Dangerous Game (open)

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Dangerous Game (open) Jan 22, 2013 15:54:09 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2013 15:54:09 GMT -6

Fleetfoot stood quite still in the middle of the main runway and listened. There was no sound but the quiet rush of the wind as it passed by. The only light on the plateau was the shine of the moon in the clear sky as she sprang into the air and climbed. Even though she was in uniform, this was one time she did not want to be seen. Because if Spitfire found out what she'd been doing at night, What made her so sleepy every day... Well, she had no idea what her captain would do. But she had a fairly good idea that neither of them would like it.

She caught one of the many updrafts and lazily rode it as far up as it went, trying to conserve her energy. She intended to put as much energy as she could push through her body into this next stunt. For the Wonderbolt knew things. Things like, nothing lasts forever, and records are made to be broken. Right now, she was in her prime, and she was, she thought without shame or modesty, the fastest pegasus in the sky. It was a simple truth. It was a fact.

But for how long? That simple question could freeze Fleet's stomach into a solid block of ice. Speed was all she had. She didn't have Captain's leadership or creativity. She didn't have Soarin's skill or his physics defying ability to pull off a trick in any circumstance. She had speed and that was it, and when it was gone, she'd get overtaken by some young-blood and gradually be faded out of shows and memory. Fleetfoot felt the updraft ebb away and she had to work harder now to climb, for the air was thin up here. Yes, Spitfire and Soarin'. Those two were truly legendary, and unless she could become a legend herself, one day she'd be replaced in their trio. Not because they didn't like her, but just because one day she'd no longer be the fastest. There would be no place for her then.

Fleet felt the now-familiar feeling of lightheadedness that came when you had reached an altitude too high to breathe in, and she leveled off and circled. The mesa below was a tiny dot. Time to go down. She pointed her fore-hooves and her nose straight down, tucked into as aerodynamic a little package as she was able, and began to beat her wings hard and fast. She counted.

...1...
...2...
...3... already she could feel the sound barrier trembling under her hooves...
...4...
...5...
...6... She was startled by the sonic boom. Fleet usually didn't shatter it until 9. But though it was a new record, this was not what she'd come up here to do! Her speed increased dramatically, and the Academy which had been slowly approaching, decided to stop playing around and seriously come to meet her.
...7...
...8... Ah, there it was! Fleet could feel the night growing darker in her peripheral vision as she approached blackout speed. She struggled to hold on, to keep her mind focused. Her wings were practically on autopilot, if she lost it now, they'd fly her into the runway so hard there wouldn't be anything left but a smear on the pavement. Hold it together, Fleet. she told herself. Just hold on...
...9...
...10...
...11...
...13...? Fleet confusedly wondered what she was counting for. It seemed so...pointless. There was something she had to do. Something important. But everything was so... dark. Fleet shut her eyes. ...Something...

It was a chance cloud, passing where it ought not to be, that saved her. Of course, at the speed she was traveling, she completely obliterated it as she went through, but it was cold and wet and it slowed her down just a little. Just enough.

Fleetfoot snapped awake in a second and with a curse, fought against her own momentum and speed to pull out of the nosedive and make a landing that was so shaky and bad, it was more crash than landing. Only the fact that she wound up on all four hooves in the end, after a series of tumbles and rolls that tore through her uniform all down one side and skinned her flank, counted it for a landing at all. She stood, trembling, contemplating the utter stupidity and riskiness of what she'd been aiming for and finally accomplished tonight... then the blast of air she'd built up from her dive struck her from behind and sent her sprawling on her face.

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Dangerous Game (open) Jan 24, 2013 20:22:21 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2013 20:22:21 GMT -6

Gilda wasn't sure if she should be here. In fact she wasn't sure if she could be here. She was pretty sure that there weren't any students around. She didn't think the academy was even in session at this time of the year and she knew it was at least past curfew or something this late at night. She was still a bit jittery though. It could be against some rules for her to be here, especially after hours.

Still, this was the Wonderbolt academy. She was sooooo curious and that stupid 'curiosity killed the cat' saying was stupid anyways. She just had to be careful and not do anything stupid and she was sure that even if it was against the rules to be there and she was caught, which wasn't very likely anyways, they wouldn't mind her being there...hopefully anyways.

'Course Gilda couldn't just fly around the place, that'd be to obvious. She stuck to the ground, using those lion instincts to stalk around and staying low to the ground. Being stealthy never hurt anybody. She could even try to say she had been hunting if someone found her...though she was pretty sure there were no rabbits up here. Not unless one had learned to climb or fly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten minutes later Gilda had decided that this trip was totally worth it. his was so cool, she had seen the training clouds, the giant machines they had up here and even took a peek inside at the dorms. A-W-E-S-O-M-E. She already loved this place she would have to try out next time they were open. But...that almost certainly meant running into Dash. That put a check on her. She frowned, not sure how awesome that would be.

It possible they'd get into a fight and just get kicked out the first day...she'd have to think about that.

Gilda turned a corner, finally ready to check out the runway. It was quality, paved. She had never even been on one this nice, not even when delivering big stuff. It was so flat it felt li-....who was that? Gilda dove into a nearby window, which was luckily open. 'Sloppy job, janitors' she scolded in her mind.

She was quickly distracted by that. She knew that uniform, the blue and yellow, or as she liked to call it, gold and those trademark goggles. She also recognized that mare, the physic, the blown back mane, that tail. It was Fleetfoot. It was the Fleetfoot. Her longtime favorite Wonderbolt of all time. Fleetfoot's speed was legendary and, well, that's what Gilda was worst at.

She would have screamed if she hadn't been so shocked. Okay, maybe not scream, shriek or something though, she actually did let out a squeak as her beak listed open. Then the unbelievable happened. Her wings opened. She was flying. Gilda was watching Fleetfoot fly. She actually felt a bit guilty spying like this, but Fleetfoot would never find out, Gilda would just hide in here for a while and then leave a bit after Fleet left, yeah, that would work. For now she just wanted to watch this.

