Closed [Winter Blaze Costume] A Mother's Duty

[Ayatah]

8th Winter

"So Annabelle will be Morwen and Annalisa will be Ivak."

"How delightful! My little ones are going as flames whilst the hubby and I will be dressed in white. For ice, you know."

"Wonderful! I'm having a dress made especially, with a red silk underlay and orange chiffon on top."

The maternal competitiveness of the playground made Ayatah's skin crawl. Ever since the news of the celebration taking place on the tenth, Aya's fellow mothers had been kicked into overdrive: when they weren't casually boasting about their superior plans, they were bringing down those belonging to other families.

"Well I heard that she's making all their costumes form scratch. I even heard mention of wings."

"Wings? What a ridiculous idea. What's Fire and Ice about that?"

She was, in her opinion, an island of logic and normality in a sea surrounded by mother sharks all feasting upon any little fish that dared to bring up the topic of the infamous Winter Blaze. Ayatah had been initially unwilling to attend, being suspicious of such a kind offer, but after many bells of nagging from Kuame, she gave in. Thankfully, they had agreed that costumes were off limits: it was a compromise that Ayatah was all to happy to make.

"Aya, what are we going as for the Blaze?"

Oh no...

"'Cause Jacob said he's going as an ice cube. I want to be an ice cube."

Myri, please no....

"--But then he said I couldn't, because that's his idea. So what about a snowman? Or a..." Kuame's little face scrunched in concentration, "... a fireboy! Yeah, I can be a boy made out of fire."

"Kuame," Ayatah said carefully, trying to keep her voice brisk yet even. Rule one of parenting: don't let children smell your fear or weakness. They'll use it against you. "Remember what we agreed on about costumes?"

"But we have to go in costumes! It's the rules of the party. If we don't, we may as well not go."

"Well then, that's settled." She said with relief.

But of course, it wasn't. Kuame's bottom lip was pushed out from his mouth and the boy's eyebrows wobbled into a sad little frown. "Want to go as fireboy to the party. Everyone else is going."

Ah, that old nugget. Please Mumma, everyone else is wearing blue shorts and I can't be left out. Please Ma, every other little boy as a wooden axe toy apart from me. Please Mum, all the other kids have a pet dog except me. Whilst she had been able to refuse all other attempts, this time Ayatah found her will waning. She was as equally intrigued about the Winter Blaze as Kuame seemed to be, but perhaps a little less enthusiastic. The whole palaver of dressing up in costume and dancing and socializing just made Aya want to hide under the bed covers with a good book.

"And Jacob's going and so's Sam. So when they go together all they'll talk about forever will be the Blaze. And I won't be able to talk to them because I didn't go and then I'll have no friends and then I'll be sad and then I'll cry and then I'll be kicked outta school and then I won't eat my lunch and then I'll die of hunger."

Where did he get that dramatic flare from? Ayatah caught herself wondering as she looked down upon her son's indignant little face. They watched each other of several steps on their walk home, until Aya finally sighed and surrendered. "Fine. But you can't go as fireboy because that sounds complicated."

[Ayatah]

Kuame grinned up to her and Ayatah's frosty heart began to melt. Talk about fire and ice, she thought with a wry smile. "That's okay, Aya. We'll decide on something else."

"Yes, we will."

But mother and son's quiet happiness would not last long. After five chimes, Aya realised quite how immediate their need for fancy dress was. The Blaze was in two days time! Even for a skilled seamstress that was barely enough time to throw together a decent costume -- and Ayatah was utterly clueless! She would no doubt need at least one day to learn how to sew, and perhaps another to make a first costume, scrap it, and try again.

Hurriedly she turned left, twisting both herself and Kuame away from their home and down a short alleyway. The boy beside her gave an oof! and Aya explained, "well, we need supplies, don't we?"

-- and the material...

-- and buttons...

-- and an idea for a costume.

She groaned at the very thought of the monumental challenge ahead of her.

"Will Skyard come with us?"

The question hit Ayatah like a punch to the gut. It had been mere three days since her son had met Aya's lover, and Kuame was almost as besotted as she was with the Kelvic. Something about a man who could change into a lion delighted the little boy, who had since drawn a dozen pictures documenting himself as a tiny knight riding his noble feline steed. "I should think so." She said eventually, though in reality Ayatah had no real clue. Skyard had entered her life suddenly and passionately, and thankfully had remained as such for the short time she had known him.

"I hope so. He can be the ice, and you can be the fire." Kuame said happily, already imagining the three of them dressed up in their costume finery. "And I can be...."

"The nice, normal climate?"

