Drifting Down the Lazy River
Family Dining
"The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn’t go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn’t really anything the matter with them."
— The Adventures of Buck Fin
Turpentine was not stunned when Pearl walked into Duke Whinnysfield’s dining room because he was too busy trying to figure out how to get his sketchbook back out to capture what he suspected was going to come next. Unlike his young guest, Gaberdine was obviously stunned, and stumbled getting up out of his chair, nearly winding up sprawled out across the floor. Ripple was stunned also, sitting in place on her chair with her eyes locked on the pale form of her mother striding ever so slowly through the dining room doorway. Princess Celestia was obviously prepared for Pearl’s entrance, but Luna had a faint quirk around her lips that indicated a mild distaste at her sister’s preference for theatrics.
Duke Whinnysfield was likewise apparently prepared for any circumstance, and in particular unwilling to show any sort of weakness in front of both of his sovereign princesses. He moved fluidly up out of his seat and took several steps in the direction of the shy seapony, only to stop once Pearl recoiled at his aggressive approach. Without even a pause, the duke sidestepped and gestured to his own chair, which was located between Princess Celestia at the head end of the table and Baron Gaberdine.
It had seemed to be an awkward table seating arrangement at Turpentine’s first glance before, with Celestia, the duke, Gaberdine, and Ripple in a row down one side of the table, and Luna, Whinnysfield’s wife, and Caractère on the other. Turpentine was supposed to be seated next to the elderly pegasus, but on seeing Ripple looking slightly uncomfortable on the other side of the table, he had swapped in a moment, leaving the table lopsided.
Taking one slow step at a time, Pearl seemed poised on the knife’s edge between terror and determination, with her eyes locked on Baron Gaberdine like he was the marker for a safe harbor in a world of terrible storms. There was no way she would have, or could have traveled to Canterlot on her own without her concern for Ripple’s well-being to drive her and Baron Gaberdine’s presence to reassure her. The combination made Turpentine both a little embarrassed and somewhat proud to be partially responsible for her trip here. He was going to get into trouble for it, but she was a beautiful mare, and Baron Gaberdine’s parents deserved to personally see who she really was instead of just looking at one of Turpentine’s paintings, no matter how well he could reflect her glory.
Guided by Duke Whinnysfield and Sen, Pearl settled into the chair next to Gaberdine much like a mother bird resting her feathered breast upon fragile eggs. Once he was certain the young mare was comfortable, the duke promptly moved over to the other side of the table, causing his wife and Caractère to each scoot down one chair and leaving Sen in the last seat on that side. There should have been an awkward silence at that point, but Celestia smoothly started up the conversation with a polite cough and a soft introduction.
“So good of you to join us, Lady Pearl.”
The older seapony might have said something, but Turpentine did not hear what it was other than a faint noise that could have just been somepony shifting in their chair. It could have even been from where she was pressed up against Gaberdine, and Turpentine suspected she would remain so until the lunch was over and quite possibly all the way back to the riverboat.
“An unexpected surprise,” said Luna in a perfectly calm and polite tone that still maintained a slight bite directed toward her nearby sister.
“A welcome surprise,” added Duke Whinnysfield. “The sketches young Turpentine drew do not do you justice.”
Pearl did not say anything at that, but blushed a bright pink under her pale coat.
“Are we in trouble?” asked Turpentine.
“Can we eat now?” asked Ripple almost at the same time.
Celestia nodded. “Of course.”
And that was the end of the awkward conversation for a while as the servants began to serve the meal. Thankfully, Gaberdine had been giving etiquette lessons to both of the younger ponies at the table or they certainly would have embarrassed themselves with all the forks and their obscure rules for use. There were several occasions where it just would have made more sense to dive into a dish nose-first, but both Turpentine and Ripple worked their way through soup, salad, and main course without any major spillage or disasters.
Although Turpentine thought Pearl would be quieter than their morning breakfasts at Castle Paradise, Duke Whinnysfield proved himself a masterful expert at teasing out little words and shy giggles from the reclusive seapony mare while Missus Whinnysfield remained mostly out of the conversation except to relate a few embarrassing foalhood stories about her son. After a slow start, it turned into a long and interesting conversation filled with pauses and abrupt changes of direction.