It was amazing. She knew Fleetfoot was good, but seeing her up close was a whole 'nother deal. Gilda never had been able to get good seats for the Wonderbolts. Right now she had the best seat in the house. She watched as the pegasus went, up, and up and up. It wasn't fancy flying, but Gilda knew what was next and could barely contain her excitement.

The Wonderbolt dived. She fell...not like a rock, she was way too co-ordinated. It was amazing. Within a few seconds she was on the verge of breaking the barrier and then when she did...well Gilda never had been able to break the sound barrier. She wanted to, so bad, but it had just never happened. She was starting to think she just couldn't and honestly, seeing someone do it so effortlessly didn't help, but it did fill Gilda with wonder.

The wonder faded fast. Shouldn't she have been slowing down by now? At least pulling up a bit, but she was still going straight down. Gilda stepped outside. Her face had worry written all over it.

Then she crashed. Gilda cried out "FLEETFOOT" she yelled. Gilda quickly ran over to her, too worried to remember she was trying to be stealthy. Who cared anyways?! She had to see if Fleetfoot was okay! "Fleetfoot, I-I'm sorry for being here, but are you okay? That was amazing, what were you trying to do?! Wait, no are you okay?" she was geeking out a bit, but Fleetfoot was still hurt. That had to come first.

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Dangerous Game (open) Jan 25, 2013 1:07:33 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2013 1:07:33 GMT -6

"FLEETFOOT!"

The Wonderbolt in question froze up in an instant, every feather and hair standing on end. For one wild instant, she was sure that Spitfire was there, and that she, Fleetfoot, was in serious trouble. She must have come here to do extra paperwork, she thought with an inward hiss. Stupid, Stupid! Why didn't I make sure first? The answer, of course, was that Spitfire usually took work home, rather than going to it. A second later, Fleet's blood began to run in her veins again. This wasn't Spitfire. This was... A griffon?

"Fleetfoot, I-I'm sorry for being here, but are you okay? That was amazing, what were you trying to do?! Wait, no are you okay?"

Not just a griffon, Fleet realized grimly. This was a fan. Luna only knew what it cost her at this moment to straighten up, to lift her head and even to smile. Fleet wore her uniform much deeper than just on the surface. Before she answered, she ran through a sort of mental checklist. Wings: Ruffled, but not broken or torn. Head: Goggles had a shattered lens, but she didn't think she'd taken any damage there. Legs: couple of cuts, a really bad scrape on one flank, and one foot felt a bit wobbly and weak. She suspected a sprain.

"Could be worse," she said at last. She didn't like the scratchy, uneven quality of her voice, so she cleared her throat and tried again. "I can walk away from this, at least." Much better. That sounded much more like a Wonderbolt. And just to demonstrate, Fleet took a couple of awkward steps. Yeah, that foot was definitely going to swell. Well, that was why mother nature had given ponies four legs to walk on. Fleet pulled her broken goggles up off her head and regarded Gilda with her steel-blue eyes. Her first thought was to be furious- but she realized that she wanted to be mad because she had just been scared. Funny how that worked. Besides, getting mad at a fan, and Gilda must be a fan if she could recognize her exactly, in the dark, in uniform, and at a distance- was just not worth it. So she did the thing which never failed her- the unexpected.

"Well, you aren't supposed to be here, and I suppose you know that, but since you are," Fleetfoot chuckled in a friendly way "You can make yourself really helpful and help patch me up a bit. Bandages are a curse when you're trying to put them on yourself, and I think its something you'd be better at anyway. C'mon, we'll go to my quarters here. " Fleet led the way across the green to the dormitory, limping a bit.

"What I'm trying to do is..." the Pegasus explained as she turned on the lights for the hallways. "Ponyfeathers!" She exclaimed interrupting herself, when the overheads flickered to life and revealed the true state of her body. She was worse off than she'd thought, and now that she saw it, she could also feel it! "Well... I guess that's it for this uniform. This thing's totaled!" She thought she saw a worried expression on Gilda's face. "Ahhhh, I'll live. Looks worse than it is."

Fleet straightened up even more, and began to navigate the corridors that led to her own rooms. "Like I was saying. I am trying to break a second barrier, like the sound barrier. Only, it's not really a barrier at all." She paused a moment, trying to think of a better way to explain. "Once you make a sonic boom, you become significantly faster. But if you keep trying to increase your speed afterwards, you start to black out. This has always put a sort of a speed limit on flying. Ponies have trouble flying when they're passed out." Fleet grinned wryly as they turned a corner. Just one more hallway to get down. "I believe," she said firmly, "That if you can keep increasing your speed even as you go through the blackout speeds, you will come out of it 'on the other side' as it were. And at speeds like that..." Even Fleet's voice went soft and a little awestruck, at the idea of it "Who knows what might be possible?"

Unlocking the door and pushing it open, Fleet moved into her room and flicked on the light. Whatever Gilda might have expected, it probably wasn't the room she saw. The second most notable feature of this room was that it didn't have any windows. Not a single one. But the most noticeable thing about the room was that it didn't need them.

The four walls were painted with a soft mural which made you feel you were standing on the peak of a high mountain, above the cloud level, in the very earliest hours of dawn. Hazy clouds were painted to fade away into the 'distance' with other mountain peaks painted to break through them here and there. There were even little trees painted on one of them. No, not painted. They were real, little bonsai trees! Even the doors were painted, so that when Fleet closed it behind the griffon, except for the outline of it, the illusion of being out of doors was very strong. For furniture, there were three huge, round, soft cushions, easily large enough to sleep on comfortably... but it looked like only one of these had been occupied lately. And that was it. It was rather bare, but that, too, added to the open, airy mood of the room.

"I'm afraid it's not very entertaining, but make yourself at home," Fleet suggested, heading across the room to the other door. Beyond that was, somewhat disappointingly, just a plain bathroom. "I'm going to wash up a bit and then, if you don't mind, I'll give you the first aid kit and you can see how many supplies you can use up on me." Fleet laughed as though this was not a serious matter at all, but just a game.

