trans_9 | Roosting [Open]

Getting some shut-eye aboard this...plantboat presented more of a problem than Applejack had first guessed. How was she expected to just tell time? And without time, how did you know when to sleep, when to wake up, when your work was supposed to start and stop?

She'd taken to just plain collapsing whenever she'd felt too tired to go on any further, but that sure didn't feel right. Every sleep time felt different, like she'd gone a few hours one night and many more the next. Was the work even going to get done on time?

So far, she'd done as much as she could whenever she'd felt alert. One of those apple trees was going to be ready for a bucking in a few days' time, and that would bring all kinds of work. Some of the apples would be kept raw for sale and trade, of course, and others would be baked and dipped into various sweets. She'd already promised a pie to Dean, and she was sure there would be more to follow.

At the end of this workday, though, Applejack carried just a few things on her back: one or two ingredients she'd begged for in her flankpack, a just-scavenged empty basket for future apple-carrying, and an old blanket for the pile of hay waiting for her back in Hydroponics.

It sure was uncomfortable to sleep there, though. The hay and outdoorsy breeze didn't bother her, no, but the lack of starlight did. How were you supposed to know it was night time? That the sun would come?

That was the problem, actually. There would be no sunrise to wake her up in the morning. Plant-boats didn't have suns, and even if they did, Princess Celestia wasn't around to raise it. There wouldn't be any more cock-a-doodle-doos announcing her gift of the mor. Her sister Luna wouldn't be bringing the night either. Out here, it was nighttime eternal until they found a way to pierce the darkness.

Applejack wanted to plan for that Ohm-bucking part some more, but the time to take on the darkness would come later. For now, the farm pony just wanted some sleep. Judging by the way she rolled, twisted, and huffed against the meat-couches in her current location, the only place with something that slightly resembled a starry sky, the time for sleep wasn't quite here yet.

"Consarnit, this just ain't working," she sighed. "How's a pony supposed to sleep on these things? A good bit of bedding's supposed to stay put."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cassie's face brightened at Applejack's words. "Yes, it's very similar to a play, except that it's recorded instead of acted out right in front of you so that it can be watched later."

After playing with the terminal a bit longer, she finally managed to load up the film Casablanca. She could recall watching it once with her parents when she was younger, but she actually didn't remember it too well. Still, she knew that it had a good reputation. "Do you want to try one? I managed to find one here from my own world that was quite popular, even though it was a bit older. It's not the cheeriest of films though from what I can recall," she admitted, not totally sure that Applejack would enjoy the movie, but she hadn't yet managed to dig up any better choices. "Would you rather do music instead?"

Applejack could go for that. What was life if it didn't have a bit of rough and tumble, some sadness to go with the happiness that abounded?

But she was also curious about what she knew better, music. "Uh...sure, how 'bout some music? Is there anything you like?"

"I don't know," Cassie said thoughtfully, staring at the terminal.

She quickly started toying with the terminal again, trying to figure out how to access the music. Once again, it proved to be a bit of a struggle and Cassie had, by this point, decided that all this extra technological... nonsense was probably not worth the effort. What was wrong with something simple like a CD player or something similar? What was the point of all the extra bells and whistles here?

But, she supposed that she'd have to adapt. This type of stuff was apparently a part of her new life now. Maybe Ax or Marco could give her some advice on all this. Not only had they been awake on the ship longer, but they tended to understand technology better anyway.

Deciding to test this whole "read your mood" feature, Cassie closed her eyes and focused, hoping that she was doing this correctly and that the room would pick up her thoughts.

It responded quickly with a selection of soothing music by classical artists. And Cassie found that she had to admit that she was somewhat impressed by that feature.

Edited 2011-07-14 06:21 (UTC)

"Huh," Applejack voiced, sitting back on her hind legs to listen. Her ears twitched this way and that, reminded of something she'd heard in a Ponyville play once. It wasn't bad, it just made her long for home. Back at the barn, where it was nice and free.

If her will ever seeped in, so would the soft country strings of your basic wooden guitar.

"It's nice, but where's it coming from?"

"Hmm?" Cassie asked, forcing herself to turn her attention away from the soothing sounds that surrounded her. "I don't know," she admitted as she considered the question, her eyes scanning the area.

Her attempts came to nothing though. "I guess there must be hidden speakers or some other device around here somewhere." Then she hesitated again, not wanting to make the same mistake twice. After all, there was a distinct possibility that Applejack wouldn't know what speakers were given that she seemed to be the most familiar with live forms of entertainment like plays. "I don't know if you have speakers in your own world, but they're just devices that let you hear music. I will say though," Cassie added, still allowing her eyes to search the area, "That I don't see anything that looks like speakers in here. But maybe there is some more advanced device that I don't recognize on the ship that performs the same task as speakers."

Cassie managed to keep the disapproval from her voice, but just barely. No, she was still not a particular fan of technology. It had its uses of course, but she just didn't see the point for most of it.

"Huh," Applejack muttered, giving Cassie a look of gratitude for the explanation. It still didn't make much sense to her, a pre-recorded something or other, or...

"It could be playing in our heads, like her voice? Or...nah, I don't get it either. Whatever it is, though, it seems to work."

And she was content with just that, sitting back and listening for a little while. She even seemed to be getting sleepy, swaying back and forth.

"It could be, I suppose," Cassie responded hesitantly. This ship's technology was definitely well over her head, but she decided not to dwell on that anymore for tonight. There would be plenty of time to mull that over later.

Cassie found herself yawning as she listened to the soothing music, her eyelids drooping a bit. Sleep seemed to be catching up with her, although she wasn't sure whether she should credit the music, her morphing (Which always tended to take a fair amount of energy out of her), or the walk for this fact.

She turned her attention to her companion briefly and smiled when she saw some of the same signs of sleep overtaking Applejack. She hoped that her new friend would now be able to fall asleep.

Applejack nodded along, swaying with the beat. "Yeah...that'll do it, won't it? Get right between your ears, grab you..."

If the things she said didn't entirely make sense, it was because the pony was falling asleep rather quickly. She was slowly sinking to the floor, head rolled against one wall.

Cassie was pleased to see that Applejack was finally falling asleep. This might not solve the problem permanently, but at least for the night the pony would get a decent night's sleep.

She was tired, but still awake enough to think and morph if needed. She didn't want to wake the pony by trying to move her to another place to sleep or leave her alone overnight to wake up in the strange environment, so Cassie crept out of the room temporarily and morphed osprey to fly back to where Applejack had been trying to sleep previously to get her sheet. She then flew on back to her house, her osprey morph just managing to keep a good grip on the sheet, to collect a blanket for herself as well. After demorphing and writing a quick note so that her friends wouldn't worry if they found her missing, she put the blanket and sheet on her back and morphed into a horse, careful to morph in such a way that the cloths spread on her back wouldn't fall off her.

Then she made her way back to Applejack, demorphing again and covering the pony with the sheet. "Good night, Applejack," she whispered.

Cassie curled up against another wall, drew her own covers over herself, and promptly fell asleep before she was even fully settled, now completely exhausted, but satisfied.

OCC: If this doesn't work, then let me know and I'll change it. Thank you!

Edited 2011-07-17 04:31 (UTC)

Applejack was soundly asleep by the time Cassie returned, but a soft snort of what might be gratitude sounded when the sheet was draped over her. It would be a manageable night, at least....until she woke up and found herself awfully embarrassed by all that happened.

Cassie was going to get a nice warm breakfast and a wish that she go to her comfy room if this ever happens again.

((It's fine! Thank you too :) ]]

Roosting [Open]

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