Adagio Dazzle woke up early, even by her standards. What pulled her out of the world of blissful dreams, she couldn’t be sure. Not that it mattered when she had something all the more blissful to look forward to upon waking up. In this case, that ‘something’ was her Sweetie, all curled up against her like a little… puppy? No, not a puppy. Fluttershy was no pet. Unless she wanted to be.
Oh, la la! An idea to share later. Surely they had a collar around here somewhere they could make use of. Or maybe at the animal shelter. An image of her walking into the shelter carrying a pink leash and collar with a big, curly F on it… was interrupted by the entirely new vision of Fluttershy being the one holding the leash. Why did I never think of this before? Maybe because it’s too easy.
Fluttershy, wearing one of Adagio’s newly acquired t-shirts as pajamas, stirred, but only to bury her head a little deeper in Adagio’s mountainous floof. The siren chuckled and kissed the girl on the forehead, eliciting a smile from her slumbering Sweetie. It reminded her of last night’s pleasant sleepover. Even with how non-sexy it might have been, it was nice to get her favorite candy to herself for an entire night. A pity Aria and Sonata had made her solemnly promise to abstain from the sexytimes for the duration of the sleepover. Spoilsports.
As much as she would have liked to have stayed wrapped around her girlfriend, Adagio decided she might as well make herself useful now that she was awake. What could she do now while everyone else was asleep? Make tea, of course! It might not have helped her get over sleepless nights before, but that didn’t stop her from developing an appreciation for the beverage. Perhaps too much of an appreciation, given that she had it all the time nowadays. It was her subtle way of trying to introduce a bit more culture into Ria and Nata’s lives.
Oh, who are you kidding? Fluttershy enjoys the tea. That’s all the reason you need.
And she was out, so if she wanted to delight in her Sweetie’s happy face over breakfast she’d need to get another batch started.
Actually, she’ll probably make that delightful face regardless, but still!
Moving with great care, Adagio extracted herself from the bed and the girl’s arms. It was a little cool in her room tonight, almost certainly because she’d turned the air conditioning up. It made her bed more comfy and Fluttershy more snuggly. Win/win! But it didn’t make standing there in the nude comfortable, so she grabbed her bathrobe. She was still thrilled that her sleeping in the nude had been Fluttershy’s idea. Okay, not really, but she didn’t back down after saying Adagio should sleep in ‘whatever was most comfortable for her’.
So proud!
“…dagio?”
Turning back to the bed, she found her Sweetie squirming and grasping, her eyes just visible in bleary half-sleep. Adagio bent down to hold her hand and kiss her on the cheek. “Hush, back to sleep now. Everything’s okay. Promise.”
This was enough for the barely conscious girl, who smiled sleepily and buried herself in the covers like a cute little… well, Fluttershy. Seriously, what compares to her? Her Sweetie comforted and herself in something that might be deemed decent if squinted at sideways from a distance, Adagio left the room. Her first stop was to the thermostat, where she happily took off the taped note warning her housemates of imminent (and very public) teasing if it was tampered with tonight. Making her way downstairs, she was mildly surprised to see Aria slumped on the couch and looking like the living dead.
Hands on hips, Adagio took in the bags of chips and dip, a plate with a half-eaten sandwich, a blanket crumpled up on the floor, a dozen empty soda cans, and a bottle of Sun-Quill. All in all, rather tame compared to some of the things she’d seen here in the past. Catching the groggy Aria’s bleary eye, she asked, “All night binge with DoomPrism?”
Her only answer was a groan perfectly suited to her fellow siren’s zombie-like state.
In her most pleasant, mothering voice, Adagio said, “You’d best not try to get out of school tomorrow because of how you screwed up your circadian rhythm, young lady.”
Aria’s response may have been something akin to ‘Whatever,’ but it was hard to tell with all the grumbling. No matter, the sentiment was clear. Turning away, Adagio cast one last look over her shoulder. “Don’t you worry, I’m about to go make some tea. Just the thing you need to stay awake. If Sweetie comes down looking for me, I’ll be in the basement conjuring your medicine.”
The resulting gag was all she needed to get her smirk on for the day.
Fluttershy awoke to good news and bad news. The good news: she was still in Adagio’s bed, so the simple joy of last night hadn’t been a dream. The bad news: her fluffy goddess was not in said bed. Rubbing her eyes groggily, she sat up and surveyed her surroundings in hopes of rectifying this situation. Alas, no Adagio sightings to be had, Wild or Tamed (Wild was certifiably better). This was a problem that needed fixing, especially since she had every intention of selfishly keeping her girlfriend to herself for the day.
