By: Gabriel
Hey there all. Yes, I have been lax about updating. I have a lot of new stories, but none I can show here. Oh yea, all X rated. Good stuff. This one is a bit of an abberation. I wrote it for the Neopian Times but they rejected it four times. And so, I bring it here for consideration. A few points to note: Yes, it is lesbian romance. But it's very subtle. I'd be surprised if that was the reason it was rejected (And no, I haven't been frozen); It was going to get even MORE yuri for posting here, but I figured I'd let you folks judge it in it's original form; And yes, the Magic Cake at the end was a sly reference to the Merovingian's magical orgasm cake. They're not pure, just cute. Credit for the title goes to some magical comic artist somewhere who came up with that line in reference to homoerotic subtext in a TV show, indicating it was such that they should be having dessert together. I'll always love that line. Contact is important:Cheat! players were mean. Cheat! players were sneaky. Cheat! players were ruthless. Cheat! players would do anything they possibly could to win. At least while they were "on." Once the competition broke down, so did they. All the pressure battered them all, flaring and enhancing personality traits, making innocent ones pronounced and negative ones almost pathological. Closing time came swiftly on them every day, shutting some of them up inside their own negativities, as in the case of Spectre, sending some scrambling for reaffirmation of life, as in Timmy, and just sent some off the edge into dangerous work, like 00 Hog. Some, however, didn't really seem to be all that affected, except for the raging tempests of feelings inside.
"Capara!" Fernypoo whipped off her competition tiara, a gaudy thing that she utterly detested, but which the organizers forced on her because it looked more "regal," and slipped on her casual tiara, a simple circlet of pure silver inset with polished coral. "Capara wait up!"
Capara rolled her eyes a little, slipping off the silk gloves they ruthlessly forced onto her. Her entire ensemble, from the dress to the heavy makeup that made her look like it was slathered on with a butter knife, was just a construct of the game. She preferred a light application of blush and eye shadow, a hint of mascara, a touch of eyeliner and a gentle spritz of perfume, coupled with a comfy t-shirt and red jeans. She liked to mix her genres a little bit, which is why she sometimes threw on a leather jacket. "What do you want, Ferny? I wanna get this junk off and just fall into my chair and watch something mindless."
"Awww, but you promised last week that we'd go out to dinner. I'm dying for some intelligent conversation..."
"Then take a Lenny, I'm not going out in public looking like a fugitive from a Southern Baptist convention." Capara stalked away quickly, but found herself being tugged back lightly. Ferny had caught hold of her tail and was very gently yanking. "I'm going to pretend you never did that and give you the chance to just let go."
"Come on, I'll give you time to change and wash you face and stuff. If I have to spend one more day in that big palace with nothing to do I'll go crazy." Ferny wasn't about to let go, her grip on the tail soft but firm, not hurting but not letting go at all.
Capara considered her various options, from running away quickly, and possibly leaving hunks of her precious tailfur in Ferny's hands, to just standing there until Ferny got bored, which could take more time than it was worth. Finally she just sighed and shook her head, her shoulders slumping a touch to show that she had given in. "Fine. Fine. Drop by my dressing room in half an hour. I hope you've got reservations to someplace REALLY nice. And I mean REALLY nice, with a capital dollar sign."
Ferny released Capara's tail with a small squeak of delight before settling down and clearing her throat. "Y-yes. Tobusco's, down in the swanky part of the center. Big names go there for a bite and networking. Don't worry, the food is actually pretty good even if it is overpriced."
Capara turned away and started walking towards her dressing room. "Great..." Her voice registered disinterest but there was a sneaky smile on her face. When she went out by herself she always went to some little dive or another with rock-bottom prices and probably rock-hard food. But when Ferny was picking up the check, it was high class all the way. Sure the food was the size of a stamp and tasted like garlic-boiled cardboard, but it was expensive and most of all, free for her. With a few long strides she was at her dressing room and was within with a turn of the knob and a few steps.
Ferny pressed her double-ears to the door and listened to all the sounds of motion behind it. She had to avoid a repeat of three weeks ago, when Capara had leaped out of her dressing room window, to avoid going to the park after a rather nasty day at Cheat!, and ended up spraining both ankles and knocking herself around pretty good. Now Ferny was on guard against any more "hesitant" actions. Though, it had been kinda fun to take care of Capara when she was out, even if it did make Capara more miffed than usual. She always seemed angry, mostly because of the way the tournament people forced her to look and act in a way which she hated. And her anger and resentment grew out to touch everyone. But Ferny ignored that. Better to have an angry friend to take you away from the palace at times than no friend at all.
