nexus_crossings | Time to spruce up the Nexus

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Time to spruce up the Nexus - with Fashion!

It feels as if a bazaar is going up in the Plaza today, what with the way a sharply dressed man is toting about tables, bins, and bags stuffed with fabrics, trims, buttons, and other necessities for his trade. It's a one-man-bazaar, but the man doesn't seem at all concerned with what any passersby think of him. There's too many fabrics to put on display and barely enough time to think of the trims!

He 'hmm's and 'no no no's often as he arranges all of his things across the tables he's brought, his head tilting to and fro as he debates the best way to show off his supplies. Once he's satisfied with the table situation, he pulls out a few dress forms from a bin and sets them up with a few examples of his work. These properly arranged and his vanity appeased by the general feel of the entire display, Alex smiles proudly at the setup before turning around and gesturing to the Plaza with arms held high and wide.

"Nexus visitors and residents! Winter's been a dreary time for all of us. Too much gray, cold, and hardship. What do you say to a little something to brighten your outlook? Spring is a time of colors and casting out the old for the new." His smile melts seamlessly into a bright, giddy grin. "How about a new look to ease the transition? I promise my best work to help you along."

The Tailor, dear Nexus, is ready and waiting for your patronage.

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Someone as bright and vibrant, in both clothing and personality, as Harley is impossible for anyone to miss. Alex watches with a curious eye as the woman picks up, looks over, and completely rearranges most of the things he has out on his tables. It's a little unnerving - or would be, if he was paying any real attention to that. Instead the tailor focuses on the woman herself, curious as to why she's here touching all of his things and what she might be looking for. Luckily for him, Harley answers the question in due time.

"I think everyone around you could use an outlook more like yours. You've more color than most I've seen wandering around the Nexus today" His grin widens as he meets her gaze and makes his way over to her. "But if you're looking to update or add some new colors to your wardrobe, I'm sure I have something that'll work. If not here then certainly back at my shop."

Stepping to the side, Alex gestures to a pile of fabrics in hues of bright pink and purple. Some are more traditional silks or linens, but there's a few tucked between the others with some glitter or embroidery on them. "Something like this tickle your fancy? I've got every color in the multiverse somewhere in my things if none of these are to your liking."

Alex. Sweetheart. She was touching all your things to rearrange them. But there were some sparkly items that keep her gaze.

"I ain't afraid of color." She grins, with her broken Bronx accent.

"I am an aerial dancer. So most of the time, I need new outfits to dance with. Something that attracts the audience, but doesn't get in the way of my movements. It is very important I have mobility."

She arches her eyebrow at the glittery pinks and purples. "You picked the right feather to tickle me with, honey."

"What about colors that have not been imagined yet?"

Just because Harley was touching everything doesn't mean he knows which ones she was interested in. Alex was merely offering a suggestion of something he thought she might like based on their brief conversation and his general perception of her. He's glad to know he's on the right track, though!

"An aerial dancer? Now that is a profession I've yet to clothe someone for." He grins eagerly and immediately sweeps over the fabrics on his tables to see if he has anything else that might work well for her. Damn. This might require having her to the shop. Not that he minds in the least, of course, especially when she's taking his mannerisms and throwing them right back at him. This is going to turn into one of those jobs he magically exhausts himself with if it stays as exciting as it is now.

"How could I possibly have fabric in a color no one's dreamed to make yet?" He winks, then takes an all too obvious moment to look back and forth before leaning closer and lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I do have far more popping and shimmering fabrics back at my shop, and far more embellishments for them than I wanted to bring out here with me. I have plenty of translucent and iridescent lycra and spandex colors, too." His grin widens. "If nothing here is good enough for you, say the word and I'll happily show you my best."

Harley leans closer to him, when he does, to participate in the conspiratorial whispering. And her fingers toy a little with his collar as he speaks.

"Popping and shimmering is exactly the right choices. I have lots of paying customers who want to see me shine... and the clothing has to be part of the show."

"And I ain't afraid of showing skin." Obviously.

