[Open] Swimsuit shopping!

[Gretel]

@Lilith @Emily @Alice @Suzume @Fuka

"Why is it so damned hot?" Gretel complained, though mostly to herself. It was unseasonably warm for the tail end of summer, but that could be in part because of the way that she was dressed; she didn't really know how to dress for this weather. She always dressed in tons of layers, embarrassed by the way she looked, today being no different. She was thicker than Fuka was, she knew that from the beauty pageant and everyone seemed to like the way Fuka looked. She had more muscles; more hips, more of a chest. It was because of the beauty pageant that she was so self-conscious about it now. So she hid in clothes; which made the heat unbearable.

Thankfully there was a beach event coming up at Anderson territory. Normally Gretel didn't go in for those events, but she didn't want to just beat the heat this year, she wanted to hang out with Lilith and... Soh might be there too.

But she didn't have anything for hot weather; she didn't have shorts or cute summer dresses and she certainly didn't have a swimming suit. Thank goodness for Lilith. She couldn't really drag Hansel or Scarlet off for something like this. It would be too embarrassing. It was so nice having a girl to hang out with.

"Where do you even get a swimming suit in a town like this?" Gretel tugged on Lilith tail as she admired her clothes. "Are you comfortable like that? Does the fur make you as warm as me?" She fanned herself with her other hand. It was kind of ironic that she was asking the newcomer where to find things in town. But it seemed like she was accustomed to things by now.

[Lilith]

It was certainly hot today, she almost felt like panting as the sun bore down in the mid of the day. Lilith was determined to try to hang in there even with the heat; she was eager to spend time with Gretel shopping.

Today was swimsuit shopping day! There was an event drawing near where everyone would call truce to enjoy swimming and summer festivities. Lilith particularly enjoyed these peaceful events; she enjoyed seeing everyone get along instead of being so hostile.

"Yes, summer time is probably my least favorite season." she let out a sigh as tried to block some of the sun from her face as they continued around the plaza. "Fur certainly isn't suited to this heat, but neither is wearing so many layers. Try not to over heat, Gretel. If we need to stop off to cool down we can." she was worried for her friend's health as she eyed Gretel from the corner of her eye. Finding swimsuits for the event was their adventure for the day, but she didn't want Gretel killing over in the process.

"But as for where to find swimsuits, I am not really sure." she nervously rubbed the back of her head as a silly smile crossed her face. "I'm sure there is a boutique in the Plaza though. It's just a matter of finding it."

Finding it has became a task though. They had already passed quite a few stores, and with the heat, it was only making things harder on them both. She didn't want to call it quits as of yet though; they had suffered under the sun thus far for their goal. As they came upon one of the last boutiques that lined this side of the Plaza, Lilith caught glimpse of a display window of different swim wear.

"Ah! I think this is the place." she chirped happily as she tugged on Gretel's sleeve. She was happy to of finally found the place, but even more so to finally get out of this heat.

[Emily (new)]

The clouds had begun to fade and the sun was waking up earlier each passing day. With the heat blaring through the perfect blue sky summer had truly begun. Thanks to this Emily took a delightful visit to her favourite swimsuit store, as she had done every year. Greeting the cashier as she went inside the two joked for a moment of how Emily must have, at the very least, five other swimsuits in her home. “But a woman should always be prepared for any kind of taste her dream man might have,” she responded with a playful smile.

Although she still had no dream man she certainly had a style in mind for this year’s visit to the sandy lakeside beach. Finding two bikini’s of similar style she lifted them into the air to examine them properly. One black, one navy blue she was aiming for a more mature look this year. Regardless of her determination to look sexy she was well aware a simple bit of string would be far too little, she was already a little nervous about showing her soft belly in the summer sun but even if it wasn’t toned she had her own confidence about showing her hourglass figure. Her main concern were her muscular arms, though other people couldn’t tell unless she flexed them herself she was still convinced they stood out as an unfeminine trait. Though regardless of this none of her shy concerned would ever stop her from enjoying dressing up in this once a year chance to have some fun with the beach look.

[Alice]

Even I would be a foolish fool to so foolishly ignore such a kind offered gathering, Alice thinks as she looks able the plaza. There’s probably a shop somewhere for the sort of thing that would be considered presentable to a beach event. Alice has something of the sort back home, but perhaps it’s different than the townsfolk would wear, and it hadn’t been in use for some time, so it likely wouldn’t even fit completely properly. May as well participate in this neutral event to the fullest. She agrees with the dear puppets and flowers that getting out more and exploring the town – and the community her family had joined – would be a splendid idea.

“It’s far hotter today and it was yesterday and I’m sure tomorrow will only let it grow more. Town is quite busy though, bustling and hustling people really make use of this day of peace, it seems,” she whispers to herself, not stopping to wonder on it, but wondering while she walked. Efficiency, she had learned, makes it better.

Turning on her heels, she spots a store display of swimwear, and at first this intrigues her. There are no messages on the front of the stores warning of something related, or of giving the customers further information. She has expected there to be something more, but no matter. Perhaps that’s just how people are here, and this is the way others feel when they visit her.

