Aisling couldn't get her songs out of her head and that was just the way she liked it.
The tracks on Coco's featured single played on loop over and over again, adding a musical score to her daily routine. During her morning runs. When she made her breakfast and when she washed the dishes. And when she meticulously cleaned her flat, running a good sweep through her floors and a rag over her counters, she had Coco's voice enchanting the simplest tasks and adding a new enjoyment to her days.
As she showered off the sweat and grime from her early morning regimen, she couldn't help singing the lyrics to her favorite song. Her deep voice dipped into a husky, sultry tone with the rolling purrs of her accent adding her own little zest to the familiar melody. And while Coco sang in her mind, she pretended that her echoing voice that bounced against the white bathroom walls were harmonizing with the idol's—a special duet she knew could only exist in her fantasies. She might have shampooed her ears twice in trying to finish the song before her shower was done, but it was well worth the extra dollops to reach the end of such a masterpiece.
With her fur extra squeaky clean, she stopped the running water and stepped out of the shower stall, reaching for the hanging towel and rubbing out the drips trickling down her head. Vigorous motions of the warm, fluffy cloth made her fur stand at awkward angles all over her body. She had to make careful maneuvers around her crest to get the red tuft on her forehead semi-dry but soon it joined its shorter-length cousins in making the cinderace look even more of a disheveled mess than when she first stepped into the washroom.
She stepped out of the bathroom, steamed fur dripping little puddles and feet leaving moist prints in their wake. Coming down from her humid high, a cerulean light flickered to life at the edge of her vision, the ConnOrb attached to its navigator base blinking as it received the request to connect. The device as a whole wasn't long behind, the signal accepted and the screen of the ConnNav waking and dancing to the rhythm of its own tune. The glassy surface reflected the caller but Aisling barely registered the image as she lifted the device. She already had a good idea of who could be calling with such precise timing and didn't need its identification technology confirming her suspicions with names or smiling profiles.
She let out a gentle sigh, scooping her drooping ear back behind her shoulder as she answered its ringing jingle. "Hey, Clare. I just stepped out of the wash so I'll still be a couple more minutes," she said, walking the device to the bar at the edge of the apartment's kitchenette.
"Oh, I wasn't trying to rush you or anything. I was actually hoping to catch you before you left out," Clarice said on the other end.
Aisling picked up the brush waiting for her on the granite top. "Why, what's up?"
"I was wondering if you'd want to join me for a bit of shopping. There's this new charms and accessories store that just opened up in the west district but I don't feel like checking it out alone."
"Shopping?" she asked, pondering it between brush strokes. "I'm not really sure my allowance is up for something like that. This month is a bit low for me."
"We don't have to buy anything. I just want to look around. I'm just curious since I heard that they have some really cute stuff."
"I don't know…"
"Please? I always feel so awkward window shopping by myself. I'll buy you lunch afterwards."
Aisling hummed into the device. "Just window shopping?" she asked.
"Just window shopping, I swear."
Aisling thought about it a little harder, her arms squeezing tight around her chest while her brows pushed into her crest. Accessories and charms really weren't her thing—bothersome tidbits that just jangled and weighed her down—but when was the last time she had a female friend to just be a girl with. Nothing wrong with hanging out with the guys but there were certain sides of herself that she just couldn't be around them. Sides she wished she could explore more. What better time to take that chance than now?
"Alright, I'm in."
~uwu~
The way through the taxi cart corral was suffocating. Crowding mons both big and small treaded through the gates, scrambling over toes and scurrying between limbs to get where they needed to be. Aisling wasn't any better, squeezing past a pangoro and her cubs while minding the joltix just below her feet. With her hands shoved squarely into her hoodie pouch and her elbows tucked tight into her sides, she slotted and slipped her way through any sizeable gap she could find until she was free of the bustling crowd.
Aisling let out a deep sigh, taking in the breathing room she missed so much in those miniscule seconds. Tuesday commutes were always the worst… She peered over the scattered heads, scanning the square for her little pink dot. She looked between the benches, past the statues and between the trees before spotting the creamy rose of the audino's cheeks chilling in the shade.
"Clare!" she waved an arm high in the air, letting the white of her hands poke through the baggy bulk of her clothes.
Clarice's baby blues found her in the crowd, turning to meet her call under the elegance of a pink laced parasol that billowed like petals in the tranquil breeze. She waved back, cradling the handle of the umbrella under the soft edge of her jaw.
Aisling jogged the last few paces to reach the audino, clearing the last straddling bodies and finding the extent of her splendor just on the other side. Laces and frills, a ruffled dress and butterfly ribbons as far as the eye could see; an extravaganza of spring pink and new blossom white that made princesses in their Sunday bests look rustic and dirty. Her tongue slipped, spilling rose petals from her lips whose velvety touch danced on the line between delicate and sharp.
"Sorry, is it too much?" Clarice asked, the bashful hue rising on her cheeks added a new strawberry flavor to the mixture.
Aisling waved the flustering heat out of the air. "No, no. It looks good on you. I was just muttering how I could never pull off so much pink."
She gasped, "No way! You'd look totally cute in pink."
"It's fine, really. It's not my style, anyway. Casual, mute colors suit me perfectly."
