Adagio Soccer MILF Redux

Some defeats were acceptable, and some were not. Adagio Dazzle found herself in the midst of the latter, and wished for the former.

Defeat wasn’t a word that the Siren enjoyed saying, especially when it was applied towards herself. She’d made plenty of others feel defeated before: the amount of times that that old buffoon Starswirl lost to her and her sisters was countless, and drove him to the point of outright cheating and banishing them to this realm. One could argue he had the last laugh, but in truth, he was nothing more than a belligerent unicorn whose beard got too big for his horn. If any sort of luck or willing deity was watching, they’d have paid him back tenfold for his lashing out at her and her sisters.

Now they were here, in this human world, and due to the efforts of those ridiculous Rainbooms, not only had their latest plan gone awry, but their magic was gone! No more ensnaring easy marks with their voices, no simple sways of the mind with a gentle note. It was demeaning to expect them to just thrive on their own. The Rainbooms didn’t even try to harass them further; after their humiliating defeat at the Battle of the Bands, the trio was just...forgotten! Rejected!

No one rejects Adagio Dazzle. One day, some way, she’d find a way to make them each pay.

For today, though, the Siren was content to wander along the city streets. It was actually fairly easy to blend in with the “normies” as Sonata put it sometimes; the flashy way the Sirens used to dress themselves made them stand out - as they deserved to! - but now it was more important to just keep on surviving. They moved away, far away, from anywhere near Canterlot High. There was a second school not far off they could’ve tried to fit into, but in truth, all three of them were sick of the high school ways of life. They were centuries old, for Sun’s sake! Now Sonata had found work in a fast food restaurant, and Aria somehow landed a job as a fitness assistant at one of the local gyms. Why on Tartarus that girl would want to be somewhere like the gym was beyond Adagio, but then again, Aria always did like putting others through physical strain.

Stopping by one of the shops that dotted the street, Adagio peeked inside the window. The jewelry shop was one of the more higher end jewelers in town; you had to either have an inheritance backing you, won the lottery, or one hell of a sugar daddy to afford one of those rings. They would’ve looked so good on her before. But nowadays, things were different. Sonata and Aria were not as affected when their magic had been broken, but Adagio seemed to have been hit the hardest. She could chalk it up to being the eldest, or perhaps this realm’s punchline.

Where once stood a youthful, perky, and enticing girl now stood a woman who had no chance of fitting in amongst her young peers again. She’d filled out: sinewy, thin limbs were now packed with a mix of muscle and fat, balanced between the two precariously. Long legs still gave her good height, but were capped with thighs the likes of which made all her previous pants cry in protest. The high waisted denim shorts she had on were comfortable at least, but they did bring emphasis to her rear end. It was one of the focal points of her body now, it seemed; a wide rump that she could swear was some sort of cruel punishment, judging from how it could stretch out the back pockets of her shorts over only half of each cheek. Going up from there, the thin waistline she once relished now had a layer of fat over it, one she took care to hide when she could.

The white sleeveless top did it’s part to keep her decent, even when dealing with the impressive bosom she now sported. Going up that many cup sizes meant old bras were trashed, and finding a proper and comfortable fitting one cost good money. The few she had, she saved for if an occasion called for it. A sunny, warm day like today meant going without. Her eyes looked to her face; if there was one saving grace to the matter, Adagio could still reckon she had a pretty face. The rest of her might have felt like it took the brunt of the damage, but she avoided any wrinkles or unsightly blemishes to her complexion. Pale wine-red lips were turned into a light frown, analytical as raspberry red eyes inspected the light eyeshadow and makeup she’d applied that morning. If she missed anything, it was her old hairstyle. The poofy, thick curls had lost some of their oomph, and now only served as a large mass of hair that she kept out of her face with a well-placed spiked hair tie.

