Giving Face
Fireworks.
Velvet finally understood why they were associated with sex.
Her legs were blissfully numb and there was a slight fuzziness at the corner of her thoughts as she just stayed perfectly still, other than the erratic rising and falling of her chest. She felt amazing. Where the mare had touched her, she—
Wait, "the mare"?
Velvet's eyes went wide. They had left the bar, gone straight to the mare's place, and hadn't even exchanged names before Velvet was shown what ecstasy was. No, no, no! She didn't want this one to be anonymous. She wanted to feel this way for the rest of her life!
Slowly, Velvet turned her head to look over at her bed partner, who was propped up on her side and gazing back at Velvet. "I... I..."
The mare grinned. "Ready for a bath?"
Velvet blinked. "What?"
"A bath." The mare gestured at Velvet with one hoof. "You're basically paralyzed right now. A bath will recharge you for round two."
Round two? Round two?! Velvet had barely survived round one! She just gawked and stared as the mare slid off the bed, walked around, and scooped Velvet up—and given their difference in size, she did so with ease.
"I—" Velvet wrapped her mostly functional forelegs around the mare's neck. She swallowed and finally managed to ask, "What's your name?"
The mare carried her into what was revealed to be a spa-like bathroom. The tub was big enough for at least two ponies! She gingerly set Velvet down and winked down at her. "Rock Candy." She settled in behind her and fiddled with the knobs. "But you can just call me Candy."
Velvet leaned back to snuggle against Candy's chest. "I'm Velvet." The water slowly rose around them, the heat shocking Velvet's limbs back to full sensation. "You're amazing, you know," she purred, nuzzling closer. "Seriously. I've never felt this great before!"
Candy raised a hoof to play with one of Velvet's ears. "Well, thanks, babe. You weren't so bad yourself. We'll have to work on that breathing thing, though." She snickered.
"Oh." Velvet's face heated up and she pulled back, coughing to try to regain her composure. During the peak of pleasure, Velvet had simply forgotten how to breathe. "Yeah."
"But—mm." Candy looped her forelegs around Velvet's middle and tugged her close. "You're so flexible! I had no idea ponies could bend like that! We're definitely going to have some fun with that next time around, babe."
Velvet swallowed. She was feeling hot, and definitely not from the bath. "Y-yeah?"
"Oh, yeah." Candy's hooves started to roam, tingles of pleasure spreading from wherever they touched. "You might just be my new favorite."
Velvet wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but at that moment, she was totally okay with it. She turned around to face Candy, shifting so that she was pressed up against the mare, their lips just barely brushing together as she whispered, "Prove it."
---
It was a struggle just to keep her eyes open and her head upright as Velvet swayed in the shower. Three times. Candy had showed her fireworks and stars three times. Or maybe it was one long display that kept getting reinvigorated by the mare's expertise. Either way, Velvet was completely worn out and at the worst time, too.
Crystal waited out in the living room with some new writing crisis. Something about describing her latest book, Her Silent Love. Velvet wanted to care, but it was so difficult when all she wanted to do was sleep the day away.
That wasn't an option, though. She had to help Crystal, get to practice, then get to extra practice. Then, maybe, go see her parents.
Velvet sighed, angrily at first, then happily. Her time with Candy had been more than worth the current state of exhaustion.
Over the sound of the running water, Crystal's voice called out a question, rousing Velvet from her stupor just enough to lean around the curtain and holler back, "Huh? Sorry, did you say something?"
"Are you expecting somepony?"
Velvet frowned. "What?"
Crystal didn't respond back. Velvet waited a moment longer before rolling her eyes and ducking back under the hot water. Either Crystal had answered the door and was engaged in conversation or she had decided not to answer. Both cases made it not Velvet's problem.
While she washed her mane and tail, she worked on prepping herself for the day. Maybe she'd get Crystal to brew a batch of energizing tea or something. That might help get her out of this funk.
"Velvet!" Crystal yelled. "There is a filly here to fight you!"
Every muscle in Velvet's body stiffened. Had she heard that right? Somepony was there to fight her? As she shut the water off, she stared at the ground, her mind racing. Was it Perennial? No, Crystal knew her and wouldn't call her a filly.
