Bathrooms and Barrooms
Midnight cricked her neck and let out a yawn as her eyes opened, the nocturne mare slowly returning to wakefulness. She shifted and found that she was still in her sleeping partner’s fore-legs, the changeling still dozing with his mouth open a little as he faced her. Midnight smiled at his dopy grin, she didn’t recall him shaking during the night at all.
She moved her head to glance up at the clock ticking away on the wall, the time reading seven-twenty-five at night. It was early so she didn’t have to get up yet, not that she probably would if she had to. Instead the mare simply relaxed in Nigel’s hold as she waited for him to wake up, she wasn’t looking forward to trying to convince him to return with her to her house. Midnight was unsure if he was willing to face her parents and apologize, the mare guessing that her parents wouldn’t be too pleased with the changeling’s return either.
Using a wing she played with the glittering necklace around her neck, the jewellery probably one of the most expensive things that she had ever owned. Even though the money used to purchase it was gained through illegal means the fact that the changeling had chosen to spend a large portion on her was still touching. As she lay and thought Midnight decided that it would be better to leave early and catch her parents before her father went to work, the stallion was always cranky when he returned home in the mornings. Leaning her face forward Midnight lightly pressed her nose against Nigel’s, the changeling twitching as he opened his eyes to be greeted with two golden orbs.
“Good Evening,” the changeling said as he glanced up at the clock, “It’s a little early for you isn’t it?” Midnight nodded her head lightly at the question.
“Well, it is but I needed to talk to you about something,” Midnight answered as she began to play with the changeling’s left ear with her right wing tip. Nigel’s ear flicked every time that her wing touched it however the changeling didn’t tell her to stop; instead he raised an eyebrow at her words.
“What was that then, it must be important of it needs to be discussed this early.”
“Um,” Midnight hesitantly began not looking forward to potentially ruining Nigel’s good mood, “it’s about my parents, I want you to come with me back to my house instead of staying in this room.” The changeling’s smile lessened a bit at this but still remained. “Please just listen to me,” Midnight pleaded as she pressed her front hooves to Nigel’s chest and began to rub the hard chitin, “I really want things to work between you and my parents and I think that this morning would be the best time to try and patch things up.”
Midnight’s rubbing increased, whenever she was nervous she always found herself fidgeting with her hooves. The changeling had his face scrunched up in thought, Midnight preparing to plead with him more when he said no.
“Okay,” he replied, Midnight however was already trying to convince him that it was a good idea.
“Please, I’m sure that they’ll forgiv- wait, what did you say?”
“I said ‘okay’, I’ll go with you this morning to see your parents.” Midnight didn’t know what to say, she had expected an outright no but Nigel apparently was up for the idea. The mare was ecstatic that he had agreed to talk about things with her parents, she was sure that they would let Nigel back in once they saw how sorry he was about everything. She didn’t tell him this, instead she settled and giving him a thankful kiss on the muzzle and hugged him again. Everyone made mistakes; she herself was testament to that so she could hardly hate Nigel for his actions two mornings ago.
Her bliss was interrupted however when her living pillow started to leave the bed, the changeling slipping out of her grasp as he got one hind leg on the ground before Midnight stopped him.
“It’s only twenty to eight, can’t we stay on bed for another five minutes?” She received a head shake from her lover, Nigel leaving the bed fully.
“We may as well get this over with as quickly as possible,” he explained as he fetched his coin bag from the dresser, “going off what I’ve seen of your father I think it’s best to explain things before Darklight goes to work.” Evidently Nigel had reached the same conclusion regarding her father that she had, Midnight huffing in defeat as she grudgingly removed herself from the bed. Taking a few seconds to tidy the bed she joined Nigel at the room door, the changeling halting her with an outstretched hoof.
“One sec,” he said as he used his outstretched limb to re-align Midnight’s necklace so that it sat perfectly in the centre. “There we go,” Midnight looked down and then back up to smile at the changeling.
“Thanks Nigel,” she acknowledged as he held the door open for her, the two shutting the door behind them as they left.
Nigel and Midnight walked down the main street together, the changeling watching the mare as she merrily hummed while trotting along. The early evening ruse was in full swing, many passing nocturnes eying the unique couple with curiosity. As they passed stalls many shopkeepers gave the pair cautious waves, many remembering the changeling from the earlier day.
As Chalmers walked beside Midnight as she practically bounded forwards he prepared himself for his meeting with Starbright and Darklight. He was already rehearsing multiple apologies in his mind, trying to pick which ones were the most suitable. The mare beside him seemed to think that everything would all go well which was encouraging for Chalmers. The fact that she was much more lively and full of life was also oddly comforting, the prospect of Midnight remaining as carefree as she was now was something that he could endorse.
