The hype of the concert hall became a second home to Aisling's heart. The cramped space crowded with bodies of every type and size searching for that one spot where the glow of their batons could shine within a sea of lights was a comfort that couldn't be rationalized by words or even observed by the naked eye. It could only be felt in the thudding of her chest and the strain of her voice cheering above the rest.
She made full use of her reach, shouting Coco's name with four glow batons of her color pinched tightly between her digits. Once or twice, she fell under the fantasy of catching her idol's eyes, that somewhere in this abyss of stares she found her gaze. She imagined their short contact of intimacy, brief and as fleeting as a star's wink, reached her heart just as her singing touched hers and spurred the idol's performance into its second wind. She lived for those moments, soaked in its fancy and drowned any sane thought that attempted to tell her otherwise.
There was a single breath as the song winded down into its conclusion, a second absorbing the finality of its last notes and an appreciation of the exhilaration spilling from the stage. The group collected themselves under the lights, gathering in a line to address the adoration cascading in waves.
"How's everyone doing? Still feeling energized?" Cream asked, reaching her waving arms as high as they would go.
Everyone shouted in turn, Aisling pushing her voice high above its threshold despite the ringing deafening her efforts.
Cream yelled back at them, "Yay! Our SweetTooth Nation's so amazing! With this much love, we're gunna spread cavities to the heart of the world in no time!"
"I'm pretty sure the dentists of the world wouldn't appreciate you advocating for cavities," Mint peeked over at their bounding flaaffy.
"Don't poke holes in my declaration! How am I supposed to spread the hype while worrying about semantics?"
"Can we at least go with something less painful?" Melon suggested with the raise of a bouquet.
"How about a sprinkling of sugar instead?" Coco smiled.
"That's nowhere near dynamic enough. It has to have more oomph," Cinnamon shook her head, a deep contemplation pressing into her brow.
"Then you have a better one?"
"I'm thinking…" the blaziken huffed, crossing her arms as she swirled the thoughts in her head with a crane of her neck.
"No thinking! Mine is just fine!" Cream shouted, banging the orb at the end of her tail against the stage and calling her sisters to order. "We'll workshop it later. Anyways! We still have one more song for you all and it's a doozy! Coco, if you'll do the honors!"
Coco nodded her head, trading her space for Cream's center position.
It was finally here, the new song Eris had told her about. Aisling wasn't sure what to expect as Coco took her steadying breaths, readying herself for the sensation that would soon possess her body and compel her voice and limbs into their routine. The lyrics that filled her scrambling pages, the melodies she hummed over chilled glasses and heated cups, the culminations of hours pushing through the slumps and grasping as the sparks under Chili's recommendations and care.
Just what kind of song found life under the spell of maids and lace?
The music started on a bubbly high, a peppy, upbeat string that hit with a suddenness so abrupt that it forced every eye and shred of attention on her focal point. And she ate it up, bouncing and stepping with the rhythm as she pulled her group members along with her energized stride.
It's so electrifying
The tingles just keep climbin'
With a single look you're takin' my breath
Growin' pressure
Cannot measure
What you've done to my heart
Cheeks covered in sours
Got me reelin' for hours
Dizzy punches leavin' me so restless
But your sweetness keeps me comin' back for more
The worlds spilled on the pulse of a lovestruck heart, carrying the surge of emotion through the highs and lows of this agitating infatuation. How those lips flew like her insides were seconds away from exploding, her voice thick in the richness of this tipsy intoxication, it pulled Aisling's chest through every inch of her melodic confession. The inspiration for these lyrics, was it from fictions and the secret wonders beneath the mundane, or was there a bit of truth and history sprinkling their passions on her eyes?
I never felt like this before
Just one taste and I'm hooked for sure
Count the seconds with me
And together we'll see
How fast I fall for your love
One
I just don't get it
Two
This intense feeling
Three
I'm so addicted
Wow!
The restraint in her build up burst at the seams, the inevitable reaching its realization in an eruption of excitement. And when enlightenment settled in and clarity swelled in the stilling setup, her eyes found Aisling's in the crowd. Well, that's what she had told herself before, but this time felt different. More direct and concrete rather than phantoms flittering and planting their fancies on her heart. A single point and the audience vanished, the screaming stop and the lights bled into nothingness. There was nothing, no one, but her and Coco. No, not even Coco, because Coco never felt this raw and desperate to have her voice reach the one she wanted the most.
But it faded with a playful wink and the persona lived again in her eyes.
You got me fallin'
Breakdown! Breakdown!
Breakin' down the walls
Shu-pow! Shu-pow!
Fillin' my head with your taste
It's an unforgettable flavor
You got me cravin'
Squeezing! Squeezing!
Squeezin' my heart so tight
Chu-pa! Chu-pa!
Kissin' the puckers away
It's a love sweet as lemondrops
After the first glass, Aisling had truly adopted the impression Eris had downed that starfruit passion cocktail to spare her feelings, persisting through the tart, sour flavors just so she didn't feel like a fool for recommending something so far from her taste. But the way she sang of this sweet and sour love, the memories she elicited of puckered lips and imploding faces, she could hear that her mistress had found the same appreciation Aisling did in the drink. Knowing these initial inspirations, the root of her love letter, the seeds of her song, was truly a special sensation no one could take away from her. Take away from them.
