>The neighbour's being too loud again, annoying bastard
>You've barely seen them in passing, it seems like they never come out of their flat
>All you've seen are brief glimpses of their purple hoodie, pale coat, and blonde tail disappearing around corners
>They live a floor below you but living on the top floor you've seen a lot of your neighbours due to the close proximity of the housing complex and communal areas
>Just one of the small quirks of living in shared accommodation given by the Equestrian government
>The rent was cheap and a boon for your shitty job but the trade-off was that the housing wasn't the best it could be
>Would it kill them to put some basic soundproofing spells around the walls? Apparently yes, as you generally hear every voice going past from the halls outside
>It's not terrible, just more annoying that when folks like your neighbour decide to play music it blares up through the floor
>While you're not adverse to more trance-like orchestral whatever the fuck this is, checking your gem-phone you see it's three in the fucking morning
>These all nighter sessions of music from the neighbour come and go, mostly a mash of sounds like someone's breaking apart a magitech keyboard
>It'll stop for a week or so, give or take, before resuming for almost a week straight, repeat ad nauseam
>It annoys you to the point you think about knocking and then it tones down enough to cool your annoyance, but it still builds up under the surface
>This is the tipping point though, you've got a shift in four hours and you've put up with this for far too long

***

>You bang a hoof on the lightly vibrating door a few times
>Standing in the low-lit hall of the floor below yours you glance around, the other neighbours don't seem to be raising a fuss over the noise coming from this flat 
>It's far more audible when you're standing right outside it, and it does make you wonder why nopony else seems to give a shit
>The sounds aren't stopping so you knock again harder with a deep huff as your tail swishes in annoyance
>Ah, there we go, the sounds pause and the door stops vibrating
>After a few moments of standing there you hear a slight shuffle from within
>The door cracks open a smidge and you see a lightning blue eye stare out at you
>It opens just a little more and you see a Unicorn mare's flat expression fixed on you
>Looks like she's pissed off you interrupted her, and she somehow looked more tired than you are
>You don't even need to light your horn to see it, even in the low light you see the dark periorbital markings under her eyes from a mounting lack of sleep
>Her blonde mane trails around her own horn and over her face limply, as if she hasn't showered in a couple of days
>Not that you can judge that, when you're not working you're somewhat the same bingeing on Neighponese shows or comics
>It doesn't detract too much from her prettiness, she has nice features, soft looking lips
>She's shorter than you too
>"Am I being too loud?"
>A somewhat cute flat tone comes from her along with the flat expression, somepony isn't a happy bunny
"I have work in a few hours, and I need to sleep. You think you can knock all that on the head for the night? Maybe take it easy for the next few days?"
>She just stares at you blankly
>"...Yeah I guess. Sorry."
"Thank-"
>Almost immediately she slams the door shut
>Well, not the most chatty of ponies, but the point is across at least
>She did wonder if you were being too loud so maybe other ponies around her have asked about the music before
>At least that went way easier than you expected
>When you get up the stairs and back into your flat the pulsing noises have ceased to make the floor shake
>You still hear her doing whatever she's doing, but it's far, far quieter to the point that it's a minor note
>Good enough
>You quickly shuffle yourself into bed and pull the covers over yourself, soon managing to fall asleep

***

>Born to wage
>Work was a fuck
>You are serving stallion
>Bleh...
>You shuffle through the entrance to the housing complex with a grumble and a yawn
>Having a basic as fuck job serving drinks to middle-class morons living in uptown Canterlot was a rather insufferable job, but it paid enough to make rent and save a little
>The tram gets in far too late for your liking around your area, it makes the day that much more tiring
>You consider taking the lift, though it was having issues the other week and you don't want to get stuck in it
>Making your way up the stairs you eventually climb onto the floor below yours, catching a quick glimpse of your neighbour again
>Aaaannd then they're gone into their flat, probably coming from the shared laundry room of her floor
>You continue up the stairs and get to your door, fishing the keys from your saddlebag and getting them into the lock
>"Hey."
>You turn right to see a postmare holding out letters
>"Post."
"Oh, thanks."
>You take the small stack into your magic as your turn the key and walk into your flat, giving the postmare a nod before you close the door
>You chuck it to one side for the moment along with your saddlebag, you can worry about the letters later
>It's probably all bullshit advertisements for fast food and insurance anyway
>First things first, you need a shower
>You flip the immersion switch outside the bathroom and get yourself into the bathroom and bath in record time
>Across goes the curtain and on goes the shower, waiting a moment for it to heat up before standing beneath it
>Bliss
>You let yourself stand there for a bit and enjoy the warmth cascading over your body
>After following standard procedure and washing yourself as is normal you eventually get out
>Wrapping a towel around yourself you note that the neighbour has their weird all-over-the-place music on the go again
>Less coherent than it was yesterday
>Wait no, it's an actual-
>No, it's choppy again
>What the fuck is she doing down there? It's like she's trying to DJ it
>She keeps going over the same bit again and again
>Weird mare, you guess it's just how ponies in the complex are
>There's an older stallion down the way from you that has a weird habit of trainspotting
>You suppose it comes with the territory
>Not thinking much else of it, dry yourself off of the excess damp and apply a mild heating spell to your mane and coat
>Your jet-black mane goes from being limp to being floofy again, your coat goes from a dark green to its usual light green
>The floor is vibrating with the weird noise though it's not an issue right now
>When it hits midnight it will hopefully have stopped, otherwise you're going right back down there and knocking on her door again
>You quietly content yourself to some cheap and easy food from the fridge rather than cooking something up as it's late
>Bringing the food along you settle yourself down at your computer and bring it out of sleep
>You move the cursor to bring up your browser and click onto your 4Clop tabs to check through for updates
>Amongst your several dozen are some tabs with a few Neighponese shows, one being of Mares Und Panzer
>You click on that and continue where you left off
>Very comfy
>A good hour of watching passes until you hear a great big bang that jolts you in your chair
>You pause the show and pull off your headphones to listen for a moment
>Your neighbour below is shouting in frustration and the noise has stopped
>Welp, sucks to be her
>Your promptly return to your Neighponese cartoons
>At least, until there's a rapid knocking at your door some minutes later
>Oh for fucks sake, don't be...
>Pausing and getting up you walk to the door and look through the peephole
>Yep, it's her, she looks both pissed off and uncertain
>What could she possibly want?
>You open the door with a bit of confusion and see her standing there awkwardly in her usual oversized purple hoodie
>She's showered since yesterday at least, her mane and coat are brighter from what you can see of her
>Still, her hoodie... kind of smells a bit
>You suppose she didn't visit the laundry room after all
>That aside, you greet her
"...Hi? I Heard a bang below."
>She nods once
>"Yeah, PC crapped out."
>Her nice voice sounds odd
>Less flat than yesterday and less tired, but odd nonetheless
"Well that's unfor-"
>"Do you have a spare CPU I could borrow?"
>What?
"What?"
>"Y'know... just until I can order a new one on Amarezon, I could give it back in a few days or so."
>"I hear you gaming a lot of the time, plus I can feel the magitech of a PC, so I'm guessing you probably have some spare parts kicking about... even if it's a shitty old CPU it'd be workable."
>That was all very abrupt and intense, she's leaning forward a little towards you with a bit of a glare
>Yes, you have some old bits but like, damn
>Also...
"You hear me gaming?"
>She nods
>"You shout a lot."
>Your brow furrows at that
"I do?"
>"Yeah."
>...Huh
>Well shit
>If that's the case, you kind of feel like a dick getting on at her for the loud music, you've gamed up until two or three in the morning on many occasions
>Though... she was also probably up around then? Not that much of a dick
>Maybe more to your other neighbours, though they've never complained
"Sorry."
>She shrugs
>"I don't care. If you've got a spare CPU that'd be cool, not like I'm going anywhere so you can easily get it back."
>It feels like she's being a tad arrogant, though she's not exactly wrong
>She really must always be online
>Eh, sure why not
>"Yeah, uh, come in for a sec, it'll take me a moment to get it out of storage."
>It's a bit unusual to invite a stranger into your home but it won't be for any length of time
>You turn around leaving the door open for her to come in
>You get a few steps before she scoffs in amusement
>"Nice balls, dude."
>What?
>Your tail must have swished to one side from the agitation of the situation
>Ignoring the brazen comment you keep on, feeling just slightly bewildered
>It's not everyday a pretty mare comes into your home and comments on your genitals
>You're unsure if it was meant as a compliment or an insult
>...Are your balls too small?
>Too big?
>Probably shouldn't pay to much attention to the comment
>The mare was definitely strange
>You head from the main hall into your bedroom where you essentially just have a large bed and a storage cupboard
>The last you checked the spare PC parts were up the top, unless they somehow moved themselves since then
>Uhh, nope, there's the old gear
>Your horn flares and envelops a few boxes in magic, and you bring them down to inspect them
>One of them is your previous CPU, a little old but it was still going quite strong before the upgrade
>Putting the others back you take the CPU in its box back out into the hall and see the mare still standing by impassively
>She's idly looking into your front room, probably appraising your setup
>She still looks tired as fuck
>Looks hot as fuck too
>You can say that
>In your head
>In the light of your flat you can make out the general shape of her body even in a baggy hoodie
>It's as if she's trying to cover it up, but it's probably that the hoodie is quite comfy
>She's smaller than you but there's some hefty curve to her body, her croup flares out from the hip into her sizeable backside, her haunch and thighs are quite big too
>You don't make it obvious you're ogling, you hope, your eyes quickly finding hers as she turns back to face you
>Her eyes land on the box
>"Hm, cool. Chrysen 5X series, a 10 as well, that's pretty recent. It's better than what I had."
"Oh? What did you have?"
>"Tiercel 5k series, the 7."
"Tiercel isn't bad, the 7-5k is also still pretty good."
>"Except mine exploded."
>You nod, but give her a certain look
"What the fuck were you doing anyway to make it overheat that much?"
>"Music stuff, the programs run high on the CPU but I aint had any issues before."
>Ah you were right, DJ shit
"Well... the 10-5X will handle all that just fine, they're primarily made for multi-program usage."
>"Yeah, I was thinking on a 12-6X, probably gonna be my upcoming replacement."
"It's pretty expensive, they go for around five-hundred bits."
>"That's no problem."
>It's your turn to scoff
"You must work a good job then if that's 'no problem' for you."
>She shrugs
>"Nah, I don't work."
>Your brow furrows at that
"Then what do you do?"
>"Not much."
>You roll your eyes, whatever
"Alright well, so long as I get that back."
