XVII. A Day of Leisure Pt.1
The sun was high overhead, which told the vampire that the time was around noon. She and Louise were currently seated atop two horses, the beasts moving at a manageable trot down the dirt road leading through the green hillsides and towards the kingdom's capital. Louise had insisted that today was the day she would finally take her familiar to Tristania in order to buy new clothing and supplies, as was her duty as a noble and a summoner. Rip had tried to argue that such an expense truly was unnecessary, (she, after all, could just steal herself some new clothes if she really needed to) but the short pink haired mage would not be dissuaded.
"I have been neglecting my duties as your master for far too long," Louise told her. "As my familiar, I am obligated to see to your needs. This includes new clothing as well as toiletries and supplies, such as ammunition for your weapon." Rip opened her mouth in an attempt to dispute such a claim, but the girl steadfastly refused to hear her. "No! It is the weekend, and we are free from classes. It is the perfect time to make this trip. We are going, and that is final!"
And so, the two of them went. The vampire's diminutive summoner had procured two horses from the Academy stables for them to ride, and thus the three hour trip on horseback had begun. Thankfully, Rip still remembered how to ride a horse. It had been over half a century since the last time she had needed to do so, a fact which caused the sniper to worry that she may have forgotten how.
Rip had, of course, made the trip to the capital from the academy numerous times before. She definitely couldn't tell Louise about those particular trips, so she kept quiet about the route they were taking even though she knew about several side paths through the woods that would have shortened their travel time.
Conceding to the fact that she would be stuck for numerous uncomfortable hours seated atop a smelly beast, the vampire attempted to relax herself and enjoy the scenery. Despite her irritation at the long trip, she had to reluctantly admit that the landscape they traveled through was quite pretty. Green, fertile hills stretched out for miles around. Those hills seemed to almost go on forever, and even her sharp vampire eyes could not see the end of the grassy plains at the distant horizon. Upon the verdant plots of grass were numerous pockets of woodlands, and the dirt road upon which they traveled cut into several scenic copses, providing shade from the bright noon sun overhead. The sky was incredibly blue and as unending as the grass, clear and bright with only a few puffy white clouds sailing through it.
The scene was just like a landscape painting from the Baroque Era. Full of greens and blues and browns and whites, all friendly colors which put one's mind at ease. Everything was so light and natural; in fact, the only spec of darkness that marred the bright cheerful scenery was Rip Van Winkle herself. She was like the ink stain spattered upon the painting, a splotch of black that tarnished the peaceful world. The vampire felt herself smile at that.
Louise, despite the current shopping trip being her idea, was quiet and sullen. She sat stiff-backed upon the saddle of her horse, eyes forward on the dirt road. She made no attempt at conversation nor did she show any interest in admiring their beautiful surroundings. Rip frowned at her master, worried at the girl's dour disposition. She sighed, knowing that Louise was still mad at her despite the girl's insistence to the contrary. Rip was sorely tempted to just slap some sense into the little mage, but deep down she knew that she just couldn't do it. Not only would physical violence not help the situation, but Louise reminded her way too much of-
Blonde hair stained red.
The vampire bit the inside of her cheek until it bled. The pain focused her mind, tearing it away from past memories and towards the now. Rip needed to get Louise talking, not only to lift the girl's spirits but to keep her own from sinking too deep into despair. Silence, at this moment, would only lead to more brooding. If she brooded too much, Rip was afraid of what she might remember.
"So, tell me, Louise," the vampire stated in a voice filled with well-practiced and convincing false cheer. "Vhat can I expect from ze capital of Tristain? Is it as grand as I have heard?"
Louise blinked for a moment, snapped out of her silent stupor by the older woman's question. The pink haired girl coughed into her hand to give herself a moment to collect herself before replying. "Well, I don't know what you've heard, but Tristania is indeed quite the city. It may not be as opulent and ostentatious as other capitals like Londinium or Lutece, but the lack of pure extravagance has always been a trait of Tristain. We are a small country, but are proud of our noble accomplishments."