She pushes open the door, her small figure finding plenty of room to spare. She’s still youthful, child-like, but that matters not in this whole thing. With funds that would actually work procured, she’s quite prepared to see how everyone interacts in this.  

[Gretel]

Gretel was starting to overheat just like Lilith had warned her not too. But since Lilith had found the shop it should be okay right? It would probably be cooler inside; hopefully, it was cooler inside.

Gretel entered the shop. There were already a couple of people shopping in the store; more than she would have liked. She didn't recognise anyone. Which was better than seeing Ande or Heidi but she didn't like unexpected things. Shopping for a swimming suit was already uncomfortable enough but with people she didn't know here.

She grimaced and walked up to the front counter. The clerk greeted her kindly as Gretel pulled a picture from her satchel. It was drawing of a swimming suit from another era entirely, nothing like the ones that were situated around the store. "This," she said in her usual sharp tone. "Bring me this."

The clerk looked at the picture confused. "But we don't really carry that style."

"Then go make one."

The clerk laughed but Gretel didn't. When the girl realised she was serious she gave her a nervous half smile. "I'll, uh, go see what I can find."

Gretel looked around, realising she was making a bit of a scene. "Lilith, let's just go blow up the beach and save me from having to do this. She pleaded with her friend.

[Lilith]

The inside of the shop was so much cooler than the blistering heat outside.  Lilith looked around curiously as she followed Gretel to the counter where she began demanding the clerk for a certain swimsuit.  The store was a little empty; there were only a few people browsing.  

As Gretel finished her conversation with the store clerk, she heard Gretel's request.

"Lilith, let's just go blow up the beach and save me from having to do this."

"But if we blow up the beach, we won't get to have fun." Lilith retorted with a small pout.  She was looking forward to some fun in the sun with everyone; these peaceful events were the only time to have everyone in one place without anyone trying to harm another.  

Walking over to a rack of swimsuits she pointed out a few styles to her friend, "Besides I think you will look great in these."  Gretel was set on a more old fashioned swimsuit, but Lilith was sure she could find something to substitute it.  Even if they didn't find the right swimsuit today, at least browsing would be fun.

"Though, shopping for me might be a bit difficult as well." She murmured as she noticed a lot of these styles were not tail friendly.  Clothes shopping for Lilith has always been a bit tricky; many times she had to modify a tail hole for her skirts.  But this town did have a good number of feline people, so surely she could find something that could accommodate her tail.

Then a certain swimsuit caught her eye; a green bikini with cute, soft frills.  "What about this one?" She showed her findings to Gretel with an impressed smile.  It was really cute, and the color did remind her of her friend.

[Guest]

Dorian had been trying on the swim shop's entire inventory for most of the morning and had finally whittled his 'acceptable' pile down to less than a dozen. He was just about ready to ask someone else for their opinion. Almost. The low-riding yellow polka dot speedo didn't sit too badly, he supposed, and the shopkeep had spent ten minutes convincing him it wasn't misplaced from the ladies' section - not that he would have been concerned. He was only doing this so people didn't whine about his nudity. Personally, he felt it ruined the experience, but he didn't want to start a fight.

The commotion coming from the other side of the store told another story. He checked himself over one more time, put on his best negotiating face and threw open the partition.

"I have to tell you, I'm not impressed. I've been here all day and this," he motioned to the speedo, "is as close as I've gotten to anything I'm willing to pay for, and even then I'm not convinced."

The shopkeep started to respond, but Dorian held up a hand.

"And now you've got four MORE customers. We're going to be here until October." His favourite grin bloomed across his face. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you go on your break and I'll take care of things here. Don't even worry about the money, just bill it all to my salon."

He turned to the girls with a wink. "Ladies, my expertise is at your command."

[Emily (new)]

At the chime of the bell Emily glanced excitedly over at the door. Sure enough two young women strolled inside, though one looked a little grumpier than the other they had to be here to swimsuit shopping too. A little curious in the details she found herself edging her way a little closer to where they stood, at least after one seemed to be giving the shopkeeper a hard time. Standing just a little way to the side she heard the conversation quite clearly and had to try her best not to laugh at the explosive comment from one girls mouth.

After a couple of sideways glances she noticed the bikini her friend seemed to have pulled out. Not a terrible choice, she thought considering the colour of the girl's hair. But it really does depend what she's at the beach for. If she was going for men then black was always a great way to bring attention to the important parts. Although white is a safe choice if you want want to come across as too strong, especially if your guy might be a little shy. Colours aren't bad but if she's all the same she'll definitely blend in too much.

As Emily was so deep in thought and browsing the selection for her own recommendation she hadn't noticed the man who called over to them, his voice resonating through the section of the shop and bringing a sense of dread to her heart. Looking up her worries were confirmed. Dorian, she thought angrily. Although Emily had never talked to them she could not stand the guys at the brothel. What kind of man has the nerve to keep all the hot guys in one place and profit from a girl's dreams, she often felt this anger bubbling inside her when she strolled past his place. The only reason she knew their names and faces were to know what guys to avoid.

