>Ah, Canterlot High School
>Gilda’s old stomping grounds, or at least they were before she graduated
>She was a year ahead of Rainbow Dash, as well as the blue one’s bandmates
>Ultimately not much of a difference, but hey, that just meant she’d be buying liquor before any of them
>Principal Celestia was kind enough to allow Gilda to use the metalshop there to work on her bike after graduation, until she could afford a place with a workshop of her own
>Preferably one with a bunch of softcore porn calendars all over the walls
>What a beautiful piece of trash her motorcycle was, though
>A well-used ‘09 Harley Dyna Street Bob
>The previous owner had treated the poor thing like shit, but Gilda had done her best
>Even if it didn’t look like new, it was still one of the few things in life she genuinely treasured, and it showed
>She even installed a passenger seat for when she had some fresh meat to take back to her place
>Pulling into the school’s parking lot so she could walk her bike to the metalshop, Gilda thought back on her latest lay
>Most people could hardly stand to hear that silver-haired showgirl speak for more than a couple of seconds, but Gilda sure appreciated hearing her voice all night those two days ago
>That garbled mess of moans and squeals was absolute music to her gay-ass ears
>A glance over her shoulder at the crowd of students heading back in since lunch was over, and Gilda saw that Trixie still was walking funny
>She grinned, if only to herself, and pushed her beloved Harley around the back of the school building to work on it in the shop
 
>Upon opening the door, Gilda saw three things she liked, and two things she didn’t
>Gabby, Gallus, and Greta, her beloved lackeys
>They never failed to make her day, even if they had somehow pissed her off earlier
>They were closer to friends than minions, especially Greta
>She wasn’t as big as Gilda, but was deceptively good at lifting things
>Whether those things were parts or people didn’t matter much
>Gabby was almost always cheerful and optimistic
>Made the best damn coffee anyone ever had, too
>Gallus was the little guy of the lot of them, but she loved the little squirt
>He was still in middle school, but was so good with a wrench that the only reason why he couldn’t make a whole car himself is because claustrophobia made him freak out when he was under a car
>As for what Gilda didn’t want to see, sitting in the spot where she usually put her bike was an unwelcome intruder
>A 2012 Yamaha V Star 1300, with a dark, candy apple red paint job
>Gorgeous, Gilda had to admit, but still unwelcome
>Even more unwelcome was the presence of a certain someone
>Hair like fire, eyes like the sea, a body to die for, and friends that Gilda wouldn’t put it past her to kill for
 
“Yo Sunset, what’re you doing in here?” Gilda barked.
>Sunset had been ignoring the warnings and bad vibes from Gilda’s friends for awhile now, it seemed
>She turned at the sound of Gilda’s voice, however
>“Oh! Just getting my new bike tuned up properly. I don’t have a garage or whatever of my own, so I make do.”
“Whaddaya mean, ‘new’?”
>“Well, I guess I can’t call it new, per se, but I’ve only actually had it for a couple of days now. I got it from a used vehicle dealership, so I’m making sure everything is working right.”
>Gilda sighed through her nose; she could understand where Sunset was coming from, she supposed
>“I don’t bother much with frivolities,” Sunset continued, “but there are a few things I have that I really appreciate and care for. A mode of transportation is one of them.”
“I can respect that,” said Gilda with a shrug, “but what I don’t respect is someone else’s bike in my bike’s spot.”
>“Ah, yeah, my bad. I was just about done anyway. Just in time too, I don’t have any classes for this period, but if there were any serious problems, I probably couldn’t fix them before next period.”
“Yeah, yeah, hurry up and get outta here, I got bolts to screw in, friends to talk with, and coffee to drink.”
>“No problem, it’ll be just a minute.”
>Getting the last few tweaks done and checks made took all of fifteen minutes, during which Gilda had downed a whole cup of coffee and was getting more, whereas Gabby sucked down three
>It was a wonder that she hadn’t scalded her esophagus
>If anyone knew her blood type, it would probably be C
>For café
>Gilda laughed internally at her little joke that nobody else could hear
 
>As Sunset pulled her motorcycle out of Gilda’s way, the graduate paused for a second
“Hey, if you’re so much of a biker, how come I’ve never seen your leathers?”
>“My what now?”
“Your leathers,” Gilda said with an eyeroll. “Armor, something to put between you and the pavement for when you get into an accident or some jackass runs you off the road and into a ditch.”
>“I’m a good driver, I don’t need-”
“If you ever do more than just walk your machine around, yeah, ya do,” countered Gilda.
“Asphalt is a lot harder than you are, girl. Even if you’re only going thirty or so, jeans and a pleather jacket that doesn’t even reach your waist aren’t gonna keep you from turning into sausage meat.”
>“And that’s why I drive cars,” Greta said before taking a long drink of her own coffee
>“About that…” Sunset said nervously.
“Yeah?”
>“Real leather makes me… uncomfortable is probably the best way to put it.”
“Wow, really? You sure as shit aren’t a vegetarian, not with how I’ve seen you put away burgers and fried chicken, so I don’t see what creeps you out about wearing leather compared to eating meat and skin.”
>“It’s just… well, horsehide is pretty common, and it kinda weirds me out.”
>“Aww, does the wittle Sunny Bumpkins wuv her horsies way too much?” taunted Gallus, who was promptly clapped over the head by Gabby
>“Actually,” retorted Sunset with a distinct frown and furrowed brow, “yeah, I do care about my spe- I mean, I care about horses a lot. Way more than you could understand, boy.”
 
