Formal Attire

     “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

     Tao Yinuo had assumed the answer to such a question was nothing at all. He had carefully picked up the outfit himself, come morning, to change into after the afternoon was slowly settling into night. A set of layered robes, of whites and muted blues, with a pop of gold to give it some color. For what he owned, most garments were meant for battle and war, this was what he considered to be of the highest class. Mostly cotton, partially silk, the comfort of mobility with the appearance of fine clothing. Which was, of course, the requirement for the evening’s celebration.

     A big night, that of the New Year, especially for members of Heaven and all its officials. The entire city of heaven had been put to a stop, with every single person getting ready for the celebration. Even while wrapping up his daily duties, and before going back home to start readying himself, Tao Yinuo could see the way heaven had transformed into a completely different landscape: The streets, buildings, and palaces, all adorned by rows of thread and paper. Candles had started being lit as soon as the sun gave signs of sleeping, and orange flames were ready to go out in lanterns. It was a beautiful occasion that everyone took seriously– including Tao Yinuo himself.

     So, he had put extra care into looking presentable, and though his clothes were not all fine fibers, he had put them on with the conviction of a job well done. Dressed formally, his partner had said. And he had.

     But if their expressions were anything to go off of, both Feng Xin and Mu Qing were not as convinced as Tao Yinuo, eyeing him up as soon as he had entered the room. Their faces both translated into the same sentiment: they seemed unimpressed. But the way they conveyed it was vastly different, as to match their personalities.

     Feng Xin’s eyebrows were furrowed, carefully studying every single aspect of Tao Yinuo’s robes. It was a look that was most often seen in the man when analyzing combat strategies, eyes fixated on a map, moving just slightly enough to drink up any vital information. He did not seem keen to answer Tao Yiuo’s question, though he was certainly working out a polite answer.

     Mu Qing, on the other hand, was more outwardly with the way he judged the clothing, eyes fluttering from piece to piece as he muttered something to himself. He, as opposed to Feng Xin, was way more willing to answer– in fact, he seemed eager to do so.

     “You’ve worn that before.”

     That did not answer anything. “I have,” Tao Yinuo confirmed regardless, “The… point?”

     “You wore such clothes to last year’s celebration,” Feng Xin said, slowly.

     “You wore such clothes just three nights ago,” Mu Qing insisted. “And the month before that. Are those clothes meaningful enough to be worn at every formal occasion?’

     Oh, so it was that. Tao Yinuo felt color rush to his face, but he held onto his pride, “These are my garments for special occasions. I do not understand what is wrong.”

     Mu Qing audibly gasped, “Tao Yinuo, do you– do you mean to say this is your only formal attire?”

     It was getting harder to hold onto that pride, but he nodded anyway.

     “There is still time to get another outfit,” Feng Xin nodded to himself and started making his way to the door, “I may ask one of my servants to approach some of the tailors.”

     “I mean, of course,” Mu Qing followed, “Though I wished you had told us sooner, Tao Yinuo. Whatever we find might not be properly tailored, but I hope it does for tonight.”

     “Wait– what is wrong with this outfit?”

     The generals both stopped in their tracks, slowly turning to face their partner. Tao Yinuo’s pride was now hanging by a thread, his face a deep sort of crimson.

     “You… are joking, are you not?” Mu Qing raised an eyebrow, “We are not letting you go out to celebrate wearing such clothes.”

     “Wait– hold on, I–” As he rushed towards the door, trying to block their way out, Tao Yinuo stumbled through his words. “I do not want to waste money on clothing. I am aware that my clothes might be a little outdated, but there are garments I already own. No need to purchase new ones.”

     “There is nothing wrong with treating yourself,” Feng Xin said, “Though if that is a worry, It shall be on me. Formal occasions are a perfect time to enjoy the concept of elegance in one’s appearance. It’s part of the fun.”

     “There might not be very many outfits available for purchase this late in a holiday, but we shall choose one that will fit best with your tastes. If,” Mu Qing pointed at the door, “You let us through.”

     “Wait– no, I refuse,” Tao Yinuo insisted, “There is no need for new clothing to be purchased just for me. There is nothing wrong with my outfit.”

     “Tao Yinuo, it’s okay,” Though stubborn, Mu Qing tried his best to give his partner a reassuring look, “If you do not end up falling in love with an outfit, we can always find another one for the next formal occasion. There is no need to hold on to a single set of fine clothes–”

     “No! I– I only dress in clothing I a gifted– given by someone, so I can give it another life,” While pointing at his outfit, he could recall the yeard he had spent with it and the comfort it had brought him. “I consider clothing chosen to be worn once to be wasteful.”

     “You can wear it more than once. In fact, you can wear multiple of these outfits, more than once.”

     “Please, I would prefer not to go through with it,” Though embarrassed, Tao Yinuo wanted to stand his ground. “Do not buy clothes just for me. I would not be comfortable with that.”

     Mu Qing opened his mouth to argue, but Feng Xin placed a hand on the general’s shoulder. It seemed like whatever tactical strategy he had been thinking of all through the conversation had just caught up to him.

     “You are right,” he said to Tao Yinuo, “There is no need to buy more clothing if that were to be upsetting. Granted, there is no need for you to wear that outfit either. I might have a solution for our… situation.

     As it turned out, both Mu Qing and Feng Xin owned a lot of clothes.