Noticing the entirely obscene item of clothing he was wearing and feeling even more concerned for the girls in the store she gently pushed her way more into their view, purposefully ignoring Dorian's comment, and spoke up perhaps a little too loud to distract them away from the man.

"You know there's a few styles that'd be great for ya if you needed a hand pickin' em out," she declared, hoping they would be disinterested in Dorian's presence behind her as she held up two different styles of bikini's in the teal-haired girl's face. One was a striking red colour with thick straps and the other black with a little more string a hint more padding. Of course, she would never suggest anything lewd to someone who seemed younger than her but she knew what it was like growing up, sometimes a girl just has to try these things.

[Alice]

The shop’s business only increases as she stands about the shop loitering, lingering, and looking about. There’s so much commotion that it’s all the more interesting. Honestly, the bustling volume of which this shop currently contains is normal but in Wonderland, perhaps with a least one sign of ‘DON’T ANGER THOSE WHO MAY HAVE CONTROL OVER YOUR NEXT DRESS’ but that’s just normal. In fact, the hassle at the front rather interests her, considering it seems to withhold a rather out-of-hand style of misconduct.

Either someone is angry with a coworker of his, or it’s a case of, how you say, the customer is always left to be right, she thinks, peering around the side of the row of swimsuits she had been perusing. She had yet to find one she liked, but this deserved more investigating. She blinks, blue eyes taking in the current scenario. One familiar face mixed with quite a few faces she hardly knew – maybe she saw one of them at the meeting, but she cannot say for sure.

Do people often have such violent shift changes? Alice asks herself, before she steps over just so to gauge the situation more. A man, hardly dressed at all, seems to take command, a curious matter solely because he had seemed to instigate the shift change, his lack of clothing didn’t faze her.

“People needn’t be so noisy in a store like this, correct? Whether here or there, bickering is a ruckus best taken off to the side of things.”

Her words seem to, despite in her slightly different phrasing, display a matter of fact tone. “Is there a problem with the swimsuits here? Though they maybe do not look quite so reflective of the ones at home, they do seem to be befitting to an area such as this. I had a good chat with the flowers, and they told me to try to explore events such as this.”  She mostly says the last one to herself, shifting her gaze between the unfamiliar faces and Emily. She really just wants to figure out one she would like, and then learn more about the town before she sets off back home. It's not the shortest journey, though it's certainly not the longest.

[Guest]

Suzume sighed and fanned herself as she walked towards a swimwear store. She had heard of the summer event coming up and wished to attend so she decided it would be a good idea to buy herself a swimsuit. Upon reaching the store she heard many voices and blinked as she recognized a few of them. Opening the door and walking in she blinked slowly a few times as she saw a few other females, one of whom was Lilith who she met at the Meteor Shower Gathering. Then she spotted a few others she had seen but didn't speak to.

'What is going on in here?', she thought as she saw a man clad in only a yellow polka dotted speedo. Her cheeks heated up and she covered her eyes as she tried to block him out of her line of sight. This scene was becoming increasingly awkward for the former she-bear and it was getting uncomfortable to even try to speak. However, Suzume knew she needed to obtain a swimsuit for the upcoming event and didn't want to disappoint anyone by not wearing something fitting. Sighing softly, she walked over calmly to Lilith and gently tapped her on the shoulder.

"H-Hi, um, we met at the Meteor Shower Gathering... N-Not sure if you remember or not.. I-I'm Suzume.", she said smiling at the rabbit eared girl while blushing bashfully since she wasn't used to speaking to anyone aside from Soh, Caesar, Cupid, and children around the area. This was making her extremely shier than usual so she tried to keep her talking to a minimum.

[Gretel]

At Gretel's suggestion, her friends lip up downwards into a put. 'But if we blow up the beach, we won't get to have fun.'

"Blowing up the beach would be fun for me," Gretel assured her. To be honest, Gretel hadn't gotten into as much trouble as she'd have liked lately. But she was going to fix that at the event. She had a great idea for some mild mischief that even Lilith could get involved it. It was nice having a girl friend to do things with; hopefully, she could get her into some good old fashioned pranks too.

She turned to see the swimming suit her friend was holding up for her. STRIPS of FABRIC. That couldn't possibly be actual clothing. It looked like underwear! And it was so... feminine. It had these cute ruffles on it. Gretel turned red. Surely she couldn't wear that. She'd have so much skin exposed though the color was nice. She stared at the small bikini at a loss for how to respond.

"...Lilith, you can't be serious."

Out of the corner of her eye, Gretel saw a partition from one of the changing rooms fly open and behind the curtain was something more than she wanted to see. There stood Dorian is all his glory, wearing nothing but a small yellow polka dot speedo.  Her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to it. It was so very very low. There was little of him that was left to Gretel's imagination, far too little. Gretel felt a flush color her face as she hid behind Lilith, holding on her shoulders as she often did Hansel's.

