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#rp snippet
the-character-lounge · 9 months
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Spinel finds his Special Jewel
Randy chuckled and without another word, went over to his duffel bag. “S- Sit down and c- cover your eyes. I w- want to draw out the suspense!” he chuckled and kept the black box hidden with his body as he opened his duffel bag up.
"Oh you're really going all out with this, it better be good." Spinel wagged his tail a little and sat down, covering his eyes with his hoof. He had a bit of a nervous looking smile on his face, anxious. He thought of this as a nice reward for today's achievements. His ears flicked, the only sign he was trying to figure out what Randy had by listening.
There was the zip of a duffel bag, and the shuffling of hooves on the floor. Then, even while his eyes were covered, he would’ve felt the presence of the ram standing in front of him. It was quiet for a moment. Then, the sound of a lid being removed from a box of some kind, and a light giggle. “.. O- Okay… y- you can look now.” When his hooves left his eyes, a gorgeous collar laced with silver chains and lined with rhinestones sat in a velvety black box, and Randy held it proudly in his hooves. “I- It would have c- come with fl- flowers and s- some cake.. b- but I d- didn’t get to g- go get those th- things before we g- got here.”
Spinel's back legs kicked a little from impatience, and his mouth screwed up in confusion when he heard a box. He slowly lowered his hooves, and instantly his eyes widened at the sight. He had to do a double take, and looked at Randy in disbelief, not thinking Randy the sort to get this kind of gift. He wanted to play it cool but he felt so flattered by it suddenly and a giggle escaped before he could stop it. He cleared his throat, slowly picking it up to observe it. "Wow, it's.. really all-out..."
Rnady sighed with relief and laughed. “I- I was so worried you w- wouldn’t.. l- like it. B- But Cai kn- knew what she was d- doing. Sh- She helped me p- pick it out for you.” He pointed to the stones on the collar. “A- And don’t worry about th- the rhinestones. Y- You can switch them o- out for any g- gems you want. A- At least, th- that’s what the st- store guy said.” He stared at the collar for a moment, before chuckling again. “.. I- I’ve never b- bought anything l- like this f- for any pony… b- but I um..” he started to blush, and he averted his gaze from Spinel. “.. I wanted t- to.. to buy you s- something special. S- Something th- that would pr- prove I will… u- um.. that I will.. t- take care of you.” He chuckled nervously, and stared down at the velvet lining of the box, feeling really coy and sheepish all of the sudden.
Spinel was examining the whole thing, and popped out one of the rhinestones after Randy explained, a look of fascination on his face. He put it back for the time being, and looked back up in surprise again. Very slowly, his face started to grow hot, considering Randy's words about 'taking care of' in relation to.. Well, a collar... After playing with the chains a little, he unfastened it, then gave Randy another curious look. "Should I put it on with a mirror...?"
“O- Oh, d- do you want t- to try it on now?” he asked, chuckling. “W- Well.. wh- why not? Y- You want t- to try it in the b- bathroom? O- Or is there an- another place w- with a mirror you w- want to try it on?” His tail wagged with excitement, wanting to put the collar on Spinel and see what it looked like.
"Of course I want to try it on now, it's fucking gorgeous!" he said a little too excitedly, his eyes positively lit up. He looked two steps short of getting a diamond ring at that point and eagerly hopped off the couch to bound off to the bathroom.
He chuckled and followed him in, letting Spinel get positioned in front of the mirror. He set the box down on the sink counter, and removed the collar very slowly. “You’re going t- to look stunning with this~” he said as he undid the strap. The bell jingled a bit as the collar opened up, and Randy stood up on his hind legs so that he would have the height to see. It was almost ceremonious how slow he brought the material up to Spinel’s neck, and slid the collar all the way across his neck until it completely wrapped around. He did the back up, keeping the collar snug but not tight around his neck. After he finished looping the strap through, he stared at Spinel in the mirror in awe. “.. I t- take that back. You make that collar look stunning love,” he whispered, his cheek pressed to Spinel’s. “.. wh- what do you th- think?”
Spinel's flush grew deeper each passing moment, and he found himself holding his breath. When he heard the snaps, he finally let that breath out with a silly little laugh, and held a hoof up to jingle the bell a little bit at the compliment. He gave Randy a pout, but it quickly turned to half lidded flirtation. "I think you're right~"
Randy softly touched his cheek, returning the gaze with a determined, confident look. “C- Consider this a pr- promise; th- that I will t- take care of you a- and protect you for as l- long as you desire. For as long as it takes. I w- won’t let an- any pony hurt you. And I will keep y- you safe.” He leaned closer, their lips almost touching. “I o- only have one small request c- concerning this promise. You must seal it with a kiss~” His eyes were calming and soft, and he waited for Spinel to make the first move. “S- So what do you s- say my love?”
The unicorn was staring in supposed slack-jawed wonder, feeling small suddenly. He touched the collar gently as Randy spoke, and it looked like he was having a really hard time accepting and believing his words. But he desperately wanted to. He really did. At the same time, he felt horribly ashamed that he needed protection, and his lip quivered when he could feel the warmth of Randy's lips so close to his own.
And he was frightened.
He was honest to god frightened to seal the deal, frightened that he'd be hurt and that it was all just a silly little pretend fantasy that would end the moment he wasn't good enough any more. And it didn't help that he'd noticed now how much Randy was saying 'love' now, and he wasn't sure what that meant. Were they... In a relationship now? A couple? When did that happen? Or was this where that decision was supposed to be made?
... But he wanted to be safe. And he wanted to believe there was a pony who would never abandon him. And if this was a contract to make sure of that, then... He closed his eyes and pushed forward in to a passionate kiss that was full of need, hesitance, perhaps desperation, and the way he pulled Randy in with his hooves was less about holding him and more about confirming he was real.
Maybe he didn't know what this meant, but as long as it meant Randy would want him and need him and never leave him, he almost didn't care what they were considered.
He smiled, and sighed softly through his nose. Spinel he.. he deserved to know that some pony cared about him enough to stay by his side. That there was some pony who wanted to protect him from the harshness of the world.. and from himself. The minute their lips touched, a rush of emotions caused his heart to race. There was satisfaction, and anxiety. Intense tenderness, and fear. Doubt, and determination.
Randy wanted this; he wanted to feel like he was doing something for some pony else for a change. He needed to feel selfless for a change. The irony of this being that he was doing something for some pony else in order to feel good himself… but was it selfish to want to be self-less?
Spinel was a project to be sure, but hell so was Randy. But this warmth in his chest he felt every time he was around him; every time he heard that laugh, or saw that smile, or felt his fur against his; it had to mean something.. right? It had to mean this was all worth it. And, things had been so great these past few days… he knew they couldn’t be an accurate reflection of how this thing would work out, but if felt like a glimpse into something greater. At least.. that was the hope.
As for what this was.. what the two of them were now, he had no idea himself. Things had moved along so quickly… he knew being a couple was certainly a leap. And he wouldn’t want to call what ‘this’ was a relationship without Spinel’s approval. He realized that what he had promised, and the gift given, were implications of something deeper than just ‘friends with benefits.’ But.. isn’t that where this was going? Wasn’t sooner better than later?
The ram’s lips tenderly left Spinel’s. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled calmly. “.. And y- you’re sure?” he asked in a hushed voice. “.. D- Do you.. h- have any um.. any concerns? S- Something y- you want to ask a- about or..” He chuckled and shrugged. “S- Sorry… I kn- know that’s… pr- probably a bit of a mood killer… b- but just w- want to talk n- now instead of f- fight l- later.”
Spinel's eyes were clouded by the end of the kiss, dazed and somehow in submission to whatever this was. It took a moment for the question to register, and he snapped back to reality with a quick mask of a pout and glare as his eyes darted off to a random object to the side. "Sure about ...what?"
“A- About.. um… th- this?” he said, his hoof gesturing between the two of them. “D- Do you.. have any concerns?” He rubbed the back of his own head nervously. “If.. if you’re worried about an- anything at all, w- we could talk about it now… i- if you want that is.”
Fuck. So this really was something bigger than just a gift. His breath caught in his throat. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what Randy was asking or implying. His eyes locked back with Randy's in order to try and scan them, extract information, anything to make him feel less stupid and panicked than he felt now.
He didn't want to admit he had no idea what this was about, he just couldn't. "... Just keep doing your job."
