Leave Room For Anon

Anon E. Muss, Twarkle Sparkle, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor | Crystal Empire Castle, Private Dining Hall

Having already 'Ate', no further food needs to be brought out, with what was already being eaten before their arrival getting squared-away by some staff. Shining and Cadance sit beside each-other, opposite of Anon and Twilight. Purple has her hooves pressed together on the tabletop; where did she get those glasses?

It's just the four of them now, Guards and Staff instructed to leave them to their private discussion.

Obviously, the discussion is supposed to be about Anon becoming their Royal Advisor. But there's a... tension in the air. For a married couple, Shining and Cadance don't sit very close to each-other; even him and Twilight are nearly bumping 'elbows' the way she's sitting, and there's plenty of room.

Obviously he knows why; but it's as if every-pony is waiting for someone else to get this ball rolling, like trying to approach the topic was awkward. Talk about the job; you can ease into the nitty-gritty later. The requirements, the hours, the pay. A spiffy outfit? How much paperwork is there, or is he just a pretty face that whispers ideas?

This silence is dragging on too long. Anon steels himself. Just say something. Anything.

"So. Stallions, huh?" Anon smoothly kicks it off.

Shining's eyes go wide, and he coughs loudly, glancing away and hiding his mouth behind a hoof.

"Anon!" Twilight slaps his shoulder.

Cadance glances between Anon and Shining, seemingly unable to decide if she should be upset like Twilight, or crack a laugh.

"What? Obviously they're not hiring me for my verbosity or literature skills." Anon retorts, rubbing his arm. He contemplates flicking her horn as a get-back.

"You can't just--" Twilight flusters, but Cadance finally cracks, giggling.

"Twilight, it's alright. Everyone in this room is... aware. Shining and I discussed the idea." She informs, shaking her head in bemusement. Shining leans back up, nodding after a loaded huff.

"...Honestly, she didn't really have to convince me. You're a family friend, and you've kept my... secret, willingly and without me even asking. I appreciate that. A lot." Shining admits.

Cadance puts a reassuring hoof on Shining's front-leg, and the two share a smile.

Anon squints slightly, reading their faces. Cadance's smile is genuine, relieved; like his presence is going to be a good thing for both of them.

Shining barely makes eye contact with her, before glancing away, smile faltering much quicker as he looks back to Anon.

Humans are incredibly complex social creatures, able to pick up on very minor facial and body cues. Combine that with very expressive Ponies who tend to wear their emotions on their sleeve, and you'd think Anon was some kind super-sleuth.

In reality, Ponies are just incapable of noticing as much as Anon is, in cases like these. He says nothing for the moment, but takes that little tidbit away. Already, this job was looking... interesting.

"Right. So we've got the Advisor part, and the Secret part. Let's iron out the Secret thing now. Is it only the four of us who know?" Anon starts; Twilight settles in, like she's his little lawyer.

Cadance and Twilight glance to Shining, who nods.
"...Almost. The Princesses know too."

"So us, and the Princesses. Got it." Anon nods. "And like, culturally, no problems with that kind of thing, right? The worries are all political?"

When Cadance and Shining glance at each-other, Twilight clarifies; mostly for Shining, as Cadance has already heard something similar.
"Where Anon is from, there's some groups where they've had to hide parts of themselves, like sexuality or belief, or be ousted."

"Or worse." Anon adds.

"A lot worse." Twilight add-adds, shuddering.

"Neither in Equestria, or in the Crystal Empire, is there anything against such." Cadance affirms, Shining making a disturbed but understanding expression at that tidbit of information about Anon's past.

"The Crystal Ponies... The Crystal Heart. They're interlinked, and the Hope and Love of the Crystal Ponies is what grants the Heart it's power. Without it, the Empire is weak, vulnerable. To outside, and inside influence. Have you been informed of Sombra?" Cadance speaks, leaning forward on the table.

"Somewhat." Anon nods.

