//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Could You Do Me a Favor? // Story: My Overbearing Aunt // by Sketchy Changeling //------------------------------// Wednesday. Two days since the waiting game began. I haven’t seen Celeste since our encounter in the castle halls two days ago. Luna’s been helping me to stay away from her by letting me know where she was scheduled to be. Right now, it was ten in the morning. My first class wasn’t until three, and I planned on sleeping in till then, but… RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! I groggily reached onto my nightstand and felt around for my phone. When I found it, I picked it up, answered it and brought it to my ear. “Hello?” “Marcus, darling! You weren’t sleeping when I called, were you?” “Nah, Rarity. I’ve been up for a while,” I lied. “Okay, good. I have a question: What time is your first class today?” “Three PM.” “Well, if it’s no huge bother, would it be possible for you to come over to the school within the next hour and do me a favor? I’m making a suit that’s supposed to fit a human, but I don’t have any human mannequins to work on, so I was wondering if I could… use you?” I raised an eyebrow. “Are human proportions really that much different from those of a pony?” “Darling, there is a world of difference.” While I still didn’t really agree with her on that, she was the fashion expert, so there’s probably some deep, intricate difference between pony and human anatomy that I just can’t see. “Alright, I’m in,” I tell Rarity. “So, you said you’d like me there within the hour, right.” “Yes, I’m in one of the design studios in the Fashion wing of the school. Room 48.” “Gotcha. I’ll be there as soon, okay?” “Thank you, Marcus. You’re a lifesaver.” CLICK! Okay, so maybe I wasn’t going to be able to sleep in, but I had plenty of rest last night, anyway, so it’s no huge loss. I looked at the clock; it was almost quarter after ten, which meant that my breakfast should be here any sec- KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! “Sir Marcus,” one of my guards called. “Your breakfast is here.” “Coming!” I called back as I walked over to the door and opened it. The first thing I saw was a maid with a catering cart in tow. She was an earth pony with a light brown coat with a medium-length, straight dark brown mane and tail; she had a set of amber-colored eyes, and she was dressed in the standard outfit for all the maids in the castle, which were a little too revealing, if you ask me. I mean don’t get me wrong, I like the whole black and white frilly motif and the cute little hats they wear but I must admit that all that open cleavage, the off shoulder top design, the white striped formfitting midsection and the ridiculously short ruffle skirt kept making my eyes wander too much for comfort. If I had to guess the mare’s age, based solely on her appearance, I would have to say that she was about… twenty-five, maybe. When it came to her body, which as I said was made blatantly apparent by her current attire, all her curves came out perfectly balanced, to be honest. Her whole frame had a perfect hourglass shape, her delicate arms connected to a small and narrow chest frame, going down to a slender waist and a pair of well-shaped, decently sized hips and thighs. And of course, I could never forget the feature that was as if purposefully put on display for me to notice: her big double D boobs! Although Rarity’s did seem a tad bigger due to their slight sag, the maid’s in contrast were very perky. As for the rest of her… well, the catering cart was blocking my view, so I can’t give you an accurate description. Keep this in mind: I wasn’t checking this mare out. This was just passive observation. Every guy does it, ladies. Something wasn’t right, though… “You’re not the usual maid that brings me my meals,” I said. Mind you, I honestly didn’t give a shit who brought me my food. I asked that question out of mere curiosity. “Oh, she’s sick, Sir Marcus. Since she wasn’t here to take care of your catering today, I took it upon myself to cover for her in her absence,” she said proudly, perhaps a little too proudly. I looked at her with an unsure face. “Uhh… thanks.” I took the breakfast items I wanted from the cart and put them on a plate. “It was my pleasure,” said the maid. “If you need any snacks or anything, just ring the kitchen and I’ll come up with a cart for you.” “Thanks,” I said again. “So I guess I’ll see you at dinnertime.” “Mm-hm!” she said with a bow, and she turned around and left. Now that the cart wasn’t blocking my view, I was able to get a look at the maid’s lower body. Not that I was trying, mind you. Her rear was rather small and really tight, and yet very visible as it protruded in between her thighs. I could also see her cutie mark under her skirt. It was a coffee pot. Fun fact: her tail which was coming out of a small buttoned down space on the top of her skirt did absolutely nothing to obscure the view I was being given. Once my punishment ends, I'll have to talk to Celeste about these uniforms. Again, this was just passive observation. When she rounded the corner