The bell above the entrance chimed when the door swung open, alerting those within earshot of the building's interior that I'd just entered. Not too long after that, there was a female's voice coming from further within.

"I have no other appointments for the day, so I'm going to assume that it's you, Maurice. Am I right, darling?"

Before answering, I gave my surroundings a quick scan. It was a large room divided into sections by several purple drapes; at one side of the room, I spotted a small table with three full length mirrors besides it, while opposite of that was a small runway surrounded by a few pony-shaped mannequins. Some of the mannequins were left bare, but the rest were wearing garments that, if knowing their designer well enough, would become the next fashion trend within a week or two.

"Yeah, it's me," I finally replied.

"Ah, just a moment deary," the voice said, one of the drapes then surrounded in a light-blue aura before being pulled back, revealing the owner of the voice to be Rarity; she had a few pins in her hair and seemed to have been working on three dresses that were on foal-sized mannequins. Rarity walked over to me, then put up a proud posture and a smile before saying, "Hello, Maurice, welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!"

"Hello to you too, Rarity," I greeted with a grin as I crossed my arms over my chest. I then gestured at the dresses she was working on. "Was I interrupting something?"

"Hmm?" Rarity sounded, turning to the dresses then back to me. "Oh, no no no," she said, raising her hoof and waving it, "you were no interruption at all; I was merely working on some dresses for my sister and her friends, you know, for the upcoming gala."

"Oh yeah," I replied before placing my hand at the back of my head. Octavia and a few of the ponies I work with mentioned it earlier, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was called; regardless I gave it my best shot. "The uh...Grass...Gallifrey...Gala, that thing."

Rarity tensed up, biting her bottom lip as she started avoiding eye contact with me; for some reason, I was getting this feeling that she was keeping herself from slapping me. Eventually, she spoke again.

"Yes, well, that thing just so happens to be the largest social event of the year." She shrugged. "Granted, I didn't have the best of times during my last attendance, but this year is sure to be different now that Twilight is lending a hoof organizing it." I nodded, not really caring about some event that I wasn't going to attend anyway. Suddenly, Rarity's eyes widened before she gave a very lady-like gasp into her hoof. "Oh, but listen to me ramble, you must be here to pick up your new ensemble, no?" She then approached and nudged me with her shoulder. "Or maybe you've come for a bit of idle gossip and chit-chat with the local and very attractive seamstress, hmm?" she said while fluttering her eyelashes at me.

I rolled my eyes and released an amused sigh before jokingly answering with, "Yeeeah...I wanted to talk with the attractive seamstress, but she wasn't home, so I came here instead."

Rarity huffed with a smile, then turned around and walked a few feet away, but not before playfully swatting me with her tail.

"But in all seriousness though," I said after a short chortle. "Is it ready?"

She turned back to me. "Ah, yes, your threads as you called them." She then used her magic to pull a mannequin from behind one of the drapes, this one being human-shaped and wearing casual wear that consisted of dark-blue business jeans, a blue long sleeved shirt with black buttons on the cuffs, as well as a black vest over the shirt with a gray tie looping around the collar and ending under the vest; in short, the mannequin resembled Slenderman if he retired from a life of murder and decided to take up modeling.

Rarity set the mannequin down before me, then spoke as she walked around it, seeming to admire her work. "You'll be happy to know that despite the short notice you gave me, I was able to complete it before the deadline and hopefully it's more than well suited for your date tonight." She then gave me a curious look. "Though I am curious, and forgive me if I'm being too prying, but may I ask why you had me rush this order?"

"Oh, um, sorry about that," I apologized. "It was just recently that Tavi told me, out of the blue, that I should dress fancy for this restaurant where we're gonna have our date in."

"Oh, a dinner-date, how classically romantic! And what exactly is the name of this restaurant?" she asked.

Crap, more names I have trouble remembering... "It's the uh..." I rubbed the back of my neck as my eyes wandered Rarity's place while I tried to place the name in my memory. "Ah jeez, it was a Fre--Prench sounding name...sounded a lot like uh...'delicious...cuisine...'"

Rarity gasped. "Wait," she said, her eyes widening in surprise. "You don't happen to mean La Cuisine Délicieuse?"

Realizing that the name she said did indeed match, I nodded my head and gave a snap of my fingers as I said, "Yeah! That's the one! I'm uh...gonna take a guess here and say that judging by your reaction, it's a 'good' restaurant."

"'Good'?!" Rarity said in a near yell. "'Good' doesn't do the place justice! La Cuisine Délicieuse is marvelous, stupendous even! What with its wide assortment of delectable examples of the culinary arts, atmosphere just full of sophistication, and top-notch service that all blend perfectly together to form the very ideal and pinnacle of fine dining! Why, it's all...all..."

I swear, if she says 'simply divine', I'm gonna--

"It's all simply divine!" she enthusiastically said.

Huh, now I'll never know what I was gonna do...

As if she were about to faint, she then placed the back of her hoof over her forehead. "Oh how I've dreamed of dining there with a handsome stallion one day~!"

Once it seemed that her little rant was over, I teased her by responding with, "So it's uh...really good then..."

With her hoof still over her forehead, Rarity's eye froze in a half twitch. Moments later, she released a short, dry chuckle before saying, "Maurice, darling...I adore you, really, I do, but please don't take offense when I say that you should take your garments and go before I do something very un-lady-like to you..."

"Yeah, that's probably wise." I said, breaking into a grin as I reached a hand into my pocket. After handing her the correct amount of bits we agreed upon earlier--which she gave me a generous discount of ten percent off; hey, she still has a business to run--Rarity used her magic to poof my new clothes off the mannequin, then had it reappear before me all neatly folded and in a bag bearing a logo that matched her cutie mark. Thanking her, I then made my way for the door when Rarity said one last thing before I left.

"I wish you the best of luck for your date tonight, Maurice."

The sky was turning from orange to red, due to the sun setting over the horizon as I walked home. With the bag containing my new clothes held firmly in my hand, I moved at a brisk pace, my eyes scanning every rooftop and alleyway for any sign of Highground as I did so. It's been a whole week since I last encountered her, but I was still anxious each time I walked the streets at night, especially when during that time, I'd walk Tavi home from The Hoof Tapper since it gave us time to plan our date.

After the incident with Highground, I questioned Vinyl and Tavi, asking how exactly they were involved with the police batmare. My questions went unanswered and they both begged me to drop it, and out of respect for them, I did; if it was merely a bit of backlash from their past that they didn't want to mention, then I wasn't going to press the issue, plus, I wasn't going to allow something like that to ruin the first, and possibly only, relationship I'd be able to have in this world.

Minutes later, I opened the front door to the house as I entered. I spotted no one in the living room, but did hear muffled voices coming from Octavia's room. Walking up to it, I knocked, only to have the door open a crack and see that it was Vinyl who answered it; from what I could see, she had brushes, combs, and a hair curler floating around her by her magic, as well as some bobby pins secured in her mouth.

After spitting out the pins, then catching them with her magic, Vinyl greeted with, "Sup."

