His Cure

The Gilded Cage

It's been 3 days since the earthquake hit. Lucky, nothing else eventful has happened since, until today...
"Miss Elizabeth." Dutch said as he walked over to me. "Mister Dutch." I replied. "Why aren't you getting ready?" "Uh, ready for what?" "For Angelo Bronte's soirée!" He exclaimed with a chuckle. "Not a chance in hell." I responded as I went to walk away. "Miss Cheban." He called me back. I rolled my eyes before turning to face him once more. "It wasn't a question. It was an order. You are to come with us and that's final." He demanded. "Why can't Robin go?" "You know how difficult she is. We are trying to fit in and she has a habit of..." he began so I quickly finished for him, "Looking for as much attention as she can?" "Exactly, plus you know Italian." "Dutch..." I moaned as I gave him an unimpressed look. "Please, Elizabeth, don't make me ask you again." "I don't have anything to wear..." "Go and speak with the girls, I'm sure they'd love to help you." He finished before wandering off again. Great... Dressing up, parties, socialising and rich people. My top four most hated things.
"Hey." I began as I walked over to Mary-Beth and Abigail. "Hey Liz. What's up?" Abigail asked as I sat down next to them. "Dutch is forcing me to go to Angelo Bronte's party." I groaned as I put my face in my hands. "Unlucky." She replied with a giggle. "What are you gonna wear?" "That's kind of why I came over. Dutch said you could help me get ready?" "Really? We get to dress you up?" Mary-Beth asked excitedly. "I guess so..." "And makeup and hair and-" "Woah, slow down. I don't want to look like the Queen of Sheba." I replied. "Well you can't go to a party at the mayor's house looking like that." Abigail said as she stood up and took my arm. "Why do I have a feeling I'm gonna regret this..." I groaned as she led me and Mary-Beth into the house and upstairs to her and Johns room. "Sit down madam..." she giggled as she pulled up a chair, grabbing a small bag as she did so. "What's that...?" I asked hesitantly as she sat down opposite me. "Make up, Liz."
I gave her an unimpressed glance. "Just try and enjoy it!" Mary-Beth giggled as her and Abigail got to work.
I sat there as they both pulled out different pots and tubes of various consistencies and began to put it all over my face.
"It's like a torture device..." I groaned as Mary-Beth took a weird looking black brush and began to brush my eyelashes. "It's really not." She replied as she moved to my other eye. "What is even the point of this? You do realise I have my own eyelashes already..." "It makes them more pronounced." She replied with a giggle to my previous statement.
They continued to put random shit all over my face, cheeks and eyes until I must have been at least 75% makeup...
"Almost done." Abigail said as she pulled out a tube and began to apply it to my lips. "You can close your mouth now." She added as she began to put the makeup away. "Are you sure? It feels like I probably shouldn't ingest this..." I replied muffled with my mouth still open. "You ain't gonna eat it."
I closed my mouth and licked my lips curiously. "Alright well you will eat it if you do that." She smiled so I instantly stopped and scrunched up my face a little at the feeling of the products on my face. "Hair!" Mary-Beth exclaimed excitedly as she picked up a brush and began to take my hair out of its usual braid. "Wow, your hair is long..." she added as my hair fell from my shoulders down to my hips. "Have you ever thought about cutting it?" She asked as she began to brush it through. "It's part of my culture so no." "God, I can see why you always tie it up..." she added as she brushed to the bottom.
We continued to chat for a few minutes as I felt her tie, pin and twist my hair into various patterns before adding a silver pin to the back. "Perfect." She replied as I reached my hands up to feel that my hair had been braided along the back of my head and into a bun. "Now you just need some nice clothes. What dresses do you own?" "Uh... none?" I replied as I looked at her. Dresses were my worst nightmare. They restrict your movement and just get in the way. "I have something you can borrow." She added before excitedly running out of the room.

Arthur POV:
"Woah!" I exclaimed as I quickly grabbed Mary-Beth to stop her from falling as she nearly ran into me. "Sorry, Arthur. Wow. You look... different." She replied as she looked me up and down. Different was correct. Dutch was forcing me to go to Bronte's party and I looked like I'd just ran away from a wedding. "Thanks?" I chuckled in response. "A good different! Very handsome." She joked. "Thanks. What's that?" I asked as I saw the red fabric in her hands. "A dress. I'm letting Liz borrow it for the party." "She's coming?" I questioned, surprisingly. "I didn't think it was her scene." "It isn't but Dutch is forcing her." Mary-Beth replied. "And you've managed to make her wear a dress?" I questioned in slight shock. "Yeah! We did her makeup and hair too. She looks incredible!" "Now that, I have to see." I replied with a chuckle. The thought of Elizabeth wearing anything other than pants was just strange.
"Mary-Beth!" Came Abigail's call from upstairs as she walked down to greet us. "What are you doing?" "Sorry, got distracted." She replied before quickly hurrying off back upstairs with Abigail. "I hate you both." I heard Liz complain from upstairs which made me chuckle.