of the hallway and left my sight, I heard the guards behind me stifling chuckles. “What?” I asked, turning around to look at them. “Nothing, Sir,” said the guard on the left. “Don’t worry about it,” said the guard on the right. I simply rolled my eyes and walked back into my room to finish my breakfast and get ready to meet Rarity. After wolfing down my meal, taking a shower, and getting dressed, I was about to leave my room to head to school, but then… “Marcus?” “Yeah?” “This is Agent Luna checking in with the semi-daily status report.” “This isn’t covert ops, Luna. You can drop the Agent act.” “But it’s so fun! You can’t deny me that, can you?” “I guess not…” “Anyway, Celestia has just gone to the conference room to meet with the Japaneighse ambassadors. It’s the ideal time to leave the castle if you plan on doing so. Something tells me that she’ll be there for a while.” “Thanks for the heads up.” “My pleasure.” Armed with this new knowledge, I left the castle while Celeste was occupied, heading towards the school. While I was leaving earlier than usual, I wasn't really breaking the terms of my grounding. Celeste only forbade me from leaving the castle when I wasn't going to school, and wanted me to come straight home after class. Don't believe me? Well, here's a little reminder of what Celeste said to yelled at me, word for word: YOU’RE GOING TO COME STRAIGHT HOME AFTER CLASS EVERY DAY! AND YOU AREN’T TO STEP FOOT OUT OF THIS CASTLE FOR ANY OTHER REASON! See? Anyway, once I got to school, I walked straight to the Fashion wing of the campus, looking for the studio that Rarity told me to meet her in. “42, 44, 46, oh, here it is. Room 48,” I thought out loud, and I knocked on the door. “Coming!” I heard from the other side, followed by the sound of hurried hoofsteps. After that, the door opened. “Marcus! You’re here! Do come in, darling!” I smiled and walked in, looking around the studio. It was an average size, about half the size of my room at the castle, which was rather large. It was painted in all white, with a drafting table and tool cabinets on the left side, and a set of mannequins on the right side, all of which were pony shaped. She was right. She really didn’t have any human mannequins to work on. “Okay, Marcus, here’s the situation,” Rarity started. “I have a suit made to fit a human, and I need somebody to try it on for size. From there, I can make the necessary adjustments.” Wait, I thought she said that she needed me to be a mannequin so she could make the suit from scratch. I didn’t think that she had the suit made already. “Okay…” I said as Rarity retrieved the suit for me. When she gave me the garments, I proceeded to put them on over my clothes, but then the unicorn began to object. “No, no, no, darling!” she told me. “I can’t get an accurate fitting if you simply wear the suit over your clothes. You need to change into it.” I sigh in frustration. “Okay, where’s the changing room at?” “Well, there isn’t one in here... This is just a studio.” “Alright, I saw a bathroom down the hall. I’ll just go there.” “Are you insane!? I can’t have my unreleased design being tossed around in a public bathroom, even if it is at a prestigious university!” “Well, what do you suppose I do, then? Use magic?” What? I can’t help being a smartass sometimes. “Just change in here,” Rarity said nonchalantly. “WHAT!?” I yelled. “Oh, don’t be a prude, Marcus. Besides it’s not like I’m going to watch.” The unicorn then covered her eyes and turned around. “Does this make you feel better?” “I guess,” I grunted, and I walked over to the other side of the room to change. As I got undressed and redressed, I kept my eyes on Rarity in case she got any ideas and tried to sneak a peek. “Alright, I’m done.” I say once I get the suit on. “Okay… Oh! Look who’s all gussied up!” Rarity said to lighten the mood. “Now, let me just get my measuring tape, and we can get started.” I looked down at my hand, then back up at the unicorn. “Do I need to take my bracelet off?” “Oh, no!” she answered frantically, but then she reigned herself in. “I mean, it’s not necessary, sweetness.” She cleared her throat and approached me with the measuring tape, and then she decided to make conversation so the atmosphere would be less awkward. She could have picked a better topic to talk about, though. “So… since you live in Canterlot Castle, and since you’re the princess’s nephew… does that make Prince Blueblood your cousin?” I sighed in frustration. “Yes... it does.” “I see,” she said. Something about the way she said that made me suspicious. “You’re not into that scumbag are you?” “Oh, heavens no!” she exclaimed, offended at the mere notion. “I wouldn’t’ give that miserable excuse for a stallion the time of day!” “You sound like one of his ex-girlfriends,” I chuckled, but then I abruptly stopped. “You aren’t one of his ex-girlfriends, are you?” Rarity looked away from me nervously as she knelt down to “Well, I’m not an ex-girlfriend, per-se.” “Explain.” “Well, a year and a half ago, I went to the Grand Galloping Gala knowing that he’d be there. I had hoped to make a connection with him, but…” It was at this point where her tone began to turn sour and she began to tightly grip the edge of my jacket in resentment. “He treated me like dirt. I thought he was my Prince Charming, but he was the furthest thing from.” I sighed and put my hand on her head consolingly. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” I told her. “At least you realized how bad he was for you. That’s more than I can say for a lot of girls.” Rarity looked up at me with those big, blue eyes of hers. “Thank you, Marcus,” she said, and she returned to measuring my pants. “So, why did you ask if I was interested in Blueblood?” “Because at first you sounded like you were, and I wanted to steer you away from him.” “Oh, yeah? And why is that? Are you jealous of him?” “No,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “It’s just that I’ve seen the way he treats mares, and I don’t think any mare deserves that kind of treatment, especially a mare that’s close to me.” “Like me?” she asked, and then she quickly added “and Octavia?” “Exactly,” I answered, looking down at her. It was then that I noticed the view of Rarity’s chest that I got thanks to her low-cut top. There was practically a valley of cleavage just a few feet below my face and practically next to my hands. After realizing that I was staring, I quickly averted my eyes, only to have Rarity chuckle at me. “It’s alright if you stare, darling.” I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “So you’re okay with guys just staring at your chest?” “I never said that. I’m just letting you do it because, well, I trust you.” She trusted me? Even after I lied to her and Octavia and snuck out to a party? Honestly, in retrospect, I’ve been a pretty untrustworthy person. “Well, that’s a relief,” I told her. “How so?” she asked. “I was gonna lose a whole lot of respect for you if it turned out that you’d let any old guy ogle you.” The mare let out a cute giggle. “You forget that I am a lady, Marcus Cortez. Ladies keep certain things exclusive to those they trust.” “Good to know that I fall into that bracket.” After several more minutes of small talk, Rarity finished measuring me. “Okay, I think that’s it, darling,” she said. “You can change back into your regular clothes now.” “Just when I was getting used to the suit,” I joked, receiving a roll of the eyes from the unicorn. She covered her eyes again and turned around so that I could change, and once I did, I neatly folded the suit and handed it back to her. “I hope you get a good grade on this design,” I told her as she took the outfit from me. “Hmm? Oh yes, the grade. I hope I get a good mark, too.” she responded absentmindedly. “Well, thanks again for your help, sweetness. I really appreciate it.” “No problem.” “So, where are you off to, now?” “Well, I still have a lot of spare time before my next class, so I may just go and see what Octavia is up to.” “That’s sounds all well and good. I have a class in twenty minutes, so I should be getting a move on. I’ll see you later, Marcus.” I waved goodbye to Rarity and I left the studio to go to her and Octavia’s room. On my way there, I figured it would make sense to call her and make sure she was actually in her room. I dialed her number and waited for her answer, which was rather prompt. “Hello?” “Hey, Octi. It’s Marcus.” “Oh, hello, Marcus! I was just about to call you. I know your first class isn’t until much later, but I was wondering if you could come over a little earlier than usual.” “I’m actually on campus right now. I was helping Rarity with something earlier.” “Well, that is rather convenient.” “So, are you in your room right now?” “Yes, and I could really use your help with something, so I hope you don’t mind doing me a favor.” “Not at all. I’ll be right there.” “Great. You can let yourself in when you get here.” I made my way over to Octavia’s dorm and headed to her room, which she left unlocked for me. When I walked in, I saw the earth mare in the middle of tuning her cello. “What’s going on here?” I asked. “Does this have something to do with this favor you have in mind for me.” “Actually, yes. See, there’s a school-wide musical competition, and I’m trying out for a spot in the solo classical division. I haven’t done a solo performance in a while, so I fear that I may be rather rusty. That’s where you come in.” “I hope you don’t expect me to coach you or anything.” Octavia giggled. “No, nothing of the sort. I simply want you to listen to the piece I chose, and then I want your opinion of how I did.” “Now there’s something I can do.” The earth mare smiled at me, picked up her bow, and prepared to play her piece. “Before I start, just know that I put a lot of consideration into this,” she told me. As she moved her bow towards the strings of her instrument, I noticed that her hand was trembling. While the idea of her being nervous perplexed me, I decided to try and calm her. “You don’t have to be nervous, you know,” I said to her. “It’s just me.” Octavia looked at me with a surprised face, but she relaxed when she saw the smile on mine. She took a slow, deep breath, and began to play. How would I describe the music she played? It