Rip smiled. It felt good to hear her summoner talk again, and with the same haughty air that she had displayed when the two of them first met. It was obvious that Louise felt a great deal of pride for her nation, so much so that it was quite cute to hear her make up sad excuses for the kingdom's pitiful state. Rip had visited the capital before, and had seen the condition of the city. Compared to a city on Earth, Tristania was, of course, a shit hole. But, Rip supposed, she was being unfair. Compared to the vast, modern and technologically sophisticated metropolises of Earth, all the pitiful hovels in this backwards, primitive planet would look quite dismal.
"Sounds very pleasant," Rip stated, doing her best to sound genuine. "I can't vait to see it."
Louise turned her head a bit so that she could glance at her familiar over her shoulder, then gave the older woman a small smile. "Don't worry, you won't be disappointed." She turned her attention forwards and urged her horse to move a little faster, getting quite anxious to get to the capital. Speaking about the beauty and majesty of Tristania had gotten her quite excited to see the city again. Her previous dour mood was all but forgotten as her teenage mind began to fill with the prospects of browsing through the expensive stores and purchasing high end merchandise. "I can't wait to show you all the shops at the Rue Neuve, and the great market at the Gare du Midi! Oh, and we definitely have to eat at one of the restaurants on Rue de la Fourche. They serve the best frites in the country!"
"Sounds marvelous," the vampire said, almost breaking out in a giggling fit as she watched Louise get more excited. She smiled, reluctantly admitting that having a day off to shop and see the sights with her master would be quite an enjoyable distraction. Both of them could forget about their troubles, and just enjoy a nice, quiet day spending Louise's money. After this pleasant little jaunt, the two of them could then focus on what needed to be done in the future. Such as finding her a way back home, and back to Millennium.
She just hoped that the four idiots following them wouldn't ruin their little vacation.
Rip frowned, gripping the reins of her horse tighter as her senses detected the two groups following them, just at the edge of her perception. Her musket was currently strapped to a holster in her saddle, so her sixth sense was, for the moment, restricted to its natural state without the familiar runes' enhancement. Despite this, the vampire was still able to sense Tabitha and Kirche, riding atop Sylphid, following her and Louise at a discreet distance. The two students and one dragon were several kilometers above the ground, low enough to avoid being seen by them, but high enough to keep the two of them in sight. Rip gritted her teeth, wondering what the two were up to. Were the schoolgirls just being nosy little brats and following their rival and her familiar, or did they suspect something about Rip's less than human nature?
The other group that was following them was even more idiotic. It was composed of Guiche de Gramont and his sidekick, the fat little fool whose name Rip couldn't be bothered to remember. The two boys were, like Louise and herself, riding on horseback, and were about one kilometer behind them. Rip wondered what those two were up to, and whether or not she was being overtly paranoid that she even cared. Despite humiliating him in the duel, Guiche had done nothing to her afterwards. He did not demand a rematch, nor did he accuse her of cheating or generally make a nuisance of himself. Rip had truly been expecting the Gramont boy to try some futile and juvenile form of revenge against her; he did seem the type after all. But strangely enough, the boy had refrained from doing something stupid. This fact only served to disappointed her, as she had been looking forwards to humiliating the wanna-be lothario again.
The vampire shook her head, deciding not to waste any more time worrying about Guiche and his roly-poly friend. The two brats were probably just headed to Tristania on a shopping excursion like she and Louise were, nothing more. No, her main concern was Tabitha and Kirche. If those two truly did suspect that she wasn't human and were trying to find evidence to use against her, then the two fools needed to be taken care of.
Her canines elongated into sharp points as she grinned. In all the weeks she had spent suck in this world, she had yet to eat a noble. She wondered what they tasted like.
0
"Guiche," Malicorne complained as he sweated atop his mule. The Academy stables had run out of horses so he had been forced to ride atop one of their pack mules. Despite his protests that he had a weak back, Guiche had gotten the last horse. It was so unfair! "I can't believe you're dragging me all the way to the capital just so you can stalk Valliere and her crazy familiar!"