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Dangerous Game (open) Jan 27, 2013 12:59:45 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2013 12:59:45 GMT -6

Even after a crash she looked amazing. Sure she looked a bit hurt, not to mention her uniform was practically in shreds, but she still looked so dang impressive. It might've just been Gilda's bias though, she knew what laid beneath that beat up skin, or she knew what it was in her own mind: speed incarnate. Something Gilda wanted so bad but hadn't been able to achieve, to get fast, and this mare was doing it all the time even though she was already the fastest pony, like ever and always getting faster.

To say Gilda might even have a bit of a fan crush on Fleetfoot wasn't pushing it, a big one even. Of course if you said that in her general area you'd wish you hadn't, courtesy of Gilda, but that wouldn't make it less true. Who could blame her though. Fleetfoot was pretty amazing and Gilda already idolized the Wonderbolts.

Onto less embarrassing topics, Gilda was still standing there like a statue, watching Fleetfoot and despite the mare's best efforts, Gilda knew that she had to be hurting. That just made it so much more impressive when she started talking and almost sounded completely alright except for a bit scratchy at the start and maybe a bit tired. Who wouldn't be after a fall like that.

Gilda held her breath as Fleetfoot walked. When Fleetfoot took off her goggles Gilda forgot to exhale, in fact she forgot to breath for a moment or two until she started getting tunnel vision. As far as Gilda knew Fleetfoot barely ever took off even just her goggles in public. She had cool eyes, they matched, well, her.

Her belief that she wasn't supposed to be here was confirmed, but it also seemed to be paying off pretty well. At first she looked ashamed and embarassed, ready for whatever hellstorm of words she was about to get from her idol. Which was why she was amazed when Fleetfoot said 'but.' Her whole demeanor changed, brightening up before she even heard the end of the sentence.

"Whatever you say Miss Fleetfoot. Sorry for trespassing." she said. She stayed pretty restrained on the outside, for a superfan anyways, but on the inside there were fireworks. She was going to Fleetfoot's quarters!!! How amazing was that? She was the luckiest, griffon, ever.

She couldn't help but have her face frown a bit more when Fleetfoot finally reacted to how bad she looked. Gilda had noticed it outside, eagle eyes and all, but she just seemed to realize. "Yeah, suppose it is trashes, don't suppose they come in griffon shapes?" she said, obviously joking...okay, mostly joking. It would be the best souvenir ever.

When Fleetfoot started talking about her speed, well, Gilda couldn't relate to be honest. She wasn't anywhere near that fast. She was faster than the average pegasus to be sure, the average griffon too but not...that fast. In fact she was too slow for her own tastes and she hadn't been able to get faster the past few months and it was really starting to get to her. She was running out of practice types too but maybe she could get some tips from this master of flight.

She looked absolutely shocked while walking into Fleetfoot's room. The mare definitely has taste. The room made Gilda feel like she was on a cloud, high above everything, or maybe on a mountain, though she never had landed on top of one before. Gilda wasn't a fan of snow. She liked the room, a lot. It was neat and unique and simple.

}"This place is real neat Fleetfoot, especially the tiny trees. I've never seen those." She examined one closely, but was way to nervous about breaking one it touch it. She turned her attention over to the cushions, they looked comfy. As Fleetfoot went into the bathroom, she laid down on one, being careful with her claws.

She rolled around for a bit and somehow ended up on her back before finally rolling into a comfortable position. Even if it was half on her side. "Just so you know, I never was one of those 'lets play doctor' kind of kids." she tried to match Fleetfoot's humor, but she was still kinda worried about the mare, that had been a really gnarly crash.

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Dangerous Game (open) Jan 29, 2013 9:49:41 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2013 9:49:41 GMT -6

Fleet was pleased when Gilda mentioned the trees. "Those are Bonsai Trees from Neighpon." She called back, turning the faucet in the tub on and talking over the noise. "Those particular three are ones I picked up while on tour. Just on a whim, a passing fancy. Now its a lifetime love affair, and I collect and grow them myself." the mare laughed, not caring in the least if it seemed weird. "But those three were my first, and I usually take them with me to whatever place I'm staying at for a few days."

Sucking in her breath, the pegasus carefully peeled off the remains of her uniform, trying to ease the fabric over the cuts and scrapes. It wasn't easy, particularly when one had to keep the weight off a particular foot, but this, too, was something a Wonderbolt dealt with more often than the average pony. Injuries were just inevitable if you did a lot of fancy flying, no matter how good you were. When it was off, she tossed it into a clothes hamper and eased herself into the tub, turning off the faucet.

"Just so you know, I never was one of those 'lets play doctor' kind of kids." She heard the Griffon remark. The Wonderbolt thought she was still sounding a little anxious.

Rolling over in the water and staring up at the plain tiled ceiling, Fleet replied easily "Don't worry, You wont have to do anything too awful, like stitches or setting a broken bone, or making a splint." she chuckled at the idea of asking a fan to do something like that. "All I need are some bandages." The stinging of her cuts was fading as the water cleaned them up. She rolled one final time and climbed out.

When she was toweling off, a rather dreadful thought occurred to Fleet. She was going to come face to face with a near-stranger... without her uniform. She didn't have a spare, and even if she had, Gilda wouldn't be able to put bandages on her with it on.

Fleet was known for being a very private pony. She never wore the dress uniform, nor attended functions where it was required. She didn't give interviews to the press, and no photos of her were published without her Wonderbolts uniform. When she went out in public without it, she was never recognized, except by Soarin and Spitfire. The paparazzi had been after her so long, without any luck, that they had almost given up entirely.

Pulling the trusty first aid kit off of a shelf, Fleet took a couple of deep breaths to manage the stage fright she was suddenly attacked by. The Griffon was a fan, she told herself. A fan is much more likely to be intimidated by you, than to be intimidating to you. It didn't help at all, but there was really no other choice. So a few moments later, Fleetfoot stepped back into the living area, feeling more nervous than she ever did before a show. Her damp mane and tail lacked their trademark poofiness, and with the exception of the same grey-blue eyes and the scratches, she could have easily been a completely different pony.

