"Sephiroth, might I ask what you and Cloud will be wearing at tonight's celebration?" Tseng had spent every last one of these formal events feeling excluded and an afterthought, because he had no clue about what his lord and his lord's consort would be wearing and so he never looked as if he belonged with them. He wouldn't do it again, not now that Sephiroth had given him the security of living in the harem section of their lord's quarters. But the other man looked almost bewildered by the question.
"What do you mean? Aeris always decides what I'm going to wear. Cloud's wearing his blue armour with embossed flames, and a brighter blue shirt I think, but I only know that because I helped him check the fit of his armour yesterday." No wonder he'd never been told what to wear for any of these celebrations if Sephiroth was so confused by the idea of co-ordinating their outfits - there wasn't a spouse whose orders could supersede Sephiroth's in that area, and Tseng hadn't realised he'd need to pick up the slack as Cloud's first concubine.
"She shouldn't have to do that. If you will permit it I can select something that will fit with our lord's outfit...that is provided I can see what he intends to wear." Sephiroth looked surprised now; obviously Aeris never asked for that, which would explain why there'd sometimes been subtle near clashes between Sephiroth's outfits and Cloud's. "Please, it's the duty of the first concubine to ensure that all of the household look as if they belong together if there is no one higher ranked with the skill to do so. For this purpose higher ranked means spouse, followed by consort. I...hadn't realised you weren't just subtly reminding me that I didn't really belong with you and with Cloud by not telling me what I should wear for something like this."
"Morgan never told me anything about that. He was mostly supposed to teach Cloud, but he taught me what he said I needed to know. Are you saying he missed things out?" There was a hint of distress in Sephiroth's voice, and Tseng laid a hand on his arm to comfort him.
"He won't have done it intentionally. As far as I know there's something like 200, 250 Cetra ranked high enough in their own right to worry about all of this, perhaps an equal number who need to worry as consort or spouse. This isn't something that would occur to him...he was chosen as our lord's tutor for his fighting skills more than his ability to fit in with the high nobility." Tseng had heard a few of his previous masters complaining about that, claiming that Cloud wouldn't get a full education suited for his station in life because of it.
"And you know a bit more about the subtleties of a noble household?" The way Sephiroth was looking at him said he was reassessing Tseng, and he wasn't sure if that was good or not. He didn't want to give up the affection he was only just beginning to receive from Sephiroth and Cloud, but he didn't have the faintest clue which answer would please Sephiroth, or how he'd react if he was displeased.
"Some, not much, only the aspects relating to consorts, concubines and the harem. I had to learn about the work you set for me from scratch because that isn't a normal part of a first concubine's duties; normally a first concubine is too bust keeping order in the harem to do any of that. The administrative stuff was always handled by a steward or chatelaine. But please, I like being permitted to make myself useful outside the harem." He looked at Sephiroth, making sure the other man could see the plea in his eyes.
"I wouldn't want to ask Cloud to expand his household, not when you've done such a good job, better than I did. You'll have to tell me more about this later, but for now go on into Cloud's bedroom; his outfit for tonight's on the armour stand and hanging on the wardrobe door." That was a relief, and Tseng obeyed with a slight smile, making note of exactly what Cloud would be wearing. He had a tunic in a blue just one shade darker than Cloud's shirt, embroidered with blue flames just a shade lighter than the armour and he could wear that tonight.
"Thank you Sephiroth." For once he was going to look as if he belonged with the other two, and that would help him feel like he belonged as well. Sephiroth looked uncomfortable with his clear gratitude over such a small thing, glancing around the room until his gaze settled on the clock.
"I need to take a bath and wash my hair before Aeris gets here. You could pick out what you think I should wear while I'm doing that." There was just a hint of challenge in Sephiroth's voice, and Tseng took a moment to consider before replying.
"If you think it will not anger Aeris." Sephiroth didn't say anything, just turned and walked into his room, so Tseng took that as meaning it wouldn't anger her, or at least it was unlikely to and followed him. There was absolutely nothing practical in Sephiroth's wardrobe; nothing resembling the things he wore from day to day, just the fancy silk stuff he wore on formal occasions, and that told Tseng how rarely Sephiroth actually used this bedroom more than anything else would. He found some heavy silk pants in a dark blue that actually matched Cloud's armour and a lighter silk tunic just one shade lighter than Cloud's shirt, with flames embroidered in a blue just one shade darker than the tunic Tseng was going to wear (and one shade lighter than the embroidery on that). He was looking through the jewellery for something suitable when Aeris arrived.
"What are you doing here?" Aeris sounded curious, not angry, Tseng refused to get defensive, telling himself that she must not know that he'd moved, it was very recent.
"Taking over the duty of seeing that we're both dressed appropriately to compliment our lord's outfit. I know you've been doing that for Sephiroth, but you forgot about making sure that I looked right as well. No insult to you, it isn't something you've been trained for and you've been picking up the slack for Sephiroth very well, but it's supposed to be his duty, and since he can't do this himself the duty is supposed to fall to me."
"I see. Show me what you've picked out so far then." She sounded calm, but Tseng was pretty sure that if Aeris didn't like his choices he wouldn't get a second chance at this and he lifted the outfit he'd chosen from where it hung.
"I found some silk pants the same colour as Cloud's armour, which will work better than black would, even if Sephiroth does look better in black." He wouldn't deny that, but the way Sephiroth looked in isolation wasn't the primary issue here, and Tseng had the feeling that Aeris had been aiming to make Sephiroth look good in each of the outfits she chose, with how well it worked with what Cloud was wearing as a secondary consideration.
"Go ahead, keep on talking about me, I don't mind." Sephiroth sounded amused as he came through the door from the bathroom.
"Lie down and let me dry your hair while Tseng explains why he chose the tunic. It's a good choice, but I want to know your reasoning as well."
"Yes Aeris." Sephiroth lay down obediently, and Tseng marvelled at his total lack of self-consciousness about walking around naked, only actually starting to speak when Aeris cleared her throat meaningfully.
"Well, I got a look at what Cloud's going to be wearing. The armour's got flames as decoration, and he's going to wear a shirt one shade darker than this tunic. I've got a tunic that's a shade darker than the shirt Cloud will be wearing, a bit longer than this one, to just above my knees, and it's embroidered with flames as well. So we'll all be wearing shades of the same colour and similar designs in our outfits."
"I see. Go ahead and pick out some jewellery for him...do you have something suitable for yourself as well?"
"Oh, yes Aeris. Cloud and Sephiroth have been very generous." His jewellery ran more to silver set with blue topaz or lapis lazuli, but that would work just as well as sapphires for this, if not better, and he did have a ring set with a sapphire.
"Good. I'll show you which set of hair combs to use and how to put his hair up since he won't ask Cloud for a slave to do that for him, then we can see to your hair and make-up."
"Thank you." It shouldn't feel so much like true acceptance when Sephiroth didn't object to Aeris' plan, but it did.