The planning of Ashleigh’s birthday outing had been a joint effort. Ashleigh had chosen the theatre, and the play, while Aisling had provided the funds. Aisling was one of very few people Ashleigh would actually trust to pick a play or ballet or opera that she would enjoy, but this year there’d been something particular she wanted to see, and had, more to the point, wanted to see from the good seats rather than the average ones she tended to buy when she was attending on her own. “I think you’ll like it,” Ashleigh told Aisling, once they’d settled into seats in the theatre’s bar. (They were, of course, early.) “It’s by the same playwright as the Venetian romance we came to see two years ago, but staged by someone quite new.” If nothing else, it should be interesting, and Ashleigh was excited.
Ashleigh had wondered if she ought to invite Axel. Or let him organise something for her birthday - but coming to the theatre (or opera house) with Aisling was tradition, and something Ashleigh knew she would enjoy. She would spend Sunday with Axel, or he could organise something for next week. “How was dinner with Laurel and Toby?” she asked. She felt she should have been there, but there had been too many difficulties, and she could always meet Laurel later.
--
Aisling was always happy to pay for whatever activity Ashleigh picked for her birthday. It pleased her that Ashleigh didn’t try to fight her on it. Besides, it was hardly as if Aisling didn’t enjoy their trips to theatre or ballet or opera or, especially, the orchestra. She would have hardly objected to a quiet evening in either, but there was still something very pleasing about having an event, an outing, to celebrate Ashleigh’s birthday. Aisling’s own was on New Year’s Eve, which often meant that any celebration was much more about that than her birthday. Thus, she rather enjoyed being able to celebrate Ashleigh’s birthday. Especially since Aisling didn’t think Ashleigh celebrated much of anything.
Crossing her legs and reaching for the drink she had ordered, Aisling smiled at Ashleigh once they had settled in the theatre bar. “I’m sure I will find it enjoyable,” Aisling said mostly because it was the polite response rather than because she was sure. But then, it was a play picked by Ashleigh, so Aisling strongly doubted she wouldn’t enjoy it. “The dinner was lovely,” she assured. It had, of course, been a shame that Ashleigh couldn’t make it, but Aisling was sure there would be plenty of opportunities for her to meet Laurel. Perhaps Aisling would organise something just for the three of them.
“Oh,” she said, reaching for her bag. “Your present,” Aisling said, handing Ashleigh a rather thick envelope. Once the other woman was opening it and pulling out the rather extensive paperwork, Aisling proceeded to explain. “It’s a trip to Moscow in November. We’re going for a week,” Aisling told Ashleigh, pointing at the booking form for a portkey and a hotel. “And we have tickets to the Bolshoi Theatre,” she added, a well manicured finger tapping against the tickets as Ashleigh pulled them out of the envelope. “I’ve even managed to organise us a backstage tour,” it did help knowing most of the orchestra. “You just need to fill out the visa application and book time off,” Aisling said finally with a grin, before taking another sip of her drink as she leaned back into her chair, full in confidence that Ashleigh would be happy with her present.
--
Ashleigh eyed the envelope as she took it from Aisling’s hand. “This is supposed to be your present,” she objected, gesturing at the theatre surrounding them. It was practically tradition, by now. Ashleigh had originally suggested that Aisling pay for tickets as her present - because that was what Ashleigh wanted most, especially in her later years at school, before she really had money of her own. Aisling had always insisted on getting her something else as well, but that didn’t mean Ashleigh was going to stop pointing out that such had never been her intention.
She opened the envelope, frowning a little over the application form. But Aisling was explaining before Ashleigh needed to ask. “Moscow?” she asked, excitement obvious on her face. She’d never been, and of course she wanted to go to the Bolshoi Theatre - and going with Aisling was perfect. She smiled. “Aisling, it’s brilliant.” It had been a long, long time since she’d felt bad over the money Aisling spent on her. It had taken time, but Ashleigh felt by now that she really understood that Aisling didn’t think of their relationship as unequal just because Ashleigh couldn’t spend the same. If she’d been more demonstrative, she might have hugged Aisling. “I’ll book it as soon as I get to work on Monday.” Roger would be pleased that she was arranging for yet more time off.
