"A Story Where Coco and Harshwhinny Get Stuck in an Elevator"
By JeffMango (https://pastebin.com/u/JeffMango)

URL: https://pastebin.com/wTbu3kgT
Created on: Tuesday 30th of January 2018 02:09:55 PM CDT
Retrieved on: Saturday 31 of October 2020 10:45:50 PM UTC


You'll never guess what happens in this one.

>More than anything, really, Coco was just happy to finally have a job again
>Sure, working for Olympiad Investments, Manehattan’s single largest and definitely most impressive investment firm, wasn’t exactly what she’d dreamed of as a little girl
>But it was providing her with more money than she could have ever dreamed of as Suri’s assistant, and her parents were beyond impressed
>They bragged about her success at nearly every family function, which never failed to turn Coco into a blushing, stuttering mess
>So that was nice, she supposed, but she still couldn’t ever shake that nagging feeling at the back of her mind, that little feeling that reminded her daily of the sketches sitting buried in her desk, of the dresses she’d dreamed up that might now never see the light of day
>It was a complicated mishmash of feelings, that was certain, and Coco tried not to think about it during work hours
>After all, her new boss was hardly one to forgive daydreaming
>While she didn’t share Suri’s domineering sadism, Ms. Harshwhinny was every bit as demanding, intimidating, and fiendishly efficient as the last lady Coco had worked
>Around her, Coco displayed all the habits she’d picked up around Suri: she kept her head down, her eyes on her shoes, and her voice quiet, answering everything with a quick “Yes, ma’am” before scurrying off to complete whatever she had been assigned
>While Coco wouldn’t admit it to anyone, least of all her parents, Ms. Harshwhinny honestly terrified her
>So, when the elevator doors opened to reveal her boss standing barely three feet from her, you can imagine the squick of terror that dripped down the former aspiring fashionista’s spine
“G-guh…” was all Coco could manage
>Harshwhinny raised an eyebrow
>”Ah, Ms. Pommel.  I was just looking for you.  There are some details of the Saddles account we need to discuss.  Please, accompany me to my office.”
>Coco’s boss gestured for her to step into the elevator, and Coco nearly tripped over her own feet in her haste to obey
>The elevator doors sealed shut, sealing her in, and the machine began to lazily drift upwards
>Coco stood next to her boss, fingers nervously fidgeting with the collar of her blouse
>”Is something amiss, Ms. Pommel?”
“N-no!  Nothing at all, ma’am.”
>”Hm.  You look nervous.”
“Uh…”
>Coco gulped
“Sorry, ma’am.”
>”Good heavens, Ms. Pommel, you have nothing to apologize for.”
>[Why do I always have this effect on people?] Harshwhinny muttered to herself
>”In fact, your work of late has been quite excellent.  I would like to commend you, first off.  If this continues, I sense a promotion in your future.”
“T-thank you, ma’am!” Coco said
>In an effort to sound excited and/or thankful, she accidentally screamed the words at her boss
>Harshwhinny’s eyes widened slightly, and she took a step backwards
>”I am, um, quite glad to see you so enthusiastic.  Now, with regards to the Saddles account, I believe—“
>Harshwhinny didn’t quite a chance to finish her sentence
>A horrible screech wracked the elevator, and the floor under Coco’s feet shivered and rattled as the thing came to a sudden halt
>Ms. Harshwhinny stumbled, placing a hand against the wall for stability
>”Oh, no…”
>She pressed the “open doors” button, but nothing happened
“Should we call someone?”
>Harshwhinny nodded, her teeth gritted
>”Yes, calling someone.  Excellent suggestion.  Just need to call someone, and we’ll be fine.  Just need to call…”
>The older woman muttered assurances to herself as she pressed the little phone icon
>A speaker above the control console buzzed, and a bored-sounding voice answered
>”Yeah?”
>”Excuse me, sir.  The elevator is stuck,” Harshwhinny said, her voice full of professional nonchalanace
>”Oh, alright.  Uh… lemme call someone.”
>Harshwhinny’s eye twitched
>”Call someone?  Sir, we are *stuck* in here.  We need to be let out immediately.”
