Graded [Ryken City] Clothes Make the Woman

[Silent Angel]

Rachael Meredith

The amazon looked at her completely dumbstruck for a good half a minute, where she was completely silent. Slowly, as if feeling the words in her mouth, she said, "You've known... since we've met..." It wasn't a question, but more a statement. "And you've just... assumed I've known?" She closed her eyes, her breath slowly coming in and out as she forced herself to calm down. When she opened them, annoyance was showing plain, but that was a much more mellow version of what she was going to use on the halfling before. "Listen, cupcake. I'm fucking muscle. I don't have a big brain like you that can just figure stuff out about people other than if they're an asshole or not just by looking at them. I need people to come straight out and tell me shit, and you are enough of a weirdo that if you don't straight out tell me, I will not know one fucking thing about you. The most I can tell is what I've inferred up to this point based on how you act, and that isn't much of a help. So if you have some groundbreaking thing about yourself that you feel like a dumbass like me should know, then let me know, because I probably haven't figured it out yet."

She pointed a finger at the halfling, still rather annoyed. It was always easy to tell the emotions the amazon felt, as even when she tried to hide them the emotions still showed on her face. "Now, you're gonna be getting one of the outfits I chose. You can look through the book I gave you and find one of the outfits that I chose out that you like, but you will be picking one. It's the least you could do for leaving me so in the dark." She walked to the door, reaching to open it, still upset. However, when she touched the handle, she started to breathe again. Forcing herself to calm down once more. Rachael looked back at Victoria, her eyes slightly puffy. "Look, I'm sorry about the explosion. I shouldn't have blown up like that. But... you can't assume other people are on the same wavelength as you, cupcake. It'll make them feel betrayed, like you were hiding something important from them, and you saying you were expecting them to know because you did... Well, it will just make it hurt more..." Rachael pulled open the door, walking inside, the door closing shut behind her.​

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

“Well... 'know' is a big word. I just assumed it, I guess?” Victorique tried to downplay the level of knowledge to a more truthful one. She was an investigator, not a psychic. She also couldn't really figure out why this was such a big deal to Rachael. Had all their bickering made them grow closer than Victorique figured it had? She had very little experience with having friends, as she used to be a shut-in that just worked on her studies and writing.

It's why all her investigative powers combined still couldn't really help her figure out what to make of this. She sighed deeply, as she put her pipe back into its pocket dimension. Drastic times called for drastic measures. Victorique was fast enough to reach for Rachael's hand before it could reach for the door-handle. After grabbing the giant's hand, she put it atop her head. She wasn't sure why Rachael had been so intent on getting to do this, but it was the best peace offering she could come up with. “There... I'm also sorry. I'm not good at, you know, having friends and all that. I was never a very social person.”

 

[Silent Angel]

Rachael Meredith

Rachael paused for a moment, a blush passing over her face as the girl placed her hand on her head. She slowly ruffled the smaller girl's hair, feeling how soft it was. She thought for a few moments, still ruffling those blond locks, before finally saying, slowly, "I... I can understand that. You have a very cold exterior sometimes. I must admit one of the reasons I want to get you something cuter and more flashy than what you had is so you can somewhat come out of that shell a bit more. If all the experience you have with people is professional, how will you get better at making friends?"

Her hand trailed down some of the strands before a finger went under the halfling's chin, the amazon bending over slightly as she lifted up the girl's chin so they could look face to face. "I'm not just trying to humiliate you. I wouldn't just go out of my way to do that to a friend. Every bit of these clothes look wonderful on you. They draw attention, and while not professional, they compliment you. You can have a stuffy bit of clothes for business wear, but if you close yourself off with it during normal times, how will you expect to be approached by others wanting to be friends?"

She went the extra bit, taking her hand from under the halfling's chin as she knelt in front of her, still being taller off the ground, but now she was even closer to the other lady's face. "I know it will be difficult, but I don't want to be the only friend you have. While it would be nice to have a monopoly on you, it wouldn't be me doing right by you to try and keep that." She slowly leaned in, taking the halfling in a hug. "But I swear, no matter how many people you meet, I'll try to be a good friend to you. Are you alright with doing the same for me?"​

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Victorique's ultimate weapon seemed to work. She definitely didn't enjoy it though. Not even in the slightest bit. Not at all. Rachael seemed to have calmed down significantly. That said, Victorique wasn't sure how much she actually cared about making friends. It definitely wasn't something she'd wear flashy outfits for, that was for sure. She didn't think it was a good idea to bring that up at the moment.

