Chapter 5
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"By the way, when I said I would sell you this suit and possibility of future cooperation in exchange for transport, I meant the sale was a completely separate transaction. Just making sure, you know?"
Zanac nodded. "Of course. Of course. I understand. Verbal contracts need to be clear." He beamed at me, it looked like being slightly money-grubbing appealed to his merchant's sense of values.
--
Soon enough we arrived at a walled settlement. The town of Reflet, I was told. The guard only made a perfunctory inspection of the carriage, it appeared that Zanac's face was famous in town. We made our way to what looked to be the shopping district with many stores all lined up in a row. I noted that it was slightly circuitous going through some curving streets to get there.
/"This is a town that expanded organically out from its former city walls,"/ Monika offered, reading my intent from the way my eyes narrowed in concentration. /"You can see how the curving streets and shops might denote where they pulled down and flattened the old boundary."/
"Oh I see. And then of course the shopping district moved out to compensate for the drift in population."
"Mh? Oh. The street? I see. I guess I've never noticed that about this street before." said Zanac, taking my words for random mutterings of realization. We had by then stopped in front of one such shop in the district and disembarked. He stared down the curving street and noted how cumbersome it was for passing carriages. "A man of varied intellectual interests, I see."
Then muttered under his breath "How is he seeing things with that thing on his face anyway? Must be magic."
Then realizing that we were paused out in the middle of the street, he laughed good-naturedly and approached the door. "Come! Come! Let me show you my castle of style!"
"A Castle /in/ the Style, surely."
Monika popped up to the side of the screen. /"Do NOT start. I literally have nothing better to do than to think up ever more painful punnery."/
Canned puns!
--
"Welcome back, Sire!" the staff greeted him as we entered. They were dressed in aprons and somehow maid style, but in tans and greens instead of working dark blue. Hm. Was that the closest thing to a blue collar uniform for salesgirls in these here parts?
"Nice!" I murmured appreciatively at his boutique.
"Pardon, I don't meant to hurry you – but if you could pick out a change of clothing? Take whatever you wish. I'm sure it will feel more refreshing after all that travel."
I agreed and began to take out things from my many pockets before shucking off my jacket and tie. And then my vest, which was actually a blazing red, a deep color that was only possible with petrochemical dyes. Zanac's eyebrows raised in interest.
Briefly I looked around to check that the boutique did sell pants. Which was strangely anachronistic but what the hell. Probably derived from horse-riding attire. I shucked off my pants while Monika made a startled eep and covered her eyes.
Monika, you can't even see me from this angl- oh, full-length mirrors on the wall.
So then I was down to my T-shirt and and boxer briefs. And socks and shoes.
"Pardon me again, but… c-could I persuade you to sell me those undergarments and your shoes as well?" Zanac ventured.
"What the shite, man. Seriously?"
The clothier clapped his palms together. "Sorry!"
--
I spun around looking at myself and my replacement outfit on the dress mirror. "This is actually quite nice, very close to what I had before. Aside from the lapel design. Does everyone really prefer high collars?"
Black pants and a white collared shirt, and a black jacket on top. To keep myself from feeling too much like Kirito, I added a black leather duckbill hat. Because ties had not been invented yet, I had a short silky gray cravat.
/"Are you a Blues Brother?"/
"The understated confidence of the pinned lapels and how it emphasizes the shoulders instead of the neck, that's something utterly new! Your suit having sickle support around the collar was something I never would have guessed from looking outside. It really helps to support the weight of the cloth and give an arch to the shoulders!" Zanac gushed. "Fitted seams for the arms are so important! This amazingly precise stitching, this soft underlayer! I can't even imagine how this was done!"
"Mmm. Actually I miss the most having so many pockets." The leather bag I slung across my chest was basically just a purse.
"We can come back to that later, do not worry, my friend." Zanac began rubbing the jacket to my face almost as if he wanted my scent. Oh come on. If only I wasn't absolutely sure he was actually just in the throes of artisan excitement that would be a bit creepy.
He prepared to remove his own clothes while in full view of his staff to put it on. Most of the salesgirls had already decided to vamoose in embarrassment for our sake, except for one who stood by ready to assist. She had the calm, unruffled mien of a floor chief.
"Ah! Actually about that – I just remembered something! You remember what I said earlier about how this suit looks better when worn by women?"
Zanac looked at me excitedly, then as one our heads turned towards the saleslady. She flinched and took a few nervous steps back.
--
"Sorry about this," I said to her.
She fidgeted embarrassedly in place. She was tall and had her hair tied up in a bun. The suit actually fit her fairly well, but it was hanging in places.
"I'm sorry, I don't see it," Zanac said disappointedly.
"How you wear it matters as much as what you're wearing," I replied. Then I turned to look to our reluctant model, "Excuse me, Miss. What's your name?"
"N-nora, sir."
"Hi, Nora. May I approach you and touch you a little bit? Just to adjust some things, I assure you."
"It's… it's fine, sir. This is a clothier, I understand what has to be done."
So I approached her and tugged at her shoulders slightly. "Your arms are too tense... remember, you're not a mannequin on display. Come with me here for a bit." And we moved over to the tall wall mirror. "Look at yourself."
The mirror made her look mannish, except for how it tightened over her chest. The top buttons had to be left undone, exposing the swell of her breasts if even if completely covered by the undershirt. She fidgeted embarrassed in place again.
"You don't think it looks good on you?"
"… um. I'm sorry sir. Perhaps someone else…"
/"I don't know. I think it looks fine,"/ said Monika. /"Just… nothing special, you know? It's nice and almost sexless, good for professional work."/
I stood behind her and put my arms on her shoulders. She flinched and tensed up, frightened at my invasion of her body privacy. Sorry.
