>"Hey, Anon."
"Yeah?"
>"How you doing?"
>Every day, you've been asked that
>One of the girls will ask that at least once a day
>You swear they're on a rotating cycle of responsibility
>Today it's Shine
"Good, I suppose. Something up?"
>"Nah. Not really."
>Without any respect for personal space, she hops onto your bed and squirms right onto your lap, between your arms
>You were playing a 3DS game
>Now you can only see the back of her head
"What are you, a cat?"
>"Meow."
"Ok, I'm convinced."
>You've been keeping yourself busy for a while now
>Or, more appropriate to say, you've shut yourself off from things
>From them
>The 3DS in question has been hacked to hell and back, and has more than enough games on it to keep you occupied for the next calendar year
>"Still playing 4?"
"Yeah."
>You've been playing another Shin Megami Tensei game
>Ever since Shine played her first one, she's been hooked on the series
>Since you've revisited one of the games, she's opted for watching you play
>She nestles herself in your lap, laying her face against your forearm
>You're not entirely sure if she's doing this to bug you
"I'm alright you know."
>"I know."
>The story has been really dull, but the environments are cool
>The music really hypes her up too
"Jack outside?"
>"Yeah."
"Cool."
>To help keep yourself busy, you've kinda ponified the apartment for them
>You've set up a taped up sort of handle for them to get onto the patio
>You've invested in some oversized keyboards for the girls too
>You've expanded the cooking space for them too
>Shine has been using her magic more for cooking as well
>Magic-fried steak is actually pretty good
>You stay quiet for the better chunk of an hour, adjusting yourself so she can both lay on you and you can focus on your game
>"Hey, do you think we could do a Demonic Whisper?"
"What?"
>"Well that's how you get spells in game... what if I can do that and teach you magic?"
>Something about that sounds... dangerous
>She's gotten far more creative with her magic lately
>It's certainly impressive
>You get the feeling she's showing off for you though
"Yeah... nah. I'm more a stronkth build anyway."
>"I guess that's true. Megaton Press?"
"Nah homey, Javelin Rain."
>More time passes
>Jacky came in for a moment to ask you if you wanted to do something tomorrow night
>You were planning on introducing them to more movies and even some D&D stuff
>But things happened
>You still feel bad about it
>Of course you do
>You're self-aware enough to know that you've isolated yourself after having an embarrassingly emotional outburst
>"You know, Jacky and I have been looking at that website you mentioned about rules and stuff."
>You have the feeling that Shine has been reading your mind
>Whenever you ask, of course she says she wouldn't unless it were life or death
>"When did you wanna get started on that?"
>It's been almost two months now
>Has it seriously been that long?
>You look down at the red unicorn
>You gaze at Sparking Shine
>How long has it been since you last just... paid attention to her?
>She's let the front of her hair grow out by a few inches
>She still keeps a style similar to Twilight
>But it seems like she's starting to favor her left side more
>Her fur all over feels a little more soft and less shaggy
>You did get them a sort of oatmeal shampoo
>Technically meant for dogs and pets
>Hell, you'd use it too if you ran out of your normal stuff
>"...something up?"
>Those eyes
>They're alert
>Sharp
>Watching you watch her
>Not an ounce of aggression in them
>She relaxes into a sly smile
>"You're looking at me like how Jacky looked at those yellow marshmallow birds. You know?"
"Yeah... yeah."
>All at once, you feel a form of mental whiplash
>Sorta like you've been sleeping
"I... guess I did buy a lot of those, didn't I."
>Yellow for Jacky
>Purple for Shine
>Blue for Prism
>Green for yourself
"Sorry. I, uh... listen, I got a favor."
>You close the 3DS
"Can you go and get the other two? Ask them if they're up for a movie night or something."
>The smile spreads to a grin
>"Our usual?"
"Yeah."
>"You got it, get us set up."
>She slinks off of you, practically dragging herself
>She still does that from time to time
>You've stopped paying attention to that
>To be honest, you've stopped paying attention to a lot of things
>You don't even notice when she comes back with the other two
>Prism looks very well-taken care of
>She's taken to using a sort of lotion that keeps her fur, mane and wings in frankly sublime condition
>She's a fair bit shaggier than Shine, and her feathers look as straight and as sharp as razors
>You remember that bracelet that has a few of her feathers in it
>It's still on your desktop tower, when you don't wear it
>How long ago did that happen?
>She looks content, like she was waiting for this
>Your eyes finally turn to Jacky
>That smile of hers
>You're sure you saw that smile yesterday
>And the day before
>Every single day since it happened, you've seen her smile but only now do you feel like you're seeing it with clear eyes
>How could you have completely ignored these three?
>Her short hair grew out a little, giving her more of a rough and tumble tomboy look
>She beams
>"Anon."
"Yes."
>"I'm going to tackle you."
"O... wait, wh-"
>In an instant she launches herself at you
>It's a little less than graceful
>She lands a few inches short and effectively headbutts just above your waistline
>You double over, your face going into her back
"...ahh... that was a bit heavy."
>"...I slipped."
>You think that's what she said
>Her voice is muffled and rather than pull her face away, she'd rather speak into your torso
>You exhale hard and wrap your arms around your chest
>Before you can give her a chance to react, you wrench yourself back and let out a triumphant roar
>You shake her back and forth, her hind legs flailing around in the air
"TONIGHT I DINE ON PONY SOUP!"
>You shift your arms down, performing the world's most lax Tombstone
>You feel the top of her head bonk the mattress
"You're dead now."
>"Oh no."
>Prism gives the most flat toned reaction
>Truly an outburst that only the best of friends could give
>You let go and her body flops on the mattress
>"Bleeeeeegh...eeeehhhhh....eh."
>She exhales a dying gasp
>Just to inhale and continue the gasp
>Capped with a light cough
"Well that wasn't much of a boss fight. Anyway... it's been a while since our last movie marathon. Anyone up to it?"
>Prism nods
>"Anytime you're ready, Anon."
>Shine shakes her head, mildly amused by how physical your antics with Jacky get
>"Let's dump her body in the trash first."
>Jacky's head darts up, her mane in an even bigger mess than before
>"Hey, who are you calling a dump?"
"Me, Imma dump my elbow into that ass."
>You raise up your arm just to give a lazy elbow drop onto her flank
>Naturally, it does nothing to damage her
>With how solid she feels from your elbow alone, you're still not sure just how much damage she could do if she was dedicated enough
"Anyway... let's get started, got five minute for drinks, snacks, whatever else you got."
>It's not a lot
>But watching some movies with them will be nice
>As minor as the activity is, you feel invigorated
>You're even smiling
>No matter what happens, you gotta remember that they're still here for you
>Maybe you shouldn't push that away anymore

"Pizza time, everyone get their plate."
>Rather than do anything all that fancy for dinner, it was mutually decided that pizza would be best
>You'd have thought that would be a bigger, more universal staple but it still isn't the most common thing in the world that you've set up for the girls
>The girls
>Your girls
>Kinda
>It has a nice sound to it, doesn't it?
>Even after cutting up the slices, no one makes a bull rush to the kitchen
"...well it worked well when Peter Parker said it..."
>You grab two plates and make your way to the living room
>Shine and Prism have been playing an emulator on the laptop
>Tonight's flavor is Metal Gear Solid 3
>By the looks of it, they're both engrossed in it
>"Sigint knows a lot about these guns..."
>"How does he know what Snake is holding?"
>"Where does he even carry them?"
>"Maybe I should use it..."
>Shine is the one at the controls
>From what you've watched, she's not exactly remorseful about killing guards
>She'll learn
"Shine. Try to remember the basics of CQC."
>The unicorn looks at you from the corner of her eye
>"Ehh... Boss Anon..."
>Not a bad Snake impression
"Eat this to keep your stamina up. Remember to save and rest frequently too."
>You set the plates down near them and step back
>It's kinda cool to see them explore the menus and discuss plans of attack
>You don't think you've ever seen the map and sonar be used so much and so consistently
>With your and Jack's plate, you head to your room
>You've been watching internet videos with her for a good amount of time now
>Namely YouTube Poops
>You plop down next to her, a pro at the controlled fall
>She stretches out, shaking for a few seconds
>She looks at you with a funny face
>"Sees?"
"Saas."
>"What's Dashie up to?"
"Planning out a daring rescue with our resident sneak."
>"Neat."
>She flops up, digging in as soon as you set the plate down
>She's been around for... how long now?
>A year and four months now, if you recall right
>Has it been so long?
>You silently contemplate the reality of that while eating with her
>To be honest, you don't miss being alone
>You may have had some times where you distanced yourself from them
>And recently you've kinda just gone into... some sort of shutdown
>You didn't miss any work, of course
>And you'd still goof around with coworkers
>But when you'd get back, you wouldn't really have the will or energy to go along with the antics of the day
>After the first few days, Jacky caught on that something was wrong
>Then the other two did
>It took them a few days to come clean with what happened
>What was it, six weeks and three days ago?
>It feels like it was yesterday
>"Hey... Anonymous?"
"What's up?"
>You weren't paying attention until now
>You've stared at your plate for so long that it basically became an abstraction that exists to hold Italian-based junk foods
>"How are you doing?"
>You refocus your view to her
>Her mane has grown out a little from when it was cut
>Her belly has become less concave compared to when she first popped up
>She looks healthier
>Happy, to say the least
>More at ease
>Even though she looks concerned
>"I asked if you were ok? You kinda look like the plate owes you money or something."
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I'm just kinda zoned out. It's a late night, you know?"
>"I'm sorry. Can I do anything to help you?"
"Nah. I'm good."
>She frowns at you
>"Are you sure? You don't need to hold that sort of stuff in."
"Yeah... yeah."
>You ruffle her mane
"It's all out in the open, you know? It's already been... done and done."
>You really don't like when you're the focus of things
"What's left is just me dealing with it."
>"You don't need to deal with it alone."
"Yeahhhhhhhhh well headbutt into pillow."
>"Wait, what?"
>You grab her plate, set it to the side with yours, and shift down the best
>Without ceremony, you plop your head onto her back, right at the side of her ribs
"I'll be honest. I kinda don't want to talk about it a whole ton. I think I already did. But you know what helps?"
>"Talking pony pillow?"
"Thank Christ, yes."
>"Well you go and do that. I can call the other two in. Pegasus wings are pretty comfy. And... unicorn horns..."
>She doesn't sound sure of where even she was going with that particular detail
"No... nah, that's alright. I've missed you."
>"Missed me?"
>She laughs
>It sounds a little uneasy
>"Because you had to go to work?"
"No. Just... I don't know. I feel like I should be more glad to be around you."
>"Well don't you worry, I ain't going anywhere. And neither is Sparks. Or Dashie."
>She trails off
>"You aren't going anywhere, are you?"
>What if you do?
>Or something happens?
>One thought you've been unable to shake is if something happened to you
>Who else can they go to?
>They can't go back to what they used to do before
>You can't bring that up until you find an answer
>If you can get some sort of nest egg or hit it big on something, maybe they could be taken care of
>Enough for three nerds to be taken care of for...
>How long is long enough?
>How long do ponies even live?
>You didn't notice that you grabbed hold of one of her front legs
>What happens if they get sick?
>What medicine works?
>What do you do?
>What can you do?
>Can you handle that?
>Can you stop it?
>"Anon?"
>You need to figure out the answer
"Yeah... sorry Jack. I'm... I think I'm just tired."
>You rotate to lay on your side
>Immediately, the sound of her breathing calms your nerves
"I think it's just work. I want to get a lot of stuff in order for us."
>You rub your eyes
>It helps to stop from any stray leaks from happening
>You nudge the mouse over to her, refusing to open your eyes
"Feel free to put on whatever. Just stay right there."
>She giggles
>"And if I need a drink?"
>You bring your hand up to point at the nearby desk
>You almost always have a cup or two of water available
>"...pretty sneaky... what if I need to go to the bathroom?"
"Then I'll have to throw out the mattress in the morning."
>She sounds pleased with the answer
>"Your dedication truly knows no bounds."
"You know it. Just... don't do that."
>"Not even a bit?"
"Not up for debate."
>"Dang."
"Truly a shame."
>"...ok... so what if you need to go to the bathroom?"
"Jack?"
>"Yes, Anon?"
"I'm going to suplex you."
>"You... can go do that."
>You can feel her shift until she's laying on her side
>Her legs bend down to loosely hug your shoulders
>"And I'm gonna watch some more funny videos."
"Just remember the secret ingredient."
>"A mammoth!"
>You can't let her know what's on your mind
>Not yet
>You need to take care of her
>You need to take care of all of them
>That is your main goal
>It's almost all you have left

>It feels nice to sit outside
>You haven't sat outside to just enjoy the night time air in you don't even know how long
>It would be completely quiet too if it weren't for the song playing from your laptop behind you
>Piano and what sounds like clockwork ticking and tocking
>You recognize it well
>Though it was raining out earlier, you set out a few towels to sit on
>Jacky's laying between your legs, the back of her head on your lap and her legs relaxed
>Shine has been sitting right at your side, her head leaning into your chest
>Prism has been using your left knee as a pillow, half sitting and half laying
>She was the first one out here
>Then you decided to grab two towels and join her
>Jack joined in and made herself at home
>It didn't take long for Shine to grab her own towel to sit on
>The wood of the patio isn't dry but it isn't exactly anything more than damp
>The little pyro has been pretty tight with you lately
>You haven't told her to not poke into your head but you don't think she has
>No one has said anything for at least the last half hour
>You feel your jaw clench and unclench
>It feels like you're physically choking on something
>You've been thinking it for a while
>It just has to come out now
"I'm... the last guy of my family."
>The words come out dry
>Stoic, even
>No matter what could be said, that statement will never change
>The only way it could change is when you die or have a son
>One is assured, the other probably won't ever happen
"I'm the last one. It's just me."
>You would think that sort of realization would lead to an existential panic
>But it just hits like a weight
>One of many that already exist, of course
>A mere niggling addition to the personal-sized mountain of concerns and worries
>A fucking drop in the bucket that is your life
"And I'm thinking of contacting Nona. If something happens to me, I need all of you to be taken care of and kept safe."
>Every pony reacts in their own way
>Jack, who was watching you, nearly flails and flips onto her front
>Prism idly flaps one of her wings, possibly hiding some growing sense of agitation
>You don't even bother to look down at Shine but you can feel an intense heat growing at your side
"I could go at any time. Anything could happen. If I do, maybe two people will miss me. Outside of you three. And I gotta make sure that if and when-"
>You end up cutting yourself off
>You've been staring up at the deep night sky
>You can almost feel yourself being pulled out of your own head
>Maybe it's just tunnel vision toward the end
>The only end you could hope to have
>"You're not going to contact her."
>Shine's cold tone almost fits with the heat radiating from her
>She could put an electric blanket to shame
>"Anon... you can't think like that. We can help keep you safe so nothing will happen, right?"
>You would like to hope that
>She could probably buck the skull off of the reaper itself
>"From what you've told us, it didn't happen out of nowhere... I highly doubt you have anything to worry about. It's not like we don't have magic too. How many can say that in this world?"
>You can almost hear some sort of quivering in Prism's voice
>Everyone has their own points
>You bring up your hand to rub your eyes
>Whether its been stress or fatigue, your eyelids have been twitching for months now
"Yeah... I know. I know I shouldn't. But who else can I honestly even talk to about this? She knows about me, and all of you. And Hans seems like an alright guy, he's just a li-"
>"We are NOT going to her, Anonymous. If I see her again, I'm cremating her."
>"That's murder, Sparks."
>"Ask me if I care, Jacky. Fuck her."
>"Jacky has a point. We can't do something like that here. Police are everywhere and it would create issues for Anon."
>It's a little uncanny to hear all of them speak so nonchalantly about that
>"If we get caught. Who would believe a witness saying that it was a talking pony that burned some bitch to cinders?"
>"We've shown ourselves too much here for that to work."
>"And Anon and I have gone out a whole lot together... so it's hard to separate anything we do from him."
"We're not killing anyone. I can't believe I have to say that."
>"Anon, it's going to be her or us one of these days, I promise you that. And I'm not going to let her ruin things again."
"Again?"
>That finally brings your visual attention back to them
>They all look... different
>Like they're on the same wavelength about something
>Even Jacky looks serious
>Kinda like a criminal that had enough joking around
>A stray thought about her sneering at you kinda like that and poking a hoof into your chest keeps you from getting absorbed into the serious atmosphere
"What do you mean, again?"
>Prism gives you a side glance before sighing
>"We've had issues before. But that sort of thing is all behind us."
>She looks at Jacky
>The dork pone needs a second before realizing that she was being stared at
>The serious face melts into a more embarrassed smile
>"Isn't that right, Jacky?"
>"W-well yeah! I mean, obviously."
>Jacky gives you an even wider smile
>It looks a little ashamed
>You've seen her smile before
>This one feels different
>A lot of this feels... different
>"Yeah... well..."
>Even Shine's cold, arguably murderous tone melts
>"...whatever. Just don't do it."
>Shine headbutts your chest
>Thankfully it's more with her face than her horn
>"You got us watching your back. You have magic on your side. And..."
>She lets out a long 'ehhhhh'
>"We're... we're all really kinda the only ones of ourselves anyway, aren't we? Any of us could just drop off like a fly and that would be the end."
>You can feel her talking into your side
>"We're all dead ends, if we're being serious. None of had any families or else..."
>"We wouldn't be here."
>Jacky glances at Shine, as if she were waiting for the chance to join in
>"I mean... it kinda feels that way, doesn't it? Like if we wouldn't be here if anything else happened."
>She looks at her two sisters expectantly
>"Come on, back me up here! Would Tuco have gotten rich from all of that gold if he didn't choose to become a bandit?"
>She kinda has a point
>Prism seems to pick up on this
>"Are you saying this is a coincidence?"
>"No, dang it, I'm saying that this was meant to be!"
"Fate?"
>Jacky perks up, grinning
>"Exactly, fate! Anon, we came up just when we were needed the most. And... well, you came up just when WE needed you most!"
"Is that how that happened?"
>Jacky looks like she was about to confirm that but stopped halfway
>"...well I mean we're here to begin with. That can't be idle coincidence, can it?"
>"Darling, we're going more than a few levels too deep to be taken seriously, aren't we?"
>Prism sounds just a little condescending
>"Oh you be... quiet! I mean it!"
>Jack deflates
>"Seriously though. If all of this was just random chance and means nothing greater in the wider world... should we worry?"
>Shine, who slid her face against your side repeatedly to possibly dry her eyes, glared at her
>"What are you even on about?"
>"That... well if this is all coincidence. Shouldn't we consider ourselves extremely lucky? And if it isn't coincidence, and this is some... bigger thing like fate. Then shouldn't we relax and not worry so much? Because we may all end up standing on a cross with a rope around our neck. But someone will shoot that rope and we'll be alright in the end."
"...who's gonna shoot the rope if we're all about to hang?"
>That further takes the wind out of her sails
>The more she spoke, the more she actually got into it
>"...well if we all have guns..."
"Jack, only one of us can operate a firearm to save our lives."
>"I could probably use magic."
"Correction, we have one of us that can operate a firearm and one that can use magic."
>"I'm sure I could maybe fly and avoid getting hung..."
"I've never seen you fly but alright. So three of us can do something."
>All eyes fall on Jacky
>She shifts uncomfortably
>Focusing on Prism
>Then Shine
>Then you
>"...y-you guys will save me, right?"
>You rub your chin
"...so if we're in theory about to hang. That means we're going to split treasure four ways. Right?"
>Shine gives a dark chuckle
>"Three, if one hangs..."
>Prism exhales with a content sigh
>"Two, if one has an accident getting loose..."
"...technically only one if only one of us is strong enough to actually make off with it."
>"A-anon?! Come on! If anything, we ditch the other two and just make out like kings!"
>"Oh, so you would leave me to dangle while you make off and out with Anon? I see how it is."
>"You forget about me and I would haunt you both."
>You shake your head and lean back, going back to staring at the sky
"Such a great group of friends. All it takes is a few bags of gold coins..."
>"It isn't like you're above it. You would carry it all by yourself and leave us high and dry!"
"I'd carry you three with me. But none of you could actually carry it. And if I'm carrying it, I'm spending it."
>You can't help but relax
>Not all of your worries have been addressed
>And this certainly won't be the last time you'll have these concerns
>You close your eyes
>Whether it's dumb luck or fate, they're with you for good
>You can't ever feel sad about that
>You just hope that it won't be for a short time
>You don't want to leave them alone
>You don't want to let them down

