rogueinladysclothing | Low points in high places [Tagging Verity]

She can take the teasing. She's even smiling a little. "You'd better, I don't know how to lead. A shockingly sexist oversight on my part." It won't all be complicated modern dances. Waltzing's pretty simple. "Thank you."

(The fact Verity will be running over to give Groot a hug might be a clue.)

"No, like I told you, that's not something people do where I'm from. It does sound like fun. We'll see what I make of the process when I see you going through it." Or until she finds that oh-so-perfect fabric and just has to have it. She can be impulsive when the mood strikes. "I don't usually wear dresses, but... what the heck. People seem to appreciate them."

Waltzing she can do. She'll sit up a bit and give Verity a proper hug - or as proper a hug as she can manage while they sit beneath the tree. "Any time, Verity." And she means it.

(Yeah, that'll do it!)

"It's not that bad, really. I'll even go through getting my full measurements taken to prove it." That part gets a wink. If Verity has no idea what's coming, she won't get the joke, which is totally fine. "Dresses are a nice change of pace from time to time, though I admit pants are the break in every day wear for me these days. It's why I haven't gotten a dress made yet since coming here. But... this seems like a good time to add one or two back to my wardrobe."

She carefully pull away from Verity then stands. After wiping off her pants a bit, she offers a hand to Verity. "Are you busy now? If not... care to do a little shopping with me?"

All hugs are proper hugs so long as there's no unwelcome groping. Verity's not picky about these things.

No, she has no idea what she's in for. Amelia will no doubt be as amused by this as Verity was when the tables were turned. Fair's fair. "They say variety is the spice of life. You'll have to help me with some of the terms. No, I'm not busy. Thanks."

She'll accept the hand up, climbing to her feet with the hiss of someone who hasn't been careful lately. Running until she's numb sounded like a good idea... until she stopped. "You have someplace in mind?"

Amelia's not going to judge for it. She's been there - maybe not to Verity's extreme, but the general understanding is there. They can walk at whatever nice, leisurely pace that Verity sets today. No rushing necessary.

"I have a tailor I've used in the past when I had a need for new shirts and pants that we can start with. If he doesn't think he can do what I'm looking for, we can move on from there. It's not too far, luckily."

There's a moment of hesitation when they begin walking where Amelia thinks about walking around New York City and how comfortable it was being side by side with Verity. She remembers being scared about everything that was going on until she was holding Verity's hand. Cautiously, she holds out a hand to the other woman with a small smile.

Edited 2015-10-26 05:53 (UTC)

"It's a place to start. Did he make what you're wearing today?" She's not up to rushing, but she can keep up a decent pace. The insane running was long enough ago that she's recovering. "I don't mind a walk, so long as we're not running."

She glances down at the offered hand, and a moment later takes it. Who's comforting who this time? Maybe it doesn't matter. "Should we go out for pizza afterward? I think that's our tradition."

There's a grateful sigh of relief when Verity takes her hand. She had half expected to be shot down, but getting confirmation that things are on the mend is nice.

She shakes her head. The armor makes it difficult to sit in her tree (yes, it's hers now, shut up), so she's taken to wearing clothes she got for the heist when her intention is to sit there for a few hours. "These are still clothes from..." It's hard to finish that sentence, but she'll make a gesture to Verity with her free hand to emphasize her point. "I suspect these clothes won't last as long as I'd like, though, and I'll have to replace them again at some point. I admit, I've grown rather fond of these... jeans, was it? They're very comfortable, and they move surprisingly well with me."

The mention of pizza gets an excited face from Amelia. She'd forgotten all about it. "That sounds lovely. Can we try a new kind of pizza this time? One with new ingredients?" Apparently her stress levels have gone down if she's speaking so excitedly about food.

Verity has never been a grudge-holder. How could she be friends with someone like Loki if she couldn't let things go? She could give Elsa lessons, both on letting things go and how to survive locking yourself and your powers away from the world.

She gets the idea and is grateful they don't have to say it out loud. "Ah. Jeans are pretty durable. I didn't pick things that would last for years because I wasn't sure you'd want to keep wearing them. And fashions change so quickly, trendy clothes have a limited lifespan to force people to update their wardrobes. It's pretty sneaky if you think about it."

