Post by Skyheart on Jul 23, 2012 6:34:04 GMT -5
Logged and uploaded on specific request.
((NOTE: Spell check and corrections were done for clarification.))
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skyheart relaxes in his usual corner with his dove Orpheus in tow. The two carefully look at papers for the time being, not bothering anypony.
Quicksilver stalks into the cafe, intent on grabbing a bite to eat, and some coffee before she heads off to work, its always such a pain working nights, so few places open.
Skyheart manages to resettle a handful of papers in order as he sifts through them. "I can't believe how dirty these things got yesterday. We really need to take Blue Feather and give her a bath one day." Orpheus just stares and raises a brow, cooing. Skyheart sighs. "No, it's probably not a /smart/ idea but it's at least something I think she needs..."
Quicksilver flicks an ear, taking her coffee, and sandwiches, then looking for a table. Her head cocks a little, then with a little shrug of he wings, she slips into the booth across from you, "Well hello there again."
Skyheart perks up at a familiar voice. Orpheus takes flight and heads up to the rafters, clearing space on the couch in the corner he was sitting at. "H-Huh? Quicksilver? Wow. haven't seen you in a while." He makes room for her to sit as he starts looking through his papers again.
Quicksilver chuckles and sets her coffee and sandwiches down, probably a sizable meal for most, but, shes not most, "Yeah, I told you I work night weather, looks like tonight might be a busy one too, there is some worry about maybe a rouge storm running through so they want me on alert and ready.
Skyheart cringes. "I certainly don't want to get caught in that..." He says as he looks out the window. "I mean... I carry paper everywhere..."
Quicksilver shakes her head, "Ahh, not sure where its going to go, its supposed to pass over the forest, and skies alone know where its going to go after that. It will probably blow itself out over the forest, I am not really worried, but, I have to be ready, just in case, after all it takes a bit of time to get enough ponies up to deal with a big storm." She takes a moment and pulls up her sandwich, and takes a bit, enjoying it for the moment.
Skyheart nods. "Okay then. That's good to know. I mean it's not like a lot of ponies go out into the forest and especially not at night."
Quicksilver gives a little bob of her head, still eating, and being somewhat polite, and not trying to talk as she chews.
Skyheart starts looking through papers again as his dove flies down and sets himself on the table, reaching his head under his wing and picking at some feathers. Skyheart sighs and tosses a hoof over his muzzle to cover his eyes. "Orpheus... What did I tell you about that?"
Quicksilver tilts her head a little, then she chuckles softly, "Err, I expect hes got to preen. Birds rely on there wings as much as we do, if not more. Why do you not want him to preen? Does he pluck his feathers out or something?"
Skyheart cringes. "Y-Yes, I know that but... Does he have to do it in public...?" He says softly. Given his odd mannerisms and the nigh pristine condition of his own wings. He likely treats feather care very delicately- possibly also very privately.
Quicksilver can't really help but laugh at that, "What? And risk worse happening to his feathers by not fixing them when they need it?" She shakes her head a little, spreading her own wings "Goodness, where did you grow up at that you learned an attitude like that? I mean really, I can understand keeping more intimate preening in private, but, feathers need constant care, if you want to keep being able to fly.
Skyheart withdraws and flushes a bit, clearly embarrassed. "R-Remember when I said I grew up in Manehatten? Didn't fly a lot and Mother always made sure I looked my best. Sh-She taught me that preening is always a private thing."
Quicksilver tsks and shakes her head a little, "Well, you might find that you need to get over that if you want to find a nice pegasus to go home with some day." She shakes her head a little, "I bet you do not know how to help preen someone else."
Skyheart shuffles a bit. "W-Well... I mean... who says I have to be with a pegasus? I mean... Besides. Wouldn't she know how to preen herself I mean... That's... That's kind of..." He blushes at the thought. To him another preening him would be considered being /very/ forward.
Quicksilver takes a drink of her coffee, then leans over the table, until her muzzle is maybe an inch away from Sky's, "Yes, it can be very, errr, intimate, which might be why your mother did not want you to preen in public. After all, if your unwilling to share something that most of us do, its rather unlikely a pegasus would look past that.
Skyheart blushes and tries his best to back up, almost falling over. "I-I-I...." It wasn't just him. It seemed that almost every pegasus mare he met that was directly from Cloudsdale was significantly more forward than he was used to. If this was the culture, then it's no wonder is significantly more conservative mother left the city entirely when she was younger. Still flustered, he isn't sure how to react. "I... I ah..."
Quicksilver can't help but laugh softly, a hoof moving to the tabletop and carefully pushing her sandwich and coffee to one side, just in case she needs to put a hoof on the table to get closer. She cocks her head a little, "And what would you do if I went ahead and started to preen your wings?" She rather deliberately makes sure to loom at lest a little over you, wings opening a little.
Skyheart is a bit frightened. He looked around frantically and backs up more. "Y-You wouldn't.... D-Don't touch me, please...." He curls up at the edge of the couch. He starts inspecting the eclectic furniture in the cafe, hoping to find an escape route. He knew his flying was vastly inferior to the weatherworker, but he had to take a chance. There there was the fact that all his poems were still here and he didn't want to leave his saddlebags just laying around. But Orpheus was here and he could handle that, right?"