It wasn't a delusion this time, knowing a bit more about Coco than anyone else in this whole, entire hall. Even as the song continued, shared on the voices of her fellow Sweets, it was still their rendezvous. Their stage. Their secret. How this greed welled in her chest, spoiled rotten by her smile, flattered by her attention. Counting the sins on its back would be as futile as counting the stars in the sky. So, she didn't count and she chose to live instead. Lived to see her dance. Lived to hear her voice. Lived to reach that pedestal no matter how brief the meeting may be.
The parcel weighed heavily in her pocket, itching and anxious to return the favor—to return those special feelings in kind.
~uwu~
"Is that it?" Clarice peeked over Aisling's side in the fan meet-and-greet hall, "Is that the necklace you're giving to Coco?"
"No way, you're actually giving Coco a necklace?" Felix asked, inserting himself into the conversation with curious eyes peering into their object of discussion.
It got cramped really fast. An infernape on one shoulder and an audino pushing into the next, it was more claustrophobic than the audience stands.
She groaned in their constriction, "Calm down, guys. You're squishing me."
The complaint only spurred the infernape further, long lanky arms making an ornament of himself around her neck. "Like we could squish a lug like you," he said, testing that theory with a squeeze. "Anyway, what's this about a necklace?"
"Ashe got a necklace commissioned last time we went out shopping."
"No way, you actually went through that kind of trouble? I'm impressed. Look at you. Big girl now, ain'tcha?"
"You're crossing from annoying to irritating real fast," Aisling lowered her brow, seconds away from seeing just how far a lug like her could toss a monkey.
Clarice held a giggle behind her hand, "Can I see it? I'm curious how it came out."
"Sure. Just be careful of the packaging."
She handed over the package, the box and lid wrapped in golden paper with a glistening white ribbon so thoroughly folded and wrapped that chrysanthemum blossoms would think they found their sister blooming away from the flower bed.
"Did Maddie do the wrapping?" Clarice asked, admiring the bow and trimmings.
"She did. Those pincers are actual miracle workers!"
"I'll bet!"
"I want to see the miracle too!" Felix leaned over her shoulder, climbing her backside like an oak.
She tolerated his curling toes and licking crown, the weight of his antics dampened in the moment of pride for the treasure she had worked so hard to obtain. Hours in training, hours in adjusting, hours in shaping her tongue and harnessing her smile, all contained in one decorated box, humble in size but priceless in content.
Clarice slid open the lid, eyes immediately dazzled by the golden pendent molded and shaped in the likeness of the head of a daffodil. The charm, hanging by a protruding stud, sat in snowy lace that edged the necklace's sunny hue. Like daylight kissing an untouched winter, they made the other shimmer brighter with every second spent under the light of the fan hall. And, rising up from that winter scape, were the first blooms of spring, daffodils blossoming within the sun's blessing in white petals and yellow cups.
It was perfect in Aisling's eyes, tied together in a bow that trailed the sun and trimmings on the grace and pristine of butterfly wings. The embodiment of a new hope, of new warmth, everything Coco meant to Aisling's heart and so much more. If those feelings could reach her, if this gesture could translate even a portion of how her smile pulled her through the gloom, then she could be satisfied in all she had left behind in the world.
"Oh my goodness! It's so cute," Clarice said, hiding the shrillness of her squeal deep in the strain of her throat.
"And pricey. This is all handmade and custom from tip to tip, isn't it? Is it really alright to be going that hard on one gift?" Felix asked, raising a brow as he turned his concerns into Aisling's face.
"Well—"
"Now that you mention it, the materials look a bit different from that initial concept Maddie drafted. You approved these, right?"
"Of course I did, I'm not that much of a fool," Aisling huffed, taking back the box and pressing the lid delicately into place. "I made a bit extra from my job so I paid for the modifications just fine on my own. Besides, it's the first present I'm giving to Coco. I wanted it to be something as radiant and extravagant as she is," she held the parcel close to her chest, protecting it from the scrutiny of her life choices.
"First implying there'll be others?" Felix asked.
Aisling didn't answer, though the burning on her cheeks and the tingle in her whiskers didn't really deny it either.
Clarice breathed out a short chuckle, relief and amusement dotting its rise and fall on her lips. "It's a very good gift, Ashe. Very cute. I'm sure Coco will love it," she said with a light pat to Aisling's side.
"You really think so?"
"Definitely!"
Aisling smiled, the nerves on her chest lessened ever so slightly in her simple reassurance. She didn't think she needed it, coming this far on her own two feet, but the belief and respect she shared as a friend and a fellow fan gave her the courage she didn't know she had to find.
Felix let out a laugh as well, "You feminine types and your accessories," he said, sliding down from her back and releasing her shoulders from his heft and clingy digits. "You won't catch me spending any pretty coins on fancy jewelry. Not when my girl Cinnamon needs my support in the popularity sales numbers."
