Maid Outfit Tailoring

And now, we found ourselves strolling through the bustling streets of Fiore, the vibrant market alive with chatter, laughter, and the occasional vendor calling out to passersby. It would've been a nice outing—if not for the fact that both Claire and Tessa were holding my hands.

"Hey," I started, glancing between the two of them, "you know you don't have to hold my hands, right? I can walk perfectly fine without assistance."

Claire's grip tightened around mine almost immediately. Her violet eyes sparkled with a mix of determination and mischief as she turned to me. "But I want to," she said, her voice laced with sincerity. "Being close to you like this… it feels nice. Like we're together."

I blinked, caught off guard. "I—I don't know what you mean by that… but we are together. We're literally walking together. Right now."

Claire giggled softly, her smile a mix of playful and genuine, and before I could even begin to unravel that statement, Tessa chimed in from my other side.

"Don't mind her," Tessa said with a casual grin, her fingers loosely intertwined with mine. "I'm just here to keep you in check, my Sera."

Her words were like a lightning strike, sending an embarrassed jolt through me. "'My Sera?!'" I repeated, my voice a pitch higher than usual.

Claire immediately bristled, her cheerful demeanor giving way to a competitive edge. "Hey! She's not yours!" she snapped, tightening her grip on my hand again, as though staking her claim.

Tessa's smirk widened, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh? And what makes you think she's yours, Claire?"

"Because I said so!" Claire shot back, her cheeks puffing slightly in frustration. "And unlike you, I don't just claim things without asking."

Tessa let out a low, amused chuckle. "Oh, Claire, sweet, innocent Claire. You should know by now—when it comes to Sera, all bets are off."

I groaned, covering my face with my free hand. "Can you two please not turn this into some weird territorial argument? We're here for maid outfits, remember? Not to fight over… whatever this is."

"Fine," Claire muttered, though her pouty expression didn't quite fade.

Tessa, meanwhile, looked entirely unbothered, her smile as teasing as ever. "Anything for you, my Sera," she said, throwing a wink my way.

"Stop saying that!" I huffed, my face feeling impossibly warm. "We have shopping to do, so can we please focus?"

The two of them exchanged a glance, as though silently communicating some unspoken rivalry, but thankfully, they dropped the subject—at least for now. I could only hope it wouldn't resurface again the moment I let my guard down.

As we turned the corner, Claire came to a sudden stop, her eyes lighting up. "Look, we're here!" she exclaimed, pointing at an elegant storefront with gilded lettering and a window display filled with extravagant dresses.

I stared at the shop, my eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. "Are you sure they sell maid outfits here?" I asked skeptically. The store practically screamed luxury, with crystal chandeliers visible through the large glass windows and mannequins dressed in gowns that looked like they belonged in a royal ball. "This place looks like they only sell ridiculously expensive stuff."

Claire, ever the optimist, waved off my concern with a bright smile. "I'm sure! And even if they don't have maid outfits ready-made, we can just ask if they can custom-make them for us."

"Custom-made?" I repeated, feeling a pang of anxiety in my wallet. Not that I was paying, but still. "That's going to cost a fortune."

Tessa smirked, giving me a playful nudge with her elbow. "Relax, Sera. It's not coming out of your pocket. Besides, we have Claire here, and I'm sure she's ready to dip into her budget as the student council president."

Claire's cheeks puffed indignantly. "Hey! I'm not the one with a personal vault filled with gold coins, Tessa. Don't think I've forgotten that your family owns half the city."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Tessa said with an exaggeratedly innocent tone. "But I'm still not paying. That's why we have Princess Lillian to swoop in and save the day, right?"

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Can we please not fight over who's not paying? Let's just go in and see what they have."

Claire nodded eagerly, taking the lead as she practically skipped toward the shop's entrance. Tessa followed, hands in her pockets, her expression a mix of curiosity and amusement. I trailed after them, already bracing myself for whatever chaos was about to unfold.