While the older ponies talked, certain sections of the conversational field were marked out with cautionary flags so that sensitive topics could be avoided, in particular, the fate of Ripple’s father. When Duke Whinnysfield made a cautious inquiry in that particular direction during the serving of a creamy strawberry dessert cake, both little ponies and Gaberdine shot such alarmed looks at the older stallion that he stopped cold in the middle of a sentence, leaving an awkward hole in the conversation.
“Princess Celestia,” said Turpentine in an effort to say something, anything other than talk about Tidal Surge and the dark underwater monster which had killed him, “I don’t recall seeing a painting of you and Princess Luna’s parents anywhere on our tour today. Did we miss a section?”
Celestia paused with a fork full of cake almost at her lips, swallowed once, then placed the fork back down on her plate in order to take a few deep breaths. Luna started to reply in her place, but stopped almost immediately at her elder sister’s quelling glance. There was a suppressed look about both of the old alicorns’ faces, both pain and pleasure in the memories that Turpentine had inadvertently stirred by his impulsive words, and by the time Celestia responded, her accustomed glass mask with enigmatic smile had slid back down over her features again.
“No, I’m afraid there are no paintings of our parents which have survived the years. And to answer your next question, no, I do not think you need to paint us one from our descriptions.”
“Oh.” Turpentine fidgeted and looked down at his somewhat smaller than expected slice of cake. “Do you miss him? Your father, that is.”
“Yes.” Celestia’s voice was nearly a whisper, and without a word, Luna slid her piece of cake over next to her sister’s plate before patting her gently on one hoof.
“Some pains are best forgotten,” said Luna.
“Like Nightmare Moon?” asked Turpentine before pausing and wishing he could unsay the words.
“No.” Luna pursed her lips, and for one timeless moment she was the only pony at the table except for the shadows. “My time with the Nightmare was a lesson which is best held close, so it is not forgotten.”
Turpentine nodded carefully and measured his words with great respect for both of the alicorns at the table. “Nightmare Night teaches all of the little ponies to face up to their fears, and to have fun out in the night instead of just staying home and playing with a pencil. Or at least that’s what Mother Windrow always said,” he added quickly. “I went as Clover the Clever last year, with a paper horn. This year…” He paused, trying to figure out just where they were on the calendar. Time had gotten away from him while out at Castle Paradise, and the single week he had expected to stay was now quite some time ago.
“What’s Nightmare Night?” asked Ripple.
Duke Whinnysfield smiled gently at the little filly and started to respond, only to draw up short when he abruptly realized the extraordinary nearness of the former Nightmare Moon. His eyes seemed to track sideways to look at Princess Luna despite his best efforts, and he almost jumped out of his chair when she spoke.
“It is an Equestrian celebration of the upcoming Winter, when small colts and fillies race about their neighborhoods collecting candy under the guise of sacrificing a portion of it to appease the spirit of Nightmare Moon, who otherwise would gobble them up.” Luna picked up a fork in her magic and used it to sneak a bite out of the still uneaten piece of cake she had slipped over to her sister. “Upon my return, I had considered doing away with the holiday as unneeded frivolity making light of my exile to the moon, but upon closer examination by a wise philosopher who had spent a great deal of his life studying the finer points of the celebration, I found the positives far outweighed any negatives.” Luna paused for a moment while chewing her bite of cake, but nopony else at the table interrupted before she continued. “We would have thought your education at the school in Gravel Flats covered such holidays and their customs.”
Ripple drooped from her ears to her tail, even though one of the servants placed a piece of cake in front of her at that moment. “I don’t go to school. Mama teaches me at home, and Mister Baron Gaberdine…” She stopped, and ever so slowly raised an oversized hoof over the edge of the table while her expression turned from dismal to anticipatory.
“No!” said Pearl abruptly, and louder than she had spoken at the table so far.
“But why not?” implored Ripple, leaning her head out over the table so she could see around a suddenly immobile Gaberdine. “Turpentine’s going to go to school all the way up here in Canterlot, so why can’t I go to school in the pony town? You’d take me to school in the mornings, wouldn't you, Mister Baron Gaberdine?”
