1821/Outfitting a Fleet

Outfitting a Fleet
Date of Scene:	16 March 2015
Location:	Tomoeda-865
Synopsis:	The 5th Force Reconnaisance Fleet docks at Tomoyo's Boutique for a new set of equipment.
Cast of Characters:	Tomoyo Daidouji, Shigure

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Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Slowly but surely, Tomoeda is wriggling out of Winter's icy grasp into the warm bosom of spring. The sky is overcast, but gaps in the clouds allow a glimpse at the dazzling blue skies above. Some plants are already starting to flower, sakura blossoms scattered about on spindly threadbare trees.

     Children and teens are out and about on the town, trying to squeeze as much fun as they can out of the remaining days before the new school year. But, Tomoyo is not among them. She has a business to run! Right now, she sits in Tomoyo's Boutique, putting some final touches on an outfit before letting out a content sigh. The door has been left open for anyone to just wander in.

Shigure has posed:
    On the street outside... a repeating sound can be heard. It's gradually getting louder, and is soon joined by other voices. The sound? An exclaimation that might lead one to think a Pokemon is nearby. "Kuma! KUMA!" though the 'pause' between these sounds is soon filled with the same voice actually speaking!

    "It's right this way, kuma! We're not lost, we left the Navigation Fairy at Hikari, kuma!" A softer tone, younger, chimes in. "The map is not very clear... perhaps we should ask for directions..." a more chipper, cheery one chuckles. "It'll be fine! I think we passed a bar a block back, we could sit and have a drink while figuring this out!"

    It's a fourth voice, low and monotone that chimes in right outside the open door. "It is here." In the doorway? It's a youngish looking girl in a green and white 'school uniform' with white gloves. Silver hair, grey eyes and a dour expression mark her as far older than what she appears to be. She steps inside, and is soon joined by a late teens looking girl with brown hair, a modified sailor uniform, an ahoge that could kill someone and big brown eyes that sparkle at all the dresses and patterns around. A taller, mid-twenties woman with dark grey hair and grey eyes, wearing a white blouse, red hakama and a flame pattern vest. Finally, another youngish girl peeks around the doorframe, brown hair, striking blue eyes and wearing a black serafuku, and a single black fingerless glove on her right hand. She enters and hides behind the taller woman.

    "Kuma! Fifth Force Reconnaisance fleet, has arrived, kuma!" announces the teenaged 'sailor'.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo looks up from her work as the odd chant, tilting her head. She, of course, knows that kuma means 'bear.' Is there a bear on the loose? But, the same voice chanting it is also talking with others, trying to find a place. Then it all clicks. That voice, and some of the others that converse with it, she's heard on the radio.

     Smiling gently, she folds her project and puts it under the counter, away from the eyes of inbound customers. When the quartet make their entrance, she bows to them and says, "Welcome, Fifth Force Reconnaisance Fleet, to Tomoyo's Boutique. How can I help you today~?"

     Deep down, she's kind of hoping that they've come to offer her a military contract. But, she realizes that if they were, they would send someone less... Kuma. But, she's still happy to dress up cute girls, of course!

Shigure has posed:
    Chitose sets a hand on Kuma's shoulder, then steps forwards, leaving Shigure standing in the open, looking nervous. "Flagship Kuma decided to come by and visit you... she said she had talked to you over the Fleet Band before we were assigned to her." she says, smiling in return to the young business woman.

    Kuma bursts forwards, eyes sparkling. "Kuma wants a new uniform, kuma! Kongou suggested I come ask you but I hadn't had the time until now, kuma!" Chitose pulls the Light Cruiser back a little, chuckling goog naturedly.

    Nowaki is off looking at... something to one side, leaving the heavier girls to discuss things. Meanwhile, Shigure has found somewhere new to hide... it's behind a rack of clothes, or some other convenient place.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo suppresses a giggle as she watches the Fifth Fleet interact. It's a terribly cute group dynamic. But, she is on the clock, and must be professional, so outwardly, she just smiles and digs a sketchbook out from under the counter. "A new uniform? Of course, Miss Kuma~" Privately, she agrees that Kuma could use one. What she has on is rather plain.

     Shigure won't actually have clothes to hide behind, but instead, shelves! Strange silks, threads, metals and woods sit upon them, each one with a little card stating the name of them and any special properties they may have.

