Boutique Tales: Date a live

Elizabeth let out a happy sigh.

She had actually done it. Even in the face of the school being closed and being stuck at home, she had managed to score a date with Mandy. Against the odds, she had managed to pull out ahead. A shame that Sapphire wasn’t here. He likely would’ve gotten a kick out of that.

“I’m so excited!” the cheerleader thought and jumped into the air. Waiting a moment to see if her fathers would react to the stomping. When they didn’t, Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. Bad enough that they were on edge by way of the cult attacks, but add in Sapphire’s disappearance, it made things… complicated. Of course, her fists were more than enough to put up a fight with most stuff that the cult threw at them.

For now though, she shoved those thoughts away. Turning her attention to Matilda, she took care to tuck the doll into bed. She looked so cute like this. A shame the pajamas that likely came with her had been lost.

“Good night, Matilda.” Elizabeth cooed and took a moment to look over her room. In the time that she had been back to being ‘her’ (whatever that even meant in this context), very little time had been spent actually sprucing up the room. Less because she liked the way the room was, but more the direct result of a variety of other events occurring. Made shopping kind of a challenge. Hopefully, things would calm down and such an event would occur. Yeah. That sounded quite nice, actually.

Nonetheless, the cheerleader pulled the covers back and slipped herself under. Getting all comfortable, she let sleep take her in…

.

In her dreams, Elizabeth found herself standing in a field of flowers. Done up in a variety of shapes and colors, there was no scent to any of them. In the distance, a large building that possibly served as one’s home awaited. Set against a color-changing sky, one had to be careful to not get noxious and/or throw up.

“Huh…” Elizabeth thought and picked up a daisy. Staring down for just a second, a perfect copy appeared in the spot it was picked from. Tempted as the cheerleader was to grab another, she let her focus shift to the flower in her hand. A beautiful specimen, it didn’t come close to the actual thing. Far too brittle, it reminded her of crystals. Not that she could place where or why that was the first thing to come to mind here. Probably a memory from her time as a human.

“Elizabeth?” a motherly voice called out, bringing with it a pair of arms wrapping around the cheerleader’s body. Taking care to not shatter her flower, Elizabeth craned her neck to meet the woman’s gaze. Ms Bela stared back, a smile hanging proudly to her face.

“Mom?” Elizabeth called out, unable to believe what was happening here. This had to be a prank. There was no way her mother could actually be standing in front of her. Dream or not, it felt unreal in every sense of the word.

“My dear, you’ve grown!” Bela answered and watched her daughter look away, Cheeks ablaze, the words refusing to come to her here. Why did it have to be now of all times? Couldn’t it see that this was a huge moment for her? There was no telling how long it would or if she could say the things that were bouncing about her mind currently. Would she even believe what had happened in the first place?

Shoving those doubts away for now, Elizabeth took the time to get her thoughts in order. She likely didn’t have the time to ask all the questions she wanted too here nor would her mother have all the answers either. No, but she could at least try to squeeze some information out of her here.

“Uh… yeah. I guess you could say that.” Elizabeth answered and was met with a look from Bela here. Where to even begin with an explanation. Perhaps at a point where her mother was still here. “So I know that you left for war but do you know anything about what’s happening in the outside world?”

Bela shook her head. While she didn’t blame her daughter for starting with that of all questions, that probably went without saying.

“Beyond the cult having a resurgence, no. Did something happen?” Bela answered and Elizabeth nodded. Feeling her mother let go, she watched her take a seat. Doing the same, she handed the flower over.

“I guess I was turned into a human? I’m still not certain really why or how it happened, but I’ve spent a good chunk of my life in a form that wasn’t my own to begin with. At least till my friend brought me to Magia Park and let me get a makeover.” Elizabeth explained, getting treated to a raised eyebrow from her mother. While expected, it didn’t change the fact how bizarre it sounded when said out loud. Because it was.

“Oh.” Bela answered, doing her best to hold a chuckle in. Even as she was faced with a look from her daughter here. Cutting herself off for now, the dancer let out a sigh. A part of her debated just telling her daughter what was going on here. Yet, that felt inappropriate here. No, there was something else in mind here. “Anything else? Possible lovers? Friends? Something in between?”

Elizabeth nodded and sighed. Leave it to her mother to decipher that. Though, that couldn’t be why she was brought to this place… right? That would be silly and a possible grave misuse of the powers who took care of this place. Shoving that thought out, she took the time to mentally compose herself.

