The Magician and the Siren
Trixie reached out to blindly swat at her phone, trying to silence the alarm. Instead, it clattered to the floor, forcing her to sit up and open her eyes after all. She reached under her bed to find the phone and stared at the date after silencing it.
February 14th - 2:01 pm
She put the phone back on her side table and turned over, trying to recapture the gentle warmth of her blanket, hugging a large pillow against her chest. It wasn't like she had anywhere to be. Or anyone to see. Or any dates to go on. Not for lack of trying, of course.
***
"Sunset Shimmer!" She threw open the doors to the music store, making Sunset and Twilight look up with a start, the latter nearly dropping the catalogue in her hands. Trixie confidently strode towards them, flipping her hair with casual elegance. "You're in luck, for I am still available this Valentine's Day! You have the privilege of taking the Great and Powerful Trixie out on--"
"Um, thanks, Trixie," Sunset said, gently interrupting her with a hand on her shoulder, "but I already agreed to see someone that day."
Trixie frowned. It was still a whole week until Valentine's Day and Sunset already had a date? Sure, she was hot, and pretty, and her radiance could make the bleakest day seem worth it, but-- Okay, honestly it didn't really come as a surprise. Trixie shrugged and turned to the other girl. "Oh, well. Twilight Sparkle, how would you--"
"I have a boyfriend, Trixie," Twilight said flatly, "since before graduation."
Of course she had a boyfriend. The smartest girl in probably the whole city, who perfectly pulled off her casual, low-effort look, with her little button nose and-- Again, not actually a surprise. Trixie slowly released the breath she was going to use for the rest of her pitch, feeling somewhat silly now after her glorious entrance.
"Don't worry, there's still plenty of time," Sunset said with a slight squeeze to her shoulder, and an encouraging little smile that lit up her heart. "You'll find someone."
"Ha! Of course Trixie will find someone!" She casually slid Sunset's hand off of her. "Have you seen Trixie? She's Trixie!"
"Yeah, you're hard to miss," Twilight commented, focused on the instruments in front of her again.
"Exactly! So no need to feel guilty, and prepare yourselves to be envious!" She turned on the spot and headed straight back out, her shoulders only drooping when she was out the door again.
***
"...and thus Trixie extends this privilege to either of you! Or both of you, if you prefer. After all, there is plenty of Trixie to go around!" She flipped her hair again and supported her head on one hand, smirking confidently at the webcam, so her former bandmates could look straight into the gorgeous depths that were her eyes.
Lavender and Fuschia looked at each other, in a way that immediately deflated that confidence. The Illusions had been her closest confidants in high school, but even here, rejection seemed imminent.
"Well, I'm sorry, Trixie. But we can't really afford to drive back to Canterlot for a date," Lavender said in a failed attempt to let her down easy, probably.
"Besides, we kind of..." Fuschia put her hand on Lavender's on the table. "...decided to spend that day together."
"Oh." Trixie's eyes widened slightly. The three-way offer seemed far less appropriate now. She folded her arms on the table and played with the drawstring of her hoodie. "That's... great. I'm happy for you."
***
Trixie groaned and turned on her back, staring at the ceiling. Was she going to spend all day just feeling sorry for herself? Again? Lonely and abandoned, avoiding TV specials and social media, eating a tub of ice cream and wallowing in the question of why she was so unlovable?
She grunted angrily and shoved the blanket off of herself. She would not give the world that satisfaction again. If it was that determined to see her lonely on Valentine's Day, she was going to make it the best lonely Valentine's Day she could have. She threw off her clothes and went to take a shower, then put a bit more effort into her makeup than usual while her hair dried.
She would take herself out somewhere, have a solo date. She grinned at her reflection in the mirror. The world could go screw itself, she was going to harness her spite to have the best Valentine's Day of her life!
It was the worst Valentine's Day of her life. At least in the previous years, when she had stayed in, she'd had ice cream. And a good, long cry to get her feelings in order, while also staying wrapped up warm between all her pillows and stuffed animals. Today had just been cold, disappointing, and decidedly ice cream-less.
Movie theatres and theme parks were full of couples, cafés and restaurants were fully booked - by couples -, and the mall was positively swarming with heart decorations and various ads that told her how worthless her existence was, today specifically. And to top it off, the last bag of peanut butter crackers got snatched away by a thruple of boys, all of them far out of her league.
With plenty of hours wasted, Trixie had ended her prolonged solo date at a bar. It was clean and mostly empty, with soft jazz playing over the speakers. The prices were costly, but she had run out of caring for the day, maybe for the rest of her life. She sat on one of the bar stools in her short gradient dress, her head resting on her folded arms on the counter.
"Rough day, huh?"
Trixie peeked up at where the chipper voice was coming from. On the stool next to hers, turned to face her, sat an angel in casual clothes. Her exceedingly long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, leaving only a few strands to frame her perfectly round face, her soft lips curved into a serene smile. There was something familiar about her, but whatever it was, she couldn't order her thoughts well enough to put it together.
"Hello~" The girl waved her hand in front of Trixie's face, snapping her out of the stupor.
"Uh, h-hi!" She sat up somewhat straight, realising that she was actually talking to her.
"You alone here?" The girl picked up her drink and started drinking through a bendy straw. Trixie hadn't even noticed her sitting down, let alone ordering something.
"Um, yes," she said quickly, though struggled for anything else to add.
"Alone on Valentine's Day, huh?" The girl sighed and shook her head. "What a loser."
"Excuse me!?" Trixie leaned over a little closer. She wasn't sure if it was her perfume or her shampoo, but the scent of plums washed over her as the girl matched her, reducing their distance further. "You're here alone, too!"
"Not anymore." The girl smirked and winked. Trixie's heart skipped a single beat.
She leaned back again and narrowed her eyes. This girl was coming on to her, right? After the past week, she didn't want to make any such leaps too quickly, but the way she was looking at her left little doubt. Of course, calling her a loser was a terrible first impression, and Trixie still had enough self-respect left to not fall for any negging tactics. On the other hand, though, she was startlingly cute.
"I don't need to take this," she said firmly, finishing her drink and reaching to pick up her purse.
"I'll buy you a drink~"
Trixie's ass stayed rooted to the stool, her eyes fixed on her glass. She had only ordered a single one, given how expensive this place was, far from enough to start drowning her disappointment. She glanced over at the girl, who met her with a confident smirk, her head supported on one hand. Offensively cute.
"Fine." She put the glass down and extended a hand to her. "I'm Trixie."
"Sonata." Sonata took Trixie's hand and raised it up to her lips, placing a soft kiss on the back. While Trixie reeled from the unexpected gesture, she raised one hand and snapped her fingers to get the bartender's attention. "Hey, get this cutie whatever she wants on my tab!"
Trixie looked up at the price list, her eyes wandering over the numbers. Whatever she wanted? With an offer like that, how could she not call the bluff? "Then I'll have a glass of your strong whiskey." She quickly looked at Sonata out of the corner of her eye, but the girl was back to her serene smile, calmly sipping through her straw. Did she actually have that much money to spend? She wasn't going to slip out and leave her to pay after all, was she?
"So, did ya get dumped or did nobody want you?"
Trixie clenched her jaw for a moment. "I just got unlucky this year. Not my fault when everybody already has plans."
"Hmm, so no luck and no date. Tragic."
She shot her a challenging glance. "Oh yeah? Looks like I have a date now, don't I?"
Sonata giggled, a sound so velvety soft that Trixie felt like wrapping herself up in it. "I guess so!"
"And how come you didn't bring anyone here?"
"That's just 'cause my type is cute losers and I didn't find any 'till now." She smirked again, with her perfectly straight teeth, and that look in her eyes that was simultaneously predatory and inviting.
"I- I am not a loser," Trixie insisted, taking the glass of whiskey she'd been brought and taking a bigger sip than she probably should have. It burned on the way down. "I'm ta-- oh, God, fuck..." She coughed heavily and took a deep breath while Sonata rubbed her upper back. "I'm talented, I'm pretty, and they're all missing out!"
"Talented, huh? What are ya talented at?"
Trixie felt a surge. This was her moment, her chance to actually impress her and turn this conversation around. She reached into her purse and felt around, before retrieving a single coin. She showed it to Sonata, wordlessly presenting both sides, before she let it wander over her knuckles and seemingly drop off. With a twist of her hand, she caught it in her palm, only to open the empty hand for Sonata to see.
To her triumphant satisfaction, Sonata's eyes widened and she took her hand, turning it over. "Not gonna lie, that was pretty good."
"Then wait until you see this." She reached into her purse again, dropping the trick coin back in, and retrieving a deck of playing cards. She started shuffling it quickly, before fanning the cards out with a skilful motion. "Pick one and put it back."
She shuffled the cards, drawing one every time she paused, leaving them on the counter. "Is this your... no, that's not it. Perhaps... hm, close but no. But maybe... not quite there..." She tapped her chin before snapping her fingers. "Oh, of course, it's right here." She reached up to Sonata's ear, brushing her fingertip alongside it and running her nails lightly through her hair, before pulling out the Ace of Hearts with a snappy motion. She put it down next to the other cards, all of which were of the Heart suit. "Guess I just can't stop thinking about you."
She smirked as she watched Sonata stare at the cards, her spirits lifting as she broke into bright laughter. "Wow, that's... such a lame joke!" She doubled over, souring the taste of Trixie's victory. "But I guess that's kinda cute," she added after taking a breather. She sidled forward on her stool, reducing the distance between their knees and leaning forward. "Show me another one?"
