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Pursuant, Forgotten

By Hearthsong
Created: 2026-03-27 14:44:27
Updated: 2026-03-27 15:51:09
Expiry: Never
sunset shimmeranonsafeanonymouseqgequestria girlsself indulgent tripe

  1. 1.
    I'm going to be a little real before we get going with this one: While I write most of my stories with the idea of them hopefully being something you guys enjoy, this one is incredibly self-indulgent. It is purely for me... as evident by the fact that the first part alone already has as twice as many words as some of my other projects (4600, for future viewers). I'm going to go ahead and post it anyway, on the off-chance someone else will like it too. Some further background: I've been listening to a lot of AnokoVA's work on YouTube (and probably damaging something in my mental from binging that kind of girlfriend experience content), and got in the mood for something angsty born from their Sunset videos. Some dialogue and situations are lifted from those videos as a result as a forewarning before you start going "I've seen this before!". I'm also borrowing CosmicButthole's "Norman" character, or at least his name.
  2. 2.
     
  3. 3.
    Part Two:
  4. 4.
    >Saturday night has rolled around once again
  5. 5.
    >The bells have long since rang to free Canterlot High's populace from its' confines, and the kids are already putting their two days of freedom to work in the best way they know how:
  6. 6.
    >Picking one of them at random and completely trashing their house with the wildest party Pinkie Pie can put together in a day's notice
  7. 7.
    >Which may not sound like a lot
  8. 8.
    >If you're not familiar with the girl in question
  9. 9.
    >As it stands the music, something peppy with plenty of bass, is thumping hard enough to probably cause some damage to the foundation
  10. 10.
    >An entire spread's been sourced from who knows where in the kitchen
  11. 11.
    >And even though it's not her house, Pinkie's managed to finagle some strobing lights
  12. 12.
    >They really give some much needed ambiance to the current dance floor (formerly some poor soul's living room) that a bunch of high schoolers are literally tearing up a rug on
  13. 13.
    >In the midst of this chaos is someone you're only vaguely familiar with darting here and there, trying to dissuade rowdy teenagers from elbow dropping each other on the couch ("It's delicate!")
  14. 14.
    >Stop the more athletic kids from racing up and down the stairs ("We just had them waxed!")
  15. 15.
    >And do anything in his power to get them to not get frisky in his parent's bedroom ("Mom is going to kill me!!")
  16. 16.
    >If you were a betting girl, you'd wager that that's the unlucky soul who got picked to play 'host'
  17. 17.
    >You observe the guy for a few more moments and then take a long drink from the solo cup in your hand
  18. 18.
    >You smack your lips, trying to figure out if the punch has been spiked yet
  19. 19.
    >Pinkie almost never does it at the same time every party
  20. 20.
    >Sometimes she does it right at the start, and it definitely shows
  21. 21.
    >Rarely she'll do it right as things are winding down
  22. 22.
    >Those late-night buzzes get weird, everyone gets all emotional
  23. 23.
    >Kind of like right now, where one kid takes his shirt off
  24. 24.
    >Swings it around like a flag
  25. 25.
    >And screams "THIS IS THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE"
  26. 26.
    >Before leaping off the couch and slamming his entire body weight onto the coffee table, absolutely destroying it ("Why?!")
  27. 27.
    >A roar of laughter peels through the air, followed by a cheer for this display of fortitude
  28. 28.
    >Yeah, she's definitely spiked it already
  29. 29.
    >"Yo, Sunset! Killer party, right?"
  30. 30.
    >Someone calls out to you to your left
  31. 31.
    >You glance over but immediately know you have no idea who this guy is
  32. 32.
    >Judging by the height you want to say Freshman?
  33. 33.
    >Unless something tragic happened in the womb and he got overcooked
  34. 34.
    >Still, you flash him your usual lopsided grin and raise your cup up in agreement
  35. 35.
    "Definitely one of Pinkie's best this year!"
  36. 36.
    >You pour as much cheer into that as you can, and of course, he eats it up
  37. 37.
    >"Totally! Hey, me and the guys were gonna try and get a punch pong game going, do you wanna join?"
