#AJ nonstop blushing in the images
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Poll Adventure: Rarijack Dinner
Index | [prev] - Part 02 - [next] Special thanks to @babydarkstar for major support with the writing
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Minutes pass and Applejack still has no idea what to say. Sheâs drafted a few starters, but none of them feel right, or even like something a normal person would say to initiate conversation.
[You. Me. Saturday. Dinner?-] Delete, delete, deleteâŠÂ [Hey Rarity, do you have any pla-] Delete, delete, deleteâŠÂ [So Big Macâs plannin to smoke some BBQ this weeken-] Delete, delete, DELETE.
Frustration buildsâright in her chest all the way up to her ears. She canât find the right words, and sheâs usually so good at thatâin her own way.Â
This should be easy! Itâs not a profession of undying love.Â
Yet progress is a stick in the mud when it comes to her feelings for Rarity.
The legs of the chair squeak across the worn hardwood as AJ gets up and starts pacing around the kitchen, talking to herself. She takes her hat off, ruffs her fingers through her bangs, puts her hat back, runs a hand down her face. A huge, frustrated sigh escapes her when she throws her hands up.
âItâs Rarity. How goddamn hard can it be to ask her for somethinâ?!â
Thatâs it.Â
Tired of her own inaction, she slams her thumb on the call button.
RingâŠ
âŠringâŠ
With each ring the reality of her actions washes over her, and by the third ring she is fully aware of what sheâs about to do. Her frustration morphs into panic and doubt, soaking her in dread.Â
Is she actually doing this? LikeâŠfollowing through instead of letting her ideas fizzle out?Â
This is happening, the phone is ringing, itâs sending the signal to Rarityâs device and sheâs gonna grab it and answer andâ
No, itâs too soon, theyâve only known each other for foreverâ
Before she can cancel the call, she hears a clickâ
âApplejack, darling!â
AJâs gut leaps at the sound of that silky voice, clear elation in its tone and excitement at the chance to answer her call.
âTo what do I owe the pleasure?â
AJ can feel her heart pounding up to her throat. Why is her mouth so dry all of a sudden?Â
âUhhhâŠhowdy.â
Not her brightest greeting, but this isnât the first time sheâs acted without thinking it through. She doesnât even know where to start.
The weight of reality makes her feel awkward, like a bull in a china shop. Too big for her britches indeed.
Silence rings in her ears.
Why is she freezing up at a time like this?
âApplejackâŠ? Are you still there?â chimes Rarity on the other line, but she might as well be talking to a brick wall.Â
It takes a few seconds of blank thought before AJ realizes itâs her turn to speak.Â
âAgh! Sorry, I justâI thought Iâd give you a call. See how youâre doingâŠmake sure youâand the business oâcourseâmake sure itâs goinâ ok and whatnot.â
She wants to smack herself upside the head.Â
The business?
If she could go dig a hole outside and lay in it while the seasons change, she would; but sheâs got a family to take care of and a farm to run. Surely this isnât the worst moment of her life. Surely. But she doesnât need to see Rarityâs face to feel the effect of her clunky greeting.
This is not like her. This is getting worse by the second, she doesnât have a clue what to say, and sheâs kicking herself for even calling.Â
Why canât she have even an ounce of the romantic charm that her parents had? Why is she so bad at flirting, especially when it comes to Rarity? When she tries to be intentional, itâs like she doesnât know up from down; she stutters and fumbles like a bumbling buffoon. All this romance stuff seems so easy when she doesnât care.
After a moment she hears Rarity give a little laugh, a sound like a sparkling stream running through fields of green. It makes AJâs knees weak, a one-two punch to her joints. Elegance, grace, poise. When Rarity laughs, itâs flower petals dancing in the breeze; itâs birds chirping after a summer rain; itâs the shimmer of quartz shining in a dusty path.
