It Ain't Gold that Dazzles

by Gyro Steambass

Raising The Bar

Apparently, it was only going to take about two weeks before her wound would be fully healed. And it would take at least a few days before she was allowed to do anything even slightly strenuous with her bad hand. Something about it being a surprisingly clean wound made it apparently easier to heal. But she would still have to wear a glove over said hand, to avoid infection, even after it healed. Working without a glove would have to wait until at least another two weeks after the wound had healed.

Which led to Jack coming up with a way to spend the rest of their sunday. More specifically, their sunday afternoon and perhaps evening as well.

“I’m gonna show ya around town.” He said, putting on his coat. He had changed his clothes to something cleaner and more casual, which made him a lot less intimidating. Something about a butchers outfit just made him incredibly intimidating.

Now that she thought about it, it was probably the stains. Yes, it was most definitely the stains. Which his plain white shirt and black pants definitely didn’t have.

‘He really needs to get more colorful clothes.’

“I’ve been around town.” She said, not exactly excited about the prospect of walking through the streets she had to sleep in for about a week. “And it wasn’t exactly pleasant.” She herself had also put on some more casual clothes. A purple blouse with three buttons just below the neck, light blue jeans and her grayish purple hoodie (it had luckily been spared from the fish guts). She had also put on some nice leather boots.

“’Course it wasn’t.” He buttoned up his coat. It was a long leather coat that made it halfway past his upper legs. It was surprisingly looses on someone his size, which meant it was probably custom made. She then noticed the pockets on the coat and decided that to have such big pockets, it was most likely custom made. “You were walking through one of the nastier neighborhoods of Manehattan. I’m not saying this one is that much better, but at least people around here are a little nicer.”

He opened the door and walked out, Adagio following her. “’Sides, I ain’t gonna show you around here either.” He locked the door, while she lifted an eyebrow at him. They started walking down a street. It was a slightly comical sight: the giant in the leather coat and the little lady in the purple hoodie, both of them with their hands in their pockets.

“What, you’re gonna show me around the entirety of Manehattan?” She may not have known how big Manehattan was, but it was BIG. That was part of the reason why she didn’t know. It was in fact one of the biggest cities in the state of Equestria.

“Heh, ‘course not.” They made a turn. “I’m just gonna show ya around one of the friendlier and nicer neighborhoods.” She took a look at the signs as they made another turn. Apparently they were going to the Central Marelem Metro Station.

“Huh,” she said, making Jack look at her.

“What?”

“Nothing really. Only just found out that we apparently live in Central Marelem.” She shrugged. “I didn’t really know where I was before, so that’s nice to know, I suppose.”

“Eh.” He shrugged. “It’s not the safest neighborhood, but it’s far from the most dangerous. As long as ya stick with me, the only one who might bother ya is Chrysalis. And usually only when ya give her a reason to.”

“That’s true, I suppose.” She couldn’t keep her trademark smirk from crawling onto her face. “A giant like you will keep even the nicest people away.”

“Yea-” She looked at him, seeing him frown for a short moment, before it quickly devolved into a grin. “Looks like you’re getting better.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“When I first took ya in, the only times ya talked like that was when ya got mad, but now you’re already taking jabs at me when you’re just relaxed. I’m no shrink, but to me it seems like you’re getting healthier, in more ways than one.”

“So you think I’m some kind of queen bee? Or a diva?” She said, feigning offense.

“I don’t think shy people wear spiky hairbands.”

“That’s what gave me away?”

“Being sassy against someone ya know can snap ya in half also made it easier to guess.”

“Really? You mean no one talks back to you?” That question caused his grin to falter again. ‘A sore spot, perhaps?’

“Unless they know me pretty well? Not really.” His shoulders went up and his neck tensed up.

‘Definitely a sore spot.’ She wondered if she should continue this line of questioning. She decided to take a chance.

“Why do you think that is?” This time he didn’t just stop talking, he also stopped walking. He took his hands out of his pockets, crossed his arms and straightened his back, furrowed his brow and giving her a harsh glare. This had the desired effect of intimidating her, but not as much as he thought she would have been.

“I think we both know why.” She had her suspicions.

