Clarice and April | Shopping
Jan. 3rd, 2022 11:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs(Backdated) April's first impression of Clarice as a woman with very strong opinions is just reinforced when the other woman takes her shopping. Although travel via Clarice Express really is the best.
Meeting April in the foyer, Clarice was ready to go with a gameplan in mind. She also had an image inducer with her, but she wanted to make sure April was aware of her actual appearance. It was important to her not to hide in her own home, but at the same time, there was no reason to create dangerous problems for no reason.
She was loving the big baggy pant trend ala the 90's with a crop top and doc martens, even though it was winter. Her crop top was a sweater and she had a heavy coat, though it wasn't like they needed to worry about being out too too much. The Clarice-express was the only way to travel.
Someone had very politely gotten April's lone outfit cleaned for her, so she was at least clean and presentable when she stepped into the foyer, even if not particularly fashionable in her rosy pink blouse and jeans topped with her standard black leather jacket. She was grateful she'd been wearing it when she got blown through and wouldn't have to break in a new jacket. No-skid black boots suitable for the streets of New York in winter completed the look, and she smiled at the woman waiting there. "Clarice? It's nice to meet you in person."
"You too!" Clarice chirped, turning her image inducer on and opening a portal, "So, I thought we could start in a neighborhood known for a lot of vintage shopping and thrift stores, but like, the high class kind. Not Goodwill. Not that Goodwill is bad, but like...they're super hit or miss and we want hits!" Motioning for April to follow, she went through the portal first to show how easy it was. No cold cars to warm up, no traffic, it was the best way to travel.
"Damn, that might be better than swinging through town," April said as she stepped through the portal. The neighborhood was unfamiliar but the bustle of the city was comforting, similar enough to her own dimension that it was easy enough to forget this was an entirely new place. She followed Clarice into the first store, eyes widening appreciatively as she took in the selection.
"This entire neighborhood is full of stores like this," Clarice was already pulling things she thought were cute. Mostly for April, but not all. "And there's no better way to travel than Clarice-Express. No view but also no traffic, time commitment, or other issues. Unless we're getting to get back on earth. That takes a lot."
"The upsides more than make up for the lack of view." April was smiling as she rummaged through the racks. A black dress with brightly colored polka dots caught her attention, and she held it up to check it for rips and tears with a critical eye before checking the care tag. "I have no idea where I'd wear this, but it looks so fun."
"So get it," Clarice replied, "Wear it to make breakfast. Who needs a reason?" Says the woman who spent all year working on gowns for herself for various events, "Like...I get that you were some sort of vigilante or whatever from your old life. Which, cool. But you have options here. And Westchester isn't really Manhattan in that respect." Of course, there were a couple who went out and were vigilantes still, in their supposed off time. How much time they had to do that was debatable though.
April looked over the dress one more time before draping it over her arm. "Fine, yes, I'll find a reason to wear it, even if it's just looking especially nice at dinner some night." A pair of jeans and a few shirts got the same critical inspection before she moved to a different rack. "Feels weird being called a vigilante when we worked with NYPD fairly regularly, but I guess technically we were. Just a liaison to the officials and better PR than dad had at first."
"You didn't have a badge, you weren't official," she shrugged, "We work with SHIELD and SWORD and various other LEO groups. We're not officially sanctioned. It's one of our benefits and why they work with us for things," it was also a drawback for other stuff. "Cue the Mission Impossible theme here and all that. What do you think of this shirt?" She held up a dark purple blouse with puffy sleeves. "Very trendy."
"That's true. Some of the other groups I was aware of didn't always have as easy a time of it. Probably helped that we stuck to non-lethal and fairly low property damage, so they could pass it off more as a citizen's arrest." April tilted her head as she looked at the blouse. "I think it's cute, and the material looks like it would hold up pretty well. I appreciate that they kept the rest of the blouse simple instead of going for full frills and ruffles. Some of the trends lately look more like they raided the children's dresses at Easter."
"I love the frills," Clarice handed the blouse to April, because there was no way she wore purple. Ever. Not any shade. "There is such a thing as too many, but overall, I like them. I am not a fan of the prairie dresses. You don't need to be concerned about how well your clothes will hold up though. I've learned, if you don't wear things because you're scared to ruin them, you'll never wear them. And everything is replaceable." Clarice was very much okay with fast fashion, but that was because her wardrobe was decimated on a fairly regular basis.