"Relax. Don't be afraid…" I whispered soothingly. "Don't be shy. Close your eyes and just listen to my voice. There's no embarrassment here. An actor on stage becomes the character. You don't need our approval, you don't have to fear anything. We are just whispers on the wind. Because what you're wearing is *power*."
I whispered to her ears in a low rumble "That is a suit for men. Wealthy, influential men. It's not clothes that flutter around and tantalizingly show your skin. /Wear it like armor./ Nothing can touch, not insults, not fear, not hesitation. That's why it's cut so simply – those who wear it need no other ornamentation than their own inimitable will.
That's why it's called power dressing. Women in my homeland wore this to shout out to the world, you're /not/ going to keep me down."
Nora let out a little eep.
"Armor your heart. Stand up straight, chest out, arms relaxed and open. Ready to point. Ready to command. Take deep breaths. Confidence, nothing but confidence. If you falter they will eat you alive. You can't ever show any weakness. You are a shining blade. Let it reflect in your eyes."
I stroked at her eyebrows and cheeks, almost massaging her face.
/"…is this not sexual harassment?"/ Monika asked archly.
I took hold of Nora's shoulder joints and began to roll her rotator cuffs around, like trying to loosen the muscles of a boxer in between bouts, and then stepped back. "Relax. Confidence, ever confidence.
Now deep breath. In. Out. Open your eyes."
She opened her eyes and gasped at her reflection. As we were actually of similar height, I could hide from behind her. I had moved her arms around to change her posture. One arm up, bent at the elbow with fingers touching her shoulder, the other arm out straight pointing at something outside of view. Her chest and hips were at a slight angle instead of stranding straight on.
Her brows were in a faint frown, her chin up in a look of disdain.
Completely unlike the gowns and dresses of a noble lady, this was not a courtly haughtiness, but the aloofness of someone who knew what she wanted and would not suffer fools to stand in her way.
Behind her, I spoke again "And repeat after me. I am /powerful/."
Nora took a deep breath and said "I am /powerful/."
"I am /intelligent/."
Nora narrowed her eyes slightly and said "I am /intelligent/."
"I am /untouchable/."
Nora took another deep breath and puffed out her chest. "/I am untouchable/."
And then I stepped back. "Don't try to look fierce. That's wasting energy on your pointless posturing. Above everything, you are /efficient/.
"Please turn around."
Zanac gasped as I moved away from view. He recoiled in surprise. A momentary look of pleasure, and then fear, only to be swiftly replaced by a placid intensity showed on Nora's face.
Even Monika had to agree /"… well. I can see where your fetish is coming from. Power certainly is attractive. So you like… strong women."/
After a few moments Monika glanced back at me and realized a thought /"Did you have a crush on your boss?"/
Mmm.
She began to giggle. /"What happened?"/
As Zanac stepped forward to inspect how the suit now far more befittingly draped over the female form, I moved to the side and whispered my answer. /"She got married."/
"Oh."
"Just standing straight like a soldier on parade isn't it," I spoke over Zanac towards Nora. "Try putting a hand on your hips, and jut it out a little bit … like saying, so I'm a woman. Got a problem with it?"
Nora glanced at me quizzically, and then made the pose. As Zanac made a cooing noise of delight, she gave her employer a condescending sniff. That only made him smile all the more.
Then I suggested another pose -"Sit down on that table please and spread your legs, resting your hands on your knees. You know, like you're a field general. Yes, yes, hear their reports and decide what tactics to use."
/"They call this manspreading,"/ Monika smirked.
We carefully noted how the fabric creased along her upper arm and shoulders and around her thighs. This was not a thing you could ever do with a skirt, and this pose was not indecent yet so vulgar. Zanac's stare whirled around, somehow centered but not looking at her crotch. Weird how it was the focal point yet it emphasized everything else around it.
"Zanac, could you move to that wall for a moment?"
The boutique owner hastily complied. I moved over to next to a shelf and leaned on the edge, with my arm up and resting on my elbow. "Okay, Nora. Go stand over him like this. Relaxed, but domineering."
Nora copied the pose. Since she was taller than her boss, it looked like something out of a shoujo manga with the tall domineering pretty boy looming over the shy female lead. Monika noticed and remarked about that.
"Say something?" I asked aloud.
"Hey," Nora said in a low whisper full of dark promises.
"Eeeee….!" Zanac began to squeal. He balled up hands up near his face in girlish glee.
Yeah okay enough of that. I bid them to back away for now.
"Now try rolling up the sleeves, like you have real work to do and you don't want your expensive clothes to get dirty. But you're not certainly above doing that work, unlike others who value their pride and dignity far too much that they become useless bags of flesh."
It took some doing, but it was done. The rolled up sleeves showed the bright undercloth of the jacket, and exposed her slim arms. Everything else was still modestly covered.
"Yes, yes!" Zanac began to chant. "That works! That works!"
"How about raise your hands up, touch the back of your head, as if you had just finished tying your hair? Turn to the side, please."
Zanac let out a coo of surprise. The way the jacket hitched up and pulled around her chest, the lapels flaring open to display more and yet nothing scandalous because unlike dresses her chest was fully covered – it was a little moment of vulnerability that somehow was a more striking emphasis on her femininity.
"Do you see it now?"
"I see! Oh heavens, I do see! Why didn't I realize this before?" Zanac cried shrilly. "The more masculine and aggressive she moves, the more it actually accentuates the feminine!"