"Vinyl?" I questioned, wondering why it was her who answered Tavi's door. "Uh, where's Ta--"

"Uhp, uhp, uhp!" Vinyl interrupted in quick succession, her hoof raised. "I'm sorry, young colt, but Octy can't come out to play right now."

Raising my brow, I then heard Octavia's voice coming from behind Vinyl within the room. "Is that Maurice?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah," I answered. "Just wanted to see if you were ready."

"Oh, how sweet of you," I heard her say. "But I'm afraid it'll be a while before I'm ready, Vinyl's still helping me with my mane."

"Ah," I uttered before looking at the bag I was holding. "Well uh, I guess I'll get ready too."

"Mhmm, you do that; I'm confident Vinyl and I will be finished before we have to leave."

"Alright," I said with a quick nod, then looked to Vinyl. "You look like you're having fun."

Vinyl grinned, "Oh, you know it." She then placed a hoof over her chest and said, "Don't you worry one bit, Maurice; I'll have Octy all purty'd up for your date with her, yah won't even recognize her when I'm done with her..." She made a slow chuckle as she closed the door.

As I then made a step towards my room, I heard Tavi cry out in pain before exclaiming, "Ow! Vinyl, careful with that!"

"Heh heh...whoops..." I heard Vinyl say.

For some reason, I then pictured Tavi laying on a table, slowly going through the same process Anakin Skywalker did as he was turned into Darth Vader while Vinyl was off to the side wearing a black Sith robe.

Half an hour later, after having just finished taking a quick and thorough shower to rid myself of any after-work odor, I changed into my newly bought clothes, styled my hair with a bit of gel, vigorously brushed my teeth, gave myself a subtle spritz of cologne I had, then sat on the living room couch as I tied my tie. Once I had that done, I played the waiting game, patting my knees and occasionally giving the nearby clock a glance, wondering if Tavi would be ready in time. Much to my relief, I didn't wait too long, 'cause soon, the door to Tavi's room opened, and she herself stepped out. I pulled my head back and smiled with my mouth half-open, rendered completely speechless by the beauty I was seeing.

Tavi, her long black mane was tied back into a bun, with one curled strand running down the side of her face, violet lipstick carefully applied on her lips, and finally, she had forgo-ed her bowtie for a violet evening dress that perfectly matched her eyes, yet covered her cutie mark, rear-legs, and tail, but spared her forelegs; I don't know what kind of fabric it was woven from, but it gave off a slight, sparkly sheen, resembling stars being reflected off a lake. I also noticed that, other than the lipstick, she was wearing no make-up, which I was glad for since I was more of a fan of natural beauty than face-paint.

"H-How do I look?" Tavi nervously asked, one of her forelegs half-raised as she gave a quick pose.

I gave my head a quick shake, now realizing that she just addressed me. With a goofy smile on my face, I then gave my best attempt to answer her. "Uh...you...you're...wow, just...just wow."

"See, Octy, he likes it," Vinyl said from under the doorway to Tavi's room, a cocky grin on her face.

"Well I guess all that pain you inflicted upon me was sort of worth it then," Tavi said to Vinyl, then turned to me. "Well, you look ready, Maurice, nice too, very dashing." With a smile, she gestured with her head towards the door, saying, "Shall we head to restaurant now, or did we get all dress up for dinner over the coffee table?"

I nodded. "Uh--yeah...yeah, of course." Getting up from the couch, I walked over to the front door where I then held it open for Octavia.

"Why thank you," Tavi said with a grin as she walked out, her eyes closed and her head held high.

I stepped out into the now night air as well, and as I was closing the door, I saw Vinyl raise her hoof, wave it, then said with a smile, "Alright now, you two have fun on your date! I'll hold down the fort till you come back!"

After the door clicked shut, I turned around and walked over to Octavia, where I then said one thing before we made for the restaurant.

"We're gonna come back to the house on fire...aren't we...?"

Tavi didn't even hesitate to follow up with, "That's a very high possibility..."

"Ah, welcome to La Cuisine Délicieuse," greeted a stallion standing behind a podium once Tavi and I walked through the doors, entering the restaurant's waiting room; he was a cream-colored unicorn with a blue mane and tail, wearing a black suit with a red bowtie and white cuffs at the ends of his forelegs, also, he had a French accent and a pencil-thin mustache. "How may I help you?" he then asked.

Tavi walked ahead and stood before the podium. "We have a reservation listed under the name 'Octavia'."

The stallion eyed us both--me a bit longer than he did her--then skimmed through the ledger sitting atop the podium. "Hmm," he lightly hummed as he traced a hoof over it. His face then lit up. "Ah, here it is: table for two, one mare and one," it seemed like he had to force himself to finish his sentence, "stallion..." Using his magic to pull out two menus from a compartment in the podium, he then turned to the doors behind him. "Right this way," he said, the doors highlighted in his magic before opening, revealing the rest of the restaurant.

Instantly after seeing the interior, I grew nervous, wondering if Tavi and I had brought enough bits to eat at such a place. It was a wide dining room with walls painted in a shade that I could only describe as half white, half gold, with marble flooring and columns, and a ceiling of finely polished wood with sphere-shaped lights hanging off of it, all evenly spaced apart and giving off just enough illumination to provide the place with a mood-setting dimness. Organized in neat rows in order to provide aisles for patrons and waiters to comfortably walk through, the square-shaped tables had white cloths covering them with silverware, plates, and candles all sitting atop them. Pushing my nervousness aside, I followed the stallion with Tavi at my side once he began to walk into the room then down the aisles. Immediately, through the corners of my eyes, I could see that a few of the currently dining patrons' heads would track the strange looking--yet handsomely dressed if I might add--biped, but quickly looked back to their companions or meals when I'd glance at them.

"Here you are," the stallion said, gesturing at a table near the back wall of the restaurant; whether he chose this spot because he was taking into considering how I'd feel drawing everyone's eyes or merely because he didn't want me to be a disturbance, I will never know.

Deciding to give a good first impression, I pulled out Tavi's seat, then gestured for her to sit.

My action caused Tavi to give me a lighthearted smirk. "My, well aren't you well-mannered," she said before taking her seat, then allowing me to carefully push her chair into place.

Once I walked around the table and sat opposite of her, the stallion pulled a matchbox out from one of his suit's pockets, then used one of its matches to light the candle on the table, creating a small oasis of light in-between Tavi and I.

"I will be back in a few minutes to receive your orders," the stallion said, floating the menus to us before leaving.

Tavi and I then took the time to look through our menus, and as I skimmed through the restaurant's many specialties--that almost all of which had names that I doubted I'd be able to pronounce properly--I eventually discovered that this place did indeed have a carnivore section; and just like the pizza parlor menu from last week, it was sectioned off near the back and devoid of any illustrations for obvious reasons. I was tempted to order something from it, but I wasn't sure if Tavi was as comfortable with the fact that meat was in my diet as Vinyl was. Not feeling courageous enough to test the waters right now--and possibly ruin my evening with her--I decided that I'd order something safer.

