Reborn is so happy, he's radiating sunshine at everyone and it's vaguely threatening.
The other Arcobaleno are lined up in front of Reborn in their evening best while the hitman blatantly judges them. Not for their clothing choice, because they didn't get a choice, Reborn bought and then laid out their clothes for them.
Reborn still isn't completely content though because he scans Colonnello's white and silver streaked suit first and frowns. "I told you what watch to wear."
"That one is so clunky," Colonnello complains, tugging at his pearl cufflinks. He turns and the barely noticeable silver edging catches the light, becoming a soft accent piece.
"That one is a Lange and Sohne," Reborn deadpans. "Look at Viper – look at them drooling over the name. Go put the damn watch on."
Colonnello sighs but troops upstairs to find it.
Reborn turns to Lal next and pauses. "Are you…? Lift your dress."
Lal is in a deep blue dress the colour of her hair, floor length and long sleeved but off the shoulders. She refused the jewellery that was rust coloured like her eyes but her high heels are supposed to be black and strappy with a streak of Ferrari red underneath.
Lal fluffs her dress a little and says nothing.
"You're not wearing the heels," Reborn says.
"No one will notice-"
"I will notice," Reborn cuts in. "I have noticed. Fuck everyone else, you're doing this for me. Go put on the heels."
Lal rolls her eyes but heads towards the storage under the stairs, where Reborn keeps all of the fancy shoes he forces on people.
Reborn immediately starts in on Skull; fixing his hair, retying his bowtie and frowning at the piercings Skull snuck back on after Reborn took them out the first time. Skull is in a matte black waistcoat embroidered with anatomically correct skulls over his pale lilac shirt, all tucked in nicely.
Reborn leans back to take him in and can't quite stop himself. "Aw, so cute in your little bowtie," he coos, only half mocking. "Good boy. When we get back I'm burning your closet and buying you new clothes like this."
"Well most of my clothes are actually fire retardant-"
"Go out to the car," Reborn dismisses. "And don't mess up your hair, I just got it the way I like."
Colonnello comes back down in time to join Skull outside but Lal has sat herself down on the bottom step to put on the shoes, sleeves shoved up to her elbows, dress hiked up.
"Animal," Reborn mutters at her.
"If you wanted graceful then don't give me high heels," Lal retorts.
"Can I go now?" Verde complains.
Verde has one side of his hair slicked back, the other hanging over his face and brushing against his glasses. He's in white and black except for the velvet, deep green tailed coat. It's unstructured, which normally gives more of a soft look due to the lack of padding but Verde's broad shoulders are a thing of beauty.
Verde has a pocket watch chain hanging out of a breast pocket and Reborn even managed to wrestle a triple Windsor knot onto his tie, not to mention how much trouble it took Reborn to hold Verde down and get gel into that hair.
"I hate your lab coat," Reborn sighs, wistful. "Look how handsome you are when you dress up, actually clean shaven for once."
"I'm going," Verde deadpans and leaves the room with Lal following soon after.
Luce is perfect, in pale, ethereal blues and greens of her dress that only make her dual toned hair stand out even more. Her hair is braided in thin sections, wrapping around the back of her head and out to her ears in a waterfall down her back.
"Perfect as always," Reborn tells her. He leans in close. "Put on that dumb marshmallow of a hat and I'll kneecap you."
"Um, yes," Luce says like she wasn't thinking of doing exactly that as soon as she got out of Reborn's sight. Luce is still going to do it, but at least now she has forewarning. Luce quickly escapes.
Reborn steps up to Fon next, the martial artist in a blood red suit, the pants and jacket in a deep wine colour, the shirt a soft charcoal while the tie is a silky copper.
"Don't flex," Reborn says. "Don't you ever flex. If you rip a seam, I'm feeding you that suit jacket."
"I will do my utmost," Fon promises because the suit is really very tight compared to his normal clothes and sometimes Fon just likes to stretch.
"I'll hold you to that," Reborn swears and takes Fon's arm, heading outside with the others.
Viper's illusionary body is left in the room.
Reborn ushers Fon into the second car and goes back to the first where he drags Viper out by their cloak.
"Literally, do you have nothing better to do?" Viper complains.
"I bought you clothes," Reborn snaps.
"I'm wearing them," Viper sighs.
"With an illusion over the top!"
"This dressing up bullshit is for your entertainment anyway, I don't see why I have to embarrass myself for everyone else too."
Reborn purses his lips. "Show me."
Viper lets the illusion drop and Reborn hums happily. Viper is still wearing a half cloak, just the hood and a draping piece over their torso, but the rest is all shades of black and midnight blue.
Colonnello turns back from the driver's seat and scans Reborn through the open window. "I thought you'd change. Why are we doing this, when you're wearing the same as you always do?"
Reborn looks confused. "What? No? This is new. The suit is a slim fit, peak lapel with no vents. I've never worn hemmed pants before either."
Lal grimaces out of the windshield. "Don't let him start again."
Colonnello blinks. "Reborn, what does that even mean?"
Reborn hesitates. "Does it look bad?"
"No, it's fine. You're always handsome."
"Is it boring then?" Reborn asks, voice getting a bit of a wobble.
"Get in already," Viper says, something worryingly close to fond at hearing Reborn's theatrics, and slides back into the car, pulling Reborn in after them.
