Veins and Arteries

by Rhino

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Anthro, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Romance, Sex
Length: 57337

College is always strange, but sometimes it's the ponies that make it the strangest. It may be socializing, experiements, romance, or even some combination of all of them. A new roomate can shake up all of these, and that's exactly what Winter gets.

A socially inept unicorn stallion studying surgery, sharing a house with his freeloading freelancing sister and a tease of a fashion designer whose products are often far from family friendly. Also in their circle of friends are a polite if peculiar owner of an enchantment shop, and a self-conscious psychoanalyzing weather pegasus. Throw in some college drama, awkward encounters, and various levels of romance and what do you get?

Simple lives that suddenly are not so. It's only once you get to know ponies that things both similar and different start to accentuate themselves. Who knows what lasting effects that might have...

A collab between myself and RLYoshi for NaNoWriMo.

Published 2014-12-25 15:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-06-15 16:41:06 UTC

Chapter 2: Morning

It is the sound of doors opening and dishes clinking around that finally drags Winter back into the world of consciousness. Yawning, he sits up, barely noticing the covers of his bed strewn onto the floor as he mumbles to himself. “Why’s Lime up so early…?”

Swinging himself around and standing up, he doesn’t bother grabbing for a robe or other clothes to cover his green boxers, instead just levitating his glasses onto his face and stumbling out the door into the hallway. Still trying to blink proper vision back into his eyes, he carefully makes his way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Inside, instead of his sister, he finds their newest housemate quietly eating a bowl of cereal with sliced bananas in it. She wears a robe over herself, however because of how loosely it is tied, some parts of what is under can be seen. At the moment, this means a trim of lace peeking out around her cleavage which is otherwise covered.

She looks up at him as he enters, holding her spoon ready for another bite. She smiles. “Good morning, Winter.”

He blinks, rubbing one of his eyes. “...huh?” He suddenly remembers the events of the previous day and blushes. “Oh… um, g-good morning… Silk...” He conspicuously tries to cover his lower half with his hands.

She simply looks at him and shakes her head as she giggles. “Not very subtle, you know… all stallions wake up like that. Nothing to be ashamed about.” She goes back to eating her cereal, leaning forward a bit so as to not drip milk on the table.

Groaning, Winter gives up and just rubs his eyes one more time before going to the fridge. “This is gonna be tough to get used to...” He rummages around before just taking out an orange. “Sorry you had to see me like this.”

She finishes her current bite, crossing her legs as she leans back to look at him. “Why?”

“Because… well, I’d say ‘bad first impression’, but we met yesterday.” He starts peeling the orange with a knife from the drawer. “It’s just… weird for me. Don’t know if it is for you, but I’m guessing not.”

“It’s only weird if you make it weird,” she says simply, taking another bite, waiting until she swallows to speak once more. “You’re being polite, you’re not suggesting I fix it for you, and you have the decency to see if it bothers me. I’d say you’re doing a fine job at keeping things comfortable, so thank you.”

He smiles, albeit nervously. “Well… thank you for not running off screaming at the sight of me.” He bites down on his chosen breakfast.

“Oh? Are you telling me that happens often?” Her tone is teasing, as is her smile.

He smirks. “No, but it’s what I imagined anypony outside of family would do if they saw me shirtless, let alone pantsless.”

“You never know.” She smirks right back at him. “You could end up with a herd of mares all vying for you.”

“Yeah, and maybe I’ll sprout wings and become an alicorn princess while I’m at it.” The unicorn rolls his eyes, sitting down. “Only time I have girls falling at my feet is when they’re turning away too quickly.”

She frowns, her large wings spreading with the tips towards him. “You shouldn’t put yourself down like that…”

“Why? There’s not exactly evidence to the contrary.” He finishes his orange and sighs, resting his head in one hand.

Her wings fully extend, one flicking his head. “Confidence.”

Winter raises an eyebrow at this. “Confidence needs a base to stand on. I’ve tried having high self-esteem, and all that did was make it hurt that much more when ponies pointed out my flaws. I’d rather just be fully aware of them, so if anypony brings them up, it’s old news.”

“There’s a difference between that and making yourself out to be worse than you are.” She points her wings at him threateningly before retracting them. “And if you continue to do so, I will continue to correct you.”

He raises an eyebrow, opening his mouth to say something before closing it, thinking, and trying again calmly. “No offense, Silk, but is this really any of your business?”

Blinking, she stares at him before narrowing her slitted eyes and crossing her arms tightly over her chest, wings flaring partially out behind her, giving her a dark purple backdrop. “Yes, because you are my friend.”

Winter tilts his head, still looking perplexed and irritated, though now more the former than the latter. “You have known me for literally less than twenty-four hours and you’re already calling me a friend?” His tone isn’t angry or accusatory; more than anything, it just sounds surprised.

She nods succinctly, still looking a little annoyed at him herself, but softening. “Yes. It’d be a darn shame to not be friends with someone I’m living with, let alone someone as nice as you.” Her wing stretches forward, but this time pats him gently on the head. “Just be nicer to yourself…”

He sighs, letting her do so as his expression softens back to a neutral, even guilty, look. “Sorry… I’m just used to doing things the way I do them...”

“I’m not asking you to change who you are, just…” She smiles softly at him. “Be a little more positive. It helps everypony else too, you know.”

He smiles back, starting to stand up. “I’ll try.”

She giggles a bit as he does so. “If nothing else, try to be as casual as your friend is as he currently points at me.”

A huge blush assaults his face and he tries to cover that spot with a hand, wincing inwardly. “S-Sorry!”

She just smirks at him, lifting her bowl and taking a sip of the milk left. “Again, why?”

He whimpers a bit. “B-Because… that’s not something you should see...”

Her eyes widen a bit. “Oh~! You’re shy! That explains it…” She waves a hand as she stands, straightening her robe as it had bunched around her waist, riding up a bit. After fixing this, she heads to the sink. “Go ahead then, hun, I’ve kept you long enough this morning. I have to get ready for work, but it was nice talking with you.”

Sighing a bit in relief, he stands up as well. “I’ve got stuff to do too… I’ll see you when you get home later, then?” He smiles at her, trying to brush away the prior awkwardness.

She smiles to match his, except pointier. “See you then.”

Nodding, he heads off to get ready for his day and leaves her to get ready for hers.

Silk walks back to her room, going through her now unpacked wardrobe to find something professional yet casual until she hears Winter complete his shower and vacate the bathroom. Securing it for herself, she sequesters herself in there, sprucing herself up for the day ahead.

Out of nowhere, though, the door opens and Limelight walks in, rubbing at her eyes. All she has on is her sleepwear from the previous night; specifically, a loose black t-shirt and a pair of blue-and-white striped panties. It isn’t until she’s walked in, shut the door behind her, and started getting ready to take the shirt off that she realizes she isn’t alone in the bathroom.

Silk looks at her from where she had been standing in front of the mirror in her own pink lacy undergarments and nothing else. With a hairbrush in one hand as another puts down a tiny mascara brush, she raises an eyebrow. “Not used to knocking?”

Limelight sighs and rolls her eyes before resuming pulling her shirt off. “Nope. Not used to getting up this early either.” She tosses it to the side, revealing her bare chest beneath. “Winter came in to get back a book I borrowed, and he made a little too much noise.”

“Why not just find some pillows and go back to sleep?” Silk looks down at the other mare’s chest out of curiosity, but doesn’t linger overly long before resuming brushing her mane, trying to gather the curling ends into a few big curls.

“I woke up just enough to get thirsty, and then to go to the bathroom, and then by the time I got out of the powder room I was more or less wide awake. So I just came up to shower.” She grabs her waistband with both hands before pausing. “...do you want me to wait until you leave, or is this fine?”

Turning fully to Lime, Silk makes a show of looking her over before giggling. “Hun, unless you’re secretly a hermaphrodite beneath your casual panties, I have everything you have. I’m not bothered.”

Limelight smiles as well before pulling off her last garment. “Good.” She drops them on top of her shirt before stepping over to the shower, starting it up. “So what are you up to today? My friends all have classes, and Winter’s doing whatever in the basement, so I’m bored.”

Silk answers as she deals with her bangs. “I’ll be running my shop today, which is why I’m spending extra time on myself. Does your brother often spend time in the basement, leaving you with full run of the house?”

“Far from full run. He can still hear if something breaks or somepony opens the door.” She puts a hand under the water, shivering. “But yeah, he’s in the basement a lot. Pretty sure he goes down there every day, though for how long varies. And before you ask, no, I don’t know what he does down there. For all I know, that’s where he keeps his porn stash.”

Silk mutters, but not quietly enough, “I suppose he did look pent up and raring to go this morning after I spoke with him…”

Limelight raises an eyebrow. “...I was joking, Silk. I’ve looked all over this house and there isn’t a single dirty magazine around that doesn’t belong to me.” She tests the water again, finding it a reasonable temperature. “And he doesn’t have the spare change to waste on that stuff anyway.”

“Low paying job or high spending habits?” she asks simply, curious to learn more about her housemates.

The earth mare steps into the shower, letting the water run over her body. “The first one. He only ever spends money on bills, food, and clothes, and that’s likely because he can’t afford much else.”

“Oh dear…” She parts her mane around her ears evenly. “Has he thought about different employment, if he can barely live off his current one?”

Limelight sighs. “His skills and field of study don’t exactly leave a lot of opportunities that other ponies aren’t better at. Besides, the way he looks at it, it’s not a problem until he goes from ‘barely getting by’ to ‘not getting by’.” She shakes her head, grabbing the shampoo. “I think it’s stupid too, but what do I know? I don’t have a job at all.”

“You don’t?” Silk stops and looks towards the shower, seeing the other mare’s silhouette. “But you pay rent…”

There’s a brief silence before the earth mare answers. “...it’s… been a few months since my last payment...”

“...” Silk stays silent for a time as well before she sighs. “Good thing I’m here with rent money too then, hmm?”

“Guess so.” Limelight finishes scrubbing her mane and tail, and begins washing the suds out. “I plan to pay as soon as I find some sort of stable employment, but for now, my only source of income isn’t too consistent… or well-paying.”

“What do you do?” the thestral asks, still brushing her mane but now for the soothing feeling instead of practicality.

The earth mare pauses. “Er… I’d rather not say.”

Silk pauses, worried. “...it’s not illegal, is it?”

“...not in this city it isn’t.”

“And now I’m worried.” She sighs, resting a hand on her forehead and slumping over the sink.

“Don’t be. It’s fine.” The earth mare starts soaping up her body, hastily trying to end the conversation.

Despite the feeling in her gut, Silk takes a deep breath, steadying herself as she starts to take a brush to her tail. “So… any plans to relieve your boredom?”

She shrugs, despite Silk not being able to see. “Follow you to your store and see what’s up. If you had said no, I would’ve used the time to work out or read or something.”

Tail trying to swish in thought, Silk holds it still as she brushes, plotting. “That sounds lovely. I think there’ll at least be some things in the store to interest you. Who knows, maybe you’ll inspire something in my next design.”

“Hmm… I’ll figure out if I’d be flattered or insulted in that case once I see exactly what you make.” The water shuts off, and the mare steps out onto the bathroom mat, dripping wet.

Looking over at her, Silk manages an honest smile and giggle. “Normally ponies towel off in the shower… not trying to seduce me with your wet body, are you?”

Limelight rolls her eyes. “If I was trying to seduce you, I have about ten different positions I could take rather than ‘hunched over sopping wet and grabbing for a towel’.” She plucks said towel from a hook on the wall and starts drying her mane.

“Touché, hun. Now, ignoring how this situation is likely somepony’s wet dream, is there anything stuck in my fur between my wings? It’s a bit of a pain in the ass to see back there.” She finishes with her tail, swishing it and nodding approvingly before she stands.

Limelight looks her over, taking noticeably longer to just check the designated spot than would be expected. “Nothing that I can see...”

Aware of the pause, Silk puts on an innocent tone. “Something wrong, hun?”

“Uh… n-no...” The earth mare blushes a bit, still letting her eyes roam up and down the other female’s body. “...you look good.”

Grinning toothily as she gets a mental hook in the other mare, Silk does a small twirl, careful not to hit her with her wings. “Why thank you, hun.” She cocks her hip to one side, doing a small pose. “The same to you, even if you are cheating by being naked and wet.”

Limelight smirks. “That’s just timing. I could always start getting dressed and come back when we’re on even ground… after I dry off, that is.”

“I assume you’ll be wearing something… like you had earlier?” Silk motions to the mare’s discarded clothes, frowning slightly at the panties on top.

“Maybe… but minus the shirt, plus a bra.” She tilts her head. “Something wrong?”

“Well, no, not really wrong…” Silk hooks a thumb into her own waistband for a moment. “I suppose I’ve just spoiled myself so that seeing plain ones like that is a little bit of a shock to me… You do see the differences between our sets, right?”

Limelight blinks, then giggles and nods. “Yeah, I do… I only have a couple of fancy sets like yours, though.”

“These are actually casual, hun…” Silk says with mild surprise. “I get crazy with ‘fancy’ ones.”

The earth mare looks a little confused, then smirks. “Really…? Where do you do your shopping? Or do you make your own?”

Doing a small bow, Silk smirks. “I make my own. I think ponies deserve to feel sexy and comfortable all at once.”

“Hm… if I ever come into some money, I’ll have to examine your wares then. I could go for something like that.” She smiles as she finishes drying off.

“Hmm…” Silk thinks, a few more plans forming in her mind and clearly visible on her face as she grins. “We might be able to work something out. We’ll just have to see how much you like them when we get to the store.”

“Fair enough.” Limelight hangs the towel up. “I’ll go get my clothes and be back. Should I put them all on, or wait for you to get a look first?” She smirks.

Silk winks. “I’ve seen what I need to. I’ll meet you downstairs, okay?”

“Sounds good to me.” Gathering up her discarded clothes, she heads for the door. “I won’t be long!”

Chapter 3: Silk's Select

After a small trip, the two arrive at Silk’s shop where it sits among many other varieties of store within the shopping district. A purple and white sign on the front boldly declares it’s name: Silk’s Select. The lights inside are currently off, but the shadows of a few mannequins can be seen in the windows to tempt the eyes of all who pass.

The owner herself heads to the door, pulling out a key. “Here we are, hun. My little establishment. Feel free to look around.” She opens the door and heads inside, flicking on the lights.

Limelight does so, looking around at the interior as she walks in, eyes widening in surprise. “...wow. Um… was not expecting this...”

The store is about what one would expect from any clothing store layout-wise. Garments and accessories are all neatly organized on racks and shelves around the store, all trying to catch the eye of the consumer. However, unlike most stores, the sections of this one are divided into things like costumes, lingerie, undergarments, and even a small one labelled ‘toys’. The mare even appears to have had a little fun with the mannequins in the store, some with beckoning fingers and others looking like they are showing off.

“What did you have in mind then, hun?” Silk walks to the back of the store towards the counter, putting away some things and taking others out to start getting ready to open.

Limelight continues to gaze around, still taken aback, but also intrigued. “Just… I would’ve expected an ordinary dress shop, or something… maybe with a little section devoted to stuff like this. Not the whole store… not that I’m complaining, that is.”

“Yes… I suppose I do sort of have the reverse ratio, don’t I?” She motions over to the costume section, where a number of different dresses are mixed in, mostly thematic or sexy ones that matched at least something else in the store. “But well… I just found I worked best with things like this, plus the market is less contested.”

“Fair point.” The earth mare walks over to one of the mannequins, examining the outfit on it. “I can only imagine how many babies have been made due to these clothes.”

Giggling mischievously to herself, Silk smirks at the mare. “The same with me, though that to me is part of the beauty of it. Well, that and making sure this motivates them to practice.” She is quickly reduced to giggles again.

Limelight joins in with some chuckles of her own. “Have you ever used them on stallions yourself? Or mares?”

Laughter fading to thoughtfulness, Silk answers. “Well… not really. I mean, I tested out some of my first works on a coltfriend I had at the time, but when we broke up, I quickly found I didn’t really have much time. Between being new at running a business along with school, things were very hectic, so I haven’t actually done it since then. Any modeling I do now is more for just myself or to make adjustments.”

“Huh...” The other mare goes back to looking over the mannequins, but still speaks. “Ever thought of trying again? Looking for somepony else? I know you say you don’t have much time, but I’d think it’d be worth a little trouble...”

She nods, testing the register. “Probably... I have considered it, but I’m taking my time browsing. Quality is important after all.”

“Yeah...” Limelight says with a small but still noticeable huff.

“Something else you want to say, hun?” Silk raises an eyebrow as she finishes her prep and unlocks the ‘employees only’ door.

She shrugs. “Just agreeing with you.”

Noticing similarities between sibling attitudes, the thestral pauses before trying something different. “So, notice anything you like?”

“Yeah, but nothing within affordable range.” Limelight sighs. “In other words, nothing without a price tag.”

“Well, I did mention working something out, so why don’t you tell me anyway, hmm?” Silk walks over, confidence in her stride as she smiles.

Blinking, the earth mare goes back to browsing again. “A couple of these dresses… more sets of underwear would be good… I haven’t looked through the costumes yet, but I imagine there’d be something in there as well.” As she mentions things, she gestures to specific articles that interest her. “What would we work out?”

“Oh, it’s simple trade, hun. You do things I want, like maybe some things around the house, maybe here in the store. I might even use some of my wares to bribe and tempt you. There really are many options.” Her grin is almost predatory while remaining sweet.

“...so, like some odd jobs, but I get paid in clothes?” Limelight thinks, then shrugs. “Sounds fine to me.”

“Fine enough to reconsider other more illicit activities?” Silk tilts her head as she wears the same smile.

The earth mare tilts her head as well. “That depends on what ‘illicit’ means.”

The smile fades a bit. “Illegal, dear.”

“...oh.” She tilts her head the other way. “How illegal are we talking? Drug dealing? Kidnapping? Mass murder?”

A yellow hand coming to meet her face, Silk sighs. “I sincerely hope what you do isn’t any of those…”

“Hey, like I said: what I do isn’t illegal in this city.” She smirks. “Seriously though, what do you want me to do?”

“Around the house? Clean some things extra squeaky, maybe help me with a bit of work.” She gestures around. “Here? Probably a lot of second opinion things, maybe give some thoughts on things I give you if something about it bothers you or could be improved, help with inventory, or maybe with a supplies run.”

Limelight shrugs and nods. “That sounds easy enough and not very illegal. I can do that.”

Taking what she can get, Silk nods. “Alright, now why don’t we discuss details? Like, for example, your first treat you want to work for. The more I find out your tastes, the more I can recommend.”

“Just some undergarments for now?” she requests. “The less often I have to do laundry, the better. I can wait for dresses and costumes and the like.”

“And here I thought you’d go for the kitty costume… ah well, perhaps it’s best to start small. Anything in particular caught your eye?” The seamstress gets into her groove as she strolls over to all things delicate and lacy.

A few minutes of picking and choosing later, the earth mare nods at her selection and turns to the owner of the shop. “So, what first?”

With a smile, the mare rings up the items, gifting them to Lime before showing her what she’ll be up to today. In short order, the earth pony is double-checking prices and looking for anything that has gotten stained, put back out of place, or otherwise fallen off where it should be.

With these little chores being taken care of, Silk happily opens her store to the general public, flipping her sign and illuminating the various window displays. Sitting down at her desk, she brings over a pad as she starts to plan out a few other things before the flow of customers truly begins.

Barely five minutes after opening time, the little bell above the door gives a quick chime as somepony walks in. But rather than browsing the outfits, this light yellow pegasus mare heads right over to the desk, a cheerful smile on her face. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

Looking up at the mare that almost matches her coat color, Silk smiles, hopping up and giving her a hug. “Not at all, Asylum! It actually slipped my mind that you were coming over today.”

“Oh?” The mare tilts her head after hugging back. “Forgot about it during the move, I take it?”

She nods, gesturing past the mare’s blue-maned head at Lime. “This one here is actually one of my new housemates. I convinced her to put a little work in for a few things she wanted in the shop.” She winks at her friend as she whispers. “I think I’ll get her nicely hooked.”

Asylum giggles, but trails off when she gets a good look at the earth mare. “Huh… she looks familiar...” She turns back to Silk. “Where are you staying right now?”

“One of the student houses over on Clover Drive.” Silk shrugs. “Nothing particularly special about the place, but she and her brother have been very nice.”

The pegasus smiles. “That’s good. I’m glad you found a place.” She pulls her into another hug. “So, what have you got for me to do today?”

“Oh, just a few costumes that I want to check on someone who can actually give feedback.” She hugs back, giggling at how affectionate the other mare can get. “I’m on the edge of a new design for my lingerie, but I’m afraid getting the details right is preventing me from creating anything new in that department.”

Asylum nods. “That sounds good to me.” She glances back at Lime before continuing, a little quieter. “Should we go in back for this? Will it be fine to leave the front of the store… mostly unattended?”

Silk nods, patting her friend on the back. “It’s fine; I trust her, I know where she lives, and I’ve seen her wardrobe standard. All bases covered, besides this will make sure I don’t have to close the store or leave it open and keep having you back there half naked while I keep peeking my head out.”

“Fair enough.” She blushes a bit, but smiles. “Alright then… should I go back there, strip, and wait? Or do you already have the stuff back there?”

“It’s back there, but I’ll be with you in a moment to help and guide you.” She shoos her towards the back. “I just need to talk to Lime a moment.”

Asylum nods and heads for the door. “Alrighty. I’ll be waiting!” Opening it, she disappears inside and closes the door behind herself.

Meanwhile, the thestral walks over to the earth pony, getting her attention. “Lime, I have something important for you to do.”

Limelight blinks, turning to her. “Sure, what is it?”

“I need you to watch the store for me while I work with one of my models.” She points a thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll be in the back with her, so just keep an eye out for customers and let me know if any come in. However, simply crack the door and talk through it, do not come in yourself for the sake of her privacy. Okay?”

She nods. “Got it.”

Smiling, Silk nods as well. “Thank you, we’ll be back out in a bit.” She quickly turns and strolls through the store, eager to spend time with her other friend.

When she walks into the back, she finds Asylum already stripped down and waiting, sitting on a chair in a pink bra and rainbow-striped panties, both of which came from this very store. She smiles when Silk walks in and stands up. “So what’s first?”

“Well...” The seamstress smiles as she walks over to a pile of fabric near her stage surrounded by mirrors. “This first one is a bit of a different take on a classic. You remember my usual maid outfits, right?”

Asylum nods, giggling. “I always liked them. Did you try putting a twist on them?”

“I did. Say hello to the ‘poofy’ maid outfit!” She pulls out the costume, which definitely seems to earn it’s name. The sleeves are nonexistent except for almost spherical white shoulders. Below the waist tie, the skirt actually billows outward into a short-medium length skirt with multiple layers of white fabric underneath, keeping it out there. There even appears to be a bit of padding all over the chest area, though on the inside alone.

The pegasus’s eyes widen as she giggles. “That looks amazing… sure you didn’t go a little overboard with the poofiness, though?” She looks down at the skirt part. “I feel like that’d be held up so much, a mare would have to stand ramrod straight to keep herself covered… though then again, I guess that’s the point, isn’t it?”

“With this one specifically, yes,” the thestral admits. “This one is pretty much designed to give glances anytime she does something other than stand there. It even swishes side to side as she walks, or at least I designed it to; no testing on that part yet.”

“Well, I’d be glad to help you test.” She takes the dress, turning it over a bit before starting to pull it on. “So, you said you lived with that mare out there and her brother… what are they like? Besides being nice?”

Silk nods, watching to see how things go on. “Well, she’s a bit blunt while he’s reserved. I actually had a conversation with him this morning about not being so down on himself; was quite a verbal battle. She, on the other hand, seems very relaxed and does things like sleep until noon and not have a stable job.”

Asylum frowns after getting the dress pulled on. “That doesn’t seem like a good way to live… in either of those cases.”

“I completely agree…” She tightens up the apron straps to secure the dress. “At first I thought he was going to be the tough one, but now I have no idea… it’s only the first day, but I really need to find a way to get them out of their respective shells. Maybe I’m prying, but I think if I can help them as I live with them, then I should try.”

The pegasus nods with a small smile. “I think so, too. I have a friend of my own who’s always down on himself, so I know what that’s like to deal with. Sometimes he acts like the dirt beneath his feet is on a higher pedestal than he is.” She sighs, shaking her head. “Silly Winter...”

Silk pauses with her hands hovering near the mare. “Wait… Winter? Winter Solstice?”

Asylum nods. “Yes, that’s him. You know him?”

“He’s my housemate…” she says, voice tinged with surprise.

The pegasus’s eyes widen, then she giggles. “How about that? Can’t say I expected this… I didn’t even know he was renting out another room.”

Giggling with her, Silk shakes her head. “Small world… how do you know him then?”

“We’ve been friends for… a long time, actually.” She smiles. “Since before either of us had our marks, really. He was my neighbour when my family moved from Cloudsdale, and somehow we’ve always bumped into each other again whenever we move somewhere else.”

“Wow… the boy next door hmm?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

Asylum frowns. “Don’t give me that look. We’re just friends, and we’ve always been that way… though he did try to ask me out one time...” She blushes a bit.

“Let him down easy, I hope?” Silk steps back, looking her over.

The pegasus sighs. “I tried… he seemed to be fine with it, but I never know with him… as far as I know, he’s been single since his previous girlfriend before that, so maybe I was a little harsh...”

Silk shrugs. “Considering how long I’ve been single, I can tell you there could be a number of reasons. Now, no getting pouty on me, it doesn’t work with this outfit.”

Asylum frowns. “I’m not being pouty...” Nevertheless, she forces herself to wipe off the expression and adopt a smile, if a slightly wistful one.

“Hmm… a little better.” She looks up and down her body, getting a feel for how the outfit looks. “Visually it seems fine, why don’t you take a short walk and tell me how it feels?”

Nodding, the pegasus begins to do so, walking from where she stands over to the wall. She blushes, self-consciously realizing the way the skirt moves just enough to expose hints of her undergarments, and tries to move as carefully as she can.

Of course, the seamstress watches every moment. “Well, it seems your liking for vibrant panties makes this part easy. I can easily tell when they’re visible. So would any lucky somepony you wore this for, I’d imagine.”

Her blush increases as she tries to hold the skirt down with her hands without damaging it. “S-So… success?”

“I quite think so.” Silk smirks and giggles. “And, if it helps, I won’t even have you bend over to pick up something. I can imagine how that would look and I don’t think this is your kind of thing anyway. The normal modest maid was more your taste, in my opinion.”

Asylum nods. “I agree… so should I take it off?” She starts walking back over, still trying to keep herself covered.

Nodding, Silk touches her lip with a finger. “I think so, hun. Of course, with you acting like you are, I’m wondering how you’ll act when you’re just back in your underthings again.”

“Honestly, it feels less embarrassing to be wearing nothing at all than to be wearing something that barely covers...” She starts pulling the dress off over her head, grunting a bit as it gets stuck on her wings halfway. “Ow…!”

Quickly walking behind her, Silk pulls at a few pieces of the garment to loosen it. “Well, that’s something I’ll need to adjust slightly… I swear wing holes are some of the toughest parts of these things.”

Sighing in relief, Asylum finally gets the dress off, giving it back to its creator. “Sorry about that...” She subconsciously covers herself with her arms, one over her chest and one down at her front, glancing at the door. “Um… you’re sure that mare won’t come in here, right? Or anypony else, for that matter?”

“I’m sure, hun.” Silk smiles, walking over and giving her a friendly nuzzle. “I told her not to come or look back here, and this is the employees area. You’re as safe as when it’s just the two of us.”

“Well… alright, then...” She slowly uncovers. “I’m just used to all my past jobs, where anypony could go just about anywhere anytime if they just had a flimsy excuse...”

Straightening herself and standing tall, Silk puts her hands on her hips. “Well, as owner of this fine establishment, I can tell you that I will tolerate no such behavior in my store.” Her authoritative voice sneaks in a single giggle. “Especially not to a mare who is a good friend of mine who helps me by trying on sexy outfits and blushing adorably.”

Said blush appears immediately at this, along with a small squeak. “I-It’s not adorable...”

“You’re proving your words wrong, hun…” The thestral titters as she moves to the next outfit. “Now where’s a cute one to match you…”

Waiting patiently, Asylum stands with her hands clasped behind her, watching as she searches. “...so… is Winter asking you for help like he’s asking me?”

Pausing, Silk turns her head with her hands clasping something in the pile. “You’re helping him with something?”

She blinks, then coughs awkwardly and looks away. “N-No.”

The other mare frowns. “You’re a terrible liar, hun, and it takes away from that aura of innocence you have.”

Asylum looks down at the ground. “It’s… something he’s doing in his basement… he made me swear not to tell anypony...”

“Ah yes, the mysterious basement…” Silk hums. “I suppose knowing you’re helping him actually makes me less worried, so that’s good.”

“Well, he does it mostly on his own… he just gets feedback from me. Sort of like you having me try on these clothes.” She shrugs sheepishly. “Honestly, I don’t even know why he’s doing it… just that he is.”

“...and now the damned curiosity is back.” The thestral huffs, picking up a mass of fabric. “Looks like I’ll have to distract myself by having you wear this kitty costume.”

Her eyes widen and she grins. “Kitty costume?!”

“Oh, you like that idea, hmm?” She lifts up her other hand, showing a belled collar, paw gloves, and even a little bow to accessorize with. “How about now?”

The response she gets is an excited squeal and a pegasus suddenly inches in front of her, waiting to take the pieces of clothing.

Silk laughs and pats her head. “Woah there, easy girl… be a nice kitty.” She offers the clothes.

Giggling, Asylum happily takes them, starting to pull the outfit on swiftly yet carefully. “I always thought cats were so cute...”

“A cute outfit, for a cute mare. Meow~.” She covers her mouth as she titters. “Stallions beware.”

The blush is back in full force as the pegasus finishes dressing herself. The one-piece cat outfit clearly has a combination of cuteness and sexy worked in; it also comes with bits of fluff around her neck and tall socks for her legs. The collar, bow, and gloves come on next to complete the ensemble, resulting in a particularly attractive-looking pegasus in a very form-fitting kitty costume.

Smiling sheepishly, she paws at the air like a cat would. “Mew.”

“Daww….” Silk plays with her ears. “Want to come home with me, little kitty?”

Asylum nuzzles against her, going along with it. “Meoooow...”

Unable to stop giggling, the thestral hugs her friend. “Oh, you are just too cute! I don’t know if I’ll let you take that off…”

The kitty mare hugs back, giggling as well. “If you want to sell it, you’ll have to. Plus, I can think of better uses for it than just putting on me for your own enjoyment.” There’s a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Smirking, Silk muses. “Oh? Is the good kitty suddenly getting naughty kitty ideas?”

“Meow.” She smirks as well. “I’ll just say this… you’re living with Win now, and he’s also a cat fan...”

“Oh really?” Her purple tail swishes. “That’s definitely useful information…”

Asylum blinks, looking a little surprised at the reaction to her attempt at teasing. She soon recovers, though, and regains her smirk. “Already got your eye on him?”

“For one reason or another...” A finger twirls one of her locks around. “If nothing else, I could really mess with him with that info. Imagine if he saw this outfit.”

“I’ll warn you now, you’ll get one of three reactions.” The pegasus counts on her fingers. “One: utter disbelief and eventually scramming. Two: frozen with embarrassment and a pitched tent. Three: a tackle-hug to the floor. Whichever one happens will depend entirely on his mood and the context of the situation.”

Her eyes narrow. “Hmm… I’ll have to time it perfectly then. I already got reaction two out of him this morning as I was eating breakfast.”

Asylum blinks. “Really? How?”

“Well, admittedly I think it was just the normal stallion morning problem at first, but considering he still had it when we were done talking…” She smiles. “I guess he liked the sight of me in my robe.”

The pegasus rolls her eyes playfully. “Only you could make a housecoat into something revealing and seductive.” She then raises an eyebrow. “How did you even know he had… that problem? He wears a robe in the mornings too… at least, he used to...”

Silk just smiles knowingly. “I only saw boxers this morning. They were very restraining if what i read on his face is true.”

Asylum giggles. “He’s gotten forgetful over the years… well, hope you enjoyed what you saw while you saw it. I doubt he’ll let it happen again.”

Jingling the bell a little, Silk smirks. “We’ll see… I enjoy trying to throw ponies off their games.”

“As long as you’re not pulling his pants down. He got enough of that back in elementary and high school.” She smiles at the sound of the jingling bell, leaning in and nuzzling her hand again.

Starting to scratch behind her ears, Silk sighs. “Aww… poor stallion… I’ll be sure to hug him when I get home.”

She purrs. “Mmm… I think he’d like that… even more depending on what you wore… or didn’t wear.”

“We’ll have to see, hun…”

Chapter 4: At another shop

Just as his sister and two friends are in one shop, Winter finds himself heading to another; a far different one, but a shop nonetheless. He walks in, a bucket in his left hand, and glances around for the owner.

He spots the normal-looking green unicorn stallion leaning back in his chair reading a small book. While not odd at first glance, the fact that a few glowing symbols can be seen on the legs of the chair as well as the fact that it is hovering half a foot off the ground does raise a few eyebrows to those unfamiliar with it. The rest of the shop has the basic design of a jewelry store, yet between some of the darker colors chosen and more mysterious symbols glowing on various things, the shop is clearly more than meets the eye.

Peeking up as he hears the door, the stallion smiles as he shuts his book. “Well, good morning Winter. Do you have another little custom piece for me to do?” As he leans forward, the chair gently floats to the ground, the symbols going dim and almost unnoticeable as he gets out of his seat.

“One or two,” the other unicorn replies simply before firmly placing the bucket on the counter. A rattling can be heard inside, and peeking in reveals an assortment of various unidentifiable metal objects. “Need all of these to be made more… durable. Resistant. Not break as easily.”

Peeking inside, the owner’s horn lights up, levitating each thing out of the bucket. “Hmm… anything specific it needs to be resistant to, or are we just talking force?”

Winter shrugs. “Force, mostly. But more specifically, resistance to any sort of liquid would also be good, so they don’t rust or something like that. And resistance to grinding, so they won’t wear out.”

