1 – Life as It Comes
Act I
Dissonance
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Chapter One
Life as It Comes
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There was a sort of beauty to the chaos of it all. The sound was, at first listen, an assault on the senses. Almost more noise than music. But after a rough start, it channeled itself. The sound of guitars, bass, and drums tightened up, giving it a sense of order.
Not that it wasn’t still chaotic, but that was the beauty of it. Order and chaos intertwined, creating their own kind of harmony. It pulsed in the air and flowed through Fluttershy, who sat alone in a small room. She was playing the day’s recordings back for what felt like the hundredth time.
The room was a small recording studio, just as big as it needed to be. There was a soundboard in the middle of the room, against a wall with a window looking into the booth that Lemon Zest’s drums were mic’d up in. Next to that was a smaller booth with a mic to record vocals. Since they weren’t recording any acoustics for the album, the electric guitars and bass could be played in the main room where Fluttershy sat. The only other thing in the room was a minifridge.
Fluttershy sat at the soundboard with headphones on, sipping on a cola in one hand and her fingers tapping against the terminal with the other. As she listened to the recording, she tried to distill the parts of the music and piece it together in new ways.
She had to, because something didn’t sound quite right. There was beauty to the chaos, yes, but it was just a seed right now. A seed that needed to grow and encompass the whole song.
And it was Fluttershy’s job to nourish it. She was not a member of Bitchette, but she was their producer in addition to being their manager. The band was working on their second album, and Fluttershy was working on helping shape their vision into the best that it could be.
But this song just didn’t seem to work. It wasn’t bad by any means; it was one of Windfall’s, and Fluttershy was quite fond of it. That was why she was giving it so much attention. She heard a single in it, but only if she could figure out what was going wrong in it. Or perhaps, just not going right enough.
She closed her eyes and focused only on the music, cutting out the rest of the recording studio. She’d done it time and time again already, but another time couldn’t hurt. While she listened, she hummed along with the lead guitar line.
Her eyes shot open and she took off her headphones. She crossed the room to a keyboard that someone had left in the room and started playing a few notes on it. She wasn’t a keyboardist by any means, but she had picked up a few basics in the two years since she’d became Bitchette’s band manager.
It was just a simple melody, but she scrunched up her face as she played it. After playing it a few times, she brought the keyboard over to the soundboard and put her headphones back on, leaving one ear uncovered. She restarted the track, and played a few notes on the keyboard as she listened to it.
She adjusted the sound of the keyboard, switching from a piano to a synthetic sound that melded better with the guitars. She played the same notes again, and she smiled. It was a strange mixture, but she liked the way it sounded.
It was far from perfect. She muted Rainbow’s lead guitar track and tried playing the keyboard in its place, but she wasn’t satisfied with that. So instead, she grabbed her own guitar, a seafoam green one with a V-style body.
She wasn’t as good of a guitarist as Rainbow, but she had been playing for a few years now. She was at least good enough to tool around with the lead guitar riff and come up with something that sounded better with the keyboard. She recorded a rough version of it to play along with the rest of the recording and played it back, playing along with the keyboard over it.
It was only a temporary solution, of course. Fluttershy wasn’t a band member, and she would let Rainbow make the final recording. In truth, she wanted the whole band to reconsider the song with the new instrumentation. Really nail down the new sound of the song and create something that would stand out on their album.
Maybe she could retool some of their other songs. She knew better than to go too far – Bitchette was a punk band, and no one wanted to change that – but there was nothing wrong with incorporating some other elements into their music. And weren’t they just saying the other day that they were a little tired of how the new songs sounded too much like their old songs?
Time got away from her as she worked, and she was still at it when the door opened and a few other people came into the room. Their appearance caught her by surprise, but she smiled when she saw who it was.
“Hey, Shy,” Rainbow Dash said. She walked over and leaned on the back of Fluttershy’s chair. “Already working on it?”
“Of course she is,” Lemon Zest pointed out. “You know Fluttershy has no chill.”
“I just thought it’d be nice to have some work done before you all got here,” Fluttershy said. “I was thinking we could maybe add some keyboards.”
“Keyboards?” Lightning Dust asked skeptically. “Shy, we’re a punk band.”
“It is a pretty weird choice,” Windfall agreed. “You mean like piano and stuff?”
“Well, not piano. But here, listen to this.” Fluttershy switched the audio to a speaker and played the song over. While they listened to it, she played along on the keyboard.
Rainbow was the first to speak as she played. “Hold on, that’s not what I recorded.”
Fluttershy nodded it. “I rerecorded it, just as a placeholder. I wanted to try something that worked more with keyboard.”
“I dunno, Shy…” Lightning Dust frowned.
“I like it,” Lemon Zest said. “It’s different, and even more important, it’s fun. I think it needs work, but I want to see where it goes.”
“Seriously?” Lightning Dust looked at Lemon Zest incredulously.
“Well, yeah.” Lemon Zest shrugged. “Our stuff’s been kind of bland this time around, you know? Not bad, just kinda… samey?”
“I’m not sure about this either,” Rainbow said. “But I guess we can give it a shot. We should at least do a proper recording.”
“You just think that because you used to be in a pop-rock band,” Lightning Dust said.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You’re never gonna drop that, are you?”
“You know,” Windfall said, “we had a keyboardist in the last band I was in, and that was heavy metal. I’m not saying we need a full keyboardist in Bitchette, but it’s not just a pop thing.”
“But it’s not a punk thing,” Lightning Dust pointed out.
“Do you have to only ever do punk things?” Fluttershy pointed out. “Besides, there are dance-punk bands.”
