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Tell Lemon about the gem- 2
Warn Lemon- 2
Offer help- 9
I think about it for another minute or two, but in the end, I go for the least stressful option.
"So," I say casually while we're waiting for the bus, "if you're helping us out with this thing, I kinda feel like I should be willing to return the favor." She gives me a confused, wide-eyed look, so I shrug. "Just, lemme know if there's anything I can help you with, okay?"
She smiles like the stress of today was already forgotten. "'Kay!"
For the past several hours, I've kinda wondered if I should be stressing about the secret getting out as much as I have been. On the ride home, a thought gives me my answer: If anyone's ever gonna find out about my undead sisters, or anything else I'm mostly keeping to myself, I'd rather it be because I told them. Maybe someday I'll want to tell people, maybe I'll tell the Rainbooms, maybe I'll tell the world, but that's damn sure not right now. Right now, I feel like we've got a pretty good thing going, and I want it to stay under control.
Kinda feels like common sense when I think about it like that; if anyone's gonna know my secrets, I want it to be my choice. I dunno if that part's more important than anybody finding out, but it's something.
---
When we get home, I head up the stairs leading to our (my?) apartment, getting surprised by Moondancer's upper body sticking out the window of her place as she stares at the night sky. She's got this serene little smile as she star-gazes, even when you can't see all that much with the light pollution all over the place. The view would probably be a little better if she came out to the railing where I'm standing, but I guess she wants to keep the option ready to duck back into her place, shut the window, and hide under her bed.
If I were into girls, this'd probably be where I compared her to moonlight or something, especially with the way it makes her already pale skin glow a little, but maybe Adagio is thinking something like that right now.
Anyway, she turns her head and jumps with fright for a second, putting a hand close to her heart when she sees it's just me.
"Oh, h-hello. Um..."
"I'm a little surprised you hang out the window like that just to see the sky."
I get the sense that this is a topic of interest for her, because she smiles and gets just a little passionate as opposed to shaking and stuttering some more. "Oh, I have to, it's hard enough to see the stars as it is this close to the city and even one pane of glass can cause further lighting issues if a car goes by or there's an inconveniently-placed streetlight!"
Part of me wants to pat her head or ruffle her hair, but it'd probably make things weird and I'm standing too far away for that anyway. "You do this often?"
"On the clearer nights, yes." She glances toward my apartment door and how I'm nowhere near it. "Uh... What about you? Out for a walk?"
I don't think I need to lie to this girl. At least, not right now. "Visiting a friend in the city, just got back."
"Oh." There's a quiet, awkward moment before she makes a face like she just remembered something important. "By the way, you know how I shut down the blog last week?"
I get the feeling I'm not gonna like this. "Yea?"
"Well, while I thought that everybody else would see that the show was over and abandon it, there are still people talking in the comment sections. Nothing serious, I think, mostly just gossip and theories about you, your sisters- may they rest in peace, -and occasionally the Rainbooms."
I roll my eyes. "Figures."
"If it's of any comfort, I haven't seen anything malicious, mostly just stuff like 'I heard she said one of her sisters' names in class' and 'she hangs out with such and such a lot' and speculation about how exactly the other two, uh, passed on. I'd have probably locked the whole thing and disabled all comments by now, but it occurred to me that someone else might just open their own blog that I wouldn't be able to moderate at all if I wanted to."
It kinda sounds like she's actually looking out for me here.
Sweet!
But I don't let that show on my face. "I haven't exactly been checking the thing myself. Wouldja mind keeping me posted for however long it goes?"
She smiles. "Sure thing. Have a nice night, Aria."
Smiling back, I nod, then finally finish the journey home. Today felt way longer than normal!
"Wow," says Sonata when the door is shut, "I'm surprised she'd tell you about that when it's her fault people are talking behind your back like that in the first place."
"Not completely her fault," Adagio corrects, "people being people, they'd have had thoughts to whisper even without the window she provided, though admittedly there'd be less fuel on the fire if not for her. I wonder if her last message actually laid any fears to rest?"
