Tests, Textiles and Tea

[Ashken]

Music || Rion Rain

---

In the decades in where Tokyo became the grand city it is now, one place stubbornly kept to its roots, only changing and adapting when forced by the never-ending march of time. Nesstled between larger modern buildings, the outside had seventy's architectural influences, upon entering the old textile shop, the wood and other structures seem to be a blend of decades that harken to time long before the skyscrapers and modern utilities.   

The cities hustle and bustle seem to be cut down by the prevalent soothing sounds of Enka music, both modern and classical. The dimly lit building was covered in textiles, Kimono's and other more traditional fashions. Tsubasa's Textiles (no relation to the larger family) had been at one point quite influential. They claim that at one point the served the upper crust of Japanese nobility, but their resistance to change has left them behind even with their high quality textiles.  

From time-to-time people would come during their rare sales, or when they needed something special, famously they were still known for their textile matching, being able to provide almost exact replicas or in many cases better quality of samples brough to them.  

But at this time the store just had a few elderly who picked some small scraps for projects, but had made the old textile shop their haunt for tea and classic music. Their tea ceremonies sustaining the business more than the actual textiles. 

At the entrance of the store stood a young man. Clearly a westerner, his pale skin covered in freckles, his crimson hair swept backwards as neatly as he could, dressed proper, black slacks, white shirt and a black vest, as if attempting something along the lines of butler look, the tag on his vest written in neat penmanship Tsubasa, Arashi. Arashi having been hastily etched off. A couple of bracelets and charms on his right arm being the one thing that seem to stand out on the gentleman, upon anyone arriving at the store, he provided a subdued smile and with heavily accented Japanese would greet them, "Welcome to Tsubasa's Textiles, how may I assist you?" 

[mermalaide]

"Oh! Well.. I have never been in here before and I was wondering what kind of fabric you have for dress making and home sewing, I would love to see some of the fabric you might have for spring kimono." The girl before him was in a neat cardigan over a gothic style dress and boots. It was an off day for Tatsu, not temple duties or school ones, and she had all the time to get out and indulge for the day, and she planned on it. Her hair was pulled back in a French braid and she was somewhat tall. Her clothing looked ornate but western in it's sensibilities, something that you would see in Harajuku, or in the back of an EGL magazine. She had Victorian style boots that shone as well. "I usually come with a list in mind for projects, but I wanted more to wander and be inspired today."

Her eyes didn't know where to look first and, she was pretty excited. She promised herself sewing stuff and some kind of treat today. She was a little surprised seeing someone with red hair and freckles. Though, most of the people she was around all day often were children or elderly, and that came with it's own Pandora's box for hair. Black hair, Easter colors or none at all! That was something that crossed her mind.

As she crossed into the store a little more she caught a soothing whiff of tea and arranged flowers. "Ah~. Is that matcha? I think I smell a jasmine too, but I mainly smell a good strong matcha."

[oichi]

Within the town of Tokyo, the mysterious figure glided through the town, eager to see more of it's wonderful shops. They didn't scare anybody but instead were looked upon in awe and wonder. It had looked like an elegant and poised bridal queen from the west had come to town visiting and some vendors did make that mistake, yet it was so lovingly to get much attention. Kyogoku Kinitsu, a well known noble and an eccentric fortune teller, had many praises for Tokyo and the many opportunities that came with that success. They wore a long dark purple off the shoulder tulle dress that had subtle gold markings near the end of the dress skirt and the sleeves, pairing with lilac glitter heels that had silver tights, and short white gloves that frilled at the cuffs. To complete it, they had a veil held together by blue and purple roses at the top, connecting the mesh that was an amethyst purple, coming down to their chest. This was usually their outfit for fortune telling in, but business had been slow as of late. That is why they had quite a bit of time off. "Mayhaps Karin tried to blame my work on conspiracy theories on her crazy forum? Well maybe she shouldn't have brought her life into ruin." they thought to themselves.

While cursing the name of Karin's in their mind, they stumbled across an old shop amidst the modern shop. It didn't look quite busy but they had heard some good things that it had serves nobility and had dedicated high quality textiles. It seemed to also have expanded to also holding tea ceremonies, as the smell of matcha and jasmine hit their nose. "What a pleasant smell... Maybe I can truly see what this is about?" Coming inside, it truly was a well kept shop and it hadn't aged much compared to many more modern ordeals that they were used to. The shopkeeper seemed busy with the well-dressed girl, so they would wait before getting help, looking at some of the textiles on display.