True to her word, however, Capara emerged about twenty minutes later, after a speed-shower and a little touching up. She opened the door so quickly and without warning that Ferny fell inward slightly. "Very subtle, but I'm not about to make the same mistake twice. And that's the only other way out of there. So it's either go to dinner or hurt myself again. It was a fierce debate."
"Oh, you're silly." Ferny giggled, lightly taking one of Capara's hands and tugging her along. "Come on, hurry up!"
"What's the rush, you got reservations?"
"Always. Oh you mean at the restaurant. Yes, of course. Also always."
Capara nearly choked on her own tongue and stopped dead in her tracks. "Y-you've got a standing reservation at a place like that? How? Why?"
"I'm a lonely Princess with a lot of money who's sick and tired of the palace. I need someplace to escape to when I have someone to escape with." A look of frustration and sorrow washed over Ferny's face, lingering in her eyes as a shimmering waver, the sadness cutting through. She had her own troubles with the competition, troubles that came out as sadness and fear of her own solitude, rather than anger. Blue and red. Both their worlds were blue and red.
"Well... Let's get going before we waste the whole day, or what's left of it anyway..." Capara said quietly, trying not to consider the way Ferny's personality had flashed through to the surface. Or how she suddenly grew happy, really happy, when things started on course again. It wasn't a trick or a con. And that wasn't so much worrisome, as it was indicative of something.
"Ah, culture. Ah, class. Ah, the sweet, sweet escape from that stupid palace." Ferny hugged herself tightly as she and Capara waited on line at the restaurant. "It's like a dream come true. Like a fairy tale brought to life. Like..."
"Stuff some ice in your bodice. It's just dinner, not the ultimate pinnacle of Neopian experience." Capara looked over the building with a disinterested eye. The whole place was designed after an old manor house, with a gabled roof and long lines. The whole thing rang of gothic architecture. Victor Frankenstein was probably upstairs building a new monster while downstairs the restaurant hummed away. "No wonder it costs an arm and a leg..." Capara mused quietly.
"Good evening. I am afraid there is a two hour wait for tables. If you would... Princess! Pardon me. I did not see you standing behind this large structure..." The Maitre D', a squat Tuskaninny, waved his arms to indicate Capara as the "large structure," and received a scowl for it. "Please, please, come along. Table for two. One regular, one giant standing redwood."
"Lay off that "redwood" talk or I'll shove your head so far into your body cavity..." Capara growled, shaking a fist.
"Just ignore it. That's how it is, you know?" Ferny did her best to defuse the situation with a smile and a gentle hand on Capara's fist.
"Yea, well... He ain't worth it anyway..." Capara grumbled. She did have some restraint. It just yielded to her anger more often than not. However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not force herself to be wrathful through Ferny's gentleness and softness. The fire cooled with a gentle sprinkle of rain.
"Your table, ladies. I'm afraid that the seating is the only size we have. You'll just have to make do without a giant's chair." The snippy Tuskaninny turned on his flipper, making his way back to the entrance and leaving Capara seething.
"That little..." Capara shook her fist again, gritting her teeth.
"Leave him. Nothing's worth getting stressed over when you're away from the table." Ferny smoothed out her dress and leaned back lightly in her chair to await the waiter.
"Hey, did you notice you're in my chair?" Capara leaned back in a languid manner, but found the chair backing uncomfortably small. The Maitre D' had been right about the chair. How maddening.
"What? How is that possible? Have you ever been here before?"
"No, but if this room was laid out like the competition hall you'd be sitting exactly where I do every day. And the weird thing is, I'm sitting in your spot."
Ferny looked down at the table, contemplating the idea, and being surprised that Capara was thinking about the competition. "Do you want to switch places?"
"Are you kidding? I'd rather have my teeth worked on by Dr. Sloth than sit in any spot that looks like mine at the competition. It's comforting to have a different spot." Capara gave Ferny a big grin and patted her chair. "Besides, I have your spot. It's cozy and nice, no matter how small the chair is. It's good to be in the winner's spot, for once."
"Well, I'm not quite a winner. You know that. They let me sit at the upper reaches and give me subtle bits of help to keep me there, so I can play the part I'm meant to." Ferny toyed with the edge of her napkin, messing with a little bit of string that had worked itself loose. Even the appearance of perfection broke down eventually. Nothing could remain even appearing flawless for long.
