[Ponyville] Short, Sweet, and to the Point [attn. Steel Eagle] [OPEN]

[FermataTheBasse]

[colour=#008080]"Every pony for me is something simple yet sweet. Like a bonbon."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Swan Dive was many things. She was the noted owner and writer for Young Mare's Tail, an up and coming publication that Canterlot couldn't get enough of. She was one of Canterlot's eccentric socialites, a mare others wished they could ignore for all of her oddities but who simply was too friendly to be ignored. She was a mare of incredibly odd tastes in fashion, as her rather uniquely designed hat she had gone so far as to name 'Ellie' attested to. She was simple but sweet, a charming young mare with much to offer and-[/colour]

Growl.

- And she was hungry, as her stomach's complaints attested to. It was just her luck that she had fallen asleep on the train over to Ponyville and had thus missed out on the serving of lunch. But the specific desires of her tongue, the gustatory need that permeated through her and set her mind afire with salivating- not actually, thank Celestia- desire. She was craving something sweet, the candy of her youth that her enormous child-like sweet tooth refused to go another second without.

So Swan Dive trotted briskly through the streets, she was sent sending her regular and rude reminders of her need for a treat, she was blushing a bit, humiliated by her demanding and noisy beast of a stomach. She glanced around, wondering if others were staring at her. They were, but it was mostly the dress and hat in particular that drew the attention of others. She shied away, more intent on her need to find an eatery. So down the streets of Ponyville she trotted, looking for her mark.

[SteelEagle]

In her lazier days, Bon Bon had cursed her lack of an established storefront. It must have been grand, sitting behind a counter and chowing down on your own treats while those around you gave you the respect of a true businessmare. You could count out your bits in warmth while outside a fierce storm drove ponies into your store like flies into the web. Meanwwhile, ponies who put their livelihoods in carts had to deal with more than just the snapping poor weather that drove away potential customers. They had to deal with a belief that they were lesser businesses who sold lesser product who were lesser salemares who couldn't even manage to secure the funding for a 'real' business. Every day Bon Bon had to deal with an endless stream of hagglers who wouldn't dare pull their tricks at Sugarcube Corner but felt perfectly fine doing so to stall businesses. In her younger, lazier days, Bon Bon was a bit of a pessimist when it came to business.

Luckily, times changed and so did mares and Bon Bon was not an exception. She had grown to love the mobility her businesses provided her, not tying her down to a hit or miss location. She could wander to and fro and seek out the desperately hungry or even the ones who simply possessed a nasty sweet tooth that couldn't be denied. Bon Bon could bring to bare the full tasty fury of her wares to any event in the Ponyville region and she could enjoy the wonderful, sunny days that seemed to be the norm for the region. Plus, pushing the cart all day gave her killer thighs and if she knew one thing about Lyra, she loved killer thighs. Or it could just have been Bon Bon. Probably the thighs though.

What Bon Bon loved was business(and Lyra, but that was a story for another day), and business today had been somewhat slow. Ponies didn't need treats today it seemed, with only a small hoof-full of customers propping her up for the day. At this rate, it would be a net loss. Worse, she would have to eat all the soon to be spoiled bonbons by herself. That would sort of counteract the whole killer thighs thing, not to mention give her a wicked tummy-ache. Oh well. Better that than wasted product! Unless somepony came to save her, however. She wouldn't hold out hope for that. Today was just one of those days where Sugarcube Corner's endless promotions and delicious reputation would do a number on her rather humble ambitions by swallowing what little business there was.

Then she heard an egregiously loud protest from a stomach nearby and her ears perked up. She sought to locate the sound and had great success, finding the growling, mewling stomach belonged to an unusually fashioned mare. Not from around her, definitely high class. Her gait had too much energy to be from Canterlot, though. Baltimare? Maybe. She would have tried to apply a nice Baltimare accent if she had a nice Baltimare accent. Bon Bon would just have to talk normally, which was a little bit of a disappointment. Bon Bon turned the cart around and started out to cut the mare off at the pass.

A few seconds later, cart still in motion, Bon Bon was close enough to speak.

