Yankee
Tally Dor
Megatron
Estylwen
BurningCold
twave
ErosSense
Lemons
mintzy
SporkoBug
"Cops come in different uniforms," Lorelei chimed, disappearing behind a rack of men's clothes. "You should watch Hawaii Five-O sometime. I bet you'd like it."
Not that the officers there wore Hawaiian shirts or anything. A bit of a loss, really. All that effort into casting handsome men and beautiful women, only to put them in shirts and jeans. When it came to fashion, Lorelei herself was tired of the 'classy casual' look. Suits? Blegh. Shirts and shorts? Blerg. She sought deep cuts and body confidence, interesting ornaments and multiple layers. Clothes may not transform someone, but the right outfit could certainly cast one in a new light!
And when Dezzie turned to her, looking at once helpless and adorable, well, what could Lorelei do?
"Leave it to me, Dezzie. I know you'd look good in anything, but let's see if I can find something that you'd like looking good in. Oh, and Barbatos?" There was no escape. The ladies at the Floating District had been nudging her about this for a long time, after all. With his proportions, with his chiselled form, with his himbo energy? He could look amazing! "You can take notes."
Thus began a diversion that at once sated Lorelei's own curiosities and perhaps offered a small bit of relief too from the crime scene they had all left behind.
...
A baggy, black shirt with a ribcage imprint, so oversized that it almost overlapped the hotpants-and-garters combo. The rounded, cosmetic glasses offered an extra detail that would immediately bring one to the killer gap-cute of Dezzie's not-quite-punk personality.
Heralding from the girls-rock-band era, came the mouth-kicking look of a leather jacket with a red, sleeveless top that exposed just enough navel to be confident rather than sensual. The heavy, star-decorated boots and the calf-length striped socks put everything truly together though, each step radiating pure power.
A black turtleneck and a white pencil skirt cut an elegant, if basic look. But the devil was in the details, and this case, those details came with silver chains, red-soled boots, and white jacket that gave more 'exorcist' than anything else. Basic, perhaps. But Lorelei loved that subtle lethality!
Ah, and who couldn't skip out on the opportunity for some cosplay when digging for new outfits? Some would pick school uniforms, others would pick maid dresses, but when it came to things that would be least likely to get her called up with HR, the kimono simply couldn't be beat! Perhaps a professional may be aghast at how Lorelei tied up the sash, but hey! It still looked damn good, and Dezzie still wore it like a natural.
While the kimono was in the realm of cosplay, a qipao with Buddhist prayer beads and a fur-lined coat? That was sharp, that was fusion. Toss in tinted sunglasses and goddamn, you had excellent Shanghai Triad vibes, with the scarousal effect hitting you from head to toe whenever one caught a glimpse of Dezzie's scarlet eyes from overtop her sunglasses.
And then there was the suit. Just a lifeline thrown, in case Dezzie didn't love any other look, really. Honestly kinda boring, as far as looks went. Half the gangsters in Gehenna took this kinda look; it was why there were five whole racks dedicated to different sizes of this combination. But it was there. And she still pulled it off with ease.
Barbatos was not spared, of course. He was paired with whatever Dezzie ended up going with.
...
After that whirlwind of a wardrobe change, Lorelei did, indeed, drive them over to the Floating District.
At a glance, it was no different from any other red-light district. You had your brothels and your soaplands, your hostess clubs with rows of adorable girls calling out to you or snaking an arm around your shoulder (thus establishing an underhook or overhook, the precursor to a powerful drag). Neon lights and LED displays showed both the sensational and the sensual, a heady mix of alcohol and perfume ever-present along streets and alleyways. Of course, where there were sex workers, there had to be stores that catered to less sexual needs. Flower shops to brighten up the stores, convenience stores and patisseries to fulfill a savory or a sweet tooth respectively; there were a surprising amount of amenities available. It was enough to convince one that regular people actually did live here, rather than just succubi and other sex-demons.
Of course, one would be remiss to ignore the ghostly flames that floated, jellyfish-like, within their paper-lantern vessels. And those same ghostly flames, so eye-catching, so unlike the harsh neon lights, drew ones gaze upwards too, to the crisscrossing pathways up above, that allowed clientele with heavier wallets and smaller balls to avoid traversing the alleyways altogether. This was the true Floating District, district upon a district, where wealth and power meshed with charm that could undo the most brilliant minds, where champagne towers rose two stories high, where artificial waterfalls and rivers, gardens and beasts, created the visage of a paradise built upon the backs of the common rabble.
It was perhaps a bit metaphorical, really.
"Well, welcome to the Floating District proper, Dezzie. How're you feeling?"