Neopia’s Runway: Fyora’s Fashions

     NARRATOR: Welcome to another edition of Neopia’s Runway! For those of you joining us for the first time, welcome to the only fashion-forward show on Neovision! I am your host, Ellsworth.

     Red curtains appear on screen and rise to reveal ELLSWORTH, alone on a stage with a microphone.

     ELLSWORTH: A quick rundown for our viewers – each week we have a special guest of honour from across Neopia, for whom three hand-picked contestants are tasked with making two outfits. The contestants are not given any information ahead of time about who that guest may be, putting their fashion skills to the ultimate test!

     ELLSWORTH: This week our special guest is none other than Her Royal Highness, Queen Fyora!!!!

     Ellsworth pauses for a dramatic flair, as the off-screen studio audience erupts into loud, frantic cheers. Fyora walks onto the stage gracefully, with a slow, royal wave to the audience.

     ELLSWORTH: Today’s contestants will be Armin, Princess Fernypoo, and Gilly! Now, folks, why don’t you tell the audience a little bit about yourselves?

     The camera pans over to the Styling Studio where ARMIN, PRINCESS FERNYPOO, and GILLY are positioned behind workstations. It zooms in on each one as they introduce themselves.

     ARMIN: I’m Armin, and I’m so happy to be here. In my youth, I was a strong and fierce warrior, but now I am only fighting myself through the creative process.

     PRINCESS FERNYPOO: I’m Princess Fernypoo, and since I am known to be both brilliant and fashionable, I believe I understand my fellow royalty the best. I’m not just some nepo baby.

     GILLY: Hello, I’m Gilly. Thank you for inviting me. I am someone who loves puzzles, and I do not back down from a challenge, so much so that I helped resurrect Neovia. I hope to bring that passion here.

     The camera pans back to ELLSWORTH and FYORA, who have now joined the contestants in the studio.

     ELLSWORTH: Excellent! Today’s categories will be casual wear and formal wear. Even though Fyora is Queen, she loves comfy clothes and a night in with her best gal pals as much as the next faerie. But, because she is the Queen, she needs to be ready for her royal engagements, where she dares not repeat an outfit.

     ELLSWORTH: We will begin our competition with casual wear.

     ELLSWORTH: Fyora — any advice?

     FYORA: Well, Ellsworth, as you said, I like to be comfortable. But not too comfortable, you know? I am still a faerie, and above all that, the Queen, and need to remain presentable. But, I must admit my traditional long dress is too much sometimes. I can’t wait to see what you style me in!

     ELLSWORTH: Excellent advice, your majesty.

     FYORA exits the studio, repeating her slow, regal wave, but this time directed towards the contestants.

     ELLSWORTH: As a reminder, the winner of today’s competition will have their outfit worn by Fyora herself at the annual Fyora Day gala, which celebrates both her birthday and her coronation. No pressure of course!

     Despite ELLSWORTH’S statement, the contestants look extremely pressured.

     ELLSWORTH: Well, if we’re ever going to crown a winner, we best get to it!

     ELLSWORTH: But first, a quick word from today’s sponsor: Faerie Foods!

     A little jingle begins to play.

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     The jingle fades out, and the contestants reappear on screen, exchanging nervous glances as the background music resumes and builds to a crescendo.

     ELLSWORTH: You have one hour. On your mark, get set, GO!

     The show’s finalists, ARMIN, PRINCESS FERNYPOO, and GILLY, scatter. They begin frantically running around, flipping through lookbooks and magazines, parsing through closets, and tossing aside fabric scraps and mannequins in a blind panic. Piles of clothes begin forming all around the studio, forming a vibrant and glittery explosion of fashion.

     ELLSWORTH: Wow, these contestants sure seem busy! There is a lot going on here in the Styling Studio.

     ELLSWORTH: Well, now, Armin, I see you’ve got a few different options laid out. Tell me, where is your mind going? What’s the vision?

     ARMIN: Fyora’s signature colour is purple, so I wanted to keep that theme. She specifically mentioned her dress being cumbersome at times, so I thought, why not pants? I’m thinking something that is both stylish and functional – in this case, the function is chillaxing.

     ELLSWORTH: Oh, I see where your mind is, and I am feeling it! Pants! Wonder what Fyora will think of that? Well, good luck to you, Armin.

     ELLSWORTH: Princess Fernypoo, I see that you are completely avoiding purple altogether. What a bold strategy. Talk me through that.

