An annoyed sigh bespoke her sincere displeasure as Brittani tossed aside another outfit. She picked up a light blue sleeveless gown and held it up against her body. She checked herself in the mirror then turned left and right.

"No. It's super pretty, but too formal," she said morosely. A slight pout on her lips she tossed it onto the growing pile of discarded outfits.

"There has to be something I can wear," she said petulantly.

It was an important official meeting, of course. A faction meeting was always serious business. Obviously she had to look her very best. Politics. Yes, the reason was simple politics.

She pulled out a hot pink shirt with white side-laces. Brittani bit her lower lip then tilted her head to the side. "Uhm... this and jeans? Would he— would that be too informal?"

Brittani frowned and tossed it into one of her 'maybe' piles then returned to her massive walk-in closet. "Maybe if I pick the shoes first, it'll set the tone for my outfit?" she asked herself thoughtfully.

Several minutes were spent searching through her collection of shoes. Heels, platforms, athletic shoes, she considered them all. Brittani picked up a pair of white cowgirl boots with golden spurs. "Well, he's from the American South... They like the farmer's daughter types, right? Not that I'm dressing specifically for his approval of course."

Unbidden, an image of her riding up on a pale white horse in full cowgirl-regalia arose within her mind. She wore jeans, boots, a hat, and a fringed leather jacket. On her jacket she saw a shiny gold star. She shook her head to dispel the image the moment she imagined herself saying, "There's a new sheriff in town. All you other girls mosey along, now."

"Super cute, but no," she said emphatically.

Her closet beckoned, and she must obey. Brittani continued to search through her outfits for the proper outfit to wear to the faction meeting. It must show her overall sophistication as a lady who led a faction, while also causing a certain faction leader's chin to drop. It was all for the sake of negotiations, of course. Yes. Negotiations.

The third hours passed while she searched for an appropriate garment. Cornelius announced his presence then entered the room with a golden tray in hand. "Your pre-dinner, dinner, my lady."

Brittani poked her head out of the closet then offered her long-time servant a bright smile. "Thank you! I was positively famished."

She gave up on searching for an outfit long enough to sit down at her in-room dinner table. There was a proper kitchen in her apartment, but she rarely ate at the adjoining dining room. Her bedroom was simply better for such things given its larger scale.

Seated at her little dining table, Brittani waited expectantly while Cornelius lifted the tray's lid to reveal a small meal underneath. "Beef and rice? Perfect... I'll be hungry again by the time that dinner starts."

"Of course, my lady. It is just as you instructed. You will be hungry enough to eat, but not so hungry that you are deemed a 'cute little piggy' as you so succinctly put it," said Cornelius.

"Indeed," she said, her nose rising into the air. "Very good, Cornelius."

He offered her a wry smile. Out of all servants in her household, he was perhaps the only one who might tease her in such a manner. Of course, such things must be done sparingly or not at all.

A golden spoon lifted her first bite of the meal and she gently placed it between her lips. Brittani's eyes lit up. "This is exquisite as always, Cornelius."

"I thank you for your kind words, my lady," he said to her without a hint of hubris.

She continued to eat for a time then acquired a thoughtful expression. "I must say, I do not quite recognize the flavor of this beef. I begin to suspect that it is not beef at all. What manner of meat is it?"

"Kenyan, my lady. I felt that you would enjoy being light on your feet as you run to the arms of your would-be suitor," said Cornelius without a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "The improved stamina might help as well. You are a growing ghoul after all."

Brittani laughed for approximately half a second then stopped cold. Her eyes slowly drifted back up to her man-servant. "Uhm..."

Cornelius' implacable expression shifted slightly. After another brief moment, he actually lost a small portion of his professionalism and allowed himself a proper chuckle. Soon they both shared a gentle laugh together.

"Cornelius! You're terrible!" cried Brittani between giggles. "What is it really?"

"Dire pork brain gravy, over stir-fried cockatrice," explained Cornelius. "I embellished the dish slightly, but it is typically one of your favorite light meals."

Brittani's smile widened. "You are always so kind to me. Thank you."

"It is an honor to serve you, my lady," he said gently.

After that neither spoke for a time as Lady Rotten gently devoured her meal. However, she was not the only one at a loss for how to prepare for the coming event.

Back on Earth, on a certain bridge, Eloa stretched luxuriously. Spread atop a classic muscle car that she used as a sunbathing rock, she could not help but wonder at what the next few hours would entail.

"Big sister? Why are you not getting ready?" asked a bright red lizardman. She hobbled over to her queen on one leg. The other had already regrown to some extent but it would be a while yet before it was truly regenerated.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" asked Eloa.

"Well, you cannot go dressed like that... Can you?" asked the lizard girl.

Eloa looked down at herself briefly then back over to her cute subordinate. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"You're naked... I admit that I do not understand their reasoning, but humans do seem to require their kind to wear cloth on their bodies when they gather together," remarked the red lizard girl.

"Ah. I see. It is true, they do seem to be ashamed of their scale-less bodies." Eloa sat up, her breasts swaying heavily with the motion. She drew one leg up and wrapped it with her arms before placing her chip atop her knee. "I could not even begin to know what is appropriate for such an event. Why must humans complicate matters?"

"I have studied the human texts located in a nearby collection of their stone huts. At a time like this it is appropriate to go shopping for new attire," said the red lizard girl.

"Shopping?" asked Eloa.

"Shopping?" asked another voice, and then another. Two lizard girls poked their heads around the side of an overturned car.

The word seemed to echo excitedly through the area as several other lizard girls repeated the word. Over a dozen lizard girls quickly arrived on scene. Eloa could not help but laugh at their excitement. Even lizard girls liked to shop!

"Very well, but where does one acquire proper attire for such a meeting? I refuse to wear some of those highly restrictive garments that I have seen others wear," said Eloa.

"Ah! My queen, I know of just the place." The red lizard girl took out a city map, from who knows wear, and placed it on the hood of the classic muscle car. "If we follow the river to this point we will arrive at a place referred to as 'The Mall'. It is there that I discovered a shop which might fit your needs."

"If it is but a short distance from the river, it might be worth investigating," said Eloa. "This store? Does it have a name?"

"Yes. It is known as 'Victoria's Secret'," said the red lizard girl. "Clearly with a name like that, and the thinness of the garb, it is a shop which caters to those who desire to be fashionable while also allowing them to maintain their agility."

"Ah. That might work!" Eloa smiled brightly. "Victoria's Secret, you say. The name bespeaks victory... Clearly this is a sign that our meeting shall go well."

"What manner of opposition will we face?" she asked the red lizard girl.

"It is a rival ghoul faction," replied the girl. "They are numerous, and the battle may become a gruesome gore-strewn hell given their numbers and the possibility of at least one powerful champion, but their removal will help to safeguard our Southern border."

"Sisters!" cried Eloa decisively. "We march on the mall at once! Let no one stand between us and The Victoria's Secret!"

The gathered lizard girls cheered. Eloa, caught in the moment continued. "Prepare yourselves my sisters! Tonight we shop in hell!"

"Also, everything's discounted one hundred percent!" cried the red lizard girl. "Let us make certain that our big sister has a wonderful night!"

The cheering from before erupted into a riotous frenzy of screaming voices. For the sake of their big sister, they would die noble. However, they would gleefully march on hell itself for the chance to shop at a one hundred percent discount.

Nearby in the water shimmering eyes narrowed slightly. A softly whispered word sent the water rippling gently forward due to the slight disturbance. "Tonight..."

The flash of a fishy fin broke the surface of the river as the onlooker fled away to make their own preparations. Tonight would prove to be an important time indeed.