10972/A SuperHero Needs A Good Costume

A SuperHero Needs A Good Costume
Date of Scene:	03 February 2020
Location:	Little Costume Shop, Flatbush
Synopsis:	Jamie takes Vi to Alice's shop to get a cloak for Vi's nighttime flights.
Cast of Characters:	Red, Multiple Man, Vi

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Red has posed:
Just one short block and two corners away from Mutanttown into Flatbush is the door to The Little Costume Shop, directly next to a chinese drycleaning service. It has big lettering on the window, a neon sign tells it is open most of the day. Some costumes stock the window. Cowboys next to native americans, an Imperial Stormtrooper seeming to fire his blaster from the left while the right had an Enclave Advanced Power Armor with a gatling laser. Typical costumes one might say, the materials mostly synthetic for it was easier to be dry cleaned. On the door, a sign promotes the name again and its offer of costumes for rent and sale as well as custom makes.

When entering the rather small appearing storefront a random movie theme rings instead of a bell. The short walls are lined with posters and photos of the costumes while the back wall carrys props in that are clearly AAA-movie grade, protected by the counter with a shelf on the outer side holding dozens of folders full of costume catalogues. A door leads further into the back, marked with Workshop and Employees only.

Multiple Man has posed:
His ears are still ringjng. Not that he would ever openly admit it. When things explode, it's his responsibility as a male of the superhuman community to stand with his back to it and not flinch. You know why that doesn't work? Because explosions are LOUD. There's not enough Xanax in the world to dull a persons reaction from a fiery detonation enough that they don't even -blink-. With the help of a couple rows of human shields, Jamie survived by the skin of his teeth. His attire? Not so much. Luck him, he has that exact same outfit in the closet. About twenty of them. Vi? Not so much.

With ears softly shrieking into the back of his thoughts, Jamie Madrox navigates the ice cold New York streets with one place on his mind. Where does a young mutant go when they need to make a fashion statement?

The Little Costume Shop.

Old, low settled black Caddy parked out front, Jamie Madrox opens that near vault thick car door and finishes the last drag off his cigarette, back tk the cutting winds and tiny orange embers snatched away from his smoke to dance briefly in the breeze. "Naaaaah, this is a must. You -could- make your own, sure. That always works out great. You've seen pictures of Spider-Man when he first started? It's tragic. Trust me." A warm smile to match his faded black eye and the stitches on his swollen cheekbone, Jamie winks. "C'mon. Alice has a knack for this. So I've been told."

Vi has posed:
However Vi's power works, even her hair seemed to survive being in the fiery explosion. If not at the heart, at least within the worst of its radius. Her clothes on the other hand, barely left her decent by the time she'd sailed out of Nitro's explosion to check on Jamie, and his Duplicate who had played bait, and nearly paid the price for it.

Now she's showered and cleaned up. In jeans and her SHIELD sweatshirt that is a favorite garment. "Glad I wasn't wearing the sweatshirt," she comments to Jamie. She gives a sigh. "The boots from Lara are ruined too. I mean, they are still nicer than anything I ever dreamed of wearing in Echo. Just, people here would stare."

Vi watches out the car window during the drive before adding, "Not that I'd have worn them in echo. People would have noticed." She doesn't talk too much about that unless Jamie asks now, but it still comes up from time to time.

As they reach the destination, Vi undoes her seat belt, the short nineteen year old hopping out of the car. She locks and closes the door then walks around to the sidewalk. "So I've seen a picture of what the staff at the school wear. It's kind of... tight fitting," she comments with a wrinkled nose. She pushes on the door, holding it open for Jamie. "How's the eye?" she asks, looking at him as they walk in.

Red has posed:
When the door opens for Jamie, it is some kind of drums that come from the speaker over a synthetic instrument. Something almost windpipey. The Rain Man theme. At first sight, the front of the shop seems deserted, but then the back door opens and a redhead pops out, looking to the door.

Blouse in light red, a knee long skirt and boots that go up under it from some synthetic leather make the outfit, but there's a sticker on the left side reading 'Hello, my name is Alice'. "Welcome to the shop. First timers, hm? Looking for something specific to borrow or rent?" she asks, not sure if those were the ones that had called for some time or not.

Multiple Man has posed:
Ever impressed by Vi's durability and tenacity, Madrox is faintly grumpy about the lumps he'd taken. She comes out of a blast looking wind tussled and... admittedly intense. Jamie? Lots of yelling and flailing. Wasn't the first time he's been blown up, probably won't be the last. Though he's getting better about not looking back at the detonation. It's just so damn hard! Nitro being a living, foul mouthed special case? He'd give himself some slack. Some.

