"You're seriously having a business meeting in a bar?" I asked while Daniel held the door open for me. "When you told me that’s where we were going, I honestly thought you were just joking."
Dark, musky air enveloped me the moment I stepped inside, and my nose became filled with the smell of old wood, spirits and the smell of something greasy coming from the kitchen in the back.
"I think Vesuvio's is just as good a place as any," my human companion replied while he followed me inside. "I mean, would you have preferred it to have been held in a McDonalds instead?"
As though he really needed to ask.
I suppose as far as most places went, Vesuvio’s was nice in an offbeat sort of way, like a tiny bubble of reality separated from the rest of the universe by nothing but a swinging door. Sunlight turned to amber shadows as it passed through stained-glass windows, accented by the muted glow of an antique chandelier hanging overhead. Dark, thickly varnished wood seemed to have been the favored material for when the place had first been built, giving it a noticeably old-fashioned atmosphere.
Nearly every inch of wall space was dominated by a collage of old posters and paintings and adverts that were at least half a century out of date. The more I continued to take in my bizarre, new surroundings, the more I felt as though I had just stepped into the world’s biggest closet.
A closet that hadn’t been cleaned in years.
For several heartbeats my natural equestrian sensibilities were practically screaming in horror at the sight of such blatant disharmony and it took a moment before I was finally able to think clearly again.
"Are you sure you're cool with this, Dew?" I heard Daniel's voice as it reached past my scattered thoughts.
"No not completely." I said before reaching out with one hoof and nudging his leg. "But this is part of your job." I gave him a coy smile. "So I'll be a good girl while the grown ups talk."
Daniel laughed. "The generosity of your species will always continue to amaze me, Honeydew," he said, before gently flicking one of my ears which made me giggle in a way that always used to drive my mother crazy.
When the giggles finally passed, I opened my mouth, ready to respond, but then quickly decided to just let it go.
For all his intelligence and good humor, Daniel was very much a creature set to his own way of thinking. Though it was something that I had genuinely come to enjoy about most humans, with Daniel it was almost like a kind of art form, one that he had obviously taken the time to master a long time ago.
I suppose I shouldn't have been all that surprised, now that I think about it. After nearly three days of being a guest in his apartment, I had come to learn that trying to change him was both fruitless and aggravating and resulted in nothing but long headaches afterwards.
But in the grand scheme of things, all of this was unimportant when I stopped to consider what sort of situation I would have found myself in had Daniel not offered to let me stay at his place. It was an unexpected kindness on his part, one that may have saved me from the worst kind of trouble and I was grateful to him for all that he had done for me.
Despite my initial reservations about sharing a living space together my time spent with Daniel had been an exceedingly present one. So pleasant in fact, that it sometimes felt as though I were a guest at very tentative Bed & Breakfast.
It was a strange little friendship the two of us shared, though I think unconventional would probably be a better way to describe it. But as unconventional as our friendship was, it was one that I enjoyed immensely.
What can I say? I’ve always enjoyed the strange and unconventional.
"Danny!" Someone called out cheerfully from somewhere above us. "Hey, Danny-boy!"
Daniel was the first to look towards the voice. When I lifted my own gaze towards the cafe's second floor, I was greeted by the sight of a tall, sharply dressed human male who was waving down at us like an excited colt on Nightmare Night.
"I was wondering when you were finally going to show up." he said, leaning over the wooden guardrail.
"Yeah, well," Daniel said. "You know how much I love your last minute meetings, Zack."
"You complain now, but you know it's what helps keep you on your toes."
"I could probably get the same result from a steady coke habit."
"Brother, if you want it, I know a guy who's just one phone-call away."
"I think I'll just stick with the meetings, thank you very much." Daniel shot back "So you wanna tell me why I had to come all the way out to North Beach and miss my cartoons?"
"All shall be revealed in due course, my friend." the other human said. "Now what do you say we order ourselves a couple of irish coffees and get this thing started."
And just like that, he was gone, disappearing from sight just as quickly as he had appeared.
Daniel looked down at me and gave me a funny look. "Well you heard the man," he said before urging me forward, letting me take the lead like he always did.
As we both made our way past the bar and its row of padded stools, my eyes were soon drawn to the many shelves of bottles that dominated the wall behind it. I nearly gasped at the sight of so many different varieties of human-brewed spirits that crowded each shelf and the rainbow of earthy colors their bottles created. From liquors and brandies to wines and scotches, it was impossible for me to list them all.