     PRINCESS FERNYPOO: I just think that Fyora might want to step out of her comfort zone, while in her comfort zone. She could absolutely rock any colour.

     ELLSWORTH: That is true; after all, the Queen wears the clothes – they do not wear her. Here’s hoping your risk pays off!

     ELLSWORTH: Now, Gilly, how about you? What’s your game plan for the Queen?

     GILLY: Ellsworth, I do feel shorter length skirts can be less annoying and can give Fyora the freedom and comfort she desires. So, I am going with that, especially since I prefer to relax in a dress over pants. Rocking what I know has gotten me to this moment, so I will keep with that strategy and trust myself!

     ELLSWORTH: Absolutely! You should always bet on yourself. If you don’t, who will? Well, team, we have 15 minutes left, so get those final touches on!

     14 minutes and 55 seconds later

     ELLSWORTH: 5… 4… 3… 2… 1! And that is TIME! Everyone, hands off your workstations and back away from your creations.

     ELLSWORTH takes a quick lap around the workroom, examining the various designs, inspecting the mannequins, etc.

     ELLSWORTH: Very nice, very nice. You all did amazing! Simply amazing if I do say so myself! No matter what I think, though… let’s bring out the true judge, Fyora!

     FYORA re-enters the room, to much applause and fanfare from the contestants and studio audience.

     ELLSWORTH: Armin, tell us about your casual wear for Fyora.

     ARMIN: Fyora is known for her elegant purple dress, so I wanted to stick with her signature colour. She mentioned she was tired of the length of the outfit, though, so I opted to swap her dress for pants. They may look basic; they’re anything but! The design is well tested and known to be comfortable. For the top, I went with a darker purple to add some contrast. I wanted to keep a similar neckline as her dress for familiarity and again for her comfort. Finally, for the shoes, I opted to go black with just a pop of purple, to add a little contrast.

     ELLSWORTH: Absolutely gorgeous! It is indeed very purple, just like Fyora. You played it safe with the colour, but went out of the box by choosing pants. Curious to see if that works out for you.

     ELLSWORTH: Moving on…now onto Princess Fernypoo. Tell us about your style?

     PRINCESS FERNYPOO: Well,I thought Fyora would want to try something new, maybe stay away from purple for a bit. I went with brown and blue because they go well together. Plus, it coordinates with her staff. If she needs to leave the castle, she could even swap out the headwrap I’ve made with her blue crown, without risking her outfit no longer going together. As I said, the headwrap is optional, but I thought it could help protect her long hair while she’s relaxing at home. For the shoes, I went white for some uniqueness, while still sticking to that functional-yet-fashionable theme.

     ELLSWORTH: Wow… fascinating stuff from Princess Fernypoo. Bold choices. Very unusual for our Queen. I can’t wait to hear her thoughts on it.

     ELLSWORTH: And finally, Gilly, what was your inspiration for this look?

     GILLY: Well my favourite designer is Chet Flash, so I had to pull from his summer crochet line for this. Since the top was so colour-heavy, I opted for a darker and plainer skirt. Finally, I added a nice headband handcrafted out of the softest Noil fur I could find to keep the hair out of her face, and some comfy slippers complete the staycation look!

     ELLSWORTH: Wow, so interesting! This is definitely a very unique ensemble, not just for Fyora but for anyone.

     ELLSWORTH: Now that we’ve heard from our contestants, Fyora, my Queen, what are your thoughts?

     FYORA: First of all, I want to thank you all for putting such thought and care into your outfit choices. It is interesting to see how others interpret me and my personal style. Hearing your stories has been very inspirational, and I am grateful for the time and thought you have put into your work today.

     FYORA: Armin, I do appreciate the purple. It is very me. You truly understand the essence of me. But, even though you tried to sell me on the concept of “basic”, I just wasn’t sold.

     FYORA: Princess Fernypoo, I appreciate how you thought about the blue I have in my accessories and tried to play on that. But without any purple, I wonder if Neopians would even know it was me. I need to be both known and approachable, not just one or the other.

     FYORA: Gilly, I think it is a bit busy overall. It does seem like it would be comfortable, but the style is not for me. I appreciate the risk-taking, though.

     ELLSWORTH: So, Your Majesty, who would you say won this round?

     FYORA: I would have to say…

     The camera pans to each contestant, as they fidget nervously at their workstation.

