[PRP] Passionate Fashion (Terra/Rojo)

[Smerdle]

Rojo wasn't one to wander. He was most comfortable when surrounded by large numbers of creatures who loved and cherished him to a degree he had done nothing to deserve. At first, Amityville's campus had been that place, but recently it had become rather overrun with very mean people. All right, there had only been two of them, but that was one more than he'd ever had to deal with before. And he was wiser now, a Knob who could either defend himself from personally perilous situations or... run. He had been practicing his running. It was time to explore, to find a place to visit with fewer meanies.

He was rather jittery being out on the town by himself, but Rojo's nerves almost completely dissipated when he saw the suit. A proper mariachi suit just hanging there in the window of a Halloween Town tailor. It wasn't like he had never seen such a thing before, he just hadn't expected to see it here. And it was such a pretty suit too. All of his had been sidelined, pushed to the back of his closet in favor of plainer fare. He hadn't anticipated such a wardrobe shift would be necessary, but the rigors of Amityville had kind of demanded it.

The calaca hadn't realized he was moving closer to the window until his raised hands clinked against the glass. Well, he was already here. What harm would a little more staring do?

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"Oh it is perfect!" Terra said, stopping in front of the window and literally bouncing with excitement. She was so busy staring at the mariachi outfit that she didn't even notice the skeleton yet. "The fringe, the colors--they are exactly as I told her!" she said, heading for the door in a whoosh of frilly skirts. "Señora Mika, I LOVE it!" she calls through the door. "There are more of these, no? And have you started working on my flamenco dress yet?"

"I got all of your family, as well, Terra! With extras to sell," a woman called from inside. "And your dress is coming beautifully--so many frills, I've never seen the like."

"This will be the BEST cumpleaños party EVER!" Terra said excitedly. She didn't trust them to plan out her party--so she was doing it her--

She stopped as she saw the calaca for the first time, her mouth dropping open with shock. She quickly shut it, blushing with embarrassment as she realized she had totally NOT noticed him--

"Hola, Señor," she said a bit lamely. "Was I--I mean--I did not mean to interrupt your window shopping--" she almost stuttered. He. Was. BEAUTIFUL. Those designs on his skull, the perfect bone structure--she swallowed and offered him a hand. "I am Terra! Will you be my friend?"

She was so forward! She almost embarrassed herself!

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

His admiration shifted from suit to ghoul in a snap, drawing him away from the window as he watched her at the door, his usual antsy twitches and curiosity-fueled quirks gone still. Rojo had been home a handful of times since he'd started school, but much like finding the clothing in this window, he hadn't expected to hear anyone who sounded like him or spoke of familiar things around here either. This was Halloween Town, not Día de los Muertos... Land? Was there even such a place?

No matter. All that mattered was the reaper in front of him and the hand she had extended in greeting.

"Señorita! Hola!" he said with a giddy hop. "You didn't interrupt me at all! I was admiring..." He gestured at the window then took a quick half step forward, lightly clasping her fingers and bending over them. Had he been feeling ostentatious, he might have added a mimicry of the sound lips made when they kissed the backs of hands, but he wasn't, so he didn't. This was important. There was no room for extravagance. "I am Rojo and it is wonderful to meet you. I would very much like to be your friend."

He wanted to be more than a friend. He wanted to be her best friend.

"Are you celebrating a birthday?" He had heard her say as much, but eavesdropping was rude.

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

His bowing got an actual giggle out of the ghoul, who was blushing bright red under her white makeup. Had she been carrying a fan, she would have covered her face with it, but as it was she sashayed a step closer with a flirty smile and the inner desire to go "EEE!"

In order to hide that desire, she grabbed his hand. "I am celebrating my weapon summoning birthday!" she told him, tugging to try and get him to stand. "I am going to dress mi familia in mariachi suits and make them play for me as I invite everyone that wants to come to dance with me! Will you dance with me?" she asked, her eyes full of excitement.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Lifting his head at her urging, Rojo stood up straight (though not particularly tall) and opened his jaws in a grin. "Yes! I would be happy to dance with you!" Suddenly remembering to be chivalrous again, he gently reclaimed his hand and folded it with the other behind his back. "If your family won't mind."

There weren't many reapers back home, and the ones he knew as more than just passing faces didn't have weapons, or if they did he'd never seen them. Maybe strangers attending such a gathering were the gravest intrusions! One boot shuffled slightly, though he didn't otherwise move. "They won't mind, will they?" He liked dancing well enough. He didn't like getting broken apart and thrown into bushes by people who didn't want him around.

But maybe there was a compromise. "Even if they do, I will come and cheer for you! I have never been to a weapon birthday before! What sort of weapon do you have?" He couldn't picture her with a sword or an axe, but he supposed anything was possible.