>”Right, uh… I don’t really know how to do that, so, uh… I’m just gonna, uh…”
>The person on the other end coughed
>”Yeah, uh… just gonna put a call to the manufacturer.”
>”Call the manufacturer?  We need the police!  Call someone you—“
>The person on the phone hung up, and Harshwhinny stumbled backwards
>Her face was pale, and a barely noticeable twitch went through her body
>”Good lord.  How unprofessional.”
“It’s okay,” Coco said.  “I’m sure they’ll get someone up here soon.”
>”Yes.  I’m quite sure we’ll be out of here soon.”
>Harshwhinny leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths
>”There’s no chance of us running out of air in here, is there?  I can’t imagine this place would be airtight, but it could be a possibility, I suppose.  Do you feel like it’s hard to breathe?  I feel it’s a little hard to breathe.  But that could just be imagining things.  What do you think?  Oh goodness, I think it actually is a little hard to breathe.  Can we force the doors open?  Oh no, oh no…”
>Harshwhinny took deep breaths, starting to hyperventilate
>Coco rushed to her boss’s side, surprised to see the normally stoic woman suddenly so overwhlemed
>Awkwardly, she patted Ms. Harshwhinny’s shoulder
“I think there’ll be plenty of air, ma’am.  There’s a vent right there,” she said, pointing to a narrow grating built into one of the walls
>Harshwhinny glanced at it, and relief showed on her face
>”Right.  Of course, I didn’t see that.  How silly of me.”
>Harshwhinny sank to the floor, tucking her legs up against her chest
>”I will be honest with you, Ms. Pommel.  I am acutely claustrophobic.  Like any professional, I can ignore my discomfort long enough for a short trip through these dreadful things.  But I don’t think I can take… much… more…”
>Ms. Harshwhinny was starting to hyperventilate again, her eyes widening as her breath came in larger and more frantic gulps
>Coco dropped to her knees next to her boss, fished her lunch out of her work bag, dumped the contents out of the paper bag, and pressed it to Ms. Harshwhinny’s mouth
>The bag pulsated like a demented bullfrog, then began to slow
>Harshwhinny nodded to Coco
>”Thank you, Ms. Pommel.”
“Don’t mention it, ma’am.  Are you okay?”
>”Again, I will be honest with you.  I am not okay in the slightest.”
>Harshwhinny wiped her hand across her forehead, which now gleamed with a thick sheen of sweat
>”But I will endure.  We can’t possibly be in here much longer.”

>They were in there much longer

>The clock on Coco’s phone showed that twenty minutes had passed
>Harshwhinny had her eyes closed, but her twitching fingers showed she was still far from asleep
>”Why are they taking so long…” she mumbled
“I don’t know.”
>”Can you call someone?”
“My cell doesn’t have service in here.  We only have the console’s phone.”
>Coco pressed the button to radio the manager from earlier, but got only static
“I guess they’re working on it.”
>”I truly wish they would work faster.  If I don’t get out of here in the next ten minutes, the entire elevator operations staff is going to be fired.”
>Coco didn’t exactly know what to say to that
>She had spent the last twenty minutes pacing; even in the current situation, it was still Harshwhinny’s presence that made her the most nervous
>Had this happened with Coco and Suri in the elevator, Coco’s former boss would have berated her to no end, probably even going as far as to blame her for the machine’s failure
>But Coco’s legs were starting to get tired, and Harshwhinny definitely didn’t look like much of a threat
>In fact, she looked absolutely miserable
>Coco sighed, and sat on the floor a few inches from her boss
>”Ms. Pommel.”
>Coco jumped slightly when she heard the older woman’s voice
“Yes, ma’am?”
>”Please talk.”
“About what?”
>”About anything.  I can’t take this silence much more.  Just tell me anything about you.”
“Oh, well… um…”
>Coco could feel herself blushing
“I don’t really know where to start.  I’m sorry, ma’am.”
>”Anywhere is fine.  Tell me what you do outside of work.”
“Ah.  Okay.  I’ve always loved fashion.  I used to always want to be a designer.  I worked as an assistant for a little while before I, um… quit.”
>”And why did you quit?”
