It took a few days before the situation felt close enough to acceptable for Erik to even think about talking about it. A week in which he woke, was fed, walked about the Library, read, and listened to Nel and Tsuki's conversations and stories. He learned that the Library was a special place, once abandoned by the city during one of the many upheavals of life and society that came with growth; it had been modified and taken over by Tsuki many years prior and became the place it was now though hard work and effort. He found out that the goddess had come across Tsuki around the same time though the exact details of their meeting and their relationship always came shrouded in shadow, followed by looks and cryptic dismissal. They told him that the gods were real but based on the way they spoke of it he had gotten the sense that things were not so simple as just that; Nel half dismissed their existence, waving her hand as she spoke of how "those old fogies don't care about anything but themselves, they can't even see the beauty that is here waiting to be experienced".
On days when Tsuki was out, mysterious situations that left Erik with even more questions but a deep fear over asking any, he spent them reading, learning as much as he could from the countless books filling the shelves. Sometimes Nel would deign to tell him a story of the past, always of figures he never had heard of before but that in the gentleness of her eyes and fondness of her smile felt as if they were truly precious wondrous beings.
Ease and comfort found it's way into the heart of the Phantom but still it was not until the morning of the fifth day, eating one of the chocolate chip muffins that Tsuki had baked just that morning for them all with their breakfast, that he found himself speaking up, "I do not have a home to return to, do I?"
Tsuki froze mid bite and Nel frowned, setting down the spoon she was using to eat her cereal before turning to Tsuki with a raised eyebrow. Unspoken words passed between goddess and mortal woman, a not uncommon sight, and he simply stared at the muffin in his hand. The words weigh heavy in his heart, having been waiting there, festering for days, and feeling no less crushing to speak them aloud. In truth he felt it become a reality in that moment, as if to speak it was to allow it to truly be real. The Opera Populaire was gone, Christine was gone, the world he had built and known was gone. He did not know what to do in this moment, what could be done; he wondered if they did.
"Erik," Tsuki said softly, in that sweet gentle way of hers.
"Paris still stands, France still stands, though it has likely changed in innumerable ways since the years you knew it," Nel said frowning, "But you can always try to make a new home there if that's what you wish."
Erik winced and tugged on the hood once more; without his mask, without his protection, he spent every day wearing the hood up at all times, developing a tic of tugging on it whenever he felt especially nervous or unsettled.
He knew she meant well, and that her words if delivered to someone else, anyone else, might ring true. Rebuild your life, make a new life, this was something a man might be able to do but he was no man. He was the Phantom, the Opera Ghost, a monster that had in many ways a man's form but that was not. He wanted to ask what life a monster such as he could build for himself when his last had been so restrictive and dark. Would he look for another place to haunt, a new operahouse, a new theater; would he go forth to try to use his talents again only to be reviled once more? She had said that he could if he wished but he did not believe wishes could ever give him what he truly wanted deep down, not when they had never come true for him before.
He frowned and shook his head, taking another bite of his muffin. "...No, I fear that that would be too painful for me. The home I know must have fallen to dust by now; I can only mourn it and remember it in fonder lights."
"If you don't wish to return to France then you can always stay here with me and Nel." Tsuki's offer gave him pause and he looked up to stare at her, eyes widening behind the brim of his hood as he saw the friendly smile on her face. It took him by surprise, as did many of the things she did or said; the fact that one being could be so kind to him, him of all people, never failed to leave him shaken and he was left speechless by it every time.
He took a moment to process, then another to calculate a proper response, clearing his throat as his pale face flushed slightly, "I could not possibly impose any further."
"Impose how exactly?" She responded with genuine confusion in her tone, as if it was strange to think that, as if he hadn't just randomly appeared out of nowhere to begin with and just stayed there afterwards.
"You and Nel have been very kind to me, I wouldn't wish to overstay my welcome."
"Nonsense," the goddess said and resumed her breakfast, waving her spoon at Erik like a baton, "For one, you'd have to do and demand a lot more than you've been doing to possible impose; we can barely get you to tell us anything of your wants and needs. Two, Tsuki likes having you around so I doubt she wants you to go anywhere any time soon. And three, I like having you around so unless you got a wish to go elsewhere, there's no real point in you leaving the Library."
