Canterlot Nightlife in the Capitol

[Parodius]

It was another dull day of classes for Scale Model. Formulas and variables drifted through his head as he idly roamed the streets, trying to unwind a little. He didn't have any pressing assignments, other than little tidbits of homework that shouldn't take too long. For now, he wandered the streets of Canterlot, searching for something to take his mind off of his classes. Sure, Celestia's sun had gone down already, but his mind was far too active to rest. He wasn't sure if he could find his way back later, but that would be later. For now, the idle wandering along the streets of the Equestrian capitol calmed his mind slightly.

[RarityDash]

Dazzle Dawn wore an even expression as she walked the streets of Canterlot at night. She'd often go for nightly walks. It was refreshing to just enjoy the cool night air, and the sights of Canterlot at dark. Dazzle didn't have any homework that night either. Who knows? Maybe she'd find Arcana someday on a walk like this? There was always hope. Either way, at that moment, she was as relaxed and cheerful as ever.

As she walked, Dazzle's path crossed with a unicorn who seemed to be on a similar stroll, a yellow-pelted colt. Dazzle could swear that she had seen his face somewhere before though she didn't know him. Maybe she had seen him around campus. Was he one of her fellow students at the university? He looked a little on edge regardless. Dazzle wondered if maybe he didn't need somepony to talk to? She decided she was going to find out.

"Hi there," she said cheerfully after cantering toward the other unicorn. "It sure is nice out tonight."

[Parodius]

Scale blinked at the greeting, looking around until he spied the bright blue unicorn mare. "Huh? Wha? Oh. Hello there. Sorry. Had my head in the clouds, I guess." He looks up, then nods. "Yeah. It is pretty nice. ...though the lights of Canterlot kinda compete with the sky above. The ponies that built this city really did a great job." He smiles. "Back home, it was like you could see forever, some nights. Didn't have many buildings that were quite as nice, though." He adjusts his glasses. "Scale Model. Nice to meet ya, miss."

[RarityDash]

"Nice to meet you too!" Dazzle cheerfully replied. "I'm Dazzle Dawn!"

Scale Model, huh? That was a cool name. Wait a second... Hadn't Dazzle heard that name somewhere before? That's right... it was from that kind of grumpy unicorn mare with the scars Dazzle had tried to befriend in that library... What was her name again? Mal... Maltodextrin? It was something fancy sounding like that; Dazzle couldn't remember exactly. All she did know for sure is that that pony had said her and this pony might make good friends. How awesome that Dazzle would actually run into him. Now she was even more eager to get a conversation started than before.

"You sure sound like you know an awful lot about buildings and stuff," Dazzle said after thinking about what the pony had said before. "Are you studying to be some kind of builder, or something like that?"

[Parodius]

Shrugging and giving a sheepish smile, he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, something like that. Engineering, maybe a little architecture... Mostly want to make things easier to use for everypony." He scuffed the ground lightly. "Dunno if I know 'an awful lot' just yet, but at the rate the university crams stuff in your head here, I probably will by the end of it. ...and oh how they know how to cram stuff in your head. Dunno how I'd survive if I'd applied for the magic courses as well." A moment of thought. "...though... I suppose that'd have its benefits, too. Maybe some other semester."

He shakeshakeshakes his head, then nudges his glasses back into position. "Ugh... I gotta get school off my head. It's gonna drive me batty if I keep dwelling on schoolwork." He smiles to the filly. "Don't suppose you know anyplace to unwind, miss Dazzle Dawn? Still not quite familiar with Canterlot."

[RarityDash]

"Ooh, engineering? I could never do something all sciency like that..." Dazzle said brightly. "I'm majoring in Practical Magic Theory. It's a lot of work, but it's also kind of fun and even if I don't get the best grades ever... I really feel like I'm learning something. Someday, I hope to use my magic to help make ponies smile."

Dazzle giggled, as she realized she was maybe going too fast and skipping things. "Oh, that's right. I go to CU as well. I think I've seen you in crows on campus before... even if we've never had a class together."

Dazzle then turned to the question the pony had poised. "Places to unwind, huh? Well... there's the park. The other day some totally awesome musicians there. Oh, and there's that coffee shop that's open late where me and Arc would sometimes go.... and there are all the great libraries, though they might not be open this late...And well... there's lots of nice, peaceful places all around actually. It's Canterlot after all, Celestia's beautiful capital."

