Color sat in front of a blank canvas, staring into its unmarked soul. "Hmm..."
It was far from the first time he had made the noise. "Hm..." He looked towards his palette of colors and dabbed his brush into a blue, making a streak across the paper with it. "Mmm..."
"Digging it." Day sat down next to him, smiling in that little way he had. "Is that the sky?"
"Yeah... maybe..." Color glanced aside at Day Dreamer. "I thought you were busy being happy."
"Never too busy for my bro." He nodded once. "What's up?"
"Nothing... everything." He sighed dejectedly and slumped in place.
"That narrows it down." Day put a hoof gently on Color's withers. "Wanna talk?"
"Not really." He set down his collection of colors and set the brush across them, narrowly missing messing up the brush with the paints. "Tell me about your new girlfriend. You two getting along?"
"Yeah..." He tilted his head a little. "You know I'm here for you, right?" He offered up a hoof. "We're bros."
Color eyed the hoof, the silence growing between them a moment before he timidly met it with his own, tapping them together. "You worked so hard to get me this far. Then she pulled me along the rest of the way. I just... I just had to go along. I just had to nod and say yes..."
Day raised the hoof to tap at Color's nose gently. "Nah."
Color blinked at the monosyllabic refusal. "Dude... I scared her off. I practically chased her away..."
"Nah."
"You really have to find a new word." He gave his friend a good glaring at. "I called her out."
"Good friends do that." He shrugged gently. "I call you out sometimes."
"We're not... romantically involved."
He laughed softly, barely more than a chuckle. "And you think those ponies just... stop seeing where their special somepony messes up? Give me a break, Bro."
"Don't sound like I never called you out."
"That just proves my point." He slumped suddenly, flopping against Color. "Stop being so sad, Bro... Let's take one of those bazillionare coins you got and have fun."
Color grumbled a little, but he didn't shove Day away. They sat together, and Day seemed happy to remain there.
"This works too." Day half-closed his already drowsy eyes. "We ain't chilled in a while."
"Yeah..."
"Pass this to Mister Splash." A glowing paper set itself on Libelous' desk. "Completed. I presume you'll be passing this case to someone else now? I can have a request drafted by the end of the hour."
"Mm?" Libel snapped out of whatever thoughts she was drowning in. "Oh, yes, I suppose we should do that." She took the paper and tucked it away. "Thanks..."
"A new up and coming artist breaks through to well-known collector." Bottom swept a hoof as if from an imagined headline. "Palette Swap stunned by a fresh take, now available at... Where is the piece being displayed?"
"Mmm?" She blinked softly, still fairly lost. "The Redwood, if I recall?"
"Now available at the Redwood. You'd better get a ticket while there are still some available." Bottom Line nodded gently. "You'll get a byline, and likely edit the article too."
"Mhmm..."
"Are you alright?"
Libel focused on her secretary. She was a pretty little unicorn. Libel smiled a little, thankful she had Bottom Line. "Yeah... thanks."
Bottom softly coughed into a hoof. "I'll get that paper written. After that, we have no other standing duties. You have an appointment in two hours."
Libel sat up, blinking. "I don't remember having one. Who's it with?"
"One Bottom Line. She's quite insistent in having your time." Bottom inclined her head. "She hasn't stopped calling me."
Libel smirked lopsidedly. "That Bottom Line can be quite a trouble at times... I wouldn't trade her away for the world though."
"I'll keep the appointment on the calendar then." She trotted to the front of the office, resuming her typing with the click-clack of busy hooves.
"Hey, Bottom?"
Bottom glanced towards the door that separated her from her boss. "Yes?"
"Why do you use a binary typewriter, with your hooves? You have magic and all. Couldn't you be working about a thousand times faster with a deluxe model?"
"I could..." Her typing did not slow, busily working on the letter she promised to have done. "But just because someone can, does not mean someone must. I like the feel of each key being pressed. You don't get that with the deluxe model, unless you're a pegasus. I admit, I'm jealous that you get that option."
Libel tilted her head slowly. "I thought the deluxes were basically made for unicorns?"
"Some unicorns love it." She click-clacked quietly a for a bit. "I can't feel as well through my magic as I can through my hooves. I like that feedback, even if it is a little slower. Less mistakes for picky little editors to find. You know the sort, always harping on my mistakes."
Libel smiled a little. "Yeah... real jerks, those editors..."
"Why don't you, Miss?"
"Why don't I what?" Libel tilted her head at the open door, though she couldn't see Bottom around the corner.
"Use a deluxe. You're a pegasus. You have terrific wing dexterity. I should think you would take to it quickly."
Libel muttered something softly.
"If you prefer binary, don't allow me to suggest you change for my benefit." The click-clacks went on steadily. "Use what feels better and works better."
"He was changing me too..."
Bottom perked an ear, but did not immediately reply, instead focusing on her writing. Only when it was done and she drew it free with her magic did she speak, "When two ponies are close, they change one another. It's a natural thing."
"Natural..." She heaved a soft sigh. "What if... You can do it wrong, can't you?"