“Tch. You fell pretty hard off that stage, Ada.” she told herself as she pulled back from the window. Tan heels click-clacked on the sidewalk beneath her as she stepped away. “As if life hadn’t smacked us hard in the face already, thanks to Starswirl, that senile bearded, know-it-all, holier-than-thou-”

SMACK

Adagio’s ranting was cut off early by the flyer that launched itself into her face, making her stop and clutch at the paper to get it off her face. A quick skim of the paper mentioned the words “soccer tourney” and “all invited”. She groaned; they always had such a time in this realm, making everyone happy. You’d think there’d be at least a little general negativity around, but it was all sunshine and rainbows and annoying colorful brats who think they can rock better than you and-

SMACK

“Oh come on!” The former musician snarled as she pulled another one off from her face, now growling. “What’s with this town and fliers?!” It was a duplicate of the first, and Adagio looked about to see if there was someone intentionally, somehow, throwing them into the wind and at her. But no such evidence came forward, and the woman sighed to herself. “You know what? Fine. I could be entertained by a bunch of brats chasing a soccer ball. It worked in the olden days.” she muttered. “...wonder if they kept the sacrificial part of it?”

To Adagio’s distaste, they did not in fact sacrifice the winning team or even the goalie who failed to block the ball to some deity in the sky. But she couldn’t fault them; the old practices were there in the past for a reason. Although the screams sure hadn’t faded away, that was for sure.

The entire event seemed like one big hub of activity beyond just the game taking place in the field between two large metal audience stands. While the youths were running up and down the field chasing after the soccer ball with many a weak kick or fumble of feet, the stands were packed with families and sports enthusiasts alike. The turnout surprised Adagio as she claimed a place to sit on the right side of the field, being of sound enough mind to keep away from the speaker system set up on one end of the area. The blaring announcements of names and numbers were only half comprehensible at such a potent volume, and she focused instead on just watching the game unfold.

At another end sat a concession stand with a seemingly never ending line of hungry fans, smoke wafting up from behind the small brick construct. The wind carried the scent of cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, and popcorn through Adagio’s senses, making her stomach rumble in sudden want. She rested a hand on her midriff but tuned out the idea as best she could. Spare money on hand wasn’t something to be done away with so casually, and she might not even stay long enough to enjoy it. There seemed to be almost too much positivity in the air. Her siren senses could interpret it as thick as molasses in the air: cheers for the kids of supporting moms and dads, sports enthusiasts hoping their younger sibling or a neighborly friend find their talent in playing the sport.

“Ugh. I’m almost nauseous.” Adagio muttered under her breath before leaning against the concrete bricks that constructed the metal stands’ outline. She closed her eyes as a referee blew a whistle, and some of the audience made some noise in response. She couldn’t tell for sure if it was in support or in protest with all the bells ringing and horns blasting, let alone the metal clatter as feet jumped and slammed on the metal stands.

“Come on, ref! Give her some slack!”

The shout from nearby her made Adagio turn and look at the perpetrator. She’d expected it to be a dad, going off the deep male voice, but she had to stare at what she saw. While some of the parents had on what she guessed was team shirts or school-related wear, this particular man had on a basic floral t-shirt, a base blue with flowers of yellow, a lighter blue, and white dotting around the shirt’s surface. It was collared, matching the white wrist sleeves, and seemed to work for his pale complexion. He had dark brown hair, a trim but bushy mustache resting above his mouth. Cerulean eyes were locked on the field, wide and attentive as he continued to call out. “She’s doing the best she can! Come on, Sweetie!”

Adagio had seen her fair share of...odd beings in her long lifetime. But of those many individuals, few seemed to match up to the sheer “Dad” energy coming off this one. No doubt cheering for his daughter, if she had to guess. He had a bulky physique, large arms, and strong legs covered by a basic pair of khaki shorts. The fella had a bit of a gut to himself though, leaving Adagio to guess he wasn’t opposed to frequent stops by the concession stand or takeout after games like this. The top of his head was covered with a tall straw hat, one that just seemed to work for this...odd fan.

His gaze swiveled to her, and Adagio realized she’d been staring too long. Before she could think of a reply, the man guffawed and waved a hand at her.

“That’s my daughter out there! Youngest one, anyway. I always get real worked up rootin’ for her.” He proclaimed.

Adagio decided it was best to just play along. Shoving down the snark in her throat, she nodded like she understood his idea. “I’m afraid I just got here. I must’ve missed what happened.”

“Well, the ref’s call there was saying Sweetie went offsides. See, the ball has to stay in play within the boundary lines, or else you get a penalty. Sweetie there tried to go for it and keep it in play, but the ref apparently thought she went too far out.” He explained, nodding at the field. Adagio tried to follow his look out there but had little to go on.

“Which one is your daughter?”

