Frida's Fripperies
A fine, fantastical place of frippery and frills!
Returning to Ista in the wake of Leirith's GREAT IDEAS was just not something that Averil expected to do. Fortunately, Shiloh had proven willing to indulge his 'questionably great' idea and they'd found a brown rider equally willing to take them to the hold. "I know it sounds ridiculous," Averil notes with a smile as he grabs Shiloh's hand and leads him through the courtyard toward the shops. "But I am sure Leirith will appreciate the humor behind it." Or not. She might not, there is no real way of knowing, but Averil is dead set on what he wants to do. "I just need to find the /right/ corset for the sculpture and we're good to go." Normally, Avi is less aggressive about moving through crowds, but here? Here, he knows where he is going and is deftly weaving the pair of them around stalls, through groups of shoppers and along walkways until… "There!" Rising up on his toes, the artist points over heads toward a brightly colored flag with the word FRIDA'S in shades of pink, purple and bright blue.
It's not really Shiloh's place to question Avi's decisions, even if he might have arched an eyebrow (possibly both) at the idea suggested. There might have been some casual inquires about the cost of such things but, again, not really Shiloh's place to decide what is and isn't "too much" to spend on a dragon. So here they are, at Ista, with Avi pulling him through the crowd and Shiloh amiably ambling along behind him, moving through the crowd with relative ease. "There," agrees Shiloh, lips quirked in a crooked little half-smirk as he glances from the flag to the artist. A little nudge seeks to send the artist onward, because Shiloh's definitely not going to be the first one walking through those doors.
Averil couldn't be more pleased over the entire affair, a fact made clear when he twists around and hugs Shiloh before twisting away to push through the doors into the shop. Immediately, there is a squeal of delight and a flurry of activity that has Averil nearly vanishing from sight as he bounds toward the older woman and young man behind the counter. "FRIDA! FREDDY!" Whatever the pair had been working on is forgotten at the sound of the artist's voice, the pair of them emerging from behind the counter to hug and kiss and circle around each other to the chorus of a thousand questions.
"Where have you /been/?"
"Xanadu!"
"How has business been?"
"Slow but steady!"
"Who is the beefcake?" That one comes from Freddy, the gangly red-haired youth peeling away from the group to flutter his hands at Shiloh. "Please tell me you want to try on a corset…or ten."
Shiloh might just be (definitely) bracing for a storm of sorts. Probably one that involves lace and frilly things and lots of pastel colors and… well. Avi in a store. The ensuring chaos of greetings and affection and general fuss have him happily settling off to the side, fingers shoved into his pockets, looking thoroughly out of place among such fancy frills and lacy bits and bobs, but not altogether uncomfortable with it (he *did* live with Avi for a while and is probably drowning in lace on most days). But the comment has him arching an eyebrow and drawling a dry, "Not a piece of food," in return. The idea of trying on corsets might get a grimace, though he doesn't mean anything by it. "Not really my thing." So… no. Sorry. No corset-wearing for Shiloh.
The store itself is a mish-mash of over the top corsetry and dresses, stockings, shoes, head pieces, fans.. It's a chaotic mess of color and lace and all things outlandish and wonderful. What is important, though.. WHAT IS IMPORTANT is Freddy's abrupt lean to the side at Shiloh's response and the purposefully slow rake of green eyes along the beastcrafter's frame. "Oh honey," he breaths in response to Shiloh not being food. "Someone has been lying to you." Giving a dramatic swoon, he links arms with Averil at the artists' delighted laugh, murmuring in sotto voce "Where did you find that and are they making more?"
Averil's response comes in the form of an adoring smile and a kiss to Freddy's cheek as he turns bright eyes on his beastcrafter. "He's one of a kind and no," he adds. "I do not share." Pausing another beat, he adds. "Shiloh this is Freddy and his mother Frida. Frida, Freddy, this is my beloved, Shiloh." For her part, Frida's response is a politely indulgent smile as she gestures Shiloh toward a table near the counter. "Don't worry about Freddy, love," she offers in low, earthy tones. "He loves to look but never bites without asking. Come sit with me while those two shop?" Like her son, Frida has a crown of bright red hair, but where he is all lean and sharp angles, and intensity she is round and soft and a pool of calm in the chaos of her shop.
