//------------------------------//
// Explore 
// Story: And You Said Yes 
// by Vivid Syntax 
//------------------------------//

"I feel like a princess!" Fashion Plate rode high on the cart alongside the self-dubbed Red Blanket of Mystery. He felt the wind on his teeth and in his thin, silvery mane as he caught his breath. "Mind the wheels, love. Looks like a gopher hole ahead, and I would hate to jostle whatever little secret you’ve got under here."

"Sparkles," Rivet grunted with a smirk. He looked over his shoulder without breaking his stride, like the cart weighed nothing at all. His dull orange coat sagged on his slightly-shrinking muscles, but only just, and his stubbled face wore the exhausted smile of a pony used to physical labor. "I worked construction for forty-three years. I can manage a hole."

"And how!" Fashion Plate leaned out of the cart and slapped his husband’s flank.

Rivet straightened up and blushed. "Heh. Still got it." 

They crested a grassy hill. Rivet pulled the cart under the shade of a large oak tree and quickly unhitched himself. He offered Fashion Plate a hoof. "Careful, hon. The grass is slippery. Must have rained this morning." 

"Thanks, Papa Bear." Fashion Plate took Rivet's hoof. He shivered with a pleased squeak as his big, strong, rugged stallion lifted him from the cart and set him at the top of the hill.

Fashion Plate stood tall on his bony, cerulean legs and breathed in the scenery. The view was every bit as serene as he remembered. The foothills to the east and west towered above their little overlook, and in the valley below, a small herd of deer grazed on the sweet summer bushes near the stream. The oak tree next to him sang a mild song of rustling white noise, and the air felt clean in his lungs. Maybe it wasn't quite the mountains, but it was enough. "Perfection," he whispered. 

"Want the tripod?" Rivet asked, already unpacking it from the cart.

"No, I want this one to be nourishingly natural." A golden light enveloped his horn, and a bulky camera floated from the bag in the cart to his face. It trembled slightly in the air, but Fashion Plate exhaled three times and snapped a picture just as the camera steadied. 

Chk-bvvd. The machine spat out a picture, and Fashion Plate grabbed it with a free hoof.

He snuggled in as Rivet put a hoof around him. Sweat prickled the orange earth pony’s skin as he caught his breath. "It'll be–" His voice cracked, but he recovered. "Gonna be a great one, I bet."

"Better than great!” Fashion Plate lowered his tinted, white-framed glasses and gave Rivet a sidelong glance. “I aim for perfection! I put everything I am into all of my photos, love. That’s what makes them feel so alive.”

Rivet squeezed his husband and reflexively kissed him on the ear.

Fashion Plate shuddered with delight and nuzzled him back. “But there's a reason landscapes are just a hobby. They’re just not as interesting as photos of living, breathing ponies. Speaking of which: selfie!" Fashion Plate spun the camera around, and both of them turned their heads, smiling as wide and bright as their dentures would allow.

Chk-bvvd. 

Rivet grabbed this one and shook it gently. He blew on it with a breath that always reminded Fashion Plate of fresh banana bread.

Fashion Plate kissed his cheek. "You know that doesn’t help."

"It's good luck." Rivet fanned himself with the photo. "Like in Las Pegasus. Ya' know, get a pretty mare to blow on the dice?"

Fashion Plate scrunched his face and smiled. "Well now you're just fishing for compliments.” He poked his husband in the chest. “...you clever, handsome, burly devil, you." 

Rivet grinned. "Got any more?"

"We'll see how that picture comes out. You'll have absolute Tartarus to pay if you warp it. Lemme get my readers." Fashion Plate reached for the tiny saddle bag at his side, but he flinched as his neck twinged.

"I got it, hon." Rivet dug out a pair of white-framed glasses with feathery silver filigree and dozens of gemstones. He set them on his mate's face, and as ostentatious as they were, they only magnified his beauty. "Gorgeous."

