2909/Pickups En Masse

Pickups En Masse
Date of Scene:	27 August 2015
Location:	Tomoeda-865
Synopsis:	A whole bunch of Elites converge on Tomoyo's Boutique to pick up outfits! Discussions on giant robots, Stonehenge and the evolution of magic occur.
Cast of Characters:	Riva Banari, Inga, Tomoyo Daidouji, 747, 774, 804

---

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Summer heat is fading away from Tomoeda now, gradually being replaced by autumn's chill. But at this point, it means the weather is only pleasantly mild, with only the occasional chilly breeze to ruin the temperate atmosphere. The trees are starting to become patchy with browns and oranges, the wind occasionally yanking them off to flutter to the ground.

    Tomoyo's Boutique is looking as chic as ever, the path swept of all leaves recently to maintain a tidy appearance. A gaggle of girls wearing the uniform of Tomoeda Elementary step out, chattering among themselves. Through the window, Tomoyo can be seen staring after them, a nostalgic smile on her face.

Inga has posed:
Having been notified that the clothing she'd ordered was ready, Inga called Riva. "Ah, hello Riva. I have ordered some clothing and I am told that is is ready...I wonder if you might like to come to my fitting to, uh, help?" Gods know Inga needed it. She'd likely have to try things on, and she might need help! So despite being tortured by Riva in a shopping related incident once already, here they are. Inga, feeling old, watches the gaggle of young girls in similar clothes exit, leaning on her staff, tired from the walk. "Why are they all dressed in the same clothes? And I simply do not understand why one would wear skirts that short," she sighs. She's dressed in a long black skirt and long sleeved top with a v-neckline, belt around her waist holding her knife, a couple leather pouches, and a curious assortment of bones. She wears a necklace of amber beads.

"Very well, let's do this," she says in the tone of someone about to wade into battle.

Riva Banari has posed:
"What's that? Help you with /clothes/? Be right there, Inga!"

Riva loves this place. She just doesn't get enough time to visit it seems! The fact that Inga was heading there was just one perfect reason to go.

Seeing Inga and Tomoyo were the other reasons, of course. Come on, this is Riva! For the occasion, Riva's cutting the latest in Tomoyo-style military fashion, wearing a white, dressy uniform that Riva nevertheless seems to rock even when she's not being all formal. She watches the girls pass, chuckling to herself a bit as she puts an arm around Inga, drawing her over to give the wisewoman a quick snug. "Some people like make statements with their clothes, Inga. That looks like a school uniform. They say it helps people create a common identity, things like that." She smiles, and then waves to Tomoyo in the window. "Come on, let's get you fitted! It's going to be /awesoooooome~/."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    The bell above the door chimes cheerily as the two women make their entrances, snapping Tomoyo out of her daze. "Ah, welcome~ Oh, hello Riva, Inga!" She bows her head to the two, clearly delighted that Riva is wearing the outfit Tomoyo made.

    Her eyes slide over to Inga, indigo orbs instantly able to tell how nervous the woman is. "Here for your outfit Inga? Don't worry, it came out beautifully, and all the concerns you had were accounted for." She starts up the stairs to go and get it, but Yamazaki is on the ball today! He's already retrieved it and brought it down for her.

    Tomoyo thanks him with a smile and places the plastic bag onto the counter for Inga. "I hope you like it~ The dressing rooms are behind you, and if you need any help, just ask!" Her eyes glance over at Riva again, and she adds, "But I understand if you would rather have the help of someone you trust more."

Inga has posed:
Inga is hugged. She smiles slightly. "Ah. I see...well, I still don't understand the shortness of the skirt. Tch. I do like clothes, but buying them these days is so strange and difficult, and the styles are so..." she trails off, just shaking her head, trying to force her internal monologue from 'aaaaah!' to a more confident 'you can do this and you will enjoy it!'.

And so, they enter. Inga hopes there will be less people in the shop this time. That would make it much easier on her. Thankfully, that does seem to be the case. Inga lets out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. A smile appears and she bows back to Tomoyo. "Ah, yes I am, thank you. I'm quite sure it all came out very well. I'm just not accustomed to trying on clothes in a shop I suppose. It was so busy last I was here," she replies. She follows the dress with her eyes as its put into the dressing room, then tugs on Riva slightly. "Well, best get it done before the shop gets busier..." Inga says, sidling toward the dressing room.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva takes this opportunity to jazzhands, singsonging next to Inga as they enter, "Culture shooooock~!"

Riva grins to Tomoyo as they enter. "Heey Tomoyo! Great to see you again! Your business has /super/ taken off, I see. I swear I think I see something you made all over the place!"

When Inga tugs on her, however, Riva nods, clapping her hands. "I can't wait to get to see how your new outfit looks on you! No complaining, got it?" Riva jokes, giving Tomoyo a wave as she heads into the dressing room to help Inga out.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo smiles and gestures at the empty store, such as it is. Only ones there are Riva, Inga, herself and Yamazaki (who is currently taking catalogue of the shelves). "Well, you picked the perfect time to not have anyone here to see~"

    She giggles at Riva, shaking her head. "Oh, I've been busy, but not so busy that my outfits are everywhere... I guess you just spend time around people with good taste." She waves to the two as they vanish behind the purple curtain of privacy. "If you need any help, just ask!"

