Chapter 9 - Fashion Duel

The next morning, Ruby was still home when Violet got up.  She even offered to cook Violet some eggs for breakfast, but Violet went for her usual bowl of cereal instead.  Before she started eating, she asked her mother about what Chelsea had claimed – that ‘Bella’ now owned the design she’d copied.

Ruby frowned.  “I don’t think it works like that for clothes.  But let me check into it.  I’ll get in touch with their legal team and see what if anything they’re actually claiming.  Can you prove the dress is based off one of your designs?”

“There’s a picture of it on our website, taken when I made it.  I don’t want to cause trouble, I just want to know if I’m in trouble.  I like that pattern, and I use variations on it, but it’s not like I don’t have lots of other ideas to try.”

Ruby smiled at her daughter, and reassured her that she wouldn’t fling around accusations or anything of the sort.  “This kind of thing is best settled between lawyers, so nobody gets their emotions involved.  See?  We really do have a purpose.”

Violet giggled.  “After Monday, you think I doubt that?  Oh, that reminds me.  I want to visit the courtroom some time when you’re working.  I’d like to see what your job is like.”

“Well, the courtroom isn’t as glamourous as it seems on TV.  There’s a lot of basic procedural stuff, and last-minute revelations are frowned upon.  Still, if you were to show up at the courthouse after school a week this Thursday, I’ll probably still be there.”

“Okay!  I’ll be there.”

“Great!  Okay, I have to run.  Try not to get into too much trouble, okay?”

Violet giggled.  “I’m wearing one of my newest designs to school as part of a fashion duel with Chelsea, the girl who tried to get me arrested and claimed my designs for her own.  Is that too much trouble?”

Ruby grinned.  “Sounds like just the right amount.  But try not to do anything legally actionable, okay?  They’ve got deep pockets.”

“I’m just going to be wearing a dress at her and smiling,” said Violet.  “Nothing more.”

“Riiight.  Because a girl like that’s going to just let you win.  Be careful.  And tell your friends to be careful, too.”

Ruby’s words proved prescient.  When Violet showed up at the school in a brand new Violet Bailey design, she found Chelsea in yet another ‘bedazzled’ version of one of her old designs.  Violet laughed about “that old thing, so two months ago” and got some titters and laughs out of the crowd.  Chelsea’s impotent fuming made her grin.

Nobody was willing to confront Violet the “monster”, and even Bailey found people skittering away from her.  So Violet thought she was in the clear.  Until lunchtime.

“Katie!  Oh my god, what happened to you?”

Katie had the beginning of a bruise forming on her cheek, and her dress was spattered with paint.  “Just a couple of ‘accidents’ in art class.  And the hallway.  Everyone here is so f...  so petty.  Why?”

Violet put her head down on the table.  “Me.  Chelsea’s going after you to hurt me.  I’m pretty sure if I stop wearing my designs to school, it’ll stop.”

“Then we’re going to march down to the Venn Machine tonight and make an even fancier dress for you.  And Bailey.  And me.  Chelsea does not get to win this.  I can take it.”

Bailey nudged Violet.  “We could Venn her subtly.  Like with you.  Whatever abuse happens, it’d go away after.”

Violet nodded emphatically.  “Want to be part of the monster club, Katie?”

“Did you even need to ask?” enthused the younger girl.  “Hell yes.”

By the end of the school day, Katie had acquired several new bruises, and one of her sleeves was torn to ribbons.  She wasn’t worried about the latter, since the dress was Venn-made and she was friends with the designer.  Violet smiled, and promised she’d replace it with something extra fancy.

Jimmy shook his head.  “Are you sure you can take this, Katie?  I saw how this treatment got to Violet.”

Katie grinned ferally.  “Give me some extra strength when you Venn me.  I’ll show them what a real monster can do.”

Violet shook her head.  “Defensive changes only.  If you hurt them, it’s going to go badly for you.”

“What?  They’re the ones starting it!”

“And if you hospitalize them, that won’t matter.  Especially if the cops see you as being ‘armed’, and I’ll get in trouble if I’m the one doing it.  No offensive mods.  Sorry.”

