Change(ling) Times (Private w/DualThrone, NSFW, MLP)

(Dual Post)
'Dora nods quietly as Sword speaks of having no family, her expression becoming genuinely sympathetic as he tells her this. "Having grown up in a very tight-knit family and extended family, Sword, I can't imagine a world where I had none of them," she says, her voice slightly quieter with a faint touch of sadness. "But I imagine that it's hard to miss what you never actually had, so I'm just projecting a bit, I think. Regardless, I sympathize with growing up in an orphanage instead of a home surrounded by family."

She perks up slightly and her ears twitch in genuine interest as Sword opens the door to small home and lets her inside, following him in and starting to look around with very slightly wide eyes, nodding unconsciously as he offered her a glass of water or whatever she might need. So this is what the home of a normal, ordinary, everyday pony is like, she says to herself in poorly-concealed awe as her eyes roam around the interior. Of course I wouldn't expect every pony to live in a nice royal apartment but... Sola, I'm an ignorant little filly. It wasn't so much that Sword's living space had perfectly ordinary furnishings--she split housing money with Sunny and Violet for a somewhat squashed space--but there was something about the space that made her think of a pony that didn't have a great deal in the way of material things, although clearly not poor by any stretch. She takes a step in the direction of the kitchen, spies the trash bin full of take-out debris, and steps in that direction instead, looking curiously at the bin. Is this... how he eats a meal at home? Where are the rinds and peelings? Where are the eggshells, packages, wrappings, bags? Does he... does he only ever get to each a fully-prepared meal that he buys? The sight of the take-out makes her expression grow slightly more pensive and concerned and she lingers long enough, turning this over in her mind, that she's just caught sight of the folder bearing the seal of the crown, and just had enough time to blink and move towards it, when Sword comes back down the stairs and she jumps a little, seemingly slightly startled by his coming back down although he'd been making no effort to be quiet about it.

"Oh!" She smiles at him, trying to cover her being startled by his entrance. "Um, I'm fine Sword, thank you. I don't think I've had a fried sandwich before but I'd be happy to try it. Novelty is the spice of life, and I'm always up for giving exotic cuisine a try just to expand my palate a bit." She nods for him to lead on and follows him out again, glancing over her shoulder at the shut down to his home before going on. "Sword, do you mind if I ask... um... do you have some manner of government position that you're retiring from, or taking a leave of absence from? I mean, I know you mentioned being part of the Guard but, and I'm not familiar at all with procedures and regulations and the like about the Royal Guard, but I'd have thought that the only ponies carrying official crown documents home with them would be officers or the like. Unless you are... er, were."

(Sword Post)

"Glad to hear it. They take whatever filling you want in your sandwich, put it between two slices of bread, and then deep fry it till golden tasty brown. I usually get cheese and broccoli." He replied as they left his house. When she inquired as to his previous profession, he stopped and scratched the top of his head awkwardly. "Yeah...ummm.... its complicated. Suffice to say yes I was a guard, I had a decently high rank, and I retired when I was no longer able to perform my duties. Despite only being 27, I am fully retired, with a pension of fifty thousand bits a year. The papers on the desk were just confirmation from the guard that Canterlot University is authorized to withdraw my tuition in full from my account. It is a rather hefty sum to pay 4 years up front." Remaining quiet for a moment as they walked, he rounded the corner and pointed to the end of the street. "The cafe is just a few blocks up from here..."

(Dual Post)

"I'm... spoiled a little in that respect," 'Dora admits with a slightly shy look in his direction as she follows. "I like to heavily flavor things with lemon or lemon zest. There's just something about that fresh scent before the citrus tang of the lemon that is... really tasty. Or perhaps it's an acquired taste, I wouldn't know. Ponies around here seem to favor the apple as a fruit for putting into pies and other things, where I got very used to lemons being used in the same role. Making lemon meringue is a more difficult technical l achievement than an apple pie but absolutely to die for. Same with a lemon cheesecake" She stopped talking a moment to visibly make a mental evaluation of what she's said and what the conversation is meant to be about. "So... quartered brussel sprouts instead of broccoli with my cheese. On the sandwich, I mean."