Dorian loudly proclaimed to help the all the girls find a swimming suit. Gretel shuttered. If his suggestions were anything like what he was wearing... She couldn't even imagine what he would put her in. Actually, she could and that was the problem.

Before he offered any suggestions another girl that Gretel didn't know produced two swimming suits for her. One that was red, which was a very bold color for her, she preferred pink as it was more subtle; the other was black and had a hint of padding. She was already uncomfortable with her breast size as she had more fat there than she liked. Not to mention that her midriff would be exposed. "Don't these things come with more fabric?"

She looked over at the young girl. She worried about that kind of suit a man like that would pick out of a girl like that. Maybe they should be focusing on her first before the scantily clad man got to her. Oh, my god. Should a girl that young even see something like that? She squeezed Lilith shoulder while glancing in the girl's direction hoping her friend would understand when another girl tapped her other shoulder. Would she now have to go save the little girl herself? Gretel wished she'd managed to convince Lilith to blow up the beach after all.

[Lilith]

Gretel didn't seem too impressed by Lilith's choice in swimwear; maybe it was a bit too flashy for Gretel.  It was indeed going to be difficult getting her to try on much of anything, but maybe if she tried it on she would like it better.

Suddenly, a very unclad man exited one of the changing rooms exclaiming his lack of interest in the store's selection.  He wasn't a bad looking man, but what he was wearing, or lack of what he was wearing, made Lilith squeak in surprise.

"B-banana?" Her face flushed a hot pink as her eyes were glued to the man's yellow attire; she would call it more of a small piece of cloth than actual clothing.
Gretel must of got glimpse of him as she quickly hid herself behind the fox; Lilith wanted to the same thing as well, but she was acting a shield for her friend.  Luckily, a woman put herself between them and the banana man; she could see him over the woman's shoulder, but his 'lack there of swimwear' was out of view, for now.

"A-actually, a little help would be nice." she looked over her shoulder at Gretel as she continued to talk. "Gretel was looking for a pretty particular swimsuit, maybe you can help us find something similar?"  There was still the matter of Lilith finding a tail friendly bathing suit for herself, but that could wait for a bit later.

With someone tapping on her shoulder, she turned her head towards a familiar face.  They had only met briefly at the Meteor Event, but she remembered her.

"Ah, Suzume! Of course I remember, I met you with Robin." She nodded reassuringly at her acquaintance.  Lilith was in much higher spirits compared to their first meeting, so she happily chirped along. "How have you been? I haven't seen you around town since then." She was becoming more use to the townspeople while working at the clinic, and found it a bit odd she didn't see the girl in passing more often.

As she carried on with small talk with Suzume, she felt Gretel squeeze her shoulder as though to get her attention.  Turning her attention from Suzume to Gretel, she looked at her curiously; Gretel seemed to be glaring really hard at something or someone.  Following her gaze, she caught sight of what Gretel had her eyes on; a small blonde girl.  She was awfully cute. Ah, Gretel must of thought her cute enough to point out.  But it did dawn her as she leaned over to the side to see the still barely clothed man.  As she looked between the man and the young girl, Lilith seemed in a panic as she looked around trying to figure out what to do; she had no clue what to do, this man was certainly not someone a child should be looking at.  

Turning to Gretel once again, she whispered under her breath, "We got to cover that man up."  She wasn't quite sure how to do that in a swimsuit shop, but something had to be done and fast.  Giving her green haired friend a worried look, she hoped she would have some clue as to what to do in this situation.

[Emily (new)]

"Don't these things come with more fabric?"

Ahh so she was the shyer type it seemed. Emily nodded knowingly, her despair of the barely clothed man distracted temporarily at the thought of finding more swimsuits for her. It was difficult to tell her body shape and size under all her clothing but she wanted to be a little careful, a girl can be very timid at times after all.

If she's not used to showing skin then a bikini is definitely a scary choice, Emily thought to herself remembering her own hesitance the first time she tried it. Still, if she has curves a one piece is only gonna make her loose her shape but... regretfully Emily accepted that she probably wouldn't be able to convince this girl to try the wonders of bikini's just yet. Thinking quickly she recalled a swimsuit she spotted earlier. A one piece costume that was white, reasonably modest and donned with lots of frills. It would look adorable! And then a voice interrupted her thoughts, it seemed that this girl already had a style in mind.

"Ah, well if you just let me know wha-," Emily stopped for a moment as she noticed the fox ears and tail for the first time. This girl was... so cute, though she found herself staring too much and decided it would be too rude to keep on gawking, though she seemed pre-occupied with the person who just came into the store. It was getting surprisingly lively in here. Quickly recovering she focused her attention back to the problem at hand. "Let me know what you're lookin' for then!" Beginning to sport her friendliest grin Emily soon noticed both girls suddenly seemed a little distracted.