     FYORA: PRINCESS FERNYPOO!

     PRINCESS FERNYPOO breathes a giant sigh of relief as ARMIN and GILLY shake her hand and offer their congratulations.

     FYORA: I love the style and the variety in colour, while accentuating the blue of my accessories. It’s different, yet keeps the essence of Fyora and ensures I am not unrecognisable to my subjects.

     ELLSWORTH: Wow! Congratulations, Princess Fernypoo! I gotta say, I wasn’t sure who would come out on top!

     ELLSWORTH: Armin and Gilly, don’t fret, for we still have one more challenge to go before Fyora crowns our overall winner. It’s still anyone’s game!

     ELLSWORTH: Round two is formal wear. You are tasked with creating something fit not just for any queen, but THE QUEEN! Fyora needs to look sharp as she is celebrated on her day. Something elegant, flashy, attention grabby, and worthy of her.

     ELLSWORTH: For winning the first round, Princess Fernypoo gets a special advantage – exclusive use of one colour, of their choosing, for Fyora’s outfit.

     ELLSWORTH: What colour are you going to pick, Princess Fernypoo?

     PRINCESS FERNYPOO: It may be unconventional, but it served me well in the last challenge, so I am going to pick blue.

     ELLSWORTH: Well, you heard it here first, folks, Armin and Gilly will not be allowed to utilize any blue in their outfits this round.

     FYORA remains expressionless, save for a single eyebrow raise at PRINCESS FERNYPOO’s decision. After the camera captures her reaction, she quietly makes her way offstage. ARMIN and GILLY are on edge, while PRINCESS FERNYPOO looks confident and raring to go.

     ELLSWORTH: As with round one, you have one hour. You may BEGIN!

     As before, the contestants begin a mad dash around the studio — flinging pieces of clothing, picking fabric rolls out of each other’s hands, rummaging through the shelves, and shouting incoherently. ELLSWORTH watches from the corner, bemused.

     The camera pans to PRINCESS FERNYPOO’S workstation, where a pile of blue fabric is forming. It pans back to ELLSWORTH, who begins addressing the camera directly.

     ELLSWORTH: Now, the exclusive colour choice can have two effects – either the designer can use the colour themselves, or merely sabotage their opponents by preventing them from using it. It appears that Princess Fernypoo plans to go all in on the blue, however. Another blue outfit seems risky for a Queen known for her purple. Let’s check in with Princess Fernypoo, and see what the goal is here.

     ELLSWORTH: Princess Fernypoo, could you talk us through this decision?

     PRINCESS FERNYPOO: Well, Ellsworth, it’s just like I said, it was the key to my success in round one. It complements her accessories, while keeping things fresh. I want Fyora to make a statement at the gala. She isn’t a one-note type of faerie.

     ELLSWORTH: Mmm, so true.

     ELLSWORTH: And Armin, how are you finding working without blue? Is it proving difficult?

     ARMIN: To be honest, I wasn’t that concerned when Princess Fernypoo made her decision. I still feel as though purple is the way to go. But as it turns out, a lot of the fabric here has some blue in it, even if it is not the main colour. Trying to quickly pick through to find fabrics that I can work with is challenging. There are still a ton of great options here that I can work with, though, and I feel confident that I can rise to the occasion.

     ELLSWORTH: What about you, Gilly?

     GILLY: You know, Ellsworth, I’m feeling about the same. I’ve found some great fabrics that have a hint of blue, which is frustrating, but there is still a lot left to work with. It just takes a little more time and patience, although I don’t have much of either of those available right now.

     ELLSWORTH: You are also entering this round in last place. How are you feeling about that?

     GILLY: I’m trying not to get it in my head about it. I know I’m a great stylist, even if I might not be the perfect stylist for Fyora at the end of the day. I do think I am going to take a more conservative approach this round, though, and focus on traditional shades – purple and lavender – and see if maybe I can still impress the Queen.

     ELLSWORTH: What a positive attitude! I appreciate that in a contestant.

     A montage plays of the contestants continuing their work over the next 40 minutes. It ends, and the final two minutes of the round are shown at regular speed, with a countdown timer ticking down the seconds.

     ELLSWORTH: Alright, and that is time! Contestants, please step away from your designs as we welcome the Queen back for our final round of judging!

     FYORA re-enters the studio for the final time, to the usual healthy round of applause from both the contestants and the audience.