"As much as I bag on SHIELD, I will admit that they have some -amazing- quality when it comes to brand merchandise. That sweatshirt is so soft, it makes me question if kittens are even that great anymore." Jamie half jokes. Always been more of a dog person anyway. They like him more. So he returns the favor. "Somebody would have stolen those boots back at Echo." A brow arches and Jamie smirks a tad bit. "They would have tried, that is." Echo Camp is not a subject Jamie prods at often. Painful memories that they are.

"Yeah. Charles is a fan of aerodynamics and youthful athleticism." Jamie jests with a straight face and not a hint of humor. Deadpan delivery as he flicks his cigarette away before walkibg inside where it's warm and well lit. "Ahhhhh, just fine. Headache is gone. Once I re-absorb some of the guys, I'll be better off." As the door swings shit behind them, Jamie Madrox drapes his forearm across Vi's shoulder. A bright smile in greeting. A little blood between his teeth still. "Jamie and Vi. We call earlier. Alice, right?" He asks with a curiously arched brow. That brings a wince of pain at the flex of stitches. "First timers. Be gentle, yeah?"

Vi has posed:
Vi's scoff about the boots being stolen at Echo was very soft. As was the, "You have no idea," that followed. But her attention is on the shop instead then. As Alice comes out, Vi flashes a warm smile her way, before the brunette goes back to looking around.

"It's a very nice sweatshirt," Vi agrees. One of the few items of clothing she has that wasn't bought second hand, and very soft indeed. She leans in against Jamie's side as they go further into the shop. "Yes, I haven't ever shopped, like this before," Vi says, her tone turning curious as she looks at a Stormtrooper helmet, her head tilting to the side. Soon her expression turns as curious as her tone. "People dress like this?" she asks, glancing to Jamie. "Somewhere special, or... I haven't seen anything like it in New York."

Or, apparently, in Star Wars.

Red has posed:
"Ah, so you were the one who called? Well, you said you wanted something custom. For what kind of thing? I mean, there's lots of conventions out there. Like, Anime and Manga ones or Wrestling or Reenactors or the local Imperial Stormtrooper Section... Gimmie a hint what you're looking for that isn't illegal and I am happy to try to accomodate you." Alice banters, reachign up to grab a Stormtrooper helmet from the shelf behind the counter to spin it around and put it down onto the counter.

"Yea, people dress up as everything. Movies, History, these japanese picture stories and animation films..." A moment she seems to search the wall, then pull a dagger from it that only a fan would know belongs to the Studio Ghibli anime Mononoke Hime. "Mostly they do for conventions and gettogethers with others of their type. Like, there's the 72nd NYSVI. They drive to Gettysburg every year to shoot powder blanks at the southerners."

Multiple Man has posed:
That scoff, Jamie struggled to suppress his triumphant smirk. Oh, the unspoken 'duh, Madrox' in there made his night. The edge of sharpening humor growing all the more dangerous. Having to clear his throat and retrain his thoughts to the task at hand, Jamie Madrox gives the diminutive young woman at his side a playful jostle. She's made of -much- sterner stuff than Jamie here. "It -is-. Still says SHIELD on it though. Is what it is." He says with a shrug before lifting that arm off her shoulder.

Approaching the counter, Jamie casts a hard to ignore image with ease. The battered overcoat. The bruises and stitches. The M tattood into his face. He's memorable to say the least. "Once walked into a decidedly sketchy movie theater in Red Hook on Star Wars night. Never wanna see a Jawa as long as I live." As he nears Alice, Jamie is clearly looking the place over. An eye for security. Cameras. Locks. Exits. Casing the joint even though he has no intent on breaking in. "I'm the one who called. We're looking for something a little more durable. Iconic. You know... something you talk about privately without camera footage so you can really lean into that plausible deniability."

Vi has posed:
Vi leans her head in against the side of Jamie's chest. Comfortable letting him do the talking, as usual. One might wager if she could stop that from happening anyway, as she likes to jokes to some of his Duplicates so he remembers the joke later when he reabsorbs them.

Most of them laugh.

Vi gets a look of comprehension after hearing Alice. "Oh... it's a movie thing. Make believe, for the camera," she says, nodding. She peers at the stormtrooper helmet again, expression still curious. No doubt Jamie will get asked later what kind of weird movie it's from.

"I lost my coat," Vi says, leaving it to be misinterpreted she could have misplaced it. Instead of having it blown half off of her body and the rest left burning. "Or, cloak? It had a hood I liked a lot. Dark and kind of loose fitting," she says. Vi finally detaches from Jamie to move about the shop a little more, looking at costumes.