“So they’re scared of you?” She raised her eyebrow again, also crossing her ams. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“’Course they are!” He gestured at himself. “Look at me! I’m 7 feet tall! 2.10 meters! And don’t even get me started on what people think of my mu-”

She quickly interjected. “And this bothers you.”

“I-” He stopped. He blinked at her. He crossed his arms again. “What, you my shrink now?”

“You don’t need a major in psychology to notice it bothers you.”

“...Hmph.” He scoffed and continued walking, stuffing his hands in his pockets again. “Let’s keep going.”

“...Fine.” She followed suit, deciding that she could talk with him about this later.

---

The ride was short, but not without it’s annoyances. The fact that no one even dared sit next to them and that most people kept sneaking scared glances at Jack, just made it an uncomfortable ride for everyone involved. Especially for Jack. She could tell by the way he was holding the edge of his seat, almost bending the metal with how tightly he was gripping the edge.

‘It really seems to bother him.’ She thought, feeling a little sorry for the mini interrogation. Back when she was still a siren, she would’ve relished the scared glances and the nervous stares. But for Jack it seemed to be more of a nightmare.

She decided to sit a little closer to him and to try to start some friendly small talk. Someone had to lift the mood, and the other passengers weren’t going to do it. Although, neither was Jack. He kept glaring at anyone who looked at him in a way he didn’t like.

“So, Blackjack, where exactly are we going?” This seemed to shake him out of his continuous state of annoyance. He blinked at her, apparently not having realized she had gotten closer to him. She bent forward, resting her head on her hand. “I’m not exactly familiar, remember?”

“Beekmare.” He seemed to relax a little. “We’re going to Beekmare.”

“And what makes Beekmare a nice place?”

“It’s one of the lesser known shopping districts of Manehattan. It’s got a lot of nice shops and restaurants. And it’s where I sometimes go drinking.”

“And to which restaurant are we going?”

---

It wasn’t really a restaurant. As it was, even the cheaper restaurants in Manehattan were quite expensive. So they went to a cozy looking bar. According to Jack, it had, as he said it, “the smallest chance of meeting drunks in whole Manehattan.” Apparently the bar had pretty strict rules when it came to how much you were allowed to drink. Which actually sounded rather nice. There was just one thing that left her shaking her head.

“Really?” She sounded rather bemused. She also looked the part.

“What? You don’t wanna go to the bar?”

“Oh no, I could definitely go for a drink after today’s events.” She subconsciously touched her bandaged hand.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“It’s just... ‘The Drunken Kelpie?’” She let out a chuckle. “That’s one of the most stereotypical bar names I’ve heard in a long time.” It also didn’t help that she used to be a kelpie, but she wasn’t going to mention that.

“Well, at least the inside and the drinks are better than the name.” He opened the door, motioning for her to go first.

As she walked in she quickly whispered “I’ll be the judge of that,” to him.

As she walked through the bar, she had to give it to Jack: it definitely looked better than the name implied. The owner was apparently a fan of Art Deco, judging by the design of everything. And unlike most bars she’s been to, the smell of cigarettes wasn’t that strong.

Sadly, the mood got dampened a little when Jack walked in, a lot of people immediately looking at him. But at least not everyone looked nervous or scared. In fact, the bartender looked kinda happy to see him, judging by the small smile she was giving him. Plus, most people quickly averted their gazes, hoping Jack hadn’t noticed them.

Adagio felt Jack stop behind her, sensing a smug air about him. She turned and looked up at him as he gave her a smirk of his own. “So, what do ya think?”

“I have to admit, your taste in bars is definitely better than your taste in clothes.” His smirk fell a little, as he looked down at his coat.

“What’s wrong with basic colors?”

“Blackjack, honey, please.” She walked over to him, gesturing towards his clothes. “Black and white are definitely not colors. And yes, brown is indeed a color, but it’s rather drab.” She shrugged as she turned to walk towards the bar. “You’re kind of enforcing the stereotype here.”

“So ya ain’t just a queen bee, but also a fashionista.” He followed her.

“What can I say? I’m a lady of many talents.”

“My god! Modest as well?”

“You don’t find them as modest as me, trust me.” She sat down at the bar, opening her hoodie a little, while Jack unbuttoned his coat as he sat down next to her. The bartender then walked over, chuckling.

