The quiet sounds of cooking and the smell of coffee dragged me from my sleep. I was a little disappointed to be alone in my bed, but the thought of Giselle cooking for me more than made up for it. I slid out of bed and stretched for a moment. Other than being a little thirsty and needing to pee rather badly, I felt wonderful. Though, a stickiness in my mouth told me I had weapons-grade morning breath.

In the guest bathroom, wet shower walls and a few moved bottles told me I’d slept through Giselle’s morning routine. With a coed shower off the table this morning, I decided to go ahead and hose off myself too. I commandeered the toothbrush Giselle had opened up. Half way through brushing my teeth, it occurred to me Giselle didn’t have teeth. I suddenly really wanted to see how she brushed out her beak; I’d have to make a point to wake up with her next time.

After an enjoyable, if lonely, shower, my breath was sanitized, and the dried body fluids washed away. I felt completely refreshed and decided to skip clothes altogether to go see what Giselle was up to in the kitchen.

“Hey, sexy,” she called as I rounded the corner. Her eyes scanned me for a moment before returning to what she was working on. “Good timing. Breakfast is ready.”

I had to smile, Giselle was something out of a pinup poster: her fur and feathers still damp, and a cooking apron tied around her chest as she tended the stove. “So what we having?” I asked sitting down where two cups of coffee were already waiting.

Leaning forward, I watched her flip something from a skillet to a plate.

“Hash browns with cheese,” she said, handing me a plate, her wings pursued back in what I was coming to know as a smile. “And eggs. Hope you like them over medium.”

“My favorite, actually.” Taking an offered fork, I tried the hash browns. “That’s good,” I said after chewing.

“Good!” the feathers around Giselle’s neck fluffed a bit. Coming around the kitchen’s island, she tossed the apron aside before taking a seat beside me.

We sat in comfortable silence for most of the meal, sipping at our coffee and eating the home-cooked breakfast. I could have easily imagined being back home, other than the subtle clicking of Giselle’s beak.

“How ya feeling this morning?” I asked, motioning towards her flank.

Giselle twisted in her seat, testing her body for the answer. “Little sore, but nothing bad. I have to leave for practice here in a bit. I’m sure once I get warmed up, I won’t notice it at all.”

“Good,” I said with a smile. “Thank’s for cooking, by the way. This really is good.”

“It’s the least I could do.” Giselle shrugged.

Sopping up some yolk with my potatoes, I gathered my courage. “Later in the week, would you like to go get dinner?”

Giselle cut me a sideways glance. “Are you asking me on a date?”

“Yeah.” Chewing in silence, I washed it down with some coffee. “You been to Hook and Claw?”

A laugh jolted out of Giselle. “You’ve been to Hook and Claw?”

“It’s good food,” I said, defending the place.

“Yes, it is.” Giselle chased the last bits of cheese hash browns with her fork. “But I know a place that’s a bit more first-date appropriate. How about we go there?”

“Sounds good!” I said, gathering the dirty plates. Looking over at my schedule for next week, I saw: evening, morning, morning, sleepover, then my usual days off. Strawberry’s fish fry on Wednesday: Wasn’t going to miss that. I was free today and tomorrow too, but that seemed a little soon, and I had plans to work on Baron. “I’m good Tuesday or Friday night, and anytime next Saturday or Sunday.”

“Let’s do Saturday. We’ll both be more rested.”

I turned to meet Giselle’s eyes and I smiled. “Looking forward to it. I need to dress up?”

“A little, but not formal.” Walking to the center of the living room, Giselle did what looked like warmup exercises while I did the dishes.

Well, I guess that was another push for me to go get some more clothes made. I’d intended to go buy some fabric for The Baron, I might as well hit up that little custom place and get myself fitted too. “Where you want to meet?”

“Mmm.” Wrapping up her workout, Giselle found a pen and paper to scribble on. “There’s my address. I’ll make the reservation for seven.” She stretched one more time, this one accompanied by a yawn that faded into a slightly wilted look. “I need to get to practice before I’m late.”

“Yeah, I probably need to start on my day too.” I hurried to dry my hands, then went to walk with Giselle to the door and out into the day.

The House was buzzing this morning. The whole campus seemed filled with laughter and strolling couples, kisses both shy and daring. Giselle moved a little closer to me as we passed, again letting her wings graze my leg as we walked past The House’s grand columns and down its hallways. Resting a hand on her neck, I let my fingers weave through feathers till I was touching the delicate skin underneath.

