1787 replies and 24 files omitted.
Heh, I saw this pic earlier today. It sure spread quickly.
>>151000Checked.
Who are those cute pones?
>>151002It's a pic someone did based on pic related
>>150957 →"Heh" She looks away, and pulls her lips back in a smile that shows off her teeth. Her pointy canines make another appearance. She looks down to the tea cup, which she picks up.
"Well... I don't know about that. But I am trying to get myself established in my own life in this city. And that is one part of it."
>>150999 →Spark observes the pony, tickets and IDs being handed over by other passengers.
>>151009The cards vary, but the following seem to be common elements:
A crest of crooked horn, ears and rings.
A headshot photograph of the individual (In black and white)
Name
Race
Eye color
Coat color
Sex
Date of birth
Address
Registered district
Description of cutie mark. This is sometimes replaced by an image
Marital status
“Love compliance.” This segment has letters next to it with no obvious meaning to the reader
“Internal Use” - this segment has letters next to it with no obvious meaning
The IDs are sometimes green, sometimes blue, sometimes Manila. If there is a pattern it isn’t immediate obvious.
The cards are laminated in plastic or coated in wax. They don’t seem very resilient, as most are slightly damaged on the edges, or browned by sunlight.
>>151010Looks like Spark is going to have to wing it.
>>151008"What else do you need to do? Is there anything I can help with?"
>>151032"Well..." She looks around
"There is installing the garden, that is a big thing. More laundry detergent would be helpful. And maybe more food. Also, do you have a place for that Unicorn to stay? Will he be staying here, or will he go to a hotel?"
>>151033"I can help with those. I do not know yet about Clip, but I will get that sorted very soon. Maybe on our date tonight we can ask taxi driver to show us around city, if you are still up for it."
>>151034She pulls her lips back in a smile that keeps her teeth mostly covered.
“I could…” she says
>>151035He smiles at her.
"You do not sound intensely excited. You know you do not have to agree to everything just because you live here, yes? If you have concerns or you do not wish to do something, I would want you to be honest with me."
>>151036Her smile retreats as her lips return to a more neutral position. She moves her head back slightly, and her ears lower.
“No. That’s not what I mean. That’s not what I mean at all…”
>>151037Silver tilts his head at her.
"I am sorry, I do not always understand others well. What did you mean?"
>>151038“I mean… In the time I’ve been here, I’ve seen, maybe two streets. One east and west along the north shore, and another north and south along the western shore. I’ve been in maybe two restaurants and two stores. I am not complaining. That is what I would do in my home village, and at Cua Song. But so far, this feels more like Cua Song than like Equestria. Where are the glistening castles, the sprawling meadows, the cities in the clouds? Where are all of the ponies living in Harmony? Cua Song had automobiles and a cinema. There is no war here. It wasn’t just that I could feel the explosions in Cua Song…” she winces.. “And there is more pay here. But to be so far from home, I kind of want something more…”
>>151039"Ohhhhh. You wish to see places like Canterlot, and Cloudsdale?"
>>151040“Well… I mean… well, maybe. But what I really mean is that…. In Ngua Nam, I had a village, and I had a family. I was a maiden there as here, but I had a village. There were great bays with mountains that had temples and monasteries on them, with sheer drops down cliffs to the ocean. There were rainforests and villages with rice paddies. There were modern brick cities with automobiles… not as modern as this one, no, but I think you know my meaning. The land had identity and I was a part of that. I left because I could not get over what I saw in the field hospital at Cua Song. I heard stories of Equestria, I met several Equestrians and I liked them. I wanted to be a part of that. And… I like what you have here. No really, I do. Even if I don’t trust the hyena, and even if your… your culture’s attitude is very different from mine… I can see the intention. I do appreciate it. But I am not where I want to be. I am away from Ngua Nam, and I feel as if I never entered Equestria. It’s like Equestria stops somewhere, and does not extend to the shore.”
She blinks
“But I am doing well for a few weeks. If anything I am further along than I should have expected. Thank you, again.”
>>151041"Ah, so this is what you mean. Yes, I understand this. Baltimare is modern city, still young with little yet story behind it. And it is one of farthest cities from core of Equestria. I can understand how you feel. It is much different here than it is in Canterlot, Cloudsdale, and other cities in Equestrian Heartland. Even if you were to just visit them, you would see that Equestria you wish so much to find."
