Rarity paced around her boutique in a tight, fixed route, huffing at each stop. First, she’d go to the door to peek out for any potential customers, and upon finding none, she would stride rightward over to her wall of fabric and rows of outfits to take in the many colors hoping for inspiration. Then, she took an immediate left, eyeing the empty calendar where no commissions or plans lay, and finally to the phone that sat on the coffee table near the door, between two stacks of magazines, a sketchbook and a stress squeezer.
The designer pulled a curl of her luscious, perfectly maintained hair and stuck it between her lips. She felt each individual strand grind against her teeth like straw as she flipped the open sign up and stared outside the door, once again finding no traffic before setting the sign back. She turned up her nose with a “Hmph!”, and wheeled back around to the textiles.
It was always what Rarity didn’t have that drove her up a wall, and right now she didn’t have a few things. No customers, despite being the best boutique in Canterlot, and arguably in the tri-city area. No commissions, despite being at the top of her field. And no plans with her friends, as they were all busy with their own lives.
Rarity frowned as she reached the end of her route and locked eyes with her phone. That was the final thing she lacked: Companionship. “What is it?” Rarity thought aloud, finally breaking the loop as she headed past the table and into her kitchen. “Is there something I lack?” She slid the hair from her mouth, letting it stick to the side of her face, caking in her high-end makeup in the process.
She didn’t even bother with the light switch on as she bee-lined for the fridge, letting the only light be whatever bled in from the other room or closed windows. “It can’t be,” her hand gripped the freezer handle and swung it open, the cold air biting at her skin, “Am I not pretty enough? Talented enough? Connected enough?” Then a thought sprung into her head as her fingers curled around a pint of chocolate-cherry ice cream, “Am I… a bad girlfriend?”
Rarity swiveled around to fetch a spoon and nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt her foot barely connect with Opal, who hissed and darted away deeper into the dark corners of the kitchen. Retrieving a spoon, as well as her breath, she wandered back into the foyer and gracelessly plopped down on the couch situated just behind the coffee table.
“That must be it,” tears welled in her eyes, threatening to take her expertly applied mascara with them, “I must be too awful of a girlfriend for anyone to want me-e-e!” And the mascara did flow.
The instant the artisan ice cream hit her tongue was the second her worries started to melt away. Sure her outfits were getting a little tight from all this comfort food, but she could always make them bigger. She needed self-care far more than a fitting ensemble or a good partner.
Besides, it’s not like anyone would be so shallow as to break up with her for not having a perfect body. Not anyone like that Prince Blueblood off of Tinder who had those dreamy eyes, and that beautiful copper-blonde hair. Not the Prince whose lips could make you forget your name when they met yours, and not those strong hands that gripped -
Rarity shook her head and plunged another spoonful of frozen divinity into her mouth. “It doesn’t matter how hot he was, even if he was… really really hot.” She cleared her throat, “It doesn’t, b-because he dumped you!” Another spoonful of bliss and another set of black-streaked tears.
“And don’t forget that even if he was amazing, he still dumped you for…” Rarity peered down and saw a depressingly pudgy stomach, bigger than it was last week, and snapped her head away, “Hmph! He’s shallow, and he’s a waste of your valuable time!” She let the cream melt in her mouth completely before gulping it down.
The pint was almost halfway done before the gravity of the situation came down on her. How shameful this would be if a customer, which she so hoped would burst through the door, walked in on this scene. Then, as quickly as it pressed down on her, the weight left.
One-quarter of the tub remained, barely any mascara remained around Rarity’s puffy, reddened eyes. “Why Pudgity can’t even spin a T-Shirt, let alone a stupid dress! Her shop should be packed from open to close, and yet her shop is empty and dead!” She took the same damp lock of hair from before and returned it to her mouth. “She should probably just quit now since her dreams are falling apart around her!” Dramatic mania gripped the last two words.
“If only,” She scooped some of the last bits of chocolate from the bottom, “Someone could come through the door who could give me an expensive commission, who could give me a date I’d never forget! Someone who’s gorgeous, and great, and available!” She gulped down the last of the dessert. “Anyone!” Rarity lazily threw the spent pint to the trash bin beside the couch, barely making it in.
And that’s precisely when Trixie walked through the door.
“Hello, Rarity,” A smug smile was plastered across Trixie’s face as she strolled through the door in her usual costume, her eyes shut and her cadence slow. It was as though she savored each word that came from her mouth. “I hope your schedule’s clear, for I have a commission that’ll—” she opened her eyes and was greeted with the scene.
Rarity’s eyes stung as they glared daggers at Trixie, dried rivers of mascara scraping against her face with every blink. She was still wearing a formal dress shirt and a fashionable pencil skirt, but the way she laid across the couch was more like a farce of a Renaissance painting than any semblance of professionalism.
“Yeesh, what happened to you?” Trixie cringed as the pneumatic door slowly hissed shut behind her.
“Take a good look, Trixie. This,” Rarity placed the back of her hand to her forehead, her voice coarse and cracked from the strain of crying, “Is the death of a career as it lay on the operating table. Dead and alone on arrival. I’m finished!”
Trixie casually reached behind her and flipped the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’ without breaking eye contact. “Slow day, huh?”
Rarity sat up and jabbed a finger at the magician, “It is not just a ‘slow day.’” —She said with air quotes—“It’s been a slow week! A lonely week! Why, I should be swatting customers and prospective partners away, but look at me!” Rarity’s voice practically melted as she finished.
“Uh, no it hasn’t,” Trixie placed a hand on her hip, “I could barely even get in the door to reveal my grand idea until today. And don’t you get flirted with like, all the time? I think you’re being just a little…”
“Don’t you dare say it.” Rarity snapped.
“Dramatic.”
Rarity fell back onto the couch, letting out a series of choked sobs and heaving breaths. That term usually hurt her, but when Trixie called her dramatic, it hurt more than getting pricked by every pin in Canterlot.
Trixie rolled her eyes and sighed. She’d seen this scene dozens of times because this was always what she came into when ordering a commission. It seemed the only time she could get in that wasn’t booked, was on a slow day such as this. “Anyway, I’ve got a great and economical commission idea. You up for it?”
