You Can Look, But You Can't Touch {OPEN}

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Soarin' listened to Nightshade exposit on her team with the same attention she gave him when he talked about his life. And, truth be told, Soarin' was impressed. In fact, he was more than impressed; he was fascinated! The Shadowbolts and Nightshade in particular, seemed to stand for something more than everypony gave them credit for. Achievement. Redemption. Success. These were things Soarin' could get behind. Things he could respect. The more he heard about these ponies, the more he was seeing them as friendly rivals and not enemies.

"That's a shame that everyone...even me, I guess, think that you're faker punks," Soarin' said. "You clearly don't deserve that reputation. You seem like a great team, overly 'edgy' name aside...even then, that's a pretty cool name. And I'm not afraid to say that those uniforms are pretty cool, too."

Soarin' smiled at Nightshade to show he was genuine about what he was saying.He caught her wink at her last comment and laughed a little. That was enough praise...for now.

"Keep dreamin', Nightshade," he said with a wink of his own and a coy grin. "You and your friends got a loooooooooong way to go until you're better than the Wonderbolts. And with a line-up as good as we have now? You're lookin' at some stiff competition, girl. But I wish you the best of luck."

The Wonderbolt kept his smile up through the whole conversation as a sign that he wasn't trying to be too mean to her. Just a little friendly ribbing was all! Soarin' turned his head back forward again and saw the cafe he had mentioned earlier just up ahead.

"There's the cafe. It doesn't seem too busy right now...let's go get a table!"

Soarin' trotted forward, picking up a little speed as he went along.

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Nightshade trotted after him, matching his speed. She liked this stallion. He was willing to hear them out. See beyond rumors. Plans and fantasies played out in her head, all involving this stallion. Soarin' definitely wasn't a pony she'd never see again. She'd make sure to stick around the Wonderbolt.

After a bit, they managed to make it the cafe. And the cafe was having some sort of an event. Only couples sat at the tables, and the prices were marked down. Nightshade nudged him, pointing towards a "Couples Only" sign and smirking. She slipped right next to him, wrapping her arm around his. She might as well have been on top of Soarin'. Since the place was only letting couples in... "Soarin', dear? They're having an event~. We should eat here! It's the cutest little place!"

Nightshade was displaying her acting ability. Her goggles were gone, and her mane had been quickly brushed down in almost no time at all. She was playing the part of some lovesick mare... It also gave her an excuse to be right against Soarin'.

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Soarin' was about to start picking out a good table for the two when Nightshade gave him a nudge and indicated the "Couples Only" sign. Well, this WAS technically a date, he just realized, even if they weren't necessarily a couple. So it sort of applied to them he guessed? Soarin' barely knew Nightshade, so they weren't actually a coup-Soarin' felt what had to be Nightshade brush up right next to him and, before he could react, the two had their arms entwined.

The Wonderbolt hadn't seen that coming and almost blushed at the sudden display of affection. He wasn't bashful or embarrassed, though. It was mostly confusion. Nightshade had only been around Soarin' for a few minutes, but he could already tell this wasn't normal for her. Not that he minded, really. Sure, being called 'dear' seemed a little odd coming from her, but the affection was appreciated...even if it was probably an act.

"Oh, sure," he said as they walked together. While it wasn't nearly to the degree Nightshade was displaying, Soarin' sounded rather cheery. "Go ahead and pick a table for us, would ya?"

He didn't quite know what was going on, so Soarin' did what he usually did when that happened: he just rolled with it.

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Nightshade smiled sweetly, leaning over to place her lips on his cheek. "You're such a sweetie~!" Nightshade was mentally gagging on her own words, but, oh well. At least no one here would suspect they weren't together. She happily trotted over to an empty table, and found her seat. Her tail swayed back and forth, rhythmically.

She stretched her wings out wide, sighing happily. Nightshade thought any reason to show the good looking stallion affection was a good reason. Whether or not it was real affection, there was definitely attraction. He was willing to give them a chance, he was good looking, and he had a dorky charm about him. She couldn't help smiling.

Of course, she was also running schemes through her head. Technically, she was always running schemes in her head, but these were Soarin' based. Nightshade would definitely keep him around... Whether for monetary gain, personal gain, or... Other kinds...

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Well, the kiss certainly was enough to get him blushing...and to earn his suspicion. More of it, anyways. This was sudden. Sure, she was teasing before, but she seemed to be trying to break the ice with a jackhammer all of a sudden. Soarin' was trying to justify her actions in his head. Nightshade didn't strike him as the sweet, lovey dovey sort of pony. Maybe she was just the really physical type? Maybe she was just messing with him; a mischievous little Shadowbolt prank on one of her rivals?

