Work Text:
The Loafers haven’t been around for long but they knew they were meant for a certain world. They knew Their Purpose. How to be elegant and sophisticated, how to be the root of confidence and power in a courtroom. How to make steps look languid or arrogant. They knew the sound of a courtroom floor, the colour of the office floor, the softness of silk socks. They worked hard to shine and knew that their Role in this world was a powerful but time limited one. They looked down on lazy shoes, the kind that didn’t care about Roles and Appearances and would stick around even when the smell couldn't be washed off completely.
The Loafers were used to Good Company. Some nights they would entertain Oxfords, whose wit and sophistication always made them feel the urge to shine harder the next day.
All of this to say, the Loafers had standards and those standards were being crushed mercilessly tonight. The audacity! The incongruity! Spending the night next to a pair of common, old and Not Shiny… Converse.
No, no, no. That wouldn’t do. What was The Feet Master thinking. The Loafers and them had a good relationship, built on trust and reliability. The Loafers would shine and make An Impression in public and the Feet Master would wash them and make them meet Good Company. That was the deal! Not whatever was happening right now!
The Loafers had no idea who was the stranger thinking Converse were appropriate shoes and what they were doing in the Feet Master’s bedroom (a place where The Loafers had never been!).
Worst of all, the Old Smelly Converse would. Not. Stop. Talking. They had decided it was appropriate to talk about all the smelly, dirty and definitely Not Up To Standard places they had walked around today. Who cared about how squeaky the floor in that old family restaurant was and how fun it sounded; it probably was sticky! And no, The Loafers did NOT need to know about that old gum they had encountered and how hard of a fight it was to vanquish it (the Loafers suspected that particular fight hadn’t been a complete victory and shuddered at the thought of old gum remnants in the vicinity).
And it went on and on, for hours. The Loafers decided it was a Challenge, sent to show them how they would rise about Not Shiny and Inappropriate conversations and reach a New Shiny Level. Yes, it had to be this. Stubbornly and proudly, they ignored the chatter as much as possible, only reacting with indignation whenever the Converse asked about parks and if they preferred wet or dry grass. Grass! As if it was an Appropriate ground! Insanity!
Throughout this long night, the Loafers’ only comfort was that very rarely did Strangers stay until the next day and they never came back for a second visit. This Challenge would be a one-time thing and they would prevail, until the sun came to deliver them from all this Inappropriateness!
Clearly, the Feet Master had decided to take on a Challenge too and hopefully, both of them would move on and pretend nothing happened.
***
Soft footsteps echo on the floor, old cotton socks not making a sound as they walk around the room, collecting items lost in the frenzy last night.
His phone in hand, trying to stay calm and not like he’s running from a potential huge mistake, Tinn turns to grab his shoes.
The sight makes him falter for a few seconds. His well-loved converse are sitting, properly arranged next to Chan’s shoes. He doesn’t remember putting their shoes away last night, too lost in each other as they hurried to get to the bedroom. Chan must have done it at some point.
It’s a weird contrast, his shoes next to Chan’s ones. They’re random accessories, meant to carry them from point A to point B. Yet, in those few seconds, they become a mirror of their reality.
How mismatched they are.
He puts his shoes on and leaves.
***
Bonus: 3 years later
The Converse knew they were old. They could feel the fraying edges and how, despite the loving care of their Human, they carried the smell of the world they had journeyed across. All Shoes must come to an end and they knew the Human would be kind in their disposal. Yet, surprisingly, when the time came, it was the Human’s Walking Companion who stopped it. The Converse were a bit tired and didn't understand what was happening but they heard how their Human softened and laughed tenderly, after hearing their Walking Companion make their case.
And thus, a new home was decided for the Converse, in a cabinet where other Elders were also resting, in quiet peace. A nice second life, no walking but still discovering new places through the tales of their new friends in there.
An old friend was also waiting for them, their shininess dimmed with time but still holding themselves proper. The Loafers welcomed them with a fond sigh.
Turned out some Challenges were for life.