Humans really do love to drink, make no mistake about it
The place was practically empty, save for the few chairs occupied by the establishment's most loyal afternoon patrons. I spared one or two a quick glance, being careful not to stare as Daniel and I made our way towards the narrow flight of stairs that stood tucked away in the corner.
As we made our way up, I could hear the steps creak beneath the weight of my hooves. It was a harrowing experience, to say the least and by the time we were halfway to the top, I was convinced that my next step would be my last.
Actually, now that I look back on it, I honestly think the only thing that kept me from turning back was the feeling of Daniel's leg against my rump when I accidentally backed into him. I know it sounds silly, but the feeling of his warmth against my coat and the knowledge that he was there was enough to put my worries to rest.
Well, most of them anyway.
And of course I certainly couldn't ignore the strange but thrilling touch of his jeans against my tail whenever I'd let it 'accidentally' brush against his leg.
Once the last treacherous steps were cleared, my human companion and I were soon greeted by the same cheerful voice that had called out to us only a few minutes earlier. My eyes drifted across the rows of tables and chairs, all of them empty save for one booth where Daniel’s sharply dressed friend was seated, nursing a glass of something that gave an icy rattle when he raised it.
"There he is!" he exclaimed with a grin.
"Here I am," Daniel replied while he approached the booth, moving a few steps ahead of me before reaching out to shake the other human's hand.
"Punctuality still the big handicap, I see." The taller human said with a look that could only be described as charmingly devious.
"You know damn well that I'm just as punctual as the next shiftless layabout to work in the indie game industry." Daniel protested.
"Says the man who always used to miss the opening previews to every movie we saw in college."
"Hey, In my defense, most of what I missed were the coca-cola commercials and recruitment ads for the military."
I watched and listened with quiet fascination as the two friends exchanged pleasantries and friendly banter. Other than the few exchanges I had witnessed between him and his landlady, I think it was the first time I had ever seen Daniel interacting with another human since first meeting him. It was a curious sight to behold for me, despite the fact that I had been living with him for the past three days.
I know this may sound strange, but he had always struck me as the type who was more comfortable when left to his own devices. Seeing the back and forth that Daniel was sharing with this other human was like watching an earth pony suddenly sprout wings and take flight as though it were natural to them.
When the two humans finished greeting one another, Daniel called me over to join them.
"Zack, I'd like you to meet Honeydew Blossom." he said as he lay his hand on my shoulder. "Dew, this is–"
"Zack Pendleton," the taller human cut in, extending his hand so he could wrap his fingers around my hoof. "Senior Vice President of New Frontiers and all around wonderful guy." He shot me a grin, before bringing his lips to my hoof and favoring it with a tiny kiss. My eyes went a little wide at the unexpected gesture, and I felt my cheeks slowly turn to pink beneath my coat.
"Ummm…" was all I could manage to say in the face of this new human's openly friendly nature. His outward demeanor and unabashed sense of forwardness was enough to make Daniel seem like a quiet little mouse by comparison. "…it's very nice to finally meet you Mr. Pendleton."
"The pleasure's all mine, Miss Honeydew," he returned before favoring me with a smile that showed far too many teeth.
"I guess he also forgot to mention that he's also a shameless womanizer on top of everything else," Daniel chimed in.
"Always better to be on top than on the bottom, I always say."
"Let me guess," said Daniel. "Another brilliant excerpt from Zack Pendleton's guide to life?"
Zack favored him with a lopsided grin while raising one of his dark eyebrows.
"You laugh now," he said. "But when I'm signing book deals and raking in that Best Seller cash, you'll soon see the error of your ways."
"Sure, Zack," Daniel replied with a sour expression on his face. "And maybe while I'm at it, I'll just go ahead and have that one-night-stand with Anita Sarkeesian, like I've always talked about."
"Hey if you manage to pull that off, I reserve first right of inclusion if it turns into a three-way."
"I'll keep your number next to the condoms," Daniel replied.
"Just so long as you remember me, Danny Boy," the taller human said with a look on his face that was just too enthusiastic for my liking. He then leaned back in his seat and rubbed his hands together. "Now to business!"