“My boss wasn’t very good to me.”
>”I see.  I’m sorry to hear that.  If she couldn’t appreciate someone like you, then she truly didn’t deserve to be your supervisor.  You made the right choice.”
“Oh, w-wow.  Thank you ma’am.”
>Coco was really glad Harshwhinny’s eyes were closed; she could tell from the heat on her face that her cheeks were cherry red
>”Please continue.  What sort of fashion do you find appealing?”
“Mostly fashion from the early modern period.  I love how bold and expressive everything was.  Fashion back then really made people feel special.”
>”I see.  Is that the kind of clothing you like to design?”
“Yes.  My work is a bit more understated because… well, because I’m really not that interesting of a person, I guess.”
>”I would disagree with that.  You have a genuine passion for your art.  That’s absolutely never boring.”
“T-thank you ma’am.”
>Harshwhinny nodded, her eyes still closed
>”I’m going to be frank with you, Ms. Pommel.  I’m currently terrified out of my mind, and I have absolutely no ability to filter my speech because of it.”
“I understand, ma’am.”
>”I may say some things that do not fit a professional environment.  I apologize for them in advance.”
“Oh, that’s totally alright.  I, um, don’t really think this is much of a professional environment anyway.”
>A small smile touched Harshwhinny’s lips
>”Thank you, Ms. Pommel.”
“Call me Coco, please.”
>”Coco.  I will.  It’s a very pleasant name.”
“Thank you ma’am.”
>”You don’t have to refer to me as ma’am in this situation.”
“Okay.”
>”But I would not be opposed if you continued to do so.  Again, apologies for this complete breach of professionalism, but your voice is incredibly pleasant.  It is immensely calming and, if I may be so bold, rather cute.”
>Coco felt like she was going to melt into a little cream-and-teal colored puddle, complete with a collar and bow
“Ah… h-heh…”
>She stuttered for a moment, trying to get her frazzled thoughts back in order
“T-thanks…”
>Coco’s finger trailed a little circle on the ground
“I, um… like you a lot too.”
>Harshwhinny chuckled
>”You don’t have to lie to me.  I understand I’m not exactly the warmest, or most popular, of employers.”
“I suppose, but… I admire you.  Even if you scare me a lot.”
>”Scare you?  Am I really that bad?”
“No!  I mean, not bad.  It’s not a bad thing at all.  I’m kinda just scared of, well, pretty much everything.  You’re really intimidating and cool and…”
>Coco trailed off
“I’m not making any sense, am I?”
>”Your speech is quite jumbled.  That is understandable.  It’s only my, forgive me for lacking modesty, natural talent for poise that’s keeping me from turning into a screaming mess myself.”
>Coco couldn’t help but giggle a little at that mental image
>Even Harshwhinny herself smiled at it
>She rested her head on her knees
>”How long has it been?”
“Thirty minutes.”
>”Ugh.  Please keep calling at regular intervals.  I would do it myself, but I believe moving around too much might cause me to be sick.”
“I will.”

>Coco continued to call the elevator operator, but the guy either didn’t answer or just gave them “I told the company.  They’re, uh… on their way” type answers
>When Coco asked him to call 9-11, he just verbally shrugged that off
>And, well, she wasn’t exactly the best at being assertive
>Before long, half an hour had passed, most of which was spent by Coco just chattering randomly
>Eventually she ran out of actually meaningful topics, and just started ranting about how her fashion inspiration as a child had been a combination of Sailor Moon and the Shakespeare in the Park shows her parents used to take her to
>Harshwhinny listened intently, only occasionally interrupting to ask clarifying questions, or to get Coco to expand on something she had brought up
>By the half-hour mark, though, it was clear her boss was not doing well
>Harshwhinny was ghostly pale, and wet splotches of sweat darkened her purple jacket
>”I apologize, Coco.  But I’m going to start removing some of my clothing.”
“That’s totally okay.  It’s a little warm.”
>Harshwhinny nodded and, keeping her eyes closed, pulled off her scarf and jacket, folding them and laying them next to the elevator doors
>Beneath the jacket, she wore a white button-down, which was semi-transparent from sweat
>Her tanned abdomen was visible through the sodden fabric, along with the general shape of her black bra
>Coco averted her eyes, feeling slightly embarrassed for her poor boss
>A shiver ran through Harshwhinny’s body
“Are you cold?”