Dawn? Velvet's ears pinned back and her heart sped up to chase after her thoughts. When had she seen Dawn last? Recently, right? Dawn wouldn't be mad at her if she hadn't, would she? Dawn was too sweet for that kind of behavior!
Or did Rock Candy have a foal? Was Candy married? Had Velvet just gotten her hooves mixed up in something dangerous?! Swallowing even though her mouth was dry, Velvet called back, "Okay, tell her I'll be out in just a second."
Velvet grabbed a towel and draped it over her head to block out the light so she could think. If it was an angry Dawn, she was screwed. She would tell Crystal everything. She was probably out there, right then, telling her what they had been doing!
It was hard to breathe. The steam rising from her coat was trapped under the towel and trying to suffocate her. Or perhaps it was the panic that was strangling her throat.
This was not how she wanted Crystal to find out. Not from the mouth of a jealous mare.
With a trembling hoof, Velvet lifted the towel and stared at her reflection, forelegs propped up on the counter to get a better look at herself. She wouldn't be in this situation if she led a normal life where she had a special somepony and didn't fool around. Her reflection glared at her and she glared back.
"Velvet, I think this little filly is actually here to fight you!" Crystal called.
"What?" Velvet nearly toppled over as she whirled around to look at the door, her hoof knocking a brush off the vanity. Her brow furrowed. Little filly? That ruled out Dawn for sure, but then who? She quickly wrapped the towel around her mane and opened the door, holding her breath, her heart pounding in her ears.
An unfamiliar blue filly sat on the couch, a frightened look on her face as she stared at Velvet.
Velvet didn't know whether to feel relieved or not. Perhaps she could play it off as a misunderstanding if it was Candy's foal. "Uh, hi?"
The filly tried to smile and waved. "Hi."
Crystal seemed blissfully unaware of Velvet's anxiety and the filly's discomfort as she sat down on the couch. "Velvet, darling, this sweet little mare here says you stole her marefriend." She pouted. "Are you catting around behind my back?"
Stole a marefriend? Velvet stalled for time by glaring at Crystal and ducking back into the bathroom. Think, Velvet, think! Candy was the one who came on strong, and it was clear she wasn't the "settling down" type. Could Dawn have started seeing this filly? No, there was no way. She didn't seem like Dawn's type at all.
Velvet's eyes widened as the answer struck her. Sunny Day! It had to be Sunny! That explained why Sunny was acting so strange. She was cheating!
With the towel more properly wrapped around her mane and after putting on a bath robe, Velvet went back out to face the filly. "It was one date!" She huffed and glanced between the two, really hoping she was right about this. This could be a costly miscalculation. "You're the one that was always harping on how 'if you don't try, you can't succeed'. So, I put myself out there last night while you were at the faire. A mare offered to take me to dinner so I said yes." Velvet hesitated. That wasn't exactly true, but it was too late. "Now I have to fight a filly. Good job, Crystal!"
The filly sniffled. Her ears drooped as she looked down at the teacup floating in her magic. "That mare was my marefriend," she said in an almost fragile voice.
Velvet's heart sunk. Crystal, on the other hoof, seemed to be missing the filly's feelings completely as she wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders. "How could you just throw away what we have, Velvet? I thought you had given up on finding somepony else!"
Normally, this would have been a funny situation. But the filly looked like she was on the verge of tears. Crystal would just have to relish in an opportunity to tease her some other time. "You're not helping, Crystal." Velvet walked over to sit on the floor in front of them. She rubbed the towel into her mane, trying to dry it off. "This isn't funny at all, so cut it out. Can't Miss Manners see that she's upset?"
Crystal looked between the two of them, her ears slowly drooping as the situation dawned on her. "I'm sorry."
Velvet sighed and shook her head, then looked at the filly. "So, you, uh..."
"Azurite," the filly said, wincing.
"Okay. Azurite. So you and Sunny Day are together?"
