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- > Roasting Hops tightened the table saddle's girth
- > a platter of drinks, balanced across the saddle's beams.
- > "Watch your step out there, Hops" came her boss' words.
- > Hops had been distracted all day; stumbling into customers.
- > spilling precious drops of their drink.
- > She just nodded, then waded back into the thick press of equines.
- > It wasn't just equines tonight.
- > a mated couple, griffons, sat with a kirin.
- > A sort of dragon/lion/unicorn cloven hooved thing.
- > Their magic was not compatible with pony magics.
- > But their coin was. "Hey welcome to the Salted Cider have a seat I'll be right back"
- > She'd take their order after the platter was empty again.
- > Every drink put down shifted the platter's weight.
- > it wanted to fall off; Roasting Hops had to keep shifting the platter on the saddle.
- > "Order up." Hops went to swap empty platter for full.
- > The boss wanted gossip. "Tell me, girl, this concoction ordered by a griffon?"
- > She looked at the cloudy mess. "Kirin."
- > Her boss laughed at that. "Does she speak Pony, then?"
- > Roasting shook her head, no. "Not so's I can tell. Griffin pair traveling with him have to repeat everything."
- > Hops left her boss' chin scratching before she could ask Hops to introduce her.
- > The letter's words still clouded her mind.
- > In her despair, Roasting Hops almost ran over the new customer.
- > It seemed to be a pair of filthy denim pants.
- "Excuse me."
- > The voice came from three quarters of the way to the ceiling.
- > Deeper, more rumbling than even a stallion's voice.
- > Hops looked up.
- > Normal mane, though she wasn't sure whether to call it dingy red or bright brown.
- > No hair coat. Bared arms showed a snake coiling up and down the insides of both.
- > Is this where they kept their cutie mark, then?
- > The thing's flanks were completely covered by pants, so Hops assumed it was so.
- > "You're a human." Her neck hurt looking that high.
- > A broad smile revealed teeth of myriad shapes as it spoke again.
- "No, no. I'm just walking bipedally today. See how it works out."
- > The human spreads his hooves in a shrug.
- > Cloven? No. Roasting had never even seen a drawing, let alone a live one.
- >They must not walk on those skinny forehooves, much.
- |||
- > Be me. Anonymous. Or just Anon.
- > It's not what you're called. Not really.
- > If your mom knew you were here … she'd have probably written a letter.
- > You hope that's why you haven't seen her since you were four.
- > If your dad knew you'd left, you'd know for sure you had no home to go back to.
- > Instead of guessing it was like that.
- > If your sifu knew you'd left…
- > The other students would be tasked with giving you a snake-style beat down
- > it would be painted (''in your blood''), framed, and mounted in the dojo.
- > Hopefully what you'd heard was right.
- > Pony lands didn't have a "minimum drinking age"
- > This bar was crowded. Was it their Friday?
- > The serving girl, an earth pony, nearly bowls you over.
- > She'd clearly never seen a human.
- > To be fair, until three weeks ago you'd never met a pony.
- > Order a beer and some food.
- > Tell the server you can't digest hay.
- "But I can eat some of your food."
- > Point to the kirin.
- "I've eaten with one of those things, and everything on the table was okay"
- > Serving girl squints at the trio of non-ponies, and shouts up to you.
- > "I can get you the seafood plate. Are you paying in Pony bits, or Human gold?"
- > You'd stolen seven gems when you left Humanity.
- > Three from your sifu, but those were probably stolen already.
- > One from Johnny, because no one had ever stood up to him before.
- > And three from the traveling merchant, because he charged you 100g for a ratty bedroll.
- "Human gold."
- > You still had enough for a couple days in this pioneer town.
- > Ponyville, as if the ponies had never though to have a villa of their kind, before.
- > Your appearance draws stares, but none are offended.
- > The cider is … bitter.
- > The fish is well seasoned, and their use of vegetables unfamiliar, but good.
- > The green server, young, no horn, short. She has to work twice as hard.
- > It's showing. She's tired.
- > There she is, bringing two more ciders to … you?
- > "Hey. I'm off shift; I don't suppose you'd want some company?"
- > She sets the two ciders on the table
- > Now she's tonguing something between her front legs.
- > Straps fall away, and she lifts the tray off her back.
- > Through clenched teeth, she calls "Barley!"
- > The tray, along with the emtpy serving plate, all the straps begin to glow.
- > In a pale blue aura they silently float away, floating after a unicorn server.
- >''That's not how kirin magic works''
- |||
- > Roasting thinks about her beer & whiskey equipment.
- > Her dad dumped out the mash in a fit of rage.
- > How was it her fault wine tasted like vomitus, bottled?
- > The human was about done with its food, and she didn't want to go home, yet.
- > "Where you staying, then?"
- > The human shrugged, mumbled something about sleeping in the woods.
- > Friends of the whitetail? Surely even this creature doesn't sleep in the Everfree.
- "I'm actually looking for work. I want to move out here. Somewhere among ponies."
- > After that, the hulking giant reaches into a vest pocket and brings out an emerald.
