The Watchers Prompt 2

After the exhausted surface dwellers finally caught their breath one of the Watcher clan stepped forward cautiously to greet them. The haedian gave a small graceful bow before introducing themself as Saikaam. The massive angora tyrian eyed the group warily, the runner and empyrian both had a guarded attitude but the little pink chaser came off as oblivious and obnoxious. He couldn't tell if it was an act of if the chaser really was an idiot but either way he would approach cautiously as always. "Welcome to the domain of the Watchers." His voice was deep, curt, and matter of fact showing no genuine emotion. The haedian beckoned to some of the other Watcher clan members lurking nearby. "Come. Guide our guests to the salon." The haedian he gestured to nodded respectfully before silently guiding the surface dwellers toward a large tree house network visible in the distance. Reginald glanced back over his shoulder at the massive haedian who seemed to hold some position of power and was slightly unnerved to see that all of the Watcher haedians who had gathered were gone. He had only turned away from them for a moment but it only took an instant for the massive creatures to vanish into thin air. Lianna also noticed their disappearing act but decided to push down her anxiety to focus on not getting her long talons caught between the planks of the draw bridge they were crossing.

Kernel confidently strode across the bridge with his chest puffed up in pride, since he had crash landed beyond the Watchers gate he did not stop boasting of his remarkable victory. Internally, Reginald grudgingly admitted to the chaser's prowess in shield magic but he would never admit to such a thing aloud as the little idiot would never let him hear the end of it if he did. The runner glanced nervously at the silent haedian who was guiding them toward an ornately carved tree house that was beautifully decorated with hanging plants and vines. Their guide hadn't spoken a word since they acknowledged the angora tyrians command. He silently hoped that they hadn't somehow offended the Watchers and that this awkward silence that permeated the air was just the standard for them. Once the group reached the boutique, their guide led them in, spoke with the attendant briefly, and then quickly disappeared once more. Much to the surface dwellers' surprise the salon attendant greeted them with a friendly and bubbly attitude. The contrast between the Watchers they had met thus far and this one was so jarring that Reginald and Lianna were momentarily lost for words. Kernel on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the range of treatment they were receiving and returned the haedians greeting.

The salon haedian smiled broadly as she guided the chaser deeper into the main room of her shop. Lining the walls were rows of hanging fabrics and glittering outfits of exceptional design and beauty. As Reginald and Lianna slowly followed after the two who had somehow hit it off, they couldn't help but be struck with how gorgeous the colors of the fabrics were. Every article of clothing in the building was a deep and luxurious shade of blue or purple and arranged like bouquets on tables and limb mannequins were shining silver accessories whose craftsmanship was unlike anything they had seen before. The salon attendant led the small chaser up onto a stand and then quickly took measurements of the little man's frame while enthusiastically chatting with him. Kernel was more than happy to have finally found someone willing to engage in conversation with him and was even more happy to receive a positive response toward his boasts of having won the race that led the group to the Watchers territory. Lianna couldn't help but wonder if the haedians enthusiasm was genuine or if it was some sort of sales tactic. Considering how closed off the other Watchers seemed perhaps the attendant was just naturally able to adopt a personality that would appeal to her customers.

As the chaser continued to chatter aimlessly the attendant expertly moved around the salon and picked out traditional Watchers garb that would normally be meant for children and dressed the chaser up in them. Despite the fact they were made for toddlers the small clothes were still a little loose on the chaser's tiny frame, which made the attendant slightly worried that the little jabbering fool would dislike them. Much to her surprise the chaser turned to a nearby mirror and smiled broadly, admiring the deep indigo clothing adorning his light pink pelt. "Simply marvelous! To think the Watchers also wear loose garments! This hood actually reminds me of my favorite sand tunic that I often wear while traversing the dunes back home-" Kernel rambled in admiration as he posed and admired himself. The attendant inwardly sighed in relief, surprised and thankful that somehow the ill fitting clothes were to his liking. She quickly turned to the jewelry displays and picked out a couple strings of silver beads and some clip-on earrings with a tear drop shaped bit of silver that dangled from them. She quickly added on the exquisite jewelry much to the chaser's delight before stepping back to admire her handiwork. Kernel was perfectly dressed up much like how a youngling would be for their first birthday party. If it wasn't for the small creatures incessant speaking she would find him quite adorable.

Reginald and Lianna admired the attendants' handiwork, both muttering to each other how good the Watchers' clothing looked on the chaser. Thankfully the egotistical chaser didn't hear their compliments but the salon attendant did. She smiled broadly before turning to the two remaining surface dwellers while adopting a completely different style of communication. She gently guided Lianna forward first and had the small empyrian stand on a dressing table next. She spoke softly and comfortingly to the green empyrian putting the slightly nervous tyrian at ease as she took her measurements. Lianna felt herself relax as she stretched out her wings to allow the haedian to examine where the membrane connected to her body. She had been right that the salon attendant was able to expertly adjust her demeanor to match her individual customer. While seeing it so openly in action was a little jarring she couldn't help but admire the haedians skill as the salon attendant quickly picked out a set of clothing for her. Before she knew it, Lianna was also dressed up in a gorgeous ensemble of deep almost navy blue fabric that almost looked like a small chasuble in the front with a long multi-layered dress like cape down her back. Her neck was wrapped with a large baggy scarf that blended in with the ruffled look of the dress like frills of the odd garment. Long greenish tinted sashes extended from the underside of the scarf on both of her shoulders giving her an astonishingly gorgeous look. To finish off the outfit the salon attendant added a ferronnière and a small net like headdress made of silver with small bits of sapphire inlaid in its facets.

Lianna marveled at herself in the mirror beside Kernel, she admired herself as she gazed at the gorgeous fabrics and magnificent jewelry adorning her. She never thought she could look so beautiful and couldn't help but admire how she looked. The small chaser was still posing and enjoying his own visage but took a moment to compliment the empyrian on how she looked as well. With two satisfied customers down the salon attendant finally turned her attention toward Reginald who was slightly nervous at how excited the haedian looked as she gazed at him. She quickly led him to the dressing table and took his measurements just as she had done with the other two. For Reginald, she treated him respectfully and with surprising restraint and grace. This approach of the attendant reminded the runner of the maids he had encountered while visiting the royal castle back in Roenden. He felt himself slipping back into his more dignified manners as the salon attendant treated him like the nobleman he was. The salon attendant once more showed her skill and expertise as she quickly picked out yet another set of gorgeous clothes for her customers. This time she chose deep violet and nearly black clothes in a similar style to the ones Kernel was dressed in but of a much more elegant composition.

The clothes she picked out for Reginald were closer to formal wear that a high ranked haedian would adorn their adolescent heir in for a formal event and you could tell from a glance that the clothes signified someone of higher station. To match the outfit she chose ornate silver cuffs for his forelegs and an intricately carved set of bands connected by a tasteful chain for his tail. When the salon attendant stepped back to admire her handiwork she inwardly squealed in delight with how regal the runner looked. As Reginald joined his companions to admire his new outfit, he also couldn't help but be enamored with how stylish he looked in the Watchers traditional garb. The salon attendant glanced out the large front windows of her boutique where she could just barely see the dark form of Saikaam watching from a far off stalactite. She smiled at her clan leader, hoping he was satisfied with how well she had performed her duty.