“So, Silverstream? Do you have a crush on Gallus?”
Smolder’s comment had caused Silverstream to spit out the milkshake she had been drinking into Ocellus’ face much to the changelings annoyance. After giving an apologetic smile, the blushing hippogriff turned to the smirking dragon. “W-What kind of question is that?!”
“I think an obvious one?” Smolder snorted as she handed Ocellus some napkins to wipe herself. “So? Do you have a crush on bird boy or not? Yes or no?”
“I...I don’t...well...” Silverstream’s beak was scrunched up as all three of her girlfriends stared at her with raised eyebrows. She tired to hide herself behind her glass, but this only made her get some whipped cream on her crest. “I don’t know! How do you even have a crush?! How do you know you’re in love?!”
“Woah, hold on there seabird,” Smolder said, raising her claws. “I just said crush. There is a difference between having affection and being in love. Right, Yona?”
“Why friend Smolder ask me? Would it not be better to ask friend changeling due to love eating ability?” Yona asked, tilting her head.
“She means to ask about you with your relationship with Sandbar,” Ocellus said, wiping the last of the strawberry ice cream off her forehead. “After all, out of the six of us, you two are dating.”
“W-Well, Yona like being with Sandbar. Yona like kissing Sandbar. Yona like when Sandbar call Yona his ‘fuzzy wuzzy’...” Yona went on with her cheeks getting redder and redder while occasionally sipping her chocolate milkshake. The others couldn’t help but snort at Sandbar’s pet name for her. “But...Yona not sure if she ready to make Sandbar mate.”
“Uh, wait a few years before you get that far,” Ocellus said, shaking her head. “It sounds like you two really are close to each other. Have either of you said ‘I love you’?”
“No, should Yona do so?” The Yak asked.
“Only when you feel it's right,” Smolder said, sipping her aquamarine gem flavored milkshake. “At least that’s what my parents tell me. Besides, turtle butt might say it first.”
“Sandbar’s rump not that of turtle, but of pony,” Yona pointed out which caused Smolder to facepalm.
“Anyway,” Ocellus interrupted as she leaned forward. “I can definitely say that Sandbar and you are both very close to each other ever since the dance. It’s a changeling's nature to know when you feel affections around you after all.”
“Oooh, anypony else we know has special feelings for each other?” Silverstream asked with glee.
“Let’s just say Professor Applejack and Rainbow Dash have been spending a lot of time together ever since we turned the terrible trio into a toilet for pigeons,” Ocellus whispered which made the girls giggle at the gossip.
“Anyway, back to the real question at hand,” Smolder said, putting her fist down before pointing at Silverstream. “Do you have feelings for Gallus?”
“What brought this on? Wait, you're not jealous we’ve been spending more time together, are you?” Silverstream asked, grinning.
“Tch, please,” Smolder said, rolling her eyes. “I ain’t interested in either of you. No offense, but I find non-dragons ugly. I’m waiting for a few years down the road before trying to make a grab at Spike.”
“Spike?!” The three shouted which nearly spooked a passing Mr. Carrot Cake into dropping his tray of cupcakes, but he managed to find his balance.
“But...Spike’s so young?! He’s practically a child!” Ocellus shouted before leaning away. “Uh, you’re not a crib grabber are you?”
“What? No! Ew!” Smolder said, sticking her tongue out. “It’s not like that! Dragons live long lives, right? Spike and I are going to be around way after everyone else is gone. I got a good feeling that in fifty to a hundred years or so he’s going to be quite a looker. So I’m biding my time. And if I find some other dragon more interesting then I’ll take him instead.”
“Take him? Are dragons a bit...competitive over their special creatures?” Silverstream asked, nervously.
“Oh yeah,” Smolder said, grinning. “It’s just part of the dragon species nature to take what they want. It’s nothing sexual, mind you. It's all about getting your partner to like you by showing them how tough and alpha you are. Dragons are either dominant partners or submissive partners. Some just want to be in control and others just want to be controlled. My brothers the latter. Boy, I can’t wait for some dragon to take him off his feet and make him submit to his every whim.”
“I didn’t know your brother was gay," Ocellus said, pausing in her drink.
