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WARNING: Sexual Harassment

~~~~~~~~~~

The talk he got from his family gave Minted a lot to think about. Not only that, but a lot to do. His mothers and Blueberry, they were all right—somepony’s safety was on the line and it was no time for excuses. So he went into work the next day with a new sense of purpose. He promised himself, he was going to stand up to his boss no matter how scared shitless he was.

Minted went about his work day like usual but he was on high alert…more than usual. He kept an eye on Huck and Sienna the entire time, praying that the older stallion wouldn’t try anything but also preparing himself for when he inevitably would. Huck put on a nice front when there were customers around but after closing he always let his real self show.

But as he mulled over the situation he couldn’t help but have second thoughts. What if he couldn’t do it? What if the time came and he just froze like he always did? What if his involvement made it worse for Sienna? Worse for himself? That was the last thing he wanted, to try to help and have it backfire.

If there was an easy way to do it, he would. If Huck had a boss above him he could report him to, he would do that. But he didn’t, and there wasn’t a single coworker who would stand up to the stallion. Sienna herself tried, but she didn’t deserve for others to stand by and make her stand up for herself alone. Minted had no choice but to stand by her.

“Get it through your damn head, leave me alone!”

He heard from across the bar that night. Huck was whispering something in Sienna’s ear and she was yelling out in disgust, shoving him away with all her strength.

Normally Minted would have cowered away and tried to ignore it but this time he couldn’t. Sienna was doing all she could and it still wasn’t enough to ward Huck off. It wasn’t fair to her to have to do it alone. It wasn’t fair that Huck was getting away with this!

“What’s going on here?”

He trotted over to intervene, his voice shaking a bit with anxiety as he tried to mediate.

“None of your business, kid! It’s nothing at all.”

He barked before turning to Sienna with a smirk.

“Just telling this little lady how she’d do better at my place than hanging around here.”

“AGH!”

The mare screamed out as the stallion smacked his hoof across her flank.

And that’s when Minted started seeing red.

“Don’t you FUCKING touch her!”

Ears pinned back and nostrils flaring, he was powered by adrenaline as he puffed his chest out and shoved the older stallion back.

“Mint…!”

Sienna’s eyes widened in shock. She never thought she’d see the day, somepony standing up for her. No, somepony standing WITH her. She came out from behind her coworker and stood next to him, feeling even more empowered by this support.

“I fucking told you no! Over and over again! I WILL report you to the law if you bother me again!”

“I can have this whole bar shut down if you set a SINGLE hoof on her! If you threaten her or anypony’s safety! You’ll be sorry!”

Minted wasn’t bluffing when he said this, he really did have connections.

“Standing up for your little girlfriend, are you?”

Huck was clearly taken aback but he didn’t show it much, puffing his own chest out threateningly.

“I don’t need to be his fucking girlfriend for him to respect me!”

Sienna countered before Mint could say anything. She was standing up for herself.

“I’m a grown mare! A pony! That’s why I deserve respect! You’re so bent on getting me in your bed yet you won’t even give me that!”

Huck didn’t stop to consider the illogical nature of his actions, not for a second. Instead he snorted indignantly.

“I’m the one who gives you your damn paychecks so if you don’t respect me I won’t respect you! In fact, if you hate working here so much-“

“What? Are you going to fire me?”

Sienna spat mockingly.

“Fine by me! I quit! Have fun in hell, asshole!”

With that, she turned on her hooves and stormed out, never to enter that bar again.

Minted was still left staring down Huck, alone this time. All at once the adrenaline wore off and he felt his chest quickly tighten with panic.

“Since she didn’t give me a chance to finish, you’re fired.”

Huck sneered as he towered over the poor stallion.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

Minted had no powerful final words like Sienna did. All he could do was run out of there as quickly as possible.

But even in his panic, he was proud of himself. Finally he was free. More importantly, Sienna was free. Because he finally did what he had to do, standing by her side as she defended herself.

“Mint?”

He heard through the pounding in his ears once he was far enough away from the bar. It was Sienna. She looked calmer than him but still worried as she spoke.

“Oh gosh…”

He gasped out between breaths.

“I…I saw how he was treating you and I had to—“

“I know.”

She stopped him.

“Save your breath. Just…thank you. I’m glad somepony had the balls to help me out.”

He nodded.

“Are…are you okay?”

“Yeah…except I’m probably gonna have to take a semester off.”

Sienna shook her head in disappointment.

“Oh Gaia, I’m broke! I would never go back to that place but still…it’ll be hard to find another job. I might have to go back and live with my parents, or my sister.”

“My sister will be paying double rent for awhile. Or our parents. I know…I know exactly how it is.”

Minted chuckled awkwardly, trying to ease the tension by sharing his own predicament. He was just as worried about losing his job as Sienna was, though he tried—but probably failed—to hide it. But then he grew earnest.

“But we will be okay. You will be okay. I don’t know how, but…you will be. At least you’re free now.”

He was trying to convince himself of this as much as he was trying to convince her.

But being out of work hardly mattered when it meant that nopony like Huck would ever hurt Sienna again. Minted would never let something like this happen again. Sienna would never stay in a job like this again, one where she wasn’t respected. It would all be okay.

No matter what, standing up for what’s right is worth it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Lithe
Next: Abundance

Background by matty4z

Description

WARNING: Sexual Harassment

~~~~~~~~~~

The talk he got from his family gave Minted a lot to think about. Not only that, but a lot to do. His mothers and Blueberry, they were all right—somepony’s safety was on the line and it was no time for excuses. So he went into work the next day with a new sense of purpose. He promised himself, he was going to stand up to his boss no matter how scared shitless he was.

