doku | VISIONS I HAD BURIED UNDERGROUND / RETURNING TO ABUSE US

[It is .... An interesting place! Most easily described as a retro, rockabilly shop tucked away into a little strip mall that's a good twenty minutes away from where they were. With no explanation she hops out of the truck and sort of fast walks in, immediately looking around. There's lots of dresses, bright colors, The Atomic Boutique is a cheery place and Nariko takes to it pretty immediately.]

Oh, this is perfect!

[There's also zero resemblance to the bohemian chic that she displayed as her band's lead, nor the overly casual outfits she's taken to since the beginning of their road trip. She goes right for a blue dress, searching through the rack for her size.]

[He gives the place a good ole college try, but he ultimately decides that the leather jackets are a little too much greaser to be his kind of aesthetic. He does pick up a black button up with stark white contrast, something he could keep open without an undershirt.

On his way back to Nariko, he stops by a cute ladybug-polkadot number reminiscent of a poodle dress; he grabs what he thinks is her size and by the time he joins up with her, he holds it up to her and immediately decides:]

This isn't your size.

[Sorry, Nariko. Women's sizes don't make a lick of sense.]

[No, they really don't.

She looks over his choice and gives a very approving nod.] If I fit this then I'm a double extra large for this, so they might have the right size!

[It just might be hidden, or somewhere in the back! Such is the fate of a bust that alters the size of every single damn thing you wear.] Give me a second!

[She doesn't even ask one of the store associates for help, it's easy enough to find an open dressing room and hop right into it! In record time she's got her shorts and top off, wiggles into the little blue sailor dress. When she comes out it sags on her a little awkwardly, and she's pouting.]

I can't zip it up.

[So here's another friend duty, Krieg! She turns and moves her hair so that he can do it up the rest of the way. The cut of the dress itself makes it easy to spot the a long scar that runs the length between her shoulder blades. It's old and raised, clearly standing out among otherwise pristine skin.]

Double extra large?

[But Nariko is so tiny! Why does she wear the same size he does in men's?! It's not like she's proportionally huge to her sex like he is!

What's her story, anyway? Does she have her clothes tailored to fit properly? Does she do it herself?]

Yeah, sure.

[He's comfortable enough zipping up a girl's dress that he might as well be The Gay Friend. There is a brief hesitation as he notices her scar--from its age, it looks like it's been there for a while, but he's surprised he's never noticed it before.

He'll have to ask about it. Later. Up goes the zipper.]

[Man, he's really never lived with a woman! Doesn't he know the world of clothing is complicated, that women's sizes aren't comparable to mens at all?]

Yeah, like, X and X and L. It's just the boobs and my hips, really. [She just thinks he's misunderstood what she was trying to say, because she's a happy little dense thing, at times. She knows the brands that suit her best and mostly sticks to them, and she can only get her bras from one specific store, too! It's a lot of adjusting for her curves, but she didn't always have stylists, so it's a labor of love.]

Thank you!

[Once that zipper is up her hair goes back down, and that's generally why no one's ever seen it: There were very few pictures that exposed the entirety of her back, and even fewer where her hair might be up enough to easily see it. But she's honestly so comfortable around Krieg that she hasn't thought to worry about it, she's way more concerned with looking at herself in the mirror.]

I have always wanted to wear one of these! [It's pleasantly snug on her, and when she does a little twirl the skirt lifts pleasantly.] It's so cute!!

Edited 2016-04-09 01:31 (UTC)

[He's lived with a woman! But the two of them were thrift store jockeys where things either fit or they didn't--and Gaige pulling around a strung-out Krieg doesn't really count as shopping.]

Not sure who else it's supposed to fit.

[Some no-curves twig? As he takes a seat on the padded bench nearby, he comments:]

It is really cute.

[Even though it doesn't fit her waist! Yet.] I like how it moves.

I do, too.

[When she was in a band everything had to be eccentric and sort of bohemian chic-ish which, granted, Nariko hadn't disliked! A lot of it was stuff she'd have worn anyway or approved of but there's no arguing that her look came to symbolize her place in that situation. Krieg had the right idea when it came to changing it up a little! But she might have to keep on looking because this isn't it, she can feel it while toying with the skirt a little more, smoothing her palms over the waist and up to her bust. It really does push her up a bit, and her bra straps don't match at all.]

