Cousins: Life's a Switch (3/3) Continued from Part 2/3. "I was already here *before* you splashed me!" he exclaimed, jumping up and shaking the water off his bare forearms. "You Cousins are all nuts!" Tok and Tser visibly deflated and looked across at each other. It was definitely *not* their beloved LaCroix. "Jess," Tok said lowly, "perhaps you should go organize post-it notes. Please add a few stating clearly that water has *nothing* to do with this predicament." The Cousinly Receptionist pouted, then shot Vachon-in-LaCroix's body an admiring look, and scampered off towards the lobby. "Is it just me or is the Receptionist this War spending more time away from her desk than at it fulfilling her duties?" Celeste asked. "Slacker," Bree muttered. "I'm considering docking her pay," Tser grumbled. "Pay?" Brandi asked. "What're you paying her?" "Gummi, cream-bellied frogs," Tser said. "It was hard to find a Cousinly Receptionist... everyone had noticed how they tend to get abused each War. I had to bribe her." "Hello?" Vachon said, lending a careless and bored tone to LaCroix's usually strong timbre. "Can I get a new shirt? Maybe a leather jacket? That water cooled off quick, and now I'm a bit chilly." He started to pull the white, soaked t-shirt over his head. Tser averted her eyes and grimaced. "Get them yourself," she muttered. The other Cousins were filing out of the War room, Tok issuing orders to find a solution to this problem and quick. Vachon slouched back into a chair looking confused and helpless... as helpless as anyone sporting the body of a 2,000 year old Roman General could look. Tok, frazzled looking, sighed. "I guess I should stay and ask... Vachon... what he knows about this." "Hey, Tok," Celeste said, walking over to the two Leaders. "I can do that... I'd be glad to help." Tok managed a small smile, and Tser grinned. "Oh good, that'll give us time to organize our calendars," Tser said. "For some reason I keep getting the dates and days mixed up. I don't know what's wrong with me." "Schedulitis," Tok declared. "Inflamation of the organizational gland." "Let me just get my e-organizer and I'll meet you in your office, okay Tok?" Tser said. "Sure," Tok said. "Let us know what you find out, Celeste, and thanks." Tser wandered towards her chosen bedroom, opening the door and spotting Moses perched defiantly on the pillow. The she-iguana's orange eyes glared haughtily at the exhausted Cousin. "At least someone around here is scowling as usual," Tser said. She reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her little computer, then headed for Tok's office. * * * * * Time: 4:30 PM * * * * * Celeste, Vachon, Tok and Tserisa were crowded into Tok's office. They were telling the 2/3rds of Cerbeus the details of Vachon's stint in Tracy's body, but Celeste was doing most of the talking. "They practically needed a brick to the head to figure it out," Celeste finished. "Well, then we know it's not just LaCroix," Tok said. "We were so distracted by LaCroix's odd behavior at the party we didn't even think to watch the others." "And we know that some of the other factions are as ignorant, or perhaps even more so, of what's going on as we," Celeste added. "And that Dark Perks think coffee can cure anything," Tser said. "It didn't work," Vachon-in-LaCroix's body noted, his arm draped over the back of the office chair they'd brought in and his feet on Cousin Tok's desk. "I drank the stuff, and I was still very much looking like Tracy." He paused. "The Dark Perks splashed me with water, too." "We're still at square one about what's causing this," Tok said. "And how to stop it. We should keep looking. In the mean time... Vachon... please don't touch any of LaCroix's things." She frowned. "He would not appreciate it." "I don't plan on sticking around," Vachon said in LaCroix's voice. "When the sun goes down, I'm out of here." "Don't do anything that might hurt LaCroix's body. It's not yours. You're borrowing it without permission," Tser said. "And from what we know, he's got mine," Vachon pointed out. "He could be messing with it. He could cut my hair and I'd end up with this ugly buzz!" "Hey!" chorused the Cousins, Tser a little louder than the others. * * * * * Tser's head was swirling as she left the meeting with LaCroix-who-was-not-LaCroix. She wasn't sure LaCroix-as-Vachon *should* leave CERK when night fell... it didn't seem safe. Who knew what Vachon would do without the Cousins watching. Dusk wasn't for a hours yet, however, and Tser would worry about it later. She turned the corner and walked down the hall. She could definitely do with a pick-me up. She spotted Arletta and Shelley, two Light Cousins, conversing frantically and looking self-righteous. "Hey guys, what's up?" she asked the two. The evil grins on their faces appealed. # # # Followed by "The Sweet Smell of Preparations" -- Cousin Tserisa & the Cousinly Critters - headpigeons@hotmail.com - Cousin, Ratpacker 8:>X and CaddyWhack FK Stuff: http://geocities.com/tserisa/ CaddyWhacks: http://velvetdragon.com/caddy/