//------------------------------//
// 7 - Pass the Gravy 
// Story: Duet in the Dust 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

"<Today, the horse is a warrior,>" came Randal's voice from inside.

His wife gave only the briefest hint of a smile, but backed away from the door, allowing Vinyl inside, but not pulling open the door.

Vinyl had to nudge it herself, but did so without thinking about it, the insult missed on her. "So, what's for dinner? Is it grilled worm chunks? Wonder what that tastes like..."

The interior of the building was as spartan as the outside. Everything there looked like it had a purpose for being there. A single hanging picture of a sunrise appeared to be the only thing present that was there for aesthetic purposes. That sunrise was painted with bold colors, the brilliant sun chasing away the deep ashen clouds of the age before its burning brilliance.

Vinyl found herself looking at it. "Rocking. Do you guys ever have one of these?" She pointed at the depiction.

"Sit." Randal pointed to a chair, a simple thing made of hand-carved wood. It was also clearly made for a humanoid, not nearly wide enough for a pony to sit on their haunches on it. There were several such chairs besides the one he sat in, spread around the generously-sized table.

"<Does it know how to eat like a civilized being, or can I spare the silverware this humiliation?>" His wife walked purposefully towards the kitchen. "<It's early; the food will be ready in fifteen.>"

Randal's eyes were on Vinyl, examining her. "<Today, she is a warrior. She did well, and bled for us. Whatever she is, we don't ignore that. Show respect.>"

"<Yes yes,>" placated his wife without sounding sincere as she grabbed a wooden spoon to resume her cooking efforts. "<It will eat what I make and I had best not hear whatever passes for a complaint. If it wants whatever it normally eats, it can leave.>"

Vinyl hopped up into the chair he had pointed to and awkwardly turned around to face him before she eased herself into the unnatural position of a human sit. It wasn't the default, but a pony could do it, if they wanted to. "Nice to break bread with ya." Her head softly bobbed, as it tended to do. "This is going to be a little awkward if you can't understand me though."

Randal spread his hands across the mostly empty table that separated them. "<There is a natural order to things, even in this frayed age. While you are not a human, you have a part in it, and you have chosen to contribute towards the greater good.>"

Vinyl perked an ear at the gibberish. He sounded serious, but was speaking at her directly, and he didn't sound angry. She decided to assume she was getting a congratulations. "Hey, when you're doing something, do it right, yeah? Besides, I wanted to find something great, and I did. Say, why isn't Hank coming along?"

"<Why are you wasting words?>" She came in, bearing a heavy-looking tray with both of her hands. "<Move.>" She placed the main course, covered as it was, directly in front of him, forcing his hands to vacate for it. "<There is to be one more, yes?> Tim?"

Randal nodded at her before returning his attention to the bobbing Vinyl. "<She is an excellent chef, and a fierce fighter. I apologize on-->"

"<Don't put words in my mouth,>" she fumed with a furious expression. "<I tolerate it at your word only.>" She aboutfaced and marched back for the kitchen.

Vinyl watched her go. "She doesn't dig me, huh?" She wobbled a hoof a little. "Whatever she made, smells interesting." It had the scent of fat and muscle. There would be meat involved, she was certain, but she had been pretty sure even before it came out. "Oh yeah, is it alright if I bring some back to the house, for Octavia? Mare needs to eat like everyone else, and she did her part."

A knocking drew both of their attentions. The door cracked open. "Randal?" came Tim's voice from outside. "<Alright to come in?>"

Randal made a come hither flip of his fingers. "<You are a warrior today, proven with blood. Enter and sit with us.>"

Tim slipped inside, closing the door carefully before he started to approach. He spotted the back of Vinyl's head, taking in how she was seated. "Is that comfortable?"

Not exactly, she thought. "S'cool." She gestured at Randal. "Maybe you can translate?"

Tim sank down on the chair next to Vinyl. "<Thank you, Sir. I was just doing my part, for the town.>"

"<As we all try to do, but success is not assured. Today, you found it.>" He clasped his hands together with the soft pop of human flesh meeting human flesh. "<You recall the mountain worm, do you not?>"

Tim's eyes went to the covered platter. "<Is that what that is?> The mountain worm."