Rarity’s wails stopped immediately, as though she heard a magic phrase to cease her tantrum. “Commission?” She perked up. “Yes, I used to do those… back when I wasn’t a washed-up failure!”
Trixie huffed, “Rarity, I wouldn’t haul myself over here for like, the fiftieth time if you weren’t worth it — which you are. Not half as talented as me, let’s not kid ourselves, but still the only one in this city who can remotely capture my radiance.”
Rarity sniffled as she snatched a tissue from the nearby box and loudly blew her nose. “You’re too sweet,” Barely any trace of sadness clung to her words. Talking shop always hoisted Rarity out of whatever pit she was in, and compliments, even left-handed ones, only accelerated the ascent.
Trixie twirled one of her bangs, letting her eyes wander across the store’s wares and decorations, “Hm, that’s what they tell me.”
“So this ensemble,” suspicion dripped from Rarity’s voice as she scratched at the dried black streams on her face, “I presume this is the time you’re going to actually pay for it?”
Even if it was a commission and a ticket away from melancholy, it was still an infuriating Trixie commission. She wanted everything to an impossible degree of precision without ever telling you exactly what she wanted. Moreover, she would never pay in bits, opting for some piece of junk she found at the flea market or thrift store, or a hastily drawn ‘IOU.’
“I’m hurt, Rarity,” Trixie placed a hand to her chest with feigned shock, “I always pay.”
Rarity ground her teeth. Just as she had managed to chase away sadness in lieu of something productive to work on, Trixie had dragged irritation into her mind like Opalescence dragged in dead mice to the showroom floor during working hours. “In money this time.”
Trixie smacked her lips, something she knew Rarity despised, “Always the material with you, Rarity. You know, you should really appreciate the finer things in life, it’s not always about money.” The magician rolled her wrists as she sauntered over to the mirror beside the calendar and admired her reflection. “Besides, I thought you were, like, sad about being dumped by Tinder match number six-hundred-something or whatever it is this week, what happened to that?”
The condescension, that’s what really ate at Rarity. Trixie was tasting the condescension on her tongue, as though the thin fantasy of grandiosity she preoccupied herself with was real and delicious to share in that agonizingly smug voice of hers. “You’ll find, Trixie, that when you have actual responsibilities, you can set aside your emotions. And I wasn’t dumped. I’m simply… in between partners at the moment.” Rarity could feel her blood pressure rising and decided to postpone the issue. “We can discuss payment later since it’s a point of contention. What were you thinking?”
“I dunno,” Trixie mewed, exchanging sultry looks with herself in the mirror, “You’re the designer, right? You tell me.”
Rarity sunk her nails into her thighs trying to contain the fury that was quickly consuming her patience. “Would you want me to make you a suit? Another costume? A dress? Tell me something.” She said every word slowly and deliberately, as though the act of speaking were like navigating around a mine that could detonate at any time.
“Oh, that. I was thinking,” Trixie burped under her breath and kept going as though it didn’t happen, “Lingerie.”
“Oh?” Rarity raised an eyebrow and muttered under her breath. “Must be nice.”
“Oh, believe me, it is. Starlight said she wanted something to elevate my great and bountiful body, figured you’d know what to do.” Trixie was almost completely flat in every area except her personality, which was concave.
“That sounds very lovely, but could you give me a direction with it?” Rarity reached for the sketchbook and its accompanying pencil on the table and stared back at the magician through the top of her glasses.
A twinge of loneliness rendezvoused with envy in Rarity’s mind. It was always the thing she didn’t have that drove her up a wall, and in this instance, it was a partner. Here she was, completely alone, making a piece of bedroom wear that she knew Trixie was going to get a lot of use from. The thought was summarily exiled.
“Uh, hello!” Trixie faced Rarity and gestured to her body, “Plenty to work with here!”
Rarity nearly snapped her pencil but kept her cool. She’d simply have to pull a design from thin air and hope it was to Trixie’s liking, then mail Starlight the invoice when the sketch was finalized. Though, that was with her usual outfits. Lingerie was much more expensive than a simple hem or cape.
“What I meant is,” Rarity navigated around the mine again, idly tapping the eraser of her pencil against a blank page, “Are we thinking something light? Something dark? Something like a nightgown, a costume, or a more traditional corset and lace design? See-through? Stockings? Help me narrow it down.”
“Ohh!” Trixie’s face lit up, “I do like the sound of see-through, but lace is based.”
Rarity squeezed her eyes shut, “We…” With a breath, she opened her eyes again, “can do both, actually, if you’d prefer.” Rarity pushed her glasses up and eyed Trixie up and down. “I’m thinking… see-through torn leggings, and a bodysuit, both black, both up your alley, and both stunning!”
Trixie posed as Rarity examined her, basking in the attention. “Sounds hot, I like the way you think.”
“Perfect!” Inspiration surged through Rarity and pushed some of the anger out of her mind. Some frustration remained in wanting to get Trixie out of her hair, but doing so required finishing a sketch. Images of the outfit flashed through her mind, and within an instant, her hand was furiously materializing them on paper. She’d have almost forgotten that Trixie was in the same room as her if it wasn’t for the magician noisily opening a small pack of peanut butter crackers.
“You can go now, Trixie. Come back tomorrow and I’ll have the finalized design.” Rarity muttered, not taking her pencil off the page.
“Oh, for real?” Trixie said with a mouthful of cracker as she made her way towards the door, her oversized boots clunking against the tile with each step. “Thanks, Rarity, just make my boobs look big when I wear it. Ta ta.”
Rarity heaved an audible sigh as she heard the door slide open. Just as Trixie stepped foot outside, Rarity blinked and felt as though she was forgetting something. As she looked up from the almost completely filled page, it hit her.
“WAIT!” Rarity hissed, causing the magician in the doorway to almost jump out of her skin, though her crackers did leap out from their packaging, clattering to the ground in a sad pile of crumbs.
“WHAT?!?” Trixie flinched and cowered back into the boutique. “Geez, you can be really scary, you know that?”
“Payment.”