It had been the wrong thing to say, and she knew it immediately. Sure enough, Lightning Dust shot her a glare. “Bitchette is not a dance-punk band.”
Fluttershy put on a patient smile and held up a hand. “I know, I don’t think we need to try for a dance-punk sound. I’m just saying there are punk bands that use keyboards is all, and I’d like to at least give it a try and see how it works first hand.”
“I like dance-punk…” Lemon Zest mumbled.
“Shy…” Lightning Dust sighed. “You know I think you’re the most kick-ass manager that there ever was. There wouldn’t be a second album for us to work on if you weren’t there to push us along. But… I can’t be the only one thinking this isn’t right.”
“I think it’s worth a shot,” WIndfall said with a shrug. “Seriously, keyboards can add a whole other layer to a song’s sound.”
Lightning Dust scowled. “We don’t need another layer, that’s the point!”
“Why are you so against this?” Lemon Zest asked. “Like, we’re just experimenting with the sound. We’re not gonna do it if it doesn’t sound right in the end.”
Lightning Dust pursed her lips and didn’t say anything, so Rainbow folded her arms and met her eyes. “Come on, spill it.”
“Fine,” Lightning Dust said. She walked over to a wall and leaned against it. “Because this isn’t just about the keyboards.”
“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.
“I just… look, I’m, I don’t know, not sure the production is going in the right direction.”
“What!?” Rainbow scowled and put a hand protectively on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Shy’s been doing a great job!”
“At making us more commercial, yeah.” Lightning Dust looked away. “But like, why are we going for a more commercial sound? We got our fans through our raw intensity, and I say what we’re missing is the next logical step with that. We need to make our second album more intense!”
No one said anything right away. Eventually it fell to Fluttershy to answer. “If you all don’t want to do the keyboards, we don’t have to. It was just an idea.”
“Hang on, I want to do the keyboards,” Rainbow said.
“Really?” Lightning Dust asked. “Because you didn’t a second ago.”
“I said I wasn’t sure, not that I didn’t want to.” Rainbow put her hands on her hips. “But I do want to try it. Maybe it’s a bust, but it’s just something to give a try right now.”
“You’re serious?” Lightning said, looking at each of them in turn. Silence filled the room. It screamed the unwanted truth at her with strength and clarity. “You can’t be serious…”
She turned toward Rainbow Dash, locking eyes with her. “Dash, you're really okay with this?” This was barely a question, as if she didn’t expect an answer. As if she just needed to hear it in certain terms.
Rainbow sighed. “Yeah. I think we should try Fluttershy’s idea.”
“I’m with Dash,” Windfall said. “I think it all comes down to how we use the keyboard rather than the fact that we’re using it. If ska bands can make brass instruments with punk work, then we can absolutely try keyboards.”
“It’s not just the keyboards!” Lightning Dust threw out her hands. “Come on, guys! We’ve been getting more and more commercial since our first EP.”
“Playing on the radio isn’t a bad thing, Dust,” Rainbow pointed out. Her voice was quieter than Lightning Dust’s, but every bit as intense.
“Selling out is a bad thing, Dash!” Lightning shot back.
Rainbow reared back. “We’re not selling out!”
“Look, what matters is the music,” Windfall said. It was typical of him to try and placate the others during an argument. “We make kick-ass music. Who cares if it’s punk enough?”
“That’s what I’m saying though!” Lightning Dust said. “We could be doing so much more. We’re pushing ourselves, but we’re pushing in the wrong way.”
“Dust,” Fluttershy said calmly. Everyone turned towards her. “I think you’re the only one who feels this way. Everyone else likes our sound.”
Lightning Dust looked around at everyone. A moment later, she turned on her heel and walked to the door. She opened it and stopped before stepping through. “Fine, but don’t expect me to go along with it while you all ruin the sound we worked for.”
“Dust, wait!” Lemon Zest said desperately as Lightning slammed the door on the way out. No one had anything else to say.
It wasn’t like they always agreed. The band was close, but they had gone on two tours and recorded an album and an EP together already. They’d lived together on the road for two years now, with only fans, roadies, and each other for company. They’d had plenty of chances to disagree and get on each others’ nerves as time went on.
But this? This was something else entirely. This time, they’d had a full-blown fight, and it had been over something Fluttershy had suggested. The others all seemed to like the idea, but did that really matter? She wanted the whole band in on this together, that was how they did everything.
“So… now what?” Windfall asked.
“Now…” Rainbow sighed. “I guess I’ll talk to her.”
“No, I will,” Fluttershy said with a calm that she didn’t really feel. “I’ll explain that we don’t have to change the songs.”
“I… kind of want to, though,” Lemon Zest said tentatively. “Maybe it’s not really my place to say since I don’t write songs, but… I don’t know, this stuff has just been less fun.”
“I could do another album like our last one,” Windfall said. “But then what? Is our third album going to be the same thing again? Do we really want our new thing with each album to be ‘we’re more extreme than before’?”
Rainbow nodded. “And… it’s nice having people like our songs, you know? Hearing us on the radio, seeing people wear our shirts when we’re out, it’s awesome. Maybe it is just because we were in a pop band, but I don’t know. I like this stuff, and other people do too. That’s not ‘selling out’.”
“So then… what do we do?” Windfall asked.
They all looked to Fluttershy. She was their manager, she was supposed to be the one with the answers in times like this. And yet this time, she was as lost as any of the others.
But she had to say something. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow. I think she probably needs some time to herself right now.”
