Travellers Trinkets

The water of the blue gems were cold and familiar as I held my clothes within a basin. Within them a week's worth of dirt and grime had begun to fester and I knew I had to get rid of it this weekend before the next week began. It didn't make sense to me that the school only handed out a single uniform to every student that they had to wear every day. I weaved a blue thread between my fingers to create clean and fresh water before unceremoniously dumping the dirty water outside my window. There was nobody below me and I always made sure there wasn't so people wouldn't get mad at me. After half an hour of rigorous rinsing my clothes were finally clean and I could wear them again.

It had been a week since the semester started and at least three times a week we had a warfare class alongside other classes. Warfare classes were essentially overrated gym classes that also taught us tactics and stuff besides just punching each other. History classes were history and always fun, especially since Diantha was my teacher. Ennath's history was like opening a fantasy book reading halfway through the story. Tales of adventurers and wayfarers were always fun to hear and it was almost like Diantha had first hand experience. 

I thought weaving classes would be more fun but ninety percent of it was basically chemistry class all over again and it bored me out of my mind. At first it was just magic but in reality it’s just science. The only upside was that I shared weaving classes with Scarlet and Lily. The two of them somehow made the lectures less boring despite those two caring way too much about strings.

My musing about my classes was soon interrupted by a noise at the door, probably by the owner of the basin I was using. “Mikayla, are you done with my basin?” There was a rapping at the door as Lily burst through to reveal me wearing nothing but my underwear holding my still wet uniform.

“Get out!” I shouted at her, nearly throwing the basin before shoving it into her hands and pushing her into the living room. “If you knock, don't barge into my room!”

“Were you washing your clothes naked?” Lily asked with genuine concern in her voice through the closed door.

“It's not like the school gave me more than one uniform and it's not like I have any money to buy any more. Unlike you rich kids I've gotta clean my clothes myself. And those warfare classes get me all sweaty, I'd be insane not to wash my clothes every day.” I retorted her question with a reasonable response, I spent half an hour after every day just cleaning my clothes.

“Can't you just ask your mom for more uniforms?” Lily questioned me with a little irritation in her voice.

“She's not my mom! And I don't want to ask her when I don't need to.” I yelled back at Lily. Diantha had already done so much for me and I didn't want to ask for more.

“So shouldn't you wear something at least when you're washing your uniform?” Lily asked as if it was obvious, and to her credit it should have been.

“I don't… I don't have any other clothes.” I said hesitantly. It wasn't that I didn't have other clothes, it was that wearing those clothes was so uncomfortable that wearing nothing was better.

“Then why don't we go shopping. It'll be on me.” I peeked my head through the door so that I could see whatever face Lily was making to see if she was lying or not. She wore that smile of hers but there was nothing telling me that she wasn't telling the truth.

“You'd really do that?” I asked with a voice accidentally filled with a little too much desperation.

“Why not? Like you said I'm just some rich girl, it doesn't matter if I spend a little gold on my roommate.” Her tone became that preppy schoolgirl voice again but it didn't seem very malicious at all.

“Alright, let's go when my clothes dry.” I said almost reluctantly yet I couldn't pass up this opportunity and Lily seemed nice at the moment.

“I'm ready to leave at any time. No rush Mikayla.” Lily said as she finally left my door towards her own room.

With a sigh I lay down in my bed while hanging my damp clothes. A shopping trip huh, never been on one of those before. Hopefully it isn't nearly as girly as the movies show them to be.

—

Walking through the high end shopping district felt weird even though I'd been here multiple times. But back then i was only passing through or picking something up, now I was actually shopping for myself. Next to me stood Scarlet and Lily, the former had asked to join us since she also needed clothes. Apparently Lily was nice enough to also pay for some of her clothes as well. Unexpectedly we had a fourth member trailing behind us, supposedly being ordered by Diantha of all people to join me. Kael walked a couple steps behind us as if he was uncomfortable by the prospect of being around two girls and a feminine boy while they were shopping. 

Feminine boy's what I've decided on for now. I'm definitely not a girl because I was born a boy. And calling myself a man just feels wrong, even more wrong than calling myself a boy. But I heard from Scarlet that feminine guys existed back on her world and I felt like it was the closest thing to whatever I was. It would be wrong to not call myself feminine since I'm literally shopping for women's clothes because of Lily. Although I'd probably only buy male clothes, my uniform was about the girliest thing I have ever worn and I want to keep it that way.

“Oh this shop has some good dresses.” Lily stated before suddenly stopping in front of a store that felt strangely familiar.

It was a windowed building with some yellow paint on the doors edges. Just beyond the glass were three dresses, two obviously too large for me but there was one that caught my eye. It was a white dress, plain in appearance yet had intricate enough frills that made it just pop out. There was also the fact that it looked like it would fit me perfectly as if it was made just for me. Yet I knew it wasn't, it was a girly thing meant for people other than me, people that deserved it. It also looked like it was made for a little girl. For a moment I was mesmerized by the dress before an unsettlingly deep voice pulled me out from my trance.

“If you want it I'll get it for you kid.” Kael asked with the subtlety of a man not caring at all about what I wanted. His disinterest was palpable.

“Why are you even here Kael? Shouldn't you be throwing knives at students?” I insulted Kael without even looking at him.

“I told you I'm sorry kid. I'm here to make up for that, and I already told you that Diantha asked me to take care of you kids.” That excuse again. How would Diantha have even heard about this trip in the first place?

“Kael I'm twenty, you don't need to coddle me or anybody else here, just go back to the academy, I can take care of myself.” I huffed at Kael as I finished up my long-winded sentence.

