Feather Cove’s Square was impressive in an entirely unique way.
Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara entered the square from the South, having skipped this sight in favor of getting to lunch.
The squares for Cadance, Luna, and even Twilight had been designed and decorated in homage to a princess, and what she stood for. Silver Vein’s square had been elegant and understated with its blacks and whites.
This square looked like a shipwreck. Several shipwrecks, actually. Broken carcasses of giant ocean vessels formed the borders to the square. The mast of one ship speared into the ground from the North, and the glittering silver statue of Feather Cove perched on a crossbeam overhead, wings spread as if about to launch into flight.
Another difference from the other four squares they’d visited was a distinct lack of crowd here. They were alone with Feather Cove and his dry land ship graveyard.
For all the spectacle of the square, the scent and sound of decaying wood creaking in the breeze made it difficult to avoid the worry that something was about to break and come crashing down on their heads. Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara silently agreed to leave the square quickly, heading East.
—
“I know we’re lookin’ for some nice dresses, but we done found several already. Why do you keep turning them down? That purple one looked real nice on you and I could have filled a closet with the ones I found for me. Yet here we are, still empty-hooved. You holdin’ out for somethin’ extra special? Since when did you get so picky?” Apple Bloom stopped, lowered her ears to the side of her head, and looked at Diamond Tiara. Ponyfeathers, who am I to call anypony picky after how I was acting last night?
Diamond Tiara returned her gaze. Apple Bloom waited for the obvious barb, but it never came. After an awkward moment, her response was rather cryptic. “Patience, Pear Blossom, you’ll see when I find it.”
While not as cluttered as Girard’s or Feather Square, the shop they stood in looked like it belonged below decks of a ship. The windows were round portholes, the walls solid, unfinished wood. Apple Bloom returned her attention back to Diamond Tiara, watching her poke at bits of colored cloth on hangers. “Shopping is fun and all, but I kinda want to get back to our game. I know we already picked out our plans for the evening, but we ain’t been playin’ as single since lunch.”
“I’m not just shopping for a dress, I’m also shopping for just the right salespony. We’re still playing, but I’m looking for something in particular. We’ll go into the next shop separately though, if you want.”
—
With now-practiced ease, Apple Bloom stepped into the shop. She scanned the interior briefly, spotting Diamond Tiara chatting with the shopkeeper in the back of the store. Rather than pause and stare at them, she kept her gaze moving, taking in all the clothing on display, before spotting a placard displaying a silhouette of a unicorn’s horn.
After three previous ship-themed shops, Apple Bloom was getting used to the splintery smell of wood, and the slightly swaying “racks” of clothes suspended from the ceiling on thick hempen netting. They limited visibility, as they prevented her from peeking furtively over them, but they concealed her better as well. She put her hooves on the colorful clothing before her and browsed through them. It wasn’t difficult to hear Diamond Tiara and the griffon within the small shop, and a few furtive peeks between dresses revealed that he was so engrossed in her that she could probably walk up and tap his beak with her hoof and not get his attention.
“Aww, this one has holes in it too,” Diamond Tiara whined.
“Like I said, the section for earth ponies and unicorns is over there. All of these are made to accommodate wings,” a male voice replied.
Apple Bloom watched openly as Diamond Tiara gripped the burgundy and cream yellow dress a hoof-width from the skirt hem, and held it to her flank, drawing the griffon’s gaze to the curve of her rump. “I think this would suit me so well though. Maybe the holes won’t matter so much?”
“I think you’ll end up disappointed. Maybe we can find something in the same color—”
“I could try it on at least, right? Where is your changing room?”
“We, uh, don’t have one.”
Diamond Tiara pouted at him. “You’re not suggesting I get dressed here in the open? I might need some help putting this on, and if somepony were to walk in and see that, they might get the wrong impression. I don’t know if I could bear being watched like that.”
Apple Bloom barely stifled a cough. I wonder if I sounded like that yesterday.
“You could, uh, use the stock room I guess? It’s this way and has a door for some privacy.”