“A couple of repelling wards should do the trick.” He nods to himself, bringing the objects over to a section of the counter that serves as his workspace. His next words are spoken clearly and concisely. “Tools out.” Turning back to his customer, he pays no mind as various objects including engraving tool, magnifying glass, and a notebook all levitate themselves from various cabinets and shelves over to their spots around the work area. “So, does the bucket need to be done as well, and to what strength would you like these? You don’t need to give specifics, just a general idea.”

“The bucket can be left alone. As for strength...” He thinks. “Just as strong as you can, without going into too extreme amounts. What I need is about as resistant as a suit of royal guard armour. That seem doable, Rhino?”

Nodding, the other stallion flips open a notebook, sketching something as he speaks. “Alright, I can do that. Metal is a fairly good magic conductor so a single charge of these should last you at least a month. Just touch up the energy with a bit of your own and you’ll be good to go.” He looks between the objects and his pad before erasing something small and sketching once more.

Winter nods as well. “Seems easy enough. How much will it cost?”

“Single enchantment, ten items, simple combination…” Rhino nods at his pad before picking up one of the metal pieces, a gear, and lighting his horn while a matching green glow appears on the object. “Let’s say… 125 bits. Sound fair?”

“Sure thing.” Winter pulls out his wallet, levitating out just about every bit inside. “Good thing I got paid yesterday...”

Setting down the first, he picks up the next. “You do seem to spend a lot here at my store. I’m not complaining, but it does make me curious what you need all this for. I assume a hobby or a project of some kind.”

The other unicorn chuckles nervously. “Hobby… yeah, a hobby.”

“Alright, I can see the privacy screen on that coming, I won’t pry.” He chuckles to himself as he moves to the third, his rhythm going since he is doing the same to all of them. “Luna knows I’m not exactly open about everything I’ve done a personal project on. You don’t want to know half the stuff I’ve done to the store.”

Taking the change of topic and running with it, Winter tilts his head. “Security systems, I imagine?”

“Oh yeah.” Rhino grins. “Most of them are that; I had a lot of fun with basic element application. I made sure to keep it non-lethal, but… well, I figure you have to be pretty stupid to rob a magic shop, so I made sure it’ll give them plenty to remember. Everything else is convenience.”

“Interesting...” Winter smirks. “I’ll be sure to keep this place off my hit list if I ever go into a life of crime.”

He smirks back. “Don’t you live with a sister that would kick your tail before you even got out of the house after that decision?”

“Lime? If I said I was becoming a criminal, she’d go to her room and come back with an all-black suit asking when we start.” He laughs. “Silk would be the one to try and stop us, I think.”

“Silk?” Rhino’s eyebrow raises at the same time as the sixth object. “Why would she do that? I didn’t think you would be one to go to her shop enough for her to know you.”

Winter blinks, then chuckles. “I haven’t gone to her shop. She’s renting our spare room as of yesterday.”

“Oh… well, I certainly didn’t expect that,” he muses as he enchants. “She did say something about downsizing her living arrangements, but I didn’t know she meant that. I guess that means I know what the topic will be when we next talk.” Casting a curious eye over to Winter, he asks, “How is it, living with a lingerie designer? Especially one as… provoking as Silk?”

“Lingerie designer…?” He tilts his head, then smirks. “Thought so… hadn’t confirmed it yet, though. As for your question, it’s… odd.” He blushes a bit, averting his gaze. “Already had an… embarrassing encounter this morning… she’s a nice mare, though.”

Nodding, Rhino sets down the second-to-last piece. “That she is, and a good friend. She’s probably already teasing you relentlessly and trying to be a better friend all at once, isn’t she?”

“Yep.” He sighs, though not in full annoyance. “This morning she went back and forth between trying to convince me to be more confident and pointing out my… er… wood.” He blushes even more. “My fault for not grabbing a robe, but still...”

As he works on the final bit of metal, Rhino shakes his head. “Yeah… I can totally see her correlating those two things together, using both for an argument on either. She’s crafty like that, she just hides it under her teasing.”

Winter shakes his head as well. “No, she just noticed and mentioned it, conversation went down, she tried to bring it back up, and closed it out with one final reminder that I wasn’t exactly conspicuous.” He frowns. “Almost worried for when she gets home.”

As he finishes the final piece, the shop owner offers a last bit of advice. “If you want to take control of conversations with her, try doing or saying something she doesn’t expect. It usually throws her off pretty well.” He levitates all the items back into the bucket. “There you are.”

“Well, if me walking into the kitchen the way I did didn’t throw her off, I’m gonna need a wrecking crew.” He chuckles, taking the bucket in his hand. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem.” Rhino leans on the counter. “Good luck with your hobby, and Silk. You’ll need it for both, I think.”

“I’ll let you know when I figure out which one’s more difficult.” He walks to the door, waving goodbye over his shoulder. “Seeya.”

***

Silk unlocks the door to the house, the sun setting in the sky. Her wings stretch a final time before folding against her back as she walks in. “Ah… good to be home…” She shuts the door behind her.

The sound of the door closing echoes through the apparently empty household; no voices call out in greeting, no other doors open and close, no footsteps. It’s almost creepy how quiet the house is now…

Thud. “Gaaah!” Both the sound and the cry of pain come from below her.

Her ears flick as she looks down, tapping a hoof hard on the floor. “Winter? Is that you hurting yourself down there?”

Another cry, somewhat quieter, answers her. A moment later, a door can be heard opening and closing, and then Winter walks through a doorway to the side of the living room. His shirt is off, he has one hand grabbing the back of his left shoulder, and he’s sweating profusely. “...hi.”

She openly stares at him, unable to come up with a response for quite a few seconds. “Hello… are you alright?”

“...yes?” He winces. “I think so...”

Her eyes look him in his own, discerningly. “You sure you don’t want ice or the first aid kit?”

“Just a shirt...” He sighs taking his hand away and looking at it. He blinks upon seeing blood. “...okay, maybe a first aid kit.”

Sighing, Silk heads out of the room and soon returns with the white box. “And now I question leaving you alone in your basement of secrets. Apparently, it’s dangerous too!” She starts getting out things for him.

“It’s fine… just a small cut.” He sits down on the couch, at an angle so she can get at the injury. He mumbles to himself. “She fights back… I’ll have to be more careful next time...”

The only ‘she’ in the room raises an eyebrow at him as she raises a damp cloth. “She?”

“...never mind.”

Frowning at being stonewalled again, Silk still wipes the blood off his shoulder. “Not even telling when it hurts you, hmm?”

“It only hurt because I wasn’t careful.” He sighs. “And no, not telling you. Not yet, at least.”

Her frown shrinks back to a neutral expression as she peeks through his coat. “Well, I do like that I’ll get to know eventually, so I’ll drop it. The cut doesn’t look too bad, but you did get nicely sliced.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I’m a pony, not a carrot. No slicing on me is ‘nice’.”

She pokes him with a finger firmly. “You know what I mean. It could have been worse, but it isn’t. Now don’t move while I work on it…” Leaning around him, she grabs the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls.

Winter sighs again, staying as still as he can. “Once you’re done, I’ll probably need to take a shower to get this sweat off me, so hold off on any bandages unless they’re waterproof.”

“Hmm… I’ll have to hold off on the antibiotic cream too…” Her hand braces against him, fingers splayed on his back as she dabs the peroxide on him. “Am I going to need to stand outside the bathroom in case you injure yourself in there, too?” You can almost hear her grin.

“I think I know how to take a shower, Silk,” he deadpans before his expression softens. “...now you’ve got me worried, though… you can wait out here or in my room, since you’ll need to finish my shoulder afterwards anyway. I’ll leave the door unlocked, so if you hear anything you shouldn’t hear from a bathroom, you can come in.” He narrows his eyes. “If you come in just to get a look...”

A soft yellow hand comes forward and pats his cheek. “Now now… even I have lines I don’t cross. I already saw plenty this morning, I don’t need to see more.” She sets down the peroxide and used cotton ball. “Just try not to extend your shower by thinking thoughts of me as your nurse, hmm? I have outfits for such fantasies.”

Slowly, his face goes red, and slight stiffness can be seen in his pants. “...well, now those fantasies are already there.” He rubs his temple, trying to fight off such thoughts.

“Aww, you flatter me, hun.” She gives him a quick hug from behind. “Now go get yourself taken care of so I can finish you off.”

He chuckles, standing up. “Right… I’ll try not to take too long.” Once he’s released from the hug, he starts heading upstairs, already unbuckling his belt as he goes. He doesn’t go any further until he’s disappeared into the bathroom.

Sniffing the air, Silk wrinkles her nose. “Hmm… slightest bit of mint beneath the musk and sweat smell.” Shrugging, she grabs an air freshener and spritzes it a few times before heading upstairs, making a small detour to her room to grab somethings.

As promised, the unicorn doesn’t take too long. Remembering to leave the door unlocked, he starts the water, keeping it an oddly low temperature rather than turning it up and waiting for it to warm. He quickly strips and steps in, wincing as the water hits his shoulder, but tries to ignore it as he soaps himself up. After a couple minutes of quick washing, he turns the water off and steps out, grabbing a towel to dry himself off.

Once he’s suitably dry, he grabs up his clothes and wraps the towel around him, stepping out and heading to his room to dress. He comes back out shortly, with just black sweatpants and no shirt, heading down to the living room.

Silk greets him, now completely out of her previous clothes and into a knee length white nurse dress. A red cross sits above her heart while the outfit shows just a small amount of cleavage. Her legs are bare except for two white slipper shoes. Finally, the whole thing is topped by a white nurse’s cap.

She looks to him with a smile. “Is the patient ready?”

His face is already back to a bright red, but thankfully he doesn’t seem to be having as big a problem further down as before. “Uh… y-yes?” Slowly, as if on automatic, he walks over to the couch again.

As he sits with his back to her, she leans next to his head and whispers, “I thought I might take it easy on you and put on the tamest version.”

He actually cracks a smile and whispers back. “Honestly? I’m almost disappointed.”

She giggles. “Oh, really? Well, why don’t you lay down on your stomach and see if my medical services ‘disappoint’ you.”

Chuckling, he does so, his tail noticeably moving to cover his already-covered rump. “I’m all yours, nurse.”

“Let’s see…” She leans over his back, a few locks of her mane hanging down and brushing his back. “Looks still clean, and the bleeding has stopped. Let’s apply some ointment.” Looking back towards the first aid kit, she fetches everything she’ll need.

He squirms a bit from the tickling hairs, but doesn’t move aside from that. “Didn’t know there were so many steps to patching up a cut… I used to just wash it with warm water, slap a bandage on, and call it a day.”

She tutts, patting his head. “That’s a good way to get an infection, Mister Solstice. Always disinfect and use a bit of ointment to accelerate healing as well as prevent scarring. Not all mares think ‘scars are cool’.” Taking a bit of cream on her finger, she strokes it along the cut.

He pauses. “...are you one of those mares who thinks they are?”

“I’m a nurse, hun. I like a stallion who can take good care of himself.” She pats his back as she wipes her finger. “I think a nice bandage over that and in a week it’ll be like it was never there.”

“A week, huh?” Winter looks back at her. “...any chance you can help change it? I can’t reach back there very well, and it’s bound to fall off sooner or later.” He smirks. “Plus, it’d give you more chances to see me shirtless.”

Ignoring that he has magic, she applies the bandage, kissing it after. “I think I could add that to my duties.”

“Thank you.” He smiles, sitting up once she’s done. “Hopefully this won’t happen again.”

Tucking a bit of purple mane out of her face, Silk stands up and folds her hands in front of herself. “Is there anything else you need?”

He chuckles. “Keep being adorable.”

“Adorable, hmm?” She moves her hands behind her back, leaning forward and batting her eyelashes. “I can do that… among other things.”

Winter smiles, standing up and scratching her chin. “What other things might those be?”

“You’ll just have to either figure it out or find out, won’t you?” She grins, nuzzling his hand before giggling and sashaying away towards the stairs.

Blinking, he pauses a moment before starting to follow her. “Wait, how would I go about doing that? Now you’ve got me curious.”

She climbs the stairs, tail swishing as she calls back, “Why not consider me an experiment?” She shows him her grin. “Gather your thoughts, form theories, test them.” She winks as they reach the second floor as she heads toward her room.

He sighs, still following, but slower. “That’s how I got cut.”

She stops in front of her own door. “Perhaps… but I believe I have shown that I’m good at patching up small injuries. I assure you, I can be gentle enough to never cut you, and my bedside manner is very effective.”

“Maybe, but if I ‘experiment’ on you, I might not be the one who gets hurt,” he replies solemnly.

“I trust you, hun, and I’m a strong mare. You’ll figure it out.” She opens her door, slipping inside and peeking out. “Now, why don’t you go enjoy thoughts of the fact that I’m changing out of this?”

“...you and your tempting fantasies.” With an amused sigh, he heads back to his own room. “Come get me if you need anything.”

“I will… now go relax so your shoulder can rest.”

He nods with a small smirk. “Yes, ma’am.” Opening his door, he quickly disappears inside.

Chapter 5: Sleepover

Silk lets out a yawn as she gets out of bed, having always allowed herself to sleep late Sunday mornings. Taking a peek at her wardrobe, she shrugs and casually slips on an overly large and loose t-shirt to cover herself before she heads downstairs to start her morning wakeup with a nice cup of tea.

She finds Asylum, standing in the doorway between the living room and the basement stairs, leaning over and peering down the stairs at a slightly open door. It looks almost as though she’s waiting for something.

The thestral blinks as she sees this, speaking to the other mare. “Hun? Why are you here this early?”

Asylum looks to her, then smiles. “Good morning, sleepy. Win just wanted me to come over to help test something.” She glances down at the stairs, seeing a cobalt arm give a quick thumbs-up before shutting the door. “...apparently the test is done.”

Giggling slightly tiredly, Silk walks past her towards the kitchen. “Asylum and Winter’s basement shenanigans… I feel like there’s something I could say about that, but I need my tea first.”

Blushing, the guest follows her. “He didn’t actually let me go in… he had me do it in the living room.”

“Where anypony could catch you? Scandalous.” With a few movements, a teabag in a cup of water is set in the microwave to heat up.

Asylum makes a face. “You’re one to talk. You’re not even wearing pants right now and you’re walking all around the house.”

Looking down at herself, Silk sticks her tongue out at her friend. “It covers as much as a short skirt. Nothing is exposed.”

“Yeah, until you bend over.” She smirks.

“I only have so much clothing sensibility when I first wake up.” Her hoof taps the floor as she waits for her drink. “Honestly I didn’t even bother half the time when I lived on my own.”

“Well, good thing you’re getting out of that habit.” She thinks. “Or maybe it’d be better if you didn’t...”

That gets a full laugh out of Silk as the microwave beeps. She talks as she fixes her tea, adding a little milk. “I honestly doubt Limelight would care, apparently she did much the same. Winter is the stickler, and I’d rather not have him bleeding out of his nose all over the floor… if he had enough left after some gets diverted.”

Asylum giggles. “I can tell you from experience he’ll just faint before the blood goes anywhere.”

“Aww… boring…” She pouts before taking a sip of her tea and sighing contently. “Wait… he saw you naked?”

She blushes. “Yeah… back in highschool, we found a parasprite infestation in our basement, and had to find other places to live for a few days… my parents and brothers rented a hotel room, but Winter’s family just let me stay with them… and, well, things happened...”

“Oh? Don’t stop now, hun, go on. This sounds like a juicy story.” Pulling out a chair, Silk sits down and crosses her legs, still cradling her warm cup in her hands.

Asylum slowly sits as well, blushing even more. “Well… w-we never really did… that… just, well, saw each other in some awkward situations...” Her eyes dart to the floor. “Probably didn’t help that I was sleeping in his room...”

“Ah, just teenage awkwardness then.” She nods before taking another sip. “I bet it was adorable to everyone else.”

“I wouldn’t know… didn’t exactly go around asking for opinions...” She shrugs a bit.

“Fair enough, dear, fair enough.” One ear flicks as the tea wakes her. “Did you want a cup of this?”

Grasping for the change of subject, Asylum smiles, but shakes her head. “I had a drink before I left my apartment. Thank you, though.”

Nodding, Silk drains a good bit of the cup before suddenly looking up, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes next to one of curiosity. “So… you two were experimenting in the living room, hmm?”

“Don’t even take that where I think you’re going to take it,” the other pegasus responds firmly.

She holds up a hand. “Peace, hun. Though I’m more curious as to what he’ll do in experiments on me in the future, I am genuinely curious what you two are up to. He said he’d tell me eventually. Do I get any hints?”

Asylum thinks. “...well, he only said not to tell anypony what he was doing in the basement… nothing about the living room.” She grins as she realizes this loophole, then frowns. “...honestly, I don’t know much. Sometimes he just has me come over and measures different parts of me, usually upper body; today he put some weird bandage-like things on my wings and told me to flap them for a while in different ways. He had just taken them off and gone back downstairs when you came down.” She twirls her mane around a finger, humming. “I don’t know for certain, but if I had to hazard a guess, it’s almost like he’s making some sort of outfit or covering for my wings… or just wings in general. I don’t know what purpose that would serve, though...”

“Hmm… that is interesting. Sounds like a classic unicorn experiment to me.” She giggles as she drinks the last of her cup. “I know a friend of mine who gets like that, though he tends to talk your ear off about it if you ask.” Her eyes glance back to her own leathery wings. “I wonder if Winter could use data on mine since they’re different from yours…”

“If that was the case, don’t you think he would’ve asked you by now?” Asylum points out.

Silk shrugs. “Not really. I wouldn’t think he’d ask someone he’s known less than a week. Plus, I like to think I keep him on the edges of his hooves around me. I can be very distracting.”

Asylum raises an eyebrow. “Is that… a good thing? You make it sound as though he’s always nervous around you… and not in a silly way. Are you sure you’re not pushing him away?”

“On the contrary, judging by how things have been these last few days, I think I’m drawing him in.” She smiles happily. “He’s started playing along, teasing back. I feel we’ve gotten closer because of that.”

“If you’re sure… just be careful with him. He’s not exactly a delicate flower, but he also doesn’t have any thorns to fight back with if someone tries to pick him.” She pauses, rubbing her forehead. “...no, wait, that doesn’t really make sense… um… he’s not a fragile snowflake, but he’s still easy to melt? I don’t know… what were we talking about again?”

Silk replies simply. “You’re worried about your childhood friend and my newest one, hun. Don’t worry, I got it. Maybe I’ll try to ease up a little; the nurse outfit the other day was a test push I should probably let him recover from.”

“Nurse…? Never mind. Just treat your patient well.” She smirks a bit, leaning back in the chair. “So, what’s your plan for today?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. Sundays are my days off so usually I just act lazy or do whatever comes to mind.” The thestral stands, raising her hands above her head as she stretches, groaning a bit.

Asylum watches with a small chuckle. “The lazy part is certainly obvious at the moment.”

“Oh, like you don’t do the same sometimes.” Silk’s tongue sticks out between her fangs.

“I do it frequently, but not with a man in the house. But I suppose that’s your business, not mine.” She giggles. “But anyway, if you don’t have plans, maybe we could find something to do together? It’s been too long since we last did an activity that wasn’t modeling or a simple phone conversation.”

“Hmm… that does sound very tempting.” The thestral nods as her smile grows. “Does a flight followed by a hooficure sound like a decent start?”

Asylum smiles as well. “It certainly does. And while it may sound a bit ‘juvenile’, we could end it off with a sleepover, if you want to.”

“You call that juvenile?” Silk’s wings spread as she giggles. “Hun, I was going to try and ambush you with a few cloudballs while we were flying.”

“Really? I was going to do the same.” She giggles. “Cloudball fight up where nopony can see us?”

“You’re on.” Pointed teeth grin as the two friends look forward to an interesting day.

***

Giggling comes from both mares as they make their way into Asylum’s apartment, the pegasus fumbling for her keys briefly before opening the door. “Make yourself at home. Sorry it’s not very big.”

Silk waves her off with both hand and wing. “Hun, we’re in college. Virtually all living conditions are expected as long as you don’t live on the street. I’m sure it’s fine.”

Asylum looks around. “If you say so...” She steps into the narrow hallway leading to the living room-kitchen area, pointing out any branching doors. “This is the bathroom; that’s a closet; that door over there leads to the bedroom. Feel free to come and go as you wish.”

“I appreciate the hospitality. Shall I just set my bag in your room, then?” She motions to the last door.

She nods, smiling. “Go right ahead. I’ll see if I can figure out some things we can do.”

Nodding, Silk ducks into the bedroom. Setting her bag down, she peeks through it, nodding at all her things and making sure she knows what she’ll need soonest isn’t on the bottom. Satisfied, she heads back out.

Asylum has begun setting up a small game familiar to them both on the living room table, glancing up as her friend reappears. “Hope you don’t mind Battleclouds… it’s the only game I really have besides some old cards.”

“I think it sounds fun, hun.” Silk smiles as she heads to the couch. “Probably a better idea anyway, since I’m fairly certain most sleepover card games end up defaulting to strip poker. Can you imagine that with this? Strip Battleclouds?” She titters at the idea.

The pegasus giggles as well, but trails off. “...actually, I… kind of want to try that now...” She blushes.

The thestral, on the other hand, blinks with a blank look on her face. “Really? Huh…” She shrugs. “Oh, why not? Nothing we’ve never seen before, I get to see more of your cute blush, and we’ll likely have a big laugh about it after.”

Grinning, Asylum turns the board so that one side is facing each of them, sitting down on the floor across from Silk. “So… how will this work? An article of clothing for each ship sunk? Though I’m pretty sure we’re only wearing four each...”

“True… first one’s a freebie?” she offers.

“That works.” She starts to set her ships up carefully. “So… have you ever played strip games before?”

“Honestly, no. Never really had a friend I wanted to do it with before, and you know I haven’t been in a relationship since I would have gotten into them.” Silk lifts up her ships one at a time, debating where to place them. She flicks between a few variants before deciding. “You can go first if you want.”

Asylum smiles. “So this is new for you, hm? And yes, I think I will.” She scratches her chin. “D3.”

“Miss.” She smiles as she looks to her friend. “What about you then? Have you ever done a strip game before? B5.”

“Miss. And yes… many times, actually.” She blushes. “It was sort of a fun side activity we did on the baseball team back in high school… usually it was poker, though. I’m not very good at poker...” She giggles sheepishly. “Um… B8.”

“Miss… wow… I never thought of baseball teams being naughty…” Silk actually blushes as well. “And all of you? I don’t even know what to say… though I’m curious now if there are any good stories about that. You know I love a good story. C9.”

Asylum giggles. “There are a few… miss, by the way.” She thinks. “Well, I didn’t always lose… and there were one or two stallions on the team since it was co-ed, so take from that what you will.” She grins mischievously. “H2.”

“Miss…” Silk’s wings flare behind her at the thoughts going through her head. “I’m really starting to think you’re messing with me, hun. Otherwise I’m afraid you are not nearly as innocent as I thought you were. Oh, umm… F4.”

The pegasus clicks her tongue, frowning. “Hit… guess you go again?”

“I think that’s the official rules… F3.” She looks up. “So… no comments on what I said, then? I almost don’t want to say what’s going through my head.”

“Oh, I was planning to comment once we clarified the ‘shoot again’ rule.” She smiles. “I think you’ll find I’m still somewhat innocent. All the games I attended stopped at underwear since girls had an advantage in that case, though apparently there were some that went right to nudity that I bowed out of. Also, you missed your second shot.” She sticks her tongue out playfully. “F1.”

“Hit, damn it.” Still, she sighs in relief. “Oh good… you’re still my innocent adorable Asylum. Go again.”

“Keep in mind I later saw quite a bit of Win when I was living with him.” She smirks. “F2.”

“Miss.” Silk shakes her head. “Hun, you seeing one boy naked when you were growing up is nothing compared to the fear I had for a moment that you were involved in orgies.” It takes her a moment to remember to move. “G4.”

Asylum sighs. “Hit… and trust me, I stayed away from those. Virginity’s still intact… go again.”

“E4. Glad to hear that hun…” She waits to see if she hit something.

“Hit, again… sunk one of mine.” Asylum pouts. “At least the first one’s free… and you go again.”

“C2.” Noticing her pout, Silk reaches a wing forward and lightly brushes her ribs. “Now now, no pouting. How about you tell me a little something; you’re saving yourself for somepony special, right?”

The pegasus giggles from the light brushing, squirming a bit. “M-Miss… and yeah, I am...” She blushes a bit. “Um… E1.”

“Hit, go again, hun.” Eyeing her blush, she asks another question. “Do you… have anypony in mind?”

“...m-maybe? I don’t know… it might just be a stupid crush...” She sighs, shaking her head a bit. “D1.”

“Another hit. Come now, hun, what makes you think it’s stupid? I bet it isn’t.” The wing extends forward once more, trying to lift her head.

“...well, for starters, I don’t even know his name...” She lifts her head as desired, but keeps her eyes averted. “C1.”

“How does that work?” Using the very tip of her wing, Silk tickles her muzzle. “Another hit, looks like you found something big.”

She giggles. “Hope I get it… B1. And it’s sort of just a ‘love at first sight’ thing… though like I said, might just be a crush… I only saw him at school a couple days ago, and I know he runs an enchantment store...”

“And there goes my biggest cloud…” The thestral mutters this almost off-handedly as her ears flick. “A store owner? Tell me more… what was this ‘love at first sight’ like? I’m curious since it doesn’t happen often.”

“Well… he was holding a door open, and when I tried to say thank you, I almost choked on air.” She giggles a bit. “He just had that kind of effect on me… I don’t know if it was his build, his manners, or just some sort of connection I felt… whatever it was, I just suddenly grew fond of him.” She blinks. “O-Oh, my turn again… um… J8?”

“Miss. So, fell for a gentlestallion have you?” Silk giggles as she presses for more. “Just found yourself speechless? Lost in his eyes, or… what did you say? His ‘build’? I8.”

She coughs. “...m-miss… um… w-well...” She tries to think of a response, but eventually gives up and just covers her face with her hands. “...G5.”

“Miss~.” Silk’s smile grows wider. “Come now… can you try describing him? Or does the mere thought send your heart into flutters? I1.”

“M-Miss!” she nearly shouts before reigning herself in. “Um… w-well… he’s green? And a unicorn… C3...”

The thestral blinks. “Miss…” One ear flicks again as her eyes narrow slightly. “Go on… H7.”

“Miss… what else is there to say?” Asylum shrugs awkwardly. “Green, unicorn, stallion, handsome, polite… D5.”

“Mane color perhaps? I doubt you saw his cutie mark unless something extraordinary happened.” She looks down at the board. “Miss, G6.”

Asylum eeps, blush returning in full force as she gets some mental images. “W-Well… um… black, with blue in it, I think? And, um… miss, E4.”

“Hmm… hit.” Silk puts a hand to her chin, ear flicking thoughtfully as she doesn’t even acknowledge the blush.

“Well then, uh… E3?”

“Miss, F8… did he have chocolate brown eyes?” she asks suddenly.

Asylum blinks. “Um… yes, actually, he did...” She then winces. “And you hit...”

“F7.” Silk leans forward. “Asylum… I believe I know this beau of yours.”

Her eyes widen. “R-Really?” She smiles. “What’s his name? Do you know what he’s like?” She blushes. “Oh, er… and hit. Again.”

The thestral grins. “His name is Rhino, he’s a friend, and I will happily tell you all I know of him as soon as I blast that shirt off you.” She winks. “F9.”

“...sunk...” Her face paling (quite impressive given her normal colouration), Asylum slowly stands up. “O-Okay… here goes...” With a sigh, she starts removing her shirt, lime green bra underneath coming into view.

“No pink or rainbow? I suppose it would stop being interesting if you wore it all the time.” Silk giggles as she leans back and watches. “You really don’t seem to be getting used to doing that around me, hun… you know that’s sort of what you do for a living, right?”

“Y-Yeah… but I really don’t want to lose.” The top off, Asylum sits back down. “All the strip games we played had an extra thing for the loser… they basically had to become the winner’s slave until we all went home. Lack of clothing included.” She giggles a bit. “Usually pretty harmless… though I’m not sure if that’s what we’re doing here...”

“I think a bit of higher stakes sounds fun. Who knows what things we’ll think of…” She leans forward once more. “Though we’ll have to earn it. So… my turn again. C7. But since I promised, is there anything you’d like me to start with about your future husband?”

The pegasus’s face goes a deep red. “F-For one, start by not referring to him like that… it might just be a temporary crush… miss, by the way.” She squirms. “Um… what’s his personality like? I’m assuming his politeness wasn’t just a one-time thing, but you can’t be too careful… also, D4.”

“You cleared my tiny raincloud…” Silk sighs, shrugging and grasping the bottom of her shirt, flinging it off and over the couch in less than a second. Revealed is one of her classic purple bras cupping and covering her mounds comfortably with a bit of lace teasing the top edge. “Don’t need that anymore!”

Asylum laughs a bit. “Of course yours is prettier than mine.” She tilts her head. “So, about that personality? And H4.”

“Miss!” The thestral seems a little perkier now. “Well, politeness is definitely not a one-time thing for him. He’s actually quite the gentlestallion, though I think it’s also what he’ll default to if he doesn’t know how to react, so he can come off a little more polite than a situation calls for. He’s very calm most of the time, and very nice. Very gentle too, though I only have a small amount of proof of that. B8.”

“Miss. So he is polite all the time… well, most of the time.” She thinks about her next question and next move. “...I guess I should get these big ones out of the way: is he single, and does he like girls? Also, B5.”

“Miss, D9.” Thinking a bit, Silk answers. “Yes to both those questions. I actually got a direct answer for the first in casual conversation, but I had actually assumed it from watching him. It’s subtle, but… he’s introverted I think. You just sort of see after a while that he likely lives alone and is used to it… it’s a little sad because he can be very quiet as well.” Shaking her head, she moves on. “As for the second question, well, he hasn’t said it explicitly, but from how his eyes were drawn around my store, it was fairly obvious he liked what he saw in some things, even if he was blushing like mad and had trouble finding his words.” She giggles, looking to the pegasus. “Kind of like you, hun.”

Asylum just blushes more and squirms a bit. “That’s good to know… also, miss, F7.” She thinks a moment. “...do you think he’d like me?”

“Hun, I think you and he will get together and never be apart. Miss.” She crosses her arms confidently. “I actually considered going out with him, and he admitted he would likely give me a shot, but both of us talked and decided we’d rather be friends. He certainly had things to say about when he found his somepony, I’ll tell you that. Quite chatty if you get him comfortable and on a good topic. F2.”

“Miss… well, what would be a good topic with him? I’m not exactly a unicorn, so we can’t bond over that, nor do I have a need for enchantments.” She sighs. “I3.”

Silk blinks. “Hit. Darn, found me again…” Still, she pats her friend with a wing. “You’d be surprised how useful enhancements could be. He gave me a small demonstration once when I kept losing an earring; he put a little spell on them when we found it again, now they start glowing if they’re more than three feet away from each other. If you really want other interests, I hear he likes reading and has a taste for fiction, as well as games.” She snaps her fingers. “Oh, but speaking of tastes, there is one thing I likely need to warn you about.”

She tilts her head. “What might that be? And H3.”

“Miss, phew. B10.” Silk clears her throat. “Well, he does have a small addiction… to milk. Seriously, you have no idea how much he drinks, I don’t think he’ll ever break a bone in his life.”

Asylum giggles. “Is that all? I thought you were going to say he did meth or something. Oh, and miss. I4.”

“Damn… hit. I’m just telling you now so you aren’t weirded out or anything by it.” She looks down worriedly at her board. “I think you might win this…”

She giggles again. “Everypony has something they love and something they hate. I love flying and hate sunflowers; he loves milk and… is there anything he hates? Also, I5.”

“Miss, really keeping me on edge here.” Silk sighs again. “I wouldn’t really classify this as ‘something he hates’ because I don’t think it’s come up, but he’s… protective. A7.”

“Miss. Protective how? Friends, possessions… virginity?” She blushes a bit. “Um… I2.”

“And there goes another one of my clouds.” She stands, undoing her pants as she speaks. “I suppose being your slave will be interesting. To answer you, the context where it came up in was the somepony talk, but I can also confirm he is a virgin. A bit unusual, but not unheard of. He said he was saving it for somepony special.” With that said, her pants drop, her tail slipping out of the hole in the back, leaving her in panties that match her bra, looking both comfy and tempting. “Sink more and I’ll have to start going bare, hun.” She sticks her tongue out.

Asylum grins, looking her over. “That’s the idea. Hmm… E7? And that’s good to hear; pretty similar to my own thoughts on the subject.”

“Miss, and hun I doubt you do a deep growl when the subject of protecting someone close to you comes up.” Seeing her eyes, Silk smiles and does a little pose as she stands. “Like what you see? J9.”

She blushes at the pose, but tries to tackle her replies one by one. “Huh… that’s a little more than I expected… in terms of protection, I mean. As for you… well, I can’t say I don’t.” She giggles. “Also, miss. D6.”

“Miss to you as well.” Silk sits back down, getting comfortable and crossing her legs. “And thank you, it’s very flattering. I4.”

Asylum grins. “Well, it appears I-4-got to put a cloud there… because you missed.” She giggles at her own joke before trailing off awkwardly. “...G8.”

The thestral laughs slowly as she shakes her head. “I suppose I should have expected a pun at some point. Miss. Anything else you want to know about him, or are your thoughts moving on to what you’ll have a naked version of me doing? A4.”

“I’m trying to multitask those thoughts with horrible jokes, apparently.” She chuckles sheepishly. “Miss. H7. I do have one more question about him… how would I go about, um… talking to him? For the first time, I mean?”

“Hit… you found another one!” Silk’s wings spread in overly dramatic alarm before she answers. “I think… go up to him, say hello, introduce yourself. After that, pursue a small goal. Maybe ask about his shop, but then he might see you as just a customer. Perhaps talk a little, or you may just go straight for it and ask him to lunch.”

“...hopefully it comes to that last one, but I doubt it’ll be right away...” She thinks. “I7?”

“Miss.” Silk pats her shoulder. “Just be your adorable self, and don’t freeze up. You’ll do wonderfully, hun. If not I’ll just have to give him a wing slap for not realizing it himself and send him to you for a date that will be far more awkward because of it. C4.”

