"Well, I don't know much about music," Taffy mused, following Arcana, "but it seems to me it could be the silver lining to your... situation; nopony else would be able hit the range of tones and styles the two of you, so ta' speak, could."
"I don't think I'll be experimenting with my voice anytime soon though," Arcana said as she opened the door to the room. She turned on the lights and opened the door to the bath. "You can go first if you like," she offered.
"Thanks," Taffy grinned, "I'll try not to use all the hot water." She went into the bathroom, closed the door, and started running the bath.
"Thanks," Arcana says as she sits on her bed. "Now that I'm alone," she whispered as she started to concentrate. Her horn began glowing brightly then started getting darker and darker. Magic around the horn bubbled as he cast the dark spell. Sitting on his bed is Arcana, tired from the use of the spell, and back to being a stallion. He wiped his brown with his forehoof.
After a thorough and hot bath, and after making sure to clean any leftover dirt from the tub, Taffy exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her wet mane, feeling cleaner than she had in a long time; her hooves were now the same colour as the rest of her coat! "All do- Oh. You look different somehow..." She said, cocking her head before grinning crookedly.
With a much more masculine voice, he says, "Gee, I wonder why. I changed back and it was more exhausting that usual." He got up from the bed and walked over to the bathroom. Tossing his long mane behind, "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Clean and fluffy." Responded Taffy. "I'm sorry ya had some trouble changing back; any idea what caused it?"
"It's just, I don't like anypony being around when I change. It is a dark spell after all," Arcana said as he waited for the water to heat up. "As far as why it was so exhausting, I have no idea." He levitates a couple of towels off of the rack. "It's always tiring, but doubly so today. I'll be all right," He said reassuringly.
"Glad t' hear it," Taffy said, smiling warmly. "I'll just be sittin' over here," she added, moving over to a sofa by the door; it was the furthest place from the windows. She picked a book on wagon repairs out of her bags, and settled onto the sofa to read it.
Arcana closed the door and takes his bath. Soon after he starts relaxing. Singing is heard from the tub. A happy melody coming from behind the door.
Taffy smiled at Arcana's muffled singing, and bobbed her head along softly to the melody as she read up on hub bolt torque settings.
Arcana drains the bath and exits the bathroom a towel hanging over his head. "Rejuvenating," he said as he grabbed his mane brush. Magically drying his mane and brushing it at the same time, he hums a different tune.
"Yeah, I'd almost forgotten how good a nice hot bath could feel," Taffy said, looking up from her book. "So, your mane an' tail and all stay the same length when you change?" She inquired, looking at Arcana curiously.
"About the same length, though my both mane and tail look longer as a mare," Arcana said as he was brushing his tail. "I guess it's just size difference." "I've always liked my mane long. I think it looks nice, don't you?" He asked looking at her.
"Oh, yeah, it looks nice." She took the towel off her mane, now that it had had time to try. "I prefer long manes, I just keep mine a bit shorter for practical reasons; don't want it fallin' in any movin' machinery, ya' know?"
A face imitating pain show on Arcana. "Ouch, yeah, don't need to say more," he said quickly. He opened his closet and took out a simple black jacket.
"Just a bit," Arcana replied. He put on the jacket and got his mane to flow free out of it. Using magic to zip it up, he turns to Taffy and smiles. "We should go early. I need to set up and sound check of course."
"Ok," Taffy put her book carefully back in her bag and then slung the bags over her back. "Lead the way!"
Arcana walks out of the room and heads to the elevator and pushes the button. The button lights up and then immediately shuts off. After a couple of minutes, "Horse Apples!" he exclaimed. Arcana opens another door, holding it open for Taffy. "The elevator isn't coming up right now, so the stairs it is," he said.