  38. 38.
    >There it is
  39. 39.
    >Get the 'coolest girl in the school' to join their game and folks will flock to it, right?
  40. 40.
    >You think you should get credit for holding back the sigh of disappointment you want to let out
  41. 41.
    >But you'll settle for being satisfied with yourself for the achievement
  42. 42.
    >Scale back that grin into an apologetic smile, aaaand, perfect
  43. 43.
    "Sorry guys, but I'm actually looking for Pinkie Pie right now. I'll try and swing by for a few rounds, alright?"
  44. 44.
    >They're crestfallen, and one of them in the throng outright 'boos'
  45. 45.
    >Who does that?
  46. 46.
    >But the gaggle of Freshies recovers in short order
  47. 47.
    >"Don't take too long, then! Good luck with Pinkie!"
  48. 48.
    >Their lead Freshman waves as they gather up and go looking for a surface that currently isn't being danced on or in danger of getting elbow dropped through to set up their game
  49. 49.
    >Leaving you alone again
  50. 50.
    >Perfect
  51. 51.
    >If it wasn't already apparent, (You) are Sunset Shimmer
  52. 52.
    >And (You) are absolutely not sulking
  53. 53.
    >Just... grumbling
  54. 54.
    >By yourself
  55. 55.
    >Completely different
  56. 56.
    >...
  57. 57.
    >... Fuck!
  58. 58.
    >You still can't believe Dash got one over on you like that
  59. 59.
    >Someone in the halls had mentioned the seniors experiencing 'Senioritis'
  60. 60.
    >You'd never heard of it before
  61. 61.
    >And when you went to ask about it, unfortunately the only person around was Rainbow
  62. 62.
    >She sounded so serious when she was talking about it!
  63. 63.
    >"Oh yeah that's something all the senior classes get, the pressure makes the whole year act crazy."
  64. 64.
    >You distinctly remember noticing how a lot of your upperclassmen got... irrational during the years when you were ruling the school
  65. 65.
    >Twitchy, anxious, jumpy
  66. 66.
    >It made them incredibly easy to lean on to get what you wanted out of them
  67. 67.
    >You had tried to look up more information about Senioritis in the library before finally asking Twilight about it near the end of the day
  68. 68.
    >She just looked at you like you were trying to play a lame prank on her
  69. 69.
    >Before explaining that it wasn't a REAL disease, just a turn of phrase
  70. 70.
    >And of course Rainbow had to be nearby to hear that you had taken her so seriously, who practically choked on her laughter
  71. 71.
    >Fortunately you split up to get ready for tonight shortly after
  72. 72.
    >Though you were so frustrated you may have torn some of your favorite clothes in the midst of dressing up
  73. 73.
    >Hopefully Rarity doesn't mind the sudden repair requests...
  74. 74.
    >(Who are you kidding, she'll probably jump at the chance to make alterations, she's always got new ideas just waiting to be used)
  75. 75.
    >Either way it's got you avoiding your friends tonight
  76. 76.
    >You just know that Rainbow's gloated about being able to fool you for once to the rest of them
  77. 77.
    >And you really don't want to spend the night getting reassured or teased, depending on who finds you
  78. 78.
    >Hopefully she just forgets about the whole thing by tomorrow
  79. 79.
    >Setting yourself apart from your friend group has left you with a new problem though
  80. 80.
    >That group of freshmen is hardly the first gaggle to approach you tonight
  81. 81.
    >And you're fairly confident it won't be the last
  82. 82.
    >Ever since the Battle of The Bands the school's really embraced you
  83. 83.
    >The half-year of awkwardness left between you and the student body finally a thing of the past after you and the Rainbooms helped save the school from the Dazzlings
  84. 84.
    >People fully acknowledge you in the halls
  85. 85.
    >They invite you to hang out
  86. 86.
    >You're treated like someone they want to spend time with
  87. 87.
    >And at first that thrilled you, really
  88. 88.
    >But over time, doubt started to creep in
  89. 89.
    >You can trust your closest friends
  90. 90.
    >Even if they were sometimes insensitive they invited you into their lives at your lowest point
  91. 91.
    >Sure, it was born out of promises to Princess Twilight, but that was just to get your foot in the door
  92. 92.
    >They made time for you
  93. 93.
