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>>152400It isn’t long at all before a taxi comes and picks the two creatures up. The older looking purple stallion driving is fairly talkative, but takes them directly to the Saint Prancis Orphanage.
>>152401I imagine Silver would oblige the driver as they travel with idle conversation. When they arrive, he pays the driver, and exits the taxi with Mala.
"Well, here we are, Mala."
>>152402The stallion tells of how he’s lived in the city for a while, how taxis were not especially common just a few short years ago, and how Cherry Hill especially has built up. He engages Mala directly, asking him if he speaks Ponish. And if Silver’s service is brought up, that’s a rabbit hole he tumbles straight down.
Saint Prancis orphanage is an unassuming two story brick building on the northwest side of town opposite Cherry Hill. The drive avoids the less savory parts of Cowtown and Eastside with a more northerly route. Mala steps out, and looks around at the plentiful foliage.
>>152403Silver heads towards the building, enters, and smiles at whatever nun is up at the front.
"Hello, I am back."
>>152404“Hello.” A nun answers. Silver doesn’t really recall her, but she seems to have an idea of who silver is. She recoils, and moves slightly behind the door frame when she she’s the large gnoll next to Silver.
>>152405"Oh, this is my friend Mala."
He pulls the hyena into a side hug, showcasing how fluffy and friendly he is, just like the Unicorn.
"I was wondering if we could see White Orchid and Mint Marine again."
>>152406Mala seems to like the hug, leaning slightly into it, and lowering his ears for a moment. Silver can feel how the main barrel of his body is much taller than it is wide, or how loose his belly is.
The Nun's eyes remain wide
"Um... White Orchid, I think is practicing for a play. Mint Marine, I am not sure about..."
>>152407"Hmm, do you know where Mint Marine would be?"
>>152408“Uh…. I suppose I can fetch the two of them for you. You can - you can step in.” She says, moving from the doorway
>>152409Silver smiles, before stepping in with his friend.
"Thank you!"
>>152410Silver, and then Mala step into the large entryway of the orphanage. There is a delay of perhaps a minute and a half before a large... well, a large something comes through the hallway on the right.
Silver sees a red dragon-serpent looking costume thing which has a paper machete head with tendrils on the long snout, plastic eyes, a yellow belly, a long back that arches up with about three cardboard(?) fins/spikes, and a long green, fabric tail. The head section seems to be proped up with something solid, while the tail seems to be stuffed with something. There are two thin arms on the costume, eaach of which is connected to a thinner rod that seems designed to facilitate movement. Inside of this fabric and paper machete monster is a familiar face, sticking out from the lower yellow neck. It's White Orchid. His legs are covered in black stockings, as are his thighs. He looks happily to Silver.
>>152411Silver feigns terror in a fairly obvious and playful way, if evidenced by the smile on his face when White Orchid comes in.
"Oh no, it is ferocious terrifying dragon! What will we do!?"
>>152412"Ha! Actually it's a freshwater serpent" the costumed colt replies
"What brings you here?"
>>152413"Oh, my mistake. It is ferocious terrifying freshwater serpent!"
He maintains the facade for a moment before breaking into smiles and laughter. He runs up and gives the colt a hug, being careful not to damage his costume.
"It is great to see you again, White Orchid. I hope I am not interrupting."
>>152414It isn't particularly easy to hug the colt, particularly because of the cardboard fins that stick out of the costume's back. White Orchid also seems a little less comfortable with male touching than Mala does (at least when the costume is on), tapping his hooves.
"No no, we were starting to practice for a play, you see..."
White Orchid turns his head, and then shoots back in place, slightly bending one of the fins, as Silver is still presumably hugging him
"Ahhh!"
His terror is a bit less feigned
>>152415Oh, right, almost forgot about his aversion to contact. Silver tilts his head at the colt and lets go of him.
"What is wrong?"
>>152416"What is that?!" he says, pointing at Mala
>>152417"Hmm?" Silver replies, looking back at Mala.
"Oh, that is my friend, Mala. He is very friendly. We rescued him on our most recent mission, and he helped to save many other people."
>>152418Mala's eyes are a little wide, and he tilts his head down,, looking to the ground
"Is it safe?"
However, this scene is interrupted by the arrival of the nun, and a familiar blue unicorn, who looks to Silver, to White Orchid, and then with concern, to Mala
>>152394Even zebra foals are cute, she muses to herself.
It's nice to see a large, happy family.However, her attention is quickly captured by the pegasus performing the impressive dive, and then by by the stallion who is impressive in another way. She can guess how a "dive" by him will turn out.
>>152420One of the zebra fillies runs over to the side of the pool, evidently to come to one of the zebra colts, who is inside the pool next to her. However, she comes up a little two quickly, and a hoof slips on the wet concrete. Her leg slips into the pool, then she falls, she makes a "Yip!" sound, and she falls on her side in the water. She stabilizes herself as the colt comes along to help her up.