>Gilda could see this coming to blows if Gallus kept flapping his gums, judging by Sunset’s piercing gaze,and so she stepped in
>After all, Sunset may be a girl, but she was still taller than either he or Gabby, and was deceptively strong for her build, or at least what of her build could be seen
“The only horses I’ve managed to personally care about are steel ones, but then again, most things with hooves don’t really like me very much either,” she said, keeping Gallus from getting in another word edgewise
“Last time I saw a horse, we kept giving each other stinkeye so hard that it’d drop a man from ten paces. Maybe if I met one that wasn’t a bigger asshole than I am, I’d have a higher opinion of them.”
>“I suppose that’s fair,” Sunset said. “I can’t blame you for not liking something if all you’ve met are bad apples.”
>“Anyway, I should get going…”
“Just know that I’ll be waiting for you once you’re out of class. You leave your bike in here, and I’m taking you to a leather shop. I don’t wanna see you riding your machine around without something to keep the road from turning you into head cheese, alright?”
>“Alright.”
“Besides,” Gilda added with a grin, “you look like the kinda girl who’d be smokin’ hot in leather anyway. That’s gotta count for something, am I right?”
>The small gulp, blush, and bashful grin that crossed Sunset’s face was all Gilda needed to know that there was a victory, however small, for herself
>“Erm… okay! I’ll see you then!”
 
>Gilda’s own time went by quickly and easily enough
>Whatever tinkering she had wanted to get done took little more than an hour, by which point her three buddies were probably on their way to their final periods after having followed Sunset on her way out
>When the last bell finally rang, Gilda was waiting in the parking lot, standing next to Sunset’s Yamaha
>The redhead was trying to be a sneaky lass, as it were
>She’d parked it far enough away from the front doors that she could leave through one of the side doors and ride away unnoticed until it was too late for anyone waiting at the steps to stop her
>Not a bad stratagem if Gilda did say so herself, but not good enough to deter her
>She greatly relished the look of astonishment and then disappointment Sunset wore when she spotted Gilda in the lot
>Gilda waved her over with a grin
“Didn’t think you’d get away from me that easy, did you?” she called
>Sunset sigh exasperatedly, “Well yeah, but it’s not like I haven’t been wrong before.”
“C’mon then, let’s put your girl away and I’ll take you to the leather shop. Got your helmet?”
>Sunset reached behind her and pulled her helmet into view
>”Yep.”
“Good, now let’s get moving.”
 
>As Sunset and Gilda were getting the Yamaha to the garage, Gilda decided to keep things from being too quiet
>It’s not like they’d be able to talk much while riding anyway
“Why the aversion to leather though, really?”
>Sunset looked rather embarrassed about the matter being brought up again
>”Um… can you keep a secret?”
“Sure,” said Gilda with a laugh, “as long as it’s not something so juicy that Rarity goes all stalker-like on me until she hears it.”
>“Oh, don’t worry about that, the other girls already know. But… well, me being uncomfortable about leather on the whole and horsehide in particular is…”
“Go on.”
>“Pretty much the whole school knows that I’m an interdimensional traveler now, right?”
“Yeah,” Gilda said with a raised brow
>“What if I told you that, in my homeworld, I’m not human?”
>There was a brief pause of about ten seconds while Gilda mulled it over before it finally hit her
>And she burst out laughing so hard that she half-choked on it
“Oh my shit, you’re a fuckin’ horse!”
>Sunset growled a bit at Gilda’s reaction
>“A pony, not a horse,” she corrected
“Any―haha―breed in particular?”
>“Unicorn,” Sunset deadpanned
 
“Wait a damn second, a unicorn!?”
>“Yep. The most outwardly magical race amongst ponies, and even by those standards, I really have a gift. So much so that Princess Celestia personally tutored me for much of my childhood.”
“‘Princess’? Don’t you mean ‘principal’?”
>“Well, she’s actually closer to a sun goddess than mere royalty in my world, but no, I mean it when I say princess.”
“This gets weirder and weirder by the second.”
>“Skeptical?”
“Nah, when you can magically turn yourself into the Devil and put a crater in the schoolyard bigger than a swimming pool, you being an otherworldly unicorn doesn’t sound too far-fetched.”
>“Oh! Thanks.”
“Doesn’t make it any less funny, though.”
>Sunset facepalmed, her efforts at being taken seriously having been all for naught
“Do you have, y’know… a preference for virgin maidens? Some magic rule about them?”
>A short laugh echoed from Sunset’s throat
>“No, or at least not any rules about them. Except one.”
“And what rule is that?”
>Sunset licked her lips as she said, “Wine, dine, and recline her, and leave both her and her sheets a hot, sweaty mess.”
 
>Gilda started to sweat a little herself at Sunset’s sultry reply
>She was, as were most of the other student body, pretty well aware that Sunset was gay, but holy shit
“That’s right, the best way to see a virgin is when you make them not a virgin anymore, eh?”
>“Rawr,” answered Sunset, making a gesture not unlike the claws of a predator digging into their latest victim
>Normally, Gilda wasn’t shy about sex at all, but Sunset going into dyke-on-the-prowl mode that fast was a little jarring
>But also really hot
>And it meant that Sunset was a thirsty bitch, just like her
>Entertaining the thought of the two of them screwing each other senseless was getting a lot harder to refrain from
>Gilda’s panties were thankful that they reached the garage before her thoughts strayed too much further, though
“So, we’re leaving your bike here until your leathers come in, which should be a couple days.”
>“What!?”
“You go to the store, pick out which design you like, get measured, and they customize a set to fit you properly,” Gilda explained, “because things like how tight the fit is are important, both for safety and comfort.”
“If they’re too loose, they’ll rip right off of you when you hit the pavement, and if they’re too tight, you can hardly breathe properly, let alone move right.”
>“Oh, that makes sense. But how’ll I get to school on time until then?”
“You gimme a time and address, and I’ll give you a ride.”
>“I’ll hold you to that,” Sunset said. “I’m up at six in the morning and out of the house by six-thirty to get some coffee before school, so that I have some time to enjoy it.”
“The name gave me the impression that you were a night owl,” Gilda mused aloud, “but hey, you can’t always be right.
 