"The decision for us to marry... there were mounting pressures from neighboring nations. Particularly Griffonia, Saddle Arabia, and worries of the Changelings deciding the Empire would make fresh hunting grounds..." Shining explains, both him and Cadance visibly wincing at the bug-ponies mention. Anon didn't blame them. "Something had to be decided quickly, so Princess Celestia selected... us. We have history, we know each-others families, so on. It seemed entirely sensible. Until I told her." Shining sighs.

"Hit you with the classic 'Give up your personal wants for the good of the people' shitstick?" Anon snorts. Shining seems surprised, nodding.

"Anon is very... intuitive, when it comes to understanding Ponies. It's one of the main reasons I wanted to invite him." Cadance mentions to Shining, who makes a quiet 'Ah'.

"Yes, in a sense. That it would take too much time to find another for Cadance, that the idea was already public, and our shared history was simply... too perfect. It was exactly what the Crystal Ponies needed." Shining elaborates. "The perfect upswing to their morale, following the defeat of Sombra, and return of the Empire."

"Even if it was a lie?" Anon questions.

"Auntie Celestia did not intend for it to be such; she herself found out too late... and truthfully, I don't disagree with her. It is deeply unfortunate, but Shining and I have spent time discussing how we wish to approach this arrangement." Cadance says, defending Celestia. She's pretty good at hiding her expressions, but that honest girl-talk in the crystal tunnels gave him plenty of insight on her. She wasn't terribly happy about it, either.

"Right. So if this 'Gets out', or the marriage goes sideways, or basically any approach that isn't perfect... it affects the Crystal Ponies morale. Which affects the very strength and vitality of the entire nation, and its ability to defend itself." Anon clarifies, looking between them expectantly.

Cadance and Shining purse their lips, nodding.

"... Fuck me, that's a terrible setup." Anon groans, sinking in his chair. It seems he's not the only one who understands it, as Shining chuckles softly.

"I get it, believe me. The army is a fraction of what it once was. Following demobilization from Sombra's reign, all the civilians returned to their normal lives, and a good chunk of the Guard wanted out, too. We're operating at a fraction of their strength, crippling us Militarily." Shining rubs the side of his head with a hoof.

"...And the traumatic experience has put off several Ponies from working in the Mines, which they were forced to do under his reign. Which, unfortunately, is our main export. We're also crippled Economically, and alternatives are... hard to find, given our environment." Cadance adds in, sighing softly.

Man, they both looked fucking tired. Picking up the pieces of a damaged Empire, and trying to work out the cards they'd been dealt in this whole situation.

Anon glances to Twilight, who stares up at him, almost pouting. Aw, she wants him to help them. Good try Twi, but again, only Rarity's big blues could get him to fold.

Though he was already here. And they keep taking hopeful glances at him.

Anon sighs, scratching the back of his head.
"So you want me to be the... Royal Advisor. What does that even do for you guys? I'm not a Politician or anything like that."

"Twilight has told me you've extensive knowledge of your own peoples history, which, this is incredible if true, but it extends thousands upon thousands of years into the past?" Cadance perks up, ears twitching.

"Yeah, we've had a few Empires, Kingdoms, Colonies, Wars, Cultures... I'm not gonna pretend like I'm up to snuff on all of them, but a big approach of Humanity was to try their best to record history, and teach it to the future generations." Anon nods, letting his mind wander, thinking of old earth empires.

The Ponies already had some... very oddly similar setups, in culture and technology, to humans. Throw in a few ideas from his world, and they could probably softly spring themselves ahead of the competition.

But securing the Nation was only one half of it.

"Alright. Yeah, I could play Advisor, giving you guys ideas and nitpicking yours, or whatever you want me to do there once I get to read some files. But what about... you two?" Anon alludes, waggling a finger between the Prince and Princess. They were the other half of this equation.

Cadance and Shining share another glance.
"Well... ensuring that the truth never comes to light, and assisting us in... managing, the situation." Shining tries to field.

"Speaking with you is... very helpful, and it's refreshing to have an understanding ear. We don't want you to... hm." Cadance sighs. "I've spent days trying to figure out how to talk about this."

