//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Five years later // Story: Creeping Normality // by Eyeswirl the Weirded //------------------------------// "And we're back!" Fanfare accompanied the cameras returning to Prince Blueblood, who greeted them with a bright, earnest smile. He had really settled into this job in the past few years, and it showed in every broadcast, from his cheerful news commentary, to oddball events he'd never have been able to do when he took himself so seriously, to welcoming old friends back to the show. "Joining us tonight is a face you may recognize if you ever binged on nachos at three in the morning; Adagio Dazzle!" Sitting across from him, Adagio smiled and waved at the audience. She wore a simple, blue dress that hugged the ample curves of her adult body, her hair now hanging loose without ribbons or spiked headbands, cut such that while it still hung to her waist, the bulk was no wider than her shoulders, one side of her face mostly obscured by curls that hung down in typical 'femme fatale' fashion. Which was weird, because she hadn't even played any 'bad girl' roles yet! "Thank you, Blueblood." "My pleasure. How have you been since the last time we saw you?" "No changes in the last hour or so." "Right," Blueblood replied over a quiet ripple of laughter from the audience, "and since the last time we saw you here?" "Oh, yes! I'm due for a part in some kind of pirate adventure as a sea-witch," she happily clasped her hands together, "and I've been aching to play some kind of villain!" "Chrysalis really has rubbed off on you." "She's been a good friend, even since before I got here." "When you started in commercials, you mean?" "Mmhm." Shrugging, her smile faded. "They don't really let me play Poofy anymore since, well, you know." "I seem to recall a certain salsa ad getting a little spicier than the product it was advertising." "That might have been the start of it. With the superbowl coming up and limited air-time, it was our first time working with that company to advertise both our brands at once and their director took things in a... slightly different direction than what Poofy normally did." "I remember that one, it was a little risque for selling shredded cheese." Adagio winced. "We got some complaints." She smiled sheepishly as the audience giggled. "I had already been hearing whispers that I wasn't 'cute' anymore, but that thing in France was how we figured out that my days playing Poofy were done." "You know that in some places, fondue was marketed as an aphrodisiac in the following weeks?" A faint blush on her cheeks, Adagio facepalmed. "Don't, remind me." The audience giggled, but they really had been pushing their luck with those commercials back then, and the spikes in revenue showed that the gambles paid off every time. It was just as well that Gouda agreed to finally let her go, because while nothing damaging ever came of it, the rumbles associating the Eezy-Cheezy name with something sleazy ("Sleazy-Cheezy!") had been getting louder until the borderline sexualized commercials ceased. They got a girl in a heavy wig to replace her, as expected, but to her secret pride, the popularity of the brand was never quite what it used to be after that. And that was when Chrysalis's people swooped in. "Still, it was once all that had passed that your acting career picked up, wasn't it?" "No starring roles yet, but yes." "I don't know about that, your part as the innocent sacrifice at the climax of Missing In The Swamp last year was certainly... memorable." Frowning a little, he raised an eyebrow. "And worryingly convincing." "It was a horror movie, and I don't like being tied up, so..." She sighed. "I can't say I had a good time of that scene, but from what they told me afterward, the guys playing the cultists didn't enjoy themselves either. The part where my character kicks one of them square in the solar plexus during her panicked flailing? Not in the script. He was a stuntman and shook it off in seconds, but still." "Was that the worst of the injuries on-set?" "The worst I caused, at least physically. The one who held my wrists as the protagonist showed up called me to let me know that my screaming finally stopped echoing in his dreams a few months after." Those who played cult members had all assured her that things were fine between her and them, but the 'I'm sorry and thank you for putting up with me' gift-baskets did not feel like enough. Admittedly, once the movie came out, her abundant compensation came in, and there was time for the general public to absorb the material, the many jokes she saw on the internet about 'Protecting The Poof' and 'How Not To Grill Cheese' made her feel better about that