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You had to buy a dress for your friend’s wedding. It was still a few weeks away but you decided to try and be prepared now instead of rushing around at the last minute. Nothing in your wardrobe suited the theme of summer dresses and warm, earth colours. You didn’t even have good shoes to wear. You had to start from scratch. You had to buy something new for the occasion.
Once you had expressed this to Canterella, she wasted no time in dragging you along through the crowded streets of Ragunna, visiting high end boutiques and fashion parlours to find something that was just right for you. You think you’re onto the fourth shop for today, teetering dangerously close to entering a fifth as you stood awkwardly in the corner of the fashion boutique, wringing your hands and pressing out the wrinkles in your clothes as you silently fretted over your appearance. Being surrounded by such expensive clothes and finery made you feel a little nervous. The stares of others in the store as they passed you by did little to help calm your nerves. You knew they were sticking their noses up at you, wondering why someone like you was in a place like this. You stuck out like a sore thumb. Before your mind could start spiralling further down and make your stomach shift itself into nauseous knots, Cantarella’s voice broke through the silence.
“No, that will not do.”
You lifted your gaze, finding your girlfriend sorting through a clothes rack and berating the poor assistant that was trying to help her while she was at it. A long and flowing dress was clasped between her delicate fingers, the material looking so silky smooth to the touch as she pinched the fabric with her slender digits. Her brows were furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line as she raised her chin and continued to speak.
“What is the meaning of this? This is the biggest size you have?”
The assistant she was speaking to started to sputter under Cantarella’s intense stare. Your girlfriend raised a delicate, questioning eyebrow when the girl plucked up the courage and stumbled over her words.
“Well, you see madam Fiscalia, this style of dress doesn’t quite suit…”
She stopped herself short before she could finish that sentence, her gaze flickering over to you standing behind Cantarella. The uneasy coil in your stomach made its way to your throat and when you swallowed it was audible, making your ears itch from the pathetic sound. Cantarella’s mood did not improve. She clicked her tongue behind her teeth in disdain, the dress in her hands now dangling over the assistant’s hands as it was hurriedly shoved into her arms.
“I don’t care for excuses” Cantarella replied with a low, dull tone. “Either find something suitable for my partner or don’t show your face around me again.”
The assistant was quick with a rushed apology, bowing at an awkward angle before rushing down the next aisle to escape Cantarella’s wrath. Her sharp gaze followed her until she disappeared out of sight. With a long drawn out sigh, she continued sorting through the rack of dresses in front of her. You could hear her muttering to herself as you approached, the metal clothes hanger screeching in abject horror as she pushed it from one end to the other without a care, eyes scanning the dresses as she culled them one by one.
“Too dull” she mumbled, pushing the dress out of her way and onto the next one. “Too short. Too small. Ugh, much too tacky. Too casual. Not casual enough. Again, not the right size.”
She stopped mumbling to herself when she felt you stand behind her, your plump body squishing into her side as you joined her. You hooked your chin onto her shoulder, watching her work as she finished this rack of dresses and immediately started with the next. You hummed in thought.
“Maybe taking you shopping wasn’t such a good idea” you joked, trying to lighten her sullen mood a little. “I didn’t realise you were going to be so…”
You trailed off, trying to find the right word to describe her attitude. Canterella cast her gaze to you.
“Picky?” she guessed.
“Particular” you corrected.
A soft sigh blew past the seam of her lips as she tipped her head, her cheek squishing into the soft swell of your own chubby cheek as the tension from her shoulders started to ease.
“I will accept nothing less than perfection for you, my darling sweetheart.”
Her words made you giggle softly, your chest feeling light and giddy. You moved from her and started to help her sort through the clothes, hoping that something would catch your eye soon. You knew it was hard to find clothes in the right size for you and when Cantarella suggested that she simply get your clothes tailor made, you argued that you didn’t want to upstage the bride at her own wedding. You continued to skim through the clothes, a flutter of elation pulsing through your veins when one of the dresses caught your eyes. The flowy, summer dress was beige and brown, immediately ticking the first box of being the right colour for the wedding theme. You checked the size and it felt like your heart was about to leap out of your throat. You immediately grabbed it off the rack.
“What about this one!” you exclaimed as you held up the dress next to you.
Cantarella turned her head in your direction. She hummed in thought, eyes slightly narrowed as her scrutinising gaze roved up and down the dress. She was staring a little too hard at it and for a bit too long. You jumped in before she could say anything.
“Give it a chance?” you asked, before adding “Please?”
Cantarella nodded along as she relented. “Go try it on.”
You headed in the direction of the change rooms, Cantarella following along not long after as you closed the curtain to the small cubicle and changed your clothes. You avoided looking into the mirror until the dress was on, the material soft under your touch as you pulled it over your body and adjusted the sleeves. You checked yourself over in the mirror, smoothing down the material with your hands as you fiddled with the neck line of the dress. It fit your big body perfectly. It didn’t pinch in any awkward places. It didn’t feel tight around your big arms nor your chunky waist. The skirt of the dress flowed down your chubby hips and stopped at your ankles. The material was light and would be perfect for a warm, Ragunna day. You were so chuffed with yourself you almost completely forgot that you had to show Cantarella as well. You poked your head out of the curtain to find Cantarella still patiently waiting for you.
“Well?” she prompted with a curve of her lips.
You smiled before pulling back the curtain and stepping out of the dressing room. “It fits!” you say proudly.
Cantarella’s gaze slowly dragged over your form from head to toe as you flaunted off the dress, her eyes sparkling with warmth as she appreciated the dress on you. She raised her pointer finger and drew a small circle in the air, silently signalling for you to twirl on the spot. You happily obliged, spinning around as the material of the dress flowed with you. She hummed appreciatively, adoring how the dress complimented your curves and accentuated your natural beauty. It was almost perfect. Something was still missing though.
“It needs a little something more” Cantarella mused, the tip of her nail tapping her chin in thought.
Her eyes flitted about her surroundings until they landed on a mannequin to her right. An idea sparked in her head as she approached it. She took the wide brim straw hat and light sunglasses from the mannequin, deciding that it would be far better suited for you as she turned to you with a smile. She placed the straw hat on top of your head, sliding the sunglasses into place next before she took a step back to admire her genius. Now it was perfect. Cantarella spun you towards the mirror, hands placed on your shoulders as she awaited your approval.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
Your mouth was ajar as you stared at your reflection in the mirror. “I love it” you replied with a cheery smile.
Cantarella hugged you around your soft, plump middle, staring at your reflection in the mirror as she continued to admire the outfit. You giggled when her lips brushed against the swell of your warm cheek, leaving behind a faint purple lip print that she swiped away with her thumb. You raised your hand and slowly pat her arm.
“Now all we need is to find your outfit” you chimed.
Canterella raised an eyebrow, a smile still curving her lips. “Oh, am I invited as well?”
“Of course! Didn’t I already tell you that you’re my plus one?”
Canterella chuckled at the distraught look on your face as you tried to remember if you actually brought it up to her or not. She pinched your chubby cheek between her fingers and pulled on your skin until you were squirming.
“I jest. You already told me when you first got the news.”
A small pout tugged at your plush lips and it took a tremendous amount of effort for Cantarella to refrain from folding you further into her arms just to coddle you. A light breath breezed past her lips.
“I suppose I now need to find something to match my sweetie~”