That said, her investigator instinct piqued. “Not just... Not just... So you're admitting part of it is to humiliate me!” Those opening words nearly drew all meaning out of the latter parts, but not entirely. “I guess you have a point..?” She was still a little hesitant, especially after the initial admittance.

The final emotional part really took Victorique off-guard. “I... eh... I...” She stammered. This was getting a little too close and personal, but it wasn't too bad. Her entire focus had been pretty self-centred thus far. She wanted to become the most famous investigator, get herself a good supply of tobacco, perhaps a mansion with lots of servants... None of those desires really included long-term friendships, but perhaps that was what made them all a little hollow? She'd made up her mind. “Yes, I'll try.”

With that out of the way, it was time to bite an even bigger bullet. After making her way back into the tailor's store, she sighed deeply and mentally prepared herself for what was about to come. Out of all the outfits Rachael seemed to desire her to wear, this one was the least offensive looking to her, but she still doubted she'd like it...

The moment she had it on, she realised why she had a bad feeling about it. “Now I know why this was familiar! Isn't this what some kids wear to school?” How in the world was she supposed to feel like a respectable adult when she was in literal kid's clothing? Granted, it was actually pretty nicely fitting and great to move around in, but her pretty sizeable self-esteem would never allow her to wear this in public.

 

[Silent Angel]

Rachael Meredith

Rachael re-entered with her, the amazon's eyes watching with interest at the final outfit that the halfling decided on. She did her best to hide the smile that was brought forth at the sudden outburst, waiting a good few minutes to get herself under control before responding, her face way too blank for the outfit to be anything but what had been referenced, "I have absolutely no clue what you possibly could be talking about. It looks like a professional outfit to me, and I think it fits a detective like you perfectly!" Finally the amazon let the grin out. "Of course, you could always go back to the first outfit you tried on~?"​

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

For a second, just a split second, Victorique actually believed Rachael's words. “Professional... really?” Then she realized there was no way in Isekai Hell that Rachael was serious. “Professional if I wanted to join the Ryken Academy and be mistaken for a first grader, perhaps, but that'd be it. The only thing I'm willing to admit is that it's surprisingly comfortable.”

Victorique sighed. “How about I just try a few of the ones that looked slightly less... horrifying? You can give your opinion on each of them, as at least I'll be sure that none of them would be too terrible...” She said, as she went through the catalogue. She soon spotted an option she really liked.

“How about something like this? I've got no clue why it comes with an umbrella, but I like the colour.”

She then spotted another thing that wasn't too bad.

“What about this red one? I heard red stands out, right? So if you wanted me to stand out, wouldn't this also work?”

She went through the catalogue a bit more... “Oh!”

“Surely this one works, right? I didn't think I'd ever want to wear something pink, but this isn't actually al that bad. I think the other colours make it work, right?”

Oddly enough, despite everything prior, Victorique was actually kind-off getting into it. Trying on new clothes and putting them on to show off to Rachael. Perhaps she'd finally allowed a more girly side to take over. She eventually found one last outfit she wished to try.

“Does green suit me? I know I mentioned it as an option before, but now I'm not really sure. It's pretty soothing and calm though, isn't it? Does it make me look more mature? I'm getting tired of being mistaken for a child.”

She was rambling on a little, as she kept looking at herself in the mirror, trying to figure out which of these dressed worked well on her.

 

[Silent Angel]

The seamstress's eyes widened at the lightning quick requests from the halfling, doing her best to keep up with the different outfits requested of her. Each and every one she conjured, she would gain more of a pout as the magic she used to create the illusions of the clothing was seen more as a way to window shop than anything! "Hey! Try wearing them for at least more than a sentence before asking for another! It's an expensive buy, you know!"