    In blessed privacy (and thankfully the booth is big enough for the both of them), they can examine the bag's contents. Within is the pine green dress, made from thick, warm wool, ankle-length with white frills along the hems. The sleeves are elbow-length, as per Inga's request, and the collar is a high one, with a white ribbon she can tie around it. There is also a short cloak, white with embroidery of budding green vines creeping up from the hem. It's designed to sit on her shoulders and cover her upper back. There are also black woollen stockings to wear with sturdy brown leather boots that stop just short of the knee. And of course, the final touch, the white bonnet with the dried rose petals along the brim!

    But at the bottom of the bag is the other dress, the thinner one for warmer days. Again, quite different from the sketch, to suit Inga's tastes. It's dark blue with white polka dots, the hem of the dress reaching the middle of the shins. It no longer exposes her back and the straps have been replaced by poofy sleeves that reach her elbows. It also comes with a pair of flat blue sandals with straps that go up to her shin.

Inga has posed:
Inga smiles. It's a little on the toothy, 'I'm slightly terrified' sort of look to it, but she goes into the dressing room with and disrobes, letting Riva help her into the first of the new outfits. She goes for the warm outfit first, the pine green with the bonnet. She's never seen a hat such as this one, but upon putting it on she finds she really likes the look of it! The dress is also incredibly lovely, and Inga spends a good while just examining everything as she puts it on--including the boots. What nice boots! She needed a new pair before winter came again.

Once fully outfitted, Inga steps out and looks in the mirror, a shy smile on her face. "This is....gorgeous," she says, clearly in awe. Its one of the most beautiful garments she's ever seen. "Does it need any final adjustments do you think?" she asks Tomoyo.

Then, Inga turns to Riva. "Well...?" she asks, wanting her opinion.

Riva Banari has posed:
There is a chirpy whistling noise from the dressing room until you hear a short squee of delight from Riva. "Ohmahgawd that is /so awesome/." She helps Inga get it on and then shuffles around her, clapping her hands. "Man, that's amazing. You look almost... regal in it, really." She pops out of the dressing room and grins to Tomoyo. "You knocked it out of the park again! And the crowd goes wild!" She says, with fake cheering noises.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    When Inga emerges from the booth, Tomoyo is already waiting with a camera. She needs more pictures for that wall of satisfied customers! Upon seeing how happy with it Inga is, a content smile creeps up on her face. "Oh, I'm so glad you like it~ Whenever I get to see someone fall in love with something I made... it's the best feeling."

    And then, she raises the camera. "Do you mind if I get a photo of you wearing it?" She doesn't mind that Inga didn't want to try on the other dress. Something like that might still be too much to wear around others. She'll still have it for when she needs it~ Riva's cheering only makes the girl blush a little, swaying on the spot. "I'm glad you like it too Riva~"

    Whether or not Inga consents to the photo, Tomoyo goes behind the counter to start ringing up the price! "So, I have to ask... how do you two know each other? You seem to be quite the odd couple~ Do you work together?"

Inga has posed:
Inga blushes at the fuss Riva makes, but her chin rises a little as she examines herself again in the mirror, a small grin forming. "Not exactly the style I am used to, but I do like it. It does seem...regal. That is good," she says. Despite the shyness and discomfort in situations like these...Inga is a poweful woman and one who is accustomed to wielding some influence. She thinks her wardrobe should reflect then when needed. "It is very well made. You are quite talented. I shall try on the other as well, I just...I figured I'd try this one first," she says.

She blinks as Tomoyo asks to take her picture. "Oh, ah, yes I suppose. Actually, I have never seen a likeness of myself done," she answers.

Inga glances toward Riva, then back to Tomoyo. "We are both Chosen of Gaia. We hear The Buzzing. We are of the same world, if not the same, ah, time. Our primary mission is the same," she answers. Inga smiles sheepishly. "Riva has been kind enough to be one of the people who has been helping me adjust to the multiverse," she adds.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva looks over to Inga's explanation, and nnods, shruggging to Tomoyo. "She puts a lot of flourish on it, but really, we both work together in a lot of ways. We have a lot in common, don't we?"

Suddenly, Riva hugs Inga from behind an puts her head next to Tomoyo, making a silly face. "See?! So much in common!"

Lots in common if you were being filmed for the Odd Couple.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo snaps the photo, and shows it to Inga! The wonders of modern technology means that the screen displays a high-resolution image of Inga in the outfit, looking very lovely no doubt. Tomoyo again smiles at the compliment of her tailoring skills. "Well, I try~ I've made a lot of terrible ones too though."

    As the two explain their relationship, Tomoyo actually looks a little awed. "A pair of chosen ones, united across time..." Her hands come up to her cheeks, eyes alive with delight. "How wonderful~ You two must have had amazing adventures..."

    But suddenly, Yamazaki pops up from behind the two! Man, how is that guy so sneaky? "Speaking of buzzing," he begins, "Did you know that in ancient times, bees were kept not for their honey but their buzzing? It served as an effective deterrent for most predators. But the tribes who did it had to live far away from any forests, because it would attract bears. Bears love honey you see!"

    Oh dear, now you've got him rolling.

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    It seems Scarlet has chosen an eventful time to arrive. This time she isn't even out of her academy's uniform, though she still has the expensive, and rather heavy looking, messenger bag. She seems to be in a little bit more of a hurry than before, having had the luxury of coming in on a weekend, but that doesn't stop her from halting in place and expertly quirking an eyebrow at the story the man suddenly in the store seems to have gotten on. "Is this a bad time?" she asks, partly just to rescue Riva and Inga.

Inga has posed:
"Flourish, yes," she says with a small laugh. "I suppose I gave a bit more detail than strictly necessary hmm?"

