Traitor of Eternia

i have accomplished absolutely nothing today except for torturing my hubby

Ringabel tries to obey his Angel’s gentle orders, her guiding voice almost impossible to hear for all the pounding in his head. It hurt too much to think, his mind full of old, painful memories that had ambushed him all at once in the vulnerable state of sleep. It wasn’t fair–all Ringabel wanted was just to get a decent night’s rest for once, not be reduced to a traumatized state by the horrors of the past. Even just breathing is a difficult task to accomplish with all his trembling and choked cries.

To say he was a mess would be a grand understatement, and the greatest shame of it all was that once again Edea Lee had to witness it, and be the one to keep him grounded and sane.

Maybe it was a little embarrassing for him, sure.  But for her, it was worrying. Before, just a few months ago, she would have taken note of any time that he was acting less than cool and happily used it against him, but not this. She wasn’t so cruel.

And when he laughs like that, she barely stops herself from smacking his head in annoyance- no Edea, that probably wouldn’t help his head. Instead, she thwaps his shoulder. 

Ringabel tries to obey his Angel’s gentle orders, her guiding voice almost impossible to hear for all the pounding in his head. It hurt too much to think, his mind full of old, painful memories that had ambushed him all at once in the vulnerable state of sleep. It wasn’t fair–all Ringabel wanted was just to get a decent night’s rest for once, not be reduced to a traumatized state by the horrors of the past. Even just breathing is a difficult task to accomplish with all his trembling and choked cries.

To say he was a mess would be a grand understatement, and the greatest shame of it all was that once again Edea Lee had to witness it, and be the one to keep him grounded and sane.

Maybe it was a little embarrassing for him, sure.  But for her, it was worrying. Before, just a few months ago, she would have taken note of any time that he was acting less than cool and happily used it against him, but not this. She wasn’t so cruel.

Ringabel tries to obey his Angel’s gentle orders, her guiding voice almost impossible to hear for all the pounding in his head. It hurt too much to think, his mind full of old, painful memories that had ambushed him all at once in the vulnerable state of sleep. It wasn’t fair–all Ringabel wanted was just to get a decent night’s rest for once, not be reduced to a traumatized state by the horrors of the past. Even just breathing is a difficult task to accomplish with all his trembling and choked cries.

To say he was a mess would be a grand understatement, and the greatest shame of it all was that once again Edea Lee had to witness it, and be the one to keep him grounded and sane.

Maybe it was a little embarrassing for him, sure.  But for her, it was worrying. Before, just a few months ago, she would have taken note of any time that he was acting less than cool and happily used it against him, but not this. She wasn’t so cruel.

Ringabel tries to obey his Angel’s gentle orders, her guiding voice almost impossible to hear for all the pounding in his head. It hurt too much to think, his mind full of old, painful memories that had ambushed him all at once in the vulnerable state of sleep. It wasn’t fair–all Ringabel wanted was just to get a decent night’s rest for once, not be reduced to a traumatized state by the horrors of the past. Even just breathing is a difficult task to accomplish with all his trembling and choked cries.

To say he was a mess would be a grand understatement, and the greatest shame of it all was that once again Edea Lee had to witness it, and be the one to keep him grounded and sane.

[sheep fluff–there is no way he’s styling his hair into a pompadour–poor fashion sense–

Even if his hair looks like he got caught in a windstorm, and he doesn’t know how to dress, and maybe even if he still hasn’t confessed to Agnès, you shouldn’t bring those up in front of him! That’s just mean.

[sheep fluff–there is no way he’s styling his hair into a pompadour–poor fashion sense–

Even if his hair looks like he got caught in a windstorm, and he doesn’t know how to dress, and maybe even if he still hasn’t confessed to Agnès, you shouldn’t bring those up in front of him! That’s just mean.

Either way. he was going to figure it out.

He can’t really say no just because they’re leggings, after Arcanist.

