Yasuline hesitatingly made her first steps onto the floor. She likely didn't realize it, but she was gripping the shirt of the White Reaper tightly. She almost looked like a lost child, the way she held onto him while looking around her surroundings. Though, instead of shaking in fear, she was mostly shaken in disbelief, confusion, and various other feelings that were swelling up inside her.
Gradually, she starts to be more active, she brushes her hand against the wall. Taking in deep breaths, each time she blew air out of her lungs, that feeling of anxiety left her. She felt more light-footed as she began to hop very lightly.
"I'm outside." She says quietly to herself. Almost like she had to vocally tell herself this, but she needed to keep saying it for it to sink. "I'm outside the castle. Outside the walls. I'm at the capital." Each word got louder, she forgot to control the volume of her voice. "I'm out, I'm free! I'm here!" Even if the alley was narrow and crowded with crates that looked threatening to trade splinters to anyone that touched it, Yasuline persisted to run and hop in circles.
Once the celebratory burst of energy was depleted, she calmed herself down and listened to the surroundings. It was noisy. When she first got there, it was almost like the white noise of some kind, but now that she is paying attention to it, it was similar to when a ball was hosted at her castle. The sound of various conversations happening around her. All kinds of murmurs and yelling were present. Much more lively than the balls she experienced.
She followed the sounds of the crowd, behind her, the White Reaper would wrap a dirty cloak over him, one that was folded neatly and tucked in the corner of the alley.
Yasuline stepped into the entrance of the alley and took in the brand-new sight in front of her. Not even registering the White Reaper standing behind her.
The bustling thoroughfare of Main Street was teeming with a diverse array of life. Despite her vivid imagination, Yasuline found it difficult to comprehend the sheer volume of individuals milling about. Every person in her line of sight was uniquely distinct from the one ambling alongside them. There were tall people, short people, people that looked even older than her father, and some that looked like children, but had the maturity of an adult as they kept their gazes straight ahead. The people weren't just walking up and down the street, others on the sides of the street were either casually conversing with others on the same side. On the other, booths made of planks were quickly formed with various items that Yasuline couldn't access at all, but some people seemed to as they studied them carefully while the vendor marketed them as best as they could to make their coin.
The area itself was just as mesmerizing to Yasuline as the people themselves. The structures that stood close to each other were constructed from materials vastly different from that of the castle. While some might argue that these materials were weaker, Yasuline was quick to point out that they possessed a unique character all their own. These buildings were skillfully crafted from a combination of stone and smoothed wood planks, with additional embellishments fluttering about them. Potted plants could be seen nestled beneath windows or suspended in mid-air, adding a pop of color to the otherwise drab surroundings. Strings crisscrossed above the street, adorned with small, colorful flags bearing various symbols. And, as if that weren't enough, still more strings and bells could be seen zig-zagging back and forth, ringing softly in the gentle breeze.
Yasuline found beauty in every aspect of her surroundings, even the imperfect stone pattern beneath the bustling crowd's feet.
Once Yasuline tried to take a step into the street, but the crowds did not slow down for the newcomer. Soon, she felt the push of everyone going about their day as normal as they forced her to walk down the street with them. Yasuline grunted and shuffled around as she felt some people rudely step on her exposed feet. Some bumped into her, sometimes with their elbows, and sometimes with something more solid that would form some bruises on her later. But it didn't take too long for her to 'go with the flow' and was looking around her surroundings as she kept up with everyone.
As she walked down the primary street, her eyes were constantly drawn to the smaller streets that branched off to the left and right. However, she remained determined to stay on the main road and fully immerse herself in the vibrant surroundings. Every sight and sound was a treat for her senses, and she savored each moment with a deep sense of appreciation.
Before long, she found herself standing in a large open circle, which was dominated by an awe-inspiring statue. The statue was surrounded by a pool of water that lapped gently at its carved feet, while water jets shot out from its mouth, creating a mesmerizing display. As she gazed at the statue in wonder, she noticed something else that caught her eye: the pool's bottom was covered in gleaming coins.
Upon closer inspection, she realized that the coins were tossed in by previous visitors, perhaps as a way of making a wish or seeking good luck. The sight of the glittering coins sparked her curiosity, and she found herself wondering how many people had contributed to the pool and what their wishes might have been. Despite her curiosity, she resisted the urge to add her coin to the collection, content simply to admire the stunning display before her. For what purpose, she had no idea. Not that she had any coin herself to toss. Upon inspection, it was evident that Yasuline was wearing nothing but her thin sun dress and a green ribbon that loosely held her hair in place. She glanced around, scanning the area for any signs of refuge or assistance. In the distance, she could see a string of buildings with a scattering of signs adorning their opened door frames. After taking a closer look, Yasuline's eyes rested on one particular sign that hinted at the solution to her current predicament - clothing.
