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Whore Pony Gambling Apocalypse: Cherry Wilds

By Guest
Created: 2025-11-11 08:57:00
Expiry: Never
sexanon in equestriadrugsgamblingwhore pony generalcherry wildsanon in earthpony in earthaddictioncodependency

  1. 1.
    >work nights at dispo selling legal weed
  2. 2.
    >bar next door selling not legal substances out the back
  3. 3.
    >their clientele linger around our shop
  4. 4.
    >whores included
  5. 5.
    >put-together whores buy the good stuff and even tip, or at least bring in a guy who will do so for them
  6. 6.
    >run-down whores pay in change for a single pre-rolled joint at a time
  7. 7.
    >if they have id
  8. 8.
    >some don't
  9. 9.
    >they beg outside
  10. 10.
    >annoying as fuck because technically it's a strike against compliance if you allow someone to purchase for someone else in view of the cameras
  11. 11.
    >can hardly take a smoke break without getting bothered by them
  12. 12.
    >resigned myself to vaping in the staff bathroom during meal breaks
  13. 13.
     
  14. 14.
    "Hey anon, you like those little ponies, right?"
  15. 15.
     
  16. 16.
    >co-worker is having a laugh at me
  17. 17.
    >happened to catch me doodling them one day and has been shit-testing me about them ever since
  18. 18.
     
  19. 19.
    >yeah, I love those little ponies
  20. 20.
    >seven years ago, I visited Equestria for two weeks and it was the best time of my life, no question
  21. 21.
    >could be living there, working an ambassador role by now if travel hadn't been completely fucked by covid
  22. 22.
    >anyway
  23. 23.
    >asked my co-worker if it was a customer
  24. 24.
    >tried not to act too excited the handful of times we got a pony customer, just quietly applied any discounts I could and gave the best service possible
  25. 25.
     
  26. 26.
    "Nah, she was hanging near the back of the bar next door...You should totally meet her, I told her I worked with a guy that liked ponies after she asked me for a smoke."
  27. 27.
     
  28. 28.
    >told him yeah, I'll go say hi
  29. 29.
     
  30. 30.
    "Anon, I was just kidding"
  31. 31.
    >it'd be rude not to say hi, if he'd really gone so far as to mention me
  32. 32.
    >wouldn't want to keep her waiting
  33. 33.
    >buy a pair of cheap pre-rolls and punch out
  34. 34.
     
  35. 35.
    >most ponies are set up quite well if they have the mind to come out this way
  36. 36.
    >curious to know more about her
  37. 37.
    >what's she doing out in this sketchy parking lot?
  38. 38.
     
  39. 39.
    >she sticks out quite a bit
  40. 40.
    >yellow coat, red hair, a cutie-mark with three cherries
  41. 41.
    >a 3rd-generation cherry farmer, maybe?
  42. 42.
    >she tapped over to meet me half-way
  43. 43.
     
  44. 44.
    "Hi, I'm Cherry Wilds!"
  45. 45.
     
  46. 46.
    >her voice had this warped vinyl feel to it, scratchy, with vocal fry
  47. 47.
    >her eyes shined like glossy red candy
  48. 48.
    >she smelled a bit of candy too
  49. 49.
    >layered under the smell of cigarette smoke
  50. 50.
    >and wet horse
  51. 51.
    >it's been raining all week
  52. 52.
     
  53. 53.
    "You brought an umbrella! Aren't you clever?"
  54. 54.
    >extend the umbrella out toward her
  55. 55.
    >she was so delighted she did a little turn in the shadow of my umbrella, stepping in closer
  56. 56.
    >after introducing myself, she asks if I've brought anything else for her
  57. 57.
    >we step into the shadow of the bar's exterior, it's just us thanks to the rain
  58. 58.
    >light up one for me
  59. 59.
    >crouch down to feed her the second, lighting it for her
  60. 60.
    >should really be more cautious
  61. 61.
    >if she were a human I'd want nothing to do with her
  62. 62.
    >but because she's such a cute little pony my defenses drop easily
  63. 63.
    >dropping into a Slav squat to stay at eye-level with her, so I can see the embers reflected in her eyes
  64. 64.
    >smoke curling under the umbrella, rain pinging over it
  65. 65.
    >ask about her
  66. 66.
     
  67. 67.
    >she was still in school when she came over for a trip
  68. 68.
    >she had too much fun
  69. 69.
    >she missed the arranged teleport home
  70. 70.
    >she missed the next one too
  71. 71.
    >when was that?
  72. 72.
     
  73. 73.
    "Seven years ago"
  74. 74.
     
  75. 75.
    >small worlds
  76. 76.
    >check the clock
  77. 77.
    >break is going by way too fast
  78. 78.
     
  79. 79.
    "Well, I had such a nice time talking to you anon, I sure appreciate you..."
  80. 80.
     
  81. 81.
    >Would she still be here after work?
  82. 82.
     
  83. 83.
    "I'll be around..."
  84. 84.
     
  85. 85.
    >Yeah, it was really nice meeting a cute pony like her...
  86. 86.
    >she had such a warm smile...
  87. 87.
     
  88. 88.
    "I'd suck your dick if you'd like me to. Only twenty dollars."
  89. 89.
    >can only imagine how my eyes must have bugged out at the offer
  90. 90.
    >started coughing trying to play it off
  91. 91.
    >tell her I'm sorry but tips have been slow today, I've only got 7 on me
  92. 92.
    >can tell by the look on her face that she'd settle for even that much
  93. 93.
     
  94. 94.
    "You didn't say no..."
  95. 95.
     
  96. 96.
    >she's got me there
  97. 97.
    >only ever got as far as flirting in equestria, it felt wrong to seek it out there
  98. 98.
    >didn't want to be seen as a sex pest tourist
  99. 99.
    >genuinely want to live a better life there
  100. 100.
    >but I'm stuck here instead, so naturally I wish I'd taken my chances
  101. 101.
    >tell Cherry it's too cold and wet outside
  102. 102.
     
  103. 103.
    >we enter the bar through the back
  104. 104.
    >straight into the game room
  105. 105.
    >Cherry's eyes light up looking at the video slot machines as we pass
  106. 106.
    >ask if she plays, a bit surprised
  107. 107.
     
  108. 108.
    "Oh, I looove playing the slots!"
  109. 109.
     
  110. 110.
    >she's fixated on a classic design with slots of spinning fruits
  111. 111.
    >can't help but think to myself how fucked up cutie marks are
  112. 112.
    >triple cherry...was she destined to be a gambling addict?
  113. 113.
    >better than a blowjobs-for-money cutie mark
  114. 114.
    >give her 7 bucks, good for a couple
  115. 115.
    >she's thrilled
  116. 116.
    >each spin she goes through different rituals, hoof gestures and little noises as if casting spells on the machine
  117. 117.
    >the first two spins are a bust
  118. 118.
     
  119. 119.
    "Boop for luck?"
  120. 120.
     
  121. 121.
    >give her a boop
  122. 122.
    >she giggles and goes right back to spinning
  123. 123.
    >she gets a little pay out and free spins
  124. 124.
     
  125. 125.
    "I feel a hot streak coming on! Gimme another!"
  126. 126.
     
  127. 127.
    >another boop
  128. 128.
    >she's all giddy
  129. 129.
    >even if she loses the next spin
  130. 130.
    >and the next
  131. 131.
    >she's still brimming with cheer down to her last spin
  132. 132.
    >she suddenly puts her hoof to the screen
  133. 133.
     
  134. 134.
    "Anon, put your hand next to my hoof! Hurry!"
  135. 135.
     
  136. 136.
    >a moment's hesitation, but I put my hand to the grimy video screen next to her hoof
  137. 137.
    >she shuts her eyes tight and whispers some sort of prayer
  138. 138.
    >the screen lights up and flashes
  139. 139.
    >triple cherries
  140. 140.
    >the little pony leaps from her stool at me
  141. 141.
    >wet street horse in my arms hugging me
  142. 142.
     
  143. 143.
    "We won! We won! Oh anon, I could just kiss you! You're my lucky charm!"
  144. 144.
     
  145. 145.
    >relieved enough she doesn't see the brief look of disgust that crosses my face while she collects her payout
  146. 146.
    >a machine scans the receipt of the win, and she returns with $70
  147. 147.
    >surprised she's quitting while she's ahead
  148. 148.
    >more surprised when she holds out a $20 bill for me in her mouth
  149. 149.
     
  150. 150.
    "Here, anon...I want you to have this."
  151. 151.
     
  152. 152.
    >accept the bill
  153. 153.
    >she smirks at me
  154. 154.
    >uh oh
  155. 155.
     
  156. 156.
    >showed up for the rest of my shift 15 minutes late
  157. 157.
    >my co-worker, surprisingly, hasn't said anything about it
  158. 158.
    >probably just glad I came back at all
  159. 159.
    >the shop's busy and it's clear he could use the help
  160. 160.
    >does he know?
  161. 161.
    >he's gotta know
  162. 162.
    >what the fuck is wrong with me
  163. 163.
    >let a pony prostitute suck my dick in the bathroom at the bar
  164. 164.
    >best I've ever had
  165. 165.
    >no question
  166. 166.
    >she went right back to video slots when I had to leave
  167. 167.
    >just asked if she'd see me after my work
  168. 168.
    >told her maybe
  169. 169.
    >usually get a ride home with my co-worker
  170. 170.
    >he'll know what's up if I go back to that bar again
  171. 171.
    >looking up diseases passed between horses and humans
  172. 172.
    >fuck me those look bad
  173. 173.
    >she said she was clean but what whore wouldn't say that?
  174. 174.
    >totally on auto-pilot at work
  175. 175.
    >two hours pass by without incident
  176. 176.
    >until she trotted in
  177. 177.
     
  178. 178.
    >my coworker looks at me in an accusatory manner
  179. 179.
    >obviously can't break compliance in any way for her
  180. 180.
    >Cherry ooh's and ahh's at the products on display, having to stand on her hind legs to reach the counter
  181. 181.
    >have to warn her not to put pressure on the glass
  182. 182.
    >surely I can turn her away based on a lack of id
  183. 183.
    >she said she's been here seven years after ditching her tour group
  184. 184.
    >no way she's got her papers
  185. 185.
    >she has papers
  186. 186.
    >kept them in a red faux leather bag she carried with her mouth
  187. 187.
    >granted it's a damp print-out of a temporary id but it passed the scanner somehow
  188. 188.
    >probably from a forger working out of that bar but that's none of my business
  189. 189.
     
  190. 190.
    >it's obvious she got another decent payout at the slots
  191. 191.
    >it's an entire category of customer here
  192. 192.
    >the type who will only come in and buy something when they win at slots
  193. 193.
    >Cherry, like other customers of this type, will study the menu from the cheapest to the most expensive
  194. 194.
    >compulsively asking to inspect this or that
  195. 195.
    >usually pretty annoying
  196. 196.
    >but watching her sniff from the jars and pre-packed baggies of bud is pretty cute
  197. 197.
    >wouldn't run it past her to eat out of the bag as if it were a daisy sandwich
  198. 198.
     
  199. 199.
    "That smells lovely! Which ones do you like?"
  200. 200.
     
  201. 201.
    >fall into a natural conversation with her
  202. 202.
    >give recommendations
  203. 203.
    >show off some of my knowledge
  204. 204.
    >she knows a few things too though
  205. 205.
     
  206. 206.
    "Hmm, the smell's a bit wet...How's the stem? Yep, that's a brittle stem, even though the bud's like that...They must have rushed drying it after harvest, don't you think?"
  207. 207.
     
  208. 208.
    >she's totally right
  209. 209.
    >shame too, I like the strain but the producer fumbled it at the last step
  210. 210.
    >realize it's still busy and I've been giving her all my attention
  211. 211.
    >gotta move the sale along
  212. 212.
     
  213. 213.
    "Oh, shoot, I'm sorry for holdin' up the line...Let me have an eighth of the Trop Cherry...A five pack of the Cherry Pie-flavored infused pre-rolls...One of those cured resin carts, the Lemon Cherry Gelato, with one of those batteries on the lanyard...A lighter...One of those little glass pipes, the little grinder, pack of Cherry Charm wraps...Do you sell mushrooms here? Oh, sorry, sorry..."
  214. 214.
     
  215. 215.
    >got her signed up for store rewards since she was buying so much
  216. 216.
    >scan the paper id again to populate the profile with her information
  217. 217.
    >my eyes linger over an address before hastily deleting it like we're supposed to
  218. 218.
    >she gave a phone number to finish setting up the account
  219. 219.
    >she tipped $7
  220. 220.
    >even took one of my review cards and promised 5 stars
  221. 221.
    >then she trotted out and I had to go back to regular work helping people
  222. 222.
    >people who didn't tip
  223. 223.
    >rude people
  224. 224.
    >people that tossed their ids at me and jabbed their dirty fingers into the glass for their order
  225. 225.
    >people suck
  226. 226.
    >thinking about Cherry all night
  227. 227.
     
  228. 228.
    >close shop
  229. 229.
    >tell co-worker I'm going to the bar
  230. 230.
    >he doesn't accuse me of being a horsefucker outright
  231. 231.
    >but it's there in his eyes
  232. 232.
    >ask if he's got any shrooms I can borrow
  233. 233.
     
  234. 234.
    >Cherry's back at the slot machines
  235. 235.
    >she had $70 when I left her the first time
  236. 236.
    >she spent more than that when she came into the store
  237. 237.
    >how much is in the machine now?
  238. 238.
    >$14
  239. 239.
    >Cherry notices me behind her
  240. 240.
     
  241. 241.
    "I thought I smelled someone kind, and there you are..."
  242. 242.
     
  243. 243.
    >she tells me in a whisper that she's up $300, it's cashed out in her purse
  244. 244.
    >asks if I'll escort her out of the bar
  245. 245.
    >where to?
  246. 246.
    >she doesn't say
  247. 247.
    >she just gives me a look
  248. 248.
    >clearly she's expecting a lot out of me
  249. 249.
    >give it to her straight
  250. 250.
    >can't afford a car
  251. 251.
    >living out of someone's basement
  252. 252.
    >been stuck here half a year and most of my shit is still in boxes
  253. 253.
    >she doesn't care
  254. 254.
    >that address on her temp id had to be fake
  255. 255.
    >she wants to stay with me?
  256. 256.
    >if you give a pony a pre-roll..
  257. 257.
     
  258. 258.
    >bus to train, train to home
  259. 259.
    >Cherry lays against me and falls asleep on the way, rocked about by the jostling train car
  260. 260.
    >nearly midnight on arrival
  261. 261.
    >Cherry asks me to run a hot shower for her
  262. 262.
    >the state of my bathroom is a bit embarrassing to me
  263. 263.
    >stall her with some leftover pizza from the fridge so I can try and clean it
  264. 264.
    >will probably need to clean it a second time once she's used it
  265. 265.
    >try to imagine how she'll use the shower anyway
  266. 266.
    >must be hard to maintain a mane like that with hooves, right?
  267. 267.
     
  268. 268.
    >as it turns out, Cherry wears a wig and a tail extension
  269. 269.
    >her natural color is still red but it's clipped short up top
  270. 270.
    >rather than ask for privacy, she asked for my help
  271. 271.
    >did not expect to be hand-washing a mare in my tub tonight
  272. 272.
    >certainly there was a tender, intimate atmosphere in the bath as I helped her to feel clean again
  273. 273.
    >that lasted another ten minutes before she suggested I join her
  274. 274.
    >washing turned to petting, then heavy petting
  275. 275.
    >had her in my lap and she did all of the work from there
  276. 276.
     
