Entralling Bloom

24.) Dressage (Part 1)

Author's note: Art credit: Jotto @Jotto75 on X (Twitter)

Unfortunately for Albedo, the word "understated" didn't appear to be part of Maybelle's vocabulary.

Albedo hadn't wanted much out of his outfit- just something passably formal- an ensemble that didn't make him stand out too much. But- looking at himself in the mirror- he questioned whether or not seamstress Maybelle realized that Rosalind was the guest of honor at the upcoming party, and not him.

The suit he wore was... extravagant. It was a three-piece, blue, black, and gold number, adorned with lacy cuffs and trimmings. His suit jacket had the same familiar twin tails as his lab coat and upon the neck of the coat rested an elegant black collar that accentuated Albedo's build with raised shoulders. It draped behind his back like a cape.

A blue and gold sash extended from his collar down to his knee. His blue shirt and contrasting white knee-high socks were fastened to the side with engraved buttons. Black ribbons held his vision in place, keeping it securely affixed to his neck. A separate ebony ribbon tied back the braid that formed a crown around his head and a ruffled cravat trailed just below his neck, complimenting the form-fitting blue shirt and black pants it rested above.

Albedo sighed at his reflection in the mirror. "This is entirely too much," he breathed
It's a welcome party, not a ball dance... I'm not going to be able to blend into the crowd like this which isn't ideal for what I had in mind tonight concerning Rosalind.

"Mr. Albedo~" Klee's familiar voice called from beyond Albedo's dressing room. "Klee's ready to show you her new outfit! Let her see yours too!"

Albedo exhaled once more and smoothed his hands over heavily embellished his torso.

"Well," he said after a while. "If this is the outfit Maybelle had tailor-made for me, it would be rude and infeasible to demand a replacement..."

Maybelle had been good to Albedo and Klee over the years. When he had first come from Dragonspine, with nothing to his name but a letter from his master and burning resentment and confusion at his abandonment, it was Alice who introduced him to Maybelle- Klee's usual tailor.

Maybelle didn't question him when he walked into her boutique dressed in a heavy mountaineer's cloak and bitter expression. If she was bothered or perplexed by him she didn't let it show. She simply helped dress him without any reservation or judgment.

During that awkward phase of transitioning into a proper member of society, Maybelle was there with a tender smile to help him get used to the dress, holidays, and customs of Mondstadt. As it would happen, being the tailoress for an infant pyrotechnic and an unaging mage changes a person. Albedo never shared his past with anyone but Alice, but he found the light conversations he had with Maybelle stimulating and informative. In a way, he owed her not only the clothes on his back but also his well-adjusted nature.

Albedo had never been a problem "child". He was Rhinedottor's gold after all, her most learned and diligent creation, but he was akin to a feral "child"- unsocialized and unaware of social norms. Where Alice and Klee were eccentric and sometimes even incomprehensible in personality and nature, Maybelle was friendly, calm, and consistent. She had lengthy experience in speaking and preparing people for community events, and most importantly, she wasn't traveling all the time like Alice. If Albedo ever needed an outfit mended or a faux pas addressed Maybelle was there with a needle in hand and advice at the ready.

It's quite over the top, Albedo thought as he stepped out of the men's dressing room, but it's clear Maybelle put her all into this suit... perhaps she was excited at the chance to make some formal wear considering she's normally only gets to make casual outfits or work clothes.