- >Still Day 31 in Equestria
- >You're walking home after a pleasant experience at Fluttershy's.
- >Well, for the most part.
- >You got some bits, and pretty sure you prevented a filly from starving.
- >Or eating one of the chickens.
- >You shudder to think what one might do in desperation.
- >However, Fluttershy face-first in cake was your queue to leave.
- >She can have all the cake she wants...
- >The walk back to your home is peaceful.
- >It still being midday, you have the whole rest of the day to kick back and relax.
- >Something you haven't been at liberty to do for a while.
- >Gotta love lazy days!
- >A few p0nies wave as you pass through town.
- >It's nice how they are getting used to you.
- >A certain minty p0ny waves and...
- >Winks?
- >Is she biting her lip?
- >Oh god, she's flirting with you.
- >Smile and wave...
- >Just smile and wave...
- >Eventually, you come to your front door.
- >Swinging it open, you step inside.
- >"Welcome home!"
- >Wait, that wasn't inner dialogue telling you that you were home.
- >That was spoken!
- >Looking around, you see a hatless Applejack sitting at your table.
- >Welp, that explains it.
- "Hey there, Applejack."
- >Definitely looks different without the trademark hat.
- "Where's the hat?"
- >She laughs.
- >"Well, sugarcube, I was gonna ask you."
- >Oh right.
- >You stole her hat when you ran through town naked this morning.
- >Away from HER barn.
- >Which you still have no idea how you ended up there.
- >You know what?
- >Enough ignorance.
- >Time to find out what happened!
- "I have your hat, AJ."
- >"Oh good! Was startin' ta get worried."
- "But first, I need-"
- >Before you can finish you sentence, she blurts out.
- >"Why did ya take it anyhow?"
- >Damn, she interrupted your question with a question.
- "Well, uh...I was sort of NAKED."
- >"Anon, we don't usually wear clothes."
- >She still doesn't fucking get it.
- "Well, I DO."
- >"What're ya tryin' ta cover up anyways?"
- >As she says this, her eyes dart lower for a split second.
- >A slight grin emerges.
- >SHE KNOWS.
- >You woke up naked in the oh so comfy hay, after all.
- >Maybe she doesn't know WHAT it is.
- >Or maybe she's not a fucking dumbass.
- >Like you.
- "Well, let me get your hat. It's in my room."
- >"Anon, this is yer house! Ain't every room yours?"
- >Okay, admittedly, she has a point.
- "My BED room."
- >You walk past her and up the stairs.
- >As you open the door, AJ runs past you and into your bedroom.
- >Damnit.
- >"Sure is nice in here!"
- >Inspecting the room, she peers out the window.
- >"Ah can see Pinkie Pie from here."
- "Yeah, don't remind me."
- >Eventually, she spies her hat lying on your bed.
- >She jumps on and puts on the hat.
- >And everything was right with the world.
- >"Hmmm..."
- >She lets out a disappointed groan as she stands on your bed.
- "What is it?"
- >"This ain't nearly as soft as the hay."
- >You can't help but laugh at that.
- >It's true.
- >Okay, she has her hat now, time for some questions.
- "Applejack, I need to know why I woke up in your barn last night."
- >This clearly doesn't sit well with AJ, her eyes darting around the room.
- >"WELL, uh...ya see..."
- >You knew this wouldn't be easy.
- >After all, if it wasn't some big secret, she'd just-
- >"You stumbled in after a night at the bar with Rainbow!"
- >What.
- "I'm pretty sure that's not it."
- >After a moment of silence and awkward glances, AJ lights up.
- >"Nah, after you an' Dash hit the bottle, you stumbled in here more walleyed than Derpy."
- >She's...you're certain that's not it...
- >...but it sounds so damn possible.
- "Really? I haven't been to the bar in a while..."
- >"Ahm pretty sure this is why."
- >She nods confidently.
- >Dammit.
- >Airtight logic.
- >You decide to give up on this line of questioning.
- >Clearly it's going nowhere.
- "Well, ya got your hat back."
- >"Yep! Right where it belongs."
- >She adjusts the stetson to a perfect angle.
- >...
- >Well now what do you say?
- >'Please get out of my room'?
- >Seems a bit unhospitable to the mare who housed you for so long.
- >She seems to understand this well, as she's already curled up on your bed.
- >Wait, WHAT?
