“Step forward!”

It wasn’t her usual MO to listen to someone else, much less actually obey. Being the one more accustomed to giving commands over her long life didn’t particularly help. She stood there for a time and wondered if it would be worth it to disregard the order simply out of one last vestige of resistance she could give. After all, they were ruining her life.

Rough hands, given strength by displeasure, took hold of her cuffed wrists and forced her forward into open space, forcibly turning her as she took a position before a white wall. A Snap! Of a camera shutter, then more hands turning her to face the accusing machine that seemed to have no other purpose in life save to be witness to her anger and humiliation.

The officer behind her gave a sigh as she continued her effort of noncompliance, forcing her to walk down the hall as though she were a marionette on a string. “You’re one of a dozen who got arrested, lady. Can’t you try to have some dignity and not make me push you around like you’re a child having a tantrum? I don’t wanna be doing this all night.” he said in a voice that sounded weary.

Adagio said nothing in return, letting the scowl on her face appear permanent. She had nothing to say to him, or any reason to give his night relief. She hadn’t asked for this.

A door came up on the right and she was pressed into its clutches, the handcuffs that had been on her since before she had arrived to the facility suddenly being relinquished of their grasp. “Wait here,” she was commanded. “Would you like anything to drink? We’ve got some water and coffee if you need any of it.”

She remained silent, though perhaps allowing her scowl to deepen.

The officer gave a low grumble and closed the door behind him as he left, leaving Adagio alone in what she knew full well was an interrogation room. What did they need her in here for? It’s not like what she’d been up to was any sort of mystery. Engaging in Prostitution: open and shut, just like that. What sort of questions did she need to answer in regards to this? “Useless assholes,” she muttered- then assuring her silence as she spied the camera in the top corner of the wall. She was under watch, to say much else likely wouldn’t be the wisest of options.

She wasn’t sure how long she waited in solitude, allowing herself to stretch out in leisure across the chairs that dwelt in the room alongside. It was late, yes, but she was used to later. It was the inactivity, the lack of anything to do that was set to drive her up the wall. She needed some level of taskwork to engage in and keep herself focused on the now- or what would be next. Lest her mind turn to what had come before.

How did I let myself get here..?

At last the door opened and Adagio made the mistake of actually paying attention to her visitor: a middle-aged man in a collared shirt, a small clipboard with some papers attached to it. Without saying a word he reached down and pulled the chair out from beneath her lounging feet and brought it for his own dwelling space. “Push back to the wall,” he said calmly. “I’m Detective Watts, I’m in charge of this investigation.”

She wanted to not respond. Not an ounce of compliance was in her at all-

“This is gonna happen anyway whether you like it or not,” he said before she could even really begin to make up her mind. “If you want this to get over and done with and it screws you too, do nothing. Want to save yourself from the shitstorm? Then sit up like an adult and listen to me.”

She gave a growl and sat erect, eyes fiery as she continued to keep her sights locked upon him. Adagio had so much better things to be doing than this.

“Do you know why you’re here in the first place?” he asked of her.

“I was doing your mother?” she fired back.

“It wouldn’t be the first time someone has,” Watts countered. “You were brought here alongside another male, a Mr. Sandalwood, aged 23, who had hired you for BDSM-based prostitution, is that correct?”

“Whatever his name is. Is that all?”

“It would be if we were actually here for you,” Watts answered. “Your case is easy. What I’m investigating is a double-homicide that happen two days ago, and your pimp is the one being charged.”

It was the first thing she had heard that made Adagio want to pay attention at all. News to her, for one thing- and this might be the start of something that would save her butt from a worse fate. She leaned in as she made effort to focus on the conversation at hand.

“Right now what we’re looking for is some supporting evidence to strengthen the case. We’ve got reasonable evidence to go to trial, but we want to make it more airtight. Since we know you were one of Slick’s top escorts, we’re willing to offer you a deal.”

“What kind?” she asked.

“A deal for no jail time, if you give us enough,” Watts replied coolly. “I want you to look at a couple of photos…”

Adagio took the printed pictures in hand and regarded them: two adult men, about a decade or so older than she. Greasy hair, overlarge, and familiar enough to her eyes that she could almost smell them through the picture itself.

“Recognize these two men?”

It was time to play ball. “Yeah… one on the left is a guy named Blake. Other one is Roan. They were regulars.”

“How regular?”

Adagio shrugged. “I wouldn’t help them. Saw them around a lot though.”

“Why would they be around?” Watts inquired. “Isn’t the point of your job for you to show up to them?”

“They’d come to Slick for other stuff. Drugs, I guess. They’d all argue a lot,” Adagio answered. “It wasn’t my job, and I didn’t care.”

“Their bank records indicate almost bi-weekly withdrawals, which we assume were for payment. Those withdrawals stopped about a month ago.” Watts looked at her. “Was there some kind of fallout?”

Adagio shrugged again, though this time she possessed the knowledge to still answer. “They got blacklisted. One of the girls complained about something.”

“Did Slick ban them from contacting any of you?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you ever see them after that?”

“I never messed with them,” Adagio answered. “I was pickier with my clients.”

“You didn’t trust them?” Watts surmised.

“They were weird. And the others said they always stank.”

“So they were blacklisted from calling you up. Did they keep coming around anyway?”

“I only know of one time,” Adagio said. “Got tossed out when I happened to be by. They and Slick were all shouting at each other about something.”

“Did Slick threaten to kill them in any of their conversation?”

“He threatens to kill everybody,” Adagio said. “It’s not remarkable. He never means it.”

“It looks like he did this time,” Watts said, looking over his clipboard of materials. “Give me a minute, be right back.”

Adagio watched as he left, her mind no trying to fill in the void rather than let insubordinate thoughts. What was going to happen to her now? What kind of deal were they going to offer her in return for this?

Who am I going to be when all of this is done?

She snapped that book shut before it could begin to seep out further. Not again. She would never let those thoughts gain any sort of strength, not while she could still prevent their escape.

A few minutes passed and Watts returned alongside a uniformed officer. “Alright, here’s the deal. You’re to be detained here overnight until I can get in contact with the district attorney, after that I’ll speak to him and see if he’ll sign off on a probation deal for your cooperation,” he said all rather rapidly. “I’ll be with you tomorrow and you’ll be told more then. Understand?”

“Crystal,” Adagio said as she felt the metallic claws of the handcuffs on her wrists yet again, and she knew it was not to be a pleasant night.

Two days passed before she saw the sun again. Another interview before she could go, and a meeting with some official she didn’t know and didn’t care to know. When Adagio was released late the next night, she was told to appear before court in two weeks, or else her plea deal would be forfeit and it would instead be true jail time.

“Remember, just because you gave us information doesn’t mean you’re off scot-free,” Watts told her before she left. “Show up, speak with the judge, that’s all there is to it. Should be easy.”

“Fine.” Adagio had said little to anyone during her time in detainment, deciding that the less was said the better. She’d been offered a phone call and had declined, deciding it wasn’t enough of a concern for anyone to know where she was. It’s not like she hadn’t been absent for days at a time before.

“Is anyone coming to pick you up?”

“No.” She was already on her phone and bringing up ride-shares for her journey home, trying to ignore the aged detective.

“Figured as much. Come on, save your money. I’ll give you a ride home,” he said, extracting a small pair of keys from his pocket and walking towards the lot. “Come on, offer’s only good once.”

Adagio was cheap- frugal, even. It would be too difficult to pass up. Sighing so as to make her attitude toward him still known, she made to follow him where a faded, white sedan awaited the arrival of its master. I’ll just sit in the back and ignore him.

“Alright… where am I going?” Watts asked, settling in his seat.

“Weylan Heights.”

“The apartment complex? Not a bad place to be. Shouldn’t take too long, either.”

The ride was a quiet one, for the most part. Beyond the radio that helped keep the awkward silence at bay, not a word was spoken for some time. Adagio had taken the seat directly behind the detective, trying to keep herself as much out of eyesight as she could manage in such a small place. An illuminated world outside passed by as she watched the scenery shuffle and change with each turn, each minute that passed.