  277. 277.
    >have to admit, the afterglow felt restorative
  278. 278.
    >laying in bed sharing warmth rather than slouching at my desk till 4 in the morning...
  279. 279.
    >she did wake me up once during the night
  280. 280.
    >suddenly stirring, asked if I wanted to smoke up since I was awake
  281. 281.
    >wake-and-bake I get, but taking a smoke break mid-sleep was new ground for me
  282. 282.
    >normally I'd go outside completely but I couldn't be bothered
  283. 283.
    >just stood next to the ground-level basement window, looking up through the egress well
  284. 284.
    >mare in one arm, held up level with the window, blowing smoke into the cold night air outside
  285. 285.
    >passing the lit joint between us until it was ash and crutch
  286. 286.
    >then back to bed
  287. 287.
     
  288. 288.
    >prefer to sleep in
  289. 289.
    >Cherry is an early riser
  290. 290.
    >she does persuade me to seize the day (seizing her)
  291. 291.
    >shower after, pitching bedding into the wash and setting it to a sanitizing cycle
  292. 292.
    >sitting over a breakfast of hot oats and frozen fruits with a happy pony
  293. 293.
    >there is a special sort of feeling
  294. 294.
    >life was so dull before her
  295. 295.
    >but are we so special?
  296. 296.
     
  297. 297.
    >how long will it last?
  298. 298.
    >what's the best outcome I can reasonably hope for?
  299. 299.
    >something bad will happen if I try to ignore the reality of the situation
  300. 300.
    >read a few personal accounts of guys in similar situations
  301. 301.
    >pregnancy scares, stds, overdoses, hooved pimps with a kick strength of 2,000 PSI
  302. 302.
    >how dire is Cherry's situation really? I don't even know, I was just hoping...
  303. 303.
    >when she does something that crosses the line for my sensibilities, what will I do?
  304. 304.
     
  305. 305.
    "Are you alright...?"
  306. 306.
     
  307. 307.
    >my heart feels exposed
  308. 308.
    >don't feel like I can just brush her off
  309. 309.
    >she did seem to care
  310. 310.
    >but exposing myself as being so fearful so soon might turn her away
  311. 311.
    >tell her I'm dreading another night of work
  312. 312.
    >she tantalizes me with the prospect of calling out of work
  313. 313.
    >no way my co-worker won't tell the manager what I've been up to
  314. 314.
    >but what would we do if I did skip out?
  315. 315.
    >Cherry wants to hit the casino
  316. 316.
     
  317. 317.
    >definitely a bad idea
  318. 318.
    >she's a bit lucky to have won as much as she did last night
  319. 319.
    >but not so lucky to avoid getting stranded in a video poker lounge sucking dick for another go-around
  320. 320.
    >sure, I've gambled a bit myself
  321. 321.
    >let's say it runs in the family
  322. 322.
    >but I know there's no magic to winning, no fortune, no luck
  323. 323.
    >the house always wins
  324. 324.
     
  325. 325.
    "I'll play on $150...You play on $150...If we bust out we'll leave, promise!"
  326. 326.
     
  327. 327.
    >she extends a hoof and I take it in hand
  328. 328.
    >work does sound rather boring
  329. 329.
    >this will be a good test of things, whether or not I can really trust her
  330. 330.
    >definitely cutting my losses if she tries to break her promise
  331. 331.
    >she insists that I'm her lucky charm so we're bound to win big
  332. 332.
     
  333. 333.
    >waiting at the bus stop
  334. 334.
    >the apathy returns
  335. 335.
    >this place is filthy
  336. 336.
    >graffiti, trash, all expressions in a larger narrative
  337. 337.
    >everyone is so careless
  338. 338.
    >entire lives are discarded here
  339. 339.
    >step over them daily
  340. 340.
    >imagine what this city could be if they all just disappeared one day
  341. 341.
    >so I'm a hypocrite for picking up Cherry
  342. 342.
    >she's just a cute little pony
  343. 343.
    >she doesn't deserve this
  344. 344.
    >but to some extent this is what she chose, isn't it?
  345. 345.
     
  346. 346.
    >why?
  347. 347.
    >would like to ask her
  348. 348.
    >why not just go home?
  349. 349.
    >too soon to pull at those threads
  350. 350.
    >no right to interrogate her
  351. 351.
    >my own situation isn't so great
  352. 352.
    >just enjoy the ride, I tell myself
  353. 353.
    >back of the bus with Cherry
  354. 354.
    >does she always fall asleep when traveling?
  355. 355.
    >seems to be the case
  356. 356.
    >just holding on to her
  357. 357.
    >already she is precious to me
  358. 358.
     
  359. 359.
    >an hour later we've crossed state lines
  360. 360.
    >been to this casino before
  361. 361.
    >used to work the buffet table and restaurant
  362. 362.
    >hopefully I don't run into anyone I know
  363. 363.
    >Cherry and I set up at the at the old three-reel dollar slots
  364. 364.
    >spin
  365. 365.
    >spin
  366. 366.
    >spin
  367. 367.
    >pretty mindless to me but Cherry is enjoying herself
  368. 368.
    >waitress comes around offering a free drink
  369. 369.
    >Cherry gets a daiquiri and I get a Shirley Temple
  370. 370.
    >can't drink anymore, not like I used to
  371. 371.
    >150 spins later we're both down but not out
  372. 372.
    >figure we'll cash out and break for lunch
  373. 373.
    >someone I knew was working buffet after all
  374. 374.
    >slip him some trade samples from my work I brought in my bag
  375. 375.
    >free lunch
  376. 376.
    >Cherry is thrilled at the promise of "all you can eat"
  377. 377.
    >help her carry plates
  378. 378.
    >one for an enormous salad
  379. 379.
    >the other has desserts
  380. 380.
    >go back for my own plate
  381. 381.
    >entrees I know they made for today's service and not last night's
  382. 382.
     
  383. 383.
    >over lunch Cherry asks about my time in Equestria
  384. 384.
    >show her pictures
  385. 385.
    >host family
  386. 386.
    >landmarks
  387. 387.
    >the library I can never forget
  388. 388.
    >that's where I wanted to be
  389. 389.
    >shame it never worked out
  390. 390.
     
  391. 391.
    >Cherry's from Las Pegasus
  392. 392.
    >can't imagine being there myself
  393. 393.
    >no matter the assurances
  394. 394.
    >surely I'd fall to my death
  395. 395.
     
  396. 396.
    >does she miss it?
  397. 397.
    >she makes a noise, a shrug, chews some lettuce
  398. 398.
    >she says the games here are more fun
  399. 399.
    >on that note she thinks the slots aren't with us
  400. 400.
    >we should try another game
  401. 401.
    >raise the stakes
  402. 402.
    >get the sense she likes the risk
  403. 403.
    >how much?
  404. 404.
    >one way to find out
  405. 405.
     
  406. 406.
    >used to accompany my family to casinos
  407. 407.
    >contrary to what Cherry says I don't see myself as much of a lucky charm
  408. 408.
    >can count on one hand the times I've observed a 'win' for the day
  409. 409.
    >granted those were good days
  410. 410.
    >but every other day was burned chasing an utterly foolish dream
  411. 411.
    >is today is any different?
  412. 412.
    >looking at the games
  413. 413.
    >all of them
  414. 414.
    >how lucky are we really?
  415. 415.
     
  416. 416.
    >ask Cherry if she wants to bet it all on Red
  417. 417.
    >her ears perk up
  418. 418.
    >then she looks at me with suspicion
  419. 419.
     
  420. 420.
    "You're not hoping that we bust out so we can leave early, right?"
  421. 421.
     
  422. 422.
    >wouldn't mind it
  423. 423.
    >but
  424. 424.
    >Red is her color, isn't it?
  425. 425.
    >she's all in
  426. 426.
    >about $150 between us
  427. 427.
    >if we win we're back where we started, if we lose it's over
  428. 428.
    >we're on the wheel
  429. 429.
    >spinning
  430. 430.
    >click, click, click
  431. 431.
    >long-game Colors roulette is losing, always, minus five cents on the dollar overtime
  432. 432.
    >such a slow gain that many bet it all away right at the end out of sheer boredom
  433. 433.
    >but one spin, 1:1 payout?
  434. 434.
    >Cherry's hoof rests against my wrist
  435. 435.
    >the spinning wheel reflected in her big, bright eyes
  436. 436.
    >mesmerizing her
  437. 437.
    >in seven years, how many lucky charms has she gone through?
  438. 438.
     
  439. 439.
    >Red 16
  440. 440.
    >Cherry squeals and hops about, a little turn on the carpet
  441. 441.
    >signal for another go-around, no move
  442. 442.
    >Cherry looks surprised at me
  443. 443.
    >Red 32
  444. 444.
    >she hooves at my arm
  445. 445.
    >One more
  446. 446.
    >she hides her face and cries out into my sleeve
  447. 447.
    >feel numb
  448. 448.
    >even with my hands at the wheel I feel as numb as I did back then, watching senior members of my family piss away a generation of wealth as their next of kin drowned in debt
  449. 449.
    >like they'd rather leave with everything or nothing
  450. 450.
    >Red 21
  451. 451.
    >Cherry has to pull me away before I bet again
  452. 452.
    >sit out the round, but I want to see where the wheel goes
  453. 453.
     
  454. 454.
    >Spin
  455. 455.
    >Black 10
  456. 456.
    >close call
  457. 457.
    >we'd have busted out off a win streak if she didn't pull me back
  458. 458.
    >how much have we got
  459. 459.
    >$1200?
  460. 460.
    >cash out
  461. 461.
    >we've quadrupled our bank since we came in
  462. 462.
     
  463. 463.
    >Comp time
  464. 464.
    >they don't want us to leave
  465. 465.
    >they want their money back
  466. 466.
    >got to play along
  467. 467.
    >figure Cherry's got a Rewards account; she can have the points for all I care
  468. 468.
    >she's a little cagey about it, says I should open one for myself
  469. 469.
     
  470. 470.
    >ask for the paperwork for Entry level status membership
  471. 471.
    >hand over Cherry's half for her to put in her purse
  472. 472.
    >once her purse is open I snatch up her wallet
  473. 473.
    >she all but brays at me and snaps with her teeth to take it back
  474. 474.
    >didn't even need to open it
  475. 475.
    >can tell from the color at the edge of the card
  476. 476.
    >saw it only a few times when I worked here
  477. 477.
    >only card that offered discounts at the restaurant
  478. 478.
    >the highest level of membership
  479. 479.
    >Invitation Only
  480. 480.
    >she's got to know someone or have spent at least six figures among the provider's network of casinos
  481. 481.
    >so what the fuck are we doing here playing dollar reels and $25 minimum roulette?
  482. 482.
     
  483. 483.
    >when we first met, we found each other on the same dirty street
  484. 484.
    >but I've lived here a lot longer than her
  485. 485.
    >something's off
  486. 486.
    >lead her to a dark corner of the nearest bar
  487. 487.
    >she's got to tell me what's up if she wants to stay friends with me
  488. 488.
     
  489. 489.
    >tears in her eyes
  490. 490.
    >she lost it all
  491. 491.
    >there are charges to the account she's still trying to make up
  492. 492.
    >hesitant to ask, but
  493. 493.
    >how much is she down?
  494. 494.
    >long pause
  495. 495.
    >very long pause
  496. 496.
    >she shakes her head, she doesn't want to say
  497. 497.
     
  498. 498.
    >ten grand?
  499. 499.
    >she shakes her head
  500. 500.
    >twenty?
  501. 501.
    >she puts her face into her hooves
  502. 502.
     
  503. 503.
    >$120,000
  504. 504.
    >that's why she can't go home
  505. 505.
    >she'd pulled over ten grand worth of bits from the card her dad gave her before getting cut off
  506. 506.
    >Wilds family has a casino up in the clouds, she thought she knew better
  507. 507.
    >but Las Pegasus didn't prepare her for the kind of games we play down here
  508. 508.
    >she played her way to the top, then she lost it all
  509. 509.
    >she's been trying to break even ever since
  510. 510.
    >considering the state I found her in yesterday, it hasn't been going well for her
  511. 511.
     
  512. 512.
    >that address she gave before was real after all, sort of
  513. 513.
    >she had a complimentary VIP room at a hotel nearby
  514. 514.
    >she just couldn't leave
  515. 515.
    >not without something to show for it
  516. 516.
     
  517. 517.
    >lucky charms
  518. 518.
    >did she fleece them herself or just feed them to the casino to pay down her debt?
  519. 519.
    >was she scamming me?
  520. 520.
    >she swears up and down, it wasn't like that
  521. 521.
    >not with me
  522. 522.
    >I'd been so kind to her, not like the others
  523. 523.
    >small comfort, if I could believe her
  524. 524.
    >should just leave, I'm up $600, I can go back to work and act like this never happened
  525. 525.
     
  526. 526.
    >sure, I feel bad for her
  527. 527.
    >but even if I wanted to help her, she's out too deep, I'd drown just the same
  528. 528.
     
  529. 529.
    >so why aren't I leaving?
  530. 530.
     
  531. 531.
    >just sitting there
  532. 532.
    >Cherry sniffling, eyes downcast
  533. 533.
    >she hasn't got a friend in the world, has she?
  534. 534.
    >a true, true friend
  535. 535.
    >helps a friend in need
  536. 536.
    >fucking friendship lessons
  537. 537.
    >I could never hope to show my face in Equestria again if I abandoned a pony in need
  538. 538.
     
  539. 539.
    >Cherry slowly looks up at me, mascara running
  540. 540.
    >tell her we should leave for now, we could go see a show or something and cool off
  541. 541.
    >we can come back and play more later
  542. 542.
    >she looks confused
  543. 543.
     
  544. 544.
    "I haven't been a good friend to you...Why would you stay?"
  545. 545.
     
  546. 546.
    >we haven't even taken those shrooms I got yet, why would I leave?
  547. 547.
     
  548. 548.
    >leading Cherry toward any one of the exits, I notice Security looking at us
  549. 549.
    >may be nothing
  550. 550.
    >back to the players' club
  551. 551.
    >how much does the employee behind the counter know about what's going on?
  552. 552.
    >broad strokes, surely
  553. 553.
    >when I worked here, what did I know?
  554. 554.
    >not that much
  555. 555.
    >my last manager was a sleaze shipping in girls fresh out of school from overseas to serve drinks
  556. 556.
    >the manager before him was fired for doing ketamine on camera
  557. 557.
    >everyone intuitively knows there's something wrong in the building
  558. 558.
    >the musty smells
  559. 559.
    >the water damage
  560. 560.
    >someone working banquet once told me there are spirits of ruined gamblers still stuck in their chairs
  561. 561.
    >true enough that a certain energy accumulates in spaces, atmosphere as it were
  562. 562.
    >the atmosphere here, for those sensitive enough to feel it, induces despair
  563. 563.
    >it's too risky to try and get help from within the belly of the beast itself
  564. 564.
    >the only idea I've got is to play dumb, which comes naturally to me
  565. 565.
    >just a pony john with his pony whore at the casino
  566. 566.
    >security probably saw us have that little tiff over money at the players' club counter
  567. 567.
    >regular enough occurrence among human couples here
  568. 568.
     
  569. 569.
    >if they think I'm still an unwitting cashout, they'll string me along to put me in more risk, including access to high-stakes VIP rooms
  570. 570.
    >inquire about Cherry's membership status
  571. 571.
    >they don't want me to think anything is amiss, so they're honoring it
  572. 572.
    >ask about comps for shows, hotels, restaurant discounts, items at the gift shop
  573. 573.
    >eventually she's so tired of answering my questions that she offers vouchers to a show that starts in the next fifteen minutes, she'll even call ahead to the hotel about us
  574. 574.
     