Rachael Meredith

The amazon's eyes glittered as she waved the seamstress off. "Oh don't worry, I like that she's at least somewhat interested in the clothes. It's... nice~" She looked the girl's choices over, each and every one looking cute on the girl. However, in the end, she was between two. "I would say the ones that fit you the best are the blue one and the pink one. I think that I prefer the pink one overall, because it is a new look, less of the posh type and really catches the eye, and... it shows a nice side to you. I like it. But I won't force you to go with it. If you want something more mellow, the blue one still is very nice. I just think that one really fits you~"​

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Victorique wasn't sure how to respond to the shopkeeper's request. Luckily enough, she didn't have to, as Rachael beat her to it. She didn't really do the situation justice though. “I might not be much of a fashionista, but I'm quick to pick up on how something looks, so I assure you I'm considering them well enough.”

With that, Victorique had made up her mind. “Alright, I've decided! I'll keep this pink one for regular days and get my old outfit mended for official business. Do you also mend clothing, by the way? Anyhow, I think having both should be a good compromise between standing out and looking professional. If I ever have the budget, I might be returning for that blue one though...”

As she was thinking about it, her curiosity was starting to get the better of her slowly and steadily. She turned to Rachael. “I know I might regret asking this, seeing what type of stuff there's on display here... but what type of clothing are you normally going for? I can't really imagine you in something other than your current outfit.”

 

[Silent Angel]

The elf looked the halfling over, sizing her up mentally, with the assistance of the magic she was using, and gave her a nod. "Alright, I can have it done for you quick enough, and as for mending it shouldn't be too difficult~ Even if it doesn't look it, your clothes seem simple enough to fix~" She picked up a notepad and quill off the counter, using them to write measurements on the halfling, before saying, "Come back at the end of the day. Should have it done for you by then~"

Rachael Meredith

Rachael gave the seamstress a nod and wave as she started to walk towards the door, the halfling's question causing her to falter in step in surprise. She looked back at the halfling, a small smirk on her face as she started to ho and hum, as if wondering if she should truly tell her friend about her primary clothing type. Finally, she said, "I enjoy crop tops. What goes with those are up to how I'm feeling, but for the most part, I like to show off~ If you want, I'll wear it next time, just for your enjoyment~" She swayed her body, as if showing off to the much shorter lady, as she walked to the door, opening it as she stated, "After you, cutie~"​

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Victorique was actually a little disappointed when the illusion faded and she was put back in her normal clothing. Especially because it reminded her of how ragged her outfit was. It also remembered her to ask something. “Will you be able to mend it while I wait, or should I get a spare set of clothing somewhere?” After all, she didn't have anything else to wear, so leaving her outfit here would mean she'd have to suddenly go above and beyond Rachael's levels of exhibitionism, which wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

On the topic of clothing, Rachael reminded Victorique of just how little she knew about fashion. “Are those the shirts that don't cover you stomach?” She decided it wasn't worth the trouble to start reacting to the second part.

As they walked outside, Victorique opened up her [Pocket Dimension] to quickly go through her wallet. She'd have some money left to spare after paying for the mending and new dress. Not as much as she'd like, but still enough to buy some new tobacco. That said, there were two issues. First was that she had to explain she was old enough to smoke half of the time, second was that one of the most promising looking shops was in a rather unsavoury part of town.

Then again... it wasn't that much rowdier than were they are. So Victorique formed a master-plan. “Would you mind if we stop by the Cured Leaf for a bit? It's a little out of the way from here, but I've heard they've got some very promising tobacco.”

 

[Silent Angel]

The seamstress giggled. "We have either children's clothes or some of my specialties for someone of your size~ But if you don't want either of those, I can speed up the make of the blue dress and you can come back in a few hours for it~" She gave them a small wave before going back to her work, wanting to get the dress done quickly, but with care.

Rachael Meredith

The amazon nodded at the first question. "Yup. Shows a good amount of midriff to be sure, but I don't mind~ It looks good, and I feel wonderful in it~ Though, my belly does look harder than the type most people would show off~" Her mind moved to the next one, to which she gave a shrug. "I don't mind either way. I don't enjoy smoking all that much. For my vice, I prefer drinking. But I'd be glad to go to there with you~ I'm sure it will be lovely~"​

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Victorique decided she'd rather walk around in torn clothing and later on wait whilst her outfit was being mended than put on 'specialities' on children's clothing. Of all the bad options, it was by far the least bad one. She also was in luck, as Rachael agreed to tag along to the Cured Leaf. On the topic of vices... “It's weird, I never smoked before arriving here, but not long after I arrived, I already had a pretty big craving for it.”

