"I've heard about what you did, Mister Muss." Redheart starts, our session seemingly already going poorly.

Nurse Redhearts office is about as comfortable as it ever is. I'm sat across from her, in for my... well, it's not monthly anymore. Redheart had bumped me up to Bi-Weekly now, as informed by letter. Every other Monday. I'd let Rarity know that I'd need a few more hours during Lunch to handle the appointments, and she was good with it.

So here I am, twiddling my thumbs, one week having passed since I got my first Equestrian job.

"...But, we'll get to that. First, I want to check on you." She shuffles some papers, producing a document with some blank entries, and grabs a quill.

I raise an eyebrow, curious. "Fire away." I nod.

She clears her throat, checking another paper, then looks back to me.
"Alright, Mister Muss. How have you been doing since our prior check-in? You've been busy; stressed at all? Overwhelmed? Worried? Angry? Frustrated?" She lists off, gauging my reaction.

I scratch my nose, letting my eyes wander over the wall as I try to piece together the words. Huh, never noticed she had travel cards posted back there before. Didn't seem the type.

"It's been good, actually. Really good. Figured a lot of things out, made a lot of good steps." I manage, keeping it light.

"And I remember that you were looking for a job. Still trying the Everfree?" She asks, though her tone twists slightly at the end, like she's about to scold me.

"No, actually. I got a job at Rarity's Boutique, been doing that the last week or so." I shake my head. "I'm sure I could have made the Everfree thing work, but... honestly, as much as I love romping through nature, doing it to try and bargain off what I find didn't feel right."

Redheart looks surprised, but tempers herself. "What do you mean? You've mentioned you were a Hunter back on your world, correct?"

"Sure, but that was self-sustainment. I'd hunt what I need, pick what I need, and supplement my savings that way. Trying to sell things to people? My paycheck decided by how well I can bargain? I dunno, Redheart. Just didn't feel right." I continue.

"And is that why you were so iffy about when you brought in those herbs?" She asks, leaning forward. Figured she'd go there this time.

I sigh, nodding. "Yeah, pretty much. Guess I had an idealized version of it in my head, and when I was trying to put it into action... irked me faster than I thought."

"But you work at... Rarity's Boutique now?" She tilts her head, not quite believing it.

"Yep. Job with plenty of sitting, good work for someone with hands -- long hours I can just zone out to, and Rarity is a good boss." I explain, my thoughts drifting to the first week. "It'd gone well. As in I didn't fuck up any of her dresses. It was a learn-on-the-job type deal, so I mostly did the busywork like holding the pins, fetching what she needs, holding what she needs, so on. This week, she said she'd try and teach me the sewing machine."

"You're an odd one, Mister Muss. Compared to your previous endeavors, you don't find this... demeaning, to your sense of self worth?" Redheart asks, getting a surprised look out of me. "You've struck me as a prideful man, who sticks to his methods. I'm happy for you -- but it isn't forced, is it?"

Probably asking more out of concern for Rarity than me, I huff to myself. "It's... honestly, not really. Rarity is a good friend, and I think it's something about... getting to watch her work, you know?" I start trying to explain, gesticulating with my hands as I search for the words.

"She's quite the personality. But... she's so fucking passionate about her craft. Like, I know you guys have butt marks--"

"Cutie Marks" Redheart corrects firmly.

"--Yeah, those -- that tell you what you're going to do in life. Or like, be proficient in, or have a bias for or whatever." I trail off, leaning on my knees as I get into it.

Redheart nods. "And...?"

"I've seen Ponies work their jobs. Their careers, their talents. Rarity? I don't know how three gems translates to what she does, but... workaholic isn't even the right word. It's like she was made for that shop. Made to push fashion onto the world. The zone that she slips into when she's working... it's really fucking demanding work, actually. She's pushing ideas, measurements, fashion trends, cost to material..." I list off, tapping my fingers as I talk about each.

Redheart leans back, a small look of surprise on her face. Not for very long, as it's soon replaced by her usual glare.
"That is... surprising, Mister Muss. And I'm equally surprised you've taken it in so heartily in the week that you've been there."

"Yeah. She still doesn't let me do the designing -- probably never will, but that's alright." I joke, though I'm the only one that laughs.