“Um…” A trapped Gaberdine seemed to be paralyzed with every muscle in his body locked into position except his eyes, which flickered back and forth from Ripple on one side of him to Pearl on the other. Turpentine wanted to help the poor stallion, but he had made a mess of things by jumping in without thinking before. There had to be something he could do which would help all three of them, and the words just popped out before he could stop them.
“I could walk her to school, Mister Gaberdine,” said Turpentine. “At least until I start school in Canterlot.”
“A generous offer, young Turpentine.” The flicker of a smile formed at the corner of Celestia’s lips and she finally picked up a dessert fork in her magic. “I have seen your school transcripts from Tidewater, but when I sent an inquiry to Gravel Flats, they were unable to find any evidence of your attendance. My Canterlot school will need to see your educational progress before you transfer. Some of your grades are less than stellar. Mathematics, for example.”
“Math is easy,” scoffed Ripple.
Celestia made a noncommittal noise while making her second bite of cake vanish. “Lady Pearl, I can provide assurance that your daughter will be perfectly safe in the school at Gravel Flats, particularly with a friend like Turpentine to help watch over her.” Two more large bites vanished in short order and Celestia smoothly switched to the second piece of cake. “Ripple, I understand that Duke Whinnysfield has a simply marvelous model train set in his den. Since I would like to speak privately with your mother about your attending school, once we are done with dessert, I’m certain if you asked him politely he would be willing to show it to—”
Turpentine had never seen a piece of cake vanish so fast. One moment it was sitting innocently on Ripple’s plate, and the next it was gone with the little seapony scrambling out of her chair and around the table in the direction of Duke Whinnysfield.
“Mist’r Duke,” she spluttered around the cake packed into her mouth. “Can we go look at y’r train? I’ve alw’s wanted to see a train!”
Turpentine barely managed to get his cake eaten by the time Ripple had fairly towed the larger unicorn stallion out of the room, and after he excused himself from the table and darted off in pursuit, he could have sworn Celestia had somehow managed to steal Duke Whinnysfield’s unfinished piece of cake too.
Somehow, he suspected that was part of her plan.
- - ☸ - -
There was a surprising amount of painting involved in making a model train set, from the detailing and aging of train cars to tiny little model houses and buildings around the tracks. Ripple was more interested in the complex little innards of the electric engines and the tiny couplers tying them to the following trail of cars, but to Duke Whinnysfield’s credit, he managed to entertain both of his little guests for quite some time before Turpentine managed to slip away. It was not the size of the train pieces or the complexity of the construction which made him find more interesting things to do in the huge house, but a nagging pain somewhere around Turpentine’s heart to see the large unicorn stallion and the small seapony filly with their heads together while peering through a magnifying glass much like grandfather and granddaughter.
It was unfair. It was also jealousy. Turpentine had never known his father, let alone any grandparents. He was not some cute little filly with a beautiful exotic mother who was falling in love with a baron. He was just a lazy colt who preferred to play with his paints rather than put in a good, long day pulling a plow.
The dark depression was all too easy to pull around himself as it always had whenever a new family was getting a little too close for Turpentine’s comfort. It was hard to keep it wrapped around his gloomy soul, though. The kitchen servants refused to let him wash dishes, and instead tried to bribe him with sweets and unending compliments about his colored pencil drawing of the Whinnysfield family. The library likewise was not a refuge because both Sen and Caractère were having a spirited friendly discussion in which Turpentine could hear his name repeated several times. Even going outside and finding a place in the garden to hide was a lost cause, because Baron Gaberdine and Pearl were proceeding slowly through the rows of flowers, and would most certainly be able to spot him wherever he hid.
In the end he managed to find Gaberdine’s old room, slightly dusty and a little disorganized from his abrupt departure several months ago and seemingly never returned to afterward. It made Turpentine feel useful to dust and put away the unshelved books, but after what little clutter he could find had been dealt with, he found himself drawn to the sun-drenched window with his sketchpad. It was probably not a great view by unicorn standards, but Turpentine could see dozens of houses before the long dropoff to the valley far, far below, and it kept him warm and busy with his sketchpad instead of thinking uncomfortable thoughts.
