//------------------------------//
// Part 2 - Explosive 
// Story: Lone Wolf: A Halfling Side Story 
// by Dee Pad 
//------------------------------//

Guise lay staring up at the ceiling of his temporary home, hooves crossed behind his head and barely able to keep his eyes open in his boredom.  The cave he'd picked out was nothing special.  It was rather shallow, barely worthy of being called a cave, but it was enough to protect him from the elements at least.  He'd done what he could to make it a little more comfortable, gathering up leaves and grass to create what could maybe pass as a bed if you used your imagination.

Still, holing up in a damp, cramped cave was something he wished he didn't have to do any more of.  This was basically how he'd spent the last two years of his life.  The only difference was that he wasn't sealed inside and only offered scraps and rotten fruit for sustenance.  He even had some decorations in the form of several animal carcasses picked clean of their meat.  Mice and bugs were pretty much the only sources of meat available in the Changeling Kingdom.  If you were lucky, a rabbit might get brave or desperate enough to wander into changeling territory.  But it was mostly rabbits that littered the floor around Guise's hovel, with a few mice and birds to break up the monotony.  Guise was pretty pleased to have ready access to meat; he usually only ate fruit if it was the only thing available.  So now that he was living in Equestria proper, he'd barely touched fruit since wild animals were so plentiful.  Sure, he was spending a lot of time in Canterlot, but he rarely ever spent the few bits he'd earned so far on food.  Why bother when there were more satisfying morsels running around?

Guise glanced to his right from his reclined position on his makeshift bed.  Nearby sat a small sack of bits, the golden coins spilling out onto the floor of the cave where it had been haphazardly dropped.  Those bits were what Guise had made so far from his degrading job washing dishes for those snooty cooks at The Soup Spoon.  Even so, he'd already had to spend some of it just to keep himself fed on snacks and coffee during his breaks.  All things considered, he had plenty of money to support his current lifestyle, but he didn't have to pay for housing and only very little for food.  The ponies had to live off of wages like this.  He had no idea how their society managed to remain stable when they relied on an inane concept like currency, nor did he understand why these little pieces of gold held such value to them.

Regardless, that was how it worked, and Guise had to reluctantly accept that fact.  Maybe it would be worth it in the end.  He'd gotten a brief sense of what it was like to live in a furnished home and sleep in a cozy bed a couple of years ago, so perhaps he saw some merit to all of this.  As self-serving as his motives were, maybe just being a normal member of pony society wasn't such a detestable notion after all.

Guise sat up, shaking his head in frustration.  "Don't be stupid.  You're not like him.  You'll never be like him."

Nothing irked Guise more than when his own mind ended up inadvertently comparing himself to Shade.  Shade was exactly the opposite of what a changeling was supposed to be.  He was the exact opposite of Guise.  Changelings weren't supposed to care about others; they were supposed to dupe others into caring about them and feeding off of their love.  Queen Chrysalis claimed she cared about her subjects, but even she fell victim to the changelings' true nature when her own captain took advantage of her.  Guise refused to fall into the same trap.  Caring about somepony only makes you vulnerable, to which any victim of a changeling could attest.  Guise wasn't going to be another victim.  Everyone who wasn't him was only there to serve his needs.  Even though he was currently trying to earn a mare's affection, he would not return it.  There was no one who Guise could say that he cared about.

No one alive anyway...

In the time since he had left the Changeling Kingdom, Guise had focused on himself and only himself.  He had no interest in doing anything for the benefit of anypony else.  Yet, on occasion, he found himself thinking about a certain other person: Glory.  He wouldn't even be where he was now if it weren't for her.  She was the one who had let him out of the dungeon in the first place, even though it was without the permission of her superior.  And that decision was what ultimately got her killed.  Sure, she had let him out with the sole purpose of having him kill Shade, but that choice was why Guise was able to do what he was doing.  In essence, he owed Glory his life.

Guise didn't regret many things in his life.  He regretted not killing Shade two years ago.  He regretted the fact that he had to now rely on Shade if things went awry, as it limited his newly acquired freedom.  But above all of that, for some reason, he regretted not saying thank you to Glory while he had the chance.  Guise wouldn't classify himself as a considerate person, but he wished he had at least done that much.

Guise was jostled from his thoughts by the sound of a small squeak.  A curious squirrel was sniffing around the entrance of the cave, perhaps in search of food.  Why it had wandered so far up the mountain was beyond him, but Guise wasn't about to argue with having his meals delivered to his door.

The squirrel was apparently too busy poking around the shrubbery at the entrance to notice its predator approaching, his jet black chitin blending in with the darkness of the cave.  With little effort, Guise snatched the critter up with his magic, watching as it struggled and squeaked in its panicked attempt to escape.  Guise didn't kill it right away, as its writhing was the closest thing to entertainment he'd had all morning.  He stared at the squirrel hanging upside-down in his magical grasp, contemplating something quietly.

Just because he couldn't thank Glory to her face didn't mean he couldn't still thank her in some manner.  There was something about her that set her apart from other changelings, and with her death, that skill went with her.  Guise wanted to do something about that.

Guise held the squirrel firmly, preventing it from struggling further and forcing it to stare into the blood red eyes of its captor.  Guise gazed intently into the critter's beady eyes, his own eyes beginning to glow green.  After a few moments and no reaction from the squirrel, Guise begrudgingly relented, his eyes returning to their usual red.

"Tch.  Still nothing..." he grumbled, venting his frustration by biting off the squirrel's head and crunching its brittle skull between his fangs.  "Wish I could practice this on something other than wild animals."

After having a quick snack, Guise meandered over to the cave's entrance and across the small, grassy ledge it was located upon.  He peered down at the city below him, then up at the sky.  It was about time to head out anyway.  He was supposed to meet Sweetmint Scoop for a date today, so he grabbed the coin sack in the cave, shoveling a few bits into it just in case he needed them for anything.

Guise groaned quietly as he took to the air and flittered down toward Canterlot.  It would have been so much easier to just find somepony that already had somepony they loved and take their place.  Guise had enough work to do with his new job and just trying to acclimate himself to their bizarre culture, but he had to also properly court this girl and get her to fall for him.  At least he'd learned that she had similar feelings about the people around Canterlot, so she might not be a terribly intolerable person to spend time with.  Still, it was a lot of effort to go through when he didn't know whether or not he'd be successful.  If he made one wrong move, all his time would be wasted, even if she didn't find out he was a changeling.  He actually had to be nice and warm and supportive.  That must have been why it was so easy for a softy like Shade.

As was his usual practice at this point, Guise landed around the outskirts of the city to put on his disguise before sauntering in casually.  Since Guise wasn't entirely familiar with the city yet, Sweetmint suggested they meet up at the café where they met up yesterday and go from there.

