Since school has come, apparently my muse has run dry. Please don't hate me. I've actually had this in Word for a month now, but I've lost my nerve as far as posting goes. I've been rather stressed lately and I thought that if I got bad reviews, I might get even more depressed. But I finally got up the guts to post it. I ask one thing of y'all: if your review is mainly going to address how you don't like the use of OCs in my stories, don't bother. It won't stop me from writing, but it will cause both I and the reviewer undue stress. Just sayin'.
The title speaks for itself. Oh, and for once I'm writing with Crona as a girl THE WHOLE TIME. Joy! Though I prefer boy!Crona but I wanted to show both sides, you know? Anyways, like my other stories, my OCs play a role, therefore, it would make a lot more sense if you read The Hell Inside My Head first. So, um... I hope it's funny? -crosses fingers-
Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater, 'cause if I did, it would probably suck.
"You need a makeover."
Crona looked up from her Demonology textbook and glanced at Aless, who was staring at her intently.
"Excuse me?"
"You need a makeover. You keep complaining that you want to be more feminine, because you feel like a girl, but you're not doing anything about it. It's driving me batty. A makeover would help."
"But… I'm not sure if-"
"Aless! Crona! Is there something you want to share with the class?" asked Ms. Marie in a stern tone.
"No maam," they both muttered.
Ragnarok burst out of Crona's back, making her wince.
"They were just talking about how Aless wants Crona to play dress-up with her."
"Ragnarok! Not necessary!" Aless cried. "Sorry, Ms. Marie! Keep going. What was that about linear equations?"
"Wrong class, Aless. We're learning about demons, not math." The teacher shook her head and went on with the lesson. Crona felt her cheeks going red from the attention, and made a mental note to not give Ragnarok any dinner that night.
"Sorry for disrupting class," Aless apologized to her girlfriend later. "I know you don't like it when I do that."
Crona was sitting next to Aless on a bench in the park, head in her hands. Now everyone's going to think we're freaks. Thanks to Ragnarok.
"Crona? I said sorry. Talk to me."
The pink-haired girl lifted her head and stared at the petite, black-haired weapon.
"You're insane, you know that?"
"So are you. But I love you anyways." Cue Aless throwing an arm around her waist. Crona was still uncomfortable with public displays of affection, but let it go.
"Yeah. Same to you," she muttered. "So... what was that about me and a makeover?"
"Well," Aless started, "you know how you've said lately you've been feeling like a girl more often? And you wish people could see you as that? I was thinking that if you changed your look, you'd feel more feminine."
It was true. Crona had been angsting to her a lot about not feeling pretty, and refused to believe Aless's compliments. Thinking back now, she felt bad. She's trying her best to make me happy, and I refuse to be happy. Am I stupid? Am I sabotaging myself? So Aless, though she was very patient with Crona's confidence issues, was bound to get a little exasperated.
"Um… okay, I guess I could give it a try," Crona mumbled, wringing her hands together. "Will it just be you helping me or are there going to be other people?"
"Would you mind if I had Riki with me? She knows more about makeup than I do."
"Alright. I...I suppose that would be good." She met the idea with suspicion. Aless's meister was nice, but scary. What if her idea of fashion is different from mine? Will she yell at me? I hate being yelled at...
Aless clapped her hands a few times in joy.
"Great! This is gonna be wonderful! I promise you won't regret it!"
As they parted ways, Crona wondered just what she had gotten herself into.
That Saturday, Crona knocked on the door to Aless's dorm room with a mixed feeling of hope and dread. On one hand, maybe this would help with the dysphoria she'd been feeling lately. On the other hand… well, on the other hand, the idea of Aless applying makeup was more than a little scary.
Aless opened the door and blinked up at her with her angular green eyes.
"Hey!" she said, grinning so her fangs showed. "Riki's already here. Come on in."
Aless's meister was sitting on the bed, looking somewhat confused.
"Um, thanks for coming here to help me," Crona mumbled to her. It wasn't that Rikita was particularly mean to her – though they had started off on the wrong foot - , it was more the confidence and authority the older girl exuded that made Crona nervous. She admired Rikita's boldness. Aless was bold, too, but that bravery was wild and uncontrolled. Riki was cool and calculating, and reminded Crona of a queen. Aless was more of a court jester. They're so different, it's a wonder they're partners.
"You're welcome," Riki said, nodding. "Though I'm not sure why you want me to make you look like a girl. Aless never really explained that. She just sort of dragged me out of bed and pulled me over here. Not that I mind," she added. "I was bound to end up here eventually, like I do every. Single. Weekend." She shot Aless a wry smile. "Oh well. I'm just going to assume you're getting an early start on your Halloween costume. Where should we start?"