    >Stuck by you even when others thought they shouldn't
  94. 94.
    >Whether they realize it or not they're practically family to you now
  95. 95.
    >Even Twilight, a late addition from the recent debacle with the Friendship Games
  96. 96.
    >She slots in to that unit like she was always meant to be there
  97. 97.
    >But everyone else?
  98. 98.
    >While again, you're grateful their collective opinion on you 180'd as it did
  99. 99.
    >Part of you is terrified
  100. 100.
    >Convinced that it could do so again and leave you right back where you started
  101. 101.
    >Humans and Ponies aren't much different in that regard
  102. 102.
    >In Equestria you status as the Princess's Personal Student practically made you the tastemaker of the castle
  103. 103.
    >Even ponces like Prince Blueblood knew better than to challenge you, and he absolutely outranked you on the social totem pole
  104. 104.
    >In this new world, you kept up the same game
  105. 105.
    >It was so easy to get the students to shun anyone who earned your ire
  106. 106.
    >Even if it was just to make sure they didn't get subjected to it themselves
  107. 107.
    >Especially then
  108. 108.
    >This fear started out as a small niggle in the back of your mind
  109. 109.
    >But as time has gone on you can't help but feed it
  110. 110.
    >So whenever someone outside of your core group invites you to things
  111. 111.
    >If you can't get one of the girls to join you, you almost always decline them
  112. 112.
    >And now, here you are
  113. 113.
    >Sulking along the wall in the house of some kid who's name you never even learned
  114. 114.
    >(You're pretty sure you saw him clutching part of that coffee table and sobbing earlier)
  115. 115.
    >Trying to avoid the eye of your closest friends because you don't want to get roasted
  116. 116.
    >And trying even harder to avoid the attention of someone trying to use you for your clout before it turns sour
  117. 117.
    >Great job, Sunset
  118. 118.
    >For a moment you let the stress on your mind show in your face as you survey the room
  119. 119.
    >The dance party's still raging on
  120. 120.
    >If you lean to the side you can see into the kitchen, it looks like half the food's gone
  121. 121.
    >Means less mess to help Pinkie clean up later, at least
  122. 122.
    >Aside from that though, it's a typical high school party
  123. 123.
    >Everyone's convinced they're the main character and they're all trying to be the center of attention as a result
  124. 124.
    >Whether it by being the loudest, the funniest, or just outright making a spectacle of themselves
  125. 125.
    >Except...
  126. 126.
    >Someone across the room catches your eye
  127. 127.
    >Set apart from the throng of dancers, daredevils, and social butterflies
  128. 128.
    >Someone, like you, that's parked away from the groups and goings on
  129. 129.
    >In the dim, constantly changing lighting provided by Pinkie you can't really tell much from here
  130. 130.
    >When the light flashes yellow you can make out someone trying to make themselves smaller and a mass of hair that wouldn't be out of place on Fluttershy's head
  131. 131.
    >It's covering part of their face much like hers, but then the light cycles through the darker colors and they're difficult to make out
  132. 132.
    >But what really caught your attention was their singular exposed eye
  133. 133.
    >Making contact with your own, but also... not
  134. 134.
    >You wait for the cycle again and when the lights are bright enough to stare again
  135. 135.
    >Yeah, they're just staring at you... albeit with a bit of a glaze overtaking their vision
  136. 136.
    >Lost in thought?
  137. 137.
    >Honestly, you could dismiss them as a wallflower
  138. 138.
    >Plenty of students come to Pinkie's parties just to say they did, even if they huddle up and keep to themselves the whole time
  139. 139.
    >But you feel an odd bit of curiosity
  140. 140.
    >And before you know it, your feet are moving to cross the room and meet this stranger
  141. 141.
    >Others greet you and try to hail you down, but you just give them the bare minimum polite greeting you have to as you beeline
  142. 142.
    >As you get approach, you can really identify this person, now
  143. 143.
    >He's either a very tall Freshman or just a Sophomore
  144. 144.
