Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

*Bambie has created a groupchat*

bambie: i am alone

*Bambie has added Marina, Jerry, Angelina, and 4 others*

bambie: good morning
bambie: greetings loyal subjects
jerry: bambie what is this
bambie: chaos
angelina: bambie not this again
bambie: not what again?
bambie: you were all blessed by my presence last year
marina: ...
tali: oh nooo
marina: bambie didn’t you make a random chat last year
bambie: yes
bambie: and you are all glad that i did
silia: i am!
silia: also bambie what is this
bambie: chaos
silia: lovely
bambie: you all loved my chaos last year
alyona: i did, but…
iolanda: bambie no more chaos please
bambie: i am the monarch
bambie: i am the god of chaos
bambie: you all are a part of my new master plan
bambie: muahahahahaha

*Bambie has added Tynna, Klavdia, and 7 others*

bambie: welcome to my new subjects
bambie: you all are blessed to be in my presence
klavdia: what is this
bambie: chaos
klavdia: ummm
zoë: hi
zoë: i don’t think i’m supposed to be in here
bambie: yes you are
bambie: you are part of my master plan
bambie: you have no idea what i have in store
zoë: i think i’m going to leave
angelina: bambie
tali: bambie
jerry: bambie
bambie: what?
iolanda: don’t scare people off
tynna: omg is this bambie thug from ireland?
bambie: yes
bambie: i am the great bambie thug
bambie: i am the monarch
bambie: i am the god of chaos
tynna: such an icon
tynna: you’re so cool
bambie: finally
bambie: someone appreciates my presence
tynna: who is everyone else though?
marina: umm
marina: i’m marina satti from
bambie: let me handle introductions
bambie: i am bambie thug, the great irish monarch, god of chaos, and master planner
alyona: bambie…
marina: as i was saying, i am marina satti from
bambie: that is marina satti, iconic greek queen, loves snacks and parties
marina: not wrong
silia: introduce me!
bambie: this is silia kapsis, a literal baby, 18, a little cypriot princess and wild child
silia: omg tysm bambie!
bambie: next we have ukraine’s powerhouse duo jerry heil and alyona alyona.
bambie: jerry is our cool older sister, has the voice of a goddess, and that gorgeous long hair
bambie: oh and she always has a new tiktok or clip for us
bambie: alyona is the rap god. she will rap songs for you upon request. also has an obsession with pretzels
jerry: i approve
alyona: i also approve
iolanda: i forgot about her obsession with pretzels…
bambie: alright.
bambie: this is iolanda. our portuguese queen, warmest soul alive, writes songs that make us all cry, and does beautiful hair/nails
bambie: please go to her if you want to look pretty
bambie: or if you want a shoulder to cry on
iolanda: aw thank you bambie
angelina: can confirm about the nails
angelina: *sends photo from the previous year of her and iolanda with matching nails
klavdia: omg i love that
bambie: ahh yes
bambie: angelina mango. our sassy italian princess, looks threatening but is actually a sweetheart
bambie: she requires coffee to function, also has the voice of an angel
angelina: i’m flattered
bambie: tali don’t think i forgot about you
bambie: tali is our shy luxembourgish angel. she pops in and out of chats. but we love her.
tali: thank you bambie
bambie: nowwwww
bambie: 2025 contestants
bambie: time to introduce yourselves and your chaos
klavdia: ummmmm
kate: hi!!
asnate: we are tautumeitas
aurelija: we are your latvian forest fairies
asnate: i’m asnate
aurelija: i’m aurelija
kate: i’m kate!
gabriela: i’m gabriela
annemarija: i’m annemarija
laura: and i’m laura
kate: also annemarija makes really good tea
kate: so come to her for tea
jerry: wow
jerry: now we have a witch and fairies in the chat
bambie: crown the witch
tynna: yes crown the witch
tynna: also i’m tynna from germany
tynna: wait i’m technically from austria
tynna: actually i’m hungarian also
tynna: whatever
angelina: you sound like another chaos gremlin
tynna: thank you babe!
klavdia: um
klavdia: i’m klavdia from greece
bambie: oh look another greek icon
bambie: marina you now have competition
marina: what?
bambie: nvm
bambie: where is our swiss angel zoe?
zoë: hi?
bambie: good you didn’t leave
zoë: ummm
zoë: i guess bambie already introduced me
bambie: nobody mess with zoë
silia: why?
bambie: because i said so
bambie: anywayysss
bambie: does anyone want to see more chaos?
tynna: sure!
silia: sure!
kate: sure!
tali: bambie pls no
tynna: bambie pls yes!
bambie: i have one more who is part of my master plan
angelina: bambie…
bambie: muahahahaha
bambie: please welcome…
iolanda: bambie no
bambie: yes
bambie: please welcome
bambie: the queen of kings herself
bambie: alessandra!

*Bambie has added Alessandra*

alessandra: hey icons!

Chapter Text

tynna: alessandra!
silia: alessandra!
marina: alessandra!
alessandra: hiiiiii!!
angelina: hi my fellow italian princess
alessandra: hiii my fellow italian angel
kate: wait alessandra's italian?
alessandra: yes
alessandra: i am half-italian
alessandra: my dad is italian
kate: cool!
alessandra: who are you?
alessandra: who are these random numbers
tynna: hey! i'm not random
bambie: ofc not
bambie: ale that's my fellow chaos gremlin tynna
bambie: she is representing germany but also is from like a million places
tynna: two places bambie
alessandra: alright cool
alessandra: and everyone else?
kate: hi i'm kate!
kate: i'm one of the latvian fairies
kate: i'm the baby of the group
asnate: can confirm
asnate: i'm asnate btw
asnate: aurelija is my little sister
aurelija: yes
gabriela: i’m gabriela
annemarija: i’m annemarija
laura: and i’m laura
alessandra: i love fairies
jerry: ofc you do
jerry: you're alessandra
alessandra: i will be bothering you guys
kate: okay!
laura: ...
bambie: idk where klavdia and zoë went but they'll appear eventually
bambie: our second greek icon and our swiss angel
alessandra: i shall look forward to meeting them
bambie: you will meet them
bambie: very soon
bambie: because today we will all go out for dessert together
alyona: wait what?
alyona: also hi alessandra!
bambie: we will all go out for coffee and sugar after rehearsals finish for the day
bambie: meet in the hotel lobby at 7pm
tali: um okay?
silia: fun!
silia: i will be there super early!
marina: bambie on sugar is... fun...
alyona: can confirm
tynna: sounds great i'm coming!
iolanda: what just happened i was in an interview
jerry: bambie happened
bambie: correct
bambie: i will be seeing you all soon
angelina: wait we're actually doing this?
alessandra: ofc princess!
alessandra: can't wait to see you!
alessandra: and get high on caffeine
angelina: <3
bambie: prepare for chaos
iolanda: oh no