I patted his shoulders. "A few adjustments will still have to be made so that it fits the female form better, and actually making it out of cheaper materials will at least allow it to crinkle in more interesting ways depending on the posture. The Mark II was designed for comfort in travel, after all."
"You are a genius!"
Monika snorted. /"You are utterly shameless."/
--
Zanac bowed. "Please allow me the rights to produce the Universal Suit Mark II!"
"That's fine. I'm going to need your help to make the Mark III anyway. I don't actually mind other people making my clothes, I'm a designer mainly. And it would mean I would no longer look so terribly out of place."
/"(Cough)no that's me(cough),"/ Monika huffed into her fist. /"Centuries of design we could rip off if we just had a frontman."/
"So what do you think my clothes are worth?"
"You have opened my eyes to whole fields of inspiration! I'd say it's worth fifteen… no, twenty gold!"
"Yeeeah I have no idea how much that will buy in this economy," I had to admit when I received the bag of literal gold coins.
/"Real gold? Woow…"/ Monika pressed her hand to the camera window. /"Who really owns gold coins anymore, right? I want to know how that feels. I want to bite on a gold coin to check if it's really precious metal. I want to talk like pirate and have a chest of gold doubloons, arrh."/
"I make half a gold or five silvers every month, sir," Nora advised. "A gold coin is a hundred coppers, and I think it's around two to four coppers for a night at an inn with meals included."
She was back to her regular clothes and gazed wistfully at the folded suit. I glanced to behind her and saw the other sales girls peering into the room. They were blushing for some reason.
"Why would I let my good friend stay in an inn?! Sir Playa! You are always welcome at my home!" Zanac said suddenly.
"I… would not wish to impose. I'm sorry, but I value my privacy and being able to move freely."
Zanac looked so melodramatically forlorn. "I understand. It is to be expected from such a young man on a journey for wisdom."
"I will be staying here for a while though. I'll visit you again. We can talk about… designs and such. You're more a clothier than an industrialist…"
"But I do know some people in those trades, if you would like to talk more about that…" Zanac leered and wiggled his brushy mustache in a way that reminded me of Charlie Chaplin.
"Maybe later," I stretched out and yawned. "I'll come back within the week."
"Oh I see. You do need to rest, I've been so rude as to impose on you all this time," Zanac said, completely ignoring how he just paid me shitloads of money. "Then I recommend the Silver Moon Inn. Turn right as you go out the street and the follow the road. It shouldn't be hard to find. There will be a large sign."
"Got it. Thanks. I'll be on my way then."
"Thank you! And see you soon!" He waved goodbye happily as I exited the door. I grinned back sheepishly and was gone.
--
"Huh. Well that was nice."
/"Disturbingly nice,"/ Monika responded. /"I didn't know people like that really existed. Helpful, kind, generous? And for a change for a boutique owner, not flamboyantly gay? If I didn't think we were in a fantasy land, I sure do now."/
"Monika please, that's stereotyping. The difference between fiction and real life is that fiction has to make sense. Anyway, where is that inn?"
Monika changed the screen to a map program and traced the route. /"Over here, I think."/
/"Wait, I thought you didn't have GPS? I mean, of course you wouldn't, there are no satellites."/
Monika pointed to the bottom right corner of the screen. /"Did you happen to notice that for some reason we are still WiFi connected?"/
"Holy moley you're right, why?! Can you access Google?! Can I go back to shitposting on Spacebattles?"
/"… no. For the last, oh god no. But most connected apps still work for some mysterious reason. I have… maps of the area. This is really making me uncomfortable that we're inside a virtual reality simulation, Sword Art Online style."/
"Pft. SAO was a shitty MMO anyway. EverQuest represent."
/"Also you probably look crazy to passers-by right now, talking to yourself."/ Monika looked mortified for my sake. /"Sorry. But we should probably get going."/
And so me and mai waifu went out to get laid.
Um, to rent a bed, I mean.
--
---- > End Chapter One : Thrown to a New World <----
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
"By the way, when I said I would sell you this suit and possibility of future cooperation in exchange for transport, I meant the sale was a completely separate transaction. Just making sure, you know?"
Zanac nodded. "Of course. Of course. I understand. Verbal contracts need to be clear." He beamed at me, it looked like being slightly money-grubbing appealed to his merchant's sense of values.
--
Soon enough we arrived at a walled settlement. The town of Reflet, I was told. The guard only made a perfunctory inspection of the carriage, it appeared that Zanac's face was famous in town. We made our way to what looked to be the shopping district with many stores all lined up in a row. I noted that it was slightly circuitous going through some curving streets to get there.
/"This is a town that expanded organically out from its former city walls,"/ Monika offered, reading my intent from the way my eyes narrowed in concentration. /"You can see how the curving streets and shops might denote where they pulled down and flattened the old boundary."/
"Oh I see. And then of course the shopping district moved out to compensate for the drift in population."
"Mh? Oh. The street? I see. I guess I've never noticed that about this street before." said Zanac, taking my words for random mutterings of realization. We had by then stopped in front of one such shop in the district and disembarked. He stared down the curving street and noted how cumbersome it was for passing carriages. "A man of varied intellectual interests, I see."
Then muttered under his breath "How is he seeing things with that thing on his face anyway? Must be magic."
Then realizing that we were paused out in the middle of the street, he laughed good-naturedly and approached the door. "Come! Come! Let me show you my castle of style!"
"A Castle /in/ the Style, surely."
Monika popped up to the side of the screen. /"Do NOT start. I literally have nothing better to do than to think up ever more painful punnery."/
Canned puns!
