1937 replies and 33 files omitted.
>>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.