Civil Debate

[Tayari]

January 8^th, Mid-afternoon

On a cold and cloudy day, Potent Prepared Potions sat with its door firmly closed, though a sign saying 'Open' was placed clearly on the front. The front room sat empty; the owner of the store enjoyed the warmth of the cauldron fire in his alchemy room as he shifted all of the room's contents from a state of vaguely-defined system buried in chaos into an actual orderly arrangement.

He had, fortunately, managed the forethought to leave a sign for visitors standing on the countertop to say, 'Ring bell to call owner', as well as a fairly old but technically functional bell. And if that didn't work, he figured the constant sounds of movement from the back room might tip off customers as to where to find him.

[Hijinks]

Hijinks barged through the door to Tay's shop with a loud SLAM. "TayTay! I'm heeeeere!" She yelled out loudly, ignoring the sign and bell. "Where are you TayTay!?" She yelled out again, bouncing up and down in the main room behind the counter, looking for any sign of her favourite zebra.

[Tayari]

A loud yell of surprise and several seconds of the clattering of falling objects from the other room was the immediate response. A moment later, Tayari approached from the other side of the counter, looking quite dishevelled. Looking at the filly, he said, "Hijinks?"

[Hijinks]

"TayTay!" Hijinks grinned. "You would not bah-leave the day I just had. For breakfast I went down to the bakery but it was all closed and stuff because of some fire or whats-it, so I had to get ice-cream from the parlor again cause the owner likes me and gives me some free cookies sometimes which is nice." Hijinks stopped to think. "Oh right. Social norm dictates that I ask how your day has been. How was your day, TayTay?" She asked happily.

[Tayari]

Tayari thought back to the room he'd just spent hours in, sorting through all manner of powerful alchemical knowledge, secret schemes and ideas he'd long forgotten. "Er... dull, I suppose. Not doing anything worth talking about." After a moment's pause, he asked, "So, what brings you to this store today?"

[Hijinks]

Hijinks jumped up on the counter, looking down at Tayari for once. "Dull?! But TayTay! You're in the rebel club now! Where's all the super sneaky spy missions and stuff? What was the point joining if you don't do anythin'?"

[Tayari]

"Super sneaky... what?" Tayari asked. "Putting aside the fact that I'm not a spy, it's been two days. What makes you think I've been assigned a task? Or gotten ready to perform it?"

[Hijinks]

Hijinks thought for a second. "Umm... dunno." She shrugged and dropped that topic. "Have you met the captain yet? He's a pirate! And he's like 'rawr, you can't go to the armory yet, there are too many sharp things for you to play with there!' so I had to count boxes instead but it wasn't that great really." she giggled. "He's really good with swords and he wanted to teach me how to stab things but I was too cool for that so yadda yadda I lost where I was going with this." She stopped to think for a second.

[Tayari]

Tayari blinked and said, "I, er... the captain? Do you mean Pri-" He cut himself off as he thought of something. "Listen, can we take this to the back room? It's probably not a conversation to have in a room anyone else could enter any time."

[Hijinks]

Hijinks snapped out of her thoughts and giggled. "Okey donkey!" She replied, jumping on Tayari's back. "Go fast, TayTay! Wheeeeeeeeeee!" She giggled madly from the zebra's back.

[Tayari]

Tayari looked at the cramped corner leading to the other rooms. "...Fast doesn't really work in this place. Or with me," he said as he walked into the alchemy lab, carefully stepping over a large fallen pile of papers and a broom.

Getting his head back to the matter, he asked, "Okay, so... You met Captain Prism again, I assume? Do I want to know what you were saying about swords, or should I focus on your belief that 'rebel' means 'secret agent'?"

[Hijinks]

Hijinks sighed as she realized that Tayari was not a runner. It was still fun though.

Once in the alchemy room, Hijinks hopped off Tayari and began looking at random pieces of paper. "Hmm... You need to get out more." She concluded after reading a few. "But anyways, Mr Cap'n kinda reminded me of you, cause he was like 'I never go outside'." Hijinks paused as she looked over at Tay. "And by the by, being a rebel is totally like being a secret agent, cause you have to be sneaky and pull off super secret missions."

