And here’s Lauriam and Elrena getting their new outfits from Chapter 2 of the regretful key to rechained memories Arc
starting in Lauriam’s perspective
Directed by the treasury clerk we found our way to Breezy Quarter and the waterway shopping street and quickly entered a grand boutique to shed our dark cloaks once and for all. I wonder if my tailor brand survived. I meander round the shop finding more memories hidden in the fabrics and threads. I see feathered fedoras hanging on the wall and checkered jackets right below them fit for a stylish academic. Swirly patterned scarfs in many colors hanging loosely on adventurously dressed mannequins some of which almost perfectly seem to mirror a similarly adventurous friend of mine. Finally baggy suspenders and strapped soldier boy sneakers humble and simple fit a smaller customer giving his mom a familiar satisfied smile after finding out he can get the newly picked outfit. I find these threads of friendship but not my own. Come on there’s got to be something that can allow me to shed the cloak I’m under. I wander some more soon finding a pair of curly cuffed buckled black boots and then a pair of pinkish red dress pants fit for a charming squire from the countryside.
But where's the squires suit his gentlemanly presentation to his superior, no to his equals? I looked around for a while before finding the section of button ups. Plaids and dress shirts galore but no vests. My heart begins to panic, desperately reaching for the threads I lost but nothing is familiar. Losing the coat becomes daunting now as dark doubts creep in but I manage to shake them off. I must reclaim myself. Chain the memories and reunite with them. Hold on to the light and find the missing link it's got to be here, don't give up. Breaking my thoughts a flash of emerald shines in my periphery catching me off guard and guiding my gaze to the suit it came from. My heart pangs, this is it finally! The new me is finally blooming.
I reach for the suit feeling the fabrics. They feel just like they used to. Light but cozy, soft on the edges and inside but also having a fuzzy stiffness at the core. Classy yet simple and a bit worn at the same time. As expected the button up had changed its design slightly. The vest was a slightly dark gray complemented by embroidered vine patterns on the slightly worn hem, emerald buttons that glistened and a platinum chain hanging from the right pocket. The sleeve cuffs also had platinum bordering and buttoning now and the white under shirt was given a bit of a light pink and plaided finish transitioning colors like the center of a Sakura petal. The hems of each shirt did seem lower than usual though a belt ought to fix that right up. I thought before grabbing the suit and looking around to find a pinkish red checkered belt with a matching platinum buckle. Perfect but somethings are still missing. Things to honor them. I head to the section with smaller accessories. Quickly I find a pocket watch with a dandelion lined and semi transparent lux symbol on its face and star motifs on its hands. Next I find a purple handkerchief with stars, sparkles, windswept clovers and crosses in a checkered pattern. Almost done, I just need one more thing. Something to fasten to the other side. It takes awhile but I manage to find it. A gold pin of a certain flower of paradise surrounded in a laurel of simplified roses. Now it's finally complete. I put the belt and the accessories in the shopping bag and head to the fitting rooms ever looking forward to my newly blooming self. As I rush though I wonder how is Elrena's new look completing itself?
Elrena
I'm met with accessories galore as I enter the girls’ section of the store. Ditzy Bows and ribbons are not my style though and I'm not really one for jewels either. I pass by them quickly. Studded belts and school ties then grace my view that's more like it. I grabbed a tie with a blue and black plaided pattern and a star studded belt just like Skuld wore. It looked good on her. I wonder if it’ll be the same for me. Perfect but I need something to put it on. I travel further into the sections weaving through the displays trying to find a good top. I pass by a cream colored blouse plain and simple no thanks. I weave past the white blouses too. I'm not pure like that anymore. Gray blouses then enter my vision I stop and consider but ultimately say eh not quite what I’m looking for something a little more vibrant should do the trick. Coincidentally right after the thought finished a blueish silver blouse graced my view and in a flash I fell head over heels for its perfect design and hue.
Now I need a skirt. I make my way towards them and immediately get hit with a wave of nostalgia as white floral patterned frills alongside black mostly straight and short cut skirts greeted me there. I blink twice chasing the brief yet still hard to swallow feeling away not now later. I think moving onward towards more layered fare. School girl skirts grace my view but I pass them by, too generic. Layered straight skirts come next that’s just more of what I had before, no thanks already carrying a lot from back then. I wander for a while passing through plain skirt after plain skirt until finally stumbling on a purple plaided frilled skirt with a light gray almost straight and short skirt layered underneath.
