My head’s been a mess since Manehattan. I keep feeling like I’ve done something wrong. After my meeting with Ms. Smile, I’ve been feeling sort of guilty about how I treated her. Well, that’s not quite accurate. It was after Derpy asked me about it. She seemed upset at how I’d handled it; about how I wasn’t being happy to see her. Her reaction has me feeling like I was supposed to just be fine with her, after everything that happened.

That’s the thing, though, there’s a long history between me and Ms. Smile. Things Derpy doesn’t know about. Things Derpy can’t know about. Things I don’t want anypony to know about. Because of that, Derpy has no context for my actions. She doesn’t understand… a lot about Ms. Smile and me. I find myself wishing I could tell her about it. Tell her about the whole Sunny Day incident. It would help her understand my relationship with Mama.

With Ms. Smile.

But in doing so, it would open a whole new can of worms. She might understand things, but she’d have a lot more on her plate to digest. A lot more questions. Questions I don’t want asked. Things I’d rather forget.

I say this, but things have actually been fine between Derpy and me. We’re not fighting; there are no awkward silences. It doesn’t seem like she’s even thought about it once since we’ve returned to Ponyville. It’s just a thought that I can’t, for the life of me, shake.

My own paranoia aside, I had a very... interesting Wednesday. Twilight came back. As a client. Her letter was a welcome surprise; I enjoy her company. However, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Her first session was pretty hands-off, but a lot has happened for her since then: a boyfriend, some fights, a nasty breakup. The session could’ve been anything.

I was excited. Twilight was something of a friend. I was happy spend time with her, erotic or otherwise. We just sort of seem to “get” each other, I feel.

It was dusk when she arrived. She was smiling, warm eyes just under her cute bangs. In spite of her cordial demeanor, she had an awkward aura about her. Tense shoulders. Overly purposeful. Nervous.

I began my act. “It’s been a while. Come in.” Warm smile. Smooth movements. “How have you been?”

“Okay.” She sighed, if only just.

‘Non-commital response. Something is obviously on her mind. Wait for her to bring it up?’

I opted to stay in her rhythm. She would talk when she was ready. I matched her pace, her tone, her body language, anything to ingratiate myself. “So, have a seat. Can I get you anything? Tea? Something stronger?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I have some white wine. It’s not very nice wine, but it’s wine.”

She paused. “Sure. Why not?”

‘Down to drink? That’s a good sign. We may get lucky yet.’

“Besides, I’ve never really been able to tell good wine from bad wine.” She giggled. Her prior anxiousness was gone.

“So, Twilight,” I called from the kitchen. “What brings you? I know you didn’t come all this way for some cheap wine.”

“Well…” she mused. “I’m not one hundred percent sure yet. I was just feeling a little stressed and… you came to mind.” She was very matter of fact. I like that about her.

I feigned a gasp. “So stress and I go hand in hand? Is that truly how you see me, Twilight?” Words dripping with mock pain.

She laughed at that. “You know what I meant. I was just thinking that you’re… a calming presence.”

“That’s good! That’s what I’m all about.” I returned, bottle and glasses in tow. She was sitting happily at my table, eyes glancing around my room. Searching. Learning. Scanning.

She was as cute as ever. It was something about her smile, the way she spoke. She put me in a good mood. “Here we go. Bottom shelf white wine, courtesy of barnyard bargains.”

I was about to pop the cork, when the bottle began to glow with a magenta shine. “Allow me,” she offered. I released my grip on the bottle. It floated away in the glow of her magic.

“Why, thank you.”

“No trouble at all.” The cork made a satisfying pop and the wine began to pour. “What are friends for?”

“Apparently, serving wine.”

She giggled again. “You’re so quick with witty comebacks. How do you do that?”

“Practice. I’ve been doing this for years,” I answered.

“Being witty?” She hovered a half-full glass to me as she poured her own.

“Conversing. An escort does a lot more than… the obvious. I’ve spent what must be years of my life talking to strangers. You get good at that sort of thing after that long.”

She took a sip. With a satisfied nod, the bottle found its way to the center of my table. “I guess I never considered your… tenure as an escort. How long have you been doing… this.”

I took a sip of my own. Yup… it was wine. “Since the day I turned eighteen. Just about ten years ago.”

Her eyes went wide. “I wasn’t expecting that. You were… young.”

I shrugged. “Not so young. It was a job I’d been preparing for for years before that.” I took a deeper sip. “I worked in the stable with my closest friend for quite a while before then. We looked up to escorts. As a teenager they were my role models. Strong, smart ponies who could get along with anyone.”

She frowned. “Your life is so… different from mine.”

I cocked my head. “How so?”

“At that age… I couldn’t even have conceived of doing that. I wasn’t even thinking about a relationship, much less sex. I mean I was thinking about sex, just not thinking about having it with anypony. I was just so focused on my studies.”

“Well, for me it was less about sex, and more about work. I needed to get out of my house, and being an escort came with room and board. I made good money too.”

Hesitation on Twilight’s part. She was about to say something she wasn’t sure of. “Why… did you need to get out of your house so bad?”

‘Shit! Overshare! Quick, evade!’

I couldn’t find a subtle way to get away. I opted to be un-subtle. “Let’s change the subject. You said you were stressed? Did something happen?”

“Huh? Oh… I…” She blushed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’d just rather talk about you than me.” I smiled a comforting smile. Calming tone. Relaxed posture. “So don’t fret.”

She got the hint. “Oh… I, uh… I don’t know.” She took a moment to compose herself before responding. “I’ve just been… not myself.”

“How so?” I took another sip.

“I’ve been… Irritable. Lethargic. Moody. On and off.”

“You want to talk about that?” I offered.

She shook her head. “No, I just… want some me-time.” She smiled again. It didn’t seem forced; she was genuinely in a good mood.

I didn’t want to risk upsetting her by prying. Besides, it was almost certainly due to her breakup, not much insight to be gained from a barrage of cleverly disguised questions. She’s probably too smart for that, anyways. “So, Twilight, did you have anything particular in mind?” I raised a suggestive eyebrow.

She smiled knowingly. Score. “Maaaaaaybe,” she teased. She was far from the nervous filly she was a few months ago. “I was hoping to… read some of your… books.” There was that cute blush. I’d been waiting for that. “I’ve been… curious. I don’t keep anything… like that… in my library.”

