Pony Tales - Clover - Day 38
Part 44: Back To Basics
By Firefly
Twilight lay quietly over the barrel as Christoph hummed, lifting each of her hooves in turn and checking the fit and finish of her boots, "Hm..." Christoph studied the hoof closely for a long moment, furrowing his brows as he considered the leather and the slight tear where leather attached to the hoof itself.
"These'r temporary right?" He asked Sophie who was lying quite comfortably on the provided couch. Twilight stomped once in response earning her a playful slap on the ass from the man, "Didn' ask you, Twilight." He cast his gaze back to Sophie.
She looked up and nodded, "Yes." She held up Twilight's actual pair of boots, "These need punching out before she gets into them."
Christoph let go of Twilight's hoof, letting it settle back down the ground before lifting the other, "Well, Punchin' them out an' refreshin' those will take a day. But with th' frayin' along the edges of this loaner pair, Ah'd recommend keeping her away from anythin' too strenuous. Yer just askin' for trouble with a tear along the seam like tha'. We don' need another Silvermane."
Twilight let out an indignant snort.
~As if I'd be reckless enough to break my ankle like Silvermane did. I used to be a pony you know. I'm not some newbie. Even if I kind of feel like it.~
Christoph lifted Twilight's hoof a bit higher, which was rather uncomfortable considering she was strapped to the padded barrel, "Oh ah'm sorry. Did y'just snort in MY shop?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrow.
Twilight squirmed slightly and looked down.
Christoph dropped her hoof and chuckled, giving her a pat on the back with his shovel-sized hands, "Well don' worry too much. I can take a snort're two. Just be careful doin' that around the other staff. They might not like y'nearly as much as I do." He cast Twilight a playful wink and wheeled his stool around, reaching out to take the tall boots from Sophie. He studied them closely and smiled.
"Great care has gone inta these." He looked to Twilight when he said this before setting them down and lifting up one of her hooves again, laying it in his lap as he unlaced the boot and slid it off her foot, exposing a bare sole he couldn't help but trace a finger down making Twilight squirm and let out a muffled laugh from behind her bit.
Christoph scooped up a tape measure, taking a few measurements, and comparing them to the boots in need of work. He nodded, "Wee bit wider. An' perhaps some new hardware, it's gettin' a bit tarnished."
Twilight looked over her shoulder, casting him an almost sad look at the mention of replacing any of the hardware.
He met her gaze for a long moment and looked over at Sophie, "She been behavin' today?"
Sophie nodded, "For the most part. Perhaps a bit stubborn, but such things are to be expected and anticipated."
He looked back to Twilight, "Well, fer well-behaved ponies I might have a way to simply clean up the tarnishin' instead of replacin' hardware. Gotta keep em all original after all."
Twilight's gaze could be described as appreciative in that moment before she turned back around, laying her chin on the specially built chin rest contently as Christoph re-laced her into her temporary hooves. He flicked a release, letting the straps slide off Twilight and placing a hand on her back to make sure she didn't stumble backward when she got up.
"She's all yers, Sophie. Y'can pick up her boots this evenin' and they'll be ready fer tomorrow."
Sophie sighed dramatically and nodded, climbing to her feet and stretching her arms over her head, "Mmm. Lovely. Thank you Christoph dear. I'm sure Twilight here will appreciate what you're doing...right?"
~Alright. It's been ten years since I've whinnied...let's give this a go.~
Twilight let out...a whinny that sounded more like she was blowing her nose bringing a few giggles from Sophie and a chuckle from Christoph, "Seems like Twilight needs to find her voice again. Nice try though my dear."
Sophie snapped her fingers, "Twilight, Heel."
Knowing that particular command, Twilight moved over, falling into line just behind and to the right of Sophie.
"Least there's still a brain between those ears." Christoph said, smiling as he studied Twilight's conformation, noting a few minor corrections to be made in her hooves. He was, after all, a blacksmith but also a pediatrist with a specialty in orthotics.
"Well then, if yer done. Get outta my shop so I can work." He waved the two away.
Sophie nodded, "Do have a good day Christoph. Come along Twilight, we've the need to find the trainer I'm supposed to pawn you off on."
~All this is roleplaying. But the way she talks, what role am I playing, the inconvenience? Hmph.~
Sophie walked off, Twilight following as best as she could. Refinding her center of gravity, trying to determine how high she could lift her legs currently until she got comfortable.
She followed Sophie along through the barn, all the way to the back and through a set of barn-style double doors that opened up into a room where they kept the 'regular' exercise equipment. It was a large room with a glass back wall and a door that led to an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The scent of chlorine hung faintly in the air along with that 'gym smell'.
Currently, the gym was quite empty. It usually was during the day, with grooms and staff often choosing to use it in the evenings after their tasks were done for the day or in the morning before their tasks began. There was one exception though.
In the far back corner, on one of a half-dozen futuristic-looking treadmills was a young man that Twilight recognized. His blonde mane pulled back in a thick plait, his blue-green eyes staring at the screen that reflected the point-of-view of a horse pulling a cart as he jogged on the treadmill.
