The Dance Hall - The Bar

[tacobob]

The griffon tried her very best to keep up with the surprisingly agile stallion, and quickly decided to simply let him lead throughout the dance. “Don’t let it worry yah Blusty.”, she purred, “You’re still young and all, but I gotta say, you’d make a good dad.”, her beak curled up a little as she glanced back at the little filly, “Still, I wonder what the kid is doing by herself? I know they set up a room for the little ones to play in. Before I met up with you, we dragged Wind Walker there. She was not a happy pony, I tell you. Maybe later we can set her free for a bit. Kept asking us if she could dance with you.” The little filly had sworn she was smitten with a colt in her school, but most in her family knew she still had a long standing filly-crush on the older Pegasus pony.

“Oh for pity’s sake. The kid is crying. Let me go check up on her. Excuse me.”, the griffon made her way over to the filly and pulled out an handkerchief, which she quickly handed over to the unicorn, “Hey kid, you alright?”, Zelda tried her best to look as non-intimating as a large eagle/lioness could, “Where your folks at? This an’t no place for a filly.”, she glared at a few of the nearby stallions, “If you’d like, I could see about finding your parents and have somepony escort you over to the place where all the little ones are at. If that’s okay with you.”

[Bramble Rose]

Sweetie Belle *jumped* as Martini spoke up so sharply, her eyes wide. "Oh!" she said, jumping, one tiny lil' spark flying from her horn. "Oh, um, oh, Miss Barjerk! Oh, thank you, but ... " she leaned forward, giving that little foal-whisper again. "What if you ruin your chance at a date?!" Her voice cracked on the last word in her worry.

She turned around as someone spoke behind her, and her eyes widened. "Oh, wow! You're a *griffon!*" she cried, forgetting about the anger to either side of her as she stared up at Zelda in amazement. "I love your mane! And your fur looks so soft! Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just slipped out of the Happy Hooves Hop while all the grown-ups were watching Haywire! She was planning an escape. I heard there was a soda shop over here and I wanted a milk shake!" She gestured to the milkshake on the counter there. "I gotta get back there, though!" She leaned closer to Zelda and foal-whispered, "I wasn't supposed to leave!" She grinned, then turned back to the counter, and picked up the milkshake by the rim of the glass, her little white nose dipping into the milkshake itself as she pulled it off the counter. She shifted backwards, ducked her head to place the milkshake onto the stool between her hooves, and then slid backwards further off the stool, letting out a little *squeak* as the stool started rocking backwards, threatening to send the milkshake tumbling!

Desperately she grabbed the milkshake with her forehooves, and fortunately her hind hooves hit the box she'd brought, letting her stabalize the stool and keep the milkshake from spilling. Then she delicately took the milkshake by the rim of the glass again, and brought it down to set onto the box.

She let out a sigh of relief, hopped off the box, and grinned proudly up to Zelda, a little blob of pink milkshake and white whipped cream on the tip of her nose. "Thank you for worrying about me, ma'am!" she said brightly, and gave a delicate little curtsy, her cardboard wings bobbing behind her. Then she picked up the milkshake again and trotted out of the room with a happy bounce in her step!

​

[Bellosh]

Serendipity flattered herself too much; Dr. Merlot was far from being taken with the heiress. To the gentlecolt's dismay however, the lavender mare had also fallen victim to the charms of Martini Paradise. By now, Merlot wondered whether if the bartender was more shrewd of a businessmare than he'd originally suppose. Of course, it would still require explaining how a damsel who could set the hearts of ponies a-flutter didn't pick a more noteworthy occupation in life than tending to bars while wearing sleazy costumes.

At least Serendipity had the good decency not to go fighting over Ms. Paradise, and for that, Merlot could find a good reason to respect the pegasus even if he'd never fancy the casino heiress in a million years. "Just make an effort not to play around too much with your new-found prey, my dear Serendipity," jested the stallion as he took a sip of his merlot; "Because I don't know how anypony can survive being the target of your ever-shifting attentions, heh heh heh heh heh....."

*Conclude Merlot's part*

[brianblackberry]

Some may have found it unusual that somepony like Martini Paradise would center her attention on a foal, given her career choice and special talent, and especially in the middle of such a busy night. Martini would tell it different, she was a mother first, bartender second. It was this mentality that possibly sunk the job opportunity she was about to receive from a one Maximilian Rockefilly, but if that meant little Sweetie Belle wasn't frightened or uncomfortable, then it was worth it. The pink unicorn gave a reassuring smile as she leaned in to hear the little filly's poor attempt at whispering, "it's alright your highness, there will always be other dates."

Indeed it appeared that Martini's lecture both stunned the bickering stallions into silence and made the little unicorn comfortable enough that she was all smiles as she adorably climbed back down from the stool with her milkshake. Martini contemplated helping with her magic, but she remembered how important it was to her own daughter to show she could accomplish things without "mom's magic always helping", it was best to let Sweetie get the milkshake safely down on her own - not that she didn't subtly steady it once when it almost fell over.

Sometimes they need a little help still even when they specifically don't ask for it.

As she watched the little filly exit the dance hall, Martini couldn't help but notice the time. It was getting quite late and the Gala organizers were explicit that the bar would close after midnight and that time was rapidly approaching; only one thing to do… Martini smiled and gave a small pink flash with her horn, "last call!"

I believe the Gala event is about to end, so it seemed appropriate to make this call. Thank you all for joining my thread, it was great!