Blinders Off

 

>Be mare

>Cuddling on the couch with colt who really does look like a baby version of master

>No mustache though, just lots of black fluff

>He likes to cuddle

>So even though Rose gave him a name, to you he's Cuddleslut

>Since he seems just as happy to cuddle with you as Rose

>He's warm and fluffy, and him nuzzling into you feels nice

>He's tried to nurse off you a couple times, and was disappointed you had nothing to deliver in that regard

>But it was a strange experience for you

>Actually, the simple act of contact with him is strange, because there's nothing sexual about it

>You try to remember back to when touch from a male wasn't a sexual thing for you

>It would have been some time before you got to the filly brothel

>And the time before that is pretty hazy in your memory

>Though you do remember that you had to LEARN that touch was a sexual thing

>It wasn't something that just occurred to you

>Until it just became that from repitition

>And it's strange, even a little disconcerting to suddenly be in a situation where it isn't

>Even more so because of how much he looks like a little version of master

>And master's touch was definitely sexual

>Was it all the time?

>Maybe not

>He did like to hold you or just lean against you sometimes when it wasn't foreplay or after

>Not a lot, though

>You two had sex almost every day, often more than once

>You miss him, and feel purposeless without him

>Cuddling with Cuddleslut makes it easier, but doesn't make the feeling go away

"He's so cute," you say to Rose, probably for the hundredth time

>"He looks just like his father, doesn't he?," she replies, as usual

>It appears with a foal in the house the two of you are destined to have a lot of the same conversations again and again

>Mostly talking about the little black colt

>Little Cuddleslut

>You've been careful not to call him that in front of her

>Because you're pretty sure she'd take offense, even though you mean it lovingly

>It's also weird to feel lovingly toward somepony else in a way that's completely non sexual

>Somepony else with a penis, that is

>You totally know non sexual love with your friends (who are all mares)

>You just don't remember many non sexual interactions with men or stallions

>Even when they didn't HAVE to be sexual you often let them go that way

>Because that's just what you know - you understand things better that way

>Plus they're usually a lot nicer after they cum

>But Cuddleslut isn't even capable of cumming

>A sexual relationship with him really isn't even an option

>Of course you were having sex long before you were able to cum

>But that's because you were a pretty filly, not a colt

>You think that's how it works

>You don't really know

>Actually, given how some men (and stallions) are you could imagine them having sex with colts

>Just not ones this little

>Thinking about the mechanics of it you sure hope those colts get ice cream after

>Thankfully nothing like that is gonna happen to this little guy

>He's not just a free pony, ut he has a strong mother looking out for him

>Are you jealous?

>Would you want to go back if you could and grow up free with a mother by your side?

>It would probably be nice

>But then you wouldn't be you, and your life would be totally different

>You wouldn't have your friends

>You never would have had a master, even if you don't now

>You miss him, and it's strange to see him reflected in Cuddleslut here

>Who probably sensed you were thinking strange thoughts about him and just started to fuss

>"He's probably hungry again," Rose says

>She puts him on the floor and stands next to him

>He's up and latched on to her in moments

>"That's what I thought"

"Does it feel good when he does it?"

>"Yeah, just not in a sexy way like when you did"

"I was just thinking that. How there's nothing sexy about him. He's the only male I've spent any time with where I wasn't concerned about being sexy"

>"Well he's just a foal. And the spitting image of his sire, so you know he will be sexy someday, just not for a long time"

"I'll be an old mare by then"

>"You won't, but I will"

"I'm sure you'll still be sexy even then"

>"That's the last thing on my mind now"

"I'm never not thinking about it. And I really don't know what to do with myself now that..."

>"I miss him, too. But there's more to who you are than pleasing a stallion. You've got our show, the books you keep"

"Are you telling me I'm not sexy?"

>"You know I think otherwise. It's just hard for me to think about being sexy with my colt nursing"

"He is a huge distraction"

>"What he is is something more important"

>More important than being sexy for your master?!

>No wonder Rose could never be a good girl if that's how she thinks!

>But she's a free pony now, and Cuddleslut IS the most important thing in her life

>"We both defined ourselves in our relationships to men and stallions. I'm not going to do that anymore"

"I miss it. I just want somepony to tell me I'm a good girl"

>"You're a good girl"

"It's not the same, and you know it"

>"Have you ever thought about emancipation?"

"I try not to. That level of insecurity is terrifying to me. I don't think I could ever relax not knowing exactly what to do"

>"Yet that still doesn't sheild you from life's unpredictability"

"It keeps me from having to think about it, because I know what's important"

>"To HIM. What about to you? You're remarkably well set up and smart. Why not live the life you want instead of being a man or stallion's plaything?"

"You're trying to make me gay, Rose, and it's not gonna work"

>"I am not, though that would be nice. But I am talking about agency here. You could have it"

"And what would I do with it?"

>"I don't know. Whatever YOU want for a change"

"Oh, great. Then I'd have to think about that, too."

>"Try it. What do you want?"

"I want master back"

>"I want that, too. But that isn't something we can have. Plenty of other things are. What about them?"

"I wouldn't even know where to start thinking about that. And what makes you think emancipation could be one of those things"

>"Think about it. The network owns you. You're on a show where we talk about sex and slave versus free pony life"

"So?"

>"I know how John thinks. Your freedom could be as simple a matter of whether it would be good for the show"

"We'd lose this place, and that would just be the start of bad changes"

>"We could get a place together in Brooklyn, near Ponytown"

"That sounds like a bad change, all right"

>"You don't care about luxuries. You can't convince me you would balk at more modest accommodations"

"It's not the luxury, it's the security. The network owns me, they take care of me"

>"And if you were free they'd pay you, so would your former organization for doing the books. You'd have a decent income"

>She adds, "And it's not like you couldn't keep track of it. You're already helping me do that. And as for a master..."

"That's kind of a big one"

>"Because you're a sub. Finding a dominant free stallion to play that role for you would probably not be all that hard"

"So settle for roleplay instead of the real thing?"

>"You kind of were with Perfect Pitch. He wasn't really into being your master. He just loved you, so he played along"

>Shit

>You know there's some truth to that

>He DID love you, but his heart was really only a little into being your master

>He did that for you, and you loved him for it

"This really isn't the time to cave in what's left of my world"

>"I'm not saying tomorrow. But imagine someday having a stallion who loved you AND loved dominating you. He wouldn't need to actually own you because..."

"Because he would anyways, even if legally I was a free mare. I never thought of that"

>"Because it was never an option before. We should probably rehash some of this on the show"

"Rose exploits my sadness and fears to convince me I want to be free like her? With a side of possible lesbian subtext?"

>"It would go over well"

>You look down between Rose's legs

>Cuddleslut finished nursing a while ago, and has fallen asleep on the floor

"Looks like somepony's out again"

>"Eating and sleeping is a lot of what they do"

>You're kind of glad you don't have a Cuddleslut of your own

>Not that he isn't totally cute and comfy

>But somepony else dependent on you for everything?

>It'd be like having a master with none of the... rewards

>If he was a colt that would make things around here excessively colty - one useless penis here is more than enough

>And if it'd been a filly you'd want Cuddleslut to be her master

>You could never explain that to Rose, who just nearly convinced you emancipation isn't an awful idea

>And probably could on the show, in front of an audience, cameras and crew

>There's no way you could make the case the half-brother should be the half-sister's master to Rose

>She'd be horrified

>Even though it seems right to you

>Judging right and wrong have never been your strong suits

>Because there don't seem to be any rules about it

>It's not like math, which makes sense

>It's fuzzy, and not in a cute way like Cuddleslut

>There are a few big things that are pretty clear

>Be good to your friends, be generous, try not to be mean, look out for other ponies if you can...

>But beyond that?

>Be a good girl for master

>That's pretty easy to grasp

>Except now you don't have a master

>So how do you be a good girl?!

>How do free ponies do it?

>It's like the rules aren't written down or even agreed upon, and they're different for everypony

>But right now you're kind of in limbo without master

>You may as well be a free pony

>Because you have no master to be a good girl for

>When you asked John if he was your new master it was with complete contempt

>You HATE him

>You hate what he did to Rose, and what he did to master makes him far and away the worst monster you've eveer known

>But he smelled like his good girl

>And maybe she's happy

>Maybe, in spite of being such a horrible man he's somehow a good master

>It's not impossible

>You don't think a man has to be good to be a good master

>And you're ashamed to admit it, but a little piece of you wanted him to say yes

>Yes, I'm your new master, even though you hate me

>It doesn't matter

>Just be a good girl and everything will be fine

>But he didn't say that

>And you feel ashamed for wanting him to

>Because you do hate him

>But a master you hate would still be better than no master, wouldn't it?

>Maybe he wouldn't be so bad if he smelled like you

>No

>That would be horrible

>He's the monster who killed your master

>Then why are you turned on a little?

>Because he knows how to be in charge

>He kind of is your master, in that you're network property and he's the network executive who authorized your purchase

>He could have said yes

>And he knew you knew that

>But chose to leave you hanging

>Like not being picked at the salon

>You shiver thinking about that - it never happened to you, but it was a secret fear you had as a filly

>Not being picked

>You're sure you could have seduced him - you did it before

>You were just too angry to think straight

>You flinch at the thought of him fucking you, even though it does turn you on a little

>You haven't gone this long without that since... you were a filly

>"What are you thinking?," Rose asks

>She noticed you flinch

>You sigh

"What you said about agency. Seems like I have it already, whether I want it or not"

 

>Be mare

>Rose has bullied you into looking at apartments with her

>Even thouigh she KNOWS you haven't decided whether or not you want to try to get out from under the network's wing

>She's already operating under the idea you two will be roommates

>You three, counting Cuddleslut

>Truth is going with her is easier than listening to her nonstop attempts to convince you to

>And this will be a big day of firsts

>First time either of you will try to negotiate the subway

>You're used to taking cars or network vans everywhere

>First time either of you will see Ponytown, or even Brooklyn for that matter

>You used to live on Staten Island, but never really saw much of it

>Really any of it, if you're being honest

>The brothel was very much a bubble

>So is life at the penthouse, but it's a much bigger bubble

>And now Rose wants to drag you into an even bigger one

>While you admire her confidance you don't share it

>You know neither of you have much in the way of street smarts

>The way you carry yourselves is different from the way the free pony crewmembers on the show do

>Which makes this trip intimidating - something you don't want to do

>But Rose is your friend, and sometimes you do things you don't want to do out of friendship

>This will also be the first time Rose leaves Cuddleslut with a foal sitter

>And you know even though she's excited she's also stressed out about it

>She gave the young free mare who showed up at the penthouse the same set of instructions three times

>And double checked that her phone's battery was fully charged

>As the two of you walk out of your building and onto the sidewalk she turns to you

>"Do you think he'll be OK with the bottle?"

"He didn't like it so much yesterday, but I'm sure he'll deal if he gets hungry enough"

>"Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he's too young to leave with a foal sitter"

"Your call. If you want to call this off I'm fine with it"

>"No. She seemed capable. I've got her number. I'll check in if I don't hear from her"

"Well then the subway is this way"

>You did your research

>You know you have to buy a card at the machine

>You get through that without a hitch

>The turnstiles are a little more of a challenge, obviously being designed for two legs, not four

>The trick is to rear up and kind of fall forward into it

>Almost like a stallion on a mare

>You only know this because you watched another pony do it while you were trying to figure it out

>Definitely not the most dignified act, but you managed to get in

>You took the stairs carefully, because a fall on them would be bad, maybe even deadly

>You wonder if that happens

>Do ponies actually die falling down the stairs in the subway?

>But you make it to the platform for the scariest part of all

>There's nothing between the platform edge abd the tracks the trains loudly come in on

>They painted the edge yellow as a warning, but that's it

>You and Rose stick to the center of the platform until your train arrives and the doors open

>You enter the car and see an area in the rear where other ponies are standing

>Where you entered is all people, so you make your way to the pony section

>Thankfully it's not that crowded at 11AM on a Tuesday, so this only gets you a handful of dirty looks

>The ponies are mostly quiet, and none of them meet your eyes when you look at them

>As the train moves from stop to stop you watch carefully

>Once it gets to Brooklyn you have to change trains at Atlantic Ave

>And it's important not to fuck that up

"Two more stops," you whisper to Rose, "then we change trains"

>By the time you get there only a handful of light colored people are left on the train

>It's mostly dark people, probably the most you've ever been around at one time

>But it seems like you and Rose are invisible to them as long as you stay out of their way

>The station where you have to change is a labyrinth of passages and staircases

>But there are signs telling you where to go

>You make it to the next scary platform without any issues, and again keep to the center until the right train arrives

>So far you're pretty proud of yourself

"I think we've got this," you say to Rose

>Standing on the platform you realize you're not entirely invisible to the people around you

>Some men steal glances at you, particularly your backsides

>And they're really not doing much to hide it

>But it's the little girls who really surprise you

>They wstare right at you, like they're drawn to you

>You don't know a thing about little girls - you've never known any

>But obviously they like ponies, or are at least fascinated by them

>The men don't bother you, but the girls freak you out a little

>It's like you're something the WANT, but in a way that doesn't appear to be sexual

>You're not going to figure that one out on a subway platform, but it's uncanny

>And it's not just you and Rose

>They seem to be like that with all the ponies they pass

>And there are a lot more ponies on this platform than there were on the last one

>A lot more very dark people, too

>They talk abong themselved with some strange accents

>One you're hearing a lot of reminds you of the singing in some music master liked

>Was it Reggae or Reggaeton?

>Reggae was the one he liked

>Which makes sense, because Ponytown is right next to a Caribbean neighbord you have to walk through to get there

>Unless you'd paid more to take a different train at the terminal

>And your card wouldn't work on that train, so it seemed like too much to figure out

>Besides, the nicer places that rent to ponies are actually on the egde of the Caribbean neighborhood

>So this trip is culturally enriching as well

>That's what you've heard about Brooklyn

>It's not just Ponytown there - it's also home to people from all over the world who decided to come to New York

>Walking through the terminal you heard people speaking languages you'd never heard before

>And dressed in a variety of strange outfits

>You are sure to enter the next train with the other ponies, and your second subway ride begins

"Next stop is us"

>"Great. Once we're out of the station I'll take over navigation with my phone"

"I'm counting on it, because I just memorized the train part"

>As you walk out of the station you notice how it's different from where you've been living in Manhattan

>The buildings aren't as tall, nor as grand

>Less glass, metal and concrete, and a lot more bricks

>The brightly painted businesses on their ground floors spillout on to the sidewalks

>All of which seem kind of beat in and a little grimy

>Old is what it is

>You're not seeing a lot of new buildings

>But it's vibrant

>Music spills out of restaurants and retail shops - including Reggae among other music that's new to you ears

>And your nostrils are assulted by a variety of smells, some disgusting, others delicious

>There's a lot more happening at street level - right on the street - than what you're used to

>Some businesses appear to be nothing more than folding tables set up on the sidewalk

>It's almost overwhelming

>Vans driving down the street honk at each other in what seems more like a greeting than annoyance

>Adding to the noisy chaos of it

>People and ponies moving at all different paces on the crowded sidewalks

>Families pushing strollers just... strolling

>People, and even a few ponies walking slowly because they're staring at their phones while they walk

>Rose has put you two in that category as she's figuring out how to get to the first apartment you're supposed to see

>Then there's everyody (and everypony) else trying to get around the slower moving ones

>The whole thing breaks down a little when a greengrocer spills out onto the sidewalk, making for one lane of flow

>On uneven cracked Brooklyn sidewalks

>Several times you just have to stop walking to let people and ponies coming from the oppisite direction pass

>A few comments from behind you lead you to think you might be doing a bit too much of this

>But with Rose constantly checking her phone it's hard to be aggressive

>Soon you're on a much less congested residential side street

>Then another one, where Rose stops and sends a text in front of a brick building like the others on the block

>Old, four stories high

>But one of the sacttered few painted in pastel colors, signifying it's a place with pony renters

>"Micah says he'll be here in five minutes," Rose says

>Which means you have five minutes to kill on a residential sidewalk in Brooklyn

>Could you live here?

>You obviously would not starve like you've heard some ponies do in Ponytown

>You could be making money - you know what you're worth - and the prices at the greengrocers you passed were cheap

>Other ponies live here, too

>Nopony you've passed on the sidewalk or even the few you've seen going in and out of the building seemed desperate

>Or miserable

>Just keeping their heads down

>Because they're not the property of wealthy men or organizations who can protect them

>They're free ponies who've done well enough to become interlopers

>In a world of not so wealthy people

>In a place where the housing stock is tight enough that a "pony 2BDR"

>Which means a one bedroom for people, with a room subdivided

>Rents for $1500 a month

>You know some of the people on the street - those who make little more than free ponies - are unlikely to have much love for you

>Though that won't stop men (or stallions) from checking out your asses

>Which already happened a couple times when Micah arrives

>A young one even said "Damn, that's sexy," like it was nothing as he walked by

>Rose blushed

>Micah is a light colored man, in a black suit, black hat, white shirt, but no tie

>His shirt collar is open and he sports a reddish beard

>If his clothes fit better you'd call him a hipster, but he's not that

>"Hello girls," he says, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go and see the apartment?"

>He pronounces the "g" on "waiting" almost like it's a "k"

>He leads you up the steps, key in hand, then holds the door open for you

>The small lobby is nicely tiled, but really could use a cleaning, polishing and repainting

>Micah leads you up the marble stairs to the second floor and opens a door labeled 2B

>It's a modest place - three rooms, really, with one subdivided for a total of just over 500 sq ft

>A little cramped for three

>But the walls are charmingly painted with brightly colored stencils

>Micah sees you staring at them

>"We used to always paint the walls white, but whenever ponies move in they change that. At first we just kept their security deposits and replainted," he says

>And continues, "But it kept happening again and again, so we just leave it now"

>"I love it," Rose gushes, "It's totally Equestrian"

>"That's what everypony says," he responds. "My daughter says it reminds her of tole painting. Her husband is an antiques dealer"

>Funny to hear a man say "everypony"

>"So we just leave it now," he continues, "because if we paint over it somepony else is eventually going to repaint it anyways"

>"It reminds me of home," Rose says whistfully

>"Isn't that what everyone does when they come here?," he asks, "Bring a little bit of the Old World to the New?"

>You never thought of Equestria as the Old World, but what he's saying seems to resonate with Rose who is nodding along as he talks

>"I know my family did," he rattles on, "Just like most of the other families here"

>"Speaking of family there would be three of us," Rose replies, "I've got a foal"

>Micah looks from Rose to you and back

>"Not every family follows tradition," he answers, "But I have a bigger place just a couple blocks away for nineteen-fifty"

>That's at the very top of the budget IF you decide to do this with Rose

>And too much for her to do responsibly on her own

>"Maybe you'd like I should show you?," he asks

>"We have a couple other appointments, but if it's close by we can take a look," Rose replies

>The next few hours pass in similar fashion

>Two other men much like Micah show you similar apartments

>Of the four you see only one had stark white walls

>And it had to be the nicest of the bunch, especially for what they were asking in rent

>After seeing the painted apartments Rose was a little put off by how plain it seemed

"What's your policy on tenants painting the walls?," you asked

>The man showing to the place rolled his eyes and said, "Technically you're not allowed to, but we know there's no way around it"

>Now you're back on the sidewalk heading for Ponytown proper

>Rose is texting Crystal, who has promised to show you around in return for lunch at an Equestrian restaurant

>Crystal is one of the cameramares from the show

>The one who has practically insinuated herself into the cast

>You're not sure, but you think she might have a little crush on Rose

>Which would be convenient

>If it's true you intend to help it along however you can

>You reach the corner where you're supposed to meet, and Crystal isn't there yet

>Rose uses the opportunity to check in with the foalsitter for the third time

>You soon spot Crystal coming toward you

>She's smiling, but shaking her head

>"Hey, you two," she says, "I'll bet you got some looks in the subway and on the street"

"We did. What are we doing wrong?"

>"First off," Crystal begins, "you're a bit over coiffed. You look like you should be getting out of a black car"

>"Thanks again. I gotta go," Rose says into her phone

>"But THAT," Crystal gestures to your collar, "has GOT to come off"

"My collar?"

>"The two of you walking around like that," Crystal says dismissively, "Makes it look like Rose owns you"

>Rose smiles, "Really?"

>"Really," Crystal answers, "and ponies owning other ponies is a very unpopular idea around here"

>That might explain some of the catcalls and funny looks you've gotten

>And Micah saying you weren't traditional might have meant a lot more than just thinking you were lesbians

>You don't want to take off the collar master got for you

>But you realize you have to, so you do

>"That's better, "Crystal saya, "Now let me show you around Ponytown"

 

>Be mare

>Sitting in a restaurant with Crystal and Rose

>Without your collar on, surrounded by ponies

>Free ponies

>And no people at all, just ponies

>It strikes you as a little sad that this is a novel experience for you

>It feels good to be surrounded by your own kind

>But you're torn by the feeling that you're not really one of them

>And they know it, because it turns out a lot of them watch your show

>Crystal is kind of a local celebrity

>And Rose is obviously somepony they root for

>But their reaction to you?

>Those who recognize you seem to give off a vibe of pity mixed with some...

>You can't tell if it's jealousy or resentment, but it's something negative

>Like they feel sorry for you, but also want to hate you

>And feeling sorry wins out

>This has played out several times as ponies stopped the three of you as you wandered around Ponytown

>But the best example was the mare who asked you for your autographs

>Crystal wrote "To", then the mare's name, the word "Best" and then her own name in clear block letters

>Roseluck wrote what you assume was something similar in script

>You of course never learned to write, or even how to sign your name

>So you made an "X" on the piece of notebook paper under where Crystal and Rose had written

>Before that the mare looked at you with a little hint of what you figured was disgust

>It certainly wasn't the same excitement warmth she gave Crystal and Rose

>Like they were the good celebrities and you were the bad one

>But after seeing your awkward signature

>Your mark - face it, that's really what it was

>She looked like she was about to cry

>For you

>Which seemed crazy, because she lives here in Ponytown and you live in a penthouse in Manhattan

>Yet she clearly felt sorry for you

>And you're pretty sure it wasn't because you recently lost your master/husband

>If that had been it she would have looked sorry for you from the start

>And she didn't

>One pony did express sympathy for you that way though

>A skinny stallion about your age came right up to you on the street and said, "Sorry about your loss"

>He was nervous, and mumbled it, not able to maintain eye contact

>By the time you realized what he'd said he was gone

>But that meant something

>You're not completely a foreigner here

>But you are somepony who talks about very personal and controversial things on television

>And for the first time you're walking the streets where ponies who watch, and have their own opinions about it actually live

>And apparently they have very mixed feelings about you

>Complete strangers have strong but mixed feelings about you

>That is really weird

>The only feeling you're used to complete strangers having for you is sexual desire

>THAT you can deal with

>The whole low rent celebrity thing is new ground entirely

>It does make you a little anxious, but it's exciting, too

>Sitting here in the Equestrian restaurant you can tell your table is the focus of attention for the whole room

>Kind of like being on the show, but without the cameras

>Not entirely without the cameras

>One young mare did come up and ask if she could take a selfie with the three of you

>Crystal gently told her you were trying to enjoy your lunch so now wasn't a good time

>At first that seemed a little rude to you

>But it's dawning on you that if she'd said yes half the ponies in the restaurant would have followed

>And your entire lunch would have been nothing but posing for selfies

>You're pretty sure you've seen a few ponies fiddling with their phones taking stealth pics of your party anyways

>Eventually an older stallion in a white apron approaches your table

>"Everything OK here?," he asks

>"It's amazing," Rose says, beaming. "Really takes me back to Ponyville"

>"Happy to hear it," he responds. "I was a chef back home, so I try to keep things as authentic as possible here"

>"I haven't had a heyburger this good since...," Rose trails off, misty eyed

>"Just doing my little part to keep some of the magic alive. Enjoy your lunch, ladies"

>His eyes were misty, too

>That happens a lot when ponies from Equestria talk about it

>It must have been one hell of a place

>You're sure they're romanticizing it at least a little

>But it still sounds like it was borderline paradise

>Just a paradise with magic and monsters

>The food was obviously good, though

>You never got what the big deal was about hayburgers before

>They're OK, but ponies then to overhype them

>The one you're halfway through definitely lives up to the hype

>That old stallion - his cutie mark was a spatula - knows hiw way around the grill, for sure

>You'd almost consider another trip to Ponytown just for another hayburger

>It's so good you're thinking about the next one before you've finished the one in front of you

>The only other food that ever moved you like this was an Italian hoagie when you were a filly

>And that was mostly because it was the saltiest, naughtiest thing you's ever eaten

>That and it was a man being kind to you when he had no real reason to be

>Well, looking back there was a motive behind it

>But you weren't going to begrudge him a sexual favor or two when that's what you spent half the day doing anyways

>That's another way you're different from most ponies you know

>And most ponies here in Ponytown, you assume

>You and your friends growing up had A LOT more sex than most mares do

>You've become a little careful about how many fillyhood stories you share with Rose

>Because you've shocked her again and again, even though she tries to be cool about it

>And if you can shock somepony who spent years as a bedmare you've definitely had a lot of sex

>You miss it, too

>It's part of who you are

>The word Rose would use is validate

>Sex is part of how you validate yourself

>You may not be 100% sure of what that means exactly

>But you grasp the general concept, and agree with it

>"You're pretty quiet," Rose says to you

"This is all a lot to take in. And I'm still thinking about him. I see why he never came here. He would have been ashamed"

>Crystal nods and says, "I think most ponies understood he didn't have a choice in what he did. The shame was how good he was at it"

>"And you can't blame yourself for what happened. You who know who is to blame for it"

"Yeah, they guy who's the reason the three of us are here having lunch together in the first place"

>Neither mare responds

"But I feel so stupid about it. I didn't know anything about drinking. I didn't know the way he drank was that dangerous"

>"You're not a doctor," Crystal replies. "How are you supposed to know about high blood pressure and stroke risks?"

>"I just assumed he was under doctor's care," Rose says, "because he was so valuable to the network"

"All they cared about was whatever it took to get him in front of the camera. Even if it killed him"

>"How could you have fought that?," Crystal asks. "You couldn't have"

"No. But if I hadn't been so ignorant - if I'd known what he was at risk for I would have pushed him to see a doctor"

>"You can't blame yourself for what happened," Rose says firmly

"I don't blame myself. I just feel like if I'd been a little better informed I could have prevented it"

>"You can only know what you know," Crystal adds, "so you couldn't have prevented it because you didn't know"

"They did an autopsy. They had to for insurance. Turns out he was a ticking time bomb. If it hadn't been a stroke..."