Quicksilver shakes her head a little and chuckles softly, settling back down into her own seat, a wing does flick out though, and attempts to give Sky a light bump in the head, "Goodness, one would think you favor stallions rather than mares."
Skyheart blushes and keeps himself bundled up. "I-It's not like that I... I'm just not used to... I mean... I... I don't... I've never... Umm... I mean I write but...." Translation: Dreams - many. Experience - 0.
Quicksilver shakes her head a little and takes another drink of her coffee, "Well, I will tell you a little secret, if you want a lady interested in you, you might want to deal with your fear of being touched by a girl. Most of us, well we kinda like to be physical."
Skyheart slowly resumes his sitting, but hesitantly, keeping distance. "Evidently..." He sighs heavily and clamps his wings shut. "It's... It's not just touching it's... it's my wings okay? You can't just reach for another pony's wings. I mean.... You could get stray feathers on you before they can be properly disposed of." He speaks as if he's discussing nuclear radiation.
Quicksilver laughs softly and shakes her head, "And whats wrong with having someone else's feathers on you? Goodness, you are clueless. Pegasus exchange feathers as a show of affection, and more."
Skyheart shuffles a bit. "Ew....." To him, they might as well be hoof shavings. "I... Why? I... They're discard. Trash. Dirty. Who would want that as a gift? You don't see ponies exchanging locks of mane, do you?"
Quicksilver blinks a little and tosses her head back as she laughs, loudly, "Oh skies, of course they do!" She shakes her head a moment and gets her laughter under control, "Goodness, its a favorite keepsake one ones foals as well, a lock of their mane and tail. They even have special lockets and such made just to keep such keepsakes in. We pegasi, we tend to have the feathers made into jewelry, or keep them somewhere safe, or even just stick them in our manes to remember friends and loved ones by.
Skyheart might as well have been told the jewelry was made from the carcasses of the deceased. He's pale and has a very upset look on his face. "I... I... What!?"
Quicksilver reaches under a wing and pulls a small case out. She sets it on the table, then slides it over towards you, "Take a look, these are reminders of my parents. I keep a set with me at all times, if only to remember where I came from." Inside the case are two feathers, bound with silver and tiny sapphires and diamonds, set up with little mane clips, as if to be worn in ones mane.
Skyheart hesitantly looks at the pendant. "I see..." It was a bit odd to see something that really culminated in carrying the remains of a loved one. He was honestly a bit shaken. "Okay, this I can understand, even if it's a bit morbid... but..."
Quicksilver cocks her head a little, and takes the case back, slipping it back under her wing, "And whats so morbid about it? Morbid would be keeping a leg or a wing or something from a dead friend or relative. My parents are both very much alive and well, back home." She touches her wing over where the little case is, "This is a living reminder, not a macabre trophy."
Skyheart shuffles and shakes his head. "I guess I just don't understand, okay? I mean... I was always taught that... I have to take care of myself. Not a stray hair, not a discarded feather. I have to be clean. Anything like that is laying around and... it's just dirt to me. There's nothing symbolic or meaningful about a loose feather. It's just something to be thrown away- an old piece of a body part." He tries to be careful with his wording, but if she was going to see what he meant, he'd have to explain.
Quicksilver nods a little, "I wounder who would teach you something like that? Where you raised by unicorns or something? THEY tend to be a bit freakish about being clean sometimes. Ahh well, still, its a common gift of affection, and interest. If you feel affection for somepony, or friendship, you give them a small feather. If you want to date them, a larger feather, perhaps done up into some jewelry or a keepsake, if you love them, a primary, in fact, where I come from, its part of the marriage ceremony, the exchange of flight feathers, symbolizing that each feel there wings are also the wings of there mate.
Skyheart listens. "Huh. No wonder Mother left Cloudsdale. She always talked about their 'barbaric' practices. I grew up in Manehatten. My father was an earth pony but a lot of the wing hygiene was from my mother." He comments.
Quicksilver shakes her head, "Sounds like she needs some help, if shes doing things like that. Being clean is one thing, obsessing over such things is a totally different matter. Your also rather unlikely to find a lass that will put up with being called barbaric, or looked at funny because they groom in public."
Skyheart feels like a real fool now, but what's conditioned is conditioned. It's not something you can just overlook. "I... I just won't date a pegasus then. I mean... that's simple, right?"
Quicksilver snorts, "Not so simple, if your that freaked out by feathers and hairs, wait tell you have to work with an earth pony. Rural town like this, I am sure how they shake on a deal would send you screaming in terror."
Skyheart gives a bit of an off-put look before he sighs. "It's... It's just the feathers okay? Besides, I'm a writer. I don't do anything that gets me really dirty if I can help it."
Quicksilver chuckles, "Earth ponies around here, they spit on there hooves, then shake, to seal a deal.
Skyheart winces. "Okay... Didn't see that coming... That's kind of gross."
Quicksilver chuckles softly and finishes her coffee, "Well, this is a rather rural area, lots of farmers. The attitude and habits tend to be pretty wide spread by now, I have even see pegasi and unicorns doing it.
Skyheart shuffles around a bit more. "Okay, fine. Suppose I am in a bit of a culture shock. Maybe I was sheltered to an extent and the one other pegasi I knew in Manehatten was kind of certifiably off his rocker. What do you suppose I do then?"