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"They will not mind at all!" Terra said--and if they DID mind, she would yell at them, not that she mentioned that. "Mi madre, she was a Calavera Catrina--a beautiful skeleton, herself! My Padre's mistress, she is an undead patchwork, a very lovely ghoul," she went on. "Mi hermano, his guitar teacher, he is a skeleton named Bones! We are very fond of undead," she says firmly. "Would you like to meet them? We can get their outfits and deliver them and I can introduce you as my new friend!"

She started for the door, her skirts swaying happily. "Señora Mika, can I pick up the outfits for my boils now? You did make Padre's white, no?"

"Yes, it's white! All of that boil's clothes are white. They're in here--this is on Vegas's tab, right?"

"Si!" Terra said, motioning for Rojo to follow her. "And my weapon, she is a violin! Her name is Rosita. In fact, my entire family has instruments for their scythe. We are very fond of music and fiestas! Oh! Did you get Cisco's little sombrero, as well? He will be so adorable!"

"Is that the big rimmed hat you ordered? I got it!" Mika was making a KILLING off of these reapers.

The mariachi outfits hung inside, the largest one almost blindingly white with gold accents. The one next to it was in dark purple, with silver and red accents--and no sleeves. The third was most traditional, but still extremely ornate. "They are perfect!" She ignored the sleeveless-ness on the middle one. "Mi hermano, he only wears sleeves when it is freezing," she explained to Rojo. The fourth, tiny suit, was almost overlooked until she knelt down to pick up the hat.

It was amazingly ornate. "Mi sobrino will look ADORABLE!"

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

With every family member and acquaintance she touched on, Rojo's curiosity grew. He had never been a shy boil, but the prospect of meeting so many new creatures that he wanted to impress all at once remained a little daunting. He watched Terra interact with the tailor as he trailed behind, delaying his affirmative reply just a little. It wouldn't do to seem too eager, even if the promise of grand adventure prickled in his chest.

"I would like to meet them," he finally said. "A lot!" And... instruments! "I play the banjo and sometimes the guitar too! We should play sometime when..." He realized that he had no idea where she went to school or even if she did at all. "...well, whenever we're both free!"

His attention shifted again when she began to examine the clothing she had ordered. The work was beautiful, and his anticipatory excitement was raised to new heights when he realized he would have an excuse to pull out his own ornate outfits. Hands still carefully folded behind his back, he nodded at each article as she focused on it. In the end, the tiny hat was the cutest of the items, but one other had raised more questions than it had answered.

"No sleeves? Is there something wrong with his arms?"

Ice Queen

sorry about the slow ;;

 

[Ice Queen]

"Oh no, there is something wrong with his head," she said, waving it off completely. "He has gone out and gotten a massive tattoo--he is constantly covering his skin with ink, but I do not tell him it looks good, he has too much of an ego already," she added in a teasing tone. She was carefully hanging the suits over her arms, with the hat perched cockily on her head.

"I would LOVE to play with you, though!" she said, mentally deciding which building to take him to. It would be better to start with Austin's place, she decided--Roch was supposed to be home by now, with Cisco! And most importantly, Vegas would not. "Thank you, Señora! Send the check to Padre, of course!" she added as she headed out the door.

"Do you know what a motorcycle is?" she asked Rojo curiously. "I did not until I moved here."

Smerdle

Don't worry! I'm perfectly fine at any pace<3 I'm actually running a bit slow, myself.

 

[Smerdle]

Something wrong with his... head? Between the cheeky way she explained her brother's obsession with tattoos and the jaunty hat, Rojo couldn't help his quiet burst of laughter, though it didn't last long enough to insult. Although she had made him feel at home from the moment they had met, he was finally starting to feel a little less formal too.

He nodded in response to her question, holding his arms forward a little. "I have never been close to one, but I have seen pictures." Papi Miguel prided himself on learning everything he could about things he deemed 'cool' and motorcycles were definitely on the list. "Can I carry something for you?"

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"Si! If you would be so kind!" Terra said, giving him a brilliant smile and sorting through the outfits. She handed him the normal looking one--"that is for Austin," she informed him, and the tiny one for Cisco. The other two, the white and the sleeveless one, she kept. "Gracias," she added happily, her dress swaying back and forth. She had a bouncy sort of walk that said she was EXACTLY where she wanted to be right now.

"Austin is the one I was about to tell you about," she said, "he is my Tio, er, in a way. He owns a motorcycle crafting shop! He has made me an adorable scooter, she is brilliant rojo--" a flush crossed her face as she accidentally announced his name was her favorite color. "She is very fast! Roch, he does not agree--but he has a true motorcycle, so he makes fun of me." She made a face at that, only to laugh. "He teases me very much," she admitted, shooting him another grin.

It seemed like no time before a huge building loomed ahead of them. On the side of the building was a well done graffiti art of Jack the Pumpkin King. From inside came the sound of power tools being used.

"See? Roch painted that!" Terra said, motioning to the skeleton on the side. "It is why Austin bought the building."

Smerdle