>You gather yourself for a second, because you don't want to break down in a restaurant with so many pony eyes on you

"He could have had a massive pancreatitis attack any second"

>"What's that?," Rose asks

"I had to look it up. In heavy drinkers as they get older their pancreas can just blow up. It's not always fatal, but with somepony like master..."

>Keep it together, ponies are watching you

"There's a good chance it could have killed him. I didn't know any of this stuff. Doctors do. If I could have gotten him to see one..."

>"You had no way to know," Crystal replies. "You can't keep asking yourself 'What if?'"

>"You CAN, actually," Rose says, "It's just a bad idea. You'll drive yourself crazy for nothing, then there'll be two tragedies instead of one"

"You two are right. There's no way I could have known. I grew up in a brothel, and can't even sign my name"

>That really sounds like you're feeling sorry for yourself

>But this whole experience has been enotional

>And on top of your recent loss it DOES make you feel sorry for yourself

"I can barely read. Without a computer I couldn't even do math, and accounting is my special talent"

>"You've got a lot on your plate right now," Rose says, "but you have friends who can listen and help out"

>"I'd say you're holding up really well," Crystal says. "Becoming a celebrity, losing your husband - that's a lot for anypony"

>"Not to mention being here," Rose says. "I'm emotionally on the edge myself just being surrounded by so many ponies"

"Who are watching us and all know our business. Half of them could guess exactly what we're talking about"

>"You're probably right," Crystal says. "If you need to have a little pity party you've come to the right place"

"I don't deserve to be pitied. We walked by skinny fillies and colts begging on the street half an hour ago"

>Knowing Rose is on the edge emotionally somehow makes it easier to control your own feelings

>You don't want to set her off

"I've never gone hungry a day in my life. And I'm sitting in a restaurant while they're on the street. THEY deserve pity, not me"

>"That's what's getting me," Rose replies, "How much this is like Equestria, but how much rougher and more tragic it is"

>"You're still in New York," Crystal says, "Great place if you have a little money, not so great if you don't"

>To you she adds, "My point is bad things happen to everypony. When they do it's only natural to feel sorry for yourself and others to pity you"

"I don't have to like it, though"

>""I don't think anypony likes it," Crystal responds, "It's just the way things are. Just like nopony likes the poverty and decay here..."

>"That's what's getting to me," Rose says

>"There's not much we can do about it," Crystal answers, "Yet. We'll get there. That's the dream we're working toward"

"Sounds like a dream, all right"

>Oops. Didn't mean to be THAT sarcastic.

>"Without struggle there can be no progress," Crystal says, then adds, "That's from Fredrick Douglass"

>That gets her blank stares from both you and Rose

>"A big figure in black American history. Escaped from slavery to help lead to the end of it," Crystal says, a little surprised

>"I'm guessing figures like that from black history are popular here?," Rose asks

>"They're inspiring, and are generally admired. We just have to be careful about how much we let it show sometimes"

"Why?"

>"Because to a lot of blacks the struggle is ongoing," she replies. "We want them to stand in solidarity with us, not see us as co-opting their history for our own purposes"

"I dare you to say that on the show"

>"I would say that on the show without a second's hesitation," Crystal responds firmly

"It's your struggle, not mine"

>"That's what makes you so infuriating to viewers here," she responds. "You live in a penthouse and support slavery because YOU have it good"

"Duh"

>"Yet under that system you lived a life of what most viewers would consider horrific sexual abuse, from the time you were a little filly"

"I don't like the word abuse. Makes me sound like a victim"

>"That's what's infuriating about you. To still be so naive after what you've been through is astounding"

"You don't have to mock me"

>"I'm not. I consider you a friend. I'm just trying to explain something to you"

"What then?"

>"How you've been manipulated. Your wedding turned you and El Bronco into symbols of they lie THEY want to spread about slavery"

"Who's they?"

>"Those who profit from it. Those who think they're good people but own slaves. The politicians who get elected on pro-slavery agendas"

"OK, go on then"

>"You had a lavish wedding studded with celebrities, then went home to a penthouse. It was televised. What message does that send about slavery to the nation?"

"That we were very lucky?"

>"That some slaves have it better than free ponies, or even most people"

"Some do. That was us"

>"Right, but did you think about why you were put in the position to send that popular message?"

"Because people are fascinated with celebrities? Ponies are, too"

>"It created something anti-abolitionists could point to and say, 'See, slavery isn't all so bad. Look at these ponies'"

"That doesn't effect me. I'm just concerned with myself and the ponies around me, trying to do the best I can for them"

>"That's noble when what you say only effects those ponies around you. But you're on national TV now. Like it or not you shape opinions of ponies and people you'll never meet"

>"Shit," Rose says. "I hadn't even fully considered THAT"

>"Obviously," Crystal answers, "but your opinions are a lot less dangerous to ponies than hers"

"So now I've got to think about what's good for everypony before I say or do anything?"

>"On camera, yeah," Crystal replies. "That would be great. I didn't mean for this to be an ambush, but I wasn't going to say it on the show"

"Why not?"

>"They haven't really censored us much yet," she responds, "And right now viewers are sympathetic to both of you"

>She adds to you, "Even though ponies mostly disagree with you, and hate your opinions"

"Why would they be sympathetic then?"

>"Because your -quote - husband, the poster child for this lie about slavery just drank himself to death, proving it was a lie"

"So now I'm supposed to suddenly be on your side?"

>"Now at least you can see what's happening. Where you go from there is up to you. But ponies, and people will listen to you"

"I don't want to be listened to. I just want to be a good girl"

>"You've done plenty of that. You've been VERY good by THEIR definition. Why not try doing something REALLY good for a change?"

>"Back off a little," Rose says. "No need to give her the hard sell. Neither of us have really thought this through as well as we could have"

"My dream was a lie?! And I'm some kind of horrible victim?! What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?"

>"Move forward like the rest of us," Crystal responds. "Or at least consider it. I was thinking we could do a segment or episode from here"

"This restaurant, or Ponytown?"

>"Ponytown, but we could probably shoot here specifically," Crystal replies, "Show the world the good, bad and ugly of Ponytown"

>"You know I'd probably break down on camera," Rose says

>"And that wouldn't be good TV?," Crystal answers

"If we were going for your agenda why not just do an expose on the horrors of slavery itself?"

>"I doubt we could get away with that," Crystal responds dismissively, "But you've been doing a good job coming at it sideways"

"What do you mean?"

>"Every time you talk about your fillyhood in a brothel," she answers, "that shocks the shit out of viewers"

>"Yeah," Rose adds, "I had no idea places like that existed until I met you. That PETA video going viral also did a lot of good"

>"You've actually done A LOT of good already," Crystal says, "So if you could just cool it on the self-serving pro-slavery comments that would be great"

>Cool it?

>That's kind of insulting

>A good chunk of the show, as you see uit at least, is based around you and Rose bantering back and forth

>And you can't do that if you don't have opinions

>It might just be too bad that Crystal doesn't like them

>But you never thought that your opinions could have effects, maybe negative ones on ponies you'll never even meet

>You've always just looked out for yourself and those around you

>You never thought of big picture stuff because it didn't concern you

>But now you're a celebrity, and what you say gets heard

>Which probably does mean you have some kind of responsibility

>To be sure you're not saying things that could hurt other ponies

>Then again she's the one quoting black abolitionists from human slave times

>And you're pretty sure it took a civil war for them to finally get their way

>But you're aware you're not going to win this one in a room full of free ponies, so you let is drop

>On the way out of the restaurant a few ponies approach you for selfies and autographs, and Crystal relents

>It takes you a good fifteen minutes to get back to the sidewalk

>You part ways with Crystal and start walking back toward the subway

>Rose is quiet and remains sao on the train

"What did you think of Ponytown?"

>"Overwhelming"

"It was for me, too. What got you about it?"

>"Every time I started feeling the magic of being back in Equestria I looked around and it was so obviously a slum in New York"

"Yeah. It's definitely a slum"

>"Yeah. But what a mix of cheerful and depressing. Right on top of each other. What got you?"

"The poverty. I don't care if the buildings are run down and everypony's manes are poorly styled. But too many visible ribs on the street gets to me"

>"Right. They say you can never be too thin, but a lot of ponies there were just that"

"Then there's that free pony attitude that really annoys me"

>"What attitude?"

"You CAN'T just accept things the way they are. There HAS to be a struggle to change things for the better"

>"You don't believe in changing things for the better?"

"I don't believe the things I say are all so dangerous when what she's talking about is pretty much a civil war!"

>Rose gives you a concerned look

>"We're not in Ponytown anymore," she whispers. "We probably shouldn't be talking about this in public"

"Thank you for proving me right. And the moment we get out of the subway I'm putting my collar back on"

>"I won't think less of you for that. But does this mean you won't be moving with me to Brooklyn?"

"I don't know. I haven't figured that out yet. I don't even know if it's a option, really"

>"You could ask and find out"

"Another day, maybe. Today was intense enough"

>So who is she to tell you about saying dangerous things?

 

>Be mare

>Doing the show again

>Sitting next to Rose and Ada Maria, with Moonglow next to her

>The cameras are in front of you, the center one operated by Crystal Clear

>The fifth member of the cast

>Ada Maria turns to you and Rose and says, "So I heard you two went to Ponytown this week. Impressions?"

"Well, it's not going to be a tourist attraction any time soon"

>Rose laughs and says, "It's definitely a real neighborhood. Like a piece of Equestria transported to Brooklyn"

"And not the trendy part of Brooklyn, either. The run down part"

>"Yeah, it's not Williamsburg, that's for sure," Crystal adds. "But there are lots of fans of the show there"

>"So we ought to give a shout out to Ponytown," Ada Maria says. "Anypony from Ponytown in the house?"

>A few ponies in the audience stomp their hooves and cheer loudly

>"It was wild to just be stopped on the street for autographs and selfies," Rose says

"That almost never happens in Manhattan"

>"So are you and Rose going to join Crystal and become Ponytown residents?," Ada Maria asks

"We were looking... or Rose was looking just outside of Ponytown proper"

>"You were looking with me," Rose replies

"It's for moral support at the moment. I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'm still network property, after all"

>"Right," Moonglow says. "You don't actually have any say in where you live, or anything, really"

"I'm kind of in limbo though, because I don't have a master. I don't even know what my options are, if there are any"

>"That's got to be tough," Moonglow replies

"All I know is I'm taken care of. And I saw some ponies who clearly weren't in Brooklyn"

>"Freedom is a double edged sword," Rose says, "You gain autonomy and self-determination, but you have to sink or swim on your own"

>"And the table isn't exactly tilted in your favor," Ada Maria replies

>"That's an understatement," Crystal answers. "Some free ponies are very poor. We do our best to try to look after everypony, but..."

"There were still a lot of very skinny ponies walking around"

>"It's a work in progress," Crystal says a little defensively. "At least we're free. Our lives have more value than just pleasing men"

"Hey! I may have grown up feeling like a pincushion for dicks - maybe not an ideal situation - but I NEVER went hungry"

>"And if you have a good master like I do," Moonglow chimes in, "you almost never fantasize about being free"

>"That's not something you can count on, though." Rose replies. "I had it really good until I didn't"

"It's more complicated than that and you know it. You did betray him"

>"Yeah, with your encouragement," Rose shoots back

"And a mouthful of his dick so you could. I wasn't trying to blow up your life. I thought I was being generous"

>Murmurs from the audience range from amusement to shock

>"You were," Rose admits. "And everything worked out for the better, so far, at least"

>And Rose gets a small round of applause for that line

>Actually it's for the both of you probably

>It's hard to really tell

>"OK, girls," Ada Maria says, "Let's get things back on track. No need to make more work for the editors and censors. Ponytown. Back to that"

"I did have the best hayburger and fries of my life there"

>"That Equestrian restaurant Crystal took us to really was just like home," Rose replies

"If you're not food insecure in Ponytown you can eat really well, entirely in the company of other ponies"

>"There's that, too," Rose replies. "When you've gotten used to being one of the only ponies in the room and suddenly..."

"It's ponies everywhere. Hardly any people. That was a new thing for me, not to have to be looking up all the time"

>"It's a feeling I'd almost forgotten," Rose replies. "Just being another pony"

>"To be fair," Crystal pipes up, "the three of us weren't just other ponies there. The show makes that impossible"

>"Still," Rose replies, "There's a feeling of being among your own kind that I'd missed. Even the way the apartments were painted"

>Crystal laughs

>"What do you mean?," Moonglow asks

>"When ponies are in charge of the decor," Rose replies, "things start looking like Equestria"

"Bright colors, little painted hearts and stuff. Plain white walls are not a thing there"

>"You can tell where ponies live," Rose says, "because even if it's a little run down it's painted to look cheerful"

"I'd call it relentlessly cheerful"

>"You should have seen Equestria," she replies, "Ponies would burst into song on the street. Sometimes in Ponyville it seemed like the whole town was singing"

"That doesn't happen in Brooklyn, does it?," you ask Crystal

>"Sometimes," she replies, "though it's usually just a few ponies, and everypony else just gathers around them"

>"I'd love to see that," Rose says whistfully

>"I think we all would," Ada Maria adds

>Shit, Crystal's idea!

>She's smiling at you

"Well, maybe we should all go sometime. Like, take the show there"

>That gets you a round of applause, which includes scattered hoof stomps

>More ponies are showing up in the audience each week

>And not all of them have the hungry look and bad mane styles of free ponies

 

>Riding home in the van with Rose your mind won't stop

>You're thinking about something Crystal said

>How what you say sends a message

>And how shows send messages THEY want to send

>Which sounds paranoid, but does make sense

>It takes a lot of money to make a show, apparently

>And to be successful advertisers have to want to help pay for it

>That's a lot of complicated big picture stuff you don't understand the nuances of

>But you've decided to try, because you don't like the idea of being ignorant

>Even if you dislike the way EVERYTHING gets so complicated when you look at it long enough

"Help me understand something, Rose"

>"What?"

"The message we're sending. In John's other shows it's pretty clear. But not with ours"

>"We're pretty close to it, so it might be hard to see. What are you thinking?"

"Well, Hippodrome clearly sends the message that pony lives are only as valuable as the entertainment they provide"

>"Yeah, unfortunately"

"And if Crystal is right my wedding showed that some slaves live fabulous lives"

>"Crystal has a very particular slant to her views. I sympathize with it, but don't entirely agree with her"

"Let's just say she's right. The attempt at Yours Truly was more of the same, then"

>"OK..."

"All shows with messages that support a pro slavery stance"

>"Well, John did own me. And now he owns another mare. He's not an abolitionist"

"Then what is he doing with us on Blinder's Off? It doesn't fit the message he's been sending"

>"He's not an ideolouge. If he has an agenda it's getting his name on hit shows"

"But he's contradicting himself"

>"That's because he doesn't care about the message, really. Just whether or not it will resonate with viewers"

"So then what's the message we're sending?"

>"I don't know... maybe what mares have to say matters? Or at least it's interesting?"

"We have a ridiculous amount of leeway, though. It's unscripted, and barely censored"

>"He's always talking about the zeitgeist. Maybe he feels America is ready to hear what ponies actually think"

"Coming from a bunch of pretty mares, of course"

>"Well that can't hurt"

"It just feels like we're being played somehow"

>"This is the entertainment industry"

"More than that"

>"Well there is a free pony middle class emerging - you saw it in Brooklyn. Which means ponies are about to be a marketing demographic"

"That makes more sense"

>"And while our show isn't exactly a hit it's doing well with men ages 18-24, which is enough to keep it on the air until..."

"Until what?"

>"Hopefully until they start tracking pony viewers, and discover we're one of the top shows with ponies"

"It seemed that way in Ponytown"

>"John's talking a chance on pony viewers, and it isn't even that big a risk, because our show costs almost nothing to make"

"What makes you say that?"

>"Think about it. No writers. No actors. No expensive location shoots. Free pony crew. It's cheap enough to take a risk with"

"What's the reward?"

>"Advertizers targeting ponies will buy ads during our show, driving up the value of a very cheap to produce program"

"And John's name is on another hit. He's really that smart?"

>"His instincts are very good. And this is pretty much what he thinks about all day long. I used to have to hear a lot of it"

"What I don't get is our solid numbers with men 18-24. They can't all be message agnostic like John. Lots of them have to HATE what we say"

>"Lots of them are probably watching with the sound off"

"What? Oh, I get it. And their dicks in their hands?"

>"That's so gross. Don't make me think about that. But I'm sure we have plenty of viewers who tune in just to see pretty mares on TV"

"Why don't they just get pretty mares of their own?"

>"Because they don't have the money. Or if they do it's tied up in a house, a wife or the kids' college fund"

"I guess that's why renting is so popular"

>"Says the mare who grew up in a brothel"

"Business was good. Still is"

>"What kind of man looks at a filly and thinks 'Yes, I want to have sex with her'?"

"You wouldn't ask that question if you'd seen Skydancer back in the day. I bet you would have wanted her, too"

>"She is a beautiful mare, I'll give you that"

"And you're way too old for her. For her taste, anyways"

>"Oh, great. Now you're making me wonder what she tastes like"

"I couldn't tell you. We never hooked up. And not because SHE wasn't interested. I wasn't"

>"I can imagine she was. But I already know what you taste like"

"And you know I'm not interested in that with you, either"

>"It was fun there for a while though"

"We drove him pretty wild, didn't we?"

 

>Be VP

>You've been following the show

>Blinders Off has been successful

>You feel like a genius for it

>Especially after the failure of your Yours Truly concept

>It's even more controversial than Hippodrome

>And you're amazed the higher ups haven't given you any blowback

>Probably because it's profitable

>You knew the demographic was out there

>You knew the time was right

>But you have no idea what the ramifications of it will be

>In a way it's noble - you're giving a voice to the voiceless

>But that isn't what drives you, so you're not going to kid yourself

>You just love stirring up controversy and profiting from it

>Wich it turns out there's a market for at the moment, and you're good at delivering it

>Who knew tiny talking horses would be such a big deal?

>If someone had told you this a decade ago you would have laughed at them

>Back then they were a threat that had to be dealt with firmly

>Dangerous creatures from another world that had to be put in their place, lest they take our world away from us

>Now you're fucking one, and have two hit shows focused around them

>And you have this meeting with one you hate

>The slut who threw a monkey wrench into the good thing you had going with Rose

>But you were smart about it, and spun it into gold

>A lesser man couldn't have done that

>Also it's hard to really hate her now that you have some idea of just how fucked up the poor thing is

>Which makes for great television

>But really has the Beards right up against the limits of what the censors will allow

>Thankfully the FCC is not all over your ass

>Good to be Fox with a Republician in the white house

>Gives you mopre leeway than you'd probably otherwise get

>Which suits your style just fine

>Nothing like being in the right place at the right time

>And it feels like that's exactly where you are

>So you better milk this for all it's worth

>The decision you make today will have an impact on that

>And you really haven't made it yet

>This one is going to go down in real time

>Right now, in fact, because she's walking through the door to your office right now

"Welcome. How can I help you?"

>She doesn't meet your gaze

>Nor does she respond

"Is today the day you ask me to emancipate you?"

>"I don't know," she mumbles

"Then what can I do for you? I don't need my time wasted"

>"Master, I..."

"Master?," you laugh

>"You are, though. If anyone is my master it's you"

"I suppose. But that's not a role I intend to take on. Don't think I haven't thought about it, though"

>She gives you a pleading look

>"Why can't you just tell me what to do?"

>Oh, man

>A younger you would have jumped on this

>But your appetites are less keen these days, and pretty much satisfied by Cloudburst

>More than satisfied, actually

"The hate sex would be amazing, wouldn't it?"

>She blushes

"And I know you well enough to know you'd get off even harder than I would, even though you hate me, or maybe because of it"

>She blushes even harder

"This is bigger than you. It's bigger than me now. We have viewers who are invested in you figuring things out for yourself"

>"I don't want to figure things out for myself. Can't you just step up and stop pretending you're not my master?"

"I only have so much bandwidth. Being Cloudburst's master is all I've got room for"

>"She's a good girl?"

"It's not your business, but yes. She's a very good girl"

>Shit

>This hurts to watch

>Maybe you should give her just a little of what you know she wants

"You are, too"

>You get up from your chair an slowly walk toward her

>She looks down at the floor, but doesn't shrink from your approach

>You reach a hand down to caress her mane

>She winces at first, then leans into you

"You are a good girl. And I understand this isn't the position you want to be in"

>"It isn't, master"

"Don't call me that. There are things you can get from me. You can remain network property, you can ask me under what conditions I might grant your emancipation"

>Another pleading look

>Why not just give her what she wants?

>Put her up in the apartment with Cloudburst

>Roughly fuck the hell out of her every now and then

>Like a regular diet of that wouldn't fuck with your head

>Make you into some kind of predator or something

>It wouldn't be good for your mental health, even if your dick would love it

>Probably exactly because your dick would love it

"But you can't have me. I'm not going to be your master"

>"Please"

>She's groveling, and your dick is responding to it

>Could you?

>No

>It would totally fuck up the show

>A lot of the value she brings to it is wrestling with this issue

>Her going through this process is part of the drama

>You'd be a fool to get in the way of that

>Especially over pussy when you have all you need in another small horse

>Who even has wings, which makes her even sexier than the one whose mane you're absent-mindedly caressing

>Which is probably sending her a mixed message

"You don't have to make a decision now, but you have to go through the process of making one"

>"Why do I have to?"

"You tell me"

>"The show?"

"Damn right"

>Your dick is a little sad at how this is going, so you let your mind wander to last night with Cloudburst

>Sucking daddy's dick like a good girl

>Shit, down boy!

>She notices

>"You want me, though. I know you want me"

"Of course I want you. But I want the show to continue being a success even more. And just taking you like you want me to would get in the way of that"

>"That's a lot of self-control"

"Why do you think I have the big office?"

>"You could just take me for a little while, just to see what it's like. I know I could please you..."

>Shit, this is a hard sell

"I have no dfoubt about that, just like I have no doubt about what a good girl you are. I just have other priorities"

>Now she's making eye contact

>Total bedroom eyes

>If you're being honest she really is just about as sexy as Cloudburst

>And all she wants right now is for you to dominate her in every way

>But that also sounds like a lot of fucking work, and even this meeting is eating up valuable time in what is a pretty busy day

"Right now you're network property and one of the stars on the show. Being a good girl means doing what's good for the show"

>You got to put this in a way that she'll buy

"What's good for the show is you coming to a decision on your own. That's being a good girl in this particular situation"

>"That's cruel. You're a cruel man"

"It doesn't have to be now. It's whenever you're ready.You're a priority to me, so I'll be available when you're ready"

>One thing's for sure - Cloudburst is getting ridden hard tonight

>Your dick is pretty angry with you, and you already know you'll take it out on her

>She'll love it, of course

 

>Be mare

>Doing the show is now part of your weekly rhythm

>You actually enjoy it, though part of you feels wierd because it means everypony knows your personal business

>But it's not like you've ever had much in the way of privacy in your life

>So it doesn't really feel wrong

>More like surprising that anypony gives a shit

>You're sure there have to be plenty of others out there just like you

>You're just the one who ended up on television

>And that makes you somehow special

>Which seems absurd, but there it is

>If you're on TV everypony thinks you're special

>Even if you're really not all that special

>That's the secret you have to keep from them, it seems

>Even the ones who pity you, which you don't like at all

>Though you wouldn't mind a little pity from a stallion, or even a man right now

>This is the first time you've ever been in heat and NOT gotten any...

>You caught yourself fantasizing about the driver on the ride to he studio today

>More than that, actually

>You debated asking him if he wanted to duck into the studio bathroom for a little fun

>But you were with Rose, and you knew something like that would get strong disapproval from her

>So you just suffered instead

>You're aching for a penis in you, and it's completely distracting

>You're not even paying attention to what Ada Maria is saying

>And you're pretty sure it was just directed at you

>And the cameras are rolling

"What?," you ask, then hastily add "sorry, I'm a little distracted today"

>"She just went into heat," Rose says, "And this is her first time without..."

"Any release," you respond. "I feel like I'm going crazy"

>"Well, you probably just blew up the show's Twitter with that revelation," Ada Maria responds with a eyeroll

>Then she adds, "Follow us on @BlindersOff"

>"Calling all creeps," Moonglow says sarcastically

"I don't see anything creepy about helping a girl out when she needs it"

>Crystal chimes in, "Maybe that's because you've never had a say about it, have you?"

"A say about what?"

>"When you have sex, and with who," she replies

"Of course not. I'm not a free pony. If you don't count a few friendly advances from mares, that is"

>You smile at Rose

>"That's kind of a big deal," Rose adds, "You know, being control of your own sexuality"

>"Or not," Moonglow counters, "If you have a good master"

"You know she's right," you say to Rose. "All freedom seems to be is having to make a lot of difficult decisions on your own"

>"And no master to take care of you," Moonglow adds

"Don't remind be. I wish John had just said 'yes'"

>"John the VP?," Rose asks, "My ex?"

"Yeah. I asked if he'd be my master because... he kinda IS. I practically begged him"

>"He said 'no'?," Rose asks, a little surprised

"He said he had other priorities for me"

?"Like moving to Brooklyn with me?," she asks hopefully

"He said I could ask unmder what terms I might be emancipated," you say with a sigh

>"That's huge!," Crystal says brightly, "and what are they?"

"I dunno. I didn't ask"

>"That's crazy," Rose says in a scoldy tone. "How are you supposed to make a decision if you don't know your options?"

"I was TRYING to get out of a making a decision! He wouldn't have it. He wouldn't have ME"

>"Not to get too meta," Ada Maria answers, "but I'm guessing it had something to do with your work here"

"Yeah. Putting me through this is evidently good TV. But it doesn't solve my more immediate problem, though"

>"Are you allowed to date?," Ada Maria asks

"I don't know. Are you?"

>"They told me I was when I started doing Pony Time," she replies, "as long as I- quote - kept it out of the tabloids and didn't get knocked up"

>"How professional of them, " Crystal quips, which gets a a smattering of laughter from the audience

>"And she's network property just like you," Rose affirms. "They'd probably give you the same deal"

"OK. But how do you go about dating? It seems like that's a lot of pressure on the mare, isn't it?"

