"Any other ideas," Edi asked again.
Clara, the host of tomorrow's Halloween party, had come up with the theme 'out of context'. Edi was trying to get some suggestions from her since it was her crazy theme. She usually created her own costumes that got rave reviews but, it'd been a shit show of a year, and she had nothing yet.
"Nightmare Before Christmas is too obvious. I'll let you know what I can come up with. See you tomorrow."
It was bad enough to go costume shopping, but at least she didn't have to face the humiliation of the orange big box store by the mall. Clara recommended Onyx Costumes & Livery. She said they had a great selection and highly trained staff. Before walking in, Edi paused to admire the shop window. They'd created an amazing Stonehenge fantasy portal. The lintel's led to other worlds populated by gnomes, fairies, and dragons. When she walked in, the front racks had some Halloween staples like scary clowns and sexy nurses, but she knew they could do better than that based on the window display.
Considering the time of year, the clerk helpfully asked, "Looking for something in particular?"
Edi answered with a vague wave over the rack next to her which held a gorilla suit, "Not exactly, but something more unique than these."
"I saw you admiring the window in front. Try the purple room in the back. That's got all our most unique offerings."
"Thanks."
She found the purple room and saw these were distinctly better choices for her. Some fantasy creatures and aliens that weren't in movies. She wanted something new and unexpected. Clara's vague theme wasn't going to best her. She slowed her speeding through the racks to focus on one thing at a time.
"Here you are," she thought as she pulled out a hanger with a steampunk costume.
The costume had a boat neck white blouse with a dark grey skirt. It included enough leather to be interesting, suspenders and a belt, with a gun holster/sporran combination in dark brown. It would match the tall boots she already owned, and this evening she could try to simulate a steam or clockwork gadget. She checked the price tag, not cheap but fair.
She looked around for a mirror before she went to the effort to find the dressing room. Perfect, there was a full-length mirror at the end of the aisle. She pivoted the costume on its hanger to hold it up in front of her body to see how it looked. As soon as she saw herself in the mirror, a noticeable backward pressure made her shift her weight, and she blinked as she caught herself. Now she had the costume on. She gasped in surprise and definitely didn't expect a response.