âOh, Iâm spectacular, darling. Just putting the final touches on some designs for next month. Iâm confident about my next line, but as alwaysâI have too many ideas. You know me.â
AJ grins at that. âYeah, I do. Knowinâ you, youâve got at least a dozen too many.â
The chaotic, unrelenting artist inside Rarity used to annoy the hell outta AJ when they first met. Now she canât help but find it endearing.
âQuiet, you,â Rarity says coyly, and AJ can hear the smile in her voice before she switches the topic, âHowâve you been, darling? You sound positively stressed.â
There it is again. The feeling of her nerves tying themselves to knots.
âIâŠuhâŠIâm doinâ fine. I just-â
âIs everything alright, dear? Anything I can do? Iâm glad to offer my assistanceâthough nothing that could ruin my manicure; I just got a fresh coat. Itâs a new formulaâŠsupposed to be hard as diamonds. Of course, I donât believe such ridiculous claims until I try it myselfâŠthough Iâd hate to push them too hard after I just had them doneâOh, but darling, please. Do tell me if everything is okay with youâŠ?â Despite her rambling, Rarity sounds concerned. Great. And normally AJ would roll her eyes at the manicure excuse, but her nerves are shot, and thatâs NOT what this is about.
âNo! I meanâyesâŠIâm alright. Justâyou know how it is. Farm and all. Exhausted,â AJ tries to give a lame excuse, though she can hear her voice break in between, and prays Rarity wonât notice. She clears her throat.
With the way itâs pounding between her own ears, AJâs sure everyone and their mother can hear her heart beating in her chest, running like a wild horse. But thatâs just what Rarity does to her.
âOh, I do know, darling. Work can be a chore, especially for you. Ooh, we should go to the spaâit has been far too long since you spent a day pampering yourself! They have a new treatment that I just know youâll love...â
âYeahâŠyeah, that sounds nice,â AJ says distractedly, chewing on her thumb as Rarity raves about the newest spa services.
Sheâs blowing it.
Sheâs. Blowing. It.
Partly because now, sheâs thinking about all that beautiful, smooth, creamy skin put on display next to her at the spa, all while she tries not to stare too much or say something stupid. Itâs hard for AJ to admit to herself that part of the reason she finally took Rarityâs initial offer of a spa day was because of the promise of seeing her in way less clothing than usual. She got used to it eventually, butâdid she really? Is it ever boring to see Rarity, in all her grace and glory, wrapped in nothing more than a towel? Sheâs all soft curves, and smooth skin, and pretty hair piled up on her head and held together with a big clip. With her hair up like that, itâs easier to see the cute little mole on the curve of her neck, one she probably forgets she even has. If AJ could, sheâd lean over and press a kiss right there, feel her tremble under her lipsâ
ââŠbut Applejack, reallyâare you alright? You donât sound a bit like your usual sunny self.â
Fuck. Okay. Moment of truth. Câmon AJ. Stop stalling. Stop fantasizing when you could have it for real.
âRarity, Iâm callinâ âcause IââŠwell, Iââ
AJ could ask her for a date, plain and simple. Which would almost surely be a confession. Something about dressing nice and holding doors (which she does anyways). Itâs the most unambiguous choice for sure, butâŠis that what she wants? Sheâs never been in this situation before, wanting to change the dynamic between her and a close friend to something closer to the heart. She values her dynamic with Rarity, whether itâs romantic or not.
AJ could also just ask if Rarity wants to have dinner, no mention of a date in sight. Thereâs no obligation there, no real pressure to âget it right.â She knows sheâs playing it safe this way, but maybe she should test the waters and make sure she doesnât completely ruin her friendship with Rarity by confessing right away.
Either way, this means too much for her to blow it off again. She has to decide now.
Tag List: @mrrrpmeow @babydarkstar
#AJ nonstop blushing in the images#this is AJs blushing arc#poll adventure: rarijack dinner#polls#rarijack#applejack#rarity#mlp#my art
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