Roses And Thorns

I looked around the entry to my new home, the large manor bare and hollow. It felt like something I could make a home, but it would take a lot of time. It was a start though, and that's all I needed.

I kicked my biggest bag over and yanked it open. Inside sat a mass of folded cloth, ranging from bright yellows to deep reds. It was a sight to see, and soon enough my new home would be glowing with beautiful displays. But before I could hang up the first a loud knocking came from my front door.

"Damn...hold on!" I shouted, stuffing the flags back into my bag. I hurried through the large entry, sliding over to where I had left my shoes and yanking the door open. A grey mare was standing on my porch, her expression dull as could be. "Hi, did you need something?"

The mare blinked lazily, slowly looking up at me. "Marylin?"

I nodded a few times. "Yeah, how can I--"

The mare craned her head back, making a disgusting ripping sound before spitting on my foot. "Foreigner." She swept her head around, dragging her thick mane through the air as she turned to the road. "Equestria doesn't need you monkeys, and neither does Trottingham."

I stared in awe at the audacious mare. Such a pretty pony, golden mane, bright teal eyes, had just spat on my stockings. "...You fucking bitch." I hissed, slamming my door closed and looking at the multipul doors that lead away from the entry. "That fucking bitch!" I shouted, hastily taking my stocking off and throwing the semitransparent sock towards my bags. "What the hell is with these ponies!? Freaking- frick- ass!"

I stood in my new entry, looking around the nicely stained wood panels and high ceiling. I let out a quick huff and stormed over to my bags. My first moments in Equestria were amazing, the ponies were so nice, and now I was exploring a new place and I get to find out just how racist ponies really are.

But I wasn't about to let a few weirdos ruin this place for me. It was only two so far, and I had an entire town to explore. And it made sense that the racist weirdos would come out first. I was sure that soon enough a group would show up that would apologize and explain everything.

Another knocked came from my door as I slipped a new pair of socks on. I walked up to the door, hiding behind it and slowly opening it. "Hello?"

A rainy looking blue stallion was standing on my porch. "...Mail." He grumbled angrily, quickly levitating out a few letters. "Foreigner." he promptly spat on my floor, courteous enough to miss my door. "...Eh...better than a bird I guess...." He mumbled, quickening his pace and leaving me to stare at the slowly growing puddle of spit on my porch.

I felt a horridly powerful grimace crawl across my face. "...Even when they say something nice they still sound like dicks...." I grumbled, closing the door and looking through the rather fat stack of letters. I walked over to the middle of the room and plopped back down on my bags. I flipped open the first letter and looked it over.

"...Dear Ms. Anderson...enclosed is a pot-- are you serious!?" I snapped, shredding the letter. "I just got here and they're already asking me to move!?" I grabbed the next letter. "...That's just a picture of a dick!" I looked at the letter, "There's not even postage on this!"

I continued to skim through the letters, most revealing nothing outside of asking me to leave or calling me a monkey. All I could really gather from it all was these ponies were rather racist, if that wasn't already painfully apparent. I couldn't help but feel a little off put, even if this was a new guy thing. And like Blue had said, there might have been a reason I got the house so cheap.

I crumpled up the vile letters and tossed them aside. I needed to set things up, I wasn't about to end up sleeping on my luggage in an empty house. But I wanted to get my prized possessions up first, this was my first home big enough to really give them some space and I wasn't about to let them sit around my bags forever.

I hurried into a small workshop attached to the house like a garage, the previous owner having left some basic stuff behind. I grabbed a box of nails and a ladder and lumbered back into the entry. But before I could start hanging up my flags a loud ruckus drew my attention outside.

I slowly opened the door, watching as two ponies in uniform dragged away a rough looking colt. Another mare in uniform spotted me and trotted over. "Ma'am...vandals...don't worry."

I stared at the ornery pony getting dragged off. "Well, I mean at least--"

I was cut off as the constable spat at me, slamming a thick loogey into the door. "Foreigner."

I glared at the mare. "...Really? I mean fucking really? You said that guy was a vandal, then you spit at me!?"