He grins, absolutely beaming with delight as Harley gives him even more details he can work with to create her the absolutely best aerial outfits.

"And that, dear lady, is exactly what I live for - to make you look fabulous." He lets that hang in the air between them for a moment before standing straight again, taking care as he does to let Harley keep her fingers at his collar if she wants. It's not often someone flirts with him quite so obviously as this and he's hardly about to stop it while they're both having fun.

"Now that we have a few basics down, tell me a bit more about your aerial dancing? I want a good sense of what kind of show you give so I can design my absolute best for it." Keeping his eyes and grin fixed on Harley, Alex reaches under one of the piles of fabric and pulls out a sketchbook. He's already got a few ideas for designs, but getting even more details from his client means the ability to measure twice and cut once is even more viable.

As he takes down a first few notes on a blank page he follows up with, "Any favorite colors I should keep in mind? I want you to feel like these clothes are a part of you while you're in them, miss..." The tailor pauses, a cheeky grin on his face as he looks up at Harley again from his notes. "Well, I don't believe I've gotten your name yet. I'm Alex Needleworthy and we both know I'm going to be the best tailor you've ever had."

Confidence is key in his business, but, really, he's just having fun right now. Harley's bright and a veritable rainbow after the dreary winter storm that they've left behind. Given the chance to do so, he's going to lean into these kinds of interactions as much as he can.

Harley is a flirt. Pure and simple. So her hands aren't leaving his collar for a while. Besides, that material of his shirt is nice and silky.

"I have a part time job at a Gentleman's Club, where I use silks to dance in the air." And surely he will know what a Gentleman's Club truly is. Wink wink.

"I have also used gymnastic rings, bars, swings and mounts. Depending on the size of the venue. I used to perform in a Circus."

"Plus, sometimes I have to fight clients who are not following the rules of the establishment. Part-time bouncer for the other girls. So it is a good plan to make sure that my costumes are multi-purpose, just in case."

"I am also active in Roller Derby." Harley adds, with a smile.

"I would like to get away from Red and Black. Move onto something new."

"Oh! Harley Quinn! Pleased to meetcha!"

Silk is Alex's favorite fabric to work with when it comes to clothes for himself. It's so incredibly versatile and dyes, cuts, and embroiders so nicely. What's not to love about a fabric like that when he can always make it look so good?

"You are a woman of more talents than you let on, Harley," he teases. "I don't think anything you wear for an aerial show will be good for roller derby, but I know I can make designs for each very easily. And in colors that aren't red or black." The tailor jots down a few more notes about Harley's preferences in his sketchbook, and then starts a rough sketch of the woman's outline for later reference. And because it's phenomenal.

"For you and that incredibly flawless skin of yours, I'd suggest blues, teals, and lavenders, with detailing in gold, silver, and various pinks. Almost every color will look good on you, honestly, but these in complimentary patterns will look great." His grin widens as he finishes his sketch and looks up at her again. "There will be a need for a lot of nude netting for your aerial clothing, though. I'll have to find a new supplier to make sure it's the right tone for your skin."

"That might be hard. Considering how white my skin is..." Harley is very aware of the fact that she is a pale white. And not just, 'this girl needs more sun', pale white. But almost a chemical bleached white.

"That is why I use fish nets. So skin still shows. But not too much."

"With the right dye or a little magic, I'm sure I can make a match. Besides, fish nets aren't going to have the right effect for the sort of design I'm thinking of." They're not always tacky - Harley's certainly making them work now - but an outfit meant to dazzle should never have fish nets involved. They take away precious space he could be using for embellishment and make it all the more difficult for him to cover just the right areas and nothing else in colorful fabrics.

"Enough talk of logistics, though, we have fabrics to choose." He grins and tucks his pencil back into his sketchbook before grabbing a couple purple toned fabrics from the nearest table. "You'll have to tell me which of these colors you find the most agreeable. If it happens to be something in between, that's just as well because anything I'm missing her I have back at my shop. Once we have a few of these done, it'll be time for a few sketches and some measurements. Sound good?"

