"Anything is better than nothing. I might be working more, but most of it is on a bartering basis right now." And that was far from a brag. It worked well enough and he was able to work it out to where he was living a bit better for it, but it still wasn't glamorous. He only dreamed of the day where he could work full time and earn a real day's worth of pay again.
Michel couldn't count the time that he had spent wondering if having standards was actually a good thing. However, it wasn't about her doing something scandalous so much as it was about himself. Perhaps the situation as a whole was more difficult than it needed to be, and nothing was making it better. If he didn't have to dress well, play with instruments, decorate minimally, or generally appreciate quality materials, he could've spent more on basics like food. On the other hand, had he just chosen a more typical profession instead of becoming a specialized craftsman, he probably wouldn't be having the same difficulties. He could've easily lowered his standards to become a basic laborer, but it seemed like such a waste after everything.
"Sometimes I wonder," he admitted vaguely with a sigh. Still, he was too stubborn to admit that the revolution was probably hurting him more than it had actually helped him. It was just better to change the topic. "Has your hair ever been this bad before?"