The mare looked back at the mass of any pony and coughed. "He was trying to throw eggs at your house...we don't tolerate vandalism in Trottingham...so watch yourself."

I froze in place. "You're shitting me right? How is spitting at me not vandalism!?"

The mare just shook her head. "We'll make sure somepony stays out to make sure you don't get hurt.... But don't expect us to like it, you damn monkey thing."

I snapped, thrusting my hand out and waggling my middle finger in her face. "Screw you!" I slammed the door shut up kicked my leg out, "Raaugh! Unbelievable!" I charged over to the ladder and got it upright. I grabbed Czech flag and the Flag of Canterlot and started up the steps.

The walls were just high enough to let the flags hang down and not obstruct the door. I had a terrible time trying to hammer in two nails in my dress, the whole ordeal more of a jeans affair but I wasn't in the mood to change. I just wanted to hit stuff, "Em smash!" I shouted, pounding a nail into the wall.

My feet hurt a bit from the rungs, but I felt stable enough to finish up. Before two long two beautiful flags were hung, beautiful red white and blue and a celestial combo like Equestria's royal crest. It was great, a beautiful display that was only going to grow as I found a way to hang more flags up.

I slowly made my way down, setting the hammer down on my bag and running my hands through my hair. I looked around the freshly renovated home. "...I wonder what they did before electricity...."

My musings were cut off by another knock, and as tempted as I was to not answer I wanted to have hope someone would apologize. "...One sec." I fixed my hair and accidentally wiped my mouth, streaking orange lipstick across my forearm, "Oh damn...."

I let it go and pulled the door open. A royal blue pegasus was waiting calmly. "Oh hello...foreigner."

I felt a familiar heat rise up in my gut, tempered only by the fact the mare hadn't spat at me. "...Hi there, local...."

The mare nodded, pushing her glasses up. "Yes well...I'm sure you'll be getting this a lot...but I hope you move."

I smiled wide. "How nice...now you wanna leave or should I slam the door in your face?"

The mare shrugged. "It's up to you. But, I do appreciate you not being a griffon or a dog, those vile creatures are just rabid." She tapped her hoof. "I simply came to see just how civil a human might be...as of now you're the least egregious--" The mare stopped dead and slowly cocked her head. "Um...what is that?" She lifted her hoof towards my freshly hung flags.

I looked back, smiling proudly. "Just some flags. Ever been to Earth? I know ponies have them for towns but--"

"Oh...I see...." The mare turned away with a huff, spitting off the side of my porch, "A foreigner and a traitor...raising your sick enemy nations above Trottingham.... Even griffons have some loyalty!" She charged off, steaming.

I scratched my head and slowly closed the door, oddly insulted by being called a traitor. "...I don't- it's just a flag...what's the big freaking deal?" Before I could go back to settling in a small tap called me back to the door. I strolled over, cracking it open and spotting a rather large lineup of ponies. "Uh...can I help--"

The first pony in line walked up and spat at my door. "Traitor...." he quickly turned away, prompting the next to come up and attempt the same. "Trai--"

I cut him off, slamming the door in his face and letting out a flustered scream. "Screw you!" I ran back to the door and flung it open. "Leave me the hell alone! I just got here you animals!" I slammed the door again, pressing my back against the door and sliding down.

I could feel my eyes tearing up, my oversensitivity always a problem. I felt bad, not bad enough to cry but enough to tear up a little. I didn't want to wipe my eyes, I had put on makeup for the first day in a new town but it seemed like it wasn't going to matter. "Stupid ponies...." I mumbled, sniffling softly. "Jerks...."

I sat on the floor, playing with my socks and waiting for about an hour. Things went quiet as the sun went down, leaving me to sort out a bed. But before I could change and bathe a loud knocking snapped me back into reality. I spun around in a flash throwing the door open and revealing a beige pony with a bright wine red mane. He swung his head around, "For--" he stopped dead as he spotted me, "...F-...foreigner...." he mumbled, mouth hanging open slightly. "Um...foreigner...you're a...a...uh...."