Once he'd made it to the restaurant district, Guise headed straight for the café.  However, he immediately noticed that Sweetmint was not waiting for him on the outdoor deck where he'd expected to see her.  Guise rolled his fabricated, golden eyes.  He really hoped that tardiness wasn't a habit of hers.  Guise barely knew how to read a clock and used the sun to determine the time, yet even he was more punctual than that mare.

Guise was about to begrudgingly find a table to sit at while he waited, but he happened to look across at Rocky's Road, noticing something peculiar.  Inside was most definitely Sweetmint serving ice cream to some customers.  Guise quirked a vexed eyebrow.  She'd told him she had the day off today.  The mint green mare happened to glance toward the window when she had a moment, locking eyes with Guise outside.  She frowned apologetically before getting back to her work.

Guise sighed internally.  He may as well figure out what the deal was this time, so with a roll of his eyes he stepped into the ice cream parlor, his arrival signaled by the tinkling of a bell above the door.  Guise instinctively shivered upon entering, the temperature inside noticeably colder, though that wasn't exactly surprising.  The inside of the building wasn't very fancy, nor was it terribly spacious, with a few tables set up here and there and a couple of booths along the left wall.  The cave that Guise was living in had more space than this place.  On the right side was the counter where Sweetmint was working, donning her hairnet and white apron.  The counter had a clear top, displaying the variety of ice cream flavors available below, and behind the counter along the wall was all of the equipment for making the frozen treats, which Sweetmint was currently making use of.

Barring Guise and Sweetmint, there were only four other ponies present currently.  Three appeared to be customers who had just been served and sat at one of the booths as they idly conversed while they ate their ice cream.  The last one was the awkward stallion that Guise knew was Sweetmint's coworker, named Frosted Chips apparently.  His blue mane with white tips looked even greasier in person.  Guise wasn't going to claim to be an incredibly hygienic individual, as his disguise mitigated most of those issues, but even he knew enough about the ponies' social stigmas to at least bathe regularly.  This stallion apparently didn't get the memo.  Guise noted his cutie mark, which appeared to be a half-baked, chocolate chip cookie that was broken in half.  He didn't appear to be doing anything aside from just staring at the table he was wiping down with a rag, seemingly lost in thought, or, given the vacant expression on his face, not thinking at all.

Guise ignored the others, focusing instead on Sweetmint as he approached the counter.  He didn't even have a chance to ask his question before she answered it.

"Sorry, Crimson," she started remorsefully.  "Tapioca didn't show up for work today, so I had to fill in."

Guise put on a compassionate expression to try and ease her guilt, ignoring the quiet sigh coming from the stallion wiping the tables.  "Judging from what you told me, I'm not exactly surprised.  If I were in your position, I'd clock her the next time I saw her."

Sweetmint grimaced, but there was a clear glint of interest in her eye.  "Yeah, well, I don't wanna get fired, so we'll put that idea on the backburner.  But Rocky said I can punch out early if she does show up, so here's hoping."

Guise sighed in exasperation.  He wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do in this situation.  Should he wait around for her?  Would that be seen as considerate, or patronizing?  He didn't exactly want to just sit around in an ice cream parlor all day.  "You want me to wait for you?" he asked.

Sweetmint smiled gratefully.  "That's sweet of you, but you don't have to do that.  We can postpone our date until tomorrow if you want."

Guise shrugged.  "Eh, it's not like I have anything else lined up today.  Maybe I'll get some dinner and check back on you later."

"Thanks, Crimson.  You're a sweetheart."  Her lips then curled into a grumpy scowl.  "I wish certain other people could be as considerate as you."

Guise didn't react to the comment, but he wanted to smirk.  At least he knew he was doing his job well.  If anything, with all of these people who were making her life harder, it could lead to her becoming more attached to him, latching onto the one person who actually appeared to care.  He offered a sympathetic smile to Sweetmint.  "Alright.  I'll stop by later, then."

"See ya."


*****     *****     *****


Guise wasn't a big fan of wrenches being thrown into his plans.  Granted, it wasn't like having to postpone a date was a huge setback or anything, but it just bothered him when things didn't go as planned.  He was supposed to be using this time to collect intelligence on his quarry and endear himself to her.  Any time he wasn't spending with Sweetmint was extra time it would take to earn her love.  He was already starting to get a little agitated by this "dating" business.

But that time could still be used for something.  Given that he had spent the majority of his time working since arriving in Canterlot, Guise wasn't entirely acclimated with his new environment just yet, and figured it'd be in his best interest to familiarize himself with its facilities.  It wasn't necessarily that he planned on using any of them, as it all seemed like pointless pony stuff, but Sweetmint's interests were pertinent to his goal.  It might help him ingratiate himself to her if he knew some places that she'd enjoy, so he kept some stuff in the back of his mind in case the opportunity arose.

At this point, Guise had been wandering aimlessly around Canterlot for a couple of hours.  He'd even taken a brief trip outside the city limits to catch himself some dinner, but now he figured it was about time to check back in at the ice cream shop to see if Tapioca had shown up to relieve Sweetmint.  He just wanted this day to get back on track.

As Guise started on his way back toward the restaurant district, his eye caught sight of something.  Normally, he couldn't care less what the other ponies around the city were doing with their time, but when he spotted a mare with a strawberry pink mane casually chatting up the vendor of a nearby fruit stall, he suddenly felt himself overcome with ire.  Guise scowled in her direction, but waited until she'd finished her transaction to approach—if one could call flirting to get free food a "transaction."

Guise watched as she was given an apple by the vendor she'd enamored with her good looks and no doubt seductive words.  Then, as though she were completely unaware of the implications of her actions, she began to saunter away from the direction Guise was headed, which, by all rights, should have been where she was headed, as well.  Given that this mare's actions were having an effect on his plans, Guise felt it was within his right to have words with her.

As the mare was passing by, taking a big bite of the shiny, red apple she'd just been gifted, Guise held out a hoof to stop her.  She gave him a vexed, practically disgusted look, but Guise spoke before she could.

"Hey, you're Tapioca, right?" he inferred gruffly.

"Yeeeah.  And what's it to you?"

Guise felt his teeth grit behind his lips involuntarily.  One sentence and he already wanted to smack this mare upside the head.  Her voice practically scraped his brain like claws on rocks, but he didn't exactly have time to question how anypony could possibly find her alluring.  "You know you're supposed to be working right now, don't you?"

He received a grimace from her.  Admittedly, it must have seemed weird for a random stranger to come up to you and lecture you on playing hooky, but Guise didn't let it bother him.

"And who are you supposed to be anyway?  Are you, like, a stalker, or something?"

"I'm Sweetmint's boyfriend, Crimson.  We were supposed to go on a date today, but she had to take your place since you didn't show up to work."

