//------------------------------//
// A Relaxing Party 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Following her nose, Valey trotted down a corridor after her maybe-friend, relaxing a little at the lack of danger and wondering if this friendly after-party was actually just a friendly after-party. The shades-wearing stallion turned through one side door, then another, stepping into a loud, brightly-lit room with an unreasonably large couch and a screen showing the arena on the far wall.

"Yo!" He stomped a hoof twice, heralding his arrival. "Kaptain Kannonball in the house! And lookie who I brought!"

Everyone in the room perked up. A pair of bandanna-wearing griffonesses on the couch who might have been twins climbed over each other to look, and an obese unicorn with an eyepatch lifted his face from the refreshment table with a quick belch. In one corner, a pegasus with a mask over his muzzle opened a single eye, hanging by his tail from the ceiling, and a shape Valey didn't have time to identify ducked behind the couch and out of sight.

"Uhh... hey?" Valey folded her ears, the attention in the room giving her second thoughts. "I'm that famous, huh?"

One of the griffons, the one with the bandanna around her neck, whistled cheerfully. "Girl, you rocked your fights! Cap, how'd you get a big-leaguer in here to hang with us?"

Kannonball rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof, turning the slightest shade of pink. "Aww, you know. My usual wiles."

"Uhhhhhh..." Valey blinked.

The other griffon adjusted her bandanna around her head and flipped off the couch in an appreciable show of dexterity. "Whew. You're the one the commentators are always freaking out over! One of the ones, at least. Quite the pair they got this year, huh? Name's Tasha. Pleased to meet ya."

The stallion in the corner gave her one more look. "Todd. And likewise." Then he went back to drinking.

"Cool, cool..." Valey stayed in the doorway. "So you're just, like, hanging out?"

"Aww. You're making her nervous, Cap." The neck-bandanna griffon giggled, hopping off the couch as well and shoulder-shoving Kannonball away before extending a talon. "Carla. And yep. We're just some lower-class fighters who thought we'd celebrate making the first cut. Not sure how far we're gonna go, so we might as well enjoy it while we can, right?"

The pegasus in the corner grunted, voice deep and raspy. "In the past, three-quarters of challengers in the second round are defeated within two rounds. Being here now proves you're not weak."

Tasha flicked a feather at him. "That's Mundungus. But don't call him by it, or he'll get mad. He prefers his stage name."

"I don't know why I even hang with you," Mundungus grunted, turning on his tail so that his back was to everyone.

Valey blinked. She almost spoke up when Kannonball cut her off: "So yeah, it's not much, but we've got a nice little crew going here, don't we? All these homies wear their hearts on their sleeves. Not so hard to see what they're like. Ain't that right, Dung?"

"Put a sock in it."

"Huh." Valey nodded along, not entirely sold on the friendliness of certain members. The griffons certainly seemed nice, at least. "Well, I'm not exactly trying to draw attention to myself, but if you want me to stay..." She sniffed. "Seems like there's good snacks, at least. And I could do with hanging out a little. Sure, why not?" She shrugged, once again determining there was no danger in the room and satisfying herself with that. Having to be on edge all the time was a pain.

"Not trying to draw attention to yourself?" Carla looked politely flabbergasted. "Girl, what? Aren't you that celebrity from the other month with Ironridge? Those commentators are going wild over it, and I remember your face in the papers!" She pointed a talon. "We got that news as far away as Wilderwind!"

"Maybe..." Valey folded her ears, noting as she entered that there was a hefty weapons rack by the door. "You know those bozos are from Ironridge too, though, right? Or at least were there when all that stuff went down?"

Todd blinked, his attention finally captured from the drink table in the corner. "You know them?"

Valey shrugged. "What, Howe and Neon Nova? I might have beat them up a time or two. They were... uhhh..." She blinked, wondering just how much to say. "Might be more accurate to say they know me?" She kept walking, moving to see who had ducked behind the couch.

Tasha quickly caught on, leaning over and grabbing with a talon. "Hey, horse girl, don't be shy! Check it, you've got a new friend!"

She pulled up, and Valey blinked hard, suddenly finding herself face-to-face with a very nervous Senescey. "Buh?"

Senescey smiled uncertainly, trying to look small.

"Wait, you're here?" Valey blinked harder, tilting her head. "Hold on, you're not-"

In a flash, Senescey was free from the talon around her neck and had darted to Valey's side, holding a wing over her back and leaning against the couch. "Oh, Valey and I go way back!" she laughed, pausing between breaths to whisper in her ear, "Don't tell anyone I know Mistvale arts."

Valey didn't break stride, not wanting to throw her acquaintance under the cart and knowing exactly what a monk in that position could do to her even if she did. "Yeah. One of the first friendly faces I met in the Empire, actually." She tried to slip away a little so they could make eye contact. "Seriously, though, you're here? That's, uhh. That's really cool."

The unspoken promise that they'd talk later passed between them, and they turned back to the rest of the room. "Heh," Senescey managed, still looking flustered. "I guess I know another person here, as well!"

Kannonball nodded sagely. "We're not the tightest-knit bunch, but there are ways. It's why Dung is here. He may act grumpy, but he knows half the people in this room!"

Mundungus harrumphed, and Tasha shot him a grin. Valey blinked at everyone.

"Well? Do you want to eat, watch, chat? Or just... hang?" Carla gave the pegasus a very quick glance as well. "We're just trying to have a good time, here."

"Just hanging is good." Valey slipped closer to the refreshment table, detecting some kind of cheesy bean dip and a big bowl of punch that somehow wasn't alcoholic. "And getting some of this. And making use of that huge couch. Don't mind me, though. Just carry on, and stuff."

The most socially-oriented in the room took the hint and didn't press her, and those who weren't suave enough to notice fortunately had other things to think about. Valey settled into the couch with Senescey by her side, aware the mare was watching her. They would have to talk.