Azurite nodded and Crystal looked up at the ceiling, musing aloud, "Sunny Day? Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Listen, Azurite," Velvet said, dismissing Crystal with a wave of her hoof, "I don't know what she told you about what happened but she didn't mention having a marefriend and there wasn't a ring. Honestly, I had no idea. If I had known I wouldn't have—" Crystal was listening. She needed to pick her words very, very carefully. She cleared her throat and finished, "Well, I would've backed off, okay?"
There was no response from the little blue mare, but Velvet could see the tears forming in her eyes as she kept her gaze fixated on the teacup.
Velvet rubbed the back of her neck. This was why the idea of relationships seemed stupid. Feelings always got hurt one way or another. "So, I don't know if it makes you feel any better but I really am sorry. I don't want to steal your marefriend. Nothing really even happened last night, to be honest. We just danced a bit, then went out for dinner. Halfway through the meal she got up and ran out so fast I thought it was something I said. If we hadn't called it a date it definitely wouldn't have been one, but if you still want to fight, I understand."
Azurite shook her head, blinking back the tears. "I was mad," she said, her chin trembling. "Really mad. But... you don't seem like the homewrecking type."
Velvet stiffened. "I'm not!"
"She isn't," Crystal said. "I promise she's not. This whole ordeal is very out of the ordinary for her, actually."
After some thought, Azurite took a sip of tea. "I don't normally storm into ponies' homes to start fights."
"Oh, you didn't exactly storm in here, sweetie." Crystal smiled and rubbed Azurite's shoulder.
How the hay was Velvet the one taking Azurite's feelings seriously while Crystal was still making light of the situation?! Velvet glared at her and opened her mouth to speak her mind, but Azurite spoke up first.
"Yeah, so, maybe I should just leave. I'm really sorry about all this. I just got really worked up about it and I wanted to do something about my problems for once instead of, you know, just... taking it with a smile."
Crystal's ears folded back. Good. Maybe she was going to say the magical words that would make sense to Azurite and help her out, since the only advice Velvet could think of was to punch Sunny for sort-of-kind-of cheating. That probably wasn't a healthy solution. "It's all right. I'd be very upset if I found out my stallion went on a date with somepony else, so I understand."
Azurite sucked in a breath and jerked her gaze upward to meet Crystal's. "Oh, uh, do you mean Lieutenant Silent Knight?" Her eyes grew wide, like a deer frozen in front of a runaway carriage.
Lieutenant? If Azurite was calling him that, then she was probably in the Guard, too. That probably wasn't a good coincidence, either, considering the terrified look on Azurite's face.
Crystal hadn't seemed to put it together yet, tilting her head. "Yes, actually. Do you know him?"
Azurite gave a meek nod. "We work together." Her ears flipped and flopped about as she pulled away from Crystal and looked at the door. "I've really messed up big coming here. There are lines a pony's not supposed to cross, especially when they work in the Royal Guard, and I crossed, like, every line!" She sniffled and looked up at Crystal. "Could you please, please, pretty pretty please not tell the lieutenant about this? Please? He's so big and scary and frowny."
Velvet grinned as she tried not to laugh when Crystal looked over at her and they wiggled their ears in shared, unspoken amusement. Silent was many things. Big? Definitely. Frowny? Well, his resting face wasn't exactly flowers and smiles, that was for sure. Scary? No way! Dense, oblivious, and a bit of a workaholic, yeah, but what could be scary about Silent Knight?
Finally, Crystal looked back at Azurite with a gentle smile. "Since you don't want to fight Velvet anymore, I think she and I can forget this ever happened. After all, your reasoning was perfectly understandable, don't you agree, Velvet?"
Velvet nodded. "Yup, totally understandable."
Azurite blinked a few times and glanced between them, puzzling it out until the tension in her face relaxed. "Really? Thank you! Thank you both so much!" She sighed and shook her head. "I'm still really, really sorry about all of this."
Awkward silence fell on the trio. Azurite quietly sipped the tea, Crystal looked to Velvet for help, and Velvet just went back to drying herself off. What was there to say? Well, Crystal would definitely have an interrogation about Velvet dating, but she would wait for Azurite to leave before broaching that subject. That meant the longer Azurite stayed, the longer Velvet had to think of an excuse.