>”No.”
“Oh.”
>”I am just incredibly f-frightened.”
>Ms. Harshwhinny’s voice cracked just ever so slightly
>”I cannot apologize enough for how unseemly this must be to you.  I just… I do not think I can handle much more.  I am dangerously close to panicking.”
“Oh no.  Um, would it be okay if I, uh…”
>Coco, never the best at thinking under pressure, said the first and dumbest thing that came to her mind
“Would it help if I held you?”
>Harshwhinny was silent, and Coco clasped her hands over her mouth, mortified
“I-I’m sorry!  I meant—“
>”It would.”
“Huh?”
>”It would help.  Greatly, in fact.  But I need your guarantee that word of this will never leave this room.  I have my image to consider.”
“R-right, of course.”
>Harshwhinny nodded
>She scooted across the floor, blindly reaching out towards Coco
>The younger girl took her boss’s hands and helped Harshwhinny to clamber awkwardly into her lap
>Harshwhinny settled against Coco, resting her head atop the younger girl’s, and Coco gingerly wrapped her arms around her boss
>She was shocked at just how *soft* Harshwhinny turned out to be
>Coco had never consciously envisioned hugging her boss, but she likely would have imagined it as feeling much like hugging an ice sculpture in a business suit
>But Harshwhinny’s body was plush and warm, and the smell of the woman’s perfume still lingered, despite the fact that she now smelled mostly of sweat
>Harshwhinny was also a bit heavier than she’d anticipated, and pour girl couldn’t help but feel a little smothered beneath her boss’s embrace
>Still, though, it was far from a bad experience
>Coco hadn’t been in such a cuddly position since she was a child; there was something innately comforting about it, and she found the anxiety draining from herself as she gently patted Ms. Harshwhinny’s back
“How are you, um, feeling?” Coco asked
>”Better.  Immensely better.  I will owe you a truly impressive favor after this.”
“Y-you don’t have to worry about that.  I actually kind of like being together like this…”
>”I appreciate your honesty.  I fine it very enjoyable as well.  I will continue being brutally honest with you: even removed from this specific nightmare scenario, I would still enjoy this.”
“Oh?”
>”Yes.  I apologize if that adds an uncomfortable element to our interaction.”
“No, not at all.  I, um… don’t really know what to say.”
>”That’s perfectly understandable.  I am putting a lot pressure by admitting so much, but I’m afraid I don’t have the mental capacity to filter myself.”
“Right.”
>”I am sorry to keep making requests of you, but please start speaking again so I’ll shut up and stop embarrassing myself.”
“I don’t really know what to talk about, but I can try…”
>”Yourself, and your life now, if you would please.  I want to know much more about you.”
“Well, my life really isn’t that interesting.  I go to work, then I go home.  At home, I usually watch some cartoons, make a little dinner for myself.  Then I draw, and go to bed.  I sleep a lot.”
>”You said you make dinner for yourself.  Is there a boyfriend in the picture?”
“Uh…”
>”That was uncouth of me to ask.  I apologize.”
“It’s totally okay.  There, um… there isn’t.”
>”I see.  There is a question I would very much like to ask you, but even my fear-addled brain knows that doing so would push into very treacherous interpersonal territory, especially given your status as my employee.”
“I think I can guess what it is.”
>”I believe you can.  You’re quite a clever young woman, from what I’ve seen.”
“I, um… I guess I’ve never really told anyone about it.  My parents know, of course.  But they figured it out when I was little.  Wasn’t exactly hard, looking back.  I kinda blabbed about my girl-crushes a little too much, heheh…”
>”That is almost painfully adorable.”
>Coco giggled
“I was really lucky to have them.  They were so understanding about me liking girls.  I don’t know what I’d have done if they hadn’t been.”
>”It is a quite unpleasant experience.  I’m immensely glad you were spared it.”
“Were your parents not cool with you, um… you know.”
>”They found it most displeasing.  And I was reminded of that quite often.”
