Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You’re not sure if you find it amusing or overwhelming how quickly the fashion changes in Jouvente. One week, everyone is wearing elaborate but somehow still unique fruit-themed hats, the next they may have traded those hats for asymmetrical skirts, and so on. You can’t keep up…not that you’re really trying. It makes sense that fashion design is a sought after field here, since not everyone has the skills Isabeau does. You can actually see a few of his designs out and about while you sit with Loop, enjoying a quiet morning together. Sipping tea, people watching, gossiping, retirement stuff! 

You look back at the dancing ones wearing Isa’s design. The latest trend are these flowing garments with wide sleeves, but you can easily pick out Isa’s signature visible darkless stitching. 

“Oh Loop, look, those dancing ones,” you say, setting down your tea. Loop doesn’t respond, which is weird because usually you can’t get them to shut up. You look over at them and open your mouth to tease them, but you notice they’re staring, very intently, at the dancers. It’s hard to read their expression (not that you’re very good at that in the first place), they’re just very. Focused. 

“Loop?” 

Loop blinks and moves their arms under the table to rest on their lap, hiding their hands within the large, billowing hooded cloak they’ve been wearing since they arrived in Jouvente. Well, you actually don’t know how long they had been in the city when you found them. They were leaving one of the nearby Houses when you and Isabeau just happened to be walking by. They seemed to have some craft suppressing the light of their head but, you could sense it was them. You knew it was them. And you’ve been meeting with them like this at least once a week since. 

“It’s remarkable how their movements are so fluid with all that fabric,” Loop scoffs, “I feel like I can barely move in this thing.” They shake their arms slightly, their sleeves swinging. You realize you haven’t seen Loop wearing anything other than this cloak, were they…naked during the loops? You decide to stop thinking about that because that’s a weird thing to think about when they’re here with you. Even if they were, which you are NOT thinking about, that part of their body isn’t really…shaped? The same way—nope ok you are not going there nope

“Stardust, do you think…” Loop trails off. They caught you. They caught you in your thoughts of course they know what you’re thinking about, because they would be thinking about the same thing! You need to make this less weird.

“Oh Loop no no no, it’s not like that, let’s not talk about this PLEASE,” you hide yourself in your cloak, trying to escape this situation. It wouldn’t be so weird if Isa didn’t keep making jokes about you and Loop being “made for eachother” (You make a mental note that you NEED to tell Isa soon about why you and Loop are so similar. You don’t know how much longer Loop is sticking around. You don’t even know how much longer you’ll stay in Jouvente. You’d want to make sure Loop is comfortable with it, of course) 

“…You don’t think Isabeau would make one of those, for me?” 

You look up at Loop, who is still focused on the dancers. Their eyes are glowing brighter than before, and—oh stars oh stars oh STARS YOU MADE LOOP CRY

You jump up out of your chair. “Oh Loop no no no that’s not what I thought you meant!!!” you cry, Loop looking up at you with a bewildered expression, as if to say What could you possibly have thought I meant? You have to continue to reassure them, “Of course Isa would make you one, he’d be so happy if you asked!!! I’d even cover the costs!!! Let’s go ask him now, he doesn’t have any clients I think until four” You’re both delighted and utterly embarrassed but you’re going to just push those original thoughts away with three taps on your wrist. You start to move toward the door when Loop grabs your cloak. 

“Not right now, not…not yet. I’ll ask him myself tomorrow,” Loop stutters, sounding like they’re speaking through gritted teeth. You got a little too excited it seems. 

“Okay, if you come in the morning, he should be free.” You attempt to sound reassuring, but you see their shoulders are tense. Sitting back down and holding out your hands, you say, “Loop, hey c’mon, breathe with me, ok?”

Loop hesitates, but eventually places their hands on top of yours. You can feel the crackle of energy even with your gloves on. They raise their shoulders slightly as you both breathe in

…

…

…

And out. Phew! 

“Siffrin, can you be there when I ask?” 

“Of course I can, Loop, whatever you need.” You held back a few good puns that you’ll save for when Isa’s around. Loop doesn’t really… appreciate them, which you didn’t pick up on for a bit (you still like puns, so why wouldn’t they?)

The dancing ones begin to move to a different storefront to entertain, spinning out of sight. Loop stands up, puts their hood back up, and turns to you. Their eyes squint to show that put-on smile you know so well.

“~Well, Stardust, I’d better be off! Thank you kindly for the tea!” They blow you a kiss and wink. You stop yourself from rolling your eye as they start to walk off. After a few steps they stop, turn their head slightly, and say,

“I’ll see you tomorrow”

---------------

“Isa, do you have an appointment tomorrow morning?” You ask while cleaning your plate off in the sink. You and Isabeau had gotten some take-out from a local restaurant, delicious haricots vert and well seasoned chicken that is now happy in your tummy. He ended up working later than he had expected, and you’re not much of a cook.

You think of Bonnie. They’re, what, 16 now? They are your next stop once you’re ready to leave Jouvente. They’re probably a super master chef cooker by now. They’re also probably taller than you now, if Pétronille is anything to go by.

“Nope! I’m a free bird tomorrow morning, Sif. Why? Is there something you wanted to do?” Isabeau asks while cleaning off the table. He’s so different now than who he was 5 years go. His hair is longer in the back, he wears thin, square glasses, and while he isn’t as “beefy” as he was when you were on your quest to save Vaugarde, his work keeps him healthy. He’s softer now, more refined. A well-aged port wine. 

“Not me, my friend, Loop. They’re going to come over tomorrow and… ask you something. About fashion.” 

“Siffrin, that’s extremely vague.” Isabeau laughs. This is perfect. Time to go for the kill. 

“Isa, don’t you mean that’s SEW vague?” You wait for what you know is coming next, and your patience is rewarded with a loud laugh from Isa. You’re so glad you get to spend time with him again like this. A little while after your loops, you knew that you certainly loved him, but you realized that romance and dating and bonding wasn’t really for you at all. Especially when the memories of him failing to confess and pushing you away would come back anytime it was brought up. He was, understandably, a little hurt but not upset with you. That was years ago though, and you know that it was for the best.

“Oh, Sif…hah” he wheezes, putting a hand on your shoulder. You still jump a little at the sudden touch, but he doesn’t stop touching you. You smile at him. 

“Ok, but really. My friend Loop is going to come over tomorrow morning. Do you have the space for what will basically be an appointment? I’m going to be paying for it.” You ask, dropping your smile to show just how serious you are. Isabeau raises his eyebrow and smirks.

“Sure, Sif, but if it’s a friend of yours you don’t gotta pay.” His hand is still on your shoulder. “Well, I shouldn’t say that. Depending on what it is. I’m not going to make a full length ball gown for free or something like that” 

“Oh no no no, nothing like that. I’ll be there too, so we can all talk it over.” You stretch and move away from him, that extended period of touch was getting to be a little much. 

“Well, alrighty then Siffarooni, I think I’m gonna call it a night,” Isabeau yawns as he walks to the bookshelf in the corner of his dining room. He picks a novel out from the many books that fill the bookshelf, walks toward his room, and opens the door. “Good night, Sif. I’ll see ya in the morning.” 

You wave to him as he closes the door. You’ve always been more of a night owl, but since you think it’ll be an early morning, you decide going to bed would be a good idea. (You’ll miss sleeping in but this is important). You walk to the guest room you’ve been staying for the past few months and change into the soft, darkless sleeping robes Isabeau made for you. Simple, loose, and made of natural fibers. You stopped sleeping in your cloak once the frequency of your nightmares  started to decrease. (Also it can get kind of stinky)

Laying in the bed, you struggle to rest your mind. Loop and Isa have hardly interacted, and you’re surprised Loop wants to ask him themselves! Loop seems to always disappear or stay quiet whenever Isabeau is around. You can imagine it’s tough for them, if what they said about their Fighter is true, seeing Isabeau is probably a knife in their weird star heart. You struggle to get comfortable, your mind racing with hopeful thoughts for tomorrow, but eventually, sleep calls for you. 