"Too bad I can't get you the same chemical that changed my skin in the first place." Harley shrugged.

"I tend to lean towards the darker shades. But open to suggestions."

"That just makes this a more interesting challenge," he says with a wink. No need for Harley to do anymore work than critiquing his designs and submitting herself to measurements. Everything else is his job.

He nods at her preference of darker colors and immediately begins looking over everything on the tables around them. After a moment, he finds a fabric Harley most assuredly touched in her rearranging and offers it to her.

"I notice you tucked this back in with some other darker fabrics. Does that mean this isn't up to your standards? Or were you waiting for the right idea for it to work for you?"

"Shush...." She places her hands over his, and winks. "Don't you know the plot of hiding the really good stuff... until you are sure you want to buy it? Just in case anyone else was eyeing it up?"

"Maybe I just want to make sure you get it by taking it aside myself," he teases, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. He releases it a moment later to take the fold the fabric up and tuck it into one of the bins under the table they're standing at.

"Besides, it's my fabric, I'm always allowed to tell someone 'no' if they try to snake it out from under anyone. And I want you to have it - if you want it that is." He grins and throws in an additional wink as he meets Harley's gaze. "If not, I'll have to find something else even more appropriate for you."

"Aren't you sweet." Harley squeezes his hand back in return. He might note that she is being careful with the amount of pressure she is using. Just enough to be friendly.

"Yah I do." Harley beams at him. "I really like the way it makes me feel."

He's not as good at noticing when people are holding back their strength from him as others in his profession might be, especially in situations like these. Harley is fun and he's having a wonderful time flirting with her - why would he be paying attention to her strength when it's not affecting him right now?

"Good, then it's all yours." He grins and offers his arm to Harley again as he stands. "We'll have to find a few more that make you feel good. I don't want all of your outfits being made of the same fabric. I can make lots of things out of a single bolt, but that gets boring after a spell and I most certainly am not allowing that for you."

Or anyone else, but he's a little too distracted to mention that to her right now.

He stops them a few tables over when the sun catches on a sequined fabric among a large pile of other blues and greens. Grinning, he tugs it out and shows it to Harley. "This screams 'mermaid' for some people, but I look at it and think 'forest nymph' for you. What do you think?"

She happily takes his offered arm. "I might need a lot. I have yet to check out my place to see how bad things are. But I might not have much beyond what I am wearing... and that won't do."

She grins at him. "That reminds me of my best friend. Back home. You would like her. Very beautiful. Very much a forest nymph kinda girl."

Alex looks absolutely appalled by the idea that Harley might be down to only one outfit. "No that most definitely will not do. A woman of your beauty and good taste needs at least a full closet's worth of clothing. Two, at minimum, if you can swing it." And he's just the tailor to help fill it.

"Oh? I've never met a true forest nymph before, or even someone who takes after them." He chuckles and tucks the fabric away for later use. "You'll have to tell me if I get close to her look, but also keep me from copying it completely. The last thing I want is for the two of you to look too alike." Because that also won't do.

"Hey... I have several safehouses. And a closet in each one. So multiple closets." Harley grins at him.

"I could introduce you to her. You will fall madly in love with her in seconds." Because that is the effect Poison Ivy has on men.

"Then we'll have to create multiple closets' worth of clothes!" As if that was ever going to be a problem for Alex when he has such a divine form to dress and an ecstatic personality to work with!

He shakes his head at the suggestion of falling in love in seconds. "That's no fun. Besides, if I did that, she might try to steal me away from creating things for you and that I can't have until long after you're satisfied."

Alex is a man of his word and now that he's told Harley she can have several closets full of his work, she's going to get them. Any and all distractions will simply have to wait.

"Sweet." Harley leans into him, in a half hug. She is going to enjoy working with him. And getting new clothes.

"Careful there, sweetheart. I am a challenging woman to satisfy."

Alex grins as he shifts an arm around her shoulders to keep her close as they make their way through the rest of his assembled fabrics.

"Then I'll do my best not to disappoint."

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Time to spruce up the Nexus - with Fashion!

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