Inspired by this thread: https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/42150570/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Fuck, she wasn't supposed to react like this! >It's been five minutes after the movie ended, and Dash still looks like she's about to keel over. >Things started like any other Friday >Dash came to hang out immediately after getting off weather duty >You both had already decided on a movie night beforehand, so you prepared snack before dash arrived... >Which now sits uneaten on the table >Not much of an appetite left after... THAT >The movie proved to be too much for her >On the first half she tried to make a couple jokes here and there, trying to fight off the uneasiness she felt with a bit of humor >After the second half however... >After the movie ended, you'd stood up after noticing how much the movie had gotten to her, saying you needed to take a piss >You braced yourself, expecting her to make a retort about the movie having an effect on you >But she said nothing when you made your way to your bathroom >She said nothing when you exited your bathroom >So, you went to your kitchen for a glass of water, giving her some more space >... And because you weren't sure what to do >Glancing back from the kitchen to your living room you can see dash still wrapped herself in the blanket you let her borrow >Trembling >Your heart aches with every shiver that runs through her >It wasn't supposed to go like this >Maybe >You're not sure exactly what you were expecting to happen >Something funny maybe? >You just wanted to spook her a little while watching the movie >Not terrify her! >... >Well, you can't just stand in your kitchen staring at Dash, like a creep >So, you make your way back to the living room, trying to look as casual as possible >You even grab a pizza slice and take a bite as you sit and lay back onto your couch, next to her >The pizza is cold, no surprise there, all you can taste is grease at this point "Not feeling up for cold, greasy pizza Dashie?" >She hates when you call her that >Only Pinkie can call her that >Her words, not yours >But she doesn't react at the nickname, she just shakes her head and retracts further into her body >You can't stand this "Uh, Dash, you okay?" >"I-I" >She tries to speak, her words stopping suddenly, as if something had gotten lodged in her throat >She clears her throat and tries again >"Y-yeah dude, h-ha ha" >That's all she manages to say before falling silent again >For a moment she tries turns to try and give you a reassuring smile >What you see are her puffy red eyes >Was she crying? Fuck, you didn't even notice >You feel like shit >Why did she even sit through that if it was affecting her this much? >Pride? >Fuck it, you're not dancing around the issue anymore >Throwing the half-eaten slice on the table and cleaning the grease off your hands with a nearby napkin, you reach around Dash and give her a side hug, pulling her close to you >She jumps from the contact, but otherwise doesn't fight it "Dash I'm sorry, I shouldn't have chosen such an intense horror movie without warning you first." >You hold her close, burying her face into your chest >Again, she doesn't fight it >She sniffles a little, but doesn't cry "You're very brave you know? Not many humans could've sat through that whole movie, and we made the thing!" >You say, trying to lighten the mood >You don't think it works >Huggin Dash a little tighter, you start gently petting her head >Under normal circumstances she'd bat your hand away, mumbling about being uncool >But not tonight >"Is the turtle okay?" >She says abruptly, her voice coming a little muffled from being buried in your chest >She sounds like she's about to cry >No, the turtle wasn't okay >The poor creature got butchered >But you can't tell her that "Yeah, it was just a prop" you say, giving her a soft smile. Trying to convince her of the white lie "Humans love being scared, there are... entire fields dedicated to this crap! Just ways to make stuff look more realistic" >"It's all fake?" >Did she think it was all real? >Did she think was watching real people dying on screen? >No wonder she was so scared "Yeah, it's all fake, all movies are!" >That's technically a lie, but you don't own any snuff films >That shit has no place in this world >"You humans are bucked up" she says as she looks at you with the first genuine smile of the night, wiping away tears with a hoof "Yeah, believe me, we know" >You stay hugging for a while longer >You need to get it into your head that these ponies are delicate, no matter how brave some of them want to be >You can't just come into their world and traumatize them for fun >You have no right >And they don't deserve that "Hey Dash, if you want, we can watch another movie" >At that she tenses up >You rest your chin on the top of her head "It's one I used to watch when I was younger, it's about talking dogs" >Lifting your chin from her head you allow her to turn to you with a confused look and a raised eyebrow >You return her stare with a smile "Come on dash, let me show you that humans aren't all doom and gloom" >You both look into each other's eyes, you with a smile and rainbow with a confused frown >Dash ends up losing the impromptu staring contest by scoffing and looking away >"Fine, but it better not be kiddie stuff. I'm way too cool for that" >She says as she pushes herself off you, launching herself to the other side of the couch and fully lying down onto it >You get up to insert the DVD into the video player >Looking back at her, you see her finally reach out and take a cold slice of pizza, devouring it in seconds >She seems to slowly be getting back to her old self >Inserting the movie into the DVD player, you return to the couch with the controller in hand, sitting near Dash's rear hooves >In the blink of an eye, she pushes herself off her side of the couch, using the momentum to turn herself around so her head is resting on your lap >Smiling, you lean back and press play