[PTU, IC] IL 6: Time for swimming lessons!

[passinglurker]

Claire
"more fashionable? what are you saying? you talking karp about my cool work wear?" Oh god she doesn't see what is wrong with her heavy geddup... what would the fashion police think!?

[Major]

"Oh...were you attempting cool?" Claire said genuinely surprised, "I thought it was just a 'it covers my body don't care how I look' thing?" Claire said slightly horrified. "Please tell me it wasn't trying to be fashionable. I'm kind of in pain." She said with a shiver.

[passinglurker]

Claire
"you're hilarous" She says with a deadpan expression "I want to be covered yes but I still need to look the part for my job no one would hire an occultist in a track suit so I think I did a pretty good job with my image honestly" its worse than you thought she is in serious need of help being fashionabluh.

[Major]

"I see... This really calls for an intervention. Tomorrow I need to save you from your fashion sense. I get that you are 'older' so I'm sure you don't realize or mean anything, but trust me. Its not good. That outfit Veil picked is indeed not normal attire, but its also not uhhh... an assault on the fashion industry. Regardless, Uriel comes first, then saving the world from bad fashion."

[passinglurker]

Claire
"now you sound like slippers nagging me about how I dress" She growns "most of those someday clothes are his ideas" well that explains why they are so much better than her normal attire slippers will be a valuable ally in her intervention "I think you are blowing this out of proportion and besides coats and layers aren't the only things I wear I have casual clothes too" She says before whispering to viel who goes and quickly replaces the elaborate dancers costume with a over long turtleneck sweater dress, unnecessarily long fitted gloves, and some leggings as you've seen her wear before "see perfectly fine right?" at this point even viel is giving you a look showing that she thinks wisp needs help. Though would it really help to wait till tomorrow? uriel approving of her attire would certainly reinforce good fashion habits and its not like you can dress her up so well he falls for her when you are all sailing away tomorrow right?

[Major]

Claire gasps in horror and stumbles backwards. "W-what? People wear that in Unova?! Oh god..." She said shocked. "Uhhh...right ummm...I mean if you are happy with that uhhh I guess it's OK and ummm you liking matters and stuff..." Claire trailed off.

"So uhhh Uriel...test...is he holding the stone already? Cause ummm not sure seeing that outfit is good luck and...errr sorry. Not judging. Wear what you like...just preferably not that...unless you really like it...in which case it hurt--err it's good. Right..."

Claire turned for the door, "So uhhh Uriel test and me helping let's do this!"

[passinglurker]

Claire
"Oh yeah well lets see you do any better with a flat scrawny body, and freakish stark sensitive skin!" She challenges taking your bait "prove me wrong and I'll stop complaining about you coming but if you fail you gotta stay here."

[Major]

"Prove you wrong about what?" Claire asked with a sigh. "About the bad fashion or that its possible to have decent fashion no matter your body type? Look...wearing what you are comfortable with and like is what mostly matters. And if it burns the eyes and makes you look super old, that's your choice."

[passinglurker]

Claire
"Augh! either! both! I don't care! just do whatever it takes to satisfy you and get you to stop being such a snarky backhanding cheeky [censored]" she says going into tantrum mode and venting her frustration.

[Major]

"S-sorry! I didn't mean it like that." Claire said, "I...I really like fashion and I wasn't thinking and I was rude again." Claire tried to explain, "Sorry...it'd be like if someone was doing something really bad occult research or something I guess for you. You don't mean to be snarky or sound bad its just..." Claire stopped, "Ok, look I'm sorry. Different people have different styles and fashion they like and not everyone cares. If you like it, that's what matters!" Claire said giving an apologetic bow. "So...pick what you like. What I think is irrelevant since its your clothes not mine. I'm sorry, I kept trying to just say don't worry about it, but then I felt the need to correct and kept adding and I said way more than I should have and I didn't mean to sound that rude or like that word you said." Claire groaned. She could definitely understand why her mom had continually gotten into arguments with her dad about more etiquette classes and less time with physical work-outs and training. Had she always been that bad and people were just too afraid to say anything? She really hoped that it was just the long last few days.

