//------------------------------//
// #218: Autograph [Normal] 
// Story: The Trixie Zone 
// by Commissar Rarity 
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“And make it out to ‘Starshine your Number One fan with kisses’.”

“Kisses?” Trixie asked, raising one brow. She kept her marker close to the picture. Don’t say it.

“Y’know, because you love me?”

 Don’t say it. “Because I love you.” Her voice was flat.

“You don’t love your fans?” Starshine was a little put-off, voice cracking a bit.

 Not really. “Trixie loves her fans, but not that much. I will put down ‘Number One fan with love’.”

She scribbled that down on the picture, along with her awkward scrawl of a signature and levitated it over to Starshine. The lanky dusty brown stallion accepted it without a word. His eyes went over what she had written, and then they flicked up to her.

“Yes?” Trixie’s eye twitched. Most fans left after getting her autograph. Also, most didn’t ask that she put down “with kisses” either.

“Nothing,” he said.

Her eye twitched again. Whatever you do, don’t insult him. Variations of that thought had been flittering around her head ever since he had ambushed her on her way back to her wagon.

“Well, then please ‘nothing’ elsewhere. The Great and Powerful Trixie is in need of rest and relaxation.”

She stepped backwards, back into her wagon. The last thing Trixie saw as she closed the doors was Starshine still standing there, watching her. It was creepy. He was creepy. She wanted more than anything to say to him he was creepy.

But she bit her tongue. Maybe if she kept her mouth shut she’d finally make a friend. Even if it was a creepy one, like Starshine. Or maybe he was creepy in a good way, like her Aunt Kozma had been.

Regardless, she only had one more show in Hollow Shades to do, and then she could leave for greener pastures.

***

The next day came quick, and Trixie found herself on a stage performing again. She did the standard spiel – parasprites from her hat, making an audience member disappear (though she made sure it wasn’t Starshine, who had shown up again, even though she wished he would disappear) – and her adoring audience ate it up, as usual.

Afterwards the usual autograph seekers arrived and she went through the line, signing what they wanted. Then she came to Starshine. Again.

“I signed your stuff yesterday,” she said flatly.

“Actually, I wanted to ask something,” he managed after a while.

 Oh Celestia, she thought. He wants to ask me out on a date. Ew ew ewwww. “What is it?” Trixie asked through gritted teeth.

“Uh… Well, I saw… er, that is… You seem lonely. Would you like to grab a bite to eat with me?”

Involuntarily, Trixie made a gagging noise. “Ugh! Trixie go out with you? Certainly you must be joking. I’d rather go out with an unbathed minotaur.” Oh. I said it. She winced at her own stupidity.

“Oh.” He looked down, an embarrassed flush to his face. “Well, I’m sorry for bothering you.” He turned and walked out of her life for the last time.

Trixie sighed, and buried her head in her hooves. She was so stupid. So, so stupid. She always did things like that when somepony asked to be around her.

Oh well. At least she still had a bottle of gin to keep her warm at night. That was something, wasn’t it?