"I know." He flashed a smile as he magically floated the other glasses into his bag. "It's how I keep you from looking at Davenport whenever we visit. Now, let's see that picture!" He leaned in and squinted at the photograph, which was just finishing development. "Oh, my sweet meathead," he sighed. "You look wonderful."

Rivet looked at it, too. The two of them stood cheek to cheek with the background wonderfully framed. "Yeah." Rivet felt a heavy weight settle on his chest. He mumbled, "Wanna… use this one?"

"Mmmm… I think we can do better. There’s a certain kind of smile I’d love to see again.”

Rivet cocked his head to the side. “Oh? Which one?”

“Can’t you guess? It was back in Ponyville.”


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Rarity had invited me to her spring show at Carousel Boutique. She still hosts those, that absolute queen! No idea how she finds the time, but she’s always said it’s important to highlight the little ponies out there who are still aiming to make it big. Wise words! A young stallion named Pistachio absolutely dazzled my eyes out with his debut. I was practically on top of the world thinking about how much fashion there was to discover in the hidden nooks and crannies of Equestria.

We broke for lunch about half an hour late – high society ponies never do anything early – and I just had to take a prance around Ponyville to get the energy out. I bounced! I swam through the air! I practically floated like a character in a foal's books who smells a delicious pie down the block. So much opportunity! So many rugged, unique ideas to explore!

I hadn't even made it a block when I bumped into a wooden saw horse painted orange and white. Somepony had plopped it down right in the middle of the street, and I nearly lost my glasses tripping over it. A new building was going up, but honestly, who could say what it was in that state. 

Laundromat expansion for the spa. Three days after the groundbreaking.

How in Equestria do you remember that?

It was an important day.

Aw…

Well, with my attention finally brought back to the street in front of me, of course I had to take it all in. It smelled like wood and steel, mixed with the flowery bouquets from a few stalls down. Manehattan never smelled that fresh. Especially not during construction, which was all the time. I was struck by it! Ponyville had taken such an inconvenience and made it pleasant for the senses! How marvelous!

It was a tad ruined by the sirens that blared every time somepony so much as thought about moving a box, though. 

It's loud so nopony wanders into the site.

Well, it didn't work on me. I was too distracted by the sights. 

That's why we have the saw horses, too.

…Touché.

But if nothing else, it was an experience! And I had to capture it. My camera was at the ready, but I fumbled a bit. When you're used to a hyper-curated runway session, it's hard to gather oneself in such a chaotic scene. It took me eons to get the focus right, and when I did…

My lens had found the most handsome stallion I'd ever laid eyes on. His legs looked like they were made of steel, his face struck me with his rugged charm, and his barrel had that little paunch that makes the stallions go uhnf! 

You were there, too, if I recall. 

Hey!

Kidding!

It was you, Rivet. You'd skipped shaving that morning. Your dusty vest fit you too tight, so you had it open at the chest. The bright orange should have clashed with your coat, but instead it gave me this sense of energy, of life, of focus. You were guiding a beam for the crane operator, letting fly a few colorful pieces of advice. Even as rough and tumble as you were, your voice made my spine tingle from tail to head.

And… I was attracted to you. You were very, very attractive. I just wanted to be near you, and I wasn't even having lewd thoughts! I had plenty of them later, obviously, but in that moment? You were just… there. You had a steady confidence about yourself, and even in that chaotic mess of a work site, your eyes never left your work. Things moved smoothly near you. It didn't matter that you weren't the foreman. Everypony knew that you were the expert, and they gave you deference. And when you turned toward me, I felt that focus wash over me. I felt seen, so rare for a pony behind the camera. But you were paying attention, and your solid stance, your gentle but firm expression, the stubble of somepony that cares more about doing a good job than how he looks… you were perfect. 

So what else could I do? By reflex, I steadied my camera and snapped a picture.

You reeled at the flash like a colt on school picture day. You shook your mane out, rubbed your eyes, and every direction you moved showed me another angle of your scandalously seductive body. 

