May 7
I woke up a little later than I normally would have and my head was pounding a bit because maybe I'd had one or two more beers than I should have but that was okay, I was super-excited that I would get to drive today. Even if it wasn't a real car it would be fun.
Peggy and Christine and Sean were still asleep so I was quiet when I got out of bed and got my flight gear. It was another really nice day out, and I was going to get in a good flight to make up for my laziness yesterday.
I called the airplane director when I was outside and it was the nice lady and I said that I should come out and visit her and she laughed, and then I got to thinking that I should, so I told myself right after I was done flying I would send a letter to Mister Salvatore and Miss Cherilyn and we could arrange something because I knew I wasn't supposed to have long personal conversations on the airplane radio.
I decided I'd fly into town and follow the river for a bit. The trees had finally decided that winter was over, so they were mostly leafy now, and I even saw some that had started to blossom on my flight.
When I got to the river, I flew down low right above the surface and under bridges that crossed it. I saw a few fish darting around here and there but I didn't try to catch any, even though I probably could have. They were pretty small anyways.
I went along the river until I saw a big dam and then I thought that was a good place to turn around, and just to be safe I stayed downstream from the rapids at the bottom of the dam because those were dangerous and could suck you under.
I knew that I was pretty close to the railroad tracks and I could have followed them back into town but I went along the river again instead. Most places there were buildings on both sides but I flew past a couple of areas where it was all trees. One of them had a single building that was on a little island that a small channel of the river flowed around and it said that it had topless girls and karaoke music. I hadn't noticed it on my way out because the bend in the river had kind of hidden it from me.
When I got back to the railroad bridge over the river, I flew up and then followed the tracks back to campus. Then I took my shower and by the time I was done and back in my room Sean and Christine were already gone, and Peggy was in her lounging clothes looking at her computer.
I started mine and wrote a computer letter to Mister Salvatore and then I left it on and wrote a letter to Gusty, too, asking her how the play had been so far and asked her if she was going to the Stratford in Ontario or the one in England, and then I told her about Frelon and thought about adding in how everyone ran down the hill naked after it was over but then decided that might bother her.
Peggy put it in the computer for me and I sent it off.
I wrote a letter to my Mom but I didn't wrap it up in an envelope just yet because I wanted to send her a dreamcatcher too but that meant I had to make her one, so I spent the rest of the morning doing that and Peggy helped with the little knots that I couldn't tie.
Then when that was done it wouldn't fit inside an envelope so Peggy said that I would have to get a bigger one at the post office, and since we still had some time before go-karting we drove to a real Post Office where they had an assortment of different-sized envelopes and some boxes and tubes and then went back to campus to pick up Christine and Sean.
We drove to the Airway Fun Center, which was right across the street from the airport, and I waved at the tower but I doubt the nice airplane director saw me. There was a strange set of towers that looked kind of like a brightly-painted scaffolding which Peggy said was a ropes course, and in front of that was something called a mini-golf course.
We all waited in the lobby until Aric showed up in Winston and he had Angela and David with him, and then not too long after Meghan and Becky and Lisa arrived, too.
So we all went to get the go-karts, and the man at the counter had to talk to his manager and his manager asked if I had a driver's license and I told him I had a pilot's license and showed it to him and he said that he supposed if I could fly an airplane I could drive a go-kart, and he wasn’t trying to be mean but it was just that I was a pony.
Then we had to sign a piece of paper saying that if we got hurt it wasn't their fault, and they gave us a little presentation on how to drive the cars and what the instructions meant and then we all got in one and they started a race.
I didn't do very well in the first race. The pedals were hard to reach and the go-kart didn't behave at all like I thought it would so I didn't go very fast while I was figuring it out. Plus the belt on my chest was really uncomfortable and the helmet that they gave me pinned down my ears and mostly deafened me but that was for the best because the cars were even louder than Winston.
It was a lot of fun, though, and by the time I'd finished the first race I sort of had an idea what I was doing, so I did better in the second race, and we wound up spending most of the afternoon racing. Then we split up into two groups of five and played a game of mini-golf which I was not good at at all. The golf-stick was awkward to use and swinging it like a glaive didn't work as well as I'd hoped it would. Hitting the ball wasn’t very hard but making it go where I wanted it to was.