“Number 34, with the pink and purple hair there. Go on, Sweetie Belle! Give them heck!” He shouted. Adagio looked out again at the field and caught sight of the colored hair signifying the man’s daughter. But it was the name that caught her attention more: Belle. She knew a Belle. A very troublesome, aggravating, and downright feisty Belle.

“You know, that name rings a...well, bell.” Adagio gave a light cringe at her own pun. “Does she have an older sister?”

“She sure does! Her name’s Rarity, she goes to school up at Canterlot High. Real proud of her. She couldn’t make it today, on account of bein’ busy with schoolwork and doin’ other things.” The mustached man said. “Oh shoot, I’ve not even introduced myself, miss. My name’s Hondo Flanks, but you can call me Hondo. What’s your name?”

Adagio nearly flinched at seeing his outstretched hand reach towards her, but she held her ground. It took all of a second to think for herself: did he know about their Battle of the Bands? Did Rarity tell her parents about magic and everything else? Composure returned as she schooled her features into the best calm smile she could manage.

“Ada...Ada. Songbird.” She clipped out before nodding. “Ada Songbird. I’m new around this area. New to, well, everything really.” She claimed an open seat that was available on the metal bench below Hondo’s.

“Well, welcome to the neighborhood, Ada!” Adagio’s eyes widened as Hondo scooted himself down a row to seat himself beside her. “Gotta admit, you’re a face I don’t know myself, so you must be new! Did you just move in?”

“A… a few days ago. Me and my family.” She replied, pressuring herself to keep up the facade. “We all kinda stick together. Where one goes, we all go.”

“That’s a good little mentality there. Good family dynamics!” He appraised, making Adagio relax a little. “I’d say my family tries to follow that, but well. Sometimes it doesn’t work out.”

A familiar sensation ghosted over the back of Adagio’s neck, and she sat up straighter at the feeling that hadn’t been sensed in some time. “O-oh?”

“Fraid Sweetie’s mom’s out on business, and Rarity’s off doin’ her thing with her gal pals. We used to all spend some time together, but nowadays, it’s hard to get ‘em all together.” Hondo told her, his gaze on Sweetie Belle as she passed the ball to another of her teammates. “Family time isn’t always family time if we’re all away.”

Adagio carefully reached out and put a hand to Hondo’s shoulder. The gesture on the outside was a comforting touch, one you might expect from anyone wanting to give a hint of sympathy to the father figure. Adagio had zero interest in how he felt about his family; she focused more on that hovering, almost dangling feeling of energy coming from Hondo. Touching him made a connection, and it drifted through her fingers and up along her arm, making her shiver.

Angst. Irritation. Magic.

The gears turned in Adagio’s head as quickly as they could while she spoke in response. “I’m so sorry. You must really love your family. Maybe they can come next time around?”

“Well, I always hope so, but there’s always somethin’. Fashion week one week, then another trip for the ladies to go out. I’ve got my friends I can go visit at times like that, but you know, a man’s allowed to want time with his family.”

Another slight tingle ran up Adagio’s arm. Her heartbeat quickened, and she let go of Hondo to rest her hand on her lap. “Well, I might not be a Belle. But how about a friend, Mr. Flanks?” Adagio offered.

“Well, shoot! I’m always happy to make a friend.” Hondo beamed at her, a broad smile under his mustache. “And you can call me Hondo, miss Ada.”

Adagio allowed herself a smile in kind, while internally, she withheld the urge to grimace at another “friend happy” individual to deal with. Still, it couldn’t be denied as she turned her gaze back to the field to watch Hondo’s youngest daughter make a dash for a loose soccer ball. She knew her body and what it could detect. Hondo might not be able to exert or express magic, but magic was still within him. And if it couldn’t find a positive outlet, well...sometimes it chose another path.

The smile grew on Adagio’s face, but it had nothing to do with the soccer game.

There were a few benefits to be discovered, Adagio reasoned, for her new if larger form compared to the teenage self she was used to being in. Being an unknown face was one in its own right: she didn’t need to worry so much over being recognized as one of the failed temptress trio from Canterlot High. A little stretch of the truth was all that was needed: she did attend the school, but it was some time ago. Adagio could let them infer that she meant it was years and years ago, and not only a few month’s time. Not like anybody here was looking at her past.