>Gilda motioned to the back end of her Harley when they had Sunset’s bike parked
“To the bitch seat with you,” she said tauntingly
>“Really? The bitch seat?”
“Well a) you’re a bitch, albeit the good kind, b) it’s my bike, and c) you know you wanna sit in the back and have an excuse to grab at a body like this anyway, so I’d say it suits you just fine.”
>Sunset found herself sputtering at Gilda’s flirtatious behavior
>“I―what even―gah!”
“Gyahahah! Don’t feel bad, Sunny,” reassured Gilda, “pretty much every girl has wanted a piece of this.”
>She struck a pose, flexing her arms and spreading her legs a bit, and didn’t even need to look to know that Sunset was checking her out
“Alright now, I’m serious. Get on the bike, and we’ll be off in no time,” she said after getting her machine outside and closing the workshop’s doors
>Once they were both on, Gilda got the motorcycle started, making sure to nestle into Sunset’s grip around her middle
>“Subtlety has never been much of a thing for you, has it?” Sunset half-shouted through her helmet and over the engine
“Nope!”
>And like that, they were off, out of the parking lot and down the road
 
>The trip was about as quiet as the noise of a roaring motorcycle engine would allow
>Sunset didn’t seem to be able to keep her head still
>She hadn’t often been in the part of town they were headed to, apparently
>As good an opportunity as any to learn what’s where in an unfamiliar area, Gilda supposed
>She hit the brakes to make a somewhat sharp right turn, and felt Sunset’s arms tighten around her abdomen
>The redhead’s grip was a lot stronger than her looks would let on
>She probably had a decent amount of muscle under her clothes, but Gilda hadn’t had the luck to see it
>That didn’t stop Gilda’s imagination, though
>The thought of Sunset’s nude form in her arms, her own sandy complexion contrasting with Sunset’s warm, light tan in the glowing blades of evening sunlight knifing through the blinds
>Their limbs entangled and their breaths intermingling, the heat and moisture between them getting thicker and heavier
>She had to shake herself from her thoughts, and hard
“No! Bad Gilda!” she harshly whispered to herself
>It was a good thing she did at that time, too
>Seeing as they had almost passed their planned stop because she was busy getting lost in her lewd thoughts
>And there she was, bitching about driving safety earlier that day to Sunset, and she let her mind wander that far off
>That was pretty much asking for a traffic accident at that point
 
>Gilda slowed down and pulled into a parking spot in front of a dust brown building
>The place was called Sirius Leathers, and the logo featured a toony pitbull with a heavy leather jacket and a pair of shades
>Puns always did seem to lead to fun mascots, at least
>She’d forever been disappointed that the one insurance gecko didn’t actually speak Australian
>Nowhere near colorful enough of language, absolutely disgraceful
“Here we are,” said Gilda as she took off her helmet, waiting for Sunset to dismount before she did
>Once the bike was parked properly, Gilda slid the keys into her pocket and led Sunset inside
>The first thing to hit the two of them was the smell
>Thankfully, it didn’t smell like the tannery itself, but the scent still smacked both patrons in the face like a giant, leathery mallet
>Gilda took a deep breath through her nose and sighed loudly, savoring the bitter aroma of leather
>Sunset took a whiff and quelled her initial urge to hurl
>It wasn’t even the smell itself that did it, so much as it was the idea that she was probably inhaling the odor of tanned ponyflesh
>Regardless, the redhead willed her guts to refrain from churning any further as she walked in at Gilda’s side
 
>The initial sensation of the smell gave way to music from a radio
>Very familiar music in fact, from Sunset’s perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfbBqBOSXlU
“Why the awkward look, Sunny?”
>Sunset gave a lopsided, half-hearted grin, obviously pondering over how to put her thoughts into words
>“Okay, so, there was this one time when Pinkie brought a karaoke machine to Rarity’s for my birthday, and I saw that song on the list.”
“Go on.”
>“I kinda took on a dare from Rainbow Dash and ended up using the song to hit on Pinkie.”
>There was a brief silence before Gilda shattered it
“You fucked, didn’t you?”
>“...Yeah, after the party had mostly died down.”
“Nice. What was she like?”
>“Gilda, we’re in public!”
>“C’mon, details are fun, it ain’t like I’d shame you for giving ‘em away.”
>The two young women turned to see a tall, beefy, middle-aged man with a beard that more than made up for the lack of hair on top of his head, and who spoke in a voice with more gravel than Applejack’s driveway
>He gave a short laugh and a wave of his hand
>“Nah, just jokin’, the music’s raunchy enough already. So, ladies, I’m Rufus Paine, and who’ve you brung here today, Gilda?”
 
