Sammy staunchly suppressed a laugh at Dax calling Canmore a ‘stud.’ Well, he isn’t ugly by any stretch, but neither is Dax. And besides, past lives are tugging them. They’re each other’s ideal, I bet. “Dax, he’d be lucky to have you. Don’t make silly assumptions, hmm? Did he respond at all to your sick digs?”

  Dax winced and sighed. “Nothing worth mentioning. He flashed that murderous smile and said ‘Oh, you’re coming up in the world! Is that big feather in your hat hiding a blade?’ Gah. Me and my stupid hats. I should just stop wearing them!” She pulled her hat off, turned, and looked as if she’d send it sailing over the wall lip, but stopped short, the agony on her face showing her inner conflict.

  Sammy grabbed her and spun her around, both hands on her shoulders. “No. You. Don’t! Don’t change just for him and don’t even think for a second that’s anything more than friendly banter!”

  Dax shook her head, misery painted on her features. “That’s the problem — he just sees me as one of the guys. Which was never a problem before, but this gorgeous man is tugging at my gut like he has me on a hook!”

  “Look, if you really want to try a more feminine style to jam him up and get him to see you, I don’t see a big deal going for it. But come on, Dax, you know what you’re comfortable in! You’re not throwing your hat away. It’s awesome. Okay?”

  Dax nodded hesitantly, looking away with a sheepish expression. Her sigh might’ve had some relief in it. As Sammy let go of her, Dax put the hat back on and adjusted it. “I think I’m in love with the hat, too.”

  Sammy giggled. “A girl and her favorite attire have a special relationship. I had these pink, glittery boots when I was a kid. Glorious! Wore those things out enough that I broke them. Cried until my dad promised to get them repaired. He did… but then I outgrew them. I cried again but there wasn’t much my dad could do. New boots were the only answer — I got some similar but weren’t the same. I wished for smaller feet to no avail. No other boots would ever compare, though.”

  Dax nodded in understanding. “My old hat, the one that got singed, I’ve had that beauty forever. Wouldn’t want to wear anything else on my head on a campaign.”

  “I know you’re off-balance with this, but calm down. You can’t read his mind and you don’t know how he feels. If you want to get prettied up… I mean, I think you might like it anyway. You’re talking to the Goddess of Illusion, here! I can do an absolutely legendary makeover!”

  Dax’s brows furrowed. “A what? I don’t understand that word.”

  Sammy gestured to indicate her face, and came up with something off the cuff through [Create Phantasms], putting on some glamour makeup, making her hair into precise curls, and donning a fancy blue evening dress with bits of jewelry. Her matching heels had a white flower that matched the one at her shoulder. The whole ensemble was intended to be sexy, yet elegant.

  Dax’s eyes widened a bit as she took it all in. Wonder soon turned to incredulity. “Oh, ha! No. There’s no way I can pull that off.” She looked down at the shoes. “And I have no idea how you walk in those.”

  Smirking, Sammy snapped her fingers and the heels turned into flats. “My girl, you’d be surprised how much you can pull off. You’re a hot ticket! I bet I could make you smoke.” She flung her hand and a small metal disk spun out, morphing and growing into a full-body floating mirror facing Dax, but hazy and smudged. The image gradually shifted as Sammy manipulated it until it began gradually revealing a new rendition of Dax.

  First was her head, with a white, very wide-brimmed ‘picture hat’ displaying red roses on the top. Dax’s red hair was especially luscious and wavy, dropping down only to one side. Sammy went with subtle highlighting makeup and lipstick, but it was quite a noticeable difference. Those few highlights made her quite striking.

  Hehe! Doesn’t take much.

  Dax gasped and backed up a step at the sight. “That’s not me,” she whispered. “There’s no way.”

  Sammy put her fists on her hips and glared. “It is too! Watch!” She made the mirror shed the changes slowly, fading them all away to restore what Dax looked like right then. Then it slowly returned and repeated the process.

  Dax, spellbound and unblinking, watched this, walking up closer and closer, turning her head this way and that. She swallowed audibly and shook her head. “Show me the rest.”

  Grinning, Sammy made the rest of her ‘virtual makeover’ display, putting the mirror image of Dax in a white and red ball gown with gold highlights and bits of jewelry. It showed off her significant bust with some cleavage. Separate clasped sleeves with poofy shoulders. One leg peeked through a slit. Overall, it was sleek and stylish, which Sammy figured Dax would like. Some open-toed wedge shoes completed the work. Sammy guessed Dax could handle wedges — she was practically a dancer in combat.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Dax was speechless for a long period as she studied her image, turning to the side, moving her arms around, and so forth. Eyeing the cleavage, she opened her mouth to say something finally but stopped herself, her cheeks going red.