[Tayari]

"Hey, I go outside!" Tayari protested. "I spend hours at a time outside the city to get my ingredients, that counts! And rebel missions are more expl... no, wait... rebels will gather a lot of... they'll subvert the- Okay, fine, rebels are secret agents," he admitted.

[Hijinks]

Hijinks grinned. "See? Am I not always right hundred percent of the time?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Of course I am, so that means you has to play with me more! Because I get lonely and I need lots and lots of attention... Also I need foods." Her stomach growled to confirm that fact. "And something else which I forgot. Anyways, I should totally introduce you to my other friends. There's Kitten of course... And then I met this really nice griffon... colt?" Hijinks didn't know the name of young male griffon. "Anyways, he's super nice to me and he's kinda cute. Oh, and there's that stallion who runs the ice-cream parlor, he's kinda nice to me." Hijinks licked her lips. "Ice-cream..." She drooled slightly when she thought of ice-cream.

[Tayari]

Tayari noticed Hijinks' stomach rumble, and took note of his own state of hunger. "Ah. Is it about lunch time? If you'd like, I could make you a sandwich or something to eat." Even before waiting for a response, he moved to a clear space on a bench by the wall to prepare some food. As he did, he commented, "Actually, didn't I already meet Kitten? We had milkshakes with him, I think."

[Hijinks]

Hijinks nodded enthusiastically at the idea of a sandwich. "Yay TayTay! But you know, you didn't actually 'meet' Kitten. You don't know anything about him. You know he has a farm now? It's outside the city. I couldn't ever imagine being a farm pony. Makes me wonder why he would waste his life doing that..."

[Tayari]

"A farm?" Tayari asked. "Doesn't seem like such a waste to me. Maybe I should meet him, though. What is he farming?" As he asked this, he held out the completed first sandwich to Hijinks.

[Hijinks]

Hijinks shrugged. "I dunno... Maybe he's growing cake." She wasn't serious of course, but it would be amazing if Kitten actually was growing cake out there. "Even then, farming is best left to the... Dull ponies." She shuddered slightly at that. Nontheless, Hijinks took the offered sandwich and bit into it, swallowing under half of the whole thing in the first bite. "Good sandwich, TayTay."

[Tayari]

Silently, the hungry zebra considered the idea of a cake farm, knowing there should be a reason to dismiss it but being unable to think of one. As he made his own sandwich, though, he said, "It doesn't have to be for the dull ponies, though. For one thing, plenty of innovation can go into it; for another, farming can't be only for dull ponies or I'd be there." Finishing his own sandwich and taking a bite, he asked Hijinks, "Let me know if you want any more. I've still got some bread left."

[Hijinks]

"If you were a dull pony, I would not be interested in you." Hijinks retorted. "I call them dull because they are just that. They are content to go through their life following the routine that Celestia." She spat out that name in disgust. "Made herself to keep everything in order. They grow up, get an education, get married, have foals, get old and then they die. Boring BORING BORING!" She stamped her front hooves on the ground in anger, which looked like she was throwing a tantrum... Which would be kinda accurate at this moment. It would also be interesting to note that Hijinks' eyes were now light blue, the same colour as her mane.

[Tayari]

Tayari instinctively backed away a step, caught by surprise by the outburst. "Woah! Hold on... okay. Not a dull pony, then, you clearly really hate dull ponies..." And Celestia, he noted internally. "Since there aren't any here at the moment, could we calm down, please?"

[Hijinks]

Tayari's words did not help and Hijinks felt anger and hate burn through her body. Screaming, she bucked the empty air behind her, nearly falling off balance. "I don't hate dull ponies, they are necessary to do all of the unimportant jobs such as farming." She replied without screaming. "But they are so stupid! It disgusts me to even be around them!" By now Hijinks as finished jumping, smashing and screaming and is currently just clenching her jaw tightly. Her eyes, however, stayed a vibrant blue.

