excaliburden | ic inbox.

I'm just helping because you look so pathetic on your own, diving head first into this city without even considering the dangers.

[ Plus, she's convenient as a food tester. That's it, really. Nothing more.

They eventually arrive at a shop that seems to sell a variety of higher end clothing. The racks are lined with all sorts of sleek dresses and office wear. ]

This city's fashion sense is lacking, but this store looks like the best fit for a gala.

[... See? Bad at thank yous.

But she just keeps her amusement to herself, instead turning her attention to the fashion store.

He may think it's lacking, but her eyes are as wide and round as dinner plates.]

Whoaaaaa...! Look at that dress! And that one over there! And the fabric on this one!

[She is already agog and she's only looking at the ones in the display window...]

[ He's working on it! ~~Not really~~

He watches her with amusement for a bit before taking a few steps into the store. ]

You gonna just stand out there and goggle at the display all day?

[!!!!]

W-well...! M-maybe I will!

[She knows that doesn't make any sense, which is why she then hustles her way into the clothing store, quickly enough that she almost bumps into the nearest clothing stand.

Whoops. Ahem. She straightens, calming herself down and smoothing down her skirt.]

... Where do we start?

[ He looks over the store. There's plenty to choose from—almost too much, actually. The mall was filled with stores that offered so many products, it was mind boggling to think how it might have all been produced. But from what little he's seen, the quality doesn't match the best boutiques he's seen before. The clothes here seem like cheap, mass produced outfits that are pre-sized and not tailored for buyers.

It's been a theme in this city. Mass produced, cheap and middling to terrible quality goods. But it's not likely the gala is going to require they wear the highest quality clothing, if it's just the riffraff of kidnapped people attending it. ]

Start by picking out what you like. Don't worry about if it'll fit you, if it suits you or if it matches what they want at the gala. Best to figure out what style you like first.

[Right... picking out a pretty dress. This is something she has never done before; even just looking around at the racks and racks of stunning clothing makes her feel a little dizzy.

... What would Cnoc na Riabh look for? Something elegant and classy. Maybe in dark brown, with pink.

Those aren't really Altria's colors, but she pictures it in her mind as she walks, trailing her fingers along the sleeves of the dresses, allowing the fabrics to drift along them. Satins and velvets (cheap or not, she can't tell the difference, she's never touched real velvet in her life), sleek outfits and gaudy ones...

How nice, she thinks. Cnoc na Riabh would've really loved this. She would've scoffed and rolled her eyes at Altria's hesitation and shoved a dress at her and told her to shine brightly in it. In a sense, maybe that's what Wanderer is doing too.

So she tries. She meanders from rack to rack, staring at the dresses thoughtfully. And finally, she does pick something out. She brings it back over to him, practically hiding behind it, but nonetheless:

(Learn to carry yourself in a manner befitting the Child of Prophecy.)]

... I think I like this one.

[It's not terribly fancy, and the fabric is just fine. But it's frilly, and the deep red brings to mind things she likes, and the bow is girly, just as she'd hoped.]

[ The drifter watches as Altria peruses the shop's selection, noting how her expression changes as she beholds certain dresses. At the very least, by the time she picks out a dress, it does look like she's not hesitating in picking out something she prefers, rather than something she thinks would fit the occasion. Good.

He eyes her selection, his eyes flickering between the dress and her, despite her best attempt to hide behind her choice. He had been thinking of La Signora when he thought of elegant dresses, but that's certainly not Altria's style. This fit her cheerful personality better.

But they're not here to settle on first choices. He's here to help her shine, and be confident while she's at the gala. So he wants to know how far her comfort level goes. ]

Not a bad choice. But before we settle on that, let's pick out a few other dresses.

[ He browses the racks, ignoring all but the red dresses. Eventually, he pulls out two dresses. He raises them towards her. ]

What do you think about these two?

[Altria knows that Wanderer agreed to help her find a dress, but somehow, she wasn't actually expecting him to delve so deeply into finding her one himself.

... He's so honest, isn't he? He said he'd help her, and here he is, helping her to the greatest extent of his abilities. It's so--kind.

She smiles a little to herself despite her embarrassment at this all being for her, and when he picks out a few dresses, her eyes widen. He went fancier than she did--of course he did. He doesn't have the same reluctant qualms she does, where she doesn't think anything too fancy suits her at all. His dresses are better picks for a proper gala.

But he went with red. Because that's what she picked out, right...? Somehow, that makes her heart feel really warm.]

They're... so pretty.

[Really, just absolutely stunning. And while she doesn't think they'll suit her at all....... she doesn't want to do him that sort of disservice when he has put in so much work on her behalf. So instead, she takes a deep breath and tries to put aside all of those thoughts, at least briefly. Briefly, she tries to think she could be the kind of person who would wear dresses like that.]

