Gwen knew she would never get rid of the last little bit of clothes she had from her previous life. She sighed as she stared at them, carefully knocking wrinkles out with her hand. Her old dresses, ball gowns, etc were all she had left of her life in 1860. She was lucky they weren't destroyed like most of the train car was. With a deep sigh, she wanted to get them repaired and she needed to learn about modern clothes. She knew about jeans. But what about the fashion? How did someone keep up with the trends? After using this so called 'Google,' she found a quaint little store in NYC that she felt she could do all of those things.

With her antique suitcase (since it was the only one that would fit her dresses in, at least that she had,) she took off to the tailor's store.

She carefully walked into the store, whispering "Hello?" to see if anybody was there. She started rolling her bag in but it got stuck on the door and with a groan, she fought with the door some. Moved the door as up as possible as she leaned over the suitcase, rolling it back and forth. 

It took her a few minutes, but she finally got the d*mn thing inside the store. It was a nice little store, too. She wondered if the tailor would have time to speak with her. She probably should have used one of those... Cellular phone things. She sighed as she thought about it - maybe she went all the way to this place and they won't even have time? She bit her lip, still not looking back towards the counter to see if someone was there yet. 

(OOC: Javier Martín Moreno)

There was some commotion at the door. Javier was holding a piece of fabric with one hand, and pinning it with another, so it took him a few, painfully awkward seconds to answer the door for a potential client. He finished his work as fast as he could, while it sounded like something heavy was being rolled with difficulty into the front room through the door. By the time Javier got there, the young woman had already gotten the antique-looking case inside, but she was still holding on to it. He hurried out of the back room and around her.

"Here, let me help" he offered, lifting the case and setting it in a convenient spot to the side. It was quite large. And, if he head to guess, very old. Inherited from her ancestors, maybe? He was curious what she was doing in his shop with it.

"Hello. My name is Javier" he offered a hand politely "I... own the shop. What can I do for you today?"

>>"Here, let me help" 

Gwendolyn jumped at the sound of a voice. She was so busy trying to get the case through the door, she hadn’t even noticed a man appear. She nodded as he came over and helped lift the case out of the way and put it to the side. She sighed in relief. She hated the huge, bulky thing. It was the only thing that would fit her dresses, though.

>> 
"Hello. My name is Javier"

She smiled and daintily shook his hand. They didn’t kiss hands anymore and Gwen really needed to get used to that, “Gwendolyn Theodosia White.” The thick upper-class Bostonian and English accent rang into the room. 

>>"I... own the shop. What can I do for you today?"

She smiled, “Oh, you are the proprietor? I do hope you have some time to speak with me. If not, I can return another day.” She sighed, hoping that wouldn’t be the case. “I am in need of assistance with modern fashion. I also have some 19th-century gowns that need to be stitched and repaired, maybe even a little color added.” The time travel sucked the color out of the train car and practically out of everything else too. The suitcase and its clothing had been mostly safe but they weren’t unafflicted. 

>>“Gwendolyn Theodosia White.”

There was... so much elegance in her voice and her posture, like she had stepped straight out of a historical movie of some sort. The accent was elegant too, and it made Javier wonder where exactly she had come from. Some wealthy upper class family? And if so, what was she doing in his shop?

"That is a lovely name" he noted, quite honestly, as they shook hands.

>>“Oh, you are the proprietor? I do hope you have some time to speak with me. If not, I can return another day.”

"No, my schedule is free" Javier assured her. He was curious now what she wanted, and he did not have anything urgent to be working on. He glanced at the suitcase she had dragged in.

>>“I am in need of assistance with modern fashion. I also have some 19th-century gowns that need to be stitched and repaired, maybe even a little color added.”

Javier's jaw dropped. Did she just say... 19th century?...

"May I?..." he opened the case to take a look at the dresses inside, and caught his breath. They really were... they really did look like the real thing. Sure, they could have been costumes, but the way they were stitched, and the fabrics, and... Javier had seen things like this in museum collections when he was working with his father, or taking classes on costume history. And now she had a whole bunch of them right in his shop. Javier looked up at the young woman. "This is... incredible. Family heirloom?"

She smiled and blushed a little at his compliment, “Thank you, good sir. Javier is a wonderful name as well.” She still spoke her entire name out – something that wasn’t really common in this day and age. It was one thing she just hadn’t been able to drop.

>> "No, my schedule is free"

She clapped her hands together, “Perfect! I will be sure to compensate you as much as I can.”

>> "May I?..."

She nodded. He would have to get a good look at them to see if he could even help her in her situation with them. She hated sewing herself, so she would be more than happy to push that responsibility onto someone else. That is how the world worked now, right? You pay someone to do things that you do not wish to do. Or something like that. She smiled as she watched him look through her dresses from the past.

>> "This is... incredible. Family heirloom?"