>"What do you mean?," Ada Maria asks in a gentle tone

>The same tone she uses with children on Pony Time

"Like isn't there a whole game you have to learn to play? Like choosing who and then deciding the pace things happen at?"

>"It's a good idea to choose somepony you're likely to be compatatible with, and meet in a place where both of you feel comfortable," she responds

>"It's like auditions for a relationship," Crystal adds

"What, like picking your own master?"

>That gets a chuckle out of Moonglow

>You knew it would

"Like I said, that sounds like a lot on the mare. And I'm guessing dragging the stallion into the bathroom when you first meet is frowned upon"

>"Not by the stallion," Crystal responds

>The audience laughs

>Crystal continues, "The town bicycle will always have her fans, but generally not the respect of her peers"

"Town bicycle?"

>"Don't give her ideas," Rose chides

>"The mare who will let pretty much any stallion take her for a ride," Crystal continues "Like a whorse, except she does it for fun and attention instead of money"

"I could see myself being that mare, at least for a while"

>"That's the heat talking," Rose says

"Maybe. But don't forget we were brought up very differently. We have different ideas about this stuff"

>"You actually were a whorse," Rose says. "Now you don't have to be that"

"I'm just saying if I don't have a master to dedicate myself to I see no reason not to be generous with... you know"

>"Keep talking like that and half the crew will be lining up the second we finish taping," Ada Maria responds

 

>Be VP

>The Beards are in your office

>And you're very happy to see them

>These two have been doing a great job with your two biggest shows

>Fucking rockstar producers

>Not just on the nuts and bolts, either

>They're making great creative calls as well

>You're toying with the idea of getting them mares of their own as a reward

>Well, maybe a stallion for Beard #1 - you're pretty sure he's gay

>Not 100%, and you're sure as fuck not going to just ask him

>And of course if you got him a pony it can't seem at all like any kind of sexuality test

>Because while you don't give a fuck who he, well, fucks

>Anything someone in your position does has to have the right optics

>Leaving room for misinterpretation just invites lawsuits

>And you pride yourself on being scrupulous in that regard

>"Viewer engagement on Twitter has been very strong," Beard #1 says

>"So much so we'd like to scroll tweets across the bottom of the screen in realtime while it airs," Beard #2 finishes

>"It would make Blinders Off feel much more interactive," Beard #1 continues

>"And I think viewers expect it from a show like that," Beard #2 concludes

"Sounds great. You need a team for that?"

>"I could head it up pretty easily," Beard #2, "but there's an issue with Maddy in new media"

"What kind of issue?"

>"You know how black twitter is its own thing?," Beard #2 replies

"There's a black twitter?"

>"No," he replies, "but there's a distinctive culture of how a lot of black users tweet"

"Ok. I'm following"

>"Same is true for ponies. There's a pony twitter culture that's kind of its own thing, too"

"I'm so glad I don't mess around with that shit. But let me guess: the Blinder's Off twitter doesn't come across as being very pony?"

>"We really should have a mare handling it," Beard #1 says, "And Maddy has yet to warm up to the idea"

"I'll make it top priority. Should we buy one, or should this be a freepony hire?"

>"Definitely freepony," Beard #1 replies

"That's what I thought. OK. Find a young, hip, media savvy mare and pay her more than you have to. I want this done right"

>"I can get the scrolling tweets set up for tomorrow's airtime," Beard #2 says, "But you have to smooth things over with Maddy"

"Let me handle it. Anything else?"

>"Nothing on Blinders," Beard #1 replies, "but on a Hippodrome related note there's a heads up. Bob Dallas committed suicide yesterday"

"The buyer?"

>"Contestant Selection was how he's credited on the show," Beard #2 responds

"And you think his job might have something to do with that?"

>"Whether it did or didn't it still looks bad," he answers

>Beard #1 chimes in, "When the guy in charge of procuring contestants for Hippodrome kills himself..."

>"The family wants to keep it quiet, and we should probably do the same," Beard #2 says, "We just thought you should know"

"How are we on contestants for the rest of the season?"

>"We'll be fine," Beard #1, "But that position will need to be filled before we start work on next season"

>"And it's really more of a casting thing than a production thing," Beard #2 states

>Beard #1 nods

"So neither of you want that added to your job description is what you're telling me"

>"I think we're on the same page with that," Beard $1 answers

>"Oh, back to Blinders Off for a sec," Beard #2 says, "Bronc's widow - is she allowed to date? It came up at the taping today"

>You laugh

"I don't see why not"

>"Also," he continues, "Any feelings about shooting on location in Ponytown?"

"A segment or an episode?"

>"Just the idea in general"

"As long as we don't lose the focus. I'm not interested in doing pony cultural programming"

>"We're on the same page there, as well"

 

>Be mare

>You really feel like you need somepony to talk to

>And Rose is NOT the pony you need

>As much as you love her, she has her own agenda with regard to you

>You reached out to Skydancer last night, and she said she'd do a Skype call with you this morning at 9:30

>And you were so excited about it you woke up at 7

>Truthfully you usually wake up around then anyways, because Cuddleslut is up and running around the place at that hour

>Sometimes earlier, even

>You've had complaints from the neighbor under you

>Which the network responded to by sending over a bunch of rugs from ABC Carpet

>You're not as easily taken in by fancy things as Rose, but you like them

>Master had furnished the penthouse pretty sparsely

>And without him it was starting to feel kind of cold and empty

>The rugs give the place a coziness it was missing

>And of course Rose loves them

>You might even let her poach one of the smaller rugs when she moves out

>Unless you go with her, then you'll just take it yourself

>But thinking about just makes you tense up

>Which is why you need to talk with Sky

>She's the most insightful pony you know

>And she's known you for a long time, even if you were kind of slack about keeping in touch for a while there

>But you've been better at it recently

>Kind of fitting that her 15 minutes of internet fame was from a photo of her in her dungeon

>With her filly "friend" in a birdcage behind her

>Incorrigible - you're pretty sure that's the word for it

>Like she's a little bit wrong, but isn't going to change

>You share that, just not the same way

>You're aware by everypony else's standards you're not exactly "right"

>And while growing up you were closer with Snowdrop and even Durril

>As an adult Skydancer is the one it's easiest to talk to about stuff

>She's probably the smartest pony you know

>Which is kinf of funny considering she spends all day in a dungeon making men lick her hooves and shit

>And they PAY for it!

>Well nopony ever told you life wasn't supposed to be absurd

>And the fact that you think that way was one of the things master loved about you

>He had a ten dollar word for it

>Existentialist

>The coffee maker beeps

>FINALLY the coffee is ready

>There's another thing you got from him

>You never drank coffee before he became your master

>You always thought of it as bitter, nasty shit

>Now you look forward to it every morning

>You miss him

>And could REALLY use him now

>You ache for him

>It's bad enough that when you woke up this morning you considered getting in the elevator

>And seeing who was working the door today

>Usually it's a man named either Hector or Victor

>But when he's not there it's a stallion

>And you didn't want to take that risk

>Because you KNOW getting knocked up by your doorpony is EXACTLY the kind of thing everypony would give you shit for

>And rightfully so

>You don't know much about the rules of high class living

>But you know you're not supposed to fuck the staff

>Which seems like some kind of snobbery

>Unless it's to protect them from unwelcome advances

>People and free ponies think about things like that, you've learned

>The idea of an unwanted advance being such a bad thing is completely foreign to you

>Probably because you grew up in a brothel

>But it's a big deal to people and free ponies

>That's stupid, because you know those with predatory sensibilities ALWAYS find a way to get what they want

>And if they get you they don't let go until they're done

>You lived it with your first "master"

>You sigh as you take a sip of the hot liquid

>You wish you'd had more time with your REAL master

>Suddenly you hear the sound of tiny hooves heading your way at a near gallop

>And a fluffy black colt comes racing into the kitchen, loses his balance and slides across the tiled floor

>You watch as if in slow motion as he hits one of the cabinets, thankfully not very hard, but with a loud thud

>He looks surpised, stands up and bursts into tears

"Oh, you're OK"

>That doesn't stop the crying

>But you stop yourself from laughing

>A concerned looking Rose hastily enters the kitchen

"He slid on the tile and hit the cabinet. I don't think he's actually hurt"

>"THIS is why we don't run in the house," Rose scolds the colt. "We can run in the park after breakfast"

"Don't have to go into the shop today?"

>"This afternoon. Got a big order for a fundraiser. But I've got the morning free"

"Are you calling the sitter, or do you want me to watch him?"

>"Could you?"

"My afternoon is pretty clear"

>"That would be great. I'll be home by six, six-thirty latest. Thank you"

"Not a problem. This afternoon has nothing more ambitious for me than a couple hours on the computer. I can watch him while I do that"

>"I appreciate it. I don't want to take advantage. But you're good with him, and it's a big help for me"

"How can I not like him? He looks like master"

>"He does. I just don't want to take advantage of you, that's all I mean"

"If I feel taken advantage of I'll let you know"

>"I have a tough time believing that"

"Believe it. If I just let you walk all over me we'd be living in Brooklyn by now, and I'd be working on becoming emancipated"

>"You know that isn't just self-interest on my part. I really think it would be good for you"

"I know you do. But it would also be VERY convenient for you"

>"Sure. But I don't think you realize the magnitude of this opportunity. Ponies literally kill for a chance at freedom"

"I'm not so sure thay have a choice about that"

>"OK, bad example. But think of how many out there dream of being in your position"

"A lot more don't even let themselves dream of it, and for good reason. False hope is cruel"

>"But it's not false in your case"

"Think of it like this. Imagine someone you don't even like wants to give you a valuable gift, and it's not even something you think you want. What do you do?"

>"I don't know. Be gracious about it?"

"Even if it could turn your life upside down?"

>"Your life is already upside down. What do you have to lose?"

"Security. My place in the world. My sense of who I am. That a decent short list?"

>"Fair enough. But those things are never static. They're always in flux. That's just how life goes. What do you have to gain?"

"I don't know. It seems like jumping off a cliff without a parachute"

>"You have a parachute. Two, in fact. Your skill with the spreadsheets and the show"

"I know I wouldn't be one of those who ended up starving. I know I could get by"

>"And it's bigger than you. You and I represent the slaves who 'had it good'. If mares like us choose freedom think of the message that sends"

"I don't know if I want to send a message"

>"You're on TV, speaking freely. Like it or not you're sending a message. You have the chance to send a good one here"

"Is it good? It's going to make a lot of people upset and probably hurt a lot of ponies"

>"Maybe in the short term. But people are going to be upset and ponies will get hurt anyways. You have the chance to make things better for ponies like... him"

>She looks lown at the little foal who has just started nursing on her

>That's a point

>If you KNEW it was true you'd have to consider it

>But nopony really knows

>It could be so much false hope

>Though you know Rose is sincere

>She believes it

>You have to figure out whether you do

 

>Be mare, in front of your computer

>Rose is out at the park with Cuddleslut, which gives you privacy to Skype with Skydancer

>And now it's time

"Hey, girl! Everything good?"

>The red pegasus on your screen smiles at you

>"Can't complain. What's the checklist? Autonomy, respect of my peers and being well taken care of? Check to all"

>You smile back at the beautiful mare on the screen

"Happy to hear it"

>"How's your heat going? I watched the show yesterday. You looked pretty frustrated"

"It's awful. I was thinking of signing up for an outcall just to get fucked"

>She frowns

>"You don't have to resort to that. You easily have tens or hundreds of thousands of willing takers out there"

"You think?"

>"If the Twitter feed scrolling across the bottom of the broadcast last night is to be believed"

"They finally got that going? I know they were talking about it"

>"You don't watch your own show?"

"I'm there for it. I know what happens"

>"I watched the episode I was on probably 20 or 30 times"

"I was like that at first with it. Now it's just something I do, and not a big deal"

>"You're already a blase celebrity. Achievement unlocked"

"You think I'm a celebrity?"

>"You're on TV every week, and millions tune in. You were married to a famous TV star on top of that. Like it or not you're a celebrity"

"I guess. The reaction I got in Ponytown was interesting, that's for sure"

>"I bet. I can't imagine being around so many free ponies"

"Yeah, they're different. I mean, they're ponies just like you and me, but..."

>"They think completely different?"

"Different values, for sure"

>"That would only stand to reason"

"I don't know if they're values I share, though they make a good case for them"

>"The more I read and think about it the more I think the values we were raised with are pretty... fucked up"

"Well of course the rules are going to be different for property and those who are free"

>"Of course. But I think the system is the way it is because those who are free don't realize how things are for those who are property"

"I get that a lot. That look of horror mixed with pity, like I'm some kind of victim"

>"Maybe they're right. Even if they are we still have to make peace with it"

"I feel like I have, for the most part"

>"I'm more of a work in progress"

"Really?! I don't think so. I think you have your shit pretty together"

>"Yeah, I'm doubting a couple things. Like my visits back to where we were raised. Am I just leaving the same marks on the next generation that were left on me"

"Oh, come on. I know you're never rough with them. So it's OK"

>"That's exactly what I'm talking about. That's how we were brought up to think. I don't think it's right"

"It's kind of what you're for if you're owned by a brothel"

>"I know that. And that's not something we have any control over. But I have control over whether or not I perpetuate it personally"

"I'm sure the girls are happy to see you. You're not traumatizing anypony"

>"I know. But I could be adding to the list of shit they'll have to work out later in life"

"Or you could be a bright spot in some filly's day"

>"It could be both, and that's my issue. The values we were brought up with don't really make for an ethical operating system"

"At least not the same one everypony else seems to be using"

>"It's just what you'd tell a bunch of fillies you bought and put to work in your brothel"

"They still took care of us. Good care, I'd say"

>"True, but it did leave us with a lot to work out on our own"

"Yeah. I'm going through a bit of that, too"

>"Deciding whether it's worth taking a shot at emancipatioon? That's terrifying"

"Nopony seems to understand that"

>"Maybe it isn't and we were just conditionned to think it is"

"Would you do it if you had the chance?"

>"Thankfully I'll never be in that position"

"But say you were?"

>"YOU'RE the one who got to live impossible dreams. You wanted a master. None of us had they heart to tell you that wasn't going to happen"

>She looks down a little guiltly

>"Then you grew up and it DID! And he was a stallion! And you had a celebrity wedding on TV!"

"And it only lasted for a minute. I miss him so much"

>"I know. My heart avhes for you. But the fact that it happened at all is... You know, you had another impossible dream back then"

"Did I?"

>"Yeah, you wanted to be a mommy"

"Until somepony explained what life was like at a breeder's"

>"Of course. Nopony wants that"

"And when I had the chance with him we passed on it"

>"He was a raging alcoholic who would have left you a widow with a foal. That decision is completely understandable"

"And now I've got nopony"

>"Imagine if you were free, met a free stallion with similar interests but no life threatening addiction issues, and started a family with him?"

"That's a lot of 'if's'"

>"Sure. For me it would be totally impossible, and I wouldn't want it anyways. But for YOU? It could be within reach"

"And he'd roleplay as my master, of course"

>"You're a celebrity. You're beautiful, generous and kind. A dominant stallion who wants to raise foals with you is hardly a tough ask"

"That would require dealing with more of these... issues from fillyhood"

>"We have to deal with them one way or another anyhow"

"That's scary, though"

>"Yeah, it is. But you have the chance to live out another of your fillyhood dreams. Nopony raised like we were gets that. Don't take it lightly"

"You just made this whole thing even more intimidating"

>"It's your life. And you actually get to have some say about it. Of course that's intimidating. We weren't raised for that"

"But you think I should?"

>"I won't tell you what to do. But I will point out what you ought to consider. You are in an extrodinary position"

"I'd trade it to have him back"

>"Oh, honey. I wish that were an option for you"

"You know you're the closest thing I have to family. I wish I'd given you what you wanted back when we were fillies"

>"Hush. If you had we might not be so close now. That was your decision to make, and you were true to yourself. Which is what you've got to be now"

"Why does that make me feel better and worse at the same time?"

>"I don't know. I can't imagine being in your position"

"You're doing a good job helping me make a little sense of it"

>"You know better than anypony that things don't always make sense, though"

 

>Be mare

>Sitting down to your weekly spreadsheets

>Which isn't really that much of a thing anymore

>Between the automation you set up

>And linking QuickBooks to the organization's various bank accounts

>You've almost successfully automated yourself out of a job

>Of course you haven't told them that, and don't intend to

>You like the responsibility

>The feeling that while you no longer belong to them they still need you

>And your work for them is important, even if it really isn't that much work anymore

>You check your email

>Snowdrop sent you one with the subject CAN YOU BIELIVE THIS???!!!!!

>It's a link to a news story about gender issues

>Some men and women are really strange that way

>Men think they're women trapprd in men's bodies

>Or vice versa

>They want everyone around them to pretend they're the gender they want to be

>While they dress as if they were, take hormones and sometimes even get surgeries to try to become that way

>Of course they never really do

>Which is kind of sad

>Because if a man wanted to be a woman and could actually become one that would be weird, but whatever

>But the fact that men like this end up woman like, but never real women?

>They put themselves through all kind of work to become women

>And end up still not actually being real women?

>It IS sad

>Skydancer has even met a few in her work

>It's another thing a very long list of sad, crazy shit people do

>Thankfully the story is a video

>And you do have to laugh

>Because it's about a bunch of young men who are convinced they're really pretty little mares and fillies

>Some even wear fake tails and ears, and crawl around on all fours

>And they look fucking ridiculous

>When one of them says, "I'm a pretty little filly trapped in a man's body," you totally loose it

>There's something you're sure would never happen the other way around

>You can't imagine there's a filly anywhere in the world who would claim to be a man trapped in a filly's body

>It's so fucking ridiculous

>You send Snowdrop a LOL response and go back to your inbox

>There's something from an address at FoxTelevision.com

>Better read that

>There are a few words you don't understand

>Which you assume are legalese, because you know laywers use lots of words nobody else understands

>But you recognize that you're now the administrator of an account with a familiar number

>The one the credit card you use is tied to

>The one where the money your former organization sends for your service is sent

>The account is part of a legal entity within Fox Corporation

>The legal entity that technically owns you, and used to own Rose

>The administrator controls how the money and properties owned by that entity are managed

>Master granted Rose her emancipation because he was the administrator of that account

>If YOU'RE the administrator does that mean?

>You could emancipate yourself?

>You know master's emancipation of Rose was challenged legally

>But the case was thrown out

>Surely a slave emancipating herself would be challenged

>Wouldn't it?

>You have no idea

>But you know who does, and even though you hate talking to him you do have his private number

>You steel your resolve and call

>Only to be flustered when a female voice answers

"I'm sorry, I, I thought this was his private number

>"It is," she answers, and you recognize it's the voice of his secratary. "He's in meetings all day so he ported it to his work line"

>"I'm only supposed to bother him in case of an emergency," she adds

"Well, this isn't an emergency. I'll try tomorrow"

>"Is this about the administration of Bronc's account?"

"Yes, I had a couple questions"

>John said you were going to call, and I should put you in tough with one of the producers. Hold the line and I'll see if either is available"

"OK, thanks"

>There are two producers on the show, both not quite yet middle aged men who wear beards

>You're pretty sure the chunkier one is gay, because you've seen him checking out stallions the way most men check out mares

>The skinnier one is definitely straight, because you've seen him checking out you a few times

>He was trying to be discreet about it, but men suck at that

>"How are you doing today?," a male voice comes on the line

>You recognize it

>It's the skinnier one, the straight one

"Confused and a little concerned"

>"Well let's see what we caqn do to make you much less of each. I'm assuming this has to do with you taking over administration of the account"

"You assume correctly"

>"Well, that account only exists because John wanted to give you to Bronc and..."

"Slaves can't own property. I get it"

>"Right. Then you expressed the interest in managing the household finances, and we just rolled everything else you two weren't allowed to own into it"

"I understand making me administrator as far as the household stuff is concerned because I'm still here and he isn't"

>"But it puts you in a unique position, doesn't it?"

"Could I actually emancipate myself?"

>"Legal says you could"

"Why would you put me in that position? Isn't that against your interests?"

>"First off, you weren't bought as an investment. You were a perk for Bronc. One he specifically asked for and John felt he more than deserved"

"I know. I was his Cadilliac, a status symbol for him. I liked being that"

>"But John being John he had to find a way for some ROI on you. With the wedding you payed for yourself many, many times over"

"And now with Blinders Off?"

>"Hundreds, maybe thousands of times over. Even the most tightwad bean counter we have wouldn't begrudge you your freeedom at this point"

"But what if I just walked away from the show?"

>"You wouldn't"

"How do you know?"

>Come on. No one just walks away from a hit like that. Especially when they have creative input"

>He's right

>You couldn't just walk away from the show

>You like it

>You like (most of) the attention

>And those mares have become friends of yours

>Even though you definitely do not agree with some of them with regard to certain topics

"OK, you're right. I wouln't just walk away from the show. But what if I remain property of the network and the show ends. What then?"

>"Well, John being John he'll try to set up another vehicle for you. You'd have to move to more modest accommodations, of course"

"I have no problem with that. But eventually whatever else he comes up with will come to an end as well. What then?"

>"I dunno. We haven't thought THAT far ahead"

"I'd like you to. I'd like you to find out if I could work with those tightwad bean counters you mentionned"

>"You want to work in accounting?"

"I'm pretty sure I could continue that return on investment over there as well, just less dramatically"

>"I don't see why not. I'll look into that and get back to you. Sound good?"

"Yeah. Thanks"

>"My pleasure. Anything else I can help you with?"

"You could come over here and fuck the hell out of me"

>"What?!"

>Shit

>You didn't mean to say that out loud, but you did

>You thought it so hard that you ended up saying it

"I'm sorry. I know men are touchy about suggestions like that in work related settings. It's just that..."

>"I know. I produce the damned show. But producers fucking talent is a big no-no. Not that it doesn't happen, but it can ruin careers"

"Is it the same when the talent is also network property?"

>"Hmmm. That is more of a gray area. Go on"

"Network property who is also the administator of how that property is..."

>"Deployed?"

"Yeah. Deployed on your cock"

>"That's a pretty compelling case"

"Also I know you'd want to be discreet about it, and Rose won't be home until six, so..."

>"John did say you were my priority today"

"And he IS the boss"

>"What about my girlfriend?"

"It would be cheating if you had sex with another woman, wouldn't it?"

>"Yeah, and I don't want to be a cheater"

"But I'm not a woman. I'm a pony. So is it cheating? John and his wife both have ponies of their own"

>"I'll be there in half an hour"

>"Yay!"

>You are getting fucked this afternoon!

>And as far as men go the producer is as cute as a guy with a beard can be

>You're also kind of proud of yourself for flirting

>Maybe you weren't all that great at it

>Especially when you just blurted out that he ought to fuck you

>But you took a guy with several good reasons to turn down that offer

>And pretty easily persuaded him to take it

>So you feel like you did a good job

>And you really NEED this

 

>Be mare

>You're beside yourself with anticipation

>It may be the end of your heat, but this has been the only heat in your life without any...

>Release

>Actually the longest time you've gone in your life without any sexual activity

>And the heat just made it extra horrible

>But now there's a man on his way to you

>A man you like just fine, and whom you find attractive

>He'll more than do

>And even though he's someone you work with you're pretty sure it's considered less bad than fucking the doorman

>Which you've been thinking about too much lately anyways

>You want this to go well

>You NEED this to go well

>It was so easy back when you were a filly

>A man just picked you and that was that

>Or a regular scheduled an appointment

>Easy

>But this isn't a coustomer

>This is one of the show's producers

>And you know he could be a little skittish because of that

>Which is the last thing you want him to be

>How do you put a possibly skittish man at ease?

>On the TV shows Rose watches

>(You and master never watched TV, but Rose does)

>When a man and a woman get together there's usually alcohol involved

>The man buys the woman a drink, or they share a bottle of wine in a private setting

>Or something like that before it cuts to the scene of them in bed together after

>They never show the fun part on TV for some reason

>You're just supposed to assume they both came because they're in bed together

>It's pretty fucking silly, but that how this stuff works on TV

>Also sometimes on TV a man inexplicably turns down an attractive, sexually willing woman for some kind of bullshit reason

>And you don't want that to happen to you

>That would be even worse than just cutting to the scene where you're in bed together after

>So what should you do when he gets here to seal the deal?

>Offer him a drink?

>There's still a half case of what you assume is good bourbon in the apartment

>Master always called it the "good stuff"

>And there is a bottle open already

>You've opened it up and smelled it a couple times to see if it would remind you of master

>It did, a little

>But it smelled much better on his breath than just by itself

>HE was what made it smell good, and without him it just smells harsh to you

>So holding onto it as a memento seems silly

>And you realize you've kind of been doing that

>What if the producer wants YOU to have a drink with him?

>Master offered every now and then, but never forced the issue because he knew you didn't drink

>The producer doesn't know that - you're pretty sure it never came up on the show

>Would it make him uncomfortable if you offered him a drink and didn't have one yourself?

>On TV it's always the both of them drinking before they fuck

>So you suppose you'll have to do your best to choke a little of the stuff down

>It'll be worth it, after all

>Maybe you ought to see if you can

>You pour yourself a little, and let a couple drops touch your tongue

>It makes your whole body shiver

>That's not going to work

>Do people put ice in it sometimes?

>Maybe that would help

>There are some ice cubes in the freezer

>You put a couple in and wait

>How long should you wait for the ice to do whatever it's supposed to do besides make it cold?

>Five minutes, you decide

>Five minutes later it's still unpleasant, but cold and a little diluted

>Maybe sweeter?

>You can just choke it down, but it still makes you shiver a little

>But you can do it!

>You're not going to look like a fool

>It actually makes you feel kind of warm

>Now if you could just drink it without flinching or shivering

>Maybe a little more practice

>It did get easier the more you drank it

>Master used to drink a lot of it

>That's probably how he grew to like it

>But liking it too much can kill a pony

>You know that

>But you don't need to like it

>Just be able to tolerate it

>You pour yourself a little more and add another ice cube to the glass

>Halfway through it seems to be easier to drink

>You can sip on it without a reaction

>It still tastes horrible

>But you manage to finish it

>You feel ready

>You body sure as fuck is ready

>And the few minutes that pass before the doorman buzzes from downstairs that your guest is on his way up seem like an eternity

>But finally you're opening the door for him as he steps out of the elevator

>He seems slightly uncomfortable as he catches you looking him up and down

>Noticing the anticipatory bulge in his pants, suggesting his size down there is probably more than adequate

"Come in. Would you like a drink? I'm afraid all I have is bourbon, but I'm pretty sure it's good bourbon"

>"I usually try to avoid daydrinking, but I don't have to drive anywhere and I have the rest of the afternoon clear, so why not?"

