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Mating season has arrived. Here they are yet again, sitting by the pool of jewels because Maleficent can’t stand the sounds birds make while they attract potential mates, especially not when she just woke up from her late noon nap and Diaval would be a liar if he said he enjoyed it. As he silently judged his raven brother’s movements, he noticed Maleficent staring at him with such intent. And he starts counting in his head how long would it take her to ask, yet again.
1... 2... 3…
“You still haven’t found a she-raven to mate with ?”
Huh. 3 seconds. Well, that beats her 5 second record. Besides the point, he furrowed his brows at her wording. The first time she asked it was “Do you have a family you left up north ?? “ , and for the past five years it was always “Don’t you want to join them in their rituals ?? “.
Usually he’d give her a plain no, but he's not feeling it, so he said, “What ? Can’t wait for me to get out of your horns and fly- off to the sunset ? “ in jest. “So much for the I missed you,” he pouts, imitating her inflection of the last words.
She rolled her eyes, “Or maybe it is because I can’t stand another year of you sitting there beside me, staring at these dancing black birds looking for a mate, with that longing look in your eyes that says you want to join in so bad ?“
Diaval cocked an eyebrow because he's absolutely not offended, “Heavens, you talk a lot these days-- who are you and what did you do to Maleficent ?”
Maleficent's eyes widened at the mention of her name, but said nothing.
“And Mistress, I’m not longing. I’m judging ‘em, Thanks very much.“
“And what do you know about these dances ?”
“My, you hit your head so hard you forgot that I am, in fact, a raven. Want some proof ?”
She scoffed, "Gods, no. You vex me enough just by standing there."
"Amazing," Diaval forced a laugh, "I'm loving the insults, so far."
Silence. Then...
“So you haven’t ?”
"Haven't ? "
"Haven't found a mate ?"
He thought for a second, testing the waters. Shrugging to himself, he finally said, “No, I actually have.”
Maleficent blinked, “Oh.”
Now that sounds quite like something he heard her say before. But instead of hurt, it sounded like… dismay ?
“Can’t really tell her though or she’d be the one to fly-off. Can’t afford to lose her again, you know, ” Diaval said in nonchalance.
Where'd he even expect to go from this ?
He can see her gears turning.
Without saying another word, her eyes slowly found their way back at those dancing black birds and he busied himself fidgeting with his ring. Then…
“So this she-raven of yours…”
It’s spoken with such bitterness, he can’t help but scoff in disbelief, “Yes?”
“What ?,” she said, glaring at him.
He cleared his throat, “Forgive me. You were saying ?”
“So this she-raven of yours,” she started again, “How come I didn’t know about her ?”
He could've just admitted to not actually having a she-raven as a mate because she has him already. But still he followed up with, “Well, Mistress, You never asked.”
Not turning back now, I see.
“Alright,” now fully facing him, she said, “Now I am.”
“Alright…,” he ran a hand through his hair, “What do you want to know ?”
Maleficent tilted her head, her lips forming a pensive frown. Then she clicks her tongue, looked him dead in the eyes, and said, “Her name.”