“Miss, and please don’t. Awkwardness is not fun.” She pouts playfully before speaking again. “H8. And since I already know based on past shots that a part of your ship mathematically has to be there, H6 after that.”

“Has to be there, huh? Hit with first, miss with second.” The thestral sticks her tongue out. “Someone’s getting cheeky with her impending victory. Careful, you might lose your prize. J5.”

She winces. “...hit… uh-oh...”

“I wonder which one that was… you have three left still.” Her slitted eyes narrow as she leans back. “J6.”

Asylum slumps a bit, feeling a sense of dread. “Another hit...”

“Could the mistress of the sea be staging a comeback?” She looks between a few options. “J4.”

“Hit...” She swallows nervously.

Giggling, Silk waves a hand. “Don’t be glum, hun. I still have to find your tiniest ship, you already got mine. J3.”

“Another hit… still not sunk...” She looks at Silk with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Oh dear… 50/50…” She thinks carefully, but ultimately just guesses. “J2.”

“...sunk.” Asylum slumps again, even going so far as to dramatically fall onto her back on the carpeted floor, groaning. “My precious battlecloud is at the bottom of the cloud layer now and it’s all your faaaaaaault!~”

Silk grins. “Haha! You know the penalty for losing one of your precious clouds.”

“I know, I know...” Standing up, Asylum begins to undo her jeans. “You know, looking back on it, I just realized the little danger I barely avoided when we were flying earlier… I almost wore a skirt this morning.”

“Well, if things go smoothly, it’s worth noting Rhino seems to like skirts.” The thestral winks.

“...I may have to buy some more.” Giggling, she lets her pants drop; green panties to match her bra are revealed, with lace around the edges as almost an indicator that the other mare in the room made them. On the front is a small yellow flower. “Hopefully he doesn’t like them for the reason most hormone-addled guys do...”

Silk nods. “Well, he does seem embarrassed that he likes them, so I think there’s hope. Ah, I remember those… a flower to cover your flower, and yet still adorable. A9 when you’re ready.”

Giggling despite obvious embarrassment, Asylum does a small pose. “It’s always the ones with designs that catch my eye… odd for clothes no one’s supposed to see.” Finally, she sits back down. “Miss, and H9. And since like before, that one has to hit unless you put them diagonally, H10 as well.”

“And suddenly with double hits my confidence lessens greatly.” Giggling after a small sigh, Silk reaches behind herself. “Guess the girls are getting some air this evening…” With a small ‘snap’ the bra comes loose, being soon tossed over onto her shirt. “You still like the view, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re not exactly anything less than gorgeous.” She smiles, her face slightly red as she gazes at the newly-exposed body parts. “Er… D9.”

“I’m a C actually, hun.” Silk winks before looking down and groaning. “Seriously? All that open sky and bam, you find my last cloud.”

Grinning, Asylum bounces in place a bit gleefully, her still-covered breasts mimicking her. “D10!”

Silk’s eyes follow the bouncing before she answers. “Miss! The opportunity is mine once again, Miss Bouncy! C6.”

After stopping her bouncing and sulking for all of two seconds, she goes right back to bouncing again. “Miss! Now, E9!”

“Miss! Another chance!” She points a dramatic finger. “B3!”

“Miss again! D8!”

“Miss! Your luck seems to be failing you, Asylum! F1!”

Asylum winces. “Hit...”

Silk blinks. “Oh… yay! Okay, gotta not waste this… E1.”

“Another hit...” The pegasus just stares as she watches her victory begin to slip away.

“Could be either direction… G1.”

“That’s a third hit… one more, and you’ve sunk it...” She shuts her eyes, bracing herself.

Biting her lip, Silk makes a guess. “D1.”

“...miss.” A wicked grin crosses Asylum’s features. “C9.”

“Why are all four of those clouds on the same half of the board?!” Silk’s hands go to her head as she groans. “Hit…”

“Because I never put much planning into placing my clouds!” the pegasus chirps before leaning forward, grinning. “B. 9.”

Silk groans loudly as she slumps forward. “Hit… you win.” Looking up, she smiles. “Congratulations, hun.”

Asylum jumps up, cheering. “Woo!” She then realizes she’s still undressed and quickly flops back down into a sitting position, blushing.

The thestral snorts at this. “Why are you blushing? I still have penance to pay.” Standing up, she slides off her last piece of clothing, leaving her bare as the day she was born… just bigger and curvier. “And I recall… I am now yours to command.” She gives a small bow.

Asylum giggles, looking her up and down a few times. “Indeed you are...” Standing up again, she nods. “First, clean up our clothes. Just put mine in the laundry hamper and do whatever you want with yours, as long as they stay off your body. I’ll order us something to eat.”

Feeling the usual surprising freedom one has when completely nude, Silk bends over and does as she asks. “What will we be getting, mistress?”

She thinks as she heads for the phone. “Hm… usually I either order pizza, or Chineighse food… your choice, I suppose. They both work.”

Stowing Asylum’s clothes in the hamper and throwing hers onto her bag in the bedroom, Silk walks back as she answers. “I think pizza this time, and Chineighse next.”

“Pizza, then. What do you want on yours? And do you want just a small, or can you stomach a medium or large?” She picks the phone up, but waits to dial.

“Either a small for each of us or a medium for both, I think.” She taps her chin in thought. “Can I get mushrooms and sliced tomatoes, please?”

“Small for both, then.” She giggles and nods. “Anything else with that? To drink, or as a side?”

Silk thinks, tapping one hoof on the floor. “Breadsticks might be nice for a late night snack later on.”

“Breadsticks for you, and I’ll get a soda for myself… might as well pig out, right?” She smirks. “No drink for you, then?”

“Oh, lemonade, please.” Silk giggles. “Almost forgot.”

Nodding, Asylum starts to dial. “We’ll figure out who’s gonna answer the door later.”

The thestral blinks. “Wait… what?”

“Well, one of us has to, right?” She smirks. “Whoever it is will wear a robe or something, don’t worry. Now hush, it’s ringing.” Silk sighs in relief, knowing one line she doesn’t want to cross.

A few minutes later, the order has been placed, and Asylum heads to the couch to flop down. “So, what do you want to do until it gets here? We have about twenty minutes.”

“Hun… you’re the one in charge this evening. I’m the slave filly, remember?” She stands next to the couch, still curious what will come of the situation.

“Oh, right… hm.” She thinks, then grins. “Well, slave… I think I know some ways you can provide me with amusement.”

“I live to serve.” Silk gives another small bow, hands clasped in front of her stomach.

Asylum giggles. “Good. Your first task is to fly outside, grab a tuft of cloud, and bring it back… naked.”

“...” Silk blinks, looking at her friend in a new light. “I’m starting to think I corrupted you a bit too much over the course of our friendship if this is what you choose to start with...” Sighing, she heads over to the door regardless. “Here’s hoping I don’t get arrested for streaking.” A thought occurs to her as she looks back. “Umm… how big?”

Asylum shrugs. “About as big as a baseball, I suppose. A little bigger or smaller isn’t a problem. I just don’t want you coming back with a cloud wisp… or an entire cloud.”

Nodding, Silk steels herself before wrenching the door open and zipping out as a purple and yellow blur. About a minute passes before she suddenly zips back in, still flying and having to skid across the floor. The door shuts behind her as she lets out a small shriek, hugging about half of a pillow’s worth of cloud to her chest. Her slitted eyes are pinpricks as she turns to her friend. “Hun, you have no idea how flying naked feels! The wind blows over and against everything! Holy crap!” She dances in place, tingles all over her body, especially her sensitive bits.

The pegasus laughs at the reaction, nearly falling off the couch. “W-Was it fun?”

“Gah! Exhilarating, perhaps, but I don’t know about fun, and I don’t think I’ll be doing it again…” Letting out a big breath, she shoves the cloud at Asylum, revealing the now pointed mounds she was trying to shield from the wind.

“Thank you, dear.” Giggling, Asylum takes the cloud, nuzzling Silk’s cheek. “I promise everything else will be kept indoors, okay?”

Nodding, Silk nuzzles back, wings still a bit flared from her adrenalin. “Thank you…”

Smiling, the pegasus sits down on the couch, keeping the cloud in her lap. “I’ll give you time to calm down. Want to talk for a bit?”

Sitting down next to her, Silk struggles to get comfortable, ending up having to sit with her legs spread slightly. “My mind’s a bit clear from that, so aside from little voices telling me you’re going to calm me down now only to rile me up again later, you’ll have to start any conversation.”

Asylum thinks. “...completely irrelevant question to any future plans: how sensitive are your wings?”

“Umm…” Looking back at her purple flying appendages, Silk muses. “I think a little more sensitive than yours because I don’t have feathers over them.”

“Excellent.” She smiles innocently. “So, we’ve already discussed my current attempt at a love life… how’s yours coming along?”

“Well… I don’t think I can really say it is at all.” Her wings give a half-hearted flap. “I mean, I’m considering Winter as a possibility as I feel him out and try to learn more about him, but I guess I really still just feel out of the game. Even with him I still feel like I’m just being me around friends.”

Asylum tilts her head. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Treat him like a friend, and when you feel close enough, ask about taking the next step?”

“I suppose…” Silk scratches the back of her head. “Maybe I’ve just been out of relationships for so long, the lines blur for me… I’m not sure when’s too soon, and when is stalling.”

The pegasus hums a bit in thought. “You said he was responding to your teasing with some of his own… does he always do that? Does he sometimes blush and stammer? Or get mad, or anything else?”

“The blush is fairly constant, the stammering only comes in when I make a small move.” She taps her lip. “Though, he is getting better at just rolling with whatever I do; still hasn’t taken me up on my offer though…”

“Offer?” Asylum raises an eyebrow, smirking. “Mind elaborating?”

“Well… to paraphrase, I basically told him that he still has much to learn about me.” She smirks cheekily. “He asked how he was supposed to find out, and since he had just come out of the basement…” She giggles, blushing. “I told him to try experimenting on me as well.”

The pegasus blinks, before a hand slowly comes to rest on her face. “...Silk. You do know how that could be interpreted, right?”

“Honestly, hun? I have no idea… I said it so vaguely, and was even in character as a nurse, so who knows what he got from it.” She shrugs.

“...so you’re dressed as a nurse which, regardless of how tame the outfit is, was likely geared at least somewhat towards emphasizing your looks,” she recaps. “He comes out of the basement from working, probably all sweaty, and when he asks how to learn more about you, you tell him to experiment.” She pauses to let that sink in. “I know Win, and in no universe would he not think at first you were inviting him to have sex with you.”

“Oh… well, that’s not exactly the point I wanted to get across…” Mumbling a bit, Silk plays with a bit of her mane nervously. “I mean, it’s not like I hung around and waited for him to make a move, I went back to my room after patching him up. I really thought I would just make getting to know me a little more interesting by using that ‘experiment’ line. I don’t know exactly what I thought, but I didn’t mean it to come across as ‘mount me’.”

Asylum sighs, leaning in and hugging her. “Tomorrow, Silk, here’s what I want you to do: when you see Win again, offer him a chance to find out more about you without any ‘experimenting’. Make it clear you meant it in a friendly way, not a seductive one. Get to know him as much as he gets to know you.” She smirks. “And if at any point you feel that right sort of bond, give him a nuzzle and a compliment… and if he still doesn’t get it, a kiss. Trust me, that’ll get you farther than any tail-flagging.”

Snorting a bit, Silk squeezes her. “I don’t tail-flag, hun… I do have lines. Kisses though… I can do that.”

Trying to ignore the pointy mounds against her own chest, Asylum smiles. “Good. Just do that, and I think it’ll work out great between you two.” Again, she smirks. “And if it does, I have plenty of information that can help you out with him… or as blackmail purposes if it comes to that.”

“Sounds like a fair trade considering what I spilled about your potential lover.” She smirks back. “And blackmail can always be fun.”

“I’ll give you some tips in advance in exchange for a couple of your breadsticks when they get here.”

“Deal. Though honestly I’m still curious what you have planned for me in that devious mind of yours.” She sticks out her tongue.

Asylum grins. “Thanks for the reminder. I think we have time for another task or two before our food gets here.” She puts a hand to her chin in thought. “Hm… how are you at jumping rope?”

“Solo or with others turning?”

“Solo. Nopony else is here to help me turn and I doubt you’d want them here anyway.” She grins wickedly.

Raising an eyebrow, Silk leans away from that smile. “Okay… decent then. Not going to set any speed records, but not going to get tripped up by myself.”

“Good enough.” She nods to the bedroom. “I have an old jump rope in my closet. I want you to skip for a while and let your body bounce around.”

Nodding slowly, Silk stands, leaving a parting comment as she heads to the room. “Naughty mare…” She returns in a moment, a bright pink and blue jump rope in hand. “I hope I don’t get sweaty and smelly from this…”

“If you do, the shower’s free to use.” She giggles. “See if you can jump to fifty. If you can’t, just go as long as you can.”

Getting into position, Silk holds the ends in either hand, bouncing lightly on her heels as a test for her weight, already feeling her chest bounce up and down. She blows a light breath as she mutters to herself. “Just got you two soft again, too…” With only one small test swing, she begins, her whole body bouncing up and down at about a walking pace as she counts mentally.

Asylum just watches, smirking as her eyes follow the other mare up and down. “Nice...”

“I-I feel l-like I d-definitely c-corrupted you a b-bit.” The thestrals continues to jump, her mounds flapping with wild abandon so that she almost wonders if they’ll smack her in the face, despite knowing such a thing is physically impossible for her.

“Probably, yeah. So you only have yourself to blame.” She adopts a lounging position on the couch, smile not fading even the slightest bit.

Silk’s face goes a bit red at being openly ogled, but she still has a small smile, tail swishing a bit, even if it’s hard to tell when jumping. “I’m s-starting to t-think you’re c-corrupting me b-back.”

“Little ol’ me? Nahhhh.”

With a surprising amount of effort needed, the thestral rolls her eyes. “39, 40…” A few more silent bouncy seconds pass before she stops, panting a little. “You are corrupting me into enjoying being ogled naked by my best friend who has no sexual intentions with me whatsoever.”

“That’s a pretty specific thing to be corrupted into. Usually it’s drugs, or the dark side, or bad music.” Asylum shrugs. “Do you want to take that shower now?”

“I don’t think it’s needed.” Her wings spread out to let off the bit of heat she accumulated. “Barely sweated at all, actually…” With a small wince, she cups one of her mounds. “Definitely need a bra if I do that more than 50 times. The girls went crazy, got their exercise.”

“I’ll keep any other tasks less physical.” She smiles, getting up and taking the rope. “For this next task… you’re going to be the one to answer the door.”

Silk is unfazed. “Do I still get the robe?”

“Yes, but you don’t get to tie it.” Asylum grins. “Just hold it closed with your arm… and good luck taking the pizza that way without flashing the delivery colt!~”

Smirking to herself, Silk crosses her arms. “I’m impressed by how devious you are. Of course you know if the tables are ever turned, you can expect no mercy.”

“True… but you wouldn’t put somepony as adorable as me through such humiliation, would you?” She bats her eyelashes playfully, clasping her hands behind her back and adopting a cute, almost shy pose.

Eye twitching, the thestral breathes slowly. “Easy, Silk… remember what she’s doing to you. She’s almost matching you, no time to pull the satin-gloved punches…”

Interrupting them, a steady knock comes from the door, and Asylum’s eyes widen. She hisses one thing to Silk; “Robe’s in the bedroom hanging on the back of the door!” With that, she runs into the bathroom to hide.

Darting to the room and slipping on the robe, Silk folds it around her as tight as she can, crossing her arms in front of herself to appear casual as she opens the front door.

In the doorway is a purple earth colt, maybe only a year or two younger than her, holding two pizza boxes in his arms and a brown paper bag on top. He glances at her and averts his gaze down to the boxes. “Two medium; one mushroom and tomato, one hay bacon deluxe; breadsticks and drinks?”

“That’s us. One moment…” Grabbing the wallet off the table, she keeps her elbow pinned to her side as she heads back to the colt. “How much?”

“Er… sixty-seven bits.” He’s clearly trying not to stare, at least having that much decency.

Nodding, she gives him about seventy-five bits to include tip. “Here you are…” Looking between the boxes and her arms, she momentarily smirks as her wings come forward around her body. The claws midway down the edge hook together, forming a sort of purple cloak for her that acts as additional covering and still helps the robe from loosening anymore than it already has. Taking the food from him, she smiles winningly. “Thank you…”

“Y-You’re welcome, miss...” He blushes, but smiles back. “Have a wonderful night.” Stepping back, he starts heading back down the hall, glancing back occasionally.

Closing the door, she sighs, setting the food down on the table. “I’m curious and yet I really don’t want to know how much he saw.”

“Is he gone?” Asylum asks quietly, peeking her head out of the bathroom. She sniffs the air, smelling the pizza, and sees Silk away from the door. “Guess so.” Sighing in relief, she heads out and walks over. “So, how’d it go? Think you got another admirer?”

“Probably… I just hope no rumours start.” Taking the robe off, she hangs it over the back of the couch, stretching a bit. “Is it bad I feel much better without that on?”

“That just means you prefer looking natural. Which is fine.” She giggles. “Only reason I’m not joining you in that regard is because I prefer looking cute over sexy.”

“A shame, I think you could easily pull off both.” Silk giggles as well, winking.

Blushing, the pegasus shuts up and just sits on the couch, pulling her pizza box over. She opens the lid and smiles. “Extra cheese, hay bacon everywhere… this is edible heaven.”

Already chewing her first piece, Silk can only hum happily to agree. Once her mouth is free, she tries again. “I agree, it is delicious! Or maybe I’m hungry… ah well, doesn't matter.”

“Nope.” With that, the pegasus picks up a slice and takes a huge bite out of it, practically devouring half of it immediately. Grease and sauce make home around her lips, but she doesn’t pay it any mind, just chewing happily.

Her voracity merits a couple seconds of staring from her friend, but soon the thestral’s stomach protests and she goes back to eating her own. The only evidence left after each bite is a small line of sauce at the corner of her mouth, quickly cleaned with a tongue swipe.

Asylum giggles a bit. “So, what do you want to know first?”

“Hmm…” Silk sips her lemonade as she thinks. “Has he ever expressed what he wants in a relationship?”

“I think the way he described it was somepony who can care for him as much as he cares for them. And has a sense of humour.” She shrugs. “He doesn’t have very specific requirements.”

“Well, I suppose that’s fine, even if it doesn’t give me much to work with.” She moves to her second slice. “Does he seclude himself often like he does in the basement, or is it just because he’s excited about his project?”

After taking and quickly swallowing another bite, Asylum answers. “Yes and no. He rarely left his room most of the time; only for food, bathroom breaks, and when he needs to go outside. Maybe that’s changed, but I don’t know. I’m guessing that with school, work, his project, and two housemates, he can’t really lock himself away anymore… but that’d be up to you to figure out. I don’t live with him.” She smirks and takes another large bite, finishing off the first slice.

“Well, even if he does, if things work out, I’ll either be dragging him out or joining him.” She giggles as she thinks of another question. “How about… no, I’ll just get that out of him… no, I’ll have fun finding that out…” She blushes as another one comes to mind, but doesn’t say anything on it. “Okay, for lack of a better one, what would you suggest as sort of his ideal kind of date? The activity, I mean.”

“Hmm...” Asylum thinks. “Knowing him… the less public, the better. If you leave it up to him, he’d probably just suggest ordering food in and watching a movie. I know for a fact he rarely ever went anywhere public with any of his past significant others...”

“I may have to work up to outside dates then… I do like a challenge.” She nods as she munches. “Do you think he’s very affectionate? Because I can fully admit I’m probably going to be needy on that point.”

The pegasus giggles. “Oh, very much so. He doesn’t like contact with strangers, but once you grow on him, he’ll probably be all over you. Hugs, sitting close, nuzzles… sometimes I swear he’s part thestral himself. Or changeling.”

Those last words rouse Silk from the little visions she had been having of those actions, her tail still wagging happily. She giggles, holding her drink up to take a swig after she speaks. “We are little affection eaters, aren’t we?”

“You certainly are.” Smirking, Asylum takes a drink of her own beverage, leaning over and swiping one of Silk’s breadsticks. “Just be careful. I learned a couple of his… sensitive areas without realizing it a while back.”

She narrows her eyes at the swipe. “Why should I be careful? I would think I should focus on them.”

“Depends on if you want him calm, nervous, or jumping you.” She chuckles.

“Fair enough; are there ones for either or is he single trigger?” Her third piece starts to disappear.

The pegasus, meanwhile, is halfway through her fourth slice. She swallows before answering. “Single trigger. Getting him riled up in any way will make him nervous, unless you’re not being too forward. Once you two get together, he’ll probably jump you and take you to a snugglefest no matter what, as long as you’re not making like you plan to rape him.” She stuffs the rest of the crust in her mouth.

“Good to know I can rile him up enough to lash out and take charge…” Silk licks her lips, squirming and crossing her legs. “Do you know anything he… you know… likes?”

“A few.” She grabs another breadstick. “Do you mean things to do to him, or things to do to yourself and show him?”

“Both would be very appreciated.” She squirms a little more, eating almost absentmindedly now.

Asylum thinks for a moment. “He enjoys a good back massage, and his horn and rump are nice sensitive areas. Tugging his tail is probably the best way to get him started. You probably already know this, but the less you’re wearing, the more excited he’s likely to get… though surprisingly, he doesn’t react much to full-on nudity.” She pauses. “I don’t know firsthand what to do once you two get in the heat of the moment, but according to Lime whose friend dated him for a bit, he can get into roleplaying. And if at any point you decide he’s wearing too much clothing, you can either suggest he strip down or take it off yourself. Be warned that he will likely find the former more awkward.” Taking another bite, she chews thoughtfully. “That’s all I know, aside from some of his fetishes… I assume you’re interested in those?”

She nods eagerly, leaning forward and forgoing her food. “Yes please, don’t stop now. I only regret I don’t have the same information to dish on your beau.”

She coughs awkwardly. “D-Don’t think I’d want that info right away anyway… the only reason I know all this is because of a few truth-or-dare games.” She tries to regain her composure. “Like I already said; roleplaying, clothes that cover very little or are very eye-catching - or both, even - and attention to his sensitive spots. He also very much enjoys foreplay, which you’ve likely already got in the bag.” The pegasus smirks. “There’s a lot he hasn’t tried, but is interested in trying; bondage, for instance, or that little underlying danger of being caught. If you two ever go all the way, I’d suggest indulging him in a couple of those, unless you have a thing against them.”

“Well, not crazy about being caught, but everything else… mmm…” Her wings spread as she gazes upward in thought.

“Already excited, huh?” Asylum giggles. “Don’t worry; you’ll get a chance to kiss, cuddle, fondle, and do whatever else to him tomorrow.”

She squirms yet again, smiling seductively at the air in front of her. “Hun, you are dooming him to a fast-paced start to this relationship.”

“Well, his past relationships started slow and the longest one lasted only seven months, so that might be a good thing.” The pegasus downs her last slice, leaving only a crumb-filled box and empty soda can. “Ahh...”

Seeing her friend’s face, Silk holds a hand over her mouth, stifling giggles. “Do you, ah, want a napkin?”

“...yes please.” The light yellow face starts turning a light red.

Easing up slowly, Silk stiffly walks into the kitchen and comes back with a paper towel. “Here, hun.” She smiles, offering it to her with her tail sticking out straight behind her.

Taking it, Asylum begins wiping her face, noticing the stiff tail. “...I got you turned on with those descriptions, didn’t I?”

Blushing beet red, Silk quickly turns her back to her friend. “Any more and you may have smelled me…”

“Maybe we should wrap it up and go to bed soon?” Asylum suggests.

“What? No!” Silk huffs, turning back around with a frown. “It’s barely past eight, we aren’t going to bed yet!”

“It is?” She glances at a clock on the wall. “Oh… wow, I thought that game took a lot longer.” She bites her lip. “I could put you through more tasks, but I think I’d rather wait for you to calm down first...”

“I’m getting that feeling again that I got after I got your cloud, that you let me calm down only to rile me up again.” She narrows her eyes. “But… I can think non-sexy thoughts for a bit if it will help you.”

Asylum nods. “I just don’t want to give you enough tasks that you actually… well...” She coughs.

Silk crosses her arms under her chest. “Hun, I’m really not sure what you’re exactly getting at. Are you worried about me getting excited, wet, or making a mess on the floor? Because I honestly doubt that last one will happen and the first already has… twice.”

“The last one, yeah.” She chuckles sheepishly. “Well, if you’re sure… your next task is to give me a massage. Think of it as practice for when you inevitably give one to Win.”

She blinks. “Oh, well that seems easy enough.”

Grinning, the mare flops down onto her stomach on the couch. “Speaking of whom, have you figured out a plan yet?”

“I think so.” Walking over, Silk leans down and starts rubbing her shoulders lightly. “Tomorrow morning, I’m going to tell him I want to get to know him better, asking for the same, then I’m going to get affectionate, kiss him, then ask. I can’t wait any more after those mental images you gave me.”

“Fair enough. Mmm...” Asylum closes her eyes happily, tail wagging. “And if - when, more like - he says yes?”

Silk grins as she moves down relatively quickly, reaching her wings. “Then I am going to pull him to the nearest soft surface, snuggle the heck out of him, and likely start making out.”

The pegasus hums in pleasure. “Sounds good… just be warned… get him going, and clothes will fly off… his and yours, likely...”

Grabbing her wings, Silk sighs happily. “I don’t mind that at all… though I won’t be asking him to mount me the first day.”

“G-Good idea...” The mare mumbles a bit, having trouble forming proper words. “...h-how big do you think he is…?”

“I have no idea…” She shivers, the motion transferring down her arms to her hands. “But honestly… with us both being virgins I don’t really think it matters unless one of our boys is hiding a monster.”

She giggles. “Let me know if you find out… I haven’t seen in years, probably changed...”

“I guess we’ll have to compare notes after it happens… I’m really looking forward to my first time.” Her hands move down to just above the waist.

“M-Me too… ooh...” Asylum squirms a bit in anticipation.

“All I ever keep hearing is how wonderful it is…” The thestral’s voice goes a bit breathy as she massages her friend’s thighs. “I mean, I can only imagine how much easier heats will be once our barriers are breached and we can finally go as deep as our itches. Though… I guess we'll have stallions to do it for us then…” She licks her lips hungrily.

Asylum just nods. “Y-Yes...”

Pausing around her tail, Silk tilts her head. “Come on, hun, surely you have more to say on that than yes. Tell me what you think of all this, of those things.”

“Huh…?” The pegasus blinks. “Oh… um… I-I guess it’d be good, yeah… though I don’t know if I’ll get to that stage as quickly as you do...”

“I understand, hun… everypony has their own speed.” She leans down and nuzzles her as she massages around her tail base. “Though of course you really only have three weeks until nature starts banging on your biological door to get to that step.”

“D-Don’t count on it… especially if he’s as gentlestallionly as you say...” She goes back to humming in pleasure from the massage.

“Just making sure you know the timetable, dear.” Moving down to her legs, she continues. “Well, if not that… how about: what are you looking forward to most in a relationship?”

“W-Well...” She sighs. “Just… having somepony I can be that close to, I think… friends are nice, but a special somepony is… special. You know?”

“I do.” She taps the back of her legs to show she is done. “And I think it’s adorable how much of a romantic you are.”

Asylum blinks. “...thanks, I think?”

“You’re welcome. I’m all done, by the way. In case you didn’t realize you had stopped making your little happy noises.” She giggles.

“I noticed… your comment just confused me a bit.” Sighing, Asylum pulls herself into a sitting position. “Wow… you’re good at that...”

“Am I? I basically just rubbed you, nothing fancy.” She shrugs before grinning. “Though I did notice a few spots I’ll have to tell Rhino about if he asks where you sensitive spots are.”

She blushes at that. “Um… p-please don’t… actually, go ahead.” She smiles a bit. “Might be fun...”

Silk giggles, nudging her. “There’s that corruption showing again. To think you used to be so innocent… well, I suppose you still are, but there’s naughtiness in there too now.”

“I like having a mixture.” She giggles. “So, any other questions you have about Win? We got interrupted before by my messiness.”

“I was out of questions anyway.” The thestral takes a seat. “I’d like to find out the rest on my own.”

“Fair enough. And if he gives you trouble, let me know.” Asylum chuckles mischievously. “I’ll set him straight.”

“The same to you with Rhino.” She offers her hand to seal the deal.

Giggling, Asylum takes it and shakes. “Thanks.”

Chapter 6: Who's move

Silk does a small loop in the sky before landing and entering her shared home after her little sleepover with Asylum. She half considered just going to work from there, but she had a few things she needed to grab, so back home it was. Shutting the door behind her, she strolls in. Unsure who is sleeping and who isn’t, she refrains from calling out.

She gets a pretty good idea, though, when the sound of a small thud comes from the basement. Rather than a cry following it like the other day, however, a few moments pass before footsteps can be heard instead, and Winter pokes his head around the doorway, spotting his housemate. “Well, good morning, you.” He smiles. “Had fun?”

“Oh very much so. Were you waiting for me?” She flutters her eyelashes at him.

“More or less. At least wanted to make sure you got home fine.” He steps out, revealing that he has once again been working shirtless and gotten sweaty, both having reasons still unknown. “I take it you’re headed off to work soon?”

“Well, not quite soon.” Setting her bag down, she brushes an errant strand of mane behind her ear. “In about an hour or so. Feel like taking a break to spend that time with me?”

He nods. “Can’t go any further until tonight anyway, so might as well.” He starts heading into the kitchen. “Hungry?”

“I could go for something light.” She follows him, looking at him curiously as she thinks.

“Light… the best we have for that is fruit, or just a piece of bread or cheese. I’m assuming you’d prefer the first of those.” He opens the fridge and digs out two bright red apples, holding one out to her. “I don’t do the shopping until tomorrow, so there isn’t much choice. Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, hun.” She softly grabs it from him. “It gives us time to talk, and there a few things I wanted to say.”

He blinks. “...what about? Did Asylum tell you stuff she shouldn’t have?” He takes a bite of his own apple, looking a little worried.

“No… but I was corrected on how some of my tactics might be… misconstrued.” She blushes slightly as she nibbles on the apple.

“Tactics?” Winter tilts his head, looking more confused now than anything else.

“Well, do you remember when I made that last comment the other day when I was patching you up? About…” She clears her throat, in hindsight seeing exactly what Asylum had been talking about. “You ‘experimenting’ with me?”

He blushes a bit. “Y-Yeah…?”

“Well, let me be clear. I was not proposing you.” She fiddles with the apple in her hand. “It was my way, in character and considering how you got your injury, of inviting you to get to know me better. Since, you know, I had been getting to know you and wanted to continue, I would invite you to do the same.” She steps closer, looking him in the eyes.

Slowly, he nods, realizing what she means. “So you didn’t mean… alright then.” He chuckles. “I thought it was a bit too forward… even for you.”

Nodding, she giggles. “Yes… there are lines even I don’t cross casually. Though, since you know what I was really asking…” The question lingers as she slowly takes a bite of apple.

Winter blinks, then smiles sheepishly. “Well… I’m not really sure what to ask, here. I’m used to just letting ponies tell me about themselves, rather than pry for more information.” He sits down in a chair, gesturing for her to do the same.

She does so, but not before moving her chair closer to his, though still with a small bit of space between them. “It’s not prying if you have an open invitation.” She smiles softly at him, spreading her wings slightly.

“I guess… still, hard to think of stuff...” He takes another bite of his apple, thinking. “...where do you come from?”

“Cloudsdale.” She says simply, shrugging her wings, one staying on the back of his chair afterwards. “If you think it’s uncommon to be a thestral, try being a pony in Cloudsdale who gets a mark that has nothing to do with racing or weather.”

He rolls his eyes playfully. “Or try being a unicorn in Canterlot whose special talent has nothing to do with gems or royalty.”

She covers her mouth as she giggles. “Oh? Do I get to see this mystery mark?”

“...” He opens his mouth to speak, shuts it, and tries again, only to shut it again. As this goes on, his face slowly makes the transition from blue to red, before finally he finds some words. “...compromise: I’ll show you only if you show me yours.” His tone indicates he isn’t completely serious about this, but nevertheless, he looks at her awaiting an answer.

“Deal.” Her eyes twinkle mischievously as she motions to him with a hand. “Do you want to go first, or shall I? I wouldn’t want to you to be too out of it from making a mess from nosebleed or other things.”

Surprisingly, despite his blush returning, he replies without missing a beat. “If you’re serious about this, I’ll let you go first. If I do pass out from loss of blood or other bodily fluids, you have my permission to just take a look yourself.”

“Well, that’s not as fun. I wouldn’t be able to see you reacting then.” She stands, loosening her belt a bit. “Best you try and stay clean then.” She winks.

It seems to finally register in his head that this is actually happening; his face goes a very bright red, but rather than try to backtrack and stop her, he just watches, his half-eaten apple briefly forgotten.

She only smiles at his face, pulling one side of her pants down enough to reveal the waistband of one of her classic lacey panty designs, this one magenta. It also reveals the yellow thigh beneath it, a large mark of an embroidered lace circle marring the otherwise pristine coat.

“H-Huh...” He just nods slowly, his eyes glued to the mark and the bit of skin and fabric below and above it. “...wow...”

Feeling cheeky, she shakes her hip a bit. “Like what you see?”

He nods again absentmindedly. “Yeah...”

Pulling her pants back up, she smirks as she looks to him, ‘accidentally’ nudging her chair to almost touching his before she sits down. “Fair is fair, right?”

Blinking back to reality, he winces, realizing what has to happen next. “R-Right...” Sighing, he stands up, starting to undo his belt as well. “Had to shower and change anyway...” With less show than she had, he just lets his jeans drop and starts pulling down the side of his plaid boxers next, showing off a golden shield emblazoned with a light blue snowflake.

“A shield? That is uncommon…” Her eyes roam up and down his legs as she speaks. “I think it’s a lovely mark though, and the snowflake is a nice touch to make it suit you.”

He smiles despite the situation. “Um… thanks...”

She hums in thought. “Though really, hun, are you that eager to drop your pants around me?”

“...you asked, and we made a deal.” He quickly pulls both his boxers and jeans back up. “You weren’t exactly hesitating, yourself...”

Waiting until he sits down, she gives him a small nuzzle. “I like to think we’re comfortable around each other.”

