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// Interlude: I'm Better, I Swear! 
// Story: Celestial Disposition 
// by Kitsulestia 
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~Prince Blueblood~
Today is the day. If I pull this off, I might finally get that blasted Alicorn off my back.I’ll prove to her that I can meet her standards, one way or another! I’d just hoped I could have come up with a less mortifying way than this…
I sighed as I trotted to Celly’s room. I hated that this was the best idea I could think of, but it was the most suitable course of action to prove my improvement. With one last moment of hesitation to think of whether or not there were any better options, I sighed again when I failed and knocked on her door.
“Hello?” Celly answered as she opened the door. She blinked when she spotted me. “Oh, hello Bluebitch.” she smiled as she greeted me. I grit my teeth at the nickname, but held my tongue. It was frustrating enough that she treated me that way, but it’s worse when I can’t do anything about it, aside from conform to her expectations. 
“Would you please stop calling me that? It’s rather irritating.” I asked as politely as I could. I could see approval in her eyes as I did. 
“Alright. Since you asked nicely this time, I will.” she agreed. “So, what is it you needed?”
“I came to prove that I’ve gotten my act straight. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a better idea for doing that than to ask you out on a date.” I answered. She blinked and stared for a few seconds, clearly not expecting that. 
“Wow. Uh… I was not prepared for this. Alright then, when and where?” she asked. I smiled as I answered. 
“I know a fairly good diner near the castle. We could go there now if you’d like. That is, if it doesn’t interrupt any other plans you may have made.” She nodded slowly as she thought about it. 
“Alright, just let me grab my dress and finish talking with the dudes back home.” she replied. “They were just telling me about some weird new magic signatures they’re picking up.”
“Magic? Haven’t you said it doesn’t exist in your world?” I asked, a little confused about that. She gestured for me to come in as she went back, so I followed. 
“That’s right. I guess we were all wrong though, because the stuff they’re picking up has been around for… hell, who knows how long.” she said. I saw the scientists on her computer screen showing some kind of technical readouts for something, I’m assuming the strange magic she said they had found. Celly gasped as she saw a lot of their equipment begin overloading. 
“W-whoa… Okay, I’m gonna hang up and let you guys figure out what the hell fried your gear.” Celly said. The only response was a short nod from them all as they started packing things up, before the call was cut short. At my confused look, Celly turned to me to clarify. 
“Something happened and the science dudes gotta check it out. They’ll be back later to report. For now,” her dress levitated out of her closet. “Let’s get ready for that date.”
I nodded and stepped back to let her get ready. I already was, due in no small part to my personal attendant. Now that I think about it, she seems a bit happier, and more notably, competent as of late. Maybe this attitude adjustment Celly has been putting me through could be worth it.
Once Celly was dressed and ready to go, I escorted her to the restaurant I’d mentioned earlier myself. I normally ignored any distasteful looks at me from commoner ponies on my way there, but this time… each one I saw was noticeably difficult to ignore, and looking at them made me feel like I was facing Celly’s wrath once again. 
The restaurant was a fine establishment, one that catered to the selective tastes of nobles like myself, but I have caught aunts Tia and Luna complaining that it’s far too selective in what it serves.When we got there, I was thankful since the hateful glares I’d been receiving lessened considerably. 
“So, this is the place? It seems a bit too targeted for the higher class. Perhaps if they served the middle class as well, they would earn an even higher income?” Celly subtly suggested through a personality mask of some kind.She seemed to be trying to emulate a Noble Mare while still keeping her own personality. Clever. If she’d acted like herself, she’d run into so many problems here. Still, I had to agree with her. Perhaps the middle class isn’t the most savory to some ponies, but they’re still a good source of income.
“True, I suppose. Limit your target too much and your income is crippled.” I said, earning a raised eyebrow from the stallion I’d booked a seat with for this date. 
“Prince Blueblood, agreeing with a mare that admitting lower class ponies would be good? She must be something special to have taken your heart so.” he said with a slight frown. I groaned inside. 
“More than you know…” I muttered. Celly giggled at my reaction, before turning to him. 
“This date is more of a test than anything. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors of the False Princess. It turns out, there is a second Princess Celestia spawned by Discord. And she’s been working on the prince’s attitude, trying to improve it. I’ve been chosen to see if he has.” she said. All the while as she spoke, I was mentally screaming for her to stop. For her to just end the date here and now, so I can try again later when I’m not dying of embarrassment. Of course when she notices my apparently obvious embarrassment, she gives me a really smug grin. 
“Well, that’s rather interesting. Allow me to show you to your seats?” the stallion said, leading the way to the seats I’d booked. Thank Celestia. 

Celly~
I blinked as I heard Blueblood’s thoughts echoing Thank Celestia to me. Huh. That’s been happening pretty often lately. I decided to throw him another shit-eating grin just for thinking that.