Lemon Zest shifted uncomfortably. “You know, maybe it would sound better coming from one of us. She, uh… she seemed to be kinda, you know…”
“Against Fluttershy?” Rainbow deadpanned.
“I just think she needs to see we’re on the same page as Shy,” Lemon Zest said. “Maybe Windfall or I should go after her, and everyone else can work on the keyboard idea?”
“I’d rather not touch the keyboards until we’re all on the same page,” Fluttershy said. “Maybe you could go, Zesty, and the rest of us can work on guide tracks?”
Rainbow groaned. “Guide tracks?”
“They’re important, Dash,” Fluttershy said.
“It’ll be nice to get them out of the way,” Windfall said. “Think you can handle Dust on your own, Zest?”
Lemon Zest smirked, already on her way to the door. “Yeah, no problem. I’ll bring her back before you know we’re gone.”
Fluttershy swivelled her chair around so she could face Lemon Zest before she left. “Make sure she knows we want her to be happy with the recording too. We won’t do something she doesn’t want to be a part of.”
“Sure thing.” Lemon Zest flashed a thumbs up, then she left.
It was all Fluttershy could do to hope that Lemon Zest would be more successful one on one. She had a point that it might sound better coming from a band member, but Fluttershy still thought Lightning Dust might need some more time to herself first.
“Well, let’s get to it,” Rainbow said, collapsing into a chair of her own.
At first, there wasn’t much for Rainbow and Windfall to do. Fluttershy needed to set up a click track, a simple repeated clicking that matched the tempo of the song so that they could keep time easier.
Once the click track was in place, it was time for Rainbow and Windfall to do their part. They recorded their guitars together, Rainbow playing lead and Windfall playing rhythm. It didn’t have to be perfect, just a guideline for the rest of the instruments to be recorded.
Once that was done, Rainbow recorded the vocals. Nothing fancy, no double tracking, no harmonies, no counterpoints. Just one pass at the lead vocals to put over the guitar track. And with that, they had a guide track for the band to listen to while making the actual recording.
Truthfully, Rainbow really could’ve recorded the guide track on her own, but having Windfall saved some time – and some of Rainbow’s sanity. Rainbow worked great with others, but when it was just herself on guide tracks, she seemed to feel uncomfortable.
And despite Rainbow’s protests, it really didn’t take very long. Making professional recordings could take some time. Recording something, playing it back, trying it again, comparing takes… it all added up. Guide tracks would never be heard by anyone who wasn’t present for recording sessions, so there was no pressure to make them sound good.
And so they finished long before Lemon Zest and Lightning Dust came back. So they moved onto another, and then another after that. They usually recorded one guide track, then worked on recording the actual song. Fluttershy found she kind of liked doing the guide tracks back to back. Get it all out of the way so that when they sat down to do the recordings, they could jump from one to another effortlessly.
Hours slipped away in the productivity, and they managed to get guide tracks done for the rest of the songs they were considering for the album. All in all they had more songs than they were likely to use, but it didn’t hurt to have the guide tracks done.
Although having them done and no Lemon Zest or Lightning Dust did leave them in an awkward place. “I’ll call Zesty,” Fluttershy said after they had run out of work to do.
She pulled out her phone and found Lemon Zest’s name in her contacts. She hit call and listened to the ringing. After a moment, Lemon Zest’s voice answered her. “Hey, Shy.”
“Hi, Zesty. How’s it going?”
“It’s, uh…” Lemon Zest sighed. “I’m sorry, Shy, but I don’t think we’ll be back today. Things are… Well, I don’t know yet. I think we’ll see how things go tomorrow.”
Fluttershy frowned. They only had a month left of recording time, and the label had been clear they expected the album to be finished and ready for pressing after that month was up.
But she couldn’t force them. Things were already heated enough, and they had managed to get a few solid hours of productivity in already. “Okay, Zesty. We’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Yeah. See you then.”
Fluttershy hung up and leaned her head back until it rested on the backrest of her chair. She wished Lemon Zest had been a little more open about what was going on, at least. “Dammit…”
“So… what’s up?” Rainbow asked.
Fluttershy picked her head up and shook it. “They won’t be back today.”
“Ouch.”
“So what’s the plan?” Windfall asked.
Fluttershy sighed. “Zesty said they’ll tell us what’s up tomorrow. I’d rather wait until this is settled before working on something.”
“So… we just call it a day then?” Rainbow asked.
“I guess.” Fluttershy checked the time. It was already a quarter after five anyway.
“So wanna go grab dinner?” Windfall suggested.
“Sounds good,” Rainbow said.
They both stood up to go, so Fluttershy followed. She wasn’t really hungry yet, but she didn’t know what else to do. She had other plans for later in the night, but it was a little too soon for that.
Fluttershy took one last look at the equipment as they left, hoping they could get a more productive day tomorrow with everything settled. She sighed and shut off the lights, then followed the others out the door.
Fluttershy liked being in cities where she didn’t know anyone. Back in Everton, she would be afraid of running into people she knew, but here? She was all the way out on the west coast, thousands of miles away from everyone she knew.
Which helped when she left the restaurant. Rainbow had asked them if they wanted to go out for drinks, and Fluttershy had declined. She did in fact want to go to a bar, but not with Rainbow and Windfall.
She took a taxi from the restaurant to a local gay bar. When they left Everton, Fluttershy couldn’t imagine ever going to a gay bar; she wasn’t yet comfortable with her sexual orientation, and the idea of going out to an actual bar hadn’t been appealing.
But it had been two years since she had left her hometown. She was now the manager and producer of a punk band, and that had changed her in some ways. Alcohol flowed freely at the concerts, even before the band members were old enough to drink, and girls were scarcely harder to get.
