revivalproject | Coruscant Catch-All

"If that's a problem here," she said, unruffled, "there are probably other shops that cater to what you'll need. Back home, we have what we call plus-size shops that do that, and since there are so many different species here, I'm sure that's the case."

A shadow flitted briefly across her face at the mention of plus-size shops, and she thought of the first case that had helped her earn her name. None of that had any place on Coruscant, though, and Clarice had dealt with her demons. The shadow had no chance when blasted with the light of new friendships and a fine experience.

"Do you know your measurements? Then we can ask someone who works here and save ourselves a lot of time browsing what won't work."

“Plus-size?” Lauri-Ell asks, very confused. She has no concept of that. Of many things actually. Even the idea of measurements has her looking confused.

“Measurements of what? Do you mean sizing? I fear I have not had a human sizing before. Kree uniforms conform to the build of the wearer, our fabrics are adaptive.”

So no, she’ll need a fitting. At least there is a woman here who is clearly wise enough to provide her assistance in the matters of fitting into a non-military environment.

"Huh," she says in response to that bit of Kree cultural detail, and files it away as a later topic for conversation. "Well, that's alright, I'm sure we can get someone to help us. They'll have to help you with the measurements and get pretty close up, though. Usually they measure the hips, the inside of the leg, the waist, arm length, and around the bust in three places." She gestured to each on herself in turn, to demonstrate. "Will that bother you?"

She considers the comment thoughtfully. Then she nods quite readily.

“I cannot fathom why this would be an issue. Nor why someone would do this. But if this is how it is done then I shall experience it. I thank you for forewarning.”

If she had not known, she might have construed it as an attack.

"The measurements help them figure out what size clothes you need ... the sizes all fall within different ranges of measurement. For example, I've found take a size 7H in their clothes." The 7 was the size, and as far as she could tell, the H designated 'human'. "Given that ... I suppose I could try and guess for you without needing to have you measured."

As Clarice spoke, she walked slowly around Lauri-Ell, mentalling making assessments. She'd need to size up for her height and for the width of her muscles, so perhaps some other species. She moved to the door of the boutique and watched the passers-by a moment, until she spotted a woman of a race that matched Lauri-Ell's height. Perfect. She turned back and circled until she saw a holographic mannequin that matched: tall, lithe but muscular, with twin tails of muscle that grew from the top of the head in place of hair. She reached out and took a sleeve of the garment to check the tag. "Looks like we want things labeled TL," she said with a triumphant smile. "Let's try a 9TL and see how we do. If you're worried about the sleeves being tight, look for something sleeveless and we can do, I don't know, a cloak over. They're big on cloaks here, I've noticed."

The woman is very practical and wise, and already Lauri-Ell liked her. Very lucky her, to have gained this chance. Someone to help guide her is so good and something she thought her sister would care for.

“You are quick with learning,” she observes when the woman comes back with size ideas. “I can live without sleeves. I have been told that I have good arms.”

"Thank you." She smiles modestly, not wanting to call attention to the fact that she's always been a quick study. She pulls a few sleeveless garments in the right sizes from the rack, being careful not to choose colors that will clash with Lauri-Ell's skin, or seams that will be unflattering on her build.

For the lower half, she selects a few pairs of stretchy leggings in complimentary colors, and a wrap skirt that has hints of most of the colors she chose in a simple pattern that echoes the weave of her braid.

"The trick to building a wardrobe is picking out pieces that all can be worn together, in any combination... but that are still things you like and are comfortable in. What do you think of these?"

Lauri-Ell studies the woman as she selects items. Color choice is very interesting, as Lauri-Ell had never had to think of that before. When she was a Kree soldier it was always green. When it became the Alliance, it was green and violet. As an accuser it was green again. So the idea of self-choice is interesting.

But the leggings definitely earn an appreciative look from her. Pants that might fit her and cover her skin seems very nice, and because they are stretchy, they remind her of Kree clothes.

"I do not know what can be worn together. I have only ever successfully worn one outfit that was not part of a uniform. I suppsoe I shall have to attempt to see if these are comfortable."

"You'll want to stay away from orange, it clashes with the color of your skin. Cool colors, like these, are good." She says it smoothly, without any patronizing or lecturing tone.

No one had taught her these things personally... she'd gleaned them from fashion magazines. First had been the more 'standard' ones that were considered normal for her class and standing: Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, Redbook. Then, like reading romance novels under the covers at the Lutheran Home, sneaking glimpses at Vogue or Glamour in the check-out line. By the time she felt bold enough to take the meatier, more expensive issues home, Clarice had built herself a solid sense of taste, and some chops on how to pull a wardrobe together. She was more than happy to pass them along.

"Any of these should go well together, especially some of these longer tops with the leggings. Why don't you go try a couple things on while I go see if I can find some more...?"

Edited (breakin' up that wall o' text) 2021-03-26 03:09 (UTC)

Stay away from orange? Yes, she supposes she can respect this decision. Since it is given as a statement, she'll take it as a hard and fast rule. This lesson shall not be wasted.

"What makes a color 'cool'?"

She has heard the word offered up before, as a description of people who are liked. With Kree not big on design and fashion, the idea of ascribing temperatures to colors had not been taught, at least not to soldiers.

But what truly shocked her, made her look to Clarice in excitement, was the idea of trying them on.

"You think it will be allowed? The last time I attempted to try on clothing that did not belong to me, some were... destroyed. Kree clothing stretches and flexes with us, but human does not seem to."

The question is so quaint, from her point of view, and yet so earnest as a literal statement, that she smiles. It's not a patronizing smile, but a genuine one.