Inga looks back at Riva making silly faces and laughs again, shaking her head.

Inga looks to Tomoyo as she goes all starry eyed. Inga's eyes widen slightly, then her nose wrinkles. "Oh hey, many exciting, disgusting adventures," she says. "Mostly that involve the undead, fish men and a lot of old blood," she adds.

Inga looks at the photo of herself and gasps softly. Strange, that she's never seen a photo of herself. "That really is remarkable...gods, is that what I look like? How strange!" she says, handing the photo back, still shaking her head in awe as Scarlet enters. Inga looks back and greets her with a nod. "Oh, hello," she greets.

Then, to the man ranting about bees, Inga blinks. "Well, that is true, but we certainly kept bees mainly for the honey. My mentor, she had a small hive. I...I use to not like going near the bees much. Ironic," she comments.

Inga then supposes she should get changed! "Do not want to hold you up, let me get changed into the other dress. Perhaps I'll wear that one home," she says. It isn't exactly wintery enough for this one...

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva lets Inga loose once the wisewoman notices what Riva's up to, skipping over to give Inga her personal space back. FOR NOW. "Most of our adventures have involved having to deal with a paranormal zombie-cross-Lovecraftian apocalypse. Not exactly glorious." Riva replies, and then tilts her head at Yamazaki. "That's interesting. Wouldn't attracting bears be good for some people though? They could kill the bears and use the meat and pelts for... Oh hi, Scarlet!"

Riva changes gears mid-sentence, and waves to the magess. "Nice to see you again! Did you ever meet Inga, you and her might alooo-wheeee!" And interrupted she is again as she is pulled into the dressing room. "Let's do this!" She calls. presaging Riva getting her assistance on.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    "It's called a camera," Tomoyo begins to explain to Inga, always happy to talk about her favourite hobby. "They've come really far you know~ Used to be that people had to sit still for hours to get a photo done!" She listens as the two explain what their adventures tend to consist of, making a vaguely disgusted face. "Well... you're both very brave to do stuff like that!"

     But then, Yamazaki goes into his little spiel, so Tomoyo just smiles and listens. They're part of why she hired him, after all! Also, he's the only boy her age she really knows who was available.

    But then, Scarlet makes her entrance! Thankfully, Yamazaki is aware enough to know when to stop. Also, his story is having holes poked in it, so now is the time to coolly withdraw. Tomoyo meanwhile, bows to the other girl. "Hello Scarlet~ Nono, you're a welcome sight! Please, come in."

    While Riva and Inga go to dress in the other outfit, Tomoyo slips upstairs to grab Scarlet's. Coming back down with the bag on the coat-hanger, she passes it across the counter. "I hope the request you made is to your satisfaction. I put my all into it! If you care to try it on, the dressing rooms are there." She points across to where Riva and Inga went, two booths still available.

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    Scarlet looks faintly bemused to Inga's reaction to the sight of a photograph, but far from condescending about it. In fact, she looks more than a little interested in what kind of world someone could come from that had never heard of near-instant visual recording, or perhaps it's simply due to the style of dress shes' picked out. She flashes a smile as Tomoyo's schoolmate moves off, almost disappointed she didn't get to hear the rest of that particular tangent, interested in where it would have gone from there.

    "Well, we'll see in just a moment, won't we~" She sounds remarkably confident that it will, despite having only met the girl once and seen limited selections of her handiwork. She accepts the folded and hung ensemble with an appreciative inclination and heads over to one of the adjacent changing booths, talking over the stalls as she strips. "Inga, was it? I barely caught your name. Pleased to meet you, as I would be with any friend of Riva's I'm sure. For fairness' sake, Scarlet Everille."

Inga has posed:
Inga shakes her head more at the camera. "Yes I have heard of them of course, and seem pictures. I've seen movies and television as well. I have just never seen myself. Really, even your mirrors are alarmingly clear! I have never...known so clearly what I looked like," Inga admits.

Inga steals away quickly with Riva to get changed. Luckily, the next frock (yes, Inga is the type that would totally use the word frock) is considerably easier to put on and takes less time. Inga reappears in the polka dot dress, which is more appropriate for the weather today. And /quite/ cute.

Inga steps out and looks back to Scarlet, ready for an introduction. "So sorry, didn't want to hold up your fitting....I am Inga, pleased to meet you," she says.

To Riva, she raises a brow. How's this one...?" Inga hasn't dared to look in the mirror yet. It shows /calf/.

Riva Banari has posed:
"I think you both will get along just fine!" Riva replies as she helps Inga along. "She's a wisewoman from her land, too. You both might be able to talk some shop in the oldschool department."

Riva continus to Riva as they disembark. With a quick glance, Riva confirms that Scarlet is in fact in another dressing room, and she pronounces when asked, "You're Ingadorable." She says with a smile. "Just look! You're so cute!"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Within Scarlet's dressing room, the two outfits within the bag are revealed! It's like the sketch Scarlet was shown had been yanked from the page. The first consists of a crimson single-breasted business jacket, with a formal long-sleeved black shirt to go with it. The folded lapels and buttons are also black. A knee-length business skirt with small slits, also in crimson, with black tights and low wedge heels, crimson with black soles and wedges. And of course, the cravat of alternating crimson and black with the intricate embroidery. It's clear that Tomoyo poured a lot of effort into it, and her passion has paid off. The designs are perfectly made, easily rivalling the works of the top creators of her home world. The other outfit is a mirror of the first, black where it would be crimson and vice versa

    Meanwhile, Tomoyo walks around Inga in the thinner dress, making sure everything sits right. "You look wonderful of course~ You don't really need my help with that," she says in a polite tone. Again, she takes out the camera and snaps another photo of the woman, showing it to her. "I can send you a print of these photos if you like~" She was so clearly marvelling at them, and Tomoyo has all sorts of editing and printing equipment at home! "Ingadorable..." she mutters, rolling the English word around in her mouth. "I like it!"

