2972/The Care and Feeding of Friendships

The Care and Feeding of Friendships
Date of Scene:	06 September 2015
Location:	Equestria <KE>
Synopsis:	Eve runs into Yuna while visiting Ponyville, and the idol singer gives the younger girl a tour of the town, introducing her to Rarity along the way.
Cast of Characters:	385, 857, 136

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Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna spends a lot of her time on Equestria in pony form ... but not all of it. Like if she's wearing one of her stage dresses when she heads back to Ponyville, she'll make a point of staying human on the way through the warpgate, or if she has to fly to the planet on the Mike-maru-go - she doesn't think she'll ever get the hang of using hooves instead of hands when she's at the cruiser's controls.

And sometimes, she just feels like staying human. The local ponies know her either way and she has yet to hear that any of them mind; there are plenty of others who stay in human (or other non-pony) form when they visit. It's also still easier for Yuna to write when she can hold a pen or pencil in her fingers, and as she sits at the cafe with the remains of a sandwich and a glass of apple cider in front of her, she's scribbling something down in a small notebook ...

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve's first day in the Union was eventful. She was taught those things she needed to know to be a proper Multiversal citizen, and to represent the Union fairly and appropriately. She of course soaked up information like a sponge, never needing anything repeated and often coming to good conclusions before being presented with all the necessary information. She's actually really easy to teach.

    This, however, is another matter. What she REALLY needs rather than simple information is socialization, and to learn certain things that simply can't be taught in the classroom. Of course as much as she enjoyed learning new things, she also jumped at Yuna's offer to come see her cottage. Having learned how to navigate the Multiverse, it was pretty easy for her to find her way to the local jumpgate. To get to Yuna within Ponyville however had a bit of a delay. Not wholly unexpected, but still a bit odd for the girl who until now never even thought of herself as particularly human.

    "Yuna...?" comes the hesitant voice. Eve seems to be a pony. A tiny cream-colored pegasus with a golden mane and pink eyes. No cutie mark of course, since she's too young. She's not really bothered by the transformation. Actually she thought it would be kind of interesting. She's just worried Yuna might not recognize her!

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
A familiar voice, even if it's one Yuna hasn't heard a lot of yet, is still enough to make her look up from her notebook. "Eve?" she asks, a little uncertain - but something about the pony approaching her is familiar anyway. "That is you, right, Eve?" asks the idol singer, finishing the sentence she was writing before she closes the notebook, using the pen to mark her place. "You make a really cute pony - just as cute as you were as a human girl," she smiles. "How do you like Equestria?"

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve's had some experience by now in urban environments. Sapidor, Urbania, and Njorun Station. This is her first open countryside sort of place. She looks around for a moment. "It's nice." she says. "Always changing." she adds, clarifying somewhat. Leaves moving in the breeze, grass, everything.

    She doesn't deny who she is, clearly, but neither does she feel the need to explicitly confirm it. "Ah... should I ... NOT be a pony?" she asks, unsure if perhaps she's done something wrong, or possibly made things a little awkward. She doesn't mind being a pony really, and there seems to be something within her that yearns for the sky. That's got to be the reason she appeared with wings, right?

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna shrugs a bit at that question. "It's ... I think Equestria 'prefers' for outsiders to take a pony form here, but the world is used to non-pony visitors by now. It took me by surprise first time I came here, but I adapted quickly and I kind of like it. It beats being a cat, at any rate," she adds with a grin.

Probably a lot of stories to go behind that set of words.

"Kind of ironic you caught me on a day when I stayed human coming back. How've your classes been going?" she asks, picking up her glass for a sip of cider. She catches herself before drinking, though. "Ah - did you want something to eat? It's all vegetarian food here, but I can order something if you'd like, my treat."

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve considers the question. With nothing to compare the classes to directly, she has to guess how they're going. Certainly learning like this has been a whole lot better than learning what her 'grandfather' wanted her to learn, so she nods. "They say I'm doing well." she says, absolutely clueless about how much she's understating things. Again, she lacks the means for comparison.

    Eve looks down at herself, not sure how eating and drinking will work in this form, and not yet having had opportunity to see someone else doing so in order for her to learn. "No thank you." she says politely.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna nods, and finishes off her cider. "One moment, then ..." She finishes her sandwich as well, and gets up to take her empty plate and glass inside (as well as to pay for her food, plus a tip).

