//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Planting Roses, Picking Brains // Story: Finding Your Place With the Outcasts // by TikiBat //------------------------------// Zipper knocked on Sine’s door and waited for the intercom to reply like it had a couple of days prior. While the sun was high in the sky, the weather was surprisingly cool, and because of that Zipper was actually almost excited to do the gardening he still owed Sine. He closed his eyes and breathed a relaxed breath, lazily leaning against the door while he waited. Without much warning, the door opened and he was suddenly thrown down in front of a waiting Sine Wave. “Morning, Bird Brain,” She replied with a laugh. “Did I catch you at a bad time?” “I uhh— no it’s all good,” Zipper stammered out. “You just weren’t expecting me to pull the door open out of the blue, right?” Sine held out a hoof and helped the flustered pegasi stand up. Zipper scrambled to his hooves and dusted himself off, letting out a small sigh. “You could say that. Going to guess it’s an early day for you or something?” “A little,” the mare shrugged. “Purline just stopped by and dropped off the roses maybe twenty minutes ago. Otherwise I’d be hanging out in my office working on stuff.” She waved Zipper in and closed the door behind her. “So, ready to get started?” “While it’s still nice out? Of course!” Zipper cheerfully replied. “Can’t waste a good day like this.” Sine smiled. “You really are trying to show a different side of yourself lately, eh?” “As much as I can, I guess,” Zipper replied. Taking the lead, he trotted over to the back door, and slid it open. “Can I tell you a secret?” “Only if you’re comfortable with it,” Sine replied. “I’m still trying to find myself. I hid for so long behind a mask that it’s sometimes hard for me to figure out how the real Zipper is. I know, it sounds dumb.” “No,” Sine shook her head. “Figuring out the true meaning of your talent and embarking on some self-discovery isn’t the most unheard of thing in the world,” She looked him in the eyes. “Look, I don’t know your whole life story, but these last few times I’ve seen you, you’ve been a very different pony. It’s not dumb to clean up your act, especially when you’re trying to be genuine instead of pretending to be someone else.” Zipper idly brushed a hoof through his mane and tried to figure out what to say next. He was never great with being genuine, and surprisingly not the best at accepting compliments when it came to admitting his own shortcomings. “Look…” he started. “I appreciate it… I really do. I’m still trying to be honest to who I am, and I guess I don’t always know who that is.” “I’m sure we’ll both learn that soon enough. Especially if we’re working together more going forward.” “Thanks,” Zipper smiled. “I know I’m weird and annoying sometimes, but I’m trying to do my best.” “Keep at it,” Sine assured him. “You managed to make someone who hated your guts tolerate you… and I think soon we might even be able to call each other friends.” A small blush spread across Zipper’s face, and he turned away to hide his embarrassment. “You think so?” “If you keep doing cute things like that and sharing your real self then yeah, absolutely. Zipper couldn’t help but freeze at the compliment, not because it caught him off guard, but rather because in that weird way he simply wasn’t used to this kind of positive conversation. It wasn’t to say he never had held friendly chats before, but the bulk of them were mostly shared between Blue Spring, and no one else. “I…” he started to stammer out. “It means a lot to hear that!” “It means a lot to see you make good on something,” Sine Wave agreed. “Why don’t we get cracking on this and then we can take a break and chat some more over lunch?” “That would be great,” Zipper chipperly replied. “Good,” Sine gestured towards a box of roses. “Let’s start at the far side of the garden, that way we can finish up back over here. Does that sound good?” “Yeah,” Zipper nodded. “That’s a good idea.” Being mindful of the time, Zipper took the first steps towards the soon-to-be-planted flowers and grabbed the first bundle. Sine wasn’t far behind him, and a few moments later they were at the edge of Sine’s garden. Zipper hadn’t originally seen much of a point in tilling the garden when the flowers hadn’t even been purchased yet, but now Sine’s reasoning for having him do so made all the more sense. With half the work done in advance, all he would have to worry about was digging little holes with his hooves and dropping the plants into place. Sine, clearly picking up on his realization, couldn’t help but let out a snicker. “Always remember bird brain, I always have a reason for doing something, even if it’s not your way.” Zipper pulled one of the plants out of the bundle and dropped it into the fresh hole he had dug. Careful not to crush the expensive flower he had dropped such a large sum on, Zipper gently patted the soil down around it. “Yeah, I’m figuring that out now.” Though it was monotonous and boring work, the pair were able to work together well as a team, and before Zipper knew it, he had planted the last flower. He was covered in dirt, was sweating, and was a little tired from all the work (and from missing his typical afternoon nap), but his and Sine’s hard work had clearly paid off and now a vibrant garden of roses spread