Bon Bon's Bonbons: Open for Business(and Bonbons)! (Open, Ponyville)

[SteelEagle]

Bon Bon was having a pleasant enough stroll through the town with her fillyfriend at her side, sales be darned. Temporarily of course, seeing as they were not going to pay the bills with good intentions and some fine words. Usually, anyway. But she could still do with a nice stroll and the day was beautiful. Celestia had pulled out all the stops to make up for being a bit late to her job, the lazy princess. When Ingrid Marie wandered up to her stand in all the stupor that marked a tourist to Bon Bon's well trained and experience eyes, she was still partially lost in the day's rays and the companionship of the night to respond too aggressively to her desire for directions to her arch nemesis. It took a few seconds for her to realize what had been asked, which was just as well as it allowed her to compose her response with some dignity. Well, maybe.

[colour=#B22222]"Oh, Sugarcube Corner? Ha, well, I guess that place is touristy enough..."[/colour] Bon Bon sadly said, her voice somewhat drawing on her old Canterlot lily that gave her voice some added verve. Besides, she could practically smell the Canterlot on this one. She shook her head.

[colour=#B22222]"It is only a few blocks over there...but...well, I don't think you'll enjoy it much. You see, that stuff is too...rich. Explosive, maybe. No, not good stuff for a nice pony like you. You need something classier!"[/colour] Bon Bon waved to her wares, indicating in particular a slightly paler batch of bonbons.

[colour=#B22222]"This here is my..." [/colour]She had to make something up; all her bonbons were pretty much the same,[colour=#B22222] "Excalibur collection! It has all the refinement and subtle taste that will stay with you longer than something that assaults the taste buds. Sweet but not overly sweet, made to please and pleasure, not satisfy...indulgence,"[/colour] She opened up the chosen bonbon pile and took one out as an offering.

[colour=#b22222]"Here, taste one. I'm sure you'll agree."[/colour]

And if she didn't, she could always give her the wrong directions out of spite. Business!

[Bellosh]

Ingrid Marie thought something smelled fishy about the bonbon-selling mare. Not literally of course; the unicorn knew that a confectionary business wouldn’t last long at all if their sweets smelled and tasted like fish. But Ingrid has shopped in the world-famous markets of Canterlot long enough to know when somepony makes exaggerated claims about the superiority of their wares. She knew something was really up when the bonbon seller appeared to make up a description for her pale batch of candies on the spot. At least the traders back at Canterlot sounded like they’ve turned the art of over exaggeration into a fine art.

[colour=#008080]~Go figures when you ask a candy maker directions to their competitor~[/colour]

However, Ms. Marie no longer had any more patience for her sweet-finding quest. She needed to get to the orphanage soon, and so the volunteer magic instructor made up her mind and settled for this stall for the time being. Sugercube Corner could always wait for the afternoon, after all. Taking one offering from the “Excalibur Collection” bonbon pile, Ingrid magically levitated the delicacy into her mouth. [colour=#008080]“Mmmmm….. not bad,”[/colour] Ingrid happily reviewed. Ingrid had to admit that the bonbon really did have a refined taste to it, totally unlike brand-name chocolate bars one could purchase anywhere. Hidden treasures like these bonbons were one of the many reasons the unicorn preferred shopping at street markets instead of run-of-the-mill grocery stores.

Forgiving the bonbon seller for her..... not-as refined sales pitch, the still-munching Ingrid asked; [colour=#008080]“So how long have you been in the confectionary business, Miss…. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh………..?”[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

Describing the relief that came over here as a wave would have been unkind, as she wasn't a fan of swimming and the thought of a wave washing over here was a horrible one. That was just one step removed from drowning, and she wasn't a fan of that. No, the only thing waves were good for was when they washed away ugly sand castles at the beach while Lyra played around and Bon Bon got a tan. Yep, the beach was fun. There wasn't any decent beach nearby but she figured that the lakes weren't too far away. Maybe this summer she could convince Lyra to go out for a vacation for a few weeks. It wouldn't take much in all likelihood, so she may as well start looking at rentals.

Back to business. The mare seemed to enjoy the bonbon, though that didn't shock Bon Bon in the slightest. Her name was Bon Bon and she was running Bon Bon's Bonbons! If her wares were bad, then she would need to change her business. And her name. And her cutie mark. The point was, she was truth in advertising defined and had no problem with blasting out a wide smile as this Canterlotian mare came around. Yes, she had ensnared another customer in her delicious clutches!

