[closed] winner winner, fancy dinner

[journaler]

Who: Leia Rolando, Jude Mathis
When: Like a week/some days before the Winter Ball
Where: Shopping district
What: Shopping for formal-wear for their definitely-not-a-date.
Warnings: None!


[It was a hard battle, but Leia won.

It's written all over her face as they walk. There's pride, and determination: after the disaster that was the carnival, she's determined to make this ball a good one. Jude, unfortunately for him, had been the perfect candidate to help; and even though he resisted, she eventually got the do-gooder in him to agree.

They'll go, together, as friends.]

Come on. As long as you don't drag your feet, it'll be over quick. I promise!

[She nudges him teasingly.]

I mean, I've never really worn anything formal before, but it shouldn't be that hard to find something, right?

[At least they're not trying to make things from scratch?]

Comments

[journaler]

[Whoops.

If it really wasn't necessary, he probably shouldn't have said anything at all. Unfortunately for Jude, they're pretty insistent on getting things right, so at the slight hint of imperfection, they of course won't let it slide.

They start to look him over again, take a couple more measurements, and assure him it won't take long. Meanwhile, some of them finally catch onto Leia's choice in dress and invite her towards the fitting area where they just had Jude.

She... just nods, looking sympathetically at him.]

I'll be right back, okay?

[spyrites]

[This is like some form of torture. (So dramatic, Jude.) He doesn't protest, of course, and allows them to fuss over the few inches of the sleeve that make it a tad too long. Well if they're tiny adjustments then maybe it's fine to just let them do it. It seems like it'll make the quite happy.

Leia no don't leave him with these strange girls...]

Yeah, sure. [he sighs. No, that's fair. Leia has to find something to wear too.

Meanwhile he relinquishes the jacket to the clerks for them to adjust, holding out his arm obediently as they measure and pin before they pull it off him to tailor it. He's surprised it'll take that fast--they must be real pros at this--but waits patiently for them and Leia both.]

[journaler]

[The dress is a good fit, in the end. Leia seems pleased, and though the employees are certainly... one of a kind, she's content to make their day. Sometime later, as they walk out of the fitting rooms together, they seem to be showing her a pink corsage that they think would make the perfect finisher to top off her dress.

Never fear, though! They have one for Jude, too--exactly like hers--and they aren't shy about showing him. Both are pinned on at the same time, and... sans make-up, everything looks complete.

The employees actually seem to give them some space now, which is an odd feeling given their experience so far.

...

She looks around and spots a mirror. They're everywhere, really--but she'll step out of the way so Jude can see, too, one final time. Both of them together.]

Hey... I think they did a pretty good job.

[spyrites]

[It's in that moment, staring at their reflections side by side in the mirror like this, that Jude finally comes to a strange realization. That realization being that Leia is, in fact, a girl.

... Okay, well. He knew that... but at the same, apparently, had no idea. It was hard to put into words. Leia had always been... Leia. His most important friend, someone he'd certainly do anything for, and always just... Leia. Yet suddenly this realization dawns on him. It'd certainly been building up, he can acknowledge that much. From the first time they found themselves here and subsequently everything that followed after in the wake of that... strange... first encounter. Now it seemed to have accumulated into something very weird for him to be feeling at the moment.

He thinks he should probably say something like how nice she looks but he's way too embarrassed for that. That and, because he suffers from being a male Tales Of protagonist, he's too busy feeling confused because even this strange epiphany isn't a match for his level of density.

So instead he just kind of turns red and averts his gaze, not unlike reactions he often has around Milla Maxwell.]

I guess they have a real eye for this sort of thing. [But, one figures, they would have to... He's still not really sure about the matching corsages because that more or less means this is a date and that makes everything way more confusing but even then he isn't going to protest against it.]

[journaler]

[Leia, on the other hand, is hardly surprised by how handsome he is, though it doesn't make it any easier to take her eyes off him. A year ago, something like this would probably sent her right to cloud nine--she would have been the happiest girl in the world. One year later, somewhere totally different... she's still pretty happy.

As long as he's happy, too.

After catching him staring, then trying not to stare, she nudges him teasingly with a laugh.]

Well, it is their job.

[She thanks them all, then is quick to reach into her purse for her card--aka life, universe and everything.]

...Here. I'll pay.

[spyrites]

[Thankfully her offer to pay snaps him out of whatever weird thoughts he was having. So does her playful nudge and now he looks even more embarrassed somehow, although for a totally different reason.

He reaches out quickly to lightly grab her arm.]

What? I can't let you do that. It's way too much. [He's flattered and all but he's also Jude. There's no way he can let Leia do that and not feel guilty about it. Well... that and also it's kind of expensive.]

I'll pay for my own things, it's okay.

[journaler]

[The arm he grabs happens to be the one whose hand is reaching into her purse, alas. She stops to look at him, frowning, and it looks like she might protest when the giggling starts again among the employees. Suddenly they're whispering to themselves, and she doesn't have to be able to hear it to imagine what they might be saying.

That familiar shade of red returns to her cheeks and she gently brushes his hand away as she pulls out her card. Embarrassed (again), she glances away for the moment.]

S-Still a do-gooder, aren't you...

[Then again, so is she. She'll find a way.]

[spyrites]

[The moment their giggling starts up again Jude realizes what this probably continues to look like to them and he quickly withdraws his hand, embarrassed. He flushes instantly and looks away too. This is silly...]

Seems that way. [He isn't even trying to this time. Well, not for the most part. He just doesn't want her to spend that much money on him. (Partly true: he never wants anyone to spend money on him ever, usually.)

Okay but if she really wants... He's still a little flustered but he looks back up at her with a sheepish smile.] How about you buy me lunch later instead? [He would flat out refuse otherwise but he feels a little bad so... compromise!

Anyway he'll move to pay for his own things now before he changes back to his regular clothes, trying to ignore the still snickering workers.]

[journaler]

[Some are snickering, others look almost disappointed. Leia ignores them too, finally forcing a bit of a smile as she accepts the compromise. She pulls out her own card to be processed, uninterrupted this time, and it's quickly taken by another worker than the one helping Jude.]

Deal.

[...]

We can even try somewhere new.

[spyrites]

[Jude doesn't wanna address the girl that had been flirting with him earlier when she'd been helping him with the suit... largely because he was too dense to notice that's what she had been doing. But now the goal is to just get out of here because this embarrassment is going to give him a heart attack soon.

He'll hand over his card too to the aforementioned disappointed looking girl and smiles.] Sure. Where ever you want.

[journaler]

[Then there's the waiting, and the transaction probably feels twice as long as it actually is. Their cards are returned eventually though, their chosen outfits neatly tucked in protective bags. Leia takes hers thankfully and is already moving towards the door after some polite thank yous.

Outside, she pulls out her CereVice to check the time:]

Phew. Well, that actually didn't take too long.

[spyrites]

[Well it felt like an awkward eternity for him... but he wisely keeps his mouth shut. Okay it wasn't that terrible but he doesn't want to do that again any time soon. Preferably ever.]

I'm just glad to be out of there. [Those employees were just a tad too enthusiastic...]

Well... should we get something to eat then?

[journaler]

Sounds good.

[She nods and wastes no time walking forward to take the lead. There's a hint of relief in her smile, cemented by a sigh that follows--but no, it really wasn't so bad after all.

Now it's over, and they have something to look forward to, even if it's as simple as a fancy party ball.

She has to be thankful for that.]