scene. That memory helped her to grin. "Other than that, the rest of my roles have been a lot of fun so far!" Blueblood smiled in kind. "On that note, your new style has been getting some media attention." Smiling, Adagio rolled her eyes. Not that the audience could tell she was rolling both. "Yes, based on a recurring suggestion, I finally caved, tried this look out, and..." Blushing a little, she shrugged. "I kind of like it so far. I don't know what'll happen the first time I go swimming, but it can't be any worse than what came before." Quiet laughter rippled through the audience, Blueblood briefly advertised the upcoming pirate movie she was involved with, and they went to commercial, Adagio's part in the show finished. At least until the next time she was invited along! --- While she easily could afford to take a limo everywhere, she felt it lost some meaning when she was only out on business, so she didn't even own one of those vehicles for personal use. Being driven around as opposed to driving herself, however, was a luxury she was happy to indulge, and her driver never complained about her choice of a sleek, black, thin car of which she never learned the model name. Possibly because the thing was easier to drive than a limo. She might never know for sure. Regardless, that was the car to bring her home today, giving her plenty of time to text Felt Feather that she would be there soon. When she reached the front door, Felt, as had become curiously common for her on days that she didn't join Adagio at work, opened it seconds before Adagio could grip the handle. "Welcome home, Madam." She smiled, quietly relishing the feeling of going through a door without needing to physically touch it. "Thank you. Anything exciting happen today?" Closing the door, Felt followed along after her. "Nothing thus far." Adagio chuckled. "Does that mean you are expecting someth-" As the two stepped out of the foyer and into the main hall, the lady of the house was startled by many simultaneous shouts. "SURPRIIIISE!!" Blinking twice, she looked away from Felt to see many familiar faces gathered around a huge cake positioned under a big, colorful banner that immediately told her who was responsible. "Hey, Dagi-O! Happy 23rd I-Would-Have-Done-This-Sooner-But-It-Takes-A-While-To-Get-Around-The-Planet-In-A-Bus-Without-Rockets-But-Now-That-I'm-In-Town-I-Guess-We-Might-As-Well-Because-Better-Late-Than-Never Party!" Grinning with amusement, she cocked her head at Felt. "Wanted to stay home to clean the pool, did you?" While the faint movement of her lips may not have signified much to most people, Adagio knew her well enough to recognize it as a genuine smile. "In my defense, I did clean the pool today." %%% The party hadn't been going long when Adagio jumped with a start at the familiar feeling of a hand snapping against her behind, whirling around to see Chrysalis's smiling face. "Back from the Bahamas," she nearly cheered, garbed in sunglasses, a Hawaiian shirt, long, grass skirt, and probably nothing else, "and actually on-time for once!" A soft smile on her face, Adagio chuckled. "Good to see you too, Chrysalis. Any new scandals to share?" "Yes," she answered with an impish grin, "but they're not about me this time. Meet me in the Jacuzzi later?" Grinning wryly, Adagio crossed her arms. "Only if you promise to wear something this time." Chrysalis winked playfully. "Spoilsport." The two giggled, but Chrysalis really had gotten pretty casual in her sexual harassment since they met. Adagio had come to accept it partly because she'd gathered that despite her cheerful demeanor, Chrysalis had trouble expressing her feelings and playful touching was her favorite way to show affection, and partly because, on balance, she suspected that Chrysalis had actually been doing her a favor all these years. Ever since her debut in show business, she'd gotten plenty of lingering stares, but very little unwanted contact, and, to her own surprise, not one illicit offer from anyone with which she was professionally involved, not even when she started formally acting. No one had suggested that she sleep with them in exchange for career advancement of any kind, and she had seen more than enough hungry pairs of eyes to know it had crossed some minds, but none dared act on the impulse, and she was almost certain that, if such arrangements were common here, Chrysalis was shielding her from them. If her hunch was right and it really was a regular thing in the rest of Hollywood, Adagio didn't really know how to thank her for that, or even broach the subject, but she figured that putting up with the occasional slap or fondle was a start. I tried to get her to see a psychiatrist, but that just ended up going