She notes his awkward scratch of his head and her expression turns slightly concerned as he explains, her ears twitching as he mentions being unable to perform his duties any longer despite being only 27. She looks him over from head to hoof as they walk, not making any real effort to conceal what she's doing, before directing her gaze at Sword's head. "I'm no doctor--at least not that kind of doctor--but it seems to me that you're a wholy healthy and virile stallion with no apparent crippling injuries or disorders of your senses. So in what sense are you unable to perform the duties of a highly-ranked guard? I'm sure it's private but annoying science nerds want to know, nonetheless."

(Sword Post)

"I do enjoy a lemon wedge when I order ice water, although I prefer lime myself. Goes better with rum and tequila. Not so much into the food aspect of what the general citrus category of foods have to offer though. Never had much time to sample when I was in the guard though. More dried bread than key lime pie I'm afraid." He replied with a small chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind for the waitress then."

When Dora began examining him, Sword gave her quizzical look. "You uh, like what you see there Miss Dora? Oh... that..." He extended his left wing, revealing a long scar that ran for around a foot and a half down underneath where his wing would normally sit. His fur was starting to grow back over it, but it was still plainly visible with his wing extended. "Appearances are deceiving, to a degree. I was put out of action for a year when I was injured in the line of duty. For my service, I was offered a very lucrative severance package, with a few stipulations, nothing serious though. The laceration I received broke several of my ribs, punctured a lung, and severed a major artery. I was lucky to be with a team who had a unicorn who was practiced in stasis magic. Even then, I was lucky that I didn't die on the operating table. The wound was too big to heal entirely with magic, so I was forced to take leave. Not to mention the psychological damage the wound did. My commander was afraid I'd get "The Shakes" after that." Smiling awkwardly, he continued. "Anyways, spent a year on "vacation" in Ponyville healing up. Anyways, not to bore you with the intricate details, that's how I ended up where I'm at now. And speaking of where we are, here's the cafe."

(Dual Post)

PostSubject: Re: Change(ling) Times (Private w/ Dualthrones Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:55 pm
"Well yes, I rather do," 'Dora replies in a somewhat not-really-hearing-the-question way, far too distracted by the long scar. And not 'distracted' in the way of studying so hard that she's sort of shutting out the world, but more along the lines of being transfixed by what is clearly a very severe injury. "Broke ribs, punctured a lung, severed a major artery..." She repeated after a moment, clearly too lost in thought to hear that it nearly killed him, that he had to spend time recovering, and that the damage was as much psychological as physical. "Were you trying to fight a manticore, or a dragon, or something of that scale? Lacerating flesh is easy enough--you can accidentally lacerate it with the edge of a piece of paper--but to deliver so much kinetic force behind the blow that it would break the rib cage on its way to damaging the organs that it protects..." She shakes her head in a sort of horrified wonder. "Mister Symphony, you are either the luckiest solider I know, or one of the best." She manages a shaky smile. "I'm glad that it was one, or the other, or both because you seem very pleasant." 'Dora brightens slightly when she tears her eyes away and notices that they're at the cafe. "Oh good, food. Best distraction, smells good, and also the best distraction... which I said first, I think. Um... lead on?"

(Sword Post)

"No, I certainly wasn't fighting a manticore, that'd be far more impressive. And if I were an earth pony or a unicorn, I'd agree with you. Unfortunately, I'm a pegasus. Lighter bones, and lower bone density. Chitin blade didn't have much trouble generating the necessary power to blow right through them. So yeah, in summary I'm a lucky motherbucker to be sure." Opening the door for her, he nodded. "Indeed. After you Miss Dora. Both good food and distractions from my pained side await inside."

(Dual Post)

'Dora blinks at him, looking fascinated. "Equestria has a species of arthropod so large that its blades can cause that kind of wound?" She takes a moment to steal a closer look at the long scar as she goes passed him before continuing on to a table. "I'm amazed that I've never heard of this species if it's so unusually large. I admit to having minimal interest and involvement in entomology--my most extensive learning related to the use of maggots as an improvised putrefaction control mechanism in cases of gangrene--but I'd have thought that I'd have brushed up against mention of such an unusual creature at some point, given my earnest attempt to gain bare minimum knowledge in as wide a variety of subjects as possible."