Blueblood~
Oh sweet Luna she’s giving me that look again! 

Woona~
I swear, why do ponies keep saying my name when they’re so shocked! Oh wait, it was Blueblood this time… and it looks like it’s because of Celly. Fun… maybe I should watch this?

Blueblood~
After recovering from that short panic, I managed to sit down with her. Together, we each look at the menu. “Wow, even the food sounds catered for fancy tastes. One might think the chef’s special talent is dealing with picky eaters.” Celly half complained, half joked. “Still, at least the spaghetti sounds enticing. It’s been too long since I’ve tasted something like meat.” she whispered that last part mostly to herself. I winced slightly from the reminder that she very much used to like meat. Still does, apparently, despite the practice being frowned upon. 
“The wine is rather excellent too. I’d recommend the Zebrican Brew.” I suggested. She thought on that, but nodded after a moment. 
“Alright, I’ll give it a try. Never drank before, but it should be interesting enough.”
“Never drank?” I asked, interested to hear that.
“Not even once. I was underage about a year ago, and was stuck in a lab since then. So really, no alcohol besides the stuff they put on wounds and cuts, or for cooking.” she replied. 
“Well then, you’re certainly in for a treat. I hope you can take it.” I said sincerely. After another minute, the waiter arrived for our orders. Celly asked for her wine and spaghetti, and I requested the usual. A fruit salad prepared with roses shorn of their thorns. After only ten minutes of waiting, our dish arrives. Celly seemed eager to start, but waited a moment to thank the waiter before calmly picking up her fork and digging in. I myself started to eat my salad when Celly spoke up. 
“You’re doing fine so far, Blue. I can see you really have improved.” she appraised. “Keep it up. You’ll get yourself a mare you’ll really love at some point.” I smiled at the thought. Though after that, she brought a forkful of her meal into her mouth with a childish “Nam.” I felt like slamming my face into the table of embarrassment. I hope no one heard that. To do something like that around nobles is… demeaning, to say the least.
“So now, on to the dinner conversation. What all do you do for the Princess?” Celly asked. Thankful for the distraction from that childish act, I took the chance and ran with it.
“I’m mostly an advisor, but I do help maintain the staff. Though since you’ve begun your attitude adjustment regimen, I’ve seen that some of the criteria I’ve set for who should be hired or fired is rather flawed.” She snorted at the understatement. “Terribly flawed.” I corrected.
“Anything else? The same schedule repeated every so often is bound to get boring.” she asked. I nodded. 
“On occasion, I get together with the other city nobles to talk about business. I enjoy working with the local airship producers on new designs, or innovative parts to add, whenever I find the time.” I said with a smile. I always enjoyed that the best. Celly, upon hearing this, had a dumbfounded expression on her face. 
“A-are you… are you any good there?” she asked, sounding unsure if she wanted to hear the answer or not. Honestly, I wasn’t sure whether I should be offended or not, because most ponies never hear anything of me taking part in any job. Especially not one which would involve as much grease and grim as airship design.
“Of course. They tell me I’m a prodigy when it comes to designs, though now that I think on it, it could be just flattery to convince me to keep investing in their business.” I admit with a bit of disappointment. 
“Oh, I see. Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case… Would you mind if I looked at some of your designs later? I’ll try and see if they’re good or not. If there’s a concept I’m not familiar with, of course, I can ask the scientists back home to help me learn it, or find a book in the archives.” she asked.
“I’d be delighted! Not many ponies would take an interest in that technical jargon. I’m actually quite surprised that you, even through your bubbly attitude, are interested.” I replied. She giggled lightly. 
“Well, surprising people is what I do best. It’s always fun to watch someone trying to figure out what just happened, or what they just heard. In a way, I can sort of understand Discord’s Madness. He just takes it way to bucking far.”
“I do believe that’s the kind of thing I watched you do when I mentioned the airship business.” I pointed out. She giggled again.
“Yes, it kind of was. But you’d have seen the full extent if you told me you ran the sex industry.” she replied in amusement. I blushed at that. Of course it didn’t help matters that she said Nom again, slightly louder than before. It drew some attention from the other nobles. Said attention was a disgusted glance, before pointedly looking away with their noses in the air.
“This tastes really fucking good.” Celly said, rather loudly. Several nobles gasped in shock at her for saying that word, but I just buried my face in the table. I groaned when I realized my horn got stuck in the table. I will probably be forced to pay for a new one, though it won’t cost too terribly much.
“Blueblood, perhaps you should control your admirers better, as a proper noble should.” I hear a voice whisper to me, though it wasn’t Celly’s. I groaned, wanting to pound my head into the table again, but instead I settled on letting myself fall limp. 
Why must the worst always befall me?