Once my mind was made up, I set the menu down, then attempted the most difficult part of any first date...starting a conversation...

"So," I drawled, my fingers rhythmically and nervously tapping atop the table.

Octavia set her menu down as well before giving me her attention. "Yes?" She asked, her head cutely tilted to the side a bit as she waited for me to continue.

Ok...maybe I should have actually thought of a topic before trying to speak, I thought to myself, now noticing that my breathing had deepened and my body got a smidge warmer than I'd like after a few longer-than-necessary moments of awkward silence had already passed. I swallowed a lump in my throat. Should I start with a joke to break the ice? That'd be way better than saying something lame like,

"Lovely weather we've been having recently..."

I mentally kicked myself. Goddammit, mouth... Why must you always run faster than my mind...?

Tavi cast me a curious look before giving a smile that seemed to be a bit forced, causing me to believe that I wasn't the only one feeling the awkward levels rise. "Why yes," she said. "The weather has been rather enjoyable as of late, it's almost a shame that winter is right around the corner."

I returned my own half-awkward smile. "Guess I'm gonna have to commission Rarity to make me some winter clothes then."

She nodded. "That'd be wise."

Once again, awkward silence; clearly we scrapped the bottom of the barrel with that topic...

What am I doing? I questioned, my hand placed at the back of my neck as my eyes wandered to anywhere but Octavia. I've known Tavi for more than a month and we've had plenty of normal conversations before, so why can't we just have one now? I'd talk about anything if it meant we'd get rid of this awkward tension...

Soon, I thought of something we could discuss and locked it in place before it'd slip my mind. Taking it a bit slower this time, I then tried to initiate another conversation.

"I--"

"You--"

Tavi and I were silent before grinning at one another, as we both just tried to say something at the same time. I stayed quiet, allowing her to go first, but a few seconds had passed and she had yet to say anything; I guess she was letting me go first then.

"Tavi--"

"Mau--"

We just stared at each other for a few moments before--and to my surprise 'cause I don't exactly know how or when--we began to snicker. Snickering turned into giggling, which then in turn slowly escalated to uncontrollable laughter. Trying to not disturb the other customers, we both tried to suppress our noises by covering our mouths, but Octavia made it difficult for me when she actually snorted! I think my fist may have been hammering onto the table while I attempted to force down my laughs.

Once our mirth finally began to die down, I spoke while trying to regain my composure. "Just, heh, just look at us! Wha-what's wrong with us? You felt that too, right? The awkward tension between us a few minutes ago?"

A hoof to her chest and a hearty smile on her face, Tavi answered. "Glad I wasn't alone then! I found it strange when you suddenly wanted to talk about the weather!"

Lightheartedly shaking my head, I said, "Yeah, not my best of moments there."

"Ah-hem," coughed the waiter into his hoof, getting mine and Tavi's attention, as well as alerting us that he had returned. At first I thought he was gonna ask us to lower our voices, but found that that wasn't the case when I spotted a notebook and pen floating before him by his magic. Once we gave him our orders, he took our menus, then gave a short bow of his head before walking off, leaving Tavi and I to finally converse, this time completely devoid of the awkward tension that was there before.

"So should you go first and say what you were gonna say, or should I?" I asked, gesturing at her then myself.

"No no," Tavi said with a smile, lightly shaking her heard. "You go first."

"Ok, uh, geez, no pressure there or anything," I said, rubbing the back of my neck as I grinned at her. "Well...I was just gonna ask what it was that you saw in me that called for a date. I mean, I'm going through with it because--well, aside from the 'being stuck in another world' situation thing I'm in--I have been thinking for a while about putting myself out there, and despite being a different species, I found that mares here have this certain...attractiveness that's difficult for me to explain. So uh, yeah. Now don't get what I'm going to say wrong since I am kinda glad that it was someone I actually like who asked me out first, but what possessed you to date the weird-looking alien you live with when you had a whole town full of ponies to choose from?"

Tavi crossed her hooves over her chest. "Now Maurice, if you're worried about the fact that we're two completely different species, don't be. Inter-species couples aren't exactly a new thing in Equestria, and several new species have been the result of them. Tell me, are you aware of what a hippogriff or a kirin is?"

I had no clue, but in order to keep the awkward silence at bay and prevent it from returning, I replied. "Uh, one of them has something to do with hippos?"

Tavi quickly placed a hoof over her mouth, trying to hide what was clearly a smile judging by the fact that the corners of her mouth were pointed upwards. She then took a moment to clear her throat before removing her hoof and speaking. "Well no, no it has nothing to do with hippos. See, hippogriffs are born from the union between a griffon and a pony; they're typically the front-half and wings of an eagle with the other half being that of a pony."

"Oh, then what did the hoo-hah with a pony to make a kirin?" I asked.

Not skipping a beat, Tavi replied with, "Why a dragon of course."

My eyes widened with the thought of Equestria being full of either brave or horny--or bravely-horny--ponies...

I scratched my noggin. "Huh...wow...and that can just happen?" I asked with curiosity. "I mean, I'm not a bioligist or anything like that, but aren't those vastly different creatures; don't genes or chromosomes or something like that have to match for them to make a baby?" A thought then occurred to me. "Wait, does this mean that batponies are what happens when a pony shags a regular or big-sized bat?"

Tavi quickly placed her hoof over her mouth again, yet this time I could clearly hear her giggles that she was trying so hard to stifle.

"Heh, what?" I asked with a smile. I then sat back in my chair and patiently waited for her giggle-fit to end.

"Oh Maurice," she said after finally calming down a bit, using a hoof to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. "That's what I like about you; you're not afraid to speak your mind...no matter how ridiculous or absurd it may be at times."

In response to that, I placed my hands over my chest and frowned, giving my best 'I'm hurt' expression. Tavi jokingly rolled her eyes at me before continuing.

"Anyway, the answer to your batpony question is no, they are not the offspring of a bat and pony. A popular misconception, caused by several myths and legends, say that they are all the descendants of The Princess of the Night herself, but I happen to know for a fact that in reality, they are merely a variant subspecies of pegasi favored by Princess Luna as her guard because of their nocturnal nature."

I nodded. "Well that's interesting, but...how is it that you know so much about batponies?" I asked, casting her a curious glace.

Her eyes shifted as she spoke. "Oh, well, I..." She lightly coughed into her hoof before making eye contact with me again. "I happen to have had a batpony acquaintance or two...you know...from back in Canterlot..."

Lowering my eyes to the table, I quietly sighed; I had hoped that she might reveal more about Highground since I was still curious an' all about her, but it was clear by the anxious look on Tavi's face that she wanted to avoid talking about her. Deciding that I didn't want to turn our date into an interrogation, I gave her an out.

"Oh," I said, looking towards the ceiling and clasping my hands together before looking back at her. "I almost forgot. You didn't answer my question about the 'genes not matching' thing..."