I go through the trouble of looking for the blog just so I can see the one she shut it down with myself, but when I get there, it's basically just 'I was worried over nothing, things are quiet now, I don't need this anymore, sayonara, suckers.'
She didn't call her readers 'suckers,' but I probably would have.
Anyway, this is one of few nights Lemon doesn't call me, but that's probably because we already talked a lot today and it might actually be past the time we normally talk when I finally get to bed.
---
Monday morning, History class has me a little on edge, because Harshwhinny gives me a few funny looks until I get last week's test back.
"Eighty-three. Quite a score to be proud of, for one who didn't study."
The way she says that and the look on her face make it come across more like 'You're a criminal and I want to lock you up forever,' so I refrain from any smart remarks. Adagio, however, is free to scoff.
"Sixty-four points is the failing grade for all classes, isn't it? Your test was about halfway there."
Sonata nods. "Guess that's why she ain't a math teacher."
I really wish I could signal to my sisters to stop their banter, because laughing in class would probably get me in trouble right now.
---
Lunch. Me, Vinyl, Octavia, and Trixie.
"And that is why Trixie does not ride a unicycle!"
"Of course," Octavia replies while stirring her soup with a spoon as though she were just barely paying attention. I get the feeling she's had to hear that story before. Having her dress catch fire has more to do with it, but I probably wouldn't focus on that part either if I were Trixie.
"So," Trixie asks me cheerfully, "anything interesting happen for you over the weekend?"
Nothing I can or should tell her about.
Well, would there be any harm in saying I got a job? Trixie was the first and maybe not the only person to notice my gem, even if she doesn't know I have magic again. Would seeing me sing to people connect the dots for her, or would my cover story be enough? I don't wanna risk it, so I shrug.
"Not really."
"I did hear something happened last week," says Octavia, making me tense up a little, "Sophisticata told me that she and a few friends ran into you on Friday, and she asked me to pass on that she's sorry about, er-..." she hesitates, possibly for fear of putting her foot in her mouth again, "Well, the, things they were saying."
...Who the Hell is Sophisticata?
I'm not sure what she's talking about and it probably shows on my face, because Adagio quickly reminds me.
"Those four girls we overheard last week, talking about-"
"Oh!" I scratch my head. "She was one'a those four, huh?"
It's here that I realize that people know each other outside of the groups that I directly see them with. Come to think of it, aren't Trixie, Octavia, Rarity, and I forget who else all in the same clique? I oughta think about that later, keep in mind who knows who for general use, but right now, I address the subject at hand.
"Yea, uh... Tell her not to worry about it, I guess. As long as they're not acting like Adagio and Sonata are something they can shriek at each other over at sleepovers, I don't really care that much."
Octavia smiles a little, nodding an affirmative.
"Trixie did not hear about this," she says with a raised eyebrow, "and she knows she has not missed a meeting!"
"She confided in me in private, Trixie," Octavia answers with an amused eyeroll, "it wasn't a Drama Club issue."
Trixie crosses her arms, a petulant pout on her face. "Maybe, but I hate being kept out of the loop on things."
Vinyl's group-text notification sounds as she pats Trixie's shoulder.
No worries, nobody's loopier than you.
It's because Vinyl is almost always wearing the same little smile with those shades that I can't tell if that was a jab or an earnest attempt to make her feel better, but Trixie smiles a little anyway.
---
In contrast to my weekend, nothing interesting really happens today, so after school, I head to the mall for my new part-time job. I can tell that Dagi wants to talk strategy about Bulk, but not until we've seen him at work.
"Ooh," Sonata thinks out loud, "what if he doesn't even do anything near Aria the whole time? Like he's in another room folding towels and giving happy endings while you're out in the other spot?"
"Gyah!!"
That unwanted mental image brings with it the realization that there was a price for there being nothing my sisters could do about it if I went against their wishes; there's nothing I can do to stop them from saying stuff like that. If Sonata just started screaming her head off or floating through people like she did when she tried to possess me, or if Adagio wanted to sow doubt or whisper hateful thoughts into my ear 24-7, there'd be nothing I could do to stop either of them.
