Kyoko put her arm around the young girl. It was a calm and gentle motion, meant to be reassuring. She looked down at Lei.

"I'm not angry that you're late, Lei. And it's not very lady-like to lie. You don't have to tell me where you were. Just, next time, try and tell me you will be late. It's polite and doesn't keep me waiting."

Kyoko smiled at the girl, despite her many misgivings with some of the crew, Kyoko did care about them all, well, Dake was questionable, but then, he hadn't exactly been here that long...

Lei's eyes became as wide as saucers when Kyoko lightly berated her for lying.  Lei was a smart girl but she was still a child in many ways and her slightly guilty look was that donned by kids all around the 'verse when they were caught in a lie.  Luckily Lei's was a harmless one.

_{"Sorry ..."} she mumbled quietly and allowed Kyoko to usher her into the room and towards the terminal where she normally did her lessons.

Kyoko nodded to Lei.

"Apology accepted."

She watched as Lei flicked on the terminal. Kyoko had set up a learning program that involved more complex math and science. She hoped this would actually challenge Lei a bit, because it had given Kyoko more than her fair share of mental fits trying to understand it when she had been required to learn it.

Kyoko wondered just what she was going to do when Lei aced her way through the extent of Kyoko's education...that was going to be an interesting day...

<from Destiny Cargo bay)
Wei-Li paused at the door to Kyoko's shuttle, allowing herself to catch her breath.  It wouldn't do to be a bad example... at least not in Kyoko's domain.

Once she drew a deep breath, she knocked on the hatch door.

"Kyoko? She called.  It's me again..."

Kyoko's eyes opened at Wei-Li's knock.

She'd been sitting in front of a small table that had an ornate mirror, various incenses lit, and several perfume and makeup bottles neatly organized. She'd been meditating. What was interesting was what Kyoko was meditating upon. Mainly what hair style she thought would look best for the next round of clients. But there had also been makeup pairings thrown in there for good measure. Kyoko did this often when Lei was studying as it was a quiet thing to do that would easily allow her to supervise the young girl...who was rapidly flying through a standard grade school curriculum. At this rate, Kyoko was going to have to start throwing advanced college courses at Lei.

For some reason, the companion doubted the petite girl would have trouble with that.

Kyoko exhaled softly, rising to her feet and gracefully moving over to the hatch. She looked back at Lei. "Stay focused on your studies. You still have an hour left." She opened the hatch to see Wei-Li standing there. Her eyebrow quirked, but she gestured for the woman to enter."Hi. How can I be of assistance?"

Wei-Li practically beamed with joy, and impish smile on her face.  Geoff might be totally confusing her at this point-- but there was no way she was going to let that dampen her spirit when it came to Charlie and Rhaef getting to spend some time together.

"Rhaef has asked Charlie out... nothing too... anything but... "

She smiled and looked towards the engine room.  "She's washing up now... and we were wondering if you could help her with her hair..."

Wei-Li bit her lip, giving Kyoko a hopeful look.  Her own primping experience was more oriented towards either being on stage performing or trying to blend in to the point of not being noticed... and while she had outfits that would look good on Charlie-- when it came to hair and such, Kyoko was a far better choice.

Kyoko's eyes took a certain shine to them as soon as Wei-Li mentioned a makeover. She smiled sweetly. "Of course, I'd be more than happy to help. I've been incredibly ready for something like this." In truth, Kyoko was happy to have someone else to doll up. She'd done far too much of it recently.

It'd be good practice.

Kyoko looked around as another thought registered. "Um...where is our dear Charlie?" It would be very hard to have a makeover without the makeover-ee.

<From Destiny: Cargo Bay via the Bathroom>

"Ah'm righ'here." Charlie said, entering the shuttle, her damp hair still up in a towel from taking a quick shower to get all the grime and grease off.  Usually a futile effort as she was typically covered in it again within minutes.  This time, however, she was going to take careful measures not to.

"Wei-Li, tell ya?  Cap'n says'ah'm 'llowed ta go with Rhaef on'is recon so we're makin'a date'o'it.  'Course ah'ain't been'n nothin'so fancy as'a date'n ah'dunno how long.  Ah'm feelin'ah'wanna get this righ' though.  Who knows'ow long 'til we get'a go'on one'gain." Charlie smiled sheepishly with a little shrug.  Aside from Lei, Charlie was sure she was the most naive one here when it came to prettying up.  Living in a house full of brothers hadn't helped one wit in making her ladylike and most of the time she couldn't care less.

In fact, she wasn't sure why she cared so much now.  Rhaef had seen her traipsing about in grease stained coveralls for years now and he somehow had come to like her anyway.  It was silly, Charlie knew, but for once she wanted him to see her like a real woman.

