Experiment C-13

by Botched Lobotomy

III

“Darling, do try to keep still.”

“I am!”

“Well...try harder.”

This, admittedly, was not how Sunset had imagined things going. It shouldn’t really have been a surprise, though – Rarity had always been worryingly merciless about roping them into her fashion. The couple times they’d dared to perform as a band Rarity had dressed them, and every year like clockwork they’d been her models at the school fashion show. It was only with great effort (and the promise of letting her okay their outfits) that they’d persuaded her not to make their clothes for the school dances.

This, though, was new. Sunset squirmed under the intensity of Rarity's gaze, trying to resist her growing need to scratch. She could only imagine how bad Rainbow or Applejack would have been at this.

“...Done – wait, hang on, just one last little – there, now we’re done.”

“Oh thank goodness.” Sunset let every muscle in her body go loose, closing her eyes and letting herself hang on the chair.

“Oh, no, hold on, could you sit back up for a moment—”

Sunset cracked an eyelid, and saw Rarity’s mischievous grin. “Oh, ha ha, very funny.”

The girl had a high, tinkling laugh, and Sunset felt a smile tugging at her lips despite herself. “Sorry darling, you did look rather pent-up.”

Sunset gave a groan of acknowledgement, and closed her eyes again.

As Rarity tidied her stuff away, Sunset slowly sat up, strength returning to her body in trickles. Rarity’s room was small, contained, and artistically untidy. If you took away the scraps of cloth, scissors, pencils, and everything else, and tidied them away in the places which were supposed to house them, the place would be genuinely clean – ordered, even.

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Sunset said, gesturing at the cluttered desk.

Rarity glanced round. “Yes, well, they didn’t give me much to work with.”

“It’s not too bad...” said Sunset.

Rarity snorted. “Have you seen that mansion Dashie’s staying in? Horrid place, but gosh the possibilities are endless. Here I’m not even allowed to cover the walls!” She tapped the plaster with a knuckle. “Regulation blue, and I’m only allowed to alter that,” Rarity gestured to a tiny corkboard laden with everything from pictures to ribbons. Sunset noticed with a smile that several photos of the gang were pinned up alongside the magazine cutouts.

“Tragic.”

“Never has the word been more fitting,” agreed Rarity. “So, what can I do for you?”

“Nuh-uh.” Sunset shook her head. “I want to see, first.”

“Oh,” Rarity looked away. “Well you know, darling, it’s just a sketch, it’s not really worth—”

If any look could say ‘I-didn’t-sit-for-however-long-to-not-see-the-drawing’, it was the one Sunset shot Rarity.

“Oh, all right,” Rarity said, leaning back to grab her paper, “but it really is just a sketch.”

That much, Sunset saw, was certainly true. “It’s, uh...”

Rarity gave a small smile. “Not exactly up to my usual standards?” she finished.

“That wasn’t what I was going to say!”

“Well, it’s true.” Rarity shifted, a little uncomfortably. “The instructors say I have to practise my ‘life drawing skills’, but I think they really mean I’ve got to develop some.”

Sunset frowned. “Well, it’s certainly a lot better than what I could do,” she offered.

“Thanks,” Rarity smiled. “Now, enough about me, what did you want to talk about?”

“It’s nothing much, really,” Sunset said quickly. “It’s just, uh, well, I was talking to Rainbow, and she said maybe I should come here.”

“She did?” Rarity looked concerned.

“It was just about me and Twilight,” Sunset said, “and, yeah, you’re the expert on this type of stuff, so...”

Rarity nodded, a little relieved. “I see.” She straightened her skirt and sat up, concentration setting in her eyes, and Sunset thought that all she needed was a notebook and pen, or – yes, a pipe, and the detective look would be complete.

“So...yeah.”

There was a pause, until Rarity prompted, “So how are you an Twilight doing, anyway?”

“Um,” Sunset blinked. “We’re doing fine.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry. I guess we’re doing okay. I just feel a bit...” detached, removed, alone “out of it?”

“Out of it,” repeated Rarity, and Sunset got the distinct impression she should be scribbling that on a small cream page.