“Eh, he came out last year. Despite what you hear from others we dragons don’t care about your preference for gender. Heck, Dragon Lord Torch was bi-sexual and was rumored to have many lovers, both male and female, before he married Lord Ember’s mom,” Smolder said, before finishing her milkshake with a satisfied burp.
“Well, at least your kind are okay with it,” Silverstream said, resting her head on her palm while sighing. She began to play with her stray while continuing, “It’s still illegal for same gender couples to marry back at home. I mean, it's not like the old days when we fed them to sharks eight hundred years ago, but a lot of hippogriffs, including members of my family, still don’t allow them to get married like straight couples.”
“That sucks. Wait, is that why you’re hesitant to answer? Are you gay?” Smolder asked, pointing at her friend.
“No, I’m not gay! I just...” Silverstream lowered her head and closed her eyes. “The truth is...I kinda like Gallus...I know that sometimes he acts like he doesn’t care about others and can be sarcastic at times, but...he’s very sensitive and kind. You know how hard it was for him to live without his family, right?”
The others all nodded with frowns on their faces. It still was a shock that their friend had grown up an orphan with no griffin even bothering to adopt him. Even Grandpa Gruff only gave Gallus the minimalist of attention when he had too.
“He’s had nobody his entire life until he met us,” Silverstream whispered, holding herself. “I think deep down his fear of closed spaces is really a fear of being alone. Imagine being trapped forever in a place you cannot escape to find others and nobody is able to enter and save you. I know sometimes he doesn’t act like it, but Gallus values us more than anything. Maybe deep down I have feelings for him because I feel sorry for him. And if so, is that really love or just wanting to be a good friend?”
“Well, can you picture dating him?” Ocellus asked.
“...I guess I would have to ask or wait for him to ask me to find out,” Silverstream said, before turning to Smolder. “So that’s your answer. I really don’t know, Smolder, but if he wants to give it a try then I’m for it. Otherwise, I’m fine being friends.”
“Fine, I guess my curiosity is satisfied for now,” Smolder said, leaning back with her arms behind her head. “Of course, I can safely say your brother has a huge crush on Professor Applejack’s little sister.”
“Yeah, but rumor has it that some tap dancing colt has a crush on her too. It’s going to be a very interesting moment when all three of them meet,” Silverstream said, giggling. "Of course, I'll be helping my brother win Apple Bloom over. Family has to stick together and they would be a cute couple."
“Hey, wait,” Yona said, eyes widening. “We not ask Ocellus if she has romantic crush on some creature.”
All eyes turned to Ocellus who, to her credit, remained calm as she pushed her drink to the side. “You don’t need to worry about me having a crush or not.”
“Why not? You got a boyfriend?” Smolder joked with a mirthful snort.
“No, I’m already engaged to be married.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“WHAT THE BUCK?!” All three friends shouted as Mr and Mrs. Cake told the three to be quiet before a set of crying babies was heard above. The three nervously apologized as a glaring Mrs. Cake went to check on her foals.
“You...How...I...Huh?!” Silverstream asked, her mouth wide open. “You’re engaged?! Since when?!”
“When I was born. He’s not that bad of a guy,” Ocellus said, like it was no big deal. “I’ve been trying to get him to come meet you guys, but his job always keeps him busy as a communication bug between our changeling hive and others.”
“Are you saying that changelings engage their children without any choice? That’s a bit... well...old fashioned,” Smolder said, scratching her head.
“Eh, it’s a tradition that’s been around for ages. Besides, it's not like I’m just limited to him,” Ocellus said, shrugging.
“What do you mean?” Yona asked.
“We’re polygamists. We pretty much can marry as many times as we want provided our current spouses are okay with adding them to the family. It's rare to find a changeling with just one mate. I think the record is one hundred and thirty-seven,” Ocellus answered, quickly signalling to Mr. Cake for a refill while Smolder gave a low whistle in awe. “Only the ruler of a hive gets to choose their own mate and chances are he’s going to choose Pharynx if the rumors are true.”
“...but Pharynx is his brother...”
“Yeah, so? My dad is married to his sister along with my mom and five others,” Ocellus answered before tilting her head. “Why is that a surprise?”
The other three looked at each other before raising their limbs and shouting, “Check!”