Sharp Dressed Man

"Are you sure you should trust everything she and her associate said?" Mason asked John. He, Senka and Kiera were the only ones left after the meeting. Lynn had taken Beth home and Vivian and Aeolia had likewise returned to the redhead’s place to prepare themselves.

The only reason they lingered was because Brenda was in the final stages of preparing some pies for dessert and Cammie insisted she finish before leaving. Mason had pulled him aside as Senka tried to coax some simple likes and dislikes from Kiera.

'I wonder if that's just how things turned out or if Cammie pushed Mom into something that would take time so Mason could talk to me?' John thought before answering, "We don't really have any other option, do we? They've got more info on what Phantom Reach is up to, and at least have an idea on how to help Kiera."

"I'm not sure if everything's on the up and up," Mason muttered. "We're dealing with at least one faction that has no issue with cold ****. Can't fault a fellow in being cautious."

"Observe didn't say anything that would suggest Lynn was in the 'bad' camp. The worst part was her going all 'guardian' mode on us over putting Beth in danger," John said. "I know there are ways to throw it off, Kiera had a bracelet that overlaid fake info, but I checked for any extra magical signatures and threw a Hex at her right before so I trust the readout."

"At least you thought about how your power could've been fooled and took steps to prevent it," Mason remarked, letting out a sigh. "All of this is above and beyond the sort of thing I'm comfortable dealing with. I'm a cook, and while the need sometimes arises where I have to take down the occasional punk, I don't like conflict."

"Sorry about dragging you into this," John apologized.

"None of that, now," Mason chided him. "Cammie and I would have stood right beside the others if we could have been there."

John smiled at the larger man. "Thanks."

"No need to mention it." Mason laughed, clapping John on the shoulder. "I know you'd come running if we called for help. You're a good sort of fellow."

"Aeolia said something similar a week ago," John reminisced. "About me being a good man."

"There aren't that many who would have done what you have," Mason said. "And I'm not talking about the fighting, but helping Aeolia back when it was just the two of you."

"What was I supposed to do, let her go off after these Reach guys alone?" John asked hotly.

“I‘m not talking about that,” Mason said. “But not a lot of people would do so without some sort of quid pro quo established.”

“We did have a deal,” John corrected. “She told me about the Abyss and how things were in exchange for helping her get back to her HQ.”

“And then you opened your home to her,” Mason remarked. “She was not wrong in saying that few would do so. Few too would take in an enemy agent and try to heal them.”

“Were we supposed to leave her?” John asked indignantly. “We wanted answers as to what they were up to and now we know she was sort of **** into working for them.”

“No, you conducted yourself with honor,” Mason said. “But few would. Many, after finding her mind locked away, would have foisted her off on the Apothecary or the Order. You, my friend, strive to aid her as best you can directly.”

John awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “I’m just doing what I think is the best thing to do.”

Before Mason could continue to dole out praises, Brenda and Cammie exited the kitchen.

“If that pie goes on to be a big hit, I might just have to hire ya,” Cammie remarked with a laugh.

“It isn’t all that special,” Brenda said, a light dusting of blush coloring her face.

Cammie stopped short and regarded Brenda with a serious eye.

“Never say a recipe isn’t anything special,” the short woman said with a great ferocity in her voice. “If you put in the time and effort to make something, take pride in it!”

“R-right,” Brenda softly said, seemingly taken aback by Cammie’s exuberant outburst and passion for cooking. Looking towards John, she asked, "Everybody else leave?"

"Yeah," John answered with a nod.

"I suppose things are a bit hectic, so I can overlook the rudeness," Brenda said, before her eyes drifted to Kiera and her expression softened. "Was there any progress?"

"We've got a meeting with someone with more understanding of what happened to her," John explained. "We just have to wait for things to get set up. It's going to be a trip of sorts and we have to dress up to blend in when we get there."

"Dress up, huh," Brenda repeated. "I know you've still got some Sunday best that should fit you, but Kiera doesn't have anything."

"Fu- yeah, you're right," John nearly cursed at the obvious oversight.

"I suppose she and I will have to do a bit of shopping," Brenda remarked.

"Um, yeah, that'll work," John said, his thoughts racing. "There's also using the Auction. We can get everything delivered with no fuss."

"And can that fancy magic determine her sizes?" Brenda asked, turning slightly to indicate she was asking Cammie as well.

"Hmm, I'm sure there's a way, but it sounds like that'd be an expensive addition to the cost," the short woman said. "And even more of an invasion of privacy than normal."

"So easier to hit the mall and do it the old fashioned way," Brenda announced like she had won an argument. "We can drop you off at home…"

"I think it'd be best for me to go with you," John interrupted. "Just because we've avoided any problems so far isn't a reason to get comfortable. Plus, while you're right I should still have some good clothes at home, I think a good impression needs something newer. And I’d feel like an ass if I didn’t pitch in at least some of the cash.”

