Furtive Plans
Well, that went about as well as he could expect. Blueblood sighed and stretched, rubbing his hooves over the cheeks. Even his princely upbringing and court duties had not prepared him for the amount of talking he had to do just now. Two days after their initial meeting at the behest of Twilight, Rarity came back. This time, she was alone, and toting a thick notebook. Given she`s been one of Twilight`s closest friends, prince did his best to indulge her. As it turned out, Rarity kept a detailed log on everypony popular. And she wanted the skinny on all of them.
He did his best not to daemonise anypony, even if some of them deserved so quite richly. Still, he had a niggling feeling Rarity would have a freakout fit once she got back to that boutique of hers. Frankly, Blueblood couldn`t blame her for being royally disturbed. He himself was rather unsettled by the fact he could be indifferent about such depravities. Apparently, he was numb to all that from exposure. Rapes, embezzling, blackmail, incest, bastard foals and ruined marriages - she wanted the dirty inside of the court`s glamour. She got more then she ever wanted to know.
What really got to him, prince thought with detachment, was the fact that Twilight was exposed to all of that too - and yet, came through with her naivete and innocence intact. While he? He sullied himself with every single... wait, no. No rapes and no illicit children. He was about to cross the incest from his personal rap sheet too, when his memory served him a memory of a tryst he had with his half-brother. "Charming..." - he muttered, moving over to the table. It was high time to write his sibling a letter.
Charming, it`d been a while. How`s Zarhyme had been treating you? Aside from the shenanigans you`ve already written about, of course. I`m more interested in political climate then in your sexual misadventures... and yes, it`s a hint about what exactly I`d like to hear.
As for me, you need not to worry so. Yes, I have been sick last month, but you greatly exaggerate the dangers this particular malady poised. While yes, it was quite unpleasant ordeal, required surgery and had me laid out for two weeks, it`s not the horror you make it out to be. In fact, doctors assure me that keeping a diligent eye on my diet and temper is all that is required of me to forget about that kind of thing ever happening again.
Lastly, while you are indeed one of the very few ponies I dared to confide my honesty to, that does not entitle you to prying. Seriously, Charming, why would you write that? Yes, I am in Ponyville currently, and yes, I am getting reacquainted with one Twilight Sparkle. However, and I would like to stress that however, it does not mean you should jest about "arranging marriage". Especially considering I`ve yet to broach the topic of dating, let alone engagement.
Nonetheless, I`m looking forward to meeting you. I believe I can visit Canterlot discreetly next Monday - and, of course, should you prefer to visit the rural tranquility of Ponyville, you`ll be always welcome at my villa. It`s at the end of Rose Street. Mailbox says Civil Act - I would think it`s high time my nom de plume garnered some kind of material possession to his name... Not to mention the freedom from press it affords me.
Affably yours, Blueblood.
He put the quill aside and rolled up the scroll, slipping it into the scroll case. Tilting the candle over the case ties, he waited a few seconds, while wax dripped over the threads, then pressed his signet against the wax, sealing it up. Done with the correspondence, Blueblood left his table. Time for a meal. He briefly toyed with the idea of using his kitchen, but ultimately, rejected it as inane ramblings of starving aristocrat. And so, he donned his disguise medallion, tweed jacket and trilby, and walked out of his house confidently. There was this little cafe that served delicious croutons. Well, to be honest, the tomato soup croutons were served with was nothing to sneeze at, either. And what`s best of all, that meal was completely in line with recommended diet, while being quite quite palatable.
Of course, it`s been purely coincident his stroll passed by the library. No doubt about it. Still, he felt a pang of discomfort when he spied "closed" sign on the door. But then again, it was time for dinner, so... Hardly a surprise there. Given the evident skill Spike exhibited in kitchen, Blueblood wholly expected the mare of his dreams to dine inside. Much to his surprise, when he finally deigned to look forward, he found himself mere inches from nuzzling a lavender rump.
"Oh dear. Good day, Twilight Sparkle. My apologies, I was lost in thought." - he offered hastily, moving to keep more respectable distance. No answer. Was Twilight angry with him? Maybe she didn`t like him telling Rarity things as they are? Maybe...oh. Maybe the mare was lost in book so deeply she didn`t pay attention. Blueblood chuckled and tapped Twilight`s shoulder, - "Twilight? Do you hear me?"
