//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: Off Duty // by awf //------------------------------// Rawsthorne's weather forecast was correct. Celestia woke up, looked out the window and smiled. The sky was clear and the rain had stopped. There were more clouds encroaching on the hillside, but for the moment it seemed as if they might even get some sunlight. The pony felt a little happier about the day, but she still scrunched up her muzzle into a frown and sighed. A clear morning was nice, but she'd have preferred the afternoon too. "Where's a weather pegasus or two when you need them?" Rain or shine, it was still the time to make breakfast. The human no longer needed convincing each morning, though he still didn't appreciate her skill with sweets. Not fully. A murmured 'thank you' or 'it's good' didn't really count! The mare let her imagination run wild for a bit as she made her sleepy way downstairs. Perhaps she needed to go simpler? The mare cast a critical eye over her supplies in the pantry. A bag of apples caught her eye. Yes! How come she hadn't thought of it sooner? It could be a meal in itself! Luckily she had discreetly questioned one of Twilight Sparkle's friends and got her to tell her a very secret apple pie recipe. It would take an hour, but she had time. Even if Rawsthorne got up, he would probably end up on the couch to watch one of his shows. News, most likely. The pony looked around, frowned, then concentrated. Her iPad floated down from her room and landed on the kitchen table. She quickly scanned the playlist. Funny name, but it popped out immediately. 'I gotta feeling'. Incorrectly spelled, but the music was upbeat and happy. She couldn't keep her hind hoof from tapping in time with the strumming. And when the drum started, it made her rump start swinging in tune. Moments later the pony was singing along as she began to work. "Someone is in a good mood," her owner commented from the doorway. It was enough to throw her off and nearly cause her to drop the cinnamon shaker. The mare quickly turned down the current song with the incomprehensible title - 'Californication', what did that even mean? "Well, yes. I'm making pie for breakfast. Would you like a glass of juice while you wait?" Rawsthorne didn't answer because he went to the fridge and got it himself. He was lifting it up to his mouth, but Celestia tsk-ed and pulled the carton away with her magic. Instead, she filled a glass and floated it over. "Don't be gross." The human blinked at her. "Didn't I see you the other day with the almond milk?" She knew her face flashed a guilty red, but the pony managed to hold on to her glare. "That's different." Rawsthorne matched her look for look. "Explain how." The alicorn thought quickly on her hooves. "It's different because you don't drink almond milk, so the entire carton was mine. Whereas we *do* share orange juice." His poker face was amazing, Celestia had to give him that. And the man knew how to poke holes in her arguments: "Maybe I would like almond milk, but never really realized it was a thing. I didn't know it existed until you bought it." It was yet another small marvel of the human world, and it made the mare smile. "Neither did I. Would you like some?" He lifted up his glass. "I'm fine. So, what's the plan today?" This was firmer ground. "Apple pie. Then we go for a walk. Probably not to the top, but *somewhere*. I'll pack us a meal-" He opened his mouth and Celestia knew exactly what the man was going to say. She corrected him preemptively: "-no! Not lunch. A *meal*. I'll make lunch a little later today." He just spread his free arm and let it fall. With the other he brought the glass to his face and drained it. "Okay, I'll be in the living room." She gave him a big smile and picked up the empty glass right from his hand at the same time as she slid the pie into the oven. "Breakfast will be ready in forty-five minutes." He thanked her and left. The pony was a tiny bit annoyed that he made her miss a good song, but she didn't rewind it. A better one had started playing and she immediately swung her hips to the tune again. A moment later her voice followed. "... to the sea to the sky, and I do believe that we rely on!" It was so easy to get lost in the fast song that the mare didn't notice Rawsthorne, who had stopped just outside and peeked back. He was smiling a little at her exuberance. The morning air was crisp and clear. The trees, mostly barren, were shrouded in wispy, gentle fog. The sun was barely above the horizon and was still melting through the low mist. As she took it all in, Celestia was elated. Thousands of seasons and she still found beauty everywhere. Maybe it was an alicorn thing. There was a chill in the air and some frost on the grass. She had made Rawsthorne dress up warmly before allowing him to put a collar on her neck. Now he turned the same admonition back on her: "That's all you're going to wear?" The mare had a long, red scarf - the