“Huh?” Trixie cocked her head.
Rarity folded her hands over her sketchbook. “I said we’d discuss payment later. It’s later now. A lady never forgets, Ms. Lulamoon.”
“Oh right,” Trixie rested a hand on her chest and panted, out of breath from being startled, “You said it’d be like 50 bits, right?”
Rarity gripped her hand at the wrist and squeezed. “It’s 500. How do you want to pay?”
Trixie let a foul smirk creep across her face as she closed the gap between them, always a dangerous sign. “How do you feel about cryptocurrency?”
“No.”
Trixie stomped, narrowly missing one of the crackers at her feet, “Well, what about exposure when I post this on my Onlyfans?”
“No.”
“What would you say to -”
“How about you pay me in a physical capacity.” Rarity tucked one of her messy purple bangs behind her ear with a trembling hand.
“Oh,” Trixie bit her lip and eyed the disheveled designer as she hooked a finger into her collar and pulled down, exposing more of her chest, “I mean, Rarity, if you wanted a piece of this, you could’ve just asked.”
Rarity felt her face get hot and grabbed her sketchbook to cover her shame “That’s not what I meant at all! I-I mean not that you’re… I don’t mean to call you... “ Rarity sucked in a deep breath. “Ahem. I meant-”
“You meant,” Trixie interjected, placing a finger on Rarity’s lips to shush her, “That I’m absolutely irresistible, and that you can no longer deny my charms. It’s whatever if you want me to be your rebound I’m game.”
Rarity grabbed Trixie’s arm at the wrist and felt composure flow back into her mind. “I meant physical, legal, tender. Money. But if you insist on taking a lady such as myself out on the town, then I can hardly resist. If you show me a good enough time, then perhaps I could waive the cost altogether.”
Trixie rolled her eyes and stifled a laugh as she pulled her arm free. “If that’s how you have to say it to be happy, whatever. I still gotta check with Starlight to see what days work for me.”
The designer heaved in an inappropriately large gasp before covering her mouth. “Oh my goodness! It completely slipped my mind! Is Starlight ok with that? I don’t mean to intrude, or pressure you into anything-”
The sound of Trixie’s teeth noisily and messily biting into a peanut butter cracker from off the ground cut Rarity off. “Geez, Rarity,” the magician said with her mouth more than full of food, “You can date more than one person at a time. It’s not the 1950’s anymore.”
“Why must you say things in the most unsavory way possible?” Rarity lifted her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.
“That’s what makes me so great and powerful.” Trixie gulped down a mouthful of the snack, “Anyway, I’m thinking of going out to the park on Saturday, y’know, if I’m available.”
While the prospect of a relaxing day surrounded by the serenity of nature sounded very appealing, Rarity couldn’t help but wonder how Trixie was going to soil it. “That sounds… rather lovely, actually?”
“What?” Trixie crumpled up the small package of crackers. “Where did you think I was gonna take you?”
Rarity tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, “To be positively honest, I thought you were going to escort me to some fetid back alley where we’d feast on whatever we could fight away from the rats. But the park sounds rather pleasant.”
“Wow, you know I can just stand you up?”
“Did you know I know where you keep your costumes?”
The magician made her way for the door before glancing over her shoulder, “Point taken, but it’s not like I’m some trash-dwelling goblin. I’m an acquired taste, not a rotten one.”
“You are?” Never had Rarity flirted this way, to feel fire and admiration swirling on her tongue so fluidly. It felt so… exhilarating. “Just let me know when you’re going to pick me up. And don’t be late or I will make you regret it” She said, almost singing the words.
An impossibly wide smile crept onto Trixie’s face as she made her exit, “Sure thing, babe. See you then.”
The finality of what she’d just agreed to began to fully rest upon her shoulders as the door hissed closed. This would either be the greatest date she’d ever been on, or the worst.
Rarity squeezed Trixie’s hand as they gallivanted perfectly in step down a spotless park path, unable to contain their love-laced laughter. The sun shone unimpeded by clouds, the breeze couldn’t have been more cool or pleasant, and the birds sang in melodic harmony as if they’d rehearsed for this very day. In the distance, lay a shimmering lake just before an idyllic backdrop of trees. Nature had painted the perfect image for a fairy tale outing and placed the most deserving girl within it.
“Oh Trixie,” Rarity mewed, glowing with radiance, “I’m so glad that you decided to ditch that magic act and get a real job.”
“But of course, Rarity,” Trixie smirked, her once ragged, unkempt hair fashioned into divine curls that fell just over one of her eyes, “You were so right to keep telling me over and over again. I’m sorry it took so long to get through my big, empty head. And thanks for doing my hair by the by, it looked simply dreadful before your gentle touch turned it to gold."
“Oh, stop. I know I’ve a talent for beautifying the unsightly, but there’s no need to inflate my ego, darling.” Rarity giggled, her face growing hot.
The pair slowed to a halt just as they met the lake’s edge, the sun sinking into the horizon. It couldn’t have been a more perfect moment.
…honk
“Did you hear that?” Rarity’s perfectly done eyes fluttered as she placed a hand to her cheek, a shrill screech slowly intruding into her ears, getting louder with every passing moment.
HONK
“Only that wonderful voice of yours that isn’t whiny or bossy in the least.” Trixie gently placed her hand over Rarity’s on her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss just as the sun touched the -
HOOOONKKK “HEY, RARITY! SORRY I’M LATE” A certain obnoxious voice hollered.
Rarity blinked and the masterpiece painted by mother nature shattered into the flawed, dismal image of reality. The sky’s perfect blue mutated into a gray and overcast canvas, the gloomy remnants of rain the night before, just as red and puffy eyes remain after a good crying session.
The perfect lake serenaded by a sunset fizzled into the worn, empty streets that outlined Rarity’s small community. The lush grass of the park rotted away into the sidewalk beside her driveway just before the curb. And that perfect partner that so gingerly caressed her face twisted into a… Clunky, beat-up sedan barreling straight for her?
“Gah!” Rarity barely had a moment to react to the sudden shift from daydream to car-heading-straight-for-her, but the fashionista clutched her purse to her side and frantically dove out of the vehicle’s path, just as it careened over the curb and onto the front yard.