When we got done we broke up our group even more. Aric and David and Angela wanted to race go-karts again, and Meghan, Lisa, and Becky wanted to try the ropes course and they talked Peggy into doing it, too. Then Sean and Christine said that they would most like to drive the go-karts, too, and so I did that a couple more times. I don't think I would have particularly enjoyed the ropes course, since to do it like you were supposed to I would have had to balance on my hind hooves and what was the point since I could just fly to anywhere on it.
I got good enough by the time we left to have come in fourth place once.
We finished off our day at the Fun Center by driving the bumper cars, which were inside, and unlike the go-karts, you were supposed to run into each other. They were a little harder to steer, because they could turn so much more quickly than the go-karts, and they even went backwards if you turned them too far.
Then we decided that since we were all together we ought to have dinner together so we went to a restaurant called Applebee's and got a big table and all ate together.
After dinner I rode back with Aric and David and Angela. It was pretty crowded with all four of us in the front, and I offered to get in the back and Aric thought that would be kind of funny because he said a lot of guys drove around with dogs in the back of their trucks and it would freak people out if they saw me back there. But then Angela said it was fine for me to be in the front and it was probably safer anyway.
When we got back home Aric said that we ought to watch a movie and that David wasn't allowed to make suggestions, so the four of us sat together on the couch and we watched a strange and funny movie called The Fifth Element which Aric said was a classic.
After the movie was over and we were about to go to bed I remembered that I was going to meet with Doctor Thomas Thompson tomorrow and maybe bring him a cloud and I thought that might be the kind of thing Gates would want to get a movie of, so I asked Aric if I could use his computer to send a letter and he said that I could.
I wouldn't have thought of it, but my ears still hurt from where they'd been folded under the go-kart helmet.
As anyone who have ever played the game can attest, golf is a four letter word. Silver is lucky they only played mini-golf, a full 18 holes (or even just 9) would probably have driven her up the wall.
She would like that movie. Fantastical movies that are not based in reality are probably easier for her to get into and follow.
P G Wodehouse wrote a LOT of humorous short stories about golf. IIRC he said that the clergy should be given a 3 stroke handicap because they can't swear in public and that is worth 3 strokes.
ICR who called golf "a good walk spoiled"
They have a large, professional gokart track near the F1 circuit in Bahrain. The rental karts would top 40mph. It's the only place I've ever been where I felt physically exhausted after driving gokarts. At a certain level of performance, you need a full set of racing gear just to survive even a crash-free race. They gave us helmets and firesuits, but a kidney belt was what I really needed.
This drew all kinds of funny ideas out of me.
If she trips up on her landing do they send a fire engine out?
How weird must it look for her to taxi?
If she buzzed the tower would she make buzzing noises with her mouth?
Would people think poorly of her if she landed on a helipad without hovering over it first?
Would people want to "check out" her "flight surfaces"?
What about during the winter, would they de-ice her with the full machine?
I got dozens more, they just keep coming and I keep having to fight giggles.
Her bucket list just got longer.
"y---yes, that is accurate. I can totally fly an airplane. Lots of them. With wings that are made of metal and not attached to me. In the air every day, that's me."
Luckily the manager doesn't know what an ornithopter is and is too embarrassed to ask. It's probably some fancy word for helicopter, right?
This is why you should always read the fine print before agreeing!
This remind me of something... or someone
Would the Fun Center manager allow a dog to use the go-karts if he was shown a dog license?
lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1mOQ1VOaAno/U8Nx7UUFW4I/AAAAAAAAFx4/2sd4sqo-B1Q/w500-h206/TakingtheFifth.gif
7368585
He sounds like the person who doesn't honestly care that much. Cereal box license for "Dudley the Driver Man?" Yeah, seems legit, go ahead.
I can't quite make heads or tails of this. The first part sounds like a call back to the previous paragraph, but it doesn't seem to make much sense to say that she was reminded that Gates would like a movie of her with a cloud because her ears hurt. At the same time, it doesn't make any more sense for her to just up and say "I wouldn't have remembered my ears hurting, but they still did" with no other context.
