A Changeling of Company

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java did aquire a more hopeful gaze. Well, at least she had control over her own thirst, the pony thought to himself. The stallion did relax now as he tossed an arm over her and thought for a moment. It did hurt, but he'd have to wait and see for himself before he decided to pursue any relationship with this mare. Or however a female changeling may be called. But he did show a smile now. Not a large one but a relived one.

The stallion remained in place for a moment, before finally hopping back to his hooves. "Well then! I think its time to go ahead and serve the food now!"

[PyroBlaze]

Flux smiled as Java relaxed, throwing one of his forelegs around her shoulders. She remained still, enjoying the feelings she got from this contact. It was never quite like this with the others. This was wonderful. He probably wouldn't want to start a relationship with her, not a romantic one at least, for a while, so she was enjoying it while she could. She returned his smile, those hers was much wider than his. his just seemed to be in relief, but at least it was a smile.

All too soon, Java stood up, saying it was time to serve the food now. Flux sighed softly before standing as well, walking over to the food and looking at it for a moment.

"Are you putting that apple stuff on the fish, or should I just take this to the table?" Flux asked, looking over at Java questioningly.

[moonshineTheleocat]

"Of course not," Java hummed as he prepared two different bowls on the side. He quickly dived back into his fridge to pull out a variety of vegtables, and set them on the counter. "It'd probably taste gross to mix the two together," The pony hummed. His hooves now moving to move the pot with the baking apples off of the fire, and down to the side once more. The apples smells quickly filled the room. They smelled sweet, almost as if they had been dipped in caramel mixed with a bit of cider. A smell perfect for the upcoming fall season.

Though, Java shuddered a bit to the tantalizing smell, he did his best to pay it no mind as he prepped their plates with a sliver of fish, and a large handful of the apples. Now And now that the said apples were in plain view, they did seem a bit odd. They were no longer their beautiful shades of red and green, with a yellowish white fleshy inside. Instead, they were all some unique shade of brown, and were oozing a similarly brown viscous fluid.

[PyroBlaze]

Flux thought over what Java had said about combining the foods for a second before shrugging and deciding to accept it. She supposed they would taste weird together, though she had no idea what fish actually tasted like. Flux watched as Java did various things, preparing their plates with some fish and a large heaping of the delicious-smelling apples. The apples didn't even look much like their previous selves, now each one was a uniform shade of brown, though that shade differed between slices. Whatever, they didn't look bad, so Flux levitated the seemingly ready plates onto the table, smiling at Java before making her way back over to her spot at the table.

"Well, it looks good, at least. What's up with the apples though? Why are they all brown?" She questioned, poking at the brown shapes that used to be simple apples. They were also leaking some sort of fluid, one of a similar color to the apples themselves. Tilting her head slightly, she leaned in towards her plate until she got close enough, then stuck her tongue out and began to slowly lick the fluid. She smiled after the first lick, as it didn't taste bad, and continued, licking repeatedly as she awaited Java's response.

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java poured a generous helping of chopped lettuce and carrots into a bowl, and served them onto the table with a smile. One in front of Flux, and slightly behind her plate. And the other at his own place before taking a seat. The pony looked up after receiving a peculiar question regarding the apples. He hummed at the question, finding it completely odd as he looked the Changling over.

Before saying anything, he stopped himself quickly. It probably wasn't common to cook apples like this anyways. "Well, they are called baked apples," The pony hummed.

His jaw dipped down quickly to bite down on one of the delectable tendrils of tortured fruit. The bite quickly oozed flavor into his jaws, that almost made him purr in delight. The apple was fresh and hot. The fleshy part of it had a very soft mussy texture that melted in his mouth. And the skin, being a little bit tough. It tasted a lot like an apple from an apple pie, and Cider mixed with a hint of caramel.

"They turned brown because of the brownsugar I added, and because generally most things don't like being cooked, and will turn a different shade of color regardless of what you do."

The stallion nodded to the fish, which had a white color. Completely different from it's original deep red hues.