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    Scarlet gets a good minute in front of the mirror before stepping out. Not so much to pore over every detail of the dress; her augmented vision can do that easily; but to carefully make sure the super dense collection of arcane glyphs is threaded just right in the hidden circle inside the cuff. Can't be too careful with that. What's it for? Nobody but her knows. Yet.

    She finally exits the changing room with a slow little flourish, looking herself over from the first person perspective as well. It certainly looks smart, and in quite a different way than the boring black pencil ensemble swiftly going out of style for the third time in her world. She cracks a smile at Riva. "Oldschool? Wherever did you get that idea? Magic is a very modernized art~" She goes so far as to giggle at "Ingadorable", especially so at Tomoyo's repeat of it. "That said, we did start that way. Heliosanctus in particular is built on a circle created by influence of the Holy Roman Empire on the later tribes of the British Isles."

Inga has posed:
Inga blinks, eyebrows rising with interest. "Oh, you are a wisewoman as well?" she inquires of Scarlet once she's out of the dressing room. She also nods approvingly at the outfit before turning and looking at her dress in the mirror. Her cheeks flush at Riva's compliment. Ingadorable?! "Odin's bones...well, it is not /too/ short...the sleeves are interesting how you put the little tucks here to puff them out. Yes, yes I like it!" she says, smiling finally. She thinks the man at home will also approve and tease her about her legs.

Inga blushes further as she turns to Tomoyo. "Oh, you could send them to me? I think I would like that...a photograph, hmmm..." she says, thoughtful suddenly as she is cooking up something in her head. There's a photo she'd like taken, now she'll have to think on that.

Inga looks back toward Scarlet upon hearing words she recognizes. "Are you from another version of midgard--er, earth, then? I have seen some of the ruins of the Romans, mavelous things--well, I have seen more marvels since, but at the time...well, nevermind," she says, waving a hand. She starts attaching her belts with its knife, pouches and bone charms. Doesn't quite go with the dress, alas. "Old school...I do not see how that term applies when we had no such thing as school," Inga adds in a grumble.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva claps. "See? Everyone loves it. It's official." She lets it lie there, though, if you overuse a term it can get old or annoying. "I feel like you're ready to go dancing around on some grassy hills while singing a bright and cheerful song about thinks you love." Riva grins, giving a wink. "But we'll work up to that." She chuckles.

Riva then thumbs over her shoulder to Inga while looking over to Scarlet. "You might have modernized, but you might benefit from looking into a similar treatment of Inga's own practices. She's actually from like the 900s or so. Imagine what you could do if you surprised some people with a new paradigm, right? Got to stay ahead of the Magical Joneses." Maybe she might be hoping exposure to Scarlet might help rub off on Inga a bit too, considering her ultra-modern magical style.

She pauses, looking thoughtful. "Would that be the Gandalfs? The Merlins?" This seems to be weighing on Riva's mind for some reason.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo steps over to walks around Scarlet, double-checking that everything fits her. "You look very striking~ No doubt you'll be turning a lot of heads," she says pleasantly. As she raising her camera questioningly, as if asking if Scarlet was okay with it, she adds, "Now... since you asked me to put the custom patterns in such a hidden place, you might not want to talk about them... but I would be happy if you could clue me in about them~"

    As the topic of conversation shifts towards the modernization of magic and the influence of Western empires, Tomoyo just kind of... tilts her head. She's a smart girl, but this kind of thing never came up during her Japanese curriculum! So it's a good thing(?) that Yamazaki is here to chip in.

    "By the way, since we're talking about the British Isles and paradigm shifts," he says, popping in from among the shelves of materials. "Did you know that the stone circles that you find there are dimensional anchors? The Roman Empire was using incredible power to shift the world into a state where they conquered all of Britannia, but the druids set up those circles to resist it. Even today, you can't teleport if you're within 100 feet of Stonehenge."

    It's a lot more outlandish than his usual stories. Maybe he's tailoring his story to a more mystical audience?

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    "Oh I'm sure I will~" Let it not be said that Scarlet isn't very happy with how her clothes turned out, especially considering the mid-range price and the tiny little local boutique it is. Turning heads however, is something she has a very long history of refining, not to mention cheating at. Something attention grabbing but not tacky is extremely useful for her purposes. She waves in acknowledgement to the picture, smiling in the most photogenic manner imaginable. The resulting picture could probably fit on the front of a magazine. Eerily without being photoshopped. Lucky lighting?

    "Oh, "Midgard" hm?" Scarlet is more than familiar with world mythology, even from before unification. "I was wondering if you weren't from some other place. Yes, we're from the same kind of world, though obviously from a different time period!" She taps the smartcollar around her neck for emphasis. "The 10th century hm? That's around when people started turning superstitions into actual practises around my timeline. Still with the tea leaves and knucklebones but with appreciable results. I'm interested~ We only have vague archeological records of that kind of thing."

    She looks to Riva. "Is that a good idea? I know it's not exactly meddling in the past but it seems similar. Besides, I'm not sure how many of them would even have a proficiency for it. We didn't get up to our current number of mages without centuries of glorified eugenics." Says the rank 6. She keeps quiet during Yamazaki's lecture though, this time really wanting to see how far it goes. "Fascinating! I've never tried. Maybe I should sometime? They've made Stonehenge a protected site by now but I'm sure I could get a weekend pass."