With a roll of his eyes Daniel turned to me and made a face that looked as though he were being choked. I giggled quietly while I watched him shed his jacket like a second skin before taking a seat across from his very talkative friend. I joined him shortly after, sliding up beside him and sitting on my haunches.
"So what's the big emergency?" Daniel asked before scooting over a few spaces so I could sit down as well. "Landlord trying to get us kicked out of the office again? I told the guys to stop hosting those weekend laser-tag tournaments there."
"Nah, Kevin found an abandoned hospital which they’ve been using since last Halloween. I went there once and holy-fucking-shit, it was like something from out of those old Silent Hill games." From out of a leather briefcase, Zack produced a rather thick stack of papers which he promptly dropped on the table in front of Daniel. "I just needed you to fill out the last set of contracts and release forms for the game before we send it off to be published."
"You're kidding me, right?" Daniel asked, looking at the stack of papers as though it were a rotten piece of food. "Zack, seriously, who the hell put this thing together?" He flipped through several pages before tossing it back onto the table. "This thing looks like its got more pages than a goddamn phone book!"
I had to admit, it did seem like an excessive amount of paperwork for something so trivial as a video game. I don’t even think Gentlemen for Mares had contracts with that many pages, not even for newly recruited gentlemen.
"Nothing wrong with being a little anal-retentive every now and then," said Zack.
Daniel just shook his head, not once taking his eyes off the stack of papers. "I thought we were done with this shit months ago," he said bitterly.
"Well," Zack began to say. "Required paperwork is like a really bad case of the crabs. You think you’ve gotten them all until that last little bastard rears its ugly head and says, hey asshole, you missed!"
"Crabs?" I said, unsure as to whether or not I had misheard the taller human’s rather colorful analogy.
"Could you possibly be any more disgusting, Zack?" Daniel shot back.
"What?" Zack protested with a look on his face that was similar to the one I used to give my mother when she found out I had been snacking on cookies before dinner. "What did I say that was so bad?"
"Nevermind," said Daniel before giving me a very apologetic look. "Let's just get this done." He reached for the stack of papers but his hand was swiftly batted away.
"First, I think we need to order us some drinks," Zack replied.
"This early in the day?" I asked.
Zack just smiled that toothy smile of his. "I never do business on an empty stomach." And just like that, he turned and shouted down an order for three Irish coffees.
Before long, our drinks finally arrived, and I watched as the young waitress set them down on the table in front of us. Zack was the first to start, followed shortly by Daniel and myself. I suppose it goes without saying that it took a little convincing from Daniel before I finally worked up the nerve to partake.
I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth, zesty flavor that quickly erupted in my mouth when I took my first sip. As the drink slid over my tongue, my taste buds felt as though they had each been sucker-punched by the perfect balance of sweet and bitter. There was even a hint of chocolate and cream to compliment the flavor of the coffee beans and brandy.
It was almost like eating a slice of rich chocolate cake and using spirits to wash it down.
From there, the meeting quickly became all business and I watched with silent fascination as Daniel suddenly went from casual goof-off to serious businessman. It was a jarring transformation to say the least, and the longer I watched him, the more I started to wonder what else he might be hiding beneath his otherwise clownish facade.
It was remarkable just how different the two humans were from one another. When it came down to it, Zack was probably as different from Daniel as griffins are to ponies. He was a tall, sharp featured creature, bold and handsome with an undeniable charm that practically radiated from his smile alone. And unlike Daniel's unruly mop of dark tangles and curls, his golden hair was like a field of finely cut wheat; well trimmed and combed to perfection.
If he were ever recruited as a Gentleman, I had no doubt his looks alone would have fetched a fine price.
I sipped my bitter-sweet beverage, still very much enjoying the adventurous new flavors that were having their way with my tastebuds. All the while, Zack proceeded to fill Daniel in on the various ins and outs of the ridiculously thick contract that he had produced from his very expensive looking brief case.
It was all very technical, and the more I attempted listened to them, the more it felt like I was listening to a whole other language. And after nearly twenty minutes of trying to make sense of it all, from beta and alpha builds to scrums and blogs and glitches and bugs, my head began to feel as though it had just been pushed through mud.
And so, having once again been left to my own devices, I settled into my seat and just let my thoughts wonder.
The past three days had been a relatively pleasant experience, which was actually quite a relief considering my initial reservations when Daniel had first offered to let me stay at his apartment. Though the apartment itself proved to be surprisingly comfortable, it took a while before I was finally able to settle in, adjusting to my temporary housemate's routines and habits while he in turn attempted to adjust to mine.
