[img]https://i.imgur.com/natJhee.jpg[/img]

[indent][b][u]January 3rd, 11:01 AM
Columbus Circle, New York[/u][/b][/indent]

[right]In Collaboration with: [@MsMorningstar][/right]

It wasn’t Karen’s first time visiting Columbus Circle Shops, or even Michael Kors, for that matter. She had even met the man himself once, and had a few dresses he had been commissioned to make for her. They were tasteful and elegant, a relic of her earlier days.

Despite Kors being a designer store, she had opted to dress in one of her more casual outfits--[url=https://i.imgur.com/zvASOjd.jpg]a white tank top, slightly distressed blue jeans, and red tennis shoes.[/url] This was mainly to avoid intimidating Clio. Knowing her, the other woman was probably going to show up in sweats, and would probably feel intimidated if she wore something more ostentatious.

Besides, people who were only used to seeing her in music videos or at concerts would have a more difficult time recognizing her in plain clothes.

Waiting outside Michael Kors, she adjusted the glasses on her nose. She didn’t actually need glasses, but they helped add to the disguise factor. Everybody knew that Karen Hernandez didn’t wear glasses, after all.

Naturally, Jones was with her. Mere days after the attack on the concert, she definitely couldn’t be out by herself. Besides, he had a pretty good eye for fashion himself.

Clio stepped out of the taxi she had taken over, after paying her fare and expressing her gratitude towards the driver. She headed into the mall, keeping the bundle beneath her arm secure. The clothes Karen had lent her, freshly washed and air dried so they didn’t shrink. She felt people staring at her, and it made her shrink back slightly. This probably wasn’t the best place to be wearing sweats…

She stopped outside of Michael Kors, spotting Karen almost immediately. She caught the gaze of Jones shortly after, and smiled at the both of them. While Jones wasn’t the nicest man alive, he was brutally honest. And, the reason why she had stepped out of her comfort zone today. 

Walking up, she waved at the two of them. [color=EF1956]”Thanks for coming. I don’t think I’d be able to do this all by myself, I don’t have an eye for these things.”[/color]

Karen eagerly waved back, flashing a beaming smile while Jones managed a grunt between blunt smoke. [color=orchid]”Don’t worry about it, I love shopping with friends! And [i]nobody[/i] has an eye for fashion when they first start out. That’s why I’m here, right? To show you the ropes!”[/color]

[color=orchid]”Though, really, I’m surprised you recognized me so easily in my glasses!”[/color] said Karen, adjusting them sophisticatedly.

Turning, she led them through the glass doors of Michael Kors, the soft hum of overhead music immediately caressing her ears. It wasn’t anything of hers, thankfully--that would have been a little embarrassing when she was trying to have a casual day out with her new friend. [url=https://i.imgur.com/xYr5tq6.jpg]The store[/url] was bright with well-polished beige floor tiles and designer clothing of every variety as far as the eye could see.

Glancing over her shoulder, Karen quirked a brow at Clio. [color=orchid]”Any clue what sort of look you’re aiming for?”[/color]

Clio’s eyes widened at the selection of bags and clothing, feeling quite lackluster in comparison. The sales associates were dressed better than she was. Of course, that wasn’t hard to do. Clio blinked when Karen looked at her, feeling her cheeks warm. She didn’t know what she was looking for.

[color=EF1956]”Something with a better fit...feminine, maybe?”[/color] Pretty broad, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find something along those lines.

Karen nodded, her smile undiminished. [color=orchid]”That shouldn’t be hard! You’re tall and slender, the outfits here are designed with your figure in mind far more than my own. Just look at most of the mannequins!”[/color]

Facing forward again and cupping her chin in thought, her brown eyes swept over the selection of outfits on display as they passed by each aisle. She then stopped abruptly, and pointed towards one mannequin in particular. [color=orchid]”There! I think that would be perfect for you to start with. Stylish, yet still fairly comfortable and casual!”[/color]

[url=https://i.imgur.com/MPKdYeF.jpg]The outfit[/url] in question was a black pencil skirt that was low hassle and had the logo of Michael Kors down the side. A perfect crossroads between the world Clio was leaving and the one she was entering.

[color=orchid]”What do you think? Want to give it a try?”[/color]

Clio stared at the outfit, walking over and feeling the fabric. It was high quality and soft, like it wouldn’t fall apart after two washes. She liked it, but she wondered if she should go for a more drastic change. [i]Later[/i], maybe. Start small, then grow up to bigger and better things. [color=EF1956]”Yeah, let’s grab it. I’ll try everything on at once.”[/color]

Moving on, Clio stumbled through the store, eyeing down outfits and trying not to reveal her distaste. She wasn’t disgusted by them, just...unsure. The price tag wasn’t a big deal to her, she was a saver, and hadn’t splurged on anything other than curse ingredients for a while now. What bugged her was how people would perceive her. Would they think of her differently, would they consider her spoiled?