>You flinch, one of your own hands slapping against your face
>What the hell?
>You look around your environment
>You're in bed
>Head on a folded up pillow that smells like Jack
>You're in bed?
>Well, naturally
>The only illumination in the room is your laptop
>Your playlist stopped
>"You alright Anon?"
"Yeah... yeah I'm good."
>Whoever that was, thanks for being considerate
>More internal systems reboot
>There is someone laying against your side, their head on your stomach
"Blue Moon attacking again?"
>You've been playing a lot of an old GBA series lately
>"Not more so than usual, commander."
"Good. Fucking Grit..."
>You raise your hand up and rest it on the pony's head
>Ow
>You forget the horn was there
...
>Since when did Jack get a horn?
"...Shine?"
>"...yeah?"
"...where is everyone?"
>You feel like you have some severe sense of muddlement
>"Are you alright? Jacky and Prism are out on the patio. They told me that they were planning something secret for you, and that I should keep you distracted."
>She shakes her head free of your hand and rests her chin on it when it falls onto your stomach
>"But... you were already mostly asleep and kept going 'uh huh'. You talk kinda funny in your sleep, did you know that?"
"Gah... water?"
>You hold out your free hand, quasi-blindly swiping for your insulated cup
>Instead you feel a metal straw poke against your lips
>Magic is kinda convenient, isn't it?
>You gulp down more than half of the cup as if you hadn't drank in days
"Ah... thank Christ. Thanks."
>The straw leaves
>Though your senses have been renewed, you've kept your eyes mostly closed
>"Sure. What happened there?"
"Where?"
>"You had a bad dream, didn't you?"
"Did I?"
>You normally remember your dreams, no matter how good or bad they are
>This one... it's completely gone, except for maybe a few isolated, senseless fragments
>"Looks like it I guess."
"Feels like I was in a blind panic. Like what I was trying to do was just almost enough to work."
>Some fragments, like first person gifs, feel like they're starting to surface
>It wasn't about any of them
>It was about your mom
>If you lost her next, you would be the last person in your family period
>"...want to talk about it?"
"No. Nah."
>You're happy to shut that down before it even gets started
>You talk about enough stuff as is
>Your free hand wanders over to the laptop touchpad
>The next video in the series plays
>It's some neat bald Finnish guy
>You think he's Finnish, anyway
>It has been fun, introducing the girls to different nationalities and their goofy accents
>Jack has nailed some of them well without really trying which was pretty neat
"What's their secret plan supposed to be?"
>You finally speak after maybe ten minutes of watching the guy spam battle copters
>"I'm not telling you."
"Seriously?
>"What? They're entitled to their own schemes and stuff, aren't they?"
"I guess that's fair."
>"It's most likely for you, it's more than fair."
>You feel... something massaging you?
>Like some sort of broad, blunt force is pressing into your back and chest
>It's enough to make your back pop pretty hard
"That's..."
>You don't even get a chance to adequately respond to the compression
>"I've been trying this out on Jacky. Figured if I make a mistake and crush something, she would probably be most likely to survive it."
>That's... confidence building
>You struggle against the force
>It eases up and fades, allowing you to finally inhale
>It wasn't compressing you so hard that it was going to kill you
>But it was a sort of mental reaction
"Glad to know you'd test that out on her. I think I asked before, but when did you get so comfortable with magic? I remember when you were talking about blowing Jack and I away."
>She grumbles something and lifts her head, just to drop her chin on your hand again
>"I can still do that, don't test me."
>Her tone is dull, completely lacking in threat credibility
>"Well... if I can be honest, I wanted to impress you. But after that urge kinda came and went... and is still around, kinda... I didn't really know how to use it well. Safely."
"Given you just pressed me into a sandwich and could have broken my spine and smashed various organs... I'd say that was pretty safe."
>"Right?"
>She pauses
>You can hear her exhale
>Feel it on the topside of your fingers
>"You like asking me about magic, don't you?"
"Yeah. It's pretty wild stuff. I guess it's kinda huge evidence that you're the real deal. Magic is... not really a thing here."
>"What about those guys that can make balls vanish?"
"Oh please, anyone who has a big enough m..."
>You stop yourself from finishing that thought
"...that's all just sleight of hand anyway."
>"Like magic Trixie uses?"
"Yeah, except that's also real magic too."
>"Would you like Jacky more if she were a unicorn like me?"
"Honestly if she were a unicorn I'm sure I'd be dead by now."
>You get the vague notion of how that line of questioning could go
>"I sometimes wish they were unicorns like me. We could have had so much more success if we could all use magic and think the same way."
"Unicorns think the same way?"
>"Well, no. But we probably do when it comes to how to approach topics. Like with you, how do you get a drink?"
"Well, obviously I-"
>"Without using hands."
>That would be awkward to say the very least
"...hm..."
>"Exactly. Maybe being around you, seeing humans do stuff. It kinda gives me a new idea of how I can use magic. Or maybe I just relearn what magic actually is. Iunno. You're asking me to explain how I use my 'hands' like how you use yours. I guess."
>She sounds unsure
>Not frustrated
>Not yet
>But it's apparent that she's limited by her own thoughts
>"I don't feel smart by using magic. It's not like in those RPGs where a higher intelligence gives you better magic. It's not like that at all. And I don't think I have any MP to speak of. I kinda got tired before but it wasn't like I would get a headache. I would just feel tired."
"Like working out?"
>"I guess? But no parts of me feel strained. My legs don't hurt. My head doesn't. Or my horn. It's just... draining. It can be. It was."
"Wiggy."
>"Yeah. Magic was so commonplace back home, no one ever really thought about it. But here? You guys have like a thousand ways magic can work."
"Do any of them hit the mark?"
>"I don't know. I really don't. What if a unicorn handles magic completely different than me? Or what if some can only do magic if they remember a 'spell'? What even constitutes as a spell?"
"You're asking me?"
>"Yeah! You know stuff."
"I act like I know stuff really well."
>"Then act up an answer."
"I have no clue. Maybe it's a skill like typing or driving. Some people can't type without pecking at keys, speaking out what they're typing and that's on their best of days. But we also have pro stunt drivers who can steer better than they can walk. Maybe it's just... like that?"
>Shine doesn't answer for a few moments
>You've been watching the playlist the entire time
>From the position of her head on your hand, you think she's been doing the same thing
>"I guess that does make sense, doesn't it?"
"Does it?"
>"I don't know."
"Alternatively..."
>Your mind fails you
"...scratch that, I don't really know what else would be a good option. It's magic. Twilight was a huge student of it, so you can apparently be a big scholar in how it can be used."
>"And she had actual spells too."
"But a lot of it was freeform too, wasn't it?"
>"I think so."
"You ponies are freaking weird, man."
>You inhale
>It's kinda relaxing, how your room has transformed
>The scent of pone is strong
>Your entire apartment has transformed
>Where would you be if they weren't around?
>Where would even they be?
>"You're the one who wanted us. You're weirder."
"I won't argue that."
>You hear a satisfied 'heh'
"I am super weird. But you know what? I wouldn't trade any of you for anything. There is nothing I want in life that supersedes having friends like you."
>"You really are proud of saying things like that, aren't you?"
"If it embarrasses you more than it does me? Yes."
>Shine rubs her chin against your hand
>"That's good."
"...so what are those two goons planning?"
>"..."
>Shine giggles
>She sounds so relaxed
>She always used to sound so easily agitated
>"You won't give up, will you?"
"Not in a timely manner."
>"I'm still not telling."
"Really?"
>"Really. They're my friends too. And you've taught me how to be a better friend."
"Damn my lessons of friendship and loyalty."
>"You really have yourself to blame."

"Alright, you nerds."
>After a little extended morale boost from Jacky, you finally found it in yourself to stop putting it off
>D&D night
>Sorta
>There was no serious devoted night to it, but you at least wanted things to get settled in and started
"So who has their characters ready?"
>Jacky is sitting across from you
>Shine to your right
>Prism to hers
>In the center of the square is a thin segment of cardboard that can act as a tabletop surrogate
>"Mine is on the laptop."
>Prism nods to herself, visibly satisfied with whatever it is she made
>"Mine too."
>Jacky smiles at you
>Her mane is pretty fluffy now
>Helps that you've disheveled it considerably
>"I think all of our sheets are... were we supposed to do those on paper?"
"...do we have paper?"
>After a short thought you shake your head
"Gotta get some I suppose. Anyway. If we all do, who wants to start first?"
>You twist the laptop around to the trio
>None of them exactly aim to take it
>"Well I guess I can start. Jacky and I-"
>"Are sisters!"
>Prism and Jack seem ready to go
>"Well, I am a Rogue, alignment Chaotic Neutral. My skills aren't combat-focused, but I am capable of fighting if needed. My highest attribute is intelligence, second highest is dexterity. It means I'm getting the most out of my skills."
>Prism speaks as if she rehearsed it
>Somehow it fits
>You're not sure how chaotic she'll be but she isn't the senselessly violent sort
>"I am..."
>Jacky rears back, trying to flex with her front legs
>"BARBARIAN! I am also chaotic neutral, and I am Dashie's cooler sister! I leave the scheming and skills to her, my focus is beating down enemies and taking treasure!"
>She poses, waiting for a reaction from the crowd of three
>No one says anything
>She wobbles a little before going back to a neutral sitting position
>"I... well I don't like worrying about skills. And we need a strong fighter, and I'm strong. So it's kinda obvious, right?"
"You have a point."
>You scratch your chin
>Jacky The Barbarian
"Alright, we have strength checker to crush my head between her thighs. Good call."
>"...wait, what?"
>Your comment catches her off guard entirely
"MOVING ON! Horny horse, you're up next."
>Shine scoffs and straightens her back
>"Well I... am a gorgous, wise sorceress. Neutral evil, I don't bother myself with petty violence. But I'm sure I could completely eliminate an entire group of guards with a single spell."
"You're all level one so... I doubt it. But go on."
>She gives you a dignified yet venomous glare and raises her chin
>Her own attempt at an accent is... lacking
>"All the same, I am the smart sister."
"You're all sisters in this campaign?"
>"Well... we are. Right?"
>Jack seems to think it's the most obvious thing
>Maybe it is
>Prism nods
>Shine shrugs
>"Sometimes you can't choose your family..."
"Fascinating..."
>You focus on bringing up the character sheets while they bicker among themselves
>Something about it involves which one gets to be the oldest
>"Let's handle it like other people do, Rock Paper Scissors!"
>"Jacky you're all hooves. We're all hooves."
>"...you're all hooves."
>"We can have Anon do it both ways."
>"Isn't that cheating if he knows how both hands are gonna go?"
>"I thought I would be the oldest sister. I am the more responsible one."
>"Since when?"
>You chuckle at their goofing around
>You do find the character sheets, though they look a little...
>Over-detailed
>To the point that they're 90% description, 5% stats and 5% equipment
>They certainly are giving their inventories a lot of thought
>Prism has a variety of tools that boost her skill checks
>Jack has a lot of small healing items and food
>Shine has... nothing but smoke sticks, flasks of acid and a few thunderstones
>They haven't gone off the rails completely when it comes to the cost of everything
>But they're pretty dang rich in gear, for starting off
>You shrug
>You'll let them have it, but it doesn't mean you'll give them the leeway to just grab whatever
>Not unless they're smart about it
>"What if we flip a coin?"
>They're still on about deciding who's oldest
"How about we handle this like true nerds, since we're talking about D&D?"
>Jacky points at you, excited
>"IT'S SETTLED! How do I win?"
"Dice roller."
>"Dice what?"
>You nod and bring up the browser, going to a dice roller site you've used since you were with your old friends
"We all roll a D20. Highest number gets to be oldest. Second highest number is second oldest. Lowest number is youngest."
>You nod to yourself, scanning over the expressions of the girls
>Jacky seems confident
>Shine's game face is on
>Prism doesn't look so sure of it
"And, of course, we all see it on the screen so there's no cheating. We're praying to RNGesus now, and he doesn't take prisoners."
>You slide the laptop onto the cardboard tabletop and rotate it for all to see
"D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20 and D100. Everything we need and then some, including modifier option and number of dice rolled."
>"Sounds like this is D-stressing."
>Shine smugs over her own comment
"You're gonna handle D's nuts in a second. So, D first, J second, S third?"
>No pone has any issues
"So... first click."
>Click
>It's a 15
>The pegasus sighs and nods
>"That sounds about right to me."
>Click
>11
>"Wha--but... dang..."
>Click
>16
>"HA! I knew it, I'm the oldest."
"I guess it makes sense, you're a spellcaster. It has probably taken a few years for you to learn how to do stuff. But I don't think it'll honestly affect anything stat-wise. It's not like you're going to be some old woman, unless you want to be."
>They all listed the same age on the sheets anyway
>All human, too
>Except Prism did request wings on her character and Shine added that she had a horn
>You're not gonna let that fly, no matter how goofy it would be
>"Dang man... I don't want to be the youngest."
"Think about it this way, Jack. Age before beauty. They're first on age but..."
>That comment makes her bubble up some goofy giggle
>That same comment leads to Shine giving a thousand yard stare at the unexpectedly victorious barbarian
>Prism looks like she's trying to not let it bother her
"...anyway, that's settled..."
>The growing smell of ozone in the air is letting you know that the sooner you change topics the better
"So do you guys have any other ideas of what you want settled? Since you're all playing as humans, no wings and no horn. Wings would allow flight and that would be pretty broken in terms of taking care of things. But let's not... turn away the possibility of personal enchantments. But that's gonna be really big too."
>"There's no more words
"...alrighty then."
>You didn't think you'd see a sore winner but D&D brings out the most curious traits in some people and ponies
>You can't help but wonder how things will turn out when it's all dice rolls and planning

>To more appropriately get the girls in the proper atmosphere to play, you pilfer the kitchen of all available snacks and drinks
>Soda, chips, a few candy bars and even a few bottles of fruit juice and water
>Everything is either in a bottle, wrapper or plastic bag
>Just as nature intended
>You couldn't find a proper notebook to save your life but in your room you d come across an old art book
>You rip out the first four pages and stuff them into one of your dresser drawers
>No one needs to see that shit
>It does make you wonder where you left those light blue pencils though
>By the time they transcribe their character sheets to paper, you form an...
>Adequate
>Ish
>Start to the campaign
>In true DM fashion, almost everything will be made up on the fly
>You never used adventure modules with your friends
>Old friends
>Previous friends
>It was always a lot of vague plot hooks and focus on what the characters did
>"So Anon, how much money do we start with?"
>Jacky's two sodas in already
>The glass bottle real sugar stuff too
>The good shit
"You kidding me? Count yourselves lucky you aren't in debt. All three of you decided to add whatever you want."
>"You aren't saying we can't do it though."
>Shine shrugs, purposefully giving you an indirect stare
>You get the feeling she's really regretting being the oldest one
>Jacky seems pretty happy about it though
"That's right. But you better be careful about using them. Those aren't common items. They aren't cheap either."
>"Best to not look a gift DM in the mouth then... besides, maybe we just found them."
>Prism has been pretty curt too
>It's going to be real fun to see how they deal with role failures
"Yeah, don't get me started on mouths or I'll start with yours. Everyone good?"
>No complaints come from any of them
"Alright, groovy."
>You start a particular YouTube song
>It's an accordion cover of something ambient
>Foreboding
>Almost a downer tune, when played by the instrument
"Your country has never been one of peace. It has always been ruled by some war-hungry lordling or council. No matter the form of leadership, bodies have been thrown on the pyres of supposed fortune and glory that comes with an ever-stagnant border. Your home, your town, has become one of the latest outposts for a border covering militia. Your unique... skills. However they were honed, will make you stand out of the crowd. Your family coffers are low, your home is in modest disrepair and your future are bleak. But maybe."
>You nod, looking over them
"Maybe you can use this chaos to build your own future. To end up more than a mere tax payer and eventual casualty of this bloody machine. But nothing is certain in this life. Watch your backs, trust yourselves and do not let mere money change who and what you are."
>The music begins to fade out while you continue
"It's mid-day. The militia has taken root at the tavern where they're provided beds, food and drink. At the cost of slowly siphoning town supplies. Good for the merchants and local economy, not so good for finding your regular tier of dinner."
>They all stare at you, engrossed in your storytelling
"...that's it for now."
>Jack shakes her head, caught off guard
>"Oh, er... ok. Who goes first?"
"Anyone. Ask each other questions, ask me questions. There's no limit to what you can learn, as long as you go about it in a fair way."
>"Ok..."
>She looks at her cohorts
>"Alright... so where would we be? I guess I would be talking up the militia about joining. It's probably a job which means pay, right?"
>Prism narrows her gaze on the cardboard table
>A Milky Way is stuck in the middle
>Apparently they're gambling it for something
>"If Jacky is asking them upfront questions, I'm doing some investigating on the militia itself. Battles won, lost, where they're going and why they're making our home their base."
"Right on. Shiner?"
>A displeased look spreads on the mare's face
>"I don't trust them. I try to check out their stockpiles of supplies. Check them for anything... a militia shouldn't normally have."
"Like?"
>"I don't know. But I'll find out."
"Right on. Well-fucking-oiled machine we got."
>"This ain't our first rodeo, Anon."
>Jacky gives you a smirk and a wink
>You certainly don't doubt it
"Well, let's start in the order we heard things. Jack, you're up."
>Thankfully you made a good few notes on the militia and most points of interest
>But you didn't anticipate Shine asking about their supplies
"You proudly make your way up to the tavern-"
>"I have my great axe with me, right?"
"Your... damn lady, you're one serious bruiser. Yes, you have your axe with you. Given you can cut wood like a monster, it's probably gonna be weird if you're without it."
>You shake your head
>You can't imagine Jack using a weapon
"You're a familiar face to the old couple running the place. Not just once have you spent your pay on their pies and stew. Could go for some stew, actually..."
>"Wanna have Sparky make some later?"
>"Wait, who said I'm now the stew wench?"
"Since right now. Anyway, you do find a new face at the bar. Some rough looking guy who looks like he hasn't slept well in months but is kept awake and alert with some stern sense of... something."
>"Something?"
"That's right. He can't help but notice the buff bumpkin coming up so he focuses keenly on you rather than his drink."
>You shift your voice to sound a little more gravely
"You look like you're itchin' for something."
>"Am I?"
"I'm acting as him now, just talk to me like I'm him."
>"Ooh... oh! Oh, ok."
>Jacky reseats herself, tipping over an empty glass bottle in the process
>She tries to deeper her own voice
>"I'm here to see if you're hiring for an-"
"You don't need to really act like that. Talking normally is fine."
>"Ah, alright. Well, I'm here to see if you're hiring. You guys do pay, right? Obviously you're looking for new hands if you're stuck here and not in some sort of city."
>She shrugs with her words
"Maybe. Not really the sort to hire random... wood cutters? You got any sort of martial training?"
>She looks at you with a blank face
>"...Do I?"
"Probably not but since you're a barbarian, you can do pretty dang well in a fight for being an untrained brawler."
>You speak in your normal tone to help show you're not being a character
>"Well... I can swing my axe around pretty well. I guess I've been in a fight or two."
>You nod
"Is that so? Well consider yourself hired."
>"Wait, just like that?"
"Sure. We lost three men last week."
>"Really? Did they die?"
"No, fuckers deserted! They took half our rations and fled like whipped dogs."
>All three of them flinch at your angry tone
>"G-geeze... why did they do that?"
>You shrug
"The man shrugs. He claims that they've been fighting for months, and it hasn't even honestly been real fighting. Light skirmishing, chasing red herrings, like they're being led in circles."
>"To be honest it sounds like easy pay, doesn't it..."
>You nod
"From what he's telling you, the most injury anyone has sustained was from occasional tripwire traps."
>"Well dang, traps are nothing for Dashie."
"As long as she's around."
>"There are no traps in the tavern, right?"
>The rogue's ears perk and twitch upright
"Not there, no."
>Jacky shrugs
>"Alright... well... when do we get paid?"
"For you? End of the week. You the only one?"
>"No way! I got my two sisters to join in!"
>Shine and Prism look at her with their own dubious expressions
"Three of you then... are they like you too?"
>"Well no. But they're trustworthy!"
"Is that so? Tell me about them then..."
>You nod and write down a note on Jacky's encounter
"Alright, Jack is doing her thine. D-bash, you're up."
>Her wings nervously flinch and flap once
>"I guess if Jacky is also doing some recon and at the tavern... I go out around the town perimeter. The militia probably has guards that are posted outside, right? I go to find one of them."
"Any in particular?"
>"Anyone who looks like they would be wiling to talk."
"You got it."
>Given this is all home territory and basic searching, there's really no need for any dice rolls
>But you occasionally fumble around and act like you have something going on behind the scenes
>That usually makes the players antsy
"After skirting through the outskirts of town, you do eventually come across a militia member that looks... uncomfortable."
>"How do I know he's a militia member?"
"Good question. You've never seen him before, he's armed and has well-worn padded armor. He also looks like he's waiting for someone."
>"Apparently it isn't me... I step into his field of view and wave him over."
"Very well. You make yourself known to him. It takes him a minute to register that you're a friendly face."
>You shift to a vaguely trembling voice
"I-identify yourself! You a local?!"
>"...he's really concerned, isn't he."
"Sure sounds like it."
>"Diplomacy check. I tell him that I am a local and that I'm not a threat."
"Works for me."
>You hardly need to actually do an actual check
>If it was a real check, she would have passed it anyway
>"...can I see the results?"
"You passed it fine. For skill checks, I'm going to keep that secret. Especially since some checks can't be revealed."
>"Oh alright... well. I ask him why he's freaking out like this."
>You resume the shaky voice
"Why? Why should I be calm? We're on the verge of a real attack this time, I know it! We've been led in circles for weeks and weeks. We find traps laid out just for us, we had some deserters, we're fucked! We're in the middle of nowhere, we have no barricades. We've been hauling around some sort of sealed box like bait! It's a trap and I fucking know it..."
>"...should he really be saying this much to someone who just came up to him?"
"Honestly? No. But he looks severely bothered."
>"I ask him why he's so worried. Surely skirmishes and clashes between factions like this isn't new, is it?"
>You chuckle
"He snaps his fingers like you get it."
>The voice changes again
"Exactly! But this is different... why? Because it's a new strategy. We're bait. We're bait and I've been on pay long enough to know that we're expendable. We are if we're out here..."
>"That... is worrying."
"It is. Do you keep talking to him?"
>"Does he have more information?"
"You can try to pump more out of him. Try to figure out locations, dates. Learn about the traps even?"
>"I do that then."
"Alright."
>Things are going well
>For an introduction
"You're up Shine. Your two sisters are out getting what they know. You said you were going to their stockpiles, right?"
>She looks... worried
>they all look like they're taking this seriously, but the wheels in her head are turning fast
>"Yeah... where would they hide their stuff anyway?"
"They wouldn't hide it, you've probably seen them moving things around when they first came around. But it would be in one of the town barns, probably out near a farm or two. Or some sort of silo. Granary even?"
>"...well what does our town have?"
"Probably a barn at least."
>"Well damn. Ok, I go looking for any sort of storage building that has guards."
"You're sure they would have guards?"
>"They're a militia, of course they have someone guarding money or backup weapons. Or other things."
"Fair enough. You do happen to find someone hanging out in front of a barn that has been barred. You probably never once went into it but you know it never used to be barred."
>She grins
>"Jackpot."
>She looks down at her sheet, the first one to do so, and exhales through her nose
>"Alright... I approach him and... I have a bluff skill..."
"Yeah?"
>"Yeah. So I approach and tell him to unbar the barn."
"Why would he do that?"
>"Because I'm..."
>She falters
>"...does this town have a mayor?"
"A local governor or something, sure."
>"...you think this idiot knows him?"
>That is a good question
>You really do underestimate your girls sometimes
"Probably not."
>"Because I'm the governor's daughter, obviously!"
"Right... alright, obviously. But let's see..."
>You actually do make a roll on this one
>It's a mere 5
"The militiaman looks pretty... relaxed. Your high and mighty assertation doesn't phase him at all."
>"Wait, seriously?"
"Seriously. He doesn't look like he cares to begin with."
>She grumbles and looks at her sheet again
>"...crap. Can I at least talk to him?"
"I presume so. You have social skills."
>"Alright. Why are they taking up one of the barns for their own use? I need to use it too."
>You adopt an almost surfer dude tone
>Just more relaxed
"Relax babe. It's just official business that's keeping us here. We'll be out of your hair before you know it."
>Shine gets visibly flustered at your tone and words
>"W-what's up with this guy?"
"He's just kinda chill. He's out in the middle of nowhere and his job for the day is to stand next to a set of big, quarter-rotten wooden doors."
>"Can I burn through the doors?"
"Do you have any fire magic available?"
>"I have Burning Hands!"
"...so you're going to attack this guy?"
>She pauses
>Like she's actually thinking it over
>"...I guess not. What can I do to convince him to open the door?"
"You aren't going to talk to him about stuff?"
>"Should I? I already heard what's going on."
"You do but your character doesn't."
>She watches her sheet, like she's expecting some sort of key to a puzzle
>"...so why are they here? Who told them to come to my home and take everything for themselves?"
"Finally, some sensible questions."
>You clear your throat
"Boss man told us where we were going... and to be honest? I'm sure enjoying the local brew more than anything else I've had. It's fresh, food is fresh, the air isn't stagnant."
>Shine shakes her head
>"That makes no sense. Forest air is fresh. Isn't it?"
>She's quick to pick up on that
"Well sure it is... except the parts where we go. Or the parts we leave."
>"What do you mean by that?"
>You make another dice roll
>18
>Even without her natural Charisma modifier, she passes the check
"Well you're the governor's daughter... probably. Right?"
>You tap her sheet
"Remember to make a note of this."
>You resume the character's tone
"You were probably already told this. But we're setting up some traps of our own. Gonna suck for the wildlife. But hey, can't claim a border for yourself if it's too hazardous to your health, right?"
>All three ponies look shocked
>"...is this guy for real?"
>"Are they poisoning our land?"
>"Jacky is at the tavern talking to the leader and she's roping us into it!"
>Shine stands up, stamping her hoof down on the cardboard pseudo tabletop
>"I CAST COLOR SPRAY!"
>Neither Jack nor Prism seem to understand what that means
"You really chose that as your other level one spell?"
>"Well obviously."
"...alright, your choice."
>"What the heck, what are you doing?! I'm trying to get us some work!"
>"Yeah and we aren't going to have anything if they're hauling around poison! Do I succeed?"
"Well..."
>You want to roll... but you didn't exactly stat out everyone. But given it's just a first level guy, you allow it to succeed
>She is doing it out of nowhere too so that helps
>You act like you roll anyway
"A brilliant color swirl sprays from your hands and into his face. He doesn't even have time to scream about his eyes because he falls unconscious almost immediately for..."
>It's only supposed to be for 2-8 turns
>But given the situation you can give her a little something extra
"Probably a good few minutes. Long enough for you to escape and find your sisters. Or to open the barn door and see what's in it."
>"I can't believe you just did that."
>Prism sounds more than shocked
>"Oh whatever, you know I've done worse before. I unbar the barn door and go inside! We gotta figure out what sort of thing they're hiding, and then I'll leave!"
"As you wish."
>You sigh, making a particular note about this
>More than most of the plot details will be based off of their actions, whether they know it or not
"So you rush inside and find a good number of chests and sacks. Most of which haven't moved since before you were born. But there is a little wagon that looks new. Probably was led by a donkey or something."
>"What's on it?"
"Usual things, supplies, a few crates... and a red box."
>Shine perks up and leans toward you
>"...how big is it?"
"Big enough to hold a few bodies. Human sized bodies."
>"I get closer to it..."
"Alright."
>You fake another roll
>It's a 6 but this is story material to hopefully get her butt in gear
"You get close to it and it... shakes. It smells absolutely rancid. Like worse than rotting meat."
>This information makes her face go at least one or two shades more pale pink
>"...so is something alive in it?"
"I don't know."
>"Sparky, get out of there."
>"Find us, Sparking. Leave it there."
>Shine looks at them then at you
>"Can the box be opened?"
"It can. But it's covered in at least three layers of intricate rope work. Far beyond anything you've dealt with. Oh, by the way. The closer you get to the box, the worst it smells. If you don't back away from it immediately, you will become violently ill."
>"...oh fuck. I run out and go find Jacky!"
"Smart move. You leave the barn unattended, with the doors wide open and the guard still unconscious from his color-overloaded coma. I hope you know what you're doing."
>You yawn, nodding
"Alright. Let's put a pause here."
>All of them look at you like you're crazy to some degree
"W-what?! Seriously? But Sparks is gonna tell me about the box!"
"Not right now she's not. We have a very good hook... and to be honest, I need to make some actual notes on what happened. The town isn't that big but it's not like you can just randomly go from A to B in a few seconds."
>No one seems satisfied with such a cliff hanger
"By the way, add 100 experience to everyone's sheet. Good team work out there. Shine may have... been a little hostile. But she figured out something really great. I don't think anyone knows what they're doing right now. I guess it'll be coming to a head soon."
>You save the word document and make a few folders to hide it in
>You'll know if anyone opens it due to the date on it
>"How much do I need to level up? These spell slots suck."
"Well you did choose to be a sorceress. Thousand to gain a level, right now. Getting 100 isn't a bad thing at all. A lot of people, DMs, only give experience for combat. I don't think you guys should be trying to fight anything right now. Not unless you have no other choice."
>"Geeze... well hold on, I gotta go."
>Jittery from the soda consumption and cliff hanger, Jacky pops up and trots with a sense of quickness to one of the bathrooms
>"This is going to be hard, isn't it."
>Prism seems worried
"I'm not going to be brutal. But if you guys don't work together, it's going to be very rough. War has changed."
>"I thought war never changes?"
"Only if you believe Ron Perlman, D."
>This is going to be fun
>It's not exactly a video game that everyone is watching
>It isn't a movie either, for once
>You just hope they'll want to stick with it