That said, after having Rachael guide her back to a part of town she actually knew, she took the lead towards the Cured Leaf. It was in an equally peculiar district; one that could even be called shady. They were watched from various alleys, but nobody approached. The latter was probably thanks to Rachael being around, as that made Victorique a whole lot less appealing as a potentially robbery victim. It wasn't difficult to imagine how many would mistake her for a lost child at first glance.

As they proceeded, they could smell their destination before they could see it, as a strong scent of tobacco smoke filled the alleys surrounding the small tobacco store. A few people were actively going through their purchases just outside the store, looking at the odd due with a mild curiosity. However, Victorique ignored them and made her way inside.

For Victorique, it was pretty spacious. For Rachael, it was cramped. She couldn't stand upright and had to be careful not to knock over the various shelves in the store with every step she'd take. The counter seemed to be at the very back of the store, although luckily there was a straight path towards it from the door.

Spoiler: Store clerk

A rather odd looking figure, likely the store's clerk, was standing behind the counter, enjoying their own wares.

However, before they could move towards him, a rough looking man near the entrance stopped them.

Spoiler: Rough looking guy

“Oi, this ain't no place for kids and whores. Fuck off.” From the smell of his breath, it was clear that smoking wasn't the only thing he'd been up too and that Rachael wasn't the only one with drinking as a vice.

He physically blocked them from moving further in, to which Victorique gave a sigh. “Kindly retract those words and move out of the way, or I'll have my colleague deal with you.” It was pretty clear why Victorique had wanted Rachael to tag along right now.

The man just scoffed. “Fuck off.”

Victorique sighed, stepping aside and nodding to Rachael. “He's all yours.”

 

[Silent Angel]

Rachael Meredith

Rachael barked out a laugh at the mention of her craving tobacco, asking, "You don't like it, but are you sure you're not actually a hobbit, not a halfling or whatever it's called?" She stuck her tongue out before lightly quipping, "I'm sure that you wouldn't be amiss in the Shire puffing away at Longbottom Leaf. In fact, it's a fun thought~" Her eyes slowly drifted away after she said her joke, and she muttered under her breath, "I'd rather be in the middle of the Red Light District with nothing but panties and a bra on over being in this place. It's downright unfriendly. At least there you know that you'll get a grope and not a knife."

As they entered the shop and were stopped, Rachael's eyebrow slowly raised at the man who was trying to turn them away. Her eyes turned down to the halfling, hearing her words, and guessing what they meant, but even if he was rude, she didn't like the idea of beating up a person who would get her a criminal title out of the blue. So, instead, she decided to take the less aggressive approach until she could find out. She turned to the man, doing her best to square her shoulders in the cramped area, but instead settled for her body becoming a bit more imposing as she made sure to show the size disparity between them. "Sir, for one, I am not a whore. Neither is my companion. But, in addition to that, she is not a child, as she is a halfling, a race that I am sure that people who sell tobacco get quite a bit of business from. But further more, the fact that you automatically assumed that one of us was a whore says more about your filthy mind than anything we could have done. What, are you so touch and sensory deprived that seeing a bit of skin automatically makes you think a lady is a slut? Really, you couldn't have shown you were a love starved virgin any better if you had tried." As she talked, her eyes weakly shown with light as she used her appraisal skill to try and learn what she could about the very rude man that faced her.​

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Victorique stopped dead in her tracks at the next mention of hobbits. Before even speaking up, she took off a shoe and showed Rachael her foot. “There. Perfectly proportional to the rest of my body.” She said with a huff and puff. “Have you seen how grotesquely disproportionate the feet of those shire hobbits were? I'm insulted you'd compare me with them.” She sighed... “But I do have to agree I'd be curious to try smoking that... Seems like I drew the short end of the stick coming here, pretty literally as well.”

