Feyhallow frights of the fashionable kind

"Oh no.... OH NO! WHERE'S THE DRESS?! MY SHOWSTOPPER PIECE?!" A jet black kittom, with white lacey markings cried out backstage. Her pale white lacey butterflyesque wings fluttering frantically as her dark eyes nervously darted left and right. She eyed the crates... she eyed the wardrobe stands... she even eyed under the makeup stations, hoping maybe a box had been left un-attended. How could this happen to me?! On the eve of  my debut in the FeyHallow Fashion show.  She found herself thinking back to earlier when this whole mess had first began.

- A month earlier -

"AHHHHH" squealed Chantilly, a letter clutched in her small black paws, she ran to her mother's room, excitedly leaving behind trails of starlight and constellations, floating off of her back, her pomu closely following behind her. 

"Chanti? Are you alright, mon cheri?" A gothic monochromatic lady nin asked. Her brow furrowed with concern.

"I'M MORE THAN ALRIGHT!! LOOK" Chantilly presented the piece of paper to her mother, Airi, before dancing about the room with excitement.

"Thank you for your submission... we're delighted to announce.. Oh my! You're going to be a designer for a piece in the charity Feyhallow Fashion show?!"  Airi gasped with excitement and rushed to her daughter dancing with her. Both of the nin's pomu's grabbed hands and danced too.

As the adrenaline wound down. Airi flopped onto a nearby couch. "Oh my... do you know what you're going to design? The Feyhallow Fashion show is full of young talent nowadays. You're going to have to come up with something unique to stand out amongst the crowd!"

"Don't worry mum! I got this. Not to brag or anything but Lacey and I have been preparing for this very moment! Isn't that right Lace?" Chantilly turned towards her pomu, Lace who was chittering in agreement. "Do you think you could grab my moodboard?" she asked. Lace, a rather willowy thin pomu, who was jet black save for the simple white lacey markings, a simplified version of her kittom's. Lace blinked a couple times, rubbing her chin with one small white claw. She pushed up the satin navy and white ribbons she wore around her arms (as was customary of pomu's), before doing a swan dive into Chantilly's small shadow. 

"Moodboard?" Airi asked.

"Yes! A moodboard! When we sent off the letter a few weeks back, Lacey was telling me I should be prepared and start figuring out what kind of fabrics I should get for my showstopper! So we got some samples and went around trying to find ideas together. Wait... you didn't think I was just sitting around waiting for the acceptance letter, did you?!" Airi gracefully lifted an elegant white paw to cough into, before tossing her long dark hair fading to a lilac grey out of her face. 

"Well, you know how busy of a time the Hotel is with bookings for the FeyHallow season.... Oh I'm sorry, mon cheri. I am excited to see what you've put together so far though!" And at that moment Lacey jumped out of Chantilly's shadow wielding a moodboard almost the height of Chantilly herself. Excitedly Chantilly began to explain to her mother her vision of her outfit.

Over the next month, Chantilly with the help of her mum and Lacey, bought several lengths of fabric for her showstopper dress. They experimented with styles and cuts. Chantilly even had her mother model the dress at one point.... before completely scrapping that idea nad going with another.

After a lot of fretting, it was finally time! The Feyhallow Fashion show, in Silveil! The theme this year was "Candles in the dark". A most fitting theme for Silvei, Chantilly found herself thinking, as she hurried towards the venue. While it was late in the morning, the streets of Silveil were still lit with lamps, and stars still flooded the sky above. Chantilly had visited the region often enough to know this was commonplace in Silveil.

The Fashion show was being held at a beautiful lakeside warehouse, just south of Silveil City, yet on the border of Starlake. The runway itself was inside the warehouse but built into the lake! It was set up so that the  platform was slightly lower than the lake water, allowing bioluminescent waves to gently lap at the feet of the models who would strut down the runway. There were seats all throughout the rest of the warehouse for the many Elnin who would be in attendance. Maybe even a future mentor!  Chantilly thought to herself with excitement. She shook her head, causing her small crown to wobble. No point in getting too excited. Focus on the now. She thought to herself and slapped her small cheeks, before heading backstage. 

Chantilly saw many gorgeous outfits from other upcoming kittoms backstage. There was one set alight with magical sparkles! Another, avant garde piece, making the model look like a solid candle. Chantilly quickly averted her gaze, lest she get the green bug of envy at the other kittom's fantastic eyes, before she came to her model who was being worked on at the makeup station. Taking a deep breathe she wandered over to her sewing station, and checked the rack for her dress.

It wasn't there.

She checked the other designers racks who were near hers. 

It wasn't there.

She checked with the backstage crew nervously hoping that one of them would know where her piece was.

IT WASN'T ANYWHERE!

"Oh no.... OH NO! WHERE'S THE DRESS?! MY SHOWSTOPPER PIECE?!" she cried out. Frantically she darted about looking for her showstopper. As she was about to burst into tears. She felt Lacey tug at her chittering anxiously and pointing at an Elnin in the distance holding and admiring Chantilly's gown!!! Relief poured off of Chantilly in waves, as she hurried to the Elnin holding it so she could get it back. As she approached, she was star struck! I...IT WAS ISABELLE?! The amazing region renown tailor, was famous for putting out many pieces in the Elnin magazine The Cosmonintian!!! 

"U-u-um... e-excuse me.... c-c-could I get my dress back?" she asked in a quiet voice tapping on Isabelle's, vibrant green shoulder. 

"Hm? Oh my, are you the designer of this fabulous gown, my dear?! I was just admiring the craftsmanship! The stitching! The embellishments! Why, it's down right GORGEOUS darling!!" Isabelle exclaimed, turning around to give Chantilly her full attention with her piercing lime green eyes.

"O-oh?! You think so?! Well, that's amazing praise coming from you Miss Isabelle!!" she said stunned to be talking to one of the industry's giants.

"Why yes! It's.. oh dear, I think you must be late or something, the backstage crew are trying to get your attention. I'm sorry for picking up your dress! I just couldn't help but admire something so beautiful and showing it to my friends. Hurry back now! And I look forwards to seeing your dress on the runway~" she said with a wink before prancing off to catch up to her friends.

Chantilly stood there for a few seconds mouth agape watching Isabelle scamper off. Before a tap on her shoulder made her snap back to reality, and realise she was now late for her model's dress check! Frantically Chantilly made it back to her sewing station, and helped her model get into her gown. Before checking, and making a couple of last minute alterations, before letting her model go to line up for the show. Nervous, Chantilly watched with the many other young kittom designers from the wings of backstage a magical artifact that was displaying the runway and the crowd of people sitting watching.

Beautiful pieces of fashion walked down the runway one after another. Then came Chantilly's piece. She watched with baited breathe as her model began to walk down the runway. The piece was a gown of rich blues and blacks, that at first covered the models head like a hood, before the model threw it back, revealing a fiery golden heart, transforming the dress, to show off the v necked golden white centre, carefully hidden under folds of the rich blue and back gown. The transformation sequence got many gasps from the audience and claps from her fellow designers. To which, Chantilly blushed furiously. She couldn't believe it!! Her first runway showstopper!! And it had been a success!!! Excited she hugged Lacey and together they watched the rest of the show.