Bitter Sweet Competition-Beets-Beetle (Hollie-Hornet Arc 3)
Oct 5, 2022 17:13:47 GMT
Velania Kalugina, Marto Copperkettle, and 2 more like this
Post by Beets The Beetle (Feenix) on Oct 5, 2022 17:13:47 GMT
Content warnings-Slight meaness from NPC.
Cowritten with the buzzingly brilliant Pishti
It had been a really buggin’busy day. Since waking up at literally the crack of dawn- thanks to the very ‘passionate’ Daring Heights rooster that normally Beets had to avoid the urge to drop down a chimney-she had been ready waiting at the front door to Paradise Frost before the Casillia had even had time to pour her morning cup of 'black' coffee. Since then she has been out running deliveries all day, and returning with even more orders.
As she made her way back towards the bakery after her last job of a cake drop for a council meeting at Townhall she thought aloud.
“Right, so just that wedding cake delivery left, Jor should be putting the finishing touches to it now and then it's just a quick flit with it over to the Guilded Mirror." She says to herself as she curves up above Castle road. "I've never been to a wedding before, wonder if they'll let me hang around after. Maybe I could even fit in a performance!”
Beets makes her way merry back to the bakery, taking the odd moment here and there to swing herself around a couple steeples and towers that stick out among the many rooftop. Before, with a final flip she soars down with a skid into the stone flagged floor of Paradise Frost's kitchen. "I'm here to deliver that cake Jor!" If it were anyone else, they would have been startled by Beets' sudden appearance. But Jorious has grown accustomed to her antics. He just folded a sheet of dough, covering it then with parchment and reached for the rolling pin, but stopped as he heard Beet's request. "Beets!" he says, turning towards her. Today, even when in the thick of it in the kitchen, he still wears a colourful suit, but this time sporting a pair of teal pants and his white shirt adorned with a dark blue tie, but no vest. The condition of his attire is at the mercy of an overly smudged apron. "The delivery, yes, it is done" he says, pointing towards a tall white box, emblazoned with the Paradise Frost logo on it. Beets can see that it is not a small order. The box is almost as tall as she it. "Would you mind going to the front and talk to Casillia about the necessary paperwork? Unfortunately, I cannot leave this puff pastry dough unattended" Jorious says as he begins to roll the rectangular sheet of dough.
"S-sure thing Jor!" Beets says, her eyes lingering on the box as she walks out almost trance-like, her brain a'buzz just imaging the sheer amount of deliciously bake goodness it must hold within.
Beets circles around the front and makes her way into the slowly emptying cafe, the last few customers mopping up the morsels of their afternoon tea with the final dregs of their drinks.
“Alright Cas let’s get this cake signed off and flying!” She says to the darkly dressed assimar as she makes her way over to the counter.
"Yes, about that" Casillia said, looking at Beets expectantly. "There seems to be some... competition." At that last word she gestures towards what Beets initially thought were just customers. Looking closely now, Beets can see that the two figures waiting are in fact two fairies. One of them fairly large and, from what Beets can see, decently built fairy, at about 4ft tall. He wears a black and white shirt, what Beets assumes to be black leggings, and a long shaggy hair, almost completely covering his eyes. His wings are round and almost fully transparent, but seem small in comparison to his body. The other one is thinner but also much shorter, not even reaching 3ft. Like the other one, she also seems to wear a black and yellow, almost orange, shirt and a pair of black leggings. However, her clothes seem to fit her way better than the other fairy, more as if the other one is mimicking her. Her wings are long, dark and thin, with an orange hue to them, almost reaching the floor while closed. She seems to have black hair in a bob cut with what seems to be a pair of antennae sticking out from it. In fact, both of them have insect-like antennae. The shorter fairy looks Beets up and down as if assessing her, but the scowl on her face gives it away that she is actually judging her. "Excuse you! Who the hell are you?" she says with a layer of disdain and annoyance.
"W-what the bug?!" Stammers Beets taking in these two figures, but especially the snarky fairy that just addressed her. "Rude much!" She puts both hands on her hips, head held hight so her forehead mounted beetle horn stands proud. "I'm Beets..Beets The Beetle, if it's any of 'your' buggin concern!”
