Disguise Shopping

"I don't know." Ane admits. "Do you have an idea of what you want to look like? Being a man seems to get me better results when asking people for things, its easier to be taken seriously. But being a pretty girl seems to have done you rather well, from what I have seen." Ane tries not to sound jealous, though she is now thinking that she will aim to be a 'pretty girl' on their shopping trip and compare results.

"If you have an image of someone you want to look like, maybe we can use that to try get what we want? Something to focus on so I don't get distracted? Maybe we can find a portrait gallery or a few pictures? Isn't there an artist up the street? Doesn't he make sketches before doing people's portraits? We could swipe some of those old ones as examples?"

Ane selects an elfin maiden as her image, intent on performing her experiment about how different people are treated —what people will think if they ever discover her nature is always on her mind. She is also curios about observing the effects of being short —like the dwarf— on her friend, let her see what it is like for a change... not that Ane has ever struggled to reach something on a high shelf, as her mother and sister always complain about, but it might be interesting to see how someone not accustomed adjusts to the new body.

Ane is also more than a little curious about the armor in the image, she does not think she can make weapons yet, but armor might be just like clothes. She does not know if it will work or just look like armor.

Ane is getting distracted by all the thoughts running through her head, and has to focus on the spell. Maybe a little stop at Inki's? But no, she resists the urge.

Do you make the change out in the open, or in private?

"Everyone should be away at work and school." Ane agrees. "So we can have some peace and quiet."

As they walk, Ane hesitates to bring up a subject. The incident with her sister's face has made her nervous, as has the scrutiny by the Red Wizards, and she does not want to bring trouble to her family's door. "I don't know that I want to spend the money..." Ane says. "It is is pretty crowded at home. Not that anyone has complained, they love having you there. But ... maybe we should look at getting a place of our own?"

Ane and Asha settle in for some experimenting, trying the spell with different tweaks and testing how far Ane can push it. Disguise as a fish... no; disguise as a dog... no; maybe too many legs? Disguise as a bird... no; disguise as a chair... no. "Seems like it only does people." Ane says. "And clothes. That's strange."

Ane spends a bit of time just changing their clothes, this does not appear to any easier than doing the whole person and the clothes. "Where does it draw the line?" Ane wonders, out loud. The armour looks real, and feels real to the touch, but does not seem to protect any better than the original clothing (Asha'a healers' robe now has another hole in it). "Might be worth trying to do this the other way round?" Ane speculates. "Make it look like Garrett is not wearing armor, or something." She is not sure about including Garrett in these experiments, though.

Ane is happy to spend the entire morning experimenting, then hitting the shops after the heat of the day.

So … you find out the parameters of Disguise … it changes the appearances of bodies and clothing, but it doesn't alter the physical properties … except that if you disguise someone as a smaller or larger person, they do seem to gain / lose reach and height and weight. Strength? Hard to say. How would you test that? (inconspicuously?)

"Try pick up that roll of nets." Ane suggests to Asha pointing to a bundle she knows from prior experience her friend can just carry in her normal form. Then they try that same exercise in the much-more-muscular dwarven fighter form, to compare strength.

Ane does not expect it to make a difference, but there was a change of muscle mass, so she hopes it might. She sure feels more ... graceful? ... in her elvin form, but that might just be visual, Ane tends to move rather smoothly already.

Asha hefts the roll of nets, her dwarf-face showing faint disgust at the lingering odor of fish and seaweed. She feels oddly competent to lift and move the heavy burden; it's easier than it "should" be.

Fascinated by the prospects, Ane shapes Asha in the form of a sailor boy she knew, and had her first big crush on, so she can remember every detail of his face and body. He could climb like a monkey and jump high like no one else. She is curious to see what this could do for someone's athletic and acrobatic prowess.

Ane feels a little strange seeing the face of that boy —who did not even know she existed— on her friend, so after a bit of jumping around, she works on shaping the face and body to retain the benefits, but to avoid looking exactly like someone she knows, or that other people know. Impersonating a person could have it uses, but only when they know enough about them to weather the scrutiny of that person's colleagues. Generically looking different and unrecognisable seems more useful right now.

Ane is so relieved that Asha understands the risks they are bringing to her family, and also thrilled that she likes the idea, that she gives her friend a big hug before continuing their experiments.

When Asha teases her, Ane blushes —her whorls glowing faintly as her skin turns pink. "Yes... I mean, no... just a boy who used to work for my dad. It doesn't matter. See if you can jump like he did. I will catch you."

Ane is surprised by the leap at her but does her best to catch Asha, like she promised. They both end up tumbling to the floor, Ane cushioning Asha from the fall (and possibly not quite touching the floor behind her).

"I meant 'up'." Ane point out, laughing. "But that was further than you usually jump, right? Do you feel more ... uh ... athletic?" She enquires.