>You say as you float it over to her, her own horn blazing into being in a lightning blue the same as her eyes as she takes it into her own corona
>"Thanks."
>She immediately turns to leave
"Hey, what's your name?"
>You say it before you really think about it
>She briefly looks back over her shoulder at you with a slight smirk
>"Synthwave. You?"
"Anonymous."
>"Kay. Seeya."
>And then she leaves, moving through the door and closing it behind her
>...
>One of your more stranger interactions by far
>Not dwelling on the bizarre nature of it lest you overthink things, you go and return to your show
>Synthwave's music is once again going by the time you put yourself to bed for work the next day 
>Though it's much quieter than before

***

>Over the next two weeks you don't see Synthwave at all
>She's been doing more of her weird noise mixing and you haven't even spotted her in passing
>You kind of want to
>It's not so much the fact that she's got your CPU, you don't think she'll try and steal it
>It's more that you've had an actual interaction with another pony
>Some of it was to do with her being quite hot, it's been a while since you've been with a mare so it's a contributory factor
>And the fact that she has some clear knowledge about PC's and building them is nice
>PC's were still relatively new magitech in the grand scheme of things, the industry was still developing
>You got yours because you saw the potential for gaming early on and were right in your estimations
>The PC was the building block and what everything magitech related tended to be designed or built upon
>Why would you want the smaller magitech machine called a console?
>The PC built the games made for the consoles and played them better
>The casual gamer might like the console but you wanted the best
>So you worked your arse off through numerous shitty jobs to save up enough and *get* the best 
>Well, as best you could get
>Your rig was pretty formidable and able to run pretty much any game that wasn't the latest cutting edge thing on the market
>You still needed to get a VR kit...
>You wonder if Synthwave has a VR kit?
>Probably not, she was running an outdated Tiercel
>But then again she also said she was going to upgrade to one of the best new CPU's on the market and shrugging at the steep cost
>Is she just frugal?
>Perhaps it's a 'If it aint broke don't fix it' kind of mentality
>Eh, whatever
>Pulling yourself through the door of your flat after another long day of wageslaving you note the post on the floor having been dropped through the slot
>Your head turns to the stack you threw to one side on a table as well
>Should probably check through it all
>...It can wait
>You pick up the fallen letters in your magic and deposit them with the others
>None of the letters are alarming colours so they're probably junk mail
>You throw off your saddlebag and make a beeline for the fridge, it's getting a little sparse so you'll need to do a shop run soon
>Your eyes travel to your wash basket, that's getting pretty full as well
>Which means taking a trip to the communal laundry room
>You do wish you could have your own but they're deemed too noisy
>You certainly wouldn't want to hear washing machines all around you several times a week
>As is, when several ponies do their washing in the laundry rooms sometimes the sound can be heard even from where you are and the building feels like it shakes
>But the additional noise isn't exactly terrible as its scheduled, everypony generally does their washing on the same day
>You feel sorry for the poor bastards that live almost next to them
>Well may as well get it done, it's the weekend now so it *is* a wash day
>After your quick meal you lift the basket up in your corona and move out into the hall, locking the door behind you
>It's not that you don't trust your neighbours but... you don't trust your neighbours
>You have some expensive things, better safe than sorry
>As you move down the hall and round a corner you less hear your hooves on the wooden floor and more the increasing rumble of the laundry room
>A stallion comes out and passes you with his own basket of clean washing in tow, giving you a nod and a hello before moving on
>You don't know him but you return the greeting before he goes
>Looking into the laundry room you search around but you see pretty much all of them are in use or about to be
>It's not really meant to be allowed but sometimes a pony will use two machines at once if they have an excess of washing
>That seems to be the case today, you're not seeing any spare machines
>Of course, those doing it aren't around to be chastised for it, bastards
>Very few actually sit around with their washing unless it's going to be quick, and nopony is here to inform you of that fact
>The one mare who's now using the machine the stallion just left is already moving away to let her washing go by itself
>Welp, looks like you're going to the floor below you
>Stepping back and facing about you find your way to the stairs and go down
>The lower-lit hall of the floor beneath you greets your senses as you move through it
>The lighting on your floor is much brighter, you wonder if it was lowered one day for whatever reason and it was just left this way
>Maybe they like it being dimmer
>That thought in mind you enter the noise of the laundry room and see it's also just as lowly lit up
>But at least a number of the machines are free
>You move to the nearest one and open it
>Though you pause as you both hear and see a pony in your peripherals
>Synthwave is sitting there on a bench looking idly into the ceiling with a pair of chunky headphones around her ears
>They're blaring some heavy music that keeps her in her own little world as she bobs her head along with the pulsing beat
>Her purple hoodie is absent and instead she's wearing an oversized fluorescent zip-up green and black onesie
>The hood appears to be stylised like a head, with large bulbous eyes and a tongue sticking out
>Weird mare
>You also can't not see that her massive arse is squished out on the bench she's sat on
>It's wonderfully big, though maybe it's also due to the onesie being baggy
"Hey there."
>She doesn't take notice until you wave a hoof emphatically
>Her flat gaze fixes onto you as her horn glows and removes the headphones to rest them around her neck
>"What?"
"Hi."
>She smirks a bit
>"Hi. Why are you down here?"
"Why do you think?"
>Her smirk widens
>"You wanted to see me?"
>Well, no, yes, but no
"The washing machines upstairs are all in use, obviously."
>She tilts her head up in mute understanding
"So... what's with the lighting?"
>You gesture with a hoof at the dimness, and she gives you an odd look along with a lazy shrug at the question
>"Dunno, one day the engineer guy that sorts it out came along and did something, he was messing with it out in the hall for ages and got annoyed." 
>"Probably stopped giving a shit and left it that way. It's honestly better on the eyes."
>Your snout scrunches a little as you load your washing into the machine in front of you
"You don't find it a bit too dark to get about in?"
>"Nothing wrong with the darkness, it's quite comfortable."
>Weirdo
>Closing the little door once every article of clothing you have is loaded in along with the detergent and softener you turn it on and set it to a long wash
>It's all built up a bit so it'll need it
>Ponies might not wear massive amounts of clothing but they did when it came to work, uniforms often needed several shirts for a single week
>You were also quite privy to hoodies
>Speaking of hoodies...
"You're still sticking about, I guess you haven't got much to wash?"
>She nods
>"Takes like, 20 minutes or so for a quick wash."
"You don't find that leaves things a bit... musty?"
>"Meh, doesn't bother me, I put in plenty of cleaning stuff."
>You shake your head, looking back at your machine filling with water
>Aaaaand there it goes onto spi-
>Wait fuck, that scraping
>Where the fuck are your keys?
"Fuck!"
>Synthwave raises an eyebrow
>"Problem?"
>You sigh
"Put my fucking keys in the machine."
>She snorts at your misfortune
>"Good job, idiot. You didn't lock your door at leas-"
>You shoot a deadpan look at her
>"HA! Why the fuck would you lock your door? Aint like anypony can easily waltz in and steal your shit."
>"I leave my door unlocked all the time, nopony generally likes to bother anypony else around here."
>"How long have you been staying here?"
>You think on it a moment
"Uhh, maybe like, two months?"
>"I've been here three years, nopony has ever broken into anypony else's place, least that I've not heard about anyway."
>Well, maybe this was the Princesses divine retribution for being so untrusting
>Or, you know, you could just be an idiot like she said
"Damn it, I put it on a full cycle, I'm gonna be locked out for hours, the janitor's office is closed at this time of night and the main office is too."
>"Could always magically pick the lock."
>You glare at her again
"Right, like I know how to pick locks."
>"*I* do."
>Your brow furrows as you give her a shake of the head
"I'm not letting you pick my lock, they're magitech systems, if it breaks I'm gonna have to cover the cost of a new lock and key, that's not cheap."
>"Oh, yeah I probably might break it to do it."
"So you don't pick locks then."
>"It gets you in the door, I'd call that picking the lock."
>Another sigh
"This is a pointless discussion... fuck."
>"Could always hang at mine till your wash is done."
>You lift your head at that statement
"What?"
>"You let me borrow your CPU ─of which the replacement is still on the way, by the way─ so I mean I'm cool with you hanging for a bit."
>She glances at a rumbling washing machine away from you for a moment before looking back
>"I don't really... like ponies being around too much, but I do owe you. So long as you don't mess with any of my settings you could use my laptop."
>That's certainly better than sitting here waiting for your clothes to finish, or just sitting outside your door
"Sure, sounds good."
>She nods gently
>"Kay... my shit's about done, so gimmie a sec and we can go."
>All you can do is nod back and wait
>She gathers everything up soon enough though and you fall in behind her
>And you admittedly try not to focus on the slight sashay of her immense backside in the onesie as she leads the way to her flat
>When you arrive and she opens the door, she steps into her abode with her small amount of washing before her
>But it's extremely gloomy inside
>You glance in at just how dim it really is
>You see she even has a dimmer for a lighting switch so she can purposely keep it darker than usual
>It would be rude to turn it up so you leave it be and let your eyes adjust to the light
>And you try your best to keep your eyes off Synthwave's sizable rear as the only thing you can clearly see
>Her horn ignites as she almost shuts the door in your face, and she looks back with some amusement reaching her features
>"You a vampony or something? Do I have to cordially invite you in?"
"Uh, no."
>You step across the threshold into the dark and she closes the door behind you
>It's even darker now, so you let your eyes adjust again as you brush your hooves off on the mat
"You're not like, part Thestral, right?"
>"Ha, I wish. At least then I could keep the hours I do and not feel so knackered."
>Synthwave's flat has almost the exact same layout as yours, the joys of cheap housing
>Though you note as you step onto the carpet of her front room following just behind her that she's using it as both a sitting room and a bedroom
>You thought your king-size bed was big, she has a queen-size in one corner
>Celestia's massive alabaster arse
>Of which could probably sit on the queen-size bed marginally well
>It's layered in bedding somewhat illuminated by the light coming from her PC
>You're not seeing any mixing tables as you had expected she might have
>She does have numerous monitors on standby though, with about a dozen figurines and such around the desk
>You see a weird mega keyboard thing on the desk to one side of the monitors
>A surround sound system that is probably a factor in keeping you up
>A bottle of meadow dew beside the desk
>A huge TV opposite the bed mounted onto the wall
>She was pretty well set up in here and despite the slight mess of empty packets of eaten food and drink around the place it was rather comfortable looking, if a bit cramped
"Do you use the bedroom for storage?"