Tapioca's disgruntled grimace suddenly let up and she looked Guise's false body up and down.  There was a sudden look of interest in her eyes.  "Really?  I didn't know Minty had a boyfriend," she practically cooed as she continued to look him over with a coy smirk.  "I guess you are kinda cute.  Don't know why you'd bother with such a plain girl like her.  Sure you wouldn't like to... 'trade up?'"

Tapioca leaned closer to Guise, tossing her luxurious mane in an obvious attempt to entice him.  Guise, however, found himself backing off with a disgusted sneer.  "Look, can you just go to work like you were supposed to so Sweetmint and me can go on our date?  It's not exactly fair that she has to work on her day off while you're out here gallivanting around like it's no big deal."

She pulled away with a disappointed pout, scoffing at Guise.  "Whatever.  Guess I don't want Minty throwing another hissy fit."  Tapioca took another bite of her apple before turning around and starting toward the restaurant district.

Guise walked behind her, making sure not to take his eyes off of her in case she wanted to sneakily slink away when he wasn't looking.  Now that he was within closer proximity to her for the first time, he finally noticed her cutie mark: an open pudding cup with a plastic spoon in it.  It was hard not to notice considered she seemed to almost purposely sway her hindquarters back and forth as she walked, earning a few looks from passing stallions.

With that in mind, Guise contemplated something.  Tapicoa was pretty quick to make a move on him.  It made him wonder if perhaps it would be in his best interest to 'trade up,' as she so eloquently put it.  Evidently he didn't need to work to garner her affection, but at the same time, could what she displayed really be called 'affection'?  Based on what he'd already seen, she seemed to be the sort to use her good looks to get what she wanted.  She might make for a good changeling, but not a great love bug.  Assuming that she was genuinely interested in Guise, he didn't exactly feel the same way.  She was already getting under his skin, and he had a feeling that any love he got from her would taste like stale bread.  There wasn't much point in changing up his plans now anyway.

Once they'd made it back to Rocky's Road, Tapioca stepped inside nonchalantly with a flip of her hair, Guise following behind her.  Guise noticed that there were no longer any customers present, but Frosted Chips was still cleaning the same table two hours later.  However, the awkward stallion finally looked up once Tapioca arrived, his eyes locked onto her and following her every movement.

"Morning, Minty," Tapioca greeted in a singsong tone as she casually walked up to the counter.

"It's one o' clock," Sweetmint deadpanned with a scowl.

"It is?"

"Yes, and you're four hours late.  What's the deal?"

"I wanted a day off, that's all," she responded with no hint of jest.

"We've been over this, Tapioca.  You're supposed to let Rocky know when you're taking a day off.  You need to give a heads up at least a few days in advance," Sweetmint reprimanded her, her frustration visibly and audibly rising.

Tapioca tilted her head, the look on her face displaying genuine confusion.  "But how am I supposed to know when I'll want to take a day off until I wake up?  I dunno when I'm not gonna be in a working mood."

Sweetmint ran a hoof down her face in aggravation.  "Usually you need an actual reason to take time off, not just whenever you feel like it.  Besides, you've eaten through all of your sick days already.  You're lucky that Rocky's going easy on you."

Tapioca scoffed at the scolding she was receiving.  "Why are you complaining?  You're getting paid, aren't you?"

"I'm not gonna argue about extra cash, but I still need my days off.  I can't just afford to blow off work whenever it suits me, but I've got things I wanted to do today."

Tapioca glanced toward the door where Guise was silently waiting and listening in on the argument.  "Right, going out with your boyfriend."

Sweetmint's green cheeks suddenly turned red and she turned to Guise, as well.  "Wha?  Did you tell her you were my boyfriend?"

Guise suddenly felt a touch of worry in the back of his mind.  Was he not supposed to?  He was under the impression that dating somepony meant they were boyfriend and girlfriend.  Evidently, that was not necessarily true.  He decided to casually play it off with a dismissive shrug.  "I figured it was the simplest way to convey who I was.  Why?  Is it a big deal?  I thought we were hitting it off?" he said, the mock hurt in his tone belied by his playful smirk.

Thankfully, his joking was enough to elicit a small smile from Sweetmint, though it didn't last long when she turned her attention back to Tapioca.  "Just get to work.  I've made enough of each flavor to last the rest of the day provided nopony helps themselves to any 'free samples,'" she chastised, indicating that it was a regular occurrence.  She pulled off and hung up her apron, and tossed her hairnet in the trash, letting her long, thick mane fall free.  Sweetmint grabbed her satchel and came out from behind the counter, headed toward Guise and the door.  However, she turned back for another moment.  "And don't forget to lock the door when you close up this time, Chips."

Frosted Chips never took his eyes off of Tapioca, just staring silently.

"Chips!"

The brown stallion practically fell over when Sweetmint raised her voice, finally giving her his attention.

"Lock the door when you leave, okay?" Sweetmint told him slowly and sternly.

He simply responded with a lazy nod before turning his gaze back onto an oblivious Tapioca as she dressed for work.

Sweetmint shook her head, but said nothing else as she left, Guise following behind her.  As soon as the door closed behind them, she let out a long groan, throwing her head back in exasperation.  She offered an apologetic frown to Guise.  "Sorry you had to see that, I'm just..."  She sighed, running a hoof through her somewhat unkempt mane.  "I'm a little frustrated right now."

Guise waved it off as the two started down the street.  "Hey, like I said yesterday, ragging on coworkers is an acceptable way to waste time.  Besides, I can't say I blame you.  I spent barely ten minutes with Tapioca and wanted to deck her.  I don't know how you manage to put up with her all day."

"Yeah, well, even my willpower has its limits."  Sweetmint stared at Guise for a moment.  "Look, Crimson, my suggestion from earlier still stands; if you wanna postpone, we can.  I don't know if my mood right now is conducive to having an enjoyable date."

Guise internally rolled his eyes.  He really didn't want to waste time postponing dates when his goal here was earning this mare's affection.  Besides, it wasn't like her attitude mattered; he'd already deemed her tolerable enough to spend time with—especially now that he knew how much worse it could be had he targeted somepony else—and it wasn't like he could afford to ditch her anyway.  He may not have put much time into this relationship yet, but he'd rather not have to scope out somepony else given how ideal the current circumstances were.  He doubted he'd get this lucky a second time.

With that in mind, Guise smiled at her reassuringly.  "Nah.  A person's emotions let you see who they really are.  I'm curious to see who Sweetmint Scoop is when she's not trying to rein herself in to make a good impression on her date."

"Be careful what you wish for..."

Guise raised an eyebrow, glancing at the mumbling mare.  "What, you think I won't like what I see?"

She shook her head.  "I don't know.  Maybe I'm just being pessimistic because I'm tired and frustrated."  She gave Guise a hopeful look.  "You're really willing to put up with me when I'm in such a foul mood?"