Chapter Text

Morning came way too quickly for your liking. You would spend another hour or so laying in bed on a normal day, but today you scrambled up and out of the guest room. You have no idea if Loop sleeps in like you do, but you don’t want to risk keeping them waiting!!! You really should have picked a time, you think, but you were just so excited for Loop and Isa to finally get to talk that you forgot all about planning and schedules!

You throw your cloak on and run down the stairs to Isa’s studio. He’s probably already working, knowing him, and you were correct. You find Isabeau at his work table, measuring out yards of neatly folded fabric and writing in a sketchbook. 

“Oh, morning Sif! This is pretty early for you, isn’t it!”

“Haha, yeah…but more importantly,” you walk toward the glass front door, looking out at the street, “has Loop been by yet? Did I miss them?” The sun has probably been up for a few hours, and there are people meandering between shops, but no sign of Loop… 

“No, I don’t think I’ve seen them yet, what time were they going to come by?” Isabeau asks. Loop is pretty difficult to miss, but you do know they have some sort of craft dimming the light of their head.

“Uhh, we actually didn't. set a time. Sorry about that,” you feel so embarrassed. You are wasting Isa’s time!

“It’s all good, Siffrin, I don’t have anything scheduled til the afternoon so I’m just preparing for that,” Isabeau continues to measure the fabrics on the table. 

“Well, I rushed down here for nothing I guess,” you fold your arms and sigh. Hopefully Loop didn’t get cold feet, you were so looking forward to this. 

“It’s not often I get to see you in the morning, buddy, so I don’t mind it. You always see me after a few appointments when I’m beat,” Isa pats the stool next to him, “do you want to sit with me while we wait?” 

You walk over and sit at the table next to him, admiring the fabrics of different shades (from the lightest darkless to the darkest lightless) and textures ( fuzzy, smooth, silky, shiny) folded in perfect squares across the table, and you know not to touch them. Even if you really really want to. Isabeau is sketching designs for what looks like a floor length cape.

“That’s a cool design, Isa,” you say, “can I see?” Isabeau moves the sketch book between the two of you.

“It’s just another cloak design, haha,” he chuckles, his eyes darting between you and the drawing, “ever since you let me take a look at yours, I’ve been really interested in replicating the Craft stitching it has.” He turns the pages to reveal other cloak designs, some with delicate lacey details, some with fur, all different and unique.

“Isabeau, wow this is really-” you are interrupted by a knock on the door. Loop! Both you and Isabeau look toward the door and a familiar lightless cloaked figure stands outside. Excitedly,  you turn and hop off of the stool to greet them. After knocking, Loop had turned away from the glass door, but once you open it they turn their head to look at you, their light dimly shining under their hood. 

“Hey, Stardust…” they whisper, awkwardly shuffling in place.

“Oh, sorry sorry, come in!” you move out of the doorway to give Loop space to come inside, but they stand just out of the doorway still. You outstretch your hand toward them, a second invitation, but they just look at you. They’re scared, and you understand why. That first step toward something new can be the most terrifying, so you step outside with them, still offering your hand. You can do this together. 

You think that this must be so silly from Isabeau’s perspective, your little dance, but once Loop helped you with the scariest part, and now it’s your turn. They take your hand, and together you walk into Isa’s studio. 

“Loop! It’s great to see you!” Isabeau greets them. Loop flinches, but you hold them steady, letting them decide when to separate. They let go of your hand, and lower their hood. Their star-like head glows brightly, filling the room with a warm light. 

“Hello, Fighter~” they say, their voice dripping with a false sweetness you are so familiar with. Loop has donned the mask, and while you wish they wouldn’t (It’s not going to help them and Isa get any closer), you understand why they have to right now. At least they’re interacting at all. 

“So, Sif told me you had some questions!” Isabeau gestures toward the comfy armchair near the window of his studio where he usually holds his consultations, giving Loop permission to sit. He turns to a new page in his sketchbook and stands up. 

“No, I am perfectly fine standing.” Loop states quickly, “I have less of a question, more of a request. A commission, perhaps,” Loop strides toward a mannequin near Isabeau’s consultation area, one which happens to be wearing one of the wide-sleeved flowing garments Loop had their eye on the other day. 

“Ah, are you interested in the robe de tente? It seems to be all the rage right now in Jouvente fashion!” Isabeau approaches the mannequin as well, and you see Loop tense up as he gets closer. You must do your job of Loop Support, so you walk in between them quickly. Isabeau looks at you with one eyebrow raised, but you just smile and stand between them. Isabeau shrugs, seemingly understanding, or at least just accepting, whatever you’re doing. 

“Yes, I am. I would like to purchase one to wear.” Loop says, “do you have the availability to make one for me.” You do think Loop would look nice in the robe de tente? you think Isa called it. 

“Of course, I do require a down payment to start,” you interrupt Isabeau with a cough, “but, Sif told me he’s going to cover that, so we could take some measurements today and talk about design.”

This is going so well, you think! They’re talking, interacting, forming a relationship, this is so exciting! Two of your favorite people in the world, finally coming together. You hope this can continue, and Loop can meet Mirabelle, Odile, Bonnie, Pétronille… and your whole family can be together. This just needs to go well. You’re zoning out though, and they seem to still be talking. 

“So, star motifs, that’s pretty interesting, and would really stick out here in Jouvente! You don’t see a lot of star designs around here.” Isabeau jots down notes in his sketchbook around his design, “If you want to stick out, that is.”

“I think no matter what I wear, I’ll stand out a bit, won’t I?” Loop laughs, holding a hand up to their face.

“Heh, that’s true. You really shine quite brightly,” Isabeau pauses, squinting his eyes, making a squished face that makes it look like he’s thinking pretty hard about something, “If you don’t mind, is the cloak you're wearing possibly…created with Craft stitching?” he asks. Oh, of course. That’s how Loop’s light is dimmed when their hood is up. You wonder if someone in the House has discovered, or rediscovered, this technique. Loop’s posture stiffens, and they slowly lower their hand. 

“I was just wondering, it’s very interesting to me, as I’ve only ever seen a few pieces made with the technique! Apologies if that was a bit too personal!” Isabeau says with an uneasy laugh, scratching the back of his head. 

“No, no, it’s alright, of course you would notice!” Loop says, mask back on, “to answer your question, yes, it is Craft stitching. Something I’ve been practicing while staying at the House.”

“You made this?!” You blurt out. If Loop made this, does that mean…

“It’s not what you think, Stardust,” Loop says under their breath, “they have a textbook I was able to translate. I’ve been…learning” 

Oh…still! 

“Still!!! That’s exciting!!!” You smile, “maybe…I can learn too.”

“I mean, I would love to read this textbook as well! I can’t believe I didn't find this in my research!” Isabeau exclaims, sounding significantly more enthusiastic than you. You would like to learn, this is true, but that might take you months, and he’d easily be able to figure it out within the week. And, if Loop has already translated the textbook, then he really wouldn’t need your help at all... 

“Uh, it most likely just slipped the Housemaidens’ minds, yanno?” you remind Isabeau. While it doesn’t upset you as much as it had in the past, the memory of your home continues to be obscured. 

“Ohhhh, of course, of course…wait, does that mean, Loop, are you also from-“

“Ah well, I’d better be going!” Loop interrupts Isabeau, briskly clapping while taking a large step backward. Seems like things were getting too personal, “is there anything else you’d need from me, Fighter?” 

Isabeau crosses his arms and looks troubled, but continues on with the professional interaction, “I’ll just need to take some measurements, but if you’ve got to go, we could schedule an appointment for sometime this week?”

“What about tomorrow? Would that work?” Loop closes their eyes in a smile, holding their hands together behind their back. You’re surprised they’d want to come back so soon, but maybe that means things are going well? 

