Wisteria leaned against the porcelain wall tiles of the bathroom, carefully folding up a set of clothes. Ignoring the slosh of water coming from behind the (thankfully opaque-walled) shower compartment which obviously indicated that someone was bathing inside -what are you doing in there Wisteria?- the blue-haired girl casually inspected the slightly-worn clothes for tears or stains or other things.

Although they had fallen on hard times, a formal-style taste still showed in the clothes, quite classy for those in its price range. A dark grey shirt with purple buttons and a simple design that could nonetheless pass off as an attempt at elegancy, coupled with a pair of black pants. In pretty good condition, too-

Wisteria paused in her appraisal, eying the pastel-coloured mass of lace that hung from the top of the divider wall- a piece of clothing she herself had replaced for the clothes that she held in her hands right now. He should have noticed the switch by now-

"Graaahh! What in the name of Arceus-"

Speak of the devil. The pastel cloth was flung out of the compartment and pale hands scoured the divider, looking for their owner's clothes- which were well out of reach in Wisteria's hands. Wisteria smiled sweetly -even though the person within wouldn't be able to see.

"Hello, Steven."

"Argh!" A dull thud, probably the result of Steven hitting against something in shock. "Wisteria? What are you doing in here? …have you seen my clothes?"

Wisteria kept up the sweet smile. "Oh, I'm very much here on purpose. Remember the little conundrum between you and Orion regarding that one maid's dress, and how that turned out?"

There was a groan from within the shower compartment. "Don't remind me, Wisteria."

"I decided I should just get your whining over with now instead of on the day of the job, I'd never have enough time to work out the kinks and details otherwise. You're a bit slow today, Steven; why am I explaining this to you? Shouldn't you have perhaps taken a second look before you flung that foreign piece of fabric away?" She picked up the mass of lace and carefully draped it over the divider again, standing on her tiptoes to reach. The cloth disappeared over the divider, and there was a pause.

"…you can't be serious."

"You're mistaken. I'm very serious."

"Wisteria, give my clothes back."

"Finally caught up, have you? I'm sorry, but you'll have to make do with what you've got at the moment."

"But this is a dress!"

"Exactly. To be specific, it's actually a maid's dress. Most dresses aren't that filled with ribbons and lace."

"…Wisteria!"

"I knew you were going to whine like this. Lucky this isn't the actual day itself, I'd certainly not have time for this kind of temper tantrum…"

"Temper tantrum? Wisteria, you're telling me to wear a maid's dress! How on earth am I supposed to just go with it?"

"It's your fault the coin we flipped like Orion better. Besides, I'm fine with playing the random maid anytime, so don't expect a satisfactory answer to that question."

"Wisteria…just give me back my clothes. Please." The last word sounded more like a threatening growl than a plea, but still Wisteria was unfazed.

"I'm sorry but I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. Your refusal is understandable and even expected, but I'm no pushover either. If you insist, let's play the waiting game then. I should add that I'm in a much more favourable position than you as far as waiting for someone to give is concerned." Wisteria nodded, still with her sugary smile- she swung the bathroom door open, letting a cold draft sweep in.

There was much shuffling from behind the shower compartment. "Wisteria, s-stop that! I-it's cold!"

Wisteria smiled sweetly again, a wicked glint in her eyes. "That's the point, Steven. Won't you put something on, then, if it's so cold?"

"…if the d-dress is the only t-thing I've got, t-then I'd rather n-not."

Wisteria didn't think the dress was too bad, but then again it was vastly different from Steven. But she had the rest of the group to be responsible for here, and not doing one's part to bring in some bacon was unacceptable. "If you insist…"

"I insist."

Wisteria closed the door. It would be going a bit too far, and if Steven caught the flu- well Steven better not catch anything.

[sometime later]

One wouldn't expect Wisteria to be the one snapping as early as half an hour into the standoff, but they were wasting daylight here. She had already sent the rest of the group off for something-or-other, and if they got back before this was done with…

...long story short, Steven's life would probably be over.

"I'd be happy to continue waiting, but unfortunately I have a schedule here. If you're not coming out, I'll be calling Wallace and the others."

"…you're just cruel."

Wisteria sighed indignantly. "Excuse me; I at least had the decency to chase the others out first. I don't know when they'll be back. If you don't want to get this over with fast, I can't guarantee that someone won't walk in on us in this situation. And that wouldn't be too good for you if that were to happen, would it?"

Silence. "Is there really no other option?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Don't try to plead with me, Steven. I highly doubt you're capable of pulling off a puppy-eyed look and I shudder to think of what you'd look like trying."

More silence.

"…you won't laugh?"

