Telgin told me to go ahead and post this, so please do not get cross with me, Pokon. 
If I forgot anypony's avatar, let me know!
Wood Chip tapped his hoof on the ground. Frankly, he was not the most patient pony.
And there should be ponies here by now.
And the door gets kicked open, “YOLO, BITCHES! I BROUGHT THE BOOZE!” Redhat was standing in the door frame with a keg of ale and a red baseball cap on backwards. “Um...” he noticed the single stallion on the other side of the room. “Well... isn’t this quite a quant sausage fest...”
Crosshair was
just about to land behind Redhat to go in for the party, and stopped herself mid-flight. and landed a small distance away. Tilting her head slightly at the pony with a red hat and a keg of ale. Something about him bothered and annoyed her, and she don’t know why.. But at least he’s got Ale! Plus Flamberge did promise he’ll catch up soon. She trots up over to the door and offer Redhat a smile, “Evening, Soldier!”
Redhat turned turned around, seeing another pegasi, “Why, hello there.”
With that, Crosshair moved into the Tavern, having to nudge Redhat out of the way a little as she went in to look around, seeing that there’s not that many ponies here yet. “So.. are we early or is everyone late?”
As if on cue, Temperance cracks the door to the tavern and pokes his head in. “Ah, hello everypony, sorry that I’m a bit late. I got held up a bit.” He steps inside and gives them a small smile. “I hope I haven’t missed too much.”
Crosshair gave him a smiling salute. “Looks like you’re fine, Sir!”
He nods and returns her smile. “Yes, looks that way.”
Coming in shortly after Temperance came Flamberge, he looked around, dismayed to see the crowd was as it was, "Evening Temperance," he says as he passes him as he makes his way toward Crosshair. "Evening Captain," he says with a grin, "Cream Puff said she'd be a bit late, lots of dishes to finish up in the kitchen," he adds.
Crosshair returned the grin as she beamed brightly “Evening Commander! and yes, I’ve heard. I hope she’ll make it here in time though, wouldn’t want her to miss this out.”
Temperance nods to Flamberge as he steps past, “Evening commander.” He leaves the two soldiers to talk with each other as he finds a comfortable place to get settled inside.
Redhat walked over and left a the keg down on the table. “Well looks like ponies are finally showing...” he then noticed Temperance, “Hello there.”
Temperance smiles at Redhat. “Hello. I don’t think we’ve spoken in a while. Everything going alright?”
“Well, fine as could be I suppose,” he took a seat, “I guess I could be a lot worse, how are you holding up?”
“That’s good, I’m sure militia life is a bit rough at times.” Temperance thinks a moment on how to answer the question, and settles for, “I suppose I’m about the same. Doing well enough anyway.”
“Good good...as long as you aren’t spending a few days in a workshop making a pretty kog i’m sure you’ll be quite fine.”
Temperance rolls his eyes and makes a small chuckle. “Indeed.”
SmoothBlock trotted in, “Hey! I heard there was boozes?”
“There’s a keg over here,” said Redhat, “Pardon me for a moment, Temperance.”
SmoothBlock got herself a mug and filled it, she took a long pull of ale and then went to find a seat and light her pigtail cigar, “Ahhhh, that’s how you end the day.” She smiled and leaned back on her haunch.
Crosshair went over to the keg as well to fill a couple of mugs with ale before returning to her commander, offering him one.
Flamberge accepts the mug, “Thanks Crosshair,” he says before taking a long drink from the mug, which he follows with kissing her on the cheek.
That made the small mare giggles and blush faintly as she takes a drink from her mug as well, already enjoying the party as is as the two militia ponies chats away.
“Smothblock... you seem rather relaxed there,” said Redhat as he took a sip of ale.
“Yeah, it’s after work, I got a cigar, and an ale, life is good.” Smooth took another deep drag.
“Well, I suppose,” he shrugged. “Still, those two things can end up killing you.”
“So can a rock to the head, what’s your point?” SmoothBlock blew out a smoke-ring.
“Nothing...”
“Thrilling conversation, as alway, Red.” SmoothBlock quaffed her Ale.
“Well then...” he sighed and just started to walk off, “I can assure you I had no intention of offending somepony as high class as yourself.”
“Glad you understand our social standing.” SmoothBlock burped loudly and scratched her belly.
“I’ll be on my way then.” He walked off, and as if by chance, his tail knocked her cup of booze over. “Oh... how rude of me.”
Smooth caught the ale in her magic and finished the mug, “No problem at all, short stack.”