After a good stretch and realizing how cold it was in the room, Fluttershy stumbled into a fresh set of clothes. A glance at the wall clock revealed it wasn’t even 7 AM yet. Where could she have gone so early?
Still under the influence of too little sleep, Fluttershy grabbed her toiletries and made for the Dazzlings’ upstairs bathroom. Teeth brushed, hair made somewhat presentable (but not too presentable, since she intended to drag Adagio back to bed at the first opportunity anyway), she stepped out and considered her options. Sonata and Aria were probably still asleep, being sane individuals. Well, more sane than most gave them credit for anyway. The thought made her chuckle. Adagio is really rubbing off on me.
Heading downstairs, she found the surliest of the sirens glaring at an empty pot of coffee. “Good morning, Aria. I didn’t expect to see you up already.”
Aria grunted, not bothering to look at her. “DoomPrism. Video games. Binge.” She tapped the coffee maker with a finger, not actually hitting any of the buttons. “Stupid machine.”
Idly wondering if Rainbow Dash was going through the same motions right now, Fluttershy mercifully reached over and pressed the right button. The machine promptly began brewing its elixir.
“Thanks.” Aria wasn’t even awake enough to be embarrassed.
“You’re welcome.” Well acquainted with the nature of Miss Grumpypanties, Fluttershy only smiled and looked around the kitchen. Still no sign of that addictive orange fluff. “Where’d Adagio go?”
Aria mumbled her response. “Basement. Making poison.”
Fluttershy’s head whipped towards her. “Did you say making poison?” What in the world could that possibly mean? Surely she’d misheard.
To her mild horror, Aria merely nodded and mumbled something indecipherable. The whole of her attention was set upon the black concoction slowly dripping into the pot as if it had become her entire world.
Fluttershy fidgeted in indecision. Okay, so her girlfriend was making… poison. For what? Why? It made no sense at all. Adagio wasn’t one to go for revenge. Maybe there was some sort of infestation in the Sirens’ home? But if that was the case, why would she make poison to deal with it instead of just coming to me? She knows how I feel about animals of all kinds. Unless she didn’t want to burden me with her problems? No, we’ve talked about this. She knows better.
So why is she making poison in the basement?
Wait. Even without context, that was a good question! If she was making poison, wouldn’t that be best done in a well-ventilated location? At least that’s what her hands-on chemistry classes had led her to believe. The basement was a terrible place to make anything, much less poison. Suddenly, Fluttershy was a lot less worried about the wrongful harming of critters and more worried for her girlfriend, who might be making a potentially fatal mistake right now. They’d talk about proper animal control later!
“H-how long has Adagio been in the basement making… um, poison?”
Aria shrugged, still glaring at the coffee machine and its indecently slow dripping.
Fluttershy’s blood ran cold. She hurried to the living room and into the hall leading to the basement. She found the door unlocked and the room below dark. Too dark. It was like gaping into the maw of some giant dragon inviting her to dinner. More than enough to make Fluttershy hesitate, but she steeled herself and took the first step.
The stairs creaked, making her jump and let out a matching squeak. You’re being silly, Fluttershy! Adagio might need you, so stop acting like a coward and get down there. Her little pep talk was enough to let her continue, though she flinched with every shrieking cry of the steps. Shouldn’t Adagio have called out upon hearing the noise? Maybe it was too late and she’d succumbed to the fumes! That got her to hurry down the stairs, squeaks or no squeaks.
The basement floor was solid, unadorned concrete. Its walls were covered in shelves, hammocks, and bags full of all the assorted bric-a-brac Fluttershy was accustomed to, save for a few layers of dust. It was all junk, presumably collected by the Dazzlings over the last four years. Far more alarming was the abundant candles keeping the area so dimly lit.
Fluttershy froze at the sight before her. A massive cauldron, big enough to laze in like an unconventional bath tub, sat atop a small fire. A cloud of steam rose up and disappeared through a small opening in the ceiling’s corner, producing a strange scent Fluttershy recognized but couldn’t identify. Behind the cauldron, half-visible through the steam, was Adagio, dressed in only a bathrobe and witch’s hat. With her eyes closed, she softly sang a mess of inexplicable noises and syllables Fluttershy couldn’t hope to decipher while swaying her hips to some hidden beat. A massive wooden spoon was used to stir the concoction in the cauldron while her other hand carefully grabbed vials and brought them up for her to smell. Sometimes she’d put a vial back, other times she’d dump their contents into the cauldron.