Tavi's expression became one of relief. "Oh, yes, of course, that." She shifted in her seat in order to sit more comfortably. "Well you did have an earlier point there, Maurice; scientifically, genes, chromosomes and the like do have to match in order to produce an offspring."

"Then how do make a rugrat?" I asked, anxious to hear the answer out of curiosity.

"The answer is simple really," she said with a shrug. "We all learned in school that creatures such as ponies, griffons, zebras, and even dragons, all possess magic woven into their very beings; so when any of them become," she kinda seemed uncomfortable with saying the next word, "intimate...with each other, science makes an exception."

Huh...so if this world had memes, instead of that one guy saying 'Yeah. Science, bitch!' he'd be saying 'Yeah. Magic, bitch!' The thought of that cause me to smile, but it was only for a moment before I then realized something.

"Well shoot..." I said, closing my eyes and rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Guess that's one thing I'm gonna have to cross off my list..."

"Cross what off your list?" Tavi asked.

Sighing, I removed my hand from my face as I answered her. "Having kids someday..."

"What?" Tavi asked, seeming to be more confused.

Trying to show her that I wasn't as bummed out as she might think I am, I gave her a half-smile. "Well uh...Twilight pointed out--after thoroughly examining my blood and...other things--that my body has absolutely no magic in it whatsoever. So uh...yeah...if I am stuck here forever, then I won't be able to just, you know...have some with someone."

Tavi's ears drooped as she, for some reason, donned an expression of utter guilt. "Oh, Maurice... I'm...I'm so sorry if I gave you any false hopes..."

I raised a hand and waved it dismissively. "No no, not your fault; I didn't mention the 'no magic' thing to anyone 'cause I thought it wasn't a big deal." I shrugged with a sigh as I then said, "Besides...I made peace with that fact long, long ago." I placed a hand at the back of my neck and rubbed it, my eyes traveling from up the wall towards the ceiling. "I guess...if I ever settled down with someone here, I could always try the adoption thing." I looked back at Tavi and grinned at her. "Heh, make sure that my strange human references are passed on to the next generation." My eyes then slowly rolled as I said, "Well...that is if they'll even allow the one-of-a-kind alien to adopt," I shrugged, "but if not, then oh well, I tried, I guess."

After letting all that out, a few moments of silence passed between us before I then realized something. Hello, awkward silence, my old friend~♪ Geez, Maurice, way to kill the mood...

Luckily, before I was gonna try to salvage the conversation by making some lame joke about the weather, the silence was interrupted when the waiter returned, holding in his magic a silver platter with a dome-like lid atop it. After placing it on the table, he lifted the lid, revealing the meals that Tavi and I had ordered earlier; Tavi's was a plate full of mixed, grilled and sauteed vegetables, all covered in oils and spices, while mine was a bowl of pasta with marinara sauce and melted cheese, all sprinkled in parmesan cheese and shredded basil. I could practically taste the food already as I whiffed the rising steam it was giving off, causing me to salivate; I was near starved by this point since I had saved up an appetite by having light meals throughout today.

"Thank you," Tavi said to the stallion once he floated our meals to their receptive owners.

"Thanks," I said as well, not being rude, yet barely getting an acknowledging glance from the guy.

I thought the stallion was then about to leave, but instead surprised me when he pulled out a menu that was half the size of the first and had a black, nameless cover.

He set the menu onto the table, sliding it towards the center as he said, "Would you two care to give our wine list a look? We have many exquisite as well as exotic samples to choose from."

"Actually, that would sound lovely," Tavi said to the stallion before turning to me. "Maurice?"

I grinned at her. "Actually, yeah. That does kinda sound nice, and I'll even let you decide since your wine knowledge is probably better than mine."

"Very well," she said, nodding back at me before taking the menu and opening it. I then watched as Tavi's eyes skimmed through the menu with a slight smile on her face. However, I then became confused when I noticed that that same smile was beginning to falter, going from neutral to a straight out frown. Seconds later, I jumped in my seat when Tavi slammed the menu shut then practically threw it at the stallion.

"Sir," she said to him in a passive-aggressive tone. "Please fetch us a regular wine list, as I have no interest in your foreign brands that have been smuggled here through illegal means."

Confused, I remained in my seat, wondering why the stallion suddenly seemed nervous.

"I-Illegal?!" he nervously stammered. "My, whatever do you mean, my good lady?"

Tavi crossed her forelegs over her chest, raising a knowing brow at him. "Oh don't give me that," she said before pointing at the menu with an accusatory hoof. "That list has Speakeasy written all over it!" The stallion then tried to speak, but all he did was nervously give a near-silent incoherent mutter. Tavi's scowl eased somewhat before she said to him, "Please, just bring the regular menu and I'll over-look this; I don't exactly feel like ruining my pleasant evening by going to the authorities to report this." With wide eyes, the stallion quickly nodded, then walked off.

Once he was gone, I turned to Tavi and spoke in a curious tone. "So what's up with those wines that makes them illegal? Are they like, super bad for you or something?"

"Why no, actually," she said, shaking her head. "They're just as safe as any other alcoholic beverage you'd find at a bar; the problem lies with the fact that they're brands from foreign lands."

I was stumped. "Wait, so they're illegal because they aren't homemade?"

Again, she shook her head. "No no. I...I guess I should explain in greater detail."

Remembering that there was actual food before me, I took a fork and dug into it, listening as Tavi spoke while she somehow--for simplicity's sake, I'm chalking it up to earthpony magic--used her hoof to pick up her own fork as she did so.

"It's not the fact that they come from out of Equestria that's the problem; they're illegal because they come from lands that have yet to establish official trade with Equestria." Tavi stabbed a carrot with her fork, raised it to eye level, then just stared at it as she continued. "I guess it's because these trade discussions have, and many still are, taken decades to establish that several ponies have decided to take advantage of the situation, acquiring vast quantities of those foreign alcoholic brands to smuggle into Equestria, all so that they can sell them here for a much higher price." She daintily placed the carrot into her mouth, then took the time to thoroughly chew it before swallowing. "Normally those brands are smuggled in by a large and organized group, but the practice might diminish soon now that the alleged head of the largest of said groups had been caught months ago and is currently going through trail."

I nodded as I chewed my own food, thinking to myself, Geez, what she described kinda sounds a lot like a mafia...

"So what's the name of the alleged head?" I curiously asked after swallowing.

Stabbing another carrot, Tavi replied. "Actually, you just heard me say it a few minutes ago to the waiter...the head's name is Speakeasy."

I dropped my fork right when I was about to use it to get some more pasta. Wait...isn't Speakeasy the name of the guy Highground wanted me to make sure Tavi gave her message to? The same message I never passed to Tavi? I shook my head. No, there's just no way Tavi or...or even Vinyl could be involved in something illegal. ...Ok, Vinyl maybe, but it wouldn't be for something serious like smuggling! I...I probably misheard Highground since it was kind of a hectic few moments I had with her, what with the punch to my side and all...

To release some built in tension I had, I lightly chuckled as I jokingly asked, "So if the guy's name is Speakeasy, then why had they never caught him sooner?"