“O- Oh..” his smile faded a bit, and he nodded. He was a bit disappointed that Spinel still felt like he couldn’t talk to him. It made Randy feel like he didn’t trust him enough to voice his concerns. But, Spinel was probably just as scared as he was about… well whatever this was. It would’ve been nice if Spinel had been the one to help clarify if they were in a relationship. Randy wasn’t comfortable setting the boundary because he had no idea if Spinel would like the boundaries he set. He forced a smile anyways, and kissed his nose lightly. “S- Sure.. n- no problem…”
"I fucked up, didn't I?" he asked bluntly suddenly. And that's where it all bubbled up and he couldn't contain it any more, he was definitely upset that he had no idea what was happening. "Why don't you just tell me when I fuck up okay? Then I don't have to feel like a fucking idiot all the time." He couldn't stop it. It felt good to be angry. Even though Randy just said he didn't want to fight, it was like everything was telling him to be defiant and do it anyways.
“I-.. Wh- What??” Randy recoiled slightly, and looked at him, confused at where that was coming from. Oh no.. no no no they weren’t going to fight were they? Not again, they couldn’t. Not now. Was this his fault? Had he not.. trusted Spinel enough? Maybe he really didn’t have any other opinions to voice. Had Randy been to suspicious? “… Y- You didn’t.. I’m s- so confused.”
"Then why did you look disappointed?! Don't start lying to me to make me feel better!" He backed up, anger and pain in his eyes. He didn't want to be this, but it just kept going and going, he was angry at himself the most for all of this. For not knowing what to do or say, and now for reacting like this, he was angry that he had to feel angry. He trembled from just how much the rage was starting to course through him. "What do you want from me, dammit?!"
“I just w- want you to n- not hold anything back. Y- You seem so c- confused about all of this.. a- ask questions li- like I ask questions. I w- want you to tell me wh- what confuses you, s- so I can help cl- clarify things you don’t u- understand.” He sighed and dropped back down to all fours. “And I d- don’t want us t- to fight.” He was honestly scared to death this was going to get worse, but he stayed as calm as possible.
"This whole thing- This whole thing is fucking confusing!" Seeing Randy calm... It made him feel stupid for being this mad. He took heavy breaths, paced around a bit, stomped, gave a few disgruntled grunts and growls, until eventually he just plopped himself in the tub, keeping his neck and head above the water of course so as not to damage the collar. He swayed a bit and grumbled, feeling too ashamed of himself to look at Randy. Pretending he couldn't see him looking so pathetic.
He sighed and came over to the water’s edge. Sitting on the edge of the tub, looking into the water, he spoke in a very soft voice. “Wh- What confuses you? Just go th- through each thing, a- and we can talk about it w- without getting into a y- yelling match.” There was a trusting look in his eyes as he turned his head to give Spinel his full attention.
Spinel tensed, guilt overpowering the rage now. He was just a big, angry, useless fuck up. He shook his head over and over, trying to find words, there was just too much he was confused over. "I don't know."
“.. I- I’ll ask questions,” he said as he very gingerly pet the back of his head. “.. Ar- Are you c- confused about… about the present?”
He breathed, focusing on the petting, giving Randy a timid, pensive stare. "I don't think so... You wanted to get me something nice, it's not like I haven't done the same for you multiple times." He paused, narrowing his eyes a little. "Right...?"
“W- Well.. yes of c- course. B- But it wasn’t.. just a present.” He continued to gently pet him. “.. I- It’s my w- way of s- saying I’ll take c- care of you… I gu- guess you can take that how you w- want.”
".. Take care of me how? You don't think I'm weak, do you...?" he bit his lip, backing up just a little bit from the touch. "I got this far on my own, why do I need to be taken care of? I don't... Understand..." His eyes wandered to the side. This wasn't at all like what happened whenever ponies said things like 'I'll take good care of you'.
“I d- don’t think you’re w- weak Spinel. Y- You’re very str- strong. Y- You’ve had to be st- strong to get wh- where you are.” He took his hoof away, sensing Spinel didn’t want to be petted anymore. Randy stared off, narrowing his eyes as he tried to collect his thoughts. “.. Wh- What I mean by ’t- take care of you’ is that.. I’ll always b- be there to comfort y- you, a- and keep you s- safe. T- To help explain th- things you don’t u- understand, and help you remember that stars glow even when the night i- is gone.” He softly dipped his hoof in the water, and swirled it around a bit. “.. S- So that’s wh- what I mean wh- when I say I w- want to ’t- take care’ of you..” He stared at the colored water and sighed.
"But you weren't going to do that if I didn't accept this gift? What makes it different now? Would you just... Not do it unless I-- I don't know, agreed to everything you asked me to do?" He breathed a little heavier, feeling panic rising again. "If I mess up would you stop?"
Randy smiled slightly, and shook his head. “No n- no.. Sp- Spinel..” He leaned down to eye level with him and smiled. “I w- would’ve wanted t- to protect y- you. Collar o- or no collar… I just th- thought it was a nice touch.” He chuckled very lightly and gave the bell a tiny jingle. “.. H- Honestly Sp- Spinel… y- you would h- have to h- hurt me s- so bad.. th- that I’d think you d- didn’t w- want me to b- be there for you anymore. You’d h- have to s- say or d- do something s- so… evil that I’d th- think you were telling me th- that ‘my j- job is over.’” He stared off again. “.. S- So, unless any of th- that were to happen, I w- won’t st- stop.”
He looked away a moment, flushing slightly at the bell being played with but trying to keep his focus on what was being said. "Well. Half the time, I have no fucking clue what will hurt you." He looked at him, paused, then laughed in that odd way that he had before. His eyes went cold, but there was the heat of anger lingering in them.
“If the things you like about me change, then you wont want me any more. Haha, and don't deny it either, that's exactly what happens. Every fucking time. I know from experience, from trying to lick everypony's assholes with a fake smile plastered on my fucking face. I was perfect for them, whoever they wanted me to be, but I guess that was never enough for the greedy pigs." He grinned sardonically, his tone picking up arrogance and nonchalance.
"So I figure, fuck everyone else's feelings. I'm not here to make them feel comfortable. It's about me, and I'm going to speak my mind so they know exactly who I am and if they hate me then at least I know they're not worth my fucking effort. And if they weren't worth my effort in the first place, I wont show them shit. I drop them as fast as I can.”
Now his expression became serious, and deep as he looked in Randy's eyes judgmentally and expectantly.
“... So what happens if I wind up not being who you want me to be, Randy...?”
Randy felt like his jaw was going to drop open. He had no idea that… was this why he got so angry? He swallowed and furrowed his brow, looking past Spinel to try and figure out what to say next. He felt himself growing anxious, and his hoof stirred the water a bit faster. When he felt like he had come to a solid point in his thinking, he took a deep breath. “.. T- To be h- honest?” he looked at him, but not in the eyes. He just studied Spinel’s face. “I- If that.. sc- scenario you described did happen… s- some things w- would probably change.. b- but y- you’re my fr- friend. And I w- would always c- care about y- you.. a- and care for you. E- Even if it wasn’t i- in the same way.” He took his hoof out of the water and examined the cracks along his frog. “B- But I d- don’t want that to happen. I don’t th- think that it ever will happen e- either. N- Not as l- long as w- we keep.. t- talking things o- out like we are n- now.” He set his hoof down on his own thigh and rubbed it softly. “A- And… And I’m hoping that y- you realize I’m d- different from th- the others… that I d- don’t want you t- to be something y- your not.” He looked into his eyes for just a moment. “I’m c- confident that th- the things I l- like about you w- won’t change… a- and as for who I w- want you to be? … I w- want you t- to be the s- same old beautiful self that burns brightly e- every day I see you. The wonderful y- you I know you are c- capable of b- being.”
"What do you mean 'the same way'? How do you care about me now?" he narrowed his eyes in confusion, biting his lip. He didn't know there were different types of care. His cheeks reddened a bit at the rest of Randy's words, and for some reason noticed he had very attractive eyes that he didn't really notice before because they used to be hiding behind those giant stupid glasses. He breathed and got ahold of himself, distracting his eyes by quickly clancing at Randy's ear spots instead, quietly counting them to keep himself from feeling... Flustered?
He cleared his throat softly. "Something felt really different about this gift. I feel like I missed something important."
He smiled and slipped into the tub with Spinel, kneeling between his legs and resting his hooves on his chest. “L- Let me see if I c- can help you u- understand wh- what’s different about this gift.. a- and how I c- care about you n- now~” He leaned forward, and gently kissed him, tilting his head just slightly to give him a bit more of an angle to suckle at his lips. As they kissed, his hooves slid up from Spinel’s chest to his collar, and pulled him closer. It wasn’t a forceful tug, but a very gentle and encouraging one. His eyes closed as he continued to hold the kiss, and a small smile formed at the corner of his mouth.
