What Makes a Monster

♱Twenty-Eight♱

Lord Makai steps away to speak with Whiskers. I'm not paying attention, choosing to keep my head down. Then Whiskers asks that I step back into the fitting room. While there, he gets all my measurements. I have to stare at the ceiling to avoid meeting Lord Makai's gaze in the mirror. Whiskers leaves afterwards, shutting the curtains so I may change.

There's one problem though, Whiskers was here earlier to help me into this damn thing and it'd be nice if he could help me out. However, when I peek out, the only person I see is Lord Makai.

"You're not changed yet," he says. He must have already changed while Whiskers was measuring me.

He steps closer and I clench the curtain.

"Where's...the shop keeper?" I ask, because I probably shouldn't call him Whiskers out loud.

He attempts to tease me again, "He's making preparations to prepare the fittings for our suits, but he'll need your suit as well in order to do that."

"I'll be out in a second."

"Do you need assistance?"

"No."

"I'm fairly certain you do."

Freaking jackass. So what? You acting smug for being able to wear these fancy suits? I'll have you know, there are more people like me that haven't a clue so, clearly, you're the weird one!

"I'll handle it," I mumble, but when I try to undo the ruffles around my neck I hear the faintest sound of a rip and fucking panic.

I fling open the curtain to glare at Lord Makai's smug expression.

"Just the cufflinks and the shirt," I hiss.

He steps into the dressing room with me. The curtain flutters shut. I don't see why they are shut. Please open them because right now I am feeling claustrophobic. I never had an issue with tight spaces before, but now that Lord Makai is here, standing so close that I fear he may hear the sudden quickening of my heart, I'm terrified. At least, I tell myself it's terror.

I stand awkwardly as he easily helps with the sleeves. Once they're loose, I slip the jacket off and raise my chin so he can remove the gem without stabbing me. I'm ordered to turn around and he loosens the ruffles. Here I was messing with the front, forgetting it was in the back, go figure.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask, hearing his hum in response. "Ordering me to come along and dragging me with you to The Day of Aberia. You know, I'm going to do my best to humiliate you there."

"Nothing you can do will humiliate me. I'm hated enough as is," he responds and, damn, somehow I feel like the bad guy.

"Either way, I do not wish to go. If that means I'm to be fired, so be it."

"You make things exceedingly complicated."

"Excuse you?" I turn, crossing my arms and stepping away only to realize I can't. The wall hits my back. Lord Makai is far closer than he should be. There's enough room for another person in here yet he isn't giving me space.

The air is hot. I'm stuffy. He needs to move.

"You're still angry," he states rather than questions.

He steps closer.

Why? Why the hell is he stepping closer? My heart is ringing in my ears.

I swallow the lump in my throat to respond, "I could never be angry with you, Your Grace."

"Who called who petty again?"

"Perhaps I've picked it up from you. I think this is further proof that Layne should go with you."