The pair continued on despite the stares and whispers, Chalmers took notice of the attention but from what he could judge it was mostly benign and inquisitive rather than disgust and malicious. He couldn’t tell how Midnight felt about the many eyes looked on them, he had expected the mare to be shy but instead she was proving to be outgoing and vibrant. As such her cheery demeanour remained as the impending confrontation drew every closer.
They passed houses and businesses, bars and cafes as they walked through the city and entered the outskirts. Sometime during the walk Midnight had draped a wing across Nigel’s back and drawn closer, still retaining her chirpy attitude. This served to increase the stares they received but nether payed them any mind. The calming walk had to come to an end however, the changeling and nocturne stopping at the door leading to the house owned by Midnight’s parents.
“Are you ready for this?” Midnight inquired as they stared at the last barrier separating them from what they both had come for. Chalmers nodded, knocking on the door firmly with three solid taps.
“I have to be,” came the reply as hoofsteps echoed from inside the house. Midnight gave one last peck of encouragement as latches were unlocked and the door swung inwards.
Instead of Starbright this time the door was opened by Darklight, the stallion already wearing a dark-blue tie and his captain hat. He sized up the changeling and his daughter as they stood on the threshold, his eyes resting on Midnight causing the mare to lose some of her confidence.
“Your mother was worried about you,” he stated tiredly before looking at Nigel. “You beat up one of my daughter’s coltfriends.”
“I’m sorry for that, I wasn’t thinking at the time and I hope that you ca-“
“Apology accepted,” Darklight interrupted, “I didn’t like him that much anyway. Now if you don’t mind I have to go to work.” With that the stallion moved through the two, Nigel and Midnight parted to allow him access. Both stared at the nocturne as he walked down the garden path and onto the road, the door still open with two very confused beings standing in the doorway.
“That was… easier than I imagined,” Nigel stated as the stallion they were watching disappeared from sight behind another house. Midnight nodded, the mare’s face scrunched up as she tried to piece together what had just happened.
“It certainly was strange, he must not be feeling well,” she responded, a second set of hoofsteps clacking further into the house.
“Is that you Darklight dear?” Starbright’s voice rang out from inside the house. Midnight moved forward a little so that her head was inside the house.
“No, it’s me and Nigel,” the young mare replied, the sound of a pot clattering to the ground followed by hurried galloping startling both of the creatures at the door. Starbright tore around the corner as she made a beeline for Midnight, the older mare embracing her daughter in a tight hug as Nigel stood to the side ignored.
“I was so worried about you Midnight,” Starbright informed as she nuzzled her youngest daughter, “the thought of you out alone in the city during the day in the state you were in wasn’t pleasant.”
“I’m sorry mom,” Midnight replied as she returned the hug and nuzzle, “I was just so upset about Nigel leaving that I lost control and ran out. I didn’t even think about you.” Midnight’s apology brought up unwanted memories for Nigel; the mare had done almost the same as what he did to her by leaving with no explanation.
“I can understand that,” Starbright comforted before turning her head to face the changeling at the side. Nigel took the opportunity to get his apology over and done with.
“I just wanted to apologize for how I acted, it was insulting to you and your husband as my hosts and I hope for your forgiveness.”
Starbright didn’t move or say anything at first, slowly however the mare stop hugging her daughter and approached the changeling. Nigel stood still, not knowing what to expect and what the mare did next certainly turned out to be a surprise.
Starbright put her left foreleg around Nigel’s neck as she placed her head beside his in a friendly hug. “Of course I forgive you; we all make mistakes in life. The fact that you came back to apologize only proves that you’re a good choice for my daughter, that’s not even considering how you’ve been treating her so far.” Starbright let Nigel go, the mare stepping back inside the house. “Please, come inside, there’s some breakfast left over if you want Midnight.”
Both Nigel and Midnight nodded in thanks as the two moved to go inside. Starbright halted Midnight however, the older mare focusing on the necklace hanging around her daughter’s neck.
“Oh, you noticed it,” Midnight mentioned as her mother examined the diamond and silver chain with a wing.
“I only just did, your arrival was all I was thinking about,” Starbright replied as she scrutinized the jewellery, “how much was it? I didn’t know that you had the money to buy something like this.”
“Nigel bought it for me as an apology gift,” Midnight informed, Starbright glancing at the changeling before she let go of Midnight’s necklace, scoffing as she walked back into the house.
“And yet you still fear that he’ll leave you,” was all the mare mumbled as she disappeared around the corner leading to the living room, Midnight and Nigel sharing a confused look before both entered the house and shut the door behind them.
