Blackwood Grove, Fandom to Baltimore's Anchor Market, Monday Afternoon

[witchoftheflesh]

Okay, so...Adrian's Market jaunt had been pushed back a few days. Mostly because Pam, Rey, and Lydia had all told him that they were coming along with him. Adrian had tried - briefly, and not well - to point out why that was a terrible and dangerous idea, but all of his arguments against had been taken as arguments for and eventually Adrian had bowed to the inevitable and given in.

But they couldn't just go in. They needed a plan and, even more importantly, they needed disguises.

So first, a meeting here to figure out their story and get them all into the proper disguises, and then it was off to the Market.

If he were going anywhere that wasn't crawling with warlocks, Gilgamesh's enforcers, and had a slave pit to boot, Adrian would almost be excited. Sadly, that was exactly what each Market was like and so he was filled with dread instead.

"Do you think that they'll be more willing to listen to reason and stay here today?" he asked Boston.

The cat didn't even deign to reply, just opened one baleful eye long enough to look at him and then closed it again to nap.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Me neither."

[For the aforementioned ladies please!]

Comments

[witchoftheflesh]

"I don't think you'd make a convincing demon even with the Mimic potion," Adrian said. "I mean, even if I described them as best as I'm able, you wouldn't know enough about what they look like or the ownership tattoos to make the illusion convincing."

[joan_of_bark]

"Fine," Pam said, after a moment. "But I reserve the right to maul someone quietly if they try to make small talk. So how do we do this?"

[witchoftheflesh]

"Noooo," Adrian said quickly. "No, no, no, absolutely not. Gilgamesh had guards everywhere in the Market to enforce his peace. No violence unless it's absolutely necessary, we can't--you were joking, weren't you."

Sorry not sorry, Pam! Adrian didn't have much of a sense of humor about Market. It was too terrifying.

[joan_of_bark]

Pam let her response drip very lightly and very elegantly from her lips.

"Probably."

There were times she was better at being reassuring than others.

[witchoftheflesh]

Adrian would love to see one of these mythical better times.

"Okay, so I'll give you a draught of the Mimic potion, and you focus on the image of the kind of wealthy trophy whatever you'd like to be, and then we'll go from there." Beat. "I'm also very sorry, but if it helps, I'm also going to be dressed up like an idiot."

Boston had been very firm on leaving his hat at home. Woe.

[joan_of_bark]

"That does help," Pam told him, and held her hand out. "Let's just get this over with."

She was no stranger to wearing elaborate outfits to make a point. She'd just thought that part of her life was behind her.

Oh well.

[witchoftheflesh]

"Here." Adrian passed Pam a mug of liquid that was a cloudy, murky blue. "Just knock it back, imagine what you want to look like in as vivid detail as you can, and we'll be off."

Adrian poured another mug for Rey - Lydia had brought her own costume change - and then chugged the rest of the bottle himself.

In another moment, rather than the Adrian Pam knew, the man standing before her oozed smarm and punchability. He still had Adrian’s tall, lean body and olive skin, but his dark hair was slicked back like an old-style gangster's, and his slim-fit Italian suit was even more atrocious. It was still black, but the faux-velvet fabric had a gaudy fleur de lis pattern. Even his raven-topped broom had been transformed into a raven-topped cane.

"How do I look?"

[joan_of_bark]

"Horrifying," Pam commented.

She sighed, bringing up the mug to her mouth, and knocked it all back. Thought of the old days, of Poison Ivy, of turning men to putty in her hands...

... but a little more Ren Faire...

She was still in green, of course. But the elaborate corset clung to her curves, and overlapping skirts trailed down her hips, leaving just enough space to show off an impressive amount of leg.

And flowers. Everywhere. She might not have her old powers back (at least not, nowhere near their full glory), but she could at least look the part.

[witchoftheflesh]

"Wow," Adrian said, blinking at Pam. "You look...okay, please take this as a compliment? Because I mean it in the best way possible. But you are giving off real white pitcherplant vibes right now."

You know, one of the most beautiful species of carnivorous plants in the world.

[joan_of_bark]

Pam's mouth curved into a carnivorous smile. "I'm glad you're picking up what I'm putting down," she said. "But 'Poison Ivy' is fine."