The Earth Stallion nodded numbly. Normally he did all of his stretches and yoga to manage his back and pains by himself... If Shai Ni's acupuncture was expensive a trip to the spa was both expensive and embarrassing. He was, after all, a very masculine sort of stallion and, inside a spa he was a little out of place to say the least. "No Bits..."

He didn't want to tell her the about his dislike, or rather feeling of being unwelcome in places Mares normally frequented. It wasn't her business and, more importantly, it was something Form would like to take on himself and get done with before it would start to matter. He only hoped his excuse didn't come back at him; like Shai Ni getting in contact with Aloe and Lotus to convince them to allow him a free spa day. That seemed just like the thing Shai Ni would do to... There was also the... exotic looks of the Spa sisters. Form couldn't deny his preference toward... variety as far as romance went along. he didn't want to be inclined to say something stupid in the presence of the lovely spa mares.

He didn't know what must have been going on in town square but he looked out the window anywho, curious enough as to satisfy himself. He knew of Rainbow Dash but hadn't gotten too much time alone with her to get to know her very well. "Interesting..." he muttered
This message was last edited by the player at 23:29, Sun 16 Sept 2012.

"Oh dear," Shai says as she continues to watch the kerfuffle in the distance.  "That looks like Miss Zecora.  I have never seen anypony like the little one before, though.  She looks similar to a unicorn, yet... Equestria truly is a wondrous place to have such a diverse population!  Oh!  And there is Miss Pinkie Pie, with a police officer.  Hopefully, they can find out what is going on.  The mare that was attacked looks like she just had her roof explode."

They do say to go with what you know, and Shai's most weary experience was packing up and bringing all of her things into the town proper after that incident a week ago.  As she watches, she floats another rice candy into her mouth to eat.  How she keeps her figure, let alone keeps the bowl stocked, is a mystery to the ages.

The philosopher Stallion strained his eyes at the Town Square. Okay, maybe he did need to get those glasses his mother had recommended a year ago. She had to wear glasses, after all, and not everypony could have perfect vision like his Father. He guessed he inherited his mother's eyes. Good for the police officer, though. He liked when the authorities did their job. Made everypony's life easier.

"What do you think happened?" He asked in his deep tone.

Glancing over at Form and asking with a bit of hesitation, Shai asks with a quiet voice, "Do... do you really want to know what silly ideas I have in my mind right now?  They are rather... strange."

Seriously, though.  More candies make their way into her mouth from the bowl via telekinesis.  And the bowl does not seem to empty.  Is it some sort of magical candy-making artifact?

Form appraised Shai Ni questioningly. He wasn't a mind reader, though he was okay with psychoanalyzing other ponies but he preferred to save that particular skill for himself so as to increase upon self improvement. "I wouldn't mind." He said plainly. Couldn't be the strangest thing he'd ever heard.

"Okay, but remember, you did ask to hear it after I gave you a warning," Shai replies before taking a step back, blushing slightly, and closing her eyes tightly as if it would hide her from the supposed shame she will be feeling in a moment.

"Robots.  They're both robots and they are fighting over whether to make Scootaloo a ninja or a pirate."

With a little squeak, she adds, "I told you it was strange."

Transcendence Form's normally blank expression went confused for a second before fading back to its normal straightness. He nodded a bit. Indeed it was strange and, if that was the case then Form himself had a feeling he wanted to stay out of it. "I see..." He said plainly. There was a feeling of needing to be elsewhere... not Town Square but definitely elsewhere.

He gave a warm smile to Shai Ni and a small bow. "I think it's time I be off." He said simply, helping himself to another rice candy and giving yet another bow. "Xie Xie Shai Ni." he thanked as he let himself out.

To Elsewhere! ----->

As Transcendence Form makes his way out of the clinic upon hearing her thoughts spoken, she watches him with lowered ears and a bit of a sad expression.  To her, at least, it feels as if she weirded him out so much that he's going to avoid her now FOREVER, which is patently false, but she still thinks it anyway.  As such, she slowly makes her way to the back again, sitting down and working on her needles again, magically reforging, sanitizing, and purifying them for use on the next patient.

Slowly eating her rice candies to try and drown her depression with sweets, she pouts in the back room, working with her glowing horn in order to try and keep her mind off of her rampant imagination.

Day 8

Shai Ni didn't have all that much time to wallow in self-pity before there was a very light knock at the door of the clinic, as if somepony was being quite careful with their hoof.

"Hullo?" came a familiar voice from out front.  Big Macintosh had decided to pay a visit and had his head stuck through the ajar front door, not sure whether or not Shai Ni was even home just then or if he would go inside.

The bell on the door, combined with Big Macintosh's voice, causes Shai to suddenly jump up and drop everything she was doing - which causes a needle to fall and stick in her slipper (but not her hoof) as she tries to turn around.  This causes her to trip and fall with a loud crash, then stumble back up and leave her slipper behind as she runs over to the front.

"Mister Big Macintosh!" she exclaims, wearing the bowl of rice candies on her head and looking rather silly.  "Welcome to my clinic!"  She does not appear to be aware of her appearance, which includes...

A bowl of rice candies on her head
A mussed up mane
A missing slipper on her front right hoof
A dress that is hiked up due to her fall and exposing her flank, and thus her cutie mark
Some acupuncture needles stuck in the bowl

Big Mac just stared for a long, quiet moment as Shai Ni appeared in such a state.  He looked her over with that same passive expression he was prone to wearing before giving a small cough to the side.  "Ah can come back later..." he muttered, seeing as how he apparently interrupted something that left her looking in such a mess.

"No, no, it is fine!  I am fine!  I-" Shai blurts out before realizing exactly how she must look, then blushes and quickly fixes her dress, floats the needles out of the bowl, the bowl off of her head and onto the front desk, then sets the needles down next to the bowl before floating all of the candies up from the floor (and her mane) and back into the bowl.  With a hopeful, yet desperate smile, she unpins her slipper and floats it over to put it under her hoof as she steps into it, the needle also floating up to lay next to the bowl with the others.

She then blows a bit of her mane out of her face and says, "... am perfectly fine.  What brings you to my clinic?"

The towering stallion politely looked aside while Shai Ni tended to cleaning up, pretending to find a spot on the wall particularly interesting until she'd managed to put herself back in proper sorts.  Once she gave the all-clear, he swung his head back around and stepped into the clinic foyer.

"Just came by t'give y'a house-warmin' gift, seein' as y'got all settled in." he said as he tucked into his saddle bag and withdrew a small woven basket covered with a checkered cloth.  Inside was a freshly baked apple pie still warm from the oven -- knowing The Apples, it must have been made just that morning.  "Place looks nice." he added through clenched teeth around the basket handle.

As is to be expected, Shai's face brightens upon being given the housewarming gift.  The basket is covered in a gentle golden glow as Shai takes it from Big Mac and floats it over to herself so she can smell the pie's aroma.  "Thank you for the lovely gift," she says, the smell of the pie calming her and helping her to recover from her previous... action.  The small unicorn sets the basket full of pie down on the front desk as she smiles and looks around with Big Mac.  "Thank you.  All of the decorations are from my homeland, and some of them were made by my family.  I make all of the rice candies myself," she says proudly before floating one over and hovering it front of Mac's face with a smile.  "Would you like one?"

All the fancy decorations were pretty, though Big Mac was a Pony of simple tastes and found them a little overwhelming all at once.  Still, he could see their charm.  When Shai Ni offered him a candy, he returned a gentle smile.  "Much obliged." he said as he reached out and plucked the rice treat from the air in his teeth.  The farm pony took a few moments of quietly chewing and trying to figure out whether or not it was good or bad tasting.  He was accustomed to more overtly sweet treats, after all... the subtlety of a rice candy was fairly lost on him as a result.  Still, far be it from him to refuse generosity and a home-made treat.

"Pardon Miss Shai; Ah don't mean no rudeness, but... does this acupuncture stuff really work?" he asked after swallowing the candy and wished he could have phrased that better.  "Th'reason bein' is that Granny Smith's hip is actin' up again, and she's bein' right stubborn 'bout seein' th'doctor."

Having been in Equestria long enough to get over the previous question, blunt as though it may be, Shai does not take offense, and instead simply nods, which is a much better response than the first time an Equestrian asked questioned her medicinal skills.  Scolding someone and trying to explain the history of your skill set in a language you have yet to gain even conversational fluency in ends in headaches for all involved.

"Yes.  It does work.  I also know some healing magic, if she will not let me give her a proper acupuncture treatment.  Our elders can be rather set in their ways, after all," she says with a tiny smile, "It is one thing that remains constant amongst all ponies, I have learned."

She floats over her traveler's box of needles that are ready for use and sets them on the desk next to her before floating over a few salves, potions, powders, and pills, placing them in several small pouches to keep them separate.  As she gets prepared, she asks, "Would you like me to make a visit now, or would a later time be preferred?  I can also schedule an appointment for her to come in, if that is your desire."

There was much that could be said upon the stubborn natures of their elders and how it was common amid all cultures, bridging the often staggering distances between different regions in a single unifying trait.  There were sweeping social comments to be discussed on such a topic, and plenty of deep theorizing on the emotional drives of Ponies the world over to make them behave in such a way.

"Eeyup." Big Mac always did have a certain eloquence about him. "Might as well have a go at it now.  If we let her know ahead of time, she'll figure out a way t'dodge it."

Admittedly, that wasn't entirely the reason he'd come in the first place.  Between business at the farm picking up very heavily unexpectedly due to some fancy convention going on in Manehatten soon, and Shai Ni's clinic getting under way, the two had missed their date.  They'd both agreed to wait until they had more time available to them, but it almost seemed as though she had forgotten all about it.  He didn't feel right bringing it up either... so for now, he would simply wait and see how things developed on their own.

Big Mac's comment on Granny Smith's predicted behavior brings a small giggle from Shai Ni as she levitates her things into a saddlebag, then levitates the saddlebag onto her back.  She also floats over a hairbrush, removing the ribbons from her mane so she can fix her manestyle as they walk.  "I do not have any appointments until much later," she says as she brushes her mane, "so we do not need to rush."

As she walks past Big Mac to go out the door and flips the sign around to let any potential customers know that the clinic is currently not open due to a house call, she says in a slightly flirtatious tone, "I do hope there will be an occasion soon to show you the dress I was given by Miss Rarity."

Feeling rather proud of herself for the comment, she exits her clinic and begins to head for Sweet Apple Acres, confident that Big Macintosh will catch up to her and guide her the rest of the way.

--> To: Sweet Apple Acres

Big Macintosh's eyes widened a bit at that coy remark and, not for the first time, he was glad his coloration prevented a blush from showing up on his cheeks.  The farm pony let off no other indication that Shai Ni had gotten a rise out of him and simply trotted along to escort her back to the orchards.

--> to Sweet Apple Acres

--> From: Sweet Apple Acres

After finally making it back to her clinic, the bell on the door startles Shai Ni from her rice-induced bliss, and she sits up rapidly to look around.  At least, she would if she wasn't slung over a stallion's back.  Instead, she starts to sit up and finds herself falling, causing her to flail around in a panic and grip onto her current surface with all four hooves, clinging for dear life.

This, of course, makes her hug rather tightly onto Big Macintosh's back, and she gets a sheepish grin on her face as she blushes and says, "I... see we are back."

Meanwhile, her mind is trying to figure out how she got back to the clinic and ON BIG MACINTOSH when her last bit of awareness of the outside world was tea and a muffin.

<-- From Sweet Apple Acres

It spoke volumes about Big Macintosh's comfort and confidence that he could walk through the middle of town carrying a catatonic Pony on his back and not have anyone give him a sideways glance.  Somehow he imagined if it had been his sister or one of her friends in his horse shoes, a simple trip would have somehow turned into an involved comedy of errors.  But things were less eventful for him.  Soon enough he had Shai Ni back home, safe and sound and strangling him and eeergh~!

"Uug...eeeh... eeyup." he managed to grunt out after gently loosening Shai Ni's forearms from about his throat.  The towering stallion crouched down to get his passenger closer to the floor for disembarkation.  "Y'kinda zoned out for a while there.  Y'sure y'feel alright?  Been gettin' enough sleep?"

<-- In from Town Square <-- From Carousel Boutique

The steady trot of Applejack's hooves approached shortly behind her brother's hulking frame. She'd spotted him en route as she left the boutique with Silva. Noting the fact that hew as carrying Shai home on his back, she'd followed after them, a bit concerned.

And so she ended up coming upon them with Shai's hooves squeezing her brother's neck and flank, and she couldn't help but raise a brow at the display, not sure what to make of it.

Shai Ni starts to disembark in time to hear the bell on the door ring again and signal the entrance of Applejack.  Obviously, her current situation makes things a little awkward.  The moment she can tell it is, in fact, Applejack entering (not that the identity of the pony entering would have mattered for her initial reaction of nearly jumping off of Mac's back), Shai quickly turns and ends up smacking Big Macintosh in the head with her flank with a huge, awkward grin.  She then jumps to the side and looks slightly horrified at the situation.  Not only has she been caught in a compromising position (in her mind) with Big Macintosh by Applejack, but she smacked him in the head with her rump.  That just isn't done, especially to such kind, helpful stallions!

Never mind that it is both tiny and soft compared to other things that have struck Big Mac in the head (like bales of hay and carts of apples gone free).  She just smacked him with her bum!  In front of his sister!

With a very, very forced, nervous smile, Shai says, "W-welcome to my clinic, Miss Applejack!"

Thankfully for everypony involved, Big Macintosh was a stallion of sturdy resolve and not so easily made bashful.  Unlike Shai Ni, who was in her usual state of flipping out gracefully as ever.  If nothing else, he was a bit accustomed to having mares climbing all over him for various reasons... Pinkie Pie liked to use him as a jungle gym sometimes, which only mildly annoyed him.

"AJ." he stated in a simple greeting.

Entering from: Carousel Boutique

The griffon following Applejack didn't seem all that bothered or annoyed by the sudden detour.  In fact, she had gone without any issue.  She looked at the big red stallion and Shai Ni curiously, but said nothing.  If that stallion could put up with that kind of contact, he could probably deal with far less courteous sounding ponies than the mare standing so close to him.  She decided that it's not any of her business, especially if it was some sort of bizarre pony way of showing affection.  Their nuzzling at least made a little sense, since they didn't have beaks, but it still didn't seem all that sensible...

Forcing her thoughts away from that, she smiled gently toward the two ponies. "Are you two all right?"