"And this is enough for you? This... sates you?" Redheart prods.

I'm starting to get a little tired of beating around the bush like this.
"If you're asking if I plan to go brain any more dogs in the mountains, no, Redheart, I don't." I answer bluntly.

The answer doesn't even surprise her, she just watches my face. Gauging my expression. Probably trying to figure if I'm violent about my feelings around it. Honestly, she's more casual than that normally. It doesn't... irk me, but it gets me wondering.

By this point, I'm jostling my bum leg to keep myself entertained, eyes still wandering the room.

Redheart finally breaks the pause.
"I'm sure you've talked to numerous individuals about what happened. And I'm sure that their reaction to it has been... varied."

"Sure has." I agree.

"I've talked to several of those individuals too, Anon. And not a single one was able to tell me how you bested five Diamond Dogs in your condition... I don't want to cushion this conversation with the individuals that you saved, Anon." Redheart sighs, putting the quill down.

"Don't, then. I mean, I'm sure you talked with them plenty enough." I agree. There's probably two versions of the story going around, both in circulation of the same groups. General Ponyville populace just knows that I found some people in the mountains. The Fillies keep spreading the idea that I saved them, like it was my intention. Dina, Grant, Twi, AJ, Dash -- they all know I didn't go up there to save people. A hard conversation about what is and is not acceptable in Equestria is muddled by the fact that it ended with creatures being saved. What I am surprised by though, is that they've kept my Rifle pretty tight-lipped.

"I get it, Redheart. I do. You want to make sure I'm not going to do anything violent like that again, or turn it into a habit. For that reason as well... I'm not going to explain how I did it." I say while shaking my head.

"Then why did you do it in the first place?" She asks, like she's pleading with me.

"For reasons that I don't have anymore. For a mindset that I lost. I didn't know what I was doing before, so I was trying to apply what I knew. I figured things out. I don't need to rely on how I used to do things anymore. I'm moving forward." I continue -- it feels almost like I'm explaining this to myself as much as I am her. That's what I was doing, right?

"I've got a good job. Talked to Twilight and her friends about it, we're on good terms, and Twilight had a good talk with Tia about it -- shit, I keep forgetting to write Tia. Dinky and her friends keep coming over -- Dina was staying with me too, but once Grant got cleared, they caught the morning train. I dunno, Redheart. I've got more stuff going on than I ever had, and it's... nice." I shrug, leaning back.

My eyes keep lingering on a shadow beside the cabinet. I could swear it was shifting around. Makes me wonder what's reflecting or flickering in here that's making it happen.

Redheart follows my gaze, looking at me with a confused look. I look back to her, and shrug again.
"...Dinky? And her friends? The Fillies that make up the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders' just... go and hang out at your house?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Not always all of them. Scoots' been coming over more often since I offered to let her crash any time, when I learned what her living situation is like. That one's kinda fucked, huh?" I snort. Redheart, to her credit, holds her composure for a moment... but purses her lips, nodding.
"Dinky used to come over every day after school, ever since that thing with Derpy I first told you about. Now she's either playing with her friends, hanging with me, or hanging with Sweetie Belle while I work with Rarity." I remember talking with Rarity about if Sweetie Belle's name had an E on the end or not. Took like an hour.

"...Didn't take you for the foster-father type, Anon, if I'm being honest." She muses, humming softly in surprise. "And Derpy is alright with this?"

"I mean, yeah, of course. Swings by on her mail-route to check up on her, check up on me -- we chat, talk about our Sunday plans, that kind of thing." I reminisce. "Yesterday was really nice, actually. Made good on that Pancake breakfast take-it-easy day idea I told her about. Came over in the morning, made them breakfast, and we just took it easy. Went with her for the few errands she had for the day, all the good stuff."

Redheart seems utterly confused as she listens to me, leaning both hooves on her desk as she listens.
"I... see? That's a very... peculiar relationship to have with a Mare, Anon. I would have thought our similar enough cultures might have hinted at that for you. When I told you about giving her a chance..." She trails off as I start to laugh.

I slap my forehead, laughing. "Oh, fuck! I entirely forgot to tell you! Derpy and I are dating. Shit, yeah, bet that sounded weird -- wait, did you not like... smell it?" I ask, now confused.