Rarity got up with a groan and peered down to her all-white ensemble to see a green-brown splotch staring right back at her. Her lip trembled, her eyes became glassy, her entire body prepared to let out a wail but a flash of anger boiled all the sadness away, as though it were a drop of water in a hot pan.
With a long, calm breath in, Rarity stomped towards the driver’s side window of Trixie’s run-down car. “Are. You. Crazy!? You could’ve killed me you barbarian! Haven’t you ever heard of keeping your eyes on the road?” It took a great deal of restraint for Rarity to keep herself from breaking down the glass.
Slowly, almost infuriatingly so, Trixie rolled down the vehicle’s window. The sound of unsettling, ear-piercing music came from within, which was suddenly quieted with an adjustment of a volume dial. Trixie looked almost completely the same from a few days ago, the only striking difference being a pair of grimy sunglasses, which she pulled down to address her date.
“What was that? I can’t really hear you over this noise album. Must’ve been a cry for joy, or, like, applause or something. Am I right or am I right?” Trixie looked Rarity up and down and concealed a laugh, “I like the new look by the way.”
“Unbelievable! First you show up late, then you nearly kill me with this hunk of rust you call a car, and then you ruin my dress!” Rarity’s balled her hands into tight fists at her side.
“So…” Trixie pouted her lips, placing the sunglasses atop her head. “Are we still on for this date today? Not on? Gimme something to work with.”
“Wh-” Rarity recoiled in confusion, before anger seized her once more, “You know what? Yes, we still are. Normally I’d have thrown you out, I may have even called the police, but I-”
“Ok cool, hop in!” Trixie flicked her head and the sunglasses dropped down back to their rightful place as the window slowly and obnoxiously rolled back up.
Rarity’s jaw nearly hit the ground. Never before had a date ever treated her this way. She’d been ghosted, stood up, even pushed into the mud on a rather clumsy attempt of a date between her and Applejack, but never something like this. Then again, Rarity had never gone on a date with Trixie.
With a huff, Rarity stormed to the passenger’s side around the back of the car, lest she step out in front of the careless driver and actually get run over. She moved in such a way to conceal her front side to any of the neighbors across the street while praying that none of them saw her. Rounding the backside of the car she saw a handful of red flags in the form of bumper stickers.
One situated near the license plate (which happened to be expired) was a rather sharp image of a dragon’s head. Another to the immediate left said, “Vore me,” whatever that meant. The last one sat near the long metal bit that poked out from underneath the car that Rarity could never remember the name of; Simple white letters spelled out, “Only cringey cops pull me over,” — as if the expired plates were not enough of an invitation.
As Rarity neared the passenger’s side door, hearing the eerie music creep out of the window, she couldn’t help but notice the lack of a mirror for that side. Next to all the other problems, this one somehow seemed negligible. With a sigh, she grabbed for the handle and pulled up only for nothing to happen. Locked. Rarity practically vibrated with frustration.
“Oh yeah,” Trixie leaned over and manually opened the door from the inside, looking up through the top of her sunglasses at Rarity. “Whoops.” She winked.
Rarity swung the door open and heaved in a breath, summoning all the courage she could muster and plopped herself down into a rather stiff, somewhat greasy, seat. Her boots came down on top of a discarded fast-food bag, sending electricity up her spine before quickly ceasing altogether. Something was off about them. Rarity focused on her front door through the windshield and calmly drew in a breath before swinging the door shut.
The windshield was free of grime, looking as though it’d been routinely cleaned. A quick cursory glance to the backseat and her feet confirmed her suspicions. This wasn’t a real mess.
Rarity recalled when Sweetie Belle had first begun driving, and the mounds of Starbucks bags that would pile up in the backseat, let alone the smell. Trixie’s fast food bags were completely spotless where there ought to be grease stains or some kind of wear and tear. Beyond that, they were completely empty. It was as if she was trying to put on the veneer that she was unclean when she wasn’t at all.
The smell of cheap perfume wafted in the cab which was a far superior scent to trash or much worse, body odor. Both would’ve been present were she a dirty person. The stale aroma, combined with the dread-inducing music, created a strange atmosphere within the car that put Rarity on edge. Still, her eyes locked on ahead of her and tried to imagine a happy place, or a day like the one that had been so cruelly ripped from her mind.
The gray sky darkened to black, and her house turned to vapor and reformed into a movie screen playing a cheesy horror flick. The loathsome cab of Trixie’s car suddenly became clean, and the radio ceased its awful track and instead played the audio to the drive-in movie. A person ran towards the viewer, poorly-acted terror clinging to their uncaring eyes as a horrendously made prop alien chased after them on strings. The sight petrified Rarity, who flung herself into the driver’s waiting arms.
“Seatbelt.” Trixie’s voice tore Rarity from her daydream before it could even form. She looked… Oddly radiant. The dimmed light coming in from her window captured her angular nose, that strong but effeminate jaw, perfectly. To gaze up at her, to feel her strong grip upon her body, was like indulging in a guilty pleasure. It almost felt wrong to think such a dastardly magician was attractive, but, Rarity couldn’t deny beauty when she saw it.
“I beg your pardon?” Rarity scrambled out of her embrace and cast a scornful side-eyed stare at her companion, trying and failing to conceal her reddening face.
“Click-it-or-ticket, homie” Trixie slung one arm over the shoulder of her seat and grinned down at her date. The smile… That damned crooked, toothy grin. She hated it. She loved it. She hated how much she loved it. And the worst part is that Trixie could see right through her.
“Your plates are expired,” Rarity fumbled for the seatbelt and then proceeded to fight with it before finally freeing it and angrily clicking it into place, “You have no passenger’s mirror, and this is what you’re worried about?” She demanded, crossing her arms.
“Safety first Rarity, c’mon, what kind of driver do you think I am?” Trixie smugly responded, slipping a hand onto the automatic shifter and setting it into reverse. She didn’t bother to check behind her nor did she flinch as Rarity yelped and the sedan rocked and heaved going back over the curb.
