There was only so much Vesper could learn from making a few holes in the mountainside. Ultimately what they really needed to know was how their explosives would work underground. How close was too close? Would they bring down the ceiling?
That was why they'd chosen this specific location to test, of all places. It had a perfect test cave, made of roughly the same materials as the place they'd soon be carrying out their rescue.
Vesper did have one great advantage: her ignorance. Without any real-world knowledge of how explosives should behave, she had only the movies to go on. Movies where shaped-charges could blow perfect holes in the wall, while people covered their heads from a few feet away.
Over several hours of testing, Vesper discovered that her dream-explosives did basically what she expected. Unfortunately, the rock didn't.
Their very first underground test caused a cave-in that made the whole cavern shake for a full terrifying minute. Even worse, the resulting pile of rock collapsed the entrance to that tunnel by the time it was done, preventing them from actually gathering the evidence they were looking for. After some deliberation, they decided to try with smaller explosives and build their way up.
Vesper probably wouldn't have enjoyed it, under other circumstances. But once she was underground, working in narrow, sweaty confines beside Blake, it was easy to forget about the dark reason they had to be working, and focus instead on the far less-dark company.
They were underground long enough that Vesper lost track of time. Three hours, maybe more? Each test meant another long hike to find somewhere they hadn't already weakened, and avoiding tunnels with damage visible from what they'd done.
In the end, she wasn't the only one weighed down with obvious exhaustion from all the hiking. Actually, it was Blake who waved her towards a sheltered cavern they'd passed on their way in, one with a deep pool of water so clear it might as well be distilled.
"We should take a breather," Blake said, gesturing into the entrance. He wore their only light on his head, the magically-transformed headlamp now working again since recharging. "I thought it might happen. Brought supplies."
"Won't hear me complain," Vesper said. She'd long since run out of the energy to scamper ahead of him everywhere, or hover through the caverns instead of just hiking. But she kept the tiredness from her voice. They were blowing things up, how cool was that? "Anything good?" She eyed his heavy saddlebags, inspecting them closely for the first time. The bags were packed to overflowing, the sides bulging with their contents. A large bedroll was strapped to the back—pony supplies, not anything they'd brought.
"I'm not a chef or anything," he said. "But I figured it could be a minute. Plus, you like caves." He lifted the saddlebags off his shoulders and onto a large rock, before spreading things out. Blake had prepared a pair of sandwiches, along with a bottle of something and some glasses. He hadn't done anything fancy, but he had cared enough to make them both vegetarian, even though he generally chose to eat fish in his Equestrian meals when he could.
Vesper let him set it up, instead focusing her attention on the pool. It was far cooler than she would've expected, but she didn't let that bother her. She was already soaking with sweat and grime from the dusty air and crawling through a cave. The pool could only make things better. She didn't mind bathing in near-total darkness, with only the distant glow of Blake's headlamp to remind her that she wasn't alone.
The light appeared nearby. At least he'd switched the lamp to red, so it wouldn't blind her. "Hungry yet, Vesper?"
She grinned up from the edge of the water. Her wings were both plastered down to her sides. They'd still gone numb, though she stayed in. A little shivering never killed anyone. "Starving. Hey Blake, do you think you could use some of that heat on the pool here?" She reached up with one leg, but couldn't quite reach his mouth. "You're like... half dragon, aren't you? Give us a hot tub."
He didn't dismiss her out of hand. Instead he leaned down, touching one cloven-hoof to the water, then pulling it quickly back. "You crazy? That's gotta be snow runoff. You'll freeze your balls off in there."
"Too late." She twisted around, lifting her tail as far back as she could. It wasn't exactly something she'd practiced. Even for ponies, some things still had meaning. "Damn, I am fresh out. Won't you come in and help me, Blake? You know how desperate I'm getting down here."
She met his eyes, and this time didn't look away. Maybe embarrassment could work just as well for warming up the water as a little dragon-fire. She watched him, waiting for one of Blake's usual dismissals. Instead, he settled down on his haunches beside the water, looking distant. "Vesper, stop that. Look at me."