Guise smirked at the question.  "I've dealt with worse, trust me."

Sweetmint managed a small smile.  "You're something else, you know that?"

He dusted a hoof on his chest with a playful and cocksure grin.  "Well, I don't like to brag."

The green mare giggled, Guise's lax attitude seemingly lifting her spirits somewhat.  "Eh, maybe this'll be good for me.  If I went home now, I'd probably just sit around stewing over how annoyed I am with Tapioca.  I probably should do something to take my mind off of it."

"Anything in mind?"

"Well, this is supposed to be a date.  I'd suggest getting something to eat, but it's just past lunch time already."

"Hey, anything you wanna do, I'm game," Guise told her with an indifferent shrug.  "I'm new to this city, so you'd probably have more ideas than me."

Sweetmint mulled it over for a minute.  Guise watched as she contemplated her options.  She didn't necessarily appear to be weighing her options.  Guise could kind of tell by the way she was briefly glancing at him and the slight tinge of pink in her normally-green cheeks that she had something specific in mind, but seemed hesitant to suggest it.

"Something on your mind?" Guise inquired in an effort to expedite the process.

"Uh, hmm...  I was thinking of suggesting we go to this bookstore downtown."

Guise instinctively gulped.  "A-A bookstore?"

"Yeah, see, I actually have this book reserved and it should be on shelves by now, I just haven't had a chance to pick it up."  Sweetmint gave Guise a guilty look.  "Uh, sorry.  I guess that sounds a little self-serving, huh?"

All things considered, Guise wasn't in much of a position to complain about somepony else being self-serving, so he shrugged off her concern.  "It's not like I have any better suggestions."

Sweetmint breathed a sigh of relief.  "Thanks.  I've actually been looking forward to getting this book to help me relax after a  long work day.  You read much, Crimson?"

He knew this was a hurdle he would have to overcome eventually, but that didn't make it any less worrying.  He didn't know how Shade had dealt with this issue, but he had a feeling it was one of the many things he hadn't bothered considering before haphazardly leaving home.  Guise had at least taken some preliminary steps to making himself somewhat literate, though certainly not enough to pass himself off as an avid reader.  He was just going to have to play this one by ear and hope she didn't get suspicious.

"Nah, books are for dorks."

"Hey!"  Sweetmint gave him a light jab in the shoulder as she pouted grumpily.

Guise simply laughed off her insulted reaction.  "Relax, I didn't say there was anything wrong with being a dork."

Sweetmint huffed indignantly.  "Could've used a little more tact, jerk."

"Come on, I was just messing around.  Don't take it personally," Guise told her with a teasing smirk.

"Ya know, this is our first proper date.  You sure you wanna jeopardize this by making quips like that?" Sweetmint retorted with a challenging smirk of her own.

"I wouldn't if I didn't think you were thick-skinned enough to take it."

She sighed in response.  "Yeah, well, even the thickest skin can still crack."

The smile had fallen from her face rather quickly.  Guise figured some good-natured ribbing would help build a bit of camaraderie between them, but he was starting to feel like he was pushing his luck.  She'd already made it clear that she was having a bad day, so while she certainly seemed like she enjoyed a little bit of back and forth, Guise decided it best to let up for now.  The last thing he wanted right now was to lose favor when he felt like he was making good headway.

"Sorry," Guise apologized, fabricating a sympathetic frown.  "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Sweetmint's smile returned, though a little weaker.  "I appreciate it.  And I'm not upset with you or anything.  I can tell you're just joking.  Honestly, considering everypony around here either has their head up their own ass, or is too dumb to properly function, you've been a real breath of fresh air, Crimson."

Guise shrugged with false modesty.  "Us 'normal' people gotta look out for each other, right?" he chuckled, fully aware of the irony.

"I can get behind that," she laughed along with him.

As they continued on their way—Sweetmint leading the way to the bookstore—Guise thought about the question she had asked previously, about whether or not he did any reading.  While it would be ideal if he had to talk about himself as little as possible, he was trying to forge a close relationship with this mare; she was going to inquire about his hobbies and interests at some point, and while he had devised some lies to share with her when she did, it might actually be wise to at least try and pick up a real hobby, both to help him blend in and stave off the tedium of pony life.  But that was something he'd tackle another day.

But on the other end of the spectrum, it would also behoove Guise to feign interest in Sweetmint's hobbies.  It was his understanding that gift giving was a common ritual between couples to earn affection.  Figuring out what sort of things Sweetmint liked would give him some ideas as to what gifts would be appropriate.  He wasn't too keen on spending his limited cash on frivolous things, but love was the reason he was doing all this, so such gifts could be considered a necessary expenditure.  She apparently had an interest in books, so that was probably a good place to start.

"So, what kind of books are you into?" he asked.

Sweetmint hesitated briefly.  Guise cast a sidelong glance at her, raising an eyebrow at her odd reaction.  She was blushing slightly and avoiding eye contact.

"Um, well..." she started, scratching her neck.  "They're not really 'books,' per se.  More like... graphic novels."

Guise's eyebrow only lifted further.

Sweetmint's blush deepened when she noticed the look he was giving her.  She let out a defeated groan.  "Okay, it's manga, alright?  I read manga."

Guise's eyebrow never moved from its elevated position.  Her belligerent response suggested that it was something she was ashamed of, but he didn't have enough information to determine why.  "'Manga'?" he echoed, puzzled by the odd word.

Sweetmint groaned again, lowering her head.  "Great, now I have to explain what manga is."  She took a deep breath as she reluctantly prepared to elaborate.  "They're like comic books, but they have a distinct art style.  They're really popular in Nippony."

Guise waited for more, but she was staring at him like she was waiting for his inevitable, snarky remark.  "That's it?  What's the big deal?  So, they're like books with fewer words and more pictures?  Sounds less dorky than normal books."

The mare rolled her eyes at his ignorance.  "It's actually the exact opposite.  Manga is typically considered the peak of dorkiness to the laypony.  Some people are so into it that they collect merchandise and cosplay and junk.  J-Just to be clear, I just read the manga.  I don't do any of that other stuff.  And it's only one manga.  I stumbled across an issue when I was a kid and got hooked, that's all.  I'm not some otaku or anything."

Guise was already a little bewildered by this information, mostly because he had absolutely no idea what she was going on about; there were several words she'd just said that sounded completely alien to him.  But he saw an opportunity here.  Her defensiveness over this indicated that she was embarrassed about it.  So, in his endeavor to be a "good boyfriend," this may prove to be an ideal time to show how supportive he could be.

He held up a hoof in a bid to calm her down, also passing along a supportive smile.  "Alright, I get it.  Don't get your tail twisted.  So, basically what you're saying is, you are a dork, just not a huge dork."

