Boss_Hoss1

Caramel ate her cherrychanga daintily, giving herself time to judge it as well while she waited on Max's opinion. She let out a sigh of relief as he enjoyed his too.[colour=#800000] "Thank you, Max. We can try making a batch without a frosting drizzle another time then, and see how those taste."[/colour] The Mocha Mare's ear twitched as he suggested going to the privacy room.[colour=#800000] "Oh.. Oh yes, certainly!" [/colour] The mare arose from her cushion and allowed Max to lead the way.[colour=#800000] "I hope you would not mind dancing on such short notice if you feel up to it, Max. I must have Thorn bring out the record player forthwith with some appropriate music..."[/colour] She blinked as she looked in, seeing the tables were already out of the way, and the record player was already set up with a selection of records on a table nearby. [colour=#800000]"Oh my, It would seem my Thorn is quite the able assistant..."[/colour]

(OOC: Should I go ahead and bring in my young adult buff, Lightning Horn?) Thorn offered Gail a hoofkerchief for the worst cuts after she pulled the splinter, then shook his head in disbelief at the buffalo. [colour=#696969]"Oh , for the love of Celestia! I never thought I would meet any creature that can give donkey-kind lessons in stubbornness!"[/colour] He started walking after the calf, ready to run [colour=#696969]"It is a crime when theft and destruction of property is involved, Honovi..."[/colour] His foot-long ears went back angrily as the thief said it was their problem not his, then began trotting. Thorn broke out into a trot himself, ramping up to a gallop.[colour=#696969] "Blast! Not again!"[/colour]

Lightning Horn mooed excitedly and bounced on his hooves as he followed the ponies inside "Yes, yes, what is a celebration, my new friends! Whatever it is I cant wait to find out!" Hoss lingered outside, watching as his sister kept up the pressure on the unicorns to stay out of trouble. He gasped and did a double take as the mustacheoed unicorn suddenly put the moves on his sister! He frowned and stepped back into the shadows so he could hear... Meanwhile, Shanna went wide eyed at the handsome unicorn's words. Her eyes shining as she hung on every word, suddenly blushing when her wings snapped open at the mention of "Romance". The mare's blush deepened as she smoothed her wings back down.[colour=#008080] "Oh yes, I..I would love to! I think i can find time before we must leave for the Mesa."[/colour] She suddenly gasped at a thought, then leaned in close to the dapper unicorn, eyelids fluttering [colour=#008080]"Would you like to come to the mesa with us, as my guest?" [/colour] Hoss and Flim both face-hooved seperately, unbeknownst to each other, then Flim started selling the telescopes as fast as he could, in case they needed to make a hasty retreat. [colour=#ff8c00]"My Dear Brother Flam, I am sure if you need to entertain your new friend I wont be in a jam. If we run out, I am sure I can make more, and if not I can shout."[/colour] As he got close with a stack of finished telescopes, he whispered [colour=#ff8c00]"Careful, Flam, she has a brother, surely as defensive of sibs like any other..."[/colour]

(OOC; I'm going to guess any encounter with Max and Poison Joke will involve temporary foalhood... ) Caramel mentally sighed in relief as Max did not seem to catch any sign of her initial distress at his being raised so sternly. She smiled brightly at the blush he tried to hide concerning her offer. Her heart fluttered as he slowly broke into a grin as he seemed to be thinking over the possibilities. Her mind nearly shouted *Oh, he's going to say yes! * Caramel fluttered her fan before her muzzle.[colour=#800000] "Very well, I have a record player and as you well know, the room over there for private discussions. Nopony can bother us while we brush up on dancing when you wish it."[/colour] Caramel's hoof holding her fan stopped moving as she blushed brightly, showing her suddenly shy smile. Her eyes shone as she looked into his [colour=#800000]"Um y-yes, I certainly hope to someday..." [/colour]she said in a whistful tone. *...soon..* she mentally added. She nearly jumped when Thorne politely cleared his throat [colour=#696969]"Your Cherrychangas, Madam, and Mr. Rockefilly..."[/colour] Caramel blushed a deeper plum for a moment, then recovered[colour=#800000] "Er, yes, t-thank you Thorne...", [/colour]nodding as the jack set the dishes and silver ware down and retreated to the counter. She spared a glance to the Privacy room, then back at the dessert [colour=#800000]"I am glad you enjoy my private stash of coffee, Max. Is the cherrychanga to your liking so far?"[/colour]

Congratulations! May you both have a long and happy marriage!

(Hoofstomps applause) Congratulations Manestream! May you both have a long and happy marriage! And make sure Twilight keeps watch for Changelings...

