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The Tackhouse. A place full of technology. And a series of smells that were both completely curious, but also surprisingly enjoyable. Latex, Leather, and Exotic oils permeated the air with their unique perfumes. But intermixed with these scents were those of technology. For tack had come a long way since leather, lace, and latex. Carbonflex, Dura-Leather, and a mixture of traditional and technological advancements now encompassed much of the tack market. Every pony was unique, so too should be their gear and aesthetic.
The tackhouse was a large building whose interior was a cross between something like an equestrian lodge and a high-tech workshop. Workbenches were scattered about with various pieces of tack in different states of completion, repair, and polish, while the walls on either side were lined with curious padded bays with control panels built into the front of each. A few had an opaque holographic door activated on the front, the silhouette of a guy or girl behind them barely visible. These were the fitting bays, large stalls with an assortment of tech that Farriers could make use of to custom fit tack.
Right now was mostly the end-of-day stuff. Last-minute tack fittings and the like. Only three farriers were currently in the building, and two of them were in the fitting bays working. The other was sitting at a workbench towards the far back of the spacious room. To his right, a panelled door led into what was affectionately known as the 'tack vault'. A large underground storage center that housed every piece of tack owned by the school, students, and staff. It was a beautiful design which was reminiscent of old dry cleaners with overhead racks full of clothing. Except here it was a large climate-controlled underground facility where every piece of tack was fitted with an RFID tag that could be retrieved at the press of a button.
Of course, the vault itself was strictly controlled. Many pieces of tack didn't come cheap, and it wasn't uncommon to hear about tack heists on the news.
Sera's eyes widened at the place; she'd gotten a glimpse of it yesterday, but only from the entryway. It was quite another to see it in all its glory.
Aurora led her along, humming as they passed a series of raised circular platforms arranged in a row down the center of the room, all the way to the lonely individual whose feet were up on their bench with a line of drool leaking from the corner of their mouth. He was a huge man, not fat, but laced with corded muscles and hands the size of shovels. Not hands you'd see working at the fine detail-work sitting on the workbench in front of him, where a holo-visor with flickering holographic horse ears on top of it sat with an artery of nearly microscopic wires coming out of the side panel.
Aurora reached up, pressing a finger to her lips and winking at Sera as she held up a hand to stop her and then snuck around behind the sleeping man.
Once she was behind him, she pounced. Launching herself up and throwing her arms over the man's shoulders, "Gideeeeeeeeon! I brought you a present! Wakey wakey!" Aurora said cheerfully.
Gideon, to his credit, didn't jump. He merely eased his eyes open; they were an almost violent shade of silvery-green. Clearly, they'd been artificially enhanced, but they were captivating nonetheless. He let out a small grumble and reached up, tousling Aurora's hair gently and smiling, "Ah. I wondered when you'd make yer way here. Heard a bit of somethin' about a new pony." He turned his gaze upon Sera, who was standing there rather awkwardly.
"Y'didn't wrap my gift very well..." He mumbled.
Aurora puffed out her cheeks and released Gideon from her hold, "I can't just go mummifying students to give as gifts, you know!"
Gideon turned his gaze on Aurora, "Well then, she ain't a gift then, is she? Now why y'bothering me during my very productive... naptime."
Aurora giggled and slipped back around the table, wrapping an arm around the shoulders of the blushing Sera, "Well, you see. Sera here is exploring ponyspace and is in need of some hooves!"
Gideon leaned forward and placed his chin in his hand, "Just hooves huh?" He mused, his eyes taking in Sera's entire form as if already designing her tack.
Aurora nodded, "Just a loaner pair. And none of those junkers from the Rally Team last year!"
Gideon scoffed, "I've kept those well-maintained, thank you very much!"
Looking between the two as they bantered back and forth, Sera got the impression there was a certain amount of history here. It made her giggle behind the bit lodged between her teeth.
With a loud groan, Gideon rolled his eyes and climbed to his feet, walking past Aurora and Sera, taking only a moment to hook his finger into the collar of Sera's uniform and practically drag her along.
"With me, Pony. Up on the platform." He said firmly, giving her a slight push towards one of the large circular platforms in the center of the room.