the usual route with her. At least she had a good time. Adagio had just opened her mouth to ask if the scandal Chrysalis witnessed involved anyone she knew when she was scooped up in a pair of muscular arms, though they and the attached, hairy chest were concealed under a shirt and heavy jacket this time. "Happy Birthday!!" "First," Adagio replied with a wry grin and crossed arms, looking up at Iron Will as he held her in the traditional princess-carrying fashion, "it's not my birthday, and second, must you pick me up every time we meet?" Raising an eyebrow, he didn't answer the second part. "It's not?" Then his eyes narrowed, briefly scanning the rest of the party before locking onto Cheese Sandwich, who was in the middle of juggling bowling pins for the amusement of Gouda Will, who came dressed in an absurd, yellow, cheese-themed pirate outfit complete with a huge, tri-corner, swiss-cheese hat. Iron Will gently set Adagio down, muttered "'Scuze me, Miss," and marched toward Cheese. "Chicken Boy! I gotta talk to you!" Stopping where he was (the pins, eerily enough, briefly pausing in mid-air), Cheese quickly looked at Iron Will with pupils the size of pin-pricks, smiled sheepishy, and ran off, the pins landing in a perfect triangle by the time the smoke cleared. They were immediately cleared in a strike as Iron Will marched through in his pursuit. Adagio gave Chrysalis a curious look, but only got a shrug back. "Mr. Will was lured here by the assurance that your birthday had come," Felt explained from Adagio's side, "evidently due to scheduling difficulties that would have made his presence here unlikely otherwise. I am sure Mr. Sandwich will be forgiven when that is explained." "Ah. Well, it was nice of him to make the time." "Speaking of which, would you mind terribly accompanying me to the door? There are more guests here to join the festivities." Glancing over the party, Adagio guessed that Cheese himself wouldn't be able to do that for a while. Besides, she was technically the host here, so maybe it was her job anyway. Accompanying Felt to the door, she let her maid open it, then smiled. "You're late." Shoulders sagging, Aria let out a beleaguered sigh. "Seriously? We come all this way and that's the first thing you say to us?" Sonata pouted. "Harsh, Dagi." Aria looked much the same as she had the last time Adagio saw her; two long pigtails, a sleeveless shirt, and tight pants, but somewhere along the line, she had traded her heels for black, shiny boots. Sonata, however, wore an almost entirely different look, her hair tied into two braids that stopped halfway down her back, wearing a simple, white shirt, dark, knee-length skirt, and simple sandals. "Had you arrived on time," she quipped with a familiar smirk, "I might have said something else. Now come on," she said while turning back toward the main hall, "you might have already missed the giant dessert item." "W-what," Aria sputtered in disbelief, "you're not even gonna-" "Felt, lock the door." "Yes, Madam." "Hey!!" Aria jumped to brace the door the second it started to close. "Okay, okay, we're coming!" Adagio giggled airily as Felt let them in, even doing a little twirl on her way back to the main room. She'd half-expected Cheese to have everyone rounded up again and another banner ready to welcome Aria and Sonata, but instead she saw him in the middle of some kind of break-dancing competition with Iron Will, a shirtless Chrysalis (she was, it turned out, wearing a coconut bra under the Hawaiian shirt) jumping up and down in rhythm with the beat. The sound of Aria clearing her throat drew her attention. "So, hey," she said in surprisingly timid fashion, "you're not like, still mad at us for last time... right?" Complicated feelings stirred as Adagio took in Aria's genuinely contritious expression (which happened to take the form of a very nervous frown and puppy eyes!), but she firmly settled on the plain truth. "After last time, I wouldn't let either of you near the property if I were still angry." "We're sorry," said a similarly regretful Sonata, "but that was right around the time the Rainbooms were super famous, and it really sucked seeing them get everything when we were stuck at a fish company. I know that doesn't make trying to trick you okay, but like-" "It was hard seeing them get everything you two wanted," Adagio continued for her, "becoming pop stars through the attention they gained doing their Magical Girl routine on social media while you were working for a living. I can understand the feeling, but-" "But we still shouldn't have tried to trick you," Aria finished, "and sending fake reports and fudged numbers just to get to join you sooner was low." A faint smile on her lips, Adagio