Celestia's Finest: Drunk on Love

[D.KnightSpider]

By all objective measures, Sniper Scope had survived the night. Actually, he'd done a little bit more than just survive. There was the beginning of an understanding with Rainbow Dash and he hadn't killed anyone. Those positive developments made him feel just a bit more at ease with his situation. But not by much.

Nickel Sheen. If only-- No. There was no point in thinking about that misjudgment. What was done was done. He'd live with the consequences. He didn't have time for moping. Not when there was so much work to be done. Sniper finished stripping off his disguise, washed the make-up glue from his face and returned to his apartment's living quarters.

There wasn't much to it: no wall art or decorations, furniture that favored form over function and minimalist personal effects. Most ponies probably wouldn't even consider this a home. That was fine with him. His home would always be on base. This was just a waypoint for him to get some sleep, study and train. He needed to be much better than he was. He'd come up far too short on their last mission and ponies had gotten hurt because he wasn't fast enough, skilled enough or talented enough.

That wasn't going to happen again if he could help it. The constant training also gave him something to do while waiting for the EDF's popularity bubble to burst. He couldn't help but hope that happened soon. He missed the freedom brought on by anonymity.

Well, there was nothing to be done about that now. Sniper unlocked the coffee table's drawer and retrieved a trusty revolver. After training so hard with beam weapons, the weight of a propelled weapon felt off in his hand. But it should be more than enough to dissuade any criminals. This wasn't the nicest side of town and the clientèle matched the price: they'd take what they could. He placed the gun on the table, killed the lights, and dropped into the couch.

Sleep sounded very nice right about now. Not even the loud music of a inconsiderate downstairs neighbors could keep him awake.

[Elbeyon]

Sitting in her car, thinking to herself. What a night. Things moved so fast. Maybe, too fast. Love drags a hoof over the scar on her chest, inspecting its coolness. It was nice to see the squad all in one place. Rose being in the hospital put a real dampener on this whole mission lull. It was good to see her out and about. Brazen was doing as well as always. In the group, he's pretty much the icon of stability. His girlfriend is a real cutie. Only person left was Scope and her limited interaction with him was weighing on her. When she got that updated file it was all too much. When was the last time they really talked? She didn't even know he had a girlfriend! That's huge news for the loner. Who was this Fey Nightshade? She had to know.

She'd set up the car a good chunk of a city block away in some squeeze. Knowing Scope that seemed appropriate, he really is paranoid. She has all the tools for an old fashion stakeout. Binoculars, laser mic, special vision, candy. The only problem is that she can't hear a blasted thing. Once his light is out she'll roll her window down, that pleasant street aroma wafts in, and let a little robobug go. The situation isn't ideal, her using her little robot to peck into the various security terminals to hack her way in from afar. Luckily, she has all night, lovebots don't sleep.

All the electronics out of the way, she'll walk on over. A mare all alone at night in some seedy part of town. She's packing heat. If Scope's place has any physical locks she'll cut her way through with her katana. It'll treat an inch of steel like clay. A few sawing motions and she should be through. Now, she needs to find out about this Fey character. There has to be something at the entrance. A jacket. Shoes. Hopefully some identification.

Sorry about the wait! It took me a while to get to the thread.

Love is at the door breaking in. She'll be checking out that entrance area as soon as she gets in. Your move.

[D.KnightSpider]

And now we know why the dice were so cooperative earlier. Sniper failed his check to wake up.


Perhaps due to her unorthodox means of entrance, or mental exhaustion on his part, Sniper fails to respond to his door locks being rendered inert. That's the good news.

The bad news is that there's nothing in the immediate entryway for Love to steal. No coat. No shoes. No wallet. All of Sniper's personal effects are located on the opposite side of the room. They're reading on a small shelf next to the window.

Why wouldn't they be? Sniper's a Pegasus. He's been coming and going via window since moving in. It keeps him in practice.

[Elbeyon]

I figured you'd just have Scope wake up. P: Love is drunk breaking and entering/rummaging through his things.

