Part 3: I's and T's
By Firefly
"...And that just about does it. You understand the terms I've laid out for you then?" Aria asked as she signed the last piece of her paperwork for Dakota.
Dakota nodded, "I think so."
Aria nodded curtly, "Abide by the rules and the plan I have developed for you, and I am sure, given time, you will come to enjoy your stay here."
If Dakota stuck with it. It might very well change his life in a lot of good ways. Aria wasn't just offering him the opportunity to eventually step into hooves. She was offering medical care, a dietitian, A personal trainer, and a way to earn his keep by serving the household. Not to mention he'd be offered a taste of BDSM, D/s as well as Ponyplay.
Dakota smiled down at the paperwork, signing his name one final time and sliding it across to Aria, who took a moment to read it over and gently rock her head back and forth.
"No chosen pony name yet. Most come here with one already in mind but in your case, it's appropriate that you discover that on your personal journey." Aria tucked all the paperwork into a folder labeled 'Dakota' and set it to the side, "Now then. My head of staff is a bit preoccupied with an etiquette class, so we will get you over to the medical team first." She picked up the phone on her desk and dialed the number for the vet in the barn, who also served as her medical team for non-pony-related care.
"Victoria? Are you busy at the moment? No? Good. I'm going to send Dakota along to you shortly. The one I mentioned yesterday? Yes. That one. Would you prefer him in the clinic up here or the barn office? Ah, good idea. He'll be along shortly." She then hung up the phone and turned her gaze to Dakota, "You are off to the barn to get poked and prodded by the medical team. Try not to get too nervous, the last person who went in there and freaked out ended up strapped down rather tightly..."
She leaned back with a slight smile, "But then, Some are into that." She mused.
Dakota couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.
Aria turned her gaze to him "You find that funny? I'm not joking. Victoria isn't above strapping you to a medical bed while she works. Do consider that. If you head out of the office and down the hall beneath the main stairs, I'll have one of the maids meet you at the back door to take you to the vet's office." She waved a dismissive hand to send him on his way.
Dakota stood up and smiled, "Thank you."
Aria raised an eyebrow, "No. Thank me like you mean it." She said flatly.
Dakota tilted his head, "What do you mean? I did mean it?"
"SHOW ME you're thankful. House staff bow or curtsy, much like the ponies do. You may choose which." Aria folded her arms over her chest, once again choosing to test Dakota's resolve.
"I don't really know any proper bows or curtsies."
Aria didn't respond. She remained silent, raised her eyebrow, and stared at him rather intensely, tapping her foot on the floor.
Dakota was unsure how to proceed. He got the impression she wanted to see if he'd comply. He shrugged a little bit, letting his mind roam over a few movies he'd watched. He guessed he had a bit of an idea on how to respond.
He placed his left foot gently behind his right, holding his hands out a little on either side and then bent both his knees gently, bowing his head and doing a fair representation of a proper curtsy and saying, "Thank you." As he did so.
"Interesting, but not unexpected, commendable nonetheless. Now off with you." She waved a hand and went back to the pile of paperwork on her desk, pushing rimmed glasses up her nose and letting out a bit of a sigh as Dakota disappeared out of the door of her office.
"A curtsy, somewhat telling, He is surprisingly elegant for his size though." She mused before looking at her pile of finance paperwork and sighing.
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Thankfully the layout of the house was pretty easy to figure out despite its many rooms. Dakota slipped out of Aria's office and headed down the hall beneath the stairs in the main foyer. As Aria had promised, one of the maids was standing there waiting for him. It was the same raven-haired female who had shown him the room to clean up in earlier. She dipped into a polite curtsy upon his arrival and smiled.
"We meet again." Dakota said with a smile.
The maid nodded, "I just happened to be available again. Did your meeting with Miss Aria go well?"
Dakota nodded, "I think so. Better than well actually. I'm a little disappointed. But I've been offered a path I hope I can walk."
The maid smiled, "It's all about resolve. Nothing is easy at first after all. Miss Aria would not have offered if she didn't think you were capable. She doesn't roll the dice, she controls them." The maid giggled.
"She definitely seems the type. But she's given me a chance here, so I'd rather now screw it up."
"She'll hold you to that. Now come along, Miss Victoria likes to be kept waiting less than Miss Aria." She pushed through the back door of the house and stepped out into the aggressively warm air. The heat and humidity were doing no favors for anyone that day and based on the fact that it looked to be almost a mile to the barn, Dakota wrinkled his nose slightly. He wondered how the maid kept her composure and seemed to not be bothered by the heat as she led him along.
The facility was huge. Boasting more than a few training fields surrounding the barn. Fields that were currently occupied with a mix of Trainers and to Dakota's delight, ponies. Trainers worked them on whip circles or had them doing laps, some played on what looked like a football pitch, knocking a large ball around. More prominently however was the blazing redheaded pony from earlier who was sitting alone in a small field, leashed to a post and looking rather unhappy.