“Oh right, you have that glowing growth on your head...” the pony keeps walking off, “Try not to choke on that stuff.”
SmoothBlock suddenly falls on the floor and rolls around making hacking and wheezing noises.
The door to the tavern opens, slowly and quietly, as Praetorian tries to make his way in unnoticed. He surveys the room, looking for the shortest path to the most food with the least ponies.
SmoothBlock began to ham it up even more, taking massive gasping breaths, and dramatically flailing her hooves.
Redhat sneaks away as best he could, hoping somepony else would take the would be actress to the med’s office.
Praetorian, taking advantage of the distraction, finds a table, and grabs a pair of plates, picking up two supplies of appetising looking food, and tries to discretely back out of the tavern again.
Mere feet from the door, Praetorian bumps into
somepony, who voices her displeasure with an annoyed squeak.
“Blo-Oh, Serenity. Excuse me, miss,” he apologises. “Just in the middle of something. Didn’t see you there.”
Serenity manages to regain her balance without falling. “N-No, it’s quite alright... Praetorian, is it?”
“Yes, that’s me,” confirms the stallion. “Have we met?”
“No, just a guess on my part. Maize and I were just talking about you.”
“Oh, really?” asks Praetorian, somewhat surprised. “...what about?”
“She mentioned that you two were in a relationship, and that you were on a date tonight. I was... well, surprised, to say the least.”
“...What do you mean, surprised?” he asks. “Is there any reason we shouldn’t be in a relationship?”
Serenity shakes her head. “No, nothing like that. It’s just surprising to see how much she’s improved since I met her.”
“Improved? What do you mean?” asks Praetorian.
Serenity sighs. “When I first met her, Maize had serious social anxiety, to the point that she would sleep out in the fields just to avoid having to speak to other ponies. She’s opened up quite a bit since then, and made a few friends.”
“I knew she was shy, but she wasn’t that shy that she’s changed, surely? Just a little depressed. She’s still the same pony she always was.”
Serenity nods. “It was enough to make Temperance concerned for her wellbeing, so he asked me to speak to her. And during our sessions, there have been...
hints of other, much deeper things.”
Praetorian’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”
Serenity looks away. “...It’s not something I should really discuss without her consent. I’ve probably said too much already.”
“Did someone hurt her? Did something happen to her?” repeats Praetorian.
Serenity sighs. At this point, confidentiality was already out the window. “I... am not sure. Whenever the subject comes up, she becomes very agitated. There’s a lot of anguish over...
something. If only she would tell me, then maybe I could help...”
Praetorian breathes deeply, then says, forcing his voice to remain calm. “If you find out somepony hurt her...I’ll make sure they never hurt her, or any other pony, ever again.”
Serenity finds the soldier’s tone just a bit... unsettling. It doesn’t sound like he’d ever do anything to hurt Maize, but still... “...I’ll see what I can learn.”
“...Dammit, no. I shouldn’t be prying anyway. Just... Just help her, dammit. You know better than me.”
“I will. I’ll be seeing her again in a few days.” Serenity glances towards a table laden with food. “Well, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll get my dinner and head back to the office.”
“Yes... And I should rejoin Maize.”
Serenity manages a smile. “Of course. Have a pleasant evening.”
“And you, Serenity.”
Case Study had now arrived as well. He wasn’t sure how to begin this affair. Perhaps it would be best if he simply waited for another pony to start a conversation with him. Alternatively, maybe he could jump into a discussion about something relevant to his interests. If nopony wished to speak with him, that was okay as well, he thought. First things first, so Case heads over to look at what selection of foods were available.
Praetorian, still turned towards Serenity as he says farewell to her, turns and just stops short of bumping into the town’s doc, who has just entered the tavern. “Evening, doc. How’s things?”
“This night? So far so good,” he acknowledged, “I can surmise that you are doing well yourself, judging by appearances at least.” He notices the two plates that the soldier is carrying, “I see the sustenance supplied to us this night is of good quality. I believe Maize made mention of you as I was coming in.”
“Ah, you spoke with Maize? She’s a beautiful and intelligent mare, though a little shy.” Praetorian smiles a little, and shrugs. “Well, I’ve never been that social myself. And yes, the food looks to be good, as it usually is. Have you had any...well, favourite meals, here at least?”
The blue pony was beginning to piece together that Praetorian and Maize were now a couple, but he didn’t feel like asking. He did not wish to cause any embarrassment in the case that they did not yet wish to acknowledge it publicly. “Yes, I have to admit that the majority of the food I’ve partaken of since my arrival has been quite satisfactory. I find the tomatoes of special note.”
