Disclaimer: I don't own She Ra!
Title: Diamonds really are the way to an enby's heart
Summary: Double Trouble finds a great profit- and friend- in Entrapta. But they can't help but wonder what she's really planning, tinkering away on machines that get bigger and rounder.
...
The fizzle of the communication pad. A godsend for Double Trouble, really, as it was getting a bit difficult to find extra cash now that the war was over. Espionage is their thing, after all. But acting is a diverse and powerful career! And Double Trouble likes to consider themselves something of an expert.
They flick the accept call button and smile toothily.
The static is clumsy- at first they honestly think it's an error, but then there's shifting and- ahhh. Dropped the pad. That's a good way to scramble the video. Purple hair carefully righted it as Entrapta set up her end, red eyes twinkling with delight. "Hello! You must be Double Trouble."
"The one and only," they confirmed. "And you must be the elusive tech Princess. My cash kitten just loved to be vague about you."
Entrapta clapped her hands together. "Great! We're all acquainted. I was hoping to find out if you'd be willing to do-"
Double Trouble tutted. "Money talk first, darling."
"No, no, you misunderstand me. This is to see if you'd be comfortable doing the job first. It involves experimentation. But! Very lightly. Then we can go ahead and discuss payment."
They blinked at her, a bit taken aback. This was certainly a new idea. "What kind of experimentation?"
"Oh, nothing dangerous! I'd love to study your shapeshifting abilities. I think it'd be fascinating to see if I could include it into my tech. Built-in cloaking!" Perhaps realizing she was getting a bit off track, Entrapta cleared her throat. "I was hoping to collect a skin and saliva sample. Also if you could spend, hmm, maybe ten minutes in the lab with me? To see if the cells shift when separated from your body."
Double trouble scowled a little. They didn't enjoy the thought of their powers being used by robots. After all, it wasn't like they'd properly bask in the sheer amazement of them. But it was a bit comforting to know that Entrapta had no plans to try and insert them into other people. That'd be a hard no. One Double Trouble was, frankly, the exact right amount. "You want to take some of my skin?"
She winced. "The term does sound rather violent. It's like holding a wet q-tip to your arm! Totally safe and noninvasive."
"Hmmm," they said. "Well, I can't say I oppose the idea, but it will cost you quite the pretty penny, Princess. What are you offering?"
"Whatever you'd like! I'm not short of cash."
"Careful, now. I'm quite the gold digger."
Entrapta blinks, processing that. "Oh, that's okay! My land is full of gold. Well, gold, sapphire, rubies... most precious gemstones, really."
Double Trouble's smile couldn't get any bigger if they were shapeshifting it. "Why didn't you say so, sweetheart? I'll cut you a deal. Allow me to peruse your mines. I'll find the gemstones I find most beautiful. Then you can pay to have them put into lovely sparklies! I get new jewels- or at least some expensive pawn items- and you get your tests. Sound fair?"
"Of course!" She seemed just as excited by the prospect as they were. "To be honest, I expected you to ask for more."
"Oh, I think we're going to be best friends, my dear."
They set a specific time; but Double Trouble always likes to be early to things. Gives them time to prepare a proper greeting. It also gives them time to wander through the castle- Entrapta had sent them a map, thank the stars, because they had no idea how someone got around Dryl without one.
Double Trouble also enjoys a bit of fun, so they turn into Mermista. It feels like a good fit. Double Trouble knows the Princesses better than most from their time as Flutterina, but none of them had really spoken about Entrapta. They had to take a shot in the dark for this ploy, and the Princess of Salineas is their best guess. Frosta didn't seem to know her at all. Perfuma got frustrated when things didn't go to plan, and Entrapta was famous for her lack of staying on track. Adora and Glimmer both, while closest to her, were probably the hardest to properly mimic- Double Trouble had spent so much time parodying them they couldn't get a proper, earnest read on their characters. And Bow... he was so gushy.
"Entrapta," they greeted, delighting in the monotone timber of Mermista. "You would not believe what Sea Hawk said to me yesterday. He's just so... uggghh."
The purple-haired Princess was bent over something, welding. She turned and squealed. "Double Trouble! I'm so glad you came. Tell me, do you shapeshift your vocal cords, or have you learned to change your voice manually?"
They turned back with a pout. "Aw, and I thought I was doing so well."
"You were!" she reassured. "But Mermista only calls me by 'Geek Princess'. Also, she wouldn't drop by for boy talk. Also also, she doesn't drop by at all."
"Can't say as I blame her. No offense, darling, but your castle is so drab."
She giggled and shrugged. "Architecture has never been my strong suit. Design, really. I'm told I can't color-coordinate."
Double Trouble slunk over to the table, studying. It was just a box of bolts to them, but they could see how much care Entrapta put into her work. Each and every little part was soldered in by hand. "I must say, I'm surprised to have you call on me. I never got the vibe you were into cosmetics."