only clothing item she had bought, despite the human urging her to get some winter gear. "It's all I need." He didn't buy it. "It covers your neck, yeah. But what about all the rest?" he pointed out and patted her on the rump to drive it home. It wasn't a hard hit, but the mare reflexively danced away from his hand. "Hey! It's enough, and I'll tell you why: One, I have feathers to keep me warm-" The alicorn spread her wings a little to show him, in case Rawsthorne hadn't noticed her wings by now. "Two, I have fur. And three, I enchanted it." Unfortunately, she couldn't demonstrate the last two points, so she didn't try. But it got the human interested. "Enchanted? How?" "Simple warmth spell. It will keep *all* of me warm, even if it only covers my neck. It's really rather elementary magic. Most unicorns pick it up before they're twelve." Rawsthorne stepped closer and took the fabric in his hand. He examined it minutely, but of course he saw nothing. It wasn't a flashy spell. "Looks normal to me. Feels normal, too." His ignorance made her chuckle a bit. "You have to wear it, silly. Of course it won't do anything for you if you just touch it. Obviously." It was a little mean, but the mare wanted some revenge from all his gentle jokes at her account whenever she encountered a new human gadget. "Oh. Well, obviously," he agreed, uncertainly. Celestia was feeling charitable, so she didn't compound on his ignorance. She made a few steps. "Come on, let's go, let's go! I want to go down that side path, remember? We saw it last week and you said it's windy and dangerous in the dark." The man shrugged a little to himself and followed. *** The ground was really soggy and before long the mare was muddy up to her ankles. She didn't mind in the slightest. She was hardly even looking where she stepped. The pony just let her nose lead the way. There were so many new and curious smells! She had found several types of mushrooms, but since neither she nor Rawsthorne knew which were edible, they had left them alone. They also passed a few cedar trees where deer had begun eating the bark. Despite her owner's grimace, Celestia also had a taste. It wasn't bad, just a little gritty. She laughed at Rawsthorne's expression and quickly went to nibble the tips on a nearby bush, just to spite him a bit more. It ended with her laughing and the human shaking his head in dismay. Shortly after, the mare made an amazing discovery! She stopped and held out a wing to prevent her owner stepping on it by accident. "Look!" He blinked and stared down the path. "I don't see anything." "On the ground." The man inspected the sight again, but had to concede defeat. "Still nothing, sorry." She didn't explain further. There was a puddle in the middle of the path and it had frosted over! The sheet of ice was very thin, very hard to see, but Celestia had been looking for something like that. "Wheeeee!" She galloped forward, took a mighty leap, and landed with all four hooves punching holes through the ice. There was a most satisfying crunch and a splash. The mare also sunk nearly to her knees. The icy water quickly overpowered what little her enchanted scarf did for her legs and the mare gasped in shock. "Eeep! It's *freezing*!" Despite the cold she laughed and stomped some more, until no piece of ice was larger than Rawsthorne's thumb. Only then did the mare step out, shivering and shaking a few droplets of water from her coat. It had splashed. The human had wisely kept well out of the way. "You can't imagine how long I've wanted to to this." Her mirth was infectious and her owner also began laughing. "Goofy horse," he jabbed. "Well, it's true! I haven't done anything like this since... well, since I was a little filly!" Rawsthorne caught up to her and laid a hand on her whithers. "Okay, if it's that fun, then be my guest! Stomp any puddle we come across." As if he had a say! "I will." "Fine, go ahead." "I will." They were both grinning, even as they matched stares. Of course the human gave up first. Her will was iron. "You're cute when you're happy. Just make sure you don't catch a cold or something, okay?" As if an alicorn could catch a cold! Celestia poked her tongue out, but the human had been waiting for that exactly. His hand shot out and firmly grabbed her ear. Her eyes bulged out in shock and the mare froze. She could have twisted away easily, but surprise kept her still. She wanted to see where the human was going with this. "I'm letting these childish things slide, because, frankly, they're adorable. I'm just asking you not to do it in public, okay?" The mare nodded slightly, as much as she could. She was set free. It was a reasonable request, but he didn't have to grab her like that! Like she was some kind of a child! It called for revenge. She stomped her hind hoof, hard. Water splashed up between them. Most of it ended in her coat, but Rawsthorne got a few droplets on his face and collar, just like he deserved. "Ooops!" He glared