Sweetmint sighed, her embarrassed blush relenting, but not disappearing entirely.  "It's not something I talk about with other people.  I'm afraid they'd make fun of me."

"Who cares?"

She looked back at him again, a mildly incredulous look on her face.  He was still smiling at her, but it wasn't in a teasing manner.

"Why should you care what other people think?  Just do whatever the hell you want.  You wanna read some dorky comic book?  Go ahead.  If it's something you enjoy, then just enjoy it.  Remember what I said about just taking the things you want?  Same principle.  Don't let other people tell you what to do.  If they're gonna judge you for something that makes you happy, then screw them, right?"

Sweetmint stared in quiet shock for a minute, but eventually smirked at him, though she couldn't completely conceal her bashful gratitude.  "I swear, you must have rehearsed some of this crap."

Guise laughed.  She wasn't wrong.  "Look, I know a thing or two about being judged for my wants, trust me.  Let's just go pick up your comic book."

"It's not a comic book, it's manga."

"But you just said it was—"

"Like a comic book, but it's different."

Guise rolled his eyes.  "You really are a dork."  The comment earned him another playful jab in the shoulder.

The two eventually arrived at the bookstore.  It was tucked pretty out of the way from the main streets of Canterlot, located downtown.  Downtown Canterlot didn't look any different than the rest of the pompous city, but the bookstore looked humble enough, not looking as though it was carved from a block of marble chiseled from the side of a mountain next door to the gates of heaven.  It was flanked by what Guise assumed was an antique store on the left, and a small coffee shop on the right.  The latter may have seemed relatively humble, but the patrons visible through the windows seemed just as uptight as everypony else in Canterlot, even if their attire was notably more casual.

Sweetmint lead Guise inside the bookstore with an eager skip.  It was actually a lot more spacious than he was anticipating.  Bookshelves lined the walls and formed short aisles in the back, each labeled by a sign hanging overhead that indicated the genres one would find down each of them.  The center of the building was populated by several reading tables, along with ponies making use of them, making the place seem more like a library than a bookstore.  And immediately to the right of the entrance was a reception desk, a young, bespectacled mare behind it manning the register and ready to help patrons find what they were looking for.

Sweetmint gave Guise an energetic tap on the shoulder, grinning eagerly at him.  "Alright, I'm gonna see if my manga is in.  Why don't you have a look around?  Maybe reading's not your thing, but who knows?  You might find something you like."

Guise doubted that very much, but did his best to force back a begrudging grimace.  "Yeah, sure."

He watched as his date hurried over to the far right side of the store, approaching several racks of what he assumed must have been "manga."  He figured it probably wouldn't take long for her to find it, so he decided to actually have a look around.  Guise wasn't exactly comfortable in here; his illiteracy would certainly become evident if anypony here had the mind to try and chat him up, so he avoided eye contact with any of the customers who were reading or perusing the aisles.

However, Guise didn't make it very far into the bookstore before something actually caught his eye.  Set up in front of one of the aisles was a rack of newspapers.  Guise pulled one out and stared at the front page.  While he couldn't read everything printed on the paper, it wasn't the words that had grabbed his attention, but the black and white photo accompanying them, the sight causing Guise's lips to curl into a disgusted scowl.

In the photo were three people.  The one in the center he recognized as Princess Luna.  It was hard not to remember her considering he once stared her down, both of them with killing intent in their eyes.  But it was the other two that were of greater importance.  Staring lovingly into each other's eyes were two individuals.  The one on the left was a pegasus mare, dressed in an elegant wedding gown.  Guise recognized her, as well.  How could he not?  She once served as his "love bug" for a few days and was the reason he was seeking out love once more.

But the person whose eyes she was so lovingly gazing into made Guise's blood boil.  It was not a pony, but a changeling, donning a fancy tuxedo and gazing just as passionately into the pegasus's eyes.

Shade.

Just the sight of him was enough to churn his stomach.  Sure, Guise was only where he was now because Shade had agreed to help him, but he didn't exactly consider this situation ideal.  He'd have been much better off if Shade had never found out he was using his girlfriend to gain power.  Guise could have been king of the changelings by now if things had gone his way, so just because Shade was willing to bail him out in a bind didn't mean he had to like it.

And now those two had tied the knot apparently.  He thought he had heard rumblings around town of a wedding that people were making a big deal out of, but it hadn't occurred to him that it was Shade's wedding.  Not that he cared, of course.  Getting married meant nothing when it came to love.  Chrysalis had intended to marry that guard captain under the guise of Princess Cadance for the sole purpose of worming her way closer to Equestria's throne.  Guise had no use for such frivolities, but these ponies seemed to enjoy making a big spectacle of it.

Guise had to tear his eyes away from the paper to avoid ripping it in half, placing it back into the rack, though not without applying a few resentful crinkles.  He was hoping he'd never have to see Shade's face again, but even seeing a colorless photo of him was enough to make his bile rise.

"What do you mean, 'we don't have it'?"

Guise glanced back at the counter by the entrance, the voice of a rather irate-sounding mare grabbing his attention in the otherwise quiet and peaceful bookstore.  He was a little surprised to see that it was Sweetmint leaning on the desk, her upset tone clearly making the clerk more than a touch uncomfortable.

"W-We sold the last copy yesterday," the clerk stammered, shrinking back under the disdainful gaze of this other mare.

"I reserved a copy," Sweetmint told her, tapping a piece of paper laid on the desk.  "I have the receipt.  I don't think I should have to explain to you how reservations work.  You're supposed to put a copy aside so that I can pick it up when I have a chance.  The receipt says I have two weeks to pick it up, but it's only been a few days.  So what happened?!"

The clerk hurriedly rummaged through the catalog in vain hope that she had overlooked something.  "I-I don't know.  Somepony else was working yesterday.  They must have sold it without checking the reservations list."

"Are you kidding me?!  Do you know how my week has been?!  I was looking forward to reading that to unwind after a long week!  This is unacceptable!" Sweetmint bellowed angrily, practically crawling over the desk and causing the wimpy clerk to back up against the wall in fear.

"I-I can put aside another copy when the next shipment gets here, s-so—"

"What good does that do me now?!  And how am I supposed to know the same thing won't happen again?!"

"I-It's not my fault..." the clerk whimpered quietly, her lip quivering.

Guise stared on in mild shock at what he was witnessing.  By now, the few other customers that were present were also watching in stunned silence as Sweetmint chewed out the defenseless clerk.  As much as he enjoyed seeing some loser get a verbal thrashing, he was caught quite off guard by Sweetmint's sudden shift in attitude.  He hurried over to figure out exactly what was going on.

"Whoa, Mint, what's up over here?" Guise asked in an attempt to diffuse her.

