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( well that's a vague summons and thus clarke instantly assumes — )

Is something wrong?

( she's summarily packing up shop in the library pretty quickly and will be heading down post haste. )

[--Oops. Rita can't exactly blame Clarke for jumping to the worst conclusion, after last month.]

No, nothing like that. I'd say it's something good, actually.

[But she'll keep it a surprise. Good things should be used as surprises, right? It's way better than the awful surprises they tend to get around here.]

( checking her phone again in the elevator like... what? "something good, actually" sounds a little... off. or at least the last thing she'd expected, and somehow the most daunting unknown to be walking into. but as the lift reaches the cabin deck and the doors slide open, clarke tries to shake that thought off.

she doesn't respond to the text, just makes her way towards 110 and knocks. )

[There's little delay before Rita pulls the door open, and then blinks at Clarke with a brief moment's hesitation. A couple months ago, Rita never thought she'd ever be inviting the other girl to her cabin (unless some kind of dire circumstances were happening), yet now... It's weird, how quickly things change.]

Well...come on, come in.

[She heads for the interior of the room, motioning for Clarke to follow her, before walking straight to the coffee table. She didn't...think about what to say, and those drunk texts she sent Clarke were a little more honest than she meant to be, but...well, whatever! No point in wasting time. She gathers a frilly bundle of black and white cloth from a box, and turns to Clarke, letting the dress unfurl for her to see.

And how does Rita word her "I didn't actually order this custom or anything, but it arrived and I think it's your size and also I still really want to do something to make up for burning off a few layers of skin"? Simply and frankly:]

Here. Try wearing this.

[Nailed it.]

( rita's not alone in that sentiment, and on clarke's end it still feels weird that of the three times she's been inside 110, the first had been attending a murder scene, the second had been playing sicknurse, and the third was now... something good? which is ominously vague and she's not sure why the context couldn't have been included in the original text? but still she's here, following dutifully after the other girl over to the coffee table.

the sundries wrapping paper is familiar enough, and the idea that rita's called her over to share some sort of important gift peaks clarke's curiosity. only for any tentative thread of excitement to be absolutely clotheslined when the object of potential fascination turns out to be —

what is she looking at

and why the fuck is rita asking her to put it on? )

...Not to be dramatic, but I'd rather die.

What's that supposed to mean?

[Rita automatically bristles in response, because that sure was an awfully dramatic response, and she shoves the dress closer to Clarke.]

Here! Just put it on and see if it fits! I'm trying to give it to you, you know!

[In case that wasn't clear?!]

( both hands shoot up to defend against a fabric monstrosity in a way she hasn't had to do since fending off the bahamanal. )

Why would you — I know I'm not like, clothing savvy but this does not fit with my wardrobe —

( god looking at it up close — is that a fucking choker? and are there really that many ruffles??? )

Why are you trying to give it to me?

Because--

[Ugh and now her face goes a little red. Yeah, she already drunkenly talked about it like a fool, but saying it again, this time with a clear head...]

Look, because it's too big for me and it might help you, okay?! It's from my world!

[With yet another agitated huff, Rita tugs the dress back, pointing at whatever Clarke's wardrobe choice of the day is.]

So just take that off so you can try it already! Quit dragging your feet!

( today, like most days, clarke is dressed in the least offensive tommy bahama shit she can find in her size: dark blue capris and a lightly patterned top. this also doesn't really fit the aesthetic she's used to, but the clothes to be found on board the ship are brand new and clean, so that's still a novelty she can't shake a stick at. and her shirt is suddenly 10x more important to her with rita right here demanding she take it off in favor of that. )

I'm not taking my clothes off in front of you!

( you know, because she's shy and has scars and also what the actual fuck is happening right now?

but through the incredulity, something pings in the back of her head. some of the fight and fashion-based horror painted across her face smudges off and starts to run. for a moment clarke quiets, thoughtful. it's from my world, she'd said? and maybe more importantly — )

What do you mean help me?

[Look, the dress might not exactly be Rita's preferred style either, but it's not...the worst! And surely it's preferable to full leather gear!]

I mean it'll help protect you against magic.

[Which feels...extra pertinent after everything, even if Rita certainly doesn't plan on chasing Clarke down with magic again. She thrusts out the dress once more with a huff.]

Change in the bathroom if you really want--but if it fits, don't even think about leaving it!

[Is this the most threatening way she's ever given someone a gift? Well, it's probably fine. She's trying to impress how obviously useful it is! Really, it's lucky she received something like this, and in a size that looks appropriate for Clarke, too.]

( say "preferable to full leather gear" again rita, i dare you!!!!

but yanno what? they've reached a good point in this conversation. clarke has overcome her initial revulsion enough to listen to rita, hears protect against magic, and basically all the remaining resistance drains out of her body. vaguely, she might remember drunk texts; more at the forefront is the increasingly realized disadvantage she feels as a plain ol' apocalypse-steeped-but-very-mortal human being attempting to exist on a magical plane.

there is absolutely no resistance when rita shoves the dress at her this time. a whole lot of confusion, and a brief aside to stare down at the unassuming layers of fabric being bundled into her arms, yeah. but if this is something along the lines of what she thinks it is... )

I —

( ... )

...thank you.