"Sometimes they're not so bad, but if I feel like a cake it's too much." April said with a laugh. "Not a fan of the prairie dresses either, though. As a shirt, as a skirt.. sure. But in a dress? Too much. I don't really worry about ruin--things happen--but if it can't stand up to routine wear and care then it feels like a waste." A long, red wool coat caught her eye next, and she pulled it to check the seams and lining. "This too, the leather's not always appropriate for the situation."
"Leather is always appropriate, fight me," Clarice retorted. "Not always for a full outfit. You have to know where and how to were it for the season and situation, but you can always make it work if you try," and if you had options. One leather jacket did not a wardrobe make. "I personally am loving the leather shorts look from last summer, and the leather suit."
"This leather jacket specifically is not appropriate for times when I need to be dressed nicer. Or for when it's cold enough that I'd actually like my butt covered," April replied as she gestured at the jacket she was wearing. "Although I am not opposed to a long leather duster or something, if we get lucky. Maybe a skirt or pants."
"A leather duster is good," always classy, too, no matter what else you wore. Pulling a few things for herself, Clarice headed to the dressing rooms, "Fashion show!"
April followed her to the rooms, discarding a few of the items she'd grabbed to try before finally pairing the purple blouse with a pair of jeans and stepping out of the room. "What do you think? I like the fit of the blouse, and the pants are in great shape. Might need to put some darts in at the back, though."
Clarice turned April around, nodding, "I can do that," she agreed, "It looks good like this, but darts would improve the fit," she was wearing a midi sweater dress herself and then stared in the mirror. "I do not get midi dresses," she said finally, going back in the changing room to take it off.
"I don't understand why they designed thick sweater dresses to fit like a wiggle dress. I always feel like they're gonna ride up over my butt." April disappeared behind the door, going through a few more easy keep our discard attempts before trying the dress and coat on. "Coat is a definite," she said firmly as she came back out. "I think the dress is too, maybe with a skinny belt in a bright color."
"What? You don't like quack dresses?" Clarice thought back to some of the stuff she'd worn over the years. She had no room to talk, at all, "I stripped once. Good times. Not good clothing," she hadn't thought about that mission in a long time. "Oooh yes. Maybe a yellow belt? I feel like it's such an underrated and unused colour."
"Sweaters should be comfortable, not a wardrobe accident waiting to happen. But yes, a yellow belt if I can find it, or something bright that matches one of the polka dot colors." April's hand moved to cover her mouth as she laughed. "Alright, that's it for me here. Do you have anything else that needs trying on, or should we get checked out and move on to the next place?"
"Nah, let's keep going," Clarice agreed. "I want to find you some more fun stuff. Not just practical."
"They can be both," April argued lightly as their items were loaded into bags and paid for. "Practical care, fun details. I am not about the handwashing or reshape flat to dry life if it's bigger or bulkier than a camisole." She grinned at Clarice as they walked into the next store, eyes widening as they fell on a pair of brown leather pants. "Ooh, I like those."
Rolling her eyes, Clarice sighed dramatically, resigning herself to the fact that April was hopeless. Good clothing required good care! Hand washing was not unreasonable! Dry cleaning though....that was sometimes a racket. "We have excellent laundry facilities here. Including drying racks," she couldn't help but add, checking the size on the pants before thrusting them at April. "You need these. If they don't fit, I'll fix it. Go now. Try on." Other stuff could wait.
"Well, if there's proper space for drying racks, maybe a few hand wash pieces bigger than a camisole," April quipped as she disappeared behind a changing curtain. "Huh, these fit really well, actually," she remarked a few minutes later as she stepped out from the curtain and did a slow turn for Clarice. "Just enough space to tuck a bit of blouse in."
"Girl," Clarice stopped, turning midway through the aisle, "there is an entire huge laundry room. With plenty of drying racks. Or you can bring it back to your suite and use a smaller one, which is what I usually do. Remember, we're like, a damn industrial complex when it comes to this stuff. We have to be with so many people," the main kitchen and dining area was massive too, though people tended to eat in more intimate groupings. "And yes, you need 12 pairs of those in different colours."