"It's definitely... not the norm." Shining laughs, shaking his head.

Anon snaps his fingers.
"Help you two look legit and avoid spilling the secret, and trying to make sure you're both getting something that you need behind the scenes?" Anon tries to summarize. "Consorts, Mistresses, sealed lips... yeah, like you said, might be weird, but I've got a few ideas. Keep you two happy, keep the nation happy, bada boom bada bing, Anon's your Advisor." Anon shrugs, waiting expectantly.

"...I believe that would about cover it." Cadance nods, looking to Shining.

"... Behind the scenes consorts? Really?" Shining asks.

"Sure. Been done plenty of times. Well, maybe not in Pony culture too often, but you can only push the self-sacrifice your own happiness angle for so long before it goes badly. Especially in a place like this." Anon nods.

"What do you mean?" Cadance asks, curious.

"Well, you each want what you want, right? Shining has his own 'Preference', as do you. You want a Family; Shining can't really give you what you want, and honestly, as close as you two may be or may become, that probably won't ever change. Sure, you might get along really well, have each-other's backs... maybe even a family of sorts. But ignoring what you each truly, personally want... for years? Decades? Centuries?" Anon alludes, crossing his arms. "Never plays out well."

"While I do agree that assuring we value our own Happiness is a good approach... Auntie Tia has been quite successful at her own self-sacrificial approach. Perhaps we can truly do the same." Cadance softly retorts. This gets a confirmatory, challenging nod from Twilight, who squints at Anon. Shining, not so much.

"I don't consider someone who blasts her sister to the moon because she's jealous 'Successful'. Yes, I know the deeper context. She's had a thousand years to get really good at hiding some of the things she's done, is the difference." Anon disagrees. "It's also a coping mechanism for her, so I wouldn't be so quick to adopt it."

"... How do you know that?" Twilight mutters, confused.

"Everyone vents to me, Twilight. This isn't my first go at helping royalty." Anon tsks. Every time he'd go to Canterlot for a Twi-Family trip or a Royal Visit -- one, if not both, of the Princesses had some questions or something to talk to him about. Pony Therapist really was his sub-job. Hell, he's even sat down and chatted with some of the guards about it.

He wonders why the Ponies find him so approachable, sometimes. His current theory is that his ability to pet them feeds into their view of him, but the jury is still out on that one. He'd have to see how much he could schmooze that one guard, Cobalt, later. Get himself a pair of eyes and ears in the barracks. Might even find a little boyfriend for Shining that way, too.

"I... see." Cadance purses her lips.

"I can tell you aren't really... ecstatic about the idea, but that's a topic we can re-approach later." Anon assures. "Nations happiness, and you two's happiness. Sounds doable to me."

"Then you're willing?" Shining perks up. "I understand it's a lot."

"For Humans, this is kind of tame. Yeah, sure, I'm game." Anon nods.

Twilight (carefully but dramatically) slams the table with her hooves.
"Now, we discuss the details! Like pay, hours, housing --"

"One condition, and I'm all yours." Anon cuts in. Twilight visibly deflates, looking at him confused.

"...And what might that be?" Cadance asks, interested.

"I want Meat." Anon states bluntly.

That silences the table for a long minute. Cadance, Shining, and even Twilight share a mixture of looks. Yeah, bold maneuver to ask the room of vegetarian prey animals for Meat, but this was the best moment he'd ever get to actually eat what he wants to eat. Be it in Equestria or here, he was getting real fucking tired of picking through salads. There's only so many ways you can cook fruits and vegetables while avoiding hay-based products before you start to lose it.

"You..." Shining tries to start, but the words fail him. Cadance taps her hooves, pursing her lips. Twilight simply stares at him.

"I'm an Omnivore." Anon explains, opening his mouth to point at his mixed teeth. Twilight leans forward, curious; as does Cadance, leaning over the table for a better look, surprisingly. Shining seems content maintaining his current distance.