( is this what she thinks it is? )

Can we take a minute, and can you explain a little bit more... what I'm holding?

[Way preferable to full leather gear!! Would take over the warlord getup anytime! It's breezier!

She's almmost surprised that Clarke finally seems to come around--you mean this would've been a whole lot easier if Rita had been less awkward about it from the beginning? Surely...not...]

...It's obviously a dress, for starters.

[Rita puts her hands on her hips, pointing out the obvious in case it's not clear, but she does continue a more thorough explanation for Clarke's benefit this time.]

The materials used are sourced from monster parts, many of which can provide all sorts of magical properties. There's nothing particularly special about this one--it won't protect you from specific elements or anything--but it does have decent resistance against magic. It's likely due to a combination of aer-aer and aer-matter interactions, and--well, basically, if you get hit by magic, some of the force should be dissipated by the dress instead of causing any injury.

[Yeah maybe Clarke doesn't need an entire lecture on magic-matter interactions, so Rita manages to bring it back and focus on the main point here.]

Edited 2022-11-16 22:41 (UTC)

( ...alright, you win on breezier, if only because the leather chafes...

the absolute journey that clarke's face goes on just now... first, flat eyed and unamused (yes, obviously it's a DRESS), then a mildly morbid but fascinated eyebrow arch at the mention of monster parts. those same eyebrows pinch and furrow in confusion because, what's aer-aer? air? air-air? then, slowly, a dawning realization that wipes every negativity from her features, and drags her gaze back down to the dress.

she did want an entire lecture on magic-matter matters actually, rita; you discount how long she's probably sat listening to palamedes lecture on the finer points of necromancy. )

So... it's essentially warded against magic. ( no, that's not quite right; made of monster parts doesn't seem the same thing as specifically attuned to prevent certain disasters. this is more — ) It's inherently magic resistant. This is anti-magic armor?

[Nobody should ever willingly wear something that chafes...

That little language hiccup where aer is indeed pronounced identically to air and subsequently always leading to confusion... That aside, Clarke does accurately sum up Rita's brief rambling.]

Um, duh. That's what I've been saying.

[Like, yeah, it's also partially in the synthesis method used to make the dress since just sticking monster parts together won't work exactly the same way, but they've still arrived at the main point.]

So are you going to try it on already?

( please consider: it looks badass.

but the argument is dead. clarke's once again dragging her gaze from the other girl down to the bushel of black and white cloth in her arms, and she feels her heart start beating out of sync and hard. fascination weakens at it borders, threatens to turn into unbridled excitement tinged with delight. her whole body is tense, weirdly surprising she's not shaking like a leaf in the wind.

you know, when she'd fadedly texted jade curtiss that she wanted "magic everything", there'd been no real expectation that she'd get magic anything. and now this?

when clarke finally does manage to look back at rita, it's with fiercely lit eyes; specks of darker blue practically dance inside her irises, and her chest rises dramatically with each breath. when she manages to speak, it all comes out in a rush. )

Oh my god, Rita, this is so cool! Do you realize how cool this is? It's — I'm going to — thank you. It's still the ugliest thing I've ever seen but yes, I'm going to try it on.

( and with a flurry of ruffles she... doesn't even make for the bathroom, just briefly drapes the dress over the coffee table and busies herself with pulling her shirt up and directly off her head. so much for not changing in front of the other girl, but nobody panic there's a full coverage sports bra and she's not going to be taking off her pants. the new serena eterna aesthetic is apparently maid costumes over capris and we're all just gonna have to learn to deal with that. )

[(Unsure)

...Okay, Rita's about to start worrying that maybe she's done something wrong or that the other girl has, like, a fear of magic or something, because Clarke looks like she's on the verge of a breakdown, maybe-

Only for that breathless rush of excited to flood the air, and Rita's left blinking as the other girl jumps straight to finally changing. She's not so prudish to be bothered by the stripping--only baffled at Clarke's sudden change of heart about, well, changing in front of her--and it's not like she's taking everything off, so what's there to be bothered about?? Instead, she's just going to ramble a bit more out of confusion...and a little bit of caution.]

You, uh...you don't need to be that excited... I mean, it's not exactly high-end, and I don't know how the effect will change when it comes to other forms of magic.

[Basically: don't expect too much from it.]

( too late, her expectations are a little higher than they rightly should be!

but that's mostly just excitement, which does a lot to smooth over previously rocky ground. not willing to change in front of rita? no longer a factor. not excited about the fit or style of the dress? also not a fact, who even cares, it could be a skintight catsuit and she'd put on the matching ear accessories and everything. )

It doesn't have to be high-end, it's still an improvement on just my own skin, ( she calls out from behind layers of fluffy undercoats while halfway wiggled into the bodice. then with a few yanks, the neckline is down over her head and sleeves left to be adjusted around her shoulders. it really is a... conveniently good fit.

clarke sets dutifully to fussing with the laces or zippers, securing the maid dress with all the diligence and respect as an actual plated metal armor piece. )

How much cover should I expect this to give? Based off the forms of magic you know it works against, give me a percent. We can figure out how the effect changes with different magicians later. ( oh palamedes~ )

[...Yeah, against her expectations, Rita's getting a slightly sinking feeling that this could end up backfiring. Clarke's just a little too overenthusiastic...even if Rita would still prefer the other girl have some protection against magic than none at all, too.