True to his word, Daniel had helped me in every way he was able and wasted no time finding me all the information I needed about the Embassy, from the street address to the phone number. Soon, all that was really left for me to do was pick up a phone and call them, a task which proved to be a little more difficult than I expected, considering most human phones weren't designed to be used by hooves.
Daniel was quick to remedy this. After his nimble fingers had taken care of dialing the number, all I had to do was wait by the phone until my call was eventually picked up by whoever it was that was on the other end of the line.
I know it must sound a bit silly, but the longer I stared at Daniel's phone, the more it felt like I had just drifted into unknown waters with neither a compass nor a map to guide me. I honestly had no idea what to expect and I'm pretty sure Daniel must have found my look of unease to be a source of great amusement, because every time I turned my back on him I could hear him snickering quietly.
After what seemed like hours of waiting and listening to the same atrocious music again and again, Celestia's grace shined down upon me and I was finally connected to another living creature.
I was more than a little surprised to find that it was another mare. She greeted me with a sweet oh-so-cheerful voice that practically filled Daniel's apartment as it came bubbling through the phone like a piece of badly composed music.
I think that voice must have been the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. Before the pony could finish speaking, I immediately began bombarding the poor mare with an angry stream of complaints and questions, barely giving her a chance to respond.
After I practically screamed the last word, I had to stop to so I could catch my breath while the whole world buzzed like angry hornets between my ears. When I turned my head to look at Daniel, he quickly hid his face behind a magazine.
Truth be told, I honestly didn't blame him.
Fortunately for me, the mare on the other end of the line was a kind and patient pony and took my verbal abuse with an absolute grain of salt. After asking a few standard questions, she promptly added my name to the embassy's very long list of appointments and named a time and day for when I could come in to bring my case before one of their resident problem solvers.
Now it was just a simple matter of playing the waiting game.
And I've always hated playing the waiting game.
I'm not sure when and I'm not sure where, but at some point the conversation between Daniel and Zack suddenly shifted to other, less business related subjects. By the time I finally began to notice, Zack was already in the middle of a rather sordid little story about him and some nameless female human whom he had attempted to woo several nights before.
"I’m talking full-on zipper busting package, all wrapped in the tiniest, sluttiest dress you'll ever find outside a vegas stage-show!" the taller human exclaimed, and when I looked across the table, I was more than a little surprised to find that he had ordered a second irish coffee along with a shot of whiskey to wash it down.
"So I'm talking her up, right?" he went on while Daniel just listened. "I've finally got her alone and I'm pretty much telling her every bullshit line that's never failed to get me laid, and this chick couldn't care less." He paused just long enough for him to down the last of his whiskey, scrunching his face before slamming the tiny glass down on the table "I swear to god it was like I was trying to go to bed with a nun from the dark ages!"
"Well, you always did go for the prudish types," Daniel replied with a roll of his eyes.
"Speaking of prudes," Zack continued. "You're still coming to the Christmas party, right?"
"Zack, in the nine years that we've been friends, have I ever passed up a chance to NOT be the center of attention?"
"So, that's a yes then?"
Daniel just shrugged. "It's a definite maybe."
"Maybe?" Zack asked with a look of utter disgust on his face. "Danny-Boy, if that's your idea of a joke, I'm not laughing. I am not only shocked to hear such words coming out of your mouth, I am disgusted!"
"Always with the drama," Daniel sighed.
"My good sir, if we were still living in the days of powdered wigs and frilly coats, I would have challenged you to a duel for such an insult!" The other human suddenly stood and pointed a finger at Daniel's face. "Challenged!"
"Zack, you think you might be able to take it down a notch?" Daniel said, swatting Zack's accusing finger out of his face.
"Fine, fine," Zack replied. "At least tell me why it's just a maybe and not a 'hell yeah' like any decent bro would say."
"Prior engagements," Daniel said before gently placing his and on my head. "Miss Blossom here is staying with me until she can get a few things sorted out with her passport."
"Please don't let me be the reason you don't go, Daniel." I said, feeling a tiny shiver ripple through the hairs of my coat when I felt his thumbs brush against the sensitive part of my ear. "This party sounds like it might be a lot of fun."