    >Clothing is a bit loose so it's hard to get an idea for his build, but you're going to go with lanky
  145. 145.
    >When the light briefly cycles to white you can identify his skin as a lively forest green and his hair, bounding just past his shoulders, as a solid black
  146. 146.
    >A pretty average face, though you're not entirely sure if you're the best judge of character
  147. 147.
    >It took you a few weeks to figure out which humans were the mares and which were the stallions
  148. 148.
    >And their aesthetics are still something you're figuring out
  149. 149.
    >You're aware that you're attractive, and so are your friends
  150. 150.
    >With mostly a good idea of what you all have in common that would make people think that
  151. 151.
    >Guys...
  152. 152.
    >Still working on that
  153. 153.
    >You picked Flash as your trophy boyfriend because of his popularity and the inherit status that would afford you than anything actually about him
  154. 154.
    >He could've had the personality of dirt and you wouldn't have cared
  155. 155.
    >Honestly it probably would've been better if he had, then he wouldn't have dumped you like he did
  156. 156.
    >Wait
  157. 157.
    >You're getting completely sidelined here
  158. 158.
    >And when you pump the brakes on your mental tangent you realize that this guy's stopped staring into space and is actually regarding you, a surprised expression drawn clearly across his face
  159. 159.
    >Shit, it wasn't that long, was it?
  160. 160.
    >Quickly, you let your brain run on auto-pilot for just a bit more to address the stranger
  161. 161.
    "Hey! Um... hi! Sorry."
  162. 162.
    >Stellar start
  163. 163.
    "I don't mean to be weird, but you've been looking at me for the past... minute? Not in a creepy way, but it looked like it you had something on your mind... so, I thought I'd come over and say hi before we end up staring at each other all night. I'm Sunset. What's your name?"
  164. 164.
    >Now that you've gotten your introduction out of the way, the guy seems less weirded out
  165. 165.
    >But he's still visibly...
  166. 166.
    >Guarded would probably be the word for it
  167. 167.
    >You almost wonder if he's just plain not going to respond before his lips part
  168. 168.
    >"Right, sorry. I'm... Anonymous Tip."
  169. 169.
    >He almost doesn't sound sure of that, but you don't immediately have a reason to believe he's lying about his name to you
  170. 170.
    >You can't help but take a brief glance around again
  171. 171.
    >You wouldn't say this part of the room is isolated, but there's definitely some distance between you and the closest guests
  172. 172.
    >Two more strangers challenging each other to chugging as much punch as fast as they can
  173. 173.
    >Definitely going to need to make sure they're laying on their stomachs when the night's through
  174. 174.
    >And then there's Anonymous here, observing
  175. 175.
    "You... seem a little out of place."
  176. 176.
    >This close you can see his posture shift at that, arms tightening across his chest, mouth turning downward
  177. 177.
    "Not in a bad way! Just... y'know, different from a lot of the people here."
  178. 178.
    >You move to join Anonymous against the wall, lifting one of your legs to press the sole of your boot against it
  179. 179.
    >There's a brief moment where you're worried about getting shoeprints on it, but honestly, the guy has a lot more things to worry about right now
  180. 180.
    "So, are you actually enjoying this party, or are you hiding near a back wall like I've been trying to for the past hour?"
  181. 181.
    >Anonymous shuffles over to give you room, and at your question, stares at the back wall you're both very much resting against
  182. 182.
    >Then back at you
  183. 183.
    >At some point his singular eyebrow is raised - it doesn't quite work given that you can't see the other one to tell if he's properly Dreamworks Facing you, but you get the message
  184. 184.
    >The absurdity of it forces a small laugh out of you
  185. 185.
    "Yeah, same. It's a little too loud, and everyone's trying their hardest to be interesting in a way that makes them all just blur together."
  186. 186.
    >You help yourself to a deep drink from your cup, and give it a little shake
  187. 187.
    >Running low, but you just know you'll run into Pinkie if you go to the kitchen
  188. 188.
    >Continued conversation with a stranger it is