Sweetmint spun around, diverting her glare to him.  Guise had stared down some pretty intimidating individuals in his life; Queen Chrysalis, Captain Wraith, even Glory.  In all of those situations, he'd never backed down, even when he knew he was outmatched.  But the moment Sweetmint's incensed eyes met his, Guise instinctively took a step back.

"They sold my manga!  Can you believe that crap?!"

Guise glanced around at all the eyes that were staring in their direction.  Given what he was and what he was trying to accomplish, the less attention he garnered, the better.  He held up a hoof to Sweetmint, gesturing for her to lower her voice.  "Okay, just calm down.  It's not that big a deal."

"Not a big deal?!  I—"

Guise grabbed her by the shoulders and started leading her toward the door in a desperate bid to escape this situation.  "Alright, let's just... get some fresh air, or something.  Yelling about it isn't gonna accomplish anything."  He was a little surprised that she wasn't resisting.

Sweetmint huffed in aggravation.  "Fine.  Let's go."  She cast one more stern glare to the cowering clerk before the pair took their leave of the bookstore.

Once outside, Sweetmint took a moment to collect herself, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths.

"So, you wanna explain what that was all about?" Guise inquired.

Sweetmint looked him in the eye.  While her anger was still visible within her pink irises, her expression had become more apologetic.  "Sorry.  I just... lost my cool, that's all."

"That's understating it just a tad, don't you think?"

She breathed a deep sigh.  "It's, uh...  It's been a long week.  Can we just try and forget that happened?"

Guise stared at the regretful look on her face.  For her sake, he forced a sympathetic smile.  "Yeah, sure."

Sweetmint managed a smile back.  "Thanks.  I know I'm probably not making a good impression here, so I guess I should count myself lucky that I found a guy who's so considerate and patient."  She glanced across the street.  There was a vending machine offering a variety of flavors of soda pop on the corner.  "I think I could use a drink to cool my head."

Guise watched in silence as she sauntered across the street.  He was starting to think she wasn't the mild-mannered mare he'd pegged her for, and she had no idea that Guise's patience was simply a result of him really having no other recourse.  He'd chosen her as his target because he figured she wouldn't draw much attention and they could stay out of the public eye, but that outburst just now was not something he'd expected from her.  However, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt for now and assume that he just caught her on a bad week; he didn't want to have to go through the trouble of scouting out another love bug just yet, though he was beginning to think it would have been wise to pick out some backups just in case.  Too little, too late now though.

Guise was suddenly jostled from his thoughts by the sound of a loud, metallic bang, directing his attention back across the street.  Sweetmint was glaring now at the vending machine, striking it aggressively with her hoof.  Guise already had a bad feeling about this.  He hurried across the street.

"Uh, what's going on?" he asked cautiously.

"The son of a bitch ate my bit!" Sweetmint accused, giving the machine another forceful smack.  "Come on!  Either cough it up or give me my freakin' money back!"

Once again, Guise noticed that Sweetmint had suddenly become the center of attention, her enraged voice drawing the eyes of passersby.  "Just chill out, Mint, okay?  People are staring," he said quietly.

"No!  I'm not gonna just 'chill out'!  All I wanted was a damn drink!  Is that so much to ask?!"  Sweetmint grabbed the machine by the sides, shaking it violently.  "Just give me my drink, damn it!"

A random stallion that happened to be passing by made the poor judgment call of approaching Sweetmint.  "Ma'am, I think the machine's out of order."

Sweetmint shot an icy glare at the stallion, her eyes bloodshot and manic.  "Noooo, ya think?  I hadn't figured that out.  Thanks for the astute deduction, Professor!  What would I have ever done without you?!"

The stallion took a cautious step back, holding his hooves up defensively.  "I was just trying to help, calm down."

Sweetmint narrowed her eyes at him.  "'Help'?  How is pointing out the obvious helping?!  The only thing that would have helped is if somepony had bothered to put a damn sign up before the piece the shit stole my money!"  She punctuated her frustration with the vending machine by giving it a swift kick with her hind leg, putting a sizable dent in the front of it.

A loud clunk came from the machine, a can of soda now sitting in the slot as if the machine were trying to apologize and assuage her anger.

Sweetmint's rage died down just a little, inhaling a breath through her nose.  "Okay, that's better."  She snatched up the purple can of grape soda with her aura of pink magic.  She glanced back to the stallion who was still standing there for some reason.  "What?  Problem's solved, you can be on your way."

He didn't say anything, just gave a dismissive flick of his hoof as he continued down the sidewalk.

"You okay now?" Guise asked, making sure he was at least a leg's length away from Sweetmint.

She let out an indignant snort through her nostrils.  "'Okay' might be expecting too much, but at least I got my drink."

Eager to cool herself off with a nice, cold beverage, Sweetmint popped the tab on her soda.  As if to add injury to insult, the loud fizz of the carbonation was accompanied by a spray of purple liquid, coating the mare's face, mane, and horn with the sugary and sticky grape soda.

Guise saw her bloodshot eye twitch, her normally-green face burning red with rage.  He half-expected the heat of her anger to evaporate the soda staining her coat.  Sweetmint was visibly shaking.  The aluminum can was crushed in her magical grip, jettisoning the rest of the beverage into the air and all over the sidewalk.  He took a chance and looked around at the onlookers, though made sure not to take his eyes off of Sweetmint for more than a second at a time.  Many of the people staring in their direction were quietly murmuring, and considering that Sweetmint had already caused some property damage, he was a little worried that somepony was going to call for a royal guard to deal with the problem—the problem being the mare he was supposed to be on a date with, which made him an accomplice.

"I think we should go," Guise suggested quietly.

Sweetmint closed her eyes, taking a long, shaky breath.  "Can you please walk me home?" she requested, her voice surprisingly calm and quiet.  "I don't exactly trust myself not to slug the next person who looks at me funny.  I may need somepony to hold me back."

Guise hesitated for a moment, unsure as of yet if he would be considered one of those people.  But, against his better judgment, he obliged.  "Uh, sure.  Where's your building?"

She pointed over her shoulder, down the street across from the bookstore.  "It's just a few blocks from here."

The two of them started making their way down the street.  Guise cast the occasional glance at Sweetmint to assess her emotional state.  She was keeping her head down, actively trying to avoid making eye contact with anypony.  From what he could see through her grape soda-soaked mane, her face appeared to be a mixture of lingering anger, embarrassment, and shame.  And never once did she look back at him.

Guise assumed she was thinking the same thing he was: this date was not going as planned.  He was offering her the common courtesy of escorting her home, but at this point that was mostly in anticipation of an explanation.  Her behavior just now had to be more than just a week's worth of pent-up frustration.  Whatever answer she gave him was probably going to influence whether or not Guise deemed this relationship worth pursuing.  And judging by her expression and body language, she was likely expecting to be dumped after this.