>>151043“Well, even in this city I have only seen small part of it. And this street is very different from the harbor side. But I mean, my part in it. I am not so established. I do not even know much or have seen much.”
She looks down, and taps her cup with her split hooves. Then she looks back up, and back to Silver.
“You have been to those places?”
>>151044Silver nods.
"I have seen ivory towers of Canterlot, with trim of purple and gold, and while I have not been inside I have also seen columns and white monuments of Cloudsdale, floating in sky."
>>151045Her eyes widen, and she pushes herself upright, and raises both ears.
“Tell me more…”
>>151046"Well, Canterlot is built into side of Canterhorn Mountain, which stretches into sky all on its own. Some of city is built onto mountainside, but it has grown large enough that much of it hangs out over nothingness, supported by some of greatest engineering this world has ever seen. It is opulent, richest city on entire continent, with shops selling finest goods from world over and restaurants serving fine dishes on platters of purest silver. Its roads are clean and wide, and many ponies you would pass on them are aristocracy wearing newest designs from clothing designers like Rarity. Biggest building in entire city is of course Canterlot Castle, where our two Princesses once ruled from before war. It towers above everything, its tallest spires being used for observing Luna's night skies or for housing castle's occupants."
>>151047Khoi sits back in her chair, both forelegs placed before her, her long, honey-gold leonine tail with brown, fluffy end wrapped around herself. She listens intently.
"Wow... sounds beautiful."
>>151048"It is. And it is not only beautiful. Up there, on that mountain, in that city...it is closest you can ever be to Celestia's light, and it fills you completely with warmth and comfort. I once thought as foal that nothing could make you feel closer to Celestia than being in Temple of Light in my motherland. I was very, very wrong."
>>151049She moves her hind legs up, as if she were attempting to stand up in the chair, and there is a sound of the chair moving. She must have realized that this wasn't wise, as she immediately moved to sit back down.
"... Celestia's light?" She asks
>>151050Silver nods again.
"It is like being hugged by your friends and family, it is comfort and peace, Harmony in its purest essence. Even now, I wonder if one can feel it in that city, with Celestia captured so far away."
He looks right into Khoi's eyes, and takes a hold of her hoof if it's available.
"I would bring you and everyone else there, if I could, just so everyone could understand why Celestia is special to us. Maybe soon I will bring you there if you wish, once I have things settled here."
>>151051Khoi's hoof is beneath her. No matter, when Silver reaches for it, she extends it. There's a tuft of fluff at the rear of her fetlock, and nails at the end of her not just one, but two toes, which has been trimmed to a nice, consistent feel.
She looks into his eyes with her own magenta eyes, with closed lips turned slightly down in somber expression.
"That's... heh. I would like that."
>>151052He gently rubs the top of her hoof, feeling both of her toes. It's a strange sensation compared to uniform pony hooves, but it's not bad. He smiles at her, his blue eyes glinting.
"Why are you so somber?"
>>151053On the upper side of the hoof is short, honey-gold fur. It's no different than a pony, really. Nor do the nails of her hooves feel particularly different. Where Silver does notice a difference, is when he applies more pressure to one side of the hoof, than to the other. The toes move separately, one side up and the other side down, each on their own bone structure. They don't move much, but they do move, and there are more bones there than in a pony. No, it's the strangest appendage Silver has felt. Griffin claws, and gnoll paws, have many more fingers and toes, and many more bones. They altogether feel and look different. But it's precisely because kirin hooves are so similar to those of ponies that the differences stand out. For a moment, Silver could almost be convinced that Kirin are really a long lost tribe of ponies from across the ocean. That moment ends when the toes move.
She pulls her lips back, showing off her teeth in a smile. The somber expression is fully gone now.
"Because it's a somber moment. To be spiritually connected. It is important."
>>151054He smiles back at his kirin, who is so similar to a pony and yet so different.
"I just wanted to make sure. Your smile is beautiful, and it is always something to worry about when I see it disappear."
>>151055She tilts her head down, pulls her lips all the way back, still showing teeth, and lowers her ears in what seems to be a blush.
“Ehheh…”
>>151056He chuckles, and continues on softly rubbing and stroking her hoof.
