//------------------------------// // Trixie's head is not a melon. // Story: Date-O-Lite // by Phaoray //------------------------------// Marble eyed Trixie suspiciously from the other side of the kitchen table. “Yes, she did! Trixie was surprised too.” Trixie confirmed, making sure to avoid eye contact. As expected, the phone in her hands vibrated. That’s not what Maud said. She said you brought it up first. Trixie scoffed. “All Trixie asked was if Maud wanted to go out to eat with her, Maud is the one who called it a date.” But you asked her out first, it counts. All Maud did was confirm it was a date. Trixie glared at Marble, holding back the urge to poke the picky girl in the side. Marble was calmer around her now, but it had taken weeks to get to the point where they could casually be in the same room alone like this. Trixie propped her head up on one hand, watching as Marble typed out a message on her phone fast enough to give some people whiplash. She was still unsure about coming over for things like this, but Maud and Marble were very persuasive when they wanted to be. First dates are so sweet. Still, you two have been together a lot so I doubt a date will change much. Should I expect my big sister home tomorrow night? “Just what kind of girl do you take Trixie for, Marble?” Trixie replied in mock anger. It was hard to actually stay mad at Marble, though Limestone assured Trixie that it was very possible. “Trixie isn’t a pervert, despite what your sister might say.” Marble kept her head down as she replied, a blush etched over her cheeks and a creepy grin on her face. Trixie inwardly groaned and repeated Limestone’s words in her head for the dozenth time. I know she likes to bitch on her phone all the time, and yeah, it probably doesn’t make a ton of sense. But, hey, she needs to be better around people, right? So just come over and text to her. Seriously, this is what the fucking therapist that she never visits said to try so help me out here. A vibration brought Trixie back to her phone. Says the girl who Limestone found topless in Maud’s room on her second visit. How about we talk about those things you called pajamas the first few nights over? It looked like you were trying to get more than one Pie that night. “Well, aren’t you feeling cheeky today?” Bitch, I’m adorable. Trixie glared over at Marble, she was sure Marble knew she was doing it and refusing to look over. “Adorable my foot. No one is going to find you adorable with a mouth like that.” Marble let out a whisper of a giggle. Please, I’m going easy on you. You’re too innocent to take what I dish out to Lime. Maybe one day, but I doubt it. ლ(=ↀωↀ=)ლ The smug, cat face emote sent with the message irritated Trixie a little. It always did considering Marble always used it when she was acting superior. “Oh?” Trixie grinned. “Fine, let’s test that iron mouth of yours, shall we?” Marble briefly looked over to Trixie with a raised eyebrow before turning back to her phone. You are lucky I like you enough to let that slide with simply saying ‘repeat what you just said back in your head’. Trixie did. “You’re terrible.” Adorable. Marble corrected. Trixie could just see the mirth in her eyes as she continued to type. So, just what did you want to do with my mouth, girl who is supposedly only trying to date my sister? “Yeah, okay, fine,” Trixie growled out, pointing her phone towards Marble to see as Trixie turned it off. Trixie then placed the phone on the table next to her green bag and smugly stared at Marble. “All you have to do, miss Mud Mouth, is look me in the eyes, and say ‘shut up’; do you think a big, strong girl like yourself can manage that?” She mocked. Marble kept her phone in both hands as she looked over at Trixie with a glare. “Mmpt hurp.” Marble barely managed to mumble out. “What was that?” Trixie asked, holding a hand up to her ear. “Trixie couldn’t hear you. And she said you need to look her in the eyes, not look through her. Trixie’s smart enough to know when she doesn’t have someone’s attention you know.” Grinning, Trixie leaned on the table and stared intensely at Marble’s lavender eyes. A few long seconds later, and Marble finally stared back. It took all of ten seconds for Marble to visibly swallow and clutch her phone tighter, Trixie could even begin to see a few beads of sweat forming on her face. Marble finally made a pained, keening noise before slumping over in her seat, hiding most of herself under the table. Trixie snickered. “Okay, so, why the fuck were you two just staring into each other’s eyes?” Came the sudden gravelly voice of Limestone behind Trixie. Another keening sound came from underneath the table, followed by buttons being hit at high speeds. “No, no, I got this one, Marble. Listen, Trixie.” Limestone said evenly. Trixie felt the sudden urge to bolt and tried to stand up, only to have both of Limestone’s hands slap down on her shoulders and press her back into the chair. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s great having you around. Maud likes you, and I appreciate you babysitting Marble for me. It lets me get some fucking work done without worrying what stupid shit she’s going to do next.” Marble’s head cautiously peeked out from under the table so she could glare at Limestone. “But-,” Lime continued, squeezing Trixie’s shoulders a bit too tight for her sake. “Let me make one thing picture fucking perfect for you.” Trixie could feel a chill run down her spine as Limestone leaned down to whisper loudly in her ear. “I would rather break you in half and hide your corpse under my bed than have to tell our parents that you are fucking two of my sisters, are we clear?” “Y-yes,” Trixie replied shakily. “How clear?” Came the growl behind her. One of Lime’s fingers began tracing around her shoulder, goosebumps cropping up wherever it roamed. “Crystal!” “Naw, see-” Limestone gripped again, shaking Trixie in the chair slightly. “Crystal is clear, but it’s also fucking cheap; give me an answer worth a fuck. Try again,” “W-what?” she blurted out, confused and receiving a light whack to the back of the head and an admonished tone from Limestone in reply. “What? You’ve been spacing out looking at Marble’s tits during our group video nights?” A muffled squawk came from somewhere under the table. “It’s a simple question.” Lime continued, slipping her hands up Trixie’s neck, her tone turning mocking as she gripped the sides of Trixie’s head in a vice-like grip. “What gem is clear, but isn’t cheap as shit like crystal?” Trixie audibly swallowed, eyeing her green bag that she had no way of getting to at the moment. She desperately wracked her brain, searching it for anything that might help from the catalogue of documentaries she had watched with the three sisters. “Q-quartz?” The vice tightened. “Still a crystal. Last shot.” Maud, don’t let me die before our date! “A-agate?” Trixie squeaked out, closing her eyes. “Mmm-hmm!” Trixie cautiously opened one eye. Marble was mostly out from under the table, glaring at Limestone and making shooing motions with her hand. With a relieved sigh, Trixie felt Limestone let go of her head and back away. “Fine. It’s still a cheap answer though.” Limestone muttered, stepping around Trixie’s chair and propping herself against the table before she continued. “So, where are you taking my baby sister for her first date?” “Just the Cantertina.” Trixie said, rubbing the side of her head and trying to act like she was totally used to talking casually with someone who just threatened to pop her head like a zit not even a minute ago. Lime and Trixie eyed each other for a second as two small rings rang out. A quick glance over confirmed that the texter was still taking refuge under the table. Oh, nice choice. I like the burrito bowls they have. “Huh, Trixie didn’t really think you ever left the house.” I don’t really, but they do delivery. Trixie snorted at this. “Well, yeah, they say that, but you need to order at least sixty bucks worth of food, don’t you?” Well yeah, but it’s not THAT much food, right? “Not really the point I was trying to make, Marble,” Trixie explained, looking over at Lime. She brought her elbow up to nudge Lime in the side, but the glare she received halfway there made her reconsider. “I guess your parents save a lot homeschooling you.” Trixie really is an idiot when it comes to money, Limestone thought. We still pay the damn school taxes regardless, and just how cheap does she think a tutor is, even if they have to keep their distance? Still, something didn’t add up right. “The Cantertina, right?” Lime repeated, eyeing Trixie. “That’s what Trixie said, is there a reason she has to repeat herself?” Marble’s head popping up again with eyes slightly narrowed at Limestone reminded her to bite back her first few responses to that question. It’s fine, you need the practice, dad literally just berated you for making that worker cry last month when they were acting like a fucking idiot. “Right. Sorry.” Lime made an effort to stop scowling. Marble’s glare remained, apparently her smile still needed work. “What I MEANT was; that place is a bit expensive, and Maud mentioned you were handling everything, you sure you can afford it?” There. Calm, no swearing, nothing for anyone to bitch about. “Pfft, please.” Trixie scoffed, making some kind of flicking hand gesture to Lime obnoxiously. “Trixie may just be in High School still, but she makes more than enough with her allowance and street performances for something like this.” “Wait, when the fuck does begging in the street turn into having ‘more than enough’?” Shit, now they’re both giving me those looks. “Trixie. Isn’t. Begging!” she stated, actually poking Limestone in the chest with each word. Lime grabbed her wrist just after the third one. “Whatever the fuck you call it then! Still doesn’t change that you're poor as shit, right!?” The red tinge around Limestone’s vision was not helping. Her eyes wandered briefly to Marble’s frantic waving gesture. The fuck is she trying to tell me? Limestone thought when Marble caught her look and gave her a ‘keep going’ gesture before discreetly reaching out for Trixie’s green self-labeled ‘Pie’ kit. Much to Pinkie’s disappointment, it did not contain anything for baking, but it was something Trixie brought over on her visits now after some kind of compromise with Marble that she refused to tell Lime about. To be fair, Lime thought, squeezing Trixie’s wrist a little tighter to stop her from squirming so much. Pinkie is a bit much, and her idea of personal space is shit. One day that girl was really going to hurt someone by accident. HISS! HISS HISS! Limestone instinctively jerked backward, letting go of Trixie’s wrist as something very cold and wet sprayed across her face. “AHH! What the fuck!?” She eyed the spray bottle in Trixie’s hand while wiping her face off. “D-did you seriously just spray me with water like some goddamned cat!?” Lime paused in