Awakening Pink

by Masterweaver

Interlude: Pizza and Puppies

"So something happened to the others?"

I turned away from the window as the cab pulled into the hotel parking lot. "Well, they were worried when we were kidnapped, but they couldn't do anything but call the cops. They've been waiting for us ever since then." My magic dived into my purse, pulling out a couple of twenties and handing it to the not at all amazed driver.

"Well then, let's head in." Reid hopped out of the car into the pouring rain without any hesitation. Erishy followed her... him... them, fluffing her wings out and giggling for a moment; her natural shyness overcame her quickly, though, and she snapped her wings shut before rushing to Reid's side.

Julien... well, I guess Shining Armor... whoever he was now slid out of the car and turned, offering me a hoof as the others walked in. I'll admit I was a bit hesitant to accept it... I was still unsure how I felt about him, you understand. But I realized he was just being polite and eventually accepted his offered hoof. He smiled at that, giving me a little salute as he created a force-field umbrella above us.

I wasn't sure I liked the attention. It was nice but... it was for the wrong reasons, except part of me felt that they were the right reasons...

Of course, the moment we got into the hotel proper, Pinkie-Reid shook themselves dry doggy style (completely drenching Erishy) and walked into the lobby with a grin. "Hey guys, you miss me?"

"That's it?" Jacqueline gave him an upset and incredulous look. "You were just kidnapped by who knows who and, and, and--"

"And it happened, and it's past, and we're all together again." The pink pony patted her gently, flashing a warm smile.

"Anyone want hugs?" Erishy offered, still dripping wet. "Hugs help when facing the scary and inexplicable."

Ginny was quick to take her up on the offer, somehow managing to wrap her arms around all four of us with tears in her eyes. Jackie joined her rather quickly, sobbing just a bit; Pinkie-Reid-Whatever returned the gesture calmly. I had to roll my eyes at their melodramatics, but in the end they were my friends... my own forelegs wrapped around them, reassuring the girls that I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Of course the manly men didn't join in, but I could see them releasing tension from their stances out of the corner of my eye. Heh.

"Yay!" The yellow pegasus who had suggested this press of bodies cheered quietly. "So now we can all go to the rooms and relax right? I like the idea of relaxing." She was smiling, but I think all the people around her were once again triggering her shyer instincts.

"O-Of course, darling, it's just..."Jackie managed to compose herself and backed off slightly. "We were all so worried about you..."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Ginny looked us all over. "If he did, I swear I'll--"

"Just my pride," the pink pony sighed, letting their eyes fall to the floor. "I don't know if it'll ever recover though..."

Erishy giggled a bit. "We are fine, I kinda feel bad for the poor guy..."

"What? Why?"

"It was Doofenshmirtz," Pinkie Reid explained.

Ginny gave him-her-them a nonplussed look. "Who?"

"You're kidding." Ian was, apparently, quicker on the uptake.

"He was..." I flicked a wing vaguely. "Basically a cartoon mad scientist, called himself evil and had a giant machine for throwing ponies at people." Even as I said it, the explanation felt ridiculous.

"You're fucking me." Ginny shook her head and flung her hands into the air.

"He was nice," Erishy offered. "I mean besides the evil scientist thing, he was okay...."

"Well he probably died from the fall." Julien shrugged. "Or bounced, I dunno."

Pinkie-Reid affixed him with a glare. "Not. Funny." The stallion backed off, letting his gaze fall to the ground.

Erishy put a gentle hoof on the pink pony's shoulder. "He probably had a jetpack..."

"He's probably alive, anyway. Don't joke about his death."

"Well! Ahem." Jackie clapped her hands together, quite intentionally trying to distract everybody from the grim atmosphere. "I have the costuming cloth station up for anybody who would like to help me with it. I already carved out your Midna helmet, the paint just needs to dry."

Instantly the pink pony's face went from serious to enthusiastic. "Wow! Can I see it?"

"Anything I can wingstitch?" Erishy offered.

The term seemed to confuse Jackie just a bit. "I... don't know."

"Let her see what you have," Pinkie Reid suggested with a roll of their eyes. "She can decide if she can do it."

"Right." With a firm nod, my friend led the two other mares upstairs... leaving me with Julien and/or Shining, who was not so subtly following me around.

I blushed just a bit, trying to distract myself. "...so. Ahem. Does... anybody have anything to eat?"

Unfortunately for my sanity, Ginny was surprisingly on the ball. She leaned tin with a grin, glancing between me and the unicorn. "So what's going on between you two?"

An aggravated sigh escaped my lips. "It's like having a big friendly puppy that still needs a bath... I kinda like him, but I just want to put some distance between us right now." Apparently, Julien overheard me since he stepped back a bit, but there was still a smile on his face.... and for the life of me, but I swear I didn't want to think about that smile going away!

Harold hung up his cell phone. "I just ordered us pizza, should be here in twenty minutes.

"Vegetarian?"

"Among other things...."

"Ugh." I hated vegetarian pizza. "I want a hamburger..."

Julien gave me a sympathetic look. "I miss bacon."

"And now I'm stuck on the veggie diet. Great." I'd never thought about it before but... I liked what I ate. I really did, the variety of it all...

"You still have, you know, pasta." Ginny gave me a reassuring pat on the wing.

"And muffins," quipped Reid's brother, "can't forget muffins."

"And chocolate."

I turned to Julien and raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you're going to get me chocolates?"

My only reply was a confident grin. And again, I felt shivers down my spine.... did I like this stallion? Or was it Cadance who liked him, and I was just along for the ride? Should I push him away so I could figure out my own feelings, or... should I give him a chance? The last time I'd given a chance to some guy it hadn't... turned out well....

But....

Julien, even without Shining's influence, seemed decent enough. And Shining Armor was, well, a knight in shining armor. Maybe I could trust him.

"....I don’t like dark chocolate." With that, I turned away, a sly smirk on my face; let the unicorn interpret that how he felt. It would show me what he was really like. "Ginny, have you checked with things back home?"

"Well yeah. Your sister's doing well, and those guys at the office send their regards...

Comments

[Masterweaver]

I should probably mention I have a tmblr now, but you know. Optional.

[Listie The Scribe Maid]

(Joke) Alt. Title: Breaking Pink (And The Featured Box)

[reader238]

I want her to meet twilight and do the lady bug dance that would be awesome

[Somebodycallmylawyer]

I predict that Julien and Linda resist each other for a while, as long as they are separate from their respective ponies.

[Ocean Breeze]

No POV warning?

I was confused who it was for a bit.

[Red Bomber]

1954543
He made the Featured Box? That's amazing. But is it in the update slots though?

Also some grammar mistake when Linda is thinkiing:
My only reply was a confident grin. And again, I felt shivers down my spine.... did I like this stallion? Or was it Cadance who liked him, and I was just along for the ride? Should I push him away so I could figure out my own feelings, or... should I give him a chance? The last time I'd given a chance to some guy it hadn't... turned out well....

The "I" was missing so It's nothing to big, but it's a little glaring. ^^;

[Corona Blaze]

1954488 If you see any posts from 'Ask JJ Malcolm', that's me. Assume I'm asking them 'in character' for the PEV unless otherwise stated.

and yes, I'm a dorkk with a tumblr.

[Arcadia Arcanum]

Erishy put a gentle hoof on the pink pony's shoulder. "He probably had a jetpack..."

( skip to 0:14 )

[R4skall]

SMELL ME!!!! ^.=.^

[LightningStrike34]

3320210 You're Going to SMELL ME!