>Gilda jerked a thumb in Sunset’s direction
“This is Sunset Shimmer, I’m here to get her some biker leathers. She’s already got a good helmet and a few pairs of boots, we’re mostly looking for gloves, chaps, and a jacket.”
>”Chaps? Got any pants to go with that?”
“I… don’t think so.”
>Gilda looked in Sunset’s direction, her brow raised
“Do you?”
>“Do I what?”
“You can get jeans that have a kevlar weave in them, they won’t protect you as well as leather will, but with chaps, they’ll keep your butt from getting road rash.”
>“Is that why your pants always look so stiff?”
“Yeah, why would you be paying attention to my pants, though? Staring at my ass when I’m not looking?”
>Three times that day now, she’d gotten Sunset to blush or get flustered
>Gilda was pretty sure that if they were dating, she’d never tire of the sight
>“N-no!”
>She then turned to face Rufus again
“So yeah, she’ll be getting jeans too.”
>Rufus clapped his hands with a grin
>“Let’s get started then, shall we?”
 
>Rufus looked Sunset over briefly, and pulled a roll of measuring tape from his belt
>“Off with the pleather jacket, I need to get some measurements.”
>Sunset did as she was told, handing her jacket to Gilda
>Rufus drew a length of the tape out and then wrapped it around her envy-inducing bust
>The flame-haired girl was suddenly uncomfortable with the imagery of Rarity being muscular, bald, and bearded
>She couldn’t help but imagine it though, much to her dismay
>“Alright, tell me when it’s as tight as you’re comfortable with on any of the measurements,” Rufus instructed
>Sunset followed through on that, thankful that Rufus seemed more respectful towards personal space than Rarity
>His hands expertly measured everything without actually touching her, and when he got the inches down for her bust and belly, he wrote them down on a pad of paper
>Then came the circumference of her waist and thighs and the length of her whole leg, which were also written down
>When Rufus had finished that, he asked “So, what leather is it gonna be?”
“Cowhide,” Gilda answered for her. “This is her first set, it’s probably best for her to have something that doesn’t take as much care as horsehide.”
 
>Sunset looked a little puzzled
>“What do you mean, ‘doesn’t take as much care’?”
“Horsehide has more oils in it than cowhide, which gives it a nicer sheen, but you need to maintain it better to keep the oils from getting washed away from rain and stuff.”
>There was a hint of thankfulness in Sunset’s eyes at the explanation, giving her a good reason to not have to wear the skin of her own kind
>Gilda gave her a wink in return
>“Alright then, let’s have a look at what design you like best, especially for the jacket,” Rufus said, leading the two of them to a series of racks
>Sunset sifted through them all, giving each one careful consideration
>Finally, she made up her mind, pointing at one on the rack before her
>“That one.”
>“Ooh, a Marlon Brando fan, are we? Hmm… I think I actually got one of those in stock that fits your measurements just about right. Lemme grab it real quick.”
>Some further sifting, and soon enough, the jacket was found
>“Here ya go, try it on. The chest size’s just about perfect, and you can use the belt at the waist to help with any looseness ‘round the stomach area, but it should be pretty damn close too.”
 
>A moment and some very minor adjustments with the belt later, and Sunset had the jacket on just right
>She gave a bit of a spin, letting her fiery locks twirl with her, and struck a pose with her hands on her hips
>“So, what do you think, Gilda?”
>Gilda felt her face get rosy as she stared
>The jacket hugged Sunset’s physique, especially her sizable bust, in all the right places
>While she was trying to come up with some words, all that went through Gilda’s head was another song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g6h1vI4Xv0
“Uh… um.”
>She coughed softly into her fist to hopefully bring herself back to the situation at hand
“It’s really fuckin’ hot- I mean, uh, yeah, looks great.”
>Sunset picked up a knowing, shit-eating grin at those words that just made Gilda’s race get redder
>Even Rufus had a loud snort of laughter
>“Well, looks like we got the jacket covered. Good thing it was off the rack too, it costs a lot more if you want it fitted better. Any colors in mind for the chaps?”
>“Black, I’d like to have a matching set, I think.”
>“And what size of jeans do you wear?”
>Sunset muttered a number under her breath, but it seemed that Rufus picked up on it, and he whisked away to get a pair of kevlar jeans
 
>While he was off digging through the different clothes, Gilda sidled up to Sunset
“So, Sunny, what’s your size?”
>“Really, Gilda?”
“C’mon,” Gilda said with a laugh, “I know you got a lotta junk in that trunk, you got nothin’ to be ashamed of.”
>Sunset sighed, turning her head away before saying quietly, “…I’m a size ten.”
>Gilda gave another laugh, much to Sunset’s dismay
“Size ten? More like a ten outta ten, am I right?”
>“What do you mean?”
“I mean that’s just more of ya to love, dweeb,” she said, giving Sunset a friendly elbow to the ribs
>“It’s just that I’m already taller than pretty much anyone in the group except for Fluttershy, and I’m a little on the topheavy side, I don’t need to have ass for days to go with it.”
“‘A little topheavy,’ my ass.”
>“Hey, keep that up, and your ass is going to get whipped.”
“Heh, keep talkin’, short stuff,” Gilda taunted, giving one of Sunset’s buttcheeks a squeeze
>Gilda immediately regretted that course of action
 
>SMACK!
>It was the Ass Slap Heard ‘Round the World, as Sunset’s palm collided with Gilda’s bum so hard that it stung even through the reinforced jeans
“Holy-!”
>Gilda stumbled forward from the force of the blow
>“I like to think I’m a woman of my word.”
“Where’d you learn how to hit like that?”
>“Rarity’s a good teacher, but…”
>Sunset took off the jacket and rolled her fist around to show off her forearm’s taut muscles
>“…she just hasn’t got the same oomph behind it that I do.”
>Sunset was no Popeye, but dadgum, she had some fucking guns for someone her age
“Remind me not to let Gallus talk shit around you at all, Sunset. I think you’d kill him on accident.”
>“Mhmm.”
“And you said that Rarity taught you how to clap someone over the ass like that?”
>Sunset began to blush all over again
 
