Chrysalis was leaning forward on the table, drawn in to this last plot of Cozy Glow’s. Tirek was staring as well, although he looked a good deal more perturbed. The remaining cookies had been forgotten on the table as the two far older beings had listened to the younger one. “It sounds like you have a crush on this Gallus creature,” Tirek intoned.
Cozy had her hoof on the griffin’s picture on her yearbook, and stomped down on it a few times. “Yes! I absolutely want to crush Gallus! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him! The way he’s an orphan like me, his sarcasm he thinks is so funny, his stupid big wings and the way the down on his chest looks fluffy and that thing that his head-crest feathers do, how they sweep forward in a way that he thinks is cool but it’s totally not…”
“You are too young to be ‘crushing’ any creature like that – ”
“Oh calm down, Tirek,” Chrysalis interrupted, waving a hoof. She licked her lips and turned to look at the centaur, grinning. “It’s nothing to be worried about, it’s just puppy lo – er, hate. Puppy hate.”
Cozy Glow turned a wide-eyed stare onto Chrysalis, gasping in shock. “I don’t hate puppies! Puppies are cute and cuddly and I’d never hate a puppy! Plus if I had a puppy with me, imagine how much cuter I’d be.” She put her hooves to her cheeks and offered a bright, wide grin. “Me plus a puppy would be the greatest weapon this team ever had!” She dropped her grin and her hooves, looking between Chrysalis and Tirek. “Especially since some creatures can’t figure out how the Bewitching Bell works.”
“Don’t change the subject – ”
“I’m telling you, it’s nothing to be concerned about,” Chrysalis insisted. She grinned wickedly at Tirek. “Although I find it very interesting that you’re concerned at all.”
The centaur recoiled at Chrysalis’ grin and waggling brow. He waved a hand at Cozy. “I don’t know what it’s like with changelings, but centaurs have standards about these things!”
“Mm-hmm.” Chrysalis droned. She lifted another cookie and bit into it, chewing thoughtfully and not breaking eye contact with Tirek as she did. She licked at the air, tasting it. “Purely uninvolved, principled standards, of course.”
Tirek shifted, crossing his arms and looking away. “Cozy Glow and I have been allies since I broke free from Tartaros. It shouldn’t surprise you that I’m concerned for her well-being. She is…dependable.”
“Mm-hmm…” Chrysalis repeated.
Cozy looked between the two of them. “Are you two okay?” She asked. “You’re acting really weird…”
Both looked to Cozy a moment, before glancing away. “No weirder than you,” Chrysalis insisted. “Are you done with your little revenge schemes?”
“Hmm?” Cozy asked. She finally lifted her hoof from the yearbook, looking down at the pictures there. “Oh…of course not! I hate those six the most, I hate them so much, especially Smolder and especially-especially Gallus, but I need revenge on the whole school! They all turned on me, and I’ll make them all pay!” She turned the yearbook to its first page of pictures. “Let’s see, Apple Sorbet! She was three dorm rooms down from me…”
Chrysalis groaned, grabbing another cookie, rubbing one temple as Cozy rambled on. That yearbook looked thick - they were going to be here for a while...and no doubt tomorrow would bring more ranting, or else the ceaseless noise of Tirek's working, grunting and clanging and banging
She looked down to the purple wooden stick that was her constant companion. “We need a vacation,” she whispered to it.