“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” agreed Katie.  “I’ll manage.”

Once they were inside the Venn Machine, Violet asked Katie to take her dress off, so she could see the changes she was making.  Katie did so without hesitation, though she winced on her first attempt to reach the zipper, and swapped to undoing it with her left hand instead of her right.  She cringed even more at Violet’s worried look.  “It’s not as bad as it looks.  Just some bruises, nothing broken.”

“Yeah, they’re good at making it painful without going over the line.”

“This isn’t over the line?” asked Katie, incredulously.

Violet shrugged.  “I’ve had worse.  And talked to the staff about it.  And they didn’t do anything, because sports or something.  If nobody on staff sees the blow, they ‘can’t do anything, it’s your word against theirs’.”

Katie fumed.  “Fine.  Give me those defensive changes.  Some nice hard armor plates to break their damned fists on.”

Violet smiled.  “That’s the spirit.  I’ll have to make them kind of like scales, so they can slide over each other when you move.  Just your torso, I think.  Protect the vitals, not that that really matters when you’re Venned.  And reinforce your noggin, too.  No concussions for my little kit-kat.”

Katie’s expression softened at the pet name.  “Thanks for doing this.”

“Hey, you’re getting attacked because of me.  Or maybe because you subjected Chelsea to mockery by pretending to be her, which was awesome... anyway.  I can do this for you, and shall.  Ready?”

Katie nodded.  Violet touched the green circle, and Katie blinked.  “I don’t feel any different.”  Her torso was still skin-toned, just smoother looking and missing a few minor features like nipples and a belly button.

“Fine scales.  You’ll have to look pretty close to see them.  Plus more durable structures underneath.  Stealth mode, right?”

Katie giggled, running a hand down her side.  “Oh!  Yeah, I can feel them, a little.  Subtle.  But strong?”  She rapped a knuckle against her side, and her eyes widened.  She smacked her side harder.  “I can’t even feel that.  Awesome.”

“Uh, Katie.  You might want to get dressed before the doors open.”

Katie was still settling her repaired dress as she scampered out of the Venn Machine and over to the mirror.  “Wow.  You can’t see anything at all.  C’mon, hit me!”

“Not here,” said Violet.  “I don’t want to fight you in public.”

Before they left the mall, Violet made up some fancy new dresses for Bailey.  Both had large swathes of silver fur with violet spots, which made Bailey grin.  “If I can’t be a monsterkitty at school, this is the next best thing.”

When Jimmy dropped Violet off, Katie asked to have a minute with her.  Once they were inside Violet’s house, Katie repeated her request.  “You said you wouldn’t fight me in public.  We’re not in public now.”

“Fine.”  Violet hunted around in the hall closet, and came out with an old grass-hockey stick she no longer used.  “Ready?”

“Uh...”  Katie’s eyes widened at Violet’s choice of weapon.  “Hell, I’m Venned, no harm done.  Go for it.”

“Don’t try to block with your arms.  That will hurt, though less than it would have before.  They’ve only had their pain receptors dialed down, and some measures against blood loss.”

Katie nodded, and held her arms high.  “Gotcha.”  The blow caught her by surprise, and made her stumble.  Then she started to laugh.  “I felt that!  A little.  This is awesome!”  She darted forward and gave Violet a hug.  “Thanks.”

Violet blushed, hugging her back gently.  “Uh, you’re welcome.”

Katie wriggled happily in the hug, then pulled back.  “Sorry.  Just...  Look, I should go, right?”

Violet nodded, and watched Katie with curious eyes until the car was out of sight.  Then with a sigh she exchanged the grass-hockey stick for her tennis racket.  She’d fallen behind on her practice with the events around Hallowe’en, and needed to get going.

*** *** ***

With all three of them wearing Violet Bailey designs, all of which turned more heads than Chelsea’s over-gaudy imitations, Chelsea was fuming even more than before.  Amelia and gang approached Violet after first class, and Amelia used their cover to give Violet a quick thumbs-up.  “Looking good.  It won’t take much more of a push to break her ban.  Think we could get some new dresses tonight?”