Quicksilver sighs a little and shakes her head, "Conditioning like that can be difficult. You might want to see a doctor about it, it will hurt you, over time. Isolate you from others, from closeness, from mate and children.
Skyheart sighs. "I... I don't know. I mean... It's not /that/ big of a problem is it? I mean..." Well he's made a fool of himself in just about every public establishment he's ever been in...
Quicksilver tilts her head a little, "You just about had a panic attack because your dove there preened his feathers, if I so much as touched your wing, you would probably have a heart attack, or worse. I think that's a problem that you really need to deal with."
Skyheart shuffles a bit more. "But... I... I" he's clearly anxious about this. De-conditioning what he was raised to hold true wouldn't be easy. "Wh-What are you going to do?"
Quicksilver tilts her head a little, "Me? Why would I do anything? Did you want me to do something?
Skyheart freezes. That came out wrong. "I ah... Well... I mean. How would I 'fix' this alleged problem I have? I mean..."
Quicksilver chuckles and shakes her head, "Perhaps you should see a doctor who specializes in things like that? I assume that you would like to have a fillyfriend?
Skyheart stays quiet. He speaks at a barely audible level. "It'd be nice... One of my fans seems to be coming onto me but I don't really know whether she's just overexcited or what..." He comments.
Quicksilver chuckles softly, "She must be really overboard for you to think she was interested in you at all, none of the times I made a pass at you have you done anything but try and run away.
Skyheart freezes and backs up again. He mumbles something to himself and clenches his eyes shut. His frame clamps up again. At least it does before he lets out a yelp. "OW!" His bird is perched on top of his head and has finally heard enough, giving him a harsh peck on the head.
Quicksilver shakes her head a little, "See what I mean? Your trying to run away again, and the dove there even knows it."
Skyheart keeps himself wound up and just barely glances to Quicksilver. "I... I just... I can't help it, okay?"
Quicksilver tilts her head a little, her wings giving a little flick, ears flicking back, "If you don't want to be lonely the rest of your life, your going to want to look into doing something about that.
Skyheart huffs up a bit. "You act like it's the sole thing that's preventing me from getting a date. I can find a date just fine I just...!"
Quicksilver snorts, "Sure you can, if you just want to talk to someone. I expect your issues will call problems, have you ever kissed someone? Cuddled up under someones wing?
Skyheart lurches back "No!" He says it as if this was a bad thing or something scandalous. "If I were to go /that/ far with somepony than I'd be looking for a ring!" Ah values dissonance...
Quicksilver shakes her head a little, "Worse than a prude. You really need to work on that. If your really hoping to find somepony special
Skyheart winces and shuffles a bit. He didn't really take well to being called a prude. "L-Look... I just... I... Ugh... I don't have to deal with this. Orpheus, help me clean this up. We're going home." He starts to scoop up all his papers and hastily stuffs them into his saddlebags. The bird doesn't help. He swoops down and gives him another nasty peck. "OWWW!" He looks up indignantly at the bird. "Sometimes I wonder why I keep you... OW!" That peck causes him to collapse right onto the table, leaning over it. He gets up and rubs his head wearily. Might be best not to say that again.
Quicksilver shakes her head, "Running away again is not going to help, even your bird understands that. Still, I will not force you to stay here, I will not force you too deal with the problem, but, if you want to be more than you are, if you want to be something other than alone, your going to have to face those issues.
Skyheart gets up and tries to settle into his bags. Still, he hangs his head. "My mother raised me the way she thought was right. I shouldn't see any fault in that." He says, "If I'm different from everypony else around there then so be it. I can't just force myself to be something else."
Quicksilver shrugs, "Your choice. I have far too much to deal with myself to hound you about it, but, do not be surprised if the folks you meet get a little unhappy with how you react to there attempt to touch.
Skyheart shuffles a bit again. "I... I'll keep that in mind..." He says as he looks back at his dove. "Orpheus... If you want to /eat/ tonight it might be a good idea to come with me. I sort of provide the food around here and I don't want to just leave you wandering about like last time. Unless, of course you want little Blue Feather to find you again." The bird flies over to his back and sits. "Good..." He looks back to Quicksilver. "Perhaps I'll see you another time?"
Quicksilver chuckles a little and shakes her head, "This is one of the few places that is open late at night, I really do not have a lot of choice in the matter."
Skyheart nods carefully. He takes a deep breath before heading to the door. Well he would have if Orpheus hadn't decided to fly off again. He knows Sky won't leave without him. He looks back and sighs. "Really? What did I forget?"
Quicksilver chuckles, offers the poor bird some of the bred from one of her sandwiches, and returns to eating. Shes serious, shes not going to force you to change, but she is likely to tease you about it. Still, soon enough the foals and school fillies and school colts will find out, then things will get bad she expects.
Skyheart just watches for now. He waits for Orpheus to eat while he keeps looking around. "He usually does this when I forget something... What is it, though?"
Quicksilver shrugs her wings, continuing to feed the bird, even as she finishes off a second sandwich, "Perhaps you have forgotten yourself?"
Skyheart looks at Quicksilver curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Quicksilver shakes her head, and offers the Dove another bit of bread, keeping quiet for the moment.
Skyheart raises a brow, awaiting an answer. "You know, I'm seriously considering letting you keep-OW!" Cue another 'don't even think about it' peck from the bird. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry..." He looks back to Quicksilver. "Seriously though. What are you talking about?"