A tight lipped smile that lacks warmth is all Shiloh will give in return. More a grimace, really, but at least he's not baring his teeth like some feral beast? "I can hear you," he says flatly, eyeing Avi and his declaration on sharing. The introduction gets a pause before Shiloh manages a tip of his hat in return, though clearly speaking is out of the question right now. Luckily, Avi's got the greetings handled and apparently all Shiloh needs to do is stand there and look… awkward. Mission: Accomplished. A quick squint at the pair wandering into the world of wonder (and frills. So many frills) before Shiloh sighs and steps over to lean, or sit, or whatever he needs to do out of the way of them. Frida earns a twitch of an eyebrow for the reassurance, though Shiloh's wise enough not to comment on it, seeing as that's her son and all.
Averil couldn't be happier, that much is clear from the smile he turns on the beastcrafter as he links arms with Freddy and guides him toward a wall of corsetry. Course, there is no missing the "He's /so/ serious," from Freddy or the airy laugh that spills past Avi's lips in return. "You have /no/ idea," the artist assures in tones that say little but imply /so much/. Of course, that only serves to spin Freddy up in a frenzy of eager whispering. Fortunately, the pair of them are far enough away that whatever is being said will forever remain a mystery. At the counter, Frida smiles indulgently, her head giving a slow shake as she pours of a mug of klah and sets it close to Shiloh's elbow. "So." It's remarkable how that single word can hold so impact, more so when it is accompanied with the assessing look she turns on the beastcrafter. "Avi seems happy." And from the glance she casts after the boys near the corsets, that is a very good thing.
At least one of them is happy and, really, between the two of them, it is probably better that it is Avi. There's a sigh from Shiloh, who resists pinching the bridge of his nose but can't resist the stern, "I can still hear you," for all that talking about him that's going on. At least he can hear that bit about how serious he is. It's probably not helped when his hands come out of his pockets and his arms cross over his chest all stubbornly and stuff. He doesn't need to hear them. He can well imagine what Avi is whispering about and it has his eyes narrowing into a squinty-eyed look over at the pair before sliding toward Frida. "Yup," he agrees.
A burst of laughter floats back in answer to Shiloh's observation about hearing them. And while Avi is gone for a few moments, only the occassional glimpse of them beyond the racks of frilly dresses visible, he is eventually returning with an armful of corsets. One of them is black leather with steel boning and thick laces, the other two are pale blue with soft lace and velvet ribbons.. It is the frilly ones that Avi sets on the table, smoothing out the garments as he turns his attention up to Shiloh's face. "I thought I'd get one for myself, as well," he admits. "But I can't decide between the underbust and the waist cincher." It's the pale blue cincher he holds up, twisting the fabric around to display the hardboning on the inside. "It ends just beneath the ribcage," he points out. "And again above the pelvic bone." Nibbling at his lip as he glances up at Shiloh's face. To thier credit, both Freddy and Frida step away as decisions are being made.
Shiloh just sighs, and maybe eyes the door as a possible escape, though he doesn't actually move for it. When Avi comes back with his corsets, a quick, tight little smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes as the options are laid out. To his credit, he does take a moment looking them over before asking, "Can you try them on?" A glance around, though Shiloh wouldn't even know where to begin to look for a changing room in a place so chaotically cluttered with fabulous fripperies.
"I can!" The very suggestion has Averil excited enough that he sweeps the corsets up in one hand, before sliding the black leather one toward Frida. "We're definately taking that one," he informs her before reaching for Shiloh's hand. "They have both of these in other colors, as well," he promises as he looks up at the beastcrafter's face. "There are the darker colors you favor," for things. "Like red and black and undyed leather.." As he speaks, he draws a curtain aside, stepping into a dressing room and waiting for Shiloh to join him. "I just grabbed the blue," cause it is his favorite. As soon as the curtain is drawn closed, he's setting the corsets down and pulling off his shirt to hang on one of the hooks. And while this might not normally be a surprising turning of events, the subtle presence of muscle forming in his arms and torso is far more noticable then had been before. "Can you lace it for me," he asks as he holds up the waist cincher and turns his back to the beastcrafter.
Stepping in after him, Shiloh makes sure the curtain is closed as tightly as it can be. Hopefully there's enough space for both of them in the changing room, so that Shiloh can shuffle to a corner and be on stand-by. The revelation of developing muscle has the beastcrafter's eye drawing down the artist's torso in a manner that is not quite innocent but certainly not about to get them into any trouble in a changing room. He even resists touching, at least until he's being asked to lace things up. "How tight is this supposed to be?" he wonders, eyeing the corset critically as he takes the laces in hand.
