A Whiter Shade of Wake

Baroness Wake
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0


    It's warm and the weather, though cloudy, is quite pleasant with a gentle wind. Wake and a small part of her entourage are camping out in pole tents, their entry ways open to allow the air to flow through. It is working its way towards early evening, and the work of the day is largely done.

    In one of the tents, Wake is standing before a mirror, examining clothing carefully as a few landers she's hired present her with options.

    "The first simply isn't going to work this time," Wake says gently. The smallest of frowns curves her lips. "They tell me it will be sunny on the morrow, and we will be meeting near the sea. There's simply too much red in this design. I think I can see great value in it later, though. The Rose is a precious symbol to me, and the work is lovely."

    The look that those here give each other is telling. This is not the first batch that Wake has gone through and found a problem with. There are tailors standing by, but the excitement of working with someone so exacting has worn off and they now just look resigned to their fate.

Uta
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0

Uta has heard the rumors. She has mostly been helping in the background, but all signs (especially direct reports) point to Wake having entered one of the strange moods Uta is researching. Having left immediately after her duel with Setsuna, she made her way through dangerous monster-infested forests, overpriced last-minute ships, scrying sphere telemarketers (good thing she has no Divination!), and very distracting hordes of slimes.

The time has finally come to face the final boss of this quest itself: Baroness Wake herself. Uta has heard rumors about her fussiness about color coordination, but thankfully, Uta has hatched a genius plan: she'll just show up in her newbie outfit, which is pretty much black and white. Black and white go on everything, right?

And so, as Uta puts up her most confident smile (or, at least, the smile that tries to muster the most confidence), she struts towards Wake, and when she's there, about to greet her, a thought strikes her.

"...Wait!", she thinks, without saying it out loud. "The lower layer and the pants of my outfit are cerulean! Does cerulean go on everything?" There is a moment of startled hesitation. "...Just bluff," her train of thought continues. "If it works, good. If it doesn't... just don't draw attention to it!"

"Cerulean!", exclaims Uta with a big smile, and bows. "...I mean, good morning, Lady Bombast!" There. Now there's some extra red on her face as well due to the blushing...
Baroness Wake
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0


    Uta's appearance draws every eye. With that outburst, how could it not? A tailor takes one look at Uta and facepalms, while the young woman holding the next outfit to be reviewed groans audibly. This is so not what they need right now!

    The Baroness turns her attention on Uta. Somehow, that normal level of intesity has been exceeded.

    "Good afternoon, Uta!" greets the Baroness. She slips into her curtsey, spreading out her skirt, which is colors with a pattern of ivory and blue. The Right Clothes outdid themselves today, clearly. The grass she stands on in the tent has a vibrant green to it that simply makes her pop as she stands upon it.

    Rising smoothly, she moves across the turf with a bounce in her step, wrapping Uta in a hug and secretly taking rough measurements in the process. "Did you come to join us for the next visit? I've met so many nobles lately, it can be a big much to take in. And I've seen so many beautiful things that I only now have come to appreciate." Casually, she adds, "You are just in time to model for us, if you'd like."
Uta
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0

Uta's eyes make a valiant push to leave their respective sockets and go frolicking on the vibrant green of the grass, but alas, the sockets are too strong, and so those ocular bulbs remain shackled to their place of confinement.

Thankfully.

"...Thank you, but there is no need to!", Uta hurries to add. "I do not desire to take more than the bare minimum time from your tasks of greater importance just to... you know, do things... that are not... of as great an importance." She clears her throat. "With your permission...", says Uta, and after flicking her menu open she begins to navigate it, "...I would like to confirm some hypothesis I had about your current state..." Needless to say, she's trying to pull up her medical grade inspection.
Baroness Wake
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0


    Somewhere along the way, Wake stepped back and turned an extremely critical eye on Uta's outfit. She lifts her right hand to her chin, stroking it just once, then flicking her wrist to wave at an assistant. There's an impish grin on the face of the girl who hops up and approaches.

    "I'm thinking.. something like that dress you showed me two nights ago," she begins.

    "The one with the petticoats?" the younger woman asks, seeking confirmation. A quick nod is the affirmation she gets. "I could see that working well. How about shoes?"

    Wake stalks around Uta at this point, thinking aloud, "She's of great importance to me, you understand, so I expect your complete focus on making it perfect for her, both in appearnace and function. She's not a diplomat, she's a nurse and quite fascinated in the field of.. slimology?" It sounds likely to be the best term.

    "I'm sure we can work that in," comes the girl's reply. "I would appreciate that. Please come up with a design and we can review it tomorrow."

    As the girl bows herself away, Wake turns back to Uta. "My state? Well, unless I do very well, I won't have one. Are your questions about colors or architecture I have in mind? Or perhaps administration?"
Uta
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0

Uta's navigation is slowed down, due to her splitting her attention between the outside world and the menu. "Wait, what- no. No, I don't need any outfits. Seriously. I appreciate the offer, but Gwen's been dumping a ton onto me. I still have to even try most of those on." A moment of silence. "...I suppose slimology will have to do. There really isn't a word for it, as far as I'm aware of..."