Vinyl perked. "Is that what that thing's called? It wasn't on a mountain, but whatever." She heard steps approaching. Randal's wife was coming with two smaller plates that she set out on the table, adding their soft fragrances to the offering. One of them was temptingly vegetable-like in its hint. "Today, we find out what it tastes like."

Randal glanced at Vinyl, but his focus was on Tim. "<What do you think of her?>"

"<Who? Oh!>" He realized just a moment after starting to speak who he would be referring to. "<Eager, has tricks, and she has a good attitude.>"

The wife returned with one more sizable tray. She set it down only to pull the lid right off, plucking off the others right after it. "<It is good the horse performs tricks well.>"

"Tanya," Randal hissed. "<Feign indifference, if you cannot respect those that share our struggle.>" He forced a smile, looking at Vinyl. "Eat." He nodded at her, then Tim. "<With those that stand in blood, we dine.>"

Tanya hefted a carafe, pouring out into heavy metal cups a dark brown fluid that smelled of alcohol of some unknown variety. She served Tim, Randal, and filled one other glass that was nowhere near Vinyl.

"Hey, pass some this way." Vinyl tapped the table with a hoof. "Party mare can handle a little happy juice."

Randal said nothing, he just spread a few fingers in Vinyl's direction. It was enough of a hint for Tanya to approach with the booze. She muttered something too low to hear as she poured for Vinyl, filling her metal cup to the very top, uncomfortably full in an act of defiance. "<Eat. It's best before it cools.>"

Vinyl took hold of her mug in her magic and spread out her forelegs wide as if balancing as it rose perfectly straight. "Come to me, my vessel. Let not a drip spill until you are on the lips of your rock goddess." Despite the tension, she was smiling, amusing herself with her antics as she bade the cup float closer carefully.

Tim chuckled softly as he reached to cut off a section of something gooey and get it to his plate. "<It's been a while since I warranted a meal at your table, Randal. I'll have to work harder.>"

Tanya proved she was capable of a real smile, shaking her head at Tim. "<You work very hard, Tim, don't think otherwise. Success, as my husband says, comes with a combination of things, but effort is not one you lack. Thank you.>"

Randal lifted his own cup to match Vinyl's. "<I cannot speak with certainty, but this is twice you have been called on> Vinyl Scratch <And twice you have risen.>" He held out his cup expectantly.

Vinyl aborted the approach of her cup. "Uh, hey, appreciate, but, you know, kinda full?" She sat up as tall as she could and leaned forward, quickly sucking a precious inch of the fluid away into her mouth. It tasted foul and bitter and she let out a loud wheeze that broke into laughter. "Oh wow! This is gonna knock me flat if I don't take it easy, I can tell." With some room made, she hurriedly floated her cup over to Randal. "To future awesome gigs!"

Tim rose his metal cup to hover near the other two. "<To success.>"

Tanya hesitated before raising her own cup. "<To the future of the town.>"

Their cups collided with the slosh of the brew inside and the metallic collision of the containers involved.

Rather than take another sip right away, Vinyl set her cup down and reached with her magic for what looked like the main platter, largest, greasiest, and most gnarly in appearance. There was her cut slice of roasted worm. She grinned at it as she hefted up the serving knife in her magic and got to cutting. "I don't care how good or bad this tastes, I need to try it." She helped kill it, with a bunch of death metal cover warriors, it was time to sink her teeth into it and maybe do some crazy screaming... If they did it first.

Tim was starting in on the unidentified goopy stuff he had served himself. "It's good, especially fresh. <Compliments to the chef.>"

Tanya demurely waved at Tim. "<Stop that, you flatterer. You'll give Randal the wrong ideas.>"

Randal snorted out a brief laugh. "<Tim is not that sort of man. Don't fill yourself on the sides.>" He gestured at the main dish. "<Even> Vinyl <is enjoying her portion. I did not think a pony would. I confess, I urged Tanya to make what you're eating for her.>"

Tanya frowned at that. "<You said this was for Tim.>"

Tim raised his hands. "<I do like it, and thank you for making it. It's a rare treat I get to enjoy.>"

Vinyl was trying her slab of meat, slain by the most grungiest of warriors with a backup singer she knew very well. "Awesome..." It was a strange and new flavor, but strange and new were both positives in her book. Her face was becoming a mess as she tore into it without much concern for etiquette in the process, using a fork only to jab and hold the meat up to her mouth.