>She goes over and gets onto her padded swivel chair after she's done throwing her washing into a clothes horse 
>She gets settled and floats off the headphones from around her neck while looking at you
>Her backside nicely fills out the seat, you can't help but wonder if she has trouble getting out of it sometimes
>"Nah, I use that room for my Vapour."
>Whaaaat
>Okay so you wondered if she had VR, but come the fuck on, the *best* kit currently available?
>There was huge discussions on 4Clop to do with how little of them were currently out
"Didn't you say you didn't do much in terms of work?"
>"Yeah."
"So... how do you afford any of this?"
>She smirks then
>"Trade secret. C'mon, go sit down on the bed, you can watch shit on my laptop or something to kill the time."
>Not really having many other options you give her a nod
"It's a good cave you've got here."
>"Yep."
>Hopping up onto the queen size you lay on your side 
>The bed's definitely memory foam, it sinks in as you rest on it
>Also quite expensive considering it's a queen-size
>The covers smell a bit yet it's not unpleasant, Synthwave could certainly do with changing the sheets however
>They of course smell of her
>She has an odd scent going on, it's not how other mares smell
>You're just thankful she apparently keeps the bed clear, there aren't any crumbs from food and there isn't any dust build-up either
>You usually have to brush off one side of your own large bed as you don't sleep in its centre
>You watch as her magic brings over a laptop and mouse from a corner of the room as you look to her
>This was getting fucking silly, of *course* it's a Galloper Firebrand, why *wouldn't* it be literally one of the best gaming laptops on the market
>What the fuck is with this mare?
>You want to ask but it's clear she doesn't want to tell you
>You don't want to pry... well, yes you do, but you won't
>For now, anyway
>"So, what sort of things do you get up to? Considering what you shout about I know you play Knighted, and that you're a pathetic Celestial player."
>You smile at that
"You have to shout the Princesses name as you charge into the enemy and lop their heads off, it's how it's meant to be."
>"Lunarian forces have better armour though, praise the moon."
"Fuck you, praise the sun."
>"Heretic, fight for the night."
"Nah, traitor, fight for the light."
>"Best map?"
>You think for a second
"Probably Canterlot on Siege mode, it's comfy to defend."
>"If by comfy you mean piss easy for you, that map sucks to play on."
"Yeah, after a long day of work it's nice to just shit all over Lunarian attackers from a giant well-defended castle."
>She snorts as she spins about idly in her seat
>Your eyes briefly track over her butt and thighs in the onesie
>Just for a moment
>"That can't be fun if there's no challenge though, right?"
"Well I queue up for Deepwoods on Objective if I want a challenge."
>"Hmm. Deepwoods is great, better on Deathmatch than Objective though, topping the scoreboards is a bitch to do."
"I play for objectives rather than KDA."
>"Yeah, probably because you suck at getting kills."
>You shrug as you boot up the laptop, a bit puzzled by the extremely explicit login screen of a robotic mare from a game called Automaton
>Instead of her usual silk-cut short black dress she was instead only wearing a simple tee that read 'Do not hoof android mares' on it
>Her entire backside, dock, ponut, vulva, and teats were displayed towards the viewer as she spread her hindlegs, a blush across her features
>That was certainly...
>Huh, you supposed Synthwave liked mares
>Though having said that you can see the background of her monitors that she's now logged into are also pornographic 
>One of them features a lean sort of stallion with coltish younger looks and a massive dark mane over tired eyes
>You're fairly certain it's from a manga about death goddesses and killer notebooks
>He's laid back in erotic fashion looking quite pissed off with only a threadbare sheet covering his genitals
>The other, however, features Automaton's main effeminate robotic stallion
>In just as much a similar pose and clothing as his gynoid counterpart on the laptop, with his dick, balls, and ponut exposed to the viewer, except his tee read 'Void my warranty' instead
>So... Synthwave was bisexual?
>Interesting, if very blatant, but that really does fit her personality from what little you've seen
>You don't have porn as your backgrounds, that's a bit weird for you
>Even if you do browse 4Clop ninety percent of the time
>The most you did was a tasteful pinup for your desktop, you wouldn't have porn on a laptop you brought around with you everywhere
>Coming out of that oddity you answer her taunt
"Guilty as charged, I'm a teamplayer not an enemy slayer. If you can bear to fight on the side of the light then we could team up. I can work on objectives while you kill everypony trying to get at me."
>"Kay, what if that but we play as Lunarians because they're superior?"
>You roll your eyes and shrug
"Sure, I don't mind so long as we're kicking some ass."
>She taps her hooves together and floats a different pair of headphones onto her head, letting one ear free
>"Alright, let's go bring the pain."
>You launch the Silvermist program that Synthwave already has installed from the taskbar and log into your account
>You find that Knighted is already installed when you look
>The library of games is rather impressive, you give it a quick scroll as Knighted soon launches
>The Firebrand is almost as formidable as a high-budget desktop so you probably won't even have to worry about graphical lag
"Are you on crystal-weave broadband?"
>"Yeah, they don't link diamond-weave to the complex, it's too far out."
"I thought so, I was wondering why I couldn't get it. Crystal is still better than fibre or metal at least."
>You'll not have any network lag either then, albeit very little
>You didn't want to say you were spoiled but having crystal-weave in your flat and near to sub-ten ping was something you didn't want to part with
>As you expect when you nose into the game's settings, everything is set to near ultra
>The title screen has so much going on that it should be lagging if it wasn't able to handle it
>Nice
>"I'll host, add me on Silvermist. Windigo misfit, all one word."
"Pft, 'windigo misfit'?"
>"I was twelve and I thought Windigo's were fucking awesome, sue me. Yours probably aint much better."
"I made my account well into my teens, so I'd wager it is by a lot."
>Synthwave takes a moment to tab out the same time as you do to add her, and pokes about her Silvermist when you send the invite
>A little notification pops up that she's been added to your friends list
>Her current profile name is related to an old retro game with an icon to match
>"Your profile is extremely gay."
>She says as she noses about on your page
>This mare has such a way with words, all banter and bullshit, she'd do well on 4Clop
"I like Neighponese stuff, sue me."
>"Mares Und Panzer is alright, more into the dystopian stuff myself. Tanks are cool in concept, though the show is dumb in how it uses them."
"They could totally function if they were real."
>"I don't doubt that, but they're giant hunks of metal, there's no way they'd be speeding and skidding around like they do in the show."
"Obviously, that's why it's fun."
>She rolls her lightning coloured eyes, turning back to her PC
>"Invited you, let's get into the game already."
>You join the party and the both of you quickly queue up
>"Right, hold still a second."
"What? Why?"
>Before you can blink her horn flares momentarily and there's suddenly a weird glowing bubble around your head that soon becomes transparent
"What the fuck was that?"
>"Relax, it's a sound shield."
>A what?
>As if reading your thoughts she continues
>"I use it whenever I game, means I can shout anything and everything at the top of my lungs and nopony can hear me."
>If that's the case...
>"It's too hard to cast it over any magitech stuff, before you ask."
>"My music setup is older so it all comes out the surround sound, can't be fucked messing with it either."
>Well you suppose that explains that then
"Can you hear me?"
>"Obviously, dummy, they're linked."
>With that you shrug and focus on the loading menu until you're in game
>Over the next hour you're both fighting through several maps on several modes
>You're surprised just how vehement Synthwave becomes with her mannerisms and... well, everything
>She shouts a *lot*, going from passive and flat to highly animated and loud
>She's certainly effective though
>Deathmatches are one-sided and she's always top five in kills, you're on the lower end picking away at ponies with a bow
>On Objective maps you're fairly certain if it was counting kills then she'd be topping the scoreboards too
>She does a good job of letting you push the objectives or hold points, all while spamming in-game taunts at other players
>Also while shouting a lot at how dogshit a majority of your own team is when they fail to assist her
>She doesn't act how you expect mares to act, even perhaps introverted shut-ins
>She's probably the most unmarely mare you've ever met, actually, definitely something of a tomcolt
>You watch as her character beheads an archer and then spins madly on the spot, spamming 'NAY'
>You love the stupidity of this game sometimes
>Like the unarmoured and naked stallion on the Celestial side running at you with a lute held in their magic
>He stops and starts awkwardly dancing in front of you strumming random notes as you push a battering ram to the gate before one of your own players takes him out
>Laughing at the antics you stay behind cover while arrows and axes fly through the air
>Synthwave is causing chaos having gotten atop the walls in the first place and is tearing into the Celestial forces
>But nopony lives forever, soon a few arrows find their way and take her down
>"Who the fuck aint keeping tabs on their archers?! We're inside the fort, fucking stay on them I can't be everywhere!"
>Voice communication wasn't a thing in Knighted so it was a moot point to yell at teammates, though she was spamming commands left, right, and centre
>Oddly enough several ponies do follow the commands, at least loosely, realising Synthwave is the one clearing the most enemies
>Your job is part way done though, as the battering ram makes it to the fort gates and starts smashing them in
>Having repawned Synthwave is already back to charging in and defending the battering ram as it works
>You switch classes to something tankier and do your best to defend as well, though you can't hold a candle to her rampage
>She mainly played as a Magna, a heavy knight with slight berserker traits
>The more damaged she got the more damage she dealt
>While kills in the game are almost instant anyway, smaller stabs and slices from daggers and shortswords might instakill as if they were greatswords
>It was considered one of the more OP classes
>Actual Berserkers were less armoured but gained far greater stats the more damage they took, including damage resistance
>Though they usually needed to get into the fray to put it to use and often died before that point
>Magna's managed to bridge that gap by being allowed plate armour
>And it was doing wonders for Synthwave
>The game devs had even implemented a few taunts aimed specifically at Magna players that were being shouted out just now by the enemy
>Synthwave beheaded or lopped off limbs of those players rather quickly
>You were simply a Mare-At-Arms, it was a middling class with balanced stats across the board
>They didn't excel or lack in anything and were just a solid class for attacking or defending
>Sadly despite both of your efforts the timer runs down before you can breach the fort as not enough of your players were around
>Celestial forces kept disabling the battering ram and Lunarian forces couldn't keep it in repair
>"Fucking morons! Were me and you the only ones on the objective?!"
>You chuckle at her fiery attitude, she's still pretty when she's angry
"Calm down, it happens. Most players forget about the objective and just go in search of kills, like you do."
>"Fuck off, I defend the objective when I have to, I just do my killing around it! Why is it so hard for retards to stick to one area?!"
>She's really worked up, but soon breathes out and frowns at the screen
>"Fuck it, next game is Deathmatch, at least then I know I can carry."