The short one tilts her head and raises her hand to her chin as if trying to think. "Ah yes... You... the competition. Well, you can scurry off now, we got this order" she says gesturing at Beets as if to shoo her away. She turns her attention back to the counter to continue her business "Anyway, Casillia, about that cake…"
"W-whoa-whoa! Hold on one buggin'minute missy! I've worked the whole day shift of deliveries here! What do you think gives you the flittin'right to come in here and take it off me?!" Beets interrupts, her emerald eyes flashing as flits in front of the short fairy, her air-jabbing figure poised level with the fairy's nose.
The fairy also puts her hands on her hips, lifting her chin. But where Beets lifted her chin in self pride, she did it to better look down on her. "Exactly, you've been some of the orders we planned to take. But where as you’ve just been here today, taking orders from the bakery, we have been delivering some orders to both the Gilded Mirror and the Four Fair Winds. This cake is ours. So," she continues on, her hand raised in a way that seems to accentuate her condescending tone, "as I already said, you can scurry along." It is now, standing face to face, that Beets finally gets a better look at her. Her golden eyes, her black and yellow lips and high cheekbones, as if accentuating her air of superiority, and, more importantly, a certain logo branded on the top right side of her shirt. A familiar black logo in the shape of a wasp.
Ooooh..So you must be Hollie?" Beets says, her wings giving a sudden juttering twitch as she takes in the fairy girls attire, a chill tingle creeping down her back as she starts to recall all the times the fairy girls in her village spoke down to her in just the same manner. "Well, aren't you just a buggin'delight? Her teeth clenched in a forced grin.
"Thank you" she says dryly with a half smile "at least you can recognise what's pretty. Which is more that I can say about you. You still need to exercise your smile, looks horrible by the way, and... who dresses like that, ugh." she says in clear disgust. "Now, if you don't mind backing off, you're hogging space here."
"No. You BUGGING BACK OFF! Prissy Missy!" Beets resorts, holding her ground, her beetle feet sounding loudly on the floor with a wooden confirming “Clack", drawing all eyes of the final customers of the cosy bakery close to them, a finely dressed elven woman dropping the last cucumber sandwich she was raising her her lips in shock at such profanity.
Hollie, eyes wide, eyebrows frowned, clearly offended by such act, opens her mouth to speak. "ENOUGH!" comes the voice of Casillia in a commanding tone, high enough to cut through the tension between the two. "This clearly is an issue that the two of you need to solve OUTSIDE." Hollie looks like she's about to retort, but composes herself. "Fine!" she says sharply "Come on, Rumble, let's solve this outside.”
"Sorry for the noise Cas." Beets murmurs apologetically to the baker, before turning to flit out of the bakery door, pausing to pick up the dropped sandwich and return it to the elf's plate,"Sorry mam!"As Beets leaves the shop, about to close the door behind her, she hears the confused voice of Jorious "Casillia, what's happening over there?" Beets gives a quick glance back up through the door way at Jorious' call, something making her wait with her door on the handle.
As Beets freezes for a moment, the door held ajar, she hears Casillia's voice calling out "A dispute between competitors it seems." But she couldn't hear more, the moment being interrupted by Hollie intentionally clearing her throat. "Can we get this over with?” Beets lets the door close with a jingle of the bell before she turns to face the scowling fairy standing across the street from her.
"Get what over with?” She retorts, her whole brow forming into one big long band of scowl with her dark face paint. Hollie gives off an exaggerated sigh, clearly not caring too much about how this whole situation is affecting Beets. "In case you're too daft to have gotten it earlier, the cake ends up in... ugh, how to put it in laments terms... on our turf, so it's our cake to deliver. Besides," she continues her condescending tone, looking Beets up and down, judging her in all ways, "can you even lift that thing? No, don't say it" she rapidly puts her palm in front of Beets, to stop her from talking. "I'm pretty sure you could, but let's not kid ourselves, we both know how erratic you fly. So let me put the question like this." She put her hands on her hips again, chin raised, looking down at Beets once again, even though she seems to be shorter than her. "Can you even have that cake delivered... intact?"
Beets internally snarls, her fists clenching in anger at Hollie's insult, her ears burning.
"Wel-well ur-What about you?!" She snaps back, her mind echoing with the taunts of the fairy village children. 'Bug girl! 'Bug girl! She can't fly straight and her face makes you hurl!"