She's back outside in well under a minute, and retrieves her notebook from the table. "Sorry about that interruption. So, I think I mentioned offering to show you my cottage here?"

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve nods, and trots after Yuna. That sort of thing's easy enough thanks to the translation, but of course the girl has no clue that others might consider it odd to be walking on four hooved legs after spending a lifetime on two feet. She takes it, as it were, in stride. "You live here?" she asks, curious.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
"For now, at least," Yuna answers. "My original home isn't that convenient to Union territory, the first place I moved to turned unfriendly .."

It still hurts to remember what happened to the Holy Empire, and that shows in her voice.

"... although things are still basically okay in Windbloom. I didn't want to keep imposing on the palace's hospitality there, though, so Ponyville seemed like a good place to settle, and it's still not that far from my home Earth, even if the warpgates here are 'closer' to Njorun Station and other key places. - Ah, there's my cottage!"

It's a fairly small place, really, just one story tall and maybe the size of an apartment. If Eve has seen solar panels, she'll notice a few of them on the building's roof ... and room for one or two more.

Eve (857) has posed:
    No doubt Eve's seen solar panels but likely has no idea what they're for. She takes in the little home, studying it attentively and silently. When she's not examining Yuna, that is. The pain in Yuna's voice is fairly clear to her and though she doesn't entirely understand, a part of her does empathise. She may never miss Sapidor and the villa, but she can still sympathize with another's pain.

    Eve frowns slightly. "I've been told I can stay in Njorun, or I can have people who look after me." she says, a bit dissatisfied with the options. Nothing wrong with either, but it implies something. "I don't have... family." she says neutrally.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
"You've got the Union, and friends within it," Yuna notes kindly. "And I'd be happy to give you a place to stay that isn't Njorun ... although," she adds sheepishly, "I didn't really plan on having anyone live here with me ..."

She trails off, then sighs and shrugs. "Want to come in and look around? There isn't a whole lot to see ... or I could show you around Ponyville, see if any of my friends aren't busy with other things."

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve considers what Yuna says, and what she doesn't say. Yes Eve's got the Union. She certainly has friends, better friends than she's ever had before. But this doesn't quite sound like a ringing offer. Maybe she'd be making things difficult if she took Yuna's words as an opportunity to press in. And she doesn't... doesn't want to do that. Yuna's her friend, a wonderful friend who saved her. Eve's in no position to push, not when she has other options.

    Little of this shows on her face. Eve has two basic emotional modes. Heart-on-sleeve, and blank. Right now, she's showing blank. This itself is a fairly obvious thing that Yuna might pick up on. She has been offered a choice however. Even though she's showing little in her expression, she still answers. "I'd like to see. And then maybe after, I can meet your friends?" she asks, her blank expression becoming a hopeful one. It seems THAT, at least, gets through to her.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna nods, smiling. "Like I said, not a whole lot to see ..."

But she opens her door and lets Eve in, reaching over to turn on the light so the interior of the cottage is more visible. There are plenty of windows, but the lights do help; apparently supplying power for them is what the solar panels are for.

And it's not a big place. There's a 'living room' type of sitting area near the front door, with a kitchenette off to the side; there's a desk further back, and a low bed which is sized and situated to be convenient for either a human or a pony. Looks like there's a bathroom as well, the only part of the interior that's really walled off from the rest.

Yuna takes a moment to scurry around and make sure everything is picked up ... which it is, leaving her looking maybe just a little silly.

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve's pretty nonjudgmental about a lot of things, such as looking silly. She doesn't have much of a clue when it comes to such things, not yet. She looks around, studying the place with interest and the numerous windows with obvious approval. She even pays particular attention to the various views provided, taking in the house with respect to everything around it.

    She doesn't really have a lot to say, but it's obvious Eve likes the place.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
"It's not much," Yuna says (again), "but I wasn't trying to build a lavish mansion - just a little place I could call my own. It does what I need, although I still need to pay for another solar panel on the roof to finish wiring this place up ... I miss being able to watch TV or play games, even if I'd have to get the signal routed from the Multiverse at large."