"Look...I won't say anything about your clothes. That's not my place. I'm sorry." Claire apologized again with the bow. "I misunderstood your intentions, but I should have kept my surprise to myself."

[passinglurker]

Claire
"yeah thats right its my choice and I can look as bad as I want..." Wisp says smuggly before what she just said registers in her brain "I mean as good as I want... I mean I look good no matter what the princess of a nation that prides itself on its arts things... I mean... auuuuugh! now you've got me over thinking what to wear!" She groans. it would seem the damage of your royal fashion judgment is already done you need to take responsibility for your words and fix this if you are going to help uriel.

[Major]

"Ugh..." Claire said grabbing Wisp by the wrist and dragging her to the closet. "Look, if it will get you to stop worrying about it and help Uriel we can do this real quick. But I'm not wasting time with hair styles. And I'm not really a fan of heavy make-up anyways so no big deal there. This is just the clothes..." Claire said as she started digging, attempting to find and put together an outfit that would be fashionable so that they could get back to Uriel.

She took a deep breath and got into the zone as she quickly started digging through the closest tossing clothes off to the side as she sorted out the terrible from the usable. The first piece she offered Wisp was a pair of thigh black boots with a buckle on the top. Then she glanced over at Wisp and back at the clothing drawer. Whites and reds like Claire wore definitely wouldn't go well with Wisp's body type. She glanced around at the mostly black outfits (dang dark ghost emo girls) and held up a couple to her. Finally she settled on a combo of a dark pink and black.

She handed a pair of the pink stockings to Wisp, a black miniskirt with some pink trim, and a black longsleeve top. She picked out a few matching accessories and handed those over as well in an attempt to add some more pink to the darker gloomy black outfit. She glanced at a pair of gloves before tossing the silly looking things back into the closet. Fingerless gloves were for try-hards. When she had picked out the outfit she looked back at Wisp. "Happy?"

[passinglurker]

Claire
"w-well um... do I look good? or whatever? like you were legitimate about this and its not some trick to trip me into some sort of faux pas? um I... yes thank you" Wisp says sounding genuinely surprised at first before putting herself together enough to show you some sincere and professional gratitude. then she proceeds to ruin everything by putting her mask and some heavy gloves back on "now lets go help uriel"

[Major]

Claire reaches up and attempts to swipe the mask and gloves before she can put them on. "Are you planing on going outside?"

[passinglurker]

Claire
"huh? well... uh... no but um..." Wisp bites her lip nervously trying to find a legitimate reason but she keeps a firm if not frantic grip on her mask locking you too in a little game of tug of war over it.

[Major]

"Does the mask look black and pink? It doesn't match and people here have seen sooooooo..." Claire kept a hand on it, but didn't yank hard. She wanted to get Wisp to let go willingly, not rip it away from her forcefully.

[passinglurker]

Claire
"Well not everyone... I mean your friend and maid haven't..." Wisp says with a sideways glance. "a-and its really sentimental-ish to me and sometimes I get self conscious and panic and really I'd rather have a mask with me just in case" She babbles trying to come up with excuses and not letting go yet.

[Major]

Claire finally lets go, "Alright that's fine. "I should be thankful I guess. The mask just means Uriel can't see so I guess that's a win for me." Claire says turning toward the door. "And here I was worried about dressing you up." She said moving towards the door hoping her plan would work.

[passinglurker]

Claire
"grrr... fine" She says shoving the mask back in to your hands "but you better give it to me when I say I need it since you are so insistent on coming" She adds before collecting a big satchel and what looks like a lantern covered in cleanse tags "in fact since you are coming you can help by carrying all this" she says adding to your load and then steping out.

Uriel
while those two argued you slippers and delila had to go about making beds and such but soon after you finish those two make a well timed emergence you can only assume they came to agreement considering wisp looks much more fashionable and is without a mask and claire is stuck carrying the bags it seems.

[Major]

"A-all of it?" Claire asks surprised as the stuff is dropped in her hands and she quickly is distracted from the argument by having to focus on not dropping things. "Hey!" She exclaimed as she quickly followed behind her. Despite her dislike for being the packrat if it meant she could help and be there, she would bite her tongue.