She shook her head, “Oh, no. They are mine. I even stitched together that one.” She walked over and pointed at one of the smaller dresses – it was clearly from when she was a child. She was learning how to sew at that time. It was her first dress she made herself – hence, she had decided to keep it with her. A reminder of her past. 

She bit her lip, “The biggest thing I need is fashion advice for this time period. I am not quite sure where to begin… There’s jeans… Skirts… I am not quite sure what is the most fashionable now a days?”

Javier was distracted by the rare and exquisite pieces of fabric that he was carefully lifting out of the case, and laying out on a clean tablecloth on the counter. They really were... both like new, and like something really old and historical. It was confusing to look at. Was this some next level reenactment crafting, or extremely well preserved inheritance?...

>>“Oh, no. They are mine. I even stitched together that one.”

Javier glanced up at the young woman.

"You made this?" he sounded more surprised that what was polite, and blushed a little "I mean, not that I doubt you could..."

If she really did, she had some skill that was not usually taught in school.

>>“The biggest thing I need is fashion advice for this time period. I am not quite sure where to begin… There’s jeans… Skirts… I am not quite sure what is the most fashionable now a days?”

Javier blinked again. He was not sure if she had some kind of a condition, she was a really dedicated reenactor, or if she was... what, a time traveler? It wasn't exactly out of the question, given the large rip in space and time and trains just...

Javier blinked again.

"Um... you're from the train? The 19th century mystery wreck?"

She smiled as she watched the man handle her antique dresses and gowns. It made her content knowing she chose a store that actually had someone in it who appreciated the antiques, dresses, and gowns. It made her feel better leaving some of her most prized and cherished belongings with him.

>> "I mean, not that I doubt you could..."

She gave him a curt nod and a small smile, “My mother taught me.” She was educated, a rarity for a woman in the 1800's. Heck, she was an educator herself. Something she'd probably never be able to do again, either.  That was only because her family was, in the modern sense, progressives who supported Women’s Suffrage, Abolition, among many other things. It could have also just been because a lot of money could have been made from the effect of these things. 

>> "Um... you're from the train? The 19th century mystery wreck?"

She nodded, “Yes, sir I am. These are belongings ranging from 1850-1862, that came with me when smaller rip occurred.” He must have heard it from the news, but she wasn’t sure if he knew the whole story. With that in mind, Gwen did the obligatory asking, “Do you want me to tell you my story?” 

The wreck was on the news for days, back when it happened. Even Javier remembered that, although he did not usually follow the news very closely, especially when they were as anxiety-inducing as a large rip in space and time in the middle of New York. But yes, he knew about the wreck. And all the speculations about the people who had been on it. He was not sure that she would tell him, even if she had been one of them... but she surprised him.

>>“Yes, sir I am. These are belongings ranging from 1850-1862, that came with me when smaller rip occurred. Do you want me to tell you my story?”

Javier stared at the woman, probably for a lot longer than what was polite. She was... a real time traveler. Someone who was born more than 100 years before, and she was standing here talking to him. Someone who had seen American history... It took him a moment to wrap his mind around that.

"No, that... not unless you want to" he answered finally. Her story was probably fascinating, but from the way she asked, he suspected she had probably told it many times before. People probably asked her a whole lot of obvious questions. Hell, there was probably a "Sh*t Americans Say to Time Travelers" video online somewhere. Javier did not want to be one of those people. Even if he was curious.

"So... you want these fixed, and also to learn about fashion..." he sat back on a chair, considering her request "I mean, I don't... fashion is not really a tailor shop thing nowadays, not my kind of shop, anyway. But I'd like to help. It is probably easiest to go shop where most people shop, though. And then it is just a matter of picking colors, and... styles that fit you best." he looked her over "Where have you been getting your clothes so far?..."

She waited patiently as he processed this information. It was a lot, she would give him that. Most people didn't even realize it, they just thought she was weird. But here he was, he actually knew. He knew almost immediately. Granted, she did have belongings that showed it, but even still. She didn't mind telling him and she realized after the fact that she probably said it in a way that maybe seemed like she wasn't really interested in telling it.

In either case, she crossed over and sat down on a chair. She crossed her legs and let her hands lay on top of each other. "I do not mind, if you have the time. Or if you have any questions about the mid to late 1800's, I am a basket full of information." 

 

She gave a curt nod and listened as he spoke, "Oh, I see." She frowned a little but then perked up as he informed her that he wanted to help her. She really needed some help when it came to clothes. She clapped her hands a little, excited. "I do need these fixed, though. I would do it myself but I do not know the where, how, or even if we still have the same fabrics and colors. I certainly cannot find it. I also need a loom... I do not know how to use those... Machine things." Technology had taken over the world, good or bad. 

Where she had been shopping? Well, there was only one place in town that she knew where to go, "Um... Wal-Mart." She shrugged, unsure of really anything else. There was the mall, which had lots of stores. But a lottt of stores. Gwendolyn wasn't the most comfortable entering their domain. Not to mention, it seemed like most of their clothes barely covered anything up.