...Or maybe Nightshade had already made her mind up about him and didn't see the point in beating around the bush any longer. Leaders like her did tend to be real take charge folks, after all.

Soarin' could think about what the hell this mare was up to when said mare wasn't rubbing up right next to him or sitting right in front of him. Thankfully for Soarin', he was good at keeping his internal monologue internal. The sunglasses helped, too. Hid his eyes and such.

The Wonderbolt took his seat across from Nightshade and took his sunglasses off. No real point in hiding his identity now, he figured. Plus, it was only polite. Soarin' just sort of sat there for a moment, waiting for their server to arrive and trying to think up something to say. That part of a first date. That kiss must have taken him out of his groove in a major way.

"So. Uhh...what did you do before forming the Shadowbolts, Nightshade?"

Soarin' was a little in the dark about this mare. He was curious.

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Before? Well, that was quite a personal question... She'd answer it, nonetheless. "Before I had my team? Well, there was the Wonderbolt Academy. Before that I had a decent job. Run by ponies who didn't know a thing about efficiency." Just like the Wonderbolts. "Before that, I lived with my family. I didn't do much of note before I made the Shadowbolts." And that was her official opinion. Everything else was pretty much irrelevant.

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"Really? That's weird. Surprised a pony as interesting as you doesn't have much to say about herself. Or about her past, anyways."

Either Nightshade was lying to him about her past or she further contributed to the strange phenomena of amazing ponies that thought nothing of their achievements. Soarin' ran into a lot of really humble ponies for some reason and they always left him a little confused.

It wasn't that Soarin' didn't understand the virtue of modesty, he understood that very well. And it wasn't that he didn't get the idea of something that seemed huge to one pony being insignificant to the pony that did it. He'd been there, for sure.

But...c'mon, whatever happened to pride? The old adage of 'If ya got it, flaunt it?' There was a difference between a self serving braggart who constantly tooted his own horn and having a little pride in your work and what you've accomplished. Sometimes Soarin' felt like the only pony who agreed with him on that was that magician he met in Canterlot.

He would've wondered how that mare was doing, but there were obviously much more pressing matters right in front of him. Soarin' had probably over thought Nightshade's words too much. She probably just led an average life before she became a flyer, just like himself and most other ponies he knew.

"Well, how'd you go about forming your team, then? That was pretty recent, wasn't it? "

Soarin' was pretty curious about her team. It seems like the Shadowbolts appeared out of nowhere one day and started gaining in popularity fast. He wanted to know just where they came from and why he never saw them coming. Usually you can predict who's gonna make it big or not, but these Shadowbolts just defied expectations.

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If Soarin' knew her well, he'd know that she was definitely a proud pony. Not that she'd let him get close enough to know her well. This was something to pass the time. Maybe she could also use it to her advantage. One never knows... "We've been around for a little while. I followed some rumors, I didn't let anything stop me from choosing the ponies I did... It's not exactly like the Wonderbolts, where you have foals growing up with the sole dream of being apart of your team. I had to track them down. Convince each one of our cause. And then I had to make sure they could work together. They still have a few problems in that regard." Nightshade laughed to herself.

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"Well, that's a constant across all teams, then," Soarin' said, musing on Nightshade's statements on her Shadowbolts. "Teammates can be a real pain in your flank. I can only imagine what it's like being captain of your team. Heck, I can barely imagine what it's like being Captain of my team and we're pretty well behaved. I mean, no offense, but you're kinda leading a bunch of misfits. Talented ones, mind you, but still misfits. How do you get 'em and keep em in top state?"

Soarin' wanted to know, honestly. Sure, the Shadowbolts weren't no punks, but they were still pretty ragtag, especially next to his Wonderbolts. They hadn't been around nearly as long and they were already growing in popularity and were quickly reaching levels of talent similar to them. How'd they do it? Nightshade had to be the answer...how'd she get this good so quick? What was her secret?

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Nightshade leaned back in her chair, looking over her hooves in mock interest. She was purposefully waiting to answer his question. Make the stallion wait~. Make him want it. Did he want it? She couldn't tell... Oh, fine. She'd let him in on the inside. She set her front hooves back down, and leaned forwards. "These ponies aren't exactly shining examples of society. So, obviously, they didn't exactly trust each other when we started. So, I broke them." Nightshade's eyes sparkled with a malicious joy that could only be described as a little creepy. "I drove them till they couldn't move, and when they recovered, I did it all over again. We did team building exercises until they could do it blindfolded. Now, we had some fun, but in the end, I'm their leader, and I will do what's necessary to make sure that they're at their peak condition to perform. They were scum, and I've built them into something. They owe everything to me, and I will make sure that all they've given hasn't been for nothing. We're a team, we will look out for each other, and I will do what's necessary. So, there's your answer, Soarin'. Now, what do you want to eat? I'm thinking of a hot sandwich..."