(Sword Post)

Following her to the table, Sword merely shook his head in amused exasperation as Dora continued to be inquisitive as to the nature of his injury. "Persistent mare. Or oblivious.." Sitting down across from her, he spoke. "Yes, that type of creature does exist. Unfortunately, the nature of the operation I was conducting is classified. I'm afraid I can't speak much more about it, sorry."

As the waitress approached their table, Sword turned to greet her with a polite smile. "Afternoon Lily. Can we get two fried sandwiches, Brussel sprouts and cheese. And..." Sword looked back to Dora. "Two lemonades, perhaps?"

(Dual Post)

"Classified?" 'Dora looks mystified. "Classified as..." She pauses, thinking, and then understanding dawns. "Oh! Oh, that sort of classification. Right then, I'm sorry Mister Symphony." She seats herself and lets Sword order for them, nodding eagerly as he turns to confirm the order of two lemonades with her. "Lemonade would be wonderful, thank you." She beams at him as the waitress walks off to take their order to the chef. "I haven't treated myself to lemonade in a really long time. Thank you, Sword!"

(Sword Post)

"Its not a problem. Ponies are always curious when you tell them about guard activities. Although you seem more interested in the creature itself than what I was doing. A bit of a twist on the usual inquires." Sword replied in a friendly tone, happy to see she got the message before he placed their order. "Well you mentioned it earlier, so I thought you'd like it. Its a little more expensive than usual, but this one's on me, so don't worry about it." Setting his forehooves on the table, and propping his head up with them, he studied her for a moment. "So Miss 'Dora, where ya from? You don't seem like a native to Canterlot."

(Dual Post)

'Dora beams at him. "Well, I deeply appreciate it. It's always flattering when somepony pays attention to my rambling monologues and socially-awkward mannerisms." She pauses. "More the first than the second, really." She proceeds to imitate Sword exactly, setting her forehooves on the table and propping her head up with them. This lasts for about five seconds before her forehooves give way and she very nearly faceplants the table. She sighs from her face-down position and raises her head back up, leaning back in her chair this time. "I'm not. Quite a ways back when, my family came from what's now the Baltimare area but almost that long ago, we pulled up stakes and moved east into the Barrens. We've lived there ever since, founding family of the settlement that sprang up sometime after we arrived, sort of like how the Apple family is one of the founders of Ponyville. We've found that citrus has a curious affinity for arid climates, thus why I love lemon things: they remind me very strongly of home, and a very close-knit family." She leans forward enough to cross her forehooves and rest them on the table. "Sorry for answering more question than you asked."

(Sword Post)

"Its just polite manners to pay attention to a mare you asked out to lunch." He replied as she copied his pose, unable to resist a small snort of amusement at Dora's expense. "Normally I'd be a little suspicious that you lack the accent, but those frontier folk tend to lose that super fast. Been all over Equestria except for the desert border region. Guard usually tends to stay away from there, not a lot going on usually."

As they talked, the waitress returned, setting their sandwiches and drinks in front of them. "Enjoy, you two. let me know if you need if you need anything else." she said, turning and leaving them to their conversation. "No need to apologize for anything Miss Dora, its just idle conversation. Don't know much about family myself, although I've met several nice ones. Your aunt seems to keep a close eye on you." Sword picked up his glass, and took a gulp of lemonade.

(Dual Post)

'Dora looks curiously at him. "Lack the accent, Sword? Why would it be suspicious if I don't speak with an accent? The only ponies I know from back home that do lived for a while in Trottingham or Canterlot and picked up the local accent by doing a lot of socializing." She nods and smiles to the waitress as she delivers their food, whereupon she takes a big hearty bite of sandwich and chews happily. "Mmm... this is delicious!" she exclaims, washing it down with a healthy swig of lemonade. "And the lemonade is so wonderfully tart with just a touch of sweet." She smiles broadly to him. "Thanks again for this."

