"Huh? Tiz, what are you doing?" Edea plops herself down into the chair beside him, leaning on her elbows so she can watch as he… sews?
"Patching up this hole," he replies absently, eyes focused on the needle. "They've just been worn thin." And he's been so busy lately that he hadn't really had a chance to fix it. Now that they've decided they're going to rest for a couple of weeks, he needs something to occupy his thoughts. Darning is just the thing, and they tend to put a lot of holes in their clothing, all things considered. It's probably a little creepy to rifle through his friends' laundry, and he's too shy to ask, so his socks have come first. It's just as well. His needlework has grown sloppy over the past few months and he needs the practice before moving beyond his own belongings..
"But… why?" She stares at him, chin in hand, eyes wide. "Can't you just throw them out and buy new ones?"
He blushes, ducking his head down and trying to finish up just a few more stitches…! "That's not very practical."
"Oh come on! All we have to do is beat up a few Alraunes and we'll have *more* than enough to buy you all the socks you could ever want."
"That's still not practical," he insists. Clothes shouldn't be disposal! They were supposed to be cared for and last a while. Years, even.
"That's it," she declares, but she is at least kind enough until he'd tied off the knot and put down the needle before he stabs himself, jumping slightly at her exclamation. "We're going shopping!"
"Do we have to?"
But in the end, he folds. Agnès comes too, because Edea declares that leggings are "totally in" this season, and that the Vestal needs something under her dress for winter.
"I really do not think this is necessary," Agnès says quietly as Edea drags her through the plaza, arms looped together.
"Don't be silly, Agnès." Ringabel insists, pushing the pair of sunglasses he'd picked up at some stall down his nose so he can really look at her, though he can't resist posing just slightly. "It will do you some good to wear some colour, don't you think, Edea? Some nice blues or yellows, perhaps."
"Mmhmm, exactly! And Tiz gets to have some color too." She grins at the shepherd.
"There's nothing wrong with my clothes," he attempts to protest, but Ringabel's arm has wrapped tightly around his shoulder and he suddenly feels like he and Agnès are being herded. Like sheep.
"They're soooo boring," Edea explains, pointing out some of the clothes in the shop windows. Tiz swallows; those are awfully… flashy. Were those… sequins?
As Edea tugs Agnès into a very frilly, very pink shop, Ringabel leads Tiz a few doors further down. "Don't worry," the older man says once Edea is out of earshot. "Sequins are most certainly not in style right now."
What was supposedly in style was *frills*, Tiz learns quite soon. Frills down the front of his shirt, at the hem, at the cuffs… they *itch*. He itches.
"It's not a frill," Ringabel insists as he adjusts the front of the shirt the younger boy was trying on as though he were his *mother*. It's embarrassing… "It's a cravat," he clarifies. " Very fashionaaabluh right now. You look stylish."
"It's just going to get in the way," Tiz mumbles, tugging at it. It feels more like he's wearing a bib, not clothing.
"Well, of course it will. But remember, one must suffer for fashion." Ringabel winks as he stands back and turns Tiz around so that they can both look in the mirror of the tiny dressing room they were standing in..
Tiz observes himself in the mirror, thinking that he hasn't seen this much lace since his mother's favorite tablecloth for special occasions. At least the shade of blue that Ringabel had picked out for the jacket is nice. He doesn't really know or care about it complimenting his eyes, but it reminds him of the deep blue of Agnès's pendant.
"I don't think it's me," he says uncertainly. His hair, his face, his posture's too plain for something like this. Why can't he just buy something normal?
Ringabel has been watching him carefully in the mirror. "I insist, Tiz. Perhaps the change in look will woo even Agnès?"
Now he feels hot under all the layers of lace and frills, and the red of his cheeks doesn't match the blue of the outfit at all. "Get me out of this Ringabel, or I'm going to tell Edea what happened to the last of her chocolate covered strawberries that mysteriously disappeared last week."
Ringabel's fingers can't move fast enough.
Agnès twirls a little despite herself, giggling as the white skirt twirls around with her. It was somewhat gaudy, to be sure, but the twirl is nice, not unlike her usual dress, but more… free. Light. It reminds her of the vestal garb.
"It looks good on you!" Edea cheers from the bench she was sitting on, having waited for Agnès outside the dressing room. They were really too small for two people, though she'd slipped in to help her lace up the back. "Tiz will love it."
Agnès stops twirling, and clasps her hands over her chest. The bright lights of the dressing room area of the store are suddenly very warm. "Tiz?"
Edea stands to tug at fabric at the other girl's waist and hips, as though measuring. "Yeah, Tiz. You remember him, right…? Nice guy, fluffy hair, always has this smile on his face when he talks to you?"
Agnès waits patiently Edea for to finish, used to being assisted with her clothing, and knowing from experience how crucial it was for them to fit just right. "I know who Tiz is." She says defensively as Edea continues to prod, now retying the blue satin sash. "But there's no reason for him to like this dress. I'm the one wearing it, not he." It was so delicate; she doubts it could fit his broad shoulders.
"It's because you're the one wearing it that Tiz will like it, Agnès." Edea insists, and Agnès wishes they were surrounded by mirrors so that she could hide her face.
"That is simply…" Not unacceptable?
Edea titters and leans back to look, before prancing back over to the bench with its pile of clothes waiting. "Well, if you're done with this one, there's a few more that we have waiting!" She holds up two hangers, each bearing dresses in various shades of white. There was more than one shade?!
"More? Edea, just how long do you think we have?" They'd persuaded Airy to stay on the ship, promising they would only duck into Florem for a few moments to pick up supplies. Normally, Agnès enjoys the company of the cryst-fairy, but she's needed to get away and rest.
The blonde girl shrugs. "We'll be fine. What's she gonna do, come looking?"
Airy does in fact come looking after several hours, and its her voice that finally draws Edea and Agnès out of the store. Even the fashion conscious Ringabel has his limits, and he and Tiz wait patiently outside on a bench for the two ladies as they listen to the fairy rant.
"Oh, Agnès…" Tiz breathes as he catches sight of her in the white dress from earlier. "You look great." He stands to take a shopping bag from her, smiling all the while. Agnès giggles, recalling Edea's words from earlier.
"I told her that he would like it," Edea stage-whispers to Ringabel as the older man comes over to dutifully retrieve the numerous bags she's hauled out.
"I tried to insist that he wear something special to catch her eye, but he was being difficult," Ringabel pouts in return. At least Tiz had allowed Ringabel to buy something with some color to it, a reasonable looking deep blue shirt that looks almost black. The two brunettes make a stunning pair.
"Hello?" Airy says loudly, circling around them all. "Weren't you going to invite me? We have things we need to do! There's no time for shopping trips!"
"Forgive-" Agnès says immediately, always the one to apologise first.
"Oh come on, Airy." Edea interrupts before Agnès can get too far. "We're running out of clothes! Tiz was *darning his socks*. That's pretty sad."
"Excuse m-"
"Look, your stockings could use some work too, right? They… they're all ripped up!"
"My stock-"
"So we'll pick up some ribbon and let Ringabel get to work!"
"Wait, why am I-"
Edea just laughs over her friend's protests and loops her arms into those of Ringabel and Agnès, effectively cutting off any more conversation as the man blushes and Agnès squeaks. She drags them through Florem now, heading off toward another shop, Airy trailing behind.