As long as it wasn’t in the form of juice on a sandwich, that is.“Yes. It’s a change to the way things were on the march,” says Praetorian with a smile again on his face, “and not a bad one. Didn’t have much out there to eat except bread and a bit of dried fruit. I expect things were different where you were from, yes?”
“Hmm, I believe you could say so. In Coupledye, there was more variety than that. Although I do expect that when one is in a military position that non-perishable food items become the wiser choice to carry with you.” Case recalled having eaten dehydrated fruit before and finding it rather pleasant. “So, what do you like to do when you are not on duty?”
“Well, I can’t say I’ve ever really thought of myself as ‘off-duty’ until recently. Back with the army, there were always things to do, and when there weren’t, occasionally some of the stallions would get together and talk a little amongst ourselves, maybe roll the dice a little.” He sighs. “It was... It was sociable, but it wasn’t really the most enlightening of environments, you might say.” The smile pokes up a third time. “But with Maize... And with everypony here, really, well... it’s a change, and it’s definitely for the better.”
Now it certainly seemed that there was something going on between those two, “Ms. Maize...so you and her seem to be good friends now? I apologize if I’ve been holding you up, as I believe she said that she was waiting on you to bring her food?”
“Oh, yes. We’re... well, a little more than friends. She’s... I don’t know how to explain this, but you’re a smart pony... She’s so peaceful, that just being with her...it calms me, it makes me see the good in the world.” Another smile, rueful this time. “And after this much time serving in the military...that’s something I really need.”
He chuckled lightly, “I had suspected as much. I can certainly see how a pony in your position could appreciate a mare like her.”
“It’s... Well, you understand what I mean, at least. And she’s just so innocent, as well.”
The doctor nods, “Indeed. Now what am I doing here keeping you from your dear friend? I’m sure she’s getting hungry. Perhaps you should invite her in? I’m sure Mr. Chips must have invited her as well.”
“She’s... well, she’s not a crowd-seeking pony, to say the least. And she prefers things a little less...noisy. So, we’re having a little private dinner to ourselves. A date.”
A small smirk appeared across the earth pony’s muzzle, “I see. I can understand how that might be preferable when one is involved with another pony.”
“Indeed,” says Praetorian with a hint of humour in his voice. “Speaking of which, I’ve heard that Morning Dew has been seen talking with you a little more often since that appalling attack. Anything to that, or just helping her recover?”
He raises an eyebrow, “If there was anything more to that than mere appearances, I don’t believe that I’ve been made aware of it.” He rubs his chin, “At least I don’t
think Ms. Dew has had any such intentions.”
“Ah, more likely then that I’ve been misinformed. Well, doctor, it has been pleasant talking to you, and perhaps we should do so again...but I would hate to keep Maize waiting any longer than I have to.”
“I understand fully. There are probably others I should speak with as well. Good night to you, Mr. Praetorian.”
Praetorian nods to Case Study, and continues on the epic journey to the door.
Praetorian finally makes his way out, to continue the little date.
Temperance eyes the pony sneaking out of the tavern, as well as the overly dramatic display of Smoothblock. He rolls his eyes as the initial alarm of seeing her in the floor wears off, and he moves off to find something to eat himself. Maybe Cream Puff had some of that soup around here somewhere...
Puff finally exits from the back of the tavern and into the party, grumbling a bit about all the dishes. She’s definitely going to need to get some assistants eventually. She waves at the various guests around, then heads for the drinks. She’s not usually much of a drinker, but the parasprites, her anger, depression, confusion... she’s looking forward to getting slobbering drunk.
Crosshair waved happily at her “Puff!” She called, happy and excited to see her friend, trotting over to give her a friendly nuzzle.
Puff gives her a tired smile. “Heya Cross.”
Flamberge sees Crosshair going over to meet Cream Puff, but he stays seated at their table and gestures for them to join him, before taking another sip from his mug.
Wood Chip was in the back, mostly keeping out of the main conversations going on. Not everypony was here, either, but that hardly mattered, considering he was slightly tipsy before he walked in anyway. He knocks a hoof against the bar counter to get the others attention.
Puff waves at Flamberge before turning to get a drink of her own from the bar. When Wood Chip knocks on it, she gives him a curious look as she pours something strong for herself.
“What’s his problem?” Crosshair asked curiously at Wood Chip’s hoof knock. Puff shrugs.
