The house was a tall gothic medieval castle, but it had a small twist. It was bright pink.
AN: Ahem, sorry 'bout that. It wasn't me. I swear.
NA: She lies it was her. All of this is her, nothing but her. ....... she lies, she is like cake.
AN: Yeah, I'm delicious like cake. Okay, that wasn't me, either. Honest. Moving on! So, my apologies for this taking forever, but well, I had a tad bit of writer's block when I started this chapter, but s'all gud now. Thanks to AceLions and Animekitty47 for their reviews! MWHA!
Two months after Derrick's "rodeo incident", Nightshade was laying on his bed, watching him go through his closet.
"What exactly are you doin'?" she asked him when he pulled out three different shirts.
"I'm tryin' to figure out what I'm goin' to wear."
"For?"
"Birthday party tonight."
Nightshade rolled over onto her belly. He was going to a party? Why hadn't she known about it? That ruined all her plans. She was going to take him to the Neitherworld tonight, to the shadier parts of town. The plan was to scare him, and scar him mentally for all eternity. The only issue was that was the most common place for sandworms, since most poltergeists stayed there.
"Whose party?"
"Mine," he said, trying on a light blue western shirt.
"It's your birthday?!"
"Yup."
"So, you're, what, seventeen now?"
"Yeah." He took off the blue one, and pulled on a dark green one.
Nightshade shook her head, and crawled off the bed. She took off her trench coat, and tossed it on the bed, before walking over to his closet. Gods help him, the third shirt he had out was light pink! She knew some guys who could work with it, but Derrick? People would think he was a poof! And that would be detrimental to both their reputations.
"Doll, what're ya doin'?"
"Savin' yer reputation," she answered, flicking through the shirts. What he needed was either dark colors, or something sunny. Not pink. And he was pushing it with light blue. Her hand stopped on a deep red. That would work. She pulled it out with a flourish and held it out to him.
"What is it you and red?" he asked, slightly annoyed, but took it anyway.
"You look good in red. 'Sides, it'll match yer bracelet."
He rolled his eyes, and she smiled brightly when he slipped it on over his usual white undershirt.
Nights snapped her fingers, making a brush appear in her hand, and started running it through his hair. She brushed it this way and that, trying to find the best look, while he snapped the buttons in his western shirt.
"Now I know how Cousin It feels," he muttered when she flipped his hair down in front of his face.
"Hey, don't be disin' the Addams. I'm good friends with Morticia. Hell, she's one of my best customers!"
"You have a job?" he asked, dark eyebrows up in surprise when he could see her again.
"Of course I got a job! Cons can only pay so many bills." Yeah, he knew about her status as a con artist, but he never suspected he was a target. At least, she didn't think he did. "I own a clothing store. Called Midnight Desires. I can show you tonight, if you want to come to the Neitherworld after your little party. Oh, can I come to this shindig?"
"Wait, I can go to the Neitherworld?"
"Yeah, if you know a chant. We're all about magic, us deadies."
"What chant?"
"Can I come to the party?" She gave up trying to find a new way to fix his hair, and just brushed it straight back, waiting for his answer.
"An older woman at my party? Ma ain't gonna like that." He paused. "But if you can come as, I dunno, somethin' different . . ."
Nightshade thought back through all her aliases. Most were women, but she had a few males in her repertoire.
"Tell yer ma, yer new friend Taylor is comin' over."
"Taylor what?"
"Taylor Davenport."
Nights had to make some major adjustments to Taylor. The biggest one being he needed to look alive, instead of six hundred plus years dead. She had to de-point her ears, de-red her nails, and normalize her tongue. Not to mention get rid of her pale, with a slight violet tinge, skin tone.
Taylor Davenport stood at six-foot-two (a good eight inches taller than Nightshade), his hair short, dark blond, and spiky, normal shaped ears, normal pink tongue, and with a slightly tanned skin tone. He had kept Nights jade green eyes, and color scheme for his outfit. Said outfit consisted of a black jean jacket, blood red western shirt, black jeans, and black cowboy boots. Since Nightshade needed to express herself somehow, other than the color scheme, she had an image of, well, nightshade stitched into the sides of the boots. She rather liked it.
He leaned against the railing of the porch that went around the Blackthorn's house. It definitely wasn't the estate back in England, but it sure as hell wasn't bad. Of course, it looked like it belonged more on a plantation, than a ranch.
Taylor smirked a little. Nightshade had seen quite a bit of action during the slave trading days. Sometimes she missed it. Not the slave trading part, but back then, people actually knew about her, and summoned her on purpose.
Anyway, this was not the time to be reminiscing. Nights/Taylor had a party to go to.
Nights was back in Derrick's room, still wearing Taylor's clothes. Since the guy was so much taller (and slightly wider) than her, the sleeves of both the jacket and shirt covered her hands with a few inches to spare, and she had to hold up the pants.
The party had gone without a hitch. Except for the little brunette ditz who wouldn't stop flirting with her Derrick. Little bitch just wouldn't take a hint. Nights was about to put the girl's head through a window before Derrick managed to hand her off to some other guy.
Her Ace walked into his room, and smiled at her.
"You looked like you were about to kill Amy."
"Killin' breathers puts ya in deep," she paused, making sure she had her majik under control, "shit. So, you ready to go to the Neitherworld?"
He nodded, and she snapped her fingers, putting her back in her usual outfit.
"Okay, Ace, repeat after me: Though I know I should be wary."
"Though I know I should be wary."
"Still I venture someplace scary."
"Still I venture someplace scary."
"Quick before the majiks fade."
"Quick before the majiks fade."
"My name three times."
"Nightshade, Nightshade, Nightshade."
AN: I've decided to break this up into two chapters. Why? So I can get it to you faster! That and I still don't know what Derrick wears in the Neitherworld.
Nightshade: Who says he has to wear anythin'?
rubydesires: Nights! You ain't supposed to be thinkin' like that in regards to Derrick yet! Anyway, the next chapter shall consist of Neitherworldian shenanigans and sandworms.
Nightshade: Sandworms?! As in more than one?!?! *screams and runs*
rubydesires: Mine is an evil laugh! MWAHAHAHA!!!