Though Kuame's costume was still up in the air, at least some decision had been made on what would become Ayatah's outfit for the Blaze: something firey. With that in mind, she tugged Kuame into one of the most fashionable stores she knew of in Riverfall.

But all at once, Ayatah's spoonful of confidence melted away as she came face-to-face with all those dresses. And the skirts. And the blouses. And the materials. She was drowning in silk, buried under velvet. Ayatah was utterly overwhelmed and she stood aghast for several, astounded ticks.

"May I help you?" A young brunette appeared to her side, hands held together and face patient and waiting.

"Fire." Ayatah blurted out, her own expression open and fearful. Oh, she would much rather be facing a horde of Yukmen compared to this.

Thankfully, the shop assistant smiled and gave an understanding nod. "For the Blaze? We've had lots of similar requests, don't worry." With a gentle gesture, she drew Ayatah's attention to the left-hand side of the store. It was lined with dresses, of varying lengths and colours. "You said fire, yes? So we're looking for colours on the warm side of the spectrum."

Ayatah nodded, feeling equally as childish and helpless as Kuame. "Yes. But I don't know what colour, or length. Or... style. I'm not fashionable, I'm sorry." She gave an explosive, nervous burst of laughter.

"Oh, I like a challenge." The brunette retorted with surprising enthusiasm. "Let me look at you..." Suddenly she stepped beside Ayatah and turned her around, inspecting her face and neck with great detail. "I'm sorry to ask, but do you have Eypharian relatives? Your skin is--"

"Shiny?" Ayatah smiled and nodded, "yes. I'm half-Eypharian. Don't apologize. Anything that gives me an edge in this costume competition would be appreciated."

Gods, am I now one of those mothers?

[Ayatah]

The brunette shop assistant guided Ayatah and Kuame to the rear of the store, where she offered biscuits and orange juice. Whilst Kuame delighted in an almond treat, Ayatah sat flabbergasted down and tried to pay attention as the assistant reeled off various cuts, colours and materials. ]
Full length, maxi dress, chiffon, silk, taffeta, cloth, sweet-heart neckline, strapless, cat-sleeved, full length sleeved….

Ayatah felt as if she was drowning in a world of fashion and colours. Why couldn’t this party be jungle themed? She had an abundance of Myrian-style clothes that would have been perfect for such an occasion.

”I’m sorry,” she said eventually, voice betraying her mental exhaustion, ”but you might as well be speaking in a completely foreign language. How about you just… show me dresses?”

This, if anything, seemed to excite the young woman even more. “Of course!” With that she jerked Ayatah up out of her seat and took the Myrian’s measurements. After this she disappeared back to the front of the shop, and for once Aya felt she could finally breathe.

This is a mistake. This is a horrible, horrible mistake and I probably won’t make it out of here alive.

But, before she could flee from the store, the assistant returned with an armful of dresses draped over her arms. “These are all the dresses that are in your measurements and fall under the fire theme. All of them are custom designs, too. The store seamstress has been hard at work day and night for the Blaze. Very exciting!”

Ayatah just about managed to fake enough excitement for the rest of her shopping trip. Soon enough she had purchased a ridiculously expensive dress that was strapless (which ingeniously, she had learnt, meant it had no straps) and floor-length (again a simplistically self-explanatory word that Ayatah had not fully appreciated until now). The underlay was red taffeta the colour of blood, whilst the upper layer was chiffon. She had to admit it was a beautiful dress: the chiffon changed from dark red to bright yellow from bottom to top and the skirt of the dress rippled and swelled like flames. Along with the dress, she also purchased hair chalks to die the tips of her red and orange, and make up.

Make up!

I am a warrior of Myri and I must wear my war paint into any battle, she had told herself repeatedly to warrant the luxurious purchase.
All in all, Ayatah had purchased her outfit, makeup and hair chalk as well as blue material for Kuame’s fancy dress. Together all three of them – Aya, Kuame and the incredibly helpful assistant – had come up with the idea that the child should wear blue. Then, if it was only Ayatah and Kuame who attended together, he could be the ice to Aya’s fire. Yet, if Skyard also attended, the Kelvic could be the ice, Ayatah the fire and Kuame the water.

“Fire and ice together makes water!” He had declared to himself, kicking off the inspiration that had resulted in this rather ingenious idea.

By the time returned home, Ayatah was several mizas lighter and in desperate need of a drink. Whilst Kuame played quietly to himself, she poured herself a glass of wine and contemplated how exactly she would make her very solid son appear to be made of water.

ooc-30GM dress
-1GM hair dye
-1SM for 1oz of face powder
-1SM 1oz lip pomade
-10gm for fine wine (bottle)
TOTAL: 41 GM 2SM