Do you think it'd be okay for going to lunch?

[A more important question: Was she ever going to get rid of the vague sensation of falling or was that just a never-ending side effect of signing the release forms?]

[If that's how she feels, he might have to introduce her to the world of goth/grunge gear. They're partners now, they oughta look the part! ...But only if she wants to.

Krieg doesn't think he knows anything about women's fashion, so he shrugs--but he does offer this:]

It's definitely more lunch than it is dinner.

[Maybe it'll help when they're finally writing and publishing their own music? Hopefully.]

[Right about now she's more than willing to take suggestions, it might at least help her choose a direction instead of thinking about it sort of aimlessly.]

Definitely. [One more little twirl, and then!] Okay, I just have to find the other one in a decent size and then I'm done! [For a man who felt ignorant to women's fashion, he certainly picked out something that she liked! Give her a second to change back into her regular clothes, grab an attendant ... And they've successfully knocked off an extra twenty minutes or so!

If Krieg's nearby while her dresses are being rung up and neatly folded, he's going to find one arm grabbed by both of her own. Apparently he was needed for cuddling because, yeah, she'll probably feel a lot better when she can sing again, when there's some assurance that her talent wasn't related to her old label. For now she can make do with clinging a little bit.]

[He's just kind of idly staring at whatever until Nariko clings to him. Hello there! He looks down at her and manages to crack a smile.]

You really want to start rumours about the two of us, aren't you?

[Rumors about them dating, more than making music together! Still--he reaches up with his other hand to pat the top of her head.]

Let's go to one more stop and check in with Izzy, okay?

[She answers with a little huffing kind of noise and squeezes him as if that might cause some amount of discomfort. Aren't those rumors unavoidable? They live together, will end up making music together, and will constantly be photographed together! ... Of course he's just teasing, so she really shouldn't take it so seriously.]

Sure, lead the way!

[He sat through her menial side event, she can return the favor! Nariko even manages to let go of his arm when they get back to the truck and pile inside. If you ever wanted to take her somewhere incredibly weird, Krieg, now is your chance.]

[It's a Korean boutique that has a variety of street fashion available, including Krieg's newfound taste in refined punk, or whatever the critics want to call it.

He falls in love at first sight. But the problem? He's having a hard time finding his size. It's not all sunshine and roses when you're a muscular skyscraper.]

Ah, c'mon...

[Of course he is! Welcome to clothing hell, Krieg. At least you've got a friend who can help you out. Although for a good twenty minutes there Nariko does nothing to help, she looks around, takes the place and the vibe in, but he sounds a little discouraged to her ears, so it's time to step in!]

Don't lose faith now!

[There's the clearance rack (all the sizes no one wants go there), the very back of everything on the floor, pestering the employees to please actually check in the back and the endlessly important question of 'is this available in a different size online'. She knows her stuff and has a few different articles of clothing that make for excellent proof! There's a nice pair of perfectly frayed but still respectable jeans, a shirt with (fake) zippers placed to carefully that it's almost weirdly artistic, another top with a splatter design that's apparently meant to resemble blood - it's a range of showy to more immediately comfortable, but it's within his new range.]

Some of them you just have to give your opinion on, they have a website.

[See, not so bad!]

Oh, hey.

[But look at the sweet loot you found, Nariko! These are awesome. He takes them from her as he looks them over.]

I'm sure they do, but I don't know how to order clothes online.

[Like. How do you make sure you like their fit?? It's like taking a shot in the dark!]

By the way, if I asked you to try something on, would you humor me?

It's not that bad, you get the hang of it easily enough.

[When you become very close with your measuring tape it's nowhere near as much a shot in the dark. But, proud of her finds, she folds her arms over her stomach noncommittally until he goes and asks that.]

Sure! I'm kind of flattered you want to see me in something at all!

Awesome.

[He's beaming away now. Look at how excited he is! He's not bounding around with energy like Nariko does, it manifests a little more...calmly, and it's hard to imagine someone so even-mannered used to have a drug addiction and a chaotic reputation.]

Over here.

[And so he leads her back to the outerwear section.]