Violet nodded.  “Sure.  I’ll get Bailey to change the website to remove the blacklist.  All the cheerleaders are welcome back.”

All three of them cheered at that, then headed off to their classes.

At lunch time, Violet met up with Bailey and Jimmy.  “Where’s Katie?”

A commotion at the entrance to the cafeteria drew their eyes.  Katie was just getting up from the floor, and laughing.  “That’s the best you’ve got?  You kick like girls.  How our football team gets anywhere with weaklings like you, I’ll never know.”

That got her knocked back to the ground, and more kicks.  Violet looked to her friends.  “We’re not Venned,” hissed Bailey.  “We’ll get wrecked if we intervene.”

“Don’t care.”  Violet stormed off to see what she could do.  By the time she got there, a half dozen football players had gathered around, kicking at Katie on the ground.  “What the hell are you doing?”

They turned to look at Violet, and instinctively took a step back from the ‘monster’ and her murderous gaze.  That was all the break Katie needed.  She hopped back to her feet and started swinging wildly at her attackers, who eagerly rejoined the fray.

Violet tried to drag one of the burly guys away from Katie, but got flung into a nearby table for her troubles.  Winded, she could do little but watch as Katie was dragged down once more and brutally kicked and beaten.  Katie was laughing and giggling, insulting her tormentors into an even greater frenzy.

Violet staggered to her feet and looked around, hoping someone would intervene.  There were usually at least two teachers in the cafeteria at lunchtime, but today there were none.  Bailey was beside her, and on her phone.  She told Violet that nobody in the office was answering.

Violet shook off her shock, and called 911.  She frantically told the tale of brutal assault as it unfolded in front of her.

Katie was still laughing, still wriggling, and even getting in some licks of her own.  Her assaulters were limping, looking as bloodied as she was.

“Stop it!” cried Violet.  “Why won’t you stop?  Katie, enough.”

Katie’s battered face turned to Violet’s tortured one, and her grin and laughter died.  She curled up into a defensive ball, and stopped moving.  Soon after, her attackers blood-lust was replaced by a groaning realization of just how much pain they’d inflicted on themselves, and they stumbled away to tend their wounds.  One only made it a single step before collapsing in writhing agony.

A hushed silence fell over the room, broken only by the whimpers of the bullies.  Violet approached Katie slowly, and crouched beside the bloodied body of her friend. “Oh my God, Katie.  How are you?”

Katie uncurled enough to reveal a face that looked more like hamburger than human.  Thanks to Violet’s work, Katie’s eyes were bright and unharmed.  “Been better,” she slurred.  “You should see the other guys.”  Katie started to giggle again, but at Violet’s look she stopped.

Violet looked over at the football players, and realized that Katie had a point.  They were bleeding freely from their hands and arms, with broken bones visible through the skin in many places.  “What the...”

“They broke themselves on my body.  Don’t cry for me, I’m not even in much pain.  Remember?”

Violet hugged her tight, and that was how the police and vice principal found her when they finally arrived.

Constable Blackthorne was the first to Violet’s side, professionally attending to Katie.  “She needs an ambulance.”

Violet shook her head.  “She’s Venned into a more durable body.  It’s the only reason she’s alive.  Jimmy?”

“Here.”

“C’mon, let’s get her to the mall.”

“During school hours?” asked the vice principal.

Violet stood up with Katie in her arms.  “Yes.  Don’t even think about trying to argue with this.  You’re as guilty of her assault as the football team is.  Why weren’t there any teachers in here?”

“I...  There was a special meeting called...”

“By who?”

“One of our... donors.”  Mr. Hanley looked sick as he saw Katie’s destroyed face.  “What on earth happened to her?”

“Ask someone else.  I’m sure there’s lots of video.  Some of it is undoubtedly online already.  Have a nice day.”

The look of alarm on the vice principal’s face would have made Violet laugh out loud if she wasn’t more concerned for the broken girl in her arms.

