The Tales of Hestia

If You Sing Along a Little Fucking Louder To a Happy Song...

Trigger warnings for this chapter are slight mentions of queerphobia. Please read at your own volition.

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Date: the 30th of Malora, during the 525th E Rima Tau

    I SAT ON A rough silicone mat in the middle of the hotel room, with my legs crossed (it still hurts me to this ra to do this), trying to take a deep breath. Until that is, Lemmy tapped me on my shoulder. "Yes, Lemmy?"

    "It's mois' end."

    "What does that have to do with anything?"

    "Didn't the two Empresses say something about having the weapons ready at this point?"

    Shit. "They did."

    "We should probably go down to the castle, just in case."

    "You're right, we probably should."

    The small Koopaling hopped up and down on the mattress behind me in excitement. "You know, you've kind of been avoiding conversation with me since that incident a week back. Is everything alright?"

    "Yeah, everything's fine. I just don't fully trust you again yet, and I just wish it never happened."

    "I know, and... I feel awful for it. It wasn't like me at all."

    I sighed, making eye contact with Lemmy and smirking at him. "I know it wasn't. But please, for the love of Odin, respect my boundaries."

    "I should have that night. And now I understand why Shadow was angry at me. Oh! Speaking of which, um, Shadow wants to take you out to dinner tonight," Lemmy smiled afterward.

    I blushed a deep hue of red at the thought of Shadow taking me out to dinner. "Uh-huh..."

    "He also says that he wants to do it as like... a little... little good luck thing before the deployment. So... he wants to wish you good luck out there."

    I chuckled a bit. "Maybe he'll surprise me again like how he did last time after he and I went to that one Italian tavern when we were in Venetia."

    "Lovebirds. So, did you two kiss?"

    I nodded my head, now smiling. "We did."

    "How was it? Was it passionate? Was it a slow-burn? Did Shadow kiss you on the neck?" The multicolor-haired Koopaling gasped.

    I nodded my head once more, attempting to hide my blush. "Yes, yes, yes, and yes."

    "You're blushing just thinking about it, aren't you?"

    I smacked Lemmy upside the back of his head. "Knock it off, you dunce, I'm already as red as a tomato, thanks to you!"

    "I'm betting your brother and his partner were excited to see more people like them out there, knowing that they're still under the rule of a homophobic Emperor."

    "Yeah, they were. They got to see, our... well... second kiss."

    "And I missed out on all of this? Wow."

    "Well, you had to help out King Bowser with the preparations for the war."

    "Yeah, true, but still, I wish I was there to see you two kiss!"

    "No, you don't. Unless you wish to have been beaten up by the Emperor for defending us because he's that much of a bigoted troglodyte. Oh, and you would have had to hide your top surgery scars as much as possible because Venetia isn't as accepting of people like us."