Iron got his ass beat and has pissed off a whole criminal syndicate, Amber is doing some shady shit at the police station, Silver is making friends, and Spark is enjoying Whinnysotan hospitality.
>>145621“Oh, no, I understand.” She answers him
>>145622Iron pouted slightly, feeling himself a tiny bit worried for Cauldron as he once again took a step closer. "Are you sure you will be alright?" he asked. "I do not mean to hurt you any more than I have already."
>>145623She looks at him, wordlessly. When Iron is finished speaking, she doesn’t answer, but instead stands there In of him, as if waiting.
>>145624Unsure what to do, but wanting to comfort the zebra mare in the slightest bit, he tentatively held his hoof out for her, aiming to land it on her cheek.
>>145625She accepts this, the hoof landing on her cheek, and her blue eyes looking into his. She still doesn’t seem to want to say anything.
>>145626"Hey," Iron let out once again, now taking his time caressing her cheek.
However, he was at a loss on what to say next, simply hoping his touch could do what his words can't.
>>145627She smiles at Iron
“It’s alright.” She says.
>>145628Iron just couldn't help himself, soon enveloping the zebra once again into his forelegs, this time far more tender and oddly remorseful than the last one.
>>145617“You can leave a message, or give her a way to find you.” He says to Silver.
“Or you could come back later.”
>>145629Iron can feel her short, course coat and the muscle and bone beneath, before she wraps her own forelegs around him, and placed her head on his shoulder against his head, burying her muzzle into the fur on his neck.
>>145635His own bandaged, cut up body feel just as coarse and toned, albeit lessened slightly by the bath taken at the hotel.
Iron soon pressed his own muzzle against her neck, gripping Cauldron just a little bit tighter both at the fact he was so close to her plus his emotional rollercoaster inside him urging him to not let go, lest he may lose her.
He felt so tempted to just whisper the three words in such a critical moment. Maybe try to connect his lips to hers in this instant in the offchance he may never feel them after this.
Anything to tell her just how much she meant to him, but with his still wounded ego he couldn't really bring himself to do it.
All he could do now is to hug her, hoping she felt how much he cherished her company.
>>145637She presses her muzzle firmly against his neck, holds him tight, and doesn’t let go.
>>145635"Hmm. Disappointing, but okay. I will try again later."
Silver bids the bartender goodbye, and returns to the cab.
>>145639Reality often isSilver enters the cab
Paper clipping asks,
“Did you get the healing potions?”
>>145638Thus, Iron didn't let go either until her heart was satisfied with his own's love.
>>145641She leans forward, letting more of her weight fall on him. He can feel the breathes on the back of his neck. She hasn’t let go yet.
>>145642Iron soon leaned against her as well, supporting the extra weight with his own while he finally decides to slowly pass one of his forelegs up and down her crest.
>>145643“Heh.”
This small giggle is the first sound Iron hears out of Black Cauldron, as she moves to sit down in front of Iron. The two no longer arch upwards, but instead she places her legs on him with no issue of balance.
>>145644Feeling the vibrations, Iron soon followed suit while closing the distance further, to the point that their hindlegs' hooves were merely an inch away from touching.
This allowed his foreleg to cover a bit more ground, extending his reach up to just after her withers, soon letting out his own weak chuckle of his own.
>>145645She moves in closer, pressing her chest against his, and moving her head and neck further past his. Her breathing is slightly heavier now, though only enough so that he can hear her.
>>145646Iron's ears swiveled at the increased breathing behind his head, soon adding his other foreleg into the stroking just in case.
Am... am I making her cry? he whispered in his head.
>>145647He doesn’t really get his answer. Not yet, anyways. The breathing slows down, and she moves less. Her mane is relatively short for a mare, and seems fairly well brushed snd manicured. The stroking, which captures both mane and coat, messes up the former slightly. She doesn’t seem to mind.
>>145648This obviously leaves the native a bit confused as to what just happened when their chests collided...
Wait, Iron muttered, starting to form a flimsy hypothesis,
could this be it?Just as he says that, he soon lightly rubs his own chest against hers as his forelegs decided to drape themselves along Cauldron's back.
