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

Rarity trotted by to look for her friend. It had been a while since she last saw the earth pony and she was already done with her work at the clothiers.

She heard the pony sigh and turned to find a restless pony. "Applejack, you look disheveled. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, hey Rarity," Applejack sat up, blowing her mane back over her shoulder. The ribbon tying it together had been long lost to the forces of tossing and turning.

"Just trying to get some sleep. Ain't as easy as it used to be to get cozy." To put it lightly. "How's it all coming along?"

"Things are going well. Rein is satisfied by my skill at the clothiers." Rarity looked at the poor earth pony and used her magic to braid Applejack's mane.

"Why are you sleeping here? It looks uncomfortable."

"It is," Applejack admitted, breathing a sigh as her hair twisted itself back up. At least it wouldn't get in her way anymore. "Guess I didn't think it through. I just...wanted to see the skies, you know? I've slept under 'em as long as I can remember."

Rarity placed a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "I heard of the Sensoriums, maybe it can simulate night time?" She said as she looked at her friend with worry on her face.

"It could work," Applejack guessed, "that is, if it felt real. I'm not slapping a black piece of paper over my eyes and calling it nighttime." It just had to be more convincing than that to get her, that was all. She leaned against the couch she now stood by, still vaguely unsettled by all the throbbing.

"Perhaps you could learn to adapt to that? I'm sure your body clock will be back in working order soon."

Rarity sat next her friend, thinking a nice relaxing facial massage might do the trick.

"Clock? Rarity, what're you..." Applejack needed to think about that for a second. "Oh. Right. Just gettin' back to how things are supposed to be. Might need something thicker than paper, though. A book?"

Now that was a lot of paper. Twilight would be horrified to know that the poor thing wasn't getting read, but...hey, maybe she could read later. Or read until she fell asleep. Some ponies did that, right? Most books would probably work for her, Applejack's interests were a little on the narrow side.

"Or you could get a nice relaxing facial. The cucumbers will definitely soothe your eyes."

Rarity perked up, the thoughts were just too good to be true.

"That prissy stuff from the sleepover with Twi?" Applejack made a rather interesting face. That had been a new adventure. "It tasted funny, bu...now that you mention it, I couldn't see through. Nice and dark."

And that, of course, marked it as a possibility if not the best one.

"Fabulous! I'll go prepare one for you right now!" Rarity smiled and cantered away to fetch the ingredients, her purple mane trailing behind her in the wind.

(OOC: Do we end here?)

"Thanks Rarity," Applejack whispered, arranging the thin sheet around herself with her teeth. It was all gonna be all right...thanks, oddly enough, to Rarity. The farm pony would've never expected this when they first met.

Maybe friendship wasn't all magic, but it sure was special.

((ooc: Sure! See you next log. Thanks for this one, it was sweet.))

Roosting [Open]

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