Dark Star fights against CRT in the school system continues along his path to ensure a future for his and his race's children. Iron conducts a salvage operation finds and recovers hidden treasure. Amber is learning how to exploit simps establishes relationships in her new town. Spark harbors multiple terrorist continues helping Wellspring and the wolf tribe. Silver acts as a step father for unwanted foals gives back to the community at the orphanage. All of this and more
>>154335“I mean that’s what she looked like she would say. Sympathy.”
He blinks, abs looks Amber in the eyes.
He looks down at his empty glass.
“She didn’t get more more tea. I should have asked her for more tea.”
>>154336"I suppose…."She slouches down and rests her head on the table, trying to discern what he really thinks.
"You still don't believe I'm a bad pony, do you? I wouldn't do anything to make you feel betrayed or hurt."
>>154337“I just… You seem so sweet. So nice. So…
innocent.”
>>154339“I don’t want you to not be that innocent little reminder of… of older times.”
>>154341“Before the War. Before Baltimare.”
>>154343“Are you a virgin?” He asks in as direct a manner as it is possible to answer that question.
>>154344Looking at him quizzically, but oddly enough not embarrassed, she answers,
"I am, I think…except I got kissed out of nowhere last night. I didn't ask for it at all, but it was that or gettin' in serious trouble." She makes a disgusted expression.
>>154345He leans in.
Alright, +0 modifier here we go!
Sense motive
[1d20+0 = 14] (for the last answer). Roll bluff if necessary
“You think?”
>>154346Though some amount of doubt can always exist, and obviously many details about that mysterious night are being left out, it doesn't seem likely she's lying or would be able to lie that convincingly.
"Well it was a romantic kind of kiss–but there were no romantic feelings at all!–and you ain't supposed to have that sort of kiss unless you intend to marry. So that might mean I ain't a virgin, I'm not sure how exactly it's counted."
>>154347He looks at her wordlessly, and eventually gives an awkward smile.
He looks down at the chowder, picks up a spoon, and places if in the chowder. His smile stops
“That would have bothered me all night. For as long as I knew you.”
>>154348She doesn't quite know how to respond.
"Oh…I guess I hadn't thought about it that much." She stares at her own bowl of slimy soup.
"Um, are you one too? A virgin. Maybe the word doesn't apply to colts…" she trails off, unsure if she's probing too much.
No, if he asks me a question I can ask the same in turn, she reasons and reassures herself.
>>154349There is something resembling a smile, though he does not make eye contact
“I’m flattered that you think the question needs to be asked.”
>>154350Now she's thoroughly befuddled.
"What do you mean by that?"
>>154351He shakes his head
“I mean, you already know the answer.”
>>154353“Well, it’s different, for a colt than a filly. Especially a filly as adorable as you.”
>>154355“Well… I mean… yeah, we’re a little young, but, it’s really hard for a colt, but it’s no effort at all for a filly.”
>>154357“I mean, well, you have to get a filly to notice you, you have to get them to like you, you have to take them to nice places and all of that stuff, and then after all of that, you still may not get a kiss.”
>>154358She mulls this over in her head.
"I suppose so…but how will a colt want a filly to notice and like him so he'll take her to nice places? What if she wants to go to those nice places but nopony will take her there, even if she notices colts?"
>>154359“Well…. I suppose she should let him know.”
>>154361He blinks
“I don’t know. I’ve never dated a colt. Or tried to.”
>>154362At first she pulls her head back with an expression amounting to "are you kidding me?" Then she bursts out laughing.
"What a ridiculous topic this all is! I never talked about this stuff with folks back home."
>>154363He gives a smile, and it’s one of the more authentic smiles he’s given in a while
“How does it feel?”
>>154364Her own smile is a little more strained.
"If you're not putting me on the spot…it's alright."
>>154365His expression is concerned.
“I mean being away from your home. Being on your own.”
>>154366She becomes more relaxed.
"I miss a warmer home, and here there are lots of strange creatures that put me on edge. But I'm able to go to many places I only read about in books, whenever and wherever I want. It's not easy looking after myself, but if life was easy it wouldn't be the same, would it?"
>>154367Did Amber just answer "it's alright" to "how does it feel to date a colt?""No... no it's not." He pauses for a moment
"I don't really think my mom is going to like me being out late, or spending money. But what is she going to do?" Another pause
"I am free"
>>154369He blushes, and the question halts him for a moment. Only a moment
"More the money thing. And the being out thing. "
>>154370She giggles.
"Well, you needn't worry. I've read of what 'fast mares' are like and I'm not the type to buy a new shawl every fortnight. And I can keep you safe from bandits," she says with a playful wink.
>>154371Something in his expression implies that he was not expecting her to say these things.
"Say what now?"
>>154373"Heh" he smiles. But then he says
"Wait. You still want to go forward with things?"
>>154374"Mhm," she nods with a small smile.
"You're a good colt at heart, even if you…jump to conclusions. I like being around you, I feel you deserve more of a chance."
>>154375His ears go down, and he pulls his lips back in a very toothy smile. His eyes are wide open, and he makes eye contact for several seconds. He does not say anything, breaks eye contact, and quickly takes one, then two more spoonful's of the soup.
>>154376Amber likewise starts eating the thick and unfamiliar soup, which hopefully is still warm.
>>154377Amber has allowed it to cool a bit. The chowder has a relatively large amount of cream, and fairly large potato chunks.
Yes, there are crackers, albeit only a few.
The waitress returns, and there is a brief interaction where Mustard Trim asks for more tea.
>>154378Did they both order tea, or was it tea for Mustard, hot chocolate for Amber? I thought both got hot coco, but if both have tea in addition then Amber will ask for more too."This 'chowder' is pretty good," she says in between bites.
"I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's good and hearty, though very different from the soups I had back home."
>>154379So maybe I'm mistaken, but it's been my understanding this entire time that Mustard ordered sweat sweet tea, and Amber ordered Hot Chocolate"Thi- ith not bahd" Mustard Trim does not wait to swallow before replying.
But then he swallows, and asks
"What did you have back home?"
>>154380You're probably right. It's a minor detail not worth jotting a note down or searching back for"We had more basic vegetable soups like carrot & parsnip soup, which was certainly delicious, but we had no seafood and needed to be sparing with milk, so something like this clam chowder just wasn't possible." She takes another spoonful and relishes the taste and texture of what must be a delicacy to her.
>>154381He uses a spoon to cut the potato. For Amber, the soup is a bit more on the liquid side. The potatoes are soft, however.
"We had carrot. Onion too. I guess we had a little more cheese and cream. Store bought."
>>154382The soup is quite delightful.
"I can hardly imagine getting everything you eat and live by from a store. I'm guessin' it actually is an easier life."
>>154383"I don't really know. It's the only life I've ever lived. My dad worked at the paper mill. My mom did try to grow a few things in a garden though."