Following their gaze she, too, noticed an all-too-familiar wave of blonde hair standing on the other side of the store. Following that young girls gaze she was reminded again of the scantily clad man standing near the changing rooms.

"A-Alice!" she blurted out a little louder than intended, the dismay clear in her voice. This day was just getting worse and worse with Dorian around. Normally she would be more than happy to share the best styles and perfect swimwear choices but now all Emily could think about it how risky it was to have an almost-nude, dangerous man lingering around a shop full of girls.

[Gretel]

Gretel glared at her friend. Why was she offering up information about her to someone she didn't even know? Did she even know this girl? Next, Lilith would be telling her that Gretel had a crush on a boy, and that's why she was even looking for a swimming suit to go to the event. Was it so hard to find her something to wear? She had a picture after all. She sighed and took out the drawing of the archaic swimming suit. "I want something like this," she tapped her finger on the picture as she held it up. It was practically a dress. It covered almost as much of her as the clothes she was wearing now, complete with hat; only it had shorter sleeves.

Gretel kept behind Lilith as she chatted with Suzume and Emily looked deep in thought. Emily blurted out a name when she spotted the young girl. Alice? Gretel hadn't taken a good look at her before, but she recognized her now. She was a Don, like the others, though she hadn't been there when Hamelin was banished. Gretel wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about her. Most of her anger at everyone came from her anger at how everyone had turned on her family after the event with Hamelin. Maybe she wouldn't have sided with them; maybe she wouldn't have. She couldn't be sure about anyone who was mafia. Regardless of Hamelin, the mafia were all supposed to be enemies, even before that event. Though that was the moment that had really drove it home for her.

'We got to cover that man up.' It seemed Lilith had also seen the young girl. She glanced at Gretel with worry in her eyes.

"Why the hell are you looking at me?" Gretel said with a sour expression. She was more used to conflict then Lilith because of all the fighting, and Lilith had been kind enough to come out to help her. For Lilith, she would step up. Though, she was sure the little girl could handle herself; she was a Don after all. Whereas Gretel could barely look at that man and his perfect sculpted physique. Having a body like that should be Illegal. He wasn't like the boys of her family. That was a man; probably old enough to be her father. Well, he was ruling class, so chances are he'd sired many children that reached her age. Gretel paused for a moment as she realised where her mind was wondering. Oh god. Why was she thinking about him *siring* children? Her face turned several shades darker. She hoped her friend appreciated her sacrifice.

She walked over to him, trying to eyes from off his chest or off that brightly colored strip of fabric that kept calling for attention. She reached over to a rack of covers that was nearby and grabbed the first thing her hands collided with. "Put your weapons away," she said throwing the wrap at him. "This is a family establishment," she didn't say it for Alice; she said it for herself. The purple fabric fell upon on his chest hiding it from view and making the yellow fabric stand out even more. She should have paid more attention to what she was grabbing. Though maybe having a man's opinion on swimming suits wasn't a terrible idea, but she wasn't sure about this man specifically given his present attire. However at the salon Dorian was always elegantly dressed, everyone in his employ was. So surely he must know a thing or two. She could be let him pick her suit for now, and if she hated it, she'd just get Lilith or Emily to pick out one after. Emily knew what she was looking for now.

She brought back out her picture. "If you're offering this is what I'm looking for." She held the picture up by her face blocking her view him.

[Alice]

Her lack of concern or interest in the fact that the purple-haired mister didn’t have much clothing seems to attract worry. However, Alice treats it as if it’s absolutely natural. Why would it not be? This is her only experience in this kind of shop here, and as far as she knows, this is just his version of the uniform. There’s nothing else to compare it too. That’s why her biggest wonder is what she should wear, and why the slightly familiar faces seem so surprised. Do they know that man aside from this shop?

She hears a call of her name, an apparent need for kneading the dough of this event, so Alice breaks her curious gaze to face the direction of the noise, “Oh, Emily! Why, it hasn’t yet been too long. I suppose Time rather wanted this again.” Come to think of it, the shop is quite lively, with so many others taking the company of Emily, so Alice steps on over and curtsies. “I fancy you know quite a bit about swimwear? I can assuredly assume you are providing assistance here.”

Alice knows how to defend herself quite forthright. Working closely with her fellow members of the Carroll famiglia, her combat skills hadn’t faltered. One never knows when a sneak might creep up and attempt to scatter the papers upon the town. Her small stature leaves her far more apt to combat from a distance, though sometimes her trusty knights aren’t so reliable.

She watches Gretel walk off, thinking about her next question, something to quester upon later for certain. Her shoes tap upon the ground as she looks between the others as well. She merely knows but one name in this sea of many. Considering Emily burst her name aloud not moments before, that end of the introduction needn’t be said again. Time already knows it. “Pleased to be in town for once, however. Quite the momentary arrival I say… How curious the matter of the atmosphere of this shop… Mayhaps I’d need instruction as well in swimwear. I haven’t a clue on what to wear in a likely informal outing.”

