very_sharpe | (no subject)

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edith

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Thomas is... excited. He's nervous, but it's a good kind of nervous. When he gets dressed that morning, he thinks about something that might be flattering and still casual. Biffy pointed out that most of what he wears is flattering, but still. He chooses a green button down, because the color will reflect in his eyes, and a pair of dark blue jeans. The sleeves end up rolled up to his elbows because he knows it's warm outside, rather warmer than he's used to but he doesn't mind.

He waits, because he feels like he ought, until about lunch time. Then he calls Edith.

"Hello, Edith? I was wondering if you would come to look at something with me. I could come pick you up, if you like."

Thomas doesn't have a car, but he could meet her at her building and walk with her, it wouldn't be a trouble.

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"No, just a few minutes." Thomas offers her his arm. "You look lovely." He's entirely certain she could make a paper bag look fashionable, but really, the dress is very flattering. And, despite being in Darrow for quite some time now, seeing bare skin above the ankle in public is still oddly thrilling. Not in a-- a sordid way. She just seems... free. Unencumbered by layers or length of fabric in the heat of summer.

He's heading toward an area with plenty of little shops and some charming, historic-looking buildings.

"I've done something, and I'm trying to convince myself that I haven't gone mad," he explains along the way.

He stops in front of an empty storefront.

"I've leased it."

"Thank you," Edith says of the compliment, smiling over at him, just the slightest bit self-conscious. She may be somewhat more used to these fashions, enough, at least, not to feel uncomfortable walking around wearing so comparatively little, but a part of her is still aware of how indecent this would have been back home. Still, there are women here who wear far less and it's inconsequential; with that being the case, she's determined not to think too much of it. "You're looking very well yourself."

Following along, she really isn't sure what to expect, or what it is that Thomas has done. She certainly wouldn't have guessed something like this, brightening when he tells her what it's for. "You have?" she asks. "I don't think you've gone mad, I think it's wonderful."

Thomas smiles, hopeful and uncertain all at once. "I decided I wanted to open a shop. I wanted to start making things again and I can't very well do that without the space. There's-- oh."

He laughs, shaking his head at himself as he gets the keys out of his pocket. He opens the front door and holds it for Edith, beckoning her in. He lets the door close behind them.

"There's plenty of space in the front, but what sold it was this."

He goes to the back and opens another door. It seems that there is dedicated workshop space with a heavy, long table pushed to the wall and plenty of light. Thomas's excitement is almost childlike, if not for the planning that had gone into the venture.

"This way I don't have to make an utter mess of my apartment."

"Oh, it's perfect," Edith says, taking everything in as she follows Thomas back to the workshop, turning in a circle as she walks. Even without anything here yet, it's easy to imagine it full of his inventions, and easy, too, to imagine the shop doing well. She's thought it since he arrived, that this place could be good for him, and already she's eager to see it come to fruition. He deserves that, the chance to make something of himself doing what he loves. "Do you know when you'll open it? I suppose you'll have to make some things first."

"A few weeks, I think. I've been making things in my spare time, a terrible little collection actually," he laughs, blushing. He's had nothing to do with the little toys and he hadn't been able to just get rid of them. But now, they'll have a place. "I need to make more for a proper inventory, but I don't think it will take terribly long. I'd like to make some larger scale things for the windows."

"I'm hoping to have it open this fall, perhaps by the start of October? Or sooner if I can manage. You don't think this is... too much? Or just a mad venture?"

"No, of course not," Edith assures him, almost as if it ought to be obvious, warmth effusive in her voice. "I think it's fantastic. You getting to do what you love — and this is the perfect place for it." It's in a good part of town, he's got plenty of space, and some small part of her can't help being glad that it's so close to her building, making it easy to stop by and see him when he's working or once the shop has opened. "I can't wait to see it when it's full."

"I can't either," he admits, his smile brightening. "Do you think people will come?" Edith had seen the odds and ends he'd made in his attic workshop. This would certainly be a nicer place to make them - even the work room in the back had plenty of sun from a skylight.

"I can't imagine why they wouldn't," Edith says earnestly, one shoulder lifting in a slight shrug. "Really, I'm sure you'll do wonderfully. I'm not sure I've seen any other places like this will be." Perhaps in some ways, they're products of their time, the both of them, but more than a hundred years in their future, she can see how that might be used to their advantage. People are bound to walk in out of curiosity alone, and buy something because they haven't seen anything like it anywhere else. It's more advantageous than if he were just one of many.

"I rather hope so. I'm wondering if I should hire on a person or two to help me in the shop. I don't have a lot of proper retail experience, do I?"

He laughs, a bit self-deprecating.

"This feels very new but I want it to work."

"You could always see how it goes at first," Edith suggests, "and then if you find you could use the help, look into hiring. Someone to stay up front with the customers while you're working in the back, maybe." There's no sense in planning too far ahead just yet, at least as far as she can tell, but it's also easy to imagine this place doing well enough to warrant needing an extra set of hands around.

"I think I might at least need that, if I get popular enough to need stock." Thomas has also been thinking he could take custom orders - it sounds like a good challenge, working with people directly to create something. The idea excites him very much.

"I should thank you," he says. "This wouldn't be real without you."

"Without me?" Edith echoes, an amused laugh rising up in her throat. "I didn't even know you'd done any of this until today. There's nothing to thank me for." The whole prospect is thrilling, though, and even with a ways to go, she can't wait to see what this place is like once it's open.

"You made it seem possible. I mean, back when-- back in Allerdale. Even before that. You made me want another life. Something better. Something I made myself. And you liked my little tinker toys."

He remembers how special it felt to have her in his attic, even if the place had been dismal. He'd like sharing things with her, showing her the things that made him happy.

"Of course I did," Edith says, as if that should only stand to reason. She knows it's more complicated than that, that there's more at play, but for her, it's always been that simple. Ever since she first saw his demonstration for her father, she was impressed with what he could do, and the same was just as true of the toys in his workshop. "People here will, too. I'm sure of it."

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