Sera stumbled a little, tossing a scowl at Gideon for the handling.
He waved a dismissive hand at her, "Don't give me tha' look. Just get yer cute ass up on the platform so we can get you sorted. Have you ever been in a St-Field before?"
Sera grumbled and climbed the stairs and onto the circular platform. She stomped twice in response.
"There's a good girl. Alright. Well..." He pressed a button and suddenly Sera could hardly move, like her whole body had gone rigid. Then she was rising into the air slightly, "... It can feel a bit weird. You can still move, it just helps keep y'still for measurements and fitting."
Sera moved her fingers with a fair amount of effort. She gave a forced nod.
"Now.." He pressed another button and a latticework of virtual lines wrapped around Sera's body, making a virtual copy of her, which, with a wave of Gideon's hand, separated from her and hovered in front of her. It was like looking at a virtual silhouette of herself.
Aurora, all the while, was leaning against a nearby workbench and watching, keeping an eye on how Sera reacted and how she handled things. She gave Sera a thumbs up, "You're in good hands. Promise."
Sera grunted around the bit in her mouth.
Gideon chuckled and wrinkled his nose, "Ah. Well, that won't do." He pressed a button, and Sera felt her shoes slipping off and falling to the floor. The virtual silhouette updated to reflect this change.
"8.5 small. That's a tall order..." He cast a glance across to Aurora, "Rally hooves are out. Same with most of our current stock. I wouldn't dare put her in the Polo Team loaners, the treads on those are WAY too aggressive for a filly." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, ignoring Sera's grunting and grumbling as she was held aloft in the St-Field.
"So you don't have a pair that would suit her? Just something simple?"
Gideon shook his head, "Not in stock. Just lent out my last pair of 8.5 beginner's yesterday to Miria." He looked back at Sera and her virtual silhouette. He leaned down so his face was a few inches from Sera's pointed feet, "Very high arches too. Were you a dancer when you were young, Pony?" He asked, looking up at Sera.
She gave a single grunt, hoping it served as a healthy alternative to a stomp.
He cast a glance at Aurora, "Has she joined the club yet?"
Aurora shook her head, "This is her first real private session. She hasn't formally joined anything yet."
Gideon wrinkled his nose, "Is Firebolt still registered?"
Aurora grinned a little bit, "She is. And there HAS been a curious standing order for hooves for her. Even after she departed."
"Well then. I suppose we ought to get that order filled. You can handle the paperwork?" Gideon asked.
Aurora smiled, "I'll handle it."
Turning his gaze back to Sera, he smiled and pressed a button, which released the field's hold on her so suddenly that she felt her legs nearly collapse. She squeaked and fell backwards off the stand right into Gideon's waiting arms, "Looks like yer in luck. New hooves for you!"
Sera tilted her head.
Gideon winked and set her down, "Don't ask. Don't tell." He said plainly, reaching over to take Sera's shoes that had been left on the platform, "These belong to the vault now. You'll get them back when you return your hooves."
"Mmm!" Sera complained at his back, to which Gideon just waved as he walked towards the door of the Tack Vault, "Give me fifteen minutes Aurora. Color preferences?"
"Thank you Gideon! No colors yet, just generic for now."
Gideon scoffed, "How boring. Fitting Bay five. Why not try the visualizer with her? Give her a vision of what the future could hold."
Beaming, Aurora would look to Sera and smile, "You heard the man. Fitting bay five, follow me."
More and more, Sera was feeling less like a person and more like livestock being fitted for equipment. It was such a curious feeling that bubbled around in her head. And it wasn't one that she necessarily disliked. Was this part of what it meant to be a pony?
She let her thoughts wander a bit as she followed Aurora to the fitting bay in question. The door was wide open, leading to a fairly sizeable chamber inside with a similar circular pad in its center. Sera cast an unhappy gaze at Aurora, which made the other girl giggle as she nudged Sera towards the circle.
"Don't worry, Pony. No St-Field in this one. Just a virtual fabricator. Stand there and face the mirror, please."
Sera sighed and did as she was told, moving to stand on the pad which lit up an electric blue as she stepped onto it and faced the floor-to-ceiling mirrored back wall as Aurora moved to a control panel set into a panel nearby.
