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       #Post#: 320--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Darrus Date: January 1, 2014, 2:35 am
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       Having his own eyes roll with a sigh as he kept his back to the
       mare while she talked and... talked... Darrus was tempted to
       start only half listening to whatever the mare was saying and
       making up stuff in his head to replace the things he ignored.
       Sweet Apple Cider! That was what that other stallion had told
       him, the memory coming back to the pegasus as his smile briefly
       returned in thought of such an apparently famous cider's flavor.
       He thought he heard the mare go on to say something about the
       bars or taverns or whatever was around here wanting to remain
       calm or some such. Whatever. Darrus could deal with quiet places
       wanting to stay quiet. Ultimately, being allowed to stay and
       drink was more appealing to him than breaking something for a
       brief minute of fun. Usually.
       Darrus was almost about to excuse himself from the roof to go
       find one of these places when something the mare said managed to
       perk up his ears. 'Who my true friends are.' ... She had...
       friends...? ... Seriously? "Oh, Celestia..." The pegasus
       muttured, rubbing the bridge of his muzzle and closing his eyes
       for a second before turning back to the mare, "you think I was
       being serious about the liar thing? You didn't really, right?
       What do you have against humor anyway? Do ponies who just like
       to be relaxed and joke around annoy you? Would you rather I was
       all bland and serious instead?" He spoke the last question in a
       cold tone meant to mock hers, the stallion then staring off at
       the horizon and putting on a dead and emotionless expression.
       "... There's a cold wind blowing in from the north... That makes
       me feel... boring..."
       Face screwing up in distaste, Darrus dropped his act like it was
       an uncomfortable mask then glanced at the mare and back down at
       the town around them. "I would try saying something or asking
       for more information on the town's more interesting locations,
       but I'm starting to get the feeling that you probably have
       somewhere you'd rather be right about now."
       #Post#: 323--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Honey Dew Date: January 1, 2014, 9:24 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Honey only nodded at Darrus when he expressed his disbelief that
       she'd thought what he said was true. Why didn't she? She didn't
       know this pony. Her expression still didn't change when he
       accused her of being against humor, nor when he spoke in a tone
       obviously mocking hers. Even though she sounded nothing like
       that. She didn't speak in a slow, dead tone. Her words had
       strength behind them, even if they lacked emotion. Still, if he
       wanted to see her sense of humor, she'd show him. And he'd
       regret showing his frustration to her.
       "I wonder why you would assume such a thing when I have not
       mentioned any such desire," she responded to him after he
       mentioned her having somewhere she'd probably rather be. Her
       tone then switched to mock his earlier cold tone of mockery,
       managing to do so almost perfectly. There was a noticeable
       difference between speech mannerisms as she continued, as her
       words carried less weight behind them now to match the distance
       he'd put in his. "...Interesting locations... There's the Golden
       Oak Library, Carousel Boutique, Sugarcube Corner, bowling alley,
       and cafe... all right here in the center of town... Oh, there's
       also the day spa, so maybe you could work on getting rid of
       those awful bags under your eyes, maybe get a nice hooficure to
       go with it...
       "Otherwise, there's the hospital for when you get roughed up
       after one too many drinks, the Ponyville Retirement Village if
       you're looking for a challenge more up your alley, the Ponyville
       Tower, and the town hall." She returned her tone to normal after
       that, her words carrying their typical strength as she
       continued. "I am sure there is plenty more to see besides that.
       Ponyville is a constantly growing place, you are likely to find
       just about anything you are looking for here. Even a blacksmith.
       You would be best off exploring for yourself. Was there anything
       else you were wanting to know?"
       #Post#: 324--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Darrus Date: January 1, 2014, 10:09 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       "Not big on being able to tell when somepony's not being
       serious, huh? Odd seeing how you recognized that I 'often'
       deflect things with humor and all." Well, he thought he was
       clearly being sarcastic and playful about the liar things. Guess
       she needed such things spelled put though given her impression
       of being waaaay too serious. Her mocking tone of his mockery
       probably didn't have the same affect as she was hoping it would,
       Darrus honestly not being able to tell much of a difference
       between her usual voice and this fake one despite how noticeable
       it may have been for others. Still just sounded bland to him.
       Wasn't too much of a reader, nor did he believe he had the
       patience to go through the process of giving what little
       information he had so as to be allowed to take books, so it
       seemed like the library was out. Darrus thought he'd caught a
       glimpse of some place called carousel boutique on his way here
       with a couple of mares talking about it as they passed by. Fancy
       clothes. The pegasus actually laughed at the thought of going
       there for his own needs, the cloak on his back being the only
       thing he would ever wear, he promised himself. Sugarcube Corner
       sounded fun and easy to figure out. He did like sugarcubes after
       all. He didn't have the bits to go bowling, nor to pay for a
       meal at a cafe, so both of those were out. Options limiting
       quickly...