A few hearty bites and gulps later, she nods to his observation. "Yes, Auntie Index keeps a close watch on me, on behalf of my mother. If she wasn't around, Mother would certainly have arranged some way of keeping an eye on me by proxy. Adjusting to me not being home was hard enough on me, and it was even harder on Mother, especially when my older sister went to live in Canterlot for quite a few years, making me the second daughter she's had to bid farewell to, even if it's only for a few years."

(Sword Post)

"Suspicious might have been the wrong word for it. More odd I'd say. Just old guard habits I guess, trying to piece everything together in my head for no good reason." He replied with a small smile, taking another bite of his sandwich. "I'm glad you like it, Miss Dora. And its no problem really, nice to have some company for once."

Letting her chew and swallow, he leaned back and relaxed his posture. "Your Aunt seems like a very observant mare, I must say. I'd say your mother has very little, if nothing to worry about. So how long will you be studying at Canterlot University?" Sword asked casually, taking another sip of his drink while they conversed.

(Dual Post)

"It could well be the phenomenon of your own accent, or lack thereof, being invisible to you while quite noticeable to everyone else," 'Dora offers. "I wish I could offer some insight to help you piece the problem together, Sword, but I don't understand the problem well enough to know what you lack, and try to discern a way to supply the lacking to you."

'Dora nods rather vigorously when Sword mentions that her aunt seems very observant. "Oh, she's very observant and almost uncomfortably aware of small details," she says. "It makes her a top-notch researcher and quite gifted at informal debate. Tiny and important details are infinitely exploitable, as she's explained to me, as are inevitable errors in fact and wording." She smiles a little wryly. "As smart as I work at being, anything I asked her to proofread always comes back as a solid mass of red ink, at least until she got tired of trying to cram proofreading marks into the text and started producing enumerated indexes. Enumerated indexes, by the way, which are as long or longer than the papers themselves." She grins. "It has its benefits, however; I think some of my professors are mildly intimidated when they receive grammatically pristine papers from me. She's casual about language in everyday usage but in her mind, any academic work has to be obsessively accurate and precise so that any findings can better resist falsification."

'Dora takes another bite of sandwich and a swig of lemonade and chews thoughtfully in response to Sword's question about how long she'd be remaining at the university. "I suppose I'll be here until I've done everything I can here," she says, "and then I'll move to wherever I need to go to further develop my research into the indexing construct I showed you. Somewhere in there, I'll also receive a degree of some kind--I'm not sure what and it really doesn't matter to me--at some point amidst my research and that will be nice, but hardly important in the overall scheme. What is a degree, but a panel of professionals attesting to you having checked all the boxes and giving you a piece of paper that you can frame and put on a wall, and never care about for the rest of your life? Sure, to be called 'Doctor' in honor of a doctorate in some field would stroke my ego a little, but if I accomplished my work and the scientific aspects of it are judged meritorious by specialists of far greater experience and ability than myself, to be called 'doctor' would add nothing and to not be called 'doctor' would subtract nothing." She smiles. "The production of valuable insights, and the application of those insights to something that betters the world generally, is all that really matters." Another bite and swig. "So what about you, Mister Symphony? How long do you intend to be here?"

(Sword Post)

Sword smiled and nodded along as 'Dora talked, occasionally taking a bite of his sandwich and washing it down with a swig of lemonade, which was almost gone by now. "Wordy little mare, that she most certainly is..." he thought to himself as she expounded on the depth to which her aunt was critical, and her educational future. When she finished and turned the question back on him, he polished off the last of his drink and licked his lips. "Till I learn what I need I'd say, or until I grow tired of it. University isn't so much about gaining a degree for some high paying job for me as it is for a lot of ponies, nor is it about the prestige and acknowledgement one gets when you earn your PH.D. I've no real need for money or prestige, I merely am seeking knowledge on a topic, and university is the best place to learn it, and also I figured it wouldn't hurt my social life to see what I missed out on whilst I was serving in the guard."

