#u can bet thats part of why pony went to him

[graffitibible]

There's nowhere to go save for on the roof, and even then you can still hear the distant buzz of your crew's voices through the thin, weatherbeaten paneling. It's the closest to a break from them that you can get. You're distracted, but not so distracted that you don't hear the sound of someone else mounting the roof.

"This seat taken?" says Pony, cocking one thick eyebrow.

Sigh, shake your head, and scoot over to allow them room to settle down beside you. They do so, legs stretched out in front of them so that they almost dangle off the edge. Almost, but not quite. Pony's not one of your crew so they're significantly more tolerable company just now. Anything is a welcome break from the stifling inescapability of the same four people you must share your life and your space with, without any deviation.

"They're still giving you shit for that," says Pony, shaking their head ruefully. "Unbelievable."

"That ain't the problem," you say shortly.

"No?" says Pony. "Shame."

And without any fanfare whatsoever, they pop off their left leg.

You stare for a long moment while Pony detaches their leg at the knee and lays the apparent prosthetic that constitutes their shin, foot, and ankle across their lap. It occurs to you only then that you've never seen their legs bared to the elements like this. They favor lurid patterns like polka dots and stripes, clothing their legs in all manner of eye-searing leggings. Even if they didn't douse themself in a clusterfuck of clashing colors you're not sure you would have noticed the discrepancy between where their leg ends and where the prosthetic begins. It's skinned in tinted bio-mesh, and on first glance it looks startlingly real. Suspect that if you were to touch it, it'd feel more or less like touching human skin. The place where it attaches is molded to fit against the scarred stump that ends their leg at the knee.

"That's city tech," you say slow. There's no question that it's city tech. Sure, plenty of people in the Zones have all sorts of prosthetics they've had to jerry-rig together from whatever's on hand, but those tend to be, by necessity, fairly obvious. This one here is undeniably high-grade.

"Mmmm," says Show Pony, pulling the sound out lazily without looking at you. "Less tough to get your hands on than you'd think."

"On city tech?" You're unable to keep the skepticism out of your tone.

"If you know Tommy Chow Mein then you know every sleeper cell in the city," says Pony, matter-of-fact, "and if Tommy can't get you quality city goods then a sleeper cell definitely can. For the right price."

"Sleeper cell." Frown, feeling out the shape of the word in your memory. You've heard the term before you think, but the specifics escape you.

"How else do you think we get news from what's going on behind Bat City walls?" Pony asks, tilting their head slightly to smirk at you in a way that doesn't quite reach their eyes. They do this with the same effortless quality that they slide into everything else. "City folk gotta make their own kinda noise."

You've never thought overmuch about the kinds of people who must do their fighting from within the city. It's not something that's frequently discussed within the Zones, in part because...you imagine it must not be a very tenable existence. For however harsh and unyielding the conditions of the desert are, to try and make one's way within Better Living's shadow sounds...worse.

"Must know some of them pretty well, to score somethin' like that." Nod at the prosthetic as the Pony opens a discrete set of paneling laid into it. Beneath the exterior, the internal mechanisms are a convoluted snarl of alloyed metal, pins and holders and circuitry. The part of you bored half to death with your extended stay aches to touch the machinery, just to have something new to bury your hands in. You don't, of course. That's part of someone's body. It's not yours to simply lay your hands on whenever you like.

"Just gotta know people in the right places," says Pony. They wink at you. Ignore this. There's a watchful undercurrent to their playful, almost flirtatious approach to damn near everything and you know better than to take it at face value.

If you didn't know them as well as you do, you'd think that they're doing this to cheer you up or keep you company or some equally pointless endeavor. You know them better than that; they wouldn't care and even if they did they know your crew well enough to understand the behavior that drove you to the roof as ordinary.

The entire thing strikes you as more than a little suspicious.

"I don't need your pity,” you snap abruptly, apropos of nothing and a bit more forcefully than is perhaps warranted, considering how even-handed the conversation has been thus far. But it's usually best to be on the defensive with the Pony.

Show Pony snorts, nonplussed.