Since the others seem so uncomfortable about whatever it is about that man, Alice decides to speak for the air’s sake, and to not waste valuable moments of conversation. She does hope what ails them is settled soon, considering it’s a supposed day of peace and what have you. 

[Guest]

Suzume noticed the small blonde and squeaked as she realized it was not the place for a small girl to be in here with a very scantily clad man. Gulping, Suzume looked around for anyone else that could help her pick out a swimsuit because she was now fearing that the young girl would see the scary looking man wearing a speedo. Walking fast, the brunette now stood in the men's section of the store without her knowledge. She had never been in a shop like this so she was freaking out over the young girl and herself. She had never seen anything like this before and it was making her mind go haywire.

Hurriedly, Suzume walked back over to the small blonde and smiled nervously. "H-Hi there.", she said while waving at her as she smiled still to not come off as weird. However, she figured she would since she dressed like a man and would probably stir up some sort of commotion. Looking slightly over towards the man wearing a speedo, Suzume shuddered in fear of what was to come once everyone here knew she was a female and looking for a swimsuit as well.

[Lilith]

Gretel seemed a little reluctant at Lilith's request, but soon made her way to the near nude man and threw a fabric at the man in an attempt to cover him.  She would have to thank her friend later.  A wave of relief swept over her as the situation was defused for the time being.  The voice of her new aquantice rang out which snapped her attention back to the dark haired woman.

"A-Alice!"

The aforementioned blonde child then joined their company; safely away from danger.  Upon getting a closer look, she was indeed very cute.  Lilith fought the urge to pet the girl; the last time she petted a child, she was chased out of boots territory after all.  The way Alice strung along her sentences and worded things was quite odd.  It took a moment for Lilith to grasp what she was saying, but even then it left her a bit confused.  Though the girl seemed friendly enough, so even in her confusion, she simply smiled in greeting.  Lilith did find it a bit odd that she never seen this girl in town before, but she was simply just a little girl; nothing too suspicious.

"I suppose it's a good thing we have two kind souls helping out today."

She smiled at Emily; it was very nice of her to offer help with these sorts of things; Lilith was completely lost on the concept of proper fashion.  Not that fashion mattered too much in her previous homestead; standing out too much was often a bad idea anyways.  Ah, maybe I should go shopping for new clothes soon. Nothing was really wrong with the clothes she had now, but it would be fun for a change every once in a while.

Alice seemed keen on getting Emily's help as well; the more the merrier.  She may be able to learn more about these new faces while they shopped.  Sure to show her need for help as well, she nodded as she chimed in.

"I may need a little help myself.  I'm not too picky, but I need something to, well, accommodate...this."

Lilith turned slightly to reveal her dilemma with her tail.  The clothes Lilith did have, she had to modify herself to allow her tail to fit properly; it was more difficult than it seemed.  Hopefully with the town's feline population, there would be something here to suit her needs.

[Emily (new)]

((OOC note: if you want Emily to be the one to find the swimsuit and you have a design in mind send me a picture of the style and colour and I'll make sure it's the right one. Of course, this doesn't mean Emily has to pick it for you. Just go with whatever you're happy with ^^))

Emily had been staring a little dumbfounded at the picture Gretel had handed her. No matter how she looked at it she couldn't see any resemblance to a swimsuit here.

Though it means she'd rather be covered up for sure, she thought to herself and she pondered the different outfits she could get together for the beach. Reaching over to a few items hanging a little further up the store she felt confident this might be more this girls style. It would be easy to confuse what she just picked up for a short summer dress, but the basic material was a regular swimsuit just with quick-to-dry material draped over the top. The one in particular that she picked out had an adorably frilly design, with the straps a little thicker and floaty material that would drape lightly over the shoulder. The same material hung over the hips like a short dress and it was all tied together with a big bow on the front.

"Now I know you're set on one thing but I'm pretty sure they don't even exist anymore. This is probably the best cover you're gettin'," Emily explained holding two colours of the same design to her, one navy blue and one pink. "You could probably get yourself a normal swimsuit or bikini and throw on some kinda wrap to hide your legs or whatever but that's annoyin' if you wanna go swimmin'..." she said to her, hoping that one of these cute frilly ones would take to her fancy instead.

As she was presenting the outfits to one girl another one had approached her to speak, happy to see that Alice was enthusiastic about taking part in this too she replied with a big smile.

"I'm more than happy to help out Miss Alice, just give us a few moments," she said after noticing the others who had all managed to gather together in the store she prepared herself for a busy afternoon of outfit-picking. "If you're looking for somethin' too just let me know," Emily mentioned as she smiled to the short haired woman who had approached Alice just then.

As she was busy trying to keep track of what styles would suit everyone best her eyes were suddenly distracted by the presentation of the huge, fluffy tail that caught her eye before.

"Now this is... really adorable," she exclaimed out loud, unable to hold in her amazement at her animal features. It did seem like it might be a problem though. After closing her eyes for a few moments she came to a conclusion.