They stood there for a moment, nether really knowing what to do. Eventually Midnight gave Nigel a shrug and headed to the kitchen, the changeling following her as she led him through the house. Arriving in the Kitchen there was no trace of Starbright; Midnight however spotted a few pieces of toast and a glass jug of red juice which she quickly acquired for herself.
Nigel watched on as the mare spread numerous jams on her toast and poured the jug of juice into a glass. The plate with the completed toast was placed upon the mare’s back while a wing wrapped around the glass, Midnight leaving out into the dining room. She placed her food and drink on the table, sitting down on a blue cushion while patting a dark green one next to her as she looked at Nigel. The changeling trotted over and sat down next to her, Midnight extending a wing over his back as she ate.
Chalmers observed as the mare leant down towards her plate to take a bite of toast, he had seen the nocturnes use their wings to grasp objects but evidently Midnight chose not to do this with the toast, possibly so that her wings wouldn’t become covered in jam. Watching the mare eat her toast he thought about how he was going to wait tables in his new job, probably with much disaster to be honest. Midnight paused her eating to take a sip of juice, the mare pushing the plate with the half-eaten slice on it over to Nigel.
“Do you want to try to see if you can eat toast?” She asked, Nigel shaking his head at the offer.
“No thank you, no point if I don’t need it, besides,” Nigel leaned in a gave Midnight a quick kiss on the cheek, causing the mare to blush and the flow of nourishing energy to increase, “you’re all that I need.”
‘I think I need some butter for that corn,’ Nigel thought after his particularly cliché line. Midnight didn’t seem to mind however, her breakfast quickly forgotten as she kissed him back, the mare not bothering to be subtle as she went for the lips not the cheek. Energy filled the changeling; it was almost like drinking seven cups of coffee washed down with stimulants. The moment lasted for a few seconds, Midnight breaking the contact with a smile before returning to her meal. Her wing still remained around Nigel, the changeling simply waiting for Midnight to finish as he pondered what to do for the night.
“Is there anything you wanted to get done tonight?” he inquired, Midnight pushing her empty plate away.
“Not really,” she responded, “I think I just want a quite night at home,” the mare grinned at him, “and a shower. In fact I think you need one too.” Without giving him a chance to reply Midnight got up from her seat and took her plate to the kitchen. The changeling couldn’t help but be impressed at the mare’s boldness; today she seemed a lot more independent. His presence was proving to be very beneficial to her attitude. Midnight returned while he was thinking, walking up to Nigel and pushing him in the side with her head.
“Come on,” she continued as she repeatedly attempted to coax him up by head-butting him playfully, “you didn’t mind showering together before.” Nigel tried to fix her with a stern gaze; however it wavered as he watched the pony repeatedly bump her head against his body.
“I doubt your mother would approve,” he retorted, Midnight ceasing her actions leaving her head pressed against Nigel’s side.
“She doesn’t have to find out,” Midnight whispered, Chalmers rolling his eyes with no reply. Midnight decided to take the low route to achieve her goal. Fixing Nigel with a pleading look as she plopped down on her belly she grasped him around the waist, “please Nigel? It really makes me feel happy and I know that you like making me happy a lot.”
Chalmers sighed in defeat; she really had to go that low, didn’t she?
“Fine,” he answered, “I guess I really don’t have a choice in the matter do I?” He got up from his seat, Midnight taking her hooves away as she rose with him. As soon as the changeling was standing Midnight resumed head-butting him, herding the changeling towards the bathroom while avoiding her mother. Midnight doubted that the older mare would mind them showering together but sneaking around was more fun for some reason.
Through her calculated and deviously plotted movements Midnight eventually steered Nigel to reach the bathroom, the mare forcing him inside the room before shutting the door behind them. She latched the lock and turned to look at Nigel, the changeling staring at her strangely.
“What?” she asked as she stood with her back to the closed door, “why are you looking at me like that?” The changeling seemed to shake his head to clear his head.
“Nothing wrong,” he replied without hesitation. Midnight still got the feeling that he was hiding something from her; however the mare chose not to dwell on it. She had a clear plan already in her mind, Midnight fighting to suppress the blush that was threatening to flare up. Taking a breath to steel herself she walked towards the shower which was combined with a large bath, the entire area a square able to comfortably fit two ponies. On one wall was a basin in white with a mirror above it, a single short toilet bowl against the other.
As she passed the changeling Midnight flicked her tail to draw it underneath his muzzle, something which she had heard her older sisters describe as seductive. Whether she pulled it off correctly was doubtful, however with Nigel not really being familiar with nocturne habits she was sure that any mistakes in form would go unnoticed. In fact when she turned her head to observe his reaction she noticed that his eyes had widened in surprise at her display. She decided to interpret that as a good thing.
