Christmas Special Request: Bonding with Rita

Yes, there are more of these, and yes, they are still labeled for Christmas. Because the option to make a request was in the spirit of the holiday. Not that I won't take any more, but you'll have to catch my attention with a pretty interesting idea for an omake.

Occurs during chapter 25, while Letha is at her temporary job.

Angelic's request~ I started out with some vague idea of them talking research or something, but it took a sudden turn with an unexpected twist, so I ran with it! I think they bond better this way, so it's all good!

x x x

FTaBV Omake: Rita's Little Accident

x x x

Working in a clothing shop was a first for me, but what with the cosplay crazy store owner as my boss I don't think prior experience would have prepared me.

"For real? She seriously has a school girl sailor uniform?" I stared in disbelief at the clothes Jeanne had left on a hanger in the back room for me to change into. It looked like a more traditional style or whatever you want to call it, with a knee length skirt instead of the shorter ones you see in pretty much any manga with a modern setting.

"What the hell? This is all starting to feel like I've been cursed for developing an interest in anime back in high school. Now all I need is for Nevi to show up, give me some special item with a corny catchphrase triggered transformation, and send me off to fight invading space aliens or something." Despite my griping, I changed from the black witch costume into the uniform. All for the sake of gald in my pockets!

Waaah, I have sold my dignity!

Returning to the front of the store, I surveyed the aisles formed by the clothes racks to see if anyone new had come in while I was changing. There was a sweet looking elderly lady in the raw materials section, where some customers preferred to just buy the cloth and thread to make their own clothes. A trio of younger girls were giggling by the rack with the newest designs. A somewhat tired looking man was being pulled around by a girl about seven or eight years old. She was squealing with delight over the princess costume (which actually looked similar to the dress Estelle was wearing at the start of the game when her guards were chasing her around). Rita was standing in a corner of the room.

Wait, Rita?

Yes indeed, even after I did my double take it was Rita trying to retreat into the corner behind the mannequins, keeping her back to the wall. What is she doing here? She doesn't look very happy about it... Indeed, she was glaring at the mannequins and customer as if each one had insulted her and her blastia research.

When she noticed me watching her, a blush was added to the glare.

"Rita, what are you doing over there?" At my question the red color of her face deepened. Trying not to meet my eyes, she mumbled something more in the direction of her chest. "Beg pardon? Didn't catch that?" I joined her over by the mannequins and leaned in to hear her better.

"...torn."

"Sorry, one more time?" If looks could kill... Her blush matched the red of her shirt by now.

Her eyes darted around and she hissed, "The back of my shirt got torn!"

"Ahh," I understood immediately. And she was hiding here so no one could see the rip...it must be pretty bad. "And you still don't carry any spare clothes." Her head jerked in a nod. I considered saying something like, "you should have learned your lesson back in Heliord," but decided she was suffering enough at the moment. Later when she wasn't put on the spot I could tease her about it.

"Where's that old lady that owns this place? I wanted to get her to fix it quick."

"Jeanne stepped out for a bit, she had some business at Sagittarius to deal with." Had to wonder what business she could have at a tavern... Well, Rita looked horrified at my words.

"What? How long till she gets back?"

"She didn't say, but she left not that long ago so I don't think it'll be soon..." The mage groaned. "I can help though."

She perked up a bit, but looked skeptical. "Can you really?"

I gave her a level look. "Obviously you haven't noticed the increased number of seams in my own clothes, or you somehow thought they were appearing on their own."

"Shut up and help already!"

"Yes, yes, apologies to the customer..." I grabbed the first shirt that looked long enough to provide decent cover (pfft! Pink with a daisy on it! Maybe it was actually a kid's nightgown!) and pulled it over Rita's head before she protest. Her head popped out through the lace collar and she glared at me. Rather than complain she just pulled at it until it was hanging right and her arms were free.

No longer in danger of her mooning the unsuspecting customers, I led her over to the back room I'd been changing in. "Take off your shirt in there and give it to me, then you can either stay here or come back out if you want."

"Come out wearing this?" There was outrage in her voice as she evidently took her first good look at what I'd made her wear across the store.

"Well, you could also try one of those costumes Jeanne's been having me wear if you prefer."

