I'm Headed to the Uhhhh...Gym! (closed: Steely)

[RainbowFoxxy]

The wind whipped through Rainbow's mane as he flew from Sweet Apple Acres to the Wonderbolts training academy. He'd taken a little time off, getting used to the new situation. Things had settled down a tad, at least for now, and he was getting used to well, being a he. It hadn't really taken too long to get accustomed to the newness of it all, RD had always been strong in head and in body and that much had not changed. He was happy that the increase in testosterone had only helped to bulk up even more than before. 

 

"Makes up for taking a few weeks off right?" He muttered to himself as he banked to fly right through a cloud. Fragments of fluffy white floof puffed in every direction as he cannoned through and then turned the bank into a dive as the training academy loomed into view.

 

It took a few minutes to get by security, owing to RD being a bit different than he used to be. However, after figuring out some details he was allowed entry into his old haunt. Everything else might change but some things stayed the same. Wonderbolt headquarters being one of those things. The tight military efficiency of the place was still in full effect. Something Rainbow had always appreciated, if not fully adhered to, throughout her years in this place. 

 

Though no longer on the official flying team, members of the past were always allowed entry and use of the facilities. Rainbow landed and trotted into the gym. The sound of weights clashing and the smell of sweat and sports drinks surrounded her as he glanced over the equipment. 

 

"Let's see," He mused, looking over the choices. "Pecs for sure." He flapped his wings, flexing his pecs in a nearby mirror for good measure. "Delts, gluts, aaaaand round things old with the fetlocks." 

 

After deciding on the training routine he made his way over to a press machine and settled in to work his wing muscles. As he sat down, his eyes shifted to a mirrors a few machines down from his. There was a new mare, well new to him any way. She must have started while he'd been out for a few weeks. She was... RD shook his head, nope. 

 

He flexed, bringing the formidable stack of weights behind him up and down slowly for ten reps. After the tenth he allowed, stood, stretching his wings lightly. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face and he grabbed a towel to wipe it off. As he toweled off his face he noticed the mare again. She walking to the free weights area. Try as he might, RD could not stop himself from watching her as she walked past him. Nice....definition.

 

RD spent the rest of the workout, trying to look and not look at the mare who had caught his attention. He wanted to go up to her. Introduce himself, get her name. He was certainly not a bad looking stallion after all.  She would probably be friendly. He could invite her to get a smoothie at the gym's bar after their workout and... nope!

 

Rainbow made his way over to the mats and began his stretching routine. A few weeks off really could tighten muscles apparently. It took his a while to be able to bend and flex the way he wanted.  He mentally chided himself for not working out more as he got used to his new body. It would take him weeks to get back what he'd lost in flexibility from not stretching. 

 

He took a downward dog position just as the hooves of the mare walked by him. A blush creeped onto his cheeks and he was glad that wouldn't be seen by anypony in his current position. 

 

"Pull it together..." He muttered softly under his breath to himself. 

 

The mare took a mat a little ways away from him but he could see her perfectly from the mirrors in front of them. She could see him too of course. He forced himself to occupy his body with various stretching poses, refusing to make contact with those eyes just a few mats away. He could turn to her, give a friendly smile, ask how her workout went and....nope!

 

When he'd finished and felt loose and limber, RD tossed his used mat and towel into the wash bin and trotted towards the locker room. A nice hot shower would be just the thing to clear his mind.

[SteelEagle]

Being a Wonderbolt Trainee was the dream of every little pegasus pony. That much was true. Most little pegasi dreamed of being invited, being seen for how great they secretly were. How many little fillies and colts as they got bullied imagined pulling off a flash move during a show, leaving their bullies slackjawed and awed? Most, she imagined. She wouldn’t lie. She did too. In the days of her youth when times were tough, she sure as shine wanted to show each and every one of them what she was made of.

 

What made her different from the average little pegasus was that she kicked flank and she knew it. She knew it so well, so down to her fetlocks and through her feathers, that her dream had never been to simply be selected to join the Wonderbolts. No, that was the start. This was when her book began. Her dreams were bigger, more fruitful, and far more grandiose. It was that dream that drove her so well and so far beyond the efforts of others. It had been that dream which brought her here, and that dream which saw her laser-focused on making the new flight team.

 

The previous Wonderbolt touring season was over. As per protocol, technically the flight team didn’t exist. In a few weeks the roster would be announced by Commandant Soarin’, the aged former Wonderbolt flyer who ran administration now. Some names were expected to be in there. Rapid Fire. Blaze, one of the old crew. Vapor Trail, Sky Stringer. Still, they lacked a real top ace captain and a real hotshot newbie.