She grins sheepishly. "anyway. Anything in particular you'd like to see? There's the library, the bakery, Rarity's boutique ..."

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve's ears literally perk up when she hears of the library. Pony form being what it is, after all. Though the rest doesn't sound bad at all. She's found food in the Multiverse to be a lot different from what she's used to. Sweeter, in many cases. And a boutique sounds exotic, though she's not entirely sure what that is. "I... I'd like to see them all?" she finally says. If she had to pick just one, it'd probably be the library. Books FASCINATE her. All that information about all kinds of things she'd never been taught, all set down in such a convenient manner.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna stifles a giggle, nodding. "All right. Rarity's shop is closest, and she loves making clothes for her friends ... I might have to tell her your native form is human, but I'm sure she'd be happy to make something for you. The concert dress she made for me is still a favorite of mine."

She closes her cottage back up and leads the way towards Rarity's fashion boutique.

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve nods her understanding, figuring she might have to come back at some other time if she really wants clothes here. Come back in her normal form that is. Still, make something for her? Dresses? That also gets a cheery little earperk from the little ponygirl. At the very least she can see some clothing and get an idea what sort of thing appeals to her, as opposed to wearing whatever was selected for her for a given occasion.

    "It's good that she won't mind I'm human." Eve says carefully, misunderstanding Yuna's emphasis. "And I look forward to meeting your friends." she adds sweetly, trotting along in Yuna's wake.

Rarity (136) has posed:
    Exotic is actually a pretty accurate descriptor, at least as far as this boutique goes. The round multi-story building of white and pink is designed to resemble a carousel (thus the name) stands out, especially against the rest of Ponyville being much more rustic in style.

    On this day Rarity is actually outside right now, swinging a racket-like device with her unikinesis to beat the dust off of several tapestry banners hung over the clotheslines.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna giggles faintly as she spots the carpet-beater Rarity's using; it may not be EXACTLY like the futon-beating wands she remembers from home, but the similarity in function is unmistakable. "Hey, Rarity!" she calls out, raising an arm to wave to the white unicorn. "How's work going? Need an extra hand, or can you take a break to meet a possible new customer?"

Sure, shouting from a distance isn't the most polite way to get someone's attention, but Yuna doesn't exactly want to sneak up on the ever-classy seamstress unicorn, either.

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve for her part is fascinated by the carousel, by the white and pink cake-like edifice. It takes her a moment to clue in to the actual pony. Oh sure, she'd SEEN her right off the bat, but there's only so much you can stare at FIRST!

    And while Eve may not be trained in a lot of things, she is trained in etiquette to an almost-courtly level. Her 'grandfather' wanted her to be able to blend into high society after all, so she could serve her intended purpose. She curtseys to Rarity, not speaking. And yes, she does this in spite of being currently four-legged and not wearing a skirt. Still a fairly unmistakeable gesture in spite of the lack.

Rarity (136) has posed:
    Rarity stops midswing as she hears her name and turns her head. "Yuna, dahling~! You know I've always got time for my friends." Unless she's overworked, but that's been less so the case these days. The summer fashion season has wrapped up for the most part and it will be a few weeks yet before autumn's starts to pick up. "Mayor Mare just asked if I would laundry the decorations from the town hall. But they get *so* dusty it's necessary to beat the loose debris off first." Because an explaination makes the whole ordeal look less weird, even if not specifically asked for.

    The courtesy gets a soft giggle out of her. "Your new friend seems to be blending in well already." The way ponies do it is like a combination of a bow and courtsey, so a skirt isn't really necessary. Though Rarity would quite possibly be wearing one anyways if she hadn't been working. "Welcome! I am Rarity, the most faaaabulous fashionista in Ponyville~"

    Opal looks up from where the white persian was napping on a window sill to deliever a deadpan "mew" as if to point out Rarity was the -only- one of said profession in the town. Then go back to indifference as cats tend to do.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
"Not that there's a lot of competition," Yuna admits with a friendly grin to Rarity, "but her designs stack up nicely next to some of what I've seen in Canterlot. There's 'flashy' and then there's 'overblown'; Rarity's REALLY good at knowing how much is enough but not too much. So these are wall hangings from the town hall ... I thought they looked familiar yet out-of-place," she muses.