As the two walked towards the employee-only part of the shop, Diamond Tiara risked a glance back towards Apple Bloom, then nodded twice in quick succession towards their destination. “I would appreciate some help, Mr. Gregory, it can be such a chore getting into a dress with these hooves, you know?”
“O-OK. I can do that for you, Miss Diadem.”
As the door closed behind them, Apple Bloom crept up to it and placed her ear against it. Diamond Tiara seemed to be speaking clearly for her benefit, though it was difficult to make out Gregory’s part of the conversation at times.
“It’s a tight fit in here, you can come a little closer. You’re going to have to touch me if you want to be helpful. Just as I thought, your talons are ever so nimble.”
In Apple Bloom’s imagination, she tried to picture the process of slipping into a dress, but having a griffon’s talons assist in the process. I guess that seems helpful and all.
“So how does it look?”
“…”
“And from behind? Oh my, it seems you do like what you see. Are you into ponies, Mr. Gregory?
“…”
“You don’t have to cover it up, I’m flattered really.”
Apple Bloom widened her eyes, trying to imagine just what was going on to fit that turn of conversation. She had a hard time picturing anything innocent, and frowned a little.
“Go ahead and take a long look. Do you think these two back holes need to be filled?”
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened and she reached for the door handle.
“I think you should undress me now. Such a strong touch you have. Such soft wings too. That gives me an idea. Maybe cover the holes with some wings?”
“…”
“The dress, silly. Like, some patches maybe?”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and put her hoof back down. Diamond Tiara was laying it on thick, but it didn’t sound like anything indecent was going on, so maybe her earlier misgivings were misplaced somehow?
“Alright, you can look a little longer. So how much?”
“…”
“For the dress.”
“…”
“Oh, I don’t think I can afford that. Maybe you could buy it for me, Mr. Gregory?”
“…”
“Oh, well if you can pay that much I think I can afford the rest. Let me write down my room number for you.”
“…”
“At the register? Alright, let's go there then. You might want to cover that up now though, in case customers are out there.”
Apple Bloom took that as her cue to get clear, so she tippy-hooved away, quietly but quickly and put some of the hanging displays between her and the door before it creaked open.
From her hiding spot, she saw Diamond Tiara exit and head to the register, spotting her with a sly grin. It was several minutes before Gregory emerged and joined her. He retrieved a pen and paper for her. She wrote something down, then leaned close and brushed her hip against his side. “Thanks for your help, Mr. Gregory. I think it will be perfect for a fun night tonight.” As she left his side and headed towards the exit, she trailed her tail along his body.
Apple Bloom watched him for a few minutes, fascinated. He gripped the counter and seemed to be trying to catch his breath. When she made her own exit, he didn’t even look up or indicate in any way that he’d noticed her.
“Even though you seem to have found what you were lookin’ for, I can’t help but notice we’re still empty hooved.” Apple Bloom stood beside Diamond Tiara, while the shopkeeper ignored them in favor of flipping pages of her magazine in the back corner. They kept their voices low and stayed behind a netting-rack to avoid drawing her attention, and she seemed content to pretend they weren’t there.
“He’ll make the alterations while he finishes his shift. You saw how little customer traffic that place was getting. Any of these places, really.” Diamond Tiara whispered back. “He’ll fly it to our hotel and drop it off at the lobby. He gets off at 5pm, so that if we go back after then, we can pick it up for later tonight.”
Apple Bloom nodded, and fidgeted with a random dress hanging in front of her.
“You seem bothered.” Diamond Tiara nudged her shoulder with her nose.
“I ain’t the one who is bothered.” She shrugged away from Diamond’s touch.
“You seem a bit jealous, I mean.”
She sighed, took a deep breath, then turned to face Diamond Tiara and looked her in the eye. “I know we’re just playin’ our game, and I know that scene when you left the shop—I know you find guys hot and all, but I still can’t figure out why. They’re so—”
“Hard?”
“Pigsty in Winter! He probably was with how thick you were layin’ it on.”
“He wasn’t all that thick.” Diamond Tiara grinned and waggled her eyebrows.
Apple Bloom made a gagging sound. “Look, I know you were trying to get that dress for free, but it wasn’t exactly expensive. Surely not for your budget no matter what you told’m. So why go through all that effort?”