 

Everypony assumed the captain would be Rainbow Dash. She had been the best for years. Most records were owned by her. She was wildly popular and well-regarded as the best Wonderbolt in centuries, maybe ever. Blaze’s signature fetched twenty, maybe thirty bits. Rainbow’s? Several hundred, and she gave out so many of them! Even as she got older, she was still so clearly the best that when they announced the teams it was expected she would be named the leader.

Should have been, anyway. Something happened during the last touring session, and Rainbow Dash was forced out of the tour. Some even said she had retired. But as far as Thunder was concerned, Dash had just taken some time off. Why the hay would anyone leave when they were at the top pf the food chain? Whatever. She just needed some time off.

 

Thunder, meanwhile, was working her tail off to make sure that she would make the team. She didn’t want to make the reserves. Vapor Trail could live on the reserves, she mostly did anyway. She wanted to make the damn flight team. So she worked hard, again and again. She woke up earlier and worked out. She paid attention in class. She drilled intensely. She did routines over and over again. She then worked her tail off some more after the day’s session was over, hitting the gym day after day after day. She worked herself until any more work would be harmful. She didn’t waste a moment.

 

So it was she walked in right after some hunk of a stallion did. She could swear his colors and mane made him look like Rainbow Dash. Was he supposed to be some sort of fanboy? She rolled her eyes behind him before she went to work. Well, he must know somepony important to be allowed in, so she kept her mouth shut. Her first workout was a harsh one. Small little magically adhesive strings were tied around different pinions, attached to weights. The weights would be allowed to drop, and you had to pull on certain parts of your wings to keep them level. It didn’t only strengthen your wings as a whole, but it allowed you to work on certain structures in the wing. The hollow bones were magically motivated, and understanding how to manipulate them was important.

 

Her wings flared and pinned open, she was afforded the chance to scan the stallion. Not bad. A lot of muscles. Hot, really. His wings were being worked by the press machine- not bad either. Very impressive work, very nice. She had to refocus on her own machine, the balance constantly shifting as the machine changed what weights went where. This was a timed machine, not a rep one- and it gave her time to count his reps and strategically avoid his gaze, though she didn’t mind it. She knew she was great to look at. 

 

Soon she went to free weights. Not as exciting but just as important, she worked on her core and legs, and followed up by stretches eventually went to a mat. The stallion was a mess, she could feel it. Like her first coltfriend, before the poor dude had run off after a particular embarrassing incident. She was very limber herself and soon found herself working out in a way to attract his attention, almost laughing to herself. Still, she thought it was done soon enough.

 

She had worked up quite the sweat and moved her way to the locker room. There, she finally removed her Wonderbolt uniform, peeling it off more than removing it until she was back to normal. She took a big sigh and a towel and trotted into the shower, turning it on and being relieved immediately by the warmth of the water.

[RainbowFoxxy]

Rainbow made his way into the lockers rooms. It was humid in here, thanks to the hot showers being just the thing for many a pony after a tough workout. He sat down on a bench, taking a couple of breaths. A workout like this was nothing. He kept on telling himself that though his muscles protested. He'd have them back where they needed to be by the end of next week. 

 

His ears flicked up as the hoofsteps of another pony echoed through the locker room. Whoever it was, they were on the mare's side. There wasn't too much of a separation between the two areas. Just enough to afford a touch of privacy for anypony wanting it. He couldn't help but notice though, a striped flank as she made her way. The mare he had been watching earlier. RD gulped, feeling tightness building where it never had before his stallion days. It was a new and enticing sensation, something that was very hard for him to ignore. But, ignore he would!

 

He would ignore the fact that he knew where she was by the clatter of her hooves on the tiled floor just beyond the partition separating the mares from stallions. Rainbow stood, inching closer to the partition, not able to wrench his eyes away. Just beyond a set of lockers he could see her. Through the mist from the showers he watched as the mare stripped the uniform away from her lithe frame. She was toned and athletic, the nicest piece of flank he had seen since...ignore her RD!

 

He stepped back, tripping up on his own hind leg and stumbling. He winced and ducked down, knowing the sound would ring all through the locker area. Hopefully she hadn't seen him watching her. Once she had gone into the shower, RD made his way towards the stallion's shower area. Stepping under the soothing jet, he sighed. This was just thing thing to wash his thoughts and cares away. 

 

Once he's finished his shower, RD grabbed a towel and turned to head to his locker.