--
"Welcome back, Sire!" the staff greeted him as we entered. They were dressed in aprons and somehow maid style, but in tans and greens instead of working dark blue. Hm. Was that the closest thing to a blue collar uniform for salesgirls in these here parts?
"Nice!" I murmured appreciatively at his boutique.
"Pardon, I don't meant to hurry you – but if you could pick out a change of clothing? Take whatever you wish. I'm sure it will feel more refreshing after all that travel."
I agreed and began to take out things from my many pockets before shucking off my jacket and tie. And then my vest, which was actually a blazing red, a deep color that was only possible with petrochemical dyes. Zanac's eyebrows raised in interest.
Briefly I looked around to check that the boutique did sell pants. Which was strangely anachronistic but what the hell. Probably derived from horse-riding attire. I shucked off my pants while Monika made a startled eep and covered her eyes.
Monika, you can't even see me from this angl- oh, full-length mirrors on the wall.
So then I was down to my T-shirt and and boxer briefs. And socks and shoes.
"Pardon me again, but… c-could I persuade you to sell me those undergarments and your shoes as well?" Zanac ventured.
"What the shite, man. Seriously?"
The clothier clapped his palms together. "Sorry!"
--
I spun around looking at myself and my replacement outfit on the dress mirror. "This is actually quite nice, very close to what I had before. Aside from the lapel design. Does everyone really prefer high collars?"
Black pants and a white collared shirt, and a black jacket on top. To keep myself from feeling too much like Kirito, I added a black leather duckbill hat. Because ties had not been invented yet, I had a short silky gray cravat.
/"Are you a Blues Brother?"/
"The understated confidence of the pinned lapels and how it emphasizes the shoulders instead of the neck, that's something utterly new! Your suit having sickle support around the collar was something I never would have guessed from looking outside. It really helps to support the weight of the cloth and give an arch to the shoulders!" Zanac gushed. "Fitted seams for the arms are so important! This amazingly precise stitching, this soft underlayer! I can't even imagine how this was done!"
"Mmm. Actually I miss the most having so many pockets." The leather bag I slung across my chest was basically just a purse.
"We can come back to that later, do not worry, my friend." Zanac began rubbing the jacket to my face almost as if he wanted my scent. Oh come on. If only I wasn't absolutely sure he was actually just in the throes of artisan excitement that would be a bit creepy.
He prepared to remove his own clothes while in full view of his staff to put it on. Most of the salesgirls had already decided to vamoose in embarrassment for our sake, except for one who stood by ready to assist. She had the calm, unruffled mien of a floor chief.
"Ah! Actually about that – I just remembered something! You remember what I said earlier about how this suit looks better when worn by women?"
Zanac looked at me excitedly, then as one our heads turned towards the saleslady. She flinched and took a few nervous steps back.
--
"Sorry about this," I said to her.
She fidgeted embarrassedly in place. She was tall and had her hair tied up in a bun. The suit actually fit her fairly well, but it was hanging in places.
"I'm sorry, I don't see it," Zanac said disappointedly.
"How you wear it matters as much as what you're wearing," I replied. Then I turned to look to our reluctant model, "Excuse me, Miss. What's your name?"
"N-nora, sir."
"Hi, Nora. May I approach you and touch you a little bit? Just to adjust some things, I assure you."
"It's… it's fine, sir. This is a clothier, I understand what has to be done."
So I approached her and tugged at her shoulders slightly. "Your arms are too tense... remember, you're not a mannequin on display. Come with me here for a bit." And we moved over to the tall wall mirror. "Look at yourself."
The mirror made her look mannish, except for how it tightened over her chest. The top buttons had to be left undone, exposing the swell of her breasts if even if completely covered by the undershirt. She fidgeted embarrassed in place again.
"You don't think it looks good on you?"
"… um. I'm sorry sir. Perhaps someone else…"
/"I don't know. I think it looks fine,"/ said Monika. /"Just… nothing special, you know? It's nice and almost sexless, good for professional work."/
I stood behind her and put my arms on her shoulders. She flinched and tensed up, frightened at my invasion of her body privacy. Sorry.
"Relax. Don't be afraid…" I whispered soothingly. "Don't be shy. Close your eyes and just listen to my voice. There's no embarrassment here. An actor on stage becomes the character. You don't need our approval, you don't have to fear anything. We are just whispers on the wind. Because what you're wearing is *power*."
I whispered to her ears in a low rumble "That is a suit for men. Wealthy, influential men. It's not clothes that flutter around and tantalizingly show your skin. /Wear it like armor./ Nothing can touch, not insults, not fear, not hesitation. That's why it's cut so simply – those who wear it need no other ornamentation than their own inimitable will.
That's why it's called power dressing. Women in my homeland wore this to shout out to the world, you're /not/ going to keep me down."
Nora let out a little eep.
"Armor your heart. Stand up straight, chest out, arms relaxed and open. Ready to point. Ready to command. Take deep breaths. Confidence, nothing but confidence. If you falter they will eat you alive. You can't ever show any weakness. You are a shining blade. Let it reflect in your eyes."
I stroked at her eyebrows and cheeks, almost massaging her face.
/"…is this not sexual harassment?"/ Monika asked archly.
I took hold of Nora's shoulder joints and began to roll her rotator cuffs around, like trying to loosen the muscles of a boxer in between bouts, and then stepped back. "Relax. Confidence, ever confidence.
Now deep breath. In. Out. Open your eyes."
She opened her eyes and gasped at her reflection. As we were actually of similar height, I could hide from behind her. I had moved her arms around to change her posture. One arm up, bent at the elbow with fingers touching her shoulder, the other arm out straight pointing at something outside of view. Her chest and hips were at a slight angle instead of stranding straight on.
