The Cursed Shifters - Mateless

Gowns and Bodies

There was only one attendant hanging around for them when they finally made it to the dress shop, the boys headed off to find themselves something leaving Bex and Shiloh to flip through dress after dress. Shiloh didn’t mind dressing up now and then and wore skirts on occasion but the things she wore she could still fight in, shorter loose dresses and skirts made it easy to move, the idea of a full-length formal gown already had her stressing a bit. Bex simply hated dressing up, if jeans weren’t so hard to fight in she would even wear them to training. Rack after rack the girls flipped through dresses finding nothing they thought would fir their particular needs. Sparkles and tule and lace surrounded them but held no promise. The three men returned, Lennon and Dre carrying suits and Michael carrying a tux.

                                “You guys know you have to try those on, we have to approve.” Shi stifled her giggle at the amused look Bex gave her and pointed to the changing rooms. “Go.” The three males groaned in unison and slowly walked to the changing room, dragging feet and jerking like zombies in a bad movie. Shiloh and Bex busted out laughing at their antics and headed over to the couch by the changing area to wait. A few moments later it began to sound like Dre was in a fight with three guys in the changing room, he must have fallen into the divider because the entire structure shifted, the girls busted out laughing again imagining what must be going on behind the curtain of that tiny room. They didn’t have to imagine long however because the next time he fell over the whole curtain went with him. The laughter increased to full hysterical laughter as Shiloh and Bex beheld Dre sprawled on the floor, white shirt unbuttoned, curtain half wrapped around him, and his pants only pulled up under his rear. The part that really did them in though was the bright green classic hulk boxer briefs blazing against his dark skin and black pants.

                                Michael through open his curtain, “What on earth is goin…” He burst into laughter as the women hushed wide eyed staring at him. Lennon emerged from his curtain next, took in the scene and shrugged like he saw it all the time. He walked over to the large mirrors and began adjusting his tie, about the same time Michael realized the girls had gone quiet and looked over at them. Their mouths were open and their eyes wide looking back and forth between Lennon and himself, Shiloh finally let out a whistle which snapped Bex out of it.

                                “Holy cow, y’all actually clean up nice! Dre, get back in their and finish getting yours on so we can see!” Bex wasn’t wrong, her brothers cleaned up well and she could see why they never had any trouble picking up women. “And try to get the pants over your underwear this time.” The delivery was so deadpan, it was perfect, Shiloh and Michael busted out laughing again.

                                Having finished his tie adjustments Lennon rejoined the group, “Have you ladies not found anything yet?” Both Shiloh and Bex gave him a look that screamed ‘is that a joke.’

                                “We will check another shop when we are done here.” They had to find something tonight, there was too much to be done for the attack tomorrow to put it off.

                                When Dre emerged, he was fully dressed and appeared quite uncomfortable, the fit was fine, but he was definitely not happy in the getup. Shiloh waved the attendant over and told her they were taking the three suits, “Box them up once the boys are out of them and have them sent to this address.” She handed her a slip of paper with the address of the packhouse on it. There were no formal shops near the pack, they had ventured into the human city to shop and while Terry’s name and the money associated could keep the doors open instructions still had to be given. The attendant removed the tags before the men went to change out of their new formal ware and Shiloh headed over to the counter. Looking in she saw a sunflower hair pin, it was almost as big around as her palm, about three inches across and shimmered. “Let me see that.” She said as the attendant came in behind the counter. She removed it from the case and placed it on the counter, it was a resin dipped Autumn Beauty bloom, it was gorgeous. “Wrap this up as well.”

                                Stepping out into the evening air Shiloh suddenly did not want to get into the air-conditioned vehicles. The air was damp from the day’s humidity, but it had cooled, and Shiloh enjoyed the moisture. The next shop was only a few blocks away, she opened her jeep and set the hairpin in the glovebox, slamming the door she began to walk. Shiloh knew where the other shop was quite well, she had been there before placing an order for a gown and then frequently after checking on the status of the custom design. When she designed the dress and ordered it she had only hoped there would be an occasion for it to be worn in the future.

                                The three blocks passed quickly but the door to the shop was locked when the group arrived. Shiloh knocked firmly on the glass, and a lovely middle-aged woman with loose blond curls thrown haphazardly on top of her head and a pert nose came scurrying to the door. She flipped the lock and threw the door open squealing, “Shiloh! You’re back and you brought friends this time!” Shiloh’s friends looked at her like they’d seen a ghost, utterly confused. “Oh, come in, come in, the streets aren’t safe at night anymore around here. All those women going missing just to turn up dead somewhere. It’s a shame this city used to be so nice. Not that the two of you have much to worry about with these three strong looking boys with you. Anyway, have you come for the dress finally? It turned out so lovely, I’m sure it will be absolutely magical on a moving person instead of a mannequin.” They all filed through the door while she chattered, blond hair bouncing around and hands flying.