"Depends on the moment," Avi notes with a flashing smile cast over his shoulder. "Tighter is always better, it'll bring my waist in nicely." Course, he can't help smoothing his hands over his waist at the comment, his lips twitching in a frown. "I've been gaining a little weight…" It's weight, certainly, but that is muscle taking shape in his abdomen. "I think I've been eating too much with all the running I've been doing." Still, it's not unseemly and certainly nothing that a tighter cinch can't resolve. "I like the waist cinchers cause you can wear a shirt under them and look fashionable, or just wear jewelry you got me and it doesn't get in the way."
Tightening the laces slowly, Shiloh's lips press into a thin line at the comment. "There is nothing wrong with your body," he states firmly. Pausing a moment, he puts the laces in one hand and hooks his arm around Averil's waist, pulling him back against him. "You're beautiful, Avi. And you're healthy. There's nothing to worry about." He spends a moment nuzzling at his temple before pressing a quick kiss there and stepping back to finish lacing. While he certainly tries to make it tight, there's an air of caution about the beastcrafter that keeps him from making it too tight. Probably not quite as tight as Avi would prefer. "There," he declares, tucking the tied laces beneath the corset.
Averil bites his lip as he's pulled back, his lashes sweeping down to a half-lidded expression as he tilts his head into the kiss on his temple. It means the world to him to hear that and it shows in his face as when he glances up at Shiloh and smile. "Thank you," he whispers as he twists around to smooth his hands over the cincher and strikes a little pose for the beastcrafter. "Do you see what I mean about a shirt though? It's small enough that I could wear a blousey shirt under it and look so very fashionable." Mind you, it looks outstanding without a shirt or hint of jewelry, as well. "The other one falls lower on my hips and will come up over the pectorals, though. It's more for wearing under dresses or in the bedroom, depending."
"I see what you mean," he admits, even if he might struggle with the vision of it — the flouncy shirt beneath the cinched corset. His hands settle at his waist, eyes on the artist's body, a little curl at the corner of his lips. "Which one do you prefer?" Because honestly, Shiloh would be happy with either. He's perfectly content to drink in the sight of Avi in his corset, and would likely be just as enamored with him wearing the other corset, too. Unfortunately, he's not going to be much help in breaking the tie.
Averil chews his lip as he steps back in to press against Shiloh's chest. "I think I want this one," he admits in breathy tones. "I .. I do." The decision made, he sweeps his gaze up, his hands moving to smooth over the beastcrafter's shoulders. "What color? They have one in undyed leather," he admits. "It's pretty, with flowers tooled on the leather…Kinda like a saddle." And he knows Shiloh prefers the darker colors. "If you unlace me? We can go look?"
"I thought you said you wanted this one?" Shiloh is going to take that statement very literally it seems, frowning down at the powder-blue corset Avi is currently wearing. "Or just this style?" At the request, his fingers move over the laces once again, untying the knot and gently pulling the string through until Avi can slip it off again. There's a puzzled look about him as he steps back to lean against the wall, a little furrow in his brows. "I didn't think they'd make things in undyed leather," he admits. "But it'd probably be too light for everything else." All those other accessories.
"The style," Avi admits as the corset is unlaced and the garment slipped off. There is a moment where he looks confused, though, his head tilting as he reaches for his shirt and pulls it over his head. "It's leather colored," he admits as he tucks the fabric into the waist of his skirt. "Like saddle colored. Isn't that undyed?" He doesn't know and now he is pretty sure he's wrong and can't help blushing at the fact. "I thought that was just the color of leather."
"Leather has a lot of colors," says Shiloh. "Raw, undyed leather is very pale. It darkens with age," he admits. "And with oiling. But when someone says 'undyed' leather, they usually mean the raw, fresh stuff." There's a shrug as he pulls the curtain back so they can step out. The corset is collected with one hand, Avi with the other. "Saddles are usually oiled and darkened to protect the leather. Otherwise it can crack or get moldy… and pick up stains. Most of the saddles you see in the stables are many, many turns old." Some of them might even be older than Avi! *GASP*. "So they're dark now, but they weren't always." He motions Avi forward. "Show me what you're talking about?"
Averil nods as he listens, his smile warm and pleased as he leads Shiloh past racks and racks of frilly lacey garments toward the back wall. There, he stops, moving to run his hand over the corsets on display. The one he stops on is a rich dark brown leather with delicate tooling adorning the front and the area around the grommets in the back. "This one," he points out as he picks up and holds it out for Shiloh to look at more closely. "I think it matches my other jewelry pretty well?"