Which led to another surprising benefit: when Adagio and her sisters had first come to this realm, it seemed the proper fashion to adhere to the styles and bodies of the era they found themselves in. This meant adopting the right fashion, the right hair, the right figure, all an effort to make sure they blended in as naturally as possible. However, Adagio was beginning to think much of the fuss they read about in the so-called “fashion magazines'' was all a bunch of hot air. She still had gorgeous hair, of course, but her more prominent figure and casual clothes brought many eyes to her, more than what had been present at Canterlot High. All it took was just the right exposure of skin and posing to make a few wandering eyes linger longer than was polite, just the way she liked it.

But of all the benefits that Adagio enjoyed so far in her new identity as “Ada,” getting to taste those scrumptious bites of magic off Hondo was the icing on the cake.

It took two more instances on Adagio’s behalf to confirm it for what it was, and not just the shock of genuine human contact, but the truth was plain as the hair on Hondo’s face: she could still drink up negative emotions and indulge in them to invigorate herself. It was both enticing and challenging: enticing because every droplet of magic she could soak up was another droplet that kept her feeling more alive and herself. She was nowhere near the point of where she was before, but given the circumstances, something had to be better than nothing. Having no crystal to aid in collecting the magic meant that this slow drip of concentrated essence was all her body could absorb for the time being. But it would do.

The challenge, however, was also Hondo.

The soccer tournament was apparently only just starting when she’d first met Hondo. So that meant that for Adagio to keep up these continued - if brief - instances of magical gain, she’d have to continue attending the events. It was a pain to listen to Aria explain the ins and outs of soccer to her, almost as much a pain to explain why she needed to know it. But the knowledge did help improve her improvised persona to not look so out of place. Posing questions to Hondo seemed to open a door of interest in the bulky man, who seemed to appreciate having someone to talk to about the sport. He’d explained his own past with being an athlete, even though it had Adagio questioning how long ago it was with the round belly he sported now.

Adagio just let it work itself out that “Ada” was trying to be a part of the community and support local teams, and so she’d offer the occasional cheer or clap for Sweetie Belle on the field when she was present. The younger child wasn’t as much a pain as her sister was, she could admit. If anything, she was almost as adorably naive as Hondo seemed to be about Adagio’s public persona. A few shared conversations had the little matchstick of a girl as open as her father, although with none of the magical benefits, to the point they were on a first name basis with each other.

“Come on, Sweetie! The clock’s ticking!” Hondo called out. Much of the stands were in a similar fervor, the last few minutes of the game going forward. Adagio remembered this one was one of the more important games for Sweetie’s team. She continued to watch as the opposing team tried to swarm around Sweetie Belle’s position, only to watch as the ball soared overhead to another teammate and moving the swarm to follow after. “They need to score to even things out!”

Adagio gave a light clap of her hands out of polite support before calling to Hondo over the crowd’s cheers. “You said if they win this, they move up? Right?”

“That’s right! From quarter-finals to semi-finals!” He replied.

“I think the other team wants it almost as badly as you do!” Adagio commented, but Hondo was more fixated on the game right there and then. He’d become more accustomed to Adagio’s presence, and were it not for the close timing of the end of the match, he’d have his eyes on her. In fact, Adagio reasoned, he’d have his eyes all over her.

The siren was no fool when it came to men and their wants. Hondo may have been a married man as he said he was, showing Adagio family photos and wearing his wedding band plainly on his ring finger always, but that did nothing to stop him from looking at Adagio on the odd occasion when he might’ve thought she wasn’t paying attention. Her attire was never anything scandalous since she could scarcely afford it or want to wear it out for something as simple as a soccer game, but the “Neighborhood MILF” aesthetic certainly came off from her excessively strong. Just enough of a peek of cleavage or bending over in her seat or in front of Hondo was enough to get his mind off the game and on her, if briefly.

Adagio could feel it every time, and the thrill of enticing the married man was a game of cat and mouse she enjoyed stringing along with him. The bubbling sensation of negativity that’d come from him afterwards was one she’d always soak up, and it pepped her up more than any of the soft drinks or fried foods at the concession stand could manage to do. It was a balance, in a way: try to ramp up positivity in the crowd and in Hondo by cheering for his daughter and being company to him, and then soaking up his negativity when he’d get angry at a referee or feel shameful lust directed at his pretty new friend.

He’d already given a few choice yells at the referees when Sweetie had been knocked over by another player, and Adagio had done her part of being a sympathetic ear for his grumbling. The nibbles of magic that came off him underlined her soothing assurances that his daughter would be alright. But now, his focus was entirely on the game before them. You could call it petty, but Adagio felt he’d given more than enough attention to his daughter. She might have to try something a little more...drastic.