"So, um," Azurite started, squirming in her seat. "This tea is actually really great. I don't usually get tea this nice. So I'm kind of paralyzed between choosing whether I should sit here in what is, without a doubt, the most uncomfortable situation I've ever gotten myself into so I get to finish drinking this tea, or if I should just run out the door and hope I never see either of you again." She looked up at Crystal, brow furrowed. "Any thoughts?"
Crystal snorted. Her lips wiggled as she struggled against laughing. Velvet bit down on her tongue in the hopes of outlasting her and succeeded—but the moment Crystal burst into laughter, Velvet did, too.
Azurite, on the other hoof, looking absolutely serious and totally unamused.
"Just finish the tea, Azurite," Velvet said in between snorts and giggles.
---
While Azurite nursed her third cup of tea and nibbled on a cookie, Crystal had gone back to taking notes for her upcoming interview and Velvet just lazed about on a pillow. Normally, she'd have started her stretches by then, but there wasn't enough space and neither of them wanted to disturb Azurite. She had an hour and a half before she was expected at the studio and the stretches were more for her peace of mind than anything else, so being lazy wasn't that big of a deal.
However, the fear from the earlier panic hadn't left the corners of her mind. Azurite would probably leave soon. That meant Crystal would want to talk about it. What would she say? Well, that didn't work, so I'll never date again, sorry! Nope. Crystal wouldn't buy that. She'd probably end up taking her out and trying to hook her up with somepony.
"I should really, really go now, or I'm never going to want to leave," Azurite said into the silence.
Crystal looked up from her notebook. "Oh? If you're sure. I can brew a new batch of tea. It's no bother."
"Nope, that's okay! I'll be fine." Azurite hopped to the floor and started to leave, but stopped to look at both with them with a big smile. "This was really awkward, but thanks for being so understanding and everything!"
Velvet lifted her head to return the smile and waved. "Good luck with your marefriend, Azurite!"
The big smile fell into a smaller one, but she nodded. "Yeah. Thanks. Good luck finding one of your own that isn't already somepony else's!" She squeaked, threw the door open, and ran out.
Velvet watched Crystal's magic close the door, afraid to look over at the mare. What expression awaited her? Finally, she turned her head and saw a blank face staring back at her. Silence held them for a long, awkward moment.
Crystal smiled and looked down at her notebook. "I have some ideas of what to say in my interview."
"What? Your interview?" Velvet's eyes widened, then her brow furrowed. "Seriously? You don't want to ask about my failure of a date or talk about what just happened?!"
Crystal gave an exaggerated shrug, smiling brightly. "Azurite said she doesn't want Silent to know. Well, Silent won't know if I don't tell him, and I can't tell him about what didn't happen if I don't remember or acknowledge it happened. So, if you don't mind, I would like to get back to the matter of my interview?"
Velvet sighed and dropped her head back down as she rolled her eyes. "Fine. How much time do we have to prepare?"
"Well, the book is going to be released on the first of next month, so Sunset wanted to get the interview done as soon as possible before then to build up the hype."
She was stalling. That wasn't good. Why was she stalling? Velvet shot her an impatient glare.
"A week and a half?" Crystal offered with a little bit of a sheepish squeak in her voice.
"A week and a half?" Velvet repeated, trying to sound even, but she was sure her annoyance laced her words. "You're harassing me and it's over a week away?"
There was being prepared, and then there was acting like something was around the corner when there was plenty of time. Velvet could never understand that about Crystal. Why get spun up and spend a week stressing over something when two or three days would suffice? Now Crystal was going to spend over a week talking nonstop about an interview!
Velvet buried her face against the pillow to release her frustration in a muffled cry. She was too tired for this. In fact, she was too tired for anything. Jumping to her hooves, she proclaimed, "Nope. Forget today. I'm going back to bed."
Crystal gasped and glared. "I thought you were my friend!"
Velvet stomped each hoof with meaning as she stalked toward her bedroom. "Not today! Today no longer happened. Besides, forget about the interview. Don't you have that entitlement ceremony with your grandparents right around then?"