Rarity held her purse beside her head hoping to block the view of any neighbors as the mechanical clicks of the shifter came into her ears. The car suddenly jolted forward before it started down the street, sending Rarity’s prized luxury bag into the wasteland of wrappers at her feet.
“So uh…” Trixie started, turning the dial up on her radio as Rarity retrieved her bag, making the shrill notes of whatever passed for music in her deranged mind that much more intrusive. “You into noise music?”
The wind picked up as the vehicle moved along the road, and Rarity made an attempt to roll the window up but nothing happened. Her outfit had taken a casualty from the dive, and now the wind threatened to take her hair in the drive. “Not remotely. Could you do something about the window please?”
“Nah they can’t do that anymore. Not since the accident. Took the mirror out too. It’s cool though, I got some con lawyer to represent me and now I get a settlement check every month. Pretty rad, huh?” With every other word, Trixie snuck a glance to her co-pilot, as though she was devoting the minimum amount of focus to the road as she could.
“Oh, of course.” Rarity ground her teeth as she felt her hair become more unkempt with every gust. Trixie could absolutely pay for the outfits but just refused to for some inane reason. “I assume you then went and got the necessary repairs?”
“What?” Trixie asked, as though she were questioned about having a third eye.
Rarity drew in a long breath. “Is this rust bucket safe for the road?” She emphasized every word deliberately.
“I dunno, probably,” Trixie responded as casually as someone asking her the time. “I’m sure we’ll be fine thanks to my expert driving skills.” She boasted, running through a stop sign.
“Mhm…” Rarity pursed her mouth into a sour line, savoring every syllable as she endured whatever music managed to be louder than the wind coming from beside her.
Oddly, the more she listened, the better it became, the more Trixie’s voice became drowned out. It made her want to sit and think, turn her brain off and simply exist within the moment. She’d wanted to escape to a daydream, but through this harsh sound coming from the radio, she’d arrived there again. It was like hearing chaos, but it was like hearing tranquility.
“What did you say this was called again?” Rarity asked in an almost dismissive tone, trying to sound more annoyed than interested.
“Oh ho ho? I was under the impression you hated it. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist my impeccable taste.” Trixie admonished, seeing straight through the bluff as she hooked a sharp right turn—without using her blinker—into the park’s entrance. “It’s called Rifts, and the artist is called Two-onetrix Point Forever. Their music sounds like madness, y’know what I mean? Like those feels you can’t put words to, they put into a song. Pretty based, I’d say.”
The words practically drifted in one ear and out of the other. “Perhaps you could lend me the CD sometime?”
“CD-eez nuts! Ha!” Trixie flashed a grin far wider than the immature joke warranted and let out a round of laughter as Rarity rolled her eyes. The magician calmed herself with a sigh and a toss of the pair of fuzzy dice hanging around her rear-view mirror. “But uh, for real? Sure, I got like a dozen of these burned onto discs sitting around somewhere.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea-A-A-A!” Rarity began before screaming as the world rocked upwards and then slammed down. They’d arrived at the park, and in her focus on the conversation, Trixie had driven over the concrete mound marking the end of a parking space. Rarity shot her companion a fierce glare. “Did you really just…?”
“Of course not!” Trixie cracked a wobbly smile, the kind she wore when things weren’t going to plan and she was forced to improvise. Her hand scrambled to the shifter and clicked it into reverse before driving back over the concrete strip and sending the car into another bout of rocking. The car sat at an odd angle, taking up a portion of the current parking spot and a portion of the one to the immediate left.
“Uh…” Trixie’s eyes scanned the car as though somewhere in the shallow sea of clutter would be a perfect line to say. Amazingly, she found one. “Mademoiselle we have arrived at your destination. Thank you for choosing Trixie’s Reliable Ri—”
Rarity exited the car without so much as a word or a glance at her date, not even a huff. She stood beside the car and tapped her foot as she surveyed the area, allowing herself a sigh of relief when she spotted no other cars in the area. To the left was the nature trail at the end of the sidewalk, and not far to the right sat a rather dingy rest area. “At least we made it here in one piece.” Rarity muttered under her breath.
Trixie’s door opened from the other side, but oddly, she did not exit. All it took was a peek into the window to confirm that Trixie was rummaging through the backseat, the console, and the glove box searching for something. After a few moments, she opened the glove box again and retrieved an admittedly upscale-looking wallet. Trixie popped out of the car without closing the container and slammed the car door shut, earning a look from her companion.
“Heh, sorry.” The magician ran a hand through her frayed hair, “The door won’t latch unless I slam it like that. The windswept look really suits you, by the way. Totally gonna be in next season.”
Rarity crossed her arms and eyed Trixie up and down, finding the wallet to be out of place with her appearance. “Is that what you were after?” She motioned her head towards it, dodging the shoddy compliment.
“Oh! This? Pretty nice, huh?” Trixie spun the wallet dexterously between her fingers, “Yeah, I was looking for the bas— my wallet! Looking for my wallet, but I’ll settle for this one I snagged off a guy in a jewelry store.” She caught it between her index and middle finger and grinned the same crooked smile from earlier. “Y’know what they say: Why spend mine when I can spend yours?”
“Of course you can pick pockets, why am I not surprised?” Rarity rolled her eyes with a sigh.
Trixie flashed a smirk as she stuffed the plundered wallet into her bra, “Because you must be impressed. Y’know I can steal hearts too?”
“That remains to be seen, dear.” Rarity smiled and rolled her eyes, finding the familiar glimmer of charm in the overwhelming sleaze of her companion.
“Oh c’mon. There’s still about… Like, maybe an hour before it starts raining again. Plenty of time to sweep you off your feet.”
“Trixie. Did I hear you correctly?” Rarity said flatly and deliberately, peeling a bit of courtesy off her words, “Surely you didn’t bring me out here knowing it was going to rain?”
Trixie started towards the rest stop and called over her shoulder. “Yep!”
“May I ask why?” Rarity eyed her as she passed and slowly followed behind, a gentle humid wind passed through her messy hair.
