GaleFenrir

@, "That's just what he said then, too. That he would sort things out, but things only got worse." Gardenia said, her head still hanging low. "Go then, I'd be powerless to stop you anyway." Gardenia spat. Gardenia turned her head away, and put her muzzle back into her hooves.

@@ParsoOfEquestria, @, @, Curious was still sober, for the most part, and he couldn't help but stare in abject horror and confusion at the scene unfolding in front of his eyes. "Quick, think of something! I am thinking! Think harder! Stop thinking about thinking! Stop thinking! Act!" Curious swung Mystic so that she was away from Vinyl, and planted a kiss firmly on Mystic's lips.

@@Psych Ward, ((oops, you are indeed right, fixed it.)) Gardenia was looking about her new dorm room, it wasn't too bad, she thought. Could use a little more color, but she could add that later if her roommate was amiable. She took out a blank sheet of paper and went to the small desk in the room. She figured she would write a letter, she wasn't sure who to, yet. She just wanted to write down what she thought so far of her new university, but she never saw the point in keeping a journal or diary before. Perhaps I should get a diary. I never had a need before, every day seemed to have blend together all those years.

@, Gardenia managed to cease the tears from continuing their flow, but she turned her head to face Blaze and jumped away from him. She had a cold but very hurt look on her face, "No! This is just like the last time! He had a plan. He promised me that I said and did nothing wrong, but if what I did wasn't wrong, then where is he? Why did he have to leave? Why did my mother have to... why would auntie do that?" Gardenia shook her head and looked down, the tears resuming their march down her cheeks, "No, no. It doesn't matter what I ever did. I shouldn't blame myself. That would insinuate I had any power to begin with. Ponies will get hurt and there is nothing I can do to mitigate that!" Gardenia realized Blaze would have no idea what she was talking about. She might as well have been talking to a wall at this point, "at least I wouldn't be able to confuse the wall."

Gardenia couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she was left alone in the hallway now, just after reuniting with her old filly-hood friend. It was, at least, comforting to know that she was attending the same university, and their rooms didn't seem too far apart. Gardenia decided that it was about time she made way to her own room. She opened the door to room number 4 and had a pout on her face, seeing it was vacant. "I guess I got here before my roommate." Gardenia walked in and dropped her saddlebags on the bottom bunk. She opened her bags up and brought out an assortment of items she brought from home: a framed picture, an old and well-loved tome, and a small jewelry box.

@, @, @@00Pony, Gardenia was hearing words being spoken to her, and she could recognize the voice being from Blaze. She did not, however, fully comprehend what he was saying, "Resolve this situation? How can this possibly be fixed? The damage has already been done. Windy was hurt, Minty's hurting, and Todd is being hurt," she managed to say softly through the sobbing. "All because I had to open my mouth again, just like that last time. Why can't I just keep my mouth closed?"

@@ParsoOfEquestria, @, @, Curious had a small chuckle at the fact that Windy had caught on to his little trick, and after having a slight sip of his diluted drink, he noticed that Windy and Vinyl had gone to the dance floor. He turned his head over to Mystic. "Umm, I am not much one for dancing, but if you would like us to, I wouldn't object."

@, @, @, @@00Pony, Gardenia was still sobbing and crying into her hooves, and it took her a while to realize that there was somepony comforting her, let alone that there were things happening around her and on the field. "Who... who is holding me? I... I don't much like it when somepony touches me." Gardenia thought to herself. She couldn't bring herself to shirk away, though.

@, @@Psych Ward, Gardenia was simultaneously relieved and worried when Minty hid behind her. Relieved that Minty had come to recognize her and that she felt comforted by her presence, but worried that she would so nervously and readily hide from her new room mate. she knew Minty had been shy, but Gardenia was hoping that she had grew out of it in the intervening years. Gardenia looked back and forth between the two mares, "I am sure you two will get along just fine." She said, as much to assuage her own fear for Minty as it was to comfort her.

@, @@ParsoOfEquestria, @, Curious wasn't much surprised by Vinyl's sudden drop down. His nerves had calmed down considerably since the morning, and he came to term with the idea that either of the mares could at any point make their presence known. He was glad to get out of the stormy weather that was brewing, and once inside the bar, he gave his request for his drink in a manner that discreetly made it clear to have his drink diluted. "I am so glad that I picked up on how to do that." "To Windy" Curious said in Toast. "This is so going to his head, I am sure."