Setting the first aid kit down between them, Fleet opened it. Tossing a long roll of white bandage to Gilda, she managed a half smile and remarked, "Just wrap me up enough so that none of the scratches show, and tie it off. You've got fingers, so I think you'll find it pretty easy. By the way, you know my name, but I don't think you introduced yourself. And while you're at it, what were you doing up here so late? I'm not going to scold-" She added hastily, "I'm just curious." That, and I'm trying to hide how nervous I feel, she thought.

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Dangerous Game (open) Feb 7, 2013 20:29:44 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2013 20:29:44 GMT -6

Neighpon? She had never been to Neighpon in all her days of delivery. She had been to Stalliongrad and back more than a few times but Neighpon never seemed to show up for her. She had even done a few runs to Trottingham on rare occasions. "I've never been to Neighpon, whats it like?" she said, her head turning to the side a bit as she continued staring at the walls and tiny trees "All I've been told is that it's real..different."

She was getting a bit distracted by the 'scenery.' She couldn't help but think that the little trees, Fleetfoot had called them Bonsai trees, looked like what regular trees looked like when she was flying. It was a really neat illusion. She loved the room really. It might be because it was Fleetfoot's room, but it would still be neat if it wasn't.

Fleet's comment about not having to do anything 'gruesome' almost made Gilda laugh. She knew ponies didn't really think about hunting all to much, but Gilda was more than used to blood and such, it was a weekly part of her life, sometimes even more often than that, normal(for her). Course she didn't expect Fleet to realize that, she was a pony after all. They never really seemed to 'get' her.

Just as Fleet walked out, upon hearing her do so Gilda turned and her eyes widened. "She's not wearing it."

[/i] rang in her head. She had never seen Fleetfoot without her uniform on, ever. In fact Gilda wasn't sure she had seen the Wonderbolt's eyes before tonight. Now that she did see Fleetfoot without her uniform...wow.

Gilda shuffled her wings and sat up, surprised. Of course, in the cushiony ground she had she almost immediately tumbled to the side. She fixed it by spreading one of her wings to keep balance, but her eyes were still fixed on Fleetfoot. After a moment or two more of that Gilda realized what she was doing and causally looked away, if jerking your head to the side and staring at a blank spot on the wall was casual.

"U-uh-um." she stuttered when Fleetfoot asked about her. SHE! Stutter! She took a deep breath and carefully wrapped the bandage she had been handed around one of Fleet's cuts before taking a deep brea-wait she had already done that. What was she trying to do again? Answer a question! Right! " I'm Grizelda Luliaceae...." She was legitemeately disgusted with herself for saying that, after so long to answer her heroine's question she had answered it with that stupid, stupid name. "I mean, Gilda, everyone calls me Gilda." Much better.

"I was here...I don't really have a reason. I've just been a bit down and thought this place looked neat from the distance while I was flying...next thing I knew I was here" she wasn't gonna go too deep into the whole, bit down, thing unless Fleetfoot gave her a good press at it, why ruin the moment?! It was stupid anyways, it was just a bit of time off. Most would be happy about what she had, paid time off, but she felt more conflicted than ever. There wasn't anything to do anymore and that left her time to think about things and that right there was the problem.

Course she probably needed the time off, she had been working her feathers off, literally. Though that was probably a mix of that and the extra preening. She looked a tiny bit better than when she had first stormed away from her job's building. That still left her looking obviously patchy though.

Gilda tried to think of something to say to Fleetfoot, a question. She could only think of one though, it was a bit personal. Still, it was better than getting grilled about all of her issues and looking stupid and weak or like she couldn't handle her own life and problems without help. "So...I've never seen you without your costume before." Gilda tied off her bandage, hoping it wasn't too tight on Fleet and began another. "How come you show up at stuff without it?" she was genuinely curious about that, even if it was just to take attention off herself. She had noticed, Gilda was pretty sure everyone had noticed, that Fleetfoot was private. It was real neat and all, but the griffon really wanted to know why.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

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Dangerous Game (open) Feb 9, 2013 3:43:16 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2013 3:43:16 GMT -6

"Neighpon," Fleet began, thoughtfully, "Is both very much alike, and very much unlike, our dear little corner of Equestria. It's full of ponies, Earth and Unicorn and Pegasai, and all the same little kinds of conflicts and problems. Without getting too general, I suppose I would say that the biggest differences is that Neighpon ponies are usually a couple hands shorter than your average pony, and that there seems to be sort of cultural trend towards surface simplicity, good manners, and inner reflection."

"The ponies tend to be very mild-mannered, quiet and polite, not likely to scream at you or to stare too obviously. At first they seem so meek, mild as milk. But then again, there's a subtlety that almost seems deceptive, and it's very hard to know what such a pony really thinks. And for all that gentleness, they're really secretly burning with an intensity thats as hard as steel, and twice as sharp. And just when you think you've got somepony figured out, you find something new in them that lets you know you never really understood them at all. "

Fleet paused a moment, then laughed, realizing that she'd forgotten about her nervousness in her topic, but had also, perhaps, lost her audience. "If you spend any length of time there, you'll start to understand what I mean. You should go, at least once, and see it for their style, if nothing else. Its very unique."

As Gilda continued her work, Fleet occasionally turned to provide the best working angles she could for the griffon. In doing so, she'd also been able to quietly observe her guest, without being too obvious about it. But it was clear to the Wonderbolt that Gilda was troubled, overworked, and particularly stressed, if her over-preened feathers had anything to say about it. Worse yet, Fleet could see that the griffon guessed she could see it, was embarrassed about it.

Which would make it hard to help. Fleetfoot the Wonderbolt would do anything for a fan that was feasible. She loved Wonderbolt fans at least as much as they loved her. But if Gilda wasn't ready or able to accept help yet, then the only thing the Pegasus would do by trying to help would be to cause more damage, as the griffon would resent her own weakness, and for letting it show.

"So...I've never seen you without your costume before. How come you never show up at stuff without it?"