  189. 189.
    "So, you had this look on your face. Like you were thinking really intently about something. What's up?"
  190. 190.
    >Anonymous simply shrugs at that
  191. 191.
    >"To be honest, I was wondering if it was my cousin Norman's idea to ditch me the second we got here, or if he's legit being held up somewhere."
  192. 192.
    >He gestures around the room, his brow furrowing
  193. 193.
    >"He spent all week convincing me to come out to one of these, said we'd have a good time. I think some guys from his AV Club nabbed him. That was about two hours ago."
  194. 194.
    >It's his turn to take a drink
  195. 195.
    >He must've been savoring it because his pull's a lot deeper than yours
  196. 196.
    >Honestly, you kinda feel for the guy
  197. 197.
    >If Pinkie or Rainbow prodded at you to join them at some event and they just bailed on you the first chance they got...
  198. 198.
    >That would suck
  199. 199.
    "... Y'know, it's pretty loud here. What do you say we step outside? I think I saw a balcony on the second floor when I was coming in. I'm, well. I'm avoiding some people, your lifeline got cut. What do you say to keeping each other company for a bit? We can complain together."
  200. 200.
    >Anonymous... hesitates
  201. 201.
    >Honestly?
  202. 202.
    >It actually catches you off guard, after an entire night of people metaphorically tugging on your shirt sleeve and asking to hang out with you
  203. 203.
    >After a moment, 'spending time with Sunset Shimmer' apparently wins out against 'standing alone in a crowded room being miserable'
  204. 204.
    >"Sure, lead the way."
  205. 205.
    >And so you do
  206. 206.
    >Fortunately by this time the athletes racing each other on the stairs have either fully tired themselves out, or plain gotten bored
  207. 207.
    >Oof, those are some nasty scuff marks
  208. 208.
    >Probably on the lower end of the issues piling up but it is tragic to see wooden floors treated so badly
  209. 209.
    >Something to deal with later, though
  210. 210.
    >For now you duck and weave past various guests
  211. 211.
    >Some try to get your attention again but you give them just the most cursory greetings before continuing on to your destination
  212. 212.
    >When you find the sliding glass doors leading out to the balcony, you're relieved
  213. 213.
    >You literally didn't even consider the idea that someone else might be out there until you got within range to look outside
  214. 214.
    >Fortunately, it's empty
  215. 215.
    >You slide the door open for Anon, who steps outside
  216. 216.
    >And then follow him
  217. 217.
    >Just for privacy's sake you swing the latch to lock it
  218. 218.
    >As it clicks into place you just... stop
  219. 219.
    >Briefly shocked by the sudden transition from loud, thumping music and countless conversations to just... crickets, and just the most minor of bass-y shudders
  220. 220.
    >This is some serious glass
  221. 221.
    "Wow.. It feels nice out here, right? Perfect temperature, and without all the noise, it's like we're the only ones in the house. Like the world shrank down to just this balcony."
  222. 222.
    >Anon's already staring ahead out to the street below
  223. 223.
    >Flooded with cars reaching all the way from one end of the street to the other
  224. 224.
    >Fortunately none of the neighbors are losing their mind over it
  225. 225.
    >Or the noise
  226. 226.
    >At your musing he turns his head to acknowledge you
  227. 227.
    >"It really has. I can actually hear my own thoughts without any Sapphire Shores lyrics trying to break in and overtake them."
  228. 228.
    >That's happened to you at least twice tonight already
  229. 229.
    >Trying to brood about how much of an ass Rainbow is, then suddenly you're thinking about seeing stars, soul vacations, and dancing alone
  230. 230.
    >You lean against the doorway as you regard Anonymous, who's finally turned away from the street to look back at you
  231. 231.
    >The moon's at just the perfect height in the sky to obscure him
  232. 232.
    >Just the barest hints of his green skin, the glint of his eye, and a band logo across his shirt that you can't read because of how jagged the typeface is
  233. 233.
    >You're suddenly reminded that you're sharing a balcony with a complete stranger
  234. 234.
    >So, you fire off the first icebreaker question you learned from Pinkie Pie that comes to mind
