//------------------------------// // Persona XX: Like a Dream Come True (part 1) // Story: Sometimes They Call Me Super // by KorenCZ11 //------------------------------// Applejack When Ah went ta bed last night, there were hooves around me. Ah know Ah was holdin’ one when Ah fell asleep, but right now, Ah was alone. Somethin’ had just moved, and that’s what woke me up. Ah sat up quick ta make sure he was still here and let out a breath when Ah saw him. Ah shouldn’t be this nervous about him just gettin’ up fer the day. It’s not like he usually wakes me in the mornin’ anways. “You alright?” he asked. Ah shook my head. “No. Y’all gettin’ outta bed shouldn’t make me this jumpy. Somethin’s wrong, but Ah don’t know what it is.” Goose frowned. He climbed back on the bed and put a hoof around my shoulder. “Still freaked out over yesterday?” Ah sighed. “Ah look at that mare like she’s my mother. Even after all the shit we’ve been through, Ah’ve never been so afraid in my life. Ah really thought she was gonna kill her. Ah think Ah heard that scream in my nightmares. Here Ah thought Ah was the one with anger issues, but that was on a whole other level. Ah can only imagine how Twilight is takin’ this.” So much fire, so much heat. If Luna was scary in her armor, what in the hell does Celestia look like? Does she always take that form when she fights? Or was this somethin’ special? She sounded so… anguished. Goose sighed and leaned on me a bit. “Yeah, it’s hard to see somepony in so much pain at once. I guess that is what it takes to break Celestia’s composure. Maybe you should go see her and see how she’s doing. If I were in her place, I’d want friends around.” The offer was temptin’. “Yeah…” But then Ah realized just what exactly those words meant. “Wait, what do ya mean, Ah should go see her? Where are you gonna be?” Ah pushed him off and crossed my forelegs. Goose sighed again and let his head fall inta my lap. “Too smart for me. I’m still not done with my business from the other day, so…” “So you’re goin’ out again, and leavin’ me here by myself.” “Wha-? You’re not alone, there are like, six other ponies you can call up and hang out with if you wanted to. It’s not like I’m barring you from letting anypony into our house or anything. I bet your siblings wouldn’t mind having company either. Who knows, Blood might not be working today, you could go see him too.” Ah could feel myself start ta pout, but then Ah got an idea. “What are you-” Before he could finish that sentence, Ah flipped around him and straddled him. “But sugar cube, Ah can’t do this with none of them. It has ta be you♥” Ah leaned in and kissed him, and just like that he was putty in my hooves. “Okay, but seriously, I still have things I need to do today, and I can’t bring you with me.” An hour. A whole hour, and Ah still couldn’t wear him down. “Really!? After all that… can ya even walk? Ah coulda swore…” Goose turned his head and gave me a look. “You were trying to break me?” How can Ah feel embarrassed now? We already did the thin’. Ya would think that bein’ this close would mean that there’s nothin’ ta be ashamed about anymore, but here Ah am. Ah sat up and looked away, decidin’ that my mane was the most interestin’ thin’ in the world right now. “Well… maybe a little.” Or a lot really. Had he not the sense ta remove the mattress from the frame after the first time, the frame would most certainly be broken now. The sweaty stallion draped himself over my back and laid his head against mine. “You know I would never leave you, right?” Gosh, Ah need ta get this thin’ taken care of. No wonder Rarity complains all the time, Ah’ve got knots everywhere there aren’t split ends, and split ends everywhere there ain’t knots. “So? Didn’t ya say somethin’ about never leavin’ my side like a month ago? What happened ta that?” Ah asked, knowin’ how petty Ah sound. Do Ah have ta say it? “I’m still here, last I checked. I promise, it will all make sense in a little bit. I just need one more day.” He kissed my neck and a shiver ran down my spine. Ah pushed him off and turned around ta face him. “Damn it! That ain’t fair! What if Ah… what if Ah’m just feelin’ nervous and Ah just want ya ta…” Stay home and hold me? What if for the first time in my life Ah’ve been so afraid of somethin’ that Ah just wanted ta be comforted, and now Ah finally have somepony ta turn ta? Ah don’t care how intimate we are, those words will never come out of my mouth. Fuck it, be it a flaw or not, Ah’m too proud ta say it. “Stay home and hold you?” Has there ever been a moment when somepony put a piece of ice on yer neck? That’s about what hearin’ those words come outta his mouth felt like. He leaned in and tackled me down ta the bed and then pulled me in close. His hooves were wrapped around me tight, he probably had some stupid smug smile on his face, and that dumb bastard was doin’ exactly what Ah wanted him ta. Ah don’t know what Ah hated more. The fact that he knew what Ah wanted, or the fact that… Ah felt safe. “Have Ah ever told ya how much Ah hate ya?” Ah’m sure Ah had my own big dumb smile when Ah said that. He leaned over and kissed me this time. “That makes at least ten times since last week.” And now it was my turn ta be putty. “Well, Ah’m gonna be sore tomorrow,” Ah noted. The engine revin’ hot between my thighs made that ever so apparent, as each and every little bump Ah hit made me wish Ah hadn’t tried so hard ta break Goose this mornin’. “Huh? Why? Where did that come from?” Twilight asked from behind my back through the brand. Gotta keep my head more focused. Too little, and she’ll hear everythin’ Ah’m thinkin’. In the end, Ah still lost the argument, so now Ah found myself on the highway, ridin’ around with no real destination. Goose dropped me off at the Castle this mornin’, and when Ah found her, poor Twilight had locked herself up in the library mutterin’ on about her mother. If seein’ Celestia like that gave me nightmares, Twilight hadn’t slept since then. Ah figured that since Ah hadn’t taken it out since Ah broke my foreleg durin’ the Israfel fight, Ah might as well take Twilight out ta see the city on my bike. It had been sittin’ in the castle’s garage ever since that Sunday mornin’, and because Goose was there ta take me everywhere, Ah had no reason ta go get it and just plain forgot it was there. Ah paid like, Ah don’t know, ten gold fer this thin’ and Ah damn near forgot about it. And that was just the bike, not includin’ the gold Ah spent on the ridin’ suit and the license course and the helmet… It’s all that stupid stallion’s fault. Got my head all filled with foals and weddin’s and him, and Ah forget about all the shit Ah blew my money on. “Uh… aren’t you going a little fast Applejack? What’s the displacement on this thing? I didn’t even know a motorcycle could hit over a hundred miles per hour with two ponies on it.” Sure enough, Ah had turned on the road ta Tin and forgot that Twilight was even there. The mornin’ sky was clear, it was cooler than Ah expected it ta be, and right now was just about the perfect time ta go fer a drive. “Oh, shit. Uh, sorry.” Ah rolled off the throttle and let my head cool. You’d think that goin’ a hundred on the highway on a day like this would be enough ta do just that. “This is a Roadrunner