"Speaking of, we should probably catch some of that merch before they're all sold out."
"Shoot, I was going to get Coco's CD this time around, too," Aisling said, her fur standing on end at the idea of having to live on borrowed time until their next sale. "I'm going on ahead. Catch you both later!"
And like that, she was hurrying across the hall floor, scooting past SweetToothers and shimmying between staff and volunteers to make it to the merch booth on the other side of the room, still looking in healthy stock but she wouldn't dare risk what she couldn't see. Standing behind an azumarill bouncing in the prospects lying before the quagsire in front, she stood on her toes for a peek at the availability sheet laid on the table, but the corners that she could see were meaningless scribbles—jumbles she couldn't hope to decipher without the missing pieces and full context of the page. The strain in her futility made the arch of her feet tingle and ache, pulling her back onto her heels to wait with patience and respect like a proper adult.
It was an eternity split between the both of them, the quagsire going back and forth with his selections, wanting one thing then changing his mind and wanted another, while the azumarill might as well have broken a rainy-day jar to fund her excursion, insisting on providing exact change and counting each individual coin until her items were paid in full. Aisling had to hand it to the meowth on the frontlines of this torment, holding onto her smile as if it were her one and only lifeline.
"Thank you for your patronage," she said, her paws huddling the coins together and scooching them carefully over the table top into a tin box, "And here's your handshake ticket. We hope to see you again next time."
The azumarill took the slip of paper along with her tote of purchases, holding it with a giddy squeal as she hurried away with a bounce and a skip in her step. The way she paraded down the hall, light as air and bubblier than sparkling cider, perhaps she really did pull together every coin she had to spare for the chance to splurge on something worthwhile and exciting. Was this her first time or simply a rare opportunity?
Well, regardless, it made her happy and Aisling was ready to get in on some of that happiness.
The meowth relaxed her show of good retail faith when Aisling approached the booth, loosening the smile to a carefree grin and easing the gleam in her eyes into more of a smolder. No need to toot all the bells and whistles, her slouched shoulders seemed to say, welcoming her with a propped head in one hand and a wave of the other.
"Ey', there's our floppy girl," the meowth greeted in a chuckle.
"Please tell me Cream isn't spreading that around as my nickname…"
"I could tell you but it wouldn't necessarily be true," she said, smirking through Aisling's groans. "So, what can I get for you today, babe? We've got some new posters and prints in stock. And the buttons and stickers have been doing very well. Might wanna snatch those up before we're sold out."
"Yeah?" Aisling's eyes wandered to the display board, eyeing the designs and falling into the spell of round cheeks and inviting eyes before her focus smacked her in the face. "Wait, wait, before that, you got Coco's center CDs in, right?"
"Yep, yep, all except the limited time specials."
"Great, I'll take three copies of each."
She let out a soft mew, ears perking in the request but her senses took a moment to register its sound. "Did you say three each?" she asked, smile still apparent but twisted in its baffled stupor.
"Yeah."
"Not three whole CDs but three copies of each CD."
"Is that a problem?"
"No problem here!" she exclaimed quickly, turning her lips away as snickers peeked out one by one, "Coco, you beautiful siren…" she muttered under her well-polished coin.
"What?"
She waved away the comment, "Nothing! So that's three copies each, yeah? Anything else I can get for you?"
"Well, since you've mentioned those buttons," her eyes wandered back onto the board, entering the contemplative battlefield of how many to get and where to put them.
With her merchandise and subsequent freebies, Aisling's tote was stuffed like she wouldn't have her chance to scratch that shopping itch for the next year and a half. Was it overkill? Probably. But did she care? Oh, most definitely not.
"Alright, that brings your total up to forty coin," she said, pulling up the straps of her bag and settling Aisling's purchases in their makeshift jigsaw.
Aisling reached into her coin pouch, finding two shiny twenty-pieces and pinching them between her digits. She handed the exact change over, reaching to exchange payment for goods with her other outstretched hand.
The meowth did her part in this, taking the pieces and handing Aisling the tote straps, however, as Aisling let go of her half, the meowth did not.
"Oh yeah, before I forget," she pulled Aisling's eyes from their halted transaction, "I heard you had a gift for one of the girls."
Where had she possibly heard that, Aisling wondered, having kept the parcel in her pocket the whole time, only taking it out for a moment to show to her friends. And even in that showing, she was clear across the room with plenty of others obstructing the view between her group and the meowth's booth. So where could she have possibly—
But then she heard it above her head, the flapping of wings and the shadows of a murkrow descending the rafters to continue his work in the hall. For the most part, security seemed laxed in these events but they were not without their watchful gaze.
"Yes, that's right," Aisling answered, her back straightening and her shoulders squaring under apathetic yet scrutinizing eyes.
They squinted into a grin, "I see. It's always nice to receive gifts, especially when you don't expect it. They're the very definition of a pleasant surprise. However, despite the appreciation, I'm going to have to ask you to hand it over."
"Excuse me?"
