5193/Velvet Fashions

Velvet Fashions
Date of Scene:	09 April 2017
Location:	The Tapestry
Synopsis:	Velvet Crowe finally upgrades from her rags to a respectable look.
Cast of Characters:	Tomoyo Daidouji, 1104

---

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoeda is one of the most pleasant places in the Multiverse, it seems. Not just because the streets are clean, nor for the elegant blend of urban convenience and natural beauty. No, it's just because the residents are so goddamn /nice/, something a certain jailbreaker might come to learn as she walks through the streets.

    This being Japan, someone with a look like hers would be pegged a delinquent, if not some kind of exhibitionist in most places. The kind that people would stare at, make nasty comments on, and then probably call the police. But here in Tomoeda? The stares are there, true. But most of the comments seem to be revolving around concern for Velvet, wonderings if all is well with her.

    Thankfully, she doesn't have to put up with too much of this before arriving at the Boutique known throughout the Multiverse. The refurbished building welcomes her with a jingling bell, the softly lit beige interior with the granite pillar shelves and racks of homemade clothes empty save for the black-haired girl behind the counter.

    "Welcome to Tomoyo's Boutique~ May I help you?"

Velvet Crowe (1104) has posed:
    First time in a modern city: check.
    Discomfort at clothes shopping: check.
    Unease at the fact her expenses are being covered by the Paladins because their leader evidently took offense (or pity) at her choice of costume: check.

    ... but at least, she's not entirely against the idea. A vengeful daemon she might be, there's still a girl in there that occasionally wants to make herself pretty. Ish.

    Managing to not care what the bystanders think, because she really doesn't, Velvet eventually finds the boutique, not completely thrown off by the intuitive system of 'buildings have numbers, look for the right one'. She also has a map!

    The fashion disaster enters Tomoyo's realm, looking like she's still unsure about being here. "Yeah, there's some arrangement with the Paladins to get me new clothes? Can I talk to your dad?" In her defense: fair assumption.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    It is indeed a fair assumption! Tomoyo doesn't take it poorly at all, it's not in her nature. "Oh, my apologies. I'm Tomoyo Daidouji. This is my store. I realize it's a bit unusual, but I promise my work is good~" Ah yes, it's all clicking in her head now. Velvet's rags look just like...

    "Yes, I remember the arrangement now~ I was sent a picture to work with. Recreating an outfit based on rags was an interesting challenge." The girl smiles and gestures at the premade clothes on the racks. "Please, feel free to look around while I get it. It just needs some finishing touches, and the amounts the Paladins are offering is, honestly, too much. I would feel bad accepting it for a single outfit."

    And with that, she's ascending the stairs behind the counter.

Velvet Crowe (1104) has posed:
    "Oh." Oh indeed. What else do you say? Someone more mindful might say sorry, but she's still a bit overwhelmed from the streets outside. So noisy and busy. How do people get used to that?

    Tomoyo withdraws, leaving Velvet alone with far, far too many clothes on racks, shelves and counters. She naturally gravitates towards what's darker, mostly because she doesn't really want to walk around in bright pink or yellow clothing when she's kind of. Wanted. It helps her to look cool and edgy. Keeps people out of her way! Less work.

    This is a lot of selection for someone who doesn't know where to start. It doesn't take her long to settle on pants over skirts, so that much's handled. Jeans look pretty sturdy, more likely to survive a brawl than some of that finer silk. Maybe a pair or two wouldn't hurt.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Rummaging through the racks, it becomes immediately apparent that Tomoyo has her own type. She likes the lighter, softer tones it seems, just based on the sheer volume of clothes with them. However, Velvet's search is eventually rewarded with some black jeans. There's also a red belt to go with them to hold them up. And to tie the look together, a black halter top with red straps and trim around the chest. Even a couple of accessories in the form of a black choker and a pendant with a red gem of some kind...!

    But before Velvet can get too carried away, Tomoyo returns with the commissioned outfit. As she had to finish it up, it's not in one of those plastic bags to keep it clean. It's all been neatly folded in a pile and placed on the counter. "Find anything you like~? Bring it up here and try these on."

    She gestures to her right, where some changing booths are set up.

Velvet Crowe (1104) has posed:
    It's probably for the best Tomoyo returns before any kind of flame can be relit in Velvet regarding fashion. The simple choice of jeans, belt, top and accessories will do, and probably come close to filling up her bill. If it went over, she wouldn't be against doing a favor or two to earn the clothing, either.

    Seeing her return with the outfit already done does make the daemon wander in closer, surprise. "Wait, you seriously recreated this with just pictures? I don't think I could recreate it if you gave me a pile of similar clothes, I just kind of... threw this all together from prisoner belongings. I kind of like now that I've gotten used to it, but..." Tomoyo did say she was good. Guess there's no doubting that now.

    "How long've you been doing this? Tailoring, I mean." Curiosity has her ask. Judging by her size, she can't be older than... sixteen? Low seventeen? And here she is with a boutique all her own.

    While waiting for the answer, Velvet complies, heading for the changing room. There's some loud metallic clangs and thuds as she removes her greaves and bracer, which are heavier than they look. Concealing swords in your boots and bracers isn't great to keep them light. She unfolds the clothes to look, being especially interested to see the coat before slipping it on.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo rubs the back of her head in a display of sheepish humility. "I may have taken a few liberties, but I think I managed to capture the essence of a complete outfit~" In response to Velvet's question, she answers, "Oh, ever since I was very young. Although, I only made clothes for two or three people back then. In a professional sense, I've been tailoring for... almost two years."