>Though the girls have been excited to get back to the campaign, you've opted to make it a weekly thing
>At least one tries to find a new way to ask you something about the story
>You enjoy answering questions about how skills can be used and a few other things
>But your lips are sealed otherwise
>Jack rushes into your room
>She dives onto the mattress, belly flopping with enough practice to where she bounces once and ends up with her head on your thigh
"...skillful."
>It really is, she used to end up headbutting your crotch
>Almost always on accident
>"Hiya."
"Hey there."
>"Whatcha up to?"
"Tower defense game about monkeys and balloons."
>"Oaah..."
>You keep focusing on the game while she watches
>Pop pop pop
>Pop
...
>poppoppoppoppop
>"Hey Anon?"
"Yes?"
>"Ahhhhh-nooohn?"
"Yessssss-sah?"
>"Awesome guy?"
"Bodacious babe?"
>"Fancy... pants...?"
"What's up?"
>"Are you sure we can't play until Saturday?"
>Knew it
>You shake your head
"Absolutely positive."
>She pouts
>"But why not? We're all ready!"
"Have you planned out everything?"
>"Completely!"
"Then you'll be ready by then."
>"Don't hold out on me, man... Jacky gotta smash bad guys with aaa-aaa-xeh..."
>She angrily nuzzles your leg with the side of her head
>You pat her shoulder, nodding
"Trust me, I know your pain. But... well, if you guys go forward too much, I'm gonna need time to keep up."
>She stops as soon as you finish talking
>Her medium-length mane floofs up from the accumulated static
>"What do you mean?"
"Well, we're not using a module so I'm making it all up so far."
>"Really?"
"Really."
>You keep playing your game but all you can really do is upgrade your existing units
>Your pat turns to a more massaging pet
>The firm muscle and short fur feels nice
>"So... how does it work?"
>When was the last time you ever really massaged her?
>Everything feels new again
>You really don't even know what has been going on during the last few months you were...
>Just not yourself
"Well, I'm kinda making it up as we go along. I have a good few ideas of where it could go."
>Since this coming wave is going to be long, you put your other hand on her neck
>Massaging her is nice
>It relaxes you as much as it does her
>She begins to melt, exhaling like a softly deflating balloon
>Those ninja monkeys are OP
"For the most part, you guys make the story. I just gotta keep up and make sure you have a good challenge to it.
>"So does that mean we can do anything?"
"As long as you can do it, sure. You're really only limited by your imagination... and your skills. And I suppose where the other two are. Why did you go for Chaotic Neutral anyway?"
>You squeeze the side of her neck
>Then her shoulder
>Back and forth, you focus on one side then the next
>Your reward is a series of moans that change depending on where your massage
>You're tempting to go to her chest or ribs but you'd get too distracted if you turned her into a musical instrument
>She probably would be too
>"Well..."
>She kicks out her legs, as if that was the singular thing keeping her from max comfort levels
>"I'm... not gonna lie. None of us were all that good. But we weren't bad guys either."
"Yeah... I guess I can imagine."
>"And we weren't the most... law-abiding...?"
>She sounds like she's trying to make light of it
>Not that you particularly mind it
>Though you have never considered her useless, you stopped seeing her as any sort of crook or anything bad
>It was never for no reason
"I suppose that works too. More force of nature or self-focused?"
>She nods, smiling
>"Glad you understand!"
"Well of course. When a lot of people focus on being Chaotic Neutral, they more play as violent... just crazy loons. A lot of people ban Chaotic Neutral because a lot of them just idly kill people, or do things that ruin the campaign and then claim they're just acting in character."
>"That sounds laaaaaaaaaame."
>She extends her neck up when you go to massage the front of it
"Very. Why did Shine choose Neutral Evil? Not a lot of DMs allow evil characters either."
>She doesn't answer
>After a few more hard squeezes and rubs, you release her
>She shivers hard from the sudden stop
>"Well... we kinda talked about it. We all went through the classes and stuff and whenever the question came to alignment she had a really solid 'yeah that's me'."
"Is it really her?"
>Jack doesn't answer
>After a few moments she shrugs
>"None of us were all that good... and I guess she really wasn't so good. More than the rest of us."
>You don't doubt that at all
>You don't think she's bad at all
>But she probably would not make for a friend to a lot of sorts
>Especially with her control of magic now, she might really be capable of harming someone if she truly wanted to
>That's a risk you're fairly mindful of
>But no more than anyone else who has the capacity to be violent
>You go back to massaging her
>More gently this time
"Yeah... she really has improved with stuff, hasn't she?"
>"She has. We have you to thank for that."
"I guess so..."
>"You know it used to bother me. How she kept looking at you."
>Your hands falter
"Y... yeah?"
>You kinda didn't think it would really bother her all that much
>Kinda dumb to think, in hindsight
>"Yeah. I was scared for a little while."
"Why?"
>"Because I really did think for a while that she was better."
>She kicks her hind legs out and shakes her head
>"...no, that ain't it. It ain't about being better or not. I know she has that mind reading thing she did. And I know you can do a lot more things with her because of magic."
>She shakes her head again
>"I don't know. She really is like my sister. I guess it's important to remember that above everything else."
>You have been hanging out with her more, that much was true
>Though to be fair, Jack and Prism have been hanging out a whole lot too
>It seems more natural that everyone partakes of the buddy system
>Though on more than one night, when things were at their worst, you'd just keep to yourself
"I suppose that's true. I guess we hang out as much as you hang out with D."
>"That's true too. It feels so much like the old days when we play around..."
>She sounds so content when she says that
"Do you miss the old days?"
>It takes her a minute
>You've since stopped messing with the game itself
>"I do. But that's because we still had some good times. I miss those good times. But I don't miss the bad times."
>She shifts as a result of your massaging
>"I could never go back to how things were. I would miss you too much for it to be worth it."
>It's that dreamy tone in her voice
>Something about it
>It isn't said as a compliment, not directly
"I feel the same."
>"Really?"
"Really. I really don't miss my childhood. It fucking sucked. It sucked in so many horrible, genuinely terrible ways."
>You don't even say that with any sense of emotional weight
>It just is how it is
"I still miss how I used to hang out with..."
>What even are they to you anymore?
"My friends from back then."
>"What did you guys do?"
"What didn't we do? We'd argue for hours over the most stupid of things. Play games together. Watch anime and movies together. Just spend time around one another, even if we ended up doing different things entirely."
>"Like what we do!"
"Yeah."
>You get the feeling you've said this before
>You know for sure that you've had a few conversations with her that sound almost exactly the same
>You don't mind it
>Sometimes each time a topic is broached there are different angles that are hit
>"Hey... do you think Sparks would get along well with any of them?"
>You snort
"Oh please. Nah, she would steamroll any of them. She's really the sort that seems to respect strength, you know?"
>The thought makes you laugh
"Ah... nah... they were pretty weak though. I suppose I mean both physically and maybe characteristically."
>"So you were the strong one of the group... like me!"
"Like you. But just a little cooler."
>"Wha-hey!"
>You close your eyes and nod
"So much a little cooler..."
>The ambient scent of Jack reminds you of when and where you are
"I do wish you could have met them. Even if they didn't care. I'd like them to meet the gang."
>"We're your gang now?"
"Yeah, see? We're gonna paint this town red, see?"
>You slip into a vaguely villainous visage similar to some Chigago mobster
>She reacts with a relaxed, breathy laugh
>"Sounds good to me, boss man."
>You shift focus quick
>Any longer on the topic and you might genuinely lose your composure
"Yeah... anyway, nah. It takes someone who's on track, I think."
>"For Sparky?"
"I think so, anyway."
>"Mmm... I agree."
>She looks up at you and grins
>"As long as she doesn't forget that I won."
"Oh, is my massaging a prize now for winners?"
>Jacky puffs out her chest and chuckles
>"Well I ain't sayin' nothin' but if the palm fits..."
>Is that hos it is now
>You got a fix for this
"Hey Shine, get in here!"
>It takes a few seconds but Shine eventually shows up at your doorway
>Her mane is a little out of place
>She looks tired, or like she was almost going to sleep
>"What's wrong?"
"Come over here. I wanna touch you."
>That sentence makes her eyes brighten up
>"You got it!"
>Jacky looks at you with a sheer perplexed expression
>She squints, her mouth wide open
>She remains that way, even as Shine hops onto the bed and lays right next to Jack, almost acting as the little spoon
>Like it's nothing, you start massaging her
>Almost the way you were with Jacky
>Just with less amount of force in your fingers
"She did win a match a few days ago. So I guess she's a winner."
>"R.... since when?"
>Shine doesn't seem to remember the match in question
>There isn't one
"Since that one time you cheesed my shit with Talim. Jack said that my massaging is for winners so... yeah. Thank her."
>"Wha-wha-what?!"
>Jacky is absolutely speechless
>"Heeehehh~ ThaaAnk you, Jaaaaahh-ck.."
>Shine melts hard from the neck and shoulder massage
>She looks shameless
>"A-Anon.."
>Jacky looks like she's starting to deeply regret what she said
"Oh yeah, that reminds me..."
>You nod and chuckle
>Shine has far less muscle on her body
>Must have a lot more nerves, given how much more likely she is to flinch
"Hey, D! Get your feathery butt in here! Jack said you were a winner of something!"
>"Wh-no I didn't! She hasn't won anything!"
"Tick-tock, everyone's a winner!"
>"That's not true! Don't come in, Sparky, get up!"
"Tick tock, wing massage included!"
>"You wouldn't even do that with me!"
"You don't have wings, Jack."
>"That makes it even worse!"
>Outside of teasing her, you ended up giving all of them massages
>You never did get back to finishing that level with the ninja monkeys

>Another night with Jack
>As is natural
>After your relative's passing, it has felt... more than natural
>Not quite supernatural but still really good
>It's another track you're playing, from that game last night
>Of Monkeys and Balloons
>You could probably turn that into some Ska album title if you knew how to play any instruments
>Jacky and the Bloons
>Banana Jack and the Peels
>Sparky Spark and the Funky Bunch
>You're sure someone already laid claim to that last title...
>While contemplating the legal difficulties of a talking pony band, Shine rolls in
>Jack has been watching you play
>Sorta
>Her head has been upside down and you've been patting her chest and belly for the last...
>While
>You've forgotten how long it has been and she never complained
>Shine hops up onto bed and goes behind you until she's on the opposite side of you
>After looking at Jack, she flops onto her side, her head landing on your other leg
>Sitting with your legs crossed felt like a good idea
>But now you're trapped
>Trapped like a rat
>"Hey Anon?"
>Shine broke the silence of nothing but lowered music and the maddening sounds of popping
"What's up?"
>"...I won today."
>You can see that she's trying to keep a straight face but it isn't working
>That growing shit eating smirk is visible to you but not to Jacky
"Oh yeah? Big winner?"
>"Yeah huh."
"What did you win then?"
>The growing irritation on Jacky is palpable
>She exhales and wiggles a little, as if to remind you to keep moving your hand
>You do
>"I..."
>She squints, as if she almost forgot what she was going to say
"Something game-related?"
>It wasn't a save
>Just a question
>Shine resumes her grin
>"Yeah, that's it! That bonus boss in Omega Ruins went down like a sack of stupid."
"Did you cheese it?"
>"No, I prepared for it and gave my guys the appropriate-"
>"She cheesed it."
>Jack mumbles in a dull tone
"Probably."
>"Wha-I did not!"
>"Total cheese."
"Cheesed it like gouda, it was so good-a."
>Being the natural born agent of chaos that you are, you aren't playing sides
>Not fully
>Shine grumbles, grumbling and squirming until she's on her back
>"I'm a winner. I demand winner's faire."
>"Really Sparks?"
>"What?"
>"Really?"
>"...is it bothering you?"
>"It sorta is."
>"Good."
>That admittedly gets a laugh out of you
"I swear, you're like cats that can talk sometimes."
>Jack furtively looks around, her eyes darting
>"...meow?"
>"Really Jacky?"
>"...well I mean if it works..."
>Shine looks dubious
>Until she looks up at you
>"...this doesn't work, does it?"
>You focus on the rest of the wave before thinking on it
"...actually yeah, it's kinda coming around."
>The realization on the unicorn's face is that of confrontation toward an unspoken truth of the world
>"...meow too. I guess."
>You inhale
>You've now gotten two ponies to meow
>You're not sure what you aiming to do for tonight but you've evidently achieved something somehow
"...A cat is fine too."
>You keep playing, your arm raised up to avoid smacking Shine
>Every once and a while you'll shift hands to shift who gets the patting
"So how much of this is just to mess with Jack?"
>The on-again, off-again patting ended up soothing her into a light nap
>It's a deeper sleep once she ends up rolling onto her side, or scoots her head off of you
>"More than none of it. Less than all of it."
"...fair enough. Did you actually beat that Omega Weapon guy?"
>"Anon, I'm hurt you would ask."
"Well you did say you did this to mess with Jackerant."
>"...fair enough."
>You keep patting her chest, unconsciously keeping from how you would pat or pet Jack
>She seems to notice after a while
>"Does this bother you?"
"Honestly? Not really. I guess it kinda reminds me every now and again that you guys are ponies."
>She scoffs
>"So you sometimes forget that I'm a talking, magical unicorn that could never naturally exist in your world?"
"Yeah, that about sums it up."
>"So what do you see me as?"
"A girl. Obviously. A friend. What else?"
>She smiles
>Definitely a more warm, genuine one
"But again. Sometimes you're a freaking cat."
>The smile drops like a lead weight in a fresh water river
>"Thanks. I mean, 'meow'."
"That's the good stuff."
>You nod in approval
>You glance down at Jackernaut
>Every now and then she looks like a new pony, thanks to her mane
>She really doesn't look that much like her Ma anymore
>Not to you, anyway
"Hey Shine."
>"Meow?"
"That's the good stuff."
>You repeat yourself
>It probably won't be the last time
"Call me curious."
>"You're curious."
"Thanks. When it comes to your mane, you've kinda kept the style. Have you ever thought about changing it up?"
>She looks surprised
>Then a little embarrassed
>"I... yeah. Sure, I have. But... what have you thought about?"
>You shrug
"Iunno. I guess it's just because Jack has changed her looks so much. Probably thanks to our feathery fashionista. I've seen that she kinda swaps things up too but she keeps to similar, more... safe, subtler changes?"
>Shine goes from embarrassed to full on flustered
>"Are you trying to tell me that you check out Prism of all ponies?!"
"No! No, get your mind out of the sticky gutter."
>That would be an awkward conversation right there
"Outside of my coworkers I see you guys every day. I don't think there's ever gone a full day without seeing any of you in any capacity. Ignore how weird that sounds."
>"No promises. I mean, meow."
"That's the good stuff."
>You repeat yourself
>It probably won't be the last time
"Anyway, I ask because you still have that very... I guess... I don't know. Whatever you consider Twilight's hair to be? I just wondered if you ever thought about that or cared. I'm not trying to insist on something."
>It feels kinda weird, talking about it
>But as long as you stay focused it should be ok
>It's not like you're bringing up something too personal either
>"That..."
>Shine furrows her brow
>"What would even work?"
"Well that's what I'm asking. Kinda like with me."
>"What about you?"
"Well I don't really do much for changing styles and all that. You see what I wear, and you see how I keep my hair and such. I'm a simple man with simple desires."
>"With a simple mare."
"Exactly."
>Whether or not she meant it as a compliment, you'll take it as one
"I guess if you want to do something like that it might be cool. At least if you have some sort of thing about Twilight still. Is that still a thing?"
>Shine purses her lips, like it's a question she wasn't prepared for
>"I... guess... eh? Not really? I haven't thought about that for a long while."
"Well that's good."
>"But you have a point too."
"Even when I have no points, I have a point."
>She slides her head left and right, as if the motion might help her think
>"Maybe I should ask around, huh. I don't think I ever really did much to change it. Cutting it and keeping it clean has been easy enough so it just became something I forgot about."
"I guess you can do a lot of things subconsciously with magic."
>"Like breathing."
"You need magic to breathe?"
>"No, idiot. But you breathe subconsciously too."
"..."
>"...right?"
"..."
>Her face shifts to a hard, stern glare
>"Breath, Anon."
>You derp your eyes out and gasp in, staving off death for another few minutes
"Alright, you have a point."
>Something feels odd though
"...wait, how did you ever even style your mane to that? That wasn't just what you had growing up, was it?"
>The question silences her for a good wave's worth of time
>"You know... I don't think I remember?"
"That's odd."
>"It really is."
"Do you remember a lot of things then?"
>"Well sure, I guess. Whatever is worth remembering."
"How you take care of yourself isn't worth remembering?"
>Her tone drops to a very particular level of apathy
>You're very well familiar with this tone
>"Who said I was taking care of myself?"
"Yeah... I guess so, given circumstances huh."
>You go through another wave
"...I meant to say 'meow'."
>Shine nods in approval
>She reaches up and pats your sternum with her hoof
>"That's the good stuff."
>Another wave passes
"Does it bother you when I end up asking about stuff from back then by chance?"
>"Not really. I kinda like that you're so interested. You ask about my past. Jacky's past. Even Prism's past. You actually care."
>She repeats herself, her eyes wandering away from you
>"I mean... you really. Actually care."
>She sounds almost amazed by the notion
"Of course I do. You guys are pretty much the collectively sole reason I'm still around and as healthy as I am."
>"...collectively sole reason."
"Yeah."
>"...why does that sound like that isn't how you say that?"
"Because it probably isn't."
>She frowns and wriggles on the bed, gently thrashing about
>She only stops when she ends up with her cheek on your knee
>Subtle way to break eye contact
>"Why don't you talk about yourself more? I, and we. Especially we care."
>You snort dismissively
"All we've done for the last calendar year was talk about me."
>She returns the snort
>"And all you've done for the last epoch was focus on us."
"... has it been an epoch?"
>"Well enough has changed technically so yes."
"Freaking Twilight-haired goober over here trying to school me on language..."
>"Don't call me that."
"I'm gonna call you Torchlight if you don't come up with some sort of good alternate costume look for that mop you have on your head."
>Shine looks like she wants to be offended
>But she isn't sure if she could pull it off
>"...Torchlight?"
"Yes."
>"... that sounds kinda bad ass."
"Really?"
>"Yeah. Like... bam."
>Her front legs push out in random directions
>"Here comes Torchlight, brightening up your night and giving you light."
"That's why I call you Shine."
>She nods with authority
>"And it fits completely."
"It fits because it's your name, dweeb. And that name was supposed to be a minor insult."
>"How?"
"Because a subpar RPG is also called that."
>She turns to look at you
>Now she looks officially offended
>"Are you calling me a subpar RPG!?"
"I'm saying your loot mechanic is whack, your encounter rate is too high and it takes me ten hours to level up once."
>She gasps as if you had just struck her
>"...I swear, I'm going to build a sauna for you, get it started, watch you get in and then forget to not lock the door."
"That's fine."
>"That's fine if you just die?"
"That's fine."
>"..."
"..."
>"..."
"Meow."
>"Meow."
>You both meow at the same time
>Nods of approval are given, as are mutual chest pats
>That's the good stuff