Tavi halted bringing a piece of cauliflower to mouth, then lowered it before giving me a confused look. "What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked.

I scratched the side of my head with one finger. "Well uh...the guy's name is Speakeasy...isn't that what you also call one of those bars or stores that sells illegal booze?"

"Yes it is," she quickly answered with a nod.

"Ok...so then wouldn't it be obvious that he's the head of a smuggling organization when he has a name like that?"

With a perplexed expression on her face, Tavi then tilted her head to the side and lightly shook it as she said, "I don't follow. Why would they arrest him solely because of his name?"

I gave her a questioning look, not understanding how she couldn't see the connection. Seconds later, a thought occurred to me. "Wait, are you saying that there could be a pony named Murder McKillingspree and someone would actually say 'Gee, I wonder who murdered Murder McKillingspree's next door neighbor' and honestly be stumped saying that?"

"Wait, what? Slow down," Tavi asked, putting her fork down, then staring at me with an honest to god puzzled look on her face. "Who murdered Murder McKillingspree's neighbor?"

My jaw dropped as I got my answer. I then did the Picard double facepalm as I responded. "No one did...never mind....forget I ever said that..."

"Well...alright then," Tavi said with a shrug as she returned to her meal.

We then took the time to simply enjoy our meals, the both of us occasionally glancing at one another and breaking into a small smile. Eventually the regular wine list came to us, this one delivered by a different waiter. A minute later, the waiter left, then quickly returned with two glasses and the wine Tavi selected. Finished with pouring the wine into our glasses, the waiter left once again.

"You know," Tavi said as I sipped from my glass. "I don't believe I answered your earlier question. The one where you asked what it was that I saw in you..."

I set the glass down and smiled at her. "Oh yeah... We kinda got sidetracked, didn't we?" I leaned in a bit. "So tell me since you re-peaked my curiosity; why did you ask me out, the weird looking alien, when there are so many stallions in town to choose from?"

Tavi rolled her eyes at me. "I wouldn't exactly call you 'weird looking'; in my definition, I'd say you're more along the lines of exotic, unique even."

Smirking, I nodded my head a bit. "Hmm, good to know."

"And as for what I see in you," Tavi added. "If I had to summarize my reasoning, I'd say it was because of your smile."

"My smile?" I questioned, pulling my head back slightly.

"Yes, your smile," Tavi said, lowering her eyes as she used her fork to play with what remained of her food. "Well I guess it's a bit more than that if I actually think about it. You talk with me, and you actually listen, but I guess it was the way you smile at me that won me over." She sighed. "Growing up, I was surrounded by so-called friends who, in truth, were simply yes-ponies encouraged by their parents to befriend me because of my very influential father..." She shook her head. "It was exasperating, really, constantly being flocked by those who had no real interest in you, yet always laughed at your jokes...even at the ones you didn't make..." Tavi then made a bemused noise as she smirked. "I guess the only other pony, other than you, who gave me a smile that was one-hundred percent truly genuine would be Vinyl."

Now this strikes up a question.

"How did you meet her?" I asked. "Vinyl, I mean."

Tavi looked up from her plate to me. "Oh, well...I...I guess it happened back in high school, when I attended Canterlot High. I was in science class one day and happened to be in need of a lab partner for an assignment that involved mixing various chemicals." She smiled while raising a brow at me. "I'd like you to take a guess as to who it was that I got as a partner."

"Vinyl, obviously," I answered, giving a dismissive shrug, and earning a confirmatory nod from Tavi. "You two must have aced that assignment then."

Tavi surprised me when she then shook her head and gave a short hearty laugh. "Oh hell no, the concoction we made exploded in our faces and we scored the lowest grade in the class!"

I leaned forward in disbelief. "What, really?"

"Of course; it didn't help that we were constantly arguing, and I was a bit miffed by the fact that she kept calling me a, and this is her I'm quoting, 'a stuck-up bitch'." Tavi looked towards the ceiling. "Imagine my surprise after she called me that, me of all ponies! Never had I met such a stubborn, brash, and completely rude mare in all of my life." Looking back to me, Tavi finished with, "I simply had to have her as a friend."

Befuddled, I ran my fingers through my hair. "Ok, you're gonna have to reel it back a bit there 'cause that seems like a very sudden jump from hating each others' guts to wanting to befriend Vinyl..."

Tavi picked up her wine glass with her hoof, then looked into it, gently swirling it as she spoke. "It's simple really, Canterlot High was one of the highest rated private schools in Equestria, so the tuition it had ensured that almost all of the student body came from wealthy families." She stopped swirling the glass in order to take a sip from it. Swallowing, she smacked her lips before facing me and continuing. "They were all the same: rich, arrogant, and quick to flaunt their wealth; the only reason you'd see a group of them eating together during lunch and acting all chummy with one another is because they merely saw it as making connections, using their definition of the word 'friendship' as an investment for their future business endeavors." Tavi rolled her eyes in annoyance, as she then said, "Hence the 'yes-ponies' I mentioned earlier."

Her mouth soon formed into a small smile. "But then here comes Vinyl, a mare who didn't try once to put up a facade, showing me emotion so real that I didn't care that it was scorn I was receiving. Right after our assignment exploded in our faces, Vinyl hating me and not being a afraid to show it in that short moment was like...like finding an oasis after traversing a blistering desert for decades. 'If this is what real hate is like,' I thought at the time, 'then what would genuine friendship be like?' Luckily, I was given the opportunity to find out when Vinyl and I were forced to study together for the makeup exam. It was a grueling task, but we were able succeed with a barely passable grade. After that...well...we started off as acquaintances, but to my surprise and glee, began to see each other more consistently." Tavi leaned back into her chair and smiled towards the ceiling. "I guess the moment I officially considered her a friend was when she randomly showed up while I was at my mother's house."

"Your mother's house?" I asked, wondering whey she didn't say 'my house' or 'her parent's house'.

"Oh, of course you'd be confused by my wording," Tavi said, looking back to me with a slightly embarrassed smile. "It's...not something I like to bring up, but my parents lived apart because they were never married; regardless, they were both very loving to me, but it was a tad annoying having to--"

I cut her off, finishing for her. "Having to spend a week at one of your parents' house, then the next at the other's..."

Tavi gave me a somewhat astonished look. "Yes, actually...how did you know that's what I was going to say?"

"I'm psychic," I jokingly said, shaking my head with a smile and giving a dismissive wave. I then gestured at her. "Anyway, uh, continue."

"Right...right," Tavi said with a nod, ceasing the curious once-over she was giving me. "Anyway, the reason I was so moved that Vinyl showed up while I was at my mother's is because my father was the more...well, wealthy of the two." Tavi then gave me a knowing smile as she continued. "Unlike my previous friends, Vinyl didn't show up while I was at my father's mansion so that she could put up a charade of comradery in front of him, no, instead she showed up while I was at my mother's apartment, saying that she wanted to 'hang out' with me."

