Turns out the clothing store wasn't far from the main building of the resort. Located down the beach, near a stretch of beach known as Tranquil Beach the single story two floor building appeared to share the same aesthetic as the rest of the island; outgoing and eye-catching. A large sign outside the front door directed customers inside, offering free merchandise to all. The inside the floors were separated by specialty. The first floor had outdoor items for various vacation activities such as jet skiing and water sports. The second floor was where the swimwear and clothing were put so customers could try them on before going out to the sand.
It was here that things were extremely busy, and the moogles already had their paws full dealing with varying levels of customer issues.
There was a long couch located in the center of the room in front of four stalls that served as dressing rooms. On the couch were four men who were waiting for something to happen.
The first was a man in red with short spikey blonde hair with his hands on his knees. His eyes were on the first door, and he was waiting with a bit of caution. "Fina? You okay in there?"
From inside the stall, the girl he addressed nervously replied, "Y-Yes! Just give me a second."
Sitting back Rain sighed. He hated hearing Fina sound like she was having a hard time. He preferred when she was cheerful and full of happiness. But he remembered that she wanted to try on an outfit and she asked for his opinion on the matter. He promised he would and as a knight-as well as King, of Grandshelt when he made a promise he always kept it.
From inside her booth Fina tried to maintain her composure. The problem she was fussing over was the suit she herself had picked out. On the shelf she had thought it looked suitable to her tastes, show enough skin but not so much that she'd be pretty much naked. And she didn't want that. Sexy she would go for, but not all out, not when Rain was with her. She wanted to be special for him...
"Hey Fina..."
The girl thought at first that Rain had tried to talk to her but it was coming from the next stall. The voice was from a caring woman, who asked in a soothing voice. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
Taking a deep breath Fina calmed herself, "Yes, thank you Rosa."
She felt a little better now.
So did Rain after he heard the woman help his friend with her predicament.
"That's Rosa for you," said the man next to Rain dressed in white armor. "Always helping others."
"Same with Fina. During our adventures she couldn't leave anyone in trouble. She always had to help."
"Altruism is always a good thing to have. It's what makes some people special, like my Rosa," said the man whose name was Cecil. Rosa was his wife, and as King and Queen of the Kingdom of Baron they were beloved by their people for their kindness and courage.
Rain was glad to have run into someone like Cecil, having so much in common from what the two kings had exchanged. Saving the world, multiple worlds even, losing friends and family, and coming out of the experiences as better men.
Still, Rain had to admit if there was one field that Cecil had him beat at, it was the fact that he had a queen. Rain had no one to fill that void and back home he was constantly pestered to find one to keep the royal line alive. When it came to suitors he could hardly count them all or remember faces or names.
Then there was of course, the most obvious choice, which happened to be right in front of him. Literally.
Rain had always had a glimmer of an idea but he didn't know how Fina felt about him, and had always wanted to ask her yet had never found the right time to do so. Maybe now that they were 'alone' he could ask her about that...
"Damn this thing is flimsy," said a voice in a stall further down from where the two kings were sitting. It was from a woman who sounded like she was having a tough time trying on a swimsuit. On the opposite end of the couch sat the other two men. One was wearing blue clothes and had short white hair. He seemed a bit tense as he heard his girlfriend speaking to him from the other side of the door. The other man looked similar but wore a red bandana around his neck. He was more relaxed than the man next to him which did not escape his notice.
"You okay Firion? You're sweating buckets."
The young man was indeed, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'm fine, Locke, just a bit..." his voice trailed as he looked back towards the door in front of which, in which his girlfriend was on the other side.
"Nervous? I understand. Being young and in love, you're bound to be," said Locke with a smile.
Speaking soft enough that they couldn't be heard to the women in the dressing rooms Locke spoke to Firion and put his hand on his drooping shoulder. "Just keep expectations low, okay? That way when she comes out in a skimpy bathing suit your jaw will drop faster than Gil at a tavern."
Firion smiled a little out of the corner of his mouth, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. He and Maria had only been together an equivalent of six months and had been travelling together since the defeat of the Emperor. In that time the amount of intimacy they had shared could fill a book, most of the time she had led him along because he was too nervous to move his own feet without dragging them. He appreciated that level of patience from her. Most women would have dropped him like a bad habit if he had taken that long.
Then there was the situation he was in now...
'What did she pick out? Hope it isn't anything that she is forcing herself to wear for my sake...'
He turned to Locke, "What about you?"
"Huh?"
"You nervous about Celes? She's been in there for a while."
The adventurer shrugged the concern off. "She's alright. She'll show herself when she's ready."
In the dressing room, trapped like a rat, Celes managed to keep her voice down though she was visibly panicking. The reason for doing so was in her delicate hands. It was a two piece bathing suit that was black and damn near see through, but strategically prevented the more sensible areas from being seen. Still, had Maria not picked it out for her she would have tossed it away without hesitation. 'Such a skimpy thing! Women actually like to wear this?'
Still as disgusted as she was, her mind couldn't help but wonder. With Locke outside waiting for her to come out, what would he think of her in such a garment? The thought of seeing his jaw drop at her in it brought a giddy smile to her lips.
Back outside the stall as the men chuckled over memories of past adventures and battles the women finished trying out their outfits. Of course the next logical step would be to venture outside and let their men see the hidden treasure. However, like femme fatales hidden under their innocent exteriors, they had hatched a plan earlier to not do that. Instead, they would use that plan later in their vacation. The end result would be all the sweeter.
Very sweet indeed.