Erik blinked a few times, then a few more times and another set for good measure. The flushing of his face increased as he took in her words. He certainly did not try to demand anything of his lovely hostesses, not seeing it as his right or the polite thing to do; though content would be the wrong word for what he felt, sitting around the Library, reading and talking and simply living, he was at least at ease and comfortable there and he knew there was a safety here. Even monster he may be he understood that to keep that would require him to act as a human, be polite and generous, ask only what was truly needed and not more. As he had said he did not wish to impose.
But more importantly perhaps than his manners or inability to voice needs, was the idea that these two liked having him there. Nel was a goddess of truth and thus he could not imagine her lying to him, and Tsuki upon those words being spoken smiled, nodding as she looked at him. The idea of such a thing felt surreal and part of him expected it to be some sort of joke despite knowing they all knew it would be one in bad taste and they would never be so cruel. He felt his heart thump a little in his chest and he looked down at the muffin in his hand, turning it over and over again as he found himself unwilling to look either in the eye out of embarrassment.
"Erik," Tsuki started again and still he did not look up; she continued slowly, "If you do wish to go we won't stop you; you have the right to decide what you want in life and where you want to go and where you want to be. But if your concern about being here is based on some worry that you're a bother or something of the like, then you should banish that thought from your mind. You're welcome here and have been since the moment you arrived; you're a pleasant and lovely addition to the Library and I wouldn't mind if you decided to stay instead."
"Would I truly be alright to stay here?" The words came out in barely a whisper and felt almost like a plea. After running from the disasters of his life, that he had made of his life, the darkness and the murder and the cruelty and the control, to find a safe haven where he might be welcomed seemed too good to be true. How could such kindness exist, especially for one such as him?
"Of course you are," Tsuki assured him and he felt a hand touching the top of his head, making him jump but glancing up he only saw her, smiling down at him as she stroked his head through the hood; strange as it was there some comfort in that too, a gesture he surely was unused to but that made some part of him ache for more.
"We'll need to getting you more clothes though if you are staying," Nel said and wrinkled her nose a little, "You've been here about a week and haven't changed; you need a bath and clean clothes, my friend."
His face completely turned red and he shrunk away, causing Tsuki to blink then huff before turning to Nel with a displeased look. "Nelly."
"What, it's true; I didn't say it to hurt his feelings," Nel said to her friend then turned to Erik and her tone turned softer, "Really, it's no offense to you. I just figure you'll be more comfortable if you can get changed and cleaned up."
She was not wrong and he understood that; it had partially slipped his mind in the rest of the emotions of his recent experiences, pushed to the corners of necessity as he adjusted to this new reality of time and space travel, of having ruined his chances with Christine, of everything. But returned to the forefront as it was now he could not deny a certain kind of discomfort in wearing the exact same clothes every day, of not feeling clean. At the same time the idea of removing the jacket at the very least, the thing that helped hide his face, caused his heart rate to pick up and he fiddled once more with the hood frowning slightly. "I would be more comfortable but..."
"We could get you something that fits you a bit better than my hoodie," Tsuki said chuckling almost as if to read his mind.
The jacket was indeed made for someone smaller than him but he shook his head as if to protest then realized it was her hoodie and he had been monopolizing it which made the panic grow some. "I would be glad to return your garment to you, I apologize for holding onto it for so long."
"It's fine, Erik, really, that's not why I'm worried," she told him and they both heard Nel snickering where the goddess still sat with cereal to eat; Tsuki choose to ignore it, "I just meant that just like Nel wishes to have you be more comfortable, so do I."
"If you say so," he said softly, uncertain but wishing to trust her, "I do not mind continuing to use your...hoodie if possible; it is comfortable enough. But a change of clothes would certainly not be an unwelcome thing."
"I guess then that means we will need to go out shopping," Nel said tapping the spoon against her lips, "Question is where to go and what kind of clothes to have him wear?"
"I think that's up to him," Tsuki said to which Nel, after a second or so of thought, nodded her agreement.
Indeed the subject of his clothing style should likely be up to him but the first question, of where, made his skin crawl and his tugging of the hood to intensify. His voice lowered once more. "Must we truly leave the Library for such a thing?"
