My Half Angel

V: A change in wardrobe is often good

Ritsuka slowly opened her eyes as the morning sun shined in through her window. A small moan escaped her lips as she slowly sat up in bed and looked around. As she expected, the triplets were nowhere to be seen. However, she did find a piece of bread, sitting on a small plate, with a glass of water by it. She couldn't help but blink to this.

"Ningyou?" Ritsuka asked as she held her doll closer.

"Yes, my lady?" Ningyou asked.

"Are you seeing what I am seeing?" Ritsuka asked, staring at the plate of bread and cup of water.

"What are you implying, my lady..." Ningyou asked before trailing off. A moment of silence settled between the two before Ningyou spoke again. "Is...is that what...I think it is?"

"Should I...try it?" Ritsuka asked hesitantly.

"Well," Ningyou started, "I don't think they're trying to kill you...."

"That's true," Ritsuka said, nodding her head.

She held Ningyou closer to her and stared at the plate of bread and glass of water for a few moments longer. She then took a few breaths to calm herself before going over and taking the bread. She carefully took small bites from it while staring intently at the glass of water.

"I'm worried about the water as well, madam." Ningyou said as Ritsuka continued to eat.

Ritsuka nodded her head in agreement. After a while, she finished the piece of bread and dusted her hands off a bit, never taking her eyes off of the glass.

"How do you plan to go about it, my lady?" Ningyou asked.

Ritsuka said nothing as she continued her staring. A few seconds passed before she hesitantly reached out and picked it up. She carefully examined it to the best of her abilities before slowly taking a small sip from it.

"Well?" Ningyou asked after a small moment of silence.

"I don't feel any different," Ritsuka said, "so I guess it's fine to drink."

"That's a relief," Ningyou said, sounding as if he was letting out a sigh.

Ritsuka nodded before taking another sip of her water.

As the sun finally set over the horizon, Ritsuka sat on her bed within her now dark room. She was sitting with her back against the wall and her head and arms resting on her knees. Ningyou laid beside her while the eye mask laid on the floor near the bed.

Just as Ritsuka was about to drift off into sleep, a knock came at her door, startling her a bit. She picked up her head and looked toward the door, curiosity clear within her eyes.

"Come in," Ritsuka said as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

Light from the hall and candles came streaming into the room as the door opened to reveal the triplet brothers, poking their heads from around the door. Ritsuka tilted her head to the side while giving the three a small smile.

"Oh, hello," she said, "What are you doing here?"

The triplets remained silent as they entered the room and placed their candles around it, giving light to the once black room. Ritsuka watched them in complete curiosity as they did this before one of them went over to her and held out their hand to her. Ritsuka stared at their hand for a few seconds before hesitantly taking it.

"What are you doing-?" Ritsuka began to ask but was cut off as the triplet, Thompson, pulled her up.

He lead her into the middle of the room and signaled for her to stay there. Ritsuka blinked to this but nodded her head in understanding. Thompson nodded his head before his brothers went over to her as well. Ritsuka looked at them and noticed that each of them had a tape measure within their hands.

She opened her mouth to speak but let out a squeak instead as Timber and Canterbury started taking her measurements. A faint blush appeared on her normally pale cheeks as the two continued their work.

"M-m-may I ask what it is that you are doing?!" Ritsuka asked, turning redder due to slight anger.

The triplets, as usual, remained silent to her question. Ritsuka let out a huff in annoyance and allowed the brothers to work in silence. Minutes passed before Timber and Canterbury finished their measuring. They walked over toward Thompson and started to whisper to each other, making Ritsuka rather curious as to what they were talking about.

She watched them whisper to one another for a while before letting out a yawn. The triplets immediately stopped their whispering and looked toward her as she rubbed her eye rather sleepily.

"I am sorry for the yawn," Ritsuka said as she rubbed the other eye, "but I must ask that you leave me to retire for the night, if it is not too much to ask."

The brothers nodded their heads and went to get their candles. Ritsuka made her way to the bed and laid on top of it, grabbing Ningyou and holding him close. She looked toward the triplets as they made their way to the door.

"Good night," she said.

The brothers stopped and turned their heads to look at her. Ritsuka slowly closed her eyes as the triplets watched her before falling asleep.

"...lady....my lady....My lady! My lady, please wake up!" Ningyou said frantically as Ritsuka slowly woke up.

She blinked her eyes a few times before slowly sitting up, holding Ningyou within her arms.

"What is the matter, Ningyou?" she asked while rubbing her eye.

"My lady, look! In front of you!" Ningyou exclaimed.

Ritsuka looked down at him curiously before doing as told and looked in front of her. Her eyes widen as she saw some old looking clothes laying on the foot of the bed.

"What in the...?" Ritsuka said, trailing off as she held Ningyou closer.

"I would assume that it was left by those boys, my lady." Ningyou said.

Ritsuka nodded slowly in agreement to this. She stared at the clothes for a moment or two before slowly and carefully going over to them. She then put Ningyou down and picked up a white blouse.

"Should I....try them on?" Ritsuka asked, looking the blouse over.

"I don't see any harm in it," Ningyou said.

Ritsuka thought it over for a moment before putting the blouse down and proceeded to take off her "Magical Angel" outfit.

"How does it fit, madam?" Ningyou asked after Ritsuka finished putting on the "new" clothes.

"They surprisingly fit perfectly." Ritsuka said as she moved around the room in them.

Along with the blouse, the new outfit consisted of a dark red skirt, a pair of black stockings and an old wool sweater. Ritsuka couldn't help but twirl around and watched the skirt twirl up with her.

"Are you enjoying yourself, madam?" Ningyou asked as Ritsuka let out a small giggle.

"I am very much," Ritsuka said, stopping and looking towards Ningyou, "More so than I have in these past few years."

"I am very happy to hear that, madam." Ningyou said, sounding genuinely happy for his master.

Ritsuka smiled at him before going and picking him up.

"You worry over me too much, Ningyou." Ritsuka said.

"You make me worry sometimes, madam." Ningyou said.

Ritsuka let out a small laugh to that before holding Ningyou close.