I sat in the market, tending a borrowed stall. "Hmm...I feel so special." I counted out a bunch of bit coins, the first sale being so high set a precedent, and now my works were selling for an insane amount of money. It wasn't outrageous, but still far outside what I would have got in Storm Side. Small pony sculptures or crystal utensils or anything really.

I'd had a pony order something special a while back, and sure enough they popped into view from the crowd. A purple legged satyr with shiny silver-blue hair walked up to my stall. "Hey Glass."

"Striker...morning." I nodded at the sharp haired girl. "You here for the statue?"

Striker nodded. "You had it done?"

I reached under the stall's table. "It wasn't easy. Thank you for the multiples, the first two feathers caught fire...." I pulled the thin glass rectangle out, stood vertically with a feather imbedded in the crystal. It bore a solid black base and an otherwise flawless build with the feather buried inside. The feather was perfect, save one chip taken out to add an imperfection and give it a beautiful style. "I had to dip it in acrylic before working it."

Striker let out a gleeful cheer and grabbed it. "Oh my gosh! Mom's gonna love it!" Striker looked up at me, beaming. "How much?"

I sighed loudly. "Is it a gift? I thought it was your feather."

Striker shook her head. "No, it's my moms."

I rubbed my chin. "...Flitter?"

Striker frowned hard. "That's my aunt."

I laughed nervously. "Uh...Cloud Chaser, right?"

She shrugged. "I won't hold it against you, both weather ponies, same colors, I get it."

I coughed roughly. "Thank you for not crucifying me." I looked down at my bit bin. "Uh, twenty bits?"

Striker nodded and slapped down two ten bit coins. "Cool."

I nodded and grabbed the coins. "Indeed." I leaned forward, looking up and down the street. "Have you seen Darcy anywhere?"

Striker stretched her wings. "Um, who?"

I scratched my head. "I thought everyone knew each other in this town.... Uh, six-six, tanned, red leg--"

"Oh the big ass Apple mare! Yeah, saw her walking around near the acres." Striker set the glass piece down and put her hands on her hips. "Why?"

I shrugged. "We're dating."

Striker's eyes popped open. "Wow...does her coltfriend know?"

I stared at her, bewildered. "I'm her boy--colt-- I'm the one, and yes...I know."

Striker scratched her head. "Uh, wasn't it the blue haired kid?"

I rubbed my head and leaned against the table, resting my hand in my hand as I stared out at the busy market. "Apparently? To be honest I didn't give her exs much thought."

Striker shrugged. "They seemed like...really close. What happened?"

"Something about exploring options...who knows?" I laid my head across my table. "look, if you see her tell her to come over, I need help counting bits."

Striker picked up her gift. "Business good?"

I waggled my hand. "It's alright. Enough to rent a cheap apartment." I tapped my fingers on the table. "You don't care, do you?"

Striker laughed loudly. "Not really, but I thought it'd be nice to ask." Striker leaned against the table. ".... Is she into some weird stuff? Like...I don't know...weird stuff."

I cocked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't know, it's a discussion we haven't had."

Striker smiled. "You should ask--"

"Why so interested?" I stared at her, burning a hole into her head. "Hmm? Trying to get at something?"

Striker rolled her eyes, her wings betraying her. "Hey, knowing other people's fetishes, is my fetish." She smiled and slapped her hand against the table. "Anyways, I'll tell her if I see he--"

"Domination." I stretched my neck. "...I'm actually rather...agressive in bed."

Striker swung around to face me. "Really? You're so quiet th--"

"You asked. I can't speak for Darcy, and no one is going to believe you if you tell them." I stretched my fingers. "Or, maybe I'm lying, screwing with you." I smiled. "Have to admit, feeling better since I got the stall."

Striker nodded. "It shows. Still don't talk much, and you mumble a lot, but hey, baby steps."

I frowned hard. "Hey, compared to Storm Side I'm gregarious as hell!"

Striker stopped herself from laughing. "Gregarious?! What!?"

I sighed loudly. "It-- have you not learned words?! Go back to school you damn corridor case!" I crossed my arms and leaned back in my seat. "...Words...I'm not crazy, I know words!"

Striker laughed. "See, that's what I mean." She grabbed her gift and tucked it into her bag. "Anyways, I'll find her for you."

"Wait!" I reached out, calling back to her amongst the market. "...Are we friends?"

Striker smiled at me. "Sure."

