An hour had passed since I had arrived in the lounge. Soarin had been telling me about what he had done throughout out the day, needless to say I was bored, had I thought it was possible for somepony to talk this long about a single uneventful day, I would have avoided the topic altogether.. I looked over to Spitfire and Fleetfoot they were standing near the door talking, their voices were drowned out by Soarin’s, who I guess had yet to realize I was not paying attention.
“And that’s when we met you!” Finally he had finished, I was tempted to stop him and ask him more questions, but if he manged to turn “How was your day?” in to a full blown speech, then I didn’t dare see what he could do with broader questions. I was more curious to what this new job actually entitled . What sort of errands would I be doing? How much was I going to get paid. That was another issue I was realizing of late. I had no idea how the currency worked here, I did not know what they called it, what the value of it and how I would even go about using it.
“Are you listening?” My head turned to Spitfire, she had moved closer to me with out be knowing, probably due to the fact I was no longer paying attention to my surroundings, more importantly what anypony was saying. “Sorry, I dazed out their” She still looked angry for what ever reason since she came in, but if there is one thing I know, it’s not to ask a female what’s wrong as it normally leads to more problems. Problems for me.
Fleetfoot walked over once more I tried not to stare though I was drawn in by those deep aqua eyes, I hoped no one noticed. “I guess an explanation of what you’re going to be doing would help?” Her words slowly brought me back into reality. “That would help...” This time I did not care if they caught the irritation in my tone, the fact that Spitfire had deceived me was reason enough to be irritated.
“Simply put, you will be doing errands for us. Management have been getting aggravated at us, something about getting them to do trivial things all the time when they could be doing actual work.. So they told us to hire somepony to pass the jobs on to, and that pony is you!” I could tell from the grin forming across Spitfire’s face that what ever errands they were referring to would me as trivial as management had said.“What type of errands?” My tone now genuinely showing my confusion.
Fleetfoot’s interjected “Just the random jobs we can’t be bot- don’t have time to do. Getting our outfits washed, ordering food, sorting out Fan-mail, cleaning up. Nothing much most of the time you will probably be just relaxing, I don’t see why management got so up tight about it” Fleetfoot’s words were a little reassuring, the job didn’t seem that bad, after all the ideal job is getting paid to do nothing, something I could get accustomed to.
“How much do I get paid?” Not that it matters, if their currency is as weird as their culture then I would probably need more help managing it. “Nothing, not a bit” Soarin voice interjected from behind me. This to say the least left me confused, were they seriously suggesting I worked for nothing? “What do you mean nothing what am I meant do for food, and more importantly living arr-”
“Food and living quarters are provided, the guys in charge don’t tend to trust us with money any more... “ Soarin’s eyes landed on Fleetfoot, jokingly insinuating she was the reason. “So they manage the money and pay for acommdatiation here, in terms of food we just order what we want and the bills get paid later” Admittedly this could not be any better, not only do I have to not worry about managing my money and gave me more time to figure out how it worked, but I am getting living arrangements sorted out for me.
“Though we can’t actually get another room, so... you're gonna have to share with one of us for the time being” And there was the catch. Actually this might not be so bad, I always wanted a roommate. In University my apparent roommate was never there, he was on a completely different course to me, so when ever I was in the room he was in class, not to mention our social circles were almost polar opposites, really the only time we talked was when he was yelling at me for coming in at three in the morning and waking him up.
“So who am I staying with?” All three seemed like acceptable roommates, though preferably I would prefer one of the mares, nothing perverse but I don’t like the idea of having to listen to Soarin talk about his day as he did earlier, especially when I was probably going to be there with him through the majority of it.
“You can stay in my room if you like, just as long as you don’t touch my stuff” Fleetfoot, I guess she would be a good roommate though I don’t actually know a lot about her. In truth other than Spitfire I had only just met the other two over an hour ago, and other than getting an in-depth detailed explanation of Soarin’s day, I had not actually spoken to Fleetfoot for more than a few words, and Soarin was still somewhat a stranger to me.
“-It’s fine my room has a pullout bed anyways” Spitfire’s voice almost seemed rushed, like she was trying to get that out before I could reply. “That would probably be better, So I guess your staying with Spitfire then” I figured I wouldn't have a say in this, though I was little confused as to why Spitfire was offering her room considering for the past hour she has been giving me leery looks, and Fleetfoot had already offered to share hers.
I cringed, suddenly feeling the tight hold of hunger gripping at my stomach, it only just dawned on me that I have not eaten anything since getting here, admittedly I had not eaten anything before getting here. “Speaking of food...” my eyes focused on the cupboards at the back of the room, assuming that’s where things like food would be kept.
“Great idea, you can order us some food” once more Spitfire’s words returned to a mischievous tone, obviously happy that I was already being put to work. I looked around the room, did they have phones here? Is it like ordering room service?
“How?”
“Write the order on something, then drop it down that pipe” Looking over to the wall, there was a small pipe that had been painted to match the beige wall. assumed it lead down to who ever takes the orders, a little unorthodox but on the upside it means I don’t have to venture out again in that maze of corridors. Noticing a pencil on top of the table I reached over to pick it up. Suddenly it hit me, I don’t have fingers, I don’t even have a hands I have hooves now, how am I meant to pick up things? I can’t believe this is the first time I have faced this problem, and I could not remember a time where another pony had picked something up, even opening the door was done by simply pushing it.