___

The hotel buzzed with quiet chatter and the noise of suitcases scraping the ground. It was a relatively quiet evening, but of course it wasn't going to stay that way.
In the middle of the lobby, Bambie was perched on a coffee table, scrolling on their phone with a mischievous grin on their face. They had been there for the past half hour, waiting, plotting, scheming, just being Bambie.
At exactly 6:30, Silia came skipping into the room, with a glittery silver jacket, clutching a sparkly pink water bottle.
"Bambie!" cried Silia, running straight towards them.
"Silia!" exclaimed Bambie, jumping up to hug her, knocking her water bottle over.
As Bambie and Silia exchanged a very enthusiastic greeting, Iolanda and Marina stepped in together, laughing as they saw Bambie and Silia jumping up and down together. Of course, Marina had to run straight toward the noise and chaos, dropping her colorful scarf on the floor.
"Anddd, the chaos has officially started." sighed Iolanda with a tired smile, leaning over to grab Marina's scarf.
"MY GREEK QUEEN!!" shouted Bambie, finally noticing her behind them.
"MY IRISH MONARCH!!" screamed Marina, jumping up and down.
Iolanda just sighed again as she wrapped up Silia in a warm hug.
"It's good to see you again child," she smiled.
"Hey, I'm 18 now!" argued Silia.
"Just give me a hug Silia," said Iolanda.
One by one, people came trickling in. Jerry and Alyona arrived next, and Bambie immediately had to start a rap battle with Alyona.
"I bet I can outrap you," proclaimed Bambie.
"Never," smirked Alyona, before immediately dropping several impressive lines.
During the battle, Tali came in so quietly that no one except Jerry noticed her. She went over and enveloped Tali in a hug.
"Hey Tali, it's good to see you."
"I see Bambie has already started again," said Tali with a smile.
"You know Bambie..."
They both sat down, and Tali immediately started braiding Jerry's long shiny brown waves into a half-up crown. The two shared a nice quiet conversation in the corner, away from everyone else.
The six Latvian fairies arrived next, with matching sheer white headbands and pale pink sweaters.
"You look like angels," said Silia, staring slightly in awe.
"Awww, thank you!" giggled Kate, pulling out her phone and grabbing Silia for a selfie. Aurelija went to go help Tali braid Jerry's hair, while the other four girls just stood off to the side with their quiet, serene smiles.
Meanwhile the rap battle was in full swing. Alyona was destroying Bambie, of course, but Bambie would randomly drop a one liner out of nowhere that shocked everyone watching.
"See," proclaimed Bambie, "I am also a rap god."
Minus the rap battle, the lobby was actually relatively quiet for a few minutes, until a certain German/Austrian/Hungarian young lady came crashing into the room.
"BAMBIE!" yelled Tynna as she sprinted in. Her brown curls were flying everywhere, and her black jacket was sliding off.
"Tynna I have been waiting for you," said Bambie, turning around very calmly, "you are my new chaos partner."
"YAY!" shrieked Tynna as she ran straight into Bambie, knocking them both off balance, and making Bambie's headpiece slide into their face.
Everyone started laughing at Tynna's crazy entrance, Silia dropping her water bottle once again with a loud CLANG, and Kate slipping onto the floor. Sighing, Asnate reached over to help Kate up, while Gabriela rolled her eyes. Iolanda and Tali were both shaking their heads, but their smiles said they were amused.
Tynna's entrance had been so loud that no one had noticed Zoë and Klavdia walk in. They stood back, watching the chaos, until Marina noticed them.
"Come over here!" she called.
"Should we?" asked Zoë cautiously, fixing her purple lace sweater. To her, Bambie was still, a lot...
"I guess this is our lives now," smiled Klavdia, before taking Zoë's hand and dragging her over.
"So this is our Swiss fairy," said Bambie calmly, "I like you already. Welcome to my chaos. And hello to our Greek princess. Marina's the queen, but I guess you can be the princess. Also your perfume smells way better than Marina's."
"Hi Bambie!" said Klavdia warmly, going to hug Bambie.
"Hey!" called Marina from across the room, "my perfume is just fine! Meanwhile Bambie your perfume chokes people! Remember how Jerry started choking on your perfume last year?"
"Oh Marina, Jerry doesn't understand the greatness of my perfume," replied Bambie.
"What?!" asked Jerry.
"You choked on Bambie's perfume last year!" yelled Marina.
"Oh yeah! Because it smelled like something died!" loudly replied Jerry.
"Not wrong," said Tali softly.
"LET ME SAY HI TO KLAVDIA!" screeched Bambie, while Klavdia just stood off to the side and giggled.
As Klavdia and Bambie exchanged greetings, Angelina made her way into the room, looking absolutely beautiful. Her eyeliner was perfect and her tan top looked very flattering on her. She didn't say a word, but yet everyone noticed.
"Angelina!" cried Silia, bouncing over.
"You look beautiful!" said Alyona.
"Oh, look, it's my crazy little Cypriot sister," deadpanned Angelina, before pulling Silia into a hug.
"Finally, another sane person," muttered Iolanda.
"I will have you all know that I am very sane and very normal," proclaimed Bambie.
"Yeah, sure,
" said Angelina, who was still being squashed by Silia in a hug.
"Bambie is the least normal person here," said Jerry from the corner, "and yet somehow we still love them."
"See? You all adore me!" exclaimed Bambie.
"Wait, where's Alessandra?" asked Tynna, finally noticing that she wasn't there.
"I'M RIGHT HERE!!" yelled a voice, running into the room.
"Ale..." sighed Iolanda.
Alessandra bounded into the room, hair flying everywhere, sparkling eyes, with the biggest smile on her face.
"ANGELINA MY ITALIAN ANGEL PRINCESS!" yelled Alessandra excitedly. She jumped straight onto Angelina's back and messed her hair up. Angelina, still talking to Silia, was not prepared, and nearly dropped Alessandra, making everyone laugh. It even drew a laugh out of the quiet ones, like Iolanda and Tali. "Oh dear..." sighed Tali, knowing the chaos was about to start.
"Ale, what are you doing?!" she exclaimed, shifting under the impact..
"Saying hi," said Alessandra with a cheeky grin, smashing her face up right by Angelina's.
"Hi my fellow Italian and chaotic princess," finally greeted Angelina, before dropping Alessandra (and her black purse) onto the ground with a thud.
"HEY!" shrieked Alessandra, as everyone started laughing again.
"Alright fellow humans, listen up," commanded Bambie.
"Bambie..." sighed Iolanda.
"Now that we are all here, we shall now proceed to our destination. FOLLOW YOUR LEADER!" they shouted. ."
"I need saving..." mumbled Iolanda.