“And by ‘like that’ you mean smut, I assume.”

“I do.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve done a lot of reading over the years, but I never really delved into… erotica.” She twiddled her hooves nervously. Adorable. “I want to buy some for myself but…” Another shade of red on her cheeks. “I’m far too embarrassed to go through with it.”

“Well, I’ve got a small collection of raunchy books. Want to go rummage through them? We could have a little ‘reading date’.”

Her ears perked up at that. She was liking the idea already. “That sounds perfect!” she exclaimed. “We should get some snacks. Don’t worry. I won’t get any crumbs on the pages. I’m very careful about these things.”

“Good to know. Follow me, I’ll show you what I’ve got, literature-wise.” I led Twilight over to my book-chest. I have 50 or so erotic novels in many different flavors of sexy. Maid/master. Supernatural romance. Sexy historical fiction. I even have an erotic mystery. It’s more comedic than arousing, but I decided to keep it for the pure novelty.

“What’s this one? Royal rendezvous? Oh… it’s about Princess Celestia… I’m not touching that one,” she said, clearly grossed out.

“Oh, you know her personally, don’t you?”

She nodded, still scowling. “Yes. She personally taught me everything I know about magic.”

Holy shit, what? “Well… you’ve got connections.”

She giggled. “I suppose I do.”

“Not that you need any more convincing, but that book is about the princess seducing her personal protégé.”

She shuddered. “Okay, this book gets put in the veeeeeery bottom of the chest.”

I couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“What? She’s like my mom. It’s weird.” She laughed despite her discomfort.

“No no, I totally get you. I can’t read anything that takes place in a stable. It’s usually both incorrect and too close to home at the same time.” I looked through the books some more.

“What strikes your fancy?”

A pensive Twilight continued to shuffle through the books. “I dunno. Nothing’s really jumping out at me.”

“Well, what excites you? Being whisked away by a dashing prince or a burly jungle-hunk? Vampire ponies seducing helpless mortals?”

“That’s just it, Guilty. I don’t know what excites me.” She sighed heavily. “I haven’t been really exploring the sexual side of myself until recently.”

‘How do I address this? Do I just pick something vanilla?”

Most of my collection appealed to some kind of fetish, but I did have some really sappy love stories sprinkled with some heated chapters.

‘It would take too long to get to the sexy parts. Pick something with a mild kink that gets sexy within a few chapters.’

One came to mind. “How about… Love of the Enemy. It’s about a Pegasus soldier and a Unicorn guard during a battle between the three tribes.”

Twilight levitated the book over to herself. “What makes you think I’ll like this one?” she asked, examining the cover diligently.

“Well, it’s less about the content, and more about the pacing. I’d hate for you to get bored before anything… fun… happened. It’s also got decent writing compared to some smut, not that that’s a high bar.” I cleared my throat. “I will warn you it has a bit of a thing for chains. Nothing… rapey… but it does like its bondage.”

Twilight seemed satisfied. “I guess I’ll be experimenting with two things today,” she said almost excitedly. “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Of course. It’s more fun to read together! You pick something too.” Without prompting she climbed into the bed and got comfy.

I never really liked reading porn all that much, truth be told. I like pictures more. Trying to read a story has always felt… fuzzy. Out of focus. Like the sexy is there but I can’t see all the good bits. Still, there’s a few stories in the chest that I do like. It’s about an explorer who stumbles into a tribe of exiled female zebra warriors.

I like zebras and I like big mares, sue me.

I placed my book on the bed. “I’ll go get some chips. And some more wine. That’s an acceptable pairing, right?”

My hilarious joke about wine was lost on Twilight, who was already reading intently.

When I returned with the snacks, Twilight was already curled up comfortably with her book. Apparently she’s a fast reader, because she was already blushing. I made a point of making a little noise when I entered, so she noticed my presence; I didn’t want to startle her. Little details like that make the difference between a good escort and a great one.
“Having fun?”

She nodded. “It’s very… explicit.”

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” I asked, climbing onto the bed. I put the bowl of munchies between us. “Want me to top you off?”

“Mmmhmm,” she hummed. Her glass floated to me.

I filled her glass and my own, and the two of us began reading. Truthfully I was paying more attention to Twilight’s body language than the book. It didn’t take her long to get relaxed. A casual sip of wine every now and then, a chip every other page or so. She was entranced.

Couldn’t take her eyes of the book.

After a bit, Twilight seemed to hit the second sex scene. Her breathing got heavy, she shifted her legs a little, her tail twitched ever so faintly. She liked it. “This is really… something,” she said, swallowing.

“Something good? Or something bad?” I already knew the answer, but part of me wanted to hear her say it.

“Good… definitely good. It’s uh… getting to me.” She giggled nervously.

‘Do I torment her? Yes, I think I will.’

“Getting to you? How do you mean?” I smiled, knowingly.

“It um… you… you know what I mean. I’m… aroused,” she admitted.

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “You’re so clinical about it!”

She half-scowled at me. “Well, you’re the expert. What would you say?”

I pondered for a moment. “I’d probably said ‘turned on’. It strikes an appropriate balance between reserved and crude.”

She pouted falsely. “Well then… I’m ‘turned on’.” She smiled despite herself. “You continue to be quick on your hooves in a conversation, Guilty.”

“Thank you, I try. So, arousal aside, how’s the book?”

“It’s okay. There’s definitely not much depth to the characters. Just a stallion and a mare who really want to have sex.”

I nodded. “That’s erotica for you. It’s all about the sex.”

“It definitely seems that way. It seems like every event is in some way facilitating the eventual sexual situation. Like when the Unicorn’s robes get torn and expose her flanks. It’s just so that the Pegasus will get an erection and the Unicorn will notice. It’s kind of silly. Still it… does its job.” Her tail twitched. She was trying to keep it from rising.

Knowing how much Twilight was feeling it was doing wonders for my own arousal. I could feel my member pressing into the sheets.

“So,” Twilight began. “What about you? How’s your book?”

I absently flipped through the pages. “Oh, I’ve read it before. There are a few scenes in it that are pretty exciting.”

“What’s it about?” She scooted closer to look over my shoulder. In the process, she inadvertently pressed her side against mine. Breaking the touch barrier is a big step, so this was a very good sign.