Tavi's smile got so wide that it became infectious, causing me to smile as well. "Heh, wow, what a great story," I said, placing my elbow on the table and my chin onto my open palm. "So I guess that solves the mystery as to why someone as calm and collected as you became friends with a wildcard like Vinyl, but there's still one thing that I've been meaning to ask you."

"And that is?" Tavi asked after taking a quick sip of her wine.

I then raised my other hand and pointed over the table towards her side. "How'd you get your cutie mark?" I asked. "I know a story usual comes with those magic butt-tattoos since I already heard Twilight's and some of her friends', so I've been dying to know how you and Vinyl got yours."

Casually rolling her eyes, Tavi placed her hooves onto the table as she spoke. "Oh, well...I can't tell you Vinyl's since I don't know it myself, what with her not being the sharing type and all, but I can tell you mine if you'd like."

I nodded. "I would."

"Well...when I was a filly, my mother and I would often play with these musical instruments that she happened to have owned." Grinning, she shrugged. "We didn't exactly make any music, per se, as it was more along the lines of noise that got us several complaints from the neighbors, but we didn't care, we were having fun." Tavi's previously smiling mouth then became neutral. "One day however...my mother happened to have been walking the streets when a nearby building suddenly went up in a gas explosion. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but my mother was close enough to the explosion for it to cause, what we all thought at the time, permanent damage to her hearing; she was near deaf.

I was mortified when I heard, as I thought that we would never be able to play together again. I cried and I cried until one day my father asked me what was wrong and I told him of how desperate I wanted to make music with her again, but none of the instruments we owned could produce a loud enough sound for her to hear." Tavi then smiled. "Imagine my surprise when my father took me to a music store the next day, telling me to have a look around and pick out what ever I would like." Her smile got wider. "Minutes later, I found Marchello near the back and immediately made my purchase."

"Wait, did Marchello like, call to you or something?" I asked with a grin. "Like you just saw him and knew?"

"No," Tavi quickly answered with a a smile and a shake of her head. "I chose Marchello because he happened to be the biggest thing in the store and I wanted to make extra sure that my mother could hear it." Well that shut me up... "Anyway, when my father's week was up, I was returned to my mother's with Marchello in my possession. At the sight of the instrument, my mother thought it was a sweet gesture and decided to humor me by having me play it in front of her; I had to stand on the couch with Marchello propped against it while I had the bow taped to my hoof. Throwing all caution to the wind, I lined up the bow against Marchello's strings for the first time, not caring if it'd all sound like chicken-scratch as long as my mother heard. And when I pulled that string, it was...was...well it was awful really." She made an amused huff. "I remember gritting my teeth because of the sounds I was making and looking at my mother who stared back at me with a mixture of confusion and amusement on her face, yet I forced myself to keep going. I think it was right when I was near the end of my endurance that my mother called my name...telling me to stop because it was so awful..."

"Wait, did you--"

"That's right," Tavi said, cutting me off. "My first time playing the cello was so bad that it restored her hearing...and I couldn't have been happier for it." She then looked to her side and caressed the area where one of her cutie marks was underneath her dress. "It wasn't until she had me put Marchello back in his case that she noticed something new on my flank."

I palmed my forehead as I leaned my head back. "Wow," I said. "What a story..."

"Yes, well, in my opinion, it's not as grand as you might think." Tavi then lightly shook her head before placing a hoof on the table. "But enough about myself, what about you, Maurice? I'd hate for this entire conversation to have been soley about me..."

My gaze wandered onto the table. "Oh, well uh...I'm kinda afraid that if I talk, it might not be as interesting since I already told you most of it when I first moved in..."

Tavi smiled. "Oh I'm sure there's more to you than you might think... I for one have several questions for you that I've never had the opportunity to ask."

Well I guess that saves me the hours of trouble having to scrounge up something conversation-worthy from my dull life. "Shoot." I said.

"Alright," Tavi said, tilting her head to the side. "Why do you wear clothes?" She quickly gestured at herself. "I know I'm wearing some right now, but that's only because this is a special occasion; you on the other hoof, I've never seen without them."

"Huh," I uttered as I brought my hand to my chin. "That's kind of a tough question to answer; everyone in my world wore them, so I never really questioned it since humans have done so for thousands upon thousands of years long before I was even born. If I uh, had to guess, I'd say that they give of some form of protection from the elements and uh...you can tell a human's social class by looking at what they're wearing, also there's..." Ok, this is harder than I thought... "You know what, point is that we've worn them for so long that we'd feel weird walking around without them."

"Alright then, well I suppose that'll have to do for now," Tavi said. "Here's another one... How are you still sane?"

"How am I what?" I asked, leaning forward a bit as I was not sure if I heard her right.

"How are you still sane?" she repeated. "You were taken from your world and dumped into ours, yet you seem to be taking your situation just fine. I know if I was in your predicament, I'd be clawing at the walls in a panic."

I sat back into my chair. "Oh, that's what you meant." I then rubbed the back of my neck, saying, "Well uh...there's a few reasons why I'm so calm." I raised a brow at her before asking, "Does the word 'nerd' have any meaning here?" She nodded. "Ah, well, I'm one of them...or maybe the term I'm looking for is geek? Heck if I know, they were both kind of the same thing to me. Anyway, my world is just full of great stories and ideas told through movies, video games, TV, and books, almost all of which had their own fandoms, and I was knee-deep in several of them." I smiled. "It was great, and through the internet you'd--"

"Internet?" Tavi repeated in a curious tone.

Aw geez, how am I gonna explain that? "Uh...the internet is a thing that humans in my world use to communicate with other humans across the globe. You can use it to send messages to your friends, or buy things from a store without ever setting foot in one, or even watch movies through it." There's also porn, but I don't feel like exposing my people's greatest achievement slash sin to Equestria, especially not to Octavia! "Anyway, what I was going to say was that through the internet, you could find more stories or even chat about one of your favorites with people you've never met before. You can even find art and stories made by people who just have a passion for the stuff," I made a bemused sigh, "even I wrote a thing or two..."

"Wait," Tavi said. "You write?"

"Well uh, poorly, but yeah...I used to write a bit back home." I rolled my eyes. "I even submitted one of my stories to a contest hosted by a movie studio that was looking for ideas. It didn't win, but it was apparently good enough to be one of the runner-ups..." I then shook my head before I raised my hands defensibly. "Ok, to get my point across before I get carried way, I had seen and read lots of stories about someone going to another world, so the concept isn't exactly new to me." I gestured around me, saying, "I just didn't think it would ever happen to me, or that I'd end up...well, here." I smirked. "Heh, also, with the life I've lived, you kinda learn to roll with whatever punches the universe decides to throw at you."

"What do you mean by that last part?" she asked.

I really didn't want to go into any details, so I answered vaguely with, "Lets just say that the universe got bored with the regular shtick it was giving me and decided to kick things up a notch by zapping me with lightning..." In order to prevent her from asking for more details, I decided to bring up this one other thing I've been curious about. "So uh...I got to ask: are you, or both of your parents, or maybe just one of them from out of town?"