It was a stupid question and while he knew it before even asking he could not help but ask it nevertheless. It was a matter of comfort you see; Erik did not like the idea of going outside, he barely tolerated it before when he could use the underground lake to go from his home to the operahouse proper. But to be above ground and potentially seen by others dredged up once more the darkest and most painful of memories and he was not interested in adding new ones of the same to his mind. Nor did he think it fair to make the girls, these two beautiful figures have to be seen with an abomination such as himself; Tsuki and Nel were better suited to each other or some handsome young lad, not a charmless fellow like the vicomte of course but someone who may appreciate their kindness and match their beauty. Erik appreciated them, he was happy for the gentle warmth of Tsuki, the playful but kind interactions with Nel, but he did not see himself as a good match to their beauty. Even strange as Tsuki's eyes were, those vibrant scarlet irises that seemed to glow, stare right through him and warm his heart, even in that oddity she was still something more beautiful than he.
Tsuki and Nel exchanged looks though of course his response was nowhere near surprising to the two who had now spent extended time with the man. Nel sighed, running a hand through her hair before turning to him. "To get good measurements on what will fit you? Yeah we will. Even if we were go for something simple and modern it still would be difficult to just eyeball what will fit you without taking you along with us."
"We want to make sure you get to wear something that fits you both physically and aesthetically," Tsuki added.
"We won't even go that far, promise," Nel continued and Erik with some hesitation looked at her, "There's quite a few shops near here; if we put our heads together and figure out what we want to start with in terms of style, we can narrow down the list of places to go to and thus you won't need to go far or out for too long."
"And then once we have a grasp on what suits you best and what you feel most comfortable wearing then I can just handle getting you more clothes as necessary." Tsuki smiled at him in that sweet reassuring way and his heart thumped more, his face reddening again. It occurred to him they were very much trying to accommodate his anxiety and fears and that in that he was indeed being a bother to them perhaps. His discomfort was making them work harder to try to make him feel better and a frown started across his face as he started to mentally beat himself up over it.
Surely a little trip outside, for however it may take to get clothes, should be reasonable? Was he not Erik, Phantom of the Opera, genius composer, architect, inventor, capable of kidnapping sopranos and terrorizing the useless with ease? How silly was it indeed to be so scared by the idea of going out, being possibly seen, of letting the girls be seen with him? It was scary for him though, and while he knew it was silly, he could not help the terror in his heart, the unease. People feared him and not simply because of his abilities; he did not wish to be seen, he did not wish to mar Tsuki and/or Nel with his presence amongst others, he did not feel safe without some way to hide. And as it stood all he had was a hoodie that while large on her was not on him.
Yet this fear was at war with the sensibilities of a gentlemen, of the Opera Ghost, who did not wish to cause undue trouble for the woman who had given his shelter when he had been on the run, for the goddess who kept him company and treated him no less well despite the oddness of his being there in the first place. There was no easy way to resolve the contradictions within him on these two fronts and the only realistic avenue of attempt was to give in ultimately.
With some hesitation he nodded, biting his lip as he spoke, "You...are far too kind to me, Tsuki, Nel. I will go with you then though I do think your first suggestion of a bath would likely be the best first action."
"Of course Erik," Nel said nodding, "I figured as much."
"If you leave your clothes in your room before going into the bathroom I can put them in the wash for you and see about getting them washed quickly for you," Tsuki said and smiled at him, "You won't need to rush then through your own needs in terms of your bath."
"Though having him wait around probably won't be very helpful either, and we don't want him pruning up being in the bath too long," Nel said her own smile edged with something that made Erik feel the need to blush.
Tsuki seemed to pick up on it too and while her face did turn pink, she giggled and nodded. "True, true. I'll see if I can't dig something up for him to wear until they're clean, even if it's just a bathrobe."
The mere thought of appearing before either or both of them in something so inappropriate made his heartrate accelerate and his eyes widen before vigorously shaking his head. "If you do so then I would strongly request you not enter my room again until I can be once more properly dressed; you may leave my clothes outside my room and knock to indicate that they are clean once more."
It occurred to him that may sound rude, as if she was a servant or something, but he did not wish Tsuki to see him in a bathrobe, not for his face, not for his body, not for anything. She was after all a young lady and his benefactor in all this, respect and decorum demanded certain things and he could not bring himself to break that. The idea of letting her handle his clothes, as well as her own hoodie, was also of concern and nerve-wracking but he could not simply wash himself and then dress once more in dirty clothes, that would not do. It defeated the purpose of the former. No he would allow for the lesser concern but he would draw the line there.