@, @@Psych Ward, Gardenia jumped a little bit at the voice of another mare coming from behind. She turned around and looked upon the mare with an eyebrow raised, but her smile that had faded from Minty not recognizing her came back upon looking at this new mare. Hey, I saw her before, she seems interesting. And the way her sleeves go past her hooves is just so darn cute! Gardenia then recognized that the mare was looking at her expectantly. Gardenia looked around and said, "Oh, um, this is room number 2. You must be Minty's room mate. Pleasure to meet you, I am Gardenia and this..." Gardenia pointed a hoof towards Minty, "is my old friend Minty."

@, Gardenia let out a 'squee' of elation upon her confirmation that she was, indeed, who she thought she was. She tapped her fore hooves together in excitement, but the broad smile on her face diminished somewhat when she saw that Minty was not exactly sharing in her excitement. My name? Does she not recognize me? But, we were best friends... "I'm Gardenia, do you not recognize me, Minty? We went to primary school together..."

@, @, Gardenia finished saying that last sentence in Cliff's company, and her eyes started to scan the crowd of ponies that was there, taking in the student body she would be spending her next few years with. she noticed some peculiar ponies, including but not limited to: an earth pony mare with wearing a shirt with sleeves that seemed quite too long, another earth pony mare with a messy mane and goggles, and... was that a zebra? Gardenia couldn't be quite certain, he was relatively far away and he had a hoodie on. But there was one figure that stood out to her the most. It was a mint-green pegasus mare, with a distinctive pink mane. She seemed to not be looking around her. There wasn't much particularly exceptional about this mare, but there was a faint degree of recognition that Gardenia had of her. Oh! Could it be that it's Minty? I mean, it's not entirely impossible. She looks just like her. Granted, I haven't seen her in so long... "Pardon me, Cliff. It was nice meeting you." Gardenia said as she trotted off towards who she thought could be her old filly-hood friend. She had almost caught up to her when Minty had entered her dorm. Gardenia stuck around, but was a little disappointed when she saw the dorm's number Well, she doesn't seem to be my room mate, but I still want to talk to her Shortly after, Minty had left her room, her head hanging low. Gardenia trotted right up to her. "Excuse me, would you happen to Minty?"

@, Gardenia looked at Cliff with a smile on her face, but one of her eyebrows raised inquisitively, thinking it odd that he would ask something so obvious, "Yeah, we should see each other around. I mean, this seems to be a fairly large campus, but we're both first years..." Gardenia's voice started to trail off, but then her expression perked up at a sudden epiphany. "We might even have a class or two together! Well, not second period, no... but the other ones, possibly." She unfolded her form quickly and checked what dorm she was assigned. "It says here I am in dorm #4."

@((ironic, considering it's a rule you made yourself.)) Gardenia didn't much want to put the pen she just dropped on the ground back into her mouth, but she gratefully accepted Cliff picking it up for her. She placed the pen into her saddlebags and retrieved another one to use instead. Gardenia chuckled slightly, and said, "Oh, it's more than just trimming, I am sure. In fact, I really quite hope it's more than that, because that's most of what I know already. I am interested in experiencing the more agricultural parts, like tilling and irrigation." Gardenia held her pen in her mouth, quickly but evenly checking off boxes and writing her information. She paused briefly, when she had to put her initials. She only went by her first name typically, but she went ahead and wrote G. B. just in case. She folded her form up as she saw Cliff do the same. "Actually, do you know when or where we are supposed to turn these in?"

@, Gardenia's pen dropped out of her mouth and onto the ground as she was suddenly addressed. Oh darn, going to have to get a new one. Gardenia turned her head back and forth, attempting to see whoever just talked to her. She eventually saw that a light blue pegasus with a slightly scruffy beard was looking at her expectantly. "Oh, I think I understand it just fine. But, thank you for offering." Gardenia took a closer examination of this stallion. He had quite a few scars, and she took special notice of one on his left cheek. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cliff Chaser. My name is Gardenia."