[Jacior]

Drew just kind of watches everyone leave once they come up out of the basement of the mysterious ice cream store. "I think that the world has well and truly shattered in anything resembling sanity. So much for celebrating graduation." He sighs and kind of slouches and checks his phone before stretching. "Well, I guess all of you need clothes so we gotta hit up a store. I have no idea what's still open this time of night so it might be a search." With a sudden motion, he crouched down and hoisted Cid up, piggyback style. "Ok, one of you two get the door and lets go find us a store that isn't terrible. Hopefully not terrible anyway." The ex-idol gestures with his shoulders at Gwen and Jerry to get the door and they start walking towards the shopping district.

[passinglurker]

Claire
you being the pack mule turns out to be for the best cause she probably would have dropped everything as soon as Delila and Violet saw her without a mask for the first time. "Oh my goodness I had no idea you'd look so cute underneath!" "Did you have the princess give you a make over?" "did she sew that skirt herself on the spot?" "isn't she the best?" needless to say they are getting a little carried away geeking out over your handy work.

Wisp meanwhile seems rather distressed and flustered by the sudden attention she was receiving she tried to turtle her unprotected hands into her sleeves and cover her pale face with her arms but her top was more well fitted than she was used to and when she tried to raise her arms your friends clasped her hands in friendship incidentally restraining her as they badger her with questions and compliments. Wisp must be quite frazzled by all this if she can't remember that she can just phase herself free. Slippers seems to find this to be hilarious.

Drew
"*yawn* There's probably a 24 hour pokemart open some where its a big cityeeee! wh-what are you doing!?" Says Cid drowzily still until you pick her up then she seems rather awake and animated "put me down! I can carry myself! I'm not a little kid!..."

two blocks of fruitless complaining and struggling later...

"zzz... zzz... zzz... zzz..." but just like your little sisters when they were onry she wears herself out and dozes off on your back in no time.

True to what cid said you find a big 24hour pokemart without any real incident other than Gwen carrying absol jerry in her arms to stop the goddess of mischief from trying to simply steal clothes from passers by to avoid this bothersome shopping trip. The absol expresses her boredom with the occasional bout of loud mewing. This place isn't going to be the most fashionable, but it should be cheap and your little group looks like they fit in with the weirdos that shop here at night so you probably won't be noticed.

[Regalus]

"I'd be fine on the couch actually," the young man meekly replied, only for his answer to be drowned under the ensuing argument between his two most outspoken suitors.

Nothing could ever be easy could it?

Not even a minute into their return before Claire and Wisp got into an argument, and one about him no less; made all the worse by his own inability to get a word in edgewise before the two scurried off to have a 'talk'. His frustration at the ordeal was almost matched by his emberrasment at Wisp's slip of the tongue, and soon surpassed by it once he noticed just how intently the other girls had been paying attention to that particular tidbit.

Thankfully they'd been able to move past that particular incident with Slipper's help, and the simple routine of clearing the space and setting up beds for the two girls was a welcome reprieve. Nothing like a little work to clear the mind and the air, and it gave the six of them a rare chance to just talk for a bit in peace.

All in all the young man had taken the lack of explosions, sounds of wrecked furniture or screams of the damned as sign that things had gone, if not well, than at least 'fine' between the two grown women. Though never would he have imagined the sight that he'd be met with once their work was done, and if asked afterwards Uriel would still claim that his double take at Amelia's entrance had been perfectly justified.

It was not the outfit itself that had left the islander so flumoxed, that had Claire's fingerprints all over it; it was fact that Amelia was wearing it, and was not wearing her mask, in 'public' along with the sight of Claire playing packmule for the ocultist. He could do little more than stare in amazement at the pair, and wonder just what had happened upstairs that resulted in them going from "at each other's throats" to "fashion make over". If they could find a way to weaponize it Rocket would never stand a chance.

"Ladies! I'm sure she appreciates your compliments, but give'er some breathing room," Uriel called out taking a step towards the scene, and hopefully calling attention to what they where doing to the poor introvert.

