D3 - MM | Shop to Kill | Expecting

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

"You look amazing in bright colors. You could use them for accents. Or mix the grey-blue and black so they both enhance each other by contrast."

"And ... you can just try it and figure out what you *actually* like best, what you feel most amazing in, by the trying."

The fixer hummed as she browsed the different attires, taking a navy blue pleated model, with silvery metallic edges.

"What do you think of this one?"

[Kakita Haruhi]

"I like that color combination very much. I think you would look confident in it. Present. Not hiding."

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

"I like that color combination very much. I think you would look confident in it. Present. Not hiding."

The Fixer decided to take in the robes and test them, by the time she was back, it was like the robes on themselves had made the pale woman look less of an outsider than she usually is.

[Kakita Haruhi]

"Oh! That looks so good! Very Nakahama, I think. Professional. Classy. Chic."

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

"Oh! That looks so good! Very Nakahama, I think. Professional. Classy. Chic."

"Does it..?" And Ichitaiyo strolled over the mirror, glancing over herself, up and down. "Is it wrong if I take it to a tailor to make it more snug?"

[Kakita Haruhi]

Haruhi studied her silhouette.

She tried to think what she had seen people wearing.

"Many outfits here are cut more snugly than I am used to, coming from Golden Mirror. A certain amount of tailoring will surely continue to read as professional. Maybe not too much? Not skin-hugging. That might look good, but in a different way, for a different event."

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

"Depends the effect. Your clothing is as much of armor as a plate of steel would be. I hold towards the least conventional to throw off anybody who levies their sight into me, be it by appreciation, or distraction over the dislike- either way, it puts their minds away from might be important at the moment." Ichitaiyo noted, rotating around and checking her angles. "It's risky, of course."

[Kakita Haruhi]

She could understand why Kitsuki-san had felt a need for armor, given what she'd shared of her history.

She hadn't felt that in her life. Nevermind the three avi-drones so often flanking her. Little metal friends who were so entirely predictable and programmable.

"Is your goal to be noticed or not noticed?"

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

She could understand why Kitsuki-san had felt a need for armor, given what she'd shared of her history.

She hadn't felt that in her life. Nevermind the three avi-drones so often flanking her. Little metal friends who were so entirely predictable and programmable.

"Is your goal to be noticed or not noticed?"

"That's.." a quite good question. She paused and brought a finger to her chin to dwelve on the question.

".. I think.. I want to be noticed. To.. be appreciated."

[Kakita Haruhi]

"That's.." a quite good question. She paused and brought a finger to her chin to dwelve on the question.

".. I think.. I want to be noticed. To.. be appreciated."

Haruhi smiled.

"As you say, unconventional clothing can definitely draw notice. A distraction potentially from what else you are doing. People remembering the outfit more than you."

"But if you want you to be noticed, your soul to be appreciated, you may want to try slightly more 'insider' clothes. Predictable but stylish. So the focus is on you. Your face. Your words."

"You are such a good observer. It is your training. Your craft. An investigator. But most people aren't. They may get lost in the shallow if it's distracting enough."

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

Haruhi smiled.

"As you say, unconventional clothing can definitely draw notice. A distraction potentially from what else you are doing. People remembering the outfit more than you."

"But if you want you to be noticed, your soul to be appreciated, you may want to try slightly more 'insider' clothes. Predictable but stylish. So the focus is on you. Your face. Your words."

"You are such a good observer. It is your training. Your craft. An investigator. But most people aren't. They may get lost in the shallow if it's distracting enough."

The words left the detective in pause, as if a stroke of ink had been passed through her chest and soul. She could observe so much, make so many guesses, yet it felt she was so blind to herself. The face hardened back into into samurai's mask of stoicism, not in rejection, but the fear of spilling out what was beneath.

"But.. I guess I am also afraid of people seeing the rest. I don't know if I am a good person."

[Kakita Haruhi]

The words left the detective in pause, as if a stroke of ink had been passed through her chest and soul. She could observe so much, make so many guesses, yet it felt she was so blind to herself. The face hardened back into into samurai's mask of stoicism, not in rejection, but the fear of spilling out what was beneath.

"But.. I guess I am also afraid of people seeing the rest. I don't know if I am a good person."

"I think you are," she said simply, dancing closer.

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

"I think you are," she said simply, dancing closer.

Ichitaiyo turned a look, hard to read, hard to understand, before she turned back into the clothing. "I'm not proud of what I've done for the sake of duty, and I'll leave it at that."

[Kakita Haruhi]

Ichitaiyo turned a look, hard to read, hard to understand, before she turned back into the clothing. "I'm not proud of what I've done for the sake of duty, and I'll leave it at that."

She nodded.

"If duty is hard and even painful, following it is more dutiful, not less."

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

She nodded.

"If duty is hard and even painful, following it is more dutiful, not less."

"I know. Doesn't soothe me much." And she browsed more kimonos idly. "What.. I truly hate. Is that I know that part of me likes it despite all."

[Kakita Haruhi]

"I know. Doesn't soothe me much." And she browsed more kimonos idly. "What.. I truly hate. Is that I know that part of me likes it despite all."

"A part of you likes ... what you had to do?"

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

"A part of you likes ... what you had to do?"

Ichitaiyo nodded. "The secrets, the trickery. It can be intoxicating indeed."

"And sometimes I wonder that, given the chance at a calm life, I would be able to stay out of trouble."

[Kakita Haruhi]

Ichitaiyo nodded. "The secrets, the trickery. It can be intoxicating indeed."

"And sometimes I wonder that, given the chance at a calm life, I would be able to stay out of trouble."

Haruhi held up another bolt of kimono cloth. A near grey-blue but in a lighter, gauzier silk. "This is pretty."

And she thought about her friend's words.

"It may be that those whose lives seem calm have a certain amount of secrets and trickery and trouble that they are just managing effectively to achieve the appearance of calm. Like ... like a swan gliding elegantly across the water. What we see is so elegant gliding gliding, but under the surface of the water there is a furious swimming of webbed feet. The water line hides the motion. Let others see the swan, and keep on swimming."

She lifted her hands, spread the fingers to imply webbing, and churned them furiously like swimming feet. A very silly gesture designed - hopefully - to elicit a grin.

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

Haruhi held up another bolt of kimono cloth. A near grey-blue but in a lighter, gauzier silk. "This is pretty."

And she thought about her friend's words.

"It may be that those whose lives seem calm have a certain amount of secrets and trickery and trouble that they are just managing effectively to achieve the appearance of calm. Like ... like a swan gliding elegantly across the water. What we see is so elegant gliding gliding, but under the surface of the water there is a furious swimming of webbed feet. The water line hides the motion. Let others see the swan, and keep on swimming."

She lifted her hands, spread the fingers to imply webbing, and churned them furiously like swimming feet. A very silly gesture designed - hopefully - to elicit a grin.

And Ichitaiyo couldn't hold back a snort and chuckle from the little theatre, as she observed the piece up and down. That would be something that would fit her moods to hide.

"Do you have any dirty secrets then, Kakita-san?" A tease, good natured, and a step away from Dragon's self-pity.