I turned my attention to the book. “An Earth pony explorer stumbles into a wandering tribe of all-female zebra warriors. They are all, of course, attracted to him. He follows them around while simultaneously trying to find an ancient artifact. He also has sex with them a whole bunch.”

“One would assume.” She furrowed her brow. “How is a tribe all females? How do they reproduce?”

“They were apparently mares who were exiled from another tribe for… something. It’s hardly important compared to all the group sex,” I explained.

“Ah of course,” responded a sarcastic Twilight. “I wonder what that’s like.” She rolled onto her back.

“What, sex with multiple partners?” I asked.

“Yeah. Well, not just that, all kinds of sex. Sex while chained up. Sex outside. I’m just finding myself thinking about all the different kinds of sex there are. It’s a lot of very creative ways to orgasm.”

I thought for a moment before responding. “I’m not sure it’s all about the orgasm. There’s definitely more to sex than the physical pleasure.” I turned onto my back as well, staring into nothing with my guest. “There’s the intimacy, the excitement, the give and take of the whole thing. There can be an emotional aspect to sex just as much as a physical one.”

“You’re not wrong,” mused Twilight. “There’s a lot I’m just unsure about. I’m still pretty inexperienced. I’ve only had sex with one stallion, and it didn’t feel particularly… emotional.”

‘Interesting turn there at the end.’

“How do you mean? You weren’t really that into him?”

“No, I was. I… liked him a lot. But the sex was sort of… secondary to the relationship. It didn’t feel like it was any more intimate than anything else we would do together. Physically it was more gratifying, but it was no more emotionally fulfilling than, say, reading together. It was just another fun thing to do.”

“Hmm…”

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just interesting. Everypony views sex differently. Everypony has kinks and hangups. Different levels of investment, different priorities. For some people it’s all about having as much sex as possible, for some it’s about having the best sex possible. For some, it’s about connecting with another pony.”

“I think two ponies can ‘connect’ better through conversation than sex. At least, that how it seems to me.”

I shrugged. “Like I said, it’s different for everypony. Some ponies aren’t good at expressing themselves verbally.”

‘Cough cough, Golden Harvest.’

“I guess that’s true.” Twilight sighed heavily. “Maybe I’m just bad at communicating physically.”

That sounded like she was concerned about something in particular. “What’s on your mind?”

She groaned. “Just… I don’t know. I feel like… Is it okay if I talk about my relationship?”

“Of course it is. This time is yours after all.”

“Right.” She took a deep purposeful breath. “So… we mostly broke up because we fought so much. But one fight we had a couple times was that he’d want to have sex when things were romantic. To me it always felt… like it was interrupting the romance. It was breaking away from a tender moment for the sake of physical pleasure.”

This was proving to be a pretty deep conversation. “So is it just that he wanted sex too much and it got tiresome? Or was it just his timing?”

“The latter, for sure. I was fine with the amount of sex. I like sex. It was just… he’d always ruin the mood. When I got mad about it, he said that he didn’t understand. That I didn’t understand.”

‘I didn’t peg Twilight for the type to separate emotion and sex, but it sounds like that’s what’s going on.’

“So, if I understand this, you don’t feel sex is particularly romantic?”

“Hmmm…” she pondered for a moment. “I guess not. I mean, you read about romantic and passionate love-making. But sex never really seems like that to me. It’s so… visceral. Animal, even.”

“You used that word when we first met. ‘Visceral.’ How do you mean that?”

“It’s all just… Fluids, meat, hormones, synapses. Everything about it is… pumping and thrusting and secreting.”

“So, you find it gross?”

“Well… isn’t it?” She rolled to face me. “The penis is basically a sponge that fills up with blood. It shoots out a sticky fluid composed of tiny organisms that swim around in the vagina and into the uterus. In the meantime the vulva are also swollen with blood, secreting a slippery fluid that makes it easier for the penis to slide in. On top of that you get covered in sweat, your heartbeat rises, you make a mess of whatever’s underneath you. And we do all of this because our bodies are telling us to make babies, which is an even longer list of bodily functions.”

“…wow…”

“Sorry…” Her ears went flat.

“No no, it’s interesting. Fascinating really.”

“What is?”

“The way you see sex.” I continued to stare into my ceiling. Past it, honestly. “You’re right, of course. That is what sex is. But for me, that’s what I really enjoy about sex.”

“How do you mean?”

“Just… the animality of it all. Indulging in your baser wants and desires. It lets you step out of who you are for a moment, and lets you be what you are.” I turned to meet her gaze.
“Does that make sense?”

She nodded. “Well, yes. And to some extent I agree. It’s nice just letting yourself be overwhelmed with the pleasure. But it’s still not something I see as being… romantic. Intimate.”

“You don’t really see it as going hoof-in-hoof with love, then.”

She paused. A long pause. I didn’t want to interrupt her. “No. I don’t. Sex doesn’t make me feel ‘loved’ it makes me feel ‘good’. It’s fun, but there’s nothing really intimate about it. Is it weird that I think that way?”

I purposefully chuckled. A well placed chuckle can really disarm somepony. “Weird is a weird concept. I think that your way of thinking is uncommon, especially for mares. But when ponies say weird they don’t just mean ‘uncommon’, they mean ‘uncommon and bad’.” Reassuring smile. “I don’t think it’s bad at all to think that way. I’ve known a few ponies like that. Whores mostly.” Playful smirk. “Ever consider a change in profession?”

She laughed despite herself. “Very funny.” She sat up and levitated her glass to her lips. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What does sex mean to Guilty?”

“Tough question,” I said flatly. It was a query with many answers. “I guess my ideas and feelings towards sex have evolved a lot over time.” I reached for my own glass, righting myself in the process. “When I was a teenager, prior to losing my virginity, sex always seemed like the… goal. Like it was what you needed to do to be an adult. After I did have sex for the first time, it was… anti-climactic. Not literally, I came like crazy. Just on a… mental level.”

“Really?” she asked as I took a moment to finish off my glass. Without prompting she began to fill it again. I was going to have to start pacing myself.

“Yeah. I was expecting it to sort of… change me somehow. Like my life would enter its next chapter. But nothing was different. I was still me except I knew what the inside of a mare felt like.”

“You sound like you were almost disappointed.”

“Hmmm… I wouldn’t use that word. It was more… it rearranged my priorities. Sex was no longer the most important thing on my mind. It was almost freeing.” I swirled my wine.