Chapter Text

Shockingly, against better judgment, everyone followed Bambie's command, and filed out of the lobby like a very confused parade. They all stood outside the hotel, staring at cars going by while Bambie figured their life out.
"I don't know if I trust Bambie to lead us to a coffee shop," sighed Iolanda, standing towards the back.
"I don't know if I trust Bambie to lead us anywhere," said Tali, who was still braiding Jerry's hair.
"ALRIGHT PEASANTS! FOLLOW ME! I SHALL LEAD US TO CAFFEINE!" called Bambie loudly, making Tali jump and mess up the braid she was doing.
Bambie began marching, yes actually marching, and for some reason, everyone followed them. Some were enthusiastic about it, others... not so much, and some were just downright confused.
Take Tynna. She had raced up to the front and was now marching alongside Bambie, singing her Eurovision song loudly. Marina, who had also landed at the front, was waving her scarf around, trying to stay in time with Tynna's singing. Tynna took off her own black jacket and started spinning it. With Marina's scarf, it looked like a colorful tornado.
"ICH BALALALALA!" shouted Tynna, making Marina laugh and trip over her scarf that she was swinging around.
"Tynna!" exclaimed Marina.
"ICH BALALALALA!" shouted Bambie and Tynna together, even louder.
Behind them, Kate and Silia were hand in hand, skipping like they were little girls again.
"I love this!" laughed Kate.
"It's so much fun!" giggled Silia, "wait, we should take a picture."
Both girls stopped skipping for a moment to take a selfie.
"SMILE!" grinned Silia, making the silliest, most adorable smile possible. Kate smashed her face right up on Silia's and they made the cutest faces.
A little bit farther back, in the middle, Alyona was walking, phone in hand, trying to improv a rap about coffee and follow the directions to the coffee shop at the same time. Next to her, the five other Latvian fairies were walking hand in hand, perfectly in sync, humming a perfect backup to Alyona's rap.
"Wait," exclaimed Alyona, pausing her rap, "that actually sounded so nice. We should make a song together!"
"We should," laughed Aurelija.
"I was surprised that didn't sound bad," said Laura.
Meanwhile, directly behind them, Angelina and Alessandra were having a nice conversation, or, more like Alessandra was talking a mile a minute and Angelina was listening.
"You know, there's like, a million different coffee shops here for us to try, or we could go get gelato one day. There's plenty of that around here. Have you tried the Swiss chocolate yet? I might have some in my purse... Oh, Lina, we should totally have a sleepover one night and do makeup!"
"Mhmm," said Angelina with a small smile, "anything else princess? Or have you exhausted all your ideas?"
"No, no, of course not. We could do karaoke one day!" said Alessandra, before tripping onto the sidewalk.
"You good Ale?" smirked Angelina, reaching to help her up, "You know, you could watch where you're walking instead of being so loud."
In the very very back, were the normal people who were actually having normal conversations. Tali was still braiding Jerry's hair perfectly, never missing a beat, while Iolanda and Klavdia were having a nice normal conversation, and Zoë walked next to them and smiled.
"And, I'm almost done," quietly said Tali, "let me just finish this end."
"Taliii," said Klavdia, looking over in awe, "that's beautiful. You have to do mine next."
"Let me see," said Jerry, pulling out her phone to look, "Oh Tali, that's lovely. Thank you."
"Tali does beautiful hair," said Iolanda, smiling at her, "she's always looking gorgeous too."
Tali was now blushing from the attention, and Zoë took her hand and gave her a soft smile.
"It's beautiful," smiled Zoë.
Just then, there was a loud shout from the front, followed by tons of laughter.
"OWWW!! OH F***!!" shouted Bambie. They had just ran facefirst into a street lamp.
Beside them, Tynna and Silia were doubled over laughing, and Silia once again dropped her water bottle, making a loud clang. Marina was trying to stifle giggles, and Kate looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or help Bambie. Alessandra had fallen onto the ground in her laughter, and Angelina was silently filming the whole thing with a smirk on her face.
"I have to keep this for blackmail," she said.
The ones in the back, meanwhile, were very confused. Zoë's face dropped and became concerned, Tali and Klavdia's eyebrows raised, and Iolanda looked like she wanted to go home.
"What did Bambie do now?" she asked with a sigh.
Just then, a loud thud and another shriek was heard. Alyona, in her laughter, had tripped over Alessandra and fallen on the ground with her, making both of them laugh harder.
"Wait wait, Alyona, what happened?" called Jerry, obviously confused. Alyona was still crying of laughter on the sidewalk with Alessandra, and did not hear her.
"Альонa, що трапилося?!" yelled Jerry in Ukrainian, hoping Alyona might hear her this time.
Alyona looked up from the ground, still chuckling.
"Яна! Яна, Бембі врізався прямо у вуличний ліхтар!!!" she called back, barely able to make out the sentence because she was laughing so hard.
"Боже милий," muttered Jerry, before beginning to chuckle.
At the same time, Tynna spun around and yelled again.
"HOLD UP!"
Everyone paused their laughter and looked straight at her. Even Bambie, who was still rubbing their forehead, turned and stared.
"Tynna... what now?" asked Asnate.
"Wait a SECOND!" she exclaimed loudly, glaring at Alyona, "What did you just call her?"
"Ummm, her name?" said Alyona, still sitting on the ground, tears in her eyes from laughing.
"WAIT WHAT? YOUR NAME IS YANA?!" shrieked Tynna, pointing straight at Jerry, "Since when?!"
"Um, my name has always been Yana?" said Jerry, fighting a grin.
Alessandra, who had finally gotten up, slammed into Iolanda in her laughter, sending both girls stumbling.
"Oh gosh," muttered Iolanda, trying to keep her balance.
"Tynna how did you not know that?!" gasped Alessandra between fits of laughter.
"All this time, I have been lied to," declared Tynna dramatically, causing Jerry to start chuckling.
"Wait, what happened?" asked Silia, clearly confused.
"Jerry's name is Yana! SINCE WHEN?! Why was I not told this?" yelled Tynna, whipping around so fast her hair flew, making Silia giggle.
"Tynna," laughed Jerry, "my name has always been Yana."
"Then WHY THE HELL does no one call you that?!"
"I just did," chuckled Alyona, "in Ukrainian."
"WHY WOULD YOU GO BY JERRY WHEN YOU HAVE A GORGEOUS NAME LIKE YANA?!" screeched Tynna, jumping like an idiot, completely oblivious to her jacket that had flown off and landed on Marina's head.
Marina, who was sitting on the ground, threw off the jacket like it had personally offended her.
“Tynna, your jacket!!” exclaimed Marina.
“KEEP IT, I AM FREE NOW!” shouted Tynna, spinning around in a circle.
“Oh gosh,” sighed Tali, fidgeting with her sweater.
“Pray for me,” muttered Iolanda.
Somehow, despite the chaos, the group picked back up and continued walking along. Once again, Bambie, Tynna, and Marina were in the front, leading the chaos, everyone following behind them.