Crona looked at Aless, who apparently hadn't told her partner of the gender identity dilemma. The short girl just shrugged, the perfect actress.
"How about we start with clothes and then do the makeup to match the clothes?"
"Whoa. We're doing makeup, too?" Riki asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, duh!" said Aless, as though she were talking to an idiot. "I mean, girls wear makeup, don't they?"
Rikita looked from Aless to Crona and back, squinting at them.
"Something's going on here that you two aren't telling me," she muttered. When neither of them offered to tell her what that was, she rolled her eyes. "Alright. You don't have to tell me. On one condition: I get pictures of the finished product. You get a makeover, I get blackmail material. Got it?" They nodded. "Good. Now let's go shopping."
Their first stop was a clothing boutique called "Horse Feathers". With a name like that, Crona had no clue what to expect. It certainly didn't sound like a girl's store. When they got there, however, she was immediately assaulted by pastel colors, dainty decorations, and perky saleswomen. And the smell of the place! It was like puppies and kittens and baby unicorns all wrapped up in a vanilla-scented rainbow. Not that she really knew what any of those things smelled like, but this place brought them to mind.
A pretty blonde woman bounced up to them. Her name tag read "Susie".
"Hi!" the overly happy salesperson chirped. That was Crona's first clue that this was going to end badly: nobody, no matter how nice, could be that happy to see a hyper ex-drug addict, a pissed-off bow meister, and a witch's androgynous child. Their motley crew was less than spectacular-looking, and this lady was glad to see them regardless. Maybe she has brain damage? Or is she just high?
"Hey!" Aless chirped right back. "My friend here needs some new clothes." She pointed at Crona. "As you can see, she doesn't have much of a style of her own. Do you think you can help?"
"Sure. Follow me. There are plenty of things here that would suit you wonderfully." How could she possibly know that if she's never met me? "Let's start with your favorite color. What color of clothing do you like to wear?"
Is she stupid? What color am I wearing now?
"Black," she muttered, not meeting the woman's eyes. The saleswoman looked surprised, though it couldn't have possibly been that shocking, given her current outfit.
"Black! But that's so gloomy! You know what I think you'd look good in? Blue. It would really bring out your eyes."
Crona looked at Aless for help. She had never worn bright colors, and she certainly didn't intend to start now. But Aless proved to be no help whatsoever.
"Yeah, I think that navy blue would look great on you," she agreed. "Let's start picking out some stuff."
"First I need your measurements," Susie told her. "Come back to the dressing rooms and we can get that."
As the blonde lady pulled out a tape measure, Crona was trying not to panic. She was in a small, enclosed space, alone with a woman that intended to touch her in places that, frankly, she didn't want anyone touching.
"Alright, lift up your arms so I can get your chest measurements."
The pink-haired girl awkwardly held up her arms, elbows out.
"No, I said to lift you arms. That's not lifting them. Put your hands above your head."
Ragnarok appeared in a burst of black blood.
"Yeah, stupid!" he cried, bopping Crona on the head. "Listen to the woman when she talks!"
The saleswoman stepped back, appalled by the miniature demon.
"W-w-what is that…" she whispered.
"He's a demon," the blushing girl explained. "Um… don't worry about him. He just gets a little rowdy sometimes."
Nodding, Susie quickly took the rest of the measurements, then raised an eyebrow.
"You're awfully skinny for someone your height," she said. "But I'm sure we'll find something in your size. Blue, you said? Let's go." She pulled the poor teen out into the store, where Aless and Riki were already selecting clothes for her. Aless waved her girlfriend over with a grin.
"Take these!" she said, shoving a pile of clothes into Crona's arms.
Looking down at Aless's selections, Crona realized what a mistake this may have been.
"Um… this doesn't look like something I would wear…" she muttered, holding up a lacy green bra.
"Aless!" Riki snapped. "You're supposed to pick out things that Crona would wear! Not just what you want to see him in, you little perv!"
"'Him'?" echoed the saleswoman with a confused look. Crona paled in anxiety.
"This is for a Halloween costume," Rikita explained. "Either that, or he's quitting being a meister to become a drag queen."
Aless glared at her meister while Crona tried not to faint in fear. The saleswoman looked back and forth between the three of them, trying to figure out if they were joking. Finally, she squinted her eyes.
"We don't serve your kind here," she said curtly, and walked away.
People were staring now, and Aless, finally sensing that the situation was going bad, dropped the clothes, grabbed her girlfriend, and made a run for it. Rikita followed. When they got outside, Crona collapsed to the ground, shaking.
