Circus Act (Joker Valeska)

Letters She Wrote

Jerome had to give it to Autumn, she was one tough girl after surviving Helena's training course. Autumn talked about numerous occasions of Helena throwing cloth, buttons and pins at her - each night Autumn would have something new in her hair that had been collected through the day. She had unsurprisingly learned quickly and was helping creating the dresses and outfits ordered into Helena's shop. Primarily however, Autumn was providing the ideas.

Jerome hadn't heard a lot about this physically - Autumn had to send letters due to the time spent at the shop and working around the clock to finish designs. However, Jerome wasn't overly mad, he had his fun in arkham and the down time of reading his little wolfs words on letters smelling of herself - Jerome was happy. Jerome fell in love with her that little bit more after each one Autumn regularly sent.

Jerome learnt many things about Autumn, she was patient and kind but he already knew that. He found out she was an incredibly well spoken woman who could settle for higher prices with anyone. Through her letters Autumn talked about a gang purchasing a collection of suits but the profits increased by 20%. The change of fabrics and style worked in her favour to persuade the customers but Jerome gathered that his pretty wolf could charm them in other means if they didn't play along. He should've felt jealously, but he didn't. Autumn was his and if anyone was to take her away, not even Arkham could keep him out of her reach. She was sending letters twice a week anyway. Autumn was his and he was hers. This what just a minor problem in there relationship.

The increase of sales made Helena quite happy, made her spend a lot more on booze and leave Autumn to fix stitching and hems before every deadline was thrown at the both of them. The work sounded tough but Autumn seemed to be enjoying it. Autumn wanted to do so much for Helena, barely giving ideas out to the drunk before she would pass out. But it worked out and the sales increase with the highly efficiency and better design thanks to Autumn.

The letters also included designs for Jerome, thoughts and ideas Autumn had came up with before and during his incarceration. Purple, green, red and white - Jerome loved them all. The doodles and sketches of each of her designs were so detailed and even had a little additional clump of fiery red hair to make sure Jerome knew it was him.

This was all Jerome got, all the positives and production the two new co-workers made with the occasional complaint. But that wasn't the half of it.

Autumn learned quickly that if the clients weren't happy, they'd get the suits for a discounted price and whatever the wanted changed down for free. It was frustrating at first, some men even pulling guns out on her one day, but eventually there was a pattern in the regularly men coming in and out wanting suits and the woman wanting to expose every inch of there skin but somehow still be classified to have clothing on. 

Autumn thought Helena would tell her all this but the lady wasn't very helpful in that manner, Helena seemed to change whenever a client joined them as they worked. She was sure there was some sort of personality disorder within the woman but realised that it was a good technique she should learn also. 

With new business meant new faces that neither of the two women knew. This gave Autumn a chance to prove herself to Helena and she made quite a few friends while doing so. Although she was scared Jerome would kill them - she immediately bonded with a short angry man with a big nose. He came in randomly but always with her mother. The mother was very talkative to Autumn so had learned a thing or two about her son, Oswald. One day, the mother - who had time and time again told Autumn to call her Gertrude - hadn't been well enough to come pick up her fixed dress so Oswald wanted to help. With Helena working on the business of gang uniforms, Autumn had come accustomed to working the basic repair and selling the shop also provided o the legal side of things.

"Good afternoon Mr Cobblepot, Where's Gertrude?" Autumn felt bad for not asking how Oswald was but figured with rumor of the growing power Oswald was growing into, she should stay as simple to man she could be. 

Oswald had entered alone and Autumn watched the man hobble over to the counter. It was then Autumn realised as the day had been quiet she had left her doodles of designs on the counter. Oswald looked as her wanted to speak but the design caught his eyes. 

"Are these new?"

Autumn shrugged and pointed to a section she had spent drawing various jacket designs she had used to help get a customer happy with his personal design.

"I sold this to a man with quite a few guns, his old jacket didn't have enough storage, so i made him one more fitting for his line of work."

Oswald smiled as Autumn looked around sheepishly. she wasn't to supposed to have said that. 

"Don't worry i'm not with the police or anything. I'm here to pick up my mothers patched up dress? She's incredibly sick and i just want her to have her dress back to make her feel better."

Autumn softened her gaze as she was told Gertrude wasn't well, smiling sadly and Cobblepot and turned around.

"It's all patched up and ready to go. Sorry to hear she's under the weather but she will be back up in no time."

Autumn handed over the dress and received the payment and extra in return. Autumn tried to give the change but Oswald gently argued that Autumn treated herself to a day out.

Oswald thanked her for fixing the dress and chatted with Autumn as he really had nothing better to do. The girl was both interesting but also naive. Somehow, Cobblepot didn't believe the naive innocence she had was genuine- but it was refreshing compared to all the handsome, buff and scary men he'd see on the daily.

When a new customer popped into have a look on how their suit was getting along, Cobblepot said his goodbyes. As he left he asked Autumn to call him Oswald from then on and Autumn asked him to come more often - either with his mother of solo. She appreciated the company and maybe she could design him something one day.

Autumn had no idea how long Oswald was waiting for her to suggest designing an outfit but he tried to hide it the best he could. Terribly.

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Sorry it took so long to upload and it's a bit over the place. Bootiful people told me to update and i felt so happy to know people were actually enjoying this story.