And I'm Looking For a Rest Stop
...or "Free soap! For the entire Con!"
I leaned back in my seat, and smiled. Fred had gone on ahead two days ago, to settle in before the con. He needed the extra time to get used to the people and his new biomod. I'd meet up with him again there. I listened with half an ear as Fate made the arrangements for our arrival on Phobos. With something the size of the Lightning, we didn't fit into most spaces set up for the usual Fen vehicles. Sounded like we were going to be in a parking orbit, and go in via the shuttle. I was looking forward to getting down there; I needed to do a lot of shopping. I was getting tired of wearing belted t-shirts for clothing...and while I'd managed to arrange for something else, there were...drawbacks. I glanced down at what I was wearing, and grimaced.
***flashback***
I shivered as I pulled the sopping-wet white t-shirt on over my head. "Gah.....I HATE wet clothing." Currently, I was wearing a pair of jean-shorts tied with a piece of rope to keep them up around my waist, and the t-shirt. Both pieces of clothing were wet - having been soaked in liquid handwavium. I didn't know if this would work or not...but it was the fastest way I could think of that might give me something my size. If only it didn't mean wet fabric against bare skin...including the family jewels. No matter how this came out, I didn't see it working to make a wearable pair of briefs...which meant I was currently going commando. Bleah.
I wandered around the lab a bit, letting the fabric slowly dry. Clotho chuckled softly. "You could've let the stuff cure without wearing it, Kev."
I sighed, and nodded. "I know. But actually wearing the stuff has the best chance of getting something my current size. At least, with luck. Gods only know what would happen if I just let it sit around to cure." I snorted. "Of course, gods only know what'll happen WITH wearing it."
After maybe fifteen minutes of puttering around, I shivered as I felt the fabric start to...move. Over the course of another twenty minutes or so, I watched...and shivered...as the sleeves on my shirt stretched down to my wrists, and the fabric thickened as the shirt grew smaller. The sensation of the bottoms of my jean-shorts stretching down along my bare legs made me want to shudder as well. Talk about your skin wanting to creep. What I finally wound up with was a long-sleeved shirt that felt more like terrycloth than the thin t-shirt I started with, and a pair of jeans. Glancing back, I even saw a tailhole. Nice. Then I frowned. The shirt looked...jaundiced? It was slowly going yellow...and the jeans were going...green. I watched as the fabric slowly shifted in color...going an all-too-familiar shade. Before too much longer, I looked like the most ardent Chudley Cannons fan in existence. I groaned. "OK....have you girls been playing my Dragonball tapes near the handwavium? I swear, it's obsessing more on the show than I do, and that's saying something..."
Clotho snickered, "Not me, Kev. Don't know about the others, but I don't think so. Maybe it just likes orange?"
I snorted. "Yeahsureyoubetcha." Then I sighed. "At least they mostly fit....and beggars can't be choosers." I looked down at my jeans. "Still...orange denim?"
***end flashback***
I shook my head. Orange....while I liked both Goku and Naruto, it simply wasn't my color. Blues, greens, burgundy....but not orange. I was definitely looking forward to clothes shopping for once. The 'belt' of brown fur against the bright color made me smile, though - even if I would have to do a bit of tailoring to arrange for tailholes. I'd FINALLY managed to learn the trick of wrapping my tail around my waist. I sent up a mental apology to the spirit of Son Goku, wherever he might reside - I'd always been amused by his reactions to having his tail squeezed. It was something else entirely when it was MY tail. The first time I'd plopped into a chair and landed on it...AIE! It had made figuring out this particular little trick go to the head of the list of things to do.
Fate ended her conversation. "All right, Kevin. I've got us a parking orbit. Have you got everything you want packed aboard Merlin?"
I nodded, grinning. "Not like I have clothes to take. Got the con table packed in the trunk, and the spacesuit along, just in case. Plus rope to tie it up, since otherwise I'd look like a kid raiding his dad's closet."
She chuckled quietly. "True enough. The parking spot in question is pressurized, so you won't need it when you get there."
"That's good. Have you and the other ladies got the drones aboard?"
"All aboard, along with the usual Con gear. Everything's been tested and checked OK, so we're good to go."
I nodded, grinning. "Let's get this show on the road, then."
Sumpter trailed along behind me, serving as a cart for the various things we'd need at Con. A cloud of toys floated around and behind me - small race cars, a wooden toy locomotive, a few boats, some larger RC cars...some of them being ridden by small Robosapiens dolls. "OK...you girls spread out and map out things again. If you find anything interesting, let me know. And don't forget to set the cams up in the panel rooms. I don't want to miss anything."
A chuckle came from one of the cars, the Irish lilt identifying Lachesis. "We know the drill, lad. Don't worry about it."
I chuckled wryly. "Sorry.... you know me." I shrugged, starting through the lock that separated the parking from the main section. As we got inside, I took a step forward...and then barely managed not to stagger backwards, reaching out to grip the edge of the doorframe.
"GAH!" I shuddered, breathing in shallow pants.
"Father?" Atropos' voice came from another car. "What's the matter? Are you OK?"
I waved a hand, still trying to get used to.... "Smells. Too many....gah." I shook my head. "Wish....I'd become Kuririn now, I think. No nose...would be a good thing...."
That got a small giggle from Clotho. "No nose....but how would you smell?"
I gave the boat a mock-glare. "Awful. No...Foglio jokes." I was slowly becoming used to the olfactory assault, but... "Gods....girls? Imagine someone taking all of Beethoven's symphonies, and playing them at full volume. All in the same room." I shuddered. "Nothing hugely bad...just...overwhelming."
Atropos snorted. "Sounds wonderful. You feeling any better?"
I nodded slowly, starting to be able to take deeper breaths without being overpowered. "Some...this is gonna take getting used to. Don't know how dogs do it..."
Another snort from Atropos. "They grow up with it. You've had it for less than two weeks. Give yourself time."
I sighed, nodding. "I know, I know. Just a shock. Should've expected it, but...." I shrugged. "Oh well. Let's go get the table set up in our spot, then we can drop the rest of the stuff off at the hotel." I grinned. "Then....clothing. Non-orange clothing." The girls chuckled, and we headed into the con. Fortunately, my sense of smell was apparently dulling as we went along, in self-defense. I was willing to bet I'd have to get used to things all over again, every time I was away from the main areas, but....at least I'd be able to function. Hitting the dealers' area, the small table we used at Con was up. There were a few books with the standard types of mods that I did, along with pictures on display and my rates for commission works posted. The large Robosapiens we brought with us was left to handle the table under the gimlet eye of Lachesis, while most of the cloud of toy drones started to scatter through the con. That left me with a few small racing cars riding shotgun near my shoulders...and one robot bird perching ON my shoulder. "Should I have brought an eyepatch? Or maybe a cyber eyepiece? We could've done the Planet Pirate from the Key to Time arc...."
Fate's chuckle sang out from the bird. "You're a bit small for that role. Now, BEFORE the biomod, we should've considered it."
I laughed, and nodded. "C'mon. Let's get the rest of the gear stashed. I am VERY desperate for new clothes. Especially briefs." That got giggles from the peanut gallery, and we headed out into the crowds.
