//------------------------------// // Frustration // Story: One Big Awkward Family // by PropMaster //------------------------------// Fluttershy slowly exhaled, her heart beating rapidly in her breast as she tried to calm down. Confronting Discord had been hard... harder than she'd like. But that was always how she was. Conflict was against her nature. She shook her head, her bangs hanging down to cover one eye. It wasn't like Discord to simply... do what she'd asked. But he seemed to understand that it was very, very important to her, and that was far more than she'd ever expected. A part of her was very flattered that Discord had collected those magazines, but she just... She groaned in frustration, slumping onto her side on the couch and rolling onto her back, wings splaying out. She wanted him to see her as she was. She was almost always messy from work, covered in dust and sweat from the day of tending to animals. She wasn't... whatever he saw in those pictures. She bit her lip, considering the empty end table. Had she been right, asking him to get rid of those? Maybe it had overstepped her bounds. It wasn't like... well. She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in a couch cushion, closing her eyes as her muzzle pressed into the textured fabric. She felt like screaming. Her whole life was uncertainty and chaos, and Discord just added another layer. A fun, welcome layer sometimes, but other times he made her feel this... conflict. What was he to her? Her kindness and willingness to give him another chance had saved him. Was he another animal that needed taking care of? She frowned, pushing away from the couch and sitting up, opening her eyes. Discord sat in a chair across from her, sipping some tea, a wicked gleam in his eyes. Fluttershy's heart rate shot up and she startled, gasping slightly, before calming down. "Discord! How long have you been there?" "Oh, not long. Just wondering what you're thinking about." His teasing smile made her feel nervous, but she knew he was just being himself. Every day with him was a test of her patience, but in a lot of ways he helped her... she had to set boundaries and limits with him around, and she'd gotten better at that. "N-nothing. About your magazine collection—" she began, but discord held up a taloned hand, stopping her. "No. We've got things to do. I'm glad you told me that you didn't like those magazines, and that's the end of it. So, I've got a place picked out, and something for you to wear, too." He seemed firm in his decision. She couldn't really read his emotions, though. Not like she could her animals. He was always difficult to read, which was both frustrating and... exciting. Fluttershy blinked, realizing Discord was waiting for her to say something. "Um...I'm wearing something for this outing?" "Yes. We're going somewhere cold, so I grabbed a few things for you." He snapped his fingers, and a pile of winter coats, hats, and scarves appeared in a pile on the coffee table in front of her. The coffee table reared up like a frightened animal, but Discord gave it a swift kick and it settled back into place. Fluttershy eyed the table uneasily for a few moments, before reaching out to sort through the clothes. She picked a powder blue, puffy jacket and a pink scarf that wrapped three times around her neck, snug and warm. "Ready?" Discord asked. "Yes, but what about you?" Fluttershy asked, adjusting the jacket and getting more comfortable in the clothes. Discord smiled and snapped his fingers. A furry ushanka and a grey, long grey overcoat appeared on him. He flicked the ears up on the ushanka and smiled at Fluttershy. "Good to go!" With a snap of his fingers, they disappeared.