--
Aisling had, of course, expected Ashleigh to love the present. She would have hardly got it if she hadn’t thought so. Ashleigh’s proclamation that the theatre visit was already a present received a small wave of hand by Aisling. Sure, she was paying for them to be there, but Aisling more viewed it as a place they could be so she could give Ashleigh her present. Money had and would never be a problem or a concern for Aisling, so she happily spent it on her best friend. She would’ve spent a lot more if she didn’t think there was a point at which Ashleigh would refuse it. Had not been the case, Aisling would have long ago bought Ashleigh out of her stupid job.
Putting her glass down on the table, Aisling smiled widely. “I’m glad you like it,” she said openly, but they were both aware that there had been a very slim chance Ashleigh wouldn’t. In fact, seeing how the present involved the top ballet company in the world, there probably hadn’t been a chance of that at all. “I quite look forward to it, too,” Aisling added, both because she was and to demonstrate that it wasn’t just a vast expense on her part for the sake of Ashleigh. Aisling did look forward to seeing Moscow again and going to such exceptional ballet was always a treat. “I hope you won’t object to my company,” she said teasingly. “I suspect taking your boyfriend would be a rather different experience,” Aisling wasn’t sure what Axel’s opinions on ballet were, but she imagined that her knowledge of it was closer to Ashleigh’s than his might’ve been.
--
The chances of Ashleigh not liking any gift that had to do with ballet were slim-to-none, and Aisling knew it, but taking her to see the Bolshoi Ballet was above and beyond what Ashleigh would have expected for anyone but her best friend. Ashleigh really appreciated Aisling’s taste for quality - it was one of many things they shared that allowed their friendship to flourish even so many years after they’d first met. Having a best friend who didn’t enjoy the dramatic arts would be far less satisfying. “I never object to your company,” Ashleigh said honestly. More often than not, her blunt words made people feel unappreciated, but she’d never stinted with equal honesty about people’s positives, as long as those positives were genuinely in evidence.
Ashleigh bit back a laugh at the mention of Axel. He probably would have agreed to go with her, if she’d asked, but she doubted he’d have enjoyed it as much as Aisling would. They hadn’t really talked about it, beyond Ashleigh mentioning when she had classes, but she assumed he wouldn’t be interested. Theatre and classical music, perhaps, but not ballet. Of course, she was only guessing. “We’ve only been… dating for two and a bit months,” she pointed out. “I don’t think I’m ready to share a hotel room with him for a week.” Especially not considering the fact that sleep still seemed to be something of a problem, since the chocolates. Which thought prompted Ashleigh to look down at the paperwork, and then up at Aisling. “Are we sharing a room in St Tropez?” She had left all the hotel arrangements to Aisling.
--
Personally, Aisling wasn’t sure whether dating for two and bit months was too short of a time to share a hotel room. If anything, she would have assumed that was more than enough. Then again, her personal experiences weren’t a great deal to go by seeing how she had started with the sharing of a bed and then expanded into more of a relationship. Still, Aisling knew Ashleigh well enough to know that they didn’t quite operate the same way. That and this was Ashleigh’s first real relationship, so Aisling could understand the caution. “Have you--” Aisling paused tilting her head slightly. She didn’t actually want to ask about sex, because it was neither her business nor did she think Ashleigh particularly wanted to discuss such private business. “How are things with Axel?” Aisling settled on instead.
“I’ve booked us a joint suit,” Aisling explained. “Two bedrooms and a shared living room,” because of course she had booked them into a massive suit. Aisling very rarely did things by halves. “But I promise you can crawl in bed with me if you get lonely,” Aisling added teasingly. They hadn’t actually shared a bed since early years in Hogwarts, but Aisling wasn’t exactly going to kick Ashleigh out of bed. Aisling didn’t really kick anyone out of her bed, which perhaps was a character flaw, but also had worked in her favour plenty of times. “Speaking of sharing beds,” Aisling added reaching for her glass as she smirked slightly into it. “I have a confession to make. Of sorts,” Aisling didn’t consider it a proper confession but she probably should tell her best friend that she was accidentally in a relationship with someone. For quite a while now, as it turned out.