“I can be at the appointment again, Loop, if you’d like,” you offer. Loop’s eyes focus on you with a subtle change in their expression, which you struggle to interpret, but a gentle nod from them tells you this expression means please. You will wake up as early as you need to. Isabeau flips through the sketchbook, looking at notes he’s taken. You’re not sure how he keeps track of everything. Appointments, projects, supply orders, events, research, design…and he keeps all of that in his head. Or at least, somewhere written down. You’d never be able to accomplish what he has with your swiss-cheese memory. It’s blinding pathetic, you’re like a parasitic shadow, following him, you-

Someone is holding your hand. 

Loop is looking at you intently, the shock of their abnormally warm hand stopping your thoughts instantly. You both breathe in…

…

…

…

And out. Things are still hard, even after all this time. 

“I think…I need something to eat,” you say. You were so excited for Loop to come over, you skipped the most important meal of the day… bad move. Loop nods, and lets go of your hand. Isabeau looks up at you from his sketchbook and pouts.

“There were some sausages and eggs I left out, did you…not eat, Sif?” Isabeau asks. There was even food out, and you missed it?! WORSE MOVE!!! Your expression seems to tell Isabeau all he needs to know, and he sighs, “Sif, bud, you can’t skip breakfast!” 

“I know…I was just, so…egg-cited,” you smirk, even on an empty stomach, you still have jokes. You always have jokes. Simultaneously, Isa laughs boisterously and Loop sighs, but you’re distracting them now!! Loop’s follow-up appointment hasn’t been scheduled!!! You look at Loop apologetically, they really don’t seem amused. Oops…

“Well, anyway, yes I could make some time tomorrow. It looks like I should be free around midday, if that time would work,” Isabeau continues, professional as always. As excited as you were for this, now you’re struggling to pay attention. But you just have to push through! A (cold) plate of yummy breakfast is waiting for you upstairs! 

“We can take some measurements, talk about fabric and fit, all that good stuffy stuff tomorrow! I’m looking forward to it, Loop!” Isabeau smiles, and Loop’s shoulders raise slightly, their head glowing brighter. You’ve only seen that happen when they’re angry or upset, have you completely misread this whole encounter!? You reach for Loop’s hand, but they pull away, rejecting your attempt for comfort. You sigh, you wish you could peer into their head like they are able to peer into yours. They’ve experienced everything you have and more (save for the past 5 years). Instead, your hands find your shoulders, and you make yourself small. 

“Yes, well, I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow~” Loop says, winking. Then they turn to you, “and you as well, Stardust. Make sure you take care of yourself, okay?” They look at you rather seriously, and you nod.

“I will, don’t you worry about me, okay?” You reassure them, and you mean it. This is for them after all, and you want them to be happy. They deserve to be happy, after everything. Taking care of this body, that once belonged to them, is the least you can do. Loop raises their hood back over their head, and the room feels colder. They wave to you and Isabeau, walk toward the door, and leave. 

They did it!!! They talked to Isabeau!!! It’s really really really happening!!! You get so happy you jump but–ugh oh your stomach growls. You have to eat NOW!!! 

“Woah Sif! Did you get a pet LION without telling me?!” Isabeau teases, poking your shoulder. You don’t flinch, but it tickles. You brush him away playfully. 

“C’mon, it wasn’t that loud. You’re making things up!” you laugh, but each moment spent enjoying his company is another moment you haven’t eaten, “I’m going to go, thank you so much again. I’ll see you later?”

“It’s no problem at all, Sif!” Isabeau smiles, “I’m glad to finally get to talk to them after all this time. I never did get to repay them for helping us. This is the least I can do…” he trails off, looking at the glass door. He goes quiet for a bit, which is weird, which only makes your stomach growling again seem even LOUDER. STARS YOU MUST EAT NOW!! Isabeau laughs at your woes.

“Go ahead and eat some breakfast, silly,” he says after he catches his breath, “I’ll talk to you later,”

You nod, “Yes! Talk to you later!” you smile at him, and turn to rush up the stairs, ignoring his pleas for you to be careful-

You just NEED to eat breakfast!

Chapter Text

“So Loop, if I could just have you stand here…” Isabeau says, gesturing to the wooden platform he’s placed in front of a large standing mirror in his consultation area. Isabeau, very kindly, rearranged his studio for this appointment so that you could sit in the big comfy armchair while Loop is being measured. He said it was really no trouble at all, plenty of his clients will bring friends or partners to their appointments, he does this all the time. You’re just glad you don’t have to sit on one of the wooden stools. It’s a little after midday, but you still yawn. You woke up early again today, hours before Loop’s appointment, and not even on purpose this time. It must be all the excitement messing with your sleep, not to mention two days in a row of having to do something other than your usual routine of walking around the city, eating good food, and spending time with Isa. 

Loop steps up onto the wooden platform and even though you can’t see their face, you can tell how nervous they are. They still rub their hands together when they’re the center of attention, like you do, and take deep breaths to calm themselves down, like you do. You hope Isa doesn’t notice those similarities…

“Alright! So, Loop, we’re going to take some measurements now. We’ll start at the top and make our way down, starting with the bust measurement,” Isabeau explains, pantomiming circles around his chest.  That is going to be a Hard one. He’s taken your measurements once before, and it was basically as close to a hug one can get without actually hugging. You hope Loop can handle it…

“Do I need to take this off?” Loop asks, grasping the fabric of their floor-length robe. 

“Only if you’re comfortable! If you need a place to change, I have a sorta-private area.” Isabeau says, gesturing to a corner of the room hidden by some hanging fabric. You’ve changed there before, though you do prefer the privacy of a closed and locked door. 

“Oh, no need,” Loop says, as they begin to lift the bottom of the robe. Wait wait WAIT! You get up out of your chair to stop them, Isabeau would be expecting them to be wearing CLOTHES underneath and the last time you saw Loop in Dormont they- oh, they’re wearing pants, and a shirt. Oh. Good.

“Uh, Sif, everything alright?” Isabeau asks, as you're standing with your arm outstretched toward Loop. You quickly move back, as Loop pulls the robe over their head. The glow of their chest is faintly visible through the darkless shirt they are wearing, as Loop lets the heavy robe drop to the floor around them with a resounding thud. They look at Isabeau, and then you, and then back to Isabeau, who happens to be…staring at them a little. You cough, and Isabeau jumps. 

“Is there something on my shirt?” Loop giggles, lifting a hand over where their mouth must be. You chuckle, you don’t hear Loop joke around much, hopefully that means they feel comfortable? 

Actually, thinking about it, it probably means the opposite. 

“Ack! I’m sorry, it’s just…,” Isabeau pauses, looking away and scratching the back of his head, “…I’m sorry about that, why don’t we get started!” He says, and walks toward Loop, fumbling in his pocket. Huh, that face he made, the way he looked away…Isabeau. Following an old script, one that you want to erase from your memory erase from your memory erase from your memory erase-

You close your eyes, taking a deep breath. You have coping mechanisms, strategies, skills you’ve learned to help yourself when things remind you of being there. You’re not there, you’re not there, and you’re not there. You’re in Jouvente, you’re wearing different clothes, your hair is longer, you’re safe and you’re here. You’re good! You reopen your eyes, and Isabeau has successfully fished a long strip of fabric with dark lines drawn in a pattern along it. Oh, you know what that’s called, he uses that to measure…Measuring string?

“It’s alright, I know my glow is jarring,” Loop states, matter of factly. Do they really think that?

“Wha–no, no no, that’s not it! It’s…” come on Isa, say it. Compliment them. Don’t follow that old script. Please. “...it’s really nice, actually,” Isa smiles. You grin widely, yes!!! Go Isa!! You wish you had a snack, honestly, this is almost like watching a play! Except, you don’t know how it will end. And, you played one of the roles before. And, oh stars if things don’t go the right way there are no do-overs, no rehearsal, no director’s notes…maybe don’t think about this that way, Siffrin.