“You know I prefer my soft Little Flower.” Diamond Tiara pressed close to her, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip. She whispered low and huskily, “And yes, I had him thinking with his lower brain. He was so apologetic that he really couldn’t just give me the dress for free. Even now, I bet he’s adorably holding that dress with my scent faintly on it, getting it ready for me to wear tonight.”
“I guess I don’t feel so much jealous as I do confused.” She nuzzled against Diamond Tiara’s neck, reassuring herself in the scent of her girlfriend’s oddly colored mane. “I still don’t get why you went through all that effort to save a few bits.”
“The money isn’t the issue, as you pointed out.” Diamond Tiara held still for her, even pressing into her touches a little. “It was for the challenge. I didn’t just get a discount, I got to tease and fluster him. It was fun.”
“That seems extra mean. Maybe even cruel. You left him all bothered and he probably thinks he’s going to get lucky tonight. He’s going to be real disappointed. This seems a lot worse than the disappointment we were spreadin’ around this morning.”
“Perhaps the downsides are worse. Like with those other ponies, there will be some disappointment for him. It will be stronger for him than for them when I’m not waiting for him at the hotel, there to invite him upstairs. There are always some negatives, but if I could create a perfect, blissful experience, I’d be doing that for you.”
Apple Bloom felt her cheeks warm at that. “So what positives am I supposed to be focused on this time?”
“Well, for one thing I doubt he will be bothered all that bad. I’m sure he took care of things as soon as we left.” Diamond Tiara giggled a little.
“Hopefully he doesn’t dye your dress a lighter color.”
“Ha!” She widened her eyes and giggled again, even more loudly. “We’ll have to make sure of that tonight before I put it on. Still, this was probably the most exciting day he’s had in some time. I’m sure he’ll be bragging about it to all his friends soon enough. He’ll leave out the disappointing end of course. Probably embellish it and say he went all the way with one of the Silvers.”
“So you’re saying he likely would've had a boring, disappointin’ day without your help? Probably like that mare over there who ain’t offered us a lick of help? I don’t think we ought to buy anything from here with how helpful she’s bein’.”
“Agreed. We shouldn’t reward poor service. Let her cling to her boring day.”
“Still, you seemed pretty into it from your scent. He was pretty close to going all the way, wasn’t he? I know you stopped on account of me, and I love you for that. Would you have let him though if things were different?”
“You mean if I really was single and here to party and have a good time on my own? Yeah, I probably would. Part of making this game fun even if you plan to stop is to toy with that moment before you do. You have to let them get to you at least a little bit if you want to really get to them. Enjoy the fantasy the way you’re getting them to enjoy it. Even if it ends before going too far, it is fun in the moment.
“He was cute, rather sweet. The way he grabbed my tail surprised me and got me good.” She swished her tail and grinned at Apple Bloom. “I’ve never been with a griffon before. It probably would have been fun.”
Apple Bloom snorted in derision. “You mean awkward. He could barely work the drawer with those ‘nimble’ talons they’re always so proud of. He nearly dropped the pen trying to give it to you.”
“We were pretty awkward when we started out, you and I. I think we’ve managed to figure out what works for each other. Was still fun in the beginning despite the awkwardness.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She felt her cheeks warm a little as she thought back to their early days and nights. “I’m not sure if I could ‘go with the fantasy’ though. I would be worried about you the whole time.”
Diamond Tiara leaned close and whispered especially quietly. “Remember when we first started out and sometimes Silver Spoon would watch us?”
Apple Bloom felt her cheeks and ears go from warm to burning. “Y-yeah. After she caught us, it didn’t seem so important to sneak around and hide from her.”
“I never asked at the time, ‘cause we weren’t solid yet, but I thought about suggesting she take a turn on you after me so I could watch.” Apple Bloom could feel Diamond Tiara’s words tickling her ear. “What would your answer have been back then?”
“I—” Apple Bloom swallowed hard and thought it over. “I probably would have said yes. We got really intense back then. It was all an exciting adventure and everything you suggested turned out great.”
