Please, call me Seymour. As for my situation, I'm afraid it is rather...insufficient. As I can imagine all imPorts do, I arrived with only the set of clothes I have on my back, and while there is no shortage of alternatives here...I am afraid none of the options meet my specific tastes.
Well, I don't imagine you would be coming to me if your needs weren't in some way unique. General wardrobe's easy to get at a store, it's only custom concerns that call for a couturier.
So then, Seymour, it seems our first step will be to collect your measurements, and see if I can get the right impression of what your tastes are. That will require us to meet in person. I have offices in Nonah, but I can make house calls.
Lucky for you, then, to be recommended to the best.
[ Though he's a new arrival, so she'll certainly offer whatever might be a reasonable discount, depending on the work necessary. Or at least a payment plan. ]
I should be available any weekday before five. If the need is especially pressing, I may open my schedule beyond that. If you don't think what you have will keep until tomorrow, we can work something out.
[ It's an actual package, delivered to Kanaya's store. The package is wrapped fairly well, and when Kanaya opens it, it's a copy of the book Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, and a well-used copy at that, definitely purchased from a thrift store.
So yeah, who the hell knows if a book about a flying car'll hold a grub's interest but hey! Free book! ]
[The following day, shortly after the clock strikes noon, Seymour arrives at Kanaya's studio in Nonah with a small escort of curious citizens riding his coattails. Mostly, they are quiet youths interested in his unusual hair or his tattoos, but the middle-aged woman nearest Seymour's side asks many questions about his religion the Maester is either too polite to refuse to answer, or too amused by to remain silent. Indeed, if the slant of his smile is any indication, the entirety of his situation seems to entertain him.]
The teachings of Yevon are welcoming to all peoples, but I fear the ways of Spirans might be very strange or even inconvenient for those from a world...much more modernized than ours.
[The woman hums with disappointment, but before she can think to ask a follow up question, Seymour excuses himself. Behind the desk opposite the entrance sits a wide-eyed young woman whom he assumes must be the couturier he was scheduled to meet with. She is given Seymour's undivided attention and silkiest greeting.]
Kanaya Maryam, I presume? [His bow is without flaw, smile slick like oil before he rises again to his impressive height.] How good it is to meet you in person.
[Those that followed Seymour don't think to correct him, they only wait in silence and, attempting to look preoccupied with either finding a seat or flipping through a magazine, watch from the corners of their eyes so they might steal a glimpse of a Troll and a Guado in the same space. If nothing else, it will make for an interesting story to share with their friends on social media! In fact, it seems one or two of them already have their phones out anticipating a photo op.]
[ At his greeting, Kanaya's very human receptionist stands up, feeling more embarrassed than flattered. How anyone could confuse her for Ms. Maryam, well, he must never have seen her before. ]
Well, uhhh... I'm sorry sir, but this is a private office. [ She peers back behind him, a bit overwhelmed by just how many people he brought with him. ] do you...have an appointment?
[ Behind her, Kanaya notices the commotion through her office window. She steps out and places her hand on the receptionist's shoulder. It doesn't take much to guess who they're dealing with. ]
It's alright, Delilah, Mr. Guado has an appointment. Though I can't say I expected his entourage. I'm afraid we don't have the facilities to host them.
[ She crosses around the desk and offers him her hand, with a polite, if condescending, smile. As she gets closer, he may realize that for all his impressive height, the horned woman in front of him appears to be even taller. But at least he'll recognize her voice, her accent tends to be more distinct on this side of the Atlantic. ] Nevertheless, Seymour, I would be glad to invite you to speak in my office, once that matter has been settled.
[Although he formally addresses Kanaya, it seems his apology, much like his bow, is meant for both her and Delilah.]
It seems I allowed their curiosity to distract me. Allow me just a moment, if you will.
[He turns, graceful despite the bulk of his robes and his height, and addresses the civilians who followed him to Kanaya's place of work. They are, for the most part, an attentive audience as he explains that they must part ways, and with his assurance that they are welcome to contact him another time, they leave the studio without much of a fuss. The young woman lingers the longest, as if to size up both Kanaya and her receptionist, and there is a defeated slant to her shoulders as she exits, as if concluding she's not as interesting as the other two women.
He doesn't care, of course, but he puts on a good show as he turns back around to face his host and her secretary, his eyes contemplative and his mouth bordering upon drawn.]
Again, my sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.
[ She cocks an eyebrow, trying to put on the most polite smile she can manage. Why do they always default to "miss"? ]
That's quite alright, misunderstandings do tend to crop up. But everything is settled now. Delilah, hold all my calls.
[ She gives her a pointed look, and Delilah, with a bit of a sheepish smile, replies "Yes, Ms. Maryam." No one could ever say Kanaya isn't passive-aggressive, but this is probably a new level for her.
She stands by the door to her office and motions for Seymour to follow. ]
[Rather than take offense, Seymour treats the not-so-subtle correction as a cue; he realizes his error and smiles in acknowledgment as he follows Kanaya past the receptionist and into her office, a perfect gentleman...
Even if, internally, he is bitter about being the recipient of such passive-aggressiveness.]
I must thank you again for seeing me on such short notice.
[ Sometimes she is really awful, it's true. Nevertheless, she closes the door behind her and lowers a privacy screen over the windows before directing him to a seat. When she takes the one next to him, she rests a tablet on her knee. ]
Not at all! I understand that the initial arrival of a new imPort can be an...interesting time, while you acclimate to the new setting. When that acclimation requires unique needs, the rest of us are usually the best candidates to make it out priority to meet them.
[ She makes a couple of swipes to her tablet, screwing up her lips. ]
I'm afraid I didn't quite anticipate many of the distinctions of your style, so any initial drafts I might have played with beforehand probably won't be usable. But now that you're here, we can discuss what it is you do like, and how representative of that your current attire may be.
[Sitting, Seymour's gaze sweeps over Kanaya's office and then the woman herself with her flat machina and well put together airs. She has earned her position, it seems, and the respect of those she employs. Her apologies must be more for the sake of courtesy than due to any lack of faith in her designs.]
I have complete confidence in your abilities, Ms Maryam.
[A flash of a smile. He learns quickly.]
But my preferences are very much what you see before you, as all Maesters of Spira are expected to wear such robes.
[Of course, only Seymour likes his to rest open so that he can flash his tattooed chest like some hussy.]
[ But then, she has no idea if they aren't just as flamboyantly dressed. Imagine if she ended up on a world like that instead, and had to acclimate to fashions like theirs. Her portfolio would probably look very different. ]
Is there any special significance to the colors, purple, green, red? Or is it simply what the uniform called for? Would you like more robes to communicate your role as a Maester, or something a little more leisurely?
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