>Oh boy
>Tonight's the night
>You were expecting them to be interested in continuing the campaign but they've been acting as a unit all day
>Calling out their actions
>Watching each others' backs
>You're pretty sure that they'd all bathe together if prompted
>You would think that thought would be more alluring but it's not like they wear anything as is...
>...
>What's a weird thought to have
>With another hour spent of gathering snacks, drinks, drinkable snacks, and goofing around everyone is finally together and consistently ready
>Jack is sitting to your left, Prism across, and Shine to your right
>Each of them have their own pen, pencil, and notebook
>You even have one of your own
>You've filled entire pages with notes and idea, along with certain stats and skill check requirements
>And they're all lies
>Every single one
>You know that at least one of them would try to sneak a peek so almost everything is a red herring
"Alright, everyone remember where we were?"
>You thought about how you would actually write out an outline for them to go off of...
>But you blanked on it entirely
>You're sure it'll be fine
>"I was getting us work!"
>Jack seems happy with that, swinging her forelegs as if she had an axe
>"That one guard was... very suspicious. He's expecting a real attack on our town. He says that they're bait."
>She frowns at the fragments of a complete picture
>"Meow."
>Shine gives you the most genuine, sly smile
>She knows what she's doing
>"Mrow."
>Prism joins in, keeping a stoic expression
>"Mya!"
>Jack joins in
"Damn all of you, I'm going to do terrible, terrible things to Jack if this continues."
>Only Shine seems affected by the threat
>Prism keeps her plain expression
>"Oh nyo. Jacky can't hyandle that."
"I appreciate you trying to push the envelope but that isn't a meow, it just sounds like you're trying to talk like an anime cat. Anyway, what did you do last time?"
>You focus on your fierce little Big Red
>"Well, they're holding a box in a barn... and it moves. So there's something in it. Last thing I was doing was running to Jacky to let her know. When we first split up she said she would be at the tavern so that's where I'll presumably find her."
"Right. You also Color Sprayed a guy into a short term coma."
>"It doesn't hurt someone that bad, does it?"
"No, but if something happens that guy is defenseless."
>She shrugs
>"That's his problem."
"As expected of the Evil sorceress..."
>You fiddle with the laptop that is your main resource
>You start up the video of that accordion music
>...except you play it 25% faster

"So, war, borders, yada yada, shit's going bad because of low morale and a mysterious box containing... something. So as we dive back into this adventure, remember that you can only trust each other. Alright, so what are we doing?"
>Jack shrugs
>"Well I guess I'm still talking to the recruiter leader guy?"
>Prism shakes her head
>"If Sparking is heading back, I guess I am too. Let's say that I couldn't get enough out of him to really use."
>That leaves Shine
>"I hoof it to the tavern to get Jacky! We gotta either fight whatever that thing is and kill it or run!"
>That idea doesn't seem to sit well with Prism
>"You're serious? We have a hometown and we're supposed to abandon it?"
>"It's only our home because we're stranded here! This is just what we need to finally go on an adventure!"
>"And where will we stay?"
>The two of them are already at odds
>Jacky rubs her chin, thinking aloud
>"If... we're supposed to be heroes and adventurers, aren't we supposed to... like camp out?"
>The two stop their bickering
>Jack looks at them
>Then at you
>"I mean that's how every single game is, right? The home town gets destroyed, they go on adventures, they come back at the end or build a huge castle to replace it."
"Barbarian babe's got a point you know. Even if you were to join up with that border patrol group, you would leave your home for weeks at a time easy."
>Prism seems visibly bothered by that
>"But what about all of our stuff? We're going to end up with a squatter there or with our valuables stolen!"
>Shine scoffs
>"Yeah, like we would have valuables... everything of value we have is on us to begin with, right?"
"And you especially have a lot of valuables on you..."
>The feather flocking pony doesn't seem won over
>"And our parents, would they have left us that home to just abandon it to looters and thieves?"
"D, your class is a Rogue, you're pretty much ideal to be a thief."
>"That doesn't mean anything!"
>This must be a bit of a sore spot
>It is worth investigating...
>Later
>Right now it's just eating into campaign time
"Listen, if it makes you feel better, the house itself will be fine. This is a small town so outside of the tavern, no one's going to care about a few shacks or structures that are standing but not big enough to matter. Sound good?"
>It sounds pretty backhanded but you aren't sure what they expect a starting home to be
>It isn't like they're all that rich to begin with
"Now since Shine was where we left off, we'll start with you. So you leave the barn and hightail it back to regroup?"
>"Yes."
>You're surprised she didn't bother to loot the guy
>Not like she'd find much except for a little something
"Alright. You rush away from the reeking mystery box, over the dazzled guard and toward the center of the town. Sure enough you find your stronk sister chatting it up with the patrol leader guy."
>Shine stamps her hoof down on the cardboard tabletop

>You initially wanted it to be some sort of grid map for them to work with but it turned into a snack table
>At least four bags of chips, a few other wrappers of items that have been devoured before the game even started back up
>Feels like home, to be honest
>You've noticed that they don't even tough the stuff otherwise
>The types of chips they got aren't exactly to your taste either
>Who in their right mind would willingly eat kale chips?
>"Anon, what does that border leader guy say?"
"Eh?"
>Ah shit, you must've blanked out
>"I said I stopped them from talking and told him that he's carrying some sort of zombie."
>Did you blank out or were you just surprised by that?
"That's... well, he's as surprised as anyone else."
>You clear your throat and try to adopt the guy's accent
>You don't really remember it but at least you sound different than normal
"That's crazy, we aren't carrying any sort of undead. It's some sort of..."
>You shrug
"He shrugs and sounds like he really isn't too sure of himself."
>And back to the voice
"It's supposed to make trees wither and smaller plants die. Makes it easy for people not local to this area to get sick, makes it harder to forage. It's all been mapped out where it isn't supposed to impact locals that much."
>Jacky seems... dubious
>Shine doesn't seem convinced at all
>"Bullshit! I use a..."
>She glances down at the paper version of her character sheet
>"...Bluff skill check!"
"What are you trying to bluff?"
>"I'm bluffing that..."
>She looks at Jack
>She just shrugs as an answer
>"Well... I'm bluffing that I know it's a zombie and going to kill us all!"
"Really?"
>"How do you know that? We could probably fight it and win."
>Jack already seems convinced
>"No you idiot, I'm bluffing that to the border patrol guy because if he doesn't know and if he thinks he's doing the right thing, he'll want to stop it!"
>You have their opinions
>You glance at Prism
>She's smiling?
"Something you'd like to share with this?"
>She gives you a wink
>Something tells me they're playing a little too close to type here
"Alright..."
>Click
>...
>It's a 2
>Even if you gave her a situational bonus, it wouldn't be nearly enough with her skill
>"So did it work?"
>...
>Fuck it
"Hold on, I clicked the wrong dice bit."
>You didn't but you're going to say you did
>Click
>16
>That's the ticket
"Alright, so you say that with surpreme authority of... your ass."
>"Sorceress ass."
"Sure. So you're speaking out of your ass with enough seriousness that he... believes you. Which isn't difficult, it's not like the guy's a scholar."
>"Obviously."
>You focus on the guy's tone
>You're pretty sure this is the third separate, unique accent he's had
"A zombie... well... I suppose necromancy isn't off the table. You know, I've heard stories of even devils being summoned for these damned wars. I don't believe you but... you're serious, aren't you?"
>You tap your chin
"I suppose... we do have to report back."

>You grin and point at Jack and Shine
"Or I guess I should say... you do have to report back."
>"What?"
>"Who?"
>They react at the same time, as confused as they are intrigued
"Yeah! Listen, you two seem to know each other well, right?"
>Jacky beams
>"She's my sister! One of them, I don't know where Dashie is..."
>You hold up your hands and shake your head
"Yeah yeah, sure. Listen, you guys play runner to the governor and come back, you'll get paid and we can figure out what's going on. You'll be doing me a favor too because..."
>You act like you're pulling something of your your pocket
"The guy presents a big ass pocket book. He says it's full daily entries and reports and that he's two weeks late on returning it because no one has had the guts to actually split from the main force to go send it. Since both of you are locals, you know that if you leave today, you'll be back in not even a four full days."
>"What's he paying?"
>Jacky seems focused on the prospect of employment and pay
"He says that he can hook you guys up with some real equipment if you do this and prove that you're trustworthy."
>"And how do we know he isn't lying?"
>Shine sounds weary of that
"Because he isn't. The guy's outfitted by officials, he can send in an order to suit up three capable newbies just fine. Plus it wouldn't cost them all that much."
>"Why can't we get paid in money?"
"Well you ask that to him and... straight up, you'll be getting less in value. Raw money wouldn't get you much and to be honest, he's setting you up good if you just go with the gear."
>"What will we get if it's gear?"
>At least Jack is on track
>Probably because she's the one that needs it the most
"Well you'll have to find out. So do we all have a deal? You guys run off for a few days, come back, and they leave or hopefully we figure out what's really going on."
>You couldn't make a better quest hook if you tried
>Sure, you might be spoiling them with items but it is something solid
>Prism finally speaks up
>"Do I finally make it to there? I haven't been around at all but I don't have any issues with us going. From that one guard speaking, it might be better if we leave anyway."
"Sure, you make it there just as the deal it struck."
>Back to your voice
>You forgot just how chaotic D&D can be
"Oh hey a third g... wait, are you telling me you're all the three sisters Jacky mentioned?"
>"Yup, Dashie an' Sparky sure are! We'll get that book off to the governor, don't even worry about it! And don't worry, we'll take that gear as a reward, no need to do any less!"
>You make a dramatic point of grabbing an empty wrapper and handing it to Jack
"Alright, that's what I like to hear!"
>You point at the wrapper
"He's officially given you the book, since you've been here, you've been talking with him and frankly he doesn't trust the other two shady sorts."
>"How are we shady?"
>D sounds like she's taking offense to that

"Well you listed on your character sheet that you're sticking to a black outfit and cloak, right?"
>"Yes."
"And Shiner 69er, what did you say your character was wearing?"
>"A... dress?"
"Unless I'm wrong, you put it as 'an obviously evil but sexy dress'."
>"...so what if I did?"
"It means you look like a goober."
>She gasps, disgusted at your surely comical assertation
>"I do not!"
"Dude, you seriously do. You're all first level dorks and bumpkins and you're dressed up like you're... not. It sorta stands out."
>"Yeah well... what does Jacky say she was wearing?"
>You look at Jack
>She looks down at her character sheet
>"...I don't think I really specified that, actually..."
>"So she's naked and you're hating on my dress?"
"Now that's a thought..."
>You squint at her sheet
"Well you're a resident wood cutter and you actually work for a living. Sorta. You fine with just wearing normal work clothes? It's not like you've ever went out of your way to look for armor since it isn't cheap and your axe is a decent grade higher than the normal chopping tool."
>"Totally!"
"Then there we go. All settled, he's been talking to Jack the longest and she's dressed like someone who lives in this village."
>Neither of them look all that happy but they can't seem to come up with an argument against it
"So you have your first real job! Congrats. Is there any preparation you guys need outside of supplies and food?"
>Before you give them chance to ask about the cost of doing that, you continue
"Speaking of, this is more or less your backyard and beyond and since you're at your home and all that, you'll have that on hand. But it'll just be enough to go back and forth, no adventures across the world."
>Silence from everyone gives you your answer
"Alright! So after a little discussion about the finer points of the job-and your pay-you head out toward the neighboring town. The local governor is there for another week or two so you'll have your chance to give him the border group's reports. You can also get that box out of the area."
>Shine doesn't look happy
>"So... is it a zombie?"
"Well you bluffed your way into talking like it's one but no. I don't think it's a zombie."
>"But you know what it is."
"Yup."
>"So is it a zombie?"
"I don't know."
>"I hate you."
"That's just a shame because I love you."
>That flusters and agitates her even further
>This is gonna be fun
>You just need to roll for an encounter on the way
>And make sure at least one zombified creature is included

>"Psst."
>"Psst. Hey. Anon."
>"Get up, Jacky's pregnant!"
>You sputter out some quarter-coherent statement, head going up to-
>Conk
"Ah... fucking... why?!"
>You lament, incapable of proper expression
>Whoever you headbutted doesn't sound any better
>You look around frantically for a pregnant mare
>...
>You're in your room
>In bed
>Still under at least three blankets
>A glance behind shows that Shine is mumbling things while in some sort of perpetual chin rub
"...you know, I don't feel bad for that."
>It takes a few moments before Shine speaks up
>"I wasn't even supposed to wake you up, idiot! I told you I was making stew!"
>Oh yeah
>Guess she really was doing stew wench duties
"...oh. Sorry then."
>In your own defense, you were tired after work
>"Seriously... out of all of the things I said, you wake up to that?"
>She sounds disappointed more than anything else
"To be fair that is the one thing I would be concerned over. For one, biology questions must have answers."
>You yawn, waving your hand
"You saying inappropriate things to me on the other hand, completely normal."
>She snorts, pre-emptively cut off from a retort
>"It was NOT that!"
"Yeah-huh..."
>You've felt a lot more comfortable goofing off with the girls since you started the D&D campaign
>It really feels like the first group thing you've all done since...
>Since basically ever
>It has really felt nice
>"I swear, if I said..."
>She grumbles and kicks herself extra hard off of the mattress toward the living room
>Something does smell good
>You stumble up, keeping a light blanket wrapped over your shoulders like a poncho
>You follow behind her and see that Jack and Prism have already helped themselves to large bowls of the stuff
>Thankfully trays are underneath to catch any mess
>It still weirds you out how they can't use utensils but eat fine without it
>Shine uses a spoon
>"He's awake! I guess we won't be having seconds then."
>Jack scoots out her doll of her Ma from behind her
>"Hey, did Sparky tell ya? I'm eating for two now!"
>You grimace at the pair
"I'll have you know that I'm short on glue and I know where there's a factory."
>You're sure they might've planned that
>They're a sneaky trio
>You really can't give them too much benefit of doubt
>You plop down across from them, legs crossed like a fatigued, world-weary sage
"What time is it, anyway?"
>Jacky laps at her lips and looks to the side at the clock on the microwave
>"...dunno, you never set the microwave clock back to normal."
"Thanks."
>"But you haven't been back long. Sparky told you it would be another hour, you said you'd be up for it, aaaand you're up now and stew has been ready. So probably like an hour and a half?"
>She sounds pretty upbeat about it
>Stew must be good
"I guess that sounds about right..."
>A plate on a plastic, rectangle tray hovers over to you and sits itself down
>Stew on a plate?
"Ah... bread too."
>Shine sits down, watching you

>"Yup. I recall that you like dipping stuff into other stuff. So dip part of your baguette into my stew."
>You raise your finger and open your mouth to reply
>But...
>It is part of the dollar baguette you bought at Walmart
>That you bought expressly for the stew
"I'm still pretty sure you mean something else."
>You'd feel a little more awkward about the back and forth but after watching enough old internet personalities on YouTube with them it feels pretty natural
>It feels like they're just normal friends
>Equals
>And one of your friends made food for you
>Legit made, not just heated something up in an oven
>"...you gonna stare at it or actually have some? It won't be hot forever."
"Yeah, I am. Just... you know. Thanks, Sparking. I've never had any friends make something like this before for me."
>Shine gives her own type of chuckle and a long sigh
>"Oh... don't worry about that. You've already kinda said something like that before, remember?"
>"Yeah, don't worry about it! I haven't thanked Sparky and I got first bowl."
>Jack sounds proud of herself
>"And next time I'm making you pay for it."
>Shine sounds irritated
>"That's fine, I'll give you an hour of cuddle time with Anon."
"What?
>"Seriously?"
>You and Shine reply simultaneously
>Prism, who's been quietly drinking her stew, spurts out with a laugh
>Thankfully the tray is there but it isn't a small mess made
>"Oh boy... we've officially reached that point."
"Who the hell said I'm on sale?"
>"I did, Honey-Hands."
>Jacky points a hoof at you and winks
"...ok, we've watched enough Nostalgia Critic for one lifetime."
>This is worse than when you taught Jacky about internet memes
>At least then it was only really her keeping it alive
>The bread and plate goes by quickly
>It really does taste pretty good, saturated bread or no
"I dig this. Chicken stock?"
>"Yeah. Beef but chicken stock instead of beef."
>It sounds weird but on top of having grabbed the wrong broth, you did mention that it would probably turn out better because of how unique it would be
>Turns out you were on the money with it
"Right on. How much did you make?"
>You look over the pony-sized kitchen area
>It started as a pretty standard set of camping gear but you've sunk some money into it
>Cutting board, electric stove plates, air fryer
>A lot of things that only you or Shine could use
>You're sure Jack must've felt down in the dumps before after learning that cutting anything is near impossible with a knife in the mouth
>But she really does seem fine with it now
>At least, she tells you she is
>Prism doesn't seem to mind at all
>She's fine lazing around
>Which is cool
>You'd do the same too if you were some pegasus chilling with your friends all day
>"I have enough for... three days, I think. Things kinda got big so I used the actual stove and stuff."
>Guess it explains why the pony kitchen was mostly clean
"Neat. I know stew isn't the hardest thing in the world to make but you nailed it."