Luckily the rudeness of his comment did not seem to disturb Tsuki or Nel who both simply took it in stride, Nel even chuckling some as she spoke once more, "Sounds like everything is settled then; after breakfast we'll get to work. I suppose I could do with some new clothes myself, you as well Tsuki."
"Perhaps while we eat we can talk about what kind of clothes you're most comfortable in, Erik?" Tsuki smiled at him as she grabbed another muffin for herself and he realized he had just been playing with his.
Feeling awkward but glad he had no offended either of them he took a bite and they chatted for a while longer, discussing what would work for him. Of course Erik had some experience with fashions of his time and none of any that followed; he had come to be far more comfortable in the usual formal garb he wore when visiting the operahouse, finding it made him feel confident, in control, powerful and impressive, as if he was not the creature sold by the one who birthed him to a freakshow, a lowly thing that had found his way to Persia to work and kill for the Shah before returning to France, a monster in the darkness unworthy of the light. But part of him wondered if in those dark clothes and fineries he did not still hold some sort of cage to himself; he no longer was chained to the operahouse and what it required of him, he no longer need be the Opera Ghost nor the living corpse nor the assassin or the architect or the monster. Tsuki and Nel called him Erik, they smiled and gave him gentle suggestions of what might suit him visually but did not push. He did not feel he was ready to take any of them yet, not untied enough from those old memories and needs, but still a shard of something was planted within his mind and only time would tell what it would grow into.
As breakfast and conversation finished, he indeed retired up to his room and shed his clothes, folding them neatly upon the bed despite knowing they would destined to be gathered up and put to wash nevertheless. By some whim of fate he caught sight of himself in the floor length mirror that sat, usually unused, in the corner of the room and his mind shuddered at the creature he saw reflected back. But by this same chance he could see still see a slight rose to his face, dusting pale skin, and dare he say it, a small spark of happiness in his eyes? Still gruesome to behold though he quickly turned his gaze from it, wondering if he should ask Tsuki if it would be alright to remove it; he despised mirrors but could never bring himself to trouble her by bringing this up directly to her. He made his way to the bathroom, with it's own mirror above the sink, and quickly to the bathtub to start the water; he caught himself and made sure to lock the door as he remembered that she had promised to come by to grab his clothes. The idea of potentially being seen by her still disgusted him as a gentleman yet he could not help but note the way the red had grown on his face when his eye happened to catch the mirror in there as well. Hurriedly once the door was locked he got into the bathtub and immersed himself in the water. Clean, that was what he needed to focus on, getting clean and presentable and smelling nice. He could not change the unfortunateness of his face but he could at least do whatever was possible to be as inoffensive as possible.
About two hours later, after a long soothing bath and indeed a small amount of time wearing a rather soft but embarrassing baby blue bathrobe, Erik was once more dressed in clothes he felt far more comfortable in, his own and the hoodie which he swore was larger than he remembered, and found himself exiting the Library through the backdoor into a quiet alleyway. Tsuki locked the door, dressed in a similar clothes as he usually saw her in, Nel standing beside her in a t-shirt and jeans; the goddess stretched, yawning before turning to him with a smile.
"Ready for your first mini adventure in the Big Apple?" she asked and Erik blinked in confusion.
"We're only going about a block away to Henry's," Tsuki said, her tone trying to be admonishing but she could not help but smile at her friend.
Nel waved it off. "I know that, I was just teasing him."
"You're the one who brought up not going far."
"You are far too protective of the man, dear Tsuki."
"Pot, kettle."
"Yes and it's making me jealous." Nel was grinning and put an arm around Tsuki's shoulder's, an action that made Erik feel somewhat awkward and Tsuki's smile grow a little before gently pushing the goddess away as Nel continued, "But I suppose I'm rather protective of him myself."
The way she looked at him made him fidget and Tsuki chuckled before reaching up to tug his hood down for him; this too made his heart flutter but he appreciated it, as he appreciated all the kind little things she seemed insistent upon doing for him.
"Would it be too much to ask if you're ready Erik?" she asked and offered him her hand.