Falcon 1300, so the engine displacement is probably somewhere around 1290 CCs. We could definitely hit higher than a hundred if Ah really wanted ta. We’re not even in the upper bands of power right now. This is like, almost too close ta the bottom of fifth gear.” Twilight’s helmet clinked against mine when she tried ta nod. Due ta safety concerns, Ah decided it was best ta get her some gear before we went out. Ah’m not used ta havin’ a passenger and… well, Ah’m not the safest driver around. We ran inta trouble when it came ta gettin’ a helmet, since her horn is not only broken still, but taller than most ponies, so she had ta get a size up and it doesn’t quite fit right. “I see. I’m surprised you can be so relaxed riding this thing. If you weren’t driving, I think I would be scared out of my mind going this fast.” Ah know she ain’t Goose, but she just said the magic words ta get me ta find the upper power band. “Well then… Why don’t we just see about that!” Ah kicked up ta sixth and then rolled back on the throttle as fast as Ah could without pullin’ a wheelie. Twilight started ta scream, and the desired effect was achieved. The road here was pretty empty thanks ta it bein’ about ten AM on a Monday, and we’d only passed a few cars as we drove. With Twilight’s extra weight, we only hit 165 ta my dismay. Only double the speed limit plus twenty-five instead of close ta triple like it can do when it’s just me ridin’. Eventually Ah noticed how close ta Tin we were, and realized at the same time that I’d spent about a full tank doin’ my stupid stunts ta show off. Oh well, it’s not like it’s gonna cost me three silvers ta fill this thin’ up. That really ain’t a whole lot of money ta me these days, but old habits die hard Ah suppose. When we slowed down enough that the wind wasn’t too loud fer me ta hear, Ah realized Twilight was actually laughin’. Ah guess she’s havin’ fun, so the desired effect really was achieved. We made it inta Tin and Ah pulled over at a gas station ta fill up. Gas was low right now, so Ah might not even hit a silver tryin’ ta fill up. It’s only got a five and a half gallon tank, but fer seventy miles ta the gallon, it’s hard ta beat. “I can only wonder if Pinkie feels like that all the time… You know, I’ve never really tested how fast she can go. I’m certain she would beat you in a race, but having the comparison would be nice to get a good measure of her speed. Gosh, my heart is racing. How do you do it? I don’t think I would have the stones to actually push it all the way.” Ah unlocked the tank and put the pump in. “Well, Ah just know that it won’t hurt me no matter how fast Ah go. Once upon a time, Ah jumped straight down from the top of a twenty-one story hotel and walked away like nothin’ ever happened. If that ain’t gonna kill me, nothin’ Ah do on this bike is gonna hurt me no matter how fast Ah’m goin’. It would take a lot, and Ah mean a hell of a lot of force ta do anythin’ ta my body as far as kinetics go. Pretty sure Ah can’t be electrocuted either. Ah haven’t tried ta cut myself in a decade now, but Ah bet Ah could probably pierce my skin if Ah was tryin’ real hard, but it would have ta be some real strong metal against a weak point, like my ear or somethin’. Otherwise, the knife might break. Y’all gotta remember, all the wounds Ah’ve taken up till now have either been my fault, or the result of magic involvin’ heat. Ah’m the mare who gets shot and shrugs it off, remember?” That doesn’t mean the bullets don’t hurt, but Ah take slugs like a pony takes Nefr dart. They just bounce off. And leave, awful, awful bruises. Twilight sat down and put one hoof under her elbow and the other under her chin. “Oh, that’s right. I suppose if I really got scared, I could save myself with magic. Y-yesterday was the… first time I reacted out of… fear like that… since I was ten anyways.” Twilight shuddered. “If she got this angry over the attack, I can only wonder if… if she was telling me the whole story when I got kidnapped. Maybe it wasn’t really my powers that were keeping her from rescuing me, but… her own…” The pump clicked, and Ah pulled it outta the tank. The charge was only nine bits, and Ah put a silver in, so the meter spat out a copper fer me. “Well… Ah’m sure there’s probably a lot that ya don’t know about yer mother. Truth be told, Ah ain’t never been as scared of anythin’ as much as Ah was scared of her last night. Had ya not done what ya did, who knows how far she would’ve taken it? At the very least, y’all have enough of a place in her heart ta bring her back ta her senses. As old as she is, maybe she just sees everypony like her kids, ya know? It wasn’t just a town full of ponies she’d never interacted with that got hit, but a town full of her kids. And if this is all really Luna’s fault, Ah can’t find it in me ta blame her fer reactin’ like she did. If Ah were her, Ah don’t know that even y’all coulda stopped me. Er, provided ya were mine anyways.” Twilight’s ears shot up and she froze in place. Ah pocketed the copper bit in my ridin’ suit and mounted the bike. “Somethin’ wrong?” Like some kinda rusty valve, Twilight’s head slowly jerked away from me. “Ha ha! N-nope! Everything is fine! Ha! B-by the way, you remember h-how I took a blood sample from everypony the other day?” Ah tilted my head. “Well, yeah, ya broke like five needles tryin’ ta finally get mine. What about it?” Ah put my helmet on and started the bike. “W-well, the thing is…” Ah felt my other pocket start ta buzz and Ah pulled out my phone ta see somepony callin’ me. “Hold on, it’s Fluttershy.” Why in the world is she callin’ me? “Hello?” “H-hi. W-what are you up to right now?” This is so weird. Nopony ever calls me. “Uh, Ah took Twilight out on the bike. We just finished fillin’ up in Tin since Ah decided ta show her how fast we could go. What’s up?” “O-oh, well, you should come back to the c-castle and pick me up too.” What? Ah turned my head ta look at the bike, and there ain’t no way Ah could get three ponies on this thin’. “Ah mean, Ah would, but Ah can’t fit three ponies on this thin’. Why? Do ya need ta go somewhere?” “W-well, I destroyed my suit yesterday, s-so I have to get a new one made b-before Sunday. I-I thought you could s-show me to your tailor and m-maybe we could… hang out…” Ah scratched my head and looked ta Twilight, but she just shrugged. “Uh. Well, sure, Ah guess. Would ya mind walkin’ there? Can ya walk there? Ah would drive, but Ah don’t have anythin’ that can carry more than two passengers…” Ah had ta take a moment ta remember that the pony Ah was speakin’ ta recently lost a leg and her… best friend? Sister? Ah have no real idea as ta what in the hell happened with her yesterday. Ah don’t think any of us really do, but there has been a clear difference in the way she acts. Ah know Ah should probably go spend some time with her since she’s my friend too, but don’t want ta leave Twilight out since she is definitely not in mind ta be home by herself right now. She’s even less likely than Ah am ta actually go seek somepony out when she’s feelin’ like this. This was never a problem back when Ah was alone. Is this what it feels like ta have a bunch of friends? “I-I can walk. I-I need the practice a-anyway. I-it’s a little weird, b-but I’m finding that my wing