>He follows you into the kitchen where you set a glass for him next to your own and the bottle on the counter

"Ice? I have mine with ice"

>He looks at the bottle critically, then smiles

>"Normally I would, too. But you're right, that's good stuff. I'll take it neat"

>You assume by context "neat" means no ice

>That's how master drank it

>You put a few ice cubes in your glass and pour the bourbon until both glasses are at the same lever

>He seems a little surprised and impressed

>"That's a generous pour"

"Thank you. I didn't grow up with much, so I learned how important it is to be generous to those around you"

>"Evidently karma's worked out for you"

"Karma?"

>"It's an idea from eastern religions. If you live a virtuous life you come back in the next life in a better position"

"I don't think I believe in next life kind of stuff"

>"I don't either. But people use the word karma to mean doing good things now means good things will happen to you later"

"I don't think that's true for everypony, but in some ways it's worked out for me. But in other ways, I guess I wasn't good enough..."

>"You're a good girl"

"Thanks. It's always nice to hear that"

>"You're also beautiful. I've had a little crush on you from the moment I first met you"

"Really? That's so sweet. But I kind of knew. I saw you checking me out a couple times"

>He looks a little frightened

>"Was it that obvious?"

"I don't think it would be obvious to everypony. I'm extra aware of that kind of thing because of how I was brought up. Getting picked was important"

>"So you learned to read those cues really well?"

"You bet! If you noticed a client checking you out, then looking at one of the other girls you'd smile and swish your tail to regain his attention"

>"It was that competative?"

"More like NOT being picked would have been humiliating. And the other girls would give you shit if they thought you were pandering"

>"What would have been pandering?"

"You know, lifting your tail and nickering at a client in the salon. Winking at him. Acting desperate"

>"God, that sounds so hot"

>You smile

>Nothing wrong with a little pandering at this point

>He's mostly finished with his drink, as are you

>And the combination of the liquor and your heat makes you feel less silly about it than you normally would

>You turn your hindquarters to him, raise your tail and look back at him

>He's staring at you intently with lust, a look you're very familiar with coming from men

"Like this?," you say in your best come hither tone, and let out a soft little nicker

>You also feel yourself wink in anticipation of what is about to happen

>"Shit!"

>He kicks off his shoes, undoes his belt and slides his pants down, switching from one leg to the other to remove them

>You notice his cock is plenty adequate, and cut

>Which usually means they can go longer

>If not the first time definitely on the second

>And you've got two hours, so you'll probably go at least twice

>He removes his shirt

>If he lost the beard and put just a little more muscle on his skinny frame he'd be really sexy

>But as is he's more than sexy enough

>Then he does something weird

>Instead of just taking you, which is obviously what you're offering he comes around front and goes in for a kiss

>NOPE!

"Hey, hey! You have a girlfriend, and I don't want any emotional bullshit from you. You came over to fuck the hell out of me. That's it"

>He seems a little surprised

>"So this is just a booty call? A friends with benefits thing?"

"Are we even friends? More like associates with benefits"

>"That sounds like a lawsuit"

>Fuck, you can't let him think that way

"Network property can't sue the network, silly," you say, followed by another nicker

>Thankfully that's all the encouragement he needs

 

>Be Rose

>Riding the elevator up to the penthouse with your son

>He slept most of the day at the shop, so he's pretty rambunctious now

>You're going to have to take him to the park for a run before dinner

>And before it gets dark, now that the days are shorter

"Let mommy relax for a minute then we'll go to the park"

>"Par, par, par, par, par!," he replies

>He's going to be verbal any week now

>Ponies hit young milestones much quicker than people

>You've heard children take a year to learn to walk

>With a foal it's minutes

>With children it's like a year and a half before they start being verbal

>Your little black ball of fluff and hooves is going to be talking any second

>Which is going to be a whole new thing for both of you

>He already understands a lot of what you say to him, even if he pretends not to when you say something he doesn't want to hear

>Like no running in the house

>The elevator door opens and you use your key to open the penthouse door

>And there he goes

"We don't run in the house!," you shout after him

>To no avail

>No rest for the weary - you're going to have to hit the park sooner rather than later

>Wow, the place really smells like sex

>This has been a rough heat for her

>Poor thing

>It smells almost like a man was here

>If that's the case it's really none of your business

>Unless she wants to dish, then you'll be all ears

>"Rose!," she says, trotting up to you a little wobbly, and saying the "s" more like and "sh"

"Are you drunk?"

>"I dunno. Never drank before"

"Are you dizzy?"

>"Nope, just a little clumsy I think. Almost tripped over a rug"

"OK, you're drunk"

>"I've got news, though"

>Great, maybe she has some gossip to share

"A man?"

>"Maybe," she says with a conspiratorial look, "but I'm not talking about that. It's a secret. Something else"

>She's not wasted, but drunk enough to slur a little

"Well, I hope he appreciated what he got"

>"He did. A couple times over," she says with a lusty grin

>That's what it smells like in here, for sure

"So what is your news?"

>"The account, y'know, the account that used to own you?"

"Yes?"

>"I'm the adminishtraitor"

"You're what?!"

>She shakes her head

>"The ad-min-is-trator. Let that sink in for a second"

>Perfect Pitch was the administrator, and his signature emancipated you

"Does that mean you could... emancipate yourself?"

>"Yup. Probably. Legal thinks so"

"That's amazing! When are you going to do it?"

>She frowns

>Be careful here, Rose

>This is a touchy subject for her

"I mean, that's a unique position. Being on a hit show means they'd have to pay you enough to live comfortably if you did"

>"Sure. But I live comfortably now"

"What about your future?"

>"They're seeing if I can be a bean counter when the celebrity thing comes to an end"

"A bean counter?"

>"I could maybe work in accounting. They're looking into it. No reason not to increase their return on investment with me"

"Who's looking into it?"

>"The producer. The cute one, not the gay one"

>The CUTE one?

>Where did that come from?

>You realize - not for the first time - there's a good chance she won't be moving to Brooklyn with you

>You sigh

"Well I hope you get the answers you want and make a decision you're comfortable with"

>"Thanks, Rose. You're the best. If I stay adminis-trator I could change my mind anytime I had a good reason"

"So you still might come to Brooklyn with me?"

>"If I had a reason that worked for ME. Do you understand?"

>A fluffy black colt starts running circles around the two of you shouting, "Par, par par par par!"

"I understand I have to take this one to the park, and you ought to lie down. I'll put dinner together when we get back"

>"You're the best!"

"Seriously, go lie down"

>"I gotta piss first"

"Do that and then lie down"

>"I knew you'd understand"

>You don't, really, but keep that to yourself

>No point trying to argue with her when she's drunk

>You'd probably start a fight, then you'd have an upset drunk mare and a crying colt on your hooves

>Not worth it at all

>She wanders off toward her bedroom, and you hear the sound of hooves on the tile floor of the en suite

"C'mon, let's go to the park!"

>"Par!," the little colt replies, looking up at you expectantly

 

>Be mare

>Waking up

>You feel something small and warm pressed up against you

>You can both feel and hear his breathing

>Cuddleslut?

>What's he doing in bed with you?

>Looking over at the clock you see it's 9:30, but it's dark out through the windows

>9:30 at night?!

>Then you remember

>You were drinking this afternoon, and you fucked the producer

>And now you have to pee really bad

>Like you'll piss the bed if you don't make it to the bathroom pretty quickly kind of bad

>You carefully roll away from the little colt, and luckily he remains asleep

>You make it to the bathroom just in time, shutting the door so your forceful stream of piss splashing into the tiolet doesn't wake him

>Shit, you're thirsty, too

>And hungry

>Thankfully you don't seem to be hungover - you doen't feel sick or even queasy

>Just like you ought to move slowly and carefully for a little while

>You decide not to risk flushing after yourself - it is your toilet, after all

>And gently walk toward the door of your bedroom, which is ajar, letting a very little light in

>Emerging from your room you see Rose on the couch watching something on TV

>"There you are," she says, "Wasn't sure whether you'd emerge today or sleep 'till morning"

"I had a little friend join me"

>Yeah," she replies, "When we got back from the park I fed him, then he went looking for you. When he found you he just curled up and fell asleep"

"So you did a good job wearing him out in the park?"

>"I had to. He slept most of the afternoon. I have dinner for you if you're hungry"

"Thanks. I am"

>She heads to the kitchen and quickly returns with a nice bowl of greens topped with edible flowers

>Nice thing about having a pony florist in the house - there are always edible flowers in the fridge

"Perfect, thank you"

>"So you had a big afternoon. I was afraid you might have hurt yourself"

"Luckily no," you reply between bites, "But I doubt I'll do much drinking from now on. I don't like being all wobbly like that"

>"You were pretty cute, actually"

"Don't get ideas about getting me drunk and taking advantage of me"

>"I wouldn't do that to you. I might fantasize about it though"

"Well that's OK," you say with a laugh

>"So I know you said your guest was supposed to be a secret. I don't have to worry, do I?"

"Nope. I didn't fuck the doorman or some rando from the street, though I thought about both"

>"Not surprised. Heat makes you think about doing a lot of things you'd never even consider otherwise"

"You got that right. But this was more of a booty call with a trustworthy guy. One that requires discretion on both our parts, though"

>"OK. I won't press any further"

"I Appreciate that"

>"Was it good though?"

>She's dying for even just a crumb of gossip

"He's good looking and had the right equipment. He was a little skittish, but with a little prodding more the delivered the goods"

>"Well I'm happy for you then"

"Yeah, I feel a lot better"

>"What inspired you to drink, though? Were you nerveous?"

"More like I was afraid he might be. So I did what they do on those shows you watch"

>"The 'can I get you a drink' thing?"

"It worked, but I had to have a couple too, so it wouldn't be weird"

>"I don't think it's a good idea to take life lessons from Shonda Rhimes, or TV in general for that matter"

"Then why do you watch it?"

>"Escapism. Sometimes you just want to zone out over something stupid but dramatic after a busy workday"

"But they spend all their time second guessing themselves and regretting their decisions along the way to the sexy parts"

>You take another quick bite of greens, chew and swallow

"Then they skip over the sexy parts. How is that escapism?"

>"You have no idea how boring most viewers' lives are"

"I'd happily take boring WITH the sexy parts left in over that much drama and the sex implied"

>"You're not the average viewer, but then again I'm not either"

"Yeah. Our lives haven't exactly lacked for drama lately"

>"I'm hoping to settle into something much more staid in Brooklyn before too long"

"For you that would be staid. For me that would be so many choices I'd be like one of those TV characters second guessing herself"

>"Yet you're in the position now where you have that many options in front of you anyways"

"But I don't have to act on them if I don't want to"

>"Some would say not making a choice is a choice as well"

"And what would Vidal say to that? He'd call you out on being overly literal about the words and missing the point"

>"Arguing semantics"

"Right," you do your best impression of the pegasus stallion's haughty tone, "Of course it's a legitimate field of endeavor, but not the way you're applying it here"

>Rose laughs

"I tell you, as somepony who finds reading difficult listening to such a well read pony makes me feel smarter, even if I don't get everything he says"

>"I don't either, to be honest. It is kind of funny that one of the smartest ponies we know is our stylist"

"And the second smartest pony I know is a dominatrix"

>You sigh

"I'm pretty sure if he were in my position he'd be acting the same way I am"

>"Of course. It's hard to chafe against the lack of freedom when you have a sweet lifestyle and a lot of automony"

"I knew you understood"

>"I do, at least a little. But I'd also bet if you asked him point blank about the importance of the message you could send he'd agree it was important"

"Sure he would. But if he were in the position to send that message at the expense of his fabulous lifestyle do you think he would?"

>"He'd recognize the conflict between self-interest and selflessness, and would probably agonize over finding a path of enlightened self-interest"

"Which means what, exactly?"

>"Doing what's right for you while being able to accept the consequences of your actions"

"That sounds great. That's exactly what I want. I just don't know what that would be"

>"I wish I could tell you"

"Yeah, but that's what a master is for"

>Rose giggles and says, "Speaking of Vidal I sometimes wonder who's the master there, him or the B F"

"Oh, come on. You're telling me you couldn't play John like a fiddle when he was your master?"

>"As long as I stayed within the role of his fantasy of me, sure. The moment I stepped out of that..."

"Look at what happened"

>"What do you mean?"

"You get a few lashes, then the guy schemes behind the scenes to get you emancipated, which is what you really wanted anyways"

>Rose hangs her head, then gives you a pleading look

>"I don't know how to live with that sometimes"

"Because a monster with that much blood on his hands shouldn't do right by anypony?"

>"You'd think that, wouldn't you?"

"YOU would. I don't know. I just learned about karma, and it sounds like a lot of wishful thinking to me"

>"So you don't see anything wrong with the fact that a monster like John would almost make me love him, then still look out for me when I betrayed him?"

"I don't think he cares about rihght and wrong the way you do. He cares about his career, which has nothing to do with right or wrong"

>"I know. But it's like accepting gifts from a murderer. You probably shouldn't do that"

"Even though you're a free pony now I'll still ask - did you really have a choice? Do you really have one now?"

>"What do you mean?"

"Even free ponies are still subject to the will of those more powerful than they are. You were back in Equestria"

>"How so?"

"You were one of Celestia's subjects. If she'd 'asked' you to do something you would have done it"

>"Of course I would have. Princess Celestia was good and kind - a fair ruler"

"To the best of your knowledge, yeah. But say you'd found out she'd done horrible things as well. Could you have changed anything because of that?"

>"But she was good. And kind. And fair"

"Say she was all those things but also had done some monstrous things. What could you have done about it? She was in power and you weren't"

>"I don't like you talking that way about the Princess"

"Sorry. I might still be a little drunk. Master would sometimes say outrageous things when he was drinking. I don't mean to offend you."

>"I'll accept that, but lay off the Princess"

"My point is whoever has power has it. Whether they're good or bad doesn't matter. They have the power. You just figure out how to deal with the power they have"

>"Well in John's case I hate him, and I'm trying to get as far away from him as possible"

>You laugh, hoping it doesn't sound mean - you're not trying to be mean

"You said he almost made you love him just a minute ago"

>"But I hate him now, and I don't know how to deal with how... good he's been to me"

"Not by distancing yourself from him, that's for sure"

>"What do you mean by that?"

"He still owns nintey-some percent of your business, and you're a star on one of his shows. That's not distancing yourself from him"

>"At least I don't have to fuck him anymore, and eventually I'll be done with him... And I'm not sure I like drunk

you all that much"

>Shit

>You don't want her to feel like you're attacking her

>Were you?

>You can't really tell, but you hope not

>But if she's calling you drunk maybe you ought to speak your mind a little less freely for the time being

>Then again fuck her if she can't handle the truth

>Oh, that's probably the bourbon

>You remember when master would get like that sometimes

>Beligerent about something that wasn't entirely clear

>This explains a lot

>But you're not sure what to say now

>Probably best to apologise, even though it feels like you have nothing to apoligise for

>But you can't do that without abandonning the point you're trying to make here

>THINK!

"He smells like piss these days, by the way"

>"WHAT?! Has he become incontinent?"

"Nope. Mare piss. His new good girl? She marks the hell out of him in every way she can"

>Rose giggles a little bit, then says, "I almost feel sorry for her"

"Don't. She knows what she's got, and she's determined to hold onto it"

>"I'll admit it, he can be very charming"

"More important than that he's the boss"

>"Well he's not my boss anymore"

>BITE YOUR TONGUE!

>She sees the look on your face

>"Well, he won't be for much longer"

>She's talking years

>Let her have it

"That's the spirit, Rose"

 

>Be mare

>Checking through your email you see something from Snowdrop

>The subject is: Wat I Did Last Nite

>Interesting

>It's a link to a video

>Obviously a fancy party somewhere

>Men in blazers, women in nice dresses all holding drinks

>But kids are there, too

>The video pans around the party to stop on the merry go round

>Which is composed of a frame of decorated poles with a mare wearing tack and saddle tied to each

>They're close enough to each other that each mare's nose is almost in the dock of the one in front of her

>And kids (mostly little girls) are sitting on top of them

>It's kind of sexy, actually

>As the ponies walk in a circle Snowdrop comes into view, a beaming little girl on her back

>She's one sexy pony, to be sure

>You're really happy for her that she still looks so good

>She looks like she's enjoying herself as well

>You've got to find out the story behind this

>You try contacting her on Skype, but she doesn't answer

>It's 10:30AM, so there's no way she's working yet

>You watch the rest of the vodeo, which is just the mares walking proudly in a circle, looking great with kids on their backs

>But you can see that the men are enjoying watching almost as much as the girls are injoying riding

>What's not to like, after all?

>A merry go round of beautiful mares, placed tightly enough together that it's kind of suggestive

>Not that the kids notice that

>But clearly the male spectators (and maybe avan a few female ones) seem to

>Your computer makes the Skype noise, and it's an incomming call from Snowdrop

>"Hey!," she says brightly, "You got that video I sent you?"

"Just watched it. You look great, but I need some backstory on this"

>"It was an out-call. We did the merry go round for the kids for, like, an hour"

"And you looked great doing it. Very sexy"

>"Thanks! It was my first time wearing tack and a saddle, and I FELT sexy"

"Yeah, the little girl on your back couldn't tell, but the guys watching sure could"

>"Which was the second half of the call. Taking care of the VIP's in some private rooms upstairs"

"How did they arrange that?"

>"They provided transport and security. Classy event, too. I even tried Champagne!"

"Any good?"

>"Not really. Take all the sweetness out of grape juice and make it sour instead. And fizzy. I liked the fizziness, though"

"It seems like a lot of the fancy things men and women seem to enjoy really aren't to pony tastes"

>"Except for the salty stuff"

"Yeah, they do salty stuff well"

>"Speaking of salty, a drunk VIP tried fucking me with a Champagne bottle"

"That sounds terrifying"

>"It WAS! But one of the security guys stopped him when he saw how scared I was"

"Security was in the room with you while you were working?"

>"That was the deal. Security was with us the whole time. I blew him later as a thank you"

"Very thoughtful of you"

>"You know you would have done the same thing"

"Oh yeah. So who took the video?"

>"The same guy! Like I said, security was with us the whole time. His name is Gus. He promised he's send it to me and he did!"

"I'm guessing he's cute, too?"

>"Yeah. It felt like there was a little thing between us. I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up as a client"

"If he can afford it"

>"Right. Security guys might not make that much money, but this was a high end gig. He could be doing all right"

"Is romance in the air?"

>She laughs

>"Of course not. But I wouldn't mind seeing him again, that's for sure"

>You remember what it was like to have favorite clients - ones you looked forward to seeing again

>Those whose touch was actually welcomed, not just tolerated

>Then again, you had some very welcome touches just the other day

>You'd like to share that gossip with Snowdrop, but you know it's a bad idea

>As much as she'd love to hear it

>"So what's been up with you - beyond what I see on the show?"

"Today ought to be interesting. I'm going back to visit Madam"

>"Really? Any particular reason, or just social?"

"I don't know. Of course I want to see her, but I'm also trying to figure some stuff out, and maybe she can help"

>"I hear that. Your life is a LOT more complicated than mine"

"Yeah, sometimes I'm almost jealous of you"

>"Don't be! I'm over here being jealous of you half the time!"

"And the other half?"

>"Happy I don't have stuff to figure out"

"See what I mean"

>"Yeah, but still... You see why a lot of ponies would be jealous of your life"

"Not free ponies so much"

>"I think the pressure Rose and that cameramare put on you is terrible"

"Crystal. Her mane is Crystal"

>"She's pushy"

"I think that tension is part of what keeps the viewers' interest"

>"Not for me. I just watch to see my friend on TV"

"You're not the average viewer"

>"Do you think there IS an average viewer? Somepony out there who is just that? The AVERAGE viewer?"

"I don't know"

>"I think about stuff like that sometimes. Anything else up with you?"

"Skydancer might be there when I see Madam. She mentionned she had an apointment today as well"

>"Oh, tell her I say hi! I haven't been all that great about keeping up with her lately, but tell her I'm thinking about her"

"Will do. And thanks for sharing the video with me. Last thing I expected to see was you on a merry go round"

>"I know, right?"

"You look as good in tack as Durril"

>"Thank you! You are so sweet!"

"And I've got to get going. Catch up again soon"

>"Bye!"

 

>Be mare

>Back where you grew up

>It's really weird to be back

>This isn't the first time - you've come back a few times before

>But it's always weird

>You almost feel like a filly again, until you see some of the fillies who work there now

>They're SO young!

>You know you were that yonng when you worked here, but you can't remember being THAT young

>You must have been, though

>Walking down the hall toward Madam's office a male voice calls out to you

>"Hey, kid! good to see you back"

>The guard!

>You turn around to look at him

>He has less hair now, and most of what's left is grey

>Which makes him look a little old

>But you notice the pot belly he'd been working on last time you saw him is gone

>He looks pretty trim, actually

>He's no silver fox, but he looks pretty good for a man his age, which you assume is the age a lot of men start looking like shit

"Look at you! Someone's really trimmed down"

>He smiles and reaches a hand down to play with one of your ears

>You always loved the way he did that

>It was never overtly affectionate, nor overly sexual

>Just a friendly, almost absent-minded gesture of familiarity

>There aren't many people or ponies you have that kind of familiarity with, so you lean into his touch

>Basking in the attention

>"Somepony missed me," he says with a laugh

"I was sad you couldn't make the wedding. Sorry about your mother"

>"She had a good life. She had no regrets. And she died with loved ones around her. We should all be so lucky"

>He adds, "Sorry about your husband"

"Yeah, it's been hard. I know he had regrets - that's part of what killed him. But he died with me and Rose at his side"

>"He knew you loved him"

"I did, and he knew for sure. I just wish we could have had more time together"

>"Life is cruel sometimes. And I hate that it was cruel to you like that"

"Thank you. I hate it, too. But I know in spite of it my life is still pretty good. I'm just heartbroken and sad right now"

>"My mother always said 'It's a good life if you don't weaken'"

"Smart woman"

>"Yeah, she was. We didn't always see eye to eye on everything, but she did right by me, no doubt. Toward the end I think I did right by her"

"Speaking of doing right, how'd you get so skinny?"

>"Stopped eating crappy food. Not entirely, but on a day to day basis. That and a little exercise was all it took"

"No more Italian hoagies then?"

>He laughs

>"Once a month or so, instead of three or four times a week. I'm too old to eat like a 20 year old anymore"

"Well, whatever you're doing is working. You look great"

>"You, too. You're as beautiful a mare as you were a filly. Been watching you on TV"

"What do you think?"

>"Think is the word. When I started working here I had my own opinions about ponies. Then I got to know Madam and some of the girls like you..."

>He seems a little uncomfortable, but thankfully his hand remains caressing your ear

>You lean a little further into him

>"...and my opinion evolved. But watchjing your show? That's making me rethink everything! And I'm sure I'm not the only one"

"It's amazing what they let us get away with. You know it's mostly unscripted, too. They just let us talk, then edit the best bits together"

>"It feels natural when you watch it. But a lot of, shall we say, unpopular opinions go flying by in that half hour"

>He adds, "And I gauratee you you're changing opinions"

"Is that good or bad?"

>"The truth coming out is good. Only people doing bad things are afraid of that"

"Yeah. I'm just afraid people who do bad things would be willing to do worse things to protect themselves"

>"Those with privilege fight to maintain it. We've had plenty of that in our history. But I think we're moving toward a fiarer world"

"For ponies, too?"

>"That's gonna take a while, I'm afraid. But I think you and your show are on the right side of history"

"I just hope it doesn't get anypony hurt"

>"Me, too. You should get going. I know Madam's waiting for you"

>He releases your ear, causing it to flick a few times involuntarily

"Great to catch up"

>"Yeah, don't be a stranger, kid"

>You head to Madam's office

>The door is open a crack

"Knock, knock," you say, gently pushing the door open

>Madam is seated behind her desk, and Skydancer is in one of the two chairs in front of it

>"Have a seat," Madam says creerfully, "I was just telling Sky that I was planning to see each of you today, but something unexpected came up"

>Damn

>"So," she continues, "It would work out better for me if I met with the two of you together"

>"I'm fine with that," Skydancer says

"Yeah, me too. I have the feeling Skydancer and I have some overlaps in our concerns anyways"

>"I wouldn't be surprised," Madam replies

"Also, Snowdrop says hi"

>"How's she doing?," Madam asks

"Well. She did a fancy party out call last night and ended up being part of a merry go round"

>Skydancer laughs

>"I would love to have been a fly on the wall for that," she says

"There's video. I'll send you the link"

 

>Be mare

>Sitting in Madam's office with Shydancer

>Madam shifts a little uneasily in her chair under both of your gazes

>"Ok," she begins, "I guess I should give you a little background on myself and this operation. You know I was a madam in Equestria?"

>You nod

>"Most working girls didn't make a cxareer out of it," she contimues, "it was something they did for a while because it was easy money"

>She laughs a little nerveously

>"I never got that memo, and after years of working I had saved enough to start my own bnusiness, which I did"

>She sighs

>"Then when the darkness came like everypony else I made my way to the portal, where I was informed I was now private property"

>"Eventually," she continues, "I was interviewed and my work history came to light, at which point I was sold to this organization"

>"As the details of my new position were made clear to me I had two shocks to deal with"

>"First, the girls I'd be working would not be their by choice, nor were they free to leave when they wanted"

>"And second was the age of the girls. Working girls this young would have been unthinkable back home"

>"But I realized I had no say in either matter. All I could do was work to make the experience less... harrowing for everypony involved"

"I think you did a good job of that. When ponies find out about my upbringing they act like I should be traumatized by it, and I don't think I was"

>"That's very kind of you to say," Madam answers, "It might sound pathetic as a boast, but I'm proud we never had any suicides here"

>"Not even an attempt," she continues, "Though I was worried about Durril there for a bit. You were a big help with her"

"Ponies got to stick together"

>"It definitely wasn't ideal circumstances," Shydancer says, "But I think you handled it as well as anypony could have"

>"It's still hard," Madam says, sadly. "I don't think it's right to normalize working girls this young, but I have to do it everyday"

>"You have to be a party to something," Sky begins, "you actually believe is sexual abuse"

"Don't be so dramatic, Sky. We were NEVER abused"

>Madam looks at you a little sadly

>"If this business had existed in Equesrtria," Madam says softly, "That's exactly what they'd call it"

>"Or if the girls were people instead of ponies," Skydancer continues

>"It would be a huge scandal," Madam says, "That would end with everyone involved going to prison"

"But it's not because it's ponies"

>"Exactly," Madam answers, "And as wrong as that may be it definies the lives of the girls here, and I have to somehow prepare them to live those lives"

"Like I said, I think you do a good job. I don't look back on my days here as something horrible that I managed to survive"

>"Even now that you've known a life outside the organization?." Madam asks

"Well it's nice not to spend every night taking care of men"

>"You can say that again," Skydancer chimes in

"But it's not like that was so horrible. It's not like we were being worked to death in the fields"

>You do realize," Madam replies, "that's exactly what I told you as a filly?"

