"Lady Lunafreya's wedding dress…"
It was the first thing Nimue saw when going to meet up with the Chocobros. The dress was beautiful, though not one Nimue would ever think of wearing. Her phobia of dresses wouldn't let her, regardless of how far she'd come. Seeing Noctis out of the corner of her eye, she raised a hand in greeting.
"Hey, Noct."
"Hey…" He seemed distracted, looking to the wedding dress in the shop window. It wasn't bad, really. He and Lunafreya weren't going to be married, so any pre-wedding traditions and myths didn't apply anymore. It took him a few minutes to stop staring at the dress before he looked back to Nimue. Ignis, Prompto and Gladio walked up not long after Noctis looked back at her.
"Ah, there you are." Ignis paid no mind to the dress, mostly because he already knew what it being here meant. "We found a clothing shop not too far from here, and Noct thinks it wise to get you a new outfit while we're here."
"We did get her old clothes ruined, after all." Prompto piped up.
"And we got to thinkin'. Altissia has some black clothing in stock for those workin' for the Crownsguard, and you basically qualify for it." Gladio smirked.
"If it's alright with you." Noctis rubbed the back of his neck. "We're gonna be in Altissia for a bit, so it's not a big deal to get you some new clothes."
"….I—guys, I appreciate it but what about funds for a hotel room and food?" Nimue knew tailored clothes cost a lot, having tailored her own cosplays to her specifications. She didn't want to impose.
"We have that covered already." Ignis adjusted his glasses, pushing them back up some. "This is something we put together especially for getting you a new outfit."
"I don't know what to say…" Nimue felt her eyes tear up and wiped them hastily. "Should… we go now?"
"Yeah!" Prompto said, excitement plain in his voice. "And we'll get to see your new outfit soon!"
The clothing shop wasn't crowded, and the person who greeted them at the door was pretty friendly. It turned out that they were a part of the Crownsguard, named Miles, who had come to Altissia with the other refugees. They were siblings with the seamstress of this shop, which was a boon for the group. Though she'd known her measurments before she'd started journeying with the Chocobros, it was possible that one or a few had changed. The seamstress, a woman named Kiyoko, measured her before going to the closet and opening it.
"I have a few things here. They were ordered a few weeks ago by someone who never came back for them. Just called me and said 'I don't need them'." Kiyoko said, pulling out several items and a pair of boots. Walking over to Nimue, she held them out for her. "Change into these."
"Okay." Going to the dressing room, she changed out of the oversized outfit and started putting on the clothes. The jacket was a black bolero with lace lining it and a pocket on the middle of the left bicep. The shirt was a button-up, collared silvery-blue dress shirt with silver skull buttons and skull motifs across it, much like Ignis'. It tucked into a black belt with a silver buckle and a black two-layer ruffled skirt with attached shorts that peeked out from under the last layer of the skirt. The black boots were knee-high with white laces and red soles. Her gloves were the same silvery-blue as her shirt.
It fit perfectly, like the person who had ordered them were her exact measurments. She wasn't too thrilled about the skirt, but the shorts made it... okay, at least. No upskirt shots and no one trying to... Shaking her head, Nimue stepped out of the changing room after opening the door.
"Does it look okay?" Nimue smoothed out the shirt she was wearing.
"Wow, Nimue, you look great!" Prompto said.
"It looks good." Noctis nodded.
"Seconded. I think it looks quite nice on you." Ignis approved.
"Huh. Looks like it really suits you." Gladio said. "Since you're a part of Noct's retinue like the rest of us, dressing the part makes it all the more real."
Nimue nodded. "It does make it feel real. I'm not officially a part of the Crownsguard, seeing as I never had any training, but..."
"I'm not, either!" Prompto said. "I may have been trained, but I was neeever officially inducted into the group or anything. We can totally wear these!"
"And wear 'em with pride." Gladio affirmed.
"So, Miss Kiyoko, how much is it for these?" Ignis asked, pulling out his wallet from his back pocket. Kiyoko shook her head and smiled a bit. Explaining that the clothes had already been paid for, it was a relief to have them picked up by someone... even if they weren't the original owner. She had a knowing look on her face, which made Nimue think that this was already talked out by the person who didn't want the clothes and Kiyoko. It seemed pretty strange, really. Who would do that kind of thing and not think of the monetary issues it could cause?
She was starting to feel a little out of place.
"Soooo, Nym. Whatcha say to a photo? Commemorate the new outfit and everything?" Prompto asked as they walked from the clothing shop. He pulled his camera and tripod stand out from the armiger, and had the four of them stand together before setting a timer to get into position. It was over quickly, the picture taken and one of Altissia's cafes in the background.
But it was only a matter of time. The five of them headed to Maagho, meeting up with Weskham and meeting Camelia. Noctis was told to meet with her at her estate, and the four were asked to continue to explore Altissia in the meantime. Ignis was the one who got them a room at the Leville, and they passed the time playing games while waiting for Noctis to come back from his meeting with Camelia.
Nimue left the hotel after a couple hours, saying she'd be back. Walking the streets of Altissia alone, she wondered if she would be able to make it through here while the Archean fought against the Imperials to protect Noctis. She didn't want anyone to get injured or the like, but... would it just be changing things for the worst?
"No, it wouldn't! Episode Ignis had a second verse where everything was fine!" Nimue said to herself, smacking her face a couple times with both her hands. "I just have to play things by ear for a bit longer... And then I can stop the true person behind it all."
Looking up at the sky, Nimue stared at it for a bit. The clouds moved slowly, migrating more northwards. It was a blue sky today and not as hot as one would think. But she wasn't thinking about that, no. She was thinking of what lay beyond the sky, in the furthest reaches of the atmosphere.
Better start praying, Bladekeeper, because you're not going to survive what I have in store for you.