[Tempest Rime]

Mal wandered the streets of Canterlot in a morose stupor. She'd been in a funk since Zephyr Burst had visited her the other day, and she'd been unable to accomplish anything. The only thing she'd been able to focus on had been her work, and now it was her day off. Normally she'd use the time off to take a trip to look for ruins, but that too had lost its appeal. Even working on getting the new spell she'd learned was going nowhere, as she couldn't really get into the right mindset to do any magic.

So it was that she'd taken to meandering about the city without looking where she was going. One clumsy mistep was all it took, and she went tumbling clumsilly to the ground, not far from where Scale and Dazzle were talking. "Watch it you stupid..." Mal looked up from where she'd tumbled to find out who had tripped her. "Uh... curb." She struggled to her hooves and looked around, hoping nopony had seen that. Spotting the two ponies she recognized, she blinked. She walked over to them and emphatically exclaimed "You didn't see nothing!"

She paused, frowning at them. "So I guess you two took my suggestion to heart, huh? Well, uh... good, 'cause I certainly didn't want to be bothered by you again." She sounded unconvinced. "S-so what are you doing out here tonight? Uh, if it's a date, don't let me interrupt."

[Parodius]

"Hmm... Practical Magic Theory, eh? Sounds more sciency than what I do. Seems like it's mostly stuff like torsion, measurements, and how much stuff can take without breaking, barring magic reinforcement. There's some art stuff, but not much. ...and sometimes a bit of 'slap something on for a brief fix'. ... It might do me good to get into the magic bits of the university sometime."

He smiles. "Parks might be good, but are they that busy at night? Seems like it'd be a bit empty to me. Unless other CU students make a thing of roaming around. Might have seen you, but I dunno. There's so many different ponies around here that it seems like some giant-sized artist dropped all their paints sometimes."

He perks an ear at the grumpy exclamation, then looked over. He smiled as Mal tromped over and insisted that nothing was seen. "Hey there, Malediction. Good to see you're still in one piece. Haven't had a chance to drop in on your shop. Got busy with school stuff."

He blinked a bit confusedly. "...suggestion? What suggestion?" A smirk, and he points a hoof. "Not gonna get outta things so easily. Friendship isn't limited to just one pony at a time." He stuck his tongue out playfully. At least until the suggestion that he was on a date. Crimson bloomed upon Scale Model's cheeks as he sputtered and adjusted his glasses. "W-we just met! I wouldn't... I couldn't... uh... n-not with somepony I just met or something. We were just trying to think up something to do to unwind from a busy day... Set aside troubles for just a little while." He scuffs his hoof on the ground, glancing between the two from behind his glasses. "P-parks, coffee shops, and libraries have been suggested..." he murmurs quietly as he settles on looking at a nearby planter instead, trying to get his cheeks to stop looking quite so red. ...and pretty much failing.

[RarityDash]

"Wow, that sounds really interesting," Dazzle said with excitement. Admittedly, a lot of what Scale was talking about was going over her head, but it really did sound like some of it might be cool stuff to learn.

"Magic theory isn't so bad. It's mostly just learning different spells, their history and how and when to use them. Oh, and in some of the advanced classes, I think you even get to make your own spells..." Dazzle spoke, giving a cheery nod. "I always thought that sounded fun, even if it also sounds difficult..."

"As for the park, I don't really know... I mean, I haven't been down there at night very recentl-" Dazzle added. She cut herself off when she saw a pony suddenly trip nearby out of the corner of her eye. Examining closer, she was pleasantly surprised to see it was that very same mare she had met in the library the other day... Male... er...

"Malediction!" Dazzle said, as she finally remembered the ponies name, which was incidentally just after Scale had said it. "I'm happy to see you again. It's always nice to run into friends."

Back at that library Malediction hadn't actually said yes when Dazzle had asked if they could be friends... but Dazzle wasn't going to let that stop her from making friends with the pony. Malediction reminded her of Arcana in a lot of ways, and like Arc, this pony struck her as they type who wouldn't be so warm and open about things like friendship. She'd just have to try harder to win this pony over.

Malediction then suggested Dazzle and Scale might be on a date. This seemed to send Scale into something of a nervous panic. Dazzle just laughed.