A high-pitched whine responded as Crystal sunk into the couch and hid her face. "Don't remind me about that! I have enough on my plate to worry over as it is!"
"Too late!" Velvet chimed and slammed her door shut behind her.
An hour and a half was plenty of time to catch up on sleep. That would clear her head and, hopefully, she'd wake up refreshed. She would just forget the morning had ever happened, go to work, and then spend the evening with Perennial.
Velvet flopped onto the bed and squirmed under the covers. One thing at a time. Sleep was her first priority. Enduring torture would be future Velvet's problem.
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That might backfire pretty hard depending on how much mandatory stretching happens at the studio given the extended practice regime Velvet is on now.
Poor Velvet.
You haven't seen Silent fight Gryphons, Velvet. That's obvious. Though Azu hasn't either, admittedly.
Just wait until you are future Velvet. You will hate yourself.
All in all, a great chapter.
Velvet has an odd way of getting herself into situations that just seem to resolve themselves.
Practice.
More practice.
Drunk.
Late night shenanigans.
Crash for an hour.
Repeat.
Velvet... I've been down that road before. (More or less) It's no fun fainting a public bathroom.
Also... That first section...
Crystal, I believe we'll have you writing clop within the year.
Yay Azurite. woo hoo!
I was excited to see Azurite, but from Velvet's perspective it's really sad. Crystal was oblivious and Azu working herself up to fight was hilarious, but Velvet sees the situation as it is; a sad mare who's special somepony cheated on her.
Dang. Velvet had the most sensable attitude of both of them, and its good that she was willing to own up and admit what happened to little Azu. Azu is adorable.
I might have to reread, but wasn't there a moment where crystal realised it wasn't actually a filly at the door? Or was that just in her head?
There's a small part of me imagining rock candy is maud in disguise, trying to enjoy herself as well as hide it from her family
It's happened. Velvet finally has a crush.
I forget, was this before or after he formed a paramilitary force, tricked a bunch of foreign nationals into fleeing into Equestria, extralegally slaughtered them all, and burned the bodies to ash?
Wow, it sounds really disturbing when I put it that way for some reason.
6882563 There definitely would be enough stretching at the studio for the regular practice hours! With her extended practice, though... you are correct... that's where things get tricksy!
6882576
6882609 I love "that's future me's problems" scenarios. Almost all of them result in exclamations of "darn you, past me!!"
6882656 I kept my toes carefully away from the clop line, thankyouverymuch!
6882714
6882769 Velvet's eyes were more receptive largely because she went into it panicked, her mind racing, adrenaline going. Crystal went in thinking Velvet was in trouble with the filly scouts. The mental states going in to the situation had a pretty big impact on how they saw things! By Crystal's own narrative admission, she struggled with taking Azurite seriously because she was so tiny and cute that it felt like an elementary school fight.
6882981 Azu is adorable... and I can't wait to have more chapters with her!!
6882989 Crystal got there, but she struggled with reconciling the reality with the little adorable pony in front of her.
She got caught up in how cute Azurite was and the opportunity to tease Velvet that she couldn't help herself.
6882996 Velvet's certainly got something!
This is about a month before then, give or take, though before or after Velvet would have the same opinion. As far she's aware, he just stands guard and does paperwork and has bitter resting face.
6883298 that.... makes more sense. I keep forgetting how easy it is to get caught up in the moment. Bloody hell your characters can be realistic. Relatively speaking, given the obvious. Thanks for taking the time to find that
6883298
Yes, but every time I turn around you're inching them closer and closer. It's like watching a kid test their parents.
Do my parents care yet? No? Push just a wee bit.
Still no? Okay, a little more.
Yet still no? Just another smidge.
Okay, now they care; I better wait a little before trying again.
Or maybe Anzel's just a bad influence. He keeps writing saucier and saucier shenanigans over there...
Great chapter. I especially enjoyed everything Azu related.
Dang. Apparently being a wing pony works for Velvet, at least assuming the appropriate lead pony.