"Hush, Malicorne!" Guiche chided, his head held high as he rode atop his noble steed. "I am not stalking anyone. I am merely offering my services as a gentleman to escort two noble ladies as they go about on a shopping foray. Tristain, as magnificent a city as it is, has all sorts of neer-do-well's and vagabonds traipsing through its fine streets. We, as noblemen, must make sure that our women are well taken care of! Do you not agree?"
"W-well, of course I do!" Sputtered the rotund boy. "But come on! It's Zero and her freaking familiar! Even if they are nobles, they're sorry excuses for ones! That Van Winkle woman's probably a disgraced mage who lost her title, and Valliere is the Zero! She can't even use magic!"
The blond fop tisked and tutted, flicking away a lock of silky hair from his face. "Honestly, Malicorne. That is why we MUST aid them. Our duties as nobles, nay, as MEN in general, state that we must avail ourselves to all women in need. The fact that dear Louise can't cast magic just makes it that much more crucial that we escort them, lest they be attacked and taken advantage of." Guiche suddenly grinned, then turned his eyes back to his companion. "Besides, this is your chance!"
"Huh?" Malicorne looked at him blankly. "My chance for... what?"
"To win the fair Louise de La Valliere's heart, of course!" Guiche stated, shaking his head at his dear friend's daftness.
"W-what?!" The chubby boy once again sputtered, almost falling off his mule due to his shock at what his friend had just said. Malicorne growled like a bear, shaking his head in furious indignation as his cheeks turned bright red. "What are you implying? W-why would I want to win that violent, magic-less, annoying harpy's heart?!"
"Oh, come now, Malicorne," Guiche sighed. "It's perfectly obvious that you are quite smitten with young Miss Valliere."
"W-WHAT?!"
"Indeed," the blond nodded. "Why else do you go through such trouble picking fights with the girl during class, or teasing her so frequently about her lack of magical talent?"
"B-because everyone else does it!" The rotund boy whined pitifully.
"Of course, of course," Guiche continued grinning as he spurred his horse forwards. It was obvious he wasn't listening. "Worry not, though! I will do my best as your friend to make sure that you and Louise Valliere are happily brought together!"
"What? Guiche, you maniac! Don't you dare!" Malicorne sputtered. "Guiche!"
The blond Earth mage chuckled to himself. And of course, while you keep little Louise busy, I shall be keeping the lovely Miss van Winkle company. His heart beat more quickly in his chest when his mind recalled the human familiar's soothing, hauntingly beautiful voice as she sang upon the light of the moons. Soon, he thought. Soon we will be together. And nothing in this world will be able to tear us apart!
"Guiche! Are you listening to me?"
0
The streets of Tristania were much different during the day. When Rip had last visited the city, it was deep in the middle of the night, and most of the inhabitants were peacefully sleeping in their beds. This time, though, the vast majority of the capital's citizenry were out and about, filling the narrow streets with bodies. Most were commoners, as was evidenced by their bland and simple clothing, but there were nobles within the crowds who were dressed much finer.
Rip glanced down at Louise's school uniform, noting with satisfaction that at least her young summoner's outfit wasn't as ostentatious as the other nobility. The black cloak, simple white blouse and pleated gray skirt were definitely preferable to some of the disgustingly gaudy finery that many of the adult nobles were wearing. Even the most hedonistic of aristocrats in Earth's European history would never have worn such tasteless outfits as these buffoons were clothed in.
"And I thought Guiche was a fop," the vampire muttered as she watched a rather portly middle aged man waddle through the street in frilly purple robes made of velvet. He also wore a multi-colored cape of silk as well as a wide-brimmed orange hat. The outlandishly bright and clashing colors almost made her eyes water from just looking at them.
"Huh? What was that?" Louise asked after hearing her mumble. She glanced back at the human familiar as the two of them made their way through the crowded street. They had left their horses at a livery near the entrance to the district, as navigating some of the narrower streets of the capital would be much easier to do on foot.
"Oh, it vas nothing," Rip smiled and tried not to let the hideous outfits of the local nobility distract her too much. She was, after all, here to enjoy herself. "Just talking vith myself. Admiring ze architecture, and such."
