Earth Pony Vanilla Latte [READY]

[Jane]

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria

Name: Vanilla Latte - her parents gave her the name due to her colouring, but it soon became apparent that she took the name to heart, as it is also very much related to her special talent.

Sex: Female

Age: Mare

Species: Earth Pony

Eye colour: A dusty robin egg blue, her favourite colour.

Coat: Latte's coat is a soft beige off-white, almost the colour of vanilla ice cream. Because she spends her days in the café, she is always wearing a blue apron, so much so that it is odd to see her without it.

Mane/Tail: Her mane and tail are both a very light brown in colour, similar to the colour of a light milk chocolate. Her mane is rather short and choppy, and it doesn't quite reach her back. She typically wears a headband to keep it away from her face. Her tail is also quite short and is also cut to be layered and uneven.

Physique: Latte is a little bit shorter than the average pony, and slightly stout - she owns a café after all, and an important part of her job is sampling all the tasty items that are on the menu.

Residence: Vanilla Latte considers herself a purebred Trottingham pony, despite her mother's Canterlot parentage. She has lived here her whole life and would never even consider living anywhere else. She doesn't even like to travel all that much. She and her family dwell in the rooms above the café, but she and her husband hope to soon purchase a larger house together not far from the center of town.

Occupation: Latte and her husband own and operate a café on the corner of Tatterstall Drive and Stampford Street. To the tourists, it's one of many cafés dotted among the shops and stalls throughout Trottingham, but to the locals, it is a hubbub of gossip and chatter about anything from the weather to local politics to heated debates and discussions about the meaning of life, love and happiness. On top of owning and operating her own business, Vanilla Latte holds a seat on the Trottingham town council.

Cutie Mark:

Latte's cutie mark is a steaming cup & saucer, next to which sits two vanilla beans and a vanilla blossom. Not only does this represent her talent in a very literal sense - making and serving delicious coffee, but Latte also feels that the blooming flower is somewhat symbolic. She feels that sitting down together for a cuppa and a conversation is a great way to nurture a friendship and ultimately help a community to grow and blossom.

She earned her cutie mark on a rainy afternoon when she managed to convince her mother to let her host a real tea party. Oh, she'd had plenty of pretend tea parties with her friends at recess at school or at her house afterwards so she felt she knew everything she needed to know about hosting one for guests. She invited all her friends from school over along with their mums, and with her mother, Careful Cream's help, she prepared scones and muffins to go along with the selection of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and apple juice that she would share with her guests.

To say that she organized and hosted the whole party on her own wouldn't be entirely truthful - her mother did help her a lot. But she enjoyed the experience and so did her guests - the tea was steeped perfectly, the coffee was brewed just right, the scones were delicious and, most importantly everyone had fun. As the party came to a close and her friends and their families left, thanking her for hosting such a fabulous get together and making such delicious treats, her cutie mark appeared on her flank.

Though she didn't have the presence of mind at the time to see this, she later realized that there was more to the occasion than just making the delicious coffee and scones - she had brought a community together simply using tea and coffee and refreshments. She soon realized that this was her calling, her destiny; to bring the ponies of Trottingham closer together as a community using tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits.

History: Latte was born and raised in Trottingham - her father's family has been a part of the community for generations - they own and operate one of the largest and oldest vineyards north of the city. It remains in the family and is now run by her aunt; Dad's sister.

Her father, Concordance, didn't want to work on the vineyard and preferred to move into and work in town, rather than in its northern outskirts. He became a respected barrister in Trottingham. He, of course, had to leave the town and go to Canterlot to attend law school, and it was while he was there that he met Careful Cream, a nurse in the city's hospital and his roommate's cousin. Upon Concordance's graduation, the couple returned to Trottingham; Careful Cream had no difficulty getting a job as a triage nurse in Trottingham General Hospital. The two raised their family in the small town, having three children of which Vanilla Latte was the eldest.

Like many first-borns, Vanilla quickly developed a take-charge attitude and a strong sense of being 'responsible' for other ponies. As a filly in school, she never had a hard time making friends initially; she had a friendly and open personality and displayed a genuine interest in the ponies around her. Perhaps this interest was a bit too enthusiastic - she may have shared one or two (or six or seven) too many of her friends secrets and fears with her other friends; not realizing, for example, that Goldenvine didn't want the entire class to know that she was deathly afraid of parties with lots of balloons.

Furthermore, a lot of the ponies she spent the most time with often complained that she was too bossy. She, of course didn't see it that way, she merely thought she had good ideas that needed to be shared and put into action; it would be far better for her to pretend to be the Supreme Princess of all of Trottingham and for her friends to pretend to be the royal advisors, right? She thought it unfair that her parents and teachers were always telling her to only be responsible for her own actions and to mind her own business.

When she got older, she was better at working out what limits could and couldn't be pushed. She still had natural leadership abilities as well as an extroverted and more friendly nature, so that later in school she actually became quite popular. She also proved to have inherited her father's administrative skills, though she had no desire to speak of to take those skills into a law career. When the bookstore that used to sit on the corner of Tatterstall and Stampford, a very central location in the city close to town hall and the city square, closed down, she saw an opportunity she couldn't refuse. Her parents and other family helped her to raise the funds she would need to purchase it and open a café.

As she and much of her family already had quite a reputation in town, she was able to use that as a bit of a springboard. Her friends came to her café to support her, then they came back with their friends because the food, the coffee, and the atmosphere was so inviting. Initially, she did most of the work herself, from designing menus and preparing food to arranging the décor to balancing the books at the end of the day. She soon discovered that trying to do everything was too much for even her to manage on her own and began advertising for more than the two employees she'd hired a when opening. Latte ended up meeting her husband when the shy stallion applied for a job as cook in the little café. The couple has now been married for over a decade, and they now have two young fillies of their own.

Vanilla Latte is still rather young, but she likes being busy, she likes bringing people together and she loves her hometown with a fierce passion. When her business became stable and firmly well-established, she ran in the municipal election for a position on the city council, and was easily elected. It is no secret that she dreams of one day becoming mayor of the town, but for now she's happy to serve on the council, run her restaurant and wait for her foals to grow up before running for the position.

Character Summary:

Vanilla Latte is still a bit of a busybody - she likes knowing what other ponies in the area are getting up to and this means that she's easy to talk to. When you go into her little corner shop she won't just ask you for your order; she'll ask you for your life's story. If you're a visitor to the resort town, she'll make sure there's someone around to help you find your way. And if you're a new resident, that's even better - she'll welcome you in openly and offer to help you get anything and everything you might need to settle in. If you're a local, she'll remember your name, face, and usual order (if you have one), and ask for updates on what sort of things have been going on in your life recently.

Though her interest in others is genuinely friendly and unthreatening, she still has a reputation for being a bit of a gossip. If there's a detail about yourself that you don't want the whole town to know about, it would probably be best not to share it with Vanilla Latte. She's loyal to her friends though, and despite some minor hiccups she's managed to earn the trust of a few select ponies, namely ones who have known her since foalhood. If you specify that you are telling her something in the strictest confidence she will honour that, though it won't really be an easy task for her.

Owning and operating your own business, raising two young and energetic foals, being a wife, and serving a position on the town's council doesn't leave much spare time for hobbies - in fact, Latte really has none that come to mind. On the rare occasion that she does get an hour or two to herself, she'll spend that hour in the bathtub before it's back to work. She authentically loves every minute of her busy life and wouldn't trade it in for all the coffee in Equestria.

{Disclaimer: All names mentioned are made-up in order to give the character a more complete background; they do not belong to cast members nor existing OCs}

Edited May 12, 2013 by Jane

[Jane]

Three Lakes Café

The Three Lakes Café is located on the southwestern corner of Tatterstall Drive and Stampford Street in Trottingham, and it has been a vibrant part of the town's community for more than ten years. The friendly staff and excellent service coupled with a warm and relaxing environment make it a great place to spend an afternoon visiting with friends or getting to know new people within the community. The menu is also expansive; whether you're looking to enjoy a traditional cup of Earl Grey tea with scones at a relaxing pace, or a double-shot of espresso to-go to kick-start your busy morning, we have something for everypony!

​

When it started out, the café was very small - there was just enough space for a counter and three or four tables. A few years ago, the pet store next door relocated to a bigger shop around the corner, so Vanilla Latte purchased the empty space and expanded the square footage of her store by a considerable amount. Now it contains several dozen tables, a fireplace in one corner, and a very small stage at the far end of the room - Latte hopes to start having evening performances from local aspiring musicians in the café in the upcoming months.

Really super simple floor plan New and improved floorplan thanks to the ever-awesome DamianMane!:

Menu

Tea..............................................2 bits

(Green Tea, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Orange Pekoe, Chamomile, Chai)

Fresh-Brewed Coffee..............................2 bits

(Regular or Decaf)

Espresso Coffee..................................3 bits

(Cappuccino, Latte, Flat White, Long Black, Short Black, Macchiato, Piccolo Latte)

(Can be made with full cream milk or skim milk; for soy milk, add 1 bit)

Speciality Coffee................................4 bits

(Caramel Latte, Vanilla Latte, Hazelnut Latte, Peppermint Latte, Chai Tea Latte, Café Mocha)

(Can be made with full cream milk or skim milk; for soy milk, add 1 bit)

Hot Chocolate....................................3 bits

(Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate or White Chocolate)

(Can be made with full cream milk or skim milk; for soy milk, add 1 bit)

Babycino.........................................1 bit

Minicino.........................................2 bits

Milkshakes.......................................4 bits

(Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Banana, Caramel, Lime)

Cold Drinks......................................4 bits

(Iced Mocha, Iced Coffee, Iced Chocolate)

Frappés..........................................5 bits

(Chocolate, Vanilla, Hazelnut, Cookies & Cream, Peppermint, Caramel)

Food:

Muffins..........................................2 bits

(Chocolate Chip, Blueberry, Raspberry, Orange Poppyseed, Banana)

Bagel with butter................................2 bits

Bagel with cream cheese..........................3 bits

(Plain, Cinnamon-Raisin, Poppy Seed, Sesame Seed, Blueberry)

Donuts (with or without sprinkles)...............2 bits

(Chocolate, Strawberry, Caramel, Maple)

Plain croissant..................................2 bits

Cheese croissant.................................3 bits

Cinnamon Buns (glazed or frosted)................2 bits

Banana Bread.....................................3 bits

Carrot Cake......................................3 bits

Apple Fritter....................................2 bits

Chewy brownie....................................2 bits

Scones...........................................2 bits

(With Whipped Cream, Strawberry Jam, Orange Marmalade, Grape Jelly or Cherry Jam)

Sandwiches.......................................4 bits

(Egg salad, Tomato & Swiss Cheese, Daffodil & Daisy, Clover & Honeysuckle, Rose Petal & Lily Blossom)

Sandwiches.......................................5 bits

(Egg salad, Tomato & Swiss Cheese, Daffodil & Daisy, Clover & Honeysuckle, Rose Petal & Lily Blossom)

Soups............................................4 bits

(Roast Pumpkin, Cream of Broccoli, Cream of Corn and Cauliflower, Tomato & Vegetable)

(All Soups served with a white, brown, or wholegrain bread roll)

Hay Fries........................................4 bits

Baked Potato (with chives and sour cream)........4 bits

Plain Oatmeal with brown sugar...................2 bits

Oatmeal with a topping...........................3 bits

(Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, maple syrup, chocolate malt, chocolate chips)

​

[Jane]

Whelp, I'm at it again. I think this is a real actual disorder that I should probably get looked into.

Update Log (all times are local times for Sydney, Australia):

May 6th, 1:21 AM - Application posted as [WIP]

May 6th, 3:50 PM - Edited to add picture of cutie mark. Apologies for less than admirable artistic abilities.

May 6th, 6:30 PM - Added picture of Vanilla Latte herself.

May 12th, 11:16 AM - Made a few minor additions and changes to various sections, namely "Appearance", "Residence", "Occupation" and "History." Changed application status to [Ready]

[Bellosh]

Yay, I see you've finally finished this app! Very great OC you have here Jane; I can't wait to see her in action!

[QuickLime]

Jane if you would like you could have your Pony be friends with mine who is also a coffee Pony

[colour=#00ff00] [/colour][colour=#00ff00] [/colour][colour=#00ff00]Ginger Kick[/colour]

[SunsetSombra]

Reading that menu made me hungry - darn it all!

[Rosewind]

Grats! Moving to Earth Pony.