[PRP] Queen of Advice [Shrill X/Zen]

[Ruriska]

There was one major upside to having a huge family; there was always a kitchen to raid when your own fridge was empty. It didn’t matter if she’d only spoken to the house owner once or just winked at them during a family gathering, mi casa su casa was the saying, right? And that was why Shrill X was sitting in grandma Scent’s kitchen, wolfing down a sandwich cobbled together out of whatever she could find. The sandwich went down within a few bites and another was in creation. Lettuce, tomato, carrot, beetroot, ham, peanut butter, this mysterious green paste…

Chrystali

Boo yeah, let's do it! I just kinda presumed he lives with Scent.

 

[Chrystali]

He had been meandering in for lunch when there was a very unfamiliar white butt with green and purple streaks sticking out of his fridge. The small child had sat down in the doorway, watching with curious eyes until Shrill had wolfed down the food; he briefly remembered her causing trouble at the family get together. It wasn't that he remembered her as trouble, mind you, only the more important fact that she was family.

"I'd be careful with that if I were you!" Zen quipped as he stood up, trotting over to the mare's side and peering around her shoulder at the green paste she was glopping on her meal. "It's really hot. Dad loves it, I do too but some other phonies...not so much." He smiled at the stranger, entirely at ease. She was family. She couldn't possibly be a problem.

Ruriska

Hello, I am late and horrible!

 

[Ruriska]

"Don't worry, little dude," Shrill X responded without missing a beat, slamming the top piece of bread down on her sandwich. "I can handle it." She smiled back at him and then shoved part of her meal into her mouth, chewing, chewing, chewing, gagging sightly as the heat suddenly hit.

"Woah, woah." Her eyes filled with tears and she held her mouth open, still full of half-chewed food and fanned into it with her hoof.

Chrystali

You are lovely and amazing
this was honesty right?

 

[Chrystali]

"If you say so!" The unicorn clamored onto a seat and watched, trying to keep his smile to himself. "I was just coming to get a snack too. I get hungry when I have a lot on my mind. Stress is hungry business--"

And then it hit. Zen blinked, and then started to grin, completely unable to stiffle a giggle as she struggled with her meal. "Milk! Drink some milk! It cuts the heat."

Ruriska

Loyalty! Zen is between taking a friend to a dance and an agreement he'd already made XD

 

[Ruriska]

"MIRLK!" Shrill X shouldered the fridge door back open and grabbed the carton of milk, upending it and getting more on the floor than she got in her mouth. But with that and actually swallowing her food properly, Shrill X managed to get the heat down to manageable level.

"What the hell is that stuff? Ugh!" She grabbed a tea towel and tossed it on the floor and somehow latched onto the tail of a conversation that wasn't entirely about her and something most people would expect her to ignore. "What you stressed about? If it's bad grades, forget about it. I flunked out of most of my classes and I'm a big success."

Chrystali

I'm the horrible one for forgetting. XD

 

[Chrystali]

Trying to remove his giggle-fit, Zen grabbed an apple out of the basket on the table, munching on a sizable piece while Shrill warred with the fire in her mouth. "It's called wasabi. Dad says it's a, uh...a pal...hm. A mouth cleaning thing." He smiled, amused but not in a malicious way.

When the conversation turned back to him, he took another bite before speaking, making sure to swallow first. "Classes aren't a problem. It's this...this dance the school is hosting." His expression lilted into something a touch sorrowful as he tried to come up with the least amount of words to describe his predicament. "I told the shy filly in my class I'd take her to the dance. Then my good friend asked to go with me!" Zen sighed deeply. The life of balancing women was truly difficult. "I don't know what to do," he remarked, miserably taking another bite of his fruit.

Ruriska

It's been like 3 months, the horribleness is mine to claim!

 

[Ruriska]

"Well, wasabi is crap." Shrill X dumped the rest of her sandwich in the bin. "Where's the coffee?" Even as she asked, she was opening up the cupboards until she found what she was looking for. "Whatever, found it."

As she put the kettle on and got her hot drink together, she answered Zen with a roll of her eyes. "You gotta stick to your word. If you promised someone you'd go with 'em first, you do it. You gonna make some shy little lady feel bad because you like your friend better? Get your act together."

Chrystali

nevah

 

[Chrystali]

Zen wrinkled his little nose at Shrill, but didn't correct her opinion. It was hers to have, after all! Shrugging, he took another bite, watching her make herself at home. It was only then he realized he didn't know her name, this shameless family member with an appetite.

