#selfright

Danny was enjoying the remaining summer sunshine before fall took over Auradon, basking in the warmth of a long walk. Sometimes he liked to do that -- just wander around until he stumbled upon something interesting. Or, rather, someone. “Hey, Fable.” He greeted the vivacious princess with a broad grin, blue eyes glancing down at her masterpiece spread across the lush campus lawn. Fable had a liveliness to her that other royals didn’t exude... and more often than not, he found himself desiring to be in her fun company. “Whatcha working on?”

“No one understands, Blue.” Stevie huffed lightly. “I mean, you probably don’t understand either! I know I’m half gem but I’m half human and it’s weird. My body is weird. I have something my dad calls “hormones” now and he keeps being all weird about it and wanting to give me “talks” and he just won’t leave me alone. And now with Connie, I mean, I think I might like her, but I don’t know if she likes me. I mean, she’s my best friend and if I told her I liked her and she doesn’t like me back, it would just make things weird and just... Sometimes I think I should just run away and join the circus or something.”

  “I remember all of it.”  His voice is quiet, feet in the water.  “Outside of the few times my-her-” Hematite fumbles over the words and shoves his hands in wet sand.  “The few times she took control.  Wasn’t that often, I wasn’t worth it and she figured out a better way.  Called it polishing.”  His shoulders curl in even though he can barely hear himself say the word.  “It wore off faster the more I should’ve been feeling.  I worked with a couple of gems who liked telling on me.  It...wasn’t exactly pleasant working for white diamond.”