[colour=#0000cd]"Bon Bon,"[/colour] She offered quickly before regaining herself,[colour=#0000cd] "Err, my name is Bon Bon. I've been in the business for about four years, give or take a few months. And THIS is Bon Bon's Bonbons,"[/colour] She then motioned to Lyra, still a little excited from her success,[colour=#0000cd] "And this is Lyra, my fillyfriend...and I guess today my employee!"[/colour]

[Bellosh]

[colour=#008080]“Bon Bon…. errr, right.”[/colour] Only now did Ingrid Marie see the booth’s sign, marked Bon Bon's Bonbons and Chocolates. Apparently, skipping breakfast to go sweet-shopping in Ponyville extra early was not a very bright idea. Not only has it apparently robbed Ingrid of her cognitive capacities, but now a pang of hunger rumbled through her stomach. Holding back a sigh, the unicorn grasped that she had no timely option but to make Bon Bon’s bonbons her morning meal. Yes, eating confectionaries for breakfast was not very ideal, but beggars can’t be choosers; this morning, Ingrid was the beggar.

Giving a small wave to Bon Bon’s fillyfriend/employee, Ingrid asked the bon bon seller; [colour=#008080]“Mmkay, how much will it be for a pack of six bon bons?”[/colour] The middle-aged mare hoped Bon Bon wouldn’t pull any sort of highway robbery with her pricing; Ingrid had more important things to do than waste precious time haggling.

[SteelEagle]

Bon Bon believed she had finally passed over that little barrier that she felt the unconscious need to vault over every time she sold to a new pony. She was proud of her wares, the experience of a few years playing dividends. That and her natural affinity for sweets and chocolates, probably had something with her success as well. There had been some necessary failures in this process. A few chocolates had turned out to be poorly made, a few ponies had gone to the hospital, a lawsuit or five had all gone helped her become the mare she was today with her excellent, superb bonbons. That same process had been the same with her pricing. Nopony would pay four bits for six bonbons, despite marketing declaring them the elite limited edition collector's bonbon. For a food item that didn't work. For any item it might not work. One bit had been the sweet zone; a fair price for all involved.

[colour=#0000cd]"For six bonbons the total is one bit. Or you can purchase a small bag for five or even a large bag for eight!"[/colour] Bon Bon offered excitedly, scooping up the six from her 'Excalibur' collection swiftly. Whether the mare wanted more or less, she could at least count on a bit to power her to the market.

[Bellosh]

[colour=#008080]~Only one bit for six bonbons!? This must be an absolute joke!~[/colour]

Ingrid Marie gasped loudly; back at the street markets of Canterlot, the starting price for a pack of six bonbons would have been at least eight bits. Either Bon Bon had no sense of profitable pricing at all, or instead happened to be one of the greatest salesmares out there. Either way, Bon Bon’s prices amounted to a complete steal, and Ingrid was heck-bent on taking advantage of it. [colour=#008080]“I’ll take the large bag, please!”[/colour] the unicorn nearly shouted. Not only would ingrid have treats for herself, but she could also give them to her class and have enough to spare to share with the orphanage staff. Without any hesitation, Ingrid magically levitated eight bits out of her mane and set them down on the counter.

[SteelEagle]

Bon Bon almost felt the need to toss her and Lyra out of the way of the blasting force of the formerly refined mare's voice. She should weaponize it and sell it to the REA, they'd pay a mint to have such power behind something. What did the REA do anyway, escort elderly grannies across streets and parade around impotently while real threats had to be taken care of heroes who to a pony were almost never members of the REA? Maybe if they had this pony's blast force voice weapon they could do more. As it was, Bon Bon's mane was blown back and she blinked a few times, allowing her body to recover from the gale force winds produced by the Canterlottian pony. She made sure that all of her parts were in place and then allowed herself a small moment of triumph; assaulted by a sound weapon or not, she had made eight more bits. A solid start to her day so far and if she kept this up, then maybe that vacation could be a reality.

[colour=#0000cd]"One large bag of bonbons for you, coming up!"[/colour] Bon Bon said excitedly, scooping up three hooffulls of bonbons and tossing them into a bag. She tied it and handed it over, taking the bits in exchange.

[colour=#0000cd]"As for Sugarcube Corner..." [/colour]Bon Bon laughed heartily before continuing, [colour=#0000cd]"It's just around the corner.You should get something on your way out of town- you know, when you don't need the energy or mobility. Have a great day!"[/colour] And with that, Bon Bon pushed the cart ever closer to the bustling marketplace.

[Bellosh]

[colour=#008080]“Ehhh, I didn’t mean to get so loud, heh heh?”[/colour] Perhaps in the future, Ingrid Marie would remember to do a better job of keeping her voice down if she found a bargain. Regardless of temporary discomfort for either of the mares, the unicorn was more than appreciative of the large inexpensive bag of bonbons filled up by Bon Bon. As a field of blue levitation magic surrounded the bag, Bon Bon pointed out precisely where to find Sugarcube Corner.