"Really? But you look pretty nice in pastel daffodil, too."
Aisling turned to her with a cocked stare. When had she ever—oh… Well, that was one way to get right down to business. She dug into her bag, hiding the effects of Clarice's sneak attack behind the veil of her ears.
"Right… Let me get this back to you first, then," she said, pulling out the idol's featured album. She handed it over, "Thanks again for letting me borrow it."
Clarice took it with glee, a giddy parade of stars marching along in her eyes as she accepted the return of her treasure. "Not at all. Anything to spread the gospel. So, which one was your favorite?" she asked, gingerly slotting the disc case into her decorated bag.
Aisling thought about it, "'Midnight Lullaby', I guess."
"Really? I didn't expect that."
"Why? Is it no good?"
Clarice shook her head, "Not at all. In fact, 'Midnight Lullaby' just proves you understand what makes Coco so amazing. But it's a bit of a slow song. I thought you'd enjoy something more energetic."
"Don't get me wrong, I love her faster songs too. But the slower ones have more soul. The passion in her voice is palpable and rich like fine silk and gourmet chocolate," she said in a wistful sigh, her eyes dancing on the dreams of memories from immersing herself in the lyrics and melody. "There's no way I can consciously not call it my favorite when I've listened to it on loop about a thousand times."
"A thou—!" Clarice nearly shouted before remembering where they were, "I only lent it to you for the weekend…"
"Give or take a few hundred," Aisling said with a tap of her chin.
"What were you doing with my CD?"
"Living, Clare!" Aisling declared with a passionate clench of her snowy paw. "I was living…"
The audino slowly shifted her bag to the furthest side of her hip, shielding it behind her frills and delicate lace. "Oh-kay, we need to get you your own ASAP…"
She dropped the act quickly, "What? C'mon, don't go treating me like some kid that doesn't know how to respect other people's things. I took good care of it, I promise."
Her panicked face and skipping tone elicited a soft giggle from her lips, her shoulders laxing and the strap of her bag loosening by her side. "I'm just teasing," she reassured with a soft wave of her hand, "No need to get so defensive. Anyway, let's get going. If the accessories are as cute as everyone says, I don't want to risk missing out on anything."
For all the hype and excitement, the shop itself wasn't at all as marvelous or impressive as Aisling imagined. It was small but cozy. Humble and quaint and very quiet about its own existence. Displays laid scarcely across the showroom floor. A stand of ribbons and ornaments here. A tree of branching jewels there. And a corner of lace crowns and crystal tiaras just on the other side of the counter. It was like the store wasn't meant to last, like a secret pocket of fairytale flowers and gems.
"It's so cute!" The quiet didn't bother Clarice in the slightest, glimmers of excitement unabated in her sunny eyes.
"Welcome!" a scizor said from her checkout counter, scatterings of ribbon and fabric material laid in a sense of organized chaos by her claws. "Feel free to try on anything that catches your eye. There's a mirror over there for you to use."
"Thanks- Oh! Ashe, check out these chokers."
Aisling was pulled deeper inside, guided past the owner and her meticulous work to see the pendant necklace and lace collars decorating the wall. The delicacy in the lace, the fine detail crafted in every stroke like fine art come to life, it felt like the roughest touch would leave the garment crumbling to pieces. She didn't want to cause any misfortune to the refined, stuffing her hands into her pocket before the audino had any idea of getting her to take a closer look.
Clarice took one of the white velvet chokers, cradling the rose gold wings that framed a flower blossom made of pink, glittering stones. "So pretty…" she said in a mesmerized gaze, "Excuse me, did you make all of these yourself?"
"Yep! Everything you see has been handmade by yours truly," the scizor answered with a well of pride in her crimson claw. "Every piece has been made with the same level of love and care. You won't find this level of quality just anywhere."
"Really? That's so cool. You must have been handcrafting your own accessories for a long time if you're this good."
"Going on about 15 years now."
"No way! You must be a master!"
"Oh no, I'm not that good. I'm still learning new tricks to the trade every day. Even opening up this one little store was a huge inventory challenge."
"Still, making it this far is nothing to snuff at, right Ashe?"
"Huh?" Aisling spun her head into the conversation, her hood drooping with the force. "Oh, yeah. It's really neat. Not many 'mon can make a career out of something they love. You oughta give yourself more props."
"Yeah, I suppose you do make a fair point."
There was a sharp pain in her chest as the words left her lips. Her smile burned like frostbite in her cheeks, still and trembling but the shame in wiping it clean where others could see burned her even more.
Their conversation continued on without her, Clarice carrying on with her questions and the shop owner indulging her every whim. It was a relief to stay out of their line of sight, to stay within her own bubble and count down the seconds until this bubbling jealousy sizzled away in her stomach. It really was amazing, she thought as her eyes wondered aimlessly across the showroom floor. Taking bits and shiny pieces and shaping them into something tangible and beautiful, it wasn't a lie nor an exaggeration calling those accomplishments incredible. Aisling just wished… she could do something half as amazing with her own dreams.
"But only the lucky ones can make something out of what they love."
She looked at her reflection in the mirror, staring up her frame and examining her physique. The sweat of her hard work, the breath of tireless training and dedication. Every day since she was a little scorbunny, she chased her passions like her little brother chases falling stars. And the way her body grew, someone somewhere was smiling down on these aspirations, surely. It shouldn't be this hard. She wanted to play just as badly as any other cometball star, working just as hard as every professional out on that field.
Was something lacking in her? Was it not enough zeal? Not enough drive? No ambition? Or perhaps… she was much too mediocre to be noticed, invisible and inconsequential.
See me...
The words resonated in Aisling's chest, drifting on a melody that spiraled and caressed her heart. It picked up in the chorus and carried her into the second verse. How did the first verse go again?
Hey,
It's me again
The beat revived in her mind, the music vanished from her ears yet her song lived ever-present in her blood and flesh.
I know we haven't seen each other for a while
Haven't talked but I 'member your smile
Like yesterday
And the night before
Can't seem to get you out of my mind
Like when we left, I was doin' just fine
But I'm not fine
No, I'm not fine
I'm not fine
She turned from the mirror's deception, its shallow projections only fostering the negativity hiding away in the deepest crevices of her heart. The room was filled with treasures and wonders only imagined in whimsy dreams floating on whipped cream and syrup. It wasn't a place for poison and thorns.
Still I
I hope where you are, you're doin' alright
Hope you've kept the life in your eyes
Hope you still laugh the way,
You did before
It really was a sad, bittersweet story. Aisling wondered if it was based in reality or just the feeling of longing and regret. If it was the latter, Coco truly did have an empathetic heart. If it was the former… she hoped the smile she saw the first time meant the days were treating her better in this life.
And maybe
When you go to bed in your dreams
And your thoughts drift through memories
On the other side
Are you happy to see me?
Her eyes found a violet gemstone butterfly perched on a bed of spiraling bed of midnight blue and deep-sea teal satin folded into petals. Little crystal drips dangled from the clips meant to attach the ornament to fur. She traced its wings with the tips of her fingers, wondering if her beloved idol was like this charm. Had she shed away her past life to flutter and frolic in this new one? Hiding insecurities beneath the euphoria of the crowds and their adoration, only to be seen and heard in the depths of her voice?
Forbidden indulgences, of course. What true fan would pry beyond the fantasy? But it was the secrets under the melody and the connection of one soul to another through its song that made Aisling truly love Coco as an idol.
To see me
To see me…
"You really do like the melancholic ones, don't you?" Clarice asked, peeking into her little world before its musings could carry her to its second verse.
Aisling's heart jumped into her throat. "What?"
"You're humming Coco's 'Are You Happy', right? First 'Midnight Lullaby' and now this, I'm starting to wonder if you're just in need of some cathartic healing," she clarified with a cross of her arms, deeply considering her own assumptions with a furrowed brow. "Or maybe I've just been boring you to tears, having you wait this long just for me," she fiddled with her feeler, guilt taking over her contemplation as she figured the latter as the more likely scenario.
Aisling swallowed the beating organ back into her chest, putting on a smile that tripped and stumbled through the red tinge flushing her cheeks. "No way, that's not it at all. I'm fine by myself. Completely used to it, really," she said with a dismissive wave, "But what were you doing for so long?" she shifted the conversation, putting the peppy perk back in the audino's feelers.
"Oh, I was just putting together a special order for a new bonnet."
"Wha—" Aisling pouted, "You said we were just window shopping!"
"It doesn't count if I'm not leaving with something."
A sense of defeat washed over Aisling's head. Whatever lift she had in her oversized ears faltered at the reality she was too naïve to consider: there was no way audino with her love for frills and the aesthetic for lace and ribbons was ever going to leave this place empty handed.
Have it her way, she supposed, no harm in how others find fulfillment in their own fortune.
"Now lean down a bit, I want to see something really quick," Clarice said, beckoning her tall stature to meet her level.
Aisling sighed, letting her breath take her down to a knee. Her friend brought a ribbon to her neck. Simple scarlet without the flourish and character of its brethren lining the walls.
Where'd she even get that?
A quick glance at the counter with its array of raw materials scattered at the edge provided an immediate answer.
"Hm… It's nice but I'm not really feeling it's you."
"You seriously don't need to try dressing me up…"
"Oh! Why don't we try some gold ribbons for your ears? You'd look so adorable with butterfly bows!" she said with a scurry.
"I don't need bows!"
"Nonsense! Everyone can use at least one or two bows."
"That's not—"
And then it hit her. It hit her like pyrotechnics in her face. Perhaps ribbons and bows on her ears weren't Aisling's aesthetic, but they'd totally work on Coco's! Flower head ornaments of shimmering satin and gems, delicate velvet and silk choker necklaces, frilly bows with the lace trim, they'd all looked so wonderful against her plush fur and creamy cuffs.
She looked at the store with new eyes, finding a new purpose amongst these refined trinkets and jewels. No longer were they clouded by the lackadaisical haze of a tagalong companion. Gone was the daze of her loitering gaze left to wander a world she had no part in. There was a new truth in their sheen and glossy iridescence, and that truth screamed for Coco to be their model and muse!
Rose petals spilled from her lips, the tongue of her mother's homeland filling her cheeks with the fire and passion of its people.
"Clare!" she called with the remnants still peppering her tongue.
The audino jumped at her name, "Y-Yes?" she asked, cradling her trembling feelers.
"I understand now!"
"Understand? Understand what?"
Aisling straightened herself to the full length of her body, exposing herself to these foreign entities once too strange and alien for her complete appreciation. She took in a deep breath, leveling out her excitement into comprehendible words. Her ears slipped free from their confines, flowing like the fine silk and ribbons that framed these walls. This illusion of grander things, things so unspeakably precious they could not dare be touched by the simple-minded and brash, slipped away like the mist of dawn, and paved way to a new and brighter morn.
"The beauty of this world," she said, speaking in the center of this small shop as if she could not be touched. As if her enlightened mind could not be stopped. "I finally understand. I finally see the light. All of these wonders, these precious treasures, wouldn't they look absolutely wonderful on Coco?"
Perhaps she looked bewildering to her friend and the shop owner, speaking like a pilgrim straight from the promised lands, but the visage of her idol, her guiding star, seemed to make the ideas of "embarrassment" and "discretion" too insane of a concept to even fathom. It didn't matter if she was seen as a fool. She had been a fool for a long time. An even bigger fool now that she had a cherished smile keeping her head up with the cards life had dealt her.
Clarice didn't reject this side of her. Honestly, it was the reason they became such fast friends in the first place. However, the way her ears drooped and her feelers unwound by her sighing face, she was definitely disappointed about something.
"Oh, so that's what you meant…" she muttered with her dejected smile, "You almost had me for a second, there. Your mind is so full of Coco, if I wasn't a fan myself I would almost be afraid of you."
Another sigh and she was back to her perky self, every facet of her face standing with intrigue at this new proposal. Her eyes scanned the shop walls and stands, sharing this image of their idol together with the cinderace.
"But I see what you mean," she nodded, eyes shimmering like aquamarine, "Yes, I definitely see it now. I bet she would look absolutely lovely dressed like a doll."
"Like a princess from a fairy tale," Aisling said, radiating and resonating with Clarice's boundless knowledge of this frilly design.
"Or the lady of a castle!" Clarice pitched back, the declaration sending her heart racing and setting her mind of the track of infinite possibilities. She looked for the perfect piece of inspiration, chasing their muse like fireflies in the night. "This one?" She pointed to a blushing pink hair ornament with long tail ends that dangled with crystal strings.
"Awe inspiring!"
"This one?" She pointed next to a short-chained necklace with looping crescents hanging their charms.
"Absolutely dazzling!"
"And this one?" She raced to a flower veil of sunny roses and daisies, its sheer fabric light and carefree like a cloudless afternoon and scalloped-edged lace as round and cheerful as a midsummer romp.
"Simply stunning!" Aisling said, holding her heart amidst this overwhelming symphony.
"Mesmerizing!" Clarice sang with her, dancing to the tune of this orchestra of dreams and fascination.
"A miracle to behold!" they said, their voices wrapped together in union and harmony. A finale of two fans with way too much free time on their hand and empty space in their creative minds.
They both thought to look at the shop keeper, their unsuspecting victim in this explosion of idol fandom and its conquest of all rational thought and behavior. Her eyes were silent, claws frozen midway through their craftwork, but it wasn't so much as revulsion or disturbance. No, they were more like a trainwreck too captivating to look away. Like dominoes working their way up to a grand climax, she just watched and waited to see how it all played out.
This all must seem pretty silly and ridiculous to a pokémon outside the workings of their mind's eye. No wonder the scizor stared so blatantly, but it didn't shy the two away from the bubbling giggles surfacing from their chests. At least they were looking ridiculous together.
"Sorry about the commotion," Aisling apologized first behind her snickering lips, "That must have seemed like a whole lot out of nowhere."
The shopkeeper snapped out of her daze. "Oh! There's no need to apologize. I take it as a compliment that my accessories spurred on such a show," she said, smiling at what she perceived as flattery.
Aisling nodded, "Of the highest regard."
She wandered the shop, holding each and every item to the scrutiny of Coco's grace. It all looked wonderful, but at the same time, not all the way right. Like some were too much and others were imbalanced standing beside her frame. They were pretty but not perfect. To adorn the lopunny's body, it had to be perfect.
The lace choker necklaces gave her pause. Their delicate framework and design wrapped snuggly around the model mannequin's neck, it was a step in the right direction.
"Something like these," she mused, looking between the different intricacies and the character they showed in their stitching and weaving, "Definitely something like this would be the loveliest of all. Simple but elegant. It amplifies but doesn't distract from her natural allure."
Clarice joined her side, "Ooh, you're on to something, there. After all, Coco's cuteness and charms are plenty flashy enough. She'd look better in something that works more like an accent rather than a focus."
"Exactly, but… I don't think any of these designs are right for Coco…"
"Really? Not one?"
Aisling shook her head.
"Huh, you're surprisingly picky in the weirdest ways."
"I can't help it. My sister ruined me. I can't just pick something and call it a day. It has to fit like it belongs nowhere else."
"Excuse me," the shopkeeper called their peering eyes from the display, "Pardon the intrusion, but if there's something in particular you'd like, I can specially make it for you."
"You'd really do that?" Aisling asked, her posture revitalized with new hope.