>Shit

>How much of what you think is stuff Madam told you when you were young?

>Probably a lot - you looked up to her

>She was just doing her best to prepare you for the future she saw for you

>And that worked for most girls, who still work in the organization

>But somehow you ended up outside of it

>Which makes you feel really alone now

>"If you really believe these girls are being abused," Skydancer asks, "and we were, too..."

>She takes a second to gather herself

>"Do you think I'm contributing to that cycle of abuse when I visit the girls?," she asks, pleadingly

>Madam sighs

>"Well, Sky. It's no secret there are girls who look forward to your visits," Madam answers, "You know who they are"

>"But is that OK," Skydancer asks, suddenly sounding like a filly herself, "Or am I just perpetuating the legacy my own abuse had on me?"

>"Wow," Madam says gently, "You've got almost as much to keep you up at night as I do"

>"This has really been bothering me," Skydancer replies, "I know my proclivities are a result of my upbringing, but does that make it OK to exploit those here now?"

>"They'll be exploited regardless," Madam answers

>"But I can choose not to be part of it," Skydancer replies

>"From where I'm sitting," Madam says, "That's an enviable position. I can't make that choice"

"But Sky, couldn't you see it as being a bright spot in some filly's day? For the ones into that stuff?"

>"That's what I've been telling myself for years," she replies, "and I'm not sure I believe it anymore"

>"Well," Madam says, "If you want me to tell you I don't think your daliances here cause any harm to anypony I will"

>"But," she adds, "If you want me to tell you I'm SURE that's the case, I can't"

?"I... That's fair," Sky replies

>"The same way I couldn't turn to your girls and ask for absolution," Madam replies

"Abso-what?"

>"Forgiveness," Skydancer answers

"Forgiveness for what?"

>"You are such a gem," Madam says, "I really thought for a little while there you'd be the one taking over the business from me"

"I'm sure I fantaszed about it back then"

>"Well things have taken a much more interesting turn for you. Much better I'd say"

"That's what everypony says. I don't know. The uncertainty of it gets to me sometimes"

>"How so?," Madam asks

"Because really in my heart I just want to be a good girl and know that will make everything OK"

>Madam sighs

>"Maybe I did too good a job with you," she says spologetically. "Being a good girl is how you survive when you have no other options"

>"She doesn't want to face those other options," Skydancer says

"You have no idea. There's huge stuff hanging over my head"

>"Like helping shape opinion in ways that might effect all ponies?," Madam asks

"Yeah. I didn't ask for that"

>"Like it or not I think you're doing a lot of good," Madam answers. "For what it matters I'm proud of you"

"You watch the show?"

>"Of course I do," Madam shoots back, "Everypony does. You have no idea how much it means to hear pony voices on TV"

"But the responsibility of the message I'm sending is a lot to face"

>"You're doing fine just by being who you are"

"Thanks, but I feel like who I am isn't really equipped to deal with this"

>"Of course not. There was no way anypony could have thought you'd end up in a position like this. You're practically emancipated"

"I could actually be, in fact"

>Silence

>Madam and Skydancer just stare at you with their mouths open

>After what seems like ages Skydancer says, "Holy shit!"

>Madam continues to watch you intently

>Finally she says, "You're not sure you want that, right?"

"I KNEW you'd understand"

>"I understand I did too good a job with you. Of course we scoff at the idea of freedom and self-determination, because it's completely out of our reach"

>"But it's actually within yours?!," Skydancer says breathlessly

"They've practically foisted it on me"

>"And you're balking?," Madams asks

"How do I know it's something I want? Evberypony acts like that should be a given, but I don't see it"

>"Because you just want a simple life?," Madam asks

>You nod, realizing you're on the verge of tears

>"I'm afraid that ship sailed when you were sold to the network. You've been in the spotlight ever since"

>"And handling it gracefully, I'd say," Skydancer adds

"So you think I'm a fool for not doing it?"

>"I don't think you're a fool," Madam says gently, "But if either of us had that chance..."

>"There wouldn't be any hesitation," Skydancer finishes

"Really? You'd just walk away from the organization and your lives here?"

>"It's not an option," Madam responds, "So it doesn't matter. But yes, I think almost anypony would"

"But without an owner how would you be sure you get takem care of? I've been to Brooklyn. Lots of skinny ponies there"

>"It's not like you're unemployable," Skydancer replies

>"On the contrary," Madam adds, "You're something of a hot commodity right now"

"So both of you think I should do it?"

>"It's uncharted territory," Madams answers, "so I see why it's intimidating"

>"But you of all ponies won't be left hungry," Skydancer adds, "Besides, then having a family would be an opti for you then"

"That's a better reason to consider it, for sure"

>"If the network is already giving you so much freedom," Madam replies, "that you actually have to make a case for emancipation..."

>"That's got to be nice," Skydancer says, not even trying to hide her jealousy

"But it's not like that's what makes me happy. They just know I wouldn't walk away from the show no matter what I choose"

>"Nor should you," Madam answers, "What you're doing there is important. The question is whether choosing freedom - real freedom sends a message of..."

>She continues, "...false hope to everypony watching"

"The free ponies would say just the opposite"

>"Because thy're free," Madam says curtly

>"I think," Skydancer says, "it sends the message that everypony ought to be free"

>"Which could be dangerous for those of us who aren't," Madam answers

>"Somepony's got to say it," Skydancer says

"Yeah, but does it have to be me? I'm not interested in being some kind of revolutionary"

>"Good," Madam replies, "Revolutionaries tend to live short lives with awful ends"

>"But as long as you have the world paying attention to what you say," Skydancer adds, "you may as well let them know how things really are for us"

"But doesn't that make me a hypocrite? I live in a fucking penthouse"

>"Giving that up to be free would really be saying a lot," she counters

>Madam nodds and says, "I understand why this isn't easy for you"

"But you still think I should do it?"

>"I would," she replies, "in a heartbeat"

 

>Be mare

>In the kitchen with a little black colt who has his nose in a small dish of ice cream

>Rose just got a call about some emergency at the flower shop, and left

>So you're watching him for the next few hours, at least

>Which you don't mind at all, because he looks so much like a little master

>You can't help but love him

>You had one of those inside you for a little while

>And you sometimes wonder who they would have been if you and master had made a different decision about it

>But you didn't, so there's no point wondering too much

>Two of them in the house would have been crazy

>Would it really have been?

>It does seem like one is more than enough sometimes

>He's taken Rose's life away from her

>She can still do things, but everything has to come to a halt when the little colt needs something

>Which is practically all the time

>He notices you watching him and lifts his face out of the bowl, well smeared with ice cream

>"a... b... c, D!," he sings

>That's as far as he can get

"Very good"

>He seems pleased with himself and turns his attention back to the ice cream

"You're lucky. You get ice cream for no good reason. When I was a filly I only got it for being brave"

>He's not really paying much attention to you, which is fine

"You know what being brave was? It was a man taking his..."

>You gesture toward his crotch

"And fucking a filly up her..."

>You gesture to your tailhole

"Which hurts a little - a lot if you don't use enough lube, and even sometimes then. That's when I got ice cream"

>He doesn't understand what you're saying, which is probably a good thing

"Hopefully you'll never go through anything like that"

>Unless it turns out he's gay, then maybe he'd like it

>But then it will be his decision, hopefully, which would make it more like when master did that to you

>Which was great, actually

>A totally different experience from being brave as a filly

"Like I said, you're lucky. Even though you don't have a dad, you have a mom who is right there for you. That's more than I ever had"

>At the word "mom" he looks around the room

"She'll be back soon. Now is a little you and me time"

>He seems satisfied with that, which is good

>The first couple times Rose left him alone with you he cried for her

>Now he's cool enough hanging with you

"When you're a little older we'll tell you all about your father. You look just like him. I loved him. I think your mother did, too, but not in the same way I did"

>He's now pushing the bowl around the table trying to lick the last of the sweet dairy out of it

>Better intervene before he knocks it on the floor

"Let me take that from you"

>Thankfully it's plastic

>You and Rose have both learned not to give a colt anything breakable

>Because he'll break it, given the chance

>You take the bowl and put it in the sink

"Let's get your face washed before ice cream ends up somewhere it shouldn't be"

>Which could be anywhere

>You wet a paper towel and bring it toward him

>He leans away from you

"No. You're not going anywhere with a face like that"

>He resists, but you manage to get most of if off his face

"You may be free, but there are still things you have no say about"

>He frowns at you for a second, then sings, "a... b... c, D!"

"That's the start. You just have to learn the next 22 and you'll have it. I'll probably be free like you soon"

>He gives you a confused look

>You sing the whole alphabet to him

>You never sung it as a filly, but you learned it quickly from Rose singing it to him

>He still looks confused

"Yeah, I don't think I'm cut out for it, either. But I don't think I can be the poster girl for the slave who has it well anymore"

>He yawns

"It was fine when I didn't care what image it sent to the world because my own dreams had come true"

>He gives you a sleepy, dopey look that's not unlike how master looked at the end of the night, just much more clear eyed

"When your father was around. I didn't realize I was a symbol of anything - I was too busy just being his!"

>He yawns again

"Does somepony need a nap? We can take a nap in my bed. Follow me"

>That much he understands, and he follows you into your bedroom, cuddling up next to you under the covers

>Guess you'll be reading the notes for the next episode of the show later rather than sooner

>Not that it matters

>Your nearly made decision will blow things up for an episode or two regardless

>So YOU'RE in the driver's seat here - the last place you want to be

>Moonglow is going to give you so much shit

>But she cares more about her Cartier collar than how anypony else has to live their lives

>You noticed the way she looked down at Skydancer when she was on the show, and Sky is a million times smarter than she is

>Or at least ten times

>It was Sky's opinion on freedom that really had an effect on you

>And Madam's

>You don't even care that much

>But you've got something ponies you respect think is priceless hanging over your head

>So it's probably wrong to act like it's valueless

>You feel Cuddleslut's breathing go into sleep mode

"But if I'm gonna be honest with myself, I can't be part of why folks think slaves have it good when most of us don't"

>The little colt shifts against your body, dreaming

>You wonder what this privileged little colt could be dreaming about

"I want to be generous to other ponies"

>You hear master's voice in your head saying, "They're in control of everything"

>So they're still in control of you, aren't they?

 

>Be mare

>Someone is trying to scare you

>When you got the mail today there was a letter labeled "Resident"

>Usually only fliers and junk mail come addressed like that

>So you were tempted to ignore it

>But since it appeared to be some kind of letter you took it back to the apartment and opened it

>Only to be met with a small cloud of white powder

>You were too suprised to even be scared, because by the time you realized what it was supposed to be

>A threat to scare you

>Some had gotten up your nose and you recognized it as powdered sugar

>So you didn't even have the time to realize it was supposed to seem like some dangerous chemical

>Because by the time you realized that was the intent you knew it was just powdered sugar

>And trying to scare a pony with sugar isn't going to work

>May as well try scaring a pony with carrots and apples

>Which is why you're pretty sure it came from someone, and not somepony

>The accompanying letter simply read, "Fuck you"

>You decided not to tell Rose about it

>Because the idea some wacko could send you a toothless threat

>Probably means there's a chance a real one could get through as well

>And you don't want her to worry

>She already watches the news, so she worries a lot more about what's going on in the big bad world than you do

>But of course she HAS to share those concerns with you

>And motherhood has only made that worse

>She'll watch a news story on TV about a mass shooting where ponies were killed

>Or even worse specifically targeted, not just random victims

>And you'll have to spend the next hour talking her down from it

>Pointing out that this stuff doesn't happen in the City

>(Or at least hasn't happened yet in the City)

>There are incidents of man on pony violence here, sure

>But the mass shootings are always reported from places far away

>Always the reporter standing in a parking lot full of pickup trucks

>Outside of where the shooting happened

>You've started thinking of the rest of the country beyond New York City as mostly parking lots and pickup trucks

>In front of places where mass shootings are about to happen

>And you're pretty sure that's not accurate

>It just seems like that from the news on TV

>The way politics seems crazy for the same reason

>You never paid any attention to politics before because you're a pony

>You have no say in politics

>But being forced to watch the news has made you aware of all the divisive issues people argue about constantly

>Including, but not limited to:

>Terrorism, immigration, the environment, healthcare, socialism, religion, guns, racism, who REAL Americans actually are...

>And, strangely enough how your opinions on four legs versus two fit into to various combinations of those issues

>Including which four legged creatures ought to have any rights at all

>A surprising number of folks seem to support Equestrian ponies being considered nothing more than livestock

>If expensive livestock when they're not free ponies

>While also advocating for greater legal protection for dogs, cats(?!) and even native horses

>Having sex with any of those three is illegal in many places, whereas Equestrian ponies are fair game in all of the US

>Well, California is trying to impose an age limit on sex with ponies

>One that seems ridiculously old to you

>But you really shouldn't know or care about any of this shit

>There's nothing you can do about any of it

>It isn't your business

>And your opinions ahouldn't matter

>But they kinda do, because your opinions are now on national TV

>Like it or not you're part of this national clusterfuck of a situation, if in a small way

>FUCK!

>You don't wanna hafta watch the news, and you think you'd actually be better off if you didn't

>Because it seems to be mostly full of stuff to make you worry or feel scared

>Or make you angry

>A lot of the things they say on the news seem calculated to make the viewer angry

>And ponies, especially free ponies are sometimes the target

>Like when they say abolitionism is a left wing conspiracy, like Black Lives Matter

>Then point to ponies like you (sometimes actually you) as proof of how well ponies have it under slavery

>Which helps explain why sometimes people (always men, it seems) shoot them in pickuptruckland

>Where left wing conspiracies are apparently a dire threat to the American way of life

>And you're guessing similar kinds of men send you envelopes of powdered sugar with fuck you notes inside

>Because just being a mare who gets to speak her mind threatens something they hate to see threatened

>Which is why you still feel safe here

>It isn't really that way in New York, where it's less about God and Country and more about the American Dream

>As long as you don't slow anyone down or get in the way of them making a dollar you're fine here

>Or so it seems

>You hope it continues to seem like that

>Because if you ever felt it was as dangerous here as Florida or Mississippi

>You don't know what you'd do

>Probably never leave the apartment

>And if a shooting ever happened near here where a colt was killed

>Rose would be stuck here with you forever

>And if that happened you'd just tell her straight up that you're done watching the news

>Because the idea of being holed up with her all day doing that sounds like hell to you

>You would have to put your hoof down

>Your phone is ringing

>It's Rose

>Have you two lived together long enough that you just have to think about her to summon her?

>Is that even a thing?

>You're not sure

>But you ought to answer regardless

"Rose?"

>"There's been a mass shooting. We HAVE to talk about this"

>You sigh

"Don't we always have to talk about it when shit like this happens? Of course we will"

>"No, I mean all of us on the show!"

"That might not be such a good idea. Don't you think giving them more exposure encourages others to cpoycat?"

>"It just happened on 48th Street, where we do the show"

"At Fox?"

>"Yeah, I just got an alert on Twitter"

"How bad?"

>"Two dead, one of them the shooter. More hurt"

>Shit

>You hope the other killed wasn't a member of the security team

>It's horrifying enough when these sociopaths kill at random

>Even worse when they tagrget some specific group for pathological reasons

>But it's twice as bad when they commit suicide after taking out one of those whose job it is to keep others safe

>Guards are important people, who never get their due

>Never get the respect they deserve

>Not like police or military

>Who seem to get at least a token mourning some of the time

"Wow. That's fucked up. Keep me abreast of the situation. You OK?"

>"Not really, but OK for now"

"Keep it that way"

 

>Be VP

>Getting out of meeting and headed to lunch rendezvous at the appartment

>With your little sexy pegasus

>She knows Up Thai is fine fore delivery

>The food is beside the point

>You walk out of the elevator and hear firecracker noises

>Have you been shot?!

 

>Be VP

>In hospital

>GODFUCKINGDAMMIT!

>Your left arm hurts

>And doubly so every fucking time you try to move

>The resident doctor told you that you were very lucky

>Yeah, very lucky you got fucking shot

>But you understood what she meant

>You're alive

>A bullet in the arm is a lot less bad than a bullet in the head, torso or gut

>And it passed through without tearing an artery or shattering a bone

>It just made hamburger out of part of your bicep and some tendon or ligament or something

>Which means you ARE lucky in that this could have been so much worse

>You heard it was worse for a couple people there

>Someone was killed

>But that's not what's in the front of your mind

>You have shit to do, and you can't get it done from a hospital bed

>And no one has given you any indication as to when you can get the fuck out of here

>Cynthia is here with you

>She was pretty shaken up, which is to be expected when you hear your husband got shot

>But she calmed down the moment she saw you were conscious

>Even though your marriage these days is little more than a contract and a bunch of stuff you own together

>You sleep in seperate bedrooms and don't even see each other all summer

>You're still a partnership

>With a legit history behind it, even if it feels like a sham today

>"I don't like your blood pressure," she says

"They're monitoring it. I did just get shot, and I'm in pain. Kind of hard to relax"

>"Well you should try. I know you'd rather be anywhere but here, but..."

"I know exactly where I'd rather be. La Condesa, about fifteen years ago"

>She smiles at you

>"That was great, wasn't it?"

"Best time of my life. I was so happy I got fat"

>"You weren't fat"

"You're kidding yourself. I was 35 pounds heavier than I am now. I wasn't obese, but I was fat"

>"You wore it well. You never looked fat. But you can blame the chilaquiles you had everyday for breakfast"

>She smiles again

"They ribbed me at the office for that - the gringo showing up every morning with his breakfast in a styrofoam container"

>"The churros and chocolate at El Moro weren't much help, either"

"We only did that on the weekends. I'd go back in a heartbeat"

>"It's not the same. Hipsters have taken over. And be thankful we weren't there last year"

"The only thing I have against hipsters is that they make me feel old. But you're right. The place where we used to live partially collapsed"

>"I was always afraid a big one was going to hit. Glad we missed it. You always said you didn't trust that kind of construction in an earthquake zone"

"I hate that I was right about that"

>"What are you talking about? You love being right"

"Not about tragic shit. Peubla got hit even harder, which is a shame"

>"You still have a soft spot for that town?"

"It's been years, but yeah. Everyone crows about the food in Oaxaca, but Puebla has the better food"

>"You are getting old. You're repeating yourself. You've said that to me at least a hundred times"

"Well I don't mind being right about that. Look darling, there's nothing you can do here, you don't have to stay"

>"Trying to get rid of me? You know that's not going to happen"

"No. But I sent for Cloud, and she'll be here any minute"

>"I can't believe you're already on your second pony"

"Things with the first one didn't go as planned"

>"I know. So you put her on TV talking shit about you, and had a hit with it"

"I wish I could say that was pure inspiration, but it was really just making lemonade out of lemons"

>"It was ballsy. I didn't think it was possible to get something more controversial than Hippodrome on the air"

"Might be part of the reason why I'm lying here now"

>"You don't know that"

"No. I don't. But I'm guessing I'll find out as soon as they let me out of here"

>"It's obviously not going to be tonight. So you call me when you know and I'll come get you"

"I appreciate that"

>"I've got to be useful for something other than spending your money"

"OUR money. That was the deal when you stopped working"

>"Because we moved to DF for your dream job, and I couldn't get my Spanish fluent in three months"

"You did well enough, though"

>"So did you"

"God, when was the last time we just talked like this? Feels like I had to get shot to reconnect with my wife"

>"You mean you didn't plan this?," she says with a little laugh

"You didn't sign the release yet? This is my new reality show: Active Shooter"

>"He wasn't active for very long"

"Working title. You know what we ought to do when I get out of here?"

>"What?"

"Take a drive to Brooklyn, just the two of us, hit some Mexican joint where they don't even speak English"

>"If we take an Uber we could have drinks, too"

"That's the girl I married"

>"Sounds like a date. I'm a little surprised, actually"

"What, a man can't take his wife out on a date?"

>"THIS man hasn't in quite a while"

"Never too late?"

>"You're lucky it isn't. I'm in"

>A grey pegasus comes running into the room, right to your bedside, her usual poise replaced with a look of fear

>"Are you OK, Daddy?," she asks in a pleading voice

>Without thinking you reach to stroke her mane and your arm explodes with pain

"I will be. You've got nothing to worry about"

>Cynthia raises an eyebrow and mouths the word "daddy" to you

"Not a word from you - you're in no position to throw stones. Besides, you wanted me to relax, and service animals are good for that"

>"I don't know if THAT kind of service speeds up recovery," she replies slyly, "But I'll let you have some privacy"

>She shuts the door behind her on the way out

>"I was so scared when I got the call," Cloudburst says

>You can see she's been crying

"It's OK. I'll heal. But of course it was scary"

>"Were you scared?"

"I didn't even have time to be. I didn't realize what was going on until I was hit"

>"Does it hurt?"

"Of course it hurts. But they say with physical therapy I'll get some strength and range of motion back, they can't say how much"

>"When they said there was an incident I thought you'd been killed"

"I could have been. But I wasn't. Someone was, I still don't know who"

>"Now you should focus on getting better," she says in a naive way that pretty much mashes the cute receptors in your brain

"And you can focus on taking my mind off the pain"

>Just looking at her gave you half a chub, and making that suggestion gets you the rest of the way there

"I don't know what they've got me on for the pain, but it's probably going to make me less responsive than usual"

>Carefully you pull the covers off of you with your good arm

>She licks her lips

>"I'm just happy you're OK. Take as long as you need to, Daddy. I'm a big girl. I can handle it"

>This roleplay thing makes you feel really pervy

>And your wife knowing about it is a little embarrassing

>But damn if it doesn't make you diamonds

>For a second you have a moment of anxiety over hospital staff walking in on what's about to happen

>But it passes quickly as you realize just how good you feel about yourself

>Here you are, almost 50 years old

>Wounded and in a haze from painkillers

>And not only is your dick diamonds, but it's about to get sucked by an incredibly attractive mare

>Who calls you daddy

>You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in this situation

>You actually feel pretty self-satisfied for a guy who just got shot

 

>Be Cloudburst

>Daddy is hurt

>And the idea that someone just shot him at work is terrifying

>Do people just shoot people like that?

>Why?

>It really makes the world seem like a scary place

>Where not even the masters are safe

>And if the masters can't protect themselves how can they protect their good girls?

>You have a master who loves you so much he wants you to call him daddy

>If he were taken away you have no idea what you'd do

>Would you kill yourself?

>Don't think like that

>Good girls don't think about stuff like that

>But he's obviously happy to see you

>His cock is huge and rigid

>That's how much Daddy loves you!

>Usually you'd hover before him

>Flapping your wings just enough to keep you in place

>As he'd grab your head with his strong hands

>Pulling you on to him as that beautiful cock slides back and forth down your throat until he finishes

>You being sure to keep your teeth away from the action

>And your tongue moving against it

>Especially the base of his shaft when he hilts down your throat

>Which is where he likes to cum

>But things are going to be different for a little while at least

>Most movements cause him to wince in pain

>So it's all on you to take care of him now

>One of those strong arms is out of commission

>But he's OK

>He's still here for you

>And you have to be a good girl for him

>Which is its own reward, but he's such a good daddy he praises you for it anyways

>Not to mention how he spoils you by making you cum - a lot

>But now is NOT the time for that, either

>It's up to you to take care of your daddy

>And you've got to manage in a way that's not going to hurt him

>The idea of hurting him nearly makes you cringe

>You are NOT going to hurt him

>Just suck him off carefully instead of getting throatfucked

>You're still going to get him down your throat, though

>Because that's what you know he likes

>It just has to be a little more gently than usual

"You lie still, Daddy, and let your little girl will take care of that for you"

 

>Be mare

>Picking at a plate of greens for a late dinner in the penthouse

>It's really just hay with a little arugula in it

>But Rose was right, the arugula adds a certain something special to it

>Beyond just doubling the cost of the meal

>She was eating with you, but she got a call and went to her room to take it

>You thought you heard her say "John" as she left the room

>But you doubt the VP would call her this late

>Or at all, for that matter - they're not exactly on good terms

>Her getting the call was kind of a relief, actually

>Usually you enjoy her company, but tonight she wasn't really at her best

>All she wanted to talk about was today's shooting - at work, but on a day neither of you were there

>And neither of you know that many facts about it

>Not even if anypone or anyone you know was hurt

>All you know is what they said on the news

>Five injured, three dead, one of them the shooter

>So of course Rose went straight to wild speculation

>Which is a pointless way to get yourself all upset

>Was it something to do with ponies?

>Maybe your show?

>Maybe you're the targets

>No way to know just yet, so why start fearing you might have a target on you?

>You know you do a little anyways, just because you're ponies who speak their minds on TV

>Of course that's exactly where Rose, a mare currently responsible for the well being of a young colt goes

>Thankfully that colt is asleep, because he's starting to understand some of what's said around him

>And this is the kind of thing he probably shouldn't be aware of yet

>Seeing his mother worried about security would NOT do him any good

>You are SO glad you didn't tell her about the envelope with the sugar in it and the fuck you letter

>She would be completely freaking out right now

>Totally convinced this was some kind of anti-pony attack - she's already halfway there

>Which it could actually be, but you're not one to jump to conclusions

>Not when they won't keep you any safer

>What would you be doing differently right now if you knew this attack had targeted you because of your show?

>Nothing, because you can't think of anything you could do differently

>Getting a gun of your won wouldn't help because neither you nor Rose is capable of operating one

>And having one in the house with a colt seems like a terrible idea

>You don't have anywhere else to go

>And if you did what would make you think it was safer than here?