"We're all just playing a part. We're wonderfully entertaining shadow puppets for the masses. And what do we get from it? Hate mail, jeers and a one room flat in the danker parts of Neopia Central."
"Oh my... That's right. You don't have anything but the game. It's your only income and I... I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for; you didn't decide to be born in the lap of luxury. You're right, though. I try to supplement my income with whatever I can think up. Pyramid schemes, card sharping, dice, but it's never enough. They want me to be their glamour girl, and then give me pittance for pay, as though they think that the "honor" of portraying someone fabulous and beautiful is reward enough for me, and the pay is an afterthought for my troubles. Spare change for my paper cup." Capara seemed ready to spit her hate and contempt for the organizers who played with so many lives.
"Ladies, the menus." A tall blue Techo dressed in a rather severe tuxedo handed the two of them menus and gave a clipped bow. "Could I start you off with anything?"
"Water for me. Capara?"
"Yea, same here."
"Very well ladies, I will be back in just a few moments." And away he went, into the great anonymous mass.
"What are you having? I'd like something filling. Maybe a Faerie Burrito." Capara scanned the menu and cringed at the prices. Then she remembered Ferny was picking up the tab and cringed again. She hated to see someone get robbed like THIS.
"I think... That sounds delicious." Ferny lightly closed her menu and looked across at Capara. "Do you ever wonder why we're here?"
"Because it gets four stars and you seem to like it."
"No, I mean the two of us, here, together. We have so little in common yet, here we are."
"I guess... Well, I guess we, better than anyone else we know, compliment each other. I keep you from being lonely and you keep me from blowing up randomly. It works."
"I never would have expected such a thing. It's just a mystery, and a trick of fate. But at least this was a good trick."
"I know what you mean. I've had my share of bad tricks. But that's how it goes. You learn to roll with it. Things happen, you deal, it's done."
"I never learned that because it seemed like Daddy fired bad news. If there was such a thing as bad news or negativity, I never knew it; at least for a while. Then I started to taste defeat and it was bitter. Yet deep down I knew it was sweeter to lose truthfully than win because someone wanted you to. That's why the whole competition galls me. Because I'm still being helped in my path to victory. I don't like being carried where I have to go."
"You resent being their marionette, just the same way I resent being their shadow puppet. You're a facade, I'm an illusion. We're both what they want us to be. And you wondered why we get along so well."
"The truth hurts so much..." Ferny thought, running a hand over her face. "So why do I like it?" She asked aloud.
"Like what?"
"Hearing the truth. Even when it hurts."
"Because then, more that at any other time, you realize that you're not dreaming. It's a shock to the system. It's really a test of how strong you really are. Tell someone the truth, and how they react says what they are. They can explode, debate, deny it, curl up, or they can accept it. You accept it, and go on, like me. I'm amazed, given your upbringing." "Father never fully brainwashed me, not the way he wanted. He wanted me to look nice at parties, smile well, and eventually hang off the arm of some hideous, malformed monster of a prince determined to make me into a pretty little porcelain doll he could stuff into a gold cage, a little toy to play with and parade around. A ventriloquist's dummy that he could entertain his other hideous friends with."
"Just a little bitter, I see."
"I had a good teacher. I was never allowed to slack and goof off. I got an education, and was too smart to fall for anything. I would not allow myself to learn that. I learned some of my father's lessons, but I had eyes open enough to see his imperfections and wanted nothing to do with them. I can be a brat and a priss, you know it. But I don't hide behind that and I don't make excuses either."
"You are a model of what the wealthy and privileged should be." Capara smiled across at Ferny and looked up as the Techo returned at last.
"Your waters ladies, and what will you be having this evening?" He pulled a pad and pen from his pocket and stood rigid, awaiting the orders.
"We'll both be having a Faerie Burrito. Mild salsa on the side, and a little sour cream." Capara rattled off the order with smooth precision.
"Very good ladies. Your meal will be ready shortly." The Techo retrieved the menus and walked his clipped, perfectionist walk off into the cluster of tables, fading from mind and view.
"You remembered." Ferny commented with a slight smile.
"You only eat in Faerieland once, if you're poor. You tend to remember things like that."
"I'd never even think of something like that. I'd just forget it as soon as I found something else to occupy my attention." Ferny took a little sip of water and watched as Capara moved her glass from one side of her to the other. Nothing seemed right. Above the silverware, beside it, in front of her, above where the plate would go. "Something the matter?"
"I'm on the spot again... I feel like everyone's watching me fail to remember where the water glass goes."
