[Open Post] ..Tuesday afternoon..

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot feels that things have been a strange mix of tumult and routine. This is probably because they have. But today, so far, is routine in all respects. His day has proceeded apace through his usual steps -- drills, tending to Rivelin, coffee, lunch with Susan -- and the afternoon is now stretching out before him in a very satisfying way. He feels good, settled.

And so it is that he's in the café, reading (or mostly reading), with more coffee at hand. Given that he seems to be splitting time equally between having his eyes on his book and gazing out the window, he will not be bothered if anyone comes to chat.

Comments

[kadewest]

"So I'll tell you the names of things as you try them on," Kade says. He lifts the suit jacket and gives it a good shake before laying it over a pile of paperbacks and disappearing into a maze of clothing he's been collecting from stuff people didn't mean to have the Mansion generate for them. He has a fairly good sense of Lancelot's general size, but still--from the depths of his clothes-maze, he calls, "I don't suppose you know what size pants you wear? I think I can approximate it for trying things on, but if you know your actual measurements that'll be easier."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot laughs, "I've no idea. Even at home, someone else took measurements and supplied things."

[kadewest]

Kade's absolutely not surprised to hear it. He emerges after a few minutes, laden down with options.

"Pants first," he says, "since I had to guess at your size more there." He carefully wiggles one arm free of his pile and pulls a pair of jeans free from the top, tossing them at Lancelot. "Try these on and let me know how they feel." If he's judged Lancelot's size right, they'll fit him, snugly enough to appeal to whoever Lancelot might want to impress, but not so tight that he'll feel like his movement is restricted.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Should I-- go elsewhere to change?"

[kadewest]

Kade shrugs. "Up to you," he says. He keeps meaning to set up a changing room in the corner, but he hasn't needed one yet, so he just keeps--putting it off. "Whatever's easy and comfortable for you."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot shrugs, chuckling a little, "It makes little difference to me. There is often little room for modesty in camp."

He quickly and efficiently is out of his boots and swapping into the pants -- which fit fairly well, though they also feel a bit strange.

[kadewest]

Kade comes over. "Do you mind if I--" he asks, gesturing toward Lancelot's waist to indicate tugging at the jeans. "Wait, walk around for a second first. Tell me how they feel."

[lanselos_du_lac]

So he walks across the room and back, laughing a little, "Strange. It feels a little strange, but not uncomfortable."

[kadewest]

"Strange how? The newness, the stiffness of the fabric, the method of closure?" Kade has been watching Lancelot closely. He's pretty sure he guessed Lancelot's size with decent accuracy. They'd be better tailored, obviously, but it's a starting place.

[lanselos_du_lac]

A smile, "All of it, aye." He stops nearby, glancing down, "In truth, it feels fine. 'Tis just unusual."

[kadewest]

"Yeah, the adjustment period is a lot," Kade acknowledges. He hadn't started wearing jeans until he got to Aunt Ely's school, and walking in them felt kind of funny for the first day or two. "Those are called 'jeans'. These--" going back to the pile of clothes that he'd pulled and freeing another pair of pants "--are called skinny jeans. Same material--denim--but a different cut." He's pretty sure Lancelot is either going to love them (they fit more like hose) or hate them (less range of motion). "Give 'em a shot?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

So he swaps them out -- he struggles a bit with this pair, but eventually they are on. He walks around, experimentally.

"Hm. These might be better. There is less extra fabric. Though perhaps they're a bit tight."

[kadewest]

"That's by design," Kade says, amusement clear on his face. "Uncomfortable tight?" He's giving Lancelot a scrutinizing look. He might be straight, but he does consider himself an expert in what makes men look good to others, and this is a good look. "Because I'm pretty sure that these puppies would turn a few heads if you wore them out around the general populace here."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Oh? You think it so?" He laughs, "I've no idea what passes for 'good.' They don't make me feel anxious or like I can't do what needs doing. That's enough."

[kadewest]

"Great starting point," Kade says. "I'll put a mark down in the 'skinny jeans' column. They're wildly popular where I come from. I usually tailor mine to be more flattering through the leg. I think a dark-wash denim would suit you particularly well." He tilts his head. "Hang on, I'm having a vision."

Then he disappears into the piles of clothes again for a minute or two, emerging with a thin white cotton t-shirt and a soft leather jacket. "Try these on with those jeans."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot regards these with a little skepticism, "I am trusting you, you know."

But he takes the clothing, considering it before pulling off his tunic and sorting out the rest.

[kadewest]

"My passion is making sure that people have clothes that meet their needs," Kade says, sorting through the pile of clothes he'd pulled earlier, trying to think what to offer next. "No matter what those needs might be." Though, to be fair, there's been a lot more dress to impress here than he's used to; usually he's helping students figure out some kind of clothing option that won't retraumatize them. "I won't lead you astray."

He looks up from the pile then, and gives a teasing little wolf whistle. "Great look you have there, brother. Your stylist must be super fucking good at his job."

[lanselos_du_lac]

He laughs, looking not entirely sure about that. "It's more comfortable than I expected," he allows.

[kadewest]

"C'mon," Kade says, gesturing Lancelot toward an alcove. "I have a full-length mirror back here. You should see what these things look like on you, so you can decide what suits you best. We'll call this look Contender A."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot follows Kade to the mirror, and when he sees himself he looks surprised.

"Oh."

[kadewest]

"Yeah? Good 'oh' or bad 'oh'?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Good," though he sounds like he's still coming to that determination. "In truth, I rarely see myself."

[kadewest]

"Well, what do you think?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot spends a long moment looking, considering. He tries to imagine Susan's reaction, or Grantaire's. He tries to discern whether this is something they, or anyone else, might like.

They would, he supposes, be surprised. He thinks they would be pleased. He isn't sure how he feels about it, but then he's often unsure of how he sees himself.

Eventually he says, "I like it. I think it's good. What do you think?"

[kadewest]

"Well," says Kade, and he turns to sort though a shelf he's installed next to the mirror, looking for clips. "I'd take the t-shirt in in a few places so it fits you more naturally--I think they're kind of boxy, without tailoring, and your waist is definitely more trim than your shoulders. By which I mean--the look itself is good on you, as long as you're comfortable in it and feel like yourself wearing it. But--" and here he pauses to pull his sweater off, so he's standing in his own t-shirt and jeans. Then he goes to stand next to Lancelot, so they're looking in the mirror together. "Do you see how this fits me like a glove, basically? That's because I tailor all my own clothes to fit me in the way that I like. The shirt's a little loose, but I like it like that." When he was still in his binder every day, a looser shirt more easily obscured the lines of it; now that he's had top surgery, he loves feeling unconstricted.