Quicksilver sighs, "I do not even know if I can tell you in a way you can understand. Your a stranger in a strange land, and you make it such. Seriously, you have a problem, and your running away from it. Take it from me, running away never helps. Really, it tends to make the problem worse."
Skyheart still seems a bit flatline at this. "So what... you're telling me my mother raised me wrong? That I'm somehow broken or messed up? That I can't be like this? I just... I don't like being around stray feathers and I might be bit more tightly wound about certain things. So what?"
Quicksilver shakes her head, "You don't even understand the problem, that's what." She gets another coffee and sits back down, casting a glance outside, checking the weather right quick, "Might want to think about that a while."
Skyheart sighs. "Think about a problem I don't understand, can't identify, and don't really even see as a problem in the first place. Check."
Quicksilver says "And until you understand that there is a problem, there is nothing I can do to help. Your pissed off at me just for saying that there is one, you do not believe me, you do not want to."
Star Paige smiles as she enters the cafe and spots Skyheart, she walks over to his table and notices the other pony. She smiles at Skyheart and sits next to him saying "Um wheres your boyfriend Skyheart?"
Skyheart sighs. "I wasn't raised with Cloudsdale values. So, I won't be able to impress a mare, specifically a pegasus, who holds to those values. That's only one group, Quicksilver. There are plenty of others around here. I can find somepony who will respect my privacy about my wings and that's-" Cue Star's comment. "............"
Quicksilver snorts, "Your quite mistaken to assume I am from Cloudsdale, I am from quite a bit farther away than that. What, did you think that was the only pegasus city? There's a couple, and one of them was my home." She blinks and looks to Star, "Coltfriend? Ahhh, that would explain partly why he runs screaming whenever a filly attempts to touch him."
Star Paige thinks Quicksilver's making a quip about sky and walks up to him getting into his face as she says "So what if he has one? What business is it of yours his personal affairs, if your causing him any trouble I will make you sorry." She states as she tries to stand up for sky though probably misunderstanding the situation as usual.
Skyheart isn't taking that well either. He's a bit red and sighs. "Er... No. I'm not... I mean... I'm single. My problem isn't with mares it's with ponies trying to mess with my wings. I don't like old feathers. What is so wrong about that? I like to stay clean." He sighs as Star enters into the fray. "Star, don't... She's not... Please, don't... Oh, Celestia..." He puts a hoof over his muzzle and hopes this won't get ugly.
Quicksilver snorts and shakes her head, "Now when did I say something was wrong about him having a coltfriend? Sky you should listen rather than leaping to conclusions, not every mare thinks its wrong for colts to date each other." She chuckles softly, "Personally, I think its rather cute, though I wish they would be less shy about asking for fashion tips and grooming tips. I have seen too many stallions with horrible manecuts because they do not ask advice.
Star Paige humphs at quicksilver and looks back at Sky saying "But what about that stallion I saw you with I thought he was your um special colt, I figured that someone as well kind and poetic as you had to already have someone special." She states looking confused as she sits next to him and shrugs as she orders a cup of coffee and waits for him to clarify.
Skyheart shakes his head. "No no no. I've been single all my life. That colt was just somepony who wanted to see my writings, really. I just... kind of happened to jump into his hooves when Blue Feather launched baked goods and loose feathers all over the place. I couldn't tell you which one was more disgusting."
Quicksilver shakes her head a little, "Ahh well, anyways, I should probably get flying soon, they where supposed to let me know if things get dicey, but, you know how that goes." She just chuckles at Marble, her wings spreading as she slips out of the booth and gets to her hooves
Star Paige smiles as she says "Really but why? I mean don't you get lonely?" She asks Skyheart as she sits next to him sipping her coffee, she soon asks him. "You ever consider well letting somepony getting close to you?" She asks as she chuckles and says "To be honest it wasn't that bad children get like that sometimes, I know its icky to us now but at some point we all enjoyed playing in the mud."
Skyheart ignores any and all potential euphemism and shrugs. "I just don't like ponies messing with my wings. My preening is a private thing. That's how I was brought up. I wouldn't mind being close to somepony but I don't feel like I have to give up my upbringing to do it."
Quicksilver gives Sky a light nudge with a wingtip as she gets ready to go, "On Sky sweetie, you should bring your coltfriend around some time, lest I can do is give him some advice on mane and tail care."
Star Paige smiles as she shrugs and says "That's fine there your wings are apart of you, you don't need to worry bout me preening your wings for ya, and I wouldn't think most mares or stallions would bother you bout such things. If you wanna handle your own wings that's fine, who is trying to change your upbringing?"
Skyheart gives a nod to Quicksilver. "Apparently playing with eachother's feathers is important to courtship where she's from. But that assumes I'm dating a pegasus that shares those values. I just don't see why this is a problem."
Quicksilver trots out the door, wings opening, and as soon as shes outside, shes up and into the air.
Star Paige shrugs and says "I guess that be important for her, but not every pony thinks its that bad you don't like your feathers being touched." She smiles as she says "You should think about what makes you happy, and do what is important to you, don't let her or anyone push you around."
Skyheart takes a deep breath. "I'll keep that in mind... Thanks." He makes sure his things are set up an yawns. "I should get some sleep. Come on, Orpheus." he bird on his back just looks at him. The owner chuckles and heads for home.