"I suppose there is some somberness to Celestialism, but it is not focus of it. For us, focus is on friends, family, and loved ones. Those closest to us, and joy and happiness they bring to our lives."
>>151057She nods, and closes her lips.
“Harmony.” She says
>>151058"Harmony." He repeats
"It is what connects us all. It is what makes us whole."
>>151059She gives a weak smile
“Maybe we have something in common in our thinking after all.”
>>151060He smiles back once again.
"That we might."
>>151061Unless something was to happen or Khoi says something else, Silver doesn't follow this up with anything else.
>>151061>>151062Khoi pulls her hoof away, and starts to stand up next to the table, picking the cup up.
>>151063Silver stands up as well, taking his own empty cup to wash.
>>151064Khoi goes into the kitchen, and attempts to wash the cup. She also takes Silver’s cup, and starts to wash it.
>>151065"Heh. If we did get together, I would be one lucky stallion."
>>151066There is a sound of clanking of porcelin, and she suddenly turns her head to Silver, bending her copper-scaled back further away. Her eyes are wide
>>151067He continues.
"My late wife and I considered each other equals. We both did dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaner, and even chopping firewood. I was ready to wash my own tea cup, but you snatched it right out of my grasp."
He smiles at her.
>>151068Without quite a smile, she says
“You provided the house, and I believe, the tea. I will do the cleaning.”
>>151069"It is very much appreciated, Khoi. Thank you."
>>151070She smiles back, and sits down, slowly, placing both hooves together.
“What is it… exactly… you are offering to me?”
>>151071Silver gives her a confused look.
"'Offering'...?"
>>151072"You seem to want a closer partnership than being housemates" she says
>>151073"Oh, that."
The unicorn rubs the back of his neck with a forehoof.
"Well...perhaps..."
>>151075"You are kind, caring, generous. You have good heart and gentle soul. These are all harder-to-find qualities in this world, and on top of it you have astounding beauty. So...yes, there is interest from me."
>>151076She blushes, raising her hoof to partly cover her mouth. A line of scales the color of polished copper rubs from her about to her forehead, and her hooves share a copper-like color. Silver can see in the naked areas of her ears and her snout dark brown skin, similar in color to her mahogany mane. Her horn is red-brown, and her coat is honey-yellow.
“But what… what do you offer me?”
>>151077"Well, I can offer you love and companionship, security and protection, stable and excellent standard of living, care, affection, experience and knowledge that most bucks lack, and I have rather impressive record with bringing up healthy and successful foals. In addition, you will have no fear of me abandoning you or leaving you alone and destitute."
>>151078She pulls her lips far back, showing teeth. She is firmly sitting down, and curls her tail around herself.
"But I mean...
what kind of relationship?"
>>151080"I mean, what relationship are you looking for?"
>>151081"Oh. Well, I am looking for someone to love and to hold, for more than just casual sex even though it is great. Someone to call mine and to call me theirs. Someone to live my life with."
>>151082Her left ear falls and eyes narrow at the great casual sex remark.
"I mean..." She raises a hoof and waives it in the air
"Equestria has marriage too, does it not? Shouldn't your parents contact mine, and consult the augurs for whether there will be a successful relationship, then negotiate a price for the bride, then send gifts to the bride-to-be's family, and then consult the augurs again for a wedding date?" She taps her hooves together.
"Something like that?"
>>151083"Well, yes, though it is no longer quite like that. Generally, both prospective partners will meet each others parents who will then approve or disapprove. If they approve, then partners will go on dates and become more familiar with each other until male then ask female to marry him. If she accepts, he will present her with a ring she will carry until their wedding day."
>>151084She shakes her head
"Are the parents not the ones who select the mates? And what about the dowry?"
>>151085"They did in Equestria, once, but now it is individual ponies, or people, to choose their own mates, and parents can only approve or disapprove. They can still try to choose for their children, but it is sometimes seen as old-fashioned. And dowry has been replaced with gifts given to mare by stallion over course of their dating."
>>151086"Oh..." She says
"I suppose that makes sense for me. My parents are far away..."
>>151087"And mine are dead..."
He looks at Khoi considerately.
"Is there anything I can do for you? I know you value tradition, is there anything from your culture I can do?"
