Ribbons and Bows

[Macy Deltine]

Macy stepped into the large dress shop in the village square, and looked around. The shop was a long building, with two storeys, the first filled with dresses for all occasions, and the second specifically for wedding dresses and tuxedos.
Her heels clacked on the old, wooden floors as she walked further into the shop, from the light snow that was beginning to fall on her and Kira as they walked down from the school. She eyed the shop, at all the dresses the lined the walls, and the old paintings and photographs that had messily been put up onto the wall. Bows also hung from the wall, in a display that, from far away, turned into the shape of a Christmas tree.
She ran her fingers though her newly cut hair, trying to give it some shape after it had been blown across her face on the way down.
She finally found her way to a large, messy desk that was covered with fabric, beads, ribbons and measuring tape. Macy looked over at Kira, and looked back at the table, trying to find the owner. "Do you think she's here?" She asked Kira quietly. Suddenly, a woman came out from the back of the shop, and ran over to them.
"Hello, hello!" She said, out of breath. Her hair was stuck up in a bun, and was starting to fall down, and there was a long tape measure around her neck. "Oh, is it snowing?" She asked, almost dreamily. The woman turned back to them, and looked them up and down. "Well, take of your coats. Are you looking for dresses?" She asked, going behind the desk. Macy nodded, and then looked around the shop again.
The woman came out from behind the desk again, and then ran over to another side of the side of the shop and came back a minute later, carrying a selection of dresses. She held up a long, red one up to Kira, and tilted her head. She set it down and then jumped up on the table, and sat down. "So, what type of thing are you looking for?" The woman asked, looking over at the two of them.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

This slightly dreamy woman, with her loose blonde, frizzy bun, her red-rimmed glasses and large, almost silver eyes gave off a strange air of madness. Perhaps it was just the exotic mess of ribbons, colours and beads Kira found herself in, or perhaps it was just the thick taste of perfume on the air, but one look at this woman gave Kira a very clear impression.
Herself in thirty years.
"So," the woman said, smiling at them both from her perch on the table. "What type of thing are you looking for?"
"Well, um..." Kira glanced in confusion at Macy. "We're from the school, Orchid, and..."
"Winter Formal coming up?" the woman's smile widened, her voice bubbling up and down like a running creek. "Both looking for dresses? We've had a lot of you girls and boys in here recently... There was this one boy we just could not find anything for! His hair kept changing colour and clashing with things. Still, eventually I decided I would make something myself, and it really is gorgeous on him-"
"Yes, well," Kira's mind blanked a little. Did she have that same affect on people? "Um... hopefully that shouldn't happen with us."
"Alright then," the woman beamed, jumping off the table with her measuring tape flailing forward. She wasn't a very tall woman- perhaps only just 5 ft- but her presence made up for it. She gestured around the shop. "Dresses, everywhere. Material, everywhere. Pick and choose, and customize, and I'll just conjure it up! Go on-" she prodded Kira forward slightly, "- browse!"

[Macy Deltine]

Macy looked over at Kira, who also seemed a little lost in the woman's words. She dragged her friend to a corner of the shop, and bent down to her height, and looked in her eyes. "Steve was in here?" She whispered, in a high-pitched squeek. She let out a high laugh, and then turned around, as she could feel the woman watching them. Macy smiled over at her, and then turned back around to Kira.
She moved around the shop, looking on the racks, trying to find a dress that would suit her, and her height. It wasn't the best thing, being 5ft 11. She looked over at the woman, as she could see her watching them from the corner of her eye. The woman tried to busy herself, moving papers on her desk. Macy smiled, and turned to look at the dresses again.
She lifted up some dresses, looking at each one. The first one didn't go with her skin colour, the second was two big, the third wouldn't look good on her, in any sense. She walked on, stepping over some ribbon that had fallen on the floor.
"Ice?" She heard a voice ask, and Macy turned around, and realised that it was the woman talking to her, about her power. Macy then realised that she had left a trail of ice on the wooden floor, where her feet had been, and also the dresses she had picked up, had frost on them.
Macy nodded, and smiled. The woman nodded back at her, and Macy moved on. She finally had made a lap of the shop, and bumped into Kira again. "Any luck?" She asked her, bending down to lift up a blue dress and look at it.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