7368543
"Hey Bob, whatcha doin down there on the tarmac?"
"I'm talkin with Silver Glow."
"Wait, the ornithopter?"
"She. And yes."
"You're, uh, walking her into a gate?"
"Yup. Thems the rules, right? All aircraft gotta taxi in."
"Yeah, I guess..."
"She'll be at C-4 in about thirty seconds."
"Hi, mister tower man! I'm an ornithopter!"
"Uhhh... Hello, um, Silver Glow."
...
...
"Oh, Bob, you gotta use your sticks if you're directing aircraft around."
(Alternate ending: "Bob, you can't fraternize with the aircraft, and definitely not while on duty.")
I'm sure Cayenne wouldn't mind if you mentioned it to her.
27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqvhx7SE0v1qa2gm6o1_500.gif
derpicdn.net/img/2014/1/29/537728/large.png
7368585 The real issue isn't the license its the go-kart's safety harness. Properly aligned such a harness or seat-belt stretches and flexes in a collision lengthening the time of impact and dispersing the energy. A misaligned belt can't flex properly and can instead focus the force of the collision along the belt's small surface area greatly worsening injuries. In some ways an improperly used belt is worse than no belt at all. It isn't hard to imagine for instance a badly aligned belt that is normally designed to distribute it's force along the bony pelvis and rib cage crushing the wearers unprotected intestines or strangling their throat instead. That's why children need car seats for belts that fit them properly.
While SG may be the size and weight of a small human her physiology and the way the belt would sit would be very different than a human. For this reason I've assumed that Silver Glow has been using a adapter vest/harness similar to the ones they have for dogs. But just didn't consider it worth mentioning.
The problem is that a go-kart's 4-point harness is different from a standard car's 2-point harness and its very unlikely SG's vest to be designed for it.
Silver Glow may not want to tell Mr. Salvatore or Ms. Cherilyn about her little outing they would have good reason to be upset with her.
Given how sociable ponies tend to be I'm surprised we haven't heard of many letters going back and forth between Silver and his mother. I can only think of about one letter arriving from her so far and this is probably only the second or third time Silver's written home.
I wonder what it costs to post things to Equestria?
7369121 Seems like this would make Pegasai even more catlike to me.
Ah memories.
Decades ago I found myself in Job Corp. The dorm I was in had scored really well in inspection over the course of a few months. As a treat we got to go to a place called Malibu Grand Prix. Where they had bumper boats. And naturally I fell in.
And then there was the time our dorm went to Fiesta Texas. Now mind you by this time I was legal drinking age with a pocket full of cash. I'm sitting in the beer hall like a boss when it's time to head out. I get back to the bus and see a few fellows I know behind it being sick as heck. And my crazy Iraqi friend as well. Whoo Wee was the RA pissed off.
7369008
When she wore the helmet first provided by Gates, it was uncomfortable, hence she is reminded of Gates.
7368531
Well, 'twernt Twain
7369609
I don't think they currently are separate subspecies, I think it is polymorphism. I think that ponies are in the process of speciating from Alicorns and that there are three separate polymorphs of that new emerging species. I'm also not proposing that the three tribes would become separate species, I'm saying that one or more may go extinct. In a few hundred thousand years, there may not be Unicorns. It isn't about separation, it's about natural selection.
There is surprise that there are twins. Applejack says can you believe the new baby (singular) is here. Rarity says she can't wait to see if it (singular) is a colt or filly. Pinkie says she wants to see the new baby pony (singular). And then pinkie is exited when there are two new foals. Then when the baby is revealed, Carrot is standing next to a crib with the second out of shot. The big reveal is that they had two foals, not just one. The big reveal is twins, not pegasus and unicorn. The entirety of the unicorn pegasus thing is just a setup for an infidelity joke. The uncomfortable scramble is because they're implying that he isn't the father. I also did the math on the cakes. If they're both heterozygous they had a 3.5% chance of having both a unicorn and pegasus so it wouldn't exactly be common. For singular foals, two heterozygous earth ponies have 56.3 percent chance of having an earth pony 18.8% for both unicorns or pegasi and the remainder is not viable. Other earth pony combinations have upwards of 75%-100% earth pony offspring. I am wrong about my comment about earth ponies having the most diversity. After further analysis, Earth ponies don't necessarily have the most diverse offspring. Using this system, a certain percentage of offspring wouldn't be viable. With earth ponies, it doesn't get over 6.3%. With some other combinations, it skyrockets. So they do however, have the most viable offspring.