Jimmy and Constable Blackthorne escorted Violet as she carried Katie out of the school.  The police woman offered use of her patrol car so they could get to the mall faster, and Violet gratefully accepted.  Jimmy and Bailey followed behind in his car, so they’d have a ride back to the school afterward.

On the way, Katie comforted Violet.  “Shh, shh.  I’ll be fine in a bit.  You don’t need to cry.”

Violet wiped her tears.  “How can you be okay with this?”

Katie smiled up at her calmly.  “Because you’re here.  And because it doesn’t feel nearly as bad as it looks.  Reduced pain receptors, right?”

Violet nodded.  “Figured it’d help if the bullies started in on you again.  I had no idea you’d need it this badly.”

Katie chuckled softly, then glanced over at the police officer driving the car and was silent.

Once they were inside the Venn Machine, Katie spoke up again.  “Not back to normal.  Back to the armor.  Or better, if you’re willing.”

“I should get you to armour me up, too.  And we’ll do Bailey and Jimmy.  Who knows what Chelsea will try next.”

Violet called up Katie’s prior form, and made the scales heavier, more obvious.  “Scales down your arms and legs, too?”

“Yes please.  Can I have them in a pretty green?  And green hair, too?”

Violet nodded.  “School’s not going to like it.  But I think if you were visibly armored it’d serve as a warning.  But no weapons, okay?”

“Right.  Don’t need ‘em.  Did you see how much damage I did with just defenses?”

“That was deliberate?” gasped Violet.

Katie nodded.  “Yeah.  Didn’t want to say it with the cops around, but I goaded them as much as I could just so they’d break themselves on me.  I saw what shape they were in, they’re worse off than I am now, and way worse than I will be when you press that button.”

“I feel I should chastise you for that...  But those assholes deserved everything they got.  Here you go, kit-kat.  All better.”

Katie sighed happily as her broken body was replaced by a new one.  She looked over the bright green scales covering arms and giggled.  “Oh yeah.  This’ll do nicely.  Did you change my face?  It feels different.”  She touched a hand to her cheek.  “But not scaly.”

Violet explained that she’d made Katie’s face more durable, without changing how it looked.

When Katie skipped out of the Venn Machine with visibly armored arms, Jimmy and Bailey exchanged a worried look.  “The principal isn’t going to allow that.”

“The principal can bite me.  Probably break a tooth,” giggled Katie.  “He let this happen, and I’m just making it clear that hitting me is a bad idea.  He should thank me for warning off the other idiots, if any are left.  Who else wants some armor?”

Constable Blackthorne raised her hand.  “Given what I just saw?  Yes please.  I like the idea of built in body armor.”

“It’s even better than that,” enthused Katie.  “If you get killed while Venned, your real body doesn’t die.  When it wears off, or you go back into one of these wonderful machines, you’re alive again.”

“What?  Seriously?”

Katie nodded.  “I knew I couldn’t come to any permanent harm when I was being attacked.”

“Katie.  Remember what I said.”

Constable Blackthorne shook her head.  “I’m not taking this down.  We really aren’t the bad guys, you know.”

“Prudence dictates one behave otherwise.  Anything Katie says here could be used against her if one of the football boys tries to charge her with... hell, I don’t know.  What could they even claim?  They injured themselves beating on her.”

“Yeah, I don’t think you have a lot to fear, especially given how many phones I saw pointing at the scene when I arrived.  Are you going to be okay?  I should get back to work.”

Katie nodded.  “I’m fine.  Not a scale out of place.”  She giggled again, then hugged Violet tight.  “We’ll all get scaly before we go back, so nobody can hurt us.”

As the police woman left, Bailey turned to Katie.  “Are you serious?  You think we should all go back in monstrous forms?”

“Well, not full-blown monsters.  Even little hidden changes would mean you can’t be permanently injured though.”

Bailey rolled that around in her mouth.  “Hidden monsters.  I like it.  Let’s go be hidden monsters.”

“I’m not going to hide!” protested Katie as Violet and Bailey headed into the Venn Machine.