let out a quiet sigh. "I'll admit, I wasn't sure back then that I'd ever speak to you again, but once you'd gone back to Canterlot and I'd cooled off, I had some time to think about it." She winked at Aria. "Telling me yourself as opposed to waiting until I gave in to doubt and investigated for myself was a plus." Not helping at all was that she'd believed part of the lie was her own fault. She'd wanted them to come back to her too, after all, hence not even asking Felt to confirm their story before inviting them. That was around two years ago, and now... "I totally thought we were screwed when the fish company wouldn't let us have our old jobs back," giggled Sonata, "what with walkin' out on 'em and everything, but we really struck gold at the stri-ow!" An elbow from a blushing Aria made her remember the 'polite company' word for it. "Uhh, gentleman's club in the nicer part of town." It had blown Sonata's mind back then that not all strip joints were just dim, smokey rooms full of drunken fat dudes groping at crack whores and skinny girls with student debt to pay off, so it was cool finding a place with security and OSHA compliance. Still not their first choice, but with their options thin, it worked in a pinch. And then they made it work! "Two years of working there," groaned an embarrassed Aria, "and I still can't believe we got Canterlot famous for having one of the nicest... those places... in the country." Adagio smiled gently. "I did tell you that we were extremely attractive in this world, after we'd settled in. I'm surprised the manager let the two of you go." Sonata beamed with pride. "We might've been the two hottest asses in the place, but with how much money we'd already made him, he couldn't say no!" "Helped that we already had replacements lined up," shrugged Aria, "but yea, mission accomplished." Folding her arms, she snickered. "Hope the Rainbooms enjoy their home-town having that reputation, now that their fifteen minutes are up." Felt had kept Adagio well-informed about her old enemies. Apparently, once their popularity took off, they were pounced on by the cruel and exploitative music industry, many aspects of which put a strain on their all-important Friendship™ and shortened their musical careers considerably. Felt couldn't bring her every detail, but rumor was that while a few of them could handle the high demands of stardom, the rest struggled greatly under the pressure, and being pushed and pulled this way and that by their corporate handlers, egos colliding as some members of the band proved more popular than others, and merchandise deals conflicting with their principles drove the Rainbooms to take a stand against it all. And then they got the boot. Chewed up and spat out by their record label, the seven of them went back to the Magical Hero lifestyle in Canterlot. Feeling a little bad for the girls who generally got whatever they wanted at the end of the day, Adagio sent them gift-cards. 25% off an Eezy-Cheezy double cheeseburger each! I had been sure they would buy a lavish house or three around here, actually, but from what Felt gathered for me, it looked like they owed considerable debts to various people for outstanding damages, their high school principal in particular. Well, she thought with a faint smile, here's hoping they enjoy the relative peace of their 'normal' lives. I'm sure that if I'm ever going to be able to live my own life in leisure, I'll need to cycle out too at some point. She was, for the first time in quite some time, startled awake by Cheese grabbing her hand, immediately whisking her away. "C'mon, 'Dagi-O, the birthday may not be real, but the not-birthday girl still has to cut the not-birthday cake!" Though not resisting as they went, Adagio wore a wry grin. "By that logic, couldn't anyone here cut the cake?" "Of course not, silly, they're all not the birthday girl, not the not-birthday girl!" "Of course." Felt turned to look at Aria and Sonata, who stood perplexed and perhaps afraid as they watched Adagio accept a massive butcher knife from Gouda Will. "Hello again." Looking back at her, Aria blinked once. "Uh... Yea. Hi. Still wearin' that thing, huh?" "It is my chosen uniform." She leaned in closer, having to bend down a little to be at eye-level. "I will cut to the chase: Your apologies were sincere?" She got two slightly fearful nods. "Reparations have been made to Madam Dazzle's fullest satisfaction?" The two looked at each other uncertainly, then back at her. Standing straight again, she smiled. "Correct; you are not truly in a position to judge that. As such, while no one will force you to work yourselves to the bone, I dearly hope that you will strive to be better than you were previously. There