Gardenia kept her head up whilst walking onto campus. She did not, however, look very dignified. She was turning her head every which way, taking in all the sights and sounds, with a wide and open smile on her face. She would occasionally catch some pony, typically stallions, looking at her, to which she simply waved in return. It was a lovely day, the pegasi making sure that there would be scant a cloud in the sky depriving the lush green of the grass of sunlight, and the campus's main building was beautifully designed in its own right. Gardenia made her way into where registration was being held. She was a little disappointed to see that most of the ponies were keeping to themselves, but she wasn't going to initiate a conversation herself. When it came to be her turn, she looked at the young mare behind the counter with a smile, and said in a melodious voice, with a Canterlot accent evident, "Gardenia, I am a first year student." "Sign up here, ma'am," the mare handed Gardenia a form to fill out. "Right away, ma'am" gardenia responded in kind as she took the clipboard and located herself a place to fill it out.

@, @, @, @@00Pony, Tears started to form in Gardenia's eyes, "What I said caused some innocent ponies to get hurt? That's... that's awful... I thought I had just hurt Todd, but because I hurt him he hurt others! That's..." a steady stream of tears started to fall down. "I am so sorry, I didn't think that something like that would happen." "And now, not only was Minty insulted, Windy stabbed, but now Todd's life is going to be ruined? All because of my stupid mouth." Gardenia buried her muzzle in her hooves, trying to hide her sobbing.

@, @, @, @@00Pony, Gardenia was so disturbed by the thought that Todd had stabbed Windy, that she didn't notice the new pony who arrived. "He was defending you? But... why would Todd want to hurt you in the first place?" Gardenia then took notice of the pegasus introducing himself, "Oh, sorry. I'm Gardenia and this here is Blaze."

@, @, @, Gardenia gasped, "Wait! Stabbed?" she turned to look at Windy, "I mean, he can be a ninny, but why would he stab you?" "I can't believe it! But come to mention it... Todd did mention something about making an enemy, did he say Windy? I can't quite remember. And what kind of plan could they be having?"

@, @, @, Gardenia shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the mention of "that ninny", as Gardenia has become accustomed to calling him. "Erm, yeah, I have met him, I'm sure you've heard." Gardenia let out a small nervous chuckle. "Wait, what plan?" she thought to herself when she finished shifting in her seat.

@, @, @, "I would love to get to know you better! I have been hoping to get the chance to talk with you," Gardenia said to Minty, and she took a seat adjacent to her. She turned her head to Blaze, "isn't this nice? Four friends getting to know each other better during a football game? Please, take a seat." Gardenia turned her head back over to Minty, "We haven't really been properly introduced. My name is Gardenia, but I guess you already knew that." She chuckled. "And your name is Minty, correct?"

@, @, @, Gardenia's ears perked upon hearing the cacophony of hoofsteps, "Oh! I guess that would be it! Come on, we don't want to be left behind!" She beckoned Blaze to follow her. Whilst trotting amongst the crowd, she noticed a few familiar ponies. "Oh, they greeted me a few days ago. It seemed like they were friends of Blaze's, and we could really use the extra company to keep things from getting too awkward between us." "Yoo-hoo!" She called to Minty and the pegasus who had brought the couch into her dorm. "Hey!"

@, "Great! Let's see, I guess it will be pretty obvious when it's time to go. This university seems to place an emphasis on football, so I expect there would be a noticeable crowd of ponies moving about in the direction towards the stadium. Um, that just leaves what to do in the mean time..." Gardenia nervously tapped her fore hooves together, "I don't really have any ideas." (('Aight, /, I guess we'll go on your cue.))

@, Gardenia had woken later than she would have liked. All these new experiences in rapid succession was taxing, and she had always had the habit of sleeping far longer than a pony should. The long sleep didn't do all that much to help her process the whole situation she found herself in. Her room mate was a changeling, or at least partly. She had grown up hearing about the invasion of Canterlot, how changelings were in every way monstrous and devoid of legitimate emotion and who would suck you dry. Blaze didn't really exhibit that, and that's what worried Gardenia the most. She couldn't find the words to speak to Blaze all day. The morning had come and passed before she could realize it, and remembered that she still had to attend the upcoming game. She figured she should at least offer Blaze to come with her, if simply so that the event could distract them from their personal matters. "Hey, Blaze, since I am going to the football game today, would you like to come along?"