>Even if you do feel a little less safe up here in the penthouse than you used to

>Back when you had a master

>Oh shit

>Rose is on her way back, and she looks even more upset

>"That was John," she says, "He was shot. Hurt, obviously. Not killed"

"Too bad"

>Probably not a good idea to be that flippant to her, but you said it anyways

>"You say that," she responds, "but you know how good he's been to both of us"

"I know how much blood he has on his hands as well"

>"Enough to wish him dead? Come on... self-interest alone here ought to make you reconsider that"

>You think

>Do you really wish he was dead?

>You kinda do

>Rose adds, "You're talking like a mare scorned"

>Really?!

>Did she have to go there?

"It's not like he's only rejected me. Think about how you're a mother. His dick was in my mouth while that went down"

>"Fair enough," Rose answers, "But you weren't all that happy when he refused to be your master, though"

"I guess you're right. I guess I'm glad he's not dead, though. But not out of self-interest"

>"Then why?"

"Because of his good girl"

>"My replacement?"

"Think of the poor thing. Remember seeing master slipping away from us? Remember how horrible that was?"

>"So the only reason you wish he wasn't dead is the feelings of a mare you don't even know?"

"Remember what it felt like? Would you want anypony else to go through that? Especially somepony who's just trying to be a good girl?"

>"Shit, you may be a better pony than I am, given the circumstances"

"No. You're a mother now, so your son takes priority over looking out for other ponies. I get that"

>"Even if it makes me selfish?"

>You want to say she's always been selfish, but you hold your tongue

"Your son is your priority. That's not selfish"

>"Thank you"

>You really don't want the conversation to go back to the shooting, but she just spoke to the VP, so you have to ask

"Did he say anything about the motivations of the shooter?"

>"He doesn't know. He intends to find out as soon as he's out of the hospital. There's an investigation underway"

"We can agree we're glad the shooter is dead?"

>"Absolutely"

"Then can we leave it at that for tonight? I'm just about maxxed out on this"

>"Sure, but it still worries me"

"Of course it does. But there's nothing we can do about it tonight"

>"Besides, we're going to be there talking about this on camera tomorrow. That'll have the producers on pins and needles"

"Yeah it will. Fox is pretty pro Second Amendment. A bunch of mares talking about a mass shooting at hteir workplace..."

>"Is not the kind of thing they want to air. But they may not have any choice"

"And we'll probably know more by then anyways"

>"Or supposedly know more"

"What's that mean?"

>"Once you're in the media the information you're fed could be disinformation"

"You're making my head hurt"

>"Sorry. Just saying"

 

>Be mare

>In production meeting with the girls from the show and one of the producers

>The cute one who took care of you during your last heat

>Porduction meetings are where you get coached for the shoot

>You're given details about who the guest will be and good topics to bring up with them

>You bring up topics to discuss

>And hash out who has which opinions on them

>Who really has something to say on a topic and who doesn't

>If you don't you keep quiet for most of that segment

>The show is unscripted

>But the meetings make sure you have a direction to go with it

>And there's a set of topics always at the ready if you mares are out of ideas for that week

>Which happens sometimes

>Today is NOT one of those times, given what happened yesterday

>So it caused a little stir when the producer told you not to bring up the shooting today

>"You're trying to censor us?," Rose asks indignantly

>He rolls his eyes

>"Yeah," he replies sarcastically, rubbing his beard. "The show is based on mares speaking freely so I want to censor you"

>"That's what it seems like," Rose shoots back

>"Do you want the official explanation from corporate, or the explanation from your producers?," he asks

>'Why not both?," Rose answers

>"There's an ongoing police investigation, as well as an internal one," he says, "and we can't comment on ongoing investigations"

>"I'm guessing that the corporate answer," Ada Maria says

>"Yeah," he replies, "and it's common practice. Not at all unreasonable"

>"Then what's YOUR answer?," Rose demands

>"Integrity," he replies

"Explain"

>You've got to stop saying that

>It's become a thing on the show

>Snowdrop even emailed a picture of you taken from the show with the caption, "EXPLIAN"

>Obviously you say it enough that others have picked up on it

>"Viewers watch because if when what you have to say infuriates them they know you're speaking honestly," he begins

"We infuriate viewers?"

>"Of course you do. You're always presenting minority opinions on hot button topics. We get a lot of angry emails, even calls"

>He continues: "Topics like sexuality, slavery and pony rights will do that"

>He takes a sip from his coffee

>He continues, "But you don't come off like you're trying to spread fear and dissent, we already air more than enough of that"

>"That's the opposite of what we're trying to do," Rose replies, pouting a little

>"It shows," he replies, "so if you're going to wade into ANOTHER hot button topic like gun violence..."

>He takes another sip of coffee

>"You want to have your facts straight and present coherent opinions," he says, "I'm all for it, but we're not there yet"

>"Not to mention it would be like setting off a bomb for most Fox viewers," Crystal says

>"The show is that already. This would just be pouring gas on the fire. And I'm happy to go there, but only if we do it with integrity"

>He adds, "Without that it would feel exploitave, like you're just there to look pretty and stoke controversy"

"Oh, that's not part of it?"

>He laughs

>"Of course some viewers tune in to gawk at the beautiful mares, no matter how angry what you say makes them"

>He's looking right at you

>"You are gorgeous, after all," he says with a little smile

>Was that flirting?!

>In front of everypony?!

>You look around the room

>Everypony else just looks a little bored at this point

>Except Rose, who is still pouting over the policy

>She was hell bent on talking about the shooting today

>"But that doesn't change the fact that what we're doing here has integrity," he concludes, "And we ought to maintain that"

>"When are you going to get us some... facts," Rose asks a little sarcastically, "so we can form coherent opinions"

>"I've got two researchers on it right now," he replies. "You think we didn't see this coming?"

"What do we do if someone from the audience asks about it?"

>"Say you can't comment on an ongoing investigation, but will be able to once it's concluded and we know the facts"

>The rest of the meeting drifts by as usual

>Looks like you and Rose won't have all that much to say on today's show

>Just sit there and look pretty

>Eventually the meeting ends and everypony starts heading toward the set

>You manage to make eye contact with the producer

"A minute?"

>"Sure"

>When everypony else is out of earshot you say:

"We're you flirting with me back there?"

>"I was trying to be subtle about it"

"Good job. I don't think anypony else noticed"

>"I've been thinking about you"

"Filthy things, I hope"

>He looks a little surprised, then laughs nerveously

>"Yeah"

"You'll have to come by and show me sometime"

>"I'd like that. You call me or I call you?"

"I call you. I never get to be in control. This is fun. But once you're there YOU'RE in control. Got it?"

>"Sounds great. Yeah"

"There was something else. I don't know if it's a big deal or not"

>"What?"

"When you said we infuriate viewers, does that mean we could be in danger from angry people who watch the show?"

>"That's exactly the kind of speculation I want to keep off the air for now. But it's possible"

>You tell him about the "Fuck you" letter with the powdered sugar in it

>"Shit. And you didn't call the police?"

"Over what? It was powdered sugar"

>"It was a threat. I assume you still have it?"

"No. I got rid of it. Didn't want to scare Rose"

>"Wow. So you didn't tell anybody about it?"

"I just told you"

>"I'll run it by John when he gets out of the hospital. In the meantime let me know if anything else like this happens"

"OK. It's not a big deal, right?"

>"We'll see what John says. And I'll be waiting for your call about the other thing, as well"

"Good boy"

>You can't believe you just said that to a MAN!

>You feel so naughty!

>He smiled at it, though

>He'd be so much cuter without that beard

>Maybe you can get him to shave it off?

>Something to think about

>Now it's time to shoot the show

>Shoot

>It's gonna be hard not to talk about it when it's on everypony's mind

 

>Be mare

>Sitting next to Rose doing your best to look interested

>But you're bored out of your mind

>It almost doesn't matter if it shows, because the cameras have been on Ada Maria and Moonglow for a while

>Moonglow has been answering audience questions about unicorn magic for nearly 20 minutes

>Turns out people have a lot of crazy ideas about it

>Well, not exactly crazy, but wrong

>They seem to think unicorns are capable of doing things here that probably weren't even possible in Equestria

>Moonglow has been setting them straight, which the audience seems to find very interesting

>But you don't

>Not because you're racist against unicorns - you're not

>You just don't really give a fuck about magic, or horns, or any of that bullshit

>So you're kind of tuning things out

>When you notice the conversation turns back to sex

>An audience member asks whether there's a big difference between men and stallions sexually

>And suddenly all eyes are on you and Rose

>She blushes and says, "Let me figure out how to put this so it doesn't end up on the cutting room floor"

>She begins, "A stallion is... intense. His weight is on you, his forcefulness getting... into you"

>She's really blushing

>"But once he's in it's so warm," she continues, "as he grows inside you and you feel him flare right up against your cervix"

"And that's when he... finishes"

>"Right," she replies. "and you can feel it. It's faster than with a man, a lot more intense, his head leaning into you"

>"As his... you know," Rose hesitates

>"Thing?," Ada Maria suggests

>"Starts to shrink and slip out of you," Rose continues, "Then before you know it his warm weight is off of you"

"And you can almost see straight again"

>"Yeah," Rose answers, "But with a man it's relentless, over and over again until you can't see straight, then you can, then you can't again"

"And sometimes you can again before he's done"

>Little snicker from the audience feels good

>"With a stallion it's like you say 'Take me', and he does. With a man it's more like 'Have me', and he does until he's done"

"Which can be a while"

>"Sometimes too long, but we don't tell them that"

"You never learned how to hurry them along? There are stratagies"

>"You're not supposed to tell them that, either" Rose replies

>And she gets some almost exclusively female laughter

>Not that there are that many men in the audience, but there are more than they're used to be

"No matter what you do you're going to get beat against for a while with a man"

>"Which means if you're not all that warmed up to start with you will be"

"Yeah, if you're not warmed up with a stallion he can finish before you get yours"

>"True, but it's not like getting filled up like that isn't satisfying"

"The flare counts for a lot. Pushing up against your cervix is better than going through"

>"Ouch. I can't imagine that"

"If the mare is small and the man is big it can happen. I had a few clients like that when I was a filly"

>"That had to hurt"

"You bet it did! You just tried not to let it show and hope they finished quickly"

>"And if he didn't?"

"You'd be sore for the rest of the day"

>"That's horrible. I've said it before, but it bears repeating - men should not be having sex with fillies. I don't know why that isn't self-evident"

"I do. Some men really like it, and men have a say, fillies don't - we just do what we're told and don't ask questions"

>"I think there's no outrage about this because most people don't know it's a thing. Because fillies have no voice"

"It's not like places where I grew up advertise. They stay under the radar. Those interested find out and it's better everybody else doesn't"

>"Until now. YOU are the voice of those fillies for all the world to hear"

"Then let's get one thing straight. It might be wrong, but we have no choice about it. Before you give that look of pity mixed with horror..."

>You need to collect your thoughts on this

"We were taken care of - fed, kept safe, treated well - because we were valuable as whorses. If you criminalize sex with fillies..."

>Got to say this exactly right, because it's the important part everypony seems to forget about

"These girls won't be as valuable, and the lives the lead could end up so much worse"

>"Worse than being a filly sex slave?"

"I can think of a lot worse things, and I was one. Right off the top of my head being beaten, left hungry and worked to death"

>"Yeah. I didn't think about that. When I was a private property I had it very well because I was valuable as a bedmare"

"Of course you were. You were a status symbol. Being that valuable portected you"

>Moonglow adds, "Some of us are still status symbols, and doing pretty well"

"And it's all based on us being pretty, so men want us. If that weren't the case how well would you be doing?"

>"I shudder to think," the unicorn replies

"Exactly. I'm sure any filly out there can think of things she'd rather do than service men. I know I could have"

>Think - this has to sound smart because it's important

"Would I have liked to have gone to school, had parties with my friends and pretended to be a princess? Of course!"

>Get to the point

"But if you take that value a filly has because men want her away, what's left to protect her? You need to answer that before you just say sex with fillies is wrong"

>Moonglow - use her as an example

"It's like saying being bedmare is wrong. What if we made that illegal. How would that work out for you, Moonglow?"

>"I'd probably keep doing what I'm doing if I were free and that were an option. I have no problem being a kept mare"

"The Gucci collar looks good on you"

>"It's Louis Vitton," she replies

"We're the only private property voices you'll hear - the ones who have it well. Never the ones who have it bad"

>"Sure," Crystal chimes in. "You are the mares people can point to and say 'See! Slavery isn't all bad - they have it pretty good'"

"While you and the crew bust your butts just to keep middle class lives"

>"Lower middle class by New York standards," Crystal replies

"So before we start up with ivory tower pronouncements about right and wrong we have to consider the consequences for ponies who don't have it as well"

>"I can't believe you're making a case for a filly sex slavery," Rose says, exasperated

"If the other options are worse I would. To me right and wrong work like this: right makes things better for ponies, wrong makes things worse"

>"I get it," Rose replies. "If we're the only pony voices being heard we have to be sure we're making things better"

"And if ponies are going to be private property we aren't doing them a service by undercutting their value"

>"I still think men having sex with fillies is wrong"

"Maybe it is, but if they put a stop to it somepony is going to have to be there for those fillies to make sure they don't end up in a worse situation"

>"That I agree with"

>"Maybe," Ada Maria suggests, "we can get back to the topic at hand. Men or stallions? Preference?"

"Like if I had to choose one or the other?"

>"Exactly," Ada Maria replies

"Both can get the job done... men are more work, but hands are nice... stallions are easier, and flares are nice. Probably stallions"

>"Rose?," Ada Maria asks

>"Do you want me to be honest?," she asks

>Ada Maria nods

>"These days I'm finding myself fantasizing about mares," Rose replies, blushing a little

>There are a few snickers from the sudience

"That's probably my fault"

>"Not a fault," Rose replies, "But nothing I'd thought about until you. And the cruel irony is you're straight"

>"So how does that work?," Ada Maria asks

>"It doesn't," Rose says dismissively

"Sorry to inconvenience you"

>"Yeah," Rose laughs, "I guess it would be a little too convenient, wouldn't it?"

>"Falling for straight girls is never convenient," Cristal interjects

>"I thought I was a straight girl," Rose replies, "Until this one. Turns out she was just acting and I... wasn't"

>Cristal smiles at you

>"You must be a good actress," she says

"I've been a whorse from a very young age. Being able to put on a convincing girl-girl show is part of the skill set"

>"But it's not your jam?," Crystal asks

"No. Afraid not. Not like there weren't plenty of opportunities if it had been"

>"I would think," Cristal answers. "Must be hard to respect men when you only see that side of them"

>Wow

>That's some real free pony talk

>It never occurred to you there might be other sides to them

>Beyond the guard and John with his overriding ambition

>Where their jobs get in the way of just being... men

>Basically hard dicks in need of release

"It's not like that. I may not be the least bit innocent about sex things, but I know I'm naive about a lot of other stuff"

>You have to elaborate on that a little

"I never really judged men for being the way they are. I just took it for granted that's how they are"

>"You can," Cristal responds. "Your friend Skydancer told a different story"

"She's in the position to lose respect for them because she sees them being vulnerable. I never saw much of that"

>"They never showed any vulnerability to you?," Cristal asks

"Remember I was much younger. They'd sometimes get cuddly after, but they always dominated"

>"Which is how you like it now," she replies. "What a surprise"

"Hey, we're all products of our environment. Mine was just a little more intense than some others"

>"Speaking of men and intense environments," Rose begins, "You all know there was a shooting here yesterday"

>Fuck, Rose, what are you doing?!

>"My ex, John, the executive producer of this show was one of the injured," she continues. "He got shot"

"Yeah, and we can't comment on it while investigations are ongoing"

>"I'm not going to comment," Rose replies. "Just ask a question. Why is it always a man? You hear about a shooting and you KNOW it's a man"

>"Perhaps on a future episode," Ada Maria suggests, "we can get an expert guest to answer that for us"

>"It would be nice," rose replies. "You notice it's never a pony"

>You laugh

"Ponies can't fire a gun. Doesn't work with hooves"

>"Could a unicorn?," Rose asks Moonglow

>Moonglow thinks for a second

>"I could pick one up with magic," she replies, "But aiming, pulling the trigger and compensating for the recoil?"

>"Too sophisticated for how weak magic is here?," Rose asks

>"Way too sophisticated," Moonglow replies. "The concentration required to do something as simple as pouring a cup of tea is exhausting"

>"OK, then. So it's not even an option for ponies. But it is for women, and you never see a female shooter"

"That's true. Maybe because women are less impulsive?"

>"Can't be," Rose replies, "This stuff is premeditated. They plan it out"

"That's messed up"

>"So if your 'product of our environment' thing is true what is it in the environment that's making men do this?"

>"I think that's a topic for future shows," Ada Maria says firmly. "For now we have to leave it there. Good question, though"

>Looking out in the audience it's apparent many of them would like to comment

>A bunch of people are even raising their hands, like they're in class

>Ada Maria notices this as well

>"We're leaving this topic there for now," she repeats. "And we're going to take a short break"

 

>Be mare

>In meeting room with the other hosts while a stand up comedian keeps the audience entertained

>The producer (the one you like) has joined you as well

>And Moonglow is really mad at Rose

>"We do an entire segment," she scolds,"debunking myths about unicorns and magic, then you go straight to a topic we were supposed to avoid..."

>She's so angry she's shaking

>"And the first thing you do is speculate about whether a unicorn could fire a gun?! Not very racially sensitive, Rose"

>Ada Maria takes her side, saying, "It's not exactly the kind of thing that's going to put fears about magic to rest"

>Rose knows she fucked up

>She's struggling to come up with something

>She finally says, "Sorry about that. That wasn't even my point. My point was it's never a pony or a woman, always a man"

>"Which is a good point," the producer replies, "but you jumped the gun bringing up the topic"

>Jumped the gun

>Was he going for a cornball pun, or is that just a common figure of speech?

>You're not sure

>"And you made the audience visualize a unicorn using magic to fire a gun," Moonglow adds

>"We're going to edit out that bit at the very least," the producer answers

"In Rose's defense it's on all of our minds, somepony was going to bring it up sooner or later"

>"She could have done it without fearmongering about spooky unicorn magic," Moonglow shoots back

>"I know," Rose replies. "I fucked up. I wasn't thinking about people's fear of magic"

>"Because you don't have to live with it," Moonglow says. "You don't get suspicious looks just because of your horn"

>"Does that really happen so much?," Rose asks

>"All the time. Even with my master I have to endure a constant stream of stupid questions that come from a place of fear"

"People are scared of magic. They don't understand it. Growing up I never knew any unicorns because there were none at the brothel"

>"Really?," Moonglow asks

"It was all earth ponies except to Skydancer - she was the exotic one"

>"No unicorns at all?," Moonglow says, like it's taking a while to sink in

"None. I'm sure there would have been if there was a demand for them. I always figured Sky was popular because of her wings"

>"People are racist," Moonglow answers

>"And we don't want to do anything to make that worse worse," the producer says flatly

>While Moonglow glares at Rose

>"I can't believe you could be so ignorant," Moonglow says, still pretty angry

>And she's right

>People who are comfortable around earth and pegasus ponies are often less relaxed around unicorns

>It's pure racism, but you can't pretend it doesn't exist

>You even wonder if part of the reason you feel closer to Rose than Moonglow is because she's an earth pony like you

>But you're pretty sure you're not racist against unicorns

>Maybe Rose is, though

>More likely she's just not as sensitive to racism as a unicorn because she's never experienced it that way

>Either way asking if a unicorn could fire a gun was pretty bad

>Definitely not helping the stereotype of magic creatures being untrustworthy and dangerous

>Then again Rose is from Equestria, where magic was an everyday thing

>It could be scary, but it wasn't always something to be suspicious of

>From what you understand some earth ponies in Equestria weren't all that fond of its use

>But they weren't exactly racist about it, like people are

>Ignorant is the word

>Rose is just ignorant

>Like you were growing up, because you didn't know any unicorns

>You also figure the horn itself has something to do with the issues people have

>You've learned that as strong and confident as men seem to be they can also be pretty insecure

>Especially about their cocks, which you figure is part of why some of them want to fuck fillies in the first place

>The smaller the mare the bigger their cocks seem, and the more dominant they feel

>But a mare with a horn on her head that might be close to the size of their cocks?

>Maybe they find that threatening

>And there probably is an element of danger to it in intimate settings

>And add magic on top of it, and it's easy for them to be racist against unicorns

>Are you being racist just thinking about this stuff?

>No

>Being aware of racism just means you're not ignorant - it doesn't make you racist

>But the fact that you've never really had any unicorn friends

>Never hung out with any unicorns

>Does leave you wondering if maybe you are a little racist

>Or maybe it's just a consequence of living in a racist world

>That seems more like it

>Still you feel bad for Moonglow

>Everypony has it a little rough because men, not ponies make the rules

>But it has to be tough being a unicorn

>She's lucky she has a good master

>You understand why she likes showing off the fancy things he buys for her

>Kind of like she's showing the world unicorns can be just as pretty to men as earth or pegasus mares

>Good for her, because it's true

>"We should get you back up there," the producer says, "I don't know how much material the comedian actually has"

>As the girls head toward the set you make eye contact with him

"One sec," you say as quietly as possible

>He hangs back, giving you a knowing look

>And you begin a whispered conversation

"My place, tonight at five. Rose will be at the flower shop"

>"You sure you wouldn't prefer a stallion?"

"I never got to choose who I was with. Now I do and I choose you. You should be flattered"

>"I'm supposed to take the girlfriend out to dinner"

"That early?! How old is she, 60?"

>He laughs

>"We usually go for drinks before"

"Push it back. I bet she doesn't even give you anal"

>He looks uncomfortable

>"Last time we tried it there were tears"

>What a weak woman she must be!

"Be at my place at five and you can take me up the tailhole. I assure you there will be no tears"

>You walk away, not even waiting for his response

>He'll show up, you're pretty sure

>Being sneaky is exciting

>The fact that it has to be kept a secret, even though you're being brazen about it behind everypony's backs

>That makes it more fun

>Rose would be shocked if she found out

>But it's pretty easy to shock Rose

>When you exit the room you get a little shock yourself, as you nearly bump into Ada Maria

>She gives you a little smile and asks, "What were you whispering about in there?"

>You can't tell if she's being accusatory or just nosy

>But regardless you have to think fast

"I was just saying we shouldn't be that hard on Rose. She's aware of how much she fucked up"

>"Moonglow is the one you should be saying that to," Ada Maria replies, "On second thought, don't. She's really pissed"

"She'll get over it, though"

>"Probably, but not today. Can a unicorn fire a gun? What was she thinking?"

"When you think about it, a few of them working together probably could"

>She frowns at you

>"That is exactly the kind of image we do NOT want to put in people's minds"

"I would never say anything like that in front of people"

>"Because you're not stupid. I didn't think Rose was, either, but sometimes ponies surprise you"

"Hey, she went from being in Equestria to being a bedmare to being the free single mother of a young colt, and she works two jobs on top of it"

>You shouldn't have to bring race into it, but you do

"And she's an earth pony. Maybe she never really understood the nuances of people's attitudes toward unicorns"

>"Do you believe that?"

"I don't know. She's also really upset by the whole gun violence thing, especially since she became a mother"

>"That's understandable"

"Right, and someone she used to be very close with was shot yesterday. My guess is she's just not thinking straight right now"

>"That much is obvious. Well, we should finish this up"

"Sounds good. I have a thing at five"

 

Excerpt from the book 21st Century American Slavery, Chapter 2, "The Unicorn Problem", by Michael Krowd, Columbia University Press, 2016

 

"While slavery is always enforced by both the threat and practice of violence, its existance also requires a particular agreement among both the subjugators and also among the subjugated. The masters must believe their status is part of the correct societal order, just as the enslaved must accept the inevitability of their status inasmuch as they don't feel compelled to rise up against it. Violence alone is not enough to sustain this. A slave society has to develop a culture of slavery, accepting narratives that make it seem self-evident. In the previous iteration of American slavery slaves were quoted Bible passages regarding one's duties to one's master, and told their rewards would be in the next life. The Constitution legally counted each slave to be 3/5ths of a person. It was generally accepted among slave owners (and even many slaves) that African-Americans were better off as slaves because they lacked the mental capacity to take on any greater role in American society.

 

"The New American Slavery is predicated on similar ideas. The Bible gives man dominion over the animals, and ponies are indeed animals by definition. Enslaved ponies have the same legal status as chickens, in that animal cruelty laws do not even apply to them. They are simply property. (Free ponies live in a legal limbo somewhere between Resident Aliens and animals as of this writing). All would have been in order for an easy transition to human domination of the Equestrian diaspora had it not been for one thing: magic. Long before the first Equestrian ponies set foot in our world terrifying stories of Alicorn and unicorn magic spread like widlfire. Living beings there wielded powers of mythological creatures and gods. Whatever resembled real magic in our world was either the realm of fantasy or the divine, but in Equestria creatures who commanded it lived among the general populace. Quite correctly this was seen as a threat to the established orders in our human world.

 

"This issue came to be commonly referred to as the Unicorn Problem. How could man's dominion over creatures with the powers of gods be self-evident? They had to be some kinds of demons, and calls for their destruction were not uncommon shortly after the Contact. This problem proved to be short-lived, however, because it was soon discovered that the magic these creatures wielded in Equestria was almost, though not completely neutralized upon their arrival here. Without any real power to back up their use of magic a new narrative emerged. The use of magic was immoral, invoking Biblical injunctions against false gods and sorcery. The horn, once proudly the symbol of the unicorn race was seen as a mark, much like the horns Medevial Europeans assumed could be found on the heads of Jews. A new kind of bias emerged leveled entirely against unicorns. They weren't trustworthy, they were looking to cheat you, they conspire to use magic regain the status they held in Equestria, to the detriment of other pony races and mankind in general - very much a set of prejudices historically leveled against Jews, with the result that unicorns fell to the lowest status among the pony races in America. In less than a generation that loss in status began to be reflected in attitudes of ponies themselves. Unicorn stallions are not only the most frequent victims of man on pony violence, but the demographic with the highest rate of suicide among ponies. Unicorn mares command the lowest selling prices of all pony slaves because their horns are seen as unattractive by people and ponies alike.

 

"This is the New Unicorn Problem. The narrative is so pervasive that even their pegasus and earth pony brothers and sisters have begun expressing doubts, or worse about them. Among those who remember Equestria it's said levels of racism among ponies, almost all of it directed against unicorns has reached levels unknown in Equestria for over a thousand years. Divide and conquer is a time honored strategy, and it has been effectively employed against the Equestrian diaspora. In typically American fashion race has become a primary indicator of social status. For men that has been a function of the lightness or relative darkness of one's skin. Unfortunately for unicorns among ponies it's currently a function of whether or not there's a horn growing out of your head."