     ELLSWORTH: We’ll start with our leading contestant. Princess Fernypoo, you had exclusive use of the colour blue. What did you do with it?

     PRINCESS FERNYPOO: This time, I kept the blue a little more isolated to make Fyora’s crown “pop”. The gown is designed to be extremely versatile. Although it’s for the gala, I think it could work for a daytime function as well; it stuns in both the sunlight and the moonlight. You’ll also notice a lot of subtle blue when it catches the light and shimmers just so. It is already hard to look away from our Queen, but this will make it even harder.

     ELLSWORTH: That is simply gorgeous!

     ELLSWORTH: Now for our runner-up from round one, Armin, please share your outfit.

     ARMIN: This glittery gown is meant to make a statement. It highlights Fyora’s attention to detail and, of course, her grace and elegance.

     ELLSWORTH: Now, Armin, those shoes look like they might have some blue on the ribbon?

     ARMIN sweats nervously.

     ARMIN: That’s purple Ellsworth.

     ELLSWORTH raises an eyebrow skeptically.

     ELLSWORTH: If you insist.

     ELLSWORTH: And finally, Gilly, the underdog. What do you have for us?

     GILLY: I also went for a pop of colour on the shoes. These gold-toned flats have eye-catching bling that plays perfectly off the dress. I went for the classic black and white look for the gown to truly highlight Fyora’s attention to detail and sophistication.

     ELLSWORTH: Fabulous. Fyora? Your thoughts?

     FYORA: These are all just beautiful, everyone.

     FYORA: Princess Fernypoo, I love your vision of working the blue into the entire outfit, without making it overpowering. I think this is very smart and really paints a complete picture. However, you said it would be good for a daytime event, and I just don’t see it. This is purely an evening gown to me. Luckily, my gala is an evening event.

     FYORA: Armin, I love the pieces individually, but I don’t think they look quite right together. I’d wear them separately, though. The colours seem to clash, and, frankly, the top of the dress seems uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. It would make a much better portrait outfit than a gala outfit.

     FYORA: And Gilly, this one is just so much better than your last round. Your improvement and responsiveness to feedback are duly noted. The shoes are not my favourite, but the dress is versatile, and despite being colourless, it’s a showstopper.

     ELLSWORTH: So, who won this round, Queen?

     FYORA: Even though these looks were devoid of my signature colour, they are fantastic. I truly loved all of the creations this round. I do have to pick a winner, however, and I am going to select Gilly.

     The camera pans to GILLY, who looks positively chuffed at the news. ARMIN and PRINCESS FERNYPOO congratulate her.

     ELLSWORTH: Congratulations Gilly! From worst to first — how about that?

     ELLSWORTH: Well, now that we have a winner from each round, who are you going to crown as the winner, Fyora? And as a reminder, our grand prize winner will receive the ultimate honour: the Queen herself will wear their creation to her annual Fyora Day gala.

     FYORA: First of all, I want to thank all three of you for taking your time to participate in this competition. It was truly a lovely experience. You all worked so hard, and all have such unique style and talent; I would be honoured to wear any of these creations, truly. You are all winners in my heart.

     FYORA: But that being said, there can only be one winner.

     FYORA: Today’s winner of Neopia’s Runway is…

     FYORA: Gilly!

     The camera pans to GILLY, who is floored by the news. ARMIN appears resigned, but proud of his friend and fellow competitor. PRINCESS FERNYPOO looks absolutely infuriated, appearing to be arguing with stagehands off-camera. The camera quickly cuts away from her and back to GILLY.

     ELLSWORTH: Oh wow! I did not expect that after her performance in the first round. Truly unbelievable. Gilly, tell us, how are you feeling?

     GILLY: I am in shock. I didn’t expect it. As you said, I had a terrible first round. To be the winner is truly unbelievable. Thank you, Ellsworth, and thank you, Queen Fyora.

     ELLSWORTH: Well, what a performance by all of our contestants today! I cannot wait to see your look in action at the gala!

     Outro music begins to play.

     ELLSWORTH: Well, folks, that’s all we have for today! Tune in next time when the Grumpy Old King gets a glow-up! Could the drab clothes be the secret to his anger? There’s only one way to find out!

     The volume of the outro music begins to rapidly scale up, as ELLSWORTH struggles to shout over it.

     ELLSWORTH: Until then – thank you, contestants, and thank you, Queen Fyora. This is Ellsworth, signing off.

     The End.