>“Oh, um, yeah. She… she likes the title of ‘Mistress’ when she’s really horny.”
“So she’s one of those kinda ladies?”
>“Yeah. She taught me everything I know about… that kind of thing.”
>“I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
>Both girls straightened out at the sound of Rufus’ voice
>He walked up, a pair of heavy-looking black jeans over one arm and a crooked smile visible under the mass of facial hair
>“It’s just gloves now, right?”
>“Er, yeah,” Sunset said, her cheeks’ color darkening slightly
>Rufus took the jacket and the jeans to the counter, in front of which was a shelf with a menagerie of gloves
>Sunset didn’t need much time to grab a pair, cutoffs make from black kangaroo skin, and set them in front of the register as well
>Rufus tallied everything up, finally coming to the total cost
>“That’ll be four hundred and seventy-three dollars after tax, counting the chaps. They’ll be done in just a couple of days, and if you gimme your number, I can call when they’re finished.”
>“Sure,” Sunset said, writing her cell number down on a business card and then handing over a debit card
>The transaction was finished, and Sunset walked out alongside Gilda, who was looking at her strangely
“Where didja get that kinda dough, Sunset? I saw you working at the sushi bar just a couple days ago.”
>Sunset just gave a smug grin
>“I have my secrets.”
 
>As the two of them mounted Gilda’s bike, Sunset adjusted her new leather jacket and stuffed her pleather one into one of the saddlebags
“So, where’s your place exactly?”
>“Oh, it’s an apartment complex in one of the quieter parts of town. I can point where to go as we go along.”
“Quieter, you say?”
>Sunset shrugged before putting her helmet on
>“I say quiet, but it’s more that I don’t have to worry much about nosy neighbors. The Dazzlings moved in after I suggested the place to them when I saw they were living in a van.”
“Oh, those three pairs of fish titties? I thought they hightailed it out of here for good.”
>Sunset snickered at the ‘fish titties’ comment
>“They don’t cause much trouble for me, at least. They’re all a bunch of subs, especially Aria, but Adagio too. Sonata’s too dumb to be anything but, if we’re being honest. She does like getting rewarded for making good food, so she’s bringing me something she made pretty much every other day. Usually, it’s really great.”
“Is it ever… not?”
>“Yeah, but not very often. One time, she made a pumpkin pie and accidentally grabbed cloves when she meant to put in cinnamon, and used enough of it to make my tongue feel fuzzy for an hour. Still delicious, though.”
“Good to know. Now, let’s get you home.”
 
>The trip to Sunset’s apartment went far more smoothly than the ride to the shop
>Gilda didn’t even have a single lewd thought the entire time!
>Quite impressive, if she did say so herself
>Especially considering how hot Sunset was
>That kind of strength behind her spanking was pretty awe-inspiring
>So much so that Gilda wished she would do it again-
“Dammitall,” Gilda muttered, disappointed in herself for not quite making it to Sunset’s parking lot before having to eat her own words
>“Hm?”
“Nothing.”
>Gilda put the kickstand down before dismounting, waiting for Sunset to get off the bike first
>The complex didn’t look like a run down pile of garbage, but it still was pretty obvious that it was cheap rent for a reason
>The gray-blue paint on some of the walls had started to peel from the weather, and the windows in the laundromat area looked like a whole bottle of ammonia wouldn’t be able to clean them properly
>At least it didn’t really stink or anything, and the humble courtyard in the middle didn’t have a bunch of a bunch of garbage piled in it
>Just as soon as they’d climbed the flight of stairs to the upper apartments, one of the doors flung open, revealing a faintly tanned face with bold fuchsia eyes and dark aquamarine hair, striped with indigo
>“*GASP*”
>“Ohmigoshness! Sunny! You’re home!”
>The loony girl practically exploded out the door and threw her arms around Sunset’s waist
>“You weren’t home on time, I thought something bad happened! It got me so nervous that I ended up making FIVE baked banana custards and Aria said that if she sees me make anything with bananas for the next week, she’ll stuff a banana in every hole of my face!”
“So… that’s Sonata, right?”
> Sunset nodded 
>“Yep.”
>Gilda got the feeling that getting to know the sirens beyond what little she knew of them before they left might be unwise
 
>“That’s me, alright!” Sonata chirped
>At last, Sonata then paid attention to Gilda, looking at her curiously
>“Who’s your new friend, Sunny? I don’t remember seeing her at school.”
>“That’s because she graduated already,” Sunset answered
“The name’s Gilda. We aren’t really friends yet, but I’m doing her a favor, from one biker bitch to another.”
>There was a pause as Sonata ran what Gilda told her head a time or two to make sure she understood it
>“Ha, you just called yourself a bitch, silly!” she said with a laugh, but then her smile faded into a frown
>“But… that means you also just called Sunny a bitch too!”
>Sonata’s face became cross, and she bared her teeth, growling in anger at Gilda
“Whoa, hold on, it’s just an expression of- holy shit!”
>Sonata dove at Gilda, who stepped out of the way, letting Sonata fly past her
>But unfortunately, this also meant Sonata fell down the stairs, tumbling to the bottom
“Fuck, fuck, fucking shit fuck shit-!” Gilda half-yelled as she flew down the stairs after Sonata
>She may not have been the nicest person around, but dead people were really NOT Gilda’s thing
>That’s why she was getting Sunset some leathers in the first place, after all
 
