. : HELLACIOUS : .

The Match

B L A C K A V E N U E

N E W O R L E O N S

A M E R I K A 1 9 5 4

Then came Roz.

Billy happened upon Roz when she served him coffee at a local diner, silver name tag winking at him in fluorescent lights, and it was all over from there.

Billy came rushing into Kash's corner nearly shaking with excitement, smelling of hamburger grease and plastic.

"This is it! This is her! The One! I'm sure of it!"

Billy's youth clung to him like wet toilet paper. His true age was starting to peek through the cracks. It wouldn't be long before he lost his looks entirely. Then his strength would slowly deplete.

And, if Kash was lucky, his mind would follow soon after.

Meanwhile, the apathetic D'Jinn hadn't aged a day. Their blue-black skin paled from being inside year round, but their eyes hadn't lost any molten energy from before.

They tied their kinky hair with ribbon leftover from one of the more artsy wives, grown down to their shoulders since Billy was too cagey to let them anywhere near sharp objects.

All of that changed once Roz upset the delicate Master-Mistress-Servant balance.

"Don't bullshit me, William. I'm not the type of woman who takes mess for Holy Law just 'cause a man's saying it."

Roz Tsuyoi was the only wife who called Kash by name because she was the only wife who bothered to ask. Roz accidentally caught a glimpse of Kash when Billy left the cellar door open for too long and demanded he let them get a taste of sunlight, Lord knows they need it.

Her Asiatic eyes transformed from soft jewels into merciless daggers in half a second. Roz was beautiful and she knew it. She wielded her womanhood like a dragonslayer with a mace.

"You think you own me?  Well guess again buddy. I leave when I want to leave. And that's that."

"Roz, baby-"

"Don't you Roz baby me. Stop treating me like a child!"

Billy was no stranger to his lover's temper. Watching a man cower to a woman less than half his size was a sight to behold.

Best of all, Roz used Kash's pronouns without question. She'd berate Billy's teasing and misgendering with a sound newspaper swat.

"Oh, so you think calling them a girl is funny? You like seeing Kash flinch like that?"

"Well, I-"

"Don't be such an ass, Bill. And go buy 'em some damn clothes!"

Billy's nostrils flared. "Why the hell would I do that?"

Roz saddled her meticulously manicured hands on her hips with a glare. "Everyone on Earth deserves four things. Food, a home, an education, and a God damn pair of slacks. Get on it. Kash better have at least two sets of clothes before I get back from Charlie's this evening or there will be hell to pay."

Billy grudgingly thrifted Kash clothes from the homeless shelter near by.

Down in the basement Kash danced around in their new outfit. They were ill fitting and smelled of mothballs, but even corduroy pants were an undeniable sign of change.

It seemed Billy had finally met his true match.

The faded portrait of the powdered girl hanging front and center in the foyer didn't stand a chance.