Persnickety and Newsworthy [PRIVATE]

[Twimsy]

She grinned, "I'll try." She watched him head over to the table, soon turning back to drain the rest of her cider, staring into the empty mug afterwards. She had a little bit of money...and Newsworthy had said that he'd pick up the tab if anything else. She could afford another...

...and perhaps another after that.

At least she'd still be in the same place when he'd returned, though her head was now resting on a hoof, elbow on the bartop. The occasional hiccup slipped from her throat, and for the most part, she looked like she'd just been trying to avoid contact for the rest of the night, casually scrawling half-hearted notes on a napkin.

[NeilWacaster]

"Persnickety?" Newsworthy asked, walking up beside her. "The interviews went fine ... um ..." He saw with dismay that his date had four empty mugs of cider in a little crooked row in front of her. Now, he enjoyed his cider, but four mugs in such a short time? Hopefully she's of a stronger mettle than me.

[Twimsy]

"Mm?" She glanced up, blinking hard - oh. Maybe she was a little more tipsy than she'd thought. "...H-Heh. That's good to hear." She leaned against the bar as she turned, tucking the quill back into her scarf.

"Mhmhm...I got to writing, too. Writing some ideas down, I mean. Which is rather silly, but I suppose it's best to get it down when inspiration hits...!"

[NeilWacaster]

"I suppose so ..." Newsworthy smiled. "Sounds like the actors had a great time doing the production. I think my favorite anecdote was how Bedazzle missed her cue and they had to improv for a minute or two. No wonder that scene in the first act seemed a bit off ... Oh well. For a university production, I was impressed, and I let them know that the review would be a positive one."

He looked at Pernsickety, concerned. "You seem a bit tired. The party will go on until the wee hours of the morning, so we can stay or go, your choice." He glanced down at the ground and back up again, a little nervously. "I'll be glad to walk you home, if you want."

[Twimsy]

"That just goes to show she's an acre-- actress who can work well under pressure," she replied with a sniff. "Not every pony would have that kind of mettle. They all did their best, and it was a very good play, and they should be proud."

Folding up the napkin and tucking that, too, into her scarf, she blinked up at him. "Umh...y-yes. Yes, perhaps we should go...much as I'd like to stay and see more tension brew between the elite and seasoned ponies of the acting, um...field." She slipped from her stool, teetering only slightly before gaining her balance and giving him a smile. "Considerate, as usual. I would like that very much, Newsworthy..."

[NeilWacaster]

Newsworthy was torn. On the one hoof, he felt a surge of joy that she would like very much for him to walk her home. On the other hoof, he was kicking himself for letting a discouraged pony sit by herself at the bar for the duration of his absence. She must have been very lonely, he thought. Newsworthy, you idiot. She's gone and gotten herself drunk over this. Escorting an inebriated pony home was not something he had ever had to deal with. He hoped that nonpony judged him for it.

He paid the bartender for the drinks. It was a frighteningly large sum for such a small amount of cider, but of course that was to be expected from such an upscale establishment. He smiled at Persnickety, gesturing toward the door.

"Goodbye, Clef," he said, looking over his shoulder at the stallion. "Glad to have made your acquaintance, and I hope we meet again soon."

As they began to walk out, his wing started to hurt a bit worse. After all the excitement of the day, he really needed to just go back to his room and rest up. Early the next morning, he would go buy a ticket for the aerial carriage back to Ponyville, and all would return to normal.

The thought made him very sad.

[Twimsy]

"Take care, Cleff! The ars--arTIStic field is something vicious! But we shall prevail!" the tipsy pegasus chirped, grinning to herself as they departed.

Once outside, Persnickety was thankful for the fresh air - even if it was far chillier than one not accustomed to Stalliongrad would anticipate. At least the commotion from within the afterparty could scarcely be heard from out there.

The mare walked along in relative silence next to her date, wobbling once in a while or meandering off to the side, but for the most part she kept herself rather composed.

"...I'm sorry," she said, finally. "That was rather foolish of me. I shouldn've drank so much..." Putting on a smile, she glanced up at him, "But, I hope that you had a good time...?"

[NeilWacaster]

Newsworthy chuckled. "I've succumbed to the allure of cider many a time, myself. It's fine." He glanced at her wobbling figure and gave her a little smile. "I had a good time, yes. But I am concerned that you didn't. I shouldn't have left you at the bar for so long, and even I was more blunt than I should have been about your chosen career, much less the others ..." He looked at her again, mentally struggling with whether or not to do what his heart told him. Finally, he stopped. This street was quiet, all of the shops closed. A few ponies walked slowly by on the other side of the street, but as far as he was concerned, it was just he, Persnickety, and the bright, full moon. He had made his decision.