"Oh," Louise blinked in surprise, shocked upon hearing the revelation that her familiar had an interest in architecture. Frankly, Rip didn't strike her as the type to have any academic interests whatsoever. "Well, if you're interested in architecture, then we can go see some of the more historic buildings of the Old Quarter. One of the chapels there is the oldest in Tristain, and was built nearly blah blah blah blah blah..."
As Louise blathered on, Rip allowed her mind and senses to wander. She gripped her musket more tightly, its barrel lazily resting against her right shoulder, as she attempted to use her rune enhancement to its fullest. Cities, with its large throng of people and bustling activity, always proved to be difficult for her vampiric senses to work in. It wasn't so bad at night, when the sun was absent and most of the population was asleep, but in the day with all the sights, smells, and sounds of humanity around her, it got quite distracting.
Thankfully, the familiar runes helped. They boosted her psychic senses enough that she could, with difficulty, cut through the din of sound and bodies to sense her targets. Although she had completely lost track of Guiche and his friend some time back, they were not really her priority. Tabitha and Kirche were, and Rip was relieved to sense that the two schoolgirls were still following them from several meters behind. It would be quite disastrous to lose track of the two; if they were to attack and catch her by surprise, their magic could prove potent enough to injure her.
Louise eventually ceased her lecture on Tristanian building construction when the two of them entered the market district. Numerous merchant stalls, both small and large dotted the wide avenues of the Gare du Midi, and the area was bustling with activity. Rip bit her lip and tried not to cringe at the sheer noise of it all. Hundreds upon hundreds of people were walking about, conducting business, speaking and laughing and shouting and making all sorts of noises. Her sensitive vampiric ears all but rang from the cacophony.
"Wow, the markets are pretty full today," Rip heard Louise say through the buzz of voices. "I wanted to show you around, but there are bound to be pick-pockets in a crowd that large. These are mostly commoner wares anyway, but there are a few good stalls that may sell some decent items. We can come back later after we visit the shops on Rue Neuve, unless you want to look around?"
"No, no, ve can come back if ve truly need to," Rip told her. "To tell you ze truth, I'm not really fond of crowds. Zey make me nervous..."
"Hmm," Louise nodded, trying not to let her relief show. She herself felt a bit skittish around a lot of people herself, a trait that it seems she shared with her familiar. "Alright. We'll come back later. Hopefully the crowds will have thinned later this afternoon."
0
"Honestly, Tabitha. This is such a waste of time," Kirche complained for perhaps the twentieth time as she followed her petite friend through the crowded streets of Tristania. For whatever reason the blue haired girl had gotten it in her head to follow Louise and her familiar as they went on what seemed to be a sight-seeing expedition of the city. And, lucky Kirche, Tabitha had decided to bring her best friend along for the ride.
The short girl didn't answer as she continued to follow their two targets, deftly navigating herself through the mass of commoner and nobility alike. Her sharp eyes never left Rip and Louise, the light blue irises bright with intent. Thankfully the human familiar was quite easy to spot in the crowd. Not only was she one of the tallest women in the city, but her strange clothing and gigantic musket caused her to stick out like a sore thumb.
"Tabitha, are you listening to me?" Kirche asked. The tall redhead wiped some sweat off her brow, disliking all the walking that they were doing. Her feet absolutely ached; if she had known they would be spending most of the day running through Tristania's cobble stone streets, then she would definitely have chosen to wear more comfortable shoes. "Tabitha?"
"Quiet," the blue haired girl said aloud, not slowing in her steps.
"Dammit," Kirche hissed, utterly annoyed at her quiet friend at the moment. "What the hell do you have against that van Winkle girl, anyway? I know you dislike her for some reason, but come on. You are going completely out of your way to antagonize her."
Tabitha remained silent for a moment, but eventually replied with, "Dangerous."
Kirche rolled her eyes and sighed. Tabitha had said such a thing before, claiming that Valliere's familiar was dangerous and not to be trusted. The redhead guessed that her friend came to this opinion because of the incident with Foquet, and how the familiar had so callously killed the thief. But there had to be more than that; Foquet had been trying to kill them, therefore brutal though she was, Rip van Winkle had saved their lives. There had to be another reason why her friend was so dead-set on finding evidence of wrong-doing from the older woman.