I glared at the rose maned pony, "Gawk more jackass!" I spat at him, finally returning the favor so many ponies had been showing me. "Screw you!" I slammed the door in a snap, feeling good about finally fighting back. But just as quick as I had opened the door a softer knock rang out. I pulled the door open, spotting the same pony just standing there with a spot of spit in his coat. "What!?"

The stallion just stared at me, looking me up and down. "I uh...Cork...hi...hi...I'm...Coc- Cork! I...am Cork." he stated nervously. "You're...the...the foreigner."

I glared at him, trying to burn a hole in his head with my eyes. "Get out." I growled, slowly closing the door, keeping constant eye contact with the green eye'd stallion. The door clicked shut, quickly being assailed once again, but by a small bell instead of a knock. "Aaaauaaaaah!" I yanked the door open, leaning out of my house and hovering over the stallion. "What the hell do you want!?"

The stallion just stood there, mouth agape, eyes wide. "Uh...I didn't mean it...." He stated, leaning forward slightly, "...You...smell nice.... I'm Cork...by the way...I mean if I didn't say that."

I stood full force in the doorway, legs spread aggressively and body leaned forward like a piss off wolf. "Go--away--now."

The stallion continued to stare at me, eyes darting around. "Uh, you're...you're not what I was expecting...you're like...way better than a bird- griffon...I mean, they're foreigners too but you're- you- I mean--" The stallion looked behind him, a small group of young stallions watching us. "Uh...I- like.... Foreigner!" he shouted, snapping his head down. "You're a traitor and- and I hate you!"

I just stared at him, "Well screw you too!" I spat into his mane, "Now get out!" I slammed the door, locking it and finding a seat on my bags. I let out a long huff and started getting changed, my orange dress and fancyish clothes swiftly being replaced by snug panties and a loose tee shirt. My first day in Trottingham had been a British accented mess, and all I could hope was the next would be better.

A loud bell caught my attention as I started unrolling a sleeping bag. "I swear to god!" I stormed over, throwing the door open and stepping out onto the cold stone landing. "What!?" I shouted into the cold damp night, "What do you want!?"

Before long the red maned stallion slowly started crawling out of a bush that lined the steps up to my house, a scraggly plant with dirt hanging off the roots hung from his mouth. "Uh...hi...these are for you...." He stated, letting the flowers rest in his hoof, his accent soft and vaguely English. "I uh--"

"You dug those out of my garden." I stated, turning my head to a new dug up patch in my lawn. "...You just pulled my plants out of the ground like nothing...."

The stallion froze in place. "...I did do that.... That's...not good is it?"

I let out a long sigh and sat on my threshold. "I hate you all so much...." I growled, grabbing my head. "You're such dicks, even when you're not trying."

The stallion chuckled nervously, chucking the plant onto my lawn. "I uh...seriously though, I'm really sorry about yelling at you. You're really pretty and- but my friends were there...and I--"

I rubbed my eyes, "What do you want?"

The stallion looked around nervously, dawdling on the edge of the porch lamp light. "Nothing...."

"Then go away." I stated coldly, not in any state to tolerate some kid with a crush. "You ponies have been nothing but terrible to me, so just leave me alone."

The stallion's ears went flag, "Uh...so.... You know my name right?"

I let out a tired huff and threw my hand up, "Cork?"

The stallion smiled, still nervous. "Yeah- yeah...I'm Cork. Can I- your name is?"

I breathed deeply. "Marylin...but everyone calls me Em." We sat there, watching each other. I couldn't help but notice a soft pink creeping out from under his stomach. "Now seriously, can you go away?"

Cork stood there, locked in place. "Uh...yeah, I'll uh- we can talk later...." He slowly started backing away. "You're...I like your lip things...and...those." he waggled his hoof at my chest. "I uh...you're like- you're white as Celestia...and I just...."

I thrust my arm out, "Go, now."

Cork nodded and started wandering off. "I'll talk- we'll talk later...dinner...with the- uh...I'm gonna go." he limped off, his little thing sneaking out as he ran off.

I rubbed my forehead. "Nervous little shit called me cute...then called me a traitor...." I stood up and started wandering back inside, ready to clean up and go to bed. "Well...at least they're not all dicks- complete dicks." I corrected, not absolving the nervous stallion of dick status.