The
Impressive does not go to the diving board, as interesting a sight as that might be. Rather, he goes to the edge of the water, dips a hoof in, looks down at the water, forms his forelegs into a diving pose, and jumps right in. If Amber ever had interest in what a meteor would look like crashing into the ocean, she surely now sees the same in miniature. He enters the water belly first. It looks uncomfortable, but the stallion doesn't seem to sense a difference, and extends one leg in front of the other swimming. Meanwhile, the young colt, so un-phased in his laps so far, is swept away by the waves, trying to thrust his head above water to get a gasp of air. The Pegasus, further away from the epicenter, swims along, using his wings to push the water behind him as he goes.
Mustard Trim makes a turn, and now circles around the right half of Amber clockwise.
>>152421Amber, as far away as she is, can't help but flinch with such a huge bellyflop. It's amusing to her, but the humorous nature of the situation is cut short by the colt's apparent distress. Still not paying attention to Mustard, she puts her forehoofs on the edge of the pool and lifts herself partways. She watches intently to see if the colt will recover or if another pony will help him.
>>152422There is a moment where the colt is overturned in the tumultuous water. After a couple seconds, he recovers, takes a breath, lingers on the surface of the water some seconds, and then returns to swimming laps. Mustard Trim takes a moment to look over at the commotion, if Amber cares to look. The large stallion continues waddling forth in the water, making a lap, and turning around. The Pegasus has already made almost two laps in that time.
>>152419"He," Silver corrects, "and yes, Mala is very friendly, I would not be friends with him otherwise."
Silver looks over to Mint Marine, and smiles.
"Hello Mint! It is good to see you again."
>>152424“Hello.” Mint Marine says. His voice is lacking in elation as he walks in, although judging from his expression, that may be from concern or confusion at the prescience of the hyena and the lake monster.
>>152423Amber breathes a sigh of relief and relaxes, and then turns back to Mustard.
"There are a lot of different ponies around. This see-ment pond is so very different from swimming in a regular pond or lake." She smirks and continues,
"Want to swim some laps?" >>152426“Uh… sure” he says, attempting a smile
>>152425"Ah. Some of foals here are holding play. Anyways, meet Mala. He is friend of mine."
>>152427She pulls herself out of the water, shaking her mane and swishing her tail to get rid of some of the water before she walks on the cement. A very good idea pops into her head, and she looks to see if there is an open spot/lane that has a diving board.
>>152428Mint Marine slowly moves closer, and more closely to Mala.
"What are you?" Mint Marine asks
"I am Kaftar." He answers
"But I suppose the term used by ponies is 'gnoll'."
>>152429It's just a little crowded, but doable. There is a free diving board to be sure
>>152430Amber grins and slowly climbs up the ladder onto the diving board. She looks down to really make sure the water is deep enough and steels herself.
>>152430"I call him 'big, friendly, and fluffy'."
>>152431Oh it’s deep enough. This is a competition swimming pool. It’s on the smaller side of competition swimming pools, but it’s built did it all the same. The real question is, is Amber built for it?
>>152432Mint Marine moves closer, and extends a hoof. Mala extends a pas, and the two shake paws/hooves.
White Orchid, however….
“Are you… sure he doesn’t eat ponies?”
Mala turns his head to White Orchid, twists his ears, and lowers his head
>>152433Confident in herself, she takes the dive. Do I roll tumble?
>>152436Amber dives into the water rather gracefully, smoothly retaining the infernos of her jump to push her into the lap.
>>152437She feels the cool air breeze past her for a minute before becoming submerged in the lukewarm water. Quickly surfacing, Amber looks to make sure she's headed in the right direction before settling into a breaststroke. If she wasn't busy regulating her breathing, she would smiling for how pleasant it is to be immersed and have a chance for exercise.
>>15243825 meters from one side to the other, and chlorinated water at 82 degrees. If ever there were a time and place for exercise in water, it’s here and now.
>>152439She lets herself loose and swims with carefree abandon, only making sure she doesn't collide with other swimmers. She realizes that she brought Mustard here and ought to spend time with him, but there will be time for talk after swimming.
>>152440Mustard seems to join in, though he stays out of her way and stays in his lane.
Avoiding collisions is sadly harder than it should be, but Amber doesn’t need to slow herself by much to get around others.
>>152433Silver nods to White Orchid.
"100% positive."
>>152442“Oh. Okay” he answers
Mint Marine almost pets Mala
>>152443Silver looks at Mint, smiles, and nods him on.
>>152445"That he is. He is great to pet and hug."
He smiles at Mala now.
>>152441She keeps swimming for a good amount of time until she's somewhat tired. Then, when Mustard doesn't suspect it, she swims underneath him and pulls him underwater.
>>152446Mint Marine comes in closer, and starts rubbing the fur on Mala’s back; that portion of the land that doesn’t stop, but spans all the way down to the base of the tail.
Mala smiles back
>>152447https://youtu.be/yrEvK-tv5OIAnd Mustard Trim is pulled under the water. Never suspected a thing.
>>152448She hold him in her clutches only for a couple of seconds before releasing him and letting him resurface. She pops up a moment after with a grin on her face.
>>152448"You do like petting, right Mala?"