He chuckles and nuzzles back. “I agree. Though it’s kind of funny, us being comfortable enough to show off cutie marks when we’re not a couple or anything… even Sy and I never really do that too often.”

Ears pricked and teeth glinting from her smile, she rests her head on his shoulder. “Well, it’s not like you need to check and see if they changed. Though, as for it being odd how comfortable we are…” her head tilts and she gives him a kiss on the cheek. “We could always correct the ‘not a couple’ part.”

Winter is quiet for a moment before speaking, looking surprisingly unfazed from both the kiss and the statement. “Is this another one of your teasing jokes, or is that a serious suggestion?”

Narrowing her eyes, she sits up straight, one hand turning his face towards hers. Their lips meet in a kiss for a brief moment before she meets his eyes again, raising an eyebrow.

“...the latter, then,” he just says calmly, looking a little stunned.

Rolling her eyes and sighing, she gets up, swinging one leg up and over him as she smoothly sits in his lap. Her arms come around him in an embrace as she nuzzles his chest and neck. “I’m not hearing an answer…”

He sighs, nuzzling back. “Silk… on one hand, I want to say yes… but I need to know if this would actually work out first. I’ve only known you for a little over a week, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about you, it’s that you and I are very, very different.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” She leans back a bit to look him in the face. “I think it makes us interesting to one another. Ask away anything that troubles you and I’ll answer what I can. For what I can’t, well… that’s what dating is for, right?”

“I guess...” He shrugs. “Well, first and foremost concern… I’ve seen girls like you back in high school; flirtatious, forward, a bit of a tease… and rarely were they seeing any less than three stallions at a time.” He quickly holds up a hand. “Not accusing you of doing the same; I just want to make sure we’re on the same page about not starting herds.”

“Good to know I didn’t have to bite you for that accusation you almost said. Still, you have a fair question.” Her head tilts back and forth as she chooses her words. “I consider myself a very open mare, hun, when it comes to new things. However, romance and intimacy are very personal, private things. I’m not saying that if Asylum came to me in a few years and pitched the idea I wouldn’t at least give it due thought, but honestly monogamy appeals to me. Just me and the one I chose among all others. The term is ‘special’ somepony. It’s less special is there’s more than one, at least to me.” She ends with another nuzzle.

He chuckles, nuzzling back. “Fair enough on all points. And I agree with them all.” He thinks another moment. “I doubt I even need to ask this, but… you’re not just suggesting this to try and get lowered rent, are you?” He smirks.

She laughs and shakes her head. “Not even close… so…” She slides her arms forward over his shoulders, bringing herself with them until their muzzles are touching. “Is that a yes? Because if so, there’s something I need to warn you about thestrals.”

“I… I think it is. Yes.” He smiles, nuzzling her. “We can give it a try, at the very least… and see where it goes from there.”

“Good, now for your warning.” She gives him a kiss, holding it for a few seconds before speaking again. “Thestrals are very affectionate… and we need just as much in return. So, I hope you’re a snuggler.”

“Snuggler, cuddler, hugger, nuzzler, kisser...” He smirks. “Just don’t go asking for cunnilinous on day one and I’ll give you whatever affection you need.” His arms wrap around her in another hug, left hand starting to trace down her back.

“The last one can wait a bit. For now…” She presses herself against him as she nuzzles again. “Why not give me a little taste to get me through the day, and maybe something to look forward to when I get home, hmm?”

The unicorn grins, smooching her on the cheek. “No complaints from me. Though… should we do this in my room? Lime’s asleep, but she is still home, and we wouldn’t want her walking in on us...” His hand begins rubbing gently on her lower back.

She shivers, her wings flaring happily. “I think that sounds lovely…” Reluctantly, she eases off him, but holds his hand to her back. “Lead the way.”

“Gladly.” Keeping his hand on her back, he begins leading her out of the kitchen, depositing their apple cores in the trash along the way. As they head upstairs, he keeps his ears pricked for any noise from his sister’s room; hearing nothing, he chuckles and leads her into his own, shutting and locking the door behind them. “I’ll let you decide how far we go and what we do this time.”

“Well, I do only have less than an hour before I have to leave for the shop, so we are limited.” She rubs her hand over his that is still on her back. “I liked what you were starting with this; let’s see where those instincts take us.”

He smiles, letting his hand wander further down and gripping her rump. “It was just a little quest to feel you over; I’d call it a success.” He rests his other hand on her shoulder, starting to lead them closer to the bed. “If you want it to keep going, though, you’re welcome to reciprocate… or make it easier. Or both, even.”

With a small squeak, she jumps forward a step, looking back at him. “I’ll keep that in mind…” She looks him over almost hungrily.

Noticing this, he chuckles. “Like what you see, or did you want to see more?”

“Let’s just call it anticipation and excitement.” She flutters her eyelashes at him, looking towards the bed after. “Me or you on first?”

He responds by hopping into the bed ahead of her, smirking and patting the spot beside him.

Chapter 7: Small ember

With record time, little fatigue, and a smile a bit wider than most days, Silk makes it back home. With a bit of giggly cheek to her voice, she calls out. “Honey, I’m home~!”

The response she gets is much more feminine than she anticipated. “Welcome back, sweetie~!” Asylum peeks her head around the doorway to the basement, grinning.

The thestral blinks before letting out a laugh. “Well, hello Asylum. I didn’t expect to find you here, today.”

“Neither did I, but Win called me up. He was very insistent I come over as soon as I could.” She shrugs. “All I’ve done so far is stand out here listening to him scream obscenities in the basement. He quieted down a minute ago, though.” A very loud thump comes through the floor. “...he’s resorted to throwing things instead, I think. That or whatever he’s working on has come to life and is attacking him.”

Sighing and rolling her eyes at the stallion’s continued basement antics, Silk walks over and calls into the basement. “Winter! Are you alright down there? You better not have hurt yourself again because that’s not what I wanted to come home to!”

“I’m alright!” he yells back up. “Nothing’s broken yet!” Another loud thump, followed by a series of smaller ones, and finally it goes quiet. A second later, footsteps can be heard making their way to the door.

“...I’m starting to think my second guess is the correct one,” Asylum mentions offhandedly.

“If some invention walks up here and scares me, it is getting kicked right back down there,” Silk replies evenly.

Luckily for them both, the door opens to reveal simply a ragged-looking familiar unicorn stallion, who sighs and rubs his head as he walks up the stairs. Like all previous times, he is sweaty and shirtless; unlike previous times, he has a large bruise on one side of his face. “...hi, girls.”

Staring at him evenly, the thestral huffs and grabs his hand, dragging him over to the couch. “Don’t you ‘hi girls’ me, mister. I expected a hug when I got home, not bruises.” She points to one of the cushions. “Sit.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Number one: I can give you a hug anyway. Number two: it’ll go away by tomorrow, I don’t need immediate medical attention. And number three: I only came up to say hello and let you know I was fine. I still have work to finish up.”

One corner of her mouth twitches, exposing a fang at his defiance before she sighs. “I have three things for you as well. One: It better be a damn good hug. Two: You will accept and use the ice pack I am going to go get for you. Three: You promise me you will not get hurt worse, especially that cute face of yours.”

He smiles, pulling her into the promised hug. “One: hope this is suitable. Two: fine, but only until it becomes inconvenient to hold. And three: you can come and make sure of that yourself.” He glances at the other pony in the room. “Sy too.”

She nuzzles him as she squeezes him. “I agree to these terms.” She even embraces him with her wings as she says quietly, “Stop getting hurt… it makes me anxious.”

“After today, if all goes well, I won’t get hurt anymore,” he replies, nuzzling back. “So, think you’re ready to finally see the mysterious basement secret?”

“I believe so.” She breaks the hug and heads into the kitchen, still talking so he can hear her. “You certainly built the suspense up enough.” After a moment, she comes back out with a small ice pack, setting it against his bruise. Seeing Asylum out of the corner of her eye, the mare with her fingers in a heart formation, Silk giggles. “Enjoying all this, hun?”

“You two are just too cute,” the pegasus replies, smiling. “I knew you’d be great together~”

Those words spark thoughts in Silk’s head, ones she files away for later in her to-do list. “Why thank you. I think we fit well together.” She looks back to Win. “Now, how about I learn a bit more about you when we see this experiment, hmm?”

Nodding, the unicorn uses one hand to keep the ice pack against his bruise, starting to head for the basement doorway. “Until I’ve worked all the kinks out of this thing, it still needs to be kept a secret, okay? I don’t want it known by any more than, like, five ponies until it’s one hundred percent complete.”

“I understand. ‘Need to know’ basis and all that.” She quickly follows, bringing Sy. “You’ve peaked my curiosity about it again. All I know is that it involves Asylum’s wings somehow, yet not thestral ones.”

He starts walking down the stairs, opening the door at the bottom. “Well, no offense to you or any other thestrals, but pegasus wings are a lot easier to… figure out, more or less. At least for a guy who had never seen a thestral in person until the day you moved in, but had been around a pegasus roughly every day of his life.”

“You’re free to examine them anytime you want now if you get curious.” She winks.

Smiling, he nods. “I’ll keep that in mind.” With a deep breath, he flicks the light switch, illuminating the room.

The basement is not particularly large; it’s maybe a little bigger than the living room, with a large table in the middle. Against the walls are smaller tables and counters with various tools, gears, and spare parts not unlike what one would see in a mechanical workshop. The main attraction, however, is the piece of machinery on the table in the middle: while difficult to fully make out, both mares can identify it as a rough, metal recreation of a pair of pegasus wings, with a harness connecting them.

Blinking silently, Silk slowly takes all this in before simply turning to Winter and giving him a kiss. “You know, brains can be a bigger turn on than brawn.” This just causes the unicorn to blush, but gives her a nuzzle.

“Um… okay, this is cool and all, but… why?” Asylum points out. “I know for a fact you have no interest in flying.”

“Aww… there goes one of my date plans for us…” the other mare grumbles, looking back at the invention with curiosity.

“You’re right, Sy. No, I do not plan to fulfill childhood dreams of becoming a pegasus.” He chuckles. “These aren’t for me. I can barely test them without wanting to throw up from vertigo.”

Looking around the basement, the thestral raises an eyebrow. “In a basement that you wouldn’t be able to fly easily out of and can never be four feet off the ground without hitting the ceiling?”

“Oh, no. Even that’d just be pathetic.” He smirks. “I go out in the middle of the night every now and then and test them in the backyard to see how high they go before they stop working. In the last test, they died out at around eighty feet.”

Silk’s eyes widen. “You… do have safety features on there, right?”

“Yes and no,” he says with a shrug. “I’m working on adding two smaller backup engines to kick in when the main ones die out, which will slowly lower the flying pony to the ground. I haven’t added them yet, though.”

“So you fell… from eighty feet.” Her wings quiver as she speaks evenly. “Please tell me how you aren’t injured so I can know whether to give you a light wing-slap for being foolish.”

“Magic,” the unicorn replies simply. “When they die out, I throw up a small flat shield beneath myself as a platform, and slowly lower it until I’m back on the ground.” He shivers. “Makes it no less freaky.”

She steps forward and nuzzles him, forgoing slaps. “Okay… maybe include that next time so I don’t worry.” Looking back at the invention, she tilts her head. “So, as Asylum asked, if they aren’t for you… what are these for?”

He looks back at it as well. “Well, for one thing, there are a lot of earth ponies and unicorns who wish they could fly, or pegasi who lost their wings somehow. Mechanical wings aren’t exactly a thing yet; the closest they could get to flight is hot air balloons. So that’s one reason I’m making these.”

“And the other?” Asylum prods.

“...that, I don’t think I should tell.” He looks down, sighing. “Sorry.”

“Well, regardless, your first reason is very noble.” Silk nods as she strokes one of the wings. “I would guess you’re finalizing the mechanics part but still have work to do overall?”

He nods. “I’ve finally got the overall build down to compensate and work with the mass, size, any air resistance or changes in wind, and be comfortable to wear. I just need to add the backup engines, improve the main ones, and if possible, upgrade the fuel capacity.”

“Sorry to say I won’t be able to help with most of that, I fear.” The thestral looks down sheepishly. “I might be able to help when you get to the point of it looking good, though.”

Smiling, he nuzzles her. “That’d be great, thank you. I can figure out the rest on my own, I’m sure. If nothing unexpected screws up, it’ll be ready to go into the aesthetics stages within a month.”

“How long have you been working on this?” Asylum asks, looking the invention over. “You started asking for my help only a couple months ago.”

He thinks. “...eight to ten months, I’d say? Maybe a year.”

“Wow…” One niggling thought occurs to Silk. “Wait… would this be where most of your funds have been going, then?”

“You caught me.” He holds his hands up in mock surrender. “I take all overtime hours and extra shifts I can at my job, and any money I make that doesn’t go to bills or food or clothes, I put aside for this. Parts and enchantments, mostly; the latter moreso than the former now.”

The thestral nods. “No wonder you rented a room… still, I suppose a patent might give back plenty in return once it’s completed. Just to make sure I heard right earlier, you did say you were past the dangerous parts now, right? I don’t want to go grey before my time.”

“Unless my magic fails, the engines explode, the harness snaps, the wings lose control, or the enchantments turn out not to work? Yep, nothing else is dangerous.” He grins.

One purple wing snaps out and barely taps his nose. “Watch it, you. I’m just being concerned for your safety.”

He chuckles. “Don’t worry, I have safety measures in case of any of those. And various other things that could go wrong.” He moves in to hug her. “Nothing to worry about.”

She grumbles under her breath but soon leans into the hug and sighs contently. Asylum watches with a slightly awkward look. “Um… should I go and give you some time alone?”

Silk straightens up, looking conflicted between the two other ponies. “I’m… not sure.” She snaps her fingers. “But, quick question: what days are you free, hun?”

Asylum blinks. “Um… Monday and Thursday are the best days, aside from the weekend. Why?”

“Just checking. I had a little thing I wanted to plan with you, but I’ll let you know when I decided on a day, okay?” She smiles winningly.

The pegasus just nods with an unsure smile. “Alright then… I’ll leave you two it, then.” She starts heading to the stairs, waving goodbye as she goes. “Good luck, both of you!”

“Umm, thank you!” Silk calls after her, looking to Winter with a small frown. “I didn’t mean to push her out…”

The unicorn shrugs a bit. “I’m sure she’s fine. She just felt like a third wheel of sorts. She would’ve excused herself in a minute or two anyway.” He kisses her on the lips. “At least we’re alone now, right?”

“True…” She kisses him back, throwing her arms around his neck. “Planning to use that time wisely?”

He nods. “But not down here. The mood’s all wrong.” He nuzzles her. “Upstairs?”

She nods as well. “Yes please.”

Smiling, he takes her hand and begins to lead her out of the basement. “So, did it live up to the hype?”

“Well let’s see…” She muses as she follows. “Slightly dangerous, long term project, mechanical replacements for something biological… sounds about right. I’m just glad you weren’t making mechanical ponies or something.” She shivers at the thought.

He makes a face. “I tried that. They don’t make good conversationalists.”

“...I’d imagine it’s like talking to your wings down there?” She smiles uneasily.

“Well, the wings don’t listen.” He chuckles. “At least the robots reacted.” Noticing her expression, he cracks a grin. “I’m just messing with you. The closest I ever got to making a robot pony was putting together a small mechanical dog a couple years ago. I’m not a mad scientist.”

“Yes… your mark would probably be quite different in the case.” She nods, shaking her head a bit as they reach the main floor. Stepping back against him, she nuzzles him, trying to change the subject.

He smiles. “Speaking of which, I imagine you’ll be wanting another look?” He chuckles as he leads them to the next flight of stairs and up it. “I’d be happy to oblige.”

“Now who’s the forward one?” She giggles, tail swishing happily. “I think I’ve started awakening some part of you.”

“You’re rubbing off on me, I suppose. In more than one way.” Grinning, he opens the door to let them into his room.

“Why thank you.” She inclines her head to him as she walks in, putting a sway to her hips.

He closes and locks the door behind them. “So, before you left, we mostly stuck to making out… how far are we going this time?”

“I think it’s best to just let instinct run things and say when we don’t want to go farther.” She smiles, looking back over her shoulder at him, her gaze roaming up and down. “Though you being shirtless is a nice start… I wonder if it’ll make you more comfortable to be against.”

Chuckling, he walks over to the bed, using a hand to gently squeeze her rump as he passes her. “It might… but the way I see it, fair’s fair, right?”

Letting out a small gasp, she smirks, tail flicking his hand. “Are you saying you want to undress me?”

“Maybe.” He smirks back, hand now rubbing one of her cheeks. “We could even mutually get rid of our bottoms, as well. Those might get in the way too.”

Her wings flare a bit as he speaks, the mare humming. “In the way? My my… what could you be planning for innocent little me?” Her eyelashes flutter at him.

“Play along and find out.” He chuckles, using his free hand to grip the bottom of her shirt and tug gently, indicating what he wants to do. “I imagine we’ll get a lot more ideas if we’ve only got one piece of clothing left… or two, in your case.”

She lifts her arms up, angling her wings so they can slide out of the holes in her shirt. “Sounds like an excellent plan.”

Smiling, he begins lifting her shirt, effortlessly removing it from her body and tossing it to the side. “Glad you think so.” He blushes a bit, but doesn’t lose his smile. “Heh… first time I’ve seen you like this and it does not disappoint.”

She wears a blush of her own as her favorite facey purple lace bra is revealed. “I’m glad you approve… I made this myself, you know.”

“Then you’re quite talented.” He nuzzles her, glancing down at her pants.

“Thank you.” She follows his eyes, smirking. “Now now, you first.” Her hands go to his waistband, her heart beating against her chest.

He pouts playfully. “Aww… fine.” He gives her a quick peck on the cheek before looking down, waiting for her to do her work.

Bending down a bit, she fiddles with his belt, loosening it before sliding his pants down a few inches. After that, they simply fall to the ground, the mare blushing at what she has a close up view of. “Well… someone’s eager.”

Winter blushes a bit more himself at the outward push within his boxers, but simply lifts her head back up with a hand to kiss her. After breaking away, he transitions to a nuzzle. “Can’t help it; you’ve made me rather excited.”

“You’ll just have to take my word that I feel the same.” She giggles. “My signs are a little more subtle than yours.”

“I’m certain I’ll pick up on them over time.” He steps out of his dropped jeans and kicks them away. “Now… your turn, I believe?”

She nods, standing still except for her tail which wags from this little game. "Since I led this morning, with your plan, does that mean you lead now?"

"Hm... we'll see. I'll have to think of ideas first... but like I said, this should make it easier." He begins to undo her belt, noticeably fumbling awkwardly with it due to having never done something like this before.

She giggles, rubbing his head. "Relax, hun. It's just pants."

He blushes. "I haven't ever taken somepony else's off... it feels weird." Finally, he gets the belt undone and slides it off.

She only smiles, patting him encouragingly. "You're doing fine... you can freeze once you realize exactly what you're looking at."

Smiling back, he starts undoing her zipper and button next before sliding them down, watching in anticipation for what lies underneath. Revealed is what might be expected but is no less special: Lacey purple panties, tiny intricate designs in the fabric, all designed to keep the eyes ever roaming towards their covered prize. Winter's eyes do certainly roam, and widen as well as he gets a good look. "W-Wow..."

"Another compliment on my work? You flatterer..." She giggles sheepishly, her legs crossing just a little to barely hide herself.

He snickers a bit at this, pulling her into a hug. "What can I say? You do a good job." His hand slowly makes it way back down and gives another light squeeze to the now mostly uncovered rump.

She lets out another squeak. "Can't even wait until we get in bed, can you?" She pulls his tail in revenge, just a small tug.

He jumps a bit, face going a bright red, before he smiles and breaks the hug just to lightly pull her with him towards the bed. "Well, if you insist..."

"Oh, I do." She grins mischievously before suddenly all but jumping on him, her lips planting against his in an eager kiss.

He yelps a bit, but after a second, simply melts into the kiss and returns it as they fall backwards onto the bed.

She giggles into his mouth as they bounce once, her wings reflexively flaring for balance before they settle, her laying on top of him. Humming happily, she brings her hands up, rubbing his chest as they kiss.

His only response is some pleased humming of his own, not breaking the kiss to bother with a vocal statement. Instead, he just wraps his arms around her, pulling her closer down.

The one who finally breaks the kiss is her. She stares at him, panting as she speaks. “Wow… anypony ever tell you you’re a great kisser?”

“Never kissed anypony else.” He shrugs sheepishly.

“Not even Asylum?” She tilts her head. “I mean, young pre-teens being who they are, I would expect some things to have been tried even if they didn’t go far.”

He sighs. “Maybe once or twice on the cheek back when we were… eleven, at the oldest. Before we even knew what they really were, besides something some ponies did to each other. Once we found out, it got really awkward to even think of doing it again.”

“I can understand that…” She smiles as she lets herself fully rest on top of him, tail swishing behind her. “And your thoughts on it now?”

“I’m upset I missed out on this for so long.” Smirking, he leans up and pecks her on the cheek.

“Trying to make up for lost time then?” She giggles as she nuzzles him, sharp teeth nipping his neck a moment. “You were certainly being very forward with all your grabbing and clothing removal… not that I mind in the slightest. I’m a bit eager to enjoy my special somepony myself.”

The unicorn nuzzles back, chuckling. “I’m excited, that’s all I can say. Before our little session this morning, I hadn’t ever felt this… stimulated.”

Her grin only widens as she purposefully wiggles her hips on top of him. “So I feel…”

Squirming a bit and blushing further, he goes from nuzzling to licking her neck. “Y-Yeah… like that...”

She shivers. “Mmm… good instincts…” Her head leans away to allow him better access.

Smiling, he continues to lick, getting in a few nibbles now and again for variety. “How about you? You enjoying it so far?”

“Oh, yes…” She practically hisses out the final word as she arches her back. “Though… I’m afraid it only makes me want more…” She opens one purple eye, peering back at him lovingly.

“Well, tell me what you want, and I’ll see if I can make it work.” He leans in for another kiss.

She squirms a little, looking away from him shyly. “And… if I wanted you to take charge?”

“...you’d have to give me an idea of where to start first,” he replies, a little nervous.

Blushing, she still looks away. “Well… you could be on top, and… maybe put a little tongue into our kisses?” She giggles nervously, being out of practice as she is.

He smiles. “I can give that a shot.” With one movement, he rolls them both over so he’s on top, and ducks his head down to get right back to making out, his tongue pressing against her lips for entry.

Her lips open, allowing him entry as her tongue comes out to greet this new friend. Her body feels warmer from being underneath him, a stronger flush coming to her face as she lets out a small moan.

Chuckling into her mouth, he begins to flick his tongue around hers, making small moans of his own. His hands roam her body, mostly around the sides, eventually starting to make their way lower.

She makes no move to stop him, her wings splayed out beneath her, covering the bed like an additional blanket. Her hands move from his chest to his back, squeezing their chests together as she gasps.

He breaks the kiss for just a moment, diving in to the left to nibble at her neck some more, sneaking in a few licks as he does so. His lower body lets itself down to fully lay on top of her, their lower regions almost touching if not for the two layers of cloth in the way.

“Ah~!” She lets out a loud moan as she squirms beneath him, a bit trapped and liking it. Her eyes flutter a moment as she remembers she knows actual words. “Getting… any ideas… yet?”

“I’m working on them as I go...” He pulls his head back up and connects their lips once more as his hands continue to wander; his left one keeps going down, while his right goes up and begins to gently brush against her wings.

With a small yelp, she arches her back at his touch, pressing herself against him. If his mouth was not busy, he would’ve grinned; as it was, he simply continues to rub her wing, his other hand getting busy with doing the same to as much of her rump as it can access. To this, she squeals, lifting her legs up and wrapping them around his as her kisses become a bit more feverish.

He simply returns in kind, letting his hands continue to work their magic and pressing himself harder upon her. Silk moans loudly as she grinds herself against him, her whole body feeling flushed as they make out. Her panting breaths get quicker, desperate for both air and affection.

Deciding to give her the first of those two, Winter breaks the kiss once more, nuzzling her neck for a bit. “You seem to… be enjoying yourself...”

Laying her head back on the pillow, she looks up at him with half-lidded gaze. “You too… phew, must remember to breathe during that.” She giggles lightly. “Sorry… out of practice, so I’m honestly just enjoying this.” One finger traces through his coat while she lets out a purr at his nuzzling.

“Hey, I don’t have practice at all, so I’m in the same boat as you. More or less.” He chuckles from the light tickling sensation.

“Fair enough, blue boy.” She nuzzles him back, feeling a bit drained as the desperate need for physical affection abates somewhat after this heated session. “You know, you are quite the cozy one to be against. I think I’m going to get used to this.”

“Same to you.” He pecks her on the cheek before rolling to the left, landing on his back beside her, only to cuddle in close immediately. “Only the first day and I can already tell this is going to go smooth as silk.” He smirks.

She shakes her head as she giggles, snuggling in close and tucking her head under his. “Oh you’re a pun pony, hmm? This is definitely going to be interesting…”

“I blame Sy for rubbing off on me.” He squeezes her shoulder. “But you’re right… this should be fun...”

Chapter 8: House call

The door to Winter’s house, now with two additional occupants, opens with a quiet click before the blue unicorn himself steps in, followed by a green one. “Thanks for coming over to help with this, Rhino. I know you don’t normally make house calls.”

The second stallion shrugs nonchalantly. “What can I say? This project of yours has me curious, and I really didn’t have anything else planned today besides going home. This is much more intriguing.”

“Glad I was able to throw a wrench into your plans, then.” He smirks, heading straight for the basement doorway. Through it, he opens the next door and begins descending the stairs. “I know this might not seem like much, but… don’t tell anypony about what’s down here, okay? I want it actually finished before I tell. You’d only be the fourth pony to find out, and likely the last, unless my sister finds out.”

“Deal. In response, I’ll warn you that my house is even more booby trapped than my shop. You know, in case that whole ‘you turning evil’ thing comes up again.” The shop owner smirks back before turning a bit more serious. “I do understand about waiting until things are complete to release them, though. I do the same for any new enchantments or runes I work out.”

Winter shrugs. “How long does it usually take you to make a new enchantment?”

“Depends on how exact it needs to be. The differences between a single constant illumination enchantment and one that’s say… voice activated, is all in the specifics. So if I’m creating one from scratch, it depends on what exactly I need it to do.” Thinking, he tries to find a good example. “My chair at the store for instance, was just me fiddling on and off it for about a week, then fine tuning a bit as I used it. Still, quite worth it for a chair that’s cheap and yet extremely comfortable now.”

“Huh...” The other unicorn nods, trying to understand. “I would’ve thought a lot of them would take weeks to months. Then again, I’m not exactly well-versed in the art of magic.” He flicks the light on with a finger, immediately revealing his project on the table. “I’m usually better with mechanical stuff.”

Rhino’s eyes widen as he beholds the artificial wings. “So I see… wow…” He walks over, peering at various parts of the machinery. “Arcanotech hybrid stuff, huh? I could never really wrap my head around some of this… still, this looks amazing! Well done.”

Winter chuckles. “Thanks. Aside from some backup engines, I think I’ve just about finished putting it together structurally. All it needs is a couple more enchantments, some testing and adjusting of the engines, and then it’ll be good to go. Considering how long it’s just been sitting down here waiting to be finished, it’s about damn time.”

“Well, ask away then.” He looks back to Winter and grins excitedly. “As long as you don’t ask me to test it.”

“Deal.” He thinks. “The main engines just run on pure magic right now, and I’ve been meaning to increase their capacity… if you can somehow increase the magic storage, that’d be great. Aside from that, the whole thing needs to be made a bit more durable; I started building it before finding your store and it’s easier to just have you enchant the whole thing than to take it apart and give you individual pieces.” He chuckles. “That’s about it. Unless you have an enchantment that can make the harness less itchy on bare skin.”

“Actually, I do have one I think I can use like that.” The stallion’s black and blue tail swishes as he thinks. “Just a bigger version of what I was doing for your parts should work for the durability issue… maybe a slight modification for spreading the force around.” Nodding to himself, he sighs a moment after. “Unfortunately, pure capacity isn’t actually something that can be done in meaningful amounts by enchantment alone. You can make the transmission easier, make the formulas efficient, but after a time you just have to bring something in to work with. You, sir, are going to need some gems.”

Winter groans, rubbing his head. “Great, something I have no clue how to use… so close, and yet so far.”

“Well, that’s why I’m here, right?” Rhino tries to cheer him up. “Gems are the best magic conductors and storage materials there are. In my line of work, I deal with dozens at least on a daily basis.” Lowering his voice a little, he chuckles. “Between you and me, clarity has minimal effect, so honestly anypony can get great enchanting gems for cheap just from what jewelry stores practically give away because they aren’t pretty enough.”

“Still gonna be a little out of range for a while… well, it’s something to look forward to.” He sighs, turning back to the wings.

Humming, Rhino gestures toward Winter with a hand. “Well, to quote a certain yellow thestral, ‘how about a deal’? I can get you some gems, ones I actually already have and just need to retrieve. I’ll even install them. In return, you let me keep helping you when you need it on these fascinating prosthetics. Maybe spread the word a little about which shop helped you once you release it too, but I won’t hold you to that.”

Winter hums in thought. “I don’t see a problem with that… I should warn you, though, it’ll be a while before I start making more of these. With my current paycheck, until I get a patent, I’d probably only be able to make one pair of wings every two months due to the cost of materials and enchantments. So if these don’t pan out, I’m kind of screwed in that regard.”

“There is such a thing as bulk discount you know, but to be honest, I really don’t care about payment for this right now.” His eyes roam over the project once more in curiosity. “If nothing else, this is an interesting project that I might even get a few more inspirations from for my own work. Maybe weak self-levitation toys or something...’’ His voice trails off.

Winter extends his hand to regain his attention. “Deal. And if I do go evil like you suggested earlier, I’ll let you live as part of the bargain.”

Laughing, Rhino takes the hand and shakes it. “Sounds good to me.” Nodding, he looks at his watch as he thinks. “Okay, so let’s see… your house is a couple miles from my shop, so… how’s twenty minutes sound until I get back with the gems? I want to stop by my house and get a drink before the return trip.”

The other unicorn looks a little surprised at the quick trip over such an apparently long distance, but he nods. “Alright then. I’ll grab my wallet for when you return.”

“No charge.” Rhino grins. “This is fun, and if it inspires new things for me, then it’s paid for itself.” Without another word, his horn glows briefly before he suddenly teleports away.

About twenty minutes and one surprised reaction from Winter later, Rhino pops in just inside the living room of the house, finding the cobalt unicorn lounging on the couch. “Sorry, I would have gone to the door, but I was pretty much casting by reflex halfway through the trip. I’m just glad I realized I wasn’t sure where your basement was from the outside before I tried to get in there… the rejection fail-safe on that spell isn’t fun.”

Winter just chuckles, sitting up. “I’m just surprised you teleported. Most unicorns I know don’t bother, and the one time I tried it, I only made it from one side of my bedroom to the other… and somehow left my clothes behind.” He snickers at the memory. “Fun times...”

“I remember those times…” The stallion chuckles as well. “Ended up making my own version of teleporting just so I could work out the kinks. Usual margin of error is a bit too much for my tastes… plus I hate how you end up seared if you don’t concentrate enough.”

“I never could concentrate much on any magic, really. Aside from levitation and shields; the former because it’s almost as second nature as breathing, and the latter because of my cutie mark.” He shrugs, nodding towards the basement doorway. “Continue this downstairs?”

“After you.” Rhino adjusts the strap on his backpack, hearing the cargo clink slightly.

Winter starts heading for the doorway. “If you don’t mind me asking, how much of your magic is runes and enchantments, and how much is just raw unicorn magic?”

“Well… it depends on what you mean.” Shrugging, he follows. “Enchantments and runes are just how I use my magic, they don’t affect how much I have. Though, admittedly, without them I wouldn’t be able to cast much at all, but that’s something different.”

“Ah… I just meant how many of your spells do you do normally, and how many do you use a rune to do.” He chuckles sheepishly as he leads the way. “Just curiosity.”

“I think levitation and aura manipulation are generally all I can do normally.” His enthusiasm dies a little as he admits this. “I made runes for everything else.”

The other unicorn laughs a bit. “Still more than I use. I barely levitate anything when I’m not working on the wings, and I don’t think I’ve made a varied shield in a couple years. I only ever do regular ones, and more as platforms than anything else.”

Rhino looks up. “Really? Any reason why?”

“I’m studying surgery and medicine, Rhino. Not exactly a guard in the making.” He sighs, shrugging. “Pretty sure the only reason shield magic is in my blood is because that’s my dad’s talent as well, and he became a guard captain. But this is more up my alley, so it’s just a waste of a cutie mark.”

Frowning a bit, he replies. “Marks are never a waste. Even if they aren’t your passion, you can still use them to your advantage.”

Winter looks at him sceptically. “How? Shields are a pretty specific thing, and their uses are very far away from the act of cutting ponies open, fixing their insides, and sealing them back up.”

Put on the spot, he thinks. “Well… this is a shot in the dark, but… depending on your control, you could use shields to protect certain parts of ponies’ insides, making you able to perform surgeries in delicate areas others wouldn’t touch without serious risk. Just a thought, though, don’t quote me on that.”

“Maybe, but that won’t come in handy until I’m actually able to perform surgery, not just study and learn it. We’ll see if I even still have the knack for it in ten years, if not more.” He opens the basement door to let them in. “So, getting back on topic, how many gems did you bring? And how big are they, in terms of storage capacity?”

“I only brought six to cover most bases. I figured a fair sized one for normal use, and a smaller one for backup or something.” He pulls out half a dozen gems of varying sizes and shapes, setting a sapphire about the size of his fist and a ruby about half that size away from the others. “These should do fine, I think. No real need to go ridiculously big.”

Winter nods, smiling. “Those should definitely work. Once I install and load them up, then do the same for the backup engines and gems, that’ll take care of the fuel problem. Thanks.”

“Not a problem, though would you mind me looking at what you’ve got in there now so I can copy the enchantments?” The two gems already float next to him, ready to be implemented.

“Just be careful.” The other unicorn pries open a panel on one of the engines, reaching in with his magic and extracting what appears to be a small glass marble. “I guess this is pretty much like a gem, except handmade rather than natural. Shouldn’t be too hard to copy it over since they’re so similar aside from capacity.”