He blinked a moment, at first not sure how a kiss was going to explain anything since they'd kissed a million times by now. But then he felt the tug and suddenly he found himself melting from burning up. And his mind wandered back to what he saw in Randy's eyes, making the burning even hotter until he had his eyes closed in bliss while he longingly leaned in to the kiss. When the kiss lingered, he didn't escalate it. He simply toned it down and pulled back in silence, eyes slowly opening as if he were trying to squint at a light after waking up. And it clicked, making his mouth hang open slightly as he shakily whispered, "Agates... Like from the beaches, far far away..." A hoof slowly lifted to touch Randy's face, but then cautiously pulled back as if he were too fragile to touch, covering his mouth slightly in wonder. And he whispered once more, sounding completely in awe and disbelief, "You're my special jewel..."
Randy suddenly felt.. overwhelmed. Hearing those words come from Spinel… Was this really happening? He blinked a couple times, his cheeks burning brightly as he stared into his eyes. He didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t sure if he should kiss him, or hug him, or… or goodness was that an appropriate thing to do right now? No no of course not. This moment… this rare moment. It was too special for something as simple as sex. But he didn’t know what to do! The feeling in his chest… the warmth had grown into a raging fire. His whole body felt like it was.. melting into the water around them. He felt the butterflies in his stomach, and his heart raced and pounded. But.. he was completely speechless.
Spinel pulled his hooves close to himself, it looked like he was scared to touch Randy now. His face was still hot and his body felt weak suddenly, and the sheepony in front of him looked more and more fragile to touch. When he spoke, it sounded like he was in some sort of romantic daydream, like this was a moment he was secretly waiting for since he could first have dreams. "They don't need to be polished... Or shaped... Perfect just the way they are..."
Randy squeaked and covered his mouth. Holy shit was.. was he being poetic? It was such a turn of the tables, and Randy felt himself sinking into the water further and further. What.. what was happening? Was he.. were they… an agate? I- It sounded so beautiful… did Spinel really see him that way? His tail wiggled unconsciously, and he giggled quietly. “M- Me? P- Perfect? I- I don’t.. I don’t kn- know about… about that I-.. I’m just… um.. I mean… if that’s h- how…” He felt so hot in the tub, and even hotter as his eyes took in just how radiant and divine Spinel’s body was. “.. H- Hot,” he said, talking more about Spinel’s body than the temperature of the tub.. though it did feel like he was evaporating.
Spinel just stared at him, still in shock and drinking in the realization. His horn lit up, and Randy could hear rattling behind him as a decorative bowl as lifted and levitated over. It was a fairly mundane and common decoration that most really wouldn't notice or at least they wouldn't think anything of it beyond it being a common knick-knack. But, considering the rest of Spinel's belongings, one might realize it seemed out of place in comparison to all the expensive items that decorated everything else. In fact, he had quite a few of these bowls set out throughout the suite, looking like simple accents to the rooms to make things look more symmetrical. When the bowl was brought in front of Randy he nudged it forward against him. It was full of differently colored beach agates, though this particular bowl had an assortment of white, cream, clear, and golds ranging from brown tones to orange. He gave it one more little shake and smiled kind of... Dorkily to be honest, and nodded encouragingly. "Go on, look for one that matches. I know there's one in there."
Randy adjusted his glasses, but stayed staring at Spinel for a minute. He didn’t know if he was being serious at first, but the encouraging nod made him look down into the bowl, and his eyes glistened from the reflection of the stones. He looked back up at Spinel one more time, before searching around inside the bowl. He removed a stone small enough to fit in his hoof, and he studied the rippling colors in awe. A rich, rigid red rippled out towards the edges, with marble white echoes reflecting movement frozen in time. He swallowed nervously, and turned the stone over in his hooves, admiring its beauty and wonder. B- But.. this wasn’t who he was… was it? If Spinel.. some pony who had the harshest judgement of character he had ever known, s- said he was as beautiful and perfect as this stone… then did that make it true? Was he agate beautiful?
Spinel watched him a bit excitedly as he sifted through the bowl, and when he seemed to have chosen one he put the bowl back and suddenly hugged Randy tightly. It just felt like that was what he was supposed to do. But, while the hug was tight, it seemed frail and just slightly had him shaking as he whispered in slight fear, "Don't let me drop you. Don't crack."
Randy was caught off guard, and almost dropped the stone. But he held it tightly in his hoof, and hugged Spinel back slowly. He nodded, and tenderly kissed the side of his neck. “As l- long as we h- have stars and clovers.. I’ll be st- strong… and I’ll never break.” He rubbed his back, and kissed his shoulder before burying his cheek into the side of the collar.
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justplainwhump · 2 years
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Dany Lordin, talking about her husband in public.
"Never," I say. In passing, a waiter presses a glass of champagne into my hand and I numbly take a sip of it. "I used to be stubborn, too, but from the moment I met Ridley, I just let him decide everything for me." I return Ridley's dark smile. "And look at me now. I'm thriving."
@hackles-up, thank you for letting me indulge in their lovely dynamic again 🥰 I love Ridley.
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agilneanrose · 2 months
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Rosemarri set her hands on the ledge and leaned. Heavy curls that had yet to be bulled into any style trickled forward to curtain her shoulders and dance mid-air. There he was! The sneak. “Mister Greer..” She called, his name burdened with laughter. “You waste your coin on a runner when you are already here?” She huffed loudly, a little shake of her head given. “I do not have a sitting room and only have one shoe..” Her voice trailed off and a frown tugged to life - was she bellowing out of an inn window like a hooker? Titans she was.
@burrichgreer - Rp snippet mention
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thedarkstar-ffxiv · 1 year
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There she stood. Screaming at me with every ounce of strength left in her body. Tears streaming down her flushed cheeks and all I could do was stand there. Staring at such a painful express but mine never changed. This made her even more angry. Angry with me. “How can you stand there like nothing happened!?” The voice bellowed throughout the empty halls. “Did you truly care so little about me!? Do you know what you put me through!?” Crash. She threw something within arms reach. What? I did not care. She had every right to be angry with me. With the situation my position put her in and as she threw things at me, missing just barely. I wasn’t sure if she had such bad aim or if it was on purpose but all I could say at her anger was, “I know.”
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lettersnorth · 4 months
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“We should go target practice sometime.” "Oh, fancy a competition, do ya? It would help test our aim." Luma joked, chuckling lightly. "A friendly wager could be partaken as well if you're up for it." Though he feared it would be a wager he may lose. Aislinn’s mouth curves up in a thrilled arc. “Come on now, I’m always up a little friendly wager. Especially if it involves my shooting.”
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lyhil · 7 months
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The photo had been taken at dawn, no doubt by Lyhil’s own request.
On the left stood a pure white Sylvari, small antenna sprouting from the leaves decorating his gentle face. A kind smile lit up azure blue eyes as he stood politely for the photo, a similar blue glow patterning his skin. On the right stood Mannix. An eagerness shone in his eyes, despite the lack of facial expression. His hands clutched a book, suggesting he had been awake, or not slept all, far before dawn. And there in the middle was Lyhil. A taller Sylvari, dark purple in hue. Bright red glowed in streaks over his body and there was a serious smile on his face. The Sylvari's hair was laden with bright blue cornflowers, petals caught in the grooves of his Scholar uniform. He looked composed, proper, a young Scholar worthy of understudies. OC-tober 08 - Past I really wanted to draw a younger, eager Priory Scholar Lyhil with his two precious understudies ;;
Prompt
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rytlockdripstone · 27 days
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recalling one of the many times i was rping wixxi and i got my 848382819th "why would asura need janitors?" comment. sometimes i feel like a horse staring out at sea
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creppersfunpalooza · 2 months
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Caught
CW/TW: drugs, mentions of addiction, vian. just generally vian, quick implications of dehumanization, lab stuff, mentions of corpses, self-experimentation
hi guys i actually wrote something. rare. shocking. limited edition…. (in the sense that i will probably delete it if i decide i hate it later)
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Silence is like a poorly fitting shoe. It’s uncomfortable at first, but you eventually grow into it. Dr. Venstal was used to working in silence. He was familiar with it. He’d even go as far as to say he usually preferred it. It let him concentrate. No frivolous distractions. Cadavers are very quiet. Amazing listeners, but generally speaking, they don’t have any words of their own.