"Of course. Customer satisfaction is also part of my job," she said. She pulled a pen and paper from beneath the counter, shuffling her current project to the side with a gentle claw. "If you tell me what you'd like, I can make a rough sketch of the idea and turn it into reality."
"Seriously?" she stepped closer, hanging onto the edge of her counter and peeking at the blank page.
"Of course. Just tell me anything you have in mind. Don't worry about if it makes sense or if it'll work, just speak from the heart."
"Oh, okay… Um… gosh putting it into words is tougher than I thought," she said, fumbling and slipping back into her native tongue. "Well, she's a lopunny so lighter colors would definitely pop better against her fur. Maybe something that shines with the spotlight to add a glow to her face. I mean, she already glows when she's on stage but she deserves to dazzle and shine like the brightest star."
"Stage, huh? Is she a performer, by chance?" the shopkeep asked, keeping her eyes glued to her scribbling notes.
"Yeah, an idol. She's part of a group called Sweet Buffet. Actually, her color in the group is yellow. Maybe we can incorporate that in too."
"Do you know the shade you want to go with? Like a rich gold or more pastel?"
"Her merchandise is sunny like the heart of a daisy, but you should choose something more closely related to your relationship with her," Clarice said, "So, let's say, as a gift from you, it's closer to daffodils."
Aisling looked at her, pouting at her supposed scheme. "Again with the daffodils. Why daffodils?"
"Because they represent rebirth and new beginnings. They come at the end of winter and signify the start of spring. Wasn't Coco the spring at the end of your winter?"
Aisling's voice caught in her throat, ready for any quip that left the audino's mouth but not quite prepped for the honesty behind her teases. To think there was more meaning behind the remark outside of poking fun at her colorful attire. Lesson learned: Clarice actually knows what she's talking about.
The shopkeeper jotted down the word into her list of notes, the one of many vital pieces necessary in cultivating Aisling's perfect object of gratitude.
~uwu~
The three had gone back and forth for an hour—Aisling giving the general ideas, Clarice smoothing them out and the shopkeeper working them into a functional piece—until the sketch doodled on the page could belong nowhere but Coco's neck.
The lace would add a ruffled trim to the edge of a sunny satin ribbon whose surface would be delicately decorated in daffodils embroidered with shimmering white thread. There'd be a gold-plated daffodil pendant that hung from the center, it's point of contact protruding outward so it may dangle and dance along with her. And fluttering along with her energetic movements and swaying style would be the bow tie that held it snuggly around her throat with flowing tails that billowed with her body like a butterfly on the breeze.
"This is it," Aisling muttered, staring at the culmination of their combined brainpower. "This is what I saw in my heart. It's actually real. It can be made real…"
"Yep! Of course, it'll take some time to assure the quality and to clear up my queue, but I can definitely make this with no problem at all. Shall we go ahead and make this order final?" the scizor asked, her smile just as unwavering as the moment the two first walked in.
"Of course! Now that I've seen it, I won't be able to move on until I give it to her."
"Alright then, with the materials and time plus the special order fee, it comes out to forty-five coin."
"Forty—" Aisling's lips felt numb, the single utterance breathless and dry on her throat. Right, there was a reason this was all meant to be a window-shopping trip, her wallet didn't have the expense for extravagance and luxuries… "I don't… have that much…"
"Oh! You don't have to pay it all now. It's a five coin deposit and the rest when it's completed," the scizor said with a clarifying wave of her claw.
"I don't think I can even spend forty in one go when it's done, either…" she muttered, pressing her palms into her eyes until the darkness behind their lids formed dots and squiggles.
She swore in her native language, the roses and rolling passions replace with prickling spikes and thorns laced with poison. She cursed herself behind the veil of words only she could comprehend, kicking herself with the verbal abuse for getting so thoroughly worked up while her pockets didn't have the funds to back up her fervor.
"Maybe… if I go without a few meals…" she said, muffled by her hand.
But her body immediately rejected the idea, voicing its protest with a hearty gurgle that rumbled so hard in her stomach, it was purring against her heart.
"I have a feeling that's not going to work," Clarice said, unable to help the small chuckle that followed.
"Traitor…" Aisling called her stomach.
"You're free to think about it a bit longer," the shopkeeper raised a claw to her ailed ponderings, "I won't be going anywhere any time soon. When you decide what you want to do, just give me a call. I got myself pretty excited too so I'm willing to wait if that's what it takes."
"No way, I couldn't do that after wasting so much of your time already," Aisling said.
"Nonsense, you're not wasting my time at all. In fact, this has been the most eventful morning I've had since opening shop. It's a nice feeling, you know."
"But—"
"Listen," she interjected, pulling out a separate sheet and taking her pen back into her grip, "I'm in the business of making smiles, not frowns. I opened this place to add a bit of happiness into the neighborhood in the little way I can, so don't sweat yourself on my account."
She slid the slip closer to the two. "Madeline's Fairytale Enchantments" the note read in colorful calligraphy that seemed almost impossible without the aid of flexible digits. Yet, even with those claws, her handwriting was as artistic as her crafts—as meticulously practiced and honed as the wisdom of a sage.
If a scizor could have beautiful handwriting, if large, steely claws could fashion delicate treasures and ornaments, then truly the most farfetched promises and dreams were well within reach.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to contact you soon," Aisling said. She took up her note, not an ounce of hesitation or tremble of inhibition left in her hand.
"Of course! Take as much time as you need."
~uwu~
Well, that's what she had said but Aisling still had no idea how she was going to get the money for such a personalized, extravagant gift. It was all nice and good at the time and Madeline was her own refreshing source of inspiration in her own right, but a cinderace on a fixed income really shouldn't be thinking about gifts if she couldn't even afford to support her idol with one CD purchase.
"What have I gotten myself into…" she muttered over a platter of sweet potato fries.
"Mull it over after you eat. Your brain will have more energy to think after you feed it," Clarice told her, stealing a fry from her plate and chomping down on its crunchy surface as if it was her own. "You shouldn't beat yourself too much over it. We've all been there, wanting something we can't afford. Arceus knows I've been there tons of times."
Aisling groaned. She took of pinch from her plate, catching several sticks between her fingers and gulping them down like the starving rabbit she was.
"It used to be so simple, you know?" she said between bites, "As long as I had money for food and living, I was fine. I didn't need anything else. And then I saw Sweet Buffet and Coco and now I wanna drown myself in her. Is that normal? Is it normal to wanna drown in someone's smile?"
"It's normal."
Aisling stared at her for a moment, a slow realization taking over her narrowing glare.
"I have a feeling I'm asking the wrong 'mon here…" she sighed, sipping her carrot apple juice with silent resignation.
"Just what are you implying?"
"Nothing. Forget I asked."
Clarice hummed, letting whatever else she had to say disperse in the silent rumbling that flowed through her throat. She picked at her milkshake, breaking up the frozen, clumping bits and stirring it into a smoother consistency.
"That does remind me of something that I've been wondering," she said without lifting her eyes from the tall glass of peachy, creamy sweetness. "Libertia isn't exactly a cheap place to live, yet I don't think you've ever mentioned having a job or anything like that. So how are you managing your living expenses?"
"My parents give me a monthly allowance," Aisling said as freely as she breathed. "It's not much but it at least keeps a roof over my head and food in my stomach."
The conversation fell into silence, her fingers running themselves from the plate to her mouth like clockwork. The quiet left her mind to lament, thoughts running through the same circling thoughts over and over again. I want to buy Coco's CDs, but I can't afford them. I want to splurge on Coco's merch, but I can't afford them. I want to make Coco smile, but I can't afford it. Hobbies and fascinations were so expensive, it took her right back to the days where her mother would take her shopping and not get her a new ball or the latest All-Star figure.
"Ashe," Clarice called through her spiraling descent, "Why not get a job? If you don't have any disposable income, why not make some?"
The world froze in an instant, thoughts skidding to such a violent halt it gave her cerebrum whiplash. She threw her hands down on the table with a quaking thud, shifting the utensils and condiments over several inches.
"I can do that?" she said with all the innocents of a fresh teenager.
Clarice let out a hearty laugh, her hands clenching at her sides before the giddy tremors sent them flying. "You seriously never thought to?" she asked.
Aisling's face became hot, hotter than even a fire-type like her could bear. She still had a few slips of the tongue that came with a humiliating sting. "It's not like I haven't thought about it!" she said, her voice blurting out the heat still stuck in her head. "But I don't have any past work experience or any job skills. Do places even want pokémon like me?"
"Of course places want pokémon like you. Even without prior experience, you're hard working and dedicated, that's already two irreplaceable qualities right there. And you always show up on time when we meet up so you're punctual, and you've been training and going for Major League CometBall tryouts for five years so you're disciplined and passionate.
"There, I just listed five qualities that employers would kill for. Some 'mon can't even come up with one."
Was that how job qualities worked? Was this how the average pokémon on their own went about searching for jobs? "That's nice and all but don't you think you're stretching the truth a bit?" she asked, never thinking to give such common, everyday things a name.
"Trust me, this amount of stretching is nothing," Clarice said with a sip of the fruity treat.
Aisling didn't bother to question it. After all, between the two of them, Clarice was the expert.
"Oh! Actually, I think I know just the place that could use a worker like you," she said, her sip skipping a beat with the recollection. She swallowed and set the glass down, pulling out a device whose casing was reminiscent of rosy pearls. "The café I work at has a sister location with a bit of a short staff problem. If you don't mind food service, I can introduce you to the owner."
Her fingers tapped away at the ConnNav's screen, the device pulling from the orb to display the stars and connecting constellations of her social web.
"Isn't that cheating?"
"Networking isn't cheating. Besides, it's not like you're some lazy slob with no business working there. You want a job and I'm helping you get one. It happens all the time."
So that's how it worked. Perhaps it was a bit childish to never consider how the actual working world worked, assuming everything was based on merit and hard work, but it was how she was raised! An honest living would be rewarded and genuine effort was always recognized. Yet here she was, a cinderace with nothing but sports on the mind and an idol in her heart, getting vouched for a job she had never once considered in all her days in the city.
She supposed that could be considered her fault, so foolheartedly chasing a dream without understanding the world outside her countryside home. Maybe a job in something new was the step in the right direction towards becoming a well-rounded adult. After all, finding a new devotion in Coco's voice had motivated her in ways she hadn't felt since she was a bitty bunny, maybe making her own money will do the same.