"You thinking you might make something for the Mayor which goes with the designs?" she wonders aloud.

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve goes rather pink about the cheeks when Rarity says she's blending in, but it's a pleased blush. Blending in is something she wants to do after all. "Thank you, Rarity. I'm Eve." the new girl says, a hint of shyness present but outweighed by politeness.

    Eve has no reason to doubt Yuna's fashion sense. Sure, the light suit isn't exactly something Eve would be comfortable wearing, but her everyday fashion she wore on the streets of Sapidor - which Eve admittedly messed up a bit - was nice. She glances at Yuna. "I... won't be wearing wall hangings." she notes, like she thinks Yuna might be making a joke, but that she's honestly not sure.

Rarity (136) has posed:
    Rarity lets out an exaggerated sigh as Yuna points out the same thing Opal was. "That just means I was not lying, ne? Besides, working out of a smaller community does have it's perks. The problem with big city markets is, well, there is too much ... distancing between individuals." Then the unicorn rolls her eyes. "Dear Celestia I hope not. Just because it looks pretty on a wall doesn't mean it will look pretty on an actual pony."

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
"Well, that's why we trust you as the fashion designer, right?" Yuna grins. "I just - well, that's why I'm NOT a fashion designer, or an interior decorator, I guess," she says sheepishly, 'giving up' her line of reasoning. "I just get on stage and sing my heart out for people."

Eve (857) has posed:
    Eve looks up uncertainly at Rarity, considering her situation and her words carefully for a moment. "Ah, I'm not usually a pony." she explains seriously, as if there might be some doubt of this. "Though I still prefer dresses." she adds, in case she might otherwise imply that the wall hangings might look pretty on her if she only refutes that one part of Rarity's claim.

    When Yuna claims to just sing, Eve considers THAT too. "You do more than sing." she claims, with a certain stubborn set to her jaw suggesting that anyone who claims that's all Yuna does is going to answer to her. She gave Eve her heart after all! That had nothing to do with a stage!

Rarity (136) has posed:
Rarity smiles at Eve. "Yes dear, I can tell." Though quickly holds up a hoof to ward off any possible objections. "Not that you have done anything wrong. But after having dealt with both ponies and humans and human-like others for long enough, you learn to see some of those little nuances that don't go away just because you are temporarily in another form."

Considering how many times -not- seeing those had nearly bite her in the flank back then, Rarity's learned to pay a little more attention to such things.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna grins sheepishly at Eve, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, yeah ... I don't like throwing my title of 'Savior of Light' around, though, and I'm honestly happier to be thought of as an idol singer - it's simpler than 'magical girl' or 'paladin of the Queen of Light' or anything more accurately detailed ... anyway." She looks at Rarity. "Eve's dress when I first met her was black, simple yet elegant ... buuuut you'd need her to come back in her human form to get measurements to make anything for her, right?"

Eve (857) has posed:
    There's a hint of a scowl from Eve at Yuna's protestations. Eve's fiercely loyal to Yuna for obvious reasons, and doesn't approve of anyone making less of her. Even Yuna herself. But Eve can understand humility, at least somewhat, and accept it.

    With that settled she focusses on Rarity, and Yuna's words to her. "Black and simple is good." she agrees. "But so are colors, and maybe a bit of ..." she waves a hoof, searching for the right word. "... flourish?" It's not quite right, but she's still lacking the vocabulary to explain it. Give her a few days. "I'd like to see some designs, if that's okay?" she asks, betraying a certain eagerness, or at least an appreciation that Rarity should approve of. "We're here to meet people but... well..." she pauses, not sure if she's sounding selfish here.

Rarity (136) has posed:
Rarity nods her head to Yuna, which makes her coifed mane bob a bit with the motion. "Yes dear, unless you already have them on hand." Then turns her attention back to Eve for a moment. "Any other preferences for colors? Black can go with almost anything, and to be honest, is kind of dull on its own." Which Eve just answered, sort of, save a specific choice.

When she asks about designs Rarity smiles, motioning towards the door. "The shop is right inside, dear. Most of the displays are Equestrian style, but it is not hard to adopt, as you put them, flourish to another form."