Well, Steady had been right.
The ale was crap in the Chimera and Bucket. I'm not even sure it should strictly be called ale, it was made from some local plant that had been discovered while the railway was down. It was way cheaper than importing and almost made a sort of ale, which I guess is why it was still in use.
Luckily, they also had a local sky-melon wine which I thought was excellent.
This is where my alicorn resilience came into play. It allowed me to keep up with everypony else and not stand out without getting completely sloshed in the process.
The place was also packed and the later in the morning it got, the more ponies showed up. It was busy and the ponies were laughing, talking. Somepony was using a guitar in the corner.
Not sure I should call it playing, but she sure was using it.
Ponies seemed happy at least. I would have expected more bats to be honest, but this was the lower town. It made sense that dayponies outnumbered bats in this place.
I lifted my cup and sipped my wine. I'm usually not a big fan of wine, but this was alright.
"Hi, haven't seen you here before."
I blinked at the voice and looked, spotting a bat slip into the chair next to mine, "Oh, Hi," I said.
She was... well, beautiful. Dark mane, dark tail, coat a pale grey and cutiemark of an orange split in two.
"I'm Sweet Slice," she said with a smile, "New in town?"
"Night Wind," I introduced myself, "Ah... yeah, a few nights ago. Just finding myself around."
She smiled, flicking one ear, "That's a lot easier with help. Mind some company?"
I hesitated and then shook my head, "Not at all," I said with a smile. We really need to include this in the advertisement for Nocturnis. Very friendly locals.
A stallion could get into so much trouble.
"So what do you think of Nocturnis so far?" she asked, shifting one wing a bit.
"It's interesting," I admitted, "Very different. But it seems... nice."
She nodded, "It can be," she said, "Sometimes is, sometimes not."
"Sometimes not?" I asked, "When is it not?"
Sweet flashed me a fang as she smiled, "You haven't been here for the rain period yet. You're basically stuck inside for a month if you're lucky."
"If you're lucky?"
She nodded, "I make a lot of bits during that time, doing deliveries. To each other, from stores... nopony wants to go out. I make more during the rain period than any other three months combined."
"Oh," I agreed, "That makes sense."
"So a tip, unless you want to brave dashes between rainstorms, save up bits for when that starts," she advised me before she eyed me, "...I might give you a discount. You are new after all."
"...Thank you..." I admitted and finished my wine.
Sweet smiled and finished her own, "Can I get you another?"
"Oh... yeah, sure," I said and shifted my wings slightly as I looked around the bar, "Lots of ponies this morning."
"Oh, this place is usually busy, but especially so tomorning. It's when they're having a band playing."
I eyed the mare using the guitar, "So I see..."
That got a laugh from Sweet, "No, that's Honey. She's usually here every morning. No, the music should start in twenty minutes or so," she said before slipping off through the crowd.
Damn, if I really were Night Wind, I would be in so much trouble right now. I did not look after her as she walked off.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
...Don't look at me like that, I'm married, not blind.
She returned with a pair of tankards of wine held on one hoof before slipping back into her seat and putting them on the table. I took one and gave it a sip. Yep, same stuff as I had before, "So... been here long?"
"Couple of years," she said and shrugged her wings, sipping her own wine, "Some ponies came here and built the place with Prince Page, but I'm a fairly late arrival. My sister and I moved here when it looked like the place wasn't some sort of trap."
"Trap?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sweet shrugged, "Never know with sunnies. I never really thought it was something like that, not with Prince Page. But my sister was worried so we held off until we were sure. What about you, any family come with?"
I shook my head and sipped my wine, "No."
She nodded a bit sadly and then did the same.
"So... Sunnies cause any trouble now?" I then asked with a frown.
Sweet shook her head, "We usually only get guards from the so called training base. There is the occasional drunken brawl, but stallions, you know."
I raised an eyebrow at her.
She shrugged and sipped her drink, "Anyway, nothing really serious. The town guard puts a stop to it and nothing really serious would ever gain wing. The Prince would step on that hard, like whatever horseapple come out of Canterlot at the moment."
"Like?"
"Eh, mostly just heard about it secondhoof," she said, "Some of the merchants trying to play hardball with the prices."
I sipped my wine, "Sounds like any other merchant to me."
She just shrugged, "Just what I hear," she said and then grinned, "Hey look, that's my sister," she said.
I turned just as some ponies entered the small stage, carrying instruments. The mare with the guitar did look almost identical to Sweet, just with a cherry cutiemark.
"Older?" I asked Sweet.
She nodded, "Cherry Slice is a year older than me," she confirmed and sipped her wine, "And the one in family with some musical talent."
She was quickly proven correct as they started to play.
They were actually pretty good.
Sweet smiled at me, "Come on, let's dance!"
