Not precisely Portabello Road, but...(OTA - Garak opens a shop!)

[the_tailor_spy]

He had spent some time on this. After being assigned quarters - mercifully free of a roommate - the only thing to do was rearrange them to his liking. Easier said than done, certainly. Asking the replicator for anything Cardassian had prompted some impertinent questions from security, so he had made do with paint. Toning down the Federation colours into something more pleasing to the Cardassian eye.

But that had been his quarters. The question remained...what do with the other half? He had almost sighed, inwardly, when the answer came. There really was only one thing. At least he was good at it.

He had partially walled off one side of the quarters halfway with what construction materials he could get from the replicator, and the rest was behind some rather nice red curtains. A little touch of bright theatricality, but since his clientele here would be overwhelmingly human by the look of things, it never hurt to play to their sensibilities. On the bit of wall, well. He had reached into the hidden pouch in his bag and past the disassembled phaser components to bring out the rolled canvas he had carefully put there. Lovingly framed, he hung the art on the bit of wall. Not too obtrusively, really, not even noticeably. But it was there.

For a long time, after that, he had just stared at it. The last piece of Tora Ziyal he had.

But, to work. The other half was beginning to fill with reams of fabric. He'd brought some with him, others were replicated. Still more he was making himself from replicated materials. Hand-made had such a special cachet, after all.

Bit by bit, the tailoring shop was filling. The advertisements he had been putting up around the ship, well. Those would help, too.

He stood, brushing lint from a jacket on display. A simple grey, true, but in a somewhat modern cut. Business-like, but with that hint of...fun.

He really was a very good tailor.

Comments

[diamonds_are_forever]

Emma looks over at Garak and gives him a curious look. "Ah, thank you. Have you had time to read up on the contemporary fashions since your arrival?" She assumes the answer is yes, but she won't act on that assumption. It's better to know for certain.

[the_tailor_spy]

It's an interesting assumption, and his mind pays just a little bit more attention to the conversation.

"Ah, well, that rather depends," he said, making a final adjustment on a lapel, "on what one considers contemporary. But my knowledge is expanding rather rapidly, if that is what you mean."

[diamonds_are_forever]

"You see, I have a problem," Emma noted, still cool and curious. "I'm not native to this time either, by quite a long shot. I have no eye for the fashions of this time, just yet. I require help discerning what will be fashionable to wear while making use of my copious physical assets."

What *is* she wearing? :P

[the_tailor_spy]

"You are in some luck there. I'm from just a few years in advance of this timeline, and, well. Let me reassure you that the uniforms of the crew are not galaxy standard. Your...specific requirements do call for significantly more...flair."

'Copious physical assets?' Well, well. This one wasn't shy. Of course, whether it was protective armour or not remained to be seen, but all in good time, if it was important.

"What precisely did you have in mind?" He gave her a discerning look, up and down. "More of...this? I can fulfill a quite wide range. Business, casual but smart, full gowns...and, I do admit to having some experience with shall we say nightwear? Not much for humans I'm afraid, but the principles are mostly the same."

boring replicated jumpsuit, something geenric

[diamonds_are_forever]

"I have one acceptable suit already," Emma said, considering the one on the mannequin. It was much finer quality than her suit. "I could always use another, and something nice to wear on dates, perhaps." She considered who she would be dating and decdided it would just have to be saved for a rainy day.

[the_tailor_spy]

He considered for a moment, looking over the jumpsuit again.

"Yes, I can see that Starfleet has lavished their usual flair on this one," he replied, with a sigh.

"Still, we have much to suit your needs. I've been familiarizing myself with some other Terran eras, but if you wish to explore other areas, we can certainly oblige."

"This one," he said, holding up a sleeve, "is from Betazed. Note that the fabric is nearly all air. This is, in fact, significantly more clothing than is worn on Betazed in general, but nudity is frowned upon on Starfleet vessels. Still, it is extremely soft on the skin. This particular cut is more for business, but I can easily tailor it to a suit or a more...exciting dress."

[diamonds_are_forever]

"I'm more than willing to try something new." Even with her limited exposure she knew the standard fare from the replicator wasn't the most flattering.

When he showed her the light fabric she reached out, touching it delicately. It would certainly not work for her counseling duties, but she had other needs beyond that. Perhaps it was time to move in on some of the prey she'd been baiting. "This is a little light for everyday, but it would make a fantastic dress for nighttime. Does it come in white?"

[the_tailor_spy]

He inclined his head, slightly, in acknowledgement.

"It absolutely can come in white, yes," he says with a smile. Now, as for the every day - were you considering a dress or more of a business suit?"

[diamonds_are_forever]

"A suit is more my style. A dress seems either too formal or too informal for a counselor." She wandered around a little as she spoke, examining more of his work. "I suppose fashions are different between cultures. Are you the only one of your kind here?"

[the_tailor_spy]

"Ah, a counselor - yes, it really does have some difficult there. Slacks, then, I think. Something...I believe the term would be 'Hepburn'."

He's a quick study. And he's a very quick student of humanity.

"Functional but authoritative, and you are correct on both counts. Part of the joy of my work. But as far as I know, yes, I'm the only one."

For the most part, in his position, a very good thing.

[diamonds_are_forever]

"Yes, that all sounds about right." He doesn't sound upset about being the only one of his species, so she doesn't pursue the subject any more. Though she'd be terribly lonely if she was the only mutant, she can understand why some people might not want to be around their people. "How long do you think it will take to make such a suit?"

[the_tailor_spy]

That sense of not being upset is so carefully crafted even he sometimes believes it now. But the first thing about being a member of the Obsidian Order is mastering your own mind, before you can manipulate that of others. You can believe hard enough in your own innocuousness, for instance, that others feel it, too.

"I have plenty of material on hand and will start at once - would two days be sufficient? I presume there is some necessity pressing."