>>151088She looks up at him
"What about Jubilosa?" She asks
>>151089He looks confused at her.
"What about Jubee?"
>>151090"I can hear you two at night." She says
>>151091Silver does actually blush a little, which shows up well under his white coat.
"Oh. I did not know we were that loud."
>>151092"
Yes. That, and the hyena are why I close my door at night. But she tells me... everything. I know you two behave as if you were married, though you are not married."
>>151094She narrows her eyes
"So what is going on? Are you looking to try out different mates, and then offer to marry one?"
>>151095Silver returns to rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, not exactly. Jubee and I act like married couple because we love and care for each other. Jubee says she is not yet ready for marriage, but she still wishes to have companionship."
>>151096Khoi twists her lips.
"A mare may only ever have one husband. A stallion may only have one primary wife. Jubilosa may be content to be a concubine. But I will accept nothing less than to be head female of the household. I do not care what the Equestrian laws say. I will not accept less."
>>151097"Well, in every other way, it looks like you have already."
>>151099"Way you have taken charge, put your muzzle to ground, and worked hard to keep this household in top shape, like matriarch of household. Only thing you lack is patriarch."
>>151101"I can think of no one more capable, nor that I respect more."
>>151102She blushes, and lowers her ears.
“I’ll… I’ll consider it… and I look forward fo tonight.”
>>151103Silver smiles wider now than he has previously, and his eyes seemingly sparkle.
"As am I, Khoi. I will make certain you enjoy it!"
>>151104She smiles at him with a toothy smile, but gradually lowers her lips
"Why don't you show me something... special. Show me your best. Show me... what being your wife could be." She says, and stands up, turning towards the door.
>>151106She nods to him, smiling, and walks out the kitchen door into the hallway
>>151107Silver heads out of the kitchen to check on Clip, to see if he's still asleep.
>>151108Paper Clipping is laying on his back on the couch, his head propped up by a pillow, and a woven blanket covering most of his lower body, with his hind hooves sticking out. His mouth is partly open, and he breathes in somewhat noisily.
>>151110"Heheh. He is kind of cute, sleeping like that."
Silver pats the colt's head.
>>151111Paper Clipping’s straight red-brown mane moves under the hoof.
But the ecru colt moves his head side to side, and opens his eyes
“Huh? Is it time to go?”
He tries to raise himself up with his forehooves to look around
>>151112Silver quickly withdraws his hoof.
"Oh, I am sorry Clip, I did not mean to wake you."
>>151113The stallion moves his head up, effectively moving his field of view further down, so that he views Silver upside down.
“Oh, right. I’m here.”
He moves his back down (and right-side up), and looks across the living room, and at his surroundings. He tries to twist his barrel to turn his head towards Silver, but quickly abandons this effort.
“Is there something I gotta do?” He asks
>>151114"No, there is not. I do not think they have those meetings this early in morning. How are you feeling, by way?"
>>151115“Uh, a little pain. A bit, actually. Guess it’s hurt more before.”
>>151116"How bad? Like on 1 to 10 scale?"
>>151117“Like… maybe a three. Well, if it were a three I couldn’t sleep. Actually I probably couldn’t go back to sleep. Do we have any more of those pills? A three may not sound so bad, but the problem is the pain doesn’t go away. It’s there all the time.”
>>151118"I have had pain like that. Let me go look for them, or something else for pain."
And thus, Silver goes a-searching.
>>151119Silver finds a small brown glass container labeled as containing medical codeine-based tablets on the kitchen bar top.
>>151120Silver brings it back to Clip.
"Remember to follow directions on bottle, we do not need you overdosing."
>>151121There is a strong tug on the glass, and for a moment at least, Silver's grasp on the container is in serious jeopardy. Paper Clipping tries - and fails - to light his magic to take the container.
"Like Tartarus! I was cut right open, and it hasn't exactly been just a mild pain since.."
>>151122Silver assists by using his magic to open the lid with ease.
"Trust me, I know, I have acquired large number of battlescars over course of my life. Admittedly, nothing
quite like what you had, but still, this world needs good young ponies like you."
>>151123He raises a hoof, and tries to look inside. From this angle, and with hooves wider than the lid of the container, only pouring out pills will have effect.