  575. 575.
    >off to the show room
  576. 576.
    >used to be a VIP club room, but they've built a bigger one since
  577. 577.
    >the old room, with its domed ceiling, puts on laser light shows, including a planetarium show with a ring of projectors around the room
  578. 578.
    >old tech
  579. 579.
    >if even one of them has an issue the whole system goes down
  580. 580.
    >but it's a pretty good show when it's running
  581. 581.
     
  582. 582.
    >pass Cherry a mushroom cap once we're seated in the dark room
  583. 583.
    >fuck it I'll take one too
  584. 584.
    >it feels like there's no way out of this
  585. 585.
    >no better time to expand my consciousness, or something like that
  586. 586.
    >two ideas
  587. 587.
    >winning it all back here, which seems impossible
  588. 588.
    >or cutting and running, which I won't do without Cherry
  589. 589.
    >get the feeling there's still more she hasn't told me, but it can wait
  590. 590.
    >just going to look up at the dark, at the projections of digital constellations
  591. 591.
    >Cherry offers up her hoof into my hand
  592. 592.
    >she's tearing up again, looking up at the ceiling
  593. 593.
    >which stars are we looking at?
  594. 594.
    >don't ask me to explain how, but I know that some of these same constellations can be viewed from Equestria just the same as Earth
  595. 595.
     
  596. 596.
    >ok you can't really see the constellations so good on Earth
  597. 597.
    >Light Pollution
  598. 598.
    >Cherry probably hasn't seen them in years, same as me
  599. 599.
    >hold on to her hoof
  600. 600.
    >the shows are thirty minutes with intermissions between
  601. 601.
    >wordlessly we melt into the dark
  602. 602.
     
  603. 603.
    >we're not the only ones drying out in here
  604. 604.
    >some people spend all day at the casino
  605. 605.
    >inevitably they congregate somewhere dark and quiet
  606. 606.
    >the shrooms are kicking in by the second show
  607. 607.
    >not a usual substance for me
  608. 608.
    >generally too anxious and paranoid
  609. 609.
    >those feelings are still there with me
  610. 610.
    >but at least I'm not alone
  611. 611.
    >feels like my hand and her hoof have melded
  612. 612.
    >afraid of what may happen if I pull away now
  613. 613.
    >there's a soft thump against my shoulder
  614. 614.
    >Cherry is leaning into it
  615. 615.
    >at each point of contact we are melding together
  616. 616.
    >slouch a bit
  617. 617.
    >lean so that my head rests over hers
  618. 618.
    >the sky overhead opens up
  619. 619.
    >some nausea as I lose myself in the stars
  620. 620.
    >gradually acclimate
  621. 621.
    >the two of us are swimming up there
  622. 622.
    >projected from our seats to join the other constellations
  623. 623.
    >what's stopping us from going wherever we please?
  624. 624.
    >nothing can reach us up here
  625. 625.
     
  626. 626.
    >floating on the astral plane with Cherry
  627. 627.
    >deep introspection
  628. 628.
    >or just fixating on random points of light
  629. 629.
    >do we have a telepathic link right now?
  630. 630.
    >try sending thoughts to her
  631. 631.
    >no reaction
  632. 632.
    >try 'receiving' instead
  633. 633.
    >hear her whisper
  634. 634.
     
  635. 635.
    "Do you know about Orion?"
  636. 636.
     
  637. 637.
    >The Greek or the pony?
  638. 638.
     
  639. 639.
    "The pony Orion, I mean...You know about him?"
  640. 640.
     
  641. 641.
    >Old King, lost everything to Queen Chrysalis, became a star in the sky to escape her, never to return?
  642. 642.
    >she didn't reply
  643. 643.
    >not telepathic, gotta whisper back what I know
  644. 644.
     
  645. 645.
    "You must have done alright in your classes"
  646. 646.
     
  647. 647.
    >barely scraped by
  648. 648.
    >never really got serious about anything
  649. 649.
     
  650. 650.
    "Me neither"
  651. 651.
     
  652. 652.
    >what was she doing, before...
  653. 653.
     
  654. 654.
    "Dancer"
  655. 655.
     
  656. 656.
    >in school?
  657. 657.
     
  658. 658.
    "Oh. Business, I guess. Didn't finish, on account of..."
  659. 659.
     
  660. 660.
    >whispering together to get the full story
  661. 661.
     
  662. 662.
    >Cherry had ditched her school's tour group with her best friend and the best friend's boyfriend in tow
  663. 663.
    >they messed around with drugs and got into trouble
  664. 664.
    >they missed the arranged teleport home
  665. 665.
    >the best friend's boyfriend was magically summoned home a few days later in a peal of green flames
  666. 666.
    >his family was well to do, he was the single heir, they forced him back
  667. 667.
    >the two of them waited for the other horseshoe to drop, their own families would likely do the same soon
  668. 668.
    >not quite
  669. 669.
     
  670. 670.
    >back home, the boyfriend pinned the whole mess on them to try and save face, going so far as to exaggerate their delinquent behavior abroad
  671. 671.
    >their families were ashamed, ready to disown them, but they at least sent along funds so the girls could be safe and wait for the next trip home
  672. 672.
    >while waiting, Cherry's best friend, a unicorn named Clove Crystals, found out she was pregnant
  673. 673.
    >she wouldn't be able to teleport home safely until it was born
  674. 674.
    >Clove's boyfriend was the father, but he wouldn't admit to it, and his family backed him up
  675. 675.
    >Clove's family arranged for her to go to rehab, get therapy, a whole medical team to keep up with her progress
  676. 676.
    >for their support, she had to cut ties with Cherry
  677. 677.
     
  678. 678.
    >Cherry's dad kept the money coming, two weeks for the next teleport
  679. 679.
    >no use trying to explain magic to a human, but lunar phases are involved
  680. 680.
    >Alone, Cherry lived hoof to mouth, often with drugs lining her hoof
  681. 681.
    >she spent all the money she got on them, and she had to do unsavory things when the money was gone
  682. 682.
    >two nights before her trip home she gets a sort of scroll from Clove
  683. 683.
    >eye-liner on singed toilet paper
  684. 684.
    >Clove wants to escape
  685. 685.
    >she can't take the constant surveillance, being treated like an incubator, her family wants her to try and patch things up with the father and she can't imagine forgiving him after everything he said about her
  686. 686.
     
  687. 687.
    >Cherry helps Clove
  688. 688.
    >they go on the run
  689. 689.
    >Clove puts spells on them to ward off attempts at scrying or summoning
  690. 690.
    >with no more support, Cherry burns herself at both ends to provide for them, Clove becoming increasingly dependent on her as the months go by
  691. 691.
    >during a tour of travel with a county fair, Clove gives birth to a foal
  692. 692.
    >they're all happy, for a time
  693. 693.
    >but Cherry is unwell
  694. 694.
    >she needs drugs to function and she sells her body to pay for them
  695. 695.
    >when she tries to quit she suffers from sleep deprivation that makes her agitated, which is made worse by the new foal who cries every night
  696. 696.
    >she doesn't remember what happened exactly
  697. 697.
    >but one morning Clove and the foal were gone
  698. 698.
    >Cherry went back to using
  699. 699.
    >fill in the blanks
  700. 700.
    >she hopes they made it home alright
  701. 701.
     
  702. 702.
    >feels like I've been staring into space for hours
  703. 703.
    >and in that space was a projection of everything Cherry told me
  704. 704.
    >she lost everything and she can't hope to get it back
  705. 705.
    >what can I even do for her?
  706. 706.
     
  707. 707.
    >need to get some air
  708. 708.
    >some water
  709. 709.
    >back to the buffet
  710. 710.
    >trade a few mushroom caps and a hoof-rolled blunt for more meal vouchers
  711. 711.
    >leave the building through the kitchen staff exit
  712. 712.
     
  713. 713.
    >gets dark early this time of year
  714. 714.
    >passing a water and a joint back and forth in silence, watching car lights go by on the highway below
  715. 715.
    >still need to learn more about her time in the casino
  716. 716.
    >but that was enough purging for now
  717. 717.
     
  718. 718.
    >let's go gambling!
  719. 719.
    >puke into a bush
  720. 720.
    >back inside the casino
  721. 721.
    >get supplies at the gift shop
  722. 722.
    >water, red bull, mints
  723. 723.
    >my eyes really linger over some cigarettes but the urge passes
  724. 724.
    >Cherry grabs a pack for herself
  725. 725.
    >so fucking bright in the casino
  726. 726.
    >so loud
  727. 727.
    >there's a man limping past with a cane who has a five-hour energy in his shaking fist
  728. 728.
    >at the corner slots across from the gift shop another man is hooked up to an oxygen tank
  729. 729.
    >a woman briskly walks toward the exit in her bare feet, carrying a pair of snapped heels
  730. 730.
    >what does Cherry like about this place?
  731. 731.
     
  732. 732.
    "That's where the games are...I wouldn't say I like this one, but I'm stuck with it now."
  733. 733.
     
  734. 734.
    >a man hastily tries to leave the VIP area
  735. 735.
    >he is firmly, gently led back inside to talk it out
  736. 736.
    >think I know what's up
  737. 737.
    >casino marker, "interest-free" credit inside a casino, to keep you from the bother of going to the bank
  738. 738.
    >Cherry probably lied about having the money, putting up an account associated with her family which appeared to have the credit needed
  739. 739.
    >if they cash in on insufficient funds, she's committed fraud, a felony's worth for that much money
  740. 740.
    >that's what they've got over her
  741. 741.
    >she can't run or they'll call her marker
  742. 742.
    >they give her a room and look the other way as she brings in money to pay down her debt
  743. 743.
     
  744. 744.
    >Cherry hoofs at my arm, I've been looking in that direction for too long
  745. 745.
    >reassure her that I don't want to go in there right now
  746. 746.
     
  747. 747.
    >sit down for blackjack
  748. 748.
    >need more time to level out, too much mental interference
  749. 749.
    >lose over a hundred dollars between us over the next hour
  750. 750.
    >even if we start winning, there's no way we'll get anywhere near the amount she needs before the casino acts against us, it can't be done with a slow build
  751. 751.
    >a big gamble is necessary, but we don't have the money
  752. 752.
    >sure, there's my own money...
  753. 753.
    >how much is Cherry worth to me really?
  754. 754.
    >would I spend every dollar I have on a gamble to help her?
  755. 755.
    >the thought of her continuing to ply her trade discomforts me
  756. 756.
    >maybe she doesn't mind the work, when it's on her terms, but that's not the case
  757. 757.
    >I can tell that just by being in this building that her spirit is diminishing
  758. 758.
     
  759. 759.
    >if I leave just enough for next month's rent, I can stand to lose $3,000
  760. 760.
    >it feels hopeless
  761. 761.
    >the building is getting to me too
  762. 762.
    >downgrade to video poker, Cherry smokes a cigarette and drinks an old-fashioned
  763. 763.
    >just water for me, though I snap up Cherry's cigarette after a few hands and take a few drags on it
  764. 764.
     
  765. 765.
    "Hey! You oughta ask, at least!"
  766. 766.
     
  767. 767.
    >Cherry laughs
  768. 768.
    >cherry lip-gloss
  769. 769.
    >haven't smoked in years
  770. 770.
    >let's keep gambling, I'm getting a second wind
  771. 771.
     
  772. 772.
    >running the math over games of video poker
  773. 773.
    >if we took everything we had on hand and I pulled another $3,000 from an ATM we could put it all on a single number bet at the roulette wheel, 35 to 1 pay out
  774. 774.
    >truly a thought that only an insane person could have
  775. 775.
    >it felt so close and yet so far away
  776. 776.
    >spinning
  777. 777.
    >any stop could have been our number
  778. 778.
    >one spin and it can all be over
  779. 779.
    >for better or worse
  780. 780.
     
  781. 781.
    >need to get out of my head
  782. 782.
    >chatting with Cherry
  783. 783.
    >ought to ask about her plays
  784. 784.
    >she's gambled more than me, after all
  785. 785.
     
  786. 786.
    "Oh, I really only seem to have luck at the slots...Playing other games is what got me into this mess."
  787. 787.
     
  788. 788.
    >she'd won several jackpots at slots and gotten the VIP treatment for it
  789. 789.
    >then the wins dried up
  790. 790.
    >they could be rigging the games against her
  791. 791.
    >they may have warned other casinos nearby about her too
  792. 792.
    >that's how she ended up playing in random bars instead of the game houses
  793. 793.
     
  794. 794.
    >try to test my theory about the games
  795. 795.
    >sure, we hadn't done well earlier, but that didn't mean anything
  796. 796.
    >play the old mechanical 3-reel machines together
  797. 797.
    >then the newer ones
  798. 798.
    >pick ones that had been untouched
  799. 799.
    >then ones someone else had been sat at
  800. 800.
    >we each lose about $200 running these tests
  801. 801.
    >every machine that can be rigged against her seems like it is
  802. 802.
    >she's probably only allowed to play them now because she's with me
  803. 803.
    >there's about a 1 in 8,000 chance she could win a jackpot of ten grand
  804. 804.
    >the best idea I've got is to burn the last $800 we've got on hand into these old slots
  805. 805.
    >no, I've got to be playing too or else they might get suspicious
  806. 806.
    >Cherry's got $400 to try and hit the jackpot
  807. 807.
    >we need that money to be able to take on the VIP room
  808. 808.
     
  809. 809.
    >spin
  810. 810.
    >spin
  811. 811.
    >spin
  812. 812.
     
  813. 813.
    >I'm not counting on winning, just playing my part
  814. 814.
    >still, it's pretty boring for me
  815. 815.
    >the number just keeps going down
  816. 816.
    >a little tear of a weed gummy ought to make this more bearable
  817. 817.
    >offer Cherry a piece
  818. 818.
    >she's focused, doesn't notice
  819. 819.
    >she still hoofs at the machine and whispers to it
  820. 820.
    >she's losing it at about the same pace as me
  821. 821.
    >within the hour we'll go bust
  822. 822.
     
  823. 823.
    >spin
  824. 824.
    >spin
  825. 825.
    >spin
  826. 826.
     
  827. 827.
    >win back up to my starting bank on a triple bar
  828. 828.
    >but that just means I have to play longer
  829. 829.
     
  830. 830.
    >spin
  831. 831.
    >hit bonus mode
  832. 832.
    >$100 over start
  833. 833.
    >could drag this out more betting one line at a time instead
  834. 834.
    >spin
  835. 835.
    >why bet max each spin?
  836. 836.
    >spin
  837. 837.
    >that's the only way you can hit the jackpot
  838. 838.
    >spin
  839. 839.
    >a part of me thinks I can win
  840. 840.
    >spin
  841. 841.
     
  842. 842.
    >another bonus mode
  843. 843.
    >nothing out of it though
  844. 844.
    >spinning
  845. 845.
    >the next bonus mode paid out
  846. 846.
    >I've tripled my starting bank, but I'm annoyed about it if anything
  847. 847.
    >spin
  848. 848.
    >feel Cherry's eyes on me
  849. 849.
    >look over
  850. 850.
    >she's smiling at me
  851. 851.
    >she winks
  852. 852.
    >reminded of that first $20 she gave me
  853. 853.
     
  854. 854.
    >ok I'm up to $1500, but what good is that?
  855. 855.
     
  856. 856.
    >a strange sort of arrangement floats to mind
  857. 857.
    >we play slots every day
  858. 858.
    >I give the money to Cherry in return for "favors"
  859. 859.
    >she pays down the debt
  860. 860.
    >she'd be free in a couple months if we can win about this much every day
  861. 861.
     
  862. 862.
    >not the worst idea I've had so far
  863. 863.
    >but it's too regular, too drawn out
  864. 864.
    >they would intervene and separate us if we were clearly cooperating
  865. 865.
    >ask how she's feeling
  866. 866.
     
