Zanzibar The Magician - Uncovered

7 || PERSONAL GROOMING

THE humour Zanzibar felt moments before vanished as soon as he stepped into the shower. Bathing made him even more aware of his transformation. Painfully so. As he lathered new terrain, he fought hard not to give in to despair.

Zanzibar had always been a charmer. A refined gentleman with a sense of style; he was charismatic, polished, with impeccable manners. And yet he maintained a degree of mystery; no-one knew him thoroughly. His roots, family, and personal history, other than the one he readily ascribed to the Syndicate, were undisclosed.  He coveted his privacy and had no intention of ever revealing his past. That, perhaps, was part of his appeal.

Ladies were drawn to him, although he had never found 'the one' to change his priorities, dampen his sense of adventure or, his duty, as he saw it. Until the bitch from Zoom came along, he thought bitterly, uninvited and with an entirely different agenda. 

He shook his head, droplets spraying from his hair as he tried to eliminate her from his thoughts. Not an easy task, considering.

The water ran over his back, hot, soothing, relieving him of the moment's agitation. With eyes closed, his mind floated back to life before December 6th. 

Yes, the odd tryst had occurred, and most pleasant they had been; sometimes, the magic he had worked was nothing to do with sorcery. The magician smiled. But, it had been easy then, he was a hot-blooded male through and through, he loved the fairer sex.

Suddenly finding himself as one though, was a whole new ballgame; one which he had no clue how to play. 

And BAM! The Sorceress invaded his thoughts again. 

His fist pounded the wall causing soap bubbles and water to spatter back onto his face. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the cold tiles. His breathing was erratic, fuelled by rage. And fear.

Never had he felt the way he did now. Yes, he had encountered many a daunting and dangerous situation, frequently with his life in the balance. But that seemed child's play in comparison to what he now faced - and with it the ridicule, hatred, and xenophobia. 

But, there was nothing else for it; he had to make the best of things. And somehow, he would need to find the strength to push aside the other change which the Sorceress had instilled in him.  Fury. He knew it was an offshoot of the transformation, and yes, his anger was aimed at Zoom's psychopathic spell weaver. But aligned with all the other emotions he was going through, it could make for one deadly combination with his magical abilities. He would need to exercise control.

He realised now attempting to go it alone was folly. It still didn't alleviate his trepidation, but he would take Jim's advice and seek out Yarko. The sooner this ridiculous situation was resolved, the better, and who other than his fellow conjurer could help him to stay focused?

He finished showering. After quickly drying himself, he turned to the vanity and reached for his shaving soap, brush and razor. A glance in the mirror stopped him and a bitter smile graced the lips on his already clean-shaven face. Old habits it seems, he thought, woefully.  

Then he noted the sprigs of hair between his breasts. He scowled, but on closer inspection, he had to admit a hairy bosom was unsightly. Lifting his arms, he was faced with another shrubbery. He groaned, despair taking hold once more.

If the worst indeed presented itself, and he was permanently altered, then he would have to familiarise himself with a particular routine. Should he ever be captured, rendered unconscious, kidnapped or even arrested (which had embarrassingly happened in the past), his peculiar situation could be uncovered. To carry off this 'masquerade' successfully, he needed to ensure his hygiene regime was in-keeping with women of today.