7369691
Aaah! Okay, that line really confused me too.
7368543
"Tower to Pegasus One, all our landing pads are in use right now, please keep circling."
"Okay, tower, but be advised that I am running low on anchovies."
Well, that could've gone a lot worse. Still, I hope Silver doesn't assume this means she can operate other motor vehicles.
7369735 I figured she was simply saying that the helmet had hurt her and she was surprised that even a few hour later it still hurt.
7369008 Yes! Hilarious!
Now I need to go back to Kzoo and find this island and the go karts! I am laughing so hard imagining Silver Glow in a go kart. First thing that comes to mind was that supposed Pony Kart game...
2.bp.blogspot.com/-98_z0wq0jjA/TiPTHQ5H6HI/AAAAAAAAIqY/BbV9peNOdOA/s1600/130972546330.png
7370272
Not wanting to be without him.
Wanting to stay for him.
Dreaming of him.
Wanting the impossible and daring for the most.
You know, fictional love.
7370306
ahh, I thought it was a full sized one for some reason.
so it's more like a study abroad program than a full degree?
7370393
Oh, no, she was on a real, full-size golf course. That's just not the kind of place where I go. I'm bad at mini-golf; I'd be horrible at full-size golf.
Yeah; she's ultimately going to get her degree from an Equestrian university.
7370411 to be fair I've only been on a full sized course once when i was a kid.
I guess the study abroad thing is mostly focused on GE stuff then. I'm not sure how much an actual degree would overlap.
7370437
A weatherpony knows about pressure and temperature. With a little schooling, she could do some really neat things with states of matter.
7369748 Really now?
Who'd have thunk it.
7370272
7368509
She probably would have gotten to the point where she was just picking up the ball and flying it to the cup, then dropping it in.
You bring up a good point. fantastical movies often have to explain a lot more that a reality-based movie doesn't, which would make it easier for Silver Glow.
7368531
I think that's reasonable. Maybe more than three strokes, depending on how bad a golfer the clergyman is.
7368541
Some of those things are really badass! I've never been driving one that was that well-tuned, but yeah . . . there's definitely more of a physical element to some motorsports than people think.
7368543
Oh, man. I can picture every one of those. Especially the fire truck, and the de-icing.
7368560
More of that being enough to cover his own a "Hey, she showed me a pilot's license, and I thought if the FAA said she knew how to fly airplanes, it would be okay for her to drive a go-kart. How the hell was I supposed to know what an ornithopter was?"
7368571
Heh, that was one of the comments on my story The Breakup (no link, 'cause mature).
7368585
If the dog presented it and then argued its case? Sure, why not?
7368596
The Fifth Element is a classic. Man, I need to re-watch it.
7368895
He doesn't. He was shown a license, that's good enough for him.
7369008
The first GoPro-equipped helmet Gates gave her had earholes cut in it with sharp edges and she wound up cutting her ear on it. He then fixed it before she used it snowboarding. So a helmet making her ears hurt reminds her of Gates.
Fraternizing with the aircraft just sounds like something the FAA would ban on general principle, regardless of whether there are ponies or not.
7369032
She wouldn't mind (although if she gave commentary, the streakers might).
7369176
Ha! Picture proof!
7369227
She doesn't have one at all. She's been riding in cars unbelted all this time.
7369252
She's kind of trying to be independent, which is why she hasn't been writing as many letters to her Mom as she ought to be. Also she's got so much going on that homesickness hasn't really hit her.
It probably ain't cheap; they'd want really good controls over what crossed the border between worlds.
7369439
Ponies are cats.
7370552
"That penis is too old... Done that one already... That one has a distinct curvature to it..."
