Excited about meeting the singer HC’d told me about, I opened Friends in my Discord app and searched for CoralineAsIs then sent a friend request which was immediately accepted.
Ayela: Hi!
CoralineAsIs: HI!!!!
Ayela: OMG, I’m fan girling so hard listening to this song!!!!
CoralineAsIs: LOL! I’m fan girling so hard reading Moons Dancing!!!!! ???????
Ayela: No way!
CoralineAsIs: Way! It’s so HOT!
Ayela: LOL. Guess you don’t mind the slow burn . . .
CoralineAsIs: a good smolder is hard to find
Ayela: LOL. Some gals got it, some don’t
CoralineAsIs: Your pages got it
Ayela: your voice’s got it
CoralineAsIs: LMAO. Are we flirting fan girls now?
Ayela: I think I’m already in love
CoralineAsIs: Glad I’m not alone
Ayela: lol. this is the best night of my life
CoralineAsIs: I can make it better
Ayela: holy fucks this is so hot
CoralineAsIs: LOL. I know. Why am I alone tonight?
Ayela: well, you’ve got some book girlfriends to keep you company
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
CoralineAsIs: yeah, if only they’d hop off the pages and into my shower like that dream I just read about
Ayela: LOL! I loved writing that one
CoralineAsIs: I can tell ?????
Ayela: two questions
CoralineAsIs: One better be “What’s your digits Coraline?”
Ayela: not quite
CoralineAsIs: ??
Ayela: Can I embed your song in the poem on Purple Road?
CoralineAsIs: YES!
Ayela: okay, then tell me how to credit you
CoralineAsIs: Link to Coraline As Is stream page
Ayela: thx! Next: can I get the sheet music?
CoralineAsIs: you play????
Ayela: YES!
CoralineAsIs: I’ll share if you send me a vid of you playing
Ayela: deal, but I can’t sing like you do.
CoralineAsIs: don’t care
Ayela: ??
CoralineAsIs: ?? Link to sheet music “Finding My Voice”
Ayela: thx. amazing
CoralineAsIs: remember your promise
Ayela: cross my heart
CoralineAsIs: I’ll be waiting
Ayela: that’s what she said
CoralineAsIs: LMAO. not if I was there
Ayela: LOL. YES! YES! YES!
CoralineAsIs: Now THAT’s what she said
Ayela: mmmm hmmmm
CoralineAsIs: now go play, oh, and keep writing. I can’t wait for more.
Ayela: that’s what she said
CoralineAsIs: again again again
Ayela: more more more
CoralineAsIs: damn, this is hot. how old are you?
Ayela: 27, you?
CoralineAsIs: 24, single, no kids, never married
Ayela: same
CoralineAsIs: video, you promised
Ayela: it’ll be a few days, but I keep my promises CoralineAsIs
CoralineAsIs: Cora is fine
Ayela: is that your real name?
CoralineAsIs: of course, I’m a performer
Ayela: oh, I bet
CoralineAsIs: LMAO, girl, you are awesome
Ayela: so are you. are we gonna keep doing this all night?
CoralineAsIs: do you want me to NOT say something dirty in response?
Ayela: why would I want something stupid like that?
CoralineAsIs: do you ever dream like Charlotte? how much of your book is real?
Ayela: well, that took a serious turn
CoralineAsIs: okay, we don’t have to go there, Ayela. I just really like your story. Thank you.
Ayela: you’re welcome. thx for the music. it’s a gift more precious than you know
CoralineAsIs: you’re welcome
Ayela: do you wanna go?
CoralineAsIs: we could just leave the line open and walk away without signing off
Ayela: ??
CoralineAsIs: ??
What. The. Fuck?
I just flirted so hard with someone and wanted so, so much more of it. I wanted to reach through that goddamned screen and hold onto her so hard and never let go.
Breathe, Sam, breathe. Step back, step away. It’s the music. That sultry voice and longing piano. It pulls at things, stirs places inside.
I took a long, slow breath and exhaled it twice as long. Okay. Right. Back away from the pad and focus on embedding the song into Purple Road. Well, now, that took ten seconds.
Now how to plonk away the rest of the night and not confess every detail about my personal life to CoralineAsIs? Ah, yes! The perfect distraction: Discord. Always there for the wandering soul who wanted to escape her real life.