"No, it's not a date. We just met by coincidence a few minutes ago," Dazzle said with a smile. "But you were right the other day. Scale does seem like he would make a good friend."

[Tempest Rime]

Had Mal been in a better mood, she probably would have taunted Scale mercilessly for getting embarrassed like that, and she certainly would have expressed some ire at being called a friend. As it was, she just sighed and glanced up at the sky. "Yeah, right, whatever. Well, if you want coffee, I know a little 24-hour place that's got some strong espresso. Not that I'm like, trying to hang out with you guys or anything. I'm just bored and wouldn't really mind coffee."

She paused, it was far too early for her to drink coffee under normal circumstances, but she really had nothing better to do, and at least being around other ponies would distract her from her own problems."Um, maybe not the espresso, that's kind of overkill at this hour, but I've never tried their other stuff. I mean, if you want. It's not like I care."

She sighed again. This was stupid, the last thing she needed was to get attached to more ponies. But then she thought back to what Zephyr had said the first time she'd met him. Something about friends giving back more than they took. Not to mention the many, many times she'd seen references to the power of harmony and friendship in magical books, references she'd been dismissing as meaningless propaganda. Well what the hay, maybe if she acted like these irritating foals were her friends her magic would benefit somehow. It was worth a shot.

"No, actually, I do care," she said in an angry tone, glaring at the other ponies. She was utterly failing to express any sort of friendliness in her mien. "Now come on and follow me to this crummy place already. I'm tired of wandering around these stupid streets." With an emphatic stomp, she turned to lead them to her usual coffee stop.

[Parodius]

Scale Model blinked. Seemed like a different reaction than last time. "...Coffee it is, I suppose. You okay? Just seem like you're a bit more laid back than last time we met." He glances over to Dazzle and gives a smile at the laughter and 'good friend' assessment, though he's still trying to fight off the blush from earlier.

He looks back over to Dazzle. "Hmm... Sounds like useful classes, as long as you don't use magic when magic's not needed. Like putting a spell to keep something safe from fire when whatever it is wouldn't be hurt by the fire anyways." He thinks. "Though, might be good to put something on like... buildings to help them stay up even if they stay up well enough on their own. Never know when some pegasus will crash into it or something." He winces a bit, recalling a rainbow-maned weather pegasus back at home.

"By the way, what's this 'espresso'?" he asks. He wasn't sure what was up with the grumpier of the two blue mares, but at least she was a bit more social. Best to take advantage of it.

[RarityDash]

"Ooh! I love coffee. My favorite is the Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha Espresso at Star Buckers, preferably with extra whipped topping," Dazzle excitedly started. "It's really tasty!"

Without missing a beat, Dazzle then turned to Scale and flipped back to the other discussion. "Oh yes, knowing when to use spells is very important! Magic is amazing stuff. So many ways it can be used! That's why I find it so fascinating!"

Dazzle gave a firm nod then and smiled at Malediction. "Anyway, let's go get that coffee!" she excitedly chimed.

[Tempest Rime]

"Espresso is..." Mal paused. "Uh, well I don't really know how it's made, to be honest. All I know is it's kinda like coffee, but it comes in little tiny glasses, and packs way more punch than even a big cup of coffee. You don't drink it by the mug, that's for sure, it'd probably give you a heart attack if you tried. It's great for nights when you gotta stay up a while but are still tired. If you do want to get to sleep tonight, though, I don't recommend it. I don't usually go for the flavored stuff either, always seemed a bit bourgeoisie to me."

She relaxed a little. Talking to these two was already helping ease her mind. When the conversation shifted back to magic, she pondered another attempt at a spell. Maybe lightening her mood was all she'd needed. She attempted to conjure a wisp of flame as they walked, but all that happened was a small shower of sparks as the spell fizzled. Another frustrated sigh escaped her, still not working.

"Amazing stuff my flank. Just because you can do a lot with it don't mean that anypony can use it well. I only ever managed two and a half spells at my best, and now only my levitation is working properly. Thank Celestia that hasn't failed too or I'd be out of a job!" She scowled, but for once the scowl did not seem to be directed at anypony in particular.

[Parodius]

Scale Model ahs and nods. "So, it's like coffee, only really really strong. Sounds pretty useful." He pauses in speaking and blinks at Dazzle's preferred beverage. "Uhm... Mine's... uh... coffee. Black. Maybe some creamer if it's a bad cup." He smiles. "Probably pretty boring tastes, huh?"