"Is that all it is?" he asked, not sounding very surprised but not sounding happy about it either. "Just...I said I'd do one thing, so I have to do it? There's nothing more behind it than, 'you said a thing, so do the thing'?" The colt sighed again. "I don't want to hurt either of their feelings. I don't know who I'd go with. I don't really even want to go!" He took an annoyed bite out of his apple.

Ruriska

fornevah

 

[Ruriska]

"Pretty much," she finished making her coffee and slid into a chair across from him. "If the other one is your good friend, she'll understand. It's not like you can't hang out with everyone once you get there. You're just promising to arrive with one person in particular."

She took a sip, grimaced and looked around for more sugar. "But if don't wanna go, then don't. See, this is why I don't make promises or nothin'. Not unless I intend to keep 'em."

Chrystali

forever the best you mean

 

[Chrystali]

"That's...that makes no sense!" Zen scowled, more at himself than Shrill's words. "--sugar and cream and baking stuff's in the black canisters near the oven." He could still be polite, even if he was frustrated with himself!

The colt bit the inside of his lip, considering just why it annoyed him so. Maybe he could make sense of it if he incorporated what Shrill said against his own guilt. "I don't see the point stressing words as binding. Words are just...words! Words can change, they can mean different things. It should be a sense of -- of -- " Jeez, words really did suck! " -- I dunno, pride? Trust...honor!"

Loyalty. A sense of loyalty, to a decision made, to his own intent to the one who received his given word. That was why what he said was important. "You're right," he said at length, taking a slow bite out of his apple as the thoughtful awareness overcame him. It was a promise. It was more than words. Blinking, he quickly finished his bite and looked up to the female bustling around the kitchen. "You're right!"

Ruriska

the best at replying late!

 

[Ruriska]

Shrill followed his directions and started opening up the black canisters, sniffing and looking inside before ultimately deciding to just two big spoonfuls of sugar into her bitter coffee.

She let him work through his own thoughts without a word, only responding with, 'I know I'm right' when he was done.

Returning to the table she took a few gulps of her coffee. "You reckon she was excited? It's her first dance maybe? She might have told her parents, her friends, she might even be buying a new hairpin for the occasion." She winked at him. "But you're a good kid, you know the right thing to do now."

Chrystali

and then smacking them all down in one go ;D

 

[Chrystali]

Zen gave his estranged family member a look that was almost too tired for his young age. "When do you learn all that stuff? Knowing when it's right, what's important -- how much sugar to put in your coffee? It's all so confusing." He heaved a great sigh from the tips of his hooves. "It must be nice to be an adult. It's kind of tiring to be a good kid."

He shifted out of his seat and trotted to the fridge, sticking his nose in it and procuring a sandwich with the remains of the meat that hadn't been eaten, complete with a small dollop of wasabi. "I don't know what she'll do -- I don't know her at all. But I thought it might be nice if she felt safe doing what she wanted to do, and smile." Returning with his plate, he retook his seat and gave Shrill a look as thoughtful as a child can muster. "Dad always said the right thing to do wasn't always the most obvious thing to do. I think I get that, now."

Taking a bite out of the corner of his sandwich, he added, "I'm Zen."

Ruriska

Guilt and want of black and green babies is a great motivator!

 

[Ruriska]

"Shrill X," she supplied her name in turn, propping an elbow on the table and resting her chin on her hoof.

"You're a good kid. You'll work it out. And sometimes even after you do, you'll still make the same mistakes or discover different ones and you're gonna hurt people and yourself. Being an adult is a lot harder than being a kid because it's harder for people to forgive your mistakes."

Chrystali

I'm going to ramp up the guilt factor then next time also yes greeny blacky babbies

 

[Chrystali]

"Nice to meet you," he said politely, smiling a little more. His family member was brash but she seemed to get it, and that was important.

Her next words were a bit sobering, the small unicorn's head drooping a little. "I dunno that I need others forgiveness..." But he paused, considering. He thought of the phonies he'd met up to this point, wondering how he'd feel if they were upset with him, or...disappointed. The very thought of it made him again realize how wrong he was. "...but maybe it's good to keep in mind," he mumbled. Looking back up, he tried on another smile. "But I'll stay with the one I asked. I did it with good intention, and if I betray that, I'm not really somephony I'd want to be friends with."

Ruriska

Please do, it works wonders apparently