Some time later, the eventual creaking of the door jarred Turpentine out of his sketching, with the shadows in the room considerably lower than when he had started. Missus Whinnysfield stood in the doorway, her horn lit up to illuminate her path in the dark shadows left by the afternoon sun, peering into the room and looking at Turpentine with a false smile.
“Turpentine?” She moved quietly into the room and stopped at the edge of the warm sunbeam coming through the window. “Gabby said we’d find you somewhere with a big window. It’s getting late, and you should be getting back to Gravel Flats.”
She stood and watched while Turpentine put away his sketchpad and his pencils, waiting until he was done before asking very quietly, “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah,” he muttered, shouldering his saddlebag while keeping his eyes on the varnished floorboards. “I don’t want to keep Mister Gaberdine waiting.”
“Oh, he already left,” said Missus Whinnysfield. “Princess Celestia had her Celestial Phaeton take him and that nice young seapony mare back to his castle. I’m sorry you missed it. They really looked quite the pair standing together on that huge golden chariot when it took off.” She wrinkled up her nose. “Is Gabby’s castle really just a riverboat, or is he pulling my leg?”
“It’s not just a riverboat,” said Turpentine, feeling a little better as he stood up for Gaberdine’s rather unique house. “It’s a Hampton and Smythe Rivermaster with a three-piston steam engine and a streamlined sidewheel which lets it skim over sandbars, and the rudder is on a spring, so it goes places you barely can get a hoof wet. Well, once he gets the engine put back together.” He paged through his sketchbook and produced a line drawing for the older mare’s examination. It was one of his better colored pencil drawings of Castle Paradise IV as it once had been, flying its Equestrian flag proudly with the old baron and his young crew out on deck enjoying the theoretical cruise.
“My. It’s certainly… a boat.” She flipped through a few more pages with her magic, fast at first, then slowing to a quiet examination of a sheet which really did not have much on it. “Gabby certainly seems happy with his… friend.”
“Yeah.” Turpentine tried not to let his shoulders slump. “Is Mister Caractère or Sen waiting on me? Or Ripple?”
“No, Mister Sienna and Miss Ripple went with my son, and Princess Celestia sent a special chariot to take Mister Caractère back to Baltimare. Your friend is a most accomplished art historian, Turpentine. I can see why he likes you so much.” Missus Whinnysfield settled down on the hardwood floor next to Turpentine and pulled over a cushion for him.
“Please. Sit down. I can tell something is bothering you. You’ve got that same look Gabby had when he walked into the house today, and somehow I don’t think it’s just because you didn’t get to ride home on Princess Celestia’s magnificent Phaeton. I promise, I’ll keep your secret just between us.”
With a subdued grumble, Turpentine settled down on the cushion and stewed. He probably would not have said anything if Missus Whinnysfield had not seemed so much like Mother Windrow, but the lump inside his chest would probably feel better outside, and the only way for that to happen was to let it out.
“I’m afraid.” Turpentine took a deep breath. “I’m afraid about everything. I’m afraid something will happen in my life that I don’t get to see, like Celestia’s big fate-on chariot. I’m afraid I’ll never find my place, and I’ll wind up growing beans for the rest of my life. I’m afraid of missing an opportunity, because once it happens, it’s done and I’ll never get another chance. I’m afraid of finding another family, because I’ll lose Mother Windrow, and she’s been the only family I’ve known since my m-mother d-died.” He huddled up closer to the older unicorn mare, who he had not realized was sitting quite so close. “Was Mister Gaberdine ever afraid?”
“Constantly. Particularly during thunderstorms,” she added with a tense giggle. “He’d come scrambling down the hall with snot coming out of his nose and trembling before climbing up into his father’s bed. When the thunder started to roll, I always knew he was coming, and I’d sleep over in my own bed on those nights.”
When Turpentine looked up with a puzzled glance, she looked down and added, “It’s an old unicorn tradition, having two beds in the bedroom. One of them always gets a lot less use than the other, but it upholds the dignity of our station, or so Grandfather Whinnysfield said when we moved in and Poppy took up the title.”