"Well, I'm not sure about twelve, but I'll find.. oh, hello." April's eye was drawn to the return rack, where a sandy colored blouse with puff sleeves sat. "That, maybe? Look, it's even hand wash!" She gave Clarice a cheeky grin. "And some nice shoes. Maybe some heeled ankle boots?"
"Oh yes, very much," Clarice agreed instantly. That sort of sand-fleshy colour was very in. Not for her, but in general. And it would look amazing on April. "And black jeans? Or leather? Black pants. Maybe leopard print booties?"
"Black pants and jeans, and medium to dark wash denim. If I've got more casual black slacks I can avoid khakis." April thought about the shoes for a minute. "Maybe leopard print, if it's one of the smaller ones. Or the style with the decorative filigree up the back of the heel?"
"No, no listen. With this shirt? The pants must be black. Either skin tight or loose, but no boot cut or bullshit like that. The shoe needs to be leopard. This is required," Clarice took her fashion very seriously. There was flexibility if April wanted to wear a stiletto or an ankle boot, or whatever, but there were requirements. "And never khaki pants. They are the devil and I will find someone to perform an exorcism and burn them. Unless you're a PTA soccer mom who just doesn't know better," but if they were an X-Man then they were not a PTA soccer mom. And they were not in Clarice's orbit.
"Tight's fine as long as they stretch. And khaki pants with a polo or short-sleeve button down are practically engineer uniform, if you're not doing something hands-on that requires specialty clothing. At this rate, I'm going to be the best dressed engineer in the northeast. And fine, leopard print. Three inches or less, fashion boss, but I'm not picky about the heel style. My balance is excellent."
And that was why she wasn't an engineer. Not that scrubs were better except that they weren't khakis and a polo. "Just because you like engineering doesn't mean you have to be a fashion disaster. Khakis and a polo are terrible unless you're golfing at a country club and you're a guy named Blaire. Or worse, Blaine," she wrinkled her nose at the thought, "And you're too awesome for that bullshit."
"Good to see you recognize my awesome so quickly," April quipped. "It was easier and cheaper to just dress the same, mostly. Easy to forget I'm the girl in the program if I look close enough like one of the bros in lectures, and no tears shed if they get ripped or dirty." She let out a small sigh. "I'm happy to step up my game though. I like looking nice, even if my taste runs more casual in general."
"Look. I'm not suggesting you turn into Barbie, but you aren't a guy and if you don't want to dress like one, you shouldn't. But I have literally worn people's entrails. Doesn't stop me from Versace on my own time," admittedly, wearing someone else's innards wasn't a look she preferred. "I'm just saying you can be and are multifaceted and shouldn't let one or two things define you. You never know when you'll be wearing that floofy prom dress and have to get under an engine to fix whatever. Shit happens."
"I wouldn't let you turn me into a Barbie, I have way too much energy for that life. But I really don't mind having a nicer wardrobe. I wouldn't have agreed to this if I did. Maybe asked one of the guys to take me to a Target or something." She grinned widely at Clarice. "How do you feel about yellow? For you, not me." April gestured at a mannequin in the corner. "Not sure where you'd wear that dress, but the style would look great on you."
"Oh, yellow is great, so long as it's...." Clarice followed April's gesture and immediately headed to the mannequin to undress it, "I need this. Yes. Definitely. Do not worry about where I'd wear it. I'll find a place. Maybe to breakfast next Wednesday?"
"Excellent. Fancy midweek breakfast. Try it on," April encouraged. "I want to see if it looks as nice as I thought it would."
Going to try it, Clarice came a few minutes later, striking a pose. "I need shoes," she regarded her bare feet critically, bare feet cold on the concrete floors, but she couldn't model this wearing socks! "I think I've got some black strappy stiletto booties that would kill with this. Literally, with the heel if you do it right. Bonus!"
"That looks almost made for you, and strappy shoes would look fantastic with it." April agreed, looking a little conflicted. Finally she let out a sigh. "Okay, fine, what the hell. Let's find me a similarly nice dress, and we can do fancy brunch for no reason sometime. Maybe rope other people in?"