“She’s going for a penalty kick! This is her chance!” Hondo cried out, getting to his feet and seemingly prompting others to follow his example. Adagio followed suit, sticking close to the burly man and keeping an eye on the game. Sinister motives aside, Adagio did sympathize with the girl trying to do her best. She wanted to win for herself and for her father, cheering for her in the stands. You couldn’t fault someone for trying to earn a win under their belt for themselves.

“If she’s lucky enough to get the goalkeeper at the right angle, she can win this!” Hondo exclaimed.

Adagio’s brow furrowed as she looked to the goalkeeper in question. Blocky was a kind enough word to apply to the larger girl, who looked every bit ready for the ball to come her way. If it were a matter of Sweetie maneuvering around the girl on the field, she’d have a fair chance. But with the stage set, it seemed to stack the odds against the girl. Sweetie wouldn’t stand much chance up against that.

But luck can change. If it has the right push.

Adagio’s arm latched around Hondo’s, catching the larger man by surprise as Adagio held onto him. She put on a faux worried expression and looked to Hondo. “Do you think she can do it?”

“I’ve got no doubts in my baby girl. I know she can!” Hondo declared.

Adagio nodded at this before smiling to herself. A quick look to her left showed the rest of the crowd behind them occupied with watching the penalty kick unfold. She took her chance and leaned close enough to catch Hondo by surprise as she pecked him on the lips for all of two seconds. The bulky man’s face lit up like a firecracker while Adagio grinned at him.

“For luck!” She told him, his questioning look quashed with embarrassment. Then came the swirl of magic from him, absorbed into Adagio through their continued contact as she held onto his arm still. The way she had it pressed against her chest bore no resistance from him and only let her feed more off him like a sponge. There was much more there than usual, the sudden intimate contact seeming to penetrate deeper than past flirtations had. Adagio reveled in it and spared a look to the goalkeeper as Sweetie Belle surged forward.

Casting magic in her state was nothing like how she once used to wield it. Everyday feats like levitation, teleportation, conjuring all were far beyond what she had for now. But little stunts, like diffusing confidence and instilling illusion? That’s Siren Magic 101. Adagio focused on the goalkeeper, letting her magic work its way through the metal stand and into the ground before making a zip for her. It crashed into an aura of confidence and self-assurance like a freight train through traffic, making the goalkeeper flinch physically and lose her focus as sudden doubts assaulted her mind.

Sweetie Belle took full advantage and launched a kick into the goal, soaring the ball over the keeper’s shoulder and into the net, provoking mass cheers from the audience surrounding Adagio and Hondo. The mustached man joined in only a moment later, Adagio releasing him to offer her own robust joy for the youngest Belle. The goal was the necessary point needed to secure their win, as the final minutes ticked down, and no further goals were scored by the opposing team.

Sweetie quickly gave her father a flying hug as soon as she broke away from her teammates, the father embracing his daughter with both arms and swinging her light form about. Adagio refrained from rolling her eyes and let the two bask in their moment of victory. “Good job, squirt. I knew you’d make it!” she chose to offer instead.

“Thank you, miss Ada!” Sweetie squeaked out while Hondo smiled in kind to the orange-haired woman. “I’m glad I got it in before that goalie could catch it.”

“That’s my girl. Go on, I see your friends waving at you over there.” Adagio spared a look down the stand to where two other young girls, one a redhead and the other purple, were trying to get Sweetie’s attention. When she’d left and was out of earshot, Hondo looked at Adagio and cleared his throat. “Um. Miss Ada?”

“Yes?” Adagio only grinned at Hondo’s discomfort.

“You uh...what was that? Earlier?”

“Oh, Hondo. Don’t look so flustered!” She patted his arm lightly and gave him a grin. “Can’t a gal give a good luck smooch to the father of a player?”

“Well, uh, if you wanted to, but, y’know…”

Adagio stepped closer and put a finger to his chin. “I won’t tell the wife if you won’t. It’ll be our little secret.” She assured him. “Just between good friends.”

“Good friends. Right. Yeah, sure!” Adagio held back a cackle at his relief. Married man or not, every man has a weak point. And unfortunately for Hondo’s wife, it seemed Adagio found it.

What a shame.