Oh. My. Goodness! Adagio’s a witch! Why didn’t she tell me before? Fluttershy stared in abject disbelief at her girlfriend’s ~~swaying hips~~ Priorities, Fluttershy! There had to be another logical explanation, but… the mysterious chant in a foreign tongue? The fact she was making poison? And she wouldn’t do all of this down in the basement except to keep her activities hidden.
She forced a few breaths to cool her head. Okay, so my girlfriend’s a witch. Is that any worse than being a giant sea creature from another world? Of course not!
Except witches do bad things, right? Like place curses on innocent people or turn them into frogs!
Wait, does that mean she could turn me into…? She lost herself in the possibility of actually being one of her favorite critters for a few hours before frantically shaking her head.
No, bad Fluttershy! Deal with the situation, think about potential benefits later.
She needs a proper witch’s robe. One with the slit up the leg and—
Focus!
Okay. Okay. Witches are bad. This is bad.
Right, very bad. On this we agree.
Wait, she could be a good witch!
She’s making poison. Definitely not good.
I’m sure she has a good reason.
There is no such thing as a good reason for poison!
What if it’s non-lethal?
Why would she make non-lethal poison? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?
Well, if she slipped it in my tea, it might render me paralyzed. And then she could do anything she wanted to my vulnerable body.
EEP!
The steaminess of the basement might not entirely be the cauldron’s fault anymore.
Maybe if we asked her nicely enough—
Quiet, you!
Abruptly, Adagio broke into manic laughter, making Fluttershy nearly hit the ceiling with her head.
Listen to that cackling. Tell me that’s not an evil witch’s laugh. Go on, tell me!
The siren leaned on her spoon, grinning and giggling. At last she opened her eyes. She looked down and kicked at a large pile of sand, which effectively doused the flames beneath the cauldron. Still giggling, she set her hands to her hips and said, “There. Now it just needs to stew for a bit.”
Fluttershy might have spoken then had she not abruptly noticed how open that bathrobe was or how her girlfriend had gotten a little sweaty from all the steam. So much bigger than they seem at first…
Adagio’s eyes met hers, momentarily lighting up in surprise. “Oh, good morning, Sweetie. Didn’t expect to see you up so—”
“I’m okay with this!”
The siren blinked. Were Fluttershy not so flustered, she might have relished the stunned, utterly confused look she was getting. “Okay with what?”
Running to Adagio’s side, Fluttershy took her hands in a tight grip. “I don’t know why you’re making poison but I’m sure we can discuss it like reasonable people and find a proper solution for whatever you’re dealing with and if you’re a witch then we’ll find a way to make it work I mean surely you’re a good witch and I shouldn’t have anything to worry about and I promise to support all your strange and potentially naughty hobbies but you really shouldn’t be making things like this in your basement what if the fumes get to you and shouldn’t a witch know this you don’t have to hide it from me or anyone because you should just be yourself and—”
She was silenced by a pair of delicious lips meeting hers. Fluttershy squirmed a bit, but couldn’t resist melting into the embrace and forgetting all about what she’d been trying to say. Who cared about witches when there was this delicacy to devour?
Alas, Adagio freed her from her fluffy prison all too soon. Smirking and with just the hint of a blush, the siren asked, “Are you calm enough to talk normally now?”
Fluttershy licked her lips and grinned, wondering if the fire beneath the cauldron hadn’t somehow been transferred to her face. “Um… maybe not? I might need more time.”
Adagio grinned in turn and tapped Fluttershy’s nose playfully. “Nice try, you naughty girl. Come on, what’s wrong?”
The pout was more at being denied than having been read so easily. Fluttersigh. No point postponing it, then. “I’m just surprised. I had no idea you were a witch all this time.”
“A witch?”
“And when Aria told me you were making poison – which we need to talk about, by the way – I got all worried about you.”
“Poison?”
“This didn’t seem at all like the best place to be mixing fatal chemicals with potentially deadly fumes. What if you were…?” Fluttershy’s explanation came to a halt as Adagio broke into wild laughter. It was such a strong fit she had tears in her eyes. “It’s not funny. We really need to talk about this!”