"Always," Clarice agreed easily. "Now. Over here, we are going to make you so hot we'll need a fire extinguisher every time someone looks at you!"
Meeting April in the foyer, Clarice was ready to go with a gameplan in mind. She also had an image inducer with her, but she wanted to make sure April was aware of her actual appearance. It was important to her not to hide in her own home, but at the same time, there was no reason to create dangerous problems for no reason.
She was loving the big baggy pant trend ala the 90's with a crop top and doc martens, even though it was winter. Her crop top was a sweater and she had a heavy coat, though it wasn't like they needed to worry about being out too too much. The Clarice-express was the only way to travel.
Someone had very politely gotten April's lone outfit cleaned for her, so she was at least clean and presentable when she stepped into the foyer, even if not particularly fashionable in her rosy pink blouse and jeans topped with her standard black leather jacket. She was grateful she'd been wearing it when she got blown through and wouldn't have to break in a new jacket. No-skid black boots suitable for the streets of New York in winter completed the look, and she smiled at the woman waiting there. "Clarice? It's nice to meet you in person."
"You too!" Clarice chirped, turning her image inducer on and opening a portal, "So, I thought we could start in a neighborhood known for a lot of vintage shopping and thrift stores, but like, the high class kind. Not Goodwill. Not that Goodwill is bad, but like...they're super hit or miss and we want hits!" Motioning for April to follow, she went through the portal first to show how easy it was. No cold cars to warm up, no traffic, it was the best way to travel.
"Damn, that might be better than swinging through town," April said as she stepped through the portal. The neighborhood was unfamiliar but the bustle of the city was comforting, similar enough to her own dimension that it was easy enough to forget this was an entirely new place. She followed Clarice into the first store, eyes widening appreciatively as she took in the selection.
"This entire neighborhood is full of stores like this," Clarice was already pulling things she thought were cute. Mostly for April, but not all. "And there's no better way to travel than Clarice-Express. No view but also no traffic, time commitment, or other issues. Unless we're getting to get back on earth. That takes a lot."
"The upsides more than make up for the lack of view." April was smiling as she rummaged through the racks. A black dress with brightly colored polka dots caught her attention, and she held it up to check it for rips and tears with a critical eye before checking the care tag. "I have no idea where I'd wear this, but it looks so fun."
"So get it," Clarice replied, "Wear it to make breakfast. Who needs a reason?" Says the woman who spent all year working on gowns for herself for various events, "Like...I get that you were some sort of vigilante or whatever from your old life. Which, cool. But you have options here. And Westchester isn't really Manhattan in that respect." Of course, there were a couple who went out and were vigilantes still, in their supposed off time. How much time they had to do that was debatable though.
April looked over the dress one more time before draping it over her arm. "Fine, yes, I'll find a reason to wear it, even if it's just looking especially nice at dinner some night." A pair of jeans and a few shirts got the same critical inspection before she moved to a different rack. "Feels weird being called a vigilante when we worked with NYPD fairly regularly, but I guess technically we were. Just a liaison to the officials and better PR than dad had at first."
"You didn't have a badge, you weren't official," she shrugged, "We work with SHIELD and SWORD and various other LEO groups. We're not officially sanctioned. It's one of our benefits and why they work with us for things," it was also a drawback for other stuff. "Cue the Mission Impossible theme here and all that. What do you think of this shirt?" She held up a dark purple blouse with puffy sleeves. "Very trendy."
"That's true. Some of the other groups I was aware of didn't always have as easy a time of it. Probably helped that we stuck to non-lethal and fairly low property damage, so they could pass it off more as a citizen's arrest." April tilted her head as she looked at the blouse. "I think it's cute, and the material looks like it would hold up pretty well. I appreciate that they kept the rest of the blouse simple instead of going for full frills and ruffles. Some of the trends lately look more like they raided the children's dresses at Easter."
"I love the frills," Clarice handed the blouse to April, because there was no way she wore purple. Ever. Not any shade. "There is such a thing as too many, but overall, I like them. I am not a fan of the prairie dresses. You don't need to be concerned about how well your clothes will hold up though. I've learned, if you don't wear things because you're scared to ruin them, you'll never wear them. And everything is replaceable." Clarice was very much okay with fast fashion, but that was because her wardrobe was decimated on a fairly regular basis.
