Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters that originally appeared in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". I do own the character of Andrea Spencer. Gee, I guess I won't have to buy that lottery ticket after all.
To all outward appearances, Frank's commitment to leading a typical Earthling life was stunningly successful. First to be abandoned was the feminine clothing and makeup he'd affected. While such attire was not at all uncommon among the men of Transexual, particularly among the upper classes, he was aware that in Denton it would certainly lead to, at best, the termination of his employment, and at worst to total social ostracism. He'd briefly toyed with the idea of "dressing up" in the privacy of his apartment in the evenings, or on weekends, but decided against it – too many people dropped in unexpectedly. Besides, since he'd escaped the castle with barely more than the clothes on his back, which had been ruined in the pool, he would have had to purchase the necessary clothing and makeup. That was a task he simply couldn't face.
He also kicked his morphine habit, with no small amount of difficulty. He'd long relied on the drug, or its Transylvanian equivalent, to help him deal with the pressures in his life. Unfortunately, now that he needed that help the most, he was least able to indulge in it. The stakes were too high if he were caught. He did smoke an occasional joint, in the company of some trusted and like-minded friends, but that was the extent of his drug use.
Less tangible than the above changes, but perhaps even more difficult, were the many attitude adjustments he was forced to make. No longer could he see anyone as his "subjects" or his "servants" – or as mere objects of research and study. They were his students; his colleagues; his bosses; his friends; his lovers…or even just acquaintances. In any event, they were people he was obligated to treat with, at the very least, respect. The days of temper tantrums and power trips were, for the most part, over. Although occasionally his temper still got the better of him, those lapses, ironically enough, only served to add to his apparent humanity.
The one aspect of his old personality he was most unable to alter proved to be his sexuality. The sex drive of the typical Transylvanian was significantly stronger than that of the typical Earthling, and Frank's was powerful even by Transylvanian standards. His life became a constant struggle between his physical urges and his need to maintain a respectable reputation in his community. Most of the time, his solution was to search out anonymous lovers, both male and female, in nightclubs and discos located in the larger towns outside of Denton. However, to keep up appearances and help stave off loneliness, he was also usually involved in an ongoing, seemingly monogamous, relationship with someone in his Denton social circle, always a woman. Those relationships provided a different kind of struggle. While he genuinely liked the women he became involved with, his inability to reveal his true self to any of them inevitably led to a kind of emotional distance on his part. He was attracted to all of them, but able to fall in love with none. However, the women themselves were not only able, but downright eager, to fall in love with him. As a result, he found himself becoming all too expert at ending relationships gracefully. Somehow, instead of his serial "monogamy" earning him a reputation as a cad, the women in his circle came to see him as a challenge…each believing she alone had the key that would open the door to his heart. The struggle would continue.
It was now the afternoon of the first day of classes, and Frank, to his dismay, was running late. He'd arranged to meet a colleague over the lunch hour, and, well, he'd lost track of time. It should be noted the colleague was a lovely young woman named Andrea Spencer, who just happened to be a professor of English literature at the college. Given Frank's proclivities, it should come as no surprise that their lunch meeting had nothing to do with lunch. He'd met her the night before, at a faculty mixer. Frank had developed an appreciation of English literature, particularly the works of Shakespeare, during his time at the University of Birmingham, and he reveled in the opportunity to discuss the plays and sonnets with someone possessed of even greater knowledge than his own. As the evening wore on, it became increasingly obvious their interest in each other was more than simply academic. They wound up consummating their attraction with a night of passionate lovemaking at her apartment just off campus, scheduling a "repeat performance" for a mutually convenient gap in their schedules the next day. Unfortunately they were so engrossed in each other that they failed to pay attention to the clock, and he was now rushing to make it to his 2pm class on time. To his relief, there were several vacant parking spaces in the lot next to the science building. He would be able to get there just ahead of the bell. He'd planned on going over the class roster before the students started arriving, but there would be no time for that. No matter…since this was a class of freshmen, he couldn't expect to see any familiar names anyway.