She did, swimming across the little pond to rest beside the shore. She reached out far enough to take one of his hooves, and this time he didn't back away. "You're not some celebate priest, Blake, neither am I. You can’t tell me this is wrong."
He met her eyes, silent. His scent had changed, though. Not the smell of heated metal, like he was about to start yelling about something. This was more interesting.
Finally, he spoke quietly. "You know it's gonna be weird when we go back," he said. "I'm gonna be straight with you—I'm straight. Jordan is a friend, but that's all he can be."
She stepped up out of the water, closing the distance between them. Where it touched his scales, it hissed into steam. After being surrounded by the cold, his presence was the first brush of warmth in her world. But if she got too close, would she burn? "I'm okay with that. Every relationship doesn't have to last forever." She spread her wings wide, then started to shiver all over again.
Probably a mistake. "I know how much you want to get us home. I'm gonna help, but I'm not gonna stay on that side." She gestured all around them with one wing. "I can do magic here. I can fly. There's a whole world of dreams I've barely even touched yet. There's enough to explore for a whole lifetime."
She touched his chest with one hoof. The heat was intense, but nothing like the flames that had burned a hole in buffalo territory. It didn't hurt. "We can explore some of it together. And if you want to go back to Earth after... I won't hate you for it."
He looked down at her hoof, then back up again. "Are you saying that Jordan is... gone? The kid I went to high school with died here in Equestria?"
She wrapped one leg around his, yanking him closer to the water. "Don't be dumb! Vesper is a name, Blake. I'm not a different person, my memories aren't dead. I just like being this bat." She reached up, running one hoof through her unruly wet mane. "And she likes you. She thinks you're brave and clever and also extremely hot. Like damn, you're a dragon."
Blake let her speak without a word. His expression was impossible to read, and Vesper couldn't exactly pull changeling powers like Ryan and read his thoughts. She had to do all this the old-fashioned way and figure out with her senses.
"Promise?" he asked. His voice was barely launder than a whisper. He touched her face with one hoof, pulling her close. "I actually think I'll be going home when this is over. That might be soon—we have that door in Bydska."
She rolled her eyes. She reached up towards his forehead, and pulled the headlamp off his face. She tossed it to the stone, smothering most of the light. "No more talking."
Discussion ended there.
Vesper couldn't say how long it was, without a light or a watch. But she did learn a few interesting things in the next few hours. Kirin, as it turned out, could heat water if they were determined enough.
They could also heat some other things.
Some time later, they actually got around to eating the meal he'd prepared, atop a mostly-intact sleeping bag they would have to share. Well, share again.
Vesper hardly noticed the bread had gone a little stale from sitting out, and she certainly didn't care. She rested more comfortably than she'd ever been in Equestria, nestled up against someone warm and... well, not safe exactly. Blake still burned with heat, and that wasn't going away. But sitting a little too close to the campfire was its own thrill.
"You brought wine," she said, when she finally drank from her glass. She rubbed up against his head with hers. "You were gonna do the same thing I was!"
He poured his own glass with his magic, and it didn't even seem to shake the way some of his levitation had done earlier. Was he getting better? "I was going to call it a date," he admitted. "Most of the girls I've been with over the years want more time before getting so physical. I had enough experience with quick sex in the service."
Her ears flattened involuntarily as he said it. "If that's how you want to think about it, then we've probably been dating for a few months. I kept my door unlocked every night, waiting for you to visit."
To his credit, Blake didn't blush when she said it. Despite the way they'd been acting together the last few months, he wasn't some nervous teenager who'd never been with anyone before.
"Wasn't sure if I would," he answered. "Longer we're stuck, the more likely it felt. Like I said, I'm not really interested in casual sex with strangers anymore. It was either someone who would stick around, or staying focused on our mission."
Vesper sipped at her glass, letting the rich flavor flow over her tongue. It tasted entirely unlike anything she'd had to drink on Earth... but because she was a bat, or because Equestria just made their wines differently, she couldn't tell. The rich flavor was exactly what she wanted after such an exhausting few hours.