- >"Ah suppose this ain't too bad compared to the hay."
- >She smiles lightly as she gets comfortable.
- >Okay, find an excuse.
- >Find a REASON.
- >Anything to get you out of here...
- >BINGO!
- "Well, feel free to stick around, but I need to go."
- >She looks up.
- >"Oh, where ya goin'?"
- "My best set of clothes MYSERIOUSLY disappeared, so I need to go get some new ones."
- >AJ's eyes dart around the room once more.
- >Aha!
- >She DOES know something about it!
- >"Well, uh..."
- >Not much to say, eh Applejack?
- >You'll get the truth eventually...
- "If you wanna stick around, be my guest!"
- >May as well let her stay as long as she wants.
- >Hospitality returned!
- >As you walk down the stairs, Applejack follows.
- >"Alrighty then, I'll, uh, see ya around."
- >Applejack silently steps out the door.
- >Hm.
- >She sounded...disappointed.
- >Ah well, you have matters to take care of which you didn't totally just make up.
- >Like clothes.
- >And since your best set mysteriously vanished, there's only one mare who can make you a replacement.
- >You step outside, and walk down Mane Street a bit.
- >Okay, you have no idea if it's called Mane Street or not.
- >It just seemed like a proper pun to apply to the situation.
- >You've been thinking of them since you showed up in p0ny-land.
- >What other puns could you pull out of the stable?
- >HA!
- >If one of the girls tells you a story, it's a p0ny-tail!
- >HA!
- >What happens if a p0ny talks too much? Their voice could get...a little horse!
- >HA!
- >Oh look, you're here.
- >Carousel Boutique.
- >*knock knock knock*
- >...
- >No answer.
- >That's odd, Rarity is usually quite prompt to answer the door.
- >No sign either, so she's not out on business.
- Hm.
- >*knock knock knock*
- >...
- >The door swings open.
- "Hello Rar-"
- >Not Rarity.
- >Not ANYONE.
- >The door just swung open on it's own.
- >Peering inside, none of the lights are on.
- "Hello...?"
- >You speak inside.
- >No answer.
- >Until you hear something!
- >It's soft.
- >Does curiosity take the better of you?
- >...
- >Yes.
- >You step inside, closing the door behind you.
- "Rarity?"
- >This time, you hear something distinctly coming from the next room.
- >It sounds like...crying?
- >That's not good.
- >You walk towards the door to the next room.
- >The light from the other side creeps under the door's frame.
- >Are you sure you want to do this?
- >These ponies are fucking nuts sometimes.
- >But...this is Rarity.
- >The most...what's the word.
- >Upperclass?
- >Well-mannered?
- >Sane?
- >In any case, this is the mare that helped you get started.
- >All those bits, just tossed at you.
- >You can't NOT help.
- >You push the door open slowly.
- "Rarity...?"
- >As you poke your head in, you see an absolute mess.
- >Papers and designs are strewn everywhere.
- >Mannequins are covered in stripped fabric.
- >Measuring tape and supplies are on the floor and everywhere else.
- >In the middle of it all is Rarity, magically scribbling onto some graph paper.
- >"Maybe if I....add...no, then it'll...what if I..."
- >She babbles to herself while drawing something.
- >After a few moments, she throws her arms up.
- >"AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"
- >The piece of paper magically crumples up and it thrown across the room.
- >"Why can't I do this?!?"
- >Burying her head in her hooves, she starts to cry.
- >Okay, time to step in.
- >You swing the door open fully.
- "Rarity!"
- >She jerks her head out of her hooves, staring at you.
- >A blush creeps across her face.
- >After a split second, you're magically shoved outside and the door is slammed shut.
- >That went...well?
- >A few seconds later, after some loud clanging and rustling from behind the door, Rarity emerges.
- >She is a wreck.
- >Her mascara is running, her hair is all messy.
- >You'd never expect her to carry herself like this...
- >"You..."
- >She shuffles a bit.
- >"...weren't supposed to see that."
- >More awkward silence.
- >You can't take it.
- "Rarity, what's going on?"
- >"Oh nothing, nothing at all! I was just, ah, coming up with some new designs."
- >A fake smile flashes across her face, gone as quickly as it came.
- >Her head falls to face the floor.
- >"It's...not going so well..."
- >She sniffles, then wipes away some of the running mascara with her hoof.
- >If this isn't one of the saddest things you've ever seen...
