>>155767"You're welcome" She says, smiling happily. She picks up her plate, and there's a little back and forth over doing the dishes. Normally it seems that Mustard would do the dishes, or at least it is his turn, but with Amber there Dahlia suggests Veneer does it. Veneer does not want to do it (probably because she wants to leave), and there's a sort of conclusion the dishes can be done later.
>>155769“Oh, it’s okay,” Dahlia says
>>155770"Then I'll do it."She picks up her plate with her mouth and carries it to the kitchen.
>>155771Mustard Trim is drafted in to help, and the two are washing dishes together in the kitchen.
>>155772Nothing makes her happier to have Mustard work beside her.
"It's much faster with two, ain't it?" she says with a wide smile.
>>155773"Yeah, it is" He says running a plate under the water, and scrubbing it.
"It doesn't really take that long though, usually. It's just the three of us. And she gets Veneer to do it sometimes."
>>155774"Veneer seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere. I was hopin' to get to talk to her," she says, picking up a freshly cleaned plate and drying it.
>>155775"Well, then go talk to her" Mustard says
>>155776"Alright, I'll be right back." She quickly dries off her hooves and heads for the entrance, hoping to catch Veneer before she leaves.
>>155777Veneer has actually gone to her room, and has grabbed a jacket. She sees her as she walks down the stairs.
>>155778"Hello Veneer, could we have a word?" she calls out with a friendly smile.
>>155779She looks over at Amber with a fairly serious expression. She moves much closer to Amber, closing the distance.
"Yes?"
>>155780Amber wears a slightly nervous smile and rubs her hoof against the carpet.
"After you, uh, told me about fun places around where I live I was hoping, maybe…maybe you could show me around them sometime? I want to pick up on city ways and not be so much of a bumpkin. If the location isn't too far away for you, I mean."
>>155781She is silent for a moment. But only for a moment.
"You still owe me for that stunt you pulled last night."
>>155782"Erm, alright, let me know what you need." It feels like her forehead's starting to sweat, she hopes it isn't visible.
>>155783"I'll decide later. And what do you want? You want me to name clubs? You want me to take you?"
>>155785"To a club?" She raises an eyebrow
>>155786"Mhm, wherever you usually…I mean, where you think is best." Still, that nervous smile.
>>155787"I suppose I
could take you. If only so you can pay for everything."
>>155788Her smile disappears, her ears hung low.
"I don't have much in the way of money, only enough for food until my next paycheck," she replies.
>>155789"Then you're lucky I didn't have to pay for a cab" She says
>>155790The filly stays quiet, unsure of what to say. Was Veneer upset because of how Mustard's fillyfriend hurt him, or because the incident was a nuisance to her?
>>155791"Look. Okay. I get it. I'll think of maybe taking you along with my coworkers and friends one night, okay?"
>>155792She adopts a small smile. This is all she wanted.
"Thank you."
>>155793“Careful though, or you won’t be her golden filly anymore.”
>>155795"My mother. Don't you see how she likes you more than her own foals?"
>>155796She looks off to the side.
"Yes…I'm surprised she actually likes me, I thought her impression would be…different."
>>155797She blinks, moves her head back, and smiles
"And what did you think it would be?"
>>155798"I thought she would treat me like she does Mustard, bein'…," she looks around to make sure she isn't overheard before whispering,
"Awful demanding and suspicious."
>>155799"Mustard is stuck with her. You can leave. She has to be nice to you, or else you'll go away." She pauses, but gives a sly smile
"She wants Mustard to have a fillyfriend. He hasn't taken the move, or the loss of his father and brother very well. And we thought he'd never get a filly friend. So when you come along, all adorable, a sweet and innocent little farm pony from the country, she's not going to scare you away. Or at least she'll try not to."
>>155801"Will you hit my brother again?" She asks
>>155802Amber widens her eyes in horror.
"No, never. Even if he hit me. I still feel horrible for hurting him at all, but honest-to-Celestia I never meant to do so."
>>155803"Uh huh. But you did it anyways." She rolls her eyes
"I don't know what she'd think of you after you got married. Mostly I think that's her goal. To get us both married, moved out of the house, and with grandchildren."
>>155805"Well now I have to support her here, with this expensive house. And yes, I want to have fun, if that was your question."
>>155807She nods
"Yeah. Life stuff."
She looks away, and then back to Amber
"What... kind of fun?"
>>155808She has a hopeful look about her.
"Whatever the city has to offer, I'm open to it."
>>155810She grins back.
"I love adventure and challenging my expectations."Inwardly she is wondering,
What am I getting myself into?
>>155811A wide smile comes across her face
“What
kind of adventure?”
>>155812"All kinds. The wilder the better," she says with a confident smile.
>>155813She nods, almost concerned
"Sounds like you don't much care to be Dahlia's golden filly"
>>155814"Like I said, I was surprised she thought of me as that at all. But I can't expect to stay like that forever. I've got to enjoy my youth."But she ponders to herself,
How deep in over my head am I?
>>155815“Heh heh, yeah”
She moves forward, and to the side of Amber, then partly around her. She stands between Amber and the first floor now, with her tail tied into a… well, s pony tail.
“Life is short, after all.”
>>155816If Amber wanted anything less than absolute rock-solid surety to bring back to Mustard, she would have backed down by now. But there is no backing down, at least not yet.
"It sure is, and I've hardly seen anything there is out there."