[Ashken]

As the young lady walked into the building, Rion took quick stock of her, she was almost his height, her fashion clearly had some western influences, he did his best to keep his emotions subdued, but it was exiting to meet someone who allowed themselves to express themselves so freely. It was not that he did not like his current outfit, but was not one he picked by choice, but an uniform, for the work he was doing and by extension it had been stripped of most of its creative and expressive energy and the only reason he was wearing this was because his great aunt would rather have him stand out like a sore thumb wearing western faire than allow him to dress in traditional Japanese fashion.

"Oh! Well.. I have never been in here before and I was wondering what kind of fabric you have for dress making and home sewing, I would love to see some of the fabric you might have for spring kimono."

After collecting himself he tried to answer to the best of his ability, it was clear he knew the language, but his cadence and intonation, made it very clear he lacked the practice for a smooth implementation of the Japanese tongue, "We have a little of everything" he responded, "We have some of the spring weight material over here" he took a step and pointed at a round table with a number of bolts of material stacked on each other. "Some might be expensive for home projects" he admitted, one of the bigger problem the business had was it failed to keep with the times, thinking it would get another upswing as long as they stayed firm.

"I usually come with a list in mind for projects, but I wanted more to wander and be inspired today."

"If you are looking for something specific, I can see if we have it on the back" he offered, "We also make patterns to order" a part of the business that had gotten less attention over the years, but one they still provided. "Actually" he said to himself as he remembered, "I have a sample book," he had been hard at work with that little project, getting small samples and making an album so people could quickly get an idea of the many patterns and how the cloth felt, the business had been around for so long old had become new and new had lost its luster over and over, making it hard to find unique things at times, the staples where always there, but some patterns found themselves buried.

"Ah~. Is that matcha? I think I smell a jasmine too, but I mainly smell a good strong matcha."

"Ah yes" he gave a bit of a bow as he pointed to the section that had been converted into a small tea house. "We do tea ceremonies" a number of mature and elderly ladies sat in the reserved area, some working on small project others focusing on tea, many gossiping, a few narrowed their eyes at the girl who had arrived, all in all they had claimed this place as their own, and where not very keen in sharing.

As the conversation unfolded someone else entered the building their outfit with many shades of purple was magnificent, although he didn't see himself able to properly wear those colors, is pale skin and red hair would find a way to make it challenging. Somewhere in the back of his mind he though of his sister Ursula and how she would love this, clothing and fashion. "Sorry" he apologized to Tatsu, before turning towards the well-dressed Kinitsu, "Welcome to Tsubasa's Textiles, Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

While waiting for a response he turned back to Tatsu, "Want me to bring you the sample book?"

The store was packed, yet thoughtfully so, everything seemed to be organized by material, classic solid colors, followed by stripes, shapes, patterns and ending with intricate creations that went beyond your simple creations. No outside name brands and artificial blends rare, they presented themselves and pride themselves in making everything by hand, in the old ways, as taught and passed down by the original matriarch of the family and Tsuchigomu who's blood ran through all their veins.

[mermalaide]

"Oh don't be, this store has more than enough room for everyone." She said it in such a sweet and cheerful way, but it was certainly a sugary rebuke to one of the old ladies that shot a vinegar look in her direction. "When you can, I would love to see it. For now I will look in the direction of the kimono fabric you gestured to for a bit." Tatsu could tell he was under a lot of pressure. Some of the things in the store were a bit fancier than she was used to, and she hoped her purse wouldn't shrivel at the sight of the prices, but she did say she wished for a treat, and some treats were a little decadent.

The embroidery thread alone was worth the trip and they probably had lovely trims. When he went to the other guest, her head turned on instinct. Her gaze was met with one of the most glamourous and lovely people she had ever seen. She couldn't quite tell if they were male or female by first glance, which made her think of Mana-senpai from Malice Maizer. The person who was not only the lead singer of the bigger Victorian inspired visual kei band she could think of, but had also made Metamorphose, which was were gothic lolita dreams were spun into fashionable clothing. She sighed at the thought. That was true glamor! Movie stars eat your heart out.