>>145649Iron doesn’t feel much when the chests touch. Indeed they barely touch at all, with Iron feeling the edge of the fur. But the feeling intensified when Iron presses into her, with the hide moving over the body beneath. She seems to pause, and take notice of this movement, shifting her forelegs.
>>145650Uh oh, Iron uttered, now starting to feel a bit awkward,
Did
I mess this up?He didn't quite remove himself from her chest, yet he immediately stopped his rubbing completely, wondering what would happen next.
>>145651She loosens her legs, pulls her head back, and sits almost upright. This places her head and muzzle directly in front of Iron, and she stares at him with her now glistening blue eyes.
>>145652Iron's eyes widened a little when Cauldron's muzzle was directly pointed at his, blushing lightly at such an intimate encounter as he stared back with his own slightly jaded, tired and dirty brown eyes.
This... he whispered lovingly, lost in the sea of blue, with a glint of her father sailing in his prime,
Is this happening?
>>145653She blinks, snd moves her right foreleg up, onto Iron’s cheek, caressing it.
>>145654Iron soon reciprocated her own cheek caressing with his own, while the other softly wrapped around her crest as a loving smile crept up his lips.
Is this it? he gasped out in amazement, feeling himself so close to the point where his pride was overridden by his pure adoration of Black.
Is she...
>>145640"She was not in today, unfortunately. But at least I helped you with one thing, today."
>>145497>>145498Waabishki continues to be concerned, and Maakade pets her. The Doctor starts to explain to her what the procedure is and what it does, and what things look like going forward. Petal and Pry Press move around, cleaning up from dinner, and bringing pillows downstairs.
>>145655There's another something like a giggle, and Black Cauldron smiles at the press against her cheek. Their noses do not touch, but they hover close together.
>>145656"Aww, well that's too bad. Still kind of hurts. But it's great to have a contact here already. You know, I didn't plan on coming here, but I feel that's alright."
>>145657"Where did you plan on going to?"
>>145657Spark goes over to Waabishki.
>>145657Iron decided that this is the moment: He took the first step into this tightrope of a situation, closing his snout a bit further at a snail's pace towards hers in daring attempt to have their snouts finally touch eachother,.
>>145658"Petershoof. The original ship would have gone straight there, this one was supposed to have a stop in Baltimare."
>>145659Her eyes are focused on the Doctor who continues speaking to her, while Makade has a leg over her, gently petting. She doesn't seem to even notice Spark.
>>145660And...
boopTheir noses are touching. It feels almost odd. She moves back ever so slightly but it doesn't break the contact. She is smiling, or seems to be. Hard to tell from this angle.
>>145661Spark listens into the doctor's conversation.
>>145662"-once they've removed what they can, they apply concentrated magic to the infected areas to attempt to kill the malignant cells. This will need to be repeated roughly once every two weeks-"
>>145661Iron couldn't help but smile sheepishly as well, enjoying such intimate contact mixed in with the slight feeling he kinda messed it up.
>>145663Spark doesn't want to interrupt, so he continues to listen.
>>145665Iron stifled a chuckle of his own, scrunching up slightly as he does it before he barely opened his mouth. "Does.. this feel nice?" he tentatively asked Cauldron.
>>145661"My old home city, hmm? I have heard it has been somewhat preserved through Soviets' control of city."
>>145668"Preserved? Brought into the future is my understanding. New factories, meeting halls, apartments... But I can't say I've seen it. Not now, not then."
>>145666"But what does this do?" Waabishki demands
"Well, it prolongs his forecast."
"
But what does it do for him?"
>>145667"Why don't you tell me?" She asks
>>145669"I think you like it," Iron whispered softly, gently rubbing his snout with hers just to send the message home.
>>145670She moves back slightly,
“Heheh. And what if I do?” She asks
>>145671"It gives me ideas," Iron replied, his eyelids dropping the slightest bit in an attempt to set the mood "like dancing styles."
>>145672“Oh really?” She asks with feigned skepticism
>>145673"Yes," Iron replied as his lips soon started to properly near hers, but not taking the plunge just yet "like a dance of hearts."
His eyelids have lidded at an appropriate height, soon staring into her blue pools of crystalline water. "You know it?"