...It's still jarring just how quickly she went from looking at it in abject horror to diligently tying the lacing. It takes Rita a moment to blink and consider the question.]

Huh? Oh, well... It's not that simple, since it still depends on the power of the spell and the mage casting it, too. For someone like me... [Nevermind that she can't actually use any magic presently.] I'd estimate it would give you...maybe fifteen percent protection, as long as it wasn't one of my more powerful spells. It's still not really something you can put a number on, though.

( in the middle of a warzone, one doesn't fuss too much about what the armor looks like. ...once they've clocked it as armor, that is. )

15% isn't bad, ( clarke says thoughtfully, finally breaking eye contact because she has to actually look down and figure out how to work this lacing into place. 15% isn't amazing, either, but she figures it'd take a total kill shot and at least keep her alive. )

Do I have to be hit in the dress, or could I get hit in the face and still expect the same result?

[Wait until she learns that body paint can be a strong armour in Rita's world...]

No, not bad--especially against a powerful magic-user.

[Like Rita. Even if she never intends to let that be a problem again.]

Due to those aer interactions I mentioned earlier, it'll still offer some protection even on areas that aren't directly covered, as long as they're near the fabric. Let's say... [Rita comes close and crouches in front of Clarke, bringing her pointer finger to the hem of the skirt before dragging it down her leg, because when she's explaining something like this she doesn't really have a concept of personal space. And Clarke seems to want specifics, so!] ...Every couple inches further you go, expect the protection to diminish another fifty percent or so.

( BODY PAINT??? oh good lord, save that revelation for a later date.

a lot of social niceties and hang-ups fall away in times of practical application and research or instruction. rita's dragging fingers down her leg in abject violation of the personal space code, and clarke could literally care less because she's learning. it's not entirely unlike slitting the back of her hand to lend blood to palamedes' camp summoning without really knowing what she was getting into. somethingsomethingreference to: this is making up, not making out. )

So, 7.5%, 3.75%, then 1.8% just above the knee? Probably worth pennies against the Captain, but allowing for the complexities of magic between different worlds, could maybe hold a candle against others. Shouldn't be relied on to protect my face. I follow you.

[Another unexpected agreement where certain details trump the personal space code for both of them, as long as nobody actually mentions it. Satisfied, Rita nods and straightens back up, mouth thinning into a line.]

Well...you should already know how well this sort of thing protected me against the captain.

[As in: not at all. But since it sounds like Clarke isn't getting any reckless ideas regarding that avenue, she's quickly moving on.]

Maybe if there was a hat or hairband to go with it, but... [She motions to a pile of gold- and fur-trimmed purple fabric and in a corner of the room, topped with matching knee-high boots and a pointy hat. Rita's new set of war gear, so to say, for when she feels it's necessary to have.] Anyway, having your torso protected is way better than nothing.

Edited 2022-11-25 23:24 (UTC)

( oh. ouch.

it's not like clarke ever forgets really, or at least she tries very hard not to. but there's nothing that undercuts initial excitement and cheerful pondering like the memory of rita mordio without her full arm. on the beach during the battle royale, that's the image seared into her brain most of all for some reason. some of the air exits her lungs, and equal parts enthusiasm melts from her shoulders. but yes, right; that is a very effective cautionary tale. )

You're right. ( clarke had just died most recently from a magically inflicted torso wound... you live, you learn, you better equip. that's survivalism in a nutshell. aaaaand, casting a look in the direction rita had motioned — )

Does your world have something against, like. Magic cloaks or full plated armor? ( hadn't flynn worn full armor??? ) ...or is it just on women?

[Rita's not even intentionally trying to bring the mood down (even if she unintentionally does so pretty often); she's more concerned with making sure Clarke isn't going to get too reckless just because she has a little extra protection. She certainly doesn't want to see the other girl with another torso wound like that, either...

Anyway! At the question, Rita blinks.]

I mean...obviously, there's stuff like that, but... Don't tell me you'd rather be lugging around a bunch of useless weight. How are you supposed to move in that?

[Look, the dress is both easy and breezy!]

By acquiring muscle mass? I'd rather wear something that can stop a knife or bullet and magic, but...

( she just sort of shrugs, because what's there to do? maybe if she ever gets a kevlar vest she'll make rita and palamedes sit down together and see what they could work out regarding anti-magic-fying that as well but in the interim... )

Seriously though, Rita. This is really great, and you didn't have to give me this. But I appreciate it a lot.

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thank you clarke for calling out the female jrpg character equipment choices...

SOMEONE HAS TO OKAY?