She walked over to some of the light weight gauzy silks, taken in buy their spring motifs and natural shimmer. Her hands were adorned with clean gloves she she did not worry too much about touching anything but should couldn't help but wander towards some of the darker colors. April did have some darker colors. While most Spring colors were pastels, pinks and greens, the month of April had plum and wisteria. Off the top of her head, the obi for that time was usually gold, for example gold leaf, platinum leaf, silver leaf, or haku-ichou (an obi made from only gold leaf and a single color’s thread, the contrast creating its monochrome pattern). She took out a small notebook and began to write her notes a little so she could possible plan something out on the fly.

[oichi]

Some of the textiles on display over by Kinitsu had more darker colors and some of the more exotic designs, though there was April themed stuff over there too. There was some stuff to fit from a simple yukata to a full furisode and even some stuff for foreign clothing. They thought it would be nice for a tailor to get a tight fitting kimono with some of the textiles. They simply looked stunning. Soon enough, the shopkeeper seemed to ask Kinitsu what they wanted. They didn't really have that much plans, it was more to look around for inspiration but it wouldn't hurt to get a few recommendations. "I'm looking for some intricate looking textiles for springwear. It would be great if we can find pairs that it can hold together in a beautiful multilayered kimono or maybe find something that can feel nice to fit when it's wrapped." they said as they walked around the store some more.

They pulled their veil back, allowing anyone in the store to finally see the face, with some crisp silver hair. Kinitsu wore some grayish mascara, along with light pink lipstick that went along their pale effeminate features, it still had a boyish look to them. The tea ceremony room was filled older ladies that loved to gossip. While it would be nice to take a seat and have some Jasmine tea, they noticed some of the patrons eyed them with the intent to not share. They would be unbothered with this though and keep on going throughout the store towards the other customer that was getting help by the shopkeeper. She seemed to be taking notes. Kinitsu was thinking maybe something that can go more towards her style and the mesh like fabric would also work well on her, whether it was gloves, a part of a headpiece, maybe even some design on the clothing, any fabric has it's use. The gloves that were on her were pretty in itself. "I like your gloves. They go with the dress like a fairytale. Where you get those from?" they said in awe.

[Ashken]

Music

---

"Oh don't be, this store has more than enough room for everyone."

He smiled and gave a small bow in appreciation as he was glad, she was not giving him a hard time like most of the established clients, he understood they had a way of doing things and that he was not exactly the perfect example of their expectations, but he was trying.

"When you can, I would love to see it. For now I will look in the direction of the kimono fabric you gestured to for a bit."

"Will do", he made a mental note to grab the book before turning around to the fabulous Kinitsu, he listen to their request and though about what they had around the store, there was a fair few things that were made, but in particular they specialized in selling the fabric and other things needed sew and make the outfits.

"I'm looking for some intricate looking textiles for springwear. It would be great if we can find pairs that it can hold together in a beautiful multilayered kimono or maybe find something that can feel nice to fit when it's wrapped."

"Allow me to see if I can find something for you" he said stalling for time, his inexperience making it hard for him to provide a quick and precise answer, he tried to keep his cool, but his face flushed red as he got worked up. As if he did not have enough things to worry about the record playing the old music ended... He flinched wanting to curse, this could be solved by a actual radio or some other device, but no they insisted that only records could capture the soulful lyrics, "One moment" he bowed and moved toward the large counter where fabric would be measured, cut, packaged and sold.

Walking behind the counter he moved a large box of records; he could feel the grannies getting worked up. His aunt and uncle made this look easy, but they had been running the business for decades. They knew these songs and knew when they a record was about to end, smoothly swapping between them while running the floor. Placing a new record, he cranked the old record player music coming to life and filling the room. Having calmed the murmur of angry customers, he picked up the sample book he had been working on and returned back to Tatsu.

"Excuse me Ma'am" he presented the book of samples, hoping it would help her get a better idea of the many designs and patterns they had, plentiful enough not all of them where in the show floor. He saw that Kinitsu had approached where Tatsu was, "My apologies. I'm still new might take me a little bit to find what your looking for..." but then he had an idea, "What kind of weight are you looking for the multilayer Kimono?" he did a bit of a flourish, making it seem like he was pulling things out of his pocket, we have silk of many weights and strength, he presented a couple of threads of various thicknesses, he still needed work on the quality of his silk, but to the naked eye, it was indistinguishable from what they used for some of their better work.

