The Peacock Dressing. (Open) (Booth) (Seemstress)

Jackie smiled at the antics of the peacock harpie. His nervous mannerisms and obviously unbridled vanity were absolutely adorable. Though she could definitely see how he could be grating on certain people. "Sure thing sweetie. I'll save a spot on the memory card for you. I just hoped it would help keep your mind off waiting. After all it doesn't look too bad."

She tried to placate the interesting boy and could hardly hold back her laughter when he picked a dress. "That should go well with the plumage on your costume, but don't you think the cut is a bit on the feminine side? Not that I'm judging you. I just figured someone as obsessed with your appearance would go for a robe or something. Though I am one to talk." Janet chuckled, realizing she was critiquing his feminine style while she was planning on getting masculine formal clothes, all while wearing a safari outfit!

She noticed the line forming behind her, and hoped her minor quest wouldn't keep too many people waiting. "Hope you guys aren't to bothered by the wait."

Generally, Thitero tended to ignore casual critique of his clothing. He only ever picked the right things to wear, and he knew it. However, the camera-bearing woman genuinely confused him, and so he felt compelled to ask, “Feminine? You are not like a dog, yes, you can see color with your eyes? This cloth is very bright, very colorful, and so it is very manly, like Thitero.” Rolling back his sleeves, he showed off the deep blue contour feathers of his wing. “Feathers must be colorful like this, otherwise how will a female know I am strong and successful?”

Gesturing broadly towards the now sulking gryphon, he continued, “You want to see feminine, look at him. He dyed his feathers nicely, true, but the clothing, the ‘suit’… It is so straight, so dull. Thitero has no idea why he would willingly wear something so incredibly, awfully boring. It is as though he wishes to become a penguin rather than a gryphon. I almost confused him with a female at first. Why would he…”

It occurred to him in a flash that he may have misjudged the gryphon. Though clearly up to no good, Zastech had never really confronted the harpy directly. His actions at the photo booth, his sudden appearance here, could Thitero have misinterpreted them both? Grimly, the harpy realized that this must have been the case. Were the gryphon a true male, he would have flared his feathers and bellowed out insults the moment first spotted Thitero. Instead, he had offered sound advice and even deferred to the harpy on several occasions. As for his presence at the clothing booth, it might be the only place he could purchase suitable clothing for his apparent… habits.

Wide-eyed with a sudden realization, he quickly stuttered out an apology, “N-not that there is anything wrong with that. Thitero does not judge the gryphon’s lifestyle. It is fine to live as you like. A female’s clothes look good on you. I am a very accepting person. I hope I have not… offended you?”

Zastech blinked. Was Thitero asking if the gryphon was offended about how the harpy saw his clothes or about the gryphon's mannerisms? The gryphon tilted his head as he thought. Had to be about the femininity. "No," He forced out. "In fact, I take femininity as a complement."

Normally this would be the point where he'd espouse how being called feminine wasn't an insult by saying he took after his mother. But no one had to know he was a mama's bird. What people and monsters alike should know is that he's a ladies' man. Neither did anyone need to know of his origin. So he continued on his worship of femininity with fluff.

"Since you've told me a bit about your courting rituals, I'll tell you some of my own." He rested his head on his hands. "With us gryphons," What he said was also true for eagles, so there was no danger of disclosing his species. "We look each other in the eye and circle each other. She eyes us from head to toe, studying how our curves ripple beneath our muscle. Then -"

He slouched forward and turned his head upside down. "She takes us on the ride of our lives. No, not sex. It's more raw than that. More intimate than that. Lover and lover lock their talons as they dive off a cliff, hurtling at breakneck speeds. Though the wind roars in our ears, she is able to whisper to us, 'Can you steer?'"

The gryphon shivered as he continued. "The only appropriate answer is yes. So we fly. We fly through the skies. We roll through the harsh, cold winds to take turns in a dance that no one can match in power nor elegance. When it's all over, that is when we have the privilege of saying, 'Will you take me as your mate?'"

Thitero’s attention trailed away as the gryphon began talking about him and his people. What he did hear was too ridiculous to comment on, anyway. Why on earth would mates fly together like that? Firstly, the females should be the ones doing the flying; after all, their stronger wings would have a better chance of carrying the pair to safety. More importantly than that, though, is the fact that neither should expose themselves to such needless danger in the first place! Thitero could not imagine a pair of harpies trusting each other with their lives. His kind bickered so frequently, even during the act of mating itself, that they would never muster the coordination necessary to survive an entangled dive. And even if they did, what would be the point? Neither had exchanged tasty foods or shiny objects. Without those, how could they begin to love each other?

However, Thitero voiced none of these thoughts to the gryphon. He followed the old harpy adage, “If you don’t have anything good to say, make sure you’re a safe distance away when you say it.” With the much larger gryphon so near to him, he did not care to incite him, particularly not when forced to remain near him while waiting for his new attire. Instead, he offered an outwardly earnest, “Very interesting.”

Much more important to him was the human woman who had dared disparage his dress. Unaccustomed to insults, he felt a pang of emotional pain at the woman’s jest. Under his breath, he inaudibly muttered, “Bitch, I’m fabulous.”