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>>154636He was certainly less daring than she was, because he (perhaps out of politeness, more likely shyness) didn't touch her rump, but she looks contented and hops over him onto the floor. She picks up a musical instrument that looks like a short-necked guitar but with a violin hole in it, and with a deep round body.
"Want to hear a tune?" she asks eagerly, sitting up on the bed next to him and holding the instrument in her hooves.
>>154638He scrunches momentarily, then inspects the instrument
“Sure” he says
>>154639She takes a moment to carefully tune the mandolin and tries a couple of strums. Then she starts a familiar tune and breaks out in song:
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamt I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head, and I cried
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
"I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me to love another
You'll regret it all one day
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
"Please don't take my sunshine away"Her playing isn't masterful, but for the simple tune it's certainly quite good enough, though her singing is not as practiced and she's out of tune at parts. But all through it she gazes at Mustard Trim's face with a fond smile.
I'd link music, but it's exceptionally difficult to find mandolin music that's not a tutorial, renaissance fare, or music that came after this time period >>154640I remember when Kathy Weseluck sung this entire song in a panel at Bronycon 2018He listens. He listens rather intently, and smiles. By the end of the last verse, he is tearing up.
>>154642When she finishes, she grins and says,
"Let me try another one, a little more ambitious." She plays another tune, this time without words…
Dexterity:
[1d20+2 = (12+2) = 14] >>154643Not bad.
What's the emotion expressed in the tune?
>>154643>>154644https://youtu.be/D6kihlmvAfQShe dives into a bluegrass melody which is certainly more complex than the previous song, and which is above her weight class. Her rendition is slowed somewhat and even then she gets a few notes wrong. Still, she carries through and conveys the good-hearted energy of the music. When she finishes she grins proudly at him.
>>154645Holy hell I love that song, at least the Marshal Tucker versionPretty sure it was also played in s famous fiddle contest against the devilHe grins at her.
“I think I’ve heard that one before”
>>154647He smiles more warmly
“Nothing worth much is ever had without practice. I should practice on my woodworking.”
>>154648She winks at him.
"One more, then you can tell me all about your woodworking."She starts on a tune that's also from the countryside, but slower and more repetitious than the last, thus it's much easier for her hooves to pluck the strings correctly. She closes her tunes and sings:
"Some glad morning when this life is o'er,
I'll fly away;
To a home on Celestia's godly shore,
I'll fly away, I'll fly away.
"I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; in the morning
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away, I'll fly away.
"When the shadows of this life have gone,
I'll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I'll fly away, I'll fly away.
"I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away, in the morning
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away, I'll fly away.
"Just a few more weary days and then,
I'll fly away;
To a land where joy shall never end,
I'll fly away, I'll fly away."Once she stops singing she carries on the instrumental for a couple more stanzas and with a final strum finishes, sitting there in silence. She has a tense smile and when she opens her eyes a couple of teardrops drip down her cheeks.
>>154649He tilts his head, definitely smiling
"Why don't you try to sing for a restaurant or a club or a bar?"
>>154651“Why not buy a music book?” He asks
“Or listen to other musicians. Like that Griffin who played last night at Maurice.”
>>154652"That griffon was great and I'm really happy to have heard him! I wish I could go to Maurice more often, but you know how things are. You're right though, I should see if I can pick up a music book that works with a mandolin." With one hoof she strokes his mane in appreciation.
>>154653He smiles, and tilts his head a little closer to her
>>154654She continues stroking his mane, and asks,
"Do you know what time it is? Maybe we should go to bed." >>154655mane is stroked"I don't know" he says
"Like... 10? I don't know."
>>154657He smiles. Almost dopily
"My... My mother is probably wondering where I am"
>>154658"Better to not justify her worries by walkin' through a risky neighborhood. You're safe here," Amber reasons. She continues to reassure him,
"I can explain it all to her myself if you'd like." >>154659"I don't think she'd like it if she knew I were staying with a girl" He answers
>>154660"I mean, I can't blame her for wanting a chaperone, but is it really better than trottin' home tonight? But…I can hire a taxi if you'd like." She looks at him pleadingly.
"What'cha want me here for?" He asks, with an almost mischievous smile
>>154662"I like having you around," she replies more innocently, or is that a glint in her eyes?
>>154663He places a hoof to his chin, and looks at her quizzically
"Hmmm... Do you want me around to do anything in particular?"
>>154665He looks up in contemplation
>>154666Amber doesn't wait for his affirmation. She hops down, puts her mandolin away, and walks across the room to turn off the lights. Before he knows it she's trying to pull the crisp, clean blanket and sheet out from underneath him and cover him up.
>>154667"Let me call my mother and say I'm staying the night at a coworker's house."
>>154668She stops what she's doing, then a moment later he hears a
click as the light flickers on.
"Smart move. I think there's a phone in the lobby…." >>154669He gets up, and excitedly leaves Amber's room
"Where's a phone?" He asks, heading into the hallway
>>154670"I know the manager has one, and there probably is a pay phone down there…" she replies, nervously. She still doesn't entirely trust this place particularly at night. At least now they look less like revelers who took a romp in the woods, and more like a proper couple (or as some may guess, according to their coloration, brother and sister). She leads him downstairs.
>>154671There is indeed a payphone downstairs. Mustard Trim places in a few coins, and calls his home.
Does Amber watch this, or wait until he returns
>>154672She's content to look around and pretend not to eavesdrop.
>>154673He tries to explain he's with a friend he made at work
His ears fall down, he seems to be berated, and he says a combination of half truths and lies.
It ends with him coming to Amber with that downtrodden expression. But he tells her
"Okay. I can stay now."
>>154674She asks him,
"What's wrong?" though inwardly she knows he was being dishonest to stay with her, and she feels a pang of guilt for pushing him to do so.
>>154675"My mother didn't like me being out the whole day. Especially as I did not tell her."
>>154676"I understand…."She walks closely beside him up to her room, occasionally rubbing against him or swatting his backside with her tail.
>>154677"And I couldn't say you were a filly." He adds
He giggles at the swatting, and rubs against her. Then he lopes ahead of Amber, running to her room
>>154678She canters up after him to open the door and get back into her room.
>>154679He's already on her bed, waiting for her
>>154680Amber locks the door behind her, switches off the light and climbs in beside him, pulling the blanket over both little ponies.
Good thing I don't move in my sleep…, she thinks. To not hang over the edge her body is pressed up against his, their legs overlapping and their faces only inches apart on the single pillow. He can feel her hooves tracing on his back. It's much warmer and cozier than a cold, wet hill.
"We should thank Princess Cadenza we found each other," she remarks to him.
>>154681"I don't know if I'd credit Cadenza." He says.
He takes his own hooves, and places them on her body. Lower on her body.
And then lower on her body.
>>154682Would that be her rump?
"Well, it's near miraculous I found some pony like you, so soon after coming to Baltimare, so…thank you, Princesses."She takes a deep breath and he may sense that she's looking at him.
"I…I love you," she confesses, for the first explicit time.
>>154683Why yes. Yes it would be
"Really? Hehehe. You think so?"
>>154684She quivers against him and his touch, and he feels her hot breath against his neck before her muzzle nuzzles it.
"I know it." >>154685Grabbing her rump, he pulls her in closer, embracing her. He takes his hindleg, and touches her hindleg with it
Amber reciprocates by moving her left foreleg around his neck and onto his withers, and lightly pressing her right against his loins (lower back). A tremulous sigh escapes her lips as she is gingerly touched, and he can feel her rear twist back and forth.
What she says next may just kill the mood, however. "Please don't wet yourself again," she requests.