Her brows were in a faint frown, her chin up in a look of disdain.
Completely unlike the gowns and dresses of a noble lady, this was not a courtly haughtiness, but the aloofness of someone who knew what she wanted and would not suffer fools to stand in her way.
Behind her, I spoke again "And repeat after me. I am /powerful/."
Nora took a deep breath and said "I am /powerful/."
"I am /intelligent/."
Nora narrowed her eyes slightly and said "I am /intelligent/."
"I am /untouchable/."
Nora took another deep breath and puffed out her chest. "/I am untouchable/."
And then I stepped back. "Don't try to look fierce. That's wasting energy on your pointless posturing. Above everything, you are /efficient/.
"Please turn around."
Zanac gasped as I moved away from view. He recoiled in surprise. A momentary look of pleasure, and then fear, only to be swiftly replaced by a placid intensity showed on Nora's face.
Even Monika had to agree /"… well. I can see where your fetish is coming from. Power certainly is attractive. So you like… strong women."/
After a few moments Monika glanced back at me and realized a thought /"Did you have a crush on your boss?"/
Mmm.
She began to giggle. /"What happened?"/
As Zanac stepped forward to inspect how the suit now far more befittingly draped over the female form, I moved to the side and whispered my answer. /"She got married."/
"Oh."
"Just standing straight like a soldier on parade isn't it," I spoke over Zanac towards Nora. "Try putting a hand on your hips, and jut it out a little bit … like saying, so I'm a woman. Got a problem with it?"
Nora glanced at me quizzically, and then made the pose. As Zanac made a cooing noise of delight, she gave her employer a condescending sniff. That only made him smile all the more.
Then I suggested another pose -"Sit down on that table please and spread your legs, resting your hands on your knees. You know, like you're a field general. Yes, yes, hear their reports and decide what tactics to use."
/"They call this manspreading,"/ Monika smirked.
We carefully noted how the fabric creased along her upper arm and shoulders and around her thighs. This was not a thing you could ever do with a skirt, and this pose was not indecent yet so vulgar. Zanac's stare whirled around, somehow centered but not looking at her crotch. Weird how it was the focal point yet it emphasized everything else around it.
"Zanac, could you move to that wall for a moment?"
The boutique owner hastily complied. I moved over to next to a shelf and leaned on the edge, with my arm up and resting on my elbow. "Okay, Nora. Go stand over him like this. Relaxed, but domineering."
Nora copied the pose. Since she was taller than her boss, it looked like something out of a shoujo manga with the tall domineering pretty boy looming over the shy female lead. Monika noticed and remarked about that.
"Say something?" I asked aloud.
"Hey," Nora said in a low whisper full of dark promises.
"Eeeee….!" Zanac began to squeal. He balled up hands up near his face in girlish glee.
Yeah okay enough of that. I bid them to back away for now.
"Now try rolling up the sleeves, like you have real work to do and you don't want your expensive clothes to get dirty. But you're not certainly above doing that work, unlike others who value their pride and dignity far too much that they become useless bags of flesh."
It took some doing, but it was done. The rolled up sleeves showed the bright undercloth of the jacket, and exposed her slim arms. Everything else was still modestly covered.
"Yes, yes!" Zanac began to chant. "That works! That works!"
"How about raise your hands up, touch the back of your head, as if you had just finished tying your hair? Turn to the side, please."
Zanac let out a coo of surprise. The way the jacket hitched up and pulled around her chest, the lapels flaring open to display more and yet nothing scandalous because unlike dresses her chest was fully covered – it was a little moment of vulnerability that somehow was a more striking emphasis on her femininity.
"Do you see it now?"
"I see! Oh heavens, I do see! Why didn't I realize this before?" Zanac cried shrilly. "The more masculine and aggressive she moves, the more it actually accentuates the feminine!"
I patted his shoulders. "A few adjustments will still have to be made so that it fits the female form better, and actually making it out of cheaper materials will at least allow it to crinkle in more interesting ways depending on the posture. The Mark II was designed for comfort in travel, after all."
"You are a genius!"
Monika snorted. /"You are utterly shameless."/
--
Zanac bowed. "Please allow me the rights to produce the Universal Suit Mark II!"
"That's fine. I'm going to need your help to make the Mark III anyway. I don't actually mind other people making my clothes, I'm a designer mainly. And it would mean I would no longer look so terribly out of place."
/"(Cough)no that's me(cough),"/ Monika huffed into her fist. /"Centuries of design we could rip off if we just had a frontman."/
"So what do you think my clothes are worth?"
"You have opened my eyes to whole fields of inspiration! I'd say it's worth fifteen… no, twenty gold!"
"Yeeeah I have no idea how much that will buy in this economy," I had to admit when I received the bag of literal gold coins.
/"Real gold? Woow…"/ Monika pressed her hand to the camera window. /"Who really owns gold coins anymore, right? I want to know how that feels. I want to bite on a gold coin to check if it's really precious metal. I want to talk like pirate and have a chest of gold doubloons, arrh."/
"I make half a gold or five silvers every month, sir," Nora advised. "A gold coin is a hundred coppers, and I think it's around two to four coppers for a night at an inn with meals included."
She was back to her regular clothes and gazed wistfully at the folded suit. I glanced to behind her and saw the other sales girls peering into the room. They were blushing for some reason.
"Why would I let my good friend stay in an inn?! Sir Playa! You are always welcome at my home!" Zanac said suddenly.
"I… would not wish to impose. I'm sorry, but I value my privacy and being able to move freely."