[PyroBlaze]

Flux glanced up as Java's voice broke her out of her little licking trance. Baked? In brown sugar no less? The changeling gave a little pleasured hum, buzzing her wings slightly before going back to lapping up the juices from the apples. When that was done, she actually took a bite, and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the flavor. When she opened her eyes again, she finally noticed the bowl of veggies. When had that gotten there? Oh well. She levitated the apple she had previously bitten and did so again, smiling.

"Well, you certainly did a good job!" She said cheerfully in between bites. "These are awesome!"

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java swelled with pride to the sight of the changling eatting up the baked apples. Even more so when she gave her compliments to the chef. The pony smiled brightly and lowerd his head to take a bite from his own set of apples. Although, it was a bit messily given that he has no means of delicately controlling any utensils like forks... or even raise the food up to his jaws politely. Thus leaving a decent amount of the apple's cider like viscous juices to hang around his lips and chin.

“Thank you~” The pony hummed after swallowing a mouthful. “My grandmother taught me this recipe. It's been a favorite of mine since I was a colt.”

[PyroBlaze]

She finished her apple all too soon, and looked down at her plate for a moment before picking up the next one and starting in on that one. Flux smiled as she watched Java take a bite of his own apples, leaving some of the fluids to drip from his face. Her smile grew as Java said he had learned the recipe from his grandmother and that it had long been a favorite of his.

"I can see why." Flux said through the food in her mouth. After swallowing her mouthful, she stared at the fluids on Java's muzzle for a second before cleaning his muzzle by levitating the fluids out of his fur and into her mouth. She swallowed it before smiling again and taking another bite of her apple.

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java smiled as he watched the display. Well, at least it saves him a handful of napkins in the end. And then leaned back in his chair. Finally raising his head up from his dinner plate to look at the changeling. "So, curiously enough. What brought you to stay in Equestria anyways, if you don't mind me asking?"

The pony hummed with a curious note. His eyes searching around as if he was going to add a bit more to the end, and wonder if it was even appropriate to ask such a thing. "I don't imagine that your lovely queen ordered several of you to pepper yourselves into the province?"

[PyroBlaze]

Flux continued eating, looking back up at Java as the stallion spoke, asking why she had decided to say in Equestria. After a short pause, he added onto his question with another, essentially asking if some queen had ordered her to stay with ponies or something. Flux kinda tilted her head to the side, staring at Java in confusion for a moment before opening her mouth.

"Well, as you know, I don't have a very complete memory. The first thing I remember is waking up outside Ponyville one day with a pain in my head. I guess I stayed in Equestria 'cause... well, 'cause I didn't know where else to go." Flux said, keeping her gaze on Java. "And I don't believe I've met any queens since that day, so I couldn't tell ya."

She fell into a couple moments of silence, looking down at her food. Eventually, she looked back up at Java with a smile. "What about you? Why do you live in Canterlot?" She asked cheerfully to the stallion.

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java leaned back for a moment and thought about it. "Well..." he began. His gaze remained thoughtful, but a frown soon mustered up. "Interestingly enough. My typical reason was simply school work. Back when I was in college here actually. This was the home I rented from my mentor." He hummed softly as he leaned forward and placed his hoof on the table.

"Now that school is over, and I am a graduate student... That reason isn't valid anymore. I could easily go where ever I please. Maybe return to manehatten. But I guess it was my dear old grandmother whom kept me here. Some guilt on my end."

[PyroBlaze]

Flux watched Java as he spoke, saying that he had stayed in the city originally because of college. It also turned out to be that this was the house he had rented during his schooling. Flux made a curious little humming sound when Java said he was staying in the city now because of his grandmother.

"Why is she keeping you here? And what is there to feel guilty about?" Flux asked, tilting her head to the side questioningly.

[PyroBlaze]

(I suppose you forgot about this or something, but It's currently waiting on you. Just get to it when you can.)

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java blinked and tilted his head. "Well... she's not actually keeping me here. I am staying here by my own will," The stallion hummed. He then gestured around with his hoof around the kitchen. But it was a way of gesturing to the entire house. "I actually own this house. She lives in a manor located a ways up. the mountain and closer to the castle."