"Tabitha, please, talk to me!" Kirche reached out and grabbed the shorter girl's shoulder, forcing her to stop. "What's really going on, huh? Why are you really doing all this?" She pulled on her friend's shoulder harder, forcing the girl to face her. Tabitha's blue eyes looked up into hers from behind the thick lenses of her glasses, looking stern for a moment as if reprimanding Kirche for delaying them in their mission. The redhead refused to be cowed though, and directed a steely look of her own back. Eventually, Tabitha turned her eyes away, looking down at the street with a frown.
"She scares me," the short girl confessed, her voice soft as a whisper.
"T-Tabitha," Kirche muttered, shocked that her stoic friend would confide such a thing. Frankly, she was astounded that Tabitha could be scared of anything; the girl had a bloody dragon as a familiar for crying out loud!
The tall redhead's grip loosened from her friend's shoulder, then she gave the shorter girl a wan smile. "Okay, fine. You've convinced me." Tabitha looked up at Kirche with a confused look. "Hey, we both know that you're the smart one of the two of us. If you say this van Winkle girl is dangerous, then she probably is. I trust your judgement, Tabitha. Now let's go! We'll follow Valliere and her creepy familiar all day if we have to. If you say they're up to no good, then that's good enough for me."
The short blue haired girl gave her friend the most adorable smile (in Kriche's opinion anyway) before nodding curtly and turning back to follow their targets. The Germanian's smile softened as she moved to follow, hoping and praying desperately that Tabitha was just being paranoid about van Winkle.
Although she would never admit it to anyone, Louise's familiar frightened her as well. Only, unlike Tabitha, it seemed that Kiche had the good sense to not provoke the thing that scared her so much. The redhead just hoped that she could keep her friend out of trouble, and away from van Winkle's bad side.
0
"How about this?" Louise asked as she held up a bright pink gown she had found hung up on a nearby rack.
"No," Rip told her dryly. "I told you. No dresses."
"But it's so cute. It would look great on you!" Louise complained, but her familiar was adamant.
"Nein! I absolutely refuse to vear such a horrendous sing as zhat!" While her master began to pout, Rip turned away from her and began to scan the many shelves and clothing racks that were scattered about the small shop the two had managed to find themselves in.
The time was half past one in the afternoon, and after Louise had a quick lunch in a small cozy cafe near the main boulevard (Rip explained away her lack of appetite as due to an upset stomach) the short girl dragged the vampire off to shop for new clothing.
Currently, the two of them were in a women's clothing store in the wealthier part of the commoner's quarter. It would have been improper for Louise to shop for her familiar's clothing in a store serving the nobility, but thankfully Tristania had many shops that catered to the bourgeouise. To the young noblewoman's surprise, much of the clothing in these commoner shops were just as good in quality, if not better, than the clothes found in the stores that she often frequented. Her noble pride had stung quite a bit at this discovery, along with the prospect that there were actually commoners out there who were wealthy enough to afford such luxuries.
"Ah, here ve go!"
Louise was putting away the cute pink gown, a forlorn expression on her face, when she turned her attention back to her familiar. She saw the dark haired woman grabbing several garments off a nearby shelf, one that was stocked with clothing and uniform items reserved for well-to-do servants. Although Louise couldn't tell what type of clothes Rip had actually grabbed, her eyes did catch the color of the clothing.
"Black, again?" Louise complained, letting out an irritated huff. "Honestly! Why do you pick such drab colors? You're not a maid, nor are you in mourning. Would adding another color to your wardrobe kill you?"
In deference to her summoner's objections, Rip grabbed a white blouse whilst on her way to the dressing rooms. "Vite is another color, yes?" She called back to the young girl with a teasing grin.
"Stupid familiar," Louise muttered while rolling her eyes.
After a few minutes of waiting, Rip eventually emerged from behind the curtains of the fitting rooms. Louise blinked, amazed at what she saw.