 

"Woops!" The word came out automatically as he almost ran right into the mare!

 

She was standing right in front of him, still dripping from the shower. Mist hung around them as that same tightness grew in those same places on RD. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to that. 

 

"Sorry 'bout that," RD Stammered and then cleared his throat. He was cooler than this! "You have a good workout?"

 

There, that was...not his best. Guilt wrapped around him even as he took a small step closer to the mare. He could smell her, sweet but with that slight tang of musk that often came with true athletes. It was intoxicating. There was no ignoring this...

[SteelEagle]

The locker rooms and showers hadn’t always been segregated, if what they were now could honestly even be called that. From what she was told, there used to be a single large locker room and shower. As the facility grew to accommodate even increasing members of the flight team, reserves, and trainees, not to mention the staff, more space was allocated. Once more space was made available, the topic of how to partition it all came up. Now, they had gendered locker rooms and showers, though to call any of it strict or all that well partitioned was a joke.

 

The bang was indeed heard all around the locker area, though at first she didn’t pay it much attention. She had stolen a glance and knew who it was- that hunk. Why was he still here? It was one thing to enter the facility and go to the gym. It was another thing to use the locker room. A part of her was concerned, but based on how flustered he was the few times she captured a glance from him, she was more worried that he was going to walk into a wall and drown in the showers. She didn’t want a body in the showers. That was how rumors got started.

 

She didn’t dawdle in the showers. She worked her wings off today and she felt it, so she cleaned herself off just as thoroughly but didn’t waste time. When she was done, she dried off and started trotting out- and almost right into the new stallion. And what a stallion he was. Dude was built. Big everything. He had the legs of a farmer and the wings of a Acroneighsian. She would whistle in impression were it not for him almost running right over her. “Hey, watch your step, buddy. Slippery when wet,” she tried to play it cool. “Thanks, I guess. Who are you? Haven’t seen you around her. You aren’t one of Dash’s fanboys, are you?”

[RainbowFoxxy]

His eyes widened as she responded, standoffish and definitely had an attitude. He liked that, a little too much. Dash swallowed, trying to keep some semblance of composure in this all too awkward situation. He shook his head slightly, trying to regain control of his faculties. Come on Dash, you're cooler than this. This babe could be all yours if you just play things right. That same guilt wrapped itself tightly around Dash's stomach, tightening fractionally more with every moment he occupied the same space as this mare.

 

"Fanboy?" He cocked his head, smirking at her. "I don't really go in for that idolization thing." The smirk changed to a half smile, a bit of slyness creeping in. His body urged him to turn on the charm even as his heart told him to move away. "I'm Striker." He held out a hoof, his wonder at what touching her even in a hoofshake would feel like overcoming the knowledge that an intro like this was a liiiittle unconventional giving the current surroundings.  

[SteelEagle]

Thunder looked at him, up and down, back and front, again and again as he spoke and then as she processed what he said. She wasn’t impolite; she returned his hoofshake. With the steam still heavy around them, she couldn’t be sure of all the observations she was making. Perhaps she had some information wrong. Maybe, just maybe, she was off-base with what she was thinking. But, truth be told, she didn’t think she was.

 

“Name’s Thunder. Thunder Rose,” she said before she started walking and talking, leading him into the locker room. Female, not that anyone cared. “Not a fanboy, eh Striker?” She said with a click of her tongue. “Could fool me. You have her colors, her mane. Even her cutie mark,” she turned at her locker. “You picked a good one to emulate, fanboy. she’s the best Wonderbolt of all time. Shoe-in for team lead this year. Pretty attractive, too,” she said, waggling her eyebrows as she bent down to get her clothes. “I mean, all the stallions and most of the mares think about her, at least sometimes. So it isn’t like you have to be ashamed to just admit that you’re,” she shook her head and turned back to him, sitting down with her back legs extended. 

 

“-That you’re a fanboy,” she said as she started putting her socks on. “That, or your parents wanted to set you straight. Heh. Family, right?” She laughed as she worked on the other hoof. “So, what, you’re a new trainee? Can’t say I’ve seen you here before. New, or are you just friends with somepony important? Oh stars and stripes, you aren’t the head of her fanclub, are you?”
 

[RainbowFoxxy]

Rainbow grimaced internally. It was one thing to not even try to change the coloration or the mane, but even the dang cutie mark? Shoot, even a a full nights worth of cinder wouldn't be enough to make anyone believe he wasn't in fact a fan boy when he hadn't changed his look at all. He'd have to come up with some way of changing his appearance a bit in the future. But for now, he figured why not just roll with things. Who knew, he was seeming to get the attention of Thunder anyway.

 

"Heh," He rubbed the back of his front leg with the other. "You got me. I guess I am something of a fan," He lifted a brow. "But like you said, she's not a bad one to be a fan of. Sorta makes me wish I had come around to visit more often. I'm Rainbow Dash's second cousin actually. Just in town for a few days. Figured this mark and the family resemblance might get me access to the gym and apparently it worked."

 

There, a sort of plausible lie. Maybe she would buy some of it, maybe not, or best yet maybe she wouldn't bother continuing the topic of who he was or was not a fan boy of. Right now, he was a fan boy of the very attractive mare changing in front of him.

 

He took a step towards her, that scent of sweetness and musk curling around his nostrils and making his head light. "Looks like you've been in training for a while." He glanced at her lithe muscles as she worked on getting changed. "No need to cover them up with clothes."

[SteelEagle]

She nodded. She wasn’t sure why Rainbow never mentioned him before, but she guessed nopony really cared about second cousins. Thunder only kind of knew her own second cousins. It wasn’t because she didn’t care for them in some way, but really, what could she be expected to do for them? Families were complicated. It was why she didn’t want foals of her own, at least not until she was done with being a Wonderbolt. New branches to cause trouble. 

 

“Ha, well, bold move there, Striker. I guess the guards are kinda dumb. I won’t rat you out,” she said as she finished. She wore socks and shoes, to help keep her legs warm up high “I mean, if I had a famous family to take advantage of, I would. Must be kind of embarrassing for you- probably punishment enough. Celestia, imagine being caught by her like that,” the mare laughed, imagining the endless razzing that would come his way- and then back to Rainbow. 

 

She did take his compliment well, her wings flared ever slightly. “Oh, you bet your muscled flank I have been. Worked my tail off to get here,” she said, knowing the effect the right sock and shoe could have on a stallion. Right over the heck, emphasizing the thigh- she knew she looked great. “You look like you work out a lot too. How strong are you, Striker?”

[RainbowFoxxy]

He watched her pull up those socks, his interest building with each flex of the fabric. She was, well, she was intoxicating. He could feel himself inching closer and closer to her with each passing phrase. He couldn't stop himself, even as thoughts of AJ flashed through his mind. It was exhilarating and also painful to be in this moment but he was finding himself incredibly weak to these new urges building inside of himself. 

 

Oh, you bet your muscled flank I have been. Worked my tail off to get here

 

"It shows," He took her in for a few seconds longer than a glance. "You look great Thunder."

 

At her comment about working out at smile played on his features. "Strong enough," He lifted a hind leg, flexing his toned flank for the barest of a moment. "Strong enough to know what I want and how to get it." The statement came with another prolonged glance. He wanted to kiss her, but there was still a little too much space between them. That along with he wasn't yet sure that was what she wanted.

[SteelEagle]

She kept a smile subdued and loaded. It was rare she got to see a brand new stallion so clearly trying to flirt with her. It was flattering. Athletic mares like her were not necessarily at a loss for attention, but she spent so much of her life up to joining the Wonderbolts focused on her work that she tended to ignore it all.

 

But Striker was different. He was tall, thick, and looked like he had very capable wings. That was important to her. If she wanted strong legs, she would look at an Earth Pony. If she wanted a good horn, there was a unicorn. On a Pegasus, wings were everything, and he had a good pair of them.

 

It didn't hurt him at all that he was related to Rainbow. She was determined to make the team. She knew she could make tye team just because of her hard work, but every edge mattered. And if that edge was a hunk, well, all the better.

 

"You do, do you?" She asked as she got up and shattered the gap between them, so she could get a better look at him. His coloration wasn't something painted on, the fur was too uniform for that. She shot him a cocked eyebrow. "And tell me Striker, do you want to take me out to lunch?"

[RainbowFoxxy]

Lunch? He wanted more than that. He wanted her here and now. Buuuut, maybe he could do lunch...for now.

 

"I do indeed," He breathed in her scent, shaking his head once as if to clear it. "Lunch works too," He shrugged and then let out a little laugh. His awkwardness with all these stallion thoughts and feels was definitely getting the better of him. "I know a good place in Cloudsdale if you're hungry now?"

 

Cloudsdale, yep that was smart right. Less chance of running into anypony that knew him. Fluttershy was down in Ponyville, her parents? Well, they probably wouldn't notice even if they did see her. And, Dash's parents were out of town. Cloudsdale would work perfectly! Probably... he really widhed she'd just be ok with a make out session right here and now in the locker room but if he had to work for it, he would.