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    So Dorian's gotten word that the outfit he'd commissioned from Tomoyo is ready! Thankfully he has the funds to pay for it now -- the Syndicate's jobs pay quite well. So now that both of these are true, Dorian has come back to Tomoyo's store! He's made an attempt to blend in with a modern environment, in a white suit with a dark teal shirt and a lighter teal tie, and dress shoes.

    But there's only so much blending in one can do when one carries a mage staff. It's slung by a strap on his back, and takes the shape of three serpents at the top. Still, he looks less like a cosplayer misplaced from his LARP group, and that's what he was going for.

    As he enters the store, he takes stock of his surroundings, noticing people there. He nods, and offers a pleasant, "Good day" to those gathered. He recognizes Inga! And he smirks when he sees her. "Well, hello there," he says brightly, looking in Inga's direction. "Been keeping out of trouble, I hope? No more public goat sacrifices?" He ... could be kidding, given the smirk on his face. Then again, Multiverse.

    He isn't ignoring the others, mind ... he just doesn't know them well enough to engage them in friendly conversation. He's polite with his greeting, and isn't being unwelcoming or offputting. He does have a bit of a haughty tone to his voice, but nothing beyond what a well-to-do man might have in the first place.

Riva Banari has posed:
"Holy cow, do you know basically everything?" Riva replies in minor awe to Yamazaki. "You're pretty amazing! But I guess that might make sense. I know there's some trouble going down at Stonehenge in my own world too, sooooo..." She shrugs, and then looks to the others present.

Scarlet's response gets a shrug. "I'm not a mage, Scarlet. At least, yeah I have magical power but I don't really... do anyhing with it other than hit things over the head with it like a shiny club. Regardless, it's an opportunity. She can't go back to her time anyway, last I checked. I have no idea what the Bees were doing, but no one understands why they do anything. Fact of the matter is, you won't mess up a timeline by doing it. I think." She has a classic 'what can you do?' face at the moment.

When Dorian comes in, she whistles for a moment. "Well, hi there!" She smiles to the man, and puts out a hand. "You're a friend of Inga, then? I'm Riva! Nice to meet you! I'm also one of her friends! Are you also a mage?" She asks, her gaze drifting to said staff.

Inga has posed:
Inga looks to Tomoyo. Ah, so Scarlet has had runes sewn into her garments? Inga does that as well, though she does so herself. She'll likely not be wearing these to battle however...

Then, to Yamazaki. Inga bliks. "No, I did not know that," she says. Though she might if she knew what most of those words even meant. "There were stories about those though. Stone circles like that. That they could trasport you between worlds and times," she comments.

Inga looks back to Scarlet, eyebrows rising slightly, lips pursing with a moment of displeasure. She feels Scarlet is being a bit condescending, which honestly, Inga is also growing accustomed to from many people in the multiverse.

She's very over it.

Still, she lets it slide, saying nothing. Supersition? Tch...

Luckily, her attention is soon grabbed by the next person to walk in. She turns, surprised quickly evident. "Dorian!" she remarks, then flushes red at the reminder that that /incident/. "No, I have quite learned the rules now I think, however silly they may be," she grumps, reaching up to toss her long braid over her shoulder. "I am glad to see you are well however. Buying some clothes?" she asks. Inga is dressed more modernly as well in a Tomoyo creation, though she still manages to look old fashioned somehow. It's a gift.

Inga looks to Riva, blinking. "There is trouble at the stone circle? Oh, yes, ah, this is Dorian. Dorian, my good friend Riva," she introduces.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Yamazaki seems pleased to have a captive audience for once, and no Chiharu to drag him off before he can finish. "Well, for the longest time, these properties have gone unnoticed because magic was a secret here. But with Unification, the magic side of society has been outed. Unfortunately, a circle of modern-day druids won't let anyone examine Stonehenge, but there are similar circles all over the world. This kind of reality-warping magic has been theorized to be behind the disappearance of Central America civilisations like the Aztecs. Some kind of accident wiping out both sides of a war, perhaps?"

    Tomoyo is happy to let him continue (and also to let Inga and Riva think he's serious because dang that's funny) because Dorian has arrived! "Hello Dorian~" she says, bowing her head and smiling at his fashion choices. It's not bad, but the staff kind of ruins the look. "You know, people in Tomoeda are used to Elites now. No need to try and blend in. Although, that look suits you!"

    She snaps Scarlet's photo (quietly marvelling at how well it came out. No need to touch up this one!) and slips behind the counter, going upstairs to take his outfit from the wardrobe of commissions, soon returning to hand it across the counter to the mage. "I hope you like it~ All the changing rooms are free now, so take your pick!"

    Glancing over at Riva, she says, "It's okay, you have guns and look good in military dress, you don't need anything else~" She also playfully puts her hands on her hips and stares at Inga. "I'll usually accept any form of payment, but I draw the line at anything that involves goat sacrifice~" she says with a slightly cheeky smile.

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    Scarlet seems very thoroughly distracted with Riva for a moment. "Wait, if she can't go back to her time, how is anyone else supposed to? And I don't think I've yet heard what bees have to do with any of it." She does however, manage to pick up on that cue from Inga, however slight. "Oh don't be that way, I was being honest! I can't speak for alternate histories, but that century was where rigorous magical practise started to become a Thing. A lot of people like to arbitrarily label it the birthplace of the first "real" magic. At least in the West. Nobody in the middle East or further can finish arguing about what constitutes magic and which historical accounts are fiction or factual in an effort to one-up each other as the first."