>Checking Sonata for vitals turned out to be unneeded though
>By the time Gilda got all the way down the stairs, Sonata rolled over and laughed dizzily
>She had a small goose egg on her brow, but nothing too serious
>Gilda ran a hand over her face out of frustration, looking down at the derptastic girl
“Ugh… fuckin’ dweeb. C’mere, let’s get you on your feet.”
>“Sonata! Are you alright?” Sunset called from up above
>“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Adagio’s hit me harder with a pair of shoes before, this is nothing!”
>Gilda blinked confoundedly
“Harder? You just tumbled down a whole fuckin’ flight of stairs, and you’ve gotten hurt worse from your sister throwing shoes at you?”
>Sonata nodded in confirmation, saying “She has it down to an art at this point.”
>Sunset shrugged, and Gilda shook her head
“C’mon, let’s get your dumb ass up the stairs and back inside, alright?”
>“Okay, but only if you take one of the custards, okay? Also, my ass isn’t dumb! Sunny says it’s beautiful and perky and all kinds of fun for spanking!”
>Sunset froze, her mortification plainly visible on her face
>Gilda smirked and gave Sunset a wink
>“Y’know what, I’m just gonna head inside and pretend that Sonata has a filter between her brain and her mouth. Catch you tomorrow, Gilda?”
>A nod from the veteran biker prompted Sunset to unlock the door to her own apartment and hurriedly shut it
 
 
“So… Sunset likes to spank you a lot?”
>“Yeah, and it’s a lot of fun, too! As much as I like it though, Adagio likes getting spanked even more than I do, and I don’t think that Sunset can do anything to Aria that she doesn’t like.”
>At Sonata’s blabbering, Gilda found herself quite intrigued, and decided to take advantage of the situation
>Making sure to take her time in climbing the stairs
“What kinda stuff has Aria dealt with?”
>Sonata said with a giggle, “Just last week she got chained to the ceiling and was flogged with a cat o’ nine tails, and Sunset said she stopped because Aria was bleeding pretty heavily. Another time, it was hot wax. Aria told me that she had six whole tapers melted over her back, boobs, and butt!”
>Um
>Motherfucking WOW
“Is Sunset more, ah, gentle most of the time?”
>“She tries to be for me and Adagio, but I think Aria won’t be satisfied until Sunset puts her in the hospital.”
>Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Gilda and Sonata saw Adagio and Aria waiting for them
>Neither of them looked happy to see the two, or at least they didn’t look happy to see Sonata blathering on about the sirens’ fetishes
>Aria stomped forward, grabbed Sonata by the ear, and dragged her inside while yelling out “Sonata! You’re just the worst!”
>Adagio stared at Gilda with the kind of contemplative look that only a true villain could give, crossing her arms and giving a predatory “Hmm…”
 
>If there was anything brilliant about Gilda, it was her eyes
>A powerfully vivid gold, so bright that they almost seemed to glow
>Though she was a little teensy bit intimidated, she locked her gaze with Adagio's blood-crimson orbs, refusing to give in to the siren's mind games
"What, see something ya like?" Gilda said challengingly, putting on a grin full of bravado
>Adagio returned the favor with a smile of her own, hers far more sinister
>"Well, something I'd like to have a chance to toy with, at least. You weren't present for the Battle of the Bands, were you?"
"Nope. Pretty sure I was in the hospital for the week or so that you gals were doing your mindrape plot or whatever it was; I usually work on my bike at the school's metalshop."
>"The hospital? What the heck happened?"
>Gilda shrugged
"Bike wreck, some jerk ran me off the road. Most of my injuries were internal, I was stuck in a bed for ten days. Got a bad scrape on my hand, and a little scar's all I got to show for almost getting killed."
>Gilda stepped up to Adagio and took off her gloves
>Holding up her hand, she revealed…
 
>...Nothing
>"What are you talking about, there's no-"
>It was then that the opportunity presented itself, and Gilda seized it as a harpy eagle would its prey
>When Adagio's attention was drawn to the unmarked hand, Gilda's other hand swung around and smacked Adagio's rotund fishbooty, protected by little more than thin leggings and panties
>The loud clap echoed throughout the courtyard, and Adagio nearly choked from how hard she gasped her next breath, briefly going cross-eyed
>Bold of Gilda, she knew, but she had to put Adagio in a position of weakness before the siren did the same to her
"Sonata wasn't kidding at all, was she?" Gilda sniggered
>Adagio rubbed the tender spot where Gilda's hand collided with her buttocks and grumbled "Why you filthy little-"
"Lotta badonkadonk to slap too, I bet Sunset could let loose on an ass like that for hours and still not get all of it!"
>Adagio growled, Gilda smirked
"Your move, fishtits."
>Her olive face slowly approaching the color of her eyes, Adagio loosed a loud "Grrraaagh!" before stomping back inside
>She scowled at Gilda, drawing a thumb across her throat before slamming the door shut
 