--
Ashleigh wasn’t, actually, as much of a prude as she often seemed. Had Aisling asked directly, Ashleigh would have had no problem answering. Since she didn’t, though, Ashleigh followed her lead. Possibly it would be too strange to hear the details while Aisling was actually living with Axel. “Things are - fine,” she answered. She knew it wasn’t a terribly enthusiastic answer, but it was honest. They hadn’t had some dramatic argument that would ruin the friendship they’d shared, but nor did Ashleigh have any illusions that she was in love or anything like that. “I think he’d like to support me more than I’m letting him.” She didn’t mean financially, though Axel certainly had enough money to do so. Ashleigh was too independent. There had been, in recent weeks, things she could have taken to Axel, things he would probably have wanted to hear about, and yet she hadn’t. It was her own fault, not his. If fault needed to be attributed.
“A joint suite sounds lovely,” she said, and if she sounded more enthusiastic about that than about her boyfriend, she didn’t consider that odd at all. She frowned, for a moment, when Aisling teased her about sharing. She didn’t think it would come to that, but she had been suffering from increased anxiety attacks - or something very like them. She didn’t want to dwell on that, so she let Aisling’s next words distract her. “Oh?” she asked. “Please tell me you haven’t adopted an animal. I couldn’t possibly take another one.”
--
“Wouldn’t we all,” Aisling commented with a small laugh. Ashleigh was possibly the most stubbornly independent person Aisling had ever met. Aisling, too, considered herself rather independent, but unlike Ashleigh, Aisling also recognised that she needed people. To her, it wasn’t a hardship to admit it, but if Aisling wanted to be perfectly honest with herself, which she usually was, she was well aware that she rarely actually disclosed how much pleasure she took in other’s company. Her friends often supported her without realising they did so, mostly because Aisling was not in a habit of sharing much about how she felt or thought. “But I’m glad it hasn’t all blown up in your face,” she added a bit teasingly. Ashleigh had worried, Aisling knew that. But then, Ashleigh’s default setting was worrying, so it didn’t really say much.
Ashleigh’s wish for Aisling not to have adopted animals, Aisling shook her head, grinning. “No, but my squirrel farm is doing excellently, thank you,” she told her best friend with amusement. Aisling squirrel house really was doing well and she took a lot of pleasure in watching the little rodents run about in the mornings when she had her coffee. Tapping her finger against the glass, Aisling tilted her head slightly. “Xavier and I are in a relationship,” she told Ashleigh. “All very accidental, you see,” Aisling added as if that was a thing that happened often to people. “But it’s all very pleasant and he’s lovely,” which was very true. Aisling felt rather happy with the whole thing, which was unexpected, but very enjoyable.
--
Whether or not Aisling’s ‘all’ would like to support her more rather depended on who she was including in that category. Ashleigh had never felt that her mother or Alicia were particularly keen to support her. Perhaps it wasn’t fair to resent that, given they’d each had their own problems to deal with, but Ashleigh did resent it, just a bit. She knew what it was like to provide support, and she didn’t want to ask that of her friends. The idea that they might actually enjoy it rather more than she did wasn’t one she’d really considered. “It hasn’t,” she agreed. “Yet.” She was mostly teasing. She still worried that things were going to go badly with Axel, but she no longer feared it would be an all-consuming explosion. If it happened, she could deal with it. She hoped.
“Thankfully, you haven’t started letting the squirrels inside,” she pointed out. She really was okay with nature, as long as it stayed in its proper place. Animals indoors, and animals that depended on their owners for food and exercise and affection, truly mystified her. Once Aisling had delivered her real news, Ashleigh raised an eyebrow as she absorbed it. In a way, it didn’t surprise her that Aisling should accidentally find herself in a relationship. Ashleigh wouldn’t have appreciated that process for herself, but she could see how it would happen to her friend. “Well, as long as you’re happy,” she said first. She had already provided Aisling a list of ways sleeping with her bandmates could go wrong, and she didn’t feel now as if Aisling was coming to her for advice - so she didn’t offer any. Aisling being happy was the most important thing.
