Getting Stockings

I was on my third day since I started my quest to become a pretty girl. And my progress at the time had been…

"ZERO!" I shouted while kicking the creature called Weasemin, killing it in one hit.

As you can see, I was not in a good mood.

***

It all started after I left the fashion shop. My next objective was to buy makeup, but the set cost 800 gold, remember?

With only 300 gold in my pocket, I left the store. A cute outfit could wait, especially now that I was hungry.

Unus Town was full of food vendors and restaurants, so filling your belly was easy to achieve. Unfortunately, the food was average. Better than nothing, I guess.

Night fell before I could think of what to do next. While walking through the downtown area, I found this enormous inn called Moonlight Dream, which rented a room for 30 gold a night.

You should have seen the expression of those who had spent all of their starting money buying gear and now were forced to sleep on the street.

"You have to eat and sleep in this game? What the fuck!" A guy said to his friend as I passed them by.

"It would be weirder if we didn't, don't you think?"

His line of thinking isn't wrong, I guess? Whatever. I went to my room and jumped straight to bed. Who would have thought that killing weak mobs would be so tiring?

After taking a shower, a private message notification made my heart skip a beat.

++++From Steve Riggs: 'I got 100 more gold. Can I see you again?'+++

What, right now?!

I was extremely tired after a day of kicking and stomping on little virtual creatures, but the idea of having him in my room for the night was too alluring to let it pass.

+++Taylor: I'm at the Moonlight Dream, room 34. Do you want to pay me a visit?+++

+++Steve: I'll be there right away!+++

"Fuck! He'll be here at any minute and I still… look the same!"

I should have bought something from the beauty shop, anything! I know that I'm saving for the Makeup Set, but it won't matter if I spend just another day or two looking like a hobo!

I put back my 'New Beginning Dress' and rushed to the door. Maybe I could run all the way back to the shop before he…

"Hey, beautiful." His bright smile was in front of me, making me feel tickles in my stomach.

"So fast!" I mumbled. His clothes looked ragged and torn. That was the perfect excuse. "Hi, Steve. What happened to you? Did you fight a boss or something?"

"YES! After killing another set of 30 Slimes, a boss appeared! And I had to team up with another--"

"That's wonderful, handsome! But I won't make any deals with you while looking like this." I pulled him inside the room and pushed him towards the shower. "Clean yourself up first, please?"

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Taylor. Just what I needed."

"I'll be back in a minute!"

"Sure. Hey, maybe we could take dine toge--"

I shut the door and ran through the hallway, down the stairs, and to the street. It took me two minutes to reach the shop, which fortunately was still open.

"To celebrate The Novus inauguration, this shop will remain open 24 hours-a-day for the next week," the NPC said to me when I dashed inside.

"What are the cheapest clothes available?!" I cried to her. "Please, I'm in a rush!"

"Sorting items by price," the NPC said, rearranging the clothes in each rack automatically.

"Just like magic," I muttered before shaking my head. "Let's see! No. Nope. Definitely not! Eww, who would even try this on?!"

A new problem had arisen. The plaid miniskirt I liked cost 200 gold, and a pair of high heels that gazed at me from a corner, 350 gold.

"I need something alluring and cheap now, please!"

"You could also customize the Beginner's Dress you're wearing without losing its stats," the NPC said to me, incessantly grinning.

"Would it cost me?"

"50 gold to change its color and customize its design."

I opened my User Interface and glanced at my gold balance. After paying for lunch and the inn's room, I had 260 gold left.

"Could you change it to a red, off-shoulder dress?"

"Right away, miss. Or would you rather be called 'sir?'"

So the NPC knew, huh?

"Miss, please."

"Please step over this mirror and tap on the correct configuration you would like for your dress."

I did as told, and a system window appeared in front of me. Once I tapped the red color, my dress changed in the blink of an eye. "Cool."

After changing its design too and tapping the confirm button, the 50 gold was subtracted from my account. 210 gold left now.

"Something's missing," I said to myself while the NPC made the drawer in front of me change its contents.

"Here is a selection of accessories, Miss Taylor."

* * *

Remember those guys bickering in the inn's lobby? Well, when I passed by them earlier, they completely ignored me, but this time? When I peered back at them before walking up the stairs… their faces… Let's just say they looked like starved wolves.

Not only did my dress look completely different, but I had also bought a black velvet choker with a heart on it, and a secret weapon...

Something I knew would drive any man crazy: Stockings.

Choker: 20 gold.

Black Thigh-high Stockings: 30 gold.

160 gold remaining.

Their gaze. Their lewd smile. Their expressions.

That was all I was looking for.

Totally priceless.