  867. 867.
    "I'm still spinnin', but here's somethin' for good luck!"
  868. 868.
     
  869. 869.
    >Cherry leans over and presses her muzzle flush against my cheek
  870. 870.
    >spin
  871. 871.
    >bonus
  872. 872.
    >$400 payout
  873. 873.
     
  874. 874.
    >she's a sweet little luck charm
  875. 875.
    >the house used that to their full advantage
  876. 876.
    >as the night's pony john, the fattening of my wallet is of no concern to them, so long as she gets me to go for high-stakes games or gets me into the hotel for the night
  877. 877.
    >are we going to the hotel for tonight?
  878. 878.
     
  879. 879.
    "I'd like it if we could go back to your place instead..."
  880. 880.
     
  881. 881.
    >my place? my place is a mess
  882. 882.
     
  883. 883.
    "That's why I like it!"
  884. 884.
     
  885. 885.
    >she has some strange tastes
  886. 886.
     
  887. 887.
    "That hotel is...I can't stand it there anymore. It's like a prison to me. Every morning, they clean it up so it's like nothing ever happened. When I leave it's like I was never there. I wanna come home and find your dirty socks in the same place you left 'em on the floor. I wanna find the same wrinkled space in bed with the covers pulled back..."
  888. 888.
     
  889. 889.
    >Cherry looks awfully sad
  890. 890.
    >Forget the hotel then
  891. 891.
    >I'll call and tell them I've got to go home, forgot my card, can't check in without it anyway.
  892. 892.
    >Cherry's smiling again
  893. 893.
    >spin
  894. 894.
     
  895. 895.
    >how many times have I spun these fucking reels?
  896. 896.
    >hostess keeps trying to get me a drink
  897. 897.
    >keep telling her I don't drink
  898. 898.
    >Cherry orders a tequila sunrise
  899. 899.
    >notice that she's run out of credits
  900. 900.
    >she seems content to watch me play for now, doesn't want to bother me with withdrawing more
  901. 901.
    >I'm still on a hot streak, after all
  902. 902.
    >she scoots her chair over to lean on me; hooves wrapped around my arm as I continue to play
  903. 903.
     
  904. 904.
    >hovering around $2600
  905. 905.
    >off of my initial bank it's an uncanny winning streak
  906. 906.
     
  907. 907.
    >spin
  908. 908.
    >no pay
  909. 909.
    >spin
  910. 910.
    >no pay
  911. 911.
    >each spin is $3
  912. 912.
    >if a jackpot is due 1 in 8,000 times I could spend twenty-four thousand dollars before getting back ten
  913. 913.
    >spin
  914. 914.
    >no pay
  915. 915.
    >spin
  916. 916.
    >Bonus Activated
  917. 917.
     
  918. 918.
    "You've got such a stony face, anon... Aren't you having fun?"
  919. 919.
     
  920. 920.
    >the hostess brought two tequila sunrises
  921. 921.
     
  922. 922.
    "You know I'm gonna drink both if you don't help me..."
  923. 923.
     
  924. 924.
    >reach for it
  925. 925.
    >stop myself
  926. 926.
    >not just for my health
  927. 927.
    >need to stay sharp
  928. 928.
    >as mind-numbing as this is
  929. 929.
     
  930. 930.
    "More for me...!"
  931. 931.
     
  932. 932.
    >Bonus paid out $1120
  933. 933.
     
  934. 934.
    "You're looking like a sour winner, c'mon..."
  935. 935.
     
  936. 936.
    >Cherry jostles me a bit
  937. 937.
    >can't fake it, starting to feel anxiety build on each win
  938. 938.
    >people are starting to hover around us like hungry ghosts
  939. 939.
     
  940. 940.
    >Bonus Activated
  941. 941.
    >nothing to show for it
  942. 942.
    >seems like I generally lose five in a row at most before a payout that makes me even again
  943. 943.
    >then on every other Bonus activated there's a big payout
  944. 944.
    >people are starting to grumble
  945. 945.
    >this one machine is flaring hot while everyone else has been losing consistently
  946. 946.
    >just keep spinning
  947. 947.
    >remember how Cherry had asked me to escort her after winning a few hundred at the bar last night
  948. 948.
    >there were probably nights where she won but she didn't make it back with the money...
  949. 949.
    >vultures
  950. 950.
     
  951. 951.
    >an attendant comes by to disperse the crowd
  952. 952.
    >tell us they have to 'service the machine'
  953. 953.
    >$3,732 paid out in total
  954. 954.
    >give the players' club attendant my bullshit story about forgetting my card at home
  955. 955.
    >rent a safe deposit box at the casino for my winnings, pull a few hundred in cash
  956. 956.
    >arrange for a ride home with their livery service
  957. 957.
    >specify for a luxury limo with a rear partition
  958. 958.
    >$225 an hour, 2 hour minimum
  959. 959.
    >fuck it
  960. 960.
    >hit the nearest drive-through and take the scenic route back
  961. 961.
    >raise the black-out partition window
  962. 962.
    >admire the interior of the vehicle
  963. 963.
    >beautiful bar cart with mirror counter, the kind you snort coke off of
  964. 964.
     
  965. 965.
    >Cherry snorts coke off of it
  966. 966.
     
  967. 967.
    >haven't done coke in years
  968. 968.
     
  969. 969.
    >one bump ought to do it
  970. 970.
     
  971. 971.
    >heart beating fast
  972. 972.
    >too much energy
  973. 973.
    >not a high-energy person
  974. 974.
    >my mind is flipping through memories at a breakneck pace
  975. 975.
     
  976. 976.
    >my great-aunt who won a vacation after her husband died
  977. 977.
    >my grandmother who won a car she couldn't afford to keep, but she kept it anyway and lost her house over it
  978. 978.
    >my cousin who accidentally shot himself with a gun he bought after winning a scratcher
  979. 979.
     
  980. 980.
    >what does it mean to be fortunate?
  981. 981.
    >the wheel is always turning
  982. 982.
    >never been able to reconcile the gulf between rich and poor that is at once infinite and paper-thin
  983. 983.
    >when things started to go wrong in my life, I feared all causality, I retreated from everything
  984. 984.
    >lowered the stakes
  985. 985.
    >lowered the rewards
  986. 986.
    >if I hadn't met Cherry, I'd just be getting home from another night of work
  987. 987.
    >I'd have gained about $100 from the hourly, another $50 on top between tips and commissions, maybe
  988. 988.
     
  989. 989.
    >instead of that, I was lucky enough to meet a magical gambling pony
  990. 990.
    >but she's a whore and a slave and a drug addict that leaves unlucky men with shares of her gambling debts
  991. 991.
     
  992. 992.
    "Is that cocaine going down alright, sugar?"
  993. 993.
     
  994. 994.
    >my head snaps to look at her
  995. 995.
    >all but laying down, slouched and sprawled across the seat long-ways
  996. 996.
    >the limo's passenger compartment was dark but awash in moving colored lights, it felt like being at a disco
  997. 997.
    >the cocaine was just a bit much for me, that's why I had only done it once before
  998. 998.
    >felt like I needed some kind of release
  999. 999.
     
  1000. 1000.
    "I've got just the thing..."
  1001. 1001.
     
  1002. 1002.
    >she buries her head in my lap and gets to work
  1003. 1003.
    >hopefully the stereo system and partition combined is keeping the driver from hearing the sounds I'm making
  1004. 1004.
     
  1005. 1005.
    >she's going at it aggressively
  1006. 1006.
    >it's too much, got to get a hold on her mane
  1007. 1007.
    >wig comes off
  1008. 1008.
    >got to get a hold of her ears
  1009. 1009.
    >she's fighting the hold
  1010. 1010.
    >all but forced to endure it to the end
  1011. 1011.
    >feel her swallow around it
  1012. 1012.
    >after withdrawing she presents her flank to me expectantly
  1013. 1013.
    >reciprocate oral until the blood returns to me
  1014. 1014.
    >mount her in the back of the limo
  1015. 1015.
     
  1016. 1016.
    >by the time we get dropped off we're all sexed out, or at least I am
  1017. 1017.
    >tip the driver with a crisp hundred dollar bill
  1018. 1018.
    >can tell I'm going to be sore in the morning
  1019. 1019.
    >take a hot bath inside
  1020. 1020.
    >makes the cold in the basement more bearable
  1021. 1021.
    >cuddling in bed, Cherry continues to fidget and tease me in bed with her flank
  1022. 1022.
    >the cocaine seems to have this effect on her
  1023. 1023.
    >give her a hand, not like I don't enjoy treating her to it
  1024. 1024.
    >eventually she reaches the same state of tired soreness as me
  1025. 1025.
    >she pays me many compliments for more oral service
  1026. 1026.
     
  1027. 1027.
    >certainly Cherry doesn't mind me
  1028. 1028.
    >want to believe my situation is different than those before me
  1029. 1029.
    >want to help her
  1030. 1030.
    >she'd be no closer to escaping if she made a dupe out of me
  1031. 1031.
    >but does she really trust that I can deliver her out of this mess?
  1032. 1032.
    >if my plan fails she'll be under even more scrutiny than before
  1033. 1033.
    >not to mention what will become of me
  1034. 1034.
     
  1035. 1035.
    >hoof tap on my head
  1036. 1036.
    >Cherry gestures for me to come up and embrace her
  1037. 1037.
    >we've gotten sufficiently sloppy enough together
  1038. 1038.
    >don't think twice about kissing her anymore
  1039. 1039.
    >vape in bed, too lazy to blow smoke out the window
  1040. 1040.
    >drink some bottled water from my bag I had dropped on the floor, too lazy to leave bed
  1041. 1041.
    >sleep
  1042. 1042.
     
  1043. 1043.
    >wake up
  1044. 1044.
    >Cherry isn't in bed
  1045. 1045.
    >hear her voice muffled by the wall
  1046. 1046.
    >she's on the phone
  1047. 1047.
    >her tone is hushed and strained
  1048. 1048.
    >burst into the bathroom on her
  1049. 1049.
    >her eyes snap open, she freezes
  1050. 1050.
    >gotta piss
  1051. 1051.
    >she can't help but to laugh at my carelessness as she scurries off the seat
  1052. 1052.
    >guessing that was the casino?
  1053. 1053.
     
  1054. 1054.
    "Yeah..."
  1055. 1055.
     
  1056. 1056.
    >supposed to work today
  1057. 1057.
    >feel light-headed, sit down to piss
  1058. 1058.
    >too many drugs, I am not a user like Cherry
  1059. 1059.
    >trying to keep up with her is taking its toll
  1060. 1060.
    >send work an old picture of a positive covid test
  1061. 1061.
    >two free weeks
  1062. 1062.
     
  1063. 1063.
    "They're trying to get info on you right now."
  1064. 1064.
     
  1065. 1065.
    >had hoped to delay this even one more day
  1066. 1066.
    >now that I think about it, we might be totally fucked
  1067. 1067.
    >the casino could assume it's an inside job immediately because of my past employment
  1068. 1068.
    >the only thing going for me is that when they look at my record as a gambler
  1069. 1069.
    >they're going to see a loser
  1070. 1070.
     
  1071. 1071.
    >how will they perceive and respond to the information presented to them?
  1072. 1072.
    >likely they will pressure Cherry to act against me with various threats
  1073. 1073.
    >can I trust her not to betray me?
  1074. 1074.
    >when she looks at me, does she see a loser too?
  1075. 1075.
     
  1076. 1076.
    >what we have is codependency
  1077. 1077.
    >the foundations of our relationship rest on a quick cure of casual sex and shared trauma
  1078. 1078.
    >less than two days together and I'm in a situation that I would not choose to be in
  1079. 1079.
     
  1080. 1080.
    "You good there, anon? Has the cocaine stopped you up?"
  1081. 1081.
     
  1082. 1082.
    >maybe, done pissing anyway
  1083. 1083.
    >thank Cherry for telling me
  1084. 1084.
    >wash my hands with hot water, hot as I can stand it
  1085. 1085.
    >felt a bit numb, blamed the cold
  1086. 1086.
     
  1087. 1087.
    >make breakfast
  1088. 1088.
    >feel like eggs
  1089. 1089.
    >Cherry eats eggs too
  1090. 1090.
    >she'll eat meat, but only certain kinds
  1091. 1091.
    >if she can help it
  1092. 1092.
     
  1093. 1093.
    >occurs to me that they probably don't have many drugs in Equestria
  1094. 1094.
    >didn't go looking, sounded rather taboo and illegal
  1095. 1095.
    >anything there would be scarce, expensive, and dangerous to get
  1096. 1096.
    >things can change in a few years
  1097. 1097.
    >still doubt that they have a dispensary for me to work at though
  1098. 1098.
    >don't know how severely Cherry might have withdrawals
  1099. 1099.
     
  1100. 1100.
    >the risks, the dangers, the extremes of this world drew Cherry in
  1101. 1101.
    >it was a difference to her home that she preferred
  1102. 1102.
    >but she didn't want to stay stuck as she was now
  1103. 1103.
     
  1104. 1104.
    "You do have a plan, right? You had this crazy look in your eyes all day yesterday...I liked that. But you don't look too sure of things this morning..."
  1105. 1105.
     
  1106. 1106.
    >so I have several plans and can't delay choosing one any further
  1107. 1107.
    >need to settle on one
  1108. 1108.
     
  1109. 1109.
    >Plan A
  1110. 1110.
    >return to the casino
  1111. 1111.
    >gamble
  1112. 1112.
    >win
  1113. 1113.
     
  1114. 1114.
    >Plan B
  1115. 1115.
    >go on the run
  1116. 1116.
    >just run
  1117. 1117.
    >that's the plan
  1118. 1118.
     
  1119. 1119.
    >Plan C
  1120. 1120.
    >go on the run
  1121. 1121.
    >but this time to Equestria
  1122. 1122.
     
  1123. 1123.
    >Plan D
  1124. 1124.
    >go to the authorities for help (in my mind this is the least realistic plan)
  1125. 1125.
     
  1126. 1126.
    >would rather not be on the run
  1127. 1127.
    >need a way to deal with them directly to resolve it
  1128. 1128.
    >some way to sell that I'm a sucker for Cherry and responsible for her debt
  1129. 1129.
     
  1130. 1130.
    >we could get married
  1131. 1131.
     
  1132. 1132.
    "Who, me?"
  1133. 1133.
     
  1134. 1134.
    >Cherry gets big eyes and blinks in surprise, needing a moment to parse the idea
  1135. 1135.
    >being married would make me eligible to go to Equestria with her, I hope
  1136. 1136.
    >in addition, I would get the chance to confront her debtors directly
  1137. 1137.
     
  1138. 1138.
    "What about..."
  1139. 1139.
     
  1140. 1140.
    >it's been seven years, surely they've magicked up a potion or something to detoxify ponies who came into contact with drugs over here
  1141. 1141.
     
  1142. 1142.
    "I can't leave without..."
  1143. 1143.
     
  1144. 1144.
    >without what?
  1145. 1145.
    >Cherry dipped her mouth into her purse and retrieved a dated phone with blocky buttons
  1146. 1146.
     
  1147. 1147.
    "I never knew for sure where they ended up, but I don't wanna leave if I'd be leaving them behind here."
  1148. 1148.
     
  1149. 1149.
    >Cherry was the one left behind
  1150. 1150.
     
  1151. 1151.
    "I never bothered her again, cuz I knew I must have done wrong. It wasn't safe to be with me...For the sake of her foal, she had to leave me behind. I'm sure it was hard for her too..."
  1152. 1152.
     
  1153. 1153.
    >if Cherry wants to reach out then she should
  1154. 1154.
    >get closure
  1155. 1155.
    >could give her some privacy
  1156. 1156.
     