"Now, this DOES work better if you're not wearing anything. But I acknowledge this is all a bit new and overwhelming for you. So I won't ask you to strip. We can work around it. Could you take off your blazer at least, though? It'll make it work a bit better."
Sera gave a single stomp and reached up, unbuttoning the front of her blazer and sliding it off to leave her in only the skirt, undershirt, and tights that came with the uniform now. She was just looking for a place to hang the blazer when a robotic arm snaked down from a panel in the ceiling, seized the blazer, and then dragged it off to god knows where. She looked to Aurora again.
"It'll be with your shoes. Don't worry. Face the mirror. Now let's seeeeeee..." She pressed a few buttons in sequence.
"Oh, oh! This could be fun!"
[Virtualising Look: Starshower]
Right before Sera's very eyes. She could only watch as a virtual outfit and image were built over top of her. Like it was actually being stitched onto her. Everything from the color of her nails to the style of her hair shifted and changed until...
[Virtualisation Complete]
She was staring in the mirror at what was distinctly herself. But in what could only be a rendition of Starlight's tack and outfit. Shimmery makeup, hair teased into a cascade of sparkling curls, Smoky lilac and silvers intertwined along the corset, while an intricate bridle had been fitted over her head. Even her feet looked like they were in the same ballet-style hooves as Starlight had been wearing the previous day.
"Whmoa..." She said in amazement at the pony staring back at her in the mirror.
"You know. With some hair dye... you and Starlight could almost be twins! That is... uncanny." Aurora stepped up to the virtualization and reached up to grasp Sera's chin gently and make her look at herself in the mirror.
"Just look at her. That girl in the mirror. Free, Stunning, Full of grace. If you decide to follow this path, that is what awaits you. Not just the look, but also the mindset. The skills. There are so many different places that ponying can take you. As a hobby, much like a sport. Or as a career in anything from policework to a professional athlete. Heck, if you had strong legs, you could live out your days as a draft horse on a local farm, sweating in the sun and fueling our farming industry. If you do consider our club, you're not just deciding on something temporary. It'll be something lasting, that will be with you the rest of your life. That's the magic of choosing the equine career path." Aurora spoke softly, but with passion as she looked in the mirror with Sera.
"A path of your own." Aurora added as she slipped back to the control panel, "Now let's see what else we can try on!"
Sera was left smiling and standing there considering Aurora's words as they flipped through the various virtual outfits. Cowgirl inspired, a sleek racing getup with sleek chrome panels and a virtual bridle, a show pony outfit which was all high-class and lace, and even some odder outfits like the one that looked like she'd been dipped in latex. Faceless and wrapped in harnesses and leather.
By the time they'd gone through a dozen or more outfits, a knock came at the door of the Fitting Bay.
"You decent? I've no desire t'walk in on a naked pony without permission."
Aurora giggled and flicked the button on the VR panel, "Come in."
The opaque panel became transparent, allowing Gideon to step into the room. In one hand, he held a pair of crisp white boots that ended in the traditional 'hoof' shape, while in the other hand, he held a toolkit rolled up in a leather pouch. As he walked in, he pressed a hidden button on the wall, which made a workbench slide out of one wall while a padded fitting cradle rose out of a panel in the floor. Which was just a glorified padded bench for a pony to lean on.
"Alright, Filly. Now that you've had your fun with the VR rig. Time to get to the good stuff. Let's get you laced up."
He rolled out the toolkit on the bench, revealing a curious variety of low and high-tech tools as well as a set of two rose gold horseshoes, "Figured y'might appreciate the color."
"Oooh, Gideon must like you. He doesn't give rose gold shoes to just anyone..." Aurora teased.
Gideon huffed, "Oh hush. It's not special treatment r'nuthin. They just match her mane and I'd like t'make her first experiences positive ones." He nodded, turning his head away to hide the slight tinge of blush on his cheeks as he selected a few tools.
"Now lean yer arse over the padded rest, Filly. And we can get t'work. Here at HighTail, we put yer shoes on after your boots to help with that whole immersion bit. So y'just lean there and think happy pony thoughts like carrots n' tail plugs." Gideon pulled a stool seeming out of nowhere and slid it over towards the padded cradle.