>When she was sure that the siren was inside for good, Gilda headed back down the stairs and went to her motorcycle
>She was acutely aware that if Adagio had the opportunity first, their roles could very well be reversed
>Considering herself lucky that she kept Adagio flustered enough to not have things escalate after she made her move, Gilda put her gloves back on, donned her helmet, and then rode quietly home
>Her own home wasn't anything worth speaking about, really
>Or at least not something that she wanted to speak about
>A studio apartment near the industrial district of town
>Three hundred dollars per month for rent, and it was readily apparent as to why it was so cheap
>Whereas Sunset's place was a little rough, Gilda's was positively run down
>The entire complex lacked any functional heating or air conditioning, and so she had a box air conditioner in her window and an oil heater for her own studio
>Her furniture consisted of a coffee table, a wooden chair, and a single size bed
>But hey, at least it had electricity and running water, and none of the neighbors were particularly interested in her affairs, so privacy was easy enough to find
 
>Aside from her motorcycle and her phone, the only luxury Gilda afforded herself was a cheap laptop computer
>She kicked off her boots, took off her biker gear, and plugged the computer in before hopping into bed and turning the thing on
>Gilda figured she would have to go to sleep early so that she could pick up Sunset on time, and decided to kill the few hours she had left by watching some episodes of her favorite show
"Fuck yeah, Highlander."
>'Princes of the Universe' rang through her humble abode, and she sang along with it
>To say she was no Freddie Mercury was an understatement
>She definitely had a voice more suited to hardcore punk rock than Queen covers
>Her aquiline squawking drew a few bumps from the tenants below, the bumping of a broomstick beneath her floor doing little to deter her
>"Shut up in there!"
"Aww, quitcherbitchen, the opening's over now anyway!"
>"Whatever, some of us would rather hear Queen on the radio, not from your room!"
"Whatever to you too, dweeb!"
 
>The next morning came a lot faster than Gilda expected
>Her alarm clock rang throughout the studio, and she slapped the button to turn it off
"Ugh… I forgot how much I hate being up at five-thirty…"
>She rolled out of bed, looked down at the kevlar jeans she still wore, and shrugged
>She took them off to change her underwear, but threw them back on
>Putting on a clean bra and changing the t-shirt she had on yesterday, Gilda completed her morning rituals before gearing up and heading out
>She took her time in heading to Sunset's place, but still arrived early, about fifteen minutes so
>She stepped into the courtyard and saw Sunset looking at Aria, whose back was turned to Sunset with her shirt pulled up, exposing it
>"Yeah, you've still got a long way to go for those to heal up properly. Are you sure you don't want to go see a doctor?"
>"Doctors are for emergencies, and I'm not so much of a chump that I would call a few cuts an emergency."
>Gilda walked up the stairs quietly, spying what Aria was attempting to trivialize
>excuse_me_what_the_fuck.png
>Aria's pale back looked more like it was that of a self-flagellating monk, or perhaps an enslaved criminal from the fourteenth century
 
"'A few cuts,' my ass," Gilda said, wearing an expression of disbelief
>At the sound of Gilda's voice, Aria pulled her shirt back down and sneered at Gilda
>"Compared to some of the shit I've had to deal with over the years, yeah, this is just a few cuts," she snapped
>"What are you even doing here, anyway? Sticking your big, crooked, hawk nose where it doesn't belong?"
>Gilda clenched her fists and was about to bite back at Aria for the remark, but Sunset jumped in
>"She's here because she cares, Aria. She took me to get some biker leathers yesterday, and doesn't want me riding my bike without them. They're still out a couple of days, so Gilda is gonna be taking me back and forth to and from school until they come in."
>"What, and you couldn't have told me about it? It's not like I can't drive you around."
>Sunset cringed slightly at the suggestion
>"Yeah, but the van smells like you three still live in it. Also, Gilda doesn't have the same reputation that you three do, so I don't have to worry much about getting tomatoes thrown at us or something."
>Aria opened her mouth to protest, but sighed in defeat
>"Yeah, I guess you're right… those dickbags at school are just impossible sometimes."
>She then turned back to face Gilda, doing her best to look threatening
>Unfortunately for her, even with her four-inch heels on, she was still about half a head shorter than Gilda, who thought the display just made her look cute
>"You… you better take care of her, or the fat end of my baseball bat is going down your throat. You hear me, birdbrain?"
"Loud and clear, bitch bream."
 
>Aria's face twisted with indignation, but she faltered with a sigh
>"...Okay, that was a good one, most people don't even know what a bream is these days."
>Gilda scoffed and rolled her eyes
"I know, right? Stuff's delicious, and pretty much nobody I know eats it because it's not tuna, salmon, cod, halibut, or pollock."
>"Feh. Their loss, that just means more for us."
>Aria put a hand on her hip, and when her stomach growled, she returned the favor
>"Ugh, now I wanna go buy some sea bream, thanks a lot."
"Always looking to help," Gilda said with a snide grin
>Aria went back inside, but not before reminding Gilda to be careful once more
"Heard you the first time, don't worry. Heck, keeping Sunset from turning into hamburger is the reason I'm doing this in the first place, she'll be fine."
>"If you know what's good for you, she'd better be fine when she gets back!"
>The door wasn't slammed so much as it was shut aggressively
>"…Well, I've seen weirder introductions, but at least you seem to be getting along well enough with Aria and Sonata. I'm ready to go when you are."
 