Minted went about his work day like usual but he was on high alert…more than usual. He kept an eye on Huck and Sienna the entire time, praying that the older stallion wouldn’t try anything but also preparing himself for when he inevitably would. Huck put on a nice front when there were customers around but after closing he always let his real self show.

But as he mulled over the situation he couldn’t help but have second thoughts. What if he couldn’t do it? What if the time came and he just froze like he always did? What if his involvement made it worse for Sienna? Worse for himself? That was the last thing he wanted, to try to help and have it backfire.

If there was an easy way to do it, he would. If Huck had a boss above him he could report him to, he would do that. But he didn’t, and there wasn’t a single coworker who would stand up to the stallion. Sienna herself tried, but she didn’t deserve for others to stand by and make her stand up for herself alone. Minted had no choice but to stand by her.

“Get it through your damn head, leave me alone!”

He heard from across the bar that night. Huck was whispering something in Sienna’s ear and she was yelling out in disgust, shoving him away with all her strength.

Normally Minted would have cowered away and tried to ignore it but this time he couldn’t. Sienna was doing all she could and it still wasn’t enough to ward Huck off. It wasn’t fair to her to have to do it alone. It wasn’t fair that Huck was getting away with this!

“What’s going on here?”

He trotted over to intervene, his voice shaking a bit with anxiety as he tried to mediate.

“None of your business, kid! It’s nothing at all.”

He barked before turning to Sienna with a smirk.

“Just telling this little lady how she’d do better at my place than hanging around here.”

“AGH!”

The mare screamed out as the stallion smacked his hoof across her flank.

And that’s when Minted started seeing red.

“Don’t you FUCKING touch her!”

Ears pinned back and nostrils flaring, he was powered by adrenaline as he puffed his chest out and shoved the older stallion back.

“Mint…!”

Sienna’s eyes widened in shock. She never thought she’d see the day, somepony standing up for her. No, somepony standing WITH her. She came out from behind her coworker and stood next to him, feeling even more empowered by this support.

“I fucking told you no! Over and over again! I WILL report you to the law if you bother me again!”

“I can have this whole bar shut down if you set a SINGLE hoof on her! If you threaten her or anypony’s safety! You’ll be sorry!”

Minted wasn’t bluffing when he said this, he really did have connections.

“Standing up for your little girlfriend, are you?”

Huck was clearly taken aback but he didn’t show it much, puffing his own chest out threateningly.

“I don’t need to be his fucking girlfriend for him to respect me!”

Sienna countered before Mint could say anything. She was standing up for herself.

“I’m a grown mare! A pony! That’s why I deserve respect! You’re so bent on getting me in your bed yet you won’t even give me that!”

Huck didn’t stop to consider the illogical nature of his actions, not for a second. Instead he snorted indignantly.

“I’m the one who gives you your damn paychecks so if you don’t respect me I won’t respect you! In fact, if you hate working here so much-“

“What? Are you going to fire me?”

Sienna spat mockingly.

“Fine by me! I quit! Have fun in hell, asshole!”

With that, she turned on her hooves and stormed out, never to enter that bar again.

Minted was still left staring down Huck, alone this time. All at once the adrenaline wore off and he felt his chest quickly tighten with panic.

“Since she didn’t give me a chance to finish, you’re fired.”

Huck sneered as he towered over the poor stallion.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

Minted had no powerful final words like Sienna did. All he could do was run out of there as quickly as possible.

But even in his panic, he was proud of himself. Finally he was free. More importantly, Sienna was free. Because he finally did what he had to do, standing by her side as she defended herself.

“Mint?”

He heard through the pounding in his ears once he was far enough away from the bar. It was Sienna. She looked calmer than him but still worried as she spoke.

“Oh gosh…”

He gasped out between breaths.

“I…I saw how he was treating you and I had to—“

“I know.”

She stopped him.

“Save your breath. Just…thank you. I’m glad somepony had the balls to help me out.”

He nodded.

“Are…are you okay?”

“Yeah…except I’m probably gonna have to take a semester off.”

Sienna shook her head in disappointment.

“Oh Gaia, I’m broke! I would never go back to that place but still…it’ll be hard to find another job. I might have to go back and live with my parents, or my sister.”

“My sister will be paying double rent for awhile. Or our parents. I know…I know exactly how it is.”

Minted chuckled awkwardly, trying to ease the tension by sharing his own predicament. He was just as worried about losing his job as Sienna was, though he tried—but probably failed—to hide it. But then he grew earnest.

“But we will be okay. You will be okay. I don’t know how, but…you will be. At least you’re free now.”

He was trying to convince himself of this as much as he was trying to convince her.

But being out of work hardly mattered when it meant that nopony like Huck would ever hurt Sienna again. Minted would never let something like this happen again. Sienna would never stay in a job like this again, one where she wasn’t respected. It would all be okay.

No matter what, standing up for what’s right is worth it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Lithe
Next: Abundance

Background by matty4z