She let out her breath in a long sigh and leaned up against Turpentine. “I was so afraid back then. We were Poppy and Lily in love until one day we turned into the formal and proper Duke and Lady. Thankfully, it didn’t change him on the inside. He had a new coat of paint, but under the surface, he was still my old Poppy, just as fresh as when I met him.”
“It gave him texture,” said Turpentine.
Missus Whinnysfield looked puzzled, but after a moment said, “Yes, I suppose so.” She sat there by his side for some time, looking at the way motes of dust drifted in the sunbeam before adding, “Are you still afraid?”
“Yes,” admitted Turpentine. “But it’s better.”
“Good.” Missus Whinnysfield patted him on the shoulder. “I haven’t needed to be there for a little colt in some time. I was afraid I had lost my touch.”
He thought about the way the duke had enjoyed showing Ripple his model train set and decided that just because a pony was an action-pony did not mean they could not also have a solid stripe of noun-pony in them too, like he did. It did bring up a question, though.
“Missus Whinnysfield, if I stayed here while going to Celestia’s school, would I be able to talk to you about… stuff?”
The path of her nose was warm when she nuzzled underneath his captain’s cap and across his forehead much like Mother Windrow used to do. “Call me Lily, please. You can talk to me about stuff anytime,” she whispered into his ears. “If it were not for you, our son would have hidden his special somepony away from us forever.”
She paused and settled Turpentine’s cap back on his head, looking much more serious. “Do you think…”
“I don’t know,” said Turpentine rapidly.
“Don’t worry about your secret,” said Lily. “Princess Celestia told me that Pearl and Ripple are seaponies, and that I should keep it quiet. I was just wondering about… grandfillies, I suppose. Hooves or a tail.”
It was a topic Turpentine had considered at some length once he had discovered Gaberdine was an ordinary unicorn instead of a disguised seapony, as he had first thought. It had been more of a practical consideration for artistic expression rather than the poignant need for drooling and diaper-filling grandfillies like Missus Whinnysfield, that is Lily seemed to be implying. Still, he had come to a conclusion back then which had not changed up until the present.
“I don’t know if Mister Gaberdine… that is if Gabby and Pearl are ready to make that kind of a decision yet. Besides, if they do decide to have more little fillies like Ripple, would it make a difference either way?”
“No.” Lily rubbed him across the top of the captain’s cap. “Horn, wings, tail or not, grandfoals are still heaven’s gift.” She gave him one last warm hug before looking out the window at the diminishing sunlight. “Well, the pegasus sisters who are supposed to take you back to Fen will be here shortly. Do you need anything before you go? I could get Cook to throw together some of her famous muffins if you want. I know poor Gabby is lost around a stove. I’m surprised he hasn’t burned his new riverboat castle down to the waterline yet.”
“Sen cooks, and I help,” explained Turpentine rather defensively, but he wavered at the thought of some of the wonderful baked goods that had been served at lunch, and his stomach put in a low rumble to express its own opinion. “I suppose a few muffins wouldn’t hurt.”
“Anything else?” asked Lily with a smile. “Gravel Flats is such a provincial town, and we can get you anything you need in Canterlot.”
“Anything?” He devoted some thought to the wonderful word, so filled with promises of paint. “Well, Princess Celestia is going to show up at the castle in a few days, if Princess Luna can pry her loose. I’d like to…” A plan unfolded in his mind and Turpentine began to smile. “Can I get you to buy some painting things for us?”
"Anything" is such a wonderful word.
Ahhhhhh! What a brilliant twist on events!
Front "The One Who Got Away" I took the presence of two beds, and Gaberdine's parents sleeping in different ones, as a subtle and brilliant indication of seven lifeless marriage of political convenience. And here you are, in a paragraph or two, flipping that impression up side down! Brilliant and well done! Another excellent chapter!
That was deceiving. The previous chapter made it seem like something BIG would happen in this one, but yet it didn't. So many teases and snipets about adoption and family. So many teases.
The writing is still fantastic but this looong drawn out, barely a cliffhanger, story telling you have goin on here is torture.
Well that's certainly a way to describe Pinkie. Although it should probably be her life rather than his.
Unless she means Pipsqueak.