Everybody loves a good pair of jeans. Verity feels a small vindication about that. She knows the massive change in wardrobe was hard for Amelia--as hard as it'd be for Verity to start wearing corsets. But it's nice to know it wasn't all found wanting.

Amelia's expression gets a soft laugh and the request gets a nod. "Absolutely. In fact, we can get two little ones, so you can try twice as many things."

Amelia did a pretty terrible thing, though, so she was certain she wouldn't be forgiven for that. Some sins can't be so easily forgiven.

"That would be one way to get people to consistently buy more clothing," she agrees. It's a tactic she understands, even if she doesn't like it. She finds it a little sad that Verity's world had such a world, but she also suspects many others hold similar ideas.

"They come in multiple sizes?" Her eyes go wide at the thought. "That's amazing! I can hardly wait."

That happiness and excitement persists as they step into the tailor's shop. The space might seem rather large to Verity, being several hundred square feet for a single room with only a small changing area set up near the back and a desk with a few chairs set up around it in the front, but it works out perfectly. One wall is covered from back to front in fabric and the other, in the space between the desk and the changing area, is covered with even more. Organized drawers up front contain dozens of varieties of trims, lace, and buttons. It seems the place is set up perfectly to handle any kind of order. The proprietor gives Amelia a nod as he finishes helping another customer when she walks in and motions for her to take a look at the full wall of fabrics in the interim. Amelia gently pulls Verity to the wall and begins to explain what's what.

"Alex here has every kind of fabric you could ever want. Near the back are all the basics, things that usually go into linings or sturdier clothes: linens, canvas, and muslin of all variety of colors. There's also some heavy brocade fabrics in there, but they're not very good for anything you want to move with you. Moving along the wall toward the front you have the cottons and what he tells me are called cotton blends. These come in even more colors and some are even patterned. After that come the silks, which tend to be my favorite if I'm getting something for a special occasion. The colors are largely varied and the fabric has a lovely feel. And behind us, on the other wall, are all of the fabrics I'm told are 'synthetics' - satin, velvet, fleece, polyester, and spandex. I'm afraid I don't know much about those, but they have the brightest colors and largest number of patterns." She turns and motions in particular to a section on the wall of where several bolts of fleece are covered in multiple cat patterns.

"For every day wear, I tend to stick with cottons or linens. But because this is a special occasion, I think I'd like to do something in silk." She smiles and begins looking through the fabrics in the silk section, which are arranged in an almost rainbow like fashion. "I believe you said teal would be a good color for what I'm looking for, right? Is this the color you were speaking of?" With her free hand, Amelia points to a small group of fabrics that are different shades of teal. The color isn't unfamiliar, but the name is. In her world, it's all simply different shades of blue or green.

"Oh yes. Pizza's a common food at casual parties, so, people order different sizes depending on how many people are being fed. Or how determined you are to show off at eating a whole pizza yourself." Anyone can eat a whole pizza if they're dedicated.

The shop is like a wonderland to Verity. So many beautiful colors and soft things to touch. She listens to Amelia's explanations while examining the displays. "Synthetics are made from inorganic materials. They don't come from plants or animals." She's not that interested in those.

The silks are an obvious draw to her, so she's nearby when Amelia asks about the colors. She'd been fingering a dusty violet brushed silk. "Yes, that's teal. The brighter one next to it is turquoise. It's named after a gemstone. Do you like them?"

Her fingers find their way to the turquoise fabric and she's suddenly pulling it out without a second thought. "It's beautiful. Light, and perfectly hued between blue and green."

"And a perfect color for your skin tone and hair color, I might add." The proprietor, a man who couldn't possibly more than thirty, joins the ladies now that his last customer has taken their leave. He's a tall, thin man, standing a few inches over six feet, with an angular face and short black hair. The man is also impeccably dressed: perfectly tailored black dress slacks, a pastel blue button down shirt with three-quarter length sleeves and delicate embroidery on the cuffs and collar, and a black vest with blue and silver leaves that match those on his shirt embroidered around the buttons. When he realizes he doesn't recognize Amelia's companion, he turns to Verity and offers his hand to her. "Alexander Needleworthy. A pleasure to meet you."