He nods in agreement with Dazzle, then blinks a bit as Malediction speaks up. "You... can't use some of your spells anymore? That sounds pretty serious." He frowns. "...have you tried seeing somepony about it yet?" He looks a bit concerned at the mention of possible loss of job if it gets worse.. "... There's a lot of stuff that's tricky to use without magic. ...like openning a jar that's closed too tightly." He looks around at some of the buildings. "... Maybe I could look at some of your work stuff to see if I could make things easier for you if things do get worse. Hope they don't, but it doesn't hurt to be ready if they do. 'Hope for the best, prepare for the worst,' as my ma used to say." He tilts his head thoughtfully. "I guess she still says it, but I just don't hear it anymore."

He glances up at the street lamps as the trio walk beneath them. "I didn't even know such a thing could happen." She then shakes his head and smiles. "But enough gloomy what ifs. What's this place we're going to like?"

[RarityDash]

"Black?" Dazzle scoffed as she stared at Scale. "But isn't that kind of sad? Things should be more bright and fun, even coffee! A little sweetness is what makes life rewarding!" Dazzle nodded several times, reminded of Arc. Arcana ordered black coffee all the time, but she didn't really like it. Dazzle had always found that kind of sad.

Dazzle then shrugged and jumped toward Maledicition. "Wait, your magic is seriously fading? Are you sick? I've heard about magical ailments and stuff... but I really don't know too much... but... I could ask my professors about it if you want!" Dazzle smiled and tilted her head. "Ooh! I could even check the university library!"

[Tempest Rime]

"Like I said, I don't really drink coffee to enjoy it. It's to keep me awake when I'm pulling a really late shift or something. But I don't even care right now, I'll try the fancy stuff. Why not? Anything to take my mind off Ze-" She caught herself just in time. "Uh, I mean, off the magic. My magic. Fading."

Mal glanced around nervously. "Anyway, trust me kid, I've read just about everything on magical ailments. I used to think I had one, after all. My magic has always been a bit different. Never worked quite right. Anyway, it turned out to be a fundamental incompatibility in materialization matrices, leading to a drastic power sink whenever I tried to potentiate an incantation field. Critical imbalances in aetheric forces and all that." She sniffed, not really caring if the other ponies actually followed her explanation.

"Uh... so the point I'm getting at is that in regards to my magic fizzling, I probably know more about my own brand of magic than any of your professors, since I've spent practically every waking moment studying it. And I know it's not a magical disease or anything, because I can still feel the magic there. My levitation is just as strong as ever. It's the spell matrix that's off. I can't really get into the mindset I need to use it for some reason."

She sighed. It wasn't even the magic that was bothering her, rather, she was pretty certain that her magic was not working because she was bothered. But she couldn't just admit that, what would they think if they knew that a little self-doubt was all it took to cripple her. She looked up and realized that she hadn't actually been paying attention to where she'd been going. "Oh, there it is." She turned sharply and walked to a somewhat plain but still rather nicely decorated little coffee shop, tucked in between a book store and a hardware shop. Everything she needed all in one place.

"Come on, it's not the best place for privacy, but it's cheap and it tastes good. This early it'll still have a bunch of students, but if we're lucky we might be able to get the table in the back corner, that's not too bad."

[Parodius]

Scale Model makes a face. "Bleh... Sweet. A little can be okay, but what you said sounded more like sticking a spoon in a bag of sugar and calling it dessert. Coffee has a good flavor all on its own, if it's made right. It doesn't need anything to make it good, unless it got messed up." He nods matter-of-factly.

He nods at Mal's explanation, but then starts to get a bit of a distant look in his eyes as more detail is given about what's going on with her magic, all the fancy details in the middle becoming a blur to him. As the explanation was concluded, he nodded. "So... what you're saying is... something's bothering you, and it's big enough that messing up your magic?" he asks, apparently having only really caught the front and end of that explanation. Another definitive nod. "Well, I guess we'll have to do something to take your mind off your troubles, even if it's just for a little while. Might just be you've been working too hard." He smiles cheerfully.