Redheart gives me a wide-eyed stare.

"Oh, shit, not like that -- we haven't, done anything like that. I keep hearing that scent is a big thing, so she's been, like..." I mutter, watching as Redheart starts scribbling something down.

"Well, for one, Anon, I don't have a sense of smell. That's personal information I'm only imparting to you because of the unique situation you find yourself in. I don't want to hear it repeated." She pauses scribbling, holding her head in a hoof. I nod. Wonder if that explains why she's such a workaholic. Was sense of smell related to like... interest in sexual things?

"...When I said give her a chance, Anon -- Sweet Celestia, I was trying to make sure you'd be nice to her in regards to when she crashed through your window. I can't -- you asked her out?" Redheart asks, now just genuinely curious.

"Yeah. After that whole meeting thing, we kept bumping into each other. We'd stop, chat, I'd help her out if she was in a bind. Got to a point where Dinky was basically relaying our feelings between each of us. So, we talked it out, figured our situations, what would work for us both. The prior Sunday -- not the one we did Pancakes, but before that -- we went out to the purple-shake Cafe for lunch. She's happy, Dinky's happy, I'm happy." I shrug, smiling.

"...Has she told you about Dinky's Father?" Redheart asks dryly. The bluntness of the question surprises me from thinking about my favorite bubble-butt mare.

"We talked about talking about it, but I've told her to wait until she feels more comfortable bringing it up." I explain.

"...Anon, Dinky's father..." Redheart goes to start. I raise a finger to my lips, shaking my head. She looks at me, confused.

"Patient Confidentiality, Redheart. I appreciate you trying to let me know things, but this one isn't one of them. There's only one Mare, and one Filly, that I'm willing to hear about him from." I cut her off, before lowering my hand.

She frowns at having her own little motto thrown back at her. "Really? You don't... care?" She asks, incredulous.

"Of course I care. I care about Derpy, I care about Dinky -- I care about what makes them happy, or what upsets them. That's why I'm not going to pry. If you mean, do I care about not being the first guy in her life? Not really; I want to be the best guy in her life. The one she feels safe with, the one she feels she can ask any question to. And that goes for Dinky, too. They're both... brilliant. Wonderful." I say; it's hard to keep the smile off my face, but I'm not trying very hard, either.

Nurse Redheart stares at me for a long moment. She hasn't written anything down for a while, just... reading my face.

She scoots out of her chair, hooves tapping on the floor as she circles her desk. She places a hoof on my thigh, smiling at me.
"...I'm proud of you, Anon."

"Getting sappy, Doc." I warn, patting her hoof. "You're supposed to be mad at me."

"Oh, I am. That's why I'm seeing you every two weeks now, to make sure you don't pull anything. Especially now that I know you're dating Derpy. You take care of that mare." Redheart says to me, sternly -- though I feel a hint of playfulness underneath it. How rare.

"Everything I've got, and more." I assure her.

The Clinic door clicks shut behind me as I leave. Not quite how I imagined the session going... and feels a little more like it should. Consequences, but understanding. Feels like I figured myself out a little better in there.

And she gave me a toothbrush. It's pink. Honestly, I kind of needed a new one. I think Dina used mine.

Should get back to Rarity's -- don't want to take too long.

Author's Note

PonyVille Hospital Patient File - Anon E. Muss
Male, Human, late 20's.
Physical: Prosthetic Left Leg. Facial, Leg and Torso Burn Scars, exposed Teeth on left side of face, scarring consistent down left torso to left leg, where leg ends just below knee.
History: Ex-Militant / 'Hunter' - (Tracking & Hunting Non-Sapient Creatures)
Mental: Stable
Note - Has shown impressive improvement in the last two weeks; following a severely worrying action in behavior, merging an unwanted cultural behavior into Equestria, but seems to be learning from it and handling it with Maturity. No social burnouts, and continues building relationships, instead.

Monthly Check-Ins have been shorted to Bi-Weekly on account of 'Incident', but no further action needs to be taken at this time. Reminded to respond to Princesses Letters, but was distracted for reasonable reasons.
P.S - He's dating Derpy. I didn't see that coming.
- Nurse Redheart