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>>156989"That's okay." He says
"Every little filly has got to have her first. It can hurt like that." He pats her again, and ends with his foreleg over her shoulder
>>156990"Excuse me, sorry." She dips out from under him and returns to her podium, preferring the dim light and cold draft.
>>156992>>156993Amber walks away from the bar, past Melon Mangrove, and to the podium. It's a little after the end of Amber's shift. If anything, she's free to leave.
>>156994And leave Mustard hanging there, stressed? Nothing doing!
>>156995Mustard Trim does not seem to have noticed Amber walk off and accept free drinks from a stranger, lying about her age to do so, and doing so within a few minutes of closing and while her coltfriend was basically still in the same room.
He is cleaning up a few tables.
>>156996Well, when you put it in
that context…
She decides to grab a rag herself and help him clean up. She thanks and says goodbye to customers who are leaving.
>>156997The bar still has some activity, though most customers are leaving.
Mustard Trim looks over to Amber, and smiles at her
>>156998Amber is well aware the bar still has activity, she wants to stay far away from it for now. She smiles and waves back at Mustard.
>>157000He waves to her with a warm smile. He holds his head higher, as he walks away with utensils taken off of tables.
>>157002She gathers up whatever's left on the tables, happy to help in any small way.
>>157003He works with a half smile, and a determined diligence unlike the scared and frantic pace she observed in him earlier.
Amber recalls her dream. Mustard looked exasperated, angry, raising her voice at her, and pleading with her not to go with the mysterious orange stallion who wore the dress of a yak maiden. He looked like he wanted to tell her that if she left with him, they were over, and there was no going back. If he had said that, Amber may have decided in that moment to stay with Mustard, instead of leaving with the stallion. But he can't, and he doesn't. So she doesn't, and she can't. Something draws her to go with him. She leaves the hotel ballroom with its gilded walls, chandeliers and patterned carpets, and goes down the hallway and outside. The automobile that waits is modern in looks with curves, black and chrome, and its white wall tires, and it serves a sharp contrast against the antiquarian braided stallion who speaks little, but always with strength and conviction. He looks as young as thirty, but there was never any question that he was much older. He holds the door open for Amber, then takes the drivers seat. As he drives the vehicle away from the covered entrance to the hotel and onto the Baltimare street, Amber begins to realize that she is not in control of where the car is going, or indeed, that she doesn't even know where it is going. The mystery of the whole situation, not knowing who he was, what he wanted, or where he was taking her, was always a part of the excitement. Now, she recognizes the danger, and wonders if she has blundered.
Amber and Mustard wipe down and clean off all of the tables they could be expected to, and are soon both done with their shifts. Mustard looks over to Amber with a charmed smile.
>>157005Amber thinks about that dream, about what it means. Mustard really looked hurt in that, which
almost made her reconsider, but her logic has been that she can always make it up to him later. The mysterious stallion didn't seem threatening at all, albeit mysterious, and Amber never liked shying away from adventure. Yet there's always an element of danger, and wasn't she warned by High Sewn against going with strange stallions?
She returns his smile and nuzzles him, provided they aren't in view of a lot of customers. However, right now one biological need trumps another.
"Want to get a bite to eat?" she asks.
>>157006Mustard closes his eyes and nuzzles her, a little less concerned about who sees. She can tell quickly he wants to nuzzle her much more than he is able.
"Sure." He says, smiling to her, and holding his tail high
>>157007Smiling, she suggests,
"Let's get some tasty food from the kitchen. Usually they have leftovers." Her stomach grumbles for effect.
>>157008"They might." he says. "I can also take you to a diner if you like."
>>157009"No no no, I like the food here. I'm honored though." She heads back to the kitchen.
>>157010Back in the kitchen is the zebra colt, and a unicorn stallion of an orange-brownish color. There is leftover sautéed onion, and a couple plates that were sent back. Creamy paprika soup, and a bell pepper cut open and stuffed with rice and vegetables.
>>157012The unicorn looks back to Amber briefly, and says "those are plates that have been sent back and things that have been leftover. I can't promise they haven't been touched or that they have been cooked correctly, and we would not serve them to customers."
The little black and white striped colt in his white uniform and white hat, however, is happy to approach Amber
"Well sure miss. Take what you want."
He actually brings the plates to Amber. He is definitely younger than her by at least a year.
>>157013"Aw, thanks, much appreciated," she says thankfully to the colt. She picks up the pepper plate with her mouth and the soup with one of her forehooves, very carefully taking them back to Mustard.
>>157014She can use her back as well.
Mustard sits at a table, looking happily at Amber as she walks back to join him.
>>157015She doesn't want to spill anything on her dress.
She sets the dishes before him on a free table, beaming.
"Take your pick," she says.
>>157016He looks at he dishes
"Oh, that's okay Amber. I ate before coming here."
>>157017"Are you sure? I can split something with you," she suggests with a smile.
>>157018"You take what you like. I'll finish the rest." He says
>>157019She starts out with the soup, taking a spoonful and tasting the flavor.
>>157020Creamy with ground vegetables or lentils or
something. Paprika heavy. Spicy.
>>157021She moves it around in her mouth, thinking about it.
Would be better with some bread."Mustard, could you please go back and get some bread? Make sure you have some for yourself, too." >>157022"Uh, okay." He says, and gets up and leaves the table
>>157023She continues to enjoy the soup, though it's a little spicier than what she's used to.
>>157024Salt Mixer looks over, and almost approaches. Almost.
Mustard Trim returns with a third of a loaf, and a burned half a loaf
"Uh, this is all they had." He offers the bread to her
>>157025She smiles back at Salt. She realizes they've hardly talked at all, other than the passing of instruction.
"Thank you kindly." She takes the burned half.
>>157026Salt Mixer looks over confused at Amber. Whatever she's thinking or wants, he doesn't want to approach about it.
The bread is crunchy, as burned bread tends to be. Mustard does not eat.
"So, tell me about your day"
>>157027Amber is quite hungry and has to talk between bites.
"I think it was a pleasant day. High Sewn told me about why the price of clothes keeps going up. Sadly, there's not much any of us can do about it.""But I did make a sale today, all on my own!" she says cheerfully.
"Well, I didn't do the measurements or the adjustment, but otherwise it was.""Please, dip your bread in the soup and enjoy it," she offers.
>>157028"Aww, well that's too bad. What did she have to say about it?"
He looks up to her
"Really? That's great! Ever thought of a future in sales?" He smiles
"Now Measurements and adjustments, that's something I would do."
After some hesitance, he rips off some bread, and places it in the soup, and then eats it. Then he does it again.
>>157030Whether something so inelegant as what Amber and Mustard Trim are doing to the food can properly be called "dining" is a bit questionable.
"Yeah, I've noticed things are getting more expensive.."
And in response to "It takes years"
"So do most things that are worthy being good at."
He sneaks in a bite of the pepper
>>157031"I don't think I would be good at sales though. My cutie mark is in music, I should focus on that."Between the two of them, the soup is almost gone, so Mustard is wise to taste the pepper before his ravenous mate claims it.
>>157032"Well, I think you should then. Have you eaten today?" He asks
Mustard takes only as much as he thinks Amber won't eat, letting Amber have first pick.
>>157033"Not at all. I bought some things to cook with, but there was nothing left to buy things to cook. Not even oats."She switches over to the pepper dish.
>>157034"Oh." He says, smiling awkwardly. He leaves the pepper dish to her.
"Nothing left?" He asks
>>157035"I smelled some delicious onions in there. So they must have something," she says, smiling.
Even so, she eats only half the pepper, saving the rest for him.
>>157036"I do like onions" He says. He waits cautiously on the pepper, leaving it be for a minute. He occasionally looks down at it.
"It's been a long day" he says
>>157037"Don't tell me you weren't able to eat at all today, either," she asks, slightly alarmed.
>>157038"No no. I had lunch at school, and when I went home." He says
"I mean, it wasn't much of a dinner, but I was able to make something before leaving."
>>157040He looks at her, blinks, and then slowly slides the pepper towards himself.
It’s like a manticore tearing apart an antelope.
>>157041She looks in amazement as this pony is practically insatiable yet so scrawny.