She’d been dumped into all of this without any direction. She felt lost, even when she knew where she was. She felt terrified even though she wasn’t in danger. Worst, she’d had to go out wearing…wearing this mess.
Akane patted her hand as if troubled. Nearby, Painter stared at her, frowning. He seemed baffled. Well, Yumi understood both of their emotions.
“Right, then,” Akane said, towing Yumi out the door. “I know a place.” Her shoes made a sharp clopping sound on the strange black-stone street. It didn’t sound like a pair of clogs, but it was comforting nonetheless.
Yumi seized her emotions in a death grip and wrangled them under control. As soon as her tears stopped, however, she found she was still humiliated—not merely because of her outburst, but because of what had happened the last time she’d met this woman.
“Akane,” she said. “Last time we spoke…I embarrassed myself by exposing, flagrantly, my ignorance. Please accept not just my apologies, but my sincere remunerations—anything I can do in your favor, I will extend.”
“It’s not your fault your brother is a creep, Yumi.”
“He’s not a creep!” Yumi said quickly. Then paused. Was that a lie? She wasn’t completely certain. “In truth, I misunderstood what he was saying. He was speaking of…of the dramas he likes to watch. Not of anyone he knows. In addition, I was overwhelmed. People in the city are…different from the way people are back home.”
“I’ve heard about the smaller towns,” Akane said with a laugh. “I know things are more traditional there. We must look a sight to you!”
“It’s more the city itself,” Yumi said, staring to the right as they crossed a road. “The streets seem to go on forever. So many people all in one place, building monoliths toward a dark sky. Living atop one another, piled like stones in a wall…”
Akane smiled.
“Did I say something wrong?” Yumi asked, lowering her eyes. “I gravely apologize for my foolishness.”
“You’re not foolish,” Akane said. “Actually, I was thinking that I like the way you talk. It has a kind of…poetic feel to it.”
Poetic? She was merely speaking with proper formality. Still, it would not be polite to correct Akane, so she held her tongue. Akane led her to a large structure with bigger windows and brighter lights than many. Yumi glanced over her shoulder toward Painter, who was following along behind, hands in his pockets. He didn’t seem to want to talk, but she made sure to linger at the door so he could follow her.
Then all her attention was captured by the place inside those doors: a vast open room full of displays and statues wearing clothing. Hundreds of skirts hanging in artfully arranged racks. Shirts piled high in cubbies on the walls. Shoes in a thousand different varieties, raised up on tables to show them off.
“So,” Akane said, “you’ll need at least a couple of outfits. Three, maybe? That could keep you going until you can send for something from home.”
Yumi simply stared. Bright lights presented it all, of a whiter light than the lines outside. Dozens of people moved among the racks, chatting, pointing at different options. Was this…this all just here for people to take?
“What do you like to wear?” Akane said gently, nudging her. “Yumi?”
“I…” she whispered. “There’s so much…”
“Their selection,” Akane said, “is acceptable.” She leaned in. “Shinzua Shopping Center has more cutting-edge trends, but the prices there are insane. This place is a good balance.”
Prices.
Right, money. Normal people needed money to buy things.
Yumi panicked. “I have misled you, honored Akane! I don’t possess any money for—”
“It’s fine,” she said. “I’ll cover it and charge your brother. Trust me. He’ll pay me back. I’ll make sure of it.”
Oh. Well, she supposed that he owed her that much. She pointedly didn’t look toward him as she nodded.
“So, three outfits?” Akane said. “One skirt, two pairs of pants, some shirts?”
“No!” Yumi said, too forcefully. “Um, dresses? Full dresses? Is that acceptable?” Maybe she could find something similar to what she’d worn at home. Even though…she had yet to see a single woman wearing anything of the sort.
“Sure,” Akane said. “This way.”
They wove between racks of clothing, and the garments all appeared so…slight. Shirts that fit tightly on the torso, skirts so light and flowing they seemed made of air and clouds. She and Akane emerged into a section selling dresses, and Yumi’s feeling of intimidation built. How did anyone choose? She had always worn what she’d been dressed in—never voicing an opinion. Because why would she need one of those?
She was about to tell Akane to find her the thickest, bulkiest dress—when she froze. Just ahead, a statue of a woman with no face stood on a pedestal, wearing something gorgeous. Flowing, but not insubstantial, the light blue dress deepened to a darker color near the floor—like it was the blossom of a flower. It did outline the form, as all of the dresses in this place did, but didn’t hug it like the skirts that Akane favored. Instead it had a fluid, rippling sense to it.
To wear something like that… It would flare when she turned. It would leave her shoulders mostly bare, save for two straps, though the neckline wasn’t nearly as daring as the other dresses’。 It would show more of her than she had ever exposed.
But it was like the gown a queen would wear. A queen from a story. A woman, not a girl of commanding primal spirits.
“Ah,” Akane said, stepping back to join her. “Someone has remarkably good taste. What’s your size? I’ll go get one off the racks.”
“No!” Yumi said, taking her by the arm. “I can’t, honored Akane. It’s too…daring.”
Akane glanced toward the dress, then back at Yumi, who blushed. （Perhaps Akane was thinking that wearing a sweater as a skirt was the actual daring maneuver.）
“Look,” Akane said, patting her hand. “I won’t force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. But you’re in the city now, Yumi. There’s no better time to try out something new—be a little daring, so to speak. It might not seem so to you, but that dress is actually pretty conservative here.”
Yumi refrained from eyeing Akane’s own skirt, which appeared about one yawn-and-stretch away from flipping up and turning into a belt instead. Perhaps…the other one was conservative. And the spirits hadn’t punished her for the lies she’d been forced to tell…so maybe they knew she’d have to do things differently here. To accomplish their designs?
That was her excuse, at least. In truth, looking up at that dress—and realizing she could simply choose to wear it—awakened something in her. This inclination hadn’t been sleeping deeply, hadn’t been hidden far underneath the surface. It had been lurking, even back in her world. Liyun would have called it dangerous.
Liyun wasn’t here.
“Let’s try it,” Yumi whispered, clinging to Akane.
“Great! What’s your size?”