Wisteria let herself smile again, despite wanting to maintain an aloof façade. Steven was breaking, and hopefully far earlier than whenever the others would get back. Good. She let some measure of earnestness show in her voice, knowing from experience how to finish springing the trap. "I'd probably go back on my word and laugh anyway if I promised…nothing personal, seriously. But I won't blackmail you with it later, that's one thing I can promise- unlike some people we know."

She meant Wallace. Because there wasn't any way Wallace wouldn't let this go if he ever found out about it. Wisteria hoped that the extra silence that followed meant that Steven was considering, and continued on before any shred of doubt could form.

"If you'd like, after this I'm fine with pretending nothing happened. In fact, if you co-operate I can make it very painless. As painless as possible. None of the others will ever realize that you've worn anything remotely like a dress. Trust me." Wisteria only had a vague idea on how fooling everyone else was going to be possible, but nevermind. She'd get to that one later.

…

"If you plan to come out of there anytime soon," Wisteria added, squinting at the frosted divider glass in an attempt to detect any movement, "tell me first." I'd need to mentally prepare myself.

Wisteria glanced at the door, thinking of the random accessories in the room beyond she had prepared- if Steven could pass off as an actual maid the first time round, something would be freakishly wrong.

She had some cheap hair extensions (not targeted at Steven or anything, but the pale greyish 'colourless' ones were the cheapest), other parts of the uniform such as the headdress and lots of spare ribbons (she'll get to figuring out where all the ribbons were supposed to go…soon) and some makeup (because there was no way a teenage girl who was related to the show-off also known as Wallace could not have makeup), to name some.

…maybe she should get something for her eyes first. Wisteria didn't think eye bleach actually existed, so maybe just a blindfold?

[the next day]

Cynthia didn't look too bad in a servant's uniform.

She was used to wearing black anyway, although the added frills and accessories were a bit uncomfortable at first- anything for the money to tide them through, she guessed. Strangely, parts of this uniform were some over-sweet pink colour, but Cynthia simply assumed that it was because the 'Lamian gentry' she was serving were just really girly adolescents.

'Lady Esperion' (or whatever the lady she was serving was called) pompously waved a milk-white hand and shooed Cynthia off to go get some ribbons for her rather unnaturally straight hair. Cynthia bowed, plastered a fake smile on her face and backed out of the door, thankful for the break.

Working as a servant was...not in her blood. The blonde sighed as she hurried along looking for ribbons; she missed the good old days- even the relentless media and ridiculous rumours about her Pokémon being on steroids or whatever was better than this. But then again, who didn't wish for the old times back?

Steven had snapped yesterday, somehow sneaking out and leaving the group a note saying how he refused to put on a dress despite how much they needed the income- Cynthia really hoped that he was okay. And that he would get back soon.

Cynthia snapped out of her musings, catching a glimpse of Wisteria turning a corner. "Hey Wisteria," she started, "have you seen any hair ribbons-"

She stopped when Wisteria finished rounding that corner. The younger girl was similarly garbed in atrociously frilly gear, her hair neatly pulled back and secured with a ribbon, her face radiant with excitement. Extremely unusual for Wisteria. Then Cynthia saw the maid who followed.

There seemed nothing wrong at first, except for her somewhat awkward and embarassed demeanor. Similarly clothed in a maroon blouse and slighter darker knee-length skirt with a pastel pink apron over the top and frilly lace all around, her silvery hair secured with ribbbons, overall coming off as sweet and harmless; she looked like any other maid. But then-

Holy Arceus.

"Oh my."

"Exactly!" Wisteria chirped, pulling the other girl (who looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die) forwards. "Doesn't she look so...so much like Steven?"

Wisteria had a very valid point.

Speaking of Wisteria, the girl was busy laughing internally at the way Cynthia was falling for it- and trying not to actually laugh, or look at the 'girl' beside her.

Yep, this was totally part of the wonderful plan to ensure no one would ever know that Wisteria had really made a breakthrough in trying to force a dress on Steven. Don't say anything.

No laughing, Wisteria. Sticking to your cover story. The person beside you is totally another servant you hardly know.

"We're meet alot, apparently the ladies we're with are really good friends or something." Wisteria continued, before Cynthia suspected anything. "Isn't it...well, just so cool? Too bad Steven isn't here-" She couldn't help but giggle, but it was a context-appropriate giggle. Nothing suspicious. "-to see this."

Cynthia, having noticed that the other servant really looked like she wanted to die right now, addressed 'her' in a friendly manner; "Well, hello there. I'm Cynthia, and I'm sorry if you're a bit uncomfortable with this- and you are?"

A 'bit' uncomfortable was a major understatement, for reasons Cynthia would hopefully never know. Wisteria quickly broke in, because right then the 'girl' beside her had turned a ghastly shade of white- one that matched her hair.

"Oh, she's called Yue(1). That's 'you-eh'; she's from China see? Her kind of people have small eyes and pale skin. She's really shy, apparently back where she came from there aren't any people with pale hair like hers and she was made fun of. So now she doesn't speak much."

