Ky had never expected two hours to pass in such a blur.
After they left the Mantis, Ky had brought her to a small shop in the heart of Kaas City's shopping district. Mako had told her the Holonet was abuzz with stories about this particular shop, and how it seemed to work 'miracles'. Ky wasn't totally convinced, yet she wasn't about to ruin her friend's fun, so she allowed Mako to guide her through the streets of Kaas City until they found the shop.
Upon reaching their destination, Ky entered first, and was instantly taken aback by the wares it contained; racks of gorgeous gowns in every color imaginable, tables and cases filled with jewels, an entire vanity covered with cosmetics and perfumes...it was all enough to make her head swim. One of the tables alone appeared to hold enough jewels for her to live on for a year without taking contracts. Even her own mother didn't own a third of what this shop had available!
They had only been inside for a few minutes when Madame Ricell, the matronly shop owner, emerged from the back room with her four assistants. Once they were informed about the reason for the hunters' visit, the group went to work. Ky found herself whisked from one spot to the next like she was trapped in a sandstorm on Tatooine.
She was first taken to the racks of gowns, where she was asked what color and style she was seeking. Remembering Gault's advice, she asked for a gown in dark green, in any style. There was murmuring amongst the assistants for a few moments before the one called Nera explained that, although dark green was out of fashion for that season, she was sure Madame had a few gowns from the prior season in that shade.
"I will be more than happy to look in our storage for a gown that will be perfect for you, Miss," Nera said. Ky gave a nod, and the young woman disappeared into the dimly-lit back area.
Though her next stop should have been the jewelry tables, Ky declined politely. The silver circlet she already wore, along with the necklace she kept tucked beneath her armor, seemed sufficient enough adornments for the evening. Jenae, the assistant who was most experienced with jewelry, requested permission to polish the pieces; after a moment of thought, Ky removed both and handed them to the eager girl. As she sat down to begin cleaning, another assistant carrying an exquisite silver bracelet walked past Ky. Instantly, the young hunter stopped her, picking up the bracelet and fastening it around her wrist. Both Mako and the other girl oohed and aahed over it, and at Ky's nod the bracelet was quickly removed and whisked away for Jenae to polish up as well.
Her final stop in the shop was the well-stocked makeup table. Once Ky was seated, Madame sent over her last assistant, a willowy Twi'lek girl called Seb'ia. She gently ran a comb through Ky's deep red hair, tugging and twisting it into a style that would flatter the young hunter's face. Once finished, she then moved in front of Ky. She took each of Ky's hands, smoothing a cream over them to soften the skin. Years of built-up callouses acquired from fighting would not simply vanish in a minute, but she was able to work most of them until they were smoother. When she was satisfied with their condition, she stepped aside to allow Madame to apply the cosmetics she had carefully selected.
"You see, my dear," Madame explained as she smoothed a light cream over Ky's skin, "Here in my shop, my assistants and I have taken a vow. Any woman who walks through our door shall be pampered and transformed into a lady so fine she should be the talk of Kaas City." Ky would have responded, except that Madame gently hovered two fingers in front of her lips, indicating she should remain silent for the time being.
Mako, who had spent the entire time sitting in a chair near the window, looked around the shop. "Excuse me, Madame Ricell, but why are there no mirrors in your shop?" she asked.
"It is not that there are no mirrors, young one," Madame answered, dabbing a brush into a pigmented powder, "It is simply that they remain hidden until the time is right to unveil them. You see, my assistants and I are as artists. We work in pigments, scents, and jewels, but we create masterpieces nonetheless. When I first opened my shop, I had many mirrors in plain view of my clients. I soon found, however, that their visions of how they desired to look conflicted with my own. My visions are fragile things, you know. Quite easy to damage with too many conflicts."
She paused briefly to mix a few things together, then began to work a mixture of powder and cream along the scars on Ky's face. "It was then I decided to hide my mirrors when clients are present. That way, my girls and I can work our magic without interference. It appears to have worked well, as I have yet to have an unhappy customer when the time comes for the unveiling."
She had just finished applying lip color when Nera reappeared, holding a long, flat package in her arms. Madame clapped her hands with joy, then crossed the room to take the box from her assistant.
"Well done, Nera! I knew entrusting you with knowledge of my gowns was a wise decision." She set the box on a nearby table and opened it, revealing the rich emerald folds of fabric within. Nera quickly removed the gown and its accessories from the box, hanging them behind an opaque screen. When ready, she leaned out from behind the screen and gestured for Ky to join her. Ky looked over at Mako, who nodded and gestured for her to do as the girl asked.
Once Ky was safely behind the screen, Madame and Seb'ia worked to unveil the large mirror in the center of the room. It was not an easy task, for the mirror was cloaked in heavy draperies to block all light and reflections, thus requiring the two women to be careful not to damage the mirror. They were successfully removing the last layer of drapery when Ky emerged from behind the screen.
"What do you think, dear?" Madame Ricell stepped aside to allow her to approach the mirror. "I told you we could make a lady out of you, even for only one night."
Ky gasped softly as she saw her reflection, saw the magic the shopkeeper and her assistants had worked on her. "Is..." she stammered. "Is that...me? I look...I look so different." Slowly, she approached her reflection, turning in a slow circle to see the entire dress. That dress was everything she hated about dresses: too snug on her torso, cut low enough to expose cleavage, a skirt long enough to stumble on were she careless...
And she loved it. Gault had been right, dark green was definitely her color. Jenae approached with her jewelry, and with a nod from Ky the pieces were quickly back to where they were when their owner had entered the shop.
Ky approached the mirror for a closer look at her makeup and hair. She typically kept her hair short, all the better to fit it under a helmet. But Seb'ia had done wonders with it, all the same. Strands of her bangs framed her face, while the rest had been smoothed back into a sleek style. Her makeup was completely flawless, and she found herself unconsciously reaching up a hand to touch her left cheek.
"Be careful, dear. You wouldn't want to smear the powder, would you?"
Shaking her head, Ky continued to study her reflection. She couldn't remember the last time she had worn cosmetics, maybe it was one of the times her mother had tried to arrange a marriage. Being exposed to the elements as a bounty hunter meant makeup of any kind would last all of an hour, so she eschewed it. Staring at her reflection, she wondered if that was a wise decision.
As she studied her face, she saw what Madame Ricell had done. Removing the scars and metal hardware on the left side of her face and jaw would have been impossible, so she had worked around them. The hardware had been cleaned of grime, and now it sparkled like onyx against her pale skin. The scars had been blended over with a mixture of powder and cream, which was then smoothed to closely match the texture of her skin. The scars could still be seen, but they were far less pronounced-looking.
Feeling tears in her eyes, she turned to Madame. "It all makes me look so beautiful," she whispered. "Thank you."
Nera shook her head. "No, Miss," she replied. "The dress, the cosmetics, the jewels...they are simply 'things'. Things that augment the beauty of the one wearing them."
Ky was about to reply when Mako stood up abruptly. "Ky! I can't believe it's this late," she said. "We need to head back before Torian and Gault start wondering what happened to us." She quickly crossed the room, picking up Ky's civilian clothing. Reaching into the pocket of the pants, she produced the credit chit and handed it to Madame Ricell.
Madame scrutinized it for a moment before turning and handing it to Nera. "You are paid in full," she said simply. "I hope you enjoy your evening with your young man."