c-can take over for most of what my hoof u-used to do.” “Alright then. We’re about an hour and a half from Manehattan right now, so we should be back by noon or so.” “G-good! I-I’ll see you when you get here.” And then she hung up. So weird… “So…?” Twilight asked. Ah blinked at the phone and shrugged. “Ah guess we’re goin’ ta visit Star with Fluttershy.” “Ah! You’re finally back!” Rarity said as we made our way ta the livin’ room. Huh. She really is here. She seems bubbly today. We passed her car when Ah parked on the way in, but Ah wasn’t sure if that meant Goose took her home last, or she was actually at the castle. Apparently, it was the latter. “Uh… howdy? What are y’all doin’ here? Ain’t this supposed ta be everypony’s day off?” Ah asked. “Well, I actually called Fluttershy earlier to see how she was doing, and she told me what you were up to. I still haven’t met this famous tailor of yours yet, and since I can drive around four ponies, I figured I could come along.” Ah feel like Ah could hear some kinda game sound in the background, signalin’ that Ah just gained a party member or somethin’. Why do Ah feel like Ah’m gettin’ roped inta somethin’ that was preplanned? “I-I um… also had a l-little shopping I wanted to get t-taken care of so… t-this way you don’t have to c-carry my things.” After hearin’ the voice, Ah finally realized that the three legged Pegasus had crept up beside me. “Holy- geez! Y’all are gonna give me a damn heart attack.” How did she do that? Ah’ve always been able ta tell before. Somethin’… really did change. “Well, Ah don’t know how ya expected ta get somethin’ home on the bike. My Roadrunner ain’t automatic, Ah need all my hooves ta drive. Unless ya never planned ta get somethin’ home on the bike.” Ah narrowed my eyes at the slightly taller pegasus, but she just looked the other direction. “W-wow Twilight, is that a n-new suit?” Uh-huh. Divert and deflect. These bitches are up ta somethin’, and Ah don’t like it. “Well, I suppose it is. I knew motorcycles were dangerous, but Applejack was the one who decided I should be wearing body armor before we go. I know it’s only been a few months since we met, but I’ve already put my life in her hooves so many times now that I think I could trust her with just about anything.” Her cheeks were a bit rosy and she was scratchin’ her head like she was embarrassed ta say that. Ah don’t know exactly what emotion Ah was feelin’, but it was sweet and fer a minute there, Ah thought that purple mare was adorable. “I uh… never realized how much fun they are. Uh, the motorcycle, I mean. I don’t know how well it would go over with her, but I’m honestly considering getting a bike myself now. Of course, I can’t say that either of them would be happy about that, or if they would even let me do it. It’s not like what I’ve been doing is any safer though, so I can’t really see what the issue would be. I-it would be fun if we could… ride together, sometime.” Oh goddess, she’s just precious. Is this why Celestia pokes at her so often when she’s here? Ah… Ah completely understand now. “I must say, I am a fan of your choice. Maybe you should wear this to fight in, it looks so much better than your Centurion get up,” Rarity said as she circled Twilight. We just so happened ta find a white and purple ridin’ suit at the dealership that just matched up with Twilight’s colors ever so perfectly. Ah didn’t think she really needed somethin’ that heavy duty just fer one time out, but she wanted it, and it’s not like anypony around here is short in the cash department. I’m sure it helps when yer mother is the queen. “I can’t do that! I…” Twilight took a deep breath and sighed. “Okay look, nothing about what I am going to tell you ever reaches mother’s ears, got it?” Twilight got nods from everypony and continued, “The reason I chose that particular outfit is because… it’s from a bedtime story she used to tell me. When the stories weren’t about my father, they were about the very first Equestrian army, Fulmen Legionis. Now, I can’t confirm that the stories are true since hardly any of mother’s exploits before Equestria was formed are recorded, but there are traces of this story out in the real world, whether or not ponies believe it to have been real. Before the continent we know as Equestria was united, there were many warring nations. The tribes of even same race ponies were divided amongst themselves, and they were constantly fighting. Losing lands, losing lives, losing love. When Celestia arrived with her then baby sister, uh… Mother is about eleven years older than Luna in the event you didn’t know, but she managed to rally an army together and became one of the warring lords herself. Mother was of course in a league of her own thanks to the sheer difference in power between Alicorn and Equestrian magic, but she alone could not protect her new following and the lands she’d gained, so she came up with an idea. A word from her home land, a name for an army that was above everything and anything else, Fulmen Legionis, or the Thunderbolt Legion. For ten years during this period of warring lands did Celestia train these soldiers. At first, she had five thousand ponies who gathered to join her legion. They all offered their swords of their own accord, but none of them could have ever been prepared for the hell she would put them through. By the time she thought her army was ready to set Equestria on a path of peace, only fifty-six soldiers remained, and only they carried the title of Praetor, Celestia’s personal soldiers. For the next fifty years, Equestria’s banner rose above more and more castles along the continent until finally, there were no lands willing to challenge the might of the Fulmen Legionis. For every one of her personal soldiers, it would take hundreds of enemy soldiers to take them down. Over that entire half century of the war for Equestria, only four of the Fulmen Legionis were ever killed in battle. Once the fighting was done and the continent under one banner, each of the members of the Legionis were sent off to reign over a part of the country. Each region was named after the Praetor that reigned over it, and that is how Equestria came to have fifty-two provinces. Or so she says, anyways. Each one has their own unique story, and when I was much younger, I knew them all. Sir Canter of Lot, the land around the eastern mountain, was always my favorite because he was one of Celestia’s first soldiers. He was a unicorn of noble birth, but he was excised from his home because he tried to free one of his slaves. She was an Earth Pony, as many of them were back then, and they loved each other. She was murdered by the royalty of Lot as a punishment for Canter’s betrayal, and from there on Canter swore his revenge. He traveled across Equestria working as a mercenary, training himself for the day the he could come back and free the slaves in Lot, but never realizing his potential until he met my mother. She claims she was sixteen when she first met Canter, and after she asked for his services, he remained loyal until the day he died. Her steadfast knight, one of her first subjects, and the very first Senator of Canter’s Lot, which was later abbreviated after he died. Canter would go on to have an extraordinary lifespan of