The Aurian Chronicles chapter 14: Flawless Fashions

 Amanda blushed nervously as she walked into the dress shop and looked around. "Flawless Fashions? odd name," she muttered while admiring the various beautiful dresses around the store. She slowly took a number as an automated voice sang out "Flawless" with her number appearing on a computer screen. While Amanda continued to look around, she saw Silver walk out in a sky-blue strapless dress and white transparent high-heeled combat boots. "Wow!" Was all Amanda could say as she drank in the sight of the beautiful Hispanic silver-skinned woman, the way her white hair cascaded in the wind from her own strut was almost hypnotic. Silver just giggled and waved, "I have that effect on people... How may I help you?" She asked politely.

Amanda yelped and blushed a bit timidly. If this were an investigation, or a crime scene, she'd be feeling a lot more at home, but here she was, ultimately out of her element with a woman whose very appearance let her know nothing about fashion, or even proper presentation of the female body. "Um... yeah, I uh... am looking for a nice dress for a dinner date." She said softly. Silver just smirked and nodded as she closed the gap between them. At first, Amanda thought she was feeling her up, but she noticed Silver seemed to pull the measuring tape out of nowhere.

"So... is there a story to this date? a casual meeting, a romantic date for your partner?" Asked Silver. "And um, why does that matter?" Asked Amanda. Silver just chuckled. "Fashion has so many purposes, with a simple request: I can have your partner hypnotized as their eyes never leave the exposed skin of your body that your dress guides their eyes, or I can have you as the star of any professional event! It's all on you, darling!" she answered.

Amanda yelped at thoughts of Mr. Capryse eying the exposed parts of her body, which she usually kept hidden. "Wow, I uh... that's so much to take in.... maybe a combination of both!" She chirped meekly. Silver nodded and grabbed what looked like fresh black Silk and velvet, as well as some shining gold fabric. In no time at all, Silver was crafting a black V-neck sleeveless Dress that cut off just above the knee. There were gold triangular fish net patterns around the outer edges of the dress, and the velvet was woven around the neck hole.

"Alright, dear! Go ahead and try this on!" Said Silver as she handed Amanda the dress. Amanda blushed at the sight of it and casually changed behind a nearby curtain. She noticed a pair of golden heels with black straps that were provided. She casually stepped into them and eyed herself in the mirror. "Who... WHO IS THAT?!" she asked before realizing it was her reflection. This was no longer Lieutenant Cross of the NYPD, this was Amanda Cross, the woman!

Silver grinned. "I take it you like it?" She asked happily. Amanda stepped out and nodded. "When I first saw the name, I thought 'Nothing is truly flawless!' But this outfit... I... HOW DO YOU DO THIS?!" She asked. Silver smiled and sat down. "Well, when I was younger, I hated how nothing truly matched my skin the way I wanted it, so I took to making my own dresses!" She explained.

It was here that Amanda noticed that Silver's skin was actually silver, not just makeup. "I hope it's not rude, but how did you get your skin like that?" She asked curiously. Silver just shook her head and waved her hair behind her head. "When I was younger, I was playing hide and seek with my now husband... There was an accident and a fire... My skin turned silver, and my body hair was burned off for some time... My hair and eyebrows grew back, but they were white as snow..." She explained slowly.

"My husband, being the adorably silly man that he is, never let me feel like a freak or that I was ugly... He told me all the time I was Flawless." She added as her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of ruby red. Amanda nodded and smiled. "Well, whoever he is, He's a lucky man! A beautiful lady who makes beautiful clothes? I'd say you're worth every penny as a fashion designer! Speaking of which... the price?"

Silver shook herself out of her reminiscing and nodded. "Right! Of course, silly me... with the dress and the shoes, that'll be four hundred and..." She started, but Amanda slapped five hundred dollars on the counter. "Keep the change! I'll definitely have to get more wardrobe here for other events!" She said with an uncharacteristically girlish giggle. Silver nodded and smiled. "Well, alright then, Ms...?" 

"Cross, Amanda Cross of the NYPD!" Answered Amanda. Silver nodded and kissed the back of Amanda's Knuckles. Causing Amanda to gulp. "Well then, Ms. Cross, I can't wait to have you back!" Said Silver as Amanda nodded and left, ready for her date with Mr. Capryse and Saryn.

Silver just put the money away and wrote Amanda's name on her customer sheet while chuckling. "So a member of the NYPD likes what I do and will be frequenting my shop... Crap." She said to herself as she thought about the bodies she and Darkness were responsible for. "Oh well, what she doesn't know won't hurt her!" She decided while getting back to sewing.

As the work day ended, Silver tried texting Lyte to see how the concert went, but there was no answer, so she tried texting Darkness next. "Oh shit..." She said as she climbed into her Jeep and started speeding home, already forgetting she had just gotten done serving a police officer.