- "I'm also looking for the right place to sell these."
- > Hops catches the sadness in its face as the human adds,
- "They're my inheritance from my mother."
- > A pony can't just sell something for 150b out here. Nopony has that much.
- > "I know some rich people in Canterlot. But out here?"
- > She explains that there's no apple orchard
- > the 3rd harvest of carrots is weeks away.
- > Maybe a new life in Canterlot is what's needed.
- > She doesn't really want to go home anyway.
- > "There's a barn being retrofitted into an inn."
- > Roasting Hops notices this human's economy of motion.
- > Every movement is easy, like he's a pegasus.
- > But those arms bristle with an earth pony's muscles.
- > Hops watches as the human freezes, eyes carefully following the kirin as walks past.
- > But when the kirin has left, the human sighs, and finishes the scraps on the plate.
- "Sure. Hopefully quieter than your nearby forest."
- > The human really '''did''' mean the Everfree.
- > Roasting Hops tells the human to wait, then grabs some of the booze.
- > No way she's taking a cold blooded killer out on a date without slowing him down.
- > Hopefully alcohol slows humans down.
- > The human is leaning against a lamp post, on the other side of the street.
- > Watching every pony walk past, the binocular vision of a hunter.
- > Roasting gulps, and hopes this all works out.
- > ''Get the mook to a fence, or a real gem buyer. Take a cut.''
- > ''Buy a home far away.''
- > ''Trottingham. Absolutely none of her family wares make it there.''
- > "Hello! And, what should I call you?"
- "Anon. And you?"
- > "Roasting Hops. Can I ask about your cutie mark?"
- |||
- > Be me. But with more hangover.
- > Seriously, at 17 you've never touched alcohol.
- > Sifu would beat you for being slowed.
- > He beats you enough just because he can.
- > You've known the pleasures of women, before however.
- > It was … different, with a filly.
- > Roastie was hardly any older than you, and you think this was her first time.
- > She groans now, sounding as pained as you feel.
- > It took some creativity to make the parts reach in a pleasurable way.
- > Roastie's eyes, the beautiful color of afternoon sunshine open
- > She inhales, as if to scream.
- > You lay a hand on her shoulder, hoping to hold off her alarm.
- > You may have to talk to a disgruntled father about where she was last night.
- > Obviously, you can never have enough dads furious at your very existance.
- "Roastie, good morning. I guess that stuff you brought was pretty potent."
- > You can't remember when you started calling her a pet name.
- > But she laughed, when you said it.
- > You wanted her to be free to laugh more. She needed it.
- > She didn't scream, but was almost hyperventilating.
- > "Anon, they ''execute'' ponies for bestiality."
- > The bedroom, literally a floor covered with three inches of straw, has no amenities.
- > You look for something towel-like so she can at least wipe her privates.
- "Are you sure they consider human on pony by that term?"
- > She nods, as she tries to get up.
- > Getting dressed quickly, you begin to rethink your life's plans.
- "Did you tell anyone you were going to get drunk & laid last night?"
- > She stumbles toward a nearby wall, not lifting her head all the way.
- > Shaking her head carefully she turns and plants her tail end against the wall.
- > "No but the booze I stole will paint a picture."
- "We just need to leave at separate times and not hold hands. Hooves, whatever."
- > If it squicks the natives that much, they'll assume nothing is actually happening.
- > So long as the pair don't give the impression anything more '''is''' happening.
- > The door bursts open. Intruding on the private room are two white pegasi
- > Wearing metal uniforms.
- > "We're her about some noise complaints." The one on the left all but demands.
- > "Come outside right now." the one to your right adds.
- > "We need to talk to you about what happened last night."
- |||
- > Instinct kicks in. The titanium blades you'd bought for your 14th birthday.
- > But the handles and bindings were stolen, yes.
- > One blade, now buried under the collarbone of the pegasus on the right.
- > The left was just slashed. Not incapacitated yet.
- > You throw a kick to its rib cage, and feel bones break.
- > Just as the nausea takes you, you remember the wings.
- > Grabbing a wing, you drop the sword in favor of a choke hold.
- > Barfing over his bleeding neck, you punch just in front of the shoulder blades.
- > Repeatedly.
- > Until his spine cracks.
- > You're now covered in blood, vomitus, and standing over two dead cops.
- > You understand Roasting Hops' fears.
- > Gasping, you take the large step toward Roastie.
- > Crying, she leans against the barn's wall.
- > You lay a hand gently on her right shoulder.
- "Roastie?"
- > You wait for her to make eye contact.
- "You need to make a choice. I'm going to run. Do you want to run with me, or stay here?"
- > She's almost shivering now, but the sound of her tears has stopped.
- >The way she's eying the corpses, you think you know her answer.
- > "Trottingham."
- > That was not what you thought her answer would be.
- > "It's far from Ponyville. No one travels between them. We can escape."
- > She steps away from the wall to lay her head against your right hip.
- > Wrapping a foreleg around your left hip, she speaks so softly you almost can't hear her.
- > "I don't want to be in this town, ever again."
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