"Sometimes they're not so bad, but if I feel like a cake it's too much." April said with a laugh. "Not a fan of the prairie dresses either, though. As a shirt, as a skirt.. sure. But in a dress? Too much. I don't really worry about ruin--things happen--but if it can't stand up to routine wear and care then it feels like a waste." A long, red wool coat caught her eye next, and she pulled it to check the seams and lining. "This too, the leather's not always appropriate for the situation."
"Leather is always appropriate, fight me," Clarice retorted. "Not always for a full outfit. You have to know where and how to were it for the season and situation, but you can always make it work if you try," and if you had options. One leather jacket did not a wardrobe make. "I personally am loving the leather shorts look from last summer, and the leather suit."
"This leather jacket specifically is not appropriate for times when I need to be dressed nicer. Or for when it's cold enough that I'd actually like my butt covered," April replied as she gestured at the jacket she was wearing. "Although I am not opposed to a long leather duster or something, if we get lucky. Maybe a skirt or pants."
"A leather duster is good," always classy, too, no matter what else you wore. Pulling a few things for herself, Clarice headed to the dressing rooms, "Fashion show!"
April followed her to the rooms, discarding a few of the items she'd grabbed to try before finally pairing the purple blouse with a pair of jeans and stepping out of the room. "What do you think? I like the fit of the blouse, and the pants are in great shape. Might need to put some darts in at the back, though."
Clarice turned April around, nodding, "I can do that," she agreed, "It looks good like this, but darts would improve the fit," she was wearing a midi sweater dress herself and then stared in the mirror. "I do not get midi dresses," she said finally, going back in the changing room to take it off.
"I don't understand why they designed thick sweater dresses to fit like a wiggle dress. I always feel like they're gonna ride up over my butt." April disappeared behind the door, going through a few more easy keep our discard attempts before trying the dress and coat on. "Coat is a definite," she said firmly as she came back out. "I think the dress is too, maybe with a skinny belt in a bright color."
"What? You don't like quack dresses?" Clarice thought back to some of the stuff she'd worn over the years. She had no room to talk, at all, "I stripped once. Good times. Not good clothing," she hadn't thought about that mission in a long time. "Oooh yes. Maybe a yellow belt? I feel like it's such an underrated and unused colour."
"Sweaters should be comfortable, not a wardrobe accident waiting to happen. But yes, a yellow belt if I can find it, or something bright that matches one of the polka dot colors." April's hand moved to cover her mouth as she laughed. "Alright, that's it for me here. Do you have anything else that needs trying on, or should we get checked out and move on to the next place?"
"Nah, let's keep going," Clarice agreed. "I want to find you some more fun stuff. Not just practical."
"They can be both," April argued lightly as their items were loaded into bags and paid for. "Practical care, fun details. I am not about the handwashing or reshape flat to dry life if it's bigger or bulkier than a camisole." She grinned at Clarice as they walked into the next store, eyes widening as they fell on a pair of brown leather pants. "Ooh, I like those."
Rolling her eyes, Clarice sighed dramatically, resigning herself to the fact that April was hopeless. Good clothing required good care! Hand washing was not unreasonable! Dry cleaning though....that was sometimes a racket. "We have excellent laundry facilities here. Including drying racks," she couldn't help but add, checking the size on the pants before thrusting them at April. "You need these. If they don't fit, I'll fix it. Go now. Try on." Other stuff could wait.
"Well, if there's proper space for drying racks, maybe a few hand wash pieces bigger than a camisole," April quipped as she disappeared behind a changing curtain. "Huh, these fit really well, actually," she remarked a few minutes later as she stepped out from the curtain and did a slow turn for Clarice. "Just enough space to tuck a bit of blouse in."
"Girl," Clarice stopped, turning midway through the aisle, "there is an entire huge laundry room. With plenty of drying racks. Or you can bring it back to your suite and use a smaller one, which is what I usually do. Remember, we're like, a damn industrial complex when it comes to this stuff. We have to be with so many people," the main kitchen and dining area was massive too, though people tended to eat in more intimate groupings. "And yes, you need 12 pairs of those in different colours."