He looked over to the coffee shop that was pointed out as Mal started heading for it. "Cheap and tastes good? Sounds like a good kind of place to me!" He looks at the book store and the hardware shop on either end thoughtfully. It certainly seemed like a good place to him. He could get supplies or study materials. He looked over to Dazzle as he started following Malediction. "So... uh... did you catch any of what she just said?" he quietly asked, low enough to hopefully only be heard by Dazzle. He gives a slightly sheepish smile.

[RarityDash]

Dazzle nodded as she listened to Malediction's explanation. She knew most of the terms the other unicorn was using from her studies, even if hearing so many of them still left her mind rushing to recall the definitions in her text books. Ultimately, she was a little confused but she thought she understood most of it.

"I see. That sounds like quite the troubling problem," Dazzle said, giving a firm nod. Dazzle went silent, not knowing what to say on the matter, until Scale spoke, suggesting they work to keep Malediction's mind off her troubles. Dazzle shook her head.

"No, I don't think that's right at all," the cheery unicorn started. "Problems don't go away if you just push them aside! I think instead you should tell us about your problems, Malediction! Maybe we can help you set everything straight!" Dazzle smiled and cantered ahead a little. "I mean, isn't that what friends are for?"

Dazzle giggled. "Though I suppose we could get our coffee first!" she said as she continued toward the coffee shop.

Scale pulled her aside and whispered her a question after that. "What about her materialization matrices? I'm a magic student. Of course I understood it," she said, not lowering her voice. "At least for the most part..."

[Tempest Rime]

Mal led the way into the coffee shop, ignoring the talk of sharing problems and friendship. It was a pleasant sort of place, the sort frequented by students at the university. It was nothing special, there were dozens like it in the area, the only real reason she frequented it was because of its location. As they entered, Mal scanned the room. There was only one open table, and it wasn't the secluded one in the back she usually sat at. She scowled at that fact, but in the interest of actually getting a table at all, she quickly sat down. In spite of the crowd, it wasn't particularly noisy, as most of the ponies there were students busying themselves with their studies.

"Alright, I'm staking claim to the last table here, you two go ahead and order, then I'll go up when you get back. This isn't some fancy cafe with waiters, you actually gotta go up and get your drinks. The barista is fast, though, seriously, he can whip up whatever'll keep you going in seconds." She did her best to say this sullenly, trying to avoid sounding like she was praising him.

[Parodius]

Scale Model nods a bit at Mal's insistence to order first, adjusting course to get ready with his plain... plain... so very plain order. "Well yeah, of course problems don't go away if y' push 'em aside, but it's pretty hard to fix a chair if you're still sitting in it, as my dad used to say," he replies to Dazzle Dawn. "If she's upset enough that her magic's disrupted, wouldn't she be upset enough that she wouldn't be able to talk about it easily? If she got distracted a bit, it might be easier to talk about later. Like... after a relaxing cup of coffee."

He nudges his glasses up, then smirks for a moment before raising his voice just enough so he'd probably be heard by the topic of conversation herself. "But then, she might put on her grumpy face again!" He tries to do an impression of Mal's usual expression, based on what he recalled from his previous expression. "Rararar. I am a grumpy grumpy pony! I don't need anypony! I'm all mean and scary and not at all friendly because I don't need friends!" He grins, then gives an innocent and cheerful wave back to Mal to show he's joking and turns back to face front in the line.

"A cup of coffee, please. Black," he orders when he gets a moment. He then resumes chatting to Dazzle Dawn. "...Materializing Matresses. Right. I probably should get into a few magic courses so I can sort out more of those terms. ...but then... I don't know if the college does those tests for admittance into the magic classes. If I wound up having to take care of a baby dragon, my already taxed finances would be even more strained, I bet." He fishes a few bits from his saddlebags to pay for his cup of coffee. "...but the benefits of the classes would be undeniable in my field." A moment of thought. "Might be able to get along with what little I do know about magic, though. Possibly."

[RarityDash]

"Okay!" Dazzle said to Malediction as she went off with Scale to get coffee.

The young unicorn nodded as Scale explained his methods. She giggled and smiled. "I hadn't thought about it like that. Wow, you're smart Scale," she cheerfully started.

Dazzle then frowned a little as Scale began to mock Malediction. "I'm don't think that's very nice," she said, somewhat disappointed. "It's not right to make fun of your friends like that, even as a joke."