  1157. 1157.
    "You better sit there and hold my hoof if you're gonna be my husband..."
  1158. 1158.
     
  1159. 1159.
    >Cherry put this off for so long, fearing certain rejection, she needed me to press the button once she'd found Clove in her contacts
  1160. 1160.
    >hold onto Cherry's hoof
  1161. 1161.
     
  1162. 1162.
    >Calling...
  1163. 1163.
    >Cherry's breathing heavily, her hoof gets clammy
  1164. 1164.
    >she wants to use something to relieve the pressure, but she always wanted to be sober for this call
  1165. 1165.
    >she looks at me with a tearful expression, mouthing my name
  1166. 1166.
    >squeeze at her hoof
  1167. 1167.
    >The ringing goes on and on
  1168. 1168.
     
  1169. 1169.
    >a somber, weary voice answers the phone, rotely asking who is calling
  1170. 1170.
     
  1171. 1171.
    "Clove...?"
  1172. 1172.
     
  1173. 1173.
    >the voice is stunned, returning with a similarly vulnerable, questioning greeting
  1174. 1174.
    >"Cherry...?"
  1175. 1175.
    >Clove is surprised to hear from her, to say the least
  1176. 1176.
    >"Are you...Are you alright?"
  1177. 1177.
    >Cherry shudders a bit, strangled between laughter and tears
  1178. 1178.
     
  1179. 1179.
    "Yes and no... But I've made a good friend who gave me the courage to do this...How is...Your baby?"
  1180. 1180.
     
  1181. 1181.
    >Her filly, Trifecta, is well. She likes running and gardening. They live in a city not so far north of where we are now, there is a small community of expatriate ponies there.
  1182. 1182.
    >they never did go back to Equestria
  1183. 1183.
    >suited Clove just fine
  1184. 1184.
    >the father as well, he didn't want them to return and cause him any more embarrassment
  1185. 1185.
    >so long as he keeps paying child support, Clove was fine with it
  1186. 1186.
    >once she had settled down, she had hoped to hear from Cherry
  1187. 1187.
    >but...she had heard that Cherry went home after all
  1188. 1188.
    >who had told her that?
  1189. 1189.
     
  1190. 1190.
    >the father of Clove's child, a pegasus by the name of Monte Sawbuck
  1191. 1191.
    >he had told Clove that Cherry went home to her family
  1192. 1192.
    >she had an easy job at some casino out of the way and that was that
  1193. 1193.
    >if Cherry hadn't called Clove, it was because her family didn't want her to get mixed up with the human world again
  1194. 1194.
     
  1195. 1195.
    >but that was all lies
  1196. 1196.
    >Cherry had been suffering all this time
  1197. 1197.
    >did Monte have a hoof in this somehow?
  1198. 1198.
    >Clove wants to know where Cherry is now
  1199. 1199.
     
  1200. 1200.
    "I'm...I am thinkin' of goin' back soon, but it's been so long since I've talked to anypony back home, I'm going to need some help...Also, that friend I mentioned...Well, he asked me if I wanted to get married."
  1201. 1201.
     
  1202. 1202.
    >Clove will do whatever she can to help Cherry now that she knows
  1203. 1203.
    >But what about the proposal? What did she say?
  1204. 1204.
    >Cherry smiles at me
  1205. 1205.
     
  1206. 1206.
    >can't deny that the influence of this world is corruptive
  1207. 1207.
    >but evil is not absent in Equestria
  1208. 1208.
    >they extol harmony so fervently
  1209. 1209.
    >so what happens when something threatens their sense of harmony?
  1210. 1210.
     
  1211. 1211.
    >the cultural pressures of this world and the next are not so dissimilar
  1212. 1212.
    >those that defy the greater order are swept into the periphery of society with great scorn
  1213. 1213.
     
  1214. 1214.
    >I am not so different from Cherry
  1215. 1215.
    >at a time when I didn't know who I wanted to be
  1216. 1216.
    >I was directed to fit the mold
  1217. 1217.
    >we were each raised with the idea of being special, one of a kind
  1218. 1218.
    >but one day, all of a sudden, we weren't
  1219. 1219.
    >instead, we were supposed to become a discrete unit of a greater economy
  1220. 1220.
    >failing this, your path to a 'normal life' will become severed
  1221. 1221.
    >to be so excluded is spiritually crushing
  1222. 1222.
    >what comfort awaits those who became so outcast and despised?
  1223. 1223.
    >in the eyes of many, any resources spent trying to recover such people are wasted
  1224. 1224.
    >sure, some of them are too far gone
  1225. 1225.
    >to some extent that's by design
  1226. 1226.
    >with a blind eye, they may become so degraded that they are seen as incompatible with the world they were born into
  1227. 1227.
    >some, according to their high-born status, are afforded many more chances to recover than others
  1228. 1228.
    >they commit the same trespasses against society, but for the sake of maintaining harmony and strata, their crimes and their victims are ignored
  1229. 1229.
     
  1230. 1230.
    >Cherry will be ignored no longer
  1231. 1231.
    >no matter what
  1232. 1232.
    >I want to bring Cherry back to the light
  1233. 1233.
    >I will tie my fate to hers and we will ascend, together
  1234. 1234.
     
  1235. 1235.
    >Monte had used his influence to bar the way home for at least two ponies here already
  1236. 1236.
    >why stop there?
  1237. 1237.
    >Cherry told me that Monte's family had business in Las Pegasus casinos, same as her family
  1238. 1238.
    >he had open, steady lines of credit between here and there
  1239. 1239.
    >ask Cherry if she'd ever seen any other ponies around that casino
  1240. 1240.
    >few and far between, like anywhere else, really
  1241. 1241.
    >figures she wouldn't be allowed to fraternize with any of them
  1242. 1242.
    >at one point she heard whispers of bets over pony racing, derby
  1243. 1243.
    >but never saw it herself
  1244. 1244.
    >there was one creature she saw in particular that surprised her
  1245. 1245.
    >a bison, there among the high rollers
  1246. 1246.
    >at a glance, he terrified her
  1247. 1247.
    >she was glad not to have seen him again
  1248. 1248.
    >but I've got a feeling that we may have to...
  1249. 1249.
    >if I'm right, the bison she spoke of is Monte's right hand on this side of operations
  1250. 1250.
    >and Cherry may not be their only victim
  1251. 1251.
     
  1252. 1252.
    >leaving the basement apartment
  1253. 1253.
    >limo is outside
  1254. 1254.
    >seems they don't want us wasting much time coming back
  1255. 1255.
    >the driver is amenable to a quick stop at least
  1256. 1256.
     
  1257. 1257.
    >at the courthouse
  1258. 1258.
    >inform the kindly old woman at the counter that I am here to marry
  1259. 1259.
    >where is the bride?
  1260. 1260.
    >gesture downward
  1261. 1261.
    >the old woman adjusts her glasses and leans over the counter to observe the happy little pony sitting on the ground beside me
  1262. 1262.
    >she squints at Cherry's forged temp id but it seems to pass
  1263. 1263.
     
  1264. 1264.
    >there's a three-day waiting period
  1265. 1265.
    >but you can pay to have that waived
  1266. 1266.
    >need a witness
  1267. 1267.
    >call in the limo driver
  1268. 1268.
    >the old clerk questions him if we're serious
  1269. 1269.
    >he confirms that we seem pretty serious to him
  1270. 1270.
    >polite enough not to mention the pre-marital mess we made in the back of the limo before
  1271. 1271.
     
  1272. 1272.
    >paperwork
  1273. 1273.
    >fees
  1274. 1274.
    >appointment
  1275. 1275.
    >exchange of vows
  1276. 1276.
     
  1277. 1277.
    >Cherry is the flame that rekindled my heart
  1278. 1278.
    >cannot bear to return to a life without her
  1279. 1279.
    >vow to have and to hold her
  1280. 1280.
    >for rich or poor, better or worse, 'til death do us part
  1281. 1281.
     
  1282. 1282.
    >Cherry's lip quivers
  1283. 1283.
    "Before we met...For years now, every day and every night, it just felt like the Sun and the Moon were passin' me by...Like I was livin' without light or warmth, until I met you. I could feel that warmth, and I could see that light again. I'm so relieved, to have made such a wonderful friend..."
  1284. 1284.
     
  1285. 1285.
    >my eyes sting a bit
  1286. 1286.
    >say I do's
  1287. 1287.
    >pick that horse up and kiss her in front of God, Celestia, the court house attendant, the limo driver, anyone there to see it
  1288. 1288.
     
  1289. 1289.
    >the old lady is still a bit bewildered, but she congratulates us, has us sign the license, issues the certificate
  1290. 1290.
    >if we're planning to go to Equestria I'll need to apply for a visa to enter while a green card is processed, travel arrangements can only be made with the Equestrian embassy or nearest consulate
  1291. 1291.
     
  1292. 1292.
    >certainly, I'd like to arrange for all of that now
  1293. 1293.
    >honeymoon in Equestria
  1294. 1294.
    >but we have unfinished business
  1295. 1295.
    >the ones who hurt Cherry could still be hurting others
  1296. 1296.
    >if we left now and tried to tell them about it on the other side, they could have time to cover it all up
  1297. 1297.
    >besides
  1298. 1298.
    >no matter the odds, I was ready to take them on myself for what they did to her
  1299. 1299.
     
  1300. 1300.
    >ask the limo driver if he'll take us to the consulate
  1301. 1301.
    >just one more stop...
  1302. 1302.
    >Cherry bats her teary eyes at him
  1303. 1303.
     
  1304. 1304.
    >he's definitely not supposed to be letting us roam this much
  1305. 1305.
    >'Equestrian consulate' should have him calling his bosses immediately
  1306. 1306.
    >but he's still a bit teary-eyed himself as our witness, not thinking about any of that
  1307. 1307.
    >we just want to arrange for our honeymoon...pony john and pony bride caught up in the moment
  1308. 1308.
     
  1309. 1309.
    >the Equestrian consular agent we met with was a chubby mare with glasses in a poorly fitted dress-shirt
  1310. 1310.
    >without the Equestrian seals and the pony sat before us it looked like a normal, boring office
  1311. 1311.
    >adjusting her glasses, but not bothering to read, she asked how long we'd been married
  1312. 1312.
     
  1313. 1313.
    "Well, we just got married today, but...We wanted to get a jump on the paperwork"
  1314. 1314.
     
  1315. 1315.
    >Cherry had a nervous energy; I figured letting her speak would be best
  1316. 1316.
    >the agent asked where we met and how long ago
  1317. 1317.
     
  1318. 1318.
    "Oh, ah, we just met outside of his work...Two days ago, was it? Eheh…"
  1319. 1319.
     
  1320. 1320.
    >Cherry smiled
  1321. 1321.
    >the consular agent asked where I worked
  1322. 1322.
    >I work the register at a medical and recreational cannabis dispensary
  1323. 1323.
     
  1324. 1324.
    "He's like a pharmacist! He offered me his umbrella in the rain, and we went to a bar- but he doesn't even drink! Isn't that funny? We just had such a nice time talking all night, my jaw was sore by the end of it, Haha..."
  1325. 1325.
     
  1326. 1326.
    >put a reassuring hand on Cherry's knee
  1327. 1327.
    >agent asks me about Cherry
  1328. 1328.
    >it was very much like an exam we'd both crammed for at the last second
  1329. 1329.
    >Have I met my spouse's family?
  1330. 1330.
    >not yet...
  1331. 1331.
    >what does Cherry do for a living?
  1332. 1332.
    >what do I say here...did she ever file taxes? probably not..
  1333. 1333.
    >she's an entertainer
  1334. 1334.
     
  1335. 1335.
    >have we ever been convicted or arrested?
  1336. 1336.
    >technically I don't have to say yes here, my one arrest for teenaged hooliganism I was able to have expunged, nothing on my record stopped me from visiting before
  1337. 1337.
    >Cherry was arrested at least once, seven years ago
  1338. 1338.
    >but she was living rough for a while, likely to be other incidents...
  1339. 1339.
     
  1340. 1340.
    >an awkward air builds as we answer more questions
  1341. 1341.
    >really the only part that went smoothly was the civics portion, I had studied Equestria a lot, though I was out of date on a few contemporary matters
  1342. 1342.
    >hard to say if that was in our favor though
  1343. 1343.
    >may have just made me look like a freak for ponies
  1344. 1344.
    >did she believe we were genuinely married?
  1345. 1345.
    >in my mind we were
  1346. 1346.
    >hopefully she could see the care we had for each other
  1347. 1347.
     
  1348. 1348.
    >still, most pass this examination, or at least pass on a re-examination
  1349. 1349.
    >it will be some time before we get an approval notice, they may need more info from us
  1350. 1350.
    >the agent looks ready to wrap things up
  1351. 1351.
    >Cherry strains her voice, leaning forward with two hooves up on the agent's desk
  1352. 1352.
     
  1353. 1353.
    "Please, there's just one more thing...We really need your help. Other ponies, too..."
  1354. 1354.
     
  1355. 1355.
    >they're expecting us soon
  1356. 1356.
    >we're going undercover to try and expose the criminal enterprise inside the casino
  1357. 1357.
    >wearing a wire
  1358. 1358.
     
  1359. 1359.
    >the idea of helping Cherry had been simple once
  1360. 1360.
    >a free joint, a quick wash in the tub
  1361. 1361.
    >now this
  1362. 1362.
     
  1363. 1363.
    >we may be separated at some point when I ask to see 'management' about her debt
  1364. 1364.
    >we haven't been apart since we met
  1365. 1365.
    >just thinking about it has me on edge
  1366. 1366.
    >all over each other in the limo
  1367. 1367.
    >the driver didn't seem to notice anything different
  1368. 1368.
    >he'd even put 'just married' on the back window
  1369. 1369.
    >he's a good guy
  1370. 1370.
     
  1371. 1371.
    >the best outcome is getting a recording confirming what they do and getting out
  1372. 1372.
    >if something happens, we're assured that backup will come in to bail us out
  1373. 1373.
     
  1374. 1374.
    >we've been given something of a war chest to gamble with
  1375. 1375.
    >stacks of money
  1376. 1376.
    >the sort that criminals pose with that gets claimed by police after an arrest
  1377. 1377.
    >wonder if we'll be able to keep any winnings
  1378. 1378.
     
  1379. 1379.
    >pick up yesterday's winnings from the players' room lockbox
  1380. 1380.
    >our new bank is just over ten grand now
  1381. 1381.
    >notice that they've removed all but three of the old mechanical three-reels from the game floor
  1382. 1382.
     
  1383. 1383.
    >practice poker with the daytime crowd
  1384. 1384.
    >play up being newly-weds with Cherry
  1385. 1385.
    >sit her on my lap during games
  1386. 1386.
    >have her hoof my cards for luck
  1387. 1387.
    >order a non-alcoholic beer when asked if I want a free drink
  1388. 1388.
     
  1389. 1389.
    >Ace, deuce showing, spades
  1390. 1390.
    >nothing much for me on the flop
  1391. 1391.
    >whole table checks
  1392. 1392.
    >2nd ace appears
  1393. 1393.
    >strongest pair and one card from flush
  1394. 1394.
    >raise
  1395. 1395.
    >one player folds
  1396. 1396.
    >one raises further
  1397. 1397.
    >check
  1398. 1398.
    >a second player folds
  1399. 1399.
    >table checks
  1400. 1400.
    >showdown
  1401. 1401.
    >one player had pocket kings
  1402. 1402.
    >win off Ace pair
  1403. 1403.
    >Pocket Kings mutters some slur under his breath
  1404. 1404.
     