[colour=#0000cd]"Wow, that stomach of yours is mad. Need something to snack on?"[/colour]

[FermataTheBasse]

[colour=#008080]"I've managed to curb the impulse that makes me think I am in a game of tag when others gallop at me."[/colour]

Swan Dive might well have considered the famous Sugarcube Corner, as it was well promoted outside of Ponyville and had a reputation amongst the less snobbish mares of Canterlot as a quaint eatery. However, Swan was a terrible navigator and she had managed to fail so greatly at following the directions given her by her peers that she had actually ended up in the opposite end of Ponyville from the esteemed bakery. This however, put her on a course to meet with this curious mare of a food cart. Literally, as they were actually on courses that would meet shortly enough. Swan looked over to her savior, eagerly and a bit desperately.

[colour=#ffd700]"Y-yes!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan Dive smiled a bit sheepishly. Had she been that loud? Well her stomach- unlike her hat, not named- could be very rebellious at times. Perhaps Swan should have given her stomach a name that reflected it's irritable tendencies. Simon? [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"I'm both a bit humiliated and glad at once, that you heard my gastric protests." [/colour][colour=#000000]Contrary to Bon-Bon's assumptions, Swan's accent was very strongly steepled in the style of a Canterlot mare, though perhaps lighter, accent tempered by Swan's natural cheerfulness. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Please tell me you sell sweet foods? Simon here can be very particular." [/colour][colour=#000000]'Simon' gave another cavernous rumble, Swan blushed slightly.[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

This mare was almost as excitable as her clothing would suggest, which was saying something as her clothing suggested she was quite the excitable one. Bon Bon liked it. Very colorful. Her hat rocked. Bon Bon couldn't quite place her still and she began to doubt there was a place to place her, her unique fashion and way of speech perfectly suited to any number of locations. Baltimare was looking increasingly unlikely so Baltimare was abandoned. Canterlot? She'd dealt with those types before and the way she spoke had some similarities to those she'd encountered in her youth. She didn't have enough information to really make such a bold move such as switching to her perfect Canterlottian accent, but there would be some victory in it for her if Bon Bon was right and she was from Canterlot. She'd eat a bonbon as a reward. In fact, she'd eat one anyway!

Bon Bon grabbed two bonbons, one for her and for her new friend, tossing one her way.

[colour=#0000cd]"Yep! Of course I sell treats," [/colour]Bon Bon motion upwards at the sign that read Bon Bon's Bonbons and giggled, [colour=#0000cd]"but your stomach was probably too distracting to read. I sell bonbons and anything- everything- bonbon related...though that pretty much means I just sell bonbons,"[/colour] She mused, shrugging and smiling as she gobbled down her deliciousness.

[colour=#0000cd]"Like it? My prices are pretty reasonable. That one's on the house," [/colour]She offered up. There were many ways to drive up business and a hungry mare such as the current customer was likely to need more than one paltry bonbon to satisfy her.

[FermataTheBasse]

[colour=#008080]"Every pony for me is something simple yet sweet. Like a bonbon." - Wait, didn't I just quote this?[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Swan Dive looked up as Bon Bon pointed up, at the sign that clearly indicated the wares of the cart. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Oh..." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan giggled and blushed a little more, though she quickly recovered. Being as she was, she was very used to making little mistakes that were more cute than harmful to others in anyway. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Bonbon related? You could always sell the individual components. Like a 'make your own' style food. It's a trend in Canterlot now." [/colour][colour=#000000]With her incredibly impractical suggestion, Swan finally revealed her city to be Canterlot. She made to observation lightly, just stating it as a fact instead of making some sarcastic remark on Canterlot trends like most would if they were not privy to the city. Swan's horn glowed, caught the bonbon thrown her way. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"For me? Are you sure?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan was not used to receiving things for free.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]As she bit into it, she squeaked in surprise. She had never quite eaten something like this in Canterlot. In Canterlot everything was so refined, so processed... Swan realized that sugar was thus very watered down in her home city. This was far stronger, and it pleased Simon immensely to be galvanized by such a burst of sugar. Swan had to have more, but she was careful not to say that. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Bon Bon, yes? How many can you sell me without depreciating your stock too dramatically?" [/colour][colour=#000000]As a Canterlot mare who was friends with Upper Crust, and as the owner of a magazine, Swan was used to throwing business terms around. [/colour]

[SteelEagle]

There were bad ideas aplenty, more than enough to go around. Her parents still told her a sweet stand like hers in a small town when an Equestrian wide known establishment like Sugarcube Corner had a corner on the market, pun still intended. Lyra's attempts at singing, no matter the circumstance, were awful ideas that Bon Bon wished she could have dissuaded her from. The suggestion this pony had was definitely going up in the hall of terrible ideas.