 

>Be mare

>You knew he'd come

>Promptly at five

>His excitement clearly showing through his pants when he walked through the door

>His desire for you was delicious

>That feeling of being desired is something you were missing

>And catching Rose sneaking a glance at your rear isn't the same

>As a man unable to hide his arousal over you

>Because you are that desirable

>You'd left the lube bottle in a pot of warm water so it wouldn't be a shock to either of you

>Then took turns lubing each other up

>He was reluctant and hesitant against your tailhole at first

>You told him you weren't a China doll, and he wasn't going to break you

>And that changed his approach for the better

>The familiar mix of pleasure and pain was blessed relief

>Not being touched really gets to you

>It makes you feel isolated and alone

>Like you're dead, but somehow still conscious

>But straining around the producer's dick makes all of that go away

>You feel very much alive

>His lust for you and the pleasure he's taking from your pain make you feel alive

>It's something a mare like Rose might not understand

>You don't think she needs this in the same way you do

>When she's not in heat, at least

>He didn't even balk when you told him to choke you

>Almost like he knew that's what you wanted

>And you came twice before he unloaded into you

>It was a struggle to stay on your hooves at that point

>But you managed to keep the position until he'd finished in you

>Then you led him to the bathroom where you soaked a washcloth in warm water

>You'd cleaned yourself back there, but he was up your ass, regardless

>So his cock smelled like it had been there

"Let's get you cleaned up. No reason for your girlfriend to get a taste of my ass when she takes you in her mouth"

>You realize that might be presumptuous

"She does that, right?"

>"Yeah, she's good that way for sure," he responds

"Good. Men who don't get what they want at home are going to get it somewhere else. I saw it everyday growing up"

>"While sucking miles of dick, I'm guessing"

>The words "miles of dick" make you laugh

>He moans when the warm washcloth touches his own dick

"Yeah, it could almost be miles of dick. Never thought of it that way"

>"I'm glad you didn't take offense at that. It came out sounding a lot cruder than I'd intended"

"You just came up my tailhole. I'm not going to be offended by crude talk. I wasn't brought up all genteel"

>He laughs

>"Still no reason for me to talk like that. I'll make it up to you," he says gesturing toward the bathtub

>"Next time I'll give you a bath"

"Next time? What makes you so sure there will be a next time?"

>"You came twice, didn't you?"

"So you assume I'll have you back just because you can make me cum twice?"

>This is fun

>What was that about him giving you a bath?

>Is that a thing?

>Might be interesting

>But toying with him a bit is even more interesting right now

"Making me cum and offering to give me a bath aren't quite enough to secure your position"

>"Oh, really? What else do you want from me, then?"

>He's asking for it

>May as well let him have it

"I'd like to see how much sexier you'd be without the beard"

>You said it!

>You look up from cleaning his cock to see his reaction

>It's a frown

>That's great

>This is a great test

>Can you make him do something he doesn't want to?

>You're pretty confident the answer is yes, even if he doesn't know it yet

>"What is it with every female in my life giving me shit about the beard?"

"Maybe we all think you'd look better without it"

>"I have no idea what I'd look like without it. I've pretty much had it ever since it grew in"

"Change can be good"

>"It would make my girlfriend and mother happy"

"And the mare you've been fucking. Don't forget about her"

>"I think about you a lot more than I probably should"

"Good boy. I like hearing that. Now just take care of that beard and you can keep fucking me, at least for now"

>He looks really reluctant

>"We'll see"

>That's a yes

>You know that's a yes

"I guess we will. Now don't you have a romantic dinner to get to? With your girlfriend?"

>"Yeah, I kind of do"

"Then you should put your pants on and get out of here"

>"You know, you could let me be a little romantic with you. I was serious about that bath"

>Romantic

>You're not sure how you feel about that

>No man has ever been romantic toward you

>And master was tender and sweet, but not really romantic

>Not in the way some mares dream of being treated

>You've never been one of those mares

>You're not sure you'd even like being treated that way

>But Beardo seems really into this bath thing

>Does he want to brush your mane and tail, too?

>Would you think of him as less of a man if he did?

>Probably not

>Because where it counts he's definately enough of a man

>Just a man who thinks giving you a bath would be romantic

>You'll let him do it if he ditches the beard

"You know what you have to do if you want that"

>The romance thing sounds like a bad idea though

>Isn't that what he has a girlfriend for?

>What if one, or worse both of you were to develop feelings for each other?

>That would be complicated because you work together and no one (and nopony) is supposed to know

>And that shit would show after a while

>Because the mares you work with aren't stupid

>They'll pick up on things

>Could he be your new master?

>The thought almost makes you laugh

>You stifle the uege to do so while watching him pulling up his pants in the bedroom

>He is in charge of the show to a degree, but he's not the master

>That's John, who is his boss

>This man has a lot more boy in him than John

>You don't think you could ever call a man master who let you call him a "Good boy"

>And smiled at you instead of giving you shit about it

>Then again he did just take you in a masterful way

>But offered to give you a bath next time

>You don't know what to make of that

>But a little part of you is already fantasizing about him washing your mane

>With your eyes closed and his fingers rubbing against your skull

>And that can't be good, either

>Can it?

>Maybe it could be

 

>Be mare

>You got an iphone

>You really didn't want to get one

>But with Rose planning to leave you figured it was a necessity

>It was expensive, but the credit card covered it

>You suspect the network wouldn't balk at funding a more lavish lifestyle than the one you actually live

>You're good at not spending money

>And there's no doubt you make plenty for the network

>You're probably a pretty good deal for them in spite of whatever ridiculous sum they pay to put you up in the penthouse

>Like the penthouse you're aware the phone has a status symbol element to it

>The screen is kind of hard to work even when it's set to "hooves"

>Because the thing was designed for hands

>The fact that it's not impossible to work it is nothing short of a miracle, actually

>It was time to get with the times

>You're not Snowdrop or Skydancer

>Your access to the outside world extends beyond a limited amount of time on a shared computer

>With an email and a Skype account

>You are something of a celebrity, so your personal communications should reflect it

>While you don't have any interest in social media you understand texts are a thing

>And if you want to stay in touch you need to be able to text

>The thing is more than you really want or need

>And you have no desire to join the hordes of people walking slowly on the sidewalk with their eyes glued to a tiny screen

>Nor do you want to be on facebook

>But it was suggested at the last meeting that everypony should have a twitter account

>Ugh

>You don't have anything to tweet about

>Instagram was also encouraged

>But you have no desire to take pictures with your phone, let alone share them with strangers

>Leave that to Crystal

>And whichever pony handles social media for the show

>But you feel like you have to let somepony know you've joined the 21st Century

>Somepony who won't see it as bragging

>You shoot off a text to your Good Boy

>Saying "I got an iphone. We can text now! ;-)"

>And pretty quickly he responds

>"Got something to show you"

>Oh shit, is he about to send you a dick pic?

>You like his dick just fine, but don't really need a picture of it

>Sure enough a photo comes in seconds later

>It IS a selfie, but not of his dick

>His face

>The beard is gone!

>You did it!

>You've always known you could weild power over some men

>Because you're desirable

>But it's nice to be reminded of it

>You may not be as young as you used to be, but you've still got it

>And this nearly takes the sting out of not being able to have your way with the VP

>Even if deep in your heart you still hate him

>He is perfect master material

>And he rejected the idea

>You hope his good girl is as good as he said

>You'd almost be jealous of her if you didn't have the producer at your beck and call

>He should get a reward for being such a good boy

>You walk over to the mirroe and set the timer on the phone camera for five seconds

>Then you hold the phone up to capture your rear, reflected in the mirror, tail held high

>Really high

>You send it to him

>Which feels naughty in a very good way

>He quickly replies: "Nice! Now a good time?"

>Someone's eager

>You text him back a thumb's up emoji

>And giggle to yourself that technology has made it possible for a pony to give a thumb's up

>It's Christmas Eve, so Rose is slammed at the flower shop

>Last night she said she'd be happy if she never saw another poinsettia again

>It always struck you as strange that a tropical flower is somehow associated with Christmas in the Northeast

>But it's a thing

>They've been everywhere for a month now

>The lobby of your building is full of them

>He responmds "C U soon"

>Why would be be free on Christmas Eve?

>That's a big deal for most people

>But you don't really care

>He's beardless, which makes him look more boyish, but cuter as well

>You won

>You're more than happy to give him a consolation prize for your little victory

>Though it is kinda surprising he doesn't have plans with his gf or even his family for the holiday

>Is he a Jew?

>That would explain the cut cock and the affinity for wearing a beard

>Maybe he has no bigger plans than seeing a movie and going out for Chinese food?

>And seeing you, of course

>Because he's on his way right now

>So it doesn't matter

>Which leaves you with at least half an hour to kill

>And no plans for tomorrow, Christmas Day

>Growing up the brothel was closed for Christmas

>So the true meaning of Christmas for you was a day off and the sweets Madam provided

>Brothels are closed on Christmas!

>That gives you an idea

>You head toward the office to email some old friends, but realize you can do that from your new phone

>Can you do it with voice commands?

>It takes you a few tries, but before long you've sent an email to Skydancer, Snowdrop and Durril

>Asking if they'd like to joint you for lunch tomorrow in Ponytown, your treat

>The place you went with Rose and Crystal was very good, and taking the girls out there would cost about what a single bottle of master's bourbon cost

>You have access to that kind of money

>Because you live pretty frugally

>You have a moment of anxiety that such an offer might make your fillyhood friends sad or jealous

>Because you're offering them something they have no chance of doing without you

>Would they think you're being a show off?

>You hope not

>You're just being generous

>You CAN take them out to lunch, and they never get to do that

>So it would be nice

>You hope

>You also hope your status as a celebrity is going to be weird

>You're sure it won't be for Snowdrop

>She seems to like the idea of having a celebrity friend

>And Sky's actually been on the show - she should be cool with it

>Durril?

>You have no idea, but a chance to catch up with her would be great

>She's been the hardest to keep in touch with

>Which is probably as much your fault as hers

>You wonder if you can get cars to pick up the girls and take them to Ponytown

>That would probably be a lot more expensive

>But you're not sure if they've ever negotiated the subway

>Probably not

>You have a smartphone now

>You can try to figure out Uber

>Or just wait for the man on his way over to show you

>You're sure he knows how that works

>Before he arrives you hear back from Snowdrop, saying she'd LOVE to do lunch with you tomorrow

>Do lunch

>You have no idea where she picked up that phrase, but it makes you feel ind of Hollywood to be making plans to do lunch

>It is kind of glamorous, even if your destination is Ponytown in Brooklyn

>Not a glamorous place at all, really

>But the restaurant was really nice - you're sure the girls will like it

>You hope Sky and Durril can make it

>The doorpony rings that you have a guest

>Of course it's a pony today, and will be tomorrow as well

>Men get Christmas off whenever possible

>In moments you're greeting your producer

>Looking goofy, boyish and holding a plastic bag

>"Merry Christmas!," he says holding the bag up

"You got me something? Shit, I didn't get anything for you"

>"Oh yes you did, you just don't know it yet"

"Well if I'm what you want for Christmas you can just tie a bow on my head"

>"I can do better than that. But first how about a little Christmas cheer?"

>He pulls a milk carton out of the bag

>"You do still have some of the bourbon we drank the other day, right?"

"More than I ever plan on drinking"

>"Well plan on drinking a little in some egg nog"

>You know what eggs are, but what the fuck is nog?

>He sees the lack of understanding on you and says, "It's sweet, rich and delicious. Let me make one for you"

>But before he does any such thing he gives you a kiss

>It totally catches you off guard

>And while there's passion there it's mostly tender

>Like master was after sex when he wasn't passing out

>But you haven't had sex with him yet

>So it's confusing, but it does give you a chance to appreciate his new clean shaven look

>He breaks away from you and heads to the bar, which is really just a small table with the bourbon and a few glasses on it

>And an ice bucket with tongs beside it, neither of which have ever seen use to your knowledge

>He pours a generous amount of the brown liquid into two glasses, then tops it off with the stuff from the milk carton

>He offers one glass to you and says, "Merry Christmas"

>You reply in kind, wishing someone merry Christmas for the first time in your life

>And take a sip of the drink

>It's as he described, the rich sweet dairy nearly masking the taste of the alcohol, but not entirely

>THIS is a drink you can drink!

"It's good!"

>He smiles at you

>"Well enjoy that while I run you a bath"

>Is he serious?

>He knows he can just have you any way he wants right now

>Because the good boy shaved his beard

>And he wants to run you a bath?!

"You don't want to fuck me first? Or I can suck you off for being a good boy"

>He laughs

>"I want to give you a bath. Then we'll see what we feel like doing after"

>He produces another item from the plastic bag he brought

>It's a plastic bottle

>You can read the words "Mane and Tail" on it

>He's serious about this

"Whatever you want"

>Though part of you can't believe THIS is what he wants

>Then again you've been around the block - some of the things men want are straight up crazy sometimes

>You had more than one client over the years who insisted on eating out your tailhole

>Really got them worked up

>So you can't question this too much

>Though you've never heard of a bath fetish before

>Unless this is about pee

>Is that his thing?

>Is he going to pee on you?

>Or have you pee on him?

>Neither is your favorite thing, but if that's what he's into you'll oblige

>You won anyways, the beard is gone

>"I think you'll like this"

>He walks toward the bathroom and soon you hear water running in the tub

>He really doesn't strike you as the kind of guy who's into piss

>Those guys always have a weird intensity about them that he seems to lack

>But who knows?

>You sip your drink and look out the window at the winter cityscape

>A few minutes later you hear the water stop running and he returns, naked

>"May I?," he asks

>May he what?

>Doesn't matter, you nod

>Whatever he wants, that's the deal

>He reaches down and scoops you up in his arms

>He is strong as fuck, picking you up firmly but gently

>Like that you're no longer on your hooves, but warmly pressed up against him

>And you're being carried to the bathroom, where he steps into the tub anbd squats down into the warm water

>Just using an elbow to steady himself against the tub

>His grip on you never wavering as he lands in a seated position

>This guy works out for sure

>You doubt just any guy could have done that

>His strong arms around you and the warm water drain all tension out of you

>You don't fight it, you just relax into him and the tub

>"There you go," he says, grabbing a washcloth

>It feels good, but a little weird

>You can't remember being washed by someone else

>Must have happened when you were a foal, but your memory doesn't go back that far

>But there's a strong hand with a soapy washcloth rubbing your back, then your neck

>Then your barrel

>You're waiting for the fetishy surprise, but it's not coming

>You can even feel his cock against you, and it's not even half hard

>Which leaves you without a reference point to understand what's going on

>Even though it does feel good

>Just not a kind of good you're used to feeling

"This is it?"

>"Just relax and enjoy"

"Why are you doing this?"

>He laughs

>"You have no one to take care of you, so why not me?"

"I can take care of myself"

>"You let me take care of you in other ways. Why not this? Don't you think you deserve to be taken care of?"

>You deserve to be taken care of?!!!

>There's a thought you would never have come up with in a lifetime

>Not even something you'd dare to think

>"Let's do your mane," he says, reaching for the plastic bottle he brought

>Shit, you can feel tears welling up

>You don't want to ruin this for him by crying

>But it's too much to fight

>You don't even know where it's coming from

>You deserve to be cared for?

>That's it, you're about to loose it completely, right here in the tub with him

>"It's OK," he says, wrapping a strong arm around you. "Let it out. We can get to your mane in a minute"

>You want to apologize for losing your composure

>You want to tell him you love him

>You love him?

>Where did that come from?!

>You want to say something to stop the tears, but they won't stop

>Nor will the sobs

>"It's OK," he says, planting a gentle kiss on your ear

 

>Be mare

>Afraid you just ruined the experience for him

>HE wanted to give you a bath

>And you made it all about yourself, like a selfish filly

>But you couldn't help it

>You had no control over the situation

>Your emotions just got the better of you

>And now that bathime is over, your mane and tail have been washed and brushed

>By this man who is so strong, yet so gentle with you

>You don't know how to feel about it

>But you feel like you should apologize to him for losing control over yourself

"I don't know what happened. I'm sorry if I ruined the bath for you"

>"Don't be silly. I knew what I was getting into"

"What do you mean?"

>"I'm no psychologist, but I did get an A in Intro Psychology in college"

"Which means what?"

>"I've been watching you on camera for a while now. That's part of why I wanted to give you a bath"

"I'm not following you"

>"I wanted you to experience being cared for without having it be a situation you had to submit to - where you weren't expected to just be a good girl"

>You feel your ears go up involuntarily at the words "good girl"

>"You are a good girl, by the way"

>Just hearing that makes you feel good

>Every time

"So I didn't ruin it for you?"

>"It wasn't about me. Well maybe it was, a little. I wanted to be the one showing you men are more than just stiff cocks to submit to..."

>He takes a sip of egg nog

>"Or creatures who you can minuplate by calling them 'good boy' and making them shave their beards in return for sexual favors"

>Are you that transparent?

>With him you probably have been

>You feel really naive and guileless

>Again

"I feel stupid about it, though"

>"For what? Being vulnerable?"

"Yeah"

>"That's silly. You trusted me. I'm flattered you trust me to be vulnerable like that"

"So you're not upset about it?"

>"The opposite. If you'd just gone all submissive on me I'd have been a little disappointed. You were real with me"

"I don't know what it was. But it gave me really strong feelings for you. I don't know if that's good or bad"

>You nuzzle into him anyways, and he offers no resistance

>"It's fine. I have strong feelings for you as well. But this is as far as we can take that, I'm afraid"

"What do you mean?"

>"It's not like you want me to be your master"

>You giggle a little

>Why is that funny?

"As terrifying as it sounds I'm not even sure I want a master anymore"

>"Good. Good for you. And you are the one who pointed out this is just a booty call"

"That's what it was at first. Now it feels like it could be something else"

>"I don't think it can be that. My girlfriend is going to be my fiancee soon, then my wife. Eventually this has to stop"

"Then why are you doing this to me?"

>"You're giving me some of the best sex of my life. I wanted to give you something of equal or greater value"

"What, a broken heart?"

>"No, silly"

>A strong hand tousles your mane

>"What you just realized. You can be an equal in a relationship with a man... or a stallion, for that matter"

"You see us as equals?"

>"We're not, actually, which is another reason this can never be more than it is now. But I see you like that, yeah"

"So where does that leave me?"

>"Knowing you can find someone to care for you and be vulnurable with while making your own decisions and choices"

"That actually sounds like something I've been trying to avoid"

>"In your heart you know you deserve it, though"

"It's so much more complicated than just being a good girl, though"

>"Yeah, but you don't want to be my good girl, do you?"

"No. But I want you"

>"You can have me for a while, but eventually you should find someone just as good or better"

"And how do I do that?"

>"You're a celebrity. You could be a free pony if you wanted. You're smart, kind and beautiful. The world is your fucking oyster"

"Even if you're not?"

>"Don't make this about me. You are the one who's special here. You are the one who's so much more than a sex object"

"I'm still one hell of a sex object, though"

>He smiles

>"Of course you are. But you know that already. What a magical creature you are might be less obvious to you"

"Um, maybe you need your eyes checked. There's no horn growing out of my head"

>"I didn't say magic user. I meant you're an Equestrian pony, which means you're a magical creature"

"Again, I don't know if that's supposed to be a good or a bad thing"

"It's who you are. I think it's a very good thing, but I can see how you'd think otherwise when you spent the early part of your life being groomed to be a whorse"

"Yeah, but I became a bookkeeper on my own"

>"But you still never escaped your upbringing, even when you were plucked out of it into celebrity"

"I'm still trying to work that out. It's a lot to take in, and there's no guidebook for any of this"

>He laughs

>"You're doing great. I'm just pointing out that you undersell yourself even in your own mind, because part of you is still that little filly whorse"

"She IS part of me though!"

>"Of course she is. But your options are so much more than she ever was supposed to have. May as well accept there's a lot more to you than she could ever realize"

"That's so easy for you to say... but super-hard for me to figure out"

>"I'm here to help as much as I can"

"Until you're not"

>"That'll be a little while from now. By then you could be on a path that leads to the life you deserve"

"I had a life that was more than I deserved, then he died on me"

>"You don't have to try to fill that whole with the first acceptable penis you find after that"

>Ouch

"That's not ewhat I'm doing"

>Isn't it?

>Maybe it's exactly what you're doing

>"My point is you can do much better for yourself once you know who you really are, what your options are and what YOU want"

"I could be an old mare by then"

>"I doubt it. You're too smart. It's just a lot to take in right now"

"You know you and the girls on the show are the only ones I can talk about this stuff with"

>You're thinking about your lunch plans tomorrow

"I'm meeting with some of the girls I grew up with for lunch tomorrow. Anything I say about this could be seen as gloating"

>"Like you're getting out of jail while they're serving life sentences, even though you're all innocent?"

>Exactly like that!

>You nod

>"That's injustice. Exactly why slavery should be abolished"

"Someone's a flaming abolitionist"

>"I produce a show that's all about giving mares a voice. My lover is a product of slavery and only just now realizing its ramifications"

>He looks into your eyes intensely

>"Of course I'm a flaming abolitionist"

"And I'm your lover"

>That was satisfying to say

>"And hopefully the work we're doing will do something toward progress for all ponies. Including your friends, if we're lucky"

"And if we're unlucky?"

>"I just hope we don't inadvertently make things worse"

"I worry about that when Crystal starts sayings that sound revolutionary"

>"So do I. I don't think she's wrong, though"

"I bet that's a lot easier to think as a successful, white man"

>"Who gets to make TV shows about this shit for a living. Yeah"

 

>Be mare

>Your lover arranged for transport for the girls

>Probably an abuse of his authority at the network

>So you rewarded him with a blowjob

>Which was really no big deal, but it made him very happy

>When Rose got home and you told her about your plans she insisted you call the place and make a reservation

>Which was smart

>She also told you to make sure the place wasn't cash only, because it was Brooklyn, after all

>She knows a lot more about dining out than you do

>But you feel confident about it now

>You have your credit card

>Well, it's not technically yours, but you are authorized to use it

>And you're seated at the table with your fillyhood friends

>Who seem to be visibly uncomfortable without their collars on

>You told them to leave them in the van so they wouldn't cause a scene

>Even though you're the one likely to cause a scene, because you're sure to be recognized from the show

>"It's weird to be around this many ponies," Snowdrop says

>"Yeah," Durril responds, "All free ponies and no people. I guess this is what Equestria was like"

"The chef is from there. I can vouch for the hayburger"

>"This is my first time in a restaurant," Skydancer says

>"Me too," Snowdrop answers

>"Technically I'm in one every night," Durril replies. "The club serves food, but it's terrible"

"They don't make any money off it, either. But you sure clean up on alcohol sales, even when you count the cost of increased security"

>"Men like to drink while watching mares dance," Durril answers, "So you need a lot of guards to keep them in line"

>"So how does this work, exactly?," Snowdrop asks. "Is it like on TV?"

"Pretty much. Look over the menu, and tell the server what you want when she asks"

>"Whatever I want?," Snowdrop replies. "What if I want the most expensive thing on the menu?"

"We're in Ponytown and I have a credit card. Anything you want. I make a lot of money for the network and cost them next to nothing"

>"So you can afford this easy?," Skydancer asks

"The show is paying, and the show can afford this easy. They'll say it's research for future episodes"

>"Is it?," Snowdrop asks hopefully. "I'd love to be on TV"

>She turns to Skydancer and says, "When you were on I was totally jealous"

>"I was totally nerveous," Skydancer replies

>"It didn't show on you at all," Snowdrop answers

"The editors are really good. They're the heroes behind the scenes who make the show. The tapings are twice as long as the episodes"

>"And they do what?," Snowdrop asks

"They cut out the boring stuff or where we go off on tangents - or when Rose says something she shouldn't - and line up the good parts"

>"Yeah," Skydancer says. "I was actually shaking up there at first I was so nerveous. None of that made it to broadcast"

"Sometimes the producer spots an obvious edit point and feeds us a line to set it up. Makes the whole thing seem a lot more planned out than it really is"

>That's not entirely true, though

"We still have to plan a lot of it out, though. At least an outline of who is going to talk about what"

>"How about when you take questions from the audience?," Durril asks

"The questions are screened, but our responses are totally candid"

>Your server aproaches the table and says, "You girls know what you want, or could you use another minute?"

>She's a pretty, young yellow pegasus

"Another minute, please"

>Snowdrop looks uncomfortable

>"I can't even read the menu," she says quietly

>"I'll help you with that if you like," Skydancer replies

>Sky was always precotious, and you know she's become a reader

>She's talked to you about stuff she's read

>You can just about read the menu, but there's no way you could make it through books like she does

>"Or should I just have the hayburger and fries?," Snowdrop asks you

"Best I've ever had, though I'm hardly a connoisseur"

>"OK, so it's that or... What's the most expensive thing on the menu?," she asks

>She's so cute

>But you get it

>She wants to be able to go back home to the brothel and tell the girls not only did she get taken out to a restaurant

>But she got the most expensive thing on the menu

>Because of her celebrity friend who MIGHT put her on TV someday

>That is a lot of bragging rights for a mare like her

>You really hope they all enjoy this as much as you're enjoying taking them out

>When it's time to order all of you go with hayburgers except Snowdrop

>She gets the wild foraged greens and grasses platter, topped with lady apples, pomegranate and pink salt

>The most expensive thing on the menu

>And she beams when your server tells her, "Excellent choice"

>You're so happy you can do this for her

>You notice Durril is blushing and looking across the room

>You follow her gaze to see a handsome stallion checking her out

>She whispers to you, "Men look at me like that all the time, but a stallion has never..."

>She's completely flustered

>"There are more stallions in this room than I've ever seen in one place," Skydancer comments

>"I've never even been this close to one," Snowdrop replies

>Durril is still flustered, and blurts out, "Me neither, and the way he's looking at me makes me feel like I'm about to go into heat"

>That's something you forgot about

>None of the girls have even been around stallions to your knowledge

>They spend their days with mares and nights with men

"I should have mentionned there'd be stallions around," you say as quietly as possible while still hopefully being heard

>"It was pretty obvious," Skydancer replies. "Free ponies and all"

>"I just didn't expect them to be so cute," Durril adds

>"Where are their... cocks?," Snowdrop asks

"In their sheaths. They're not like men where it's out all the time. Their cocks only come out when it's go time"

>"And what's go time like?," Durril asks

"Amazing. Quicker than a man, but more intense"

>"So you said on the last episode," Skydancer answers. "But they're a lot more attractive face to face than I thought"

"I thought your taste didn't run that way"

>"My taste doesn't run toward men that way," she replies. "Stallions might be another matter entirely"

>Really?!