Giselle hummed a birdish sound, letting me guide her past the gymnasium and finally out to the road. Once we were near the main road, she stepped a little faster to move ahead of me before turning to face me. “I better hit the sky. I’ll never hear the end of it if I’m late.” Again, her eyes roame over me, reminding me that I was still naked. “Make sure you don’t forget our little appointment, hmm? I know how many pretty mares come knocking at your door every day.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I chuckled. “I’d have a hard time forgetting about my first griffon.”

Her wings fluttered for a heartbeat, then unfurled to their full breath. One flap and she was balanced on her hind legs. Now standing just a head shorter than me, her wings filled my entire field of vision. “How about we add a few notches on both our belts? After dinner, that is.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “See you next Saturday.”

Another flap, and Giselle was in the sky. A hawk’s cry sounded as she disappeared into the city skyline.

“Well I guess that answers that question,” Ruby’s voice said from behind me.

Still grinning, I turned to face her. “What’s that?”

“I was going to ask if you were comfortable with cross-species clients,” she asked, returning my grin. “Or in your case, females other than ponies. We occasionally get others in here.”

Well, between Rag Doll and Giselle, I suppose saying no sounded silly. “Sure,” I answered, beginning to walking towards some shade. “As long as they’re old enough, I’m game.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Well of course we don’t serve minors here,” she said, following me back towards The House. “Also, you’re up for medical. It has to be done by the end of next week.”

Ugh. I really wasn’t looking towards to this. The exam Celestia made me go to when I first arrived had counted for my first month here, but now I was in the exam rotation with all the other stallions. “I’d rather just get this over with. Can I go now?”

“If you want.” Ruby seemed to notice my unease. Slowing her pace, she rested a hoof on my leg as a smirk played across her lips. “We could go back to the office and practice. Play doctor till you’re more comfortable.”

“Thank you,” I said, laughing. “But I’ll be fine.” I turned a corner then headed back to my apartment. My little nudist trek had been harmless and interesting, but I really wanted some pants now.

“You sure?” Rose again walked beside me. “You’d look forward to doctor visits after I’m done with you.”

“I don’t doubt you a bit.” Pausing at my apartment door, I scratched between her ears. She really was a pretty mare. Not just cute, but strikingly beautiful. “Maybe you should schedule me for a job performance review soon. Make sure I’m up to quality.”

This time, Ruby laughed. Turning, she gave me a smokey look. “Don't tempt me,” she said, with a total lack of humor. The stern look faded to a grin as she began to walk back towards the office.

A few minutes later and I was dressed and heading towards the clinic, a bag of bits jingling at my side for some shopping later.

The clinic was mostly here for the clients, a free OBGYN for any mare that needed the service, but it also handled the role of general physician for the studs.

My first and only encounter with a pony doctor had been just a tad traumatic. Then again, I’d have never met Key Peg if he hadn’t been called in to ease me out of the ceiling tiles.

Memories of the not-so-distant past faded away as I neared the clinic doors, and so did my smile. I really didn't want to deal with doctors today, but it was inevitable. I took a breath, then opened the door.

Thankfully, it was pretty boring inside. I signed in before taking a seat across from two mares. They seemed wholly indifferent to me, so I opted to browse through a stack of magazines.

“Hey, Shane,” a stallion’s voice greeted me as the door opened.

I looked up from my issue of Better Grazing to see Spinner trotting towards me. “You up for inspection today too?” I asked.

“Yep!” he said with a smile. Taking a moment to sign in, he then took the seat next to me. “Any new magazines?”

“Umm... That one is speculation on fashion trends Luna may start, now that she’s back.”

Spinned snorted. “I’ve been here three years and have yet to find a magazine less than four years out of date.”

I had to laugh along with him. “It must be some universal constant. Even back home—”

“Shane,” the nurse called.

I took a deep breath before standing up. “Well, guess I’m up. Catch me next week, we’ll workout together some. I need to work on my obliques.”

“Sure!” he said and waved. “See ya there.”

The stallion was a hell of a workout coach. I probably wouldn’t be able to walk after he was done with me. Waving back at Spinner, I followed the nurse to a little room.

“Doctor Frost Hooves will be with you in a moment,” the nurse said, closing the door behind her as she left me in the room by myself.

The familiar crinkle of paper reminded me of the school nurse's office as I sat on the exam table. It was a strange thing, narrow and a little bowled out in the center. Studying the metal bits sticking out of the table’s side made me realize the whole contraption was made for a pony to straddle. The narrowness would let them rest while keeping their hooves on the ground, or rather in the metal stirrups designed to keep their rear spread open.