"Why did you have to say that?" Aless snapped to her meister.
"I didn't know his gender was a secret!" Riki retorted. "Sor-ry!"
"The drag queen remark was too much! You're offensive! Come on, hon," she added turning her attention to Crona. "That woman was just… some sort of intolerant bitch. I promise the other stores won't be like that. Stand up." Crona obeyed. "You wanna try going somewhere else? Or do you wanna call it quits?"
Crona thought about this for a moment. Setting her jaw, she shook her head.
"No. I've got to be brave. I can't let this get to me, right? Let's go."
"Atta girl!" Aless cried, slapping her on the back. When Rikita gave her a questioning look, she just shrugged. "What? I'm just getting into the spirit of things." Thank Shinigami-sama she's such a good actor.
They decided to try a department store next. This place didn't have the ambience that the other store had had. But maybe it wouldn't have the horrible, scary people, either.
"Did you get your size while we were there?" Aless asked.
"Yes. And it was traumatizing."
"I'll make up for it by picking out good clothes for you."
After a while, Crona was sent into the dressing room with a pile of the group's selections – most of which were appropriate this time - under the promise that she would come out and show Aless and Riki how each piece looked. She squinted under the fluorescent lighting, and shivered standing there in her underwear. Even though she had her own room, she felt as though she were being watched.
The first few items were simple t-shirts and hoodies with fashion logos. She had to admit, they were pretty comfortable. But once it came time to put on some jeans, she had a dilemma. As a child, Crona had always worn dresses. Medusa didn't much care whether she felt like a boy or a girl, and her "what I say goes" attitude had prevented the poor kid from ever wearing anything else. The jeans were tight, and they weren't very comfortable. She didn't like how they showed off her long, thin legs. But she went out to show her friends all the same.
Riki smiled, and Aless clapped her hands.
"They're kind of tight…" Crona muttered.
"Can you move in them?"
"Well, yeah…"
"Then they're a perfect fit," said Rikita.
"You look awesome!" squealed Aless.
"Y-you think so?"
"Yes. They're sexy. You look like a model. You're buying them."
Eventually Crona came to a short, lacy hot pink dress that Aless had no doubt picked out. Why did she pick pink? To match my hair? She knows I don't like pink. And why something so short? How am I supposed to sit down in this? Nevertheless she put it on. And while she wasn't exactly happy about feeling the breeze, um, down there, she had to admit it was pretty cute. Maybe there was one in black? And a little longer?
"The lace isn't really 'you'," Rikita told her when she stepped out.
"It's perfect for your new female identity," countered Aless.
"It's too short."
"It's adorable."
"People will think you're a prostitute."
"I'll be your first customer," Aless said with a suggestive wink. They stared at her, and she put up her hands in defense. "What? It's true."
Crickets.
"Well, anyway," said Riki, "it's up to you if you want it. But my opinion is no."
"It's kind of uncomfortable," Crona admitted. "I don't think I want it."
"Ok," said Aless. "Besides, I wasn't totally sure that it wasn't lingerie."
"You were going to let me wear only lingerie in public?" Crona cried.
"If it helps, I was 75% sure it was a club dress."
Crona stormed back into the dressing room, blushing. Dammit, Aless… why do you have to say things like that? The "first customer" remark made her feel awkward. Was she serious? Do I want her to be serious?
She finally settled on buying the jeans, a few t-shirts, a navy skirt down to her knees that "makes your ass look fabulous" (Aless's words, obviously), and a long, dark red dress. They decided to head to Rikita's apartment, since she owned the most makeup.
Crona had never been to the apartment before. She was shocked at how large and colorful it was compared to her prison-cell-turned-bedroom. Riki noticed her gawking, and smiled.
"Big difference from your dark little room, huh?" she said with a grin. "Come on, let's go into my bedroom and we'll get you all prettied up."
Aless sat beside Crona on the bed. She, too, was staring at everything. Aless's room was near bare, due to the fact that she tended to break things when she turned into a demon. It's strange how even though the demon-drug-abuse thing had such an impact on her life, she's always trying to hide it from me. I've only seen her like that once. Every other time, she's locked herself alone in her room. And she tells me not to hide my problems. She doesn't take her own advice.
"Geez, Riki, have you gotten more stuff since the last time I was here?" Aless asked.
"The only thing I added was that mirror," –she pointed to a purple-framed wall mirror- "and the maneki-neko on the desk. Why?"
"I get all distracted and dizzy whenever I'm in here. It's like… what's the word… overstimulating! Yeah! This room gives me overstimulation."
