#mxapplegreen

      Miranda smiled, folding her hands in her lap while the potential hire sat down. Not bad, and indeed they seemed to live up to their expectations already. Tall, lanky, but with a relaxed grace that other monsters would’ve floundered in. Miranda’s eating serfs were already at work in a nearby stall, leaving the merprincess herself with only a chalice of saltwater and an assortment of silverware in front of her - something that made it easier to have a good impression.

      “It’s quaint - hardly like what any respectable royal has at home, but it is the best the land has to offer.” A faint hum and a claw clicked against her chalice. It was just standard crystal, hardly the ‘ carved from solid diamond ’ Miranda trusted to be a minimum, but she’d make do for tonight. After all, it was a bad idea to meet new hires in a private place when first talking to them. Public would have to make do.

                  Time to get down to business, though. 

      One of Miranda’s standing guards moved over to unfold a long scroll, made of some kind of seaweed blend paper, and covered in the details of the job - with, of course, a place to sign at the bottom, with Miranda’s own signature already handled. But it was full of legal jargon, and Miri felt it was best to explain outright.

      “You are to serve as a personal guard to myself, Princess Miranda Vanderbilt of the Merkingdom’s Crown Throne. You will be tasked with protection, first and foremost - against any potential assassins, insurgents, environmental hazards, suitors, angry mobs, fellow royals, animals sentient or otherwise, plants sentient or otherwise, monster and/or bounty hunters, and any other potential threat to myself and/or the Merkingdom’s integrity. Your first and utmost consideration will be my safety. Further tasks will be assigned as needed, with bonus pay for assassinations, information gathering, bounty hunting, interrogations, spying, research and intelligence jobs, shows of power, threats, and more as detailed in the agreement. Starting flat pay begins at 750 billion per week hired, with a minimal increase of 25 million as seen fit, with my approval. We include complete health coverage, with recompense for injuries sustained while doing tasks ordered. And, of course, after a period of three months, you will be given the choice of either moving into a prepared room on my current residences or staying where you are. A space has already been set up for your operations at my castle. Furthermore, you are expected to accompany me as desired, with exceptions being made as I wish. Hours are on a by-need basis.” That was the basics, anyways - and Miranda paused to catch her breath and take a sip of her saltwater. Thankfully, she already knew the tests for poison to have come up negative.

 @mxapplegreen​ said... "I thought long ago that you were dead and gone, but here you are, smiling in the face of the devil." - bc this line seems like a fun way to kick off this twin verse

         the last ten minutes have been nothing short of a whirlwind of revelations for the shapeshifter. they had been...... skeptical to say the least when the other, a mirror image, had come forward claiming to be their long-lost sibling. their twin. the whole thing sounded like some fantastical made up story, and on one hand, double loved it. that sort of trope is always thrilling, and they’ve always wanted to be at the center of a storyline like that.

         just..... preferably as an actor. not in real life.

         it had all seemed too far-fetched to be true, but the more they listened to the other -- calling themself trouble -- explain, the more things started to click into place. as far as double knew, no other beings could do quite what they could. but that meant that no one else should be able to imitate their chosen appearance so accurately either. and then there’s the little details, the strange oddities about their life that had never made sense, never quite lined up. why their memories of living with the mages started long after they should’ve been able to retain other childhood memories, yet they could remember nothing before. and why they always had the feeling that they were part of something much greater -- but could never explain. for their whole life, they’d said it was their destiny as a performer calling. but that was never quite right either.

           ‘ i always thought i wasn’t alone, but then again i assumed the universe couldn’t replicate something as original as me. when they talk about the ghosts of your past, i never thought they’d be so....stunning. ’ they give the other an approving nod, flashing their teeth. ‘ brava, darling. ’

            the haughty facade drops, then, and double steps back a pace, hands folding behind their back. they’re not shy, they never have been. but they’re curious -- cautious, even. ‘ how is it you’ve remembered me for so long, but i haven’t? what possibly could’ve happened to separate us? ’

@mxapplegreen​ || 𝔗𝔥𝔞𝔱'𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔤𝔬𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔩 𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔱𝔥

      “Of course they aren’t - but that’s not up to me.” Like any other apex predator in too small of a cage, Miranda paced her way back and forth, across the library’s study. The setting sun framed her silhouette in the broad semicircle of glass planes, the ocean turning red and orange and deep purple with the last burst of daylight. With the study built into the side of the cliff as it was, providing such beautiful views of Miranda’s kingdom from where it jutted out from the rock face and the rest of the castle, it was almost strange to see her in such a tizzy over the piles of love letters stacked up on the desk she had to keep forcing herself to go sit back down at. 

                    Almost.

      “It is never about them, and it was never about me. Choice is not a delicacy I can enjoy with this meal - though I must question why you even bother with...” Miranda gestured to the air as she paced, walking from one side of the room to the other, passing by chaise longues and elaborate recliners, following in the same pattern over and over by heavy mahogany desks and tables, spacious and more prepared than Miranda would ever need. She couldn’t find the word she needed - it wasn't caring, she was pretty sure. Nor was it offering advice, she didn’t think. Solace? Someone to confide in? No, no - Miranda shook the thought away like a pesky fly. Arrive at the other wall and another point-blank turn. Repeat.

@mxapplegreen

Bow’s nose instinctively wrinkled just a little bit at the sound of Double Trouble’s voice. Perhaps that was rude, but the silver-tongued shapeshifter was an ugly reminder locked inside a pretty form. He had failed to be a proper support for Glimmer, enabled her during the fallout, enabled Adora, and pushed in whatever temporary solution got quick smiles onto faces without actually fixing a thing. All this chaos had allowed Double Trouble to dissolve the team entirely. They had corroded the bonds between his best friends with a sickly sweet acid, and the blame could be traced back to him.

Beyond the initial surge of negative instinct on hearing their voice, Double Trouble’s question struck Bow oddly. Could they read thoughts, or was he an open book? The idea of the former made his stomach do a somersault.

“Wh... I, uh... What is it exactly you think I’m thinking about?”

Holde A Muse // Accepting

@mxapplegreen