“Am I actually going get coffee today, or am I just going to wander around Basel?” asked Klavdia under her breath.
“Both,” said Angelina dryly.
“It’ll be a miracle if Bambie actually finds a coffee shop,” replied Iolanda.
“THIS WAY!” shouted Bambie, turning towards a random street.
“Bambie, you’re not supposed to turn here,” said Alyona, glancing at the directions.
“Bambie, that’s the wrong way,” said Marina.
“I am the way!” declared Bambie.
“Someone pray for me harder,” muttered Iolanda.
“Amen,” said Tali under her breath.
By some miracle, they turned a corner, and there was the cafe. Warm light poured out of the windows, the scent of coffee drifting into the street, and the cafe almost completely empty.
“BEHOLD! I have found the cafe!” cried Bambie.
“You found nothing,” sighed Angelina.
“I found coffee,” insisted Bambie.
No one could argue with them. They were already heading to the door… they wanted their coffee.
Bambie rushed to the front, and flung the door open, pretending to make a grand entrance.
“WE HAVE ARRIVED!” Bambie shouted, marching inside.
Both baristas stopped what they were doing and blinked in alarm, obviously afraid of the chaos about to come.
“Bambie!” hissed Iolanda, “stop scaring people!”
Meanwhile, Tynna had dashed to the front, inhaling deeply, spinning around in circles.
“Do you smell that coffee?” she exclaimed, “that is the smell of life!”
Alessandra and Marina were dashing around, scarves flying everywhere, moving tables and chairs together. Kate and Silia had their faces pressed up to the glass display of desserts, smiles wide, talking about ordering the biggest slice of cake possible.
“I’m so sorry,” said Iolanda, giving a small wave at the stunned barista.
“I blame Bambie,” said Jerry, smiling at the other confused barista as Tali fixed her braid.
The Latvian fairies unlocked hands and proceeded to arrange tables and chairs together. Somehow, they had this magical synchronization about their movements. And all of this done in silence.
Meanwhile, Marina and Alessandra, who were supposed to be arranging seating, were up at the counter, ordering.
“Oooh, I’ll take two slices of that cheesecake over there!” pointed Alessandra excitedly, “Marina we can share!”
Marina, who was admiring a photo on the wall, just smiled and nodded.
After Alessandra, Bambie marched up, put their hands on their hips, and announced,
“I would like the highest amount of caffeine available. Also, EXTRA FOAM!”
“So 4 espresso shots?” asked the confused barista.
“I require caffeine,” answered Bambie, nodding their head.
“I’LL HAVE THE SAME PLEASE!” shouted Tynna from across the cafe.
"She's gonna be so crazy later," muttered Tali.
"I'm gonna have to deal with Alessandra later," sighed Angelina, "wish me luck."
Silia and Kate came up next, smiles wide.
"We'll just share one big slice of that pink cake over there," said Silia, pointing at a pale pink cake covered in frosting.
"And a latte with a heart on top. Thank you," added Kate with a grin, causing them to look at each other and burst out in giggles.
"What's so funny?" asked Alyona, glancing over her shoulder, as she and Jerry came up to order.
"Oh nothing," said Silia, before bursting out laughing again.
"Anyways," smiled Alyona, "can I please get, ummm, a medium hot chocolate? Extra whipped cream, thank you. Jerry? Your turn."
Jerry, who had been looking down at her phone, was obviously not paying attention.
"О, я візьму маленький зелений чай, будь ласка," she said, not looking up from her phone.
The look on the very confused barista's face forced Alyona and Asnate, who had come up behind them, to hold back laughter. Jerry, upon hearing Alyona chuckle, realized her mistake.
"Боже мій!" exclaimed Jerry, clearly embarrassed, "I'm so sorry! I'll have a small green tea please."
The barista nodded her head and gave a small smile, obviously thankful for the normal order.
"О Боже, я щойно замовив українською." muttered Jerry after she stepped away from the counter, "Це була дурість."
"Це було дурницею. Але ми все ще любимо тебе." replied Alyona with a smirk.
Meanwhile, Asnate could be heard ordering 5 strawberry teas for her and her fairy girls, while Klavdia and Zoë looked at the pastry selection, and Tali set herself to braiding Iolanda's hair.
"Tali, Iolanda, do you want anything?" called Klavdia.
"I'll have a small hot chocolate please," said Tali.
"I'll just have a cup of hot water. Thank you so much." said Iolanda.
"Of course. And you're welcome." replied Klavdia, going up to the counter, where she found Angelina ordering.
"I will have a small black coffee, please," said Angelina to the barista.
As Klavdia ordered for herself, Zoë, Tali, and Iolanda, Angelina headed back to the tables, where chaos was already brewing. Alyona was rapping about sugar, with Aurelija and Annemarija providing backup vocals, Tynna was teaching Marina a Tiktok dance, Asnate was snapping a picture of Kate and Silia making a giant heart with their hands, and Bambie was just pouring a sugar packet into their mouth.
"I. crave. SUGAR!" shouted Bambie before ripping open yet another sugar packet and dumping it in their mouth.
"Lina! Come over here. Take a picture with me!" called Alessandra brightly.
Angelina made her way over to Alessandra, slightly concerned and slightly amused.
"What picture is this Ale?" she asked with a smirk.
"Here here here! I'll come behind you, Lina, and we'll make a heart with our hands! It'll be adorable." exclaimed Alessandra, "Asnate, come take our picture!"
Asnate came over, and they took their picture. It indeed was an adorable picture, both of their faces smashed together, Alessandra making a kissy face while Angelina was caught mid-laugh, both of them making heart signs with their hands.
Alessandra opened her mouth to ask for another, but before she could do so, the barista started calling out orders.
"Yippee!" cried Silia, jumping up to retrieve her latte and the cake.
Very quickly, the tables began filling up with drinks and desserts. Five teacups clinked down in front of the fairies in perfect order, two delicious-looking chocolate pastries were set in front of Klavdia and Zoë, Alyona was drowning her hot chocolate in whipped cream, and Tynna quickly chugged two of her four espresso shots.
"I have been craving caffeine!" declared Tynna.
Angelina was quietly sipping on her plain coffee, Jerry mumbled something in Ukrainian about how hot her green tea was, and Kate snapped about a million pictures of the perfect heart in her latte. Alessandra and Marina had already gone through half their cheesecake, laughing as Alessandra got powdered sugar on her nose.
"Ale, your nose!" laughed Marina.
"We can be twins!" giggled Alessandra, swiping on sugar onto Marina's face.
"Oh, meu Deus," sighed Iolanda, sipping on her hot water, a tired but warm smile on her face.
And then there was Bambie.
They were sitting at the end of a table, chugging their espresso shots, foam covering their lips. Suddenly, they cleared their throat, and declared,
"I can hear caffeine."
The entire table turned and stared.
"TEACH ME YOUR WAYS!" gasped Tynna.
"Of course," said Bambie with an evil smile.