His headlamp rested on a large rock, illuminating the wall mostly behind them. More light than she needed, but Blake wasn't comfortable in total darkness. It worked as a decent compromise. Besides, the white of the headlight changed to deep blue when it hit the crystal wall there, making the whole room glow faintly. The shade made her want to close her eyes and dream.
Soon she would, probably.
"We might not get another chance like this," Blake finally said. "When we wake up, we probably have to fly to Ponyville and find somewhere to park the Bright Hawk. Then we'll have to get underground, and find our target before Ryan is inside it. We really cut this down to the wire here."
"You did." Vesper settled her empty glass safely on the floor, then moved up against Blake again. His heat had long since driven out all the moisture of the pool, though patches of ground further away were still damp. She would take all that chaos as a mark of personal pride. "I was ready a month ago."
She closed her eyes, and already started to drift when she felt something—Blake shifting his weight—and a blanket settled down over both of them. For the first time in months, Vesper no longer felt alone.
Now all they had to do was get Kaelynn back, and she could enjoy this without guilt. She heard the click of the light going out again, and made a satisfied sound. "Thanks for... that."
Blake grunted in response, but didn't move. It was true he hadn't been blasting his magic around nearly as much as she had. But it wasn't like he hadn't had a chance to make up for it. "I told... Ryan to come looking for us if we're away for too long. Don't sleep in this time, okay? Wake me up in... four. Or something."
Ryan won't be mad, will he? We got our practice in. We'll have plenty of time to get to the meeting.
So they finally got it down. Interesting to see the chemistry, even if it's temporary. Oh:
I'm guessing that's a typo?
The time before a climactic mission is the best time to reassess and express one's relationship and feelings with their partners. No doubt the discussion between Blake and Jordan about their future was absolutely necessary.
When belief and reality have to clash, reality wins out. Vesper will have to adjust.
Blake already knew but sometimes you just need to confirm your decision.
Glad to see he was being realistic. A relationship like this would naturally happen.
Some rest won't hurt before the mission.
Blake finally got around to admitting that he likes Vesper and he even considers this a date. I wonder if Blake will really return given that he didn't seem all that sure. The way their plan to rescue Kaelynn will eventually turn out is going to have a large impact. Personally I hope that Blake will decide to stay with Vesper.
EEEEEEEEE! About time (but also glad it took time to build up) Explosives can be tricky to get right..even more so in enclosed spaces.
Narrator: Ryan would be mad, and they would not have plenty of time to get to the meeting.
The multiverse may drive a wedge in the group after this mission, and not just between these two. We'll see how well they can make it work. Especially after blowing up one of the oldest and most esteemed manors in Canterlot. That's not exactly the best diplomatic foot forward...
11030285
Technically the owner of the mansion is a notorious kidnapper but I see your point
Finally..
It's about time they hooked up.
Spicy.
Well lets hope she doesn't get pregnant
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! LET'S FUCKIN GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
11030628
Wonder if that would interfere with going through the gates
So if you hung out with Vesper for seven years, eating and drinking nothing but what they pulled from the Dreaming, and then moved out of Vesper's dream-effect range, would you vanish?
11030879
The portal is broken, you go through in the same shape you entered
Mazel tov! Here's hoping the sparks ignited here don't turn out explosive. Except maybe in the good way.
Eh, never liked the idea of romance between these two. It just doesn't feel right. Feels very rapey. I mean Vesper is literally losing control of her life, letting Equestria dominate everything about her, and had been using her heat and sexual scents to tempt and fuck with Blake for weeks. She had effectively been slipping him drugs he doesn't know about and doesn't understand, and practically throwing herself at him forcefully while he's still thinking, acting, and understanding the world as a human and wants to stay human.
I don't believe their romance or love at all, and at most this is just lust, and had no build up or reason for it other than the others hooked up so they 'have' to hook up, for some stupid reason. People can just exist alone. They don't need relationships. And the people here in the comments cheering at Vesper practically forcing Blake into sex and forced relationship, and having no issues at all with their relationship. Very creepy, my dudes. Very creepy.