She tried to convince herself that it didn’t matter, that she deserved this. With a deep breath, she stepped up towards a dress. God, she couldn’t recall the last time she had worn one. Probably during family photos, when she was twelve. Taking the [url=https://michaelkors.scene7.com/is/image/MichaelKors/MS98YSDB2H-0018_1?wid=1300]black and white floral number[/url] off the rack, she held it in front of herself in the mirror. Another inhale, and she turned towards Karen for approval. 

[color=EF1956]”I want to try something bolder. If I can wear it as Makaya, then I can wear it as me...right?”[/color]

Karen nodded without hesitation, appraising the dress she had picked out with approval. It was quite bold for Clio, even going so far as to show a bit of leg. [color=orchid]”Well, of course! You’re ultimately still the same person, whether you have a mask on or not, right? I say go for it!”[/color]

It was nice to see that she was becoming more open to the idea. It hadn’t even taken that much prodding on Karen’s part! This was quite fortunate, as there were so many things that would look fantastic on Clio here. This had truly been the right choice of store--and one that she herself could never really enjoy browsing alone.

[color=orchid]”Ooh, how about this?”[/color] asked Karen excitedly, pointing to a [url=https://i.imgur.com/daDeBMR.jpg]floral Georgette Jumpsuit[/url] hanging from a nearby hook. [color=orchid]”It’s really cute and feminine, with just a pinch of badass for good measure!”[/color]

Clio gave it a good onceover, and smiled. [color=EF1956]”Seems alright. I may have to get my hair braided to match it.”[/color] Her hair was long on its own, but a bit of false braids and some hair jewelry? That sounded good at the moment. [color=EF1956]”Ever gotten your hair done like that? If you’d like...we could get it done?”[/color]

Karen’s eyes brightened with the suggestion, though her happy expression faltered almost immediately faltered. [color=orchid]”I would love to, but I’m afraid my label would have a fit if I radically altered my hair without talking to them about it first.”[/color]

Because even her hair was apparently somebody else’s property these days, to hear her stylists tell the tale.

Clio avoided Karen’s gaze, eyes flitting to a dress rack. She’d just have to go in to get her hair done alone, then. She could always do it herself, at home. Probably the best idea. [color=EF1956]”Well, I think I’m ready to checkout...I can just try it on at home. If it doesn’t fit me, it’ll look good on Starfire.”[/color] 

She began walking towards the cash register, waiting for Karen to follow. [color=EF1956]”Ya know, you really shouldn’t let them handle you like that. If you’re afraid of losing them...maybe you should get someone to speak up for you?”[/color]

Karen paused in her step, her lips having turned down. She didn’t want to disappoint Clio like that. She really did want to get her hair done with her. She wanted to see her try on her new outfits! [color=orchid]”Wait, wait, hold up...you should see how they look before you buy them, right? And...maybe while you do that, I can try and figure out a way we can get our hair done together?”[/color]

She didn’t want to Clio to leave disappointed because of her, when she was making a real effort to break out of her shell.

Clio paused, turning to face Karen. She cocked her head slightly, a gentle grin lighting up her face. [color=EF1956]”I don’t want you to get in trouble...but, if you need someone to step up and help you, Makaya’s around.”[/color] Her grin turned slightly sour, but it was the truth. Where Clio laid down and took it, Makaya was all action and violence. 

[color=EF1956]”She’s...persuasive.”[/color]

Blinking at the strange choice of words on Clio’s part, Karen nevertheless returned her smile. [color=orchid]”I won’t get in trouble if it’s something they can undo easy enough when they need to.”[/color]

Well, probably.

The truth was that she had to toe a fine line when it came to knowing just how far she could push Sterling Records on certain things. There were occasions when she [i]could[/i] put her foot down, but if she did it too often over things they considered trivial, they would bring out the dreaded [i]Five-Year Contract[/i] she and her stepparents had signed when she was fifteen.

With less than two years left to go, it just wasn’t worth the potential courtroom brawl to try and push them too far.

[color=orchid]”Anyway, there’s a change room over there!”[/color] said Karen, pointing. [color=orchid]”Let’s see the fruit of our labours!”[/color]

[color=EF1956]”Oh, yeah, it’s not a big deal. You can cut them out tomorrow or in a month!”[/color] Clio’s smile brightened, and she practically jogged over to the changing room. The three outfits altogether totaled up to at least three hundred dollars, but she felt it was worth it. Hair would cost at least that much to get done, anyways. 

Clio quickly changed into all three outfits, modeling each of them for Karen, each of which earned flirtatious cat call’s from Jones.They fit her well, and she hardly minded the vitiligo patches that were in full view in the mesh dress. She felt, energized. Like she did when she was in costume. 

After dressing up, she purchased her clothing and guided Karen out of the store. [color=EF1956]”Thanks for coming with me. Did you ask to change your hair?”[/color] It sounded wrong to say that, as if it wasn’t her body. 

[color=orchid]”I did. It was a bit of an argument, but they agreed, so long as I could be back to ‘normal’ before my next public appearance,”[/color] explained Karen, looking just a tad bit exhausted from the effort.

Still, she rolled her shoulders. [color=orchid]”Okay, this is your show now, so lead the way!”[/color]