Zanac looked so melodramatically forlorn. "I understand. It is to be expected from such a young man on a journey for wisdom."
"I will be staying here for a while though. I'll visit you again. We can talk about… designs and such. You're more a clothier than an industrialist…"
"But I do know some people in those trades, if you would like to talk more about that…" Zanac leered and wiggled his brushy mustache in a way that reminded me of Charlie Chaplin.
"Maybe later," I stretched out and yawned. "I'll come back within the week."
"Oh I see. You do need to rest, I've been so rude as to impose on you all this time," Zanac said, completely ignoring how he just paid me shitloads of money. "Then I recommend the Silver Moon Inn. Turn right as you go out the street and the follow the road. It shouldn't be hard to find. There will be a large sign."
"Got it. Thanks. I'll be on my way then."
"Thank you! And see you soon!" He waved goodbye happily as I exited the door. I grinned back sheepishly and was gone.
--
"Huh. Well that was nice."
/"Disturbingly nice,"/ Monika responded. /"I didn't know people like that really existed. Helpful, kind, generous? And for a change for a boutique owner, not flamboyantly gay? If I didn't think we were in a fantasy land, I sure do now."/
"Monika please, that's stereotyping. The difference between fiction and real life is that fiction has to make sense. Anyway, where is that inn?"
Monika changed the screen to a map program and traced the route. /"Over here, I think."/
/"Wait, I thought you didn't have GPS? I mean, of course you wouldn't, there are no satellites."/
Monika pointed to the bottom right corner of the screen. /"Did you happen to notice that for some reason we are still WiFi connected?"/
"Holy moley you're right, why?! Can you access Google?! Can I go back to shitposting on Spacebattles?"
/"… no. For the last, oh god no. But most connected apps still work for some mysterious reason. I have… maps of the area. This is really making me uncomfortable that we're inside a virtual reality simulation, Sword Art Online style."/
"Pft. SAO was a shitty MMO anyway. EverQuest represent."
/"Also you probably look crazy to passers-by right now, talking to yourself."/ Monika looked mortified for my sake. /"Sorry. But we should probably get going."/
And so me and mai waifu went out to get laid.
Um, to rent a bed, I mean.
--
---- > End Chapter One : Thrown to a New World <----
"By the way, when I said I would sell you this suit and possibility of future cooperation in exchange for transport, I meant the sale was a completely separate transaction. Just making sure, you know?"Zanac nodded. "Of course. Of course. I understand. Verbal contracts need to be clear." He beamed at me, it looked like being slightly money-grubbing appealed to his merchant's sense of values.--Soon enough we arrived at a walled settlement. The town of Reflet, I was told. The guard only made a perfunctory inspection of the carriage, it appeared that Zanac's face was famous in town. We made our way to what looked to be the shopping district with many stores all lined up in a row. I noted that it was slightly circuitous going through some curving streets to get there./"This is a town that expanded organically out from its former city walls,"/ Monika offered, reading my intent from the way my eyes narrowed in concentration. /"You can see how the curving streets and shops might denote where they pulled down and flattened the old boundary."/"Oh I see. And then of course the shopping district moved out to compensate for the drift in population.""Mh? Oh. The street? I see. I guess I've never noticed that about this street before." said Zanac, taking my words for random mutterings of realization. We had by then stopped in front of one such shop in the district and disembarked. He stared down the curving street and noted how cumbersome it was for passing carriages. "A man of varied intellectual interests, I see."Then muttered under his breath "How is he seeing things with that thing on his face anyway? Must be magic."Then realizing that we were paused out in the middle of the street, he laughed good-naturedly and approached the door. "Come! Come! Let me show you my castle of style!""A Castle /in/ the Style, surely."Monika popped up to the side of the screen. /"Do NOT start. I literally have nothing better to do than to think up ever more painful punnery."/Canned puns!--"Welcome back, Sire!" the staff greeted him as we entered. They were dressed in aprons and somehow maid style, but in tans and greens instead of working dark blue. Hm. Was that the closest thing to a blue collar uniform for salesgirls in these here parts?"Nice!" I murmured appreciatively at his boutique."Pardon, I don't meant to hurry you but if you could pick out a change of clothing? Take whatever you wish. I'm sure it will feel more refreshing after all that travel."I agreed and began to take out things from my many pockets before shucking off my jacket and tie. And then my vest, which was actually a blazing red, a deep color that was only possible with petrochemical dyes. Zanac's eyebrows raised in interest.Briefly I looked around to check that the boutique did sell pants. Which was strangely anachronistic but what the hell. Probably derived from horse-riding attire. I shucked off my pants while Monika made a startled eep and covered her eyes.Monika, you can't even see me from this angl- oh, full-length mirrors on the wall.So then I was down to my T-shirt and and boxer briefs. And socks and shoes."Pardon me again, but c-could I persuade you to sell me those undergarments and your shoes as well?" Zanac ventured."What the shite, man. Seriously?"The clothier clapped his palms together. "Sorry!"--I spun around looking at myself and my replacement outfit on the dress mirror. "This is actually quite nice, very close to what I had before. Aside from the lapel design. Does everyone really prefer high collars?"Black pants and a white collared shirt, and a black jacket on top. To keep myself from feeling too much like Kirito, I added a black leather duckbill hat. Because ties had not been invented yet, I had a short silky gray cravat./"Are you a Blues Brother?"