Private Dinner (vladspellbinder, Private)

[Armony]

Dear Sam,

If you are still interested, I have started making plans for our next date, which I am tentatively scheduling for next Wednesday at 7 PM. If that won't work out for you, please let me know as soon as possible what days and times will work, and I can easily replan.

I can't wait to see you again, and I promise I won't have any silly accidents this time!

Love Yours Sincerely,

Stormsong

The musician had sent the note to the hospital the day after their blind date, once she had finally convinced her parents that they could have her younger sister practice running the store alone while they ate. She would be taking over soon, so it was only a matter of time before Sage Leaf would be taking on that responsibility; and until Stormsong needed to really kick her musical career into motion. But tonight was going to be a special night, one that she had spent all week preparing for, and one that she was not going to let her doubts and fears ruin.

Over the last few days, the blue mare had meticulously fleshed out her plans for this date, including pre-planning and even taste-testing their entire meal. This included her own new pasta dish for the main course, only the second item she had added to the family's menu since taking over management of the small establishment. That dish had gotten special treatment leading up to this morning; a sale that would tempt many of her regular customers into trying the dish, so she could collect feedback on how her innovation tasted to others.

Beyond the meal, she had also asked for a favor from one of her close friends, a pegasus named Midnight Orchid, who would do her best to ensure her planned musical performance went well. Stormsong couldn't remember if she had actually told Sam that her "private theatre" was actually just a well-hidden clearing in Whitetail Wood or not, but she had certainly informed him during their previous date of her plan to perform for him there. She could only hope that he wouldn't mind too much.

And, of course, she also planned out a work schedule that would allow her employees to deal with any surprise dinner rushes without needing to interrupt her date, and reserved the entire private dining room for the whole night in her own name. Sure, this would cost her quite a lot of money in terms of paying wages and not being able to have any private dinners for a night, but it would also ensure privacy for the timid young ponies. It would also prevent the musician from being called out to work, which most likely would result in her breaking her promise of an accident free night, not to mention forcing her to be extremely rude and leave her date alone with her parents.

With all the pieces of her plan coming together and the clock ticking ever closer to their arranged time, there was only one thing missing here: Sam. Tarragon, Thyme, and Storm all sat around the table, awaiting the arrival of who they all believed was the guest of honor for tonight. Despite his nerves, he had made a pretty good first impression on her parents, who had both voiced that they thought the two young ones were perfect for each other, after he had departed. All he had to do was show up now, and his image as 'the perfect stallion' would be cemented into her parents' minds.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam had gone back to work that night after dropping Stormsong at home and done the rest of his shift without incident. The next night he came in and found the note waiting for him he kind of just went thought the motions, lost in thought. Thankfully he hadn't made any mistakes.

During the days leading up to the second date he made sure to take better care of his mane, coat and tail, so as not to forget to do the night of.

His studies suffered a little, as he just couldn't quite concentrate on the book but when it came to the tests he felt like he still did well enough.

Finally Wednesday came and he having second, and third, and fourth thoughts. So many things could go wrong, he could make a fool of himself or, or, or... .

He swallowed his worries however and got ready to head out. He had bought a new soft blue dress jacket for the occasion, something just a bit nicer than his normal brand of vests but something that still had a few 'extra' pockets over the one on the front. He had also allowed his mane to grow out a bit more so it could be slicked back instead of just being a random mess that could barely be tamed by a brush. A fresh coat of dye had been applied to his mane and tail the night before, so his white roots weren't showing, instead everything was a smooth mid-range rose red color, a shade lighter than the crimson of his cutie-mark.

He had thought about getting new glasses as well but he couldn't find any frames in a color he liked that would also allow his specialty enchantments so he stuck with the simple black frame for now. He also chose to keep the two golden anklets as well, they didn't clash with the rest of his outfit and it was a good safety precaution should something happen.

He left his dorm around four thirty, it being on the other side of town he wanted to give himself plenty of time to get there.

Thankfully the trip went without incident (he half expected to run into trouble) and he made it to the restaurant close to six. After a bit of internal debating he chose to spend some time looking around the area before coming back after another half hour. It was a bit of a busy night and, not wanting to be rude and or take advantage of his knowing the owners, Sam stood in line to talk with the wait staff doing the huge job of seating all the guests so he wouldn't get lead back to the private dining room until about a ten to seven.

He takes a deep breath before entering the room, swallowing as well and putting on a smile. He was going to make a fool of himself, he wasgoingtomakeafoolafoolafool... .

