”almost didn’t make it back?” she couldn’t be sure he was talking about the border. ”well, i’m glad to see you again, too, lance.”[break][break]
she would seem to be looking at him, but it might be hard to tell behind her deep black shades, the size of small saucers. she wasn’t fully facing him, either, coolly angled towards the rest of the world to people-watch.[break][break]
”oh, i was a poor girl when i lived in veilstone, babe—but i’d be much less excited if you slid a bowl of potato soup my way.” her smile practically glowed at him in spite of the netted shadow cast by her fascinator. ”i appreciate the thought; it’s very sweet.”[break][break]
”so, what can i do for you?”

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

"don't mention it."[break][break]

he's always found it difficult to try to find her gaze behind her deep black shades so he stopped trying long ago and assumed she's just always looking at him.[break][break]

"there's no one better in the business than you, vel, which you already know."[break][break]

pulling out a folder, he places it on the table and offers it to her.[break][break]

"what do you think about our current uniforms?"[break][break]

in the folder are pictures of their current designs. some are orange, red, or green, and they all vary in terms of design and aesthetic.

[attr="class","ooc"]velda glaus[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shedinja"]

”well, thank you.”[break][break]
then, his question caught her off guard.[break][break]
”the ranger uniforms?” velda laughed.[break][break]
”the new ones aren’t bad, honestly. i love a good bodysuit-jacket combo.”[break][break]
did lance vollans demand designer? is that where this was going? he’d perhaps be hard-pressed to convince her to put her name on government-issued attire.[break][break]
”why do you ask?”
bold espresso was sipped lightly from a demitasse before she set it back on the table.

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

"i was thinking of getting them redesigned."[break][break]

he returns with a chuckle of his own.[break][break]

"they look a bit bland to me. the colors are nice and it's practical but that's about it."[break][break]

to be fair, what more does it need to be?

[attr="class","ooc"]velda glaus[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shedinja"]

”i see.”[break][break]
lance vollans did demand designer, apparently.[break][break]
”bland...” the word echoed from her lips in a note that went nowhere obvious. her eyes finally left the furfrou and turned on him again, this time her shoulders squaring more attentively in the captain’s direction.[break][break]
”i must say, i appreciate your desire for the finer things, but i never imagined being commissioned by the league.”[break][break]
her espresso came up to her lips and she sipped, not continuing until she’d set it back down onto its petite saucer.[break][break]
”a part of me finds it exciting. the other part is inclined to tell you ‘no’, for the sake of my business.” velda wasn’t openly anti-league, but many of her clients were. not to mention, the other ways it could devalue her brand.

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

steam continues to rise from his latte.[break][break]

"what do you mean? i imagine it would be good pr for your business. being aligned with the league and all."[break][break]

though he plays coy, he knows that there are some reasons why people might not want to align themselves with the league.[break][break]

he sighs over his latte.[break][break]

"what's it going to take, vel?"

[attr="class","ooc"]velda glaus[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shedinja"]

”that’s debatable.”[break][break]
though sugarless, it was juxtaposed by a professional smile.[break][break]
” well i can’t do it for money, can i?” tax money, she figured. surely it wasn’t in the league’s budget, which raised the question as to whether or not this was just lance’s own idea.[break][break]
”unless you’re paying for it. otherwise, i’ll just take an I.O.U.”[break][break]
she sipped.[break][break]
”sounds fun."

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

"why not? i'd pay, of course. unless you think i don't have the budget."[break][break]

which may be fair. he's unfamiliar with the costs associated with her services as he never handled the finances in the past. just signed the papers and all that.[break][break]

"but let's go with an iou."[break][break]

he grins, then quickly moves on.[break][break]

"what do you need from my end to start?"

[attr="class","ooc"]velda glaus[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shedinja"]

”i don’t think the league has it in their budget, and i wouldn’t take money from them, anyways.” there was a quick pinch at the corners of painted lips, a tight red smile wrapping up her candor.[break][break]
what did velda need to start? the same thing she needed from all of her clients, of course.[break][break]
”nothing, really, except, tell me this: what does being a ranger mean to you?”

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

"i believe the league does but the rangers definitely don't."[break][break]

the chuckle he gives is mostly to himself as not many would know of the rangers' budget situation. even now, it persists, or at least he's been told it does.[break][break]

her question has him thinking for a moment but it becomes clear he's confused.[break][break]

"like, in general, or?"

[attr="class","ooc"]velda glaus[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shedinja"]

“that’s no secret, dear.”[break][break]
sip.[break][break]
“yes—but don’t tell me it’s to protect people, or pokémon. that’s boring. i want to know what’s deeper. why do you do it? how does it make you feel?”[break][break]
velda tended to ask questions without acknowledgement of boundaries. it was her job to pry at people, to discover them. to properly dress someone, you had to start with the naked form.[break][break]
”i like to know who and what i’m designing for.” and she liked to think that was part of what set her work apart.

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]

his mouth opens to retort with something sarcastic but he silences himself, deciding to just accept it because doing otherwise would be of no use.[break][break]

"fair enough."[break][break]

a sip of his coffee buys him time to think.[break][break]

"being a ranger is...familiar. it's rewarding, sure, but that's not the main reason why i do it."[break][break]

he continues.[break][break]

"i wouldn't know what else i'd be doing otherwise. the thrill of it keeps me hooked."

[attr="class","ooc"]velda glaus[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shedinja"]

how sad. she would make him a vest, then. armless, because without the rangers, the real lance didn't know what to do with his hands. symbolism. gorgeous.[break][break]
but wait. they already had a vest. no matter. she would make a better one. a real glaus upgrade.[break][break]
she stared at him, fingers lingering around the ear of her demitasse in silence, before eventually, ”how do you feel about chrome silver? or is reflective gear off the table?” that would be very disappointing.

[attr="class","ooc"]LANCE VOLLANS [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-gothita"]