And those habits persisted when they weren’t on tour. She had become a regular of this particular bar, known for her generosity and her openness to the affection of the other patrons.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite punk chick,” the bartender said as she walked in. Fluttershy had been trying to get this particular bartender back in her hotel since she had arrived in… whichever town they were in. Fluttershy didn’t always bother to keep track.
She gave a shy smile. “Hello, Honey Spice. How are you tonight?”
“Same as usual. Better now that I get to see you.”
Fluttershy giggled and took a seat.
“So what can I get you?”
“Hmm, I think I’ll start light tonight. How about a hard lemonade?”
“You got it, doll.” Honey Spice bent under the counter and pulled out a bottle of hard lemonade. She opened it for Fluttershy, then passed it across the counter.
Fluttershy sipped the drink slowly. If tonight was going to be the night she got Honey to leave the bar with her, she was going to be here for a while. Better to stick to low alcohol drinks and make them last.
“So how’s things with the band?” Honey asked, leaning on the counter to be closer to Fluttershy.
“Things are going well,” Fluttershy lied. She wasn’t ready to tell anyone that Lightning Dust had walked out on them. “The second album is coming along nicely, I can’t wait until people get to hear it.”
Without getting into the events of the day and the fight they’d had, Fluttershy told her about how things had been going. They had about half the songs they definitely wanted to be recorded, although some of those might still get touched up, and they had guide tracks for the rest of the songs.
After Fluttershy explained what a guide track was and why they were important, Honey Spice asked, “So then after that, it’ll be time for you to hit the road, huh?”
Fluttershy nodded. “The tour doesn’t start for another two months, but the band has to work on their setlist. We’ve got one more month of recording, then our focus is the live show.”
Honey Spice ran a hand through her hair. “Geez. And even though you’re not in the band, you have to go with them.”
“Well, I don’t have to.” Fluttershy took a sip of her lemonade. “Most band managers don’t go on tour with them, and they hire separate tour managers for that.”
“Ever thought of doing that? You know, settling down?”
Fluttershy smiled. She knew that Honey was only thinking about her wellbeing, but it really was unnecessary. “I like touring with them. It, well, for one thing, it gives me a job year-round. Being a manager to just one band only gives me so much to do. Besides, my band is like my family, I wouldn’t want anything to change between us.”
Honey shrugged. “I guess. Must make holding down a relationship hard.”
Fluttershy’s smile faltered a little. “I’m not… really good at relationships, anyway.”
“Nice girl like you? I’m surprised you don’t have a girlfriend in every state you visit.”
Fluttershy giggled and stalled from answering by taking a drink of her lemonade. Thankfully, she was saved from needing to say anything, as Honey had to attend to other patrons.
It wasn’t a matter of finding a girlfriend. Fluttershy was pretty sure she could do that if she wanted to. But then what kind of relationship would she have? No, things were better if Fluttershy avoided that.
As if to prove Honey’s point, it wasn’t long before another girl sat down beside Fluttershy. “Anyone sitting here?” she asked after she was already in the seat.
Fluttershy smiled. She really had her eye on Honey, but she was open to seeing where this went first. “No, go right ahead.”
The other girl smiled back. She was around Fluttershy’s age and she had red skin with yellow freckles. “My name’s Strawberry Kiss.”
Fluttershy was tempted to ask if that was her real name, but she didn’t really care either way. Instead, she simply offered her own name. “Fluttershy. Nice to meet you.”
“I hope this isn’t too forward of me, but can I buy you a drink?”
Being a manager, producer, and songwriter had proved to be fairly lucrative for Fluttershy. Indeed, she made more money off the band than any of the band members did for the various things she did for them. She didn’t need anyone to buy her drinks.
But, of course, she didn’t want to be rude. “Sure, if you’d like.”
“Excuse me?” Strawberry said to Honey. “Can I get two strawberry daiquiris?”
Honey Spice smirked and leaned across the bar. “Word to the wise? She likes Hurricanes.”
Strawberry smiled. “Okay, two Hurricanes then.”
Honey Spice mixed their drinks for them, giving Fluttershy a wink as she handed them over. Fluttershy giggled as she took a sip of hers.
“So you must come here pretty often, huh?” Strawberry asked.
“Maybe,” Fluttershy said. She smiled. “Does that bother you?”
“No, no, I wasn’t judging or anything,” Strawberry answered quickly. “I think it’s cool. I… well, I wouldn’t even have been able to work up the nerve to talk to you, but my friend…” She looked across the room at a guy who was already flirting with someone else as well.
“Afraid I might bite?” Fluttershy asked.
“No, I’m just…” Strawberry blushed, barely noticeable against her red skin. “I’m not that used to, you know, being open yet.”
“Ah, I see. We’ve all been there.”
Strawberry took a long drink from her cocktail. When she finished, she smiled broadly. “Anyway, tell me a little about yourself.”
That was a good thing about being a band manager – it was always easy to have something interesting to say. “I work in the music industry.”
“Oh really? That’s so cool!”
It always was. Fluttershy was twenty-two, which meant women her age were easily wowed with her career, whether they were Bitchette fans or not. “It’s a fun career. I tour around the country with the band I manage.”
“Is it anyone I’d know?”
“Maybe. Bitchette? Some of their songs get radio play.”
“What? Are you for real?”
“My picture’s in their CD booklet, if you feel like checking.”
“No, I believe you it’s just… wow!”
Fluttershy chuckled. This was a pretty typical response. “So what about you, Strawberry?”