[colour=#008080]~Please don’t tell me that gingerbread-style house I kept passing by was Sugarcube Corner all along…~[/colour]

Face-hoofing for a second to get the embarrassment out of her system, Ingrid waved to Bon Bon and happily exclaimed; [colour=#008080]“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Bon Bon!”[/colour] As Bon Bon moved her stall elsewhere, Ingrid took off with her magically-floating bonbon bag and departed in the direction of the orphanage.

*Exit Ingrid Marie*

[BaconofChaos]

Lyra stood closely by Bon Bon as she took her wares through the town. When the other mare ask Bon Bon about directions, she marveled at the way Bon Bon was quickly able to turn this to her advantage and go into what Lyra had dubbed "sales mode". While she watched with mild interest, Bon Bon turned to her...

[colour=#0000cd]"And this is Lyra, my fillyfriend...and I guess today my employee!"[/colour]

Lyra immediately stood to attention and smiled brightly at Ingrid Marie. Right up until she walked off. Lyra visibly sagged.

[colour=#00cc99]"Wow you're good at this stuff, Bonnie! but... am I really going to be helping you with sales today? I don't know if I can do that! Maybe there's something else I can do like..."[/colour] Lyra hestiated, unsure of what a pony selling from a cart might need. [colour=#00cc99]"...like singing a song to attract attention!"[/colour] Lyra rubbed her chin with a hoof. [colour=#00cc99]"Let's see..." *ahem*[/colour]

[colour=#00cc99]"Bon Bon's bonbons~[/colour]

[colour=#00cc99]They're the tastiest treats in town!~[/colour]

[colour=#00cc99]Buy a bag to share with your friends~[/colour]

[colour=#00cc99]I guarantee you won't frown!"[/colour]

[colour=#00cc99]"Hmm. No, it doesn't quite scan. I'll need to work on it some more."[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

The two eventually made their way to the market, which was bustling with activity. Vendors like Bon Bon set up signs to advertise their wares as they competed with likeminded ponies for space, profit, and knowing a few of them, probably love. At least that was the case here, though Bon Bon was pretty sure she wasn't competing with anypony else for Lyra's affections. They made the market and Bon Bon straightened out the sign on top of the cart, allowing her beautiful display to be seen by everypony and anypony who cared. It was almost as effective a marketing tool as Lyra's song would have been ineffective a tool, had it gone on for too long. Bless Lyra and her desire to help, but Celestia's graces did she need to not sing.

Bon Bon laughed nervously at the end of the sing.

[colour=#0000cd]"Oh, haha, good song Lyra. No, I don't expect you to actually work or anything. It was just a joke. Please don't sing. Just sit there and look pretty," [/colour]Bon Bon finished cart preparations, opening up the back-end to allow the delicious aroma of bonbons to waft throughout the area,[colour=#006400] [/colour][colour=#0000cd]"Real pretty." [/colour]She finished, nuzzling Lyra's cheek as she took position.

[colour=#0000cd]"Besides, I good use the conversation market can get really, really boring."[/colour]

[FlameddragoAG]

I could definitely go for something to eat right now. It's strange how I didn't have time to eat much before I went out when I don't have much to do anyway.

Static Arc was walking casually through the market district of Ponyville, happy that it was his day off from working at the Weather Factory. He was always off on Sundays, and he thought he would spend most of the day exploring Ponyville, checking out some stores, get some fresh air, and enjoy the day.

Before he felt for Ponyville, he didn't have too much to eat for lunch, and now that he was here, he might as well try out the market place, see if there was anything good to sate his hunger.

As Static Arc found himself entering the marketplace, he immediately started looking around for some sort of food vendor. Apples, carrots, and celery salesponies displayed their wares out to the general public, hoping for somepony to stop by and make a purchase, but Static wasn't feeling like anything healthy today. He was in the mood for something sweet. Perhaps somepony will have something for him that he might like.

Suddenly, something caught Static's ear. A... song?

[colour=#00CC99]"Bon Bon's bonbons~[/colour]

[colour=#00CC99]They're the tastiest treats in town!~[/colour]

[colour=#00CC99]Buy a bag to share with your friends~[/colour]

[colour=#00CC99]I guarantee you won't frown!"[/colour]

Bon Bon's... bonbons?

Static Arc looked over to the source of the melody. He could see a pale yellow earth pony with a cart promoting her wares, and a sign on top that says:

Bon Bon's Bonbons and Chocolates- Open for Business!