I grinned, "In this mob?"
"Yeah, It’ll be fun!"
I eyed my wine before I nodded, "Yeah, alright."
Careful, Page. Just because you're not drunk out of your mind doesn't mean you can't take a wrong step.
Careful Icarus…
Midnight hear Blank Page complaining that he didn't get the information that he wanted, so she give him another form for the next batch to test next year.
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The next year the Thestral mares ignored him...
Instead - every - singel - stallion - hit - on - her...
All of his mares rolled in laughter about it, when Blank Page was bitching about it.
Danger, danger Will Robinson!
Dont know why but the end of this bit brought to mind the vibes from the dancing scene from Titanic
I'm starting to wonder what kind of 'fun' will happen if the 'Blank Page' is suddenly revealed to be not Blank Page?
Wonderful story as always, Blank Page's story is always a delight to read and look forward to each update showing up in my email...can make for a good read on a break at work, or a stress reliever when I get home
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Aaaaaaaaaaaaah yesss... Blank Page falling for the exotic beauty, not noticing her snug hold on him until it is to late...
Wonder if she ruffeling his jimmys enough to make his mares proximity alert call out to them.
Cadance might even feel a new shipping sensation this very night awake her from a restful sleep
...MEANWHILE AT THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE...
Cadance: I don't get it. *shakes her crystal ball* THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!
Shining: Oh dear...what happened this time? I thought you were content with Page's current herd size for right now.
Cadance: My magic is picking up on fresh shipping activity but Page isn't doing anything. Just paperwork! Wow Page must be sleepy because that penmanship is awful..
Sunburst: Cadance! You shouldn't spy on other pony's legal documents.
Cadance: Oh I have done worse!
Shining&Sunburst: WE KNOW.
Shining: Ok I'm taking the crystal ball away. Clearly nothing interesting is actually happening.
Cadance: Wait! My magic is NOT wrong on this! There is a ship to sail!
Sunburst: Are you saying all this to avoid the budget meeting?
Cadance: ...two things can be right at the same time.
Shining: Go to the meeting. NOW.
Cadance:
Oh, be oh so so careful, Page.... Don't hurt your ladies, but... don't leave any broken hearts behind when you finish this project, either.
Nice
They may be cured now and live in one of the wettest places in Equestria, but batponies still got the thirst.
I would find it hilarious if Celestia showed up in town disguised to prank a page, like standing in the middle of the bar looking for her stud. After all, she's the only one on the outside who knows he's doing this.
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Celestia sit down besides the disguised Blank Page.
Blank Page in disguise ask what happened to make her shine like the sun today.
Celestia laugh at that wordplay very fitting to her.
Celestia tells how she had fun running Blank Page yesterday through the bed, she also complain that they needed to import a better bed from Canterlot to Nocturnis.
Real Blank Page was not together yesterday with his big mare
Celestia internally snickers at Blank Page conclusion
Amber has a funny feeling about something, until she continues with the paper work catalogIng for Blank Page benefits.
Meanwhile Skitter are silently laughing themselves at the mix of emotion the in disguise Blank Page is going through.
Conclusion:
Celestia:
Blank Page:
Amber:
Skitter:
Chrysalis:
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Yeah, BlackSoul! Shame on you for plugging your own stories here!
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Nyah, just kidding.
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(and yes, those are both the same actresses in each of those pictures--the bottom on is prior to that scene being filmed)
Think of us as those fellows from the old "Mystery Science Theater 3000" show: peanut gallery commenters, specializing on random weird tangents branching off of all the rollercoaster curves in everybody's stories. Seriously, Hiver's cool with this, as are most of the authors here, who frequently contribute to each other's comments as well.
I mean, I see where this is going
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You got the joke than? 👍
*Page as Night Wind is approaching the throne room hears voices from inside*
Sunset Shimmer: "So, Page! How did everything go while we were on vacation?"
Amber as Page: "Oh, it went fine! No probl--"
Twilight Sparkle: "Wait! This budget report says we're 9 million bits in the hole!? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!!?"
Amber as Page: "Well, you see--"
Sunset Shimmer: "Page! When we left, we still had a surplus! YOU HAD ONE JOB!!"
*Page as Night Wind qietly and quickly runs from the throne room*
Twilight Sparkle: "We got him gud?"
Amber as Page: "We got him gud!"
Sunset Shimmer, Amber as Amber, Twilight Sparkle: "Let the hunt begin. "
Before making fun of that as being made up, like the first time I ever found "squoze," I decided to Google it. Turns out, it's even rarer than squoze. It's a very rare shortening of "tomorrow morning." It can also mean "this morning," similar to "today" and "tonight," but that's even rarer.
I learned something today, kinda!
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