Strawberry blushed and looked down slightly. “I, uh, I can’t really compare with that…”
Fluttershy sipped on her Hurricane. Unfortunately, this was sometimes a response as well. “I’d still like to know.”
“Well, I’m an art student…”
“Oh, cool. Have you been drawing a long time?”
“My whole life. But… I don’t know if I’m all that good yet.”
If Fluttershy wanted a girlfriend, this was where she could say she’d like to see Strawberry’s art sometime. Everyone liked it when people showed interest in their passions, and it gave them an excuse to keep talking after the night was over.
Instead, Fluttershy said, “I’m sure you’re better than you give yourself credit for. And besides, that’s what school is for, right?”
“I guess so.”
There was something to be said about not being invested. It let Fluttershy be bold. If Strawberry got offended, it didn’t matter; Fluttershy could just try flirting with Honey Spice again, maybe even get some sympathy for having struck out.
So it didn’t matter how this went either way, and that let Fluttershy do it without worrying too much. She took a large drink from her Hurricane, then leaned in closer to Strawberry. “So, Strawberry Kiss. Does that mean your kisses taste like strawberries?”
It was hard to tell, but Fluttershy knew Strawberry must be blushing. “I– I guess so. It’s the flavor of chapstick I use, so…”
“Hmm… maybe I can see for myself?”
Strawberry slowly smiled. “Okay.”
Fluttershy closed her eyes and tasted strawberries on her lips, soon followed by the Hurricane on her tongue. She placed her hand behind Strawberry’s head, fingers intertwining in her hair, and traced it along to her cheek as they pulled apart.
Strawberry placed her own hand on Fluttershy’s and beamed. “Want to get out of here?” Fluttershy asked.
“Uh…” Strawberry looked back at her friend, who was still preoccupied with his own conversation. “Where did you have in mind?”
“We could go for a walk, there’s a park near here.” Fluttershy pulled her hand away, but she grinned suggestively. “Or we could go back to my hotel.”
“Your hotel? You mean like…”
Fluttershy took another drink from her cocktail. “Strawberry, I’m leaving town in a month. I’m not looking for a girlfriend.”
“Oh.”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, though. Just… let yourself enjoy the night.”
“I…” Strawberry placed her hand on Fluttershy. “Okay. Yeah, sure. Let’s go back to your place.”
Fluttershy smiled. She could try to get Honey another night, right now, she had plenty of ways to make the night enjoyable with a girl who tasted like strawberries.
The morning after was always awkward. Like so many before her, Strawberry seemed to want to make something of their time together. Fluttershy had come to expect that, however. It didn’t matter how clear she was upfront, they always wanted to know if they could meet again before Fluttershy left town.
It was another reason she looked forward to the tour. The girls she slept with on tour never asked to see her again, they never wanted to make something out of nothing. They were there for the exact same thing she was, and that made everything so simple.
Since they had taken a taxi from the bar, Fluttershy left Strawberry with enough money for one before she left. Then she donned a pair of sunglasses, and walked down to the recording studio.
It would take a lot more than a hard lemonade and a Hurricane to get Fluttershy hungover, so the glasses were hardly necessary. Still, it wasn’t like they hurt either, and the sun was shining particularly brightly.
Although she was looking forward to seeing her band, Fluttershy paused in the lobby to grab a coffee. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and she was hoping for a productive day. She was often the first one in the studio, but Lightning Dust had asked the whole band to show up together, and Fluttershy was hoping that meant she was interested in making up for yesterday’s lost time.
Whatever she wanted, it wouldn’t be long before Fluttershy found out. She pushed open the door to the studio room Bitchette used for recording and found the whole band was waiting for her. She smiled and took off her sunglasses. “Nice to see everyone early for a change.”
Everyone offered their good mornings except for Rainbow, who just grunted. It was already noon, but that was early for the band. Most of their sessions went late into the night, and they slept through the mornings.
Lightning Dust cleared her throat. “Alright, I guess I should start. I’m sorry I walked out yesterday. Bitch move on my part.”
“You said it, not me,” Rainbow grumbled. Windfall elbowed her.
Lightning ignored her as she continued. “But I did some thinking, and well… I’m not happy with where Bitchette is going.”
“We’re still on this?” Rainbow asked irritably.
“Let her finish,” Lemon Zest said. Fluttershy realized she had a resigned look to her, which complimented Lightning Dust’s anxious look in the worst possible way.
“Yeah, I’m still on that, Dash,” Lightning said, although she sounded more defeated than anything. “Which is why I’m leaving the band.”
“You’re what?” Rainbow suddenly sat bolt upright.
“Dust, what the fuck?” Windfall shook his head. “That’s not funny.”
“And I’m not joking,” Lightning said. “Look, I’m the only one with a problem here. Everyone else loves this alternative thing you want to do, but like, I just don’t, okay? It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not what I want to be a part of.”
“We can figure something out,” Fluttershy said. “No one wants you to leave the band.”
“I know that,” Lightning said. “But I’ve made up my mind. I’ll stick around and record the album. I’ll record it exactly how you want, no arguments or anything. I don’t want any hard feelings, this isn’t because of you guys, I just know that this is never going to go back to being the band I wanted it to be.”
No one said anything for a moment. For her part, Fluttershy was just hoping Lightning would reveal this was a particularly mean prank, even after she said she wasn’t joking.
Eventually Lemon Zest spoke up. “Dust and I talked about it yesterday, and… I think she’s right. I don’t want her to go either, but I see where she’s coming from. The rest of us all agree on what direction we want to go, and well… none of us really want to go the direction Dust wants to.”
“This is bullshit.” Rainbow stood up and walked to the door.
