Gentleman in Training

by Denim_Blue

Chapter Eleven: Tests and Skills

The sharp, piercing glow of my phone screen told me that it was currently six fifty-eight and that I would need to get up in the next two minutes. I let out a huff, cancelled the alarm on my phone before it went off and slowly, carefully, got out of bed. Honestly, why had I had I even bothered setting said alarm in the first place if my body had decided to wake up before it went off? Stupid circadian rhythm…

“Mm… morning already?” came the muffled voice of Full Bloom from beneath the bedsheets.

I put on my boxers that I had discarded after we had gotten home last night from the theater, and gave my back a good twist or two, sighing as I worked out a few kinks. “I’m afraid so. Do you unicorns know any spells to stop time?”

“I’ve heard stories about spells like that. Most of them ended badly. I think that’s why time manipulation is a big no-no throughout most of Tellus,” Full Bloom answered, slowly rising up and yawning. “Mm. I think I need another back massage after what you did for me last night.”

I chuckled at that, “I’ll give no apologies for that. You asked me to show you what I learned over the weekend, after all.” I gave her a wink, which earned an amused eye roll from her.

“Shifting the blame now, huh?” She rolled onto her side. “I’m off today and tomorrow, by the way. Wild Call put me on mandatory leave. Probably to avoid me getting paid too much overtime and have the headquarters put up a stink. I forgot to tell you yesterday.”

“Really?” I stretched out my calf muscles and then my arms. Satisfied with getting the blood flowing into my limbs, I walked over to my closet and picked out a pair of jeans and white t-shirt with a black handprint on it, along with the words ‘We Know’ written beneath it. Today was supposed to be a light day, so Pizzelle wouldn’t have any arduous exercises planned for us aside from some morning stretches and the like. I figured I could risk wearing one of my more beloved shirts to work for once. “I don’t think it’s going to be too long of a day for training. Mostly classes, and probably a bit of talk with one of my instructors about what to prepare for this coming weekend.”

Full Bloom gave me an adorable pout upon me saying that. “Leaving again for the weekend? Where are you going this time?”

“Possibly Las Pegasus, though I’m not sure. That could change. I do know that Royal Ribbon is planning on taking me somewhere.”

Full Bloom arched an eyebrow as an intrigued look crept onto her features. “Las Pegasus, huh?”

“Should I be worried?”

“Maybe,” she chuckled. “I think I heard that there’s a city in your country, called Las Vegas, right?” I nodded in reply. “Well, if your planet’s city is called the City of Sin, and it really is just like Las Pegasus, that’s about what you should be prepared for.”

“So… lots of gambling and partying?”

“That’s a start, sure. Haven’t you ever been to your Las Vegas or whatever?”

“Nope, I didn’t do much travel in the southwestern U.S, though Alex went there at least twice during our days in college. I’ve traveled mostly within the region I was born, traveled to a few states and such.” I shrugged. “Didn’t have much time for travel when I was younger, if that makes sense.”

“Hm.” Her smirk fell a little. “Well, you be careful if that’s where you’re going. I don’t want my favorite human to be whisked away by the debauchery of Las Pegasus. Otherwise I might have to come find you, and I just know I’ll have a hard time leaving if you’re stuck there.” She wiggled her rump a little, the sheets hugging her curves just enough that the sight proved to be distracting. “Maybe I should come with you and your instructor and keep an eye on you…”

“I don’t think I’d be able to retain anything I learn if I had both you and an instructor to worry about…” I smirked as her magic softly tugged at the collar of my shirt, pulling me closer. “Is there a saying about whatever happens in Las Pegasus stays in Las Pegasus?”

“Mmmm.” She pulled me down for a kiss, and wrapped a foreleg around my neck while letting her tongue probe my lips. She pulled away after we shared a brief tongue tussle. “What we’d do wouldn’t have to be restricted to Las Pegasus…” She batted her eyelashes softly as she pulled away.

I let out a deep breath and fought the urge to jump right back into the bed. I looked at the clock, surprised to see it was already ten past seven. Damn. “I have to go.”

“Awww…” she whined softly. “No time for even a little fun?” Another wonderful shake of her sheet-covered hindquarters drew me away from her beautiful eyes.

“Bloom, you know that if I hop back into bed, I won’t be going to work.”

She sighed dramatically, her forehooves slumping on either side of her pillow. “Whatever shall I do to douse this fire in my loins, then?” She slipped one of her hooves beneath the sheets while her eyes locked with mine. It wasn’t difficult to see what she was intending to do as she let out a shaky breath.

“This is torture, and you know it,” I said softly. Though it was hidden beneath the sheets, I could clearly tell that her hoof was hovering over her marehood. The soft coos and gasps as she began playing with herself was like a siren song to me, and I couldn’t help but kneel down on the bed once more. “O-okay, fine. Five minutes, but then I—”

Three loud knocks on the front door of my apartment shook us from our pre-coital moment, and Full Bloom let out an aggravated noise as I stood back up. “Who the buck is knocking on your door this early in the morning?”

I gave her a shrug. “No clue, but it’d better be for a good reason.” I made my way through the hallway leading into the living room, unlocked the door, and was met with a familiar face. “Pizzelle?”

My pegasus instructor gave a quick wave to me in greeting. “Sorry for coming over here so early…” She cleared her throat. “I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

“No, I was actually getting ready to leave.” I paused for a half-second, then added, “... in a little bit.”

“Mm. Well, something has come up, so I had to come here and make sure to walk with you to work.”

I frowned. “Why is that?”

At this point, Full Bloom was making her way down the hall into the living room. “Who is it, Darren?”

I gave her a small grin. “Full Bloom, this is Pizzelle. She’s one of my instructors…”

I noticed the two mares immediately lock gazes, and I took an involuntary step away from being between them. Pizzelle arched an eyebrow, but her expression was otherwise unreadable. Full Bloom ran a hoof through her mane absentmindedly before letting a smile cross her lips. “Ah, hello!” She approached Pizzelle, raised a hoof to greet her, only to stop and raise up her other one instead, much to my hidden relief. “It’s nice to finally meet one of the mares that’s been teaching Darren. I’m his marefriend, Full Bloom.”

Pizzelle’s expression turned into a small smile, and she gripped Full Bloom’s hoof with her own and gave it a brief shake. “Pleased to meet you, finally. Darren’s talked about you a few times.” She gave me a quick glance, and added. “Nothing but good things, though, promise.” She gave Full Bloom a wink, earning a laugh from the unicorn.

“I’m sure.” Full Bloom looked over her shoulder to me and gave me a knowing smile, then continued. “So, what can we do for you?”

Pizzelle’s frown returned, and she sighed, “There’s been some… increased problems going on for our business. Management has asked that we accompany our Gentleman to and from work for a little while, just to make sure they don’t run into any unwanted encounters with folks who might not be in favor of our business.”

“Ah,” Full Bloom nodded. “I’ve kept an eye on the news lately. That and reading those articles by that one mare, Five Stars.” Her ears flattened a bit as she cast a wary look out into the hall of the apartment building. “You don’t think there’s a chance of some mob gathering at the branch building, do you?”

“I want to say that it’s not very likely, but we’re trying to play it safe. We’ve interviewed some possible candidates for full-time security yesterday, and have already hired at least one employee to work during regular daytime hours. Until we get a few more staff for security, though, we’ll be doing this escorting to and from the branch building.” She shook her head in clear dislike of the situation. “Like I said: just trying to play it safe.”

Despite the seriousness of this sudden bit of news, I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “I’m a grown man, Pizzelle. I can handle myself.”

“Tell that to Platinum, then,” she said, her voice carrying a bit more edge than she probably intended, seeing as her ears immediately flattened and she gave me an apologetic look. “I… sorry. I just… I’m kind of in agreement with this. There’s only five of you boys with us right now. We don’t want anything happening to you. You may be grown men, but even one angry pony can be a problem for an adult human.”

“Darren, don’t worry about it,” Full Bloom added in a reassuring tone. “It’s only for a little bit, after all.” She walked forward, placing a hoof over one of my hands. “Besides, I’m sure Pizzelle would like to have some time to talk with you before work, don’t you?”

“I…” I blinked slowly. I know we had talked about my situation with working for Gentlemen for Mares, but I was a bit baffled by how okay Full Bloom was with the whole situation in regards to other mares. Though, at the same time… Equestrian norms. “Yeah, I suppose. See you after work?”

“Yep. Maybe I’ll stop over at the hotel you said Riley and Mildred are staying at, see how they are.”

“Okay.” I leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the head, and was a bit relieved to see Pizzelle had chosen beforehand to wait out in the hall for me. “I will be getting you back for that little stunt you pulled earlier, by the way,” I whispered.

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” she replied, giving me a quick lick on the lips before nudging me out the door. “Go on, now. I’ll see you later.”

As soon as I shut the door behind me, Pizzelle looked my way. “She seems… pretty cool.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” I smiled. “I… yeah. She’s great…” I cleared my throat. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable back there.”

“No worries,” she replied with a wave of her hoof. “You two seem good for each other. She’s… kinda cute, actually. Can’t blame you for falling for her.”

I blinked dubiously. The statement itself was pretty innocent, but just Pizzelle saying such a thing just seemed unlike her. “Cute, huh?”

To her credit, she managed to keep her composure, despite the blush. “I… well, yeah, I know a nice looking mare when I see one. Or is that so hard to believe?”

I could feel the slight edge creeping into her words again, and decided to assuage any misconceptions she might have had right then and there. “No, not at all. Mares, stallions, men, women… whatever floats your boat.” I shrugged. “For what it’s worth, I like to think I know a nice looking mare when I see one as well.” I grinned.

