The name's McGee, Goggles McGee

It is 100% strained

Apple is a little unhinged because she doesn't understand that she's the one that ruined their friendship, she fully places the blame on Raven. She is in the mindset that if Raven just tried more to be evil and actually started to dislike her at least a bit to get their story on track.

Raven though is heartbroken but is getting past it, because she and Apple had worked past things, or at least she thought they did. They became friends, and then this happened and now she's not so sure she can make Apple snap out of whatever this is. Especially when she finds out Briar couldn't even do so.

She acts like she doesn't as she was always more focused on getting her mother's approval given she was going to get her role she wasn't too put out when her father and her couldn't hang out together. Apple just wanted to learn to be Snow White and Diana definitely played that in her favor, so whenever Edmund tried to teach Apple something that wasn't part of her "destiny" she wouldn't listen. He realized that when he tried to get her to stop calling the dwarves nicknames rather than their actual names, she thought it was okay and that they didn't mind because they knew she was going to be Snow White, but Edmund knew better.

So it will take a long time for her to maybe actually admit to herself she feels happy about her dad not giving up on her even when her mother did.

Edmund White just tries to do his best man, he regrets not being around as much as he wanted to be but everyone knows that the Snow White Kingdom is actually not as great as it seems and as the press wants you to believe. It's a kingdom passed down from one Snow White to another. When Edmund became king, he didn't just want it to be a title, he actually wanted to help, so that's what he tried to do and that's what took up a lot of his time.

The Snow White Kingdom had a lot of problems, from the dwarf slavery to the hidden poverty, he wanted to help it all so it could be a kingdom he would be proud ruling. Plus it's not like Diana helped, she just made sure the kingdom looked great for the press. He was doing good work but at the same time he wasn't really around a lot for Apple and he beats himself up about it a lot.

But he did try and visit as much as he could at Ever After High and then the whole poisoning incident happened and Apple named Diana as a part of it and Edmund should probably have had faith in his wife but really he didn't. He found the stupid piece of that damned magic mirror and he showed it to the whole magic world and he asked it if Diana was involved, and it can't lie.

It said yes and really, his stomach should have dropped but all he felt was relief, he could finally get a divorce and he could fight Diana for custody of Apple.

It wasn't much of a fight, but he won and he was determined to help his daughter any way he could. He just hoped she wanted to be helped.

Raven was more than willing to move rooms but like I said, everyone is treating her like she's made of glass since she just woke up from the Sleep Like Death Curse. They didn't want to "put her out" or so they say, but she didn't want it either way. This took place before their talk at the Wonderland Haberdashery & Tea Shoppe and only about a week after she woke up from the curse. So of course she was fighting for Apple to remain in their room even though everyone else was telling her she shouldn't. She fought and fought even when they told her that Apple was dangerous and would likely try to get back at her.

Again, Raven fought, "You never saw the rooming as a problem before Headmaster Grimm. Despite Apple and I being "destined" enemies, you did nothing to stop her from switching out my roommate without notifying Maddie or myself of the change. You did nothing, you let the daughter or Snow White and the daughter of the Evil Queen, room together...what if I had been like...like my mom in her earlier days or like Apple is how you guys describe...I could have hurt Apple and yet. You didn't think. All you cared about was Legacy Day and our stories. You let her throw out all my belongings and replace them, I can only assume it was in hopes to help our story carry out...well our story is still being written, whether I am to be Snow White and her the next Evil Queen is yet to be determined. So let us carry on how we have been and turn your shoulder like you have, pretend you don't see our problems and maybe the story you want to happen will happen. But I'll be cursed twice if I sit here and let you throw Apple out like she's some rotten piece of fruit, she's still a student here...she's still a Royal, and I a Rebel."

Headmaster Grimm turned every shade of red there, because he knew it was true, he knew what he had done wasn't right and yet he let so many things pass...purely for the sake of the stories...not anymore. Not if it meant parents would have to worry about their children like so. He may not be the man fitted for the job but he knew his brother was. And maybe his brother would forgive him enough to help him out and help run the school.