"I'm not! Well, I guess I am now? I just wanted to see about using your abilities to match skin tones." Entrapta wiggled her right hand in a so-so manner. "Though I do find your skills to be very impressive. To see a situation and know exactly how to act in it, how to copy others- it's beyond my understanding, that's for sure."
They preened under the praise. "I dunno, Princess. You sure are good at buttering people up."
She tilted her head to the side. "I'm not lying. I really do find you amazing. It's an honor to work with you!" Entrapta's hair was flailing about now, and Double Trouble took a step back to give her room for the flappies. "You understand the world and people around you in a way I never could! I'd love to get an interview, if you feel up for it. I'll pay!"
"You're quite quick to throw money around. Not that I mind, obviously." They fluttered a hand to their chest. "Am I special, or are you always like this?"
"Special," she agreed. "My data suggests you prefer money over anything else I can personally offer you. But if you see some tech you like, let me know!"
A people pleaser, Double Trouble realized. The best kind of client. They leaned on the edge of the table. "I was told you weren't a people-person, believe it or not."
"Oh, I believe it." Entrapta pulled her mask over her face and went back to welding. Double Trouble noticed she'd yet to make eye contact. It was refreshing, actually. Every other client had all but ripped their skin off. They were proud of their work, and of their talent, but there's a marked difference between 'I respect your skills and want to see them for an interview' and 'stop looking like a weird reptile and give me what I want'. "My studies have led me to conclude that being friendly and being personable are two very different things."
"I've met worse. Speaking of, where's the angry hermit?"
"Hordak specifically asked that he not have to be here. He's probably toiling away in the basement."
"Sounds like him," they agreed. Two minutes in Hordak's sanctum had told Double Trouble everything they needed to know about the former ruler. "Now, where will I be staying?"
Entrapta faltered, shutting the blow torch off. She lifted her mask. "I assumed you wouldn't want to stay here longer than necessary."
"Darling, that is as long as necessary. I can't exactly look through all your gemstones in a single night."
"Fair enough! Will my quarters be okay? I don't use them for much, and the help washes the sheets every day."
Double Trouble smiles, wide and toothy. Perfect.
They hadn't been lying about the whole thing taking longer than a single night, but it was about more than that. Double Trouble was legitimately curious about Entrapta. Such an air of mystery they'd all given her! Betrayer, scientist, sent away to perish. Entrapta's story was complex and chock full of neat characterization that they simply had to know.
(Adding Entrapta to their repertoire would be oodles of fun. It was like a high security all-access card, with the added bonus of her being small enough to get basically anywhere.)
Her room is basically bare. A twin-size bed, a metal desk, and a lamp. Double Trouble assumed she didn't use it much- or at all. Maybe she slept in her lab. Or wherever Hordak had moved in. It's not exactly an interesting detail- lots of people sleep with their SOs- but it gives Double Trouble something new. A room like this, half-abandoned, would be loaded with goodies that the Princess had forgotten about.
Digging around under the bed, Double Trouble locates a few stuffies, a few half-finished gadgets, and a little box. The box is the dustiest of the group. Lifting the top off, Double Trouble finds an old scrapbook. The writing on the front is ancient and too fancy to be Entrapta's. They can barely make out the words. Family of Dryl.
An old album, perhaps created by parents Double Trouble didn't even know the names of? Good shit.
Flipping it open, Double Trouble is greeted with the smell of old pages, a yellowed photo, and a very chunky baby. No dates. But the same fancy writing is back, scrawled across the bottom. Our little diamond. The next few contain the same- baby Entrapta being held by a woman, baby Entrapta being held by a portly man, baby Entrapta in an ugly crib.
It skips from there. Quite a few years, actually. Entrapta looks to be around five or six, throwing up peace signs in front of two robots. One has a mustache. The other has short, purplish hair. They look remarkably similar to the humans of yesteryear.
Take 2, it reads. The writing is childish and scribbly. Double Trouble got the feeling that take one was fleshy, and take one was dead.
A few more pages, this time of Entrapta fixing and working on the robots. These are type-written inscriptions, presumably from the other robo-parent. C-01 makes great strides changing Fatherbot's fluids. C-01 has learned to clip out of the map. (This one has her half in a vent.)
C-01 has malfunctioned.
Another skip, not as drastic, but Double Trouble got a very different vibe from these. Baby Entrapta in a hospital bed, throwing up another peace sign. Baby Entrapta learning to walk on a wooden foot. Baby Entrapta working on a metallic hand.
Entrapta's handwriting again. Take 2 was a failure. But the data...
It stopped there.
The family of Dryl stopped there, too.
Author's Note: Fun fact! This started out as, like, a silly little fluff fic about Double Trouble and Entrapta becoming friends. It's still that, just with some fun little story bits and, well, pain.
-Mandaree1