“Are we in trouble?” asked Turpentine.
“Can we eat now?” asked Ripple almost at the same time.
Celestia nodded. “Of course.”
I love the fact that Turpentine has yet to cotton on to the fact that Lily is behaving very much like a grandmother to him.
, you made Gabby's parents less stuffy than I imagined. Which is a good thing. Such a cute mental image of the Duke and Ripple looking over the train with magnifying glasses. And Lily was very nice with her talk with Turpentine.
Turpentine certainly has a gift for saying uncomfortable truths, doesn't he?
Of course it was part of her plan. Any plan that gets her more cake is a good plan.
7958778
We can only hope that Caractère somehow manages to let Luna know about what happened.
Let's go Pearl~
So brave. And Turpentine gets lucky again, seeing ponies as they really are. See? It's his talent.
And he misses the big picture again
Turpentine is going to paint Celestia one way or another.
7960314 Something tells me that she was answering both of those questions at the same time.
Was that a reference to somebody else's story about Cadance and the Celestial Phaeton, or just a reference to Greek mythology?
Regardless, this was a wonderful dose of WaFF. Especially Granny Whinniesfield being there for Turpentine (and presumably spoiling him).
Last time I was this early was last chapter
7960402 I thought that was a mistake when I noticed it and I was gonna be all 'WTF' in the comments... Then I saw this
7960339 Turp has the gift of youthful innocence and wanting to see people as they really are beneath the masks tehy might wear
7960646 As did I, but still, I think it would have caused an alert too
Celestia likes to make her life as much of a soap opera as possible, huh?
It's not too surprising that the Duke is handling this so smoothly. He's probably a politician in addition to just a noble, and politicians know how to politician.
Asking the right questions. Ripple, that is.
Well. Dead parents as opposed to dead husbands, I'm not sure this is an entirely better topic.
This line of discussion continues to not get any better.
That's an unusual way to say "Pinkie Pie".
I like the school idea.
Victory for the Cake Goddess!
I like the Duke, really quite a lot. This is pretty much the perfect introduction to the pony that's quite likely to become his adopted granddaughter in the near future.
I really like the Duchess, too. Her conversation with Turpentine was wonderful. I'm now pretty happy with this potential living arrangement for Turpentine while he's at school.
7961016 Yeah, I thought that would elicit some reaction too.
7960300 I thought she meant Pipsqueak.
7961052 OF course the Duke is a politician especially a landed duke. They have to protect their interests and generally their place on the social ladder. Thankfully the Princesses probably curtail the worst of politics of a nobility IE assignation ect.
7960333 There are time everyone is too close to events to see the larger picture. Other times we are too involved in ourselves to notice things which is what is happening to Turp
7961052
Pretty sure she's talking about Pipsqueak, not Pinkie
7960300
I think she means Pipsqueak
7961016 True, Turpentine didn't know she knew they were seaponies
7961127 I figure Pinkie had way more of an impact on Luna in that episode compared to Pipsqueak's contribution. He may have been the one to sum up the moral at the end but Pinkie was the one who really worked at driving her crazy.
7961132 Pinkie drove her crazy, Pipsqueak became Luna's friend. She'll probably remember him more than Pinkie
Considering The Indomitable is in town, I do hope that during Celestia's sitting with Turpentine that Luna teases her about several late night 'diplomatic' meetings with the griffin Emperor. Followed by an impromptu break as Celestia chases her sister about the ship to smack her.
Then if you round (or angle?) this out to a trilogy you could have Celestia with egg and debating on just how to rearrange the royal suites to include a nursery.
Such a brave mare Pearl, and Turpentine somehow you feel so distant poor lost colt.
Judging by the Cake Twins and the reaction to them pony mothers usually give birth to one of the parent's tribe but there is a small chance of any tribe in either parent's ancestry.
Of course Gabby and Pearl are unlikely to have enough foals together for a statistically significant sample. If they had say a 100 foals I'd expect about 50 seaponies, 48 unicorns, 1 earth pony and 1 pegasus. But they'll most likely have only 2 - 4 so all sea ponies or all unicorns is very possible.
Must be interesting for Seapony couples with land pony ancestors. The mothers would always need to give birth on a shoreline just in case.
