"Work, then play," Viridian answers.

As they were walking down one of the streets, he spotted a clothing store called Fifth Avenue even though it was on a street called Axon's Dodge.

It looked rather upscale by the looks of the suit and the tuxedo displayed in the window.

"These places always get me. You have to look upscale before you can go in and buy something that would make you look upscale! I wonder if they have delivery service? 'One size fits all' is no longer the joke it used to be. At this tech level, any suit is probably self adjusting to the wearer."

"So, let's say we're getting a suit for Captain Varca. We'll kick the idea around a bit and then decide that this isn't what he'd want."

He leads the others in the door and immediately starts looking around at all the items on display on shelves... not that any of it means anything to him.

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 41):

Teddy follows. Not sure what Viridian has up his sleeve, he'll play along with it.

"See captain, just a bit of patience and fuel for our minds to work, and suddenly our astute companion 'as a brilliant plan. Of course I must admit, we'd probably fit in better among the 'igher end places if we weren't wearing our armor, but I'd quite like to keep myself bereft of bullet holes while we're 'ere. And 'oo knows, maybe we can find an upgrade or two while we're there?" Rayjay added with a chuckle after the pair had finished their meals.

Regarding the plan Rayjay nods in agreement. "Indeed, per'aps something flamboyant and befitting a soon to be Pirate Admiral?" The older gunner suggested with a throaty laugh.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 43):

"Varca would make a great pirate leader, me, not so much. I'm too wishy-washy. Hell Zhouth would make a good pirate leader, don't think I do much good for the image at all, not mean enough."

"Oh! Brilliant idea, Teddy!" Viridian suddenly blurts out.

"We're not trying to get a gift for the Admiral--we're buying a captain's outfit for Teddy! But, we don't want to upstage the Admiral! That gives us a valid reason to ask about him."

"Good job, Teddy. I knew there was a reason we made you captain!"

He promptly leads the others into one of the finer clothing stores.

"Yes, yes, I understand that," he begins babbling at Teddy as they enter the shop. "Nothing too flashy, but also nothing on the other end. Candy frosted metallic electric sky-blue pink is all fine and dandy for an aircar, but you don't want your uniform to look like that! True, it'd probably make it harder for someone to assassinate you because you'd be hard to look at, but it would also make it hard for your crew to... ummm, look at you... and take you seriously! No, really!"

"Scientific studies have shown that the cerebral cortex has a hard time processing exuberant and flashy colors. Gets back to the fight-or-flight instinct. Color usually means danger. With a helluva lot of training and conditioning, you can get over it, but it still can cause problems with you visual processor."

"The other end is looking too austere. An all black uniform would stand out almost as much as the pink one, making you look dark and sinister and dangerous. Could be a good thing most of the time, but not when we meet the Admiral."

"Possibly gray. Somewhat the same effect as black, just not as extreme. What are Drinax's colors again? Burgundy and gold? I suppose that would work on Drinax. Here... not so sure. Maybe a two-tone scheme... burgundy and navy blue, perhaps, with a few gold accents and accessories."

"My good man," he addresses the salesperson. "Our captain here would like a new uniform, one that would be suitable for meeting the Admiral. What was his name again, Captain Vespin?"

"What can you recommend? Nothing too flashy. Wouldn't want to upstage the Admiral now, would we?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 45):

"How about Tan and Black? Tan with black accents and gold piping, like a planetary navy would wear? What do you suggest?" he asks the salesperson.

"But doesn't silver outrank gold in most navies?" Rayjay added from behind, thinking about what sort of uniforms a self proclaimed pirate king or admiral might wear. Perhaps reds, blacks, and golds, if they hadn't a sense of taste at all or an understanding of naval rank structure. "And what about navy blue? Generally can't go wrong with that color."

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 47):

"Gold outranks silver. Blue would work too, might look like a navy uniform."

"Greetings, Gentlebeings," the salesman says as he steps forward after assessing whether you were serious customers or just lookie-loos.

"Are you looking for a formal dress uniform for Captain McFarlane, or an ordinary dress uniform? Only formal dress uniforms use piping. Otherwise, it makes you look presumptive. And you definitely don't want a bright color as that not only draws attention to you but it makes you a target."

He then calls up a holographic image of Teddy just as he appears at the moment. He manipulates his wrist comm and the image is now dressed in a tan uniform.

"I would suggest adding a navy blue shoulder panel. Or black, if you prefer. Then perhaps top it off with a ballistic weave jacket in navy blue."

"Were you planning on wearing a hat with it? Or display any awards?"

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 49):

"Go with black over blue for the shoulder boards, I'll be displaying awards! Dark blue shoulder cape, or black Vir? RayJay? Give me feedback."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:21, Wed 03 Nov 2021.

"For a formal uniform I t'ink?" Rayjay said to the salesman before confirming with his Captain. "T'e Captain 'as a meeting wit' t'e Admiral after all." Before looking the display over.

"What sorts of 'ats do you 'ave?" Rayjay asked, curious if any would fit the display so far, with the mostly tan and navy blue uniform shown.

"A cape might be swanky, just for formal events of course. And I t'ink black, maybe wit' a navy blue lining would be best? 'elp add a little color wit'out looking two tone." He offered.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 51):

"HMMM, Excellent idea RayJay, a dark blue lining in a black cape for color! Excellent! Vir?"