one hundred years and fight in every battle for the country at Celestia’s side. When I was so in awe of mother back in my early years, Canter was who I aspired to be. The Princess’ most loyal knight, her first Centurion, and one of her earliest friends. One of these days… I still think I want to end up in that position, so… that’s why I wear the armor. As long as I can stand up and pretend to be Canter, then one day… maybe I’ll live up to his memory.” “So… you’re tellin’ me that Palomino, Andulas, and Manehattan were all somepony’s names?” Ah asked. Ah can’t really imagine Celestia would lie ta her own daughter in a bedtime story, but Ah can certainly believe that she didn’t tell her all the gory details. Twilight nodded. “As far as I know. Like I said, records of this are basically nonexistent, but from the things she’s told me, Palomino was supposedly an Apple. As in, your heritage. Based on her account, Sweet Apple Acres has been around longer than she has, and Palomino was the oldest son living on the orchard when she escaped Equuis and arrived nearby. She has always said she needs to go back to Palomino one day and see if she can’t find where the portal opened, but has never had the drive or the time to do it. As for Manehattan, our province has a bit of a strange history to its first senator. He was actually from across the ocean, an ancient immigrant from what would eventually become today’s Cheval. His name was Mannequin, but from what mother said, he spoke with an accent so thick that it was hard to understand him in ancient Equestrian back then. They never really knew how to say his name, and everypony called him something different. Man-equin, Mane-ekin, Mane-ettan, and so on, and eventually they settled on Manettan, which was later even further butchered into the Manehattan we know today.” Somethin’ about that don’t seem right ta me, but Ah really can’t argue with it. Ah may have ta go ta the source one of these days ta get the truth. “This is… all so very interesting Twilight, but I wasn’t quite expecting such an… involved story. Is everypony ready to go? I would rather not take up your tailor’s time if he has a store full of ponies right now.” Ah rolled my eyes. There ain’t no way in hell Star has a store full of ponies right now. Star ain’t never had a store full of ponies. As a matter of fact, Ah bet we’ll be the most ponies in his store at any one point and time all week. He doesn’t move a lot of inventory, he just sells expensive inventory consistently. Ah blew some air outta my lips and shook my head. “Yeah, the chances of that are extremely low. Come on y’all, Rarity is gettin’ antsy, so let’s head on out.” “Really? This is the place?” Rarity asked as we pulled in. Ah’ve never done anythin’ but walked ta this place, so drivin’ was a bit strange fer me. As per usual, this part of the eastern district was cleaned up in the last ten years, and most of the factories that used ta line this area were demolished and replaced with dual purpose storefront apartments. Star’s buildin’ on the other hoof was always here, and it was not replaced in the big reconstruction effort after the trade center fell. So… it looks like shit. Just like always. The sign still uses old neon tubes, it has no real hours, just open whenever Star feels like it, and the inside is deceptively nice in comparison ta the decrepit old exterior. As we approached, the sign said ‘closed’ but Ah knew better and walked in through the unlocked door. His bell went off, and sure enough, he came runnin’ down the back stairs. “Hey, can’t ya see that the sign says-” “Ah can read.” He stopped fer a minute and then poked his head around the corner. “Oh, it’s you. And… ya brought friends.” Star finished comin’ down the stairs and scratched at his thin beard. “I really shouldn’t be putting this order off for much longer, but I guess I can make time. What’s up?” As always, Star was wearin’ his white, yellow, green, and blue tie, but today he had his work shirt on, complete with pin filled pin cushion and his glasses. Oh geez, he must actually be workin’ fer a change. “Well uh… Ah mean if you’re busy, we can come back later…” Star shook his head and sighed while puttin’ a hoof around me. “Come on Applejack, you’re like a little sister to me. I’m not about to turn ya away. Why don’t you guys come on up to my studio and then we can talk while I work, deal?” Ah nodded, and from there we went up ta the third floor where star was workin’ on somepony’s weddin’ dress. It was a bit different than what Ah thought a normal dress would look like, but Ah suppose it wasn’t quite done yet either. It was real sleek, a kinda metallic look ta it. The tail end was clearly not even put together, but the top was mostly done with this lacy, intricate collar with shiny plastic lookin’ trim and little pearls at every crest. The sleeves had this kinda fan like thin that ran up the shoulder almost like a wing and it was sparkly all the way down ta the frills and lace near the hooves. “Good goddess, that is gorgeous! Are those pearls real? What kind of sequins are these? That’s not real white gold is it? Where did you get it? Are you planning on doing this to with the veil? What kind of skirt are you putting this to? Ah, I have so many questions!” From what Ah could tell, Ah knew a few of those words, but Ah figure Rarity about rivaled Pinkie fer talkin’ speed. Star seemed less overwhelmed. “Yeah, white gold, I ordered directly from Argent, I am, I was told to come close to a particular dress the customer asked for while doin’ what I think is best based on the figure of his bride to be, so I think I’m going to put this to an A-line style with some ribbons that match the neck. She has a huge ass, so I’m tryin’ my best to draw attention to her face since her figure wants ya ta look elsewhere. By the way, I’m Star Slate, who might you be?” Star answered her every question without missin’ a beat and then stuck his hoof out ta greet her. Damn, maybe he does have a talent fer this. “Ah, I apologize, where are my manners. I am Rarity Belle, and I’m actually a fan of yours, Mister Slate.” They shook and then Star made some kinda click-like mouth noise. “Oh, you run that little boutique over on the west side, right? Nice ta meet ya, you can call me Star. I’ve seen some of your work, you’re pretty good. Who are the rest of ya?” He turned ta the winged mares and ever so slightly let the confusion show on his face. Ah know Star well enough ta catch it, but Ah don’t think anypony else did. “I’m Twilight and this is Fluttershy. It’s um… nice to meet you.” Tentatively, Twilight stretched out a hoof fer a shake and Star took it before she could pull it away. “Alright, sure, Star Slate. Has anypony ever told ya that ya look like the Princess? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen enough weirdos ta know that wings and a horn ain’t all that uncommon, but your face is just so… similar…” Sweet goddess, of all the thin’s he coulda picked up, why in the world did he catch that one? Ah grabbed Star away from inspectin’ Twilight any further and set him in front of Fluttershy. “Yep! Ah know Ah’ve told her that. Hey, actually, we’re here because Fluttershy wants ta put in an order with ya. These are all my coworkers and she needs a new suit, why don’t ya tell him about it Shy?” “Hey- what the!? Chill out with the hooves, alright? Geez. Hi, I’m… oh.” Star stuck out his hoof ta shake hers… until he realized that she happened ta be missin’ one. Fluttershy’s shoulder moved like she was about ta shake his hoof and stopped once she realized there was nowhere ta put her weight. She looked down at the little stump and let out a breath and a head shake. “Y-yeah… D-don’t worry about it,” she whispered. She sat down and shifted her weight ta her back legs and shook Star’s hoof. “I-it’s um… n-nice to meet you.” This time, it was almost audible. Well, this was her idea after all. Maybe she didn’t put that much thought inta it. Star pulled his hoof back as soon as he let go of hers and scratched at the back of his head. “Oh, geez, ya don’t have to go that far, it’s fine. Ya need a new suit, right? And everypony in this room knows who is who but me, right?” Ah nodded. “From left ta right, Diamond, Target Lock, and… well, she’s still new, but we call her Centurio Regine,” Ah explained. Star nodded then did a double take. “Oh, I see- wait what? These little girls? Hey come here for a minute, will ya?” He grabbed me and pulled me behind the half done dress. “Are these your new friends that ya were talkin’ about the other day? Is… is one of them… the Beast?” Star asked, very quietly. “Well, yeah. Fluttershy is the Beast… was the Beast. Look, a lot has happened since Ah talked ta ya on Caballo day. That’s kinda why she needs a suit. She had four legs yesterday mornin’.” Star pushed me back and clapped his two front hooves. “Oh-kay! So, I’ve been a little outta the loop for a while now, and I would very much like to be filled in. I would love to make ya a suit, but first I need to know what you’re gonna be doing in it, so I know just how to make it. Also, if I could get you to put this on, that would be great.” Star motioned ta the weddin’ dress and Ah scoffed. “Huh? Why me?” Star rolled his eyes. “Didn’t ya hear me? The bride to be has a huge ass. I can’t quite go feel up this guy’s bride since he wants this to be a surprise, and you just so happen to drop by. You still owe me from the other day, remember?” Ah scowled. “What kinda older brother stares at his little sister’s butt?” Star frowned in return. “The kind that has to let out the ass in his little sister’s costume every time she brings it in for repairs.” With that Ah decided the floor was the most interestin’ thin’ in the room. Ah swear Ah don’t eat a whole lotta sugar. It’s not my fault, damn it. “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought. Put the dress on and whoever wants can tell me what in the world is going on. Monster attacks every Sunday for almost a month now.” Star shook his head as he took the dress off the mannequin. “I keep hopin’ one of ‘em will destroy my shop so I can get a new one on the government’s dime, but they’ve all missed me. The place next door was just finished bein’ rebuilt a few days ago. That’s just not fair.” Star passed me the half dress and Ah did my best ta get it on. It was tight, but not so tight that it was uncomfortable. He snapped it up my back and then grabbed a whole bunch of fabric pieces and pins and laid ‘em around me. “Uh, you guys can take a seat. It won’t take forever, but ya probably want to get comfortable.” Rarity nodded, and then they went ta sit down. “Of course. I am certainly not opposed to seeing you work. Applejack’s Marevelous suits are the real trade secret I’d want to know, but the quality of your regular work is also something I’ve read quite a bit about.” Star had already started puttin’ pins in places before he realized Rarity was talkin’ ta him. “Yeah, ya learn a lot over the years. I’ve been doin’ this for about sixteen now, so I’d like to think I’m pretty good at it. I’ve at least got the money to show for it anyways. So uh… how did you guys meet? I met this one a long time ago, and I know she’s not really the ‘friendly’ type.” This is almost as bad as bein’ at home. He’s just like the rest of my family. “Oh, well that is quite a story. As it turns out, our little sisters are best friends,” Rarity explained, almost like she was leadin’ him on. “Yeah? I guess Applebloom ain’t that shy.” Rarity nodded. “No, I don’t think so. I think she has some issues with dressing up though. Those three deal with these awful bullies at school that swing toward home base as I’m told, and so they tend to avoid trying to make themselves look pretty. Let’s see… I think this all started to move back at the end of August… Rarity Belle “Sweetie’s birthday, August twenty-fourth, was the day that we first met out of costume. She was an absolute mess. Just completely unstable, emotionally broken, the works.” “Excuse me, Ah was not-” Applejack tried to protest in that beautiful corset, but I waved her away. “I am telling the story, it’s not your turn. Anyways, after some coaxing, I managed to get her to come visit our… workplace a few days later. I’m sure you’ve likely heard many, but we all have our… more and less tragic backstories to tell, and everypony shared for story time. I got into this business because I witnessed a home invasion and a rape when I was young, but over time, enough went wrong in my life to get me desperate enough to try to play the game. So, here I am, still putting my neck out there… more for my original ideals than what started me on this path. After that, we were given a task to investigate a foundry that no longer exists. Days after we infiltrate, the whole building, just gone. No idea if the walls were torn down and the equipment moved or whatever, but the basement was sealed, and all that remained was a foundation. Anyways, we infiltrate this shady foundry out on the outskirts of town. We found these sensitive materials, and guarding it of course was the Bloody Crow herself.” “Wow, you guys fought the Crow?” Star said. Well… “Actually, it was more like Applejack fought the Crow. I was targeted and stabbed almost immediately after the fighting started. My unique powers make me very valuable to the team, so if somepony figures out who to hit first, it’s almost always me. From what I’m told, everypony fought with her until she cut Fluttershy and we had to deal with the Beast. In a strange turn of events, Applejack and the Crow team up to get Fluttershy back to normal and then they do just that. We would later learn that Fluttershy and the Crow were childhood friends, but we don’t really know that until she joins us.” “So… you fought the Crow… and then recruited her?” I nodded. “Yes. She happens to be the um… guardian of Sweetie’s other friend. Anways, I’m out of commission after that fight for a while, so Applejack and Blur are left with the next job, which is investigating the harbor to deal with a gang. So, last day of August, they’re headed to deal with these ruffians who’ve taken control of the port. A fight breaks out and then they find out that these ponies are in possession of those mirrors, like the one from the incident twelve years ago.” Star reeled back. He had pinned most of the skirt on now and was beginning to align laces around the waist. Goodness, this is going to be a fabulous ensemble. “Mirrors? As in, The Mirror?” He looked shocked, so I assume he was close to that