Tim slid a portion into his mouth much more sedately than Vinyl. "<She's really liking it. Aren't ponies herbivores?>"

Tanya squinted a little before a faint smile appeared. "<She is a freak of a horse, which may be why she's getting along so well. Maybe she's forgotten she even is a horse, though she has the manners of one.>"

Randal's brows raised together. "<At least you have acknowledged her.>" He cut his share of meat in half easily and then that in half again before taking the reduced portion up at the end of his fork. "<Smells delightful, as usual.>"

"No idea what you're saying." Vinyl set down her meat, or the good portion still left. "But that was good." She pat her belly for emphasis. "I'm gonna save this for Octie, alright?"

Tim took a sip from his powerful drink. "<She wants to save the rest for her friend, Octavia.>"

Randal hiked a brow. "<Her pet, it is her decision what to do with her own food. Is she full?>"

Vinyl answered that unwittingly. As her magic tucked the meat away in her pocket, to the confused expressions of all the humans present, she washed it down with some of the potent drink just to move smoothly for one of the side dishes.

Tanya made a little wave at Vinyl. "<What did she just do? Does she have a second mouth, even more voracious than the first? What strange creature have you brought into this town?>"

Randal, though polite, was not much slower at demolishing his food. He was larger, to start, and each bite made his share diminish quickly. "<They are fey, do not forget. Such things should not be entirely unknown.>"

"What is this?" She jiggled her metal cup in the air. "I might regret asking, but I'm too curious."

Tim gestured at it with a few fingers as part of his own enjoyment. "Honey wine."

"You have bees?" Vinyl flashed a bright smile, messy as that was. "Life ain't so bad."

Elsewhere, Octavia watched as the food was divided between her bunkmates, but she was given none. "Of course... I had thought... I found something today."

Quarter inclined her head slightly at her disappointed equine friend. "Wait, were you the one that found the you-know-what I'm working on?"

"Not that, I'm afraid." she waved a hoof. "I found a small mechanical racecar with working batteries."

Shiela was laying on her cot, chewing on a tough root slowly. "You have gained a title, a poor one. It will take more than one small find to change the momentum of their thoughts. To them, you are little more than a pet dog who found a useful thing in the dirt."

Quarter frowned at the elf. "That's harsh. I mean, not entirely inaccurate, but still harsh! Ease up on the pretty pony." She produced a long tough root from her collection and held it out. "Here."

Octavia eyed the morsel being waggled at her. "I do not wish to deprive you of your own meal, Quarter, though the thought is--"

Quarter popped the root into Octavia's flapping lips. "Less talking, more chewing. I won't starve sharing a little with you, and your friend will bring more later, right? This'll take the edge off while you wait."

Octavia's teeth clenched around the intruder a moment before she relaxed and began to chew the offered food. "When she offers whatever leftovers she has, I will give some back to you, in return for your generosity."

Quarter clapped her hands, dropping some of her food in the motion. "Kindness pays for itself, sometimes nice and fast. Randal's just never invited me to have some of the good stuff."

Octavia raised a brow. "Has Vinyl done such a good deed that you've never managed to top?"

Quarter shrugged at that. "They don't usually trust me with the scavenging missions, even if I'm good at that."

"She finds much, but returns with little," provided Shiela.

Octavia imagined the gnome excitedly darting from find to find, hurrying to smash them together into what she hoped would work, or just getting distracted by the next shiny thing. "I see... What do you do then, if you don't mind the asking?"

"I'm a mean shot with a pistol." She drew out one of those, though it looked like it had many more parts than was strictly required for a pistol to operate. "Custom made and constantly refined to make anyone daft enough to cause trouble to regret it really fast."