"What... Oh. Hello there, bl... Civil Act, I mean." - she blurted, finally tearing her attention from the book, - "I`m sorry, did I run into you?" Blueblood had to hold back another chuckle. "No, no, quite the contrary. I almost run into you." - he offered amiably, - "How are you?" Twilight pulled a bookmark out of her mane and slipped it into the book, closing it and hiding it into her saddlebag. "Quite fine, thank you. I was about to go get some food... I can`t believe I forgot to have lunch." - she responded sheepishly, as her stomach gurgled.
"Really? How serendipitous. I was about to dine myself. Would you care to dine with me? I`ve found a nice little place just around the corner... Mm. They serve soups to rival the finest restaurants in Canterlot." - he proffered with a smile. Twilight nodded eagerly - "Soup? Yes, that sounds... yummy. Let`s go." And so, they went.
"...Mm." - opined Twilight, as she pulled back from the bowl. She was hungry, indeed, but even so, two bowls of soup left her warm, full and pleasantly sluggish. "As I said, the soups are to die for." - offered Blueblood from across the table. He had finished his meal a while earlier, taking the chance to just watch Twilight inconspicuously. "Yes, I do concur. How did I ever manage to overlook this place?" - she offered languidly, dabbing her lips with napkin.
"To be honest, I found this place purely by accident." - he proffered with an easy smile - "It`s been my second day in Ponyville, and I got turned around a little. Still, it`s quite a find." Purple mare chuckled back, folding the napkin absentmindedly - "You know, it seems like there is some kind of natural law. The places that serve the best food are also the hardest to find. I wonder why." Blueblood tilted his head - "Well... If I were to hazard a guess, places with fine cuisine get their profit not from random passer-bys, but from regular customers. It stands to reason that ponies who could be satisfied with hayburger would not delve so deep into city labyrinth in search of finest foods - their needs are served at the door, so to speak."
Twilight quirked her brow - "Come now, surely being more accessible would help the business." Stallion shook his head slowly - "Not quite. This is the classic quality versus quantity situation. If this restaurant were on one of the busier streets, they would get more random customers - but they would be forced to offer lower quality product to keep up with quantity of the demand. On the flip side, being placed further away like this, their primary clientele would consist of gourmets - and gourmets have a habit of coming back for seconds, if they are satisfied. Take me for example - I`ve only been in town for five days, yet it`s the fourth time I dine here. Why? Because the place appeals to me. It`s quiet, it`s cozy and the food is scrumptious. Obviously, I would not mind paying the proper price for the meals... and just as obviously, I wouldn`t be asking for a toy in my meal or a balloon to go."
Twilight tapped the glass with hoof, watching the bubbles rise through cider. "I think I get what you`re saying..." - she offered slowly - "The target group for this particular establishment is ponies like you, who would afford the price and time to get things done just right." Prince nodded at that, taking a sip of his airish coffee - "Bingo. The lack of advertisement is intentional, I would think. It`s supposed to be a place for the inner circle, so to speak. For ponies who would look for and afford the quality."
"Don`t you think it`s a bit elitist, though?" - proffered the mare thoughtfully, as she sipped her cider. Blueblood nodded again - "Of course it is. It should be." Twilight straightened up slightly, startled by this suggestion - "Oh, come on. What makes anypony better then others?" He took a pause, swirling his coffee in the mug, watching it form a little whirlpool. "What sets us apart..." - he muttered softly, - "Look at yourself, Twilight. You`re not the average pony. Try as you might, you could never be average. You are the hero of Equestria. You hold one of the elements of Harmony. You are the most powerful unicorn among currently living. You can be as modest as you care to be, but that does not change the cold hard facts. You`re above them. When you walk down the street, ponies look up to you. You are the elite. One that sets the example."
She blushed. "Please. I`m just an ordinary pony. Anypony could`ve been in my place." - she rebuffed feebly. Prince shook his head - "Maybe. But what could`ve been does not change what is. And right now, you are in your place. History is full of could`ve beens, Twilight. Everypony is one, potentially. But that means nothing. What makes you an elite? Realising your potential. Putting it to work. Making things better for all Equestria. Like it or not, you`ve earned your right to be apart."
She sighed and nodded. "I`m not exactly fond of it, but you have a point." - mare offered after a brief pause - "I`ve... noticed some things to that effect. But back to our topic... Why it`s alright for a place to be elitist?" Blueblood blinked - "Why, to cater to elite. You just admitted it yourself - your actions had set you above the average. If you give above the expected, should you not receive above the needed as well? Being elite does come at a price, Twilight. I`ve worked myself sick. And you... Had you ever cured your insomnia?"
She sighed, leaning head on her hoof... "No. I suspect I never will." - she admitted quietly, - "So you`re saying it`s... a restitution of sorts?" He sighed back - "That`s one way of looking at it, I suppose. Me? I prefer to think of it as a reward for diligence and effort. For doing your best to do better." He paused for a moment, then chuckled - "Listen to us, all gloom and doom and fates of equinity... Just like old times, eh?"
Twlight frowned, opened her mouth to object... paused, and then closed it. "You`re right." - she offered with a little smile - "I missed our little talks." He set the cup down. "Would you like to share a dinner tomorrow, then? I`ve missed our little conversations just as well." - he offered. Mare shrugged and nodded, her smile widening a little - "...Sure. I`d like that. Same time, same place, eh?" Blueblood smirked. Things were looking up.
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Beautiful chapter. I like these Blueblood and Twilight characters. They seem so haunting real.
1582574
Heh. Flatterer.
I like how this series is going. I really liked Twilight and Blueblood's conversation. I just have to wonder,
Did he just jinx himself?
1582956
In a way? Yes.
1582976 Aww, don't tell me something bad is going to happen later.
I hate it when that kind of stuff happens.
1583502
Alright. I`m not telling you. You`ll just have to read about it yourself.
Format needs work. New paragraphs every time someone else speaks. I think there should be some break lines as well. Nice to see you updated.
1586024
Not gonna happen. I already explained new paragraph for every spoken line is an eyesore for me.
1586610
Oh well, I'll adjust.
1586610 finally! I'm not the only one who hates it! It's just an excuse to put extra filler in between conversations, so far as I can tell. That or lots of floating dialogue, or lots of "he said, she saids". I've always hated it in any form.
1652344
Russian notation. We might segregate pure dialog sequence into a separate structure, but other then that, spoken lines do not get the separate line treatment.
1652424 Celestia bless Mother Russia. No wonder they made all the best literature in the 19th century.
1652462
Oh, don`t lay it on so thick. English-speaking writers picked up the slack in twelfth century quite fine. Though, amusingly enough, in my copy of Alice In Wonderland, the same notation as I use is in effect.
Makes me wonder if carriage return for each spoken line is not a recent internet fad. Would make sense, I suppose - language on the net tends to veer towards simplification... In times, overbearingly so. Nothing wrong with sesquipedalian loquaciousness every now and then, ne?
1652504 Ye. A qualified verbosity does well by any writer, methinks. But tis' a bit much for a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic reimagining, is it not? Did you mean twentieth century as opposed to twelfth? As yes, there are many fine writers in the English language at that stage. In the 19th, however, we had to make do with Dickens, notable for never creating any characters truly beyond two dimensions, and Conrad, who was...erratic.
1652559
And here`s the proof in pudding.
Yes, Twentieth, not twelfth.
Are you going to add another chapter anytime soon?
1796071
Soon-ish. December`s one of the busiest months at work - lots of people think internet makes a good new year gift, for some reason.
1798216
Has soon-ish come any closer?
Not enough Blueblood out there, and it'd be a shame if this story died.
2477017
Nah. Working on it. I`ve had little time to get anything written in the last few months, but it seems to be letting up. I do have some stuff written up, just not publish-worthy yet.
Allright. I accordance with the conversations about new paragraphs when someone talks, I have an example. I was taking a creative writing class taught by an English professor at my University. I didn't start a new paragraph when someone began talking. Like what I see in your story. The professor docked 50% because of that alone. I.e. that paper got an F. Because I didn't start a new paragraph when a second character started talking after the first.