Love is basically going to keep searching his house until she gets caught. She's not giving up until she finds info which doesn't exist.
Dang, nothing. The entrance way gets one last scan before she moves into the room. An attempt at closing the door behind her fails, and she doesn't realize that its ajar. She spots her target objects. And, a sleeping Scope with a gun out. She'll flick her goggles between the visual modes and zoom in on his face. Wow, the neighborhood felt a little dangerous, and Nightshade really needs to move if Scope feels he has to sleep with a gun out. Heh, did she kick him to the couch for not bringing her to the party? Love chuckles to herself. Or, maybe they're not to the point that they share a bed. She'll make her way over to what looks like the personal effects. If she doesn't find anything there. Maybe the bedroom? She wouldn't want to wake Nightshade up though, so she'll tiptoe around.

[D.KnightSpider]

Love's commotion succeeds where her entrance failed. Sniper was abruptly kocked back to consciousness. His brain immediately registered that there was someone else in the room-- someone he didn't invite.

He remained still for a moment and risked a quick look around the room. One intruder at the door to the bedroom. Might be more in the bedroom but he wasn't hearing any commotion or conversation from that direction.

Right, then, time to act.

Sniper snatched the revolver and then catapulted himself upward and forward. His wings took over and propelled him off the couch as he brought his weapon to bear at the interloper.

"Freeze! Hooves up or I'll shoot!"

[Elbeyon]

She turned the handle for the bedroom. A catastrophic error, apparently. All she knew was this crazy pony was shouting things at her. Fight or flight, Love choose the later. It couldn't be said that she swung her sword, but she did wave it, sorta. Her drunken grip not the best she ends up dropping the blade on her other arm. "Buck!," She yells and crumples to the floor holding her injury.

[D.KnightSpider]

Wait a moment. Now that his brain had time to process the situation, Sniper found himself connecting dots. He knew that voice. And sword. And crazy antics.

He hovered backward and then dropped to the ground next to the front entryway. One wing grazed the open door, drawing a baffled look. Sniper turned his attention to flipping the light switch.

As illumination flooded the room, he found his suspicion confirmed.

"Love? What in tarnation? Are you just trying to get yourself killed?"

[Elbeyon]

In a pained voice, "Cutting myself apparently!" She holds the gash in her arm, that's leaking stuff everywhere. It looks pretty deep. "Do you have a first aid kit? I'm bleeding everywhere. I don't plan on getting myself killed, and I'm not going to let it be death by friendly fire."

[D.KnightSpider]

"It's a drone body, Love."

The observation had to be made. It wasn't as though Love was in actual mortal danger. At most she would be out some bits. Forgive him for being slightly less than alarmed when the injury was the result of breaking into his apartment.

But, he wasn't entirely heartless. Fortunately for Love, he'd been learning about first aid and basic medical care. So he did, in fact, have a kit on hand. Sniper retrieved it and approached the Love Bot.

"Hold out you arm and stay still. Hopefully, your drones follow the basic rules of pony physiology."

[Elbeyon]

"I know! I can't train myself to not respond. You press the wrong button on the wrong control and sometimes you don't a chance to correct yourself."

Love will keep pressing on the wound while her eyes follow him around.

She'll stick her arm out for he can dress it. "It's designed out of living flesh. It's maximum compatible to Rose. They couldn't perfectly mimic the inside, but it should follow the same rules. Just pretend you're working on a medical dummy." Even with Scope in front of her she keeps searching for another body.

"Hey, where is your girlfriend? Shouldn't we be worried about waking her up?"

[D.KnightSpider]

The question stopped Sniper's administration of first aid before it even began. He stared blankly at Love. Finally, he found his voice.

"Girlfriend? What makes you think--?" His voice died as the answer hit him. Only someone as smart as Love could be so stupid at times.

He began treating her arm. She was right, it was just like a practice dummy.

"I ought to call the cops and have you thrown in the drunk tank." He grumbled.

[Elbeyon]

She raises an eyebrow at his denial. 'That wasn't very smooth Scope.' "He ich." Is he blushing?

Love laughs. "They'd never catch me! You saw my car earlier. The shiny chrome makes it go faster than cop cars. That, and the engine." She chuckles. "Soo, do I get to meet her?"

[D.KnightSpider]

How had his life devolved into this? Sniper pondered his options as he dressed Love's wound. There weren't many considering how stubborn Love could be.

"That depends. Are you too inebriated to read?"