“I have a date tomorrow with a wooly succubus named Mandy. I’m so excited and… anxious.” Elizabeth answered and felt a hand on her back. Turning back to Bela, she was met with a smile from her mother.

“I’m proud of you, dear.” Bela answered and Elizabeth looked away. Cheeks glowing for just a moment, it felt so odd to be praised like this. Not because she hadn’t done something risky (this very much was), but more because this was not the person she had expected to be praised by. Her dads had very much praised her, but that was expected.

“Uh… thanks, mom.” Elizabeth answered, forcing her gaze back to Bela here. Still met with a smile, her thoughts turned to any other questions that she wanted to ask here. Dating advice was absolutely paramount here. Yet, it felt wrong to ask. There was so little she actually knew about her mother. More personal questions were also on the table. “Uh… where are we?”

Bela let out a chuckle. Getting a look from her daughter here, it didn’t last long enough to really react too.

“The alfinite. At least, one of the lower levels. Sadly, I cannot come back with you.” Bela explained and stared down at her lap. If it was only that simple. If it had been, then they wouldn’t be having this conversation in the first place and everything would likely be sunshines and roses. War sadly did not work that way.

“Oh.” Elizabeth answered as she reached for her mother’s hand. Squeezing it tight, she was met with an even tighter squeeze back. “Uh… any dating advice?”

Bela looked away, muttering escaped her lips.

“Uh… treat her the way you want to be treated." Bela answered and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. While that made perfect sense, it was not the advice she was expecting to hear here. Especially from her mother. "If I'm being honest with you, I’m probably the wrong person to ask dating advice from. Especially considering how long I've been out of the game."

Elizabeth nodded and squeezed her mom's hand one more time for good measure. Opening her mouth up, any attempts at coherent speaking were cut off by her hand blinking in and out of existence. Shifting her attention back to Bela, she was still solid here.

"It appears that our time is up. Tell Frederick and Hank that I'm alive and I miss them quite a bit, okay?" Bela answered and Elizabeth nodded. Pulling her mother in for a hug, she just managed to get the gesture in.

"I will, mom." Elizabeth answered as her vision was flooded with light. Try as she might to fight it, that made it occur all the faster.

.

Opening her eyes, Elizabeth took a moment to flush the fuzziness from her vision. Once she had, the cheerleader was met with her own room. While normally something that was welcoming, this felt different. She wanted to see Bela. Tell her all the things that had happened since she had gotten that makeover at Magia Park. Yet, that would have to wait.

"That was certainly a dream." Elizabeth thought as she pushed the covers away. Sitting up straight, she checked to see if the flower picked was still in hand. Sadly, that had to remain with Bela. Even if it could come with her, the plant was likely to be incompatible with the environment of Neo Digia. Among many other factors.

Getting out of bed, the cheerleader took a moment to stretch. While cheer and everything related to it was still on hold for the foreseeable future, that was not a reason to slack off. If anything, that was a good enough reason to continue practicing. Even if schoolwork took the top priority for most of the week.

Shoving that thought away for now, Elizabeth slipped out of her pajamas and let them fall to the floor. Walking over to her closet, out comes a plain red shirt and a nicer pair of pants. While very much tempting fate with an attire like this, the cheerleader was fine with it. She had multiples of both. Should one set get dirty before the date, she would just replace it with one in her closet. Simple as that.

“I really hope that Mandy likes this outfit.” Elizabeth thought and took a moment to apply some cream to her spots. Once that was done, the cheerleader waited for it to dry. While she could throw her clothes on right now, that ran the risk of everything getting sticky. An outcome no one wanted. “Yeah. She probably will.”

Letting out a deep breath, Elizabeth’s attention turned to Matilda. Lifting the covers of her little bed up, she helped the doll up. Making the bed right after, she set her doll on top of it. Whispering something to her inanimate friend, the cheerleader’s attention shifted to the doorway.

Heading through, Elizabeth took the time to close the door behind her. Turning her attention to the hallway, a deep breath escaped her lips. The sound of the kitchen echoed through, drawing the cheerleader in. Not that she would ever resist that call.

Exiting the hallway, the kitchen was abuzz with activity. In this case, that meant eggs, bacon and what Elizabeth suspected was sausage. But from her limited viewpoint, she would need to get closer in order to answer that question.

As for Hank, he was seated at the counter. Looking over what looked to be documents, he set them off to the side. Tempted as Elizabeth was to sneak a peek here, she decided against it.