“Well well well.” The voice, deep and a little raspy, betraying a history of smoking, belonged to the bartender, a tall, lanky woman with few curves, who, judging by her wrinkles, seemed to be in her late thirties to mid forties. She had purple skin and short, spiky lavender hair with a blue streak in it. She had a short pointy nose, her eyes were blue and she wore a golden earring in her left ear. She wore a black zip up hoodie with the zipper open, showing a light blue shirt underneath. She also wore tight white pants and for some reason wore black sandals.

“Finally managed ta catch yerself a nice fishie, huh Jackie?” Her accent was much thicker than Jack’s. Or should she say Jackie? Adagio decided to play along.

Jack waved a hand, denying it. “It’s not lik-”

“Oh yes.” Adagio cut him of, a smirk slowly forming on her face, while a slightly annoyed frown formed on Jack’s. “And he’s been an absolute gentleman, too.”

“Really now.” The bartender lifted an eyebrow, grinning widely. “That big brute? Looks like I haven’t been giving ya enough credit Jackie, now have ah?”

She almost giggled. “Oh you should definitely give, ‘Jackie’, some more credit.”

“Ah suppose ah should.” The purple lady started leaning on the bar and whispered as she held a hand next to her mouth. “And when’s the wedding, hm?” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Jack sighed deeply. “Great. Ya started multiplying.” Although he sounded annoyed, his small smirk revealed that he was more amused than anything else.

The bartender straightened back up, chuckling. “Oh ahm just foolin’ with ya. Ah can see you ain’t a couple.” She winked quickly. “Yet!” She cleared her throat. “Now where are mah manners. Ahm Fizzy Pops, and lemme welcome ya to mah bar, ‘The Drunken Kelpie’.” She stuck out her hand. “But ya can call me Fizzy.”

“Nice to meet you Fizzy. I’m Adagio Dazzle.” She took the hand and shook it, Fizzy having a surprisingly strong grip for such a lanky woman. Fizzy whistled softly, while one of her patrons returned a couple of glasses.

“Gotta hand it to ya, Jackie, ya sure know how ta pick em!” She grabbed one of the glasses and started cleaning it. “All sophisticated and purty. Heck, she’s even still got the soft lady hands!”

“She won’t be having those for that much longer though.”

“Really? Making her work hard, are ya?”

“I have to repay him somehow.” She took of her hoodie and draped it over the back of her chair. “After all, he did save me from those muggers and he give me a place to live.”

“Mah goodness! Yer turning into a right hero, Jackie!” Fizzy shot a good-natured wink at him. She then finished cleaning the last of the glasses and slung the towel over her shoulder. “Now before ah forget, what would ya like ta drink?” Fizzy took out a menu and handed it to Adagio. Jack seemed to already know what he wanted.

“I’ll have the usual. An Irish coffee.”

“I’ll have...” She hummed to herself as she skimmed through the menu, her eyes landing on one of her favorites. “Ah! Port! I haven’t had a good glass of Port in a while.”

“Would ya like it sweet red, dry, semi-dry or white?”

“I’ll stick with the classic sweet red.”

“Alrighty then, now you just wait while ah prepare ya drinks.” She walked off towards one of her employees.

“Picking the expensive stuff, huh?”

“Hey, I think I deserve a little treat after today. Besides, after all, it’s your treat.”

“Fair enough, I suppose. But I’ll be keeping that in mind for when you’re paying.” He said, pointing at her.

“Ooooh. I’m sooo scared.” She placed the back of her hand against her forehead, closing her eyes and striking a dramatic pose. “I’m just shaking in my boots.” She snuck a quick peek, opening an eye, seeing him give her an unimpressed smirk. He shook his head as she giggled, getting up from his seat and leaving his coat on the back of the chair.

“Now watch my seat. I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

“To the toilet.”

“Don’t get stuck in the stalls!” She called after him, just loud enough for him to hear and to leave some of the other patrons giving them confused stares.

“Yeah, yeah.” He waved back, not turning around as he walked through the door. Adagio turned back, waiting for Fizzy to deliver their drinks, which seemed to take a little longer than it was supposed to, judging by the discussion Fizzy was having with one of her employees. Something about misplaced bottles.

‘Probably a new employee or some-hm?’ She thought, as a man suddenly sat down next to her.

He was lanky, more than a head taller than she was, had light green skin and blond hair done up in a messy bun. His head was long and slim, he had a stubble beard, his eyes were a purple-ish pink and let’s not forget the grin he had on his face. She already wanted nothing to do with him.

His clothes didn’t help matters either. ‘At least Jack wears clothes that suit him.’ Because this guy looked like he just picked whatever colors would clash the most. A sky-blue vest, a faded orange shirt and dark green trousers. ‘Ugh.’ She thought in disgust, while barely managing to keep her expression neutral.

“’Scuse me, is this seat taken?” He asked, his voice a bit goofy and high pitched, clearly trying to sound suave. Needless, to say, he failed miserably.

“Yes it is.” She bluntly replied. “And my friend will be coming back soon, so I’d appreciate it if you would, oh, I don’t know, get up and leave?”

“Ah, come on, don’t be that way.” He started leaning on the bar.

“I will be that way, and I’ll get worse if you don’t get up and leave.”

“Now now, calm down.” He said, holding his hands up defensively. “Lemme introduce myself. I’m Zephyr. Zephyr Breeze. And you are?”

“Nunya.”

“Wha-”

“Nunya Business.” She then saw the door to the men’s room open, a familiar shape walking through the doorway. She felt an evil smirk crawl up her face. “And if you don’t get up quickly, you’ll have to talk it out with my friend.”

“I’m sure I can talk things out with your... friend?” Zephyr noticed her smirk. He also noticed the large presence behind. He turned around, noticing the giant of a man. Who was also smirking evilly. Zephyr let out a little whimper.

“So,” the giant said, bringing his face closer to the green beanstalk. “What do ya wanna talk about?”

“I-uh, uhm, uh, I g-gotta go.” Zephyr made to get up, but a giant hand on his shoulder held him down, forcing him to stay with what suddenly seemed like demons to him.

“Already leaving? But I just got back!” The tone of Jack’s voice didn’t quite match the look on his face. “Why don’t we have a, heh, little drink together?” Jack said, grinning evilly at him, his eyes full of malicious intent.

“That sounds, lovely.” Adagio said breathily, sharing a look similar to Jack’s. Fizzy then decided to walk up and place their drinks, shaking her head at the display.

“Well, I’ll leave the two o’ ya to it. But try ta make it a clean kill, ‘kay Jackie?” Fizzy smirked as well. “We both know blood leaves the worst stains.”

“Dontcha worry none, Fizzy.” Jack placed his other hand on Zephyr’s remaining shoulder.

“Yes. We’ll take good care of our new, friend.”

Author's Note:

EDIT: I forgot Adagio's hoodie had no zipper. Oops. Now she does!

Look, while filling the whole world with equine based puns sounds like a fun and funny idea, it's quite hard.

Which means that in the universe of this story, Equestria will just be the fifty first state of America. It'll be one of the largest states, but that's all it'll be. Russia will be Russia. Europe will be Europe, France will be France, France will be in Europe, etc.

It'll makes things easier in the long run, but don't worry. I'll add in some puns here and there. Such as lesser known names. Central Harlem and East harlem for example. And once again, these places do not resemble their real life counterparts.

I've never been to the United States, but I would like to.

P.S. This is by far the longest chapter yet. And it was gonna be even longer, if I didn't decide to split it up. I don't how often I'll manage to make them long, but this might happen more often now. This was also probably the chapter that was the most fun to write.

Comments

[MasterHand]

I'm loving this story so far. Hopefully Adagio tells the truth about her past during one of their next Tit for Tat sessions. I want to see Jack's reaction

[HellBreaker]

Apparently, it was only going to take about two weeks before her wound would be fully healed. And it would take at least a few days before she was allowed to do anything even slightly strenuous with her bad hand. Something about it being a surprisingly clean wound made it apparently easier to heal. But she would still have to wear a glove over said hand, to avoid infection, even after it healed. Working without a glove would have to wait until at least another two weeks after the wound had healed.

I guess you could say, it was a clean cut...
✌😐🔫 peace