Fluttershy walked in between the door and Rainbow. “Dash, don’t.”
Rainbow had her hands balled into fists and a glare on her face, but Fluttershy knew it wasn’t meant for her. In some way, she wished it was. She could also see Lightning’s point, even if she didn’t want to, and she hated seeing Rainbow so angry at her.
“Let me go, Shy,” Rainbow said.
“Dash…”
“She just needs to clear her head,” Windfall said. “Let her go.”
Fluttershy sighed and stepped aside, and Rainbow left the room. No one else reacted for a few moments. What was there to say?
Windfall seemed to have an idea. “We’re all sorry to see you go, Dust.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lightning said. She gave a weak smile. “Don’t know how you’re going to replace me.”
“I guess we’ll have to figure that out,” Fluttershy said. “Maybe we could advertise somewhere?”
“I know a few people I could ask,” Windfall said. “I know a lot of musicians back in Everton.”
“I guess it would be nice if it’s someone you know,” Lemon Zest said. “As much as wanting someone that’s good for the music, we need someone we can get along with on tour.”
Another silence fell over the room. This time Fluttershy was the one who broke it. She looked up at Lightning and asked, “So what will you do now?”
“You have to ask?” Lightning smirked. “Find another band.”
“Oh, so we’re the replaceable ones?” Lemon Zest asked with a smirk.
“Hmm, I don’t know about that.” Lightning shrugged. “But maybe I can get a group going that’s almost as good as Bitchette is.”
“Well, if you do get a band together, I’ll try to do what I can to get you signed,” Fluttershy said.
“Leave it to Fluttershy.” Lightning shook her head. “She’s finally done having to put up with my shit, and here she is still trying to look out for me.”
“I liked putting up with your shit,” Fluttershy said. “It’s Zesty’s shit that’s the problem.”
“Hey, what!” Lemon Zest said. “Come on, I’m like the most laid back member of the band!”
“Uhm…” Windfall quirked an eyebrow.
“Okay, I’m the second most laid back member of the band!”
Everyone laughed, in part because it was true. Windfall and Lemon Zest were never known to cause problems of any sort, whereas Lightning Dust and Rainbow were. Still, Fluttershy wouldn’t trade any of them for anything.
And yet, she had to. Somehow she had to find someone to replace Lightning Dust, who had been a part of the band even before Fluttershy was. More than that, Lightning Dust was her friend. They had spent two years touring the country together, and now she would no longer be there.
Fluttershy walked across the room and put her free hand on Lightning’s shoulder. She considered going for a hug, but she knew that even now, even after this, Lightning just wasn’t the type of person who went in for hugs. “I’m going to miss you, Dust.”
“I know. I’ll miss you too, Shy. Tell you the truth, I almost wanted to ask you if you wanted to try and manage a second band.”
Fluttershy frowned. “I’d almost want to say yes, but…”
“I know, that’s why I’m not asking. You give everything you’ve got to Bitchette, and another band would just be in the way.”
Fluttershy smirked. “I’d say if you ever need a producer I’m sure I could take some time off, but…”
Lightning laughed. “That’s where we might not be the best fit.”
“So, uh…” Windfall glanced at the door. “Want me to go after Rainbow, or…”
“No.” Fluttershy left Lightning’s side to walk over to the door herself. “I’ll do it. She’ll want to talk to me about this.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Windfall said.
Fluttershy was definitely right, and they all knew it. They were all close. They’d spent two years with mostly just each other and an endless stream of changing faces for company, they had to be close. But Fluttershy and Rainbow were and always would be inseparable.
She didn’t find Rainbow in the lobby, so she stepped outside. Sure enough, Rainbow was standing outside of the building.
“Tell me she changed her mind,” Rainbow said.
“You know she didn’t.”
“How could she do this to us?”
“She’s right, Dash.” Fluttershy put her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “You know she is.”
Rainbow pulled away from Fluttershy. “No, she’s not! She can’t just abandon us like this!”
“She’s not abandoning us!” Fluttershy shook her head. “She said she’ll keep recording on the album. She wants to make sure she’s not screwing us over.”
“She is screwing us over though!” Rainbow folded her arms. “What about the tour? We have to go on tour when the album’s out, she’s leaving us alone for that!”
Fluttershy pressed her hand to her temple. She didn’t need Rainbow making this worse than it already was. “We have two months to find a replacement.”
“And get them trained up to be in the band.” Rainbow quirked an eyebrow.
“We’re a big name now, Dash. We’ll be able to find a good bassist who can learn our songs quickly.”
“How are you not more pissed about this!”
Fluttershy pursed her lips together. “Because it’s not my decision, Dash! It’s Dust’s, and she made it already!”
“Well, she can unmake it.”
“Or you can stop being a child about it!”
Rainbow’s mouth fell open and she stared at Fluttershy. It was rare for the two of them to be on opposite sides, and it always threw Rainbow off when it happened.
“Don’t you realize what she’s giving up?” Fluttershy tried again to place her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. This time, she allowed it. “This can’t be easy for her, and she needs our support. We’re her friends, Dash. And yes, she’s going away, but that doesn’t mean we can just stop caring about her.”
Rainbow deflated. “It’s just, you know… Me and Dust started this band together. It started with just the two of us, and now… I don’t want her to go.”
“I know, Dash. Neither do I.”
“So… what do we do now?”
Fluttershy wished she had an answer to that. “Take life as it comes, I guess. We still have an album to record, and then we need a new bassist.”
“Yeah…”
“It’ll be okay, Dash.”
Rainbow was quiet for a moment before saying, “Come on, let’s go back inside.”