“Just give me a few of them.” He says
>>151124Silver reads what is recommended on the bottle's label, and gives Clip that amount.
>>151125One, maybe two pills. It depends upon the number of hours, really.
Paper Clipping scrunches.
>>151126"They knew how bad your injury was, and I guarantee this is as strong as they could find. Besides, you need to make this last while you heal."
>>151127"Can't we get some more?" He asks, with an ear flipping down, and back upwards.
>>151128"We can, but they may get suspicuous and believe we are doing unsavory things with them if we ask for more too often."
>>151129His ears go down
“Okay… do we have any alcohol?” He asks
>>151131“Can I have some?” He asks
>>151132"Hmm...alright. But take it easy with those pills."
Silver looks for the bottle of whiskey they had last night to see if there's any left for Clip.
>>151133Yes, at least a few shots.
>>151134Silver opens the bottle, and gives it to Clip.
"Just please, be careful."
>>151135He takes the bottle and attempts to drink directly from it. He almost immediately starts coughing, with whiskey falling out of his mouth, and onto his coat and the blanket.
>>151136"Easy, easy...ease yourself into it slowly."
>>151137He picks it back up, and slowly takes a sip.
He winces, and tips the bottle back up.
>>151138"You get more used to it as you drink, trust me."
>>151139He blinks
“I probably will” he says, trying again to take the smallest sip of the whiskey.
There should be Spark tomorrow.
Will get back to this thread soonish I hope.
>>151010I'm going to try something kind of out there for this plan.
Spark raises the window in the seating row behind him.
>>151153Attempting to do so, without getting out of the seat, isn’t as easy as if would be were the rows all facing the sand direction with each row having its own window, rather than two rows facing each other sharing the sand larger window, as they are
>>151155So the magic can't reach and lift the window on the row behind Spark?
>>151156Maybe if he leans over the seat, and has a visual to confirm what he’s doing
or maybe a dice roll, wisdom modifier >>151158Sitting in his seat, and without making eye contact, Spark feels around on the wall behind him, looking for the latch and feeling for the glass pane. He finds something, and pulls it up. There is a sound of a mare going "Guh!" and he feels it pulled down. Looking through the crack between the seat and the wall, Spark can see that a red mare has pulled her purse down, and is now moving it from by the wall, to underneath her seat. Evidently, Spark grabbed a hold of the purse.
>>151159You'll get 'em next time, little pony
>>151162The mare is clutching onto her purse, and looks kind of peeved.
>>151163Ok... I'll have to improvise with the one already beside me.
>>151164This is fairly straightforward. Simply lean forward, and the latch can be undone with a hoof, and then a sharp push upwards with one or both hooves to open the window. Using magic also works, although it requires more mental effort, especially in exerting the force to push the window upwards and open. Of course, magic doesn't require Spark to lean forward or even sit up.
Makade looks over, watching Spark as he does this.
>>151165Spark needs to do so without drawing too much attention to it, so he uses magic.
>>151167Makade watches the whole process, but he seems to be the only one.
Note that the sound of air passing through the open window is pretty loud
>>151168Spark then casts an illusion spell, a pegasus pony swooping down from the celling towards Spark.
>>151170Bare in mind, the train is fairly small and confined, giving Spark only so much room to be attacked by low flying Pegasus ponies.
>>151171In the heat of the moment, not many question what happens, just that their eyes saw it happen. If I cast it anywhere else, it risks getting spotted by a pony that was paying attention.
>>151172I guess Spark is attacked by a Pegasus then
>>151173"Hey! Give those back!"
Spark then has the pegasus leap out the window with a what looks like papers in his mouth.
>>151174This draws everypony’s attention. The ticketing officer tries to rush in to look out the open window, to see if he can get a glimpse of the strange interloper.
“What happened?” He asks
>>151175"I was just relaxing here when this pony came out of nowhere and took my things. Of all the days, it had to be today." Spark looks around franticly. "What am I going to do without my papers?"
>>151176He blinks, startled.
“What did they look like? Was it a mare or a stallion? What papers did they take? Where did they come from?”
>>151177"I wasn't paying close attention. I was nodding off when he stole everything. I'm fairly sure it was a stallion, but it was a blur. Now everything I brought with me is gone."