“Yeah, like obviously we live together and stuff, but – well, I don’t see as much of her as I used to, but that’s kinda my fault – really it’s that I feel separate.” Yes, that was it. Separate like she didn’t know what Twilight was feeling any more, separate like they didn’t sit next to each other on the sofa, separate like their clocks were slowly de-syncing...

“Separate?” Rarity tapped her leg thoughtfully. “Do you think it would it help you two to spend some quality time together? Clear your schedules for a weekend, set aside a day or two, or even a week, go have a meal?”

“Umm...” Sunset couldn’t remember the last time they’d eaten together.

“You two have a date night, right?”

“We live together, isn’t a date night sort of pointless?”

“Mon Dieu! Darling, a date night is the key to a healthy relationship.”

“Oh.”

“When did all this start?”

Wasn't that just the thing. “I’m not sure.”

Rarity frowned. “If you work that out, you could find out what changed. When was the last time you two properly talked?”

Sunset swallowed. “I...we talk.”

“All right,” Rarity sounded a little calmer. “Then you need to go on a date. You need to rekindle the old fire! Woo her. Be woo-ed.”

“Thanks, Rarity.” Sunset wasn’t entirely sure that that would work, but she didn’t know what else to say.

Rarity seemed to relax, her posture slackening, as she nodded. “Well, that’s settled then.”

Manehattan wasn’t far away from Ponyville, and Rarity had neither the blow-up bed nor the space Rainbow had had, so after eating at some unpronounceable cafe, Sunset got on the train, the sun still bright in the sky. As the train puffed away from the station (apparently they were running a steam celebration day, and it had made her ticket twice the price), Sunset couldn’t get rid of the last thing Rarity had said – well, not actually the last thing, that had probably been a heartfelt goodbye – the last really important thing, anyway. It had been in the cafe, as they were finishing up some subtle cheesecake with not nearly enough flavour, light streaming through the shuttered window beside them. “It’s a terrible thing to say, darling, but sometimes things just don’t work out.”

She hadn’t even said it about her and Twi, but it had been the thing she’d said which made the most sense all day. And as the train raced on towards the sun, Sunset couldn’t get it out of her head.

Comments

[Shortmane]

You know, I didn't really care for this chapter until right at the very end...

“It’s a terrible thing to say, darling, but sometimes things just don’t work out.”

This was very fitting and poignant, and I loved that it was said not even in the context of their romance, but Sunset (and the reader) pick up on it in a heartbeat. It feels like one of the strongest themes in the story.
Honestly, I think the first two-thirds of this chapter could have been cut or trimmed, I was wondering when something would actually happen! (and it did)

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

Rarity snorted. “Have you seen that mansion Dashie’s staying in? Horrid place, but gosh the possibilities are endless. Here I’m not even allowed to cover the walls!” She tapped the plaster with a knuckle. “Regulation blue, and I’m only allowed to alter that ,” Rarity gestured to a tiny corkboard laden with everything from pictures to ribbons. Sunset noticed with a smile that several photos of the gang were pinned up alongside the magazine cutouts.

Figured she'd say that about Rainbow's place.

Manehattan wasn’t far away from Ponyville, and Rarity had neither the blow-up bed nor the space Rainbow had had, so after eating at some unpronounceable cafe, Sunset got on the train, the sun still bright in the sky. As the train puffed away from the station (apparently they were running a steam celebration day, and it had made her ticket twice the price), Sunset couldn’t get rid of the last thing Rarity had said – well, not actually the last thing, that had probably been a heartfelt goodbye – the last really important thing, anyway. It had been in the cafe, as they were finishing up some subtle cheesecake with not nearly enough flavour, light streaming through the shuttered window beside them. “It’s a terrible thing to say, darling, but sometimes things just don’t work out.”

I'd be hyped to see whatever steam engine that was pulling the train since I'm a big train fan. But sadly i think rarity might be right that sunset and twilight's relationship isn't working anymore.

[Bicyclette]

ah, that very last line of dialogue! so good that it wasn't even about her and Twilight, like Sunset is doing exegesis on her own experience of the world. and Rarity playing relationship therapist is just so very her. fantastic stuff