Perfect all that’s left now are the boots and my signature light blue jacket. The boots were easy, short length and medium heeled. Colored jet black with a single silver button on the side. As for the jacket that was much harder, I knew from the start I wanted something with middling sleeves and a long hem, maybe a cross button if I decided to be fancy. I see and shuffle through the jackets too light, too dark, not the right sleeve length and that’s a midriff. I pass by all of them in a cycle throwing my heart through a loop and causing me to shrink a little in my cloak. No, no don’t trap yourself you're smarter than that come on there has to be something here for me. I rush past dud after dud wandering deeper into the stock, almost getting lost and paralysed in it until a unique design catches my periphery off guard and stops me in my tracks.
The jacket was actually more blazer-like than anything but the blend of sky blue denim and a darker almost black navy velvet captured my eye and kept its attention. It had the perfect sleeve length with plaid light blue cuffs. It was zippered in a zig zag like a lightning bolt instead of buttoned but with the studs that surrounded the zipper I didn’t mind it. The hem was lopsided but long either way making the silhouette striking and bold. That boldness grabbed me the most-perfect. I take the jacket and head toward the fitting rooms but before I could finally finish striking my new look I found myself wandering back to the accessory section. I peruse the selection of sashes I find a royal looking purple one and a more humble and bright reddish orange one. I glance between them debating hmm maybe just one more thing from the past to complete this thundering outfit something bright and fiery. I head toward the fitting room once more and once I arrive I look around. There’s no sign of him. Perfect. I can surprise him with this last bit from the past. I wonder how he’ll carry his.
Lauriam
I make it to the fitting rooms and immediately know she beat me to it as loud clicking from slightly taller heels strike like thunder and her voice comes soon after “Oh flower boy you finally made it.”
I smile “How’d you know?”
“I smelled roses all of a sudden and figured it must be you. Is your nature magic on or something?”
“Ah no not really I’d call it more on guard then anything else. I learned to do it early, so early that it became natural and harder to turn off.”
“I see… Anyway if the fitting rooms on this side are any indication you’ll be able to hang up your coat easily there's a high knob on the other side of the door and there are pockets to store accessories in too just a heads up.”
“Thanks. I’ll leave you to it then.”
“Alright. I’ll see ya on the other side.”
My smile grows “Likewise El. Can’t wait to see what you picked out.”
“Neither can I,” she says with a small chuckle hanging at the edge of the statement. I take the first stall and get started unzippering the cloak straight away. This flower I call my heart is finally outgrowing its dark bud ready to finally fully meet the light and I know Strelitzia… that the bloom that will follow can't wait to share its new look with you. I hope that both you and my other littlest sibling will find solace in it someday in the near yet still out of reach future that I so long to make true. I promise I’ll carry all you need me to and all the memories with great care and responsibility through this journey and always.
A few minutes later
Her new heels thunderously click impatiently outside the entrance “C’mon flower boy I know you're done in there.”
“Oh do you?” I ask teasingly as I quietly slip past the fitting room curtain and head to the entrance.
“Yes it doesn’t take this long for a person to put on a suit-” I turn the corner looking down so as to not spoil myself. She continues her train of thought “C’mon stop being such a Narcissus and show me al-” she turns around soon startled by my sudden appearance and closer voice smuggly asking “You were saying?”
“Jeez Louise you almost gave me a-” she then sees my proud smirk and as the realization comes like a wave across her face a knowing smirk begins to curl and widen “Oh, this was payback wasn’t it?”
“Indeed it was and you were priceless.”
“Well you still won’t get the satisfaction of hearing me finish that statement.”
“Ah, but that satisfaction doesn’t matter when I’m already satisfied…” I say as her smirk turns into a small perhaps slightly sheepish but clearly satisfied smile of her own and she fiddles a little with her hair. My heart, seeming to flutter a bit gains strength with the new almost fully rechained connection, my smile grows and my mind now curious asks what other wonderful flowers do we have blooming here? Her voice returns the compliment and my heart now thankful makes me think whatever they are, I am thankful for them from the bottom of my newly everblooming heart. Let’s make sure we nurture them properly this time alright?