Kyoko, in typical fashion, shushed Charlie and winked at her. "My dear, you should embrace every chance to doll yourself up. Especially with structure such as yours." Kyoko ushered Charlie over to makeup table she'd just left, nodding for Wei-Li to follow. "So what were you thinking? Did you want to catch everyone's attention? Something loud and dramatic? Or were you thinking more demure and subtle?"

Wei-Li hesitated for a moment-- she still wanted to have a serious heart to heart with Geoff, but she also wanted to wait.

She paused, then winked.  "I'll be right back," she said as she thought of the perfect outfit for Charlie, something that was both comfortable and had just a little classy slink to it.

-> To Kyoko's Shuttle by way of her quarters->  (Inserting a pause here before she comes back with a few outfits to try including something comfortable, classy with just a touch of slink)
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 19:01, Wed 30 Apr 2014.

Charlie found herself being ushered over to a petite table covered in delicate little containers, most of which Charlie had no idea what they were used for.  Charlie had worn lipstick once at her brothers' wedding and had ended up wiping if off by the end of the event because her brothers wouldn't stop making fun of her for it.  She laughed as Kyoko began listing off certain 'looks' she could help create.

"Ah'm jus'goin' on'a date.  Nothin'ta fancy or'ah wouldn'know what'a do wi'm'self."

Kyoko sighed. Of course Charlie wouldn't want anything complicated. Which was such a damn shame because the woman would look so amazing. Kyoko pursed her lips for a moment before grabbed what she felt was the necessary makeup. And she got to work.

It didn't take overly long, given Charlie's plea for simplicity. The perfect lipstick, concealer, blush, eye shadow. Kyoko sighed as she wrapped up. She wanted to do more, but she was going to show some restraint, for Charlie's sake.

Still, Charlie looked like a new woman. Kyoko stood back, admiring her handiwork, waiting for Wei-Li to come back so she could hear praise about the job she'd just done.

Wei-Li paused at the hatchway to catch her breath.  She knew it wasn't lady-like to run-- then again it wasn't lady-like to bounce off of walls or swing from loading equipment, but for Kyoko she at least tried to behave.

She ducked her head into the hatchway and saw that Kyoko was just finishing up. "Is it safe?" she called gently teasing as she entered carrying several outfits for Charlie to try.

Charlie blinked a few times at her reflection in the mirror.  Looking back at her was a clear faced woman, no grease spots or dirt or anything, with large dark brown eyes and long lashes.  Her cheeks had a soft glow to them, as did her lips. Charlie had never seen herself like this before and yet somehow it did still look like her.

"Oh geez, ah'ma ..." she blinked again and leaned in towards the mirror and laughed just a little, "Ah'm not even knowin'wha'ta say.  Ah'mean, who knew this'was under'all tha'grease'n stuff?"

Kyoko had been wanting to do a makeover on Charlie for years now and here she was, "Ah'don even have my'hair done'r fancy clothes on'r'nothin' an'ah'm already feelin'like a princess."

She was also feeling a little nervous.  Charlie always tried to blend into the background, she just didn't see how she was going to do that now.

Hearing no screams of fear, shock or murder... Wei-Li entered and then froze when she saw Charlie.  Her eyes lit up and her ready smile widened until it looked like she was going to burst.

"Absolutely perfect!"

She'd known Charlie was beautiful and she knew Kyoko knew her way around make-up but this was... the perfect combination of enhancing Charlie's natural beauty without looking like she's had a face painted on her.

Charlie blushed at Wei-li's words and shrugged her shoulders like she always did, "Ah, yer'jus'sayin' things." But there was a hint of a smile on her lips that gave away that she enjoyed the compliment.

She turned around and tilted her head at Lei - she knew out of everyone she was the most likely to give an honest opinion, "Alrigh'Lei, giv'i t'me straight.  How'ah look?"

Lei sheepishly looked up from her lessons. She was attempting to heed Kyoko's command to stay focused on her studies, only occasionally peeking to see what they were doing to Charlie. When Charlie addressed her directly, Lei blushed, but turned around fully.

She paused for a moment, her mind processing that it was in fact Charlie, although the woman looked completely different. The diminutive girl smiled her approval, then walked over to Wei-Li, sifting through the dresses the woman held. She stopped at a crimson colored number. "This one. You should wear this one."

Charlie beamed at the young girl as she took the crimson dress that Lei had pulled out from Wei-Li's things.  She held it up, studying the folds of fabric.  Although the color was far more outrageous then anything Charlie had worn before the dress itself was simple enough - and the color made her think of the vibrant streets of Paquin where Wei-Li hailed from and possibly Charlie's favorite planet to visit, so there was that.