  1405. 1405.
    >Queen, 7 showing, hearts
  1406. 1406.
    >that's my suit, like Grandma used to play
  1407. 1407.
    >call
  1408. 1408.
    >one folds
  1409. 1409.
    >King, 5, 2, nothing near suited
  1410. 1410.
    >8, 10
  1411. 1411.
    >checks each time
  1412. 1412.
    >just surprised no one is betting
  1413. 1413.
    >Cherry gave my number to Clove since her old phone can't do pictures
  1414. 1414.
    >she wants to show me every picture of Clove's filly
  1415. 1415.
    >9 of hearts
  1416. 1416.
    >bluff like I have a straight
  1417. 1417.
    >table folds
  1418. 1418.
    >even Pocket Kings
  1419. 1419.
    >this is boring
  1420. 1420.
    >hopefully they take me up to the life-ruining gamble room soon
  1421. 1421.
     
  1422. 1422.
    >fold the next two hands to look at my phone in Cherry's hooves
  1423. 1423.
    >that filly in the pictures has floppy ears and small wings
  1424. 1424.
    >but she looks happy
  1425. 1425.
    >next hand
  1426. 1426.
    >Queen in the pocket
  1427. 1427.
    >second Queen in the river
  1428. 1428.
    >Hearts
  1429. 1429.
    >Raise for Grandma
  1430. 1430.
    >Queen pair wins
  1431. 1431.
    >time to leave this table
  1432. 1432.
     
  1433. 1433.
    >up to the VIP room
  1434. 1434.
    >more poker, for much more money
  1435. 1435.
    >still haven't seen any other ponies here
  1436. 1436.
    >play a couple hands
  1437. 1437.
    >the players are definitely sharper up here, and I'm not having much luck either, lose what I made at the table downstairs
  1438. 1438.
     
  1439. 1439.
    >a member of staff tries to get Cherry's attention
  1440. 1440.
    >obliquely mentioning that she may not want to play after what happened last time
  1441. 1441.
    >My Wife isn't playing, just watching me
  1442. 1442.
    >told it should be on my membership then, not hers
  1443. 1443.
    >that's not what they said before
  1444. 1444.
    >drop a cool grand in her hand
  1445. 1445.
    >how's that for an account number?
  1446. 1446.
    >tell her to fetch the management while she's at it, I want my wife to be able to play, so I want whatever hold she's got cleared up
  1447. 1447.
    >watch her go
  1448. 1448.
    >whispering with someone
  1449. 1449.
    >they leave
  1450. 1450.
     
  1451. 1451.
    >I need to win big on this next hand or I'm going to look like a dickhead
  1452. 1452.
     
  1453. 1453.
    >Q, 7 suited hearts again
  1454. 1454.
    >J, 10, Q
  1455. 1455.
    >raise
  1456. 1456.
    >two players fold
  1457. 1457.
    >an ace and a jack revealed
  1458. 1458.
    >another player raises
  1459. 1459.
    >call
  1460. 1460.
    >raises
  1461. 1461.
    >bad feeling
  1462. 1462.
    >hate to eat it here but it would just get worse to stay in
  1463. 1463.
    >fold
  1464. 1464.
    >Jack in hand, makes three of a kind
  1465. 1465.
    >could've lost more than I did
  1466. 1466.
     
  1467. 1467.
    >a member of staff returns
  1468. 1468.
    >someone wants to speak with my wife
  1469. 1469.
    >Cherry's not going anywhere without me
  1470. 1470.
    >a guest has asked for her downstairs
  1471. 1471.
    >who?
  1472. 1472.
    >Clove's downstairs
  1473. 1473.
    >Cherry had burrowed into my jacket
  1474. 1474.
    >suddenly hopping out
  1475. 1475.
    >nearly took me out of my seat
  1476. 1476.
    >hold on
  1477. 1477.
    >walk down with her
  1478. 1478.
    >that game wasn't going so well anyway
  1479. 1479.
    >do want to play some more
  1480. 1480.
     
  1481. 1481.
    >meet Clove and her filly
  1482. 1482.
    >dark coat, red mane on them both
  1483. 1483.
    >she and Cherry together are a sight
  1484. 1484.
     
  1485. 1485.
    >lingering near the front door of the casino
  1486. 1486.
    >not allowed to linger near the casino floor with a filly
  1487. 1487.
     
  1488. 1488.
    >an attendant invites me to join a tournament upstairs
  1489. 1489.
    >Clove invites Cherry to spend some time with little Trifecta
  1490. 1490.
    >Cherry wants to
  1491. 1491.
    >but she looks toward me first
  1492. 1492.
    >won't I come with?
  1493. 1493.
    >the attendant reminds me that I had wanted
  1494. 1494.
    to discuss the matter of my wife's account
  1495. 1495.
    >if I would rather resolve it for her
  1496. 1496.
    >bad feeling
  1497. 1497.
    >look to Cherry
  1498. 1498.
    >tell her I'll be ok
  1499. 1499.
    >Cherry doesn't quite trust me saying that
  1500. 1500.
    >Clove's expression hasn't changed since I first laid eyes on her
  1501. 1501.
    >she looks tired
  1502. 1502.
    >her filly looks at me with interest, some confusion
  1503. 1503.
     
  1504. 1504.
    >offer the filly an apple
  1505. 1505.
    >it's been in my bag since my last shift, didn't eat it
  1506. 1506.
    >the mother finally makes a face at me
  1507. 1507.
    >the filly laughs, is permitted to enjoy an apple
  1508. 1508.
     
  1509. 1509.
    >told Cherry I'd take care of it
  1510. 1510.
    >just going to head upstairs real quick
  1511. 1511.
    >holding Cherry's gaze
  1512. 1512.
    >this is for the best if she can be safe
  1513. 1513.
    >just one last gamble
  1514. 1514.
    >let's hope I win this one
  1515. 1515.
     
  1516. 1516.
    >awful nice of them to offer me this opportunity
  1517. 1517.
    >to play such a high-stakes game
  1518. 1518.
    >sitting at a new table
  1519. 1519.
    >are the other players here so dissimilar to me?
  1520. 1520.
    >yes, they are career gamblers
  1521. 1521.
    >they've loaded the table against me
  1522. 1522.
    >any one of them winning is a win for the house
  1523. 1523.
    >it's a Single Table Tournament with a $30,000 buy in
  1524. 1524.
    >$Winner-Take-All
  1525. 1525.
    >$147,500
  1526. 1526.
    >have to take out a marker for twenty thousand to make the buy-in
  1527. 1527.
     
  1528. 1528.
    >feeling too sober for this
  1529. 1529.
    >a bit more coke would have been perfect
  1530. 1530.
    >what if the Equestrian Agents only helped Cherry home and left me here?
  1531. 1531.
    >if I were to lose and be left in gambling debt
  1532. 1532.
    >potentially no job to return to
  1533. 1533.
     
  1534. 1534.
    >maybe I need something to mellow me out?
  1535. 1535.
    >no I need coke for sure
  1536. 1536.
    >just wish Cherry were here
  1537. 1537.
    >I'd gotten so accustomed to her
  1538. 1538.
     
  1539. 1539.
    >cards are being shuffled
  1540. 1540.
     
  1541. 1541.
    >excuse myself to the bathroom
  1542. 1542.
    >open my bag
  1543. 1543.
    >Cherry had left her entire purse in my bag
  1544. 1544.
    >she must have forgotten it
  1545. 1545.
    >or she didn't want Clove to find what she was carrying
  1546. 1546.
    >dig through my pony wife's purse because I really need some coke
  1547. 1547.
    >she needs to quit this stuff anyway
  1548. 1548.
     
  1549. 1549.
    >feeling much better after the coke
  1550. 1550.
    >just have to win this game of cards
  1551. 1551.
    >I'll have the money
  1552. 1552.
    >my pony wife
  1553. 1553.
    >I'll move to Equestria
  1554. 1554.
    >fuck my old job
  1555. 1555.
    >fuck living in this shit-hole
  1556. 1556.
    >I'm going to win
  1557. 1557.
     
  1558. 1558.
    >need to establish a pace different than my last game
  1559. 1559.
    >Jack, 8 heart-suited
  1560. 1560.
    >I raise
  1561. 1561.
    >one folds
  1562. 1562.
    >another raises
  1563. 1563.
    >call
  1564. 1564.
    >King of hearts, 3 and 8 of diamonds
  1565. 1565.
    >I raise again
  1566. 1566.
    >table folds
  1567. 1567.
    >easy win
  1568. 1568.
    >could be a concerted effort to make me feel over-confident about bluffing
  1569. 1569.
     
  1570. 1570.
    >Ace, 4 club-suited
  1571. 1571.
    >I Raise
  1572. 1572.
    >I don't want to be here all day
  1573. 1573.
    >call, check
  1574. 1574.
    >a 4 and a King of spades, 8 of diamonds
  1575. 1575.
    >I raise
  1576. 1576.
    >table folds
  1577. 1577.
    >they have to be fucking with me
  1578. 1578.
    >winning but I'm pissed off about it
  1579. 1579.
    >light up a cherry-flavored cigarette
  1580. 1580.
    >ask for a tonic water
  1581. 1581.
    >really miss Cherry's flank in my lap
  1582. 1582.
     
  1583. 1583.
    >Queen diamond, 7 spades for me
  1584. 1584.
    >I raise because it's free money apparently
  1585. 1585.
    >King and 6 of diamonds, 2 of spades dealt
  1586. 1586.
    >I raise
  1587. 1587.
    >2 fold
  1588. 1588.
    >2 stay this time
  1589. 1589.
    >4th table card dealt, 2 of diamonds
  1590. 1590.
    >I raise
  1591. 1591.
    >1 folds
  1592. 1592.
    >1 stays
  1593. 1593.
    >they raise in a big way
  1594. 1594.
    >bad feeling
  1595. 1595.
    >call anyway
  1596. 1596.
    >3 of diamonds dealt
  1597. 1597.
    >other player raises again
  1598. 1598.
     
  1599. 1599.
    >ah, I wondered when the gambling would start
  1600. 1600.
    >this is gambling
  1601. 1601.
    >it's about time
  1602. 1602.
    >All In
  1603. 1603.
    >calls
  1604. 1604.
    >other player has a flush
  1605. 1605.
    >so do I
  1606. 1606.
    >win off high card, my Queen to his 10
  1607. 1607.
    >early lead, one player down
  1608. 1608.
     
  1609. 1609.
    >that felt good
  1610. 1610.
     
  1611. 1611.
    >is this game scripted by the house?
  1612. 1612.
    >if it were, I'd expect to have lost just now
  1613. 1613.
    >if I win I'm going to leave with Cherry
  1614. 1614.
    >would they rather I leave with Cherry at this point?
  1615. 1615.
    >are they on to us?
  1616. 1616.
    >if they don't give up the game, if we don't get evidence of any criminality here, how will the agency react?
  1617. 1617.
    >like we ripped them off for ten grand to go gambling?
  1618. 1618.
    >fuck me
  1619. 1619.
    >should I lose on purpose?
  1620. 1620.
    >would rather win
  1621. 1621.
    >if this game isn't the trap set to spring on me, is it the meeting afterwards?
  1622. 1622.
     
  1623. 1623.
    >staring at the felt table as the loser gets led away
  1624. 1624.
    >glad I'm not that guy
  1625. 1625.
    >more cards coming
  1626. 1626.
     
  1627. 1627.
    >coast off of lead for many hands
  1628. 1628.
    >they seem to buy the bluff that I'm a strong player
  1629. 1629.
    >others folding more before the table deals
  1630. 1630.
     
  1631. 1631.
    >a couple fun hands, but it's boring to recount it all play-by-play
  1632. 1632.
    >I'd only just gotten to taste good gambling but it got boring again
  1633. 1633.
    >is there a more dangerous gamble waiting for me?
  1634. 1634.
    >I really miss Cherry
  1635. 1635.
    >imagine if Cherry never existed, if I'd just been gambling and gooning for days
  1636. 1636.
    >luckily I took a lot of pictures of Cherry on my phone
  1637. 1637.
    >she's on my lock screen and home screen
  1638. 1638.
    >love my mare wife
  1639. 1639.
     
  1640. 1640.
    >anti-climactic, but I won that card game
  1641. 1641.
    >guess those were some losers they fed to me, get me arrogant about diving into the next layer of gambling hell?
  1642. 1642.
    >it's kind of working
  1643. 1643.
    >the coke is wearing off though
  1644. 1644.
    >none left either
  1645. 1645.
     
  1646. 1646.
    >time for the meeting in the back office
  1647. 1647.
    >I've got the winnings to buy Cherry's freedom
  1648. 1648.
    >do I take the golden ticket out of here?
  1649. 1649.
    >we didn't find anything, but maybe the agency will in due time?
  1650. 1650.
     
  1651. 1651.
    >I'm led to a long, darkened hallway
  1652. 1652.
    >the bison's waiting there in an office at the end of the hall, sat behind a big wooden desk
  1653. 1653.
    >window blinds closed to thin slats
  1654. 1654.
    >cigar smoke curls to the ceiling
  1655. 1655.
    >sat down, left in the room with him
  1656. 1656.
     
  1657. 1657.
    >there's a framed picture on the wall lit up by a sconce
  1658. 1658.
    >a scaled-up reproduction, I've seen this photo before
  1659. 1659.
    >it shows a great pile of skulls, like you couldn't hope to count
  1660. 1660.
    >two men in the frame to better show the scale, each with a boot up on a horned skull
  1661. 1661.
    >one at the top of the mound
  1662. 1662.
    >one at the bottom
  1663. 1663.
    >a landscape of death, manufactured
  1664. 1664.
     
  1665. 1665.
    >the bison asks if I'm familiar with the photo
  1666. 1666.
    >I am
  1667. 1667.
    >we talk about it at length
  1668. 1668.
     
  1669. 1669.
    >to some tribes, the bison was a sacred symbol
  1670. 1670.
    >those people honored the bison
  1671. 1671.
    >as the land was colonized, the bison here were exterminated
  1672. 1672.
    >for profit, for spite
  1673. 1673.
    >the tribal people that honored the bison were similarly hunted down
  1674. 1674.
     
  1675. 1675.
    >here we sit in a casino, pavement over their dead
  1676. 1676.
    >on the las Vegas strip there are a few dozen casinos
  1677. 1677.
    >across the country there are hundreds of tribal casinos
  1678. 1678.
     
  1679. 1679.
    >much the same in Equestria
  1680. 1680.
    >the lands of the bison were taken
  1681. 1681.
    >on what little land is afforded to them, they too take their pound of flesh hosting games of chance
  1682. 1682.
     
  1683. 1683.
    >who'd he work for?
  1684. 1684.
    >the bison snorts
  1685. 1685.
    >can't get anything specific out of him
  1686. 1686.
     
  1687. 1687.
    >the bison worked security at a casino in Las Pegasus
  1688. 1688.
    >one day, his boss offered him a job, a promotion, a relocation
  1689. 1689.
    >then the bison was shown the photo
  1690. 1690.
     
  1691. 1691.
    >so he enjoys watching humans suffer?
  1692. 1692.
    >the bison grins
  1693. 1693.
     
  1694. 1694.
    >how about ponies?
  1695. 1695.
    >the bison blows smoke at me
  1696. 1696.
     
  1697. 1697.
    >he knows Las Pegasus casinos, is he not familiar with the Wilds family?
  1698. 1698.
    >he won't say anything
  1699. 1699.
     
  1700. 1700.
    >how about the Sawbucks?
  1701. 1701.
    >not a word
  1702. 1702.
     
  1703. 1703.
    >I've got his money, doesn't he want it?
  1704. 1704.
    >his staff told me that my wife's account-
  1705. 1705.
    >he grimaces at me
  1706. 1706.
    >suppose he doesn't approve of our union
  1707. 1707.
     
