"Its beautiful in here." She says, looking around in awe. She chuckles, looking up at her, "How do you find these places?"

"Cant you feel it, dove? The glamour of this place?" Leanansidhe leaned down, gesturing to the walls and fountain. "Some places in the mortal world are more magical than others, hot spots for glamour, if you will. It draws us like a moth to a flame--exiles, solitary and court fey alike. Besides, darling--" Leanansidhe straightened with a sniff. "Even our kind appreciates a bit of pampering now and then."

She smiles, continuing to look around.

A blond, well-dressed satyr welcomed Leanansidhe with a kiss on both cheeks, before turning to Claire with a dazzling smile.

"Ah, so this is the princess Ive heard so much about," he gushed, taking her hand to press it to his lips. "Shes absolutely adorable. But--" and he glanced at Leanansidhe "--I can see what you mean about her hair. And her nails." He shuddered and shook his head. "Well, leave it to me. Well have her looking fabulous in no time."

"Work your magic, Ben," Leanansidhe said, wandering away toward a back door. "Ill be with Miguel if you need me, darling. Claire dear, just do what Ben says and youll be fine." She waved her hand airily as she sauntered through the door, and was gone. Ben turned to her and clasped his furry hands. "Well, sweet-cakes, youre in luck. We have the rest of the evening booked for you."

She chuckles, "I appreciate it."

The next few hours flew by in a confused blur. The fey staff, mostly satyrs and a few brownies, were alarmingly attentive. They took her clothes away and wrapped her in a very white bathrobe. She was made to lie on her back while brownies in white suits slathered cream on her face and put cucumbers over her eyes, telling her to lie still. After maybe an hour of this, they sat her up, and a cute satyr named Miroku soaked her hands in a warm bath that smelled like cocoa and coffee beans. He massaged her hands with lotion before meticulously filing, polishing, and painting her nails. Then the whole procedure was done to Claire's feet. After that, they whisked her away to the stylist, who shampooed, trimmed and styled her hair--with bronze scissors--chatting at her all the while.

She just goes with it, not entirely sure what she was doing but following the directions she was given.

They were adding the final touches of makeup to her eyes and lips when Leanansidhe sauntered back into the room, looking so smug and relaxed that her skin glowed. She had dropped her more human glamour, and her ethereal beauty filled the room, red-gold hair nearly blinding under the artificial lights. Ben trailed behind her, gushing about how radiant she looked.

"Mmm yes, I swear that Miguel is a virtual musician with his fingers," Leanansidhe murmured with a catlike stretch, raising too-slender arms over her head. "If you didnt need him so badly, love, Id kidnap him myself and take him home. That kind of talent is hard to find, believe me. Well now," she exclaimed when she saw Claire. "Look at you, darling. Youre a completely different person. I barely recognize you."

"Isnt she cute?" Ben added, beaming at Clare. "Dont you love what they did with her hair? I adore the highlights, and Patricia does layering so well."

"Its perfect," Leanansidhe nodded, studying Claire with a half smile. "If I dont recognize her, no one in SciCorp will, either."

She smiles, "Thank you."

At that moment, a strange odor cut through the smell of perfume, makeup and moisturizers. Leanansidhe and Ben stiffened, as did every faery in the room. A couple brownies went scurrying away in terror, and the faery patrons began to murmur and shift restlessly as the foreign smell grew stronger. Metal. There was an Iron faery on the premises.

And then, it walked through the door.

Some of the patrons gasped. The Iron faery was dressed in a dove-gray business suit, and an expressive-looking one at that. Short black hair didnt conceal the long pointed ears, or the Bluetooth phone near his jaw. His skin, green as circuit board, glinted with hundreds of blinking lights, wires and computer chips. Behind thick, wire-rimmed glasses, his eyes shimmered green, blue and red.

Smooth as glass, Ben sidled in front of Claire, blocking her view but also shielding her from the faerys gaze.