>>"I do not mind, if you have the time. Or if you have any questions about the mid to late 1800's, I am a basket full of information."

It was still hard to believe that there was someone from the actual 19th century standing in his shop. And not an old person either, but a young woman, who was more than happy to chat about the fact that she had traveled through time. Javier was torn between not being too eager, and wanting to know a whole lot about the times she lived in. Had lived in. First, however, he turned his attention back to the dresses, since that was why she had come in the first place.

>>"Oh, I see. I do need these fixed, though. I would do it myself but I do not know the where, how, or even if we still have the same fabrics and colors. I certainly cannot find it. I also need a loom... I do not know how to use those... Machine things."

"I'll see what I can do." Javier nodded. He would probably have to do a lot of hand stitching, and maybe take a trip to the museum where he had some friends working with preserving fabrics. He could even teach the lady how to use a sewing machine... but that was another offer entirely. Her priority was to learn about current fashion, which is why Javier asked her where she got her attire so far.

>>"Um... Wal-Mart."

"Augh." the sound was involuntary, and Javier immediately regretted passing such judgment, blushing as he looked up "I mean... Wal-Mart is not... um, usually associated with being fashionable. But it is affordable, so it is very good for... comfortable wear."

Gwen nibbled a nail as she waited for Javier to continue inspecting her clothes/process that she lived in a different time altogether. He took it well, much more well than others. She actually felt kinda bad for making him feel like she wasn't willing to tell his story. Oh well, for another day.

She grinned, "Perfect! I am so excited! Hopefully, it will not be too difficult. However, I will reward you handsomely." She gave a curt nod of confirmation. She really had no idea how much it would cost, but with the Syndicate job she had, she was actually relatively okay in terms of her financial situation. 

She laughed and nodded, "I concur... I have been on this... People of Wal-Mart. It is quite embarrassing." She sighed, debating if humanity had fallen further from her time or actually improved. "I'm not necessarily agreeing with comfortable... At least not the shoes."

He could see if he could improve the condition of the dresses. To tell the truth, Javier was excited about the project. He would get to work with something from a historical era that did not go through a hundred-odd years of decay. This was a singular opportunity, and he was determined to make the most of it.

>>"Perfect! I am so excited! Hopefully, it will not be too difficult. However, I will reward you handsomely."

Reward you handsomely. People did not talk like that anymore, and the accent only made it better. Javier chuckled a little. He enjoyed the encounter with living history a little too much. Even if said living history tended to shop at Walmart.

>>"I concur... I have been on this... People of Wal-Mart. It is quite embarrassing. I'm not necessarily agreeing with comfortable... At least not the shoes."

"So..." Javier looked up from admiring the dresses again "Would you like me to... accompany you to buy some clothes? Or would you rather I worked on your dresses first?"

Gwen couldn’t help but smile at Javier. He was a friendly guy who clearly wanted to help her. She was lucky that she was able to find someone who would be willing to even try to help repair her dresses. She was skilled in a lot of it, but she was sorely lacking in repairs. Plus, she couldn’t find the fabric needed. Or if they even used the same type of fabric. There were so many different things in the world now, Gwen couldn’t keep up.

She gave a small shrug but with a smile, “I would prefer to find clothes now… The dresses, they can wait. They traveled through time, they can handle a couple hours being alone,” she mused playfully. 

>>“I would prefer to find clothes now… The dresses, they can wait. They traveled through time, they can handle a couple hours being alone,”

"Alright." Javier nodded, carefully placing the dresses back into the case so that they would not be left out in the shop, lying around. He would have to think and plan before he got to work on them anyway, and he did not want to do that while the girl was watching. Being watched while he worked always made things unbearably awkward.

"The are a couple of shops just down the street that would be worth checking out" he suggested "Of course most people go to a mall, because there you can find many shops right on top of each other... but if you are looking for something more unique or fashionable, those shops are a good place to start. Plus, they are run by nice people." he said, picking up his coat "Before we go, I should ask, though... do you... have a job? Or a source of income?... I'm asking because it's easier to look if I know your price range..."

She watched as he placed the dresses back into the case. Once he did that, she decided to close it up. It was safer for it to be closed, in case someone broke in. 

She nodded, "Okay... That sounds fine. Nice people, that is good." She nodded her head in confirmation. Nice people were always good. Especially considering she really had no idea what she was doing.

She nodded, "I do. I'm an administrative assistant for a CEO. I was quite fortunate and I was taken in pretty quickly after I arrived." She smiled, "Money isn't too big of a deal." That was her cover up, at least. She couldn't exactly tell people that she was a spy for the Syndicate and did her best to help mutant and human kind prosper together. She began walking towards the door, "I am so happy you can help me with this Javier. I appreciate it so dearly. How much do you charge per hour?" She wanted to make sure she compensated him for his time helping her, too.