  1708. 1708.
    >she had a marker held over her for $120,000? why didn't they call it in sooner like a normal casino?
  1709. 1709.
    >he won't speak a word
  1710. 1710.
     
  1711. 1711.
    >demand to see the terms, a receipt, some documentation, or there must not be any debt at all
  1712. 1712.
    >he pushes a piece of paper across the desk to me
  1713. 1713.
    >I complain that it's dark and use my phone's flashlight, discretely taking a photo of the document
  1714. 1714.
    confirming a debt that for some reason had gone unclaimed, which was certainly unusual for a casino
  1715. 1715.
     
  1716. 1716.
    >sign another paper about paying the debt in her place, presenting him with a paper check from the tournament
  1717. 1717.
    >tell him I'll be expecting change, $7500 after covering for the stake I made in the tournament
  1718. 1718.
    >he sends for staff
  1719. 1719.
    >after that, silence
  1720. 1720.
    >floundering
  1721. 1721.
    >need some way to break his silence
  1722. 1722.
     
  1723. 1723.
    >the money left over from my winnings arrives
  1724. 1724.
    >so, is this it?
  1725. 1725.
    >no secret, pony-only gambling room?
  1726. 1726.
     
  1727. 1727.
    >free to go, the bison tells me
  1728. 1728.
    >you and your pony whore
  1729. 1729.
     
  1730. 1730.
    >excuse me?
  1731. 1731.
     
  1732. 1732.
    >he's looking smug after that cheap shot
  1733. 1733.
     
  1734. 1734.
    >ask him how it feels
  1735. 1735.
    >knowing I can go buy a pound of ground bison meat in shrink-wrapped packaging
  1736. 1736.
    >hell, I could get a bag of bison bull fries
  1737. 1737.
    >testicles, that is
  1738. 1738.
    >not that I would bother buying it in a store
  1739. 1739.
    >my grandpa keeps pounds of bison meat in the freezer, organs and all
  1740. 1740.
     
  1741. 1741.
    >nothing?
  1742. 1742.
    >I'm getting more heated than he is by the exchange
  1743. 1743.
    >try to dig back
  1744. 1744.
     
  1745. 1745.
    >can't imagine they'll bother extraditing to Equestria for judgement when the hammer comes down on this place
  1746. 1746.
    >the boss won't lift a finger to help either
  1747. 1747.
    >maybe they'll throw the bison in the slaughterhouse too with the rest of the big, dumb animals
  1748. 1748.
     
  1749. 1749.
    >the bison remains unprovoked
  1750. 1750.
     
  1751. 1751.
    >he failed them after all
  1752. 1752.
    >he was supposed to keep Cherry here, but he didn't, she's going home free
  1753. 1753.
    >Clove might go home for a spell too
  1754. 1754.
    >won't that be an embarrassment for the Sawbucks? Ponies are going to start talking, bringing up the past
  1755. 1755.
     
  1756. 1756.
    >he asks if I'm finished
  1757. 1757.
     
  1758. 1758.
    >why wouldn't I be?
  1759. 1759.
     
  1760. 1760.
    >it's time, he says
  1761. 1761.
     
  1762. 1762.
    >the bison jumps over the desk at me, moving like a car running down a pedestrian
  1763. 1763.
    >barely avoid getting crushed under his hooves
  1764. 1764.
    >laying prone, the suit that delivered the cash restrains me
  1765. 1765.
    >he exposes the wire on me
  1766. 1766.
    >disposes of it
  1767. 1767.
     
  1768. 1768.
    >ah, now we're going to the secret, pony-only gambling room
  1769. 1769.
    >I hope they find me in time
  1770. 1770.
     
  1771. 1771.
    >bag over my head
  1772. 1772.
    >cuffed behind my back
  1773. 1773.
    >I think they are moving me to a second location
  1774. 1774.
    >if the agency doesn't have eyes on me being moved from the casino, how will they find me?
  1775. 1775.
    >there are several buildings I can recall adjoining the casino
  1776. 1776.
    >a parking structure, the hotel, and a meeting center
  1777. 1777.
    >went from carpet to concrete and asphalt
  1778. 1778.
    >enter elevator to basement floor
  1779. 1779.
    >never been here
  1780. 1780.
    >maybe an extra garage for VIP vehicles?
  1781. 1781.
    >put into the trunk of a vehicle
  1782. 1782.
    >constant noise on the surface
  1783. 1783.
    >they must be pulling onto the highway
  1784. 1784.
    >maybe they left something back here
  1785. 1785.
    >feel around
  1786. 1786.
    >grab something soft, covered in fine hair
  1787. 1787.
    >a pony
  1788. 1788.
    >it shrieks
  1789. 1789.
     
  1790. 1790.
    "Please, no more!"
  1791. 1791.
     
  1792. 1792.
    >sorry
  1793. 1793.
     
  1794. 1794.
    "Who's there?"
  1795. 1795.
     
  1796. 1796.
    >I'm just another prisoner of love
  1797. 1797.
     
  1798. 1798.
    "Huh? What does that mean?"
  1799. 1799.
     
  1800. 1800.
    >nevermind
  1801. 1801.
    >feel around in the other direction
  1802. 1802.
    >try to find an emergency trunk release
  1803. 1803.
    >no such luck
  1804. 1804.
    >what's this pony's story
  1805. 1805.
     
  1806. 1806.
    "Why should I talk to you at all? Maybe it's a trick..."
  1807. 1807.
     
  1808. 1808.
    >did the pony ever meet or even just see a yellow pony with a red mane and a triple cherry cutie mark?
  1809. 1809.
     
  1810. 1810.
    "Maybe, I dunno..."
  1811. 1811.
     
  1812. 1812.
    >that's my wife, I'd really like to go home safely to her
  1813. 1813.
     
  1814. 1814.
    "...You're weird..."
  1815. 1815.
     
  1816. 1816.
    >dig and pull at the seams near the edges of the trunk
  1817. 1817.
    >it's a tight squeeze but I can feel screws to the tail light
  1818. 1818.
    >start unthreading them
  1819. 1819.
     
  1820. 1820.
    "What are you doing?"
  1821. 1821.
     
  1822. 1822.
    >trying to get someone's attention on the road so we can get rescued
  1823. 1823.
    >shift around, ignore the pony's whining, start kicking at the back of the taillight
  1824. 1824.
    >it's not budging
  1825. 1825.
    >maybe I missed a screw or something?
  1826. 1826.
    >can't reach any further
  1827. 1827.
    >maybe if I could kick harder
  1828. 1828.
     
  1829. 1829.
    "I'm not helping you; you're going to get me in more trouble..."
  1830. 1830.
     
  1831. 1831.
    >seriously, how did a scared little pony like this get into the same situation as me?
  1832. 1832.
     
  1833. 1833.
    "They said it's over now; I can go home...So stop trying to get us rescued, I don't want to be here anymore."
  1834. 1834.
     
  1835. 1835.
    >that pony must have seen some shit...
  1836. 1836.
    >if I had some coke, I bet I would be able to kick that taillight out no problem
  1837. 1837.
    >all I've got is some boot hash and maybe a few old pills loose in my jacket pockets
  1838. 1838.
     
  1839. 1839.
    >let's suppose they told this pony the truth, he's going to be sent home
  1840. 1840.
    >to Equestria at the very least
  1841. 1841.
    >how did he end up here to begin with?
  1842. 1842.
     
  1843. 1843.
    >the pony sniffles
  1844. 1844.
    >if he's not a degenerate gambler like me then he's probably a whore
  1845. 1845.
     
  1846. 1846.
    >is there someone waiting for him in Equestria?
  1847. 1847.
     
  1848. 1848.
    "No, but it will be better than being here..."
  1849. 1849.
     
  1850. 1850.
    >can't argue with him
  1851. 1851.
    >was I bound for the same destination, being in the same trunk?
  1852. 1852.
    >how would I find my way back to Cherry?
  1853. 1853.
     
  1854. 1854.
    >the sound of other cars fades away
  1855. 1855.
    >driving down a dirt road
  1856. 1856.
    >car stops
  1857. 1857.
    >hauled out of the trunk
  1858. 1858.
    >walk for a few hundred yards
  1859. 1859.
    >path slopes downward
  1860. 1860.
    >blindfolds removed
  1861. 1861.
    >we're at the bottom of a deep quarry
  1862. 1862.
    >box truck parked next to a great pit at the center
  1863. 1863.
    >the little pony has been dropped beside me >bound with four hooves together
  1864. 1864.
    >Leaf green coat, pink hair with yellow highlights
  1865. 1865.
    >rosehip flower cutie mark
  1866. 1866.
    >look back to the car we came in on
  1867. 1867.
    >old black sedan, can't make out finer details
  1868. 1868.
     
  1869. 1869.
    "Eyes forward"
  1870. 1870.
     
  1871. 1871.
    >the bison lumbers out of the back of the truck followed by his driver
  1872. 1872.
    >the man that delivered us from the sedan removes our bindings
  1873. 1873.
     
  1874. 1874.
    "Don't say I'm not a gracious host, this is what you wanted after all"
  1875. 1875.
     
  1876. 1876.
    >keep my mouth shut for now
  1877. 1877.
     
  1878. 1878.
    "One last game...A path out of this world...And freedom for your little pony whore. You can have it all."
  1879. 1879.
     
  1880. 1880.
    >there's a few more things I'd like
  1881. 1881.
    >I'd like for him and his boss to answer for their crimes
  1882. 1882.
    >and this pony from the trunk, I want him to be free too
  1883. 1883.
     
  1884. 1884.
    "We gave him our word, he's going back. But our business is an institution. Our works shall continue. Suspended here, perhaps, until the eyes of the Agency are off of us."
  1885. 1885.
     
  1886. 1886.
    >an institution? what is it for?
  1887. 1887.
    >shuffling unwanted ponies between worlds like a cup and ball game?
  1888. 1888.
    >that aside, they're surely going to look for me
  1889. 1889.
     
  1890. 1890.
    "You overestimate your importance to them. They'll drop the search sooner than find you. Worse, you have no evidence to exchange and you used their funds to pay your wife's debts."
  1891. 1891.
     
  1892. 1892.
    >I gave Cherry my word I would come back to her
  1893. 1893.
     
  1894. 1894.
    "You may yet find your way back to her, if you're as lucky as you think. If you do...You should put all of this behind you. Be grateful. Do not think of opposing us any more."
  1895. 1895.
     
  1896. 1896.
    >Yeah, he's gracious alright
  1897. 1897.
     
  1898. 1898.
    >So he plays for time by sending me to some remote corner of Equestria
  1899. 1899.
    >Uses the weight of bureaucracy against itself to evade justice as long as possible
  1900. 1900.
    >Uses threats to keep us silent?
  1901. 1901.
     
  1902. 1902.
    >the bison looks to the sky, pleased by the fresh air and open sky
  1903. 1903.
     
  1904. 1904.
    "Much better to play outside, isn't it? Let us prepare now."
  1905. 1905.
     
  1906. 1906.
    >a rough wool blanket with red and black patterns is spread over the rocky ground
  1907. 1907.
    >we are presented with two pairs of bones
  1908. 1908.
    >each pair has one bone unmarked and one bone marked with a red stripe across the middle
  1909. 1909.
    >five notched sticks are arranged on the side where the pony and I sit
  1910. 1910.
    >by the bison's side are several items
  1911. 1911.
    >including things taken from me
  1912. 1912.
    >prizes that may be won
  1913. 1913.
     
  1914. 1914.
    >one side hides the bones in hand or hoof
  1915. 1915.
    >the other side tries to guess which hand or hoof holds the marked bone
  1916. 1916.
    >the bison's driver, who he calls Jack, sits beside the bison to make the teams even
  1917. 1917.
    >our driver, still nameless, stands by to referee and conduct exchanges
  1918. 1918.
     
  1919. 1919.
    >the bison's side will go first
  1920. 1920.
    >we may select a prize to play for each round, and play until one side has nothing left to give
  1921. 1921.
    >I want my bag back
  1922. 1922.
    >the pony, who I'll call Rosehip, meekly requests that we play for the bag beside mine, his own I assume
  1923. 1923.
    >acquiesce, I need him on my side
  1924. 1924.
     
  1925. 1925.
    >abruptly, the bison begins to stamp and drum his hooves, scaring Rosehip
  1926. 1926.
    >in the moment that we were distracted, Jack brings his hands behind his back
  1927. 1927.
    >shuffling the bones between his hands
  1928. 1928.
    >I've heard of this game before, or at least a game like it, but I've never played it
  1929. 1929.
    >Jack makes a move as if tossing a bone to roll under the bison's hooves, but I think it was a feint
  1930. 1930.
    >the referee suddenly claps his hands
  1931. 1931.
     
  1932. 1932.
    >we must choose
  1933. 1933.
    >Rosehip gives me only a pitiable look
  1934. 1934.
    >I point to Jack's left hand
  1935. 1935.
    >he opens his hand to reveal the marked bone
  1936. 1936.
    >Rosehip seems to perk up a bit at that, we've won a round and he receives his prized bag back
  1937. 1937.
    >the bison is greatly amused, he compliments me for having a keen eye
  1938. 1938.
     
  1939. 1939.
    >it is a strange feeling to receive any kind of genuine warmth or kindness from this monster
  1940. 1940.
    >is he so far removed from his home that he truly enjoys getting to play this game under an open sky?
  1941. 1941.
     
  1942. 1942.
    >our turn to hide
  1943. 1943.
    >bring the bones behind my back
  1944. 1944.
    >the bones click together when exchanging them between hands in one motion
  1945. 1945.
    >look to Rosehip
  1946. 1946.
    >he tries clacking his hooves together and humming a bit, but he's not much of a showman
  1947. 1947.
    >try feinting it the same way Jack did
  1948. 1948.
    >the first time I tried it Rosehip does nothing, but the second time he feints as if receiving a bone
  1949. 1949.
     
  1950. 1950.
    >the referee claps his hands
  1951. 1951.
    >time to choose
  1952. 1952.
    >try to think which hand I've got the marked bone in
  1953. 1953.
    >shit
  1954. 1954.
    >wait
  1955. 1955.
    >no, don't think of it, don't move a muscle
  1956. 1956.
    >already tensed up once I realized my mistake
  1957. 1957.
    >it's obvious the bone is in one of my hands and not with Rosehip, I wasn't prepared to hide natural tells like that
  1958. 1958.
     
  1959. 1959.
    >the bison guesses my left hand
  1960. 1960.
    >open my left hand
  1961. 1961.
    >it's there, the marked bone
  1962. 1962.
    >the bison laughs at me
  1963. 1963.
    >we lose one of our betting sticks
  1964. 1964.
     
  1965. 1965.
    >the bison boasts that he was certain I would have the marked bone
  1966. 1966.
    >and that I would have it in my left hand
  1967. 1967.
    >my psychology as a middling gambler guaranteed I would favor left for my first turn, thinking that it would be less likely chosen a second time, a familiar comfort in an unfamiliar game
  1968. 1968.
     
  1969. 1969.
    >let's just get to the next round
  1970. 1970.
    >I want my bag back
  1971. 1971.
    >if I win my bag...
  1972. 1972.
     
  1973. 1973.
    "I will permit one message to your beloved whore, of five words or less, to be sent by the referee. That is all."
  1974. 1974.
     
  1975. 1975.
    >the bison begins chanting and stamping
  1976. 1976.
    >Jack weaves his hands in wider arcs in front of himself, smoothly passing the bones back and forth
  1977. 1977.
    >Jack passes one of the bones to the bison for certain this time
  1978. 1978.
    >but which one?
  1979. 1979.
     