That puzzle solved, I looked around to see what other oddities I could find to keep boredom at bay. A poster caught my attention, an educational kind of thing. It showed a clinical diagram of a mare’s biology. The words, “Equine chromosome rejection and you” atop the poster peaked my curiosity. I’d read about that in a pamphlet Ruby had given me. Something about fifty percent of mares rejecting male embryos. In double recessive cases, it left the mare completely sterile.

With nothing better to do, I started to read the poster’s finer print, but a knock on the door announced my doctor.

“Come in,” I answered.

“Hello,” the pastel blue stallion said absently, the clipboard in his magic seeming to be more interesting than me. Which was kinda refreshing

Once fully in the room, he closed the door for privacy before setting the clipboard down and turning his attention to me. “How are you feeling today?” he asked with honest interest.

“Really good, actually.”

Nodding, he stepped closer, looking me over with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. “Good to hear. No itching or rashes?”

“Just a mild sunburn on my shoulders.”

Doctor Frost hopped up onto his hind legs. “Hmm...” he mused, resting against the table.

“Something wrong?”

“Umm... no. It’s just... You’re very tall.”

“Would you like me to lie down?” I asked.

The doctor’s ears perked up. “Would that be okay?”

With a shrug, I lay back on the table. It wasn’t a comfortable thing for me to lie on, but it wasn’t bad either. Now eye to eye with the doctor, he seemed much more confident in what he was doing.

“I’m going to scan you with magic, is that okay?” he asked, a tone of worry in his voice.

I nodded, but clenched my fists. I hated those things, felt like worms digging into your skin. It suddenly occurred to me I’d never properly apologized to that nurse. I should mail her a card with a few bits...

An odd contraption floated off the shelf. I held my breath as its humming field scanned me with prickly magic. I waited for the static tingle to become an invasive strangeness beneath my skin, but it never came. As the doctor guided the device down my back, I had to laugh.

“Sorry, is that tickling?” the doctor asked.

“No. I just remember that feeling much stranger. I’m rather relieved.”

“I was reading your notes. You reacted poorly to active magic last time. I’m using passive magic here. Not as good, but good enough.”

“Oh. Well, thank you.”

“No problem.” Putting away the strange device, he pulled out something much more familiar to me. Not waiting to be asked, I tilted my head for him to better look into my ear.

“Hmm...” Walking around me, he looked into the other ear. “Your ears been itching?” he asked, putting the ear scope away.

“A little, I guess. Now that you ask.”

Reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a little bottle. “You have ear mites. Use that three times daily. Come back when the bottle is empty.”

I lifted my head to stare at the little bottle, my face scrunching in disgust. “Eww.”

My reaction seemed to confuse the doctor. “Never had mites before?”

“No! Can’t you just use your magic to scrape them out? Like, right now.”

The doctor gave me a good-hearted laugh. “It’s not a big deal. Everypony gets ear mites. And yes, we’ll flush out most of them, but the drops keep any eggs from hatching.”

“Oh good.” Suddenly I was very sympathetic to all the horses I’d crammed dewormed into. Actually... “Do I need to worry about intestinal worms? Back in my world, that was a problem for horses.”

“You been eating grass off the root?”

“No.”

Taking a step back, that doctor up to look at me. “Then unless you’re seeing them in your stool, you should be fine. Now, I need you to stand, and take your clothes off.”

“Sure.” I probably should have found this stranger than I did. Sitting up, I began to take my shirt off, but paused. The doctor still staring at me was a bit too much. “Umm, could I get a moment of privacy?”

The doctor seemed rather confused. I thought he was going to ask “why”, but instead he politely turned his back to me.

As I began stripping down, I found my uneasiness of being nude returning. Though it was more a general dislike of letting a doctor probe around where the sun doesn't shine. I took a little extra time to fold my clothes, then steadied myself with a deep breath. “I’m ready,” I said, more to convince myself than to let the doctor know.

Turning back around, the doctor made the ordeal rather quick and professional. Honestly, it was an easier experience than I’d had at the clinic back home that one time. Heck, his hooves weren’t even cold.

“And, we’re done,” the doctor said, sticking the swab he’d just taken into a little jar. “The nurse will come in to flush your ears, then you’re good to go.”

“Thanks,” I said, already putting my clothes on.

“We’ll let you know if you test positive for anything.” Opening the door, the doctor left me alone to wait for the nurse.

The ear flushing ended up being as pleasant as a medical procedures gets. The scary looking pump flushed a rather soothing medicine into my ears with only slightly more pressure than I would call comfortable. A cheap price to know I’d be free of ear mites in a few days.

Back outside, I stared at the little bottle of eardrops. Different world, different worries. I stuck the bottle in with my bits, then headed off to do a little clothes shopping before going to see The Baron. I fully intended to live in the hangar till sunday night.