Nel did the same and he looked at them both before nodding. They were already outside, there was no real point in turning back now; he took their hands, one in each of his, and felt them both give him a gentle squeeze. Reassurance, insistence, they were there beside him and he need not feel so awkward about this. Fear still ran through his veins but he did his best to ignore it, to focus, and allow the better things to take hold. There was curiosity, of this place called New York City he had heard of in his time but never visited. There was a wish to have more than he had, to be able to have choice in his dress again, and perhaps a little bit of getting to spend more time with both women. Their smiles, warm and bright as the morning sun, he allowed to fill his heart and they tugged him along, out of the alleyways and out for his first view of the city called New York.
It was bright and busy and noisy; people walked along the sides of the road as strange metal contraptions moved along the street itself. They too were loud, almost more so than the cacophony of voices all around them, speaking all at once; he winced, finding it quite a bit and far too much.
A light tug of his hand from the side where Tsuki was brought his attention down to her who held up a strange string; it had three ends, two of which terminated in small round things with the third leading into her pocket. She smiled up at him. "I should have brought my proper headphones but they can be bulky. Here, put these in your ears and I'll play us some classical music."
It occurred to him she had something similar in her ears, though hers were blue and the ones she offered to him were red. He was curious and was tempted to ask, to question what they were and how in the name of God, or at least in the name of Nel the one goddess he knew, she was supposed to use them to play music, but the noise around him felt like it was starting to crawl into his skin and twirl his minds and emotions around, making one end and the other start to meld. He let go of both of them temporarily so he could take them and popping one of the round things into one ear and then the other, careful not to disturb his hood. He then watched as she reached into her pocket to remove a small device; both his string and hers were linked to it and she pressed some buttons on it deftly. Soon enough, and sure enough, the soft sweet sounds of an orchestra started to play in his ears and he felt his heart rate slow, unaware before of it's incline since they had entered the cacophony. His mind settled, draw towards the music and he was convinced this too had to be magic for how else could he explain the fact he could hear the orchestra yet it not be there? His eyes widened with wonder and Nel and Tsuki both exchanged amused glances before taking hold of his hands once more and started to lead him through the crowd, all the while music continued to play in his ears, drowning out the noise, the voices, the majority of the sound from the strange mechanical beasts though here and there a loud roar was heard and he winced again. When he did the girls squeezed his hand again and he felt himself grounded and able to take in the visuals as he was locked away from the auditory.
The buildings were gray and tall, most seeming no different from one another save the signs that graced nearly them all. Words, some big, some small, all bright and eye catching, graced each and spoke of words he had never heard of before but that he had to guess were the names of the buildings or the companies that occupied them. The sky was bright and blue with plenty of clouds but the air felt crisp and comfortable enough. The people around them wore clothes like Tsuki and Nel, a far step down than even the most informal of clothes of Paris yet he did not feel offended by the laxness of it all; some did wear suits or dresses but they were not as decorated as he was used to, simple, clean, clear. Not his style of course, and he felt overdressed save for the hoodie which saved him from looking entirely out of place both in terms of style and his appearance. Plenty of people were about but it occurred to him while they might see him, avoiding walking into the trio, they didn't really seem to observe them; the three of them moved with ease and care but even besides the barrier of music keeping him from hearing any of their voices, and Tsuki too it seemed, he felt a disconnect with them in some other more profound way on their own end. They were few among the many, they were there but not a part of any of it; he was used to this sensation in some form but he found he did not feel unnerved by it now. Rather he felt comfortable and as Nel opened the door to a simple looking building off the beaten road, he was content in this knowledge that they were safe together.
Tsuki extracted the device again and pressed another button at which point the music stopped; without being told to he removed the string's ends from his ears and handed it to her, Tsuki taking it with a gentle smile.
"Thank you," he said and she nodded.
"I'm not much for crowds myself so I try to be prepared," she said and put it all away, her own ears clear again as well, "I'll give them back to you once we're ready to go."
"Hey Henry, you here?" Nel called out and Erik took a moment to actually get a feel for where they were.
