August 8
Cayenne woke me up when she came back to the room. I heard her close the door, and I opened my eye to see who it was.
She had her horn lit just a little so that she could see where she was going, and she went into the bathroom so I put my head back down and closed my eyes but I hadn't fallen back asleep when she climbed up in bed with us and pulled the covers over herself.
I stretched out my wing to cover her and she slid in a little bit closer and nuzzled my cheek, then dropped her head to the pillow right next to mine.
When I woke up again in the morning, she was still there, tucked up against me and I actually felt kinda sad for her.
We stayed in bed until she woke up, and then she got our coffee basket and brought it inside. There was a little latch on the door that we could use to make it not close all the way in case Gusty came by to visit, so we used that and then got in the shower together.
She hadn't shown up by the time we were done showering and grooming, so I went down the hall to her room and knocked politely on the door. I knew she was up because her coffee basket was gone.
After a few minutes, Nicky poked her head out the door and I asked if they wanted to come to breakfast with us, and she said that would be nice, but that they weren't ready yet. I told her to just come by our room, and gave her the number in case Gusty had forgot.
Cayenne had a late afternoon flight out of Detroit, and she said that Mister Barrow had told her that they wanted to leave around one just in case there were delays at the border. And we could leave whenever we wanted to, since we were riding in Sienna all the way back.
I wasn't actually sure how Gusty had gotten here.
So we hung out in our room until Nicky and Gusty came by, and then we went to breakfast together. I found out that Gusty had come on a bus with all the other actors and that had been nice because it was big enough that they could lie down and nap if they wanted to and they also could practice their lines in little groups, plus she said that it had been important for them to all bond again before the play.
Me and Aquamarine and Cayenne got a big order to share—we got an omelet and steel-cut oats and also French toast and then split it all up except for the omelet that Cayenne didn't want, so we gave her all the potatoes that came with it instead.
And Gusty and Nicky shared their breakfast, too, which was really cute.
So we were talking about what we wanted to see, and Gusty said that we ought to visit the Shakespearean Gardens, which weren't too far. I didn't know what that was, and she said that they had plants that were in Shakespeare's plays, and that she had gone there on Friday with all the other actors and it had really helped get the scene in their minds. She said that the flowers on stage had been false flowers, but that she could still smell the Cupid's flower that they had in the garden.
We got directions from her—it wasn't too far away at all—and I was kind of hoping that Gusty would want to come with us but she wanted to stay with Nicky, so when we were done eating we all hugged and nuzzled each other and wished each other safe trips home, and then we went out of the hotel and to the garden.
It was strange going through town because it had been so crowded with theatre-goers all weekend long, but lots of them were leaving or had already left, so there weren't all that many people out on the sidewalks.
We were almost on the same street at the gardens, so it was really easy to find. And it was just like Gusty had said it was. The park along the lakeshore in Chicago had been bigger but this one was really nice because it had the kinds of plants that Shakespeare knew and there were little signs that told you what it was called and what play it was in.
The Cupid's flower—which the sign said was also called Cupid's dart—was a really pretty lavender with strange-looking petals that had a sawtooth end, and it didn't look much like the flower that she'd had in the play.
When we'd looked at all the flowers and smelled them all we all sat together on a bench that overlooked the river and closed our eyes and let the smells of the garden mix together in our noses and that was really nice, and I could almost imagine that if I opened my eyes I might see the fairies running around in the garden.
There was a path back that mostly followed the bank of the river, so we took that until we got to the Festival Theatre, which was sort of right behind our hotel.
We had to go across another park, and there were a couple of men in red coats and tan hats riding on horses, so we went over to greet them. I'd seen men dressed like that a couple of times over the weekend, but always from a ways away. They were easy to see, 'cause being on a horse like that put them above the crowd.
They said that they were from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and they were really friendly. One of them was blonde and his horse was interested in us, which kind of scared Cayenne. When he leaned down to sniff her she backed away, which wasn't very friendly. Both me and Aquamarine made friends with him, and we finally coaxed Cayenne to come closer so she could be friends too.