>"It didn't cost us a lot in resources either, did it?"
"Not at all."
>You look down at your plate
"So. Raise hands or hooves to make Shine our official stew wench and de facto chef."
>Jacky raises both of her front hooves up
>Prism, who cleaned both her bowl and her tray, holds up a hoof
>You hold up a hand
>You look to Shine and she has her hoof up
"...wait, you vote for it too?"
>"Dude, if Jacky's paying for it in cuddle time, I'll cook peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate cookies four times a day."
>Your eyebrows raise
"Wait, you know about those no-bake cookies?"
>"Prism brought them up."
>The mentioned pony nods in between pecking at her feathers
>"That's right. If we're going to seriously take a chance on cooking more than just the bare basics, we may as well try something nice."
>Jacky pipes in, like she's trying to take some credit
>"Hey, I decided on the recipe!"
>Prism continues
>"You did. That will make a big difference on how the batch turns out too."
>You can't help but think that sounds...
>Condescending
"Well... damn. I guess I'm selling cuddle time too then."
>You stand up, scooping up bowls and trays for the sink
"Well, make a list of what you guys need and I'll reckon I'll pick up whatever whenever."
>You put in the most earnest of half-assed attempts to rinse off everything and decide to mostly just fill the bowls for later
>You return to the living room, tightening the poncho-turned-blanket around your shoulders
"So how's everything going otherwise?"
>You had the urge to just slump off to your room but you don't want to wander off after a good meal
>"Good. Though I am going to go out onto the patio for a nap. It's been rather windy out and I..."
>She shakes, her wings flapping
>"I'd like to enjoy it. Thank you for the meal, Sparking."
>Acting like a dignified princess that didn't blow stew a few minutes, she nudges open the glass patio door and hops out
>"Ah... she's weird sometimes. Think it has something to do with the wings?"
>Shine shakes herself and stands up, her head held high
>"Well I, for one... am going to Anon's room. The electricity is on and I..."
>She gently puffs her chest out and tilts her head back and forth
>"Would like to play some video games. Adieu."
>With a theatrical way of her flank, she trots off to your room
>That leaves you and Jack
"It's a good thing you're not weird, Jack."
>She tries her own snooty pose
>But gives up halfway through
>"I'm weird, I just don't feel like putting on airs."
>You hold out your arms
"Fair enough. C'mere, airhead."
>She gets up, steps sorta-sideways toward you, and hurls herself into you
>You catch her fine
>As if you'd have any issue catching a lazy pony
>You both watch Prism position herself at the right angle and lay down
>Her wings spread out and catch the wind
"...so what's her deal again?"
>Jacky shrugs
>"I wish I knew. I think... I don't know."
>She sounds unsure

"I guess that's a good a reason as any. Though to be fair I guess if I were her, I'd worry about falling."
>"Falling?"
"Sure. Say you can fly. You can test it out but if you fall, it's gonna hurt."
>You can hear some sort of concerned whine
>"...are you saying she fell?"
"I have no clue. But I'd be careful about that sort of thing. Kinda like how if I had magic. If I wasn't confident in it or never learned how to, I'd be cautious too."
>"Would that fit her though?"
"Maybe. You'd know better than I."
>You both watch her wings slowly flap in the breeze
>"Hey."
"Yeh?"
>"...you know I wouldn't sell you for anything. Right?"
"Of course I know."
>"I mean it."
"I know you do, Jack."
>"I need you to know... just in case."
"I do know. It's just goofing around, you know?"
>"Yeah... I know."
>She pushes herself against you harder
>You both watch Prism glide on the breeze
>You're sure she's sleeping at this point
>Every few moments, her wings flap and catch the wind

>You planned on playing some games tonight with Shine
>More, like you were wanting to introduce her to a few games like Days Gone and Dead Rising
>You brought up Days Gone last night, and played it a few hours of it with her
>But tonight...
>Eh
>You've been listening to a Zeldawave playlist while laying on your back
>She's been laying on her back too
>You've been pretty much face to face, watching the ceiling
>With the trippy visualizations on full screen, and with no other lights in the room, it gives off enough of a psychedelic vibe
>You've both been nodding and rocking your heads in tune
>It feels nice
>"Hey Anon."
>She sounds relaxed
>Ever since this D&D stuff started, you've noticed that she's mellowed a lot
>Or maybe the groovy tunes are just doing a number on her
"Nothin' like the old school..."
>"The old school..."
>The beat drops and the song starts to hit hard
>You get the feeling that she wanted to ask something but that can wait until the song's over
>You both rock your heads back and forth, in sync
"Ain't nothing like the old school."
>Only when the song fades out and into the next one do you answer
"What's up?"
>The next song isn't nearly as much as a banger so it isn't nearly as exciting to listen to
>"I know Jacky's like... your girlfriend."
>The thought isn't new
>But it still makes you smile to hear
"I suppose she is, yeah."
>"...so what can we be?"
>She's lucky the current song on isn't so fancy
"Honestly? You're kinda the cool sister I never had."
>"Why do you say that?"
"Because I know you have my back as much as I have yours, if not more so."
>This next song coming up isn't all that much of a banger either
>But you still like it
>"Do sisters usually..."
"Expose themselves repeatedly and try to push away girlfriends out of jealousy? I'm gonna say 'no'."
>She fidgets on the bed and mumbles something
>"I don't know if I should be more proud or embarrassed that you remember that..."
"Both."
>"...you're weird, you know that?"
"I spend my time around three chicks that are also talking ponies. You're gonna have to find a more obvious thing to decide I'm weird."
>"That's true. I guess I forget that isn't normal for humans."
>The next song is some more classic vaporwave
>But still not a banger
"It sounds weird but after my friends... I don't know. You're family. I guess sister-in-law?"
>Shine snorts
>"That implies Jacky is your wife... I have a long way to go before I'm ok with that on any level."
"Why?"
>"Because it'll mean that both Prism and I just won't have anyone."
>You sigh
"Yeah... I guess that is a thing."
>"I got another question. How do you say this sort of stuff so casually? Isn't this supposed to be really deep, touchy topics to tiptoe around?"
"...you want me to chew the fat and tiptoe around you?"

>You hear a laugh
>"First off, ew. That saying sounds gross. Second... no. I really don't. Both of them are honest but you... don't have any ulterior motives. If you say something, I can bet on it and win every time."
"You don't trust them as much as you do me?"
>You don't hear a response for a bit
>Long enough for there to be two new songs
>The current one still isn't a banger but it's pretty smooth and jazz-like
>"I don't think I can. I've changed. I know that. I know Jacky has change. Prism has... improved. But I don't know if she's changed."
"What about that whole 'honor among thieves' thing?"
>"I'm not a thief."
>Her retort comes quick, coming out before you even finish your sentence
>"I mean... I don't want to be. I really don't."
>You lay and listen to the music
"So are they still thieves?"
>"I don't think Jacky is, no."
"But you think D-Ash is."
>No answer
"...do you think she might still do something?"
>No answer
"You don't really think she would push Jacky to something, would you?"
>"They talk, Anon."
>You scoff
>You roll your head from one side to the other, knocking your temple against hers
>Just hard enough to nudge her head a bit
"We're talking right now you goof."
>"I mean like... seriously talk. Prism asks a lot about you."
"I guess that's good. Why does she ask a lot? She could always ask me directly."
>"I know that. You know that. She knows that too. But she doesn't want to."
"Wiggy. What does she ask about?"
>"Personal details. Intimate details."
"...how intimate are we talking?"
>"All five senses, Anon."
"...ew. Why?"
>"They just share everything. They always have. They probably always will."
>You guess that isn't so shocking
>You've heard Jacky go on entire rants about you when Prism was still fresh and recently out of the box
>Both literally and metaphorically
"So you don't trust them because of that?"
>"I know that if I tell you something, you'll keep it to yourself if it's important."
"And this is probably important."
>"It really is."
>You forgot where all of this was going
>At least the next song is nice
"Anyway. Something something, me being casual about saying things?"
>"Yeah. What's with that?"
"It takes far more effort to lie to someone, or to not be yourself completely. And you guys are my friends. At least, I like to think so."
>"You should know so."
"I should."
>You inhale
>You like this playlist but you only actually really like a few of the songs
"I'd rather just end myself if I had to choose between being myself fully and still having friends... is what I want to say."
>"...huh?"
"That's right."
>"I don't get it. You just said it."
"Yeah. I want to say that. But I think I'm at the point that I just have to believe what I do, say what I mean, and stick to honesty."
>You clear your throat

"Let's drop the moral posturing, shall we? We both know there's no altruism in this pursuit. Your reckless indignation led you here. I counted on it."
>Your voice is hard, confident
>Rehearsed
"There's no shame in it, Sparking Shine. Revenge is motivation enough. At least it's honest. Hate me, but do it honestly."
>"...woah."
"Let's be honest, Shiner. Independent of how you guys are, I'm a low working class guy. And I probably only ever will be one. The best thing I could give, and keep, is my word. That means saying what I will. Not because it would hurt someone and not because it would put me into a better position. But because it's the only path I have as a man."
>"Ichiban... he'd say the same thing I think."
"Sure. Him, Kiryu, Kain, a lot of... admittedly fictional characters would. Whether a vampiric lord and ruler of millennia, some walking legendary bad ass... or some fucking dork that can throw away half of his life for loyalty's sake."
>You sigh
"If they can pledge themselves to their ideals and have at least have one thing they stand by, why can't I? What excuse do I have to lie, of to betray? What would that say about me, in my most solemn hour, that I would do that for personal gain? What scars would I leave?"
>"...two things."
"Yeah?"
>"One... you're kinda having an effect on me."
"Is it due to the mood music?"
>"Sorta, it's kinda more sad than comfy. Two. Is the music making you say this?"
"It's only making it easier for me to make an ass of myself, mon amie."
>"I guess that's why every Yakuza character gets such bad ass music."
"Probably."
>You roll to the side a portion and set up a different playlist
>You lay flat again
>"Hey Anon."
"Wat."
>"I want to stick by those standards too."
>That makes you smile
"Letting that fire temper you into something better, huh?"
>"I'm being serious. But also yes."
"Good. You should. I don't rightly know if me being a guy has anything to do with those ideals. But I think if you care enough, it'll do you right."
>"You should talk to Jacky more like this."
"Think she has a lot to add to it or take away?"
>"No... not really, honestly. But I think she would appreciate hearing it. You could tell her to jump off the balcony and if you said you'd be down there to catch her, she wouldn't think twice."
"I hope so."
>Something nags at you from inside
"I don't remember, have you told me about how she was back then?"
>"I don't know. Probably?"
"Well... tell me more about her."
>"Hm... well she was just as dumb as she is now."
"Is that supposed to be an insult?"
>"You'd think so but no. She's still as... wide-eyed as ever. But she's got more going on upstairs than I give her credit for. Probably more than what you give her credit for too."
"Well I don't think she's dumb."
>"She is. But she really isn't."
>She fidgets
>You can feel that she's trying to favor one side specifically

>"I'm... only really gonna say it once. But maybe you should talk to her some time. Tell her that even if we hang out a lot. Even if I can cook and all that stuff. Even if I still may sometimes try to steal your attention because I'm still not completely ok with having lost to her. Just remind her that she isn't dead weight. She really isn't. She just wants to be that steady rock. A smile that's consistent and real no matter how much things change."
"I never thought of her as dead weight."
>"But you aren't sure how you can let her do more things. And she's kinda afraid to keep failing."
>She always just seemed happy to chill and laze around
>It would be natural for most people to want to feel useful or accomplish something
"...have you talked to her about this?"
>"No."
"...have you been doing something with your magic?"
>"I don't think I need to answer that, Anon."
>Crap
>You're not really embarrassed or bothered if she did do that sort of thing
>But it does shine a spotlight on your flaws, and Jack's
>"Find something that you two can do together."
"Like what?"
>"I don't know. More shopping or stuff."
>She rolls onto her side, her face resting on your shoulder
>"She was never really all that skillful, you know. She didn't get a lot of chances to learn anything. Prism really kept her distanced away from skills that could really pay off if you were dedicated enough. And now, here... she tore herself up when you were stuck in your low point."
>It sounds a little like she's speaking into your ear
>"To be honest... I want to believe I haven't lost. But that's just my thing. She's a rock. Help her to roll around a little."
"The ol' rock and roll..."
>"I guess, if that's what it's called."
>You want to feel bad but you don't
>Instead, you're putting that energy into how to make it right
>Feeling bad won't really fix anything, and it won't help her
>It sounds cold but that's the way you need to think if it's for her
>And it is
>She deserves an answer to her problem, not pity
>That is part of the ideal you want to live up to, anyway
>"Maybe you are kinda like a big brother to me."
"Because I let you mooch off of me?"
>"Because you're really the only person I've ever met that I genuinely respect."
>She nuzzles your shoulder
>"Now keep the music playing and shut up for a bit. I want to sleep."
>What a great way to end things
"Pain in my ass..."
>"Now you know how it feels. I love you too Anon."
>You spend the rest of the night listening to her and the music
>You're tired
>But you need to think of a way to help Jack
>Sleep can wait

>Delicious summer
>Almost
>Long gone are the nights, mornings, and days of hanging out under the blanket with Jack
>Now it's nights, mornings and days of hanging out with her with a fan buzzing constantly
>Same amount of clothing is used so it's actually nicer in the summer
>Rather than playing games, you've just decided to listen to a playlist of high level Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 fights
"Hey Jack, what do you think about our campaign so far?"
>To help spread out the tutorial bits, you've made the trip to and from the governor guy full of encounters and convenient skill checks
>You've managed to sell them on the idea of dealing with traps and finding chests and other items due to deserters and that border patrol group doing things
>Last Saturday no one was really focused on playing
>Shine was playing an RPG
>Prism found some new music she wanted to enjoy
>Jack shrugged and went 'eh' when you asked if she was ready to play
>You get the feeling that she doesn't actually care for the dice rolling as much as she enjoys the role playing of it
>In other words
>She's a complete normie
>Not that you mind
>You've been taking Shine's words to heart
>You've been trying, anyway
>It's all you can honestly do
>You've been taking her out more
>Not necessarily dates but you've found things to do to take her with you
>Honestly that doesn't include a lot of things
>What has been neat is that you've been taking her out to just drive around and usually find a nice parking lot to nap in
>It's nice to be alone with her again
>You've both come pretty far since then
>You don't think you've really changed all that much
>You have seen how she's changed, and adapted
>She's still one of a kind
>"Anon... is it really gonna be like this if we go camping?"
>It's a particularly muggy day
>Not overly hot, but humid
>Honestly it's not even hot compared to down south
"You bet. No AC, no running water, camp cooking, fishing..."
>"Fishing?"
"Yup."
>"...I've never seen you eat fish."
"That... is true. Can't say I'm fond of fish. But I grew up fishing."
>"Ew, why?"
>You've both been laying back in your car's front seats
>The backs reclined out fully
>A windshield cover on to help reflect heat
>Car engine off
>Windows rolled down
>Pretty comfy
>You're close to work too
>Just focusing on a little scenic off-shoot that shows a lot of trees
>And with trees come pollen
"Iunno."
>You finally reply
"It was nice to be able to do that with my old man, or my uncle. It was fun."
>"Isn't fishing just sitting and watching a pole every few minutes?"
"Yup."
>"How is that fun?"
"Because you go fishing with someone you like so you goof around with them. And if you catch a fish, that's just a bonus."
>She's been laying on her back, legs kicked out as far as they can go
>Good view, good way to cool off
>Presumably
>All she needs is a soda with a silly straw and a pair of shades to really be in
>Maybe with a baseball cap on backwards

"To be completely fair, all we're missing are fishing rods, a body of water, and worms."
>"...worms?"
>She hasn't opened her eyes for at least a half hour now
>But you know she's awake because whenever your hand goes to her stomach she flinches and let out more of that goofy laugh
>She can't stop you from doing anything if she's not paying attention
"Yup. You stick them with a hook, fling them out, badabing you get a fish."
>"What would you do them once you caught them?"
"Eh, toss them back."
>"Really? Doesn't that hurt them?"
"Well some do get hurt if the hook goes up their nose and out their mouth or something."
>Jack recoils and pokes her tongue out with a 'blegh'
>"Just kill me at that point."
"Right? But nah, it was just for sport. It's the best, safest sport to enjoy while doing absolutely nothing. Alcohol doesn't really impede it outside of a hook to the hand... or to the neck, depending on situations."
>"...is it ok if I stick to more modern sources?"
"Like pre-fished fish and pre-hunted meat?"
>"And pre-squeezed juice."
"Well sure. That's what most people would do."
>She lets out a long sigh and kicks her hind legs out
>"Anon... I have come to a realization."
"I'm incredibly good looking."
>"No."
"Damn."
>"I mean, sure, but that's not it. I don't think I could ever live like Tuco and all that. Electricity, heating, safe running water? I don't think I could go back."
"You don't need to."
>That's the end of that
>You can tell that she's had something on her mind but she hasn't been saying it
>The silence persists until it visibly bothers her
>"Anon, what's my role? I don't want to fish, I can't really cook, I don't offer sage advice, I can't use magic, I lack manimal thumbs, I don't really mind if I just lay around all day... how do I add value to the apartment? How do I add value to you?"
>She's been tiptoeing around that for days now
>It has probably been far longer than merely days
>Despite her criticism she doesn't sound or look bothered
>"I'm a barbarian."
"Your character's a barbarian."
>"But she's me. Except even then, I can fight and chop wood and..."
>She finally opens her eyes
>"I'm one note. I'm a one trick pony. Not even Ma was one and somehow all she did was turn everything into an apple themed cooking thing. I even stopped with the memes because too many of them started to get too confused and needed me to learn about even more memes and..."
>She grumbles something you don't catch
>"What am I here for? Why couldn't you have been a stallion that found me? Why couldn't I have been a human? Why couldn't you be the pony instead so I could take care of you? What should I do? What can I do?"
>What if you were a pony too?
>That would be weird
>You know what she's talking about though
"What if I was a pony?"
>"Then we'd be on our fourth foal by now, bucko, Sparky would be a highly jealous aunt and I could terrorize Dashie with being nanny."
"Ha!"

>That would be a fun scenario to have
>Especially pushing Prism to nanny duty
>Shine probably would be very jealous at that point
>Maybe she would have more reason to be jealous, given the biological compatibility would actually be there
>She sinks into her seat
>You do as well, actually
>It would be nice to have a family, wouldn't it
"Yeah... that would be nice, wouldn't it."
>You nod to yourself, smiling
"Though to be honest, wouldn't stop at four. Hope you'd recognize that."
>Your quick response makes her squirm with another trademark goofy laugh
"...you think Nona might know if... uh, that could happen?"
>"W-what? You're serious?"
>She nervously brushes her mane with her front legs
"Well... if something happened we'd have known by now surely, right?"
>You lean over and pat her belly
>It used to be pretty steeply concave when she first was around
>Now it has flattened out to something more even
>Another nervous horse noise is your only reaction
"Just sayin'. But... I don't know. It might help to know. You know?"
>To stop from embarrassing her to death, you shift topics and shift back to your reclined seat
"As for skills and things you can do... well, that's the question. Do you know what I did before I got you? When I was still down south?"
>"H-harassing mares, I'll tell you what!"
"No... well, yes. But no. Not mares. I was dumb muscle."
>You sigh hard
"It was worthless work. Dead end. And I was living in a complete shit hole. I had less than a hundred bucks a month that wasn't already immediately for a bill or rent, or food budget... which was a hundred bucks."
>"But when we went to the store we got more than a hundred bucks worth of food and part of that was just Sparky's stew wench stuff."
"Exactly. It sucked. I never thought I'd be where I am now. Silly question, but did you think you'd ever end up in some alien world?"
>"And get harassed about having some buck's hundreds of foals? Well, of course not."
"Hey, I'm not saying hundreds... just three dozen. At the very least. So... y'know. Get ready."
>She squirms until she lays on her side
>"I ain't hearin' none of that now, y'hear?"
>She's channeling her Ma in full force
>"One dozen and not one higher."
"Not unless I really feel the need."
>"Yeah."
>You're surprised she didn't push back against that
>Just the tip of the wedge to get to the multiple dozens
"But yeah... I don't know. Maybe you haven't found your ideal skills yet. And that's alright. There's no rush, right?"
>That's presuming she has been trying to find her skills
>You've known some people who put off finding things that they were good at
>You were one for a while too
>"Yeah... sure. Maybe. But why does Sparky get it so easily?"
"Because she's... her. You gotta remember, without her magic you could bounce her like a ball all day long and she wouldn't be able to stop her. You gotta give her props for her doing... whatever it took for her."

