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Loco Parentis by Pan
By splishsplashCreated: 2022-01-08 04:10:51
Updated: 2022-03-15 13:39:50
Expiry: Never
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Loco Parentis by Pan
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(24/10/2021)
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---
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>Exchange student
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>From the faraway pony land of Coltla
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>In Tree Bark's home city, he is already an adult
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>Still living at home, true
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>But already with some university classes under his saddlebags
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>But he is not an adult in Ponyville
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>He moved here to study the Everfree Forest
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>And he and his family back home had to find a host family for him
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>He's a big colt, doesn't need anything special
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>The law says otherwise
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>In loco parentis
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>He knows what that means
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>Read a book a week for almost 15 years and you learn things
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>Outside of the mayor, he doubts anypony here has a clue what that is
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>His host family got instructions when the guardspony escorted him to his new home
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"You are legally his guardians until he concludes his studies here, moves away, or ages out."
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"Not counting vacations back home of course"
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>The guard passes Mrs. Healing Hooves her first moon's stipend
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>A small sack of bits
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>Tree Bark is a little embarrassed
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>Back home he often bought the groceries himself
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>He brushes it off and sets up his room
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>Moons go by smoothly
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>Tree Bark even gets the groceries sometimes
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>Eventually the family gets into a habit
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>They start really treating each other as family members
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>And Tree Bark gets careless
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>Staying out later than he is supposed to
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>Staying in the Forest after dark
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>Course language
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>A sloppy room
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>Sloppy habits in the rest of the house too
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>Grouchy when asked to do household chores
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"That's what my rent is for! What did you do before I moved in?"
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"You aren't paying us any *rent*, young stallion. The government gives us a *stipend* for making sure you are safe and cared for. And that is hard to do sometimes!"
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"In Coltla I was self-sufficient. All I need from you is your seal on a form every moon. Allow my studies to continue. That is all I ask."
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"Watch your mouth, colt. Your saddle is starting to chafe."
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Mrs. Healing hooves pleas for normalcy:
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"Let's be reasonable. We are all smart ponies here. Let's not let bickering get in the way of what matters."
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"Last chance, Tree Bark. You can see how reasonable or unreasonable I can be."
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"Dear..."
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"Is that a threat? I'll report you!"
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"I'll be right back."
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Broad Yoke took long, deliberate steps out of the room. As he left, Healing Hooves tried to calm things down:
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"He means well. You will do right to not provoke him."
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>Tree Bark rolls his eyes
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"I can only help you so much, young colt..."
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>She trails off
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>Broad Yoke returns at a leisurely pace with a faux-leather strap in his mouth
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"Pth!"
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>He spits it into his hoof and drops it on the floor.
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>He takes charge:
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"The only ponies in this town who know what 'in loco parentis' means are in this farmhouse. Alright, smartypants... please define it for us."
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>Losing some of his nerve, but still not backing down, Tree Bark answers with a wavering voice:
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"'In-instead of a parent' or 'in place of a parent'"
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"Good colt. And we have 'in loco parentis' treatment with you, correct?"
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>Tree Bark furrows his brow
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"Yeah. So?"
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"So I can feed you nothing but straw and oats until you graduate. I can keep you grounded nights and weekends. I can have Healing do all the shopping from now on."
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>That makes Tree step a hoof forward
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"I can even take this strap and spank your rump till the cows come home."
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"You can't!"
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"Missed that part of school? Corporal punishment is legal here. Or was that a bluff? You clearly know what spanking *is*... Have you ever been spanked, young colt?"
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"I'm a t-teenager! I-I'm even an adult!"
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"In Coltla you are an adult. Here you are another colt I have to teach some manners. Answer the question."
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"Yeah. S-s-s-s-so what?"
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"Scared now, aren'tcha? Clearly you know how effective it is."
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"Yes. No. What's that supposed to mean! Of course it's not effective. There's studies... And--"
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"Studies? Well let's make a deal. I will introduce my razor strop to your bottom, and you tell me how effective it is. If you're smart, you'll thank me."
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Before ushering Tree Bark towards the parents' bedroom, Broad announces:
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"We will be late for dinner, dear. I have to show Tree Bark how we handle disputes in the Yoke family."
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Just a prompt or a setup. It could also work with a slower escalation. If I wasn't sick of writing, I could have had Yoke merely threaten Tree with the strap, and have him hang it up somewhere prominent as a reminder. Then things go to crap later and Tree gets lit up.
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What's the parents' story? Originally I wanted them to be hicks but it's fun to make them sharp as tacks as well. If they are smart, their backstory is they are two earth pony doctors. Med school is hard, even harder with only your hooves. Mr. and Mrs. Healing Hooves are some of the smartest ponies in Ponyville.
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