But food service was a bit…
Wasn't that too far out of her usual status quo? She couldn't possibly equate helping with family meals and dinners with working in a proper food establishment. Feeding her siblings was one thing. Serving strangers? Well, that was a completely different beast. There were rules and protocols to follow and she couldn't just go smacking customers like they were her misbehaving baby brother. And another thing, did she even have the temperament to deal with that kind of customer service.
No, surely there was more to this than just the desire to work and make a few extra coins. There's patience and resolve and the ability to tolerate and adapt for the best possible outcome.
Maybe they ought to talk about this mor—
"And sent!" Clarice punctuated the finality of her exclamation with a firm tap on the device, humming a tune of victory and delights with a flurry of soft kicks bouncing under the table.
"What?"
"I asked the manager if she was still looking for waitresses and told her you were looking for a job."
"Why? I mean, I didn't say that I was going to do it yet, did I?"
"You were taking too long. It looked like you were about to get cold feet."
"I was thinking!"
"Yeah, thinking about getting cold feet."
Rude, Aisling huffed. Well, she wasn't too terribly off with her assumption but she could have at least pretended to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Oh! She messaged me back."
"Already? What does it say?" Aisling asked, reaching her body over the table to steal a peek before Clarice's words could catch up with the question.
"Hang on, give me a second," Clarice said with a jutting hand keeping Aisling's face out of the way. She took a moment to soak in the message in its entirety, a slight quirk of intrigue flickering across her brow at their favorable contents. "She wants to meet you first. Ask a few questions and some other formality stuff before offering you a job."
"When?"
"Today."
"To—!"
"I told you they were shorthanded," she said, her tone refusing to follow along with her friend's incredulous crescendo.
Aisling sat back down with a thud. "Yeah, you did, but… No way am I ready to go in there now. I mean, look at me. I can't just show up in sweats."
"As long as you're clean without any mystery stains, it's fine. We have a uniform anyway so she won't care what's in your wardrobe," Clarice said, compiling a response on her ConnNav.
"My hair's a mess. It's sticking up all over the place…" Aisling muttered, meddling with the red tuft cascading over her face.
"Call it a style. It works for you."
"And my ears are super frizzy today too. How can I meet the manager with frizzy ears?" Aisling continued, stroking her ears and petting the furs to lay down in one direction. They mocked her with their frantic curls, a crushed velvet texture taunting her fingers with every touch.
"Unless you casually let other people touch your ears, I highly doubt she would notice. Besides," she placed the device back into her satchel, satisfaction breaming from her cheeks, "I just told her we're on our way. You wouldn't want to make a liar out of me, would you?"
Aisling was at a loss for words. She didn't think it was possible. How a sweet, baby-faced audino with cheeks like mochi and a tongue just as sweet could force her hand in such a ruthless display of "tough love" was beyond her. Sure, all types made up this city and sometimes one had to be stubborn and underhanded to get by, but they were friends who shared a moment of comradery so transcendent even the great heroes of old could learn a thing or two about friendship and harmony from their duet. And yet…
Such betrayal nearly brought Aisling to tears.
"That's dirty…" she called it behind a tight pout.
Clarice paid it no mind, so assured in her decision even as she leapt out of her seat. "Perhaps, but I'm not just doing this because I get a kick out of it. Just imagine all the things you can buy with some extra coin in your pocket," she said, leaving the table side for the counter at the front of the restaurant. "A gift is just the start. Good food. Cute clothes. You could even blow your entire pay on handshake tickets and that would be completely your right."
"Even Coco's complete character collection boxset with behind-the-scenes audio extras?" Aisling asked, following behind with eyes entranced in her spiel.
Clarice giggled as she dug for her coin purse. "Yes, even Coco's C3."
"Incredible… Is that what you do?"
She laughed again, paying the bill without skipping a beat even while Aisling's innocence tickled her sides. "Of course. If I want to live the life I love, I have to work to pay for it. These kinds of frills and dresses don't come cheap, you know," she said, holding up the hem of her dress and its lace as she walked and letting it billow in the breeze of the doorway.
"Yeah, I'm just now realizing the lengths you go through to keep up that aesthetic," she said, following her through the door.
She squinted through the afternoon sun, eyes dazzled by the pristine fabric shining and glittering without injury or staining. Every piece radiated their own charm, the separate fragments unifying into one whole entity standing for a fashion routed in history and revolution. If one piece costed enough to pinch Aisling's coin purse dry, just how much did Clarice spend to arm her closets with an army of lace and ribbons?
"And I thought just getting everything together and dressed was overwhelming enough," Aisling muttered away, sinking even deeper into her comfortable hoodie and its cheap, mass-manufactured fabric. One rabbit hole was plenty for her…
"It's not so bad once you get used to it. And I feel so cute walking outside in my dresses that the hassle doesn't even phase me."
"So you admit it's a hassle…"
"We're getting off topic. The point is you need to start taking responsibility for your own financial well-being."
"You say that as if I've been living under my mom's skirt—"
"And the first step towards reclaiming financial independence is… a job."
Aisling stared into those eyes, baby blues burning with the intensity of a cloudless day. There was no malice, no mockery in her intentions nor deceit in her heart, just one friend helping another to live the best life they could.