[mermalaide]

"I like your gloves. They go with the dress like a fairytale. Where you get those from?"

That was a sweet complement from someone so glamourous. It was like standing in the warmth of the sun. She blushed a little, smiling. "Oh! Thank you! I had extra lace and thought I could make some really delicate gloves. I have a few for different dresses. I thought of crocheting them, but why waste extra pretty lace?" Tatsu was proud of those details. She loved everything she made for the most part. On her off time, she loved creating fairytale type dresses and clothing, most of which she saw in the pages of her EGL magazines. They came with little patterns from some of the actual brands, though she actually had to alter some of the dimensions which were not friendly to busty or tall girls.

"Oh! Thank you kindly," Tatsu was startled a little by the quick appearance of Rian. If anything he was pretty on the ball. She even noticed the record change. "Ah is that Shinichi Mori?" She recognized him mostly from what was in her grandpa's truck. Tatsu flipped through the book of samples and notices a few things that were absolutely perfect. She held a gold leaf up to a wisteria color on the wall, then switched for the silver leaf. "Hmm..." She wavered between the thought of these and flipped the book again to see if there was something that wove both gold and silver. This was a little tricky.

"You know, spring is peaking around the corner. There are so many ethereal gauzy kimonos out there just waiting to be made." She smiled at Kinitsu. "Pastel colors are usually en vogue for then, especially pink. I feel like, and hear me out, but pink and champagne would suit you I think. I think I will have a bit of wisteria myself..though, I couldn't decide between silver or gold." She was lost in thought. It wasn't often she got to nerd out about fabric like this. She hadn't really had friends that were into fashion or sewing. So it was a private, and because of grandpa, fairly utilitarian hobby.

"You asked about  fabric weight though. I apologize. I was hoping for a light brocade."

[oichi]

Kinitsu had a few preferences when it came to royalty. Fairytale was a good choice to convey a delicate flower, as it defined a beauty that is kind and flows with grace. Glamour made sure that they convey that the wearer is not only expecting the best but also something unique and showstopping. It was interesting to them that she would make it herself, it had good quality to the gloves. "I'm sure the extra lace can go on something truly wonderful. Like maybe a hairpiece applied to something metal or maybe a cushion?" said Kinitsu. They were no expert in the way that they would make things from fabric or tailoring, however, they were an expert in flaunting and modeling it.

It was a bit surprising when Rian suddenly appeared with stuff for the girl and something for him. It was a good suggestion for one of the colors to be kinda like a rich color of rosé champagne. For spring it was good to get maybe a little bit of weight but not too much to keep warm for some of the chillier sides of spring and to be not overbearing for the warmer side of spring. "I'm thinking of a light-medium weight overall. It's going to be about two to three layers for the full kimono. I just want something that is easy to move around in and soft and elegant. I would need plenty to send it to my town's local tailor to make it fit me and maybe another one for mother and my baby brother. I probably would want a gold or silver obi to tie it together." they said thinking about the kimono. They were also thinking about getting some food in that ceremony room as well when things were sorted.

[Ashken]

"Ah is that Shinichi Mori?"

"Honestly I'm still getting used to picking up the different singers" though had been hearing Enka records for what felt like forever in an almost unending cycle, he was still getting used to picking the different singers and their nuances, he was starting to instinctively separate some of the classics compared to modern Enka, but he was not going to lie about not always sure.

"If there something special your looking for I might still have options" he mentioned as she flipped between the two colors, " I don't think I've managed to put every sample there" there was a defeated look to him as he realized that even when wanting to modernize and help the store he was still had a long way to go. 

He listen to the two as they spoke colors and weight, doing his best to dig out his mental map of the store and the things he had learned, if anything he was nervous, yet excited as this was the first time he was able to put his hard work to the test as most of the more established customers knew what they wanted and rarely approached him unless it was to complain about something. 

"One moment" he stated as he walked towards the entrance and grabbed a small basket, he navigated the store picking a few things and samples that might catch their attention, in particular for Tatsu he found a Wisteria brocade, in a champagne color that could easily go silver, gold or a little bit of both. 

