Strange Attire

"Theo, I think it's time for you to tell me clearly..." Damien started, his voice hesitant. "What's going to happen to me from now on?"

"From now on?" Theo asked, looking slightly puzzled.

"I mean, how am I supposed to spend my time here? Are you planning to do experiments on me or something?" Damien asked, the nervousness creeping into his voice.

He realized that up until now, he had just been assuming the worst—that they'd subject him to painful experiments. Theo had never actually said anything like that, though. Maybe they genuinely intended to protect him.

If that were the case, then he had just said something really rude.

"Well, yes, at first that was the plan," Theo replied. There was no black mist around him—he wasn't lying.

Great... super reassuring, Damien thought sarcastically.

Seeing Damien's despairing expression, Theo chuckled softly. "But I never intended to do anything painful from the start. And now... well, I definitely couldn't do something that would make you hate me, Damien."

Wait... does that mean I might actually survive this? Damien thought, a small glimmer of hope growing.

"I'll do my best to avoid anything painful," Theo added.

So... there will be experiments, but they won't be too bad? Damien thought. Well, as long as it doesn't hurt...

"Okay, as long as it's not painful, I guess I can deal with it. I can endure a little pain... if it's just a little," Damien said reluctantly.

"Really!? You will!?" Theo responded excitedly, leaning forward with wide eyes. His enthusiasm was... concerning.

"Just a little! Only a tiny bit, okay!?" Damien repeated, feeling a bit scared.

"Of course, of course!" Theo said, nodding eagerly. "Oh... what should I do... I'd given up on that experiment, but if it's only a little... maybe we can try... Hmm, what about that one? Could he handle it...? Maybe if we pushed just enough, he could..."

Theo's muttering was getting more and more unsettling.

"Uh, just so you know, I'm probably weaker than the average person in this world. Please go easy on me..." Damien warned. He wasn't exactly a warrior—he'd spent most of his life in a world surrounded by machines, living a relatively peaceful existence. He doubted he could endure much.

"I understand completely," Theo replied with a gleam in his eye. "Let's start with a simple endurance test... hehehe..."

Theo let out a slightly disturbing laugh as he imagined the possibilities.

This doesn't seem promising, Damien thought, feeling a sense of impending doom.

Endurance tests? That doesn't sound like something meant for humans... Damien couldn't shake the unease creeping in.

"P-Please go easy on me..." he muttered, looking at Theo's excited expression. Maybe it was because he had feelings for him, but Theo's enthusiasm somehow made Damien think it might be okay... though he wasn't entirely convinced.

...

After dinner, with no plans until tomorrow, Damien found himself lounging around in his bedroom. The events of the day had exhausted him—especially physically. Mentally, though, he felt more optimistic than he had that morning.

Still, when he thought about his family, the sadness threatened to overwhelm him.

Knock, knock, knock.

Just as tears were welling up in his eyes from thinking about home, the sound of knocking at the door interrupted his thoughts. Maybe a bath would help him clear his head.

"Come in," he called out.

"Excuse me. I've brought your change of clothes," Sebas said, entering the room. He carried a silver tray with neatly folded clothing on top. Damien took the garments, immediately noticing how incredibly smooth and luxurious the fabric felt in his hands.

"Thank you... These are really nice. I feel bad for accepting something so fancy," Damien said, a bit embarrassed by the quality of the clothes.

"Please, think nothing of it," Sebas replied curtly.

…

Wait. Why isn't he leaving?

Usually, Sebas would bow and leave right after handing things over, but today, he lingered.

"Uh... is there something else?" Damien asked, a bit uncertain.

"No... nothing at all. I'll take my leave now." Sebas finally gave his usual bow and left.

It almost seemed like he wanted to say something. Though with Sebas's ever-stoic expression, it was hard to tell. Maybe he wasn't bothered by Damien and Theo's relationship? It didn't feel like a reprimanding atmosphere.

Puzzled but without any clear answers, Damien decided not to dwell on it. Maybe he should've asked directly, but now it felt too late to call Sebas back. "I'll just ask him next time," he thought.

With that thought, Damien grabbed the change of clothes Sebas had brought and headed to the bath.

...

Ah, the bath really is the best, Damien thought, sinking into the warm water. For him there's nothing better than a nice bath.

As the heat soaked into his muscles, he felt the stress and fatigue of the day melt away. By the time he was finished, he felt refreshed and even motivated for the next day.

"I'm so glad this world has baths," he murmured to himself, feeling genuinely grateful.

There may not be a shower, but they have body soap and shampoo that are pretty close to what Damien was used to. As far as baths go, he really couldn't complain.

Feeling completely refreshed, he stepped out of the bath and into the changing room, grabbed the clothes Sebas had brought, and then… stood there, stumped.

He had no idea how to put them on.

The shirt seemed straightforward enough, and what he assumed was a pajama top was fine too. It was a long, loose garment that reached from his neck down to his ankles—kind of like a ridiculously long shirt or a nightgown. A bit unfamiliar, but it seemed simple enough to slip over his head. In fact, the fabric felt amazing, like it would be really comfortable to wear. He guessed it was some high-quality material, similar to silk back on Earth.

The real issue was… the pants.

He couldn't even figure out how they were supposed to work, let alone how to wear them. It looked like a strange hybrid of a loincloth and a diaper. How on earth was he supposed to deal with this?