Can I... try them on?

[ He looks at her for a moment, eyes sharp as he observes her expressions, but he hands the dresses to her without comment. Then he gestures towards the back of the shop. ]

They have change rooms in the back.

[ She seemed to like the dresses, but he could see some hesitation in her expression. But she's not going to get over this without confronting her insecurities, and it's a good thing she's willing to try. ]

[She takes them, careful and cautious, and then looks towards the back of the store. Right, okay. She can see the sign.

A deep breath in... and out again.]

Right. ... Right! I'll go try them on, then.

[And without waiting for a response, she trots off to do so.

... He's probably going to be stuck waiting for a little while.]

[ That's fine by him, because he turns back to the racks in the shops and picks through them again, looking at all of the dresses carefully as he tries to find more that will suit Altria. He's not happy with what the store has though, so by the time Altria steps back out, he will have no more dresses pulled out for her. ]

[She returns wearing her usual clothing, with one dress remaining on her arm.

In truth, her favorite had been the final dress he'd picked, but it was so very dramatic, so loud in its own way, so elegant. She'd put it on and stared at herself in the mirror in it and thought--no, this isn't for you.

This dress... it still feels too grand and lovely for her. But she wants... to be the sort of person, maybe who could wear something like that. She wants to wear something less safe, less unnoticeable. And--she wants to wear something he picked out for her. And so, this is the dress that remains, and when she finds him in the store, she beams at him.]

All finished! I'll wear this one. Thank you for picking it out for me! I never would've found it on my own.

[ In truth, he had also thought the other dress made her stand out more, but he didn't think Altria would have been comfortable with it. Hence the first dress. And she did end up picking the safer option. In the end, the goal is to enjoy the gala in an appropriate outfit, so he won't push her anymore. He's only here to help, not to force his opinions on her. ]

Then we have accessories and makeup to deal with now.

[Altria breathes out a deep sigh of relief with the dress properly picked out. Success! They did it! It was stressful, but not near as bad as she was anticipating, and now she's--

... ready?

...???]

Huh?

[ Her clueless look is kind of funny, actually, so he smirks. ]

What? Surely you didn't think the dress was all there was to it? If you want to look the part, you need more than that.

[help]

W-wait--um, I think the dress is plenty! It's really, really nice...! I don't really need anything else--!

[ Nuh-uh, you aren't getting out of this. He has a mission, and he doesn't half-ass things. ]

Don't you want to know what it feels like to belong in a gala? You want to look like them, don't you?

[ It's manipulation, but for her benefit (and maybe so she stops complaining so his mission is easier), but he's careful not to deride her in any way. He knows she's sensitive about this. ]

[He is... exactly right, and knows exactly what buttons to press. It's not hard, of course, since she's such an open book--

But even so, she stiffens, and then straightens, dragging in a deep breath.]

Right... okay, Altria, you can't give up now, just because the fight's going to be longer than anticipated...!

I'm ready!

[ There's a quiet huff of laughter from him. She really is too easy. And he knows exactly how to reward her too, for her bravery. ]

We can eat something after. I'll cook.

[ He turns to head off to another store he'd scoped out earlier, but there is a smile lingering on his face. One that he tries not to let Altria see. ]

[Oh shit really--

She perks up immediately, beaming.]

In that case, let's not waste too much time! Where to next?

[Trying more of his cooking is absolutely a perfect reward for all of this, and she is so ready for it.]

[ Really, too easy.

Their next stop is a jewelry store. He figures this will be the hardest part for Altria, so they should tackle it while she's still feeling brave.

Without any hesitation, he walks right into the store and approaches the necklaces on display. ]

You need a necklace. Earrings too.

[ The latter he tacks on just to see if she would push back. ]

[He's so right. She blinks at him, and then at the store. She's frozen in place for just a moment, the sparkle in the windows throwing her.

Then she hastily comes closer to press her face against the window of the display.

?!?!?!?

It takes a minute for his words to sink in, and then--oh.]

But my ears aren't pierced.

[ It's always so amusing to see Altria's reactions to things she's not familiar with. Her eyes are as wide as dish plates as she looks at all the sparkling jewelry. They're not even that nice, in his opinion, but he's not about to ruin Altria's experience, so he doesn't say anything. He just stands and watches her. ]

Clip-ons exist, but if you don't like them, then we can forget about it.

Ah...! I want to try them!

[Pretty things! Sparkly pretty things! She wants to try on a little bit of everything, even if maybe they won't suit her at all.

... Ah. Right. She's staring at the display again.]

Let's go in!

[ So her desire for pretty accessories won over her shyness. Good to know.

He motions her towards the necklaces first. ]

Any of these catch your eye?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject