Shout out to Andrew Joshua Talon and his fic Hands. It's very enjoyable, so if you haven't read it, please do.
Been spending a bit of time playing Champions Online and Star Wars the Old Republic. Among other things. I used to play City of Heroes, but the number crunchers decided to shut it down. Damn number crunchers.
----
“Twilight, relax.” Kyle said firmly as he drove down the road to the mall, the two now in his aunt's Volkswagen. The small beetle wasn't great for hauling much of anything, but it was very nice to drive when you weren't worried about how much you needed to take back.
Twilight, or Twila as he would have to call her in the mall, shifted nervously in her seat. She wore tight blue jeans, a pair of white sneakers and light purple button up shirt. His aunt's old wristwatch was on her left wrist, her right hand fiddling with the strap. “I'm sorry, I just don't know... I mean, what if I screw up? You know, if I don't blend in right?”
“You're worrying too much.” Kyle replied, chuckling as he made a turn onto another road, building passing them by. “Just act natural, don't use 'pony' unless your talking about a pony, don't say hooves, hair instead of mane... If you get worried then let me handle the talking.” He said before looking off to the side down the hill they were on. “There it is. Sunshine Mall.” He said as 'Twila' looked over at the building in question before blinking.
“It's big...” She let off. The building in question was only a story high, not terribly impressive. It didn't have towers or large gates and it didn't have banners on the walls. However it was both wide and long. The building was shaped like a massive horseshoe. “So... What exactly is a mall?”
“Think of it... Like a town market.” He began. “But instead of stalls it's full on stores. Sunshine Mall has about sixty or so stores in it, ranging from book stores and electronics to food and jewelry. This means everyone comes to the mall to shop, so it's often fairly busy. We need to get you a few things, mostly a couple sets of shoes and some clothes.” He said as they began down the hill. “You need some newer stuff, I think.” He added checking for traffic around him. Not too long after they arrived in the parking lot.
Setting her feet onto the ground once the car was parked she gulped.
Time to to see human society up close.
----
Her head turned to the left. Then to the right.
There they were. Other humans. Sure, she had seen them in pictures and videos but not up close like this.
Fat humans, skinny humans, tall humans, short humans, handsome humans, ugly humans, light skinned humans, dark skinned humans and nearly every shade in between. Blonde hair, brown hair, black hair, red hair, blue hair (Kyle said that was dyed, not natural).
Clothing styles ranged from simple pants and shirts to elaborate skirts and blouses. One teenager she saw wore tiny shorts and a small shirt. Then there was a woman who wore some form of cloth over her head, hiding everything but the eyes and nose.
And then there were the stores.
Large signs proclaiming the names and logos of the store in question in bright, eye catching colors. Posters and stands showing off what they had to offer. Video stores, candy stores, jewelery, fashion, shoes, athletics apparel, video games, board games, table top games...
Then she saw it. The one store that made her stop and stare.
And drool.
The sign was simple. A bright red open book with golden letters in simple font.
'Chapters'.
“Ummm, Twi? Twilig, err, Twila?” Kyle let off, waving his hand in front of her a few times as she stared.
“It's beautiful!” She declared before striding into the open doors of the book store.
“...Aww nuts...” Kyle let off, giving a big, deep sigh before following her in. It didn't take long for the unicorn turned human to find the science section, eyes flickering over each of the names of the books on the side of the books. Kyle coughed lightly once he came up behind her before speaking. “The beetle isn't that big, and while Auntie left me a lot my funds aren't unlimited. We are not buying out the store.”
When she turned to him with that pout and whimper he couldn't help but think of how adorable it was. “We can still get a couple though.” He added, watching her face turn into a beaming smile.
----
“That's more than a couple...” He muttered. 'Twila' just stuck her tongue out at him, bag in one hand with five books in it. Two about the human anatomy, another about Canadian history, one of American history and the last being an odd choice, the autobiography of Mick Foley 'Have A Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood, Tears and Sweatsocks'. “Anyway, come on.” He said, leading her into a shoe store, moving to the back as she walked by his side. She looked around, looking at all the shoes on the walls. There were sneakers and flats, high heels and platforms and more. “I know Auntie's shoes work, but you need something better fitting. Maybe some flats?” He suggested, pointing to a bench before kneeling down and pulling out a metal object with a slider on it. “We can get an idea of the shoe size with this.”
She nodded, sitting down before slipping her shoes off as he set her foot on the slider, measuring it for a moment. “Okay then. Think there's anything in purple?”
“I'll look.” He said, patting her knee before standing and going off to where shoes upon shoes were displayed. She sighed a bit as he went off to look. The shoes did do the job, but heavens they were uncomfortable. Idly she lifted a foot up onto her other leg, rubbing at it idly, sighing as she shook her head. During one shake she caught sight of something from the corner of her eye.
She was on a bench outside of the shoe store, foot tapping and arms crossed. The woman was about Kyle's age, give or take, and seemed fit enough, it was hard to tell at that distance. She was a blonde with long hair, maybe mid back at most, past the shoulders at the least. She could make out her eyes, blue, but only for one reason.
Those eyes were looking right at her. Narrowed, angry eyes as if Twilight had just delivered to her a massive insult.
A woman she never saw before. Said blonde's eyes darted to the side a bit before she stood and stormed off.
Stormed off; not walked. She seemed upset, and if she wasn't mistaken at her. Before she could ponder it for much longer a box dropped onto the bench. “Okay, try this one on for size.” He said, opening the box up.
The shoes were flat converses, at least she thought that was what they were called. They were somewhat shiny with white trimming around the edges and wrapping over the toes. She took them out of the box and slipped one on her foot, looking it over before putting on the other. “Sooo... Now what?”
“Stand up and walk around a bit.” He says, stepping back. “Just pace a little and get a feel. See if it fits right and feels comfy.” He said, smiling at her as she nodded. She then started a slow walk around the bench, before jogging lightly. Lastly she came back to him, bouncing on her feet lightly. “I... I like this.”
“Huh... Often takes me four or five pairs to find a good set...” Kyle mused, shaking his head with a grin. “Good enough to keep, or try on something else?”
----
“So, how are you liking it so far? The mall I mean?” Kyle asked as the paired walked down, his aunt's old shoes in a bag in his arm along with at least two new sets of clothes from a nearby store.
“We really don't have anything like it back home.” Twilight replied, tapping her chin in thought. “I mean Canterlot's marketplace was busy but... This is so much different, it's hard to put into words. It's like putting all of the energy of a town market and compressing it somehow.”
“Well, it is in a building.” Kyle said with a shrug. “So I guess it does compress it down a bit. Hey, come on, I see the food court.” He said, pointing to ahead to an larger area with various stalls in the walls, each with it's own eye catching logo and fresh smelling aromas. The pair didn't take long to get in line for the A and W vendor, ordering their meals and going to a table, sitting down.
They made idle conversation during the meal, Twilight enjoying the Teen Burger before her before looking over Kyle's shoulder.
There was the blonde again, staring at her. “Why is she staring at me?” She asked, mostly to herself but loud enough for Kyle to still hear. He turned his head, spotting the blonde as her eyes widened, the girl quickly turning to leave.
“Linda...” He groaned out, turning back, head lowered as he groaned, shaking it side to side. “Try not to mind her.”
“Who is she?” Twilight asked as Kyle stuffed a few fries into his mouth, chewing on them. It was clear to her that he looked upset after seeing the girl, and it worried her somewhat. Once he swallowed he looked up at her.
“My ex-girlfriend.” He replied simply. “Look, don't ask here.” He said, cutting Twilight off as he mouth began to open. “You can ask when we go home, but not now. Not here.”
“Okay, I understand.” She replied softly, reaching out and patting his hand gently. “Besides, it's my first time out in a place like this, I don't want it ruined because of one pon, err, person.”
“Yeah, I can hear that.”
---
“Let's grab some groceries before going back.” Kyle said, leading her to a large grocery store, a sign above it declaring it a Safeway. Twilight noted a woman on the bench near the entrance who's head turned to face them, the mouth on it turning to a wide smile. She was pudgy, if not outright fat with a face that didn't look unlike a guppy fish. She wore an old, beaten up blue jacket and lifted a hand up and waved.
“Hello!!!” She let off cheerfully, Kyle waving back and answering.
“Hello!”
“How are you?”