  235. 235.
    "So. What kind of person are you when nobody's watching?"
  236. 236.
    >At first you think it goes over like a lead balloon, as Anon stares at you quizzically
  237. 237.
    >"... Well, if I'm remembering the adage correctly, I guess I'd be the kind of person that makes no sound."
  238. 238.
    >You can't help but laugh at that
  239. 239.
    >Well played, Anonymous
  240. 240.
    >"I wouldn't say I'm too interesting whether someone's watching or not. I'm not terribly social, I struggle with small talk. If Norman hadn't gotten me out here tonight I'd probably be home, tuning my guitars for the eighth time this week."
  241. 241.
    >Wow, even Rainbow isn't that obsessed with calibrating her guitar
  242. 242.
    "I appreciate that - most people would give me some canned answer, or try and play themselves up, but you didn't hesitate to be honest. So, you're not really here for the party. I know you said your cousin dragged you here, but is there nothing you wanted to get out of tonight?"
  243. 243.
    >That gives Anonymous pause, cupping his cheek in his palm as he really gives it some thought
  244. 244.
    >"I guess... connection. I'm terrible at small talk, but that doesn't mean I don't want to fail at it with someone, you know?"
  245. 245.
    >You nod in agreement
  246. 246.
    "Me too. Honestly, I almost didn't come tonight. I had a small tiff with one of my friends, and I really considered just sulking in my bedroom about it all weekend - but with how crazy magical incidents have been getting lately, I thought 'what if something important goes down while I'm not there?'"
  247. 247.
    >You look over at Anonymous, who's pushed off from the railing of the balcony to take a few steps closer
  248. 248.
    "And now, here I am, standing on a balcony with you. Definitely feels like one of those moments you'll look back on later and think, 'that mattered', right?"
  249. 249.
    >You can tell he's a bit unsure of how to take that
  250. 250.
    >It does kind of sound like you're insulting him, when you give what you're saying more than five seconds of thought
  251. 251.
    "... Sorry. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out how to talk with people who aren't in my immediate friend group, too."
  252. 252.
    >And even then, you still slip up
  253. 253.
    >A brief image of Twilight, eyes brimming over with tears as you finish screaming at her and her fleeing during the Friendship Games flashes to the forefront of your mind
  254. 254.
    >But hey lets not think about that right now
  255. 255.
    "Everyone's been stoked on us ever since the Friendship Games, they're all so friendly and welcoming... but I have no idea how to receive that and give it back. I guess I'm just waiting for the knives I'm so convinced are behind their backs. I don't want to be pretend to be cool, or mysterious, or anything but me."
  256. 256.
    >You pause to take in a deep breath, having talked away all the air in your lungs
  257. 257.
    "I want to be real with someone. And right now, I guess that's going to be you."
  258. 258.
    >Anonymous stares at you intently as you pour your heart out to him
  259. 259.
    >You aren't even sure if you're ready to be having this kind of conversation with Fluttershy
  260. 260.
    >Someone actually good at emotions who could help you navigate these feelings
  261. 261.
    >And here you are dumping it on a stranger, who instead of reassuring you, or anything like that
  262. 262.
    >... Takes another long drink from his cup
  263. 263.
    >The absurdity of it makes you shamelessly laugh out loud
  264. 264.
    "I'm sorry. This is too intense for a first conversation, isn't it? You just..."
  265. 265.
    >You think you're going to struggle to find the words, but it comes to mind pretty easily
  266. 266.
    "You're standing there, and you're actually listening, and... I don't feel judged. Anyone else out there I could've dragged out onto this balcony would probably be cringing and trying to make excuses to leave already. It's making me want to be more honest than I probably should be."
  267. 267.
    >Anonymous just shrugs
  268. 268.
    >"Norman's always said that keeping my mouth shut and letting people talk was one of my better traits. I... don't really know if he was framing that as me being a good listener or just a bad conversationalist, now that I say it out loud. So, what's really eating you?"
  269. 269.
    >If it was anyone else, you're not sure you'd be able to admit it
  270. 270.
    >But with this guy, you find yourself able to freely talk about your gaffe with Rainbow Dash
  271. 271.
    >Admitting that, hours later, you know it really wasn't that big of a deal, but you were so committed in the moment to being mad that you went and basically ruined the party for yourself all night rather than just take a few lighthearted jabs from people you know don't mean it maliciously
  272. 272.
    >All the while Anonymous listens patiently, as he rests against the sliding glass door with you, pressing his shoulder against it to get comfortable
  273. 273.
    "... I'm going to be honest, and I hope you don't mind. I don't often meet someone new and get comfortable like this so fast. You've been really cool, listening to me vent like this, and not judging me for being so petty."
  274. 274.
    >And it's true
  275. 275.
    >Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy...
  276. 276.
    >Those initial five are your family now, but it took a lot of effort and patience between each of you to get to this point
  277. 277.
    >You had a lot of rough edges that needed to get sanded down, plenty of lessons to learn about friendship and the maintenance of it that you blatantly refused to learn at Celestia's behest
  278. 278.
    >Maybe it's just the benefit of him crossing your path after having those rough patches smoothed out
  279. 279.
    >Or the way you approached him and not the other way around for once
  280. 280.
    >But... this feels natural
  281. 281.
    >Important, like a step forward in your ability to comfortably interact with other people
  282. 282.
    >Or maybe just him, specifically
  283. 283.
    >You aren't sure yet
  284. 284.
    "Outside of my best friends, I don't always feel properly seen, or understood. But I'm feeling both right now. I'm really glad you caught my eye."
  285. 285.
    >You turn your head as some erratic movement catches your attention in the corner of your eye
  286. 286.
    >In the corridor leading up to the balcony, you see a blur of pink bolting between the groups of people crowding it
  287. 287.
    >You have the distinct feeling you're on the precipice of being discovered
  288. 288.
    "I think they sent out a search party already, unfortunately. We should probably go back inside, before Pinkie Pie tears the roof down."
  289. 289.
    >Anonymous follows your gaze to see your energetic friend frantically interrogating some poor freshman
  290. 290.
    >Part of you considers introducing Anonymous to Pinkie Pie
  291. 291.
    >But you get the feeling her energy and his malaise wouldn't quite mix
  292. 292.
    >It seems like he agrees with your assessment, as he pushes off the sliding glass door to rest against the railing again.
  293. 293.
    >"You go on ahead, then. I think I'm going to enjoy the night air for a little while longer."
  294. 294.
    >You shrug and offer the stranger -
  295. 295.
    >No
  296. 296.
    >You offer your new friend a helpless 'what can you do?' sort of smile
  297. 297.
    "Don't stay out too long, it's getting pretty chilly. And.. thanks, Anonymous. For listening. Lets talk again, sometime. I'll return the favor if you want."
  298. 298.
    >With a lazy wave with his free hand, you're dismissed, and you head back inside to save the poor people in the hallway from Pinkie Pie's questioning
  299. 299.
    >Reconnecting with her quickly leads to the seven of you all linking up
  300. 300.
    >Rainbow Dash is, of course, Rainbow Dash
  301. 301.
    >And while she does tease you, you find you don't mind as much
  302. 302.
    >Your chest feels a lot lighter than it has in the past few weeks after getting some of your insecurities out of it
  303. 303.
    >The rest of the night is spent with your best friends
  304. 304.
    >Gossiping, laughing
  305. 305.
    >You even make an appearance at that punch pong game as a group
  306. 306.
    >But the new friend you've made takes up a slot in the back of your thoughts for the rest of the night
  307. 307.
    >You hope Anonymous didn't end tonight alone

Timberwolf Study, Part One

by Hearthsong

[COMPLETE] Kingnon Snippet I: In Which Moonbitch Gets Bitched Out

by Hearthsong

Timberwolf Study, Part Two

by Hearthsong

Timberwolf Study, Part Three

by Hearthsong

Timberwolf Study, Part Four

by Hearthsong