Pizzelle was quiet for a few seconds, then let out a soft chuckle. “Relax, Darren. I’m not going to ream you a new plot or question your beliefs on sexuality.” She smiled. “You’ve already shown me you’re a good person, so I’m not worried about it. Though…” She looked forward. “It doesn’t bother you that I like mares as well, huh?”

“Should it?”

She hummed. “No, honestly, it’s not that hard to believe in Equestria. At least for mares.”

“And what about stallions who are into other stallions. Or males in general?”

“Ehh…” Pizzelle waved a hoof from side to side. “Things are better than they used to be in regards to that subject, I suppose. Depending on who you ask, though, such things may be seen as deplorable, selfish, or just wrong.”

“Because of the whole sex ratio and herd society,” I replied.

“You have been paying attention in class. Good. Luckette will be happy to hear that.” She gave me an approving smile before continuing. “Yes, though, you’re right.” She fluffed her wings a bit as a gentle breeze blew by. “As horrible as it sounds, not too long ago, if you were a colt-cuddler—”

“Really? That’s the term they use?” I asked with a smirk.

“What? Didn’t Luckette cover slang terms with you?”

“Not that extensively. Though, I suppose I never knew any ‘colt-cuddlers’ in person, either...”

“Well, anyway, yeah… the idea of stallions being with other stallions was, for a long while, something akin to a taboo or even a crime in the eyes of some ponies. I’m sure more than a few mares out there probably still hold that belief, which is rather pitiful if you ask me.”

“Huh.” I placed my hands behind my head as we made our way down the road. “You… ever fool around with any of the other Wonderbolts?”

“Ha!” She barked in laughter at that. “Maybe I did. You’d be surprised what goes on in those locker rooms.”

“Okay, okay, don’t go into details. It’ll ruin the fantasy I already have in my mind.”

She flicked me with her tail and shook her head, trying to keep her grin from growing any wider. “Okay, that’s enough out of you. We got a busy day ahead of us.”

“Busy? I thought it was a lecture day?”

She smiled, though it wasn’t one of her rare, genuine ones. No, this was a predatory one. One that she reserved for times when she knew something others did not. “Oh, it is. Except there’s a test. From Five Stars.”

I blinked. “Oh, a test. That’s not too…” I paused, then narrowed my eyes. “Wait, when you say test, do you mean test,” I sighed and gave her a look of mock disapproval. “... or do you mean test.” I waggled my eyebrows and nodded while giving her a thumbs up. “Because I’m up for either, but I’m kind of leaning more towards the latter.”

“Ugh, you’re getting to be as bad as Gabe, I swear,” she said with a helpless groan and a soft chuckle. “No, you’re not going to be rutting Five Stars. Not only because she’s not the kind of mare to flag her tail for every person who asks, but also because I don’t think you’re ready for her.”

“I bet Ambrosia would beg to differ.”

Pizzelle opened her mouth to object, only to close it and continue walking down the street with me.

I smirked a little. “I’m not apologizing for that, by the way.”

Pizzelle grunted, “I’m starting to consider separating you and Gabe in class from now on. Between the two of you, I’m not sure Five Stars would be ready for your barrage of one liners and corny humor.”

“Well, as my teacher, it ill behooves you to have rowdy students in the classroom. I see your logic there.”

“...no.” Pizzelle said, turning to face me directly. “No puns. Those are low-hanging fruit, and if Ribbon catches word of them, she’ll start competing with you and it’ll be an endless back and forth of one bad joke after another.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop.” I studied her body language for a moment, noting that her posture was a tad more rigid than earlier, and she seemed to be intent on keeping her gaze ahead. Her ears were folded back a little, and her tail seemed to be swinging a little faster to the left and right. “Hey… Pizzelle…? Did I just tick you off or something?”

All traces of her irritation vanished. “H-huh?” She blinked, and then sighed. “Oh, no… sorry. Well… okay, maybe I’m…” She mumbled something that I was unable to make out.

“Huh?” I frowned. “Didn’t catch that.”

“I said maybe I’m a little jealous, okay?” Her wings flapped a bit as she picked up her pace. “I’m glad you and Ambrosia had a good time, but…” She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing personal.” When she noticed my gaze was still focused on her, she added. “I promise. Ambrosia’s a sweet mare, and I’m not going to be petty over something like who got to have the first lesson with you.”

“You’re a real flatterer, Pizzelle…” I cleared my throat. “If it makes you feel any better, if things continue the way they are, by the time we get to have our weekend together, I’m sure I’ll be much better than I am right now.”

Another flap of her wings, and a few flicks of her tail. Her ears didn’t flatten this time, though, and she let out a huff. “Drop the teasing for now, Darren. Please.”

“Alright,” I replied, giving her a concerned look. She seemed fine. She looked a bit flustered, but… well, I’m sure the whole development with needing security at the branch building has been putting a strain on her, as well as the rest of the employees at the office.

That or maybe I was pushing the sexual tension envelope a little too hard. I’d make it up to her in time, hopefully.

In due time, we found ourselves walking down the cul-de-sac where the Gentlemen for Mares Hoofington branch building was. Before I could react, though, Pizzelle walked in front of me, almost causing me to trip. Her wings had splayed out a little, and her gaze remained locked forward.

“Whoa, what gives, Pizzelle? I almost—”

“Darren, hush…” Pizzelle said, her tone firm yet lacking any anger or annoyance.

Confused, I followed her gaze, only to take note of a group of about a two dozen individuals. Most of them were, judging from the distance, mares. Four or five of them were stallions, and there was a lone woman amongst the group. Some of the ponies were holding up signs. I felt a chill of dread run down my spine when a few ponies took note of us.

Now, between classes over the past week or so, I had managed to catch up on Five Stars’ articles. While I’m all for freedom of speech and having an opinion, I had less than positive thoughts regarding the way one of the big anti-Gentlemen for Mares groups called H.E.R.D. was acting recently. Between the horrible—and for most part inaccurate—things they have said about my work and how it’s a “threat” to Equestria and the at times violent actions they’ve taken against those who’ve published Five Stars’ articles… well…

… I’m sure the term non-violent protest isn’t in the vast majority of H.E.R.D’s members’ vocabulary…

I was, therefore, a little surprised to see the ponies just glance at us for a moment longer before returning their gaze to the building. Pizzelle seemed to relax a touch, too, her wings folding back to her sides. I did notice, however, that she kept herself between the group and I as we continued down the street.

“You’re ruining our families!” shouted one mare as we passed them by, followed by shouts of agreement.

“Stop encouraging comfort horse industries!”

The hell are they talking about…? I opened my mouth to speak, but Pizzelle shook her head.

“Don’t,” She said to me, her voice firm and commanding. “It’s not worth it, Darren. They’ve been peaceful so far. Don’t give them any fuel to feed the fire.”

I frowned, but gave a nod. We made our way up the sidewalk leading towards the building, only to be greeted by another odd sight.

There, standing in front of the walkway leading up to the entrance, was a dragon. Maybe ten feet tall or so. The dragon had light green scales with splotches of bronze around their wings. Bronze, feather-shaped spines ran down the dragon’s back, and I could make out a pair of ruddy gold eyes watching us behind a pair of large sunglasses that rested on a thin snout.

“Good morning, Molt.”

The dragon’s eyes lit up as they lowered their sunglasses. “Ah, ‘sup Miss Pizzelle? This one of the newbies?”

Huh. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that for a greeting. But, judging from his voice, at least I knew he was a male now, likely in his ‘teen’ years, if I were to guess. I’d have to get the differences between dragon males and females down at some point to avoid further confusion, though, that was for certain.

Pizzelle gave me an amused glance before nodding to the dragon. “Yes, this is Darren,” she replied with a smile. “Darren, this is our new Head of Security, Molt of Lavaspew Island.”

“I don’t actually spew lava, either, little dude, just fire. Don’t worry too much.” He held out a closed fist and smirked. When we bumped fists, he even made a small explosion sound effect when we pulled away. “Rad stuff, Darren.”

I looked to Pizzelle and gave her a look that clearly said, ‘Is this guy for real?’.

Molt seemed to notice my look to Pizzelle. “Aw, I know what you’re thinking, dude. You’re thinking ‘Is this guy for real’, right?”

Okay, that’s a little scary, but I nodded in reply, doing my best not to appear too embarrassed.

He chuckled and gave me a easygoing smile. “No worries, I get it a lot. I’ve worked for security at a few Sapphire Shore concerts back when she was dominating the charts, and I’ve had a few years experience in Las Pegasus security.” He buffed his knuckles against his chest. “I know what I’m doing here, no sweat. I even got a Hoofsie stamp from Coloratura at a charity concert in Manehattan once after doing such a rad job.” He smiled fondly, only for his expression to sober up a bit. “She probably would’ve given me a hug, too, if it weren’t for that jerk of a manager she had, though…”

Pizzelle couldn’t help but grin. “Molt’s also very familiar with Equestrian laws and he’s trained in a few martial arts styles. I would know, since I helped interview him.”

Martial arts, sunglasses, and muscles. Now I’m picturing a cross between Smaug and Johnny Bravo… I decided to keep that thought to myself.

“Well, don’t let me keep you from getting your education on, dude.” Molt stepped aside, letting us enter. “Oh, hey, Pizzelle, could you see if Manila could get me another cup of her chai tea? That stuff was great, and I could totally go for, like, ten more cups of it.”

“You got it, big guy,” Pizzelle replied, waving a farewell to him as we entered the building.