“Well, let's play a little more. Let's find you a playmate this time. Remember that feeling back then, and see if you can make some cute girl’s day especially exciting. I’ll watch and keep you safe.”
“Hey.” Diamond Tiara quietly got her attention.
Apple Bloom discreetly oriented herself to put her into her field of vision. She gave a flick of her ear, then wandered away, making space for Apple Bloom to have an encounter. She disappeared from view by entering another aisle, leaving Apple Bloom alone.
Unsure of who Diamond Tiara spotted, Apple Bloom returned to browsing the dresses in front of her. Darting her eyes a bit, she spotted a bit of dark pink that might look nice, and pulled it from the rack. Finding it to her liking, she let herself act a little more excited than she really felt, working in a few extra tail swishes into her display to entice whoever might be looking.
“Excuse me, but do you, like, need any assistance or anything?” A young pegasus mare wearing this store’s simple vest uniform drew her attention. A small nametag on her chest read, “Hello, my name is Cloud Weaver.”
Apple Bloom smiled and nodded to her. She let her eye take in the sight of the cheerful mare before her. Following Diamond Tiara’s advice, she coached herself to look at her not just as an unfamiliar pony, but someone she might potentially get frisky with. Cloud Weaver seemed to appreciate Apple Bloom’s lingering gaze, and she adjusted her pose and fluffed her wings some to put on her best view. She had bright, purple eyes that traveled over Apple Bloom’s body as her own traveled too. Her mane was yellow with interesting red pinstripes through it. As her gaze went lower, the vest drew her attention to Cloud Weaver’s throat and chest, and thoughts of kissing or nuzzling there seemed pretty pleasing to imagine. She looked past the vest to see an unsurprising cloud and thread spool cutie mark, on a slender flank. Like her mane, Cloud Weaver’s tail was short and likely did little to hide anything. If only she had a good angle to look.
Okay, letting her thoughts go this route was pretty exciting she had to admit, and the fact that she was probably thinking of Apple Bloom the same way made it all the more exciting. “Yeah, somethin’ caught my eye.”
“Like, oh em gosh. Your accent is so cute. That dress would look way cute on you too. You should totally buy it.”
Apple Bloom gave a little pout. Maybe she and Diamond Tiara had misread Cloud Weaver. She seemed to be focused more on making a sale than playing their game. Maybe a little more direct approach was needed. It had worked for Diamond Tiara. “Thanks, but I should probably try it on first. Think you could help me with that?”
“I would love to. Customer satisfaction is totally my number one priority.” Cloud Weaver’s smile showed off her even teeth. Apple Bloom still had some trouble with the quick pace of the local dialect, but she thought there might have been an encouraging bit of emphasis on satisfaction. “Like it says on my nametag, I’m Cloud Weaver. If you’ll come this way, the changing rooms are right over here.”
“I’m Pear Blossom, nice to meet you Cloud Weaver. Lead the way.” Apple Bloom gave her own smile, and congratulated herself on remembering her stage name for the game. As she followed Cloud Weaver she confirmed an earlier suspicion. Her tail hid very little. Fighting the ingrained politeness that urged her to look away, she found herself watching the way Cloud Weaver walked.
They arrived at a small set of flimsy wooden walls attached to the corner of the store. Cloud Weaver glanced back and caught Apple Bloom looking, and offered no complaint. She opened the door to one of the cubicles and invited her in with a smile.
Inside, Apple Bloom was greeted by her unfamiliar reflection. She had somewhat forgotten her new appearance during the day. Cloud Weaver came in behind her and shut the door, and Apple Bloom briefly pondered what she saw in this pale yellow pony. As the door shut, she realized she was out of view of Diamond Tiara, and felt more on her own in this.
“If you put your front hooves, like, on that bench thing there, that makes it easier.” Fortunately, Cloud Weaver seemed pretty comfortable in this situation, and her directions helped Apple Bloom relax. She followed the instructions, and soon found herself being touched, asked to lift this leg or that, and a general closeness of the pretty mare. Still, there was a distinctly professional tone to it all.
