Kam's Boutique

  Chapter word count: 2180

  The street ended before Lynn could acknowledge it, but Airot, now attuned with keener senses, saw Haruku run past entire buildings in rapid, paced strides. Before another moment passed, they stopped in a new location.

  A short two-story building stood before them, its front draped in a large banner covered with mismatched buzzwords of varying sizes, colors and orientation.

  “Haberdashery! Central Boutique! Clothes here! Dress To Impress! Fashion! Sale! Yapper Owner!”

  Airot barely had time to take it in before being pushed inside.

  Welcomed by illuminating lights overhead and rows of clothing racks darted around with an amalgamation of styles hung together, the inside was more reminiscent of a thrift shop than a fancy boutique.

  The store was well-lit despite the sparse lights, most of which were awkward blinding rods, their glare reminiscent of the hospital’s fixtures. But there was one large, torch-lit chandelier hung above in the center of the store, its flickering flames adding an old-world charm.

  Lynn and Haruku slid Airot across the floor, directing him to a back-end counter by a staff door.

  “Yo!” Lynn rang the bell on the counter.

  A sharp ding echoed briefly resulting in the staff door creaking open, revealing a rather tall and wiry man.

  “Welcome!” He greeted while carrying a box. “Looking for something dashing or just passing through?” His voice smooth, as though he had repeated the line hundreds of times.

  Haruku stepped forward and presented Airot. “Something practical, simple and decent quality.”

  “Hmm,” the shopkeeper’s eyes assessed Airot. “Average build, a bit scrawny, and…” his gaze lingered on Airot’s worn jacket. “Budget-friendly, I assume?”

  “You can find something useful, can’t you?” Haruku replied while using his eyes to direct to Airot.

  “I’ll try,” the shopkeeper scratched the back of his head.

  Meanwhile, Lynn tugged Airot toward the nearest rack and spun it, making the hangers rattle like wind chimes.

  “Find something you like,” Lynn noted, plucking a hat with a feather nearby and balancing it on his own head at an angle.

  Aisles were crammed with racks overflowing with clothing from oversized trench coats to sequined blazers. Faded price tags dangled like battle-worn flags, scribbled with inconsistent numbers barely visible, clearly from a time before.

  The air smelt of aged fabric and faint lavender that was most prominent in the center of the store, possibly from scented candles.

  Airot thumbed through the rack Lynn spun, his fingers grazing stiff wool, soft cotton, and patchwork leather.

  “Anything catching your eye?” Haruku asked, focused on a separate rack.

  “Not really,” Airot muttered, tugging free a gray shirt two sizes too large, depicting an oversized cartoon character.

  “Absolutely not, man,” Lynn blurted as he saw Airot. He snatched it from Airot’s hands and shoved it back. “You’re not getting something that ugly. Think of the ladies.”

  “Just pick something that’ll last,” Haruku took out a black tracksuit with white stripes. “Try this.”

  Airot reached for it, but Lynn intercepted. “He’s not you,” he pushed the tracksuit back to Haruku. “He needs his own style.”

  With his hand already extended, Airot dove it into a rack and pulled out whatever he could.

  A plain black, sturdy-looking jacket came out. Seeing his choice, Haruku gave a light nod.

  “Try it,” Lynn beckoned.

  The jacket was heavier than it looked, and had a faint sheen that hinted at water resistance. It was thicker than his current one, and had reinforced stitching along the seams.

  Airot slipped off his worn jacket and tossed it to Lynn before trying on the stiffer, black jacket. Shuffling in it to show it off garnered approving nods from the other two.

  They moved on past more racks before Lynn pulled out a plain dark green shirt and aligned it with Airot’s torso, revealing it to be nearly perfectly sized for him.

  “Can’t get a jacket alone.”

  The trio moved around more aisles, cycling through various clothes but barely settling on any, only acquiring a durable pair of flexible pants.

  As they browsed, Lynn tried on a scarf when suddenly the front doors burst open as gusts of wind exploded in formulated patterns, overtaking the shop’s entrance without affecting any of the clothes or accessories. Out the open door were whirling blasts so strong they obstructed the view, and out of them stepped Elfein.