They’ve started taking Loop’s measurements. Isabeau is standing next to them, holding that measuring string in one hand. Loop raises their arms, giving Isabeau room to gently pull the string (fabric? tape? TAPE!) around Loop’s chest. The basically-a-hug…

Each time after Isa takes a measurement, he walks back over to the table to write notes down in his sketchbook, but at some point, maybe during the waist measurement, you notice that room has gotten a little. Warm? Warmer than it should be? You’re fine, you’re wearing your cloak, but Isa is having trouble keeping a firm grip on his measuring tape. While he holds the tape around Loop’s waist, he squints and leans down closer to Loop, and you see Loop’s head shine brighter. 

“Sorry about that, just needed a bit of a closer look,” Isabeau says, but Loop doesn’t respond. The sun has started to move down from its peak, so Loop’s shine is getting brighter and brighter by comparison. Just like with the rest of the measurements, Isa walks back to the table to write notes in his sketchbook. You need to help Loop calm down. 

“Loop,” you whisper, “You don’t have to push yourself.” They just…glare at you. Oh stars…

Isa walks back over to you two, blinking as he adjusts to the brightness. He smiles, “Just a few more, alright? We can take a break if you need, I’ve got some water-”

“No. Let’s keep going. I’m fine.” Loop says. Isabeau looks at you, and you shrug. You’re not sure what to do, but if that’s what they want, you know you’re not really going to be able to change their mind. 

“Sif, uh, could you take notes for me? I’m, uh,” Isabeau chuckles, “just needing to focus a little here, if you wouldn’t mind.” You jump up off the chair, and Isabeau hands you his sketchbook. You can feel the heat growing as you get closer to Loop.

“Having a heat source as a head isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Loop comments, looking away from you and Isabeau, “I wouldn’t recommend it, I wear that hood for a reason…” Loop crosses their arms, as Isabeau kneels down to take the measurement around Loop’s hips.

“I don’t know, the winter months can get pretty cold here,” Isabeau says, squinting to read his measuring tape, “uh, Sif write, H…41.” You nod, and scribble down the note H 41 underneath the measurements Isa has already taken. These numbers look strangely. Familiar? For some reason. 

Isabeau groans and stands up (did you just hear something pop?). He steps back from Loop, who is still looking away, their arms still crossed. Loop asks, “Was that all?”

“Just one more, and then we're all good. I need to take the length from the bottom of your neck, for the length of the garment,” Isabeau says, “Would you mind uncrossing your arms for a moment?” Loop jumps a little (a reaction to realize they are being perceived, you know) and complies. They lower their arms to their sides, and you can see their hands open and close, looking for something to ground themselves on. You approach to take their hand, but before you can…

“Don’t talk down about yourself though, the way you shine, it's honestly really beautiful,” Isabeau says, and suddenly, Loop loses their footing. You reach forward, attempting to catch them, but Isa was faster. His measuring tape drops to the floor, as Isa and Loop stand frozen, one of Isa’s hands holding Loop up by their lower back. Loop has one leg on the platform, the other hanging limply, but again, before you can intervene, Loop pushes Isa away. They stumble off the platform, falling to the floor, their light grows so bright you’re forced to shield your eyes. A suffocating heat emanates from their completely obscured form. 

“No…no, d-don’t. Don’t say that,” they stutter. 

“Loop, I’m sorry, that was crossing a line, I…I’m so sorry,” Isabeau apologizes as he steps back, shielding his eyes. 

You’ve been watching them get closer, then push away, closer and farther, over and over again. If Loop could just accept–oh. This. Is this what Loop saw? Every loop? You’d walk up to Isabeau, talking and laughing, but then not really being close? Him not being able to tell you how he felt, and you just going through the motions? The circumstances are much different  but, here, you’re…Loop. You don’t know what the right thing to do is, you’re not able to help directly, but…you’re here with them. You need to be here for them. 

“Isa, I’m going to take Loop upstairs, okay?” you say. Isa, his brows furrowed, nods slowly. You walk over into the light, squinting to find where they are sitting, and kneel down in front of Loop. You reach out your hand, looking for their shoulder, but the heat is too much. 

“Loop,” you say, softly. You can hear them crying, “I’m here, Loop.” You open your palm face up toward them. From the light, you see Loop’s dark hand, crackling with energy, slowly emerge and rest itself upon yours. You really, really, REALLY try your best to ignore the heat (thank the stars you’re wearing gloves). 

“This is so blinding embarrassing, Stardust,” Loop sobs. You hold back a chuckle at their unintended pun, and instead move to stand.

“Let’s go upstairs for a bit, Loop,” you say as you and Loop rise to your feet. You look at Isabeau and smile as reassuringly as you can. He looks at you with what you think is a rather uncertain expression, and picks up his measuring tape off the floor. You need to make sure he’s okay too, but right now Loop needs you. You subtly wave to Isabeau as you and Loop walk upstairs. 

—-------

You sit with Loop on Isabeau’s couch as they sob, their arms wrapped around their legs, and their head buried in their knees, and all you can do is sit and wait. You wish you could take this pain away from them (though with your track record, you’d probably just make it worse by wishing) but you’re just not sure what to do other than just. Sit here with them. They certainly aren’t as bright or as hot as they were before, so you’re able to be next to them somewhat comfortably. Eventually, they will probably stop and pretend that everything is fine, so you guess you just need to wait. 

“St…Siffrin…I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” they say after some time. You weren’t expecting them to talk, so you scramble to respond.

“What do you mean?” you ask. They raise their head, wiping an eye with one of their hands.

“I thought,” Loop mumbles, taking in a deep breath before continuing, “I thought he would find me…repulsive.” Their head drops back to their knees, as they choke back a sob. You can’t just sit here anymore, you need to do something. 

“What do you need right now, Loop? Touch, time, or just to be together?”

“Is that something you learned in therapy?” they mutter, turning their head to look at you, “is that one of your coping strategies?”

“You’re avoiding the question, Loop,” you sigh, but they don’t respond. You sit in silence for a few moments, until suddenly their body falls sideways toward you, their head landing in your lap. So, touch it is.

They rest their head in your lap, sobbing, and slowly you raise your left hand behind their back, giving them warning that you are about to touch them. While you are a little more used to touch now, you are never the one initiating. You’re not really sure how to know that it’s ok, or when someone is expecting it, but hopefully your warning here is enough for Loop. After waiting a few seconds, you rest your hand on their back, slowly moving from side to side. They let out a louder cry, are you doing this right? Are you being comforting?

You stay here like this for what feels like half an hour. You wouldn’t dare move, as they seem to be calming down. While they would probably absolutely hate to hear this, they aren’t really able to hide their emotions. You thought you were good at that once, too, but in reality, your family always knew something was wrong even if you said otherwise. You think, if Isa just knew, if you could tell him about you and Loop, he would understand. He would accept Loop unconditionally, and Loop would be able to get the happy ending they wanted so bad back then. 

“Loop, I know you didn’t want this before, but I think if we told Isa about us he would-”

“No.” They sit up, looking you in the eye, “No, we will not tell him. I do not want him to know about that.”

You open your mouth to speak, but it’s probably best you don’t push this. If they really feel that way, then you’ll let it go for now, but you still feel bad about it. It feels like lying to Isabeau, which makes you feel icky inside. 

“I think I’m ready to go back now, Siffrin,” they say, as they stand up from the couch. You don’t really believe them, but regardless, you stand up as well and walk toward the stairs. At some point on the way down the stairs, Loop’s hand found yours. They hold onto you tightly as you reach the final stair, back into Isabeau’s studio. He’s sitting in the armchair, looking out the window, chewing on one of his knuckles. As your heel meets the floor with a gentle click, Isabeau’s head quickly turns to look at the two of you. He stands up, rubbing his chewed knuckle with the thumb of his other hand.

“Ah, Loop, I just wanted to say I’m so sorry, I crossed a line, and truly-”

“~Don’t worry about it, Fighter,” Loop says, letting go of your hand. They straighten their posture, and gently stride back toward the platform, choosing to ignore the cracks in their mask. A true performer…

“Oh, uh, well still. I am genuinely very, very sorry,” Isabeau repeats, “I would understand if you don’t want to continue, or reschedule for another time, I’ve got plenty of time next week.”