The interior was warm in a similar but fundamentally different way to the Library; the lighting was dim, making the brown wood that made up the walls, ceiling and floor look darker. Clothes were lined up on mannequins, some more formal like his, some more causal like Nel and Tsuki's; all had a element to it that caught his eye, subtle and unknowable. He got the sense of a master tailor in them all and moved to examine one piece in particular as Nel walked towards the counter that sat opposite the door and across the wide showroom. The piece in question reminded him somewhat of what he had seen some of the nobler visitors to the operahouse wear, the suit jacket embroidered delicately in thin thread just barely off color from the jacket itself; it gave the sensation of something simple at first glance but the designs from the thread were fascinating and artistic, making his fingers twitch to reach out and touch them. Yet he held himself back and admired the work visually alone, taking in all the pieces together to appreciate how they worked together.
"It's very nice," Tsuki spoke softly beside him and though startled Erik managed not to jump before nodding; she smiled and continued, "Henry is a brilliant designer and tailor; not many of the mortals in the city give this place much more than a passing glance because of it's simple appearance but I know of many gods and others who adore this place, myself and Nel included."
"Yes yes but Henry can be a bit tricky to pin down sometimes," Nel said and put her hands on her hips before raising her voice, "Where are you Henry?!"
There was a noise like a crash and Erik only then realized there was a set of stairs off to one side, down which a rather disheveled and displeased looking man came. He looked a few years older than Tsuki, with chestnut hair that was gathered in a messy bun on his head and thin rimmed glasses; his eyes were a deep olive color and went from Nel, mildly amused by him, to Tsuki, smiling, and then to Erik, confused. The man wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, dress pants and an apron, straightening the latter as he stood up straight; based on Nel's height he was likely a five foot nine or so but he seemed to prefer a hunch which he partially returned to as he approached Erik specifically.
"That jacket is Tsuki's." His voice was rich and warm but there was some sort of irritation there that confused Erik more and made him feel defensive.
He stood tall, making use of his inches on the man as he spoke, "Tsuki has been generous enough to lend it to me."
The man Henry stared back at him and it was when it occurred to Erik that looking down at Henry would allow him to see his face that he drew back a little, tugging on the hood once more and Tsuki stepped forward. "Henry, we were hoping to get some new clothes for our friend here. Erik, meet Henry."
"A pleasure," Erik said carefully though still the urge to be on guard did not leave him; he did not feel this man a threat, simply the way he had spoken to him irked him.
Henry nodded and dusted his apron off. "I see. I apologize then; I can get carried away at times. Henry Augustus at your service."
The man offered his hand. Erik looked at it for a moment before cautiously taking it; Henry had apologized and seemed sincere but Erik trusted him not if only because he trusted almost no one. His handshake was firm enough but not aggressive; Henry even smiled some and as they separated he placed both hands in his pockets before turning to Tsuki once more, "New clothes huh."
"Yes and we were hoping to get them quickly?" Nel stated causing the man to turn to regard her.
"I already have an order in," Henry said and there was something in the way he said it, the sound of the words, that made Erik's curiosity pique once more.
Nel frowned a little. "I'm certain you can find time for us."
"We'd appreciate it, Henry, really," Tsuki said, "Erik lost all his clothes on his way into town, there was an incident and all he has is what he's wearing."
"An incident." That too sounded strange to Erik's ears and he looked from Henry, whose expression seemed hesitant, to Tsuki, who had just lied for him. Of course how could he expect her to tell the truth, that he had appeared out of nowhere, that he had managed to walk through time and space into her cellar from the Opera Populaire in the late 1800's, but she lied so smoothly it felt odd to him. And something in the word incident seemed to draw Henry's attention further. What that meant Erik could not tell but after a few moments Henry sighed and turned once more to Nel.
"Odin and Zeus won't like me putting off their order for you, Nel," he said and she smirked.
"Oh doing this will fuck them over? Even more reason to have you do it," she said then patted him on the shoulder, "Not that you being one of the best around wasn't enough reason of course."
"I am not interested in your godly games," he said his tone a little colder then and he carefully removed her hand off him.
That seemed to annoy her and she frowned again. "I don't play godly games, Henry; unlike them I actually care about the people I spend my time most with."
Henry put up his hands in defense. "I apologize, I know that. I was just annoyed that's all, a mistake on my part."
Erik looked to Tsuki for some answers but she just shook her head. "Best you not worry about that for now, Erik; we don't want to get Nel started and be here for the next millennia or so."
