"You can not be serio...ow!”
“Sorry,” Rarity said with a smile, “Lift?”
I lifted my hoof to give her better access to the chest portion of the cermonial belt.
“I am perfectly serious.” Luna confirmed with a smile as from where she as lounging on the couch, watching me get tortured with needles, “I simply regret the fact that three days was too little to order a set of the full armor done. Cloak and belt will have to suffice.”
“Love, I'm a.. ow!! Damn it, Rarity!”
“Sorry Lord Page. If you would bear with me for just a moment...”
As she was sticking needles to hold the buckle in place, I shot Luna a look, “As I was saying, I'm a author, not actually a war mage.”
“There might be some debate on that. As I am the only one alive that has the training, it effectively makes me the senior war mage.” Luna disagreed with a smile, “That would give me the authority to give you a rank.”
“Luna!”
She chuckled and moved off the couch to give me a quick nuzzle, “Relax, you will look great. Besides, I always liked this style, it's attractive.”
“I look silly.”
“You look dashing.” Rarity said with a smile as she took a step back.The black had silver edges hanging across my back and left side as well as over the left part of my chest. It also left my right side uncovered to show the leather dark straps with silver stitching and silverbuckles as well as the mounting points for daggers and swords, “Very rogueish.”
“Doesn't he?” Luna agreed with a grin.
Sigh.
I looked at myself in the mirror before I shook my head. I would've rather had been wearing a suit. But noo.
I blamed Shining Armor. He was going to stand next to Princess Cadance for Twilight's coronation. Which meant I needed to do the same with Luna. He was going to wear ceremonial armor and Luna thought that was a marvelous idea.
Hence why I was in this silly getup.
I looked like a pretentious ponce... but I knew when I was not only outnumbered, but completely out gunned.
...Though, I had to admit I liked the look of the silver crescent moon on the cloak as it rested on my shoulder.
“If you two are done checking me out, can I get out of this?”
That got a pair of almost identical giggles from them and I just rolled my eyes, starting to shrug the thing off, only for Rarity's magic to expertly undo it and lift it off.
“It didn't pinch anywhere? Feel tight or pull on your coat?” She asked as she unclasped the cloak before carefully folding it up before setting the belts ontop of it.
I shook my head, “No, the fit was good. Thank you.”
Whatever Rarity was, she was good at what she did. I might not be an overly fan of the overly ornate design, but it was comfortable to wear.
“Anything else?” I asked her as I cracked my neck and stretched, putting my medallion back on.
“I believe that is all.” Rarity answered with a smile before she eyed me, “Unless I could talk you into reconsidering adding some gems...”
“No thank you. I like plain.”
Well, as plain as I could get away with... not that I put up much of a fight. For the most part I just rolled with it.
“Hmm. Very well.” she said with a nod before turning to Luna, “Now, your highness. Shall we get started on your dress?”
Luna nodded, “We better.”
“..Uhm... am I needed or...”
Grinning, Luna gave me a quick kiss, “I think we can spare you for this part. See you for dinner.”
Nodding, I gave her a quick nuzzle before she turned to Rarity.
“I'm thinking something... a bit lighter than usual.”
I made my escape, the door closing behind me, cutting off further conversation before I sighed, folding my ears back.
I never enjoyed that kind of thing.
“Sir?”
Blinking, I spotted Skitter in her white unicorn form, only her wings revealing what she really was. She was sitting a couple of meters down the corridor towards the stairs leading down, by a small table.
I just stared at her for a moment as she closed her book, putting it down on the table.
“Skitter... are you ever not here? Seriously, when do you sleep?”
She smiled as she got up, “When you do, Sir.”
“...Where? You are always here as soon as I walk out.”
“Mostly here, sir.” she confirmed, “By the table or more often, in the rafters.”
I stared at her for a moment before glancing back at the guards for confirmation. The left one nodded after a moment, “We can confirm that, sir.”
...Son of a bitch.
“You and I need to have a talk about your living conditions.” I finally said as I turned back to the changeling.
She just tilted her head in confusion.
Damn. Poor Skitter.
Living conditions, another improvement for changelings coming.
Skitter is best changeling-guard.
I guess those holes in the legs are rather useful...any available nail sticking out of the wall for hanging pictures or up in the rafters = easy, cheap bed
Aww, Skitter, you my boo!
Does anyone else get the idea that Skitter will accidentally think Page is trying to get her in bed due to another social norm misunderstanding?
6877910
Let's not get too hasty in our efforts to "improve" her life. Lord knows we've destroyed enough societies in the name of "lifting" a "backwards" society from the ground. For all we know, Skitter might like small places to nestle into with a good view of the area, my cat does, and so does a few spiders. Could be a vulnerable-predator thing. Changelings are also known (in more than a few fics) to walk on walls or ceilings casually. Granted, once the plaster comes off and they hit the floor, they learn quick that wall-walking does not mix well with pony houses unlike the caves and rock they were born to.