“I said,” Loop steps back up onto the platform, “don’t worry about it. Let’s continue, alright~” You’re proud of them for staying to finish the appointment, you weren’t sure if they were just going to leave again, but you’re really not sure if this is going to go well. All you can do, though, is be here for them if they need you. You can do that. 

“Well, alright,” Isabeau says as he looks at you with one eyebrow raised. You shrug and nod, you aren’t really sure how else to reassure him. He purses his lips and furrows his brows, and you know that is his “thinking hard about a tough decision” face, but he turns back to Loop, “If that’s the case, then would it be alright if we picked back up with that last measurement? Or we could talk about the shade and fabric and-”

“You’re so thoughtful, Fighter~” Loop interrupts, “or should I say, Fashion Designer, but truly, no need. I’m perfectly fine.” 

“Why do you call me fighter, anyway?” Isabeau asks, holding the measuring tape from the nape of Loop’s neck to their mid thigh, “the only thing I fight these days is carpal tunnel.” Isabeau had grabbed his sketchbook at some point before you and Loop went upstairs, you guess you dropped it without realizing, but he writes down what you assume is that last measurement while walking back toward the table. 

“Well,” Loop’s eyes squint in a smile, “It’s all I know about you. You fought Sadnesses, The King, the end of the world…You’re quite the mystery to me.” You never really understood that either, Isabeau was never really a fighter, honestly he acted more like a cheerleader during your time in the House in Dormont, was Loop’s Isabeau really all that different? Though, you guess this might just be how Loop copes, and you can’t really judge them that much for that. 

“That was all a long time ago…” Isabeau says, holding a few shade swatches and squares of fabric as he walks back toward Loop, “Now, for the fabric, I do have a few options. Go ahead and feel these, and tell me which you’re interested in.” 

Loop takes the swatches from Isa, feeling them intently between their hands. They rub their fingers on each, grimacing at the texture of a few (you understand this well, as you wear the same clothes basically everyday. Fabric-feel is very important)

“This is just to get an idea of what type of fiber you’d like. I have silk, linen, and cotton here, as well as a few different shade options.” Isabeau explains, as he fans out the shade options like a magician with playing cards. 

“I think I like…” Loop pauses as they transfer all of the fabric squares to one hand. They pick a swatch from the middle of Isa’s options, “this one. Yes. I like this one. And for the fabric, this one.” They hold up one of the fabric options, but you can’t tell which one it is.

“Ah, cotton! Great choice,” Isabeau very helpfully states, and you try to remember something you know is made of cotton…

 You’re pretty sure your sleeping clothes are made with that. They’re soft, and comfortable. Isabeau is right, a great choice. 

“That’s all I need, now, for the fitting, I think next week I should-” Isabeau flips through his sketchbook.

“Another…appointment?” Loop says, their hands curling into fists. That’s your cue, you jump off your chair and quickly walk to the platform Loop is standing on, ready for whatever they need. 

“Well, just for the final fitting. After that, we’d be all done, and you…” Isabeau stops himself, and smiles, “and that’ll be it!” You’re worried about the both of them, and you’re glad you’re here but you wonder, was this really a good idea? Can they even be friends? And what Isa just said, and you… and you what? And ‘you’ll never have to see me again’? 

“I’ll be there,” you state. 

“Then, I’ll be back in a week,” Loop says, stepping off the platform. They gather their robe off the floor, “I’ll see you then, Fi— Fashion Designer~” They draw out those finals words as if to tease him. It's clunkier, opposed to fighter, but you're not going to point this out. At least, not right now.  

“And, again, Loop, I’m incredibly sorry for crossing the line earlier, it won’t happen aga-”

“Stop,” Loop interrupts, their glittery facade dropping just a moment. You’re taken aback, and it seems Isabeau is as well, they sound so scared. They quickly recompose themselves, and say, “It’s true, I was a little caught off guard earlier but, it’s fine. Really.” 

Now come on, really? You can be like this too sometimes, pretend you’re fine after having a moment and not wanting to talk about it, but they basically became the sun earlier. You don’t get surprised and flashbang an entire room, but maybe these are star things you just can’t understand. 

“...And I’m sorry too, for the record. You probably don’t run into a lot of environmental hazards in this field,” they sigh. 

“Hey, nothing caught on fire, and I got a nice base for a tan! If you’re really alright,” Isabeau smiles, “then we’re alright.” 

Huh, they actually. Talked it out? Not really in depth but, they both apologized. You’re surprised, but you guess they’ve had all this time to figure all these feelings-things out too… You need to stop expecting them to act exactly like you. You need to work on getting to know who Loop is. 

They pull their lightless cloak back over their head, say goodbye to the both of you, and walk out the door. At the same time, Isa and you take a long deep breath,

…

…

…

Phew…

“How are you holding up? That was…rough,” You say. Isabeau laughs quietly.

“Yeah…Wasn’t really what I was expecting to be honest. They seem so poised, but it’s really my fault, yanno?” He looks at the door, frowning, “I made them uncomfortable. It’s literally my job to make people feel beautiful or handsome or gorgeous or whatever, and I made them uncomfortable. I just wanted to do something to repay them for helping us find you back then.”

“They’re just really nervous, Isa. They spent a lot of time alone once, a long time alone,” you say.

“Ah, no wonder you two get along so well. You’ve got a lot in common,” Isabeau says. 

You really don’t, the more you think about it. 

Chapter Text

It’s been OVER a week since you’ve seen Loop, and you’re definitely starting to worry. They said they’d be back! And usually, they’d be over every few days to sit outside and talk with you, but it’s been a whole eight days! Each day that passes you get a little more worried they’re never coming back, and you can’t really tell Isabeau how you feel because what if you let the cat out of the bag! But he certainly is. Very curious. You’ve been spending more time in his shop, waiting for Loop, which also means he’s had more time to question you…

“So, how did the two of you meet in the loops again?” 

“Are there any foods Loop likes that I could have around for when they come back, to help them feel comfortable?”

“Oh Sif, I was just curious, what’s Loop’s craft type?”

questions Questions QUESTIONS!!! He won’t stop!!! You’re doing your best to answer them very vaguely to not give anything away, but he’s making it difficult to keep Loop’s secret!!! He’s definitely onto you, but you have to stay vigilant. You have to stay STRONG! Even if he seems to know exactly the worst questions to ask. Right now, you’re both sitting at the table down in his studio, you’re fidgeting with a tool that looks like a small circular blade on a stick, and Isa is working on some handsewing. You were watching him work, but after he sewed on the 6th star appliqué, you got a little bored. 

“It’s about as done as it’s going to get without a final fitting,” Isabeau says, sounding a little frustrated, “I left yesterday open, but, you know…”

“They never showed,” you frown, your head dropping to the table. You groan, why why why??? Yeah, it didn’t go WELL last time, yeah it was awkward after, but they said they would come back. You and Isabeau had talked it over quite a bit, and honestly, he’s holding up pretty well considering how intense it all was. For the first few days, he worked silently (until a client came in, and then you would promptly leave his studio), but after quite a bit of reassurance (and his weekly check-up with his doctor), he seems to be doing ok. What good coping skills does for a fella…

“Actually…” Isabeau flips through the pages in his sketchbook, stopping at a page near the beginning. He looks at it for a few seconds, then turns to you, “I’d completely understand if this is a no, but would you be okay with. possibly. helping me with the fitting? It’s just that you and Loop actually have really similar measurements, if you would be able to, I mean I totally get it if no! It wouldn’t be a lot of touching, I promise, it’s just the” Oh stars he’s still going. Stop him now! Before he runs out of steam!

“Sure, Isa. I could do that,” you say, ignoring the feeling of despair growing deep in your stomach. The sooner the dress is done, the sooner you can see Loop, right?