As we were walking back to the hotel, I asked Cayenne why she'd moved away, 'cause even though they were big they mostly acted like foals. She said in Chicago, the police sometimes ride horses so that they can bully their way through crowds and she'd seen a policeman on a horse pushing people back at the rally where she'd gotten arrested.
We both helped Cayenne pack her bags back up. She said that she wasn't supposed to take the liquor across the border, and it was a shame to pour it out, so we each had one drink and then she set it on the desk. She said that maybe one of the hotel maids would like to have it.
Our helpers were waiting for us in the lounge, and so we took our bags out to the vans, and then we went inside for lunch.
It was sad to split up after we'd finished eating—if it hadn't been for Cayenne needing to get back to Detroit for her flight, I think we would have made dessert last a little longer. Maybe not too much longer, 'cause the ice cream would have melted.
So we nuzzled her goodbye and hugged her helpers and then she got in their van and we got in Sienna, and me and Aquamarine still hadn't thought of anyplace that we wanted to visit while we were in Canada.
I asked if there were any casinos in Canada, and Mister Salvatore said that there were but we weren't going to stop at one because he had done nothing to deserve having to fill out that much paperwork. Miss Cherilyn said that was what he got for trying to corrupt me.
Then Aquamarine saw a sign for the Stones n Bones museum and it had a picture of a big skeleton that looked like it might be a dragon and we said that that sounded like a fun place to visit. And Miss Cherilyn thought so, too.
Well, it was kind of disappointing that it wasn't an actual dragon skeleton. Instead it was a dinosaur, which was kind of like a dragon but it couldn't fly and it couldn't breathe fire. But they used to live on Earth and then somehow after they'd died their bones had turned to stone, and then someone had dug them up and figured out how they all went together and reassembled them into a skeleton.
There were drawings of what the dinosaurs might have looked like when they were alive, which was pretty neat to see. And they had some other kinds of fossils, too, of other kinds of smaller dinosaurs and mammals and even some fossil plants, which Aquamarine was really interested in. They even had a small collection of fossil dinosaur eggs.
Another room had butterflies on the wall and they were pretty but it was sad that they were all dead. Butterflies were a lot prettier when they were flying around.
When we'd had a look at all the displays, we went to the gift shop and Aquamarine bought a book about ancient plants, and Mister Salvatore found a package of astronaut ice cream and bought that. He was really excited about it because he thought that they didn't make it any more, and he said that we should try some and I told him that we'd both had it before in Lansing.
So after that we got back in Sienna and he gave us our earrings and told us that we shouldn't mention having visited the horse racing track unless they specifically asked about it. He said that if they asked if we'd seen any horses in Canada, to say no.
But I said that wasn't true because we'd seen the mounties and they'd been on horses and he let out a long sigh and said that he was glad that he'd gotten ice cream and while he was waiting at the customs house he was going to see if he could use his badge to get a cup of coffee.
It turned out to be quicker than on the way over, though. We still had to take turns answering questions, but not very many. And I did get asked if I had any alcohol or drugs or firearms in my saddlebags. I also wasn't supposed to have any fresh fruit, which I didn't.
Mister Salvatore had gotten his cup of coffee—when I came back out he was sitting on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs with it in his hand and he said that if I wanted he could get me a cup, too, but I said that I didn't need it.
So once Aquamarine had had her turn to answer questions, we all got back in Sienna and drove back home.
She asked Mister Salvatore if he could take her to the greenhouse instead of her apartment, because she wanted to check her plants, and he didn't know where it was but she gave him directions on how to get there and Miss Cherilyn offered to wait and give her a ride back home.
Aquamarine thanked her but said that she would probably be at the greenhouse for a while and could get a ride from Jenny if she wanted it, so we nuzzled and then I got back in the van and we went back to the highway.
Mister Salvatore offered to buy me dinner on the way home and I was getting kinda hungry, so I said that we could stop somewhere if he wanted to. So we stopped in Charlotte and had dinner at Pizza Hut, then we went the rest of the way to Kalamazoo.