    But, Velvet goes to get dressed! The coat, as the first thing she examines, is a stylish one indeed. Black, of course, with red trim and long tails. The collar is nonexistant, leaving shoulders bare and sleeves open to be popped. The one on the right is longer than the left, leaving allowances for Velvet's bandaged arm. Two belts hang from the front on the left, intended to go above the chest and under the knees to keep it on.

    Included is a red top to wear under it. It's an odd one, missing most of its front to leave the bottom of the chest and stomach exposed. Black laces criss-cross under the chest to keep the separate halves together, and a silver brooch with a blue gem is already on it to help keep the part above the chest secure. It's longer on Velvet's left than her right, creating some fashionable asymmetry. The hems are white, with a white design on the longer part.

    Tiny black shorts with red trim start the bottom half of the ensemble, to be held up with a black belt, also with red trim and silver clasp and studs. Black thigh highs with some premade holes to be partially covered with attached belts are included. There are also several spare belts for Velvet to wear as her tastes decide, based on an included note. Apparently, Tomoyo thinks the 'strappy' look would suit her.

Velvet Crowe (1104) has posed:
    What is with people liking the straps and belts look? First Shin is obsessing over it and now Tomoyo's professionally advising it. She hadn't really given thought to it before. The belts, ropes and straps just served to hold the rags together. Especially her pants. Those weren't thigh highs she was wearing before, it was literally what was left of her pants. It's a miracle the outfit survived any sort of cleaning.

    Luckily it seems it won't be an issue anymore. Piece by piece Velvet assembles what Tomoyo faithfully reproduced, finishing by clasping the armored greaves and bracer back in place before she steps out of the smaller room to return to Tomoyo.

    "Since very young huh? It shows. This is nice. Maybe I'll stop getting quite as many looks now. I don't really mind the looks, but it's when people come to talk to me about it after that's getting kind of old."

    And given Velvet's reputation, Tomoyo'll probably be getting frequent business from her to repair the outfit or provide spares. That'll be pretty invaluable given her tendency to get into fights.

    "Say, if I leave the old one with you, do you think you can fix it up too? I've got some money from a couple of other jobs and I could use the backup."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo claps her hands together, a terribly satisfied look on her face as Velvet emerges. "You look wonderful. Very roguish if I do say so myself~" She nods along with her comments about the looks. "Hopefully the right kinds of looks~ I hope people weren't too... unaccommodating on your way here."

    She considers the bundle of rags she's being asked to repair. Her smile never falters. "I could, but it would take a lot of new material to fill the holes. So in exchange, I would like to ask a question." Should Velvet accept the terms, Tomoyo gives the taller woman a long look.

    "Why were you in prison? The Paladins told me you were an escaped convict, but you don't seem like a criminal to me." She looks wise beyond her years at the moment, looking over Velvet with a critical eye.

Velvet Crowe (1104) has posed:
    "Not especially unaccommodating. At least nobody tried to kill me on the way," she answers, before addressing the request. "Sounds fair. Shoot."

    Then Tomoyo does in fact shoot, and Velvet frowns. There's an obvious answer here, and an honest one. She goes for the obvious one, because she doesn't like remembering that night. To illustrate the point, she even lets her arm out. The bandages part and vanish as her left arm grows two, three times its initial size, glowing black and red like it's made of energy, not flesh and blood. It's got a sort of... furry pattern to it, like one would expect of a werewolf's arm, complete with clawed fingers and all.

    "Because I'm a daemon. I'm violent, impulsive, and I can't be trusted. I kill for sustenance and it's not just my arm that's become inhuman. Don't ask me why I wasn't executed like most daemons are." She looks at her arm, then back towards Tomoyo. "Pity, probably. Some moral high ground so Artorius can say he could have killed me but gave me a chance, when I try to kill him."

    What might interest Tomoyo most out of all that is that she got the measurements for the sleeve just right and the transforming arm didn't damage the costume! That's good. "Sorry if you were expecting some feel-good story about me being innocent. The man heading the Abbey's not a good person, but neither am I."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo's eyes widen as the bandages come off, revealing a massive, misshapen arm. For a moment, she's concerned that she might have hit a sore subject. In spite of her fear, she pays careful attention to Velvet's words.

    "Violent."

    "Impulsive."

    "Can't be trusted."

    And yet, when left alone with plenty of things she was clearly interested in, she brought it all up to have it paid for. You could argue that she did so on another person's dime, but she could have taken much more, and more valuable things too. Furthermore, the way she rattled it off made it sound more like repeated propaganda than anything...

    "I understand," she says simply, shaking her head when Velvet asked if she was looking for a happier ending. "No, I wasn't expecting one. But I don't think you're as bad a person as you try to come across as~" She takes those rags carefully and folds them into a pile. "I'll get started on these tonight. Feel free to come back anytime. I'll welcome your patronage~"

Velvet Crowe (1104) has posed:
    Propaganda. Probably. It's easier to repeat than to try to change things. And in the end it's not entirely wrong either. She doesn't have to care about her public image because she isn't planning beyond 'killing that guy'. She could die afterwards for all she cares right now.

    The bandages return to wrap around the arm as it shrinks back down to human proportions. Don't question where they go and come back from, style answers to no one. Especially ~edgy~ style.

    "Maybe. Maybe not. But I've seen what daemons turn into once they lose their minds. If I can keep people from seeing something in me then I can keep them from being letdown when I lose it." That was entirely too honest.

    It's probably because Tomoyo reminds her of someone she used to know. Same taste for business at young age, same peppy attitude, same piercing judgment. Velvet shakes her head and heads back towards the door, remembering to pick up those other clothes she'd selected. "Thanks. I'll have the money when I come pick them up. Take care in the meantime."