The Third Nice Thing

by RadBunny

Chapter Six: Many mine misfortunes

“I have to say, those fish-wraps are really good.” Gelvin remarked as we walked along a slightly-overgrown dirt path, the grassland changing to a shrubby forest.
“Hmm. They’re becoming a favorite for me as well. Have you asked for extra spice? Makes it a ton better.” I mused, imagining the pleasant burn on my tongue when I discovered that was an option.
“Oh? Never did that, is it good?”
“Sooooooooooo good. The extra burn is awesome.”

As Gelvin nodded, I couldn’t help but muse over this entire ‘thing.’
In short, it was nice.
I can’t remember the last time I just chatted with another gryphon other than Gretta. I think I like it, a lot. The fact this guy is so easy to talk to is weird.
In a good way though.

“So, you show this place to anyone else?” I asked, looking at the large mountain looming in front of us.
“Erm, not really, no.” He replied, tone that of almost…sadness? Regret?

Huh. Maybe this guy was more sensitive than most. Then again, raised by ponies would do that.
I mentally gave myself a smack for that comment; it was exactly that sort of thinking that had gotten gryphons to this point of being such jerks. I hadn’t been raised by ponies and I was- well, I was working on the sensitive part. At least it was there.

That being said, seeing Gelvin’s ears flatten and something eating at him wouldn’t do. For whatever reason, seeing him clearly troubled was like a thorn in my chest, digging deeper as he refused to look me in the eye.
It’s like when Gretta had that really bad day a week ago, but ten times worse. Ugh. Well, maybe I can mess with him….

“Huh. Not even other fragile gryphoness’s such as myself?” It killed me ever so slightly to say such a thing as I flipped back some of my bangs in an exaggerated gesture. The addition of an ever-so-slightest sway of my hips completed the jest.
Never done that before. Wonder if I can pull it off, or if I just look like an idiot.

I heard something halfway between a cough and a sneeze, and looked over to see Gelvin standing stock still as he sputtered and stared in surprise.
That was enough of an answer for me, and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, holding my side with a set of claws at seeing a massive blush on his very-puffed up features. His usually light-grey cheeks were a lovely shade of pink, expression that of utter shock. The fact Gelvin refused to look at me for a few moments as he smoothed his feathers felt like a strange sort of victory.

“That, was not fair.” He grumbled, finally continuing along the path as I wiped a tear or two of mirth from my eyes.
“Ok, maybe not. But that was so worth it. You are adorable when you’re-”
Now it was my turn to half-cough and sneeze, the words promptly welding my throat shut.
I did NOT just say that.

“Ah, well, you looked a bit sad. So, at least not anymore.” I managed to stammer out, ignoring the fact a certain male gryphon was now grinning ear to ear, despite a still-present blush.
“Mmmm. Well, thanks.” He chuckled, and I had a feeling my words weren’t about to be forgotten.
That’s…like Gelvin 1000, and me at -2000. I don’t think I’ve ever said that word out loud before.
First date. Going totally smooth. Both of us blushing messes. Faaaaaantastic.
So why do I still feel good? A bit embarrassed, but, good. Happy?
How am I still happy?

I shrugged my shoulders, looking over to him briefly. He was padding along quite cheerfully ahead of me- at least slightly. For a brief second he glanced back, then turned back to watch where he was walking.

I did not miss the delighted smile still on his features.
For whatever reason, that only made me happier. I didn’t know what this warm feeling was in my chest, but it felt nicer than any number of blankets or pillows.
As we came within sight of the mine entrance, I skidded to a stop as Greta’s words flooded back.
Oh.
Oh no.
Was she right?
Ok, she might have been right. I might be totally head over tail-

“Well, here we are!” Gelvin proclaimed, gesturing to the mine entrance.
“I’ll just snag-erm, Gilda? You alright?”

I nodded, tripping over my words as I caught up with him.
“Y-yeah. Good. Just, nevermind. So this is it?” I asked, no way I’d be able to hide the blush on my cheeks.
Karma. Pure. Simple. Karma.
The amusement in Gelvin’s green eyes was certainly the icing on the Karma cake. He seemed to be genuinely cheerful though. There was also something else in his eyes that I couldn’t quite place though. It wasn’t unsettling; if anything, it made me feel safe…weird.

“Yep! This is it!” Gelvin chirped happily, gesturing to the mine entrance. Carved directly into the mountain base, massive dark-tan stones surrounded all angles of the entrance as evidence from the excavation. No doubt explosives had been used in addition to usual excavation methods, judging from a few rotted crates labeled as such.

“So, they blasted the tunnel? Nice.” I mused, looking around briefly.
“Yeah. There’s still charges set-well, somewhere. Some of the entrances were to be closed off, but they removed the fuses when there wasn’t any gold to pay the blasters.” Gelvin explained. Most likely seeing my face, he shrugged, waving a set of claws.
“It’s fine. No way they can go off. The dirt is damp as it is.” A roll of thunder seemed to back up his statement.
“Case in point. Guess we’ll head in before getting soaked?” He added, snagging a bulky tan rucksack from behind one of the entrance rocks.

“Sure, lead on.” I replied, waiting as he fished out a flashlight. Surprisingly, it was one of the newer magically charged crystal ones that clipped onto your shoulder or head. Fancy…
Handing a second one to me, Gelvin made his way into the tunnels with me on his heels. There were sturdy wooden support beams that seemed to have not rotted in the slightest, a testament of gryphon engineering when we put our minds to it.

“I’m surprised nobody has harvested the wood from here. Anti-rot spells or similar methods are expensive nowadays.” Gelvin mused as we walked down the dark expanse. In the distance I could see a fork, the tunnel taking a left and then a right. Behind me, the storm had unleashed a wall of water, drenching everything within seconds amidst the boom of thunder.
“Glad we’re in here, nice and dry! It’s not too far.” His happy chirp echoed through the tunnels.
I let out an amused hum, looking over the expertly-excavated walls and support beams. This place was pretty sturdy, and cool.

“Well, so far, this is pretty neat. Not bad for a first date.” I quipped, seeing Gelvin’s green eyes look back at me happily.
“I’m glad, not many gryphons want to come here, for multiple reasons. Small spaces, boring, and so on.” He added with a sigh.

“Anyhow, down this left tunnel we go!”
As he led me through twisting and turning passages, I thought I’d get lost, but realized we only took two turns. The first left, and then the second right. It wasn’t that confusing at all.

“Ah. Here we go. Um. Over here.” Gelvin directed me over across a rather flat portion of stone, setting his pack down and looking at the barely-visible walls to our left and right. In front of us was a void of darkness, the ledge vanishing after about four tail-lengths. The chasm in front of us must be massive, bigger than six buildings stacked side by side or on top of one another, but that was a rough guess.

“Whoa. This place is huge…” I mused, words being swallowed up by the darkness.
“Yeah. I haven’t seen how deep it goes. But that’s not the coolest part. You’ll need to turn off your light.”

As I turned off my light, I saw his own flashlight was being set against some rocks behind us.
“Fair warning, I’ll shove you off the ledge if this is some sort of way to try and kiss me.” I stated rather flatly, causing him let out a choked half-chuckle.
“That was a joke. Mostly. You know how the idea of ‘courting’ varies with gryphons.” I added with a shrug.
Oh look. A puffy Gelvin shadow puppet.

“I-ok fair point, it does vary and I wouldn’t put that past some others I’ve met. But no, I like to think I’m a bit more of a respectful romantic than that.” He replied, still situating the flashlight.
“Respectful romantic? Huh. Didn’t know gryphons could be that. Or is that a book type interest?”
“Actually there’s a few books that are really-I’m…going to shut up now.”
Once again I was trying my hardest not to laugh, but that was another piece of the Gelvin puzzle fitted into place.
An egghead who has a library, reads some sort of romance novels, and can fight off wolves? This dude is all over the place. And how in the world can a gryphon BE romantic? We don’t really do that.
….do we?