The mage growled and opened the door a crack just long enough to thrust her wadded up shirt into my hands before slamming the door again. I smiled at the unintentional humor provided by her volatile temper as I shook out the shirt to assess the damage.

"What the-Rita, how the heck did this happen?"

"Shut up already!" her shout was muffled by the door between us. "It's not important how it happened! Can you fix it?"

"Well..." There were three separate tears, the longest reaching from the bottom hem up to the mid back and the shortest about half as long. "Yeah, I can fix it. It'll just take a little longer than I thought." Seriously, I was just expecting one exposing rip, but this practically looks like someone tried to scratch her back with a pitchfork! "I'll get started right away."

Rita didn't say anything, so I shrugged and went to grab a sewing kit kept for making on the spot fitting adjustments. I dressed a smaller mannequin up in Rita's shirt and positioned myself where I could keep an eye on the store while I worked. I was busy pinning the tears together when she came out of the back room again, wearing the witch's robe from before.

She came over to stand by my side while I threaded a needle, but was unusually quiet. I was nearly half way through mending the longest rip when I heard her mumble, "Thanks."

I smiled to myself, not looking over at her in order to spare her some embarrassment. "Any time." Rita was spared from a prolonged moment of tender feelings (complete with shojou manga flowers, bubbles, and sparklies in the air! Gag!) when I had to put aside my needle to ring up the elderly woman's purchases and the sunny yellow dress the man bought for his daughter. She'd started wandering around the store on her own when I returned to work on her shirt.

The trio of girls left not much later, giggling something about bringing their boyfriends to buy some stuff for them, leaving the two of us alone in the store. Seeing the convenient opportunity, I called out, "So just how did you tear up your clothes like this?"

"Ugh..." her head dropped down to rest on the rack she'd been looking through with rather bored expression. "Estelle took me to a book store, the kind that had one of those cafés attached. It didn't have any new books about blastia, so I thought I'd get something to eat while waiting and I..." oh? Here it comes? "M-my shirt got caught on one of the shelves and tore..."

"Well, that sort of thing happens," I said carefully, trying not to sound like I was making a joke out of it, "But would it really tear it like this?"

"Well, no, I-I was trying to get out without anyone noticing. But some old guy came over to look at the same bookshelves, and while I was trying to back away it-" hesitating again... "it got caught on the shelf and tore again!" she finished in a rush. ...Wow. Tearing your shirt twice on the same shelf?

I considered letting it go, but my curiosity got the best of me. "...And the third tear?"

"Mmmph!" Startled by the weird squeak she made I looked up, and saw her blush had returned full force again. "Well, on the way over, I was trying to hold it closed in the back..."

"And?"

"And it...ripped again when someone bumped into me and I almost fell over." Ah, so, kneejerk reaction type of thing, she probably tried to catch herself while forgetting her hands were full, and ended up tearing her shirt herself. Though I had the feeling I was missing something...

OH. Right, she was in the middle of the street. Oh dear, it's pretty likely someone saw that last fiasco. Which would have pretty much shattered any dignity and pride she had left.

Trying for a quick change of topic, I asked, "Uhh, so! What about Estelle?"

"She'd already started reading something when I left."

"So it'll probably be awhile before she notices you're gone."

"Yeah..."

New train of conversation dead, there was a moment of drawn out awkward silence which I couldn't think of how to fill. Rita spoke up first. "You...won't tell anyone about this, right?"

"Not a word." I tied off the last knot and snipped the thread with a tiny pair of scissors. "Here you go! No one should notice unless they know to look for it, or stare really hard at it for some reason."

"Thanks..." she accepted her shirt with relief and ducked into the back room to change again. I couldn't help but grin to myself. Well well, I get to see the tomboyish genius' cute side for once! Maybe we'll get along better now?

...She'll probably roast me if I do tell anyone about this.

x x x

Heheheh...Here we have a fun, kinda cute fic with a side of Rita I haven't had much chance to write before. Maybe I made her a little too talkative about something she found embarrassing, but I think she would have told the story if she was trying to act tough and pretend she didn't think it was a big deal. Though she clearly did a bad job covering that up, and probably realized it.

Letha has a secret she'll carry to the grave now.