THUMP THUMP.

  Two knocks at Liv’s door. She was already sat at her table, though her bed head was still frazzled about. It was afternoon, 2 days since she got her measurements, the day of the Gala being… Well, today. To say she was under prepared despite the time given was an understatement. She hadn't gone out much since her last outing. Not from a lack of offers, god knows people have been trying to find her, but from her own desire to stay in. She, of course, enjoyed her exploration... She just didn't feel up to it at the current moment, a paradoxical mix of merriment wonder clashing with an intense revulsion against going anywhere. Still, she dragged herself from the table, dodging the clothes and trash that festoon the floor. Her diet mostly consisted of food she could get from the mess hall and whatever she could find in the fridge. Luckily, it had come prestocked with various foods she had never tried before– some she would never even think of, too– so she had been gnawing away everyday. Her hand warps around the knob of the door, creaking open as she looks out.

  Right in front of her sits a small package, yet no sign of any human. She furrows her brows, her head scanning the hallway for any sign of anyone– but there’s no sign of anyone.

  “Guess I’m takin’ it in.” She thinks, her gauntleted hands wrapping around the package, turning on her heel as she kicks the door closed. Coming to her table once more, she clears it of the garbage draped around its surface, placing the parcel down with a soft thud. She reaches down, ripping it open with a gusto. The box nearly rips in two, barely clinging together as the contents are revealed.

  The first thing that catches Liv’s eye is the vibrant red, a rich wine color that she’s never seen. It’s the dress, she presumes, wrapped in a thin film of plastic wrap. It’s an elegant piece, folded to fit in the small parcel it came in– though, she can't see a single wrinkle on its pristine surface.

  “What a vibrant color.” Her boss comments, a genuine hint of awe in its voice. “I’m quite impressed by the work of that human.”

  “It’s… Somethin’.” Liv slowly responds, almost taken aback by the quality. Slowly, she removes a gauntlet, her finger pushing into the plastic until she pokes a small hole. She rips it off from there, feeling the silky quality of it. It’s soft, yet smooth, shining like gold in the dimly lit abode Liv calls home. There seems to be no sleeves nor straps, a continuous piece meant to stop below her armpits. She’s never held something so luxurious, only seeing quality like this in pictures when she would salvage what little food she could find in her abandoned city. She feels a pang in her chest as she quickly tosses it onto her shoulder, picking up her discarded gauntlet as she bounds out the door, quickly locating her target in a few short moments.

  THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

  Liv bangs on the door, her free hand slamming the wood until it eventually swings open. Charlotte waits on the other side, a mix of concerned confusion apparent on her elegant face. She looks more striking than usual, her sharp features exacerbated by a layer of makeup.

  “Liv, are you alright? Has something gone wrong?” Charlotte questions, opening the door fully. She’s dressed in a long, blue gown with puffy straps sliding up her thin shoulders, her blade still strapped around her hip. It almost gives Liv pause seeing her already ready, the topic of her panic on her own shoulder.

  “Are ya sure this is for me?” Liv questions slowly, presenting the dress to Charlotte. It looked far too expensive, especially for someone like her. Her concept of money was loose– she never truly needed money– but even she could see the opulence in the piece. It was meant for someone who was like Charlotte, someone who knew how to navigate this normal people stuff.

  Upon seeing the dress, Charlotte’s face lights up. She quickly reaches her hand out, her hand wrapping around Liv’s bare wrist for what feels like the umpteenth time as she pulls Liv into her room.

  “It finally arrived!” Charlotte says, her smile radiant as she drags Liv into her clean room. It’s sparsely decorated, but it’s extremely tidy. The smell of pine drifts into Liv’s nose, the bright lights momentarily dizzying her. It reminded her of when she first met Charlotte, when they shared the cabin. It’s a strange memory that springs forth even stranger feelings as Charlotte pulls up a chair, gesturing to Liv. “My bathroom is over there. Please, do put it on!”

  Liv works her mouth, feeling it dryer than she would like. “I... ain’t sure if I can take this off yer hands. This is a nice piece, ain’t it? I reckon it’s pretty expensive, and I dunno if I’m the type to wear this.” She says slowly, slowly placing one of her gauntlets on the table as she pulls the dress off her shoulder. Her thumb glides across the surface like its butter, admiring the craftsmanship that would have to go into something like this. To procure the raw material for this, let alone shape it into something so beautiful... It'd have to take quite a while.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Charlotte clicks her tongue against her teeth, immediately drawing Liv’s attention. Her arms are crossed, staring into Liv’s soul as she speaks. “It’s tailored to your exact measurements, Liv. If I did regret it– which I do not, by the way– I couldn’t take it back. There are no refunds for a piece that nice, so wear it with pride.” She says, a smile returning to her serious face as she finishes. Liv looks down at the dress once more, her eyebrow furrowing.

  “But-.” Liv starts, stopping when Charlotte snaps her fingers.

  “No buts. I won’t have any more attacks on my decisions. You will wear that and that is final.” She starts, her leg crossing over the other. “You have been the first friend I’ve made outside my home country, the first friend I’ve made that didn’t have a political undercurrent, and the first friend I’ve had who feels real. I won’t have you wearing something that makes you look anything less than stunning, price be damned.” She finishes, gesturing once more to the bathroom. “Now shower first. Your hair is a mess and we don’t have a lot of time to spend doing some back and forth.”

  Liv bites her lip, her eyes locked on the dress. She could feel her cheeks heat up at the mention of friendship, still growing accustom to anyone referring to her in such a light. Keeping her head down, she nods, scurrying over to the bathroom. As the door thunks shut behind her, she sets the dress on the counter, slowly slipping her gauntlets off. Once cleaned off, she comes back to the dress, her hands delicately plucking them from the counter top. She slips it on, grunting as it slips taut over her figure. Her eyes widen as she takes herself in.

  Despite the only change being clothing, the way in which they made her appear was drastic. Her shoulders and arms emphasized by the wine red dress– her upper body looking more robust with it on. They squeeze just beneath her bicep– not enough to make her uncomfortable, but enough to add some extra mass onto them. Her hair, caught between wet and dry, falls in wet streams down her head, stopping just above her shoulder. Her gauntleted hand slowly touches the mirror, her jaw working itself out. She hadn’t expected to look so different with such minimal change. With a slow breath, she turns to the door, slipping it open as she slides out.

  Outside, she sees Charlotte engaged in a conversation with Donovan. The vibrant red suit she picked out nicely compliments his features. While not perfectly tailored to his body, it still makes him look quite nice.

  “-and they said 'Kid, you cant just dropkick someone in the middle of a fight!' Everyone says that till they get drop kicked.” He says, his arms proudly folded over his chest.

  "I am very aware of your dropkicks, Donovan." She says, rubbing her chest with a grimace. "Far too aware."

  Liv clears her throat, causing the rooms residence to turn there heads. She throws her arms to the side unceremoniously, slapping them against her side.

  "So..." She starts. "How do I look?"

  Charlotte lets out an honest to god squeal, her hands clapping as she shoots up, sprinting to Liv's side. She gives Liv a quick once over, examining for wrinkles or blemishes. When she finds none, she stands once more, brushing Liv's shoulders.. "You look amazing, Liv! Isabelle has truly outdone herself this time!"

  Liv flushes further, crossing her arms over her chest as she sways side to side. She’s not used to so much praise, especially not from a supposed friend. It gave her a strange, tingling sensation in her stomach.

  “Look at those arms, dude!” Donovan says from behind Charlotte, creeping beside her with his arms behind his back. “I knew you were super buff… But that back is nuts too!” He comments, slapping her back.

  Liv looks down to her figure, flexing one of her biceps. She was larger than most, she could admit that, but she would've assumed quite a few people would match– or exceed– her muscularity. Donovan's whistle at the display says otherwise.

  “Dude, you gotta show me your workout plan. I know I asked a while back– but, like– holy hell.”

  “Just diggin’.” Liv says softly, pushing her arms behind herself. She could feel her face heating further, praying neither would notice.

  Charlotte ushers her to the table, seating her as she pulls out what can only be described as a pile of makeup: brushes, foundation, eyeliner, lipstick, and every palette under the sun. There was some rhyme and reason, though it was clearly used quite recently. Liv blinks. She’s seen makeup before, mostly in the old beauty isles that were in every major store and corner shop; however, she never needed to impress anyone, so she never tried any of it. She watches as Charlotte opens one of the foundations, her bare fingers digging into it as they get closer to Liv’s face.

  What happened can only be described as strange. The contrast of the strangely cold makeup mixed with Charlotte’s strangely warm fingers alongside the tickling brush made for a jarring new experience. She slowly opens her eyes once she feels the brush pull away, her brows furrowing as she looks at Donovan and Charlotte.

  “Do I look dumb?” She asks, pushing herself up.

  “You look great.” Charlotte comforts, a smile on her face as she pats Liv on the shoulder. Donovnan nods in agreement, a hum escaping his mouth as he takes a spot next to Charlotte.

  "A true blue metamorphosis!"

  "Huh?" Liv questions, her eyebrows furrowing.

  "That's also a compliment." Charlotte assures, popping open a lip stain with her teeth. "Now I think red might look good, though black might be better-."

  “Not to alarm you guys,” Donovan says, his hand wrapped around a small pocket watch. The analogue display beeps in front of their faces, the time clearly displayed.. “But we have 10 minutes to get down there.”

  Charlotte stares at him, then at Liv. Liv simply blinks, her eyes wide as she looks at Donovan. Charlotte, with a groan of frustration, drops the stick of lip stain, spitting the cap back on the table. She grabs the two while dragging them out the door with a burst of speed with a speed only she could achieve. Once again, Liv found herself dragged by Charlotte, the wind whipping around them as they barrel down the stairwell.