Sugarcoat didn't care for music. Well perhaps classical, but otherwise there was not much that moved her. Lemon Zest was often annoyed by this and frequently tried to find songs she'd enjoy, to no avail. Sugarcoat wished she'd give it a rest by now but sadly trying to get Lemon to listen to reason was like trying to talk to a brick wall. Ultimately it was a waste of time.
One day Lemon shoved her headphones onto Sugarcoat's head once again. 'She really wished she'd stop doing that.' And turned the volume up to decibels no sane person would listen to music at.
The song started out somewhat promising, the music wasn't ear bleeding, like much of Lemon's music was. The voices were clearly trained, being soft and sinuous. The moment she heard the lyrics it was ruined. The first verse was clearly meant to sound profound, in fact Sugarcoat would not have been surprised if many people had been duped into thinking so, but was in fact pretentious. The verses after that, had a lot of repeating words. Sugarcoat never understood songs that were mostly the refrain over and over again.
She honestly would have stopped listening by the end of the first verse were it not for Lemon. She knew if she stopped in the middle of the song Lemon would say she hadn't given the song a chance. While Sugarcoat could try to refute this claim, it was easier to simply listen to the entire thing.
"Well?" Lemon asked, removing the headphones.
"That song was mediocre at best." She told her.
"Mediocre?!" Lemon said excitedly. "That's the best rating you've given any of the songs I've shown you!" Yes because this one didn't make her feel like she'd go deaf listening to it. "Here's their album! I'll see if I can't find anything else you like better!"
Sugarcoat was handed an album, she tried to protest, but Lemon ran off. Sometimes Sugarcoat wondered why they were friends. She decided she may as well look at the album, Lemon would probably ask if she had. The front cover was a very simplistic design. a necklace with a red jewel on a black background. The title was in a green smoky font. 'Find the Magic'. Sugarcoat didn't find the image very interesting, but at least it was tolerable to look at.
The back cover had a list of songs, which Sugarcoat didn't bother to read, and a picture of the band. According to the names listed, they were, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, and Adagio Dazzle. The band's was named the Dazzlings.
Their sense of fashion was questionable. The one on the left, Aria she presumed, had long pigtails that went to midback, they were purple with teal streaks. Her face was a lighter shade of purple and her eyes matched her hair, she also had a thick layer of purple eyeshadow. She wore a ripped teal jacket over a white shirt, purple pants and boots. While she still looked odd, she probably looked the most normal.
The one an the right, Sonata if the cover was to be believed, had cyan hair with blue streaks in a high ponytail. Her skin was a lighter shade of blue and her eyes a red purple. Like Aria she had eyeshadow, but hers was far more understated. She wore a purple jacket with a blue eighth note, and three rows of cyan buttons. Each row had two connected buttons. She also wore a pink skirt and long pink boots, a pair of pink legwarmers popped out from the tops. That was what made her outfit more ridiculous than Aria's. If you already have boots on why would you ever need legwarmers?
Then there was the one in the middle. Adagio, likely the lead singer. She looked like she came out of the eighties, with her poofy orange hair in a high ponytail. Her skin was a lighter orange, her eyes purple and she had think orange eye shadow. Her outfit was equally ridiculous. A light purple jacket over a dark purple sleeveless shirt. Dark Purple shorts, a gold belt with a garish diamond in the center, light purple tights with a triangle pattern, and dark purple boots. All three wore a necklace with a red gem.
Sugarcoat sighed and dropped the case to the floor of her car as she arrived. With luck Lemon would completely forget about this and she'd never have to think about the band again. She started the car and began to drive.
Sugarcoat normally only went to the mall with her friends. She didn't really see the point in going alone. Today however she had a reason, she needed a new swimsuit. She'd had the previous one for years and despite Sour Sweet's protests she hadn't seen a reason to get a new one. So long as the swimsuit was doing it's job, who cared how old it was?
Recently it had come to her attention that the swimsuit was finally too small for her. So she had no choice but to get a new one. Not that she had told Sour Sweet this, if she had her friend would want to come. Then they'd be trying on swimsuits for hours. She just wanted to go in, find a modest swimsuit, grab a snack and leave.
Luckily find a swimsuit only took about thirty minutes. It was a simple blue one piece, and on sale at that. The only downside had been the music playing in the store. She didn't have to know what the song was to realize it was the Dazzlings again. Those voices were recognizable.
Sugarcoat's stomach growled. Right it was time for that snack. She made her way to the food court. on the way several people nearly ran into her. Sugarcoat found herself incredibly annoyed by the time she reached her destination.
As she entered she heard a low female voice talk. "Sonata do we have to be here?" Recognizing the name Sugarcoat glanced over to see the band she'd been thinking about. Adagio was the one talking. It was coincidental to say the least. What were the odds she would run into them? Considering her feelings about their music, this had to be some karmic joke.