(Dual Post)

"Knowledge for the sake of knowledge," 'Dora nods eagerly as Sword says why he's chosen to come to university and how long he intends to stay. "That's a noble goal, Sword, even if you don't mean it to be. I suppose that when it comes down to it, I also plan to gain knowledge for no greater reason than to gain it. I like to know things, lots of things, and I'm fortunate enough that my circumstances allow me the same luxury you have, to linger until I'm done." Another bite and swig. "On the social side, I don't really have a lot to offer there. The closest thing I do to socialization is following my aunt around and giving my roommates the occasional swift kick when they forget that I can hear them rutting, and find it very annoying when I'm trying to remember which logarithmic scale is appropriate for regulating the magical flow in my research project. Sunny's divine power of cookie makes up for it, though, or I'd have found other arrangements." She takes a generous bite and chews contemplatively, visibly thinking on the matter of her roommates. "I imagine social entanglements aren't really part of being in the Guard."

(Sword Post)

"You flatter me with your words Miss Dora, I am merely seeking a means to an end. In the end, i think that's what we all do to one degree or another, though some have more noble aspirations than others." He leaned back as she continued. "Well you seem to be having a well enough time having lunch and chatting with me, and hey, I'm sure I'd have trouble remember anything with the sound of rutting around me... hehe. This Sunny mare does sound like quite the character, if she can bake as well as rut loud enough to disturb the peace." When Dora asks about the socialization of the guard, Sword scratches the top of his head as he tries to think of the best way to answer. "Well.... its a different kind of socialization I'd say. Its one thing to have a casual conversation like we're having now when we're both on an even social level. There's no real limiter on our interaction. As a Guard though, I speak from a position of authority and represent the government. That tends to make casual conversation impossible. So its a bit freeing to be able to take a pretty mare out for lunch, have a good chat and go on about my day than it is to constantly talk down, however unintentional at them. Without a code of conduct I can actually speak my mind."

(Dual Post)

"I imagine you have a lot of mind to speak, Mister Symphony," 'Dora says with a smile. "You'd have scarcely been admitted to the school otherwise." She takes another generous bite, nearly done with the sandwich now, and washes it down with lemonade. "Well, I deeply appreciated the food, Sword, and the conversation. I need to visit this place more often, if only to enjoy one of the tastes of home." She pulls a bit pouch out removes a few bits from it, putting them on the table. "I know you said you'd be the one to take me to lunch but I'd just feel wrong leaving this place without leaving a token of my appreciation for the establishment. From my limited experience, waiters remember generosity and you can't have too many service ponies who think well of you." She takes the last bite of sandwich and polishes off her lemonade. "So, um... do you..." She stops, colors lightly, and starts again. "Um, if that's everything I... I guess I'll be seeing you around on campus?" There was a definite note of hopefulness in her question, even though her head is ducked a bit and she's blushing more vividly by the moment.

(Sword Post)

Sword merely inclined his head and smiled awkwardly at her compliment. "Maybe. I just have a goal I wish to reach. Thank you though Miss Dora." He replied, finishing what was left of his drink and meal. "I'm glad to hear you had a good time, and if you wanna catch the tip, that's fine by me." Sword pulls out the bits to pay for the meal as Dora sets out the tip. Stepping out of the booth, he gestured towards the exit and began to start towards it whenever she exited the booth. Looking at her blush and stutter around her words, he nodded at her. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around the campus, especially since I plan on frequently visiting the library. We can have lunch again anytime if you want."

(Dual Post)