“After that, though, sex became… work. It was my profession. I was good at it. Am good at it. It take pride in it. Sex is sort of… part of my identity now.”

Twilight shot me a look that was… hard to read. One part pity, two parts fascination. Some disbelief mixed in there maybe. “I suppose I should’ve expected a complicated answer. Asking a sex-worker what sex means to them.”

“Yeah, it can be complicated. Especially where relationships are concerned.” I thought of Derpy. I reflexively smiled.

“You’re dating Derpy Hooves, right? What’s that like?”

“Dating Derpy? Or dating in general as an escort?”

“In general,” she answered.

“If we’re being honest, I don’t know. It’s the first… real relationship I’ve had. Things can get complicated, but Derpy doesn’t seem to mind my profession at all.”

“But I mean… sex with her. I-if you’re comfortable talking about it, of course.”

I was. My relationship with Derpy was no longer part of my job, it was part of my life. “It’s… hard to say.”

“Does it make you feel… loved? Does it make you feel, like… closer to her?”

I had to think about that. I’d been having sex with Derpy since I met her. Love only entered the equation very recently. Was the sex we were having now different from when we started? Was I still thinking about sex with Derpy in the same way?

“I think… I think it does. After we have sex sometimes we just… lay together. Hold each other. Kiss. We didn’t used to do that.”

Twilight didn’t seem to like that answer. She sighed heavily and flopped onto the bed, her wine continued to swirl aimlessly above her head. “I wish I understood why.”

‘Quick, cheer her up.’

“Well, maybe you will. Maybe you just need to meet the right stallion. Or mare. No judgement. It might not be that you don’t connect sex and romance, it might just be that you didn’t connect sex and romance to him.”

“Maybe…” She arched her back in a long vigorous stretch. “Why does talking to you come so easily?”

“Well, I do my best to listen and not judge. Comes with the territory.”

“I don’t know; it feels like it’s more than that.”

“Well, there’s always the fact that I’m not part of your life outside these walls. I’m more or less a stranger. The things you say here won’t affect your social or professional life.”

“Well, I still think of you as a friend outside of here, Guilty.”

That was awfully sweet of her.

“And I do get what you’re saying. But even beyond that, there’s just something about the way you talk, the way you think.”

My brow furrowed. “The way I think?”

“Yeah. We obviously have different experiences, different memories, different opinions. We’re different ponies. But it feels like our brains are sort of… built the same. We think different things, but the mental processes you use to reach the conclusions you reach feel like they’re… similar to mine.”

I wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at. Maybe the act I put on with her just happened to hit the nail on the head. Then again, maybe she’s on to something. She seems like a pony who “gets it.”

I decided to humor her a bit. “I think I… vaguely understand what you mean. We’re both… calculating, scrutinizing.”

“Exactly,” she responded. “It’s nice to talk to you. It’s sort of like bouncing ideas around in my own head. Do you ever do that? Talk to yourself in your head?”

‘Say nothing.’

“No comment.”

‘Masterful. Bravo.’

“I do it a lot,” she went on. “I practice conversations. Run through scenarios in my head. Think of responses ahead of time to questions that no one has asked.”

“Is that like a social anxiety thing? Want to be prepared?”

“Maybe a little.” She sat up and looked back at me. “Do you mind this? It’s becoming a sort of… personal conversation. Is this okay?”

Comforting smile. “Twilight, I’ve had far more personal conversations than this about clients. You wouldn’t believe the things people confess to me.”

“Okay. Good. I wouldn’t want to make you… uncomfortable again.”

I sighed internally. “Don’t worry about it. I blame myself for that more than anything. As a rule I try not to bring up certain parts of my life.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve known better.” Her head sank.

“Nonsense, it’s just natural curiosity.” There was a pregnant pause. “That’s been… happening more lately, though.”

“What has?”

“Me slipping up like that.”

“Did something hap—?” She cut herself off, a mortified expression on her face. “Sorry. Forget I asked. I’m prying again.”

“It’s okay. I guess…”

‘Okay maybe Twilight knew what she was talking about. The idea of talking to her about this didn’t fill me with the usual instant sense of dread. I wanted her input.’

“I guess it’s because I started having feelings for Derpy. She’s the first pony I’ve sort of opened up to in a while. I’ve told her things I… haven’t told anypony in years.”

“Maybe it’s just because you let yourself think about those things again. You told her about whatever you told her about, and that put them back into your head. If they’re in your head all the time they’re bound to slip out eventually,” she theorized.

“Yeah. I was thinking somewhat along those lines. I’m opening up to her, and as a side effect I’m opening up in general.”

She just nodded.

“Okay… I think I get what you mean,” I relented. “We do have very similar ways of thinking about things.”

“Told you,” she said triumphantly.

I hadn’t really realized it happening, but over the course of the conversation I’d slipped out of my act. I wasn’t being an escort at the moment, I was just… talking to Twilight. I wanted to kick myself for it, but part of me felt that this was exactly what Twilight needed. Just some honest conversation.

There was a moment of silence. Neither of us really had anything to say, it seemed.

I said something anyways. “So, what now?”

“I’m not sure.” She rolled back onto her stomach and I followed suit. “I’d like to get back out of my head, frankly. I need a distraction.”

“Back to reading then?” I offered.

She blushed. “The book gets me so worked up, though.”

“Ah so we’ve moved from ‘turned on’ to ‘worked up’. You’re mastering the art of implication already.”

“Well, I guess I have a good teacher,” she teased.

“So, if you find the book is working you up to much, I could always… help… with that.” No lurid smile, no cheeky tone, just on honest offer. “Relieve some of the pressure that builds up. Or is that too quick of a change in gears from our conversation just now?”

“Honestly… I could really use that.” She started twiddling her hooves again. “I wanted to ask earlier, but I was too shy.”

‘Score!’

“Could you… um… use your tongue?”

‘Double score!’

“Twilight, it would be my pleasure.” Now was the time for some seduction. Smoldering Gaze. Sly smirk. Syllables laden with honey.

“Good,” she said through increasingly heavy breaths. Her excitement was building. That rare excitement that comes from being intimate with someone for the first time. The shuddering in your chest. The inability to stop smiling. The tingling all over.

I’m sort of numb to that now. I’ve been with so many ponies that it’s become background noise. Only every now and again does that special, first-time excitement rear its head.

I sort of miss it.