>Whatever works you suppose
>The next hour or so is further bloodshed and chaos on maps like Deepwood, you can tell Synthwave is having a much better time as she ramps up
>Her shouts are more of glee at owning the enemy rather than anger at her team
>In Deathmatches she doesn't even care if the team isn't doing as well because she's wreaking havoc
>You're near the lower end of the scoreboard but she doesn't care about that either
>"Anon, get up there and distract them so I can flank!"
>She's said your name a few times where she hadn't really done so before, using you as a meat shield to get in close
>It's making you a useful team player so it works for you
>Lobbing firebombs and wildly swinging a greatsword into enemy ranks makes them focus you with their archers pretty fast
>Enough that Synthwave can punch a hole and allow other Lunarians to follow her into her murder spree
>After another match ends in victory you stretch out a bit and check over the stats, noting the time as you quit out the lobby
"I think my washing might be done by now."
>Synthwave glances over to you again, she's quickly calmed back into her usual face
>"Yeah? I figured long washes take at least three or four hours."
"Nah, these machines do them in around two."
>"Oh, kay. Well, you've got me added now so we can play whenever."
>You nod, closing down the laptop and gently pushing it to one side as you shuffle off the bed onto your hooves
>You don't want to overstay your welcome
>Her horn glows for a second and the bubbles around your heads both shimmer into view again and disperse
>You'd forgot about those, they hadn't impaired your vision at all
"Can you teach me that?"
>She snorts a little at the question
>"Probably not, took me forever to learn. Moogle it, you'll find guides that could explain it better than I can."
>She side-eyes you after a few seconds of silence
>"Though... I don't mind trying, I guess, if you want to hang here again some time."
"Sweet."
>You stand there awkwardly thinking on how best to remove yourself before she yawns
>"Go grab your washing then, I wanna wank and get on with stuff."
>You're once more bewildered at her word usage and bluntness, a scoff escaping you at the instant loss of tension
"Thanks for the games and hospitality. Can I get some of that meadow dew before I go?"
>She looks over to the bottle beside her desk and back to you with a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth
>"You don't want any of that, trust me."
"Why not?"
>"It's... flat."
"Oh, I'll pass then."
>You suppose she just doesn't want to share
>Synthwave doesn't bother to get out of her chair to see you off as you move into the hall
>She does wave a hoof in a mock salute though
>You quickly leave and close the door behind you
>It was nice to hang out with her for the short time you did, she's unconventional but quite fun to be around
>As you expected, your washing is finished when you arrive into the laundry room to retrieve it
>You grab your keys as you tug out your clothes, bringing it along in the basket you left atop the machine, and quickly leave
>The thought of Synthwave saying she wanted you to leave so that she could masturbate pops into your head as you get in the door
>You don't really hear anything coming from below you so maybe she applied that bubble spell again to not make any noise while she does
>Wait, does that mean she can hear you when you masturbate?
>That's a little worrying considering you can be rather loud sometimes
>She didn't get on at you for it and it seems like she would, so maybe not
>Probably shouldn't overthink it
>By the time you're done hanging up the washing onto a clothes horse you've got a turgid erection thinking about Synthwave doing the deed
>You haven't been with a mare for a very long time, it's not too surprising that the first one in a while to show you friendliness is getting into your head
>It certainly helped that she was quite sexy
>You do wonder if she sits at her desk rubbing herself or goes and gets comfy on her bed
>Her bed smelled of her, the same sort of smell her hoodie bore
>It wasn't the most marely scent, there wasn't any perfume or flowery soap to it
>You guessed that she didn't bother with all that
>She really did give you hermit vibes so it wasn't likely that she got out very much
>Given that, why would she care to doll herself up if she never met anypony?
>Her scent was a basic but an obvious one, powerful, it wasn't bad
>You sit down at your desk and think about finding some good stuff online but end up thinking of Synthwave anyway
>You blow your load pretty quick with a content sigh thinking of burying your face into that thick arse and likely sizable ponut
>Mares with big backsides always had big ponuts and puffy vulvas, it was grand
>You stifled your noise thankfully, feeling a bit too conscious of yourself since Synthwave mentioned it
>You've both been quieter overall since your first interaction a few weeks ago
>If you learnt that bubble spell then you could make all the noise you wanted
>You note the mess you've made over everything and are at least thankful you know a very basic cleansing spell
>Cleanup takes little time at all
>That was one of the first bits of magic you learned after moving out
>Before you'd been jizzing into wads of tissue covering the flat of your dick and sneaking them to the bathroom
>Chuckling at the old memories you look at the time and see its getting past midnight
>You recall that it *is* the weekend so you don't need to go to bed early for work, you've got the weekend off
>Synthwave's choppy music is going of course, you'd tuned it out a bit
>Bringing up Silvermist you shoot her a message
>'Hey, still want some company?'
>You look at the little message box and she almost immediately begins to type back
>'If you want I'm doing my own thing'
>Well, you can always watch your shows in her company, you can also ask some questions about the chaotic music
>'Cool, I'll pop down. Can I use your laptop again?'
>The message box is blank for a second, then pops
>'Yeah'
>With that you put the PC to sleep again and get out of your chair
>You wonder if you should freshen up or something but think better of it
>Synthwave most certainly isn't and it's not like its a date or anything
>You're just getting worked up because she's pretty and you don't know anypony else here, fretting over little details that don't matter
>That and considering she's so nonchalant about everything you're unsure if she's actually happy for you to hang or just going through the motions
>She doesn't seem like the sort of mare to not tell you something outright
>If she didn't want you to hang out she'd probably tell you to fuck off
>Stop reading into everything and chill out, Anon
>You leave the flat and don't lock up this time too, just be chill
>You get down the stairs and to her door and knock once, the music within stops
>The door opens to her flat expression regarding you with slight amusement
>"Could have just [spoiler]come inside[/spoiler] you know."
>You gently shrug as she steps back to let you in
"It's polite to not just barge into somepony's home."
>"Guess I'm not too polite then."
>You repeat your earlier actions almost bit for bit, brushing off your hooves and following her through into her front room
>Your eyes are also looking at her back end too as you both get settled
>You turn your attention to her monitors that are covered in what look like various sorts of graphs with buttons and the like
"What's all that?"
>She doesn't respond immediately as she pauses, grunting as she shuffles about
>"One sec, you mind if I chuck this off? It's too hot."
>The onesie? Well... you do feel it's gotten warmer in here, her PC's fans are running louder than they were earlier
"I... sure? Your flat."
>She's been fairly covered up till now, the fact that you might get a full glimpse of her, including other parts, is a tantilising one
>That in mind, you'd look away anyway
>Her magic unzips the front going down and you do look elsewhere as she gets off the chair to take the onesie off
>You look up when you hear her get back into her seat
>Her fat arse is filling it out again, thighs looking excellently soft and like they should be wrapped around your head
>Your eyes widen a little to see her haunch though
>She... had no cutie mark
>She sees where your eyes are looking and gently sighs
>"Yeah, that's always gonna get folk aint it? Never got mine. No, I dunno why, never found my talent."
>You immediately jump to the obvious
"You could still get it though, right?"
>"Nah, think that ship has sailed, apparently there's a window during foalhood I missed."
"Huh."
>Yep, real bummer. I dunno, I feel it's kind of freeing sometimes, like I can do anything I want to."
>Actually...
"I kind of feel like that about my own."
>"Yeah, was wondering what a question mark meant for a cutie mark."
"Same as you, I figure my path isn't set. I plan on doing something big, not sure what it is yet but I'll get there."
>"Hmm... So yeah anyway, the programs."
>She cocks her head towards the screens
>"They're mixing software, two different ones that plug into one another. Allows me to create sounds and play with existing ones. For making music."
"Is that what it is? It's all just noise to me."
>"Might sound like that now, but I'm getting it into a track. Already got a bunch of tracks finished, hopefully I can have this album done soon."
"So it's not like, DJ things?"
>She frowns at you
>"What? No, DJ's are fucking idiots, pushing a disc on a table to fuck a song up aint making music. What I do is build a song from the ground up."
>She points a hoof at the left side of the screen, then the right
>"That one is the sound mixer, and that one is the sound studio. Basically I can mess with the pitch and tone, affect it with modifiers, whatever else to get the sound I want all from nothing."
>"I got a library of sounds I use in all my stuff that I built up, then I make a baseline beat for a track. Perfecting that and the rest of the track flow can be hard."
>She then taps her giant keyboard thing
>"This is my sound deck, once I've got all the sound I want in a track I can link each component into separate buttons and dials."
>"From there I can play the track like they do at festivals and such. That's the noise you've been hearing, me working through it all."
>She beckons at you
>"Come look."
>Glancing at her nonchalant posture she doesn't seem to care that you might see a little more of her as she leans back in her chair
>Feeling a little flustered you hop off the bed and step over to her desk keeping your eyes firmly on the screens as she points again
>"You see here? This long bit? This is the whole track so far, getting the sound different from other tracks but still similar is a balancing act, so I'm probably like, thirty percent done."
"Right."
>"Then I mix it about on my deck and see if I can play it well, it's all part of the process."
>You're not really sure how it all quite functions but you get the idea and nod politely
>As she points out a few different things your eyes can't help but glance at her body
>Your eyes travel down her front toward her belly, oddly taut considering her huge arse
>Maybe she has some sizable teats a similar size to her arse, that would be-
>No teats
>Huh?
>And that...
>That's a penis!
>Well, that's a sheath and balls, but what the fuck
>How did you miss that
>How is that a thing, with *this* body?!
>There was nothing to indicate this!
>You immediately flick your eyes back on the screen as you feel yourself flush
>Synthwave scoffs as she, no, *he* catches where your eyes went to
>"There a reason you're looking at my dick? Wanna compare sizes or something?"
"N-no, I just..."
>You can't really think of an excuse, damn it
>That explains quite a few oddities though
>What you thought were the actions of a tomcolt were actually actions of a *fem*colt
>What a bizarre situation to be in, the 'mare' you were getting chummy with was a *trap*
>Your mind jumps to how amusing this would be if it was anypony else, it's straight out of a Neighponese comic
>There are arguments over several boards of 4Clop about traps, stealth threads on blue boards amongst others
>Stallions so beautiful and marely that you wouldn't know it right up until they laughed at you and told you they were a guy
>How surreal
>"Thought I was a chick, didn't you?"
>Your eyes go to Synthwave's own
>He doesn't look annoyed, his expression is as flat as it usually is
>You really cannot see any masculine shape to his muzzle or snout, his eyes are so feminine
"Uh, maybe?"