“Correct, glass will usually do in a pinch.” Casting an experienced eye on the sphere, he nods before turning back to his gems. A flurry of lines and symbols appear above them in glowing green script as if from an unseen pen before fading. He offers the two to Winter. “There you go, all set.”

Winter blinks. “Wow… that was quick.” Chuckling, he takes the two gems carefully in his hands, as though they would shatter if he so much as squeezed them, and deposits them gently on the table near the engine. “I’ll work on installing them later. I’ll have to set it up to draw power from multiple sources; not too difficult, but a little time-consuming to do when company’s over.”

“Yeah, company can be distracting, but it does make tedium go by faster.” Rhino sighs a little in thought before shrugging.

“...speaking from experience?” the other unicorn asks, noticing the sigh and tone.

“Yeah… lots of tedium lately.” Still, he shrugs again, waving it off. “Don’t worry about it, just got lost in thought for a moment.”

Winter chuckles lightly. “Hey, if you ever want to talk, feel free. Luna knows I’ve got plenty of conversation topics and questions of my own.”

“Like what?” Rhino leans back against a wall, curious.

“Well...” Idly, the unicorn picks one of his many tools off the wall, but simply to fiddle with it in his hands. “Remember when I asked you for help dealing with Silk? Kind of need a lot more help with her now.”

“Oh?” The green stallion raises an eyebrow as one of the spare gems he brought idly spins in his magic.

Winter blushes a bit. “Well, long story short… she and I are, well… together, now.”

This information only phases Rhino for a moment before he smiles. “Congratulations. I hope you two have many happy times together.”

Winter smiles too. “I hope so too… though the problem is, I was barely able to predict her when we were just friends.” He rubs his head with the back of the wrench he picked up. “I like her, but… I don’t exactly have a good track record with relationships where I practically know my partner inside and out, let alone Silk being… Silk.”

Rhino tilts his head to one side, then the other. “Well, I haven’t exactly dated her myself, but I can see what I do know. She’s not that hard to figure out… generally anyway.”

“Then either you’re a genius or I’m a ditz, because I can’t figure anything out about her that she hasn’t outright told me.” He sighs, putting the wrench back up. “Any idea of her likes and dislikes? That’s a pretty basic necessity.”

“Hmm…” A hand goes to his chin. “Just the basics really. She likes her clothes, she likes to imagine what she could make others look like, she likes to make ponies happy, though she can tend to pry slightly if she thinks it’ll help. She’s craftier than most give her credit for, though. I think a good word is that she’s a… provoker. She likes to see reactions, especially when she’s lightly pushing someone. Don’t get me wrong, she doesn’t mean any harm. Underneath that outwardly blunt, occasionally playfully perverted talk, she’s very sweet.”

Winter chuckles. “I gathered that much… the provoking, the prying, and the pervertedness especially. Not that I mind any of them too much.” He picks up another tool, this one resembling an icepick, and taps it on the counter absentmindedly. “Anything you know of that she’d enjoy me doing for her?”

Watching the tool as he continues to twirl the gem, Rhino hums. “Honestly… I don’t really know. She never said anything specific, just general things like spending time together, them appreciating when she shows herself off for them, and lots of physical affection stuff. She seems like she’s a cuddler.”

“Good, fits right in with me.” He laughs a bit. “As for everything else… I can handle that, though admittedly I was hoping for a bit more… foods she likes in case I ever decide to try cooking without burning the kitchen down this time, for example.”

“Umm… she likes fruit and tomatoes,” he offers.

“Tomatoes are fruit, Rhino.”

He snorts. “Technically, yes, but that concept is still odd to me.”

“Not that hard to grasp...” Winter mutters before speaking clearly again. “Fruit I already gathered from her introduction. Not sure what meals can be made from them, though.”

“Fruit salad, smoothies, sliced ones with a nice dip… not really meals though, more like snacks…” He scratches his head. “Sorry, my family was usually more about flowers and veggies… and tomatoes. You could always pick up a cookbook, maybe surprise her with a treat when she gets home. I bet she’d love that; well, and you.” He chuckles.

Winter blushes, but nods. “Maybe… I’m just not very experienced with healthy eating in general. Maybe a cookbook would be a good idea...”

“They say mares love a guy who can cook.”

“Really? I thought they loved something similar to the word ‘cook’.” He smirks.

“She’s rubbing off on you already, I see.” Rhino rolls his eyes. “Though I guess that one does have the basis in truth.”

“Just as long as she’s not trying to get it just yet.” He puts the icepick-like tool back up and runs his fingers along several other tools. “I doubt you know, but might as well take a shot: what’s her opinion on size?”

The other stallion smirks. “Of what? Hand? Hoof? Tail? Ears? Horn? I’m fairly certain there are rumours about all of them and possible consequences of each.”

Winter snorts. “I doubt she cares about the size of any of those… though what consequences and rumours are you referring to? You’ve got me curious.”

A dubious eyebrow raises. “Surely you’ve heard of the classic mare’s tale of big blank equals big much more lewd blank?”

“Yeah, but all my blanks are bigger than average except for one in particular, and you get no prizes for guessing it.” The unicorn shrugs. “So I don’t really believe them.”

Shaking his head, Rhino covers his face with a hand. “Strangely enough, what I got from all that is that you bothered measuring yours and comparing to averages.”

“Oh don’t act like you were never curious!” the other unicorn snaps, albeit with a joking tone.

“I never said that, but that doesn’t mean I broke out the ruler.” He chuckles heartily. “Honestly, most of the time I would just rather not know. Optimism and all that.”

“I’d rather be disappointed early than to find out when I whip it out and hear laughter,” Winter remarks.

“That’s your stance, and you are welcome to it. I’m more glad that on me, everything seems to be proportionate.” Unconsciously, his eyes drift upwards towards his own forehead.

Winter notices the gaze and chuckles. “Don’t know how you got the better end of the deal in that field. We seem to be on par with each other in everything else.” He taps the tip of his own, slightly shorter horn.

“True, but then you have that whole exotic thing about yours.” He makes a curved motion with a finger to show what he means.

“Is that what you call it?” Winter traces his own finger along the curve. “I call it a birth defect. Makes it almost impossible to fit anything over.”

“Oh, surely it’s not so bad. I can certainly see Silk being fascinated by it, and she’ll probably have nothing but good things to say.” He smiles and shakes his head. “Have you let her touch it yet? That’s a big step to some.”

Winter thinks. “Well… I haven’t really invited her to, but really, if she asks to or just goes and does it, I won’t have much to complain about.” He shrugs. “Not like it’d be too different from when I touch it myself, right?”

“Well, I don’t exactly make a habit of doing that with mine except to keep it clean and all, but I hear it’s actually very different when somepony else does it.” He thinks. “I mean… it’s sort of like our version of wings, in some regards, including how personal it is.”

“I guess… but wings just spread out when they get enough attention. These things… stimulate them too much and you have no clue what could come out.” He winces. “Sometimes it makes me feel a little lightheaded, too… does that happen to you, or is it just a low capacity thing?”

“No, I’ve had the lightheadedness happen too… thankfully the messes that accompanied it when I first found out that could happen in my teenage years have taken a steady decline as my control improved.”

Winter sighs. “Lucky you. I’m not good with control, so I just stopped stimulating it in the first place… hope Silk doesn’t find out about that...”

Rhino shrugs. “I don’t know, it might be something she could help you with. I don’t really have anything concrete to back this up, but I would think regular use to your limit would improve overall stamina.”

“Maybe, but-” He’s cut off as there’s a loud knocking at the door. He panics a bit, looking at the wings on the table and then the door. “Hey, d-don’t come in here!”

His sister’s voice replies through the door. “I can hear you two up in the living room! Stop comparing penis sizes! It’s creeping me out!” This statement is followed by storming steps going back upstairs.

Looking over to the door blankly, Rhino turns back to Winter with a questioning look. “Really? That’s what she thought we were doing? Maybe Silk’s influence is spreading faster than I thought…”

“Maybe.” Winter shrugs. “Speaking of her, thanks for the help. I’ll see what use I can make of it when she gets home.”

He nods, gems floating back into his bag as he stops leaning on the wall. “Not a problem. Oh, one last idea, maybe try on one of her male costumes for her to see on you. You never know.”

“...that will depend entirely on said ‘male costume’. There are some fetishes I refuse to play to.”

“That’s on you, and I really don’t want to know.” Rhino holds up his hands defensively.

“Didn’t think you would.” Glancing back to the wings, Winter sighs. “Think that’s about all that can be done involving the gems and the enchantments… thanks again for your help.”

“Again, you’re welcome. This was fun. Be sure to let me know when you finally get these things working.” He smiles.

Winter smiles as well, nodding. “I will. Hopefully they won’t take too much longer.”

Nodding, Rhino moves to the door as his bag floats over to him. “Well, I’ve gotta get home. It was nice hanging out with you.”

“Same to you.” Winter glances at the wings and shrugs, deciding to stay down in the basement rather than follow him up. “See you later.”

“See ya!” He waves a hand as he heads up.

Chapter 9: Matching

As next Sunday rolls around, Silk does a small loop around Asylum while they fly. “Come on, hun, move your cute caboose. Aren’t you excited for what I have planned?”

“I’d be able to give you a proper answer if I knew what you have planned,” the pegasus responds.

“But that would ruin the surprise!” Silk grins as she soars upward, keeping an eye on the ground below. “”Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait.” She winks.

“If you say so...” Asylum sighs as she keeps following along, a little slower than normal. One of her wings flaps out of sync, and she dips several feet before recovering.

Not noticing her friend in her excitement, Silk eyes light up. “Down here, hun!” She dives, heading for the park.

Groaning, Asylum follows, trying not to lose sight of the thestral. “Wh-what’s down here?”

“Still a secret~! But I know you’re gonna like it~!” Her voice travels behind her as she descends, soon alighting on the fresh green grass.

Upon seeing it, the pegasus wastes no time in pulling up and lowering herself to the ground below and giving her wings a rest. However, they take it a little early, and she ends up plummeting the last two feet to the ground, landing roughly on her backside. “Ow...”

Darting over, Silk pulls her up, dusting off her rump and straightening her clothes. “Careful now, i don’t want to see you hurt or messy.”

Asylum sighs, letting her do so as she stands perfectly still. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

Silk pauses a moment before resuming cleaning her up. “Hun, this is no time to be salty with me. Maybe this surprise will be a better idea than I thought if you’re in this mood. Now come.” She grabs her hand, pulling her gently but insistently. “We’re almost there.”

The pegasus sighs and follows along. “I’m not trying to be salty. I’m just a little on edge. I don’t know why I was having trouble flying near the end there.”

“We can look into that later, hun.” She pulls her up a small hill. “For now… tadah!” They crest the rise, the thestral making their grand entrance onto a scene containing a checkered blanket on the ground, a basket on the blanket, and a now confused green unicorn stallion staring at them both.

Recognizing the stallion, Asylum is quickly blushing and leveling a subtle glare at her friend, immediately realizing the setup. She contemplates flying away, but doesn’t want to make a bad first impression. She sighs, turning her body to the unicorn but not looking him in the eye. “...hi.”

He blinks at the two of them. “Umm… hello… Silk, what’s this?”

“What? You haven’t heard of blind dates before?” She tugs Asylum’s hand towards the blanket. “Come on, hun!” She turns back to the stallion. “Rhino, I would like you to meet my best friend, Asylum.” The pegasus just waves sheepishly.

He hurriedly stands from where he had been sitting, inclining his head with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Asylum just nods with a small, nervous smile of her own. “S-Same to you...”

Rolling her eyes, Silk tugs the mare more. “Get along now, hun, have a seat.”

Rhino scuffs his hooves awkwardly. “Well, she doesn’t have to if she doesn’t want to…”

“N-No, it’s fine.” Coughing, Asylum slowly makes her way over to the blanket and sits down in a careful position, keeping her eyes just barely averted from the green stallion’s own ones.

Gently nudging Rhino to do the same, Silk giggles when they are both seated. “There we are. There should be plenty of food and drink in the basket, and you have a lovely section of the park to yourselves. Have fun!” Without another word, she flies off, the wind from her wings barely ruffling their manes.

“Well… that happened,” Rhino deadpans.

“Yep…” Asylum sighs, muttering under her breath. “Dammit, Silk...” Turning to the unicorn, she offers a shy smile. “I guess… we eat?”

“It might give us something to do…” He chuckles nervously as his horn lights up, the basket opening and the usual classic picnic foods float out. Potato salad, rose petal salad, daisy sandwiches, good old unhealthy chips, and even two thermoses. “Sorry she did that… I honestly didn’t know she set me up when she invited me out here.”

“At least you were just invited,” she remarks, still avoiding eye contact. “She just woke me up and dragged me out… if I knew it was some sort of setup, I would’ve...” She pauses, then just shrugs. “I dunno what I would’ve done, really.” To keep herself from continuing further, she takes one of the thermoses and shakes it a bit, as though trying to guess its contents.

He cranes his head a little, trying to look at her eyes. “Well, you seem nice, so… I probably would have still came, if I knew.”

She blushes, finally looking him in the eyes, albeit only briefly before going back to the thermos. “Th-thank you...”

Still trying to find a good ice breaker, he smiles before fixing a small bowl of the rose salad, offering it to her along with a fork. “Here, you sound like she didn’t give you time to eat breakfast.”

Smiling, she takes it, only a little shakily. “Th-thanks… Rhino, was it?”

He nods. “And you’re Asylum, right?”

“Mm-hm.” She quickly takes a bite of the salad, looking rather relieved to finally have food in her mouth.

He grabs one of the sandwiches, taking a bite and looking at her as he tries to think of what to say.

After several moments of silent eating, she finally breaks it with a statement that, in her head, likely sounded much more normal. “You’re a neat guy.”

He pauses, having been about to take another bite. “Umm… thank you.”

She eeps, realizing her mistake as her face flushes red. “I-I mean a nice guy! ...at least, you seem like one, and, um… you do keep yourself tidy… from what I can tell, at least… and...” She trails off before just looking down, stuffing her face with a bite of salad to shut herself up.

He chuckles, his own tension easing a bit. “Well, thank you for all those compliments. I see I was right about you being nice, and I’ll add you look nice as well.”

Her blush increases, but a small smile joins it. “Th-thank you… sorry for rambling...”

He can only smile back at this. “Well, better than both of us sitting here silently trying to decide what to say.” He lets out a breath as he unfolds his legs, stretching them out as he moves to lay on one side. “Maybe just get comfortable and go from there?”

She giggles. “I like that idea.” Without hesitation, she moves and flops down on her front, head just inches from the salad that she continues to spear with her fork. Her legs kick up and down behind her, lightly tossing her skirt a bit.

His eyes are drawn to the movement, a small blush coming to his face before he yanks them away back to her face. “So, what are you studying here, then?”

“Studying…? Oh, at the school.” She blushes. “Um… just psychology, really… how about you?”

“My major is in enchanting, but I’m also trying to minor in business.” He rattles off this information like he has said it many times and wants to hear more about her. “So, you like psychology then?”

She nods. “It’s interesting… fun to learn about and such. Helps that it’s more or less my special talent as well.” She twirls her hair around a finger. “It’s fun to practice, as well… I’ve gotten good at reading ponies, to some extent.”

“Oh?” He finishes off the sandwich, resting a hand under his chin as he watches her finger. “And what do you read about me?”

Asylum tilts her head, thinking. “Well, for starters, I can tell you’re a calm and polite individual, but that’s not too hard to figure out.” She hums. “The way you’re looking around at me indicates you’re not particularly focused on this little picnic, but you’re not exactly in a hurry to leave either, so you’re more interested in just talking with the new girl despite her awkwardness. And the way you deflected me returning your question earlier implies either you really want to know more about what I study, or you believe your own path will come across as boring; perhaps both.” She smirks a bit. “And I saw that blush earlier; either you thought something embarrassing or naughty, a stray wind blew up my skirt, or you like me.” She slowly blushes and her smirk fades as she realizes what she said. “Er… maybe.”

He blinks, mouth falling open slightly in astonishment. “Wow… I guess psychology does work, since you were right on all accounts… ahem, except for the, erm… you know, the stray wind one…” He blushes a bit harder as he takes a thermos and twists it open, peeking inside and sighing in relief. “Good old, Silk…” Taking the cap off, he pours what is revealed to be the milk inside the cap, taking a swig.

She giggles, taking a sip of her own drink - lemonade, she discovers - straight from the thermos. A thought enters her head, and after drinking, she puts the thermos down to voice it. “So if I was wrong about the stray wind… was I right about both other options?”

His face goes even redder as he ducks it, partially hiding behind the arm holding the thermos as he mumbles. “Yes…”

She blinks, surprised. “O-Oh...” Trying to figure out what to take away from that, she goes with the safer option. “...what were you thinking about?”

He clears his throat a bit. “I, umm… I would rather not say. It’s a bit embarrassing and I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression of me.”

The pegasus shakes her head with a smile. “I’ve already seen you’re a good guy, Rhino. Everypony has those moments where they lose control of their thoughts. Don’t feel so bad about it.” She giggles. “But if you want to keep it a secret, I won’t pry too much… not like I won’t probably figure it out myself anyway.” There’s a mischievous glint in her eye that implies she isn’t bluffing.

His ears fold back a moment as he chuckles nervously for a different reason than the first time. “I do like a smart mare… though I didn’t realize dating psychology majors came with hazards.”

She blushes, realizing at last where this is going thanks to that remark. “W-Well… I can tone it down if you want...”

“Nah, you shouldn’t do that. Just be yourself, you’re interesting.” He smiles, once again feeling his tenses ease as she blushes. He fixes himself a small thing of potato salad.

“O-Okay...” She takes a deep breath, nodding, and taking another bite of her own food. After she swallows, she continues. “I just didn’t want to scare you off...”

He shakes his head as he hovers a fork over his own food. “You’re not scary, you’re… you know… cute.” He blushes a bit, but doesn’t look away.

She blinks, then smiles. “Heh… th-thanks… I’m g-glad you think so...”

He matches the expression. “And you have a good smile too.”

This only causes both her blush and her smile to increase. She continues to fiddle with her hair, unable to think of a response to that, so she just continues eating.

He’s the one who comes up with a topic this time. “So, do you have a job or…”

Asylum blinks before the words fully register in her brain. “Oh, um… well, Silk pays me to help her with modeling. Aside from that, sometimes I fill in for a couple of my weather-controlling friends when they get sick, with is a little more common than you’d expect… that’s about it, though. Not really putting my talent to use yet.”

One of his ears twitches. “You’re… Silk’s model? For what?”

“Oh, just clothes and such… her different dresses and outfits.” She shrugs, smiling. “It’s fun, getting to try all that stuff on, and she’s a great conversationalist while doing it too.”

“Sounds interesting.” He tries not to let his mind wonder exactly what kind of outfits, considering Silk’s usual stock. “So… you and Silk have been friends for a while, then?”

She nods. “About a year now, give or take. She’s one of my best friends.” She smiles.

Nodding, he replies. “I’m afraid she and I aren’t quite that close. Honestly, we only met because our shops are near each other’s. We just hit it off from there. Though, she does occasionally ask for my opinion on a male costume she’s working on.”

“Oh?” Asylum giggles a bit. “What kind of male costume?”

He looks away awkwardly. “Well, you know Silk. Some of them were okay, others were a bit… more deliberate in their designs. Thought she had lost her mind with that one guard costume…”

Asylum blinks, making a mental note to ask Silk about that one later on. “Well… that’s interesting to hear about, anyway.” She takes her last bite of salad before sipping from the thermos again.

“Want me to make you anything else?” He gestures to the rest of the spread.

She shakes her head. “No thank you, I think I’m fine for now. It was very good, though. Did you make it?”

He shakes his head, mirroring hers. “Sorry, I’m pretty sure Silk either made or bought all this. I think I can make a fair salad, though.” He sips from his own thermos, humming afterwards. “Well, I’ve been pestering you with questions for a while, did you have any for me?” He chuckles a bit as he continues teasingly. “Or do you already know all there is to know?”

She laughs a bit herself. “I prefer learning things from ponies’ mouths rather than finding them out myself. But no, I don’t really have many questions...” She taps a finger on the picnic blanket. “Um… do you want to do anything after this?”

“Well, I really wouldn’t mind spending longer with you… you know, if you wanted to.” He shifts his grip on the thermos as he watches for her answer.

The pegasus nods shyly. “I’d like that.”

“I guess the question is ‘what do we want to do’ then. Hmm…” Rolling over a bit, he lies on his back as he looks upward.

She watches with a small giggle, staying on her front. “I’m not sure, really… just hanging out with you is fine with me, though.”

“I wonder what our matchmaker might suggest…” He chuckles as he imagines it.

“Probably something a little too forward for a first date.” She sighs, scooting over beside him and rolling onto her side.

“Agreed.” He looks over to her, blinking a moment at her closeness before smiling gently. “This seems nice, though.”

Smiling, she moves closer and lays an arm across him. “It does...”

Swallowing, he brings one arm up and around slowly toward her back, keeping an eye on her face to watch for any signs of discomfort. No such signs come; instead, she closes her eyes and nuzzles his cheek gently. He nuzzles back as his arm settles around her, holding her gently against him.

“Now this is nice...” She giggles, snuggling in close.

“Yeah, I could do this for a while…” He slightly laments not saying more, but as he rests his head on hers, he isn’t bothered too much.

She sighs in contentment, rubbing his back with one hand and stroking his cheek with the other, continuing to nuzzle. “Should we go somewhere more private…?”

Squirming a little but not complaining as he feels her be almost all over him, he blushes heavily and speaks softly. “Um… what did you have in mind?”

“Just… a place that isn’t right outside where other ponies can see us?” She blushes a bit as well. “M-Maybe one of our homes…?”

“Oh…” He grunts before taking a breath. “Well… would it be too forward to invite you to my place then?”

She giggles. “I don’t think it’d be too forward, no.” She nuzzles him. “I’d enjoy it very much, I think.”

“Well then...” One of his hands entwines its fingers with her own. “Should we get up, pack, and head out?”

Smiling, she gently squeezes his hand. “I think so, yes.”

“I hate to ask then, but… could you get off me so I could get up then?” He smiles sheepishly.

“Oh! Um… r-right.” She quickly detaches herself from him and stands up, dusting herself off, and offers a hand to help him. He grabs her hand gratefully, getting a glimpse of her legs before he pulls himself up. She blushes a bit, hoping he didn’t see anything as she moves closer to him. “Lead the way.”

Chapter 11: Sleepover continues

“Um…” The pegasus blinks. “S-Sure…?”

“Excellent. So, since we had so much fun with it last time, I thought we might make it another strip game.” Her tail swishes as she still sits on Asylum. “But, instead of a board game, this one is more of an activity.”

Asylum tilts her head, trying to ignore still having her in her lap. “What kind of activity?”

“Actually, any of them.” She giggles. “I went and looked into a few common sleepover games and this seemed like a good simple one. One of us does an action, the other repeats it while adding one of their own. The first one does both actions plus a third. We go until you forget one, or can’t do it for any reason. Sound fun?”

The pegasus smiles. “Sure… it sounds interesting.” She blinks. “...can you get off of me first, though?”

“All you had to do was ask.” She winks as she gets off, sitting beside her on the couch. “What do you think, one piece off per round lost?”

“Well...” Asylum looks over them. “We have… what, six pieces each? I suppose that could work… and the same rule as last time where the loser becomes the winner’s servant?”

“Of course. I dare say that’s going to be a staple of these sleepovers.” She giggles, covering her mouth with a hand. “Oh, how the boys would be jealous if they knew.”

The pegasus grins. “Imagine having them take part in one of these… whether they won or lost, I can only imagine the fun we’d all have with the tasks given out.”

“True, that would be tons of fun… but good luck to us getting our beaus to agree to possibly being naked around another male and female.” She shakes her head. “I can’t even imagine how I’d convince Win…”

She giggles. “I’ll help you talk him into it if you help me talk Rhino into it. The mere idea of it is just too much fun to pass up.”

Silk nods succinctly. “Agreed. We double team our coltfriends.”

“Excellent.” Asylum smiles. “Getting back to this game, though… you start?”

“Are you sure don’t want to?” She tilts her head to one side.

She shrugs. “I think it’d be best if you did. I’m still a little unsure about what sorts of things we can do, so…”

“Let’s start off with an easy one.” Standing up, Silk walks to the middle of the room, turning to Asylum. Taking a moment, she starts working her hips in a horizontal circle, maintaining this for about fifteen seconds before stopping and nodding.

Nodding as well, Asylum starts doing the same motion, albeit a little more awkwardly. After she’s done it about as long as her friend, she pauses a moment before doing five jumping jacks. “Am I doing it right?”

Nodding, Silk does the same, glad her bustier is supportive as she gets to the jumping jacks. “How about this?” She puts on a coy look, leaning forward, licking her lips, and winking.

Asylum blushes, but starts the routine from the top, trying her best not to crack up as she pulls off the same expression and wink. She follows it up with a sudden limber movement of bending down, knees straight, and tapping her hooves before standing back up, smirking.

“Oh, is that how it’s going to be?” The sequence begins yet again. Silk gets past her flirty expression and barely manages to tap her hooves. She sighs with relief as she stands back up. Bringing one of her wings forward, she playfully nibbles the tip, her other wing twitching from the sensation before she lets go, grinning.

Sighing, Asylum takes her next turn, only to mess up the order and bend over before the flirty expression. She realizes her mistake just as she stands back up and groans. “Damn...”

“Aww… I wanted to see your face when you nibbled your wing.” She shrugs dramatically. “I guess I’ll have to make due by having you take something off and making devious plans for your impending servitude.”

The pegasus smirks as she just takes the headband off and tosses it to the couch. “We’ve got a few articles to get through before anything major gets revealed. Also, good job with that bend; no offense, but I hadn’t expected you to be able to manage it.” She giggles sheepishly. “I guess I start this one now?”

Nodding, Silk crosses her arms. “I’m actually a bit proud of myself for that one. Though, obviously you are still more flexible than me. Hmm… maybe a bit more time with Winter will stretch me out…”

“He’s not much of an athlete, if you haven’t noticed. You’ll wear him out before he does the same to you.” Thinking, Asylum starts this round by leaning to one side so her body is practically at a right angle, then extends her wings so one stretches into the air and the other touches the floor.

“Just abusing the heck out of your flexibility aren’t you?” Planting her hooves, Silk mimics the pose, though with more grunting and straining than Asylum had. Still, she gets it, bending back to normal before narrowing her eyes at the other mare. “Still, exercise will do both he and me some good.” She cups under one of her breasts, bringing it up and nuzzling it with a small moan. That done, she lets it go and smirks at her friend.

Blushing, Asylum grumbles before bending over again, then doing the same to her mound that Silk did, her face growing intensely red. After the nuzzling and moaning is complete, she tries going for something else to throw her friend off; extending her wings behind herself, she bends over backwards until the tips of them touch the floor, staying that way with most of the pressure on her wings for a good ten seconds before standing back up, sighing. “If I have an advantage, I’ll use it.”

Silk’s mouth falls open before she huffs, doing the first two movements. Her purple wings extend as she leans back to do the third, concentration clear on her face as the tips touch the floor. Suddenly her hands snap down, catching herself as her wings give. “Damn… that’s hard…” Panting, she works her way back to a standing position.

Asylum grins. “Your turn to strip a bit.” She giggles, deciding to tease her some. “Maybe you could use a little exercise...”

Working off her choker, Silk snarks back with a smile. “Are you offering something?”

“Just a suggestion.” She smirks. “Your go now, I believe… going to be quite a while before we start losing anything that’s truly covering important parts.”

“True, but there’s only two of those for each of us.” Giving Asylum a challenging grin, Silk reaches around behind herself, bringing her tail forward. She gives it three good tugs, biting her lip the whole time, but not making a sound. Letting the tail fall back, she just keeps smiling. “Your turn, hun.”

Groaning, Asylum slowly brings her tail out. “You know every way to get me going...” Holding her breath, she gives her tail three tugs as her friend did, face reddening with each one. Finally, she lets it drop and takes a moment to catch her breath. After a bit, she drops down onto all fours, kicking one leg up over the other, and does about eight push-ups before standing back up, grinning.

“...why must it always be physical with you?” Three quick tugs of her tail gets her a small whine before she drops down to do the pushups. Slightly slower than her friend, she still gets them done, standing back up after. “Hmm…” Remembering earlier, Silk turns around, bending over and flicking her tail up. Her hands come back and give her rump a few good squeezes before she does a quick spin back to their neutral pose.

Asylum whines a bit. “I could ask the same about yours always being so humiliating...” Sighing, she begins the sequence, easing through her own physical actions and biting her lip to get through Silk’s. Her face is bright red by the time she finishes Silk’s newest addition. “Kind of glad the boys aren’t here now...” Getting an idea, she brings her left wing out, biting down on a feather. With a pained grunt, she yanks it out and drops it to the floor.

Frowning, Silk just crosses her arms. “And exactly how am I supposed to do that?” She flaps her own featherless wings.

Asylum just grins. “You can’t, hmm? Guess you lose this round...”

Staring, Silk sighs. “Oh you are just devious tonight aren’t you? Got special plans for me or something?” She starts detaching her leggings from her garter belt, the belt itself coming off a moment later.

“No, just felt like using a loophole in your rules.” She giggles before looking her friend over. “Seems like I’m doing better at this than I expected...” To start the next round, she sits on the ground, spreading her legs to the side almost as though doing the splits. After five seconds or so, she stands back up. “Your go.”

Sighing, Silk does the same, sitting and spreading her legs, though with less straining than what might be expected. However, after the allotted time, she stays sitting. “I think I’ll do my action down here.” Her slitted eyes glint as she takes a finger, licking it before sliding it south. Sliding it into her panties, she gives one full stroke over a very obvious particular area before bringing it back up and licking it again. “Your move.”

Asylum blushes madly before shaking her head. “...I forfeit this round.” Sighing, she starts pulling off her choker.

Silk’s laugh sounds ever so slightly like a cackle. “We each play to our strengths, hun. I want to win too, after all.”

Sighing, Asylum tosses her choker over with her headband. “You start this round… preferably with something that won’t make me forfeit again.”

“Of course, hun. What fun would that be?” She laughs a little more as she thinks, even looking over herself for ideas. “Let’s revisit something you didn’t get a chance for earlier.” Taking one of her own wings, she clamps just her lips on the upper edge. She drags them along it slowly until she gets to the tip, popping her lips off as she gives a small shiver. “That shouldn’t be too much.”

The pegasus giggles, taking her wing and starting to do the same, only to start shuddering before she’s even all the way across. Despite this, she holds on, not removing them until she reaches the edge. “Th-that feels weird...” After taking a moment to compose herself, she bends down and quickly goes into a handstand.

Silk gapes before putting a hand on her face. “Tartarus, girl… are you planning on using all that athleticism during this week too?”

Dropping down onto her hooves, Asylum shrugs. “If Rhino consents? Most likely. Otherwise, I’ll be immobile whenever possible.”

“Consents to what, exactly?” Her lips drag across her wing, giving her the shivers before she slowly works her way into the same stand Asylum did. Her wings are spread as far out as possible, giving her balance.

“Just, you know… helping me through my heat.” She raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t have my wings out, neither can you.”

Grumbling, Silk slowly brings in her wings, getting noticeably shakier. “Any… plans on how you’ll have him help you? Or are you just… going with however you feel at the time?” She manages to hold on enough to get past the position, falling into a roll as she stands back up. Then, she walks over to Asylum, getting right up in her space with lidded eyes. A small growl comes from her before she gives the pegasus a quick light spank, retreating with the giggles after.

After getting over the blush-fest that ensues, Asylum rubs her eyes and responds. “Just… however I feel at the time, probably...” She looks over herself before groaning. “I can’t even remember how it started now… you win, again...”

“Hahah!” Silk pumps a fist into the air, grinning at her friend. “Time to strip, hun! Then take your turn.”

Sighing, the pegasus bends down and pulls off her left sock. “Halfway there...” Thinking, to start the next round, she drops down to all fours again. However, instead of regular push-ups, she folds her arms behind her back and starts doing several wing push-ups instead; she gets to ten before standing up with a smirk.

“Back to this then…” Silk eases down, getting into position before starting, the strain evident from even the first push. Still, she finishes only breathing a bit heavier as she gets up. “My turn…” Trying something a little different, she walks over to the couch, sitting on it casually before suddenly rotating to where she is sitting on it upside down, her head on the floor. She spreads her legs wide, giving a giggle as she waves her tail behind herself. Her piece done, she gets up, walking back over to her spot with a parting comment. “Something to think about, imagine if I had waited a few more rounds. You might have ended up trying to do that with no bottoms on at all.”

This causes Asylum to blush heavily as she goes down to do her wing push-ups again; her mind wandering, she barely gets through them before nearly collapsing, sighing as she stands up. Walking over to the couch, she tries to imitate what Silk did, only to flop off the couch onto the ground while spreading her legs. Unmoving and facedown, all that can be heard coming from her is a groan.

Silk walks over, patting her back. “You alright, hun?”

“Yeah...” Sighing, Asylum stands up before lifting her leg, sliding the other sock off, leaving her in only the bare essentials of the set. “Something tells me you’re gonna win.”

“We’ll see. Perhaps I was just motivated by last time’s loss.” Knowing it’s her turn, she looks around. Shrugging, she lies on her stomach on the floor. Slowly, she arches her back, lifting herself up while thrusting her chest forward. With her mounds pinned between her arms that are bracing her against the ground, she shakes them side to side. “Here’s a little ‘come hither’ look you might get use out of.” She stands back up after.

The pegasus giggles and lies down, starting to do the same. “Might use it when I first see Rhino… depending on if we’re out in public or not.” Shaking her slightly bigger breasts from side to side, she giggles some more, finding some fun in this. Eventually, she stops, but rather than standing back up, she just pushes herself up halfway before transitioning into doing splits. Holding them for several seconds, she eventually pushes herself up again and onto her hooves.

Groaning, Silk does her move again, transitioning to the splits after. However, her legs refuse to go down past a certain point, the mare squeaking a bit as she is stuck just above the ground. “Can’t quite spread my legs that far… a win for you. Umm… help me up?”