was soft and soothing, yet fiery and passionate at the same time, and it was at the perfect pace, too; it wasn’t too fast or too slow. I looked at Octavia’s as she played; she seemed so serene, as if she was in her own little world and was letting all her emotions out through her cello. She didn’t even have her eyes open. Just how long has she been practicing? When Octavia finished playing her piece, she let out a deep breath, opened her eyes, and gave me a hopeful look. “Well, what did you think, Marcus? Give me your honest opinion.” I smiled at the earth mare. “I thought it was great!” I told her. “You really have a talent for music, ‘Tavi, although you probably already knew that.” She let out a sigh of relief. “Still, it fells nice to hear it from someone else.” I got out of my seat, approached Octavia, and sat next to her on her bed. “So, looks like you’re ready for that competition.” “Huh? Oh yeah, the competition. Well if you say so, then I guess I am ready.” The mare fidgeted in her seat for a moment before speaking again. “So, how are things at home?” “Well, my grounding isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, if that’s what you’re asking. I might even get off for good behavior.” “You sound like someone that just got prison time,” she giggled. “That’s pretty much how I feel, but if I’m lucky, my punishment might end sooner than expected.” “Let’s hope it does,” Octavia said with a smile. “I miss getting to spend time with you on the weekends.” “What do you mean by ‘you’?” Octavia’s eyes seemed to widen for a second, but then she looked at me with a smile “You and Rarity of course!” “Oh, I see,” I said. “You really enjoy spending time with us?” “Of course I do. This year was probably the most fun I’ve had during my time at CUFTA, and it hasn’t even been two months since the year started. When my roommate left for Saddle Arabia, I made a promise to myself that I would open up and not be so… ‘uptight,’ as she endearingly called me. You… and Rarity both helped me do just that.” “Flatter us more, why don’t you?” I joked. Just then, I heard a high-pitched beeping sound, which made Octavia jump in surprise. “Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “I only have five minutes left until my next class! I’m sorry Marcus, but I have to go. I’ll see you later, okay?” “Sure,” I said as I got up and walked towards the door. “Bye, Octavia.” “Goodbye, Marcus, and thanks for coming over.” “No problem,” I told her as I left the room. It was quarter to six in the evening, and I had just gotten home from school. As usual, my guards were waiting for me beyond the castle doors. I decided to go to my room and wait for my dinner, so I got moving, but I can’t help but think that I forgot something. It kept nagging me as I walked, but then it came to me… But it wasn’t the best way for it to come to me. I saw Auntie Celeste walking down the hallway, just like the last time I saw her. I had forgotten to tell Luna that I was home! Thanks to that, I wasn’t aware of where Celeste was. I guess I know now. It’s cool, though. I just have to ignore her, that’s all. I kept walking, and Celeste and I got closer and closer to each other. When we were about to cross paths, she looked at me with a hopeful smile, but I turned my head away and moved closer to the wall. I kept my eyes averted from her, so didn’t see her reaction to my ignoring her. I could tell that she was on the verge of breaking, though. It was only a matter of time. When I had gotten to my room, my dinner had arrived not five minutes later. When I opened the door, I saw that it was the same maid that brought me my breakfast. “Hello again,” she greeted. “I have your dinner here for you. The chef cooked you the usual.” “Thanks miss,” I replied. “Say, I never got your name.” The maid smiled and leaned forward on the cart she was carrying, giving me a view of her bosom. “It’s Honey Pot,” she said, batting her eyelashes at me. I immediately noticed how kinky her name sounded. That name may have been cute for a little filly, but for a grown mare, it sounds rather suggestive. “Well, uh… thanks, Honey Pot.” “It was my pleasure, Sir Marcus,” she said with a wink. I gulped nervously as Honey Pot turned around and left, deliberately swaying her hips back and forth. It was then that the guards behind me chuckling again. “Okay, what’s so funny?” I asked. “Nothing,” answered the guard on the left. “It just seems that Honey Pot has her eyes on you.” “She has a thing for humans,” added the guard on the right. “You’d better watch out, kid.” Then it hit me, Auntie Celeste mentioned that there was a maid in the castle that had a thing for humans. I didn’t think that she was being serious, though! I slowly backed into my room and closed the door, officially weirded out. Hopefully that mare was just teasing and wasn’t really coming on to me. I turned and looked at my calendar. There was just over a week before Nightmare Night. It would have been nice to go out and wear my timberwolf costume again, but current circumstances were preventing that. Hopefully I’ll still be able to make the best of it when the night comes.