((NOTE: Spell check and corrections were done for clarification.))
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skyheart relaxes in his usual corner with his dove Orpheus in tow. The two carefully look at papers for the time being, not bothering anypony.
Quicksilver stalks into the cafe, intent on grabbing a bite to eat, and some coffee before she heads off to work, its always such a pain working nights, so few places open.
Skyheart manages to resettle a handful of papers in order as he sifts through them. "I can't believe how dirty these things got yesterday. We really need to take Blue Feather and give her a bath one day." Orpheus just stares and raises a brow, cooing. Skyheart sighs. "No, it's probably not a /smart/ idea but it's at least something I think she needs..."
Quicksilver flicks an ear, taking her coffee, and sandwiches, then looking for a table. Her head cocks a little, then with a little shrug of he wings, she slips into the booth across from you, "Well hello there again."
Skyheart perks up at a familiar voice. Orpheus takes flight and heads up to the rafters, clearing space on the couch in the corner he was sitting at. "H-Huh? Quicksilver? Wow. haven't seen you in a while." He makes room for her to sit as he starts looking through his papers again.
Quicksilver chuckles and sets her coffee and sandwiches down, probably a sizable meal for most, but, shes not most, "Yeah, I told you I work night weather, looks like tonight might be a busy one too, there is some worry about maybe a rouge storm running through so they want me on alert and ready.
Skyheart cringes. "I certainly don't want to get caught in that..." He says as he looks out the window. "I mean... I carry paper everywhere..."
Quicksilver shakes her head, "Ahh, not sure where its going to go, its supposed to pass over the forest, and skies alone know where its going to go after that. It will probably blow itself out over the forest, I am not really worried, but, I have to be ready, just in case, after all it takes a bit of time to get enough ponies up to deal with a big storm." She takes a moment and pulls up her sandwich, and takes a bit, enjoying it for the moment.
Skyheart nods. "Okay then. That's good to know. I mean it's not like a lot of ponies go out into the forest and especially not at night."
Quicksilver gives a little bob of her head, still eating, and being somewhat polite, and not trying to talk as she chews.
Skyheart starts looking through papers again as his dove flies down and sets himself on the table, reaching his head under his wing and picking at some feathers. Skyheart sighs and tosses a hoof over his muzzle to cover his eyes. "Orpheus... What did I tell you about that?"
Quicksilver tilts her head a little, then she chuckles softly, "Err, I expect hes got to preen. Birds rely on there wings as much as we do, if not more. Why do you not want him to preen? Does he pluck his feathers out or something?"
Skyheart cringes. "Y-Yes, I know that but... Does he have to do it in public...?" He says softly. Given his odd mannerisms and the nigh pristine condition of his own wings. He likely treats feather care very delicately- possibly also very privately.
Quicksilver can't really help but laugh at that, "What? And risk worse happening to his feathers by not fixing them when they need it?" She shakes her head a little, spreading her own wings "Goodness, where did you grow up at that you learned an attitude like that? I mean really, I can understand keeping more intimate preening in private, but, feathers need constant care, if you want to keep being able to fly.
Skyheart withdraws and flushes a bit, clearly embarrassed. "R-Remember when I said I grew up in Manehatten? Didn't fly a lot and Mother always made sure I looked my best. Sh-She taught me that preening is always a private thing."
Quicksilver tsks and shakes her head a little, "Well, you might find that you need to get over that if you want to find a nice pegasus to go home with some day." She shakes her head a little, "I bet you do not know how to help preen someone else."
Skyheart shuffles a bit. "W-Well... I mean... who says I have to be with a pegasus? I mean... Besides. Wouldn't she know how to preen herself I mean... That's... That's kind of..." He blushes at the thought. To him another preening him would be considered being /very/ forward.
Quicksilver takes a drink of her coffee, then leans over the table, until her muzzle is maybe an inch away from Sky's, "Yes, it can be very, errr, intimate, which might be why your mother did not want you to preen in public. After all, if your unwilling to share something that most of us do, its rather unlikely a pegasus would look past that.
Skyheart blushes and tries his best to back up, almost falling over. "I-I-I...." It wasn't just him. It seemed that almost every pegasus mare he met that was directly from Cloudsdale was significantly more forward than he was used to. If this was the culture, then it's no wonder is significantly more conservative mother left the city entirely when she was younger. Still flustered, he isn't sure how to react. "I... I ah..."
Quicksilver can't help but laugh softly, a hoof moving to the tabletop and carefully pushing her sandwich and coffee to one side, just in case she needs to put a hoof on the table to get closer. She cocks her head a little, "And what would you do if I went ahead and started to preen your wings?" She rather deliberately makes sure to loom at lest a little over you, wings opening a little.
Skyheart is a bit frightened. He looked around frantically and backs up more. "Y-You wouldn't.... D-Don't touch me, please...." He curls up at the edge of the couch. He starts inspecting the eclectic furniture in the cafe, hoping to find an escape route. He knew his flying was vastly inferior to the weatherworker, but he had to take a chance. There there was the fact that all his poems were still here and he didn't want to leave his saddlebags just laying around. But Orpheus was here and he could handle that, right?"
Quicksilver shakes her head a little and chuckles softly, settling back down into her own seat, a wing does flick out though, and attempts to give Sky a light bump in the head, "Goodness, one would think you favor stallions rather than mares."