“Give me two shakes.”

Unless I was mistaken, I was going to be Twilight’s second. I could see on her face just how excited she was. She was literally trembling with anticipation. I repositioned, sliding across the bed behind her. With one last big smile, she turned back to her book, finding her place again.

Her tail flicked nervously, unsure of just how much to expose. Through the twitching curtain of dark blue, I could see her lips glistening. She was soaked. With gentle hooves, I guided her lower half. She was a bit clumsy, not sure precisely where I was leading her, but in moments she was on her back, hind legs high in the air, a large “V” that met at her wet entrance.

Her juices were practically running down her coat. More than wet, she was drenched. I held her legs apart as I moved my muzzle closer to her entrance. She quivered as I approached, tickled by my breath.

I began to tease her, placing small kisses and pecks up her legs. She shook with pleasure and anticipation. I waited for her to get impatient. Waited for her to need it. The whole while she stared at her book as it floated above her head.

She began to get breathy, started to squirm. She was aching for it. She gyrated, desperate for relief. I waited until she was at her limit before placing a long slow lick along her entrance.

“Aaaaaah!” she screamed. “Ohmigosh!”

This was heaven. Muzzle-deep in a lovely mare. Feeling her every spasm and twitch. Indulging in her taste. Listening to her pleasured whimpers.

“Mmmm… that’s… that’s so goooood.” The words practically oozed out of her mouth. I saw an opportunity to tease her more.

I lifted my mouth from her entrance, strands of fluid connecting us. “Me, or the book?”

“Y-you! Don’t stop!” she answered. “I’m so close already; don’t stop.” I dove back in, moving my tongue with renewed vigor. I could feel her whole body begin to tense. “Guilty… Guilty I’m going to… I’m going to…”

She thrust her hips into my muzzle, desperate for more contact, more pleasure. I matched her pressure with my own, placing firm swift licks across her clit. It didn’t even take a minute to bring her over the edge. Her legs trembled as she yelped in pleasure. After a few moments her body collapsed, sweaty, tired, bathing in afterglow.

“How was that?” I asked with a smirk.

“Good. V-very good.” Even through her orgasm her gaze stayed fixed to the book. “I was in the perfect spot for it too.” Her hooves twiddled in front of her. “Can we… go again?”

“More tongue?” I inquired. “Or something else?”

“More like this. Exactly like this,” she insisted.

“No argument here. Thirty seconds?”

“Hurry back, please.” She was sort of absorbed in the book and the pleasure. I can see how somepony might be off-put by her behavior, feel neglected, perhaps. Didn’t bother me.

I quickly slid off the bed, downed a potion, and slid right back into position. I could feel things escalating. Better to break up the action right after an orgasm, rather than right before one. Better safe than sorry.

“Ready for more?”

“Mmhmm… just take it slow for now,” she requested. “Nothing really steamy is happening.”

I spent the next couple chapters gently pleasuring her nethers. Slow gentle licks and kisses. The occasional dragging of my hoof across her coat. Hearing her faint pants and moans alone was enough to get me appropriately aroused (to borrow Twilight’s term). If I didn’t have any self-control, I might have gotten off from the sheets rubbing against my shaft.

There was something very refreshing about the lack of pretense with Twilight. For all her awkwardness, there was no real illusion that this is something more than just sex. She was paying me to give head, and that was the end of it. I wasn’t putting energy into an act. If anything, I was behaving more like myself than with most other clients.
It might sound sort of cold, or sad to think of sex like that, but I do. Sex is work. Most of the time, I have to pretend: It’s the best sex I’ve ever had. The mare is amazing. I’m 100% enthralled.

In truth, for most of my sessions I’m bored. I put everything into the act, and into the sex. I’m dedicated to my work, but it is work. And Twilight didn’t seem to mind that that was all it was to me. It made my job much easier.

Please don’t misunderstand, I love my job.

But it is a job.

That said, I was currently snout deep in an adorable librarian who was actually pleasant to talk to, so this didn’t feel too much like work.

“Okay, faster now,” she insisted. I think she’d be a good dom. She’s good at asking for what she wants. A little practice and she’d be good at demanding it.

I increased my pace, diving into her depths with practiced licks and swirls.

“Oh yes… yesyesyes.” I lamented that I could not see her face at this moment. “Guilty, you’re soooooooo good at this.”

“Mmhmm,” I hummed.

She gasped. “Oh… I liked that. Hum more. That feels good.”

“Mmmmmmmmmm,” I obliged. Mixing some low hums into my routine.

“Oh, Guilty, that’s so good.” Her hind legs began to squeeze the sides of my head. It was a comfortable pressure that kept my mouth firmly against her entrance. “You’re going to make me cum again!” I doubled down on speed, flicking wildly across her clit. The pressure on my head grew tighter as she got closer and closer to climax. “G-guilty!”

I felt the familiar sensation of a mare’s orgasm against my lips. I relished it. Twilight collapsed in sweaty pile of limbs. Her book (well, my book) lay tossed at her side. “Th-that was a really big one.”

“I’m glad. Too distracted to keep reading?” I teased.

She nodded. “I couldn’t focus on the words. Oh my gosh, I’m still throbbing down there.” A giant grin was plastered on her face as her chest rose and fell with her gasping breaths. “That was the best orgasm I’ve ever had.”

“I try.”

“Practice makes perfect… I guess.”

“You need a break?”

“Yeah. Let me catch my breath.” She wiped the sweat from her brow. “Between the wine and the book, I don’t think I’ve ever been more… turned on.”

“Don’t forget the oral sex.”

“That too.” She reached over and took a large gulp from her glass.

I stifled a worried look. “If you need to hydrate, wine is not really your best choice. Want some water?”

Realization registered on her face. “Of course. I wasn’t even thinking. Yes, water would be ideal.”

I nodded, and left to fetch a glass. My insistent erection bobbed beneath me the whole way.

‘I’m loving this. This is a good session.’

There was a noticeable spring in my step as I returned. Twilight had begun reading again, legs spread, pussy exposed for the world to see.

Well, just me to see, really.

“You really like reading, huh?” I placed the water next to the wine glass. “Makes sense you own a library.”

“I don’t actually own it. Ponyville does.” She sat up, floating the water to her lips for a quick sip. “But yes, I do like reading. I always have. It’s calming.”

I smirked. “Even when it’s ‘arousing’?”

