcus' look. "I am not saying dress like that when in the Kremlin at a meeting or when speaking to Ascendancy, may he live forever. Though of course, individually many of these items would be fine in that setting."
He pointed to various jackets and vests. "But when you go out- here, for example, or to a restaurant or wherever- this is where you will be able to be most creative."
Marcus looked at everything. "Well, I guess we should get started then."
Edited by Marcus DuBois, Aug 17 2014, 04:16 PM.