  She shifted to look at the shoes, holding out a bare leg to lift a foot. At this, she giggled. “Painted red toenails?!” she asked incredulously and a little scandalized.

  Sammy crossed her arms and nodded smugly. “Mm-hmm. Why not? Matching fingernails. Or I could do this…” Sammy made all the nails appear with red and white stripes, like a candy cane.

  Dax laughed in both delight and disbelief. “Hahaha, that’s ridiculous!”

  “Yeah! How about… this!” She changed them to red and white polka dots.

  They both laughed.

  Dax was suddenly smiling at herself in the mirror. It faded quickly, though, and she looked away. “I never could’ve imagined I’d look like a lady even if I tried. Thank you, Goddess. But this is just an illusion. I’m not wearing that fancy hat; I’m not walking in those strange and lovely shoes.”

  “Dax,” Sammy admonished, “are you serious? I can make matter out of nothing.” Utilizing [Create Phantasms: Phantom Constructs], Sammy snapped her fingers and made the dress, the hat, and shoes appear to morph from out of the mirror, floating out and into Dax’s arms, who was yet again shocked by the display. She dropped some more Illusion FE to make them permanent. “There you go. Try it all on in private if you like. It will fit.”

  Dax stared at the dress and hat in her arms and the shoes still floating in the air, and stammered, “I- y-... Uh… thank you again, Your Majesty…” Her eyes were fluttering around as if trying to make sense of what just happened — and what to do with it.

  Well, it’s not like I was doing it to pressure you or anything. Hehehe… “You’re welcome. If you want to contour your own look sometime, we can set it up and I’ll make you another.”

  “I don’t know… how would I use it? Not much excuse for something this fancy around here.”

  “Mmn, and that’s why we conspire some bullshit excuse! He’ll see you in it one measly time and get sprung forever into Guy Fantasy Land right where you want him! How about… hmm. Oh! A Siren of mine insisted you model for a painting as an iconic, natural redhead. You were offered a fat stack of coins, so couldn’t refuse. We arrange for Canmore to just happen to bump into you, and voila! He’s sprung. He’ll never see you the same! Absolutely no chance for him, nyehehehe.” She rubbed her hands together.

  Dax blinked several times, brows slowly stitching together. “That’s so deceptive. Almost diabolical.”

  “I know! Isn’t it great?!”

  Dax stared back at her for half a click, then broke into a huge grin. “Hell yes, it is!”

  They shared a laugh. Dax looked down at the dress and hat in her hands and glanced at the mirror again. Her face got a shade redder. “I can’t believe I’m going to look like that. Is my chest really… that’s… ah, fuck it.” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I want to do it. I’m going to do it!”

  Sammy smiled. “That’s the spirit, girl!” She gestured and created a more temporary hanger construct to place the dress and hat on. “I’ll get it set up. Maybe even tomorrow. I’ll do your face and hair.”

  Dax caught on quickly and moved the articles there. “Thanks, Samantha. If this works, I’ll owe you one big time. Actually, you know what? Even if it doesn’t work, I still got to be a babe for once, right?”

  “Oh, don’t even, Dax: you are a babe. Always.”

  Dax rolled her eyes, but there was a smirk on her lips. “I know better than to argue with a goddess. This particular minute of my life, anyway.”

  Sammy nodded firmly in agreement. “So. Did you ask for this buff thing also to impress Canmore?”

  Dax sputtered and scoffed. “What?! Pfft, I’d never- I…” She sighed with her hands on her hips. “Yes. Damn it. He is always going on about his class and gabbing endlessly about techniques, styles, blah blah blah. And still, I want to hear it, because he’s- I-… well. You know. Regardless, I figured having something to show off would be a good topic of conversation. I could ask him to-to help me… train with new stuff. Ugh! Pathetic, isn’t it?”

  Sammy ate her smitten anxiousness up, unable to stop grinning. We needed this bond. We’ve been growing apart too much. Sure, we grate on each other from time to time, but we’re family. “Not at all. And it’s great that he talks about what he likes with you. I honestly feel like you’re going to get surprised by how much he likes you in return, Dax. He might be nervous, too, you know.”

  “Canmore? Psh! Not a chance. He’s as confident and easygoing as they come.”

  She can see no wrong in the guy! They’re going to be so in love! Ooh, I can’t wait! “Welp, I guess it’s time to go ahead and get you that material, then, my beautiful dame. Are you ready to see what happens?”

  Dax took a deep breath, hopped up and down, and ‘shook herself’ as if trying to get loose for a fight or sports event. Finally, she nodded. “Hit me.”

  Sammy targeted her with [Tarot Reading: Vision of a Bright Future] and asked in the Epic Voice, “Would you deign to see a vision of your future and be illumined by it, User?”

  “Yes!”

  Thanks for reading!

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