will not be another chance." "Heh," replied Aria with a self-effacing smile, "I'd say 'don't worry about it,' but I get why you would anyway by now. That's why we're just gonna have to show you that we're not just gonna hang on anybody's coattails anymore. We learned our lesson, we'll pull our own weight, and we're not gonna hurt her again." "Yea," cheered Sonata with a fist in the air before reaching back to grab and present her twin braids, "I even started doing this stuff to remind myself to be all diligent and junk!" And because it helped her pull off the schoolgirl look on the job, but that wasn't important. "We're totally in this for realzies now!" Smiling softly, Felt leaned in again to hug them both. "That is what I hoped to hear." Neither really knew how to respond to that, but a voice drew their attention before it got awkward. "Heeey, you never hugged me like that!" Breaking the hug, the trio turned to see Chrysalis, dressed in a bathrobe now as she leaned against a wall with crossed arms and a petulant expression. "And I've been working on my own since before she even got famous!" "You did not undergo considerable development as a person," Felt replied coldly. "In fact, I would say that you have not developed in any way since the day you hired me." Sniffling, Chrysalis buried her face in her hands. "You're, s-so cruel sometimes!" Over the sounds of her undignified sobbing, Felt calmly turned to Aria and Sonata again. "I would suggest a tour after the party, but the building has not changed since last you were here. Please enjoy the festivities, and I am sure Madam Dazzle will be with you again shortly." With a curtsy, she left to aid her master in her not-birthday girl cake-cutting/serving duties, leaving the two with the older, crying woman. At least until said actress peeked through her fingers, the sounds of her grief stopping in an instant as she huffed. "If Adagio ever has kids, I hope she hires someone else as the nanny." And not just because Chrysalis would never get a chance to teach them anything fun otherwise! "Anyway," she said while sauntering over to Adagio's oldest friends, extending her arms outward and smiling brightly, "welcome! I've heard so much about you two!" She glanced over the purple one, whom she was gratified to note was doing some glancing over of her own. "Aria, right?" Snapping her eyes upward, Aria couldn't help a blush as she spat out a reply. "Y-yes ma'am!" Chrysalis smiled, and not just because Felt had already played Bad Cop by delivering the you-will-pay-dearly-if-you-hurt-her-again bit for her. After hearing what happened during their last visit, while Chrysalis was out of town, she knew that she wouldn't have had it in her to forgive something like that were she in Adagio's shoes, but with the personal drama sorted out, it was off to the races! "And, Sonata?" This one didn't even pretend to look away from her chest. "Yup?" She chuckled darkly. "I've been dying to talk to you two..." %%% A few hours later, watching as Felt happily swept up the aftermath of the party, Adagio was approached by Cheese one more time. "Hey, 'Dagi-O! Enjoy the party?" She smiled. "As always, Cheese, thank you." He giggled. "Great! Been a while since the last one, how's life been treating you?" "Quite well! Acting work is more fun than I thought it'd be and I can't remember the last time I so much as broke a nail!" "No crying in the back room?" "Eguh-!" Making a sour face, she folded her arms, glancing around as though afraid someone were listening in. "...No, no crying in the back room." Scratching the back of his head, he chuckled, a hint of regret in his smile. "Back then, I never knew if you were just working too much, or something was wrong at home, or what." She shrugged. "I used one to escape the other, essentially, but I grew to prefer the workload." "I don't think that's a good thing, Adagio," he said with a frown, "and I don't mean to tell you what you can and can't handle, but-" "While workaholism sounds like a great ideal on paper, it usually does more harm than good to everyone but those making a profit at the top?" "Well, that, and it's kind of messed up that anyone would feel like they have to actively run from their own personal lives, especially doing it like that. It's like, pain all the time might make you numb to it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt, and even the toughest, saltiest sea-dog just sinks eventually!" "I told you," Adagio growled with an angry pout, "I'm a sea-horse!" "I was thinking about pirates that time." "Oh." A long pause followed. Cheese coughed. "But, seriously-" "No, yea, I got it." "Oh, good." Another quiet moment. Both idly looked around the main hall. Turning his