     Their individual closets were different in colors, fabrics, and styles, but they shared a strong sense of fashion in common. After the pair ordered a couple of their followers to bring outdated garments to Tao Yinuo’s room, the minor god drowned in a sea of hand-made, beautiful pieces. Every single one had a sort of uniqueness to it, which seemed to have been part of the reason why they had been acquired in the first place. Truly a shame that neither Mu Qing nor Feng Xin seemed to like the idea of re-using garments.

     That’s where Tao Yinuo came in.

     “Some of them might be a bit too broad,”  Feng Xin hummed, sizing out Tao Yinuo’s stature against the garments.

     “Yes, well,” Mu Qing sighed, tracing his fingers across a silver robe. Maybe Tao Yinuo’s eyes were failing him, but with the way it glittered across the sun, it might have been genuine silver. “I hope they are to your liking.”

     It took Tao Yinuo a second to find his words, wings stiffening up on their back, his eyes overloaded with the countless options. Instead, he said, “They– I mean, they are. They really are. I am unsure of how I will even begin choosing a favorite. Any suggestions of what I should try on first?”

     “This one might be comfortable—”

     “You would look great with this–”

     Speaking in tandem, the generals locked eyes, each one of them holding onto their preferred outfit. Suddenly, as if thrown into the middle of a battlefield, their gazes morphed into ones of a call for war. Tao Yinuo was caught in the middle.

     “You know what?” He squeaked. Without allowing for a complaint or second opinion, he grabbed onto both garments, then turned around, “I can try them both on. I’ll make it work– be right back!”

     And with it, he disappeared behind the room’s changing screen. Behind it, he could hear a whisper, a curt shush, a chuckle– and then silence. Whatever childish fight had been about to start, Tao Yinuo had managed to avoid.

     The situation was bizarre, and with a chuckle of his own, Tao Yinuo took a second to take it all in. He still wasn’t sure as to why his getting a newer outfit was such a big deal, nor why the two had gone to such crazy lengths to present him with one. It was almost comical, how much those two cared for him.

     It made Tao Yinuo happy.

     The garments, intricately made within layers of silk, were easily separated from their center. Tao Yinuo was able to combine them, trying his best to appeal to them as a whole, knowing full well that, if asked to pick a favorite between sweet Mu Qing and caring Feng Xin, he would come up with no answer. Instead, he suited himself with both gifts of their affections, sighing quietly as he did– the scent of his lovers still lingered in their clothes, and the smell was as intoxicating as the outfit itself.

     When Tao Yinuo stepped out and back into sight, he was wearing a combination of blues, greens, and gold, of different hues and opacities. The sleeves of the piece he had chosen as a shirt were rolled up for a proper fitting, but the folding of the fabric only helped to expose the shirt he wore underneath: a pattern akin to sky and clouds.

     The length of it was a problem, and his wings were tickled awkwardly out to the side, but they seemed like easy problems to solve. For now, Tao Yinuo just flashed an awkward smile to his crowd, and went, “What do you think?”

     Silence, as Tao Yinuo felt nothing but their stares. He shifted a little uncomfortable– did it not look right? He went to try to slide the robe off his wings, maybe try on a different one.

     “No, keep it on,” Feng Xin said, visibly trying to contain his excitement. “You look– Well, I– You look–”

     “Absolutely stunning,” Mu Qing finished for him. He was eyeing Tao Yinuo up and down, the sort of way an artist would marvel at a painting.

     Tao Yinuo’s cheeks were abalze, “You think so?”

     “Without a shadow of a doubt,” Feng Xin composed himself, walking to his side, “Not too big?”

     “A little, but very comfortable.”

     “That kind of thread is meant for it,” Mu Qing sighed, content. “I knew you would prefer comfort over looks. And yet somehow, you managed to achieve both.”

     “Absolutelly stunning,’ Feng Xin repeated with a smile.

     “W-well then,” feeling comfortable with that reply, Tao Yinuo’s eyes were beaming, “Then that’s it. Thank you so, so much for–?”

     “We’re not done,” the men said, once again in tandem.

     “Maybe we can find something that will be even more comfortable?” Fen Xin suggested, trying very hard to be convincing.

     Mu Qing was already handing Tao Yinuo a second share of garments, “I am oh so curious to see you with this crimson.”

     “And how about that ocean blue robe?”

     “Ah, plus that golden necklace?”

     “Perhaps– wouldn’t silver be a better fit?”

     “We will just have to see! Right, Tao Yinuo?”

     Tao Yinuo was smiling through their whole interaction, suddenly infected by their enthusiasm. Though they still aimed to keep that sort of professionalism required by their ranks, both Feng Xin and Mu Qing looked excited for their partner to be sharing their garments. A beautiful collection of colors and silks, all for Tao Yinuo to play with, and for them to gift. Once again, it was overwhelming– but in a more positive sense than the man had ever felt.

     Because they cared about him. And they wanted to see him taken care of.

     “Right,” Tao Yinuo finally said, grasping the clothes.

     The afternoon came and went with several more changes. Though they were hours away from joining the celebrations outside the room, it had seemed like the party of the new year had started early. The more changes there were, the more Tao Yinuo seemed comfortable with the idea, and the more vocal about their adoration his partners became. By the end of the night, the three of them had settled in an outfit similar to the first one– with translucent sleeves and layering around the waist, and a shorter drag on the bottom. Tao Yinuo heard so many compliments, that he had begun to believe their words: he looked amazing.

     And he felt amazing, too. With his lovers by his side and a huge smile on all their faces, the rest of the night seemed to be incredibly promising.

     Besides, Tao Yinuo could not deny, he was quite enjoying his new formal attire.