"That sounds like something to look forward to," 'Dora says with a smile through her blushing. "Take care, Mister Symphony." With that, 'Dora gives him another light bow of her head before turning and exiting the cafe to return to her daily routine. A handsome, pleasant, and well-mannered stallion, she reflects as she goes. Aunt Chiti must never learn of this or she'll... There was no way to viably facehoof at this moment so she contents herself with diverting to the nearest wall and pushing her face up against it, surely causing multiple passers-by to look strangely at her. ...tell Mother, who wants the best for her little Tetti, and now I'm doomed. She pulls her face back from the wall and continues on as if nothing had happened. Unless I distract both of them with something. It has to be something big, flashy, impressive, astounding, astonishing, dumbfounding...
"Why if it's not my very own Dora, being an explorer!"
"Hi Leps," 'Dora says automatically. ...and intellectually mesmerizing to distract them from the fact that there's a good stallion in general proximity to me with a respectable background and very respectable scars earned in honorable service to... Reality catches up with her train of thought at that precise moment and she turns in time to be bapped quite enthusiastically by the sketchbook of a unicorn who's so covered in artistic design that her actual coat and mane colors are nearly impossible to discern.
"I did it again, didn't I?" she asks, the sketchbook having landed on her head such that it was now covering her face.
"You did it again," the unicorn agrees in a refined voice totally at odds with her very unrefined appearance, administering another bap through the sketchbook. "Patchwork, 'Dora, ain't hard to remember."
"I had other things on my mind," Dora says, taking the pad off and handing it to 'Patchwork'.
"I saw." Patchwork grins widely. "You're doomed."
"You are the nosiest mare I know, and I've met Canterlot nobility," 'Dora tells her somewhat sourly. "Why are you even here?"
"Sort of my job, 'Dora." The mare tucks the sketchbook in a saddlebag. "Picking up some new material from Dusty, seeing the sights, learning useful things from my adorable little squirrels, my normal routine. Also, spying on you, which is the whipped cream on top of the carrot cake of my life."
"I might need to get a life but you have too much of a life." Dora smiles. "Come by and visit the apartment sometime?"
Patchwork shrugs. "Eh, I get enough clop material on my own, I don't need to watch your roomies."
'Dora lightly baps her. "Cut that out."
"Can't help it, I'm a queen spook." Patchwork smiles and leans in to briefly nose 'Dora. "Can't wait till your summer break. Neat things going on back home, things you'll enjoy, and there's more books than you'll be able to digest no matter how much coffee you overdose on."
'Dora noses back. "I look forward to it. So... drop by sometime?"
"Of course I will, and at the worst possible moment." Patchwork grins again and does a playfully mocking salute in 'Dora's direction before she turns and continues on her way. 'Dora watches the crazily multicolored pony melt fluidly into the crowd before she too keeps going the way she was. She's right, I'm totally doomed, she sighs. Oh well, back to the academic and research grind. Or burrito Sunny again as punishment for stealing the holy beans. Either works.

"Indeed. Have a pleasant day, Miss Dora." Sword replied, nodding his head in return before turning and taking flight to the air, angling himself around towards his home and gliding that way. "Such a pleasant, intelligent mare."

"You should court her, Sword Symphony."

Sword grimaced mid-flight as he heard the voice in his head. "And you shouldn't be so nosy, Princess."

"I'm just trying to be helpful. Also, if you didn't want me being nosy, you shouldn't have worn the band."

"A force of habit I'll be sure to ditch as fast as possible. Don't you have anything better to do, you know, like run a country."

"My dear, if I wasn't able to keep track of one of my assets while simultaneously managing all my other affairs, I'd hardly be qualified to run a nation."

"Qualify this, Princess."

"Oh don't be like-" And Luna found herself abruptly cut off as Sword pulled his band off and closed off his mind to outside sources before touching down outside his home. "As if its not bad enough that she can invade during dreams..." he muttered to himself as he opened his door and then closed it behind him. "Ugh, I swear if she calls Princess Cadenza, I'm going to die." Realizing he was rambling to no one, he shut up and went upstairs to drop his band off on its stand before returning downstairs to promptly flop down in his chair and recline to nap for a few hours.