And that too, was a risky area. Fleet's eyes seemed to unfocus as she thought, the blue in them seeming to melt away into shimmering silver. Fans often had... unrealistic ideals that were hard to live up to, though Celestia knew, she tried. They sometimes didn't like to know that a Wonderbolt might be afraid or have bad judgement, or be tired, or have any less-than-heroic, normal pony feelings. Had this been any other fan, Fleet might have glossed over the question with a lighthearted joke. I have to protect my secret identity was a favorite of hers for foals. I'm so drop-dead gorgeous that any stallion who sees me either goes blind, or passes out. was another popular one.

But Gilda was different. She might lose some or even all of her admiration and respect for Fleet, or then again, she might actually be helped by knowing that even Wonderbolts weren't perfect. It was a risk, but it had the chance of a worthy reward. Fleet's eyes focused suddenly. Even with something so personal, she was always ready to run a risk!

"I get frightened around ponies without my uniform." she said suddenly, meeting Gilda's eyes. "I had a lot of trouble with other ponies growing up, and it made me especially timid. With my uniform, I feel protected from stares and criticism. Nopony can hurt me when I wear it. Nopony can really know me. There's freedom in that. And, because I don't have to worry about what's being thought about me, I can do anything."

Fleet hesitated, looked away, and a faint half-smile played across her face. "But... Without it... I struggle. I can't really do anything well. Worse yet, being stared at, in crowds... I shut down...literally." A moment's thought. "You've probably seen something like it in rabbits... terror so overpowering that they can't move, can't blink, can't run away to save themselves. They're just frozen with fear." Perhaps an uncomfortable comparison, since both of them knew why Gilda would be familiar with such a reaction, but there it was.

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Dangerous Game (open) Feb 18, 2013 12:36:21 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2013 12:36:21 GMT -6

Gilda has the sneaking suspicion that she might get along with the ponies in Neighpon even worse than the ones here. She seemed to be their exact opposite, other than keeping things hidden from most. They were quiet, she was definitely loud. She was also neither mild-mannered or polite. She knew it too. Though she usually wasn't rude on purpose, it just sorta... happened.

Either way, point was that she probably wouldn't get along with most the ponies there, didn't mean she wouldn't go anyways though. She didn't get along with almost everyone here anyways. It couldn't be horribly different over there. "I'll probably check it out at some point. I'm sorta on leave from my job...so I've got plenty of time as far as I know." she hadn't really meant for the conversation to take a downward spiral like that. Oops.

She had been desperately searching for something to talk about, preferably something that would take Fleet's eyes off her. She was still trying to think of something, her mind racing faster than she had ever gone, as she finished tying another bandage on to her hero. She gave it an experimental tug, making sure it was secure, then moved on to another in a hurry. Trying to make it look like she was working hard and being focused instead of geeking out on the inside while worrying about whether her hero could tell she was a wreck.

Gilda looked up when Fleet paused at the question. Boy, her eyes were something. Gilda had no problem staring at the mare until she answered, which she did. Yeah, no problem, that was for sure. She still couldn't believe that she was sitting here with Fleetfoot so she was gonna soak up as much of it as possible so she didn't forget it was real later because right now it sure seemed like a dream come true.

Then everything sorta shifted. It was sorta weird for Fleet to return her gaze. Gilda would have averted her eyes but it was too late for that. Fleetfoot's answer had surprised her. At the same time she understood it. Gilda herself sorta did the same thing, just not with an outfit. What surprised Gilda more was that she even mentioned hunting. More than that, she had gone pretty far into the specifics.

As soon as Fleet was done speaking Gilda looked away. Her shoulders were a bit hunched as she wished she could shrink and disappear from the situation. Gilda always avoided talking about hunting with ponies around. She had been sure they wouldn't really...get it, being herbivores and all. Here Fleetfoot was, proving her wrong. It was weird. 'Course, it made Fleetfoot that much cooler in Gilda's eyes, but it still felt weird. "Yeah, I know that look."

She gathered up her courage and finally looked back at Fleet. "Sorry, not used to that being something ponies mention...ever. So it's a bit...anyways" she said with a nervous laugh. The two comments sure had made Fleet feel more...real. Once again, weird, but real. In an odd way she felt more comfortable with Fleet. Gilda was still pretty self-conscious though. She was still talking to Fleetfoot.

Gilda finished wrapping yet another bandage. "Umm, am I doing fine?" she tied it off. It none of them were top notch of course. She hadn't ever done this before, even for herself, which was making less and less sense to her given all the crashes she had been in. "So....should I wrap your ankle too? It looks pretty swollen and you were limping earlier...are you really okay?"

Gilda was enjoying the option to be more invested into Fleet's problems than her own. They were, partially, pushed to the back of her mind at the moment. Maybe just for the moment, but still. "I haven't ever been in a crash like that, looked like it hurt." well, she hadn't been in a crash going that fast and she hadn't crashed while diving in a few years, though recently she had crashed when chasing a marmot. She hadn't looked where her dive would take her and a moment after she pulled up her wing had sorta clothes-lined a tree, the tree won that battle and sent her spinning and falling on the ground, resulting in one of the current patchy areas. It wasn't horribly visible when her wings were closed though, so no real problem.

She paused and thought back to what Fleet had said just before the comment about rabbits. "And, I sorta get what you mean with the uniform. I was sorta like that when I was real little. I didn't freeze up or anything, but...I sorta get it." She had been pretty shy until she had been pushed too far and snapped, but that was way back when she was a fledgeling, a chick, a cub, whatever you wanted to call her when she was really young. It had worked out though, besides the timber wolves, she hadn't turned out some shy little weak thing and instead had become...herself in a way. "But...even if you're shy might want to go see a doctor tomorrow, it was a rough crash and I suck at this."

Last Edit: Feb 18, 2013 19:11:19 GMT -6 by Deleted

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Dangerous Game (open) Feb 25, 2013 2:37:21 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2013 2:37:21 GMT -6

Fleetfoot inspected the bandages Gilda was applying with the air of one who was quite used to having them put on. A little inexperienced, but she said as much, Fleet decided. And, really, I have had them done worse even by the medical staff. Nerves, I expect. Theirs, not mine. "You're doing just fine," she assured the griffon. "And yeah, if you could tie up my ankle, I'd appreciate it." she lifted the injured foot with a wince she couldn't quite hide. Oh, she was grateful for the use of her other three legs!