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Soarin' raised an eyebrow as Nightshade seemed to almost disregard his question entirely. This mare seemed to delight in confusing him. Probably because it was pretty easy to do, he figured. Hey, at least Soarin' was aware he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. He leaned forward as if to say something before Nightshade finally made her response.

And....well, it was both exactly what Soarin' expected and a total surprise. Somehow. He figured it involved a lot of discipline as all teams need that. Especially in an environment where egos can get as out of control as they do in pro flying. He figured the Shadowbolts were drilled hard by their Captain, otherwise they wouldn't have gotten as good as they were that quick. He knew all this, he experienced it when he became part of the main squad of the Wonderbolts. Spitfire was no slouch.

But what surprised him was how Nightshade described it. It was...visceral, to say it in a word. Nightshade seemed to be relishing in just how brutally she'd trained these ponies, delighting in how she had whipped them into shape, possibly in a very literal sense. Soarin' was just a little disturbed by this revelation as well as a little fascinated by it. Sure, she was totalitarian and harsh, but it was for a good purpose, no? And the fruit of her labor was obvious; what should rightly be a group of nobodies were being noticed by the best fliers around and were viewed almost as being on the same playing field.

"Interesting," Soarin' started, before realizing he really didn't have much else to say and that he'd been asked a question. Whatever his feelings towards Nightshade's means of training, he had to hide them real quick. He had almost forgot he was on a date and needed to pick something to eat.

"Oh, I'm gonna get some breakfast crepes," he answered. "This place has some nice ones and their breakfast hours are pretty long, so I'm going for that. Probably some coffee, too."

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Nightshade was good at reading emotions. And Soarin' was an open book, to her. She held her tongue, and betrayed no emotion to the stallion. Nightshade was trying to keep an air of mystery about her. She wanted to know everything about this stallion, and wanted him to want to know everything about her. But, she wouldn't give it to him. It was a game she played. She looked at Soarin', thoughtfully. "Oh, a cup of coffee sounds wonderful. Could you order for us? I'm going to stop in the bathroom for a second." She winked at him, and got up. Nightshade retreated to the restroom, and looked in the mirror. Hm... She opened her side bag, and pulled out a brush. Let's see if we can catch ourselves a Wonderbolt.

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If Nightshade was trying to stay a mystery to Soarin', it was working. Soarin' couldn't read her at all, but he wanted to know more. There had to be more to her than just flying, but she seemed determined not to let him see more. What secrets was this pony hiding...and why?

Soarin'd have time to think this over, since Nightshade was going off to use the bathroom, leaving him alone to stew in his thoughts and order food. Both of which he did.

This Nightshade pony was suspicious...maybe not dangerous, but Soarin' could tell she was up to something. Soarin' could tell, he wasn't that dense (usually). Soarin' wasn't sure he liked that or not. I mean, she admitted the Shadowbolts weren't the hoodlums everyone made them out to be...but even a rivalry could get pretty hairy. It all depended on what sort of game Nightshade was playing.

Either way, Soarin' would just have to stick around and find out...because he wasn't just gonna ditch her. That would be rude, even if she was up to no good. AND he wouldn't get food. And that would just be a waste.

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With her mane brushed down, a few locks covering a bit of her right eye, and a little touch up with makeup, Nightshade was a certainly a sight to behold. Imagine if she actually had time to fuss over her appearance? Oh, but that was a thought for another day. For today, there was a Wonderbolt sitting out there, patiently, and obliviously, waiting for her return.  Nightshade pushed open the bathroom door, and trotted out. She could tell that a few eyes had strewn over to her. But, she was more interested in two specific eyes. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting, Soarin'~. I just wanted to let my hair down, if you will." She sat down in her chair, never once keeping her eyes off of him.

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Soarin', still unsure on whether to trust Nightshade or not but unable to do anything about it, said patiently as he waited for his impromptu date to return from the restroom. Internal conflict or not, at least it was a nice day today. And he knew this was a quality eatery. And, motives or not, Soarin' would be lying if he said he didn't find Nightshade attractive. Speaking of which, there she was n-oh my. So THAT'S what she was doing in there.

Well. Time well spent.

"Welcome back," Soarin' said casually. Playing it cool was the way to go. "Don't worry, you didn't miss much. Food should be here in 5 or so. Have any world-shaking revelations while you were in there?"

The Wonderbolt smiled a friendly grin back at his date. Even if she was hot, it didn't mean he couldn't crack a joke or two at her. 'Cause that was just who he was.