Of course none of Raven's friends are happy and neither is Eva or James, they keep pressing Headmaster Grimm to do something or they would pull Raven from the school. Well while Raven was Sleeping, Snow White officially lost her Storybook Title and her custody of Apple to her husband, King Edmund White, Diana's former Prince Charming. When Eva reached out about the rooming problem he did what he thought was the best option for everyone and for his daughter. He knew they had a small property close to the school for whenever he and Diana would visit, He immediately asked for some servants to fix it up, it would be Apple's new "dorm."

Eva agreed to what Edmund wanted, she understood he was doing it for Apple, and hoping she could change if she stayed at the school. Headmaster Grimm agreed to everything, he wasn't willing to vex the newly released Evil Queen or King Edmund White. So Apple still got to go to Ever After High but she would be living off campus. Raven wasn't happy about it but her mother told her it was the closest thing to a compromise she would get so she kind of just had to accept it.

At first it was a little weird not waking up to Apple's singing in the morning, or hearing her weird mirror pay her compliments, but she got used to it. After their talk/argument, she was kind of grateful to not be sharing a room with Apple. She didn't know what Apple would have done if she had a chance like when Raven was sleeping in their formerly shared dorm, if they had continued to room together.

On one hand Raven does like that Dexter is more assertive and can finally see himself as a hero, one she always knew he could be. On the other hand she feels like he's maybe a touch too protective of her, but it's not just him it's all her friends and family so she can't just blame him.

The only good thing to come out of them being over protective was the roommate changes, Raven would be rooming with Cerise instead. Raven had no problem with rooming with Cerise, but a small part of her hoped she would get to room with Maddie like how they had planned at the beginning of the year, but the Charming siblings and her parents felt she would be safer with Cerise since she was a skilled fighter. So Cherise moved into Raven and Apple's room after Apple moved out was forcibly removed. Finding a new roommate for Apple though, that was the problem, no one wanted to room with her, not even the rebels. For the time being Apple is living off campus at one of her family's homes that is close by the school.

They do! And no one is surprised when they are announced to be the next Snow White and Prince Charming. Raven prefers to still be called Raven Queen over Snow White, but if ever there is a meeting for the big kingdoms she can't get away from the title as that is how she is to be addressed. Likewise Dexter prefers being called Dexter Queen instead of Prince Charming as Charming reminds him of his parents and also there are like a ton of Prince Charmings that meetings get really confusing really fast if any of them are called upon.

They both fight for the right to not go by your Fairytale Name, and of course the Elders and Headmaster Grimm are fighting them right back since it's "tradition." At some point they tried to compromise with Raven and say they can give her a name tied to the tale like Snow White's sister Rose Red, and tried to say they could call her Ebony Black ("skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony" - the Grimm Brothers) she's still on the fence about the name. Dexter in the meantime gets to go by King Dexter Queen and he loves it. Especially when he gets announced as King Queen. He gets a good giggle out of it.

They do have children! I forgot to add this post to the masterlist but here's a link to that --> UwU

I have made one! It is not much but I made one! Here's the link ---> Poison Apple 🍎

Dexter had been looking everywhere for Raven, she hadn't been in any of her usual spots so he figured she might be in the dorms and decided his surprise could wait. He smiled down at the box of macarons he had gotten for her, she had told him that her mom, dad, and her would go to this old little bakery hidden away in town and how they would always go on the first friday of a month. It was a special day where her mom had promised not to be evil and they would go put as a family and have a plate of assorted macarons to eat. Raven would always make it a game to rate the macarons and come up with something silly about the macaron she was eating to give it a full rating and her parents would do the same. Apparently they had had one such Friday a little before Eva got locked away in Mirror Prison, and they hadn't gone back since.

It had taken a while but he eventually found the bakery Raven had told him about and got her a box of macarons. He had tried to pay the little old man who ran the shop but he had refused payment from Dexter but told him that he was happy little Raven was doing well and gave Dexter a hug saying it was for waking her up. He hadn't thought he could be more proud to be Raven's Prince Charming but he was always pleasantly surprised. That had been one of those moments, wherever Raven went, she always touched people and brought happiness with her. It was nice that people were finally seeing that at school, though it did bother him that it took her getting poisoned for them fo finally accept that she was not evil and to finally respect her choice in not signing the Storybook of Legends (even if it was a fake.)