And I kept flashing. "Ah! Love it! Splendid! Yes! Oh! My Cosmare models wish they looked as natural as you!"

You finally composed yourself, rolled back your shoulders, and marched at me with earth-shaking stomps and a look that could turn a draconequus to stone.

And oh, you looked so good doing it that I couldn’t possibly stop! "Yes! Authority! Focus! You have no time for this! Punish me, foreman!" I admit, a few of the pictures were less than stellar, because I was distracted by that gorgeous, dirt-caked chest.

You stood just on the opposite side of the barrier, and with three quick motions that I'm still kicking myself for not capturing, you grabbed your hard hat, took it off, and smothered my camera. "Okay, Sparkles, that's enough flashing me and my friends here."

"Tragedy! We were just getting started!" I tried to reclaim my camera, but you kept a hoof on your helmet. You held it in place as I struggled and grunted and tried to free it with my magic. "Nyeh! NYEH!" 

You sighed and looked me right in the eyes. "Friend, not sure how they do things where you're from, but 'round here, we ask before taking pictures."

I gasped. "How ghastly! My apologies. I’ve made a terrible faux pas!"

You raised an eyebrow. "A what?"

I put a hoof to your chest and threw my head back. "Stop! I simply cannot handle your smoldering, salt of the earth charms."

"Not sure I follow," you said with a shake of your head.

The confluence of what happened next still rattles me. For just a moment, there were no beeps, no alarms, no jackhammer. It went quiet, right as I practically shouted, "I'm saying you're hot, hot, HOT!!!'"

And every single construction pony slowly turned to face me, mouths agape.

The silence was deafening. My ears slapped against the sides of my head, and my glasses slid down my nose. My hoof fell from your chest, but then it just hung in the air like a drying fish. Attention always feels different when it's sudden and unexpected. 

You casually picked up your hard hat, and my thoughts raced. I saw images of you giving me the cold shoulder and leaving me to beat myself up for being an impetuous colt.

But you were a gentlestallion. You placed the hat back on your head, looked me in the eye, and gave me a soft nod. "Thank you. That feels nice to hear." Your head cocked to the side like a bluebird lost in thought. "I appreciate a stallion that can get to the point." You reached for my hoof, brought it to your lips, and kissed it. "And you're pretty 'hot, hot, hot' yourself."

A pink mare cheered from across the site, "Yeah, Rivet! Get it!"

Trellis has never been subtle.

You rolled your eyes, then looked back at me. "You doing anything 'round six?"

Rarity was throwing a banquet that night for all the fashion show participants. It was the sort of event that could lead to my next big scoop and really jumpstart my new projects. Only the most lovestruck, unhinged ponies would skip such a momentous occasion, so of course I replied, "Can't think of a thing!"

Your eyes went wide, and you smiled. Oh, how you smiled. You couldn’t believe what was happening any more than I could. You tried to keep still and play it cool, but I saw the twitch of your back and the puppylike flick of your tail. It’s how I knew you really cared. "Good. We'll grab dinner at that cafe over there." You pointed to a quaint little bistro. "Don't keep me waiting."

My eyebrows raised. "So not fashionably late, then?"

"Nah. I'd hate to miss a moment." You turned and said, "See you then. Oh. Name's Rivet."

"An absolute pleasure! I'm–"

"Sparkles."

The hungry grin and tantalizing glimmer in your eye made my legs weak. I pulled back, blinked, and shook my head. "Oh, you whimsical sprite! It's actually–"

"Sparkles. I know." You winked and walked back into the noise. 

I felt like my smile would break my face. 

I cantered back to Carousel Boutique, and I didn't even care that I'd missed lunch. Whenever I got hungry, it reminded me I was going to have dinner with a fiendishly warm and inviting and sexy beast. I thought about it all day, and frankly, I had to talk myself into not making an entrance out of being late. 

Because for you, just this once, I could be early. 


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