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She hurried over to it and peeked inside quickly as she entered it. The shop had some people inside, but they didn't pay any attention to her. Like her, they were looking at the clothing sets that were packed together to form an outfit to appeal to one's interests.
"Ah, welcome." A voice called out, and from the sound of it, it was directed to her, prompting her to look away from a set and turn to find a man looking at her with a wide face. His plump cheeks forced his eyes to close or else he would be awkward. The man was slim and weathered, but his clothing looks on par with the nobles who could and would visit the castle monthly. Honestly, he was dressed better than them. Especially since he doesn't overdress with various gold accessories and jewelry.
"Ah, hello. Thank you for welcoming me. I just saw these clothes and thought they looked so comfortable. And lovely."
"Ah, how sweet of you to say. I enjoy hearing people praise my work so nicely."
"You made these?"
"Yes, most of them. Others are from my eldest who will one day take over my shop. Please feel free to shop around."
"Thank you, I will." Yasuline immediately accepted his invitation and began roaming inside the wide room. Each one of them looked incredible. The most important factor was that all of them looked comfortable enough to wear. Some were dressed, with materials that felt nice to the touch. Others were multiple pieces like shirts, pants, and boots. As she looked at them, the shopkeeper would sometimes leave her be to assist other customers that either were there before her or had just arrived.
It felt strange to her to have people around her like this. To have people around her not starting her and giving greetings to her like a ritual. No, she was mostly ignored, except for the shopkeeper.
As she moved to allow another customer to observe some of the clothing she was just standing over, she noticed one particular set of clothes that seemed too out of place for her to not notice.
The clothes were made of multiple pieces, but together and afar, they could be mistaken as a whole suit of cloth.
The garment presented a delightful blend of green and pink hues, two of Yasuline's preferred colors. Adorning the neck region was a thick, ruby-red scarf that draped down from behind, almost reaching the boots that rested beneath the leggings. The leggings themselves proved to be rather unconventional, as they carried a surprising width around the areas where they should have been snugly wrapped around the wearer's legs. Additionally, the leggings were cut short, allowing the legs below the knee to be exhibited with ease.
Yasuline can't recall if anyone in the streets had quite a fashion style similar to this one. As she continued to stare at it, she didn't notice the shopkeeper coming up to her once more.
"Ah, I see you are taking a liking to this one. You have a good eye."
"I do?" Yasuline asked.
"Oh yes, this one is inspired by the princess."
"R-really?" She displays a smile.
"Mmhmm, since she was born on the first day of spring, I felt inspired to make a clothing set based on it." As Yasuline examines the garments before her once again, she realizes that they were designed with the essence of spring in mind. This explains the delightful combination of green, pink, and a touch of red. The pink and red hues were probably chosen to represent the vibrant colors of the flowers commonly found throughout Lumines. Additionally, the green was likely inspired by the kingdom's lush grassy landscapes, which are abundant and ever-present.
"I call it: The Icon of Springtime." The shopkeeper continued, the pride of his creation was all over his face. But the princess didn't notice it and was continuing to look at the outfit itself.
"Would you like to try it on?"
"Oh, sure!" Yasuline said excitedly. As the shopkeeper was about to lead her to a changing room tucked away at one of the corners of the shop, Yasuline simply pulled her sundress over her head. The shopkeeper made a strange noise, as well as some people, happened to be inside the shop at that moment.
"M-miss, please, change over here!" She felt his hands on her back and started guiding her over to that spot he mentioned. She passed along the outfit she was looking on, the shopkeeper, still flustered, awaited her outside the curtain he used to hide her changing. Even the others who were present awaited her, the strange girl who didn't seem to mind stripping in public.
The curtain is pulled once more and Yasuline steps out. It was more clothing than she normally used to just a dress, so it took a moment for her to get everything on. A proud smile was on her face as she looked on at the small audience she had developed. Some people quietly started on. The most reactive one was the shopkeeper himself.
"It's like it was made for you." He says in awe. She gives off a twirl to let him appreciate his hard work being paid off.
"I guess that means it looks good on me? That's good." Once both were done with admiration, Yasuline picked up her sun dress once more and headed toward the front of the shop, the shopkeeper followed her along the way but then got ahead of her to stand behind a booth. Similar to the ones she first saw, but looked more refined, and had a cloth on the top with various sizes of circles colored bronze, copper, gold, and silver.
"Well, I'm going to check out the other shops and see what they have then." She says as he waves goodbye to him and was nearly about to step outside before she saw the frantic wave of the shopkeeper's hand to stop her.
"Ho ho, before you go little miss spring, we need to discuss the payment. I would normally say 5 gold coins, but since it looks perfect on you, I can bring it down to say 3 coins."
"...coins?"