Two days later...

Gentle reader, anything can happen when it comes to coming out to one's friends and families, especially when he/she/they have the family members and friends with conservative beliefs. It can either go downhill with the person being shunned or coerced into the party's strict beliefs or being disowned; it can go without any delays and the people will be more open-minded than one expected; or it can cause a lot of mixed emotions and awkward conversations, if not having a person stay away from the people for a while.

For Ian Levine and Patrick Andrews (formerly known as Ivy and Pilar respectively), the coming-out party that Antoine and Asha had arranged on their behalf was part of a test to prove the boys' mettle in how they would present themselves to their circle of friends and family (especially when the boys were on thin ice with their friends and family after all the grief they caused when they were homophobic Karens). And as much as both boys had their apprehensions about this, both Patrick and Ian knew that they were not to refuse the invite made by Asha and Antoine. Even more so, given that they were still magically bound by Antoine Deveraux's laws as well as those from his clan with Tremaine giving his cousins his blessing to throw the party.

And now, Ian was in his bedroom pacing around and calming his racing heart as everyone downstairs (his dads, mother, sisters, and the entire circle of friends as well as the Deveraux-Montrose-Fabatier-McLaren) clan were helping out with arranging the final touches for the cocktail-themed party. "Boy, oh boy," Ian muttered to himself, stopping in front of the mirror that hung on his bedroom door and frowning at the Pride-inspired outfit that Tremaine sent over (a baby-pink tank-top that had a rainbow emblazoned on the front, too-tight skinny jeans that accentuated the young man's lower body, and Converse sneakers). "This never fails to amaze me. If not for this magic that binds me to follow these laws, I'd be screaming bloody murder right now. Antoine really can pull out the stops in all of this."

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Ian hollered, coughing slightly.

In stepped an exasperated Patrick who was wearing a rainbow-colored Polo shirt and the same skinny jeans. "I feel ridiculous," he whined. "And I can't believe that Andelle talked me into giving me this haircut."

Ian nodded, unable to process how Patrick's hair was now cut and styled in a boy-band member's look as if Andelle doused her brother's hair in copious amounts of styling gel. "Well, I kind of knew that our sisters would make sure that we would be party-ready for tonight," he replied, motioning for his best friend to join him on the bed. "But you know that we can't bow out, not if we want this curse to be multiplied."

"Of course I know that. I'm just saying that this is a bit much."

"Well, we did went overboard with our tirades in the past when we were homophobic divas in every sense of the word," Ian breathed.

"Point made," Patrick conceded. "Still, don't you think that we have some sort of right to ask for some leniency?"

Ian shook his head. "Bro, you do realize that we ended up pissing off the wrong person when it came down to Antoine Deveraux, right? Like everyone keeps reminding us, it could've been worse."

Patrick grunted. "I bet," he remarked. "Who'd think to end up crossing paths with someone who can practice magic that was thought to be some silly superstition? Oh, yeah. Us."

"Now that is a fact if I ever heard one," Ian said just as there was the start of some music from downstairs. He stood to his feet. "We better get down there and greet the guests. And from now on, we make this pact: we get through this together and hold each other accountable. Since we're now gay guys, we start living like we are now. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Patrick agreed. "Let's go."

With that, both boys headed down the stairs and left the room, ready for a good time.

***************

"Cor blimey," Candide breathed, taking in the sight of the two young men formerly known as Ivy Levine and Pilar Andrews in front of her as she saw them come down the stairs. "I knew that Deveraux was bad as his word, but nothing like this! And they're now sex symbols!"

"Scheisse," Mariah gasped, crossing herself briefly. "My ovaries are on overdrive!"

"I'll say," Ebony commented before turning to a grinning Antoine and his family with Tremaine looking astonished. "Boy, Antoine, you really know how to cast such a spell. How the hell do you do it?"

Said coffee barista (dressed in a simple all-black semi-formal outfit) chuckled with glee. "If I told you that, Velaquez, I'd have to hex you myself," he remarked. To Ian and Patrick, "You boys look extra nice. How do you guys feel?"

Ian huffed a deep breath, taking in the bemused faces of Victor, Joseph, Olivia, Lorelei, and Ciara. "I feel...well, more like I'm heading to a nightclub in West Hollywood," he replied.

"There's an idea," Victor boomed, his husband snickering while Ciara and Lorelei were taking pictures.

"Oh, shush," Olivia scolded. To her son, "You and Patrick look very handsome, in your own way."

Patrick soon faced his parents and Adelle, their reactions priceless as they took in their transformed son. "Dad, Mom?"

Mrs. Andrews inhaled sharply. "This is going to be a lot to get used to," she admitted, "but I will say that I have a handsome gay son in the family. Now I can have someone to help me with my wardrobe since Andelle is clueless with fashion."

"Hey, I resent that," Andelle said, giving her mother a pointed stare. "I have tastes, you know."

"Tonight is all about our son, ladies," Mr. Andrews said. To his son, "Patrick, you remind me so much of your uncle Richie. And I think that you need to know that he was a gay man himself back in the day. I'll tell you about it later."

Patrick nodded. "Looking forward to it."

"Excellent," Asha proclaimed, clapping her hands twice. "Anyway, boys, tonight is when we celebrate you as we take in your new identities. So, let's get the full-on introduction about you two."

Ian and Patrick looked at each other briefly and nodded once before the former stepped forward. "My name is Ian Vincent Levine," he began, "and...well, I am a gay man."

"Hey, Ian," everyone chorused.

It was Patrick's turn to step forward. Taking a deep breath, he dove right in. "My name is Patrick Roger Andrews, and I am a gay man," he said. "And while I'm not sure what the future brings, all I can do is trust in my allies and families."

"Same for me, but I'm hoping to find some solace and penance after what we did," Ian agreed.

"You will have what you say, boys," Mama Kaneva remarked as her eyes glowed with power. "And now that you've officially introduced yourselves as gay men, the journey to embracing your new selves will officially begin. We, your families, my families, your friends and their families, and myself will make sure that you are held accountable for what you'll say, think, and act around the general public. Be warned that not everyone will be welcoming or receptive to your life stories. Nor will they understand what had transpired before today. You will face challenges within the haters of today as well as within yourselves. And remember of the rules that Tremaine has given to you and how you are magically bound to them. Dare to break them or question the powers, you will have the permanent curse be multiplied on you times a hundred by the powers that be."

Both boys gulped, knowing that the woman's words still rung true and being reminded of the magic that they were now feeling.

"As long as you are transparent and authentic with your new lives and how you want to move forward into the future, you will never go wrong," Tremaine assured the gentlemen. "And who knows? Maybe this new life will give you both the incentive to live in a way that can benefit everyone all around and even yourselves. Just stay true to everyone and yourselves, and you might be surprised how you can grow."

"It's all about the realness," Asha remarked. "Real is what you feel, what you perceive yourselves to be, how you act, what you say, and what's on your mind. But most of all, real is all about how you present yourselves to the world."

"It's not going to be easy, but nothing really is," Antoine added, crossing his arms. "But unless you learn to love yourselves, how can you expect to find the love within others?"

Ian nodded. "Just make sure that we don't end up falling on our faces," he intoned. "Patrick and I don't deserve this second chance, but we don't want to be reckless with this new life either."

"But of course," Victor commented, his husband nodding in assent. "Now, boys, I do believe that tonight calls for a party. Tomorrow, though, the REAL work begins."

The music kicked into "The Realness" by RuPaul, the speeches made by the Deveraux clan being the similar testament for the song's lyrics. And as both Ian and Patrick soon enjoyed themselves for the two-hour party, they knew that they would have to truly prove themselves if they wanted the journey to be easy on them. And gentle reader, they would be in for a journey full of tears, confessions, surprises, and laughter- as well as a bit of passion- that would be memorable for a very long time.

And that's a fact, gentle reader! Anyway, it's time for school for our friends as Ian and Patrick learn what it means to start from the bottom. It's coming up next, so don't go anywhere!

Media: "The Realness" by RuPaul. Dedicating this out to autheras.

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