>"I guess so. Can you tell me what might help?"
"I can tell you where might be good. But it still kinda just comes down to you, you know?"
>It's hard to give her answers that you don't have
>That's almost always what you have, isn't it?
"It's you and me, Jack. I have certain skills and you have certain skills. What's important is that we're aiming to compliment each other."
>You adjust your seat to a more legally acceptable driving position
>'Maybe I have certain skills you don't have... and maybe you don't have as many skills as I do. But you can change that, right?'
>You want to say that
>But you can't
>She's not just a friend you can give advice to
>She's more important than that
>You need to say something more valuable
>You need to do more than merely say something
"Whatever you want to get into, I'll help you out however much I can. Just let me know, y'know?"
>You lean over and ruffle her mane
>It's starting to grow back out a lot more to how it used to be
>Her hair grows back pretty fast
>Likewise, your hair grows pretty slowly
>She looks up at you
>"You mean it?"
"Damn skippy, Miss Hippy. Before Shiner and Prism popped up, it was just you and me. And that means something, doesn't it?"
>She smiles
>That smile reminds you of so much
>And just like before, there are so many details about her body and her face that just don't register to you
>It's just that smile that matters
>That's how you know she matters so much to you
"Since we're already out, wanna grab something to eat and rub it in Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum's faces after?"
>She bolts upright to a sitting position, stars in her eyes
>"Heck yeah I do! Onward, to pancakes!"
>Maybe it's time for Jack to harass another waitress
>She's so nice except to them for some reason


"Don't wanna be just another guy, working for that rent money..."
>You've been waiting in the living room for around a half hour now
>Jack has been sitting in your lap, swaying with you while you sing through a few songs
>Shine and Prism have been keeping things on hold for a while
>The D&D campaign has been going well
>Thanks to Jack, their trip to the governor went well
>But they got sidetracked with helping a caravan go to a town near their own
>You didn't expect them to care but it does pay well and it gives them excuses to get more experience
>Though it may be quick, you've already given them a level's worth of experience to help trot things along
>Last night was supposed to be the game night but the unicorn was busy with a JRPG, the pegasus was doing some sort of zen meditation goofy shit outside in the admittedly light rain and the dork pony in your lap decided that she wanted to do things that took advantage of others having loud volume on
"How much longer are they gonna be? Did they tell you whatever the plan was?"
>"Lips are sealed."
>That was a quick response
"Yeah huh, I'll just have to pry them open then."
>"Barbarians have a high strength mod though."
"That's fine, we both know that words trump muscles."
>"Then why didn't 'stop' lead to me stopping?"
"Because you're an evil, evil mare and sooner than you think I'm gonna get my revenge on you ten fold."
>She squirms on your lap
>"Y-yeah right."
"Ten fold. You keep that in mind."
>"You don't have the grapes."
"Ten. Fold. Jack."
>You sink your head down next to hers
"Ten. That means an entire day."
>No reply from her
"And. Most of a night."
>"SPARKY, DASHIE GET YOUR BUTTS OUT HERE BEFORE ANON DOES SOMETHING!"
"Ha! A cry of help won't stop me from having my way with you! Saving throw this d-"
>In a crack of sound and a bright flash that makes you cover your eyes, her allies come to save the evening
"Ah, Jesus Christ what did you do?! Do you make a flash bang spell or som...ething...?"
>Jacky takes that chance to flop out of your lap
>She hastily takes her place at the center of the trio
>She rears herself up on her hind legs, trying to flex
>Shine is... wearing one of your long sleeve shirts
>You could've sworn that it was white as the driven snow but it looks completely black
>The right sleeve is rolled up
>The front only has three of the middle buttons together, leaving a mostly exposed chest
>The bottom of the shirt is drooping down so much it could almost look like a skirt or something
>Prism is...
>That's one of your hoodies
>She stuffed herself into it, with the hood up
>Only part of her face is visible, and a lot of that part is hidden by her mane
>"You rang?"
>Shine gives you her most seductive, evil glare and raises her hoof up to her face
>"Barbaric man..."
>Prism has adopted that odd upper class tone again, like when she freaked out from you offering to help her get into your car
>"We are ready! To CRUSH ALL!"

>Jack screeches and flexes again
>She actually does have some visible muscle to show off
>The dent in your fridge door is still proof of that
>You stare at them... actually, genuinely freeze in their pose
>You wait
>God above, none of them are blinking
>And Shine wants to so badly
>You blink
>Hard
>She squints
>Jacky wobbles just a little
>The war of attrition ends when Prism blows a tuft of mane away from her nose
"HA!"
>You point at them
"HA HA HA!"
>Shine stamps her hoof into the floor
>"Dang it, don't laugh it took a lot of effort to turn this black!"
>Jacky flexes even harder, straining her face to seem threatening
"YOU FUCKING LARPERS!"
>"I'm gonna larp your balls off if you keep laughing, I look hot!"
"You're gonna throw a beanbag at me and shout 'fireball!', you dork! Oh damn, where's my phone..."
>You reach down to grab your phone
>That's when you hear it
>"Nothing personnel, Anon."
>Wat
>Prism tackles you from behind, latching her front legs around your neck and her hind legs around your stomach
>"Jacky, now!"
>"SMAAAAAAAAAAASH!"
>Jacky charges fully at you, taking a leap
>Oh fuck
>She thankfully turns herself to the side, giving you a severe hip check to the stomach
>It didn't exactly hurt but it made you give an exhaustive 'oof'
>"Take this! Color Spray"
>Shine's horn glows and three pillows fly at your face
>They are at least all different colors
>Stunned and blinded for 1d4 turns, you fall back
>"Waitwaitwaitwait!"
>You land on your back
>Except it's not all on your back, Prism took most of the fall for you
"...well played."
>You can see Prism's legs flailing
"Sorry, I'm stunned. Looks like I'm crushing you now."
>"Get OFF already, you can't treat me like I'm a pillow!"
"Should've thought of that before you attacked me."
>Jacky cackles and jumps onto your chest
>Your ribs can stand her attack but the added weight causes her to give another sharp scream
>"Defeated! Quick, let's check his pockets for loot!"
"Jacky I'm wearing shorts, I have two pockets and they hold nothing without dragging the shorts down."
>Shine slinks her way into your limited viewpoint
>"Then I guess we'll be taking those shorts then, won't we..."
>You see it in her eyes
>She's serious
>You bolt upright, launching Jacky off of your chest
"Alright, that's not gonna happen right now."
>You look behind your back on reflex and see Prism completely splayed out and vulnerable
>The hoodie fits pretty well actually
"So... is this really how you guys are gonna dress up for this?"
>Jack, who landed on her back, nods
>"Yup. I just gotta dress up and we're set."
>You can only imagine what that's going to be
>Shine pulls out a bandana and a belt
>Yellow bandana and your normal belt, specifically
>Jack scrambles to lay on her stomach
>The bandana goes over her head, with her ears poking out from it
>The belt, thanks to magic, snakes around her chest and fastens itself
>Looks like a bandolier
>Almost

"You know I'm not buying an axe for you to wear and swing around."
>"Thanks for reminding me..."
>She sounds well and truly saddened by this revelation
>Prism recovers from the backward body slam and finds herself back to Jacky's side
>She is actually quite quiet when she wants to be
>Like nothing happened, all of them go to their usual D&D spots
>Just this time Shine is to your right, Jack is to your left and Prism is across from you
"Well... points for you guys getting into character I guess. Did you really use some sort of magic bullshit to turn my shirt black?"
>"I'll show you how later but it'll cost you your shorts."
"I'll short your smug face you..."
>You shake your fist at her like the most infuriated of lethargic geriatrics
"Alright. So. This was quite the experience. Are we ready to actually play for the night?"
>All of them seem good to go
>"Actually..."
>Prism speaks up
>"I think it might be good if we went through some practice events."
"Say what."
>"Well we are relying too much on dice, and not enough planning. I think you should give us some practice for the night so we can play better."
>Jack nods
>"I think so too. Like, you mention us and where we are against enemies and I get it on the map but... like, it's hard to think of it actually happening."
>Shine pipes up
>"I agree. We also need to get more into character. Alignments are important and I don't think we're playing close enough to them to be authentic."
>She keeps emphasizing certain syllables
>Given the bedroom eyes she's giving everyone, you can tell she's seriously attempting to be what she thinks is some evil sorceress
>She just looks like she's undressing whoever she can with her eyes
>Easy to do in the other girls' getups
"Well... damn. I guess you all have good points. So what first?"
>You get a mixed answer of "combat", "roleplaying" and "tactics" hurled at you all at the same time
>Nice
"...right. Alright, first will be tactics."
>Prism nods and smiles
>It's kinda hard to tell that she's smiling with the mane in the way but it does look funny
>"The best choice. There are rules for grappling and shoving, but what about being surrounded? Getting attention?"
"There are hit modifiers for surrounding, attacks of opportunity and skill checks for intimidating and threatening are a thing."
>Her face scrunches
"...you've read the website I'm using I take it?"
>The scrunch intensifies
>"I... think there should be home rules to make it easier for us to do."
"What? Why?"
>"Because none of us have skills in intimidation but we've been able to surround ponies before and never lose when we do that."
"Yeah well you aren't ponies here and you won't tackle me into giving you bogus bonuses."
>You already fudge their results enough as is
>Not terribly but a +1 or +2 to a few rolls so they don't fail
>You do still consider this something of a tutorial area, after all
"Next?"
>"Combatcombatcombat!"
>Jack beats out anything the shirt wearing mage could say

"Alright, what about it?"
>"If I'm angry at the enemy I should get a bonus to hit!"
"What?"
>"Well Final Fantasy Ten does have the verbal commands that spike up your stats..."
>Shine adds to the argument in a lusty voice
>It doesn't suit her, she's trying too hard to put effort into her throat
"Yeah, and those are boss fights. And they're only available to certain characters because it is important to them in the story. Getting angry at random mooks doesn't count."
>Jack looks taken aback by your rebuttal
>"But I almost died that last fight!"
>You point an accusatory DM's finger at her
"That's because you kept rushing from one enemy to another out of support range!"
>A second verbal blow makes her fling herself onto her back
>Drama queen
"So, third is rol-"
>"Wait!"
>Jacky scrambles up
>"You gotta stop giving your enemies buffs! They're too hard for our level!"
>You squint at her
>She squints back
"They're more than fair because the biggest fight you had was three of you against two of them. I make it any easier, on paper, and you'll be curbstomping every singular encounter without feeling it."
>"Ack..."
>Jack reaches for her chest and falls over
"You are dead. Not big surprise."
>With a shake of your head you focus on Shine
"Alright... and roleplaying, right? You guys already stay in character for the most part."
>"I know but we aren't playing true to our alignments."
"Says who?"
>"Good roleplaying is supposed to lead to experience rewards at the end of the session... you owe us at least another seven hundred XP."
>That nearly blinds you
"Exsqueeze me? Seven hundred? You're lucky you get seven for color spraying nearly everyone who looks at you funny!"
>"Hey, it was that one guard! One!"
"And that hunter's dog!"
>"That doesn't count, it was going to steal our rabbit!"
"You were poaching to begin with, it wasn't yours to hunt!"
>"And I'm evil, I'm not supposed to care!"
>Good grief
"...alright. Maybe the roleplaying bit could help. But you guys gotta remember that you aren't all that fancy. You're just three bumpkins that are getting some work."
>"Even though we're the main characters? When do we get our powers?"
"You cast magic, you already have powers!"
>"Yeah well it's not strong enough to one-shot!"
>Now she's just being a pain in the ass
>But
>She's being true to character
>If you're being charitable
"Not gonna happen. Fight smart, you don't get your Pony Sue powers to flatten the continent."
>Jack frowns and waves one of her legs at you
>"Hey, what about me? When do I get a real berserker rage?"
"You already have some sort of barbaric adrenaline rush."
>Prism shrugs
>"I would rather we not fight at all. Every time we do, we have to rest too much to heal. None of us can reliably heal without using items.
"Thank you. All of you, stop asking for extra benefits. Do what you can to work with what you got."

>Shine doesn't like that answer
>She leans over, puts a hoof on your knee, and drags herself across the carpet toward you
>"There isn't anything we could possibly do...?"
>Her character hasn't tried to seduce anyone since the campaign started
>This is really just an excuse for her to act more outwardly evil
>You're sure someone would fall for this without a second thought
>Instead you want to punish her by beating her butt in Soul Caliber
>It isn't a complete failure at least
>You rub your eyes with your fingers and sigh
"Alright. If you three dorks can stay in character for a full week, I'll give you each a buff of your choice. But I get final say on what it is and how much it matters. No arguing."
>That seems to be the right choice
>Shine chuckles
>"See girls? That is how you Bluff someone."
>Alright, that's over the line
>You flick her nose
>That breaks the spell that is her attempt to be a sorceress with sex appeal
>Not that she doesn't
>But still
"Oh come off it, Bluff isn't anything like seduction. Jack has intimidation and that is the exact opposite effect. If anything, our little rogue should be trying to seduce me!"
>You point at Prism
>She grimaces
>"Yeah... no thank you. It's all you, Sparking. I'm not that sort of rogue anyway."
>Temporary thwarted and wounded in both spirit and nose, she slinks back to her spot
"If you guys are gonna take this seriously, maybe try to plan out how to do things as a team too. That might give you better tactics because you'll have to actually work together. Just remember that your skill checks are you just... actually doing things."
>You glare at Shine
>"So don't show me a dice roll and tell me I have to do something."
>She looks offended
>"I would never do that! I would just stun you or knock you unconscious."
"God save the man you turn full Juliet for."
>"Hey Romeo, what if I intimidate you into giving me a berserker rage?"
"You already have your adrenaline urge or whatever it's called, Jack. And how are you gonna intimidate me?"
>"Don't ask what you don't want answers too."
"Ah Christ..."
>You stand up and head to the kitchen
>You're gonna need a drink for tonight
>You gotta give them credit for sticking so close to character though
>It means they really are taking a shine to this sort of goofy business

>Night one
>None of them are really letting up on the larping
>Jack has been stuck with her barbaric ways but you get the feeling that she doesn't honestly know how she's supposed to act
>So instead she's been less a blood-stained brawler and more a sleepy princess
>She's at least been more forward with stuff
>Not like 'stuff' has amounted to anything more than extra mane petting
>To help her get into the groove of being the most adorable murder machine, you've been setting up action movies to watch with her
>Almost all of them involving the Terminator, Sumarian, and most American of Austrian-sounding meat trucks himself
>She lasted for most of the first Terminator before nodding off
>Damn shame she fell asleep before the bar scene with the chick with the three lumps
>Nothing to do with being a strongmare but still good fun
>"Pst. Anon."
"G-GAH!?"
>You jolt, stopping yourself from bolting up from laying on your side
>You don't want to wake Jack up
>You bend your neck back to see... your hoodie
>With a long, white muzzle poking out
>It's Prism
>She's fucking laying on you
>How did this happen?
>When, even?!
"...do I wanna know where the hell you came from?"
>"Just checking up on things. How's Jacky doing?"
>You refocus on the snoozing sledgehammer in pony form
"Pretty good I think. Did some flexing, brushed off the dust from my dumbbells so she could do some stuff. Not really sure what all she should be doing as... her character."
>"Do me a favor?"
"Take a picture of you so I can immortalize that goofy look of yours?"
>You seriously aren't sure how she's supposed to see anything at all with the hood so tightly pulled over her head
>"She wants to go for a run. Tomorrow can I trust you to take her out and run her until she's exhausted?"
>That sounds weird
"Why?"
>"Because I want to test her too. She needs to realize what she's capable of doing physically."
"How is this gonna help her get into character more?"
>"It's not. But it'll help her feel better."
>Has she been feeling bad?
>"And... if it isn't obvious. I'm giving you my approval for you two to go out. So don't blow it."
>You don't think you ever got her spoken approval before
>You feel a quick peck on your cheek
>"If you don't, I know where you sleep."
>You've been focusing on the stomach-mutant talking about opening your mind but that kiss did it
"Alright, I'm gonna take a picture. You just signed your own warrant."
>You reach over to grab your phone, which was right under Jack's ear, and turn to take a snap at...
>...
>Where'd she go?
>You don't feel any change in weight or anything like that but she's gone
>How the hell did she do that?
>Last you checked, no amount of Move Silently, Escape Artist or Hide can make her that light
>And that's only when it comes to dice rolls, not actual physical movement
>You set your phone aside and nudge Jack by poking at her ribs
"Hey... hey. Jackuzi."

>She mumbles something
>The bandana has more or less been undone by this point, leaving the belt-bandolier as her only piece of apparel
>Which somehow makes it even more apparent that she's been almost always nude for... always
>While you certainly don't mind, maybe you could surprise her with something...
>What sort of items would a barbarian wear?
>Warrior paint is messy
>You don't have a lot of leather and it certainly wouldn't fit her
>Leather doesn't seem the most appropriate either
>Would a skirt work?
>Maybe a scarf or something like a neck gator...
"Hey. Countess Jackula. I summon you."
>Her lips animate like she's trying to say something, or drink water
>Probably both
"I got my cup if you're thirsty. But you gotta rise to partake."
>She mumbles something and kicks her hind legs out in a heavy shake of a stretch
>"Mmm... Anon water."
"Well when you put it that way it doesn't sound nearly as appealing."
>"Says you. What's up?"
>She brings up her head, just in time to see Quade start the reactor
>You grab your nearby lidded cup with metal straw and hold it to her face
>She slurps down almost all of what remained, maybe two thirds of the max capacity
"You wanna club elk and wear their skins tomorrow?"
>She twists until she's laying on her back
>She looks at you with the most fatigued of squints
>"...what did you say?"
>You rub her chest with a nod
"You heard me, Xena. We're going out and are gonna barbear it up."
>"Wha-now? But I'm comfy..."
>She looks at your laptop monitor
>Just in time to see the big bad of the movie screaming with his tongue and eyes bulging out of his head
>"...man you watch some weird stuff... what time is it?"
"Not now, Ponesaw. But tomorrow. Think your schedule's gonna be free for it?"
>She inhales, closes her eyes, and nods
>"Yeah-hm. You can club me with whatever you like."
>Well that sounds promising
"I'll hold you to it."
>You lean down and give her throat a peck
"You can keep chilling then. Don't mind what unspeakable things I'll do."
>"Mmhmm... saving throw against you waking me up again."
>With a melodious yawn, she relaxes all over again
>She acts goofy as is, you can't imagine going out with her in character is going to be so bad
>If you had the environment or knowhow, you know she'd love swinging an axe and splitting wood
>Not like she has very far to swing so it... might not be dangerous
>You'll have to find something a bit more befitting of your town
>Oh well
>You have a day to think of something
>For now, you can just enjoy petting her
>You set up another movie too, not that she'd be awake to watch it
>Maybe the idle gunfire and screams of murder will help her connect to her inner action star

>Morning of day three
>You feel sore as shit
>Not only did you go out running with Jack last evening, she challenged you to a fight
>It wasn't so much of real fight as it was her wanting you to grab and hurl her around
>It was fun though, you just had to find a stretch of grass that wasn't used as a dog park
>You even found a little hill to fling her down
>To relax, you sat around while you beat up her butt with repeated punches
>What wasn't smart for your hands was to enter a boxing match with her
>Fists to hooves, that sucked
>She knows how to avoid a flying hand though
>Slapping fights and pony rolling aside, it was fun
>By the end of it, you carried her back inside
>And you texted your supervisor to call in for the day
>You couldn't exactly use 'got in a fight with a pony as per her request' so you stuck with some nondescript reasoning
>Rather than dirty your bed in an entirely new way, you opted for the living room instead
>"Anon, you up?"
>Dammit
>You were mostly asleep
"Ehhhh."
>"Have fun?"
>Sounds like Prism
>You refuse to answer her
>You've slept for long enough, probably
>But you want to sleep more
>As long as you don't open your eyes, she can't presume you're awake to speak to
>"Jacky's taking a bath now. She told me that you didn't go easy on her."
>She doesn't know the half of it
>"She said she was happy that you didn't treat her like she was some sort of... what did she call it, an invalid?"
>You highly doubt Jack has that particular word in her lexicon
>"Shame you aren't awake... she would like to reward you with a rematch of sorts."
>Fight the temptation, Anon
>Fight it
>Wait, she woke you up
>And bringing you good news
"..."
>Your body lacks the capacity to hide that you find the offer agreeable
>"It sounds like you're going to accept this job too..."
>A hoof pokes against your arm
>"She already started the water... I might hurry if I were you."
"...dammit."
>You finally open your eyes
>She's still wearing that hoodie
>Worse, the hood is still tight around her face
"You look ridiculous. I hope you know this."
>"I'm not the one who's sprawled out on the floor in his underwear."
"No, you're usually the one who's sprawled out on the floor naked."
>Her face muzzle scrunches
>She kinda reminds you of Kermit
>"...all the same. Thank you for playing with her. She likes video games but both of you know that she can't play them that well, if at all. This is something she excels at. Don't deny her what she can do well."
>You avert her hidden eyes
>She has a point
>You do want to do better for her
>Of course, that also means doing more things that she enjoys
>And getting her to more openly admit what she really wants to do
>It isn't that there is a problem to address
>Just that you want to be better for her
>"I'll take Shine and go for a little walk. We have planning to do."
>She smiles
>"That means it'll just be you and her here for... say an hour?"
"Two."
>"Hour and a half. I'm not a charity."

"Two and I'll order a pizza for the night."
>"Add bread sticks."
>Why this little...
>All pizza crust are bread sticks
"Deal."
>"Two hours it is."
>She pats your chest and trots off
>You listen to them bicker to each other, both in their own exaggerated forms of speech
>You sleep
>Or you pretend to
>You hear them both leave
>Real shit
>You go from laying on your back to standing in record time
>Such a record time you lose your balance
>But your body perseveres
>Your rematch will be had
>If Jack is waiting for you, good
>If she isn't expecting you...
>Even better
>You feel glad that you called in for the day
>You won't feel the need to rush

>Night of day four
>You have been reminded that it is, in fact, summer
>And summer is hot
>This summer is very hot indeed
>Or at least this heat wave is
>You know what would help too
>Not having a God damned pony on your lap
>"It's like a sauna..."
>Shine is on her back, stretched out with the shirt still on
>You've been reduced to underwear and it still isn't enough
"It would be less like a sauna if you got off of me."
>You've been focusing on a handheld game
>No matter how overly dramatic she has been when it comes to stretching and seeking attention, the heat has destroyed any of her chances of sparking interest
>"You know what would help?"
"You getting off of me?"
>"You prying this shirt off of me button by button..."
"How about-"
>"With your mouth."
>She has the most shit eating, obvious grin on her face
>She knows that you know that she knows that she's milking this whole 'in character' bit for all it's worth
"...tell you what. Figure out a spell to make the apartment cold and you got a deal."
>You're willing to play along
>More so, you're sick of this intense, uncomfortable warmth
>Last you saw Prism, she was nearly dead
>You offered to help her take off the hoodie but she mumbled some sort of goofy excuse
>Jack doesn't seem that negatively effected by her bandolier or bandana
>Shine's eyes widen
>What looks like a smile grows
>Just to sink completely
>"...cold?"
"That's right."
>"...are you sure you don't want things to get even h-"
"Nope, I require cold snap. Anything less and I won't snap you."
>What you would never admit is that she actually did the trick just by sliding off of you
>She drags herself to a normal sitting position and immediately her horn starts to grow
>"Cold... cold..."
>She mumbles to herself
>You want to focus on your game but you can't help but keep an eye on her
>If she accidently burns something, you're in trouble
>If she figures it out, you're in bigger trouble
>You can hear something... crackling
>"Cold... chilly..."
>She grumbles
>Her horn is crackling
>Did that happen before?
>"Cold..."
>Should you say something?
>"Anon..."
>Should... you reply?
>"MOUTH!"
>She rears her head back and headbutts the air
>A ball of fire combusts in front of her
>Before you can grab her and ask what the hell, you see...
>Well you're not sure what you see
>Rather than it be red
>It's blue
>Blue fire
"What the hell are you doing?"
>"Mouth.... COLD!"
>The blue fire twists and folds into itself into a perfect ball
>It stops
>From the bottom to the top, the ball starts to freeze
>It's actually starting to freeze
>Maybe it's fatigue
>Maybe you're getting a heat stroke
>But holy shit, she's actually doing it
"Holy shit you're doing it."
>"H... holy shit I'm doing it! ICE MAGIC, THY NAME I-"
>The fire fizzles out
>The bottom third of the frozen fire drops on the floor
>"ANON, I DID IT, I MADE ICE!"