[SteelEagle]

She had worked up quite the appetite. She put her snout to the grindstone and worked hard, hard, and harder some more and didn't pay a bit of thought to any of the fancier things in life. Or, as it happened sometimes, lunch beyond what she had planned before. A nice soup. Maybe some cloud bread. 

 

But if Striker wanted to impress her then yeah, he could take her to Cloudsdale. She didn't spend a lot of time in that city but she always wanted to. Seaddle had a cloud district but even that was partially built into the mountains so the non-fliers could access it. But Cloudsdale? No shortcuts made there. 

 

"Oh, I can go for some lunch right about now. Haven't been to Cloudsdale before," she flew off, expecting him to trail right before her and allowing her tail to trail as she flirted. "You're paying, right, big boy?"

[RainbowFoxxy]

They were out of the locker rooms and into the sky within about three seconds. He's have to try to get her into a more secluded space again and soon. Her tail did not go missed, nor did her flanks, nor did any of her athletically toned body. At least she seemed into the idea of spending a little more time with him, even it it was only for lunch. 

 

"I haven't been lately, but I think you'll like it well enough." He commented as they made their way towards the cloudy town. 

 

"It's all on me babe, whatever you want." A shortage of bits was not something that a top performing athlete and a legend in the pony world seemed to run short on. "Make a left when you get to the first street."

 

He'd take her to a nice little cafe. It was quiet and out of the way. There was a cloud park nearby too, if she wanted to maybe spend a few minutes alone with him later.

[SteelEagle]

The flight there was fast, faster than it had any right being. When two pegasi took their time or even went about a normal flight pace, it could take about an hour or maybe less to fly to Cloudsdale. But they got there within minutes, neither one having done much to exert themselves. That’s what you got when you had somepony with Striker’s athletic genetic legacy and a Wonderbolt both trying to impress each other casually. In less than fifteen, they made it to the city, with Thunder’s eyes filling with the largest pegasi-designed and occupied city in the world. 

 

There would be time for sight seeing and for taking in the glories of the city later. For now, she was fully cognizant of her ignorance and somewhat tethered to the good sense of Striker, which so far he had shown less of. He had a shown a lot of something, but sense so far had eluded him! Not that she minded. She thought all the obvious attempts at flirting and his awkwardness were kinda cute- especially when she realizes who he was related to. That didn’t hurt.

 

She followed his directions and soon found herself at a small little cafe. It was quiet to be sure- when they entered, only three other customers and a single waitress- a filly from Dash’s youth, Blueberry Cloud. “How can I help you two?” She said as she carried a cup of coffee to one of the other customers. “If you’re here for a bite, take a seat and I’ll be right with you!” She said as Thunder did just that.

 

“Whatever I want? Well, I can take you up on that. So Striker, I’m sure Rainbow’s plenty happy to have you running around looking like her. What do you do besides cosplay as your cousin?” She asked playfully, sweeping her tail aside to get comfortable.

[RainbowFoxxy]

Striker watched the gentle sweep of Thunder's tail as she took her seat. Celestia...she was one good looking filly. He gulped, trying to remain in full composure as he took his own seat across from her. Then his eyes darted to the filly that was going to be taking their order. She looked vaguely familiar...which under the circumstances was not a good thing. Striker had not done all his homework when it came to finding workarounds for the myriad of questions that would come his way with the way he looked. He made a mental note to rearrange his looks as soon as possible. 

 

Back to the present...Blueberry something...yep, that was her name. Striker gulped again, trying to hide his face behind a menu until Blueberry whatever it was walked away. There were just waaaay too many thoughts and feelings going through Striker at the moment but her persisted. He was not wasting the chance to spend time with Thunder, she was just too good looking to let go of due to awkward intricacies of social behavior. 

 

He gave a playful sidelong glance back to the cosplay comment and listed activities that came to mind. "Well, there's working out of course," He absently ran a hoof over his arm while continuing. "Gotta stay in shape...for uh..." He stammered slightly, unsure about the atrocious web of lies he was building. "For my gym. No way customers are gonna take workout advise from somepony that's not fit." Shift back to her you dummy before your train completely derails. "How 'bout you? What are you into aside from the Wonderbolts?"