The moment we stepped inside, we were greeted by the soft hum of classical music and the scent of lavender. The interior was even more extravagant than the outside suggested, with racks of shimmering fabrics and displays of intricate accessories. A well-dressed attendant approached us, her smile polite and practiced.

"Welcome to Celestia's Couture," she said smoothly. "How may I assist you today?"

Claire beamed at her. "Hi! We're looking for maid outfits for a festival at our academy. Do you have anything like that?"

The attendant blinked, clearly taken aback by the request. "Maid outfits?" she repeated, as though the words didn't quite fit with the store's usual clientele.

"Yes," Claire confirmed cheerfully. "Something stylish but practical. You know, elegant yet approachable."

Tessa snorted quietly, and I shot her a warning glance before she could make any comments. The attendant, to her credit, recovered quickly and nodded. "I see. While we don't have maid outfits readily available, we do offer custom tailoring services. If you'd like, we can discuss designs and fabrics to create something suitable for your event."

Claire clapped her hands together, her excitement practically radiating off her. "That sounds perfect! Let's do that."

I sighed, glancing at Tessa, who was watching the whole exchange with barely concealed amusement. "This is going to cost a small fortune, isn't it?" I muttered under my breath.

Tessa grinned. "Probably. But hey, at least we'll look good."

Somehow, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. The sheer enthusiasm radiating from Claire and the sly grin on Tessa's face didn't exactly inspire confidence in me—or my sanity.

"Alright then," I said, letting out a resigned sigh. "Let's see what Claire can come up with."

Claire practically vibrated with excitement, turning to the attendant with a determined gleam in her eye. "Okay! First of all, the outfits need to have a balance of elegance and charm. Nothing too over-the-top, but they should still make an impression. Oh, and they need to be practical enough to move around in, but not so plain that they're boring!"

The attendant nodded politely, taking notes with a speed that suggested she was well-accustomed to dealing with energetic clients. "Understood. Do you have any specific colors or design details in mind?"

Claire tilted her head, her violet eyes sparkling with thought. "Hmm… Maybe black and white as the base? With gold accents for a little pop of sophistication. Oh! And maybe a small bow here and there, but not too many. Just enough to make it cute without being frilly."

Tessa leaned in, her voice low but teasing. "Careful, Claire. You're starting to sound like you're designing for a parade."

Claire puffed out her cheeks in mock offense. "Excuse you, Tessa. I have impeccable taste. And besides, I want everyone in our class to look amazing for the festival."

"And by 'everyone,' you mean Sera," Tessa quipped, shooting me a mischievous smirk.

"W-What?!" Claire's face turned as red as a ripe apple. "That's not true! I mean, of course I want Sera to look great, but I want everyone to look great!"

"Sure, sure," Tessa said, clearly enjoying herself. "We'll go with that."

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Can you two focus? We're supposed to be planning outfits, not arguing over who's more invested in this."

Claire took a deep breath, her expression quickly shifting back to serious. "You're right, Sera. Focus. I'm focusing." She turned back to the attendant. "Do you think you can make something like that?"

The attendant smiled, her pen still poised over her notepad. "Absolutely. We'll finalize the designs and begin tailoring immediately. Would you like to schedule a fitting session to ensure everything is perfect?"

Claire nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please! The festival's coming up soon, so we'll need everything ready as soon as possible."

The attendant jotted down a few more notes before glancing at the rest of us. "And will all of you be participating? If so, we'll need your measurements as well."

Tessa grinned. "Of course. I wouldn't miss the chance to show Sera up."

"Show me up?" I echoed, giving her a flat look. "We're wearing maid outfits, Tessa. What exactly do you plan to 'show up' in?"

She leaned closer, her smirk widening. "You'll see."

I sighed again, already regretting my life choices. "Let's just get this over with."

As the attendant led us toward a small fitting area, Claire hummed happily to herself, Tessa looked far too pleased, and I mentally prepared myself for whatever chaos this festival was about to unleash.