Bon Bon shook her head, guessing from speech that she had a good handle of business affairs. That would make the conversation easier, and the knowledge that she was from Canterlot wouldn't hurt either.

[colour=#0000cd]"Well, if I allowed the customers to do that, they'd start making all sorts of wild treats that would deplete my stock fast and I wouldn't be able to keep my prices low. Those big huge stores in Canterlot and Manehattan can risk that, but I must carry my entire product line and stock with me at all times. One or two super silly customers could end my day at a severe loss. As for my own prices,"[/colour] Bon Bon smiled, waving at her vast collection of Bonbons and other related chocolates, [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.

[colour=#0000cd]"So, Canterlot, eh? I grew up there. Where'd you go to school?"[/colour]

[SonicRainboomGirl]

[colour=#000000]

[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Bebe put on a fresh coat of her minty fresh, sparkling lip shimmer. That old familiar feeling of instant glamour came rushing back, and the mare half smiled. Ponyville was rather quaint, but a bit of a hick-town. Too small, too remote, not much to do. As a Canterlot resident herself, Bebe felt like a star in an otherwise empty sky. And Ponyville certainly was an empty sky. Bebe cursed whichever one of her agents had shoved her on a plane and taken her here for a photoshoot.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]It was a rather interesting photoshoot, she was positioned in front of an old barn and dressed up like an edgy model. This juxtaposition clearly proved that high-fashion was the way to go, and that photo would be all over Canterlot billboards soon. Bebe never tired of being so admired. Stallions wanted her, mares wanted to be her, and she rejected them all. Well, except for a few of the stallions. She kept her eye out for them in this tiny town, a stallion or two to have a bit of fun with. She licked her lips, wondering if small town boys were as toned as the movies always showed them.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Looking about herself, Miss LeStrange noticed two well-groomed ponies talking pleasantly amongst themselves. One had her hair tightly curled in a rather unique fashion. It almost looked vintage, and Bebe was intrigued. The other was in rather fine tresses, and Bebe smiled in relief. Finally! Ponies who knew how to dress themselves properly! Perhaps they would be able to direct her to some fine local establishments, or better yet, recognize her incredibly famous face. Putting on a charming smile, Bebe stepped up to them and began her conversation.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]"Excuse me, so sorry to interrupt, but I can't help but notice how lovely you two look!"[/colour]

​

[FermataTheBasse]

[colour=#008080]"Thankfully, business is intuitive. Or I'd lose all my bits in a fortnight."[/colour]

[colour=#ffd700]"Yes, I should have considered that!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan understood Bon Bon's logic, and she realized it was foalish to assume that this mare had a strong source of supply backing her. That it was a carted business probably should have been a clue. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Forgive me Bon Bon, I can be quite excitable at times-" [/colour][colour=#000000]Her apology was cut short by another great growl of her stomach, Simon was getting even more agitated by the moment. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"... And I can be quite hungry at times too! I think I will need a small bag, yes, that will do." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan magically produced five bits, a small fraction of the cut of the stipend she'd been given for traveling to find interviews, from the depths of her neckline. Hidden pockets, the true miracle of the fashion world. [/colour]

[colour=#ffd700]"Uh..." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan Dive blushed a bit. She was never quite able to answer questions about herself easily, which was so incredibly ironic considering her job of asking other ponies questions about themselves. She preferred the stories of others. Her own stories were a bit trite, boring. She tried to turn the conversation back around quickly, [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Well, erm, my name is Swan Dive and I went to Canterbridge. What of you, Bon Bon? You're from Canterlot as well? Please, do tell more!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Speaking of Canterlot mares...[/colour]