"We have a policy that all gifts for our girls must be screened and delivered by staff. The chief has never felt a need to post this policy so I understand you not knowing until now, but yeah, that's how it's gotta be," she said with a shrug.
"Is that right…"
"Yep. I mean, it wasn't always like this, but some unsavory incidents happened and we can't risk them happening again. Not to say we suspect our Flopsy here to hold any dubious intent but better safe than sorry. You understand, yeah?"
Of course she understood. No part of her could deny the validity of her rationale. To keep Coco and Sweet Buffet safe, she was behind such a policy one-hundred-percent. However, understanding and accepting their term did not negate the bitter disappointment swirling in her chest. Her ears became heavy but their shape hid the devastation well.
"Y-Yes. Yes, of course. That makes perfect sense. Can't be too careful when you're this popular, right? I'm just sorry I didn't think about it before," she said, playing the defeat in her heart at a milder note.
"No need to be sorry. Like I said, we didn't really post it around either so how would you know? We can't all be mind-readers now can we?"
Aisling chuckled past the lump in her throat, "No, I suppose we can't be."
She reached into her pocket, pulling the package from its pouch and admiring its wrapping and ribbon work for one last second. A part of her didn't want to give it up, to push through the crowds and the lines to deliver this gift she had worked so hard to get, to see the expression Coco would show when she saw what laid just beneath the lid.
She could if she wanted to.
She was fast and her body could take the brunt of shouldering its way through the solid mass of the fan hall. But the sane part, the one that reined those impulsive ideas and forced her to settle those flighty feet of hers, told her a reputation like that wasn't worth the gratification.
She let a sigh slip through her, the only display of discontentment she would allow as she forfeited the parcel over to the meowth.
The meowth's smile turned soft, a small comfort in what had to be done. "Don't worry, I'll make sure this gets to Coco in one piece."
"That obvious it's for her?"
"A tad," she said, waving the box by her whiskers before setting it down. "Did you want to leave a note with it, maybe? Or perhaps sign it? It's fine if you do."
Aisling shook her head, the gesture feeling hollow if she couldn't say it herself. "No, I'm good. It's just a token of my appreciation for her hard work."
"Gotcha. Then I'll go ahead and check this out so it can be delivered as soon as possible," she said, gently patting the lid with an assuring grin.
She'd definitely see to it that it was delivered sooner rather than later. As long as Coco was happy to receive her gift, if it was to her tastes, if she fancied it enough to wear it, then that's what really mattered, right? The moment was precious but moments were fleeting. It was the future, the long haul, that would make it all worth it.
Mere coping thoughts on a bruised ego.
"Oh, don't forget these too," the meowth handed Aisling two slips of paper with her bag.
She looked at them, "A photo ticket?" she asked, expecting the one but not the other.
The meowth shushed her before shooing her away. "Go on, now. You're holding up the line," she said with a wink.
Aisling took the hint, taking the slips with her along with her purchases as if they were both earned by her coin. Perhaps it was her own way in helping her feel better about the revelation, giving up one opportunity for another to smooth the relationship between fan and policy. Although it was not unappreciated, the trade-off didn't come anywhere close to passing along her first gift.
And after she asked Madeline to wrap it so nicely too, now she won't even get to see Coco admire the packaging. The curiosity, the buildup in opening the box for the first time, the little things that made gift-giving such a worthwhile experience, she'd have to lose out on those little treasures every time she found a gift worth giving.
If only they were a bit closer, less restrained outside of work and the stage, maybe then she could see the hue her eyes took when wonder and anticipation pulled her gaze.
Nope!
No, those kinds of thoughts were what landed her heart in this predicament in the first place. Craving things that shouldn't be touched, going beyond just on the coincidence that her idol was also her patron. Being greedy was wrong. Asking for more was wrong. This here, these slips of paper allowing her seconds of Coco's time, that's all she needed. It was all a fan like her could ask for—could hope for. Anything more was just a one-way road to impossible expectations and heartbreak.
She'll check these feelings at the door, Aisling decided as she waited in Coco's line. They were fan and idol here. Madam and maid there. And anywhere else… did not exist.
"Aisling! You came to see me!"
But damn, that smile was cheating…
"Ah, of course," Aisling stumbled, "I've been looking forward to seeing you so how could I not."
"Still, I'm glad you're here," she said, eyes catching her in their alluring gleam.
Rosy delights spilled from the grin on her lashes, enticing with flutters both bashful and coy in the way they edged Aisling deeper into their snare. A speechless air lodged itself in her throat, echoed beats racing where words ought to brace themselves. They crawled their thudding tingles along her tongue, tickling her lips with truths they dare not know.
Whispers crept along her spine:
How could she quit this?
How could she say no to this?
But a no was found under the glare of the pangoro behind her, eyeing her with eyes that could rival the most intimidating gyarados. Aisling swallowed the lump in her chest, a smile trying to clear the nerves raising every alarm in her head. It didn't help.
"Ticket first, chat later," he said, gruff and dangerously slow.
"R-right," Aisling handed the ticket over.
"Grump," Coco muttered, peeking back at him as she took the slip of paper and ripped it into the tray. She rolled her eyes, "Don't think about him. Just look at me," she whispered.
