“Unexpected…?” Luna scratched her cheek with her index finger. “...In what way, Aidon?”
“Sorry, I was simply surprised by your appearance,” he explained with a chuckle, “I suppose I’m not used to seeing you in such a way. You look nice. Anyway--yes, I do like to look at the stars sometimes, although I…generally don’t know where to look or what to look at.”
“Oh, I quite understand,” Luna went on, “Sometimes I get lost gazing into the night sky myself. The wondrous constellations and planetoids off in the distance always…distract me,” she said with a sheepish smile.
Aidon chuckled and gave a rather direct response. “Oh--no, for me, I quite literally have no clue where to look. But I’m deciding between that or a regular camera. For taking photos of birds and other animals during the day.”
“Bird-watching, hm?” While that was all well and good, Luna was already thinking of alternatives. “I suppose that’d be nice, but if you ask me, I think a night-vision camera would do wonders for you.”
The man tilted his head as he looked down at the bag containing the camera he had just purchased. “Really? Are there things that appear at night that I’m missing?”
“Oh most certainly,” the blue lady replied with an enthused nod, “Bird-watching during the day is one thing, but at night, it’s an entirely different ballgame. There’s owls of course, nightjars, nightingales--all very interesting birds in their own right.”
“Hm…” Aidon looked down at the camera and gave it some thought. “You do have a point. I might consider watching birds at night in the future.” Since she had so graciously listened to him and his hobbies, Aidon felt it was only fair to return the question, “How about you? Now that I think about it, we haven’t communicated very much off-campus, so I’m curious as to what you like to do in your spare time.”
Luna was all too eager to speak about herself, continuing with a big smile on her face. “Really? Okay, well…there’s the aforementioned stargazing, but I also enjoy chess, baseball, reading, art, and playing the odd video game or two on occasion.”
The man’s attention was captivated until she mentioned video games. It was out of left field and didn’t strike him at first until he replied with, “Wait…video games? Interesting.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” Luna leaned in and whispered, “But I play the online ones under a fake name and the students have no clue it’s me.”
Since he wasn’t exactly well-versed in how some of this world’s mechanics worked yet, he accepted her words at face value. “Very interesting…though, if you’d like some suggestions on what to draw, I’m sure I could provide some inspiration.”
“That’d be most appreciated, Aidon. Thank you,” she replied with another nod. Admittedly, the conversation with what was essentially a co-worker had enthralled Luna. It had been a while since she spoke to someone candidly, and as a result, she was itching to keep such an interaction going. Just as Aidon was about to turn his head, she promptly asked, “Erm--would you be opposed to having lunch at one of the nearby cafes? I was just about finished shopping myself, so I’m free if you are.”
A nice day out with the potential to get to know a fellow educator better? Why not? Aidon was more than willing to accept. “Most certainly. Lead the way.” “Please. I have no idea where I’m going.”
Luna took him through the various shopping centers until she located a cafe located on a street corner that had outdoor seating. “This shall be perfect. They’re serving wine along with lunch today.”
“Hm…wait a moment, wine?” Aidon glanced at her with concern as he followed, “You’re willing to consume alcohol this early in the day?”
“...Oh, that’s right.” Luna sighed as she sat down at one of the cafe tables, “You’re not aware. Well, once you get used to dealing with the world around you being nearly destroyed dozens of times by magical and demonic entities, it really drives one’s stress level up. A sip of wine every now and then helps quell such stress.”
Aidon took a seat with her and started to think about what she had said. After all, because she was just a normal human, the effects of magic and its power weighed heavily upon her compared to the man who grew up with it as a shadowpony.
“...I see,” he replied with a nod, “Here’s hoping it doesn’t continue, right?”
“Meh, seems inevitable by this point,” Luna lamented as she slumped against the table with her elbows resting upon it. “There’s no permanent method to stop the supernatural fissures from Equestria that are corrupting our world. At least not yet anyway.” She rolled her eyes, and sat back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. “It’s…quite the burden, on top of all of the other things I’m dealing with.”
“I wonder…” Aidon leaned forward ever so slightly, and made a friendly request, “If you’d like, I’m willing to listen to what you have to say. They say communication is an important part of understanding your own problems.”
Since he was so willing to listen, Luna had no reason to bury her feelings. “What’s the worst that could happen?” So, she explained herself, “Well…to put it simply, part of me feels a tad…jealous of my sister--Tia.”
“...Just like in the pony world,” Aidon thought to himself about Nightmare Moon, “I wonder how this situation differs.”
“...Jealous?” he asked with a curious tone, “I’m afraid I don’t follow. What do you mean specifically?”
Luna picked up the cafe menu and started reading it over. “Maybe that was too strong a term. Perhaps it would be better to say…I wish I could be like her. Her charisma, her charm, the way she gets along so well with the students--it’s something I’d dream of having. But…she’s simply much better at social interaction than I.”
The shadowman started to mentally pick apart what she said. Charisma? Charm? Qualities that Luna assumed she lacked? This was a case of perceived self-inadequacy if he ever saw it.
But what was the root of it all?
“If you don’t mind,” Aidon replied, “Let’s start from the beginning. At what point did you feel that you were in your sister’s shadow?”
Luna sighed, and lowered the menu. “...The day she graduated CHS…leaving me on my own from Sophomore year onwards.”