IC | Dread Spider Fashions | VoidTreckers

[kumoko]

[ Pinned to the ICPs on most of the more frequented carriages is a new poster!

Tired of your train uniform?, it asks.

Want to look super cute? Want to wear something that isn't a hoodie?

Commission an outfit from Dread Spider Fashions

See Dread to discuss prices!

Magical enhancements available.

Along the base of the poster, a series of perforated tabs offer Special Newbie Voucher: one outfit for one bag of snacks! Only available for new heroes! ]

Comments

March 2nd, before the party.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[It's two weeks in before Nita shows up with the requisite bag of snacks.

She looks nervous, but not because of the spider.]

... I'm not even sure what to ask for, 'Mela doesn't even think I have a regular fashion sense, but what does she know about floppy shirts...

Anyway, ah, something practical, please? With pockets.

[kumoko]

[ She'd originally decided to only extend her offer to brand new people, but. You know what? She got it! Sometimes you were busy, or you didn't want to talk to the giant spider lurking in the rear of the train. So she just nods when Nita shows up, and pulls out the notepad onto which she's forced various people to draw outfit words and sketches.

You know, because. Well. Talking?

She points to the top of the first page, which reads STYLE? in red crayon.

And then leafs to another page, this time headed CUTE AND PRACTICAL OUTFITS FOR THE MODERN MAGE in green crayon and different handwriting.

About half of the page is pictures of hats. ]

after the party

[blue_ice]

[ This must be the spider he met. So she did make clothes...just not those horrid ones. How strange. He approaches the dressing car with voucher and snacks in hand, curiously looking around as he enters. ]

So you do make clothing. Just not those hideous things they stuck you with.

[kumoko]

[ Now that the party is over, all of the dressing furniture has re-sealed itself and there's no sign of the crimes against fashion and sensibility that graced it earlier that day. Hanging up instead are two half-finished outfits for Black team - soft, dark hoodies and grey shorts, still awaiting their final reshaping and enchanting. To one side is a personal project, a copy of a cultivator's outer robe to which she is steadily adding gleaming, magical threads.

Eat your heart out, Hou Jian!

But hey, it's Mr Tall, Handsome and Grumpy again. She hits play on her device again, which is this time around her neck. She's been expecting more visitors this time! The bland Google voice begins its sales pitch as she comes over to peer up at him. ]

Dread Spider Fashions: down with uniforms! What can I do for you?

At some point?? maybe after Egret 3?

[mtsilver_conquor]

[It comes as note.]

Hey so do you think you can make me a haori?

[kumoko]

[ The note.... gets a lil tick mark???

who wrote this!!!! ]

A day or two after the March influx of passengers

[yilingdaddy]

[ WuXian bounces over to one of the sweet spider's likely places to be with a couple pieces of paper covered in various drawings. ]

I'm marrying Lan Zhan again but we need proper robes! Can you make these in red with black trim?

[ For Lan Zhan, with another angle of (ooc no hat) and for WuXian he gets a veil with his robes. ]

[kumoko]

[ Her most likely place is flopped on her back on a large silk hammock, tucked away in the corner of the dressing car. She has another, more accessible hammock for business or socialising or whatever that doesn't require you to duck and weave around three different layers of webbing... but does she look like she's socialising? No.

It's a good thing she's feeling charitable and also very well-fed from an influx of newbie snacks, because she even rolls back over and pays attention to the drawings.

Ohhhh, these are pretty good, Red Ribbon! Very classic. You'll both look very cute and she won't be at all jealous of either of you.

...

Wait. She fishes out her device. ]

Marrying again? Why?

[ Do they get stat upgrades for double-marrying? Are they actually from an online wuxia game or something? They want +2 damage to all melee attacks for 24 hours? A defense buff whenever they're next to each other? Is this a different Lan Wangji and he wants to marry this one separately, have a harem of battle butler husbands? She understands! He looks really good! Full marks! Crap, did that sound like a refusal? She quickly adds, ] I'll do it.

[springforth]

[A stranger approaches in the dressing car! Holding a bag of chips and a little bit of paper from her fliers]

Hello? I'm sorry to disturb you but I was told this was the best place to find you.

Right before platform

[sensitiveapple]

Misa wants her dress back. She's been able to rough sketch out the pattern and she's willing to put in work herself on it - and will - but she needs the fabric, and it needs to be blue.

"Kumoko, can we make blue fabric for a dress?" She shyly smooths out the picture she'd drawn of it. "I'd do most of the sewing, I just need fabric, and I ordered snacks!"

[kumoko]

She's too lazy to go grab her speech device, so instead she just waves generally, like an empress greeting her subjects.