“Aaaaanyhow. This is about set. We’ll have to close our eyes for a minute or two to get our night vision though.” He added, placing a bit of cloth over the flashlight before turning it off, then closing his own eyes.
“….Ok, really? Are you sure this isn’t a plot to kiss me or something? Because so help me-”
“No! I promise. ”
I sighed, closing my eyes and barely picked up some indiscrete grumbling from his direction.

“Alright. Take a look.”
I opened my eyes, and promptly gasped. In front of me, filling my entire vision, was the sky. Stars twinkled in the hundreds, if not thousands. Everywhere I looked was a beautiful array of soft sparkling white light. I barely could see Gelvin, but his dark outline walked over and sat next to me as he looked up as well.
“I’ve always liked the stars. So on cloudy days, this is the next best thing.” He said softly.

I wasn’t one for gaudy or flashy things, but the spectacle in front of me was enough to render me speechless nonetheless.
“What do you think?”
For a moment I didn’t say anything, just took in the fantastic sight in front of me.
“It’s beautiful.”
I saw his figure relax ever so slightly, no doubt having hoped I’d enjoy it. Who wouldn’t though? It was stars inside a mountain! How cool was that?!

We stared in silence for…I honestly am not sure how long. At least a few minutes of just looking at the ‘stars.’
As far as dates went, or just how a day could go, it was pretty awesome. I hadn’t been this happy in a very very long time.
And that warm feeling was still there, and now wanted an outlet.
I’ve never wanted to hug someone. Ok, not true; other than Pinkie and Rainbow that one time, and Gretta.
…still not used to it. Ugh.
I settled on the intermediate option. Scooting a bit closer, I stopped when I felt Gelvin’s side brush against mine.
Whoa. This guy has super soft feathers and fur.

“Thanks for showing me this, I’ve really had fun. Pretty great first date actually.” I whispered, really not wanting to admit to myself how nice this felt.
Like, really, really nice. The no-hugging Gilda had started to melt with my pony friends, but this guy made that view evaporate.
I think I get Gretta’s view on hugs now. ‘Awkward but glad we did?’ Seems like it.

I felt Gelvin stiffen ever so slightly in surprise, and I certainly didn’t blame him. When it came to courting with gryphons, it was a roll of the dice. Expect the unexpected.
So this was a lesser point of that it would seem, but still a bit surprising to him-

My thoughts promptly flatlined as Gevin leaned back against my side ever so slightly. I wasn’t sure what I was more pleasantly unsettled by; the fact I now really wanted to give him a hug, or that just simply physical contact was making my brain turn to sludge. For how independent I was, there was something to be said about leaning against this strong gryphon. It was comforting in a new and odd way.

“I’m glad, I know it’s not the most traditional or normal thing. But, I’m glad you had fun. That’s all I really wanted to happen.” He replied softly, and in a rather tender way that pricked at parts of my heart I didn’t know could be touched.
“Well, I certainly did.” I replied, then stopped talking and just enjoying the view and the close companionship, which I was starting to grudgingly admit was a bigger factor.

I never thought of myself as someone who enjoyed close company like this, and maybe that was true. But right now, with this gryphon? I didn’t mind it in the slightest.
And to think I was half-worried about this being a trick to try and kiss me or something. Now I’m the one entertaining the idea of a hug.
Since when did I want this sort of thing? Recently? Or…
Where that train of thought let had my ears flatten slightly.
Or is it something I’ve wanted for a long time, and just shoved it deep down, like you have to do in order to survive in Griffinstone? And maybe it took Rainbow and Pinkie to bring it out again.

I took a deep breath and sighed, trying to get the thoughts to fade away. It was almost too much for me to take in, if I was being honest with myself. First accepting I was lonely, only to then have a date with an actually decent gryphon? It was quite a shift.