He pulled out his phone to shoot Raven a text, asking if she wanted to meet up for lunch, maybe he could give her the surprise then. He heard some distant voices getting closer as well as a familiar ding! that sounded like Raven's text tone.

"OooooOoooo is that Mr. Prince Charming, now?" He heard Maddie giggle, his face flushed red but he couldn't help but smile.

"It is!" He heard Raven's soft voice answer, he had planned to turn the corner and greet them but paused because of Maddie's next sentence.

"Lunch date, oo-la-la! How's that going anyways? I've been hearing a lot of chatter lately, all good chatter though."

"Chatter, what kind of chatter?" Raven asked.

"The normal gushing about how great it is that you woke up and that you got a Charming as your True Love, and some gushing from other girls."

"It is great, Dexter is amazing, I'm happy he's my...true love." Dexter could imagine Raven blushing and hiding behind her hair like she always did when someone congratulated them on being each other's True Love. She explained it wasn't out of embarrassment but happiness, she was just shy.

"I'm happy for you Raven," Maddie said in a soft voice," and a lot of other girls are happy too."

"What do you mean?"

Yeah what did she mean?

"Other girls are just happy that Dex is your Prince Charming and not Daring, they thought because you and Daring had been hanging out that he might have been your Prince."

Dexter blinked in surprise, were people really thinking that? Well, were girls really happy that Raven didn't get his brother? He was happy with Raven, he loved her, even if he couldn't say it just yet, but it still bothered him that people thought that of his brother and Raven. He tried not to get too bummed out when people chose Daring rather than him, or told him he should be like his cool brother, or even when his own Father said he wished Dexter could be more like Daring. Raven never made him feel like a second choice.

"Daring is just a friend, and really all those times he was asking me for dating advice. But they really think that?"

"Oh yeah, for sure! They're just happy they might still have a chance with the "better" Charming." He could hear the air quotes in Maddie's response, they were right though.

"Ugh, if I have to hear that one more time I might actually hex someone!" Wow, Dexter had never heard Raven be so troubled, well maybe when Apple and her had been fighting before the poisoning. "No Charming is better than the other. I hate when girls say that. One even had the audacity to say they were sorry for me. Dexter is amazing and they are missing out. Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder is it not?"

"It is!"

"Right. Then in my eye, Dexter is more handsome than Daring...he's my perfect prince charming. He's kind, he's funny, he's courageous. He may not be the best fighter, but he will still fight for what is right. He's smart, and I find brain more charming than brawn." Dexter felt his breath leave him and a small smile stretch across his lips, and he would deny it, but his eyes even watered. How did he get so lucky?

"I don't understand it either!" Maddie said with a sigh, there was a pause before she continued, "wait....back it up a lot! Daring asked you for dating advice? For who?"

Dexter kind of winced at Maddie's shrill squeal but he had to admit he was kind of curious as well, he nearly jumped when the girls based him and tried his best to blend into the wall. They missed him, he didn't know how but it was probably because they were walking down the hall opposite of him.

"You can't tell anyone Maddie, I mean it, but he was asking for some advice for Lizzy." Raven admitted, Dexter may have gasped out a disbelieving what!? but thankfully it was covered up by Maddie's way louder one.

The girls continued their talk and Dexter watched until they were out of sight before he checked his phone and saw Raven's agreement to meet for lunch. He smiled down at his phone before putting it away and making his way to the Castleteria.

She thinks I'm her perfect prince charming! He thought with a soft cheer, well it was just so that he thought she was a perfect Queen. He just knew that he would still love her, Evil Queen or not, he vowed then and there that she would always be his destiny.

That my dear anon is up in the air. I'm not quite sure to be honest! I don't know if Apple continues being horrible or if she learns a lesson and tries to be better, I'm open to either honestly.

But I think Eva (EQ) would actually advocate for the Mirror Prison to be the last resort punishment or not to ever be used as she was in there for years and it did nothing for her except drive her insane and wish for death. She only got better through talking with her daughter, then her ex-husband, eventually leading to her getting help from a therapist after the whole Raven ordeal. It took time but she got better, but only because she got help. The isolation? It did nothing but fuel her evil thoughts.