After a quick greeting from Manila, followed by her eagerly agreeing to bring out another incrediblylarge cup of chai tea, Pizzelle and I made our way into the large classroom where Luckette normally held her lectures. Gabe, Alex, Martin, and Arnold were already in their seats and chatting away.

“Oh! There’s Mr. Natural himself!” Gabe replied, greeting me with a smug grin.

I paused, recognizing that particular expression from a mile away. It was the same look he gave me when I started dating Mel back in college, and the same look he would give me when he had a story to share with others that involved something stupid I did at a house party during our college years.

“What’d you hear about me this time?” I asked while taking a seat.

“Well… I may, or may not, have heard that you know how to use your thumbs.” Gabe crossed his arms behind his head while Martin snickered in amusement.

“...yeah, and…?”

“Oh, no, that’s it. Just thought you’d like the nickname. You seem to be taking to the work rather well, honestly.” Gabe glanced over to Alex. “Better than Mr. Lorentz did this weekend in Cloudsdale, at least.”

“Dude, screw you,” Alex replied gruffly. “Try walking on condensed water vapor while floating a couple thousand feet in the air and tell me how you fare. I got better after Storm Surge got us to the hotel anyway, so it’s not a huge deal.”

“He wasn’t that bad, Gabe,” Arnold said with a laugh. “Besides, I didn’t do much better while I was there. If Rainbowshine hadn’t been there, I may have lost my stomach and maybe hit an unfortunate pony down on earth…” He frowned. “Speaking of which, I still never got an answer on how their plumbing and sewage systems work in Cloudsdale…Rainbowshine kept avoiding that question with me.”

“Probably best that we don’t find out…” Martin replied. “Well, I had a great weekend in Neighagra Falls with Jamboree… though I think we might have to avoid that place for a little while.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Um… Jamboree and I may have almost gotten caught by the local authorities for public indecency.” He raised both hands up before Gabe could make any remarks. “No, I’m not telling you how we got away from them, either. It’s… just a weird story, and we’d be here all day if I told it.”

I couldn’t help but smirk. “Out in the open, huh?”

“Yeah, I mean, it was late, and there wasn’t anyone around in the water park, so…”

I decided to keep my own comment on my weekend’s escapades in public parks to myself for the time being. “Ah. Well, at least you’re not in jail.”

“Yeah,” Martin chuckled. “I think Jamboree has a thing for risky stuff, though. The minute we got back to our hotel, she had me pinned to the bed and—”

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of a hoof thumping against wood. We all turned to face the front, greeted by the familiar face of Five Stars. “Morning, boys.” We all shared quick greetings, and she nodded in approval. “Well, I haven’t heard all the specifics, yet, but it sounds like you all had wonderful lessons with your instructors this weekend. It also sounds like a few of you were very fast learners about the finer points of the job.” Five Stars made a point of meeting my gaze, earning a chuckle from Gabe and Martin. “So, congrats on your first successful sessions. Just keep in mind they’re going to get more intense in the days to come. We’ll be expecting more of you as time passes.”

“I’m sure we’ll be up to the task, Five Stars,” Martin replied. “I’m just worried we’ll fall short of Darren, here.”

There was a few more chuckles from Gabe and Martin, this time accompanied by Alex as well.

“Okay, enough you three.” She rolled her eyes. “Darren, I suppose it’s only fair to explain, since you seem confused: Ambrosia was perhaps a little… enthusiastic in sharing her experience this past weekend.” She winked. “Don’t worry too much, though. Nothing but rave reviews, I assure you.”

Ah, that explained things a bit. I guess I can’t be that upset with Ambrosia. If she was that pleased with my performance, well, who was I to complain?

“Before we get into the nitty-gritty of today’s work, I would like to point out what I’m sure all of you have already noticed upon arriving here this morning.” Five Stars’ smile fell a bit. “Someone must’ve spread the word about this branch building’s location, and we’ve managed to attract a small group of individuals who don’t really approve of us.”

“I take it that means we won’t be joining them during lunch break, huh?” Gabe asked.

“Gabe, I’m sure if anyone could pull that off without a problem, it’d be you,” said a new voice. We all turned to the entrance to see Silky walking in with Platinum Corona right beside her. Silky arched an eyebrow at Gabe as she continued. “However, I do believe that it’s in all of your best interests to keep away from them as much as possible.”

With that said, Silky turned to Platinum Corona. Today, Platinum was wearing a white mask that covered up much of the top half of her face. She was also wearing a designer business suit of dark violet, and I’d be lying if I said she didn’t make it work. The suit had a bit of flair and golden trim to it that I believe was of Saddle Arabian design, but I may have been wrong. If you study enough on Equestrian culture, you start learning about the other cultures and trends of Tellus’ nations as well. Royal Ribbon would later explain to me during one of our sessions that Platinum came from Saddle Arabia, or at least had familial ties there. So the clothing choice made a lot sense, I suppose. It definitely explained why she could have qualified as a character from one of Shahrazad’s many tales at the very least.

Returning my focus to the mares before me, I listened as Platinum added, “That’s right, Silky. I don’t think I need to explain to you five that there are plenty of groups out there that are less than friendly toward our business. Five Stars has dealt with them plenty herself, and our friends at New York Life and Manehattan Post have had more than a few… issues with them as well.”

“I need to ask,” Gabe said after a moment of silence had passed. “Whatever happened to freedom of press? I mean… I’m pretty sure your country has something similar to that civil right, or am I wrong?”

Platinum let out a sigh. One that spoke volumes about how old this issue was getting for her. “Believe me when I say that we have pointed this out numerous times while dealing with groups like H.E.R.D. Unfortunately, some individuals just don’t care as long as whatever it is you do goes against what they believe in.”

“The truth is that the vast majority of our collective worlds aren’t that concerned about this. There’s plenty of businesses in Equestria and on Earth that are focused in the adult industry,” Silky added with a shrug. “Some folks just don’t like it when their sensibilities are tested.”

Gabe spun around in his chair to face me and Alex. “Were we ever like that in college?”

“Well,” Alex began, “...there was that one time during an election year that you dressed up as Andrew Ryan from Bioshock and quoted him for a week at those student political protests outside our dorm…”

“You still never explained how you got a hold of that megaphone for me, Alex. It was much appreciated, though,” Gabe said with a smirk.

“Boys,” Five Stars called to us. “If you don’t mind…?” She nodded to Platinum and Silky, all while trying to fight down the smirk on her face.

Platinum let her own smile cross her lips as she continued. “For now, just try to avoid any confrontations with the group. They’ve been exercising their right to protest relatively well, and while it’s annoying, we’re not going to stop them from doing what they do as long as they don’t try to stop us in turn.” She produced a clipboard from thin air with a glow of her horn, and continued. “Now then, on to our plans for today… Five Stars unfortunately has to leave us later today. Her little break from the public eye is just about done, so she wanted to do give a final test to you five.” She looked up from her clipboard, and her smile grew. “A written test.”

There was a groan from Martin, Gabe, and Alex. I sighed a bit, and Arnold just laughed at the boys’ annoyance.

“Yes, yes, we’re absolutely horrible ponies, making you do tests to see how well you know the other aspects of your work. However do we sleep at night?” Platinum scribbled something on the clipboard with a ballpoint pen gripped in her magic, then cleared her throat. “Now, Silky, I think we may as well get this test started. Care to do the honors?”

Silky grinned. “Sure.” She picked up a stack of papers, and set four sheets of paper that had been stapled together on each of our desks. “This isn’t anything too crazy as far as testing goes. We’re just trying to see what you’ve all retained so far from your lessons, and to gauge how you would handle situations on the job. A lot of the questions have no single answer. Just answer them as best as you can.”

“Are we getting graded on this?” Gabe asked, his voice a mixture of sarcasm and annoyance.

“This is just a test to see where you all are right now with general Equestrian knowledge. If you’re struggling with some of the things, we’ll make sure to bring you up to speed.” Silky looked to the clock on the wall. “I’ll give you an hour to complete the test, then we’ll go from there…”

Turns out, I was actually well off as far as what Gentleman for Mares saw to be important knowledge on Equestrian culture. A lot of the questions related to what-if situations that required more writing out an explanation than simply choosing an answer from a list of multiple choices. For example, one of the first questions had asked the following: “Your client has informed you upon meeting her that she has begun her heat cycle today, but she never informed your handler or the company of this sudden news. What do you do?”

Considering I had never dealt with a mare in heat yet, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. I had answered honestly, though, and said that depending on how well I knew the client, I may or may not continue the night with her. If I trusted her enough, I might not worry about it. The company may not wholeheartedly approve of it, but this kind of work had a very personal element to it. I don’t think I could ever have the ability to simply treat every client like a way to pay my bills. They were all living, breathing individuals with their own personalities, dreams, and needs. It’d be virtually impossible for me to look past that.

I remember Luckette describing that every mare dealt with her heat differently, but it could range from a minor annoyance to driving a pony to act like a sex-starved maniac. Part of me found the latter intriguing, but… well… there is such a thing as having too much of a good thing.

“Some of those questions were leaving a lot open to opinion,” Gabe said while we sat in the lunchroom. It was about one o’clock in the afternoon, and we were all enjoying some deep dish pizza that Platinum had ordered for us after completing our tests. How she managed to get a sausage and pepperoni pizza so quickly in a pony-dominant city like Hoofington was beyond me, but she earned brownie points in my book for doing so.

