April 20th, 998
The commotion in the Apple family room temporarily subsides as a knock comes at the front door, quickly escalating back to the previous din. Nearly the entire herd is home and at play in the centrally located room; it makes it quite difficult to maneuver around unless everypony is sitting still, engaging in whatever game or conversation they have going. Rainbow and Applejack are playing Junior Ponopoly with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo; Rarity and Applebaum are watching the five, sipping tea and eating crackers, respectively; Pinkie Pie and Lemon are popping in and out of the kitchen, delivering after-dinner snacks; Fluttershy is pushing a small toy around with Hedge and Pomarbo; Meringue is off on her own, doodling on a scrap of paper with a few crayons.
Lemon balances a tray of drinks on her back, making the delivery to the five at the Ponopoly game. She walks to the door and stretches up, barely able to reach the bar that runs across the middle. Her weight pushes the door open, revealing a smiling Amethyst Star holding a wine bottle. Lemon turns back, yelling over the rest of the ponies, "Doug! Amy is here!"
Rarity gives Lemon a reproving glare; the filly gives a smile while hunkering down a little, returning to the kitchen and out of the line of Rarity's gaze. Rarity gives Amethyst an apologetic look, saying, "I'm sorry, darling, but they sometimes forget their manners when everypony is here."
"Oh, it's not a problem," Amethyst grins, a little too much enthusiasm to cover her dislike of the chaos in front of her. Doug exits his office, making his way over to the unicorns. "Good evening, Doug! Has your day been going well?"
Doug shrugs, "Can't complain; it's been going fairly smoothly, for around here." He glances to Rarity, "Did you want to play in here, or my office?"
Rarity shakes her head, "I would much prefer somewhere quieter, where we can at least hear ourselves think." She turns back to the main room, saying, "Applebaum, come join us upstairs." The filly gets up, walking to the stairs while Rarity gets several plates of snacks for the group. She glances to Amethyst Star, "Did you bring glasses?" At the shake of the unicorn's head Rarity grimaces, wondering if Applejack has anything appropriate. Or matching.
Three reasonable finds later, two of which came from Pinkie Pie's saddlebags, and Rarity heads upstairs, the items levitating near the ceiling, out of the way of everypony in the way. Doug has set up a low table in the master bedroom, not many other spaces available with the whole herd around. Rarity asks, "So, are we playing with the same teams?"
"Sure," comes the reply from Amethyst, "I need some redemption after that last game. I really thought we would be able to make it."
"Yes, it happens," Rarity says, sitting down across from Amethyst, "I believe the score is three to one?"
"Yup! We're in the lead," comes the cocky reply, Applebaum smirking at the two unicorns, the earth pony filly pushing a box over so she can stand at the table a little easier.
Doug sits down, cross-legged opposite the filly, "Now, remember, Applebaum, confidence is good."
"Yeah, but we don't want to rub it in their muzzle." Applebaum looks to the side and sighs, a quieter, "Is it rubbing it in their muzzle when we say we shouldn't rub it in their muzzle?"
Doug leans across the table, pausing as Applebaum leans in close. He says, loudly, "Yes."
Applebaum rubs her ears, wincing a little at the unexpected noise while backing off. Rarity and Amethyst hide their smiles with a hoof, Amethyst pulling out the bottle. "Can I interest anypony in some rose petal wine?"
Rarity levitates over the three glasses, saying, "Sure, I'll take a glass." She glances over at Applebaum, who is eyeing the red bottle eagerly, "I'm sorry, Applebaum, but you are a little too young for your own glass." She leans over conspiratorially, "But, as long as you don't tell Applejack I'll let you taste some of mine."
The filly's eyes light up, resting back on her box and closely watching Rarity levitate the glass over. Rarity pauses for a second as she considers, then pours a small amount from her own glass to the one Doug will be using, and sliding that one to Applebaum. The filly eagerly takes the glass, hesitating from chugging the entire thing as Rarity shakes her head.
"Observe," Rarity says, taking a small sip from her glass. "It might taste a little different than your normal apple juice, especially once you have swallowed." She takes a second small sip, levitating the glass back to the table.
Applebaum carefully takes the glass in her hooves, trying to lift it like Rarity did. She grunts, struggling with getting the glass to the proper height to not soak her muzzle with the red liquid. She lifts, higher and higher, until a small amount touches her outstretched tongue. She smacks her lips, her hooves briefly loosening and the wine glass slipping from her grasp.
Doug and Rarity both move, each trying to save the wine glass from toppling out of the filly's hooves and staining the wood floor. Their haste turns out to be unnecessary as Applebaum grips the glass again, quickly gulping down the mouthful of liquid remaining. She looks at the two, her eyes resting on Rarity and burping. "This is good!"