The weird thing is that I'm not actually worried about that happening, because they've both been totally supportive since the ritual and they don't even seem to mind that much when I don't go with what they think I should do, so it's just another random thought for the Nightmare Fuel pile.
I guess being 'haunted' just comes with some creepy thoughts no matter what?
Anyway, I get to work, suit up, and it's time to get on with things. By which I mean keeping an eye out for Bulk, and soon enough, I catch sight of him stepping out of the male locker room (which I guess he has all to himself?). I pretend not to notice, though, completely looking away until I hear what I can only call a confusion noise as he gets closer to the rim of my leaning-spot on the big planter thing.
"...Aria?"
I casually turn my head, and as expected, he's staring dumbfounded. "Yea?"
"What are you doing here?"
I kinda expected a stupid question, so I refrain from snarking about what my wearing the uniform to this place might indicate to someone with a working brain. "I work here."
"Oh."
And then he just kinda stares at me for a moment, and while I don't blame him, it gets kind of awkward. Not that he seems to notice, because he smiles and gives me a little wave.
"Well, have fun today!"
And then he goes off to do... whatever he does here. When Lotus walks by with an armful of immaculate towels, I ask her.
"Oh, he mostly handles massages and simple things we need done," smiling a little, she winks at me, "moving heavy things especially."
I nod and she gets back to whatever she was doing. There's nobody else out here yet, which leaves me some time to think.
I'm out here in the big, open area just past the lobby by the mud baths and big, cushy chairs that I think are used for foot-related stuff, the lying-down massage tables are in another little room that has no door nearby, and down the hall from that is the sauna. If I spent the entire time here, Bulk would hardly see me from where he's normally supposed to be, but he'd definitely hear me, nevermind random trips moving stuff around bringing him through my area.
He's eventually going to hear me singing, either through the doorway or while he's running errands for Lotus and Aloe, the question is what he'll do about it. I know I can't possibly work here doing what I'm doing without it ever getting out that I'm singing people's troubles away, what with all the customers being people that live in this town, but Bulk being close to some of the Rainbooms, he might be wary of me.
...Except, he wasn't, was he? Just a second ago, he acted like he did during the S&S game Saturday night; dopey and friendly and just barely aware of his own existence. I feel like I need to gather more info before I decide whether or not he's a threat, and what I wanna do about him.
"Hey, guys," I whisper to my sisters, "when I sing to people, does my gem glow?"
"No visible effect," answers Adagio, "same as before. I haven't even seen the shine that used to come when we finished a harvest. I'm still not sure where exactly you're getting the power if not through negative energy harvests, but theories can wait until we've dealt with Bulk."
"Speaking of which," Sonata adds while waggling her eyebrows, "what're ya gonna do to him?"
"I dunno yet, I kinda wanna see how he reacts to seeing me sing." I casually look around to reaffirm that I'm still alone here. "Dagi, if I used just a little juice like yesterday, would anyone or anything that could pick up magic be able to notice?"
"Hard to say, but if it's just the occasional pulse, I think you could play it off as it just being your own magic; the source we were able to wake up in ourselves before the snake-woman book. With ours already being tied to our singing and it not being likely that any non-aquatic Equestrian races would know much about it even if they were here, it's a lie I think you could get away with. Twilight Sparkle poses the greatest threat in this issue, but as she knows very little and her friends frown on her practices, it's possible that even if Bulk directly accuses you of enchanting people here, there'll be nothing anyone can do to prove it."
Sonata tilts her head a little, sticking the tip of her tongue out of one side of her mouth as her eyebrows scrunch up, which I take to mean she really is thinking hard about this. "I could'a sworn Sunset said she was a magical powerhouse back in Equestria, 'the princess's protege' or something like that. Shouldn't she be able to sniff us out?"
Adagio rolls her eyes. "If so, either she's gotten rusty or pony standards are much lower than those of our people, even among royalty, because when we discussed our gems and the book, it was clear that she didn't know nearly as much about magic as she thought she did. Perhaps what she meant was that she has a lot of power, but little mastery? Would certainly explain the crystal alicorn."