[Tayari]

Tayari took another step back, saying, "Okay, okay, whatever you say! Just please stop!" His voice, more than anything, betrayed any idea that he would keep composed; seeing Hijinks in a destructive state in the middle of his lab was likely to get someone hurt, and while he didn't know who, he had no intention of finding out.

[Hijinks]

Hijinks huffed and sat down on the floor. She was still angry if her eyes were any indication. "What do you want?" She asked Tayari.

[Tayari]

Tayari took a moment to collect himself before answering, "I want to avoid things getting destroyed in this room, for one. And to make sure your day isn't ruined five minutes after entering my shop. Hijinks, is something wrong?"

[Hijinks]

The blue faded from Hijinks' eyes and they returned to their natural red. "I dunno... I guess?" She admitted as she turned her head downwards so she wouldn't have to look at Tayari. She wanted to say something but... She could never force the words out. She decided that she needed to say something so she steeled herself and looked up at Tayari. "My father is alive." She blurted out.

[Tayari]

Tayari blinked. "I, ah... that's good news, isn't it? Unless..." he said before cutting himself off so Hijinks could speak.

[Hijinks]

Hijinks shrugged. "I dunno... He was M.I.A but I guess they never really confirmed if he died or not. Could have abandoned us, thought we were dead or got captured." Hijinks tried looking to the deepest parts of her mind to ascertain her feelings on the matter. Rage would be the most likely response considering how his 'death' affected her life but she didn't really feel angry. "I guess it doesn't really matter. Revenge won't get me anything... And he doesn't know I exist so..."

[Tayari]

Tayari nodded. "I... can't honestly say I can imagine what that's like. I'd offer advice if I had any, but as it stands, the best I can offer is this: whatever you decide to do, I'm available if you'd like help." Thinking for a second, he added, "And that extends beyond the father thing. Within reason, at least, I'm available to help as much as I can."

[Hijinks]

Hijinks smirked. "And you thought you were a dull pony." She giggled. Although, thinking back on Tayari's offer, Hijinks had a question. "Hmm... Would you sing a song with me if I asked you to?"

[Tayari]

Tayari sighed. "I could point out that I said 'within reason', but alright..." Clearing his throat, he sang one verse:
"♫Every single day there's something else to account for 
Every single day there's something hazardous to brew 
But nothing makes me satisfied like a day when I can say 
"Hey, ponies, I've got potions, and they’re just for you!♫"

Looking at Jinks, he asked, "Happy?"

[Hijinks]

"Immensely" Hijinks replied with a mischievous grin. "So..." Hijinks looked around the room. "Can I has another sandwich?" She asked, putting on the puppy dog eyes.

[Tayari]

Tayari nodded. "One sandwich, coming right up. I'll throw in a drink, too." True to his word, he soon produced another sandwich and a cup full of juice for the filly, with another cup set aside for himself.

[Hijinks]

Hijinks stuffed her face full of sandwich, finishing it off almost as quickly as the first. She then finished by taking a big gulp from the cup of juice. "Ahhh. Nothing like a good cuppa." She said contently. "So you wanna go the park with me and roll down the hill?" She asked.

[Tayari]

Tayari shook his head. "Sorry, Hijinks. Perhaps another time; I need to keep the shop open for now, at least."

[Hijinks]

Hijinks was slightly disappointed. "Oh. Okay! I think I'll just go and... I dunno. Annoy Kitten a bit? Yeah. Sure." She gave Tayari a quick hug and ran out the door. "I'll see ya later, TayTay!" She shouted as she ran out the front door.

[Tayari]

Tayari sighed, unhappy with disappointing Hijinks. The hug was nice, though, and he meant what he said. He returned to the work he'd been doing earlier, of waiting for customers and organizing the contents of the alchemy lab.

[Tayari]

Year 5, Jan 8

Characters: Hijinks, Tayari

Summary: Hijinks once again visits Potent Prepared Potions, and discusses various topics with Tayari as they eat, such as the situation with Harmless Fun and Hijinks' opinion of dull ponies.

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