The Trial of Dreams and Memories (TMM 2)

Temptation

"Today's the day," Maria said excitedly. "Are you ready?"

"No," Morai sighed. "But I don't have a choice."

"Oh, cheer up! This is a chance to dress up all fancy and eat good food. That's all you have to do." Maria stepped back and looked at her dress in the mirror, turning around to see it from all sides. 

"That one's nice," Morai said. 

"I think I should wear red, like your suit...unless you want to try a different color? Black and red do make you look like you're from Team Rocket..."

"No," Morai curtly replied. "Maroon is my color, and it's darker than Team Rocket's red."

"Alright, alright. Red it is, then. I guess you don't have to choose what to wear. You might not want to wear your boots, though. I think the goal is to make you not  look like an evil villain, and those boots scream 'I kick people for fun'."

"Noted," Morai sighed. "Speaking of which, I need to make sure I even have a suit. Mine got torn up in the...well, the—"

"The Ula'ula avalanche of 2023?" Maria joked. "I think the Persian fight is what really did it in. Or the fight with Pollie."

Morai only frowned and shook her head as she got up. Maria grabbed her arm as she went, looking up to her with a smile. 

"I only joke," she said. "You're going to do great."

"I know," Morai smiled back. She was replying to the first sentence. The second part was what she wasn't sure about. As she opened the door to leave, she found the warden standing right in front of her.

"Oh! Morai," Sheridan greeted. "There you are. I was just about to bring you your suit to try on. Well, it's not your suit exactly. It's a new version."

"I don't like the sound of that," Morai groaned. 

"Well, do you think it's a good idea to have you meet everyone in the same suit you committed numerous international crimes in?" Sheridan argued, taking the cover off of the hanger. "It's not that different. This one just doesn't have the eye buttons on the waistcoat or those straps hanging on the belt that you clipped your mask to. And you'll be wearing different shoes, too. Those boots make you look like a super-villain."

"Right?" Maria said with a smile. 

"They're sitting in the storeroom with blood on them as we speak," the warden added. "These are still boots, just not rimmed with metal shaped like fangs."

"I can live with that, I suppose," Morai sighed, taking the clothing from Sheridan. She went behind the screen and changed, emerging with a frustrated frown. Her tie remained untied. "I seem to have forgotten again," she said. Sheridan chuckled and went to tie it.

"You know," she said, "we could change the shirt a bit so that it hides your scar. If you wanted that."

"Everyone knows that I have it and I don't mind it."

"Alright. Now, let's see," she continued, stepping back and looking the prisoner up and down. "You should part with the hand wraps, just this once. You're not going to be fighting anyone."

"But—"

"They've got to go. This is a ball, not a fighting tournament."

Maria walked up to Morai and took her hand. She gently began to undo the wrap and Morai nearly stopped her. 

"It really is for the best," she said, continuing to unwrap it. "It'll leave a better impression on people."

Morai let her finish taking them off before looking at herself in the mirror. Even with the changes made to her attire, she didn't exactly look like a reformed criminal. She looked rather beastly regardless of what she wore, which is what her other outfit was supposed to compliment. Sheridan was silently thinking the same thing.