"Hey, that's hurtful!" Nel seemed to have heard her and Erik saw Tsuki's expression change back to a playful smile; Nel didn't sound very hurt either, just pouty and there was a small chuckle that came from Henry. Suddenly a tension Erik didn't realize had filled the air there lifted and once more the place felt comfortable in the same vein as the Library. Henry took out a measuring tape from his apron and got to work, getting the measurements off of Erik with a speed and efficiency that made him blink. It occurred to him that it may be more fruitful to do so without the outer jacket but Henry never asked him to remove it, never even came close to his head and face; Erik took that as a sign of fear of what lay under the hood, of the horrors of his face. So he had picked up on it but seemed able to handle it; that was good though Erik would prefer never to be seen. While the man did so, jotting the numbers down on a notepad he had on him, Tsuki and Nel said not a word, just waiting and watching, and once done Henry nodded. "I assume then you want something similar to what you're already wearing, sans Tsuki's jacket?"
"I was admiring the work you have here actually," Erik said and turned once more to regard the suit he'd been looking at.
Henry did as well and nodded. "A good eye; the gods tend to like fancier things but I like work like that the best, things more subtle but nice."
"Your clothes are always nice no matter what style they are," Nel stated smiling, "Hence why we come to you."
"I thought it was just because I'm so close by and don't care for baseless talk," Henry retorted and Erik took note of Tsuki shifting, her smile slipping just a bit, her eyes turned away.
She seemed uncomfortable and his instinct was to wrap his arms around her, pull her close because she was always trying to or actually succeeding in comforting him and he wanted to do the same for her. He resisted though, remembering still his promise in not letting her know the truth, his feeling of folly in that kiss to the hand that first night, and knew he could not risk ruining things when it seemed he had barely escaped before. She was so good to him though, it dropped a rock in his stomach to let her be; instead he awkwardly tapped his hand against hers, an offer to her and felt her long thin yet still so small fingers wrap around his own. He smiled lightly and she did too.
"So how long for the designs and the clothes themselves to be ready?" Erik did not miss how Nel ignored his comment, moved the conversation along, but her eyes had flickered to Tsuki and she seemed concerned for a second before pushing it away.
"Give me at least a few days," Henry said, "I can't very well leave your friend without but I also need to get back to work on the order I have. Give me a few days, I'll call Tsuki once they're done and she can come pick them up."
Erik was half tempted to offer to help, it would be far from the first time he'd designed and sewed his own clothes, but Tsuki squeezed his hand and he was distracted by that. Looking at her once more she smiled and nodded at Henry. "Fair enough, thank you Henry. We'll be going now."
"Before you go," Henry said and approached her, Erik watching all the while very carefully.
He saw the man reach into his apron and remove something, a plain white envelope, unremarkable save for the red wax seal on the back of it. It caught his eye and though he only got a glance at it before Tsuki took it and tucked it away in her pocket, he felt curiosity bubble up again thinking on the design of it. It looked to be a crescent moon with wings, strange as it was.
"Thank you Henry," she spoke softly and he gave her a small bow as Nel walked over, grabbing the strange strings from before to shove them into Erik's ears carefully, gently.
"See you later Henry," she said but her attention was on Erik; she smiled at him before pulling away and grabbing hold of his hand, his heart starting to flutter again.
Henry regarded her with a look and a nod and after Tsuki once more made music play, her own string in, the trio left the store and headed back through crowds towards the Library again. Not much time had passed at all it appeared and nothing much changed but as they walked, as he took in the sight of the Library from the outside as they approached it, grand and as beautiful as the Opera Populaire had been to him, no perhaps in some ways grander still, his mind whirled with thoughts of all kinds and flavors. Of his new clothes, of the strange things in this future world, of the kindness of the girls, of the strange Henry, of the mysterious envelope. Of the way people walked all over the sidewalk yet seemed to give the Library a large berth as almost to walk openly in the street to avoid it. He felt Tsuki's hand in his still, Nel on the other end, and a soothing clear symphony ringing through his ears; there were mysteries abound, not simply of magic and his existence there, of Tsuki and the dream that hadn't really been a dream, of Nel and the gods that existed that surely could not. But of so much more; curiosity wished to know but his heart, his heart could not help but feel that some of it may be best left unknown.
Unbeknownst to him it was already far too late to turn back now.