The introduction gets a snort from Amelia. "Have you changed your name again? Last week it was Alexander Cutter."

The young man feigns being hurt at Amelia's words. "Are you saying a man can't change his name as often as he changes his clothes? I'm hurt. I thought you'd like this name more."

"It is more appropriate," she concedes. "But that doesn't make it better."

A pout plays at his lips. "Such a cruel thing to say to the man who makes your clothes. I might just adjust the bust of your next shirt so you can't get it on in retaliation."

Verity turns to the man who is suddenly behind them, giving him a faint smile. The banter is confusing her, mostly because it's Amelia doing it. But there are people who'd be confused to see Verity turn on the charm, too, so she won't make too much of it.

She shakes Alex's hand, and when she can interject, introduces herself. "Verity Willis. Amelia's teaching me about... all of this. I apologize in advance for not knowing what I'm doing here. And I agree, the turquoise would be perfect on Amelia."

Verity would be floored to see the way Amelia interacts with her customers back in her world. Still, she finds it easier to interact with people who are merely acquaintances rather than those she gets to know and has to interact with on a more personal basis.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Verity." He gives her hand a firm shake before turning his palm, with her hand still in his, and bows his head and shoulder slightly - A small sign of deference. After releasing her hand he turns to Amelia, smirking. "Didn't I tell you the other week that would be a nice color on you?"

"You were also suggesting it for an every day shirt. You know I prefer more neutral colors for every day wear." She rolls her eyes at him and holds out the bolt of fabric. "This is different."

He accepts the fabric with a raised eyebrow. "Oh? What's the occasion?"

Amelia looks over at Verity before turning back to Alex with a smile. "I need a dress for the Samhain ball."

The tailor looks down at the fabric in his hands then back up at Amelia with a grin. "I'm sure I can come up with something that suits your style." He then turns to Verity with a more neutral face. "Is it too forward of me to assume that you might be interested in something as well?"

It would probably shock her. She usually took the opposite approach, not bothering to be very kind to people who annoyed her if she didn't have to deal with them again. It didn't always work out in her favor, but such is life.

She bow is unusual for her, but she's trying to adapt to the different kinds of manners people have in the Nexus. It's strange but won't be remarked on--while they're in the shop. She might ask Amelia about it later.

"Uh... I do need a dress," she admits, "but it might not be very much fun for you since I'm in mourning." And judging by her outfit, she's not a fan of elaborate clothing. "Plain black probably isn't the most thrilling thing for you." She might not understand what's going on, but she knows not to bore an artist.

It's a little different when you're the one running the store, though. That's not to say Amelia didn't brush people off when she did less than legal things for them if they were rude or upsetting in some way, but the daily stream of people visiting her family's spice shops always got her best face.

"Not every dress needs to be made of the brightest of fabrics." Alex offers Verity a sympathetic smile. "Something simple, yet elegant, in black can be just as ravishing as something in, say, turquoise."

Amelia rolls her eyes at the comment but doesn't say anything as she continues looking through the wall of fabrics. There's a few patterned materials that have caught her eyes with the same base color as the first fabric she picked out, so she's taking a closer look at them.

"Everything I make presents its own unique challenge," he adds quickly, returning his full attention to Verity, "so let's see if we can't find something to begin yours. Tell me, what kind of fabrics do you like? Something soft? Sturdy? Something that moves easily or breathes well? Once I have a picture of what you like, we can look through every bolt of black fabric that will meet your requirements."

Accommodation is this man's specialty, and he's going to do everything possible to make Verity feel comfortable with the process. They'll take things nice and slow, and build her something beautiful together.

That's probably true. The need for that kind of act is a big part of why Verity refused to work in an office. She just couldn't do that all day.

Alex is being extraordinarily kind, and she appreciates that even though she knows it's part of his job. It's easier to get along with than the demanding artiste type of fashion designer. "Um. Soft would be nice, but it needs to be sturdy enough to handle having chao try and climb up it. Something that moves well, something I can dance in. Is... is that okay?"

She's a little overwhelmed right now.

The man has his artiste moments, but it's only for certain customers who expect it. For everyone else he's his simple, charming self.

