Preparations
Synopsis: The inhabitants of the castle- a certain domestic, handyman and groupie- prepare for the arrival of the Transylvanian "unconventional conventionalists" and for the glorious Time Warp that would ensue. Basically Riff/Magenta/Columbia-centered.
Disclaimer: The story has come from my mind. The inspiration, the characters, the song lyrics and everything else that you have heard before- they're all from Richard O'Brien. Don't sue. I'll be your best friend.
Chapter I: Time Meant Nothing, Never Would Again
A/N: Besides the obvious (the characters, the plot, the concept- not mine!), I dedicate this chapter to Britt.
Bong. The gong sounded on the hour, and it was nearly time for Columbia's first Time Warp. Magenta was bored with trying to get Columbia's short and plain hair to mimic her own voluminous fiery red hair. She sat with the straightener in her hand, finally having given up on the entire idea of getting Columbia's hair to curl even just a little bit. It just was not happening. After Columbia's hair was straightened, Magenta dyed it. It was supposed to turn blonde, but instead became a pinkish red shade that was oddly complimentary to Columbia's pale skin and blue eyes. Her squeaky voice broke the silence along with Magenta's thoughts. She wasn't prepared for Riff's plan to unfold later that evening, and she was scared of failure. "Oh, my hair is so beautiful, 'Genta! Thanks...what's wrong?" Magenta visibly cringed at Columbia's nickname for her. A thick Transylvanian accent poured from her lips a second later. "Columbia, I know you are new here. But please, do not call me ''Genta'. Only my brother can call me that." Columbia apologized for far longer than she needed to. "I'm sorry. Umm, whaddya think I should wear for my tap solo?" Magenta smiled. Even having known Columbia for a little over a week, she could never stay mad at her, with her carefree and almost childlike nature. "I made this for you over the past week. I know it will fit you perfectly. I hope you like it." She pulled a gold sequined tailcoat, a rainbow colored corset, and striped shorts out of a nearby closet, along with a gold glittery top hat to match the tailcoat.
Riff, the castle handyman, watched Columbia completely freak out over her new outfit. Even through the window, her ecstatic voice was heard. "Ohmigosh, I love it! It's all sparkly, and pretty, and this all just goes so perfectly with my tap shoes! I can't imagine how hard you must have worked on this, but thank you so much!" The maid grabbed the ecstatic pink-haired girl by the shoulders to calm her down because she had been speaking at the pace of a mile a minute. "Calm yourself. Save at least some of that energy for tonight." She gave Columbia a hug (she looked like she had been expecting one, despite the fact that Magenta rarely hugged anyone at all) and left the room. Riff continued on his way toward the front lawn, and Columbia continued to prepare for the night's festivities. She really hoped Eddie would like her. She had met him once and loved him at first sight. "He'll love me, he has to love me," she said to herself. "There was something there- a spark, I just know there was." She pulled off the old blue-and-white striped pajamas and pulled the outfit on. The corset was rather tight, but wasn't it supposed to be? Magenta was right, she thought to herself. It fits me perfectly.
Columbia put on her glittery tap shoes and scampered off to the slate-floored bathroom to practice the tap solo she would perform later. She knocked on the door, and Magenta's voice called out. "No! Don't come in. Come back later. Goodbye, now..." Her face flushed and she left but returned a few seconds later upon hearing something strange- a whisper. "Don't vorry, my dear. She's gone. We're all alone now. But only for five or ten minutes." "Yes...well, we will go back to work in a minute or so, my most beautiful--" Columbia heard the end of the sentence and her mouth gaped wide in horror. Sister? she thought. She? And he--? Oh, my God. They're-- oh, my GOD. No, it's not possible. She ran as fast as she could towards her bedroom, hoping she could practice there. She tried to put what she had heard out of her mind, which was impossible. However, she caught sight of herself in a mirror and loved what she saw. She started singing and dancing, watching her hips move and her feet tap. "Well, I was tappin' down the street, just a-havin' a think, when a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink. He shook-a me up, he took me by surprise, He had a pickup truck and the devil's eyes. He stared at me, and I felt a change. Time meant nothin', never would again!" She beamed at the thought of singing and dancing in front of all the people that night, but her mind could never stray far from Eddie. "Oh, Eddie," she said aloud. "Will you like me? Will you...love me like I nearly love you?" The bell struck again, and Columbia waited for Magenta to come back and tell her when the Time Warp was to start. She only hoped she could keep her composure after hearing what she had heard. Bong. "Columbia, ve are vaiting for you."