Trixie swallowed. Sonata's fragrance tickled her nose again and she still had her undivided attention. That shtick had never worked before. Sure, the reaction hadn't been perfect, but this was better than nothing. Now the only thing she had to do was not mess it up. She picked up the cards again and quickly shuffled the deck between her hands. Sonata watched them intently, finishing her drink in the meantime, slurping through the straw for a few seconds. Trixie threw in a few practiced sleights, hoping to impress with her dexterity.
Sonata's fingers brushed against Trixie's knee and up her thigh. A pleasant shudder shot up her spine and her left hand didn't keep up, a bunch of cards spilling past it onto the floor. Sonata burst out into giggles again. "Come on, I barely even touched you! Are you that starved?"
Trixie could feel the blood shooting into her cheeks. She quickly looked around the room. The bar was mostly empty, but they weren't alone. A soft chuckle came from one of the tables. Whether it was about her or not, it sure felt that way. She slid off the stool and quickly started picking up the cards she had dropped.
Sonata did the same, crouching down next to her and picking up a few cards as well. She was practically shoulder to shoulder with her, occasionally rocked by a short giggle. When Sonata handed her the cards she had collected, she kept her hand on the stack, her fingertips touching Trixie's.
"You're pretty desperate, aren't ya?" Trixie opened her mouth to rebuke her, but Sonata silenced her with a hand on her cheek, pulling her deeper into her eyes. "I think that's pretty hot. Ya wanna get outta here?"
Her words got stuck in her throat with her mouth agape and she only thought to stand up again when Sonata did. The door opened and two laughing couples entered, heading straight past them for the other end of the bar. The loneliness of the day sank in on her. There really wasn't a question. "Yeah..."
"Then, hurry up, finish your drink." Sonata pushed the whiskey glass into Trixie's hand. She poured the alcohol down her throat and slammed the glass down, coughing again at the burn. Not leaving her the moment to recover, Sonata pushed Trixie's purse and jacket into her arms before grabbing her hand and pulling her to the door.
She recovered from the coughing fit after they had stepped outside, the cold February air biting her bare legs and arms. "H-hey, did you even pay?"
"Ha! Nope!" Sonata picked up speed, hurrying down the street and dragging Trixie along, before pulling her around the corner, out of sight from the bar. "All we gotta do is never come back! That place is way too pricey anyway!"
Trixie used the break to quickly put on her jacket, her teeth chattering a little. Not only had Sonata spent their entire conversation making jabs at her - desperate, lame, loser - now she also made her commit a crime. Was she really lonely enough to put up with someone like that?
"You wanna make out?"
Trixie stared at her, pausing as she put her other arm through the sleeve. Sonata was still wearing that same, serene smile, like she had suggested the most normal thing in the world.
"Yes."
Sonata didn't waste any time, grabbing Trixie's cheeks while she was still forming her answer. Their lips pressed firmly together and Trixie's hands hovered for a moment, unsure what to do with them. She hesitantly put them on Sonata's waist, turning her head a little as Sonata pushed in, deepening the kiss and prodding her tongue past her lips. Her hands quickly didn't feel like enough anymore and she wrapped her arms around Sonata's lower back, pulling her flush against her body. A muffled chuckle escaped the angelic girl, her breath tickling Trixie's skin.
Sonata pulled back, her hands slipping down to Trixie's neck. Trixie took a deep breath, feeling her heart hammering in her chest. With how close they were, Sonata must have been feeling it as well. "Fuck..." she breathed weakly, already missing the intoxicating taste of her lips.
"Holy shit, you're so fucking desperate," Sonata giggled. She took Trixie's arms and pulled them off of her so she could step back. The cold rushed in where her warmth had been and Trixie wanted to grab her back immediately. Instead, Sonata took one of her hands again. "Let's go to your place. My sister is gonna flip if I bring somebody home."
Trixie flinched at the sound of her alarm. She blindly reached out and hit the screen of her phone, silencing it. She turned back around and moved her arm over the empty spot next to her. She opened her aching eyes and stared at the messy covers. Dragging one pillow closer she sniffed it, catching the faint scent of plums.
Pushing herself out of bed, she grabbed a long shirt to cover herself before stumbling out of the bedroom. The apartment was silent, only the occasional sound of a car passing by outside breaking the cold stillness. She felt cold, but strangely content. Just in case, she cast a glance into the kitchen as she passed by on the way to the bathroom, but it too was empty, besides the empty bottle from last night, lying forgotten on the counter.
Opening the bathroom door, she nearly tripped over the towels left on the floor in a pile. Her hairdryer was plugged in and left on the edge of the sink. She let some water run over her hands and washed her face to help herself wake up. As she glanced into the mirror, she spotted some of the makeup from last night, not fully washed off, smudged down her cheek. Her eyes then slowly wandered up, to the digits smeared onto the glass, accompanied by three words:
Call Me, Loser