>>151178Makade speaks up
"I believe it was a whitish color stallion. He grabbed for our tickets and ID's, which of course we had out for presentation. He may have also taken a small bag I had by the window."
Makade reaches down on the ground. Waabishki wakes up, and sits up, looking around with big gold eyes, evidently trying to figure out what was going on.
A red mare on another row volunteers that someone attempted to lift her purse, although her story varies in that the assailant was unseen, and seems to have been a unicorn. The ticket taker is quickly spooked and confused, believing that a pegasus and a unicorn are working together to steal ID's or personal effects. He asks several more ponies if they noticed anything unusual, but no one seems to know much.
>>151179Well... that might complicate things with the mare giving that information. Now I'm probably going to be suspected as working with the pegasus to rob others. But we will see how it plays out.
>>151180Spark can give more information or keep it as is.
>>151181I can't think of anything to add.
>>151182He asks,
“Did you see anyone besides the Pegasus? What were you doing, exactly, at the time, and what was taken?
>>151183"I was sitting in my seat here, nodding off, and then this pony came and stole my..."
Looks like my other magic is going to have to do. Spark casts a sound illusion to the ceiling, making a thud noise as if there is a pony on the roof.
>>151184The stallion, Makade, and the other ponies look up, and listen to the sound of the evident hooves. The stallion stands up, and follows the hoof sounds
>>151185The hooves travel along towards the back of the car and one more thud is heard a bit softer. Perhaps the pony leapt to the next car over?
>>151186The stallion walks away from Spark, and to the end of the car. Spark is clear, at least for the moment.
>>151187Spark looks over to the party.
>>151188Waabishki, blinking, looks startled. Makade looks over to Spark in silence, with a firm look. Wellspring sits up, gasps, and moves her head about, ears moving up and down.
"What happened?" She asks
The doctor looks over, back and forth between the other four and the ticket stallion, before focusing much of his attention watching the ticket stallion.
>>151189Spark looks to the ticket stallion as well.
>>151190The ticket stallion trots down to the end of the end of the carriage, talks to another pony in green uniform who seems to have entered from an adjacent car, and then comes back to the group.
He asks Spark - and the other three in the section, for that matter - a few questions he has already asked before:
"What was taken?"
"What did he look like?"
"Where did he come from?"
Wellspring looks very uncomfortable. Waabishki looks confused.
>>151192"My papers, documents, and paperwork I was really needing to get on home. I can't remember what he looked like because it was so sudden. Are you saying nopony else got a look at him? You will find my things, right?"
>>151193The mocha-brown stallion pulls his grey lips back, showing most of his teeth in a smile.
Roll Bluff >>150297 →Iron smiles fondly at Cauldron's chest puffing, deciding to give it extra attention by tenderly nuzzling it. In fact, he starts to give soft, dry and kisses on them just to show just how much appreciation he has for those short, stocky hairs.
>>151209Iron's muzzle sometimes pushes through the thin layer of fur to glimpse the black skin beneath.
He feels something touch the top of his head, and the edge of his ear. Black Cauldron seems to be petting him
>>151211His ears droop instinctively at the petting while the stallion continues to let out an even spread of kisses along her black chest skin underneath the coat while his hooves hold her close, as if she'd vanish if he doesn't.
>>151212Iron can feel something else come down and touch the edge of his head - her muzzle, the end of which just barely reaches the top of his head. With one hoof she pets the back of his ears, and the other hoof, she attempts to place around his neck.
>>151213Iron exhaled contently, slowly relaxing his body further than it was ever before as his ears swivel every now and then. He had to admit, this feels far more pleasant than he expected, specially considering his less than stellar track record so far. Was this reciprocal love or is he simply misconstruing these gestures into being such things?
Regardless, the stallion on top of Cauldron in this admittedly cramped bed space cannot possibly think of a better way to spend hours on end. "...I love you," he whispered softly and unexpectedly, only for him to stop dead in his tracks when he realized what he just said.
>>151214The petting stops. The hoof remains in its position just at the edge of Iron's ear.
>>151215Iron hesitatnly slides his muzzle out of Cauldron's chest fluff just to look her in the eye with a flustered, terrified look. He messed up, didn't he? That's why she stopped, didn't she?