If the empress was a giant furry spider, and her subjects were one insanely pretty girl. Well, whatever. Another gesture towards a suitcase propped up carefully on a footstool, now labelled <3 PAY HERE <3, and she scuttles over to inspect the picture.

Wow, so she can draw and sew? Man, must be nice to be good at stuff! Just the fabric, huh? She thinks for a moment, and then begins producing small swatches of fabric from one of her pocket spaces. Blue is one of the colours she has a lot of variations of, thanks to. You know. Everyone getting shoved in hoodies. She arranges the swatches next to the drawing.

[laurefindil]

[How does one go about arranging for an outfit if one is a month past their Newbie phase?]

[kumoko]

[Why, you either bribe the spider with food or work out a trade with Dread!]

Fiddlesticks Day 17

[theturksway]

[Reno sure as hell didn't know what he was doing looking for a god-damned spider but he sure was looking for one. It probably would have been more pleasant to look for the 'Dread' guy but the voucher said the spider was the one to give the snacks to. And he had snacks on hand. Two bags of crisps to be precise.

The Turk entered the Dressing Carriage and for the third time since being conscripted by this weird train, made a disgusted face at all the webbing on the ceiling. It reminded him of a Stinger nest and those were not fun to mess around with.]

Yo! Stinger--I mean, Spider! Where you hiding?

[He stopped just inside the doorway and held up the two bags of crisps in one hand, and his left hand behind his back resting lightly on his hip.]

[kumoko]

[ She's not HIDING, she's...

Okay, maybe she's hiding. There was a bunch of people in here earlier making noise and shining lights around, and she couldn't be bothered with it. Now it's quieter, she peeks her head out of the enclosed corner nest she has in the near corner, farthest from the bird.

Oh, hey. Snacks. Four of her eyes swivel to track the bags in his hand rather than him. ]

Fiddlesticks Day 17 (sorry for false start, i realized an issue with logistics)

[bloomingdespite]

[Wester shows up with the bag of snacks and the stub almost immediately after they arrive on the train, tapping their foot nervously as they wait for the spider.]

Hey! Um, can you... keep a secret?

o7

[kumoko]

[ The spider emerges from her 'office', a comfy cube of webbing at the back of the carriage, and blinks at them.

And then gestures to herself, like, have you seen my lack of vocal cords and also the fact that I am a spider with no interest in your petty human secrets.

Maybe the gesture doesn't manage to cover all of that. She nods just in case. ]

Backdated

[rookiemistakes]

[A few hours after Reno makes his order, a petite woman with short, blonde hair pokes her head into the dining car. Reno had talked the spider up, but it’s still a giant spider who is somehow going to be measuring her and making her suit. With magic.]

Uh...hello? My name’s Elena. My colleague, Reno, sent me...?

[kumoko]

[ Watching a giant spider eat, even if the spider in question is white and pink and fluffier than usual, is definitely something out of a horror film. She's already made most of Reno's suit, which means her proteins are depleted, or her stamina... or whatever passes for SP in this world.

Point is, she needs to eat. So, an alarming amount of bacon and eggs and lentil soup is all disappearing into her maw.

It's definitely a maw, rather than a mouth, at the moment. Slurp. She types something out with one arm and one eye's worth of attention. ]

Nice to meet you. You wanna look like a badass lightning god too?

[madcuriosity]

[There will be a knock on the dressing car before Alice peeks her head in.]

Miss Kumoko?

[Alice had a bag of various snacks from meats and fruits, to veggies and sweets. She didn't know what the giant spider would want to eat.]

May I come in?

[kumoko]

[ The spider is, today, sat in full view, making adjustments to what can most easily be described as a classic JRPG outfit. She's finally got the hang of belts, and she is going for it.

But Alice gets a look - from two of her eyes - and a wave - from one of her arms. ]

Grasshopper 2, evening

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba appears after dinner, this time bearing a carrot cake. It's missing the frosting, but still sweet. ]

I wanted to let you know that you've been nominated for the council. Do you want to appear on the ballot?

[kumoko]

[ oh hey it's the cute but tormented guy with the... is that carrot cake?

wait, he's talking.






kaiba is that a threat. ]

Why.

just after new arrivals, really

[nocawsforconcern]

[Enna, who has taken some knives to her uniform hoodie to convert it into a crop-top, saw that poster. And she needed it.

Which is why she's basically knocking on Kumoko's door as soon as she sees that poster, wearing the torn up remains of a hoodie. And.

She's going to keep knocking.

Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.

Just steadily forever until someone answers.]

[kumoko]

[ Ordinarily, you might expect that knocking on someone's cabin would get you that person.

When that person is a spider, who greatly resents that she doesn't fit in the cabin beds and therefore remains in that room for precisely 0.8 seconds a day (0.1 for coming to startled awareness, 0.7 for casting a short-distance teleport), you are generally destined for disappointment.