As for the area they were heading for, Victorique couldn't help give a chuckle. “Why do you think I wanted to bring my faithful guardian bunny along? I'd spent more time running than shopping if I were here on my own. Although I'm not so sure as to whether I'd prefer the groping and attention or the knife between my ribs. Both seem equally unappealing.”

As for the shop, Victorique was hoping Rachael would use her strength to just pick the man up and put him down elsewhere, rather than beat him up or try to negotiate. Rachael, trying the latter option, would not be all that successful.

Spoiler: Rough looking guy

“You're sure dressed as one...” He replied, but it was clear most of the rest of her words went straight over his head. The smell of booze wafted from him almost as strongly as the smell of tobacco smoke. Virgin? Ha! I fucked more women than you can image. Come with me and I'll prove it!”

Cured Leaf Clerk

​

He was just about to move towards Rachael for some groping when the shopkeeper spoke up. “Madam, would you do me the favour of removing him from the premise?” His voice was surprisingly gentle considering the request. Although he had his head turned in their direction, it was clear he wasn't actually looking at them, as he seemed to be blind. With permission from the store clerk granted, only using overly excessive force would mean risking a title.

 

[Silent Angel]

Rachael Meredith

Rachael gave two light hops, her hands coming up to mimic the paws of a bunny as best she could in the cramped area. "Your guardian bunny bounds to your defense, my lovely Hobbit~" She stuck out her tongue at the halfling before looking down at the man. Suddenly, her hands shot out, gripping onto his clothes before forcibly flinging him out the door into a heap. "Kindly, sir, go fuck yourself, since the imaginary women you talked about aren't real enough to do it for you." And with that, she slammed the door after him, turning to the shop owner. "I'm glad he wasn't a friend of yours. I wouldn't have enjoyed our visit here if he was. And, by the way, I'm just the hired muscle. The one giving you patronage is my wonderfully cute friend here~" She motioned down to Victorique before moving to one side of the door to sit, as to not have to bend over constantly. However, from her sitting position, she kept an eye out the door, making sure the abuser didn't come after them, and if he did, she would have no qualms putting him down for a nice dirt nap.​

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Spoiler: Rough looking guy

The guy was too drunk and too caught by surprise to even react to the sudden throw, landing face-first into an unfortunate fellow that just walked past the store. He somehow managed to scramble back up and opened the door to get back at Rachel. However, the fellow who'd just been 'attacked' through getting another man thrown at him didn't seem all that more sober or bright, as he immediately started cursing and stopped the first guy from entering again. “You knocked me over you fuck! Watch where the fuck you're going or I'll beat your ass!” The previous guy instantly forgot all about Rachael and turned around. “I go where I want you piece of shit!” It didn't take long for the first punches to land, as they went in on each-other until the newcomer managed to knock the throw-out guy clean out with an uppercut. After spitting on his defeated opponent, he proudly walked off, although with his own face clearly having been remodelled as well.

Victorique just stared in surprise and puzzlement. “That's definitely on the list of the weirdest chains of events I've seen...”

Cured Leaf Clerk

​

The store clerk smiled at the mention of 'friend' form Rachael. “He's a good enough patron, but he tends to overstay his welcome, so I don't mind someone cleaning up.” The man said, although he didn't follow Rachael's motion whatsoever, staring blankly ahead in their general direction. “I see, is this your first time coming here ma'am?”

Victorique, now that the way was cleared, walked up toward the store clerk. “That's correct. Why do you ask?”

The man smiled, but didn't answer. Instead, he went on with the next question. “Then, did I hear correctly that you are a halfling?”

Victorique was getting a bit confused. “Yes..?”

The man nodded. “Good. Then I'm sure I'll be able to find you something. Now, tell me, fruits or herbs?”

“What... herbs, I guess?”

“Strong or mild?”

“Strong.”

…

The questions continued for a fair while, as the store clerk seemed to be taking his job very serious.

In the meantime, it'd give Rachael some time to look around. Although she couldn't move all that freely, she could see throughout most of the store. The walls were aligned with large closets that all had small drawers in them, with various strong scents coming from them. They all had some sort of letters engrained into them, carved deeply enough to be 'felt' if one were to have their fingers go over them.

Eventually, the store clerk walked past the bench and along the walls, tracing his fingers across the drawers until he found a particular one. He opened it and brought out a glass jar filled with tobacco, opening it and quickly smelling it to confirm he'd gotten the right stuff. “This is it. It's imported all the way from the other continent, so it's on the pricier side, but it's long burning and has a very strong flavour. From what you've told me me miss, I can guarantee that you'll love it.”

Victorique had happily followed along and was just tall enough to reach up and grab the glass jar he was now holding out to her. After smelling it as well, she was positively shocked. “That smells amazing...”

The man just smiled, as he closed the drawer. “Ah, miss hired muscle, are you sure I cannot interest you in anything? We do offer chewing tobacco for those that dislike inhaling the smoke.”

 

[Silent Angel]

Rachael Meredith

She gave a small nod when the man confirmed that the drunkard was just a customer, not an employee. She eyed him outside, but, with him preoccupied, she decided that he wouldn't be bothering her much for the time being. She turned back to witness the transaction occurring, listening to the different questions before she was surprised by the man asking one for herself. She slowly shook her head, before, remembering that the man wasn't able to see the gesture, she finally said, "No, I don't think so. It isn't just because I don't like the smoke, though that is a part of it. At a place I once worked, the air was always thick with the stench of smoke from different things. Tobacco was the normal one, but sometimes I was unlucky enough to deal with a person smoking weed. That near constant smell filling my nose put me off of the stuff. Can't stand Tobacco in any way." She paused for a few moments, before giving the halfling a slight grin. "Hell, I'd have told the lovely halfling to put hers out when she's around me if I didn't enjoy her company so much."​

 

[Elvario]

Cured Leaf Clerk

​

One particular phrase of Rachael's confused the clerk. “Weed... you say? I'd like to pride myself on my extensive knowledge regarding tobacco, but I'm afraid I've never heard of people smoking weeds. The closest I know of are some monster folk smoking red creeping vines, which most gardeners consider to be one of the worst types of weeds to find and which are rather poisonous to most. I've heard those things tend to get the average monster into a rather... let's say it's a rather out-of-world experiencing state instead.” He paused for a bit. “Forgive me, I've rambled. Let's finish up this purchase.”

He slowly made his way back to the counter, after which Victorique paid for the tobacco. She was just about tall enough to put it on the counter, standing on her toes, after which the clerk took the coins, counting them, measuring them by hand and eventually biting in them. It was probably the only way for him to confirm that he wasn't being cheated upon. Once that part was confirmed, he waved them goodbye with a “Thank you for your purchase.”

Victorique Sopheana
​

Victorique still had some things left to say, however, now that they were outside the store. “You should be careful with your words, before people will misunderstand.” Whether that was with regards to Rachael mentioning 'weed' or with regards to Rachael loading compliments onto the halfling was for Rachael herself to figure out. “Anyhow, thanks for tagging along. We can take a bit of detour and check back in with the tailor.”

With only the pick-up part of their mission to find a new out-fit remaining, the challenging part was over and after the walk back, Victorique was able to buy the outfit for real, rather than just as an illusion. Feeling the actual fabric on her skill was a lot different than merely seeing it as an illusion, but it wasn't different in a bad way. In fact, she actually liked it. All things considered, it was a surprisingly successful mission, considering how often Victorique had been worried about what Rachael was trying to get her to wear.

The End​

 

[Novama]

Isekai Hell RP Grade​

You know what you did. There's nothing more to say. Dress up and Smoke up.

Aftermath
The roughed up man would remember his encounter with the tall bunny suit and the smart mouthed 'child'. He would be actively considering ways to get even for a future encounter.

Rewards

Victorique - 38 points -

• optional title acquired [Child] - due to size, human appearance, and youthful face, character is often mistaken for a human child. More likely to get lollipops. Less likely to be treated like an adult or competent creature by strangers.

Rachael - 46 points (narration bonus)

• optional title acquired [Groomer] - character has spent time with child-like characters and encouraged them in ways to increase their appeal for character's benefit and other adults' benefit. Will more easily attract and befriend children "appreciators". More likely to make children uncomfortable.

Elvario Silent Angel