"You're probably best with a swimsuit then so it can hold everything in," she said nodding thoughtfully to herself. "You could try a bikini but I dunno how that tail of yours works and if it springs out and everything comes loose there's no saving you."

[Gretel]

Gretel felt a lot better about these suits. They covered more than those silly bikini's, and they were colors she wore often. She didn't even mind the designs! Gretel like to wear dresses, and it looked easy to move around. That was important because her plans meant she wanted freedom of movement. With a slight nod, she took both suits from Emily and retreated to the changing room to try them on.

"Your tail is wider that the catfolk." She called to Lilith over the partition. "I fix my clothes all the time from all the fights I get in. I have my needle and thread here if you need me to adjust something for you."

Gretel tried on the Navy one first. It fit her perfectly, and for as much skin as it showed she didn't hate it. It seemed Emily had a good eye for this kind of thing. Gretel stepped out of the room awaiting her friend's opinion.

[Guest]

Dorian chuckled at the scene he'd caused. Flustering pretty girls was one of his favourite hobbies and it was only in the summer that he could work his magic to it's best. He grabbed a silky kimono-style cover up from a nearby rack and eyed the girls as he tied it shut, still leaving it loose around his chest.

"My apologies, ladies. I got a little-" He offered them a placating gesture. "Ahead of myself. I dress all of my staff. That includes the women and children, and yes, even their swimwear. I get nothing from it but the satisfaction that I can find items that bring them happiness. Besides, I don't mind it if it means I get to enjoy looking at the company I keep."

"Now, I'm not about to let that talent go to waste. Eenie, meenie, miney-" He counted through the girls until he settled on the most familiar of the faces and smiled. "Gretel."

He stared at her for a long hard second, trying not to catch her eye, since he knew he'd catch hell if she saw him staring. Pretty green hair and eyes... and the palest skin. That wouldn't do.

Dorian darted over to a section towards the back, grabbing a high-necked long sleeve plum and black neoprene top and a pair of cute knee-length board shorts with chubby little birds on them. He offered them to Gretel. "Here. This will keep you from getting burnt in the sun, but it still offers a full range of movement. Try it on."

He laid eyes on Lilith next. He tilted his head back and forth as he thought about what to do, surreptitiously checking out how her tail connected to her lower back.
"Hmm... what about-?"

A rack of monokinis caught his eye. They were connected in the front, and quite conservative, but the back was low cut enough that she wouldn't need to alter them much, if at all, and there was no worry about anything falling off. He offered her the suit. "This would do quite well for you, and they've got this one in lots of colours."

He scanned the room and looked down at Alice. He didn't know much about her, but he wasn't going to let her appearance fool him. He lit up as he looked at the kids' section.
A cute little one piece with a built in frilly skirt was hanging right in his field of view. It was decorated with little cookies and cupcakes. She looked to be about the same size as a couple of the kids that lived at the salon, and grabbed what he hoped was her size.

"Here you are, my dear. Try it on if you like."

All he was left with were the two that seemed to like him the least. He wasn't going to let that stop him - he'd always put more stock in what he presented to the world more than how he was perceived by it.

"I do relish a challenge, after all."

He sized up Emily while pacing through the store, stopping short as he passed a cute one-piece with colour blocking and textured sheer panels that gave the illusion of an hourglass shape with fake ties at the hips and a series of racy straps on the back. He grabbed a black one and one in a shimmery sea-foam green. "If you want a little balance in your silhouette give this one a shot, if you like. If not, I can only recommend that you avoid halter tops and bandeaus. They will work against you at every step and the last thing I want is for one of you to-" he cleared his throat a little, "have a wardrobe malfunction. This is a family event, after all."

He turned to Suzume. She was avoiding him like the plague and he was pretty sure he'd pegged down why - poor thing. Dorian was well aware of the effect he had on people even when fully clothed. He looked around the store once again and settled on a tankini with a delicate peach and burgundy hibiscus pattern and high cut black bottoms.

He cautiously approached her. "I understand that I can come off as a little... intense. I promise, I'm not like that at all." He offered her the suit. "Consider this a peace offering."

Dorian waited for responses from the group. Hopefully they didn't take long - he was getting cold.

[Alice]

Alice finds nothing wrong in the situation, but perhaps that’s because she’s seen “stranger.” She really must put it in air quotes because it’s all quite normal to her. These people with their odd and over-the-top reactions to who she still believes to be an employee or stand-in. The others seemed not to trust him much, a curious matter indeed. Perhaps she'd look into matters more, and as an inquisitive child may be, blatantly ask one day. She's still rather new, so it'd be wise to learn.  

She peers up at all of them, her short stature not doing her much justice in terms of timely, head-to-head chatter, but so long as someone talks, a moment in her book is not yet wasted. This town-ly visit has become all the more worthwhile if only for the explorative experiences.  
It’s difficult to ignore the fact that there is a fox-person before her as well, complete with ears and a tail. There are many different kinds of people in Wonderland, but she hadn’t thought there would have been more than just the lady she saw at meetings in town.