“You think?” Alex asked. “It was pretty obvious. Hell, it was a dead giveaway after that third question that asked, ‘A Duchess with long-standing customer loyalty to Gentlemen for Mares suggests she invite her well-to-do friend to join the two of you in her hotel room. Do you accept extra payment and not tell, or decline and risk losing a prospective client?’ I mean, the fact I remember the question says just how many damn times I read it over while thinking about it. Seriously, that’s a tough one, because depending on how hot the two are, I might go for it either—”

“Think of it like a novice psychological analysis,” Arnold replied as he took another slice from the box. “They want to know if you can be trusted to make sound decisions.”

“Yeah, but seriously, some of those questions were tough,” Gabe continued. “I mean, would any of you turn down a chance at a threesome with two mares?”

The relative silence that fell upon the room spoke louder than words.

“Yeah, exactly,” he said with a note of smugness in his voice.

“That’s a good way to lose your job, though, isn’t it?” I asked. “I mean, I’m pretty sure that was covered back during our first week. Gentleman for Mares doesn’t give freebies.”

The door to the lunchroom opened, and we all looked up to find Five Stars and Platinum walking in, followed by Silky and Manila. Platinum looked to each of us before giving one of her rare smiles. “You’ll be happy to know that none of you failed our test. Though, to be honest, such a thing would be rather hard to do if you were being serious about the test, so I think it’s fair to say that you’re all fit to remain Gentlemen.”

“Don’t relax quite yet, though,” Five Stars added. The grin she gave us was practically screaming mischief as she continued. “Now that you’ve completed the written portion of the test, it’s time for the physical portion of the test.”

Judging by the stares we all gave her, I wasn’t the only one afraid to voice my request for clarification on what she meant by ‘physical’.

Silky giggled before stepping forward. “Before you boys ask, yes, she does mean you’ll be demonstrating your skills. This portion will be a lot less stringent and more open-ended as far as ‘grading’ goes.” She then gave us a grin that matched Five Stars. “Though, in the end, how your instructor will feel towards the end will determine how well you’ve done.”

“Wait, we’re already doing tests on how well we screw?” Gabe asked, sounding equal amounts pleased and annoyed. “I mean, that’s cool and all, but we’ve only had one session with our instructors so far.”

Platinum gave a nod. “I understand your concern, Gabe, but this won’t be a make or break situation for any of you. If it helps, any, this test will be three hours in length.”

Martin laughed. “Platinum, I may be in good shape, but I don’t think even I could go for that long. The body is only capable of going so long.”

“Consider the extra time a buffer, then,” Platinum replied, pulling out a folder and revealing our tests within. “I took time to give a reply to each of you on how I feel you did on the written tests. Please take time to read over what I’ve written later when you’re not busy.” She handed each of our tests with a flick of her horn, placing the papers in our hands. “Alright, Silky, you have the floor.”

Silky smiled and then turned to Manila, who had been quiet up until now. “Manila? You have the selections made?”

“Mm.” She adjusted her glasses before reading over a piece of paper on a clipboard. “Let’s see… Gabe, you’ll be with Dawnweave in room A right down the hall. She’s made no requests other than to…” She squinted before continuing with a clearing of her throat. “... do that thing you did for Sugar Belle last weekend to her… she says you’ll know what she’s talking about.”

Gabe actually flushed in the cheeks a bit, but nodded quietly and got up. He gave us a wave before making his way out of the lunchroom and down the hall.

“Martin?” Manila continued. “Jamboree is waiting for you in room C. No requests except to ‘rock her world’.” She frowned. “Those are her words. Not mine.”

Martin grinned and got up from his chair. “See you guys on the other side.”

“Alex?” He nodded as she continued. “Candy Apple’s in room E. Um… she makes no promises on being gentle. She’s an Apple mare, after all. She’s got… a-applebucking hips, and she knows how to use them.” She cleared her throat again, her cheeks now a noticeable shade of crimson. “Silky, are you sure they aren’t just pranking me here?”

Silky, much to her credit, kept a straight face. Five Stars raised a hoof to her lips in an attempt to cover her smile. Platinum’s shoulders were shaking a little as she tried to hold back a snicker while studying her hooves with intense interest.

“N-no, of course not,” Silky replied, though the mirthful look on her face said otherwise.

Manila sighed and adjusted her glasses once more. “Arnold? Rainbowshine is waiting for you in room G. No need to worry about clouds this time, but you’ll be needing…” She paused, then grumbled. “Oh, come on! You can’t tell me this isn’t a joke!”

Silky was biting on her inner cheek as Five Stars did her best not to laugh. “Manila, I’m sure it’s nothing bad. Go on and read it!”

“...” Manila’s ears fell flat for a moment before she let out a snort. “...she says you’ll be needing an ice pack or two when you’re done, because it’s going to be hot.”

Arnold, ever the classy gentleman that he is, just smiled. “Thank you, Manila.”

Finally, it was just me. Manila’s cheeks lost some of their rosey hue, and she looked to me directly. “Darren, I’m afraid Royal Ribbon was supposed to meet with you in room I today. But, she got caught up with some family matters back in Canterlot, so she is unable to join you today. It sounds like she’s going to have to give you a raincheck on the trip to Las Pegasus this weekend, too. She says she’s sorry, and will make it up to you as soon as she can.”

“Oh… uh… so, is Pizzelle going to be with me, or Ambrosia?”

Another shake of her head. “Ambrosia left early this morning. She’s attending an instructor class at our Las Pegasus headquarters that she still needed to complete, and Pizzelle had to go back to Cloudsdale to touch base with… some of our clients.”

“So… I’m not going to be participating then?”

“No,” Silky replied. “I’ll be working with you instead.”

“O-oh!” I blinked. “Huh, really? Isn’t that… sort of going against some protocol regarding work relationships?”

“Not really, no. I’m qualified to be a handler, and I’ve gone through all the necessary courses to help with this sort of class work.” Then, like someone flipped a switch, her smile went from amicable to seductive as hell; half-lidded eyes and all. “Think of it as a chance for me to personally see what you’ve learned so far.”

“Someone’s eager,” Five Stars commented. “Don’t be too intimidated, Darren.”

Easier said than done. I gave Five Stars a nod, and looked to Silky once more. “So... uh… room I, right?”

“Mmhm.” Silky turned around and made her way down the hall, putting a sway in her hips as she disappeared down the hall. “Don’t keep me waiting, Darren!”

I got up after watching her leave for a few moments, intending to follow. Five Stars, however, held out a hoof and gently stopped me. “Darren?”

“Yeah?”

She smiled. “Just remember to make sure you both have fun, and everything will be fine.” She gave me a gentle nudge to continue down the hall, and added. “And I’m glad you’ve been enjoying my articles. Pizzelle says you’re all caught up now, huh?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah!” I smiled. “Not going to lie, either; if you decided to go into the erotic literature business, you’d have no trouble making a living out of it. There’s plenty of humans alone that would eat the stuff up, and you aren’t a stranger to the way we go at it if last article was anything to go by.”

She laughed at that, “Ah, so you got to the September issue. Not sure how I manage to get those articles written sometimes, what with traveling, work, and vacation.”

Manila laughed. “A muse is a wonderful driving force when you have it, I suppose.”

Five Stars nodded in agreement. “Right, well, let’s not keep you from Silky any longer than we have. Go on. Try not to break the bed’s box spring, alright?”

I laughed, feeling my nerves settle a bit as I made my way to room I. When I opened the door, and was greeted to a rather comfy looking room. The curtains were closed over the single window looking out to the backyard of the building, and there were three candles providing me enough light to see Silky laying on the bed. There was a faint smell of jasmine in the air.

I felt my heartbeat pick up a bit as I smiled to the pegasus. “Fancy meeting you here.”

She just smiled in return, letting her wings stretch out over the bed. In the soft candlelight, her light tan coat was covered in faint shadows, obscuring parts of her figure. Only her bright blue eyes and golden mane were easy to make out in the dark. “I’m afraid I have a small confession to make, Darren. Back when we had first met, I was just coming out of my heat cycle. I… apologize if I had made you feel uncomfortable back when we talked.”

I waved a hand. “Apology accepted, but you don’t need to worry. Luckette explained to us about how difficult it can be to deal with a heat cycle. I’m afraid I can’t entirely relate to it, but trust me when I say I’m not holding anything against you.”

And like that, she seemed to relax. “Hah. That’s…” She nodded, relief etched into her expression. “I should have known you’d be understanding.” She sighed, “For what it’s worth, Darren, I do find you attractive.” She patted the spot on the bed beside her, encouraging me to take a seat. I did so, surprised by how quietly the mattress gave in to my additional weight being added. Not a single creak of springs.

Likely designed that way, considering the stress put upon them, I imagine.

“So, Silky…” I let my eyes linger on her wings. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Hmmm…” I met her gaze as she gave me a thoughtful look. “Perhaps… would you mind preening my wings?”

I smiled, letting a flash of teeth show. “Pizzelle must have talked about my little preening session with her, huh?”

“She… may have put a good word in for you, yes.” She flexed out her wings a little more, and added softly. “Though, if you don’t mind, I’d like to do this… without any substitute oils.” She lifted her wings, exposing the base where her glands were. “If you don’t mind, that is. I can understand if this is a bit out of your comfort zone. Not everyone likes touching another’s oil glands. I pride myself in personal hygiene, though, and I can assure you that preening with oil glands is safe and not harmful to humans.”

I shook my head and flexed my hands a bit. “I don’t mind at all, and I’ll do my best to meet your expectations,” I answered softly. I moved to adjust my seating, only for Silky to stop me.

“Wait…” She looked me over, frowning a little as she looked at my shirt. “Take off the shirt.” She locked gazes with me. “Please.”