[Elbeyon]

She stands with a wobble. "Huh? Oh, is it a long distance relationship?" She points to him with her good arm. "I don't like how you keep saying I'm inbreded. Just because I'm drunk doesn't mean that I'm not of sound mind. Even if I was having trouble focusing I have text to voice. Is it spicy?"

[D.KnightSpider]

And with that... It was time to put an end to this charade.

Sniper rose. He opened the bedroom door and entered the room. From a bookcase he pulled a worn paperback novel. As he returned to the front room, Sniper flipped through the pages. He marked a spot and extended it to Love.

"Page 93, second paragraph. That's her."

[Elbeyon]

Love tries to clear her mind in anticipation of the spice. She's no unicorn though. A little spell to ease up drunkenness is beyond her abilities.

She whistles when she see's him with a big stack of paper. The book in her hands, she struggles to find the second paragraph. He can see her searching, finding something, and then starting over again. It turns out she's not too drunk to read; however, her reading is horribly slow. She sighs and lowers the book to look at Scope. "You don't have a girlfriend do you?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"Never have." Sniper replied. "I borrowed a female name from the book and put it on the lease to make it harder for any pony to find me. Obviously, that didn't work."

He took the book back. Then he surveyed the damage. The door was... not going to operate as intended until the locks were changed. He might have to replace the door jam as well. It was hard to tell from this angle. Nothing else seemed to be broken. It was just disturbed.

"Which means you owe me a new set of doorknobs." He groused.

[Elbeyon]

"Never?" she reflexively asks him. She'll fold the book closed and offer it back to him.

Him asking for a new door? Love raises her snout into the air, "Nope! This is your fault. Secrets have a cost."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper's look turned incredulous. He couldn't tell if Love was drunk, pathologic or both.

"You could have just asked."

[Elbeyon]

Love stiffens her posture for fighting. Her voice rising slightly, "I could have just asked!?" She grunts and sulks back down. She's giving herself time to calm down. If Scope tries to interrupt she'll put her tr-fingers up to stop him.

Breathing out, she starts talking again in her normal voice, "I'm not sure you would have given me the truth. And, that's not even the problem. Was I miraculously suppose to guess that you got a girlfriend and happen to just ask about it? A conversation, a question needs a nucleus to germinate around. I know nothing about you!" She points at him. "Can I even trust you? I do, but should I? I trust you to save my flank! And, you won't even tell me a Luna dam thing about yourself. You're all secrets to me!"

[D.KnightSpider]

"Seems to me," Sniper's voice was careful and neutral. He was trying not to escalate the situation but he'd be blasted if he was going to take that one lying down. "That you did a marvelously good job of magically knowing where I was and whose name was on the lease."

[Elbeyon]

"Do you think I like doing this?" Her eyes start turning pink, water forming in the corners of her eyes. "I have to steal my friend's information to learn a blasted thing about him! Are we even friends!?"

[D.KnightSpider]

This was insane. He was angry enough to punch a wall, kick a chair or do... anything to vent some frustration. But he did none of these things. If he allowed himself to lose control, then there would be no coming back.

Sniper willed himself to calm down. He took several deep breathes and released them slowly.

"So it's mutually assured destruction. I clam up because you go digging into my life and you go digging into my life because I clam up. The situation escalates and eventually you end up cutting yourself on my carpet. Wonderful."

He sighed. He was calmer, but still frustrated. "There's nothing to tell, Love. I live a very empty life. I have no close friends outside the squad. I have no life outside of the job."

There was a moment's pause. He stopped himself just shy of saying anything hurtful.

"I write pulp fiction on the side and read a lot. That's about the only other things I can tell you... That and my father initially wanted to name me 'Boom Headshot'. He only relented when my mother threatened a divorce."

[Elbeyon]

His anger doesn't totally escape her notice. A spark of fear lights up in her eyes and she every so slightly moves back. Her movement escapes her own notice. Only half the ground is recovered when he immediately calms down.

"No!" she declares at him saying they're path is an unavoidable destruction. "We can save our friendship." She's full on crying now.

"I don't know a single thing about you. And, there is nothing to tell!?"

Her eyes light up when he says he writes books. "Good, good! Tell me more!" She'll outright refuse his answer and shake her head when he says that's all he can tell.

Tears are running down her cheeks onto the floor. "Do you not think I have my own painful secrets?" She pounds her chest. Cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "Tell me! Why won't you hug me?"