"It's taco Tuesday at the food court!" Sonata explained. Sugarcoat had actually forgotten it was Tuesday.
"You can have tacos all the time at home, and they're better quality!" Aria snapped.
"I know but there's something about eating a greasy food court taco on Tuesday." The cyan haired girl explained.
Aria opened her mouth in protest, but Adagio shut her down. "Don't bother, you know she won't listen. Let's just get this over with."
Sugarcoat had been listening to the conversation as she walked to the end of the line. She had just reached it when she felt someone bump into her with their hip. She landed on the floor and when she righted herself it was to see the Dazzlings had gotten in front of her.
Sugarcoat was generally apathetic, but after the day she'd had she was feeling irate. The fact that she was hungry probably played a part. She tapped Adagio on the shoulder, causing her to turn. "I was in line first." She explained.
"Are you actually talking to me?" Adagio asked. As though the mere fact that she'd said anything to her was an affront. She was so full of herself.
Sugarcoat was not in the mood. "No, I tapped on your shoulder because I wasn't talking to you."
Adagio scowled. "Do you know who I am?"
She rolled her eyes. "Adagio Dazzle of the Dazzlings."
"Well if you know who I am, then you must know-" The Dazzling began.
"That you're above basic manners?" She cut her off, arching a brow in skepticism. "Nice try. I don't care who you are or how many fans you have. It doesn't give you the right to push me out of your way. "
"Do you have any idea what you're dealing with?!" Aria snapped at her.
"A group of breathy singers who look like they should have been relevant four decades ago?" She asked.
"Why you little-" Aria began, Adagio cut her off.
"She's not worth your rage." Adagio told her bandmate.
Sugarcoat wasn't done by a long shot. "You're right, this isn't worth my time."
Aria scowled at her. "You think you're better than me?!"
"I never said that, but if you're so insecure you take my words that way, that's your problem." She told her.
Adagio rolled her eyes. "Look Aria, we're above defending ourselves from a mindless hater."
"Mindless hater? This has nothing to do with you being famous, it has to do with your lack of basic etiquette. Of course if you need to view me as a mindless hater to make yourself feel better, there's no way I can stop you."
The orange hair girl's eyes narrowed and she began to speak in a low threatening voice. "I have lived far longer than you can ever know, I've taken down people far more talented than you. I suggest you leave while your dignity is still intact."
Sugarcoat was not impressed. "Shouldn't that be my line? You have a lot more to lose fighting me than I you. Your public image for example."
Adagio rolled her eyes. "You really think I care? I can just gain more fans, it doesn't matter to me who they are."
"If you don't care then why are you bothering with me?" Sugarcoat pointed out.
"Because someone needs to teach you the meaning of the word respect you little upstart." Sugarcoat fought the smirk she was starting to make. This was the first time in the entire conversation that Adagio had gotten angry.
"Which definition?" She asked.
"What?" Adagio blinked.
"There are multiple meanings to the word respect, not that you deserve any of them. I do not hold you in high esteem, nor do I wish to give any regard to your desires. Considering the whole reason this standoff began is because you disrespected me it is more than presumptuous to think I should give respect to you."
There was a pause as Aria and Adagio stared at her. She had rendered them speechless. She got the feeling no one had spoken Adagio in quite so rude a way for a while. Sugarcoat didn't really care about their feelings.
"If I had my magic i'd-" Aria began. Adagio hit her over the head. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"Ix Nay on the agic may." Adagio muttered.
"I'm already aware of magic existing in the world. In fact I was in the middle of several interdimensional rifts some time ago." Sugarcoat told them nonchalantly. "They were caused by one of my classmates absorbing so much magic, she basically turned into a demon and nearly tore apart reality. You don't seem nearly as powerful."
"If you had seen what we accomplished at the height of our power you wouldn't dare talk to us like this." Adagio told her, dropping all pretense of normality now that she knew Sugarcoat was familiar with magic.
"But you're not at the height of your power, are you?" Sugarcoat deadpanned. "That's why you're standing here arguing with me. If you were at the height of your power you'd have used it. The fact that you can't do so is driving you insane. You feel the need to win this battle of words to prove to yourself that you can still beat me. Magic or no magic."
Adagio looked torn, and Sugarcoat knew why. On the one hand if she let Sugarcoat's words stand, she would win the argument. If she fought back it would only prove her right. Either way Adagio lost somehow.
Adagio opened her mouth to respond but was prevented from doing so by Sonata, who had a bag of tacos in her hand. "Okay I've got my tacos! We can leave now."
Adagio looked relived. She gained her smug smirk once more. "Then let's leave. We've wasted enough time here." Sugarcoat watched as the three of them walked away. Their hips swinging. Sugarcoat still didn't like their music and she liked them even less. And yes, technically their verbal spar had ended in a draw, but they had left. In Sugarcoat's opinion that was still a win.