Trying to hold back my amused grin, I took of my shirt in one swift motion before tossing it on a chair. “Better?”

She looked me over once, her tail swishing from left to right while her wings stiffened a bit. “Much.”

I scooted closer, and let her rest on my lap. She clearly had no reservations, having chose to lie on her back and expose her underside fully for me. Without even thinking, I ran a hand across the soft coat of her underbelly, causing a little gasp to escape her lips.

“W-wings, Darren,” she breathed, her tail flicking from side to side. “Let’s not skip right to the main course before sampling the hors d'oeuvres.” She fanned out her wings to their full length, and human or not, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight. There was a natural beauty in the image before me, and I couldn’t help but relate to the ancient Greeks who wrote of the noble flying equine in myth and legend. I was beginning to understand how such a majestic creature endured the ages and remained a popular image of the ancient culture.

“Darren?” she asked, giggling a bit. “Tellus to Darren, you there?”

“H-huh?” I blinked. “Oh, right, sorry…” I chuckled. “Just… taking in the sight.”

“Mm. I suppose I’m a little guilty of that as well.” She reached up with a hoof and brushed it against my face. “Looks like someone didn’t shave this morning…”

“It’s… just a bit of scruff.” I replied, not really wanting to admit she was right.

“I think it’s nice.”

I felt the softest bit of pressure as one of the odd digits beneath her hoof pressed against my jawline. I may have leaned into the contact a bit, earning another giggle from her.

“O-okay, I think I’ll cut off on the teasing… for now,” she said after a few more gentle brushes of her hoof. “So, you’ve never preened a pegasus naturally, correct?”

“Can’t say I have, no. Just with substitute products, no oil glands.”

She nodded slowly. “It’s just like what you did with Pizzelle, but without the bottle of oil at your disposal. Just… lightly press the fingers against my wing base, right by my gland. Don’t pinch, though; that will hurt more than anything…” She flexed her left wing a bit, exposing the small nub that was her gland. “You’ll know when you’re doing it right.”

I hesitated for a moment before moving a hand gently over her wing base. Taking my index and middle finger, I pressed gently on the gland and felt a slight dampness coat my fingers. There was no smell or color to the fluid. It may as well have been water, were it not a little bit… well, oilier…

“W-wow… okay, definitely a quick learner…” she breathed. “Now, just run your fingers like you did with Pizzelle over the underside of my wings.” Another flick of her tail from side to side. “Just repeat what you did when your fingers aren’t slick anymore.”

I did as was asked, and was rewarded with a long, drawn out sigh as I ran a finger across her primaries. Silky all but melted under my touch, though her wings seemed to be twitching and growing even stiffer.

Speaking of things getting stiff, I think I was quickly coming to accept the fact that wingplay was a thing for me. At least, judging by the increasing tightness in my pants, this was the case. My experience with Pizzelle had been nice in its own way; relaxing, and on a certain level, emotional.

With Silky, though, there was a clear undercurrent of desire and expectation that things were going to get more heated before we were finished. It didn’t help that I had a very clear view of her marehood right now, and it took every fiber of my being to not go to town on her right then and there.

I think she knew this, too. The twinkling in her eyes and the soft giggles were all the evidence I needed, really. Smirking, I continued to focus as best as I could on her wings, cutting off her giggles with a rather intentional brush of the base of her wing, causing her to shudder.

“I thought you said you were done teasing?” I asked as her cheeks flushed.

“I… like to bend the truth?” she replied. “Technically, you’re the one who’s looking at me and getting all excited.” She gave me a knowing smile when I raised an eyebrow. “You can’t deny it when I feel your erection prodding me in the back.”

“Um… sorry?” I replied with a chuckle.

She gave me a shake of her head and smiled good-naturedly. “I don’t mind, really. I’m enjoying this a lot myself, as I’m sure you can tell.” She opened up her legs a little more to emphasize her point, the faint scent of her arousal finally reaching me. “Let’s just not rush this too much, okay? We have all the time we need.”

For the better part of fifteen minutes we remained like that; Silky lying on my lap with her wings splayed fully and her underbelly vulnerable to the occasional touch of my fingers. I eventually had preened both of her wings to the best of my ability in the candlelight, and she admired them with an approving nod after getting back to her hooves.

“Well, for only your second time doing this, Darren, I have to admit, I’m rather impressed…” She flapped them a few times for good measure, though this proved to be a tad difficult, given that they were still rather stiff. “Pizzelle’s praise for you was well earned. Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” I replied. “I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.”

Silky gave me an amused look as she plopped down beside me on the bed. She had the thinnest trail of sweat running down her brow and neck, matting locks of her blond mane to her tan coat. “I may be relatively new to this part of the business, but… I can’t say I know too many Gentleman who seem to find genuine enjoyment in preening of all things.”

“I believe that’s going to give me an edge in a niche market then, isn’t it?”

She snorted at that, “No doubt. Either way… it might be worth for you to hone your skills in preening. Never know when it might come in handy.” She then added with a soft poke to the chest with a hoof, “Just be sure to keep up with the rest of your training, too, Mr. Natural.”

“So help me, if that becomes my call sign.”

“What?” She laughed. “It’s not that bad, really. You should hear some of the names Gentlemen have adopted. Many of them get their alias for a variety of reasons. I heard about one guy who got his name from biting an instructor’s wings…” She scrunched her nose up a bit. “I… guess the name does have a double meaning for being a friend who helps other friends pick up possible dates, though… hm…” She tapped her chin. “We have a former doctor who simply goes by ‘The Doctor’, too.”

“A Doctor?” I grinned. “Who?”

She gave me a confused look, and shrugged. “I’m… not really sure who it is, but that’s what they call themselves.”

I laughed. “Nevermind, I guess it’s still a little too soon for you Equestrians to get the joke. Give it time.”

Instead of asking further, she just smirked and rolled her eyes. “You silly, talking primates.”

“Says the magical pony species that can fly and walk on clouds.”

“Fair enough,” she ceded with a wave of her hoof. “Anyway…” She glanced down at my jeans, and I was quickly reminded of my own predicament. “Aside from preening, you seem to have a way of distracting others from the task at hand, Darren.”

“My sincerest apologies, Silky. You did say you wanted to draw this out for a bit, though, if I remember right.”

“Oh, arguing now, are we?”

I just folded my hands behind my back. “Just calling them like I see them.”

I was promptly tackled onto the bed, Silky putting the full weight of her body and keeping me pinned. Her mischievous grin gained a hungry edge to it. “It’s not nice to tease a lady.”

“Didn’t you just admit to doing that same thing to me not too long—mmph!” I was cut off from further argument by her lips. The faint taste of cinnamon and sugar. Huh, weird.

Not raspberry lemonade, like Full Bloom… but still cool. Definitely weird, but… cool!

We pulled away, the subtle hunger in Silky’s eyes now easy to see in the dim light of the bedroom. She littered my neck and jawline with kisses as ran my hands down the length of her wings and shoulders, earning pleasant gasps and mewls from the mare the whole time.

“Okay… okay…” She breathed, talking more to herself than me. She put a bit of distance between us with a gentle push of her hoof. “Darren, before we begin…” She exhaled, and seemed to regain some semblance of control over herself. “Did Ambrosia go over the basic positions with you? I’m… having a brief lapse in memory, it seems.”

“Yeah, we did,” I answered.

“Good… good…” She exhaled again, and leaned over to the mini fridge beside the bed, one that I had failed to see until now. “Want a juice? Water?”

“Water will be fine.”

“Great, um… here you are.” She handed me a cold bottle of water and grabbed a bottle of what appeared to be apple juice for herself. “Hydration is key: never forget that.” She winked and guzzled down the bottle in a few quick gulps. “Whew, um… wow, okay, let’s just check in the mini-fridge here once more…ah ha! Here we are.” She pulled out a much smaller bottle—no, a vial—with a clear label indicating it to be a booster. “Okay, now, this is a diluted formula” She paused, then asked, “Ambrosia went over boosters with you, right?”

I took a few sips of my own bottle and nodded. “Mmhmm. They’re like magical viagra, or something close to it.” When she quirked an eyebrow, I elaborated. “Boosters are sexual performance enhancers with magical and chemical properties that can, in proper dosages, help increase stamina while decreasing the time between refractory periods.” I matched her expectant look with my own. “I could go into more detail from what I read if I want.”

She grinned. “Alright, you’ve proven your point.” She set the vial on the nightstand before turning back to me. “I don’t think you’ll need one for me, but there may come a time when you need to take one in order to… handle a client. Specifically, you’ll likely need one if you’re servicing a mare in heat, and especially so if she’s a skipper. From a purely statistical standpoint, about a third of those clients are earth ponies, too, so there you go.”

“Makes sense. I’m still not sure how I feel about earth pony strength after seeing Alex trying to keep Five Stars from pushing him into a wall, though.”

Silky gave me a sympathetic smile. “For what it’s worth, most earth ponies are fairly conscious about how much strength they use. It’s also important to remember that earth pony strength in of itself a form of magic. It can be taxing to constantly throw around that much power, so you’re not going to see your average client suplexing you onto the bed and having her way with you.”

“...has something like that actually happened?” I dared to ask.

“Only once, I think it was a year ago,” Silky replied. “Though, I think that was also some request for roleplay by the client, so the Gentleman was prepared for it.” She blinked, then grinned. “And there you go again, getting me off topic.” She pressed a hoof against my chest, pushing me onto the bed. She then glanced at the vial of booster formula, her smile slipping a little. “Now, it’s your choice here, and yours alone. Do you want to take the booster? It’s produced by a trusted vendor, and if you want I can give you a printout of the medical information.”