Chapter Text

The next morning, the backstage rooms at the arena buzzed with noise. Careful warmups, stage technicians calling out instructions, happy conversations between contestants, and the occasional shout from a delegation manager filled the air. Someone from down the hall was blasting a playlist from the previous year’s contest.
Zoë closed her dressing room door and heaved a sigh. She truly did love people, but today, it was just too much. She slid into her vanity’s chair, staring at her makeup, her vision blurring, just wishing for a few minutes of silence.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Sighing, she got up, slowly making her way to the door, and opening it. There was Klavdia, standing there with two cups of tea and her trademark warm smile.
“Hey,” she said, smiling brightly.
“Hey,” said Zoë, trying to force a smile.
Klavdia stepped inside the room and shut the door behind her carefully. She set the cups down on the vanity and turned to face Zoë.
“You okay?” she asked gently.
“I’m surviving,” replied Zoë with a tired smile.
“It’s chaos out there,” softly laughed Klavdia.
“I know. I love people, I do. Right now, though, it’s just a lot.” sighed Zoë.
“I get that,” said Klavdia kindly, “but at least we have tea.”
“You’re a lifesaver Klavi,” laughed Zoë tiredly, rubbing her eyelids.
“No. I’m just your friend,” said Klavdia with a smile, before sitting down next to her and sipping her tea.
Across the hall, there was a dressing room that didn’t deserve to be called a dressing room. The Latvian delegation, specifically Kate and Asnate, had turned the room into a fairyland. Soft string lights hung from the ceiling, glittery ribbons decorated the walls, and soft harp music played in the background. Pink teacups sat on the table, makeup was lined up neatly on the vanity, and scarves were hung in perfect order on the door.
Inside this magical fairy den, were the six fairies themselves. Gabriela sat at the vanity, perfectly still as Aurelija applied glittery eyeliner with careful precision. In the corner, Laura, Asnate, and Annemarija stood together, eyes closed, holding hands, warming up in perfect harmony. Meanwhile, Kate was twirling around the room, her shimmery white skirt seemingly floating behind her.
“Kate!” called Asnate, “Come warm up with us!”
“Coming!” giggled Kate, gracefully leaping across the room but nearly running into the table.
“Watch the tea!” cried Annemarija, rushing over, suddenly concerned about her tea.
Kate spun to halt just in time, nearly tripping over her skirt, but alas, Annemarija’s tea was unharmed.
“Good. My tea is safe,” said Annemarija, breathing a sigh of relief.
“It was always safe with me Marija,” grinned Kate, before joining the warmup circle and slipping in seamlessly.
“Oh Gabi, only Kate could do that,” said Aurelija, to Gabriela, after she had finished her makeup.
“Only Kate,” agreed Gabriela, watching Asnate fix Kate’s skirt, and Laura take out her violin.
Aurelija and Gabriela then made their way over to the other four, they all joined hands, and the room had a rare moment of silence. Then, just as the harp music swelled to its peak, they began singing in perfect six-part harmony.
Around the corner, the German dressing room was filled with noise. In a corner, a monitor was playing Louane’s rehearsal, but it was drowned out by a phone blasting Baller at full volume.
In the middle of the room was Tynna herself, singing at the top of her lungs, using her purple hairbrush as a microphone. Every so often, she’d dramatically spin around, nearly crashing into the vanity every time.
Her older brother Abor, meanwhile, was lounging on the sofa in the corner, scrolling lazily on his phone. Without looking up at his sister, he quietly hummed along to the song — perfectly on beat — like he’d done it hundreds of times before.
“Tynna,” he said, completely deadpan, “stop spinning around. You’re going to crash into the vanity.”
“This is a form of self-expression. I am free.” she replied, spinning around once again, whirling her jacket in the air.
“This is a form of chaos.”
“You’re such a boring old man,” she shot back, striking a pose as the song ended, before collapsing onto the couch next to him.
“No, I’m just sane.”
All of a sudden, the room went quiet. For a second, Tynna looked like she was about to restart the song, but instead, she shifted towards her brother, tucking her legs under her.
“So now you decide to be quiet,” said Abor with a small smirk.
Two beats passed before his sister answered him.
“Are you nervous?” asked Tynna suddenly.
Abor glanced at his sister.
“I’m not the one who has to go out and sing. I just have to play my cello.” he answered.
“Are you not freaking out?” she asked, surprised.
“No,”
“How the hell are you this chill?!” exclaimed Tynna, throwing her hands in the air, “and how am I not?”
Abor finally put his phone down and looked at her, putting his arm around her shoulder.
“You’ve never been chill,” he teased, “but you’ve always done well. You’ll be just fine.”
She pressed her lips together, silent for a few moments. Then, giving a small smile, she whispered, “Thank you,” before jumping up again.
Seconds later, Baller came over the speakers for the fifth time, and Tynna was back to normal. And all Abor could do was sigh, lean back, and watch his sister spin around the room.
“She is never going to be chill,” he muttered, opening his phone again.
__________

Several blocks away, at what could be called the unofficial Eurovision hotel, the scene was very different.
Up on the seventh floor, six queens were all gathered in Iolanda’s hotel room, enjoying some girl time together. Sunlight spilled in through the window, brightening the room, and last year’s Eurovision playlist played softly in the background. Coffee cups and fruits littered the desk, and four different makeup bags were spilled across the vanity.
On the floor, Jerry, Alyona, and Marina sat, crowded together, bent over Jerry's phone, watching their own Eurovision fails. Alyona was munching on a large bag of chips that threatened to spill every time she laughed, which was basically every 10 seconds.
"Oh my gosh, Alyona look!" exclaimed Jerry, already laughing, "this is when you fell on your face in rehearsals!"
Alyona burst into laughter, spilling some of her chips onto the floor.
"Yana! No no no! Where'd you find that?" she gasped through laughter.
Marina, who had bent over to see, was nearly crying from laughter, and spilled some of her water onto her shirt.
"Not my shirt!"
 she cried, "Jerry you have to stop finding these! They're too funny!"
All Jerry could do was continue chuckling as she scrolled through her social media once again, in search of additional clips.
"No way you just spilled water on your shirt," said Angelina dryly. She was seated cross-legged on Iolanda's bed, scrolling on her own phone, trying to ignore the chaos.
"Oh stop it princess," teased Marina, "maybe the water just loves me."
"Or maybe you're just clumsy," shot back Angelina with a slightly evil smile.
"Have some fun princess," smiled Marina.
"Ask Tali and Iolanda," said Angelina, going back to her phone.
At the vanity, sat Tali and Iolanda themselves. Tali was seated perfectly still, like a princess, as Iolanda applied pink nail polish to her fingers with surgical-like precision. And those nails looked gorgeous.
"What?" asked Tali.
"Tali, hold still!" exclaimed Iolanda, "I'm almost done."
"Tali come have some fun with us!" called Alyona.
"Hold still, or your nails will look like a hippo painted them," said Iolanda.
"Yes, Queen Iolanda, if you say so," smiled Tali.
Iolanda only sighed and went back to doing her work.
"What a queen," said Angelina, "we should all be more like her."
"Thank you Angelina," replied Iolanda, "it's about time someone said that."
"We all need some sanity," agreed Tali.
"I'm making an edit called Queen Iolanda!" exclaimed Marina, jumping up from the floor, "and you all will see it."
"I call dibs on finding clips!" called Jerry.
"I'm blocking you both," muttered Iolanda, though she was smiling.
__________