  As he entered, the wind died down as swiftly as it had come, though his hair and jacket still fluttered calmly.

  “Hey,” Elfein announced. “Are they still—” he cut his sentence short as he saw the trio. “Oh good, you are. Sorry I’m a bit late.”

  “You’re good,” Haruku flatly greeted Elfein.

  “Took you long enough,” Lynn jabbed. “We haven’t picked out much, but we’re about done.”

  Elfein glanced over, noticing Lynn had a feathered hat on his head, a light blue scarf around his neck, and was carrying Airot’s old jacket.

  “Looks like you’ve picked out most of it.”

  “Wha?” Lynn looked down to his scarf only for his hat to fall off. “Oh, right,” he caught the hat. “But it’s not just me,” he pushed Airot in front of Elfein while placing the hat back on his head.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Elfein examined Airot, noting the new jacket along with the shirt and pants.

  “You weren’t lying, that isn’t much,” Elfein turned to a nearby coat rack and grabbed a white overcoat. “This looks cool, try it.”

  Elfein helped Airot try on the overcoat, putting it over his rugged clothing that, despite now being stainless, didn’t look compatible.

  “He’s… missing something,” Elfein said, a little disappointed.

  “He doesn’t have that vibe, y’know?” Lynn judged. “It’s, like, too civilized for him.”

  Airot slightly spread out his arms showing his confusion and being a little offended.

  “Ah, my bad,” Lynn covered his mouth. “I meant it’s very… professional, very business-like. Makes you seem strict, cold, and reserved, y’know?”

  As Airot accepted Lynn’s clarification, Elfein pulled the coat off Airot and tried it on himself.

  “Well?” Elfein turned to show his back while wind carried the back-end, lifting it softly.

  “The wind makes it work,” Lynn admitted, rubbing his chin. “Still, it’s not the same as a high-tier yapper.”

  “What would some barkeep’s assistant know?” Elfein retorted as he pulled on the coat, straightening it. “I think it’s about time I had one for myself.”

  “Aren’t we supposed to be shopping for Airot?” Lynn lifted his arms for a taunting shrug.

  “Like you’re one to talk,” Elfein glared at Lynn’s scarf and hat.

  While they bickered, Haruku grabbed Airot and led him back to the counter. The shopkeeper dropped what he was doing and greeted them with a smirk.

  “Shopping on your own despite asking me, ey?” he teased. “So, you adding these to what I could figure out?” he switched gears, directing to the clothes Airot was carrying.

  “Yeah,” Haruku answered in Airot’s steed. “What did you find?”

  “Ah, well, he’s still fresh, isn’t he?” he looked at Airot. “It’s hard to gauge what fits best when he isn’t confident. It looks like he doesn’t even know the full extent of what he can do, so how could I?”

  “But you still picked something, right?”

  “Of course,” the shopkeeper placed a pair of hard-looking boots on the counter. “I think he can utilize something heavy.”

  Airot glanced down to his shoes, scuffed and worn but still serviceable. “I changed these like a year ago, I don’t need—”

  “You need,” Haruku cut him off. He lifted up the boots and bobbed his wrist before passing it to Airot with no effort. “Heavier than they look.”

  They weighed more than Airot predicted, but it wasn’t difficult for him to lift. As he grasped them, he realized they were steel-toed boots, but not just that, the entire sole was reinforced with steel. The size of it would also give Airot an extra inch of height.

  “Want gloves with that?” the shopkeeper asked, setting down a pair of thick leather gloves with extra paddings over the knuckles.

  Without answering, Haruku grabbed them and passed them to Airot. “Is that all?”

  “Well, you’ve already got a jacket, and it’s not like I sell knight armor,” the shopkeeper eyed Airot. “But if you really want,” he went around the counter and toward Airot. “We can see how this looks.”

  The shopkeeper delicately wrapped a long piece of cloth around Airot’s neck, cleanly tying it into a neat knot off to the side of the throat.

  “I dunno, man,” Lynn muttered.

  “I can’t think of anyone who wears that,” Elfein pondered aloud.

  “The French, or something like that,” the shopkeeper reeled his hands back with open palms. “A French necktie, a kite scarf, a neck scarf… it’s one of those, I don’t know which,” he admitted defeatingly. “The magazines that taught me how to tie it never had consistent terminology.”