one. “The very same. Or at least we think so. Persona’s quest for the ‘original’ likely means that these others are sham reproductions that don’t match up to what his original was, otherwise this whole kaiju business may never have happened in the first place. Anyways, one of the gang leader’s posse decides to use one of these sham mirrors against his orders and becomes a monster not unlike our dear Beast. Blur goes down, and it’s up to Applejack to deal with the monster. It kills a whole bunch of the gang, destroys Applejack’s tail… by the way, did that ever get fixed?” Now that I thought about it, I don’t really know what happened there. Supposedly she met up with Celestia after the first fight at the harbor, but I don’t think anypony ever clarified. “Oh, yeah, not really. Since the wound was cauterized the moment it was made, there was really nothin’ she could do about it, so Ah will live my life with half a tail. What she did do was magically grow out the hair so it appears natural. She did that the same day she fixed my technique Ah think. That day was the first time Ah saw the sharin’ spell.” Star went digging around that big mass of blonde har until his hoof came out the other side. “Oh, geez, it really isn’t there. That’s crazy.” Applejack turned and gave him a death glare. “Hey now, y’all were complainin’ about ponies and hooves earlier, what the hell is this?” Star shrugged. “Eh. Models should just stand there while I work. That’s important to know next time I let out your suit. I can make a tighter wrap for your tail since you don’t have anythin’ there to worry about.” And then he continued on his skirt. “I see… well, Applejack slays the dragon, rescues Blur and captures a boyfriend all at the same time.” Star snorted. “Oh, really now? Do ya fuck all your captives, or was this one special?” Applejack’s cheeks turned bright red and her eyes found the ground. “Don’t you talk ta me, ya thirty year old virgin!” Star laughed. “Ya can’t use that against me. I’ve been teased about that my whole life, I’m already used to it. Besides, I don’t think I want to be somepony’s dad. I don’t know that I could be Citrus. Those are some big shoes to fill after all… So uh… what happened next? If ya ask me, your life is kinda like a soap opera at this point.” Applejack sighed. “Tell me about it. Go on Rarity, that’s about as bad as it gets.” Applejack waived a hoof at me. I felt a sly smile creep up my face. “Well, I would think that when the others found you… indisposed last Tuesday would be a lower point, but whatever. Goose, the former gang boss, is captured, questioned, and then put to work as a new unit of our team thanks to his unique situation. His powers, the ones granted by the replica mirror that worked as the original did, allow him to teleport anywhere he’s been or he can see across vast distances. To keep him contained, we used the same technique that allows us to communicate with each other as a sort of magical way to stop his powers. To our surprise, he was more than willing to help and even proved to be a very powerful asset. He supplied the information that another ship was arriving later in the week that he believed had more of those sham mirrors that turn ponies into monsters or extra power ponies, and he had planned on stopping that himself. Together, we waited at the harbor, and Applejack had another fight with the Crow. Thanks to whatever she and… our boss did the day before, she had improved significantly, and was far superior to the Crow. After beating her, we found out that the ship was a trap for Goose and his gang, and then we fought our second Mirror monster, the Kraken. Thanks to a little additional aid after Applejack convinced the Crow to help us, and after one little mishap, we defeated him. Next, I infiltrated the hideout of the pony we believe to be our enemy. I watched live what everypony else saw in Persona’s warning video that he put out on September tenth. We knew what we were dealing with here was real. We train for the coming Sunday, Applejack loses her mind, gets depressed, breaks, and manages to recover all in the span of a week, and we’re ready to go by the time Persona shows up and Sachiel appears. It was around this time that we figured that whoever has his original mirror was probably one of his employees, but after the second attack, we weren’t sure that he really had a plan of attack at all. It seems like he just wants to destroy. So, with Sachiel out of the way, our boss decides that Goose is officially trustworthy, so he goes on a grand quest to win Applejack’s heart. Now this was some kind of story. Applejack has a tragic history, we all know that. What we didn’t know was how much of her memory had been repressed since she was a child since she just seems to be a magnet for suffering. She and Goose grew up together! They were childhood friends. However, she forgot because Goose’s mother was gunned down just a meter away from them while they were playing one day. I’m certain that being covered in blood at the ripe old age of seven is a recipe for a traumatized filly. The story is sad, but the relationship that she’s gained from it almost drives me to envy. I would literally kill for a stallion that devoted to me, but being the mess she is, Applejack had a hard time sorting her feelings out with this. They go on a date and they start getting closer, but of course, she has no idea what she’s doing so things go wrong in a hurry. The next Sunday rolls around, and we fight Israfel. Things are going well until Applejack literally shatters her foreleg and is taken out of the equation. All the work she did falls apart in an instant, and out of nowhere, the Crow comes to help us out. Nopony really had any idea she would be here, but hey, whatever, and we defeat Israfel and add the Crow and her little sister to our group. Applejack being all broken, Goose decided to start taking care of her, and it was just the sweetest thing! Oh, jealousy looks good on nopony, but it’s so hard not to be around that. They get even closer, we find out that the Crow’s little sister can repair broken things, and she fixes Applejack’s foreleg. Applejack then decides, in her clumsy, socially inept way, that she wants to start making advances on Goose, and does a poor job since she has no idea what she’s doing. She came to me for advice and we found out just how broken the poor mare really was.” “Ya know Ah’m still standin’ here, right?” I dismissed her. “Of course I do. Your cheeks make such a lovely shade of red that I can’t find it in me to let it go. Anyways, being the broken mess she was, our boss took her away personally to solve some of these mental issues keeping her from her peak performance. To say we were lost with our leader suddenly gone would be an understatement. Nopony knew how to take over for her, and we never could get the job done as well as we could with her. It looked like things weren’t going to go well, but the third Sunday morning arrived, she returned with our boss just in time for the fight with Ramiel. That… that was an experience I don’t think any of us will ever forget. We should all be dead. Nopony should have survived that, but here we all are. Applejack did her best, but we were completely out gunned, and we used all of our