"H-hello everypony. Th-thanks for inviting me, me back for dinner... ." His eyes dart around some to see who all was here, as well as trying to see where his seat might be.

[Armony]

Just when she was getting afraid that maybe her date wasn't going to show up, the door to the private dining room opened, and in walked Sam. Stormsong turned and smiled at him, motioning him to an empty seat next to her; across the table from where both of her parents sat, also side by side. Her nerves of just moments ago relaxed almost completely, seeing that he had tamed his mane since the last time she saw him. Some still remained, considering that she hadn't dressed up or done anything special with her own constantly messy mane and tail, although she considered it a plus that she had actually consented to wearing a little perfume today. While she may not look ready for any kind of get together, her eyes flickered momentarily to the saddlebags in the corner of the room, which held several of her instruments. Her lack of fancy clothing would be far more practical out in the woods while she played, especially if something went terribly wrong with part of her plans.

"Good evening, Sam, it's, uh... nice to see you again. Come on in, have a seat, the first course is going to be here in just a few minutes. How have you been since last time?" the musician greeted, already feeling comfortable enough around him from their previous encounter to start up a conversation. Her parents had promised to to interject too much; this was their date, after all, so it would most likely be up to her to keep the conversation moving throughout the meal and avoid any awkward moments or giving away Sam's secret.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam gives her parents a light nod as he walks the room and sits down next to Stormsong, giving her a nod as well. He swallows again, clearing his throat.

"G-good. My tests are done and I'm rather sure I've pasted them all, we'll know our results by next week. Work has been thankfully slow so I've been able to spend a little more time on my studies and research there. H-how about you Stormsong, has everything been going alright?"

[Armony]

Noticing that Sam's nervous habits seemed to be coming out, most likely due to the presence of her parents, Stormsong decided it might be a good idea to get through the meal quickly and spend more time away. It was a shame, because she hoped that he might be comfortable enough around them, but she supposed she'd probably act the same way around his parents.

Just as everypony was seated at the table, the waiter for their meal came in, carrying their soups and salads, as well as a platter with a small assortment of cheeses and vegetables. None of it was very fancy, the musician had consciously avoided anything that might remind Sam too much of his lineage and had striven to make this meal both simple and delicious. She just hoped that her choice of soup for tonight, tomato and basil, wasn't going to be too simple for his tastes; he had been raised in an upper class home, after all.

As soon as all the food was delivered and the waiter had departed back to the kitchen, Stormsong responded to Sam. "Oh, yes, everything has been going wonderfully, business here is starting to pick up a little, and I managed to keep myself busy with planning. I even made a new dish on our menu; we'll be having some of that tonight as well. I really hope you'll like it." Aware that she was about, or perhaps already had started, to ramble, the musician cut herself off short and took a bite of salad, smiling all the while. Tonight was already, in her mind, turning out to be just as good as her plans.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam gives a light nod and a light smile.

"I look forward to it. " He then looks across the table to her parents while carefully moving his soup closer manually.

"Hello again Miss Tarragon, Mister Thyme, it is n-nice to see you both again." He shifts in his seat a little. It would just be rude not to talk with them, even if he was ostensibly here for Stormsong her parents were in the room so he should at least try and make the bare minimum of pleasantries until a point in time where he wasn't so nervous and could carry on a full conversation. Lifting the spoon with his telekinesis he takes a light sip of the soup and gives another light nod. "This is good. Did you cook all the food tonight Stormsong or allow the staff do that?"

[Armony]

Stormsong's parents gave their responses to Sam one after the other, beginning with her mother, Tarragon. "The pleasure's all ours, dear; it's absolutely wonderful to see you here again." the older mare replied, looking ever so slightly surprised that he had chosen to address them.

Her father, Thyme, was far less formal, his voice booming out what he felt was an incredibly friendly "Hey there, buddy! It's nice to see you again, too! I hope we're not making you too nervous by being here, but Stormy's cooking is just too good to pass on, and she does it so rarely, you know."

The musician simply nodded in acknowledgement of what her parents were saying, too busy taking a sip from her own soup at the time to put her thoughts into words. Once she had swallowed her food, Stormsong amicably voiced "Oh, no, I cooked all this myself, I wouldn't want to make extra work for my staff, especially on such a... um... special occasion..." Her face flushed lightly, realizing that she really had considered this an extra special occasion all along, and that had been why she insisted on cooking everything herself tonight. In a feeble attempt to hide her embarassment over this realization, she took another sip of her soup, glancing around for anything she could change the subject to that would make the conversation more comfortable for them both.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam gives a light nod again, politely sipping at his soup. He posture straightened some over the few moments the meal started, back and neck aligning and for-hooves resting on the edge of the chair as he used his horn for everything. IT was so much easier when all involved could use magic so you didn't have to feel rude doing so yourself. He, of course, had been trained on how to do all this without magic but, well, it wasn't needed.

"Well, I look forward to the rest of the meal then. It promises to be quite delicious and enjoyable. And, n-not really sir. I'm, um, a rather nervous pony normally when I'm not working or studying... ." He shifts his body just a bit, giving a weak grin.

[Armony]

The flush of her face deepening from the compliments about her cooking that seemed to be coming from all around the table at this point, Stormsong retreated her attention back to her food, trying to draw attention away from herself for a few moments. As everypony else was doing, and since only unicorns were seated at the table, the musician chose to forgo the use of utensils and eat her food purely through magic. While this had the disadvantage of being a potential embarassment should she become too distracted to maintain magic, she wasn't going to be the odd one out just to avoid a small risk. While she ate, slowly, to stop herself from getting ahead as the other three held whatever conversation they wanted, the blue mare kept an eye on Sam, gauging his nerves so she could make an accurate guess on whether she should get them out of here earlier than planned or not.

Thyme, taking advantage of what would likely be one of many of his daughter's lapses in social ability, carried on with the conversation, both to get Sam to lighten up and to satisfy his own curiosity. "Ah, you're just like our little Stormy then, more comfortable working than talking; it's a quality that gets things done, that's for sure, and the restaurant staff love her for it. So where do you work at, Sam? And can I presume that you're studying in the same field of expertise?"

[vladspellbinder]

[sorry, my computer had a nasty virus on it and I only got it back yesterday and spent the whole afternoon redownloading ALL my things so I'm only just now getting around to checking my forums .]

Sam was using a combanation of utensils and pure magic to eat with. He was modertly nervious, as evidenced by the slight shake in his voice, but he was allowing himself to just focus on the meal instead of who he was having the meal with. This was something he had been trained for, like 'taking tea'. Even if this wasn't an overly formal ocassion, it was still a meal.

"I work a-at Canterlot Central, as a nurse and lab tech. Mostly on the night shift but we have semi-flexable scheduals. And yes s-sir, I'm enrolled at the univeristy for a medical degree with join specilities in hemotology and genetic disorders."

[Armony]

[That's okay. I should be the one apologizing about late replies anyway, I've only got the lame excuse of 'work', and mine have been coming late... a lot more often than I'd like them too.]

"Ah, the medical field! That's a noble career path you've chosen, and one that we never seem to have enough ponies taking up, at least in Canterlot. Don't you think so, Tarra?" Thyme responded, switching his attention over to his wife, who in turn began a new conversation; one that Stormsong soon lost interest in.

The musician instead spoke to her date in an undertone, "Sorry about dad... he usually doesn't realize that his personality can be a little unsettling for shy ponies who haven't gotten to know him very well. So, um... how are you liking the food so far?" Having been responsible for both the cooking and the company, she was hoping for something positive to hold on to through what seemed to be turning into a nerve-wracking dinner. However, she was also prepared to call the main course in early, should the simple food she provided manage not to live up to Sam's taste.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam just gives a light smile to mister Thyme and a light nod of his head. It was true that there wern't many in his classes at the university. Though there were plenty of doctors most went to other schools, mainly Torttingham. He look to Stormsong when she whispers to him, giving her a smile and keeping his voice a bit low as well.

"It's very good. I was actually a bit worried you might go a little overboard cosidering, erm, well, you know what... ." He flicks his ears back, giving a low nicker-chuckle and rubs the back of his head with a hoof. "I normally eat instant meals so this is a great treat."

[Armony]

Stormsong gave him a smile, half with the hope that it would encourage him and make him a bit less nervous throughout the rest of the meal, and half because she was happy that her choices were going over so well with Sam, so far. "I'm glad you like it. I was more than a bit worried that all this might still be a little overboard for you, since you try to stay away from all that... stuff. But really, instant meals? I feel like... I dunno, somepony should cook for you more often..."

The musician stopped there and returned to her food, blushing at the thought that she wouldn't mind cooking more often for her date, or even just bringing him lunch at work. Of course, instant meals were an object of horror amongst her family, where almost everypony could cook with some degree of skill, eliminating the need for such things.

[vladspellbinder]

He gives a light smile and a flick of his ears, a small blush showing on his muzzle as he looks away too, thought of her cooking for him more often or even bringing him lunch at work flicking through his mind briefly. They had just gotten together and he was already having cheesy sixties couple flick cliches running in his head. With a very light shake to move said thoughts he looks back to Stormsong.

"No, this is just perfect, thank you for cooking it. I look forward to the main meal if this is only the appetizer." He chooses to move away from the topic of the instant meals, feeling that it may be a bit of a taboo subject for a family of cooks.

[Armony]

The compliments Stormsong received from her date put a smile on her blue face like nothing else could have that night; she had managed to plan and execute a successful date on her very first try! Or at least she had so far; sure, she had to admit to herself, there was still plenty of room to screw it up, but at least everypony was enjoying the food. Noticing that her parents were coming close to finishing their appetizers and were merely hanging over their food to make it last, the musician sent a short magical signal to the kitchen, which would let them know to bring the main course out.

With that taken care of, and hopefully arriving within the next couple of minutes, the young mare let her date know what she had just done. "Well, you won't have to wait too much longer; I've just asked them to go ahead and bring the main course out. You'll have to let me know what you think of it; it's sort of... well, an experimental dish I've been working on since you walked me home from the hospital. You'll be the first one to try my newest... improvements to it."

[vladspellbinder]

Sam gives a light nod, spinning the last bit of his soup with his spoon. It wouldn't do to finish the appetizer before the main course arrived, the point of a meal was polite conversation while eating. One had to have something to eat to do that. The only exception to this rule was, of course, dessert.

"Hum, well, I'm not sure if I make the best test bed for a new dish. I mean, instant meals and all... ." He gives a light smile though, shifting some and pushing up his glasses with his hoof.

[Armony]

The musician returned his smile, and in spite of what he said, still believed that he would actually be a very good tester for a new dish. In her experience, instant meals had a tendency to be rather bland compared to, well... real food, so he should get more of the flavor out of eating it than any of the others would. She was about to say as much to him, but her parents had ceased their conversation just moments before and overheard the talk of instant meals, however lost the context of the conversation might have been.

"My dear, why would you even consider eating such horrid things as... instant meals?" Tarragon began, visually building herself up to rant about the evils of such things and how they shouldn't even be considered food. Storm and Thyme both rolled their eyes in unison, having heard the whole rant time and time again, although the former also gave a look toward Sam, trying to let him know that disagreeing would likely not go over well.

Other than those few simple motions, the blue mare remained silently in her seat while their waiter delivered the main course for the night. In front of each pony, starting with the guest, he placed a plate of pasta, complete with sauce, and an assortment of vegetables, herbs, and spices hoof picked to draw out the best flavors possible. After each had their course in front of them, the waiter placed a platter of toast laden with butter, garlic, and a pinch of sage in the center of the table, then retreated to the kitchens.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam was about to reply when the food came. He quickly, but politely, finishes the last of the soup to make room for the main late. Once everything was set out he wraps a piece of toast in his TK and brings it to his plate. Sitting that tot he side he switches to the fork and wraps up a few noodles over it, making sure to keep the sauce on them and casually puts it into his mouth.

He pauses, his horn stopping glowing but the fork still stuck in his mouth, even when he slowly starts to chew. Off in his own little world now, totally forgetting about the question Tarragon asked him.

[Armony]

To her relief, Sam didn't seem to be taking the bait, and didn't respond as her mother ranted for the next few minutes about instant meals before running out of steam and calming down. Stormsong spent those minutes carefully grabbing a piece of toast from the center tray and delicately tearing a bite-sized piece off in her telekinetic grip before eating it. Her finely trained and tuned taste, while not nearly as accurate as her parents, could tell that she had put just a little more garlic on it than she had intended. The mistake wasn't to such a degree that it would necessarily ruin the flavor, but it was a small worry that she definitely has messed at least one thing up tonight. The musician turned to ask her date what he thought of the toast, but instead found him completely silent, apparently contemplating the taste of the pasta instead. Worried that she might have gotten a bit heavy-hoofed with the spices in that as well, she quickly set her unfinished toast on her plate, wrapped some noodles in her fork, and took a bite of her own pasta.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam leans forward a little, almost hunched over his plate. His body starts to shake a little and he straightens again, eyes wide and silent tears running down into his cheeks. He swallows, the fork finally falling off and, somehow, landing perfectly on his plate.

"This... is the ultimate pasta. I, I just can't stop crying from the meticulous craftmareship of the perfect blend of spices and taste. The noodles are of the perfect texture, just soft enough to wrap on the fork but firm enough to hold together until chewed. The sauce has is a smooth blend with the prefect mix of thickness to keep from dripping off the noodles while at the same time coating the tongue in such a manner to allow full even taste of the spices. This has to be the. Best. Meal. That I have ever had the honor of eating... ."

[Armony]

Stormsong chewed her own food, but her mind wasn't on examining the taste she was experiencing. She closely observed Sam for any sign of a reaction, positive or negative, to inform her of what he thought about the fruit of her labor and experimentation over the greater part of the last week. As her date's reaction began, the musician became acutely aware of each detail as he hunched forward, and fear reached itself into her mind, convincing her that the white stallion was about to be sick. When his body began shaking, she almost felt like she was going to be ill herself, not even wanting to hear the lamentations about how terribly her cooking had gone. After what seemed to her like an eternity, he swallowed and dropped his fork onto the plate in front of him, and she matched the flow of tears coming out of his eyes with her own.

Thoroughly convinced that her perfect plans were about to turn into the perfect disaster, she opened her mouth in an attempt to make a meak apology and offer replacement food, when he cut her off. She braced for the impact of harsh words against her eardrums, possibly even for him to leave and never come back, but what she got instead were... words of praise? Over the short time it took him to deliver his comments, the flood from her eyes had returned, this time accompanying the emotion of overwhelming joy. Disregarding that her parents were watching them both, Stormsong reached over to him and pulled Sam into a hug, sobbing openly into his shoulder, "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I'm so happy you like it so much!"

[vladspellbinder]

Sam throws his forelegs around her as well and leans into the hug, still not totally aware of just what he's doing, caught up in just hoe good the food tasted.

"Thank you for cooking it for me! I've never had anything like this before! The-there just isn't any words to describe this meal, everything falls short of even being close... . " He trails off, looking into Stormsong's eyes and leans in just a slightly bit more... .

[Armony]

Storm was overwhelmed with joy at the reaction her food had gotten; so much so, in fact, that she wasn't paying any attention at all to the confused looks worn by both her parents. Even the musician didn't think the meal was as great as Sam did, but she understood the difference between instant meals and good home cooking, not to mention that she was on the receiving end of all the compliments. All that mattered to her in that moment was that somepony really, truly appreciated her food, somepony she really cared about, somepony who... was gazing deeply into her eyes, and leaning in towards her!

The blue mare moved to slowly close the distance between them, lost in the moment and still completely oblivious to her parents, who were watching from across the table. Her mouth opened of it's own accord, and the sound of a throat being cleared snapped her back to reality, bringing down the realization of just what she was doing. Blushing profusely, she pushed herself away from Sam and sat back in her own chair, silently eating her food.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam's eyes widen at the couch and he pushes back as well, sitting up right in his chair. Thanks to him being an albino his own flush was much more pronounced, his face looking about as read as the sauce on the plate for a while before his horn gives a crimson glow and the blush starts to fade slowly. He didn't go right back to eating, a little too flushed to fully enjoy the meal. He works on calming down some before clearing his throat and looking too Tarragon and Thyme.

"I apologize for my, erm, overly dramatic reaction. I never really had meals prepared like this before so the taste caught me by surprise. I... got a bit carried away... ." He blushes again, and once more his horn gives a soft glow and the blush fades. He still gives a light smile to Stormsong.

[Armony]

Having broken up the scene that was about to occur in front of them, Stormsong's parents turned to each other and gave slight, nearly imperceptible nods, both acknowledging that they felt they had done the right thing.

The musician herself, being caught up with the embarassing moment, didn't notice the motion and ate on in silence, feeling, like she did many times when she was younger, that she was in big trouble the moment she was alone with her parents. They would agree that she was grown up and could handle herself, as always, but that wouldn't stop them from being the overprotective overseers, "saving" their daughter from harm.

With Sam's smile being the only source of comfort in the room at this point for her, Stormsong returned it hesitantly, fearing that she may even be in trouble with him once they left. After all, she had done nothing to stop what was about to happen, even though she was absolutely certain that such a thing was outside the realm of where their relationship should be. All of these thoughts, and more, plagued her conscience as she continued slowly eating her pasta, not making so much as a peep to express any of it.