"Well, I'm not sure about twelve, but I'll find.. oh, hello." April's eye was drawn to the return rack, where a sandy colored blouse with puff sleeves sat. "That, maybe? Look, it's even hand wash!" She gave Clarice a cheeky grin. "And some nice shoes. Maybe some heeled ankle boots?"
"Oh yes, very much," Clarice agreed instantly. That sort of sand-fleshy colour was very in. Not for her, but in general. And it would look amazing on April. "And black jeans? Or leather? Black pants. Maybe leopard print booties?"
"Black pants and jeans, and medium to dark wash denim. If I've got more casual black slacks I can avoid khakis." April thought about the shoes for a minute. "Maybe leopard print, if it's one of the smaller ones. Or the style with the decorative filigree up the back of the heel?"
"No, no listen. With this shirt? The pants must be black. Either skin tight or loose, but no boot cut or bullshit like that. The shoe needs to be leopard. This is required," Clarice took her fashion very seriously. There was flexibility if April wanted to wear a stiletto or an ankle boot, or whatever, but there were requirements. "And never khaki pants. They are the devil and I will find someone to perform an exorcism and burn them. Unless you're a PTA soccer mom who just doesn't know better," but if they were an X-Man then they were not a PTA soccer mom. And they were not in Clarice's orbit.
"Tight's fine as long as they stretch. And khaki pants with a polo or short-sleeve button down are practically engineer uniform, if you're not doing something hands-on that requires specialty clothing. At this rate, I'm going to be the best dressed engineer in the northeast. And fine, leopard print. Three inches or less, fashion boss, but I'm not picky about the heel style. My balance is excellent."
And that was why she wasn't an engineer. Not that scrubs were better except that they weren't khakis and a polo. "Just because you like engineering doesn't mean you have to be a fashion disaster. Khakis and a polo are terrible unless you're golfing at a country club and you're a guy named Blaire. Or worse, Blaine," she wrinkled her nose at the thought, "And you're too awesome for that bullshit."
"Good to see you recognize my awesome so quickly," April quipped. "It was easier and cheaper to just dress the same, mostly. Easy to forget I'm the girl in the program if I look close enough like one of the bros in lectures, and no tears shed if they get ripped or dirty." She let out a small sigh. "I'm happy to step up my game though. I like looking nice, even if my taste runs more casual in general."
"Look. I'm not suggesting you turn into Barbie, but you aren't a guy and if you don't want to dress like one, you shouldn't. But I have literally worn people's entrails. Doesn't stop me from Versace on my own time," admittedly, wearing someone else's innards wasn't a look she preferred. "I'm just saying you can be and are multifaceted and shouldn't let one or two things define you. You never know when you'll be wearing that floofy prom dress and have to get under an engine to fix whatever. Shit happens."
"I wouldn't let you turn me into a Barbie, I have way too much energy for that life. But I really don't mind having a nicer wardrobe. I wouldn't have agreed to this if I did. Maybe asked one of the guys to take me to a Target or something." She grinned widely at Clarice. "How do you feel about yellow? For you, not me." April gestured at a mannequin in the corner. "Not sure where you'd wear that dress, but the style would look great on you."
"Oh, yellow is great, so long as it's...." Clarice followed April's gesture and immediately headed to the mannequin to undress it, "I need this. Yes. Definitely. Do not worry about where I'd wear it. I'll find a place. Maybe to breakfast next Wednesday?"
"Excellent. Fancy midweek breakfast. Try it on," April encouraged. "I want to see if it looks as nice as I thought it would."
Going to try it, Clarice came a few minutes later, striking a pose. "I need shoes," she regarded her bare feet critically, bare feet cold on the concrete floors, but she couldn't model this wearing socks! "I think I've got some black strappy stiletto booties that would kill with this. Literally, with the heel if you do it right. Bonus!"
"That looks almost made for you, and strappy shoes would look fantastic with it." April agreed, looking a little conflicted. Finally she let out a sigh. "Okay, fine, what the hell. Let's find me a similarly nice dress, and we can do fancy brunch for no reason sometime. Maybe rope other people in?"
"Always," Clarice agreed easily. "Now. Over here, we are going to make you so hot we'll need a fire extinguisher every time someone looks at you!"
