Evie Of The Isle (princessevie) wrote in valloic, @ 2020-10-08 00:44:00 |
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Evie gave Dude an understanding smile. "This isn't home, Dude," she explained for what had to be at least the twentieth time. "There are things here that could seriously hurt you, and I care about you too much to put you in danger. Remember when the dinosaurs were here?"
Dude barked, looking up at Evie and giving her what she assumed was his best tough dog face. "I could've totally taken them! Besides, it's embarrassing knowing that you're there while I'm trying to...answer nature's call."
Evie sighed. "Dude, I respect your privacy. I'm just going to walk into the forest with you. I promise I'm not going to watch. I just want you to be safe."
Dude sighed, resigned. "Fine," he said. "I guess that makes sense."
Evie smiled, and the two ventured off into the forest together. Evie gave Dude some privacy while he went to go find a spot to take care of business, keeping her eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. While she loved Vallo, and thought it was a really cool place to find herself, she did worry about Dude getting himself into trouble. He was so excited to explore everything, that he didn't seem to always realize that Vallo wasn't like Auradon. He could easily get hurt. Luckily, for the most part, he listened to Evie.
"Evie! You gotta come see what I found!" Dude's voice pulled Evie in the direction of the cliffs. How had they ended up here? Evie never strayed too far from her castle when she and Dude went out on their afternoon walks. Especially since the forest liked to shift and change without a moment's notice. Though it had thrown her off the first time that it had happened, she had since gotten used to it. Still, Evie had heard of a creepy building being out there, and she had no desire to stumble upon it.
Though apparently, Vallo decided that she had no say in the matter. Evie found herself standing right in front of said creepy hotel that she had been warned about, Dude wagging his tail, looking at her, his small eyes wide with excitement.
"What do you think is in there?" Dude asked, practically jumping with excitement. "We should go and see!"
Evie put her hands on her hips, looking down at him. "We can't do that, Dude," she explained. "It's dangerous. Bad things happen there. Let's just head home, okay?"
"C'mon, where's your sense of adventure?!" Dude started running towards the hotel, heading right through the open doors.
"Dude, no!" Evie exclaimed, rushing after him, the doors slamming shut behind her. Once inside, she tried shaking the doors open. Nothing. She muttered a spell that Zelda had taught her in their magic lessons, trying to get them open. Still, the doors wouldn't budge. Fear rushed through her body, as she turned. She couldn't find Dude, anywhere. Evie felt herself starting to panic. What if something happened to Dude? Tentatively, she stepped forward into the hotel, her body shaking.
"Dude?" Evie called, her voice full of fear as she wandered further into the hotel. "Dude, where are you? We should go home." Evie hugged herself, rubbing her arms. "This place is creepy. I don't like it."
The whole place just really creeped Evie out. And she'd been raised around villains. Weird and creepy was something that she'd grown up around. Normally, she liked weird and creepy. Weird and creepy was different, and different was something that Evie liked. But something about this place was just off-putting. Evie hoped that she located Dude and got out of there soon, where she could go home and unwind with a mug of hot coco.
"Oh, there's my beautiful girl!"
Evie froze. She knew that voice. She hadn't heard it in the last couple of years, but she knew it Evie turned around, preparing to face it.
"Mom?" Somehow, someway, her mother was standing in front of her, just as Evie remembered. Makeup caked on her face to hide the wrinkles and the signs that she was getting old. Her hair completely covered to hide that it was now full of gray hairs. Any signs that she'd been putting on weight since giving birth to her daughter hidden. No imperfections allowed. Not a single blemish or hair out of place. Even if it made her unhappy. Beauty meant suffering, that's what she'd always told Evie.
Her mother gave Evie a once over, carefully examining her daughter, and picking her apart with her eyes. "My, my, my have we been letting ourselves go," she said, her tone condescending. "I thought I taught you better than that, my Little Evilette In Training. Beauty and image is everything."
Evie fought back tears. Her mother's words stung her. It didn't matter everything that she'd accomplished since leaving the Isle Of The Lost. None of that mattered to her mother. And that's how it had always been. No matter what she did, it was never enough for her mother. She always made that clear her. No matter what Evie did, something was always wrong. Always a little kink in her makeup, a minor flaw in her outfit, something.
"I tried so hard with you, Evie," her mother continued, a look of disappointment on her face. "I don't know where I went wrong. I gave you everything you could have ever wanted. Nothing but my love and motherly support. And what did you do? Squandered it away. No prince? No grand castle? And...is that a little weight that I see? Where did I go wrong?"
Anger bubbled to the surface. This wasn't her mother. Sure, they definitely got all of the remarks right, but this was a trick. It had to be. Evie brushed her tears aside, before looking her "mother" dead in the face.
"You gave me everything?" She snapped, all of the rage and fury that she held back for years bubbling to the surface and exploding all that once. "Everything?! How about all of the times that you wouldn't let me eat an extra plate at dinner, even though I was staving because they'd served us some disgusting food again at lunch at school, because it ruin my 'girlish figure' and 'no one likes a chubby Princess, Evie'?! Or the times that you would take away my schoolbooks or encourage me to do poorly on tests because a man wouldn't date me if I looked like I was smarter than them? Or the first time I got a zit and you insisted that I stay locked in my room, lest someone see me and think that I was ugly? Or how you once, not even once, told me that you were proud of me? That you loved me?"
Her mother attempted to open her mouth, but Evie cut her off. Everything that she ever felt was boiling over. Tears streamed down her face, likely smudging her makeup. She didn't care. She was too angry.
"I've accomplished so much since leaving the Isle, and you don't even care," Evie said, balling up her fists. "I've learned so much about myself, and I wish I could share it with you. I discovered that I'm really smart. I love science, and I love school. I met an amazing guy who loves me for the person that I am, and not just what I look like. I discovered that there is so much more to life than just looking good and hoping that some stupid prince finds you good enough to take home someday. I started a really successful business. I carried myself all on my own. I bought my own castle, and I didn't need a handsome prince to get it for me. I helped bring all of the kids on the Isle to Auradon, where they can have an education and make a better life for themselves, just like me and my friends did. I don't need a handsome princes to show my worth. I am worthy enough on my own."
She looked her mother in the face, locking eyes with her.
"And I did that all without you."
Evie pushed herself forward, walking right through her mother. "Goodbye, Mom," she said, heading towards the front of the hotel.
"Evie!"
Evie snapped her head around to see Dude running towards her. Wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, Evie smiled, glad that she found him. She rushed towards him, scooping the tiny dog up in her arms, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said, holding him as close as she could, not wanting to let go.
Dude was shaking in her arms. "Can we go?" he asked. "I'm done exploring. This place is creepy. I want to go home."
Evie nodded. "We can do that," she said, walking through the front doors and out of the hotel. "They had horrible service, anywhere."