Brenda smiled at him and said, “Well, no point in dragging our feet then.”

After a quick series of goodbyes, with Cammie making one final attempt to pry another recipe from Brenda, they left, Senka dismissing her physical manifestation for convenience’s sake.

“So,” John said once they were on their way, “sounds like you hit it off with Cammie and Mason.”

“They’re lovely people,” Brenda replied. “Cammie is a bit, um, intense when it comes to cooking though.”

“Never really saw that side of her,” John said with a chuckle. “I’ve mostly spent time with Mason.”

“They mentioned a bit of that,” Brenda mentioned. “Taught you some of your magic, right?”

“The spirit stuff yeah,” John confirmed. “Senka was already, um, forming when Aeolia brought Vivian and I there, but I don’t think she’d be here if he didn’t give me pointers.”

‘I agree with that assessment,’ Senka chimed in. ‘Things became very clear after you developed that skill. Before, it was like a hazy dream. I would get flashes but nothing concrete.’

“Senka thinks that’s the case too,” John relayed.

Brenda hummed then her eyes shot up to the mirror. John followed her gaze back to Kiera.

"We're not going to attract too much attention with her hair, are we?" Brenda asked.

"I think a second glance is the most we'll get," John answered. "People dye their hair all kinds of colors. It's not like we're going to some high end store, right?"

"I suppose it isn't all that crazy, compared to what I've seen kids these days do," Brenda said. "Should we come up with some kind of cover story? In case anyone asks?"

"That's not a bad idea," John muttered. "How about we say Kiera’s your niece? Does anyone know you or Dad were only children?"

"Not a lot and none of them would be likely to be in this area," Brenda replied. "It's a simple enough thing to remember. And we can just imply that Kiera has some 'problems' to explain her muteness, even if that's a bit tasteless."

"It is a bit," John agreed. "But what else can we do?"

"Not much," Brenda said glumly. "I just hope things go smoothly and nothing happens. It will be easier that way."

‘Seems like your worry has rubbed off on her,’ Senka noted in a somewhat critical tone.

‘Ugh,’ John intoned, a sickly feeling settling in his gut. ‘I didn’t want that to happen, but Mason got me thinking about how bad things could get.’

‘I suppose caution is better than flippancy,’ Senka remarked. ‘At least we’ve gone close to a day without incident.’

‘But is that a good sign?’ John wondered. ‘On one hand, they’ve given us a chance to recover and maybe gain info from Kiera. On the other, they could be waiting for us to lower our guard.’

‘Thankfully, since we’ve got the Order alerted, I think them attacking us might be a low priority now,’ Senka commented. ‘They seemed content with leaving you and Aeolia alone if some of what Bill said was true. That they only struck nearly a week later seems to point to that.’

‘But why leave us?’ John couldn’t help but question. ‘They went after me just because I tried to Observe Kiera and Aeolia was a survivor of their attack. We could have gone to the Order or some other group and blown their cover.’

‘Perhaps they were waiting to see if that would happen,’ the spirit postulated. ‘If you had run to them for protection, Phantom Reach withdrawing makes sense, given that they seem to like working in the shadows.’

‘I guess that makes sense,’ John thought. ‘They could already be out of the area. Still not a reason to not be cautious for a bit.’

‘Of course,’ Senka noted. ‘But perhaps you shouldn’t vocalize things as much’

‘Yeah,’ John thought as he stared out the window, blinking when he noticed they were already approaching the mall.

“We’re already there?” John exclaimed.

“I know a few shortcuts,” Brenda said with a grin.

A minute later, Brenda had parked the car a fair bit away from the main entrance of the clothing store.

"Alright, we'll swing to the men's department for you right quick then get Kiera’s stuff," Brenda rattled off as she killed the engine.

"Actually, I think once we get inside, we can split up," John said. "There'll be too many people for anyone to do any funny business."

"Are you sure?" Brenda asked, peering into John's eyes.

"Yeah," he answered. "It'll be faster too."

"If you think that's a wise move, then we'll split up," Brenda said. "I suppose we'll never get anything done if you think an attack is waiting behind every parked car."

"Senka had the same thought," John remarked as he pulled himself out of the car.

"Well, at least I can trust you'll have a voice of caution in your head at all times," Brenda quipped.

The following ring of Senka's laughter made John flush and he scratched the back of his neck.

"I think that's proof she agrees with me." Brenda smiled before she turned her attention to Kiera who remained seated in the car. "Come along, dear. You and I are going to find some nice clothes for your trip."

Kiera reached up and took Brenda's hand and the older woman let out a gasp.