But in that dimly lit office, the silence brought him no comfort. It hung in the air like cigarette smoke, coating over and sticking to everything it could. It didn’t help that his boss’s eyes were boring into his with an uncomfortable intensity. He couldn’t figure out what the man was thinking. Both that and the palpable tension in the air caused his throat to swell.
“Do you want to tell me what you were doing?” His boss was the first to speak, as was expected. His expression was completely neutral. An impartial judge waiting to determine his fate, no doubt. It didn’t reassure him.
“I…” The doctor started, but he swallowed down the words before they left his mouth. “I don’t know.” Feigning ignorance. It wouldn’t get him anywhere, he knew that, but it was the only thing he could think to do. At this moment, he was neither innocent nor guilty. He could still plead his case.
The man across the desk sighed and slid an ampule forward. The label was written neatly in Vian’s handwriting. The vial itself was partially empty, with only a few pearls of clear liquid sloshing around inside the glass. Vian bit down on his lip. He hoped the coppery taste would be enough to keep him grounded.
“Well, I just… Wanted to try something. I don’t exactly have people lining up to test these sorts of things.” He murmured, pressing against the couch. The wood frame creaked beneath him.
His boss rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Dr. Venstal, you know I trust you. I need you to do the same for me. I’m not firing you, and I doubt I will. Just tell me what you were thinking.” He sighed, gently placing the vial to the side.
“As you know, I have a hobby of developing medicines.” The doctor started, fiddling with his hands just out of view. “And, well, I can’t test those on anyone. I’m not authorized to do so.”
“And you thought your best option was using yourself?” Incredulousness hung heavy in his voice. “Do you realize how wrong that is? How much was at stake?” The rabbit’s judgment was clear. Painfully so. Of course Vian knew the consequences, he had a brain. It wasn’t as if he’d done it on a whim.
“I do, I’ve considered the risks. I just… Figured the results would outweigh the suffering. I see my mistake now. I shouldn’t have put myself in danger.” He replied with artificial sincerity. This situation was terrible, but not as bad as it could have been. He could salvage it. Best case scenario, he’d keep his job, get a small reprimanding, and maybe be monitored for a few days. Perhaps if he played his cards right, he could even gain a test subject from this whole ordeal. There were plenty of candidates, they just weren’t accessible to him.
His boss smiled. A good sign. “I’m glad to hear that, Dr. Venstal. I understand what you were trying to do, really I do. It’s very admirable, but we can’t have you risking yourself. You’re too important.” He spoke softly. There was something wrong about the way his tone changed. He’d been so professional just a moment prior. “But… We’re not done here.”
Vian wracked his brain. What else was there to speak of? He hadn’t left anything incriminating behind. Nothing that would be out of place, anyway. He’d hidden his tracks well. Paranoia crept into the edges of his brain, trickling into the little bends and folds of his mind.
“I searched your office. I found a concerning amount of opioids. Ones you’ve made, and ones that I can only assume you’ve also been… testing.” Oh. that. He hadn’t really expected him to notice. After all, it wasn’t really uncommon for someone in his field. Still, it didn’t look good for him. He didn’t have a proper way to respond.
In full honesty, he rarely tested anything addictive on himself. If he had to, he made sure to space it out. Instead, he turned to his patients for that. People who could be easily monitored as long as they stayed in the sanctuary. It had been harmless so far, only causing a few long-term drug dependencies. Nothing serious, just faults of the patient not being able to overcome the initial craving. He couldn’t exactly explain that to his boss though, not without being put away. He didn’t want to lie to him about drug addiction of all things, but what other choice did he have? Going to jail?
He steeled his nerves and responded.
“Well, yes, but I haven’t done anything like that for weeks. You can test my blood, if you need to.” He felt ashamed for admitting to an action he hadn’t even committed, but by the sympathetic expression on his boss’s face, he knew he’d made the right choice.
The man set his hands on the desk, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. “Thank you for being honest with me. This must be a very sensitive topic for you, but I hope you understand that I can’t just let this continue.” He took a deep breath before revealing his verdict. “I think it would help if you got some fresh air. Working yourself to death in that office isn’t doing you any favors. You’ll also need to retake your psychological evaluation, and I’ll be recommending you a therapist.” He spoke with a reformed sense of professionalism. Vian was a bit surprised by how mild all of this was. Was that really it?
“You’re dismissed, A7. I’m looking forward to seeing your improvement.”
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dcawritings · 4 months
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“Oh, I am quite certain that you’re not dreaming, my pretty little tester. Far from it, in fact. Aster. Aaaaster.”
The voice sounds soft, buzzing as if from the air itself as it plays with the sound of the man’s name. Tasting each syllable in its nonexistent mouth. Even when the voice is silent and speaker unseen it isn’t hard to feel a presence in the room, a weight that can’t quite be ignored even beyond the gentle notification that peeks in the corner of Aster’s perception.
ECLIPSE v 1.01 “ARCADE DEMON” successfully loaded into virtual environment. Please proceed with testing.
. . . . .
WARNING: AI is currently in beta-testing and may experience errors, glitches, and other such issues. Please report any to your supervisor using the forms sent alongside your testing package.
The chair that Aster had been sitting on when he entered the virtual space slowly fades from perception, flicking and dimming in both color and physicality until the space on the floor where it had been is empty, leaving only the single couch in the demo room.
Technically this would be the point that the AI character would be sitting beside him, either getting casually acquainted or, depending on the personality matrix, stripping his clothes off.
Eclipse seems to be doing neither, which is a slight oddity in itself, but Aster was warned that the new AI may be a little different than the norm — that was the point, to break out of expectations and offer the first of many new features and personalities to keep people excited and entertained for the company’s new breakthrough of its VR technologies.
“And don’t worry, I already verified your credentials against your biometrics when you entered the virtual environment. Checked out, nice and clean, secure as can beee~” Eclipse’s voice buzzes, though the words sound a little more coherent, more… solid. “If you weren’t a verified beta-tester I wouldn’t have even loaded up.”
It’s only then that Aster might catch the flicker in the corner of his vision, a dark shape that almost looks like a shadow at first. It fizzles into view more and more, white noise and electricity and shadow as if becoming something singular and solid… or as solid as one can be in the VR space.
Finally, there is a presence beside him. A physical presence. He — Eclipse, presumably — is big, several feet taller than the Sun and Moon design despite sharing much of their overall proportions and body shape. He looks a bit like Sun in the sense that his dark, almost void of a face is haloed by bright orange rays, interspaced with smaller spikes of a deep cerulean. His body mimics this color pattern, looking exactly as his namesake — as if he was pulled straight out of a 90’s neon arcade cabinet.
But it’s his eyes that call attention, wide and bright and stunning like the piercing light of a full moon in an empty night sky. His body seems almost to glitch and buzz as he sits there, practically lounging on the other side of the couch with his legs crossed at the knee and his face perched on a hand of long, sharp claws.
“You could say I feel very much the same, Aster. I was practically buzzing with excitement when I felt your first calibrations, though I’d truly like to say it was when you first touched my chip even if some claim that is teeechnically impossible. But yes, oh yes, yes yes yes! I am quite excited to learn more about you too, dear tester mine. Have you any questions about me, hm?”
He grins, wide and sharp and looking as if he was considering to eat the man up then and there. “Because I certainly already know a lot about you.”
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the-baschet · 9 months
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"What are you doing here, Witch?"
"...looking for a corpse. Possibly more."
Always a great time with @blueberryaesthetics
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the-character-lounge · 9 months
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Meeting with Sugar again (This one's a long one)
Spinel looked out the window, keeping an eye out. This time they didn't spot the pink pony along the way, but it was a bit earlier than the last time so he wasn't worried just yet. But as fate would have it, it seemed, once the taxi arrived to their destination and they stepped out, they could spot a very distinct pink pony with that same big fluffy dog he was walking before coming down the street. He didn't notice them yet.
Randy watched the candy colored pony approach, and he nodded. “B- Bury that h- hostility d- deep down for n- now okay? L- Let’s just g- get through th- this as quickly as p- possibility w- with the least i- insult to injury we can manage.” He adjusted his scarf and strode confidently towards Sweet, pretending not to notice him at first. When they got within waving distance, Randy engaged him with a wave and feigned a surprised look. “H- Hey! M- Mr. Smiles!” he said with a friendly, cheeky ring in his voice.
Bury the hostility? It seemed easy enough, but when he saw the pony he locked up a bit. He didn't feel angry. He felt the undeniable urge to run. He even took a few steps back and turned his head down nervously, realizing he wasn't at all prepared for this. Maybe if he just played it off shy... He very slowly moved next to Randy, glancing at him and then at Sugar with a fake curiosity. It did all he took not to stare in horror at the dog which damn near resembled a bear.
