Arthur snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Jon and Karyn found that they couldn't move or speak.
"Please don't be afraid," Arthur said. "I'm about to bend your personal realities slightly. This is just to keep the shock from overwhelming you."
Arthur turned to face Karyn. He waved his fingers out at her and her outfit blurred and reformed from jeans and a t-shirt to a knee-length black skirt, long sleeve button up blouse, black tights, and black pumps with a two inch heel. Her hair pulled up into a ponytail, her make up became more pronounced, and a pearl necklace and matching earrings appeared on her. When everything stopped shifting Arthur reached out and touched Karyn.
Karyn shuddered briefly and then screamed. "How did I get here?" she said. "Who are you?"
"There, there," Arthur said. He pulled a ring from his pocket and handed it to her. "Everything will be all right. Just slip this on."
Karyn's eyes darted around frantically but she couldn't see a way to escape the white infinity of Nowhere. Finally, she looked down at her hand and slipped the ring on. At first it seemed to be too big but once it was the ring shrunk to fit her perfectly. Once it did Karyn's eyes went out of focus for the briefest of seconds.
"Holy crap, Arthur," she said as she came back to her senses. "What did you do to me?"
"I merged you with a reality where you were a waitress at this event instead of going with your mother."
"So that's why I have this urge to refill your drink," Karyn said.
"Yes, you have all the instincts and knowledge needed to fit the new reality but the ring keeps you anchored to your true reality. It will also protect you from any further changes to reality that Eris might make."
"So, what about Jon?"
"Well," Arthur said, "he's going to have a bit more done than you did."
Arthur turned to face Jon where he was frozen in place and raised his hand up just as he had done with Karyn. Suddenly Jon completely blurred out of existence. Where he stood was a beautiful woman in her early thirties wearing a black and white striped maxi skirt, a black sweater with diamond cut outs down each sleeve and a plunging neckline displaying ample cleavage. She wore low heeled lace up style 'gladiator' sandals, simple jewelry including a wedding band, a tennis bracelet, a necklace with a diamond heart dancing just above her breasts. Dangly sapphire earrings made her green eyes sparkle all the more. Long, wavy black hair perfectly framed her heart shaped face. Arthur reached out and touched her as well.
The woman shuddered. "Arthur, you big tease. I think you're getting fresh," she said.
"Jon?" Karyn asked.
"So, what exactly is your plan, Arthur," the woman said as if she hadn't heard Karyn.
"Jon!" Karyn yelled.
The woman looked at Karyn strangely. "No, no, sweetie. It's Joanna, don't you remember?"