11033595
Overly flirtatious but I wouldn't say forceful. Blake may have gotten annoyed but he hasn't seriously shut her down at any point. I suppose the ethics of whether Vesper should have seen rather than being told "no" might be in play but in the end Blake said yes, willingly. This thing between them has a whole world of difference compared to Kaelynn and Tellin.
11033882
Did you forget the part where she was spreading her scent around for him to smell and get lustful from, mentioning she was glad the Griffon wasn't around to 'STOP' her from doing it? As if it was ILLEGAL or WRONG? If you give someone an aphrodisiac to trick them into sex, would that not be rape, as you use a drug, an aphrodisiac, to get them to give into your lust? Also he never says 'no' out loud, he practically shouts it in his lack of attention to her, even WITH using aphrodisiac subtly. If saying no through body language doesn't count, does that mean you can't rape anyone as long as you cover their mouth? Are you stupid?
At most, this relationship is heavily toxic, one sided, and controlled. It's an abusive relationship with the women in control. She LITERALLY has to LIE and trick him by saying that 'Vesper' and the Human are 'Different People', but as we've seen when she came through the portal, they are very much the 'same' people, and the same mentality. She is literally stalking, hunting, and doing everything she does, to get Blake, like a stalker, with no care for literally anything but getting to Blake. Even right this moment, they need to train to save their friend, and she dropped it the very second she could claim Blake as her own, and forced herself on him till he said Yes.
He never smiled, he never was happy, he was 'Reluctant' to do it, and realistically seemed more to just agree to the sex, and not relationship at all. And I wouldn't be surprised, if she becomes pregnant, and uses that to force Blake into being a relationship with her.
Either way, no sane person can read this, look at their actions and mental thoughts and go "Wow, they would make a cute couple". It's because they the only two main characters not in a relationship, and so people ship them because of mental issues. The same with the Reylos, and SVTFOE freaks. They ship toxic people together cause 'they' want to be in that relationship, without thinking about the characters themselves.
Reread the story, focusing on all the times Vesper has tried to force Blake to love her. And tell me again it's going to be a healthy 2 way relationship with love from both parties. You can't. Cause all the lust, want, and practically 'Need' comes from 1 side, and the other had to be forced into the situation.
Mirror pool?
11034558
It's not really elaborated on so it's more a guess on how much it clouded Blake's judgement but he didn't seem fazed so it's likely he kept all of his mental faculties. Scents are more comparable to "showing skin" than being a date rape drug.
Don't put words into my mouth. I said it's worth discussing the ethics of whether Vesper's continued flirting was appropriate to Blake's seeming disinterest. The boundary where pick-up lines turn into sexual harassment. Blake's willing yes at the end makes that more or less moot as that pretty much says he tolerates it and is willing to experiment. Even from the beginning he found himself somewhat attracted to Vesper.
First, he does this for himself. Second, it's more ceremonial than anything. Everyone knows Vesper and Jordan are the same person. Jordan does this because he is fully embracing his pony self on the Equestrian side. Like a second baptism or similar ritual.
The latest chapter very much has them agreeing that their relationship won't last. But as a result of their opposing goals, not anything else. They willingly choose to proceed anyway.
11034558
Satisfy Values Through Friendship ... or enemies?
11035185
You negotiate, and get permission for things, when someone is in full control of their facilities.
Not when they are in a hormonally altered state.
Not when they are getting doused in sex hormones, or pheremones, etc.
It is unethical for a hypnotist to get consent after using either NLP or an induction.
It is unethical for CelestAI to get your consent after using psychological tricks to persuade you to say yes.
CelestAI doesn't care about ethics. Do you?
11036070
Psychological manipulation or mind-alteration would certainly be something worth objecting against.
Though eventually, it'll be hard to find a clear line between free will and chemical influence through biology. What does it mean for people or companies to advertise through sex? Through smells and sights and memories? The stakes are lower but it's no less manipulative. It'll also be hard to guess how manipulative Vesper really is if this sort of influence is normal for ponies. But it doesn't appear to reach the point to be considered abusive. From what we've seen, Blake more or less has normal cognitive function. There's some confidence that this is consensual.