by Willow
"Now then," sniggered Tenth unobtrusively. " I think we should get you some," he paused. "More appropriate attire...."
"Say what?" demanded Luse. "What I want is to be changed back! NOW!"
"I'm afraid that's not possible," Tenth said, trying and failing to restrain his amusement.
"What do you mean, 'not possible'?" Luse growled, going for the blade at his... uh... her side.
"It simply won't be possible to return you to your male form till a full phase of the moon has gone by. And attempting to kill me won't change that." Without further explanation, he changed Luse's clothes to contemporary female attire. Thigh high boots, with inch and a half heels. A black velvet bodice tightly laced up the chest with a red satin ribbon. It was a body suit. With gauze half sleeves of a startling blood red and a matching over skirt. Lusiphur's gun and sword belts were still there, s/he was not a happy elf.
"This," Luse said, growling. "Is insult to injury." He paused. "Where's my chain mail?"
"In your pouch," Tenth said tolerantly. "I must say, you make a very good looking wench, when dressed nicely." Luse bared teeth.
"I don't find this funny!"
"I do."
Jace decided to remain silent on this subject, which is quite possibly the smartest move the tall blond elf had ever made in his life. Tenth turned his attention to the tall blond soldier.
"Now for a diguise for you....." Jace took a few rapid steps backwards. "No thanks, I'll..." His scalp tingled. A quick glance told him that nothing had changed but his hair color. It was now a rich browny-red. More red than brown, actually.
"Whew."
"It's no more than a magical dye job," Tenth said, unconcerned. "Your normal color will return around the same time it will be possible to return your friend to her normal state."
"Why are you helping us?" Jace asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because it amuses me."
"Yeah," growled Luse. "Laugh at this, fun-boy...." Jace grabbed Luse out of mid air.
"Uh...."
Tenth felt a disturbance in the fabric which meant a teleportation.. which more than likely meant Hyena.. and he didn't want her to see this. This game was his alone.
"Why don't you continue on your way.. go to a tavern, get something to eat... you should have nothing to worry about as recognition goes."
"Yeah, come on Luse," Jace said, barely restraining the practially rabid elvin assassin. He dragged Luse out of the door as Tenth called after them.
"Oh, and you should think of a new alias... Lusiphur is fairly masculine. May I suggest Azrael?"
Em suddenly found consciousness looming. She opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar blackness. She stood up and patted herself down, finding the necklace the only thing missing. She blinked a few times trying to force her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It got a little lighter. Emerald heard someone behind her and turned.
"AAAAAGHHH!" screamed Em.
"AAAAAHHH!" yelped Parintachin.
"What are you?" they said at the same time. Em danced back and steel flashed in her hands.
"I'm an elf."
"You're kidding me...." Parintachin said... "What are you doing in this mind?"
"What?" Em demanded.
"You're in the wrong head," Parintachin told her. "Try a few doors down...."
"What?"
"You say that alot!"
Em swallowed, eyes flicking over the undead jester before her, then to the strange blackness around her.
"What...."
"If you say that one more time, I swear I'm gonna...."
"Let me finish!" snapped Emerald. "... the hell is going on?"
"In words of one syllable or less...." Parintachin shrugged. "I don't know. But you don't belong here."
"Du'ya think?" Em said, eyes rolling. "Where is here!?"
"In someone else's mind."
This took a moment to sink in.
"His subconscious as a matter of fact."
Another moment passed while Em pondered this. "I'm in the subconscious mind of a guy?"
"You catch on quick," Par said dryly. He blinked. It wasn't often he was taken aback, but he'd just realized who this was.
"Ah crowshit! The only real girl I'm likely to ever have in here, and she's YOU!"
"Huh? And who are you?"
"I have to go through this again?" demanded Par. He handed Em a slender paperback book, open to a certain page. "You can read, right? Read this!"
"I know that guy!" snarled Em. "That's the guy with the magically enhanced speed! Lusiphur!" Her eyes danced across the page and silence reigned in Lusiphur's subconscious again. She rapidly flipped through the rest of the volume. A strange look spread across her face. Par realized he may have handed Em the wrong book. She looked up at him, and frowned.
"You're Parintachin?"
"In the subconscious crafted flesh."
A strawberry blonde eyebrow lifted. "So what are you? Neurosis, Eve, Imp or other?" She paused. "I'm leaning towards other."
"My current classification by the dark elf upstairs is 'Whatever-the-Fuck-you-are'."
"And?"
"And what?" Par asked, flomping down, frustrated, on a lazyboy recliner forming out of the mind matter below him.
"What are you really?"
"Oh come on, like I'm gonna tell you....."
Luse felt really disoriented. He (because no matter what, in his mind, he was male) really wished he could get ahold of a lot of cheap liquor.
"I hate this." He growled. Jace poked him gently, which Luse wasn't fond of either.
"Sit up straight."
"I can't," Luse replied. "They'll show."
"You don't look any less like a girl because you're slumped over you know."
"Yeah sure." Luse laughed dryly. It sounded odd. "If I've gotta be a girl, I might as well be a pretty one, huh? Not fucking likely."
"It can't be as bad as all that..."
"Look, Jace, I don't know what you think, but I'm of the opinion that no man should wear silk, lace trimmed underwear (From the Hayes Collection! -Willow)."
"Yeah, but knowing you...." Luse's gaze hardened and the tall blond elf suddenly saw a flash of the trained assassin tht was behind the lovely female face.
"Don't finish that sentence. Not if you're fond of various body parts."
"He must have changd your mind around too," Jace said, changing the subject. "Normally, you just would have threatened my life, not my sex life."
"Good, can I have my gun back?"
"No."
"Stupid-ass...." Luse trailed off.
"Uh.... have a seat?" Par said, gesturing behind her. Em ignored it, and leaned agaisnt the wall, eyeing him doubtfully. "This is pretty weird for me too, you realize!" the undead clown said. "I mean, I'm pretty used to being almost alone here."
"Well now you aren't, and..." the wall she'd been leaning on flared into life, and she fell through. At the same instant, Luse fell through almost on top of Parintachin.
"Ow...." he muttered. The dark elf looked up. "What the fuck?"
"I've been through this before," Par said with a pained expression on his face.
"Luse are you alright?" Jace asked. Em blinked and rubbed her eyes. She paused and looked at her hands. Her hands were far more slender and a little larger than normal. Dark har trailed into her eyes.
"Luse?" Jace asked quietly. This brought the last clue into focus, and Em smiled. Jace jerked backwards.
"I'm fine." she said in a fine, flute like voice. She hailed the waitress and ordered a drink.
"What are you doing?" demanded Jace "I thought you said you weren't going to get drunk!"
"I'm not! I'm getting a drink. Big difference, bucko." She tossed hair out of her eyes. "Besides, don't you think a girl like me can hold her liquor?" This took Jace even farther aback. Something really weird was going on. Luse had gone spacey for a few moments, and now, the dark elf was acting exactly like a girl.
"Uh...." He just stared as the person he thought was Luse received the drink and took a good sip. "Did you give any thought to the new alias?"
Emerald grinned with Luse's mouth.
"Hmmm.... Call me Lucy Malachite. The Lucy is just to cover up any slips you might make. Just Malachite will do." She smiled, and looked down at herself. "Next order of buisness, go shopping. Tenth has no taste." Jace sat their with his mouth open.
"Have a drink, Jace."
To Be continued.....
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
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