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// Orange and Green 
// Story: A Taste of Orange 
// by Prince Solstice 
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	The Ponyville streets had been paved, and the houses began to get bigger. Ponies began to flock to Ponyville to be protected by the Elements of Harmony. The little city was not so little anymore, but the pony folk were still kind as ever. The spreading city had become a rather popular place for tourism. It was a new city and no longer going back to the little town as it once was. Along these dark streets walked a rather orange pony, a pony without care, and a pony always in thought. It was late, and all was peaceful. The only thing that wasn't peaceful was this ponies thoughts. He kept running into people selling 'items' along the street, and tripping over people with the same luck as he is having. He kept his business his own, and just ignored the 'fuck you' they kept throwing at him.
'Orange doesn't rhyme with much.' Orange Swirl thought as he was contemplating his name after a day of searching for jobs around Ponyville. He came up empty hoofed again, which didn’t mind too bad. Orange Swirl was calmly walking along the road to the Ponyville apartments. He had his ear buds in playing Modest Mouse’s Bankrupt on Selling. He curses this band for making him want to write. A creative writing degree is kind of useless when you are surrounded by so many other ponies getting doctorates and degrees that will actually propel them forward in life. Swirl didn’t care however; his writing was good enough for him, so screw the publishing companies for turning down his poetry series.
He flipped his black mane out of his face, he needed a mane cut something awful. He was getting shaggy, and his black tail was not much different. He took his last drag off his cigarette and stamped it out with his hoof. He was heading back home to an apartment complex. Not a bad place and it was quiet until they had parties. Luckily it has very few tenants living around him, so they can be as loud as they like.  
His slow pace was a signal of him in deep thought. The cool night air felt good on his rounded face, and even helped him relax. He couldn't wait to toke, his roommate Radio Jammin’, or Turntabl3 Delux3, was probably already smoking a joint. Swirl has known the guy since his days spent at the University of Manehatten, where they met on the elevator ride up to their room. By luck they were roommates, and it hasn't really changed since. Swirl’s taste in music expanded a whole lot since meeting the guy. He is a musical pony, without any talent to make it. He is crazy good at making playlists, and knows quite a bit of music trivia. His cutie mark was headphones after all. Not to mention the zebra can out smoke anypony, the benefits of being from Jamareca. 
‘Crazy pot smoking Zebra,’ Swirl laughed at the thought. He had been smoking heavily ever since he met that Zebra. He loved it, and even better that it relieved himself of his past.
Swirl then reminded himself of home as he approached the front gates of the apartments. He remembers his father’s ice cream parlor in the heart of Manehattan, and how he had earned his cutie mark by mixing the sherbet flavors and selling them to customers. The happy looks on the kids’ faces made Swirl happy as he stood behind the counter watching them eat. Suddenly there was a poof and on his pale orange flank had appeared a literal orange swirl. It amazed him how things work out sometimes. Somehow he wants to get back into ice cream making, but isn’t exactly sure how. He finally made it to his apartment; he fumbled around in his saddle bag for his key and pulled it out with his teeth. He then unlocked the door and it swung open. He went inside the door, closed it, and locked it. He was always paranoid, even in a town of nice pony folk. It was his first day here, and somehow no one recognized him. He turned around to see Radio playing Call of Cutie: Black Clops 2. He went over and sunk into the captain’s chair next to Radio.
"Booyakasha! That's where your head used to be mon!" He looked up at Swirl and gave him a smile. "Hey what's up my brotha. I got some dope shit all rolled up for ya. They call it Pegasi Delight, it's strong even for me.” Radio’s accent was very minimal now that he has been living in Equestria for five years. It was occasionally noticeable when he spoke, but not too often. Radio took a huge hit off a blunt of ridiculous size. His white shutter shades were on. Swirl picked up the premade joint; he lit it up and took a hit.
"Damn, that is some smooth shit." Radio just nodded in agreement. Swirl looked over at him. "How are you able to play in those things?"
"What my bling? It's not about seeing, you can feel where the next head will pop up. I am one with the game. Wait quiet, I can feel a disturbance in the force…” On the screen he was aiming at a wall when someone popped up. “Booyakasha!" Delux3 just got another headshot and was now laughing maniacally. Swirl couldn't help but start smiling as he took another drag off his joint.
“So, what exactly are we doing tonight? It is Friday after all.” Swirl asked.
“Well, I have a girl coming over. I’ve known her for a while now. You probably know her as Vinyl Scratch.” He smiled at Swirl, who gave him an ‘are you serious look.’
“You know that pony? She is getting big dude.” Swirl looked back at the game, and Radio smoothed out the dreads in his mane. Swirl took a hit, he already knew the shit was going to be strong.
“Well, when she is the only girl who stays as high as me mon, it’s hard not to know her.” He grinned and got another headshot. Swirl recalled the many adventures and friends of Radio, but he never mentioned her once before.
“How is it you never told me that before?” Swirl insisted
“Because, there are many things we forget. I probably mentioned her, and you just weren’t paying attention.”  Radio went back to his game, with the joint hanging out of his mouth.
“How is it that I would forget that you were friends with a fucking celebrity? That seems like some shocking information.” Swirl was sure he hadn’t told him before.
“Whatever mon.” Radio just waved Swirl off in a playful manner. Neither one really cared who was right; it’s just nice for Swirl to know that they have a guest of V.I.P status coming to visit. Swirl had to give it to Radio. The zebra knew his shit when it comes to befriending mares. Almost with the perfect timing, there was a knock on the door. 
"Well, speak of the devil.” Swirl slowly stood up, the full effect of the weed has yet to really hit him, but it was slowly seeping into his system. He trotted over to the door and unlocked it, at the door stood the famous DJ- Pon3.