“I’m really sorry.”
>Harshwhinny nuzzled her face against the top of Coco’s head
>”I try not to think about it much.  About how different my life could have been.  But I’ll admit, there are nights I hardly sleep at all, thinking of all the things I wish I had said to them, or that I’d just run away and fallen in love.”
“I know what you mean…”
>”You do?”
“Oh, well, maybe not exactly.  I don’t sleep much either, anymore.  I keep thinking about… about things that don’t really matter so much, I guess.  Not as much as what you’ve had to deal with.”
>”My situation was uniquely awful, but that doesn’t mean your problems are invalid.  What’s upsetting you, if I may ask?”
“It’s just… sometimes I worry that I gave up on my dream of being a designer.  That I somehow betrayed all the plans I made when I was a little girl.  And then I feel guilty for not appreciating the job I have.  It’s just a bit messy.”
>”Would you be okay with some practical advice?”
“Of course.”
>”Chase your dream.  But reasonably.  Save money now, save ideas.  You’ll get your chance, but don’t blow the opportunities you have now.  You’re young, and you have a long life left to pursue your fashion.”
“You’re right.”
>Coco smiled, and her arms reflexively tightened a bit around the older woman
“Thank you, ma’am.”
>”You are quite welcome.  I feel it’s only fair I let you know how incredibly jealous I am of you.  Of your spirit, and your youth.  There are many things I wish I had the time to do differently.”
“Like what?”
>”I’m reluctant to answer, truth be told.”
“I’d like to know.  I-if you’re okay with that, of course.”
>Harshwhinny sighed
>Coco could feel her boss adjusting herself in her lap; Coco’s legs had long since fallen asleep, so Harshwhinny’s wriggling was experienced as little more than a dull pressure gradient atop her thighs
>”You’ve been wonderful and forthcoming with me, so I’ll admit something quite embarrassing.  I want to fall in love.  I have wanted to fall in love since I was a little girl, and absolutely everything in my life has conspired to stop that from happening, to the point where I can’t believe it ever will.  Last month… last month was my fortieth birthday.”
“I didn’t know.”
>”I kept it a secret from the office.  I can’t handle celebrating something that only reminds me of how little I’ve truly done.”
“That’s… that’s so sad…”
>Coco truly meant that
>She pulled Harshwhinny tighter against her, resting her head against the older woman’s shoulder
“You have done a lot, though.”
>”I have.  But it hardly means anything.  If by some miracle we ever get out of here, I’ll return to my apartment alone.  I’ll eat alone, sleep alone, wake up alone, and enjoy the frankly ridiculous wealth I’ve accrued alone.”
“You don’t have to be alone!” Coco nearly shouted
>The sound of her voice reverberated around the dull interior of the elevator
>Harshwhinny bolted upright, her eyes finally opening
>They were weary, but they fixed on Coco’s with a magnetic intensity
“You don’t.  Please… please don’t talk about yourself like that.”
>Coco was surprised to find her vision had gone blurry; the fuzzy heat of tears was welling her eyes now, and her voice shook when she spoke
“You don’t have to.  I won’t let you be.  I can’t promise anything more than that, but… but I’ll be there.  You’ll have me.”
>Harshwhinny was silent for a very, very long time
>She closed her eyes and laid her head back atop Coco’s
>After what felt like hours (though it could have been only minutes, or even seconds; Coco’s sense of time had been completely obliterated at this point), Coco a single warm droplet fall into her hair
>Another followed, and another
>Harshwhinny’s body shook ever so slightly as she cried silently into the younger woman’s hair
>Coco could think of nothing to say, but she got the strangest sense there was nothing that needed to be said
>She gently rubbed the soft spot between Harshwhinny’s shoulder blades until her boss’s crying stopped
>”Coco?”
“Yes?”
>”I’m going to ask you something.  Something no proper boss should ever ask of their coworker, and something that could easily get me fired.  But, again being perfectly honest, I don’t really care.”
“W-what is it?”
>Harshwhinny gulped, and Coco could feel every muscle in her boss’s body tense with fear
>”Would you kiss me?”