“Two reasons,” Trixie called, facing her head forward, “If you weren’t into it, it wouldn’t be that much of your time wasted. And if you were then it’d be romantic to get caught in the rain together, right?”
“That’s… Oddly considerate, actually.” Rarity caught herself having to give credit where it was due. Maybe she wasn’t completely insufferable. Perhaps there was empathy floating around in that arrogant brain of hers. In any case, the nature path was in the opposite direction of where they were headed. “So… Why are we headed the wrong way? The hiking trail is the other way, darling.”
The rest stop was a simple brick building with two graffiti-ridden restrooms within. On one side sat a vending machine for drinks and one for various junk food, and on the other side lay four wooden tables riveted into the concrete they rested atop. It had ‘bare-minimum’ written all over it.
“I gotta piss, duh,” Trixie remarked casually as she pushed open the door to the women’s restroom and leaned back against it, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. “Plus, Starlight thought it’d be real romantic to do like a picnic lunch kinda deal, and I was like ‘dope’ and she was like, ‘don’t forget the basket, Trixie. I made this for you two, Trixie. Wait, where are you going, you forgot—.’ Isn’t she great? I love her.”
It was as though the words hit Rarity as they came out of the magician’s mouth, though tolerance to them was building and so lessened the impact. Before she could retort, Trixie slipped into the bathroom and let the door thud. Rarity closed her eyes and drew in a breath before walking over and dropping herself on the worn benches.
Petrichor. That’s what Twilight called it once, the smell of the air after it rains. It was like a fine fragrance that one could only experience on days like this one, and it was almost comforting. Rarity placed a hand to her cheek, idly grabbing a lock of her frayed hair and placing it in her mouth to chew before drooping over the face of the table and breathing in the essence of a rainy day.
Her dress was ruined, her hair was ruined, but the day didn’t seem like it’d be a waste. Sure, Trixie was obnoxious and at fault for those blemishes, but it was becoming easier to see that it might be a facade. She was, after all, trying her best. Provided it didn’t get any worse, it might even be salvageable.
A heavy thunk cut off any more introspection. Trixie came strutting towards the table with arms well full of snacks and soda. “The vending machine wasn’t even locked, can you believe that?” She beamed.
Rarity looked up at Trixie like she was searching for flaws in a design sketch. She’d forgotten the picnic basket, which told Rarity that she’d at least talked with Starlight and planned something romantic. The stolen bounty of junk food was just her way of improvising a different kind of picnic. It was a sloppy attempt to salvage the date, but it was a genuine attempt.
Rarity had been on countless dates with people who wanted in her pants, and who themselves had repeated the same tired song and dance hundreds of times before. Trixie was a breath of fresh air. She was still trying to provide some kind of food, some kind of new experience, and trying to do so while appearing as though she knew exactly what she was doing. She must be so nervous.
“So, instead of a romantic picnic, you expect me to eat stolen junk out of an old vending machine?” Rarity looked up at her date and raised an eyebrow.
“I prefer to call it commandeered.” Trixie winked. “I guess I could share my booty.”
“Charmed, but no.” She waved a hand to dismiss the offer, slowly losing patience. Sure, Rarity appreciated the efforts Trixie clearly put into the date but it was becoming less endearing and more questionable by the second. It was a surprisingly nice ruse, but it was still a ruse nonetheless.
“You sure?” Trixie asked, loudly opening the plastic package before plucking a particularly long Cheeto and slowly inched it towards Rarity’s face. “They’re pretty epic.”
Rarity couldn’t help but giggle as her patience began to boil over. “Epic as it may be, Trixie, it’s far from romantic!” Trixie connected the Cheeto to Rarity’s cheek, prompting her to bolt upright. “Ew! Good heavens, as a lady I expect more than this kind of treatment, and so far you’ve not delivered! You may be trying your best but I demand to know why you must insist on being so… So…”
“Before you ask Rares —”
“Don’t call me that.” Rarity spat back, the hair unceremoniously hanging from her mouth took the edge off her confrontation. It almost hurt her to be so blunt with Trixie.
Trixie popped the uneaten Cheeto into her mouth and set the bag down, taking her turn to sigh. It looked as though she was running out of tolerance as well. “Look Rarity.” She said, chewing with her mouth open. “Why do you act so posh and uptight?”
The words made Rarity recoil backward. “I beg your pardon?” She looked Trixie up and down with contempt as if she was searching for her problem.
“Stay with me here,” Trixie raised her hands just above the table, “I feel like we’ve got more in common than you think.”
The designer scanned each of Trixie’s eyes before softening her expression and gesturing for her to continue.
“I’m not blind, y’know?” For the first time all afternoon, Trixie’s faux-confidence wavered and she looked up at the darkening sky. As if waiting for its cue, thunder rolled in the distance. “I know you don’t wanna be here, and I know I’m not exactly a catch for you. You don’t keep your contempt for me hidden and I don’t make myself very likable. I was late, I almost ran you over, I ruined your look, and now the best I can do to salvage it is… This.” She motioned to the small hoard of snacks.
“Oh well, that’s where you’re wrong dear.” Rarity reached halfway across the table wearing a look of understanding. “I don’t hate you, in fact, I find you quite refreshing compared to who I usually end up with. Charming even. Besides, darling, this date isn’t over, I would’ve called a cab if it was. Or the authorities, you did almost kill me after all.”
“Ha! Don’t be so polite!” Trixie wore a wry smile, reaching her own hand to meet Rarity’s, but let it rest beside hers. “I feel the same way about you, but that’s what I’m getting at.”
A bottle of cola hissed as Trixie opened it and took a quick, greedy swig. “You know… I wasn’t always so great and powerful.”
Rarity brought a hand to her mouth and stifled a laugh. “You look like Applejack telling a bar story.”
The magician grinned and took another sip, exaggerating an ‘ah’. “The cola can’t make me forget.” She solemnly said in a bad southern accent. The two locked eyes and then let out a laugh, easing the tension between the pair.
“Darling, please, you were saying.” Rarity put both hands on her chin and leaned in intently, still nibbling on a strand of violet hair with a smile.
