[PRP] Once Bitter Twice Shy [BitterEnd/Twice/Sleepless/Gaze]

[Jun D]

”Nothing,” she said, then pulled herself to her hooves with some effort, dripping marsh-water all down a side, shaking out her damp hair, ”how did this gripping tale race to its inevitable conclusion, anyway?”  

[Maxx D]

"So," Gaze carefully asked, blinking thoughtfully at him. "how did it end, anyway?"  

[Jun D]

”That, in fact, was extremely confusing,” he stated the obvious, ”as she raged, I tried to wheedle out the cause of her anger, then all of a sudden, she put a question to me:”  

[Maxx D]

"How do you feel," she stated, eyes suddenly downcast, "about children."  

[Jun D]

Twice was completely flummoxed about the sudden change in conversation, but nevertheless brightened - perhaps she was merely feeling the same strange stirrings as he?

”I have, in fact, been thinking much on children of late!”  

[Maxx D]

"And that was when I turned my back, left with my dignity, and came to you." To be honest, Bitter End left out a lot of pertinent details, but it was no longer of concern to her. She was here now, and she was ready to get on with it. Enough story-telling.

___

Bitter Gaze, on the other hand, winced on his behalf. When the tale was told, he opened one eye to ask, "um...so, that's it?"  

[Jun D]

”Unfortunately, that is it,” he sadly shook his head, ”I have not seen her since, and even though I regret it ended so...abruptly, I’m not sure I’m truly all that eager to see her again.”  

[Maxx D]

He tilted his head with a non-committal whine. "Iiii...can see why." And in hushed tones, leaned forward. "Do you think she'll really try to kill you?"  

[Jun D]

”I have no earthly idea,” he smiled, wan, ”but she is a very obdurate doe, and, I dare say, capable of anything she puts her mind to. And she certainly did make her intention rather clear. Well, I know not how much longer I have in this good Swamp! It may be forever or a day. But you can see why I’m so easily spooked.”  

[Maxx D]

"I'm going to kill him." Bitter End said that with an airy lilt to her voice, clearly delighting in the thought. "So that no foal may ever again suffer the perversions of that buck, of course. Think of the children!"  

[Jun D]

”Yes, yes,” she said, distracted by trying to get the water out of her ear - flicking wasn’t quite doing the trick maybe if she hopped up and down, ”and what am I supposed to do about it?”  

[Maxx D]

Her tone turned sharp, and the hardness of her face clearly showed just what the buck had gone through. "Well, you're the swamp witch," she snapped, unimpressed. "You tell me. Hex him or something, curse him to death. I don't care, just make him die."  

[Jun D]

”Ah...yes.”

Yes, of course. She was the Swamp witch. With the hexing and the cursing. And the death.

”Yes. Of course,” she said, just that tad uneasily, as she trotted round the hollowed gourd she used for her herbal experiments, ”I’ll just...set up this...curse. Eye of newt.”

She sourced a few stray berries (poisonous berries, though, at least there was that) that looked serviceably eye-like and dropped them into the gourd, splashing in some of the marsh water for effect.

“Deadly nightshade.”

What she dropped in was decidedly not nightshade, but she didn’t suppose the doe would know that.

”And...I’ll...just…” rather reluctantly, she began to shamble around the gourd in a way that could be construed as weird witch dancing, ”Thrice the...circle, long the...chain...send this...poison to his brain! There - now he’ll die.”

”Someday,” she added, under her breath.  

[Maxx D]

End gave a very critical look to the doe prancing prior, evaluating her witchitude. "That didn't look very powerful." She judged, clearly giving a mental score. "Isn't there something more....witchy and powerful? I really want him to die."  

[Jun D]

"Oh no, my friend," she assured, irrationally piqued that her fake witch powers were being called into question, "it could not be more powerful. Nowhere could you find a witch that could conjure you a more powerful curse! In fact, the only way to weave a hex more potent would be to infuse it with the legendary, one-of-a-kind...Swamp...Witch root.

"HAHAHAHA," she laughed wildly, to cover for the fact that she had lost her way somewhat in extolling her fake witch powers, "yes, doubt not my power.

"I guarantee you – he will die."

”Someday,” she added, again, under her breath.