Smirking, Asylum leans down to offer her a hand. “It’s gonna be a close one, I can tell...”

Grabbing the hand, Silk pulls herself up, groaning a bit. “Oof… maybe I need to do more yoga…”

“I think you’re fine. I’m just more limber.” She giggles. “So, what are you taking off next?”

“Considering I only have four options…” Silk slides off a long black sock, setting it with the other clothes. “Feels strange with only one on…”

Asylum smirks. “If things work out, you won’t have the other one on for much longer.” To start the next round, she flaps her wings to get her a foot or two into the air, crosses her legs into a sitting position, and stops flapping so she falls to the ground sitting down.

Staring at her, Silk huffs. “Doesn’t that hurt your rump at all? I thought that was one of your sensitive places.”

“It’s not as bad as you expect.” The pegasus shrugs, standing up. “And if my butt was that sensitive, I wouldn’t be able to sit down at all.”

“Fair enough.” Her own wings flap twice to get her to the height needed before she mimics the action, letting out a breath as she impacts. Still, she stands and thinks once more. Getting a small idea, she smirks as she goes to the couch once more. “So tell me, hun. Do you have a position you’re looking forward to this week?” Sitting down, she spreads her legs. “Maybe something like this…” She quickly shifts to be on her hands and knees. “...or this...” Next she scoots down to the edge, laying on her back with her legs hanging off the arm of the chair. “...or even something like this? I suppose you could always just be pinned to the wall as well.” With her fangs glinting in her smile, she goes back to her spot to let Asylum think on all that.

Sighing, Asylum quickly gets through her own part of the sequence before heading over to the couch.

Silk speaks as she does so. “”I mean, just imagine where he would be when you’re posed like that…”

The pegasus blushes as she sits down, trying to emulate the movements. “S-Silk…!”

“What? Surely you’ve thought of it.” The thestral sways gently as she speaks. “That green body all over yours… doing all sorts of things to you…”

“Gahhh!” Asylum grabs her head. “Will you please stop?! I can’t concentrate!”

“Hmm… remind me, was head grabbing in the sequence? I don’t recall seeing it there.” She giggles evilly.

The pegasus glares at her. “Neither was being disturbed by your opponent trying to turn you on!”

“At ease, bristling wings. I was just trying to distract you, turning you on wasn’t the real point.” She waves her down, acting a bit more casual. “Besides, is it so wrong to make you look forward to things to come? Well, I assume all of us will be.”

Grumbling, Asylum stands up. “Fine. You win.” Muttering under her breath, she reaches back to start undoing her bra. “I guess I deserve it for the wing thing earlier...”

Silk walks forward and gives her a hug. “Just remember, hun, it’s just a fun game. No real hard feelings, okay?”

“A game that ends in slavery...” Asylum mumbles, but sighs and hugs back. “Okay… sorry.”

“No big deal, hun.” Letting the bra fall between them, she looks down. “Well, look who’s come out to play again. Hello, girls.”

The pegasus lets out a giggle. “Seeing where this is going, I don’t think they’ll be going back in anytime soon.”

“Probably not.” Silk smiles as she suddenly hugs Asylum again, letting them both fall on the couch before giving her a friendly kiss on the neck. “That was my move, by the way.” She gets off her and walks back to her spot.

Smirking, Asylum stands up and follows her, grabbing her and bringing her back to the couch. With a similar hug, she brings them both down onto it, only this time with her on top, and repeats the kiss on the neck. She then adds to it with a kiss on the cheek before standing up and waiting.

“Well, now I feel too guilty to do the next move I had planned.” Silk pouts a bit before getting up and starting again. Asylum is soon back on the couch, having gotten kissed on the neck and cheek. “What to do…” Still laying on her, Silk ponders this. Finally, she gives her friend a cheeky lick on the nose before getting off her.

“Just getting more and more intimate with these,” Asylum notes as she stands up, gently pushing her friend back onto the couch and beginning the sequence again. After the lick, she hums, looking over the form beneath her… then leans down and blows a raspberry on her stomach.

“Ah!” Silk shrieks as she laughs, trying to squirm away.

Laughing as well, Asylum lets up after a couple seconds, stepping off. “Think you can handle it with that tingling feeling in you now?”

“Silly filly…” The pegasus is back on the couch before she even realizes it. “You’re only riling me up.” Kiss, kiss, lick, and finally Silk takes a deep breath, blowing a raspberry just above her belly button.

Asylum squeals, flailing around as she laughs and blushes, trying to keep from falling off the couch.

Silk relents after a time. “Hmm… if I win this one, that means you’re all mine. Would you want me to take pictures? Rhino might like them, but only if you’re comfortable with that.” Her piece said, she shifts, briefly spooning against her friend’s back as she growls in her ear, devolving into giggles as she gets up.

The pegasus breathes heavily, trying to hold back giggles. “O-Only if I can at least have underwear on for them… he hasn’t seen me naked yet, and outside of the heat, I’d like to try and keep it that way until I’m more comfortable with the concept...” She pulls Silk onto the couch, beginning the series of actions once more.

“I didn’t mean I’d give them to him, hun. I’d give them to you to deliver when you please. I suggest just before you head out to class one day.” Her eyes twinkle as she awaits, wondering what she’ll do to add to things.

After making it past all the previous actions, Asylum sighs. “Still… I don’t want anypony else finding them, or something like that… oh, fine, pictures.” For her addition, she thinks, only to groan when she draws a blank. “I don’t know what to do now… the way we’re going, I’ll get uncomfortable far quicker than you, and I’ve run out of physical stuff that you might have trouble with.”

Silk’s face is impressively neutral as she says her next words. “If it helps your decision, I was going to use ice cubes next.”

“...I forfeit.” Asylum whimpers. “I don’t want to risk you getting to that part...”

“Then the game is over, I win, you strip, and now you are mine.” Stretching, Silk sighs as she continues lying on her back on the couch.

Asylum sighs as well as she stands up. “Right… well, guess this makes us even.” She starts sliding her panties off, leaving herself completely naked.

“Speaking of even…” Silk disrobes as well, tossing all her clothes onto the pile. “I figured this way we’re even as well. It might make you less uncomfortable.”

The pegasus smiles, tossing her final article of clothing as well. “Thanks...” Walking forward, she embraces the other mare in a hug.

Giggling, Silk hugs back, not caring about their nudity. “Ah… soft friends make such great huggers.”

Nodding, Asylum continues the hug for several seconds before releasing it with a smirk. “So, mistress… what would you have me do first?”

Drawing herself up, Silk puts on a well-to-do accent. “Your mistress wants a massage because certain activities have left her a little sore. Full body please.”

“At once, madam.” The naked pegasus bows playfully. “Please lie down on the couch.”

Nodding, Silk lies down on her front, remarking as she gets comfortable. “I need to remember to do something like this to Winter… he seems like he gets stressed often.”

“Oh yeah.” Asylum nods as she walks over, looking over her friend. “Just try not to transition from massage to another type of stress reliever in the middle of it.” She smirks.

Smirking back, Silk looks over her shoulder. “Why should I hold back? It just makes everything more effective.”

Starting the massage with her upper back, Asylum just sighs. “Just be careful you don’t wear out all your options before the end of the heat.”

“I won’t, hun.” Her eyes get a little glassy. “I have a good imagination… and plenty to work with. Honestly though, I’m more curious what you’ll do. Or are you just rolling with it?”

“Rolling with it, most likely… I don’t have any real plans if Rhino agrees to help, except see what happens next.” She chuckles. “Funny enough, all my plans are for if he says no.”

“Now why would he do that?” Her wings spread out languidly. “You’re young, smart, sexy, and in love. Seems like all the requirements are there to me.”

She sighs again as she moves down the body, getting around her wings now. “He might not be ready… I know I’m not, at least for outside of heat, when it’s more or less required to get through with a shred of sanity intact.”

“Well yes, I understand that, hun. But surely you don’t think he’d sit around with you suffering?” Her tongue sticks out slightly as she moves her wings under Asylum’s hands. “He seems like the caring type, though you probably have a better idea of that than me. Which reminds me… I’ve been meaning to ask how he is with a special somepony.”

Asylum shrugs. “Well… like you said, he’s the caring type, so it isn’t like he’s ignoring me, but he knows when things aren’t his business… he isn’t pushy, he listens, things like that… a polite gentlestallion overall.” She smiles, moving to the rest of Silk’s wings.

“And in the affection department?” The thestral lets out a small moan.

She giggles, continuing to work the wings with her hands. “Very affectionate, just like me… we spend a lot of time just cuddling together.”

Giggling, Silk presses. “In how much? Win and I cuddle too, but lately… clothes have trouble staying on. It’s just so much more personal… and warm.”

Asylum blushes. “Usually we stay clothed… recently, we tried without pants… it was better, but we haven’t gone farther than that...” She shivers a bit. “Neither of us are as open about nudity as you.”

She raises an eyebrow at her currently naked body. “With each other, anyway.”

“...you know what I mean.” Asylum rolls her eyes. “What about you and Winter? How easy is it to make him strip nowadays?”

“Well… it’s still a little bit of a hurdle to get past his hesitation. I’m the one that usually strips him and he always takes it slow when stripping me.” She hums as the pegasus gets done with her lower back. “But once they’re off, he certainly doesn’t complain.”

“That’s good to hear.” She smiles, moving on to her legs. “You sure he’ll help you during the heat? It’s a pretty big step forward...”

“Like I said, I think I can tempt him into it.” Her wings flap a bit before settling folded against her back. “But, if nothing else, I’ll have a talk with him and explain how being in the same house with my stallion without doing anything with him will literally drive me up the walls. I’m not afraid to beg in this case.”

The pegasus tilts her head, but nods. “I guess so… just be careful. You don’t want to come across as too forceful.”

“I’ll do my best, dear…” Silk sighs. “But you know all of us will be a bit more forceful than usual.”

“Yeah...” Sighing, Asylum takes her arms back. “Flip over, please. I need to get at your front now.”

The thestral does so, looking up at her friend. “Amazing how something that only happens twice a year can dominate conversations, hmm?”

The pegasus giggles. “Yeah, it is.” She starts working around her friend’s chest next. “Getting to less lewd topics, though… how’s the shop doing?”

Grabbing onto the topic, Silk answers, despite a bit of a blush quickly coming to her face. “Actually, it’s been doing great recently. Heats are one of my busy seasons with couples getting things for each other or mares coming in to buy some toys.”

“That’s good to hear.” She smiles, giggling a bit at the blush. “Guess that means you’ll be able to afford to take the week off, huh?”

“Yep!” She laughs. “I expect most places will be pretty dead for the next week, might as well close up and tend to my own needs.”

“Fair enough.” Asylum smirks. “It’s almost funny… the world basically becomes a big ghost town during heat week, then springs right back into action as soon as it’s over.” She works her way down to her friend’s midsection.

“Just one of life’s things, I guess.” Unable to help herself, she continues. “Though considering what you’re between on me, and speaking of springing, does Rhino seem to like how you look? And I don’t mean with his words.”

She blushes. “...I don’t exactly let my eyes wander that far down… most of the time...”

“True, but you do snuggle, and I’m fairly certain you aren’t the big spoon.” Her mischevious grin is back in full force.

The pegasus eeps, her hands briefly ceasing to move. “W-Well… m-maybe I’ve felt something… a bit...”

“Easy, hun. I’m just trying to have a little fun while preparing you.” Her face goes serious. “If all goes well, you’ll be seeing a lot more of it this week, so I just want you to be prepared and not do anything rash when you first actually see it… and it seems we are back on the heat topic. I’ll take the blame this time.”

“No, it’s fine…” Asylum sighs, resuming the massage. “Thanks for trying to warn me, at least… we’ll see how it turns out, I guess.” A moment later, she retracts her arms again. “So, now that that’s done… what next?”

“That depends; would you rather more heat preparation or something more normal?” She sits up as she waits for the answer.

The pegasus blushes a bit again. “Um… normal, for now, please?”

“Okay, then why don’t you pick up the mess of clothes we made and tell me if I look good? The excitement part of upcoming events is wearing off and I’m actually starting to feel a little nervous about my first time…” The normally confident mare gulps.

Asylum blinks as she starts picking up the clothes. “Really? Silk, you always look gorgeous, clothed or naked. Why so nervous all of a sudden?”

“Because of many things…” Her wings curl around herself a bit as she looks down. “I think it’s the beginning of hormones, but I finally have somepony to look good for again besides myself. I mean he tells me I look nice, but then I look at myself and I’ll see little flaws, then I worry whether I’m starting to sag early…” She puts her hands under her chest, lifting it a moment before letting it drop. “And then I think about the fact that I’ll no longer be a virgin after this… as much as I look forward to it… it’s still kind of scary…”

The pegasus walks over and wraps her friend in a hug. “Silk, Silk, Silk… for one thing, you said yourself he tells you that you look nice. Are you saying you don’t believe him?” She smiles. “Because let me give you a second opinion: you are one of the most gorgeous mares I know, and you always will be, regardless of those ‘little flaws’ you see. If anything, those just improve on you where you think they make things worse.”

Her wings uncurl a bit as she hugs back. “Thanks hun… sorry about this. I’m not spoiling the fun, am I?”

“Of course not. Nothing wrong with having this conversation every now and again.” She nuzzles her. “As for the virginity thing… not much I can say about that, except that frankly, it isn’t going to change you. You won’t suddenly age faster or grow ugly; all that’ll change is how close you are with your beau. And the ability to handle yourself when in heat or horny if he’s away.”

“You always were smart…” Her hug tightens as she nuzzles back. “Thank you again… I love these sleepovers with you, you know that?”

Asylum nods. “Same here. It’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had… even when I’m your slave.” She smirks a bit.

“I’m a good mistress, though.” Silk gives her a tiny smirk, but mostly a smile. “Because later, not now, I want to cuddle. I’ll have something else for you to do in a moment, but does that sound good for later?”

Giggling, Asylum nods again as she breaks the hug. “Just let me take care of these clothes first. Do you want me to wash them before you take yours back home, or should I just put your sets in your bag and put mine away?”

She waves a hand as she starts getting back to normal. “Don’t worry about washing them… I don’t think either of us got excited enough to drip.”

The pegasus giggles again. “Fair enough.” Gathering up Silk’s sets, she carefully places them back into the thestral’s bag and tosses her own set into the laundry bin. “So, what was this task of yours you had planned? And should we order something to eat after I complete it?”

“I was thinking pasta this time, any complaints?” She goes over to the takeout menus, browsing.

“Fine with me. We mentioned Chineighse last time, but I don’t know if they’re open today… pasta it is.” Asylum nods, following her over. “I’m not too picky when it comes to that, so I’ll just have another of whatever you order.”

“Alright.” She picks up the phone, speaking casually. “While I’m doing that, could you be a dear and fetch something for me? I saw one of the thornless rose bushes by the street had some lovely pink blossoms. I know it’s a bit windy tonight, but as your mistress, I must insist you go get two for me.”

Asylum eeps. “N-No clothes…? Not even underwear?”

“Not a thing.” She grins as she reads the menu. “At least tonight doesn’t have any clouds ponies could be resting on, right?”

Grumbling and blushing, the pegasus inches her way nervously to the door. After a minute or two of psyching herself up, she flings the door open and dashes out. A good couple more minutes pass before she darts back in, much like her friend at the previous sleepover, clutching two of the requested flowers to her chest and blushing so hard a tomato could camouflage against her face. Her wings are spread, despite her having not been flying, and she’s breathing heavily. “H-Here you g-go...”

Hanging up the phone, Silk looks to her. “Was it really that cold out there, hun?”

Asylum shakes her head, whimpering as she hands the flowers over. “N-No...”

Setting them on the counter for now, she nuzzles her friend. “Come on now, what happened?”

“...s-somepony saw me...” She eeps, still almost frozen.

“Oh dear… what did you do? What did they do?” She hugs her friend, rubbing her back between her wings.

She shakes her head. “I j-just… saw somepony looking out their window at me… I don’t think they recognized me, I was hunched down a lot… but they definitely saw that I was naked...”

“They probably saw that cute butt of yours then.” She strokes the mare’s mane. “Sorry, hun, you were only supposed to risk being caught, not actually be seen.”

“Y-Yeah… still… it happened...” She whimpers again, leaning against her friend.

“There there… it’s over now. You don’t even have to answer the door when the food gets here.” Silk nuzzles her.

The pegasus sighs, slowly nuzzling back. “O-Okay...”

Chapter 12: Heat wave

A couple days pass and morning comes once more. Silk flings the covers of her bed off herself, feeling much too warm. She rolls over in her usual sleeping attire, trying to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, nature has other ideas as it spurs her awake, all of her senses seeming heightened. The sheets feel too soft, the house feels too quiet, the smell… Silk’s eyes open, her nostrils flaring a bit. It’s barely there, but she smells the male of the house.

At the rush of images that follow this revelation, Silk’s mind finally catches up. “Yep… full force heat.” Reaching for her nightstand, she gropes around until she finds one of the purple bottles there. Chugging it, she tosses it into the wastebasket before her eyes glint as she stalks out of her room, nature giving her thoughts tunnel vision.

As she goes down the stairs, Winter walks out of the kitchen, a half-eaten apple in his hand and casual attire on his body. He glances up at her and smiles. “Morning, sweets.”

With a small growl, she zips over to him. Instantly, she embraces him, taking a deep whiff of him before breathing out. “Good morning, stud…” Her fingers are restless as they run through his coat.

He yelps, but chuckles as he hugs back. “Well, you’re in an affectionate mood this morning… had a good dream, I take it?”

“Not quite… you’re free to correct that though.” Her fangs come out as she nibbles his neck, her tail thrashing as she squeezes him.

The unicorn blinks, blushing and squirming a bit. “...Silk? Is everything alright?”

The familiar itch starts to burn as she looks up at him. Her lips touch his as she smiles. “Have you got your fluids this morning?”

“Um… I drank some milk if that’s what you mean...” He starts looking a little uncomfortable. “...what’s going on, Silk?”

She giggles, nuzzling him. “Mother Nature is having her way with me… I want you to do the same.”

It finally seems to click in his head, and he looks even more nervous almost instantly. “Y-You’re… in heat, aren’t you…?”

“Mmhmm…” She nods, her eyes still on his as she licks her lips. “And you said you’d help me… right?”

He winces. “Yeah… I said I’d help you get through it… I didn’t think that necessarily meant I had to… you know...” He trails off.

She blinks, staring at him. “You… don’t know the only way to get rid of a mare’s heat?”

“No, I know...” He sighs. “Honestly, when you asked me to help you through it, I thought you were just asking for me to… you know, just be there for you. I didn’t think you’d want to start having sex this early on.” A hollow chuckle escapes his mouth. “Then again, given the time of year, I guess it makes sense...”

Fighting down her instincts, Silk speaks softly. “Winter… during this time, if a mare is in the room with her significant other, especially is he’s male, the temptation is enormous. My body is screaming for me to be bred by you. If you aren’t comfortable with this, I can wait, but you will have to keep your distance from me until I can take the edge off.”

He pauses a moment, thinking. “...on one hand, it seems too early… but on the other, this isn’t exactly you suggesting it in a completely stable frame of mind.” The unicorn sighs before nuzzling her. “You won’t get pregnant, right? We can take measures to prevent that?”

“I’ve taken a potion… no foals right now.” Her arms curl around his neck. “We don’t have to jump straight in if you don’t want to… the urge isn’t quite at full strength itch yet. Perhaps… a little of that foreplay we both enjoy?”

Winter slowly smiles. “...alright, you’ve roped me in.” His face becomes serious once again. “But just to get you through heat. It’s not becoming a regular thing until we both agree to it when we’re feeling normal.”

She nods happily, giving him a quick deep kiss. “Okay, let me go get ready. Grab some water or something so we don’t dehydrate, then meet me on your bed…” She gives him another growl before she skips off up the stairs.

He just sighs, rubbing his temple. “Never would’ve thought my first time would start off this way...” Trying to ignore the nagging doubt and nervousness in the back of his mind, he tosses the remains of his apple in the trash and sets about getting water.

A few minutes later, he opens the door to his room to see all but the base sheet on his bed plus his pillows tossed off. Silk lies on the bed in the same outfit she had shown Asylum: knee-high socks, elbow-length gloves, bra, panties, and her mane tied back in a ponytail with matching ribbon.

Her legs squirm against each other a bit as she sees him. “Welcome.”

His face goes a bright red as a tightness in his pants already comes to view. “...well… okay, this is new...” Slowly, almost as if on autopilot, he walks over to the bed, feeling a little overdressed just by wearing actual clothes. “So, um… how do we start this, exactly?”

She smoothly slides off the bed and onto her hooves, walking over and putting her palms on his chest. “I assume we kiss… I strip you, you strip however much you want off me… we kiss more, lick, grab, roll around, then… we rut.” She frowns a bit. “That word doesn’t really do this justice… it’s not emotionless like it suggests.”

“I imagine not.” He chuckles nervously, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. “I guess let’s start, then… does it have to be in the order you described?”

“Just a suggestion, dear… we have all week to experiment with all sorts of things.” Her hands hold his as she pulls him closer to the bed.

He goes along, turning and lying down on the bed first. “Uh… by ‘all week’, you mean this needs to happen just once a day, right?”

Laughing quietly, she smiles almost predatorily at him. “Hun… if I’m not actively dripping your seed from my flower, then I’ll need to be or I won’t be in my right mind. I’ll need a lot of refilling.” Her hand cups his cheek as she gives him another quick kiss.

“...so, this is gonna be twenty-four/seven,” he deadpans. “You know I have school and work, right?” As he says this, he reaches around to squeeze her rump.

She lets out a coo, her hands gripping his shirt. “It’s not quite that bad, but I will need you every few hours at least. When you aren’t here… I’ll make do, but be prepared when you get back home. I might be… needy.”

He nods, giving her another squeeze. “I’ll keep that in mind… this is gonna be a draining week for me, I can tell. Literally.” He smirks a bit.

Her hands move down and start to lift his shirt up. “And a filling week for me… let’s get started.”

Winter lifts his arms to allow her to lift the shirt off easier. “Just as long as I get some time to reload between each round, it’ll go just fine.”

“Multiple rounds in a session will give you more time in between.” She slides the shirt off, leaning forward, rubbing herself on and nuzzling his chest. “No wonder I’ve been putting more blue in my designs lately…”

“Glad to know I inspired you.” He nuzzles her, leaning in and licking her neck after a moment.

Shivering, she lets out a gasp. “Oh yes…” Her hands work frantically until his pants slide off and are flung to the ground. “Hmm… want me to do the last bit too? Or do you want to start unwrapping me? You’re free to keep as much on me as you want.”

“Yeah, but some parts are gonna have to come off sooner or later.” He sticks a thumb under her waistband. “Just let me know when you can’t hold back anymore, and we’ll finish unwrapping each other… until then...” He pulls her into a deep kiss on the lips.

***

In another household, the local enchanter looks up as he hears a knock at his door. Curious, he sets his current project to the side, something involving an alarm clock. Throwing on a sleeveless shirt, he opens the door.

He is immediately glomped by a familiar yet frantic pegasus, dressed in the loosest and least covering clothes she could legally wear outside of her home. “Rhino! I. Need. You!”

Falling to the floor from shock and force, the stallion blinks while the door shuts. “Asylum? What the hay?”

She stares down at him, currently keeping him somewhat pinned down. Her face is red and she’s breathing fast. “I’m in heat… and I need you… now.”

“Oh…” Somehow he has failed to make the connection of heat week on his current relationship before now. Nervously, he swallows. “Well… I’m here,” he says rather plainly, wrapping his arms around her.

She shakes her head rapidly. “I mean I need you… in me...”

“But… we haven’t gotten nearly that far yet… and you could, or actually probably will, get pregnant…” he points out, despite certain other parts of him voicing their own opinions.

Leaning down, she plants a kiss on his cheek. “Silk told me of some potions that get rid of that little problem… I drank one before coming over, just in case...”

Feeling his tension ease ever so slightly, he still voices his other concern. “But… I wouldn’t want you to regret this once you aren’t heat crazy…”

“I know...” She kisses his other cheek now. “Don’t worry… believe me, this is something I want… it may be a little early, but considering the heat, there isn’t much we can really do about that… either we indulge now, or I’ll be stir-crazy all week.”

“Well… I don’t want you to suffer…” He sighs, leaning up and nuzzling her as a smile grows, though still tinged with nerves. “So then… how did you want to…?”

She smiles and nuzzles back. “Just… like we otherwise would… I can probably restrain myself for a little bit until we get to that part… oh, and preferably not on the floor like this.”

“Okay.” He lips meet hers as gently as possible. “My bed, then?”

She stands up quickly at that and nods. “Yes please.”

Getting up, himself, he makes sure the door is locked before taking her hand and leading her to his room. “I umm… don’t really have experience, as you know, so I apologize for that.”

“It’s fine… I don’t either.” She nuzzles him again along the way.

He nuzzles back, feeling a little more at ease. Still, when they actually reach his room, he stands awkwardly next to the bed, looking at her. “Do you want to be on top, or lay next to each other, or anything else?”

“Bottom… I want you on top.” She kisses him on the neck before starting to nibble.

He shivers, drawing her in for a tight hug as his hands roam her back. “If you’re sure… just let me know if I ever need to stop, okay?”

“Mm-hmm… same to you.” She giggles before starting to lie down.

Swallowing a final time, he looks at her, laying on her stomach before him on his bed. Leaning down, he gives her a brief but deep kiss as she turns to face him before rubbing her shoulders. She responds with a pleased hum, squirming a bit underneath him. Moving to her neck, he kisses and nibbles just as she had been, his hands playing with the edge of her top.

She giggles. “Enjoying the feel?”

He nods. “It’s almost as soft as you… though I’m jealous others may have seen you in this.” He kisses her once more before rolling up the bottom of her shirt, exposing the small of her back.

Smiling, she nuzzles against him. “Usually I only wear this outfit around the house… this was the first time I went outside in it, because I couldn’t stand anything hot or tight...”

“That bad?” He rubs her bare back, working the shirt around her wings, rubbing them too as they are exposed.

“Y-Yes… ooh...” She hums from the rubbing. “I-It was like… being in a sauna, even when naked…”

Something in his lower half stirs at that as he rolls the shirt up to her neck and finally off her body. "You... hang out naked, often?"

"Sometimes... usually not too much, in case anypony shows up unexpected, but... a fair amount around the house..." She watches her shirt drop, light pink bra exposed.

"I still think you look beautiful, even in this casual outfit." He kisses the back of her neck, leaning over her, feeling a slight caress from her wings.

She giggles. "Thank you, handsome... you don't look bad yourself..." She uses her wings to rub his sides and back.

The sensation of being surrounded by feathers makes him chuckle. "I'm afraid you caught me in my 'around the house' outfit, too. Had to throw something on when I heard knocking."

"Well, I wouldn't complain if you wore it more often... or less, if you get what I mean..." Her eyes go half-lidded.

"Oh..." He stands back up. "Something like this?" He slips his shirt off.

She giggles. "Ooh... now that's more like it..."

"It does make us even." He leans down once more, one arm slipping over her while the other goes under, bringing her into a long kiss.

She happily kisses back, slipping her tongue into his mouth, her only response being a long hum.

He pulls her tighter to him, turning her on her side as their chests press together. His tongue dances with hers as he hums back.

Chapter 13: Aftermath

A week passes and Silk finds herself waking and not immediately assaulted by hormones. Such a simple thing comes as a pleasant surprise as she stretches her arms to the ceiling. “Mmmm…. ahh…” She sighs contently at feeling normal.

A cobalt blue hand scratches her behind one ear. “Feeling better this morning?”

Eyes fluttering open, the thestral coos as she looks down to the blue form sharing her bed. “Mmmhmm…” She darts back down under the covers, snuggling against him. “Good morning, Win…”

He nuzzles her. “Good morning to you too. I take it you’re still tired from… everything?”

“Only a little… not nearly as drained as a week straight of wanting and not getting…” She kisses his lips. “Thank you.”

He happily kisses back before running his hand through her mane. “Anything I can get you? Besides an eighty-second round?”

She blushes, resting her head on his chest. “Oh goodness… did I really need that much? And you didn’t dry up from dehydration?”

“Yes, you did, and no, I didn’t. You usually gave enough time to refuel, or backed down when I was looking bad. Still, I’m kind of glad that exhaustion is over.” He rubs her back.

Humming contently, she kisses him once more. “My big poor stallion… is there anything I can do to make it up to you? I know you didn’t have the hormones to give you boundless energy like I did.”

“Maybe stay conscious long enough for us to talk a bit?” he suggests.

“Sure, hun.” She fiddles with his mane, straightening out a few locks before she tucks herself in tight against him, feeling a bit of a tingle as his fur rubs hers. “What did you want to talk about?”

The unicorn nuzzles her. “For one thing… aside from heat… when are we going to ‘officially’ do this?”

“I… don’t really know…” Her hands rub his chest absentmindedly as she nuzzles back. “I honestly think I’m probably set for a bit… is that alright?”

“More than alright for me.” He nods. “Frankly, the longer we wait, the better… at least until after college.”

She blinks. “...you don’t want to do it of our own volition for years?”

“I’m not in a rush,” he says. “Maybe my mind will change, but for now, I’d like to wait. And I meant your college program, not mine.”

“Hmm… I guess that’s better than the alternative…” She slides on top of him, laying her body flat on his. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t tell you when I’m ready and try to convince you, Doctor…” She purrs the last word, looking him in the eyes.

He blushes. “Doctor…? Are we roleplaying again?”

“Not right now, but it is what you are going to be, right?” Her fangs glint in a smile as her wings spread.

“Erm… eventually, yeah...” He sighs and nuzzles her. “Please don’t call me that right now, though. It just sounds weird.”

Her wings retract a bit as she nuzzles him back. “I can wait to have a doctor as a mate… doesn’t mean I don’t look forward to it.” Her lips meet his in a kiss. “I’m fine with waiting for a little while, but if I can’t convince you to take me when I’m ready, I’ll just wait and keep trying. Sound good, lover boy?”

Winter chuckles and rubs the base of her wings. “Sounds good to me.”

Leathery wings flare out as she arches her back. “Ah… you know I like that…” She grins down at him slyly. “I think I’ll have to keep you in here a while longer… give you a chance to work and me a chance to reciprocate…”

He smirks. “I’m fine with that.”

***

A certain pegasus finally begins to feel some sort of sense return to her brain as she regains consciousness. She sniffs the air, wondering about the odd smell, and tries to sit up before collapsing again with an exhausted groan. Finally, she opens her eyes… and realizes she is most definitely not in her apartment.

Disturbed by her movement, a green arm reaches up and grabs her around her side, trying to pull her back down and against its still sleeping owner. Her response to this sudden action from a party she was previously unaware of is, rather reasonably, a loud scream. Her bedmate sits up suddenly, looking around with wide bleary eyes, shifting the blanket off both of them.

“What? What’s wrong?!” His eyes find her, concerned.

She stares up at him, breathing heavily and eyes wide. “R… Rhino…?” She looks down and sees them both naked, prompting her to eep and try to cover with her hands. “Wh-what happened?!”

He blinks at this, mind still trying to wrap itself around the situation. “Umm… we went to sleep after a couple rounds?”

“...r-rounds…?” Her face goes pale as she realizes the implications, and her breathing speeds up.

“Yeah… you haven’t been able to sleep unless we do that.” Noticing her breathing, he raises an eyebrow. “Is it hitting you again? I’m going to need a glass of water before we start again. My throat is not great right now.” He rubs it for emphasis.

She goes quiet for a moment, trying to calm her breath. Finally, she speaks. “...was… was I in heat…?”

He nods. “For the last week or so.” Leaning over, he gives her a soft kiss on the lips. “Good morning, by the way.”

Slowly, now that she knows what happened, she starts calming down. “G-Good morning...” She still tries to keep herself covered. “I… d-don’t really remember that well...”

“...I guess I can see that by how your modesty is back to what it was…” He sighs, ears splaying out to the side for a moment before he looks back at her. “Are you okay? Any soreness, feeling dirty… would you rather me leave the room?”

She thinks before shaking her head. “I feel… still a little stunned, but… I feel fine other than that...” A small giggle escapes her throat. “Could use my clothes, though… d-do you know where they are?”

Looking up, he hums. “Your shirt and skirt are probably still in the laundry basket from the first day you got here… your bra is over there,” he points to where it hangs on a corner of the TV, “and your panties...” he still blushes a bit at the word as his legs shift. “I think you threw them in the corner over there.”

She sighs in relief before looking down and, after a second, smirking. “...and where are your clothes?”

Chuckling sheepishly, he rubs the back of his head. “Still in the laundry hamper after you pretty much ripped them off me and told me I wouldn’t be needing them for a while. It’s actually been very comfortable.”

She blushes. “O-Oh… sorry about that… I remember that part now...” She takes a deep breath to collect her thoughts, starting to remember the rest of the week.

He watches patiently, even as a part of him wants to hold her as he’s gotten used to. “Do you… regret any of it?”

Immediately, she shakes her head, smiling. “It feels weird to look back on, but… I did enjoy it.”

He smiles back at her, pulling the covers off himself and standing up. “Shall I make breakfast while you sort your beautiful mind out?”

She blushes. “Y-Yes please… if you don’t mind...”

Walking over, he gives her a hug and another kiss. “I don’t. I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready.”

Giggling, she hugs back. “Okay.”

Still smiling, he walks out of the room, still not wearing anything. Despite the situation, she can’t help but ogle him as he goes due to this fact.

***

Sitting on the end of her bed, Silk hums to herself as she lifts various patterns and colors of fabric up against her mannequin, or womannequin to be accurate. With heat out of the way and her mind once again her own, the seamstress had set to work on what she hoped would be her next piece, maybe even a line of them of she got into the right groove. She cups a light blue swath under the chest of the model, tilting her head. “No… I’ve used that before… hmm…”

As if timed perfectly to interrupt her train of thought, a knocking sound comes from her door, followed by a familiar female voice. “Silk! Siiiiiilk!”

The fabric falling from her hands in surprise, the thestral shakes her head and gets up, walking over to her door and opening it. “Yes, Limelight?”

