"No preparation is ever enough when facing the unknown—only the illusion of it."
– A Tired Fighter.
After leaving Richard's office, I decided to visit the cane shop "Alicia Art of Walking" and then the clothing store "Fashion Gala."
At reception, I found Jules and the same female receptionist I had ignored earlier, sharing a meal. I offered her a sincere apology for my earlier rudeness. She smiled warmly and assured me it was quite all right. I gave a second apology anyway as I departed.
I turned the dial to the cane shop and stepped inside.
The interior smelled… sugary. Overpoweringly so. The layout had not changed, yet the scent was cloying—like someone had distilled sugar into perfume. I hated it with growing passion.
I walked briskly to the reception counter, hoping to drop off my cane for maintenance and add a few accessories.
The girl behind the desk wore a pink maid outfit complete with bunny ears. She was enthusiastically sprinkling glitter across her workspace. Deciding that whatever was happening was none of my concern, I approached close enough to avoid direct contact with the glitter and greeted her politely.
She ignored me, continuing to toss glitter with theatrical flair. I coughed gently to gain her attention. Instead, she launched into a bizarre dance while still decorating. This was quite the behavior.
"Excuse me, Miss," I said as she flung another handful of glitter into the air. I stepped back to avoid it, but some still landed on my clothes. I used a quick wind spell to remove it, only for more to be tossed in my direction. Seeing she had another handful ready with her arm extended, I looked at her.
"Miss, I require your services, not glitter," I said, extending my cane. "I would like maintenance performed on this cane and possibly some accessories added."
She threw the glitter anyway, then struck a peace sign and resumed her strange dance. I watched the performance with a nearly blank mind. At the end, she tossed more glitter into the air and held a dramatic pose.
I applauded dispassionately. She continued striking various poses.
"…Is this what is called eccentric behaviour? " I asked, still clapping.
"Possibly," she replied, launching into another dance that heavily involved her waist. "But don't stop, okay?"
"No," I said, immediately ceasing my applause. She gave me a miffed look but kept dancing. I ignored her, placed my cane on the least glitter-covered side of the counter, and turned to leave. Then I noticed a small jewellery section. I walked over and examined the pieces, eventually settling on a ring with a skull design and matching earrings that, when combined, formed a complete skull motif.
Someone whistled behind me. "Going goth, are we? Or maybe emo? No—darkly inclined? Perhaps that."
"I understood not a single word you just said," I replied, using an arcane spell to gently puncture my earlobes so I could wear the earrings. A soft wisp of wind brushed both ears, easing the pain almost instantly.
"You wear earrings, though?" She asked, pausing her dance.
"Used to," I answered. I had worn them before arriving in this realm. I slipped on the ring and turned to her, offering a small bow. She clapped enthusiastically.
"I hope you can complete the maintenance by tomorrow," I said. "I have an expedition on Friday morning."
"Huh, so soon? Where are you heading?" she asked, tilting her head.
"To a land where my praises may or may not be sung," I replied theatrically. She gave me another round of applause, which I accepted with quiet dignity for a moment.
"So, what may I call you? I am Alezander Von Holms. You may call me Alez," I introduced myself.
"I know. I can also call you the Hanged Man. You have special privileges in all Bureau-run shops. Anyway, I'll run the cost through the Bureau as usual. You can call me Alicia—it is the name of my shop, after all: Alicia Art of Walking." She twirled.
"I know. I simply wanted a proper introduction," I replied. I turned to leave, already planning my next stop at "Fashion Gala".
As I stepped out, I turned the dial toward the clothing store and entered, still trying to brush glitter from my clothes.
Inside, several customers were browsing while scantily dressed men and women attended to them. I stood still for a couple of seconds, then decided to simply get this over with.
A scantily dressed lady approached with a bright smile. "Sir, how may we help you today?"
"…I am heading to a dungeon and will need attire suitable for exploration, preferably something that can also pass as a suit," I said.
The lady smiled. "Right this way, sir."
She guided me to the suit section and rapidly selected various options, explaining that each was enchanted for combat.
Combat? I was not planning to fight—or perhaps this was something one encountered in a "dungeon". I decided not to ask; I would wait for Friday. I had no desire to spoil the surprise for myself.
I chose an all-black suit and removed the jacket to pair it with a waistcoat trimmed in gold lines. The lady smiled approvingly. We moved on to shoes. That took little time—a pair of black oxfords, enchanted, of course.
We carried the items to the reception, where I encountered the same man from my previous visit. He was speaking with another customer, but noticed me immediately. A small smile bloomed on his face, growing wider as my desire to leave intensified.
"If it isn't our one and only Alezander Von Holms," he said.
"…Alezander," I corrected mildly, a bit miffed at the mispronunciation. "It is pronounced Ale-z-ander."
"So, what can I do for you today?" he asked, still smiling.
The lady placed the clothes and shoes on the counter. "He plans to buy these for a dungeon exploration," she told him, then returned to assist the other customer.
"So, what kind of dungeon are you heading to?" he asked.
I had no idea what he meant by that.
"Do forgive me—this is my first dungeon, and I do not wish for any spoilers," I replied with a strained smile.
He returned the smile and made a theatrical gesture of zipping his lips.
He packaged my items in silence—well, not complete silence, as he hummed cheerfully throughout. When finished, he handed me the bag and suggested I return soon.
I smiled, waved, and left. Outside, I tried once more to remove the glitter from my clothes but eventually gave up when Jules gave a loud, pointed cough from the reception desk.
I headed back to my room, hoping the spirits might be able to remove the stubborn glitter.