"I'll probably be all right, but I'll see a doctor tomorrow anyway. I cant afford to play around with my health." Fleet added, seriously. "I've got too much riding on these wings to try and be stoic about injuries. " Fleet looked thoughtful again, and her unfocused gaze went all silvery. "Two things went wrong," she said, but it was more as though she were speaking to herself. "One was the blackout. I've got to find a way to keep conscious longer. Maybe if I read up on it, I can find out what causes it...There might be a solution that way..." She drifted into quiet again, thinking for a while.

"But I had absolutely no business trying to land at that speed!" she remarked, almost angrily, at herself. "That was way too fast. I should have made it into a swoop and come back for a second pass when I'd lost most of the momentum." Fleetfoot shook her head, annoyed. The movement brought her into the 'present' as it were, and she looked surprised to see Gilda. Then she realized that the griffon was done, and what was more, had probably been done for some time whilst Fleet stood perfectly still, looking perfectly foalish. The blush that flared on her face for a moment was, for once, not hidden by a uniform. "Uh... sorry..." She said with a nervous laugh of her own. "I was just kind of reviewing the crash in my mind... and I zoned out."

Fleet considered a moment as she limped to the nearest cushion and collapsed, gently, onto it. "It's pretty late," she remarked, "And right about now, there will be a security patrol doing a flyby of the area. You might have been overlooked once, but I don't think its a good idea to go tempting fate again. So why not spend of the rest of the night here? It's no trouble. As you can see, I have a place you can sleep, and while I wont make you breakfast in the morning," The wonderbolt said this with a teasing air "I will get you off this rock without anypony harassing you."

Fleet realized that when she said 'It's no trouble' she meant it. While she couldn't say that she was on best friend terms with Gilda yet, The griffon's acceptance of the fact that Wonderbolts weren't perfect put the pegasus on more comfortable, far easier terms. She smiled.

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Dangerous Game (open) Mar 9, 2013 16:39:27 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2013 16:39:27 GMT -6

Oh no. She was inspecting the bandages. Gilda wasn't sure what She had been expecting after asking Fleet to tell her whether she was doing alright with them, but it still made her a bit nervous. This was her hero of heroes. Fleetfoot was the fastest pony alive; the fastest thing alive. Gilda looked up to her for that. She also liked the mystery though. The public didn't know much of anything about her. Gilda wouldn't mind being that good at avoiding things, she'd really like it actually.

Of course she also really, really liked talking to Fleetfoot and being one of the few members of the public to know what she looked like without her uniform on. It was pretty awesome by Gilda's standards, actually it was really awesome by Gilda's standards. This was the best thing she had had happen to her...like...ever.

On top of it she got to hear Fleet talk about her flying! It was a critique of her flying, but that was the best thing to hear after all. Gilda had to agree that Fleet had gone in way too fast. Gilda knew how to come in for a fast landing but she had never been going that fast so she wasn't sure if her standard hunting dives stopping technique would be enough to slow down. She kept her beak shut on it. Fleet would have thought of that anyways.

Then she blushed, that was unexpected and more confusing than anything else. Had something happened? Gilda looked around a bit, noticing nothing looked too out of place. "No problem, I know what you mean." most everyone that wanted to be good fliers would run over what they did wrong after a big crash. "I mean...I've never really done something so intense...but I...think I get what you mean." Gilda was sorta nervous over over-stepping or...something.

She didn't really think she could be equated to Fleet. She didn't want to be either, it'd make her look bad.

"Ar-are you sure." Gilda stammered out, she had thought she would simply freeze for a second but she had powered through it, not without a look of surprise though. "I-I mean, I'd love to but...only if you're really sure its not problem, I wouldn't want to overstep, erm, overfly-" that had been a stupid correction. It had been meant to be a joke but now it just sounded cheesy. "If it's not any trouble though I...wouldn't mind staying."

Gilda positioned herself onto one of the cushions again now that she was done with Fleet. She hoped she hadn't done too badly. "So you live here, sometimes at least?" she had figured that Fleetfoot wouldn't spend much time here just like she didn't spend much time in public.

Gilda half spread her wings to take a look at them and began preening to distract herself from the remainder of her nerves. Something about straightening her feathers, plucking one here and there, made her feel better when she was pressured. Gilda took a deep breath, her eyes closed, then released. "So...other than when you crash, what's being a Wonderbolt like?"

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Dangerous Game (open) Mar 11, 2013 3:24:39 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2013 3:24:39 GMT -6

"It's not a problem," Fleet assured the Griffon. "You're not overstepping any bounds and I'd like to have you stay." Fleet didn't seem to notice, or at least didn't show it if she did, Gilda's little stumble. Shifting her weight around a little, the Wonderbolt tucked her three good legs underneath her, leaving her sprained foot out. Best not to put any stress on it, at least not this first night, she thought. Inwardly, she appraised Gilda's bandaging. She'd done better than Fleet thought at first. She seemed to get the right amount of tension in them. The scrapes weren't hurting at all, and except for a little dull ache and her foot, she felt pretty o.k.

"So you live here, sometimes at least?"

"Yeah," Fleet admitted. "Usually when school's out, I move in for a few weeks of special training. The equipment here is first rate, and it just goes unused otherwise. This room was... not originally a dormitory room. It was an abandoned office set aside especially for me when I was still a rookie." Fleet's eyes went silvery again as she remembered those days.

"We would practice for shows in front of the older, more experienced Wonderbolts, and sometimes afterwards I would have... freeze-ups. Spitfire always saw them coming and would push me to this office and wait outside. When she became Captain, she gave me this room. I think she thought I might help train other speed fliers, but..." Fleet laughed, softly. "So far it hasn't happened. I don't think I'll ever be able to teach a class. Maybe I'll take fliers on an individual basis."

Fleet brightened up a bit when Gilda asked about being a Wonderbolt. It was a topic she really liked to talk about. "It's great! It's amazing! It's... oh, wow, so many different things, both good and bad." Fleet thought a minute, then smiled.

"Take the fame, for instance. Its really flattering, to be so popular and loved. Even I feel it, in uniform. You know ponies are looking up to you and thinking you're the best thing in the world. They send you presents, not just valuable ones, but heartfelt ones too. I have a collection of drawings by foals in my mane house. I think it must be one of the most valuable things I own. I get tons of mail." Fleet paused with a gentle smile.

"But the other side to that is that you have to pay back that affection. After a long show, I'm often tired, nearly dead on my feet. But there's a long line of fans waiting for me, hoping for that autograph and a personal word. I can't send them away! And as you start to sign, more people get in line and you think that this will never end but you can't turn them away because you know they love you and you don't want to disappoint them. So I sign and speak, and try to pay just that small bit of personal attention that everypony craves. It takes a long time but I don't go home until every pony gets their turn."

"Something I really like about being a Wonderbolt is being part of a team, knowing that somepony's always got your back. The feeling of trust and cooperation is amazing. I would follow Spitfire and Soarin through a lake of fire without a moment of hesitation, and if anypony could get me through it, they would. To be a Wonderbolt is to be a part of something so much bigger and more important than yourself."

"But that, too, has an other side. You get close to your teammates, your Wonderbolts. And although we're really more known for show flying in these peaceful days, Should an emergency pop up, we know we've got to be there. We have to try and help in a crisis, whatever the cost. It's our real duty. And you know that in such an emergency, it might be that everypony that flies out... doesn't come back. You're not worried about it being yourself. But to imagine it being one of your friends..." Fleet shook her head. This wasn't really good before-bed conversation. She laughed and tried to lighten the mood

"Sorry, I must be talking your ear off." The blue of Fleet's eyes seemed to return as she looked at the Griffon with alert interest. "If it's not rude of me to ask, does that question mean that you have aspiring hopes of joining The Wonderbolts someday?"

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Dangerous Game (open) Mar 15, 2013 21:58:45 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2013 21:58:45 GMT -6

Not that it was unexpected but Gilda still couldn't believe that Fleetfoot was so...nice. She didn't have to be after all. Gilda had been trespassing pretty blatantly. Far be it from Gilda to refuse a bit of good luck; it was just a bit odd. She wasn't used to getting such good luck, especially in such an important situation. She was gonna get to stay the night with Fleetfoot for crying out loud! So. Awesome.

Gilda would keep her cool though, even if it killed her and, one the inside, it did...just a bit. She wanted to give a ridiculous grin and go flying off in circles around the room, but chilling here like it was nothing big was much cooler and it didn't embarrass her or freak out Fleetfoot. It was definitely the right thing to do. Besides, she wouldn't have gotten to hear Fleet's story if she had been busy freaking out. "That would be really cool." she could see herself now, the one student Fleetfoot had. She would need to get faster if she wanted that though, heck, she'd just need to be a lot better in general.

Gilda's tail swished excitedly from side to side while dragging along the floor like a snake. She was loving this already. Stories by Fleet, it should be a book series! Gilda would buy every single one and read them the same night they came out. Gilda could scarcely imagine being admired by so many ponies. She, despite her temper, was almost never the center of attention. She liked it that way though. Whenever she was in the spotlight things just tended to go downhill.

Of course, as a Wonderbolt, she could definitely deal with it. She would learn how to work with a team, she would do anything it took. Besides, Fleet made it sound really cool, like a second family. Gilda was sure she could grow used to that, like it even. Though...if they did get to be family, losing them could be...she would think about that later.

"Actually, hearing you talk about that was really cool. My family isn't so close so hearing about that is really neat." she let out a small but avoided eye contact with the mare. She didn't want to be too sappy after all, that and Fleet was looking right at her. It was a bit intimidating for the griffon. "And," she paused and gulped before turning her eyes to make contact with her new friend's(could she call fleet a friend?) eyes. This was exciting, she didn't get to talk about this much anymore. She hadn't had anyone to talk to about it in quite a while really. The last time the Wonderbolts had come up in conversation had been back in Ponyville and she would rather forget that time.

"yes, I've wanted to be a Wonderbolt since I was young. It's been a dream of mine for...since before I joined this thing called Junior Speedsters." she paused and blushed, just a bit. It had just hit her. She sounded like some little kid spouting off her dreams here. "Sorry if I sound like a dork, I realize getting in isn't all that easy and...I'm only so good and I have to admit teams haven't really been my thing for a good while." Oh great, now she sounded like some sob story. She mentally chastised herself for sounding so weak. "It's just...been on my mind for a while. Thanks for hearing it anyways."

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Dangerous Game (open) Mar 17, 2013 7:09:01 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2013 7:09:01 GMT -6

Gilda, Fleet supposed, had known very well that she was not supposed to be there. Telling the griffon so would not have done any good at all, and might have hurt her pride. That was why Fleet tried not to do the expected thing, when dealing with fans. Anyone could get mad or scold, and nobody was ever the better for a good scolding except maybe small foals who were doing something dangerous. Gilda was too old for that. Besides, Gilda had not meant any harm, obviously. She wouldn't have come to Fleetfoot's aid if she had been doing harm.

And she had come to the mare's aid. It had been a bad crash and Gilda had wanted to help, even as she doubted her own skill in being able to. That was why Fleet had felt comfortable enough to let the griffon stay the night. If Gilda meant her any harm, she could have done it twice over by now. So Fleet didn't mind that Gilda was a bit excited and trying to hide it (and maybe not doing so well at it!) Fleet acted as though the griffon were acting as cool as another Wonderbolt.

In fact, Fleet listened attentively as Gilda talked about wanting to be a Wonderbolt, and being in Junior Speedsters. She really was interested. But all too soon, the pegasus mare saw that Gilda was beginning to unravel a bit. She was so worried about saying too much, or the wrong thing, or sounding dorky. This would take a bit of some gentle stepping.