>You aren't sure that you can believe it
>Not only did she not burn down your apartment
>Not only did the fire that she made not actually produce any heat that you could feel
>She turned some of it to ice
>She turned fire
>To ice
"Wake the girls. I'm not sure one witness is enough."
>She has no hesitation in running off at full force, shouting some sort of mishmash of word regarding ice, cold, and your mouth
>You aren't sure what message that will send but you're too delirious from the sight to care
>You grab one of your many discarded shirts and scoop up the quasi-sphere
>It has some weight to it
>The quick loss of heat to your fingers through the shirt proves that it is, somehow, ice
>Is it... normal ice?
>Dry ice?
>If it's dry ice, your hands are done for
>But it isn't hissing out carbon dioxide or whatever that stuff is made of
>"AND THEN I MADE BLUE FIRE AND BLUE IS COLD AND CHECK IT OUT!"
>Shine has the look of madness in her eyes
>Jack is eager
>Prism looks like she's about to melt
>She really should at least take down the hood
>You weren't keeping track of her rambling but you hold up the evidence to them
>"SEE?! HE'S HOLDING IT TOO!"
>"Whoa..."
>"I... did not think you could do that."
>"RIGHT?!"
>You set it down in front of them
"...I don't think it's melting."
>You look over the trio
>Shine looks like she's over the moon
>Jack looks...
>Well she looks like you
>Prism looks like she's about to die because she won't take off that stupid damn hood
>Everyone sits around it
"..."
>"...so can we cool off the apartment with it?"
>Jack finally speaks up
"No."
>"YES!"
>You and Shine speak up at the same time
>"Wha, why not? This is enough, isn't it?"
"It's not."
>"IT IS!"
>Another simultaneous reply
>"But wouldn't it help?"
>You don't say anything this time
>"ABSOLUTELY!"
>She beams at Jack
>At the ice chunk
>At you
"...how?"
>You can watch the steam leave Shine's engine
>"I... what if I make more?"
"More might be dangerous."
>"Wait, I got an idea!"
>"Jacky, you don't know magic, why would your idea work?"
"You don't even know how you did this, why wouldn't her idea work?"
>Crap, you don't want the idea to work
>"Exactly!"
>"...ok, I'm convinced. What is it?"
>"Snow cones!"
>Snow cones?
>Shine doesn't look convinced
>"...what do snow cones have to do with cooling everything down?"
>Jack scoffs, as if it's the most obvious thing
>"We eat big snow cones, we cool off, we have the rest of the ice on us so even if the apartment doesn't cool down entirely we'll be able to cool off individually ensuring that we are able to relax."
>What in the ever loving hell
"..."
>"You know, you're smart for a barbarian. You know that?"
>"I rolled a natural twenty."
>You glance at Prism
>You catch her pulling down her hood by an inch
>At her realization that you saw, she pushes it back up
>Damn it all
"...how do we know this is safe to eat?"
>"Why don't we taste test it first?"
>Jack looks hopeful

"I'm not sticking my tongue anywhere near that."
>Shine smirks at your comment
>"You made the rules."
"You can shut it."
>You huff through your nose
"...well shit. I guess if anyone's gonna test this out, either none of us do or all of us do."
>That sounds fair
>Shine shrugs
>"If you're really that worried, I can just try a piece for myself. I made it anyway, right?"
>"Nah, it's for all of us s-"
"No, I like that idea better."
>Jack squints at you
>"And what if it's poisonous?"
"It's magical ice, it's not poisonous."
>"Then why can't we all try it at the same time?"
"That bandana is doing miracles for your brain circulation, you know that?"
>She winks and sticks out her tongue
"Alright, fuck it. I'm getting up and getting spoons. And a big bowl."
>"Don't forget the syrup."
"Yeah yeah."
>You stumble to stand and head to the kitchen
>You're really iffy on this, but you're outvoted two to one
>It would be two to two but your little rogue compatriot is too dense to speak up
>By the end of the week those flapping feather bits better become fully cooked chicken wings
>After some preparation, everyone has a large bowl of blue ice chunks
>Blue ice chunks covered in syrups of various kinds
>No one is quick to take the first bite, now that push has come to shove
"...you know. I wonder if the ice itself has a flavor."
>"I wasn't thinking of flavor when I did it honestly."
>"Can you eat magic?"
"Feel free to speak up whenever you want P-Dash."
>She looks transfixed on the bowl
>You take your spoon and scoop up the first small chunk that is effectively drowned in strawberry syrup
"This is gonna suck, isn't it."
>"If it sucks, I'll make it up to you."
>"That's right, I'll make sure of that."
"Neither of you are helping."
>"Please hurry up and test it out. I'm about to drop in this."
"You have yourself to blame for baking in that shit and not taking it off like any reasonable moron."
>...well crap
>Time to be an hero to them all
>You slide the syrupy chunk into your mouth and crunch
>It doesn't feel like it's dry ice
>All three of them are gawking at you like you might turn into a dragon
>Eat your peas, professor
>Very slowly, you push the chunk back to the corner of your mouth
>You close your mouth on it
>It doesn't shatter
>It...
>Squishes?
>You bite down harder on it and it breaks
>It's over and you gulp before you really comprehend everything about it
>"Well?"
>"Are you magical?"
"..."
>You chew a few more times and shrug
>You feel a little underwhelmed
"It's... kinda like some fiber cube snack I've had before. You know it's not honestly... oh."
>"Oh?"
>"'Oh' as in 'oh crap'?"
>You can feel it go down your throat and rest in your stomach
>You can feel it just sit
>And spread
>To their surprise you take another chomp
>"Are you sure you should be doing that so quickly?"
>"Is this supposed to weird me out that you're eating my magic?"
>You gulp down the easily fragmented bits of cold and syrup


>That feeling of cold...
>It's actually working pretty well
>It's better than drinking a bottle of frozen water in one gulp
>But without the brain freeze
"If you guys aren't gonna eat your own, I'm gonna get them."
>That comment before a third spoonful spurs them to action
>By the end of it, the bowls are empty
>As is a lot of the syrup
>A chunk the size of a fist remains
>"Oh sweet heavens, Sparking I could kiss you."
>Prism shivers in her hoodie
>Jack nods, nursing off of a bottle of maple syrup
>The 100% raw, true blue stuff
>"Yeah well what's stopping you? I'd say I've earned it. Right Anon?"
>You cooled off enough that you actually got dressed
>Somewhat
>At least a shirt
>You have no clue what the side-effect of this could be but at least you can feel a strong... lack of warmth
>It feels kinda nice
>It means you won't be sweating anytime soon anyway
"...Crap."
>"Mm?"
>Jack can't seem to bring herself to care about what's going on
>That syrup wasn't cheap either
>Shine cackles
>"Ahh... I'm gonna enjoy this."
"No you're not. Prism, back me up-seriously?!"
>"I appreciate your efforts in stirring her to new heights, Anon. Jacky can always help if needed."
>That's cold
>She's just up and leaving like it was nothing but a casual snack
"Jack..."
>The born again Canadian nods to herself, content to have gulped down far too much syrup for it to be safe
>"Don't worry Anon. I always help out with stuff. What does Sparky need us to do?"
>The newly proven ice queen cackles even harder
>This ain't gonna end well


>Night of day five
>The heat continues
>Not as much as yesterday, but still bad
>Maybe it isn't as bad because you ate something you probably shouldn't have
>At least you didn't crap lightning to complete the cycle of elements
>Shine has been more than full of herself
>Everyone else was thankful for that trick, sure...
>But she's really getting an ego
>"Anon..."
>Nope
>You're not going to open yourself up to more
>You have a pillow on your lap and your eyes are focused on your game
>"Look over here."
>Not gonna happen
>"No really, look."
>Not even a once
>You can remain stalwart longer than she can remain attention hungry
>"Look at me and I'll leave you alone."
>You can agree with that
>You look over and see her posing with her-your-shirt still on
>And wearing Jack's hat
>"I'm a witch hunter now."
"...huh."
>"Impressed, right?"
"You would probably work with a wider brim."
>She relaxes from her pose and looks up at the hat
>"...really? I thought witch hats were only wide."
"Witch hunter hats are also wide."
>You nod as your speak
>Your sage wisdom gets her to start nodding
>"I guess that makes sense."
>Jack's hat lifts off of her head and flings itself back up onto your dresser
>"I feel like I'm missing something to make the outfit complete."
"What, a random shirt isn't enough for you?"
>"No."
>She sits herself on the floor
>"Jacky has a bandolier and a bandana. Prism has that hoodie and glasses."
"Wait, she's wearing glasses?"
>"Yeah...?"
>Shine looks at you funny
"Where did she get glasses?"
>"They're yours, I'm guessing."
"I don't own any glasses, Shiner."
>"Yeah you do. Black lenses?"
"Oh! Yeah, those are my shades."
>"Yeah, she's wearing those."
>She looks at you like you're stupid
>You must be
>You have no clue how those are supposed to fit so well on her
"That... just means she has an even harder time of seeing."
>The unicorn shrugs and rolls her eyes
>"Listen, you don't know how magic work, Jack doesn't know how to parry or execute a combo, and I don't know how Dashie does anything."
"Idiot, you don't even know how magic works."
>She puffs out her cheeks and leers
"...when's the last time you even called her that?"
>"What, Dashie?"
"Yeah."
>Her face softens
>"I don't really know."
"Not a fan of nicknames?"
>"I guess not. Just feels weird calling her that, it's not like I know her like that."
>Fair point
>You go back to your game
>She doesn't seem that keen on moving
>You manage to make some good progress, albeit mostly grinding, until she speaks up
>"Hey... uh, question."
"Shoot."
>"I'm not breaking character but... I'm supposed to be neutral evil."
"Yeah?"
>"Am I... supposed to feel bad?"
"Feel bad? For what?"
>She keeps a straight face but she isn't looking at anything in particular
>Her eyes do avoid you
>"Last night."
"I'm not going into detail about that."
>"What's to go into detail about? You talked Jacky into undoing most of the buttons anyway."
"...y... yeah. Like that."
>You finish your latest fight so you can focus on something else
>Apparently this is going to be a conversation now
>You'd really rather not just not bring it up and blame it on the stuff you ate
>You bought yet another fan so it is stopping you from asking for seconds
>"I kinda wanna make you do that sort of thing again. You know. It felt like I won. Like it was real victory."
"So what's stopping you?"
>"I don't know. I'm worried that I might go over a line. Or get too wrapped up."
>You can see that happening
>"I feel like I'm really the main character of this. In the campaign, it's my bluffing that got us so far."
>While true, there were far more obvious solutions that they could have taken instead
>"And... in real life? I can actually do magic. I can do what's really impossible. What's supposed to be impossible."
>That is a good point
>"I can... see me getting ahead of myself. And making everyone really mad."
>You squint in thought
>Yeah, you can see that
"I suppose so, depending on how much you rubbed it in."
>"So... how do I be evil but not bad?"
"Well. What do you think it means to be evil?"
>She frowns
>And doesn't answer, more importantly
"You can do evil things for your family. It might not necessarily make you a good or bad person, you know? But if you do objectively evil things for your family... then yeah. The weight of your sins can outweigh those you help. Like killing someone because they hit your sister's car."
>"None of us have any cars."
"And thank God for that, if you were in character you'd have killed someone by now."
>Your wit doesn't sit well with her
>"You wanna know something really evil?"
"Oh this oughta be good... let 'er rip."
>"I was thinking of trying to seduce you. I made sure to wait until after Jacky went to sleep."
>She doesn't sound ashamed of herself
>The way she exhales after saying that makes you think she probably wanted to get it off of her chest
"Well that's... mature of you."
>"Should you really be congratulating me on not doing something like that?"
"Probably not. But I do appreciate that."
>"What?"
"That you aren't trying to seduce me."
>You've paid attention to the game long enough that she's watching it too
>She also found a spot to sit right beside you
>"I could still be trying to do that, you know."
"Ahhh... reverse psychology?"
>"Maybe. You probably wouldn't know any better."
"Nah. I probably wouldn't notice that the shirt is less buttoned than yesterday. Or that you smell nice."
>You have zero clue how she got the scent of cinnamon on her
>You hope she didn't break into your meager spice shelf
>Most of it is some form of pepper anyway
>"Thanks."

>She leans her head against your arm
>"...I do this anyway so this doesn't count either, right?"
>You pause before answering
>You shrug
"I suppose you've done worse before, right?"
>"...yeah... sorry, by the way."
"You wanna know a secret?"
>Her ears perk up
>"About me having done worse?"
"Yes, but no."
>You finally pause your game
>And rest your hand on her head
>You ruffle her hair
>She seems to enjoy it
>But you keep ruffling it
>"A... Anon."
>You keep displacing and making mess of her hair
>"C-come on n-now, st-"
>Ruffling intensifies
>It lasts until she ducks her head down and away from you
>She has the worst case of bed head now
>Along with a particularly red face
>Redder than it usually is, anyway
>"What the hell man?"
"Exactly."
>She squints
>And scans the room as if she were unsure if you dropped some knowledge nuke on her
>"... what?"
"Now you know how I feel."
>"I... I don't follow you."
"I've long since stopped trying to figure out how you three work. I'd rather just enjoy who you are because you are who you are. If I can pick up on why and how you do what you do, cool. But if I don't... well hell, what's the bit that's confusing me? That I live with three chicks that may as well be sisters, or that I live with three ponies that may as well be sisters despite being different... forms. Species? Either way some personal boundaries have gone out the window."
>Even after your first night drinking with Jack, neither of you really wanted to sleep alone
>But that was... something different
>You think
>"I have no clue what that has to do with you ruining my mane."
"Either I ruin it like that, or I don't ruin it. And you want me to ruin it."
>You sagely nod
>Under normal circumstances you would be glad that you had a pillow on your lap given the topic of conversation
>But Jack the Barbarian went to be for a reason
>"I... y-you..."
>When you worded it that way, she pulls back even further
>"...that's a dirty trick."
"But am I evil for doing it?"
>"We're back on that again?!"
>You finally look at her
>With the most pleased expression on your face
"You can't seduce me. My brain's too smooth. Your sexy words just slide off."
>You poke the side of your head
>She snarls
>She just realized that you said all of this trash just to throw her off her game
>"You piece of crap!"
"Yeah I know I am, what are you."
>You focus back on the game
"We're both adults, man. If I really was so easily led into something hazardous, wouldn't that make me a pretty shit guy?"
>She snorts out a frustrated noise
>"Jacky gets to..."
"And do you honestly care what she does or are you just jealous that she's doing it? We've talked about this before."
>"That... time didn't count."
>You don't even sound bothered, you just sound a bit exasperated
>"Hey, screw you, ok?"
"Screw me, huh?"
>"Yeah. Screw you. I'm not that weak."
"Ooooooooohhhhhhh really."
>Your head rolls around on your shoulders twice while making that comment

>"Yeah. I could... get any guy..."
>You can hear the wind leaving her sails
>"...and then he could run campaigns for me and my sisters. And then I could be his fantasy fuel."
"Shine."
>"No, really. It's ok. What are my odds, right? One in three zillion that I could end up like her?"
"Shiner."
>"It's not like I'm SO useful, right?! As useful as HER!"
>You keep a rather calm tone
"...is this still part of you trying to seduce me by guilting me into getting my guard down?"
>She huffs up like she's going to explode
>...
>And deflates
>"Honestly I don't even know anymore."
>She shakes her head and shrugs
>"I don't know. Kinda? Is it working at least?"
"Enough to warrant a hug maybe. But because I've hugged you before and I really haven't complained about it."
>She looks at you for many minutes
>Then she reseats herself at your side
>"...thanks."
"Anytime."
>"...so if you were that shit type of guy."
"Yeah?"
>"...would that lead to anything?"
"No."
>She lets out a disgusted scoff
>"Figures."
"Even if I were a pretty shit guy, you got a lot going on upstairs. Even a shitty version of myself would rather you figure and sort that all out than to take advantage."
>You're not sure if you said it the right way
>Part of you was late to the mental party and just came to the idea that she could take that the wrong way
>"...you ever take advantage of Jacky?"
"E-eh?"
>You would rather not look at her when faced with that question
>"I mean really. You guys have been close for... ever since I came around. Since before then, I think."
>She nudges your side with her hoof
>"Come on... evil to evil. I won't tell."
"You did that mind thing a while back. You already know the answer to that."
>You're really glad that never led to anything bad
>You still don't understand all off it but you've learned to just roll with things
>"If I did... it's based off of a biased viewpoint."
>Both of you focus on the game
>"You really kinda swatted me down, you know."
"Did I?"
>"Yeah."
>More game time
>Uninterrupted game time
>"You remember that one time you bought that bottle of honey stuff?"
"Honey stuff...?"
>"The alcohol."
"Oh. Mead?"
>"Yeah."
"What about it?"
>That bottle did not last
>"You drank a lot from one of your cups and offered me a bit. And I drank the rest."
"I suppose you did."
>"...I drank it where you drank it."
"And?"
>"...I don't know. Just wanted you to know that I guess."
>You don't know if she's still trying or not
>Either way you sigh, wrap your arm around her, and headbutt the top of her head with your face
"You overthink things too much."
>The gesture brings back some sort of teasing tone in her voice
>"Or do you just think too little?"
"Maybe. You know, I've never told Jack the L word."
>"...maybe you can practice with telling me that."
"Alright."
>You pause the game and quickly rotate yourself so you're facing her completely
>"W-wait, what?"
>You grab the sides of her face
"Sparky."
>"S-seriously?"
"Shiner."

>"You're going to pull a fast one aren't you."
>You bring your head down
>Very much down
>Down where you're eye to eye with her
>She looks like you've done something unspeakably bold
>She really is just a girl
>Pony
>Girl pony
>Pony girl
"Sparking Shine."
>She looks too embarrassed to speak
>She actually is kinda cute in her own way
"It's still very hot out. It's still very hot inside. It is, in fact, somehow hotter inside than it is outside because outside at least the wind does something."
>You squish the sides of her face
"I, Jack, and Prism, will love you forever and praise your name and keep it fresh on our tongues if you could find a way to change the weather at least until it cools down by at least five degrees."
>The look on her face
>You'd think that she witnessed you confessing to her
>"...really?"
"Ask them too if you don't believe me. I promise you that they will say the same things."
>She breathes hard through her nose
>She looks like she's going to burst
"You said it yourself. You're the main character. Save us. Save me."
>The tip of her horn starts to crackle
>"Y-you got it. Anon!"
>You finally release her
"Go now, my red... whatever alliterates with the letter R! Save us from our steamy fate!"
>"Y-yeah! YEAH!"
>You flex and point to the door
>In an instant, she bounds off of the bed and makes a mad dash out
>You have no clue where
>And you are worried that she may blow up or freeze the apartment now
>But fuck it
>If you're willing to eat your words and unbuckle shirt buttons, you're willing to play up to her heroism
>For being 'evil', she sure seemed eager to help

>Night of day six
>This larping business is starting to mess with your head
>Prism is wearing your shades and just stares at you when you're around
>Shine is still motivated from last night and you're sure she's going to explode
>Or create a giant combustion with herself as ground zero
>And Jack
>Poor, sweet Jacknautica
>"Human. Explain to Jacky this device."
>You've been chilling in the living room with them
>You want to set up some sort of group larp activity but you're frankly stumped regarding what would work
>Where do you take a barbarian, a rogue, and a sorceress?
"Jack, my dear. This is a laptop. You've seen many things on this before."
>"MEMES CROM FROM THERE. ANON, SHOW JACKY THE VIDEO OF THE CHIMP."
"Fucking Jack Rogan over here..."
>She happily headbutts your back
>She's either trying to give you a massage, scratch her head, or taunt you into battle
"Prism. Speak to me."
>The pegasus that looks like she would be a bad-touch pony if you were younger answers by smooching the air twice
"...please don't do that again. What's she doing?"
>"She's embracing herself."
"I severely hope that if she starts doing that I can at least watch."
>Whatever
>It's not bothering you all that much
>But she's acting more like a goober than usual
>They all are
>At least none of them are paying attention to your internet sleuthing
>And you think you just found something
>You quickly bookmark the page and close out of it
>Another headbutt
>Out of reflex you twist your torso back, grab onto the earth pony's forelegs, and swing her to your front
>She doesn't exactly fight back and ends up getting flipped onto her back right next to your knee
>She lays there
>Like she's expecting you to do something next
"...Jack."
>As if it's an answer, she spreads out her legs
>"Jacky is defeated."
"Oh come on man, your intelligence isn't that low."
>She glances away like you saw straight through her
>"Jacky... is unsure of how barbarians act outside of fighting and things."
"Yeah..."
>This is starting to wear thin on everyone apparently
>You begin to play her ribs lightly like a set of tender bongo drums
"So, since I'm pretty much the only one who's able to speak freely, I've decided that tomorrow is going to be a challenge night. I think we can all reliably say that we're getting tired of this. Right?"
>Jack nods, her front hooves idly swinging to the beat of your lax drumming
>Prism purses her lips
>And gives just a tiny nod
>"If I figure out how to make things cooler after tomorrow does it still count?"
>Whatever the spell slinger is doing, it hasn't helped a lot
>At least it's keeping her busy
"...yes. But that's not the focus for now."
>Your drum solo continues
"So tomorrow night, I'm thinking we go outside. Do a little bit of an encounter. This doesn't mean we're going to have a fight, so... no fighting. Alright?"
>You pause your solo to point at Shine
"Eh?"
>She shrugs, only giving you partial attention
>"Sure."