Her familiar had put on a pair of black trousers, the white blouse she had grabbed earlier, as well as a high-waisted vallet jacket, also in black. The vestments were the closest things the vampire had found in the store that resembled the dark suits that she so favored. She just wished that they weren't so... form fitting. They were obviously cut for a woman's figure, and not the men's sizes that she preferred.
"Zey are a little tight," Rip griped as she turned to-and-fro in front of a nearby mirror, all the while frowning at her appearance.
"No! They're perfect!" Louise told her, still somewhat aghast by how... feminine her familiar now looked. Rip's old clothing had been baggy and so oversized that she had always assumed that the older woman had quite the mannish build. Now, with Rip wearing clothing that was better fitted to her form, Louise could see just how maidenly her familiar was. Rip had a slim, svelte physique that was almost willowy, resembling very much the figure of a dancer. Her tall frame and long, dark hair only made her even more striking.
Louise also noted, with much annoyance, that her familiar wasn't as flat in the chest region as she had originally thought. In fact, Rip appeared to be a bit larger than her in that respect. The pink haired girl bit down a scream of fury at the realization. Life was so unfair!
The young mage shook off her jealous thoughts, focusing instead on her frowning familiar, who was still looking upon her reflection with much distaste. For whatever reason, Rip seemed to be very ashamed of her physical appearance. In fact, the dark haired girl looked to be absolutely mortified at the moment. Was this why her familiar had worn such ill-fitting, unflattering garments? Louise really didn't know why Rip would have such views about herself; in her opinion the human familiar looked quite lovely. But then again, she was Germanian. Anyone growing up in that backwater nation had to be somewhat touched in the head. Just look at Kirche.
"They're perfect, Rip," Louise told her familiar once more, this time giving the other girl what she hoped was her most comforting smile. "You look very pretty."
The dark haired woman's blue eyes met hers in the mirror, and upon hearing the compliment the familiar's cheeks suddenly flushed a bright red. Even with the stolen glasses on, Louise thought that she looked utterly adorable. Rip quickly glanced away from the mirror, sputtering, "No I don't!"
"Yes, you do!" Louise countered, grinning widely at how utterly embarrassed her familiar was. "I bet when the boys at the Academy see you now, they'll be smitten and falling all over each other to kiss your hand."
"Ugh," Rip frowned. "Just vhat I need, ze attentions of zose foppish little snobs."
"In all seriousness, though. You look great." Louise walked over to where Rip was standing by the mirror and began fiddling with the dark haired girl's clothes. She smiled softly as she adjusted her familiar's collar, smoothing the starched white fabric to fit better. This reminded her of her days playing with Princess Henrietta as a child. The two of them loved to play dress-up with Henrietta's vast wardrobe, Louise often dressing up in the Princess's regal gowns and dresses, or helping Henrietta put on some wild outlandish costume for one of their childish games. Louise's smile faltered somewhat at the memories; she missed those days, the days when she actually had a friend.
She quickly shook her head, banishing her dreary thoughts. Today was a day for fun, not moping about the past, she told herself. Besides, her days of being alone were gone; she had managed to summon a familiar and prove her worth. Her dear friend Anne, Princess Henrietta, was back in her life, too. And of course, she now had Rip. Even though the Germanian commoner was technically her familiar, Louise felt that she was more of a friend than any sort of mystical tool.
There was a flash of an image in her mind, that of Rip brutally skewering Ms. Longueville through the chest with her arm. Louise was quick to banish the disturbing memory. That's all in the past, she mentally chided herself. Rip made a mistake, a terrible one, yes, but one not done out of malice. She was just doing it to protect her. She was just being a good familiar. And a good friend.
Yes, that's right. Rip was a very good friend. It was good to have one of those again.
"Louise?" Rip spoke up, her concerned voice intruding into her thoughts. "Are you alright?"
The pink haired girl bit down the snappy retort that she was used to replying with when other students or her peers asked about her. Usually, their concern was never genuine, and often asked in a sarcastic fashion whenever they saw her looking glum. Her usual reply was a curt denial that anything was wrong, followed by her most sneering glare. She had used this reply so often that it was almost automatic whenever someone her age showed any worry about her. Now though, Louise felt that she could lower her defenses a little, especially with her friends.