Octavia slowly nodded. "I... see, well... I don't think I will win any favors with my fighting ability." She smiled thinly, looking away as she chewed on her root. "I would much rather avoid conflict as opposed to rushing into it."

Shiela sat up on her cot, leaning to the side to give enough room between it and the bunk above it. "Have you found your music? I hear Vinyl is revelling in hers."

"Don't remind me." Octavia set a hoof against her head a moment. "I found a few things that I like, but they have no... function. They just look nice." She pulled free her Sunset Sally doll, a smile spreading without being asked for. "Like her."

Quarter bounced forward, peering at the plastic pony. "I like it!" she called triumphantly. "I've seen her before. She's a her? I never knew that. Great! Does she have any action moves?" She tilted this way and that, searching with her eyes for levers or catches to try,

"I'm afraid not." Octavia carefully lifted up the doll's arms and waved a plastic hoof at Quarter. "She's very mobile and flexible. You can pose her in all manner of possibilities. While delightful, I don't see how this will help me, or anyone else for that matter."

Quarter sheathed her pistol smoothly. "It's still pretty great. Got any others?"

Octavia set her doll down gently before reaching for the smaller, less flexible, little figurine. "Well..."

Elsewhere, Vinyl sagged against the table. "That wash all kindsa good." A hiccup tore through her and she tried to sit up, but the whole world was spinning in a slow but purposeful way that made her stagger. How strong was that drink?! "I... should probably go sleep this off... I'm gonna be useless tomorrow if I push any further."

She raised a hoof and waved at Tanya. "Hey, uh, thanks for the grub. I'm sure Octie will love it too."

Tim rose to his feet, not looking nearly as inebriated. "<I should take her to her home. Thank you, Randal, Tanya.>"

"Hey!" suddenly blurted Vinyl, fixing her eyes, mostly, on Randal. "You never said why Hank wasn't here. He... was great." She flopped her head to the side, her muscles refusing to work smoothly.

Randal nodded at Tim. "<See that she gets there safely, and get some water in her before she passes out.>"

"<You may want to bathe her while you're introducing her to water,>" added Tanya in a clear barb. "<She looks almost as filthy as the meat itself.>"

"Oh yeah, let me..." Vinyl reached out a hoof just for it to flop on the table.  Her magic proved slightly more coherent, snatching some of the side dishes and feretting them away quickly into her pocket. "Got it... Alright, let's... go." She fell from her chair in an ungraceful dismounting.

Music began to play. It was loud enough to hear clearly, but just barely so. It took a moment to realize they were coming from Vinyl's headphones, clearly playing at an entirely unhealthy volume. Tim reached for them, casually brushing the volume knob down until people couldn't hear her music without wearing the headphones.

For better or worse, Vinyl didn't notice, staggering towards the door. "The rock queen's gotta catch some major Zs to lay down the rock--" she tripped over her hooves, crashing to the ground in a heap of disheveled pony limbs.

Fortunately, Tim was right there, gently helping her back to her hooves and getting her moving again. With a drunken cheer, Vinyl was led out of the house, leaving Randal and Tanya behind.

Randal rose and took hold of the main platter, to assist with clearing the table. "<That was an excellent meal, thank you.>"

Tanya stood up to join in the cleaning activities. "<Almost perfect.>" She eyed the space that held the pony. "<What do you see in her?>"

Randal set his platter down on a counter in their small kitchen. "<She may not be human, but humans are only first, not singular. She has accepted her role with energy and competence.>"

Tanya rolled her eyes  as she set the dishes away in the sink to be cleaned. "<She was rude and dirty. Even as a human, I would find her presence trying at best.>"

"<She is a strange one, I will not argue that.>" He twisted a knob, allowing water to flow, having such water was a luxury, and one he put to work by using his large hands to clean used plates and utensils. "<But she was not rude. She spoke highly of your cooking, and was only cheerful, even in the face of your petulance.>"

Tanya scowled at that. "<You turn this around on me?>"