Well, it couldn't hurt to give it a try, right? This was by Clarice's recommendation after all and she was even sticking her neck out to personally introduce her to a place she respected as a worker herself. She had never stirred her wrong before and there was absolutely, positively no reason to start doubting her now.
~uwu~
"Hey, Clare."
"Yes, Ashe?"
"What kind of place did you say this was again?"
"Oh, just your standard issue café. Nothing too fancy, you know."
"Right, right," Aisling's head rolled one way and then the next. "Second question, why are they all dressed like maids?"
Indeed, from one end to the other, from the busser to the juice bar maiden and the waitresses in between, they were all decked out in maid attire. Simple blacks and whites with fluff and frills breezing along as they worked, minding their dresses and ribbons through the foot paths between the tables and booths. They smiled and chanted and charmed their patrons with sweet titles and adoring applause, settled in a world all their own where the outside held no weight within these walls. As if their cutesy parades and poofy skirts were a part of their pride.
"Technically, it's maid lolita," Clarice corrected in the midst of Aisling's growing realization and subsequent irritation. "This is a maid café, not a lord's estate."
"A maid—" Aisling bit her tongue before her voice raised a stir among the gentle clatter of dishware. She kept the boil in her throat as a hushed simmer, letting the excess heat roll over her shoulders into the latching grip that refused the audino any type of escape. "That's not what you told me!"
"Of course I did. I said there was a uniform, didn't I?"
"You didn't—" Another explosion kept in check. The crackling flames burning her tongue fizzled away into chuckles that haunted her throat like an eerie mist on a grave. "Oh, I get it now," she said, her hands going up to Clarice's cheeks and holding them firmly between her palms. "You're a cheeky audino, aren't you? Luring me in with the promise of financial responsibility and all the possibilities of disposable income just to see me in a frilly dress."
"Okay, so maybe there were one or two ulterior motives, but—"
"So you admit it! I oughta pop all the goo out of these jelly-filled cheeks of yours!" Aisling said, rolling and kneading her hands into Clarice's face.
"I don't have any jelly, but something is definitely going to pop if you keep going like that."
"Good!" she barked, spilling curses and spelling her demise in a spattering of cracking sparks and ember-laden thorns.
"Wait! Wait! At least threaten me in a language I can understand!"
"Aisling?"
A voice interrupted her squeezing and pulling, her fingers halting right in the middle of tugging Clarice's face into a new shape. She glanced over her shoulder, finding the skirt's edge higher than she had anticipated. Her eyes trailed up the lace trimmings and the heart-shaped bosom of the apron top to the bewear's smile looming over her head.
Aisling's grip released, the sharp abruptness slapping Clarice's cheeks back into place with a springy jiggle leaving them red and agitated.
"Y-Yes! That's me. I'm Aisling," she said, standing to her full height… which didn't even come up to the bewear's chin.
"Oh good! It's nice to meet you. I'm Fuchsia, the head manager here at Madam Oasis. Clare told me you were looking for a job?" she said, blossoming flowers bursting across her lips in an array of soothing pinks and calming lavender.
The refreshing air about her and the fluffy aroma of coffee and sweets sticking to her fur relaxed Aisling's heart, losing a couple inches in a single breath. "Yes, well, she definitely did say that, although she didn't quite go into detail about the job itself."
"Oh, well if it's questions you have, dear, I have plenty of answers. Come with me. We can have a proper conversation in the back room."
Fuchsia began to lead her away, her large footsteps beating with a steady certainty against the glossy, wooden floors. She didn't bother turning or beckoning her further, her broad back resting in complete assurance of Clarice's introduction and Aisling's timely arrival. It would be so easy to run away now, to confess that this wasn't for her and Clarice had made a mistake in recommending her to this den of delicate maids and their momentary guise of lordship and luxuries. She wouldn't hold it against her. Aisling knew better that saying no wasn't a personal offense.
But she was already here. A job without the hassle poised prettily on a silver platter. Such opportunity didn't come easily to lazing 'mon living life day by lackadaisical day. And Madeline was still waiting on her to make a move on their project. If she didn't go for this now, then how much longer was she planning on making her business wait? Charity could only make it so far in the realm of service and compensation.
So, with the pros outweighing her cons, Aisling followed Fuchsia into the hallway leading to the back.
She glanced over her shoulder, finding Clarice rubbing her cheeks and the red tinge embedded deep into their flesh. There was a pout on her lips, no doubt thinking her punishment unfair and needlessly harsh. She was lucky to get away with so little but Aisling definitely won't forget this day. In due time, the full weight of her retribution will come and the price of her sacred body dawning these sacred garbs will be met with interest…
Author's Note: The second part of Heart's Melody is all written out so prepare for a couple more chapters to come in the following weeks.
If you've been looking out for an update on this, sorry. Been rotating through a couple of projects and managed to swing back around to this one again. I most definitely haven't lost interest in this story and I'm looking forward to sharing more with you.
If you're new around here: Hi. Welcome. I don't have a schedule but I do have an overactive imagination and a writing need to be met. Stick around, we have bunnies and pining.
Until next week, have a Happy New Year and welcome the Year of the Rabbit!
