Post by Sky Blue on Jul 20, 2012 0:39:38 GMT -5
S and S Meadery
You stand now inside the warm and welcoming customer service area of S&S Meadery. The room is decorated in soft earth tones; the oak walls and support beams, while lacking any kind of paint, are sanded to a smooth, pleasing texture. The same can be said for the long counter that stretches almost the length of the wall opposite the front door, behind which stand four bottle racks spaced evenly. The outer two racks have between them a pair of square windows, with simple diamond cut panes in them. Between the middle racks, positioned in the exact center of the long counter, are a pair of framed pictures. One of the owner, Sky Blue, and the other of Salsa Verde, her Very Special Somepony and the delight of her heart.
There is a little clang of the door to let the owner know that somepony has entered. And it's a rather small Pegasus pony holding a small bag in her mouth. "If afypffny fere?" she asks, through gritted teeth. "Fie fwas fooking fwror Sfwy Bfwue."
Cloudgazer
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Cloudgazer is a young filly who is small of stature but has boundless energy. Her hide is a soft creamy blue shade, the color of the sky just after a spring rain. The color extends to her wings, which are strong if a little short. Her mane is shockingly green and is held backwards in sharp arcs off her head with a large purple bandana that compliments the streaks of the same color in her tail. Her tail is a mixture of both the shocking green and soft purple colors that adorn her head and is of average size for a filly her age. Her eyes are a large and soft gold and she always seems to have a chipper smile on her face. She has a distinct lack of cutie mark on her flanks.
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"Ah'm Sky Bl-" the eponymous pony calls out from behind the counter, before her head rises into view, she lays eyes upon Cloudgazer, then rests her forelegs down on the counter as a frown appears upon her face. "Ah've got a bone t'pick with y'all," she informs the young filly, not looking at all pleased. "When ah woke up, a real expensive bottle of mead ah intended as a present fer Applejack was missin' from mah saddlebags. Ah don't suppose y'all know anythin' about that?"
Sky Blue
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Blue is the color of the morning sky, and the color of Sky Blue's coat. Gold is the color of the sun, and the color of Sky Blue's shining mane and tail. A daughter of the morning sun is a wild filly not easily - or safely - caught, and she wears clothes to match. They're all of gold, the loose shirt billowing around her shoulders and forelegs, giving her easy movement, while her natural blue beckons down her throat and inside the wide, open neckline. Perched atop her head is a wide brimmed sun hat of natural gold straw, the crown circled in pale blue violets, almost blending with the mane that juts down like straw underneath it, clouding her playful eyes. Finally, her back legs are left free to run by her shorts of gleaming but thick and practical golden dragon leather. From those shorts emerges a tail like her mane, thick and wild as straw, and on their flank is embroidered the outline of a blazing hot sun. The sun's daughter would never hide her cutie mark.
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Cloudgazer flits her wings enough to level herself off with the counter and she drops the bag onto the counter which clinks. There are almost tears in her eyes. "Apple Bloom drank it all in one go." She says, pushing the bag forwards towards Sky Blue with her hoof. "That's all the money I have," she says ashamedly. "Hope it's enough... but, mostly, I'm sorry." She gives a small pouty face, but the emotion seems rather genuine. Poor li'l Pegasus pony.
Sky Blue looks from Cloudgazer, to the bag of bits, and then back again, her expression softening. Pushing aside the bits, she leans over, wraps her forelegs around the younger filly, and then pulls her in close for a very tight hug. "Ah'd never take from... especially when y'all aren't... it weren't yer..." the mead mistress stumbles, before falling silent, and merely continuing to hug the little pegasus close to her. She seems... sad, of all things.
The little pegasus cuddles close to Sky Blue and she can't help it but she begins to break down into tears, a soft sobbing of, "I'm sorries," coming out between little sobs. It's not long before she manages to get that out of her system though... but her little body cuddles close to Sky Blue.
After a few minutes of hugging the pegasus filly close to her, a forehoof gently stroking over her mane, Sky Blue pulls her head back to look at Cloudgazer with a gentle smile, before asking, "How would y'all like a nice hot pastry, with a nice big glass of apple juice and some honey fer flavourin'?"
"Would I?" Cloudgazer asks, sniffling a bit as she wipes her tears away from her face. "It sounds really nice," she offers to the bigger pony. "Do you not want any of that?" she asks of the bits.
Sky Blue shakes her head gently, before informing the young filly, "Even if y'all were the one that drank the cider, ah couldn't take the life savings of a little filly. The fact y'all tried t'give 'em t'me t'pay back fer what somepony else is done is really kind... but if ah accepted even a single bit, ah wouldn't be able t'sleep, seein' how upset y'all were." The earth filly leans over and places a gentle kiss upon Cloudgazer's forehead, then announces warmly, "Take yer bits, go choose a seat, and ah'll be right out with somethin' nice'n hot fer y'all."
Cloudgazer nods to Sky Blue, to whom she hugs warmly, before she turns back towards the chairs and benches and she moves up and sits at one bench, ploping right down onto it. She does remember to take her bits with her... "Is the right thing to do," she calls out after Sky Blue when she moves to disappear to get the things.
A few minutes later, Sky Blue returns, somehow balancing a tall glass of juice atop a plate bearing two rather large pastries, a fresh apple, and napkin. She carefully sets the plate down upon Cloudgazer's chosen table, then unloads the juice, before announcing cheerfully, "Ah hope y'all like 'em. That one's got chocolate in it, that one's got custard in it, and that's an apple."
Cloudgazer seems to find that immensely funny. "I thought it was a peach!" She giggles at that, her eyes closing as she laughs. She hmms and leans over to drag the custard one to her side of the plate. "You're gonna eat with me, aren't ya?" she asks, looking up towards the larger Pony with those oh so PUUUHHHLEEAAASEEE eyes, that only a little one can muster.
"Ah just had lunch and was gonna... ohh, alright," Sky Blue gives in with a gentle smile and a light roll of her eyes, before trotting back over to the counter, pouring herself a glass of mead, and then returning to Cloudgazer's table. "Ah'm not that hungry, but ah'll keep y'all company," she informs the young filly, reaching over with a hoof to ruffle the pegasus' multi-hued mane.
Cloudgazer giggles a bit as she gets her mane ruffled and she munches on the custard pastry happily, before she picks up the glass of cider and takes a big swig of it. "I just love this cider," she offers. "We don't have anything in Cloudsdale..." A frown forms. "Gonna have to go back and get s'more bits soon, otherwise I won't have a place to sleep."
"Hey, hey..." the older mare replies softly, wrapping a foreleg around the filly's shoulders. "Y'all shouldn't have t'worry about gettin' a place t'sleep and forkin' out loads of bits; not at yer age. Ah've got a couple of spare rooms here, and ah'd be more than happy t'put up a real nice young filly like yerself."
Cloudgazer blinks at that and she beams at Sky Blue. "Are you sure? I mean... I'm just me... what am I gonna do for that room?" she asks, sitting down the glass for the moment. She hugs into the bigger Pony, sighing.
"Y'all don't have t'do nothin'," the hayseed replies warmly, hugging the smaller filly to her with a relaxed, content expression upon her face, her eyes closed. "It's free of charge. Ah know what it's like t'be broke, with nowhere t'lay mah head down, not t'mention scroungin' fer food... and ah won't let a real kind filly like yerself do that, especially when ah've got a room t'spare and enough more than enough bits t'feed another mouth."
Cloudgazer sniffles a bit at the offer and she smiles up at Sky Blue before she leans up and kisses the bigger pony on the side of her head. "Thank you," she says, before she turns back to eating her pastry. She tries to hide the small tears, but it's hard for someone so young.
Sky Blue leans down to place a small kiss on Cloudgazer's forehead, before moving a hoof down to gently rub across the pegasus' pony's back. "After y'all've finished yer food, how about y'all go out and have a play?" she suggests, beaming with a mixture of cheerfulness and warmth at her new charge. "Come back about... six o'clock, ah'll show y'all yer room, and then, at seven, ah'll take y'all t'a nice restaurant fer a slap-up celebration meal."
Cloudgazer giggles and moves to turn and fully hug Sky Blue around her neck, her wings flapping now to bring her up to Sky's level. "Aww, thank you sooo much." She hugs with lots and lots of gusto... her little body just wobbling with happiness.
"Don't worry about it, Cloudgazer... ah'm glad t'help," Sky Blue replies softly, gently hugging the excited filly around the shoulders, before ruffling her mane once more and letting out a giggle. "Come on, sugarcube; finish up yer lunch, then go out and have a play with yer friends. Ah need t'get yer room all cleaned up."
Cloudgazer nods her head as she lands again and moves to finish up eating her lunch. She stuffs it down quickly before she drains the rest of the cider in one big gulp. She wipes her face off before giving Sky another huge hug and heading outside to play for a while.
*****
"Now, it's not much, but ah hope it'll be okay, sugarcube..." Sky Blue informs the young pegasus, smiling down at the trailing filly as they head up a set of stairs, walk a short way dow a rustic corridor, and then stop outside a door, bearing a sign depicting a childish drawing of Cloudgazer, along with the crudely-written words 'Cloudgazer's Room'. The earth filly opens the door wide, then nudges the younger female to enter first. Slightly larger than the average bedroom, the wooden floored, cream walled, and slightly sloped ceiling capture the essence of S&S Meadery. Against one wall is what looks suspiciously like a new, very soft bed, adorned with an official set of Wonderbolts-emblazoned quilt and pillows, along with a stuffed toy of Spitfire. A fluffy pink rug lies in front of the bed and just in front of a double window that overlooks Ponyville Market, where an assortment of toys - some perhaps a bit too young for Cloudgazer, but most of them appropriate for her age- have been carefully laid out. A large padded chest is at the foot of the bed, marked 'toys', where another cuddly toy - this one a fluffy teddy bear - sits. At the other end of a room is a small wooden bookshelf, stuffed with a mixture of filly-friendly reading materials, and some a bit younger, again, with a sky blue beanbag positioned just next to it. Carefully placed across the remaining walls are a few posters - one of the Wonderbolts, another of a scenic view of Ponyville, and a third of Cloudsdale. "Is it okay?" Sky Blue asks tentatively, a nervous smile upon her face. "Ah tried t'find a dresser fer y'all, t'put clothes in and with a mirror, but ah couldn't find any that would deliver today."
Cloudgazer's eyes go wide and then all of a sudden the little pegasus bursts into dramatic tears. She wails and wails and wails as she turns to cling to Sky Blue. "This..." she manages to get out between sobs. "Isthenicest." More sobs. "Thinganypony" *SNIFFFFFFLESSESSS* "Has done for me... it's... amaaaazing." More tears and that uber adoring look towards Sky Blue, eyes shining.
Feeling her own eyes well up at the little filly's reaction, Sky Blue kneels down and wraps her forelegs tightly around Cloudgazer's torso, gently rubbing a hoof up and down the small pony's back, letting her get it all out. "Nice ponies deserve nice things," she informs the sweet young filly gently, tucking her chin over Cloudgazer's head. "And ah want y'all t'have the nicest things possible."
Cloudgazer sniffles loudly as she continues to cling tightly to Sky Blue. "You are the bestest Pony ever..." she offers out, still sniffling here and there as she cuddles against the larger pony. "I'll make you proud of me!" she offers, with a determined air to her voice. "I promise!"
"Ah'm sure anythin' y'all do will make me proud of y'all," Sky Blue replies softly, pulling her head back to beam down warmly at the young filly. "Just follow yer heart, continue bein' that kind, sweet little filly y'all are... and have a shower," she adds with a wink, before adding, "Y'all want t'be nice and clean fer the oriental restaurant at seven. Yer towels are the ones with the Wonderbolts on them. If y'need anythin', ah'll be downstairs, checkin' over the takings fer the day."
o.o