I know this isn't your usual thing, but...

[The ensemble he brings her to? This one. Don't act surprised when you find out a guy that likes to be tied up also likes women's outfits that are reminiscent of military garb.]

[Aw, he really is elated, right?! Sure, it's a different brand of excitement but that doesn't lessen its impact! She follows him and in the time it takes them to get from where they were to where they're going she's already decided to love whatever he's picked out, just because it's nice to see him happy.

Granted that might not count for too much since, yet again, Krieg has shown that he possesses wonderful taste.]

It's so cool!

[Kinda edgy and darker than what she usually wears, sure, but it's distinctly feminine, too! This is - This is actually more along the lines of what she might have wanted! She didn't want to be anyone's cutesy little bohemian goddess anymore, but Nariko couldn't toss off her femininity so easily, either. This seemed like a good compromise between super girly, suave, and cool!]

Krieg you're a genius, and I love you.

[She's also ripping it off the rack because fuck yes she's gonna try it on!]

I don't know how that smart I am. It's probably too warm for this weather.

[Then again, they will be touring the whole country all year long, so she'll need it at some point. Still, his pessimism isn't getting in the way of his smile. Maybe he should look for some dresses or skirts and blouses to go with it?]

[He should do that so long as it doesn't get in the way of looking for his own stuff! It's really not all about her.

But she does go try on the coat to find that he's right - it's definitely too warm for where they are, but son of a gun, does it look good on her!]

See, now I get to run into the same problem.

[It's a great coat but it just barely manages to keep the boobs where they need to be, and that's without a top on, because for the sake of trying it all on she's just got her bra on, and they're smooshed together in a manner that's probably a bit too scandalous to anyone else in the store, but she's kind of digging it.]

Where'd I put my phone?

[Yes, she's gonna take a selfie while wearing a coat as an overly sexual dress.]

I'll get it for you.

[And so he does, wherever she might have kept it, and sneaking it into the dressing room stall.]

I'm still finding it hard to believe that you're what people consider extra large...

[It's disappointing to suggest that she might not be able to take that sick coat home. Still, they have the name of the place so she can teach him how to shop online.]

Thank you!

[She opens the stall door to get her phone, and stands in front of him, points at her chest.] Boobs, Krieg. The only part of a woman's body aside from her stomach that can dramatically alter sizes.

[And the stomach part was more a reference to pregnancy, since you couldn't do anything about that once it got started.]

If I can find a thin enough top it should work, though! It's technically a coat anyway.

[So she'd never really wear it like this, and she could never button it all the way, but that wasn't such a bad compromise, and there is still the online store! She lifts her phone with her camera open annnnnd! Selfie!!]

Does the fashion industry really consider them that big?

[...uh, yeah, they are kind of huge, Krieg. How much of a virgin asexual can you be? Or have you just really not looked, like, at all?]

Do you trust me to find something large enough for you?

[Send him out on a mission! Or would you prefer not to be surprised?]

Krieg, in the entire length of our friendship have you never looked at my boobs and then looked at someone else's?

[Which, considering the man she's talking about? That might be the case.]

Sure! Like I said, I'm going to end up looking online too, it's not a big deal if there isn't a lot to be found. [She can't help grinning at the mirror, though it's more directed at Krieg - she just can't stop looking at herself yet.] Besides, I like being dressed up by guys.

[He's not the type for that at all, which is why it's kind of funny.]

...Should I have?

[He thought he was doing the respectful thing...!]

I'll be right back.

[And so Krieg scurries off for his quest. What does he return with? Two things. One shirt that should be thin enough on the grounds that it's practically see-through, and the other is a little more chiffon. They're both the biggest size he could find.]

[That's very respectful! But even on a purely observational note ...

Anyway! She waits and leaves the coat open, does a few little poses here and there in the mirror until he comes back and she can open the door again.] Oh, that one is perfect!

[The white one! She tries that on first with the coat open this time. Her gray bra is too contrasting and easily seen, and she's still wearing her shorts but it's got the makings of a decent outfit! She looks at the blue one, too and deems that while it may not work immediately there's a nice pair of leather pants that it'd fit with!]

And I had thought you'd need help with clothes! Hell, you're helping me!

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