"You really are Party Poison's little brother, aren't you?" they mutter. "No, dipshit, I'm up here because you're good with tech and you know how to keep your mouth shut, unlike Ghoul."

Process this.

"Oh.”

"Anyway,” says Pony with a sort of determined casualness, "this thing won't latch in properly and hasn't been for the past week. I can't get a good angle on it. You feel like figuring this out for me?"

You don't think there's anything you can say that makes your now disproportionately rude preemptive retort any easier to bear, so just nod.

"Careful with this shit, Kid," says Show Pony, though they say it without any real incense. "Hard to get replacement parts these days. Don't break anything."

"Don't tempt me," you say with your tongue between your teeth, and again Show Pony smirks at you. They smile the same way Poison does, uneven and askew, and this time it pulls something answering out of you.

[aibrechts]

(1 of a lot probably) aaAAAAAND I'm back! This time only at 2am tho haha, and as for why, you see, I met this wonderful, talented young man a few weeks ago and I wouldn't miss talking to him for the world. In any case, on the confidentiality thing, please don't worry meu amigo bonito. I trust your judgement, and either way, I /am/ still masked behind anon y'know hahaha. It's all good

I KNOW ITS BEEN LIKE A DAY AND IM SO SORRY everything is happening all at once All The Time sighs honestly i wish i could just lay back and bask in ur sunny conversation, even if just for one day;;;

that’s true, that’s true, i think i have an idea of who you are (or rather, which blog you run) but it almost seems a shame to figure out... that being said, if you are who i think you are then your writing is absolutely breathtaking, and as golden as your heart

(onto #2!) Chester seems plenty lovable btw haha. And I gotta agree that it'd be nigh impossible to find a better home for him. What he has with you? That's the genuine article, and you take /extremely/ good care of him and the others to boot. I'm sure even a famous boy like him gets awestruck sometimes by how lucky and loved he is. Poor Wisdom though! Like /damn/ hahaha. Tough break, kiddo. Tough break hahaha. That's what he gets for trashing the joint tho. {~J}

chester is the perfect man, it’s true, and wisdom is an absolute brat but he has his moments lol. he’s growing on me, similar to that fungal infection thats growing all over his poor handsome face :( i gave him a special bath for it yesterday, and he LOVED it, he loves being pampered. fifteen minutes of me scrubbing at all his itchy spots and spraying water in his mouth to keep him happy when i have to hose his face, and he looks so lovely clean now!!!!!

i know, i know, its sounds gross lol but it’s really not so bad. we caught it very early and he gets those baths twice a week, so it’s cleared up really well!!! 

it’s simply the time of year, i think. hot and humid, ponies sweating under their rugs, too many of them with stupid injuries - fudge had surgery on two of his legs a few months ago, and he’s about to start rehab; lulu got a.... skin cancer??? cut out of her stomach, and that’s been delightfully gross to maintain; rudi’s vice is flies - he’s very sensitive on his legs, and kicks so hard that he cuts his own ankles, poor boy; nikki went lame somehow and no one knows how or why but she seems fine now???????; and we were SO WORRIED that chester had an abscess in his hoof bc a big chunk went missing out of it, but the farrier came for him today and everything was fine, the hole trimmed out clean and simple. 

BIG SIGH THEY’RE....... SO DIFFICULT. so much to maintain, and rumple is as sick as ever but he’s old so that hardly counts. the only ones who are really maintaining themselves are wyn and louie, and i honestly don’t know how louie does it with how he runs around like a maniac all day. BUT ANYWAY!!!!

3 never did end up coming through lol so i’ll move right on

(and then there were 4) What can I say? Your silvered light dazzles even the sun, and inspires the moon and stars with its iridescent brilliance. It'd be a crime to put someone so amazing on hold hahaha.

i dont know much lol but i know im a saggittarius. i seem to be surrounded by scorpios at this point in my life, and i can hardly find a thing to complain about. you’re all absolutely wonderful, and i always seem to be quite taken with your crew’s company ahahaha. 

rather, im surrounded by water signs in general LOL. my siblings are each pisces, cancer and scorpio, i met a bartender last night who was a scorpio, and kimmy is one too lmao yall are everywhere and im Loving it

(#5 comin in hOt) You were also right on the water-affinity thing though haha. I actually knew how to swim before I knew how to walk, believe it or not. Anyway, that picture is absolute /gold/. It really is. And the prophesy was fulfilled so completely that even Voldysmoldy was blown away. You look dashing, by the way! 120/10 best wrapping paper boob stuffer. On the subject of talking though, /holy hell/ don't tempt me I would /gladly/ talk with you all day without hesitation hahaha

LAUGHS thank you i certainly try my best. my brother’s a good sport, and i somehow feel like a strong mix between him and the sister im now living with (the cancer, if you’re curious ahaha). every day we’ll find ourselves saying the same thing at the same time, and every now and then she’ll give me a strange look and say i sound just like leo, or even that i look like him for a moment ahahaha. 

it’s interesting, it’s strange. i’ve always looked up to them so much (being the youngest and all), so it feels oddly like a compliment, whenever these things happen. 

(#6)(just think, two more of those and you get one of me hahaha). Onto the sleeve tho! The circle maze sounds /fantastic/, and I bet it looks really cool right now, though I'm sure the finished product will be absolutely astronomical. The design you have in mind sounds /epic/! (for real though tatts are so expensive I feel your pain there hahaha)(may the Force be with you I believe in you)(you got this)(you SO got this)(you're gonna kick this resolution's ass). {~J}

lmaoo thank you thank you, i intend to bust so much money on it this year. i still have my lower forearm to design, but i’ve thoroughly plotted out the rest of my arm; the maze is given to inception, the next installment will be vaguely reminiscent of kingdom hearts, and pokemon will take up the space from halfway up my forearm before turning into cc beyond my elbow. so it’s just that part on the back of my forearm that is a bit of a blank canvas rn ahahaha

(holy hell I might need more than 7) I regretfully inform you though that I can't and I shan't cease to flatter you, because you deserve to know the truth of how talented and wonderful you are. And I definitely agree on the balance thing. The devil is in the details and complexity is key, so all the more reason to be proud of how amazing your works are! And /20k/? /Damn/ that's impressive! (and even tho I prefer halloween, I for one will gladly plunge back into the tinsel for you hahaha) {~J}

it’s officially 22k but i haven’t had time to work on it the past couple of dayssssss BUT I FIGURED OUT THE LAST SCENE so it’s only a matter of spare time lololol

(#8 because what's second christmas without snowmen? lol) I'm glad to hear you've got a pretty solid sleep schedule by the way! (and it definitely /was/ worth the discomfort)(still slept like a rock the followin night tho hahaha). I'm really happy that Alma appears to be defying the odds by the way! True to their namesake, and all thanks to their wonderful father. Sheesh. I knew you were dynamically skilled, but this just proves you're magical haha. In your care? I know they'll flourish. {~J}

LOL i am LOVING these message starters btw. yesss tho my family has always been keen on growing things lol. mum had a magnificent herb garden, and i’ve never seen oregano as big as what’s growing in my garden rn. we just planted dahlias where the sunflowers used to be and i wasn’t sure they’d be alright, but they really seem to be flourishing!! im so glad!!!!

(9/9 for the new record hahaha) I'm so proud of both you and them! Not to be punny, but I'm a sap anyway when it comes to plants. or, well, all of nature really haha, and Alma looks really great from the pic I saw! Anyway, speaking of hocus-pocusing, I hope today has been absolutely magical for you, as you deserve no less than the wondrous and the fantastic. Talk to you soon, meu amigo bonito! {~J}

lmfaooo i love that. and yes, their leaves are so cute!!!! so small!!!!! thank u so much tho, the past couple of days have been pretty great. I’m wondering if i can worm a morning off out of my sister, considering she’ll have a day off on sunday and i’ll be working at the cafe from 7 lol;;;; i desperately want to finish starboy, but time really is my enemy right now ahahahaa

thank you so much for all this, i adore you and i hope you managed to get to bed at a reasonable time tonight!!!! sleep well, i’ll see you soon