Luckily, Sleeper 1 and the dressing carriage are adjacent.

So when she's been sitting there in her pseudo-parlour, trying to work out if there's a way to magically recreate human hair - look, maybe someone's hair burns off in a mission, and there's a market for wigs? You never know! - and listening to a knock for...

Hmm.

Five minutes?

She has to go check it out.

The door connecting the two cars hisses open, and there's a large white spider staring at Enna. ]

just before Horseshoe

[deage]

[ There's a young girl entering the dressing carriage carrying a can of Purple Drink. Only the finest of beverages.

She's looking around as she enters, Apprehensive. That's a lot of web.

And if this spider is large, well. Haibara is smol. It might be bigger than her. ]

They really weren't kidding about the spider, were they?

[kumoko]

About what. [ is the question that comes from the spider's tablet, as she crawls out of the thickest section of webbing.

She's definitely big enough to eat Haibara.

She's eating a bar of chocolate instead. Cronch. People are talking about her? Spill! ]

[10billionpercent]

[ He knocks before coming in. He holds up a bag of crisp and a bag of assorted candy, bribery maybe, hoping she'll be amenable to his proposal? ]

Hey. So my friend, Asagiri Gen just got here, and since he doesn't want to spend his points, I want to pay for his clothes. [ He knows, he knows, but he kind of likes the guy, and holds up the chips. ]

And I never came to get mine, do you think you could do me the favour anyway? If it's not enough, I'm open to negotiation.

[ He sighs lightly. ] Gen wants a black sweater, black pants and a mid length purple coat. He's troublesome like that, sorry.

I'm just interested in what I was wearing before, it really maximizes my range of motion. It was all one piece, sort of like a labcoat I just closed with a fastener. I don't really like a lot of bright colours, I was good with the tan. I would prefer it to be leather, if you can. It has a belt, but if you don't want to make it, it's fine, I can trim the edge. If you're willing to make another piece for me, I'd like a bit thicker of a belt that's wider than my hips with a pouch on it, for use as a pocket.

[kumoko]

[ .................. sir.

sir this is a denny's ]

I need to scan Gen for size. [ But, sure, whatever, sounds fine. Kind of....... primitive? Weird guy. She types the order back to him. ]

Tan leather tunic, belt pack. Black sweater, black pants, purple coat. Snacks please.

[fun_thementalist]

[ Gen knocks. He doesn't know if he's in the right place. His smile is bright and charming, though, not showing that he's nervous. ]

Ah, hello! My name is Asagiri Gen ... I was told that I should head this way ...?

[kumoko]

[ Hello stranger, how can I-- WUAGH.

Too bright! What's with that smile!!!! Are you an elf in disguise?!

By which she means, a spider scuttles out of a large nest of webbing at the end of the dressing coach, takes one look at him, and then freezes up. ]

[xue_yang]

[He doesn't really understand this but he has been told to come with sweets and he could walk away with clothing. And since he got to see that this train is capable of making clothing he prefers over their current...outfit..he would like to get some of his own.

He looks around, clearly not terrible concerned about the fact he jut walked into a large spider's web..next..room..thing.]

So what do I have to do to get a better outfit then what I am forced to wear by the train?

[kumoko]

[ the machinery for converting sweets into clothing is just crawling out of her nest as he starts to speak, alerted by his brushing against the webs around his head. The spider part of her body is alert and looking at him already, but the human girl's upper body is wiping sleep from her eyes and categorically not paying attention. ]

Welcome to Dread Spider Fashion. [ her voice is almost monotone, for all it's sweet. ] If you have snacks for me, I have time for you.

[ she's definitely not been practising that for days so she can say it without stammering--



oh, hey, isn't this the other cute necromancer? the human part perks up, and tilts her head to look at him as well. ]

Horseshoe, Day 18, Early morning

[consider8]

[There's a soft knock on the door and a curious octopus peers within.] Awoomeemoo?

[She timidly steps into the dressing car.] Hellooo? I heard that this is where you can get clothes...?

[She looks around at the mess of webs and grumbles:] ...oh wow... ...this part of the car could use some sweeping up...

[kumoko]

[Excuse you, the webs are a glorious display of thread-weaving eight months in the making. She's worked on them for ages, they're a masterful combination of magic and spider arts!




They might also be dusty, but whatever! So what if they look more grey than white in some places, huh?!

She looks a little grumpy as she leans over from her (clean!!!) hammock.]

It is.

horseshoe 17, afternoon

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba arrives with a fresh plate of shrimp alfredo with diced bacon (or something very close to it) in hand. He's dressed in his orange uniform, his free hand holding the shredded remains of what was once a perfectly nice black turtleneck. ]

...I lost a fight with a rabid cat yesterday. I was hoping you could help?

