[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Rheese just sighed, and held her arms out for the costume. He really had made quite a mess, and this was her favourite costume shop - she didn't want to annoy the shopkeeper.

Gabriel leaned over, and took the outfit from her. "Don't worry," he soothed, "At least you found an outfit for Mr Spotlight over there." He would have patted her paw, but his own were occupied.

[46]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

She sighed, but smiled at him anyway. Gabriel was always like that - he was miserable himself, but couldn't stand to see others unhappy. What a contradiction the zombunny was!

A quarter of an hour later, Lloyd was still clearing up. "Honestly" she said to Gabriel, "If he had just hung the outfits up as he took them off, we'd be gone by now.

[47]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Gabriel snorted loudly in response; "As if he ever would - remember what his own room looks like?" he said to her with a grin.

Rheese cringed; she did indeed remember the disaster that was Lloyd's room in the mansion they all shared. The maids had refused to go in there, and eventually she had had to force the petty prancer to clean it up by himself. They now had an arrangement where the maids would clean it for him, but he would help them do it. The maids hadn't gone on strike yet, but she was sure they would sometime soon.

[48]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

At last, Lloyd was finished, though Rheese was sure the costumes were not quite correctly assembled. She sighed, and whispered her apologies about them to the shopkeeper, who sighed and thanked her. She hoped it wouldn't be too much trouble to sort them out.

As they left the shop, she watched with amusement as Lloyd took the top hat out of the bag and put it on. He flashed her a cheeky grin, and giggled.

[49]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The ball was the following weekend, and the house was decorated spectacularly. Rheese directed the maids as to where to place everything, whilst she herself erected the large dining table that would serve as the buffet.

Spiderwebs adorned every corner, doorway, nook and cranny; replica bats hung from the ceiling, posed in flight, the table was festooned with all manner of gruesome accessories, and the centrepiece - a large smoking cauldron - was trimmed with slime. Oh yes, Rheese was pleased - it was the perfect setting for a Halloween Ball.

She smiled, then went upstairs to get dressed.

[50]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

When she came back downstairs, she was dressed in a black Victorian-style corseted wedding dress with ruffles, a large bustle, and a train that dragged behind her. The veil hung from her head was also black, and the bouquet of flowers she carried were dead and withered. A Halloween bride - that was what she had wanted to be, and she seemed to have pulled it off.

Gabriel was surprised when he saw her, for the dress was intricately adorned with beads and lace, and he figured she must have had it custom-made. He smiled and bowed, before striding towards her.

[51]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

His - she wasn't sure whether to call it a punk outfit, or a hell's angel outfit - looked very good on him, and it seemed to have affected his mood. For once, he was actually enjoying himself getting ready for a ball, and was even looking forward to the ball itself - that is, until Lloyd got a good look at his outfit.

"What on earth are you wearing?" he exclaimed, as he burst out laughing. Rheese could feel Gabriel shrink beside her, his earlier confidence gone, as Lloyd struggled to hold himself up with the wall. She was furious; why did he always feel the need to put Gabriel down?

[52]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Lloyd" she said sharply, "That is enough - in fact, that is far too much. How dare you make fun of Gabriel!" she hissed, angrily. Lloyd, however, clearly did not understand her warning, and he continued to laugh.

"But Rheese, look at him!" Lloyd wheezed, wiping away a tear. "He looks ridiculous - my goodness, he might as well have worn a garbage bag! At least it would look more appropriate!"

[53]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Enough!" Rheese snapped, marching over to him and forcibly turning him around. "Into your room! I warned you about insensitivity, and I told you what would happen" she thundered, ushering him back into his chambers. "You will not greet our guests, nor will you be welcome at the ball before midnight!"

"But Rheese" Lloyd protested, trying to weasel around her grasp. "If I show up at midnight, it'll look bad - I'll be most dreadfully late!" he whinged.

[54]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"You should have thought of that before you started" she replied, waspishly. Lloyd tried to plead with her, but it was no use - he had tripped her temper, and now her mood was foul. She pushed him into his room roughly, and shut the door, locking it from the outside.

"See to it that he doesn't escape before midnight" she said to a maid, handing her the key. The maid nodded and assumed a post by the door.

[55]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Don't you listen to him" she snapped at Gabriel, who was sitting down on a chair with a morose look on his face. She knew she was being too harsh on him, but Lloyd had put her in a foul mood.

"But he's right - this does look ridiculous" Gabriel sighed sadly, standing up. "I'll get changed - it's all right, Rheese, I would have just embarrassed myself anyway. He turned to walk away, back to his chambers, but she grabbed him before he could take more than a step.

[56]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Absolutely not" she said icily, and proceeded to drag him into the ballroom. She manhandled him to the bar, and made him sit down whilst she fixed him a drink.

"That outfit looks good on you, and it gave you so much confidence" she said, a little gentler than she had been before. "Lloyd just can't stand to share the limelight, you know that" she continued, handing him his drink. He hadn't been paying attention to what went into it, staring morosely at his hands, so the steaming goblet somewhat concerned him.

[57]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"But Rheese" he began, attempting to reason with her, but she just hushed him. "I will hear no more about you changing" she said, looking upset. Gabriel sighed, but he 0, knowing he was beaten. He knew she liked the way he looked in the leather, but he felt very uncomfortable and self-conscious. If Lloyd had laughed, then he was sure the other guests - whom he didn't know that well - would laugh twice as hard.

[58]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Rheese guessed his thoughts, and grabbed his chin; "Look at me" she said, forcing him to look at her. "Your costume is great, and you look good in it."

He sighed, but she continued, relentless; "Nobody will laugh - I'll prove it to you. You're going to stand at the door and welcome the guests with me, as my date for the night. Nobody will come near you, I won't leave you alone, and Lloyd won't even be here until midnight, by which point he won't say anything because nobody will care."

[59]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Gabriel sighed again, but she held his chin until he nodded. She smiled, and patted his shoulder - she hated having to be rough with him, but sometimes it was the only way to get through to him. He was so used to being in a pit of despair that this fall from confidence had hit him hard.

She gnashed her teeth as she thought about Lloyd and his attitude. That had to change; she wasn't sure how, but she would have to do something about it.

[60]