For Kenitsu it was a little more challenging, their purple assemble was magnificent and he could see many shades of purple being used with great skill, and Kenitsu had a bit of an air of royalty, it felt natural to want to dress them in such colors. He thought about his color wheel, yellow being right across from purple, he thought of the intensity of the ginko tree, he had picked a couple of items, but something came to mind an old antique, he walked to the back room and selected a small sample that allowed Kenitsu to admire the heavy silk, with floral designs and majestic crane. 

Returning to the two he gave a respectful bow, "My apologies for the delay" he showed the two the many samples in particular the two he though bests fit the Tatsu and Kenitsu, "I know that one is probably heavier than what your looking for, but if you like the design, we can make sure we can produce as much as you need" he informed Kenitsu about their sample unique sample. 

[mermalaide]

Her grandfather had gotten a Shunichi Mori tape stuck in the truck's tape deck once. It had a good sound, but the radio needed an exorcist at one point, the poor thing was stuck good. That is one of my grandfather's favorite singers I think. He has a small handful he likes. I think the only non- Enka singer he'll listen to is Tatsuro Yamishita," She cocked her head to one side, her finger under her chin. "He's a city-pop guy."

She sucked in her breath when she saw the fabric choices, specifically the champagne colored wisteria, that changed in the light between gold and silver. How fine the bits of silk were! She almost wanted to cry at that, specifically because that was going to cost. Though, she had saved for this, and it was worth it. Every garment is an investment! "Oh don't apologize. Picking fabric can be a little difficult. Even if you know your way around. I could imagine getting lost here. Patterns and textures can suck a person in." At least, Tatsu thought so. She wondered if her new, elegant friend thought so.

"Oh that purple just takes your breath away, doesn't it?" Her eyes had moved to what was being offered to Kinitsu, a deep purple, and the golden crane. "My word, it would be hard not to feel the part of royalty with such. It's very lovely." The texture of the light material was fine, you tested it by carefully removing one of her gloves and running her fingertip to feel the fabric's texture and thickness, which didn't not disappoint. She closed her eyes for a moment, getting more of the feel. "This should be fine for thickness, I have to sew a cotton insert and inner collar anyway." She thought for a moment. "This might sound odd. But do you have any unique remnants? Odd pieces of random fabric? I like to make flowers or pieces out of those."

She hoped she had not offended, and worried a little. The store was pretty upscale, so maybe not. But it was always worth asking. You could make beautiful ornaments for hair, or even purses or brooches from castoff pieces of silk.


One of the older ladies that came often had shown Tatsu once, she had even made an ofuda or two with the pretty pieces. It broke her heart thinking such beautiful pieces of fabric, scraps of ribbon or lace could be wasted. She put her glove back on. "What do you think? Ah! How terrible of me." She extended a hand to Kinitsu. "My name is Soma, Tatsu. It's a pleasure to meet you both." It was a casual thing, but courtesy mattered. 

[oichi]

It had been a while since Kinitsu got their own kimono. While there were load of kimonos and dresses and princely outfits, they were all from at least 6 months ago, including the dress that was currently being worn. It was difficult to find a tailor that would take on a job of a royal but also harder to find excellent quality fabric. There were a lot of different fabrics and designs that Kinitsu would bury themselves into the amount of options available and the fabric wasn't too much weight. "I'm impressed. The purple and yellow designs match each other very well. The ginko tree would be on the back alongside the Kyogoku symbol on their sleeves. The pale blue cranes can then probably go towards the skirt and cascade down to the end..." he said, feeling the fabric and how silky and soft it was.

It was amazing how Rian's choice for Tatsu was also elegant. Champagne colored wisteria was a sight to behold and the fact it could change colors depending on the lighting. A bold choice, and the queen liked it. "What a good choice of colors too on this one. It is quite lighter in weight than I thought." they complemented Tatsu. It was known that unique remnants could make for an interesting pattern that would some of the top name brands if they were artists. "Nice to meet you Tatsu. I am Kyogoku Kinitsu but that is only my name outside the mysterious and wonderful beyond. Some may know me as Lady Maria. I have a tent back in my prefecture that allows me to help predict your future in a safe and discreet place."