He also noticed a mint green coloured mare with a harp on her flank, chatting with the mare who was in charge of the stand. Suddenly, Static Arc's stomach started to rumble. He liked the sound of filling himself up with some chocolate! Hopefully they still have some left to sell, as the yellow coated one seemed like an honest seller, and such a nice pony. Hopefully he didn't have to talk for long, as he wasn't too fond with new ponies, because he hardly knew them, and the fact that they were both, well, female! He didn't really do well with the other gender.

So far it was only the unicorn who was at the front, chatting away with the vendor, so Static started to walk up to the front of the cart, to look at what she was selling.

Boy, this stuff looks really good. I hope it isn't too much though, I want to bring some home with me to snack on.

Static Arc patiently waited up at the front of the stand, and waited for the two mares to finish their conversation.

[SteelEagle]

[colour=#0000cd]"...And then I said, 'That's not a tomato'!" [/colour]Bon Bon finished with a snort and a laugh, finding that particular story comical. Well, all of her stories were comical. She was a funny pony. At least, that's what she thought. Even if she was telling some rather dramatic story with serious undertones she couldn't stop herself from finding the humor in it. That was how ponies like her got through the day, especially days that were sort of boring like this one. Talking with Lyra was always a delight- she wouldn't want to commit as much as she did otherwise, not a fan of bores you see- but she talked to Lyra all the time when they were home. It was business hours darnit and business made business hours fly by like a pegasus with a sugar rush. Yet they had spent what seemed like an eternity just standing about with no business to build a life upon. She briefly considered selling the stand and moving to the badlands to the border to make her fortune as a gem merchant. She briefly considered a lot of dumb things. She briefly considered a slew of things because she was a very bored mare.

Luckily, the doldrums were shooed away by the pleasantness of a new pony. An almost blinding blue pegasus with an orange shield cutie mark that contrasted sharply took his time in walking up to the cart. He was a muscular stallion with some excellent wings, but like most of his kind who spent their time in the sky, his legs didn't match the wings and the back. That meant he must have lived in the clouds and since she hadn't ever seen him around town, options were limited. Cloudsdale was the obvious choice. And what did Cloudsdale ponies expect?

She offered up, her voice slightly higher pitched yet slow and with her cheeks slightly puffed out. She figured this was how Pegasi from Cloudsdale must have though earth bound ponyfolk sounded. She had been proven right before and playing into expectations helped her get that sliver of comfort with her customers that made everypony happy. Customers got served, Bon Bon got her bits, and Ponyville was one transaction closer to pushing her back home for the day.

[FlameddragoAG]

Jeez, these ponies can sure talk about the oddest things.

Static bounced on his hooves, and stretched his wings a bit, and even though he tried not to, he was secretly eavesdropping on the two mares conversation. It was then when he realized that mabye the mint green unicorn next to the bonbon salespony wasn't a customer. Mabye she was a friend of this 'Bon Bon'. Mabye a relative. He couldn't quite tell, but they were definitely close considering what they were telling eachother.

From looking at the two for a while, it seemed that the vendor was leading the conversation, with the unicorn adding in her own bits when there was an opening. The earth pony looked to be more energetic and excitable, while the unicorn was more laid back and calmer than the bonbon seller.

[colour=#0000CD]"...And then I said, 'That's not a tomato'!"[/colour]

Static Arc, who was secretally paying attention to the conversation, had to let out a snicker at that one.

Wow, what a story! Who knew this Bon Bon had such crazy encounters in her life!

Static had to fight down his smile though, when finally, the mare behind the counter turned toward him, obvious that she heard him laugh.

Oh no, she must have heard me laugh! Know she knows I overheard her conversation with her friend!...

And now she's looking me over! She must think I'm some sort of snoop or something... Better just apologize, get my chocolate, and get out of here... No real point to stick around...

Static stood there as Bon Bon's eyes scanned him, from his wings, to his legs and cutie mark. Static could only stand there, thinking up an apology to the two mares, visibly crestfallen that he may have chased away these two by eavesdropping on their conversation, when suddenly the pale yellow mare spoke up.

Static was taken slightly aback by Bon Bon's voice, but he had to go ahead and laugh a little at the mare's face when she spoke. The way she puffed out her cheeks like that was pretty comical, and oddly cute.

Ah, jeez, now I look like a fool, laugh in a mare's face like that. That could be normal to her for all I know!

Her voice sounded like some sort of country pony from Appleloosa, but he didn't want to make matters worse by commenting on how weird her voice was. That would be rude of Static. All he needed to do was offer an apology, buy his bonbons, and just go home.

[colour=#40E0D0]"L-look, I'm truly sorry for laughing at you like that, and snooping in on your conversation. It was really rude of me. I-I-I..."[/colour]

Static was embarrased on his own accord, his determination to buy something gone, and a sense of dignity gone. He couldn't bear to face the two mares, he couldn't take to anypony right. He was just messing everything. He would just try again tommorrow, once he got his wits back.