>>145674“I think it’s better you show me.” She answers
>>145675Iron's blush intensified at her agreement as his eyes sparkled with excitement. "I shall," he soon whispered lovingly.
After such confident words, he
finally turned his head to properly connect with Cauldron's lips and moved the last inch to finally connect herself with him through their mouths while closing his eyes.
>>145669"Its history. St. Petershoof is important city to us. It was founded by Tsar Peter I as little more than military fort and expanded during his reign as Severyana's first Emperor, envisioned as city to rival Canterlot itself in its glory. He brought over best and brightest engineers and architects from all over world to make it modern and stylish for time, and he staffed his best artists and scientists in city so it could become center of Severyanan intelligencia. When I left there was great statue of Peter in market square, and as far as I know it still stands today."
>>145669Spark starts to worry about how Waabishki is going to take this news.
>>145677"They ought to have made a statue to many workers who died trying to turn a swamp into a 'glory to rival Canterlot'."
>>145678Her voice raises, and there are some tears, but Makade and the Doctor's fairly soft tone seems to keep her in check.
>>145679Spark motions the doctor over for a question.
>>145679"I am not saying it is good that workers died to build St. Petershoof, but to build it from almost nothing...entire city is practically dedicated to those workers. For all of his achievements, all Peter got was city name and statue."
>>145680“Uh.. Just a moment.”
The Doctor stands up, and comes over to Spark.
“What is it?” he asks
>>145682Spark whispers.
"Did they mention how much it advanced?"
>>145681“That’s right. But that’s not because of Peter’s magnanimity, that’s because the ponies claimed what they built.
>>145683“It’s, it’s gotten pretty far. They only found it rather late.”
>>145684"Anyways, it is besides point. It is things like that Statue that make St. Petershoof and its history so important. Peter I was truly great leader. He led Severyana from series of squabling petty kingdoms into nation to rival Equestria, he championed science and the arts, and he passed many reforms to give greater rights to citizens and serfs."
>>145685“Well... History is a process, after all.” He says
“A better future is only built with great sacrifice. Maybe he was the best they could do at the time. And maybe he was necessary for the rise of the Stalliongrad we have today. All I can say is that I am very glad history didn’t have to end with him and his elitist cronies, who sometimes literally walked over the bones of those who died to make it possible.”
>>145686"In my own opinion, I would say he did more good than Steel Stallion, though I know you would disagree."
>>145686>>145687In the meantime, Silver gives the cab driver directions for 2 Strong 4 You, so he doesn't have to sit there during their discussion."
>>145687“What? Steel Stallion brought industry and land redistribution, and implemented what was at the time the very first socialist state.”
>>145688It is so. The taxi is on its way
>>145689"And Peter I brought peace and prosperity to divided land, modernized nation, and passed many reforms which made lives of Severyanans better."
>>145690“And didn’t Steel Stallion do all of that while finally ending the power of the landed aristocracy?”
>>145691"I mean, I would argue he divided it further, but..."
>>145692“It’s the dialectic process. History contains within it contradictions that must be acknowledged and come to to a head in dialectical conflict, where a thesis triumphs over its antithesis. Only then can it progress to the next stage. And that is what he did.”
>>145693"Hmm...I think I heard about dialectics from somepony else, recently."
>>145695"Pear Faucet, hippologist and professor from Stableside who is here in Baltimare on archaeology work."
>>145697“Oh, neat! You work with archeologists... or the universities?”
>>145698"In my hayday it was not entirely uncommon for me to be asked to rescue old Equestrian artifacts and bring them to local universities to be studied and put on display, but it has been while. This was chance encounter when I returned to Catacombs after I had already completed my mission there."
>>145699“Oh, that’s pretty neat. But like, do you do research for the universities or, help with other things”
>>145700Silver chuckles.
"I am not nearly intelligent or educated enough to do that."
>>145701“Well..... uh, that’s okay. That’s still kind of neat. What did she have to say about dialectics?”
>>145702"Largely what you said, that when two opposing ideas are in conflict with each other one will destroy other, but will be changed as result. She used it in referrence to conflict between Equestria and Hegemony, I believe."