"Why don't you come along with him?" Zack asked. "There's always room for another hot booty on the dance floor and I've got friends who would love to meet you!"
I blinked at the unexpected invitation. "That's very… kind of you, Zack," I finally managed to say.
"Hey now, any friend of my boy here is a friend of the Zack's," he said. "Now be a sweetheart and try to convince this nimrod to come to the party before I have him put on trial for crimes against humanity."
"Daniel seems to capable of making his own decisions," I said. "And in any case, Neither of us knows how long I'll be stay—"
"Shhh-shhh-shhh…" Zack whispered before he brought one hand up to his ear. "Do you hear that, Honeydew?" he asked. "That's the spirit of Christmas calling to you! It's saying 'Come to the party, Honeydew… come to the party!" He then stopped and listened again, a look of astonishment plastered across his face. "What's that Spirit of Christmas? You say this party is going to be so awesome that even Jesus Christ himself would want to be there?"
My ears flattened against my head and I found myself becoming uneasy in the face of Zack's very intense personality.
"So come on guys," Zack continued. He held up one hand. "Option One: come to the party and spend Christmas Eve dancing and drinking until the angels are singing, Oh come all ye faithful?" He held up his other hand. "Or Option Two: Stay home and watch the Star Wars Christmas Special?"
"Man makes one hell of a sales pitch," Daniel said, leaning toward me. "What do you say, Dew? You feel like getting a little crazy on Christmas Eve?"
"You want to go?" I asked, raising an eyebrow
"Don't you?" Daniel countered with mock confusion plastered across his face. "I thought parties were supposed to be a big thing with ponies."
"Having an affinity for parties kind of comes with being a pony," I said before leaning closer so my muzzle was almost pressed against his ear, "But this doesn't sound like a party at all, Daniel. It sounds more like a controlled fire."
"Now, I'd actually pay to see something like that."
"Daniel…" I was going to say more before I noticed Zack watching us from across the table.
"You two kids want some privacy?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows while he rested his chin atop his clasped hands. "Seriously though, what's it gonna take to convince you two that missing out on this party will be the single biggest mistake of your lives?"
"This is all because you want me to bring ribs again, isn't it?" Daniel replied.
"I make no apologies for my ulterior motives." The taller human then looked at the fancy watch on his wrist. "Ouch, I gotta get my ass out of here!"
"They having another two-for-one special down at the sperm bank again?" Daniel asked.
"Have I already told you to go fuck yourself?" Zack shot back while he slipped on a rather expensive looking leather jacket.
"Not yet."
"Oh… well in that case, go fuck yourself."
"Will do, good-buddy," Daniel said with a tiny salute.
"I'll see you two at the party, then." He wrapped a scarf around his neck before slipping a pair of mirrored sunglasses over his eyes. "Until then, keep it real, you hear?"
And with that, the human named Zack Pendleton finally took his leave of us, turning on his heel and heading for the stairs.
"Well that was an interesting experience," I said.
"Yeah," Daniel replied. "Zack's always been the talkative type."
"I suppose that's one way of putting it."
"He's alright."
"If you say so, Daniel."
"In any case," he went on. "I'm just glad that the whole thing is over and done with."
"I thought you were looking to make your mark in your industry." I replied with an amused look on my face. "You can't make a mark if you don't put in the work."
"I'm an idea guy, Dew," said Daniel. "Every other part of the process can go suck a railroad spike for all I care."
"Be that as it may…" I said, nudging his shoulder. "When it comes to conducting business, I think you handle yourself very well."
"You really think so?"
I nodded. "You were very professional."
A faint blush crept onto his cheeks. "I never really considered myself the professional type," he replied.
I leaned in closer and whispered, "Up until an hour ago, neither did I."
"Oh, ha-ha," Daniel said before giving my snout a little tap. "Thanks for having such a high opinion of me."
For a while, the two of us just sat there, quietly enjoying the comfort of our closeness. I could smell the shampoo he used that morning, mingled with his aftershave and the intoxicating aroma of his own natural scent.
"But why games?" I finally asked. "You seem like a human who's smart enough and creative enough to accomplish anything you put your mind to." I ran my hoof along the rim of my glass, tipping it this way and that while I did my best to hide the bashful little smile that had been creeping onto my face. "I know I’ve asked this before but, but I still don’t understand why anyone would invest so much time and money into something so..."
"Stupid?" Daniel finished, raising an eyebrow.
My ears flattened against my head once more and I suddenly I felt myself shrink back into my seat. "I was going to say frivolous."
"Sometimes frivolous can be a good thing every once in a while."
"But wouldn’t you rather be part of something more... important?"
"Everyone wants to be part of something important, Dew," Daniel said.
"Fair enough," I said.
"Let the big, important types make their big, important contributions," he went on. "I just want this."
I stated at him, blinking several times before a tiny giggle poked its way past my lips. Maybe it was the alcohol buzzing through my head, but without thinking, I leaned over and nuzzled his shoulder.
"You are a funny, funny human, Daniel, Laughlin." I said, taking a moment to admire his features once more, from his slightly crooked nose to the way his dark eyes seemed to glitter like beautifully polished stones behind his glasses. Celestia help me, but something in those eyes of his just seemed to send a pleasant shiver down my back whenever they looked my way. The alcohol only seemed to intensify the feeling.
Daniel regarded me with an unreadable expression on his face and I quickly looked away, trying my best to hide my blush once again. He then leaned closer and gave the tip of my muzzle an affectionate pinch.
"You want to get out of here?" he asked.
I nodded, ‘humming’ a reply, before picking up my empty glass. "Maybe after one more of these?"
His smile only seemed to grow wider and with a wave of his hand, he called down to the barkeep for a second order for the two of us.
Before long, one more drink became two and then two eventually lead to a third. When we finally paid our tab and headed out the door, the sun had set and the streets had already been claimed by the hustle and bustle of the evening crowds.
With our bellies full and our heads gently swimming in the pleasant buzz of alcohol, Daniel and I began our journey back to his apartment. As we made our way through the streets of Chinatown we laughed at embarrassing stories and bad jokes with me occasionally having to provide an extra set of legs when he started to wobble about.
Thank Celestia we didn’t have all that far to travel.
By the time we finally reached Daniel’s apartment I was practically carrying him on my back with his keys dangling from between my teeth. Completely oblivious to the task at hand, he proceeded to prattle on about one of the many inconceivable plots to one of his old video games, stopping every now and then to compliment the softness of my rump.
I’ll admit it was cute at first. Despite the partially slurred words that lacked the usual charm that I had come to expect from him, I couldn’t help but feel a little flattered. Compliments and praise for such things were few and far between for most mares and only Celestia knew when the next one would pop up.
But the cuteness eventually wore off, leaving me with only a seemingly endless stream of ramblings that came pouring out of Daniel’s mouth. Soon, all I could do was give him the occasional nod, humming half-hearted replies while I fumbled about with the lock. Though I really can’t say for certain, I think it must have taken me at least five attempts before I finally managed to get the door unlocked.
Once inside, I guided Daniel across the living room, being careful not to let him trip or stumble before finally depositing him on his ragged couch. He let out a few drunken giggles as he lay back against the lumpy cushions with his limbs dangling over the edge like four old carrots that had gone soft and mushy.
"You still with us, Danny Boy?" I asked, giving him a gentle nudge with my hoof. I couldn’t help but grin when I saw the sour look spread across his face.
"Did I happen to mention just how much I hate that name?" he asked.
"Of course," I replied, enjoying my little bit of retribution while I lifted his arm onto his chest with my muzzle. "But I just love the way your face gets all scrunched up whenever you hear it."
"You really are an evil little creature, Dew," he said. "Anyone ever tell you that?"
"Constantly," I said while I carefully removed one of his shoes, using my teeth to undo the laces.. "And I always take it as the highest possible compliment." I set the first shoe aside before moving on to the other one.
I was a little surprised when Daniel pulled his foot away.
"I can do that," he said while his fingers fumbled about with the laces.
"No, Daniel, you really can’t," I countered before pushing him back onto the couch. "Now stop fidgeting and let a mare do her job."
"Your job huh?"
I nodded and said, "Human or Pony, in the end every stallion needs a mare to take care of them." I leaned in close so that my muzzle was only a few inches from his ear. "Especially the ones that are too drunk and too stubborn to recognize their own limitations."
With that being said, I quickly slipped the other shoe off his foot and gave his leg a gentle pat.
"There we go," I said, admiring my handiwork. "That wasn’t so bad, now was it?"
"Come back when the room stops spinning and we'll talk."