/"The understated confidence of the pinned lapels and how it emphasizes the shoulders instead of the neck, that's something utterly new! Your suit having sickle support around the collar was something I never would have guessed from looking outside. It really helps to support the weight of the cloth and give an arch to the shoulders!" Zanac gushed. "Fitted seams for the arms are so important! This amazingly precise stitching, this soft underlayer! I can't even imagine how this was done!""Mmm. Actually I miss the most having so many pockets." The leather bag I slung across my chest was basically just a purse."We can come back to that later, do not worry, my friend." Zanac began rubbing the jacket to my face almost as if he wanted my scent. Oh come on. If only I wasn't absolutely sure he was actually just in the throes of artisan excitement that would be a bit creepy.He prepared to remove his own clothes while in full view of his staff to put it on. Most of the salesgirls had already decided to vamoose in embarrassment for our sake, except for one who stood by ready to assist. She had the calm, unruffled mien of a floor chief."Ah! Actually about that I just remembered something! You remember what I said earlier about how this suit looks better when worn by women?"Zanac looked at me excitedly, then as one our heads turned towards the saleslady. She flinched and took a few nervous steps back.--"Sorry about this," I said to her.She fidgeted embarrassedly in place. She was tall and had her hair tied up in a bun. The suit actually fit her fairly well, but it was hanging in places."I'm sorry, I don't see it," Zanac said disappointedly."How you wear it matters as much as what you're wearing," I replied. Then I turned to look to our reluctant model, "Excuse me, Miss. What's your name?""N-nora, sir.""Hi, Nora. May I approach you and touch you a little bit? Just to adjust some things, I assure you.""It's it's fine, sir. This is a clothier, I understand what has to be done."So I approached her and tugged at her shoulders slightly. "Your arms are too tense... remember, you're not a mannequin on display. Come with me here for a bit." And we moved over to the tall wall mirror. "Look at yourself."The mirror made her look mannish, except for how it tightened over her chest. The top buttons had to be left undone, exposing the swell of her breasts if even if completely covered by the undershirt. She fidgeted embarrassed in place again."You don't think it looks good on you?"" um. I'm sorry sir. Perhaps someone else"/"I don't know. I think it looks fine,"/ said Monika. /"Just nothing special, you know? It's nice and almost sexless, good for professional work."/I stood behind her and put my arms on her shoulders. She flinched and tensed up, frightened at my invasion of her body privacy. Sorry."Relax. Don't be afraid" I whispered soothingly. "Don't be shy. Close your eyes and just listen to my voice. There's no embarrassment here. An actor on stage becomes the character. You don't need our approval, you don't have to fear anything. We are just whispers on the wind. Because what you're wearing is *power*."I whispered to her ears in a low rumble "That is a suit for men. Wealthy, influential men. It's not clothes that flutter around and tantalizingly show your skin. /Wear it like armor./ Nothing can touch, not insults, not fear, not hesitation. That's why it's cut so simply those who wear it need no other ornamentation than their own inimitable will.That's why it's called power dressing. Women in my homeland wore this to shout out to the world, you're /not/ going to keep me down."Nora let out a little eep."Armor your heart. Stand up straight, chest out, arms relaxed and open. Ready to point. Ready to command. Take deep breaths. Confidence, nothing but confidence. If you falter they will eat you alive. You can't ever show any weakness. You are a shining blade. Let it reflect in your eyes."I stroked at her eyebrows and cheeks, almost massaging her face./"is this not sexual harassment?"/ Monika asked archly.I took hold of Nora's shoulder joints and began to roll her rotator cuffs around, like trying to loosen the muscles of a boxer in between bouts, and then stepped back. "Relax. Confidence, ever confidence.Now deep breath. In. Out. Open your eyes."She opened her eyes and gasped at her reflection. As we were actually of similar height, I could hide from behind her. I had moved her arms around to change her posture. One arm up, bent at the elbow with fingers touching her shoulder, the other arm out straight pointing at something outside of view. Her chest and hips were at a slight angle instead of stranding straight on.Her brows were in a faint frown, her chin up in a look of disdain.Completely unlike the gowns and dresses of a noble lady, this was not a courtly haughtiness, but the aloofness of someone who knew what she wanted and would not suffer fools to stand in her way.Behind her, I spoke again "And repeat after me. I am /powerful/."Nora took a deep breath and said "I am /powerful/.""I am /intelligent/."Nora narrowed her eyes slightly and said "I am /intelligent/.""I am /untouchable/."Nora took another deep breath and puffed out her chest. "/I am untouchable/."And then I stepped back. "Don't try to look fierce. That's wasting energy on your pointless posturing. Above everything, you are /efficient/."Please turn around."Zanac gasped as I moved away from view. He recoiled in surprise. A momentary look of pleasure, and then fear, only to be swiftly replaced by a placid intensity showed on Nora's face.Even Monika had to agree /" well. I can see where your fetish is coming from. Power certainly is attractive. So you like strong women."/After a few moments Monika glanced back at me and realized a thought /"Did you have a crush on your boss?"/Mmm.She began to giggle. /"What happened?"/As Zanac stepped forward to inspect how the suit now far more befittingly draped over the female form, I moved to the side and whispered my answer. /"She got married."/"Oh.""Just standing straight like a soldier on parade isn't it," I spoke over Zanac towards Nora. "Try putting a hand on your hips, and jut it out a little bit like saying, so I'm a woman. Got a problem with it?"Nora glanced at me quizzically, and then made the pose. As Zanac made a cooing noise of delight, she gave her employer a condescending sniff. That only made him smile all the more.Then I suggested another pose -"Sit down on that table please and spread your legs, resting your hands on your knees. You know, like you're a field general. Yes, yes, hear their reports and decide what tactics to use."