body, but not his head, toward the door, he beamed. "Welp, seeya the next time I'm in town, 'Dagi-O!" She smiled. "Try to stay out of trouble, I'm pretty sure you're still wanted in Peru." Mirth turned to confusion. "How did you know about that?" Brushing another mound of confetti into a dustpan, Felt almost started to smile. Adagio giggled. "Take care, Cheese." When he was gone, she took another look around the mostly empty main hall, guessing that Aria and Sonata were still in the pool with Chrysalis and that mariachi band. Now, she thought to herself, let's see what kind of work we can find for them... %%% One week later... %%% "Phew!" Aria flopped down onto her bed like a sack of sweaty potatoes. She was glad when the moving truck finally got here, but unpacking had taken all day! Even with the moving guys to bring everything into Adagio's (our?) mansion, she and Sonata still had to move everything around the place themselves, and re-installing the practice poles was even more of a hassle than the first time when they still had the manual. It was nice of Adagio to give us a room for that, but did she have to label it? Or, label all the rest of the rooms in the house? At first, she'd assumed the 'Empty Room' was just a room with nothing in it at the time, which wouldn't really call for a designation. What she hadn't considered was that Adagio would seriously set aside a room with nothing in it just to convey the feeling of emptiness. If it meant getting rid of that, Aria could live with the place she and Sonata would keep their skills sharp being openly labeled as the Poledancing Room. Maybe we won't be shaking our asses for a living anymore, but it's still good exercise, dammit. Kinda fun, too. I wonder if Adagio would join us for- She was startled by the sight of a tall, black creature with piercing, green eyes looming over her, a monstrous smirk on its- Oh, wait. She sat up. "Hey. What're you doing here?" Chrysalis chuckled. "Just dropped by to say hello, catch up a lit-" "Adagio and Felt aren't home." And Chrysalis pounced. %%% An hour later, Aria was soaked in sweat while lying on her bed for completely different reasons. "So," mused Chrysalis, who lay next to her in nothing but the bedsheet, "about what we discussed last time." "She's not gonna go for it, straight as a rail, remember?" Aria hadn't had a lot of interest in this idea before, but that was before Adagio's boobs got bigger. And her butt got bouncier. And her legs got longer. And curvier. The hair-covering-an-eye part did weird things for her too. "There's a sort of loophole we can play with, and for once I don't mean the kind with actual ropes." She giggled as Aria turned red again. "Here's the plan: We wait until she's cozy enough with a man to experiment a little, get a spicy ménage à trois going, and once she's comfortable with having another woman in her bed...?" Aria's eyes widened. "You're a genius." "Yes, and that's why I'll be getting first dibs on that fateful night." An amused smile on her lips, Aria lightly punched her arm. "You suck." "I didn't hear you complaining about that before." She cackled as Aria's jaw dropped. "Ohh, you girls are so cute. I'll need you and Sonata not to imply or suggest anything in the meantime, by the way." Aria glanced around. "Where is Sonata, anyway?" "She was asleep when I checked her room." "Oh." Realization. Aria scowled. "Wait, you went to her first?!" "So sorry," she purred with puppy-dog eyes and an exaggerated pout, laying her head on Aria's shoulder, "am I in trouble?" "Eh, uh, n-no," stuttered an increasingly red Aria, "it's cool." Chrysalis fixed her with a deadpan stare. "...Oh! Um, can I like, grab a drink first? I'm pretty sure I'm on the verge of dehydrating here." "Great idea! Where's the key to the wine cellar?" "Water! I mean water!" "Oh, fine." %%% A few weeks later... %%% "Take four, action!" A cannon fired, its human projectile, garbed in a tight, leather bodysuit and her head wrapped in a black cloth, smashing into a cardboard representation of a castle wall, which still hurt a bit at eighty miles an hour. Then she slid down, landing on a conveniently-placed hay bale. "Cut!" Getting up with a quiet groan, Aria took off the head-wrap and called out to the director. "Was that better?" "Perfect! We can do the CG magic later, but I'll have my people call ya if we decide on that human fireball cut, okay?" "Haha, o-okay." Rolling off the hay bale, Aria stood up straight, wincing at every little crackling sound her bones made. Being a stuntwoman wasn't easy, but the pay was better than she thought it'd be and... well, apparently her 'acting skills' weren't up to snuff. Chrysalis was happy to offer tips and maybe someone to go to