~Jogging at a decent pace. You're doing well Buttons.~
Twilight watched him as Sophie led her over to a dark-haired woman sitting lazily on a chair next to the in-use treadmill, writing things on a clipboard, "You know if you keep this up. You're going to be in better shape than half the ponies before you ever see bloody hooves..." The woman mused, seeming to not notice Sophie and Twilight's approach.
Sophie cleared her throat gently.
The aftermath of this single noise was nothing short of entertaining. Both Lexi and the treadmill focused Dakota, or Buttons as many had taken to calling him, jumped in surprise. Button's lost his footing, wiping out on the treadmill that quickly spat him out on his butt in front of Sophie and Twilight.
Lexi on the other hand dropped her clipboard, sending papers everywhere.
"Oh, cooooome on. You could have said something when you first bloody entered." Lexi pouted, looking up at Sophie and then Twilight with a wry grin across her lips, "Oh my. Doesn't she look lovely all bound up." Which made Twilight blush visibly, almost shyly.
Lexi climbed to her feet, pushing glasses up her nose and then pausing, looking down at Buttons.
"You alright?" She asked quickly.
Buttons nodded, "Yeah...just my confidence that is bruised up." He said with a bit of a giggle, climbing to his feet. He was half the person he was when he'd arrived at Tall Tails. Not in the personality sense, but in the physical sense. So many pounds had been shed that he'd gone through three custom fittings with Arielle to make sure his uniforms fit, though right now he was in simple athletic wear.
"Good. I didn't give you permission to stop though. Back on the treadmill until I say otherwise."
Buttons sighed dramatically and nodded, "Yes Miss Lexi."
"Good Girl."
Buttons flushed at the playful teasing statement from Lexi before he climbed back onto the treadmill, tugging the headphones back on and setting himself at a jog once more.
Lexi turned her attention back to Sophie, and more specifically, Twilight. Whom she circled like a wolf might circle its prey, looking her up and down, prodding her on occasion like a piece of meat.
"Mm. She has kept fairly well over the years hasn't she?" Lexi said in amusement.
Sophie chuckled and took a step back from the pair, "She certainly has. Alas, the years have done nothing to curb her stubbornness."
Twilight huffed. Sophie blew her a kiss in response.
Lexi came to a stop in front of Twilight, a single finger pushing the woman's chin up and forcing eye contact, "How are you feeling? Aches? Pains? Or pretty solid overall?"
~How exactly would you suggest I answer that question, Lexi?~
Twilight simply tilted her head.
Lexi grinned, "I'm glad you didn't attempt to answer that. Let me rephrase, Are there any concerns regarding pain or discomfort so far?"
Twilight stomped twice.
"Lovely." She looked over her shoulder at Sophie, "She's mine for the rest of the day then?"
"Sure is, Hayley gave an idea of how to go about things?"
Lexi nodded quickly, "She did. Back to basics, get Twilight confident before she gets her nose into anything TOO complicated. You ready to work, Pony?" She asked, eyeing Twilight with slight intensity.
Stubbornly, Twilight stomped once.
"Perfect, 'cause you're going to be begging for your groom session at the end of the day when we're done. Y'know, within reason of course." She chuckled and gave Twilight's nose a flick before turning on her heel to face Sophie, "Alrighty. I'll be along to see you a bit later! I've got a few exercise programs that need updating, along with some minor tack changes."
"Very well! Try not to be too gentle with her..." She teased as she walked past Twilight and disappeared out of the gym without further words.
Lexi stretched a little bit and held up a finger to signal Twilight to wait a moment before she walked over to Buttons, tugging the headphones off of his ears, "You good here for the day? You know what your schedule is?"
Buttons turned his gaze, stumbling a little and nodding, "Yup! Exercise until two, then groom duties for the rest of the day."
"Lovely. I wanna see a high score on that treadmill today! Keep it up." She let the headphones settle back on his ears and then walked up to Twilight.
"Heel." She said flatly.
Twilight moved into proper position behind her and off the two of them went towards the exit of the gym.
It was time for Twilight to go back to basics!
- Christoph smiled at Twilight, admiring the great care that had gone into creating her temporary hooves, "Great care has gone into these temporary hooves, just like in 'Pony Tales - Clover - Day 38'."
- Sophie looked at Twilight with a wry grin, "You're going to be in better shape than half the ponies before you ever see bloody hooves if you keep this up." Her words echoed the sentiment of a character in a BDSM story, suggesting a world where ponies could be trained like animals.
- The young man on the treadmill, recognized as Buttons, was jogging at a decent pace, "But he's jogging at a decent pace, just like in a ponyplay scene, focusing on his movements and the activity ahead of him."
- Lexi looked at Twilight with a wry grin, "Doesn't she look lovely all bound up." Her statement could be interpreted as a commentary on Twilight's bondage-like attire in a BDSM context.
- As Twilight followed Sophie into the exercise room, she noticed the Olympic-sized swimming pool, "The scent of chlorine hangs faintly in the air, reminiscent of a scene in a BDSM story set in a pool or a dungeon."