     As Tomoyo sketches out a blank figure with proportions roughly similar to Kuma's (she even draws the ahoge), Tomoyo looks at the other shipgirls. "And how about the rest of you? Would you like an outfit as well~?"

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma hops in place and beams happily. "Ku~Ma~!" her ahoge bounces with her hopping, flailing like a springy wire antenna. Chitose looks down at herself, then smiles softly. "I suppose I could use some off duty wear, but whatever you could make would probably be fine." she replies, giving a shrug.

    Nowaki and Shigure, after a little coaxing of the latter by the former, start looking over the racks of material. Shigure, after a while, becomes rather animated as she reads the items and their descriptions. It's not until Tomoyo speaks to the Fleet in general, that Shigure startles and turns towards the other girl, swallowing thickly, before squeaking as Nowaki jabs her in the ribs with an elbow. "U-Uhm... I... I mean, um... I don't..." jab. "Y-Yes, please!" she finally stammers out, bowing almost in half at the waist.

    Nowaki sighs and simply replies. "If it would be no trouble." as her own response, gently reaching over and patting Shigure reassuringly on the back.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo can't help it, she lets out a giggle as the fleet's antics. But, upon catching herself, she disguises it as a cough as she gets to work on Kuma's outfit. She looks at the eccentric, excitable girl carefully. She has a very plain look, with her ahoge being the most noticeable part of her. But, she is still very cute, and it would be a crime to try and cover up her plain cuteness with flashy clothes. Yes, simple is the way to go here.

     She starts to draw an outfit on the figure. Starting at the torso, she draws a very simple halter top with over-the-shoulder straps. She makes a note, designating the majority of the top as white, with the straps being pink. She also draws a quick design to the side of a cartoony bear face with glinting eyes and Kuma's ahoge, drawing a line from it to the front of the top. Next, she adds a pleated knee-length skirt with pink and white tartan pattern, according to a note. It's held up by a white leather belt with a clasp shaped like a bear paw. Now, some knee-length socks, white with pink marks looking like slashes from a bear claw. The shoes are mary janes, pink with white soles.

     Tomoyo rotates the book on the counter so Kuma can see. "What do you think~?" Looking to the other ships, she smiles. "Okay then~! But, um... I have to admit, the history of naval warfare isn't my strongest subject. Could you... tell me about yourselves? I might give me some inspiration~"

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma peers at the sketch, then at all the bear motifs and groans softly. "Kuma is not a teddybear, kuma~!" Seems she gets it a lot? Her tone doesn't indicate any hostility though, it's rather petulent but she otherwise seems to like the design... maybe she's just being childish.

    Chitose smiles softly. "I'm Chitose, named for the term 'A Thousand Years'! I was born in Kure Naval Yard in 1934 as a Seaplane Tender! I was tasked with helping keep the fleet resupplied with fuel! Remember not to spill any!" she chimes cheerfully.

    Nowaki frowns softly. "Nowaki. Kagero-class Destroyer, number 15. Born in Maisuru. I worked with Miss Naka in the Fourth Torpedo Squadron, in operations in the Southern Theater, as well as Midway, Mariana and Leyte." she pauses... "Long range battleships are rather scary..."

    Shigure ums, scuffs a foot before responding. Her voice is rather deep for a girl her size, but has a very soothing quality. "Sh-Shiratsuyu-class Destroyer... Sh-Shigure. I'm the second ship after Big Sister Shiratsuyu... I was at the fated battle of Surigao Straight under the Nishimura fleet at Leyte Gulf." she pauses, eyes shimmering with tears for a moment, before she blinks them away. "Fusou and Yamashiro were amazing... Even if everyone else forgets... I'll always remember them."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo smiles at Kuma's pout. "Oh, I'm not thinking of a teddy bear~ Look." She indicates the footprint clasp and claw slashes on the socks. "I'm thinking like a bear cub. Cute? Absolutely! But still dangerous on its own, and there is the risk that the parents will come along on top of that~" She smiles at all the shipgirls. "After all, that's how a fleet should be. Smaller ships are backed up by bigger, more powerful ones."

     Now, she turns her gaze on Chitose. "Goodness, I love what you wear now. I don't know if I can top it, but I'll do my best!" She sketches another figure, this one resembling Chitose as she mulls on it. A Seaplane Tender... perhaps a bit of a flygirl look?

