rogueinladysclothing | Low points in high places [Tagging Verity]

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.

"I suppose that's true," Amelia concedes. "I hadn't really thought about that, given how I've always purchased clothes in the past. I forget how many things are different from what I remember them to be in my world." She smiles at Verity to make sure it's understood that she's not offended in any way. While Amelia is a businesswoman back home, there are still many things to learn here.

Verity's appraisal of his design causes Alex's cheeks to darken to a rosy shade of pink. "Such high praise on a first pass... I hadn't expected that."

"Oh? Let me see." Amelia snuggles right on up to Verity to get a peek. Her face brightens as she looks over the design and she gives an emphatic nod. "I like it. I think it's going to look great on you, Verity." She shifts her smile from Alex to Verity and gives another nod.

"And what about yours, hm? What do you think?" Alex raises an eyebrow at Amelia, trying to get the attention off of himself a bit more.

"It's... not what I expected." She looks a bit uncomfortable as she holds the design to her chest. "No corset this time?"

He frowns a bit at her question. "You're not wearing one now, so I thought I'd mix it up a bit. Besides, a week isn't enough time to properly make both dresses and a corset."

"Ahh, point taken." Her cheeks turn a slight shade of pink and she then offers the design for Verity to see. "I think... I'd like it better without full sleeves. Maybe half length? If I'm dancing a lot, I might get warm."

Alex thinks on that for a moment. "Perhaps more of that gauzy layer for the other half of the sleeves, then? They'll be loose and billowy, which means they shouldn't get in your way either. However, they'll look lovely when you hang your arms at your sides."

The suggestion gets another smile from Amelia. "I like it."

"Perfect." Alex answers Amelia's smile with his own. "Let's get you two fitted, then."

It might not be so easy to use this kind of tactic in a spice shop, but who knows what kinds of recipes and ideas she'd be going home with. Or what she might decide to do here in the Nexus.

Verity's blushing now too, partly from having embarrassed Alex and partly from the surprise snuggling. She shifts an arm around Amelia's shoulders to make room for her to look. "It's really gorgeous. I think anyone would look good in it."

She's curious about the design for Amelia, but doesn't try to peek until Amelia offers a look. "I told you you'd be the prettiest. You're going to look fantastic. That trim you found with the beads would work nicely around the neckline." She hopes the suggestion is okay.

She'll follow Amelia's lead for the fitting.

"Gold trim?" Alex seems pleased that Amelia found something to add to her gown. He holds out a hand for it and becomes positively giddy when he sees it. "Ahh, yes, I think Verity has the right idea. This is going to be perfect!" He turns and motions for them to follow him to the desk.

After regathering the sketchbooks and making a few quick notes on Amelia's design, Alex pulls out his tailor's tape and motions to Amelia. "You first, since you've done this before." She nods and walks over, holding perfectly still as Alex measures the length of her arms from shoulder to elbow, shoulder to wrist, and then wrist to elbow, as well as the distance from the top of her shoulder to the floor and a few measurements around her collar bone. He then has her lift her arms as he measures her bust, underbust, waist, and hips. After having her put her arms back down, he measures from the top of her shoulder to her waist and hips, from her collar bone to her waist and hips, from her collar bone to the floor, and her waist to the floor. So many measurements, but Amelia seems to be used to it. She stands perfectly still unless asked to do otherwise.

"What kind of shoes will you be wearing?" Alex asks as he finishes writing down the last of the measurements.

"How bad of a look will I get if I say boots?" She gives Alex a sheepish grin.

"If you come to your fitting without an appropriate pair of shoes, I'll take you shopping myself." He sighs and waves her off before motioning Verity over. "All right, it's your turn. Now, don't mind me if I appear to get handsy - I assure you that's not my intent. I'm only here for your measurements so I can make you the perfect gown for the Samhain ball."

She'd expected it to be complicated, but she hadn't expected it to be that complicated. Verity has no idea why he needs all those different measurements. But Amelia thinks it's all necessary... maybe someone will explain later.

"That's a lot of measurements," she remarks quietly. She's been measured for bras before, so she's not too upset about it; and it'll be over her clothes, so she shakes her head a little. "It's okay, everyone has to have something about their job they enjoy. I'm sorry if I can't hold as still as Amelia does."

She takes a moment to pull her hair up into a ponytail before stepping into the spot where Amelia had been for the measurements, focusing on keeping her breathing slow and even. It's hard not to fidget when she's nervous.

Alex shakes his head and chuckles softly. "No need to worry about that. If I can handle a squirming toddler, I think I can handle a woman who is honestly trying to stay still." He's quick about his work and his touch is delicate when he does have to put his hands on Verity. Special attention is paid to keep from tickling her while he goes about checking measurements around her waist - the last thing he wants is to surprise her while he works. When he's finished, he gives her a smile and steps back a bit. "You're all set."

Amelia watches the whole exchange without comment. She knows this must be strange for Verity, given how clothes are regularly purchased in her time. As Alex finishes taking down the last of Verity's measurements, she asks, "So when do you want us in for a fitting?"

He doesn't look up as he writes. "If you come together? Three days from now. If you come separately, I can see you in three days, Amelia, and I can see you tomorrow, Verity." After finishing the last of his notes he smiles at Verity.

"Why do I have to wait the three days either way?" Amelia frowns at him.

"Because I don't need to make a mock up of your dress before I put it together." He rather conspicuously points his pencil at her and gives her a raised eyebrow.

That gives Amelia pause for a moment. "...oh. Right." And then she's blushing.

Her embarrassed face makes Alex laugh heartily. It takes him a full minute to recover before he can continue. "Either way, I'll have everything done for both of you in five days, give or take a day depending on any and all small adjustments that need to be made."

"People put toddlers through this?" She really can't imagine why. It seems cruel. But her view on children is quite odd, she knows. It's something to ponder while Alex takes the measurements and helps keep her from feeling the urge to stim. Still, there's a sigh of relief when he's done and she can relax again.

"I can come back tomorrow," she offers, "but... what's a 'mock up' and why do I need one when Amelia doesn't?" She pulls the elastic out of her hair while she asks and gives her head a little shake. Life is so much easier when messy hair is considered a legitimate choice.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

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.

Ooooh! Good to know. :D

HTH :)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject