Once again, everyone was back in the Design Club room. Thanks to the Design Club's thorough preparations prior to the event they already had the designs for the outfits forwarded to them directly from Kingsman Studios just in case something like this happened. This was not the first time outfits have gone missing the day of the fashion show but to this scale, that was something completely new for the Design Club. It wasn't impossible to recreate all the outfits for Kingsman Studios in the allocated time but it would be difficult. As such, they would have to cut some corners with the outfits but they wouldn't be too noticeable.
Meanwhile, Brix was taking the measurements of all the replacement models in accordance with which outfits they were going to be wearings. Being only a first-year, she had never experienced something like this before yet she tried to remain calm. Her upperclassmen were doing their best to get all the outfits completed on time so she also had to do her best to play the part.
After taking the last of her measurements, she ran over to the crafting table carrying all different kinds of fabrics in her arms, bumping into some other students along the way as she clutched onto her rolls tightly. Suddenly, she stumbled and a few of the rolls flew out of her hands.
"I don't have time for this!" She shouted trying to grab the rolls but she missed some which rolled under the table in between some people's feet.
She tried pushing her way through the cramped room but only found the rolls she was trying to retrieve get farther and farther away from her reach as they weaved between the legs of the table.
She grit her teeth.
"Can someone help me here?" She yelled trying to get anyone's attention but no one could hear her in the midst of the chaos. "I'm in a bit of a pickle!"
She panicked, the feathers on her ears ruffling. One of those rolls was the only roll of fabric to make the final outfit yet she couldn't grab it. If someone stepped on it, the final outfit couldn't be made!
But then, her calls were answered.
A body bent down to pick up the roll, before wobbling its way over in Brix's direction. The figure may have stumbled on himself a couple of times as he made his way over to Brix. His glasses were falling off the bridge of his nose, the dark circles under his eyes were so large that his eyes could fall out of their sockets. Yet, despite his unkempt appearance, the figure's illustrious silver hair managed to stay neat as if glue was used instead of gel.
Brix recognized the figure.
"Here's your fabric." The figure said sleepily holding out the roll.
It was Rider but why was his hair a different color? It was clearly brown earlier? Wait, why am I even thinking about this right now? I gotta deliver the fabric. Brix thought to herself as she snatched the roll of fabric from Rider's hands.
"Thank you!" She said hurriedly before dashing off to a nearby workstation.
"Your welcome..." He yawned before slumping down in a chair against the back wall of the room. He was dead tired.
>>>
Behind the stage, tens of dressing rooms and makeup stands were cleverly concealed behind the main stage's Jumbotron. The space wasn't that wide, only about a few meters in width with barely enough space for stage crew, volunteers, and models to run around. As Drew was waiting for his outfit to be created, he was running around with the others collecting the outfits already worn on the runway while swapping them with the next set of outfits. Sometimes, Drew even had to barge inside the dressing room to help put on and outfit faster. Luckily, he only had to deal with the male models, not any of the female ones.
Once a model left the dressing room, they immediately ran over to a vanity to fix their make up. The time it takes for a model to put on an outfit to getting their make up then getting back on the runway put on was only twenty seconds. Of course, if emergency alterations had to be made, it would at most take up to a minute. The efficiency of this entire process was scary, stressful, but it's that same kind of efficiency is what makes these kinds of events run smoothly.
Meanwhile, out in the main arena, music was blasting loudly from the floating speakers. holographic images spiraled out from the projectors giving the show more flare as the models did their usual catwalk down the aisle before posing at the end, some even creating patterns out of Otrio. Professional photographers stood adjacent to the catwalk, snapping away their cameras like there was no tomorrow. Even though image resolution on communication devices and supercomputers were pretty good, traditional cameras were used for more high speed, higher resolution photos. Although a regular camera on a communication device or a supercomputer surpasses that of traditional cameras, sometimes there are effects and emotions one cannot capture simply by just using their devices.
There are just some things in this world that can never become obsolete because tradition still lives on within them. This was one of those things.
In the stands, spectators watched the Jumbotrons. As they were not close enough to see the action, they could only watch from afar through the Jumbotrons which displayed the names of the models, their stats, which studio's outfit they were wearing, and the cost of the outfit. As most of these outfits were created by luxury studios, only those in the VIP section could actually afford them. So in the midst of the fashion show going on below, above there were wealthy scions bidding on outfits. On the other hand, recruiters from famous fashion tabloid firms were scouting for potential models for their next tabloid posts. Some rival tabloid recruiters butting heads with each other as they attempt to claim a model for themselves.
"My my, it's quite lively down there." Gerald observed as he poured the doppelganger a glass of 'champaign'.
The doppelganger remained expressionless as he took a sip from the fizzy beverage. A hint of apple tickled his taste buds causing his expressionless face to twitch ever so slightly. Yet the only real response Gerald received was a long sigh.
"I understand that you're disappointed but it can't be helped."
"That's not the problem. What am I supposed to do now since I'll still be here for the next couple of hours? After all, it doesn't seem like anything will happen."
"How about purchasing some outfits for the Young Master. I'm sure he would like to have a change of clothes instead of wearing these ones all the time."
"Is this really okay?" The doppelganger asked nervously, dwindling with his fingers behind his back.
"Of course, after all investing into a few of these outfits is nothing more than pocket change for the Young Master. Although, he may faint if he hears the cost of the outfits."
"The Young Master is a cheapskate? That seems kind of contradictory for someone from a wealthy family."
"I think frugal is the better word to describe him." Gerald chuckled holding up his glass of actual champaign.
The doppelganger rolled his eyes the blue contacts not matching his eye movements.
"Well, anyway, I'm technically working for you as per my father's request so I'll do as you say."
>>>
"Hey, Drew!" Sylvia called from one end of backstage. "The Design Club needs you to try on the outfits!"
"Ah, coming!" Drew hollered back tossing the worn outfits in his arms into a bin off to the side of one of the dressing rooms.
Following Sylvia back to the room, Drew and Sylvia were immediately greeted with a completed outfit shoved right into their arms.
"Go to the fitting rooms in the back of the room." A third-year Design Club member instructed. "Once you finished changing, come back here if we need to make any alterations. Time is of the essence."
Drew and Sylvia sprinted towards the back of the room, pushing their way past the scrambling workers. Once they arrived, they saw that a small line had formed right in front of the dressing rooms. Elias was standing in the back of the line. According to him, they would have to wait a few minutes before they could even get into one but to their luck, five students had finished changing and they were within the next five to use the dressing rooms.
"Wow everyone's together here!" A familiar voice said brightly, gathering the trio's attention.
"What, wait, who are you?" Sylvia asked looking at the figure.
Drew snickered then waved at thee family aqua haired girl.
"Oh, hello there Wan!"
"That's Wan!" Slyvia exclaimed completely flabbergasted. "You look so different!"
Meanwhile, Elias had completely dazed out like a complete idiot as he examined Wan from head to toe.
She wore a sleeveless light blue cocktail dress that was comprised of a couple of layers. The first was the inner dress which was a simple cotton dress that went slightly above her knees. On the dress, were silver flowers embordered onto its hem that glowed in response to the surrounding Otrio and small jewels that seemed to enhance the effect. The second part of the dress was a darker blue transparent drape that covered ran from the skirt of the dress down to the floor embordered with the silhouette of flowers ranging from daisies to roses. That same fabric was also used to create the top portion of the dress. Add on the closed-toed stud heels and her long flowing layered hair and she was an alluring princess of the deep.
"Beautiful..."
Drew waved his hand right in front of Elias's face yet Elias did not seem to move. It was as if someone tightened the screws on his head, locking his movements right in place. Sylvia tried snapping her fingers in front of him but that also failed but it wasn't until Wan walked up in front of his face and poked him where he finally snapped right back into his senses. The smell of crisp sea salt wafting into his nose brought his mind back to reality. His eyes fixating on Wan's sapphire eyes. His face heating up as Wan leaned closer and closer to him. Then, a smile crept onto Wan's face.
"Thanks, El!" She laughed before running off into the distance. "I'll see you all backstage!"
"Hey, Elias," Drew called tapping his shoulder. "It's finally our turn."
"Sorry," He stuttered flushing with embarrassment. "I'm coming."
Sylvia smirked, folding her arms.
"Geez, that guy, losses his cool in front of her. It's a shame that Wan can sometimes be dense as a brick."
Drew couldn't help but snicker, closing the curtain to his dressing room.
"I'll have to agree with you on that."
>>>
There were only fifteen minutes left before the show was over. Some spectators were wondering where Kingsman's name went as it just suddenly disappeared from the list right before the show started. Kingsman's outfits were known to always be displayed in the Ozwarth Fashion Show but why weren't they there? Did they perhaps forget that the show was today? It was highly unlikely, probably something happened behind the scenes that prevented them from coming. They initially thought it was an error but judging how none of the outfits so far belonged to Kingsman, they just assumed that Kingsman couldn't make it.
What a disappointment. They all thought as they were about to gather their things and retire for the night.
Bzzt. Bzzt.
The loudspeaker came on.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," A female voice beamed from over the speaker, "We apologize for the delay but please welcome our final studio for tonight's 168th Ozwarth Annual Fashion Show, Kingsman!"
Kingsman. Everyone in the stadium paused, they thought Kingsman's outfits couldn't make it to the show. To clarify, some spectators sat back down in awaiting for the last studio of the night.
The lights dimmed.
Everyone sat in their seats, breathless. Then the music began to play.
On this cold winter night.
The runway illuminated.
The snow falls from the sky as the moons illuminate the darkness.
Two figures emerged from the shadows of back stage. One of the figures walked out first. The lights along the runway redirected towards the figure. A female, with blazing red hair, emerged from the darkness. Her beauty paled in comparison to the previous models from the other studios but no one paid attention at that. Instead, they were all looking at her dress. A bright red, chiffon, dress that flowed elegantly down the spotless runway. Each fold, each crease, each layer seemed to dance around like a flame flickering the night but what truly gave the dress life was the golden brooch pinned to the one strap. Embedded in the brooch was a red gemstone that glistened in the night. It emitted a sense of warmth, comfort, to those in the vicinity. It was not an ordinary gemstone.
The female figure reached the middle of the runway where she snapped her fingers together before twirling around in a circle.
In the next instant, the dress caught on fire.
People began to panic but their worries were dispelled when they saw that the flames never crept past the edge of the dress.
No way! They screamed in their minds.
Many designers have attempted to create outfits that could be embedded with Otrio. It works with mech suits and combat armor but with standard attire, it was quite difficult to pull off and the number of people who had the ability to do that could be counted within a hundred. Only the richest of the rich could afford these types of outfits just because they were extremely hard to tailor. Besides being the designer, the only other way to tailor these kinds of outfits was to physically have a copy of the designs on hand!
Incredible, no wonder why Kingsman is renowned as one of the best luxury outfit makers in the galaxy.
Fear and hope clash together, the sparks flying between the two.
The girl stroke a pose at the end of the runway, her dress still on fire but beyond the fire, they could see who she was. The 39th, Princess Sylvia Burnstone. They were stunned.
In the next moment, a girl with flowing light blue hair approached Sylvia. Her outfit was like the sea. It moved like the waves yet it was also like a calm river then a still lake. The flowers stitched into them were akin to water lilies floating on the surface of the lake. Her sapphire eye captivated all, a song could be heard, seen, just by looking into them. She was a Siren, a princess of the deep.
"Who is she?" Some of the spectators wondered. They were familiar with Sylvia but the girl in front of them is someone they've never seen before in the modeling industry. Then, her name popped up on the screen.
[Name: Wan Louis
Occupation: Star Military Academy Student 1st Year
Modeling Experience: None]
Unbelievable! The spectators exclaimed.
A student with no modeling experience was wearing an outfit for one of the most famous design studios in the galaxy who would've thought.
The girl, Wan, held out her hand. With a gentle blow, bubbles flew into the air, engulfing the entire stadium. A recruiter reached out to pop one to find it shatter right in front of it into colorful specks. He smiled before entering in a message on his communication device.
The gentle snow becomes a blizzard.
After striking one more pose, a gust of wind blew past Wan and Sylvia. They knew this was their cue. Fog covered the stadium, obstructing the view of the spectators.
The light from the moon fading away.
"Woah!"
Two silhouettes could be seen behind the fog. The people were sitting on the edge of their seats. The two silhouettes merged to form one.
Step.
Step.
Step.
But as the story is told in many ways, hope never dies out within fear and despair.
Footsteps resounded through the arena. Everyone's breath stopped. Then with the wave of a hand, the fog dispersed.
This time it was two guys, standing back to back one of them shrouded in the darkness. The one in the front had bright orange hair like the mane of a lion which was swept back to reveal his forehead and glowing orange eyes that were as bright as the two suns hidden behind the slim frames of his glasses. His double-breasted suit enhance his sharp figure allowing everyone in the stadium to see how well-toned he was. Out of all the male models that have appeared today, one could say his looks triumph over all of them.
With the flick of his coat, sparks crackled like fireworks. The electricity in the air causing everyone's hair to stand up. It was ticklish.
[Name: Elias Ryhard
Occupation: Star Military Academy Student 1st Year
Modeling Experience: None]
"I didn't know you had an affinity for Light." A voice whispered behind Elias.
"Just focus on the show... I'll tell you later," Elias smirked unintentionally the cameras hovering up to his face.
"AHHH." The high pitched screams of girls could be heard.
About half the girls fainted in the bleachers before Elias disappeared from the limelight.
The snow is only temporary and with winter comes spring.
In his place, a guy with dark green hair, the color of foliage, brushed off to the right. His eyes were as dark as the night sky, stars could be seen twinkling within them. His black suit giving off an elegant aura. Maybe it was just the way he wore it. There were very few accessories to the suit, silver cufflinks as bright as the moon, a rectangular tie clip with no engravings, buttons made from Calemond wood. However, this is what Drew saw. To the audience, they all saw different things. Some saw the suit as maroon. Some saw it as brown. Others saw it a navy blue. Then, they realized there was a trick to the suit that allowed them to see it differently but they couldn't pinpoint it.
The secrets covered by the frost will melt away.
On stage, Drew kept a stern expression on his face. He intentionally blurred his vision, the fog blinding him from his surrounding. He never liked drawing any attention to himself he always thought of it as a burden. However, that wasn't the reason why. He was scared of it. He was afraid of standing out because standing out would inflate his ego. It made him a target. He always wondered: What do people think of him? How would they react to him? What things were they saying behind his back? He was scared because of that time. That time where the people he thought were nice to him but turned on him. Then he realized, they didn't care about him they didn't care about him for who he was. But things are different. They were better now.
Winter is temporary....
With the flick of his wrist, the fog parted. His vision cleared. His vision was no longer blurred and he could see the light. The light created by those who took his hand. Accepted the fact that he was who he was. He was different because they were also different. One was an exception to a game, one that no one approved up. The other one was ostracized by everyone around her. One had to live with the guilt of abandoning his friend. And him, he led of life mostly devoid of warmth despite trying to give his own. He fluttered his eyes open. The stars in his eyes that have shone became even brighter. His face, initially devoid of any warmth brightened up.
He felt free.
[Name: Drew Li
Occupation: Star Military Academy Student 1st Year
Modeling Experience: None]
Another student! The audience thought. Something must've happened to the original models. However, that wasn't important. What was important was that Kingsman was able to display their outfits at the Ozwarth's Annual Fashion Show and, as per usual, they never failed to stun the audience.
With some more hand gestures, the fog in the air swirled around. The fog formed squares, circles, diamonds, and finally a heart.
"Young Master," Gerald muttered from the VIP box.
The doppelganger was stunned.
"Wait, you're saying he's the Young Master of the Winter family?!"
Backstage, Elias and Wan were bobbing their heads in sync.
A smile formed on Sylvia's face as she watched Drew use the fog to make his departure.
"He broke another shackle...what a way to begin the Grand Finale."
Welcome back!!!