—————

It’s been years since you’ve worn a dress. Decades, probably. You can feel the breeze coming in from the propped open front door on your legs (and even worse feel your leg hair MOVE), and it’s cold, and it’s weird. But you are doing this for Loop. 

You’re facing away from the mirror that the clients standing on this platform would usually be able to see, for two reasons. One, you will get embarrassed and overwhelmed seeing yourself in a dress, and two, you’d rather it be a surprise what it looks like on Loop’s body, and while you two aren’t exactly the same, it’ll be pretty blinding close. 

Isabeau is kneeling to the right of you, holding a needle and thread. He’s looking very intently at the length of the skirt, sewing some lace details in place. He’s poured so much care into this garment, spending long nights working on it (and sometimes even skipping dinner with you!)  Even if they don’t become friends, even if they never speak again, Loop will have a pretty dress. 

“You know, Sif, I didn’t really think of this before, but if you wanted, I could make you a dress like this, too,” Isabeau offers politely, snipping a bit of thread with a delicate pair of scissors, “so the two of you could match.” This dress really is pretty, but it’s not you. It’s not yours. 

“No, that’s ok,” you say, “This is for Loop, and I want them to have something that’s just theirs.” They share too much with you already…

“Hm? What was that? ‘Share too much already’? Is that a secret lore drop?” Isabeau teases, standing up to look you in the eye, a big toothy smile on his face.  Ohhhh no, did you say that last part out loud? Oops…

“Haha, ahhh… yeah. They tell me everything haha! You know?” Fix this! Make a normal excuse! Something that makes sense! “Like, we just share information! With each other!” 

Isabeau raises his eyebrow at you, “Well… that’s good Sif! Always good to have a talking buddy!” He pokes the needle into a…round, fabric, tomato? that is attached to his belt, takes a few steps back, and looks at his handiwork. It’s pretty weird to see him look you up and down like this, but he’s not actually looking at you. He’s done such a wonderful job, really, and you’re so happy for Loop. After his thorough inspection, he smiles and claps his hands. 

“Great! Thanks so much, Siffrin! I’m happy with it, and hopefully Loop will be too,” Isabeau beams.

“Uh, so I can change now?” you ask, sheepishly. You’d like to put some pants back on as soon as possible. 

“Yep, you’re all good. If you wouldn’t mind putting the dress on a hanger, I should have one back there,’ he says, gesturing to the cloth hanging in the corner, hiding his ‘dressing room’. You grimace, and Isa laughs at your pained expression. “You don’t have to change back there, Sif. I’m just saying there’s a hanger you can grab,” he chuckles, shaking his head. Oh…he does know that about you, that you don’t feel comfortable changing down here. You are very good friends who know things about each other, but these little reminders that you are loved are very much appreciated. 

You jump off the platform, and you can feel the fabric of the dress sway around you as you move. It’s really beautiful, and you can see out of the corner of your eye that the stars on the skirt shine as the light hits them. Loop is going to look absolutely gorgeous in this, you just know it. You grab the hanger from the private zone, and make your way upstairs, feeling the dress bounce around you as you climb each step. 

Once in the safety of the guest room, you VERY CAREFULLY remove the dress and place it on a hanger. You managed to dextrously place the dress on the hanger without really having to look, being very cautious to not catch any stitches.

Now fully clothed, you grab the hanger with your left hand to obscure it as much as possible from your vision (half-blind perks) to return to Isa. He takes the dress from you and puts it in a black, plasticy bag that you know has a specific name when it comes to holding clothes, and it conveniently covers the dress fully so you don’t have to avoid looking at it anymore. 

“Welp, all that’s left is to get this to Loop. Are you able to contact them, Sif?” he asks. 

“I can try.”

——————

It’s been hours, and you’ve been trying but you can’t reach Loop. Are you doing the craft sign wrong??? Are you not wanting it hard enough??? Was this something that only worked in the loops??? IS LOOP GONE??? You rock back and forth, trying to breathe but your chest feels so tight and heavy. You try again, make a fist, thumb and pinkie finger out, hold your hand up to your ear, think about Loop and….

“Loop…please, answer me…please,” you sob. No response.

No response. 

NO RESPONSE. 

You slam that hand down on the floor of Isa’s bathroom, Loop… Loop can’t be gone, you can’t lose them again, you’re…did you fail them? Did you step in it so bad that they hate you now? Are you so BLINDING STUPID that you didn’t see the signs they didn’t want your help? This has to be…has to be all your fault. 

The last time you tried this was after

after everything. After Loop disappeared the first time. It was just like now, in the bathroom of some random inn outside of Dormont, and you felt so.        empty.                               Like you would never see   the sun   again.

You can’t be alone right now. Slowly, you raise to your feet, supporting most of your weight on the bathroom sink.   You need help.    You need to talk to your family. 

You stumble out of the bathroom, your legs shaking underneath you, and you see that Isa is sitting in the fog that must be his living room.      Family.             You need family.    You   are   dy   ing   ?

Isabeau stands, and suddenly, he’s in front of you. You see his mouth moving, but you can’t hear him speak. You need   to  feel  some  thing  .

Your hand is warm, and you’re sitting on the couch now. You’re not dead. Isabeau is next to you, holding your hand. You blink a few times, looking at him, and feel the stickiness of dried tears on your eye. 

“Isa…” you croak. Ouch! Your throat feels tight, and DRY! “can I have some water?”

“Yeah! Yes, Sif. I’ll have to get up to go and get it, is that ok?” You nod, and Isabeau slowly gets up for the kitchen. You take a few deep breaths, attempting to ground yourself for the few moments you are left alone. Soon, he returns, glass of water in hand, which you take quickly and guzzle down. Relief…

“It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it,” Isabeau says as he sits back down next to you.

“I…I do. I can. It’s about,” you feel yourself start to tear up again, feel your chest tighten, so you stop and breathe. You’re ok. You can do this.

“It’s Loop. I’m so scared, Isa. I’m so blinding scared they’re never going to come back, I’ll never see them again, I’ll forget them, they’ll forget me, they-”

“Woah, woah slow down Sif,” Isabeau interrupts, “We don’t know for sure if any of that will happen.”

You know that he’s right, but it doesn’t make you feel any better. You hold your breath, trying to stop yourself from letting any more tears fall from your eye, but he doesn’t seem impressed. 

“Do you maybe know where they’ve been staying? Maybe we can ask around,” Isabeau suggests. You take a deep breath before responding, allowing the tears to flow. 

“Yeah,” you sniffle,”I think they’re staying at one of the Houses. I saw them coming out of one once…” 

“Perfect! I’ve delivered to a House before, and I don’t have any appointments tomorrow, why don’t we just walk around and check the close ones out. Two birds with one stone,” Isabeau says. He would do that?

“You would do that? Really?” you ask. Isabeau smiles and nods, and a tiny bit of hope begins to rebuild inside of you. 

“Of course, Sif. I want to make sure they’re ok, too,” he says, “We can leave first thing tomorrow.”

—-

You’ve been to every House close to Isa’s, and you can’t find Loop anywhere. Right after leaving Isa’s, he asked you which House you saw Loop leaving and you…couldn’t remember exactly. So you just went to all of them. You’ve been to 5 different Houses, asking for a Star-headed individual named Loop, but none of the housemaidens confirmed that they’ve seen them. You asked Isabeau literally HOW is that possible, but he told you that sometimes people staying in the Houses don’t want to be found, for one reason or another. 

“Sif, we’ve been to every House nearby,” Isa pants, wiping his brow, “The next closest one is over an hour walk away.”

“I know, I know, but…” you say.

“How about this, let’s drop it off at the main House in the area and leave a note ok?” Isa says, “then, huff , the housemaidens can get it to Loop, and hopefully they’ll read the note aswell!” You really want to see them, to make sure they aren’t gone yourself, but if they don’t want to be found…

“That’s a good idea, Isa,” you frown, “smart Isabeau…”

“Yep! That’s me! Always thinking with this big old brain of mine! Let’s go, Sif.” 

