27 『Fittings』 (2/2)

As they made it to the particular fitting station for clothes, Jack placed her down on the wooden stool before grabbing a plush towel and wiping her down, rubbing her skin warm.

By the time he was done, her hair was a fizy, but her skin was no longer sewn with goosebumps. Enri was also no longer tortured by the involuntary shivering as she had just moments ago.

Smiling favorably, she held her elbows as her arms were folded loosely over her petite chest.

”Sure you don't want to go another round?” Jack nudged her thigh with his index finger, though as he was asking, she could tell he was joking around. He then turned and walked over to multiple folded articles of clothing on a long bench.

Blinking at all the vibrant colors, which were mostly red yellows and blues, Enri was curious of what had been prepared for her.

Jack plucked a thin white cotton underdress from a pile and walked back over to her, pulling it down over her head. As it decorated her form, tightly and almost translucently, she hugged it to herself as it stuck to her skin.

”How is it so warm...?”

”The material itself is conditioned to stay at a certain temperature,” Jack relayed with a light nod as he would then pick up a long blue pleated skirt and wrapped it around her waist before fastening it.

Swaying side to side on the stool, she looked over him with a glance or two before taking a gander at the skirt that lined her waist and cut off just above her toes. ”It's soft...” She uttered as she hands grasped at the fabric. It was stretchy, flexible, like silk between her fingers.

”Water resistant too, though I'd stay away from fire when wearing it.” Jack advised as he walked back over to the items and picked a white ruffled blouse with a high neck collar to put on her.

As he unbuttoned it and gestured for her to put her arms out, she followed instruction intently. The feeling of the fabric was alien to her due to the high quality. She was sure she'd be able to buy tens of villages with this set alone!

Her eyes followed him as he went to go grab another piece, her eyes hardly able to get any wider as her mouth formed into a straight line.

Excitement was there, shining in those brown hues. This was making her curious as well, was he going to use her as a dress up doll as well? Was he into that kind of thing... Dressing other people?

She watched as he walked over and held out a turtlenecked short blue poncho in soft, quality-knit fabric made from a wool and cashmere. The poncho was just long enough to cover her her breasts and upper-regions of the biceps of her arms.

As if bowing forward, she bent her body forward as he slipped it over her head, feeling the ever so soft and expensive fabric hug around her neck. As she stood up straight, she stared at him, blinking very few times as she touched the clothes that now adorned her like a Queen he had proclaimed she was meant to be.

Stars seemed to be appearing in her eyes, until the next thing he'd say would cause them to dim.

”We have some new people in the Village,” Jack informed now that she was dressed and dry. ”I was able to track down the perpetrators who had taken the villagers. I was too late for some of them, but I was able to save the majority.”

Her lips parted hearing him report this to her directly and informally. Not that he seemed to be into the formal aspect of speaking. ”I... I see...” She knew he wasn't perfect, but she was happy to know that he was able to get some of them back safely. ”May... May I ask... Who was lost?”

”The Village Elder was seen dead outside of their base of operations. Looked as if he either tried to run, or they saw him as useless. It appeared to be a slaving operation.”

”Ah...” She sighed as she stood stiff upon the stool. ”Just him?”

Jack nodded and watched as her body loosened up, her eyes closing and her arms just dangling at her sides. ”Are you alright?”

She nodded as she looked to the dress she was wearing. ”Is it okay if I wear this outside?”

Jack raised a brow as if this was a rhetorical question, ”Yes.”

”Lets go collect your sister than, shall we?” He asked as he held out a hand for her to take.

Lifting her feet from the stool, she raised a brow.

”Right, shoes,” Jack snickered as he got a pair of white cotton compression socks and a pair of reddish-brown shin-length leather boots with a tieable drawstring in the back to adjust the tightness.

Staring at the boots which were made out of all leather, including the sole and shaft, she blinked at them. She felt as if she was being spoiled now, she was just a village girl... but this... It was almost too much.

Balancing on one foot, she watched as Jack effortlessly slipped each sock around her feet and up her shins. They hugged her muscles and skin, compressing them tightly, but not outside of comfort. If anything they were more comfortable than going without woolen socks.

When he slipped those boots on her feet next, she could feel the stiffness of the leather as it wasn't used to the shape of her feet. A small grin formed over her lips as she then hopped off the stool, the leather soles making a singularly hard clack sound.

”I could work in these... They match the clay under the soil! Hah...”

Jack shrugged lightly, all she had to do was bring them back to get cleaned.

”Shall we go?” Jack offered his hand once more, causing her to flicker her gaze to his hand and then up to his face.

Parting her lips, at first without any expression, she would then smile and take his hand without any hesitation.