"I'm glad you like it, Applebaum; I made it with Roseluck's help." Amethyst smiles, pouring a glass for herself and topping off Rarity's glass.
Rarity takes the glass out of Applebaum's offering hooves with her magic, holding it still as Amethyst tops the glass off, then levitating it to Doug. The filly stretches her hooves out, trying to grab at the full glass, but Rarity shakes her head. "I'm sorry, darling, but you can have a little more after a few minutes. I wouldn't want your sire to accuse me of getting his partner drunk in order to win." She winks at Doug, her stallion returning the wink as he takes a sip of the wine.
Doug swishes the liquid in his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing, a light grimace on his face. He sets the glass down, taking the deck of cards and shuffling a few times. "We ready to begin?" he says, watching his filly bore a hole into the glass in front of him.
Amethyst and Rarity take a sip from their glasses, nodding as Doug begins dealing. Doug glances at his nearly full glass, taking his cards and looking over them. Amethyst asks, "Do you not like the wine?" as each pony takes their cards, Applebaum having trouble holding all the cards in her hooves at once.
Doug picks up his glass, peering at the liquid within, "Never been a big fan of wine. Or the alcoholic ciders Applejack and Big Mac brew, for that matter." He takes another sip of the wine, a slight shrug at the taste, swirling the liquid in his glass. "I'd just as soon be drinking apple juice, honestly. The taste isn't bad, at all, I just don't care for the alcohol."
Amethyst hides her grimace as the bidding commences, saying, "Oh? There a particular reason for that? I don't imagine you as a particularly violent drunk, not like some of the mares in town."
Doug shakes his head, "No, I just shut down. I don't care about interacting with anypony else, so I just sit by myself."
The bidding completes, Applebaum the first stallion. The filly takes the opportunity to go downstairs, grabbing two of the bottles of apple juice in the pantry. She comes back upstairs, the game already finished and Amethyst dealing the next hoof of cards. Applebaum passes one of the bottles to Doug, taking the other to her seat.
Amethyst smirks, "So, there aren't any deep, dark secrets that you are afraid of leaking out?"
"From here? Well, I can't exactly tell you those secrets, if there are any, now can I?"
Amethyst says in a sing-song voice, "That's not a no~o!"
Doug nods, "Yeah, it's not. Fairly standard non-answer, can't really say I'm lying one way or the other. And you don't want to know about the secrets from before I got here."
"Oh? Why is that?"
Doug shrugs, "Because if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Rarity smirks while Amethyst startles back. Doug sighs, "Yeah, see, that's a joke, a good indicator of gallows humor. Not exactly the kind that gets a warm reception around here." He takes another sip of wine, setting the glass far away from himself.
"Well, it hardly seems to be a subject to joke about!" Amethyst says, shaking her head, "But I think you're right, I don't really want to know more. Maybe it is better if you don't drink."
Rarity finishes off her glass of wine, motioning with her muzzle to Doug's glass. He motions forward with his hand as he picks up the next hoof of cards, Rarity levitating his glass next to her as Amethyst refills her own glass. Rarity pours a half inch into her empty glass, sliding it over to Applebaum. The filly eagerly grabs the glass, a little splashing onto her brown coat as she downs the wine.
"How much are you planning on giving her?" Doug asks, the second round of bidding finishing quickly. Rarity shrugs; Doug is the stallion this time, Applebaum's normally slow and methodical play becoming a little sloppy. "Remember to count the cards, Baum," Doug says, the filly becoming a little frustrated at remembering which and how many trump cards have been played.
"Hey, no helping!" Amethyst moans, refilling her glass of wine again.
Doug shrugs, "Sorry? My goal is to help her learn to play better; I can give you the same pointers too, if you'd like."
"Yeah, it's not like he's telling me what to do," Applebaum says, staring at the cards in front of her.
"Ugh," Amethyst moans, "It's bad enough I'm being beaten by a human, I don't need the same from his filly, too."
Applebaum sticks her tongue out at Amethyst, the mare returning the gesture. Doug snaps his fingers, the two ponies turning as he looks directly at Applebaum, saying, "Hey. None of that. Do it again and we stop."
"Sorry, Daddy," Applebaum says, hunkering down a little as she looks at her cards. She tentatively makes a play, frowning as Rarity stops her.
"Sorry, dear, you are starting on the stallion's side."
A tear comes to Applebaum's eye, the one trick penalty for a misplay the difference between potentially making her bid and failing. She sobs a few times to herself, looking over at the cards again to see if there is something she can do.