“Morning, dear. How did you sleep?” Frederick announced as Elizabeth came to a stop. Taking a moment to think over the events of her dream, the cheerleader made her decision.

“Uh… weird?” Elizabeth answered and headed over to a chair. Taking a seat right beside Hank, she split her attention between her fathers.

“Weird in a good way or weird in a bad way?” Hank answered and watched his daughter bring a hand to her chin. Put that way, it was frankly neither and both at the same time. Hopefully her dads would understand.

“I saw Ms Bela in my dream.” Elizabeth continued and silence fell over the kitchen. Feeling her father’s eyes shift over to her, she waited for them to settle. While they did that, she made certain her thoughts were in order. “She claimed to be in a place called the Alfinite, but unable to get out.”

Hank raised an eyebrow, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. Writing that down, his gaze shifted back to his daughter.

“Did she tell you anything about her situation?” Hank inquired and Elizabeth brought a hand to her chin. Part of her wanted to say yes here, even if it wasn’t even close to the truth.

“Kind of? She said something about this being one of the lower levels of the place, but I didn’t get the context of what she meant in that regard.”

Hank nodded, scribing down what his daughter told him. By no means the most useful information, it was certainly something to keep in mind for the future.

“Did you ask her anything?” Frederick added and Elizabeth’s face went light green. Looking away, she had a feeling that they somehow knew what exactly she had asked here. Perhaps because they had asked Ms Bela the exact same thing.

“Dating advice.” Elizabeth croaked out and felt Hank put an arm on her shoulder. Forcing her gaze over to him, she was met with a chuckle.

“Yeah, dating was never your mother’s forte.” Hank explained as he set the paper and pen off with his initial set of papers. Turning back to Elizabeth, the father went in for a hug. Getting a hug back, the pair’s attention turned to Frederick. Currently in the process of plating their breakfast, that didn’t stop him from sneaking a look over to his two favorite people.

“I’m guessing she at least tried to be helpful and gave some kind of advice?” Frederick inquired and got a nod from his daughter. Lifting the plates up, he made the short walk over to the counter. Setting them down, Elizabeth’s attention shifted to her plate. Eggs, bacon and sausage had been set up in such a way to make it look like a smiley face. But without anything in the way of a fork, it would be a challenge to eat. Thankfully, a fork came right after to solve that problem.

“She said to treat your date in a way that you want to be treated.” Elizabeth answered as she cut out a piece of egg. Stabbing it with her fork, she took her first bite. Quite good, it reminded her of something you might get in a diner. Not that the cheerleader could place why exactly that was the first thing that came to mind here.

“That sounds like the kind of thing she would say when faced with that question.” Frederick announced as he took a seat to the left of Elizabeth. Taking care to give his daughter enough space, he was met with a chuckle from her.

“Oh. So I got used advice from my mother then?” Elizabeth joked as she cut into the sausage. Stabbing into it, she took care to bite down into it. Oddly sweet, candy was the first thing to come to mind.

“You could say that.” Frederick answered and held in a chuckle. Elizabeth debated shooting him a look, but decided against it. Instead, her focus turned to that of her breakfast. Taking the time to consume it at a reasonable pace, her thoughts turned to tonight. While her date with Mandy was quite a bit away, that was the only thing the cheerleader could get her mind to focus on here. Everything felt either unimportant or merely a distraction for the main event tonight. It was the oddest feeling. Yet, it was not a bad one here. No, it was more something she would have to work around here.

.

Thankfully, the day passed remarkably quickly. Between gardening, schoolwork, chores and a variety of other activities, Elizabeth found herself without a dull moment. All the better to keep herself focused. Even in the face of her mind wishing to focus on the date and that alone.

“Do we need to go over the rules or do you have a decent idea of what we expect?” Hank inquired and Elizabeth nodded.

“Come back at a reasonable time, call if something comes up and/or if Mandy and I go somewhere in particular and be careful?” Elizabeth answered and watched her father’s perk up. Cracking a smile, she ignored the shade of green her face had turned.

“Beyond that, do have a good time. I know we aren’t the most fun or even hip people, but don’t let us stop you from taking a big step into being your own pers-” Hank added, only to be cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Stepping out of the way, Frederick was not that far behind. That just left Elizabeth to open it.