       "I like these bags under my eyes," he chimed in, voice back to
       its earlier non-serious tone, "and I'll probably skip on the
       hooficure as well. I understand you probably want to see me all
       prettied up, but its not really my thing." At the mention of the
       Retirement Village, Darrus' face pulled into a wide smile after
       a couple of seconds of wondering if she had actually said what
       he'd heard. "Not sure about that one either. Sounds scary. At
       least its good to know that there's a hospital around in case I
       feel brave enough to visit the village. Hope that village jab of
       yours didn't strain a muscle, by the way. Also, I know you were
       putting on a voice during that but, really, you just sounded the
       same to me."
       Standing up and having his cloak shift as he adjusted his wings,
       Darrus looked off in the direction of the town hall, visible
       from where they were and looked to think about something before
       turning back. "It'll be hard for me to have one too many drinks
       if I don't know where to go, and your rundown of the points of
       interests around here missed one of the most interesting. Where
       are these quiet places hoping to remain tame? Or, is that
       something I need to find by exploring on my own?" ... Maybe a
       manticore will come around or something... Supposedly there was
       a pony around these parts able to tame them. That would be fun
       to watch.
       #Post#: 325--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Honey Dew Date: January 1, 2014, 10:57 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Honey rose a hoof to her face as Darrus mentioned knowing she
       put on a voice, then immediately followed it by saying she just
       sounded the same. Did he really not see that for the logical
       fallacy that it was? She wiped her hoof down her face as Darrus
       continued on to ask about a place he could go to get a drink, to
       which Honey only shrugged when he was finished. "I would not
       know. I have no reason to drink, so I do not pay places such as
       that any mind. Whatever drinking I do is in private, around
       friends and family. Besides, even if I did want to drown my life
       in the bottom of a bottle like you, I am not of the legal
       drinking age, so it would be rather difficult for me to obtain
       alcohol in these establishments you no doubt so fondly consider
       your sanctuaries.
       "Not like finding a bar would be difficult for somepony like you
       though, would it? All you would need to do is follow your nose
       to the stench of vomit, bitter disappointment, and the other
       'pleasant' aromas of failure. Oh, and if I sounded the same to
       you... please tell me, then, how you even managed to tell that I
       had begun speaking differently, sir? You are absolutely
       brilliant if you are able to notice something while not noticing
       that same something," she told him in a voice that was actually
       different from her usual tone, in that she was mockingly
       ingratiating with her words.
       #Post#: 327--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Darrus Date: January 1, 2014, 12:14 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       "Okay, so apparently I need to break things down for certain
       ponies around here..." Darrus said, sighing at her clear insults
       now and wondering why exactly she felt this necessary, "I
       recognized you were putting on a voice. With me so far? But
       you're attempt to emphasize a difference in tone was poorly
       done. So, to put it simply, I noticed you trying to sound
       different, but you still sounded boring. Which meant you sounded
       the same to me because boring is just boring no matter what
       shade you give it.
       "Do you do this to everypony who visits this town?" He asked,
       sounding tired now as even he had his limits, "First you follow
       me around, then call me a delinquent, which was fair enough,
       sure, I guess, but still not exactly necessary, and then when
       somepony new in town asks if there are any local bars, a pretty
       normal question by itself seeing how a lot of ponies tend to
       enjoy such locations casually, after being told that this town
       is the source of a brand of cider that, in your own words, is
       supposed to be some of the best in the world you talk to them
       like they're a some drunk 'drowning their life at the bottom of
       a bottle'. I'll tell ya, its hard to live there when I haven't
       been able to pay rent in weeks. And then," he continued,
       laughing a little at his confusion over why this mare had a
       problem with him when he originally was just walking down a
       street, "on top of all of that, your emphasis on the word
       'brilliant' is making it seem like you're now calling me an
       idiot.
       "You're going to have to help me out here... whoever you are,
       because I'm struggling to figure out what it is you're doing.
       Did I offend you by stepping on some flower you liked or
       something? Or do you just not like new ponies, or those who
       enjoy alcohol in places dedicated to serving alcohol?"
       #Post#: 331--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Honey Dew Date: January 1, 2014, 6:56 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       As Darrus spoke to her and his growing frustration was made
       obvious through his tone, she began to realize that he was
       right, that she'd been a little too harsh. It made her take a
       step back and analyze the scene from a different viewpoint...
       One of her mother's. She tried to figure out what she might have
       thought about Honey's unnecessary attitude, and it wasn't
       something she enjoyed thinking about when she came to the
       conclusion she did. Whether her mother would really be
       disappointed over Honey's actions, even the thought of that
       alone was enough to make Honey change her tone.
       "You are right, sir," she began in a much more gentle voice this
       time around as she bowed to him and remained like that as she
       spoke. "I have been acting dishonorably. I apologize for my
       chosen course of action, and can only beg forgiveness. I also
       request that I be able to help you find the destinations you are
       looking for and give any other assistance you might need while
       you are here, to make up for my insult," she finished, still
       bowing to Darrus as she waited for his response.
       #Post#: 336--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Darrus Date: January 1, 2014, 8:16 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Darrus felt that, in his personal opinion, he was doing a
       fantastic job of keeping himself under control when most other
       ponies would have probably been... louder about this whole
       thing. Having turned around and sat back down with a crossing of
       his hooves over his chest, he had watched then listened to the
       mares response to what he said, him expecting some kind of
       dreamt up accusation like he was used too getting when a guard
       decided he didn't want him around even when he hadn't done
       anything... recently... What he got was... an apology... huh...
