Title: Aftershocking (1/1)
Author: Shana Nolan
Rating: humour filled self-indulgent fluff.
After: well, this is pretty parallel to Laure's "Imperial Recall"
Disclaimer: piss off George. Stan, I love ya and have been reading for years, but he's mine. no rescue parties needed here.
Thanks to: Darry for the MST3K tapes. The Bots demanded story time, I gave it.
Note: Aftershock is a cinnamon alcohol like schnapps. And yep, I finally decided to solidify that my HSU char is like me-- the only "meat" I eat is poultry, plus no milk and a bunch of other dairy things. Fries, anyone?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shana, shouldn't you put those on later?"

There was a huff as she released the ties to the top, the thin silk vest suddenly hanging open. "No. I did research on this-- well, okay, I watched 'Arabian Nights' and then 'Kama Sutra' about ten times each-- and there's a belly chain that goes on underneath, and then you have to get the ankle and arm stuff on first--"

"You were NOT watching 'Kama Sutra.'"

She pointed a finger accusingly. "I actually paid attention to the beginning."

Scott grinned and then forced it back so he wouldn't relent his point. "And then you tied me to the couch for the rest of it."

"What of it? Well, okay, I got the chain right anyways. Come here so I can tie that sash on right."

~*~*~

"Hey Servo."

"Yo?"

"Got the camera?"

"Yep."

"Hey Crow."

"Crow T Robot isn't available at the time, this is Bob the Golden Midget."

Tom snorted. "Funny. Got the film?"

"For the camera?"

"Duh."

"Um... no. I left it in my other beak."

"Well that's an image I don't need. Let's go, we have to get set up before the party starts."

~*~*~

Slipping on the skirt and then the belt, wobbling a bit in place from the sudden weight of the carefully handmade, India imported links, Shana sighed and smoothed the green, lightly patterned skirt. "Come and take a look at this, would you?"

Waiting a few moments before appearing, fighting with the yards of fabric that was supposed to be a turban, her EA paused at the sight of the brunette, looked up and down and smiled. "That's a lovely grey skirt."

"It's green!" Taking a step to get closer and thwap Scott, she staggered and swore. Falling forward with all the grace of a fancy shower curtain, she was suddenly grateful for the warm body breaking her fall.

Unwedging a particularly large bell out of his ribcage, the mutant winced and wondered if a bruised spine was a good way to escape a party. "It's grey to me. Glasses, remember?"

There was a Ho like sigh. "Oh, yeah. No wonder everything you own is black."

"Same with you. What's your excuse?"

"Fashion sense, but it's not all black. Just most of it."

Scott chuckled and played a hand through her hair, hitting all the right spots to soften the OSA Director up.

"Are you going to let me up now?"

He waited a few moments before shaking his head. "No. There's still plenty of time to get ready."

"You do realise how much I have to do---mmpphhh--um, okay. I'll be staying here for a bit."

~*~*~

"Daaaarryyyy, I neeeeed a baaaandaaaiiid."

The clinic door creaked open just a bit. "WHAT?!"

"Band-aid. Gauze. Piece of cloth for my oozing wound."

"Here." The Nurse handed over a BigBird band-aid. "Now stop using real weapons."

"Thanks. Hey, your buttons are undo--"

*SLAM*

~*~*~

*jingle, jingle, KLANK*

"Shana! Are you okay?"

There was a groan from the Persian rug. "Get me some more Aleve, please."

~*~*~

"So what I was saying before you tried to kill me with the power cord--"

Servo would have crossed his arms if he were capable of it. "That was an accident. Aren't you EVER going to let that go?"

Crow snorted. "Hah. I'm keeping a book on you. Between this and the time that you tried to sell me to Pearl for Moby tickets and a 3 bedroom condo on the Jersey shore, you're going down, gumball head."

"Shut up and hand me the steadicam mount."

~*~*~

The General, smiling lazily as he wandered down the hall to the Office of Student Affairs, admiring his black nailpolish before it got scrubbed off, his black leather pants clinging nicely to his legs, was in a good mood. His impromptu appointment with Shana-- Goth mode required-- would be entertaining before he went and put on his real party costume.

Knocking on the door, surprised to see the front office empty, the gold droid not around, he strode in and entered the inner office.

No one. Not even the computer was on. Settling into the leather chair behind the desk and setting booted feet on the teak top, he stretched his arms behind his head and relaxed.

Moments of peace were so rare around here.

About to close his eyes and steal a moment of meditation, the door opened with a jingle of bells.

"Shana?"

The little shriek matched her stunned expression. "Oooh, Goth General."

"Laure said you wanted me to stop by."

There was a pause. "Um, yeah, I recall that. That was after the third dose of naproxen sodium, so it's a bit foggy, but while you're here..."

Stretching and setting legs and arms down, the General extended a hand and used the Force to alleviate some of the jewelry weight. "You have my complete attention, and I'll gladly try to keep that costume of yours from hurting you."

"It doesn't hurt."

Obi-Wan walked around the desk and crossed over to set a hand on her jawline. "But it's heavy."

"Um... it is... isn't it..."

"See? It's even making speaking difficult for you," his hands gently lifted the headpiece off.

"Not the jewelry or the pain meds... you smell good."

He chuckled and pulled the veil off her hair.

"So maybe you're right... ooh, now THAT is nice."

~*~*~

"Are you recording?"

Crow squinted into the eyepiece. "Yeah. Pelham's looking at some sheet music. There's a seller."

Tom grinned. "Dorotea will kill him if he starts playing the organ again."

There was a wave of a gold hand. "Why else do you think I put those Johnny Mercer music books out?"