I thought it over for a moment. I had taken a diluted sample of a booster mixed with some juice while I was with Ambrosia in Manehattan, but not a pure form of it. Would it be okay with me? Honestly, while I wasn’t all that bothered by magic, I wasn’t too sure if I wanted something so potent going through my inner workings. At least, not yet.

“I think I’ll pass,” I replied. “For now. If there’s no need for it, I don’t think I should take any.”

She nodded. “That’s perfectly fine, and if we’re both going to be honest here, I’m glad you think that way.” She opened the fridge up and placed the vial back inside it. “Now… how about we get these annoying pants off?”

After several minutes of Silky stubbornly refusing my help to undo the zipper, we eventually got my jeans off and I was now in only my boxers, finding the pegasus mare sitting on my stomach, just close enough that her rump was able to brush against my groin if she so wished.

It occurred to me that in normal circumstances, such a situation would be something along the lines of morally questionable as far as work ethics go. She was, for the lack of a better term, my boss. Manila, who handled the Equestrian equivalent of Human Resources concerns, would have her work cut out for her dealing with the paperwork were this sort of thing to happen back on Earth.

Though, I suppose the same could be said about my training with Ambrosia, Pizzelle, and Royal Ribbon, but that was up for debate if one wanted to get technical. I had no actual handler yet, so Silky more or less held that position in my work. And, as I was informed when I had first started this whirlwind of job-training, handlers commonly continued to work with their Gentlemen to make sure their skills were remaining up to snuff.

Even so, given the nature of the business, this may not be all that uncommon. The fact that both Platinum Corona and Five Stars—who I would later learn had far more influence in the business than I had initially expected—more or less gave us the green light for this unorthodox training spoke volumes. If they said it was okay, then I didn’t see any problem with it, and Equestrian law probably didn’t either.

Not to mention I probably would have had a difficult time refusing Silky’s advances right now anyway. Boss or not, she was a very beautiful mare, regardless of her tendency to stay in the background.

She began moving her hips, putting extra pressure on my hardened length every time she rocked back. The feel of her cheeks pressing against my groin was torture for me, but I’d be damned if I didn’t admit to myself that I was enjoying it.

So, it perhaps came as no surprise to her when I suddenly grabbed her by the hips and turned her over onto her back. She let out a surprised squeal, but otherwise made no move to resist. In fact, she had the most devious of smiles on her lips as she landed on the bed with a soft thump.

“Again, what happened to you not teasing me?” I asked, just a hint of a growl in my words as I nibbled against her collarbone.

“Ahhhh, I’m sorry, I’m such a bad filly…mmhmmmnnnn!” she all but whinnied.

I let one hand wander down towards her legs, pausing when I felt a tuft of hair just above her slit, already slick with her own juices thanks to her rocking from earlier. My own boxers were damp from Silky’s slick marehood, and in the back of my mind I wondered if I would have to invest money in separate underwear in the near future specifically for my job.

Letting my fingers dance further down, I gently grazed my thumb against the hardening nub between her lips, and she responded with a strangled gasp, her hips lifting up by reflex as her wings snapped once more to full length. I made a mental note to thank Ambrosia later for forcing me to focus on using my hands later. Maybe a nice lunch downtown during one of our not-so-sensual sessions on the weekends.

Silky had quickly succumbed to my handiwork, her wings twitching stiffly every few moments while her weeping marehood began to thoroughly soak my hands and the sheets beneath her.

“Darren, oh buck, oh buck… mmmh! Mmmhhh!”

Taken her increasing volume as my cue, I took the plunge and let my tongue graze her slit while my fingers began to penetrate her. By now, soundproof spell or no, I’m pretty sure someone in the halls would have heard her outside in the hallway. The moans and vocal approval she let out were muffled by her inner thighs pressing against my ears, though, so I wasn’t all that concerned about it at the moment.

Being the polite mare that she is, Silky gave me a few quick, gentle taps on the head with a hoof. It was what likely qualified as a sign that she was about to unleash a deluge of fluids upon my face.Taken her warning as a challenge, whether that was her intention or not, I pressed my tongue as deep as I could into her velvety folds. She let out a single, drawn out cry that would have made some Prima-Donna singers at an opera envious, and the floodgates opened.

I closed my eyes as warm fluid soaked my face, and I pulled away as her mare-cum covered my chin and neck. A few weaker releases followed as Silky let out a deep, satisfied sigh. Her legs twitched, and upon wiping my eyes and opening them, I could see a look that could only be qualified as ‘fucked silly’ on her face.

Her musk and fluids had pervaded my sense of smell completely. If the sheets had been soaked before, then at this point they were saturated. It was… well…

I really hope whoever cleaned up after us wore a breathing mask.

I couldn’t help but laugh, taking in the entire scene with a mixture of awe and amusement, and couldn’t help but whisper, “Holy shit…”

My laughter seemed to stir Silky from her blissful daze. She blinked a few times before turning to look up at me. Upon seeing my face, her smile disappeared to be replaced with a look of worry. “O-oh sweet Celestia, Darren, I…” She covered her face with her forehooves and whispered. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry…”

“For what?” I laughed. “Silky, in case you forgot, I’m a Gentleman. This is probably the equivalent of a bonus for me to get a mare to this state, right?”

She giggled at that, pulling her hooves away from her face. “I-I guess…” She looked away. “Truth be told, I… don’t have a lot of experience in,” she cleared her throat, “handling Gentlemen, as it were. I’m more of the paper-pusher variety employee, eheh…”

My own expression softened a bit. Freaking Equestrians and their adorable mannerisms.

Shaking my head, I took one of her hooves in my hand and massaged the soft, inner padding. “Well, I don’t mind that. A Gentleman shouldn’t discriminate just because of sexual experience, right?”

Silky nodded quietly. “You’re going to be a wonderful Gentleman by the time you’re finished training.” She arched an eyebrow. “You might want to refrain from such expletives after making your client orgasm, though. Some might take that the wrong way. All the same, I have high hopes for you.”

“Well, don’t make any claims until we’re finished, Silky.”

Her eyebrows rose a bit before she let out a soft squeak. She looked down to her groin area, only to grin as I pressed the tent I was pitching against her inner thighs. Looking back up at me, she laughed. “Give me a minute, and then I can start assessing how well you took notes again.”

An hour later found myself lying on the bed, exhausted and feeling the first signs of sore muscles setting in. Even so, I couldn’t help but be happy.

“... and now, you have to promise not to tell anyone this, but Blossomforth told me she that she tried this thing with another Gentleman where they strap him to a harness and literally rut in the air. The Gentleman got in a bit of trouble after getting injured once, though.” She giggled, but her expression had a hint of sadness in it. I nudged her a bit, and she turned to look at me, a curious look crossing her features. “Hm?”

“You look troubled. Penny for your thoughts?” I asked.

“Oh…” she sighed. “Blossomforth, well… you met her back when you first met me, so you have an idea of how she is. She’s nice, and honestly a good friend, but…” Silky shook her head. “Way back when she moved to Ponyville… I just… feel like I don’t know her anymore. I hardly ever see her aside from the annual festival or two that I go to with her, or the rare chance my friends and I can all get together. I mean, I went to her wedding when she got married and…” She rubbed her eyes a bit. “She’s always been more popular with the colts, and even mares would make eyes at her from time to time. I never let that bother me; I made a promise to myself that I’d never involve myself with colts that she had a thing for a long time ago.” She sniffed. “I just wish that the stallions that would join us for a drink would talk to me and not just her whenever we get together.”

I gently pulled her closer to my side. “Have you ever talked to her about this?”

She shook her head. “No, not really. I mean, I don’t want to trouble her with that kind of stuff, you know? She’s got her own life, and I’m just that mare she still talks to out of some obligation to days long gone. She’s a nice mare, trust me, but I can tell she and I aren’t as close as we used to be. It’s fine; friends come and go, but… it hurts.”

“You should talk to her,” I said encouraginly. “I lost contact with most of my childhood friends, but I was lucky enough to find friends like Gabe and Alex later in life. Those guys are like the brothers you don’t tell your friends about because they embarrass you, but you still love them all the same.”

She laughed at that, “I don’t like playing favorites, but you three are fun to listen to. If I didn’t have an obligation to make sure you guys learn while here, I’d probably just listen to you go banter all day.”

“Gabe and I did a rendition of ‘Who’s On First’ once during a college improv night at the campus theater. I think we went a minute or two longer than intended after I lost my place in telling the joke. Gabe managed to adapt to the slip, though, and as far as I can tell, none of the audience noticed.” I grinned at the memory. “We got a standing ovation, believe it or not.”

“Oh my gosh, I love that skit!” Silky gasped, and tapped my chest with a hoof. “You two should totally do that routine for the annual G4M Ball in Manehattan this year.”

“Uh, how big of a crowd are we talking about here?”

She waved a hoof. “A couple hundred, maybe one thousand? Hard to tell, it varies each year we’ve held it.”

“One thousand? Yeesh, we performed in front of maybe two hundred folks at most when we did the routine. I don’t know…”

“Oh, please think about it, Darren? We get representatives and potential clients each year, and I know a comedy routine would be a nice touch. We get acapellas and stand-up comedy, sure, but sometimes a bit of the classics are what you need to get the crowd laughing.”

“Alright, I’ll consider it. Gabe does make for a pretty good Costello, so we could probably pull it off.”

At that, Silky wrapped her hooves around my midsection and hugged me. “Good, just let me know before December, okay?”