I smiled and gave his unruly mop of hair a little rustle. "Would you like me to make you some coffee?" I asked.
"Make it hot-chocolate and we'll have a deal," he replied before suddenly belching. "And maybe some Pepto to settle the cauldron of industrial waste that's sloshing around what used to be my stomach."
"I’ll see what I can do," I said with a roll of my eyes. "But if you throw up, don’t even think about asking me to clean it up."
"Sorry, Dew, but no guarantees on that one."
Well, at least he finally managed to get the slur out of his voice. Though I did find his promise to never drink again to be more than a little dubious.
When I returned with Daniel’s hot chocolate and some medicine to help settle his stomach, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that he had already passed out. I watched him as he lay sprawled across the couch like a pile of old laundry, snoring so loudly that he could have easily put a hibernating dragon to shame.
Setting the items aside, I bit down on the old blanket that lay piled at his feet and quietly tucked him in. He didn’t stir once, not even when I gave him a little good night nuzzle on the cheek.
With nothing else left to do, I gathered up our jackets and made my way over to the closet. When I managed to get it open, I was completely unprepared for the avalanche of clutter that suddenly came crashing down on my head. Within seconds I was practically buried alive in a hill of out of date magazines with faded covers and old clothing that reeked of mothballs.
Daniel had warned me time and time again about the dangers of venturing into his closest. Truth be told, I never once imagined it to be a veritable death trap just waiting to ensnare the first unfortunate soul that was foolish enough open the door.
Live and learn, I suppose, I thought to myself before spitting out an old sock that had somehow found its way into my mouth.
When I finally managed to dislodge myself from the junk-filled quagmire that had fallen on top of me, I backed my way out of the closet, nearly tripping over a small box in the process.
Rubbing my hoof and grumbling under my breath I bent down to push the offending object back into the closet from whence it came. On closer inspection, I was surprised by what I found inside.
Photographs!
Lots and lots of photos!
All with Daniel in them!
I guess it goes without saying that my curiosity was more than a little piqued at the unexpected discovery. Without thinking I quickly scooped the box up in my hoof and headed for Daniel’s room, taking a moment just to make sure he was still passed out on the couch.
And passed out he was indeed, blissfully oblivious to everything and anything around him. He snored and mumbled in his sleep, shamelessly scratching himself like a dog while he lay snuggled in his blanket. I have to admit, the mischievous little filly in me was very much tempted to see just how passed out he actually was.
Fortunately for him, the little treasure trove I held in my hoof was far more enticing and absolutely refused to be ignored for even a second longer. With a tiny grin I pushed my way into Daniel’s room, kicking the the door closed behind me as I made my way over to his bed.
Though I suppose it was technically my bed, now.
When Daniel had offered me a place to stay while I got my affairs sorted with the embassy, he was absolutely insistent that I take the apartment’s only bedroom, opting to sleep on the couch. Within seconds the two of us once again found ourselves going through what had become an almost predictable routine for us.
I politely declined and he refused to take ‘no’ for an answer.
I insisted that I was perfectly fine sleeping on the couch and he countered by saying he wouldn’t feel right about making a guest sleep on something where he was convinced a homeless person had died.
You know that age-old question about unstoppable forces and immovable objects? Well, I think Daniel and I were a perfect example of what happens when you apply it to real life.
In the end, I had no choice but to relent to my host’s relentless sense of hospitality and took his bedroom for my own. I could only watch while Daniel quickly went about stripping the bed down and replacing the old linens with what I could only hope were clean ones. Not that I was complaining of course, I being a mare who always appreciates a little pampering every now and then, but sometimes you just reach a point of saturation that makes even the sweetest gesture more than a little unpalatable.
"Well my little friend, it looks like it’s just you and me again, tonight," I said, addressing the room’s only other occupant which just happened to be a little caterpillar plushie whom Daniel affectionately referred to as Mr. Wiggle Woggle.
As usual, the fuzzy green caterpillar wasn’t much for conversation and just continued to stare blankly with its bulbous blue eyes and goofy little grin that was permanently stitched across its fuzzy, green face. As I climbed up onto the bed I reached over with my hoof and teased the tuft of orange hair that stuck out from atop its head like a poofy, little flame.
One would think that something so childish would be out of place in an adult’s room, but oddly enough, the fuzzy green plushie seemed to compliment its surroundings perfectly.