>"Nah, definitely, going by your face. Don't sweat it, it's something else I'm used to, I don't look like most stallions."
"It's not unsettling or anything, it just took me by surprise a bit."
>"Considering you were checking me out before, I imagine you didn't think so, no. Though most have already backed away slowly by now."
>You'd say you were used to seeing it, at least online rather than IRL
"Oh, no I don't have an issue, it's definitely... interesting."
>He raises an eyebrow
>"Interesting?"
"Yeah, I genuinely could not tell, like, until I tried to see some teats."
>He smirks a little at that
>"Heh, perv. Don't have those, I'm not *that* marely." 
>You glance over him again, not sure on what to say
"...So ponies have backed off?"
>"Not literally, but yannow, they're expecting a mare with how I look. Me not being a mare makes them lose interest in hanging out. 
>"Having said that, I don't meet ponies often enough for it to matter too much."
"I mean, I'm not gonna do that, I think you're... cool."
>You almost said cute because frankly he was, but that seems a bit weird to say to a guy
>You're still trying to reconcile with the fact you think he's hot as fuck
>Just because he's a stallion doesn't now mean he isn't gorgeous
>It's throwing you for a loop, just a little, you're the butt of a cosmic joke in a comic devised by a marechiavellian deity
>There's a little civil war going on in your head, and you do honestly want to leave just so you can work through it
>He's sexy, he has an stunning body and a lovely face
>But he's a guy
>He's got an awesome arse and wonderful thighs
>But he's a *guy*
>It's very strange, this isn't a situation you've ever been forced into before
>You've never really thought that hard about your sexuality, like ever
>And now you're being pummelled in the face by your own mind flipping on itself
>Mares are hot, you've been with a mare before and it was great
>But stallions are just stallions and that's all there was to it
>That's what you know
>You wouldn't be into a mare that looks like a stallion, a giant mare with some muscle, maybe...
>But a stallion that looks like a mare?
>A really sexy mare at that?
>You're not sure what to make of it
>Do you like that or not? Sure you see plenty of it in Neighponese media but that was just something they did
>They were stupidly into it, right down to having café's dedicated to the trope
>Sure you'd read a bunch of comics to do with pretty traps
>Might have even nosed through a few doujins for curiosity's sake
>It was just a curiousity thing!
>A poke knocks you from your thoughts
>"Oi, Anon."
>You look at Synthwave regarding you with a slightly raised eyebrow
>"Was it *that* much of a revelation?"
"A bit."
>"Wanna talk about it?"
>*Do* you want to talk about it?
>You kind of do
"I just... you're... marely to the extreme, so you're attractive. That doesn't magically change because you're a guy."
>"So what's that got to do with the price of tea in the Albion Isles?"
>He's just so unfazed about it
"I dunno, it's just a bit confusing, I don't know how to feel."
>He nods at that
>"Yeah, think that's most of the issue for other stallions too, they're like 'oh no you're a stallion I'm gay now aaaaa' and all that shit."
"Guess that's not something that bothers you much considering your tastes."
>Synthwave smirks at that, glancing to his desktop and minimising the music stuff to show off his desktop wallpapers
>The effeminate robotic stallion is there spreading his legs with a blush, and the pissed off sleep-deprived stallion laid back in partial ripose
>Their genitals both quite openly on display
>"Nope, bisexual master race, these right here are perfection."
>The smirk lessens a little as he notes your eyes going between the lewd background of the robot and him
>He seems to sense you're having some trouble
>You are, you never really paid attention to this particular trap character before
>You played that game to completion and thought the robotic mare was hotter
>But he *is* pretty hot when you're not focusing on the dick, though maybe it's because the fanart has just made him into a trap
>But even in game the stallion did have quite a nice bum, thinking back on it 
>You're worried that it's going to stir something, is this how it begins? 
>Has it already begun? Was this simply laying dormant?
>Is it because it's new ground that you're worried? Should you be worried?
>Synthwave taps you again to draw your attention
>He's looking a little more pensive
>"You just gotta chill out, Anon. It's like with anypony I meet out and about that finds me absurd, just don't worry about that shit."
>"It's a reason why I wear super baggy clothes, they're comfy but they help hide me when I can't be bothered dealing with idiots, and I can just get on."
>You recognise he's trying to comfort you
>You're appreciative, though you shake your head regarding the info
"It doesn't really hide your figure, just makes things look bigger."
>He frowns at that
>"Hm."
"I don't think you should hide yourself, to be honest."
>His eyes meet yours as if looking for you lying
>"Why's that?"
>You want to say it's because he's too attractive to cover himself up
>But you can think of a better reason
"I would have thought that anypony worth hanging out with wouldn't care that you're the way you are, it shouldn't."
>"Yeah, guess there's that. I used to think that way, not sure when it changed. Eh... anyway we're meant to be talking about you."
"I don't know what to say about me."
>"So you think femcolts are hot, so what? What's the issue?"
"That's the thing though, it's just hitting me weird. You... *You* are hot, that's fucking weird to me. You're a dude, with a dick, I just don't know how to feel about that."
>He gives a lazy shrug
>"You've got a dick too, do you dislike that?"
"No, obviously."
>"Right. The way I've always seen it is like, it's flesh in a particular configuration." 
>"A mare's vulva, a stallion's dick, personally so long as the pony's sexy I don't care what equipment they've got."
"I can see that perspective, I just don't know if I can feel the same."
>He shrugs again
>"Then don't. If you think I'm hot then grats, I'll take the compliment. Does it need to be complicated beyond that?"
"I... guess not?"
>"Kay, so relax a little. Keep ogling my arse if it makes you feel any better."
>You're startled a little at the comment, your eyes going to his while he smirks at the reaction
>Your eyes do then immediately go to his thighs for a moment and he takes the opportunity to wiggle about in his chair, making his backside and thighs pleasantly push out
>Your eyes widen as your face burns and you glance back up at him
>He smiles a little wider and returns his attention to his monitor
>"I really don't care."
>You stand for a second a tad nonplussed as he brings his mixing software back up on screen to keep messing with it
>Your vision travels over his pretty features illuminated by the light of the monitors
>His shapely body and thighs, his excellent backside that's probably as much of a cushion as his chair is
>He glances at you briefly examining him with a roll of his eyes before returning attention to his music creation
>He really doesn't give a fuck
>Okay, so... he's not a she, what changes?
>Well, you did blow a load thinking about him, but that was thinking he was a mare
>You were focused on the ponut sure, but there was a vulva below it in your thoughts, not a pair of balls
>Is that what's throwing you?
>If he was face down arse up and you couldn't see his equipment would anything change?
>It's weird to think about, you need a distraction
"Hey."
>Synthwave turns his head to look at you
>"Yeah?"
"Can you try teaching me that bubble shield thing?"
>He makes a 'hmph' sound
>"Guess I can try, yeah. You wanna sit down?"
>You redden and look away with a nod as he swivels in his chair and you spot his genitals, moving back and going to sit on his bed
>Which also seems a little weirder to you
>The bed displaces as he then gets up onto it as well
>Damn it, why is it so weird now, how was it not weirder when you thought he was a mare?
>You note that he's also gotten pretty close, you're looking down at him slightly and interprets the look
>"I got taught by my folks, they said being closer to another Unicorn helps, something to do with horns being conduits."
>You nod, glancing over him as he gets comfy, his plump backend is distracting you from the distraction
>"Eyes up here, homo."
>Your attention immediately snaps to his face and he just smirks
>He's teasing you, the bastard, apparently it makes him smile more to do it
>But he's not judging you
>"Kay, so, not sure how to put it, I started out thinking of a fishbowl."
>"I thought of a fishbowl around my head, and imagined screaming at others a lot about any stupid shit, and they just did their own thing."
>"Apparently you're meant to imagine yourself locked in a room alone, but that was kind of already my reality so it didn't work for me."
>Nodding you try to think of the same thing while igniting your horn
>Casting new spells took some getting used to, it was an odd thing to explain to other races that didn't have magic
>Pegasi and Earth ponies both just 'felt' their magic and it seemed to work for them when they 'reached' for it
>Unicorns were similar though it took a bit more doing with some spells
>Telekinesis was one that was simply reached for, and it functioned, it wasn't something you felt could be explained to non-ponies too well beyond that
>However new spells took training to reach for them in the same manner, like breaking in a pair of new boots to make them comfy
>You imagine yourself in a room alone as Synthwave said was the actual way
>You just think of your frontroom, though there's no exit
>Taking a moment you simply concentrate on making it quiet, then...
>You yell
>There's an immediate knocking at your imaginary front door despite the room having no exit
>Hoping it would work on the first try might have been a long shot
>It's not doing so well on the second try either
>"Your horn's glowing and you're casting something but not much is happening. Here, try concentrating again."
>You wonder what he's up to until you jolt a little feeling the warm touch of his horn casting against yours, your personal bubble invaded
>You open your eyes briefly to see him leaning up, his lovely features almost against yours
>Very soft looking lips...
>You look at each other as he opens his eyes and frowns
>"Oi, close your eyes, dummy."
>Complying, you find when you immerse yourself back into your imaginary room and away from the warm touch of Synthwave's horn that he's there too
>"Right, don't focus on me, think about the normal way of doing it again, I'll work on augmenting the spell."
>Breathing out gently you try to clear your head and think
>You shout and there's more knocking at the front door that doesn't exist
>Imaginary Synthwave glances around starts to spawn mattresses all over the walls, throwing your setup all over the place
>It's kind of funny, though you get what he's trying to do
>Trying it a few more times by also thinking of a fishbowl over your head seems silly too but after the fourth try Synthwave perks up
>"Dude, nice. You got a shimmer."
>You release the magic and open your eyes, still a little warm at his face being so close to yours
>He leans back down and smiles at you
>"It was a shimmer in your mind, though that shows up outside your head too, does for me when I cast it."
>You breathe out, a little exhausted from the attempts
"So it worked?"
>"Yeah, it was kinda shit but it was there, like a really faint outline. Looks like it took a lot out of you."
>You nod heavily
"I've never been one to use a lot of new magic."
>"Same here, it'll knock you on your arse each time you cast it but it gets easier."
"Like working out an unused muscle."
>"That's one way of looking at it, sure."
>Glancing at him for a few seconds you shut your eyes and sigh
"Thanks, I guess I'll work on it later, right now I need to go lay down."
>"You definitely look like you could use it."
>You begin to move and shuffle yourself off the bed
>"Where you off to? You can always just take a few hours here, yannow. I don't mind."