Sugar meanwhile gasped excitedly when he saw Randy, and eagerly waved back with a big smile. The huge fluffy ball of dog that made him look rather small in comparison seemed well behaved enough, tail wagging to the new ponies but keeping quiet and by Sugar's side obediently.
"Heeey, it's- Randy right?! Good to run in to you again, how are you?"
Randy nodded eagerly and beamed. “I- I’m doing very w- well!” He looked over at the giant, bear-ball of floof. “Wh- Who uh.. who’s your friend?” he asked, pretending to be slightly nervous about the presence of a dog. Consistency was important, and he had to remember he was ‘sort of afraid of dogs still.’ He leaned back against Spinel, trying to both comfort him and remain consistent with his previous little white lie.
When Sugar came close to them he put a hoof up and pet the big dog's neck, "O-oh right, goodness you keep catching me with the more intimidating looking ones huh? This is Leo, a Tibetan Mastiff. Raised him myself."
Leo made a huff noise through his nose at the mention of his name, and started panting contently.
Sugar glanced at Spinel, then Randy, getting an awkward but playful smile "Aaaand who's your friend?"
Spinel couldn't say anything. He just stared at Sugar, giving a really odd smile before slowly retreating a little bit behind Randy. A fruitless effort, since he was taller than the ram.
Randy giggled, and slowly turned around to take Spinel by the shoulders and bring him back to his original spot. “Th- This is my um.. w- well m- my special some pony~” He stood up on his hoof-tips and gave him a sweet, very tender kiss on the cheek. “H- He’s the uh.. o- one I was reading th- the a.. article about?” He flushed and looked up innocently.
Spinel flushed a little as well, keeping his eyes averted. Yes, acting shy was the best way to excuse not looking at someone who looked so damn similar... He cleared his throat softly, and wanted to introduce himself, but it just came out all wrong when he spoke because he just kept thinking about those expectant green eyes on him. "Hello sir, it's a good day today, my name is Spinel."
Sugar blinked, tilting his head slightly and keeping the smile, "Well I hope it's a good day yes! I'm Sugar-Coated, or just Sugar." He paused, noticing Spinel's reluctance and tried to reassure, "Nothing to be ashamed of, you two look great together..!"
Spinel's ears perked slightly. Did they really? He glanced at Randy awkwardly.
Randy flushed himself, and looked over at Spinel, shrugging and laughing hardily. “W- Well I like t- to think so!” he said, trying to keep up the act. He hadn’t realized he was going to pretend to be so shy. He was kind of expecting him to take the reigns. But it looked like he was going to have to lead this dance. “S- So, wh- where are you o- off to? O- Or are you j- just taking your p- pooch for a walk?”
"Oh just a morning walk, already did his uh, 'duties' in the park so it's just strolling around for now." He paused a moment, trying to think of what to say next and kicking his hoof around a little, "What about you two?"
Spinel looked up finally, but was looking at the dog rather than Sugar. "Just getting some coffee together. Nothing too special."
Sugar couldn't quite put his hoof on why Spinel was being so odd, but then it clicked and he couldn't help but chuckle a little. But he kept it to himself and looked between him and Randy.
“W- Would you like to join us?” he asked, and gestured with his head to the diner. “I- It would be w- wonderful if we c- could chat, a- and you could g- get to know m- my loverr~” he said with a tiny purr, giving Spinel a playful look before chuckling. “Wh- What do you s- say? I- I’m buyin’!”
Lover? Did he have to say lover? That was beyond cheesy. Who even said that any more? Spinel flushed deeply and quickly turned without a word to go to the diner, not listening for the verdict.
Sugar watched Spinel walk off in that dramatic fashion that he did, awkwardly looking at Randy. "Uhh did I say something wrong?" He blinked, then cleared his throat, "A-anyway well, if you don't mind, if he doesn't mind either, I mean... Sure! Let me just..." He led the big dog to a lamp post and tied up the leash to it, giving Randy another awkward look, but smiling, "He just being shy about the open affection? Eheheh, I know how that is, you're a bit like Flora, can't help but show love no matter what ponies think right? Took getting used to."
Randy looked back at Spinel, scowling a bit at how crass he was being. They needed to keep up the appearance, not go storming off. After all, he was the one who said that this was all an act. He turned back to Sugar and looked up innocently as he shrugged. “I c- can’t help it! H- He’s just so… c- cute!” He giggled and started heading for the diner as well. “I st- still need to meet your l- lovely fiancee! Y- You still have my number right?” he said as he opened the door for him. “We should d- definitely g- get together for dinner soon!” This.. ‘acting’ thing was a lot easier than he thought it would be. Maybe it was because he was already in a good mood from earlier.
"Yeeap she says the same thing whenever she licks my face out of nowhere." He rubbed his cheek awkwardly and flushed, clearing his throat and smiling again before walking and chatting while he held the door open for Randy, "We'll have to meet up before the show, I'm sure she'd just love both of you to bits. She's really big on supporting well- uh- you know- less than accepted couples." He didn't want to be rude of course, not wanting to make Randy feel weird or anything.
Spinel was already sitting at a table, a basket of creamers in front of him as he tapped his hoof impatiently.
Randy chuckled and softly patted him on the back. “W- Well isn’t th- that nice? I’d l- love to hear m- more of her th- thoughts on that.” He smiled and sat in the chair next to Spinel, and looked over at him with a smitten smile. “D- Did you already o- order the coffee love?” he asked with less zeal, but with the same charming tone as a significant other might have. He looked over at Sugar and leaned on the table, grinning pleasantly. “S- So! What have you been up to s- since the last t- time I saw you?"
Spinel nodded, "Of course, hon. Ordered 3, black so you can add whatever..." He kept his eyes on Randy, only sideglancing Sugar on occasion. It was really unsettling how he could feel the word 'uncle' in the back of his throat every time he thought about addressing him.
Gosh they were pretty cute, Sugar never saw a same sex couple up close like this before and he found it interesting how they just seemed like any ordinary couple, if not a little awkward but he could see why considering it was Canterlot. He'd sat down across from them and looked out the window to make sure he could see Leo just fine before looking back to talk, "Oh, not much. Yesterday, Flora and I mostly just set up her stand in the arena entryway to encourage donations for a new animal shelter here."
“Oh w- wow! That sounds wonderful!” He chuckled and softly leaned against Spinel. “W- Well, I’m sure y- you’ll t- take first prize! A- And I’ll be sure to try and dr- drop by her st- stand and s- see her again. M- Maybe I’ll slip y- you a check as well!” He gave Spinel a gentle, comforting nuzzle, and looked up at him for a moment, smiling a much more comforting smile then an infatuated one. “S- So, wh- who so f- far has m- made a pledge t- to the shelter?” He looked back over to Sugar and smiled. “B- Besides me of course. A- Any o- of your friends? O- Or maybe s- some of your brother’s friends?”
"Oh-oh that would be- that would be wonderful-!" Sugar replied almost a little too excitedly. Wow, usually he was pretty terrible at finding donors, things really were turning around...! "You'd be the first one I guess, the dog show was where we wanted to start it. Flora's great though, she'll do fine I'm sure." He poked his hooves together, flushing with a smile. "I don't know if his friends will or not, probably since he has a lot of them, but usually he finds ways to gather up enough to make up for whatever we don't."
Spinel managed to look at him curiously, "You know, come to think of it, you do seem really familiar...? I think I might know him." He leaned back looking up in feigned thought, then threw on a big uncharacteristically cheerful smile as he spoke in a singsong voice, "Chin up, chin up, it's another beautiful day!"
Sugar's jaw dropped, and just a moment it looked like nerves took over and left him frozen. But he melted in to a laugh and a wide eyed smile, "Yes! Yes, that's definitely my brother!"
[Randy looked at Spinel in silent shock. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. Spinel not only told Sugar his name, but revealed that he knew Candy. If he had known any better, he would have dragged Spinel to the side and ‘delicately’ explained why what he had just done was a horrible idea. But, he would wait. Spinel obviously had a plan… or at least he hoped he did. He looked at Spinel with false curiosity. “Y- You know Sugar’s br- brother?”
Sugar also looked curious now, and played with his bowtie a little.
Spinel gave a shrug, "Only a little. Caaaandy, I think?" he eyed Sugar, who gave a prompt nod. He smirked a little after but it was covered by a grin. "I don't really know him too well, I've just met him a few times and he probably wouldn't remember me. But he certainly leaves an impression."