Glancing around again, I nod toward the massage room. "So?"
"So, worst case scenario with him; he's around often enough to notice something unusual (or at least think he has), you're reported to the Rainbooms, they come, none of them can tell the difference between the way you're using the gem and your own magic power, so long as you keep it low-energy like you've been doing, and you have a solid alibi in the form of explaining that difference and saying that the gem, if they notice it, is just the last thing you have to remember us by, effectively a family heirloom. However, sticking with the worst case, it's possible that this won't satisfy them, they'll still decide that you're doing something wrong because they associate our singing with unambiguous evil, and make life very difficult for you, if not demand that you sing without the gem on or just get together to blast you again."
I have no words for how casually she said all that, which is fine, because she goes on with a little smile.
"I doubt that'll actually happen, though, it's more likely that, if told you're bewitching people here, they'll just keep a closer eye on you, and even that assumes that they believe the accuser over you. With all the good behavior you've (publicly) been engaged with, maybe they'd even give you the benefit of the doubt?
Sonata smiles. "I totally heard Flutter-butter say something like that, back when they helped us move back here."
Whatever happens, I'm probably not in any serious danger from Bulk. That in mind, I opt to wait and see a little bit...
---
It's kinda hard to keep an eye out for Bulk (or, I guess, anyone else I recognize) while I'm doing my thing, but what Adagio and Sonata tell me he does over my three hours at work today tells me this:
-He goes about his business in single-minded fashion, either because of focus and/or dedication or because there's just nothing really going on in his head otherwise.
-The times he came through the main room, he hardly looked twice at me.
-It's possible even the little pulses I've been using in my songs have been affecting him, because he apparently got heavy eyelids a couple times, stumbled while carrying something once (nobody got hurt, but Aloe was not amused), and had nearly nodded off while standing up once.
-Not related to Bulk, but my singing might actually be a problem the way things are now, because if I'm affecting the staff, whether they realize it's magic or not, the whole spa is eventually gonna suffer for it.
Maybe they can stick me in a little room with dense walls, give me a mic, and the customers headphones? Or failing that, I could see about actually picking up the trade properly, but as I picked this job so I wouldn't really have to work, maybe it'd be easier to get a job elsewhere? One where I don't have the risk of screwing up my coworkers?
I'unno, I'll see if I can't work something out with Lotus and Aloe tomorrow, but for now; Bulk. Sitting on a little bench, I quietly talk things over with my sisters in the privacy of the locker room.
"I think I wanna rule out getting him fired. Wouldn't really do me much good unless he were the only way it might get out that I'm singing to people for a living."
"Good thing, too," remarks Sonata, "because I think some'a the girls that come here aren't just showing up for the scented candles, if ya know what I mean."
Adagio, as anticipated, takes the scheming reigns. "Operating under the assumption that the Rainbooms still wouldn't trust you, getting him to serve you might help, if only because he's already relatively close to some of them and having his voice speak in your defense should they come around may be a considerable boon in warding off suspicion. Provided those girls place more trust in their friends than fear in potential enemies, having him vouch for you may be all it takes to earn you lasting peace here. Even if they do trust you, if something happens, it may be better to have him with you than against you."
You know that thing in fiction where pets can pretty much sense evil? Where the old guy's dog growling at someone tells him it's a monster in disguise? I kinda get that vibe from Bulk, only he's the dog, and I worry that if he growls at me (not like that!!), people will get the same idea, so I kinda wanna do this even if the Rainbooms totally leave me alone about it.
"So the question is how I wanna get him on my side?"
"Essentially."
"Um, helloooo," Sonata Sonatas at me, "we're talking about a high school boy? It's a total no-brainer!"
I smirk a little. "You'd know, huh?"
"Bite me!"
Adagio raises an eyebrow. "Why are you holding an arm toward me when you say that?"
"Aria can't bite ghosts, silly!"
"Right," Adagio says while shoving her away, a hint of disgust in her eyes before she looks back at me. "I'm guessing your first choice is to sing to him, just enough to influence his thoughts should he be asked about you?"