He then gave the table a tap. "Basically... I moved here when I was a foal. I was happy in manehatten. Had some friends. On the shift here however... eh... I became a bit of a recluse. The high society life just wasn't for me. I guess I just snapped at some point, and when I could... I took things in my own hand. Figured I had something to prove, and just burned myself to ashes."

[PyroBlaze]

Flux frowned in confusion as he said she wasn't actually keeping him here. But... Hadn't he just said she was? She refocused on him as he said she lived further up the hill. He then went on to say he had had friends when he was younger, but had become a bit of a recluse at some point, whatever that word actually meant. She frowned at him, watching him sadly for a few moments before responding.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully it got better, after some time you know. You seem happy now, so I would say it did." She said, looking over the stallion for a bit before walking over and giving him a light hug. She wasn't sure why, but she felt it was the right thing to do at the moment.

[moonshineTheleocat]

The stallion chuckled some, and returned the hug. Java looked over the mare for a moment before giving a light shrug. "Any pony can be happy and still have their own problems," The stallion mused as he looked out the nearest window. "I'm happy the way things are right now. Doesn't mean I have to agree with the situation. But it could be worst, ya?"

The stallion soon stood up, and stretched. "It's an old engineer saying, when life gives you lemons. Don't make lemonaid. Not entirely sure how that actually applies here. BUT! I am sure you could find some use out of it?"

[PyroBlaze]

Flux smiled lightly at Java's words about how he was happy with his current situation. He certainly looked like it. Then he said something about not making lemonade when life gave out lemons. Why not? Lemonade was tasty, why wouldn't you want to make it? Her imaginary friends began talking about what the lemons could be used for instead of lemonade, and one idea really stuck out to her.

"Combustible lemons?" She said, tilting her head. She then listened as Devil continued, saying they could be used to burn things down, like life's house.

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java paused in thought, as he slowly rolled the idea of combustible lemons over in his head. A small grin now appearing over his lips as he thought of the humorous creation of growing Lemons... that were on fire... on trees and bushes. Why wasn't that a thing? It could have so many practical applications in the real world that it was almost a good reason to build one now! Sure... there was the fact of natural arson... where the lemons burn life's house down. That being a large variety of forests... farms... and heck even entire towns. But in the process it will leave things smelling good... and be fighting gingivitis. AND FIRY LEMONAID! ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES!

"Yes! Combustible lemons," The stallion laughed, now turning to the mare with a grin, "Are you sure you hadn't worked in a lab before? Or as an engineer anyways!"

[PyroBlaze]

Flux simply stared over at her imaginary friends as they spoke, though to Java it would have looked like she was simply staring at a wall. They kept passing ideas back and forth, but none of them were nearly as interesting to her as combustible lemons. Those sounded fun! Oh well, the two were getting along, and that was good.

She turned back to Java as he began speaking, blinking a couple times as he repeated her words. Had she said that out loud? Oh well, it didn't matter. She continued listening as he asked his questions about her working in a lab before or as an engineer.

"Umm... Actually, that was Devil's idea. He's one of my imaginary friends!" She chirped happily, smiling widely at Java, waiting a few seconds before answering his other questions. "I've worked as a lot of things, but I don't think an engineer was one of them. Or anything having to do with labs, actually."

[moonshineTheleocat]

The stallion's brow raised when he heard the word imaginary friends. Hmm... looks like his new lab assistant just might have schitzophrenia. PERFECT! Best find ever in the mind of the demented pony. She'll fit in just well! Heck, she might even be offered a full time job at the engineering facility he works at as a head engineer! Yep... definitely right at home!

"Well, tell Devil thank you for the suggest for me," the stallion began as he now took another bite from his meal. "And... we can say you've successfully added a whole new branch to your skills that you can develop on! Yes mam, you are no one trick pony! Or... er... changeling that is."

[PyroBlaze]

"He says you're welcome!" Flux replied instantly after Java had said to thank him. Devil hadn't actually said that, he was much ruder about it, but Flux had paraphrased. She waved off his complaints, focusing on Java as he kept speaking.

"Thanks!" She chirped, smiling widely as she went back to her food, taking bites from it as she smiled at him.