--
Aisling was hardly going to let the squirrels inside. She wasn’t mad. Besides, at least one of the endless amount of dogs they seemed to have would probably eat one, and Aisling didn’t think she would be very pleased about that. There seemed to such a lack of surprise in Ashleigh’s words, that Aisling couldn’t help but laugh. They really were very different people, because Aisling, too, didn’t think it terribly surprising that she had stumbled into a relationship without really noticing it, and yet, she also knew this was not something that would ever happen to Ashleigh. “I am happy,” she confirmed, because she was. It was rather nice, too. Easy. That certainly helped. Aisling doubted she’d have much patience for this relationship if it hadn’t been easy. Thankfully, though, things with Xavier seemed just... simple. Lovely and simple.
“Well, you know,” she grinned slightly. “Even if you and Axel dissolve your alliances, you’ll always have me to rely on,” Aisling told her best friend, reaching for her glass so she could raise in a mock toast. “What is it that common people say?” She asked with a smirk. “Hoes before bros?” Aisling offered, well aware how ridiculous the phrase was, especially when said in her posh accent. Aisling was not designed to say things like ‘hoes’ and ‘bros’ and be in any way taken seriously.
--
For all that Ashleigh often worried about quite irrational things, she had never for a moment feared that she would lose Aisling’s friendship, however her relationship with Axel ended. She couldn’t help laughing over Aisling’s attempt at a popular idiom. “Please don’t,” she said, smile still curling her lips. “You are far from common, Aisling.” She meant it in the best way - Aisling was rare, and wonderful. She did raise her glass, though. Whatever the words used, her relationship with Aisling was worth celebrating. “Do I get to meet Xavier?” she asked. She knew she had met him, of course, she had been letting herself in and out of Panquake House since the band moved in, and she’d attended parties and concerts and been backstage before that. She hadn’t really talked to him, though. And, knowing she didn’t always make the best social impression, she would have been neither surprised nor offended if Aisling hadn’t thought a more intimate meeting necessary, even now.
As Ashleigh finished her drink, the magically amplified voice announced that the doors to the seating area were now open. “Shall we go take our seats?” she asked, eager to get her first look at the stage.
--
Aisling really was far from common, which just made her laugh more at Ashleigh’s comment. It had very much been intended as a joke, one which Aisling would not have made to anyone but Ashleigh, mostly because Aisling trusted Ashleigh not to judge her for her upbringing and making light of the privilege that such childhood had brought her. At her question, of whether she was to meet Xavier, Aisling shook her head. “No,” she told Ashleigh, both because Ashleigh had met Xavier, even if mostly in passing and as someone being there when she was, but also because Aisling didn’t think Xavier would enjoy that a great deal. Meeting people in social situations seemed to be much easier for Xavier than having all of the attention on him, which he would if the situation was Aisling introducing him to Ashleigh. It seemed rather unnecessary. “Have a tea with him on a morning of an accidental sleep over,” Aisling said with a smile. She was sure there were plenty of occasions they could run into each other.
At Ashleigh’s suggestion that they find their seats, Aisling nodded, taking one last sip of her drink before abandoning it on the table in a true fashion of someone who drank wine for the taste and with no concern of it’s cost. It didn’t take them long to locate the seats and briefly exchange a chat regarding the play and previous theatre experiences they had shared. Once the play started they, of course, fell into silence, enjoying the show. When the curtain fell and an interval was announced, Aisling led Ashleigh back to the bar, ordering them both another drink and then promptly paying for it, before Ashleigh could as much as offer.
“Are you enjoying your birthday so far?” Aisling enquired as the found seats to settle into for the twenty minutes that the interval was going to last.