what was about to be an entirely justified murder as her hand and face somehow began to sting, distracting her. It wasn’t pepper spray, she was fairly familiar with how that felt by now. This was much cooler and the feeling was slowly sinking deeper into her skin. She licked her lips. “Mint?” “Trixie’s not about to explain to Maud that she pepper-sprayed her sister.” She defended, not quite whispering out “Though I doubt she’d mind.” afterwards. Lime’s glare was met with Trixie’s own. Trixie shook the spray bottle dangerously. “Plenty more where that came from.” She threatened. “Spray me with that again and I will fucking wreck you.” Seriously, she has a plush gator in that bag to distract Pinkie when she needs a moment, and she brings THAT for me!? Lime was just considering her odds of tackling Trixie before she could spray her again when both their phones went off. Hesitatingly, they checked their messages. Maud mentioned you won some vouchers at school, is that why you chose Cantertina? Is it expensive otherwise? “W-well,-” Trixie answered, taking a step back and taking a full half minute to slowly sit down again, though she was sitting backward in the chair to keep an eye on Lime it seemed. “It can be. The voucher helps cover half of one meal and an appetizer. so Trixie is just paying around two thirds. She can easily afford that.” Were my reports off somehow? It’s not like Trixie has a bank account I can check or anything. Not having a bank account was a good indicator to Lime already, but then…did all High School students really have one? “Whatever.” Marble gave her a curious look. She shrugged at her little sister. If Trixie said she had it covered, then she probably had it covered. Marble did not agree with Limestone apparently. An opinion she was more than happy to share after Trixie left and Limestone had explained her reasoning. “She's always going to say she has it covered. You need to listen when people talk.” “I do listen! She said she had it covered, didn’t she?” “Ugh! And y-you’re terrible at observing how and why people say what they say!” Marble explained with a withering look. “Well excuse me for fu-for thinking when she said ‘I have it covered’ to mean she would be fine!” “Nevermind! I actually have it covered, I took care of it while you distracted her.” Lime gave a questioning look. “Wait, what?” “I slipped some money into her bag after handing her the spray bottle.” “You fu- you traitor!” Marble looked at her like Limestone was a child before her face gave way to a curious tilt. “Y-you don’t have to do that you know.” “Do what?” Limestone dodged. “You know.” “Geh...I need to anyways.” Lime admitted. “Can’t be swearing at everyone if I am hoping to help run the company.” She cracked her knuckles. “And besides, you keep throwing me off.” The last statement seemed to, ironically, throw Marble off. Her voice, only slightly below a normal conversation level, quickly petered out. “W-what? S-shoul I-” “No.” Limestone interrupted, happy Marble was still not up for eye contact right now. “Keep it up. It’s nice to hear you more than once every other month. I...guess having her over has helped then?” Marble swayed her head back and forth a little before finally giving a small nod. “I-I just figure, if I can finally be okay with T-Trixie alone in a room with me, I should be okay with talking to my sister’s a little more, r-right?” Marble nervously rubbed her own shoulder. Lime stiffly reached out and squeezed Marble’s arm briefly. “R-right.” She teased, getting a pout in return. “I’m happy about it, really. Mom was too when you called her to say hi the other day. But you aren’t really up for ripping into me like usual, right?” “I'm not r-really that bad, am I? I-” “Pfft, fuck no...aw dam-dangit.” Limestone shook her body briefly. “Okay, that’s enough for today. Look, I like you speaking your mind, I don’t have to wait a fucking century for you to say -well, text- what you want like Maud. And you don’t go all hug happy or screechy as hell like Pinkie. You do you and if it means that when you talk I need to get used to you not being as...edgy?” She hazarded. Marble glared at her. “Yeah, gonna go with edgy; Then that is fine. I’ll try to tone it down a bit too.” “It’s o-okay. Y-you won’t scare me off. Really.” The small smile Marble gave her pulled at Lime’s heart enough for her to give a shaky one of her own. “C-cool. SO!” Lime slapped the table, eager to change the topic. “So, Maud and Trixie, you think it’ll go well tomorrow?” Marble nodded. “They’ll be fine. They just need to be a b-bit more open, I think? It’s really c-cute how much Trixie tries.” Lime snorted. “Yeah, and fails. Seriously, Agate? The fuck kind of an answer was that?” “T-to be fair, it was a trick question.” “Right, and just look at her fucking name.” “I-I dunno? Maybe suggest next time they watch a video about the Clarity scale then?” Marble shrugged. “Maybe. But you are right, they’ve been friends for awhile. They’ll be fine so long as Trixie doesn’t screw anything up tomorrow night.” Maud closed the door behind her, leaning against it in confusion. She was happy it was so dark inside. She had a lot to figure out about Trixie’s declining state throughout the date and didn’t need her nosy sisters in her face about- Maud paused, studying the darkness of the kitchen intently. The absolute silence. It was too quiet. She flicked the lights on. Before Maud knew it, Limestone was in her face. “What the fuck was that!?”