After a train ride, Fort took his wife on a real stroll through a park before they found their way into a famous shopping center. The stores there were nicer than the market where Noble often shopped, and her eyes glistened at all the shiny things.
"There it is!" Fort pointed to the shop up ahead.
It was small but well-furnished with a lit-up sign that read "Yo-yo Bro Co."
"What is this?" Noble pursed her lips. Something in the name triggered a faint recognition.
"You'll see," the blond man answered cryptically.
A tinkling bell sounded when the couple entered and a slim, well-dressed Awakened strode into the room with an eccentric air. His chestnut hair and strangely bright brown eyes made him look more like a painting than a person.
All around him, the shop lit up with soft radiance as the shopkeeper approached, giving the whole scene a refined air.
"Welcome to Yo-yo Bro Co," the gentleman indicated the embroidered yo-yo on his collar. "I am the owner, Kenny. Do you have an appointment?"
Recognizing the name at last, Noble suddenly felt very out of place. While her family had always been wealthy, she had never been part of the super-elite crowd. Despite its humble location, this establishment was exclusive to Awakened socialites.
Noble decided to back out of the store gracefully. "I'm sorry. We were just passing by--"
"Director Fort and Master Noble." Fort cut off his well-meaning wife.
"Ah, my four o'clock. Welcome!" Kenny snapped his fingers, and the entrance to the shop closed and locked behind them. "Follow me."
Leading them to a private room with cushioned couches, the shopkeeper motioned for them to sit. "Sit back and relax. Whatever your need, Kenny is here to make it happen. Or as I will be known in this session, Dat Fashion Bro. Now tell me, which one of yo-you are we shopping for today?"
Fort rubbed his wife's back gently, "Noble is a relatively new Master, and I want to make sure she is equipped with the right clothing for anywhere she goes."
"Isn't that thoughtful!" Kenny nodded. "We have ready-to-buy Memories or if you want something truly special, I can take a custom order for one of the artisans of Clan Valor to craft for you. I can even throw in a handmade synthetic wooden yoyo with any purchase!"
Noble shifted uncomfortably at his offer, and not just because he wanted to add a toy to her shopping list.
The professor already knew this wasn't just any clothing store. It was a specialty Memory clothing store! Awakened from all over the NQSC came here for waking world and Dream Realm garments and armor.
"Let's hold off on the free offer until we have found something we like." Fort coughed lightly. "I think we will start with the inventory that you already have in stock."
Kenny seemed mildly disappointed by the answer as he gave a short nod. "I will go get our current inventory for you to peruse so I can get an accurate idea of Ascended Noble's style. If you need refreshments, there are some cookies on the table for your enjoyment."
Dat Fashion Bro strode out of the room, leaving the couple alone for a moment.
"Fort!" Noble whispered. "What in two worlds are we doing here!?"
"You said you needed clothing that wouldn't rip when you have to put on your armor. Wouldn't it be nice to have that and an outfit or two for backup as well?" The blond man got himself and his bride two yoyo-shaped sandwich cookies. "The Loyal Tabard is nice, but I think as a Master, you need more variety."
"But the cost!" Noble pressed her hand to her cheek. She could feel her skin burning.
"We have enough, I assure you. Beyond my increase in pay with the promotion, I called in a few favors." The man winked.
"I'm not putting in custom orders to Valor. They should be helping the war effort not making vanity items," Noble let the rest of her thoughts remain unsaid.
"We are on the same page, then," Fort agreed easily. "Now enjoy yourself or all my hard work will go to waste."
Noble's blush deepened. "Thank you."
"Ah, here we are!" Kenny returned with a round device that was attached to a string.
Setting the object on the table, the owner looked expectantly at the pair.
"Another yo-yo?" Fort tried to understand what he was seeing.
"What do you mean another?" Kenny raised an eyebrow.
"It looks like a... I mean you seem very fond of yo-yos," Fort shifted awkwardly.
"What?!" Kenny turned up his nose. "I can't stand them! Why do you think I give them away for free?!"
Noble and Fort exchanged a glance. They had no response to that.
Kenny pointed to the table. "Let me show you how to use our catalog."
The quirky shopkeeper pressed a single button and the screen projected the images into the air above it.
"To go to the next one, do this. To go back, move your hand like this. If you want a closer look pinch your fingers. And if you want to favorite it or try it on, press here and we will have a fashion show once you have collected a few that you like."
The instructions were simple and soon, the couple got the hang of skimming through the options. For someone who usually dragged his feet when it came to garment selection, Fort was incredibly interested in the process. He even added things that Noble would never have thought to try just because he wanted to be fully invested in the moment.
Eventually, it was time to try on all of the selections. The process took much longer than anticipated, mostly because of how many things Fort had added to the lineup.
Thankfully by the fourth time she exited the dressing room, Noble had a better idea of what she wanted.
"This one looked better in the picture," she mused aloud. "A dress made of chainmail sounds better in thought than in reality. Am I going to war or a ball?"
"Why not both?" Kenny shrugged. "It brings new meaning to knight-wear." Seeing the unamused look on Noble's face, the shopkeeper faltered slightly. "The man who sold it to me didn't care for the look either."
It turned out Kenny had gotten a lot of the garments in the store from men and women who had earned them from the Spell but had...different tastes. Others were just looking for some extra coin for something they desired more.
"This one is nice," Noble showed off a simple blue-grey frock. It would fit well under armor but looked well enough on its own as well.
"You look stunning!" Fort nodded approvingly.
"You have said that every time. I cannot trust you!" Noble clicked her tongue.
"I did not on that green one," the director defended himself. That one had made her look like an ancient alligator.
"Fine, fine. Almost every one." Noble looked at herself in the mirror. "But this time, I agree."
The grey dress and two more outfits were bought and transferred into Noble's Soul Sea. She would never need to be worried about lacking clothing either here or in the Dream Realm.
A weight was lifted off of her shoulders.
"Thank you," she rested her head on her husband's shoulder as they left the boutique. "I am very happy about what we got, but I am a little sad you didn't take him up on his offer for a free yo-yo."
Fort raised one eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?" He held up a small bag at his side. "I got two for the boys and one for me. I'll be schooling them in the art of the breakaway in no time."
"Just don't obliterate them like you did with that video game." Noble ran her hand lovingly through her husband's golden locks.
"Fine fine, I won't," the Director chuckled. Looking at the time, his smile faded. "We need to get a move on."
"I thought you said we had all the time in the world?" Noble teased, poking Fort's side gently.
"We do...sort of. But it is better if we are not late for the next part."
Unfortunately, they were.