So after some brief deliberation over color (white, red, black, gray, gold?  …he’ll just go with white, it seems safe), he disappears into the fitting room.  It’s just one outfit.  Shouldn’t take any time at all.

And, indeed, doesn’t take much time for Tiz to remark: “…This shirt was not made for leggings, Edea.  It’s too short?  You can see…”

It does good work at defining his butt and muscled legs.  It’s also a more defined view of other parts than either his pants or even the arcanist leggings offer, and he opens the fitting room door halfway to show Edea the fluster on his face and the simple fact that this sort of fit at the crotch is not what he’s used to, especially when the last button of the shirt hits just below the waist, allowing the rest of the shirt to part and not conceal it at all.

It’s not completely unwearable so much as that he’s pretty sure this is leaning more toward the sort of thing Ringabel would wear.  He feels a little weird letting Edea see him in it, but she’d probably be annoyed if he didn’t let her know what exactly the issue was.

Yes, it defined his butt and legs quite well, but it was defining other parts of him that Edea didn’t want to see. She wasn’t sure even Ringabel would be that shameless! He would at least wear a long enough shirt over it! That was bordering on indecent, and something only Agnes should be looking at.

She looks away, blushing. “Okay, I believe you! Go put your clothes back on, and we’ll find you pants.”

Tiz is right; that shirt with THOSE pants? She shakes her head before he starts looking again.

Not for things like this, though, he’d just be insufferable.  (Perhaps the kind of insufferable that would get Tiz into multiple new outfits, but still.  Insufferable.)

Now, where to hide it? Hiding under the bed was a horrible idea. Maybe hiding it in the drawer would work? He gingerly placed it in the drawer and made sure the roses didn’t get squashed or anything. 

He came back a few minutes later, giving Edea a small smile. “Shall we go?”

... with the parfait. If she didn’t hurry, it might lose maximum flavor.

“Of course it doesn’t count,” she says, but now examines the shirt that he’s selected, at first simply staring at it before rubbing the fabric between her fingers. It… it looks nice! Really nice!

Is he going to walk out of here with only one new outfit?  Maybe.  Maybe he’ll figure out another shirt to snag on the way out.  For now, he looks at the few pants he took, and winces a little as he holds them up to the shirt.  Because he does have working eyes, contrary to a few of Ringabel’s statements, and he can tell the pants don’t go with the shirt that Edea’s approved of.  They’re baggy, and it just looks weird with the shirt’s fitted cut.

Tiz is right; that shirt with THOSE pants? She shakes her head before he starts looking again.

He really wanted to know who her date was. What if the guy was up to no good? “I’m coming with you. Just give me a moment.”

 Even if Tiz is pretty adorable when he’s blushing, it all means nothing if he keeps wearing that terrible onsie (which is totally the complete opposite of adorable)! Edea stands up, ready to pounce on him if need be.

He already has the feeling that doesn’t count, and he resignedly looks once more through the clothes he put down.  Most of the shirts in it are cream or white, neutral colors, but there are two in bright red, his favorite color that other people will actually acknowledge as a color.  The one that was more eye-catching to him is red with clean white accents, and he pulls it out, staring it down.

“Of course it doesn’t count,” she says, but now examines the shirt that he’s selected, at first simply staring at it before rubbing the fabric between her fingers. It... it looks nice! Really nice!

“Are you absolutely sure you want me to tag along?”

She just smiles at him instead of responding. She loves Tiz, she really does, but he knows nothing about fashion. Except maybe bumpkin fashion. And while bumpkin fashion is okay, it’s not in season.

“Wh-who’s even looking at that?!  Agnès isn’t going to see–we’re talking to her through a pendant!”  You know, a small, spherical object that tends to distort whatever’s not in the center of the image and he is not presenting his booty for Her Holiness’ approval.  This is just not a thing that is happening, the pendant is not going anywhere near there.

 Even if Tiz is pretty adorable when he’s blushing, it all means nothing if he keeps wearing that terrible onsie (which is totally the complete opposite of adorable)! Edea stands up, ready to pounce on him if need be.