We eventually untangled ourselves from the bed, and after changing back into my clothes, I opened the door, only to find a surprised Manila stumble forward while Five Stars was standing off to the side, an amused look on her face. Manila quickly recovered, trying her best to stare a hole into the carpet while Five Stars gave me a winning smile.

Silky quirked an eyebrow. “How long were you two—?”

“We were… just about to knock!” Manila replied. “I mean… um… we were concerned that you two might have…”

“Might have bumped your heads,” Five Stars finished without missing a beat, Manila nodding vehemently in agreement.

“...bumped our heads?” I repeated.

“Y-yeah, you know, on the… uh… headboard of the bed,” Manila explained, her face so red that I was surprised that her glasses weren’t steaming up. “So, uh… did everything go well…?”

“Judging by the smell, I’d say so…” Five Stars whispered a bit too loudly, taking a whiff of the air coming out of the room.

The two shared looks before Manila shouted quickly, “Not it!”

“Wha- oh come on!” Five Stars whined. “That’s… two rooms that I’m cleaning now!” She grumbled. “I’m here to give lectures, not clean.”

Manila stuck out her tongue, “Yeah, well, try working sixteen hours of overtime every week and then come to me with complaints.” Manila flicked her tail and gave Five Stars a teasing smirk. “Besides, it’d be nice of you to come back down to our level once in awhile. Help remind you of the little ponies that don’t get to share the limelight you have.”

Five Stars’ own smile returned in full force, and she bumped her flank against Manila’s causing the mousy secretary to yelp as she struggled to regain her balance. “Okay, okay, enough teasing me.” She turned her attention back to Silky and I. “No use hiding the truth, I guess. Silky; you need to have the staff check the soundproofing spells on this room. We heard your little operetta from the lecture room and well…” She chuckled as the pegasus beside me blushed. “For somepony who’s special talent is finding ways to make others comfortable and happy, I’d say you and Darren experienced a bit of role reversal earlier.” She looked to Manila for a moment, then added, “Manila was the one who decided to keep listening-in afterwards, though. I just stuck around to make sure she didn’t try peeking in on you two.”

“H-hey!” Manila exclaimed.

“Oh, horsefeathers…” Silky moaned, covering her face with a wing. “You heard all of that?”

“Molt came running into the building when he heard you cry out…” Manila said with small smile. “He was ready for a fight and had the most serious expression on his face…” She adjusted her glasses, and gained a distant look in her eyes while smiling.

Five Stars leaned close and whispered loudly, “She’s got a crush on him.”

“I-I do not!” Manila defended. “I just thought it was nice to see that our security staff is prepared to keep us safe. That’s all…”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Five Stars chuckled. “Right then, SPlatinum just wanted us to remind you to give your report on Mr. Natural by the end of the week on his performance today, Silky.”

“Got it,” Silky replied. “You sticking around or are you still leaving today?”

Five Stars’ smile fell a little. “Sorry. I’m already risking falling behind if I stay around any longer. I got a lot of work to catch up on, not to mention my articles. It was hard enough to keep the fact I was here a secret. I’ll have to save my reports for my visit for later in the autumn. Platinum suggested I visit again in late November, then give all the news on Hoofington once you guys go public. Make it seem like I’m visiting for the first time.”

Silky’s own smile waned. “I don’t like being all secretive about our work here, but I get it.” She sighed, “You’re sure you’ll be able to remember everything a few months from now? We’re not the most exciting of places, after all…”

Five Stars shook her head. “Don’t worry, I have plenty to talk about. Coming here was refreshing. It kind of brings me back to when we first got this company started, actually.” She gave Silky a friendly nuzzle. “And don’t think for a moment that you and the rest of the girls here don’t deserve the praise I’ll be giving.” She looked to me, “Or you Gentlemen, for that matter. I’ll just write about my time here. Whether I tell them I was keeping my visit a secret for those couple months or not will be up to me. I already plan on making my visit here a public thing, though, now that you have security.”

Silky seemed to relax a bit. “Well, either way, I think it’s safe to say that we’re humbled that you want to write about our little building. It’s not Las Pegasus or Manehattan, after all…”

“No, it’s not,” came a new voice, “but I think that’s part of what makes this place so charming. It doesn’t have the flair and multi-story structure of our two main headquarters, but it manages to hold its own. Not to mention you’ll be covering a good portion of our clientele once you’re ready for operations.”

Platinum Corona made her way towards us, and I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious as she looked over Silky and I. I can only imagine what she thought, given our no-doubt disheveled appearances. Not to mention we probably reeked of hot, sweaty sex.

“That’s true. You girls already take care a lot of the paperwork for Gentlemen for Mares,” Five Stars added. “There’s no shame in taking credit where credit is due, Silky.”

Nodding in agreement, Platinum continued. “As it stands, I think this place will be doing well for itself once you get it off the ground. Judging by your rather vocal approval, Silky, I’d say Mr. Halverson will have no trouble with his line of work.”

“Oh, Celestia, please strike me down now,” Silky mumbled as Five Stars and Manila giggled.

Deciding to draw attention away from Silky’s embarrassment, I smirked. “Well, Miss Corona, flattery aside, I think a question needs to be addressed: is it more embarrassing to be overheard having sex or have others find out you were listening-in and enjoying someone’s little rutting session? Some might think the latter to be more perverted than the former, in my opinion.”

Platinum seemed to find my little jab amusing. “I’ll grant you that, Darren.” She looked to Five Stars and Manila. “I think we need to come to terms with our newfound fetish, girls. Whatever shall we do?”

Five Stars snickered, “As if I have anything left to be ashamed of.”

Silky cleared her throat. “Right, well… Darren, you can go shower up and meet the others back in the classroom. Just, uh, leave your clothes outside of the bathroom and I’ll get them washed and dried for you. We’ll have some new, clean clothes on hand that you can change into in the meantime.”

“Good idea,” Platinum agreed. “I think Martin and Alex just finished their training a little while ago as well.”

After bidding the three mares a brief farewell, I made my way to the men’s bathroom, and could hear the telltale sounds of running water from the showers. I walked into the bathroom and chose a shower stall that wasn’t being used. The stalls were designed so that a human or pony could comfortably use them, and each stall was partitioned into two sections by a curtain. One section was for changing while the other was the actual shower itself.

As I entered the first section and closed the curtain behind me before stripping out of my clothes, I heard a voice one stall over. “Darren? Gabe? Arnold?”

“It’s Darren, Martin,” I replied over the running water. “How’d your time with Jamboree go?”

Martin laughed. “Good, but I think she’s going into heat.”

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

Alex, who was two stalls to my right, was the first to answer, “For starters, Martin claims she tackled him as soon as he walked into the bedroom, and she wouldn’t let him rest until she came five times. I think he’s lying, but she did seem a little distracted when I saw her exit the room after Candy Apple and I were done.”

“She did apologize afterwards, so don’t go talking down about her, Alex,” Martin added. “How about you, Darren?”

“Well, I had a rather interesting time. Silky was my trainer today.”

“Wait, really?” asked Alex. “What’s that all about?”

“Royal Ribbon’s on leave because of family stuff back in Canterlot I guess. Ambrosia’s in Las Pegasus for a company-related class, and Pizzelle is in Cloudsdale for some business with clients. So, yeah, I got her as my trainer for today.”

A relative silence settled over the two as I turned on the shower and let the water run over me.

“So…?”

“Yes, Martin, it was good. For someone who isn’t really in the ‘handling’ department of Gentleman for Mares, it was a nice experience.”

“Yeah. Wish it were the case with Candy Apple…” Alex noted with a weak chuckle.

“Why? Was it bad?”

“No, it was good. Very good,” he answered. “Almost too good. She wasn’t lying about being rough with me, though. I’m going to be hurting tomorrow morning…”

“Flanks of steel, huh?”

“Imagine a pillow bouncing on your lap with the ferocity of a jackhammer. That’s sort of what I was experiencing, no joke.”

“¡No manches!” Martin said, clear disbelief in his tone as he laughed. “I mean, sure, she’s an earth pony, but at the speed of a freaking jackhammer? And you’re calling me the liar here?” He laughed louder. “Oh boy, what did we get ourselves into?”

“The box spring broke in half, Martin. In half,” was the only reply Alex gave.

The sound of the bathroom door opening cut through our conversation, and another voice called out to us. “A warning to you all: thestral bites will lead to the grandmother of all hickey marks on your skin!”

That got the three of us laughing as I heard the sound of Gabe turning on the water. “I can only imagine how the oral must be.”

“Well, that is something else entirely, Darren, and I pity the man who never experiences it, but that’s just me.” Gabe went quiet for a moment, then added. “Oh god, when did she bite me there?”

“Any blood?” Martin asked.

“No, Dawnweave was careful about that…” Gabe said with a sigh. “Though explaining this to Amber is going to be interesting.”

“You don’t think she’ll be upset, do you?” I asked.

“I don’t think so, but Amber might get concerned about this becoming a regular thing. She met Dawnweave this morning, though, so I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“Huh, so you were escorted to the branch office as well this morning?” Alex asked. “Glad I wasn’t the only one.”

“Yeah, it was weird…” Gabe agreed. “I mean, I understand the whole idea of keeping us safe from possible mobs, but sometimes I think these girls treat us like we’re made of fine chinaware or something.”

“Well, it used to be even worse back in the day for stallions,” I said, earning a grunt of agreement from the others. “Remember when Luckette gave us that brief lecture on how different our worlds’ militaries used to be?”