Taking care to not accidentally rip the handle off, the cheerleader opened the door. Mandy awaited on the other side. Dressed in a sparkly black wool evening dress, care had been taken too accommodate the gray wool underneath. Her black hair had been tied into a bun, somehow managing to make her eyes twinkle that much more in the dark. A set of black hoof boots with heels no less covered her feet, a touch higher than Mandy was normally used to wearing here. The finishing touch was a set of floof-covered wings with purple ribbon attached on the tips.

“Hello, Frederick and Hank. I hope I’m not too early.” Mandy greeted, eyes more on her date rather than the people she was talking too.

"Not at all." Hank answered as a smile formed on his face. Giving a wave, Elizabeth stepped out of the house. Not even looking to see if her dads closed the door, her attention shifted to Mandy.

"So… how have you been?" Elizabeth inquired and watched Mandy's face turn light gray. Looking away, her date took a moment to compose herself. Then it’s back to Elizabeth.

"Pretty good, even with the change of management." Mandy answered and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Change of management?" the cheerleader announced and got a nod. Good. She hadn't heard that wrong. Would have been odd if she somehow had.

“Yeah. Ms Manager is stepping down and chose Yvette as her successor.” Mandy explained as they transitioned from the property to the sidewalk proper. Taking a left, their destination was actually pretty close for once.

“Any particular reason for why exactly or is that something that you’re not all to talk to people about?” Elizabeth inquired and Mandy brought a hand to her chin. While there had been no warning given, that didn’t change the fact that it was very much a mystery to everyone. While she had heard rumors it had something to do with Sapphire entering the castle, that didn’t feel right to blurt out. Then there were claims that this was instead the natural order - Ms Manager was just holding the position until Yvette was ready. While somehow even more illogical than that of the first rumor, why did it feel like it made more sense?

“Not that I know of.” Mandy answered as she brought her hand down. Reaching out Elizabeth, she felt the cheerleader grab hold. Squeezing in such a way to shatter her girlfriend’s hand, it felt quite good. “I’m sorry if you were somehow expecting a different answer.”

Elizabeth shook her head.

“Not at all. Just curious.” Elizabeth answered as they reached the corner of the sidewalk. Taking a moment to look both ways, the pair made their way across. Under the cover of night, the streets were remarkably well lit. Made it all the harder for nefarious elements to sneak out and attempt to attack them. At least, the pair hoped that was the case.

“How have you been holding up?” Mandy remarked as they stepped back onto the sidewalk. Elizabeth let go, her gaze shifting to her left. While the answer was very obvious, that didn’t change the fact that it sounded cliche and uninspiring.

“Pretty good. I’ve been doing my best to keep up with my routines.” Elizabeth explained and reached back out to Mandy’s hand. Feeling her grab hold, she was met with a smile. Smiling back, it actually felt remarkably good.

“Even with Ms Manager stepping down, things have been busy at Magia Park.” Mandy answered, almost anticipating the next question that Elizabeth would ask here. Not that it was hard to particularly guess that in the first place. “Now that we have carriages going and the animals in decent enough shape, there’s going to be a revamp to the main street leading up to the castle.”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, slowing her pace ever so slightly. That way, she was walking in step with Mandy here.

“As in revamping the menus or putting in new shops?” the cheerleader inquired and was met with a nod. For something that should’ve been an one or the other question, this worked too.

“Both, I believe.” Mandy answered and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. Turning her attention ahead, what looked to be their destination came into view. A relatively quaint diner, the sort that was open all hours of the day. Perfect for when you want to go on your first date but didn’t want to break the bank and/or go very far. A win-win for both of them. “Mom is worried that they’ll make us get rid of the BBQ recipes.”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. The irony of something that was part sheep babbling about BBQ was very much not lost on her here, but there was likely a reason for it being that way.

“Any particular dishes that are your mother’s specialities?” Elizabeth inquired and watched Mandy’s face turn light gray. Looking away for just a moment, it’s back over to her girlfriend.

“Brisket and potato salad… not that she’ll give away what the secret recipes for either are.” Mandy answered as she squeezed Elizabeth’s hand for good measure. Getting a squeeze back, it felt remarkably good. Even if they would need to break away in order to get through the door and into the restaurant proper.

“I guess I need to stop on by and try both then.” Elizabeth cooed and let go of Mandy’s hand. Stepping forward, she took the time to grab the handle and pull it open. Watching her girlfriend step though, Elizabeth followed right behind.