I smile. "You know me so well."
Rolling her eyes, she smiles back in a What Am I Going To Do With You kind of way. "Well, it's not as though I have a better idea. Just coming out and asking him to back you up suggests that you think you've done something wrong and need defending, so simple diplomacy isn't exactly an option this time. I suppose you could let your actions speak for you and not say a word to him; have him share his own honest thoughts (if any) should the Rainbooms come asking, but that could go either way if he doubts you, or just doesn't notice any good behavior on your part."
Sonata actually sounds curious. "And dropping her pants where he can see?"
"Ignoring the possibility of someone walking in at the wrong time? Somehow I doubt he has the composure to deliver a convincing story when thinking about anything related to what Aria would need to do to win him over with sex appeal, to say nothing of his credibility should the Rainbooms figure out what's going on."
"But we know he can act a little from that roleplay stuff in the game, right? And trust me, you'd be surprised how far people'll go if they think they might get some action." She gives me a sly look. "Especially if they really do."
There's a short, irritating battle of wills as I glare at her, but she just giggles.
...It's not like I'm against it, exactly, just, it might make things weird.
I guess I could, though.
Or, I could just make him do what I want him to. Not full-blown obvious thrall mode, just like, color his thoughts in a way the big lummox won't even notice. Maybe I could make him a thrall and he wouldn't notice, but that's not the point. If I just get him alone for a minute, I might never need to worry about him again, get him thinking he's seen me being a hard worker and a great person and that he'll never bark at me. So to speak.
Maybe I just don't touch him, be totally honest and let come what may. I've got my own charms, and Sonata's got a point; I'm a hot girl, he's a teenage boy, he's gonna want think better of me for that alone. I'm gonna need to tweak my work situation tomorrow anyway, so maybe things'll work out then? Of course, how I work that out is gonna depend on how I-
Aww, crap!
"Wait, do I even wanna do this right now?"
The others look at me in confusion, so I share my thoughts about my singing making problems for the others working here.
"Damn," Adagio says while nervously fiddling with her hair in a way I find kind of mesmerizing, "I completely missed how the other workers were reacting, all of my focus was on Bulk! You're right; it would be better to see where things stand after working that out, and as Bulk didn't seem to suspect anything today, you should still have time."
"So," Sonata asks while scratching her head, "raincheck on this one?"
"Raincheck," I sigh, standing up, "let's head home."
While part of me is annoyed that I get home with much less free time than usual, it's not like I spent that time doing much before. It makes Lemon's phone-call seem like it comes sooner, too, which was a thing I didn't know I wanted.
---
Dread.
A soul-squeezing sense of foreboding and distant, but encroaching horror, as indomitable as it is inevitable, with nothing I can do to stave it off or even run away. That is what I feel when I hear the guys behind me at in first period today.
"I don't care, man, it's been a week! Look at her, she's totally over it!"
"I'm telling you, just don't."
"What, you want her for yourself?"
"No, but-"
"Then watch the master!"
I don't even want to see this guy's face when I hear him walking up next to me, so the second he makes a noise I suspect is going to turn into a pick-up attempt, I open fire.
"Fuck off, slimeball, I'd sooner lick greasy asphalt."
I focus on my contempt for this creep to keep from cracking a smile at the sounds of Adagio and Sonata cracking up, made easier when I hear him mutter under his breath as he turns to go back to his desk.
"Tch, stuck up bitch."
His friends offer their thoughts.
"Hate to say I told you so, but-"
"Shut up."
I probably shoulda known the last guy would find something to accuse me of for this.
"She doesn't have time for dating, man, too busy planning to suck our souls out!"
Thankfully, I don't hear any more than that before class gets started. I don't hear them talk about me for the rest of class, but when the bell rings and I'm on my way out, I do hear one last thing from the guy I shot down.
"Why couldn't it have been one of her sisters?"
---
I try to let that go, I really do, but that's easier said than done when said sisters heard it too.
"C'mon, Dagi, I know you know all that bad juju stuff! Can't we even get one little curse going?"