“You’re not from here, are you?” Watts asked. A quick glance in reaction and Adagio cursed herself- he’d caught her paying attention. “You don’t sound from here, for sure. Where’d you come from?”

It would be worthless to even try to describe it to him, and she had no desire for this snooping animal to know a single thing about her travels here. Adagio kept her mouth shut.

“Any family here with you? Friends?”

The former was far more truthful than the latter, and the former may not last for much longer. “A sister.” An answer that had slipped past her tongue, unbidden.

“She younger than you, or older?”

You had to say something. “Younger.”

Watts glanced up at his rearview mirror to appraise her with tired eyes that she couldn’t read. “How’d you end up in a mess like this, anyway?” he asked. “Doesn’t seem like it fits you.”

She said nothing and let her gaze return to the passing scenery, which became more and more familiar with each passing moment. It wasn’t long before the banner for her apartment complex came into view.

“Where am I taking you in here?”

“Here’s fine,” she said swiftly, no desire for this intrusive character to know anything else about her life.

“Leasing center’s fine?”
“Yeah.”

“OK.” He pulled into an open space and placed the vehicle into park-

“Don’t follow me.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Watts said. “Just a couple of things before you go.”

“Let me out,” she said forcefully, wishing she could lean up and unlatch the door locks.

“Hear me out first. Remember, be in court on the right day, at the right time. Otherwise your whole deal falls through- and it’s a damn good one,” he reminded her. “Secondly… kid, you’ve got a chance to get away from that life. I suggest staying away from it. After your court appearance, I never wanna see you again, not ever. Keep clean, get a normal life and do normal things. You’ll be better for it.”

“Whatever.” Preaching to me like he’s my father- probably is a father himself, actually. Can’t even help himself.

“I get it. You don’t want me preaching to you. But try, alright? Otherwise we’ll see each other again, and I won’t be able to help you dig your way out.”

“Fine. Can I go now?” she demanded.

Watts looked at her with the doleful gaze of a basset hound and knew his words had likely fallen on deaf ears. “Yeah, you can go-”

The moment he had unlocked the doors she was gone, Adagio rushing out of the vehicle with that infuriatingly caring individual and doing what she could to leave it behind.

It was something of a surprise to Adagio when she opened the apartment door to hear activity within, the clock reading such a late hour that she was surprised anyone would still be awake when she entered. As the door went from a crack to a wide expanse, the sound of laughter and warm conversation came to greet her as she walked in.

“Oh- hey, you’re home!” Sonata rose from her place at the kitchen table to meet her and gave an enthusiastic hug of greeting that was more than unwelcome. “I was wondering where you’ve been, you didn’t tell anyone you’d be gone for so long this time! I was getting worried!”

“I was busy. What are you doing up so late?” Adagio asked her sister.

“Just me and Pinkie hanging out, that’s all!” the overly cheerful girl answered. “We’ve got a catering job to start preparing for tomorrow so we’re making sure that we’ve got everything we need before going to the bakery. Otherwise it’s shopping time!”

Great. It didn’t surprise her in the least when she looked past the form of her sister and saw that head of puffy, bubblegum-pink hair sitting at her table as though it were the most relaxed place in the world to be, her expression just as cheerful and unwanted as the one that was so prevalent on her sister’s. “Pinkie Pie.”

“Hiya, Dagi!” Pinkie’s natural exuberance had been a great match for Sonata’s, and the combination of the two energetic natures had driven Adagio up the wall ever since the youngest siren had tried to branch out in the hopes of a normal life. “It’s great to see you even though you never like seeing me! Sonata was getting worried about you so I’m glad you’re back!”

Absolutely undefeatable. The bubbly woman’s positivity wasn’t something she knew how to deal with, and certainly not one she could overcome. “Well don’t let me keep you,” she eventually proclaimed before turning to her bedroom down the hall.

“Wait- Dagi, hold on!” Sonata followed closely behind and pushed through the closing door before it could be locked shut. “You’ve been gone a long time, aren’t you even gonna tell me where you were? No one tried to kidnap you, did they?”

“No, Sonata. No one tried to kidnap me.” She’d done her best to keep the intimate details of her career away from her younger sister’s life. It shouldn’t have been a sticky subject, she using other people for her own gain, but whatever changes Sonata had endured had suddenly made the discussion a dangerous one. “I’m tired and I want to go to bed. Leave me alone.”

“Well aren’t you gonna at least tell me what you did?” Sonata pushed. “I was worried and I’m your sister so-”

“So I should tell you,” Adagio guessed. “I got arrested, Sonata. I’m fine, I’ll have to go to court in a few weeks and I’ll be on probation. Nothing happened.”

Sonata, though not the smartest of the former trio, allowed the information to process before giving any sort of reaction. “Are… are you gonna be in trouble for long?”

“Do you even listen- no, Sonata, I’m just going to be under watch for a while. I’ll be fine. I just don’t have a job anymore.” Infuriating. She just HAD to want to be a nice person.

“Well then why don’t you come help us at the bakery for a few days?” Sonata suggested, either ignoring her sister’s hostility or was oblivious to it. “We’ll have lots of stuff to pack up tomorrow and it’d be great to have an extra hand moving stuff to the van! Please?”

It would be easier to just relent. “Fine. Now go away, Sonata. I want a shower.”

“OK! See you in the morning, Dagi!” Sonata rushed out of the bedroom just as quickly as she had entered, leaving a weary, stale-feeling older sister atop the bed.

Sonata had changed. She actually cared about other people, whether it be by her own volition or the influence of others- Adagio didn’t know nor care. Aria had… she remembered the parting words and wondered if they were as true now as they had been on that day. And now, just a few years later, here she was: criminal, powerless, alone.

It was time for a shower and a distraction.

The morning was as dull and grey as it had been for most of the week, late fall unwilling to let sunlight soften its grip. Adagio found herself in far less revealing clothing than she was used to wearing during hours of work and in company she found just about as ideal.

She didn’t actually hate her sister- or Pinkie Pie, for that matter. She just found their cheerfulness unbearable.

“Come on, Dagi, we can’t be slowpokes!” Sonata called to her as they hefted their surplus of catering supplies to the awaiting van. “Scoot your butt into gear and help us, silly goose!”

The reckless abandonment into which Sonata chose to be cheerful would be something that would grate her for the rest of her days, even as she took a couple of plates in her arms and brought them outside. I just had to agree to help. I had to choose to be around this. Why, of all things? Can you just not take being-

Adagio didn’t let that sentence see its finish. Nor would she ever.

“I’ll be coming back home late tonight, Pinkie Pie will drop me off,” Sonata said when they finished. “Thanks for the help, that made it way easier!”

“Whatever.”

“Whatever? Oh come, you can be happy too, you know!” her sister said, giving her a gentle nudge in the ribs. “Stop trying to be such a sourpuss- welcome, be with you in a moment!”

“It’s alright, Sonata, just came by to give Pinkie back her cookbook I borrowed.”

Oh come on-

Around the corner came a horrifyingly familiar sight of red-and-yellow hair that she wished to never see again, Sunset’s eyes widening at the sight of Adagio standing there beside the two sweet-hearted women. “Oh, Adagio! I actually didn’t expect to see you.”

“Oh for God’s sake-”

“What? What? I don’t wanna fight!” she cried, hands up in a show of peace. “Relax, we’re both adults here! I just was surprised to see you, that’s all. Sonata says you usually work nights.”

“She got some bad luck yesterday- her mean ol’ boss made her quit,” Sonata said, her voice suddenly one of a tragedian. “That big brute went and fired everybody, can you believe that? So I asked her to come down and help me out for a bit today so she wouldn’t be able to sit there and mope all day!” It was an extraordinarily generous way of explaining things, though Adagio had no desire for any of that knowledge to be known to anyone, particularly someone who had caused her humiliation years prior.

“That’s awful! I’m so sorry, I wish there was something I could do to help,” Sunset said, displaying genuine sympathy after such a lie.

“It’s fine. I’ll find something.”