Tavi gave me a confused look before responding with, "Why would you ask that?"

"Well I'm asking because of your accent," I said.

"My acc--oh!" Tavi exclaimed before breaking into a smile. "Right, I often forget I have one. No, my parents and I were all born in Canterlot and there's a perfectly good reason as to why I have this accent."

"Aright, and that is?" I said, gesturing for her to go on.

"When I was a small filly, I had a bit of a stuttering problem; nothing serious, but it was something that I grew to resent as I got older. Then one day I just...got fed up with it, as I had become envious off those around me who obviously had no trouble being able to properly pronounce words. So I told my father about it and days later a linguist from Trottingham showed up, hired by my father to help me with my problem." Tavi flashed a small smile. "My instructor's lessons obviously worked, but his accent may have stuck with me..." Smiling, Tavi leaned forward and raised a brow at me. "You know, if we've turned this into a back and fourth, then I believe it's my turn to ask you something now."

"Only fair," I said with a small shrug.

"Alright then...how many human mares have you seen before? There's no way I would be the first you've courted."

My mouth spread into an awkward smile, I rubbed the back of my neck, then placed my other hand onto the table as I spoke. "Uh...you're right...you're not the first person I've dated before... Back on Earth, I had two previous relationships...but uh...those kinda ended not so well for me..."

"Really? And why's that?" Tavi asked.

"Well uh...human girls tend to like you if you're a nice guy and all...but they sort of lose interest if you don't have things like a fancy phone, or...or a nice car...of which I had neither." I shook my head a bit. "Now I'm not saying that all human females are like that, it's just that those two I was with...were."

"Well it's their loss then," Tavi said before reaching her hoof over the table and placing it atop my hand. "Well I for one don't care about the state in which your phone or car are in."

Smiling at her hoof that was on top of my hand, my gaze then shifted towards her eyes. "You don't even know what those are...do you?"

She smiled back. "Not a clue."

"Aw, home sweet not on fire home," I said once the house was in sight. I then walked up to the door and opened it for Octavia.

"Why thank you," Tavi said to me before walking in. "I wonder what Vinyl has been up while we've been...gone..."

Confused as to why she paused, I entered, closed the door behind me, then walked further in and immediately saw why. As if staring at a piece of abstract art, I tilted my head to the side, looking at something that baffled and utterly confused me.

Vinyl...she was in the middle of the living room...wearing my spare shirt and pants that obviously didn't fit her and even had Tavi's bowtie poorly secured around her neck. She was also holding onto Marchello, the same way Tavi would when playing it...only she was using her magic to keep the bow to her hoof. All three of us must have just silently stared wide-eyed at each other for what seemed like minutes.

"Are we...interrupting something?" I eventually asked, gesturing at Vinyl.

Vinyl used her magic to pull up her shades, then broke into an awkward smile before saying, "Oh...hey...you're back... Heh...this is, um, exactly what it looks like..." She carefully set Marchello aside, then walked into her room where she then said one last thing before closing the door. "I'm just gonna change out of these real quick...tail was starting to get a bit of a cramp anyway."

Once the door clicked, Tavi and I turned to one another. "So that was something," Tavi said, pulling her head back slightly.

"Mhmm," I uttered with a nod.

We then just stood where we were for a while, not saying anything until Tavi spoke once again.

"Well uh...I had a wonderful time."

I nodded again. "Yeah, me too. It was great."

"So I guess this is where I..." Tavi approached, then surprised me when she rose onto her hind legs.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" I asked, quickly grabbing onto her forehooves and balancing her, her eye level now up to my shoulders.

"This," Tavi said before surprising me yet again, reaching her head upwards to plant her lips against mine. It was more of a peck, but it was enough for me to taste remnants of the wine she head earlier and catch her milky, almost french vanilla-like natural scent.

Once she pulled back, I released an amused huff, my face getting warmer and my eyes wandering the room. "Oh...heh, wow."

"Maurice," Tavi said, causing my eyes to refocus on her. She sighed. "I like you, Maurice, I really do, but I want to tell you something now before things go any further between us." She looked away before continuing. "I'm not exactly comfortable with the thought of becoming...physically intimate..." She looked back to me with pleading eyes. "I...I hope you understand and would still be interested if we continue seeing each other." She moved my hand closer to her face where she then rubbed it with her cheek. "It's nice...having somepony to come home to."

As the back of my hand gently stroked against her warm fur, I mulled over what she just said. I understood, really, I did... She was basically saying that she wanted to keep dating, but wanted nothing to do with me...sexually, and really, who would blame her? I'm...different from these ponies, considered by many to be a freak, the fact that one of them even considered asking me out was a miracle in itself. I sighed, knowing that this was the best I was ever going to get.

"I'd...I'd like that," I said with a light smile, lowering my head and placing my forehead against hers.

Tavi lightly hummed in acceptance before planting another kiss on my lips, then broke it when she lowered herself back onto four hooves. "Well then," she nearly whispered. "I...I have to rest up now for tomorrow's orchestral practice. So...goodnight, Maurice." She then headed towards her room, looking back at me with a smile the entire way.

"Night," I said, giving a little wave as Tavi entered her room and closed the door behind her.

I placed my hands at my sides and took a deep breath. Well uh...tonight was a success, I thought before moving over to the couch and throwing myself backwards onto it. I decided that I'd just relax in the living room for a while since I didn't want to go to bed just yet. Soon, Vinyl's door opened and she herself stepped out, holding my clothes in her magic that had been bundled into balls.

"Here," she said once she approached, tossing my clothes at me. "I have no idea how you walk around with that crap all day." I unfurled my shirt and saw that it was now wrinkled to the point where it would take me hours of ironing to fix. My mouth agape, I looked to Vinyl and raised a brow. With a roll of her eyes, she merely shrugged, then walked over to the kitchen. "You want a margarita?" she asked me, opening the fridge. "I know I want one."

Actually, that does sound nice; the wine in the restaurant was good and all, but it wasn't exactly my kind of thing.

"Sure," I called into the kitchen.

"Well alright then," Vinyl said before gathering the ingredients and ice, then putting them all in the blender.

Right when her hoof was inches away from the blender's on-button, she stopped when I said, "You know...Tavi's in bed right now, and the second you turn that thing on, she's gonna come out here and murder you..."

Vinyl turned back to me, placing a hoof to her chin. "Hmm, good point." I then watched as she walked into the living room and stood before Tavi's door. Pointing her horn towards the door, Vinyl's horn glowed, highlighting Tavi's room in a magical sheen before quickly evaporating. "There," she said, turning back to me and pointing a hoof at the door, "sound barrier; we can say things like," she turned to door and practically yelled, "OCTY'S CELLO PLAYING IS MEDIOCRE AND CLASSICAL SUCKS," she turned back to me with a smile, finishing in her regular volume, "and she won't here a thing."

I grinned at her. "Well then, aren't you just full of tricks?"

She grinned back. "Eh, I try." She then walked back into the kitchen and finished making those margaritas, loud noise and all.