After about ten minutes of walking, they finally made it to Sweetmint's apartment building, the decadent sign out front reading "The Ivory Horseshoe."  True to its name, it was a U-shaped building that actually looked pretty fancy, sharing the same color scheme as the rest of Canterlot with a combination of white, purple, and gold and having a garden of large, exotic plants in the very middle.  The apartments' entrances lined the inside wall of the U-shaped building, with six on each side and three at the end.  There was even a second level with a walkway spanning all the way around and with just as many rooms up there—fifteen rooms on both levels for a total of thirty apartments.

Sweetmint lead Guise up a flight of stairs on the right side, stopping at the third door.  She fumbled around in her satchel for a moment, removing her key and unlocking the door.

Guise wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting.  Based on the building's elegant exterior and the fact that this was Canterlot, one might expect the rooms to be just as posh.  On the other hoof, prior comments that Sweetmint had made suggested that the place was rather cheap.  In reality, it was kind of a combination of both.  The interior didn't exactly match the high falutin designs that made Canterlot distinct, but it was still rather homely, more closely resembling a more condensed version of the homes Guise had seen in his brief time in Ponyville a couple of years ago.

There was a small kitchen area off to the right of the entrance.  It didn't exactly offer much room to work, the dining table taking up most of the floor space, but there was enough space for an oven, sink, refrigerator, and microwave.  Sweetmint appeared to have added her own touch, as well, as upon the counter were what appeared to be smaller and cheaper versions of some of the ice cream machines he'd seen at Rocky's Road.

Across from the entrance was the living room area.  It was sparsely populated with furniture; just a simple, wooden coffee table, a couple of side tables, and a comfy-looking, blue couch facing the left wall.  That same wall had a rather sizable set of shelves with compartments of varying sizes, though it didn't appear to see much use as the only things stored on it were some containers of weird, colored sticks and a few stacks of reading material—more of that "manga" stuff, Guise assumed.  Off to the right of the living room was a hallway that one could safely assume lead to the bedroom and bathroom, but Guise couldn't exactly confirm that from where he was.

However, while the place was cozy enough on its own merits, it wasn't exactly in a cleanly state.  The sink was full of dirty dishes, and both the kitchen table and coffee table were covered in empty takeout containers and a few beer bottles that hadn't yet been thrown out.  Additionally, there were what appeared to be several small, plush animals littering the floor.  Certainly an odd sight to see in a grown mare's apartment, but they appeared to be well worn down, with the stuffing exposed on some of them, or ears torn off.  On top of that, the apartment possessed an odd odor that Guise couldn't place.  It wasn't offensive, but it was certainly noticeable.

"Sorry about the mess," Sweetmint apologized, though rather halfheartedly.  "I wasn't exactly expecting to have company over today.  Anyway, I'm gonna take a quick shower.  Make yourself at home if you want.  You can grab something out of the fridge as thanks for walking me home.  Or you can just leave if you'd prefer.  Can't say I'd blame you."  A pitiful sigh escaped her lungs as she wearily headed for the hallway and into the bathroom to clean up.

There was a moment where Guise actually considered listening to her and just leaving.  A part of him felt like this mare might end up being more trouble to get love out of than he expected.  The only reason he was still there was out of sheer curiosity and the hopes that Sweetmint was just having an off week.

So, while he waited for her to wash the grape soda out of her hair, Guise decided to have a look around the small apartment.  He wandered into the living room to get a better look.  Upon the coffee table, amongst the used food containers and empty beer bottles, were some of those manga books she'd told him about.  Out of curiosity, Guise picked one up and looked it over.  On the cover was an earth pony stallion wearing a rather over-the-top outfit consisting of a wide-brimmed, blue stetson, a long trench coat of the same color, a sword tucked away in a red sheathe, and far more belts than was reasonably necessary, and flying alongside him was a large owl wearing a black bandit's mask.  Guise couldn't read the title of the book due to a combination of the stylized font and the fact that the words were too bizarre for him to properly pronounce with his limited literacy.

He flipped the manga open, finding that the cover was the only part of the book that had color, the rest simply being black and white.  The contents weren't quite what he was expecting, mostly depicting the character from the cover battling against monsters more hideous than anything Guise had ever seen.  And it was surprisingly violent, with depictions of blood and dismemberment as the stallion cut through the beasts with his sword in his mouth.  Certainly not something he'd have expected a mare like Sweetmint to be into, but he couldn't say he wasn't a little intrigued.  A book that spoke more with images rather than words seemed like something he could get behind.

Guise put the manga back down, but as he did, he noticed that there was also a newspaper laying there.  It happened to be a copy of the same newspaper he'd spotted at the bookstore; the one that covered Shade's wedding.  Its presence got Guise wondering what Sweetmint's opinion of it was, as well as changelings as a whole.  But that was a question for another day; he didn't want to cast suspicion on himself by randomly bringing up the topic of changelings.  He'd have to wait for an opportunity that felt more natural.

Guise detected movement from the corner of his eye, diverting his attention to the hallway.  From the open door on the left—presumably the bedroom—wandered a small, orange tabby cat, stretching out its legs and digging its claws into the carpet.  The moment it turned down the hall, it stopped dead in its tracks, its tired eyes suddenly widening at the sight of the unfamiliar pony standing in the living room.

The two simply stared at one another, not moving.  Guise wasn't entirely sure what to make of this.  He knew some people kept pets, but for someone like Guise, small animals like this were usually seen as nothing more than a meal.  Obviously he'd have to suppress his predatory urges in this case, though it wasn't like that was difficult.  He just wasn't expecting Sweetmint to have a cat, though that did explain the chewed up toys littered about and possibly even the strange musk.

The bathroom door on the right opened, and Sweetmint stepped out again, drying her mane with a towel.  Her eyes met Guise's once more, looking a little surprised.  "Oh, you're still here.  Uh, thanks, I guess.  Kinda thought my behavior today would've scared you off," she said a little dejectedly.

The orange tabby began to rub up against Sweetmint's leg, garnering the mare's attention.  Despite the mood she'd been in all day, Sweetmint finally managed a genuine, peppy smile upon laying eyes on the feline, running a hoof gently down its back and prompting it to lift its tail in approval.  "Hi, Persy," she said sweetly, giving the cat a light chin scratching.  "Boy, Momma's happy to see you."

Guise raised an eyebrow.  "'Persy'?"

"Yeah.  Short for Persimmon."  Sweetmint picked the cat up, cradling it against her shoulder and carrying it out into the living room with her as it affectionately nuzzled into her cheek.  "I named him that because he's orange, and well... purr-simmon.  Get it?"

Guise just blinked vacantly.