resources trying to defend the city. There was nothing we could do, we were on our last legs, and suddenly, Twilight steps up to the plate. As it happens, she and… her aunt, were doing some secret training on their own in preparation for the day, and it seems as if it worked. Or so we thought. As she describes it, she believes that the spell she used that day was more or less an act of the Goddess. She isn’t capable of producing that much power on her own in the first place, and when all was said and done, her horn shattered. Once that happens to a unicorn, that basically means they can never use magic again, but thanks to another of our friends, she had most of it put back together. She couldn’t restore everything for some reason, so now Twilight is handicapped until her horn repairs itself. That’s provided she lives long enough for that to happen of course. We were proud of her for finally carrying her weight either way. Deus ex Machina or not, we owe her our lives. After that day, something changed between our little couple, and from then to now, I believe they’ve become intimate. She practically lives with him now, so it’s hard to assume otherwise. In this week, our other members went on a bit of a soul-searching trip and decided to reconcile with their families. Part of our not-so-happy group is that about three of seven were suicidal at one point in their lives, and at least two of them left home on bad terms. They all went to go see family, while I worked that week. I only got this story second hoof the other day since everypony leaves me out, just like always. It’s not as if I could’ve gone in the first place since I had orders due that I hadn’t started on, but it would’ve been nice to have been invited. So, they come home, the group is working together even better than before since they’re all closer or whatever, and last Sunday rolls around. Persona springs a new caveat on us and we can’t lose buildings in the fight. Had we known what we were dealing with, we would have been able to deal with that. We didn’t in the end, and because of that, I was knocked out of this fight in the beginning thanks to some severe burns from an unexpected explosion. From there, there is no record of what happened other than those that were there to see it. They fought this… thing that was like some kind of unsightly beast and couldn’t kill it since it was faster and just as strong as they were, with insane regenerative powers. Its sheer size was the biggest issue, but when it came down to it, the Beast came out and fought for us. She lost a foreleg and nearly died in the process, but Applejack was able to revive her with some quick thinking and a well-placed adrenaline syringe. So that brings us here, coming to you because Fluttershy needs a new suit after fighting off Matarael, and to do some shopping. Today is her first day without that leg, so we wanted to help out just in case she needed it. Hmm… I think that’s about it. Did I miss anything? Applejack “No, Ah don’t think ya did.” Ah rolled my eyes. “See? Now it’s your turn,” Rarity offered. Ah narrowed my eyes at her. “What does that even mean?” She shrugged. “Not important. What is important is that you look fantastic in that dress. I’m honestly surprised that you’ve managed to make something that draws attention to her face even with those massive hips working against you.” Ah scowled at her, but when Ah checked the vanity mirror Ah was standin’ in front of, she was right. The dress itself was very detailed and ornate in the front around the neck and the collar, and the way that the lines made by the design were arranged had ya look up my figure instead of down. It was weird ta finally wear somethin’ that my hips didn’t appear ta protrude past my shoulders. Any time Ah wear dad’s old jacket Ah’ll occasionally get comments on how ponies can see my cutiemarks even if Ah’m walkin’ straight toward ‘em. That’s typically considered a good thin’ since that’s what’s sexualized in the culture, but Ah don’t like the attention it gets me. Weird looks while Ah’m workin’ is one thin’, knowin’ that ponies fantasize about my body while Ah’m right in front of ‘em is another. The skirt, since that’s what the lower part of the dress is called apparently, kinda wrapped tightly around my waist all the way down ta my hips where it opened up and became wider toward my hooves. It had ribbon like laces that criss-crossed from my waist down ta the bottom of the skirt and followed the edge and trailed off the main fabric. Unlike the sorta icy-sparkly texture that the sleeves had, the skirt’s base fabric more resembled the uh… upper part in that it was that silky metallic lookin’ stuff like the red dress Rarity made me. It was soft and heavy with a kinda silky feel ta the touch. “I’ll say. Dude came to me weeks ago about this and I’ve made design after design tryin’ to come up with somethin’ that can make her feel good, look pretty, and not draw all the eyes to her ass. Normally, that’s what they ask for, but this chick just so happens to be on the shier side and she’s not ‘comfortable’ with the stares. I finally found somethin’ that works, but then I ran into another problem which I’ve still yet to solve. With her figure bein’ so bottom heavy, takin’ the dress on and off is gonna be an issue.” Rarity nodded. “Oh goodness, I never even considered that! A tiny waist, large hips, and an insecurity complex about it all… that just spells disaster for the designer.” Now Star nodded. “Ah, see, she gets it. It couldn’t be one solid piece thanks to all the work I needed to do to the chest and shoulders, so that meant I wasn’t gettin’ away with a simple zipper. Even if I made said zipper, that meant it would have to basically run the whole length of the dress, and that just don’t look pretty. So, I decided that my solution was to try and make some more precise measurements and order some really small snaps that I hid just under the design. You can’t tell by lookin’ at her, but if ya look at the interior of the end of the corset, ya can see the connectin’ end of pearl white snaps. Now that I’ve got a good sense of how this is gonna fit on the bride, I can add the bottom row that will sew into the skirt. Since the skirt itself will attach here, it’ll just have a zipper that runs down the length of her belly to where it opens up in the front.” Star pointed and showed everypony that wasn’t wearin’ the dress where everythin’ was gonna go as he explained it. It sounded unnecessarily complicated, but if this mare gettin’ married is anythin’ like me, Ah’m sure she’ll appreciate all the work he did ta get here. Rarity nodded. “Truly a stroke of genius. Had I not been watching her put it on, I would’ve never guessed where the seams actually were. And to use snaps of all things. Your lace work is impeccable.” Ah felt a smile creep up my face. “Geez Rarity, ya might do a better job suckin’ him off if ya got over here and got on yer knees.” She scowled at me, Twilight and Fluttershy did their best ta contain giggles and Star got real quiet. “Ugh, you just don’t understand,” she scoffed. Star rolled his eyes. “No, she knows, she just wanted to make a dirty joke because that’s where her mind is. Thanks, but you guys were all probably still in diapers when I was fourteen, and