Fluttershy nodded, and followed Rainbow back into the building.
Their lives had become chaotic. Fluttershy travelled the country with a punk rock band, and she rarely saw the same faces twice. But there was an order to it too, four faces she could always count on to be there. The beauty in her chaos.
And now it was changing, and all she could do was wait and see where it wound up.
Yes the drink choice was a Hurricane Fluttershy reference. And incidentally, I know that Fluttershy is taking on both the job of producer and audio engineer here; this was done to simplify the story a bit by having less technical stuff and cutting out the necessity for another character. It’s one of several concessions I knowingly made in the story to improve it as a work of fiction. That said, I’m by no means a musician and there may be unintended inaccuracies all of the place. Sorry for those in advance 
Fluttershy’s Equestria Girls cutie mark by Shafty817 
I don’t have a good way to insert this on Fimfiction, but if this story were an animated series, this is what I would want the opening credits song to be. If Fimfiction allowed lyrics to be inserted into chapters, I would’ve included some of the lyrics from this song as the story’s forward. The author’s notes after the first chapter is a shitty place to put the opening credits song/forward, but it feels like the least shitty place.
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For anyone who wants to read this but hasn't read previous Who We Become stories, I've got you. This is a short summary of relevant events of this story:
About a year and a half after graduating, Fluttershy and Sunset move in together and start dating. Unknown to either of them, Fluttershy was already pregnant before they got together. They both fall into the role of expectant mothers, and are both extremely happy with each other and the idea of raising their child together. Upon learning that their future child is a girl, they name her Sky Shimmer after an imaginary friend Fluttershy had when she was younger. All goes well for the couple until a car accident leaves Fluttershy comatose for a week, during which she miscarries their daughter. The couple fall heavily on drinking as a coping mechanism, and soon start to fight before eventually breaking up.
Meanwhile, Rainbow starts a punk band named Bitchette with Lightning Dust. Rainbow plays lead guitar and sings, while Lightning Dust plays bass. They recruit Lemon Zest to be their drummer and Windfall, a middle school friend of Rainbow and Fluttershy, to be their rhythm guitarist. As they work on writing songs and rehearsing, Fluttershy puts more and more effort into the band, cowriting songs with them and getting them gigs. They eventually formally decide to make her their manager.
Although Fluttershy and Sunset get back together, things aren't the same. They fight and drink a lot, which Rainbow blames exclusively on Sunset. In addition, Fluttershy is torn in her attention between the band and her girlfriend. After Fluttershy plays a part in getting the band a tour spot, she decides to leave Sunset to go on tour with the band instead. Sunset takes the breakup harshly and decides to move back to Equestria, where she eventually rebuilds a life for herself, entering a relationship with the pony Fluttershy and Twilight. Fluttershy ignores an invitation to visit them and avoids ever reaching out to Sunset.
Well, I guess it’s time for Krickis to break my heart again
10065272
Hahaha would I do that?
...
yesI spy with my little eye... a new good story about Shy and the Bichettes!
Can't wait to see the rest ^^
Well that's a hell of a way to start. These two years on tour have really changed Fluttershy. When Playing House ended, I never imagined how...flirty and open she'd be. Starting off the story with Dust leaving was equally unexpected. It's a shame; I really liked the band dynamic. I will say that she's definitely being mature about it. It's unfortunate that she has a more...hardline/purist desire for the band, but she's not screwing them over either. Hopefully they can all still stay in touch and be friends.
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Yeah, well, turns out I had some amazing help with workshopping this story
(for everyone seeing else reading this, Wendy Gowak here helped workshop this entire story into a workable outline with me! This story absolutely wouldn’t be what it is without him!)
10065301
And yeah, life on the road has changed things for Fluttershy...
I actually really like Lightning Dust as well, which was a surprise because I had originally wanted to make her a huge jerk lol. But she’ll still be in the story as a supporting character, don’t worry
We are back to the future XD
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This story is chronologically before In Pieces and Piece by Piece, but that doesn’t really matter a whole lot since the characters from those stories don’t interact with the ones here.
lol well, progressing from where we were at least
I love the opening to this, and wow you can't get the two Fluttershy's mixed up anymore. If she and Sunset ever see each other again Sunny's going to be in for quite a shock.
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On the human side of the portal at least ^^
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Haha yeah, I love Shy’s new look. Although technically she doesn’t have it in this part of the story yet; she’ll get a punk makeover a few chapters in, so we’ll see the motivation behind that change
10065353
Ah lol, yeah that is true then
Saw this on the feature box and that shit was like mainlining Viagra. Never clicked so fast on a story before. Time for MOAR horsepeople drama! A loose Flutters, banging roadies and groupies and drowning her sorrows over Sunset and Sky and basically not giving a damn? Here we go, son!
Excited to see this being started after I just finished rereading looking glass then reading the rest of the series over a weekend.
Really holding out hope Fluttershy is finally going to get a happy ending.
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Hope you continue to enjoy what’s coming! 
Haha glad to see you’re excited for the changes in Fluttershy, I was worried people would slam me for being out of character with her in this fic
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Damn, the whole series (minus Looking Glass) over a weekend? That’s some reading speed! My lips are sealed on whether Fluttershy gets her happy ending here, but she’s definitely due for some ups and downs along the way
I can already tell this isn't really Fluttershy anymore. If this were a standalone fic, that might be disconcerting, but because it's not, it makes sense. After the trauma she experienced during playing house, she's changed. And I'm already seeing how the 'thicker than water' metaphor is coming into play.