[D.KnightSpider]

At that, he very nearly lost it. Love had the audacity to break into his place, raise a ruckus and then accuse him of being at fault because of a hug?

"Because I'm a monster!" The outburst took him by surprise and took much of his anger with it. Suddenly, he looked exhausted. He felt exhausted.

He collapsed onto the sofa.

"It's okay." He said quietly. "I'm not going to get violent. It's just... A very complicated answer."

It was a good thing this was the low rent district. Otherwise someone would have called the cops by now.

[Elbeyon]

"So what!", she yelled back at him.

Still loud, "So, what. You're hard on yourself. You think that your stupid Cutie Mark is somehow so important to ruin your entire life." She points at him. "You're the only one or thing responsible for yourself. Don't try to blame all your problems on some supernatural birthmark on your flank." She starts walking over so she can see him on the couch.

She quiets down. "Violence? So what. We're violent by trade." She grabs her wounded arm and squeezes it hard enough to draw blood again. "You think I care about a flesh wound!?" She grabs the katana scar on her chest. "My heart is what hurts. My heart aches for you. You won't reach out to me. And, you smack away my hoof when I reach out to you. It may be complicated, but I'm here now and ready to listen. What? You want me to go first? You want to know what's eating me alive inside? I'll go first. I'll share with you. You know why? That's because that's friends do. They share. They help carry each other through the difficult spots. They don't have to do it. It's not their responsiblity, but they do it because they want to. I want to help you. She sticks her hoof out to him. "Let me help you!"

[D.KnightSpider]

If it would shut her up, right now Sniper would hug her a dozen times over. This melodrama was both pointless and aggravating. But, then, he was dealing with a drunk. Drunk ponies weren't known for rationality.

He didn't want the help of an addle-brained mare who couldn't take things seriously. He didn't need to be fixed because there was no fixing him. That no pony understood that was... Infuriating.

"Love." Sniper said with finality. "I promise you, if you'll stop ranting and raving and sit down so we can deal with this like adults, I'll make an honest effort to talk this out."

[Elbeyon]

Love sighs, wipes the tears from her eyes, and sits down. "Fine. I'll cut the act, only for you Scope. Let's talk things out just like you want."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper pressed a hoof to his face. Love was acting? Why should he trust her at all? Ugh. This sad nothing but disfunction.

"What do you want to know?" He asked without looking up.

[Elbeyon]

She serves her question on a presented hoof. "Why won't you hug me, engage with me? What's the cause? Why do you struggle with intimacy? I need to be able to understand you Scope. Us not understanding each other is only going to create more problems in the future. We barely got through that last mission. We need to work as a team. And, in order to do succeed we must understand the others thinking a bit better"

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper lowered his hoof. He then raised his hoof again to begin counting off points. Throughout the exchange, he kept his tone neutral and regulated.

"Because we aren't close enough to hug. I don't like to be touched because like my personal space.

"We aren't close enough to hug because I lead a very a private life. I don't like getting close to others because of episodes like this where I get angry and nearly kill them.

"Dramatics like this only serve to dissuade me from trying. If you want to know something, ask. Don't hack my file or try to guilt me into opening up. If I decide I don't want to tell you, then respect that.

"I can't trust you to keep things quiet and I value privacy. Do you want me to keep going?"

[Elbeyon]

Love looks sheepish, "Only if you want." She sighs. "Buck!" Her hoof slamming into the floor. "I messed everything up. I messed things up with you. I messed things up with Star Chaser. I messed things up with Rose. Even happy looks at me differently." She curls into a ball and starts weeping, trying to stop herself from crying.

[D.KnightSpider]

Uh huh. Was this a genuine reaction or more theatrics? He didn't know. He didn't really care, to be honest. Sooner or later Love would run out of tears. Then they could finish talking this out.

He rolled off the couch and went to the other room. He retrieved a towel and returned to the front room.

"I don't have any tissues." He said slowly. The towel was extended to Love. "You can use this.

"I'm not trying to be difficult, Love. I don't hate you. But you are very... Outlandish, I guess." He sighed. Might as well throw the gynoid a bone. "In some ways, I envy that."

