poly_chromatic | video; joint post

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dr. horrible's sing-along blog - penny

video; joint post

[Penny needs help. She wants a date and she can't for the life of her seem to find one, so she does the only sensible thing.

She phones a friend.

And this is where the network device clicks on. The scene: Lucy's place. The players: Penny, dressed in her usual less-than-flattering cardigan, and Lucy, looking just as amazing as always. They look like they're on the verge of a musical montage.]

Is it seriously as easy as wearing different clothes?

[ Clearly a make-over was the obvious solution. Lucy had invited Penny over, made piña coladas in the blender, and put on some pop dance music. Lucy takes a sip of her piña colada and shrugs in response to Penny's question. ]

Different clothes, different shoes and some make-up. Yeah. It's really that easy. Even smart boys are powerless in the face of a short skirt and a pair of heels.

[ Yes, that was a reference to her own genius boyfriend. Sorry. It's true. Lucy grabs a handful of dresses and shoves them at Penny. ]

Go try one on then come out and let me see.

[ Cue the appropriate music for a montage! ]

No wonder I can't get a date. I always thought guys looked for, like... a nice smile, or a good personality.

[She takes the dresses and, yes, there's actually a montage. It's the City. Things like this happen sometimes. Penny comes out in a couple of dresses that are so-so before finding the winner. She tugs on the hem uncomfortably.]

I don't look skanky, do I?

[ There is appropriate gasping at the final choice. ]

Penny, you are a hottie. There is no skank here.

[ Lucy retrieves a pair of black high, high heels to go with the dress and steers her toward the vanity to put makeup on her. ]

They're going to drool on your feet. Boys that is. Maybe a couple of girls.

[Penny is no stranger to high heels, but there are high.]

There's no way that'll happen. I'm not a people-drooling-at-my-feet kind of person.

[It doesn't take Lucy long to do Penny's hair and makeup thanks to the power of makeover music. It's amazing what mascara and a curling iron will do. Penny takes a moment to study Lucy's work in the mirror.]

That's... different. I can hardly tell it's me. [But she smiles, kind of liking what she sees.] There's got to be a part two to this finding a date thing. Do we go out? Where do we go? What do I do?

[ Lucy is obviously pleased with her work. ]

We go out. We have drinks. We kiss each other for free drinks. We dance. You underestimate your hotness. There could be drooling.

That really works? The kissing thing?

[ That makes Lucy laugh. ]

Like a charm. [ She holds her hand out to Penny ] Come on. We'll kiss. We'll drink. I'll show you.

[The feed (intentional or not, who knows!) ends. Penny and Lucy can be found at any semi-reputable bar your character might care to find them at. Yes, there will be drinking and dancing and kissing. After all, Lucy is showing Penny how to woo.]

[ooc: Penny, Lucy. Bump into one or both of them wherever, comment, whatever! (And yes, there is a curse going on.)]

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Well, yeah, that's what I mean by a date. Unless you don't want to go somewhere with me alone, then I guess we could bring someone else with us, but that would kind of defeat the purpose of a date. So yeah. A you and me alone somewhere date.

[She probably won't have to look up very far to really make eye contact with him -- he's not all that tall, and she's got those great shoes on, but when she does, he'll smile back at her. It's a little tentative, a little awkward, but it's definitely genuine.]

[What does she say? This is the first time in ages that anyone's asked her out as anything more than a friend outside of a curse. Is she supposed to play it cool? How can she play it cool when, for the first time in a long while, there's a light at the end of the everyone-Penny-is-romantically-interested-in-is-taken-or-gay-or-ambivalent-about-the-possibility-of-a-relationship tunnel?]

I'd really like that kind of date. The two-person kind. [Her grin falters slightly.] I probably won't be dressed like this, though. I borrowed this from Lucy and everything I own is... definitely not this. Is that okay?

[This could be a deal-breaker. She's known guys who would back out of a future date given that kind of warning. Ginsberg doesn't seem like that kind of guy, but this is going way too well.]

Of course that's okay. It's not like this is the first time I've seen you. I mean, I've never seen you dressed like this, but I've seen what you normally wear. And I like it.

[It's not like he can judge on other peoples' clothes, for one thing, and for another thing, he really does like the way she dresses normally. What can he say? He thinks she's cute, whether or not she's sparkly.]

Besides, I probably will be dressed like this, and...

[He looks down at his jacket for a moment, then shrugs, with a self-effacing little laugh.]

Well. I like the way I dress, but for some reason, a lot of girls don't want to be seen in public with me.

You do?

[She's so genuinely pleased that someone doesn't mind the Goodwill chic look, even if that someone is clearly in no place to pass judgment on the clothing of others. And here Penny thought that the only way to get anyone to notice her was to shimmy into a skintight sparkly number!

Penny fiddles with his lapels. Shyness is creeping in. She clearly should have taken more people up on drink offers.]

I like it. It's... expressive. I mean, I don't know what exactly this is expressing, but it definitely is.

Yeah, of course I do. I don't usually say I don't like stuff if i don't like it. I'm pretty honest. A little too honest, maybe.

[If she's shy, he's equally as shy, because this never works. Sure, he's been on dates, but they've usually been set up for him, and they've never ended well.]

