A Sordid Story of Blood & Fluff

6: The Globe

    In the dressing room Powder was confronted with the sight of the table where she'd been embroidered. An arm was lying on it. She looked away from it to the Monstress standing on the dressing stage looking as beautiful and intimidating as ever, wearing that smile that must have taken years to perfect.

    "Powdered Sugar!" she said. "How have you been feeling, darling? I did take a few precautions to ensure a healthy recovery."

    A 'healthy recovery'? Something ignited inside Powder's chest but she surprised herself with a calm voice.

    "It hurt a lot when I first woke up." She knew that she had every right to attack the Monstress and demand to know why she embroidered her human back, but it was the way with the Monstress and her aura that when Powder stood in front of her, all things went according to the M's universe. The universe where no one had rights, not even other bleeders.

    "Yes, healing is always a tender process, darling. Bittersweet, bring out her first outfit."

    Bittersweet led Powder up to the dressing stage, left her and went off to a black armoire. Powder shifted from one foot to the other, her feet sweating on the shellacked wood floor. She looked up into the mirrors and watched the Monstress behind her, brushing rouge onto Taffy's cheeks. Bittersweet returned holding a black coat, something covered in red fringe, and a pair of matching red heels. He set these things on the floor, kneeling and placing them in neat piles at equal distances from each other. He looked up at Powder and gestured for her to hand him her clothes.

    "I can change myself," she said.

    Bittersweet blinked. A bent smile.

    Powder extended her hand for the items.

    Bittersweet grabbed her arm, stood up and turned her around.

    Powder looked over at the Monstress who had finished with Taffy and was now reprimanding Scotch, who'd just turned up. He was looking at Powder when she glanced over. She turned away, terrified of the thought of undressing in front of him or any of the Sixes.

    Bittersweet put one hand on top of Powder's shoulder and unbuttoned her dress with the other. Powder stiffened and told herself this wasn't weird. He tugged the dress down to the floor and then held the fringy one out for her to step into.

    In the mirror Powder could see that Scotch had turned to face the other direction while undergoing a make-up session. The Monstress had a very long paintbrush she was swirling in a black jar.

    Bittersweet was almost as quick as the Monstress was at dressing another person. He even held Powder's ankles the same way when he put the shoes on her feet. The Monstress came over once Powder was dressed and led her to a chair where she pinned her hair up on top of her head and put on a black bobbed wig.

    "My, you look stunning!" The Monstress' voice rang loudly as she applied white powder all over Powder's face and neck. "I think you're ready for the twenties!"

    Powder hoped there were not so many details to go through when she came out of the production.

    "No-no, Butterscotch!" the Monstress yelled, leaping off the stage instead of using the stairs, which seemed unwomanly for her.

    Powder didn't see what had alarmed the Monstress about Scotch because she was watching Bittersweet as he headed for a recoiling one-armed doll she recognized as Lemon. Bittersweet  snatched the arm that had been left on the table by the hand and swung it around his head as if he were about to perform a magic trick. Powder looked around to see who else was paying attention when something caught her attention.