“Scratch! How’s it hangin’?” Radio yelled over his shoulder, he got out of his chair with the game still playing to go give Vinyl a hug. Swirl shut the door behind her, and turned around. He looked her up and down, because Swirl always had to inspect intruders, even if they were on the rise to fame.
“Nothing much Radio, who’s your friend here?” She gave a nod and smile towards Swirl.
“Oh, um, my name is Orange Swirl.” Swirl gave her a big smile. Vinyl then got a little closer.
“Geez man, have a hard on or something?” She laughed, “Na, I’m just joshing. Nice ta meet you. Say, is that some green I smell?” She looked back over at Radio who was grinning ear to ear with his light grey face.
“You bet that’s some green you smell.” Radio laughed “May we offer you some?” He started rolling a joint for Vinyl without a response.
“Well, duh, that’s why I asked.” Her focus switched back to Swirl “So, what’s your story?”
“I don’t have one yet. I’m still making it.” He gave the most honest answer he could. Swirl didn’t have aspirations to do much of anything. After getting his dreams crushed by publishing companies, his parents, and himself, he lost track of who he was along the way. Writing was supposed to be his life, and somehow he screwed that up.
“Well don’t worry Swirly, you’ll write your story.” Vinyl gave him a reassuring smile for her words of encouragement. Not that they really helped the psyche or mood Swirl was in.
Radio finished the joint and handed it to Vinyl. She put it up to her mouth and moved her sunglasses to the top of her head. She turned back to Swirl.
“You gonna light me up?” Swirl had begun to be put off a little. He couldn’t figure out whether she was being playful or just a demanding bitch. He must have looked kind of confused because Vinyl raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.
“Yea, I got one right here.” Swirl grabbed his lighter off the table, and lit it up for vinyl to puff off of.
“By the way, don’t take me seriously. I tease a lot.” Vinyl gave him a quick wink. “Plus you seem cool enough by me.” She gave him a smile.
“Glad to know, cause you were definitely giving some bad vibes.” Swirl was bad about speaking his mind, especially in such a small group of friends. He still made friends even though he was a blunt asshole.
“Na, it’s cool man. Sorry I guess I could tone it down a bit.” Vinyl turned to Radio. “So, what have you been doing?”
“I’ve been talkin’ on the radio. It’s steady, and I am the only one willing to stay up so late. Plus it’s easy to be high and work as a late night D.J.” Radio laughed at his own joke, Swirl and Vinyl chuckled because it was the truth.
“Glad to hear not much has changed” she grinned. “Well, what the buck is there to do around here.”
Swirl interjected “Not much, it’s pretty boring.” He made his way back to his captain’s chair, and Radio sat back in his chair. Vinyl went and sat down on the couch to the right of the chairs. It was long, grey, and worn in. It was old, but the best couch to just phase out on. Especially when listening to music blazed up.
Vinyl was puffing down the joint pretty fast. Swirl never understood the fascination with finishing weed so fast. He was just getting to his third hit off his joint. This stuff was stronger than what Swirl was used to, because he had begun to feel like he was buzzing. 
Swirl was getting to his sixth hit when Vinyl had already finished her joint. She was jamming to imaginary music in her head, when she got a kind of weird look on her face. She then tapped on Swirl’s neck, he then turned to look at her. She looked him dead in the eyes.
“I was wondering what your favorite music is?” Vinyl asked a sort of obvious question. After all Swirl’s roommate was a radio D.J.
“Oh, a little bit of everything really. Music has become the second part of my life.” Swirl spun around in his captain’s chair. It was black chair that swiveled. It sat pretty low to the ground and was sectioned. It was worn, and had cracks in the fake leather. It was Swirls chair, and it was more than comfortable for being street side pick-up.
“Well, what is your favorite bands?” Vinyl pressed on with her questions.
“Oh, I guess my number one favorite has to be Modest Mouse. They inspired me to start writing.”
“Cool! I never would have guessed that about you. You seem more of the laid back type, one who is at peace all the time for no reason.”
“Well, I guess I am to a certain degree.” Swirl felt too honest sometimes, but it didn’t help that he just finished his joint, and the buzz was becoming stronger. “To be honest my life was pretty depressing until recently. This is literally my first day to go into Ponyville. I've stayed holed up here for months trying to write out a story.” Swirl knew that weed also helped his mood.
“Oh, well welcome. I’ve been here maybe once or twice.” She said in a joking tone. Her eyes had become a little yellow and bloodshot, a sign that she was buzzing.
“Thanks.” Swirl didn’t really know what else to say.
“So, how did you get here? Was it like accident?” Vinyl sat up a little.
“Well, yea sort of. I didn’t really know where to go, especially since my parents kicked me out after college. Cool thing is Jammin' here is cool enough to put up with me for a while.” Swirl had begun to get a little choked up.
"I need a smokin' buddy, mon." Radio said over his shoulder, never breaking concentration with his game.
“Oh man, bummer. Well I am glad to hear Radio here can put up with ya.” Vinyl gave Swirl a smile, but Swirl didn't return it. He felt so abandoned by his parents. He didn't care though, he was feeling good right now.
“I don’t know, they seemed really happy to see me back from college.”  Hedidn't feel sad to tell about his past, because it was the past.
“Wow, that’s pretty harsh of your parents. They know it’s legal right?” Vinyl gave him a weird look.
“Well, yea they know it’s legal, even though that was recently done. Back then it wasn’t that way. A drug to self destruction is what they claimed. Some shit went down, and they told me to leave, that was that.” Swirl gave her a look to reassure her that he was telling the truth.
“Shit, that’s pretty heavy stuff.” Vinyl seemed to be affected by his story.
"I can tell ya more, you seem pretty interested." Vinyl gave him a nod.