NeilWacaster

It was unfortunate that Newsworthy had fallen asleep and completely missed hearing Persnickety say her comment about the shows coming up. It would have been the perfect opportunity to ask her to go with him, but alas, it was not meant to be. Newsworthy jerked his head up, sweating and breathing hard. Calm down, it was just a dream... it was just a dream... The memory was all mixed up in his head, but he seemed to recall that he had been standing alone in the darkness, when two large, red eyes appeared high above his head. A voice he had only heard of in horror stories began to speak. He wished he could remember what the draconequus had said, as it seemed important. But no. All that was left with him was a feeling of dread.

Auntie Ju began to make tea in a large copper teapot, and simultaneously filled a bowl of water. She handed the water to the Appleoosan, and then turned to Persnickety. "I'll be in one o' your little plays when pigs fly," she said with disgust. "Ah always hated actin'. All those people lookin' atcha. And those ridiculous doodads they make you wear... No siree bob, give me a good set o' work jeans anytime." She sounded cross, but there was that twinkle in her eye again. "Ya know what they say, 'It ain't over till the fat mare sings.' I guess if anythin' I'm destined for the opry."

At first, it hurt when the bag of ice touched the tender wing, but soon the frigidity was dulling the pain. Besides, Persnickety had had to touch his shoulder again while tying the bandage, and that secretly made him quite glad. He quietly tried to thank her for all she had done, but she was already talking to Syd. All the stress of what had transpired so far, coupled with the welcome reduction in pain, suddenly made him feel worn out. He rested his head on the counter and closed his eyes, content for now to listen to the others' chatter.

"The name's Apple Jubilee, but everypony calls me Auntie Ju. And I'm mighty pleased ta meecha." Auntie Ju began rapidly opening and closing drawers in a little tea cabinet, every now and then putting another fragrant leaf into a small pile on the counter.

"Thank you ever so much, Ms. ...?" Newsworthy realized that he didn't know her name. Suddenly, his attention was diverted by the thought that Persnickety had called him "poor dear." He wasn't sure what to think of that just yet.

The barista grinned at the mare with the dog, enjoying the company of someone who shared her taste for food and adventure (as well as that refreshingly uncivilized accent). "Fer you, it's on the house. Just tell those friends o' yourn in Appleoosa to come on by the Cider Cellar when they swing by this way, ya hear?" Even she knew not to talk about the gender mix up with both ponies who had been the butt of the joke sitting at the counter, so she just looked at the noble and shook her head. Turning finally to Persnickety and Newsworthy, she was about to make a rude remark, but when she saw the look of pain in the stallion's eyes, her expression softened somewhat. Being an earth pony, she only had experience with sprained legs, but she could imagine the pain he was feeling. "Now let me think a spell ... Yup, I got just the ticket for yer wing, at least until ya can go see ol' Doc Needle. Just hang tight for one minute." She trotted away into a back room, and emerged momentarily with a burlap sack full of ice and a large bath towel. "Here ya are." Leaning in to them, she whispered, "If ya'll need some more quiet, ya'll can go in there." She inclined her head toward a large, stained oak door on the left. "It's the private dinin' room."

Newsworthy looked out with dismay at the gathering storm. He shook his head sadly. "I wish that I could say that I could make it, but there's just no way that I can run with this injury. If I can procure a makeshift sling and some ice, I think that I'll be fine. I just need to sit still and rest." He tried to smile reassuringly, but a sudden stab of pain made him grimace instead. At that moment, his heart stopped in his chest. Is that ... no, it can't be ... chocolate rain? Pink clouds? I really, really hope this isn't what it looks like.

Still chuckling, the barista whipped up a hearty meal for the stranger. Taking the customer's accent as a clue, she just chose the foods she herself enjoyed the most: a honey roll, stewed potato greens, and a gigantic slice of apple pie, topped with her very own homemade vanilla ice cream. Pleased with herself, she poured a mug of cider for the newcomer and set the spread before her. "Ya say yer from Appleoosa? I know the adventurin' type when I see one." Her brows furrowed, somewhat ominously. "I git the strangest feelin' that yer gonna get yer fill of adventurin' today. Som'thin's in the air, I can feel it in mah bones. And mah bones ain't never wrong." She drew her face up close to the stranger and whispered chillingly, "Ain't never."

The barista guffawed uproariously, doubling over with laughter. Once she could breathe again, she wiped her eyes with a hoof, and said while still chuckling, "Did I hear ya right, or did you just call that blue one 'she?' I took *him*" she emphasized, with a twinkle in her eye, "to be a mite feminine, and I can see where ya tripped over yer hooves. But no, that blue one is a male, for sure." Under her breath, she added, "his saucy attitude proves as much."

"I would be most grateful, Miss Persnickety, I believe that my wing is worse than I thought. As long as you're sure it's no trouble..." His speech became muffled as he gripped the briefcase with his teeth. There was no way in hay that he was going to strap that thing on his back with his wing in this condition. "I've no idea where this doctor is, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated." Why in the world was that stallion looking at me like that? That actually was kind of creepy.

The barista, as brash as ever, raised an eyebrow at Pocket. "You city folk always look silly ta me, but that leaf in yer mane ain't helpin' anythin'." As she plucked the wayward oak leaf from behind his ear, she noticed the look he was giving Newsworthy, and her eyebrow raised further. "Oh, I see how it is. You're that colt's boyfriend. That's gonna be a mite awkward fer Persnickety when she finds out."

Again, Persnickety's words gave him pause to think. It's true, even though I would have rather not had these years of pain, I would be nothing like the stallion I am today without that experience. I do still wonder what would have transpired. Upon her mentioning that she had left her belongings in the café, Newsworthy realized he had made the same mistake. "I neglected to grab my briefcase, I'd better head back as well." He hurried after her, as fast as his injured wing would allow him to trot. Every step jostled the joint painfully. He really needed to get a sling soon.

Do it! To reiterate my point above, take some time and make sure that the first post is especially engaging. This is the "billboard" that people will see when they first enter the thread and are deciding whether or not to enter the RP. Looking forward to joining you in your adventure!

The barista was right in the middle of making three lattes when, who should appear but ANOTHER customer. Normally, she would be glad for all the business she could get, but it seemed all the ponies in Stalliongrad had picked this precise afternoon to show up at her little shop. "Can't y'all see I'm busy?" she responded, obviously frazzled. "As long as y'all can find a spot ta sit, you and the critter are welcome."

The barista replied, "Two bits. And don't you try ta make no excuses. Just be more careful with this here mug, y'understand?"

The barista squinted at the blue-haired pony. "Having trouble keepin' yer coffee in the cup, I see." She kept grumbling as she wiped up the sticky mess, and brought out two more steaming mugs of coffee. "So ya'll are music types? I can pluck a mean guitar, myself."

DISCORD? What are you doing here?

Congrats on having your application approved through the first round!

By the way, reply to this thread if you decide to start the RP so that we can join in!

"Naw problem, city slicker," the barista said, glad to have finally made a customer happy on the first try. "So, whut brangs ya ta the Cider Cellar?"

The barista glared at the newcomer menacingly. She HATED stuck-up nitpickers. "Whut ya git is what ya git, buster," she said under her breath. She made the mocha frappuccino in the way she always did, adding expresso, raspberry and whipped cream. Unfortunately, she had just sold the last pumpkin muffin, so she substituted lemon poppy seed cake instead. "That'll be six bits, stranger," she said, sliding him the drink and the muffin.

He took a deep breath of the spring air and let it out slowly. The smell reminded him of being a foal in Solstice Heights. Do I feel better? You bet your sweet apple butter. "I am indeed, Miss Persnickety. Your words lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders." He smiled, a genuine, happy grin. "You're right. I was letting the past hinder me from making the most of what little time I have left in this world. My fear of repeating my past mistakes kept me from even trying to love anypony else. It's not that I couldn't get over my past, but that I chose not to." He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "If only I had realized this years ago, my life would have been so different."

The barista ran about the room like a chicken with her head cut off. This time, she had the foresight to grab an order pad. She frantically scribbled down the correct orders, apologized profusely, gave refunds, and took special care to make sure that the orders were correct. When everypony appeared to be somewhat satisfied, she collapsed behind the counter from pure exhaustion. She knew that she shouldn't have gone to that barn dance last night.

He took a few deep breaths, thinking hard about what she had said. He could read between the lines. She thought that she was responsible for this outburst. Little did she know how long this had been in coming, and that seeing her holding the picture was just the straw that broke the pony's back, as it were. Was it just minutes ago that he had said that talking to other ponies helped him work through his problems? It seemed like hours, days. He should have taken his own advice years ago, and gone to see a counselor, or at least discussed this matter with a close friend. And now he was just dumping it all on a complete stranger, not calmly, but violently. Emotions are fickle like that sometimes. When you least expect it, your heart tells you yes, even though your mind is screaming no. She's right, you know, a quiet voice said, seeming to come from somewhere deep inside him. The more you wall yourself away, the more you will lose. You'll come to the end of your life filled not with joy, but with regret of what could have been. Why continue to stew over what is past? That is something you cannot possibly change. What you can change is your future. Ever since that fateful night, he felt as if he had a hole in his heart. He tried to fill it with work, or money, or entertainment. Nothing ever changed. But this time was different. He felt his heart being filled to bursting with an entirely new sensation. Hope. His expression began to change. First, his lip stopped quivering. He began to look ahead with steely determination. Then, a faint smile teased at one corner of his mouth. He straightened, and looked straight at Persnickety with a look of the utmost gratitude in his eyes. He still couldn't speak, but this time, it was from pure joy.

Go ahead and post a thread in the FiM Free-for-all, and start it off with a good hook. You'll have people RPing with you in no time!