“Oh, Sweetie…” Pulling Fluttershy into a one-armed hug, Adagio waved her free hand at the cauldron. “It’s tea.”
Fluttershy stared at the liquid within, which was mostly clear but had a faint green coloration. Now that she got a good, up close whiff of the scent, it did seem familiar to one of Miss Zecora’s blends. “Really?”
“Really. I’ve been serving it at dinner lately. Aria and Sonata aren’t very fond of it.” Adagio used a smaller spoon on the table nearby to scoop some out. She made a show of blowing on it, puckering her lips and lightly flicking her tongue in a way that made Fluttershy go stiff. After giving it a quick taste, Adagio nodded and offered it to her. “See?”
Tentatively, Fluttershy took a sip from the proffered spoon. Sure enough, her taste buds were assaulted with the pleasurable herbal blend that Miss Zecora ordered from an African company. At that moment her brain managed to put all the pieces together. The only logical response was to giggle. “W-well, this is embarrassing.”
Then she took a closer look at Adagio’s attire, trying and failing to avoid lingering on the generously exposed cleavage. She’s sexier with clothes on than—not now! “S-so why the hat and robe?”
Out came the familiar sultry smirk as Adagio ran a finger along the edge of her bathrobe, the motion threatening to expose more than could be called decent. Not that she was necessarily decent now. Not that you mind.
I said not now!
I don’t know, it seems like as good a time as—
Hush!
Adagio’s smirk broadened, probably in reaction to the ever-brightening glow coming from Fluttershy’s cheeks. “If I’m going to be making mysterious concoctions in giant cauldrons, I’d much rather look the part.” She guided Fluttershy’s chin upwards with a finger and leaned in close so that her smoldering eyes took up all of Fluttershy’s vision. “Why? Are you hoping I might put you under a spell?”
Despite her shivering, Fluttershy managed a smile of her own. “Y-you wouldn’t do that. Would you?”
“Probably not, considering I haven’t studied the subject,” Adagio admitted with a sigh of resignation, only to perk up immediately afterwards. “But maybe I can do some research? And if so… well, the things I might get you to do. Around the house.” She leaned a little closer, her grin predatory. “In bed.” Directly into her captive’s ear. “In public?”
Fluttershy could feel the steam rising off her cheeks. “Umm, I… Th-that’s… Oh my…” It was a hard fight between wanting and not wanting everything that seductive voice had to offer. “Y-you could always check the library?” That answered that.
Her stammering boldness was rewarded with a fresh kiss, extra fluff.
Once they separated, a breathless Adagio chuckled and said, “Y’know, Ria and Nata don’t like this ‘poison’ much, and I’ve got plenty of ingredients. I’m more than happy to spoil the batch by experimenting with the recipe.” She tapped the edge of the cauldron with the big spoon.
“Hmm?” Fluttershy shook herself out of the bliss that was the memory of their kiss. “Oh! I’m afraid I don’t know a whole lot about tea. I mostly just get the store… brands?” Her heart cut a little flip. “Umm, why are you sm-miling like that?”
Adagio’s predatory grin was back in full strength. “I dunno, I was just thinking. Maybe this tea needs some… sweetener?”
Frowning, Fluttershy tried to parse this suggestion out to the conclusion her girlfriend was after. “Sweetener?”
“Yes, sweetener.” Dropping the spoon on the table, Adagio pulled her in close. Her hot breath on Fluttershy’s neck brought a fresh wave of delightful tingles. “Add one Sweetie and some spice, let simmer. For hours.”
Fluttershy was like warm putty. Her legs wobbled so much she had to lean into the siren for support. Which was by no means a bad thing. “I think the p-p-pot’s too hot for that?”
“For now.” Adagio’s teeth flashed. “We’ll just have to find a way to occupy one another until it’s cool enough, won’t we?”
“You’re making a mistake.”
Sonata paused with her hand on the doorknob, glancing over her shoulder at a still groggy Aria. “But they’ve been down there for hours, and I’m hungry.”
Scowling at her sixth empty cup of coffee, Aria said, “So go get some fast food. Whatever Dagi and Squeaky are doing down there, you don’t want to be part of it.”