"Mmm, I'm thinking some kind of blend would be nice. Natural is best, as it tends to be sturdier than the synthetics. Perhaps a blend would work well. Come." He leads Verity to a small section of black fabrics between the cottons and the silks. "These fabrics have the best of both cottons and silks. Soft, breathable, and they move beautifully. Depending on what you like, we can find one with more or less of a 'shine' to it as well."

He reaches up toward the top of the wall and pulls a few bolts of the less easily accessible fabrics down. Most of them are very basic and matte fabrics, though they are exceptionally soft. Following some of Verity's subtle hints, though, he moves two specific bolts to the top of the pile in his hands. "Any of these strike your fancy?"

Verity follows quietly, watching Alex gather the fabrics curiously. She doesn't know much about fabrics, but she can tell silks from cotton. The silks he has are thicker, softer than the ones she's used to from back home. Much nicer than the cheap stuff that was still an indulgence to her.

She glances back at Amelia while Alex is gathering things. How the tables have turned. Then she looks down at the fabrics. Her fingers brush over the different options, but always go back to the shantung. "This one is silk?"

Alex nods. "It's one of many varieties and is called shantung. This kind of silk has less irregularities in the fabric as a whole, giving it a softer feel. It's a little lighter than some other silks, but if brides can handle small children stepping on gowns made of this, I think it should withstand a chao onslaught."

Amelia decides this is the perfect time to rejoin the conversation with another bolt of fabric under her arm. Its color matches that of the one Alex took from her, but it's got a delicate gold pattern along the edge of it. She takes a look at the fabric Verity's got her eye on and smiles. "It's quite lovely. I think it would make for a beautiful gown."

"I'm inclined to agree. Shantung hangs beautifully and, if I may be so bold, you have an amazing figure for this to hang from." There's a bit of a pink hint to Alex's cheeks as he says that to Verity. He doesn't want to be too forward, especially given that the woman is in mourning and he isn't sure why, but also because she's never had clothes made for her before. Compliments are one thing, but compliments about one's clothing prospects based on their figure? Very different things.

"Hmm. Yeah, that sounds like it could stand up to a little climbing." Does he know what chao are? Or how many she'll be in charge of? It'll be an interesting test of the fabric's durability--and the construction's. But that's nothing to be afraid of. Worst comes to worst, she ends up in a cocktail dress partway through.

The comment about her figure makes her blush, too. It's not the first time anyone's commented on it, but she's not used to there not being a sexual note to the comments and she's not sure if she's missing something. All this sort of thing is very confusing for her. "Ah. Thank you."

But he's supposed to notice these things, right? It's his job. He's just being a professional by noticing these things. She's going to try and change the subject now. "That's really pretty, Amelia. You'll be the prettiest in that."

He's heard tales of the chao from other customers who have stopped by the garden to see their cuteness in action. "I'll take care to reinforce all of the seams, maybe add some extra lining, to be safe. The last thing I want is for something to happen to your dress on its first time out." He would be appalled to find out one of his creations had fallen apart so easily. No, he's going to work extra hard to prevent that.

Before Alex can hop in and say anything else blush-inducing, Amelia decides to chime in. "I don't think think I'll look the prettiest in it. Hell, I don't even know what I'll look like in it in the first place." She makes a bit of a face then looks up at Alex. "Unless... you have something in mind?"

Alex raises a hand to his chin around all of the bolts of fabric he's juggling. "I have a vague idea... perhaps you'd indulge me and allow me to do a rough sketch?"

Amelia hesitates before answering. "I'd be willing to stay, but I don't have a schedule today either." She turns to Verity. "He's usually pretty quick about these things, but if you'd rather he take our measurements and we come back in a day or two for an initial fitting, I understand completely." No need to do too many new things on her first trip to a full time tailor's shop.

"Ah, that's a good idea. Thank you." She's had a few small wardrobe malfunctions since she and Naugus adopted the chao. Not that she minds. But losing a cheap tee is different than having what's likely to be an expensive and incredible dress ruined. It's going to be lined. That's fancy.

"You will. I don't mind waiting. It'll give me time to look around a little more." Waiting for a sketch isn't going to be too confusing or intrusive. And there are drawers full of things and she doesn't know what those things are yet. She needs to know what the things are, Amelia.