There were far too many colours in the world.
Was that pink? Yeah, definitely pink. No... magenta? Magenta or pink? It was freaking pink!
No, it's magenta.
Pink. Look at it. It's pink.
Magenta, specifically.
No, it's just pink.
No, it's magenta!
Shut up, brain.
You shut up.
How is this normal?
It's... not?
..........................................
It's so pink.
Whatever...
"Any luck?"
Kira jumped about a foot in the air, swivelling around to face Macy, who was holding up a blue dress. Kira smiled weakly.
"Not really. I'm bad at this sort of thing." She glanced at the rack of pink/magenta dresses, an ugly scowl decorating her face. "But I reckon that isn't my colour."

[Macy Deltine]

Macy tilted her head, looking at the dress, and then back up to a frowning Kira. "No, you skin is too light for it. It'd suit...Madeleine, I think. You'd suit..." She said, not finishing her sentence. She was looking though the racks, trying to find a good colour for Kira. "This, maybe." She said, holding up a dark green dress. It was fine satin, and would fall down to her feet. "Do you want to try it on?" She asked, holding it up to Kira's body.
"Dressing rooms are in the back!" She heard the shopkeeper shout over to them, apparently listening the their conversation. Macy smiled, and then turned back to Kira. "Go on, it's only trying it on. I'll find something to try on too.." She said, scanning to racks. Her eye caught a blue, Cinderella dress, hanging in the corner of a rack. It was her size, and had lots of layers under it, with a slightly '80's look about it. "Here, I'll come with you." She said, pushing her towards the back, to the dressing rooms.
They were in a large room at the back, with a large curtain in front of each cubicle. There was striped wall paper on the walls, with large mirrors everywhere, and magazines and pictures sitting round. "Okay, you go first!" She said, pushing Kira into one of the stalls.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Thank goodness for Macy!
As Kira was shoved into the stall, she silently sent up a prayer of thanks that she was here with her now, because Kira knew she would've been completely lost otherwise. Kira didn't understand fashion, make-up... or really anything to do with being... girly? But Macy was obviously learned in all aspects of life. The dress was, even to Kira's untrained eye, absolutely beautiful. She wondered vaguely what other ones might be out there, and just waiting to be unearthed by Macy...
The dress felt a little long once it was on, and as Kira preened this way and that, trying to examine it from all angles, she sort of hated herself.
She was too skinny.
Who is too skinny?
The dress was beautiful, it really was, but Kira didn't seem to fill it at all! And the worst part was, now that she saw it, she really wanted it. It was just such a beautiful, earthy colour...
Unless...
Could the shopkeeper adjust it?
Drawing a deep breath, Kira ripped back the curtain, and stepped into view.
"Bad?" she said, her voice low and miserable.

[Macy Deltine]

Macy jumped up from the seat, as she saw Kira come out from the stall, wearing the dress that she had picked out. The colour was perfect for her, but the shape wasn't...as perfect as it could be. "It's really nice, but the shape..it isn't for your body, I think. Not to be offensive, or anything, but the colour is brilliant. Wait here, I'll go back and get something." She said, turning around, and going back into the shop. The shopkeeper was walking up the stairs, carring a pile of wedding dresses in her arms, and didn't seem to notice Macy.
Macy walked over to a rack, near the window. She looked though it, and finally found a dress that was about the same colour as the last one, but a different shape. It had a low back, and a nice waist, with the large bottom that flared out. She took if oof the rack, and found her way back, though the store, to the changing rooms where Kira was. "Here." She said, handing it to her. "Try this on."

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Kira obeyed Macy obediently, ducking back behind the curtain and pulling the first dress reluctantly off. Or... at least she had been reluctant, until she had the second one on. 1950s inspired- how'd she know that?- it's top wasn't strapless, but instead shouldered, and complimented what many would consider her lack of a figure. The full skirt flared out magnificently, tempting Kira into a ballet-esque twirl.
Feeling much happier with herself, she bounced out, and gave another twirl for Macy's benefit.
"Not so bad?" she grinned crookedly.