The Secrets of Lore Seymour

34. The Cursed Corset

The suits Lore procured me have become useful far earlier than expected.

A day after we made our plans to visit the bar, I stand in front of the full-length mirror in my bathroom staring at a reflection that I refuse to accept as mine. Even during large scale events, such as the naming of a new champion, members of the church do not wear suits. We have matching robes to dictate our titles and placement among the church. I've always felt at home in them. When I saw another wearing those robes, I saw them as a friend or a part of the family.

I don't know who this is staring back at me. I don't know what I'm meant to feel. How can an item as simple as a suit seemingly strip away my entire being? I want to tear it away, to dive back into the robes I've become accustomed to. The comfortable and flowing nature of the garments that hugged me like a blanket. Suits are neither of those things. It feels too tight. I keep tugging at the collar and...

Why is my butt so prominent?! What is the purpose of this?!

I feel the urge to tug my jacket down to cover my backside, but it's too short to do so. Sexual hot spot or not, this is too much for me. If Lore honestly believes I am going to wear this, he has another thing coming!

Storming out of my room, I head down the hall towards Lore's room. However, I'm stopped when Darika and Isabella skid to a halt, both exiting Darika's room with a few pieces of garment in their grasps. They see me, stare wide-eyed, go slack jawed, then I ask, "Is... do I look that bad?"

Isabella shakes her head so rapidly I fear it may pop off. She pushes herself over to me. Her gentle hand takes hold of my sleeve, her lips pushing back into a smile like she has been presented a gift. Darika, on the other hand, grows eerily vile looking, like a witch on the verge of cursing me. Her voice is hissed like an angry snake, "You look fantastic."

I stare incredulously at her while grunting when Isabella rolls around me to tug at the back of my jacket and even my pant leg.

"Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing?" I ask.

"Because it makes her mad that you look that good," Isabella says, giggling. She moves in front of me and gives two thumbs up. "You clean up nice, Seren."

"Thanks, although I'm sure you could have made a much better suit," I tell her, smiling when she laughs and shyly waves my compliment off.

I wish I felt like what she said was true. I don't feel right in this.

Continuing to grumble, Darika and Isabella head to the chairlift. I hear it kick on followed by Darika's continued rumbles that I rather not imagine what they are.

Sighing, I continue my journey to Lore's bedroom, he claimed earlier that he'd be getting changed as well. I pound so rapidly on his door it's a miracle the door doesn't explode off its hinges.

"Enter," he calls from within, which I should have questioned because Lore is always up to something and I know better. I'm too flustered about my suit and what the girls said to think of the consequences, which is why I'm now standing in the center of Lore's room staring slack jawed at his half tightened corset.

Why in the Holy Mothers name is he wearing a fucking corset? Who let him own one?!

"Excellent timing, Seren. Help me with this," he says, facing his back completely to me. He should have punched me, it would have been a kinder way to force the air to leave my lungs.

Lore pulls up his hair, knocking the tail over his shoulder to reveal the last few rungs of his corset at the top that need tightening or, uh, rather, it'd be better if he wasn't wearing it at all. Not in that sense! Just, as in, uh... as in he doesn't need to wear something so... form fitting. He already has a great figu--I'm digging myself into a bigger hole. A crater, in fact.