She almost flipped the table but yeah of course!!

~♤~♡~◇~♧~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~♧~◇~♡~♤~

Raven took a deep breath to calm herself as they neared The Wonderland Haberdashery & Tea Shoppe, she was grateful that Dexter was there and was holding her hand the entire time but with Darling and Daring there as well, and all three of them with their swords, it really wasn't helping her nerves. Which was ridiculous, she shouldn't be nervous to see Apple and yet...she was...she really was. When she had first woken up she hadn't even thought about the fact she had been poisoned with the sleep like death, but when she admitted she didn't remember much other than taking a bite out of the tart that was given to her. Apparently someone left it in the kitchen and they had seen her name on a tag before it had fallen and had gotten lost somewhere during the lunch rush, she was surprised but well, apple tarts were her favorite dessert and somehow someone had known. It wasn't something she liked to admit due to her story but she had felt her cheeks flush and a happy smile slip onto his lips and she had eagerly gotten a forkful and that was all she remembered, after that it was all dark.

That was something she hated, people kept asking her what it was like to be under that enchanted sleep, Blondie kept asking if she dreamed and Raven honestly would rather forget the experience altogether. She didn't dream...it had felt as though she had stopped existing...it was one of the hardest things to experience and she wouldn't wish it to happen to anyone. Briar asked and she was the only one besides Holly and Poppy that Raven had told the truth to. She hadn't even told Dexter or her own mother what it felt like. Then there was the matter of who poisoned her...she just couldn't wrap her head around it, yeah they got into a fight but Raven thought her and Apple were hexcellent friends. Raven had been annoyed at Apple's actions lately, but she chalked it up to Apple's mom putting pressure on her, she never thought Apple would try to make her hate her the way she did. The sad part? Raven didn't hate Apple despite what she had done, she felt bad for her. Which is why she agreed to this lunch in the first place.

She agreed with her mother to let Dex take her and tried to limit it to only him but her mother and surprisingly the Charming siblings argued she needed them all. It had befuddled her so much that she just agreed to the extra "security" and here they were. The Charming Siblings were talking amongst themselves but you could tell they were alert, especially Dexter, she could feel how tense he was the closer they got to the door.

As soon as the reached it Daring opened the door with a flourish and bowed to Raven as he motioned her inside with a wink. She rolled her eyes but stepped in and immediately zeroed in on Apple sitting near the back. It wasn't hard to find her, everyone else in the shop seemed to sit everywhere else but near her and the sight made Raven's heart clench. She ignored the looks and the whispers and she briskly walked up to Apple's table, she gave the girl a small smile as she took the seat across from her. Dexter didn't sit but he stood near her, Daring and Darling stood closer to the door though Darling was closer but Raven noticed neither was looking at them. It was almost like they couldn't make themselves look at Apple.

"Thanks for coming finally. I ordered your usual tea." Apple's voice was full of honey that promised the presence of wasps but Raven tried not to let it get to her.

"Thanks for inviting me Apple." Raven replied politely as she grabbed the cup in front of her, she was going to take a drink to calm her nerves but Dexter stopped her and gently grabbed the cup from her but she could see how much he was holding himself back. From what? She didn't know but she frowned and was about to ask him what he was doing but when she looked up she saw he was glaring straight at Apple who let out a wry chuckle.

"I didn't poison it Dexter." She said with a roll of her eyes and it made Raven's stomach drop, more so when Apple looked at her. "Did you really have to bring the bodyguards?"

"It wasn't her choice." Dexter grit out, Raven had never seen him so serious or wound up. "And forgive me for not believing you Poison Apple."

Raven felt dizzy as she watched the two. Especially when she heard Apple growl, Apple never growled.

"Don't call me that!"

"It's the name you earned." Who knew Dexter could be so cold...

"Stop." Raven pleaded as she grabbed Dexter's hand. "If you're....worried that she's...done something can you get me a new pot of tea or something. Just please...I want you two to stop."

Dexter softened, if only a bit but motioned for Daring to get her her drink. Raven had to calm herself from doing something foolish like yelling, she knew he meant well but she wasn't made of glass. He didn't have to stand there like a suit of armor, she would actually have been less frustrated if he had sat down next to her. She knew he didn't trust Apple but this...this was madness! And not the good kind!

