[Backpost] A walk around the promenade

Posted on Wed Mar 10th, 2021 @ 2:07pm by Commander Taeler Santu M.D.

Mission: Character Development
Location: Starbase Promenade
Timeline: First day of shoreleave
1738 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

The promenade was quiet, there were people there, milling around, but the sector they were in wasn't a hot spot. Santu made her way through the different shops on the promenade, she had been there before to pick up the book for Kane, but now was looking around for herself. She saw the place in a whole different light, especially after talking to Savin. She was determined to have a good time during her leave, to forget all about her troubles. To avoid having to talk to anyone about it. She knew that wasn't healthy, and she knew that at some point she'd have to face up to that, but for now she'd be happy to avoid that altogether.

She walked past a small tailor and after a couple of steps came to a halt. She remembered how when the people on paratus were doting on her to try and fit her into a dress made her feel good. She knew it wasn't enlightened or good for her to enjoy the feeling of being catered to or being told that she looked nice. The fact was that she had never really had that feeling before, and it was something that she liked. She had tried to replicate it with the holo-program, but it wasn't quite what she had expected and the fact that she had to be measure manually was a big turn off for her in that one.

Slowly she made her way back to the shop, looking in through the window. A mannequin was standing there, a big sun hat, bright yellow dress, clearly aimed at people planning to go to someplace like Risa. The shoes were sandal style high heels, they looked rather uncomfortable. She'd never been great with heels. She lingered a bit but then decided that she should probably just move on, yellow wasn't her colour. She wanted to walk away when a friendly voice called out to her.

"Are you looking for anything in particular, miss?" The dark-haired woman looked at her with a warm smile and really outspoken almond eyes. She was well dressed, with black trousers tapering out towards the bottom. The top few buttons of her purple blouse undone showing an emerald necklace reflecting the light.

Santu shook her head, "Oh, no, I was just," she shrugged, looking back at the dress in the window, "browsing, I guess. But yellow isn't really my thing."

"I was about to say," the woman said with a warm smile, "green or blue is much more your thing." She motioned for her to follow her inside, "I think we might have some nice pieces for you inside, we can tailor it to your measurements while you wait."

It almost felt as if she couldn't walk away now, "Oh, but I was just going to..." she saw the woman disappear into the shop, she seemed determined to sell her something. She stepped into the ship and expected a dimly lit stuffy room filled to the brim with fabrics. Instead she walked into a bright white room with a mirror wall. Bright colours showed a rainbow of different clothes, all kinds of trends meshing together perfectly. Potted plants added to the atmosphere of a fresh and trendy shop. There were a couple of outfits already on display on a holographic mannequin, cycling through different dresses and summer outfits.

"So, anything tickling your fancy?" The tailor asked from halfway in the shop, standing next to the green colour pallet, "blouse, dress, jumpsuit, skirt, pantsuit, we have it all."

"Oh please, I wear jumpsuits at work all the time, it would be nice to have some variety," Santu replied motioning at the Starfleet uniform she was currently wearing.

"Also something, not in red then I imagine, although you do pull that off quite nicely," She stepped up to the Bajoran and took in her body type, "would you mind if I scan you? Put your measurements into the system?"

Santu shook her head, "I don't mind, I'd be curious to see what you might have for me."

The tailor grabbed a small scanner from her back pocket and moved around her customer gracefully, almost as if performing some sort of interpretive dance, "alright, that should about do it." She transferred the scanned information to the small podium in front of the mirrors. The small disc lit up and a neutral holographic mannequin with the Bajoran patron's measurements appeared.

"That's not disturbing at all," Santu remarked looking at a featureless version of herself.

"UFP privacy laws, can't scan or store your likeness," the woman tapped a few buttons and the dress from the window appeared on the figure, "so green, huh?" The yellow colour shifted into green, her mouth contorted a bit, "don't think this is your thing, actually." she swiped across the PADD and swapped in a different design, the standard version came up purple.

"Oh," Santu walked around the holographic display, "I mean..." she didn't seem convinced.

"We have this one in green as well," the colour shifted again.