'Yue' nodded furiously, but still mantained her stare at the ground, refusing to make any eye contact.

"How'd she get this kind of hair?" Cynthia asked curiously, since -like Wisteria said- silvery hair (in rather pretty ringlets) wasn't really common where 'Yue' came from. She reached out curiously, wanting to touch one of the two ponytails Yue's hair was divided into- the maid gave a cry and lept backwards.

-W-what are you doing?

-Hair extensions, obviously. You'll NEVER pass off as a good and proper girl looking like this; so to start with I'll just lengthen your hair to a more acceptable length.

-Oh no, no-no-no-

-You want the others to recognize you on sight? Sheesh! It won't hurt or anything! I just have to clip- this- here- and- put -on -the- curlers- STOP MOVING!

"O-oh! Sorry, I didn't realize you were sensitive about that!" Cynthia apologized, feeling guilty for frightening the maid like that. "Are you alright?"

Wisteria quickly grabbed Yue's wrist, her eyes wide in concern. Yue nodded again, her eyes flickering back down to the ground- but not before Cynthia managed to discern their color from under the metallic bangs.

Yue's eyes were a very pretty light green- bordering on teal, like Steven's, but a bit brighter. Maybe it was the expertly-applied eyeshadow brushed onto her eyelids- dark blue-green fading off to a lighter ice blue, giving her eyes a mysterious look and emphasizing the brightness of her gaze-

-...what's that you're holding?

-...ever heard of makeup? Wait, don't answer that; considering how you spent your life before today you probably wouldn't have. Don't worry, I promised painlessness. Just close your eyes-

-Wait, you're going to put that on my eyes?

-The label reads 'eyeshadow'.

-Oh come on! You never put makeup on any of the other girls before!

-I'm not wasting my personal set on anything but serious cases- like yourself. I know what I'm doing! This color's perfect for you; it'll bring out your eyes!

"...I think we should head back to work..." Wisteria said, sounding very worried as her face wrinkled up in an unfanthomable expression.

"I guess..." Cynthia conceded. "Have you seen any hair ribbons?"

Yue's head snapped up- she immediately ripped off the pair of ribbons dangling uselessly from her wrists and flung it at Cynthia like they were poison. The blonde looked in surprise at the ribbons she had suddenly come into possession of- they were a fine shade of rose pink, with green trimming. Lady Esperion would be sastified.

"Are you sure you don't need-" Wisteria started disapprovingly, but Yue shook her head fervently. Cynthia looked at the maid with sympathy; the girl had problems.

-Ribbons?

-Correction. Lots of Ribbons. And some long stockings; the uniform doesn't exactly cover up to your ankles like your usual clothes do.I do care, you know.

-If you care at all, you have a strange way of showing it-

-Just put them on.

"Well, thanks then. Good luck!" Cynthia smiled at Yue encouragingly, nodded at Wisteria and left for Lady Esperion- who by now would probably be very angry with her tardiness, but she could make up for that later.

Wisteria stood and stared until Cynthia had entirely disappeared from view, then looked around to check that they were truly alone, before turning and flashing a triumphant smile at Yue.

"I told you they wouldn't recognize you, Steven."

'Yue' scowled, and snapped- in a voice that was obviously not a girl's- "Whatever, Wisteria. Let's just get this over with."

"My sentiments exactly."

They turned and headed back to where they were respectively due.

[later]

Later that evening Steven returned -again in his usual clothing- with an appropriately sheepish look on his face. Wisteria appropriately threw a raging fit, ranting for about fifteen minutes before Steven decided to cut things short and attempt redeeming himself- by producing the exact amount of money he would have earned anyway had he not left.

Wisteria simmered down unusually quickly, but after all, with Wisteria it was usually about the money and how the money was going to help the group survive. So no one suspected anything.

Not even when Steven turned a ghastly pale colour when Cynthia, Orion and Zilyana all remarked about 'Yue', how similar she looked with Steven, how pretty she was, and how sympathetic they all felt about her ridiculously low self-esteem. Wisteria snickered, and nodded.

Although maybe some of them might have started to think twice about things when Wallace noticed the smudge of dark eyeshadow on Steven's left eyelid.

Cue hysterical laughter from Wisteria. Steven made a hasty exit.

A/N: (1) In Avatar: the Last Airbender Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe was the only Water Tribe youth with pure whitish hair- in her case it was because she was touched by the moon spirits. But if I use anything related to minerals or metal it would be too obvious.

Snowkittyn: I'll see how good you are at noticing then~ I'm happy, I found someone else that agree that Lucian is some degree of awesome~ \o/

Perpetual Dreams: I need to find a place to put Red in, so if there isn't one he won't appear. Sorry about that.

Thanks for reviewing!