Static Arc started to turn around, and got ready to take off back to his home in Cloudsdale, trying to forget everything that happened.

[SteelEagle]

Bon Bon wasn't the sort of that mare took offense easily. You couldn't in her line of work and growing up how she had grown up, in an environment dominated by class and prestige and the trappings of high society. A businessmare had to have at least a thin protective membrane, for a few ponies here and there thought that insults passed as bargaining and that you could get whatever you wanted if you bullied the owner. Back in Canterlot, the upper class looked down on the lower class not because of any interesting reason, but simply because in their shark eat shark world, it was the lazy, dumb, or ill-creative who found themselves falling. The low-class considered anyone above them to be born with a silver spoon shoved down their throats. She had caught some of it from both angles having grown up in the uncomfortable middle, and as such, she was inured to getting offended easily.

So she wasn't that offended when the pegasus revealed he had been listening in, even if the laugh he had just finished previously told her otherwise. He was obviously a bit flustered though, which meant that he had probably done something in his mind worthy of shame. Silly pegasus. Why were his type always so emotional? She had never met a pegasus that wasn't in some way emotionally unstable, whether that meant they were overly aggressive or easily discouraged, they were always extreme. This one wasn't any different, apologizing profusely and beginning to make his way away from them. Bon Bon could only sigh as she placed her hoof forlornly on her cheek. Pegasi were silly.

[colour=#0000cd]"No need to leave! Really, it's okay. It's a good thing you apologized and all that. Besides, it doesn't do me any good if you just up and fly away without buying anything, and I'm sure your stomach won't letcha forget,"[/colour] Bon Bon blasted out towards the pegasi, hoof over her cart as she with a wide smile pulled back over it.

[colour=#0000cd]"This is when I'd introduce myself a bit more appropriately and all but, well, you know everything already. What can I do ya for?" [/colour]She asked, indicating her vast array of bonbons. It was time to get her sale on.

[FlameddragoAG]

The flustered and obviously disturbed Pegasus was a nervous wreck. Back when he was a small colt, he was always taught good manners and learned that eavesdropping on other ponies conversations was considered rude. Now, Static Arc wasn't one to disobey his parents, as they brought him up to how he was today, and coudn't bear to face the mare after what he had done. No wonder he didn't have any friends or a special somepony in his life at his point in his life.

As Static turned around and got ready to fly up to Cloudsdale, he heard a voice call him, yet it was much different than what he heard from before. Was there another pony with them watching this whole charade?

[colour=#0000CD]"No need to leave! Really, it's okay. It's a good thing you apologized and all that. Besides, it doesn't do me any good if you just up and fly away without buying anything, and I'm sure your stomach won't letcha forget,"[/colour]

Static had stopped in his tracks. He turned around to see the so called Bon Bon wave a hoof over her stall, proudly displaying her wares in front of Static with a cheerful smile.

[colour=#0000cd]This is when I'd introduce myself a bit more appropriately and all but, well, you know everything already. What can I do ya for?"[/colour]

Static wasn't really sure what to do at this point. He still considered flying back up to his home in Cloudsdale, figuring that being here wasn't worth the trouble. He wasn't worth the trouble, and he felt like he deserved the mare's kindness towards him. Yet, the mare seems to not really mind everything Static had did. She didn't seem at all off about what Static had done. She still seemed eager to sell her wares to him. And Static was still hungry for some bonbons.

Coming to a conclusion in his head, Static decided to just buy his bonbons and leave with no further conversation. He didn't want to mess this up anymore than he did. No point in trying to be friendly with her either. He just wanted to get in, and get out. That was his main goal.

J-just get in and get out. In and out. That's all...

Static took a deep breath, and turned right around and started back towards the mare. He couldn't bear to look her in the face. He just kept his head down and spoke in a expressionless, shy tone of voice.

[colour=#008080]"Umm, J-Just a bag of bonbons is f-fine, miss..." [/colour]

Taking out a shaking hoof, he reached into his saddle bags and took out a bag of bits, not even bothering to check how much he really had in there.

[colour=#008080]"W-Will this be enough?"[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

Bon Bon was feeling a twinge of sorrow for her temporary pegasus friend. He seemed so nervous, so woefully out of his league when he dealt with others that taking bits from him felt like she was taking bits from a foal. He was so struck with guilt over such a minor offense, something so trivial that at worst she would just have slapped his hoof around for a few seconds before going on about the transaction. Maybe it was that famed pegasi honor code? She almost laughed at the thought. The only code they had that was different than anypony else's was silence when embarrassment was the likely result. Still, the poor sap seemed awfully distraught over something as simple as this.