Just a few floors above them, a very different form of chaos was unfolding.
Earlier that morning, Alessandra had sort of let herself into Silia's room, and the two of them had been filming TikToks together for the past hour.
"Again, again!" cried Silia, nearly knocking her phone off the table.
Alessandra didn't hear her, she was too busy rolling on the floor.
"Ale! Alessa! Alessandra!" exclaimed Silia, nearly falling onto the floor with her, "Again!"
"Fine fine fine!" agreed Alessandra, completely out of breath, "Silia help me up."
Silia reached over and pulled her up, before positioning them both perfectly in front of the camera.
"Now," she declared, "Eighth times the charm."
She started the camera, turned on the music, and they both began dancing in perfect sync. Unfortunately, this harmony only lasted about seven seconds before Alessandra tripped, sending them both into fits of laughter once again. Silia tripped over Alessandra and landed on the floor, gasping for air between her laughter.
"New plan, new plan," wheezed Silia.
"Which is?" asked Alessandra, nearly choking on herself from laughing so hard.
"We just make a blooper reel," deadpanned Silia, "I give up."
The room went silent for a grand total of three seconds, before both girls looked at each other, and burst out laughing once again. And for a while, the room was filled with the sounds of music, laughter, and two girls being absolutely chaotic.
__________

Meanwhile, on some other floor, Bambie was scheming.
They sat cross-legged on their bed, phone in hand, compter o surrounded by at least three different open notebooks, grinning like a master of evil, like they had just cracked the most important code. A half-eaten bag of cookies lay on the nightstand, and colorful pens were scattered on the bed.
"Step 1," grinned Bambie, "convince everyone to sleep in the same room. Step 2: make chaos. Stpep 3: profit somehow."
They laughed evilly, before opening their phone and typing a message into the group chat.
"They will never see it coming," cackled Bambie, before hitting send.
__________

"Crowns of Chaos"

bambie: my loyal subjects
bambie: i have an announcement
tali: oh no
kate: what is it?
bambie: tonight we shall all sleep in one room
tynna: wait, like a sleepover?!
bambie: yes
alessandra: YAYAYAYA!
silia: IM IN! IM COMING!
klavdia: wait where? what time?
bambie: screw the logistics
alessandra: i'll host!
alessandra: i have a corner room!
iolanda: ale are you sure that's a good idea?
bambie: then it is settled
bambie: everyone go to alessandra's room at 8 tonight
iolanda: dear lord
alyona: is this a sleepover i hear of?
jerry: bambie are we sure this is a good idea?
bambie: do not question my genius
jerry: fine. but i'm bringing tiktoks
alyona: we need a 2am rap battle
marina: IM BRINGING FOOD!
tynna: trust i'll eat all the food
annemarija: i can bring tea
silia: marija please do!
aurelija: fairies are coming!
aurelija: gabriela and i can bring ribbons and makeup
gabriela: we can make headbands
laura: i guess i'll bring my speaker...
bambie: my plan is going perfectly
kate: wait what plan?
bambie: my master plan
angelina: no way we're actually doing this
tynna: yes we are!
silia: it'll be so much fun!!!
zoë: i don't think this is a good idea
iolanda: neither do i...
asnate: how are we all going to fit in one room?
asnate: and why do i know i'll be cleaning up
bambie: logistics, fairy queen
angelina: oh dear lord
alessandra: come on princess!
alessandra: it'll be fun!
angelina: you're lucky i love you
alessandra: yay!
silia: LET THE CHAOS BEGIN!
bambie: i have trained the child well

Chapter Text

The evening settled over the city, the type of warm spring night where the air hummed with possibility. Outside the hotel, the streets glowed with lamplight as the sunset slowly faded into a gorgeous dark blue sky. The city bustled, as people went about their evenings, all unaware of the chaos about to happen.
Inside the hotel, up on one of the higher floors, Alessandra was busily preparing her room for the chaos to come. She had already somehow pushed the bed against the wall, stacked up all the pillows and blankets she could find in a pile in the corner, and was currently standing on a chair, trying to hang a mini disco ball in the doorway.
“I swear if this falls on someone’s head, it’s not my fault,” she muttered, tying one last knot on the string.
Just as she had hopped off the chair, she heard a loud knock at the door.
“Come in! Door’s open!” she called.
“ALESSANDRA!” shouted Tynna, bursting in like she owned the place.
“TYNNA! HI!” shrieked Alessandra, rushing to squash her in a hug.
“I brought goods,” grinned Tynna, holding up a bag of candy after Alessandra finally released her, “Sugar and chaos.”
Before Alessandra could respond, a chorus of happy voices floated into the room. The fairies had arrived.
“FAIRIES!” cried Tynna.
They floated into the room like angels, arms full of supplies for the night: Annemarija with a basket of tea, Gabriela with a box full of makeup, Laura with her violin case on her back, and Aurelija magically conjuring a string of fairy lights from her bag. Behind them, Kate skipped in, swinging Laura’s speaker in her hand, while Asnate just sighed.
“Kate, don’t break Laura’s speaker!” she called.
Within minutes of the fairies’ arrival, the room had been transformed—lights hanging everywhere, ribbons draping the mirror and TV, and soft orchestral music coming from Laura’s speaker.
“It’s a fairy dennnnn,” sang Kate, twirling around with ribbons.
“You guys are angels,” said Alessandra, looking around the room in awe.
“We’re just organized,” smiled Aurelija.
Zoë and Iolanda appeared next, and as soon as they walked in, the sanity level in the room jumped.
“We come bearing civility, fruit, and phone chargers,” announced Iolanda, as Zoë set a tangle of phone chargers and a platter of fruit down on the desk.
“Thank goodness,” muttered Asnate.
“I call that Silia will lose her charger first!” called out Tynna.
“Nah, it’ll be you,” shot back Alessandra with a smile.
Right on cue, Silia burst into the room, her glittery gold backpack half falling off her shoulders.
“Speak and she shall appear,” mumbled Iolanda.
“Kateeee my fairy!!” cried Silia, running into Kate to give her a hug and nearly knocking her over.
“Silia you dropped your phone,” said Tali, who had come in quietly behind Silia, guitar slung over her left shoulder.
“Thank you for keeping it for meeeee!” sang Silia, spinning around in a circle.
Tali set Silia's phone down on the desk before making her way over to Zoë and Iolanda, who were seated on the couch.
“It’s wild in here already,” she smiled, as Zoë shifted over to make room for her.
“Just wait until Bambie gets here,” sighed Iolanda, though a faint grin came through on her face.
Minus the sounds of conversations coming from Tynna, Silia, and Alessandra, the room was relatively quiet for about five minutes, for the next few minutes, until 7:56, when four more people came crashing into the room.
"Hi amazing people!" called Marina, throwing open the door.
"We come bearing food!" shouted Alyona, stumbling in behind her with a bag full of two bags full of snacks.
"MARIIII!" squealed Silia, tackling her in a hug.
"I call dibs on battling Alyona first!" shouted Tynna from the across the floor.
"How on earth did Bambie convince everyone to come?" laughed Jerry, dragging in Angelina behind her as she surveyed the room.
Alessandra was jumping on her bed, Tynna was on the floor, eating a banana, Silia was spinning Marina in circles, Aurelija was curling Kate's hair, the other four fairies were harmonizing in the corner, Alyona was dumping snacks onto the desk, and the three sane ones were on the couch, looking tired already. It was certainly a sight to behold.
"This is gonna be a long night," sighed Angelina, though she was smiling.
"We're watching Tiktoks first!" declared Jerry, rushing to connect her phone to the TV.
"LINA!" shouted Alessandra, who had finally noticed that Angelina walked in.
"Ale, get off the bed," smiled Angelina, going over and trying to pull her down.
"TIME TO START THE PARTY!" screamed Alessandra, jumping off the bed.