Skyheart blushes and keeps himself bundled up. "I-It's not like that I... I'm just not used to... I mean... I... I don't... I've never... Umm... I mean I write but...." Translation: Dreams - many. Experience - 0.
Quicksilver shakes her head a little and takes another drink of her coffee, "Well, I will tell you a little secret, if you want a lady interested in you, you might want to deal with your fear of being touched by a girl. Most of us, well we kinda like to be physical."
Skyheart slowly resumes his sitting, but hesitantly, keeping distance. "Evidently..." He sighs heavily and clamps his wings shut. "It's... It's not just touching it's... it's my wings okay? You can't just reach for another pony's wings. I mean.... You could get stray feathers on you before they can be properly disposed of." He speaks as if he's discussing nuclear radiation.
Quicksilver laughs softly and shakes her head, "And whats wrong with having someone else's feathers on you? Goodness, you are clueless. Pegasus exchange feathers as a show of affection, and more."
Skyheart shuffles a bit. "Ew....." To him, they might as well be hoof shavings. "I... Why? I... They're discard. Trash. Dirty. Who would want that as a gift? You don't see ponies exchanging locks of mane, do you?"
Quicksilver blinks a little and tosses her head back as she laughs, loudly, "Oh skies, of course they do!" She shakes her head a moment and gets her laughter under control, "Goodness, its a favorite keepsake one ones foals as well, a lock of their mane and tail. They even have special lockets and such made just to keep such keepsakes in. We pegasi, we tend to have the feathers made into jewelry, or keep them somewhere safe, or even just stick them in our manes to remember friends and loved ones by.
Skyheart might as well have been told the jewelry was made from the carcasses of the deceased. He's pale and has a very upset look on his face. "I... I... What!?"
Quicksilver reaches under a wing and pulls a small case out. She sets it on the table, then slides it over towards you, "Take a look, these are reminders of my parents. I keep a set with me at all times, if only to remember where I came from." Inside the case are two feathers, bound with silver and tiny sapphires and diamonds, set up with little mane clips, as if to be worn in ones mane.
Skyheart hesitantly looks at the pendant. "I see..." It was a bit odd to see something that really culminated in carrying the remains of a loved one. He was honestly a bit shaken. "Okay, this I can understand, even if it's a bit morbid... but..."
Quicksilver cocks her head a little, and takes the case back, slipping it back under her wing, "And whats so morbid about it? Morbid would be keeping a leg or a wing or something from a dead friend or relative. My parents are both very much alive and well, back home." She touches her wing over where the little case is, "This is a living reminder, not a macabre trophy."
Skyheart shuffles and shakes his head. "I guess I just don't understand, okay? I mean... I was always taught that... I have to take care of myself. Not a stray hair, not a discarded feather. I have to be clean. Anything like that is laying around and... it's just dirt to me. There's nothing symbolic or meaningful about a loose feather. It's just something to be thrown away- an old piece of a body part." He tries to be careful with his wording, but if she was going to see what he meant, he'd have to explain.
Quicksilver nods a little, "I wounder who would teach you something like that? Where you raised by unicorns or something? THEY tend to be a bit freakish about being clean sometimes. Ahh well, still, its a common gift of affection, and interest. If you feel affection for somepony, or friendship, you give them a small feather. If you want to date them, a larger feather, perhaps done up into some jewelry or a keepsake, if you love them, a primary, in fact, where I come from, its part of the marriage ceremony, the exchange of flight feathers, symbolizing that each feel there wings are also the wings of there mate.
Skyheart listens. "Huh. No wonder Mother left Cloudsdale. She always talked about their 'barbaric' practices. I grew up in Manehatten. My father was an earth pony but a lot of the wing hygiene was from my mother." He comments.
Quicksilver shakes her head, "Sounds like she needs some help, if shes doing things like that. Being clean is one thing, obsessing over such things is a totally different matter. Your also rather unlikely to find a lass that will put up with being called barbaric, or looked at funny because they groom in public."
Skyheart feels like a real fool now, but what's conditioned is conditioned. It's not something you can just overlook. "I... I just won't date a pegasus then. I mean... that's simple, right?"
Quicksilver snorts, "Not so simple, if your that freaked out by feathers and hairs, wait tell you have to work with an earth pony. Rural town like this, I am sure how they shake on a deal would send you screaming in terror."
Skyheart gives a bit of an off-put look before he sighs. "It's... It's just the feathers okay? Besides, I'm a writer. I don't do anything that gets me really dirty if I can help it."
Quicksilver chuckles, "Earth ponies around here, they spit on there hooves, then shake, to seal a deal.
Skyheart winces. "Okay... Didn't see that coming... That's kind of gross."
Quicksilver chuckles softly and finishes her coffee, "Well, this is a rather rural area, lots of farmers. The attitude and habits tend to be pretty wide spread by now, I have even see pegasi and unicorns doing it.
Skyheart shuffles around a bit more. "Okay, fine. Suppose I am in a bit of a culture shock. Maybe I was sheltered to an extent and the one other pegasi I knew in Manehatten was kind of certifiably off his rocker. What do you suppose I do then?"
Quicksilver sighs a little and shakes her head, "Conditioning like that can be difficult. You might want to see a doctor about it, it will hurt you, over time. Isolate you from others, from closeness, from mate and children.