“Actually… Adagio, I know it isn’t much, but I might be able to help you stay on your feet.” Sunset’s expression grew brighter as the idea formed in her head. “You remember Rarity? Really pretty fashion designer, friend of mine?”

Perhaps Sunset thought Adagio had turned just as much a new leaf as her sister had, and that such a memory wouldn’t hold some level of anger. “Dimly.”

“Well, she’s been pretty busy at her boutique the past couple weeks, her former assistant got married and had to move. She’s been looking to get someone to help pick up the slack so she can go back to focusing on her designs.” Sunset was clearly delighted she could do something to rectify troubles for two people at once. “Why don’t I give her a call and let her know you’d be willing to take the job? It’s not much, but it’ll be a huge help for Rarity, and maybe for you, too!”

“Yeah! It’s a great idea!” Sonata practically burst out of her skin at the suggestion and tackled her sister with the excess enthusiasm. “Come on, Dagi, take the job! Take it- take it- take it- take it- take it- take it- take it-”

“Alright! I’ll do it, stop!” Adagio snapped, eager for her sister’s loud voice to be anywhere but directly next to hear ear. “Yes, tell Rarity that I’ll take it. OK?”
“Great! Head by there sometime today if you can, she’ll know to expect you,” Sunset said, “you’ll have a good time, she’s a great person to work for!”

It was worse than a punch to the gut.

OK, maybe it wasn’t.

The tumultuous emotions Adagio was feeling weren’t allowing for much resolution, or really much clarity at all. She didn’t even know if she was ecstatic at what was before her or utterly horrified, the rational and emotional sides of her mind going to war with such propensity for violence that any hopes of making sense of it was about as clear as mud.

It was one thing for her to be in the employ of a person who had aided in the destruction of her life. It was something else entirely to now meet that person again years later and find them monumentally attractive.

“Again, I want to thank you for being so willing to come by- and on such short notice!” Rarity said, showing her new assistant around the boutique that was to be her workplace. “When Sunset called and let me know you were coming by, I must admit I was a bit surprised. But it’ll be such a big help to me to have you around, it’s been woefully difficult to keep up all by myself.”

“Sure.” Adagio kept her words to a minimum yet again, this time out of uncertainty as to how to deal with this sudden, unexpected internal conflict. She tried to pay attention to what Rarity was telling her, something to focus on, though her eyes kept trailing back to the woman’s beautiful body and stirring up feelings of lust at the sight of it. Oh fuck…

“It’ll be a bit of a roller coaster to get you used to the ins and outs of this place, but I’m sure you’ll pick it up in no time at all!” Rarity said. “After all, Pinkie said dear Sonata was a quick study, I’ve no doubt you’ll be the same.”

“I hope.” A quick glance, small so as to go unnoticed. Her tits are fucking amazing. And that waistline-

Rarity regarded her new companion and mistook the terseness of her responses for nerves. “Oh, you don’t need to be anxious about any of this, darling. You’ll be fine,” she said warmly. “And any scuffle we had years ago as a bunch of girls is water under the bridge. No need to fret!”

Adagio half-wondered if Rarity simply was too simple-minded to hold a grudge, walking just a bit behind the woman to soak in her glorious form for a little longer. The things I would do to her- fuck that, WILL do to her. I want this woman!

“Well, any questions so far, dear? I don’t want to overwhelm you, so I tried to stick to the basics. Whenever something new comes up I’ll be there to help you get familiarized. Anything you’re unsure of and you can feel free to ask me! How’s that sound?” Rarity’s face was bright like so many Adagio had seen, but in such a different way that she couldn’t put a finger on describing it adequately.

“Not that I can think of,” Adagio said in a much more confident tone. Her mind was decided, and she’d make sure she left satisfied today.

“Excellent! Now, we’re not expecting anyone to come in for a fitting on Thursdays, so I usually spend the day sorting through what deliveries have come in over the week. It’ll be much easier with you here, so let’s get started!” Rarity beamed as she led her new assistant into the back rooms where a surprising multitude of packages in various shapes and sizes now lay waiting for their owner to unwrap. “It’ll be slow going, but at least we’ll have good company.”

