Zapped by an Apple | An Appledash College AU Fanfic | Human Characters

⓵⓸ 『 Crystal Empire 』

A lofty, broad-shouldered man with a square chin stubbled in black glared at Rain through smallish eyes. Rain was good at staring contests, she had had countless with AJ in the past and (almost...) kicked her ass, but man, this guy was good.

     "Just let us in, or else..." the cocky athlete warned, cracking her knuckles and rolling up her sleeves. She had seen enough of this asshole to know she wanted his face purple with shiners.

     The dude towered over her by at least two heads, but this didn't stop Rainbow from peeling her maw into a haughty sneer. He looked down at her encased injured leg and drew his gaze up to the crutches under her arms, and his observations sent him guffawing hysterically. When he finally calmed down enough to catch his breath, he chirped, "Yeah right! Like I've told you lot a thousand times over, it's reserved visitors only." He took his thick finger and jabbed it between Rain's brows.

     "Okay, that's it..." Rain fumed, reeling her arm back for a blow. Fae gasped, concealing herself in Tiana's shadow. Rachel rolled her eyes to the stars and pinched her nose-bridge in irritation before stepping in front of the hostile jocky, urging, "Oh now really Rain, that will not be necessary." She cleared her throat in the most girlish grumble Dash had ever heard, and then whispered, "You have to use charm dear, charm. Now watch."

     "Oh brother," Tiana shook her head and released a groan. Rachel's heels clicked aloft the pavement two steps towards the brute and she met his crabbed face with a smile.

     "I'm terribly sorry about my friend darling, she can be a real pain sometimes," she spoke pitifully, but in a manner her friends knew to be theatrical in nature. She brushed off her milky satin dress before proceeding, "Now, I just know it must just be horrid having to stand here all night in the cold like this, why, I would be quite rattled myself if I were in the same position as you."

     It's like seventy degrees Fahrenheit, Rain thought, exchanging critical glances with Fae and Tiana. But she kept her lips glued.

     The man's shoulders seemed to relax a smidge at Rachel's sympathy. "It's not the best, no," he admitted. Rachel seemed to have taken this for a green light, as the next thing she said was, "Well, you seem like a man of compassion if I do say so myself. We are not the most fond of standing around here either, so, what do you say, you can just let us in and we can--"

     "Nice try, lady, you should have thought of that before coming here. You need a reservation booked at least a week in advance and I haven't seen any of you on this list here," the man interrupted, shaking his clipboard. Rachel opened her mouth to retort, when a chipper voice sounded from behind her, "They're with meeeeee!" Piper sang, bounding up the sidewalk.

     Just like that, this uptight fiend's stiff expression melted away into a mushy grin, and his entire body loosened as he chuckled, "Pie!!! No way, these screwballs are yours?!" Rainbow's jaw fell open in astonishment as Piper skipped towards them and her and the hefty gentleman engaged in a juvenile handshake routine. The groove finished with a peppy hip bump, and the two giggled in unison.

     (No wonder Rachel's 'charm' hadn't worked, this guy was flamboyant as hell--)

     "Yep, these guys are mine alright, aren't they a riot?" Piper gleamed as she turned to embrace her friends in a warm group-hug. She then faced back towards the lofty gent and added, "Oh, and there's another one coming too okay Bubbles? Her name's AJ, if you see her, let her in."

     Bubbles? Rainbow mused to herself.

     "Now come on guys, let's party!!!" Piper yipped. Bubbles stepped aside and bowed as the afro-haired lass pranced into The Crystal Empire bar and the others followed suit.