According to most people, it's expressing that I threw all my clothes into a big pile on the floor, turned off the lights, and picked them at random in the dark. But I like to think it's artistic. Or something.

I don't think that too much honesty has to be a bad thing.

[Penny's dates never end well, either, and she only ever managed to get them when she set her standards very, very low. Except for that one time with Captain Hammer, but since dating him got her killed, she's willing to chalk that one up in the Bad Date column.

This will probably be disastrous. Fortunately, Penny's a little tipsy and doesn't care.]

I could believe artistic. Maybe quirky, like you're so far beyond fashion that you're actually making a fashion statement.

Yeah, sure, let's go for intentional. I like that. It makes it seem less haphazard.

[He has to think for a moment about her comment about too much honesty not being a bad thing. Most people don't think that way. He hasn't had anything to drink at all, but at the moment, he feels like he might as well be tipsy, because, hell, he's dancing with someone, and he asked her out on a date, even. It's almost unbelievable.]

Do you, uh, do you know where you might want to go on a date? Or do you want me to pick? I mean, I can pick, but if there's somewhere you really want to go...

Okay, but is it intentional? I have to know now.

[Honesty and Penny are close personal friends (not that she's above withholding the truth, because that's totally not lying). This is another thing that ruins dates. It turns out that most guys don't like hearing about the cruelties of factory farms when they're eating burgers or how terrible that polystyrene to-go box they grabbed is for the environment because it's not biodegradable. Poorly-timed honesty.]

I don't know. I like the garden, and I like all of the little cafes. Quiet places, you know? And some parts of the garden stay warm all year, so they're even nice when it's winter.

Yeah, it's kind of intentional. I mean, I like bright colors. I like patterns. Life's too short to get stuck wearing black and grey all the time and looking respectable.

[Other people can wear their dignified suits, if they want, but he's never going to be one of them. Respectability's overrated.]

Quiet places, yeah, I like quiet places, too. Which I guess you wouldn't know, since I'm pretty loud myself. The garden or a cafe sounds nice.

You look pretty respectable anyway... in a whimsical kind of way. Most guys stay far, far away from suit jackets and ties, so you've got one up on them.

[So Ginsberg's suits aren't dignified. At least they have character.]

How about the garden? Maybe by the cherry blossom tree? And being rambly is totally different from being loud.

[He laughs, genuinely delighted by that statement.]

The garden sounds great. And I can be pretty loud when I get passionate about a topic. Sometimes something gets me talking and I just can't stop, and then I get more and more excited and I get louder and louder... but I promise, I'll try not to be too noisy on our date. I'll be on my best behavior.

[His best behavior is debatable, but he'll certainly give it a try.]

[She laughs because he laughs and she's just tipsy enough for laughing to be funny all on its own.]

No, hey, don't worry. I totally get that. If you feel like you're being too loud, just mention animal welfare or poverty in first-world countries or something and I promise I can be just as loud.

[This isn't strictly true, but she does gesture very loudly when she gets going.]

I'd like to be loud about all of that stuff, too. Especially poverty in first-world countries. Well, that and the Vietnam War. Or just war in general. Believe me, I can really get going. I called one of my bosses a fascist once.

[That's... not the kind of thing you really tell a girl when you're trying to impress them, but hey.]

I guess I just have a lot of, uh, opinions.

We'll get along just fine if it comes to being loud, then. I mean, I can't say that I have really strong feelings about Vietnam since I didn't live through all of that, but...

[But. She gives Ginsberg a curious look.]

You seriously called your boss a fascist? Wow, that'd... definitely be a way to get fired.

You'd probably have strong feelings about it if you listened to me talk about it for long enough. But I think most people start tuning me out after about the first two minutes.

[He nods, not looking particularly ashamed of the fact.]

Yeah. I mean, I didn't get fired. He didn't like it, but I didn't get fired. I've got a lot of bosses, he's just one of them, and just because he's an executive doesn't mean he's not a fascist. In fact, it pretty much means he's more likely to be one. I don't think he was pleased, but nobody fired me.

I don't know about the tuning-out. I'm all for learning about injustices.

[She laughs at his complicated explanation and conviction. How can she not?]

I didn't know there was a connection between executives and fascists. I'm glad you weren't fired, though. I've been fired lots of times for saying things I probably shouldn't have.

Yeah, but I don't know if injustices are really date material. At least, I've always been told you're not supposed to discuss religion, sex, or politics on a date. But then, what else is there to talk about?

[He can't help but grin at her statement, because, well...]

I've been fired a lot of times for saying things I shouldn't have, too. Do I get to ask what kind of stuff you said, or is that the kind of thing you're trying to forget about because you're embarrassed about it now?

This'll be our second date, technically, so I think it's okay to slip in some of the touchier issues. I mean, we'll have to get tired of talking about our personal failures eventually, right?

[Penny can't believe that Ginsberg is saying what he's saying. It's like she finally found someone else who lives in the same headspace as her.]

Really? I'll share if you'll share. I don't think I'd take back anything I've been fired for. [beat] Or maybe I would, but only because chronic unemployment is the opposite of fun.