--
Ashleigh didn’t say that an accidental sleepover was a situation she was unlikely to ever find herself in. She did little accidentally, and certainly had no intention of spending the night at Panquake House when she had a perfectly good, perfectly private bedroom of her own. (And even if she did, deliberately, stay with Axel, why would she have tea there instead of apparating back to her own kitchen?) Instead, she just nodded, her lips pressed together a shade more tightly than was natural. She was sure she would bump into Xavier again, and reminded herself that Aisling’s choice not to facilitate such a meeting wasn’t a sign that Aisling found her company unpalatable. Or even, despite the nagging voice at the back of Ashleigh’s mind, that she thought Xavier would.
After pushing such irrational thoughts away, Ashleigh settled down to enjoy the play. It was a new story, and yet from the opening scene she had a strange feeling of things not being quite right. At times, she almost had double vision, seeing a fair, petite actress overlayed on the average-height brunette. More than once she frowned when a change of scenery was revealed, looking nothing like it should. By the interval, she was starting to feel a headache building in her temples as she allowed Aisling to lead her to the bar. Despite Aisling’s protest, she insisted on sparkling water. She knew the one glass of wine hadn’t caused whatever was going on with her, but she didn’t want to exacerbate the problem with more.
“It’s a very good play,” she answered, able to separate the reality of the plot and the acting from the odd feeling of wrongness at least enough to give an honest appraisal. “The staging is a little… lavish.” Ashleigh felt very strongly that it should be staged more minimally, with a greater focus on magical elements and less on ornate costumes and opulent furniture. That matched up with Ashleigh’s preferred aesthetic, but she’d never experienced quite this much dissonance when a play didn’t suit her exact tastes. “I’m looking forward to see how they manage the scene with the pixies in the next act.” Ashleigh didn’t immediately realise she shouldn’t know there was a scene with pixies.
--
Aisling wasn’t all that sure she would have opted for the word ‘lavish’ to describe what the stage looked like. Sure, it had sets and quite a lot of colours, but it wasn’t anything more than she would have expected. Which Aisling had been about to point out when Ashleigh added that she looked forward to the pixies. “I thought you said this is a new play?” Aisling asked raising an eyebrow at her friend. She could have very well misunderstood, but Aisling really didn’t think that Ashleigh had seen the play before. They often discussed plays, even ones Ashleigh had seen without Aisling, and she certainly did not recall the plot they had seen so far.
Taking a sip of her drink, Aisling gave Ashleigh another small frown. “Are you okay?” It was a question Aisling asked both because of the somewhat odd references, but also because Ashleigh looked... pale. The sort of pale people usually got with nausea. Aisling wasn’t really sure what else she could do but ask. Perhaps it was just her imagination, or the dim light of the theatre bar. That would certainly be preferred to Ashleigh actually being unwell.
--
Apart from the headache, which was hardly something to be concerned over, Ashleigh felt physically fine. Mentally, however… Aisling was quite right. This was a new production, and while the script was probably available if one really sought it, Ashleigh hadn’t. “I -” She didn’t know how to explain, because she didn’t know what was happening. How did she know what the play would contain? Because, even now that Aisling had pointed out she had no way to know, Ashleigh was quite certain.
“You remember when I was suddenly very knowledgeable about resistance groups?” She assumed that Aisling did remember, because Aisling was not the kind of person to forget. “I think I know this play in the same way. The information is just… there.” She frowned, trying to rapidly assemble the pieces but coming up with an incomplete picture. “But the information is wrong. I think a blonde woman ought to be playing the lead…”
--
Of course Aisling remembered Ashleigh’s concern over having information about resistance groups. She thought it as unconcerning now as she had at the time Ashleigh had told her about it. Knowing things was surely not a problem, even if you weren’t able to account for how you knew them. Similarly, Aisling wasn’t all that convinced that Ashleigh knowing about a play was... well, much of anything? It was odd. That was about as far as Aisling could go with it. Then again, it clearly was causing Ashleigh a great deal of confusing, if not outright anxiety, so it was important.