“And you know what?  After today... I’m not going to ask you to,” said Jimmy emphatically.  “My monster-sister.  We’re going to catch seven kinds of hell when we get back.  The office has probably already called Dad.  I better call and explain.”

Violet and Bailey did the same once they’d emerged, then Violet used the Venn Machine to alter Jimmy as well.  On the drive back, Katie eagerly asked what they’d changed, as nothing was obviously visible.  Violet twined her fingers around Katie’s.  “Tentacle arms, again.”

“Violet leopard spots all over my chest,” said Bailey.  She giggled when she saw Jimmy’s reaction.

“Jimmy?” asked Katie into the silence.  “What’d you get?”

Jimmy blushed, but didn’t speak.

“Go on, tell her,” encouraged Violet.  “None of us will think less of you.”

Jimmy sighed softly, and his voice went up half an octave.  “Breasts.  Just little ones.  And...”

“You’re a girl!” enthused Katie.

“Half girl,” corrected Jimmy, settling his voice back to its usual range.  “Best of both worlds, according to Violet.  What was the word you used?”

“Hermaphrodite,” said Violet.  “Male and female at the same time.”

“Coooool.  Can I be one sometime?” asked Katie.

“Isn’t there enough on your list already?” teased Violet with a grin.

“I’m going to need a bigger list.”


Back at school, they headed straight to the office.  Violet asked the secretary how much trouble they were in.  “Not as much as certain others in this office,”  replied Carol.  “That video has already been brought to the school board’s attention.  We’ll have a new principal next week.”

Violet’s eyes went comically wide.  “The principal is in trouble?  That’s possible?”

The secretary chuckled.  “Oh, honey.  He messed up so badly he’ll probably never work again.  I’ve heard even the union won’t touch it.  That video has made him radioactive.  Go on in to Mr. Hanley’s office, he’s talking to your parents right now.”

Violet peeped around the door, then grinned when she saw her mother and dashed over to her.  “I’m sorry!”

Mrs. Powell chuckled warmly.  “You have nothing to apologize for.  You saved Katie’s life.”  Then she got a good look at Katie.  “Oh my!  What’s all this?”

“We’re all Venned,” said Violet firmly.  “I’ve been attacked by Chelsa’s goons many times, this way they can’t do anything permanent.  Bailey’s been abused to get to me, and so was Katie.  Jimmy... well, he’s our friend, and likely to face the same.  We’re recognizably ourselves, but we won’t pass the iris scanner.  We’ll change back for exam days and only for those.”

“Okay.”

Everyone turned to stare at Mr. Hanley.  “Okay?” repeated Violet.  “But the school policy...”

“Mr. Carson is no longer in charge of this school.  Until a new principal is appointed, I’m in charge.  You’ve made it very clear that the policy is overly limiting.  However!”  He turned to Katie.  “I think there will still have to be limits.”

“Awww.  Can I have green scales if my clothes hide them?”

Mr. Hanley hesitated.  Mrs. Powell spoke in the silence.  “Given what she’s been through, it seems only fair.  Minor outward signs of her change would warn off potential attackers.”

“Minor visible changes only,” offered Mr. Hanley.  He gestured to Katie’s arms.  “That is still a bit too far.”

Katie pouted.  “How far is allowed, then?”

Violet put a hand on Katie’s arm.  “I’m sure we can find a happy medium.  Right, Mr. Hanley?”

He studied Violet, then nodded.  “You’ll be part of the committee that sorts the matter out.  We’re already holding an emergency meeting after school tonight.  It seems the right time and place to hash the matter out.”

“Good.  I’ll be there.”

“And then there’s the matter of the fight itself.  Unfortunately, the standards there are out of my hands.  Katie was involved in a fight on school grounds that sent several students to hospital.  All the participants in the brawl will be suspended until a week Monday.”

“What?” cried Katie.  “I didn’t start the fight!”

“You did leave numerous bite marks and scratches on your attackers.  Fighting back is still fighting.  Yes, it’s unfair.  But it’s also district policy.”

“So what does this mean?  I have to... not go to school next week?” asked Katie.  “Wait, how is that a punishment again?”