       "Oh..." He replied, hooves un-crossing from over his chest and
       going on separate paths, one back to the roof while the other
       scratched his mane. Well... he hadn't been expecting that... he
       guessed he must have said something that clicked... "Uh...
       That's alright," he forgave, wavering his hoof in a dismissive
       gesture and glancing around as if he was expecting this to be
       some kind of show for somepony, the stallion not really used to
       somepony actually apologizing after saying such things to him,
       "don't need to bow or talk about honor or anything... Just...
       It's fine. Really. I'm, uh, sorry too... For that 'stick up the
       rear thing'... and stuff."
       Mentally moving on to her offer, there was really only one place
       he'd want help finding at that time, but he couldn't exactly ask
       about it now after that whole "bottom of a bottle" thing...
       Looking uncomfortable and glancing away while shifting his front
       hooves a little, he sighed and then looked back with
       uncertainty, "I-I don't know... uh... There any nice places that
       you think are fun and worth checking out or something? Uh...
       Just, you know what? Never mind, let's just start over." He
       said, standing back up and taking a step closer to the bowing
       mare, "My names Darrus." He introduced himself, offering a hoof
       to shake while still wearing an uncertain and slightly forced
       smile.
       #Post#: 346--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Honey Dew Date: January 2, 2014, 8:21 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Even as Darrus stammered out a response and tried to get Honey
       to stop bowing, she remained that way despite his encouragement
       for her to do otherwise. She was, at least, relieved that he
       took to her apology quickly enough. It meant the rest of the
       conversation should play out smoothly enough, as long as she bit
       her tongue. It was only until after Darrus offered his name that
       Honey returned to her original stance, and lifted a hoof to bump
       and shake against his, tone still neutral as she spoke.
       "Samareai Honey Dew. I took no offense to your comment, Darrus.
       It is not the first comment like that I have heard about myself,
       nor the harshest. It would take much more than that to get under
       my skin.
       "Unfortunately... I am unable to think of any nice places worth
       checking out, besides the ones already mentioned. As I said
       moments ago, I spent most of my time growing up here in
       training, so I am... not the best pony to receive a tour from.
       However," she said as she stepped over to the edge of the roof.
       "I do know my way around the town fairly well, so I could at
       least help guide you if you so wished. What is it you enjoy
       doing, when you are not drinking? Perhaps that could give me
       some idea of an establishment to suggest."
       #Post#: 349--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Darrus Date: January 2, 2014, 8:49 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Again, there was only one, well, two places now that he wanted
       to see, but in an attempt to avoid being called a weirdo or a
       drunk, something he thought was still possible despite her
       current attitude given how what shed just said made it sound
       like drinking was the thing he usually did, he sighed as he
       turned to look over the town again. "Umm..." He tried, the
       further mentioning of drinking causing his tone to start
       sounding a little jaded as he started to wish he'd just picked
       up a map of the place, "... I dunno. Just anywhere interesting
       things happen or interesting ponies congregate. As I said
       earlier, the town seems too quiet from what I've seen so far,
       but I always assume there somewhere fun. Doesn't need to be a
       party or anything, just... interesting. Also, do you know if
       there's a job board around here? If I'm gonna be trying some of
       that cid-" he cut himself off, head drooping almost
       imperceptively, "I mean... I'm low on bits. So finding a way to
       help out and earn some would be great."
       #Post#: 352--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Stranger in Town
       By: Honey Dew Date: January 2, 2014, 9:15 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Honey gently scuffed her hoof on the straw thatching underneath
       her as Darrus just gave a vague answer to her question. That
       didn't really help her get anywhere. And did he just almost
       mention cider again? She paused for a moment before shaking that
       thought from her head. It was a pretty big deal in Ponyville.
       She couldn't blame him all that much for wanting to try
       something that had probably been described as amazing to him.
       "I am unsure if miss Applejack is looking for any extra hooves
       on her farm, but perhaps a good place to start looking may be
       there? Her farm is where the cider you have heard of comes from,
       though it is only made at a certain time each year, and I am
       unsure if it is made with alcohol. As well, I do not believe we
       have a job board here. Any work that would be posted on
       something such as that is simply spread by word of mouth. So you
       will likely hear what it is you are looking for once we have
       found you a tavern. As for somewhere fun... I am afraid that I
       remain unhelpful there, Darrus. Each pony has a different notion
       of fun, after all. I doubt I need to explain that what you find
       fun I might not enjoy so much... What we both might consider
       interesting though...? That would be the Everfree Forest," she
       said, pointing a hoof to the ominous forest on the edge of town.
       "There are countless things of wonder to be found in that place.
       Some say it is haunted, some say it is evil. All avoid it
       however, for fear that they might not come back. Whether any of
       that is true though, there are things in there that other ponies
       might consider valuable--herbs, for instance. Perhaps you have
       heard of the forest before?"
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