“Yeah, and the griffins capitalized on that, didn’t they?” Alex added.

“No wonder Hemlock would stay for overtime back at Ecosystems for Equestria,” Gabe began. “The poor guy was probably tired of being fawned upon all the time. He’s married to, what… three mares?”

“It seemed like he was half-awake most of the time when he wasn’t out in the field,” I said, “Either of you heard from him lately?”

“Nope,” Alex answered.

“He sent me a text the other week on his phone asking me why his daughter keeps using the word ‘epic’ ever since his herd got internet service. I told him she’ll grow out of it in time,” Gabe replied.

In time, Arnold had finished his training and joined us in a conversation of our collective experience in dealing with Equestrian mares.

“So, Arnie, there’s one thing I’m curious about with you,” Martin began, “Alex, Darren, and Gabe all ended up in Equestria to do some work after graduating college, and I came here for a job that ended up not panning out… but what about you? How did you end up in Equestria”

Arnold hummed in thought from one of the far shower stalls. “Well, I sort of just grew curious, I guess.”

“Curious?” Gabe echoed.

“Yep. I was close to retirement when Neo Equinenox appeared in the Pacific back on Earth. My wife had died a few years before I came here, so I guess not having her around sort of made me restless.”

“Oh, um… wow,” Martin said, a bit quieter than before. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to dig up old memories like that…”

“No, it’s alright. Francine and I were married for a good twenty years, and I don’t regret any of the time I shared with her… well, except for that ankle-biter poodle we had. Damn mutt hated me until the day he died, but Francine loved him, so the dog and I had an uneasy truce of getting along enough to keep her happy.” He sighed, “Anyway, after Francine passed away, I had a good amount of money in my savings, and I have a bit of an obsession with keeping track of my stocks, so I retired and sold off my beach house and yacht. We never had any kids, so I gave my nephew my two cars and a chunk of Francine’s life insurance money. He’s got a family of his own, and was probably the only niece or nephew I had who actually visited me because he wanted to. I figured he could use all that money more than I did.”

Gabe laughed quietly, “Good lord, Arnie, you’re like the textbook definition of rich, friendly uncle that everyone wants.”

“Yeah, well, I remember being out of school without a pot to piss in. I lucked out and got a job working in a company that I ended up owning after showing the ability to manage it. The boss had no huge investors, and was close to retirement himself when he offered me the business when I started taking charge of the major managerial duties.”

“So, what, you retired and decided to visit ponyland out of the blue?” Alex asked.

“Pretty much,” he replied. “Figured I wasn’t getting any younger, and there’s no excuse to not travel to a land with talking ponies before I kick the bucket. I’ve lived in Las Pegasus, Manehattan, and even in Canterlot. They’re all nice, but I got a bit tired of the big city atmosphere after sometime. So, here I am in Hoofington.”

“And… what, you were offered a job shortly after that?”

“I needed something to keep me busy. At the same time, I had been… seeing a mare from Saddle Arabia. She was about my age, perhaps a little older. She was a widow herself, had only one colt who lived overseas. No herdmates or other family to speak of. We got to know each other, and well… a little wine and a little talking lead to a change in perspective one night, I guess.”

“Huh. Then what?”

“She suggested I apply for a job here, actually. I don’t know how she got me an application, but I figured it’d be nice to have something to do and earn a little cash on the side.” Arnold chuckled. “I think part of her was interested in seeing if I’d actually take her up on the offer more than anything.” His voice grew quiet as he added. “I never got to see how she would react though. She died a week after I had my interview. She died from a heart attack, rest her soul.”

“Shit…” Martin said quietly. “Arnold…”

“Don’t apologize,” Arnold said, and I could hear the bittersweet smile in his words. “Dune Whisper was a good mare, and she showed me that I still have a lot to look forward to in life, even after losing both her and Francine. I guess I took on the mentality of living life doing what I want on my own terms. I’m living for myself and for the two women I had in my life.”

“...Arnold, next time we go out for drinks, I’m buying your share,” Gabe said. “No arguments.”

The older man laughed. “I’m holding you to that then, Einsworth.”

At some point someone must have slipped in a change of clothes for me, because when I walked into the changing area of my stall, I found a new pair of jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and some boxer briefs. I changed and made my way out of the bathroom, heading down the hall and back to the classroom.

Alex and Martin were already there, and I took my seat next to the two. Moments passed before Gabe and Arnold joined us, followed shortly by Platinum Corona, Five Stars, and a Silky who looked refreshed and clean from a quick shower herself.

“Well, my initial reports have told me that the five of you have done well with your trainers,” Platinum began, getting right to the point without preamble. “Aside from some issues regarding soundproofing spells and bed durability, I’ve heard positive news from your trainers. Well done, Gentlemen.”

Five Stars took over where Platinum left off. “For the remainder of the day I’ll be going over some basics to remember when traveling in cities by yourself. Unfortunately, after this lecture I’ll have to leave and return to Manehattan for business. You’ll have to make do until I come back in November for a follow-up review of your performances.”

At that point, Five Stars made her way to the podium while Silky and Platinum took seats off to the side. With a smile, Five Stars began, “Now, I think it’s time I share with you boys a bit of personal experience I’ve had, starting with a typical New Year’s Eve in Las Pegasus…”

Grinning to myself, I took out the notebook I had left in the classroom earlier and prepared to take notes. If my memory served me right from the articles I had read, this particular lecture would be rather entertaining.

By the time Silky had escorted me back to my apartment and bid me farewell, it was close to the evening. The night air was the coolest it had been in months, and I could see faint wisps of my breath as I opened the entrance to the building. My shirt and pants that I had worn this morning were freshly washed, but I made a mental note to change as soon as I could, just in case Full Bloom got a whiff of Silky’s scent. Not sure if she would notice, but Equestrians had a better sense of smell than us humans, so I thought it better to not leave the matter up to chance.

As I opened the door, I was greeted to silence. Sighing to myself, I closed the door and made my way into the kitchen. A note with Full Bloom’s writing was on the table that read:

Darren,

Hope you had a good day! Wish I could say the same for myself. I got a letter from home; some family stuff has come up, so I won’t be home for a few days it seems. My mother has been fighting off a nasty illness lately, and it sounds like she’s having a bad episode right now. My sister asked if I could stop by for a few days and help her take care of my mom. It doesn’t sound like anything too serious, but my mother is known to push herself too far when ill, so I’ll have to help keep an eye on her.

Sorry, but we’ll have to postpone your revenge for my little stunt this morning until I get back. I promise I’ll make it up to you, though.

Love you,

Full Bloom

P.S. - Before I forget, Riley and Mildred stopped over after you left. Riley asked if you could give him a call later so you two can actually hang out before he and Mildred head back to Gryphon, but he did mention he may be given an extension on his leave yet. By the way, Riley said you have a bunch of movies called ‘Star Wars’ or whatever. He said I might like it, since he said that I’m ‘such a nerd’. Can you believe that?!

I really like your family so far, though, Darren. I’m glad you have such a nice brother.

I was both bummed out that Full Bloom would be gone for a few days and happy that she got along so well with Riley and Mildred.

Making a mental note to give Riley a call before the week was over, I made myself a simple meal of spaghetti and marinara and sat down while booting up my laptop and putting it on the table. I checked the news feed on the homepage of my internet browser. Nothing outside of the usual topics that have been covered for the past few weeks. More talk about the changeling found recently and the numerous conspiracy theories behind it, discussion on citizenship for humans living on Tellus and ponies living on Earth, and the latest scandal in Equestrian entertainment. I eventually stopped on a particular article titled “Las Pegasus: City of Sin, Thrills, and Diversity”.

Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt to look at. Besides, Royal Ribbon seemed to be intent on going there when she got the chance to have a weekend with me. May as well prep myself for it.

With that in mind, I settled in for the night, intent on learning everything I could about Equestria’s gem in the desert while pondering on what my unicorn trainer might have in store for me.

End of Chapter Eleven

Author's Note

Hey all, remember Denim_Blue? That guy that was writing that Gentleman for Mares story about training and such? Man, what a jerk, huh? Not updating for well over a year...

Right, well, I guess the drought is finally over. More or less, anyway. I've had this chapter on the back-burner for some time, but I'm comfortable with releasing it now. Helps that there's no importing Gdocs over anymore. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I prefer the simple copy+paste method. It just works for me.

Anyway, this is long overdue, yes, but it's here. Thanks goes to the ~~shameless~~ wonderful group of pre-readers I have, of course. AJ Aficionado, Firesight, Silentwoodfire, and TheTownCrier. These guys provide both entertaining comments and helpful feedback, sometimes more of the former than the latter, but I'm guilty of that as well, so who am I to judge? Right?

Hard to believe it took me this long to get back into writing, but I suppose I'm still doing it, so that counts! I don't really keep a tentative plan for what gets updated, but I have another chapter or two on hold for this after I give them a little more polish. I'll probably release two chapters for the next update I have for this story, in fact.

In the meantime, I sincerely hope this proved to be enjoyable. I don't blame anyone who may need time to refresh themselves with this piece, though, so I understand. While you're at it, if you want some more scintillating tales, why not check out some of AJ Aficionado's work? I pre-read for him, and he's currently got a nice story with both sensuality as well as action and fantasy blended into it. If you just want good ol' fashion action, though, Firesight's working on the second part of a three-part war story going on. The first story is already done, so now's a good as time as any to get acquainted with his work (plus he writes clop if you're into that stuff, I guess).

That's all for now. Thanks to readers, new and old. I know it's been a while, but any feedback is appreciated. Until we meet again, keep it real, folks!