Erwin spends his days with his teacher and guardian in a little garden outside of common space and time. A curse has affected his teacher, and would take away his sight in the near future. This approaching blindness, along with his teacher's long bu...
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He had a feeling that, maybe, there was a little more to it, and his Teacher was leaving things out. He was omitting the important parts, and he was purposefully being vague.
But Erwin didn't pry, and didn't dig for answers. He couldn't bring himself to, not when the man looked sad, not when his voice was shaky, and not when he'd heard enough.
When he'd came down for breakfast that morning, the boy had noticed that the bandages on his Teacher's right hand were missing. His palm was scarred, the surface rough, and there were thin, white lines stretching across his skin.
His eyes had lingered on the marks, but the man had made no mention of his hand, or the scars. And so, Erwin had kept quiet, and left it be.
He'd also realized that his Teacher was wearing a cowlneck, instead of his usual bishop button-ups and tunics. The collar was a little wider, and the ends reached his clavicles, revealing his neck.
It was strange, and unfamiliar, but the boy didn't think too much of it. His Teacher was wearing a new, and different, outfit. That was all.
Except, as the days passed, the man wore the same type of shirts, with the same type of collar, and the same type of material. And, soon, his entire wardrobe had been replaced. Any kind of clothing with buttons was discarded, and the man only wore things that were easy to slip on.
His boots had been replaced with loafers, and his rubber shoes were swapped with slippers. The rubber boots and rubber shoes had been moved into a box, stored away, and they hadn't seen the light of day ever since.
He'd stopped braiding his hair, and had started wearing a ponytail instead, with the strands hanging behind his back. Whenever the hair tie got loose, or fell out, he'd simply comb his hair aside, and keep it out of his face.
It was all a little jarring, and he didn't think he'd ever get used to it. But the man made no mention of the changes, or the new clothes, and Erwin didn't bring them up, either.
The only thing the man mentioned was that, while his new shirts were a little too large, they were soft, and comfortable. That, and he didn't have to bother with buttons anymore.
"What do you think?" His Teacher asked, his finger tracing the rim of the teacup. The liquid was steaming, and the steam was rising, before dispersing into the air.
"About what?" Erwin replied, his spoon stirring his cup. He hadn't drank from it yet; he liked waiting for it to cool a bit, before having a taste.
"This outfit. What else?" The man smiled, his finger tapping the ceramic. He was staring straight ahead, and his bangs had grown past his cheeks. They were almost touching his lips, and they swayed when he spoke.