I was kind of sad that the trip was over, but I was glad that I was back home and the first thing I did was put on my flight gear and took a nice flight around town until it was getting dark, and then I got undressed and flew over to Meghan's.
She was really happy to see me and gave me a big hug and then when we were inside crouched down and kissed me, and we went upstairs and snuggled on her bed and I told her all about the trip and everything we'd seen. She was kind of jealous that I'd met a couple of the actresses from Orange is the New Black.
I didn't get to tell her everything that we'd done today, 'cause we'd started kissing and pretty soon most of her clothes were in a pile on the floor and I was on top of her. We didn't wind up having sex, 'cause she'd just come off estrus, but I didn't mind. Just being curled up with my head on her breast and her hand on my back made me happy.
Anticipate another late update again tomorrow . . . I got out of work an hour and a half late today.
The sad thing is that we weren't even that busy.
... until a hour before closing time.
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So much snuggling left, right and center!
To be fair, SG, you were also unnerved by Earth's horses at first.
That would explain it. Even if the horse was just doing what it was trained to.
Quick! Save the ice cream! Eat it all before it melts!
I've worked in motels. Guests leave all kinds of stuff behind, including food. What gets taken, what gets turned in to Lost and Found, and what gets thrown out depends.
IMO, no one in their right mind would drink anything from an open liquor bottle that strangers had drank from.
Interesting fact. Alcohol isn't very effective at killing HIV. It can be transmitted by saliva. Admittedly, the amount involved is so small it's extremely unlikely but still.
That doesn't even count the possibility that it was spiked with something. As a young fool, I knew a few guys that would have considered it funny to piss in it or dope it.
7633854 I've worked security for a couple hotels... nothing surprises me anymore.
If they went to the garden to smell the lavender, its a good thing Reg wasnt there.
hum how to end a trip? yep sex works for me also.
7632200
Ah, okay.
Yeah, I didn't know about Lauren saying that. I've always thought that ponies aged faster to begin with(Pound and Pumpkin) and then slowed down and had a longer childhood than we do...mainly to explain why it's been so many seasons and the cutie mark crusaders are still the same size(I know we've only had like maybe two Hearth's Warming episodes but I'm thinking it's been at least a few years. Also I know some people headcanon those ponies as like, 8, but for some reason I can't buy that).
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imgs.xkcd.com/comics/rosetta.png
I think I missed something, why would it be sad?
Especially the poor one of the police: often deaf so they won't panick if there is big noise (gun shot or crowd control weapon) and/or drugged.
Doesn't make them any less dangerous. I can still picture vividly that journalist being trampled over by a nice policeman just trying to force some protesting student to go home before they get hurted or arrested by his collegue...
I feel like Silver is being just a little hypocritical here, considering how she reacted to horse till recently...
Dangerous fresh fruits...
7633613
Urrgh! Don't I know that feeling! I swear customer are always conspiring to arrive at the worst time possible.
7633613 You should print that out and slap it on your tool box, or hang it in the shop.
Cayenne at the customs office, getting asked the same question
"No but i rode a lot of humans!" wink wink
7634541
because Cayenne couldn't land at a human as pegasi say.
Awwww yes.
Silver eats fish, right? Has anyone taken her out for sushi yet? Are wings dexterous enough to use hashi?
"Just come off of estrus"? I love the little incongruencies because they work sooooo damned well at characterizing Silver as a pony of a foreign sky (/wink). How do you come up with them all, Biscuit?
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My customers travel in packs. I haven't figured out how they communicate (they won't tell me) and I don't know where they meet up (I suspect behind the old plant across the intersection), but it happens with too much regularity to be coincidence. And too much irregularity too.
Doesn't make sense? Packs of customers come in so frequently that it's clearly 'a thing,' but they don't do so on any defined schedule, so it has to be planned in advance!
I get the impression you like astronaut ice cream, Admiral Biscuit
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...I often go to places just before closing time 'cause I go after I get off work...