     She touches pencil to paper once more, and draws a quick t-shirt on it, a rather form-flattering one from the looks of it. On top of that though, she adds a flight jacket, forest green with white fur around the collar. Makes a design for a patch to be added to the back. It has a large 'M' over the characters for 'Chitose' Next, she adds some skinny jeans to the legs of the figure, very form-flattering again, and some combat boots on the feet. Lastly, she draws some aviator sunglasses on its face.

     Tomoyo shows this to the fleet. "What do you think Miss Chitose~?" she asks with a smile.

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma seems placated, merely folding her arms and looking mildly huffy, though she keeps looking at the design on the paper.

    Chitose watches with interest, quirking a brow at that. "Huh... I guess that works? I'm not an Aircraft carrier like Zuihou... But I like it!"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo giggles and nods to Chitose, next turning her gaze to Nowaki! "Okay, your turn~" She carefully considers the destroyer before her. She seems very taciturn and serious. Which is a little ironic, considering her name comes from a type of violent storm.

     She draws a figure, and sketches some clothes. Starting with a knee-length dress, held up with straps that go over the shoulder and cross over the back. She makes a note to make it a royal purple, and adds a small symbol in gold over the left breast. It looks like a typhoon as seen from above in a weather report. No socks, but a pair of sandals are drawn on the feet, with straps that go to just below the knee. Finally, she adds a straw sunhat atop the head, accessorising it with a purple ribbon tied around the crown into a big bow.

     "I think something simple and elegant suits you best, Miss Nowaki~" Tomoyo says as she shows her the sketch. "You seem a little high-strung, so I wanted to make you something that's easy to relax in, either when you're just lounging around or taking a relaxing walk~"

Shigure has posed:
    Nowaki watches the sketching, the ghost of a smile tugging up the sides of her mouth. "Mmm. Maikaze would like that, I think." she says softly. Her sistership one of the few things that brings about a smile from the stoic girl. "I approve."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo grins as Nowaki gives the slightest glimpse of a smile. Finally, she turns her gaze on the last member of the fleet, Shigure. Considering how she's acted, she probably wouldn't want anything too flashy or attention-grabbing. "Okay, now you, Miss Shigure~"

     One more figure, and she begins drawing. A plain t-shirt once more, followed by a ribbed orange sweater, clearly very warm! On top of that is a navy blue rain jacket, with a two patterns on the back. One on the top depicts the nation of Japan, while the one on the bottom has a castle on top of a mountain. "Fusou was an old name for Japan, and Yamashiro can mean mountain castle. This way, you'll always bear them on your back," she says kindly to the shy shipgirl. Finally, she draws an ankle-length skirt on the figure, black, along with some sturdy sneakers.

     "Now, Shigure can also mean 'hour rain,' rain that doesn't last long~ So..." Tomoyo adds some notes, depicting zippers on the shoulders of the sweater and around the knees of the skirt. She then draws a second figure, and shows how the clothes might look with those zips undone. The sweater has been turned into a sleeveless top, the sleeves of the shirt underneath poking out, and the skirt is now knee-length. The jacket has been tied around the waist, the two emblems on the back still on display.

     "How's this~?" she asks.

Shigure has posed:
    Shigure ums, flushing at her cheeks, as she lifts her left hand to unconsciously touch a small hair ornament over her left temple. It's a red gem, with two golden tassels falling from it, and looks to be well worn, if a little battle damaged. "I-It... it's beautiful... Thank you." she says reaching over to gently touch the Yamashiro emblem.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Tomoyo beams and claps her hands together. "I'm so happy you like it~" She looks at each of the shipgirls with a fond smile on her face. "Okay everyone, thanks for waiting~ Now, there is one last matter to take care of~" Reaching into a pocket on her apron, she withdraws a measuring tape and gestures towards the dressing booths.

     "I need to take your measurements~" Without even waiting for an answer, she starts ushering them all into the booths!

Shigure has posed:
    Chitose and Nowaki don't take much ushering. Kuma doesn't either, though she makes some token resistance, perhaps just because she's heard it's the proper thing to do. Shigure, takes some coaxing, and simply digs her heels in if attempts are made to drag her. She eventually moves, but is nervous the entire time, flushed a dark red.