But bits were bits and he offered...a lot of bits. A nearly insane amount. She could probably walk out with fifty bits easy and take the next hour off while she cackled about like a madmare. That would have been a bit cruel, however, so she fished out eight bits.

[colour=#0000cd]"One large bag coming up!" [/colour]Bon Bon said cheerfully, hoping her attitude would get this little pegasus out of the dumps. Failing that, he could go to his cloud mansion or whatever else he had up in Cloudsdale and eat a large bag of bonbons as he wept uncontrollably for hours and hours at a time, contemplating the frailities of social interaction. She hoofed the bag over, leaning closer.

[colour=#FF0000]"And getcherself up! Stop being such a wet soap. No one's upset or nothin' 'cept ya and it ain't a thin' ta worry yerself up 'bout,"[/colour] She finished him up with a wink and a smile.

[BaconofChaos]

Lyra stood by quietly as Bon Bon conversed with her latest customer. Bon Bon's story had been funny, but Lyra didn't laugh much as she was still a little bothered by Bon Bon's "Stand there and look pretty" line. She was more than just a pretty face (a very pretty face) darn it!

[colour=#FF0000]"And getcherself up! Stop being such a wet soap. No one's upset or nothin' 'cept ya and it ain't a thin' ta worry yerself up 'bout,"[/colour]

Feeling that this might be a good cue to jump into the conversation, and perhaps help reassure the nervous stallion, Lyra chimed in. [colour=#00cc99]"She's right. We don't mind and it's nopony's fault. Cheer up! It's far too nice a day to be so down!"[/colour]

[FlameddragoAG]

Alright, now I just need to get my bonbons, and get out of here...

Static Arc had just thrown a bag of bits and requested a simple bag of bonbons. He would have asked for more, or actually bothered to ask for a price and take out the bits need, or even made simple small talk, if it wasn't for his mess up.

Static Arc always took things too seriously, and something silly like eavesdropping on other ponies or laughing at a joke, he almost always warped it into something negative in his mind. He thought about how silly he looked, worrying about nothing in reality, and the fact the he didn't deserve this mare's kindness and positive spirit. He just wanted to leave and forget this entire encounter.

Static woke up out of his trance to a sound of bits being moved. He looked up momentarily to Bon Bon fishing through his bit bag and taking out only a small amount of money from it. Now Static was just being lazy and rude. He wished he would have asked for the price or a bag of bonbons, but he didn't, and now the two mares probably thought he was the rudest stallion in Ponyville right now.

[colour=#0000CD]"One large bag coming up!" [/colour]

Static noticed the cheeriness in Bon Bon's voice, and knew she was trying to cheer him up, but it only made him even more angry at himself and wanting to be out of this situation. Static knew that he was only getting pitied on by these two mares. He must have looked so pathetic right now, but Static didn't care. In a moment, he would be flying up to Cloudsdale, and both Bon Bon and himself would forget this ever happened. After all, he was just another customer to the friendly bonbon salesmare. Nothing more. All of these thoughts Static had brought him close to tears, the self loathing and lack of self esteem affecting him.

Static heard a sound on the table and looked up to see a large bag of bonbons sitting there, along with the bright smile and glow of Bon Bon, which Static couldn't bring himself to look at. It just made him feel more empty and sad. Static just continued to stare at the ground, not sure what to do or say. He scuffed his hooves on the ground and just waited for something to happen. He was paralyzed with the fear of doing something wrong. Bon Bon then leaned a little closer to Static over the table.

[colour=#FF0000]"And getcherself up! Stop being such a wet soap. No one's upset or nothin' 'cept ya and it ain't a thin' ta worry yerself up 'bout,"[/colour]

Static almost laughed at that. Of course she would say she wasn't upset with him. She wouldn't just go up and say that he was the worst pegasus she ever met, she was too nice for that. And besides, why scare her customer off like that when he was right there, willing to pay for her chocolate. Static didn't believe it though, as his own thoughts had over-shadowed Bon Bon's words.

Then, just out of the blue, the unicorn that Static had seen talking to Bon Bon decided to speak up at this time, and Static wasn't sure where she was when Static stepped up to the stand.

[colour=#00CC99]"She's right. We don't mind and it's nopony's fault. Cheer up! It's far too nice a day to be so down!"[/colour]

That's it. That's enough. He couldn't stand being told to "cheer up" when he didn't even know how to in the first place. How was he supposed to "cheer up" when everything he did, he thought it was a crime against Equestria and everypony living in it? How could he "cheer up" when there was two mares standing in front of him with no worries or problems in their lives, when Static had them almost everyday? He went home everyday and thought about how much his life was so dull, how he couldn't just go up to a pony and make friends with them, as the two mares probably did that every day. He wanted to though, oh how much he did, but it always ends up with him looking like a fool in his mind, and all he thinks about is getting out of the situation and fly back up to his safe haven.