Some time later, having not run into any other random encounters on her journey, 'Dora arrives back at the dorms she's sharing with Sunny and Violet and immediately proceeds to her precautionary ritual: pressing her ear to the door and listening carefully. No sounds of enthusiastic lesbian comes through the door, which generally meant that the coast was clear and she was safe from any irritation. She sighs and uses her key to open the door, whereupon she finds a yellow pegasus snacking cheerfully on brown beans that look suspiciously like the HOLY BEANS. Her steps become soft as she steals into the apartment and proceeds to get a little air in preparation for smiting.
"Chocolate-covered raisins," Sunny informs her calmly.
'Dora blinks. "Chocolate-covered raisins?"
"Chocolate-covered raisins." Sunny turns and grins up at her. "Your smite has been denied, ultranerd, and I have become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
'Dora lands and steps forward, sniffing the beans. "Prove it."
"OK." Before she even notices Sunny's wing sweeping up the package, the candy bag bap has landed and she finds herself eye-to-eye with a cheery label that quite clearly reads "chocolate-covered raisins".
"Fine, you live." 'Dora hands the bag back to Sunny, who continues munching them cheerfully. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
"I blew up the classroom."
"...you did what?"
"Blew up the classroom." Sunny grinned widely at her.
"Um, how?"
"By causing a riot."
"...a riot blew up the classroom."
"Uh-huh! Quite well too."
'Dora eyes the grinning pegasus. "OK, let's skip over how a riot blows up a classroom. How did you cause a riot?"
"I told everyone to, with cookie bribes."
"You bribed a classroom into rioting with cookies."
"And powerlifting."
"...cookies and powerlifting causes riots." 'Dora sighs and rubs her forehead with a hoof. "Explain."
"OK, first I give everyone cookies, right? My really good cookies."
"Alright, and?"
"And then I seize a Pipsqueak and raise him above my head and say 'riot, riot, riot' until riot happens."
'Dora narrows her eyes. "You're yanking my chain, aren't you?"
"Yup." Sunny giggles. "Professor is an old stallion, absolute bucking genius with culinary but old as buck. Had a fall, needed to get stitches when he hit his shoulder on a sharp corner, class cancelled."
"Oh." 'Dora looked concerned. "Will he be OK?"
Sunny chuckled. "Yeah, he's made of equal parts genius, tough, and mean. The fall was some idiot spilling canola and it was just a long deep gash. Didn't hit his head, walked himself to the office, no biggie."
"Oh, good." She sighs however. "I take it that Violet will be back soon?"
"Yup."
"And you'll be noisy again?"
"Yup."
"So I should study in the library?"
"Yup. Under the watchful eye of your aunt. Such a terrible fate. I mean, she's totally not at all the coolest and nicest boss librarian ever."
'Dora sighs but smiles a little. "Yeah, I've got some awesome family I guess."
"Not that you're bragging." Sunny winks at her. "So go, off you get, don't keep the studying waiting."
"OK, OK, I'm going." 'Dora ducks into her room to get her studying materials and heads off towards the library to find a table to spread out on. I wonder if Aunt Chiti will be transcribing another book... always fun to watch that if I'm going to take a break.

A couple hours later, Sword woke up from his nap, stretching out in his chair for a minute before sitting up. "Hmmm... well, now what Sword?" he asked aloud to himself. He'd been asking himself that a lot here recently. There were vast chasms of time in his day that he wasn't quite sure how to fill until recently. It'd be a week before his classes would start, and he certainly couldn't nap through all of it. "I could use the library in that week, try to get ahead of the curve. But what to do right now..." Climbing down out of his chair, he slipped his band back on and grabbed a hard cider out of his fridge before returning to the living room and sitting down on his haunches in front of the coffee table, taking a long swig of his drink before beginning to organize his papers. "Guard info and new identity here.... University Paperwork here... Monthly pension here.... " After a little bit, he had his piles organized and also finished his drink.

"Well.... now what?" He mumbled, the vast chasm of time in his day shrunk by only a small amount, and the evening now pressing in upon him.

"You seem lonely and bored, dear servant of mine."

Sword sighed as Luna's voice appeared in his head. "Lonely? Not so much, I had a lovely afternoon. Bored? Out of my mind with that I am."

"Would you like to come by for dinner this evening?"

"No Night Court?"

"I gave up on that formality. In my thousand year absence, my dear sister has mastered the bureaucracy to the point where only one court is needed. I am glad to be able to discard that vestige of the past at least. Ponies are too keen to assume this false dichotomy between my and my sister, that we each have to have a version of the same thing when a singular version will do. its become quite...

"You're monologuing in my head Princess."

"Ah, my apologies. Please forgive, its rare to be able to speak candidly."