__________

Within minutes of the four girls' arrival, the room had dissolved into more chaos than it already was in.
Iolanda and Angelina had already settled on Alessandra's bed, as Iolanda set herself to braiding Angelina's hair into an intricate crown. The two of them talked quietly together as Iolanda worked her magic.
"Any predictions for tonight?" asked Iolanda with a small sigh.
"There's going to be at least four karaoke rounds, Bambie will take over at least two. Some of us will have an actual real conversation and someone will cry. At least three people will be sleeping in random places, probably the floor." answered Angelina, seated perfectly still, "should I continue?"
"No, thank you. I'll bet that Tynna will be one of the people on the floor tonight."
"Probably. And Bambie."
Beside the bed, Jerry had connected her phone to the TV and was now scrolling through random clips from last year's contest.
"Look look look! This is when Mari's mic broke and screeched right in her ear!" she cried, as she and Alessandra both burst into fits of laughter.
"JERRY!" shrieked Marina, "who posted that?"
Jerry could not answer, she was too busy laughing while trying not to drop her phone.
"You did Mari, my love," said Tali from across the room, "you also showed it to us."
Meanwhile, Alyona and Tynna had discovered Laura's speaker, and turned the windowsill into their own little stage. Tynna stood on the windowsill, trying to do the rap from Teresa & Maria, as Alyona sat on the desk's chair, trying not to laugh and failing.
"Та з тобою завжди будуть з неба... what the heck?!" exclaimed Tynna
"Та з тобою завжди будуть з неба слідувати предки!" said Alyona, nearly crying from her laughter.
"Who just butchered my song?!" shouted Jerry.
"Tynna," grinned Alyona immediately.
"Alyona, watch her," commanded Jerry, though grinning, "that's our song."
Just then, Klavdia crashed into the room, late from an interview, long black hair flying behind her, glasses threatening to slip off her face.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm late! Dinner happened, then interview ran long! Sorry!"
"KLAVDIA!" shouted Tynna.
"Just in time," smiled Jerry, as Klavdia made her way over to Alessandra's bed.
“So what’d I miss?” asked Klavdia, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Chaos,” answered Angelina.
"The fairies singing," said Marina.
“The clip of Mari screaming at her mic,” answered Alessandra.
“Tynna messing up my song lyrics,” grinned Jerry.
“Hey!” shouted Tynna, “I’m not Ukrainian, give me credit!”
"So the normal?" asked Klavdia.
"Yes," said Angelina, still perfectly still.
"Wait, Marina, where are the fairies?" asked Klavdia.
"Bathroom," interjected Jerry.
"What she said," said Marina.
And indeed they were. All six fairies plus Silia were crowded in the bathroom, having a full-on fairy glam session. Aurelija had finished curling Kate's hair, and had moved on to Gabriela, who was currently sporting half a head of delicate curls and half a head of flat, perfectly straight hair. Asnate and Laura were sitting on the edge of the bathtub, soaking their feet in warm water as they harmonized softly. Meanwhile, crammed in the corner, Annemarija and Kate were having way too much fun with Silia's makeup, covering her eyelids in multiple colors of eyeliner.
"Pink or purple next?" asked Annemarija, reaching into her bag for more eyeliner.
"Pink!" enthusiastically requested Silia.
"I love pink with blue and gold!" squealed Kate, clapping her hands.
"Perfect," grinned Annemarija, pulling out sparkly pink eyeliner.
“I am going to look beautiful,” declared Silia.
When Silia and the six fairies stepped out of the bathroom about half an hour later, the atmosphere had completely shifted. It wasn't completely quiet, but the chaos had obviously simmered down. Jerry, now seated on the edge of the bed, was still showing Eurovision clips, but she had moved on from the chaos to more wholesome videos. Iolanda had long finished Angelina's braid, and the two of them plus Klavdia were now curled up together, talking. Tynna had finished her concert on the window, and was now on the bed, leaning on the wall. Marina had taken Tynna's spot next to Alyona, and they sat at the desk, deeply engrossed in a game of cards. For some unknown reason, Alessandra was lying on the floor, giggling about some random Tiktok. Tali and Zoë abandoned their spot on the couch, and joined the many other girls on the bed.
"I have returned," declared Silia, disturbing the silence.
"You have like, the entire color grid on your eyelids," teased Angelina.
"I look beautiful,"
"Always," piped up Alessandra, "what a princess."
"Thank you thank you," said Silia, bowing dramatically, sending everyone in the room into laughter.