“You know I dated Sunset Shimmer in freshman year?” Trixie popped another Cheeto into her mouth.
“How could anyone forget? The shows you two would put on in the hallway were always a delight.” Rarity nodded cheerfully, remembering the time Trixie mistimed a smoke bomb and covered the duo in soot.
“Exactly! So when she dumped me for Flash Sentry of all people, it really hurt. But the show had to go on, right? What was the saying? You can’t let —”
“—them see you cry.” Rarity finished with a dry nod.
“Yeah…” Trixie eyed the treeline behind Rarity and watched it sway as the wind picked up. “So I really ramped everything up. On stage, I became more confident, more bold, more engaging, but behind the scenes, I was falling apart. I put on such a presence so no one knew I was hurting. So no one would approach me. And if they did, I’d fake being a slob so they’d never want in.”
Rarity let the strand of hair fall from her mouth before sitting straight up. It was starting to come together.
“What I’m trying to say is —” She screwed the cap back on her drink. “— we’re hiding the same trick up different sleeves. You put up such a posh exterior so everyone thinks you’re out of their league. But… I’ve seen you behind the curtain, Rarity, and I really admired what I saw.”
A single droplet of water hit the wood in the space between the two of their hands. The rain had arrived. “When I had agreed to this arrangement, I thought that I might as well.” Rarity gulped and stared at the parking lot as little drops of water hit the asphalt and darkened it. “I was really under the impression that you’d be another fruitless attempt at finding a lasting partner.”
Rarity cast her gaze upward, earning a small drop of water on her nose, and continued. “When I’d agreed to come on this date, I felt it was impulsive. That it’d be the same wasted day with another oaf who found love to be cheap and disposable. For me, it wasn’t one heartbreak dear, but hundreds. You’ve loved and lost, but I don’t think I’ve ever loved at all. But I must ask,” the distance between their two hands was becoming almost unbearable, “why bring this up at all? It’s rather sudden, wouldn’t you say?”
Trixie shrugged “I didn’t wanna be another one of those shitty dates. If you were having a bad time, I wanted to know why, and then end it. I know I make it look like I don’t care, but I do.” Trixie’s voice choked, her lip quivered like it was trying to hold in a small sob. Indigo eyes stared up into blue as a few more droplets descended upon them, though neither seemed bothered. She allowed herself a calming breath. “Besides, Starlight said you’d appreciate it if I was honest.”
“You talked to Starlight about me?” It felt like fire burned in that narrow gap between their fingers.
“I talk to her about everything,” She let out a small note of amusement, “I didn’t want to blow it. It’s funny, you know? I bombed on my first date with her, too.”
“But you’ve not bombed at all, dear! It might appear as though I’m abrasive, but I’m having a great time. Much more now that you’ve been honest with me. That’s more than I’ve ever gotten. Starlight gave you some very good advice.”
Rarity couldn’t take it anymore. She slipped her hand into Trixie’s, interweaving their fingers together and returning the intense stare into her eyes. It felt like her entire body melted into warm intensity as she’d finally found kindling for a fire to warm her in a vast expanse of cold listlessness. It didn’t feel real. It felt completely alien, tingly to the touch but not unwelcome.
Rarity had been so accustomed to being something of a trophy for influencers and athletes, trust-fund kids and greaseballs, that she’d all but forgotten what being loved was like. To feel it again was like watching life return to a wasteland, and to feel this way from Trixie of all peoplewas almost inconceivable.
“So…” Trixie said, squeezing Rarity’s hand. The rain started to come down as a gentle sprinkle. “Is this the part where we put our pogs together?”
“I…” Rarity’s face contorted into a grin before she covered her face with her free hand and erupted with laughter, “I don’t think we’re quite there yet, if my understanding of ‘pogs’ is correct. If anything, I do believe we’re at the part where you drive me home.”
“Oh right, the rain.” Trixie broke away and wrung her hands. “Totally… Knew that.”
The rain would wait no longer. The mild spritz instantly grew into a complete downpour. Both of them scrambled to the car, but not before Trixie swiped her bottle of cola before shouting after Rarity over the rain. “Hey! Take the keys, I want you to drive.”
“What!?” Rarity yelled, having quickly closed the distance between herself and the passenger’s side.
“I don’t want you to get soaked! The window, remember!?” The magician fumbled around in her pockets before clumsily handing off her keys and accidentally setting the car alarm off.
The keys dropped into a puddle as the shrill siren wailed. Rarity and Trixie both crouched for the keys and caught themselves enclosed in a moment in time as their hands touched and they looked up into one another’s eyes again. Rarity’s hair was soaked, and her dress’ stains were exemplified by rainwater. Trixie’s dirty, threadbare costume had darkened from the water, and she looked more disheveled than usual. Neither of them could have looked more beautiful.
A crack of thunder ripped them from their gaze, and Rarity quickly clamored over to the driver’s side before throwing the door open and slamming it shut, unintentionally latching it correctly. Within an instant, she popped the door open for Trixie, who immediately jumped in and swung her door shut.
Rarity slid the keys into the ignition and turned, but the car whined in response, refusing to turn over as if protesting the new driver at its helm. The wind howled through the missing passenger’s window, sending in a volley of water. Rarity grit her teeth, turning the keys once more while pressing her foot to the gas. The engine sluggishly turned over, begrudgingly giving itself over to its new driver.
As Rarity set the car in reverse, the rain pelting the windshield as though it had an angry grudge, the sound of the noise album came on once again. Rounding the corner out of the park, she reached for the dial but paused. Without saying a word, she put her hand back on the steering wheel and opted to leave it on. Neither Trixie nor Rarity spoke on the drive back, instead opting to let the music air their emotions.
Trixie’s car rumbled to a halt underneath a street light in front of Rarity’s house. The tinny sound of the rain pelting the top of the car blended with the radio, helping to ease the awkward silence between her and Rarity — but not removing it entirely. Their shivering and the chattering of their teeth from the icy cold water wasn’t helping the case either.
“I’m sorry,” Trixie croaked, before clearing her throat and continuing. “ I ruined it, didn’t I? I thought it was gonna rain way later but we were barely there for like, half an hour.” Trixie looked like Opalescence after a bath, only instead of rage consuming her eyes, there was shame.