She pressed the dress up against her body and looked into Kyoko's mirror.  It would cling tightly to her top but the neckline wasn't too low and the bottom flowed away from the waist to about the knee.  It probably fell just a tiny bit shorter on Wei-Li who was just about an inch taller then Charlie but otherwise they were almost the same build.  Charlie was glad that Wei-Li was there because nothing of Kyoko's would have fit her, what with her long legs and womanly curves.

"Ah think this's a good choice, Lei." she ruffled the other girls hair and looked to Wei-Li and Kyoko, "Thank'ya'll."

The next twenty minutes consisted of Charlie getting her hair dried and curled loosely around her shoulders - which was all sorts of strange for Charlie who almost never wore her hair down, and slipping into the crimson dress which did end up fitting her perfectly.  Soon enough she was dressed and ready to meet up with Rhaef for their outing.

"Well, this's it.  Ah'know it's silly'n'all ... but'ah'm kinda nervous."  she shrugged her shoulders, "Ah'mean, ah'know it's jus'Rhaef'n we'been knowin'chother a long time now ... but this's different. y'know?"

Wei-Li's eyes twinkled when she saw the dress on Charlie.  She had to admit she'd had her doubts, mostly because of the color, but Lei was right, it was a good color for the woman.

She nodded her approval and then thought about Charlie's footware.  She tilted her head.  "If you'd like-- I have a pair of dance shoes... they're almost like going barefoot, only dressier... "

Without further adieu, she headed back to her quarters to retrieve said shoes.

--> To Wei-Li's room and back again.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:07, Mon 05 May 2014.

Kyoko simply stood back and admired the group's handiwork. Charlie looked radiant, and Kyoko didn't want to say anything that would make the girl unnecessarily nervous. Kyoko smiled at Charlie. "Stop worrying so much. Just go and have fun with Rhaef. Okay?"

Wei-Li simply smiled and nodded.  "You look amazing."

"Well, s'pose there's nothin'lef't do now but go'an meet'im." Charlie took one last look in the mirror and her drastically changed reflection.  A fairy princess, that's what she looked like.  Her brothers would laugh but her Mama would have been proud and her little sisters would have danced around begging to have a pretty dress too.  She could practically see them all.  Of course, the image was all wrong.  Her sisters weren't all that young anymore and none of her brothers lived at home.  But that was how she remembered them right now.  They were pretty pictures from her past.

She looked to the door then and thought about Rhaef.  With his strong shoulders and steady gaze, and that little half smile he wore only for her.  Her picture of him was so much clearer and vibrant and full of hope for the future.  Who would have guessed that out in the black she'd find someone that she'd grow to love?  Even if it so often brought tears as well the good times always made up for it.

"Here goes." she said and stepped out of the shuttle.

<To Destiny: Dining Hall>

Kyoko held her encouraging smile as Charlie left. In Kyoko's opinion, the woman should really consider "dolling up" more often, she was rather stunning when she did.

As soon as the mechanic left Kyoko's shuttle, the companion's gaze fell back to Lei. "Ahem…you still have half an hour to go, back to your studies, please." Kyoko looked over to Wei-Li and smiled softly. "You're more than welcome to stay, though you may find us a rather boring pair. She studies, I meditate…sort of. I suppose I could make tea…"

Lei looked guiltily over at Kyoko. She'd gotten so wrapped up in the transformation that had just happened. Lei had never seen such a drastic change in a person. It seemed like, one moment, there was normal Charlie right there in front of her. Kyoko had obscured her for a few minutes, then Wei-Li brought fancy clothing...and suddenly, Charlie had blossomed. She had transformed. She'd become more.

It amazed Lei. It would require further thought.

...after her studies.

The slip of a girl returned to her learning terminal and resumed her lesson.

Wei-Li smiled and bowed courteously, her eyes twinkling.  "Somehow," she began.  "I doubt my idea of meditation would be conducive to either yours or Lei's studies."

She meant it.  Hanging from rafters and or swinging from ropes, or walking across them were not really anybody other than an acrobat's idea of meditation.  Part of her wanted to go and talk to Geoff, but another part wanted to find her center-- and if her center was over the middle of the cargo bay-- so be it.

"Thank you, both," she added to include Lei in her gratitude.  "Charlie is indeed, stunning... and you were able to bring that out of her in ways I never could."

She was happy for Charlie and Rhaef.  If anyone deserved a break around here-- it was those two.  She bowed and took her leave.

---> To Destiny Wei-Li's quarters.