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>>152287"Do things not feel different?"
>>152288“They do. Very much so. It’s just… I’ve heard that before…”
>>152289"Hmm. Well, if you have any fears about this, let me know. I do not want you to worry."
>>152290“It’s, it’s okay. I do not worry. This is better than any I’ve experienced before, I think. Even if it does not remain so well, it will still be okay.” He says
>>152291"Then I will do my best to make it last, friend."
>>152292Mala’s ears perk up, and he leans his head closer to Silver
>>152293Silver hugs his hyena friend closer.
>>152294Hyena friend is huggedHe leans onto the couch and Silver, and his ears come down. He says nothing. He's fluffy, muscular, and fat all at once, almost as large as Silver.
>>152295He makes for a wonderful hug partner. Silver continues to hug for a minute, before releasing him with a pet.
"Alright, I have some things to clean up. I am going to look around for cleaning supplies."
>>152296“Okay” Mala says. Paper Clipping’s just continues staring. As Mala blocks the path out between the coffee table and the couch, Silver will have to walk past Paper clipping on the other couch, and all the way around the table to get out.
>>152297As Silver walks past Clip, he turns to face him.
"Are you sure you are okay? You know you can come to me with anything, yes?"
>>152299"Okay" She turns her head, and then turns her eyes back to Amber with a small smile. She turns completely in, and starts yelling,
"Mustard! Mustard! There's a filly here asking for you. She says her name is Amber."
There seems to be a reply of "Coming mom," but really precisely what is spoken is hard to discern. Amber is waiting outside for quite a number of seconds.
"He's coming" she turns and answers to Amber, and there is a still longer delay. After perhaps as long as a minute in total, Amber sees the yellow form of Mustard trim exit out beside his mother, wearing a brown, presumably leather jacket that Amber could be forgiven for thinking was made of burlap, and with a smile and exited demeanor expressing genuine pleasant surprise at Amber's presence.
"Hello" he says to her. "Nice to see you. What brings you by?"
>>152298He blinks, and shakes his head.
“It’ll be fine.” He answers
>>152301"Alright. Come to me if you need anything."
Silver squeezes by him and past the couch, to start looking in closets for cleaning supplies.
>>152302“Yeah! I’m done for the day. Uh, sure.”
>>152305“Uh, let me get some things.”
He ducks into the house, and there’s some sort of back and forth between he and his mother that lasts several lines, that sounds like “where are you going?” and “did you do x?”
He comes back outside. If he grabbed anything, it must be in his jacket pocket.
“I’m ready” he says, walking next to Amber, and looking out past her onto the street, before again turning to her.
“So… where is this place?”
>>152303Paper Clipping is laying on the couch, so it’s simple enough to get by him.
Now here is the question: where are the cleaning supplies?
>>152306Amber shouts thanks to his mother before turning back to him.
"Do you know where the Williams Society is? I heard it is in Westtown. We could go there." >>152306That is a good question. Silver is going to start with any closets in the living room and dining room.
>>152307His mother waves back
“Be careful!”
He replies to Amber:
“Huh… I’ve heard of the Williams society, but I don’t know where their location is. I’ve been around here a while, but not that long… I think it will be fun to try.”
>>152308And…
Success! There is a closet next to the bathroom on the wall next to the entry foyer that contains a mop and bucket, besides s few other things,
>>152309She has to ask around about how to get there. Is it too far to get there on hoof?
>>152310A helpful aging earth pony stallion provides an answer.
It’s approximately a mile and a half away, mostly west but slightly north.
>>152311Not too far away at all with a good pace. Amber strikes up a conversation with Mustard on the way.
"I'm sorry for keeping you up so late last night, I'm not an owl and I sure as hay didn't want to be one. You didn't get into too much trouble, did you?" >>152312“An owl?… No, it’s okay. My mother knew I was working late last night, so I wasn’t really expected back before ten anyways. Fortunately my mother was working day shift, so she was asleep before I was supposed to be home, and my sister was too. So… I didn’t get caught. I don’t think she’d like me going to that place last night.”
>>152314“Yeah, heh heh. It was a little different. I sort of liked it though. It was a little, well, it was different. But I had fun… It was worth the risk.”
He smiles awkwardly.
>>152315"The owner might be a bit peevish, but I don't think it's that bad of a place. Good music, good dancin' and good company, it seems alright to me."A little ways on she continues,
"You want to head there again sometime?" >>152315“I uh, sure. I’ll go there again. With you. I don’t know if my mom would really want me to go there, but sure. We can go after a shift, or something.” He has a toothy smile, looking over at Amber
>>152317She tosses her head lackadaisically, grinning.
"Well, I doubt she would find out, I wouldn't keep you long anyway. This town has so many things to do, might as well try them out. I can only imagine the number of places to explore." >>152318"Yeah, heh heh. I've been here a while now, and I've only seen so much. There's a lot out there, definitely. Even if I had spent all of that time going out to new places every night, I don't think I would have seen it all. There's a lot to do, if you really want to."
>>152321“Yeah, there wasn’t so much to do back in Blackwater. My mother thinks the city is kind of dangerous. I don’t know. I kind of figure that life is dangerous. So I may as well make the most of it. What made you think you wanted to go swimming?”
>>152323"Heh, well that's real nice of you. I haven't been swimming in a while. Not since before I moved, and even then it had been a while. I wouldn't really think you could swim in the winter, to be honest. Well, at least outside of the ocean. The ocean is probably warm enough. But even then, it's pretty cold for it."
>>152325"No no. It actually stays kind of warm during the winter. Not really that warm, but warmer than the air. And the waves aren't really so bad, at least in most places. Not if you swim in an estuary, or bay."
>>152326"That doesn't sound so bad then. Maybe I'll try that sometime."She thinks about something for a moment.
"Don't you have friends from school to loiter around with?" >>152327He walks along next to her, and is silent for a moment, and then a moment longer
"... Some"
>>152328She doesn't press the issue.
"It's always fine to meet new ponies. I guess I'm lucky to have amiable coworkers. Well, maybe not so much at the clothing store." >>152329"Oh really? What's that like?" She turns his head to her
>>152331He looks at Amber, blinks, and smiles
"Have you tried talking to her about, well, not clothing? Or to the griffin about... well, anything?"
"Well, I asked her about her childhood and she got a bit sad when describing Canterlot.
I haven't had much chance for a conversation since. As for the griffin, I don't think he wants to talk to me, I don't think he likes me."
>>152333"Hmmm. Griffins are like that. I still don't really know why we are letting so many over here. They don't really do friendship. But I can imagine if she misses Canterlot..."
>>152335Mustard Trim turns his head to Amber. Whether his right ankle fails him momentarily and he collapses to his right, or whether he physically recoils at the word and jumps back, Mustard Trim bounces a foot and a half away from Amber.
"
Those creatures. I hope I never have to see one."
>>152336The young mare nods, scowling.
"You got that right." She lightens up.
"Best not to think of them.
We're almost there anyway."