for a moment and the pony feared she might have taken it too far. She flinched when her owner brought his leg up, then tried to shield herself with a wing as he also stomped. It splashed them both, again. She gave the human a small grin, but he held up his hand preemptively. "Okay, enough fun, Celestia. I don't mind these... eccentricities of yours, really. We just have to maintain a somewhat professional appearance in public, okay?" She nodded. It really wasn't that much to ask. In fact, she had expected a lot more discipline than that. "Of course. I promise, Gregory." They continued their walk, but the mare kept an eye out for any appropriate puddles, preferably with an ice sheet. "But I'm taking a bath when we get home." He human thought it over. "Fine. A short one." "You should take one, too." He didn't seem convinced. It was a mystery how he didn't find hot water pleasurable! "Maybe," the man said noncommittally. "I know how we could save some water." She was watching carefully and yes - there was the blush. The chill in the air made it very hard to spot, but she was looking out for it. So the human *was* thinking about her... 'more intimately'. At least whenever she brought it up. She would need to consider it carefully. Celestia didn't want to ruin the relaxed dynamic they were developing. Not to mention that if she did anything with Heavy Hoof, it would further complicate matters. Maybe she didn't want to pursue a more involved relationship with either of them because she was undecided? The train of thought wasn't a good one, it was making her blush! Rawsthorne was bound to notice and ask why! She sought for a safe, easy topic. "So, what's with those horn rings? The one they gave Glowbug looks *so* ugly. Is that really the best humans can do?" If the change was sudden or unexpected, Rawsthorne didn't show it. He shrugged and thought about it for a moment. "I'm not an expert, but the ones I've looked at in the catalog are nice and round. I don't think I've even seen one that misshapen. Remind me to ask Mrs. Turner next time." Celestia hadn't known the owner's name. "Turner. Okay, I'll remember." She was about to ask what the woman was like, but spotted a telltale reflection up ahead. She forgot her question and their conversation as she galloped and leapt again. *** By the time Celestia and Rawsthorne got back to his house, the mare was almost completely soaked. Her scarf, magic or not, was not up to the task and she was shivering with cold. The human saw it, but didn't bring it up, much to her relief. Even the playful alicorn was starting to feel a bit silly after her eleventh or twelfth puddle. She stepped from hoof to hoof while her owner unlocked the door. Then she gratefully followed him inside, where it was warm. "I'll go put some tea on. You get your bath started before you freeze to death," Rawsthorne said. It was a very welcome prospect. "Oooh, yes! Lemon and honey in mine, please!" The man nodded and went into the kitchen. Celestia didn't wait around. She made a beeline for the downstairs bathroom. It felt even warmer than the hallway and the pony couldn't wait to sink her shivering rump in some hot water. Rawsthorne hadn't said anything about the steam, but maybe he could yet be convinced. She sat in the empty bath and turned it on. Then she felt the temperature with her leg, stared thoughtfully into the distance and turned it a little more to the warm side. It felt heavenly. The puddle grew and slowly enveloped her rear. It made the mare shiver all along her spine and slightly unfurl her wings. "Ooooh. Niiiice." She kept up a litany of long, exuberant moans and sighs as the warm waterline rose up her body. It was half-full when Rawsthorne came in. He still hesitated for a moment, despite their little talk the other day. "Come in!" It helped and he moved. The mare was happy to see that he had made tea for himself as well. "You are a wonderful human, Rawsthorne. My undying gratitude." He chuckled a little and waved the praise away. "It's just tea," he said dismissively. "Besides, can't have you falling sick." "Alicorns don't usually get sick." "Good perk." He put the tray down on the edge of the sink and leaned against the wall. "Any more plans for today?" he asked. "Not really. Did you have something in mind? "It's starting to rain again. I thought I'd watch a movie, or read a little." "Yes." He frowned slightly. "Which one? Movie, or book?" "Either. Both. I don't mind. Give me the couch and a blanket and I'll be a happy pony." He opened his mouth, but Celestia guessed what he would say before he made a sound. She answered him preemptively: "I'll still make lunch, just something... light. When I'm dry." "How do you keep guessing what I will say?" "I'm just that good." Perhaps her grin was a bit too insolent, but the human didn't seem to mind. He had something else to ask: "Will you come to work with me again on Wednesday?" Wendy, the receptionist, had been fun, and Celestia liked