Inside, the interior was done up to mimic that of an ‘American Diner’ from a bygone era. The floor was done up in a red and white checkerboard tile pattern, whereas the walls had been a warm cream color. Road signs, neon lights and other memorabilia of this era of American life hung on the walls, making the chrome bar and booths all the more homely. The finishing touch of course, was the ladies dressed in red and white uniforms with what looked to be roller skates on their feet. Except for the dragoness at the front. Standing behind a podium, she too was dressed like the other servers.

“Hello and welcome to the diner.” the dragoness greeted and took a moment to look Elizabeth and Mandy over. “A booth for two?”

Elizabeth nodded, watching the dragoness pull out two menus. Motioning for them to follow, the couple did just that. Walking over to one of the many nearby booths, the dragoness stepped aside. Watching Elizabeth and Mandy take a seat, she set a pair of menus down between them.

“A server will be with you in a moment.” the dragoness added and headed back to her spot. For now, Elizabeth’s gaze found its way over to Mandy.

“Do we want to split a meal or…” Mandy cooed and watched her girlfriend’s head turn light green here. What sounded like muttering escaped her lips, making it all the harder to not laugh here. Mandy held it in.

“I would like that. What were you thinking here?” Elizabeth answered as she opened her menu up. A variety of stereotypical ‘American’ dishes were proudly displayed in the various categories one might expect to find on such a menu - burgers, sandwiches, salads and even pasta dishes.

“How does spaghetti sound to you?” Mandy suggested and Elizabeth set her menu down. Meeting her girlfriend’s gaze, a nod followed.

“With or without meatballs?” Elizabeth inquired and Mandy looked back down at the menu. Scanning it for a couple seconds, it was right back to Elizabeth.

“Uh… with meatballs.” Mandy answered and pushed her menu to the edge of the table. Elizabeth did the same, taking care to not accidentally knock both menus off in the process. “Sorry. I’m so used to not ordering meat.”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Was this because she was part sheep or was there some other factor that had simply flown under her radar?

“Is it just not something you have often or just a dietary concern?” Elizabeth inquired and Mandy looked away. Muttering something at the wall, Elizabeth didn’t manage to catch it.

“It’s not something I have often. Ironic, considering that my mom runs a business that deals heavily in meats and their smoking.” Mandy answered as a server approached the table.

“Welcome. May I start you out with some drinks?” she cooed and the couple nodded. Looking among each other, it was Elizabeth who leaned forward.

“I’ll take a lemon-lime soda, if you have that.” the cheerleader explained and caught a glimpse of their server scribing that down. While quite coherent, the words written almost looked like gibberish. Tempting as it would be to inquire, she decided against it.

“I’ll take a cola.” Mandy answered and reached out across the table. Touching Elizabeth’s hand, that was Elizabeth’s cue to grab hold and squeeze. Lasting only a moment, it was more than enough to soothe any negative emotions that had flared up. “Also, we’re ready to order.”

The server nodded and scribed down the drink order. Then she’s right back to splitting focus between both teenage girls.

“We’ll be splitting the spaghetti and meatballs.” Elizabeth added, her focus returning to Mandy here. While tempting to watch the server scribe whatever it was on her pad, that felt rude to her date here. Shoving that thought away, the cheerleader took the time to compose herself. “So what exactly do you do at Magia Park?”

Mandy chuckled.

“I mostly take orders from customers.” Mandy answered and set her hands on the table. Relatively clean, an attempt to put some nail polish on was mostly successful. “Due to our fluff, we have to wear a special suit in order to cook the food.”

Elizabeth nodded. While that made sense, one would think there was some kind of magical method to prevent wool from getting into customer’s food.

“So like a hazmat suit?” Elizabeth remarked and caught a confused look from her girlfriend. That was probably not the first thing that came to Mandy’s mind. “It’s a yellow suit people put on to handle nuclear materials.”

Mandy nodded.

“Like meteors conjured forth by mages?” Mandy suggested and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Magic in general was not a subject that she was well-versed in, let alone had any grasp on.

“Uh… yeah.” Elizabeth answered and took a moment to calm herself. Less because she was getting irritated and more to not embarrass herself. “Is that something that happens often or are those kinds of spells more trouble than they are worth?”

Mandy brought a hand to her chin. Bringing it back down a second later, her attention returned to her date.

“Uh… more trouble than they are worth. The last time someone had the bright idea to test one, it created an international incident.” Mandy answered and Elizabeth nodded. For a brief moment, the cheerleader’s thoughts turned to that of her father Hank. While he had claimed to work for a shoe company, it always felt like that wasn’t quite the full answer. While he was likely not related to that (she hoped), he might be able to give a better explanat-

Elizabeth’s thought was cut off by their drinks arriving. Coming in frosted glasses, the server set a pair of straws on the table for good measure. Wrapped in white paper, there was no telling what color they would be. Not that such a possibility mattered in the grand scheme of things.