For a moment, Sonata considered the suggestion. Then she stuck out her chest in a confident pose. “Dagi’s the only one of us who knows how to cook. If we don’t make her make us something regularly, she’ll lose her skills of a chef! What kind of super best friends would we be if we let that happen?”
Aria shot her a deadpan look. “You just wanna have her homemade food.”
“Same difference!”
With a sigh, Aria turned away. “Whatever, I’m too tired to argue. Do what you gotta do, Nata, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She might not have openly admitted defeat, but Sonata took it as a victory regardless. Riding the high that naturally came with beating her oldest and grouchiest rival, she flung open the door to the basement and headed down. “Dagi? Dr. Seuss? I don’t know what you two are doing down here, but you need to cut it out. This girl needs her homemade yum yums.”
Silence. Sonata paused at the foot of the stairs and peered around at the darkness. Oddly, she saw no sign of either member of her quarry. Only dimly lit candles and a full cauldron. Had the enigmatic, conjoined-at-the-lips being known as FlutterDagio escaped confinement? She approached the cauldron, wondering if Aria was so tired she’d somehow completely missed Adagio and Fluttershy leaving the house.
A light splash at her step brought her eyes down. The concrete around the cauldron was soaking wet. “Geez, Dagi. And you say I’m the messy one.” One last look around the room revealed no devilish sirens or their skittish, easily spooked special somebodies. “This bites. Guess I’m having fast food after—huh?”
Her eyes landed on something beside the cauldron. Clothes? They looked like Fluttershy’s. Poking at the discarded shirt with her toe, Sonata wondered what pervy antics they were up to now (she’d have to take notes for Rarity). She glanced at the cauldron, inside which was the nasty tea Dagi had become so fond of lately. Except it had something else in it. Something… pink? It swirled about just beneath the surface. “Is that… hair?” She reached out tentatively…
With a splash that soaked Sonata in cold tea, the pink object emerged! Fluttershy, hands on the edge of the cauldron and her flesh covered only by her long, wet curtains of hair, let out a loud gasp. Her eyes locked on Sonata’s, and her face abruptly turned hot enough to heat up the whole room. Sputtering and huffing, she could only tremble as Sonata gaped at her like a fish out of water. And then…
Sonata was bounding up the stairs. “Ria! Dagi’s lost it and is trying to cook Dr. Seuss in a ste~ew!”
Fluttershy watched her disappear, then sank so that only her eyes were visible over the rim of the cauldron. “Oh, dear…”
Another splash alerted her to Adagio’s breaching, the siren’s face obscured by her long, dripping, and not-quite-so-floofy-anymore floof. “Was that Sonata? What happened?”
“Umm… I think she thinks you were trying to cook me in the pot?”
“Oh.” Brushing her hair aside, Adagio grinned wolfishly and wrapped Fluttershy in a soft squeeze. “Well, she’s not entirely wrong. After all, I was right about the ingredients.”
Fluttershy suspected the heat in her cheeks might bring the tea back to a boil. “Ing-gredients?”
“Yep.” Adagio’s voice was merely a purr in her ear. “The tea tastes fantastic now.”
Author's Note
When my last review vacation came up a month ago, I started going through my old favorites. I believe it was originally in response to someone looking for specific story types, but I’m not sure now. Anyway, while doing this little scan, I noticed Eyeswirl the Weirded’s Sucker for a Cute Face. Nostalgia hit me hard for one of my favorite stories, and over the course of the next three weeks I devoted little snippets of time re-reading it. This marks the first time I’ve re-read a previously reviewed story just for the heck of it.
Then I got to a tiny, inconsequential scene, 200 words tops, in which Adagio heads to the basement in a bath robe and witch’s hat to make tea in a cauldron. That moment, so insignificant, always stayed with me. Even before the re-read, it’s always been one of the first things to come to mind when I think of the story. It’s just so perfectly Adagio. I wanted to see it in picture form, but I also wanted to see the scene expanded upon. Alas, nobody seemed as interested in it as I was, given the lack of art and/or stories accommodating this desire.
After the re-read, I decided it was high time to fix that. And so here we are with my first ever fanfiction of a fanfiction, all because of one tiny little moment I’m sure most people forgot all about. I worked carefully to ensure the characters and style were true to Eyeswirl’s rendition, and even got the author to pre-read the story and help me perfect it. I am immensely satisfied to note that Eyeswirl has declared this fic canon. On a related note, this story is meant to take place three months after SFaCF (not counting the epilogue).