Dazzle's smile wasn't away long though. After Scale ordered his coffee and returned to a previous topic of conversation, she picked right back up, "Matrices," she corrected. "Though maybe there is a spell that can materialize a mattress. I'm not really sure..."

"Oh, and I wouldn't worry about dragons. Canterlot University doesn't do that. That's Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorn's where I went before I went to university that has that entrance test." Dazzle giggled. "Though I never got a dragon myself. My magic wasn't strong enough to hatch one. But I apparently showed enough potential that I narrowly passed anyway..."

All that said, Dazzle turned to the barista and proceeded to order the most sugary, chocolatey, oversized iced espresso drink the store sold, making sure she got extra whipped topping.

[Tempest Rime]

Mal sighed and relaxed for a moment while the others ordered. She hadn't realized it, but her hooves had been getting tired. She'd been walking around the city with nothing to do for a while now. Just having other ponies around was actually... helping? The thought boggled her mind. Maybe this is what Zephyr had meant back in the jail.

And there it was again. Her thoughts leading her back to him. She shook her head in irritation. This should not have been bothering her as much as it was. She turned her attention towards her... companions. 'Friends' was not a word she was yet prepared to use to describe them, though they were at least proving useful to her mental state for the time being. She particularly focused on Dazzle, or, more to the point, on what Dazzle ordered. Mal had never been much of one for the treats, but she figured as long as she was trying new things such as 'being sociable,' she might as well also see what all the fuss was about.

She couldn't actually hear the orders, but she saw the giant mound of whipped-cream and decided it looked rather appetizing after all. Resolving to order the same when her turn came, she slumped down into her chair and waited for the others to sit down.

[Parodius]

Scale let out a pff as he was chided. "I know... I know... just blowing off some steam at a bit of rough treatment when I met her. She was a bit adamant about not needing friends. ...I wonder what changed her mind. Well, enough to at least hang out for a bit." He eyes the mound of whipped topping atop Dazzle's cup and shudders a little, imagining the excessively sweet flavor. He nods a bit, at the correction, sipping his coffee as it levitates in front of him.

As he strolled back toward the table, he nodded. "Ah... I see. I see. Maybe there's a 'Princess Celestia's Night School for Average Unicorns' somewhere," he jokes. Pausing, he puts a hoof to his chin in thought. "...but maybe that'd be more Princess Luna's forte, being at night?"

He guides his coffee to the tabletop, sitting down. "Fear not! We have returned from our arduous journey to retrieve coffee," he comments to Mal. "I hope the wait wasn't too troublesome." He takes a sip from his cup.

[RarityDash]

"It's alright," Dazzle said, shaking her head. "But you should always keep in mind that the ones who say they don't need friends are often the ones who need them the most!" She smiled a little as she thought of Arc. Grabbing her sugary coffee drink with her magic, she gave a nod.

"Oh, but Arc told me that Princess Luna's magic is every bit as amazing and wondrous as her sister's," Dazzle said with a giggle. "So I doubt she'd ever have a school that could be called average."

Returning to the table Dazzle put her drink down sat, and took a sip. It was really tasty. "So good..." she smilingly started as she pulled away from the straw.

[Tempest Rime]

Mal rolled her eyes at their comments upon returning. "Whatever, four-eyes, now it's your turn to wait. All alone with the the cute college coed. Hope you can manage that." She smirked at him briefly before glancing over at the... thing that Dazzle was drinking. "So good, huh?" Well what the hay, the worst that could happen is that she wouldn't like it.

Considering the options, she walked up to the counter. She pointed a hoof back towards Dazzle, and told the barista "I'll have one of what she's having."

The barista looked surprised. "Oh, going for something a bit different today, eh? Coming right up."

Mal blinked. "What do you mean something different?"

"Well, you usually get the plain stuff, not the frilly drinks." He spoke offhand as he was mixing it.

Mal stood there aghast. This was terrible. She came here enough that they recognized her. It was now official. She was trapped. Her mind wandered through various horrific scenarios. She'd never find a way to get out of this now. She was dating, she was making friends, and now even the guy she bought her caffeine from recognized her. It was only a matter of time before somepony hurt her again.

Her face a a mixture of fear and resignation when she returned, bearing her drink. She sat it down at the table beside the others and bleakly sipped from it. "It... it is good," she managed to say with a sniffle.