“Soarin can you pass me that pencil?” Watching Soarin pick up the pencil made no logical sense, it had just attached to his hoof. like it was glued on by an invisible force. Hesitantly I reached over and touched it, Soarin pulled back and there on my hoof I could feel the pencil, as if I was holding it normally. It was like I was holding something with actual hands, fingers an all.
I reached over and picked up some paper off the table with the same amount of ease. The paper was small, blank and did not seem to have come from anywhere in particular, the table it rested on was littered with random objects, but nothing that looked like it had once owned the paper it self.
“What do guys want?”
“Daffodil sandwich with out the crusts” Buck. I had forgotten pony’s are vegetarians, meaning no meat & probably no junk food . I have never been a fan of vegetables, let alone ever considered eating a Daffodil. I guess basic fruit like apples and such are not so bad, but living on them? This was probably going to be the hardest thing I had to adapt too.
“Just write Pie, they will know what you mean” Soarin was grinning, but if they really did have pie at least that’s something I could eat. The thought of an apple pie made me drool, thankfully not much to draw attention but the sudden urge was a little bewildering.
“Three blueberry muffins!” Muffins? So they have cakes? Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
Fleetfoot rushed over and lifted the table up, sending everything that was on it crashing to the floor behind. Staring bemused at her, I was too hungry to even begin questioning her reasons. Walking over I rolled up the piece of paper and dropped it down the pipe, It slid down perfectly, soon disappearing in the black void, it must have been far down, that or there was a curve at the bottom where it was being redirected.
Walking back over I sat down, Spitfire was still glaring at me across the room, while Soarin and Fleetfoot stared at the table expectantly. A sudden burst of light came from the glass table, soon replaced with plates holding the food I had requested just moments ago. The two reached down and took their respective plate’s, then began devouring it at an alarming rate, leaving me to gasp at the instant service, that not only got her fast, but appeared literally out of no where.
“What just happened?” My voice stuttering, still try to comprehend what took place moments ago.
“They sent us our food, what else” Spitfire trotted over and picked up the sandwich she had requested, unlike the other two she sat down and ate it slowly and was actually taking time to swallow between each bite.
“I know that, but how?!” I was now leaning forward on my seat, looking under the table to see if there was some sort of mechanism that brought the food up through the floor somehow. There was nothing, just an empty space looking directly through the glass tabletop to the plates and the ceiling above.
“They teleported it here, how else?” Spitfire’s tone sounded almost mocking, like I had asked a stupid question. I guess to her I had, to me I was baffled. I know I said I should not be surprised at what happens here considering what I have seen so far, but teleportation used for such a trivial thing as room service, I don’t think we can even teleport anything back home!? this was just absurd.
“But how?!” I was now standing over the table, realizing I had not actually made an order my self, I grabbed the pencil and another piece of paper that was now lying on the floor in a clutter of random things that once rested on top of the table. Writing down ‘Apple‘ I ran over and dropped it down the tube once more, then returning back to the table and staring eagerly at it. Just like before, a flash of light then there, an apple resting on yet another small white plate.
“They have unicorns down there, they just use there magic and send it up here, I would have thought that was obvious” Wait unicorns?! This place has bucking unicorns!? This was seriously getting weird, ok the liquid rainbows and the Pegasus's were weird enough, I was still wrapping my head around that, but Unicorns and magic? This is something I had to see. But I guess that will have to wait, dare I step out back in them corridors I would probably get lost, let alone find a Unicorn.
Picking up the apple, once more still confused at how I was actually holding it, I took a bite, expecting the same the same sweet apple taste I remember. It was not the same sweet apple flavor I remembered. No this was far better, this tasted better than any apple I had before, this tasted better than most things I've had before!
“What type of apple is this?” The question seemed stupid, but at this point, what I deemed stupid and illogical was being proven to be wrong by the second.
“It’s an apple, just an apple” Fleetfoot stared at me like I was crazy, obviously she had not tasted this particular apple. I threw it at her, gesturing with my fore hove to eat it. She took a bite then looked down at the apple unamused.
“Like I said, it’s a apple...” I knew something was not right. Reaching over to pick up one of the daffodil's that had slipped out of the rear of Spitfire’s sandwich, the one she was still eating surprisingly, I took a bite. Truth be told the flavor was strange, Strange but good. This is one thing I was not expecting, though I was thankful for, at least my sense of taste had changed, I doubt I could lasted long with my old one.
I looked up, all three were now staring at me, Soarin, somehow had managed to get pie around his face, Spitfire was just finishing the last of her sandwich and Fleetfoot, looking at me bewildered as I was her.
“I guess they just taste better here..”
“Right...Well it’s getting late, I think it’s time we went to sleep...” Spitfire stood up, still staring at me curiously while I returned a blank look to her. Then I realized that she was expecting me to follow, considering I was sharing a room with her, and not knowing where said room was, it seemed logical that I would accompany her back to our room.