With that I turned my back on Kael and entered the store. Scarlet and Lily were staring but I barely paid any mind to them as I passed the threshold into the boutique. My rough and aggressive steps faded away almost immediately as I realized how fancy this place was. Dresses that looked as expensive as the Silver Bell littered the shop causing me to feel inadequate in my lousy school uniform. Everything about this place felt wrong for me, it was made for women, for girls, not a pretender like me shoved into this body.

“You always feel out of place the first time.” Suddenly another voice was beside me as Scarlet stood tall giving me a reassuring smile before striding past me.

Lily did the same with another encouraging smile before going forward to look at dresses not meant for me. Kael for his part didn't smile but did give me a hefty pat on the shoulder before sitting on a wooden stool in a corner of the shop. His outfit and blades were a complete mismatch to the store. There was a single lady within the boutique, greying hair, pale skin, and kind eyes to welcome anybody. She stayed silent but gave me a comforting nod whilst simply standing, waiting for a girl to approach her. However I didn't walk towards the clerk, instead I tried to push my attention anywhere else. It wasn't like I was going to actually get a dress, just some practical clothes at some other store.

Walking through the store I found myriads of dresses on wooden mannequins that called out to me. I didn't obey the calling of the dresses, doing my best to keep myself in check. These things weren't meant for a person like me, eventually we'd all leave the store and I'd get some clothes elsewhere. But until then I simply wandered the store, evading the gazes of the apparel. In my stupor I nearly walked into Scarlet who had just exited a changing room. She was wearing a maroonish dress, it was darker than her skin and nearing black yet bright enough for the red to pop. The dress itself was one giant piece of cloth without much stitching or cuts like a toga. It also accentuated her breasts enough that made it look good for a date if that's what she's going for.

“Oh Mikayla, I didn't see you there. What do you think of this dress?” Scarlet was surprised to see me at first but then quickly asked for my opinion on her dress.

“It looks good on you.” I didn't know what else to say or how to compliment her with my very lacking knowledge on women's apparel.

“Thanks, I think it looks good on me.” Scarlet said as she did a little twirl making the skirt of her dress do a floaty spin around her.

“Mikayla! There you are, I found the perfect outfit for you! Oh and nice dress Scarlet, that maroon really makes your hair pop.” Lily popped out of nowhere and presented me with a dress while simultaneously complimenting Scarlet a dozen times better than I did.

The dress she presented me was indeed the one from the front of the store held in its pristine glory. Lily for her part wore a knowing smile, it was no coincidence she got that dress of all things for me to wear.

“That's great Lily but I'm looking for pants and shirts, not uh, dresses.” I gave the standard response even though I knew damn well I wanted to put it on.

“Come on Mikayla, just try it on. If you don't like it you can just take it off.” Lily pleaded with me to give it a shot and I didn't see a way out of this.

“It's just not my kind of thing alright.” I tried one final rejection before Scarlet or Lily asked me again.

“If the kid doesn't want to wear the dress then don't make them wear it.” Kael said as he stood up from his stool and crowded the area around us.

With Kael’s joining of my side I immediately resolved myself to wear the damn dress, he couldn't tell me what to do.

“Lily give me the dress.” I said with conviction as I took the dress's hanger from Lily's hands and walked towards a changing room.

Lily and Scarlet followed me towards the closet but Kael just stood there and sighed before sitting back down. 

I entered the changing room on my own but Scarlet spoke up with some reassurance. “If you ever need any help just call for me. Putting on a dress for the first time is always hard.”

I ignored her at first as I began to strip down so I could put on the dress. Then I put the thing over my head before I could talk myself out of this. Kael wasn't my dad, he couldn't tell me what to do. The dress slipped on easily with the soft silk passing through like water. In just a minute or so I had adorned the dress in its entirety which felt far faster than it should have been. Cotton and silk surrounded me, their softness clinging to my body far less than any other clothes I'd ever worn before. It was like I wasn't wearing anything at all while I knew that I had the dress on me. There was a mirror in here but I didn't want to see the girl within it despite my insatiable curiosity. I took a deep breath before exiting the changing room.

“You're so cute in that!” I was immediately bombarded by Lily yelling out her affection for my dress.

“It does make you look pretty Mikayla.” Scarlet gave a more clinical view of my outfit but she also wore a bright smile at me.

I couldn't help but smile at the two's reactions but there was a third missing. Kael for his part stared from his stool not commenting, probably because he knew nothing he could say would make me feel better. Strangely his disinterest made me feel slightly bitter for some odd reason.

“Do you like it enough that you're going to buy it?” Scarlet asked innocently enough but I was still unsure.

“I'm paying for all of your clothes anyways. If you don't like it you don't have to wear it ever again.” Lily casually flaunted her money in front of the two of us.

“How rich even are you? You don't treat someone to a shopping trip unless you have money to spare.” Scarlet asked Lily with a curious tone.

“Honestly I have no idea, but you can ask Kael about it. He probably knows more about my mothers finances than I do.” Lily stated nonchalantly.

“Why would Kael know who your mom is?” I asked with a tilted head.

“Don't worry about it, I'm sure Auntie Diantha'll tell you all about it if you ask her.”

“Can't you just tell me?” I demanded with frustration leaking out of my words, her sudden connection with Diantha caught my attention.

“Kid it's easier to just ask Diantha, besides when she tells you how she knows Lily you'll have more questions. Just ask her later.” Kael stood up and did his best to defuse the situation which only frustrated me more, why couldn't they just tell me now?

“You know what, fine, let's just buy this stupid dress and go to the next store.” I strode past the trio of people I was with and towards the clerk.

Kael sighed as I passed him, Lily giggled, Scarlet simply watched, and I just wanted to get out of here and towards the next store. Hopefully the next outfit I get would fit me better.

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