>Skydancer?

>She sees the surprise on your face and says, "I'm just saying it's a little distracting with so many around"

>You think you know a pony...

>Durril is still making eyes at the stallion across the room

"If you encourage him he's gonna come over"

>"He can if he wants to," she replies. "It's not like I'm gonna drag him into the bathroom"

>The other girls giggle

>Was that a joke at your expense?

>"Yeah," Snowdrop says, "Thats more your kind of move. But Durril's boy over there does look pretty yummy"

>"I wouldn't have brought it up if the thought hadn't crossed my mind for a second," Durril replies

>That was a joke at your expense

>Now you have to look at him for real

>Bay colored, strong jaw, pretty blue eyes

>Not as handsome as master was, but a good looking stallion, to be sure

>Shit, he caught you looking at him

>You and everypony at your table

>This is pretty obviously a group of mares not all that used to being out in public

>But you're not exactly making a scene, so it's OK

>Or you figure it is

>Then the server approaches the table and says to Durril, "The gentlecolt at the table over there would like to buy you a drink"

>And with that everypony in your party is giggling like fillies

>A blushing Durril tries to regain her composure while the server politely waits

>"I have no idea what to say," the green mare finally manages to get out

>"The cider here is very good," the server helpfully suggests

>"I'll have a cider then, thank you"

>The server heads off to get Durril's drink

"Now he's definitely going to come over"

>Very quickly the server returns

>"Real Equestrian style cider," the server says. "We have it specially made for us at an orchard upstate"

>Durril takes a sip

>"You girls have got to try this," she says. "It's totally decelious!"

"Hold off on that, your coltfriend is on his way over"

>The stallion approaches your table, heading toward Durril

>"Thank you for the drink," she says

>She looks nerveous

>"My pleasure. You went with the cider I see," the stallion replies. "That's the move here"

>"I took the server's advice," Durril responds

>"Look, I don't want you to think I'm trying to bat above my league," the stallion begins, "but you were checking me out, right?"

>Durril nods

"We were all checking you out, but she's the one who started it"

>Skydancer and Snowdrop giggle

>"I'm flattered. If you'd like to continue doing so over coffee sometime...?," he suggests

>"I'd love to, but...," Durril answers

>And proceeds to freeze up

>"But.. but...," she mumbles

>"I think my friend," Skydancer says, "is looking for a polite way to tell you she's already spoken for"

>"My loss then," the stallion replies, showing just a little disappointment. "Sorry to intrude on your lunch"

>"Sorry I can't take you up on anythig more than the drink," Durril manages to say

>"Me too," the stallion replies, "but enjoy the drink, regardless"

>He passes you on the way back toward his table and quietly says, "Big fan, by the way"

>As soon as he's out of earshot you say:

"'Already spoken for?' Well played, Sky!"

>"After making us leave our collars in the van," Skydancer replies, "I figured the truth probably wouldn't go over so well here"

>"Yeah," Durril chimes in. "I wasn't going to come out and say 'I'm private property.' But I couldn't think up a dodge"

>"Still, you've got to feel good about yourself," Snowdrop says. "Four pretty mares at the table and the hunky stallion goes straight for you"

>"He was hunky, wasn't he?," Durril responds

>"He was hunky," Skydancer says firmly. "No doubt about that"

>I thought you were into fillies, Skydancer

>But you don't say it

>"The girls at the club are gonna flip when they hear about this," Durril says

>By the time your food arrives Durril had made all of you try her cider

>It was really that good, so you ordered a round for the table

>Followed by two more while you ate

>That bumped the bill up to a little more than you'd guessed it would be

>But still an utterly insignificant amount compared to the account the card is linked to

>When you called the driver to tell him you we're wrapping things up he already had the van waiting outside

>On the way out a customer asked to take a selfie with you, and you happily obliged them

 

>Be mare

>The smartphone has made it easier to see what's up in your email inbox

>So when you get a thank you email form Skydancer you know it immediately

>And read it immdiately

>Which means on Dec 26, 2018 at 2:24PM you read the following:

 

"It turns out thank you notes are a thing. Not a thing we grew up with, not being able to read or write. But among those who do thank you notes are common courtesy. The traditional note is delivered by post, but email and even social media shout outs are now considered acceptable today. So in that spirit I would like to thank you for a wonderful time yesterday. It was great to catch up with you and the girls. Not to mention getting a peek into a world I only knew from reading, TV and movies. Sitting there drinking cider with you made me feel like I imagine a princess back in Equestria must have felt - spoiled and privileged, surrounded by other happy ponies. Thank you again for that.

 

I also wanted to applaud what you're doing, even if you're not yet entirely aware of what that is yet. Between the visit with Madam and taking us girls out it looks like you're saying goodbye to your past life - the life you were plucked from to live your dream for such a targically short time. My heart aches for you over that. If I'm being honest I must also admit to being jealous. I have no resentment, but I am jealous of you. How you carried yourself around free ponies, joking with Durril's stallion, graciously indulging a fan's request for a selfie... You seem ready for that life. No longer merely the widow of the most controversial pony celebrity, but now a celebrity in your own right taking on the mantle of her emancipation. I know it must be terrifying, but you know what you have to do. But you're no longer the filly I knew growing up. It's time to step forwad into your new life and the new world that comes with it. Not just for yourself but for the thousands and thousands of ponies who will never be any closer to such a life than living it vicariously through you.

 

I have faith in you. You can and will make it as a free mare in this crazy world. And should you need a friend along the way remember that you will always find one working in the dungeon. It will be my pleasure to be there for you in whatever way I can. I wish you the best of luck!

 

Love,

 

Skydancer

 

>Why are you crying?

>You put the phone down and look out the window

>You want to enjoy the view because you know you'll be saying good-bye to this place before too long

>The view is beautiful

>The apartment is beautiful

>But none of it can compare to the beauty of having friends

>And now you're crying even harder

 

>Be VP

>You're in a bad mood

>Your left arm is in a sling, and the injury makes it almost impossible to sleep at night

>And the painkillers make you dopey, so you're taking them only when things get unbearable

>Like now

>You grab the glass of water on your desk and take a generous swig to get the pill down

>MAYBE you'll feel better in half an hour

>Maybe you won't

>But you finish the water anyways

>Because while the pills aren't always effective for the pain

>They are very effective at making you constipated

>Which certainly doesn't help your mood

>Add to that today's meeting with that whorse

>She's actually done really well for you

>But you don't have to like her

>And you don't

>Even though you are going to emancipate her - finally - today

>It's not something you're doing out of kindness

>Or any noble reason

>And you intend to make that very clear to her in the process

>Her emancipation is nothing more than a celebrity perk that's good fodder for the show

>You're sure she's come up with some high minded rationale for her choice

>And you have no intention of letting her keep that

>Not after the bitch got you shot

>Well, that's not entirely true

>But if you'd known about a threatening letter delivered to the penthouse you would have called for higher security

>Or maybe you wouldn't have

>Threats come in everyday over Hippodrome

>You just assume they're toothless because PETA types aren't usually big fans of the Second Amendment

>Abolitionists might be another matter

>But those who despise abolitionists are most likely to be packing

>And watching Fox

>You know a lot of them don't like much of what's said on Blinder's Off

>But you don't care if they hate it as long as they keep watching

>It's not like the news, where the product has to be carefully dialed in to align with viewers' beliefs

>Or they'll simply stop watching

>Talk shows are different

>Howard Stern proved that in the 90's

>People will listen to talk they disagree with or even find offensive if it's compelling enough

>And "compelling" means sexual content

>Which thankfully your girls are constantly talking about in one way or another

>Even if it vilifies you personally every now and then

>There is no reason to think you or your shows were specifically targeted in the attack

>That's what they tell you

>You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time when some psycho decided to shoot up the lobby

>But security has increased, and aparently the everyday threats your shows in particular bring in are being taken more seriously

>Whatever that means

>As long as there's no armed guard in front of your office you're good

>That would be a dealbreaker

>You would walk away

>Who are you kidding?! - that's the drungs talking

>You don't leave money on the table

>And you don't walk away from your career at the height of your dragon slaying prowess

>Getting shot was definitely not part of the plan, though

>It did rattle you a little

>Though you wouldn't admit it to anyone

>You and Cynthia had sex last night for the first time in recent memory

>Not that you were useful for much of anything beyond providing the hard thing she jumped up on

>You were afraid it might have been something along the lines of a pity fuck

>But she came twice grinding on top of you

>You didn't come at all because of the painkillers

>And you made it a point of telling her that, because it did feel good - really good

>It's just hard to get there on an opiate

>Cloudburst can get you off, but she can do things with her mouth and horsepussy no woman can

>It was still nice to reconnect with Cynthia

>You still love her, even if the thrill is gone - well, not entirely gone, just subdued

>Having sex yesterday allowed you to let go of the little(?!) resentment you had toward her for introducing ponies to your relationship

>In the long run it was a good move - you're both having great times fucking your small horses

>But it did come at the expense of a closeness to each other that only got rekindled last night

>You two have to remember to avoid letting so much time go between your intimate moments

>As fun as horsefucking is - obviously for both of you - there is still a marriage you have, and it should still be tender

>And spicy

>Or at least spicy-ish

>You've been together for a long time, and you are both almost old at this point

>She's not quite the beauty she was couple decades ago

>You can't pretend you don't notice that

>You're sure she notices the same about you

>You still look pretty good in the mirror, but what you see can't compare to old pictures of yourself

>Being able to connect with her at all at this point is nice

>And it's pretty satisfying to think that dipshit stallion of hers is probably jealous about it today

>With that thought it's time to deal with another dipshit pony

>You should try not to think so poorly of her, though

>She is part of a show of yours that's doing very well

>She's more than earned her freedom

>And actually the money you'll be paying her under contract as a free pony will be less than the cost of keeping her in the penthouse

>It's a win-win for everyone

>And her agonizing over the decision on the show for so long has been good for ratings

>A surprising number of viewers were apparently rooting for her to stay a slave

>A very vocal minority at least on Twitter

>You push the button on your desk and tell your secretary to send her in

>The large file legal has dwarn up requires quite a few signatures from both her and you as a witness

>You've been assured this will hold up

>She walks through your door followed by a cameramare - Crystal from the show

"Welcome, ladies. Big day today. We're only going to film the part where she's signing"

>The soon to be free mare gives you a cold look

"Really? You should be happy. This is one of the biggest moments of your life"

>"The biggest moment of my life was getting a master, and he's dead because of you"

>That's it

>Normally you'd let that go, but in your current mood you decide to let her have it

"He's not dead because I made him do Hippodrome. He may have hated it, but he was fantastic at it, and he knew it"

>"Which made him miserable, and you provided him with an infinite amount of alcohol to drown his misery with"

"That's just the nature of celebrity. Nothing to do with me in particular. If you don't learn that it might kill you, too"

>"Learn what?"

"The pitfalls of being the goose that lays the golden eggs. You're laying golden eggs now, too"

>"I'm not following you"

>Is she that dumb?

>Not dumb, but she is that sheltered in her own weird way

"Why do you think ao many musicians, actors and comedians behave erratically and die from substance abuse?"

>Blank stare

"When you're the goose that lays the golden eggs no one calls you on your shit. It gets encouraged, as long as you keep laying"

>You think you see a glimmer of understanding in her eyes

>Good

"It's not just drugs. Harvey Weinstein was an open secret in Hollywood for decades. But he made hit movies, so no one called him on his shit"

>"Until they did"

"True. My point is celebrity gives you the freedom to fuck up spectacularly, and eventually at least some of it will hit the tabloids"

>Do you go there?

>Yeah

"Even if it's just the story of you choking to death on your own vomit"

>"Good thing I don't drink, then"

"Right. And you don't fuck your producer, either"

>That got a reaction

"Oh, come on. It's my business to know what's going on around here. And of course everyone is going to look the other way over that"

>She sighs, making it pretty clear she thought she was in trouble

>It would be cute if you didn't have issues with her

>So instead it's a little annoying

"Like I said, no one is going to call you on your shit because you're a celebrity now. And that can be dangerous"

>"I don't see how in my case"

"What if he's dating a psycho who decides to stalk and murder you when she finds out? Just spitballing here"

>"That's a stretch"

"Sure it is, but so many things happen in life that a few are going to seem like a stretch"

>"So that's the freedom I'm signing up for here?"

"No. This is only a formality. You've had that freedom the moment Blinders Off was a hit. You just didn't notice"

>"What about Cristal?"

>"I've been in the business long enough to know the score," she replies, "I'm just happy to live in a time where I don't have to sleep with the boss to get hired"

"This one will try to sleep with the boss regardless"

>Shit, don't laugh

>That hurts

>The hateful look is back on her face

>Which is funny, given that she's offered herself to you more than once

"All right. Let's get that camera fired up and get these papers signed. I do have other shit to do today"

 

>Be mare

>In Brooklyn with Rose looking at an apartment Micah is showing you

>You're accepting that she was right all along

>You were going to end up living as a free pony with her and Cuddleslut just outside of Ponytown

>Which you realize isn't a bad thing at all

>You're excited actually

>Though you're goiong to miss the view from the penthouse windows

>The soon to be new tenants will probably appreciate it

>Ada Maria let it slip that the VP had promised the place to her and Juan Pablo once you moved out

>When you seemed surprised she just smiled

>You had no idea those two were a thing

>But they're both total pros

>They'd kept it discreet

>But John finds out everything, and it makes sense that it should go to another star pony couple owned by the network

>You also suspect Ada Maria told you because you've been dragging your hooves gettting out of the place

>And she was obviously wondering when she could move in

>That was the motivation you needed

>After all there is no reason for to take advantage of the network like that

>You and Rose get salaries, you should pay your own way

>And leave network housing perks for those who are still network property

>You hope they'll be happy there

>As happy as you and master were for such a painfully short time

>The place you're looking at now in Brooklyn is nowhere nearly as big

>It's a Pony 3BR

>Which means it was a 2BR where the larger of the two has been subdivided

>The kitchen and common area are both small as well

>But you've been looking at rentals online, and this is a good deal

>It's a space that could definitely work for the three of you

>And it's been beautifully painted in a very Equestrian style

>The ponies who did it were talented - it looks like a professional job

>That makes the place seem very cheerful even though the views out the windows are nothing special

>And the rent Micah just quoted you seems on the low side - almost too low

"So what's wrong with the place?"

>"What do you mean?," Micah asks, absentmindedly stroking his red beard

"The rent you just quoted us is below market rate. There has to be a reason for that"

>"There is," he responds. "I usually charge a premium when I know I'll be showing the apartment again within the year"

>He straightens his black jacket

>"I did a background check on you two," he continues. "I know you'll be able to pay the rent on time. That's worth a lot to me"

>He blushes and adds, "I even watched your show"

"Did you like it?"

>"For me it's a little controversial and... racy. Much too racy to have on in my house"

>Of course

>The guy is wearing black pants, a black jacket, a white shirt and a black hat

>And he sports a beard

>He's religious, and religious people are usually conservative, you've learned

>Especially about sex

>You can imagine a person like that would be scandalized by a lot of what you and the girls say on the show

"But did you like it?"

>His face turns almost as red as his beard

>"Let's just say I liked what I saw," he replies, "but I won't be watching any more of it. If my wife or daugher caught me watching..."

>You understand

>He liked it, but he's the kind of man who can't admit to liking it

>Because he's the kind of man who shouldn't be watching it in the first place

"So you're giving us a break because of the show?

>"Oh, there's some self interest involved," he says with a smile. "I have another building on this block"

>"And us moving in could have an effect on property values?," Rose asks

>"Not that I wouldn't respect your privacy," he says hesitantly, "but when word gets around"

>"Your properties will be more desirable to other ponies?," she replies

"The kind of ponies who pay their rent on time?"

>"Hopefully the kind of ponies for whom that's not even a question," he answers

"So we're a good get for you?"

>"I think the rent I'm offering reciprocates that. I want you to feel like living in one of my buildings is a good get for you"

>This place is a good get for you

>Not everything you could want after living in a penthouse

>But a good deal on a nice place with just enough room for the three of you

>Probably the best you can do as free ponies

>Actually a better deal than most free ponies would be able to get

>Celebrity is a powerful thing

>You realize this is something you're going to face again and again

>"I want you girls to be happy here," he continues. "Because you being happy is good for my business"

>"I think we could be happy here," Rose offers

>No reason to argue with her

>She's right

>A preferential lease from a landlord who wants you in his building is a great thing

>You nod agreement with Rose and Micah smiles

>"Well, then. How about you girls come to my office and we'll sign a lease. Welcome to the neighborhood!"

>You have a neighborhood!

>You never thought of yourself as part of a neighborhood before

>But that's going to be the outside world you interact with

>There will be people, of course

>But lots of other ponies as well

>Especially just a few blocks from you

>For somepony who grew up almost never leaving the brothel it's almost overwhelming

>But it's also crazy exciting

>There's a whole new world - your neighborhood! - that's about to shape your daily life

>You also suspect your new landlord is titillated by the very idea of renting to you

>You can imagining him confiding to his more liberal friends in a stealth bragging way:

>"You'll never believe who just moved into one of my buildings. Of course I had no idea who they were until I did a background check"

>And his friends would feign being scandalized to cover their jealousy

>Maybe

>That's fun to think about

>This upstanding religious man secretly turned on by renting one of his apartments to two sexy mares from TV

>Maybe he'll even think about you while having sex with his wife

>Part of you fantasizes about offering him a blowjob someday as a thank you for putting you in such a good situation

>But something tells you that would be over the line with a man like him

>There are a whole lot of lines out there, and you're going to have to learn where they are

>And you know your upbringing puts you at a disadvantage that way compared to other ponies

>Ponies like Rose

>You may disagree with her about a lot of things, but you're going to be taking some cues from her on how to be a free mare

>She did live free in Equestria, after all

>And Ponytown is the closest thing to Equestria that exists here

>And you're going to be living a stone's throw from it!

>Something you never realized you yearned for

>But now you're yearning for it

>You know you're going to make some miostakes along the way and embarrass yourself

>You'll come off looking like the poor little slave filly who grew up in a brothel

>But hopefully your celebrity status will buy you a little indulgence here and there

>Because everypony KNOWS you're that pony

>And you're now struggling to find your way

>You're almost schocked by how little this intimidates you

>Then again you have been through a lot

>You've kind of proven already you're stronger than you thought

>You can do this!

 

>Be mare

>Be getting ready for the move

>You've realized you're going to need some furniture because you and Rose own almost nothing

>And the rugs she likes so much won't even fit in the new place

>You've looked at some stuff on Craigslist and even Freecycle

>Plenty of stuff looked good to you, but Roseluck is a little more fussy

>She likes a certain look

>Fortunately it's not all that expensive as long as you don't pay retail

>Micah told you not to do that, and it makes sense

>He's a good man

>You're pretty sure you can tell

>Or at least he's what your idea of a good man is

>Not paying retail if you can help it sounds like a good idea to you

>Sounds great, actually

>You're going to have to ask Micah where he suggests buying stuff in the neighborhood

>Maybe he has some knowledge to share with you

>Right now Cuddleslut derails this line of thought

>Because as usual he's right up against you in a way that's kind of creepy

>In that it's entirely not sexual, which is something you're not all that used to

>Even when you cuddled with Snowdrop back in the day you still felt a little something sexual on her part

>But not with him

>Even though he looks like master so you'd welcome it

>it's just weird to be touched so intimately in a nonsexual way

>But he snuggles right into you like you're his

>"Can I ask you a question?," he asks

>You're still getting used to him speaking in complete sentences

>You weren't prepared for that to happen so quickly

>You now have to be careful about what you say to him

>As you realize he's only a little bit younger than you were when you were sent to the filly brothel

>He could actually remember some of this

>And Rose has made it very clear to you that she doesn't want to give him any traumatizing memories

>Which is a minefield because a lot of things you think are normal Rose considers traumatizing

"Of course," you answer, feeling your own anxiety building

>You've heard him ask Rose about the move to Brooklyn so many times that you have that speech memorized

>'We can't stay here because this place is for ponies who are network property'

>'We're free ponies, so we're going to where free ponies live'

>'There will be lots of colts and fillies you can play with there, so it will be better'

>You're ready to give that speech

>Especially the bit about how he'll like it better

>He's definitely noticed the lack of other colts around to play with

>Which won't be the case in Brooklyn

>Instead he just says, "It's sad not to have a daddy, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is"

>You don't know how far you want your answer to reference your own upbringing, but you feel compelled to say:

"I grew up without a mommy or a daddy"

>He looks incredulous

>"Not even a mommy?!"

"You're lucky to have a mommy who loves you. I don't even know if mine did. I think she did. I can't remember"

>"No daddy either?"

"No daddy"

>"That's sad, isn't it?"

"I never thought about it. I had other things to deal with"

>You feel pretty smart for side stepping things you know Rose doesen't want you talking about with him

>Like sex things

>Evidently sex is not something you're supposed to talk about with colts and fillies

>Unless he asks you 'what things?'

>"Can I ask you something about my daddy?," he asks

>Better than asking you about how you came up

"Of course"

>"You were his wife, right?"

"Not legally. But for show I was. He was my..."

>DON'T say master

>That's way too much explaining for a free colt

"Husband, for all practical purposes"

>"Then why is mommy my mommy and you're my auntie? Shouldn't you be my mommy?"

>You laugh

"No. Your mommy is your mommy. But my husband was your daddy. He was a good stallion"

>"Why did he die?"

"He was... sick. A kind of sickness we didn't know about, so we didn't know how to help him. That eventually killed him"

>"Nopony knew?"

"People at the network knew, but they didn't care. Because he was talent"

>"What does that mean?"

"Mommy played you his music, right?"

>He nods

"He coud make music. He was also great on camera, though the show they made him do was horrible"

>"Mommy said"

"So no one cared if he was sick as long as he looked good on TV. That's what happens when you're famous"

>"Is mommy famous?"

"Yeah, a little"

>"Are you famous?"

"Yeah, just like your mom"

>"Am I?"

"No, but maybe you could be someday. It's not like it's something to chase after though. There are good things about it and bad"

>"What's bad about it?"

"No one cares if you do things that might make you sick. Like your daddy did"

>"Then you die? From being famous?"

"Not exactly, but it can work that way. It's like the rules are different for someone famous and that can get you into trouble"

>"And daddy got into trouble?"

"Yeah. And I was his wife and I didn't even know. I thought it was just normal for somepony on TV"

>"You were his wife but he was my daddy and mommy is my mommy... How does that work?"

>He's obviously just figured out where foals come from

"Your mommy was a fan of your daddy's music from back in Equestria. She'd had a crush on him for years"

>How do you put this gently for him

"When I found that out I thought it would be nice to share daddy with her, and that's how you started growing inside of her"

>"You shared daddy with her?"

"Yeah. I never saw her as a threat to my relationship with him. Even when she moved in with us"

>"Why not?"

"Because what your daddy and I had was something special. Your mommy being with him wasn't going to undermine that"

>You add:

"And I knew it would be something special for your mommy"

>"Oh. It's still sad not having a daddy"

"But you have a mommy and an auntie. That's more than I ever had. You'll do fine I'm sure. Especially once we get to Brooklyn"

>"I don't want to leave home though"

"Brooklyn will be a better home. You'll have other ponies your age to play with there"

>"I'd like that, but I don't want to leave home"

"Something new is always a little scary. Even when it's some thing good"

>"Are you scared too?"

"Of course. But I know this will be a good thing, so I don't let being scared stop me from doing it"

>"Like letting daddy do that to mommy to make me even though he was your husband?"

"Exactly like that. You don't know how it's going to work out, but you know it's the right thing to do"

>"Mommy said she got whipped for having me in her"

"Well it wasn't a real..."

>Stop.

>You have no reason to contradict Rose here

>The little black colt looks up at you confused

"Yes. She got whipped because of you. But That also set her on the path to emancipation. It was important to her you were born a free pony"

>"I am a free pony"

"Yes you are. So am I now. And the man who whipped your mommy is a big part of why we're free"

>"That's why we're moving to Brooklyn"

"That's why"

>"And I'm gonna like it because there'll be other colts to play with there?"

"Sounds about right"

>"It's sad that all ponies aren't free, right?"

>You catch yourself about to say, "I don't know"

>But you do know

"Yeah, that's sad, too"

 

>Be mare

>On moving day

>Cuddleslut cried when you walked out of the building that had been the only home he knew

>And he continued crying in the van on the way to Brooklyn

>Everything you three owned fit into a van with enough room still left for the three of you and the driver

>You found a man with a van on Craigslist

>It turned out he was available for a few hours, so after he drops Rose and the colt off you're going to get some stuff

>FREE stuff for the apartment that you found on freecycle

>The driver's offer of four hours with the van for three hundred cash seemed like a deal

>He told you his name but it the chaos of moving you've already forgotten it

>Not that gracious of you, but his name is in your phone so it's not a major faux pas

>Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge he turns his head back to look steal a quick look at the three of you

>"I'm a fan, you know," he says. "Love the show. And I think you're doing the right thing here - sending the right message"

>So he's not just man with a van

>He's fan with a van!

"Thank you. It was a difficult decision to make"

>"Yeah, and I think viewers' understanding that was a huge thing. Everyone watching was thinking 'Of course she should choose freedom'"

"You have no idea. It was like jumping off a cliff when you don't have wings"

>"The uncertainty of being your own mare when all you knew was being a good girl for someone else," he replies sympatheticaly

"You really do watch the show"

>"It was a no brainer for me," Rose says, "and would have been even if he hadn't been on the way"

>"Sure. Because you knew freedom in Equestria so it wasn't an intimidating idea"

>Then he adds: "Do you miss it? Equestria, I mean..."

>"Every day," Roseluck replies. "It wasn't a perfect place - there were monsters, evil creatures and bad magic"

>She trails off for a second

>"But the good was always more powerful and won out," she continues. "Until the day it didn't"

"Do you think that was intentional on the part of your kind?"

>"I wouldn't put it past our government," Fan with Van replies, "They have a history of doing really shady shit in other countries"