"I'll get to work on those, then. Amelia, why don't you show Verity the trims? I don't think lace will go with what I have in mind, but if all else fails, see if you can't find something that goes with your new fabric." Before she can protest, Alex snatches the bolt of fabric from Amelia's hands and walks off toward his desk. Despite having over half a dozen bolts of black fabric in his hands, he remembers exactly which one Verity liked and sets it aside with Amelia's new fabric. He'll get to sketching and let the ladies sort out trims.

"I'm unsure if you'll need any of these, but I suppose I can explain everything." Amelia gives Verity an apologetic smile as she leads her to the many drawers filled with various things. She begins in the corner closest to all the natural fabrics - as far from Alex as she can get - opening the first of many drawers filled with trims. "Everything in these next few sets of drawers are trims. Many of the fancy bits you see along the cuffs and collars of clothing are trims rather than embroidery. They come in all varieties, from your most basic - a strip of another color of fabric - to more elaborate things that look as if they might be embroidered or painted onto the fabric. There are also trims with braids and tassels on them."

They can spend the next few minutes digging through and finding all of the interesting trims that Alex has to offer. They come in all varieties of colors and sizes. Some wide, some very thin, even some with 70's fringe hanging from them! Anything Verity can think of, it's likely there.

And they haven't even gotten to the lace or buttons yet!

"Thank you, Mister Needleworthy." The slightly adversarial relationship between Amelia and Alex makes her wonder. Snatching and bickering, almost like siblings.

"Can't hurt to know for the future," she points out as she follows Amelia over. She's attentive while Amelia explains things but is excited when she gets to start discovering them for herself. The attention to detail in some of the woven ribbons excites her the most. "These are gorgeous. Look at these little birds, they're so sweet."

Buttons she may need to think about later, but she's quite happy examining the fancy ribbons until Alex is done with his sketches.

Alex is the first person Amelia met after arriving in the Nexus who reminded her of home. The two have developed quite a bond, hence the sibling-like behavior. Verity will note that, despite all of the bickering, Amelia looks very calm inside the shop. Anything that's like home helps ease her worries about not being there.

"Ahh, those must be new." Amelia smiles at the sight of the woven ribbons Verity finds. "They weren't here a few weeks ago. Alex always seems to be finding new things that I would never expect to see." Their slow, methodical digging through the drawers reveals a thin gold trim with dangling gold beads spaced about an inch apart along the bottom of the trim. Amelia pulls it from the drawer and holds on to it, intending to see if Alex has something in mind that could have a use for it.

When their search through the trims is almost at its end, Alex joins the two ladies and hands each of them a small sketchbook. "Now, these are only rough sketches, and there's always room for change, but what do you think? I tried to work in what would be best for both the fabric and for the wearer, but I'm more than happy to adjust as necessary." He smiles in particular at Verity as Amelia seems very absorbed in looking over every detail in the sketch Alex has handed her already.

Anyplace where Amelia can relax is a place Verity's likely to trust. Same with people. Verity may not end up liking them, but Amelia is so cautious, she wouldn't behave this way without a good reason.

"If he didn't get new things, people wouldn't come back to see what's new," she points out. "It drives foot traffic, which increases sales. Which I'm sure you know, sorry." Seeing the marketing tactics isn't quite the same thing as not falling for them. The bird ribbon is set aside while they continue looking; it'd make a cute headband.

When Alex returns Verity greets him with a smile before taking the sketchbook. She's also examining it carefully, particularly for the sorts of artistic "improvements" fashion designers like to make to figures. When she's content that the figure in the sketch is reasonably true-to-life she turns her attention to the dress. Her lips press together in a thin line for a moment and her eyes are glassy when she admits, "I think it's the prettiest dress I've ever seen."

But no pressure or anything.

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I like soft shimmers!

I've got just the thing! :D

But no wigs!

No need to worry about that. ;)

No need to visit a lady on the toilet for a digestive?

Good lord I hope not.

FF7 was weird sometimes.

I never played D: (It's in my Steam library, though!)

Then I was just rambling like a crazy person, sorry.

I just take it as some of the crazy I can look forward to when I get to play!

You have to pick out a dress at one point, and "soft shimmers" is the best option.