>Your accusatory finger goes to Prism
>The hoodie is still wrapped tight around her face but you can see the vague outline of your shades
>You have zero clue what the hell she's thinking a rogue looks like
>She smooches the air again
"S-stop it."
>Your displeased reaction makes her smile
>She's doing that on purpose
>That's the only real guess you can make
>Your DM's Finger of God goes to Jack's face
>She licks your finger as her only reply
>This is making you seriously question if you should add any males to their party
>Jacky still thinks that any male that sticks around for longer than one fight is me in character form
>It has turned her into something of a show-off flirt
>Prism has been a dangerous flirt
>Shine has been a violent flirt
>They're all a party of God damned flirtatious dogs!
>Except they're ponies
>Which allegedly makes it worse
>D&D is often a good way to learn about someone
>You can see what they view as heroic
>What they view as necessary
>And just how much treasure matters to them
>Funny enough they haven't seemed to bicker over treasure
>If it's something Jacky can use, she gets it by default
>Something ranged?
>Prism's got her paws on it
>Shine?
>Anything that's a miscellaneous grenade type weapon or something she can make use of
>She doesn't really seem to use a lot of actual weapons
>They have even started to organize when it comes to combat
>You've been a little liberal about flanking rules but by Jove do they stick to their plans
>She's still licking you
>Dammit Jack
>You smear your finger over her snout and poke her forehead
"...you're gonna get it, you understand me?"
>With a husky chuckle, Jacky grins
>"Jacky accept challenge."
>You're losing your grip here
"ANYWAY. For the encounter it's going to be an item hunt. You three are gonna be looking for something, and I'm going to be the one guarding it. I will not have it on me so your best option will be to interrogate me. I will not make it easy for any of you. And I will not have my own stats, so fighting me won't do anything."
>"Can we just kick your actual ass and not worry about stats?"
>Shine finally sounds like she's paying attention to the conversation
"Good question! The answer is 'no'! But if you insist on it, I'm pretty sure I could take you all on."
>"Bold words for someone who gets flustered from a kissy face."
>Prism sounds too satisfied
"I'll kiss your ass with my boot. Once I put one on."
>"You know he actually did kiss my ass once."
>Jack
>What have she done
>"...you haven't told us that story..."
>Prism inhales and cocks her head
>What little you can see of it
>"That sounds like story material. Must've happened after I came around, I don't remember you doing that."
"Alright, all of you are breaking character."
>Jacky flops onto her front
>"Well first of all, it was while we were tr-"
"BREAKING CHARACTER, THIS IS NOT A PROPER LARP-"
>"Oh wait, you did tell me about this one... didn't you? The bit with the carrot cake?"

>"Carrot cake is your favorite, isn't it?"
>You want to suplex the smile off of that damned feather horse so badly right now
>"Wait, isn't that your favorite?"
>They're ambushing you
>This isn't how this was supposed to go
"Jack, I swear if you say another peep."
>Jacky's eyes land on you
>She puckers her lips
>"P e e p ."
"Oh you're dead."
>You can see the excitement welling up in her
>"Peep?"
"I'm gonna wear you like a glove."
>Jacky leers at you
>She slowly rotates her taunting pony skull toward Prism
>"Peep."
>Prism stands up, stretching
>As if they developed some sort of new alien-pony communication system, she lets out her own sultry noise
>"Peeeeeeeep... mhm."
>You can hear one more voice chime in
>"Pee-hee-eep."
>You quickly stumble to your feet
>Surely your physical stature will intimidate them
"...now hold on, this is the one time that wasn't an innuendo."
>"Mm... peeper?"
>"Pee-pa."
>Jacky stands up and Prism quickly flanks her
>Shine walks around you from behind to cover Jacky's other flank
>"Pee-pee-p."
>And just like that the moment has passed
>Everyone is looking at Shiner
"...peepee?"
>"What?"
>She doesn't seem to recognize what she did
>Until she does
>She grimaces
>"Hold on, I didn't mean it like that."
>Prism sighs with a fatigued 'ugh'
>"And here we were doing something truly effective..."
"Good going, sauce sluice. I was really getting agitated but now I'm not even primed for action."
>"Sauce sluice?! Who calls someone a sluice?"
>"What's a sluice?"
>Jacky is first to break the formation by sitting down
>"Not a nice thing to call someone, that's for sure..."
>Jacky's sneaky underling sits down too
"Now sluice is an insult?"
>Prism is the only one to not sit down
>"...what kind of sauce are we talking, Anon?"
"You know what? Screw you guys. I'm going to bed."
>"I think we tired him out, Jacky..."
>"Maybe he just needs some sluice juice."
>This sort of thing doesn't work well at all when you're being dogpiled
>Ponypiled
>You throw up your hands and walk away
"You fuckers are all out of character, you almost made it. No benefits for you."
>"But we're already friends! Let's still have the benefits!"
"No! Bad Jack!"
>You march to your room and ignore the trio of giggling
>Larp week is taking too damn long
>You better come up with a test that won't let them bully their way through
>Where's your bottle
>You need a friend that won't betray you like this

>Night seven
>Finally the end to this chaos
>"So Anon... what are we doing out here? It's kinda dark, isn't it?"
>You've been walking with Jack through a nearby park
>It's less a park and more just a circular concrete path with trees everywhere
>Similar to your outdoor date site but only a few hundred yards from the apartment
"Well I suppose I should tell you... I gave Shine and Prism a final task. Their task is to steal something off of me."
>And it is true
>You are holding something small on your person
>"Ohh... wait, why wasn't I included in on it?"
"You're my bodyguard. Your job is to stop them."
>Jacky stops walking to give a quick, sharp salute
>"Aye-aye!"
>You glance around the area
>No signs of either of them
"They also have another issue. They're on a timer. If I make four full rotations of walking or running, then I'll have escaped from them."
>You're about halfway through your first lap
>You set them out and gave them around a half hour to prepare and scout around the area so they really could be anywhere right now
>They could even be back at the apartment, laughing at you for bumbling around in the darkness
>But at least you aren't alone
>"Since we're in the home stretch... permission to... speak freely?"
"Go for it."
>You slow your pace
>"I really appreciate you putting up with us. It's been a lot of fun to... pretend."
>You scoff
>The larping has been very real
>Including the craziness that has turned your workplace into an almost homey setting by comparison
"You don't need to apologize for anything. I'm just surprised you guys took to it so well."
>You don't like how humid it is outside but there's at least a decent breeze
>No scent of cinnamon or something so you aren't downwind of a hiding Shine
"Yeah... I'll admit. I really didn't think D&D would fit with any of you. It's pretty crunchy for numbers. It isn't flashy or anything like that. The campaign is pretty much driven by what you've all been doing."
>"But that's why it's awesome! No one will ever get to play it like we have. And it really does..."
>Jack trails off
>"...well, it sorta reminds me of some stuff we used to do. But we're the good guys so it's better this time."
"Yeah..."
>You still have no clue how to approach her about that sort of stuff in detail
>There isn't much you can say that would be constructive or helpful
"Listen, Jack. It's been a while since you've been around, right?"
>"A big while."
"Right. How have you been liking it? Anything new to report?"
>"Mmm..."
>Your eyes are stuck on the dimly lit path
>You think hers are too since she's keeping pace
>"...we're a couple, right? I mean, you and me are a real thing."
"Ha, of course. I've never doubted it."
>"Can we go out and do more stuff? I mean, I know work keeps you busy and you've been trying to save up money but... in our campaign we get to run around and see new towns and cities. Can we actually do that instead of just playing it out?"
>You feel like a proper ass

"Yeah. Yeah, of course we can. We can look at whatever on a map, pick a spot and just go for it."
>"I would like that... but what about work?"
>No way are you going to just pass her by
>It's hardly anything worth caring about by comparison
"Fuck work. If I really need to, I can just call in for a day. Or just hightail it back early morning so I can take a shower or something and we're good to go. Or we have just enough time for me to drop you off then I go to work smelling like sexy mare."
>You kinda thought that'd get a laugh out of her to be honest
"...sorry I haven't done a whole lot for you, Jack. I know it isn't great to be stuck in all day. Or to really be stuck in a new world with just... nothing familiar."
>You finally do hear a giggle from her
>"Little late to be saying that now, aren't ya?"
"...point."
>"And you're kidding right?"
"Eh?"
>"You've been there for me every step of the day. And you brought my friends back to me. To us. Sure it ain't been perfect... but what is, you know?"
"Yeah..."
>You cross your first lap
>Are they really not going to attack you yet?
"Hey Jack? What's something you really want to do?"
>"Like what?"
"Like... anything. You have access to a car. You have your two minions at your beck and call. You got me too. I guess... what would you think is worth doing?"
>Jacky stops walking
>Despite your gut instinct, you stop with her
>"...how about another date?"
"Heh, we'll find a good date spot then."
>"Just us."
"You got it."
>"And I want it to be special."
"What sort of special are you thinking?"
>"The sort where we both say things we probably should have said before."
>Your stomach drops
>You aren't worried
>But... maybe you're embarrassed?
>Yeah
>You're embarrassed
>You've more or less stumbled into the best relationship you've legitimate ever had
>And... you've spent it doing what, exactly?
"Yeah... you really can't just out and say things like that."
>That sounds stupid
"I mean, you can say that sort of thing. But for the first time..."
>Hell, you don't know
>She has a lot more support than you ever did
>But she also had it far worse
>What you went through really wasn't so bad
>If you were stronger, it wouldn't have been so bad
"Gah..."
>You rub the side of your neck
>The more you think on it, the worse it'll be for yourself
"I'm sorry."
>"That's alright. I don't regret a second of the time we've spent together."
>You know what
>Fuck this test
>If they haven't attacked you yet for the little marble you have in your pocket, they can keep waiting
>You squat and take a seat on the concrete
"Come're, Jackknife."
>As if she were hoping you'd do this, she hops into your lap and makes herself comfy in record time
>It's just you and her on the path
>Between two post lamps
>And presumably with two would-be thieves nearby
>You hug her close
"I've kinda missed it just being you and me. During moments like this, you know?"
>"Mmm. Sparky's too comfortable with my man."
>Her man

>You spy around
>You can feel someone's glare on you
>She's probably smoldering a-
"Ah shit. Jack, three o'clock."
>"Eh?"
>She rotates herself to where you're looking
>It's a dog
>Rather, a dog-like thing
>It's too mangy looking to be a dog
>It's drooling too
>You can see more than enough that's leaking out to tell that it's not normal
>"...what is it?"
"Coyote."
>She thankfully keeps her voice low
>Fuck
>What does this mean for the other two boneheads?
"I'm going to pick you up. And we're going to haul ass."
>"We walked here, can you really carry me to the apartment doors without slowing down? What about Sparky and Dash?"
"If they're smart, they're laughing at us and never left the apartment."
>You don't even have a damned knife on you
>Time dilates
>What do you do?
>Running isn't an option until everyone is together
>Worst case scenario you're going to need a rabies shot
>You can't let Jacky get bitten
>Who knows how that shit will affect her
>A sudden chill down the right side of your back makes you shiver
>The coyote takes another step forward
>It's maybe... what, a three second run away?
>If you stand up fully, it'll be able to bite at your legs
>And of course you're wearing fucking shorts in the mid summer heat
>But it's better than letting it nip at Jack
"Hey... HEY!"
>It doesn't flinch
>Shouting at it won't do shit apparently
"Hey Shine! Pris?! Game's off, we have a problem over here!"
>"I see it!"
>You can hear Shine
>"We got another one near us. Staring competition!"
>Fuck
"Drooling a lot?"
>"Yeah!"
>Fuck
>Figures, you take the shortest trip away from your place imaginable and this is where it happens
"Alright Jack, hold on."
>She reaches up and hooks her front legs over your shoulders
>In one motion you go up to a kneeling position
>It's walking toward you
>Not running
>You stand up and back up into a light
>"It's moving closer! What should I do?!"
"Fucking light it up for all I care!"
>You really don't want to advocate for any sort of animal violence but rabid things are fair game until further notice
>You see a bright blaze of fire go up to your left and hear a dreadful scream
>Holy shit
>She actually did it
>"Anon, eyes ahead!"
>You enter the path lamp's light just in time to see that you're three steps away from the coyote
"Ah hell..."
>This won't end well
>You take one last step back, prepared to punt the diseased mongrel
>But you don't need to
>Blending into the dark almost too well, a hind leg kicks out and punches the coyote in the ribs
>It screams and hauls ass toward you
>...and past you
>It's Prism
>"Sneak attack."
>She says it like it's something to be proud of
>Not that you even knew where she was
"Alright, fuck this, BOTH of you round up!"
>In a matter of seconds Shine runs onto the path
>She has a wild look in her eye
>"I did it! I set it on fire! It was going to bite me and I killed it!"
>She sounds the wrong kind of excited

"Fantastic, we're leaving."
>"For the best, there might be more nearby. I think I saw another one."
>Keeping Jack in your arms and the other two flanking your sides, you rush for the next light that's closer to the entrance
>Then the next
>There are at least two more sets of eyes in the darkness that have been staring
>"Great idea Anon, you know I didn't plan on getting my throat ripped out while trying to steal some imaginary stupid treasure?!"
>Shine is understandably furious
>She keeps ducking and twisting around, her horn bright red and crackling like a newborn campfire
"Yeah, you caught me. That's exactly what my plan is, that's why I didn't bring a pocket knife or anything else!"
>"Two more lights until we reach the parking lot. Will we be safe in the street?"
"We'll be safer there than we will be here, that's what matters."
>Ignoring the bickering, your group rushes to the next light
>Despite being the barbarian of the group, Jack has been clinging to you like cold death
>"One more light. The one I kicked is ready for more too. Anon, your back is turned so they're advancing more."
"Alright fine, we'll fucking moonwalk it."
>You fail to resist a shiver when you turn your back on the path to safety
>Three sets of eyes that are halfway between the previous light and your ass
>"Let me burn them already and we'll be safe, right?"
"No, we aren't going to have the neighborhood think we have a God damned arsonist running around."
>"Walking forward. Anon, keep up."
"Right."
>You take more careful, cautious steps backward
>The two sets of hooves behind you let you know that you aren't walking at the wrong angle into the grass
>You can see them walking toward you still
"These rabid fucks don't have any fear, do they..."
>If they were normal, you could just scream and throw rocks or something
>If you even had any rocks
>You reach the light and keep walking
>"We're coming up on the parking lot. Lot of light, I recommend we run when we reach it and go to the other side of the road."
>You haven't heard any cars nearby so chances of getting run over is thankfully low
"Yup... yup yup yup yup. Jack?"
>She clings to you harder
>You really don't even need to hold her, she's hanging on you like a sentient bib
>"Y-yup."
"Yup."
>Once you feel yourself land on the absolute curb of the sidewalk, you twist and stop yourself from falling by taking a few wide strides
"Alright, parking lot obtained. Fucking beat feet ladies."
>The three of you break out into a full spring and cross the road diagonally and don't stop until you're in the parking lot outside of your building
>Though Jack isn't the heaviest pony on Earth, you feel twice as winded for carrying her over
"Oh hey, look at who it is! Where the fuck were you when we needed you, you cheeky bitch?"
>You throw out your best exasperated insult to your car
>"Speak once we're inside."
>"I'm not seeing any of them. They didn't follow us, did they?"
"Once we're inside it doesn't really matter."

>After one last bum rush into the mail room, everyone visibly collapses
>You especially
>You'd rather plant your ass on the cheap rug segment than the half-broken bench held together by cheap pig iron and planks that would only just barely survive a year at an elementary school
>Jack lets go of you
>Now that you can see her in the light, she looks absolutely stunned
>Prism looks...
>Like she's still in your fucking hoodie
>Except your shades are just barely dangling off of her face
>Shine's horn is still crackling
>The tip itself is on fire
>You reach up to your head to wipe your brow
>Apparently you've been sweating bullets
"Everyone good? Any scratches? Bites? Rabies-filled slobber?"
>Jack remains stunned and shakes her head too many times for a simple answer
>Prism's lips twitch a few times
>"No."
>Shine's horn sparks up, as if the question caused some sort of backfire
>"No. Because I burned it before it got close enough. I burned it."
>She does not sound like she's doing well
"Yeah... right on. Cool."
>This isn't good
"Let's head back upstairs. I gotta call this in, some buildings allow pets."
>You don't know how you're going to explain the one burnt up coyote
>So you aren't going to bring it up
>You just need to call animal control and let them take care of it

>The larp week is finally over
>You were expecting the end to be... drastically different
>Instead, it involved you sending a random tip to the city about seeing more coyotes than usual
>You don't listen to local radio but you have heard some casual talk out and about that one was found charred up
>Along with a wide swath of grass
>Of course it didn't lead to any trees burning or a massive fire after
"Jaaaaaaaaaaaaackkkkkkkkk....ahhhhh..."
>You drop down on your knees at the edge of the mattress
>Your fall over like a plank of wood and your face smacks into her flank
>...
>Nothing
>You repeat yourself, as muffled as you are
>After the larping ended, she stuck pretty hard to just watching movies
>The usual westerns and a few other movies that are more action than violence
>Shine hasn't really opened up to you but she's also showing that it hasn't really bothered her
>Or at least she isn't acting like it bothered her
>Only Prism has been open to talk with you
>"I can see why sneak attacks are so effective."
>"Why are you worrying about me? It's not like any of us were in any real danger."
>"When it gets cold, you don't mind me using that hoodie again, do you?"
>While it wasn't her reward for sticking in character, you've decided to surrender your hoodie to her
>It looks fine on her anyway
>She's a bit more talkative, so progress has been made
>...
>Still nothing
>You rub the side of your face upward until your chin is resting on her
"Jackrabbit. Speak to me."
>As if she were caught in some sort of daydream, she looks at you
>"Eh?"
"You zoning out or something?"
>"Eh..."
>She gives a half-hearted shrug
>"I've been... kinda having these dreams lately. I guess that night reminded me of when I was little or something."
>She hasn't ever really told you much about those dreams
>Not more than maybe a really bare bones version that sounded like some of nebulous story she made up on the fly
"Anything you'd wanna share?"
>"No."
>Her answer comes quick
>Curt, even
"Ah. Well, you know my ear's always open."
>"Mmm..."
>She's still watching her movie
>It's that mummy movie with that actor
>The one that JUST couldn't stop having fun with the stunts
>You're jealous of his hair
>You're man enough to admit it
>Just not out loud
>You remain splattered on the bed and decide to just watch the movie with her
>When it ends, she looks down at you
>"...you really like laying down there?"
>You twist your head and nod, rubbing her flank with the side of your face in the process
"I do."
>"If you're gonna stay down there, I'm gonna make you do stuff. Come up here and sit with me normal."
"Ah... damn. Well, if you insist."
>You slither up into a more appropriate position and sit behind her
>After a little finagling she's laying with her head on your thigh and your other leg over her body
>She already had the sequel queued up so you watch that too
>You've missed this

>That week felt like it lasted for months and it really did unleash a special sort of wild side
>Now things are kinda... just back to normal
>D&D is still on Saturdays so by then you'll get some answers out of what they want to bless their characters with
>By the time the pygmy mummies pop up, she's nuzzling your thigh
>By the time the terribad CG scorpion rock monster shows up, you're brushing your mane with your fingers
>"Hey, did they ever make a third movie?"
"Yup. But it's really not so great."
>"Dang..."
>Maybe a minute goes by
>"...wanna watch it anyway? We can make fun of it if it really is that bad."
"Deal."
>You spend the rest of the night watching mummy movies
>By the time the third one finished, both of you shifted into a laying position with your upper arm being her pillow
>You last a third of a movie before sleeping
>The following morning, you wake up before the mare
>"...get..."
>What's she mumbling about?
>You remain still and let out the most quiet yawn you can muster
>You're so thirsty
>But even if your cup on your table was full...
>You can't get up
>It's going to be that sort of morning
>"...gah... hate y..."
>It sounds like it isn't going so hot for her
>Against your better judgement, you flex your arm a little
>Her head rises and falls with each flex
"Psst... Jackomatic."
>She mumbles something and tries to inhale
>Instead she coughs a few times
>That seems to wake her up
>"Ugh... I can't believe it ha..."
>She notices that your arm flexed one last time
>"...you awake too?"
"Nope. I think it's your imagination."
>You erupt with another yawn
>No need to try to be quiet this time
>She does the same in return
>"I HEAR A PAIR OF WHALES IN THERE, SHUT IT!"
>Always happy to see that Shine is up so early too
>Presuming it's early
>Your alarm hasn't gone off yet
>You left your phone in the living room
>Honestly you don't even seem to check it at all anymore
>Most bills are paid automatically
>No one calls you
>The only messages you get are from the nerds
>Sometimes you talk with Jack if work is going slow
>Sometimes Shine messages you too
>They type so differently that it's easy to tell who's who
>You even get the occasional shopping list
"Bad dream?"
>She shrugs
>She's normally so open with these sorts of things
>Or maybe she doesn't mind your obvious, open prying
>But it's not like you have nothing but idle curiosity or something less genuine
>"Kinda. It's just kinda something I'm not really sure about right now."
>What's there to be sure about when it comes to dreams?
>You won't push her, all the same
>You drag your free arm to her front and drag her into a tight hug
"I'm gonna go back to sleep. Be right here for me when I wake up."
>It's a rather nonsensical thing to say
>But you reaffirm the hug
>Her front legs squeeze your arm
>"I ain't letting you anywhere either."
>Maybe her dream isn't that big a deal
>You've had dozens but they haven't ever meant too much to you