I can also already tell this fic will be a tough read, in the same way playing house was. It'll probably wind up in my favorites because of that.
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I’ve been a bit concerned that people would react negatively to how much Shy has changed, but so far so good! I’m glad to hear it’s all making sense. And while this has some heavy drama like Playing House does, it should all in all not be as tough to read. There’s more breathing room in this story, more good things happen to space out the bad stuff.
I see what you did there. Lightning Dust kinda referencing pony Lightning Dust's actions while staying in character for the story. Pushing herself in a different direction than Rainbow Dash perhaps even in a better way than the show itself did.
Wonder if the
washoutswhatever the new band of lightning dust is going to be called called is going to make an appearance.Also nice was the hurricane drink reference but I had to read the authors notes to get that. very fitting as that was the episode I think when she first felt confident enough to perform in front of others and by doing so excelled at said performance despite her initial shyness.
And Gilda is apparently going to play a big part in this fic that has rainbow dash in. Yay.
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And yeah lol even though I debated leaving her character tag off until she makes an appearance, Gilda is a major character in this fic 
Lol I'll be honest that I didn't think the Hurricane Fluttershy reference out that fully, I just thought it was a fun pun (it wasn't even my idea, actually). Dust's new band may very well be making an appearance later
And you're back. Welcome back, time for more heart wrenching. Good story so far eager to see where this leads, also
feels like she's referring to sunset in this statement? Also is rainbow still angry at sunset?, And are we gonna see that side of the start after sunset leaves?
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Glad you're enjoying it so far, I think what I have to come is pretty good
I hadn't meant for that to be read as being about Sunset, but now that you mention it, it definitely does sound like it could be. Rainbow is indeed still mad about Sunset, and Fluttershy has her own feelings on her ex, both of which will come into play during this story.
I'm not really sure what you mean here, I'm afraid
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Not sure what I meant with that last statement either so just ignore it.
Really hyped to see where we go this time round. Can't wait to hear more :D
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Glad to have you on board, and I think you'll enjoy what's to come
okay i did not expect that Lightning Dust would quit the band. like ever.
side note i am probably the fandoms biggest fan of the character Lightning Dust. i have six LD plushies, three custom figurines, a ton of artwork and buttuns/pins, as well as two LD tattoos
I knew you'd be an Against Me fan.
These poor skittle ladies can't catch a break. I just hope Dusty doesn't prove to be antagonistic later on. The Dazzling tags on this one really intrigued me, though. I wonder how Bitchette will clash with some fishy characters like them. Also, what do you envision Bitchette sounding like? I don't know too many all-girl punk or punk subtype bands admittedly. Most of the songs I remember being linked are thematic but do you have a certain playlist of what you think Bitchette sounds like?
One thing I really liked was Fluttershy's honesty with Strawberry. It helped make their situation feel way less like it would leave Strawberry with a broken heart or venture into areas where consent was fuzzy.
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Laura Jane Grace coming out as trans was what set me on the path to my own self-discovery. They're an important band to me. As far as what Bitchette sounds like, imagine Rise Against with Rainbow singing and that's as close as I got. A punk band that drifts towards alternative sounds rather than staying straight-up punk and involves some heavier guitar riffs (Windfall has previously been in heavy metal bands and brought that to their sound). I actually don't listen to a ton of punk myself, much more into alternative/indie music, so my own knowledge of the genre is a little surface level.
And yeah, I'm very okay with casual sex, but I'm also very big on people knowing what they're getting involved in. I wouldn't want Fluttershy leading someone on.
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Oh! I don't think I ever had a pivotal figure that influenced me in coming out as a trans guy, but back when I thought I was non-binary there were some fictional characters I did drift towards. I first learned about non-binary from a now-retired writer on here, actually. Big-name public sphere trans guys are hard to come by, or at least any that are around my age. Youtube is full of 'em though.
So, this actually gives me a pretty good idea. Thankies.
I like this
10601012
I'm glad to hear it!
just how much drama is there in this story
this is a small thing
they are exploding at each other for a small thing
lmao
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The sound of a band isn't a small thing to the band in question
Here we go, the next chapter and following up on everyone’s favorite punk band with the bitchin name
Oh this is exactly my thing. I'm going to endlessly critique your depiction of music composition and production. You'd better be ready
I'm not actually serious. Not unless there's something egregiously wrong which I doubt there will be
11370771
This is my favorite WWB fic though 
I'm sure you'll find mistakes here and there, but I focus more on life while on tour than music production, so I will hopefully be safe
She likely won't.
Windfall*
EP?
They're sure in quite the pickle right now.
Ngl, I kinda saw this coming.
Diving back into the human-verse now after time in Equestria aaaaaaaand we're straight to the drama right off the bat. Yesss.
At least Dust isn't totally leaving them hanging but man, that's gonna leave things uncomfortable for a while.
Human or pony, it's always really satisfying to see Fluttershy stand up and be assertive like that, especially to someone like Rainbow Dash.
damn, what'd you do to my girl Shy? :O breaking hearts, swearing cusses, I barely even know her!
oh my fucking god XD
cannot believe I didn't get the Hurricane Fluttershy joke
11627215
IT BEGINS
lol yeah, Flutters has grown in ways. Not all good ways, but well, here we are!
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make a character grow in nuanced ways? in my ponyfic? :V
Oh boy off to an interesting start,
I can already tell the mood of the story,
Overall I am excited to see how this adventure will go
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If the mood you're picking up is "heavy at times like Playing House, but with more brighter patches" then that would be this story in a nutshell! Looking forward to hearing how you find this one, it's one of my two favorite WWB stories.