And, speaking of shifting…
I decided to just shut down all the clamoring thoughts by leaning my head over slightly to rest against Gelvin’s shoulder.
“Erm, this alright?” I asked, thankful for the darkness to mask the heated blush that was radiating from my cheeks.

“Totally alright. Just a bit unexpected. In a good way.” Was the caring reply.
“…you and me both. I’m new to this whole thing.”
I felt and heard Gelvin chuckle ever so slightly, his sides shaking briefly.
“Join the club. Not like I’ve gone on a dozen dates or anything. But I’d say we’re doing ok?”
I let out an affirmative hum, once again wondering what in the world Gelvin used to make his feathers so dang soft.
“I’d say so. I’ve heard ponies saying that a kiss on the first date is too forward. But this feels nice.” I mused, prompting another chuckle.
“Sounds about right to me. This does feel rather good.”

I grinned, resting against his shoulder for another good minute or two and enjoying the sensation. That alone was a very new thing.
New, but definitely not a bad thing.
Finally I lifted my head with quite a bit of regret, but it was a necessary gesture. As much as I wanted to stay like that for a while, the last thing I wanted to do was come off as some sort of needy gryphoness.
I still had some shreds of my pride left.
Some.

“Anywhere else in this mine we can explore? Then maybe snag some food on the way back?” I suggested, still coming to terms as to how at-ease I was with Gelvin in general. I was getting used to it pretty quickly, but it was still an alien thing.

“Sounds good to me.” The gryphon took the cloth off the flashlight, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the brighter scene. Turning my own light on, I had to bite my tongue from laughing. Even in the dim light, I could see the tell-tale signs of Gevlin’s feathered crest standing almost straight up, and his cheeks easily doubled in size with a puffed up blush.
Somehow that never gets old. I guess both because of how cute he looks, and because….heh, well I guess I can have that effect on someone.
The last thought was enough to give my ego a rather nice boost as we walked out of the tunnels. It wasn’t often I thought of myself as attractive, especially not to males or the like. But the fact I could get Gelvin to be so flustered with simple gestures or jokes…
It’s like he sees me as, well, a gryphoness; A female, and I guess that’s a new thing.
It felt good.

As we walked to the exit, I noticed a distinct lack of light at the end of the tunnel.
“Erm, Gelvin?” I called out as he bounded ahead and examined the piles of rocks.
“Well. Bad news is the storm caused the entrance to collapse. Good news, there’s a second one nearby.” He replied with a shrug, then actually glared at me with the slightest smirk.
“No, this is not my way of getting a second date by the way.”
“Tooootally wasn’t thinking that, but good to know though.” I quipped with a barely-suppressed laugh as we walked to the forked tunnel, taking a right this time.
Ok, I was totally thinking that.

After walking a short distance down the other tunnel and taking a few more twists and turns, Gelvin stopped up short as we rounded a corner.
“What-oh….” I muttered, seeing a distinct lack of a tunnel in front of us.
“More good and bad news. This exit is blocked too. Looks like the same landslide put too much weight on the support beams. Must have been a big one.” Gelvin muttered, shaking his head.
“The nearest exit is a pretty good walk away. I’ve got enough water and food in my pack and have a spare pack hidden in a tunnel too. But the other exits require us going deeper and under the mountain.” He explained further, clearly a tad unsettled.
“And the good news?” I asked with a sigh, sitting on my haunches with a raised eyebrow.
“Um, a second date?” He suggested with a half-hearted grin, prompting me to smack my claws into my face rather forcefully.

Author's Note:

Another chapter!
Emotions used 'Warm and Fuzzy' attack!
'Warm and Fuzzy' caused critical confusion to Gilda!
Finding Nemo -Martin moment: "I feel... happy. Which is a big deal... for me."

Feedback welcome! I don't want to paint Gilda as out of character or the like, but show a progression, even if it's sudden at times that is catching her off guard that she is trying to deal with.

Comments

[Grekoy]

Whelp. That's one way to get a second date on the same day.