"Yeah," Aisling whispered back. She could look at her for an eternity and never get tired of exploring her glamors.
Coco giggled, reaching a hand to Aisling's and clasping it firmly in her softness and warmth. "So? What did you think? I know bubbly songs like that are more Cream's forte so it might not have suited a lopunny like me."
"Not at all! You were really cute and the song was really fun, too."
"You really think so? What a relief. I sort of just rolled with it while writing out everything so I wasn't paying too much attention to whether I could pull off the aesthetics. I'm happy it all worked out in the end."
But Aisling wasn't the only one who enjoyed Coco's new song, was she? Everyone bouncing along with her, cheering and clapping and spurring her on in the excitable air, they all had a great time and Aisling was sure she could see it all from her place on the stage. Why she was the final say in this decision was perplexing, but the moment left no time to ponder its curiosity.
"So?" Coco pulled her a little closer, "Don't you have something to say to me?"
Aisling stared into those half-turned eyes, picking their intentions through beckoning lashes. Was there really more to say, she considered before the memory peered through the haze of the past. Her recollection shimmered through her cheeks, tingles growing in her whiskers with the budding smile on her lips.
"Good job making an amazing song," she answered to her idol's request. Although, the way she continued to stare made the words feel lackluster on her tongue, her voice of appreciation hollow and nowhere near as sweet.
"And?" Coco pushed further, the pout growing despite her gnawed lip.
"And?"
She huffed with a groan, taking one of her hands back and point it at her head. "C'mon, I worked really hard, you know. Give me some of the good stuff."
"Oh, uh…"
Aisling stumbled through her growing demands, her desires listed so clearly that they could be read from across the hall. The staring pangoro was no exception, having a front row seat to the idol's decrees. No doubt the whinings of a child by the degrees his brows took in their furrowed gaze. She honestly didn't think they could get much lower but their depth was almost incredible. The deep angle might even be considered a work of art if its glare wasn't boring into her soul at the same time. She hadn't agreed to anything yet and those eyes still made her feel like the filthiest scum on the fan hall floor. Worse than the muk even!
To say yes, to give Coco what she wanted, was a death sentence. It was signing her soul over to Yveltal's charge, riding his wings and joining the stars on the bridge to the afterlife. It was a no brainer, either give in and die or resist and live, and good Lord Arceus did she have a lot to live for.
Just don't do it.
Don't do it.
Don't.
But those gleaming eyes shining brighter than her baby siblings begging her to stay, even brighter than baby Sophie pleading for one more hug. Those baby doll charms, she was worse than weak. This compelling need to answer all their enchantments, it was just sad at this point. But she wore her choice with a relenting but content smile, petting her lush velvet fur and counting every blessing laid on their rich sheen.
"Thank you for all of your hard work."
Coco embraced her gentle strokes, leaning her head into the full body of Aisling's palm while a soft hum rubbed against the delight in her cheeks. The gleeful grin mingling with her eyes was not ready to let this bliss go, but the low grumble coming from behind counted the milliseconds pressing into his patience. There weren't many to give before her defiance warranted drastic measures from the pangoro, forcing her hand to remove her touch from Coco's plush sensation.
There was a moment of despair in Coco's eyes before they shifted into a pouting storm, a tantrum working behind those darkened roses with scattering petals glistening in a tirade seasoning unspeaking lips. The winds of her temper controlled themselves in only a moment. One single moment to slip her quiet fury.
"You never let me have anything."
The pangoro merely huffed, taking no offense nor finding any threat in the plots lingering behind her scowl.
Aisling could only laugh it off, her chuckles dousing the flames in Coco's glare and turning a soft, sweeter eye on her smile. "My praise doesn't mean that much, does it? You shouldn't pout at each other for something that small," she said, raising a brow at the familiar scene.
"It's not small at all! I've been looking forward to it for weeks!" Coco exclaimed with a stomp of her foot.
The declaration left Aisling stunned, her heart winded and thudding in her chest for a breath. Her mind, frazzled and in desperate need of a reboot, short circuited to her mother's tongue. Whispered gardens and soft bouquets rolled on stalled breaths, syllables floating along on a delicate tempo, edged to shatter but sustaining long enough to catch their melody on Coco's ears. Communication not quite communicated but her eyes reflected a rawness that translated the message well enough.
They confirmed something in their own unspoken clarity, a deep allure, the temptations of a budding bloom drawing the senses closer for a thorough inspection. Unabated and unashamed despite the shadow looming over her head. These games she played, these bets she wagered, her proficiency was too great for the novice Aisling and her empty pockets. But those eyes would wring her dry, testing every boundary and pushing further into the lines until their rules were scuffed and muddled beyond recognition.
The enigma of her sport kept Aisling from grasping at her intentions, and it didn't help how she played her own game within the rules of another. Yet Aisling couldn't help respecting that spirit regardless of the shape it took. Whatever rules she played at, whether she was outsmarting an opponent or referee, it was all the spirit of competition and she played to win.