7633656
It's very much human nature, and probably also pony nature, to have forgotten how you felt the first time and be hypocritical of what someone else faces their first time. Also,
Cayenne's first time wasn't as pleasant.
7633854
I assume in a large part it's based on the presumed value of the object left behind.
Honestly, I think worry about getting a disease like HIV from an open bottle of alcohol somebody had left behind would be the least of my worries. What's actually in that bottle would be much more of a concern, as you said.
7633967
I think anybody who's worked interacting with people gets the sense of surprise worn off them pretty quickly. I know when I drove wrecker, it wasn't too long before it was really hard to surprise me with the dumb ways people managed to crash their cars, and the idiotic lies they told about how it had happened.
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Reg? I missed that reference.
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It's the best way to end a trip, in't it?
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I tend to think that the ponies age and mature faster than humans, although not as fast as IRL horses, of course. I don't consider the show as a reliable timeline--like, one season being one year, or whatever. Granted, most of this headcanon was developed at the beginning of Season 3, so it wasn't like we had over a hundred episodes to draw on, y'know? Plus, there's the fact that generally in syndicated shows they don't tend to make major changes, or else it confuses the viewers, which I also took into account.
Also, I think that fits in better with a more historical setting, which I prefer. By their teens, a lot of ponies are getting jobs, getting married, having foals, etc. Some of them are continuing with their education, but that's more the exception than the rule.
I don't really think that it matters too much, though, unless a story is very closely focused on their exact ages. At the beginning of the show, the Mane 6 could have been in their mid-teens or twenties and that really wouldn't change all that much. Their lifespans could be fifty years, or a hundred, or several hundred, as Granny Smith seems to imply in one episode.
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Wait, you mean Rosetta wasn't meant to save the Earth? I'm so disappointed.
7634541
Sad because Cayenne has a long string of one-night stands but no real relationships.
Are they really deaf? That sounds to me like the myth of the junkyard dogs/military guard dogs who have had their larynxes removed so that they don't bark, they just savage you without warning. I'm not saying that it's not possible, but it would seem to me that a deaf horse might be more likely to be surprised and panic because it doesn't get an aural clue that something is going on. I know that my ex's deaf cat would flip the fk out when you sneaked up on it (which was of course really easy since it was deaf).
Once you know that there's nothing to fear, it's easy to not remember why you feared it in the first place.
Hey, anyone who's seen Attack of the Killer Tomatoes knows just how dangerous fruit can be. Also, in comic canon, there's this:
vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/f/fe/Comic_issue_32_credits_page.jpg
I love right before holiday weekends, they suddenly remember that they need their car fixed.
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Hmm, maybe I will.
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Oh, can you imagine her going to the doctor and being asked if she's had any sexual partners recently?
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Yes; she had sushi in California. And her wings are probably not dexterous to use hashi, although possibly she could if they were strapped to her forehooves.
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Pony of a foreign sky--I like that
Well, it's kind of the reverse of ponifying a story, I guess. Like, just apply the pony terms to humans, and there you go.
There are some customer-packs that I see at McDonalds. A lot of the retired farmers get together there some mornings, so you'll see the whole parking lot filled with crappy, dirty work trucks.
Maybe there's some kind of secret signal that they all know.
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It's funny, becuase I probably haven't had any in 20 years or more.
7646697
Yeah, that can happen. We often get a little rush right after school lets out, although that's usually people coming to pick their cars back up, not drop them off.
I think Cayenne's problem started with all those "What I did on my Summer vacation" essays. She thought they said "WHO I did on my Sumer vacation"
8785147
It's entirely possible.
(It would be a long list.)
"Smells like sex and whiskey so she had a good night"
It's Cayenne, when does she not find a way to 'have a good night'?
Naughty pony, taking advantage of drunk theater lovers not being able to tell what pony they are fucking, and only caring that she is horny.