>What?
"In your bed?"
>"Where else? I kinda want to keep trying at the sound shield till you get it."
"Didn't you say you're not fond of having ponies around?"
>He nods
>"Yeah, I'm oddly not feeling that right now, it's kinda nice. Usually too many ponies or too much of a pony tires me out, but... I aint getting the feeling."
>You think about it for a moment and find you don't really want to leave Synthwave's company
>Sleeping in his bed is a little strange, though it's probably just you being strange about it
>You figured you'd maybe just gotten used to his smell already too but shifting around so you can lie under the covers brings it back into your mind
>Unperfumed and not flowery, you can't really put a hoof on it
>It's just his particular scent
>You'd settle on it being pleasant, even if the sheets could do with a change
>He has a lot of pillows built up so you pick one and lay your head on it
>It smells less like him so it's certainly less used
>Synthwave gets off the bed and goes to sit back in his chair
>You can't help but stare at his wonderful backside as he goes
>You do look elsewhere when he starts to get up onto the chair and notices you looking again, wiggling his arse with a grin
>"Sleep well, homo."
>You ignore the comment even if you feel your face reddening
>He gets comfy and starts browsing the web instead of doing his loud music stuff, which was nice
>You listen to him while dozing off, and a slight glow from behind your eyelids makes you look to see him casting the sound shield spell around his head
>He glances over and gives an acknowledgement
>"Gonna play some games, I figure you don't want me waking you."
>You nod with a yawn and close your eyes again
>As sleepy as you are you're not bothered as his chair shifts or his mouse clicks faster when he gets into a game
>It's amusing that he's shouting but you can't hear a thing, and pretty soon you drift asleep

***

>You hear a weirdly lewd noise when you come to
>Oh no, Synthwave stopped casting the spell and is playing an H-game isn't he?
>Actually it might be something you can rib on him for, considering he seems to enjoy teasing you
>Slowly opening your eyes you pause that idea and blush profusely
>Okay, so not playing a weird game, no
>He's masturbating to some porn
>There's the usual moaning that comes from the porn, but that's barely anything coming from the headphones on his head
>The louder sounds coming from him is the noise you heard
>He's trying to be quiet and not succeeding
>His moans and gasps less than stallion-like as he watches the screen and strokes his pale-pink shaft
>He's not using his hooves, he's using magic on his dick and shaping it like a mare's vulva
>Despite the oddity of the situation that's pretty awesome, onahole spells were something of a new magic and difficult to cast
>You feel a bit warm after a few moments when you realise that you're just watching the pretty trap play with himself
>And he *was* a trap, rather than just a femcolt, which shouldn't really be possible
>Traps were 2D exactly because they couldn't exist IRL
>Yet... other than the dick there wasn't any way to tell Synthwave was a stallion
>Speaking of dick, you're *still* watching him
>If he caught you he'd never let you hear the end of it, you decide to follow through on your idea
>You put on your best 'what the fuck are you doing' face and slowly sit up
>Soon enough he spots your movement in his peripherals and jolts in his chair, his magic tearing the headphones off his head and the magic around his dick dispersing
>"Oh, shit. Sorry dude, figured you were-Ah, fuck!"
>He was swivelling in his chair a mite too fast and it tips backward
>Before you can think to do anything or cast something to stop it he topples over
>He and his chair hit the floor with a heavy thud, his legs up in the air as he touches down
>His porn is still playing on the monitor with lewd noise coming from the headphones
>You can't help but laugh at him as he lays there a little stunned, and soon you can hear him laughing as well
>You then cast some magic and grab a bit of his drying washing, bringing it over to throw on his erection like an oddly pitched tent
"You couldn't leave that until I'd gone?"
>He shrugs from where he is
>"I got horny and I wanted to wank."
>His head tilts down so he's looking at up at you
>"Did I wake you up? I didn't bother recasting the sound shield after I went for a shower."
>You shake your head as he slowly shifts about and gets to his hooves
>His long mane is floofier, definitely, he looks... softer
"Nah, I was already waking up."
>It doesn't surprise you too much when he stands up that he doesn't bother to cover his erection anymore
>He lifts his chair up with his magic and gets back into it, dick openly on display as he chucks the washing back where it was
>Your attempt at embarrassing didn't really work out
"So you're just gonna rock out with your cock out?"
>He smirks as he turns his attention to the monitor and turns off the porn that was still going
>"Pretty much. It won't go away for a bit, so, I dunno, don't look at it."
"You're one of the weirdest ponies I've ever met."
>"Been told that before."
>You keep your eyes firmly on his face, though you can still see his erection in your peripherals
>You're fairly certain you're bigger than he is, though not by much
>You laugh a little considering his comment to compare sizes when you realised he wasn't a mare
>"What?"
>You shake your head, not wanting to bring it up
"Nothing..."
>There's a pause between you both
>He just lounges there being cute with his dick on display
>You're not liking that you're getting the same warmth in your lower belly you tend to get when something arousing happens
>There's nothing arousing about this, not at all!
>He's attractive, that doesn't change he's a stallion, distract!
"That was a pretty impressive onahole spell you were casting."
>His fading smirk quickly turns coy as he regards you
>"Oh, watching me wank, were you?"
>What? No! No, he's not allowed to turn this around on you!
"Not in the slightest, it was obvious what it was when I woke up and saw it. You make some very mare-like noises, by the way."
>Synthwave doesn't even flinch, he continues with the coyness
>"Yeah, and? You enjoy it, queer?"
>You can't not be peeved that you're not getting him on the back hoof
"You're the one that wants to fuck other femcolts."
>"Traps aren't gay, sorry buddy."
>Internet memes did not into reality, but you know he's just fucking with you
>He's kind of arrogant 
"Celestia's bountiful booty, you're a pain."
>"Yeah, but I'm pretty great."
>You scoff and shake your head again as he just sits there with his dick on display while calling *you* the homosexual
>He's lucky he has such a sexy marely body
>Sweet Celestia that's just so weird to think, you can't stop this warmth in you
>You need to occupy yourself
"Right, well... I'm rested and happy to try the sound shield spell again, but you're not coming near me with that standing to attention."
>He snorts a little
>"You say that but you're standing to attention too."
"Wha-"
>Oh what the fuck
>Why are *you* erect, he's attractive, but come on!
"Ffffuuuuck off! Why are you here?!"
>You say, frustrated at your dick
>Sadly, your dick does not answer you
>Synthwave has to tease you of course
>His coy smile stays on his pretty little face as he spreads his shapely legs just a little more
>And lounges back in his chair just a little more to show himself off
>You wonder what his thighs feel like
>No, no you don't
>"Hey now Anon, it's fine that you find me hot, I'm flattered."
"Shut up, this is weird!"
>His smile relaxes
>"Why?"
"Because it is!"
>"Because I'm a dude too?"
"Yes!"
>Synthwave stretches with a cute sound you really don't think was on purpose, even if the stretch obviously was
>"You seem to like looking at me enough though."
"Yeah, but, the marely bits!"
>"...Yeeeeah but I'm still a dude."
>A deep sigh escapes you
"My dick just has a mind of its own."
>"Well, I know that I can pop a stiffy for some weird things, but I know it comes from me being marginally into what gave me the stiffy."
>"I dunno, just chill out about it."
>You frown at him
"How the hay can I chill out? I've never been in this situation before, I'm erect over a fucking dude."
>You glare as he just shakes his head and giggles
>Fucking *giggles*
>Unf
>No?
>UNF?
"Fucking stupid brain."
>You growl in frustration into your hooves and lay back onto the bed
>Synthwave goes silent though he does speak after a few moments
>"Not sure why you're making such a fuss, Anon."
>"Why not just... you know, maybe... experiment?"
>He says that last word quieter 
>You look up annoyed at first
>Though that annoyance gives way to confusion as he looks at you differently
>His coyness is gone, he looks quite shy now
>He's closed his legs too, and keeps looking...
>Oh... he's looking at your dick
>You *are* laying back with it sticking up
>You shoot back up immediately and hide it as best you can with your hooves
>He did ask a question too, one that needs an immediate answer
>Though you can't manage to form words as his tail swishes right as he repositions himself
>Your mind blanks a little as you spy his sizable ponut
>What the fuck, its so...
>Even for stallions a big arse means a big ponut
>That or it really is his mareliness that's doing it
>Fucking fuckity fuck, you want to touch him
>You *want* to touch him, Anon
>It's a very bizarre feeling
>"I'm not really one to... *not* be direct, yannow?"
>That draws your attention to his face
>He's looking at you directly, and you didn't think his demeanour could be any more reserved than his usual flat attitude
>What happened to his cockiness?
>"You think I'm sexy, and you seem to like me, so why not just see how you feel?"
>What does that mean?
>You glance at him just a tad unsure
"As in? Touching you?"
>He gives a slight nod
>"That works... if you want."
>You *do* want
>Though the alarm in your head blaring that he's a dude isn't going away
>Your eyes flick to the erection he's trying to hide a little more now, then back to him
>You're not sure if its the initial shock starting to wear off or the fact you've gotten hard for another stallion playing in your mind
>But despite your own hang up you do want to see if this is what you're into, if only to settle things and know for sure
>You realise your heart is pounding in your chest like crazy at the notion of it
>The warmth in you is the same as it was during your first time with a mare
>This isn't that but it's similar, and that's O.K...?
>...
>Taking a breath you pat the bed beside yourself
>Whatever bluster Synthwave had built up had gone which meant he wasn't going to start this party after all
>Synthwave looks at you silently before slowly slipping off of his chair and pacing over
>When he gets up onto the bed he almost immediately lays himself down to hide his dick
>Which is a little funny considering he was happy to show it off previously
>You simply rest as you meet one another's gaze, and he shuffles a little closer
>Gosh his eyes are pretty, he's just all around pretty
>Reaching out after a second you gently lay your hoof on his haunch, just where his cutie mark would be if he had one
>His entire backend is right here before you
>It's a great deal more substantial now that it's this close, he really does put a majority of mares to shame
>Your hoof runs up and in across his haunch just below where his croup meets his hip
>It's springy and plump, you can feel supple fat and muscle both under your hoof
>He doesn't flinch away and keeps your gaze
"You're soft."
>He smiles a little
>You keep your hoof slowly massaging around his body where you can reach, mostly focused on the backside
>You're not really sure how to proceed rather than just... taking a plunge
>Looking into his eyes again you feel he might be shy now, but there's certainly an eagerness there
>You scoot a little closer until your body is slight pressing against his and lean towards him
"Hey, uh, do you... do you want to try a kiss?"