His breathing, previously serene, soon turned a little anxious while his body trembled softly at the fear of failure after all the work he's put on her. He wasn't going to have a repeat scene like back at the bar, was he?
>>151215Iron hesitatnly slides his muzzle out of Cauldron's chest fluff just to look her in the eye with a flustered, terrified look. He messed up, didn't he? That's why she stopped, didn't she?
His breathing, previously serene, soon turned a little anxious while his body trembled softly at the fear of failure after all the work he's put on her. He wasn't going to have a repeat scene like back at the bar, was he?
>>151217Their muzzles nearly cross, unless Iron returns to standing all the way up and over her. Her eyes are wide and fixed on Iron. Her lips are pulled back, and show teeth. She says nothing.
>>151218He frankly couldn't even try to stand up after spilling the beans like this, frozen in the spot in a similar way to Cauldron. He even started to sweat a little bit from the tense situation he himself created.
All Iron could do in this precise moment is just stare at her, couragious enough to at least look her in the eye and wait to see what would come off of his apparent mistake.
>>151219She pulls her lips back further, breaking her eyes away, and then back.
"Heh."
>>151220The small chuckle entered his ears, making them rise up on the spot out of dreadful yet hope-filled curiosity, yet found himself still anxious on what would this really come of it.
Did I ruin the mood? he thought to himself.
>>151221"Iron." She says, finally.
"I like you. You know I like you."
Though she seems to have intended to follow up these words with others, these are all she can manage,
>>151222Despite having already comitted acts that most who'd witness it will have called them a couple, hearing Cauldron's simple yet impactful words made Iron's heart skip a beat as his cheeks were soon flushed with a vibrant red. His previously anxious expression lost turned into pure awe and hope, shocked to hear such words after the times he's failed her. It felt surreal for him.
Yet, as nothing more came of it, Iron knew it was up to him to help her out. "Cauldron," he unintentionally mimicked, slightly breathless as he stared fondly into her blue pools "I... I do not know where I'd be without you."
It was easy to tell by him looking away after saying those words he wasn't used to being emotionally vulnerable like this, yet with his pride on the line, he eventually pulled his gaze back to the mare she loved. "Even after all the inconveniences I've made you go through," he continued with a slightly regretful tone, flashes of the war he created just to try and help the mademare get the supplies Cauldron would need for her potion business "you still kept me around. I..."
It would seem he, too, ran out of courage to say his feelings further, quickly shifting his eyes away from her in shame after having pointed out his insecurities.
>>151223She places a hoof on his ear and starts to pet him. She closes her lips.
"Zebras are watching me. Ponies are watching me. In my family, in the Syndicate. I have to be very careful about my romantic relationships. And I have duties to them I can't afford to let slip. I like you, Iron, I really do..."
>>151224Iron's heart started to sink slowly at the rather careful choice of words, a hint of fear starting to grip into his admittedly fragile heart. "W-what do you mean?" he uttered out, dreading the possibly of being told their love was impossible thanks to her responsibilites.
>>151225"I mean..." She looks away
"I may as well be blunt. My parents will not approve if they find out I am pregnant out of wedlock, especially with a pony. The Syndicate is much more tolerant of what a mare choses, but even they disdain mares who have multiple casual relationships. And single mothers are not trusted to do their duties to the syndicate."
>>151226Iron gulped softly at Cauldron's reply: It was certainly closer to impossible than he'd like right now, but it was certainly more doable than he thought. He simply had to prove to her father he was worthy of taking her daughter's hoof. His commitment to Cauldron should be apparent, right?
"Is... this casual to you?" he uttered, looking a tad confused amidst the emotional cocktail of dread and hope.
>>151227“You tell me. You are the one who can leave at will. If I become pregnant, I am the one who will have to live with that. If I gain a reputation for promiscuity, I am the one who will have to live with that.”
After a moment of silence, she lightens her expression
“I’m sorry, maybe I’m reading too much into things. You are a nice stallion. We can snuggle, if that is what you want.”
>>151228"I would not want to burden you any more than I have," Iron quickly replied in order to rid any fears of him impregnating her right now "but I do want to be with you, Cauldron. Together. I will do whatever it takes for our hearts to be together."
There was a small hint of desperation, frightened beyond belief of losing her.
