*{Chapter 24}

Symphony was wearing clingy slim black tights that stopped at the ankles, a rayon orange button up with two front pockets and the sleeves rolled up, and glossy black heels with a single ankle strap. His hair had been tied low on the side, his bangs swept to the same side.
As he walked down the hall with Mortalia, who'd been dressed in a dark purple pants suit with tall pointy black heels and a silk black shirt along with black pearl earrings and her hair tied in a polish neat bun, a loving tender smile found his face.
"You know something, we look like a middle aged married couple." He chuckled lightly.
Mortalia turned her head to him, giving his hand a squeeze as she tucked a piece of green hair behind her grey-white ear. She smiled at him softly. "Do we? Sounds like a good plan to me. What are our jobs?"
"Well," Symphony thought for a moment. "You're dressed in a pants suit, so maybe you're like a lawyer or something?"
"Ew," Mortalia frowned, shaking her head. "I don't want to be a lawyer. Can't I be…I don't know…maybe something likeee…oh, what if I be a travel agent? Or maybe something like a professional stylist?"
"I can see it now," Symphony stopped, waving his other hand over their heads. "Mortalia Roth-Logan: Stylist to the Stars."
Mortalia giggled. "Or how about Mortalia Phantomhive: Stylist to…her supermodel drag queen of a husband?"
Symphony pretended to think for a moment, his face blushing summer pink. When Mortalia bumped her arm against his, he glanced back over to her. "Alright, I can agree to that."
"But before we marry, we better get Picture Day over with." Symphony said with a playful grin.
"Sounds good to me," Mortalia gave a casual shrug. "But first: you may want to fix your bra."
Symphony puckered his lips, his eyes blinking down at his bra that's been hidden behind his orange rayon button-up. His expression was a question mark. "Oh wow. How long have I been walking around like this?"
"Since we met at the steps." Mortalia said, trying not to laugh.
"And you said nothing?" Symphony asked, adjusting his a-cup strapless bra as he looked at Mortalia with an expression of blankness.
"Sorry," she shrugged again. "Still have to get use to the ghoul you. She's a bit different from the male you."
"I knew I was wearing too clothed…" Symphony mumbled.
Mortalia laughed, amused with delight.
He would never change.

"Big brother Symphony!" Ashleigh called, running towards the table of GSA (who oddly enough ate lunch together regularly).
"Is someone calling me?" Symphony said, turning his head her way.
Ashleigh came to a stop in front of him, pausing a moment to breath. She bended forward, putting her hands to her knees. She lowered her head, gulping down air. "Big…brother…I…"
You…?" Symphony questioned.
"I…" Ashleigh said, lifting her head. She lifted a red brow. "Why are wearing makeup?"
Symphony blinked, his expression lost. "It's just gloss and peach blush. Is that what you were going to say? If so, you didn't have to run. I still have lunch to eat, I was going to be here a while…"
"No," Ashleigh waved his words away. "What I was going to say was: where is Mommy Mortalia?"
"Bathroom, changing." Symphony shrugged, turning back to his strawberry Greek Yogurt. He took a bite, encouraging Ashleigh to sit.
She did, putting on leg under the table and leaving the other leg out so that she could directly face Symphony. "Oh. Well, I wanted to ask her something…it was pretty important too."
"Something pretty important like what?" Symphony glanced over to the young Normie ghoul. She lowered her eyes, her face reddening.
"It's a ghoul thing…" she mumbled, poking at soft brown bench.
Symphony mimicked her sitting position, resting a hand on her knee. When she looked up at him, he offered a trusting smile. "I'm a ghoul, aren't I? Or…I'm dressed like one at least, right?"
"Well, yeah, I guess." Ashleigh said through puckered lips, looking away.
Was that the right answer?
Symphony leaned forward, putting his forehead to hers. He put a hand to her chin, smiling like a mean overly protective big sister, who in turn loved and cherished her younger sister but was mean to her by choice.
"So, that means…you can ask me, can't you? Or…maybe not?"
Ashleigh's face turned bright red as she blinked, Symphony's eyes boring into hers. "Ask…you? You mean I can?"
Symphony squeezed her chin. "Of course, pet. Besides: since when were you and my ghoulfriend so close?"
"Um…is this what they call jealousy?" Ashleigh asked worriedly, forcing a laugh. "If so: I'm afraid."
"And you should be." Symphony glared lovingly at the girl.
"Stop that," Mortalia said, suddenly appearing. She slapped Symphony's hand away from Ashleigh. "Don't go being mean to our little monster."
"Mommy," Ashleigh said, instantly wrapping her arms around Mortalia. She hugged herself to her now more rounder hip. "I was waiting for you!"
"Yes, I know you were, Leigha." Mortalia said, petting her now shoulder length hair of red.
"No fair," Symphony said, pressing his hand lightly to his cheek. "You're suppose to give all your love and affection to me."