I leaned back in my chair. "... So you call-- Never mind, I'm just going to accept it." I shrugged. "Better than back home, everyone just knows everyone else, all strangers that know eachother...."

Striker frowned hard. "Aw...that sounds terrible."

I waved her away. "Different. Granted I do like being able to walk down a street and having people actually say hello to me." I started to laugh. "I get all warm."

Striker clapped. "Aw, the little snowpony is melting! Oh boy, it's heartbreaking." Striker waved as she left. "See ya."

Once again I got a warm tingle in my belly as she waved at me. "Oh no...I fear I'm becoming normal." I rested, tending to a few customers and swelling my bit supply. Glass work and a few crystals zipped away, a week's worth of work paying into a rather deep stock of coins.

I flipped through a few stacks, watching ponies zip around with bags and boxes. I started singing as I slid the cold gold composite coins across my finger. "And you come to me, freezing, and I stand there waiting for you to--"

A warm voice broke the bustle of the market. "Are you singing?"

I looked up, glancing at Darcy before looking back down. "It's an old song. Now, are you going to take a seat and help?"

Darcy's legs traveled around the stall, eventually disappearing behind me as she fiddled with a rather loud folding chair. "You could ask nicely." Darcy flopped down next to me and brushed her boot against my own. "Just saying." She reached down, my eyes drawn to her hands as she undid her boots.

I shook my head and set a roll of bits down. "Really?"

Darcy yanked her boot off, a pair of normal white socks surrounding her hoof. "Hey, save it. I like it." She nudged me with her shoulder. "And look..." She pointed up.

I let out a short sigh and looked up her legs, a pair of scratched up jeans from her calf where her boot ended up. She wore her red shirt, collar repaired, entire thing let out and now fitted nicely against her slender looking frame. "Hmm, it's nice. You wear a slim look well." I looked up face to face with her, freckles arched up as she smiled. "What?"

I felt something brush my wrist. "Thank you." She grabbed my hand and pulled it down under the table. "I bought a few other things, and uh...here." Something pressed into my palm, replacing her hand. "It's nothing too big."

I stopped and looked down at my hand as Darcy stood up, tending to a customer. I found a cold metal ring in my palm, built with a crest of Storm Side college. A beautiful silver outline of a knight's helmet with a pony muzzle. I felt my gut sink at the prospect of what it entailed to get this. I bit my lip and rolled it around my fingers.

I slipped the ring onto my middle finger, an auxiliary finger, and one that wouldn't be weird about marital ties. "It bloody fits...." It sat snugly against the root of my finger, just tight enough not to wiggle, but not tight enough to be uncomfortable. "...Ho--"

"Forty bits." Darcy sat back down and set a stack of bits on the table. "Glass statuette."

I looked up to her in a flash, the beautiful tanned girl looking forward at the crowd that swirled around us. "Um...thank you." I ran my hand around the ring. "...How much was it?"

Darcy shook her head. "It's fine."

"How much?"

"Less than you gave me."

I moved my hand to her lower thigh. "Darcy...how much?"

Darcy shoved my hand off. "Glass, don't worry about it."

I bit my lip and wrapped my hand around the inside of her leg, pulling her against me. "Thank you...." My fingers dug into her flesh slightly. "Thank you."

Darcy pried my fingers away and took hold of my hand. "It's alright." She reached down with her free hand and pulled off her socks. "Now, I'm gonna get your shoes off."

I groaned softly and slammed my head against the table. "Again with this--"

"Yes." Darcy's hooves started to wrap around my right leg, trying to tuck under my boot and undo it. Darcy hugged my arm and leaned against me. "Oh, and you're welcome." She nuzzled my cheek. "We should take a picture some time."

I rested my hand against Darcy's leg, propping myself up as the sun faded in the distance. "You know, I did need help counting bits--"

"Later."

"I thought we could--"

"Later."

"Lunch? Dinner? Some--"

"Glass." Darcy tugged my hand to her right leg, pulling me against her. "Later." She looked up to the sun, dipping low and painting the sky gold. "We should go camping, or go out for a run, or something."

I bit my lip. "...Later?" I looked out to the sun. "I mean, if we're drawn between the two...I'm content, sitting here I mean...with you--"

"Glass...shut up and watch the sunset with me." She smiled at me, green eyes still as beautiful as ever.

I felt myself blush as I looked at her. I turned away and faced the falling sun. "Yeah, yeah I'd like that." Next Chapter: Call Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 51 Minutes