Smoke Break (Dreamverse)

Art and story by Big-Chelo 
Raffles Hoof is owned by DigitalTARDISbrony 
Wysheid is owned by Big-Chelo 
MLP is owned by Hasbro

All rights go to their respected owners.
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Wyshied's home, like her mother's, was well past the edge of the Evergreen Forest, and built within the hollow center of a massive tree. It wasn't too far from her mother's, but far enough to afford plenty of privacy. After asking a few simple questions of the other zebroid, found he would be staying a few days on business--but Ponyville wasn't exactly a metroplis and had no Inn. 

He could've probably found a pony to let him rent a room, but she offered her spare while he was here. After all, what better company than another zonkey? 

"Make yourself at home." she said, as she bumped open the door with her snout, trotting inside. It was a modest affair, with pillows scattered about, a large iron cauldron bubbling pleasantly away and giving off a faint greenish glow. Shelves were all around the immense room (was it larger within than it was without? Hard to tell...) and were loaded with a strange collection of object, some seeming mundane while the others were...eclectic to say the least. A narrow, spiral staircase wound up to a loft of sorts, and down the opposite way into what was apparently a ...root cellar. 

It was odd for Wyshied to have anyone in here besides her mother and Noodles, but not an unpleasant feeling. 
"The spare room is up that staircase. It's just a cot. No one really uses it except the occasional injured creature from deeper in the woods. Don't worry, it's clean." she assured him, as she reared up on her rear hooves to search the shelves.

"Oh, I'm sure I've slept in worse. It'll be fine." he said, simply, as he sat down on one of the thick cushioned pillows, peering around curiously. "What's in the cauldron?"

"Atmosphere." came the wry response, amusement tinging her voice.

"Atmosphere?" 

"It makes like, a pleasant sound and smell, and sort of ties the room together. My mother's doing." Wyshied explained, as she came down and turned to take a seat near him. Noodle was curled tightly around what seemed to be a hoof-crafted box, elegantly decorated with the esoteric symbols of the Zebra homeland, much like the masks that hung on the walls. Opening it, she revealed a smoking pipe and a small bag. "Hope you don't mind. I'm dissuading myself from cursing those stupid ponies." she sighed, as she took the end of the pipe in her mouth and Noodle processed to use his surprisingly dextrous tail to upend the bag into the pipe. 

A glittering mass of rainbow colored herbs slid forth. And Noodle slid his tail around a match, struck it and lit it from around her neck. Useful little creature, obviously, and not a normal snake. Taking a few puffs, the smoke itself was even rainbow colored, smelling like...well, whatever one found most pleasant. Wyshied smelled the deep forest loam, Belladona, and Poison Joke. Raffles would likely smell something entirely different.

"What is that?" he wondered.

"Hm...something I created during an experiment few years back." she said, after a long drag. "Just...sort of like an enhanced version of marijuana. A magical version, I suppose, since I used more than a few non-common herbs to mix in with it. I was trying to create something else---I forget what---but when I infused it with my potion it sort of...blew up." 

Raffles' brows raised. "You practice magic?"

"Zebra magic, but yeah, magic all the same I guess. You don't?" 

He shook his head, frowning. "No...I wasn't raised by a zebra." he murmured, watching her expression moving quickly towards a content, relaxed one as the pleasant smelling herbs took effect.

"Ah...well, it's got its ups and downs. If I could, I'd just curse the little shits and be done with it but...I promised I wouldn't delve -too- deep into the dark end of things..." she sighed, shifting to take the pipe between her hooves and offering it to her new companion. After a moment of hesitation, he accepted it, and took a drag, finding himself pleasantly surprised when he swore he could -taste- the red, blue and green hues of the smoke, strange though it sounded.

"If you stay around long enough, maybe I could show you some basic stuff. Anyone can learn it, long as they aren't complete idiots." she hummed, as Noodle slithered over her back and down her side to coil himself next to her belly. 

"That sounds interesting." Raffles agreed, as tension quickly oozed out of his muscles. The encounter with the two lunk heads had been quite unpleasant, but this was quickly making him forget all about it. 
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Other artists to check out alongside Big-Chelo are

doubleWbrothers


ArcticHalo


Sulfur-Tfp


NSilverDraws


Draconya


Aledera