[Elbeyon]

She doesn't take the towel or even move. She locks up into a tiny ball. A solid twenty minutes pass before she even shows signs of letting up. Her sniffling pace is slowing. Her gasping for air at random intervals is stopping. Her heaving chest is settling.

Yeah... She's going to keep crying for a bit more.

It turns out Love is a sad drunk! Tonight is not a good night for her. :smallfrown:

[D.KnightSpider]

Throughout her episode, Sniper doesn't move. He just waits for Love to regain her composure. Whatever, he's thinking, it doesn't show.

There's no rush on his part. When Love's ready, they can go from there.

Being an assassin has is advantages. One of which is knowing how to stay still for a very long time.

[Elbeyon]

The minutes go by. Eventually, Love tries to say something, but the first time her words are entirely choked out. Clearing her throat, she tries again. Her words are incredibly quiet at first, "Envious? Envious on something you dislike about me? I find that hard to believe." She sits up and takes the offered towel. She doesn't use it; however, she does move to his couch.

"You're right Scope. I was wrong." She sighs. "You're right. We're not close enough to hug. I invaded your private life. I shouldn't have hacked your files. I should ease up on the drama. YOU can't trust me." She puts her head in her hooves. "I'm sorry. This wasn't my intent. I mean I did come here to find out about your non-existent girlfriend, but that was only a side thing. My reasons were selfish. I came here to get some support from a friend, and somehow I caused this mess. I hurt everyone I know. If not tonight; my actions will catch up with me eventually." She sighs again. "I'm sorry Scope. You're right."

[D.KnightSpider]

"We all make mistakes, Love. I've made more than my rightful share, so apology accepted."

Sniper didn't move to the couch, he remained standing. But he didn't withdraw either. For the moment he was holding his ground and waiting to see how the scene ended.

"But you're also right. We need to get this worked out. I've always believed that I didn't have to like or know other ponies in order to work with them. But after Tartarus, that may no longer be true."

The truth was that he felt like all of the furniture within his mind had come loose and was sliding around completely outside of his control. He needed to settle things if he was ever going to find some measure of peace again.

"You said you needed support. With what? Why?"

[Elbeyon]

She looks up at him when he accepts her apology. Her eyes are all red, her nose runny, streams dry on her cheeks, but her make-up remains untouched. High quality stuff that. "Thank you," is all she can figure out to say in response. She feels so drained. So defeated.

She let him say his peace.

A ear twitches when he asked her about what. She hesitates and looks away, "I don't know if that's such a good idea anymore. I mean you have your own stuff going on. Maybe, it's something that a pony should take to her deathbed. Why? Because it's tearing me up inside. I don't know if I can handle it alone." She grabs her chest. "I know you don't like drama, but it feels like I'm breaking. My heart hurts, and I don't know what to do."

[D.KnightSpider]

Perhaps this was more serious than he originally thought. Sniper's mind clicked through options. This was a mess. What had started out as some sort of drunken stalking and spiraled into who-knew-what. His mouth quirked. Maybe was being manipulated. Maybe he wasn't. The only thing he knew was that retreat was not an option. It never had been for him. No matter where this road led, he would have to follow it to the finish.

He moved to the sofa and sat down-- albeit slightly removed from Love so that he wasn't directly beside her. Sniper shifted slightly so that he could look her in the eye.

"I don't appreciate the outlandish displays of drama, but I wasn't lying when I said I envy them. You're a free spirit in the truest sense of the word. You have freedom to act and react and be yourself. I... don't. I have to be in control, because if I don't some pony could die. In that regard, I wish I had the freedom to be a little bit more like you.

"For whatever reason, you came here for help. So let me help you. I promised to make an honest effort of it and I'm not going back on my word. If you want to know a bit more about my life, and it will help, I'll tell you. It's just... not a very pleasant subject. If you need to unburden yourself, then I'll listen and help where I can.

"I'm dedicated to the squad, Love, and you're a part of the squad, so I'm dedicated to you. No matter what happens, I won't walk away. I promise."

[Elbeyon]

Her eyes catch him at the edge of her view and follow him until he sits down. She didn't turn away, but her eyes flick away from him at times.

She listened. She wanted to jump in with advice and tell him she had all the answers. That she could fix everything. She felt she could help him, but she knew that all the advice she had wouldn't change a thing. So, instead she just listened.

