The Herd [Social][Zebras Only]

He wasn't sure why, but he was able to match pace with the clearly better dancing mare. "I accept your challenge, what are you're terms?" Not breaking step he watched Xesh to see how she would answer.

Xeshir thought about it while still moving with to the rhythm of the music. "Mmmhh, how about whoever wins decides what happens tonight?" She said with a wink as she thought *Celestia have mercy Im drunk, how many bottles did I drink* She caught a glimpse of several bottle of beer stacked neatly in a pyramid where she had been sitting, answering her question.

Smiling Aqui started to get a few ideas about where things might go if he won. "Well let's see just how things will turn out hmm?" As the danced another thought came into his head, I know what I would do, but what would she do? After thinking about it for a while he decided to find out and faked tripping over his legs. As he laid on the ground he laughed, standing up he looked towards the mare. "Guess I was just a natural hu?" Stepping closer to the mare he got close enough to kiss her but held back, teasing her slightly. "What do you want to do then?"

Xeshir was actually a bit dissapointed when Aquilinus fell, but if he truly was a natural then it was quite impressive. She gave him a mysterious smile when he asked "I´ll tell you once the party is over...Or things get boring. Either way you will know." She said as she gave him a kiss and then walked away, wondering who the other zebra in the party where.

She saw a group of zebras gathered around chatting and trotted towards them "Hi there, what´s your name?" She said looking at Atriak, wondering about his eyes.

Talib smiled awkwardly to Zestari, thinking of what he could ask. It really was a broad question, he couldn't seem to narrow down a single question. Luckily, Zuberi cam over and he smiled to the buck, still blushing slightly as he was struggling to think of questions.

"I suppose so, but I'm not too good at these sort of things." Talib blushed a little further.

Talib then noticed Zuberi's wiggling and could only giggle slightly as he smiled a little more. He liked these two zebras, they were nice, not to mention the first to speak to him.

Sighing slightly, Aqui knew he could have gone longer and he probably should have. But it would be worth it to see what she had planed. He watched her walk over to the group of zebras, deciding to get a little fresh air he figured he could take a walk outside and check on Nocona for a bit.

As he walked outside the day was already getting dark, sending out a few chirps to call Nocona like usual Aqui decided to go take a look around town. He had been staying there for some time now, but he hadn't seen the whole place yet. After a few minutes the familiar cry of Nocona could be heard as she flew in and landed on Aqui, smiling at the bird he continued his walk while she cleaned a few of her feathers.

Zestari grinned at Talib, “Oh well there’s so many things, I don’t know where to start!” she ‘hmmd’ and placed a hoof to her chin, “Well I was born in Zebrica, mother was the village alchemist and my father was a trader and..” She turned as Zuberi came towards them.

She laughed at the enthusiastic host., “This party is most wonderful. There are a lot more zebras here than I thought there were in the Equestrian wasteland.” She gestured around the room. “Most I have never met before, including yourself.”

“Do you live in Stableton?” she asked curiously.

Zuberi laughed. "You don't have to be good at having fun to have fun! C'mon, just try shaking a little to the music like I am," he said, continuing to wiggle some, bobbing his head and shaking his flanks a bit; tapping a hoof rhythmically.

Then he turned when he heard the zebra mare speak to him. "Oh, sorry if I'm interrupting something, just checking on the guests! And, to be honest, I sort of expected a few more to show. But hey, at least I got guests period. And no, actually, I'm not from Stableton. I'm from....... actually, I don't know where I was from originally... I live here and there; under an overpass one night, the top of a ruined sky-scraper the next night, and then maybe under the stars in the desert the next. I'm an explorer. My parents were explorers, my adopting parents were traders, so... I'm just overly adventurous," Zuberi ended with a laugh.

"I'm Zuberi, by the way. Folks just call me 'Zubi', though. Or 'Zub Zub', or my favorite... the 'Zubmeister'! What's your names? Where you zebras from?"

As he walked back towards the party Aqui started to smile, in there was a bunch of zebras. People he had a connection to, after his amnesia he could use something more solid then a town that connected him to people. Giving a few chirps he sent Nocona home for the night.