As Static thought about all of this, tears were streaming down his face. He was a lost cause, incapable of doing anything right, squandering the time and friendliness of the ponies in front of him.

All Static could do was mutter out a feeble, sorrow-filled [colour=#008080]"I'm so sorry", [/colour]and snatched up his bag of bonbons and bit pouch, threw them in his saddle bags, and prepared himself to take flight.

[SteelEagle]

Bon Bon didn't think she was a mare who lacked a lot of patience, but she wasn't willing to spend the rest of her day trying to make this pegasus feel better about something silly. If he wanted to be dramatic and weird about it, then he could go ahead and be dramatic and weird. She had done all she could, told him it was alright, didn't charge him extra or flat out take bits when she easily could have. At this point, all Bon Bon could do was wish him a happy day and hope that he didn't fly into the upper atmosphere and come crashing down due to a lack of oxygen. She'd heard that it was a popular dare among his kind, but some things in this world were just silly and that was one of them.

[colour=#0000cd]"Alright, then. Have a great day! Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow!" [/colour]She finished off with cheer, though at this stage it was mostly for show. She didn't mind helping other ponies feel better but there were some that were determined to be sad and her cheer and optimism were mere chaff in the face of such conviction. She waved at him, though she doubted he had eyes in the back of his head. If he did, she hoped he appreciated the gesture. It also made her seem just a few heart sizes more caring to the ponies around, and there was always that slightly sixk hope that kindness would translate into better sales.

After their pegasus friend was gone, Bon Bon nodded her head and gave Lyra a relatively pleased look.

[colour=#0000cd]"All things considered, I think that went well,"[/colour] Bon Bon proceeded to take out the day's gross so far, laying it on top. She started counting it out.

[colour=#0000cd]"Eh, twenty four bits isn't all that bad," [/colour]She said simply, but the worried tone in her voice told the tale. She'd be worried until she hit fifty, which was the bare minimum for the business not to lose money on the day. She had to pay a hundred bits a month just for the permit to sell her wares in the market, and considering she used it around twenty five times a month, that came out to four bits a day. Creating all of these tasty treats cost around thirty-six bits a day, almost nine-hundred a month. Storing them cost around three bits a day, and then you had lunch while out on duty, seven bits.

So fifty bits meant she would break even on the day, but that didn't help her live. She wanted seventy-five bits as a true minimum as at the very least she could afford the bills, and one-hundred was her daily target. If she got that then she would have enough for bills and enough for dinner that night and in all honesty that was the extent of her ambition. Twenty-four bits wasn't a fantastic start to the day, but she was on pace to at least not have a failing businessd and become a dancer in some salt bar in Appleloosa.

Still, she wished it was better.

[colour=#0000cd]"Catch!"[/colour] She tossed a bonbon towards Lyra because she darn well could.

[BaconofChaos]

Lyra managed to catch the thrown bonbon in her mouth, which she was awfully pleased about, as she usually dropped them when she tried that.

[colour=#00cc99]"Mmm, that's good."[/colour] she said as she chewed the sugary treat. [colour=#00cc99]"Business seems slow today. You sure you don't want me to to drum up some interest with a song? Ooh! How about I go undercover, buys some sweets, then make some really loud yummy noises and say things like 'Oh wow! You guys have to try this!'? That'd work, right?"[/colour]

(ooc: sorry for the very short post. I just wanted to write something down.)

[SteelEagle]

The primary and only real answer to Lyra's question was that no, it would not work and it was a silly idea. It was a delightfully silly thought and Bon Bon was a delightfully silly mare, so it all lined up rather well. Business wise, it was a poor decision. It wouldn't cost her much but even if Lyra made a play at paying, it was money that she could already claim. No fiscal benefit and it was doubtful anypony would buy it for a second. She also wasn't sure where they would stand legally, or if there were any laws. She didn't want to look like she was peddling snake oil.

Those concerns were relatively focused, but they held little power over the chance at seeing Lyra act out and try to disguise herself. And the possibility of hearing Lyra's attempts at nonchalant eating sounds and praising her fillyfriend's cart afterwords was worth a few bits loss of bonbons. Bon Bon leaned in towards her fillyfriend, patting her on the shoulders as she did so.