“Thank you.” Elizabeth announced and caught a smile from the server. While cute, it had nothing on Mandy’s.

“Your spaghetti and meatballs will be ready in a moment.” the server explained and got a nod from the couple. Heading off to the kitchen, Elizabeth and Mandy focused on each other.

“Any fun stories from Magia Park?” Elizabeth inquired and Mandy looked away. On one hand, it was probably not a good idea to divulge that. On the other hand, Elizabeth was her girlfriend. She didn’t seem like the sort that would leak such information.

“There was this one time that Eugenia attempted to convince our one and only bakery to bake a cake for Skylla. Not a small cake, mind you. But a cake that would take more than one bite for her to eat.” Mandy whispered and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. While she vaguely remembered who Skylla was, that didn’t change the fact that such a cake was bound to be massive and unable to hold its shape.

“I’m going to assume that idea was promptly shot down by your boss?” Elizabeth answered, getting treated to a nod from her date.

“Yeah. She was not particularly happy with Eugenia.” Mandy remarked, letting her hands sit on the table. In this light, her attempt at applying nail polish looked considerably better than it had outside. Made sense. “Though, I don’t think she’s really happy about anything.”

Elizabeth opened her mouth, but closed it right after. All the information she had on Ms Manager was that provided by Sapphire. Even then, he hadn’t really gotten the chance to really get to know her. Even then, there was bound to be more to her. Right?

“Doesn’t she have a girlfriend?” Elizabeth inquired and got a nod from Mandy here. Only to be then met with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh… yeah. Still not certain what her deal is.” Mandy answered as she brought her eyebrow back down. Getting a look from her girlfriend here, her hands return to her lap. “She kind of just showed up one day.”

Silence fell over the booth. By no means the oddest occurrence to have happened at Magia Park, it was certainly up there. While memories could be a finicky thing, there had to be an explanation for why that had occurred. Yet, it remained out of reach here. Perhaps this was just a question that they would have to wait on the answer for. Wouldn’t be that surprisi-

“Here is your meal and silverware.” the server announced, bringing with her a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Setting that down on the table, the silverware came after. Set in such a way to entice romantic feelings, it was a nice touch. Even if it did feel a touch unnecessary, all things considered. “I do hope you enjoy your meal.”

Elizabeth and Mandy nodded in agreement, taking the time to unwrap their silverware and set the napkin down in their lap.

“A shame that Sapphire and Cia couldn’t join us for a double date.” Mandy remarked and Elizabeth stared down at the table. While she agreed on that thought, it didn’t change the fact that they were hundreds, if not thousands of miles away from them.

“Yeah. Perhaps we’ll have to do something along these lines once they get back.” Elizabeth answered as she forced her gaze back up. Picking up her fork, she watched Mandy do the same. Reaching across the table, what followed was an attempt to feed each other. While mostly successful, it was no doubt best to leave to the movies. Not that either teenage girl minded in the slightest.

.

Meanwhile in Magia, a not quite as romantic meal was being had. Taking the form of foraged greens and nuts, it was better than nothing for breakfast. But not by much.

“How are you feeling, Sapphire?” Cia inquired, taking care to not get nut chunks on Sapphire’s dress. Easier said than done here. Especially with the crown in his boyfriend’s lap. Glittering in the light of their camp, it somehow looked more beautiful than it usually was.

“I’ve been better.” the teenage princess announced and carefully patted Cia’s head. Focusing on his father, he was met with silence. Currently eating as well, that didn’t stop Emma from giving a wave with her free hand. Waving back, Sapphire’s gaze fell on the crown. While he hadn’t used it in the last couple days, something about it was calling out to him here.

“Dad, would you mind if I used the crown again?” Sapphire inquired, feeling both gazes lock onto him. While they hadn’t had any sightings of the knight and the prince, they no doubt knew where they were.

“Just be careful, okay? If it starts to get overwhelming, take the crown off.” Emma cooed and Sapphire nodded, Giving Cia a moment to get off of his shoulder, Sapphire placed the crown on his head. A wave of pain echoed across his body, bringing with it splotches of sapphire-colored scales. Not that he noticed, the color fading from his vision as Cia and Emma were erased from it. The teenage princess let it happen, darkness taking hold mere moments later…