So, should Page nail a bed to the ceiling? In a manner of speaking, yes. Use or add open rafters, secure some planking, then add a bedding to all the surfaces to make it "cozy". Think of it a little like a gyphon nest if ponies don't get the idea. Granted, it'll be hell for the maids to try and change the sheets, but that's the castle's fault for not employing changeling staff.
6878011 I feel like us discussing this might in some way improve the story.
Damn, Page. I know the love-bugs are cute and all, but you don't need to invite her into bed already. Well, I'm sure Luna would be okay with it. For cultural exchanges understanding, of course.
6878011 Well, since she usually sleep "by the table" out in the open, I guess she don't care about any particular accomodation for now. So discussing it can only bring improvement, regardless of what would be considered improvement by changelling standards.
Beside, nothing is too good for best changelling.
some how I see a change in Skitters Living conditions vary soon.
6878081 Who says she sleeps out in the open? Skitter most likely sleeps right up against the wall underneath table top when she's not in the rafters. It's another vulnerable-predator thing that generally ground-bound predators do quite often, larger ursine, canines, et cetera.
6878184 She say it herself, no?
6878039
6878081
I guess baby steps would be letting her sleep under the bed, if she's into dark cozy places. Could be used for a few visual gags like a hoof reaching out to grab something and scaring the bejeesus out of an uninformed pony. Monsters under the bed, heh, who knew they were real and so cuddly when you finally tempt her out from under there?
D'aaaaaw!
Skitter devotion to her job is only eclipsed by her obliviousness.
It would be rather funny if when the mares (and some stallions) see Page in that outfit there will likely be more unicorn recruitments to Luna's War Mage group, because he is rather 'roguish' isn't he? On another note Luna will sooner or later have him get use to such a uniform as a part of his training or use it with what he knows, though we are likely guessing Luna will be enchanting the buck out of it for her page. :)
6876984 Is that stated anywhere or is that just your interpretation? Besides, love exists in many forms, how did she know she got the right type of love with those arguing ponies? They might have just had a deep platonic friendship but since love exists in that relationship, she slid it all the way into territory they never planned to have with each other. Hell it could have been familial love they held for each other but she turned it into an incestuous love. That's the dangers of not knowing the complete situation.
We need fan-art of Page-Guard!
someone needs to make a fan art of skitter sleeping in the rafters
6878815 We bet in some ways he looks like Starswirl the Bearded in that outfit.
6878011
No offense, and not to e ego-centric or anything... But a lot of those societies were 'destroyed' when their members got a taste of the good life and left them in the dust. And while I'm not advocating trying to stamp western culture onto every other culture and society on the planet, I can think of a large number of 'destroyed' societies that the world is quite a bit better off without. (Or rather, bits and pieces of those societies that were destroyed.) For instance, I think we can all agree that the British 'improved' the 'backwards' society of India when they banned Sati... That quaint local practice of having the wife of the deceased commit 'suicide' by throwing herself onto his funeral pyre.
On a separate note, I wonder if part of the reason Skitter remains there all night is the proximity to her charge... And to a ready food supply. I suspect there's quite a bit of love being tossed around on the other side of that door each night...
Hold on. If this Equestria is gender-flipped with Earth, I wonder how the ponies view mares' and stallions' sexual openness. Because it would be pretty funny if Page's super-charming super-spy who gets all the mares just comes across as a *edit* Ahem! 'Easy lay'
6879342
I'd imagine that Page thought of that and has a female protagonist in mind.
wow. that made me think of the "sword of truth" novels: in them, there are two types of magic, "additive"(white) magic, and "subtractive" (black) magic. the main hero, Richard Rahl, is the only living person who can use both types, which makes him a "war wizard".
7997405
Love that series
7997405
Oh my god, ‘war wizard.’ Lolz.
You know, I remember thise books. Kinda.
7997405
Sword of truth......sounds like a tv series I watched a little while back...........
Would get her in on a royal herd like she wanted.
Skitter is getting a closet!
9995236
I remember playing a game on PSP, something about Spider-Man. When he fell into a dumpster he sometimes would say:
"Hey! This is bigger than my first apartment!".
I THINK Web of Shadows. Side scroller. Ah, I wish they still made PSP's. Miss the games I had there.
10271500
We're just happy ours still works. Battery is basically only half-dead, and once that goes... Who knows if you can still make the magic battery nowadays...
Bug like it snug ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Damnit Skitter; Stop being cute!
Skitter is best buggo, but who will be Bugwaifu?
11247942
Neverrr
The mares know to appreciate a good build stallion, wonder if Luba has to beat down pony and Changelings mares if Bkank Page become more attractive with ongoing training.