  Airot tilted his head in order to expose his neck more, then shifted the items he was carrying to free one hand. He lightly tugged at the necktie, careful not to undo it. “Is this necessary?”

  “Nope,” the shopkeeper admitted, grinning. “But I learned it recently, so I wanted to try it,” he turned back to Haruku. “Well, that’s all I got.”

  “Alright,” Haruku grabbed the items Airot was carrying, placed them on the counter, then separated the gloves and handed them back to Airot.

  Getting the message, Airot slipped on the thick leather gloves, repeatedly clenching his fist to adjust to it.

  Haruku then grabbed the boots and guided Airot to a nearby chair, plopping them down to the floor. As Airot changed footwear, the shopkeeper deftly rang up the items left on the counter along with Lynn and Elfein’s picks.

  Airot stood and tested the boots, their weight would definitely be bothersome in the long term. Focusing a little, he encased them in his yellow glow, lightening them.

  By the time he rejoined the others at the counter, they already had their tuallets out. Lynn and Elfein had finished paying for their items, and now the shopkeeper held his hand out to Airot.

  “Uh…” Airot hesitated, then reached for his old jacket carried by Lynn.

  Fishing through its pockets, he pulled out his tuallet and gave a questioning look as he stared at the gadget.

  Lynn sighed then stepped forward. “Fine, I’ll show you how to use a tuallet.”

  “A what?” the shopkeeper let out as Elfein gave a similarly puzzled look.

  “The tube-wallet,” Lynn motioned to Airot’s tuallet. “He came up with it, and I think it’s pretty catchy.”

  As the two caught on, Lynn continued, going over the gadget. “You have this main switch which, once flicked on, will pour out water at the pace of a cup every four seconds. Despite the power, it doesn’t splash, so don’t worry about that,” he pointed to various controls. “Then you have these side buttons which will pour out set amounts when pushed, the numbers on them are based on cups. That way you don’t have to keep in mind the time. The gauge, of course, shows how much… you… have…” his words trailed off as he saw the gauge.

  Lynn pressed his lips together and nodded blankly. “I see. You’re broke.”

  “We sat through your whole explanation just for you to have nothing?” the shopkeeper was taken aback. “Let me see,” he motioned for them to hand over the tuallet.

  Without handing it over, Airot faced the gauge toward the shopkeeper.

  “Well, someone’s gotta pay,” he eyed the customers.

  Haruku looked away. “I covered the Morre cleansing,” he said abruptly.

  Lynn placed his fingers over his lips, avoiding eye contact and remaining silent.

  Elfein scratched the back of his head. “Guess it’s on me… since I was late and all,” his tone was a bit defeated.

  As Elfein paid, Airot questioned, “How do you even get water, anyway?”

  “Well, you’re aware of my bartender job,” Lynn replied.

  “The library pays me,” Elfein answered.

  “Odd jobs,” Haruku stated.

  “You’re looking at it,” the shopkeep jested.

  “Okay… how would I get water?” Airot followed up.

  “Uhm, my bar isn’t hiring, but I could look…?” Lynn spoke uncertain.

  “...I could ask the library if they’d hire you, but that’d take time,” Elfein offered.

  “I ain’t hiring,” the shopkeep shot down.

  “My odd jobs involve long-distance deliveries. Don’t have anywhere specific to recommend, though,” Haruku admitted.

  A few moments of awkward silence passed before Elfein finished paying.

  “Well, thanks for shopping. Come back anytime,” the shopkeeper thanked them. “With water, of course.”

  “Will do, Kam!” Elfein and Lynn bid farewell as Haruku gave a nod.

  “Kam?” Airot asked.

  “That’d be me,” the shopkeeper clarified. “I hope you enjoy your new gear!”

  Airot sighed as they exited the shop, carrying his new clothes. The chaos of the boutique lingered in his mind, but as the door shut behind them, the calm street outside greeted him once more.

  “Well,” Lynn said, fiddling with his new light blue scarf and gray feathered hat, “that was fun, but I should return to the bar,” he started walking off and waved. “See ya!”

  Returning the gesture the remaining three were left behind.