Hahaha, what timing for Azurite to finally make her little appearance.
Oh, oh yeah, she really, really is. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)
Oh, oh it should.
Yeah, Silent is pretty frowny.
Hmn, I take what I said above back, that really wasn't a little appearance at all.
Hahaha! Poor Azurite, but at least those of us who have read her stories know how it turns out.
6883470 Yeah, no kidding. That latest Sunny chapter with her and Soarin.
Azurite stay small and adorable it's easier that way. I wish I was still like that sometimes but being able to reach the top shelf in any house is awesome so now I go with the stray dog approach. Free food is free food right? Or free stuff any how.yay for being lower class! I use my good looks and lost appearance to get stuff.
6883436 Absolutely! Some things (like what the hay is going on in Crystal's mind) are better explained in that character's own narrative. From Velvet's perspective, Crystal seems pretty thoughtless toward Azurite's feelings. Which she kind of is! But not maliciously.
6883470 Is that so? Well, then, I probably shouldn't share the original rough draft for the first chapter.
This party nearly started with some saucy stuff!
6884258 Well, you're in for a treat, because we are definitely not done with some Azurite-related material!
6885581 Rock Candy, as I like to say, came in like a wrecking ball.
It was fun to write the Azurite stuff from Velvet's perspective. It showed a different emotion than in Wishes, I think. Velvet's panic and Azurite's hurt. That's probably my favorite thing about same-timeline stories. You get almost all the information, and all the information you get is different, even if just slightly!
6887513 I don't fully understand what you're getting at, but I whole-heartedly approve of your message all the same. YOU KEEP DOING YOU, BOO.
Oh, yes. I nearly forgot.
media.giphy.com/media/QMkPpxPDYY0fu/giphy.gif
6888306 I said something someone liked? I'm melting feed me hate. What I was saying is when I was young people thought I was adorable now I'm older and moderately tall I have to go for a different type of look. This look and mannerism is undomesticated and sort of harmlessly feral. Thus stray dog approach. If you don't understand then I guess you're S.O.L. so meh.
6888088 WOOHOO!
6888088
I... I don't know how I would feel about that. There's this whole pristine impression of you I have, and you'd just up and ruin it by posting something truly saucy?!
6888934 I blushed all the way to the tips of my ears, and I started it after Velvet met Dawn, so there were two major flaws with it.
6888712 Oh, now I gotcha.
(I also didn't mean to come off like I was hating on you or yourr comment (I find most things I write come off as aggressively sarcastic). I swear the heart was sincere! Sorry about that!)
6888934
Did you miss the chapters covering the discovery and introduction of Crystal's extended family? The sauce has already been spread across the pages.
6888964
That was part of Dawn's unhappy ending branch I am guessing.
6889103 what? No! I didn't think you were sarcastic. I figured you were sincere but I was asking for dislikes on my comments in a vague roundabout way.people being nice gives me this weird feeling. I much prefer when people are sarcastic to me as it gives me an excuse to be sarcastic to them. Very sorry! Misunderstanding I think. Feed me hate was not sarcastic I was asking people other than you to be annoyed if you find this comment redundant that's because I have trouble finding the right way to say stuff.
6889113 Oh, no! The chapter as it was written was a happy ending for Dawn indeed.
6889134 I shall only feed you love >:D
6894198 no! I'm melting! Blughglubglub! Thanks. Thanks much. Hey did you know samelings exist?we look like the exact copy of one specific person and feed on a humans hate. Some can survive on love but it's really really sweet. That is the equivalent of nine deserts you gave me. (You know I get kind of disillusioned sometimes and stuff like this helps me not become a spiteful ball of anger. So thanks. Again. You guys cheer me up. )
6888088
And the only logical solution is to literally write every viewpoint of the scene, of course! I love how every bit you write offers something new, Crystal. It also has the added benefit that I can choose which character is truly my favorite, and I don't feel guilty when I choose the protagonist!
Man, finally knowing exactly what happened with Sunny and Velvet makes the ensuing events look even more blown out of proportion. Not only was it not really a date, Sunny was just short of dragged along