Upon response from Emily, Alice nods, and patiently awaits by conversing with herself, in her thoughts. She doesn’t want to waste any time, and nor does she want to interrupt them, so she follows a typical social standing of speak when spoken to so as to not anger the people who likely had control over what she could be wearing.

Next comes direct contact with the now far more covered up ‘employee.’ She knows not his name, or, well, who he is, but she stares at him closely, thinking of what to say for perhaps anything he could gift her with. And thus, when such a swimsuit comes into her vision, all handed by him, she nods and accepts it, looking it over closely.

“I thank you for the help, Mister. I think it would be far more a credit to useful standings to assure it fits here. But oh, how curious that a fitting design should have been right before me. I doubt I’d have spotted it without your assistance.”

She looks it over again once it’s in her hands, moving to efficiently try it on. It fits perfectly well, so his judgement of size had been on the mark. A befitting fit for a fitting-in event…

With such reassurance, she changes back after observing her own looks. Pressing her hands on her skirt to straighten it out, she steps out and looks at everyone and says, “Mister, this swimming suit fuctions at the need I came here searching for, so thank you again.”

[Guest]

"You're quite welcome, miss." Dorian offers her a bow. "And please, call me Dorian. Enjoy the event."

[Lilith]

Lilith was giving some serious thought on the suggestion Emily had given her.  A bikini did seem like a good idea, as her tail would hang from the top of the bottoms.  As she pondered on her options of bikinis, Dorian had already picked her out a suit to try on.  The styling and color were very appealing to her; it was worth to try it on at the very least.

"Thank you, Dorian.  I will give this a try for sure." She happily chirped as received the garment.  Dorian did seem to have an eye for looks, so she trusted his judgement.
Looking towards the changing rooms, she spotted Gretel wearing one of the suits Emily had suggested to her.  Lilith wasted no time making her way over to express her excitement over the swimsuit.

"Ah! I like this one on you, Gretel. It really suits you." She happily smiled at her friend as she looked her over.  It was a bit weird seeing her out of her usual layered clothing, but it was a nice look on her for sure.  "You should wear smaller dresses like this more often.  You have a really nice figure for it."  Underneath those layers was a womanly body; Lilith was a bit envious as she was a bit lacking in comparison to her friend.  

"I am going to try on mine now. Wish me luck!"

As she ducked into the nearest room, she closed the partition and began undressing.  She enjoyed her clothing, but unbuttoning everything was a pain; this made her want to go clothes shopping sooner than later.  With suit now on she gave herself a good look over to make sure everything was covered properly.  

Emerging from the room she gave a little spin to show off the sky blue monokini Dorian had chosen.  Everything seemed to fit well, and her tail perfectly hung from the top of the bottom piece.  It was a bit odd to be so under-dressed, but it felt nice, as the suit didn't restrict her so much as her street clothes did.  Though now with being so dressed down, she could see the painful difference in bust size between her and her friend as she stared down at her small chest.

[Gretel]

When Gretel saw what Dorian picked out she fell in love with it; the color and how much it covered! It was so very her. That Dorian had a good grasp on people, but that probably had something to do with his job as she imagined he had to know people well to run a literary salon. It would have been the perfect beach outing outfit if she wasn't trying to impress someone else.

This one she had on was cute, and she didn't hate it. Even Lilith had agreed she looked good in it. This was the one to take home.

She wished her friend good luck as she went to try on the suit Dorian had given her. Gretel also took the Dorian handed to her. "This isn't the worst thing I've seen," she didn't even need to try it on she could tell it was the right size. It was so perfect it almost brought a tear to her eye. "I was going for something a bit different this time but thanks anyway." It was a little odd for Gretel to be thanking anyone. Maybe it was the environment or how uncomfortable she felt, but a thank you seemed like the right thing here. "I'm going to get it as well. You're supposed to own more that one swimming suit I hear."

She turned towards Emily and thanked her too. "I haven't seen you around. But you aren't half bad. Thanks for the help today too."

Lilith hopped on out of the changing room and did a little spin. Her outfit suited her very well. Lilith had the kind of body that was popular with the boys around here. Gretel wished she looked more like her friend. If Lilith entered the beauty pageant, Fuka would have some stiff competition. "That looks good on you! You should get it. Then if your other friend doesn't need help, we should go. There are things I need to prepare you for."

Gretel went and paid for her two outfits, insisting that the took her money instead of Dorians. With a swimming suit, she was now looking forward to the event.

[Lilith]

With Gretel's approval, she smiled happily as she hopped back into the changing room to change back into her street clothes.  Finding the right suit wasn't hard at all; with Dorian's help after all.  Now fully dressed once more she emerged from the room with the swim suit folded over her arm.

Before she stopped off by the clerk to buy the suit, she happily skipped over to Dorian and thanked him properly, "Thank you, Dorian.  This swimsuit is perfect. I owe you for your help."

With her swimsuit bought and ready for the event she joined Gretel as they prepared to leave the store triumphantly with their purchases.

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