"It goes right up there, above the silverware on your right hand side."
"Oh yea... This always happens. I think the world is judging me, waiting for me to slip up and fail, as usual, so things can really come down on me. And so I can look like a fool."
Ferny started to say something but thought better of it. Then considered again and quietly spoke, "At least you can be allowed to fail, and fail over and over..."
Capara sputtered into her water, setting the glass down harder than she had intended to and wiping at her chin with her arm. "Wh-what did you say?"
"I said, they let you fail, and they let you keep failing, without ever warning you or trying to help you out."
"I, uh, I see..." Capara's teeth clenched tightly and one arm shook lightly as the hand was balled into a fist. "And this..." Capara strained, words clipped and tight. "Is how you think of me?"
"It is what I see. You're free to be imperfect. You have free reign to be as flawed as possible." Ferny fiddled with her napkin again, unraveling it further, if ever so slightly, contributing to it's imperfection. "You're so free..."
"Free..." Capara breathed roughly, eyes cast down and fist still clenched and shaking. "Yea, free..."
They sat there in silence, Capara looking down and Ferny looking right across, wondering just what was going through Capara's head. She could get quiet and moody, that was how things went. She seemed to be brooding, musing on something that Ferny had brought up. She could be a deep thinker when she wanted to be.
The two were still silent when their orders were brought to them, Capara setting into hers with a mechanical precision, appearing to neither like nor hate the meal but only taking it in without caring. Ferny herself ate slowly, delicately slicing off small pieces and then dipping them in sour cream and salsa before consuming them, knowing it was silly to eat it like that, but she had her automatic manners on and had started before she realized.
Ferny was somewhat worried, though. Capara was never quiet like this unless something was bothering her. And she had seen things bother Capara many, many times. Finally, when they were both down to little more than the second end piece Ferny asked, "Capara, what's the matter?"
"Matter?" Capara looked up at Ferny with THAT look. Everybody had one. That look that you give when you've got something stewing inside, boiling like a kettle on too high a heat, with pressure building, building higher until... "Oh, nothing's the matter... Except..." The pause of death, and Ferny had seen it coming. "Now I know what the pampered, perfect Princess really thinks of silly, shoddy old me."
"Wh-what? What do you m..?"
"Don't even start that innocent stuff with me, Princess!" Capara shouted, tossing her fork down onto her plate with a loud clatter, all heads turning, all eyes on the two of them. "I have ears! I heard what you called me, what you really felt!"
"I didn't say anything, Capara! Please, calm down, they're staring..."
"Can't have that, can we? Can't be embarrassed in public by the likes of me. They'll start to talk. And then, oh then, you'll be ruined."
"What did I say Capara? You're not making any sense." Ferny looked around, not for her sake but for Capara's. Her status was bad enough as it was. Something like this could ruin her career, and leave her with even less than the little she had.
"You called me a loser..." Capara seethed, hissing between her teeth so that only Ferny could hear it. "And told me that I was free to lose, lose, LOSE whenever my incompetent little heart felt like it."
"That's not what I meant..." Ferny whispered, leaning her head closer to Capara's. "I only meant that you were not held and bound by impossible standards and you could..."
"Wash out anytime I wanted..." Capara rose all at once, almost knocking over her small chair.
"Wait! Don't..."
"Ladies. The dessert menu..." From out of nowhere, as the best ones usually came, their waiter returned with two menus. Though standing and seething, Capara accepted hers and opened it without realizing what she was doing. "I will return shortly." The Techo gave a clipped bow and was off again, leaving the two at a silent stalemate.
"Capara..." Ferny had her own signature things, of course. THE voice was one of them. A soothing, calming and melodious voice, like the sound of waves lapping the beach, filled with the sweet, gentle coolness of the most docile part of the ocean deep. "Please don't storm off like this. I didn't mean anything by my comment. Except that, I envy you your freedom. You have no idea how much..." She glanced down at the menu, knowing most of it by heart. Maybe something sweet would make her more manageable. "Would you like some Magic Cake?"
"I..." Capara started to shout, but the words and voice had a somewhat delayed effect on her. She didn't feel like fussing about the details. It was rather flattering, being envied. It was a proud moment when she could realize that she had something that Ferny didn't; that all her money couldn't buy this one simple thing that she had in abundance. "I don't really like sweet things..." Capara said quietly, sitting back down in her chair.
"Oh really?" Ferny inquired, looking at Capara from over her menu.
"Well, maybe I can make an exception..."
The end