Couture and Brochures

Tsubaki’s plan for the day had been to simply attend a fashion show. Not only was fashion something she typically enjoyed and she wanted to keep up with the trends, but she was always looking out for any opportunity to make a profit, and the fashion industry was well suited for that. 

Her plans were immediately derailed when she noticed Velveteen inspecting her intensely as soon as she stepped into the building. Tsubaki knew who they were, as they were a famous model and she had been to plenty of these shows before, but she had never spoken with them before. Velveteen moved closer to her, fingers beneath their chin as they stepped around her, continuing to scrutinize her up and down. 

“Can I help you?” Tsubaki finally spoke up.

“Yes.” Velveteen answered immediately. “Come with me.” They turned and walked away, leaving Tsubaki with no choice but to follow them, though she was admittedly very confused.

Velveteen led her to the backroom, where she saw all the models getting ready for the show. They were all in doll form just as she and Velveteen were, as it was standard for these shows. Velveteen further led her towards a mannequin that held a fancy black dress on it, adorned with ruffles and lace, and lined with silver accents. “You would look perfect in this.” Velveteen looked between Tsubaki and the dress, nodding to themself. 

“Um,” Tsubaki tilted her head in confusion. “I think there may have been some sort of mix up. I’m not a model.” Though now she was starting to wish she was, because that dress was gorgeous and she would love to try it on.

“I know,” Velveteen crossed their arms. “But the model who was supposed to wear this dress canceled at the last minute, and you have the exact body type and measurements needed to fit in it, as well as the look to pull it off.” 

“You know my measurements?” Tsubaki blinked in surprise, though she was flattered by the compliment about her looks.

Velveteen smirked. “I’ve been doing this a long time. I can usually tell someone’s measurements just by looking at them.”

Well, that explained why they were staring at her so closely before. “Alright, I’ll help you.” Tsubaki finally said, but then held up a finger. “However, I never work for free.” 

“Understandable.” Velveteen crossed their arms. “We can work out suitable compensation if you would like to be paid in carats, or another option is that you can keep the dress that you will be modeling.” 

While normally Tsubaki would hop on the carat offer instantly, this time she was conflicted. Her eyes roamed back to the gorgeous dress. It was likely one of a kind, and she loved the look of it. Perhaps wearing it would help her fully make up her mind. “Can I decide which I want after the show?”

“Of course.” Velveteen stopped one of their assistants who was passing by, asking them to show Tsubaki to the changing room and help her into the dress. 

While this was never the plan when Tsubaki came here today, she couldn’t deny that she was liking how this day was shaping up.