>As before, Sunset seemed to be a little uncomfortable over being in the Bitch Seat™
>Gilda did her best to at least make sure Sunset was comfortable wrapping her arms around her middle
>Once Sunset was secure, Gilda kicked the bike into gear and was off
>First and foremost, they had to get Sunset’s daily dose of what had to be the nectar of the gods
>Using nonverbal communication, Sunset gave Gilda the directions to her coffee shop of choice
>It was a rather exotic-looking place, with walls that were almost entirely windows, and yet mostly covered with colorful sheer curtains
>Some relics of foreign lands were hanging around as well, such as masks, fetishes, and idols
>Gilda parked her bike and followed Sunset inside
>Immediately, Gilda felt her nostrils take in the powerful, delicious scent of coffee, far more potent than it had any right to be
>Some cheerful, jazzy hip-hop was playing from some speakers set up in a few different corners
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGsL9eK-muw
>Gilda noticed that she had the urge to start bobbing back and forth to the music, and Sunset was rocking her shoulders back and forth in time with a smile on her face
 
>From a curtain behind the counter came a tall, slender, sharp-featured woman with dark skin and a wiry mohawk of alternating black and silver stripes
>Her ice blue eyes met Sunset's and she returned the smile that the redhead wore
>"Good morning, Sunset dear," she said
>"Just who is it you've brought here?"
>"This is Gilda," explained Sunset, "who's getting me back and forth to and from school while I get some biker leathers finished."
"Yo."
>"Greetings, good friend of Sunset. Or am I jumping ahead, and you are not friends as of yet?"
>Gilda shrugged
"Well, we aren't best friends or whatever, but I don't wanna see Sunset turn into sausage, and so here we are."
>”A noble goal indeed, my friend; neither do I wish to see Sunset meet her end.”
>Turning to Sunset, she then asked, “What will it be for this morning so fine? Something you can drink down fast so you can reach school in time?”
 
>Sunset put a thumb and forefinger to her chin in thought
>”I dunno, Zecora,” she said, and Gilda took a mental note of the barista’s name
>“I have a lot planned for today; I’m thinking a tripleshot Black Blood vanilla iced latte?”
>Zecora looked at Sunset concernedly
>”Are you sure that is what you seek? I thought you would like to sleep sometime this week.”
>”Yeah, I have a menagerie of things going on today and tonight, and I have a whole weekend to deal with the crash. I’ll be fine, just put it all in here,” Sunset answered, placing a thermos on the counter
>Gilda eyed Sunset quizzically as Zecora got to work once she was paid, Gilda having declined to order anything for herself
“What the blazing Hells is a Black Blood latte?”
>”Okay, so there’s a way to make coffee that’s less about brewing it directly, and more of making it a sort of, like… coffee extract? You don’t get all the acids, and the other stuff that makes traditional coffee bitter. Also, it has about forty times the caffeine per ounce that coffee normally does.”
“Forty times? I’m with Zecora on this one, why does a dweeb like you need to go three days without sleep?”
>”Me and the Dazzlings.”
“...Oh.”
 
>While waiting for Sunset's coffee, Gilda slid her hands in her pockets
"So, uh, what are you planning, exactly?" she wheedled
"A chick like you can afford to be honest, right?"
>"Unless you want in, that's a no, sorry," replied Sunset
“Well,” Gilda continued, “say I did want in. What should I expect?”
>“An asswhooping,” Sunset answered immediately
“Psh, yeah right.”
>”No, really, the girls hate competition, even between each other. How do you think they’re going to react to a new challenger muscling into their territory?”
>Gilda put on a brave grin and gave a flex, her large frame’s shifting muscles noticeable even through the leather jacket
“Let ‘em come, I can take anything!”
>There was a flash of… something in Sunset’s eyes
>”…Anything, you say?”
>Gilda faltered only the tiniest bit at Sunset’s words, but doubled down on the front
“Yeah! Anything.”
>”The Dazzlings aren’t going to be the ones you want to worry about, not with those words,” Sunset said with a tut
 
>Gilda lowered her arms and looked at Sunset with an expression of something between insult and confusion, as though Sunset was leveling a threat at her
“Whaddaya mean?”
>A deep, throaty cackle escaped Sunset’s throat, and Gilda felt her blood vessels turn to icicles
>The last time she’d heard a laugh like that from Sunset, it was when Sunset had turned into Lady Lucifer that past autumn
>The taller young woman could feel doubt and regret crawling into her stomach, but fought it down
‘You climbed this hill, dammit,’ she thought to herself, ‘and you’re gonna die on it. Don’t chicken out now, you little bitch.’
>”I mean that if you wanna find out, stick around after you pick me up from school.”
>Gulp
“You got it.”
>Zecora returned with Sunset’s coffee, placing it on the counter with a concerned smile
>”I could not help but overhear, and is she… oh shit, she *is* serious?” Zecora said, giving her head a solemn shake upon seeing the looks on their faces
>”I could only hope for a moment that she was in fact delirious.”
>Sunset’s mildly terrifying words, Zecora’s despondent reaction, and Gilda’s not being in the know about all of it was making her crazy inside
“Come on, it can’t be that scary… can it?”
 
>Zecora just shook her head again, then put a stamp on a card
>”You will have to sign up for another waiver,” she said to Sunset, “if you want to keep ordering drinks with more caffeine than flavor.”
>Sunset nodded, but left with a wave to Zecora, and Gilda tagging along behind her
>Gilda grew more and more irritated and unsettled the longer she was ignored
“Dammit, tell me! Aria’s, like, the exception or whatever, right? Not like you’d tear up everyone like that-”
>Sunset whipped around, her eyes glittering with a hint of indignation 
>”I *do not* ‘tear up’ people, Gilda,” she said sharply
“Then what the fuck was with her back?”
>”It’s not my place to tell, so you’ll have to ask her yourself.”
“And lemme guess,” Gilda sighed, “I gotta show up tonight if I want a chance at getting her to spill, right?”
>Sunset nodded
“Beans.”