An hour later, two empty glasses that once had our margaritas in them were sitting on the coffee table while Vinyl and I lied on the couch where I had spent the time telling Vinyl how my date with Tavi went.

"Wait," Vinyl said, her head resting on my chest while I scratched her ear. "So who killed Murder McKillingspree's neighbor?"

I directed my shocked expression towards the ceiling. "How do you not get this?!"

"How can I?" she asked. "There's a guy, and he has a dead neighbor, and nothing else! No clues or nothing!"

I facepalmed. "You know what...ju-just forget it..."

"Alright, whatever," Vinyl said before closing her eyes and twitching her ear, signalling that she wanted me to keep scratching it. I obliged her, and the both us us just stayed quiet for a while until Vinyl spoke. "You know...it's really not fair...for you I mean."

I opened one eye and looked to her. "What's not fair for me?" I asked.

"Octy dating you but not wanting to touch you...in that way."

Both eyes now open, I smirked with a raised brow at her. "Were you eavesdropping earlier?"

Her eyes still closed, Vinyl smiled before saying, "Mmmaaaybe."

I lightly shook my head, looking towards the ceiling as I switched from scratching her ear to just running my fingers through her mane. "I'm fine with it, really... It's not like there's anyone else who'd be interested in me, and Tavi's great."

"Uh..."

"She's smart."

"Nnn."

"Great to talk with."

"A-ah."

"Nice."

"M-Ma--"

"And even beautiful...in that pony sort of way..."

"M-Maurice!" Vinyl suddenly yelled.

I quickly looked back to her. "What? Why'd yo--" I stopped mid-sentence, my eyes shooting wide open when I realized why she called my name. As I was talking, my fingers had unknowingly been tracing up and down her horn... "Oh, crap, I'm sorry!" I yelled, instantly pulling my hand back and sitting upright on the couch.

One thing that Twilight explained to me about unicorn anatomy is that having a unicorn's horn touched by another is basically the human equivalent of having a nipple rubbed.

"Shit, Vinyl, I-I didn't mean to!" I said in a panic. "I didn't realize what I was doing!"

Sitting upright at the other side of the couch, Vinyl's gaze was lowered as she lightly panted, her face seeming a bit red. She shook her head. "N-Nah man, it's cool," she said, waving her hoof dismissively.

I got up from the couch. "Vinyl, it's not cool, I ju--"

"Maurice!" Vinyl exclaimed as she faced me. "It's cool, alright?" She huffed. "Besides...it's not like I hated it..."

"What?" I asked.

Vinyl didn't answer, instead, she faced forward, looking towards me, but not at me, almost as if she were in thought. She then made a loud sigh before saying to me, "Fuck it, you and me, lets go."

I just stared at her in total confusion before uttering, "What?"

Vinyl facehoofed as she made an exasperated noise. "Ugh, am I gonna have to draw you a map? I'm asking you to have sex with me!"

I looked at her like she couldn't be serious, waiting for her to burst into laughter and say that it was a joke...but she never laughed...

"Ah, geez, Vinyl..." I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm tempted, I really am, and I probably would have taken up your offer if you asked more than a week ago...but I'm with Tavi now," I shook my head, "I'm not gonna cheat on her."

Vinyl smiled, much to my confusion, then tilted her head to the side as she crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Alright, you're a good buck." She then leaned forward and said, "But is it really cheating when she told you from the very beginning that she doesn't want to sleep with you?" I raised a hand and opened my mouth to speak, but no words escaped me. Vinyl shrugged. "Look, I'm not asking you to leave her for me or anything like that, I've been thinking for a while about what it'd be like doing a hooman and now I just so happen to have an itch that needs scratching." She smirked, raising a brow at me. "And if I'm guessing right, so do you."

I didn't want to admit this, but...she's right. Ever since I've been in this world, whenever I'd feel...pent up, I'd just take care of it myself, but lately...it hasn't been as effective...

"S-so what if I do?" I said. "I still don--"

"Listen," Vinyl interrupted. "All I'm asking from you is pointless, meaningless sex, sex that Octy doesn't want. I have no interest in dating you, so you can give all your romantic sappy crap feelings to Octy. Now do you still consider it cheating?"

I was conflicted; part of me was saying that is was, but another part was saying that it wasn't.

Running my hand through my hair, I nervously replied with, "I...I don't know, Vinyl..."

Vinyl smirked. "You know, that don't sound like a no to me..." She then hopped off the couch and walked towards her room, using her magic to, like a dog on a leash, pull me along by my tie.

I considered resisting, but didn't when I started to think that maybe Vinyl has a point...that maybe...maybe I needed this. I have been a bit stressed out lately, what with waiting this entire week for Highground to spring out of any alley I passed by at night, and for all I knew, Vinyl probably had some stress too. She did say that it'd be meaningless sex, so maybe we could simply use each other to just scratch the other's itch. Giving in, I allowed Vinyl to pull me the rest of the way to her room's door.

Using her magic, Vinyl opened the door, then turned the light on, revealing...one of the messiest rooms I have ever seen... I mean, it was a nice room, and I liked it's light-blue walls that were covered by evenly spaced rows of record vinyls, but her bed at the far side of the room looked like it had never been made, her closet was just full of wires, speakers, and other music playing equipment--some of which had been scattered around the floor, siting alongside crushed soda cans and empty bags of chips. All in all, this place could use some serious spring cleaning.

With natural ease, Vinyl walked past the minefield she called her room, heading towards her bed as she pulled me along. Halfway through, I accidentally kicked a lone turntable, turning it on and causing the record on it to spin before its needle automatically lowered onto it. Seconds later, one of the speakers started to play a song, not at a blaring volume, but just low enough so that only Vinyl and I could hear.

Directing me towards the foot of the bed, Vinyl stood on her hindlegs, then placed a forehoof onto my chest and the other on my shoulder. With half-lidded eyes, Vinyl flashed a cocky smile at me before leaning forward to kiss me not with passion, but with pure, unadulterated lust. Her sweet, raspberry-like scent instantly flooding my senses, I returned the gesture, wrapping her in my arms with one hand placed on her back and the other running through her mane, opening my mouth when Vinyl's tongue tried to gain access. Being of a different species, I found that her tongue was a bit different than a human's, but not by much; if I had to describe it by the way I was feeling it up with mine, I'd say that it was just a bit broader. There was no doubt that Vinyl was noting the differences as well, as her tongue found special interest in my canines.

Right as I was getting into it, Vinyl pulled back, causing me to stare at her with a confused look. Her response was a mere grin before she used her hoof that was still at my chest to shove me away, causing me to lose my balance and fall backwards onto the bed with a thud. Sighing amusingly at her ceiling, I looked towards Vinyl and gave her a playful, knowing smile.

"I'm uh...gonna need an adult... Like, several of them..."

She smiled back, saying something that I did not expect to hear.

"I am an adult..."

Author's Notes:

So...the mature and sex tags are finally gonna be getting some use in the next mini chapter...

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