"I'm great," Louise told her familiar, giving Rip a genuinely happy smile. "Absolutely perfect."
0
Master and familiar left the clothing shop a few minutes later, both women's moods lifted by the pleasant shopping excursion. Along with Rip's new outfit, which Louise bought several sets of and had arranged to be delivered to her dorm room at the Academy, Rip also purchased a dark blue parasol which she used with relish once the two of them were back out on the streets. Despite the sniper's remarkable resistance to sunlight, as a vampire it was still very uncomfortable for her to be exposed to the bright rays.
Rip had also bought a new pair of shoes, as her old ones had become quite worn and mud-stained. Like her new ensemble, the shoes fit her much better than her old clunky boots did, though sadly the current fashion trend for footwear in Tristania consisted of high heels. (Interestingly enough, this was true for both for women and men.) Rip chose a pair of black ankle boots with the lowest heel in the shop. This was purely out of personal tastes and less about practicality, since as her vampiric agility made walking and running in high heels quite simple.
Another addition to her ensemble was a brown leather tradesman's belt, complete with several pouches; unfortunately Rip's new clothes did not have pockets for some reason, so she needed something to hold her powder and ammunition as well as the other junk that she had accumulated over the years. She also grabbed several pairs of white gloves made of cotton and linen, though Louise also bought her some silk and satin ones "Just in case." Rip didn't bother to ask the girl what she meant by that, as it was most likely something stupid and annoying and having to do with wearing gowns and dresses.
The only part of her old outfit that had managed to remain relatively intact, and thus still wearable, was her black necktie. Unlike the other articles of her old ensemble, the tie had survived both confrontations with Foquet unscathed. Aside from a few stray bloodstains, which weren't really noticeable thanks to the dark fabric it was made from, the tie was all but pristine. Rip was very pleased with this fact, since she really wasn't a fan of the cravats and scarves that were currently in fashion and preferred the simple lean look the modern necktie gave her. And so she kept it, wrapping the article around her collar and tying it into a smart Windsor knot to complete her new look.
All in all, Rip was feeling pretty good. Being in fresh, clean clothing after wearing the same suit for weeks felt quite invigorating. She also found that wearing clothing that was actually fitted for her frame allowed for more freedom of movement. After decades in baggy clothing, it was quite surprising how comfortable she now felt.
Louise, meanwhile, was going over the bill in her head. To her pleasant surprise, as well as her wallet's, Rip's shopping spree had not cost her as much as she first thought it was going to. The young mage had planned on spending maybe two or three hundred livres on her familiar's new wardrobe, but because of Rip's fashion sense (or lack of it) the bill was much reduced. The financial burden was further diminished by the surprising fact that Rip's old clothing turned out to be made from some high-grade quality material.
Yes, it surprised Louise as well when she found out.
"Excuse me, Miss!" The shopkeeper had called out to her familiar after Louise had payed the tally and the two were getting ready to leave. "Would you like me to wrap up your old clothes for you?" The middle aged woman pointed at Rip's old ragged suit jacket, pink shirt and trousers, which the familiar had just carelessly tossed aside on the floor of the dressing room.
"Nah, just throw that trash avay," Rip stated with a careless wave.
"Oh, my, are you sure?" The shopkeep had picked up the jacket to examine it. The woman wore a mystified look on her face as her fingers began to run over the dark material. "This fabric is amazing, and so well made! I've never seen it's like before. What is this garment made out of?"
Rip raised an eyebrow, slightly confused as to why the shopkeeper was making such a big deal out of a cheap suit she had bought from a discount department store in Sao Paulo. "Polyester."
"Polly... Esther?" Louise almost giggled. Polly Esther was the name of an old maid who used to work at her estate.
"Well, whatever it is, it is wonderous!" The shopkeeper held up the jacket, still marveling at the shiny black fabric. "It's so smooth, like silk! But strong, like cotton! It would be a waste to throw such beautiful fabric away! Please, at least let me buy it from you. I can make several gloves, or perhaps a scarf or some cravats from this."