7960274
It made me wonder why the Duke was so stuffy at the restaurant. Maybe that's how he's expressing his care and concern for his son?
Oh PLEASE tell me Ripple got her talking to on the way back. I dunno if my poor heart could take seeing that.
Turpentine! THAT'S BLASPHEMY! There will never be another filly like her!
7961836 He still has his stick, of course. (snerk)
7961332 Cute, yes. Distraction, yes. Used in this story, no. Planned for another story I'm idling on, yes.
7961129 Eyup.
7961105 I want you to watch for that line in Chapter 18....
7961052 He's not only a Duke, but a parent who suddenly realizes what a lack of education he has given to his son which he expected not to inherit a noble position, and is trying to catch up. He really didn't expect Ripple, but that's only to be expected.
7961016 Celestia and Luna are both there to gently guide the Duke and Duchess in the direction of seapony acceptance. It should be easy enough. Caractère managed to pick up on it with a single glance and a kissed hoof.
7960590 It may have been a sideways tribute to Don't Let The Princess Drive The Celestial Phaeton, where I learned the meaning of the word.
7960274 Told you so.
7960333 Notice that there has been no references to either of Gaberdine's older brothers having children of their own yet, leaving Ripple and Turpentine as de facto grandchildren. Spoil 'em rotten and send 'em home to Mommie, is what my grandma always said.
7961865 7961660 "So..." Gaberdine looked down at the rough husk digging into to his chest. "We managed to get the pod attached, and you said it should provide nutrition and oxygen for the foal--"
"Foals," corrected Pearl shyly.
"Foals," said Gaberdine with a gulp, looking down again at the rough brown pod. "So another four or five months before they hatch, right? We should probably get a pair of bassinettes before them. Or..." Gaberdine hesitated before venturing, "or three?"
"Fifty-seven," said Pearl. "It will probably become a little uncomfortable around the fourth month while they nurse through the skin of the pod, so we'll have to keep your strength up with a high-protein diet high in clam meat and fish, but I don't see why they can't all make it to full term. And if you survive, we'll have to see if we can do this again in a few years to give them some little brothers and sisters."
7961914 This is canon now...
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7961914 While that is admittedly quite amusing, I think for that aspect of biology I'd rather a little less sea and a little more horse.
7962225 maybe at most 4-8 foals and I'm with you
Ripple is so adorable! And of course, Cakelestia makes an appearance.
As delightful as this chapter is, my favorite part is realizing that Lumpy is probably lurking in the rafters above the dining room.
At least someone pities poor Gaberdine
Pff, dammit
This guy always aims straight for the heart, doesn't he? That's gonna backfire on him some day
No matter what Gaberdine says, right now it's still all cute and innocent. But pretty soon it'll become extremely rude
Ahh, that always seems to happen
Hee. Knows how to bribe a filly
Electric? Huh. I'd have expected a classic steam machine set.
Ow
They left him behind? Seriously?
Been saying that for a couple of chapters now
Supposedly.
Huh. Didn't he get enough already in Baltimare? He kinda got carte blanche there.
Remarks and Corrections:
> her concern for Ripple’s well being
Should be "well-being"
7962387 Even one would be enough of A Royal Pain.
Turpentine is being ridiculously wise again.
...leave it to Celestia to make perfectly innocent words do two jobs at once.
7961914
I assume then that Ripple is an only child now because like many tadpoles and fishfry she ate all her siblings to become the biggest and strongest.
7967133 Ripple looked him up and down several times before asking, "So, you're my brother now?"
"I suppose," said Turpentine. "Does that change things?"
"Just a little," said Ripple before turning around and heading into the other room. "Let me get some catsup."
7963994 "...They left him behind? Seriously?" Fixed, fixed, and good grief, it's his childhood home, Gaberdine probably didn't want him anywhere Pearl could get a hold of him for a few hours of uninterrupted guilting, and the pegasus sisters are going to be bringing the wagon back to Gravel Flats anyway. This gives him some thinking time. And cargo space.
7962994 (Lumpy lurking) If so, Laminia is right next to him, giving him a sharp wingtip in the ribs every time she thinks he's looking at Pearl.