"Well, in this meaning of the word, at least, it refers to temperature. Warm colors are ones that invoke heat: red, orange, yellow, brown. Cool colors tie more to water or ice or shadow. Greens, blues, purple." She holds her hands out like the scales of justice, balancing the two, invisible, on each palm. "Gray can be either warm or cool, depending on if it's a brown gray or a blue gray."

At Lauri's question about the changing booths, Starling pauses to give it thought. The leggings are pliant enough, the tops less so. But there's one thing that might smooth it all over. "Well, we do have unlimited credits. If something rips, it'll be easy enough to pay for. They'll still get compensated. As long as we're savvy about what size we start with, it shouldn't be a problem."

Ah, yes, she believes she understands now. Kree and Skrull inherently skewed toward cool colors. Which she hadn't know.

"What of pink?" she asked, because she had to wonder if Pink-Skinned Kree were also cool colors. Those hadn't been listed, but pink was like purple and like red.

"Unlimited credits? I do not know the meaning of this," she said. Currency was weird, and she had previously made a mess of it on Earth. Kree weren't exactly a commercial culture.

"Good question." She smiles, pleased. "Pink can be either, depending. It goes with lots of things, and how much pink anyone wears is usually a personal choice. A lot of people where I'm from associate it with femininity, but that's pretty outdated and I think it can look good with a lot of things."

Hannibal, for one, had used pale pink as an accent color to great effect on a suit he'd worn to a gallery opening. She'd worn something in cream and peach, not to upstage or outdo him, but to compliment. But that was a memory she didn't want to dwell on too long, lest she start missing him. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the credit access that the Agrii had given them all.

"This can be used for anything, as much as we want, while we're here. I'm a little amazed that they were able to do something like this, but they can't get the resources to fix their own homeworld ... but that's a mystery I need to think about a little more. What it means right here and now is that we can get just about anything you find that you like, and we don't have to worry if anything gets ripped."

Interesting. This is all so much knowledge that she doesn't know what to do with. THough she supposes she should 'try' these things.

"The Agrii do not seem to follow proper rules of life," she answered, frowning. "There is something wrong and I cannot explain what it is."

She takes the things Clarice gave her and looks around. "You said I should try these?"

"I'd love to hear your thoughts on it sometime," she said, interest decidedly piqued. There was a line of changing stalls at the far end of the shop, and she gestured to them with the arm not laden down with her own purchases.

"We can go in there and try them on. I know this dress is a little much for every day, but it just looks so nice. Might be good to have something for special occasions."

"I try not to have too many thoughts upon it. I am busy preforming my protective duty," Lauri-Ell said, frowning. She has not been investigating because her job was to protect. But she moves when directed toward the area.

"What is a special occasion?"

"Something out of the ordinary, usually a little more formal," she explained. "Where I come from, a lot of special occasions that call for something like this are ... usually to do with art, or culture. Going to see a performance, or the unveiling of new pieces in a gallery. Sometimes dinner parties are special occasions, too. You can usually tell by the invitation, or the people involved. If someone who will be there is important to the community, it's generally formal unless specified otherwise."

As she reached for a curtain to choose her own dressing room, she glanced over at Lauri, curious. "Protection? You mean, like a bodyguard for someone on one of the ships? Or something different?"

"Ah, like the coronation," she mused. Wait, art? The Kree frowns at that.

"I do not know what you mean by performance or gallery. What about dinners are parties?"

Oh Lauri-Ell is so much more lost than she was before and she doesn't know what to do.

"I was a soldier. I am now the Accuser, but I also serve as bodyguard to my Emperor and his husband."

The fact that she doesn't seem familiar with art in either form troubles Clarice: she's come to hold the arts in very high regard over the past few years, having become the connoisseur that she is now. She's more than happy to explain, but it seems they'll have to trade information: there are terms Lauri is using that confuse her, too.

"Tell you what," she offers. "Let's try a couple things on, and once we've found some things we like, we can go get a drink, maybe a snack, and continue the chat?"

"That sounds nice," Lauri-Ell offers with a smile before going into her booth to try things on. It takes a while, but she is pleased because nothing tears when she wears it.

"This things are nice," she tells Clarice as she changes. Of course, she doesn't know to come out to show things off.

"Yeah?" She slides into the green dress, the gold bodice accents fitting her like a glove, and has to fight for a moment to get all of her hair out of the way so she can fasten the halter clasp behind her neck.

"Just a second, I'm almost done in here. Then we can both come out and show off. I want to see."

"Show off?" Lauri-Ell asked? She had already gone through a few shirts. Was she doing this wrong?

"What are we showing off? I fear I am finding myself lost again, Ma'am."

"It's okay, you're not doing anything wrong," she reassured her. "But don't take off whatever you're trying on. I just want to see what it looks like. That's what I meant by showing off. If you have someone else look at what you're trying on, you can get an outside opinion on how it fits, and if you look good in it."

She pushed the curtain aside and waited patiently for Lauri to come out.

"Ah, yes, this makes sense."

Lauri-Ell had been halfway between things, but she put the items back on and came out to stand there. She feels awkward, knowing she will be judged, but the leggings and shirt are very comfortable, and feel both familiar like her uniform in some was, but truly comfortable.

"I like it," Clarice said after only a moment's pause. "Those colors really do look good on you. How does it feel? Is it comfortable? That's always the important part, really." She held up one hand and twirled it, fingers out in a possibly universal gesture. "Turn around, let me see the back of it?"

Leggings were finally heading out of vogue in her time, but she could recognize the usefulness of them in Lauri's situation. Even so, one did not let one's colleague wear a shirt with leggings that did not cover the rear.

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