He walked into the room just in time to hear a pony finish his sentance, "...Or 'Zub Zub', or my favorite... the 'Zubmeister'! What's your names? Where you zebras from?" Walking up Aqui couldn't help but laugh as he talked, "Well Zub Zub, I'm Aquilinus. Far as were I'm from... your guess is as good as mine. Woke up in the middle of the wastes one day with out a memory in the world of who I was or where I was from. Wound up here one day and been sticking around for one reason or another." Smiling he went over and stood next to Xeshir giving her a lick on the cheek. Tonight was going better then he had expected it to.

Atriark had been milling about, not really sure what to do. All the other zebras seemed to be busy chatting amongst eachother. Even Zestari had been taken up into conversing with another. So the zebra runt had gotten up, fetched himself a beer, sat down and drank it.

The Stable 113 zebra had finished his second beer when the mare he did not know the name of came up to him. He felt estatic that somezebra wanted to talk to him, as he was beginning to feel lonely.

"Hello there, my name is Atriark," he said, fishing out a bottle of scotch from under his Armored 113 Barding and opening it. "Yes, I came from a Stable." The runt took a drink. "And I was born with these eyes."

Atriark flashed her a smile as a stallion trot nearer, Aquilinus or Aquilanius or something. "Who may you be?" Atriark asked, a little disturbed by the fact Linus (or was it Lanius) gave the mare's cheek a lick. That wasn't something one does when another is trying to have a conversation.

Looking towards the zebra Aqui got rather embarrassed, "Sorry, I didn't see you there. I'm Aquilinus, If you're wondering why I licked her cheek it's because... well we aren't dating. It's more of an ongoing one night stand at the moment." Walking over to the other zebra he lead him out of ear shot from Xeshir. "Excuse us one minute Xesh."

After they were a good distance away Aqui turned to Atri. "Hey like I said sorry about that I didn't see you. But I really like her and I kinda hope to make her my marefriend soon, but... She kinda seems hurt by somepony who must have been close to her. So I don't want to ask her out just yet, that would be rude and inconsiderate."

After a moment of thought Aqui turned to the zebra again, "Shall we go re-join the party?" Smiling he turned to go back to the party.

Atriark chuckled to himself as Aquilinus explained himself. Really, it wasn't all that necessary. You don't lick somezebra unless you had a thing...or you two were weird siblings. He was prepairing a response when the larger stallion began leading him away.

"Excuse us one minute Xesh." Aquilinus said, excusing the two. Then he lead Atriark away, probably out of Xeshir's earshot. Then he began ramble of sorts.

Atriark nodded in understanding. "I understand Linus- mind if I call you Linus? Anyways, you don't need to explain yourself to me. You're a big colt, and you obvioudly care for her. And you don't have to worry about me, I have a gryphoness that I love," the runty zebra said and patted Aquilinus's shoulder. "Yeah, let's go back to the party."

With that, he headed back to Xeshir. After all, they were having a conversation.

Laughing slightly Aqui agreed to head back, "Yea no problem, Linus works good for me." As they walked back Aqui went and stood back next to Xesh, being sure to let them finish their conversation.

Xeshir was about to answer to Atriark when Aquilinus licked her cheek and she blushed. It was a bit embarrassing doing it in front of another zebra. Before she could retort to Aquilinus about waiting he dragged Atriark into a corner. She rolled her eyes and walked back to the drink table when she remembered her surprise to Aquilinus, she silently slipped out the door.

In less than a blink, Xeshir was back at the party and eating some food when Atriark trotted towards her. She almost forgot about him. "Name´s Xeshir" She said "Stable 113? Where´s that?"

Atriark wasn't surprised Xeshir didn't know where Stable 113 was. Not many ponies and even fewer zebras knew where more than a hoofful of Stables were. Abandoned Stables were more often than not, death traps and had a plethora of hostile creatures inside and around it outside. So ponies just knew to avoid a certain area, not knowing a Stable was nearby.

"It's good to meet you Xeshir." Atriark said, giving a slight bow. "Stable 113 is a good distance North East of Stableton. Last I heard, it's filled with Radiation..." Atriark trailed off, looking off in nowhere in particular. The Stable 113 zebra felt a terrible loss at knowing he could never return to his home.

Xeshir noticed how Atriark's voice changed as he mentioned his home. She could relate, she couldn't exactly go back home either. She quickly shook the thoughts out of her heard. This was a party and she was going to have some fun!

"Im sorry" She said with a respectful voice "Enjoying the party?" She quickly said with a more cheerful with.