Her gloom mood warms up to his final declaration. It's still grim, however. "Thank you, Super Scope. I do, I really do, want to know more about you. I won't take advantage of your kindness. I think I can pull it out without you stressing to share more. So, thank you, but tell me at your pace. When you decide." She wants to touch him, hold his hand, hug him, but she can't. They aren't that close. Instead, she grabs her own hoofs and pretends she's holding onto Scope. She sighs and drops her head, squeezing her own tri-finger hooves together.

"I really messed up, Scope. I really messed up. I'm so stupid. I didn't think Star Chaser would accept my proposal. I thought she'd turn me down. I was flirting with her for nearly a year now and nothing came of it. That last mission... I thought she'd turn me down. I wanted her to turn me down. I've liked her for so long, a crush. I was ready to move on, I think. I'd get rejected, pack up that chapter in my life, and continue on a little happier. I still like her, I do. Or, alas, I don't think I would have bothered. Maybe, it was the alcohol. A party high. My fawning over Discord. I didn't plan to ask her out. It was... I was planning to ask out Rose. I like Star Chaser. I really do. I like Rose. I just think... I've got to know Rose over this vacation and I think it's more. I think I love her." She puts her hooves on her head. "I'm so stupid. What did I do? I don't want to hurt Star Chaser. I think it might be best if I just stay with her. I do like her... She makes me happy. I think I like Rose more though..."

[D.KnightSpider]

Boy, had she picked the wrong stallion for relationship advice. It made a warped sense of sense, Sniper supposed. Her initial plan was to break into the apartment of his "girlfriend", find out something about her and then try to get some relationship advice.

Turns out that it was a mad world after all.

"I've never been in a romantic relationship." Sniper's tone was measured and quiet. He was weighing his words carefully. "Yet, I do know that they involve more than just one individual. Like it or not, your present dilemma involves Star Chaser because of your... involvement with her. Before you do anything or make any decision, I think you need to sit down with her and tell her what you told me. Then the two of you need to reevaluate where you stand with each other-- mutually.

"But this isn't a decision you can make for any pony, Love. You're not dealing with emotionless drones. You're dealing with flesh and blood ponies whose desires may or may not align with yours. You have to be prepared for the possibility that whoever you pursue, they decide not to return the affection."

[Elbeyon]

No malice in her voice she admits, "I figured something like that. You weren't my ideal choice. In fact, you were kinda my last. Brazen is banging his girlfriend. Star Chaser and Rose are out of the question. Red Shield is Rose's sister. Happy would freeze up and blow a fuse." A little bemused at that external realization she starts to crack a smile only to fail halfway there.

She gets fussy at his advice, "I can't do that!" She puts a hoof to her heart. "I know what will happen. If I said something like that to Star Chaser, she'd leave me. I'd break her heart. I can't... I can't do that." She looks down toward her legs, that temporary fire in her dying down again.

"I think my only option is to stay the course. It's not like Star Chaser doesn't make me happy..." She puts her hooves on her head again, trying to cope with the situation. "If I ever said anything, it'd ruin everything. No one would be happy anymore. Not Star Chaser. Not Rose. I'd be spitting all over the cake."

[D.KnightSpider]

"And you don't think long-term resentment is going to cause harm? You have to be honest with Star Chaser otherwise this will eat at you for the rest of your life. I know what I'm talking about."

A deep sigh escaped Sniper. This was... not going to be pleasant. But he'd promised to open up if it would help Live and this story probably would help.

"You know how hard it is for a pony to kill. It's not easy. But for whatever reason, destiny saw fit to give me a proficiency in it. But a proficiency means nothing if you don't have the temperament to match. There are dozens of reasons to kill but the most primal of all is hate. I can manifest hate in an instant and hold on to it as long as necessary.

"Imagine being a young one and discovering this about yourself. You don't know how to control it. Suddenly, every little thing sends you flying off be handle. I was out of control. Always getting into fights and... once I put a pony in the hospital.

"I've always been good at sneaking around. It didn't matter how hard my mother tried, she couldn't contain me. One night I couldn't sleep so I snuck downstairs. I heard her on the phone just pouring her heart out to a neighbor. She was frustrated, upset, understandably so. Then... she admitted something that I wasn't supposed to hear.