"And to me, Pony food is straight ass. Every meal sucks. I haven't been this skinny since high school, and I barely have the energy to get through the day. Pay me whatever, put me in a fucking closet, I don't care. But I need Meat. Fish, Griffonian Imports -- something. Do that for me, and I'll be your Royal Advisor, no questions asked, no problems turned down." Anon states firmly, planting a finger on the table.

Twilight looks a little guilty, now, giving him a sad stare. He pats her head. Not her fault; but he wasn't about to accost the lone Mare he lived with for meat. Felt... weird. Here and now, though, this was his time to push for it.

Shining seems tentative on the idea, but Cadance taps her hooves on the table, surprisingly concise.
"What if we hired a Griffonian to work as a Personal Chef for you?" She offers firmly.

Wasn't expecting the Princess of Love to be so suddenly willing. His own chef, who also eats meat, to order and cook him actual meat. It takes a lot of willpower to not start drooling. That seems to even surprise Shining. Twilight, not quite as much. She's about to try and cut in, actually, probably to try and negotiate better terms for him.

"Deal." Anon affirms, reaching out to shake a hoof with Cadance. She catches on to the motion pretty quickly, watching his hand curiously as it shakes her hoof.

Cadance grins widely, tapping her hooves together excitedly. "Wonderful! Oh, I'm so glad you agreed, Anon. This is... a big relief."

Shining seems a little more tentative, now, but sighs, nodding. "I... can't fault you for your feeding habits, especially when you've already been doing your best to adjust around Ponies for how long now. Thank you."

Twilight huffs, crossing her front legs.

"Don't worry. While Shining can help get Anon settled, Twilight and I will finalize the details of your contract. Does that sound good?" Cadance asks aloud, glancing between all. This seems to perk Twilight up a bit -- if Anon's astute observations are correct, they may both be outright autistic for overt levels of paperwork. Maybe him and Shining would get along a lot better than he thought.

"That should be fine; it'll get us out of your Manes, and I can give Anon the tour of the Castle. I'm sure he's already brimming with ideas from the walk over." Shining agrees, pushing off his chair.

Anon rises out of his own, leaning to whisper to Twi.
"Make sure they gimme a big ol' bed." He urges, patting her back.

Twilight nods, confident. Now the negotiations would begin, between the two that actually cared about such.

Anon E. Muss, Shining Armor | Crystal Castle Halls

Anon and Shining leave the Private Dining room, stepping back out into the hall. As the door shuts, Anon hears the pair excited, muffled whispering; they were probably just going to gossip and use this as a chance to bond. Well, good for them.

Anon looks down to Shining, as he shuts the door with his magic, clicking it closed. Anon had always thought his magic would be a light-blue or something, like his hair, but it's a surprising pink. Huh.

No guards patrol this particular section, nor do any staff cross these halls, leaving them alone for the moment.

Consider Anon surprised as he feels a tug of said pink magics on his shirt.
"Mind uh... walking this way with me, for a second?" Shining requests. Anon nods, shrugging, following him down a side hall.

Hardly seems like the best place to start a tour. That observation is quickly proven true.

They turn another corner, to a quiet dead end, with a window, a flower pot with a shiny little flower, and the desk it sits on. Uh oh. Anon internally tenses, half expecting Shining to make a move on him.

Anon gives Shining a curious look; Shining glances back up the halls, before trotting to the window. He stands on his back legs, peering down, sighing away a surprise amount of worry, and looks to Anon, trotting up to him.
"Hey. I just... wanted to say thanks." He says surprisingly softly.

"...Yeah, of course?" Anon responds, a little confused.

"You... didn't have to cover for me like that. I appreciate that. It means a lot to me. A lot. I'll, uh... try to make your stay here as comfortable as I can." He continues.

Anon's squint slowly gets squintier. Cover for him? They already knew.
"...Yeah. Of... course. Why are you... so odd about it? It's not a terrible thing that a pony is..." Anon glances back down the hall, leaning around the corner. No staff, no guard. He turns back.

His tongue traces the back of his teeth, staring at Shining. Shining seems confused at first.
"Is... everything alright?" Shining whispers.

Anon crosses his arms, tapping his chin with a finger. He had a theory... well, two. The first was that Shining had the hots for him. Entirely understandable, Anon was quite the slab of meat. But the evidence was a touch lacking... something else was up. His second theory though... well, best to let it swing now, in case it backfired; this way, he wasn't in too deep, and could just go home if he biffed the job right here, right now.

"...You're not gay at all, are you." Anon questions bluntly, fingers snapping, watching Shining's reaction.

Shining's eyes widen. At first, confusion.
"W-wait, I thought you-- hang on, you said you knew-knew. Like, you know -- Did you not know? During that whole conversation in the dining room? Did i-- Did--" Shining starts to stutter, panic now settling in. That was unusual. Shining was a pretty solid dude who didn't freak easily; it was like he just got sideswept off his hooves. No... the not-gay theory is not it either. Something else is up. Third theory time.

"At the wedding. You seemed... way too relieved when I said I knew. Mentioned my lack of magic, and my eyes. What did you think, when I said I knew about 'it'? You... you've got another secret." Anon prods, leaning down to Shining's level with a pointed finger.

Shining's lips are pursed tight, eyes wide, breathing heavy, his gaze flitting over Anon repeatedly. Anon can't quite tell; either the secret is a big, scary one, or that Shining had lulled himself into assuming Anon actually knew this 'real' secret, and was panicking over being blindsided by this talk turned confrontation.

Anon sighs, shaking his head and rising back up.
"Well, I'm your Advisor now, of the Royal category, buckaroo. Let's level the playing field, otherwise this whole effort to keep you and Cadance happy will be skewed from the start. You can have secrets; but not with me. Whatever it is -- as long as it's not some weird shit like liking Foals -- I'll have your back." Anon explains, letting the suspicious expression fall from his face, giving Shining a reassuring nod.

Shining looks... really torn. Muttering to himself, scolding himself for... letting something slip. He snaps up at the mention of foals, however.
"No, it's nothing like THAT! Celestia's sake, Anon." Shining quickly retorts, visibly disgusted. "I... thought you figured it out. Look. You... you promise? Nopony else knows about this. Like, nopony at all. Not Cadance. Not Celestia. Not even Twilight. Tartarus, only my Mother knows, Anon. You can't tell a single SOUL." Shining states firmly, pointing a hoof at him.

"Yeah, alright. Lips sealed." Anon nods, making an offhanded zipper motion across his lips.

"I need you to take this seriously. This is a big deal for me." Shining grunts, taking a gruff step forward towards him.

"I know, I can tell. Don't worry, I am. My naturally aloof personality that makes you Ponies seem to like me so much aside, you little colorful horses have offloaded some heavy shit on me before. For a species of bright-and-cheery Harmony-spouters, you guys vary from having very 'nothing' problems, to talking about some pretty serious shit. But anyway -- spill away, Shining. Won't tell a soul." Anon affirms.

This seems to, if at least a little, reassure Shining. He takes a slow draw of breath -- stealing a quick glance around the corner again, watching a servant slowly trot by in the distance. Shining waits until they're gone, then turns back to face Anon.

Expecting words, Anon is surprised when Shining's horn begins to glow. Ooh; not a natural white-fur? Saucy stuff, Shining.

A slow wave of surprisingly rich pink magic saturates his horn. The color seemed even brighter this time. A ring begins to form around Shining, pulsing softly as it slowly runs down his body, starting from the snout. In a mere moment, it's traced his full length, down to his tail, and it dissipates.

Shining takes a heavy, deep breath, and looks up to face Anon, staring at him expectantly. Waiting for his reaction.

... Anon squints. There's nothing to react to.

He leans against his knees, peeking this way and that, trying to identify what even changed about Shining. The only thing he could notice is his lash game seemed to kick it up a notch. Was he a little shorter? Booty shield mark was the same.

"Yeah, I'm not seeing anything.." Anon starts to mumble. Same color, no embarrassing tattoos...