Atriark shook his head, clearing away thoughts of his Stable. He forced a smile at Xeshir. This was a party, now was no time to dwell on the past.

"Yeah, the party's nice. Great booze and even better zebras. What more could one ask for in a party?" Atriark chuckled and grabbed his half drank bottle and took a swig. "So, wanna tell me a bit about yourself?"

Oh buck me was Xeshir's first thought when Atriark asked about her. If there was a topic that made her uncomfortable it certainly was that one, but she kept her smile and said "Whats to say? Im from Hoofington. Born and raised. One day decided to get out and went from caravan to caravan until I reached an outpost. Merchant there asked me if I was coming to the zebra party in Stableton. I shoved a dozen bottlecaps into his mouth and told him to point me where it was." She opened another beer bottle and took a swig. "What about you?"

Atriark took another sip of alcohol. "As I said, I came from Stable 113. It went to hell, ponies, zebras, diamond dogs, and gryphons fled. I ran and joined up with a caravan group named Indigo's Northern Caravan. Ran with them, still do on occasion when I need caps. Took a job a while back, woke up in a small settlement not remembering the past few days. Met a gryphoness on a boat, boat sunk, went to a hell hole worse than the one I crawled out of. Took a syringe to the leg, got a mutation, surfaced, found that gryphoness. Dating her, things were rocky at first but now they are great."

Atriark chuckled and downed the rest of the bottle's contents. "I do believe I told you my bullet point life's story." The zebra runt flashed Xeshir a smile. "Who would have believed a runt like me landing a wonderful gryphon? Sometimes I can't believe it."

"Well, I can see what the gryphoness sees on you" Xeshir said with a teasing smile and a wink "But in all seriousness that sounds really nice" She said with a less teasing tone as she finished ger last beer. She blinked and cleared her thoughts as the effect of too much alcohol started taking effect.

"So" She said trying to hide the fact that she drunk "Anything you can tell me about the rest of the zebra here?"

"Uh...let's see. Don't know Linus or Spectre or Talib. But Zestari, she's a good zebra and a great teacher. She helped me get back in touch with my roots both metaphorically and literally." Atriark motioned to Zuberi. "Saved his life from slavers, we're friends. He's always happy, infectiously so. He has to be humming or singing on the trail."

Aquilinus listened to Atri explain about the zebras he knew. Zuberi sounded like he would be good to have as company on long trips. Zestari would be a good place to ask about his past if he got the chance later. "I know about Spectre, had a job with him a while back. He's a good pony if not a little paranoid around new ponies. I'd trust him for a ways but always sleep with one eye open around him. But you could just ask him, he is fairly open about this sort of thing. Far as Talib I havn't had the pleasure to meet him yet. Me? Wish I knew more about myself too... Damn amnesia, but far as now... I'd say I'm open to any questions fielded towards me so feel free to ask away." He smiled as he looked towards the other ponies.

Talib thought for a moment as he stood there, debating on what to do. Eventually, he settled on the fact that maybe he'd be a little more fun if he had something to drink. With that thought in mind, Talib smiled awkwardly to Zuberi and Zestari.

"Would you excuse me a moment? I could use a drink." Talib smiled a little more.

After having said that, Talib slowly trotted his way over to drinks table and picked one of them up. He wasn't oppose to drinking in any way, and enjoyed to do so. Simply put though, he did not drink that often, other than his own brews of course. So, after a slight bit of trepidation, Talib decided he may as well enjoy himself and began to take a few sips of his drink, looking ateveryone else who was gathered.

Xeshir was hearing both Atriark and Aquilinus attentively as each said what they knew. Each time they said a name she spent several seconds digging through her memory if any rang a bell, but none did. She was both relieved and maybe a tad dissapointed.

Xeshir saw one of the zebra´s walking towards the drink table right next to her. By the way he moved and hesistated with the drink she could tell it was probably his first time. She walked next to the zebra and smiled "Hi there. Who do I have the pleasure to meet?"

Talib almost jumped as he was spoken to, not expecting it but smiled slightly back to Xeshir, even blushing slightly. Talib took another small sip of his drink as he took a moment to look at the zebra mare, noicing she had likely just come from a conversation herself. Not being too used to drinking, he was already starting to feel a ligh buzz.

"I am Talib." He smiled a little more. "And who might I have the pleasure of meeting?"