"It's okay, Applebaum, I don't mind if you take it back," Amethyst Star says, smiling at the filly. Amethyst is a little startled as the filly looks to Doug, the human's stony face remaining impassive.
"No, Amethyst. I messed up." Applebaum sniffles, sliding one of the tricks to the small pile by Rarity. "It's okay." The filly avoids looking up as she finishes out the hoof, going down by one trick at the end. She gives a heavy sigh, a glance to her sire surprising her.
Doug beams a smile at the filly, "I'm proud of you, Applebaum. It takes a lot of integrity to lose, when you could have cheated or taken an unfair advantage to win." He turns to smile at Amethyst, a slight shake of his head; the mare was initially about to object, but returns the smile, saying nothing.
Applebaum grins up at Doug, hopping off her seat and dashing under the table, jumping into his lap. He strokes her mane as she snuggles next to him, his fingers making long strokes down her back.
Rarity moves next to Doug, whispering in his ear, "You're not the only one who's proud," a light nip to the soft cartilage. One hand comes up, moving between her ears, the unicorn giving a heavy moan as he begins scratching.
"Aww, now I'm getting jealous," Amethyst says, moving next to Doug. "I don't suppose I could get some of those?"
"If you want." Doug maneuvers Rarity, the mare following his scratching fingers as he backs up, sitting against the side of the bed. Rarity cuddles into his side, resting her eyes while Applebaum remains on top of his chest. Amethyst walks up, laying her head on his stomach and looking up at Doug.
Applebaum asks as she looks between the two mares, "Is this one of the times I need to go to my room and play quietly?"
Doug's hand briefly caresses Applebaum's mane before he says, "No, dear, if you want to stay you can." The filly snuggles next to him while his hand moves to Amethyst, the mare grinning as she watches the fingers move past her eyes. His fingers find the sweet spot between her ears that all of his mares really enjoy, Amethyst moaning as his fingers dig in. She grunts as his fingers stop pushing as hard, glancing up as he says, "So, Amethyst, what are you looking to get out of this relationship?"
Amethyst presses her head into his hand, trying to get his fingers to push harder again. "The same thing every mare is looking for, right? Stability, other mares and foals to interact with." She smirks up at him, "A foal, and... healthy interaction when that isn't the goal."
The scratching resumes, Amethyst smiling at the contact, "Okay, I get that; but, why me specifically?"
"What, you looking for me to stroke your ego or something?" At Doug's stare she sighs, looking over at Rarity, "Well, as you know, there aren't a lot of options for unicorn mares here. And I'm not moving to Canterlot or Phillydelphia just to meet a stallion, you know?"
"Okay, but you still haven't answered the question," Doug says, pulling Rarity a little closer. "Because, and I may be misinterpreting here, but you haven't exactly clicked with us; not just me, but with the rest of the herd. You hang out with Rarity, and do fine with Applejack and Rainbow Dash when you're working on the season Wrap Ups, but aside from that? It's been, what, five or six times that you've come over, and you only really spend time with Rarity and myself. Would it really be worth it to join this herd knowing how things would be with the others?"
"Honestly, Doug? It would be." Amethyst Star sighs, "You don't know what it's like, going to sleep every night and wondering if there is some stallion out there who will give me a chance. Especially not one who has such a loving and accepting herd like you have here."
"I appreciate that you think that, Amethyst." Doug lets out a long breath, "But I don't know if... pity for your situation is a good enough reason to join the herd. Not that I don't enjoy your company, but I don't see it going any further than spending time together, playing games like this."
"Ah, the good old 'let's just be friends' speech." Amethyst turns her face more into his chest, "Nothing I haven't heard before."
"Well, if it makes you feel better I don't mind keeping up the ear scratches."
"Make it a full massage and I can live with that." Amethyst smirks up at Doug, rubbing her head lower, bumping into Applebaum.
"Sure thing." Doug lets go of Rarity, both hands working along Amethyst's withers. "Have you thought about asking Big Mac out?"
"Applejack's brother? No; I'm pretty certain he's, how do I say, looking for an earth pony."
"Well, he might not be as set on that as you think." Doug waves his hand at the two, Rarity still resting against him and giving a slight nod, "It's Applejack that, no offense, has a hard time with unicorns. You might have to be pretty aggressive, though, Big Mac can be pretty shy about dating and trying to find somepony to help out around here."
"None taken. So, he's looking for somepony to help run the farm? Hmm, I might have a shot at that." Amethyst pushes up slightly, splaying her body over Doug, "Right after you finish that massage."