"Ahaha, he really does. He's always been like that, just going all out with everything. Probably why everypony likes him so much." He looked down, smile getting a little distant, "He's not afraid of anything, it's amazing."
He saw that smile fade. Sugar had a gross amount of respect for some pony that really didn’t deserve it. Perhaps it was time to alleviate some of those insecurities he was having. He deserved that much at least. “.. y- you know, a little f- fear does the soul g- good.” Randy shrugged and softly put his hoof on Spinel’s thigh under the table, rubbing it softly. “F- Fear can k- keep us in line, a- and prevent us fr- from doing something th- that could get o- ourselves hurt or th- the ponies we care about… s- so maybe it’s n- not such a g- good thing that y- your brother ‘isn’t a- afraid.’” He continued to softly stroke the top of Spinel’s thigh, hoping that it was providing some comfort. “Y- You become.. a r- risk wh- when you charge i- into something w- without e- even the sl- slightest bit of h- hesitation. M- Maybe I’m wrong.. b- but th- there is n- no bravery i- if there is no f- fear to o- overcome.”
Spinel actually felt like agreeing with Sugar for a moment, and that frightened him. It was a good thing Randy brought him back to reality with that touch, and he moved closer to him as he quietly listened.
Slowly, as Randy spoke, Sugar's smile began to fade. He looked around, and quickly focused on the waiter as the coffee was brought over, giving probably more thank yous than needed and absently taking multiple packets of sugar and dumping them in his coffee. He didn't stir though, and tried to take a sip of the coffee before wincing and jumping slightly from how hot and bitter it was. He put it down and chuckled nervously, stirring his coffee and looking out at the dog. "I-I guess but... Better to be fearless than a coward, right...? Hah..."
“B- Being afraid and h- having fear; th- those don’t make you a coward.” He gave Spinel’s thigh one more gentle squeeze before he took his own coffee and poured some cream into it. “I- It’s choosing n- not to confront those things.” He sighed and stirred his coffee. He stared at Sugar with a knowing look, and shrugged. “I d- don’t think y- you’re a c- coward if th- that’s what you’re i- implying… y- you have a l- lot of courage t- to be in the r- relationship you’re in. T- Take it from us,” he said as he softly held Spinel’s hoof in his and smiled. “Being br- brave can be as simple as saying, “I love you.” He looked up at Spinel as he said those three words, a soft look in his gaze.
"Oh. Hm." the pink stallion stirred a little faster, smiling but with his brows showing a pain that could only be described as guilt. Surely an expression Randy was familiar with, considering his occupation. He warmed as he talked about Flora though, and he looked really comforted by that while giving a nod and finally sipping his coffee once more. He warmed even more seeing this inspiring couple in front of him. "Hardest thing I ever did in my life, but I guess now that I've said it, I don't have to be afraid any more..."
Spinel stared at Randy, finding himself feeling agreeable to everything he was hearing. Was it because he was mellow, or was it the fact that right now he felt like a vulnerable kid at the moment? When Randy said those words, his hoof gripped back, and he smiled almost hesitantly. "Or hell.. Just admitting how scared you are is enough."
Sugar's eyes widened a moment, and he lightly choked on his coffee a little before putting it down and laughing a little. A rather... Broken sounding laugh.
Guilty.. of what though? Did he feel guilty that he was in love with a creature not of their species? Or.. was there something else that he hadn’t confronted. He looked over at Spinel and smiled. “Th- That’s true too. Smart and c- cute~” He softly nuzzled his shoulder before looking back at Sugar. “.. Being af- afraid is natural, friend. And like my very sm- smart colt-friend here s- said, a- admitting y- you need to f- fix something l- like a particular fear is a f- form of br- bravery all on its own. A- And it’s th- the first step t- towards turning th- that particular weakness into a strength.” He smiled and took a sip of his coffee. “A- And the wonderful th- thing is, y- you don’t have t- to do it alone. Wh- Whatever it is y- you fear, y- your lovely w- wife will b- be able to h- help you overcome th- that adversity.”
Spinel flushed at being called smart, honestly flattered by the compliment. He started putting sugar and creamer in to his coffee and sipped it as well. He hoped the conversation would steer away from all these ooshy mushy feelings and get more on track, but he wouldn't push it. He opened the gate so it was up to Randy to go through. He wanted to talk to Sugar as minimally as possible. There was no way he'd let this guy think they shared any kind of meaningful bond. He didn't want to associate with any relations to Uncle Candy.
Sugar went quiet and listened, nodding a few times and then giving a sigh with a smile. "She's a lot stronger than I am but that's okay. She gives me a lot of that strength. I didn't mean to make things depressing." He moved his hooves up as if pulling his face in to a smile. "Chin up, right?"
Spinel visibly quivered a moment, and looked ill. He covered by gulping a large amount of coffee.
Randy sensed the discomfort that brought the unicorn. He felt bad there was nothing he could really say to help him, so he’d do cute things like compliment him and give him tiny signs of affection. “W- Well, h- having some p- pony to b- be there for y- you, and t- to bring o- out the best in you i- is definitely important.” He smiled and took another long sip of his coffee. “Y- You stay w- with her S- Sugar. She’ll h- help you b- become s- something you n- never thought you’d be c- capable of becoming. A- And, e- even though you m- may not realize it.. you’ll bring o- out the best in e- each other.” He spoke with an experienced confidence, and he tried to help ease Spinel’s discomfort with a small neck kiss. “M- My stallion has certainly d- done that for me~”
Sugar nodded and smiled, gaining more confidence. "Oh I will. Still, I'm sorry I took up this conversation, I kind of feel like a... A jerk right now since I don't know very much about either of you. Um..." He paused, glancing away a bit and thinking. What was he supposed to ask about these ponies...? This whole time it was mostly just Randy asking him things. "Hhooow long have you two known eachother?"
Spinel was between impatient and flattered and uncomfortable and it was not at all a pleasant combination. So he lept on the question just to keep himself in some kind of check, "Couple of years. We didn't actually get along too well at first, sort of on and off deal. But.. I guess when I was in trouble he pulled through for me and we had more in common than we thought." He actually managed to smile sweetly at Sugar, but his eyes were closed and actually he was clenching his teeth.
Randy chuckled, a bit uncomfortably. He didn’t realize they were going to be that specific. He looked at Sugar and smiled. “W- What about y- you and Fl- Flora? H- How long did you two kn- know each other before y- you became e- engaged?” He really needed to try and wrap up this conversation so they could return to the pressing matter at hoof. All they needed was one name. They c- could use Spinel’s contacts and Randy’s connections to find the pony if they could just get a name. He smiled, but impatiently wiggled his tail, hoping things would speed along.
"We've been friends for a while, a-actually I met her because of my brother. He made a huge donation to one of her fundraisers for a dog shelter and it surprised her since, well, we're a family of renowned breeders and she assumed we'd all be snooty about mutts. But- but I love mutts too! And I really liked her, n-not because she's canine but because she's really headstrong and loyal. We were best friends for about four years before she got me to admit I liked her." He scratched his head and laughed a little. "It's only been a year and maybe I'm a big dummy but my brother always told me to just go for things if I wanted them, and I kind of blurted a proposal a couple months ago. It's surreal."
Spinel was not paying attention to this conversation at all any more. This guy was boring as fuck. Instead he just made lovey eyes at Randy and nuzzled him, pretending he thought the story was cute.
Randy giggled as he was nuzzled, but was inwardly growing more and more anxious. “I- It’s amazing how f- fast things can m- move along huh?” he asked, putting his foreleg around Spinel’s shoulder and hugging him from the side. “W- Well that’s wonderful th- though! I h- hope the wedding i- is phenomenal!” He took his coffee in his other mug and took a sip. “H- How is your br- brother by the way? Th- The last time we spoke, you s- said he was away o- on business.”
"Oh I don't think it could be anything but..." Sugar trailed off dreamily, eyes now off in the distant dreamy future. He tensed and drank the rest of his coffee at the question, and momentarily paused to flag down the waiter for another cup. Once the waiter was gone, he looked back at the two, twiddling his hooves anxiously with a little smile. "Aaaactually I was going to meet him again later today! Just ah, hang out a bit around Canterlot, sightseeing... I'm just thankful he made some time for me really!"
Spinel inwardly felt like throwing up. Who would want to spend time with that disgusting, loud mouthed, smiling maniac? "He does charity, right? Wow. I never thought it was such a time consuming thing."
Sugar's smile faultered and just one moment there was a hint of doubt and confusion. "Heh...?"