/"They call this manspreading,"/ Monika smirked.We carefully noted how the fabric creased along her upper arm and shoulders and around her thighs. This was not a thing you could ever do with a skirt, and this pose was not indecent yet so vulgar. Zanac's stare whirled around, somehow centered but not looking at her crotch. Weird how it was the focal point yet it emphasized everything else around it."Zanac, could you move to that wall for a moment?"The boutique owner hastily complied. I moved over to next to a shelf and leaned on the edge, with my arm up and resting on my elbow. "Okay, Nora. Go stand over him like this. Relaxed, but domineering."Nora copied the pose. Since she was taller than her boss, it looked like something out of a shoujo manga with the tall domineering pretty boy looming over the shy female lead. Monika noticed and remarked about that."Say something?" I asked aloud."Hey," Nora said in a low whisper full of dark promises."Eeeee.!" Zanac began to squeal. He balled up hands up near his face in girlish glee.Yeah okay enough of that. I bid them to back away for now."Now try rolling up the sleeves, like you have real work to do and you don't want your expensive clothes to get dirty. But you're not certainly above doing that work, unlike others who value their pride and dignity far too much that they become useless bags of flesh."It took some doing, but it was done. The rolled up sleeves showed the bright undercloth of the jacket, and exposed her slim arms. Everything else was still modestly covered."Yes, yes!" Zanac began to chant. "That works! That works!""How about raise your hands up, touch the back of your head, as if you had just finished tying your hair? Turn to the side, please."Zanac let out a coo of surprise. The way the jacket hitched up and pulled around her chest, the lapels flaring open to display more and yet nothing scandalous because unlike dresses her chest was fully covered it was a little moment of vulnerability that somehow was a more striking emphasis on her femininity."Do you see it now?""I see! Oh heavens, I do see! Why didn't I realize this before?" Zanac cried shrilly. "The more masculine and aggressive she moves, the more it actually accentuates the feminine!"I patted his shoulders. "A few adjustments will still have to be made so that it fits the female form better, and actually making it out of cheaper materials will at least allow it to crinkle in more interesting ways depending on the posture. The Mark II was designed for comfort in travel, after all.""You are a genius!"Monika snorted. /"You are utterly shameless."/--Zanac bowed. "Please allow me the rights to produce the Universal Suit Mark II!""That's fine. I'm going to need your help to make the Mark III anyway. I don't actually mind other people making my clothes, I'm a designer mainly. And it would mean I would no longer look so terribly out of place."/"Coughno that's mecough,"/ Monika huffed into her fist. /"Centuries of design we could rip off if we just had a frontman."/"So what do you think my clothes are worth?""You have opened my eyes to whole fields of inspiration! I'd say it's worth fifteen no, twenty gold!""Yeeeah I have no idea how much that will buy in this economy," I had to admit when I received the bag of literal gold coins./"Real gold? Woow"/ Monika pressed her hand to the camera window. /"Who really owns gold coins anymore, right? I want to know how that feels. I want to bite on a gold coin to check if it's really precious metal. I want to talk like pirate and have a chest of gold doubloons, arrh."/"I make half a gold or five silvers every month, sir," Nora advised. "A gold coin is a hundred coppers, and I think it's around two to four coppers for a night at an inn with meals included."She was back to her regular clothes and gazed wistfully at the folded suit. I glanced to behind her and saw the other sales girls peering into the room. They were blushing for some reason."Why would I let my good friend stay in an inn?! Sir Playa! You are always welcome at my home!" Zanac said suddenly."I would not wish to impose. I'm sorry, but I value my privacy and being able to move freely."Zanac looked so melodramatically forlorn. "I understand. It is to be expected from such a young man on a journey for wisdom.""I will be staying here for a while though. I'll visit you again. We can talk about designs and such. You're more a clothier than an industrialist""But I do know some people in those trades, if you would like to talk more about that" Zanac leered and wiggled his brushy mustache in a way that reminded me of Charlie Chaplin."Maybe later," I stretched out and yawned. "I'll come back within the week.""Oh I see. You do need to rest, I've been so rude as to impose on you all this time," Zanac said, completely ignoring how he just paid me shitloads of money. "Then I recommend the Silver Moon Inn. Turn right as you go out the street and the follow the road. It shouldn't be hard to find. There will be a large sign.""Got it. Thanks. I'll be on my way then.""Thank you! And see you soon!" He waved goodbye happily as I exited the door. I grinned back sheepishly and was gone.--"Huh. Well that was nice."/"Disturbingly nice,"/ Monika responded. /"I didn't know people like that really existed. Helpful, kind, generous? And for a change for a boutique owner, not flamboyantly gay? If I didn't think we were in a fantasy land, I sure do now."/"Monika please, that's stereotyping. The difference between fiction and real life is that fiction has to make sense. Anyway, where is that inn?"Monika changed the screen to a map program and traced the route. /"Over here, I think."//"Wait, I thought you didn't have GPS? I mean, of course you wouldn't, there are no satellites."/Monika pointed to the bottom right corner of the screen. /"Did you happen to notice that for some reason we are still WiFi connected?"/"Holy moley you're right, why?! Can you access Google?! Can I go back to shitposting on Spacebattles?"/" no. For the last, oh god no. But most connected apps still work for some mysterious reason. I have maps of the area. This is really making me uncomfortable that we're inside a virtual reality simulation, Sword Art Online style."/"Pft. SAO was a shitty MMO anyway. EverQuest represent."/"Also you probably look crazy to passers-by right now, talking to yourself."/ Monika looked mortified for my sake. /"Sorry. But we should probably get going."/And so me and mai waifu went out to get laid.Um, to rent a bed, I mean.------ End Chapter One : Thrown to a New World ----