“It means I have to do something with you for the next week,” grumbled Katie’s Dad.  “Though I suppose you’re old enough to be home alone.”

“And you’ll be responsible for catching up on any assignments you miss.”

“I’ll help with that,” said Violet.  “We all will.”

Katie hugged her.  “Thanks.”

Violet whispered in Katie’s ear, “And maybe you can spend some of that week transformed into something fun.”

Katie immediately began to grin.  “I accept my punishment in the spirit it is intended.”

“Good.  Go home.  Day’s almost over anyway.  Violet, could you stay?  We should go over this new policy before presenting it to the staff.”

Violet looked to her mother, who grinned and made shooing motions.  “Go ahead.  You’ve got this.”

Over the course of the next half hour, Violet, Mr. Hanley and Carol hammered out a preliminary standard for what sort of Venned appearances would be suitable for around the school.  Violet’s familiarity with the capabilities of the machines led the others to defer to her on relevant points, both with them and with the emergency meeting of all the teachers.  She found the experience exhilarating – being treated as one of the adults in the room was something she’d never experienced before.

They ultimately settled on a ‘tolerably conservative’ rule that denied all offensive modifications, but allowed most other changes that would not change the person’s profile.  That meant no wings, but small tails no tails longer than the person’s unmodified forearm were exempted.  Forearms had to be recognizably human, though it was worded in such a way that Violet’s tentacle-arms were just within the rules.  Faces had to look the same, so that the person could still be recognized.  Violet made sure to carve out an exception for cosmetic changes to eyes, arguing that they’d be hard to tell from coloured contacts in any case.

When Violet finally made it home, she was drained but happy.  She was also quite surprised to find a familiar group of people around her mother’s dining room table.  Bailey was there, as well as Jimmy, Katie, and their father.  “What?”

“How’d it go?” asked her mother.  “Can you go to school Venned?”

Violet nodded eagerly.  “Yes!  Katie’s going to need her forearms looking more human, but everything else she has is fine.  It’s mostly cosmetic and defensive changes that are allowed, but ears, eyes, small tails, any kind of skin or scales are all fine.  Unfortunately, some of the teachers are allergic, so I had to give up on fur and feathers.”

“That’s fantastic!” cheered Bailey.  “Think of all the work we’ll have doing body changes.”

“I know!”

Katie sighed.  “And I’m going to miss it all.”

“Just the next week.  I asked Mr. Hanley about it, and as long as you are not ‘visibly present’, the terms of your suspension will be upheld.”

“So I can go to school... if I’m not human?” asked Katie.

“Correct,” said Violet with a grin.  “This isn’t an exemption for you, it’s going to be the general rule.  It’s not like they’d be able to tell anyway.”

“Daddy, I think I’ve figured a way to deal with the ‘how to care for Katie while she’s suspended’ problem,” wheedled Katie.

Her father chuckled softly.  “I see.  Well, from all I’ve heard, you’re in good hands with Violet.  And given what I saw of that fight, I’m more than happy to let you have some fun.  This is fun, right?  You seem excited.  I won’t pretend to understand it.”

“Yes daddy.  If you’d like, we can show you why it’s so nice.  I bet Mrs. Powell would like a new dress to wear to the mall with us on Saturday.”

“Uh...”  The burly man looked around the room at all the expectant, eager faces.  “You promise I’ll be okay afterward?”

Violet nodded earnestly, and sketched a cross over her heart.  “I promise.  We can set the Machine for only eight hours, so you’ll be you again before the day is out no matter what happens.”

“Oh?  I didn’t know that.  I can handle anything for a day.  Ruby?  What do you think of all this?”

Ruby looked him over, and let a languid grin grow on her face.  “Oh, I think we’ll have a very nice day with you swishing against my legs.  Don’t you, Scott?”

Mr. Castile met her eyes with a grin of his own.  “Now that you put it that way... I accept.”

Violet looked back and forth between them.  “What just happened here?”

Ruby grinned brilliantly.  “I think you just scored me a date.”