    She waves offhandedly. "Tangent. The point is I think it'd be interesting to see the kind of magic that uses all natural components and methods, before it was industrialized. If you have the time of course. I'd cover the cost of any regeants involved." The proposal gets a little sidetracked as Dorian walks in and Riva indicates him as another acquaintance of Inga's. At the sight of the really obvious staff, she decides to do the usual cursory check she has down to the typical reflex of a magus by now, briefly boosting her vision with the subtlest of unnatural hues to assess him for active wards, enchantments, augmentations and invisible familiars, as is standard practise to judge the level of a magus and how one should address them. She realizes she should probably do the same for Inga as well, and so spares a moment, though she's already looked at Riva's uncomfortable amount of Anima.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    Dorian looks in Riva's direction at the greeting. "Good to meet you, Miss Riva," he says amiably. He takes hold of the offered hand. Not to shake it though. He makes to kiss the back of her hand in a gentlemanly manner before he releases it. As to Riva's question of whether he's a friend of Inga's? He nods. "We've met." He smirks slightly -- there's a story there. Possibly related to the mention of 'goat sacrificing'.

    Inga's reply to his question gets a chuckle. "That's good to hear. It would be a pity for you to end up in jail again. That's no place for a lady like yourself." Ooh, this one's a charmer! He nods to her question. "I had an ensemble commissioned, yes. Just got word that it was done, so I came to collect it." How bows politely at the introduction from Riva. "I am indeed," he confirms of his name. "Dorian of House Pavus. Altus mage of Tevinter. How do you do?" he offers to the room at large.

    Tomoyo's greeting gets a smile, and he nods his head politely in her direction. "It's good to see you again, Miss Tomoyo." The mention of his incongruous look gets a chuckle, and he smirks. "Well, I don't want to be /completely/ unnoticed. That would defeat the purpose of dressing up." When the outfit is passed across the counter, Dorian accepts the offered outfit, replying, "Ah, thank you."

    Scarlet's vision reveals no visible familiars, but he is definitely a mage. One of those natural mages -- it's in his blood, not just something he's studied. He /is/ from a long line of powerful mages. Dorian also notices the scrutiny, and looks in Scarlet's direction. "Greetings to you as well," he notes. Pause. "Is there something on my face?" He sounds disturbed by this possiblility, and reaches into a pocket for -- oh geez, he's carrying a ladies' compact mirror. At least there's no actual makeup in it, and both top and bottom are both merely mirrors.

Riva Banari has posed:
"I'll tell you about it later, Inga." Riva promises. Not the time to go into secret world 'politics' at the moment. In the meantime, she's eating everything Yamazaki says up. Maybe this crap actually HAPPENS on her world? However, Tomoyo does get Riva to give a salute, smiling and giggling. "I guess fashion is also a power, but you're the queen of that~" She replies to Tomoyo.

Riva then looks to Scarlet. "I didn't say you should go to her old time. I mean you and Inga should swap tips, that's all!

Meanwhile, Dorian gets down to business, and causes Riva to glare at Inga. "Ingaaaaaa , did you end up in jail for sacrificing goats in public?" She looks back to Dorian and nods. "Riva Banari, Knights Templar. Nice to meet you." She says, smiling. She's turned this into a game, trying to see how much people instinctively flip out when she mentions who she works for. It's not like she doesn't have their insignia right on her chest, after all.

Inga has posed:
Inga is also possessing of an uncomfortable ammount of Anima. They're both a bit blinding to look at. "The bees. It is quite complicated. Messengers of the gods--of this goddess, Gaia. We are Chosen. It was the Bees that brought me from my time to...Riva's. I have wandered the branches of the world tree but I have found no way back to my time. It...does not matter anyway. This is where the gods want me. I will not be going back," she responds.

Inga sighs slightly. "I am rather used to people looking down on may ways as 'old school' and primitive. I do not know your history, but magic was taught to me as it was taught to generation upon generation before me. But the tradition was broken. Our ways were mostly lost it seems. Wiped out by the bloody Christians," she says, venom in her voice now.

Inga takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "That said, if you would like to see some of what I do--what isn't influence by the Bees, I can show you," she says to Scarlet, hoping she won't regret it. Is magic really so different for her? There must be common ground. Even in Harry's world, so much of what he does is familiar to her.

Back to Dorian, Inga smiles. Her eye may have twitched slightly. "Yes, indeed. I was not /in jail/," she grumbles to Riva. "I was taken in from a sacrifice in the park in Chicago. Completely ridiculous," she sighs.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Yamazaki again has the social graces to back off when it's clear that Scarlet isn't listening anymore. But, Riva's still paying attention so he keeps at it anyway! "But, a theory has been presented, that these circles are not just anchors, but nails that hold this reality together. Suppose they got taken down... would our reality crumble?"

    Tomoyo meawhile, is keeping a close eye on Scarlet and Inga's discussion. She's still yet to have a fight break out, and she plans to keep it that way! By the by, she registers as having no magic at all under Scarlet's arcane vision, but something in the pocket of her apron is giving off some, as is a variety of materials on the shelves. Nothing particularly strong though.

    Riva's comment makes her blink though, and she smiles. "Oh, it's not a power~ Maybe a talent, or a developed skill. But thank you!" Dorian's ladykilling ways draws a giggle from the girl too. "You have a point~ Fashion should be about making yourself feel good, but others can appreciate it too."

