Chapter 8: Thursday Dinner
Bow had evidently been delayed, so Trixie and Medley set off for the shopping arcade around 4.40. Trixie had enjoyed browsing in the bookshops, but she had quickly realised that anything she might have been interested in would likely be readily available for borrowing, considering her new contacts. On the other hoof, she had done well at a small stage magic shop, and made a mental note to start planning out her half-hour slot at the theatre later.
It was around 5:30 when they met up and started to head back. As they walked along the street back to Bow's apartment block, Trixie looked at the MVD boxes Medley had ended up with: Daring Do and the Quest For the Sapphire Stone, Daring Do and the Platinum Crown, Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet, and Daring Do and the Curse of the Yeti. She noted that Sapphire Stone had a running time nearly half an hour shorter than the others, and that the synopsis on the back didn't suggest a very complex story. Then she thought back to what Ember had said about the book yesterday and found herself laughing out loud.
Medley turned to her, puzzled. "What's so funny?"
Trixie calmed down and replied, "The reason Ember didn't give me Sapphire Stone to read was something about having too much padding for her tastes. And yet it apparently became the one of the shortest movies."
Medley chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, AK Yearling wasn't exactly at her peak back then. The action scenes are repetitive and most of them don't advance the story at all, not to mention that a significant percentage of the book is just detailed descriptions of the jungle, the temple and every other location. Beautiful descriptions, but still. And it doesn't help that Daring doesn't have anyone to talk to for most of it."
"So how did the series become so popular, with such a poor first impression?" Trixie asked, intrigued.
Medley shook her head. "I honestly can't explain it. I mean, certainly, the later books were better, but what's weird is that no one I've ever talked to recommends using Sapphire Stone to get ponies into the series, and yet despite its problems I still hear about it winning new readers over more often than turning them off."
Trixie returned the MVD boxes to Medley's saddlebag. "I guess those elements have greater appeal than anypony would expect them to."
They arrived at the apartment block and walked upstairs to find the door unlocked. Bow greeted them as they walked in. "I'll have dinner ready in an hour. Trixie, you don't have any allergies I should know about, do you?" Trixie smiled and shook her head.
As Medley pulled out the MVDs and asked her sister about her plans for the weekend, Trixie walked down the hall to retrieve Platinum Crown from their room. She returned to the living room and sat down. "Just call out if you need a hoof," she said in the direction of the kitchen, before turning back to the book. Less than 100 pages to go.
***
Dinner had been about as delicious as the previous night, but as pleasant as the conversation was - Bow had been eager to hear about the places she had seen when she was on the road with her magic act - it had gradually became awkward, in large part due to Medley and Bow's obvious closeness and the fact that Trixie had just read through Derring's reconciliation with her siblings. While the book had made her feel somewhat better about her chances of reconciling with Checker, she still knew it wasn't going to come easily.
Trixie and Bow were just finishing off the dishes together - Trixie washing and Bow drying - when there was a knock on the apartment door. Bow dried her hooves on the towel and went to open it. It was Thunderlane, right on schedule. He held out his hoof and shook Bow's. "Good evening, Bow. Trixie," he added, seeing her in the doorway.
As Bow closed the door behind him and returned to the sink, Thunderlane walked into the living room and reached into his saddlebag. "Two more books from Ember," he said to Trixie, who had followed him in. He passed them to her, and she looked over the titles: Daring Do and the Wooden Mask and Daring Do and the Trials of Unity.
Trixie placed them on the coffee table. As she picked up Platinum Crown to return it to him, she did a double take. "Trials of Unity? I don't remember that being on Ember's list from yesterday."
Thunderlane shook his head. "An afterthought, after she realised how you would react to Derring. I'm not certain how well this one will help, but..." he trailed off at Trixie's smile.
"Thank you Lanie. I think I'll concentrate on Griffon's Goblet for the moment though. And on that subject - " she paused as Medley entered the room carrying the MVD boxes. "Medley suggested that the seven of us could get together over the weekend for a movie marathon. The first few Daring Do movies, including the ones that Ember didn't put on the list."
Medley passed him the boxes. Thunderlane looked through them, then put them down on the table and nodded. "Okay, I"m in. It's been a while since I watched these ones, and that would have been on an MVHS. Is it Saturday night you're suggesting?"
Medley nodded. "Most likely spilling over to Sunday morning, unless you want to start sometime before dinner. But Bow said she'd be fine with us camping out in the living room - we might need an extra sleeping mat from your place, though."
"Not a problem," replied Thunderlane. "I'll pass on the invite to the girls in the morning."
"And when I come by in the afternoon to work on the book, we'll decide on a time," finished Medley.
Trixie remembered the book she was levitating. "Oh, Lanie, you can return this to Ember, and tell her that I plan to have Griffon's Goblet finished in 24 hours." She passed it to him, then picked up the books he'd brought over and went back to the room.