"I told you, scum though some of these people are, we don't have nearly enough power to have that kind of impact. If our magic is still around in any capacity, it's with Aria now." She shrugs. "That might even be why the gem turned white; maybe it's storing what's left of us in the same way my body stored you two."
"Does that mean Aria can put a hex on somebody?"
"Somehow I doubt it."
"Then she can sing him into slamming his fingers in a door, or walking off a cliff, or taking a hammer to his di-"
"Sonata!"
"What? Seriously, screw that guy!"
While I totally share that sentiment (in the non-literal sense, obviously, unless I'm using a spiked strap-on or something), I'm not super mad myself, because...
Well, I mean, I sorta thought the same thing at first. Sometimes still do. No matter what Adagio says, I was the first to screw up, and was rewarded with not getting atomized.
I know there's nothing I can do now and I'm not gonna dwell, just saying that isn't what pisses me off about his little comment. What pisses me off is that he thinks he's good enough for me. I know his type, plenty of the arguments we used to stir up had to do with unfaithful lovers and relationships that really didn't need our help falling apart, and people who talk like I've heard him talk just aren't worth the time if I want a boyfriend.
Which I do, by the way. I want a boyfriend. Kind of have for a while now, just, stuff was happening. Maybe other stuff is happening now, but I get the feeling Adagio and Sonata already know that part of the reason seeing hand-holding (which is still stupid!) ticks me off so much is because I kinda want what those people have for myself. That's why, when the last period before lunch ends, I duck into an empty classroom and pull out my phone.
I hesitate to actually say anything, so Sonata humors me by making a phone gesture with her thumb and pinky.
"Ring-ring! You've reached the Friends On The Other Side hotline, Nata and Dagi here to take your call!"
I have no idea why Adagio does it too, let alone with a straight face. "Something we can help with, Aria?"
"...I want a boyfriend."
I can already feel my face burning, so I'm equally surprised and relieved that they don't rub it in all that much.
"Heh," Sonata says with a playful smile, "'bout time."
Adagio, as usual, looks like she's scheming something. "Is this in response to that boy earlier? Because if so, I applaud your ferocity; there are few ways to cut him more deeply than to find another boy, especially so soon." She cackles. "I hope someone tells him outright; 'it's not that she's not interested, just that she's not interested in you.'"
I hadn't thought about it like that, but yea, that'd definitely be a plus.
Sonata smiles. "So who'd you have your eye on?"
I wince. "Well... Remember how I never got to know anybody here...?"
"Wow. Okay, um... Ooh, if we're going for full Spite points, how about that guy's friend? The only one that doesn't act like a complete buttface?"
"No good," Adagio says with a headshake, "he almost definitely has a girlfriend." Sonata and I stare at her in shock, so she shrugs. "You might know this if you ever turned around to look at them, Aria, but you actually saw that boy holding hands with a girl last week." In response to our blank stares, she makes a comically unamused face. "You were stuck walking behind them in the hall? We talked about it not long after?"
I vaguely remember that happening, but details on the couple are a total blur. I cough. "So, the screw-his-best-friend thing is out?"
"Most likely, unless you want to play homewrecker?"
"Hard pass."
"Good choice. Still doesn't leave you with a wealth of options, I'm afraid."
"I'm guessing you didn't talk to any guys while you were here?"
I'm surprised that she hums in thought for a moment as opposed to just saying 'no' and giving me two or three reasons why she hates, but totally isn't scared of men.
"There was one that briefly spoke to me to offer the three of us help in the course work should we need it. I politely refused, of course, but he behaved well enough, wasn't terrible-looking as far as boys go, and even seemed like the weak, easily-influenced type, so you could probably bend him to your will without much trouble." She smiles cheerfully. "If it lasts, he's bound to find a well-paying job later on and provide you with ample financial security, too!"
Thanks to her attentiveness during all those years of lessons, Adagio has a wide vocabulary, so much so that she usually has to tone it down around me, Sonata, and... like, normal people, but still? I kind of wonder if she knows the difference between 'romance' and 'dominate.'
"And, this guy's name...?"
"'Wiz'-something, though I don't know if that's just a nickname."