>Synthwave's deadpan look at you tells you you're being an idiot as he nods once
>His face gets closer to yours, that lovely effeminate face
>Your heart is going a million miles a minute as your lips near his
>Then you freeze
>There's a quick knocking at the door
>Synthwave blinks out of the moment and frowns
>"Shit. I'll be right back."
>He slips off the bed and quickly ensnares his onesie within his magic, throwing it on as you relax a little from the tensity that had built
>You're content to watch his very hefty bum as the onesie zips up
"Expecting somepony?"
>He frowns
>"Probably my cunt of a sister."
>Oh, you didn't know Synthwave had siblings, he hadn't alluded to it at all
>Watching him go you let out a breath and relax as your heart rate slows a little
>Well, you almost kissed a trap, but not quite
>You wait for him to return and feel a bit more at ease being alone to decompress
>You're going to kiss him when he comes back, he clearly wants you to
>The fact you're not feeling too weird about it is weird in itself
>You frown as you soon hear the front door closes a little harder than is necessary
>Looking towards the hallway you see a solemn Synthwave shuffle in
"What's up?"
>He glances at you and sighs
>"It wasn't my sister, it was my damn government-decreed social worker."
"You have a social worker?"
>He nods, coming over and getting up onto the bed again
>Though he's clearly detached from the moment you were sharing previously
>"She checks up on me every couple of weeks, sees if I'm still breathing."
"Oh, so, what did she want?"
>"She dropped a bomb on me."
"Huh?"
>You raise an eyebrow as he looks at you
>"...I'm getting evicted."

***

>You frown as you take in the statement
>Evicted?
>Was it because he was too loud on occasion?
>...
>Synthwave huffs in annoyance while he lays down properly on the bed again
>The fact that he's immediately moved up close to you is forgotten in the moment and you focus on his face rather than his large bottom
>"Apparently I got the letter that said I needed to reply to them and say no to the move, but I didn't get any fucking letter. I usually get it and send it back telling them to get fucked, in polite terms."
>"It's some fucking new-ish care group that's been wanting to move me for ages and I keep saying no, I'm comfy here, and they keep trying to find ways to do it."
"Why?"
>Another huff
>"Part of their revamped care scheme, keep all of us without talents in little safe bubbles so we can be babied our whole lives. They wanna move me to some neat little complex way uptown to keep an eye on me."
"Not that I agree, but I'm uh, a little in the dark here. If you need assistance-"
>"I don't."
>He states it firmly, shooting you a look
>"I get enough of that shit from my family."
>Synthwave's face turns into a pout for the barest of moments as he squares up
>"I don't work because I've got no special talent, right? You know how that works?"
>You shake your head
"Not really."
>He nods, sighing
>"O.K, the short and narrow of it is that most businesses don't like to hire ponies without cutie marks, it's a branding thing. You work in flower arrangement, they want you to have a cutie mark that advertises the fact."
>"Without it, you're a walking liability, you can't do the job as well as someone with a talent in it, clearly. You fuck up and the company gets in the shit because they hired the equivalent of a foal to do the job."
>Right, old protection rights, some law shit they went over in school you scarcely remember
"So you get put onto a list of those that are unemployable?"
>"Pretty much."
"So... you're a government-approved NEET. Well, that's interesting."
>Synthwave fixes you with a quizzical look
>"Interesting?"
"You uh, seem to be more well off than what they make NEETdom out to be."
>There's a quick scoff from him
"Well yeah, they don't want everyday ponies to shirk working, but the scheme pays much better to us and keeps us alive and happy so we don't off ourselves, second difference being that I barely spend my money on shit I don't need."
>You glance around at his extremely comfy digs and back to him with a raised eyebrow
>You catch the slight smile tugging at his flat expression from under the comical open-eyed hood of his onesie
>"I meant I don't buy drugs or some habitual shit to waste bits, a few things here are from donations too."
"...Donations?"
>"My cunt of a sister, my *parents*, they're pretty well off. Mum comes from old magic, yannow? Has a cushy job assisting some noble moron that pays her out the nose to do special shit that he can't."
>"Dad got springboarded from that into something similar, and my sister works in magitech. So everypony is doing great."
"...And you can't get into that stuff."
>"Nope. I'm the uh, 'black sheep' as the saying goes, Sis is the golden foal. They don't interact with me beyond a few cursory visits."
>He stretches a little as he sighs again, your eyes momentarily going to his sizable thighs
>"...Though calling my sister a cunt is unfair. She tries, but she has ideas in her head about what I should do because she's successful. It just gets tedious to have her always talking on some new shit to get into that I'm not interested in while preaching from the mountain top."
>"She's not bad. Heck, she sent me the Galloper Firebrand. Granted, she got it for free because the company she works for gives them to higher-ups, but it was pretty decent to get even if I don't use it much."
"Does your sister send you bits like the replacement CPU as well?"
>He shakes his head
>"Nah, that's my parents trying to buy love. They'll send some bits to cover that they don't ever try to see me, beyond my Sis dragging them along when she does."
>"So I figure, sure, throw money at me, I'm not giving you credit for what I'd have bought with the government money in a month of saving."
>At least you're clearer on how he affords everything
"Alright, so, you're doing fine living on your own, but they want to move you anyway?"
>He nods, looking a little happier about the return to the original conversation
>"I want to try and be independent. I *am* independent. I make music because I want to get money from that. It's not enough for them, they want me to pursue 'making friends' and shit in their walled garden."
"And you don't do 'hanging out' with people."
>"They tried to do that before at the place I was in years back, with me and a couple others that were loners in the housing estate. We kept to ourselves and we didn't bother one another or anypony else at all except for small things."
>You crack a grin
"Like asking to borrow PC parts?"
>"Yep. Simple arrangement and it worked. That wasn't 'healthy' though, so they started to put in mandatory group sessions for 'fostering camaraderie', and that shit was extremely annoying."
>"Didn't really work for us that preferred being on our lonesome. Eventually they figured we weren't going to play their games and left us to our own devices, though they assigned caregivers to us to keep tabs."
>"I've had my social worker for like, two years now. She's alright, just annoyingly cheerful, and she gets that I'm not a pony person and keeps a lot of the annoying stuff they try to push on me off my back."
>You nod, simply listening as you note that he's shifted a bit closer
>Whether that's intentional or not, you're not sure, though from what he's told you he's just more comfortable around you than most
>Which is a rarity, so you must be doing something right
>"I keep turning them down on this 'moving me' shit, though I have to give them their letter back saying I don't want to leave and give a bunch of reasons, my social worker has to chip in, yannow, usual shit."
>"I wouldn't be surprised if they delayed sending the letter out, and then backdated saying they already sent it before I could reply and give it back. Dunno why they push so hard to get us all in one place, can't seem to just let us do our own thing."
"It's what governments are for, getting in a pony's way."
>"Feels like it."
"Is there really nothing you can do?"
>"Out of my social worker's hooves, I'm out by the end of the month."
"Well that's some bullshit."
>He sighs, nodding, glancing over to his PC
>"Yep... Listen Anon, it's getting late. This has kinda fucked me a bit so I wanna be alone."
>Damn
>But you get it
"Sure."
>You feel a bit annoyed, mostly for Synthwave, though a little is because you got interrupted
>Shifting yourself to edge off from the bed before Synthwave comes after you
>He quietly sees you to the door and opens it with his magic, and you step out
>Though you turn back to say goodbye and he takes a slight step forward
>"...You didn't get to try kissing me, you know."
>No, you didn't
>You gently smirk and regard him for a moment as he raises his brow questioningly
>You're not as tense as you were before, it helps that he looks a tad reversed
>Still, it's almost glacial how he leans up towards you, though his magic flares for a second as he lowers the hood of his onesie
>Getting to clearly see his beautiful face and pouty lips starts to quicken your heart again
>You don't think on it, just lean down to him
>There's a slightly amusing awkwardness as your noses then bump and your lips loosely connect, like a test run
>His snout scrunches as he giggles again in his cute way, not sounding too flat
>He leans up a bit more and gingerly brushes his lips against yours
>They're wonderfully soft
>He's closed his eyes and there's a tenseness, he's waiting
>Right, obviously
>In the short moment you reciprocate and nudge back, the light contact turning into a proper kiss as you take charge
>Nothing more than something simple as you close your eyes and let the movement linger and apply the barest amount of force with your lips, before pulling back
>You're fairly certain you're blushing profusely, he certainly is
>Synthwave's expression takes on a coy focus, but the attitude is dampened by his obvious bemusement
>"That was... nice."
"Yeah."
>Is all you can really say, as it *was* nice
>You kissed a trap!
>No difference between that and having kissed a mare
>His marely body certainly helps the illusion
>"You stole my first."
>You scoff at him
"I think it was given freely."
>"Maybe a little... I'll see you later, yeah?"
>It's almost a repeat of the first time you walked up to his door about his music being loud
>Except this time he doesn't slam the door in your face and disappears with a partial smile as he steps back in and shuts the door
>You turn away feeling a little giddy and start to walk back to your own flat
>The nice feeling you have is quickly brought down again at the news hanging over Synthwave's head like a sword
>It's not fair, you were just getting to know Synthwave
>That door had been opened and you wanted to step through it and see where it led
>But you know life isn't fair like that
>Things feel pretty shit by the time you walk through the door
>There has to be something you can do, right?
>...Probably not
>Maybe you could speak with Synthwave's social worker and get her to show that he's... made friends?
>Friend, singular
>Though what would that do?
>It might show the folks in charge that he's got actual roots in place
>It probably won't be enough
>Maybe... maybe you could...
>Surely not? It was a power move for sure
>You knew it worked for others but it was a bit of a fucking big one...
>Maybe, put a pin in that one and come back to it
>While thinking you've been standing in your entrance way
>Your eyes go to the massive stack of post you've allowed to build on a side cabinet
>You've got nothing else to do right now so your eyes travel over the stack as you go over
>As you thought, it's all shit as your magic sorts through them
>Fast food pamphlets and advertising leaflets, an announcement on the local area getting renovations...
>Of course there's some shit sent to the wrong address too, there always is
>A letter for the last guy that lived here, it's an outstanding bill
>A brown envelope addressed to─
>Your eyes widen a little
"Oh, fuck."
>It's a letter addressed to Synthwave
>Almost immediately you back out of the flat with the letter in your magic
>You apologise to a mare as you barrel past her upon reaching the stairs and bring yourself up them quicker than you ever have
>Within seconds you're rapping heavily on Synthwave's door
>The answer comes in barely a few seconds at your urgency
>"Shit, what the f─"
"Letter!"