Maybe it was just me, but the room itself seemed like it would have been more suited for a young boy rather than a grown man. Every inch of wall was either covered over with posters and magazine covers or lined with shelves that were each cluttered with an impressive collection of toys and action-figures.
In addition to everything else, the room was ridiculously tiny and even by pony standards I’m certain it would have been considered a tight fit.
All things considered, I suppose I really couldn’t complain. The room was warm and dry and relatively clean, with not even a trace of roaches or vermin that were an all too common sight in many human cities. And despite it’s obvious flaws and discomforts, I had no doubt that it was far better than anywhere I would have found myself considering I had almost no money.
As I crawled my way across the bed, I relished the feeling of the sheets against my coat while I buried my muzzle in those delightful wrinkles. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of Daniel which was practically soaked into the room’s every surface, from the bedsheets and pillows to the flexible desk lamp sitting atop the end table.
Even through the smell of the soap, I could still make out the unmistakable scent left by Daniel’s body; sweet and musky with a touch of saltiness that hung in the air like a fine mist on a wintery morning.
Truth be told, getting used to having Daniel’s scent constantly wafting in my nose took some getting used to during that first, restless night. But after finally becoming accustomed to it, I soon found that the smell was perhaps the one thing that made up for the rest of the room’s shortcomings.
I inhaled a second time.
Oh Celestia, this was heavenly!
I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I had been able to enjoy the sensation of being surrounded in the tantalizing aroma of a male, be it stallion or man or even the occasional griffin if I was feeling a little more adventurous.
But thoughts of amorous adventures would just simply have to wait, because at that moment, my mind was just too focused on the photographs that I had pillaged from Daniel’s closet. I lifted the box in both hooves and gave it a few good shakes, dumping the photographs onto the bed until they formed a neat little pile.
When the box was finally empty, I quickly tossed it aside and began to spread the photographs out so I could have a better look at them.
Many of them seemed to have been taken during what I could only guess was some sort sort of graduation ceremony, with a younger looking Daniel standing among a group of other young humans that seemed to be around the same age as he. They were all dressed in glossy blue robes with strange looking square hats with tassels hanging off to one side like little donkey tails.
I couldn’t help but giggle when I saw how different Daniel had looked back then, with his pimpled face that was almost completely hidden behind a pair of comically large glasses.
The next one I looked at had obviously been taken many years before when Daniel was still just a baby. My smile only grew wider while my eyes took in his adorable little face with its tiny nose and round little cheeks that just begged to be nibbled and kissed.
I continued to smile to myself as I looked through the rest of the photographs, letting each one carry me away to a tiny piece of Daniel’s past, from birthdays to holiday outings with his family. There were pictures of him at the beach and pictures of him that had been taken while at some sort of amusement park.
There was even a picture of him standing beside an older man with graying hair and a face that I could only describe as uncompromising and stern, like something that had been chiseled out of the hardest stone. Neither of them were smiling, and even though the older man’s hand was resting on Daniel’s shoulder, I could see the discomfort in both their expressions.
But when my eyes came to rest on one photo in particular, I was shocked by what saw looking back at me. My chest suddenly tightened and my last breath seemed to die before it could leave my throat.
The more I stared down at the photo, the more I felt myself being pulled in by the image depicted on its glossy surface.
It was a picture of Daniel, sitting on a park bench with a very attractive pegasus mare leaning against him with her hooves wrapped around his shoulders and her wings spread proudly to either side.
The mare’s coat was the color of light turquoise, with a cutiemark in the shape of a single white lightning bolt and three little stars. Her mane and tale shimmered brilliantly with streaks of amber and gold and her eyes were sharp and prideful. They were like two golden coins that gleamed with unabashed confidence that was matched only by her smile as she pressed her cheek against Daniel’s.
When I saw the look of affection in both of their faces, my eyes narrowed and my nostrils flared. I swallowed hard while something cold and painful began to twist its way through my insides. In the end, I was left with nothing but an unhappy lump in the pit of my stomach that threatened to come bubbling up the back of my throat.
After I carefully stuffed the photographs back in the box, I lay my head down on the bed, all while trying my best to ignore the smell of Daniel in my nose.
It took a long time before was finally able to fall asleep. When I awoke the next morning, my head was throbbing, my mouth was dry and for some strange reason, I found myself holding Daniel’s toy caterpillar in my hooves.