V8S2-Picture Perfect...

Chapter 2 Dress To Impress

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"Ugh...damnit! Seriously grey pinstripe? What was I thinking?" he grumbled agitatedly, pulling the charcoal grey suit jacket off, rumpling it up, tossing it onto the floor with far more force than necessary, beginning on the buttons on the deep burgundy dress shirt, untucking it, stripping it off, tossing it onto the ever-growing pile of rejected options littering the floor of his dressing room.

Geez by this time it looked like a tornado went through the usually near obsessively organized room.

For crying out loud- he's getting dressed for work-something he could literally do in his sleep (has probably more times than he can remember). This should NOT be so damn hard.

It's NEVER this difficult...

Of course he's never actually like trying, trying either. At least not this way.

Not that he is now...He's not...Well not like that...Not really anyways. He just kinda wants to go for a certain look today. A different look.

Non-supervillianish.

Kind of new territory for him admittedly. Usually if anything he's actively leaning into it- playing it to the hilt as it were. He's never really been subtle at it, far from it. He usually delights in the nervous chuckles, rapid blinks or slightly too wide smiles/eyes that tend to crop up when he leans into the act a bit more than usual.

It's all just harmless fun...well...mostly anyways.

Truthfully most every aspect of his persona tends to be designed to play into his little game. It is a lot of fun but more than that it is extremely useful in this line of work- especially seeing as 'this line of work' tends to involve his interacting a lot with overly confident, over-reaching, egotistical jackasses who are accustomed to being the most intimidating/threatening thing in the room. People who just naturally assume that wherever they are and whatever they're doing it's gonna be on their terms. That they are in control...they are in charge.

He needs to be quite sure that they know here- in HIS company- they're not.

Not even close.

Nothing about his persona is accidental- it is calculated...it's a tool...sometime a weapon...and...okay...yeah, truth be told entertaining as hell...

Some people fish or scrapbook or paint...he gleefully intimidates, undermines and psychologically manipulates overcompensating, overreaching, wannabe alpha male jackasses.

Hey everyone needs a hobby okay?

Hell of a lot more fun than scrapbooking...fair bit more useful too.

At least usually it is.

Until it's not.

Like now.

Ugh...

God did he always have this much black in his closet? You'd think he was a freaking undertaker...

Oh yeah- THAT'S a far cry from supervillian.

Damnit...

I mean yeah okay admittedly it's flattering, and classic and totally works for him- like a lot- and it does project a certain air of authority, strength and confidence that's invaluable when dealing with government agencies, overcompensating jackasses and the other random assorted close-minded ignorami he tends to come into contact with in this line of work but it could be a bit much when the person you're meeting with isn't some hyper masculine, overcompensating jarheaded-jackass but rather a sweet, adorable, overly excitable twenty something college student.