"Cleanliness isn't about presentation, or personal achievement. We tidy around to keep ourselves and others safe. We know magic transfer happens, and we know how to prevent it from spreading. I keep everypony that enters and works in the mansion safe. I like it there, and it's the best I can do in these times..."
It wasn't that a cream coffee wasn't enjoyable, but the energy spike it offers wasn't welcome this late into the night. Seafoam she had become too old and weary to have really considered the late hour she'd actually walked through the door tonight." Luna & Sol's" was the most homely place The Huntress would socialize at. Their old-timey asthetic appealed to her age, despite appearing to be in her 40's.
"Yeah, well, it probably isn't easy for you out there. What with the NEO-Upes around and everypony practically born with magic access, fighting isn't what it used to be in the Cel period."
"Or the magic revolution."
"How'd you fair back then, by the way?"
"My abilities were still better than your average unicorn." Seafoam cast her glance aside while crossing her forelegs. The past replayed in her head from an era over a lifetime ago. "Hell, most of the Guard too."
"But now anypony with some determination, they could learn a couple Upe spells." The stallion offered a pitying sigh, and she took no offense.
Neither party spoke for awhile after that, but Seafoam knew what he was thinking. She lived outside the newest magic developments, and kept her enemies from being studied. What if she'd allowed Equestria's brightest to study her foes for weaknesses? Others could develop new weapons to destroy them and take the burden off the mare's shoulders.
But Seafoam had her instructions, and her stubborn nature. La Rovina Delle Stelle was the only weapon to destroy her enemies, and she was ok with that.
She was taken out of her thoughts by an unexpected question.
"How'd Rosa fair?"
"It would be rude of me to disclose. Her life is, or was, her own to live after I saved her. And that was many lifetimes ago."
"That's alright, didn't mean to intrude. But I hope she did well." He's thrown the line out to get a read from her, but he got nothing back. So he shrugged and changed to a closing subject.
"Do you wear a self cast at work? They make cleaning easier."
"No, I don't. I--" She was about to speak out of turn about dishonoring her son's memory, but thought better of it. "it's personal. Not something my master would fire me over."
"You got that right. Hell, if you worked here, I'd let you work as slow as you like. Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
"We see employment differently. For I, it's a pastime. You need to make a living wage. I take no offense." Seafoam allowed a fleeting genuine smile. It had gotten easier to smile more as she worried less. She hoped that change of mindset wouldn't come back to bite her in the tail...
I know it said "in five years" meaning oc time, but I wanna know where she'll be in 5 years
my time. I hope she learns to relax, not let the hundreds of years she faces get her down in the dumps. I hope she makes casual and close friends, and for Equestrian technology to evolve without getting rediculous. And that I keep thinking about her. She means alot to me personally, full of possibilities and things to admire.