[kumoko]

[........................................




a what. that's new.]

It wasn't Noct's, was it?

HORSESHOE 23

[shadowslipping]

[Well. It's been a bit since the Void Storm, but she's feeling a little less ashamed about things that happened, but hey!

Here she is, with some purchased chocolate carefully held so that it hopefully doesn't melt. No one likes melted chocolate.

She's also made a cup of hot chocolate using on-board supplies, because frankly, who doesn't like hot chocolate??]

Ahh...we meet again? [Hahaaaaa...well. Ahem. The other Kaiba clears her throat.] I'm here to commission an outfit, as the voucher says- hopefully it won't be much trouble, but I need something to do proper work-out routines in...

[kumoko]

[ one leg wiggles a greeting.

the rest of the spider is playing against herself at mariokart.

hmm. ]

What kind?

[comefadeaway]

[ He will knock and when the door is answered he will just stare a moment.

Then, Yoite holds out a bag of sweets, with his stained hands. ]

Gloves, please.

[ He doesn't want people staring at his hands. ]

[kumoko]

[ The spider is pretty good at keeping secrets, but that's mostly because she just makes her own assumptions and doesn't actually ask about them. Take now, for instance, where she just reaches out and plucks the bag from him with a bland, ] 'Kay.

[ Because, okay, your hands are looking pretty cursed there, my guy! She gets it! Two of her legs are bladed!

She's kinda staring too, but she just does that. ]

Favourite colour?

Imagination 1

[namethattune]

[Siebren knocks on the door, bag of sweets in one hand and orange hoodie slung over his shoulder. If the spider can make clothing, surely she can repair extant clothing, correct?]

[That's what he's hoping, anyway.]

[kumoko]

[Bro.




Bro she doesn't own the door.

Well whatever, it happens enough that she just twitches a finger and pulls the door open with one of the threads caught against the sliding edge. It's politeness, right? Can't fault that. And the warning means she can brace herself for talking, AND brush some of the crumbs off her hoodie.]

Morning, what can-- ah.

[Oh no!

It's the hot doctor!

She needed to brace more!

Luckily, two brains means that while the part of her with skin is just going vaguely pink, the other part raises a fluffy, chitinous leg and waves.]

Backdated way TF back because what's a brain (after Sept mission, will send pic on discord)

[runicfeathers]

Willow stares at the door with a sigh and then knocks. "Er, I heard there was one who could make clothing for some sweets? Would you be so kind?"

She has the sweets and a drawing of what she wanted at the ready

/o/

[kumoko]

"That's me." Well, sweets, food, mild favours, someone looking kinda sad... Let's be honest, she'd make clothes if someone offered her a crisp high-five at this point. But it's not an addiction, okay?! It's just nice to feel want-- okay, less pathetic internal monologue, more business-spider.

Ooh, she came with art. She makes grabby hands for the paper first.

backdated just a little so he has things before mission

[deferences]

[okay, listen, he's extremely nervous about coming to meet an enormous spider of all things, but lan sizhui is one: open-minded and two: not currently armed, so he's hoping that will say something to the trust he's putting into miss kumoko to not eat him when he comes to commission some new clothes.]

Ah, hello? [softly, tenatively, as he peeks into the car, hands full of food; honey, orange and walnut pastries, honey walnut baklava, and some leftover candy he'd saved from the halloween party a while ago.]

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I heard this is where I could have some specific clothes made?

[kumoko]

[you know the age-old adage of 'spiders are more afraid of you than you are of them'?

yeah.

not that she's afraid! nope. but maybe she's still not entirely used to having to do all of the conversation side of Dread Spider Fashions, even though it's been a while since Dread left, you know? he used to do all the smiling and talking.

well, she does flinch at the door opening, but both his soft tone and the veritable mountain of food in his arms do wonders to perk her up again.

looks a little weird, given that she's currently cutting up thick cream fabric with one of her large scythe arms, and maybe all of her red eyes fix on the food rather than the dashing young hero, but that's her prerogative.]

Sure is. What kind?

Reno sent him!

[melodiouspacifist]

[ Nice set up for a craftspider, isn't it? He'll just come in and look around, looking for the spider.

Time to see if he finds spiders scary or not. It's hard to know until he meets one, after all.

At least she's not an adorable but spooky ghost dog, always showing up out of nowhere to bark and scare him half to death. ]

[kumoko]

[ Spiders are pretty creepy, but have you tried a spider the size of a pony with a humanoid girl's upper body growing out of its neck?

Well, he has now! This one is playing Mariokart against herself, and losing. Just in time for some pretty-boy with a mullet to show up, huh? She misses Misa and her hairdressing comments. ]

... Can I help you?