"I guess that's okay," Viridian replies. "Not really my style. I'd probably go with a reversible cape. Maybe put stars on the inside."

"Apparently, they have a 3D haberdasher printer. They can print any type of hat you want. There are over 200 styles of hat! I know! How about a red fez? I'm pretty sure no one else will have one! People will be so busy staring at the fez they won't even notice the rest of your uniform."

"Do you actually have awards? The ribbons or medals for them? I don't think the ones given by Fat Oleb are going to impress anyone. Maybe those given by the crew. We never did decide on what the ribbons would look like. The printer can print them up here."

"Which is a rather amusing term. We still call it a printer, even though it's gone so far beyond that."

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 53):

"Excellent Vir! I had a few from the Empire, they won't impress Darokyn though"

"I'm not exactly sure who'd be responsible for them... maybe the Purser? Or the Quartermaster?" Viridian replied.

"Not counting the Imperium medals, I think your count was up to ten."

"I was thinking red-and-gold for the Conspicuous Gallantry medal. Is red-and-green a bit much for the Christmas Campaign medal?"

"And then I was thinking black-silver-orange for the Distinguished Service Star."

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 55):

"Ah, a man that keeps track of those around him! I bet you even know my birthday!"

"False glory aside, 'at wise I feel a lopsided beret might be best, portable and stylish. Could keep it red if you like t'e fez idea, ot'erwise somet'ing traditional? Or per'aps even 'istorical? A tri or bicorn per'aps?" Rayjay said with a smile imaging the captain looking something like a cross between modern and age of sail privateer.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 57):

"A red beret would be stylish. Good idea."

"How much for the uniform? I need it as soon as possible, can you deliver it to my ship? The Vultan? Give him the dock it's on Viridian, I can't remember the number."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:25, Fri 12 Nov 2021.

"Fez out. Baseball cap out. Good call on the beret, Rayjay," Viridian responds.

He gives the ship's docking bay to the proprietor, though it was doubtful if any business would let a minor thing like a lack of a bay number keep them from doing business.

"I'm kind of partial to a raspberry beret, but I suppose it should match the rest of the uniform. For formal attired, it should match the trim. For duty, it should match the base color."

After the purchase was made, the three of them headed out of the shop and on down the street to the next name-dropping location, which turned out to be a bakery.

"I don't remember this being here before. I'm not sure what it signifies. Even if the Admiral doesn't frequent Bolton's Bakery, it wouldn't surprise me if one of his aides or entourage didn't. That'd be a quick way to get word to the Admiral."

"Teddy... remember anything that the Admiral was partial to? How about a black velvet maple bacon donut cakes? Cosmic chocolate pie? Insidious root beer buns?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 60):

"I like the Raspberry Beret, make it so."

He loved Bavarian Creme doughnuts, messy as they are, they're delicious."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:36, Tue 16 Nov 2021.

The custom uniform that was finally settled on for Teddy has a 1,500Cr price tag, but that included all the bells-and-whistles... medal ribbons, trim, beret, boots, and custom tailoring (which was done via laser scanning). It was all going to be made on the Zekron 3000 3D Fabric Printer right there in the shop.

The items displayed for sale in the bakery included doughnuts of many types, including a daily 'special' (which today was a strawberry creme filled doughnut), cookies, cakes, breads, and breakfast pastries. Other things could be ordered special.

When Ghent had decided to blow some steam on Theev after turning down the Captain's chair of one of the Merchant Marine's freighters, he wasn't expecting to let loose at the level of carousing he'd been living these last few days.

The dishevelled ex-1st Officer, squinted at the sudden change in lighting as he exited the building and into Theev's bustling streets with a girl on each arm, his shirt half-in and half-out of his trousers as he considered his next move. One of them spoke up in a dialect he didn't quite understand, and Ghent absentmindedly scratched at his 3 o'clock shadow where some red lipstick outed him as having been a little less formal with the ladies as he normally would have been.

As next moves went, all Ghent knew is that he was hungry. "Sorry, girly... I can't hear a thing after all that loud music. I have no idea what you're asking about, but the smell of fresh baked goods has me convinced that that's all I need right now.. Thanks," he said as the trio of them pushed past the patrons in the bakery.

He considered the day's special, grumbled about too many strawberries and not enough after 'booze-binge' remedies, so he decided to stumble towards the display case.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 63):

"Pardon us, we were here first, please step away from there." Teddy looks to RayJay and Vir for confirmation. Though he did not wish to wreck the place, he was adamant about it.

"What is a Bavarian anyway? Besides a type of donut apparently." Rayjay asked, curious as to the origin of the word and what it signified besides something from Bavaria. Was it perhaps a species of crème filled donut loving aliens?

However as soon as his mind began to solve such a deep and profound conundrum, another presented itself, this one in the form of some disheveled drunkard stumbling into the bakery and making their way to the head of the line, if there was even a line to begin with. "Indeed Captain, I know not t'e quality of baked goods 'ere, yet, but I doubt t'ey are wort' starting an incident over, wouldn't you agree, stranger?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:01, Tue 16 Nov 2021.