Aurora helped guide Aurora to lean over the cradle, which left her almost folded in half like V over the bench. Which wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for the fact that she was wearing the school uniform, whose bottom was comprised of a skirt, which left her thankfully tights-covered undercarriage visible to the whole world. Well, the whole world being Gideon and Aurora.
Gideon noticed the uncomfortable squirm, and after a quick exchange of looks with Aurora, he removed his red trimmed vest and tossed it over Sera's backside, effectively giving back her modesty, "Somethin' you'll have to get used to is giving up a hint of yer modesty, Filly. The world of ponying is often filled with sweaty naked bodies. Usually in the company of others." He mused as he reached down, grasping Sera's left ankle firmly, lifting it back and up into his lap.
"Another thing, tights usually aren't the ideal foot covering inside of a hoof. Slipping out of a hoof can be disastrous. Something to keep in mind for your future sessions." He said this as he pressed both of his thumbs smoothly and deeply into the ball of Sera's foot, then rolled them upwards along the muscle with firm pressure. A small grin slipped onto his lips at the half-moan that escaped Sera's lips. A good foot massage went a long way. But it was also Gideon's way of checking a pony's feet to make sure there were no major issues before putting them in their hooves.
"Hm. Stiff muscles on these feet. Not ideal when it comes to standing on what is essentially your tippy toes all day. I recommend you speak to Aurora following your session about foot and ankle stretches. Otherwise, though, cute feet, Filly." He finished the mini massage, which had clearly relaxed Sera as she was slumped over the cradle heavily, relaxed while Aurora played idly with her hair.
"Not as scary as you thought it would be, huh?" Her voice had shifted to that soothing tone.
Since she couldn't stomp, Sera simply murmured as she felt smooth, taught white latex being tugged over her foot, felt her toes slip into the specially designed base of the boot, its firm sole making sure her feet stayed nearly En Pointe at all times. She wiggled her toes experimentally, finding that her foot was held firmly enough that it wasn't so much her toes that moved as the hoof wiggled around, like it was part of her foot now.
Once the first boot was on, the second followed, leaving her feet planted on the ground, a bit awkwardly as they'd not been fitted with shoes yet. That came next. Again, her hooves were lifted in sequence, followed by the scent of burning rubber, several firm smacks to the bottom of the hoof, and then... she was done.
The vest came off her backside with a whoosh of air, and moments later, Gideon and Aurora were helping her to ease Sera to her feet.
The first thing she noticed was how much taller she was. It wasn't a small amount of height these boots gave. She noted, however, that Aurora was still taller.
"Any pinching? Pains?" Gideon asked as Sera wobbled visibly on the spot.
She lifted one hoof and tapped it down in a sort of half-stomp, as she felt like she was about to tumble to the ground.
Gideon nodded, "Good. They look good on you. And if you don't mind me saying, they make that arse of yours look even cuter. Funny how a bit of changed posture can make a bodyline look so much more stunning." He winked and let go of her so she could lean on Aurora. Gideon rolled up his toolkit and pressed the button to hide away all the equipment in the room.
"My job is done. Your clothing will be waiting at the tack vault later. Just pop on by to retrieve it when you return your hooves. That or Aurora here will." He tossed an RFID tag to Aurora and then smiled brightly at the pair of them as he tucked his toolkit beneath his arm, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Sera. I hope to see you around more in the future. And Aurora, you're due for a refit of your tack. I expect you here tomorrow, or I'll drag you in by that ponytail of yours. Understood?"
Aurora dipped into a polite curtsy, "Understood."
"Good girl. Alright, I'll leave you two... to uh... to it." He blinked at the formation of that sentence and then turned and waved over his shoulder as he departed, "Best of luck."
Then it was just the two of them. Aurora helped Sera stand up tall and smiled, "Well, ready to take these for a spin?" She asked, already taking in every little movement Sera made and figuring out how to help her walk properly in her newly fitted hooves. The light caught the rosy gold horseshoes, which paired surprisingly well with the stark white calf-high boot.
Sera gave another small stomp.
"Alright then. Time for Walking 101!" Aurora said as she clapped her hands together excitedly. Sera, too, didn't look nervous. She looked happy. Genuinely happy.
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