Work Text:
Maybe it was the shock of the abrupt shift in environments, or the sudden crash that followed, but it took Tavros several minutes of spastic arm flailing to fully register a few important facts. For one, he was upside down. For two, his awesome rocket chair was tangled in a web. For three…he was in HER house. Oh crap. This was far worse than any monster could ever hope to be. He had to get out of there, and fast.
The final fact alone was enough to make him stop struggling. In fact, he stopped breathing for a bit. He hung there, staring at the frightening girl, clad in a white dress and fairy wings (this…didn't actually surprise him that much, really…he was positive that this was her idea of a cruel joke.), and curled up on a mound of broken 8-balls. If he hadn't been so terrified of her, he might have found the sight to be charming. But all he could think of was finding a way to escape without alerting her to his presence. She hadn't moved yet…she must have been sleeping pretty hard…so maybe…just maybe…
Moving as quietly as he could, Tavros struggled until he finally managed to get himself loose from the restraining straps that held him in his chair. He fell on the ground with a dull thud, head first. Oh, great, now his horns were stuck in the floor….
Several minutes of pulling and sweating, all the while biting his lips to keep himself from grunting, he somehow managed to pull his head free. He looked up fearfully at Vriska. Amazingly, she appeared to have slept through his performance undisturbed. He permitted himself a quiet sigh of relief, and reached up to captchalouge his rocket chair. It was far too noisy to start up inside the house, and he didn't want to risk her waking up while he was still trying to climb into the thing. He would just have to try to get outside without using it. Several strands of the spider web came with the chair; he would simply have to clean them off later.
He rolled over on his stomach, and began to crawl, arm over arm, towards the nearest exit. It was hard work, but thanks to arm strength built up due to time spent pushing himself around in his four wheeled device, it was not impossible. Left arm out, reach, and pull…now a breath…and the other arm, stretched in front of him, now reach, and pull…slowly, and steadily, he pulled himself nearer and nearer the door. I'm doing it, he thought, his heart pounding in his chest. I'm going to make it. Just a few more feet…just a few more inches… his arms were starting to hurt, but he didn't care. Freedom was so close. He reached out and put his hand on the door.
A dainty, heeled shoe pressed down on the small of his back. "Going somewhere, Pupa?"
He almost passed out right then and there from sheer terror. No, scratch that…he WISHED he could pass out. He was already at her mercy, why not just sleep through the inevitable? Unfortunately, things once again failed to go his way. He yelped aloud as the Scorpio girl grabbed him by the shoulder, and flipped him over onto his back.
"You know, it is very rude to…heh heh…drop in on a lady, and not announce your presence Tavros. And to leave without even saying anything…now that is simply inexcusable. Are your manners as bad as your gaming skills? Am I going to have to teach you eveeeeeeeerything?" She grinned widely at this, and poked at his chest with her metal hand, causing him to whimper. "And look…you even broke my gaming equipment, along with my window! What a nuisance you are, Toreadumbass. But, never mind. At least you've proved that you can follow a simple order. Good for you."
"This…uhhh…this isn't the denizen's lair…"
"Of course," she continued, ignoring his stammering, "trying to sneak off like that…tsk, tsk…not so good! In fact, I dare say you've hurt my feelings, Pupa."
"I…umm…you were asleep. I didn't want to…uhh…disturb you…or somehow upset you…I seem to do that, uh…quite a lot…"
"Yes, you do, but never mind. Yes, I was sleeping…or rather, I was more awake than I've ever been. Did you know that, in this game, even when we sleep we are still playing, only in a different place." Her grin widened. "I was there. And I learned stuff. I finally understand. I really am supposed to be on this team…damn her, she was right all along…and I'm supposed to be your server. And it will all work out beautifully." She smirked in a way that, on any other girl anywhere else, might have come across as quite coquettish, maybe even adorable.
"Isn't it nice to have a purpose?"
He gulped, and tried again. "I…I thought…thought that you wanted me to fight the big monster…"
"And I do. And you will. After I've made sure that you are good. And. Ready. Prepare for some hands on training, Tavroooooooos."
"…what?"
"You heard me. And this will serve more than one purpose. The others still don't trust me. They have trouble belieeeeeeeeeving me. Isn't that the saddest thing? But you are going to help me change all of that. When they see how much GOOD I've done for you, they will have to! Just think of me as…your Fairy Godmother."
"you…you said…you said that fairies don't exist…"
"And they don't. But I do. " She grabbed him by the horns, leaned forward…and kissed him once, on the end of his nose. His face glowed rust brown, having her so close to him like that. "And I'm ever so much more useful."
Still holding him by the horns, she dragged him back towards the center of the room. "Come on, Tavroooooooos! Let's discuss gaming strategies. Won't that be fun?" He whimpered again, and gave in to the inevitable.