"Time's up," the pangoro chimed in, placing a hand on Coco's shoulder and reining in her mischief. "Move along," he warned her, the last bit of mercy he was willing to give.
"Actually, I had a photo ticket that I wanted… to use…" she said, her voice petering out as she raised the second slip of paper. And as he stood to his full height, taking advantage of that foot of difference, she could read immediately how he was just about done playing the silent guard. "Or maybe… I could just…" she began to retreat, her heart nowhere near as bold or as brazen to stand against those snarling fangs.
However, before she could take a step to draw away from his looming frame, Coco snatched the ticket away from her, a quick and nimble yank taking the slip with a flick of her wrist.
She ripped the paper with a grin, "We'll just take care of that for you today, won't we?" she said, voice delighted even as her body dripped defiance in every step and turn.
"You…" the pangoro growled.
But Coco was taking none of it. "All handshake and photo tickets must be redeemed on the day of purchase. That was your rule, wasn't it?" she asked, wrapping her arms around Aisling's and pressing close into her side. "You're not advocating for ticket hording, are you?"
Why did she have to stir him up so much? Why did she have to stir Aisling up this much? Pushing and shoving her way until her touch was all she could feel, until her air was all she could breathe. The warmth in her scent, the softness of her hands. The small things, welling and refining into an intoxicating mixture that could only leave the cinderace feeling giddy and stupid. Her arms were too loose to push her away and her feet too grounded to pull. So, she stood there between two very different kinds of heats, frozen worse than glaciers on the ocean with no idea if she would ever thaw again.
"Fine, redeem your stupid ticket. But you only get one so you better fix up that face," the pangoro said in a scoff.
Coco's triumphant giggle crawled up Aisling's arm, tickling the fur at the nape of her neck and traversing those tingles across her face. The electricity humming in her ears, did Coco hear it too? She turned up to look at her, breathing a softened smile as she reached through the gap into her periphery. Her fingers combed through her fur, settling and adjusting with a feather-light touch that left her leaning for more.
"You heard him, right? We only get one today, so let's make it count," she said, fingertips gliding through shuddering goosebumps to calm their frazzled ends. But it only seemed to exacerbate the problem than alleviate. She laughed again, "I guess that's as clean as we're getting, huh?" she said, taking her hand back and letting the flustered mess remain. "Well, it's still cute, so," she squeezed her embrace around her arm, "Lean in closer, yeah? Let's make a heart together. C'mon, put up your hand, too!"
Her excitable energy rubbed into Aisling's side, every squirm and sway blending into fur. The supple flesh layered just beneath warm vanilla and sweet blossoms; its sensations bled through her skin. Feeling her in her blood, knowing her in her bones. The subtleties and the dynamic, the trivial and minute to the substantial and significant, every bit of her pouring into every pore and orifice of her body.
The world dragged along behind her motions as if the day could not spin without the lift of her tiniest finger. The rotom and their camera floating into place. The pangoro and his gruff stature standing guard in the corner. And her drifting hand, reaching to complete Coco's gesture on compulsion rather than will, marched along on blurred seconds whose strides were abysmally long and devastatingly short.
One, two, three, and it was over just like that. The flash of the camera flickered across her eyes, stunning her vision for a moment before blinking at the dots left behind. Maybe one day she'll learn to get used to this but that day was in another lifetime far from the realities of this one.
"Here you are!"
Aisling's heart jumped back to life, pumping as lively and with as much zeal as the day's first breath. As if it didn't share that long pause with its owner just moments ago, as if it was natural to beat in Coco's smile.
"I think it came out pretty cute."
Aisling took the photo, looking at the image captured in its stillness. She still looked so out of place standing next to Coco's cheerfulness. Rigid and awkward, it can't be any fun taking pictures with her. But she smiled like nothing was wrong, as if their compatibility was sound and the chemistry was just right. Her smile knew how to soften the blow of her blunders, confidence working with her nerves and never berating her for her stiffness. Encouraging her along with her light touches and affectionate words, as loving and strong as an idol could be.
As she should be…
"Yeah, it's really cute," Aisling smiled, the ache in her whiskers making the gesture heavy and exhausting, "Thanks."
"Let's take a picture next time too, okay?"
"Of course. Next time, then," she said, nodding her farewell as she made her first steps towards the exit.
"You're leaving already?" Coco asked, a hint of disappointment tempting her to stay.
But Aisling's mind was too filled with muddy thoughts, the unease of it all interfering with her enjoyment and the bliss of the event. Of course, she would never confess to such dampening feelings, keeping her smile going even as she heard the cracks forming.
"Yeah, I ended up working a ton to make it to today's concert and it's starting to catch up to me," she said, thinking the lie clever enough to fool her intuition.
"Oh… it's not good to overwork yourself, you know," she said, her own smile held up on courtesy and procedure. "Promise you'll get plenty of rest, alright?"
"Yep, promise."