Red has posed:
"If you don't like the Jawas, try a Tusken. I'm rather proud about the mold I made for them." Alice tells to Jamie, nodding a little. There are no cameras, but the window and door are new after some cop had shot at gangers a week or so ago. The bullet holes in the wall are patched up. 5.7x28 mm, judging by the ballistics.

"Well, I legally can't condone vigilantism..." Alice breaks them in a little, before continuing. "But there's a growing community of LARPers that kinda model after some of these vigilantes. It was something custom, right? Any ideas?"

She listens as Vi speaks about her coat or cloak. "That's something belonging to your persona in that LARP? I mean, the coat thing? You can look at the folders here for more ideas, if you want."

Multiple Man has posed:
Oh, does he talk. Jamie Madrox has a knack for filling silence with... him. His own brand of rambling that some find comforting like white noise and others swear was weaponized annoyance. He sometimes fears it's contagious. A small peck of a kiss to the top of Vi's head is given before Jamie leans his hip to the counter. The patched wall? Very noted.

Arms crossed now over his chest, that form fitting emerald grren shirt bringing out the color of his already yellow and bruise green blackened eye. "Nope. Can't condone vigilantism. No matter how fun and expressive it may be." Jamie says with a wry smirk. Watching Vi browse as he keeps his spot at the counter. Brow arching again, the corner of his lips tense as pain flares. He'll remember the injury eventually. Honest. "Yeah. High intensity LARPing. Her cloak thing. Hood was kinda deep. Looking for a light but sturdy material. Leather's probably too heavy, you think?"

Multiple Man has posed:
A mask catching his eye, Jamie pushes away from the counter with a grunt and finds himself lifting something very similar to the mask design of Spidey and Spawn. Can't beat a classic. "How do people see in these things?" Looking over shoulder to Vi, he gives an upnof before holding the mask next to his head. "Nice, yeah? Hey... ever think of weighting the ends of the cloak? Little pouches? Metal storage." He says before looking back into the empty eye shields of the mask. "I could rock this."

Vi has posed:
Vi wanders through the different displays, occasionally stopping to touch something to feel a fabric, or something that looks like metal but might be painted form or plastic or who knows what else. Vi glances up and over to Jamie at the question. "Yes. LARPing," Vi confirms with a nod of her head. "Maybe two. Assuming it gets as warm in the summer as people have said? One of each. Both... yes, sturdy material is a good word," she agrees with Jamie.

Vi looks back at the one of the racks. She gives a small laugh and giggle of delight. She holds up a costume in front of herself as she looks to Jamie. "Bet you've never seen something like this before," she tells him. Slave Princess Leia outfit. She really needs to see those movies.

Vi replaces it and moves along, stopping where work that isn't finished is set out. She runs her fingers over some of the fabric that has been cut into strips but are still attached at the top. "I kind of liked how it billowed in the wind," she comments to Jamie of weighing it down. Then a thought.

"What about... the hood and all, but, the back cut into strips like this so they could fly about. When it's windy," she says. Not that she flies.

Red has posed:
"I don't like working with real leather. It ages when it gets wet, by getting stiff. I much prefer stuff like Neoprene, though if you want something light and sturdy Aramid or carbon fibers might work. It's not cheap though, and it doesn't like being cut." Alice bables as she reaches for a material binder, loops ov material mounted to each page to allow getting a feel for it.

"Oh, the trick is that there is no light emitting from your eyes, so a dark tinted plastic lens appears back from the outside and only like shades from the inside. And no, you can't rock that one. You're not Gene Simmons." Alice chuckles a little as she puts that memorabilia back, wiping the fingerprints off quickly.

As Vi is about to enter the workshop, Alice is after her to stop her, but a little late. "That's off limits, sorry. OSHA and such. That's... That's not at all some kind of cloak, that's a weaving grid. Mind coming to the front? I can make some sketches there... And I have samples."

Multiple Man has posed:
The mask in hand reminding him too much of the old containment suit he used to wear, Jamie makes a face of distaste. He can almost feel the sweat and cramped pinch in the shoulders. "Definitely two. Brilliant. A summer set? Somebody get Batman on the phone. See if he thought of this yet or just hates himself that much."

Hanging the mask back up, Jamie turns his head to look over shoulder when Vi calls for his attention. Brows lift. A smile slashes across his features before he can hide it behind a loose fist and a laugh. "Nope. That's wild. Lord of the Rings?" He asks with the lilt of a bemused teasing tone. Once Vi hangs the costume back up, Jamie finds himself 'accidentally' gravitating toward it. Whistling a Stones tune softly, Jamie plucks it off the rack along with a rather thick looking vest. "No idea what Aramid is. I do know that my card won't mind if it's expensive though."