out in front of them. “You did good today, bird brain,” Sine praised him with a literal pat on the back. “I know it wasn’t your idea of fun, but seeing as how you upheld your end of the deal… consider the slate wiped clean.” “So are we friends then?” Zipper asked, followed by a small yawn. “Hmmm,” Sine started. “Not quite yet— but we’re close I think.” Zipper smiled. “Well it’s better than being enemies, that’s for sure.” “Of course. And if you keep doing things like this then maybe we’ll be friends. Sound like a fair deal to you?” Zipper nodded. “I think that’d be good,” he paused and looked over to the fruits of his and Sine’s labor. “I’m sorry it took all of this to make things right.” “Apology accepted,” Sine replied in a rare show of gratitude. “I’m not one to hold a grudge if the pony in question makes things right. You finished doing that today and that’s more than I expected from you. So thank you.” Glancing up at the sky, Sine squinted at the bright light that was still a few hours away from setting. “You worked hard today, so why don’t we go inside and I’ll get you something to drink. I made some lemonade the other day and I don’t want to brag, but I think it’s fantastic.” A small smirk spread across the stallion’s face. “Oh yeah? I guess I’ll have to give it a try then.” “Am I supposed to believe that you’re some kind of drink connoisseur or something?” Sine giggled. “Because that would be the real twist to you.” “No,” Zipper admitted. “But lemon is easily in my top five favorite fruits so you could say I like it a lot.” Sine shook her head and pointed to the door. “Go on in then, I guess we’ll find out whether I’m bird brain approved or not.” With one of his favorite treats being offered, Zipper was more than happy to oblige. The inside of Sine’s home was as dark as always, but thankfully for him she had decided to light a few candles which at least offered something more than the gloomy darkness that most night pony homes were known to have. Even without the candlelight though, Sine’s house was at least different in the fact that her preferred decor consisted of dim faux neon signs and a handful of retro posters lit by black light. As the mare poured him a glass of her world famous lemonade, Zipper couldn’t help but take a closer look at the quaint decor. “You’ve got a thing for retro stuff, eh?” He asked. Sine slid the glass over to him and cocked her head to the side. “Your little friend asked me to help you guys out with some arcade machines… so wasn’t that the big giveaway?” Zipper took a sip of the delectable drink and smiled, basking in its citrusy flavor for a moment before giving a reply. “I uhh… yeah, I guess that should have been obvious. I I just didn’t realize how much cool stuff you actually had here. Upon closer inspection, Zipper couldn’t help but notice the entertainment center that sat in the nearby living room, and more importantly (and unsurprisingly), the collection of old fashioned game consoles that were proudly displayed for her guests to see. “There’s a reason why I’m more than happy to help out with your arcade idea after all,” she took a few sips from her own cup. “If I had a big enough house I wouldn’t even think of renting the cabinets out… but then again, it would be more of a crime to not let others play them.” “That’s honestly why you’re perfect for the job. I like this stuff a lot, but I don’t think I’ll ever have the means to get those kinds of things.” “You’re a retro fan too? Wouldn’t have pegged you for it if I’m going to be honest.” Zipper shrugged. “I grew up in Vegas. Arcades aren’t as big of a deal there but there was a cool one I always went to as a kid and it made me jealous of the people that grew up around them.” “No kidding. That’s actually kind of cool,” Sine replied. “I grew up in SoCal so there weren’t a ton of legit arcades around— at least none that really scratched that itch for me. I was born in ninety-three so I missed the prime of arcades, but as cliche as it was, I was your basic nineties kid who loved geeky old stuff and it stuck with me.” “You could say I was the same kind of way,” Zipper nodded. “I was ninety-five but there was still some cool stuff around. Made it nice when I had to entertain myself after school.” “It’s always the little things like that that you take for granted sometimes,” Sine admitted. “Maybe that’s why this whole arcade idea sounds good to me. My parents lived paycheck to paycheck so we didn’t ever have or get to do anything big or fancy, but dad would always take me to the mall and let me play whatever I wanted while the arcade was open there. I was the girl that loved the old movies more than the new stuff, so I didn’t have a lot of friends that liked what I did, but going to that place when I could have me a chance to at least hang out with other people that were like me.” “I liked old movies too!” Zipper excitedly said, and then blushed as a wave of embarrassment rushed through him. “I mean— I just remember going to blockbuster as a kid and renting whatever I could get my hands on. The old goofy action movies were my favorite, but then there was stuff like Star Wars, and gremlins, and robocop…” “Lots of good picks,” Sine chuckled. “You should do this more often, you know?” “Hang out with you?” He raised an eyebrow. “Not necessarily,” Sine laughed. “Though given what you’re saying that might be nice too. But no, I mean sharing what you liked. Because if you hadn’t said any of that before, then I probably wouldn’t be so interested in what you’re saying.” “Doesn’t that make me a geek or something though?” He asked. “Yeah, it does. But it’s cute, it’s honest, and by the way you lit up a second ago, I can tell it’s who you are, and who you should be instead of whatever macho stereotype you’ve always tried to be.” “I didn’t put all that much thought into it before…” Zipper started. “But I feel like deep inside, that’s another reason why I wanted to do something like this.” “For real?