"It's not that," Santu looked down at herself then back up to the scan of her body, "it's a bit short, isn't it?"

The tailor shrugged a bit, the dress came to right above the knee. A small slit to allow for easy walking exposing a bit more of the upper leg. There was a nice waist belt that tightened the fabric right above her hips. The green sleeveless bodice hanging a bit more loosely over the torso, glittering stones on the shoulder portion almost like an homage to the 80s style Starfleet uniforms with the grey shoulders, "look at those legs, you can totally pull that off."

Santu immediately turned red, she hadn't expected the shopkeep to be quite so forward with her about that, "I mean, I don't think it's appropriate."

"Nonsense!" The shopkeep shook her head, "what are you talking about? Why shouldn't you be allowed to show off a little leg?"

There was a short, hesitant, shake from the starfleet officer, "I mean. I don't know." A shrug followed.

The woman's eyes narrowed a bit, "What other clothes do you have, aside from your uniform?"

"Oh, there's... I mean. I have some stuff back on Bajor." She hadn't been back to her parental home since the early 80s, there was very little chance any of her stuff was still there or that she'd still fit them.

"How long has it been since you've worn something other than those rags?" It was clear that the tailor was not a fan of the Starfleet standard attire.

"Well. We had scrubs in med-school. And for most of it after," Santu trailed off a bit, knowing it wasn't really a great defense saying that she was wearing a medical uniform before this, so technically it had only been two years.

"Hold on," The woman was genuinely in aghast in reaction to what she was hearing, "you're telling me that you've worn nothing but Starfleet issue itchy pants since, what, the eighties?"

Santu swallowed, there was a very good reason for the fact that she wanted to wear a uniform, first in medical and after in her command red. It made her feel like she belonged to something. Like she had accomplished something. She didn't really own any civilian clothes. She had no need for them. "I enlisted in '82." There weren't parts of the quadrant that a Stafleet uniform got you in trouble. The last time she wore something different was at the gala, "No! Wait! I went to a gala. Couple of weeks ago. Big puffy dress."

"A-ha, so that's why you're here," The tailor seemed very pleased with that.

"A-ha?" Santu felt like this was a gotcha moment, but she had no idea what she was caught on, "What do you mean a- ha?"

The tailor shrugged a bit, "Don't know, just that it must've felt really good, wearing that dress," she smiled a bit, "what kind of shoes did you wear with that dress?"

Again blood rushed to Santu's cheeks, heating them up and turning them red, "What. No. I mean." She started to wonder why she had stepped inside here. She wondered why she stayed. She didn't owe this woman anything, "It was part of accession talks, it was the proper diplomatic thing to do." The tailor was right though, she had gone to the holodeck after to try and replicate that feeling. Wasn't the same though. This also was very different. It might have been a mistake coming here, "all I know is that it took me half a day to learn to walk in them and that my feet hurt after."

"Of course, I didn't mean to imply anything," the tailor quickly backpedalled, knowing full well what was actually going on, "Well, lucky for you we've made some great strides in ladies' footwear over the past few decades," the tailor seemed fairly pleased with herself over that little joke before conjuring up some shoes to go with the dress. The featureless mannequin lifted slightly on small elegant black ballerina-style heels.

"That is nice," Santu was impressed with what the woman was showing her, "so, I'm guessing this will set me back quite a bit."

"I think we can have this covered by your Starfleet commission," The tailor seemed pretty pleased with that, it was possibly going to be deducted from the rent due for her shop location on the Starbase, with a nice bonus, "I can get it done before the end of the day, even, if you like." She offered up a PADD that just needed her thumbprint for verification.

While Santu hadn't really been in the market for a quick impulse purchase, it did seem pleasant that she would be able to get this before leaving for some destination further away, "Why not," She smiled as she pressed down her thumb, "I'll take it. I'll be back around five." There was a fluttering sensation in her stomach that spread across her entire body.

"I'll see you then, miss Taeler. Have a very nice day!" The tailor made her way to the back of the shop.

There was a moment of pause as she was called by her name before she realised that her signing off on it must've given the shopkeep her details, "See you then." With a spring in her step Santu headed back out onto the promenade.