You make the trek back to the largest House in the area, making idle conversation as you go. This feels like the end somehow, and you try to not think about how you might never see Loop again, how you might start to forget that weird put-on voice they do, their eyes, their hands, their-

“Oh, there they are,” Isa interrupts your thoughts, and you quickly look up to see, yes! That has to be Loop, in the courtyard next to the House! They’re wearing that huge, heavy, lightless robe, and even though their hood is up, you can tell! That is definitely Loop! You’re running before you realize, and soon, you’re at the entrance to the courtyard. 

“Loop!” you yell, which causes them to jump and turn around. Now that you’re here, you notice actually quite a few people standing around, oh and they’re all doing similar poses, and there’s someone playing violin– oh, you’ve interrupted a class, haven’t you. 

“Siffrin.” Loop glares at you, “What are you doing here.” Loop’s classmates all turn around to look at you. A few of them begin whispering to each other, is that…  yes yes I think it is… what are they doing here?

The teacher claps their hands and grins, attempting to regain the attention of their class, “Well, seems as good a time as any to take a quick break. 15 minutes everyone!” The class disperses, and Loop, after looking around, approaches you. 

“Loop, really, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt,” you apologize.

“It’s fine, Siffrin,” Loop groans.

“I was excited to see you, ok?” you say, “I was worried! I wasn’t sure if you were gone again.”

“Oh come on, I just needed some space,” Loop sighs, “Who are you to chastise me for wanting to avoid my problems for a while? You avoided yours for #### loops!”

“Loop. Remember what you said. To tell them? To not hide anything?”

“...I remember,” 

“I want you around, Loop, I missed you. The thing I’m afraid of the most is losing anyone in my family,” you confess, really trying to drill into their starry skull that they are loved. 

 “Family?” Loop looks at you, eyebrows furrowed, “me?”

“Loop,” Isabeau interrupts, approaching from behind you. You jump, you forgot he was here. You guess he was giving Loop and you some time to talk. He continues, “It’s my fault, I suggested we come look for you. We came to deliver this to you,” and he holds up the covered dress. Loop sheepishly takes the garment from Isabeau, looking over the opaque plastic cover. 

“But, if you’re ever feeling up to it, come by the shop again sometime. I’d like to see the dress on you– if you need alterations! Of course! Or something!” Isabeau stammers, his shoulders raised in embarrassment. It’s almost funny to see him get flustered like this now, that you know what it means. 

Loop looks back at their class, which doesn’t seem to be reconvening anytime soon (you don’t really understand how these classes stay on schedule), and says, “Wait here.” They run off back into the House, leaving you and Isabeau standing just outside the courtyard alone. It’s your turn now to prod at him. 

“So. You’d like to see Loop again, huh?” you tease. 

“Don’t even start, Siffrin.” Isabeau covers his face with his hands, attempting to hide how dark it’s turning. You chuckle, this is really something, isn’t it. You don’t know how Loop feels about that sort of thing but, somehow, this feels right to you. 

After a few minutes, Loop bounds out of the large front gate of the House, wearing the dress, and it looks so much better on them than you could have ever imagined. It is a closer to lightless shade with a high neckline, wide flowing sleeves, and a large, bouncing skirt with ruffles. There is a darkless diamond panel in the center of the chest (outlining where their chest star would be), and there are darkless embroidered AND glittering applique stars along the bottom of the skirt and sleeves. They look so beautiful, and you realize your mouth is hanging wide open. You blink a few times and look at Isa subtly, and he’s wearing a very similar expression. Loop looks so genuinely happy, and dances around to show off the movement of the skirt and sleeves. 

“Oh, thank you! Thank you! This is everything I wanted!” They twirl, “Oh, Isabeau, thank you!” And before either of you can say anything, they prance off toward their class. Several of their classmates approach them, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at Loop’s new clothes, while Loop laughs and looks back at the two of you. 

“Maybe I could take a dancing class at the House sometime…” Isabeau says

“I think that’s a really good idea,” you respond. 

Chapter Text

On a completely random afternoon, with absolutely no plots or plans involved, Isabeau and you head to the market to purchase groceries. You had complained to him the night prior that you really miss Bonnie’s chocolate chip cookies, knowing he had saved the recipe, and successfully convinced him to buy the ingredients with you. It just so happens, in the same market, a troupe of dancers is performing. It’s well rehearsed choreography, with elements that are familiar to you, as you had barged in on this same troupe a few days prior during a rehearsal. Loop spins in a circle, quickly shifting the weight between their feet, the dress Isabeau made for them sparkling in the sunlight. Each dancer takes a turn leaping in their own unique fashion between the two sides of the walkway they’ve turned into a stage. 

You recall, yesterday, Loop had come by to see you.

——————

 “Isabeau is smart, Loop, I’m sure he already suspects something is up.”

“That’s his problem, not mine. I want to be my own person, Siffrin. I’m not you.” Loop says. 

“Whether or not you’re me, Loop, you are my family. You’re important to me. You deserve to get a happy ending too,” you explained.

“I…I really–”

“You do! There’s so many people ready to love you, Loop. I know how hard it is to let them in, but, if you give him a chance,” 

“He has you, he doesn’t…he doesn’t need me.”

“That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t want you. We’re friends, really good friends, Isa and I, but I can tell there’s something you two experience that I just…don’t,” you sigh. 

…

“Just don’t tell him we’re siblings or something. It feels…wrong” Loop says. 

“I won’t tell him anything you don’t want me to.”

“Well…you can tell him to come to the market tomorrow around noon, if he wants to see the dress again.” Loop says

——————

Back at the market, the dance has risen in intensity. All of the dancers form a circle and face away from the center, looking at the audience. Then, one by one, each of the dancers walks toward the crowd with their arms outstretched. They each find an audience member, take them by the hand, and lead them into the circle and quickly demonstrate a simple dance. While you were watching each of the other dancers find their partners, you didn’t notice Loop approaching and taking Isabeau’s hand, but it must have happened at some point because suddenly, you have been left alone and they are dancing together. 

From basically strangers to dancing together in front of a crowd, you are so happy to see Loop and Isabeau get closer. They both raise their arms, like the other duos, and press their palms together, fingers outstretched. The duos begin a simple waltz, and you see Isabeau look down at Loop in a newfound admiration, while Loop looks up at Isabeau, eyes wide. Scared to be hurt. 

The dancers return their volunteer partners back to the audience, and as Isabeau and Loop walk back to where you are standing, hand in hand. Isabeau returns to your side, but you see their hands linger, until Loop turns and skips back to the circle. You hear a high pitched sound, is that coming from Isabeau?! Wow! 

Isabeau and you join in as the crown cheers and the dancers bow in a line, Loop in the center, their light shining unapologetically. The dancers begin to return to the House, when you were about to call out for Loop but–Isabeau beat you to it! 

“Loop! Wait a sec!” he exclaims. Loop turns to look at him, and their eyes squint in a smile.  They run up to you and gleefully say, “Well, did you enjoy the show? I can’t thank you enough, dancing in those old robes was a pain in the butt!” They seem actually, genuinely, happy right now. You feel so warm inside seeing them shine like this. 

“I really did, you all were amazing up there. Definitely let me know when the next performance is, I’d love to come see you dance again.” Isabeau says, and Loop’s head crackles and glows. 

“Yes but, no pressure!!! Whatever you’re comfortable with!!” you blurt out. You can’t let Isa come on too strong again! 

“Oh yes, of course! I guess we just happened to be here at the right place at the right time haha,” Isabeau laughs. Loop looks at you, confused, like - Didn’t I tell you to tell him to come here? You shrug, he didn’t need to know why.

“How could I deny enthusiastic audience members? Especially one as eager and willing as you!” Loop giggles. 

(art by pillowspace on tumblr)

“I’ve actually been thinking about taking a dancing class at the House sometime, if you could believe it,” Isabeau admits, “I’d have to make some time but, it would be good exercise!!!” 

“Why don’t you go to the House right now and see what classes they offer!!!” you chime in. You didn’t expect it to go this way, but now you’re just full on wing-personing for Loop here. 