“You seem pretty good at this. Nice sure touch with your hooves. Think I could get used to it.” Cloud Weaver was pulling a stretchy, clingy band of cloth within the skirts of the dress up past her hips while she was standing nearly upright against the wall. She swished her tail some more, brushing against Cloud Weaver’s wing, while looking down and back towards her with half-lidded eyes.
For her part, Cloud Weaver just giggled some, then darted her gaze towards the door of the cubicle. She rose up closer to Apple Bloom’s ear and whispered, “Not often I get to have my hooves on such a cute rump. Your legs are gorgeous too.”
Apple Bloom cheered internally. She was interested! “Take your time and admire them all you like.” She shifted her stance to be a little wider, and flexed the muscles in her back legs, eliciting a delighted expression from Cloud Weaver. Most of the dress lay draped over her shoulder, and she used one wing to keep the skirts lifted out of her way. Her hooves caressed and explored Apple Bloom’s legs from hip to hoof and back again.
She felt a low heat below her belly. Cloud Weaver was certainly getting to her, and there was no way she’d miss the fact with how close she was. Of course, that was part of the game, right? To let her and not hide that she was succeeding. Even if she wasn’t sure how to turn this to any particular direction, it was exciting just being in the moment.
Cloud Weaver pressed up behind her, drawing a gasp from Apple Bloom. She felt hooves running up her sides, and some tugging, then Cloud Weaver’s wing guided her left foreleg into a part of the dress held in a hoof. She lingered on the process, feeling and exploring this limb as intently as she had the back two.
“Your feathers are so soft.”
“Glad you like them. I can do some pretty cool things with them you can’t do with hooves.”
“Oh yeah, like what?”
“Just imagine where you might like a delicate, precise touch, and I’m sure you’ll get the idea.”
Apple Bloom felt her heartbeat in her chest. She certainly could imagine a few places. She barely registered the fact that she was fully dressed now as she contemplated Cloud Weaver’s wings in an entirely new light.
“So, what do you think? I totally called it. You look way cute in that.”
Apple Bloom shook her head then got back down on all fours and looked at herself in the mirror. She was right, it suited her just fine. She turned around a few times, then playfully struck a provocative pose or two, drawing appreciative nods from Cloud Weaver. “Yeah, I think I’ll take it.” She reared back up against the wall, then looked back towards her helper. “Mind getting me undressed?”
Without a word, they were pressed together again. Cloud Weaver’s chest to her back, hooves and wings on her body. Peeling the cloth away, and lingering on taut muscles beneath. She closed her eyes and reveled in the contact. Diamond Tiara was right. This tension was exciting, even if nothing would come of it. Though she might need Diamond Tiara to take care of her again tonight.
She felt a tug at her tail, and she looked down behind her to watch Cloud Weaver pull her free from the dress. She lifted her tail high once it was clear, putting herself fully on display. Cloud Weaver paused and stared, much to Apple Bloom’s amusement. Their gazes met, and the moment stretched on.
“Maybe I could have a turn and take that little vest off of you.” She got down on all fours and faced Cloud Weaver, then reached for her vest collar.
“You are such a tease. If I wasn’t at work, I would totally be on you right now.” She trailed a wingtip up and down Apple Bloom’s cheek, then ducked her head, pulled a marker from her vest pocket, then hastily wrote on an inside surface of the dress puddled on the floor. She put her marker away, then eagerly pushed her muzzle to Apple Bloom’s.
The initial shock of the sudden kiss was mild, and Apple Bloom found herself welcoming this mare’s tongue into her mouth with so little hesitation that she was more surprised at herself.
Cloud Weaver broke the kiss, then leaned closer to nip at her ear. She whispered, “I’m off at five. Be at my place around then.”
Wide-eyed and breathing hard, Apple Bloom just nodded. She felt hot. Somewhere among the thoughts of Cloud Weaver’s soft wings, the advice not to say no, and the idea of Diamond Tiara watching over her, she vaguely felt like something might be missing, but she was having trouble placing it right now when Cloud Weaver’s chest was rubbing against hers, and her breath was on her neck.
“Wear the dress. I wanna take it off of you again.”
Apple Bloom caught another view of Cloud Weaver’s short tail and the view it failed to hide as she left the changing cubicle and left her to gather her wits and the dress.