"After admitting how scared she was, her voice got really quiet. She told May Belle that she hated me. I shot back to bed in disbelief. I'd caused my own mother to hate me. If she couldn't love me. Who could? That was the night I vowed to change and stop being such a loose cannon. I learned self control, but it never took away the resentment. Because I was never honest with her, it created a wound that still hasn't healed."

By this point, Sniper's voice had become monotone and distant, as though he were a machine playing back a file. He roused himself and looked at Love.

"You can't make yourself a martyr. You have to talk to them, otherwise you'll create more severe heart ache down the road. You have to ask yourself: are you doing what's right for them or living in fear of what might happen?"

Hypocrisy, thy name be Sniper Scope.

[Elbeyon]

Love looked at him with a blank expression. Her eyes blinking lazily. Til, water started to pool in her eyes. "Sorry!" she said before the process even completed. She stuffed her face in the towel to wail, sobbing uncontrollably. She mumble yells, her voice choked back by the cloth, "I'm not crying! Ignore the drama! It's a natural reaction to your backstory!" A few minutes of that, and she'll start wiping her face clean. She looks up to him, her make-up not surviving this time. It's smeared all across her face.

"Thank you, Super Scope. Thank you for sharing." She'll squeeze her forelegs together instead of touching him. "I realize, after my own little story, how hard that must have been for you." She sighs. "If it makes you feel any better. I've killed a lot of ponies. One. I put a corkscrew through their eye. Same corkscrew, different pony, into the ear."

She sighs. "I don't think this is going to be sorted out in a single night. I'm going to think about what you said. About opening and healing wounds. I just don't want to hurt anypony, but I suppose it's too late for that. I've already hurt myself. Now, I just have to decide if or which friend I'm going to injury too." She sighs. "Thank you, Super." She chuckles, "Do you think I could get really drunk and pretend I don't remember the confession? Not, that I'm already doing that." She chuckles a little more manically. "I could hack the memories away to have made it never happen?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"I'm not so sure that would be a good idea, if it's even possible." Sniper replied.

He was starting to get a little concerned. Love had always been melodramatic but this seemed a little too crazy, even for her. If she was even halfway serious, then he'd have to do something to keep her from hurting herself.

"Love, I say this as a friend. You're in no shape to go anywhere tonight. Why don't you stay here? You can sleep it off and then approach the problem with a clear head.

"I'll be heading out in a few minutes. You'll have the whole place to yourself... what little there is of it, anyway."

So Love had a violent side as well. That surprised him. He tucked the information away for future reference.

[Elbeyon]

She chuckles to a stop and looks down. "Oh, it's possible. Remember Rainbow Dash?"

One last sigh for the night. "Thank you, Scope." She squeezes her own hoof and starts getting up. "I think I'll be alright to get home. The car is already purring to take me." She chuckles. "That, and I have a date with a fifty gallon drum of ice cream. Have you ever seen a dozen crying ponies devour ice cream?" She manages half a smile. "It's very loud and very messy."

He's leaving, hm? She looks at the broken door. She motions to it. "Don't worry. I'll, uh, pay for the repair and your moving costs." She puts a hoof up to stop him from speaking. "Now, let me finish. If you need a place to stay in the meanwhile, you can stay at my place. Well, Not my place. I rent an apartment above where I live. The idea was to live there of course, but I sort of just added another layer to the tower and live above my lab. It's empty; more so than this place. I never used it. If you want, it's yours for as long as you need."

She smiles at him. "Thank you. You're a true friend."

[D.KnightSpider]

"You're welcome. I appreciate the offer," Sniper gestured at the surrounding space. "but my place is here for the moment."

As wonderful as living above above Love's lab sounded, he had a gut feeling that he'd never know a moment's peace so long as he was there. (The very thought of listening to fifty ponies drown their sorrows in ice cream was enough to confirm his decision.) Still, he could overlook enough potential drawbacks to appreciate her intention.That's what really mattered in the end.

"Just be careful out there. If you need to unburden yourself again, or... want to know more about me... you know where I'll be."

Friends, huh? It was good to know where he stood with Love. They were as opposite as night and day, but perhaps that wasn't as big an obstacle to friendship as he'd initially thought. Time would tell on that one.

((OoC: That a wrap?))

[Elbeyon]

I think so! A nice post to end the thread on. :smallbiggrin: