Title: I M U (1/1)
Where: The FoD Party
When: Tuesday Evening


"We need to make sure everyone here gets enough vitamin U," Tok said, after
she'd rounded up all the Cousins.  Perky Cousin Will looked especially
perky, probably feeding off all the Love in the room.  New Cousinly
Receptionist Bonnie was still occasionally glancing over at the Ever-Squeeky
Jess, who was chained to a chair for everyone's safety.

"Arletta has the asa-tepid-ita-whatsit stuff," Tser said, inclining her head
to the Light Cousin.

"Asafetida.  And you call yourself a vegetarian," Arletta chided.

"A vegetarian, yes -- gourmet, no," Tser replied.  "Though I do make a mean
calico cous-cous salad and a delightful potato and pinto bean soup."

"But how're we going to get them to eat it?" Celeste asked.  "If you don't
recall, LaCroix thought it tasted pretty icky.  And I don't think the
mortals would appreciate gobs of oniony stuff in their punch."

"We could load it into darts and shoot everyone with a good dose," the
goateed Agent Talon said.

"Taint the water supply?" Brandi suggested.

Rhonda looked thoughtful.  "Ask the FoDs to whip up a tasty treat with
asafetida as a main ingredient?"

"What about filling gelatin capsules with the spice, and just have everyone
swallow them?" Maria asked.

The Cousins looked thoughtful.  It was such a practical and logical
solution, it didn't even sound Cousinly or War-like.

"That's an idea," Tok said.  "It does seem like the best option.  Actually,
the more I think about it the more I like it."

"I hope the as-fetid-stuffits doesn't make the vampires' tummies ache," Tser
said uneasily.

"We'll have to risk it," Shelley said solemnly.  Which was all well and good
for her, since the Cousin seemed to be slightly masochistic and thrived on
getting in trouble.

With the ease of actions in a post with a limited time-frame, the Cousins
used the phone to call up all the local pharmacies and health stores and had
the empty capsules delivered almost-immediately to the FoD's hang out
(non-gelatin, however, as the vegetarian Cousins protested the use of animal
bits in the dissemination of the vitamin U).  They gathered around a table
and began to fill the clear pills with the potent spice.

"Now we just have to get all the major characters to swallow them," Will
said, smiling.

"Easier said than done," Tser said, knowing that LaCroix and Nick, who
experienced the side effects of garlic-free tofu souvlaki consumption, would
be particularly hard to convince.

"Be optimistic!" Will said, grabbing the bowl of vitamin capsules.  "At
least we're at a big party where they're all in one place.  That makes our
job that much easier.  You can convince LaCroix to take them."

"Oh, thanks," Tser said sarcastically.  She looked at the pills Will dropped
in her hand and sighed, then looked around the party for Janette, wherein
LaCroix resided at the moment.  Spotting her (him), she made her way through
the groups of people.

"Sir?"

Janette's eyes looked at Tser with LaCroix's intensity.  He had been
listening when the cure was described and no doubt knew what Tserisa had
come to ask him, but he remained silent, forcing the Cousinly Leader to
explain.

"We put the asa... asaf... spice into capsules, General," she said.  "So
it's easier to take."

"I have no desire to try that particular *experiment* again," he said.

"You have to, to stop the switching," Tser said uncomfortably.

LaCroix arched an eyebrow (mentally tallying the event to record in his
classified Latin diary) at the mohawked Cousin.  "Do you presume to tell me
what to do?" he asked Tserisa piercingly.

"Well, Sir," Tser said, and shifted, as she held out a handful of the
vitamin U pills to LaCroix, "you are what you eat... and you do want to be
you, don't you?"

LaCroix, in Janette's body, grimaced.  "Really, Tserisa," he said.  "That
was entirely unnecessary.  Very well, I will take them.  However, any
discomfort resulting from this 'cure' is on Cerberus' shoulders."

"I understand, Sir," the 1/3rd said, and handed the capsules to him.  "Bon
appetit."  She backed away when he nodded, and then quickly scurried back to
the other Cousins.

"I think that's everyone," Bree said.  "Though I'm not sure they all took
it... some of them seemed pretty unsure whether to trust us or not."

Cousin Tok nodded.  "We can only hope."

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