Chapter 18
Thursday afternoon found Kat, Angela, and Demona with Fox and Elisa at Pack Media Studios.
Owen was present as well, setting up equipment as Fox explained what would happen.
"So Owen will shoot our human forms first," the tattooed woman said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Then after the sun has set, Puck will perform his spell allowing us," she indicated herself, Elisa, and Demona, "to become gargoyles at will. Then Owen will finish the shoot. Just remember, that we will all take more gargoyle photos than human, especially since the human photos will be going in the calendar, with the exception of one 'before' picture that will be in the book. Any questions?"
"I got one," Elisa said, less than enthused. Considering she was the only woman present that wasn't really enthused about this. Granted Demona wasn't that excited, but it hadn't taken the convincing that Elisa had. "How exactly is Puck able to perform this spell? I thought he was restricted from using magic unless teaching or protecting Alex?"
"And that is our loophole," Fox explained.
At Elisa's confused look, Demona answered, both to put the human out of her misery, and to get one up on her. "While indirect, Puck is protecting Alexander by doing this. As the clan lives in the castle, there is always the possibility that the clan's enemies will attack. Since the Xanatos' live there as well, an attack on the clan is dangerous to Alexander. Since we're doing this with the intention of reducing human hostility towards gargoyles, and the clan, amongst humans, we are actually reducing the danger to the clan, and hence to Alexander, which is protecting him." She looked over at Fox. "Am I correct?"
The other redhead grinned. "Absolutely." She turned to the clothing rack behind her. "We'll start with the before shots first." Grabbing a skimpy police uniform that someone might see in a very high class strip club (high class due to the costumes quality), she tossed it to Elisa. "There's you're costume Detective."
"Really?" Elisa questioned, holding up the outfit as Demona, Angela, and Kat tried to hide their grins.
"We're all wearing outfits for the calendar that suit our lives," Fox said grinning. "Demona dressing as the sexy boss, I'm dressing as the sexy mercenary, Kat's the sexy mechanic, Angela will be our traditional gargoyle garb, and you're our sexy cop. Then for the group shot we'll all be in bikinis. And that's just for our calendar shots. Aside from our before shots, all of our other shots will be in…varied garb, with one tastefully done nude shot."
Elisa's eyes widened. "You didn't say anything about posing nude!"
"Relax Elisa," Angela assured the woman. "We all agree that we don't want people seeing our intimate parts. Objects, props, and pose will be covering up those things."
Elisa sighed, but crossed her arms. "Fine."
"Excellent," Fox said happily. "Now if you'll step in front of the green screen, we can get the before shots out of the way."
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After all the human shots were taken, there was an hour and half left until sunset. The women all sat down to take a break and eat the pizza Fox had provided for them all.
But once the sun set, Demona (now in her gargoyle form), Elisa, and Fox stood before Owen, as Kat and Angela stood back watching. "Everyone ready?" Owen asked. At the women's nods, he suddenly began to spin, until in his place, floated the white haired Puck.
"Well then I suppose we better get this shoe on the rude. Or is that show on the road?" the trickster muttered before shrugging. "I can never remember."
"Puck," Demona growled, quite literally, out, her eyes red.
"Oh don't get your non-existent panties in a twist," Puck joked, cracking his fingers. "Now then, let's do some magic!" he exclaimed excitedly.
Puck's eyes began to glow, and magic began to swirl around the three women as Puck spoke.
"Oh magic here my plea,
To transform these women three,
Into gargoyle form at will,
My fun this shall fulfill!"
As puck finished speaking, he spun around turning back into Owen as the magic swirling around the women faded.
Demona looked no different, having already been in gargoyle form, but Elisa and Fox were different, both appearing as gargoyles. Elisa looked as she had when Puck had turned her into a gargoyle before, with tan-brown skin, now brow ridge, and leathery wings.
Fox retained her red hair, but her skin color had changed to green-blue tone of her mother Titania, which actually seemed to enhance the blue tattoo around her right eye. Her wings were spined with a single claw, similar to Goliath's. And unlike the other gargoyles, she had two sweeping horns coming from the edges of her brow ridge, they were only a couple inches long but they were still noticeable.
Fox, being the only one not to remember being a gargoyle before (she'd been changed when Puck turned the city to gargoyles, though unlike Elisa she didn't remember it, only knowing of it from being told by Puck, after he had revealed he was Owen), began flexing her new talons and wings. "Well, I can certainly see the appeal of this form," she commented.
Demona smirked. "It's refreshing to feel all that strength, isn't it," she commented.
"I must admit, I wasn't expecting to actually feel the strength," Fox said with a grin.
Angela piped in at that moment. "Just be careful," she informed both Fox and Elisa, knowing her mother didn't need the warning. "I had to adjust with a human body, and I'm sure Mother did as well."
"I did," Demona confirmed. Looking over at Owen she asked, "Anything else we need to know?"
"Should you remain in gargoyle form past sunrise, you will turn to stone," he informed them stoically. "Everything else, you should be alright figuring out on you own." Mentally he added, 'Especially the little gift I've given all three of you.' Raising an eyebrow he asked, "Shall we continue the photo shoot now?"
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After the shoot was over Angela went with Fox and Elisa to the Eyrie building, in human form. Kat went as well, but while Elisa went to see Goliath, and Fox and Angela just decided to hang out for a bit, Kat worked on the bike she was building.
The bike was proceeding nicely, and quickly considering the time Kat was putting in. The work helped her put her father's condition to the back of her mind, and the cops had yet to clear her shop, which meant she was unable to work on Angela's car.
Currently, she was working on the rear fender, to which she was adding a small pair of gargoyle-like wings too.
Gradually, she let the work, and the music she played in the background, consume her.
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While Angela and Fox were gossiping, or doing whatever it was the two did, Elisa sought out Goliath.
And while she enjoyed the time with him, she decided to keep her new ability from him for now.
He had enough on his plate dealing with the fact Angela had left the clan. And Elisa wasn't quite sure how to help him. On one hand, she knew were Angela was staying, but on the other she now knew what had driven the wedge between Angela and Goliath. She'd heard a few of his…opinions, on same-sex couples. And while he had no issues with them, his disapproval was clear.
And to be honest, that bothered the detective. She never really told anyone, but she had experimented a bit in her younger years. And while most of her recent love interest, including Goliath, were male, she admitted her own bisexuality.
Angela had mentioned trying to bring the topic up with him, and if his reaction had driven her from the clan…
Elisa wasn't really sure how to feel.
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Owen smiled to himself as he worked.
Everything had gone well with the shoot, including his prank.
Fox's loophole was magnificent. As long as he could justify his actions as protecting Alexander, he was able to perform magic. Granted, he was still limited, but now he didn't have to wait for direct threats or his lessons with the young quarter-fae.
Though he had to admit, he was a bit nervous.
Demona, Fox, and Elisa were all formidable women. Each one was intelligent and dangerous in their own ways. Still, it was worth it.
As he began organizing the photos for the book, Owen idly wondered if he could talk Xanatos into sending him on a business trip for a couple weeks.
Just until the women discovered the truth and cooled down.
And let's be honest, how mad could they….
Maybe he should try for a yearlong business trip.
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