The cyan mare, dressed in whatever loose clothes she found, grabs her by the shoulders. “I need help and you’re the only one I know who can help me besides Winter and there are very obvious reasons why I can’t ask him!”

Hearing the mare’s almost hysterical tone, Silk’s eyes soften even as one glint in them is alarmed. “Oh dear… your heat cycle runs later than most, doesn’t it?”

Lime blinks. “...huh? No, mine stopped this morning. It’s something else I need help with… can I come in?”

“Sure, hun.” Leaving the door open, the yellow mare walks back to her bed, sitting on the end and waiting.

The earth pony walks in and shuts the door behind her, getting right to the point. “How can you tell if somepony likes you?”

“That depends on what you mean by ‘like’.” Her gaze becomes a bit more calculating as she observes the younger mare.

“Well, I’d say ‘love’, but I don’t know if it’s that serious yet.” She sighs and flops down into a sitting position on the floor. “I got some help from a sort-of-friend during heat and now… I don’t really know, I just feel different. I don’t know what they think, though.”

“Sounds like someone did some bonding during a time of extreme stress and trust.” Silk smiles knowingly, her tail swishing behind her like a cat’s.

Lime sighs. “Yeah, yeah… usually when friends help me through heat, though, the day it’s over, we say goodbye and go right back to normal next time we see each other. This time, it’s like I don’t want that.”

“I see… and can you tell me about this friend?” She listens attentively as one part of her files away ‘therapist’ as something to look into for the shop later.

“W-Well...” She pauses. “...what did you want to know, exactly?”

She shrugs. “Anything you want to share. Personality, looks, how they were during your heat, what you do for fun, how long you’ve known each other…”

Lime squirms uncomfortably. “Well… we’ve been in the same class for a bit, but we didn’t really start hanging out much until the week before heat. They’re nice, kind of silly, helpful, friendly… I don’t know, I kind of have a biased opinion.”

“Go on, anything else? Biased is fine, it’s helping me get a feel for how you feel.” Slitted purple eyes still observe keenly.

“I like them, okay?” She groans. “I just don’t know how they feel about me. That’s the problem.”

“Well… how did they act at the end of your heat? I know you said you were reluctant to part, but what about them?”

Lime thinks. “I’m not really sure… I think she seemed a little disappointed… they! They!” She clasps a hand over her mouth, already blushing.

Silk tilts her head. “Why so guarded about ‘them’ being a ‘her’? Parents want grandfoals that badly?”

“...if that was the problem, I think you and Win would have that sorted,” she grumbles, taking away her hands from her mouth. “It’s just embarrassing.”

Ignoring the happy smile and pink cheeks that have appeared on her face, the thestral continues. “I really don’t see why. Have you just never considered a mare before?”

“Pretty much...” She nods. “Guys would sometimes help me out during heat, but I only went along with it for the relief, and it was never really enjoyable until the orgasm. I honestly preferred it a lot when mares were doing it… though I never told them. I didn’t think it was because I was attracted to them… just that the guys weren’t doing it right, or something.”

“Hmm… well, you might end up still being bi, but for now you seem fairly sure of your mindset.” Shifting around a bit so she is laying on her stomach with her arms crossed under her head, she goes on. “So… a mare. One that was disappointed to leave your side after such intimate times.”

“For all I know, her heat cycle was just extended and she was upset I wasn’t going to be around to help her for another day.” The earth mare flicks a bit of lint off her shirt.

Silk shakes her head. “...somehow I don’t think ‘disappointment’ would cover that. That would probably fall under ‘desperation’. Quite different.”

“I’m still not gonna get my hopes up.” She sighs. “What do you suggest?”

“I would suggest spending time with her, maybe studying, having a little fun, doing friend things. Then, ask her out on a date and let things go from there.” She shrugs, patting Lime’s head with a wing. “Nothing too profound or complicated to start with.”

“Maybe not for you,” Lime grumbles. “You don’t have to worry about your love interest not swinging your way.”

Rolling her eyes, Silk, pats her head a bit harder. “He could have been gay, you know. I just had inside sources to confirm he wasn’t. You have no such luxury, and thus have to either take the chance or never know the answer which will only hurt more in the long run and possibly damage any chance of future relationships you may have.”

Despite nodding and thinking about everything she said, Lime can only respond to one part. “It was pretty obvious he wasn’t.”

“Okay yes, he ‘pointed’ that out quite nicely.” She grins cheekily.

“...you just made me want to drink bleach.”

“Now now, you set it up for me.” One last playfully wing pat buffets her head before it retracts. “Besides, can’t have you doing that when you have a potential marefriend waiting.”

“I’d have enough time to get my stomach pumped or whatever it is they do.” She shrugs. “I wouldn’t want to go back and ask about this right away anyway. She’d think it’s just the leftover hormones talking.”

“Thus why you start off doing friend things.” Pointed teeth glint in a grin once more.

“...I’m still gonna wait.”

The grin fades as Silk sighs. “I’m really doing my best to keep you from being one of those mares that just stares longingly at their love interests, hun. I really am.”

“It’s not that.” She smirks. “If she is still in heat a bit longer after all, I don’t think it’d be easy for me to ask us to go get some food while we’re wrestling in bed.”

“So you’d definitely take her up on it?” Silk smirks just as hard.

“Why not? Already been a week of it.”

Silk giggles. “Fair enough… there’s a bit of argument for either side on staying after heat to pursue a relationship: Either it’s embracing a newly formed bond if she reciprocates, or it’s a little awkward if she doesn’t… hmm… well, I suppose in a few days you’ll know if she’s done with her heat. Will you properly ask her out then?”

Limelight nods after a moment. “Yeah… yeah. I will.”

“Good girl!” The thestral pounces, landing next to her and slipping an arm around her shoulders. “Just be sure to come to me if you need advice, an ear to listen, pointers, or equipment.” She winks. “You know I can supply.”

The earth mare snickers a bit before thinking. “...well, first piece of advice I could use… what are batponies particularly fond of?”

Silk blinks. “Oh my… gone for one of my kind have you?” She coyly looks to one side. “Well, Winter might have a better outsider’s perspective…”

Lime just shakes her head. “No. I am not asking him about this. I’d probably get brain damage if I had to hear about my brother’s sexual encounters.”

“Yeah, I won’t ask you to do that, so… welcome to Thestrals 101, for all your sexy batpony needs.” She sticks out her tongue as she laughs. “First off, affection. We love both physical and emotional kinds, but you’d be hard pressed to find one that doesn’t end up expressing both when exposed to either. I hope you’re a cuddler, because we can and will get grabby, clingy, gropy, huggy, kissy, and all other manner of showing how much we care. We love it even more when it’s reciprocated.”

She nods. “That much I was expecting.”

“Now, obviously tastes vary by pony, but for us I’d say direct is the best course. Note, I said direct, not blunt.” She holds up a finger. “Give hints, but avoid mixed signals. Tail caressing, compliments, ear rubbing, little things. Then, when the time feels right, make your move, and you’ll find she’s probably just as ready as you. We rarely are satisfied with one kiss.”

Limelight nods again. “How will I know when it ‘feels right’? As it is, I’m ready to make my move already, considering we’ve been at it all week.”

“True… sort of skews the timing, doesn’t it? All but the shyest ponies will consider your relationship advanced by a few steps by now.” She taps her lip. “Well, if you want to go about setting the mood and letting the feelings flow to create the moment… I suggest a nice fruit basket, maybe a few juices, a few dipping sauces of the sweet kind. You and she, alone for a long amount of time, but calm at first. Preferably a place that doesn’t smell like sex, so… perhaps the living room for you two instead of the bedroom. Turn the lights down a little, she’ll be able to see you just fine. Talk a little, lean on her, let your hands move where they want, and I’m fairly certain nature will take its course.” Her tongue licks her lips as she paints the scene with her words, tail swishing happily behind her. “Mmm… I might need to ask Winter for something like that…”

Lime blinks before nodding a third time, mentally filing all this away. “I’ll see what I can figure out… hopefully it isn’t too much all of a sudden for her.”

“We’re pretty accepting when it comes to romance.” She giggles. “Bonds go two ways, you know. You saw each other at your most vulnerable; for a week her mind had nothing but you. That leaves a mark, romantic or not. Just let her know that you could always adjust your speed for her. You’ll probably get appreciative puppy eyes or tackled to the couch to make out, depending on what she’s like.”

“I’m fine with either of those, so that’s good.” She sighs. “Thanks for all this… sorry for interrupting your work.”

“Oh, it’s fine, hun.” She hugs the earth mare. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t help? Especially when you know how I feel about romance… hmm… and potentially an idea for a young couple’s pair of outfits… reverse exposure perhaps...”

She blushes a bit as she hugs back. “I think that’d be good… don’t know which of us would be which, though.”

“Hun, I’d know how to balance it to where you’re both just as sexy and embarrassed.” Her grin flashes. “Probably best you go to her house if you get some.”

“Will do.” Lime smirks and breaks the hug. “Thanks again.”

“Anytime, hun. Anytime.”

Chapter 14: Thinking of you

Several days pass as the couples return to their regular lives, eventually resulting in more current and calm events. Such as today.

Climbing the last few steps to Asylum’s home’s floor, Rhino mutters to himself. “Bet those are a pain in the ass to move with…” Such thoughts quickly exit his mind as he starts scanning the door for the numbers he seeks. Even while walking, he self-consciously checks his mane, tail, and straightens the collar of his shirt, having decided to go with something nice but casual. After locating the apartment he was told about, he knocks.

After a moment, the door opens and he is greeted with the sight of a comfortably-dressed Asylum; having begun to wind down at the end of the day, she has on a large sweater and loose sweatpants, both a dark blue. She smiles at him and steps back to let him in. “Glad you could make it.”

Feeling slightly overdressed, Rhino smiles and walks in. “Well, I wouldn’t ever turn down time with my favorite mare.”

She giggles, closing the door behind him. “I see you felt like dressing up a bit.”

Chuckling sheepishly, he rubs the back of his head. “It’s just a collared shirt… I thought I’d look nice for you…”

“And I do appreciate that.” She kisses him on the cheek. “I just don’t want you feeling awkward next to me. Do you want me to change into something else?”

“Only if you want to.” He smiles, giving her a nuzzle. “I think you look great in anything.”

Blushing a bit, she nuzzles back as she leads them to the living room part of the apartment. “W-Well, you just got here… I wouldn’t want to suddenly leave you alone just to go change.” She giggles a bit. “Let’s wait and see, I think.”

He nods, looking around. “So this is your place, huh? Cozy.”

“Thanks… I prefer yours, though.” She sits down on the couch. “Much bigger.”

“True… doesn’t mean your place isn’t nice.” He sits down as well, though a bit more carefully for his own reasons. “The company’s exquisite.”

She leans her head on his shoulders with a content sigh. “I enjoy it too… whether at your place, or mine, or anywhere else.”

“I feel the same way…” He wraps one arm around her as he nuzzles her softly. “Which is why, among many other reasons, I have a little something for you.” His other hand reaches into his pocket, trying to pull something out.

She blinks, blushing a bit. “D-Did you? You don’t have to get me things, you know...”

“I still want to.” He leans off her slightly, holding his hand between them. A small black box rests in his hand, the kind often used for jewelry. “I hope you like it.” He smiles softly.

She covers her mouth, blush increasing immensely. “R-Rhino...”

He blinks, not quite expecting that kind of reaction before she even opens the box. Licking his lips once, he still holds it in front of her. “I actually added a little touch of my own to it as well, to make it special.”

Asylum starts to tear up before she suddenly hugs him with a squeal. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

His arms reflexively hug her back even as his eyes widen in surprise. He holds onto the box tightly as he is pushed back by the force of her hug, letting out a laugh at her suddenness. “Yes?”

“Yes!” she repeats, kissing him on the lips. “It… it seems a little early, but I don’t really mind...”

Fighting back the slight mental fog from her kiss and the part of him that just wants to continue that line of actions, the stallion restrains himself to a soft return kiss on her lips. “Early?”

She nods, a little sheepishly. “Well… we are both still in college, but… I mean, I guess this sort of thing isn’t unheard of...”

Something clicking in his head, he nods. “True, I guess students don’t exactly have the biggest budgets in the world, but I think this is a wise investment.”

“I agree.” She nuzzles him, giggling. “I… I’d love to marry you, Rhino.”

He practically hears a pane of glass shattering in his head at that word. “Wait… what?”

“Marry...” She pauses, looking at him curiously. “...erm… that is what you were asking me… right?”

“Umm… well… no, I was just giving you a present…” He moves the hand still clutching the box, looking at it himself. “Although it occurs to me what the box could have implied…”

Asylum pauses again before giggling, looking sheepish. “Oh… um… m-my bad… sorry...”

He chuckles with her, rubbing the back of his head. “It’s fine. Honestly though, it would probably still be a couple years before I proposed-” He cuts himself off. “Umm… sorry, that was probably a little weird to say this early in the relationship…”

She smiles and nuzzles him. “It’s fine… should we just, um, move on?”

He nods, making no move to change their positions of him laying on the couch and her partially on top of him. “I think so. Want to open it now?” He offers the box once more.

The pegasus takes it with a shy giggle. “Yes please.” This time, she actually opens it up.

Inside is a pendant, a simple silvery heart outline of entwined metal with the faintest tinge of blue where the light reflects off it. A few runes can be seen on the inside, etched smoothly. The pendant sits threaded on a simple sturdy looking chain with a clasp at the back.

She smiles widely before hugging him again. “Thank you… I love it!”

He laughs and hugs back, giving her a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. “I haven’t even told you the changes I made yet. Still, I’m glad you like it.”

“Oh? What changes might those be?” Already she unclasps the chain and starts working it around her neck.

“Well, first off...” He pulls his collar down a little, revealing a small silver chain around his neck. “I paired it with this. They each do the same thing, but only to the other of the set.”

She giggles. “And what is it they do?”

He blushes a bit, looking away. “It’s nothing too fancy, just something I was experimenting with, but…” He raises a finger. “Whenever you press on your heart, or I press on my chain, the other’s part warms up a bit. Just a little thing so we can show when we’re thinking about the other.” He presses his finger lightly on the chain of his necklace for a few moments to demonstrate.

“Awww...” She smiles and presses on her own. “I love it.”

He looks back at her as his feels the metal on his neck warm. “I thought it might just be a little something you’d appreciate. Maybe a little happy surprise comfort when we’re apart or something.”

“Which, hopefully, won’t be often.” She kisses him on the cheek before snuggling closer.

He hums, feeling the contours of her body on his and loving how well she fits. A stray thought crosses his mind as he hugs her to himself, nuzzling her, but he dismisses it for the moment. “Heh, even after a week straight of just us, we still can’t get enough of each other being around… I love it.”

“Same here.” She relaxes into his embrace.

He does much the same, the two simply spending time with one another, as is their wish.

***

Days later, Silk hums as she darts around the house. She double checks her preparations; snacks and drinks are plentiful, the furniture in the living room has been moved to the edges to leave plenty of room in the center, blankets and pillows abound, things she might need up in her room are easily accessible, deviant mind prepared, scheming best friend clued in, and boyfriends nonethewiser.

She giggles to herself, adjusting her soft loose shirt. “Seems everything is set.” Not even ten seconds after she says that, the knock on the front door she had been waiting for can finally be heard. Smiling widely, she practically skips to the door, checking her mane one more time before opening it.

Standing there are two familiar ponies. Asylum, in a comfy-looking pink blouse and skirt, has a knowing grin on her face as she hugs her friend. “Hey there! Hope we’re not too late.”

Silk hugs back. “We can’t exactly start without you two, can we?” Looking over the pegasus’s shoulder, she addresses her companion. “Good to see you, Rhino. Treating her well?”

“Like the princess she is.” The green stallion replies with a smile. He wears a blue short sleeve shirt and light plaid shorts, his usual casual wear for outside the house.

“Good stallion.” She smiles back at him.

“Speaking of good stallions, where’s yours?” Asylum steps inside, smirking as she looks around.

As Rhino follows, Silk shuts the door. “Oh, he’s around. I think he’s down in the basement again.” She giggles mischievously. “At least I can always tempt him out nowadays.”

“Well, that’s good.” The pegasus giggles as well. “Should you get him now?”

“I think so. Why don’t you two get comfy?” She gestures to the living room before heading down into the basement, calling out ahead of her. “Oh, Winter~! We have guests~!” After a moment she adds, “Also, I need some snuggling~!”

There’s a thudding noise, and not even two seconds later, the door opens and he pokes his head out. “Who’s here?”

Grinning, she leans forward and gives him a kiss. “What? Am I not enough of a reason to come out?”

He chuckles. “I just want to make sure we don’t start cuddling in front of random strangers.” He steps out, actually wearing a shirt this time, and closes the door behind himself. “Believe me, if it was just you, I wouldn’t be asking any questions.”

“Well, our guests are the ones we were expecting: our similarly romantic friends of Rhino and Asylum.” She links arms with him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“...oh, right.” He sighs, nuzzling her as they start heading up the stairs. “Guess I lost track of time.”

Shrugging, she nuzzles him back. “Just remember to relax and have fun, hun.”

“I’ll try.” They reach the first floor again, and he waves at the other couple. “Guess we’re all here, then. What do we do now?”

Giggling as she looks at the other couple that had started cuddling on the couch when they weren’t looking, Silk replies. “Well, I’m not sure we can snuggle with these two hogging the couch.”

“She tempted me,” Rhino defends.

“You agreed,” the pegasus retorts.

Winter chuckles. “We could always use the floor. It’s carpeted for a reason.”

“And…” Silk waves to one side. “...I brought out the blankets and pillows for that very reason, among others.”

“I guess that could work.” Rhino squeezes Asylum lightly as he gives her a kiss on the cheek. She giggles and nuzzles against him some more.

“Well then, let’s set up a little snuggle circle,” Winter says as he starts levitating everything over.

Silk blinks, staying silent a moment before she speaks. “Oh! For a moment there I thought you meant a snuggle pile for all four of us… silly me.”

The cobalt unicorn blinks. “Erm… well, no, that isn’t what I meant.” He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck as he sets up the blankets and pillows. “So, how have you two been?”

The other stallion grins. “Things have been going great for us. Just spending time together and stuff. You two?”

“Same thing, more or less.” He chuckles, sitting down and patting the spot beside him for Silk. “Life’s been treating us well.”

The thestral quickly walks over, sitting herself in his lap and leaning back against him. “Excellent starts to the school year for all of us. Which is part of the reason Asylum and I had the idea for this little get together.”

Asylum giggles. “That, and a little fun.”

Winter blinks as he cuddles his marefriend. “...why do I feel worried?”

Silk taps his nose. “Because both of you are seeing intelligent mares who are prone to planning when they get together.”

Rhino sighs and shakes his head. “...I feel like I always have reasons to be simultaneously curious and nervous around you, Silk.”

“I am prone to springing things on ponies… but Sy is learning well.” She titters mischievously.

Winter sighs. “So what’s the plan, then?”

The thestral smirks as she squirms in his lap. “Oh, you know… food, drinks, games, chatting, awkwardness, embarrassment… normal sleepover things.”

“I don’t really remember those last two being a part of sleepovers...”

“Then you are in for a treat.” Her eyes are half-lidded as she purrs against him.

He sighs and nuzzles her. “Okay then, which of the things on that list are we getting to first? I’m not particularly hungry or thirsty, and we’ve been chatting for a bit already.”

“Then that just leaves three things,” Asylum says with a smirk.

“Games?” Rhino offers.

Silk nods. “Games!”

Chapter 15: Let the games begin

Asylum giggles. “Games it is. But don’t worry; I’m sure the other two will come alongside the games.” Winter just groans.

“Did you girls bring games we could play?” Rhino looks between the two females.

Silk just giggles. “Silly Rhino, you don’t need anything for the sleepover classic of Truth or Dare.”

Winter seems to breathe a sigh of relief. “Okay, that’s a lot better than what was popping into my head.”

The other male raises an eyebrow. “You do realize who we’re playing with, right?”

“She already knows everything about me, so I’m safe if I avoid dares.” He smirks. “So who starts?”

“How about our favorite feathery friend?” Silk suggests.

Asylum smirks, moving down to the floor with her boyfriend to be closer to the other couple. “Well, Silk, truth or dare?”

“Hmm… dare.” Purple slitted eyes match the other mare’s confidently.

The pegasus grins. “I dare you to make out with Winter right now.”

Winter blinks. “Wait, what?”

He only gets those two words out before Silk turns around and tackles him to the floor, her tongue darting into his mouth as their lips meet. He yelps into her mouth, torn between enjoying the kiss and panicking. Asylum just cracks up laughing as she watches this all unfold. Rhino chuckles lightly as well, but seems a bit unsure as to how to react to this. His ears flick as Silk lets out a small gasp to get a breath before she continues.

Eventually, Winter tries gently pushing her off, only managing to get his mouth free. “Th-that’s enough, I think...”

She stops kissing him, but still lays on top of him. “Aww… weren’t you having fun?”

“When it’s for the amusement of others as opposed to our own intimacy, it gets weird,” he replies simply. “And I think it’s your turn to ask anyway.”

“Okay… truth or dare?” Her tail swishes as she looks him in the eyes.

He replies immediately. “Truth.”

She thinks quickly. “How about… what color panties do you think Asylum is wearing?” The pegasus in question goes bright red.

Winter himself starts blushing, coughing awkwardly as his mind races. “R-Really? Uh… um, p-purple, maybe…?”

“Purple, huh? I wonder what that says about you… since that’s the color I wear most often.” She turns to the other couple, seeing Rhino holding Asylum to himself. She looks to the mare. “Any comments, hun?”

The pegasus squirms a bit. “...h-he’s… not wrong?”

Gasping dramatically, Silk turns back to her stallion, touching her muzzle to his with a fake serious expression. “Did you peek under her skirt?” Another pair of eyes narrows.

“No!” he replies indignantly, glaring a bit himself. “What kind of question is that?!”

“The teasing kind.” She kisses him lightly. “Good guess.”

He sighs, grumbling to himself before turning to Rhino. “Truth or dare?”

He drums his fingers on his marefriend’s side before answering. “Umm… truth.”

“How many rounds did the two of you go during heat?”

Coughing, Rhino blushes bright red. “I see Silk is rubbing off…” He looks to Asylum, gesturing with his head. “Do you mind if I answer?” She shakes her head, rolling her hand in a ‘go ahead’ gesture. “I don’t remember exactly, because sometimes they blurred together, but I’d say about… fifty or so? I was sort of shocked I could keep up, but I guess nature probably designed us to.”

“...she had a mild one compared to Silk then,” Winter mutters.

“And I’ll always be grateful, and even prove it to you whenever you want.” The thestral slides off him and gives him a sideways hug and nuzzle.

He blushes a bit, but nuzzles back before glancing at Rhino. “Your turn.”

Looking to his mate, the green stallion asks, “Truth or dare, love?”

She smiles. “Hm… dare.”

“I dare you to…” He trails off before coming back with a challenge. “Give me a back massage.”

“Not that exciting…” Silk comments with a hint of disappointment. “But I guess we just haven’t hit your devious side yet.”

Asylum nods. “Alright, then… lie on your front. Should I do my turn while I do this?”

“It’d be awful quiet if you didn’t.” He finally lets go of her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before lying on his stomach, arms crossed under his chin.

She takes position over him, lifting his shirt up enough to get at his bare back and start rubbing. As she does this, she looks to Winter with a smirk. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare. I trust you more.”

She grins. “Let Silk lick the inside of your ear.”

He blinks, then sighs. “...aaaaand that trust is gone.” He looks to Silk with an expression of irritation, flicking the ear closest to her up for easier access. “Okay, do your thing.”

“With pleasure.” She licks her sharp teeth before leaning in and giving the inside edge of his ear and long, slow, wet lick, topping it with a nibble on the tip. He squirms about, letting out a bit of a grunt as his face reddens. “Such noises, Winter… what will our guests think?”

“Not… my… fault...” he gets out as he shivers.

“And some ponies complain about Wet Willies…” Rhino mutters.

Grumbling, Winter swats at his ear to try and get rid of the sensation. “S-Silk, truth or dare?”

“How about truth, my big blue boy?” She cuddles against him more.

He thinks as he cuddles back, offering a nuzzle as well. “Well, you asked something similar before, so… what color underwear do you think Rhino and I are wearing?”

“Hmm…” A finger trails down his chest, stopping at his waistband. “To peek or not to peek…”

“...no peeking,” he says with a sigh and a blush. “That’s cheating.”

“Alright then.” She looks Winter in the eyes for a moment before doing the same to Rhino, scrutinizing them both. “I think… Rhino is wearing black.” The stallion nods and she smirks. “And you, Win… are going commando.”

He blushes and shakes his head. “When have I ever done that? ...heat week excluded?”

“...now?” she asks hopefully.

“Nope. Sorry.” He nuzzles her. “At least you got one right.”

“True…” She nuzzles back. “And I can always make my prediction come true later. Now then… Rhino. Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he answers, feeling brave at the moment with Asylum still working his back.

“I dare you… to make out with Winter.” She grins at the two of them and even at Asylum, who proceeds to fall onto her side laughing.

Strangely enough, Rhino maintains a straight face as he stays where he is, simply saying, “No.”

The thestral blinks. “What?”

Winter, despite blushing, raises an eyebrow. “...why not?”

“Because one: I’m taken.” He motions to Asylum. “Two: I don’t swing that way. And three: She’s prettier than you.”

Winter counts off on his fingers. “One: this is just a game. Two: why not experiment a little? And three...” He turns his hand around, only one particular finger extended.

“Four: you’re a bit rude.” Rhino sticks out his tongue cheekily.

“For five, please refer to number three.”

“Alright ladies, break it up.” Silk moves between the two. “Rhino, if we had remembered to set a forfeit, you would be taking it, but since we don’t, you’ll probably just get it worse next time you’re asked. Winter… I’ll buy you a vibrator or something if you’re that curious.”

The cobalt unicorn immediately stands up and makes to walk away.

“Winter.” Rhino’s voice cuts off his escape. “Truth or dare?”

“...truth.” He sighs and turns around, but doesn’t head back to his spot yet.

“Something simple. What’s the thing you’ve done with Silk that you’ve enjoyed the most?” He looks calmly at his friend.

“...if you’re expecting me to say ‘sex’, no.” He finally walks back over to his seat. “Probably just cuddling on the couch or the bed. Might just be because heat ended not too long ago, but I feel like those calm moments come a lot less frequently than our intimate ones.”

Rhino nods, smiling. “I agree wholeheartedly.” Asylum giggles and nuzzles him in response.

“Well, my turn now.” He smirks. “Asylum, truth or dare?”

“Dare.” She smirks back confidently.

He grins. “I dare you to mimic all the sounds you make when you have sex.”

Silk gasps and covers her mouth before giggling and giving Winter a smooch. “I’m so proud of you!”

Rhino, however, looks horrified as his face goes a bright red. As he looks to his marefriend, he squirms, glad he’s on his stomach as he swallows nervously. “Evil…”

“Exactly.” The cobalt stallion looks to a blushing Asylum as well. “Go on.”

The pegasus hesitates for several seconds, opening and closing her mouth without doing anything. Finally, she shuts her eyes and lets out a gasp, followed by a high-pitched moan. Her stallion lets out a small whine, ears folding down as he covers them with his hands, eyes shut.

Next, after a pause, she forces herself to start breathing heavily before squeaking. This transitions into another moan, this one significantly louder and repeating itself a few times before going back to just her fast-paced breathing. Rhino is literally trying to beat his face into the blanket as she does this, groaning.

“...surprisingly realistic,” Winter admits as she moans again. “Anypony just wandering in would probably think there was an invisible hand under her skirt.”

To finish off, she lets out the biggest moan yet, then flops onto her stomach and covers her face in embarrassment. Her stallion is curled into a tight ball, unsuccessfully having tried to shut out the sounds.

After a moment, his voice is heard, slightly hoarse. “...I really really want to kiss you right now, Sy…”

She just whimpers, cuddling closer to him. Winter blinks and looks at Silk. “...did I go too far?”

She shakes her head. “No, just… give them a moment. You hit the nail on the head there, so they have to recover.”

Over with the two, Rhino uncurls slightly, leaning down and giving his marefriend a long sweet kiss, trying to drain out the tension from his body. She happily kisses back, trying to relieve her own embarrassment. He pulls her close, forgetting for the moment that the others are there as he kisses her, trying not to show the physical representation of her effect on him.

Eventually, Asylum sighs, nuzzling him. “T-Truth or dare?”

“Truth… I can’t do a dare after that.” He holds her softly.

She racks her brain. “...how angry are you at them now?” A weak smile comes to her lips.

“Honestly? I’m not, really.” He nuzzles her. “It got me a moment with you.”

She giggles and nuzzles back. “That’s good, at least...”

“Hmm…” He looks up towards the other couple. “Silk? Truth or dare?”

“Truth.” She smiles softly at him.

“Thoughts on the game so far?”

“Well… it’s certainly been interesting, but would anypony be against switching games? I feel like a change of pace might be needed.” She looks at all of them.

Winter shrugs. “I’d be up for one.” Asylum nods in agreement, as does Rhino.

Silk nods and smiles. “Alright then. Do you want to pick the next one, Sy?”

“Hm...” Asylum thinks for a bit as she sits up before grinning. “...what if we did something like at our last couple sleepovers?”

“You mean a challenge game?” she asks.

“Yep… with all the same rules.” She grins wider.

A grin slowly forms on Silk’s face before she nods. “Oh yes… this is a plan I like.”

Rhino looks between the two before looking over to Winter. “Do those looks makes you slightly nervous, too?”

“Pretty much any time they look at each other I get nervous,” the cobalt unicorn deadpans.

Chapter 1: New Resident

Purple leathery wings split, buffet, and cup the air as a mare soars through the sky to her destination. One might think between the large bags in each hand and the backpack nestled between her wings, she might have a tough time flying. Yet, as she glides on another thermal, she shows no signs of strain or worry as purple slitted eyes scan the ground below her.

Ponies of all kinds and colours mill below her, though their ages are roughly the same. As a nearby clock tower chimes out, suddenly all of them have somewhere to be, every colourful dot abruptly making a beeline for their destination. Such is life at college, the University of Fillydelphia no exception to this rule.

With a small giggle to herself, the mare gives thanks that she doesn’t have to worry about classes today. Instead, she tilts herself and angles towards the residential area just off the edge of campus. After a few more minutes of flight and a playful dive through a cloud, keen eyes bred and used for detail hone in on her goal. With only a slight downward tilt, she dives, pulling up and giving her wings a solitary flap before her hooves clack quietly on the sidewalk.

Double-checking a slip of paper she pulls from her pocket, the mare nods at the home in front of her. Fairly identical to those around it, the two-story building does nothing to draw the eye away from anything else in the neighborhood, simply doing its job of providing shelter. Walking up to the door, the winged mare quickly slips a small mirror out of her backpack and checks herself.

A few swipes of the hand and her dark purple mane is smooth once more, curling at the ends of the strands. A quick look downward ensures her white blouse and blue pants are free of insects, leaves, and other various flying debris. Finally, she swishes her tail to get the hairs in place as she stows the mirror away, raising a demure hand and knocking on the door.

After a moment, the door opens, revealing a tired-looking light blue mare. Her dark pink mane looks as though she just rolled out of bed, which is entirely likely given her appearance otherwise, and a black robe seems to be the only thing she has on. She blinks at the stranger, trying to keep her eyes open. “...can I help you?”

The yellow mare blinks at the other female’s appearance, but still smiles, revealing fangs. “Hello, I’m here about the room for rent.”

The earth pony blinks again before sighing and stepping back to let her in. “Winter’s the one you wanna talk to.”

Nodding her head gratefully, she walks in, carrying her bags and looking around. “I take it you’re another housemate?”

“I guess. I’m his sister.” She yawns and rubs her eyes as she walks over to the couch. “It’s just easier to live with him than to find my own place. Still gotta pay rent, though.” She looks to the mare. “What’s your name?”

Setting a bag down, she gestures to herself. “My name is Silk Tease.” She offers that same hand to the other mare. “You?”

“Limelight.” The earth pony takes the hand and shakes it, albeit hesitantly. “No offense, but what are you? A pegasus?”

“In a sense.” Silk giggles lightly as she shakes her hand. “Some call my kind ‘lunar pegasi’, or some might say ‘bat ponies’ for quick slang. But if you wish to be accurate and inoffensive, I am a thestral.” Her words are quick and informative, but with an undertone of amusement.

Limelight slowly nods. “Thestral… right.” While she seems to comprehend, her expression is still one of uncertainty.

Taking advantage of the pause and making a mental note to ease Lime into her presence, Silk cranes her head around, looking about the living room. “So… where is this ‘Winter’ then? I’m very much looking forward to seeing where I’ll be staying, and who with.”

She sighs and shrugs. “I dunno, upstairs? I’ve been awake for ten minutes.” She turns to the stairs and calls out. “Winter! Somepony’s here!” The sound of something heavy falling over is the response she gets, and she turns back to Silk. “He’ll be down in a minute.”

Resisting the urge to raise an eyebrow, the mare instead cocks her head to one side. “You just woke up ten minutes ago? But it’s almost noon!”

“I’m a growing girl, I need my sleep.” She smirks. “Besides, I don’t have classes today, so might as well make the most of it.”

Smirking right back, Silk shrugs and nods. “A fair point, hun. Nothing quite like hanging out in your comfiest outfits.”

“Yeah, but Win gets annoyed when I walk around nude.” She chuckles.

The eyebrow springs up, but Silk’s smirk only gets wider as she laughs. “Oh, I think you and I will get along fine.”

Finally, they can hear a door upstairs open and close, and Limelight looks over to the stairs, waiting. “I think so too… let’s see if you get along with him.”

Silk turns as well, and both of them watch as a cobalt blue unicorn descends the stairs, rubbing the base of his horn. His yellow-and-brown mane almost hangs in front of his eyes, being quickly brushed to the side by his free hand. Aside from a pair of black-rimmed glasses, he only has on loose dark green sweatpants and a white t-shirt, indicating he clearly isn’t planning on going outside today.

His eyes meet with Silk’s, and he smiles welcomingly. “Hey there.”

She smiles back at him, waving since he stands out of arm’s reach. “Hey yourself. Winter, I presume?”