Before John could ask, he saw Kiera’s blue locks darken until they reached the same shade as Brenda's hair.

"I suppose that's a way to sidestep the color question," Brenda said as Kiera let go of her hand and got out of the car.

"Are you okay, Mom?" John asked.

"I'm fine," she answered. "Just felt a little shock. Nothing to worry about."

John eyed Kiera, who looked at him with her usual blank look. A part of him wanted to tell her off for using her ability like that, but he held his tongue.

'This is probably a good sign for her recovery,' he reasoned.

"Do you think what happened at the diner let her do that?" Brenda asked as they began to march towards the entrance.

"Might be," John replied. "I did trigger a full burst of her ability. Might have broken through some kind of block."

"And do you think it's a good sign for that Harker fellow?"

"I don't know," John admitted, turning his head back towards Kiera. "Might be smart to not overdo things."

She looked at him for a long moment then nodded slowly. Then she brought up the hand not holding the 8-ball and touched a bit of her transformed hair.

"A little bit like that probably isn't going to cause an issue," John said, a little excited that they were holding some kind of conversation. Brenda's hopeful expression betrayed her similar feelings.

Kiera let her hand drop back to her side and she maintained her pace.

'Suppose small steps are better than nothing,' John surmised.

'We should keep track of things,' Senka said. 'We have no idea what might be a good sign. Or a bad one.'

John nodded and relayed Senka’s thoughts to Brenda.

“I’ll keep an eye out for anything,” the mother said as they reached the doors. “Meet up at the registers?”

John nodded and Brenda led Kiera to the woman’s department while he quickly walked to the men’s section of the store, slowing as he neared the formal wear.

‘Full on suit or just some nice pants and a shirt?’ John asked Senka as he scanned the area.

‘I think a full suit would be a little over the top,’ the spirit replied. ‘ The simple approach sounds the best for this. Enough to look professional without going to the nines.'

John hummed in agreement and dug around the pants display until he found a pair of black slacks in his size.

'If we have time, maybe I could throw some kind of enchantment on these,' John mused as he moved to the shirts, grabbing a plain white one. Right next to the rack was a selection of ties and vests and, feeling the black and white look a bit too bland, opted to grab a bit of color.

'Didn't expect you to go after anything beyond the basics,' Senka remarked, a note of approval in her voice.

'What, a guy can't dress up for his girls?' John shot back as he pulled out an orange tie from the pile.

'No, you can do that,' Senka purred. 'Makes taking it off all the more fun.'

John kept himself from shivering at her tone and shifted to keep his now growing erection hidden. In an attempt to distract from Senka’s suggestive words, John moved to selecting a vest.

There was far less variety in that department and John was **** to settle with a charcoal gray one. Clothes in hand, John walked over to the fitting room and slipped into an open cubicle.

'Ya know, if I was an unscrupulous type, I could just scoop stuff into my Inventory and no one would know,' he thought as he willed the shirt, pants, vest and tie into said space. A few taps later, his casual clothes were swapped with the unpurchased ones.

John regarded himself in the mirror on the door, turning to take in his profile.

'I think you've cleaned up nicely,' Senka remarked approvingly, the phantom sensation of her hands running across his shoulders and down his arms.

'You think so?' John questioned, a wave of self-consciousness running through him.

'I do,' the spirit affirmed. 'Perhaps you should send a picture to Vivian and Beth. Get their input.'

‘Somehow, taking a selfie feels like the weirdest thing I’ve done in the last week,’ John thought as he summoned his phone.

'Fighting monsters and bad guys in real life isn't that much of a jump from doing it in games,' Senka commented in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

'You know what I mean by it,' John chided. 'Never had a reason to do this.'

He snapped a picture and sent it to Vivian and Beth with the caption 'how's this?'. A few moments later, his phone pinged with a response.

Looking good.

The message was from Vivian’s phone but before John could further respond or wonder if Vivian or Aeolia had been the one to answer, another message from them appeared.

waiting for the last bits of ours.

Along with the text was an image; Aeolia and Vivian topless, pressed together chest to chest. The redhead had a somewhat embarrassed expression while Aeolia looked at the camera with a teasing grin. John’s cock strained against his new pants as he took in the image.

Well, don’t have someone to do that with. Guess you’ll have to settle for this.

Beth’s message too came with an attached pic. One of her looking back into a mirror, completely naked, her toned ass the centerpiece of the image, with a teasing smirk from her ‘over the shoulder’ look finishing off the look.

‘Looks like I’m the odd one out right now,’ Senka remarked as John adjusted his pants. ‘Maybe we should send something a bit more risque. A shot of you in clothes is hardly worth these. Summon me. I have an idea.’

‘It’s not going to end up with me ruining these pants, is it?’ John asked in an amused tone as he spent the mana to bring her out.

‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Senka thought towards him as she manifested. She hadn’t changed her outfit much, maintaining the tight fit kimono-like aesthetic. The color was far darker than before, going from plum to an almost black purple. The sash at the waist was a vibrant crimson, adding a pop of color. Normally that would draw the eye, if she hadn’t appeared with the top of her outfit open, her bountiful tits on full display.

‘I think this is a more fair trade, don’t you think?’ she asked through their mental connection as she posed, bringing her hands up above her head.

‘You girls are going to kill me,’ John grumbled goodnaturedly, snapping a picture of Senka and sending it to their girlfriends.

‘Is that a complaint?’ Senka teased.

‘No, not really.’ John smiled. A part of him was tempted to engage in some porn level fantasy of breaking in the fitting room, but he dissuaded himself from that, knowing that he needed to meet back up with his mom and Kiera. Senka picked up on this and set her attire back on right, giving John a kiss before vanishing away.

After a minute to calm his untended erection, John swapped back into his normal outfit and removed the new clothes from his inventory. With them in hand, John exited the fitting room and headed off to find Brenda and Kiera.

---

Brenda watched as Kiera slowly walked past a rack of shirts, blankly looking at the assortment. She was hoping to catch a flash of positive reaction from the transformed bluenette but so far the shopping had been uneventful, with Kiera just looking as she always did.

‘Could it be that she doesn’t have any particular clothing preferences?’ Brenda wondered. Her current attire didn’t have anything that particularly stood out, a simple pair of jeans and a plain long sleeve off-white shirt.

‘I wonder if her ability to shapeshift means she doesn't need to really shop?’ Brenda mused as Kiera roamed to another rack, this one of sweaters. ‘No, that might not be how her powers work. She had to touch me to change her hair, but that could be because she’s not at full strength.’

Brenda shook her head. ‘There’s no point in wondering about the details of her power right now. She needs clothes, and if we have to, I’ll just pick something…’

Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of metal scraping against metal and she saw Kiera pull a peach sweater off the rack. While her eyes remained dull, a small smile had worked its way to her face and Brenda felt a small swelling of hope as the girl sedately walked back to her.

“That’s a lovely pick, dear,” Brenda softly said. “Now, pants or a skirt?”

Kiera blinked as she remained still for a moment and Brenda pondered on whether she was thinking between the two choices or was still processing the question. Whatever the truth was, Kiera came to a decision and walked over to a nearby table of dress pants. The search was faster as Kiera easily picked out a simple black pair.

“Well, that wasn’t as hard,” Brenda muttered before she gave the outfit a critical look. “I think that’ll look nice, but if you don’t mind, could I make a suggestion?”

A beat later, Kiera barely nodded and Brenda led her back over to the shirts. “I think having a button up under the sweater will be more comfortable for you. The sweater is light enough that it shouldn’t get too hot, but if this place is, you’ll be able to take it off without there being a fuss.”

She pulled one such shirt off the rack and presented it to Kiera. The girl slowly lifted a hand to it and took it from Brenda. She held it at arm's length for a long moment before folding it over the sweater and pants she held in her other arm.

“Wonderful,” Brenda said. “Now, I think we should pick up some panties and it might be best to grab those before John gets done.”

Brenda ushered Kiera over to that department in quick order. Despite not wanting to take the cheap route, Brenda knew they didn’t really have the time to go about and find ones that appealed to Kiera’s sensibilities and instead she allowed the girl to simply take the value pack.

‘Not that I’d shop here for anything specifically,’ Brenda remarked. ‘Felicity’s has a better selection, but I think that might be a bit much for Kiera in the state she’s in.’

Clothes in hand, Brenda led Kiera towards the registers. The path to them crossed in front of the stationary section, the scent of paper overpowering whatever neutral scent the store pumped in through its air condition system. Out of the corner of her eye, Brenda saw Kiera slow, her head turning to an endcap display of sketch pads.

She stopped and nearly reached for one, but her arm flinched back before she could touch one. Before Kiera could move on, Brenda was beside her, a curious look on her face.

“Do you like drawing, Kiera?” the mother asked in a kind voice. The girl looked to Brenda then back to the pads and nodded slightly.

“Well, go ahead and grab it,” Brenda said with a smile. Kiera seemed stunned by the offer as she took much longer to react than Brenda had ever seen. But she eventually reached back towards the shelf and picked up the pad.

Brenda looked around for a moment.

“Don’t see John yet,” she said. “Let’s see if we can find a good set of pencils or pens for this, shall we?”

Thanks again for reading this little story. If you liked the chapter, please hit that thumbs up, and if you want to support my writing, check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/ScrapCrow. Get access to my chapters before they’re published here and join my private Discord.