7370520
First off, I didn't know that about you, though I'm hardly surprised. Second, Silver had a crowd full of potential helpers, one who "undresses" her all the time anyways!
7370562
Well isn't US mothers day coming up in your time line? Maybe an extra dose of gilt / homesickness is due then if she hasn't done anything for good old mom. (I wonder how good old mom feels now her little filly has left the nest 'Yeah I was lonely for a bit, but well now you've got a new brother or sister due next year so I think I managed to cope.")
Well, Silver has now, in the span of one day, done two of my favorite things, driving and watching The Fifth Element.
Surprised Meghan and Arec didn't have a conversation about silver
7369721
Physical separation is often a driver of the creation of new species, in fact, but that's not really what I was getting at; rather that somehow you're proposing alicorns speciated into pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies (despite the apparently lack of an advantage to drive the increase in one allele form over another) and this happened not once, but twice in such a way that radical body morphism could occur without adverse effect to the rest of it.
And it's worth noting that alicorns also have earth pony magic, which is distinct from pegasi and unicorn. Even if we accept the idea that the dominant alleles interfere with the emergence of horns or wings, neither pegasi or unicorns are earth pony strong, which would have to be the implication here, since alicorns have EPM, and EPs have magic too.
You're missing Applejack's line of:
which has nothing to do with them being twins and everything to do with the off-tribe nature of the foals. Even if having twins of separate types is rare, having a child of a different type probably isn't.
7369661
I've never fallen in playing bumper boats. Actually, I haven't played bumper boats in a long, long time.
I did get left behind at a theme park once.
7369691
Yup, with sharp ear-holes.
7369762
7370041
Of course she assumes that. But she knows she can't operate them on real roads without a license.
7370188
They probably would have stopped hurting after too long but the memory of the pain would be enough to remind her of how she'd cut her ear on Gates' helmet the first time.
7370226
The go-karts are at the Airway Fun Center, which is right across from the airport. The island is on King Highway (and you probably wouldn't know it was an island just driving by; it's a really small branch of the Kalamazoo River). It used to be a topless bar called Moonrakers IIRC. There was no cover charge, the beer was a normal price, and the waitresses were all topless.
One of the things about this story is that I'm kind of mixing what I remember with what's there now (the Walgreens with the Angry Man used to be a Burger King). So some of the stuff that gets mentioned might not be findable any more
7370351
I'm not convinced that ponies should be bound by that type of love. Perhaps that's why I don't write romances.
7388940 Don't wild horse keep the same mate more or less for life, aside from when a stallion «steal» some mare from another?
7370423
It depends on what the major is. For example, assuming that Gusty is going for an Equestrian theatre degree, she can have nearly 100% overlap at U of W; whereas Kalamazoo College (or any Earth college for that matter) doesn't offer too many classes in advanced weather modification, so Silver Glow's picking up more of a general education. On the other hand, what I've found from one data point (me) is that a general, liberal arts education gives you the basis to pursue whatever you want . . . like, it gives you a way of thinking rather than rigid constraints.
7370465
That's a good point. I hadn't given any real thought as to how much crossover there would be between clouds and, say, freon, but why wouldn't there be? The physics principles are all the same . . . which means that maybe with the right setup, you could turn Silver Glow into a mobile AC unit.
7370488
7370632
Cayenne, penis critiquer.
7370680
I was the best Juliette ever. Blonde wig, maroon dress, and of course the glorious beard.
7371134
Yeah, not a bad idea. Probably flowers are out; can't send those to Equestria (they'd be all wilted by the time they got there). Hmm.
ETA: it's already passed; it was May 8.
7371463
7373161
Meghan, at least, is trying to pretend that Aric doesn't exist.
I keep forgetting to ask; is Meghan's last name Williams?
A CLASSIC
11214334
It isn’t, it’s Wilson.
[Funnily enough, that question made me wonder how many of the characters in this actually have last names. Besides the professors and helpers, I think that only two or three of the college students have last names that get mentioned (I’m fairly sure that Peggy’s last name is mentioned, although I don’t remember where).
Also, The Fifth Element is a true classic.