𝖂𝖎𝖈𝖐𝖊𝖉 𝕲𝖔𝖔𝖉 (𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕿𝖜𝖔)

Of Trumaines, Hooks and Ravens

She grinned and examined Mal, "The washed-out blonde with purple tips the best of no worlds, you can't tell where your face ends and your hair begins," she complained. Dizzy sat Mal down, "bore to death pink!" She exclaimed in horror looking at her nails. She stepped back, "How far can I go?"

"The works," Mal answered. "Whatever makes me feel like me but ya know, way worse,"

Dizzy jumped, "yay" She picked up a pair of scissors that looked like hedge shears painted black and splattered with paint making Mal nervous.

"Okay I gotta get in on this," Anthony relented with a laugh seeing Mal squirm under Dizzy's gaze.

Anthony dyed Mal's hair and cut it; Dizzy used cans in place of hair curlers considering they didn't have any real ones. She dried her hair and repainted her nails black. Anthony turned her around to a broken mirror. Mal had to bend down to look in the shards. "Hey there I am." She smiled finally feeling like herself again. Long straight light purple hair with bangs she definitely looked like herself again.

"Voilà," Dizzy cheered.

"Voila," she repeated. She pulled a considerable amount of money out of their pockets and handed half to Dizzy and the other half to Anthony.

"For us?" Dizzy asked in awe.

Mal nodded, "You two earned it," She smiled.

Anthony glared at it then Mal, "what's the catch."

She shook her head, "No catch. You didn't have to help me, you could have told Dizzy no but you did."

He gagged, "You sound like all that good guy propaganda they shove down our throats."

They laughed together, a laugh like Mal hadn't been able to do in months, she missed her isle friends. She loved Ella, Ryder, Jazzy, and Aaron but she finally realized what was missing, Quest and Anthony. She needed them just as much as she needed the royal four. Just as much as she needed Evie, Jay and Carlos.

Quest heard scraping, The scraping of metal against Stone. It was a sound that annoyed him to no end recently. "Hook!" he whispered exclaimed.

Anthony quickly pocketed the money Mal gave him. Dizzy tried to put it away in the register but was a moment too slow. "Fork it over ya runt," Harry's accent rang through the shop. She sighed and smacked the auradon bills into his hand. He banged his shiny silver hook on the counter, "and the rest of it."

Dizzy opened the register and handed him what was left "Still running errands for Uma or do you actually get to keep what you steal?" Mal gave herself away Quest and Anthony at her sides.

He turned to the three with wide eyes, "Well, well, well. What a nice surprise." he was sarcastic towards Mal neither had liked the other since the breakup but with.

"Hi Harry."

"Back wit' t'e witc' you two? Disappointing."

Quest rolled his eyes and Anthony crossed his arms, "Not back with any one Hooky," he gave Anthony a glare which he returned. "You're lucky I got a truce with Harriet, or I'd lay you out flat."

Harry grinned madly, "Just wait until Uma hears your back." He directed at Mal mostly ignoring Anthony, "she's never gonna give you back your old territory."

Mal fakes being sad, "That's okay cause I will be taking it back."

He runs his hook through her hair, "I could hurt you."

She grabbed his hook and stuck her gum on the end of it. "Not without her permission I bet."

Harry looks her in the eye and eats the gum off the end of the hook. He sweeps everything off the counter onto the floor and leaves, "Great more sweeping," Dizzy snapped.

After helping Dizzy and Anthony pick up everything Harry threw, they walked back to the hide away. "What's the deal with you and Harry?" Quest asked Mal.

"We dated a while ago, short lived but that's our only real connection."

"It's his loss really, Uma just messes with him a lot. He likes to flirt with her, but she'll never give him the time of day."

Mal side eyed Quest, "what about you and Anthony?"

His face bloomed as red as his mother's Roses, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, please I saw his face when you asked him to do my hair, and I saw you two whispering really close to each other at one point."

"Oh, look we're back!" He picked up a rock and threw it at the sign running up the stairs.

Mal laughed chasing after him only to stop short when she saw who was at the top of the stairs. "It's been a while, Mal. I have to say I'm surprised your back at all. From the anger radiating off the evil queen, Jafar and Curella. I figured you were happy as could be. Or do I have to hurt that little kingling?"

So that's why Quest wanted her out of the hideout, "Papa!" she shouted after snapping out of her stupor.

Diaval caught her with ease holding her tightly, he let her cry and snap and release all the anger that had built up over the last six months. No judgment, no punishment, no expectations. Maybe she was also missing this. Maybe she was missing her papa too.

Added: Apr 5, 2023