I don't know, I've got pretty much an endless litany of personal failures to detail, but that could get pretty boring. I could spice it up with some touchy issues -- the kind of issues that could cause arguments, definitely. Those're my favorites.

[He frowns, then strokes his mustache in mock contemplation, as though he really has to consider it.]

See, I'm one of those guys who's had a lot of jobs, but none of them have lasted very long. Except the one I'm at right now. Well, back home, I mean. Of course. Anyway, let's see... I once got fired because I called my boss an asshole because he wouldn't stop talking about how great he thought the war was. That didn't go over so well. There may have been screaming. One time I got fired because my ad ideas were too liberal. One time I got fired because I told my boss that since everyone got Christmas off, I should get a different holiday off, because I didn't celebrate Christmas. He told me everyone celebrated Christmas. I told him to go fuck himself. Uh...

[Nope, he's really, really not good at keeping his mouth shut.]

So, yeah, that's me.

What kind of arguments are we talking about? I'm kind of non-confrontational and quiet. You know, more of a polite disagreement person.

[Penny is quietly impressed by Ginsberg's fierceness. She hopes he doesn't disagree with her too much; yelling and profanity isn't a thing she takes well.]

I can't say I was ever fired for saying anything that exciting. My first boss--this was at a grocery store--asked me to leave, like, the third time I asked him if he used so many plastic bags because he hates marine life. I got fired from a coffee shop for telling our customers to buy from Starbucks instead of us because they were using biodegradeable cups and we were using polystyrene, which takes literally forever to decompose. The only other firing worth talking about happened when I staged a sit-in at this pet store I was working at. I said I wouldn't leave until the manager promised to give the feeder mice more adequate habitats and only do business with dog and cat breeders that're reputable. That one actually got me arrested, too.

I'd have to say that you're a more formidable opponent.

Not the kind of arguments where I yell at you. Why would I want to yell at you? I like you. It'd be pretty stupid of me to get all loud and obnoxious with you.

[Plus, he doesn't tend to yell at friends too much, and he can't exactly see Penny as the fascist type.]

I admire that. Those things you did. You had strong values, and you stood up for them, and you got arrested for it. I've never done anything like that. That's real revolutionary stuff. That's the kind of thing that actually makes a difference in the world.

[And, indeed, he does look a bit starry-eyed.]

I'll tell you right now, I'm not formidable at all. I'm actually very insecure. I'm insecure about just about everything. Sometimes people mistake that insecurity for cockiness, but I'll tell you right now, it's not that. It's not cockiness at all.

Good! Those're my least favorite. And... you know, sometimes things get kind of heated in an argument. Sometimes passion turns into loud.

[No. Penny is most definitely not a fascist. She is, however, flattered by his admiration. Most people at home, including Penny herself, wrote her off as a sweet (if occasionally odd) girl who couldn't make much of a difference. If she wasn't already a little red from drinking, she'd be blushing.]

That's sweet, Ginsberg, but none of it really made a difference. Sit-ins, petitions, rallies, write-ins, protests... none of that does a lot of good when it's only one person participating. It's not a revolution until a whole bunch of people join in.

[Rallying people is not one of Penny's talents, as much as she hates to disillusion Ginsberg.]

Really? I don't get insecure or cocky from you. More honest, and not totally sure if you're supposed to be. Or maybe a little insecure, but just because you don't know if people'll get you or if they'll be freaked out... which kind of sounds like an insult, but it's not meant to be. I feel that way sometimes.

But it has to start somewhere, doesn't it? I mean, every big movement, every big protest, stuff like the civil rights movement and the protests against the war -- any war, not just the Vietnam War -- started with just a couple people like you, who were willing to risk their jobs for talking about what they believed. So it makes a difference. Even if it's just a little difference. And I have to believe that.

[Because the alternative is way too depressing. To think that nothing makes a difference is the most terrifying thought he can possibly conceive of. A slower song comes on again, and he thinks it's probably okay to pull her a little closer so that they can dance again. He feels comfortable with her. It's odd.]

Yeah, that's pretty accurate, actually. Because people don't usually get me. And I guess people might not get you, either. I've never known whether that makes people like us special or just weird and out of place.

It does make a difference, you're right. Maybe only a little--I know I never made much of a difference, and it's not like I have a chance to go back and try again--but sometimes that's all it takes. And little things do a lot of good on a small scale. Nothing revolutionary...

[At least she knows that she made differences in the lives of some individuals. That's what matters--making people happier, giving them hope--even if nothing huge comes of it.

Penny's good with closer.]

Being out of place isn't so bad. I mean, I'm sure I have it easier than you because I'm used to being quiet and no one really notices that I'm weird, but it gives us a unique perspective, doesn't it?

I recognize that you're weird. Okay, I mean, that sounds bad, and I definitely don't mean that in a bad way, because I like weird. Obviously. It's not meant to be an insult. You're, um...

[Now he's getting all tongue tied again, and it's probably obvious that he's blushing slightly, even though it's dimly lit in the bar.]

I think you're really interesting. And beautiful. And not just because you're wearing something so fancy. I'm sorry if that's weird to say.

video; joint post

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