Both 'Bots chuckled maniacally.

~*~*~

Giles leafed through 'Acathla's Big Book of Goulash,' wandering to the shelf where it belonged. "Dorotea?"

Futzing with her costume, Dor popped her head around a corner. "Yes?"

"Did you know that he suggests substituting the flesh of a werewolf to better season the dish?"

She made a face. "Now, see, that's something that I didn't need to hear. Don't tell Emmy or she'll kill you."

"Or Shana. I recall a recent rant about someone using the rice milk in the icebox as a paint thinner."

Dorotea nodded sagely. "Never mess with vegetarians with tempers. They lack the excuse of beef hormones to set them off, so they just DO."

"Ah."

~*~*~ LATER....

"I changed my mind."

"You look fantastic."

"I wanna be a ghost for Halloween."

"It really becomes you."

"Can I go put on my nice comfy pleather?"

"You'll dazzle them."

"And then deafen them with the bells."

"You'll brighten the room up."

"And layer the floor with silk after I fall flat on my ass."

"You look absolutely breathtaking in silk."

"I'm gonna need a whole 'nother bottle of Aleve. Wonder if Darry has any left."

"You pale out all the other Sultanas."

"You'll be giving me deep muscle massages for days."

"I'll use the almond oil."

"I'll be bruised and battered in the name of style."

"A long hot bath will soothe them."

"And when I take all this stuff off, I'll just float to the ceiling since gravity has cruelly adjusted to make this costume really freakin' heavy."

"I'll hold you down."

There was a pause as Shana considered the comment. "Huh, okay."

"You really are stunning, luv."

"And wearing enough silk to cover a Buick."

"Or sail a barge."

She blinked. "You agreed with me?"

Scott's mouth fell open. "Oh, um, sorry. I got into it too much."

"S'alright, and you look great too. Remind me to dunk you in the pool later so I can see all that fabric cling to your body."

"Sounds promising."

~*~*~

"You look great! Josephine herself never hoped to look so good."

Laure smiled a little. "That might be because we have modern plumbing and massaging showerheads."

"Oh, there is that."

"And Xani scrubbed my back very well."

"Sounds good." The Diva fidgeted a little. Too much detail...

"But I miss Commo."

Emmy snuck away before she heard anymore, Lasher pulling at the leash.

"I need a drink."

Taking the festively decorated glass from Judy, the Mediator leaned forward at the bar, looking up when the jingle of bells announced someone coming up behind her.

"Hey Shana."

The OSA Director sighed. "Hey. Judy, shot of Aftershock. I'm gonna feel no pain even if I have to fry my nerves on the crack of alcohol."

Laure smiled a little. "Problems?"

"Not really. Oh, thanks much for sending the General over earlier. Gods I love him in black."

"With the black nailpolish... hm, you got it off him, right?"

There was a nod as the Ho-turned-Sultana knocked back the cinnamon liquor. "Went through a bottle of non-acetone to get it out of his cuticles. Then I played with his, erm, cuticles..."

They both laughed, Laure's face falling a little as she went back to ruminating.

"Wassup?"

"I miss him."

"The General?"

"Commo."

"Oh. Still pissed at him?"

The Mediator stared at the bottom of her glass. "Increasingly less so. Do you?"

"Occasionally," Shana shrugged and held out her shotglass to Judy, who shook her head and set the frosted bottle out on the bar. "Not as much as I was before. I go in phases: baddie, hero-type, baddie, hero-type, and so on."

"Which is why you've been racking up the long distance minutes to LA."

"Always good to keep our fave lawyer at our beck and call."

"And what about Scott?"

Shana pointed at the Sultan currently nicking hors d'oeuvres from a platter and striking up a conversation with Pelham. "Sheltered, but worth it. I can yell at him and he'll snarl, but it works out pretty fast and he's back to cloistered and sexy."

"'Jean who' still, huh?"

"Same ol, same ol. Hell, at this rate I could lighten my hair up to a redder auburn and BE her, but with more Ho 'tude."

"Sounds good to me."

"Yeah."

~*~*~

"I wish we had a better angle."

"Well, short of drilling holes," Crow pointed at the ceiling, "this is the best we've got."

Tom Servo sighed and watched partiers mingle through the camera's little screen. "Alright, but next time we get footage, we're using a multi-camera system and telling them it's for 'security purposes.'"

The gold Bot nodded. "Naturally. Ooh, Xani just walked by. Let's hope for trouble."

~*~*~ again, LATER (someone spice up the cue cards, its Halloween for cripes sake)....

"Mmmph."

"That feels good?"

"Mmmmmph. Little to the left. Aaah-- ow!"

Tsking the Ho under him, Scott winced when Shana reared up. "Sorry. Too much pressure."

"I noticed." Settling back down on the bed, the pillow under her chest and head still not enough to keep her from being shoved into the mattress, she sighed. Outside of the finger nearly shoved into one of her lower vertebrae, the massage was wonderful after taking off the jewelry. "Good time though?"

There was a short, throaty laugh as she felt the weight on top of her shift to lay across her own back. "Yes. Did you enjoy it?"

"Aftershock good for numbing nerves."

"No more naproxen for you then."

She pouted and shifted deviously under the male body. "Different kind of painkiller then?"

Scott raised an eyebrow and blinked behind the glasses. "'Til you sleep?"

There was a lazy grin as the OSA Director, in full no-paperwork mode, turned over and lay on her back. "I'm numb, not sleepy, but sure. Where'd you put that turban silk?"

"Why-- oh."

"And have you ever considered black nailpolish?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~