    Speaking of, should he slip into a dressing room and check the bag, he finds that denim vest with the green shirt with scale patterns, along with matching skinny denim jeans that come with a brown belt to hold them up, the clasp designed like three snakes coiling around each other to match his staff. A pair of black boots with silver clasps that match the one on his belt. Finally, a pair of tinted glasses, to block out the flash of lighting and flame.

    Outside, Tomoyo shakes her head at Inga. "Sometimes the old ways are good. I mean... there are machines that can do what I do out there, but I still do a lot by hand. It takes longer, but it makes each work a project, something I can sink all my care into..."

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    "Oh, not literal bees then." Scarlet concludes, as if this all makes perfect sense now. "There's a pretty major divergence. As far as anyone can tell at home, we don't have gods. Not unless you count the 66, and only some of those can actually speak." She nods understandingly, or at least in a surprisingly convincing fascimile of it should one not believe it sincere, at the rest. "I'll skip the part about the old fashioned having a charm of its own and go straight to saying that magic is magic. Even if the process is less streamlined and documented and more inconvenient, results are results. Besides, nobody has any idea how many things our ancestors knew how to do that we still haven't rediscovered~" It appears she might be that type who is more fascinated by the ingenuity of ancient man than the one who wonders how they ever got by without the internet.

    After having been magically blinded a few times after coming to the Multiverse, Scarlet is a lot better at hiding it when Inga does much the same, starting to see a pattern with people chosen from that particular world. Dorian is something new however, and something a lot more traditional. She implicitly mistrusts someone of that level of power who isn't maintaining any kind of spells as a matter of course, for any of several reasons. Oh, she flashes him a nice enough smile and a short apology for staring, but she excuses herself from the store without introducing herself, though not before handing over the entire cost of her clothes in cash, plus a sizable tip; walking out in the outfit with the rest of her clothes folded into her bag.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    Riva's mention of the going to jail gets a nod. "We both did, actually," he notes. "Guilt by association, you see. I'm a mage from Thedas -- worse that I'm Tevinter. I'm used to that sort of thing." Though he is still smiling and his tone is light, so he may still be at least partially kidding. Riva's mention of Templars gets a short bark of a laugh, though a genuinely amused sound. "Ha! It's rather amusing the amount of worlds that have their own Templars that do vastly different things." He doesn't seem to be flipping out, though he does mention, "Now see, if you were a Templar from Thedas, you'd have been giving me dirty looks the moment I came in, and probably would have been tripping over yourself to tattoo lyrium onto my forehead."

    Now, Dorian does have to chuckle at Inga's discomfiture over the jailing. "I believe the term is 'taken into custody'," he clarifies. "Do forgive me, the whole thing was amusing enough -- at least now -- that I tease you far too much about it, Miss Inga." At least he's not bitter about it, if his attitude is any indication.

    Dorian seems as though he's just sort of beinga fop. But he is listening to those other snippets of conversation. Time-travel, magic circles -- he's hearing it all, even if he's not making it outwardly obvious that he is. Tomoyo's statement of what fashion is all about gets a broad smile. "Now there, you see? That is why I'm glad I came here. So few understand that. You should see the Orlesian nobles -- how they stand those horrible shoes is quite beyond me."

    He bows politely to Scarlet as she leaves, but he does indeed twig to the fact that there's something odd about the way she departs. He doesn't quite know exactly what, but he's used to people making themselves scarce around him. 'Ew, it's a VINT' is definitely a sentiment in Thedas.

    He then turns to the room at large. "Please excuse me a moment, I'd like to try this on and see how well it fits," he notes, and heads for a changing room.

Riva Banari has posed:
Inga goes and makes herself scarce, and Riva leans on a wall, smiling to Dorian. "Nah, my guys are much more relaxed." She pauses. "Well, some of them. You could hang out with them. I don't even know what lyrium is, but I assume it's some antimagical thing. Douchebag move, if you ask me."

As Dorian heads into the dressing room, Riva waves to Tomoyo. "I should get going. Have a great day, all right? Give Dorian my regards. I'm sure he's going to look super snappy."

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
Sir MORDRED comes in, dressed in his formal suit. The white tie outfit with the royal sash that he wears when he's at formal events or, apparently, picking up clothes. He doesn't quite speak, merely content to observe the people present wordlessly and motionlessly. Not a single twitch after he stops moving.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo accepts Scarlet's money, a little confused as to why she got so quiet at the end there. But she bows and wishes her a pleasant day nonetheless. She also bids farewell to Riva and Inga on their way out too, along with Yamazaki. He was pleased to have a captive audience.

    While Dorian is in the changing booth, getting dressed (everything fitting perfectly, naturally), MORDRED arrives! Tomoyo remembers the imposing Confederate well, and lowers her head in greeting. "Hello Sir MORDRED. Here for your commissions, I assume?" Yamazaki nips upstairs to grab them, coming back down with several plastic bags which Tomoyo offers to the suited fellow.

    "Thank you for taking the time to pick them up. Should you require any assistance, Yamazaki here would be happy to help." The young man does his best to look 'happy to help' but the intense mecha pilot has him sweating a little.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
"I could use a squire, as long as he's capable of learning things the hard way." MORDRED says deadpan, staring right into Yamazaki's eyes. With a snap of his fingers, a mecha's hand reaches through the door, ready to accept the bags. "Now how much do I owe you, madam?"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Yamazaki chortles, a little awkwardly. "Sorry sir, but I would probably be better as a bard's apprentice than a squire." And then, as if he's trying to prove his point, he suddenly says, "By the way, did you know that back in the day, a lot of squires were actually girls? You see, printing had recently been invented, and so romantic stories entered mass production for the first time. Girls were being swept off their feet by tales of brave heroes coming to sweep them off their feet. So they began entering squireships, so as to get close to brave knights."