Without a word she turned the brass shower taps with her wing tips, cold water turning warm as it splashed against the marble bath floor. After testing the water to ensure that it was the correct temperature the mare stepped into the shower, one changeling hesitantly following behind. Midnight noticed that Nigel was attempting to give her as much room as possible, something that just would not do.
“Do you mind getting the ends of my mane?” Midnight asked as she picked up a shampoo bottle with a wing and poured a generous amount into her light-purple mane. She held her head out of the water as Nigel slipped a hoof through the strap of a wooden brush and raised it up, the soft bristles spreading the shampoo around evenly as well as eliminating some small knots that had formed.
Midnight sighed happily as the changeling went to work brushing her head, the feeling was incredibly relaxing and she could see herself spending the entire day just doing this. Her wings began to flutter a little as the brushing continued, the changeling not stopping until all of her mane had been saturated in soap. Regretfully Midnight plunged her head under the water stream to wash out the shampoo and therefore losing her excuse to get Nigel to brush her.
The nocturne jolted up in surprise as the brushing resumed on her back, the bristles gently being guided down her spin. When the brush reached the spot between her wings where the powerful flight muscles were located she let out a squeak, her wings shooting up from the stimulation. She blushed and the brushing halted for a second before resuming, Midnight’s hind leg letting out a little kick at the massage.
The brush soon proceeded lower down her back, the soothing motions quite relaxing. Her wings died down and returned to her sides, Midnight reaching one out to the side. She was met with smooth chitin, some further exploration finding a shoulder which she started to rub tenderly. Her blush increased as the brush ran over her rump, the bristles making their way down to her tail which they then trailed through.
She was so immersed in the feeling of the pampering that when it ended she found herself panting with one fore-leg pressed against the wall of the shower. She reined it in quickly, if she got this much enjoyment out of a simple brushing she couldn’t wait to experience some of the more tender things that the changeling may be able to provide. Midnight knew that she would have to wait a little longer; even this showering was a huge leap forward for her. It was only a matter of time until Nigel was hers completely.
She soon found a body pressed against her side, Nigel sharing the shower stream with her as warm water rained down upon fur and chitin at the same time. Midnight took advantage of the contact to throw her left fore-leg around Nigel’s neck and to push her face next to his in an intimate embrace. The two just stood there in silence for what felt like utter bliss.
All good things have to come to an end however, eventually the shower was turned off and the two broke the embrace to leave the bath, both draping themselves with towels to remove the excess water. Nigel had an easy time, the liquid flowed off his armoured shell while Midnight took a little longer due to her coat. With some help from the changeling however she was soon dried off, her mane and tail were still silky from the shampoo leaving the mare with purple hair hanging down the sides and back of her head.
“Did you have fun?” Nigel inquired, Midnight responding with a happy nod and a quick kiss.
“Thanks, that was great,” she replied as she pulled back away from his lips. The mare giggled as the changeling pulled her close beside him, bumping their flanks together in the process. The changeling chuckled along with her and opened the door to walk outside, only to have the way outside blocked by a wall of grey and purple.
Both Midnight and Chalmers looked towards Starbright, the mare looking at the pair with visible surprise as she stared at the two leaving the recently-used bathroom. The silence was broken with a cough from Nigel, the changeling raising a hoof to his mouth.
“Uhhh, water conservation is one of my passions?” Nigel offered hopefully, Starbright glancing towards the clock on the wall.
“You were in there for twenty minutes,” the mare supplied with an eyebrow raised, “doesn’t seem like you were worried about water use at all.” Midnight moved to defend their actions with a hasty explanation.
“Well I had to wash my hair and there was a spot that I couldn’t reach so I asked Nigel for help and he said yes so we went in and he helped me br-“
“Don’t get so worried,” Starbright said as she interrupted her daughter’s rambling with a light laugh, “Your father and I did much more than just shower together when I was your age, there was this one time when he took me to a pond just outside the cave-”
“Mom!” Midnight exclaimed as she flattened her ears, she had been dreading her parents embarrassing her in front Nigel and right now her mother was doing it by the textbook. Chalmers however flashed Starbright an amused grin and flicked his eyes towards Midnight.
“Oh no please, do tell. Some more ideas would be greatly appreciated by both of us I believe.” Midnight glanced up at Nigel in shock and even greater embarrassment, him playing along with her mother was not needed. Starbright however gave the changeling a nod of approval.
“Yep, you’re definitely a keeper,” she finished before trotting into the master bedroom next to the main bathroom. Nigel looked at Midnight with a victory smirk, a smirk that was soon wiped off when the mare grabbed hold of him with a foreleg by the neck and then proceeded to drag him towards the living room, the changeling likely to meet a most sinister fate.