"Don't be clingy, dearest." Mortalia said with a crooked grin.
"Anyway," Ashleigh tugged at her black t-shirt. "Back to me?"
"Sure, hun. What did you want to ask?"
"Um…" Ashleigh thought, blinking. "Ummm….Why are you dressed like a boy?"
"Ghoulfriend's got a point, love." Symphony said, lifting a brown eyebrow.
Mortalia glanced down at her black t-shirt, baggy denim jeans, and pink leopard converse that she'd 'barrowed' from Symphony's Valentine shoot.
"Am I dressed like a boy?" she asked, clueless.
"Uh, duh." Symphony said, giving her an up-and-down look.
Mortalia shrugged. "Well, why does it matter?"
"Because future stylists don't dress in such fashion…now do they?" Symphony said, standing. In that same moment, he grabbed Mortalia's black t-shirt, ripping it into a half shirt. Her now formed slender curves were revealed, out in the open for all to see.
Mortalia stumbled back, everything going in slow motion out of shock when she realized what had just occurred. Her hair flew around her, falling back to her shoulders when she stopped. She glanced at the green mess of curls, noticing that Symphony had somehow managed to pull off her black scrunchie. "What just…?"
Symphony, with his dark playful eyes glowing red and pink, smiled at Mortalia amusedly. In his hands swayed a black scrunchie. "Don't you want to know what it feels like?"
Mortalia blinked, not expecting his demon side to come out to play. "What do you mean?"
Symphony dug around in his leather black purse that's been sitting on the table, searching. His eyes never felt Mortalia for a second. "What do I mean? Well…."
"Well?" Mortalia questioned, a bit frightened.
"Well…" Symphony said, suddenly behind her, causing Mortalia to jump. The table of GSA froze with shock as Symphony snaked a hand up her arm. His hand rubbed over Mortalia's shoulder, going up her neck and finding her chin. He took hold of it tightly, making sure her head didn't move. He pressed her cheeks forward, causing her lips to pucker. With his other hand he smoothed on pale pink lipstick. Mortalia didn't move, for fear of messing up his process. He smoothed on three layers of lipstick, putting his creamy peach lips inches from her ear. "Isn't it fun being a ghoul? You should look like one more often…showoff that pretty side of yours that you try to hide."
Before Mortalia could speak and try to calm Symphony's jealousy of the opposite sex, a snapping noise sounded about the creepateria. Everyone's focus now transferred over to Azar, who was coolly holding up his digital camera. A grin was placed on his handsome mint face.
"You two sweets are just too much," he said, stepping forward and heading towards them. "Really, you're both just too much to take."
"Sweets?" Symphony asked, his eyes still glowing red and pink.
"'Cause you're both just as sweet as sugar, superstar." He said, stopping in front of them. "You know something: this thing's got perfect zoom."
Mortalia lifted a dark purple eyebrow. What did perfect zoom matter at a time like this while they were in the middle of a crisis?"
"Um…a little help here?"
"Sure, but before that…" Azar said, taking Mortalia's arm. He pulled her from Symphony clutches, and threw her right back again.
Symphony caught her, stumbling back a step or two. He glared at the photographer with intensity. "What do you think you're doing?"
Azar answered by taking another picture. "That's what I like to see. Such aggressiveness…How dare you not show it only in front of me and my camera?"
Symphony blinked, his eyes now going back to their highway colors. "What now?"
"Never mind, pretty lady." Azar flashed a relaxed grin.
Mortalia gave him a look. "God you're weird…and thanks for help."
"Welcome." Azar replied, shooting a hand-gun her way.
Mortalia sighed. "Enough…I need a break already."
Symphony looked at her with puzzlement as she escaped from him, releasing their hand holding from when Symphony had caught her. She walked towards the lunch line, Ashleigh chasing behind her.
"Maybe possibly I went overboard?" Symphony said with confusion.
"Maybe?" Jarr'ah said from the table.
"Possibly?" Holt replied after.
"I just wanted her to be a ghoul and look pretty…ghouls should always look pretty…right?" Symphony mumbled, his face red.
"Would you be able to handle your beauty if you had been born a ghoul?" Azar asked in a soft whisper, resting a hand to Symphony's shoulder.
Symphony lowered his eyes, recalling his conversation with Mortalia as they cried lying on her bed. He blinked. "Well…boys shouldn't be beautiful."
A crafty smile appeared on Azar's face, his eyes narrowed and intense with delighted trickery. "Well that's what pretty boys are for, right? Don't worry about it…you'll become the mind eye's greatest of illusions. So just don't worry…stay stuck between genders and trapped as one sex. Stay as confused as you want, you'll be able to benefit from it one day."
Symphony glanced up at the green manster leaning against him. His eyes became distant for a moment.
For a moment or so he began to wonder:
What thoughts went through this manster's head? What type of life did he live?
And more importantly: What fed his fascination about this gender lost manster? What would he do this such hungry fascination and what statement did he want to make?