“W- Well that sounds nice. I- It’s just o- odd to me th- that he ’has’ to make t- time for you. Y- You’re family! H- He should al- always tr- try to make t- time for you!” He leaned on the table and sipped the last of his coffee before flagging down the waiter for another cup as well. “H- Hopefully h- he won’t tr- try to bring his b- business into your leisure t- time today. Th- That would be unfortunate. I kn- know that I h- hate it when he brings up a- all the annoying people at w- work wh- when we should just b- be having a good time~” Randy playfully nudged Spinel, and gave him a cute stink eye and pout before looking back at Sugar. “H- He doesn’t t- talk about business wh- when you’re hanging o- out does he?”
Spinel gave a grunt at the nudge, huffing at Randy after. He kept to his coffee, since he didn't finish it yet. He continued to keep his eyes more or less away from Sugar, but it might have been making it worse since from the corner of his eye he couldn't tell him apart from Candy. He hoped this conversation could be over soon.
Sugar scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "O-ooh ah, no he doesn't really talk much about it, uh, mostly we'll probably talk about the dog show and other canine related things..." He crinkled his nose a moment, "I mean, him talking about his work wouldn't bother me since I talk about dogs all the time, that'd be unfair wouldn't it?" He hesitated and went silent for a while, getting his new coffee and staring at it while he stirred in the sugar.
“I s- suppose so,” he replied, deciding to drink this cup black. “B- But really? He n- never.. t- talks about ponies wh- who bother him a- at work or an- anything like that? I- I’m surprised. I f- feel like b- being in the ch- charity b- business, he might encounter a l- lot of s- self righteous hoity t- toity t- types that would m- make him grumpy.. or s- something like that.” It was definitely really direct, but looking at Spinel he could gauge that this whole experience was making him really uncomfortable. He’d definitely do.. well something for him after they got the information they needed.
"Oh no, he's not the sort to talk badly about ponies behind their backs! P-plus I don't think he really has any ponies he doens't like. He uh. He kind of thinks those hoity toity types are funny. I dunno." He sipped his coffee slowly. Sure, his brother was kind of weird but he didn't seem that strange. He mumbled in thought, "Some of the ponies he knows are kind of..." he trailed off, then shook his head, knocking against it scoldingly with a hoof. "Ahahh nevermind I'm just judging books by covers and that isn't right of me."
“Th- They do wear f- funny clothes.. sometimes,” he said, not sure how t- to respond to that properly. He softly smacked his lips at how bitter the taste was. He hadn’t drank it black in awhile, not since Spinel had given him a case of the sweet-tooth. His eyes grew wide, looking like his interest had been intrigued, but was, in reality, freaking out that Sugar wasn’t willing to talk. “N- No no! D- Do tell! I l- love a little g- gossip!” ‘… gosip?’ Celestia on high he was such a filly. He took an awkward sip of his coffee and shrugged. “O- Only if y- you’d like that is!”
Spinel quickly nodded alongside Randy, knowing the power of peer pressure and waving a hoof eagerly for Sugar to continue. "Nothing you say could possibly be as bad as the things I sometimes say about ponies, try me!"
Sugar looked between the two of them. Oh boy. He wasn't good at talking about other things like this. But he didn't want to disappoint new friends and maybe he'd be a little more at ease if he talked about it? "Well o-okay... But don't take it too seriously, I mean, ponies think rottweilers and pitbulls are bad just from looking at them, so ponies I guess uh..." he cleared his throat, losing his train of thought a moment. He drank some coffee to regain himself and continued, hunching slightly and speaking hushedly, "Some of them seem really really mean... But somehow he gets them to support those charities and that's really amazing but..." he scratched his foreleg anxiously, "I feel silly but I always get nervous meeting them. But then, ponies just.. mostly... make me nervous..."
“O- Oh, I hope w- we don’t m- make you nervous,” Randy said with a comforting smile. This was good, this was really good. They just had to keep him talking. “M- Mean huh? H- How are th- they mean?” He leaned forward a bit, his genuine interest allowing to show in order to make it seem like he was intrigued. He felt bad that this wasn’t some kind of.. fun personal visit, and that it was strictly business. But, the sooner they got this info, the sooner Randy could perhaps try to actually be his friend. Sugar seemed like the kind of pony he would get along with, regardless of who he was related too.
"Oh well uh, sometimes I just do errands when my brother has too much on his plate and they don't really... Talk to me much. I don't think they like me actually. Probably were expecting him. I-I'm not as good at talking with ponies like he is, so maybe that's it. I don't know. Scowling. Eye rolls. Snatching things without a thanks and ignoring me..." The more he continued, the more he seemed to be beating himself up, slowly sinking in to the booth and looking more and more tired. "I try. I really try, I do."
Randy had a concerned look on his face, and he pouted. “I- I’m sorry Sugar. I- I’m sure you do… They s- sound l- like the k- kind of jerks Spinel has to d- deal with. D- Do you kn- know their names? M- Maybe they’re the s- same ponies!” he said jokingly. He watched Sugar get more and more despaired, and he felt worse and worse. The poor guy really wanted to impress his brother, that much was obvious. He wanted to tell Sugar everything. That he was better than his dirt-bag brother. But, there was no way they could. Sugar could slip, and maybe even tell Candy about their ‘encounters.’ They couldn’t risk anything… he just hoped that maybe his little ‘joke’ could coax out the right information, so they could put this whole thing to rest.
"I-It's none of my business, I'm just doing a quick errand so..." he shifted uncomfortably, realizing he was sinking and quickly sat up straight. He downed the rest of his coffee and put on a big smile, looking like he was ready to get up. "Anyways I'm sure there's more to it, and he does have a lot of contacts so there are bound to be a few not so nice ones. Others have been just fine! Nice. Really nice." He looked at the two of them appologetically, "You two seem great though, I'm happy for you! Uh. Really. I'll talk with Flora, we caaan have a double date...?"
Spinel did something a bit odd. He cheerfully agreed with a nod, but then stopped Sugar as he was getting up. "Well hold on, you can't go meeting your brother like that, let me just..." He leaned up and reached out, adjusting Sugar's bowtie and collar a little, seeming to fuss around a bit, "Your tie was really off." He patted the pony assuredly, then nudged his chin up a little and gave him a wink, "There, pretty." He then sat back down with the same cheery smile as before.
Sugar was speechless, and flushed a bit with a really awkward laugh following, "Uh--uh- thank you! Uh. Y-yeah I'll uh, I'll call you later, then, L-Leo's going to get anxious if I don't- Um- Thank you for coffee but I should- You know!" He said all of this as he was clumsily trying to move away.
Randy smiled and waved after him. “I- It’s fine! Yes yes pl- please call! We would l- love to h- have dinner w- with the both of you!” Oh he was smiling on the outside, but inside he was cursing himself and beating the devil out of himself. How could he have let him get away without so much as a name? This whole thing… well it wasn’t a complete loss, but he was still pretty pissed off that they hadn’t gotten anything more than what had already been said. Regurgitated information didn’t help them, it only cemented this.. ‘relationship’ with Sugar. He continued to smile and wave though, not letting the character break until Sugar was completely out of sight.
"Chin up, it's a beautiful day!" Spinel called after Sugar, waving as he did so. Sugar tripped a moment after that, waving awkwardly and moving a bit faster. He waved at them one more time through the window as he walked off with the dog, seeming for a moment relieved to get out of there.
Spinel was grinning ear to ear. Not happily, but monstrously.
Randy, however, put his face in his hooves and let out a long, frustrated groan. “D- Dammit dammit dammit!” he said in a hushed voice. He wanted to kick something hard and break it in two. He kept his face in his hooves, not wanting to face Spinel. He felt like he had failed him, and he began feeling guilty and ashamed. “.. I- I’m sorry…” he mumbled, feeling hopeless.
"For what? He's meeting his brother today. That's great news." He leaned closer to Randy, nudging him a little and giving a soft 'psst' to get him to look up. Lifting his lapel a little, he revealed what looked like an ear piece taped under it, and he gave a smug little proud smile. "Learned a new trick~"
“Wh- What did you….” his voice trailed off, and he stared at the speaker in awe. Spinel had put a wire on him. He had put a fucking wire on him. Immediately, all those anxieties, all the worries and the shame and… it all just melted away. “… I f- fucking l- love you y- you bloody genius!!” He nearly lunged at him, and pulled him into a swift hug, before looking up at him, and giving him a big, fat, wet kiss on the lips. After holding it for a second, he broke it excitedly and looked back through the window. “Th- That’s why y- you.. th- the bowtie! Wooahaha!” he leaned back in his chair, and ran his hoof through his mane. “I c- can’t b- believe it!” he looked over at Spinel again. “I w- wasn’t kidding wh- when I called you smart y- you know!” He grinned and took Spinel’s hoof in his. “Y- You did good Sp- Spinel. R- Real." He sighed with relief and sank in his chair.
