NOT JUST A HOBBY

BY MGL HoneyBee20

I, Guinevere Baroque, have always been fond of gorgeous things from a young age. Perhaps this came about after seeing my noble mother wearing elaborate beautiful gowns and dresses.

Our old ancestral castle has always been adorned with fresh flower arrangements every month, from the most common ones in the Moniyan Empire to the most exotic fiona that thrives in the

Vonetis Islands.

When I got to the Magic Academy and created my special brand of magic that combines super energy with multiple effects, I was aghast upon hearing the rumors about my appearance. They had described me like some mousy bespectacled unwanted noble girl exiled from my family. It was utterly outrageous!

I set them straight though when I came to present my magic in front of my peers during the opening ceremony of my second year after I successfully won against some traitorous grunts of Laboratory 1718. I have always sported an elegant slender form due to the mandatory fencing practices I must adhere to as a descendant of the Baroque Family.

I had stood in front of them wearing the outfit I like to call Ms. Violet. My abundant ginger curls were tied with my favorite indigo bow while my corseted dress with a lace flounced skirt took the rest of the school body in shock. Well they might never have thought to pair it up with my specially ordered indigo mary jane shoes with the blue rose strap to pair with my bright blue rose wristlets. They were simply enchanted over my summer uniform I believe.

It was hilarious when they saw me in my spring uniform outfit that I had called Fleur De Bleau. This was a more conservative ensemble in powder blue with knee length socks and another pair of specially ordered shoes this time with criss crossed straps at the avoid monotony I had accessorized with bright pink rose wristlets and I had my hair carefully lightened to strawberry blonde.

In my fourth year the eastern branch of Laboratory 1718 had unleashed a virus over the splendid City of Eruditio. The city was placed on lockdown and we were quarantined so as to prevent the virus from spreading to Antonerei. Unlike some of my schoolmates my family had a chateau where I could comfortably relax with a number of careful house staff. Out of boredom, I had looked over the old dressing room thinking to pack into specialized magic chests some of my favorite clothes.

I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my walk-in closets had carefully been filled with my specially handmade costumes that I had happily designed whenever inspiration had hit. I had my closest maid servants prepare the chaise and set up my room mirrors so I could try on my stored clothes if needed to assist me in deciding to keep my most favorite one. The first outfit my maids brought out was the Athena Asamiya cosplay outfit I had prepared for a grand halloween event at the academy. I didn't need to try this one, I was surely keeping this for the sentimental memory of tricking Lancelot who couldn't even recognize me.

The second one they had shown out to me was the elaborate cultural costume I had asked my nanny to assist me with. The pink hued eastern dress was based on the lotus flowers that bloomed on the numerous waterways of The Cadia Riverlands. It was definitely a stroke of genius on my part when I insisted on having the waist cinched with bright green emerald embellishments. The dress got me into the front cover of STAR magazine and I became a proud starlight member. I was definitely keeping this one.

The next outfit that came out nearly had my mother have a heart attack for the amount of skin I had exposed. Though I reasoned out to her that my western desert clothes were not as daring as the known astrologer Esmeralda's usual clothes, mother nearly threw a fit thinking I must have based the clothes from the voluptuous mage. I decided to keep this because if I was ever to hunt down the old traitor of an alumni of mine in the Agetla Drylands, this was the outfit that would best suit the desert nation.

I was beginning to think I should really store the next dress that comes out, I quickly changed my mind the moment I saw the shimmering white celestial veil and bronzed wings. I knew I had to keep this one because it reminds me of the first man that had ever caught my heart. The mahogany haired eastern mage was given the title of The White Crane. When I had made this goddess-like dress I had secretly named the outfit Lady Crane. To me this was my most epic masterpiece.

After I had my maids keep the nostalgic dress carefully stored in its own magic cabinet secured and safe for all time. I looked up to see my maidservants present to me the last costume. I knew then I was doomed because I also could not store this away. I had after all named this special outfit Sakura Wishes inspired by the Iga Festival that Kagura and Hanabi had taught me about. They had said that wishes prayed under the starlight of the largest Iga Shrine will come true.

After all that, I finally came to realize that all those carefully designed clothes could never be stored and left hidden. Perhaps it was time for me to live as freely as my brother wearing those creations. Before that I just got to design some clothes for my closest friends like a bright summer festival kimono for Kagura, an elaborate mermaid princess costume for my beautiful sister-in-law and perhaps a special ninja fight to get up for Hanabi.