__________

Eventually, the laughter in the room faded little by little. The air grew quieter, filled only with the sound of Laura's violin, the fairies' gentle harmonies, and the occasional laughter from Marina and Alyona's card game. The fairy lights twinkled in the background, and the disco ball Alessandra had hung spun around in lazy circles.
"Alright, enough of the chaos. Let's have a real conversation. Talk about life a bit," said Jerry, shutting off the TV.
All the girls who were seated on the bed turned to her and stared.
"I want to talk to you," said Jerry, "Hear about your lives a little bit. I know what it's like to be in Eurovision."
Those words hung in the air for a few moments. Klavdia looked down, averting her eyes from the sympathetic looks from Iolanda and Angelina. Tynna shifted against the wall, biting her lip, and Zoë opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.
"You sound like you're trying to preach a sermon," teased Silia, earning a half-smile from Tynna.
"Maybe," said Jerry, "But I also know what it's like. The nerves and excitement together."
"We all know it," spoke Tali gently, "So let us help you."
For a beat, nobody spoke. The sound of Laura's violin floated softly through the air, covering the room like a perfect cloud. Finally, Tynna took a deep breath and spoke.
"Everyone here, they think I'm the wild one. The one who loves people, and making them laugh."
She looked up, giving a halfhearted grin.
"I love making people laugh, and I love attention," she continued, twisting the ring on her finger, "But it's exhausting sometimes. Compared to my brother, who's smart and sane, and my little sister, who's sweet and quiet, I'm just the wild middle child. Sometimes I wonder, 'What do I even have beyond my silly exterior?'. And is that even going to be enough?"
The bed grew quiet. Tali reached over and squeezed her hand sympathetically.
"Girl, you're always enough,"
"Tynna," began Angelina, "I know it doesn't seem like it, but at home, I'm the dramatic child."
Tynna looked up.
"You?" she asked, stunned.
"Yes, me," chuckled Angelina softly, "My mother, she's quiet and sweet. And my older brother is like yours... calm and intelligent. Sometimes I feel like I'm just his dramatic baby sister. But I'm not. And you're not either. You're your own person."
"Wow," said Tynna, still shocked.
"Come here," said Angelina, opening her arms. Tynna immediately crawled across the bed and straight into Angelina's arms, leaning in as she pulled her closer.
The two of them stayed like that for a while, Tynna resting her head on Angelina's shoulder, as she rubbed small circles into her back. The other girls watched quietly, not wanting to disturb the moment.
Finally, Zoë broke the silence, her voice barely audible.
"I get that. But for me it's not about a genius older brother. It's about being the host country entry. I know my country loves me, and I just want to make them proud. That's all I'm here to do. But I could fail, and that scares me."
"Zoë, look at me," said Iolanda in her firm but gentle way.
Zoë looked up from her knees and turned her gaze to Iolanda.
“You’re not going to fail. I promise you.”
“But how do you know that?”
Iolanda sighed before giving a small grin.
“Last year was a mess. I was a mess. Ask anyone.”
“That is not a lie.” said Jerry, making Angelina and Silia chuckle softly.
“There was so much drama last year. There were people out there last year who wanted me to fai because of what I believed. But I didn’t. And I know because of that that you won’t fail either. You’re such a strong person Zoë,” she said, reaching over and firmly holding Zoë’s hand.
Zoë swallowed hard.
“Thank you Iolanda,” she whispered.
The room was silent for a few more moments before Klavdia started talking.
“Did any of you read the odds last year? Talk about them?”
“To be honest, no. There was so much drama last year that the odds were the least of my worries.” sighed Iolanda.
“Every so often, but not enough that they would bother me,” answered Tali slowly.
“I did. My song was always pretty highly ranked. But there were also always haters who accused it of being ‘too religious’ for Eurovision.” said Jerry. “Why do you ask?” she added, although she had a feeling she knew.
“I have never seen my song ranked highly,” whispered Klavdia, “what if that means I won’t qualify?”
Her voice cracked toward the end and she pressed her eyes shut, trying to keep tears from falling.
Jerry and Tali’s eyes both opened wide in understanding as they glanced at each other.
“Klavi, sweetheart, don’t worry about those.” said Tali kindly.
Jerry reached over and took Klavdia’s hands in hers.
“Hey. Listen to Tali. Don’t worry about those, seriously. All they do is mess with your head.”
Klavdia nodded, though still obviously trying not to cry.
“Listen,” continued Jerry, “If we had listened to the odds, none of us would’ve placed as well as we did.”
“People notice your heart, not your odds. And yours is so beautiful.” smiled Tali.
Klavdia let out a shaky laugh, blinking rapidly to stop the tears.
“I feel like I’m gonna cry.”
“Then cry,” said Jerry with a smile, “and know that we all got you.”
“Come here Klavi,” said Tali gently, motioning her toward her.
And she did, crawling over the bed and straight next to Tali, who pulled her close, wiping away her tears.
“F--- the odds,” mumbled Angelina, as a soft laugh coursed through the room at her words. The sound blended perfectly with Marina and Alyona’s bickering about cards in the background.
Eventually, the laughter died down once again, and the room was silent, save for the fairies angelic harmonies.
“Can, I, can I say something?” spoke up Silia, looking down at the bed, suddenly shy.
“Sure princess, you’ve been a little quiet all evening,” teased Angelina, “what’s up?”
“Talk to us princess,” said Jerry warmly.
Silia fiddled with the strings of her hoodie, obviously hesitant to speak since everyone had turned to face her.
"I... I just..." she began, voice already wavering, "I hate being the youngest. It's so hard when everyone seems so much older, and... I'm just a kid straight out of high school. I was only 17 last year. I'm still only 18. I love you all... but... I'm scared people here see me as a little girl and not a friend."
Her voice cracked at the end, and she stuffed her face into her hoodie, trying to hide the tears flowing down her cheeks.
Everyone's eyes went wide upon hearing her words.
"Oh princess," said Jerry, pulling her close, "Sweetheart, no. You're not just a little girl to us."
"Princess," said Angelina softly, "That's not true. We've always been your friends."
"You're so much more than a little sister to us princess," reassured Tali, "Never think that's the reason we keep you around."
Iolanda shifted over to where Jerry and Silia were, placing a comforting hand on Silia's shoulder.
"Silia, princess, look at me," instructed Iolanda gently.
Silia looked up from her spot on Jerry's shoulder, silent tears still falling freely down her cheeks.
Iolanda leaned over and gently cupped Silia's face in her hands.
"Look at me," she began, firm but kind, "You're so much more than just the youngest. We keep you around because you're you: beautiful and silly and a talented performer. Not because you're a little girl and we feel bad. You're such a brave person Silia, but you're an even better friend."
All the girls on the bed nodded in agreement. Silia opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't, as her lips trembled and more tears streaked down her cheeks.
Angelina reached out then, brushing Silia's hair away from her tear-streaked cheeks.
"I am so proud of you princess. You've done so much already, and you're only 18. 18-year-old me could have never gone to Eurovision. You've done so much and you've done it well."
Jerry wrapped her arms tighter around Silia, nodding her head.
"Yes, you're our little sister, but you're so much more than that. You're our friend, and that comes first."
Iolanda reached out again, using her thumb to gently wipe away Silia's tears.
"We're so proud of you. We love you princess. For you alone."
Something broke in Silia there - something of relief. She buried her face in Jerry's shoulder once again, and let her tears flow freely, as Iolanda reached out and wrapped her arms around them both. Angelina and Tali both leaned in, surrounding the three girls, bringing them all together in a tight embrace.
"Group hug!" shouted Tynna, jumping right in, as Klavdia and Zoë reached out to join.
"Let nobody forget," deadpanned Angelina, "I'm only 24. I'm just the most sane."
That sent everyone bursting into laughter, the tears mixing with the giggles. It was the perfect kind of hug - messy, emotional, and so very real.
From the desk, Marina and Alyona watched, warm smiles on their faces, their game temporarily paused.
"To think that was us last year," said Marina fondly.
"A whole year ago? Makes me feel old!" joked Alyona, though her smile was still warm.
"Remember that I'm older than you," teased Marina, "But truly, I'm glad we get to do this again."
"Me too."
Alessandra, who was still sprawled across the floor for some reason, glanced at the fairy lights twinkling above and beamed.
"We're so lucky," she muttered to no one in particular, a huge smile across her face.
In the corner, Laura's violin drew out a long, shimmering note, as the fairies' harmonies swelled, perfectly tying together the emotions and the laughter that they'd shared.
All was well for a few minutes, girls tangled in a hug on the bed, Marina shouting about beating Alyona, Alessandra still rolling on the floor. Then, suddenly, a loud knock at the door could be heard.
"Боже мій,” sighed Jerry.
The door flew open, and a loud voice was heard.
"BEHOLD! YOUR MONARCH HAS ARRIVED!"