"Its fine Luna. Yeah, I wouldn't mind coming by for dinner at least, though if I drink too much you'll have to teleport me home or let me crash on your floor."

"I'm sure I'll manage. What say we meet up in a few hours or so?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then Luna."

'Dora enters the university library some time after her very yellow and endearingly crazy roommate had poked her out the door, having decided to take her time about wandering towards the library. It actually would have taken a much shorter time if she hadn't found a lonesome-looking table with some chairs manned by a quartet of ponies that seemed heaped with bundles of colorful publications titled 'Executive Intelligence Review'. She came away from the table nearly an hour later with one of each color of EIR and having learned that for reasons quite beyond her, the university actually had a Conspiracy Theory Club and appeared to take the entire thing seriously. Or, I was just having my chain yanked, she reflects as she ducks inside and stops a few steps in to smilingly admire what she was seeing. It was the same thing she'd seen hundreds of times but she never got tired of looking at the plethora of shelves, the beautiful architecture, clusters of studying students scattered around the interior at various tables, and Bookworthy with one of the library's illuminated manuscripts being held menacingly above his head by a cheerful-looking Chiti.
"Now Bookworthy, what is the proper way to discipline young students who are speaking or behaving out of turn in a university library?" she asks pleasantly.
"K... kick them out?"
The volume inches upwards in height. "No."
"Deliver a verbal warning?"
The volume lowers. "Yes. And what does this verbal warning not include?"
"Berating?"
"That's right!" She pats his head. "There's a good librarian stallion. So, what was your response to the misbehavior?"
"...inappropriate?"
"Oh, very." The magic releases and the volume falls towards the unfortunate Bookworthy, who makes a very filly-like sound of fear and flinches away from it as Chiti catches it again just barely short of it hitting him. Then she boops him with a hoof. "Don't do it again."
"Yes Head Librarian," he squeaks before quite nearly running for his desk and apparent safety . Chiti smiles after him and cracks open the volume to about midway through, revealing that it was the transcription copy instead of the original, despite is very authentic-looking cover and spine. "One of these days, I'm going to teach him how to tell the difference between an ancientized version of a manuscript and an authentic one just by looking casually at it. He really is a good boy, just a little too zealous."
"Read a couple energetic students the riot act?"
"To the point of badly intimidating and frightening them," Chiti confirms with a disappointed shake of her head. "I think that some stallions don't fully realize how intimidating they are when fit, young, strong, and loud. Then again, fillies these days live in so much safety that they take ages to reach the point where they don't fear an angry and looming stallion because they know that he cannot hurt them, even if he means to."
"I met Lepi today," 'Dora says as she follows her aunt back into the rare books section where Chiti is transcribing a volume.
"Speaking of a mare who doesn't fear loud and brash ponies. How's our beloved family nymphomaniac?"
"Well, but probably would be very irritated to be called a nymphomaniac," 'Dora says as she nudges a seat over so she can sit while talking to her aunt and watching her transcribe. "The joke does wear a little thin when you've been monogamous for, what, going on half her life now?"
"Just over, actually, and I don't count earlier because that would be disturbing."
"Would it ever." 'Dora shudders before leaning forward to look at the transcript. "That looks like a Clover."
"Starswirl the Great," Chiti says as she starts rapidly transcribing with an exactness approaching the mechanical. "Although a good guess. The difference is the slant of the letter 'h', the lack of an extended curl, and a partial 't' instead of a full."
"The Great?"
"Also called the Commoner because his work brought most magic within the grasp of common unicorns instead of just the elites at the top. Extraordinary stallion, apprenticed to Clover if I remember that book correctly, thus the similarity in hornwriting."
'Dora nods and watches her aunt work, smiling as she enjoys her transcription skill on display. "I wish you'd do simultaneous translations in public sometimes. It'd be the best kind of show."
Chiti shrugs. "My talent is for making the world better and spreading knowledge," she says. "It took years to fully understand what my special talent is for. I envy you in that, dear niece: you seem to have realized it immediately on maturing."
"I had a lot of help."
"Yes." Chiti smiles wistfully. "I know you did."