>>145703“Hmmm... I suppose that’s one way to apply it. But that’s not how the latest philosophers would apply it. They see Equestria and the Hegemony as two imperialist powers that need to expand outwards to prevent themselves from collapsing inwards.”
>>145704"I think it has more to do with conflict between Harmony and Fascism."
>>145705He shakes his head
“Capitalist aristocracy, and a more advanced and decayed form of capitalist aristocracy.”
>>145706"Or friendship versus supremacy."
>>145707“Supremacy masquerading as friendship versus supremacy that’s dropped the facade.”
>>145708Silver tilts his head at Clip.
"What do you mean by first thing?"
>>145676Their lips meet. She opens hers to accept his. The room is incredibly silent in this moment, save for the sound of the air vents, the automobiles outside, and incredibly loudly meowing cat on the balcony of the apartment next door and... so it isn't very silent, but there's a definite sensation of the world coming to a stop at this moment... Of Iron's world coming to a stop at this moment.
>>145709“Well, look at the elements of harmony and Princess Twilight. They claim to bring change to bring harmony, and in many ways they did. But they had no interest in finishing the job. They kept the monarchy intact, they actively affirmed the inequalities of the curie mark system, and did nothing economically. It’s a change in the right direction, but then they stop, because they don’t want to change too much.”
>>145711"Inequalities of cutie mark system? What, like Starlight Glimmer proposed?"
>>145712“Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to physically remove them, because there is no doubt that a pony with a cutie mark produces more than one without it. What she did right was to recognize that cutie marks do make a difference between ponies. Different levels of respect and prestige, different levels of pay, and just generally to divide ponies by what they do rather than to acknowledge what they have in common - that they are all creatures who toil for their needs abs the needs of others. And that fact isn’t really something that was addressed under the old system.”
>>145710Funnily enough, Iron was content with just this: Having done that first step and landed such a kiss was more than enough to make his heart soar inside his chest. His only prerogative now is to make time still for as long as he could, simply enjoying Cauldron's lips meeting his own for the time being.
>>145714She moves a bit inward, increasing contact with Iron’s lips.
>>145715Iron certainly didn't mind such increased contact as he continued to press his lips against hers, too engrossed in the feeling of both accomplishment and love he stewed in for so long.
>>145716They are together for a period of time at once spanning to eternity, and lasting no time at all. She gently pulls back, and looks at Iron with a smile.
>>145717Iron had a smile of his own as well, only far dumber, with his mouth still hanging open a bit to show just a bit of throat inside it. "Did you like it?" he uttered serenely, as if in a soothing trance.
>>145718“Perhaps.” She says, batting her eyes.
“How about you?” She asks
>>145719"I loved it," Iron calmly murmured before giving Cauldron a little nuzzle on her cheek. "I might just keep at it all night."
>>145720“Oh
really now?” She says, still smiling, but raising an eyebrow
>>145721"You want me to try?" Iron suggestively replied as he slid his head up to toothlessly bite the tip of Cauldron's ear in a teasing manner.
>>145722“Heheh,”
She pulls back gently, pulling her ear out of his mouth. It twitches and flops.
“I’m just skeptical, that’s all.” She says
>>145724Iron's passion ignited at the faintest hint of doubt, the previous ember in his eyes being fueled to a warm fire to stave off the coldness of the world. "Then I guess you want some proof," he playfully presumed further as he lined his snout in front of hers before swiftly leaning in for a more intense kiss.
>>145725This takes her by surprise. Her eyes open widely, but her lips part to meet hers, and he can feel her lips press against his.
>>145726This time around, Iron gently started to lean further forwards as his forelegs spread towards Cauldron's neck and back in order to start leading her towards the floor against her back.
All the while, he finally started to tentatively try to sneak in his tongue through her mouth, hoping to show her just how serious he was about his commitment for a smooching all-nighter plus make her feel good.
>>145727She seems to make the word “woah,” though her breath simply flows out of her mouth and into his. Black Cauldron’s open lips and mouth are rather receptive, with her tounge rolled up and ready to receive his. She falls back into his legs.
>>145728Thus, as Iron carefully lead her to the floor back as he got his hindlegs ready to properly stand on top of her, he finally touched Cauldron's tongue with his, starting up with some light pokes to rouse its attnetion for the dance to come.