“Ah, Sif, I don’t know, we’ve got all these groceries!!” Isabeau says. Oops! You do! And you probably can’t carry them all back to his house by yourself! One of the other dancers calls out to Loop, telling them to hurry it up!

“I really have to be going, I’ll see you two, okay?” Loop waves before running off to catch up with the other dancers. Your cheeks hurt from how long you’ve been smiling, they’re so happy. You hear Isabeau sigh and you try to stifle a laugh, he’s just so obvious. 

“Let’s go back, ok Isa? I’m sureee you’ll get to see Loop again soon,” you smirk.

“I hope so, Sif.” he sighs, but then stammers out, “so you don’t have to worry again!”

Sure, that’s the only reason, Isa. 

—————

The fashion changes yet again in Jouvente, and now it seems like you’re the only person on the busy streets without a lacey statement piece somewhere on your person. These trends will come and go, and you’ll continue to watch from the sidelines for the next few days, until you make your way to Bambouche. 

You take a sip of your tea and admire Loop’s newest get up. A sweet, lacy dress with puffy sleeves. It suits them well, as have all the other pieces of clothing you’ve seen them wear these past few weeks. Has it really only been a month since they first asked Isa to make them that dress? 

“So, getting ready to live the coastal life?” Loop asks, holding their tea cup with both hands, “Are you really sure you want to go to the beach…”

“I do, I’m excited. I really am!” you say, sticking your tongue out at them after they rolled their eyes at your first statement. You wrote to Bonnie and Pétronille a few days ago, just to confirm they would be willing to house you for sometime. You just got their response this morning, bombastic and energetic as ever. The way it was written it seemed like they had been fighting for the pen, as the handwriting changed so often throughout the letter. They also scolded you for not writing sooner…

“Mira’s even coming with me, since the caravan I’m traveling with is stopping through Dormont. You could always come, too,” you offer, even though you know they won’t take you up on it. Their head turns to look at their teacup as they sigh. 

“Have you told him yet?” they mumble into their tea. 

“Yes, I have. I don’t hide everything anymore, okay?” you say. They laugh, causing some of their tea to bubble up and almost spill out of the cup. Quickly, they set the cup down on the table to save their new dress from any tea stains. 

“You know, he can get pretty lonely too. He forgets to take breaks from work, and sometimes skips meals by accident. He can get really focused on a task and completely lose track of time,” you say, causing Loop to raise their eyebrow at you.

“He can get pretty down on himself, too. Not as bad as you or I but, still pretty bad. He’s gentle, and cares quite a lot,” you continue. 

“You act like I don’t know that,” Loop scoffs

“You act like you don’t”, you say. Loop is silent for quite some time, looking down at the ground. Suddenly, they look up at you with an extremely confusing expression. Almost desperate, and you think if you could see their bottom lip it would be quivering. You look into each other's eyes, trading expressions. They raise their eyebrows, eyes wide. In response, you tilt your head, their eyes dart to look in the direction of  Isa’s front door behind them, then back at you. You nod, smiling, confirming that Isa is inside. Slowly, they rise to stand, not breaking eye contact with you. Their chest rises, and you follow suit and take a deep breath of your own. Before they exhale, Loop quickly turns and darts to the door. They open it with a panicked speed and rush inside. Your reflexes, not being what they used to be, finally kick in after they’re already a few steps inside. 

You’re not going to go inside though. 

You’re not going to interrupt. 

You can, however, totally watch from outside. Peeking in through the glass pane of the front door, you see Loop quickly approach Isabeau. He seems surprised, dropping his sketchbook, which in turn, causes Loop to jump. After a pause, you can hear their muffled laughter, and Isabeau closes the distance between them. You can’t make out what they’re saying, even if you hold your breath.

You see Isa’s face drop from the wide smile he was wearing, and suddenly he grabs Loop by the shoulders. He looks very serious for a moment, his face darkening, and you swear you see Loop very slowly nod, their head beginning to brighten as well. Isabeau lets go, and Loop turns and quickly walks for the door. You jump out of the way, partially trying to hide that you were peeking, but mostly because Loop would have ran you over! They dash away before you can say anything, and you rush into Isa’s studio, wanting to question Isa before running after them.

“What happened?! Is everything ok?! Oh stars, what happened?!” you ask in a panic. Isabeau looks surprisingly calm, which is confusing because something MUST have just happened. 

“Sif! Oh! No, no, everything is great! Uhhh,” he smiles, absent-mindedly scratching the side of his face, “They asked me to meet them at the House in 20 minutes. They’re going to show me that textbook. I might not be back for dinner, Sif, you’ll be ok, right? ” 

You smile, and even though your body hasn’t exactly caught up with your mind (your heart still pounding and stress hormones coursing through your body), you’re happy for him. “Of course, Isa,” you say, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nods, face darkening further than you thought possible, and begins to pack up his sewing bag. You’re not sure what’s going to happen next, and you’re not going to be able to see it, but you have a pretty good feeling that everything is going to work out the way it was supposed to. You’re just so glad you were there to help them. 

On the low-lit streets of Jouvente, just before dusk, some swear they saw a shooting star for the first time in years. The light danced through the streets, bouncing and bounding toward the House of Change. Loop’s light shining brightly for all to see, for they are love, and the world is better for it.

Chapter Text

St  Siffrin, 

I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to reply to your last letter. It has been pretty busy over on this side of the country, so I hope this letter finds you quickly so you don’t assume I’ve forgotten to respond! (haha, sorry that was a little mean) Seems like the four of you are having fun over there, though you spent most of the last letter describing each and every single fish you’ve caught so far in detail, it was nice to hear that you’re all doing well. 

Things have been good here too. As it turns out…you were right, Siffrin. Isabeau is one smart cookie. He figured me out, and it…wasn’t my finest moment. It’s partially why I’ve taken so long to respond. The worst part is he wasn’t even upset. I might have given him a sunburn during the conversation but after (and I’d better not get a letter filled with ‘I told you so’s after this) he understood. He still calls me Loop. He asked me who I wanted to be and he…we’re getting to know each other again, as new people. Now stop smiling like that, I KNOW the expression you’re making right now. 

And you know what gave me away? Blinding croissants. We were on a lunch date between appointments, and I was already flustered from getting my skirt wet and…well, you can assume how I reacted when he ordered 2 croissants for us while I was in the bathroom. Again, it wasn't my finest moment. Another reason to hate the blinding things…

Now do not go off and tell the others just because Isabeau knows. I will tell them myself. I will, I promise. 

Anyway! We actually just got back to Jouvente last night, which is the other reason I hadn’t responded. Isabeau was booked in an actual fashion show, runway and all, in Poteria!!! It all happened so fast, I guess someone from the show was in town, came into Isabeau’s shop, saw his designs and asked him if he’d like to see them on the runway! Right there! Of course, Isabeau said yes and…asked me to come with him. And I also said yes. 

It was like something I’ve never seen before, Siffrin. So many gorgeous people wearing beautiful clothing, moving so gracefully, everything about them giving off this effortless elegance (Isabeau said someone told him this is called sprezzatura) I wish you could have seen Isabeau’s collection, Siffrin. It was obviously inspired by us, after all. Five beautiful floor length cloaks, going from darkless to lightless, with the last one, the last one was my favorite, this sheer, lightless, lacy fabric with these pieces of mirror shaved down to the shape of stars hanging from it. The overhead lighting reflected off the cloak so beautifully and there were rays of light dancing through the entire room. I hadn’t even realized I was crying until then. Siffrin, it was incredible. 

But we’re back in Jouvente, safe and sound, and Isabeau is sawing logs on the couch (I can’t believe you didn’t know he snored, you weirdo) and I’m about to head off to bed too. I hope you’re well, and that you don’t have too much sand up your butt. I’ll talk to you soon.

Love,

Loop

P.S. There was another Crafted Mirror in Portamoda ! We took a few but, here’s one I was willing to part with.