Haute Couture::Alteration Shop Rodion's Story

I always wanted to get rich.

.......

Uh... what would I do once I got rich...?

I, uh... haven't really thought that far ahead...

Oh, right! My fabric reservation! Thanks for reminding me. I'd better get going!

.......

Hello! I'm here to pick up the fabric I reserved. I was told it would be ready...

Are you sure that shroud of yours doesn't need mending? You're happy leaving it as it is?

.......

Sunshine is pouring into the Alteration Shop.

Another customer is there talking to Miss Alterationist. He has a faded golden cloak over his shoulders.

I thought this was exactly the right season to come by. But seeing the customer ahead of me, I wonder if I've shown up a little early.

I don't know what you want to do with those scissors...

But you've got that desire in you... enough that I can see you coming back to have me severed someday.

When that day comes, you know whose alteration services to go with.

The customer nods along as Miss Alterationist speaks. Then, with his business apparently concluded, he turns and walks in my direction.

When he sees me, his mouth falls open in apparent surprise... Then he tilts his head, like he's counting something.

I try to place him. Did we meet somewhere before? But I can't recall ever seeing that style of clothing anywhere in the department store.

Oh... uh, hello. Nice to meet you...

.......

It was a clumsy attempt at a greeting, but I thought it might help break the ice...

But he chuckled - scoffed, really - under his breath, as though he'd just worked something out. Whatever it was, he kept it to himself and left without a word.

...?

The sunshine feels lovely, I know, but don't go basking in it all day. You don't want to end up like those Mannequins shambling around the shops.

Here, come a little closer. The next customers won't know where they are in the queue if you stand over there.

Ah, right. Sorry about that.

Still thinking about the customer who just left? You've still got that look on your face.

Haha... I just wasn't expecting to see a Rouge customer at your shop. I didn't think they'd have dealings with you, Miss Alterationist.

Anyone who comes looking for fabric is welcome here.

That's why I keep ignoring the Noirs when they ask me to run a shop for them. And believe me, they don't tire of asking.

Yours is all ready to go. Give me a moment to put the finishing touches on this other one. Won't be much longer.

You have to treat such pure, noble material with care... It's not the sort of work you can just put down to pick up again later.

The fabric resting in her lap had a radiance I'd never seen before. I'd looked at plenty of fabrics by now, but nothing with a color quite like that.

Most fabrics I've seen so far had to be scrutinized to get an idea of how much of each material was in them... But this one? I could tell it's high-purity just by looking.

How many eyeballs would it take to buy fabric like that...? I couldn't even begin to put a price on it.

Maybe if I spent hundreds of seasons picking up eyeballs on 1F... No, who am I kidding? Even that wouldn't put it within reach.

That piece you're working on... is it something the Noirs asked you to make?

Mmhmm. Their Brand Manager did.

Golden Fabric for their armor... something suitably "righteous" and "exalted". That was the request.

All this beautiful fabric... and it's going to end up as armor? Really...?

Wouldn't it be lovely as a dress, though...? It'd be so much better that way...

.......

Overlay each ply of fabric, layer after layer... and you can make a suit of armor with plenty of strength and very little weight.

It'll give them an edge in their competition with the Rouges.

Competition... Oh, so that's why it's been so hard to get a reservation lately.

Well, customers may have to get in line while I work on the Noirs' bulk fabric order... I can't even squeeze in much time to handle odd jobs.

Her work apparently finished, Miss Alterationist carefully set the Golden Fabric down.

Now that she's done with the Noirs' order, it's my turn, finally... I've been waiting for this for seasons. I'm actually going to get my fabric...

Here you go. The embroidered fabric you asked for. See the threads winding through each other? That's how I made that dense, lush forest pattern.

Whoa. If I put this around my cuffs... the whole outfit would look so much more elegant...

Thank you! I'll be sure to come to you again next time!

So, where are you headed now?

I'd meant to go back down to a good spot I knew on 1F. Gather some eyeballs there, then head up to 4F.

I was going to find a bag from the Handbags Hall to go with the dress I'm working on...

Except my eyes wouldn't stay on anything else. They kept returning to that Golden Fabric, sitting right where she'd put it down.

If I went down to the basement floors... if I could find materials like that for myself...

I think I'll head... down to the basement floors, actually.

There's supposed to be a drink on B1F that can taste like anything you want. Or, um... that's what I've heard, at least.

Fuhu... I can see where this is going. But getting hold of the materials for this fabric won't be nearly as easy as you're hoping.

Still... the porters tell me there's plenty down there that's nothing like what we have above ground. You might find something different, at least.

So, how many eyeballs do I owe you? This looks way too good to pay just 200, like last time...

That one...? Just take it. You don't have to pay.

Wait, really? You're giving it for free?!

Just do me a favor if you manage to get to B2F. A little rumor I'd like you to put about among the Noirs.

Oh, I can do that! I'm good at getting a rumor around. I've had a bit of practice, actually!

You know the rumor about a legendary sword that started going around on 4F? I brought it to 1F and 3F myself! Has it reached you yet?

... Can't say it has. But if you know how to get customers talking, that's good enough for me.

Here's what I want them to hear. The balance on 3F won't hold much longer... It's about to come apart altogether.

Uh, "balance"...?

The Rouges' Boutiques are finding their feet again. You could pretty much say they're the ones setting the trends now.

The Noir Brand Manager's running all over the place, trying to keep up... but that won't be enough to turn things around.

There's a Voice guiding the Rouges now... and it has an answer for every move. As if it had the whole thing figured out before it even began.

Without even noticing the threads coming loose...

Anyway, that's all I need you to pass on. I'm counting on you, dear customer.

Of course! I'll make sure the message gets through, just as you said.

I'd said my goodbyes and was about to leave when figures dressed in red began filing into the Alteration Shop, one after another.

So she really did get plenty of Rouge customers... Maybe I'd simply never been around at the right time to see them.

That was what I was thinking as I made for the entrance... when a pair of scissors came flying into my path.

There was a nail, made of bone, embedded in the scissors... and only then did I realize that one of the Rouges had thrown it at me. The scissors blocked it.

Huh...?

A lucky escape, Kaki.

A Rouge leather coat, paired with Noir shoes...? One look at that ensemble was enough for me to send you free-falling to rock bottom.

B-but look at how well they go together... It's much prettier like this...

*sigh* My dear customer... not now.

Save the talk and get out through the curtains behind that stack of thread spools. Get yourself out of the shop, unless you'd rather take a fall.

As for you... You sure didn't come for fabric. Was it that child who sent you?

Our cherished one gave us his guidance. If we're to shut down every last Noir establishment, the Alteration Shops have to be our first targets.

... Look at those eyes. All that greed, all that desire... burning right through.

Maybe that's why I never did take to Noir's fashion in the end. I like that look in the eyes of you Rouges, you know.

Which means this next part shouldn't come as any surprise to you:

If you'd like to cut me away... you'd better have come prepared to be snipped away yourselves.

Rassemble.