Temperance and Flamberge both look up, separately, at the knocking, but remain silent.
Wood Chips looks at the surprised looks he was getting, and smiled sheepishly.
“Er, everypony? I kinda organized this party, and while it’s a little late, I had a speech about why I invited you all here. But its...okay if none yall want to hear it, it’s late.”
Temperance waves a hoof at him. “No, no, go ahead,” he says with a reassuring smile.
Puff nods at him to continue. It’d be rude to show up and not listen to the pony throwing the shindig, after all.
SmoothBlock stopped her fussing about and lay on her side, propping her chin up with her forehoof.
Wood Chips chuckles, he’s not used to being the center of attention, let alone slightly tipsy.
“Well, most of the ponies here arrived here little more than a year ago to settle in this little grassy hill.”
He looked at Red Hat with some minor amusement, and hopefully others would get a laugh out of that.
“However, after spending a year working at a breakneck speed to get this little place running, I noticed that we never really stopped to talk about what we're trying to do. Now, we know we are trying to build a community like the ones we all came from out of nothing but hard work and effort, but I am under the impression that it’s not a community if a pony cannot sit around and enjoy the fruits of their labors and laugh.”
He paused slightly, taking a little breath. And a shot of whisky. Unicorn magic is great for this sort of stuff.
“And so, I wanted to let us do so. It took me a very long time to work up the nerve to invite all of you, but I am glad that everypony who arrived, and Red Hat, came. Because this little gathering is a celebration for our little fortress thriving. Besides the founders, I want to give a thanks for the military, who I do think deserve this time to wind down and relax. After all, what’s black and white and red all over?”
Realizing what he said, Wood Chip backpeddled clumsly. “It’s a badgerpony, not a zebra!”
“Zebra with a sunburn!” shouts Puff before taking a swig of her drink.
Flamberge shifts in his seat uncomfortably at the badgerpony joke and takes a deep drink from his mug emptying it.
Noticing Flamberge’s general uncomfortablness, Wood Chip slightly panics internally.
“Well, your heart was in the right place, which is more than I can say for the Badger.” SmoothBlock said, recovering her seat. “So how about some more of that whisky!” She held her mug high.
Wood Chips gives her a look that, to other observers in the room, was probably a bit too lidded to be enterly platonic.
“I actually have a little something special saved for something like this.”
Behind the counter, in a little red glow of magic, rises a tall, slim bottle. It was very old, very expensive looking, and furthermore had a great big smiley face imprinted on it’s side.
“This might be the last bottle of cloudberry wine from the town of Cheerfulgrins, my old home. More importantly, this bottle might be one of the last things from my old home left, considering it’s gone now. Long time, too.”
Wood Chips frowns, but neverless levitates a few score glasses from behind the counter and sets one in front of each of the guests seated before him. He pauses slightly, as if with guilt.
“Smells strong, I like strong things.” SmoothBlock wiggled her eyebrows.
Temperance isn’t quite sure what to do. He doesn’t drink, but he doesn’t want to look ungrateful.
“Out with the old and in with the new, as they say. A toast for our fair town?”
Woodchip takes a long look at the smily face on the bottle, perhaps too long of a look, but neverless uncorks it fully with little flourish and pours a gulp of the white-yellow brew into each of the glasses, with himself being last.
SmoothBlock picked up her glass and sampled the bouquet
Crosshair waited for everypony to have their glasses, and once they do, she wait for the cheer so that all will be downed together.
Puff lifts her glass as well.
Flamberge takes his glass, examines the liquid and then raises it as well.
Temperance sniffs the liquid and makes a nervous smile. He lifts the glass, not at all looking forward to what was about to happen.
“Cheers!” SmoothBlock raised her glass in her magic.
Wood Chip tries and fails to get a good look at everypony in the room, because his eyes stopped around the general area of Smoothblock.
“For Duskfields and it’s future!”
He takes a gulp. It tastes like honey and..something. It might have been what liquid rainbow tasted like if you removed the spicy.
It tasted like home.
This was when everypony was supposed to take a drink, right? Temperance reluctantly downs the alcohol, but finds it shockingly tolerable. It tasted very good actually... wasn’t everything alcoholic supposed to taste horrific?
SmoothBlock tossed her head back and let the honey like drink slide down her throat. She let out an “Ahh!” and smiled “tasty stuff Chips.”
Puff downs hers as well and licks her lips. “Mmm, a good year, definitely.”