                                “Uh Celest, you’re doing that thing we talked about. Could you go back to the part about women going missing while you fetch the dress?”

                                “Oh, yes, of course.” She started toward the back where her sewing room was, voice amplifying as she went thinking they wouldn’t be able to hear her otherwise. “Well for the last two weeks women in this area have been going missing, basically down the length of East Vine. A few a night at most but that is still a lot.” Shiloh wondered over to the racks and began looking for a dress again while listening. Bex was beside her flipping through dresses and the boys had taken up residence on a very retro pink couch. “They usually turn up the next morning, their throats are ripped out! Absolutely ghastly! Whoever is doing it is one sick individual, the cops have no leads though. Don’t tell anyone this, I’m not supposed to know but my husband being on the police force and worried about me he told me you know so its hush hush. Some of the women were found naked! Can you imagine! The indignity of it, as if being kidn*pped and killed wasn’t bad enough!” She returned carrying the gown, the layers of golden yellow swallowing her small frame so only her eyes and the top of her head poked out above. She beamed as Shiloh turned to her, “It really is the most beautiful thing I have ever made; you should draw designs for me from time to time.”

                                Bex turned from the rack to look at the tiny woman and saw layers and layers of golden yellow fabric. Eyes wide she turned to Shiloh who smiled as brightly as Celest. It was obvious the gown wasn’t Shiloh’s; it was several inches too long and she wouldn’t be caught dead in yellow. “Well, are you going to try it on or what?” Shiloh smirked. Bex walked over to take the gown from Celest and head to the changing room. “You’ll probably need help getting into it, take Celest with you.” The two women headed to the changing room leaving Shiloh with the guys.

                                “You ordered her a custom dress this morning?” Dre sounded very confused.

                                Michael answered for her, “Of course not, that must have taken forever to make! When and why?”

                                “Everything that Celest just said and that is what you two are focused on? When Shiloh designed and ordered a dress?” Lennon, ever the buzzkill drug them all back to reality from their Cinderella moment.

                                “I ordered it a couple of years ago. The design was boring a hole in my brain, and I figured at some point we would have an occasion to wear formal wear so why not?” She continued sorting through the racks. “As for the situation with the murdered women, I think we all know what leaves those kinds of tracks.” The males nodded, “We are going hunting when we are done here. I hope you have some weapons in your car.”

                                At the whisp of the changing room curtain being pulled back they all turned to look at Bex. “Your measurements were perfect Shiloh! It fits like a glove!” She was right, it fit perfectly and Bex looked like Shiloh had imagined, a giant sunflower. Celest had spent hours hand sewing the beadwork onto the bodice of the gown, the deep chocolate color of the crystal beads caught a little light and shimmered as Bex moved. Moving down the gown toward the skirt there were topaz-colored crystals scattered withing the chocolate ones, they started out sparse right at the dip of Bexs waste and became denser as the approached the top of her hips, just before the skirts began was a band of solid chocolate brown beads. The skirts Shiloh had designed to look like the petals of an Autumn Beauty, the ‘petals’ closest to the bodice were a burnt orange, the next layer faded from burnt orange to golden yellow, and all the layers of petals after were golden yellow. Her drawing of the design had been fantastic but seeing the gown finished and on Bex was breathtaking. She motioned for Bex to twirl. As she spun the petals fluttered independent of one another, the mirrored ceiling revealed that with the skirt flared out in a spin Bex did look exactly like a flower.

                                “Thank you, Shiloh! This is the most amazing thing I have ever put on; I love it!” She meant it, this girl who lived in beat up old jeans and cut offs was tearing up over a dress. Shi beamed at her and then at Celest who suddenly seemed to be out of words and tearing up herself. “Shiloh you still don’t have a dress! Get to fining something!”

                                After a bit more browsing Shiloh pulled a black mermaid cut gown from the rack. “Celest, could you modify this for me by noon the day after tomorrow and have it delivered to the address, I gave you along with Bex’s dress?”

                                “Most likely, I don’t have any customs right now. What would you like to change?”

                                “Make the skirt an A line for free movement with a high lit on the right leg. Is that doable?”

                                “Oh yes I can definitely have that done, mind if I fancy it up a bit? You will be in the presence of your masterpiece there you know.” Shiloh smiled sweetly and nodded a bit.

                                “Have a blast, just remember I need free movement.” With that the group headed down the three blocks back to their cars.