“Weirdly, yes. Those two orgasms were quite relaxing. Even if the second one was mind-blowingly huge.” Her eyes were still flitting across the pages as they hovered in front of her face.

“You can talk to me normally even when you’re reading?”

She nodded. “There’s a spell that helps with it. I also use it to read two things at once. Sort of a multitasking spell. Mind-magic. Really tricky stuff.”

“Freaky,” was all I had to offer. “So, are you enjoying this? Reading and cunnilingus.”

“Very much so. I’d like to take it further, if that’s alright.” She closed the book and looked me in the eyes. Her face was very sincere. “Can we have sex sex? Is that okay?”

I nodded. “Of course it is. I’m surprised you asked so directly.”

“I feel too good to be shy right now. This is amazing. You’re really really good at this.”

“You mean… giving head?” I asked.

Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked around the room. “I mean yes, but it’s so much more than that, isn’t it? It’s not just the physical acts you perform. The way you make a pony feel comfortable, the atmosphere you create. I’m sure a lot of your word choice and tone is carefully considered. The book you chose for me, the warm tones you use in your decorating.

“Everything you do takes so much planning and forethought. You really make a pony feel…” She looked for a word she couldn’t find.

“At ease?” I offered.

“Safe,” she said with some finality. “You really make this feel like a safe space to be… sexual.”

I smiled. “That’s true. Especially since I’m a stallion, and my clients are mares. A pony can’t feel pressured or persuaded while they’re here. I try to match tone, body language, attitude. Never as a form of deception, mind you. It’s just salesponyship.”

At this point, I was sort of peeling back the veneer, but I thought Twilight might appreciate it.

“Especially difficult is when it comes to sex. It’s really easy to scare someone off if I’m too aggressive. Feeling out what a pony is and isn’t into takes a lot of mental acuity. Ponies tend not to SAY what they want, but they still expect me to know.”

Twilight blinked. “Wow.”

‘Shit, was that too frank?’

I doubled back. “Sorry. Too much?”

“No… no it’s just… impressive. It’s a remarkable attention to detail. You don’t even have the benefit of a concentration spell.”

“But I do have the benefit of years of practice,” I pointed out.

“True enough. Still. You put an admirable amount of effort into this.” She shuffled her hooves a bit. “It makes me feel a little bit like I’m not paying you enough.”

I thought she might say that. “Don’t worry about that. For what it’s worth, you’re a very easy client. There’s not a whole lot of pretense with you. Not to mention, you’re actually very pleasant to talk to. I’m enjoying this.”

A face of both doubt and acceptance. “I… good.”

“Now, there was mention of sex sex?”

She giggled adorably. “Right. I did say that. Would that be okay?”

“Twilight, I’ve had an erection since we started reading. That would be more than okay.”

“Great. So… how do you want to…”

“How do you want to?”

“Oh, um… let me think.” Her hooves twiddled again. “Could I try being on top? I haven’t done that before.”

Comforting tone. “That sounds just fine.” I laid back, my member pointing skyward. “This okay?”

“Yeah, like that. Let me see.” Twilight took a moment to work out the mechanics of climbing on top of me. She was still quite inexperienced with the physical techniques of sex. She didn’t have the muscle memory of some of my more experienced clients. With no small amount of awkwardness she managed to get herself into a reverse cowgirl position, my stallionhood pressed against the length of her entrance. “Is this okay?”

Intentionally audible chuckle. “That’s for you to decide. Are you comfortable?”

She nodded.

“Then let me just…” I adjusted myself, placing the head of my shaft towards her entrance. “... okay, now just ease down on top of me.”

I waited in agony as Twilight slowly lowered her hips onto mine. Hot wet pleasure wrapped around me. She gasped audibly as she reached the hilt of me. “You’re really hard.”

“I know. You’re really wet.”

“I know…” She was breathing so hard I thought she might pass out. “Guilty, this is really hot.”

I’m not sure what aspect of the situation was doing it for her, but I was glad she was enjoying herself. “Yeah… you feel really good.” It wasn’t a lie.

Without a response she started moving. Her hips rose and fell along the length of me. Her tail tickled at my chest as she gyrated. It felt kind of nice.

Through my pleasure, I found the time to analyze her technique. “You shouldn’t hunch. You’ll get sore…” Normally, I wouldn’t criticize a client, but Twilight seemed like she’d appreciate honest feedback.

She stopped bouncing for a moment to straighten out her spine. “Like this?”

“Yes. Please start moving again, it feels so good.”

With a nod she resumed. She seemed to enjoying being on top quite a bit. Her yelps and moans raised in volume as the minutes passed. I could feel her climax approaching. “Guilty, I’m—“ Her orgasm interrupted her sentence. Her insides gripped my shaft tightly as she literally shook with pleasure. She muffled her screams with her hooves.

Once her pleasure subsided, she clumsily climbed off of me before collapsing into a heap of sweaty mare. “I like being on top,” she announced excitedly. She threw her hooves up with equal parts glee and exhaustion. “That was exactly what I needed.”

“Good.” Helping a mare discover herself sexually is always a good thing.

“D-did you finish too?”

“No, but that’s fine.”

“No, I want you to. I want you to…” She rolled away from me. “… cover my back with it. I-if you can.”

“With how good that felt, it won’t take me long,” I assured her. I sidled up behind her and began to stroke myself. Twilight pushed into me, her coat rubbing against my throbbing length.

“It’s so warm,” she commented. “I like how it feels.”

“Me too.” I nuzzled her neck. “Almost there.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah!” I grunted as I felt pleasure overtake me. Streams of hot white mess shot along her back painting her coat with messy pleasure. It felt amazing. I came quite a bit.

“Hooo… that was good.” I felt goosebumps creep onto her skin as she relished the warm sticky feeling. Was it good for you?”

She nodded. “Perfect. Perfect perfect perfect,” she assured me. “I need a moment.”

“Take all the moments you need. I’m hourly.”

She laughed at that. “So witty.”

“Again. Practice.”

“Good at sex, too,” she said between labored breaths.

“I won’t deny that.”

“Will you be good to go again in a bit?”

I smiled. “I’ve got a couple more in me.”

“Great… I want more…”

“Thirsty, aren’t we?”

“I could use some more water, yeah.”

“I meant… never mind. I’ll get you that water.”

“Thank you, Guilty,” she said tiredly.