    Tomoyo isn't entirely sure if Yamazaki should be going off on one of his stories to a Confederate, so she just goes to put the bags in the mech's hand. "Are you sure you wouldn't care to try them on first sir? We have available dressing booths." Either way, she does rattle off a quick price, very reasonable!

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    It's about that moment when Dorian exits the changing rooms, in the new outfit -- a denim vest, over a green t-shirt with a snakeskin pattern, what might be called 'skinny jeans' in some parts of the world, and black boots. "Well, here we are." He's adjusting the outfit slightly, and his eyes are down at the vest for a moment. "How does it look Miss Tomoyo--" And then he looks up.

    Suddenly GIANT METAL HAND!

    "MAKER'S BREATH!" Dorian exclaims, taking a few steps back. "What in the world...?"

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
"You speak as though female knights are some kind of curiousity, or that female squires would join only out of some hormonally driven idiocy. Knighthood is no game, knave. It's war. Knights and squires die frequently." This time the deadpan is replaced by some serious sounding disapproval, the lecture given with a certain disdain. "I suppose I could try some on, Daidouji. Please give me a moment." And then Dorian incites a sigh, "That is Glare-NT, my Armour."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    The two tailors flinch as Dorian emerges and freaks out at the sight of the giant hand. Although, at the very least, it helped to break the tension brought by the older man's stern disapproval. "Calm down Dorian, it's just a giant robot," Tomoyo says, speaking as if they're no big deal. Giant robots are cultural thing in Japan, after all!

    While Tomoyo goes over to make sure that Dorian's outfit fits okay (and gets a photo of him in it), Tamazaki bows his head to MORDRED. "I apologize sir. In our world, squires and knights were only male. It wasn't supposed to come across so poorly." As way of apology, he guides the pilot to a spare dressing room.

    Should he take a look in the bags, he would find his three outfits! The first is the beachwear, with the Hawaiian shirt depicting a sunny African savannah. On the back is a rock on which a lion basks, and the amber eyes of lionesses lurk among the tall, dry grass. It comes with a pair of tan cargo shorts and brown Roman sandals.

    The second is clothing for colder weather, consisting of a gray ribbed turtleneck sweater, along with some black thermal pants with red stripes up the legs and brown boots with thick soles. Also included are some black fingerless gloves. Quite plain for something Tomoyo wears, but it looks very warm!

    The final bag contains some tamer clothing for warm weather. It has a red polo shirt with gold embroidery of a lion basking under a tree on the breast pocket. It comes with a pair of black denim jeans as well as orange sneakers with white soles and lances.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    MORDRED's tone as he speaks immediately pierces through Dorian's shock, and the mage composes himself. "Ahem. Yes, of course," he replies as if he hadn't just nearly jumped out of his shoes at the sight of the 'armor. Nothing to see here folks, nobody saw anything! It's worthy to note, though, that Dorian is visibly not Japanese. So he's likely never seen a giant robot before. At least, not THIS close!

    Tomoyo doing normal things like checking his outfit's fit also helps him adjust to the relative weirdness (to him). And when she makes to snap a photo, Dorian retrieves the sunglasses that were included with the oufit. Because even he knows they look awesome~. "Thank you, Miss Tomoyo. I'm very pleased with it." He'll also pay for the outfit too!

    Now that he's reasonably sure the armor isn't going to kill him (at least, not today), Dorian looks at the giant metal hand. "Armor? How do you wear a suit of armor so much bigger than yourself?" The concept of 'giant mecha' is a little beyond him, it seems. Though he may need to wait 'till MORDRED gets out of the changing rooms before he can ask the question.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
No need for Dorian to wait. MORDRED's voice comes out of the Armour instead, probably some more technological tomfoolery. "Well that's why a knight has spent practicing since childhood. It's not trivial. Technologically speaking, it's quite complex and at least partially classified." When he comes out of the dressing room, with no more words spoken to Tamazaki (though at least one icy glare) in the beachwear.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo beams with delight as Dorian approves of the outfit, and gives him a fair price on it. Yamazaki meanwhile, shivers under MORDRED's icy glare. When Tomoyo looks over at the pilot, she smiles politely. "Ooohhh, it suits you well!" Taking out her camera, she snaps a quick photo of him too.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    Dorian looks surprised as he notes the voice coming from the armor while MORDRED is in the changing room. "Fascinating," Dorian remarks. "You're connected to your armor, then? It's not just 'wearing' it?" Dorian does possess a certain air about him that indicates he may not have the same understanding of modern technology that he would if he were actually from modern times.

    Not to worry Tomoyo. The fair price will be paid, plus some extra for the excellent service and craftsmanship. Or would that be craftswomanship in Tomoyo's case? Either way, the outfit's paid for, though it's probably in a Multiversal form of currency.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
"No I'm not. It's just got a radio receiver built in, and an amplifier. It can be hard to be understood if I don't use the amp while I'm inside." MORDRED explains, he doesn't pose for the camera, just standing there stoically. "I'm glad you think so." No hints about what he thinks.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Now that the two men have received their costumes (and had their pictures taken), the two bow their heads (especially low to MORDRED). "Thank you both for coming. Please, come again!"