H a l o s and F e a t h e r s

Lesson 02

"Here you are sweetie," smiled a woman with her bright red hair cut short and pixie-like. In fact everything from her rounded face, the wide gray eyes and the small wings that made her up reminded Leanne of a pixie or even a fairy. The golden ring around her neck with a beautiful rose colored gem dangling from it shone in the light.

Leanne took the package given to her, eyeing it curiously. The paper tied around whatever was inside crinkled and remained closed with a bit of ribbon. "What is this?"

"Why it's your new set of clothes. Oh, and your halo of course! The changing room is just that way," the pixie woman gestured to a room off to the side. Maika had left her in this lady's care nearly fifteen minutes prior to deal with paper work. It was funny to Leanne in an ironic sort of way. She hadn't figured the dead would have need of paperwork or IDs. "If you have any troubles don't hesitate to call me. I'll be sure to help ya in a jiffy, hun!"

"Ah-huh..." Leanne paused, brow raised skeptically. "I don't know, lady, this being dead thing seems a little too much like being alive to me."

The pixie woman laughed shooing her toward the changing room. Once inside Leanne's reflection greeted her. The mirror was a full-length one reminiscent to those she would have seen in a store dressing room. A soft light above lit the small room and Leanne tore into the package to survey her new outfit. The fabrics were soft to the touch and of the same light colors Leanne was growing used to seeing in this place. White trimmed with gold and it seemed very reminiscent to old roman style of dress.

Leanne's brow furrowed at this even as she stripped down and adorned the new clothes. For a metropolis that seemed so very advanced in many aspects why would the clothes be so olden themed? She quickly shrugged it off feeling awkward in the new style of clothes. She liked them but she felt foolish after having went years in simpler clothes of jeans and tank tops. Reaching into the torn package she pulled out strappy sandals and what she assumed was to be the halo that the pixie woman had spoken of.

Leanne pulled on the footwear before she went to inspecting the golden ring. She hadn't seen any of the angels with a floating golden ring above their heads. She supposed that wouldn't have made much sense despite the fact that she was in heaven of all places. From the glimpses she had caught of those around her everyone they all had one key factor in common when it came to accessories.

Each and every one of them had a golden ring around their neck with a gem dangling from it. Was this a halo? Leanne could only assume so and she worked to fasten it around her neck feeling the weight of it settle over her collar bones. It would take some getting used to. In her reflection she admired her appearance, still feeling foolish.

Her long brown hair seemed to have already been washed despite the fact that it should have very well been tangled and matted with her own blood. The tattoos she had gotten in her living years still remained, dark against the skin and portraying all sorts of meaning to her. There was the dragon she had gotten with her sisters and the clover and the thirteen together represented how her luck always seemed to be fluctuating. So many memories of a life she no longer had that flooded back with the sight of herself. Even the scars she had remained calling forth more memories.

Leanne must have waited far too long to come out for her thoughts were soon interrupted by a light tapping on the door. "Leanne?" called the pixie woman. "Is everything all right in there?"

"Yeah," Leanne called. With one last glance at herself in the mirror she turned and left allowing the pixie woman to appraise her.

"Oh would ya look at that, sweetie? I managed to get the right size! And that red gem sure does fit ya nicely," pixie woman observed, straightening the fabrics out so that they laid better and situating the necklace around Leanne's neck to better show off the little gem. "I see you had no problems putting your halo on - that's great! Now ya just gotta wait for Maika to be back and you'll be off in no time!"

"Right," Leanne answered if only to be polite. She still wasn't sure what she thought of all this. It was happening all too fast and too soon. She could only hope to be able to continue rolling with the punches.