Tomorrow's game stream, and tonight's writing (Patreon)

First, a note: X-Com Long War, begins 7 PM Central tomorrow.

http://twitch.tv/redneckgaijin/

Now, on to the writing. I'm still working out how a vital plot point happens in Changeling Space Program, so on with Friendship is Deceptive...

ACCOUNTABILITY:

WORD GOAL MONTH TO DATE: 31,500

ACTUAL WORDS WRITTEN (INCLUDING THIS): 8,695

(I'm really, really far behind on this)

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(written last time)

Thundercracker and Skywarp soared high above Ponyville, watching the ponies going about their daily lives far below. 

"Hey, Thundercracker," Skywarp said, "see that fruit cart over there? Five bits says I can bullseye that with a rock from here, first try."

"By the Allspark, Skywarp," Thundercracker groaned, "how many times have I gotta remind you- Megatron said no trouble." How many times had Skywarp suggested something like this? Seven? Eight? He'd lost track. He hadn't been able to spot a food store or anything like that without Skywarp making some suggestion about how to destroy it from the air. 

"Eh, you always were a stick-in-the-mud," Skywarp muttered. 

"Only when one of your stupid pranks gets me there," Thundercracker muttered. "I want to maintain a mud-free lifestyle. And so does Megatron. So quit looking for mischief and try to find some kind of work that involves flying, why don't you?"

"Myah nyah neer nad involves flying neer nee ner," Skywarp mocked under his breath. Then, after a moment, he said, "Why don't we ask those flyers over there? There's a whole lot of 'em."

Thundercracker followed Skywarp's pointing hoof to see about half a dozen pegasi, led by a blue pegasus with rainbow hair. They appeared to be corralling a blanket of clouds and moving it across Ponyville, cutting off the Seekers' view of the town below.

Thundercracker grinned. "Hey, do you know what? Remember those tricks I was trying out with clouds? This is what they're for." He waved his own hoof at the weather ponies. "That's this planet's version of weather control."

"Really?" Skywarp watched for a moment, then sneered. "Lotsa planets try that. Never works right, does it?"

"Every other planet that does it uses machines and computers," Thundercracker said. "These guys are doing it by hand... I mean... you know what I mean."

"Huh." Skywarp stopped sneering and watched a little while longer. "Looks like a lotta work, if you ask me," 

"Yeah, but it's work we can do while flying," Thundercracker said. "Beats getting tied to the ground like an Autobot, doesn't it?"

"You gotta point there," Skywarp admitted.

A gray pegasus with a flat-top mane split off from the working group and flew over to the two hovering Deceptiponies. "Hey, guys?" he asked. "Scheduled rain's about to start, and you're kinda in the way. So if you don't mind?"

"Actually, buddy," Thundercracker said, "we were wondering if you guys had any job openings. We just got into town, and we're interested in this making weather stuff."

"Really?"  the gray pony asked. "You're not from Cloudsdale? If you were from Cloudsdale you'd have had weather control in school or flight camp. And I know you're not from here in Ponyville."

"Of course we're not from Ponyville!" Skywarp snapped. "We're from Cyuurgh!"

Thundercracker withdrew his elbow from Skywarp's ribs and said, "We're from a long, long way out of Equestria. Place we're from, you never heard of it. And they didn't teach us about working with weather back home."

"S'right," Skywarp grunted, rubbing his barrel. "Nothin'." Under his breath he added, "'Cracker, I'm gonna get you for that."

"Huh." The gray pegasus rubbed his jaw. "Well, we're always short-hoofed when it's rain time, but it's really a part-time job. Unless you're willing to help cover the district and not just the town."

"How's the pay?" Thundercracker asked.

"For a rookie? Pretty low," the other pony admitted. "But pass your exam and you get certified, and then you make a decent living even part-time. Most Cloudsdale ponies have the test in school, so they go straight into management." He pointed at the blue pegasus among the rest of the workers, who appeared to be looking back at them. "Case in point, our leader, Rainbow Dash. She dropped out of school and still aced all the tests, so she's the boss." Raising a hoof to his lips, he added, "'Course, she spends most of her time taking naps or flying into-"

"HEY, THUNDERLANE!" a rough feminine voice shouted from the work crew. "ARE THOSE GUYS LEAVING TODAY OR WHAT?"

Thunderlane shot the Deceptiponies an apologetic look.

"Thunderlane, huh? My name's Thundercracker." The white-and-blue pegasus extended a hoof to shake, realizing a moment later that there was no hand on the end of it.

Thunderlane, not noticing the hesitation, touched the bottom of his hoof to Thundercrackers. The ex-bot felt a brief sensation of grip as the two legs pumped up and down in unison; then it released. "Nice to meet you," the grey pony said. "Name like that, your family probably thought you'd be a natural with weather."

"Name's Skywarp," the violet pegasus muttered, not offering a hoof. After a moment he managed a very unconvincing smile.

"Uh... huh." Thunderlane nodded, then turned his attention back to Thundercracker. "Look, the weather office is on the second floor of town hall. You can get a job application there. Rainbow Dash will have to interview you, but you'll probably get in."

"THUNDERLANE!!"

"But not right now," Thunderlane continued. "Look, you really should either fly somewhere else or get inside. There's not supposed to be any lightning in these clouds, but there's always such a thing as accidents."

"Yeah," Skywarp muttered, giving Thundercracker a glare. "Accidents."

Thundercracker glared back at Skywarp for a moment, then said to Thunderlane, "Thanks for the tip, buddy. We'll be in touch. I guarantee it." He reached a foreleg around Skywarp's elbow and said, "Let's get back to the guardhouse for lunch."

"That's two I owe you," Skywarp muttered as he let Thundercracker lead him down and through the clouds. (Plunging through the clouds took a surprising effort; to Thundercracker it felt like swimming instead of flying.) "One for the poke to the chassis, and one for gettin' me a slaggin' job."

"You've never needed a reason to get anybody back," Thundercracker replied. "If we're keeping count, you owe me for about seven million pranks and friendly-fire incidents."

"It don't count if it's for fun," Skywarp said.

"Anyway, you ought to be thanking me," Thundercracker replied. "Yeah, I maybe got you a job, if they accept us. But that means we won't be in trouble when Megatron gets back from patrol."

Skywarp's scowl lessened considerably, but not completely. "Maybe. You know how Megatron is."

"And also, you've got an excuse to get away from Starscream for eight hours a day," Thundercracker added. "And I know I'm looking forward to that."

(dammit, the next part isn't coming to me...)