“Knowing about resistance groups and predicting second acts of plays?” Aisling commented with a small smile. “You’d make a terrible superhero, Ashleigh Spinnet,” she told her best friend jokingly, but did also reach out to brush her hand against Ashleigh’s arm, in what Aisling was hoping was at least a manner of comforting gesture. “We don’t have to go back,” she said, much softer and more careful than her previous comments. Aisling didn’t know what the experiences Ashleigh was having were like and she doubted she could even pretend to understand, but she certainly could suggest they didn’t attempt to carry on with the situation that was causing them.
--
Ashleigh managed a small smile at the idea of herself as a superhero, but she was still clearly concerned. “There doesn’t seem to be any connection,” she agreed. What kind of life had she been leading where she was researching resistance groups but also still going to see plays. And, since presumably she wasn’t remembering things from the alternate future, going to see them early in their run? Perhaps the war that everyone talked about was very short, but there seemed an awful lot of memories for that to be the case. And, surely, resistance movements didn’t usually spring up immediately? (Ashleigh knew they didn’t, because she knew about resistance movements.)
It was sweet of Aisling to say they didn’t have to go back, but Ashleigh shook her head. She wanted to see the rest of the play. It was her birthday treat. And, compared to the lack of appetite and the anxiety attacks, this did seem fairly harmless. “It’s a little disorientating,” she admitted. “But I doubt it’s doing me any actual harm.” Besides, Ashleigh wanted to figure it out.
--
Aisling was willing to argue over the concept of ‘actual harm’. Clearly, knowledge of plays, or knowledge of resistance groups, or knowledge of many such random things, weren’t going to cause Ashleigh physical harm. Nonetheless, ‘disorientating’, and presumably, ‘worrying’ were still expressions of ‘actual harm’ as far as Aisling was concerned. “I’m not sure how happy I would feel worrying that you find watching the play disorientating,” Aisling told her best friend honestly. “We can, of course, if you wish to, but don’t feel obliged to on my account,” she informed Ashleigh.
Taking a slow sip of her drink, Aisling tilted her head slightly as she gave Ashleigh a thoughtful look. “Is it constant? The disorientation? Or does it appear at random times?” Certainly from what she had witnessed it seemed random, but then Aisling was suspicious of whether Ashleigh would tell her if not prompted. At least she did trust Ashleigh to tell her the truth when directly asked.
--
Ashleigh hadn’t thought about the possibility of Aisling worrying. It was, almost, enough to make her change her mind, but she really did want to see the rest of the play, and enjoy the excellent seats she wouldn’t usually purchase. “It’s not on your account,” she assured Aisling, because it really wasn’t. That, actually, hadn’t even been a consideration. “I want to stay, if it won’t make you too unhappy.” She trusted Aisling to make that determination for herself. Ashleigh still doubted the disorientation was causing lasting damage.
“No,” she answered. “It seems to come in flashes. As if I’m remembering what the play should look like, but only for a few seconds here or there.” In that way, it was different to the knowledge of resistance movements, which seemed to be complete and had simply turned up one day, and hadn’t dissipated since. Maybe having talked it through, being able to expect it, it wouldn’t feel quite so strange. Maybe.
--
Aisling did frown at Ashleigh’s assurances that she wanted to stay. Personally, Aisling felt that if she was in her best friend’s position, she would have opted for not returning to the play, but it was both Ashleigh’s discretion and her birthday, so Aisling was hardly going to insist. Especially not when Ashleigh said she did want to carry on with watching the play. “If you’re sure,” Aisling replied, before wetting her lips with the drink she had ordered and then promptly ignored for most of their conversation. “But we can leave whenever, okay?” She added since it seemed important. Aisling would much rather they rudely walked out mid-way through the second act that for Ashleigh to feel unwell.
Flashes of what a play should (would? could?) have looked like really did seem like an awfully rubbish superpower, but then that was most likely not the intention of whoever had caused this alternative universe memory thing. Then again, it wasn’t like anyone knew. Still, it seemed unlikely. The bell rang, indicating that the interval was almost over, and Aisling took one last sip of her drink, which similarly to the previous one, she abandoned half-drunk on the bar. “Lets go then,” she told Ashleigh. “But do tell me if you change your mind,” she told her friend, linking their arms together as she lead them back towards the theatre.