[passinglurker]

Claire and Uriel
"huh what are you talking about Uriel? In Kalos this is breathing room among girls" Violet answer looking back with a inquisitive expression "...*sigh* she's right" Says Delila deadpanning at her girlfriend before ultimately relenting and acknowledging the truth "though looking closer now she does seem more Sinnohese than Kalosian don't you think?" "hmm yes Claire's fashion sense must have thrown us off" "sorry about that!" the two audibly bounce off each other before letting go in unison.

Wisp during all this only grew redder as her knight in shining armor rescued her and added to the attention given her such that she quickly spins around and puts her hands out to Claire "M-mask! pleeeeeease!?" She pleads seeking respite in her comfort zone but Violet and Delila are quick to try to alleviate wisp "No your fine really!" "see we are giving you space!" "need more?" "up the stairs good?" "how about we go aaaaall the way back to our room?" "we'll even lock the door" "claire don't let her wear anything that clashes with that cute outfit" "its your duty as the princess og kalos to protect the world from bad fashion" "bye!" *click* the two go walking backwards up the stairs as they go until they disappear together into one of the rooms.

Despite this Wisp is still holding her reach hoping for her mask back and Slippers now seems to be following what is happening closely but not leaning either way as to what should be done.

[Regalus]

Uriel looses a chuckle at the pair's antics as they leave; unsure of how transparent their excuse actually was. Were they really just leaving for some personal time, or were they just seeing the signs? In the end, he supposed it didn't matter that much.

"You sure? I mean, it's nice to See you; but why did you come down without it?" the lad prodded as the ocultist begged the burdoned princess.

[Major]

"Sorry hands full carrying all your stuff." Claire said with a mischievous grin. "Maybe later when hands aren't full." Claire said before looking at Uriel. "No complaints that I am helping right?"

[passinglurker]

Uriel and claire
Wisp looks like she is going to burst a vein for a moment but when Uriel asks why she isn't even wearing a mask Wisp opens her mouth as if to tell the whole story but then she remembers that involves her in her secret belly dancer outfit so instead she just shuts her mouth and puts her arms up in front of her face "n-never mind! I-I'm fine! really! j-just need to take a deep breath!" She lies muffled by her own appendages though she is still visibly quivering whether its from being maskless or from the possibility of an embarrassing story being exposed is hard to tell.

[Regalus]

"You don't need to talk about if you don't; but thank you for letting us see you. I appreciate it" Uriel smiles softly at Wisp, empathizing with the woman; before turning to adressing the red head.

"Well... it looks like you're already helping," he states plainly while gesturing to her load, "I don't really know much about what'll happen once we get the ball rolling, but if Wisp's cool with it I'm not going to complain,"

"And do you want want a hand with that stuff Claire?"

[Major]

"Well, I mean, I'm carrying this stuff cause its to help with your curse...if I just handed it off I wouldn't be much help and I want to help you..." Claire said, "Especially since I'm pretty sure my handmaiden made things super complicated and embarrassing for you. I'm really sorry about that by the way. I'll make her apologize tomorrow as well." Claire explained. She would have bowed, but she wasn't really capable of it. "And I'm not at home and you aren't a servant, you don't need to carry this. I'll be fine. Its not even that heavy really."

Claire glanced over at Wisp, "Well, we worked out any problems with me helping so if you are fine with it that settles that." Claire says. As much as she would have loved to tell the full story, she didn't want to cause a spat with Wisp before the test and in front of everyone again. Plus worst case she could tell Uriel another time.

[passinglurker]

Claire and Uriel
"huh? wha? uhh... y-your welcome!" Wisp says still muffled before she starts to make a concerted effort to calm down with Uriel's encouragement. then after a few minutes she's calm enough to lower her arms again. "ok lets get this over with Slippers watch the house" Wisp says leading you two out into the tunnels where you travel for a good while before wisp stops and opens one of the unmarked doors "Ok this should be far enough out of the way and empty enough"

inside is a mostly empty brick room with a wood floor and some stacked cafe tables and chairs "before I bought the house this used to be an old speak easy under an industrial park since we are after hours there should be no one above or around us just in case" She explains as she goes to move a chair but then reflexively filches back when her sensitive hands touch the course old wood "um Uriel can you set up a table and a couple chairs for this? and Claire could you dish me out a pair of gloves I will need them to handle the stone for the test" Wisp asks