[colour=#ffd700]"Bebe LeStrange, yes? Famous model of my home town? I have tried to get an interview with you, but I can never quite seem to pin you down..." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan still wore a bit of a blush, now because of the extra attention to her fashion from a mare she actually knew in a manner of speaking. Swan had noted that it was always harder, somehow, to interview those ponies with names known throughout Equestria. Young Mare's Tail wasn't the biggest publication yet, not by a long shot. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"This old thing's nothing. Though Ellie is glad for the compliment!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan put an affectionate hoof to her hat, 'Ellie', smiling.[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

Even when the mare was apologizing, her attitude was undeniably infectious and charming. Bon Bon wanted to just hand her bon bons, that winning smile doing just that. The fact she had been dead wrong and her idea very silly didn't matter so much as her attitude allowed her a certain degree of silliness, serving her well even if her stomach was trying to start it's own one-organ band. It also didn't hurt that her bits were every bit as powerful as the bits Bon Bon desperately sought from everypony else. In a matter of a second, Bon Bon got a small bag of bonbons and took the bits. A fine transaction all around, though she'd need a few more like that before she could consider this day even close to breaking even.

[colour=#0000cd]"Here ya go, Swan!"[/colour] Bon Bon gave the bag to her and took the bits. Cha-ching! Transaction completed, she could now act the part of a more normal mare. It was hard, to be sure.

[colour=#0000cd]"Canterbridge? That's a great school. I wish my parents had the bits or connections to send me there. Or that they found me out young and thought I was good enough. Or..." [/colour]She shook her head and laughed, thinking of all the ways that one could get in and consequently all the ways she had been found inadequate.

[colour=#0000cd]"I went to West Canterlot General. A good school, I suppose, but it didn't teach me anything that helped me make bonbons or push carts so I guess it didn't much for me,"[/colour] She answered, smiling as she reckoned how little science she used today when confronted with how much time she spent learning it made it an unfair waste of everypony's time. Too much time spent talking, probably

A new mare entered her field of vision and Bon Bon smiled. She recognized her to some degree, though, which meant she had to have been important in some way and anypony important enough for even a little recognition was a pony important enough for Bon Bon to sell to. The fact this included just about everypony in existence didn't cross her mind as a useless observation.

[colour=#0000cd]"Thank you!"[/colour] Bon Bon replied chirpily, allowing the other mare to compliment her sense of style despite the fact she was in the nude. As usual for a pony. Maybe her mane was awesome? Well, her mane was awesome but she hadn't heard many compliments directed her regarding it.

[colour=#0000cd]"You look great yourself, Bebe," [/colour]She continued before waving a hoof at her treats.

[colour=#0000cd]"Care for a bonbon?"[/colour]

[SonicRainboomGirl]

[colour=#000000]Bebe smiled, thrilled to be recognized in such a small town. Then again, miss Swan Dive had said that she was from Canterlot. That was quite a relief, seeing another civilized pony. However, this Bon Bon character also seemed quite polite, and with a closer look she still looked quite nice. Her mane was simply adorable. Not beautiful or fabulous by any means, but very cute. Bebe was still glad to have her flowing black mane. It was one of those things that photographers always complimented.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]"Oh thank you two so much, such a wonder to be recognized by others! Never ceases to amaze me."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Inspecting the two new mares a little more she became curious. Swan Dive had tried to pull an interview from her? Why hadn't she heard of this? She did have a lot of admirers and such, but being interviewed was just one service she had to offer as a top model of Canterlot.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]"Miss Dive, you've tried to pin me down for an interview? Why hasn't my agent made me aware of such a thing? Ugh. Well, one of them is being sloppy I suppose. I prefer to know everything. If you'd like an interview, I have nothing better to do."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Looking at Bon Bon again she tilted her head. How did the mare get her mane to part in the middle with two colors? Was that done at a salon?[/colour]

[colour=#000000]"Now Miss Bon Bon, how on earth did you get your mane to colour and curl like that? I've simply got to know!"[/colour]