"He sounds like a boring dork," groans Sonata, "not Aria's type at all!"
I'm not sure how I should take that, but she keeps going.
"Why not Bulk? We'd totally kill two birds if she bagged him!"
Adagio chuckles. "I like it, but..." The smile fades as she gives me a scrutinizing stare. "How serious are you about this relationship thing?"
I shrug a little. "Kinda? Like, I'm not setting out for true love or whatever, but, flowers, dates, him walking me home? I wanna try all that stuff for real."
She nods. "In that case, seducing Bulk may create more problems than it solves. Even if he never finds out what you're really up to, he's still close to those girls, to say nothing of what dating an idiot would be like."
Sonata waggles her eyebrows. "A hunky idiot."
In what's starting to feel like a familiar gesture for her, Adagio rolls her eyes at something Sonata says, having them stop on me. "Well, I can't tell you what you'd be happy with, so who or whatever you decide on, we're here for you."
Hearing those words still sends something clamping onto my heart like a lamprey eel, but like, in a good way. I think.
Anyway, I've actually spent a little time thinking about what kind of guy I'd wanna be with if I had my pick of anyone, and believe it or not, I've got zero interest in some 'tough, badass' biker-type.
I'm all the badass I need, thank you very much!
I'm not against either of their suggestions, either, because from what I know of both, they seem like the nice, sensitive types. I've never met this 'Wiz' kid, but if Adagio Borderline Androphobia Dazzle is saying anything nice about him, he's gotta at least be okay. I'm totally down for a nice guy.
And not like the 'ooh, why don't women sleep with me when I show basic politness' or 'wah wah, all women just like jerks while ignoring real men' "nice guys," the complete fakes who always turn into cartoonishly huge jerks themselves just seconds after having sworn they'd be the nicest guys in the world if a girl would just give them a chance. Fuck those losers.
I mean, I guess if someone had, maybe they wouldn't be such whiny, two-faced dicks, but that's not anyone else's job to take care of.
Any freakin' way, I'm looking for someone that treats me like a person, maybe someone funny without being annoying, and ideally not bad-looking, either.
That's not shallow if I'm smokin' hot myself, right? I think it's fair; we figured out pretty quick that we were abnormally beautiful by human standards when we came to this world, and you don't go around looking like that and settle for Quasimodo. Esmeralda sure didn't.
It'd probably make some problems if you did; the uglier partner constantly being reminded of the difference, everyone whispering that they've gotta be rich and you've gotta be a gold-digger, and I guess there's no reason that relationship couldn't still be possible, but I'm just gonna count myself lucky there are no Quasimodo types around here.
Anyway, again, if I wanted a nice, good-looking guy, you know the first one that comes to mind?
Flash Sentry.
He goes around in that leather jacket, but anyone can tell he isn't a 'bad boy' by any stretch of the imagination, and he's just enough of a dork that it's easy to laugh around him. Probably what made him so popular, come to think of it.
Yea, there's risks, like people thinking I'm using him the same way Sunset did, but really? People can suspect me for stuff no matter who I choose, from trying to manipulate Bulk (which I kinda would be?) against the Rainbooms and/or just using him for his body, to just using 'Wiz' for free help with my homework. I bet if I hooked up with him now, almost a full week after the test and having never spoken to him beforehand, Harshwhinny would swear I must have had him help me cheat somehow.
I could totally go with Flash, though. Might not be easy, him being so popular and all, but as long as he's not gay, I know I can keep his eyes on me.
Or maybe I set my sights a little lower, socially speaking, and try my luck with 'Wiz.' He kinda sounds like a nerd, but as long as he's not the smug, know-it-all type, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Or, since I can honestly say his buff body caught my eye, maybe Bulk? I'm telling myself he can't possibly be a brawny, male version of Sonata, but I'd need to get to know him to fully shake off the horror of the idea.
I try not to stress on this one too much, it's not like I'm looking for Happily Ever After on the first try. Hell, if things don't look good, maybe I could just give one of the others or somebody totally new a shot, but for now, who should I aim for?