- >"Ever since I sold that licsense deal, I haven't come up with a single new design!"
- >Yikes.
- "That's not good..."
- >Is that all you can say?
- >You ain't exactly good at this comforting thing.
- >"I haven't had ANY inspiration. In fact, the last bout of ideas I got..."
- >She looks up.
- >"Was from you!"
- >Oh fuck you already know where this is going.
- >Every p0ny you know is crazy!
- >She's gonna abduct you for sure!
- >You can hear it now...
- >'You're my inspiration DARLING, I can't let you leave!'
- >Stowed away in her basement, Pinkie Pie visiting you...
- >OH GOD SHE'LL TIE YOU UP AND NEVER LET YOU GO.
- >Thoughts racing through your head about abduction and capture.
- >A new HUMAN line of clothing!
- >OH GOD MAKE THE MENTAL IMAGES STOP-
- >"Anon?"
- >You snap out of it, Rarity looking concerned.
- >"Are YOU alright?"
- >Even in her time of need you manage to make her worried about you.
- >Way to go, champ.
- "I'm fine, just, I think I could help you make some new desi-"
- >Before you can finish, she throws her hooves around you, planting a kiss on your cheek.
- >"OH THANK YOU ANON! Thank you thank you thank you!"
- >She lets go, rushing into the messy room.
- >"I'll be just a moment!"
- >And she's gone.
- >Well...that was weird.
- >And spontaneous.
- >And you'd be lying if you didn't think it was kinda nicWHAT ARE YOU THINKING IT'S A P0NY.
- >Get those thoughts out of your head RIGHT NOW.
- >Forcing yourself to agree with your brain, you wipe away the light moisture left from her...
- >...appreciative...
- >...gesture.
- >Yeah, call it that.
- >That'll totally justify it in your mind.
- >When she returns, she looks good as new.
- >Mascara's fixed, hair's done to perfection.
- >Her coat even seems like it has a nice sheen to it.
- >"Come on in, Anon."
- >She walks into the room, and you follow.
- >It looks...pretty much the same.
- >Fabric strewn across mannequins, papers on top of tables and desks.
- >At least the floor's a bit clear.
- >"You must be wondering why it's such a mess in here."
- "Yes, actually. You're so neat and tidy, this just surprised me."
- >"Well, Anon, this is my inspiration room!"
- "Inspiration room?"
- >"Creativity isn't neat and tidy. Here I can throw around my ideas...literally."
- >Makes sense.
- >You manage to find a seat, and take it.
- >Rarity pulls a chair from the other side of the room, and magically levitates it over to sit near you.
- >"SO, Anon! Please, tell me more about fashion from Orf!"
- >Orf?
- >Oh.
- "Heh, I think you mean 'Earth'."
- >"Yes, of course!"
- "Well, you seem to have a lot of the styles I know of. Pants being the one you didn't have, you have fancy shirts and sweaters..."
- >"That we do!"
- "Hmmm...I don't know much about girl's fashion. You obviously have fine dresses."
- >"The finest!"
- "You have shoes, uhh...casual wear..."
- >Not much else for you to add.
- "What else do girls wear...bowties, blouses, bras, panties, skirts..."
- >Rarity raises a hoof.
- >Odd.
- "Yes?"
- >"What are panties?"
- "Well those-"
- >Fuck.
- >It's too late to go back now, isn't it.
- >*sigh*
- >Just get it over with.
- "Well, panties and bras are...'special' pieces of clothing."
- >She's taking note.
- >Why oh why is she taking notes?!?
- >"Special how?"
- "Um...they're meant to cover private areas..."
- >She doesn't change expression.
- >Okay, she doesn't get it.
- "Certain...'personal' areas?"
- >You glance downwards quickly to assert the point.
- >Her eyes widen.
- >She gets it.
- >"O-oh!"
- "Yeah."
- >"..."
- >After a few seconds of awkward silence, she bursts out laughing.
- >"Oh Anon, so bashful! Why would you need to cover that up?"
- >These p0nies have no shame, do they?
- >Maybe it wouldn't be an issue to walk around naked...
- >...
- >Not today.
- >She gets up from her chair, levitating her graph chart.
- >"Now then, let's get started on these new fashions!"
- >As she trots over to the closet, her tail is slightly raised.
- >You don't look.
- >Fucking p0nies.