7962225 So would Gaberdine, I suppose.
7967662
I have to agree with 7963994 . Leaving Turpentine behind without even checking to see if he's okay or wants to come with them ("Eh, he's probably just sitting alone near a big window somewhere. Come on, family!") reeeally doesn't send the message, "I care about you and value your continued existence". It set up that nice scene with Lily, sure, but it didn't send a very positive message otherwise.
"He's just an earth pony painter. He can ride with the turnips alone while we relax in the royal chariot."
7970256 But what's wrong with sitting among the turnips? They are really good in a stew if you slow cook them along with red wine marinated beef and a proper bouquet garni with some additional tarragon and marjoram.
So... they... can be... tasty... and... uhm... (Alondro has no idea where he was going with this.)
7974257 there are plenty of things wrong with their decision.
And as usual, for our artistic kind, it was in the actions of those who do not understand.
As I have been brooding throughout these last few chapters, you have opened up a quite common and chronic pain amongst people and ponies like him.
I am pretty certain by now that this cokt works in ways, at least supposedly, that is more in favor of the enigmatic then the common.
One such trait would be the inability to find and hold companionship, feeling secluded, or feeling left out from something large and social.
To Turpentine, he still does not feel he is one of tear family yet.
he is having trouble identifying with them, because he lacks any major experience to fall back on.
It makes him feel alone, in a world where it is likely not an easy feat to find the kind of familial companionship he craves.
Now, i, on one hand, do have a family, granted ONE family member, but still family.
I have a dad too, but he is quite literally non existance in my life for multiple reasons, so he automatI call doenst count. Not to mention his lack of understanding stands strongly against him.
But, again, let's get back to Turnuptine.
this isn't "the life of FOXTrot" as much as I wish it were
Anyway, like I said, they left without saying anything to him.
he already feels distandt, to a degree, from Gaberdine and Pearl.
probably feeling 'in the way' to a degree.
And likely doesn't really know how to view Ripple in any sense that he has before.
So when they just up and lft, he probably felt they didn't care enough to say goodbye. Or didn't have the time to see him before leaving.
It's like watching your parents leave you alone somehwere without a backwards glance...if I had more then one instance on that, that is...
I can sympathize with him, because I think he feels a lot more pain and confusion under his surface then any normal pony he has found.
He is quiet, and withdrawn to a degree, but yet blunt and inquisitive.
He wants to learn as much about a pony as he can, so he can express himself through their image.
It's both escapism, and a great talent.
But that same talent is also simultaneously his tool too escapism.
If he didn't have it, I doubt he would be as stable or happy as he is now.
not even to a fraction.
He would completely melt without an outlet to his inner feelings, and likely resort to...I don't even know what.
7963994
7967662
7970256
As someone who's been accidentally left behind a few times, and was convinced that one must have been on purpose... I have to agree with the two commenters, Georg. Being left behind sucks. It makes you feel unwanted and unnoticed, and that's what I felt even though I have a close, loving family.
Okay first off I'll say I'm enjoying this thoroughly, but I've got two things that have been nagging at me and I'm hoping for some clarification
1. Alright what is Pearl's deal! I like her personality shes a good solid character, but her shyness/fear of land ponies just seems kind of ridiculous to me, she almost borderline rude. (I mean she seems worse than Fluttershy to me) A fear this bad has to have some reason to it, I'd say it was something personal like a betrayal of some sort except it seems to be affecting all the other adult seaponies as well, which could mean its an ingrained fear from their society that Ripple's been able to dodge from being raised away from there which leads me to my next nagging thought.
2. Please Please! PLEASE!! Tell me you've got more planned for this series, all the hints about the war with some unknown foe, and Pearl's past plus that fear of land ponies just gets me going "GAAAAA! please explan! there's more here than your saying!" Am I crazy or has anyone else felt that? Keeps me envisioning another story about Pearl past coming back to bite everyone in the flank
Maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself and I should finish reading this story before making all these assumptions, but like I said its been nagging at my imagination thinking "That would be amazing!" ah well I'll just chalk it up you good at your craft, good...... is it sir or milady? whatever thanks for the fun read either way.