Browsing some more, Jamie rounds another rack of colorful and outlandish attire. "I could totally rock that." Jamie mutters in argument before speaking up more clearly, throwing in a polite smile while he's at it. "Shades, eh? That makes sense. Sounds dangerous but makes sense."

When Alice is quick to guide Vi away from that door, Jamie can't help but immediately wonder what was behind it. Oh god, now he IS thinking about breaking in! Quickly averting his thoughts, Jamie chimed in as he snatches a green feather boa down from a hook. "I liked the flowy part. Really set you outta the crowd... yeah, the pouches would screw up the billowing and whatnot. Smaaaart." He says from inside the safe confines of his reinforced and hidden weaponry weighted overcoat.

Vi has posed:
Vi turns back before she enters the off-limits area. "Sorry," she tells Alice. "Though I should get another, regular coat too," she says, more thinking aloud than meant to be a comment. She wanders back over nearer to Jamie. "Batman. Is that... the Bats from the bank?" she asks, furrowing her brow a little bit as she casts her memory back to the events in Gotham.

She's still learning her superheroes, obviously. Vi looks at some of the fabric, touching the samples. She glances to Jamie at the mention of cost, still having little head for money. "It's ok then?" she asks of the price, giving a little nod as he pulls the card out. She knows what that means.

"These are all really nice," Vi says to Alice. "I honestly never imagined someone being so creative as all of this. I'm glad we came in here," she tells the other woman with a warm smile.

Red has posed:
"If you had that Batman's number, I am sure the FBI might want it." Alice states flatly to Jamie, tempted to reitterate her notion that vigilantism was still technically illegal. She eyes him as he rummages through the few costumes out, most of them are actually stored in the back and cellar, only availeable by asking for them from the huge catalogue. "Kevlar is a brand of Aramid fibers. You know, like in bullet resistant vest. Somewhat stretchy, doesn't like being cut. Mind putting the Episode 6 Tatooine-Leia outfit back? It won't fit you, Jamie."

"I can give you a quote if I know what you want. I mean, there is quite a lot one could do. Let's start with the basics of your Persona... How does she handle problems? Run, Shoot, Cast spells, Fight? Just point to the materials and colors you like, I can see what I can do then."

Vi has posed:
Vi remembers the katana as well. Sometimes at night when dreaming. Not the good kind of dreams. "Really, just want it to be a hooded cloak. Two of them. And, strips. Maybe even, add extra, twice as many as the cloak would make by itself? In front too so it actually does conceal when just standing still?" Vi says, suddenly struck by a creative burst.

She moves over to Jamie as he gets the Jordi LaForge visor. "Black. Or at least really dark. And a deep hood but maybe it could be folded back partway, depending on if I want my face scene or if I need to see to either side?" she asks, glancing back to Jamie to see his thoughts.

Vi stops in front of a costume, the coloring that of Rogue. She gets a slight smile and then moves on. "How did you get into into doing this?" She asks Alice.

Multiple Man has posed:
Back amidst the racks and stacks, Jamie loudly tsk-tsks when Vi appologizes. Grinnibg all too amusedly now as he snoops about for whatever catches his eye. He's working an angle. He isn't sure which but he knows his own patterns. "Always trying to see behind the curtain. Probably a wizard back there. This city is -lousy- with wizards." At Vi's question, Jamie snap-points enthusiastically. "Yes! I mean, no but close. Those were Robins. Smaller. Less intense." Jamie pauses then. Remembering Damian holding a katana to his throat. "But not by much."

Alice calling him out on his decidedly ill fitting choice of costumes, it's Jamie's turn to scoff now. "Alice, summer is coming and if I don't motivate myself, who will? Bikini season shows no mercy." Not putting the costume back, Jamie instead drapes a red sequined half cape over his arm and increasing collection. "If I had Batmans number, I'd be doing a -lot- more with it. So many cat facts. So many."

As the two women start delving deeper into the choices and options, Jamie joins them. A replica Jordi Laforge visor on his face. Where did he even get that?! "Ohhhhh. I like this. Build A Bear but way, way better."