"Oh, I am glad you asked" replies Hollie in that same condescending tone, but this time with smugness in her. "This is where Rumble comes in" she gestures towards the larger fairy. "You see, unlike you, he knows how to fly straight and slow as to not damage the cake. He's useful like that."Oh no..I didn't mean your 'lackey' says Beets, more confidently this time, as she crosses her arms and gives her own smirk. "I meant 'you'. Hollie raises an eye brow, a smug smirk painted across her face. "'Lackey'? It's that what you think?" she asks, almost laughing at that statement. "Is that what you think of your band? A band of lackeys?"
"No they're my friends, and real friends wouldn't let their friend keep running their sharp 'stingered' tongue insulting others because they think they're better than them. Think you can fly better than me, Prove it! You lift the cake and deliver it to the wedding-On-your-own!" She ends, emphasising her last words.
"And risk dropping it?" Hollie chuckles at Beets' attempts at belittling her. "Unlike you, Beets, I do have enough brains to know my capabilities and limitations. Unlike you, I will not risk damaging the cake just to... prove a point" she says in an almost insulting manner while trying to intimidate Beets. Then she lifts her chin and narrows her eyes. "I do not need to prove myself to someone the likes of you. I already have" she says that last phrase with another smug smile, lifting her hands as if to indicate her surroundings, especially Rumble. Hollie then rests her hands on her hips once more and scoffs at Beets. "It clearly seems that you are too preoccupied with...ugh...something else, to care about the safety of the cake. You," she adds, pointing a non-caring finger towards Beets "are clearly not fit for this. Rumble, go get the cake" she orders, snapping her fingers.
Without a word, Rumble starts waddling towards the entrance of the bakery.
"So not your 'lackey' eh? All you've proved to me is that you're a mean little flitter that likes run her mouth, and surrounds herself with people to boss around 'doing stuff' for her!" She spreads her stance wide, arms out. "You're not touching that cake! Rumble looks at the small fairy in front of him, trying to block his path, sitting for a few good seconds, thinking what to do. Finally, he grabs Beets, placing his hands under her armpits and lifts her with ease, as if he's lifting nothing more than a small cat. He then turns around completely and gently places Beets down, before continuing his path towards the bakery.
"D-did he just?!" Stammers Beets, firstly in shock and then in anger as she turns to look at the smaller fairy "What's your buggin'deal huh? You're a flittin'fairy too! Why've you got such a buggin'problem with me?”
Hollie's head drops back as she releases a frustrated groan, then lifting itself back up as she releases a low, almost menacing hum from her wings, resembling that of a hornet. "You. Are dense. Beyond belief..." she says now with clear frustration. "How the buzz did you manage to assemble that motley crew when you're this much of a scuzzing idiot." She then leans towards Beets "You. are. COMPETITION!" She says that last syllable knocking Beets on the head as if knocking on a door, as if trying to see what's up there.
Beets just stands there, head bowed. The dark makeup around her eyes and a sudden movement of cloud shifting over head throwing her face into shadow, the light breeze making the sign hanging from the bakery creak in the quiet of the street. "Well then.." Beets starts quietly, the jingle of the bakery bell from sounding behind her as the large form of Rumble walks out, hefting the large cake box in his hands. "Thats it for today then. I guess I know when I'm beat...But you wanna know the thing about competition Hollie? Sometimes..You're the one, that gets Beets And she grabs the cake box from the larger fairy and slams it down atop the suddenly terrified looking rival fairy, a voluminous spurge of cream, jam and frosting splattering out across the cobbles as Beets throws back, laughing manically-
The jingle of the bakery bell sounding behind her breaks the illusion of Beets' daymare. Out from the bakery doorway does walk is the large form of Rumble, but cakeless, accompanied by the even taller form of an apron-wearing eladrin. "Enough of this," comes stern yet calm voice of Jorious. "I have already made my decision that Beets will be delivering this cake. You two" he says pointing with his rolling pin towards the two other fairies "will have to come by another day." He then turn his welcoming gaze towards Beets "Come now, Beets." Beets is left surprised, her gaze trailing looking after the retreating baker before looking back towards the hornet fairy, unsure really what to do.
As Hollie meets Beets' gaze, she quickly drops her scowl into a forced smile. "Well then, good luck on delivering it in one piece" she says, anger in her voice, but controlled. "Later... bug face." She then instantly storms off without a chance for Beets to retort, Rumble slowly following after her.
“I really don’t buggin'like her, murmured Beets.
Cowritten with the buzzingly brilliant Pishti
It had been a really buggin’busy day. Since waking up at literally the crack of dawn- thanks to the very ‘passionate’ Daring Heights rooster that normally Beets had to avoid the urge to drop down a chimney-she had been ready waiting at the front door to Paradise Frost before the Casillia had even had time to pour her morning cup of 'black' coffee. Since then she has been out running deliveries all day, and returning with even more orders.
As she made her way back towards the bakery after her last job of a cake drop for a council meeting at Townhall she thought aloud.
“Right, so just that wedding cake delivery left, Jor should be putting the finishing touches to it now and then it's just a quick flit with it over to the Guilded Mirror." She says to herself as she curves up above Castle road. "I've never been to a wedding before, wonder if they'll let me hang around after. Maybe I could even fit in a performance!”
Beets makes her way merry back to the bakery, taking the odd moment here and there to swing herself around a couple steeples and towers that stick out among the many rooftop. Before, with a final flip she soars down with a skid into the stone flagged floor of Paradise Frost's kitchen. "I'm here to deliver that cake Jor!" If it were anyone else, they would have been startled by Beets' sudden appearance. But Jorious has grown accustomed to her antics. He just folded a sheet of dough, covering it then with parchment and reached for the rolling pin, but stopped as he heard Beet's request. "Beets!" he says, turning towards her. Today, even when in the thick of it in the kitchen, he still wears a colourful suit, but this time sporting a pair of teal pants and his white shirt adorned with a dark blue tie, but no vest. The condition of his attire is at the mercy of an overly smudged apron. "The delivery, yes, it is done" he says, pointing towards a tall white box, emblazoned with the Paradise Frost logo on it. Beets can see that it is not a small order. The box is almost as tall as she it. "Would you mind going to the front and talk to Casillia about the necessary paperwork? Unfortunately, I cannot leave this puff pastry dough unattended" Jorious says as he begins to roll the rectangular sheet of dough.
"S-sure thing Jor!" Beets says, her eyes lingering on the box as she walks out almost trance-like, her brain a'buzz just imaging the sheer amount of deliciously bake goodness it must hold within.
Beets circles around the front and makes her way into the slowly emptying cafe, the last few customers mopping up the morsels of their afternoon tea with the final dregs of their drinks.
“Alright Cas let’s get this cake signed off and flying!” She says to the darkly dressed assimar as she makes her way over to the counter.
"Yes, about that" Casillia said, looking at Beets expectantly. "There seems to be some... competition." At that last word she gestures towards what Beets initially thought were just customers. Looking closely now, Beets can see that the two figures waiting are in fact two fairies. One of them fairly large and, from what Beets can see, decently built fairy, at about 4ft tall. He wears a black and white shirt, what Beets assumes to be black leggings, and a long shaggy hair, almost completely covering his eyes. His wings are round and almost fully transparent, but seem small in comparison to his body. The other one is thinner but also much shorter, not even reaching 3ft. Like the other one, she also seems to wear a black and yellow, almost orange, shirt and a pair of black leggings. However, her clothes seem to fit her way better than the other fairy, more as if the other one is mimicking her. Her wings are long, dark and thin, with an orange hue to them, almost reaching the floor while closed. She seems to have black hair in a bob cut with what seems to be a pair of antennae sticking out from it. In fact, both of them have insect-like antennae. The shorter fairy looks Beets up and down as if assessing her, but the scowl on her face gives it away that she is actually judging her. "Excuse you! Who the hell are you?" she says with a layer of disdain and annoyance.
"W-what the bug?!" Stammers Beets taking in these two figures, but especially the snarky fairy that just addressed her. "Rude much!" She puts both hands on her hips, head held hight so her forehead mounted beetle horn stands proud. "I'm Beets..Beets The Beetle, if it's any of 'your' buggin concern!”