even though it might feel good, it wouldn’t feel good later. Now then, miss huge ass, would ya mind walkin’ around in that for me? As long as ya don’t trip, then we’re good and I can finalize this.” Well, Ah made that awkward. Rather than push it further, Ah decided it was best ta just keep my mouth shut and do what Ah was told. Ah walked around, forward, backward, left and right, and the skirt never got in the way of me walkin’, so Star was satisfied with that. “Perfect. Now I just have to put it together for real. You can take that off, just put the corset back on the mannequin and drape the skirt over it, I’ll get to it later.” He grabbed his chair from behind his desk, a… fine mahogany clip board? Some paper and a pencil and moved over ta Fluttershy. “So, this costume of yours, what are ya thinkin’? You’re the gunner in the group right?” Fluttershy nodded. “I-I um…” She was strugglin’ ta meet Star in the eye, so she looked at her hoof while she played with her mane instead. “W-well… s-something stretchy would be nice. I-I… m-my grasp over my powers has… i-it’s reliable now, so I-I think… I might use them m-more often.” Star nodded and wrote somethin’ down. “Alright, I can work with that. My personal fabric is pretty good at that, but it’s a bit more expensive than somethin’ like elastic, and it can’t stretch near as well. How much of a size increase are we dealin’ with here? Can I take your measurements in your other form?” She let go of her mane fer a second ta think then found it again and twirled it a few more times before figurin’ out what she wanted ta say. “U-um… well… t-that would probably… b-be for the best. I-I’m bigger than this room, b-but not taller than the second story w-when I’m just sitting. I-I’m not really sure how b-big I am in that form since y-yesterday was the first day I was e-ever in full control of myself like that.” Star nodded and started ta draw somethin’ on his page. “I… can take us to the training room if you want. My capacity is mostly back to normal, I just can’t do anything that might over exert my output too far. Teleporting such a short distance twice shouldn’t be too much,” Twilight offered. Star frowned out of one side of his mouth and scratched at his beard. “I mean, if ya can do it, it’d be helpful. I just don’t wanna be the the reason somepony dies over the weekend if you’re gonna be fightin’ again.” Twilight shook her head. “Oh, no, my… boss has forbidden me to fight until I’m well enough to make at least one hundred and ten percent of my usual output. I’m probably back to about seventy percent if I can recall what it feels like. I actually had a surge in my magic output a few days before the Ramiel fight to begin with, so who knows where my output is going to end up later.” Star shrugged. “Hey, whatever you’re comfortable with. After the lightshow from the other day, I can only imagine what you can do.” “Alright, now that I’ve got a good idea what I’m doing, I think I can see how to make this. I'll call ya back once I’ve got a design drawn up, and we can talk about some extra stuff I have in mind. You got a price range or somethin’ like that? I know Applejack has been throwin’ gold around like it’s nopony’s business, so I don’t know what your finances are like.” We’d come back from the castle, and it seems as if Fluttershy has full control of her transformation now. She can go all the way ta fully transformed and back on command, provided there’s blood involved, and half way and back if there isn’t. She’s actually more stable walkin’ in her beast form than she is normally since she’s balanced mostly on two legs ta begin with. Fluttershy nodded, finally able ta look star in the eyes now. “T-that sounds good to me. T-thank you.” Star nodded, and now that our business was done, Ah figured it was about time ta leave. “Well, Ah’m glad we got this taken care of. Thanks a lot Star.” Ah stuck my hoof out fer a shake, but he grabbed it and brought me in fer a hug instead. “Ey, don’t be like that. Little sister, remember? So uh… since I have a group of mares to ask here… what’d you guys think of that dress? Think the bride will like it?” Rarity nodded without hesitation. “I would love to wear something like that on my wedding day, and I didn’t even make it. I think it’s fabulous.” Twilight frowned. “Well, I can’t say I know much on the subject, and there is a very high chance that I will never marry, but… well, if I wanted to feel pretty, I think that would be an easy choice to go to. My uh… hips aren’t nearly that gratuitous though, so I wouldn’t need something so… extravagant.” Please, find more word ta avoid sayin’ Ah have a fat ass. Fluttershy started playin’ with her mane again. “I-I… I-if I wanted to be in the s-spotlight for my special day, then m-maybe. I-I don’t know that I would be b-bold enough to wear something like this though. I-I’m not exactly full figured like this mare s-seems to be.” Ah don’t know why, but that felt like a very Fluttershy answer. Well, you’re the last one left, what do ya think Applejack? Somepony with an ass as big as yers finally gettin’ a chance ta wear somethin’ that doesn’t insight ‘apple bottom’ puns? Ah think ya would enjoy yourself. “If it were me, it’d probably be exactly what Ah wanted. Y’all seem ta know damn well how much Ah hate when ponies make comments on my butt, so this would be ideal. Ah don’t think it looked too bad on me either. It was real comfortable too, save fer them damn pins ya stabbed me with.” Star rolled his eyes. “Those ain’t gonna be in the final product, thankyou very much. Alright, well, cool. As long as the mares approve, then I’m sure the bride will be happy when she sees it. Of course, that guy still has to grow a pair and ask. Came to me twice in the last couple days freakin’ out about how he’s gonna propose. Of course, it’s not like any of his plans for there after went easy for him, but she’s not gonna say no. All he has to do is ask. Anyways, you guys have a good rest of your day. I need to get this finished so I can start on your suit.” Rarity took a bow and shook Star’s hoof. “Of course, it was a pleasure to watch you work. I’ll have to stop by once all the madness ends so I can talk to you about a few things I thought of while you were working. I think we may be able to both benefit in furthering our careers if you like what I have to say.” Star raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. “Aight. Uh, yeah, just come by whenever ya can. I’m usually here whether or not the store’s open, as today might lend itself to.” “Excellent. Well, shall we?” The rest of the girls started ta head out and Ah turned ta thank Star one last time. “Ah really appreciate ya doin’ this fer her. Ah know how ya feel about the Beast, and never in my wildest dreams did Ah imagine-” Star shook his head and stopped me. “Don’t worry about it. That was years ago now, and after hearin’ the story, I bet she just did it to live. There ain’t no way that mare woulda done that if she were sane at the time. She looks like she’s already paid the price for it anyways. I will always be here for you if ya need anythin’, alright? Don’t hesitate to give me a call. And, ya know, actually give me a call next time. It was great to have ya model for me, but a little notice woulda been nice.”