Adagio laughed, the lovely fashionista unaware of just how good the company was going to be. “Let’s get started,” she said in a sultry voice that had once been reserved for her prized customers.

“So tell me, darling,” Rarity began as they set to work opening and sorting the mess of deliveries. “What have you been doing for work these past few years? Sonata mentioned that you were usually working late into the night.”

Adagio pondered saying the truth for a moment before quickly deciding to cover up a good portion of it. “A lot of nightclubs would hire me,” she said- a partial truth, if only lacking detail. “If they had an event or needed promotors… photoshoots, things like that.”

“And they’d just…have you be there?”

“It was an aesthetic sort of thing, I guess,” Adagio continued. “If you want to attract the right sort of clientele, then you’d hire someone to act as a patron for your place. Hire…” Shit, why am I suddenly gun-shy? “Hire, uh, beautiful people, then. Well, guess who shows up?”

“More beautiful people?” Rarity surmised.

“Beautiful people with money. It’s a racket,” she said. “And I was good at making it work.”

“I’ve no doubt. I’m surprised modeling agencies never reached out to you, darling. You’ve certainly got a beautiful figure for it!”

Adagio grinned. “No, not really. Just never seemed to happen.”

“Goodness, what a tragedy! If you’d ever have been given the chance, you would have been a household name for certain.”

“I just- never happened,” she answered lamely. “Never bothered me.”

“Well, hopefully they’ll wise up and take that chance someday!” Rarity declared. “You’re certainly capable of more, working as a simple assistant. I’ve no doubts that you possess the talent.”

“I certainly have the talent,” Adagio remarked, shuffling closer to the beautiful woman and reaching out to feel those splendid curves for herself. “And I’d hate for you to miss them.”

Rarity took pause. “Beg pardon, darling?”

“Wouldn’t you like to see them, Rarity?” Adagio whispered, pulling in close to the gorgeous fashionista. Her hand slowly, gently, reached out to feel one of those pert breasts that lay covered behind such fashionable clothing. “I’ve got such sights to show you… let’s explore together-”

The hand that was eagerly reaching out was suddenly held tight, unable to move an inch. A pressure came against her shoulder in the form of a bracing hand that pushed back the distance between the two-

“Hey-”

“Not. Another. Inch,” Rarity said fiercely, that warm glow in her eyes disappearing in an instant and suddenly replaced by a fierce cold. “I was fooled by a pretty face once, and that was one time too many. You will not be able to try such a thing here.”

“What in the fu-”

“I had misgivings when Sunset called me about you, but I was willing to let them slide because she vouched on your behalf,” the designer cut through. “However, that small trust I gave you was something you broke very, very swiftly. Did you actually think I wouldn’t see through your stories? I am not so foolish as that.”

Adagio wasn’t certain whether the humiliation or the anger would win out in the end, the two likely battling it out upon her face. Whatever arousal she’d had was long gone, slain by the iron grip of this woman who knew her far too well already

“The only reason I do not throw you out now is because dear Sunset told me to give you a chance. A real chance, not something with strings attached. But make no mistake,” Rarity said coldly, “ever try such a shameful thing again and I will throw you out of this establishment, and make sure a harassment suit falls right on top of you. Do we understand one another?”

Adagio couldn’t find the words to speak. The command, the authority, or maybe something about being so perfectly called out had left her speechless. What was she supposed to say when her favorite weapon had been tossed aside like a used napkin?

“Well? Do we understand each other, Ms. Dazzle?” Rarity’s tone was icy.

“Perfectly,” Adagio at last sputtered out.

“Excellent.” The grip on her hand was released, though she was given an extra push away so as to keep the distance. “Now, I must go and recompose myself. Please remain here and continue sorting through the deliveries. When you are done, you will come and let me know.” Without another word Rarity departed from sight, leaving a stunned Adagio roiling in a miasma of feeling and sensation she didn’t quite know how to comprehend.

She could leave. Simply walk out the door right now and leave. It would be an extremely easy thing to do. Yet she remained where she was and continued her work instead.

Author's Note

Part One of Three. One day at a time. Should be fun, right?

A suggestion by Buckethead because apparently great minds think alike.