Red has posed:
Alice puts the pencil to the paper, scribbling first a rough sketch of a Vi's stature, then adding the details she speaks about. A cowel and then the free hanging strips as some sort of cloak. "What below? I mean, what befits the persona?" She asks, sending a headshake to Jamie as he just can't hold is fingers still. "I know, that's wonderland but mind not touching everything? Those are the returned costumes of the day after the dry cleaner closed and you don't know what they used them from. They might have created really creative 'fan' videos with them." she scolds him a little before returning to Vi. "The job? I needed cash in High school. Now I do it for a living. Liking that My Hero Academia thing? Wouldn't have thought't you'd like Froppy..."

Multiple Man has posed:
What a night that was. Bullets, katanas, robbers and Robins. It's no wonder that Jamie needs so many of himself out there in the city at any given time. Playing the odds just trying to make a buck. Or unframe himself for various crimes. That's a word, right? Right. "I do love the hood part. Jealous a bit but I'm a big boy. I can handle it. Probably. Definitely." He pauses, pouts his bottom lip out and shrugs. "Maybe."

With his armful of gathered garments, some a little more gamey smelling than others, Jamie scoffs. Scoffs! At Alice's defense of the attire. "What? No way. People don't do that. Not with rental clothes you don't have to clean yourself. Naaaaah. Not believing that."

Dark brown eyes dart between Vi and Alice. Back and forth through the exchange before Jamie puts his foot in his mouth. "My Hero Academia? I thought you frowned upon vigilantism. Vigilanteeee-ism?"

Vi has posed:
Vi turns back from the costume towards Alice. "Oh, I was just going to wear, you know. Clothes." It might be clear to Jamie that she's still not really thinking of herself as a vigilante. Even with going to a school that hosts a team of superheroes, and having run into several of late, the older teen is just thinking practically about something to wear when she goes out at night.

And she does love going out at night. Frequently slipping away to fly about the skyscrapers when people won't see her as easily.

Vi turns back to Jamie. "What about you? Are you getting something too?" she asks him, eyeing the clothing he has so many duplicate outfits of in the closet. Someday she'll ask if he bought them or just duplicates himself and has them strip before re-absorbing them.

Red has posed:
"You wouldn't believe what I saw that Tusken raider mask over there in. I recognize my work, and that was clearly an M-Rated video of a Tusken and Episode 6-Leia. All the fake blood..." Alice notes, note exactly joking. "That's why they hang there for dry cleaning. My Hero Academia is a silly comic. Batman? That's a vigilantee, can't condone or sell that. Might crash the front door to get me to stop. Anime on the other hand is just a licensing problem."

Alice nods to Vi at the cloth notion, scribbling some more before taking out a calculator to get them a quote. She thinks not entirely silent as she hammers the device with a finger. "Ok... let's see... That's about... yards of this... Then this... and that... the work hours..." Finally she writes down a number under the sketch, turning it to Jamie and Vi to read. Not cheap. Not overly expensive either. Not unstable molecules though.

Multiple Man has posed:
When Vi states her plan on street clothes under the intricate cloak, Jamie nodded in absolute agreement. Go figure. It's pretty much his MO as well. Can't beat comfort. "Easier to slip back into a crowd too. You know, for LARP purposes." He says with a wry smirk. Can't be helped, dancing about the subject has entertained him immensely.

Eyebrows knitting low and close, Jamie frowns when Alice describes in just enough detail to get his overactive imagination going. Lip curled into a weak sneer, Jamie opens his arms and deposits the pile atop... whatever was nearby. "Well. There goes my plans. No sense in being a copycat now."

With arms now free, Jamie jams both hands into the pockets of his slacks. "Probably another shower is what I'ma get now that I hugged Tusken Raider sweat all over myself." Jamie says with a dour tone to match his frown. Tilting his head aside, Jamie looks to the sketch and the work order summary. Scrutinizing it intently before finally chiming in. "Flame retardant would be nice. You know. Because of fireballs and candles or whatever." Licking hus lips, Jamie eyes the work a moment longer before giving a nod of acceptance and offering Alice his hand. Complete with Tusken Raider cooties. "Got a deal. No copies kept after completion. Right?"

Vi has posed:
Vi wanders back over to the counter, happy to lapse back into silence. She does hear the figure, which may not be a lot to Jamie, or at least too much. Though to the girl who has only bought clothing at secondhand and thrift stores, it is a bit of an eye opener.

She doesn't say anything though as Jamie goes to pay for it. Some of those social niceties, that, "Oh no you can't spend that much," just to be nice and give them a chance, when really you hoped they'll spend it? Kind of lost on her. Different social structure where she's from.

She does drift to Jamie's side and rests her head against the corner of his shoulder as he takes care of matters. "Thank you," she tells him, smiling up to the man. Vi looks back to Alice. "Looking forward to seeing the finished thing."