"It's nice," agrees Shiloh, reaching out to appreciate the tooling with a quick draw of his fingers. "Do you really need another one, though?" That would be the frugal side of him peeking out, eyeing Avi with a look that clearly says Shiloh thinks he has enough (because he is unaware that one can never have enough pretty things). "I like the blue one," he admits. "And… you're already getting the other one for Leirith," which definitely pricks at the beastcrafter's 'stingy' nerve. "There's the hatching to consider, too."
The expression on Averil's face is adorably horrified, his eyes wide as he gives a quick shake of his head. "You can /never/ have enough," he breaths. "And this one matches…" Chewing his lip, he glances at the blue one, picking it up and holding both in his hands. Clearly, /now/ there is a problem for the artist, one that has him chewing his lip before he decides. "I'll get both of them, then." Which is /exactly/ the opposite of what was being said. It's the mention of the hatching that has him blinking a few times, both corsets held against his chest as he tilts his head. "The hatching shouldn't cost me any coin? And this way, I'll have something new to wear to the gather they have afterward." Which, to Avi, makes perfect sense.
That was definitely not the reaction Shiloh was trying to inspire. There's a bit of a hesitation; a little press of lips and a strain in Shiloh's smile, but he won't speak about it. Because it's Avi's money, at the end of the day. As for the Hatching? "You'd know better than me," seeing as how Shiloh is holdbred and all. "But that's not what I meant. Avi, you could Impress. And where're you gonna put them?" he wonders, nodding toward the corsets. "You want 'em to collect dust in our rooms? Or squeeze them into the trunk?" He sighs, stuffing his fingers back into his pockets. "If you really want 'em, fine. You can make your own choices about this stuff. I just don't want you to forget what's coming up."
Averil exhales a breath, glancing from Shiloh down to the corsets clutched against his chest. For a few long moments, he stares at them both before returning the leather on to the pile. "You're right," he murmurs in quiet tones. "I'll.. I'll get just this one for now. I can always come back and get the other if I feel I need to have it." Pausing a beat, he turns wide eyes up to Shiloh's face, one hand moving to rest against his chest. "Are you upset with me? I could wait to get either of them," he promises. "I didn't come here to shop for me." And he's willing to admit that. Willing enough that he turns and sets the blue one down, as well. "They can wait." He'll be back, Frida's is a second home to him.
"Avi…" There's a sigh, and a quick rub of Shiloh's forehead before he's reaching out to catch the artist. "If you want it, get it. No, I'm not upset with you. I just want you to think practically. Or… at least keep in mind what's coming up," he repeats. "I don't want you to do something you'll regret." Either by purchasing too much now, or by accidentally damaging them in storage. "I just… you've not been wearing any of your things lately." Don't think he hasn't noticed that Avi's been sticking to culottes and tank tops since they moved into the barracks. "So if you get it, I want you to wear it."
Averil lowers his gaze, his brows furrowing as he spends a moment really thinking about what Shiloh has said. When he looks up, his smile is gentle and warm, his hand drifting down the length of Shiloh's arm to lace their fingers. "I can wait. I've been.. I'm just trying not to stand out as much as I have been," he admits quietly. "And running and doing pushups.." Which is impractical in dresses under the best of circumstances. "It's not forever. I'm not going to suddenly start dressing like a boy." That is just never going to happen, if he can help it. Giving a light tug to Shiloh's hand, he steps toward the counter. "I am getting the black one, though." Course, that one is not for him.
There's a little tug of Shiloh's mouth, an almost-frown, but he won't speak on his thoughts while they're in here. Not beyond a quick, "I don't care what you wear," even if it might come out sounding a little less than ideal. With a sigh, he follows Avi to the counter, enduring a few moments in Freddy's presence as the corset is paid for, though he keeps his own attention to something innocuous. Like the shelf behind him.
Averil knows what Shiloh means and it shows in the smile he casts over his shoulder at the beastcrafter. In the wake of the purchase, he hugs both Freddy and Frida, promising to come back just as soon as he can. And, with the corset all neatly packed up, he turns around and, after stepping closer to Shiloh, heads for the door. "Next time I come," he whispers in hushed tones. "You can wait for me at the tavern, if you prefer." He's well aware of the fact that Freddy can be a lot to handle under the best of circumstances. "We should get back." And no doubt the brownrider standing not to far off, agrees.
Shiloh shrugs, dismissing the concern and the idea that he'd wait anywhere. "I'll do what you'd want me to do," he says simply. "If you want me here, I'll be here." And he'll endure. It's not that big a deal, really. He claims his hand as they walk out into the street, heading in the direction of their dragonrider escort.