She picked up the artifact and put it on, erasing the soft curves of her true gender, flattening her torso into the solid, unyielding plane of a male martial artist.
Then she reached for a fresh set of inner robes.
Crisp, blinding white silk.
She pulled them on, securing the collar high and tight against her throat.
Next came the outer robes.
She didn't choose the subdued, gray apron of a simple cook today, but went to her armoire and pulled out a fresh, immaculate set of Szechuan Red robes. The fabric was glowing with aggressive, vibrant intent.
She threw the red silk over her shoulders, relishing the heavy, authoritative weight of the garment.
She picked up the newly gifted artifact, the dull, gray stone Aegis of the Sleeping Turtle, and tied it securely to her wide, red leather combat corset-belt alongside her spatial ring.
Finally, she walked over to the bedside table.