“I'm good, how are you?”
“Goooooood~!”
“Awesome!”
The woman let off a laugh as the pair walked by into the store proper. “She suffers from some mental disorder.” Kyle whispered to Twilight, leaning into her. “Not sure what it's called, but it means she's... not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Sweet as sugar, though, and hangs around helping people. She's almost an unofficial employee here.” He takes her shoulder in his hand, grabbing a basket. “Anyway, we need canned milk and some sugar for the donair's I'm planning on making.”
“...Meat?”
“Spiced meat.”
“Ohhhh!”
---
“Soooo...” Twilight began tapping her fingers. The two had started on the drive back to the house, the better part of two odd hours of shopping behind them.
“Let me guess...” Kyle let off with a sigh, eyes ahead as he focused on the drive. “Linda.”
“Linda.” Twilight parroted as Kyle's jaw clenched. “...You really don't like her, huh?”
“Yeah...” he sighed, biting his lip for a moment. “Well, before I get into that give me some context on, ah, pony romantic relationships.”
“Well...” Twilight began, leaning back in her seat. “With ponies only a rough quarter of our population is male. Some places, like Ponyville, are closer to a fifth or sixth and others like Apploosa is closer to a third. Mares will seek out stallions for; well, you know, and try and marry. Due to the differences in the male to female ratios sharing males are a must; this results in a mare sharing her stallions with close friends and in some cases, forming herds.”
“Herds?” Kyle let off, glancing at her as she nodded, making sure he was in his lane of the highway. “Like a herd of horses?”
“Not like animals, no. A Pony Herd is usually one male with one lead mare and up to three supporting mares. Larger herds, like say five supporting mares are not unheard of, but usually by the time you reach seven a second stallion is involved. The largest single stallion herd, as I recall it, was a total of eighteen mares.”
“Oh boy...”
“The largest duo stallion herd is twenty nine.” Twilight looked back at him, tapping her chin. “Mind they may have added to it since I've been gone.”
“Okay, well then...” Kyle said, biting his lip for a moment. “What if a... involved stallion or mare strays? Say sleeps with someone other then his or her mate, or outside the herd.”
“Depends on gender.” Twilight replied quickly. “With stallions usually the worst that happens are feelings get bruised, and only if the mare he slept with was disliked by his mate or the rest of the herd. Otherwise not much of a fuss would be raised. Remember, there aren't many stallions. Trying to keep one all to yourself is seen as selfish, or anti social. It is another matter if the stallion spends more time away from his beloved or herd, but so long as a stallion isn't cheating emotionally no one makes a fuss.
“Mares are different. If I recall correctly, humans only found ways to identify genetic legacy via tests rather recently. Well.... Ponies still haven't. What spells we've made to try and determine linage is inaccurate at best. Therefor if a mare gets a coltfriend, a husband or joins a herd she's expected to remain faithful. During her periods of heat she only lays with one stallion in a two stallion herd. It's the only way to know for sure who fathered which child. Straying mares are looked at... not fondly. At best she's labeled a tail-lifter. The closet thing for humans is 'Slut' but the definition doesn't fit, an unattached mare can sleep with anypony she wants and not be frowned upon for it. … Except Cloud Kicker, but her life's goal seems to be to sleep with all of Ponyville.
“Anyway, a tail-lifter is somepony who, even after promising to be faithful, will sleep with stallions she's not promised to. And since typical pony sex involves the... male mounting the female from behind she needs to move the tail out of the way, usually by lifting it. I suppose to humans it seems unfair that the stallion can sleep around without care and the mare can't after getting involved, but it's how we evolved. … So what does this have to do with Linda?”
“Tail-lifter.”
“...Oh.” What bothered Twilight about that was just how quick and casual he was about saying it.
“We started dating... Back when we were sixteen.” He began, frowning a bit as he made a turn. “It's that magical little age where you worry about pimples and what whats-her-name did on the weekend. A mutual friend set us up on sort of a blind double date, he took his girlfriend with him and he got me and Linda set up. We hit it off. Movie nights, long walks holding hands, sneaking kisses. You know, all that romantic junk you read in novels or see on television. Then of course came the sex...