"... You don't have to lie." Shining mutters quietly; and Anon freezes in place.

That was a woman's voice. Well, a Mares. Definitely a little on the lower side; but that was a lot different, a lot more feminine than his usual voice.

Anon shifts back, looking at Shining's face again. His head tilts.

"...Shorter, by a smidge. Higher voice. A strong lash game..." Anon continues to mumble, now standing straight, getting an above-down view of the waist-height Unicorn.

"Do I need to say it? Can you really not tell? You're not bucking with me, right?" Shining chuffs, looking up at him incredulously.

...That hip to waist ratio didn't exist moments prior, Anon's eyes tracing over Shining's form.

"You're a twink?" Anon guesses, holding his chin like a scholar might peruse a fine scroll.

"Wha--No, dumbass! I'm a Mare!" Shining almost shouts, but quickly fixes his -- or... uh, her, tone.

"...Oh." Anon huffs, shrugging. That's it? "Alright."

"...The buck do you mean 'Alright'?!" Shining whisper-hisses.

"Like, okay. Cool. Definitely not what I expected. I've got a few questions, but they're mostly like... how do you pull it off, or how does Twilight not even know." Anon scratches the back of his head, shrugging. "It's really not that jarring for me. Human literature is pretty familiar with the idea of gender-swapping."

Shining seems... confused. Then relieved? She shakes her head, sitting back on her haunches.
"... Okay. Good." She says quietly, nodding.

Anon deigns to join her, sliding his back down the wall he's been leant against, sitting on the floor. They're eye-level now.
"You mind if I throw a few light questions your way?" Anon asks, resting his arms on his knees.

Shining nods, probably already expecting them.

"How does Twilight not even know?" That was the first one, amusingly. Like, that's a pretty solid secret -- but it could also just be Magic.

"Magic, mostly." Shining nods. Anon figured as much. "I wasn't around a lot, since I'm older than her by a few years. I use illusions and enchantments, so... she's only ever seen, or remembers, Big-Brother Shining." Shining explains, idly pawing the carpet underneath them with a hoof.

"Why do you do it? Preference? Comfort?" Anon continues to prod, curious.

"Honestly? I just... got used to it. When I was younger, I was really big on Hoofball. But all the best programs for it were for Stallions... and the Colts I'd play with and against would get iffy playing with a Mare." Shining starts to explain. Anon nods along. Made sense.

"My Mother actually suggested the idea... use my magic, and disguise myself as a Stallion. So, once I wanted to properly pursue Hoofball at school, I did. And I kind of just never stopped. I've always been a tomcolt, so it felt pretty natural. I don't feel... off, as a Mare, but I've built my entire life around being a Stallion." Shining continues.

"Right, and it'd be hard to swap back -- especially now." Anon concludes. Shining nods.

"I got noticed and got an invitation to join the Royal Guard. How could I not join, right? That's a dream job for so many. But... they were expecting Shining, the Stallion. Everypony was, even my Sister. So... I just kept it up. Easier than trying to explain I've been a Mare the whole time. They probably would have still accepted me, but... I don't know, honestly. Maybe I didn't want to have that conversation? So I put some subtle enchantments on some small jewelry, on my armor... kept up an illusion spell, whatever I needed. All just pieces to the Shining Armor everyone knows." Shining lifts her hoof, parting the mane around her horn; at the base is a very thin band of metal. She tussles her own mane, hiding it again.

Anon purses his lips, nodding in understanding.
"And now, Shining Armor the Stallion is wed to Cadance, Princess of Love. Who wants a family. Who, even in the most positive circumstances, can't even be cordially given a foal by you, because you..." Anon mumbles, making an 'Eesh' face.

"It's all illusion magic. I don't have that kind of... equipment." Shining affirms.

"I'm sure there's magic that could make you a Stallion. Like, properly." Anon guesses. They were surrounded by some pretty powerful magical powerhouses, if they just asked.