>You interrupt him as the door opens to his puzzled expression
>He's onesie free now and his hair is messier, likely having chucked it off when you left
>He squints at you like you're an idiot before his expression quickly morphs into fast understanding
>"You're fucking joking."
"Nope."
>"What the fuck."
"Yep."
>"Why the fuck do you have my application?"
"No idea."
>Your vision takes on a pale blue sheen as feel yourself heavily dragged on in your entirety with his magic as it ensnares you
>Though all it does is nudge you forward a little, picking up a pony in a corona is hard to do when the other pony instinctually doesn't want to move
>Their innate magic surges to counter the invading magic without much thought
>You briefly wonder if there are any ponies that can completely bypass that magic and move others around like small objects with ease to their heart's content
>Before you're then dragged inside the normal way with a hoof tugging on your foreleg
"I'm coming, relax."
>You step inside and Synthwave slams the door in his haste
>"Why the fuck do you have my application?"
>He repeats it, sounding less annoyed and more confused through his semi-monotonous voice
"I wish I knew. I can only assume the postmare fucked up. Royal Mail's pretty good at delivering stuff to the wrong place."
>He sighs as he runs a hoof through his mane
>"Yeah but... a whole floor below?"
"Annoying, I know, but you have the letter now. That's good right, it can be explained."
>Synthwave sighs, shaking his head as he sits down
>His sizable backend smacks down with a pleasant thump, his tail swishing in agitation
>"Nah... they won't give a shit. To them that's an excuse on par with 'parasprites ate my homework'."
"...So... this doesn't matter?"
>"Probably not."
>You frown
"Fuck."
>"But... maybe my social worker might be able to buy me some more time. What for I dunno, but maybe it's a hoof in the door."
>You quickly nod
"And if you add that you've made friends here, they'll be more hard pressed to remove you, right?"
>"You mean friend, singular?"
>That's what you said, or thought, whatever
"It's something."
>"Yeah, maybe."
>He sights again, leaning back until he's laying down against the floorboards
>Given that he's thrown off his onesie his lower half is bare and you can see him fully
"You uh... you comfy down there?"
>"Very. ...Just thinking."
>You try not to let your eyes focus on his genitals and just focus on his face
>You fail, yours eyes go to his genitals, and then his lovely bottom
>There's also that fucking huge ponut
>There comes a certain warmth that begins to build in your lower half...
>"Quit staring, homo."
>Your eyes immediately snap up to his face as you blush a little, his expression has become coy again
>At least you know he's not all cocky tough-colt and he becomes meek when it comes to initiating
>You've got that leg up on him
"...You obviously want me to by displaying yourself, faggot."
>"Ha!"
>He exclaims the laugh loudly, and rests back against the floor again for a moment
>"Yeah, kinda."
>What?
"Well that's not worrying at all."
>He shrugs
>"I did say if it helps you not be a weirdo then you can stare all you like."
>He *did* say that
>"I might be helping it along a bit."
>You laugh a little, your horn igniting in an emerald haze as you ensnare him
>He grins and relaxes, allowing you to lift him until he's sitting on his wide haunches
>You rest your eyes on him, tracking over his cute features
>You really don't want to just have him disappear out of your life as fast as he dropped in
>If the letter isn't a hoof in the door then you've got nothing
>Maybe a power move really is in order
>You clear your throat as you glance away for a second, looking back and steeling yourself
"Why don't you move in with me?"
>He blinks
>And blinks again
>"What?"
"It's something some old friends did back in college to get around being kicked out of the student flats."
>Synthwave grins a little
>"Go on."
>The spotlight is yours
"Right, so uh, basically one friend was going to ditch the course because it wasn't really her thing, and that of course meant she couldn't stay in the student flats."
"But she didn't have anywhere else to go, and she liked it there too, so our other friend who had this weird eye disability suggested that she move in with her as a full-time 'carer'."
>He grins a little wider
>"And it worked?"
>You nod, smiling back
"Like a charm, because our friend was part of an inclusion scheme the college had, and they had no say in certain decisions unless they wanted to be the guys that told a disabled mare 'no' to her chosen caregiver."
>"Didn't she need a cute-mark in medicine or something?"
"She didn't need it. Whatever our friend felt helped her most was acceptable."
>He scoffs
>"I like the idea just because it would really fuck with the care scheme bastards, but it doesn't seem like it would apply here."
>You shrug
"I think it would. If your scheme is anything like it was back in college, which if anything it should be more generous now, I can probably be signed on as your carer and they wouldn't be able to do anything."
"I could say that I'm an old family friend and due to your mental health I'm going to be allowing you to stay with me until you're well enough to go elsewhere. It's what my friends did, cheesed the system a bit."
>"Damn. That's ballsy, I kinda actually like that."
"It does mean that you're listed as kinda... not independent and stuff, like, I'd have to be present whenever you see your social worker and shit like that."
>He shakes his head
>"Nah that's fine, I know you're not actually gonna baby me so I don't give a fuck how it looks on paper. My social worker won't give a shit, she'll just be happy I've at least got a friend now."
>Nice, balls-to-the-wall option it was then
"Okay... okay, cool. Uh, so I'll need to find my rent agreement and all that shit."
>Synthwave raises an eyebrow
>"Right now?"
>You shrug
"Why not? Sooner I get it together, the sooner I can see the housing association about getting you on my tenancy."
>"Fair enough, guess I'll contact my social worker and she can hopefully pull some magic to delay things." 
>He pauses with a slight frown
>"This might not work, you know. Might just be too late." 
"Well, won't know if we don't try, right?"
>"True."
"Cool. I'll be back with my papers early tomorrow then?"
>He gives a slight nod
>You smile as he stretches his forelegs up, and your eyes travel over his shapely mareish body before you turn to leave
>...Before your vision turns partially icy as his corona surrounds you again
>You relax and his magic field turns you around to face him
>He's looking at you a little expectantly from where he sits
"Can I help you? I was gonna go do the thing."
>He smiles a little as a light blush crosses his face
>"Kiss me again before you go?"
>Oh!
>Well then
"S-sure?"
>It comes out as a slight nervous chuckle
>Kissing him twice in one day... you wondered if this was just going to be a thing now
>That certainly wasn't bad at all
>His magic ceases as stays where he is but starts to lean forward
>So you have to lean down a bit, but you step towards him so you can
>You both meet midway and this time your connection is a lot smoother than before
>Those wonderfully silky lips touch yours again as he gently pushes against you
>There's a moment where you consider keeping it brief like the kiss earlier, though another idea comes to mind
>You push with a little more force and deepen the kiss just a modicum, and he jolts with mild elicitation of surprise but quickly melts into it
>For a second or two you both continue like that and Synthwave makes some very quiet and very nice sounds
>Though your eyes open as he then surprises you right back by flicking his tongue out for a moment
>It catches you off guard as it brushes your upper lip
>He notices the lull and pulls back a bit, pretty eyes looking into yours
>"Too soon?"
"...No."
>You move back in and kiss him again with the same level of enthusiasm, his amusement coming through as a gentle moan as he returns the engagement
>His tongue pushes forward and you experimentally respond in kind
>Lo and befuck, it's just like kissing a mare, no surprises there
>Absently, you move forwards a little more, and your hoof then rests on his wide hip
>It slowly slides down to his sizable croup while you both Prench kiss
>The next few moments are spent massaging that area, until there's another jolt of surprise from him as your hoof goes a little lower and squeezes his rear
>He breaks the kiss and takes a breath, smiling
>"Getting pretty gay right now."
"I thought traps weren't gay?"
>"Traps can only be 2D, Anon."
>He's turning around his own convoluted memeshit from earlier to try and tease you
>Dickhead
"I guess you're 2D then because I don't think I can even call you a femcolt. All I'm seeing is a mare from all angles."
>"Except I have a dick."
>You nod
"Yeah, so a trap. I mean, I literally didn't know until I saw the dick."
>He smirks and leans in to kiss you for a long second before relenting
>"I will take your evidence into consideration for it not being gay."
>You snort as you move back
"I'll catch you later."
>"Yep."
>With a quick glance over those thick haunches you once again turn to go
>Time for form hunting

***

>Once you're back in your flat you get to work turning the place upside down
>Apparently where you thought you'd kept all your paperwork was actually just storage for more old parts
>So that meant looking in the uncommon places
>That doesn't work so it quickly turns to looking in the silly places
>For some reason the stack of rent statements and your tenancy agreement along with a bunch of other paperwork for various taxes were under the bed
>Whatever, you had them now
>Smoothing out the papers you see that your tenancy agreement first, scoffing a little at the initial numbers
>Sure, four-hundred bits a month on rent would have been manageable enough with a certain amount of frugality, but then there came the committee tax
>That was an extra two-hundred bits to help do ones 'bit' for the community, keeping the streets clean and the Guard patrolling and such else
>While not outright opposed to doing your fair part, the sheer cost made you wince
>Which is why you're glad that's all the 'initial' numbers
>Being marked as 'single' granted a pony a good discount on pricing, so four-hundred on rent was actually two-hundred, and two-hundred on tax was just one-twenty-five
>A few ponies tended to get into serious trouble for marking themselves as living alone when they were actually a couple or a family
>Avoiding paying tax was not a wise move, that was something you didn't need to learn the hard way
>The tax mare would always get her due
>Your annoyance at such things aside, you see your signature at the bottom of the form
>Similarly it's there at the bottom of the tenancy agreement
>Tomorrow morning you were going to take them to the housing association that handled the complex on the government's behalf
>It was almost four in the morning now, so a few hours of sleep wouldn't hurt
>In your own bed, of course
>As much as you'd like to go and hang with Synthwave again, it would be a bit odd to show up for the third time that night
>And you already excused yourself for the night
>Maybe it wouldn't be strange to drop by again, however your bed was comfortable and familiar
>Then again Synthwave's bed was bigger and very comfortable too
>...Probably best not to
>The idea of sharing his bed *with* him was... alluring, but that was maybe quite fast for comfort
>You were still getting to grips with the fact that the pretty trap was invading your sexuality with a full frontal assault
>Best to keep this train going steady, well, hopefully steady
>The last mare you'd slept with hadn't liked the idea of a relationship and bolted pretty fast
>That possibility still stood here
>You want to keep seeing Synthwave and see how things pan out
>Placing those thoughts and the paperwork off to one side, you get settled for the night and turn in