Getting in Costume (1)

The white sun reached its peak, transitioning morning to noon, as I stepped out of the hotel in disguise. Since I passed out yesterday, I wasn’t able to check out the clothing stores for some extra pairs: one for sleeping and the rest as casualwear. Of course, I also wanted a costume for my new / old job, but those would likely be at brand name stores, so it could be put off for a bit.

While less than the night before, the streets still had quite a number of people walking around. If anything, there seemed to be more horse-driven cars clopping down the road, meaning they actually had some sort of practical use. What exactly? I didn’t know, and I had no intention to find out.

It wasn’t hard to tell which buildings sold clothes. Unlike the random splotches of colored concrete and brick, the clothing stores had glass panes, their products taking center stage. Most of these panels showed vibrant pieces similar to mine. They also had an equally high price tag: around twelve hundred reales, give or take. Since these were supposed to be for casual and personal use, I didn’t really care that much. As long as the shoe fits, or clothes I guess.

There were quite a few options, so I picked one at random and walked in. Surprisingly, I was greeted with a familiar sight. Articles were lined on racks laid in orderly rows. Sections were first separated by gender, usage, then quality. They even had a few footwear – shoes, sandals, and like – options as well.

However, there were a few areas where this magic-centered world made its influence known. The racks hovered slightly, moving up and down to match the height of the passing user for a bit of convenience. The clothing on display was ‘enchanted’ in one form or another, mainly with some kind of preservation or water resistance spell. Even the building itself likely had some sort of spatial spell cast on it; I couldn’t see where the rows of clothing ended.

“Hello there. Do you need help with something?” One of the store clerks passing by stopped for a moment, likely noticing my flabbergasted look.

“Yes, um, do you know where the men’s t-shirt and shorts are?”

“Follow me.” The clerk navigated through the rows with practice speed, bobbing and weaving between any customers blocking her path. I almost lost sight a few times whenever she turned multiple corners. However, eventually, she led me to the relevant sections, convenient right next to one another.

“Thanks.”

“Please let me or any other clerk know if you need anything else,” she said with a bow before she left.

Wow, there really are a lot of options. There were hundreds of articles in every color you could imagine: black, white, crimson, lavender, zaffre, eburnean… wait, what kind of colors are those last two? Basically, there were a lot of options.

As for the material, they were somewhat soft, but you could feel the roughness when you rubbed your fingers. It was the same as those five dollar novelty shirts with printed pirated designs. Though, at least those were cheaper. The price tag on the hook was a hundred forty reales: an absolutely insane price for such quality in my world.

But could I wear them?

Well, yeah.

So, I grabbed a few white and black shirts along with some brown shorts, just enough to last a week. I could then have the hotel wash them whenever I needed. Actually, does the hotel even wash clothes?

…

…

…I’ll have to ask Maeva when I get back.

Now for the pajamas. Searching myself seemed like a bad idea, so I found another store clerk.

“Hello, do you need something?”

“Do you know where the pajamas are?”

“Pajamas? Oh! Are you talking about sleepwear?”

“Um, yes, right,” I quietly nodded. Apparently, ‘pajamas’ was also considered a fancy word used by the upper castes. Commoners really like describing things blatantly, don’t they?

With another bob, weave, and twirl, the clerk brought me over to the sleepwear section. Unlike the colorful display of clothing, these were rather lackluster. Almost all the choices were between black and white, a few gray pieces here and there. However, prioritizing function over form, the material was a lot smoother, higher quality than the casualwear I picked out. Maybe the women’s were different, but I wasn’t going to check.

I asked a clerk once more to help direct me to checkout, paid about five hundred reales, and exited the store, bag in hand. Now that I had my everyday clothing, I decided to check the brand name stores for my costume. Sure, it was probably going to be at least ten times more expensive, but the suave yet comedic suit pretty much defined my identity as an entertainer. Doing a show without one on, real or illusion, felt off somehow. Well, as a ten-thousandaire, I have the funds, so why not?

The first brand name I found was Ayane. The clothing on display looked Japanese in nature: a mix of kimonos and trenchcoat-like streetwear. I wasn’t sure whether they had suits, but it didn’t hurt to ask, right?

“Sorry, we have nothing to sell you.” As soon as I took a step in, I was immediately kicked out before having the doors slammed in my face. Rather rude, but maybe I should’ve expected as much given the caste system with my current disguise. Still, there had to be at least one store that would sell me a suit, right?

“Um, no.”

“We don’t serve your kind here.”

“Get out and never come back!”

SLAM!!!! Each time was the same response: an annoyed no followed by a speedy exit. After a few times of the same call and response, just as red began to tint the blue sky, one of them was ‘kind’ enough to give me the name of a store who would sell me a suit before closing the door: Elvira.

Unlike the other brand name stores, Elvira didn’t have any glass panes advertising their products. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the sign plastered on the top of the building, I never would’ve guessed that this was a clothing store. Or maybe it wasn’t, and that proprietor was just trying to get rid of me. Whatever, it doesn’t hurt to check anyway.

So, with a resigned expression, I walked inside.