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What Not to Wear: Neathy Edition
Topic Started: Aug 11 2017, 03:42 AM (283 Views)
Louis Ferdinand
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In one of the more quiet, upscale areas of Veilgarden, seemingly a world away from the raucous din of the district's (in)famous taverns, honey-dens, and brothes, Louis sat at a sidewalk cafe, smoking an unusually thin and elongated pipe and reading a small, plain looking book entitled A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder. The cafe was modeled to be a near perfect replica of the famous Café de la Paix of Paris, and it, along with the rest of the similarly themed neighborhood in which it was located, was a favorite gathering place for both artists and admirers of the Celestial school. It was also a preferred destination for some of the younger, more fashionable members of high society; those looking to escape the stifling confines of the Palace and experience the freedom offered by Veilgarden, but wary of getting too close to anything truly deviant or degenerate for fear that it might threaten their social standing. This, along with the area's general resemblance to Paris, attracted the presence of some of London's finest couturier houses, eager to market their tastefully radical creations to those whom, unlike the often chronically destitute Bohemians, actually had the income to spend on luxury fashion.

This was what brought Louis to the area. His protégé had made significant progress since he first met her, but she could only go so far without some significant additions to her wardrobe. London had certainly grown more accepting of nontraditional modes of dress since the Fall, but not so accepting that she could go on mimicking her father forever.
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Felicia Voight
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Felicia soon arrived, riding on a pony that looked around itself with wide, staring eyes constantly, a nervous little thing that moved with near-perfect silence. Felicia herself handled it with practice, guiding it towards Louis. She was currently dressed simply enough, in a night-dark suit, a Dauncey's rather than her usual practical style, and a black felt homburg hat covering her head. The outfit was at least somewhat stylish, if rather solemn, and had the issues of being rather masculine, out of fashion and reminiscent of her father's earlier styles. She brought the pony up to Louis and dismounted, carefully keeping hold of the pony's reins.

"Mornin'. Been waiting long?"
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Louis Ferdinand
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"A tad, but not on your account." Louis smiled welcomingly.

"I intentionally arrived early so that I might have a chance to finally make some headway with this book without having to defend myself for 'indulging in bourgeois literature.'" He set the book down and emptied the ashes from his pipe out into an ashtray on his table. "It was given to me by a junior adjutant at the Embassy in an overt, though slightly endearing, attempt at flattery. Though she was entirely unsuccessful, I do admit that I've enjoyed it more than I anticipated."
Edited by Louis Ferdinand, Aug 12 2017, 04:40 PM.
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Felicia Voight
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Felicia walked over, leading the pony. She eyed the book thoughtfully. "Huh. Devils made it? Is it good? Father wouldn't approve, anyway. Me, not so sure..."

She tugged on the pony's reins again, thoughtfully. It obediently took one nervous step forward. She stopped, looking back at it.

"Right. Come on. Walk and talk. Any good stables here?"
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Louis Ferdinand
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"We'll have to ask; I'm afraid I'm terribly familiar with this neighborhood. But before we get going, I beg your pardon..." Louis gathered his belongings and walked briskly into the shaded interior of the cafe. A moment later he returned, now flanked by Clay Man with a large sack slung over his shoulder. Said Clay Man was absolutely gargantuan—large enough to comfortably carry a lesser Clay Man on his arm—and was dressed in a surprisingly flattering black velvet frock coat.

"Élois, I believe you've met Felicia, have you not? Mr. Voight's daughter?" The Clay Man gave Felicia a slightly bemused look, but said nothing as he walked beside Louis.

"Élois will be joining us today. I've taken the liberty of acquiring a sample of fabrics we think might be flattering on you. If you're not satisfied with the selection, we can of course make a trip to Spite to rectify that."
Edited by Louis Ferdinand, Aug 13 2017, 03:40 AM.
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Felicia Voight
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Felicia eyed the massive Clay Man speculatively. "Phwoar...you're a big one. Hard to forget you. I think Father punched you once. You know. To test you out."

She turned to Louis, thoughtfully. "He's for carrying clothes? Or for bodyguarding?"
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Louis Ferdinand
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"Neither." Louis appeared slightly surprised by Felicia's assumption that the Clay Man must be engaged in some sort of manual labor. "He's here to help you with your wardrobe, same as myself. Élois has quite an eye for these things, you know." he stated matter-of-factly as he retrieved a match and a small box of what looked like hair from a pocket, rolled a small ball of it between his gloved fingers, and placed it in the bowl of his pipe. He then lit the match against the box of hair and, allowed it to burn for a moment.

"I mean, yes, I'm sure we'll need his help to carry everything, but that's simply..." Louis paused to ignite the hair-like tobacco in his pipe and take a drag from it. "... Coincidental."
Edited by Louis Ferdinand, Aug 13 2017, 04:54 AM.
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Felicia Voight
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Felicia looked a bit guilty for a moment, moving her hat shiftily. "Sorry. My mistake. Anyway...Stables. We'll find one, then clothes. What should I wear? A nice suit? A Fadgett? Dress like a Ladyship? My glasses. Should I wear them? Where do we start?"

She was almost giddy, bouncing on her heels with excitement.
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Louis Ferdinand
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Louis nodded in confirmation to Felicia's plan to find a stable first.

"The first order of business is to have your measurements taken. Thankfully my own tailor has agreed to have this initial measurement taken today: otherwise, we would have had to wait at least a fortnight for the process to be complete. Once we have your measurements, we can browse the designs on display with that information in mind to get an idea of what suits you best. We should be able to find enough prêt-à-porter items here to hold you over until we arrange fittings for what you'll actually be wearing. As for what you should wear, why not all of the above? The only wardrobe that's too big is the one that spills out of your actual wardrobe and threatens to suffocate you under its bulk." Louis gave a wry smile.
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Felicia Voight
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Felicia snorted. "Bursting out? Some have rooms for that. Entire rooms just for clothes. Or entire buildings. Too much wealth. Way too many clothes. But we'll find a few things."

It took surprisingly little time to find a stable and hand over some moon-pearls to stow the pony safely. It took a quick look around its temporary home, nudged at the door to check its sturdiness, and then sank to the floor to relax and eat its hay. It seemed quite content to hide out of sight and be ignored. Felicia nodded to herself and strode out of the stable with Louis, smiling faintly.

"All right! He's safely stowed. Let's take some measurements."
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