for lessons, but part of that included dressing up to look like what a certain part required, one thing led to another, and now Aria got to do sweet action sequences in place of wimpier actresses without all that pesky line-remembering, pose-and-face emoting junk. Pretty good deal if you ask me. "Okay," called the director, "up next; the scene where the heroine falls in the moat full of giant lobsters!" Aria gulped. Most of the time... %%% A few more weeks later... %%% A tiny part of Adagio worried that, with how often she'd let Felt open and close doors for her these days, there'd come a time when Felt wasn't with her, she'd come to a door, and then stand there like a dolt as she tried to remember how to operate its mechanisms herself. Even so, she silently nodded her appreciation as they entered her lovely abode. They hadn't even gotten to the main hall when they heard Aria's uproarious laughter from the living room. "What do you think," she asked Felt with a sigh and an amused smile, "something good or something bad?" "Knowing the two of them, I'm afraid I cannot guess." "Too true. Shall we?" "After you, Madam." They headed to the living room to find an angry, red-faced Sonata standing over Aria as she rolled on the floor, clutching her sides and giggling like a loon. Sonata stamped a foot. "It's not funny!" "Dagi," wheezed Aria, reaching out toward her as though asking for help, "Dagee-hee-hee-heeee!" Relieved that no one was apparently hurt this time, Adagio smiled, tilting her head a little. "Yes?" Stopping for a long, gasping breath, Aria managed to get to her feet. "Sonata finally got a call." Adagio's expression brightened further. "And?" "They want her for a commercial for chafing lotion!!" Aria again laughed so hard that she hardly felt Sonata kick her in the shin, the latter surprised to see Adagio just standing there with the same calm smile the whole time. "Sorry," she said with a shrug, "I don't see the joke." "Nor I," added Felt, raising one hand. Pulling herself together, Aria drew her phone from a pocket. "Let me pull up the video." "HEY," cried Sonata, aghast as she reached for the phone herself, "you said you took that down!!" "I told you I set it to private, big difference." "EAT A DICK!!" Watching the two of them carry on as they struggled for the phone while calling each other names, Adagio just sighed. She wasn't sure now how many things had changed in their group since the day they met, but various levels of bickering felt like a constant. It still annoyed her more often than not, but right now, it just had her feeling nostalgic again. "Whatever you end up doing, however things go with your friends, don't give up hope of being happy without an act. Even if it isn't scores of people, someone will love you for who you are." With all the time she'd spent with Felt, Cheese, Chrysalis, her idiots, and a few others, the shared moments of friendly conversation, of laughing together, of confiding in one another during weaker moments, and even just cuddling closely on a couch to watch a program together, Adagio had a clearer idea of what Sunset meant by that now. Even if not all of her friends were without ulterior motive, that didn't mean that was all they had for her. Aria and Sonata might have stood to gain from being a close friend of hers (not that their careers as some of the world's greatest strippers couldn't have opened doors for them), but that didn't change how much she knew they cherished her, or her them. Chrysalis was still giving her those I-Will-Bed-You looks sometimes, but they didn't enjoy each other's company any less. Felt may have been content to do just about anyone's bidding, but she had sensed a kind of shared understanding between them almost since that first month. And Cheese was... well, who knew? It was still pleasant whenever he dropped by. She couldn't say whether things would stay this way for years to come, if life would get in the way, if any of them would grow apart, or anything else, but she knew that she'd enjoy what they had for however long it lasted. The two still grappling each other, Sonata briefly paused in her efforts to chew Aria's arm off. "Uh... Dagi? You okay? You look sorta..." She didn't finish the statement, but Aria turned her head to see Adagio wearing this peaceful, borderline angelic smile. The only things missing were white, feathery wings and a light shining down on her from above. "I'm fine, thank you," she answered with a giggle before turning away. "Best of luck in that commercial, Sonata, I'm sure you'll do wonderfully." And away she went, Felt in tow. Neither knowing what that was about, Aria looked at Sonata, smirking. "You have to do it now." Scowling, Sonata gave Aria a wedgie.