She was too perceptive, much too perceptive for a rookie like Aisling to deceive her, but what else could she do but continue the lie, carrying it on her face as she pushed through the clusters of idling 'mon and their bustling chatter. Hums of anticipation, excited ravings of an event well received, the clamoring of like-minded individuals and her place to belong, yet right now it felt so stifling. Everything was all part of a performance and everyone was part of the play, the fans as much as their idols. They had their roles to play and Aisling was no exception. But today…staying in character was demanding more of a toll than it should on her mind.
Why couldn't she just be happy as she was?
Why couldn't she just accept what she's given?
What was this part of herself that wanted more from the script?
These thoughts, these questions and sensations, they terrified Aisling. Terrorized her heart in ways she didn't know existed, but then there was this curiosity, this disturbing yet enticing perplexity, seducing her mind to dive deeper. To observe them, nurture them, understand and accept them. They called themselves harmless, nothing but shapeless thoughts that meant nothing, could do nothing, but she knew well enough that such musings have sunken many vessels before her. They'll sink her, too. Down, down into a bottomless sea of loneliness and despair.
She ought to pull away, right? Restore the balance of this hall and get back to how she should be. A happy SweetTooth sustained only by her idol's smile. For now, she'd go home, take a nap, and when she woke up, she'd be a good fangirl.
A good, obedient fangirl who followed all the rules.
"Ashe! You're heading off already?" Clarice caught up with her at the door.
"You're not sticking around for the after party?" and Felix wasn't far behind.
She completely forgot they made plans for afterwards, "Oh. Yeah, sorry. I'm feeling a bit tired so I'm heading home instead."
"Seriously? But it feels like forever since we hung out…" Felix pouted, the soft whine in his voice almost sounding sincere.
"Sorry, sorry. Next time we go out, it'll be my treat, okay?"
He grumbled for a bit before relenting in a sigh. "Fine, but I'm holding you to it," he said with a point of his finger.
"Be sure to rest properly when you get home," Clarice added, her own concern trumping the need for socialization.
"Yeah. I'll see you guys later."
With that, she finally completed her departure, pushing through the swinging double doors and down the corridor into the dusk air. She looked into the evening hour painted across the sky, warm oranges and reddened clouds mingling with the chill on the winds. A day spent to its full extent, as she would call it. A little rough but everything got done. She got to listen to Coco's singing and a new song on top of that. She started her collection of her idol's CDs so now she didn't have to bother Clarice to borrow hers. Although, she couldn't deliver the present she worked so hard to buy, but it would get to Coco whether it be from Aisling's hands or that meowth's paws. And she got to say hello and pet Coco's head. By the tallies, today ought to be chalked up as a success, fulfilling and well worth counting the days. So why did she have to have such a throbbing headache now?
This was what thinking too much got her. Trying to understand things but finding no comprehendible answers. Shoving away habits but clinging to their comforts. Just where did this mess come from? When did it all start? Everything was normal the first time. It felt so good the first time. Loving Coco as a new fan felt so right, reawakening a piece of her she hadn't felt since she was small and the world was new. If she retraced back to that day, she wouldn't find a single thing wrong. Not a thing.
Right?
Felix didn't say anything alarming. Clarice didn't notice anything unordinary. Aisling was just a normal fan like the rest of them. So why did she have to develop these conflicting emotions and notions that twisted her chest so painfully that everything felt just seconds away from snapping.
Maybe it was a bit her fault. The second she realized the idol group patroned her workplace, she should have quit. Found someplace else. Maintain that illusion, that distance established on day one. Remove the temptation to get closer, refuse the seductions of casual conversation and chatter. There were plenty of other places to work, why stay there? Why work there?
But even as she wondered these what-ifs, berating the choices made that led her down this prickly path, she still saw Eris's smile waiting for her at their usual table. Her focused profile, the gleams of inspiration flickering sporadically across her eyes. Idling sips and gnawing lips, too absorbed in her work to notice she had been sucking at air and melting ice, but when her maid came, when Aisling approached her side, she blinked out of her world to engage with hers. Relief. Elation. A sort of peace relaxing her brow, like she was the sweetness at the end of the sour.
Experiencing her attention, expecting their interactions, who was she trying to fool in asking why? Like she didn't make this mess herself. Like she didn't lay the groundwork for her demise on her own. Like she didn't sully herself with her own greed…
"Maybe I should quit…" she muttered to the sky. Plenty of good paying places out there and it'll be the perfect first step away from this infatuation.
Yes, today was a good day for a wake-up call. She'll clean her thoughts, organize her feelings and finally overcome this cru—
"Aisling!"
She turned towards her name, unable to catch its source as a blur of chocolate and cream collided into her without restraint or remorse. The force of the blow pushed her two steps back, arms wrapping themselves around the bundle and hands holding its weight as to keep it right on her waist. This sweet vanilla smell, it couldn't be, but the investigative thought couldn't get far as her full body squeezed tightly around her, quivering heartbeats and a deep, inhaling breath meshing with her own chest. Soft, lithe curves bended into the shape of her torso and an intimate warmth blended with hers to the point where separating the two bodies would just leave her broken and incomplete.
Fingers clung to her shoulders in fluffy cuffs as she pushed just enough distance to show the pout on her face but not nearly enough to break the hold her legs had on Aisling's sides.