Unfurling his good wing and wrapping it around his date, Newsworthy steadied her and held her close. Forgetting the winter chill in the warm embrace, he looked into her eyes and spoke slowly, with deep conviction. "Persnickety, I have every confidence that you will succeed in whatever you put your mind to. So what if it's hard? So what if it takes time? Even if nopony else believes in you, I can assure you ... one pony always will."

[Twimsy]

"I had an...alright time. It was not the worst party that I've been to..." She trailed off when he paused in his gait, stopping beside him. "...Somethin' wrong...?"

The feathery warmth that unfurled and moved about her own wings made her glance up from the cobblestones, blinking hard to focus on his eyes. They held such a sympathetic conviction, and his words... She could feel her brow knit at the mere sound of them.

Even if nopony else believes in you, I can assure you ... one pony always will.

How vulnerable it made her feel. But, was that really such a bad thing?

"...Thank you, Newsworthy. That-...it means f-..far more than you may know...and it makes me not feel so alone..."

He knew just what to say when she felt like giving up all hope. How did he do it? Next to nopony else had ever been able to do such a thing for her. It made her feel like she really could succeed in her hopes and dreams for the future. That alone was something worth dusting off and trying again, for. She hadn't even realized until her eyes began to sting that they'd welled up with tears.

[NeilWacaster]

((This post should only be read while listening to this cover of "My Love" by Sia))

Newsworthy's heart broke at hearing Persnickety's words. Here was this talented, beautiful mare, who felt completely alone in her attempt to make something of herself. He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, but his mouth suddenly felt very dry.

"Persnickety ... I ..."

He looked into her shining, brimming eyes, and glanced down for a moment, shutting his own eyes tight. When he looked back up, he was softly sobbing, two big tears flowing down his cheeks. Newsworthy leaned forward, touching the tip of his muzzle to hers. He felt completely enveloped by her warmth, and ignited by their touch.

He took a small, ragged breath, and whispered, "Persnickety ... you don't have to be alone."

Newsworthy felt the warm rush of her breath, and her intoxicating smell. His heart pounded violently in his chest. He turned his head a little to the side, and their lips met.

[Twimsy]

She hated to be so dramatic when life didn't call for it. And now, all weepy-eyed, she felt terribly foolish. Even though she knew that if there was one pony in the world who she could probably cry in front of, it was him.

She lifted her head up once more, and it was as if time stopped, his muzzle having closed the space between hers. And then those words...

For most of her life, Persnickety had felt alone. She had friends, certainly, and her parents, but she'd very rarely ever connected with somepony who understood, sympathized and genuinely cared. It was as if they were souls that had been divided for an age, brought together across space and time. A friendship, forged by fate. And at that very moment, she realized just how much the stallion in front of her could mean to her, if given the chance.

Head tilting the opposite direction, she leaned forth to reciprocate the kiss, not only out of her own affection, but out of the warm feeling of not being just another face in the crowd. The feeling of mattering, of being something in somepony else's life - if only by the tiniest margin.

[NeilWacaster]

For a brief moment, Newsworthy feared that Persnickety would not return the kiss, but that fear was quickly swept away.

This just felt, right, somehow. In that moment, even in the midst of the torrent of emotion, he felt at peace. It was crazy, and it didn't make sense, but it was right. Tears streamed down his face as he held the kiss for what seemed like an eternity.

Who can say what brings two ponies together? Is it the Fates? Blind chance? A cosmic magnetism? No matter. All we can say is that these two ponies, united by the most unlikely of circumstances, stood on that dark street and held each other. Embracing. Weeping. Nothing else mattered, nothing else existed.

Finally, Newsworthy leaned back, and for another long moment, he just looked into Persnickety's eyes and smiled. The image was blurry through his tears, but she was still the most beautiful mare he had ever seen.

Words seemed far too crude to force between them. The late night symphonic cacophony of the city was the only sound, except for the rapid pounding of his heart. Wiping his eyes with a hoof, Newsworthy bit his lip and looked down at the ground. He took a deep breath, looked up, and smiled again.

Keeping his wing wrapped protectively around Persnickety, he began to walk in the direction of her apartment. Very slowly, though. He wanted this moment to last forever.