For a few hours now Nigel had been forced to serve Midnight’s wishes as punishment for his earlier teasing. The mare had decided that the changeling would pay for his crimes by serving as a pillow for her as she lay on the couch telling him about her life before she met him in detail.
Currently she was talking about some of her old friends, her head resting on the changeling’s stomach as they both shared the spacious couch. Nigel was positioned at one with Midnight laying lengthways, the mare so pleased with the arrangement that she hadn’t moved in hours except to occasionally stretch a wing or leg.
Starbright had been coming and going from the room, the matriarch paying them little mind as she went about her day. She had fixed Midnight a sandwich for lunch and then retreated to the study to continue working on a novel that she was writing. No details had been spared about what it was about, the mare remaining tight-lipped as she left the couple to their day.
“-So after that I left I haven’t seen Aurora since I’ve come back, I think she still lives at her old house though.”
Nigel was returned to wakefulness as Midnight finished talking, he had been drifting in and out of the conversation but he managed to pick up most of the important things. This ‘Aurora’ was an old school friend of Midnight and the two had been close when they were younger, apparently the friend now worked as some kind of city official.
“Oh, that’s… good,” Chalmers responded, not really too sure what to say. Midnight rolled over onto her stomach, her head still resting on Nigel as she looked at him.
“Well, did you want to go meet her?” Midnight asked, prompting an inquisitive look from Nigel.
“I thought you wanted to spend a quiet day at home?” he asked.
Midnight sighed as she rubbed her head against him, “I do, but seeing Aurora again would be nice. You did want me to spend some time with my other friends after all so I may as well start now. I just want you to come along and meet her so that my best friend and coltfriend can also be friends.” Chalmers shrugged, his new job didn’t start until tomorrow and it wasn’t like he had anything else to do.
“Sure, I don’t have an issue with that,” he stated as he rolled off the couch and onto his hooves. He was finally getting used to the foreign method of locomotion but he missed two legs, the sooner he turned back the better. That is if the UIP scientists could even reverse the transformation, if not then they would no doubt turn to alternate methods. Nigel, having experienced some of the alternate methods in the past was not looking forward to experiencing them again.
Midnight followed right away, her necklace still around her neck as she hopped off the couch. Chalmers grabbed his bag of money just in case before the two walked to the door and left the house. Walking down the path they reached to road, Midnight turning to the left which led further away from the city centre to a large amount of houses on the edge of the settlement.
Their hooves clacked on the cobbled road as they passed fenced dwellings, the occasional Nocturne glancing at them as they travelled along on the road. Chalmers took note that all the houses seemed to be elegant in design but medium in size, he guessed that this neighbourhood was considered upper-middle class. The houses were certainly different than any you would find on densely populated UIP worlds; there were no towering skyscrapers or vast habitation-blocks here.
Midnight led the way, the route to her old friend’s house still as clear in her mind as it was months ago. The mare was looking forward to the reunion; Aurora was as shy as she was in school so the two bonded well. A thought crossed Midnight’s mind as she thought about seeing her friend again, the nocturne slowing down as she glanced at the changeling next to her.
“Nigel,” she started as the changeling faced her, “could you do me a favour and not tell Aurora that I’m pregnant? I kind of want our conversation to not be about what happened.” Chalmers gave her a nod in reply.
“If that’s what you want, just remember that she’s going to find out eventually.”
“I know,” Midnight sighed, “just not now would be nice.”
“Understood,” was all Nigel said as the issue was dropped. The two reached their destination in ten minutes, Midnight opening the white, pony-high wooden fence that surrounded a small front yard. Nigel examined the house as they approached the front door, the home slightly smaller than the one that Midnight’s parents possessed. Nigel had been told by Midnight that Aurora was living on her own so she had more than enough space so he guessed that it didn’t matter too much. With tense taps on the wooden door Midnight announced their arrival, Nigel tapping her on the leg lightly to get her attention.
“Midnight,” he spoke as the mare looked at him, “you’ll do fine, relax.” The mare nodded gratefully and took a breath, the door opening with a small chime sounding from the top.
Standing in the doorway gazing at the pair, especially Nigel, was a grey-coated Nocturne mare slightly taller than Midnight. Instead of purple her wings, mane and tail were a deep blue, her eyes were still golden like Midnight’s however. Nigel guessed this to be Aurora, the mare staring at him in surprise until a cough from Midnight drew her attention.
“Midnight!” the mare’s eyes widened in recognition as she bounded forward to hug her friend, Midnight giggling happily as she returned it. “I thought that you left to join the Lunar Guard?” Aurora questioned as she let go of Midnight. Nigel noticed that her voice was soft and airy, he could see Midnight how and the mare could be friends. The focus soon turned to him, Aurora staring at him warily. Midnight noticed this as quickly moved closer to Nigel, extending a wing over his back.
“It didn’t work out,” Midnight supplied quickly, “and this is Nigel, a changeling. He’s staying with me currently.” Aurora’s unease softened at this revelation, the mare shakily extending a hoof towards the changeling. Nigel returned the gesture and shook the offered limb, keeping it quick and simple. His reciprocation calmed Aurora even more, the mare now looking at him with curiosity instead of fear.
“So are you two…?” she inquired carefully, shooting Nigel an apologetic grin as if she was afraid of offending him by asking the question.
“Yes, we are seeing each other,” Midnight replied happily, giving Nigel a quick peck and nuzzle which the changeling returned. Chalmers caught the poorly hidden look of depression behind Aurora’s smile, Midnight noticed it as well. “Still single?” Midnight asked sympathetically, Aurora huffing as she nodded sadly.
“I’ve just got little time. I work full days during the week and you know how I am in social situations, I doubt there’s anyone worse than me when it comes to talking to ponies.” Midnight glanced over towards Nigel as she heard this, the changeling examining a rock beside the path they were standing on as he tried to appear casual. “It’s good to see that you found… someone though Midnight,” Aurora continued, not having noticed the look that Nigel had received. Chalmers took the opportunity to speak.
“Oh, I’m not that much of a prize,” he spoke, Aurora appearing surprised at how articulate he was. She glanced towards Midnight, more specifically the necklace hanging from the mare’s neck.
“Well I assume you bought her that beautiful necklace?” she asked, receiving a nod as a response. “Then at least you seem to care a lot about her, that’s all that matters.” Chalmers had to agree with her there, Midnight as well as she nuzzled the side of Nigel’s neck.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone, no one would pass up a cute mare like you,” Nigel complemented much to Aurora’s embarrassment. Midnight and Chalmers chuckled together at the ruby-red blush that covered almost all of Aurora’s face.
“Th-thank you,” Aurora stammered, “there is one stallion at work but he’s in finance so I don’t think that it’ll work out.” Midnight stopped laughing and gave Nigel another meaningful glance.
“Trust me Aurora, a job doesn’t always define who you are,” Midnight reassured as Nigel raised an eyebrow, “I think that you should give it a shot, after all you won’t know if you don’t try.”
“Thanks Midnight, I think I will,” the mare looked at her friend and the changeling, “do you want to come inside?”
“That would be lovely,” Midnight thanked as Aurora stepped back to allow the two entry, “I can’t wait to hear about this stallion, what’s his name?”
‘Well, this is going to be great!’ Nigel thought sarcasticly as he followed Midnight inside the house, not enthusiastic about what was likely to be a very long talk between the two mares regarding the mysterious accountant.
Nigel slowly awakened, something didn’t feel right. He sat up in the bed and checked the clock, the timepiece reading two-fifteen. He ran a hoof down his face, he had work today he needed all the sleep he could get, especially after the invigorating conversation that Midnight and Aurora had shared that day. They had spent the rest of the day at Aurora’s house, returned home for dinner and then went to bed. Darklight had not said a word to Nigel; the changeling likewise did not stir the pot.
Chalmers looked beside him, finding that there was no Midnight in the bed. He looked around for the mare only to notice that the bedroom door was slightly ajar. Pushing his desire for sleep away Nigel exited the bed and left the room, searching for Midnight while taking care not to wake her parents.
The faint sound of coughing and spluttering led him to the main bathroom, a light visible through the bottom of the door. Chalmers walked up to it and found that it was open, the hacking and coughing loud and vicious. Peeking through the space he spotted Midnight with her head in the toilet bowl, the mare retching in between the coughing fits.
Nigel opened the door and walked in, shutting it fully behind him. He walked over to the mare sitting on the floor and sat down next to her, giving her a pat on the back. Midnight raised her head to look at him, Nigel wincing at her bloodshot eyes and tired face. A little vomit was caked on her chin and her breathing was ragged. The mare started to tell him something but was interrupted by more coughs, Midnight putting her head back into the bowl as she continued to dry heave.
Nigel couldn’t do anything but sit there with her and attempt to provide comfort, rubbing her back with a hoof as she continued to suffer. He wasn’t too informed about morning sickness, only hearing titbits from female co-workers and this information was lacking. He did know that it could last for weeks to months, sometimes even the entire pregnancy. He wasn’t sure how it worked for normal equines, let alone nocturnes so his options were limited.
Midnight’s episode lasted ten whole minutes; the mare’s face not leaving the bowl until the retching subsided. With tired eyes she gazed at Nigel with thanks, the mare sucking in air through her nostrils and mouth.
“Thank you for being here,” she rasped, “but you should be in bed, you’ve got work tomorrow.” Chalmers responded wiping the vomit off Midnight’s chin with a wash towel, throwing the rag into the basin once all the gunk had been cleared.
“I’ll be fine,” he replied with a smile, Midnight leaning away from the bowl as she continued to draw in air with deep breaths.
“I think it’s over,” she muttered, Nigel flushing the toilet for her by pressing down on a leaver attached to the bowl. He stood up and helped Midnight to her hooves, his aim to get her back to bed so she could hopefully sleep it off. As he pulled her up he wrinkled his nose, the mare stank of vomit. He guided her to the shower with no complaint coming from Midnight, the changeling turning it on and placing her under the shower head.
He didn’t get in with her, instead he allowed her to move around herself. This was no time for romantic gestures so the shower turned off after only a few minutes. Midnight stumbled out and Nigel dried her with a fresh towel, the mare’s scent a lot less rank. Nigel put a hoof around her and helped her leave the room, the combination of lack of sleep and the vomiting having worn Midnight down. They stopped quickly in the kitchen to secure her a glass of water before they headed back into the bedroom, both clambering into the warm bed thankfully.
Midnight’s sickness appeared to have left, while the mare still felt ill she was no-longer vomiting so that was a plus. Nigel looked at the clock as Midnight embraced him under the covers, it was now half-past three and sleep would be the best thing for her. With a final goodnight kiss on the forehead he waited until she dozed off in his grasp, her head buried in his chest as she wheezed through her raw throat. Sighing, Nigel soon joined her, his almost silent breathing drowned out by Midnight’s rasps.
Nigel was lead into the bar by Nightwish, the stallion babbling on about how exciting it was to have a changeling working in his tavern. Chalmers wasn’t really listening however, his mind still focused on Midnight and the events of the day before. At the insistence of the mare he had gone to work, she had been feeling a lot better since they had woken up and Starbright had assured him that she would take care of the mare.
Reluctantly Nigel had obeyed the two’s wishes, leaving the house to attend his first day as a bar tender. He wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit but a job’s a job and he had to admit that the wages sounded incredibly generous, Nightwish and Willow probably would make twice the amount just by his presence alone.
Either that or he’d drive everyone away.
Nigel shook his head, as long as he didn’t pull a barroom face-shredder on anyone he should do fairly well. The two males walked into the bar area, the tavern not open for a few hours yet. It had been decided to use the time to give Nigel an idea of how things worked, his fellow employee, Morrow, was already behind the bar with an array of clean glasses, mugs and trays.
The mare seemed nervous, her deep blue wings twitching as her boss approached with Nigel in tow. Chalmers paid her no mind, after all his was used to the skittish way most ponies acted around him. Nightwish guided Nigel to behind the bar and started to explain all the different types of alcohol that they stocked. Nigel paid attention even though all of the bottles were so clearly labelled that he bet that a child could work out which contained which.
“-and then there’s peach cider, pear cider, apple cider, grape cider, plum cider…”
Yep, still on the ciders, the drinks seemed to consist of over half if the bar’s offerings.
Eventually Nightwish moved on to the harder liquors, most kept in thick brown bottles.
“So we have Griffon ale, some local brewed whisky and some spicy Zebra rum, my personal favourite.” Nightwish gushed as he pranced along showing off the beverages, Morrow watching him with confusion while Nigel tried to figure out just how many disorders the stallion likely suffered from. He certainly was hyperactive and talkative, however whether those traits were unusual in ponies he wasn’t too sure. After all, Midnight certainly had her ‘bouncy’ moments.
“Good choice,” Nigel commented, Nightwish fixing him with a grin.
“I’m glad that you agree, I just know that having you around will be a blast.” With that the stallion trotted to the door leading to the main inn, looking back at his two employees as he left. “Morrow will show you the ropes, good luck!” he called back, Nigel turning to the allocated mare.
“So,” he started, Morrow’s ears twitching as the mare quickly brushed a blue fringe out of her gold eyes, “where do we begin?” The nocturne seemed to freeze for a moment before she blinked rapidly and pointed towards some wooden mugs on the counter.
“W-well,” she stuttered, “you could, you could um, try picking up one mug and use your mouth to pour a drink?” she suggested as she pointed towards an open bottle of peach cider. Nigel raised an eyebrow at her, glancing towards the mug and scoffing.