"...I don't want to, though. I'm... I don't dislike being a Mare, Anon. I turn back when I'm alone, or when I bathe... I've just... built a life for myself, and one of the critical parts of the foundation to that life... is a lie. Not a dishonest one, just... something I did to have an easier time, and I just can't get rid of, now. One I've been tiphoofing around for years." Shining sighs, looking to the carpet.

"...So when Cadance walked in on you, back when you two were in School together..." Anon brings up, spacing it out in hopes that Shining answers.

Shining glances up, biting her lip and glancing away.
"I... I'm glad she did, honestly. Like I said, I don't have the equipment, and... well, there was a Stallion who was interested in me. In Shining. The Stallion Shining. While I liked him... as a Mare. I've thought about that night a lot, and... it probably would have gotten really messy. Of course, now Cadance think's that I'm gay... but I kind of would rather she think that, by this point. And before you ask, no, I haven't... tried that kind of thing with anypony else, since."

"Right. So going forward, you want to keep the Gay aspect up? Might make finding you a little side coltfriend a little more difficult, but we can probably just be thorough in our search..." Anon mumbles, stroking his chin.

Shining glances up at him, confused. A pang of... relief. Thankfulness.
"... Honestly, I'd rather not think about that right now. Just... I don't want to ask you to lie to Cadance or Twilight, but I..."

"If you're ever ready to bring it up, that's something for later. For now -- you're gay. Shining the Gay Stallion, and that's you're biggest secret that we're all working around, full stop. Right?" Anon affirms; he's not asking, though. He's stating.

Shining takes a deep breath, nodding and smiling.
"Right. I'm... just gay. Thank you, Anon."

"Don't sweat it. I'm sure Cadance probably has some big secrets herself. Princess of Love? No way she doesn't." Anon huffs.

Instead of a retort or a laugh, like Anon had been expecting, he gets hooves wrapped around his shoulders, still sat on the floor; Shining giving him a hug, pressing her barrel to his chest, head buried against him. Alright, sure. At least he didn't need to say no homo, now.

Anon returns the hug, giving Shining a few pats on the back.

"Man, you're surprisingly soft." Anon mumbles -- at the same time as Shining mumbles something too.
"You... smell surprisingly good." Shining whispers.

Both go quiet, and pull from the hug, giving each-other a look.

"... I haven't showered since yesterday. How the hell do I smell good?" Anon retorts, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh... well, Ponies have a... strong sense of smell. I think part of why Ponies like to trust you... is you smell nice? Not like... in a floral or soapy way, but..." Shining trails off, finding difficulty in wording it in a way that doesn't sound weird. "Sorry. Probably something weird to say after a talk like that."

That might explain why Twilight likes to try and use him as a heat source all the time. He'd have to ask her about his 'Smell'.

"I get it; big moment of vulnerability and all. Honestly? Ponies have said weirder shit to me, so you can pretty much say anything to me. Now, uh... do I get the rest of the tour, or is hugging in the corner the full Crystal Empire experience?" Anon chortles. "Cuz it ain't a bad hug, honestly."

"Oh, shit -- right. One moment." Shining closes her eyes, stepping back as the same, rich pink flows over herself. A more recognizable Shining is left in her place, one with a sturdier jaw, a wider build; all the changes are more visible now, since Anon got to see both sides of the coin.

"Alright. Ready?" Shining asks; his voice that more recognizably deeper tone. Alright, NOW the hugs would need a No Homo.

Anon pushes himself up off the floor; but before rising fully, he leans forward, using his hand to part the front of Shining's Mane. The ring at the base of his horn is gone; Shining looking up while holding still.
"Huh. Neat. Yeah, let's roll; and explain to me how fucked our Military is, on the way." Anon nods, standing tall again as the pair start the trek through the halls.

Shining, now feeling much more relieved, has a spring in his step. Someone he could, hopefully, trust with his secret.

Anon, who didn't really care, was now much more secure in his mood since proper Meat had been promised for his position.

Oh, and Shining was actually a girl. Cool. Whatever. Honestly, he was braced for something a lot worse to work with.