“This is where we weren't typical, most people, humans anyway, depict the guy as a horny, hard-as-hell perv who just wants to have sex with a pretty enough girl that will spread her legs, and that the girl is angelic, saving herself for her wedding night and oh-so-pure. We were the opposite. She made a point of flashing condoms at me and all but demanding we get in bed together. I... I wanted to slow play it...”
“The wedding night of your dreams?”
“Not that slow.” He chuckled softly, a small grin coming back to his face, to Twilight's delight. “But, you know, I just didn't want to... rush in. I liked her, hell, maybe I loved her. But the thing was I didn't want to just... I...” He sighed, shaking his head. “I guess what I'm trying to say is, I was afraid. Afraid I'd muck it all up somehow, that something would go wrong, or she'd get pregnant or... There were a lot of ors...
“Then after about... around when we were seventeen I got a text from her mother.” He said, his jaw clenching again. “She came home from work one night and bedded Uric Richthofen, the school’s resident jackass and jock head, in bed. Naked. Doing it.”
“Oh heavens...” Twilight let off, reaching over to touch his shoulder. “I... You don't need to--”
“I was about to set up a night to bed her at the time.” He carried on as if she didn't even say anything. Despite telling the story his eyes were on the road, oddly alert as he spoke. “Date, dinner, movie... Auntie was going to be gone for a week... Bought the condoms even. And then she turned around and just... flaunted herself at some dumbass jock, just to get laid. And worse, they'd been doing it for a year without anyone knowing. As you can imagine when I saw her later that day... things were said, I was pissed off and if I had an ounce less of self control I probably would have decked her. I dumped her like a rock off a bridge.”
“I'm so sorry...”
“Auntie always said 'Opening your heart opens yourself to the greatest joys... and the greatest hurts.' Wasn't kidding either. She dated him for about a month before he was caught with another girl. She made a huge fuss about it. Hypocrite. A while later she tried getting back with me but I decided not to have any of it. Rumors went about that she had slept with other guys the whole time, but I never thought much of it at the time, just nonsense rumor.”
“Too much hurt?” Twilight asked softly as he took in a large breath before releasing it.
“It's just... After that I don't think I can bring myself to trust her again.”
---
“Can I ask you something?” Twilight said after Kyle finished drying off the last of the plates, setting them into a cupboard. She herself was sitting at the table, her spell formulas before her.
“Shoot.” He replied, turning to face her, leaning back into the counter top. Twilight thought for a moment longer before speaking.
“I know you don't like talking about her, but... Why did you date her in the first place? Linda, I mean.”
“Hmmm...” He let off, tapping his chin a bit. “Well, at first it was partly because she was a hot girl who had a personality, and liked to joke a bit. After a few dates... I think it was because she acted like I was the coolest guy around... very affectionate but not to the point of being clingy... It's hard to put into words...”
“She made you feel... Special?”
“Best way to put it I guess...” He said, moving next to her, setting a hand on her shoulder. “Look, try not too worry too much. I won't lie and say I'm not bitter over it, but I'm past it. I got better things to worry about. Anyway, any closer to figuring things out?”
“Not yet, but I'll get it.” She said as he patted her shoulder before walking off. She sighed, focusing on her work, scribbling and double checking.
It was a couple hours before she took a break, going over to his DVD library. There were odd titles in there; Star Wars (Six of them) Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Then she stumbled over one odd one. Pulling it out she read the title.
It was a green metallic box with a large looking boat, massive maybe, with a flat top and a small building on the side. Of course she had nothing on the cover to guess scale with, so she could only make an educated guess. Then she read the tittle.
Battle Three Hundred and Sixty Degrees.
She opened it up and saw four DVDs in it, walking to the player and setting the first into the machine.
---
Again I have to apologize for the long, long wait. I among other things going on I really kinda racked my brain on how the chapter should go, but... brain fart!
This isn't my best effort, I hate to say, but I was lacking any real inspiration for it. Oh well, I hope I'll have more for the next one. What is the topic for the next one?
To be blunt...
War is coming...
PS: The woman at the grocery store is based on someone I know. And we have that routine all the time.
PPS: The named of the series is actually Battle 360°, pronounced Three Sixty. It's about the Second World War, focusing on the Pacific Theater and on the USS Enterprise in particular. Highly recommend it.