Caramel smiled and peered at him over steepled hooves as he seemed shocked at dancing for fun. Yes, here was someone who needed to learn how to dance for fun, even if just for the town celebrations. Fortunately, her pose kept her from showing her great shock at his revelation about his upbringing. Immediately, she put up her business face until she got her reaction under control before he could see it. Caramel thought * Oh dear Celestia! No wonder he's been painted as a monster! He's been raised as harshly as a griffon and expected to deal with normal ponies. Oh, poor Max...* as her heart went out to him. She nodded to him, eager for a way out of potentially embarrasing him with her concern.[colour=#800000] "Yes, it was quite the culture shock coming here to Appleoosa. It took me a few weeks to really relax around ponies far nicer than we tend to find in any of the cities."[/colour] She leaned forward with her smile set to "charm +10"... [colour=#800000]"Given that dancing seems to be the town sport, it would behoove us business types to try and fit in. Would you like to come here on free evenings and dance with me in private, Max? I am quite rusty at it and quite frankly need the exercise. I feel it would help... our confidence with the townsponies and not feel like we have four left hooves hm?"[/colour] As she waited for a response, Thorn stepped up with their coffees. Caramel took them and set the on the table "[colour=#800000]Thank you Thorn, And we will be trying the cherrychangas as soon as you can heat up the icing drizzle for them."[/colour] The jack nodded [colour=#696969]'Very good, Madam."[/colour] and trotted back to the front counter.

Flim turned to the mare who gave then a cheesy grin. He snorted "What nerve! Beat it Sistah! There is not enough room for the three of us back here! We need room to work." Shanna smirked "Little old me? Oh I'm just doing my part as a duely designated representative of the Royal Canterlot Observatory. Really gentlecolts, you just had a potentially serious accident in your work space. I am just doing a little safety inspection." Flim facehooved. oh these pegasi were just out to keep them from earning a dishonest Bit. He pointed with a hoof "Would you please conduct your inspection from over there?!" A smirking Shanna steps on over "All right, i've seen the parts I need to see up close anyway." Nearby, Lightning Horn blushed at the praise but perked up at the offers of apple treats "Apple tarts? Strudel? I dont know what those are, but they sound Yummy!"

Caramel smiled as she shyly rubbed her hoof on the table. "Well, I am a bit of a workaholic, but I am relearning how to have fun out here. I've recently started collecting frontier memorabelia, from towns that had once upon a time been the edge of Equestria as Appleoosa is now. I've gotten some nice finds in from Ponyville last week." She looked up to his eyes "Also, I was quite the dancer in the clubs back when i still had free time working for my parents, and in college learning practical business skills. I'm afraid slightly out-of-date Manehattan dances arent much in demand out here it would seem, but I am learning the western moves. How about you? Do you dance?" As the coffee was about ready, Thorn watched his boss. seeing she was still acting quite shy -her tail flicking in agitation, out of sight of Max behind the table. He chuckled to himself that this mare was more confident tackling buisness deals than being herself...

Madam Bistro leaned back on the bench and took another drink to cool off as she awaited an answer.

Caramel felt a happy wiggle come over her as she went through the doorway. "Why thank you Max, such a gallant gentlecolt." She smiled brightly when her cushion scooted out for her. "Thank you again, kind sir." The Mocha Mare looked at Thorn "Oh of course. Thorn, Max will have his usual, and I will have a Caramel Mochalatte'..." She raised her hoof in a operatic aside "My parents made that in my honor when i got my Cutie Mark..." She thought it strange for a moment, that the room was so empty, even for the afternoon slack-time... Ohh The Sherrif and Louise must have put the word out. How romantic of them! Caramel smiled a bit brighter at the thought. "Oh yes, Max, would you care for some dessert later? My location in Dodge Junction just worked a deal for a recipie for something called a Cherrychanga, as long as we use produce from Cherry Jubilee's orchards. We would be the first in Appleoosa to try them."

(OOC: When Bistro leaves, anypony mind if I swap in Candy Catch-em? -or the Skybright twin who have been dying to meet Luna? ) Madam Bistro stifled a giggle with her elegant folding fan and nodded to High Roller as he finally got on steady hooves in speaking with Princess Luna "Personally, High Roller, I have some questions of my own about commissions when we meet back up on the train." The Mocha Mare did allow herself to giggle at Yuki's antics "At least I think we are ready to load up the taxi, kind gentlecolts. No need to wait for the very last second while High Roller conducts some business, after all." She turned and bowed to Princess Cadence "Princess Cadence, given that the proprietor is donating the artifacts to Canterlot without compensation, the location must have been old enough to him that even if the crown is a mere copy, its old enough to be an artifact in its own right. So it sounds like a win either way, right?"

While she was waiting for Mandaline to reply, Amber Wands looked at Lightning Shadow in surprise. "You fought him? I'm surprised you were in any condition to call for help! I am impresssed indeed!"

Hoss bows to the newcomer they just found "Like he said. We just found out we can handle things with our hooves. Just dont think about it too much until we can get some answers. By the way, what name should we call you?" The bay colored unicorn looked up toward the elegant white castle perched on the mountain rising high above them, then at the oddly colored alicorn "If the views on the show is accurate, we're about equidistant from Canterlot and Ponyville, so Silver here chose Ponyville. You can come with us if you like since we're trying to figure out the how and why on what we are doing here." Hoss hmmmed and pointed with a hoof back down the trail "So I guess we are going that way on the trail, right?"

Lightning Horn mooed happily as the potion worked. As he was about to answer Doc Holly Day, he was hugged by Louise. -Easy to do since he was only a head taller than the Chief's daughter for now. The young buffalo blushed "It was nothing, just the herbal cure for sun dazzle we sometimes catch on the high desert, with Earth magic to get it going. My father is a great teacher." Flim shook his head to focus as Flam finally got his attention. He pulled his brother close to whisper "Did you see that, brother Flam? The buffalo have valuable medicines that would fetch us a pile of bits back in Canterlot!" Shanna ahemed to remind them she was there and started poking through the telescope materials laid out for construction...

The Mocha Mare giggled and blushed at the request, her wavy tail flicked happily as he added asking if she was ok with it. "Oh, yes, of course Max. I would be happy for you to do that." She giggles as he starts to walk faster as the shop comes back into view. Caramel nudges him and winks "Perhaps one day we can make this a race, when I'm not so well dressed..." In moments, they had come to the door and she looked to see if he would get the door for her.

Flim kept the barrel lid between them and the feisty old mare while the twin pegasi hovered nearby, snickering as they realized Granny Smith was the con-ponies weakness in this town. Shanna took this chance to slip in close to observe the manufacturing process. She took out her flying goggles and put them on. She flashes a cute, cheesy grin at Flim and Flam, seeing what she could get away with. "Safety first, no flying shavings or such, right? You two big handsome stallions dont mind if a little pegasus mare like myself watches you two work?" Meanwhile, Lightning horn took the wet cloths and made sure the earth pony and unicorn was ready before laying the cloths over their eyes. After a moment, the cloths give a soft golden glow "Mmm yes, its working!" Flam watches all of this in awe, not yet noticing the pegasus mare or hearing her as Bits piled up in his mind.

Bistro giggled as the stallion bumped shoulders with her. She smirked and shrugged at the admission of his plans "Ah well, running the town all the way from Manehattan would not have worked anyway. We're on the frontier, and that usually attracts ponies as stubborn as mules..." The mare looked over at the porch of the Salt Lick "Er, No offense." A placid grey mule brayed and chuckled "...None taken..." She giggled and continued trotting along with Max. "And I am glad you found you like it here, Max, as I have." Bistro giggled at the next question. "Oh Celestia no, I started calling myself "Madam" when I started my first location in Manehattan Station. Just a touch of the mysterious, eh? She lightly bumps her shoulder with his "My full name is Miss Caramel Mocha Bistro, and my parents are Java Joe Bistro and Chocolate Eclare'. I also have a brother, Maxwell House."

At the recent CRPR open house, the bay colored pegasus Skybright twins, who were a year younger than the legendary Rainbow Dash, had met up with Duke Polaris. As members of the Royal Canterlot Observatory (Cloudsdale branch), they had mentioned their efforts to someday meet Princess Luna to thank her for the beautiful nights they have enjoyed as astronomers since her return. In return for letting him spread the happy news about their mother's pregnancy to the court, Duke Polaris had immediately told them the Princess had been reclusive of late but had managed to meet some lucky ponies at random. The Duke had ended with suggesting they write Luna personally. Fortune seemed to be on their side that week as they read the notice that letters were actually encouraged that month! After an all night session watching a meteor shower, the twins managed to stay up longer than their quick morning weather duties their father insisted on and collaborated on the letter to Princess Luna; "Dear Princess Luna, We are Star (A.K.A. Hoss) and Shanna Skybright of Cloudsdale, It is our job to do fieldwork for the Royal Canterlot Observatory (under the supervision of Stargazer the Cranky in Canterlot...), having gone as far afield as Appleoosa and the Strand to study the wonders of the night sky. We wish to take this time to thank you for the brighter, beautiful nights we have to study since your return and would someday like to thank you in person. Signed, Your Loyal Subjects of the Night, Star and Shanna Skybright" The twins examined the letter several times to catch each others writing mistakes, put it in an envelope, and streaked out their window to catch the mailpony before she left the post office. Soon, they returned to their respective rooms and drew their curtains of black cloud with pinholes in them to simulate a night sky and took almost 'till noon to fall asleep from their excitement...

The bay colored young pegasus mare sighed as she had a night off from astronomy duties. Her twin brother was off on a date with his Special Somepony and she really needed to find something to do with her night or end up bouncing off the walls. As she entered Canterlot looking for ANYTHING to do, she found a flyer for a Mare's Night party. Fluttering her black-banded wings, she did a loop! "This sounds promising!" Soon she entered the club and looked around, getting used to the volume of the music "Oh! This is going to be a blast!"

Candy Catch-em hmms at a thought "That's what a lot of townsponies say when we come to town on supply runs. Maybe before the expedition wraps up we can set up a informative display in town and let everypony come and find out what's living out there. How does that sound everypony?" Thorn twitched an ear "You mean pictures of the animals and such?" She nodded "Yes, and some of us being there to answer questions." Candy smiles and looks around hopefully.

The Mocha Mare listened to Max and watched him as he had a troubled look on his face. She thought she caught the moment he made a decision and spoke about how much of it was true about himself. Caramel was silent for a moment as she walked along, then she shook her head and spoke "All that about I and my family is why I banned the sale of tabloids in my entire chain. We cant' stop customers from bringing them in though. Some even read them aloud." She moved a step closer as they walked along to show she was not put off. "I admit I was wary when you came into town because of those rumors, warning the rest of the town council to be careful, just until we could see for ourselves how much of it was the truth. the margin of error was too slim to take chances otherwise. " She smiled brightly at Max. "We still went the extra mile to be friendly because that is everything the town is, and we were not disappointed. The stallion we have seen, one who is betting everything he has, and is, on this town is not the stallion in the tabloids, not anymore. We like the Max we see so I guess your efforts are working." She winks in a gentle tease "Next thing you know, Some tabloid will say you are a changeling next time you visit Manehattan and show the new you off..."

Flim stifles a laugh behind his hat, then holds it like a shield as Louise has to be held back from coming at the duo.he floats up a barrel lid as a real shield. Just in time too as Granny Smith makes it plain she wants a piece of them too. He has a momentary shiver, knowing they cant do anything to her even on the sly due to being in an entire TOWN of Apples and the Apples arent' shy about letting things like 'Evidence' get in the way when they know something fishy is going on. Flim gives her his most charming smile, hat in hoof over his heart. "Now, now, Granny Smith it was just an honest accident, riiiight Flam? We just want to put this silly misunderstanding behind us..." Lightning Horn gasped as Thunder Clap suggested he help the ponies. "M-m-me? Really?" He bounced around on his cloven hooves "I've not been asked to help ponies before! Shaman's Apprentice at your service!" Lightning trotted over to the afflicted ponies and inspected their eyes. "Yes, this should be temporary, but I think i got something to help it go faster in my parfletche..." He hooked the odd, beaded single-saddlebag from his hips with a horn and sat down on the wooden sidewalk. He pulled out a wooden bowl and dumped a small pouch in it, then some water and shook a tiny vial into it, bringing a blue puff of smoke. "Needs something else...Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that one!" He stood up and planted a seed in the street. He chanted in a low voice as he danced around it. The fresh dirt glowed green, and a plant sprouted, growing into a purple blossom. The young buffalo mooed excitedly "I-I did it! I did it!", then grabbed the flower in his mouth, squeezing it into the bowl. there was a pink puff of smoke, then he dipped a pair of wash cloths in the bowl "All right you two, tilt your heads back and close your eyes. I'll put these over them and you should be okay in a few minutes." Flim looked at this in surprise! their schemes to see what they could get the buffalo to part with suddenly looked even more lucrative...

Madam Bistro walked along with a light blush, trying real hard not to kill the moment. She thought a moment, then spoke "Well, only if you do the same in return, Max." She smiled wryly, thinking of the accusations that she runs barista and innkeeper ponies out of business when she opens her shop, and worse. Showing her lack of belief in the tabloids, she wryly rolled her eyes skyward reciting the stuff her customers brought in to read, even if she banned the sales of them from her locations after a few articles on her. "The tabloids painted you as a pony who got the reins of empire too early. A pony who sees only Bits and not the ponies around you that you make all this from. Running ponies out of business when they displease you. that sort of gossip... And they had a big laugh when your mansion was devoured by weeds." She patted his shoulder "I've heard similar claptrap about me and my family though.The Princesses really need to tighten up the Libel laws even if her Nobles get their jollies off these rags. (OOC: I imagine Diamond Tiara heading to Manehattan to head a tabloid when she grows up...) She giggles at a thought "Perhaps the tabloid reports on the Princesses and cake eating and Night mare Night mayhem will push them into it?"

Can I be a honorary horse? I'm already a pegasusususus here