Sweetmint's amused grin faltered at the blank stare he was giving her.  "Alright, not a fan of puns.  Noted."  She let the cat hop back down onto the floor in front of Guise.  "Say hi to Crimson, Persy."

The cat simply stared up at the stranger warily.  Guise did much the same.  Persimmon took a step closer, sniffing the air, but then suddenly arched his back and hissed, prompting Guise to take a step back.

"Whoa, whoa, easy there.  He's not gonna bite, Persy," Sweetmint said to the cat in an effort to calm it down.  "Sorry, Crimson, he's not usually like this.  But I guess we don't get visitors often, so he's not used to other people."

The cat gave Guise a wide berth as it meandered over to the kitchen where its food dish was.

Sweetmint gave Guise a hospitable smile, though it looked a little forced.  "So, can I get you anything?  Water?  Coffee?"

"Uh, no, thanks."

It didn't take a terribly perceptive person to notice the uncertain expression on Guise's face.  Sweetmint let out a long sigh as she tossed aside her towel.  "Guess I owe you an explanation, huh?"

Guise wasn't about to admit that that was pretty much the only reason he was still there.

Sweetmint shied away ashamedly, mumbling quietly.  "I, uh...  I kind of have some... anger management issues..."

Guise tilted his head, puzzled.  "'Anger management'?"

"Yeah, I... sometimes have difficulty keeping my temper in check.  It's gotten me into some hot water a few times back in Manehattan.  I got in trouble a lot in school when I was younger, and I've had a few unpleasant confrontations with the cops over the years."  She ran a hoof through her still damp mane with a sigh.  "It's part of the reason I came to Canterlot in the first place.  Yeah, I wanted to open my own ice cream place, but I also kinda just wanted to go somewhere where I could have a fresh start.  I've been doing what I can to help me deal with it: I attend a monthly anger management class, I try meditating sometimes, I even have incense," she told him, pointing to those strange sticks on the shelf Guise noticed earlier.

Persimmon wandered back from the kitchen, rubbing up against Sweetmint's leg, though Guise could have sworn the cat briefly gave him the stink eye for a moment.

Sweetmint slowly ran a hoof over Persimmon's back as she continued.  "I've been doing everything in my power to keep myself under control, but everything just seems to pile up until I just... explode.  Today wasn't even the first time it's happened since I moved to Canterlot.  I thought this place was going to be a lot more serene than the hustle and bustle of Manehattan, but it seems like most of the people here are just..."

"Morons?"

"That's a little nicer than what I was gonna say, but sure.  I'm just glad I haven't gotten the attention of the royal guards yet."  Sweetmint let out another resigned sigh.  "I was hoping you wouldn't have to see that side of me, Crimson.  You seem like a nice guy, so I don't expect you to want to put up with me and my problems.  There's a reason I'm still single after all, and don't really have any friends to speak of.  You probably don't understand what it's like to feel that rage build to the point where it boils over."

Guise stared at her, then discreetly glanced down at the newspaper on the coffee table.  She knew a lot less about him than she'd ever understand.

"You think I don't know what it's like to be angry?"

Sweetmint gazed into his golden eyes, which were suddenly filled with a fiery passion.

"Let me tell you something.  Back home, there was this guy.  I wouldn't really call him a friend, but we'd known each other our whole lives.  Wasn't really anything special about him or anything; just another guy doing the same thing as everypony else.  But, a couple of years ago, he decides he wants to do something with his life, vows to leave home and make a new life for himself somewhere else.  I figured he wouldn't make it.  I guessed it'd be a week before he came crawling back with his tail between his legs."

Sweetmint simply stood there quietly, listening intently.

"I ran into him again a few weeks back.  We hadn't seen each other in two years.  Guy's got a family and everything now.  And you wanna know what he said to me?"  Guise narrowed his eyes disdainfully.  "'I don't have time for you.'"

"Sheesh, sounds like a real asshole," Sweetmint remarked with a grimace.

"Right?  Do you know how I felt in that moment?  How badly I wanted to clobber him for his self-righteous attitude?" Guise posited passionately, choosing to leave out the fact that he did try to kill him after that.  "We were no different growing up, and now, all of a sudden, he's acting like he's better than me just because he's got a family and shit now!  And that's just the most recent example of the crap I've had to put up with in my life.  So don't tell me I don't know what it's like to feel seething rage and hatred."

"So...  You're not off put by the fact that I have anger management problems?"

Guise smirked with a chuckle.  "'Off put'?  You just want to do your own thing without having to deal with life's shit, but everypony around you is making your life a living hell with their incompetence and lack of brain cells.  If anything, I don't think I've ever related to somepony more."

Sweetmint managed a small, grateful smile.  "You won't mind if I fly off the handle occasionally?"

"Mind?  I encourage it.  I'm not one to keep his emotions bottled up.  If you've got something to say, say it.  Some jackass pisses you off?  Let 'em know not to mess with you."

She laughed quietly in response to his speech.  "I mean, that's the kind of thing that's gotten me in trouble in the past, and I don't want either of us getting fired just for blowing off steam, but I definitely appreciate how understanding you're being, Crimson."

Guise shrugged modestly.  "We're both outsiders here, right?  If anypony should have one another's backs, it's us."

"No, I'm serious," Sweetmint continued, her smile exuding fondness and a small twinkle in her eye.  "After an outburst like that, I'm usually fuming for the rest of the day.  But here I am, just a half an hour later, with a smile on my face.  I guess I never realized how much of a difference it makes to have somepony there to help me.  So..."

She inched closer to Guise her cheeks tinging pink.  Without warning, she pressed her lips against Guise's, catching the disguised changeling off guard.  But, not wanting to discourage her, and knowing how important this moment was for his mission, he leaned into the kiss.

Sweetmint pulled away, but never removed her gaze from Guise's golden eyes.  "Thanks," she said softly.  "And now you can tell people you're my boyfriend."

Guise grinned back at her, but while she likely saw it as an affectionate smile, in reality, it was one of triumph.  The first kiss was Guise's indication that he'd made the next big step in his plan.  He had garnered her interest, made himself relatable, and, by empathizing with her problems and sticking around in spite of her flaws, he had caused that interest to evolve into affection.  Now it was just a matter of turning that affection into full blown love.

Admittedly, this was going far more smoothly than Guise had anticipated.  While Sweetmint's anger issues were a possible liability, he couldn't deny the convenience of it, as it gave him an angle to work with to endear himself to her.  In actuality, he surprised even himself with how willing he was to talk about his past.  That wasn't something he'd planned out when fabricating a backstory for his Crimson Neon persona.  Obviously he left out a lot of important details, like spending two years in a dungeon and trying to kill Shade.  Twice.  But his own past experiences just happened to work in his favor in this case.

And while there was risk that Sweetmint's temper would end up getting them both in trouble, it might at least make his life here in Canterlot a little less boring than he thought.