Skyheart sighs. "I... I don't know. I mean... It's not /that/ big of a problem is it? I mean..." Well he's made a fool of himself in just about every public establishment he's ever been in...
Quicksilver tilts her head a little, "You just about had a panic attack because your dove there preened his feathers, if I so much as touched your wing, you would probably have a heart attack, or worse. I think that's a problem that you really need to deal with."
Skyheart shuffles a bit more. "But... I... I" he's clearly anxious about this. De-conditioning what he was raised to hold true wouldn't be easy. "Wh-What are you going to do?"
Quicksilver tilts her head a little, "Me? Why would I do anything? Did you want me to do something?
Skyheart freezes. That came out wrong. "I ah... Well... I mean. How would I 'fix' this alleged problem I have? I mean..."
Quicksilver chuckles and shakes her head, "Perhaps you should see a doctor who specializes in things like that? I assume that you would like to have a fillyfriend?
Skyheart stays quiet. He speaks at a barely audible level. "It'd be nice... One of my fans seems to be coming onto me but I don't really know whether she's just overexcited or what..." He comments.
Quicksilver chuckles softly, "She must be really overboard for you to think she was interested in you at all, none of the times I made a pass at you have you done anything but try and run away.
Skyheart freezes and backs up again. He mumbles something to himself and clenches his eyes shut. His frame clamps up again. At least it does before he lets out a yelp. "OW!" His bird is perched on top of his head and has finally heard enough, giving him a harsh peck on the head.
Quicksilver shakes her head a little, "See what I mean? Your trying to run away again, and the dove there even knows it."
Skyheart keeps himself wound up and just barely glances to Quicksilver. "I... I just... I can't help it, okay?"
Quicksilver tilts her head a little, her wings giving a little flick, ears flicking back, "If you don't want to be lonely the rest of your life, your going to want to look into doing something about that.
Skyheart huffs up a bit. "You act like it's the sole thing that's preventing me from getting a date. I can find a date just fine I just...!"
Quicksilver snorts, "Sure you can, if you just want to talk to someone. I expect your issues will call problems, have you ever kissed someone? Cuddled up under someones wing?
Skyheart lurches back "No!" He says it as if this was a bad thing or something scandalous. "If I were to go /that/ far with somepony than I'd be looking for a ring!" Ah values dissonance...
Quicksilver shakes her head a little, "Worse than a prude. You really need to work on that. If your really hoping to find somepony special
Skyheart winces and shuffles a bit. He didn't really take well to being called a prude. "L-Look... I just... I... Ugh... I don't have to deal with this. Orpheus, help me clean this up. We're going home." He starts to scoop up all his papers and hastily stuffs them into his saddlebags. The bird doesn't help. He swoops down and gives him another nasty peck. "OWWW!" He looks up indignantly at the bird. "Sometimes I wonder why I keep you... OW!" That peck causes him to collapse right onto the table, leaning over it. He gets up and rubs his head wearily. Might be best not to say that again.
Quicksilver shakes her head, "Running away again is not going to help, even your bird understands that. Still, I will not force you to stay here, I will not force you too deal with the problem, but, if you want to be more than you are, if you want to be something other than alone, your going to have to face those issues.
Skyheart gets up and tries to settle into his bags. Still, he hangs his head. "My mother raised me the way she thought was right. I shouldn't see any fault in that." He says, "If I'm different from everypony else around there then so be it. I can't just force myself to be something else."
Quicksilver shrugs, "Your choice. I have far too much to deal with myself to hound you about it, but, do not be surprised if the folks you meet get a little unhappy with how you react to there attempt to touch.
Skyheart shuffles a bit again. "I... I'll keep that in mind..." He says as he looks back at his dove. "Orpheus... If you want to /eat/ tonight it might be a good idea to come with me. I sort of provide the food around here and I don't want to just leave you wandering about like last time. Unless, of course you want little Blue Feather to find you again." The bird flies over to his back and sits. "Good..." He looks back to Quicksilver. "Perhaps I'll see you another time?"
Quicksilver chuckles a little and shakes her head, "This is one of the few places that is open late at night, I really do not have a lot of choice in the matter."
Skyheart nods carefully. He takes a deep breath before heading to the door. Well he would have if Orpheus hadn't decided to fly off again. He knows Sky won't leave without him. He looks back and sighs. "Really? What did I forget?"
Quicksilver chuckles, offers the poor bird some of the bred from one of her sandwiches, and returns to eating. Shes serious, shes not going to force you to change, but she is likely to tease you about it. Still, soon enough the foals and school fillies and school colts will find out, then things will get bad she expects.
Skyheart just watches for now. He waits for Orpheus to eat while he keeps looking around. "He usually does this when I forget something... What is it, though?"
Quicksilver shrugs her wings, continuing to feed the bird, even as she finishes off a second sandwich, "Perhaps you have forgotten yourself?"
Skyheart looks at Quicksilver curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Quicksilver shakes her head, and offers the Dove another bit of bread, keeping quiet for the moment.
Skyheart raises a brow, awaiting an answer. "You know, I'm seriously considering letting you keep-OW!" Cue another 'don't even think about it' peck from the bird. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry..." He looks back to Quicksilver. "Seriously though. What are you talking about?"