Having finally reached the last entry, she taps on it, and bites her lower lip at what she sees. "We are not talking about your state as in... nation-state. More like... you know. I think I've mentioned Strange Moods, right? Well..." With her open palm, she points at what will look like thin air to everyone else. "...my suspicions are confirmed. Lady Bombast?" She raises her eyebrows. "...you have a status effect of Yuugen."
Baroness Wake
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0


    The entourage shares a look. Some are expectant, others bemused. However this ends, it should be interesting. It's one thing to indulge someone's sudden, intense, and absolute fascination in color and shape, quite another to watch someone else tell that person they are perhaps magically insane.

    "I'm sorry, the what?" asks Wake. Whatever it is, obviously it's not that important. "You know, we should see what Gwen has given you! I imagine there are many good ideas. One might even fit this exact situation. Let's see you try them on." A pause. "All of them. I can't wait to see what she's given you!"

    This approach leaves the others sighing. They don't have to hide it. Wake doesn't even notice their disapproval anymore. But she's paying, so on it goes.
Uta
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0

Uta spends far too much time agonizing over each posisble choice. "...I doubt the winter coat will fit this summer weather, soooo, I'm skipping to the next entry... let's see... uh... entry number two... Oh. There's... 'Gwen's own take on the Kung-Fu Nurse outfit.'" She taps her chin. "I don't remember this one. might as well give it a try. Should be safe enough."

She jabs at thin air, and after some shimmering, her outfit is replaced by a similar one, but with a more snug, MMORPG-esque cut rather than the loose, baggy version she usually wears. As per JRPG standard, the sleeves are cut off and replaced by gloves that reach almost to the shoulder, the skirt is short, made of various overlapping elements with a slight point downards, and pants are replaced by similarly long boots that reach almost, but not quite, to the hem of the skirt.

And of course, heels.

To stick with the original gi/nurse's unform theme, the color is all white, with black hems.

Uta looks down at the result, and blushes. "...oh, right. THAT is why I havent't switched..."
Baroness Wake
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0


    "Dang, girl, you look positively gorgeous," comes Tae's voice. She has just entered and is openly admiring Gwen's work. "Wake's lucky I'm a one woman kind of girl," she adds playfully, wrinkling her nose and letting out a playful giggle. She closes the distance and hugs Uta affectionately. Mid-hug, she whispers, "I am /so/ sorry. Wake is totally bonkers lately." Well, the first part is whspered. The bonkers comment is plenty loud enough for Wake to hear.

    Before Wake can speak, Tae draws back from Uta and spins towards the Baroness. "And I love every totally crazy inch of you, my dearest, precious one!" She approaches Wake with complete confidence, and when her love's attention is utterly on the very colorful outfit Tae is wearing (very flashy, clearly inspired by an old concert outfit), the former K-Pop star gestures gently towards the entourage, who happily accept their dismissal/pardon.

    "You know, we were in the middle of someth-," Wake begins, her arms crossed in something like disapproval. But then Tae just shuts her up with a kiss so thorough it sends the last two tailors scampering out even faster than they had been.

    After a time, Wake is released and looks quite at a loss for words. How rare. "My apologies.. I think.. what were we doing again?" One wouldn't call Wake out for leering at her love, but she /is/ admiring Tae's unexpected outfit with interest. "You wore this on the first Japan tour," she murmurs faintly.
Uta
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0

Uta? Well, of course, she goes an even deeper shade of red. "Ah. Uh... thanks... Tae! I guess? That's... er... a compliment. I mean, a welcome compliment." She cranes her neck towards Wake. "...see? No need to be jealous. I already have to worry about Yuuki murdering me in my sleep after our duel. I don't need a second person who wants me dead. Please don't kill me." Wake may or may not know that the part about Yuuki wanting to kill Uta is just a prank by Kauchemar. But she probably knows. Wake's good at knowing things.

Uta grins and starts walking backwards, unsteady and uncertain. "D...don't mind me. I'm just picking up my medical bag..." She carefully lowers by bending her knees rather than hunching over... and grasps at thin air. "...you know, the exact medical bag which I didn't take out from my inventory. That one." She moves to stand up again. "...you two, I am sure, have very important diplomatic matters to discuss, and I would hate to intrude. See you next time, okay?" And she'll try to take this opening sto slip away from Wake and Tae...
Baroness Wake
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0


    Wake does know. Kauchemar is great for these things. Hopefully someday Wake will get to be the target of such a prank, too. Nothing shows friendship quite that way, after all. At the moment, though, the Baroness is occupied with affairs of state.

    "Do you remember how you wore this for my birthday after we first met?" asks Wake softly.

    "And do you remember how it still fit like a glove, " Tae replies, staring into Wake's eyes for some time. Eventually, she shoots Uta an impish grin and makes a little wave. "Please grab a tent, dear. I have many things to share that might interest you on a scholarly level." Nobody knows better how nutty Wake is!
Uta
Overworld - -25 - -8 - 0

Uta gulps. Was that part about grabbing a tent a polite offer, or a request one can't refuse? Considering how Uta's top priority, at the moment, is not to compound the number of people who try to murder her in her sleep, she'll politely comply. Hopefully, this will either save her life, or make death quick and painless. "I will be honoured, Lady Bombast!", she says, with a bow, and goes look for suitable quarters...