This was going well. Twilight was bathing in ecstasy, I’d blown a huge load myself, all was right with Guilty. That said, I was slightly worried about overdoing it. Twilight was still fairly inexperienced, after all. I’d hate for her to try a position she couldn’t handle.

When I returned she was lying on her back, legs spread, lips soaking, chest heaving. Add a cigarette and she’d be the poster girl for post-coital bliss.

“How are we feeling?” I asked. “Good, I hope.”

“I would classify this as euphoria. This… post-orgasm haze of endorphins and adrenaline really is something special.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” I placed her water on the bedside table.

“You do this for a living. Your life is amazing.”

“It definitely has its perks. Like cumming on sexy librarians’ backs.”

“Whu… I’m not sexy!”

“I beg to differ. Your body thoroughly excites me.”

“That’s…”

“You felt how hard I was. Can’t deny the erection.”

“… Okay, fine.”

“Why is it that ponies always think they aren’t sexy? Nine out of ten of my clients insist they aren’t attractive.”

“We all compare ourselves to models and royalty. I think it’s probably harder for mares. Celestia and Luna are literal goddesses; they represent genuinely impossible standards.”

“That’s a well-reasoned and concise answer.”

”I wrote a paper on it once. Princess Celestia was not the biggest fan.”

I failed to stop myself from giggling. “That’s hilarious.”

“In hindsight, yes. At the time I was mortified. I never thought she’d take it personally.” She sounded a little too serious for my comfort.

“You okay? Conversation kind of took a turn.”

She sighed. “I dunno. It just brought up some embarrassing memories.”

“Sorry to kill the mood.”

“Oh no, I’m still horny. A little awkwardness isn’t going to turn me off at this point.”

“Well that’s good. You ready to keep going?”

She smiled. “Yes, and I uh… have a request.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Can I… use my mouth on you?”

“You will hear no complaints from me,” I teased.

“Here.” She patted the bed next to her. “Lie on your back.”

I obliged, sliding into position beside her. She eagerly lowered her head down, gently nuzzling my member.

“I love this smell. This stallion smell,” she said, almost entranced. “I like it more than I like it.”

I cocked my head. “How do you mean?”

“Objectively, it’s a musty, sweaty, sour sort of smell.” She gave a quick peck to the end of my erect self. “But, for some reason, I can’t get enough.” She gave a slow wet lick along my shaft. Her technique was non-existent, but the attention was no less pleasurable. “The smell of stallion is just…” she cut herself off, inhaling deeply “… addictive.” The word practically oozed out of her. She wrapped her lips around my tip, relishing the flavor of me.

I moaned audibly. “That’s nice.” This earned a giggle from Twilight, as she began to take more of me into her mouth. As she started bobbing up and down on my length, I saw her hoof reach down to her own nethers.

With a pop, she pulled off of me and took a breath. “I like that I can fit the whole thing in my mouth. I couldn’t do that with my ex.” She paused awkwardly, realization dawning on her face. “Was that mean? Was that an insult?”

I was feeling too good to be insulted. “No, I like that you like it. I know I’m smaller than most. I don’t take it personally.”

‘Usually.’

“O-okay.” So nervous, this one.

She returned to the act of fellating and masturbating at the same time. After a few minutes she swung her hips around to my face, placing us in an extremely pleasurable sixty-nine. Twilight was positively enamored with my package, practically feasting on me. She pushed her lips against my tongue with what could only be described as gusto. I let my hooves trail delicately across her sides as I kissed and licked her.

This was perfect.

Sex with Twilight lasted a good while. We tried out 2 more positions after that. She had all the vitality of a teenager. At the end of it all, she asked to cuddle. We spooned on the bed for a time, amidst the stains and the musk of our passion. It was a lovely few minutes, inhaling the scent of her mane, feeling her coat against mine.

“Did you have fun?” I asked.

“Yes… yes I did,” she replied.

‘There was a hint of worry in that. Double check.’

“You sure? You seem a little out of it.”

“I… I feel bad.”

“What for?”

She rolled away from my embrace, sitting upright to face me. “I feel bad because I just had a lot of fun sex… but I really need to say something.”

The hairs on the back of my neck shot straight up, and my posture followed suit. I sat up to meet her gaze. I could feel something coming. I was not going to like this.

“I want… no, I need… to talk to you about Applejack.”

‘… fuck…’

She continued, “I was… I was going to wait… until maybe we cleaned up first but… but it was eating at me… I’m sorry.”

“No no, it’s okay…”

‘It is far from fucking okay.’

My head was spinning. It was such a violent change of gears. Twilight looked uncomfortable, herself, but I was panicking about as much as I ever have. Still, I kept it together… mostly.

I was almost shaking. My mouth refused to cooperate. “I-i-i… S-so… what did y-you want to s-say?”

The pinnacle of elegance.

“I’m… I’m really sorry. I just… I promised myself I would do this, and the waiting was killing me.”

“I… understand.” If I wasn’t already sweating from the raucous love-making, I would’ve started right then.

“The situation between you two has gotten… out of hoof. Between her getting in an actual fight with Derpy… your friend apparently trying to proposition her… the fact that neither of you is acknowledging the other’s presence…”

‘Sounds fine to me!’

“Both of you…” she sighed. “You’re not exactly acting like foals… but you’re… you’re…” She couldn’t find the words. Twilight couldn’t find the words.

“It pains me to see two… good ponies… one of whom is one of my best friends… bickering like this. No, not even bickering… fighting. You two are practically at war. I hate that Rarity and I both have to stay quiet whenever she badmouths you. I hate seeing ponies whisper behind both of your backs.”

I swallowed. This was an all too familiar feeling. Being lectured. I was in Hell.

“And not just you two. Ponies talk about Derpy, too. I know that gets to her… even if she doesn’t show it.”

“I—”

“Let me get this all out first... Where was I?”

“Derpy…”

“Right. Look.” She took a shaky breath. This wasn’t easy for her. “Your feud affects more ponies than just you. In a small town like this… things grow. I’m from a big city too, I was born in Canterlot. I know that in a city if you get into a fight with someone on the street, you walk away in a huff and that’s the end of it. You never see that pony again. The ponies walking on the street are just background noise.