Rarity leaned against the driver’s seat and idly tossed the fuzzy dice hanging between them, mimicking Trixie. “That’s okay, darling, you can make it up to me next time.”
“I know, it was dumb and —” She snapped her head to face Rarity. “—what did you say?”
“I said,” Rarity rested a hand on Trixie’s face before pulling her in and kissing her cheek, “That you can make it up to me on our second date. Assuming you’d like to. My only condition is that I decide where we go.”
“Really?! Uh, yeah! Yes! Of course I’d want to,” Trixie cleared her throat once more and caught herself, pushing her hand through her dampened hair and trying to appear like she hadn’t turned completely red. “I mean, yeah. Obviously, you’d want a second date with me. Chicks can’t get enough of—”
“Trixie.” Rarity leered, applying the slightest bit of pressure in the right place to make her crumble.
“Sorry.” She brushed the back of her head. “But, um, can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” Rarity folded her hands in her lap.
“You’re not just doing this to be nice, right? You don’t owe me. If anything, I owe you. Your hair, your dress — which I’m so sorry about, by the way, I can cover the cost of a replacement if you—”
Rarity placed a finger to Trixie’s lips, silencing and reddening her. Humbleness was a strange look on the magician, but it was a pleasant one. “I don’t want to hear another word! True, you did ruin my personal effects, but if I’m going to be honest with you, I’ve never felt more alive. It might’ve been twenty or so minutes, but I wouldn’t trade it for a hundred lousy Tinder dates. It felt real, not rehearsed or dragged out. And besides, if I didn’t want it, darling, then I simply wouldn’t ask for it.”
“Thanks, Rarity. It felt… really nice getting everything off my chest. Of all people to clash egos with, I didn’t think I could let mine down and really talk to you. Because, uh, you can be really scary sometimes. I wasn’t kidding about you being out of people’s league. Especially mine.” She wore a sheepish grin as she turned down the radio, making the atmosphere tighter, almost more personal. “And, well, I didn’t actually think you’d say yes to my dumb one-off joke.”
“I’m glad that I did, darling. But, if you don’t mind, I’m freezing and soaked to the bone. You have my number so… call me later tonight, okay? We’ll figure out the details for our next outing when we aren’t positively frigid. Maybe we can bring Starlight along, hm?”
It went quiet for a moment, as quiet as it could get in the horrid weather. Rarity wanted nothing but to take Trixie by the chin and kiss her deeper than she’d ever kissed anyone. She wanted to embrace the damned magician and melt into her grip, but… Part of her was still afraid.
Trixie was trembling, half from the cold and half from nerves, but she still wore that huge, dumb smile. She looked almost like Opalescence after a bath, except she was visibly trying to contain a burst of excitement as opposed to primal rage. It was as though Rarity were peeking behind Trixie’s curtain and admiring what she saw.
Rarity hesitantly leaned forward, her heart pounding in her ears before she shrunk back. How many times had she been in this situation before? In a car with some stupidly hot person, leaning in for a kiss before taking them inside her home. Just as soon as her heart began to melt, it reversed course and froze.
How many times has she woken up to an empty bed? How many times had she felt used? Cheap? Abandoned?
Rarity squeezed her eyes shut, sharing one last longing, hopeful glance with Trixie before reaching for the car door and opening it. Trixie mirrored her action on the opposite side.
They both ran to the front of the car, Rarity towards the front door of her house and Trixie to the driver’s side of the car, but paused as they stood before one another. Rarity peered up at the lanky magician, and she peered back. Time froze, and the biting cold of the water and the wind disappeared, leaving only the warmth between them.
Rarity eyes darted between each of Trixie’s, feeling the intent behind them. Every part of her body that could feel was screaming for her to do it. Every emotion running through her mind demanded she give in to this newfound affinity. The only thing holding any of them back was fear. What if Trixie broke her heart? But what if she mended it? Her heart was telling her what she had to do with a voice she’d never heard before so… Why not take the chance?
Trixie gulped nervously and leaned down, making sure Rarity had enough room to back away if she didn’t want it. Rarity banished fear and stood on her tiptoes, parting her lips and letting her eyes slowly slide shut of their own accord, and then… magic.
Rarity hooked her arms around Trixie, and Trixie returned the embrace, tightly gripping her and lifting her into the kiss. It felt like a dream — no, like an explosion whose aftershocks compounded with each beat of her racing heart! — where the world had fallen away and only the two of them existed in that one moment, within that one passionate kiss. Doubt retreated as Rarity pulled away and fluttered her eyes, overtaken by the rush of emotions surging through her. Trixie panted, eyes half-shut and full of wistful yearning. This was love.
“So,” Trixie tucked a lock of Rarity’s damp hair behind her ear and stole another kiss. She could swear that tears clung to Trixie’s eyes, “Am I a good kisser or what?”
Rarity beamed before putting her hand to Trixie’s head and pulling her back into another deep kiss, letting her nails dig into her scalp as their lips connected. “I think I’m most of the talent here.”
Crack BOOM!
The clap of nearby thunder tossed Rarity and Trixie out of their bubble and back into reality. Rarity lurched as Trixie jumped, the deafening sound sending them out of each other’s embrace. Rarity sprinted for the front door, stopping just as her hand wrapped around the doorknob. She turned around just in time for Trixie’s car door to slam shut an instant before she poked her head out of the passenger’s side window. Her sodden bangs drooped over her face like low-hanging vines on a beautiful statue.
Rarity put a hand to the side of her face and motioned as though it were a telephone, mouthing the words ‘call me.’ That damned, stupid toothy grin stretched across Trixie’s face as she exaggerated a wink before disappearing back into the car.
The designer stood on her doorstep, taking in the moment like she was taking a mental snapshot before prying her eyes away and staring into the door’s ornate knocker.
“Well, Rarity.” Rarity hugged herself, shivering but warming herself with a smile wider than any she’d worn in years. “You were wrong. It wasn’t the best date, and it wasn’t the worst date. It was both.”