"My sincerest apologies," Rikita said with a smirk. She pulled out a large, black case and set it on the bedside table. When she opened it, Crona saw dozens of colored powders, brushes, and things that she'd never even seen before. Is that a pencil? And what's that plastic tube? 'Stiletto Lashes'? What the heck? "Here's the makeup. Let's start with foundation. That's what you put on first, to give you an even skin tone." She dug through the box, getting more and more frustrated as she went. "I don't think I've got anything in here that matches your skin tone. You're too pale. Oh, by the way, Aless, you left your own foundation here the last time you slept over." She handed Aless a compact off the table.
"Hey," said Aless. "I'm pale. Maybe mine would work. Face me, Crona." As Crona obeyed, Aless put some foundation on the little sponge from the compact. Blowing her raven-colored hair out of her eyes, she patted some on the other girl's cheek. "A pretty good match. Here. Look in the mirror and put it on the rest of your face."
Standing before the mirror, Crona patted makeup onto her face. Even though the powder was thin, it felt heavy. She stared into her own azure eyes, her wide pupils. Were the lines under her eyes getting darker again? I hate my eyes. I hate the lines, I hate the color, I hate the shape. And my face is too thin. My skin is so pale. I just want to be pretty. But I can't. Ugly on the inside, ugly on the outside, right?
"Okay, now what?"
"Now we put on the eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara." Riki held up the pencil and tube that she'd seen in the box. "Close your eyes and stay still. I don't want to poke you in the eye."
As Aless's meister applied the makeup, Crona tried not to flinch away. The brush tickled, and she was sure that the powdery eye shadow would fall onto her eye. If this blinds me, I'm never speaking to these two again.
"Alright, and last is the lips. Do you want to look cute or sexy?"
"Um… cute?"
"Then we can just use lip gloss. Here. It's called 'Pink Passion'. Just put it on your lips."
Crona's hand shook as she tried to put on the lip gloss. It ended up going outside of her lips and making a wavery line on her cheek.
"I-is this right?" she asked, doubting it.
"No. Wipe that off. Aless, show him."
Aless stepped up to the mirror and put on some purple lipstick in a few slow, clean strokes. Crona attempted to do the same, but it still looked wrong.
"Ok, you know what? Forget the lips. With your eyes like that, you don't need it." Riki bit her lip. "Hm. We probably should've done the makeup after you put on the clothes. Ah well. Just choose an outfit, and try not to touch the area around your eyes." She started to leave the room, but stopped when she saw that Aless wasn't budging.
"What?" asked Aless.
"Crona's going to change into one of the girly outfits. We're stepping out of the room," her meister explained.
"I know that. But you don't mind me being here, right?" she asked Crona. "I mean, I'm your girlfriend and all. I'm sure I'll see everything eventually anyway."
Sighing, Riki pulled her petite weapon out of the room without any words from Crona.
"You're just delaying the inevitable!" Aless called back. When the door shut, Crona shook her head. What's with her today? All the suggestive remarks… and who says she's going to see me without clothes? Her face went red hot as she stepped into the skirt. I mean, why would she want to anyway? It's not like there's anything to look at. Why does she want to see me in all my hermaphrodite glory? I'm disgusting. Totally terrible.
Ragnarok burst out of her back, leaning on her head.
"You got that right," he muttered. "You're not sexy at all. God, I never get to see anything good. Just your scar-covered, skinny-ass self. Sleep with Tsubaki or something. I want some action."
"Go away, Ragnarok. I know. You don't have to tell me." When he disappeared and she put on a blouse, she looked at herself in the mirror and jumped. Who is that person? She hardly recognized herself, between the clothes and the makeup. My skin looks like it's glowing… and my eyelashes are so long. I look… kind of normal? Not pretty. I can't be pretty. But I look like less of a freak. She touched her face, making sure that it was actually her. I don't look like myself. But that's a good thing. She stepped out into the hall, where the other two were waiting. Rikita's jaw dropped, and Aless grinned.
"Is… is it good?"
In response, Aless ran up and kissed her hard. Another thing that would take getting used to.
"You look amazing," the smaller girl whispered.
"You look so pretty!" Riki gasped as the two pulled away. "You could totally pass for a girl. I gotta get some pictures of this." She pulled out her camera and took a few snapshots, sighing. "Do you like it, Crona? Think I did a good job with the makeup?"
"It's wonderful," she nodded. "You did great. I'm going to write down the names of the makeup so I can buy some." She turned to Aless. "Thank you guys so much. This was a great idea."