“But you live in Ponyville now. Ponyville isn’t Canterlot, it isn’t Manehattan. That fight hangs in the air until the air is cleared. And the air needs to be cleared, Guilty. You two need to patch things up. If this keeps going… gosh… I hate to think how this could start to affect Dinky and Applebloom.”

“…”

She coughed awkwardly. “Applebloom is Applejack’s little sister… if you didn’t know.”

“I did not...”

“Well… that’s what I promised myself I would say.”

I couldn’t respond. I felt like a child.

When you’re a kid and an adult is yelling at you… it sort of shuts your world down. The idea that you’ve fucked up overwhelms you. You can’t see past the moment. There’s this blinding feeling that you’re bad. You’re a bad pony, and you’ll never be good. That you’ll never be forgiven. That you shouldn’t be forgiven. That maybe you shouldn’t exist.

“I’m… I’m sorry.” Twilight spoke up. How long had I been silent. “Believe it or not, I’m not just trying to… guilt you. I know you’re not the only one in the wrong. You and Applejack have both really attacked each other. I’m… I’m going to have the same talk with her that I did with you.”

Words wouldn’t come. I could see Twilight tensing up more and more. I wanted to talk. To move forward, get past this terrible moment. Something about the moment took me right back to my childhood, when my father would berate me. Twilight was nothing like my father, but I was just as frozen and scared as if she was.

“Look, I… I didn’t mean to…” She was starting to panic. “I’m… I’m sorry…” I could hear her beginning to tear up. “W-was I too mean? I… I wasn’t trying to upset you, I just…”

I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe. I’m fairly certain I had a panic attack.

‘Deep breaths, Guilty.’

“P-please don’t hate me!” She started to sniff.

‘Move, Guilty.’

“I… I should go. I’ll go.”

“Wait,” I managed to get out. “You’re… it’s fine.”

“I… I’m sorry. I knew it was going to be hard to bring up but I had to.”

“I… It was just… we changed gears too quickly. I have… whiplash.”

“I… Okay, yeah… I can see that. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“… okay…”

“Give me… give me 30 seconds.”

“I… uh… sure…?” Twilight

I took a deep breath. A very deep breath. The kind of breath that stretches your insides to their limit. I exhaled, slowly, purposefully, calmly. I needed to make my body calm down. Needed to ease myself out of panic mode.

“Twilght…” I was in control of myself again. Not tripping over my words, not shaking. “I… get that you needed to say this. I really do. I find it sort of odd that you decided to take advantage of my services first, but let’s just chalk that up to your apparent disconnect between sex and emotion, and perhaps a bit of social awkwardness.” I regret my phrasing in hindsight. I was a bit blunter than I needed to be. She already felt bad.

“I also find it… extremely optimistic of you to think that Applejack and I can or would patch things up.”

“I… I know. But… but I have to believe that you can. That you will.”

I didn’t know how to respond to her raw sincerity.

“Friendship is my… calling. I don’t know if you two can be friends… I’m not asking that of you. But I know you can at least be… not-enemies. You don’t have to hate each other like this.”

“I don’t…”

‘Nice try. You fuckin’ hate that mare. Don’t even lie.’

I sighed, too tired to even fool myself into believing that. “I do hate her. She’s been a stone bitch to me from the moment we met. Before, even. She decided how she felt about me the moment she heard I was an escort. All I did was follow suit.”

Her face fell, nearly imperceptibly. “I think we both know that’s just an elaborate way of saying ‘she started it.’” Fuck. She was dead-on. “I know… hating her is easier than trying to reconcile. Any relationship takes work.”

I was just not in a headspace for this. But then again, would I ever be?

I dragged a hoof across my face. “So… what’s your plan, then? Sit down, just the two of us. Yell until we make nice?”

“Not just you two. I’d be there. I think Derpy should be too. Rarity said she’d come too, since she cares about you and Applejack.”

“I… I’ll consider it.”

She shook her head. “Not good enough.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Promise me. Promise me you’ll at least sit down with her. I know it’s not really my place to insist, but… promise me. This matters to me. To a lot of ponies.” She was resolute.

‘Just give in, Guilty. She’s too earnest for your cynical ass.’

I did my best to suppress a groan. “Fine. I promise I will at least sit down with her. Beyond that… I will make an effort.”

“That’s… thank you.” She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let me say something, though.”

Her turn to swallow. “Oh?”

“I don’t normally say this to a client. But I’m kind of upset. It feels like you used my profession as a way to corner me. Especially, since you actually went through with the sex before doing so.”

“I… I get that. I really did want to have… have sex with you. I didn’t just come to say this. I just… I had to get it out there. I promise I wasn’t trying to corner you.”

“I know. You’re not so devious. Still…” I smiled as best I could. “… maybe wait until we’re showered off before you drop a serious-bomb on me. Not just me, but… anypony you have sex with.”

Twilight nodded. “I… I already regret my timing. I clearly have… different ideas about sex than most ponies.”

“And again, that’s fine. You just have to be aware of what other ponies might expect.” I was already back to being an escort, giving her erotic advice.

‘Time to move past that terrible terrible awkwardness. Push forward.’

I forced myself to be professional. “Well… all that being said. We both still smell like sweat and sex-juice. Let’s go take a shower.”

“That sounds…” she smiled tiredly. “cleansing.”

“Indeed so.”

Troubled as I was by what had happened, I was still a professional. Twilight and I had a nice hot shower, continued to make pleasant conversation, had some more tea. She ended up borrowing the book she’d started, promising to return it soon. She paid for the sessions, and we said our goodbyes.

After she left, I found myself staring at the door. Couldn’t move or form a thought. Just stunned. Took me a few minutes to start cleaning up, getting everything in order. Still, I was sort of on autopilot. My brain was off.

I shook myself back to normality. I cleaned up, poured myself a drink, settled in for the night. I ended up re-reading my book about sexy Zebra mares. Yet through all this, I was still dwelling on what had just happened. I’d promised to sit down with Applejack.

I’m still kind of in denial of the whole thing. It doesn’t feel real.

Derpy is visiting for lunch tomorrow, so… I’ll bring it up to her then. That will probably knock me into reality.

Ultimately, It was a real whirlwind of a Wednesday.

I’m going to sleep now.

Author's Notes:

WOW it's been too long.

Thanks everyone for reading. I will not let this fic die. I'm quite happy with how this chapter turned out, considering it took YEARS to write.

Please comment and all that. Your praise sustains me.

Disco