"There are few things you can't do wrong." She folded the letter in her magic and stuffed it in an envelope. "But I imagine you can fix it. Are you ready for your appointment? I think Miss Line will be in shortly."
Libel pushed her own typewriter away and slid up to her hooves. "Yes... Yes I think I am ready for her. Send her in."
"Of course, Miss." Bottom Line entered, an envelope floating beside her, a quill jotting a name on the front of it. "Let's go get something to eat. I'll drop this off on the way."
"That sounds lovely." She dared a little hopeful smile and joined her secretary/friend.
He had an arm wrapped around Color, practically cuddling his fellow stallion with no regard for personal space. "You're a good guy. You know that, right?"
"Am I?" He tilted his head, watching Day's antics with the detached look of someone watching something happen to someone else, rather than to himself.
"Don't even ask that." He stuck out his tongue and nipped Color's ear, tugging it briefly. "You're great. I mean, you put up with me, for one."
Color smiled a little at that. "Yeah... But I hear there's a mare who does that too. You give her any aggressive cuddles yet?"
"Nah, that's for bros only." He nuzzled Color right in the neck. "Mares get different cuddles. Stop looking so sad... What do you want? I mean... If Libel came in right now and she did... anything, what would that be that'd make this all happy again?"
"Huh..." He frowned a little, barely noticing when the room flopped over and he ended up on his back, being aggressively cheered by his friend. "I just... I want her to be her own pony. I want her to do things because she want to, not for me, or her mom. Especially the second option. She can... take a leap."
"Harsh."
"But deserved!" He punched up into the air. "She has Libel all bent out of shape..."
"You ever meet her?"
He blinked softly, barely feeling Day's weight on top of him. "Of course I have. I grew up next to her house, playing with her daughter..."
"You ever meet her? You know, talk, like two ponies?" He tilted his head down at his friend. "You don't know her. Bet she doesn't know you."
"She wouldn't want to talk to some random nopony," he sighed out with dejection.
"Good thing you aren't one of those anymore." He sat up, sitting on Color. "Go talk to her. Maybe she isn't so bad. Maybe she is. You don't know. You're just... You don't know, Dude."
Color squinted a little. "That would be so strange... 'Hey, I'm dating your daughter and am trying to take her hoof, if she'll have me. How are you?'"
"That works." Day nodded slowly. "Just try talking to her. You're not a foal anymore, Dude."
He suddenly sat up, sending Day sliding right off to the floor to flop bonelessly. "Do you think she wants to talk to me? I mean... we have nothing in common."
"You have at least one thing in common."
He thought of Libelous and smiled awkwardly. "Well, alright, one thing..." He tapped his forehooves together. "But that one thing isn't even... She's mad, Day. She's mad and I deserve to be mad at!"
"Nah."
"I thought we were past that!" Color clopped a hoof on the ground. "No more nahs!"
Day sat up lazily. "I can go with you, if you want?"
Color thought of trying to get close to the matron of the Word house with Day just kinda chilling there behind him, looking half-asleep. "Uh... I appreciate the offer... but maybe I should try this myself."
"Yeah, do that." He raised a hoof as if in offer for a bump. "Do that."
Color hesitated a moment before meeting the hoof, clopping gently. "Wish me luck."
Bottom sat gently on a wide-bottomed chair made for comfortable pony sitting. "Now allow me to be frank. We are not here simply for pleasantries, though I welcome those in time."
Libel frowned at her secretary and friend. "You pulled me away from work. Are we still boss and secretary, or..."
"Friends." Bottom gestured at her chest, then towards Libel. "A concerned friend, to be specific. You will tell me what happened with Color."
Libel blinked softly. "You are going straight for the throat."
"Act quickly or I may begin tearing." She bared her teeth with a face that held no anger, a placid expression. "What happened? Leave nothing out."
"Nothing!" Libel tapped the top of the table lightly. "I'm ordering a salad, you want something?"
"I'll take a bagel, extra spread. I'll also take an explanation. You may begin."
"Bottom! That is my personal life! You don't get to just... do this."
"I am doing this." She arched a brow. "By right of a mare's best friend, as was written in the most ancient of girl code. You will now disclose your romantic trouble. Ice cream may be ordered if needed."
Libel's right half of her lips pulled up in a smirk. "That was terrible, but accepted. Only if I'm allowed to sob piteously on your shoulder."
"That is included in the girl code." Bottom nodded severely. "To deny a best friend girl in need a shoulder to cry on is a severe infraction." She clopped her forehooves together. "Let the cleansing begin. Start with a retelling of the event."
Libel waved at a passing waiter. "One bagel, extra smear. One garden salad. One cup of triple-surprise ice cream."
"Stat," added Bottom Line. "Don't talk when you drop it off. We have serious business to discuss."
The waiter scurried away with the order with but a tip of his hat. Libel snorted as she watched him retreat. "You're serious."
"You keep me around for a reason." Bottom leaned forward. "Now start. I want to hear it all."
"I don't deserve you... So... He made the big sale. We were home, both happy, I thought... I was... I was really happy. I was gushing about it. Maybe I said something stupid..."