I do love Silver's bit about sex being better with friends. As one, nice contrast to Cayenne and yeah, it fits Silver, as she's the type to enjoy the emotional connection as well as the physical fun. And two, still showing just how much less tied up about it and overly dramatic she is about then humans still. Since it's still just a bit of fun for her and something perfectly normal to do casually with people you are just friends. Which again, still hard to see her and Aric as more then just that. Meghan yes, though that's more on Meghan clearly being utterly devoted to her equine love goddess, as she should be!
Awwww, why be shy about nuzzles?
Yes,even on vacation, gotta learn new ways to make your business better. Just, don't copy the more annoying aspects.
Ugh, hate when you get mealy apples.
You know....I am actually more surprised that Cayenne only had to be bailed out once then that she had to at all.
I can so see her trolling the cops the whole time, just going along with it, laughing as they try to figure out WTF to do, all while just being cute and innocent looking.
Even people here don't understand elections so, can't blame ponies.
And then we into deep pony thoughts with Silver ruminating over the play being over forever.
Do I sense a bit of authorial frustration slipping into Silver's bit about techs not getting enough credit? Nat that sh's wrong.
Well, Canada is a lot like the US unless you notice all the politeness and lack of a lot of the issues. Or head to Quebec. Hey, would be even more so if she had gone to Minnesota instead, after all that place is basically South Canada.
Something special in Canada, well your options are see a hockey game, something involving maple syrup, or go see a moose.
Silver being a good, caring momma birdy-pone and being all snugly and protective of the Cayenne, d'awwwwwww
Yeah, Nicky and Gusty still have a bit of 'celebrating' to do.
Calld it on Gusty just riding up with the rest of the theater crew.
Well, you mentioned it had plants, that's won Aquamarine over on going there.
I really wanted to make a 'bro code' joke about Gusty spending time with Nicky rather then the other ponies, bout couldn't come up with a good rhyme.
Of course they gotta meet a Mountie while up there.
"And they were really freindly"
Again, Ponies should feel right at home in Canada.
Awwww silly little pony all scared of the big horsie? Though interesting idea from Silver, about seeing them as just big foals.
And ah, dealing with the..less polite Chicago mounted cops. Yeah that could do it.
Yeeeaaahhhh, doubt any of the maids are dumb enough to drink out of random open bottles. It's just getting poured down a drain.
Pffffffttt, good reason for avoiding a casino I guess. Though, is it more paperwork for doing that at all, or becuase it's two of hem and in another country?
Some things, it's a lot harder to impress ponies with then people. "You call that T Rex scary? Please, it can't even fly or breath fire, and it's a bit scrawny too." When you have REAL monsters, dead ones are a lot less impressive. unless it's Sue, because a Zombie T Rex is never NOT awesome.
Can't argue the butterflies are prettier while flying logic.
Dang ponies, being TOO lawful and honest about things. Hey, be glad ponies are so well behaved on the whole, would you rather deal with Cayenne all the time?
Ummm, so she offered to wait to give Aquamarine a ride back to her place..... but in what? They only had the one car.
"I got undressed and flew over to Meghan's" usually that should happen in the reverse order.
"Just come off Estrus" I love the little touches of Silver filtering things through a pony outlook.
9100593
Exactly!
She might never not have a good night, honestly.
To be fair, she looks nothing like Gusty--wrong coat color, for starters. But then again, drunk theatre lovers might not be able to tell the difference.
Well, Silver’s not wrong that it’s better to have sex with friends. Even just casual sex is more fun with friends than people you hook up with in the bar (I assume; I’ve never hooked up with anyone in the bar). And yeah, probably that’s all that she and Aric will ever be. Meghan and Silver have a much deeper bond.
Because they’re a bunch of college-aged mares who he hardly knows, and he’s an older, married stallion.
Although it would be a kind of funny if ponies did it, but did it badly. Or in creative ways--billboards painted on the roofs of buildings for pegasi, for example.
Those giant red apples are the worst. They look perfect and taste terrible. I don’t trust an apple that looks too good.
Probably most of the times her handlers got things under control before she got arrested.