"I don't think you sound like a dork," Fleet replied calmly, with just a bit of thoughtful surprise. "Actually, I was thinking that we are a lot alike, you and I." Fleet paused for a moment, reflecting, then added "I'm not too close with my family either. I was also in junior speedsters, though not for long- I got sent home after the first week. I worked as a mailmare for a while..." Fleet glanced at her cutiemark with a smile, "Though I didn't do deliveries like yours. I had a ground route. Not quite so glamorous. But most of all..." Fleet trailed off, uncertain. But it had to be said, and she would say it.

"...Most of all, I wasn't good at any kind of flying. Not for the longest time, even after I'd gotten my adult wings. I wasn't fast, I wasn't graceful, I wasn't clever or agile or strong or any of the other types that fliers are supposed to fall under. Just plain average in everything. I wasn't bad, I just wasn't good. I was nothing special. Seriously. I was not good enough for weather patrol. One day, I just needed to fly fast, and I did. But there had to be a very great need for me to... to unlock my speed. Nothing I'd done- and I think I'd been pushed into trying everything up to that point- seemed to get me anywhere." Fleet finished, a little shyly.

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Dangerous Game (open) Mar 23, 2013 21:00:44 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2013 21:00:44 GMT -6

Gilda absent mindedly ran her talons through one of her wings to straighten the feathers further while listening to Fleet. She was almost giddy with what Fleetfoot was telling her. Starting with not looking like a dork, even if she was pretty sure Fleetfoot was just being polite. However, what Gilda was really excited about was how her hero had just said they were alike. In contrast to how well she accepted being similar was how she took the part about Fleet not being a good flier back in the day.

Gilda had a hard time believing what she was hearing but would have had a harder time believing that Fleetfoot was lying to her face. That just seemed silly, why would she do that after coming in here without her uniform(something Gilda was still sorta of freaking out about on the inside...mostly) anyways. So that just left...Fleet not being a good flier at some point in the past ~~a point Gilda was pretty sure was around the same point that Tartarus didn't quite freeze but did drop twenty degree's~~

Of course the thing that surprised Gilda the most was that Fleetfoot was telling her all of this. These all seemed like things that Gilda wouldn't tell her friends even if she was, well, a nobody like she was now. She couldn't imagine a situation where she would willingly make herself so...so vulnerable. It was so foreign to the griffon. These were the types of things Gilda would try to forget just so she couldn't slip up and tell someone no matter what, like that time she...what was it again?

"You're awfully," she paused, not sure what the exact word she was looking for was ", brave. You're really brave. I wouldn't be able to tell anyone that...if I experienced something like it." of course she was experiencing that right now. She hoped she wasn't making it too obvious. Gilda suddenly gained a new level of self awareness as she became extremely self-conscious. 'Am I slouching? I feel like I'm slouching.' she thought and straightened herself to something that was clearly not very comfortable.

Of course if Fleetfoot here was being brave, didn't that mean she was being a coward?...no, she would just have to push that out of her head. She could deal with it later. She would much rather focus on not looking like an idiot, that was much more important anyways. "I, uh...um." crap, no she couldn't think of anything but how she looked. "So...yeah..." great thinking. That had just been as cool as can be right? No. She wanted to tear her tongue out for that. Only one way to fix it now.

"Sorry, I'm still sort of...shocked I'm talking to you..." Gilda hesitated "You're sorta my role model...its bit embarrassing." wait, that didn't sound how she meant it. "...not that having you for a rolemodel is a reason to be embarrassed! I've looked up to you since I was a kid so...it just feels sorta embarrassing to...tell you." Gilda felt like this was going no where fast. She shut her beak and put a talon to her forehead, wiping it down her face and letting her talons click as they brushed her beak.

"Sorry, I've just always wanted to be...fast, started in junior speedsters. I hav-...had this friend who could always manage to beat me in a straight away. It got to me and you're just...amazing so...it just sorta worked out with you as my favorite Wonderbolt." her eyes were firmly fixed on one of her talons by now and she had felt like her face was on fire for a while now so she was pretty sure that she was blushing from embarrassment "And...that...is how you talk someone's ear off."

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Dangerous Game (open) Mar 26, 2013 2:40:33 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2013 2:40:33 GMT -6

"You're awfully... brave. You're really brave. I wouldn't be able to tell anyone that...if I experienced something like it."

Fleetfoot thought very carefully about her answer before she spoke it. "I'm not so sure it's courage. Bravery is a really hard thing to define in any case. It's not... easy to tell somepony this, obviously I don't go around telling everyone I meet, otherwise you'd have heard it already before you ever met me." Fleet laughed a little, trying to imagine working it into every introduction she'd ever made. There was more to it than that of course, but she just didn't have the right words to explain it. Maybe there just weren't words for it.

But then Gilda went, and, without defining it in words, defined it in actions. The griffon became increasingly flustered as she struggled to say something genuine- and began tripping over her own ego. Fleet watched in quiet sympathy. When Gilda finally gave up, looking humiliated and embarrassed, Fleet decided to address the real issue, rather than give comforting reassurance.

"Right now, you're afraid of what I think about you." Fleet stated, not unkindly. "Maybe you're thinking that I think you're uncool, that I decided not to like you, or that you're weird, or that you blew your chance at getting to know me. You're so busy worrying about how you look that it actually gets in your way. That's why I don't have an ego. Can you imagine how much higher the stakes are when you're a Wonderbolt and everyone is looking at you and admiring and expecting so much?" Fleet looked at her bandaged ankle and smiled even as she blushed.

"In truth, I like you very much. I don't think badly of you. I understand why you're nervous. I'm a bit nervous too... I..." Fleet hesitated, her smile fading. "...I want to help you. With your flying. Because we're so alike. And I want us to be friends. But I don't know how to make these offers in a way that won't hurt your pride." The Wonderbolt paused, then shrugged. "Except like that. It looks really brave, maybe, but in reality, Its more like simplicity. I do it this way because I cant think of a better way to do it. " Fleet laughed suddenly, her mood lifting again.

"That wasn't very cool of me either, was it?"