Lost Muse

by David Silver

18 - Dressed For Success

Libel's eyes fell to one other picture, still wrapped and undisplayed. "Why didn't you display that one?"

"Oh, this is the one Day thought was the best." He lifted it in his magic and pulled the cloth away. "Moon over Canterlot."

It was a dark piece, except where it was not. The moon shone clearly above the dark city, and dots of light gave signs of night life in action. Libel leaned in to examine it closer. "Is that Luna, just at the balcony there? You can barely see her."

"That was intentional..." He coughed into a hoof. "She is a dark pony, in a dark place. She is a subtle presence."

"Subtle..." Libel tilted her head a little. "It can stay." She reached with a wing, moving the picture over with the two other pictures that had passed her test. "Tomorrow, we get you looking your best, then we get to marketing."

"The pictures?"

"You." She pointed a hoof directly at him. "If people care about you, they'll care about what you paint. If they don't, then why should they care what you paint? Great pieces get ignored every day, only discovered long after the artist was gone. How about we hurry that process along, hmm?" She rose to her hooves and moved towards the fridge. "For now, did you eat dinner?"

Color perked an ear, looking past her into her fridge. He didn't see a lot in there. "Do you eat home a lot?"

"Sometimes?" She reached in with a hoof and shuffled around. "I tend to only keep a dinner or two ready, and breakfast. Why, don't see anything you like?"

"It's lovely," he assured. "But you weren't planning for sudden visitors and I don't want to run you out of supplies."

"True." She nudged him. "Go to sleep then. We'll have a big brunch tomorrow and get to shopping." She pecked his cheek and he went stiff as a board. It took her a moment to realize what she had done. An idle peck meant nothing between two mares, like many of her co-workers. "That--"

"Thank you." He cleared his throat softly, rising to his hooves and recovering his stance, lost for a moment. "Goodnight, Libel. Sweet dreams."

"It meant nothing!" she hissed, but he was already walking away, a little smile on his face. He seemed immune to the jangled emotions she threw in his general direction, and she was soon alone with her thoughts. She put a hoof to her face and huffed. It was time for her to go to bed too, so she did just that, throwing herself onto her bed and burying her face in her pillow, groaning at how she had handled that.

---

The next day, she called in to let them know she'd be in the office later than usual, but that she was chasing something that may interest the paper. "I think it'll be worth the time invested. Once I have it confirmed, I'll hoof it off to a proper writer and edit what they make."

Fortunately, she was trusted. Good things usually came from Libelous Word, so they let her not be there as she chased what could turn dividends. And it would! Though mostly for Color. "Splashy!" she called out as she descended the stairs. "It's time to go. Is Day still here?"

"He left some time ago." Color was in the living room, looking into a mirror and wearing his one nice suit once more. "Brunch first, then shop, you said?"

"That's right." She brushed a wing against his side. "You don't need to wear that. We're getting more just like it, but better." She lifted her shoulders. "Besides, Miss Saddles likely remembers what you got before. It wasn't that long ago, right?"

"Not at all..." With a bit of magic, he began to peel himself free of his clothing, becoming as nude as any pony was likely to become. He stretched when he was free, enjoying the freedom that came with his shameful appearance. "Ready."

Libel smiled thinly. It was easier to think of him as her harmless friend when he was exposed like that. "Let's go." She walked past him towards the door, striding purposefully. "We have a full day ahead."

---

Day walked calmly down the hall into the main office. Some of the ponies working there offered a nod towards him. The main secretary nodded in kind. "Welcome back. Bring her package to her office." She pointed a hoof along in the direction of Libel's office. "Nice to see you again."

"Nice to be here." He trotted past with his easy smile. Sure, he had fibbed a little, but he was sure he did have something to deliver. So it wasn't really a lie!

He knocked softly on the office door.

"It's open," came her voice that made him smile. It was her.

He opened the door. "Delivery. Can you sign for one stallion?"

Her brows rose, then fell. "I can't be sure of that. I'll need to inspect him before I do that. I've gotten defects before."

"Of course." Day closed the door lightly with a hindleg, then moved for her desk directly. "This is a new model. We fixed the mistake in the forelegs." He raised a hoof in a little wave. "Now it's 40% more chill and comes with an action grip."

"Ooo, an action grip." Bottom Line leaned forward, head on her forehooves as she gazed at him with an amused expression. "You're convincing me, but I'm not quite there. Tell me, what is it you aspire to?"

He tilted his head a little. "I like being with ponies I like, and chilling, and... I dunno... being there?"

She rolled her right hoof, her head still on the left. "No dreams?"

"I dreamed I had a cat, but it was made of chocolate. It liked when I ate it, and popped right back when I was done. It'd go 'meow!' and ask for pets like nothing happened."

Bottom slowly blinked. "While fascinating, that isn't the sort of dream I was searching for." She lowered her left hoof and stood up, descending from her chair. "What do you want to do. Not what you do now, but later, if things worked out right?"