most of his coworkers, except for that jerk Denis. Then again, with no pony meeting after, there wasn't much point. "No. We're not meeting this Wednesday. Next one?" Rawsthorne snapped his fingers. "That's right, Glitter Dust said something like that. I forgot." "Mhm." "Well, enjoy your bath. I'll open up the radiator in the living room, so it's nice and warm. And I'll pick a movie." She closed her eyes, leaned back and smiled. The water was nearly full, so she closed the tap and plunged the room into silence. "Thank you, Gregory! Oh! Could I maybe also have a steam?" The alicorn didn't have to see his face to know he was undecided. Giving in without a good reason could undermine his authority. "A bath is enough for now, Celestia. But if you want to earn one tomorrow, I have another little legal project for you." She was about to ask, but this time the human guessed her thoughts instead. "No, it's not for Denis. It's for me." Celestia laughed. "See? You can do it, too - guess my thoughts. I'll be happy to help." She heard him move, take a step closer, then felt his hand in her mane. The scratch behind her ears was heavenly and she gave a small moan. Again the thought rose, unbidden. How would it feel to have both his arms around her over night? She let out a sad sigh when Rawsthorne took his fingers away and left, but the water was nice and hot and Celestia was quite happy. She considered bringing the iPad in, but decided against it. She would just start chatting with Glitter Dust or one of the others. Nice, but not as relaxing. It could wait. The alicorn shifted a little and pushed the water around with her wings. A warmer patch flowed against her belly and she gave a delighted gasp. "Aaaaah. Mmmmmhyesssss..." A bit more of that and Rawsthorne would find pony a had dissolved in his bathtub. *** Celestia could barely lift her hooves as she made her way back to the living room. It had been a *most* relaxing hour and it showed. She had to think about every hoofstep. Regrettably she had to leave the warmth of the bathroom behind, but the mare had draped a big towel over her flanks and wrapped another around her mane. Even that had seemed like an overly-complicated task. "Gregory, I need a bathrobe." She slumped into the couch and let out her breath in an appreciative sigh. Soft and warm, that was what she needed. "Sure thing," her owner promised, apparently without giving it much thought. The mare eyed his arm, lying idly on a cushion beside him. His pink arm. Very soft, warm, pink arm. She shuffled closer and laid her head right *there*. Of course she hadn't planned it, her demeanor said! She wasn't even looking at it! Drat! The human pulled away. She was about to sigh, but it caught in her throat when the touch returned on her neck. The next move would be critical and the alicorn spent a minute or two mulling it over. Then she wriggled around, as if trying to get more comfortable. She flopped to her side, shuffled yet closer and rearranged the pillows. If she ended with her head resting lightly against the human's flank, that was just an accident, right? The hand returned to her whithers and Celestia allowed herself a luxurious sigh. Finally she peered at the screen. "What are we watching? That's Bean, right?" The gentle stroking paused, then resumed. "Yes. You liked the episodes, so maybe you'll like this. It's a movie." "I like the music. What's that language?" "French. I can look up some songs for you, later." Celestia found herself nodding happily. "Yes please." The human looked down at her and grinned. "I'd like to see you sing *those*!" She knew she blushed a little, but kept her eyes firmly on the screen. "You heard?" "Yeah, that was very good. What was it, I'm sure I know the title." The pony waited a few seconds if Rawsthorne would remember, then helped him out: "Snow. Red Hot Chili Peppers." The human snapped his fingers. "That's right! Thanks." The hand went back to her neck and resumed its idle stroking. Celestia debated with herself for a minute, then made her request. "A little higher, please." Her owner glanced down again. "Hmm?" "Hand. A little higher. Ears'd be favorite." He dutifully moved his hand and the mare cheered internally. "Oh, no problem," the man said smoothly. "Hush now. Movie." She had just one more thing to say. "Don't let me-" Of course that was the point where she yawned! "-fall asleep. I have to start lunch in an hour, or else we can just skip it and go directly to dinner." Maybe she should have noticed that Rawsthorne hadn't answered, but the mare was pleasantly sleepy. The towels, even slightly damp, kept her nice and snug. The leg under her cheek was quite warm, and the hand, slowly scratching behind her ears was bliss itself. Even Bean's antics in that fancy restaurant couldn't keep her attention for long. Her last thought was that if Rawsthorne failed to wake her up in time, she would do something mean to him. Bite him, she guessed. Or kick. Yeah, one of those.