Oh, yeah, she totally would. Maybe even offered them a few suggestions when they were struggling. “Oh, we normally take hoofprints. And butt prints.”
Really? They’re simple. You fill in a bunch of little bubbles and then if your opponent gets elected, you get screwed. Also, if your choice gets elected, you get screwed.
She’s not wrong. And it’s a weird feeling.
Maybe just a little bit. Did you know that I once dropped a sugar cube into a cup of coffee from the catwalks for a show and never once missed? No? Well, neither did anyone in the audience. All they saw was the actor catching the sugar cube.
One thing I have noticed (and this could just be the case at border towns), there seems to be more litter. Also, Sarnia is a bit of a hellhole. Just ask KMCA. Then again, you go to Toronto, and they have the gay neighborhood, and the crosswalks are painted in rainbows, which is pretty neat. Also I got a Twilight Sparkle plush there for $25 Canadian, which is like $15 American.
And they do have all their signs in metric, which is fine for Silver since she randomly alternates between the two systems without really understanding that they’re different systems.
They also allow you to drink at 18 and show things at strip clubs that they couldn’t do in Michigan. Um, I’ve heard.
She is, isn’t she?
They do indeed.
I can attest to running lines while riding in a van to a gig. We couldn’t do any of the choreography, though, which was a shame.
“Plants? Let’s go there.”
Yeah, I’ve got nothing either.
Another thing that we don’t have in the US of A.
They should. Canada’s a great country. Even if they’ve tried to deport me before.
Mentally, they basically are big foals, at least to a pony’s mind. And honestly, even if it weren’t for Cayenne’s previous experiences with them, they’d be as intimidating as you or I meeting a 20 foot tall toddler that weighed a ton.
Really not the best way to meet horses.
She doesn’t say, but what would they do if Cayenne tried to seduce them (the horses, not the cops [or actually, either])? I’d assume they’re gelded (the horses, not the cops), so probably no response, but maybe.
It’s funny, at first I was thinking that maybe maids get lots of free liquor that way, but yeah, I wouldn’t touch an open bottle with a ten foot pole. Who the hell knows what’s in that.
Closed bottle is probably safe, though. But still might not be worth the risk. If you’re careful and take your time, a lot of bottles you can get the tamperproof seal off intact.
The two biggest problems with ‘in another country’ would be that Mr. Salvatore and Miss Cherilyn don’t have any real jurisdiction, in case things go bad (they’ve likely got some authority--of the nudge-nudge, wink-wink kind), and probably there is all sorts of paperwork to fill out if you win something. If they lose all their money, though, there probably isn’t any paperwork that has to be filled out.
Yeah, that’s one thing that would likely cause human visitors to some of the wilder parts of Equestria to scream, wet themselves, and run away, possibly simultaneously. Some of the things that might cause that are probably monsters that the ponies don’t even consider a threat (Steven Magnet, for example). And there are also lots of things that are very dangerous or lethal that don’t look threatening at all.
Basically, Equestria is Australia.
They are.
Honestly, that’s probably part of the reason that they’re allowed to get some of the freedoms that they do. If they were more willing to break the rules, the handlers would probably stay a lot closer.
She meant that all of them could wait until Aquamarine was done working.
Flying naked is the only way to do it.
9106633
The legal drinking age in Canada is 19, except in Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta. Teenage-me was not impressed with Ontario. Also, Ontario's liquor stores close early on Sundays. All of them.
10327079
The legal drinking age in Canada is 19, except in Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta.
I wonder if they changed that? I thought it was 18 back in the day (90s) . . . maybe not, though.
I suppose it depends on what you’re looking for. I always liked Sarnia more than Windsor, although the last time I was in Sarnia, it was kind of a urban wasteland. Toronto was cool last time I was there (couple years ago). We also used to go to Stratford in the summers sometimes, and my parents frequently sail up to Tobermory in the summer.
Pfft, in Indiana you can’t buy alcohol on a Sunday at all.
Applejack: wut
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Now I’m imagining Applejack insta-growing an apple tree next to the border offices just because she can.