Day tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Mmm, heavy... I'd be surrounded by ponies I dig. They'd dig me back, and we'd all be happy. Like a family of ponies that decided to be together, instead of one that has to, you know?" His eyes wandered to the plant. "You've been watering it better." He reached and stroked the leafy potted plant.

"I didn't want it to get sad again," she confessed with a little smile. "It makes me happy, so... So... Really, you just want to be with ponies you like, and everything past that is extra?"

"Yep." He leaned in towards Bottom. "Wanna hang out?"

She blinked at his question. "Aren't we doing that right now?"

"Nah." He waved a hoof. "Right now you're getting to know me, and that's cool. Hanging out is way more relaxed. We could watch something. Maybe something natural, or not? What do you like to watch, or maybe listen to? We could listen to some nice music."

She peered at him curiously. "What if my 'hanging out' involves talking? What if I want somepony I can just... talk to, freely, all day long sometimes."

He suddenly touched his nose to hers. "Then I'm listening." He tilted his head, making their skin rub on one another. "Everyone hangs out in different ways. That's cool. Oh. Are we hanging out now then? Nice." He looked genuinely pleased at the idea.

She allowed herself a soft bit of laughter. "I spend all day running after Libel, fixing her messes and trying to make things better... I want to be with a pony I can vent with, and talk about things. I want to talk about my dreams, because I have them. I want support and friendship. Does that sound good, or bad?"

Day sat down, drawing his nose back as he plopped onto his haunches. "You got it. Oh, um, should I say what I want?"

"I thought you had?"

"Nah, I mean you." He pointed at her. "What made me come back."

"Oh. Yes. Please, do tell me that." Her ears were perked with curiosity, burning with the need to know what had drawn him back.

"Well, one, you're pretty." He tapped his hooves together. "Now if it was just that, I'd be stupid, but we should start there. You make me happy to be a stallion near you. Two, you're really chilled out." He leaned forward towards her again. "I know a lot of ponies that woulda got mad if I just fell asleep on them like that."

Her nose burned a bright red. Being called pretty in such an unashamed way... He was clearly not a Canterlot pony. He was an earth pony, a real earth pony. He was bonded to the earth beneath them and the plants that grew in it. He was filthy, and he thought she was pretty.

She shook the thoughts away. "You were waiting for Miss Word, and you weren't any problem, I assure... Are there more reasons?"

"You know how to appreciate a plant." He reached up to gently brush the leaves of the plant he had restored. "You made that really obvious when I came back and it's still so green and happy. I like any pony that can appreciate a plant."

He was a dirty pony... And so was she, officially stamped as an equally filthy, desirable, mare. She smiled at him, unsure how to feel. "I am a worker. I show up to work on time, sometimes work overtime with Libel, and get home when I can. Will you be happy waiting for me?"

He held up a hoof. "Woah, too fast." He smiled dopily. "We need to date first before we get to that stuff. Still, uh, since you asked, yeah, I could chill while you're working. Libel has to work, and Color has to work. Sometimes he gets really mad when I try to bother him when he's working, so, yeah, sometimes you gotta chill and wait."

She leaned forward for a change, smirking at him. "I bet you don't always chill."

"Guilty." He smiled guiltily. "Sometimes I bother him anyway... Don't tell him, but I think it helps keep his creative unicorn juices flowing. He makes some really good pieces, or stops fussing on one that's done when I bother him enough."

She reached forward and placed a hoof on his chest. "I... think I want to try this."

"I think I want to try this," he echoed. "So let's do it."

"Let's do it," she echoed, then suddenly smooched him right on the nose. "Where do you live?"

Day was a happy stallion. He got a new girlfriend, and that was totally cool in his book. "I'm staying with Libel right now."

"With Miss Word?!" She tilted her head. "How did you convince her to let you stay in her home? She's... very particular."

"She knew I was coming to visit you."

Bottom slapped a hoof into her face. "Oh no! I'm supposed to read her motives. She just... That mare! She got me..."

Day gently patted her shoulder. "It's alright. We can't win all the time. At least it ended happily."

"Yeah... I guess it did." She coughed softly into a hoof. "For now, I should get back to work. You go toddle on back to Miss Word's house. I'll be around, hmm, 7pm. We'll get a bite to eat, then just chill out. I may talk at you, and you'll talk back at me, and we'll hang out."

"Sounds great." He gave one firm nod as he turned back towards the exit. "Let's get something new, so we can talk about the food. If we get something we already like, what is there to talk about?"

Author's Note:

Day makes romance nice and simple. Why can't people always approach romance this openly?

Comments

[Midknight Defender]

She just... That mare! She got me...

Mwahahah! The bossmare becomes the wingmare! Secretarymare has been outplayed!

[Gyro Pony]

I love your regular update schedule.

[David Silver]

9305515
This one is supported by a patron that wins for the tier that gets 5 updates a week.

[Dashie04]

Day Dreamer reminds me of the Totally Radical trope

[David Silver]

9347706
That's a fairly negative trope. Is he mangling his lines?