>Coco jolted
“G-guh… uh…”
>”That was uncouth, please forgive—“
“Yes.”
>Coco was surprised as how quickly the answer came
“Yes.  I… I think I’d like that.”
>Harshwhinny sat up, opening her aquamarine eyes to lock onto the younger girl’s face
>”That is… not the answer I expected, frankly.”
“It wasn’t one I would have expected to give, before… before all this.”
>”This has been an incredibly strange morning.”
“Is it even still morning?”
>”That’s… a very good question.  You can’t imagine how much I’m looking forward to firing this travesty of an elevator operator.”
>Coco giggled
“You look pretty excited about it.”
>”I’m excited about something else, to be perfectly honest.  Should I, erm, do something to make sure my breath is okay?  I believe I have some mints in my purse.  Also I’m assuming you’d rather not have my tongue involved.  Of course if you would I wouldn’t be opposed to that, but I…”
>Harshwhinny gave Coco an awkward smile
>”I’m overthinking this, aren’t I?”
“A little bit.”
>”Clearly I haven’t kissed anyone before.”
“It’s okay.  I, um… have a tiny bit of experience, I guess.”
>”I’ll let you take the lead, then.”
“Me!?”
>Coco ran a hand through her hair
“Jeez, um.  Yeah, right.  The lead.  Not a big deal.”
>She reached up and cupped her boss’s cheek, feeling immensely self-conscious
>The “little bit of experience” involved being kissed by her best friend on a middle school dare
>It had lasted about two seconds, and Coco barely even remembered it
>How did people actually for-real kiss?
>She’d seen it in movies, sure, but the crazy dramatic music and flowery lighting made everything look good
>Here, with just the silence of the elevator and the sight of Harshwhinny’s nervous face, kissing seemed so… clunky
“Well, um… here goes…”
>Coco closed her eyes, and slowly began to guide her lips toward Harshwhinny’s mouth…

>CRASH!

>A panel dropped down from the elevator ceiling, landing next to the two women with an awful, percussive bang
>The grimy face of an unfamiliar woman appeared in the newly-created opening in the ceiling, and she smiled down at the two of them
>”Uh, howdy there!  Thinkin’ I got the servos fixed, doncha know!” she said in about the most Fargo voice imaginable
>She blinked when she noticed the mid-kiss position both were in
>”Am I, uh, interruptin’ somethin’?”
“Uh…”
>Coco and Harshwhinny looked at each other, then back up at the mechanic
“Kinda.”
>”To an extent, yes.”
>”Ah well I’m really sorry about that, yeah.  I’m just gonna go ‘head and getcha back up to the top floor and we’ll have ya on yer way.”
>The mechanic disappeared, and Coco and Harshwhinny returned their attention to each other
>”I hope you won’t mind a rain check on that kiss.”
“Heh.  I can’t wait.”

>Long story short, the two finally escaped
>As it turned out, they’d barely been in there for more than an hour
>Still, it had felt like days, and Coco’s legs were wobbling exhaustion when she followed Harshwhinny into the office
>Inside the darkened room, her boss stood a few inches from her, her breath tickling Coco’s forehead
>”I hope you’re aware that you’re more than welcome to take the day off.”
“That’s really, really tempting.  But I’d kinda like to stay.”
>”You would?  Why’s that?”
“I would… I’d like to be around you today, ma’am.”
>Coco’s eyes widened
>”That is immensely touching.  Do you… do you mean it?  Frankly, you’re young, not to mention incredibly cute.  There has to be someone worth your affection more than an old thing like me.”
>Coco shrugged
“If there is, I haven’t found them.  I like the way you make me feel.  And, honestly… I think you’re pretty cute too.  Even if you’re still a little scary.”
>Harshwhinny smiled
>”I hope I can see you after work then, Ms. Pommel.”
“With pleasure, Ms. Harshwhinny.”
>The two embraced, and their mouths met in a kiss so deliciously sweet their both could swear the streams of their lives pinched together in that moment, colliding in an explosion of brilliant, glowing color that buoyed them up and carried them far above the gunk they’d mired their poor selves in, lifting them high, high up above discarded sketches and empty apartments like a finally functioning elevator

The End