Quicksilver sighs, "I do not even know if I can tell you in a way you can understand. Your a stranger in a strange land, and you make it such. Seriously, you have a problem, and your running away from it. Take it from me, running away never helps. Really, it tends to make the problem worse."
Skyheart still seems a bit flatline at this. "So what... you're telling me my mother raised me wrong? That I'm somehow broken or messed up? That I can't be like this? I just... I don't like being around stray feathers and I might be bit more tightly wound about certain things. So what?"
Quicksilver shakes her head, "You don't even understand the problem, that's what." She gets another coffee and sits back down, casting a glance outside, checking the weather right quick, "Might want to think about that a while."
Skyheart sighs. "Think about a problem I don't understand, can't identify, and don't really even see as a problem in the first place. Check."
Quicksilver says "And until you understand that there is a problem, there is nothing I can do to help. Your pissed off at me just for saying that there is one, you do not believe me, you do not want to."
Star Paige smiles as she enters the cafe and spots Skyheart, she walks over to his table and notices the other pony. She smiles at Skyheart and sits next to him saying "Um wheres your boyfriend Skyheart?"
Skyheart sighs. "I wasn't raised with Cloudsdale values. So, I won't be able to impress a mare, specifically a pegasus, who holds to those values. That's only one group, Quicksilver. There are plenty of others around here. I can find somepony who will respect my privacy about my wings and that's-" Cue Star's comment. "............"
Quicksilver snorts, "Your quite mistaken to assume I am from Cloudsdale, I am from quite a bit farther away than that. What, did you think that was the only pegasus city? There's a couple, and one of them was my home." She blinks and looks to Star, "Coltfriend? Ahhh, that would explain partly why he runs screaming whenever a filly attempts to touch him."
Star Paige thinks Quicksilver's making a quip about sky and walks up to him getting into his face as she says "So what if he has one? What business is it of yours his personal affairs, if your causing him any trouble I will make you sorry." She states as she tries to stand up for sky though probably misunderstanding the situation as usual.
Skyheart isn't taking that well either. He's a bit red and sighs. "Er... No. I'm not... I mean... I'm single. My problem isn't with mares it's with ponies trying to mess with my wings. I don't like old feathers. What is so wrong about that? I like to stay clean." He sighs as Star enters into the fray. "Star, don't... She's not... Please, don't... Oh, Celestia..." He puts a hoof over his muzzle and hopes this won't get ugly.
Quicksilver snorts and shakes her head, "Now when did I say something was wrong about him having a coltfriend? Sky you should listen rather than leaping to conclusions, not every mare thinks its wrong for colts to date each other." She chuckles softly, "Personally, I think its rather cute, though I wish they would be less shy about asking for fashion tips and grooming tips. I have seen too many stallions with horrible manecuts because they do not ask advice.
Star Paige humphs at quicksilver and looks back at Sky saying "But what about that stallion I saw you with I thought he was your um special colt, I figured that someone as well kind and poetic as you had to already have someone special." She states looking confused as she sits next to him and shrugs as she orders a cup of coffee and waits for him to clarify.
Skyheart shakes his head. "No no no. I've been single all my life. That colt was just somepony who wanted to see my writings, really. I just... kind of happened to jump into his hooves when Blue Feather launched baked goods and loose feathers all over the place. I couldn't tell you which one was more disgusting."
Quicksilver shakes her head a little, "Ahh well, anyways, I should probably get flying soon, they where supposed to let me know if things get dicey, but, you know how that goes." She just chuckles at Marble, her wings spreading as she slips out of the booth and gets to her hooves
Star Paige smiles as she says "Really but why? I mean don't you get lonely?" She asks Skyheart as she sits next to him sipping her coffee, she soon asks him. "You ever consider well letting somepony getting close to you?" She asks as she chuckles and says "To be honest it wasn't that bad children get like that sometimes, I know its icky to us now but at some point we all enjoyed playing in the mud."
Skyheart ignores any and all potential euphemism and shrugs. "I just don't like ponies messing with my wings. My preening is a private thing. That's how I was brought up. I wouldn't mind being close to somepony but I don't feel like I have to give up my upbringing to do it."
Quicksilver gives Sky a light nudge with a wingtip as she gets ready to go, "On Sky sweetie, you should bring your coltfriend around some time, lest I can do is give him some advice on mane and tail care."
Star Paige smiles as she shrugs and says "That's fine there your wings are apart of you, you don't need to worry bout me preening your wings for ya, and I wouldn't think most mares or stallions would bother you bout such things. If you wanna handle your own wings that's fine, who is trying to change your upbringing?"
Skyheart gives a nod to Quicksilver. "Apparently playing with eachother's feathers is important to courtship where she's from. But that assumes I'm dating a pegasus that shares those values. I just don't see why this is a problem."
Quicksilver trots out the door, wings opening, and as soon as shes outside, shes up and into the air.
Star Paige shrugs and says "I guess that be important for her, but not every pony thinks its that bad you don't like your feathers being touched." She smiles as she says "You should think about what makes you happy, and do what is important to you, don't let her or anyone push you around."
Skyheart takes a deep breath. "I'll keep that in mind... Thanks." He makes sure his things are set up an yawns. "I should get some sleep. Come on, Orpheus." he bird on his back just looks at him. The owner chuckles and heads for home.