[SteelEagle]

Dude needed to keep it together. Thunder was impressed with his physique but she liked cool customers and confident stallions. This hemming and hawing about was attractive in as much as she knew it was causing it, cute in the way that it broke his facade, but if this was going to turn into a date she needed him to show a little backbone. Wonderbolts were all uniquely brave and strong and she liked that in others, too.  She allowed herself to give him a little leeway. She was the knockout of knockouts, especially for a stallion who liked his mares athletic. Only one or two were better, and at least one of them would be scandalous for him to be panting after.

 

“I’m into being the best. The best at weather, the best at flying, the best at letting ponies know what I’m worth. It’s been working out pretty damn well so far,” she chuckled, leaning back and allowing her chest floff to part a bit as she allowed her wings to spread against the seat. An eyebrow shot up. “A gym? I guess that makes sense looking at you. I can imagine you do pretty well if you use yourself to advertise for your services. You’ve got some killer legs, dude,” she said with a laugh before leaning in. “Is your gym not good enough for you? That why you’re hanging out around the ‘Bolts facility, or you just scopin’ out for pleasure?” She laughed before Blueberry returned. Thunder didn’t even allow her to speak. 

 

“I’ll take the rainwater infused lentil soup with cloud mixed in. Shelf cloud if you have it. Cold rainwater, boiling hot soup,” she closed her menu with a fixed smile. “And water to drink.”

Blueberry nodded and looked to Striker, her eyes registering the body- both how familiar it was, and how absolutely not it was. “And what about you, sir? Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be related to Rainbow, would you?”

[RainbowFoxxy]

Striker relaxed into the compliment. That was something he was used to a familiar with. He lifted a brow, sending a flirtatious look at her from across the table. He wanted to be out of this public scene. Back in the locker room with this mare. He would press her up against the lockers and show her just how strong he could be. The thought of her melting into his embrace, of her wanting him to be closer to her, sent warm waves of pleasure coursing through his body. She was so enticing, with that trim and feminine form. All muscle and and smooth curves in all the right places. All thoughts of AJ were somehow banished as he took in this mare across from him. It was that she wasn't AJ that Striker was finding ever more enticing. He would always love AJ bit this was exciting, dangerous, a real adventure for him to discover. 

 

"Thanks," He shifted a little, trying to relax into the moment. "Your wing muscles are incredible." He glanced at the floof on her chest as her wings spread behind her. Totally intoxicating. "As for the Wonderbolt facility, I come over from time to time for extra training. See if there's any new techniques being used as well." He left it at that, wondering if she would press the issue and hoping she wouldn't.

 

Soon their orders were being taken. Striker tried to keep his eyes from making contact with Blueberry's but she bridged the gap on her own despite his effort. 

 

"And what about you, sir? Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be related to Rainbow, would you?”

 

"Uh, nope." He shook his head, his eyes fixed on his menu. "Just a coincidence." He really had been hoping not to run into anyone he knew. "I'll take the hay burrito with a side of thunder clap sauce. And, uh..." He scanned the drink menu. "And a cold cider." He glanced at Thunder. "Just water? You sure?" He wasn't trying anything, he told himself. Cider might be good for loosening somepony up but Thunder really didn't look like she needed it. She was calm, cool, totally collected and sure of herself. But cider was definitely more fun to drink if someone else was drinking ti with him. "It's all on me." He added for good measure.

[SteelEagle]

Dude should try and stop flirting. Maybe that worked on most mares. Many had self-confidence issues and a need for somepony out there to show them their worth. Two things stood out here, however. One, Thunder knew her worth. She was the best and she liked this stallion. He didn't need to play the fool for her. Secondly, it was hard to come across as a smooth operator when you spent your time fumbling about with uhhs and umms. Twilight above, did she hate uhhs and umms. She understood he was nervous, how could he not be around her. Just relax.

 

"Thanks, Striker. I appreciate that. Thank at least one parent for them," she said, her wings retracting gracefully despite their power. "We are always coming up with new training techniques. Your cousin's friendship with Princess Sparkle means we get all sorts of information about flight dynamics and the magic of flight. Kinda cool. Take science, add hard, boom, new techniques. Maybe I could lead you around during a training session. I'm sure you'd enjoy the view," she loaded it with all the meaning she could. She liked teasing him. It was a good test.

 

Same when it came to food and drink. Thunder shook her head. "Nah, I don't drink during flight season. Eat light, fly right. Drink tight, fly bright," she tapped her head with a wing before looking back at the waitress. "I'm good."

The waitress nodded as Striker made his order. She walked away, accepting of his excuse. "Big drinker, Striker? I can hit the cider during the offseason."