[colour=#0000cd]"I'm sure if you went undercover and tried to drum up sales, I'd sell more bonbons in the next half hour than I would have otherwise done all day,"[/colour] She looked around conspiratorially and smiled before leaning in and cupping her mouth to Lyra's ears in a whisper, [colour=#0000cd]"so get to it!"[/colour]

[QuickLime]

It had been a busy week and Zecora was longing for a treat! A bonbon or two would hit the spot right now! As she walked through Ponyville she caught sight of Bon Bon's shop and a smile crossed her lips, tapping the side of her face with her hoof in thought, before turning to the shop and heading on in, it seemed to be busy enough, and the smell of the chocolate in the air was amazing, she licked her lips and closed her eyes, enjoying the smell since that was free, before walking up to the counter "Hello Bon Bon dear! I see quite the variety you have here! "

Zecora didn't know Bon Bon very well, and she figured it was high time she changed that! In fact it was time that Zecora started learning more about Ponies, and started sharing her culture with them as well.

"They all look so good! I'd eat them all if I could but what I would like without delay to learn what you're favorites are and try THEM today"

[SteelEagle]

Bon Bon didn't know Zecora as well as others who seemed to have a love affair with the Everfree Forest. It was big, it was scary, it had dangerous animals and it didn't have anything of any interest for her. There was literally no reason for her to ever visit Zecora and consequently she had never done so. But that didn't mean she was entirely ignorant of zebras, however. She had been misinformed by vicious rumors that Zecora was an evil enchantress, but she knew what a zebra was. You could see a few in Canterlot, though never so many as to be common. That put her at a slight advantage over others who still handled Zecora like some sort of cultural touchstone or Rosetta stone of zebra culture. She wasn't at a loss for words when the zebra made an appearance, which if anything was sure to make Zecora more comfortable.

[colour=#0000ff]"Hey there, Zecora,"[/colour] Bon Bon stated as Zecora drew near. She couldn't deny that her bonbons were delicious and even as Zecora spoke, her mind rattled off the list of self-applied labels for her treats. There weren't many and truth be told the difference between her best and worst came from a freshness perspective, but that didn't mean there weren't some subtle differences to be had.

[colour=#0000ff]"I do have quite the variety! They're all good though, so it depends on what you want. My Excalibur collection is at the very front of the cart. They're slightly more expensive, but they're also a tad richer in flavor. Bon Bon's Desirable Bonbons are in the back and are my cheapest, but you get what you pay for. So it depends really what you're looking for. Would you like my Excalibur collection? For six bonbons the total is one and a half bits. Or you can purchase a small bag for seven or even a large bag for eleven!"[/colour]

[QuickLime]

"Hmm " She tapped her chin with her hoof and nodded "Of your best I would like to test, the Excalibur seem above the rest! I will take a large bag of them for eleven, for I am sure the taste of them is like Heaven" Zecora approached the counter and looked them over before a light bulb went off in her head! "Bon Bon if you are not busy, after work would you come and see me? I have a recipe from my home you might like to try, I dare think with it your business will multiply"

Zecora was referring to a recipe her own dear mother had passed down, but it required someone who was patient to temper chocolate and to mix it, and while Zecora was patient, she didn't like to wait for sweets! It was for a delicious spiced chocolate, that was slightly smoky, salty, and sweet and to the Zebra's of Zecora's village a very special treat!

[SteelEagle]

Zecora's rhymes could get a little vexing when you had to hear it for too long, but that was why Bon Bon was a businessmare and not a psychiatrist. She loved her zebra friend- maybe a little strong, but she did enjoy the company on the rare occasions she had the pleasure- but when you started to listen to the rhymes more than what she was saying, it was a problem. Still, they were simple enough for a silly bonbon selling Bon Bon to follow and she nodded excitedly. Eleven bits ho! Hey, a few more sales like this and she wouldn't have needed to find Berry Punch and go half and half for a nice salt cube. Bon Bon got Zecora's large bag of bonbons in a flash and before the zebra could deploy another rhyme assault on her mind, Bon Bon hoofed it over.

[colour=#0000cd]"Here ya go! One large bag at the ready!"[/colour] She declared, scooping up the bits like a hungry hungry hippo(seriously, don't disturb one of those hungry hippos). Her bit chest wasn't laden with the awards of a solid day of work, but she could swear that each of those eleven bits hit home with the force of a hammer. But in a good way, like someone was hammering her back when her back muscles locked up. She considered Zecora's offer a little bit more, conscience of the fact that she only wanted to make bonbons, not some sort of quasi-magical and mystical bonbon that let you see your true self or some other bullhokey that zebras considered important that didn't do much for Bon Bon.

Still, recipes were always great to have.

[colour=#0000cd]"Hmm, we'll have to see, Zecora. I'd like to come over, but it is quite the trek to your hut and after work I'm usually beat. But maybe tonight? if not tonight, then I'll get up a little early tomorrow and make the trek out there. Seem like a plan?" [/colour]She offered. Hey, better than nothing.