"<Is there a reason I should not?>" He turned to her. "<If I invite a dog into my home to dine with me, I expect my family to treat them as a guest. Times may be hard, but we are not savages. She did not forget this. While the other inhuman guests scowl and scheme, she raised her cup without hesitation to join us in celebration. Why should I not turn this on you?>"

Tanya threw a hand aside, anger etched on her face. "<I am a warrior too, just as any of them. You, of all people, should understand not wanting to sit across from a horse as she fills her ugly face with the food I worked hard to prepare!>"

Randal turned back to the dishes, giving them attention instead of his angered wife. "<She cannot change what she is. If she could, she would be quite the power. I will not turn away anyone who commits themselves to the success of the town.>"

Tanya slid in just behind him. "<And what makes you so certain she's done that? Mark my words, the moment she catches the wind of another opportunity in those big nostrils of hers, she'll gallop away and not look back.>"

"<And we will be harmed for what we have shared so far?" He set some dishes in a crude rack to dry. "<I expect little from inhuman guests, but she has done well for us. Let us not sink as low as we expect she may. If only her companion was half as useful.>"

"<Is she as coarse?>" Tanya moved for the drying dishes with a rag and started to dry them. Despite her anger, their cooperation in the kitchen came almost instinctively.

"<From what I hear-->" He paused to push leftovers in a glass container for later, then resumed his cleaning. "<--She is well-mannered, just useless, as if she were the opposite of her friend, or lover.>"

Tanya burst into laughter at that. "<Do you think? They have no privacy in the, ew, do you think they do those things where the others can see?>" She wrinkled her nose, but kept right on drying and putting the dishes away. "<I don't understand them, any of them.>"

Elsewhere, Tim had to walk directly aside Vinyl, a hand over her to keep her steady as she ambled her way home in anything but a straight line. He pulled and pushed gently, correcting her course as she sang her drunken shanties with vigor despite her clear stupor.

She fell against him. "Hey... Hey man... I never told you, but... You're awesome."

"Thank... you," replied Tim, unsure how to take it. "We are almost there. You get some sleep."

Vinyl broke into rough laughter, taking a single step forward. "Oh! Oh! Wow, Oh! Really? Wow..." She staggered forward unevenly, forcing Tim to catch her and set her back on the path. "Really?"

"Yes, really." He smiled nervously as they went, hoping she didn't pass out. She was heavy for her size and he didn't look forward to trying to drag her anywhere. "You like honey wine."

"Yyyyeahhhh, of course I did." She stopped a moment as if having a profound thought. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"You know what!" She headbutted him, prodding him uncomfortably with her horn. "Ya wanna sleep with the DJ Master? Bold, dude, real bold. Most stallions get too nervous before they can ask."

Tim colored, but tried to keep her going. "Your companion waits."

Clarity suddenly rushed back to Vinyl's eyes. "Aw shoot! Octie! She hasn't eaten!" Vinyl rushed ahead towards the inhuman house, though she was miserable at going straight, she wove her way in generally the right direction, scrambling to get home. "She's gonna be so... so... mad with me..."

Tim hurried to her side, just barely catching her as she began to list to the side dangerously. Her significant bulk threatened to knock him off balance, but he kept her from the ground and reached out, barely managing to knock on the door. "It's Tim and Vinyl," he called out in his inexperienced sylvan.

There was a sound, a hurried clip-clop, then the door swung inwards, revealing the concerned face of Octavia. "Oh, thank goodness. I was starting to worry for you... Are you drunk?" She raised one of her refined brows, peering at her staggering friend. "You get one dinner out and you rush to get sloshed? Vinyl Scratch!"

"Yes'm, Sorry'm," muttered Vinyl as she staggered forward, half-falling into Octavia. "Sorry... Sorry... I'm... kinda tired."

Octavia wrapped a foreleg around Vinyl, holding her gently as she slumped. "Thank you." She was looking at Tim. "For seeing her home safely."

"You are welcome. Good Night."

The door gently closed, leaving Tim alone. Not nearly as hammered as Vinyl had been, he set off for his own home.