The short one tilts her head and raises her hand to her chin as if trying to think. "Ah yes... You... the competition. Well, you can scurry off now, we got this order" she says gesturing at Beets as if to shoo her away. She turns her attention back to the counter to continue her business "Anyway, Casillia, about that cake…"
"W-whoa-whoa! Hold on one buggin'minute missy! I've worked the whole day shift of deliveries here! What do you think gives you the flittin'right to come in here and take it off me?!" Beets interrupts, her emerald eyes flashing as flits in front of the short fairy, her air-jabbing figure poised level with the fairy's nose.
The fairy also puts her hands on her hips, lifting her chin. But where Beets lifted her chin in self pride, she did it to better look down on her. "Exactly, you've been some of the orders we planned to take. But where as you’ve just been here today, taking orders from the bakery, we have been delivering some orders to both the Gilded Mirror and the Four Fair Winds. This cake is ours. So," she continues on, her hand raised in a way that seems to accentuate her condescending tone, "as I already said, you can scurry along." It is now, standing face to face, that Beets finally gets a better look at her. Her golden eyes, her black and yellow lips and high cheekbones, as if accentuating her air of superiority, and, more importantly, a certain logo branded on the top right side of her shirt. A familiar black logo in the shape of a wasp.
Ooooh..So you must be Hollie?" Beets says, her wings giving a sudden juttering twitch as she takes in the fairy girls attire, a chill tingle creeping down her back as she starts to recall all the times the fairy girls in her village spoke down to her in just the same manner. "Well, aren't you just a buggin'delight? Her teeth clenched in a forced grin.
"Thank you" she says dryly with a half smile "at least you can recognise what's pretty. Which is more that I can say about you. You still need to exercise your smile, looks horrible by the way, and... who dresses like that, ugh." she says in clear disgust. "Now, if you don't mind backing off, you're hogging space here."
"No. You BUGGING BACK OFF! Prissy Missy!" Beets resorts, holding her ground, her beetle feet sounding loudly on the floor with a wooden confirming “Clack", drawing all eyes of the final customers of the cosy bakery close to them, a finely dressed elven woman dropping the last cucumber sandwich she was raising her her lips in shock at such profanity.
Hollie, eyes wide, eyebrows frowned, clearly offended by such act, opens her mouth to speak. "ENOUGH!" comes the voice of Casillia in a commanding tone, high enough to cut through the tension between the two. "This clearly is an issue that the two of you need to solve OUTSIDE." Hollie looks like she's about to retort, but composes herself. "Fine!" she says sharply "Come on, Rumble, let's solve this outside.”
"Sorry for the noise Cas." Beets murmurs apologetically to the baker, before turning to flit out of the bakery door, pausing to pick up the dropped sandwich and return it to the elf's plate,"Sorry mam!"As Beets leaves the shop, about to close the door behind her, she hears the confused voice of Jorious "Casillia, what's happening over there?" Beets gives a quick glance back up through the door way at Jorious' call, something making her wait with her door on the handle.
As Beets freezes for a moment, the door held ajar, she hears Casillia's voice calling out "A dispute between competitors it seems." But she couldn't hear more, the moment being interrupted by Hollie intentionally clearing her throat. "Can we get this over with?” Beets lets the door close with a jingle of the bell before she turns to face the scowling fairy standing across the street from her.
"Get what over with?” She retorts, her whole brow forming into one big long band of scowl with her dark face paint. Hollie gives off an exaggerated sigh, clearly not caring too much about how this whole situation is affecting Beets. "In case you're too daft to have gotten it earlier, the cake ends up in... ugh, how to put it in laments terms... on our turf, so it's our cake to deliver. Besides," she continues her condescending tone, looking Beets up and down, judging her in all ways, "can you even lift that thing? No, don't say it" she rapidly puts her palm in front of Beets, to stop her from talking. "I'm pretty sure you could, but let's not kid ourselves, we both know how erratic you fly. So let me put the question like this." She put her hands on her hips again, chin raised, looking down at Beets once again, even though she seems to be shorter than her. "Can you even have that cake delivered... intact?"
Beets internally snarls, her fists clenching in anger at Hollie's insult, her ears burning.
"Wel-well ur-What about you?!" She snaps back, her mind echoing with the taunts of the fairy village children. 'Bug girl! 'Bug girl! She can't fly straight and her face makes you hurl!"
"Oh, I am glad you asked" replies Hollie in that same condescending tone, but this time with smugness in her. "This is where Rumble comes in" she gestures towards the larger fairy. "You see, unlike you, he knows how to fly straight and slow as to not damage the cake. He's useful like that."Oh no..I didn't mean your 'lackey' says Beets, more confidently this time, as she crosses her arms and gives her own smirk. "I meant 'you'. Hollie raises an eye brow, a smug smirk painted across her face. "'Lackey'? It's that what you think?" she asks, almost laughing at that statement. "Is that what you think of your band? A band of lackeys?"
"No they're my friends, and real friends wouldn't let their friend keep running their sharp 'stingered' tongue insulting others because they think they're better than them. Think you can fly better than me, Prove it! You lift the cake and deliver it to the wedding-On-your-own!" She ends, emphasising her last words.
"And risk dropping it?" Hollie chuckles at Beets' attempts at belittling her. "Unlike you, Beets, I do have enough brains to know my capabilities and limitations. Unlike you, I will not risk damaging the cake just to... prove a point" she says in an almost insulting manner while trying to intimidate Beets. Then she lifts her chin and narrows her eyes. "I do not need to prove myself to someone the likes of you. I already have" she says that last phrase with another smug smile, lifting her hands as if to indicate her surroundings, especially Rumble. Hollie then rests her hands on her hips once more and scoffs at Beets. "It clearly seems that you are too preoccupied with...ugh...something else, to care about the safety of the cake. You," she adds, pointing a non-caring finger towards Beets "are clearly not fit for this. Rumble, go get the cake" she orders, snapping her fingers.
Without a word, Rumble starts waddling towards the entrance of the bakery.
"So not your 'lackey' eh? All you've proved to me is that you're a mean little flitter that likes run her mouth, and surrounds herself with people to boss around 'doing stuff' for her!" She spreads her stance wide, arms out. "You're not touching that cake! Rumble looks at the small fairy in front of him, trying to block his path, sitting for a few good seconds, thinking what to do. Finally, he grabs Beets, placing his hands under her armpits and lifts her with ease, as if he's lifting nothing more than a small cat. He then turns around completely and gently places Beets down, before continuing his path towards the bakery.
"D-did he just?!" Stammers Beets, firstly in shock and then in anger as she turns to look at the smaller fairy "What's your buggin'deal huh? You're a flittin'fairy too! Why've you got such a buggin'problem with me?”
Hollie's head drops back as she releases a frustrated groan, then lifting itself back up as she releases a low, almost menacing hum from her wings, resembling that of a hornet. "You. Are dense. Beyond belief..." she says now with clear frustration. "How the buzz did you manage to assemble that motley crew when you're this much of a scuzzing idiot." She then leans towards Beets "You. are. COMPETITION!" She says that last syllable knocking Beets on the head as if knocking on a door, as if trying to see what's up there.
Beets just stands there, head bowed. The dark makeup around her eyes and a sudden movement of cloud shifting over head throwing her face into shadow, the light breeze making the sign hanging from the bakery creak in the quiet of the street. "Well then.." Beets starts quietly, the jingle of the bakery bell from sounding behind her as the large form of Rumble walks out, hefting the large cake box in his hands. "Thats it for today then. I guess I know when I'm beat...But you wanna know the thing about competition Hollie? Sometimes..You're the one, that gets Beets And she grabs the cake box from the larger fairy and slams it down atop the suddenly terrified looking rival fairy, a voluminous spurge of cream, jam and frosting splattering out across the cobbles as Beets throws back, laughing manically-
The jingle of the bakery bell sounding behind her breaks the illusion of Beets' daymare. Out from the bakery doorway does walk is the large form of Rumble, but cakeless, accompanied by the even taller form of an apron-wearing eladrin. "Enough of this," comes stern yet calm voice of Jorious. "I have already made my decision that Beets will be delivering this cake. You two" he says pointing with his rolling pin towards the two other fairies "will have to come by another day." He then turn his welcoming gaze towards Beets "Come now, Beets." Beets is left surprised, her gaze trailing looking after the retreating baker before looking back towards the hornet fairy, unsure really what to do.
As Hollie meets Beets' gaze, she quickly drops her scowl into a forced smile. "Well then, good luck on delivering it in one piece" she says, anger in her voice, but controlled. "Later... bug face." She then instantly storms off without a chance for Beets to retort, Rumble slowly following after her.
“I really don’t buggin'like her, murmured Beets.