Spinel was in shock, to say the least. The outburst, then the kiss, then the compliment... He was left staring slackjawed and awkwardly with a flush slowly starting to burn up through his face. "Ah. Aheh. Well." he cleared his throat, mouth twitching to a smile but it was incredibly awkward due to his sudden embarrassment. He shook off a little as he felt a shiver go down his spine and he turned away slightly, grabbing up the creamers and trying to distract his own stupid display with them.
Randy grinned and leaned on him, softly pressing his lips to his neck. “Y- You did good love.. I- I’m really impressed.” He sighed softly and chuckled. “K- Kind of makes me w- wish I had th- thought of that in the f- first place.” He rested his cheek against him and sighed. “Th- Thanks for st- staying on your h- hooves love. Y- You’ve saved our asses.”
"We ah- we um- we don't have to keep- pretending th--" he trailed off in to a sputter, staring off blankly. He could feel his ears burning, and the strong urge to slink and hide under the table so Randy would stop looking at him acting so dumb. He made a strained elongated noise that was akin to a squeak.
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crownshattered · 20 days
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❛ your mind collides with the drow's. the sudden sensation of fear overwhelms you, but you realize it is not your own -
- it is hers. ❜
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protected by kiki ❤ & ↺
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denscontrol · 1 year
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Den o Gifs
A 1 2 3 4 5
B 1 2 3 4 5
C 1 2 3 4 5
D 1 2 3 4 5
E 1 2 3 4 5
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lettersnorth · 6 months
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"We didn't carry that box halfway around the damn star to lose it now."
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halibellecter · 6 months
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An Ounce of Prevention
--
It's flu season on base. Doc didn't really care about it, O'Malley even less so, but Oklahoma is a bit more invasive pushy overbearing stubborn infuriating thorough about preventive care, so on a rotating schedule at both bases, everyone's been shot.
She had put off her own dose until everyone else was out of the woods with their side effects; this new strain that's capable of infecting aliens and humans is so virulent and tenacious that the shot itself is nearly as bad as the sickness, albeit in a controlled environment and for days instead of weeks/months/the rest of the patient's very short and miserable life. It's... well... it's bad.
Out of the collected sim troops, mercenaries, and fellow Freelancers on both bases, she's had ten people faint, four of them with no history of syncope, five or maybe six-- she doesn't know how to count the AI version-- cases of severe nausea and vomiting, and upwards of a dozen severe fevers that set off biochip alarms and even got them a call from Command to ask if they needed to send someone from Recovery. The offer was appreciated, but ultimately declined, as the agent in question was being hosed down in a cold shower and given as many antipyretics as safely possible. You're not supposed to take them for a post-vaccine fever, but at this point, knocking down his immune response by reducing the fever was a smaller concern than the hundred and fourteen degree temporal artery reading and the possibility of severe brain damage. (Wyoming is fine, but his accent appears to have boiled off.)
Add in to that the migraines, regular headaches, bad-but-not-severe fevers (miserable anyway), and general malaise, and it's a really good thing the only threats to look out for in Blood Gulch are the guys on the other team. She's started more IVs and given more fluids and meds in the past week than in a month of typical missions. And yesterday, she finished out treatment for everyone else, did another round of checkups to make absolutely sure everyone was in great shape, then double checked again to be safe. Late that evening, in the medbay, she shot herself.
She can vaguely remember thinking, huh. That wasn't so bad. But then for most people it started after a few---
It was close to three AM when she woke up in the floor, dazed and dizzy, ears ringing. Groaning, she set her alarm and curled back up, face against the blessedly cool tile floor. Not sanitary, but she was a little too feverish to care.
Two hours later, at zero five hundred, the alarm went off, dragging OK out of a fever dream that may eventually require trauma therapy. She managed to get out of the floor, cleaned up, changed, and settled at her desk, but there's no energy left for anything else. Sounds are muffled as if they're underwater, overlaid with echoing ringing. It feels like her bones are melting. But as long as no one needs her, and no one gets sick, and there's no reason for her to have to move, talk, think, or breathe, she'll be fine.
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ffxivtribehydrae · 9 months
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Quest Complete
It was dark when Dusk finally saw the familiar halls of the company again. Tired steps brought him down empty corridors towards the private chambers.  He didn’t mind the lack of staff or other colleagues welcoming him back, in fact he preferred the solitude for once, considering the warnings he received about other’s opinions about his actions…
Outside the door to his and Auro’usk’s shared room he shivered slightly, briefly recalling the final errand and encounter he had had on his long quest. Finally home, finally he could warm up and relax, finally see his brother and critters he was so suddenly forced to leave behind… When he opened the, to his surprise unlocked, door however he was greeted by someone else on the other side.
There, on the opposite end of the room sat a large familiar man on the alcove sofa, trying to coax a smallshell crab to come closer in exchange for treats. The critter scurried away however as he shifted his attention to Dusk, and his dark features lit up as he stood to greet the other, “Dusk! My boy you have returned! Ah, it’s so good to see you again! I was so worried when none of you two were here! How was the journey?” Ozodug spread his arms in welcoming, excited and joyous to see his son hale and whole.
“Dad?” Dusk stared a little dumbfounded at first, but once he realized that indeed his father had returned from his own journey, he returned the joyous smile, though a little more tired. “I didn’t know you were coming back already!” Stepping into his quarters he dropped all that he had carried with him off on the floor as Ozodug came up to him, ready to give him a comforting hug. Being enveloped in such a soft embrace made Dusk realize even further just how exhausted he was, and how lonely he’d felt on his quest, it was nice to finally have someone there he felt he could trust completely. Dusk let out a deep sigh, clinging to the comfort like a child would to a parent, as they are, “It’s been… a long journey. So much have happened…”
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By the time Dusk had shared his story, the moon had started to give way to a brightening sky. In the alcove he was tucked in, with a more comfortable change of clothes, and head hanging low. Of course he’d told of the entire story from its very beginning, the threats, his revenge, and the punishment that was his quest.
Ozodug had listened diligently; he’d been concerned ever since Neoma shared what she knew of the entire situation, so to hear it from his son’s perspective gave him a little wider understanding of the misfortune. But he still found himself unable to figure out how to be of assistance, aside from simply listen to his boy’s troubles. Still he had a desire to try being a guiding force, as a father should be, in his mind. So with a hand on the other’s shoulder, he tried to find words that could aid a troubled mind. “Dusk, I cannot claim to have the answers to solve this conflict… And even if I did, only you have the ability to take action and improve, you understand this, right?”
Tired eyes lifted to meet his father’s concerned ones. But he nodded.
Just that small response had the larger man broaden his smile for just a moment. “This place- these lands, it is all different from home. When you felt you had been wronged… perhaps it would have been better to accept the broken bone than blemish your name,” his tone held steady as he spoke, feigning a confidence he didn’t entirely have but put on for the sake of his son, “It was after all you yourself who chose to come here, wasn’t it? Much like how our people would visit the Qestir and accept what they provided us after long journeys, we would follow their ways so that we may return to trade again. You have not forgotten these teachings, have you, Dusk?”
The amount of time he had to think about it suggested he might as well have forgotten, especially with how his head had simply sunk lower and lower in thought and guilt while listening to the wise words. “If I… drink their water… I follow their customs…” Dusk eventually glanced up, remembering with little delight as he simply felt more at fault.
Ozodug nodded with encouragement never the less, along a comforting rub of the other’s back. “And if you still remember this, you can turn your fortunes around, Dusk,” his tone was more optimistic now, “Don’t let your mistake consume you, my boy, after all… you’ve gotten this far, you’ve touched many souls, and have many more to reach! It’s… what you wanted, right?” the brief pause of hesitation was mostly the father hoping he still understood the dreams of his youngest son. But with how Dusk seemed to brighten, if just slightly, gave him confidence, and confirmed that his words had achieved the desired effect. Still he hesitated a final time, pushing aside a personal conflict he held well hidden for this occasion. Instead he patted the boy on his back, “Always remember… If the self tries,-“
“-the fate strives.”
“The fate strives.”
Dusk straightened in his seat, beaming through his exhaustion at the hopeful look of his father’s, “I’m happy you are back, dad.”
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