Rip snorted. "If you vish to pay me money for trash, vell, I'm not going to stop you."
And so, Louise's familiar made thirty silver écu . She insisted that Louise take the coins in order to help pay for the new clothes. The pink haired noblewoman tried to protest, but Rip insisted and refused to take no for an answer.
"But what if you need to buy anything?" Louise asked.
The other woman's answer of, "Bah, I never had to pay for anything in years," did not make her feel any better.
Master and familiar were currently walking down a busy boulevard when Rip turned down the lane towards the left intersection. This street lead towards the stables where their horses were kept.
"Louise?" the vampire asked when she saw that her summoner was headed in the other direction. "Vhere are you going? Ze horses are this vay."
"Hmm?" The pink haired girl looked back and saw that her familiar was pointing towards the direction of the livery. "Oh, we're not leaving yet. We've got one more stop to make before we head back to the Academy."
Rip shrugged, then turned to follow her summoner as the younger girl led her towards the less affluent parts of the commoner's quarter. Unlike the richer areas they had been in, this part of the city was less pristine and immaculate. Though it was by no means a slum, this district's appearance was practical and utilitarian as it served mostly tradesmen and artisans. No gaudily dressed nobles walked these cobblestone streets. The area was the equivalent of a middle class business district in modern-day Earth.
"Vhere are you taking us, exactly?" Rip asked as Louise continued to lead her through the narrower streets of the artisan's quarter. Although there were less people here than in the bustling thoroughfares of the markets and the Rue Neuve, with the tighter pathways it seemed much busier.
"There's a weapon shop nearby that we need to visit," Louise answered. "I was hoping to get you a sword."
"A sword?" Rip asked once again, this time with even more confusion. "But vhy? I am a marksman, not a swordswoman."
"Well, I've been worried, thinking about our recent battles. During the fight with Foquet," Louise paused for a second as the image of her familiar brutally murdering the thief flashed through her mind before she could prevent it. "Um... during the fight, I noticed that although your shooting skills are superb and very formidable, you're pretty much at your enemy's mercy when you have to reload."
"Oh come now, zhat's not true," the vampire muttered. Rip knew that she was still quite dangerous, even without her jezail. She was at a loss as to how to explain this to Louise though; she really didn't want to remind the girl of how easily she had killed Foquet even without a weapon.
"Well, you still need a side arm of some sort. If not a sword, then a dagger or even a pistol if you prefer. All musketeers have secondary weapons, I'm quite surprised that you don't." Louise didn't want to admit it, not even to herself, but she knew that Rip was very capable of defending herself while unarmed. She had seen as much with Ms. Longueville. The fact was, Louise just did not want to see something that horrific ever again. If Rip had to defend herself, then she should use a sword or knife to do so; killing with your bare hands just seemed so... barbaric.
The noblewoman heard her familiar sigh. "Fine," Rip stated with a resigned tone. "I'll let you buy me a sword. You know, you really are spoiling me today."
Louise let out a laugh. "Well, you better appreciate all that I do for you, familiar. Don't ever let anyone say that Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere does not take her duties as a summoner seriously."
Rip grinned and followed the short teenager as she led them through the tight but busy streets. She adjusted her grip on both her new parasol and musket, making sure that the former kept the bright sunlight out of her face while the latter's long barrel didn't accidentally smack some random passer-by in the face. She was still fiddling with both items, trying to find a comfortable way to carry them, when her sixth sense suddenly warned her of two familiar presences heading towards them.
"Scheisse," the vampire cursed softly, her good mood vanishing completely. "And I vas having such a good day so far..."
"Huh?" Louise noticed that her companion had stopped moving and looked back at the tall woman in confusion. "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
The pink haired girl's question was not answered by her familiar, but by two figures stepping out of the crowd.
"Why, Miss Louise! Miss van Winkle!" Greeted Guiche de Gramont as he all but glided towards them. "Fancy meeting you two here," he stated, flicking stately blond locks away from his face in what he thought was a dashing manner.
"Um... h-hi?" Malicorne muttered dumbly as he approached behind his foppish cohort.
Yep, thought Rip. This day is definitely ruined.