He nods, stepping closer and finally taking his hand away from his horn, offering the other one to shake. “Winter Solstice. I’m guessing you’re Silk Tease?”

“That’s me.” She shakes his hand. “I didn’t wake you up too, did I? I wasn’t aware this was a house of late risers.”

“No, Lime’s the only one in the family who sleeps in a lot.” He ignores his sister sticking her tongue out at him. “I only sleep late if I haven’t slept in a while. I’ve been up since about seven or eight.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” She picks back up the bag she had set down to free a hand. “So, to focus a bit more on business so that I’m not just standing here with my bags all day; what’s first? Tour of the house or showing me my new nest?”

Winter tilts his head. “Nest…? Oh, pegasus terms. Well, thestral terms, but you know what I mean.” He shakes his head, trying to refocus. “Well, your room’s upstairs, along with basically everything besides the living room you’re standing in, the kitchen, and the basement. Could probably do the tour on the way up to your room.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” She turns around to the robed mare. “Will you be tagging along, hun?”

Limelight shrugs and stands up. “Already awake, might as well.” She gestures grandly with her arms. “This, Silk, is the living room.”

“I think she noticed,” Winter remarks. He glances around at the room; a couch, coffee table, TV, and a couple family photos on the wall are all the decoration it has. “Sorry if it’s a little bare.”

Rolling her eyes playfully, Silk waves one wing. “It’s college living, hun, standards are low. Though I think things look very cosy so far.”

“Glad you think so.” He smiles before starting to lead the way over to a doorway across the room. “The kitchen and dining room are right in here.”

Peeking her head inside, she nods. “Do you have any fruit?”

“Apples, bananas, and oranges mostly,” Limelight answers. “Help yourself, but if you clean them out, you buy more.”

“That seems fair.” Silk looks regretfully at her full hands, but turns back to the siblings. “I’ll just grab a snack once we get done.”

The unicorn chuckles, lighting his horn. “I’ll take those for you if you want. You already carried them all the way here.”

“Well, aren’t you just the gentlecolt?” She smiles at him, not resisting when she feels a small pull on the bags in her hands.

“He isn’t,” Limelight remarks with a smirk as her brother takes the bags in his magic. He just rolls his eyes in reply.

“And why might you say that?” Silk queries, looking between the two attentively.

Winter sighs. “She grew up with me and moved into my house less than a year after I had finally moved out to live on my own. Stay near anypony for that long and you’ll grow to despise them.”

“You’re exaggerating. I don’t despise you.” The earth pony scratches her rump idly. “It’s just fun messing with you.”

“While it is typical of siblings to have differences, you must remember to hug and make up.” Silk giggles as she spreads her purple wings, nudging each pony towards the other with one curled around them.

Winter squirms a bit before managing to duck away from the wing. “Please don’t do that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Limelight assures her, not bothering to try and worm her way out. “We do this all the time, and we’re fine the next day. That’s the kind of brother-sister deal we have going on.”

Frowning a bit, Silk’s left wing swats at the now empty air within it a moment before retracting. Her other one gives Lime a friendly squeeze before doing the same. “If you say so… next room?”

Winter nods, making sure he still has the bags before going back out into the living room. “We’re about to head upstairs. Feel free to grab a bite before you follow.”

“Oh, right!” Ducking into the kitchen, Silk rummages around, trying to get a feel for where things are as she searches. “Did you two want something?”

“No thanks,” Winter calls back in response.

Limelight shrugs. “I’ll take one of whatever you get.”

The thestral returns with a pristine red apple in each hand, offering one to the other mare. “Here you are, hun. A nice start to your delayed day.” As if to demonstrate, she opens her fanged mouth, biting down into her juicy fruit with closed eyes and wagging tail.

The earth mare takes her apple, biting into it as well, though not with quite as much enthusiasm. “Are you part fruit bat or something?” Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Winter facepalm.

Eyes opening and peering at Lime, Silk keeps her mouth on the apple a moment before opening it a bit wider and taking her teeth out of it. The apple still seems to be in one piece, minus the many puncture wounds, though the usual drip of juices from a fresh one seems to be absent. “That’s… not an uncommon comparison.” She giggles sheepishly. “We do have a taste for fruits and juices, some stronger than others.”

“...huh.” Limelight just takes another bite of her apple, looking only slightly intrigued. “Cool.”

“Moving on...” Winter catches their attention again, looking to Silk. “Upstairs is where the bedrooms, the bathroom, and the medical cabinet are. That, plus the kitchen, should take care of anything you need, right?”

“There’s only one bathroom?” she asks to be sure before taking an actual bite of her apple, tearing off a piece.

He shrugs. “The bathroom upstairs has a sink, toilet, and shower. There’s a powder room down here with only the first two, but we usually don’t use it.”

Turning to Lime, Silk raises a playful eyebrow. “Will we need to fight over who showers first like in most cliché stories?”

“Unless you wake up after ten, probably not.” She nods towards Winter. “Might have to scuffle with him, though. He’s the one with morning classes.”

Turning to the male, Silk appraises him thoughtfully. After a moment, she smiles. “I think he and I could find a way to be reasonable.”

He tilts his head. “What do you mean, exactly? I was just gonna let you take first dibs in the mornings.”

“Well, that’s very nice of you.” She gives him a winning smile. “But I like to take my time some mornings, so it’d be best if you went first those days.”

“How do I know the difference between days when you like to take your time and days you don’t?” he questions as he starts ascending the staircase.

The train of two other ponies follows him. “I’ll let you know. The days I take more time are the days I run my shop first thing in the morning.”

Limelight blinks. “You run a shop?”

Grinning, Silk turns her head halfway. “That I do. You should drop by sometime. I’m sure I have something that’d interest you.” She winks.

The earth mare tilts her head. “Really? What sorts of things do you sell?”

She thinks of how to say this, seeing the curiosity on Lime’s face and grinning. “Hmm… I sell clothes of the unusual, useful, unique, and fun variety. I make all the clothes myself, though some items I order from other places, so don’t be surprised if you walk into my room and get a sample.”

“...duly noted. What do you mean by ‘fun’?”

“... I feel that should be a very complicated answer to a simple question,” Silk muses before shrugging. “I mean many things by it, suffice to say… fun in all ways.” She nods, satisfied with the summary.

Winter looks back as he steps off the final stair. “You know, you can just say they’re to be worn in the bedroom.”

Huffing, the thestral puts her hands on her hips as she arrives upstairs as well. “I’ll have you know mine can be worn outside the bedroom, thank you very much.”

He chuckles. “For the purpose of leading somepony else to the bedroom?”

Instead of answering, she counters with a smirk. “Much like you are now?”

His face goes red and he turns away awkwardly. “...y-you know what I mean...”

“Perhaps…” she speaks that single word in almost a purring tone. “You’ll just have to actually see some of my wares before you jump to any more conclusions.”

“Careful there, you’ll scare him,” Limelight intervenes. “Though I’m interested too… any chance you could show us?”

“Wouldn’t be much point in owning a shop selling them if I said ‘no’.” She titters, stopping as they come to a door. “I didn’t bring my supplies with me today, though, they’re all at the shop. I just have my clothes, toiletries, and a few other things today. You’re always free to drop by though, both my room and shop.” She pats Winter on the back. “Same goes to you, although do remember to knock here. We could be doing girl things.”

He pauses. “...I think I just threw up a little in my mouth from the mental images...”

“Good thing we’re at the bathroom, then.” Limelight gestures to the first door they come across. “Silk, this is… well, the bathroom. You’re free to look around inside, but don’t expect to find much.”

She peeks inside but doesn’t linger. “At least the shower looks roomy.”

Winter nods. “Should be wide enough to spread your wings, at least enough to clean them. As a side note, don’t worry about using all the hot water. I shower in cold anyway and it’ll heat back up long before Lime takes hers.”

“Oh… well, that makes things easy.” Silk smiles, looking towards her backpack. “I’ll just unpack my bathroom things last.”

They continue down the hall for a moment before getting to another door. Rather than open it, Winter just taps on the handle with a finger. “This is my room. If you can’t find me, chances are this is where I’ll be if I’m not out of the house. General rules of privacy apply; knock and wait for response before entering, and don’t go in when I’m not in here. In fact, please don’t go in at all unless I’ve given permission.”

She nods, respecting his wishes. Limelight starts leading the way over to a door at the end of that stretch of hallway, just as it turns. “And this is my room. Same rules as his. Yours is the door at the end of the hall.” She nods in the direction of the only untouched door.

Walking to it, Silk opens the door and walks inside. A moment later, pleased humming comes from the room. “Oh yes… this will do nicely. Plenty of floor space for me to work.”

Winter walks over after her, carrying her bags. “Everything suit you just fine? Anything you need?”

“Hmm…” Flicking the lights on and looking around, she shakes her head. “No, everything seems fine to me. Thank you again for letting me rent this.”

He smiles. “No problem, Silk. If you have any questions, I’m always willing to answer.” He glances back at his sister, just as she walks into the bathroom. “I’d say the same for Lime, but knowing her, she’ll just give you permission to do whatever as long as it doesn’t involve her stuff.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She looks curiously to the door to the bathroom, but shrugs.

He glances back at what she’s looking at, then chuckles. “She’s just taking care of her morning shower… well, almost afternoon shower, but you know what I mean.” After a pause, he turns back to Silk. “Oh, and… one last thing? Don’t go in the basement.”

This easily raises an eyebrow. “Got your secret magic lab down there?”

“...sure, let’s go with that.”

“Well now I’m just curious.” She flutters her eyelashes at him. “Surely you can give me a hint…”

He blushes, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh… i-it just has some fragile stuff stored down there. Don’t want it to get broken, you know? And it’s really dark… no lights, so it’s easy to just bump into stuff...”

“Oh...” She shrugs. “Well, alright then. I’m not much of a fan of basements anyway.” Her wings stretch a bit as she finishes her apple, having been taking bites periodically. “Since you’ve been such a good host so far… any questions for me? Lime was the curious one so far.”

Winter thinks for a second. “Well, I guess I should go for the obvious… you’re fine with sharing a house with a stallion, right? Not gonna bother you or make you feel awkward if you see me with just a towel around my waist after a shower, or in my boxers after I’ve just woken up?” He blushes at the thought. “N-Not that it should happen, that is...”

Giggling, she pats his shoulder. “Hun, I’m fairly certain you’ll be far more flustered than I could be if I’m reading that blush right. In my line of work, one tends to know exactly how everypony looks, so it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Plus, we’re both adults here. Just don’t go swinging your sword out of its sheath in heat weeks and there shouldn’t be any problems.”

His blush increases as he thinks of that, slightly crossing his legs instinctively. “I’ll k-keep that in mind...”

Seeing this, she tilts her head at him, giving him a small smile and a knowing look. “How about you then? Are you comfortable living in the same house with a mare who isn’t family? Not worried about what I wear to sleep or if I forget to tie my robe?”

He squirms in place, blush not fading. “W-Well… didn’t really think about that… but, um, i-if you’re comfortable, I guess I am too...”

Her tails swishes in an almost predatory way as she grins wider. “Good… although I doubt I’ll be getting as comfortable as your sister talked of being in the past.”

Winter blinks, then groans and covers his face with his hands. “Too many mental images...”

She giggles, patting his hands. “Oh, you’re going to be fun…”

Chapter 10: Sleepover beginning

Later on, in one of the student housing districts similar to Winter’s household, but with small one-story abodes, the two stop in front of one of the many homes. Rhino gestures towards it. “Here we are, my little cozy place.”

Asylum smiles. “It already looks great just from the outside.”

“It’s not really different from any of the others though…” He rubs the back of his head as they walk to the door. “The inside however, might be a little odd. So… sorry ahead of time.” His horn lights up as he turns the key in the lock, faint etchings glowing in the doorframe before fading almost instantly as he opens the door.

She blinks. “Wow… that’s new...”

“Sorry, I get a little security conscious sometimes.” They enter the house, the door leading to the corner of the living room.

At first, the place looks normal. A couch and TV are obviously the centerpoints of the room, while across a chest-high wall the kitchen can be seen just beyond. A shelf of books and a few knickknacks stands next to the door while across from them is a hallway with a handful of other doors within.

However, as soon as the stallion enters, the lights click on without him doing anything. Holding his hand out, the keys float from it and into a small tray on the shelf. His wallet does much the same as he sets the basket and blanket on the counter. From the other end, a blue glass slides toward him, touching his hand.

He looks down, nudging it gently away. “No thank you, not thirsty today.” It retreats, hopping into a nearby cabinet.

Asylum just stands at the door, mouth agape at everything that just happened. “...wha...”

He rubs the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly. “Yeah… I tend to test out or do small enchantments around the house. It makes some things very convenient. I don’t lose most common things ponies do, because I can summon them or they put themselves away. That little thing,” he points to the cabinet with a thumb, “is because I usually want a bit of water or milk when I get home.”

She continues to glance around, awestruck. “It… wow...”

He tries to lighten the mood. “Hey, at least I don’t do the books flying around thing like some stereotypical unicorns do… anymore. You learn quickly that kind of things is bad for their spines.”

Finally, she giggles. “Fair enough… still, this is pretty… odd...” She winces. “I-I don’t mean it’s bad! Just… unexpected?”

“I understand that. Just umm… don’t be surprised when things move, okay?” He smiles hopefully.

She smiles back. “I’ll try not to be...” She leans in for another nuzzle.

He happily gives her one. “Mmm… back to where we were already? I’m okay with that.”

“I’m glad you are… it just feels right.” She contemplates sneaking in a kiss, but her nervous side wins out, and she decides against it. “So… shall we get right back to resuming our snuggling session, or is there anything else you wanted to do or show me first?”

“There’s not really too much to show.” One thumb rubs her hand. “My house is fairly mundane. I’m not sure what I would do before, either, except maybe ask where we wanted to do this and if we wanted blankets.”

“Well… I think the ‘where’ can only be answered with the couch or… um… bed,” she replies, going quiet at the end.

Hearing this, he quickly offers a third option. “I could always just put blankets on the floor if you’d prefer something with more room. They’re softer than the picnic one.”

“O-Oh… um, that works too.” She sheepishly nods. “Floor and blankets, then… please and thank you.”

Nodding, he pushes the coffee table to one side of the living room before heading into the hall and coming back with two large fluffy blankets. The blue one he quickly spreads out, smoothing it across the floor. The green one he unfolds, but leaves at the base of the other, pointing at it. “That one’s in case we get cold or something. Would you like some pillows or anything else?”

“No thank you, I think this is fine...” She smiles, slowly sitting down on the blue blanket.

He sits as well, looking at her a bit awkwardly now that they are planning something that was entirely spontaneous before. “So, umm… how do we…. you know, start?”

She thinks. “I guess, just… do what we were doing before?” She lies down on her back to try and show what she means.

He follows suit, lying on his back next to her and holding one of her hands in one of his own. He looks to her, his soft smile returning. She smiles back, moving close to cuddle against him. His arm goes back around he as he nuzzles her. “So… I don’t have anything else planned today. Do you?”

“Hm… not really. Silk doesn’t need me today, I have no classes… just a free day.” She nuzzles back. “I like the way I’m spending it so far, though.”

His muzzle twitches as her mane tickles it. “Think I can tempt you to stick around for a while? Maybe until dinner?”

She nods, giggling. “I have no problem with that.”

He smiles. “I’m glad…”

***

Another week passes and Silk once more finds herself stopping in front of her best friend’s door with a backpack stuffed much more than last time. Straightening her mane a bit, she knocks.

The door opens almost instantly, Asylum grinning at her friend. “Hey, Silk! Come on in!” She glances at the bulging bag, but doesn’t think much of it, simply stepping back to allow the thestral access.

She quickly steps in, giving the pegasus a hug. “Ready for another fun night?”

Asylum hugs back. “Sure am! I bet we’ve got tons of stories to share with each other.” She grins.

“Oh, I’ll bet.” The door closes as she grins back. “I even brought some spare outfits I thought we might like. Two are admittedly for work, but the others are just because I thought they’d be fun and you know I like to dress up both of us almost as much as you like to dress us down.” She winks and sticks out her tongue.

Asylum blushes and sticks hers back out. “Fine by me. And I don’t have that much of a thing for removing our clothes.”

“Hun, between the two of us, we invented strip Battleclouds,” Silk deadpans before giggling at her words.

“...it was still fun.” She rolls her eyes playfully. “Now you’ve got me wanting to play it again...”

“Now now, let’s mix things up a little before we fall back on that.” Taking her bag off her shoulders, she holds it. “I was thinking at one point we do our own little fashion show, probably catching up while we do, and maybe planning the things we do after. Unless, of course, you wanted to do something before then.”

“I like that plan.” Smiling, Asylum looks at the bag. “What outfits did you bring?”

“Well…” Silk waves the bag teasingly. “The ones for work are a little cheerleader outfit and a little experimental new fabric I’m working with I call ‘cloud cloth’. I’ve fashioned it into a little skirt and shirt combination. All the other three outfits are lingerie for us to have fun with.”

“Oooh...” Intrigued, Asylum has to force her eyes away from the bag and back to the thestral. “So, when do I get to see these?”

“Whenever you want, hun.” The thestral giggles. “And if you want to say… oh, I don’t know… use them on your stallion during either what happens this coming week or any other time, just let me know.”

Asylum blushes, reminded both of what comes next week and of her new relationship. “R-Right...” She coughs awkwardly. “H-How about we do that now, then? Then we can spend the rest of the night in as much or little clothing as we want without worrying about later having to change.”

“Sounds like a fine idea to me.” Sitting on the couch, she unzips the bag, looking back at Asylum. “Shall we get the work ones out of the way first?”

The pegasus nods, sitting on the couch beside her. “I think so, yes.”

“Let’s start with the classic then.” She pulls out a small two piece cheerleader costume, purple and white as the main colors. “I just need to see how this acts when you move around in it. You know, walk, strut, maybe a jump, and a little bending.”

Nodding, Asylum begins to strip off her clothes. “Sounds like something we both would find very useful during our heat cycles...”

Silk nods. “Honestly that’s something I can say for most things in my store, I think. As I said, let me know if you want to use anything.” She winks.

Giggling, Asylum tosses her shirt away, plain white bra beneath. “I’ll keep that in mind… though I’m not even sure if Rhino will want to go that far yet...” She begins working on her jeans next.

“True… he did mention something about saving himself one time before rapidly changing the subject.” Her eyes flicking to the bra, she smiles. “Look at you, going white and innocent.”

The pegasus blushes. “Hey, I don’t put much thought into these… I just grab the first things I grab.” She drops her pants, a pair of red and pink striped panties beneath. “Usually I try not to show them off.”

“Well, you don’t clash too badly…” She offers the outfit as she continues. “Still, if you’re mentioning outfits would be useful for both of us… does that mean you plan on your strapping stallion being around to cool you off in the coming days?”

Asylum sighs as she takes the outfit and starts to pull it on. “I hope so… if not, I can just do what I do every heat cycle… though it’d be better with somepony else there.”

She tilts her head. “Out of curiosity, how do you handle your cycles? I barely, if ever, see you during them, so I don’t actually know.”

The pegasus blushes. “...I… have a couple toys at home… usually I just alternate between using those and sitting in a cold shower… most of my previous jobs gave me the week off, but...” She trails off, sighing again as she finishes pulling the outfit on, carefully straightening it out.

“Oh dear… I think we all have horror stories of having to go out in heat…” Her ears fold back at the thought, shivering. “Any close calls?”

“Well… the worst case was when I had to spend my lunch break in the bathroom just hoping nopony could identify my voice at such high octaves...” She blushes majorly, averting her eyes. “A-Aside from that… I just had to grit my teeth and bare it… but I don’t think it affected me too bad… though I often wanted to just strip down naked to get rid of the heat a little.”

“But then the sight and smell would drive stallions crazy and nopony wants that.” Silk finishes, shaking her head. “Here, why don’t you move around a bit while I change the subject to the slightly happier way I deal with it?”

Asylum smirks. “I’m listening.” She starts walking across the room casually, looking back to both look for a reaction and listen to the story.

Silk’s eyes stay on her chest and skirt as she walks, seeing what is revealed and how it all moves. “Well, admittedly as virgins, it’s not like we can just break out the newest phallus to cool ourselves off. I was tempted at times… but ultimately I’m one of the mares who would sit at home with a big bag of ice, a few toys, a few books, and desperately try not to think too hard on all the mental images of round bellies and foals nature thrusts into my brain those times of the year.”

Asylum giggles. “I suppose that’s one way to go about it...” She does a little twirl, feeling the skirt rise and her face heating up as it does.

“Again with the cute blush.” Silk shakes her head as she giggles. “At least you’re actually wearing something under it, right? Hmm… I might use a slightly softer fabric so it billows more, maybe a little heavier. At least the chest seems tight and supportive.”

“It certainly feels it.” Smiling, the pegasus thinks a bit. “...what else did you want me to do?”

“A jump and some bending if you please.” Silk leans back on the couch. “Practice showing off the goods a bit, hun. I’m sure Rhino will appreciate it before he becomes a blushing mess.”

Blushing herself, Asylum gives a meager little hop. “I’m doing my best...”

“Hmm… minimal jiggling. Gives a small element of youth.” She nods. “Well, I suppose Rhino probably doesn’t need much convincing, but come now, drive him wild!”

Sighing, Asylum jumps again, this time much higher. “I’m t-trying...”

Blinking, Silk shakes her head. “...I didn’t mean exactly with jumping, dear. I was talking just physical seduction, which is usually bending and posing. Good height though on that last one.”

Giggling sheepishly, the pegasus nods and tries posing, taking on an innocent-looking posture. “Sorry...”

“There’s that adorable face.” She twirls a finger. “Now just a turn to the side or around then a bend.”

Nodding, Asylum turns all the way around and bends over, as though picking something off the ground, trying to ignore the obvious feeling of her skirt rising and practically flipping up to expose her backside.

“Perfect!” Silk claps her hands happily. “A nice surprising amount of reveal. Careful where you use this hun. I imagine this might prove quite the test for your green beau, especially if you use it when your body is already using your scent to entice him in the coming days.”

The pegasus giggles, standing back up. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She starts to pull the outfit off. “Same to you, though knowing Winter, you could have on track pants and a parka and you’d still turn him on with a pose.”

“True, but that doesn’t quite inspire the… intensity I’m going to want in my heat-crazed state.” She licks her lips as she squirms. “I have a very specific line of thought I want to go through his head. One of the ones I want to try on should be perfect.”

“Oooh… got me intrigued now.” Once she strips back down, Asylum hands the outfit back over.

“You’ll have to wait and see then.” Taking the outfit, she stows it, digging around for the next. “Now this next one, like I said, is a little something new I’m working with.” She pulls out two mounds of what appear to be nothing more than fluffy clouds weaved together.

Asylum blinks. “Huh… mind letting me in on what it is?”

“It’s exactly what I said it was. Cloud cloth.” She grins, tossing them up and watching as they float slowly back down. “They’re literally clouds, but with a few strings woven in for stability. I made it to be the single lightest fabric possible. Honestly, I can barely tell I’m holding it most of the time. It has quite a few interesting properties too, but why don’t you try them on and see for yourself?”

Nodding, the pegasus turns the outfit over a bit before starting to carefully pull the two mounds on. “This is… a little odd, but let’s see...”

“One’s a skirt and one’s a shirt for now,” Silk explains. “I debated making a set of underwear with them, but their habit of turning grey when exposed to moisture might make them a bit… bad for panties.”

Asylum blushes. “Probably...” She gets the top on, giggling. “I can barely feel it...” The skirt goes on next, and she does a little twirl, unsure of what to say about them.

Silk leans forward. “Any comments, hun? I’m looking for any input, it took a while to make them because they require our weather manipulation magic.”

“Well, they’re certainly light and comfy...” She jumps up and down a couple times. “I think they work out just fine. Only real problem is that, if I were wearing them outside at least, I’d frequently look down thinking I wasn’t wearing anything.” She blushes. “On other ponies, though, being so light could be considered a plus… just feels a little odd to me, but I could get used to it.”

“Hmm… I might have to work on these more… I mean the ‘feel like you’re wearing nothing at all’ part was the intended tagline, but…” She thinks with narrowed eyes. “Maybe for accenting? I mean it’d be great if I made a bikini or something out of them… feeling nude without being nude. I’ll have to work on it.”

“Maybe find a way that ponies can wear them without being pegasi or thestrals?” Asylum adds as she starts removing the skirt. “You are catering to a specific audience with these...”

Silk protests. “They can wear them though! They’ll just feel weird because they can’t get as good a grip on them as we do… I was taking inspiration from cloud mattresses. Letting the other tribes feel what they can’t, in a way, you know?”

Asylum removes the top next and hands them back, a small smile on her face. “Silk, I think it’s a great idea. It feels amazing, and I know plenty of ponies will want to try them. It’s just a little too new for me in particular.” She nuzzles her. “I’m sure many others would give nothing but compliments. It’s just hard for me to get used to, okay?”

Staying silent for a moment, Silk fusses with the fabric in her hands. “To be fair… it’s better than shielding one’s actually nude body with an actual cloud.” She looks at Asylum knowingly.

“Your fault for not being very good at Battleclouds.” The pegasus sticks her tongue out.

“And for that, I try on the first lingerie.” The thestral responds with a tongue of her own as she fishes out the delicates.

Asylum pouts. “...I at least get to try one on, right?”

“Of course, hun. I did have you in mind for the middle one.” She giggles as she pulls more pieces out. “The other two are for me.”

“Fair enough.” Plopping her tush onto the couch, Asylum looks over the pieces. “Some more new masterpieces?”

“Maybe. This is one I’m actually planning on using on Winter.” She smiles mischievously as she quickly strips naked before starting to put it all on, starting with some knee-high socks.

Asylum watches, looking her up and down with a small blush. “Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re trying to turn him on or give him a heart attack...”

“He better have a strong heart if he’s going to be near me during my heat.” She grins toothily as she pulls up a set of panties before starting on some elbow-length gloves. Next comes the bra, though she grunts a bit as she tries to get the back. “Umm… a little help, hun? You know wings make these things a pain.”

Tearing herself away from just staring, Asylum nods sheepishly and moves around behind her. “Believe me, I know… good thing you have a unicorn to help you now, right?”

“True… though usually he’s taking it off me these days…” She holds the cups to her mounds as she holds still.

“Oh, really now?” Asylum smirks as she sets the bra strap up. “Surprised he even worked up the courage to even touch it, with fingers or with magic.”

“Oh, we’ve been all over each other…” Her tail swishes frantically as she thinks about it. “This is going to be my invitation to him during my heat.” Reaching back, she gathers her mane and ties it with a small ribbon to make a pony tail.

Asylum tilts her head. “Invitation? How are you going to go about it? He probably won’t catch on to anything less than a fancy handwritten RSVP in the mail.”

Giggling, Silk takes a few model-like steps toward the couch. “I know it’s one of my more subtle outfits, but let’s see him ignore this.” Bending over at her waist, she places her hands on the back of the couch, flicks her tail over her back, and looks over her shoulder with half lidded gaze as she sways her hips. “Mount me.”

Asylum’s face grows red and her wings spring outward as she sees this. She opens her mouth, but all that comes out is an incoherent “Uhhh...”

Blinking and blushing at her friend’s reaction, Silk giggles nervously. “So, umm… think it’ll work hun?” Her hips shake again.

The pegasus eeps. “Y-Yes… most likely… it’s almost having that effect on me...” She winces as her ears flop back when she realizes what she said.

“Well,” Silk clears her throat as she stands, still facing away from her friend, but for a different reason now. “Glad to know it’s potent. Not that mounting me would have really done you good since you lack the parts to take advantage of that position.” She turns her head slightly and winks.

Asylum scuffs her hoof on the ground. “S-Sorry… I just… don’t know what made me think those thoughts...”

Raising an eyebrow, Silk huffs. “I think it’s fairly certain what did it, hun.” She bends down once more, shaking her rump and giggling. “You know I’m good at what I do. Plus, we are close.”

“Still...” Sighing, the pegasus covers her eyes. “Okay, please stop now… yes, you’ll give Win the world’s biggest hard-on, but please don’t get me flustered and excited before the heat even begins...”

Laughing, Silk stands back up properly, facing Asylum. “Alright, hun, I’m done. Just having a little fun with you. All this talk about heat week is getting me playful.”

“Well, just wait another couple days, and you and your literally blue-balled boyfriend can play all you want.” She finally removes her hands from her eyes, still blushing but now wearing a smirk as well.

Sitting back down, Silk crosses her legs as she starts digging in the bag once more. “Oh yes… I plan on playing as much as I can. I have my potions ready and everything.”

“Potions?” Asylum tilts her head, confused.

She explains as she pulls a few things out. “To prevent pregnancy, hun. I’m not particularly into the idea of condoms, even if they are cheaper.”

“Oh… huh.” She tilts her head the other way. “...I didn’t know there were potions for that… are you sure they’ll work?”

“They’re certified and checked.” A choker with a large bow comes out next. “Plus, a college gives them good business. They’d find out pretty quick if they messed up.”

“That’s good to know… I mean, I bet you’d make a good mother, but I can tell you probably don’t want that just yet.” She giggles. “Not to mention Win would probably panic to the point of clinical insanity.”

“Probably.” She laughs along as she finally gets all the pieces out, offering them to Asylum. “What about you? Planning on having a big family with half a dozen sets of little hooves running around?”

The pegasus smiles sadly. “That would depend on what Rhino wants too… myself, I don’t know if I’d ever be ready to be a mother… but I suppose I can give it a try if he wants.” Sighing, she stands up and begins removing her current undergarments, snapping the bra strap behind herself.

“I wouldn’t worry about it now, hun. Let the idea grow on you..” She tries to peer behind her. “Need any help?”

She shakes her head. “I’m fine, thank you.” The bra comes off, and her panties slide down quickly as well. She picks the lingerie up, turns it over a bit, and starts sliding it on, starting with the socks like her friend did. “Figured out any of Win’s kinks or sensitive spots that I wasn’t aware of?”

“Anywhere around his groin seems fairly sensitive,” she remarks quickly before actually thinking. “Though, he does seem to have another one just behind the base of each of his ears. They’re small, but he doesn’t fail to give a reaction every time.”

“Aww, so like a dog?” Asylum giggles, pulling the panties on next. “You should try giving him belly rubs next.”

“Good idea…” She watches, smiling at the pink bow on the front of the bottoms. “Any tips on yours?”

Asylum just shrugs as she starts working on the bra next. “All we’ve done is cuddle and kiss, really… haven’t really found anything since I haven’t really gone looking. He seems to like the noises I make, but that’s about it.” She snaps it on with relative ease.

“Oh?” She leans forward. “And do you make a lot of noises? Is adorable Asylum secretly a screamer?”

The pegasus frowns, blushing. “We haven’t really done anything where we’d find out, Miss Tease. All I’ve given him is pleased humming and maybe some moaning.” She picks up a choker and begins adding it to her ensemble. “Besides… I would’ve thought my story earlier about hiding in the bathroom at work would answer that question for you. I think even the customers heard me.”

“So you are! Well that works out perfectly for you two…” Her smile only gets wider. “It’s fine if you haven’t done much, hun.. I’m sure your moaning gives him plenty to strive for… like getting you to do it again, and louder.”

Asylum groans, grabbing the headband and quickly throwing it on so she can change the subject. “How do I look?”

Silk looks over her white set of lingerie. Almost thigh-high white socks, matching seductive yet innocent panties and bra, and even a maneband. Finally, the choker has a massive bow on the back of it, making her look not unlike either a present or a new pet. “Like one hell of a present anypony would love to unwrap.”

Asylum giggles, striking a small pose. “It’s nice and comfy, too… could be very rewarding in the long run.”

“Or the short run.” Her smile widens. “Do I need to leave this with you for the time being?”

“Please?” The pegasus gives her best puppy-dog eyes.

“Aww… with that little bow, I just can’t say no.” She gets up and hugs her friend. “You can keep it, hun. I don’t know if anypony will pull it off better than you.”

Giggling, Asylum hugs back. “Thank you… I promise I’ll keep it in good condition.” She nuzzles. “I might keep it on for the rest of tonight, actually.”

Silk’s tail wags. “I don’t mind that at all. Just be sure to tell Rhino to be gentle with it, hmm?”

“I will, don’t worry.” She does a little twirl. “So, you have one last set, right?”

“Yes, although honestly it’s more for variety than anything else.” Walking over to the backpack, she begins pulling out black bits of cloth. “While the others are more tempting or innocent, this one says something more like… ‘I am a sex goddess and you will treat me as such.’ It’s a change of pace.”

“Well, you’ve got me curious now.” Asylum sits back down on the couch and watches. “I can’t wait to see it.”

“Well, you won’t have to wait too long.” Silk quickly starts stripping out of her current lingerie, taking off each piece and folding it next to her pack. “I’m a bit curious how you’ll react.”

Asylum looks on, tilting her head as she waits. “I presume this is your outfit for day two of heat, and the other is for day one?”

“Honestly, if I use it at all, it’ll only be to spice things up.” Now nude, she slides on a pair of panties closer to the thong end of the spectrum than her usual variety. “Maybe on one of the later days, when I’ve had my fill of him on top and want to see if he enjoys me trying it.” Next comes on thigh-high black stockings which she attaches to a garter belt she puts on next.

“Good luck getting him to take top in the first place.” Her face goes a bit red as she watches her friend get dressed.

“I’ve been fairly successful these last few days. All I do is encourage him.” Next she puts on a strapless bustier, the teasing partial seethrough sections and the overall curve hugging nature accentuating her body.

Asylum just nods, still blushing. “W-Well… if it works, it works...”

Finally, Silk slides a black lace choker over her head and to her neck. Turning to her friend, she strikes a pose. “What do you think?”

“...you’ll have him at your hooves,” Asylum finally responds. “Likely unconscious, but at least he’ll be in heaven first.”

Feeling cheeky, she giggles and wiggles her hips. “Should I worry about you acting the same way?”

The pegasus eeps and looks away. “N-No!”

Grinning, Silk saunters over and plops herself down in Asylum’s lap. “Oh, Sy~?” The pegasus whimpers and tries to cover her eyes. Nuzzling her, Silk purrs. “I have a question for you…”

“Wh-what is it?” Asylum squeaks.

Suddenly leaning back and speaking perkily, the thestral smiles. “Want to play a game next?”