Wood Chip smiles sadly. “It was the last one. For that wine, anyway.”
“It was real good, Chips.” SmoothBlock licked her lips and smiled, putting the empty glass on the end of her horn.
The toast apparently finished, Puff and Cross head to join Flamberge at his table.
“Evenin’ Puff,” says Flamberge, who is clearly more than a little tipsy, as she approaches the table, “How are t’ings?”
“Things are far too lucid for my tastes right now.” she says before taking a large swig of her drink.
Crosshair took a swig of her drink as well, placing her mug down on the table “something troubling you?”
Flamberge imagined he knew what was troubling Puff, but this was a party, she shouldn’t dwell on such things, or so he thought, “Aye Puff, just have a drink and relax, it’s a party, lets just try and have a good time, alright?”
“Lots of stuff, Cross. But, like ‘Berge said, it’s a party. I intend to drink until I am unable. And then maybe drink a bit more.” She gives the two a small smile and downs the rest of her mug.
The three spend a while longer drinking, until Crosshair got up from the table, a little more than just tipsy. “I’ll.. I’ll be right back, drank too much” she said with a little hiccup as she stumbled her way out the door.
Puff waves a wobbly wing in the general direction of Cross as she goes, feeling far too drunk to actually raise her head from the table. “She’s a lu-hic!-lucky mare, ‘Berge.”
Flamberge starts to shake his head, then stops when he almost loses his balance, “Nah, shees naht as lucky as me, tah have a filly like ‘er,.” he replies as he watches Crosshair leave, “or...or a friend like ‘ou,” he adds touching a hoof to Cream Puff’s withers.
Puff smiles a bit and takes another long drink. “She gets you all to hershelf! Tall dark and handsome ‘Berge!” She waves her mug around in emphasis, avoiding slinging booze everywhere only because it’s empty.
"You sound jealouss." states Flamberge, his hoof still not having moved from it's position on her withers, “Surely a, beauootful, mare like 'ou could have any stallion she wanted."
Puff slumps and pouts at her empty mug. “Nope...”
Flamberge shoots closer to Cream Puff and puts a foreleg around her, "'Ey, wots wrong Creamy." he asks.
“My glasssss... is empty. And nopony likes me.”
Flamberge pours his only half finished drink into Cream Puff’s glass and says, "Nah, neither... neither of those t'ings is true. I like 'ou plenty."
Puff downs her mug, not caring where the drink came from. She wobbles as she looks at the three Flamberges with their legs over her withers, and slowly homes in on the middle one. “No ya don’t...”
"If..if'n I didn' like 'ou den, why'd I stay with 'ou all night when 'ou was sad? An...an why am I here, tryin' to 'elp 'ou now?" Flamberge says, the alcohol pickling his brain even as he speaks.
Puff’s lip trembles as tears start to well up in her eyes. “Cuz you feel shorry for me!”
"Nah, Puff, I...I just want 'ou to be 'appy." says Flamberge, "You're my friend, an I don' like seeing my friends sad."
Puff looks away from him for a few moments, all three of him. After a few hicups, she turns back and grabs his head to steady herself before planting a big sloppy kiss on his lips.
Flamberge is caught totally by surprise by this, but does not pull away.
Like a cruel god playing jokes on them, Crosshair stumble her way back to the party, only to be halt right at where she is from what she’s seeing. The view of her stallion and her best friend kissing stunned her, She stood there for almost a minute, jaw dropped in disbelief as her brain slowly register what’s going on. Finally, after she decide that she’ve seen enough, she just turned the other way and Ran. Ran as fastest as she could drunkenly can.
Cream Puff’s liver finally wins it’s bid to shut down all higher functions so it can clean up this mess, and so she passes out against Flamberge.
Flamberge in his drunken stupor doesn't notice Crosshair's return and subsequent exit. Looking down at the passed out mare, he thinks hard about what to do for a moment. Then lifts her up onto his back. Goes to the bar, and gets a big glass of water, downs it, then gets another which he takes with him as he exits the tavern.
[Flamberge and Crosshair will be continued in a separate scene.]
Temperance watches as everypony around him starts to get a bit too drunk for his tastes. That was usually around the time that the fun stopped at parties, so he stands and bids everypony farewell. It was nice of Wood Chips to get everypony together, and it was nice to see everypony in good spirits, but he just couldn’t really partake very much in things with the direction they were headed. He had a lot to get done anyway...
Author
Topic: Duskfields (My Little Fortress) (Read 52029 times)