Looking through for something...bright, she found her mind drifting back to confrontation from earlier with the...cow. The stupid thing clearly didn't understand just what she was dealing with - Aicha would be sure to rectify that in the near future. But for now, she had clothes to pick out.

She was sure everyone else was going for glamorous gowns like from a fairy tale or a ball. How predictable. It was so unlike her to merely 'fit in,' so a gown on that sort would be a definite 'no'. An idea suddenly came to her and the mage smiled. Reaching into the very back, she grabbed one of her newest additions - a very provocative piece in red with lots of cutouts and lace. Drop dead gorgeous...

Smirking, the mage dressed quickly in matching red shoes that had been a 'donation' from a high class lady, a set of floral anklets that had been 'acquired' from a famous dancer, an arm bangle that had been a gracious gift from a princess, and a necklace that had once belonged to a queen. A spell extended her hair down past her waist and a circlet (an acquisition from a ex-rival mage) was added to the top.

Perfect the mage thought as she examined her reflection. Her 'teammates' would probably not be too fond of the outfit, but Aicha would like to see any of them try and make her change. With a grin, she added a basic shield spell around her before she sat down to relax. Let them call for me... I'm not going to stand around waiting on them.

Caught up in her own excitement, she did not entirely register Dace's wistful look and gave a relieved sigh as the shapeshifter said, "Ohhh, I think it's just divine! I'm sure it will catch the attention of all the right people!" About to ask if she could help Dace with anything, she looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled as Teislyn knocked and entered.

"Both would look good on you," she replied. "But maybe you could wear it up for a change? And don't worry! I'm sure the fairies will love you. I've heard they are really nice!"

After Teislyn left she looked at Dace. "Um... they are nice, right? I'm not very up on the fairies here."

The reply came not from Dace but from what Shasa had taken to be a decorative butterfly perched on Dace's hairband. It fluttered off and landed beside her, and she quickly prevented herself from snapping it up. As delicious as it would likely taste, eating Dace's friend would certainly not help either of them. "The fairies here are different. They're not like the faeriekin where I come from. Oh, and just WAIT until you meet their queen! I'm not sure either of you are prepared for that!" cried the butterfly excitedly before Dace scooped her up and left, saying something about getting clothes from Frieda or Teislyn.

Shasa began to look through her luggage and then froze, her room-mate's upside-down suitcase and wistful tone finally getting through her skull. Mentally cursing herself, she shifted form and ran after Dace, trampling a surprised Kiska in the process. "Hey, wait up!" she caught up with Dace as she entered Frieda and Teislyn's room and pawed at her ankle. "Would you like to see if anything I have fits you?"

A little while later, back in her own room, Shasa searched through her luggage again and took out a bottle of dark red liquid. Draping a towel around her shoulders she poured some of the liquid into her hand and slowly rubbed it into her hair. She had received both the bottle and the recipe as a 'graduation' gift from an old bard she had trained with for a while. The substance would dye her hair a deep purple, but even better, it would make it light and springy. When she danced, her hair would dance with her. As an added bonus, it had no smell at all, which was a huge relief for her sensitive nose.

"Kiska requires a proper polishing." Kiska announced as he made a show of not watching Shasa groom.

Shasa gave the snake a withering look. "No, you do not. I polished your scales all morning."

"But... there is a spot! A blemish on Kiska's fine countenance!" the snake's voice rose and Shasa threw a washcloth at him.

"It's a speck of dust! Now wipe it off and leave. We girls are changing here!" Kiska tossed his head.

"Kiska will polish himself here. He will keep his eyes closed though it makes no difference to him."

This time, a towel flopped on him. "Kiska has no eyelids to keep closed!" growled Shasa. She took a deep breath. "Why don't you stand guard outside? Make sure no one barges in here. And you don't need another polishing. You look wonderful. The fairies will be enchanted by your gleaming green scales, as bright as new leaves after a spring shower. The Queen herself will fall under the spell of your emerald eyes, she will fall deeply in love and you will break her heart for you cannot be parted from your life of adventure." Shasa ran out of breath and returned the snake's sardonic look.

But he also looked mollified. "Kiska will stand guard." he said calmly, slithering out of the door and pulling it shut behind him.

Shasa sighed with relief "Sorry about that. He's a walking headache, isn't he?" Realising that her hair had dried, she carefully combed and tied it back before tugging on her dress along with the matching shawl and sleeves. Finally, she pulled on her shoes and gently tapped the toes on the ground. The shoes were still quite new and she had only broken them in a few days earlier. Prancing to the mirror, she quickly applied some makeup before turning around. "So... how do I look?"

"What do you think Miss Dace?" The embroidery glimmered in the light, the fabric making a light swishing sound.