  1980. 1980.
    >can't think
  1981. 1981.
    >there's too much at stake, too many choices to make, can't stop thinking about Cherry worrying about me
  1982. 1982.
     
  1983. 1983.
    >where did the marked bone go?
  1984. 1984.
    >Jack could have it in his left hand again
  1985. 1985.
    >or it could be the bison's left
  1986. 1986.
    >think I can tell which hoof has a bone hidden under it, but I don't know which bone it is
  1987. 1987.
    >unless he has some technique in posing his hooves, so that the one slightly elevated hoof is actually empty
  1988. 1988.
     
  1989. 1989.
    >I should have waited to gamble for the bag
  1990. 1990.
    >I don't want to lose
  1991. 1991.
    >this could be my only lifeline, or even my last words to Cherry
  1992. 1992.
     
  1993. 1993.
    >the referee claps his hands
  1994. 1994.
    >time to choose
  1995. 1995.
     
  1996. 1996.
    >at the last moment, follow my gut
  1997. 1997.
    >choose the bison's right hoof
  1998. 1998.
    >it was in his left
  1999. 1999.
    >the bison whoops and hollers he's having so much fun gloating over my loss
  2000. 2000.
    >the referee removes my bag from the prize pool
  2001. 2001.
     
  2002. 2002.
    >that was a blow to my heart, but I need to lock in
  2003. 2003.
    >our turn to hide the bones
  2004. 2004.
    >immediately declare that I'm hiding the marked bone under Rosehip's right hoof
  2005. 2005.
     
  2006. 2006.
    "Huh!? Why are you telling them that!?"
  2007. 2007.
     
  2008. 2008.
    >don't show them which I'm putting there, but I put a bone under Rosehip's right hoof
  2009. 2009.
    >Rosehip nervously chants in old Ponish and shuffles the bone back and forth underhoof
  2010. 2010.
    >chant along in old Ponish, it's a familiar rhyme among students, listing natural landmarks in Equestria
  2011. 2011.
    >similarly shuffling the second bone under cupped hands close to Rosehip
  2012. 2012.
     
  2013. 2013.
    >Rosehip fumbles and nearly loses a bone across the blanket
  2014. 2014.
    >slap my right hand over the bone before it is revealed
  2015. 2015.
    >push it back under Rosehip's right hoof, or did I?
  2016. 2016.
     
  2017. 2017.
    >the referee claps his hands
  2018. 2018.
     
  2019. 2019.
    >the bison praises our performances
  2020. 2020.
     
  2021. 2021.
    >trying to keep my mind utterly blank as he chooses
  2022. 2022.
    >continue chanting to distract
  2023. 2023.
    >it works to distract Rosehip and myself too, we're both chanting together
  2024. 2024.
    >there is a dim belief all around, that one can read another's mind or have vision to see that which is unseen
  2025. 2025.
     
  2026. 2026.
    >the bison guesses that it is in my right hand
  2027. 2027.
     
  2028. 2028.
    >reveal that it is under Rosehip's right hoof, as promised
  2029. 2029.
    >the bison gives a good, sporting laugh
  2030. 2030.
    >I laugh too, in spite of myself
  2031. 2031.
     
  2032. 2032.
    >gambling
  2033. 2033.
    >pure gambling
  2034. 2034.
    >ancient
  2035. 2035.
    >sacred
  2036. 2036.
     
  2037. 2037.
    >if there's any way to beat this monster, it's beating him at his own game
  2038. 2038.
     
  2039. 2039.
    >pop a loose pill from my jacket lining, pretty sure it's an upper
  2040. 2040.
    >propose a wager for the next round
  2041. 2041.
    >if I win, the bison will tell me who it was in Las Pegasus that assigned him here
  2042. 2042.
    >the bison counters
  2043. 2043.
     
  2044. 2044.
    "If you lose, you forfeit your right to reunite with her"
  2045. 2045.
     
  2046. 2046.
    >something neither of us would willingly wager
  2047. 2047.
    >but he dares me to do it
  2048. 2048.
    >gambling spirits may overtake us both
  2049. 2049.
    >is my desire to see justice stronger than my desire to see her?
  2050. 2050.
    >is my love of gambling superior to my love for her?
  2051. 2051.
    >no
  2052. 2052.
    >so I can't risk that after all
  2053. 2053.
     
  2054. 2054.
    >ask Rosehip if there's anything he wants
  2055. 2055.
    >the pony is unsure but suggests a sum of money, he is set to return home without a bit to his name
  2056. 2056.
    >wager for money then
  2057. 2057.
    >a hefty looking bag of bits is presented
  2058. 2058.
     
  2059. 2059.
    >the bison begins to stomp and chant
  2060. 2060.
    >he works with both bones shuffling back and forth underhoof
  2061. 2061.
    >Jack randomly snaps or whistles as a distraction
  2062. 2062.
    >can't follow it
  2063. 2063.
    >look to Rosehip
  2064. 2064.
    >he's focusing intensely but his eyes are closed
  2065. 2065.
     
  2066. 2066.
    >referee claps
  2067. 2067.
    >Rosehip correctly chooses the bison's left hoof
  2068. 2068.
    >the bison suddenly lunges at him, furious
  2069. 2069.
     
  2070. 2070.
    "You dare use Pony Magic!?"
  2071. 2071.
    >Rosehip shrieks and falls back
  2072. 2072.
    >dive in between them
  2073. 2073.
    >the bison headbutts and knocks the wind out of me, casting me aside
  2074. 2074.
    >argue that he didn't say we couldn't use pony magic...
  2075. 2075.
     
  2076. 2076.
    "It should go without saying...I will take your bones for the next game if it happens again."
  2077. 2077.
     
  2078. 2078.
    >sounding like a sore loser to me
  2079. 2079.
     
  2080. 2080.
    "Take your foul bits then, but the boy whore should know better."
  2081. 2081.
     
  2082. 2082.
    >Rosehip shrinks back, afraid
  2083. 2083.
    >sad to see it, just started to feel like he was opening up
  2084. 2084.
    >he's perceptive but sensitive
  2085. 2085.
    >barely got a chance to reset mentally but I'll have to take over for him at least the next round
  2086. 2086.
     
  2087. 2087.
    >Rosehip retreats behind me
  2088. 2088.
    >drastically reducing our odds to keep the marked bone hidden
  2089. 2089.
    >Jack guesses it's in my right hand
  2090. 2090.
    >we lose the round as hiders, three sticks left
  2091. 2091.
     
  2092. 2092.
    >it's in my best interest to keep this game going
  2093. 2093.
    >but it could end very soon if something doesn't change
  2094. 2094.
     
  2095. 2095.
    >what if I don't want anything the bison has to offer? Is that a loss for him?
  2096. 2096.
     
  2097. 2097.
    "Clever, but you simply must think of something."
  2098. 2098.
     
  2099. 2099.
    >If I win the next round, and if I also correctly guess the name of the bison's boss, he'll confirm it for me
  2100. 2100.
     
  2101. 2101.
    "You are so certain you know of them, but I am certain you do not."
  2102. 2102.
    >can tell he's still agitated, irritated
  2103. 2103.
    >Sure, I know Monte Sawbuck
  2104. 2104.
     
  2105. 2105.
    >the bison's face read as disbelief and irritation for just an instant and then it was gone
  2106. 2106.
    >so he does know them after all?
  2107. 2107.
    >he confirmed it for me, and I didn't have to win either
  2108. 2108.
    >Monte sounds like a real piece of work, and the bison knows it, knows he's a dumb, brash youth without the mind for such an operation
  2109. 2109.
    >knowing him enough to have such a reaction as that, I think it's one of Monte's parents running the show after all
  2110. 2110.
     
  2111. 2111.
    "If you are tired of playing this game...So be it."
  2112. 2112.
     
  2113. 2113.
    >the bison rises and looms over us
  2114. 2114.
    >Rosehip shivers behind me
  2115. 2115.
    >hold on
  2116. 2116.
    >I think I thought of something I want
  2117. 2117.
     
  2118. 2118.
    "It will be your last request"
  2119. 2119.
     
  2120. 2120.
    >I want
  2121. 2121.
    >that rope they used to tie up the pony before
  2122. 2122.
    >Rosehip quietly sobs into my back asking what I would want that for
  2123. 2123.
     
  2124. 2124.
    "This will be the last round. Remember that I warned you. Leave it behind you or else."
  2125. 2125.
     
  2126. 2126.
    >Jack shuffles the bones
  2127. 2127.
    >his hands move with grace
  2128. 2128.
    >misdirecting flourishes
  2129. 2129.
     
  2130. 2130.
    >the referee claps
  2131. 2131.
    >guess the right hand
  2132. 2132.
    >win a rope
  2133. 2133.
     
  2134. 2134.
    >with our prizes collected, the bison explains a new game
  2135. 2135.
    >Bison Jump
  2136. 2136.
    >behind us, at the bottom of that great pit, is an ancient teleportation circle
  2137. 2137.
    >the bison is going to charge at us and we have to jump into the pit
  2138. 2138.
    >this is our chance to go to Equestria
  2139. 2139.
    >if we don't make the jump right we'll be left dead or dying, surely crippled
  2140. 2140.
    >the bison brings his head down to bear and kicks a cloud of dust up behind him
  2141. 2141.
    >run
  2142. 2142.
     
  2143. 2143.
    >the bison chases us
  2144. 2144.
    >naturally he's much faster
  2145. 2145.
    >herding us this way and that before we can try to escape
  2146. 2146.
    >unable to take a careful, measured pace to the pit
  2147. 2147.
    >we'll just have to jump when the opportunity arises
  2148. 2148.
     
  2149. 2149.
    >he enjoys making us scramble and dive out of the way to safety
  2150. 2150.
    >feel like a rodeo clown trying to keep him from goring Rosehip
  2151. 2151.
    >all but trampling him underhoof
  2152. 2152.
    >get to the edge
  2153. 2153.
    >but I don't want to leave the little pony behind
  2154. 2154.
    >pitch a rock at the bison
  2155. 2155.
     
  2156. 2156.
    >start running for dear life around the circumference of the pit
  2157. 2157.
    >call out for Rosehip
  2158. 2158.
    >looping around, kicking up a great cloud of dust with us
  2159. 2159.
    >the little pony jumps for me, secure him in one arm
  2160. 2160.
    >the bison is close behind
  2161. 2161.
    >in my other hand
  2162. 2162.
    >I've got the rope ready
  2163. 2163.
    >one chance for this throw
  2164. 2164.
     
  2165. 2165.
    >throw the loop behind me
  2166. 2166.
    >loops over the bison's horn
  2167. 2167.
    >jump
  2168. 2168.
    >aim for the face of the pit, not the center
  2169. 2169.
    >the knot closes over the horn as it snaps taut
  2170. 2170.
    >a sudden shift in balance while he's charging at full tilt
  2171. 2171.
    >the bison trips
  2172. 2172.
    >tumbles to the side
  2173. 2173.
    >just barely misses us on the way down >bouncing down the face of the steep slope
  2174. 2174.
    >it's too steep to get out, no choice but to slide down after him
  2175. 2175.
    >into the portal
  2176. 2176.
     
  2177. 2177.
    >we land in a heap on top of the bison
  2178. 2178.
    >a vast and beautiful mesa surrounds us
  2179. 2179.
    >the Badlands, I think
  2180. 2180.
    >Rosehip leaps out of my arms to get distance from the beast immediately
  2181. 2181.
    >still a but stunned, sprawled out over his back
  2182. 2182.
    >he's still breathing
  2183. 2183.
    >but he's injured
  2184. 2184.
    >lay there
  2185. 2185.
    >gasping, out of breath
  2186. 2186.
    >coughing up dust
  2187. 2187.
    >is it over?
  2188. 2188.
     
  2189. 2189.
    >it's a hard road back to pony civilization
  2190. 2190.
    >Rosehip is all for leaving the bison to die here, a broken wreck in the wastes
  2191. 2191.
    >but
  2192. 2192.
    >I still need him
  2193. 2193.
    >set up a camp on the spot
  2194. 2194.
    >Rosehip tries to find water, food
  2195. 2195.
    >build a fire
  2196. 2196.
    >smoke signals
  2197. 2197.
    >nothing
  2198. 2198.
     
  2199. 2199.
    >try to use a pocket mirror from Rosehip's bag as a signal
  2200. 2200.
    >flashing light up at anything with wings
  2201. 2201.
    >eventually get the attention of something flying overhead
  2202. 2202.
    >a dusty griffon
  2203. 2203.
    >asks if we're going to eat the bison
  2204. 2204.
    >no
  2205. 2205.
    >flies away without helping us
  2206. 2206.
     
  2207. 2207.
    >sitting around the fire at night
  2208. 2208.
    >can finally see the constellations in Equestria again
  2209. 2209.
    >miss my pony wife so much
  2210. 2210.
     
  2211. 2211.
    >the next day
  2212. 2212.
    >a Pegasi Ranger finds us
  2213. 2213.
     
  2214. 2214.
    >weeks later
  2215. 2215.
     
  2216. 2216.
    >it wasn't easy getting naturalized
  2217. 2217.
    >technically we entered Equestria illegally
  2218. 2218.
    >but in time we're able to smooth things over
  2219. 2219.
    >thanks to help from the Agency back on Earth
  2220. 2220.
     
  2221. 2221.
    >the local authorities hauled in the bison
  2222. 2222.
    >he still won't talk
  2223. 2223.
    >but I don't need him to
  2224. 2224.
     
  2225. 2225.
    >the Agency ultimately found and closed the old circle in the quarry
  2226. 2226.
    >said we were lucky, it could have dumped us anywhere
  2227. 2227.
    >something about ley lines, lunar phases, alignments, I don't know
  2228. 2228.
     
  2229. 2229.
    >at the soonest scheduled teleport
  2230. 2230.
    >Cherry
  2231. 2231.
    >we cling together
  2232. 2232.
    >can't help but to cry I'm so happy to see her
  2233. 2233.
    >Clove and her filly came along too
  2234. 2234.
    >due for a vacation and a honeymoon all in one
  2235. 2235.
    >Rosehip, still adrift, doesn't mind joining us
  2236. 2236.
     
  2237. 2237.
    >I know just the place
  2238. 2238.
     
  2239. 2239.
    >Las Pegasus
  2240. 2240.
     
  2241. 2241.
    >Sawbucks Casino
  2242. 2242.
     
  2243. 2243.
    >the security there has all eyes on us
  2244. 2244.
    >behind the scenes, the Agency is still building the case
  2245. 2245.
    >with the bison behind bars, the Sawbucks must know what's coming
  2246. 2246.
    >but they can't do a damn thing to stop us now
  2247. 2247.
     
  2248. 2248.
    >walk Cherry in with a big bag of bits
  2249. 2249.
    >sit her down on my lap at her favorite slot machine
  2250. 2250.
    >money is no object
  2251. 2251.
    >she's giddy of course
  2252. 2252.
     
  2253. 2253.
    "Well, how long can I play for?"
  2254. 2254.
     
  2255. 2255.
    >play as long as you want, Cherry
  2256. 2256.
    >spin until you don't want to spin anymore
  2257. 2257.
     
  2258. 2258.
    >Cherry paints a big kiss on my cheek with her lipstick
  2259. 2259.
     
  2260. 2260.
    >spins
  2261. 2261.
    >spins
  2262. 2262.
    >spins
  2263. 2263.
     
  2264. 2264.
    >bits are pouring out of the machine in a deluge
  2265. 2265.
     
  2266. 2266.
    >she puts her hoof to the machine
  2267. 2267.
    >I put my hand beside it
  2268. 2268.
    >give Cherry all of my luck
  2269. 2269.
    >I don't need it anymore
  2270. 2270.
     
  2271. 2271.
     
  2272. 2272.
    THE END

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