“ Sine asked. “Maybe it’s a sign then. Something that gives you more reason for doing it.” Zipper closed his eyes and thought deeply about his motivations, before giving Sine a nod. “Some of that was— is rooted in me trying to be someone different than the pony I was pretending to be… and I think that in my head building up a place that caters to what I like gave me the hope that others who liked that stuff would stop by too.” Sine Wave smiled and set her glass down. “You’ve done that with one pony at least.” “I have?” Zipper asked in surprise. “Mhmm,” she nodded. “I’ve always been an outcast, and even here I haven’t found too many others who like what I like. In a way you could say that’s why I always played games as a kid and why I keep to myself a lot. Other kids were into sports and clubs and I liked to hangout with the weirdos that pulled apart computers for fun— and well, outside of work there’s not too many of those here.” A wistful nostalgia seemed to radiate from the mare, and with a big smile on her face she continued. “I miss that stuff a lot, and it’s actually nice knowing that there’s someone else here who likes it too. The others don’t do that stuff outside of work, so it’s… well, something I just don’t get to do as much.” Zipper considered everything that she had said for a moment, and then suddenly had an idea as if a lightbulb had flashed on above his head. “Would you want to set up something for that maybe?” He offered. Sine broke from her nostalgic trance and raised an eyebrow. “Huh?” “Like some kind of drive in where we could watch old movies, maybe set up a space to tinker with computers and stuff with… and whatever other geeky things you’d want to do.” “Who’s gonna tag along? All the people at work have families and other stuff they’d rather be doing outside of work.” “It could be us,” Zipper blurted out before covering his mouth. “I mean… like if you wanted to every once in a while or something…” A small smirk formed on Sine’s face. “Just the two of us eh? Are you asking me out on a date or something?” Zipper blushed and almost choked on the lemonade, and quickly downed the rest of it to hopefully stifle his coughing fit. Taking a deep breath, he regained enough of his composure to form a response, albeit one that could only deliver in a small hushed voice. “I uhh… if you want to I mean… maybe it would be fun.” His heart was pounding and he silently hoped that Sine’s house was dark enough to mask the bright red hue that his face was no doubt taking on. While the idea of going on a simple date or spending some time together on something fun with Sine sounded great in his mind, another part of him cursed him for getting too emotional too quickly out of nowhere. “I’m— sorry if that was out of nowhere,” he frantically apologized. “Hey,” Sine replied. “It’s alright. It’s honestly flattering, but maybe let’s work on doing stuff as friends first before we think about something like that. Sound good?” “Yeahthatsperfect!” Zipper blurted out. “I mean— that would be good… wait, so we’re friends?” Sine let out a laugh and nodded her head. “After all that? Yeah, I think we’re pretty close to being friends.” Zipper couldn’t help but look away, and thankfully Sine had evidently picked up on his embarrassment enough to mercifully change subjects. “So, what’d you think of my lemonade, Zip?” He quickly turned his head and grinned a goofy smile. “It was amazing!” Sine smiled again. “I told you it was world famous, eh?” “You sure did,” Zipper breathed a sigh of relief. “So uhh… how do you want me to fix your wall?” “Don’t worry about it. You did more than enough here today, and I’m proud of you. The rest is an easy fix I’ll just pay someone else to patch up.” “Let me know how much it is and I’ll pay you back,” Zipper offered. “Hmm,” Sine hesitated for a moment. “How about you take me to a movie and we’ll call it even?” Zipper blushed again and meekly nodded his head. “That would be nice.” “I got in touch with my guy about those cabinets by the way,” Sine added. “The guy said he can drive them over tomorrow. Is that enough time to get the arcade space prepped?” “Huh?” The pegasus looked up. “Oh, yeah. That’s actually perfect.” “Good,” Sine laughed. “Because I didn’t have a backup plan for if you said no. So am I cool to just have him deliver them there then?” “Yeah,” Zipper nodded. “I’ll send you the address again just so you can forward it exactly as it’s written. I have no idea if map programs even give directions out here, but it’s better than nothing.” “That’d be great. I asked if he could drop them off early in the morning, and he said that works out fine. So I’ll probably beat you there then.” “I’ll set an alarm,” Zipper replied. “See you in the morning then?” The mare smiled. “See you then.”