"Ohhh, I think it's just divine! I'm sure it will catch the attention of all the right people!" Just then there was a knock on the door and Teislyn popped in to the room, asking about her hair.

"I think up would look wonderful." Dace said. She smiled as the other bard left to go do her hair. Shasa looked over at Dace and tilted her head. "Um... they are nice, right? I'm not very up on the fairies here."

Dace was about to answer when the butterfly on her hairband fluttered off and landed near Shasa.

"The fairies here are different. They're not like the faeriekin where I come from. Oh, and just WAIT until you meet their queen! I'm not sure either of you are prepared for that!"

Dace blushed and swooped her hand down, scooping up the butterfly and hissing at it. "Shhh! No one asked you to talk!" She looked at Dace sheepishly. "I think I'm going to go see if Teislyn or Frieda have anything I can wear." She reached up and rubbed her head, feeling the soft fox ears nestled in her clean hair.

After hearing about the court meeting, she excused herself and ran upstairs with Lini trailing behind.  Pushing open the room she was sharing with Frieda, she went over to the closet and threw it open.  "There has to be something here Lini!", she exclaimed to the Lure, who had decided to nap on the bed for awhile.  She started pulling out dresses and ended up burying Lini in cloth, who squeaked in displeasure.  "Sorry sweetie," Tesilyn said while uncovering her, but got distracted by the finery strewn over the bed, "Oh! Here's a dress and it's a perfect color!"  Frieda came in right then and had Lini uncovered and cuddled in her arms saying something about Doom and baths.

While she was dressing, she and Frieda talked like girls going to their first important dance.  Teislyn was glad that Frieda wanted to be her roommate and was thinking of asking if she'd come visit Veta after this was over. She'd probably enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and touring the academy while sitting in some of the classes Teislyn taught.  That would have to wait until everything was over though, no time to ask now.

She spun around in front of the mirror admiring the way she looked in the green and blue dress. "Now what do to with my hair?", Teislyn thought outloud.  She excused herself and went out of the room in search of another female on the team to get their advice. Finding Dace and Sasha getting ready in another room, she knocked and entered. "Hey you two, I have a question. Ummm...I can't figure out what to do with my hair.  Any suggestions?  Up or down?  I'm so nervous, what if they don't like me?"  Teislyn couldn't stop rambling because of her nerves. Sasha considered for a bit, "Both would look good on you," she interrupted. "But maybe you could wear it up for a change? And don't worry! I'm sure the fairies will love you. I've heard they are really nice!"  "Thanks for the advice, I'll get out of your hair now."  Teislyn laughed at her joke when she realized what she said.

She turned on her heel and ran out the door, she was almost back at her room when she ran into Eren causing them to collide. "Oomph, sorry about that little brother,  I'm just so excited to go to court!  Nice outfit, maybe add some color too." she suggested as she smoothed out her dress and walked past him to where Frieda was waiting with Doom and Lini. She quickly curled and pinned up her hair, left some tendrils hanging for a soft feminine look, and put some pearls and flowers in for the finishing touch.  Adding some makeup, she was done.  She grinned at Frieda after hugging her and put a brush to Lini's fur, and a little bit of lavender to mingle with the woodsy smell.  Teislyn put the brush away and admired the weasel girl, "You look beautiful! Looks like we are all ready, let's see if the others are too."

Eren had no desire to step foot in another court in his life, but, sadly, it was out of his control at the moment. A childhood spent in courts and proper attire definitely prepared him for this moment, though. The real problem at the moment to be addressed was--his hair. He couldn't clearly recall the last time he had attempted to comb out the snarls and tangles, probably sometime just after the death of his family. The wolves he associated with didn't exactly judge a person for messy hair or grubby hands like humans are wont to do. Sighing heavily, he pulled his clothes out of his travel bag and laid them out before grabbing a comb and a bottle of extra-strength detangler and set to work.

After what seemed like ages, Eren's hair was straight and neat, practically shining...or maybe it actually was shining from all the detangler he used. Either way, his hair would no longer be a disgrace to show to the queen of the Seelie. He quickly got dressed, not even bothering to change his pants; they were not dirty anyway. He flicked his hair from his eyes, opened the door to his room and promptly crashed into Teislyn the bard. He bowed silently and stepped aside, mumbling an apology. He would wait for the rest of his party downstairs. Since his party consisted mostly of females, he imagined that he would be kept waiting for a very long time. He signed and took the stairs down to the Gearloose Goose. Maybe they had some good vodka he could wait with.

Alphonse waited under the pile of brush on the outskirts of Bordertown until the sky was finally dark. He was going to find out what was really going on around here.