>>151229She takes both hooves, and places them just behind each of Iron’s ears. She ruffles the back of his head, flopping his ears about. She grins playfully.
“What is it you want, exactly?”
>>151230"I want to be with you," Iron instantly repeated, his forelegs holding Cauldron a little tighter.
However, his mind quickly remembered this same exact event happening back at her place, which caused her to instantly sour. Will she accept his words now after all his heart spilling?
>>151231“But what do you mean by that?” She asks
>>151232"W-well," Iron uttered, soon getting overly flustered from having to express himself further "I-I want to be your... special somepony?"
>>151234Go on? Iron thought to himself, nervous.
"U-uh," he stuttered, getting even more embarrassed for having to say such lewd propositions "I... w-want to s-sire foals with you..:?"
>>151235Iron may wonder if Cauldron's tail or hindlegs accidently made contact with exposed electrical wiring.
All of her limbs jolt, and her eyes go wide, ears and lips back.
"So it
is that."
>>151236Iron's eyes instantly widened, quickly covering his unmistakingly reddened face with both forelegs. "I-I know it is a lofty goal," he quickly stammered out, fearful of being shot down "b-but I will do whatever it takes to reach you and your father's approval."
>>151237She takes a moment, laying beneath him in silence
"Iron, I do like you. You are funny, strong, and most of all, you really do seem devoted. I like being around you, and I hope you stick around. I am comfortable letting you touch me. But I don't...
love you. I may only ever have one shot at a family, and I just haven't spent enough time with you to know that I want that one shot to be with you."
After delivering those lines with little emotion, she forces a small smile, and places her right hoof back on Iron's ear.
"But for now, if you like, you can consider us dating. And I consider you my number one suitor. Be careful, though, who you tell I am your somepony, as some in my family and the Syndicate may take interest in who I am with. And no trying for foals until I have
at least a proposal for marriage out of you. Okay?"
>>151238Iron's heart sunk considerably at Cauldron's words, knowing this would've happen but still hurt that his efforts were not enough to fully convince her, yet brightened up considerably at giving him a shot to bridge that gap further.
Almost without thinking, he quickly closes the gap between their muzzles to give her an awfully excited short kiss before smiling eagerly. "Oh thank you!" he enthusiatically replied, quickly enveloping her in a hug. "I will not make you regret this!"
>>151239The mare is taken surprise by the kiss, and perhaps equally so by the hug. Iron can feel the muscle and bone under her short, striped fur.
>>151240Iron continued to hug and nuzzle her on the neck for a bit longer to expel the bountiful amounts of excitement out of his system and be able to properly think straight for a second with little success. The idea of Cauldron actually solidifying his own objective of wooing her into having a family with him actually inspired him to continue his pursuit.
>>151241It takes a moment for Black Cauldron to recover and wrangle a foreleg free.
"So I guess you're my special somepony now."
She pats him on the back, and starts to rub
>>151242Iron, feeling Cauldron struggle a bit, quickly softened his hold for her to move more freely with a sheepish smile only for him to nod enthusiastically. "I am certainly proud to be called your special somepony," he replied gingerly before giving her a small peck on the snout.
>>151243"But I'm not going to call you that quite yet in front of my family and the Syndicate. Well, I'll tell Arlo, but he knows to use discretion. I'll tell Blanche when I get back."
>>151244Iron nodded a little more seriously, soon calming down to a simple smile. "I will not say a word," he agreed with a curt nod. "You have my word."
>>151245She smiles, and now it’s her turn to wrap her forelegs around him, pulling his body close to hers in a hug.
>>151246Iron uncharacteristically squeed a little bit at the snug hug, deciding to softly nuzzle her snout with his own in a sideways motion in a love-filled motion. "I love you," he uttered softly, now far more confident and happy than before.
>>151247She says nothing to him in reply. But she does move her own muzzle, nuzzling him back, touching the side of his muzzle.
>>151248Feeling this, Iron couldn't help but softly connect his lips to hers, deciding to simply enjoy the touch between their muzzles while the train ride kept carrying on. His eyes were closed, his cheeks were still red and his heart thumped in a giddy fashion. It was like he was a horny teenager finally getting his first marefriend.
>>151249She acts in kind, opening her lips to his, and lettings them gently touch and press together.