"Why didn't you tell me you left a present with Gwen?" Eris said, her furrowed brows as menacing as the glare of butterfly wings.
"Wh-Who's Gwen? No, wait! What are you doing out here?"
"What am I doing? What are you doing leaving before I can thank you?"
"Thank…"
Her words didn't want to work, every breath they took reminding her of the weight currently pressed to her chest. She looked down at their two interlocked bodies, realization heating her up into a panic but her arms were much too conditioned to simply just let her go.
Fetching her voice in this garbled, flustered disaster she called a head left a lot of cut corners in her speech, foregoing the common language from her tongue and then throwing out twenty years of practice in pitch, tone and intonation. It was a sloppy spread, tumbling and slurring worse than a toddler without any of the charm. Her fumblings lasted for a second longer before her brain notice she had been ranting on a foreign tongue like a lunatic. And Eris just watched this trainwreck, unmoving without a single blink to interrupt the show.
This shameful display wasn't helping her headache in the slightest.
"Sorry! I'm sorry!" She finally remembered how to speak the language but her accent remained thick in her throat, her words creating a chimera between her mother's tongue and her father's. "What I meant to say was I didn't mean to touch you like that. Or I am touching like that. Not that I actually intended to touch you in any lewd kind of way. This is just a reflex, I swear! I just instinctively… but I don't instinctively grope or anything like—"
A hand pressed against her lips before her mindless word vomit could dig her grave any deeper.
Eris giggled, "Slow down, you're working yourself up way more than you need to. I'm not going to get angry just because you caught me after I suddenly jumped at you. Actually, shouldn't I be the one apologizing to you for coming onto you so strongly?" she asked, shifting her hips a little closer and readjusting her grip around her waist.
Those eyes… again they dared her to read her insinuations, challenge their suggestions and rise to her wager. At point-blank range, they were deadly, stealing every breath she took while sending shudders through her heart. How did she still have the strength to stand? How have her knees not given out under that sly smirk and luscious gaze?
Sheer willpower to not take them both down, she supposed.
"Should I apologize?" she said, looking down at her through captivating lashes while fingers twirled at the crimson settled in her periphery. When did she climb higher than her head?
Aisling swallowed the stalled breath in her throat. "I don't really mind…" she said, her voice whispering across Eris's lips.
She giggled again, "Neither do I," she whispered back, maintaining the distance and savoring the temptation it brought. But that temptation would claim neither of them tonight, her hips settling back into her seat while a hand patted Aisling's shoulder. "Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for the gorgeous gift."
"Oh, uh… Not at all. I'm happy you like it."
"I absolutely love it!" she smiled, giving her one more hug as she began to lax her hold. "Oh, and here's your return present."
Eris turned her lips into Aisling's cheek, pressing a kiss into her whiskers and seeding a tingly feeling all across her face. In the midst of a blossoming field, Eris whispered something against her skin. It almost sounded like a spell, the way the words twisted and curved around her tongue. Speaking like an incantation and carrying through her soul like an enchantment, the magic words embedded themselves deep into her psyche, permeating her thoughts with her essence and binding her mind in her allure.
She jumped down as easily as she got up, leaving Aisling's arms dangling in her daze. "Bye-bye, then. Thanks again for the choker. I'll put it to real good use."
She walked away with that, leaving Aisling in her stunned silence. Paralyzed by her kiss, floating on her lips, were the last five minutes real or had she fallen into a dream. But the warmth on her body, the sensations lingering on her fur, they were too vivid to be the phantoms of a snapped mind. This burning in her cheek, she could touch it, she could feel the tingles humming through her fingertips as she touched the remains of her caress.
Those lips, so warm and soft, she wondered what they tasted like…
Aisling covered her mouth in a gasp, realizing the thought that crossed her mind. After she just resolved herself to be better, after she just promised herself to abide by the rules and boundaries of this community. What was she supposed to do with this? Where were these feelings meant to go after that? How was she supposed to quit when one little peck on the cheek felt so nice? When hope for another hung at the back of her mind?
She could push it away, repress it, pretend it wasn't there, but she'd know. She'd always know it was lurking; sitting, waiting, haunting her with urges and needs she never knew she wanted. Festering the longer she denied them, rotting her sanity the further she ran from them. No escape. No return. By the end of this, she couldn't say she'd remain the same cinderace, unchanged by the disaster plaguing each beat of her heart.
But the future was wroth with mystery and intrigue. She may not come out unscathed but perhaps not completely ravaged either. Maybe something salvageable and maybe even something stronger. Who could say, but one thing was certain at the end of all this.
They didn't call it a crush for nothing.
Author's Note: That'll do it for this part Heart's Melody. I have a couple of milestones I want to hit on my other writing projects so I can't say when I'll be back to posting for Aisling's story but please bear with me. I have a lot of fun writing and I feel super grateful hearing that it's being enjoyed. Nowadays, writing and sharing my writing is the biggest fulfillment I have in my daily life so best believe I'm not giving up anytime soon!
Until we meet again, so long and well wishes to your 2023.