"Shut up with that goodey goodey talk Queen." Raven felt as though she was slapped when she realized that Apple had said it and was glaring at her with such hatred...what did she do to deserve that??? They were friends...they had been friends...hadn't they? "Don't act like you're some saint. This is all your fault."

"My faul.....Apple. I didn't do anything to you!" Raven had already been frustrated she felt desperate to get Apple to see her mistakes.

"Exactly! If you had just stuck to our story I would still have EVERYTHING. You. Took. Everything!" Apple yelled as she slowly stood up, pushing the table towards Raven when she did. Raven did the same only so she didn't have to feel the press of the table, she felt Dexter behind her, his hand laid on the small of her back and she took comfort in the warmth.

"You....You can't be serious. Apple. You did this to yourself!" Raven yelled back.

Raven watched as apple grabbed the corner of the table, her eyes on fire as she glared at Raven with clenched teeth. "NO I DIDN'T! I DID NOT! I DID WHAT WAS NECESSARY FOR MY HAPPILY EVER AFTER AND YOU RUINED IT YOU WITCH!"

It was like everything had gone in slow motion, she had braced herself to be hit with the table once Apple flipped it but it didn't happen, Apple had barely tipped it when Raven had heard a SHINK! and saw the glare of the sun bouncing off Dexter's sword which was pointed right at Apple. The air was tight as everyone held their breaths, waiting to see what would happen. Raven watched as Apple looked at the sword and then Dexter, she watched those blue eyes go through a storm of emotions, hate, fury, confusion, hurt, fear....and back at hate. Apple huffed and set the table down loudly and stalked out of the shop, the clicking of her heels sounding ominous as she did so.

"Are you alright?" Dexter asked as he quickly put his sword away and cradled Raven's face. The gesture was sweet but all Raven tasted was bitterness. She stepped back and frowned.

"Why would you do that? Did you see Apple's face?"

Dexter frowned and scrunched his nose. "She was going to flip that table at you! You know she was!"

"And if she was? I could have stopped it! Or we could have talked to her instead of raising our weapons first!"

"Talk to...Raven. Poison Apple has shown she's more prone to action that words!"

"Don't call her that! That's what riled her up! If we just talked maybe I could have talked some sense into her!" Raven's throat felt raw but if she didn't say this now, she had a feeling she wouldn't have said it at all.

"Sense? Raven she has none! Briar tried okay, and it did nothing. She doesn't feel bad about poisoning you, she doesn't feel bad about all the stunts she pulled trying to make you look bad. She doesn't care. I don't think you talking with her would have made a difference." Towards the end his voice got softer, he wasn't yelling anymore but you could tell Dexter was still mad and anxious. He kept running his fingers through his hair so it looked more unkempt than usual.

"Well I don't know that. Because you wouldn't let me try. You guys are great and I love having you around but enough is enough. Stop treating me as though I'm made of glass. I'm not! I want a boyfriend Dex. Not a babysitter."

"I know you're not Raven, but Poison Apple still poisoned you. You were gone for a little over a month, nearing two. So I'm sorry if we care about your wellbeing since you don't seem to." Dexter huffed out, his nostrils flaring like a bull that just saw red.

Raven didn't say anything, because she knew if she did she would say something really hurtful, she was so frustrated and her magic was bubbling in response. "You think. I want to go back to that. To sleep? Because I don't. I wouldn't wish that upon any not even Apple. You think I'm not scared of it happening again?"

Her magic was pulling and pushing her at the same time, she needed to calm down but she just couldn't. She took a step back from Dexter and more towards the kitchen door. "I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE......I thought....I was slowly being convinced that I didn't exist...so don't you dare tell me I don't care. I'm terrified that this? All of this is some dream and I'm still in that glass coffin! So forgive me if I just want to make sense of it ALL."

She was crying but she didn't care, her throat hurt but she didn't care, but after the final word she did care. It all flooded back into her and her magic exploded the lights around her. Raven felt like she was 6 years old all over again and with one last look at Dexter and giving a soft sorry to everyone else she fled out the back door and ignored the call of her name.

She needed to see Maddie and Cerise.