“I think I can handle a single mug without issue,” he stated as he hooked a hoof through the large wooden ring that served as a grip. He placed it down upon the counter near the open bottle, a smug grin on his face.
What Nigel did not expect however was the mug sliding on some spilled water as he let go, his hoof bumping the drinking container violently as he pulled his leg away.
Morrow watched on with horror as the mug careened into the neat stack of identical mugs that she had just finished arranging with a crash. Wooden mugs went everywhere, the counter, the floor and some even fell over the other side of the bar to crash into waste barrels filled with assorted empty bottles. A lot of noise and mess was produced, the clattering loud and noticeable.
Morrow started in shock at the changeling, Nigel still frozen in the same position as he had been when he had placed the mug down. Slowly he lowered his hoof to the floor, his smirk replaced with an apologetic smile.
“Well,” he started as Morrow continued to stare, “at least I didn’t start with a glass.” He also pointed a hoof towards the scattered group of mugs, one still standing upright in the centre of the devastation without a scratch. Lowering his hoof Nigel, through some intense concentration, managed to pick the bottle of cider up with his mouth and walk over towards the mug. He gently poured the drink in to a perfect height without spilling a drop. He placed the bottle back down on the counter, stood up on his hind legs while leaning his back against the counter as Morrow continued to stare at him.
“Ta Da!” Nigel exclaimed as he threw his forelegs up in celebration.
Unfortunately for Chalmers, while he was able to stand on two legs while leaning against the bar throwing his forelegs up un-balanced him. The changeling listed to the side before crashing down into a pile of mugs on the floor, Morrow gasping in surprise.
Nigel looked up at her from the ground, one of his hind hooves stuck in a mug. He pointed towards the lone mug on the counter, still in perfect condition.
“See, I got it in perfectly, just like I said I would.”
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Good job Nigel. good job
and so begins the transition of working as a biped to a quadruped!
i wonder when he will discover his magic, if he even has any, or if he will ever learn how to fly.
i skipped everything after 6 paragraphs of OOC Nigel
needs more tits, action, gore, killing, snark, attitude, sass, destruction, lamentation of mares, guns, knives, bodily fluids, dead bodies, dakka, flamethrowers, cursing, fucking shit up, and pure unadulterated cowbell.
Also you should make a fic where Nigel is in a zombie apocolypse
Very good job ol' chap, very good job.
4042875
Meh. I prefer that to come unexpectedly. Lulls and slice of life stuff add punch to those things.
This story needs about 60% more cowbell.
Just can't take the name Nigel... only sees freakin' Nigel Thornberry...
Yay! More Midnight!
4043954
How has he become so popular? I mean that show was on what, ten years or so ago?
The only thing I can remember is that hughe orange 'stach and the voice.
That voice...
Well that was a relaxing chapter, those two actually needed after everything they've been through. Although it seems like working the bar would be harder than Nigel thought due to his body.
4046114
A show involving the character 'Nigel Thornberry'. I forgot the name (as I said, it was a long time ago) but the character himself has become popular in memes and such.
People associate him with Nigel Chalmers because of the first name and because Chalmers is slightly british in his mannerisums and speech, just like the Nigel Thornberry character.
4046293
It's called "The Wild Thorberrys". A shame Nigel is the only likeable character. In my opinion, at least. Wow, this makes me feel kinda old.
I never have been able to understand why people would date jerks and sleazes.
4059345 well when they want t ruff they go for ass holes.................
Umm this is my biology knowledge hitting me. Why would ponies evolve a need for morning sickness? Morning sickness evolved as a physiological response to try and prevent pregnant women from eating or drinking risky foods like eggs or red meat which can be dangerous if not cooked correctly. If ponies eat fruits and grains then they wouldn't need to develop such a response as the foods are not risky when it comes to eating them. Just a dose of science for you (if I remember my evolutionary science correctly).
4509468
You mean anal?
i must say out of the storys iv read that contain one Nigel M.Chalmers this is by far the tamest iv seen in regards to his mannerism.... and cheese addiction.
Someday someone is going to come up with a solution to that problem with an infomercial type product.
As seen on TV, it's the all new living pillow. Just plug it in and you never have to worry about your lover leaving you without a warm, fleshy pillow! But wait, there's more! If you call now, you can get 2 for twice the price of 1!
pretty sure something is time-swapped, regardless of what time the bar is open.
4649773
4825709
I think the problem here is the fact that she no longer had a 'living pillow' (nigel). So i think the solution would need to be to do something making sure he isn't able to move...
I think Nigel did an exemplary job at fixing a drink.
Id pay 100 bits an hour for his hard work.
My gossip sense is tingling! Do tell me more