A Night on the Town [Sturmmann and SteelEagle]

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' grinned when she agreed, getting up and making his way over to the dart board. He was about to suggest just a standard game of five-oh-one when she started up a long list of games, many of which he'd heard of, many he hadn't. He was actually stunned for a little moment, staring at her with his mouth hanging open just a little. "Yer just full o' surprises, ain't ya?" he said with a laugh a moment later. He had been expecting to have to teach her a little about how to play, but she obviously had played before. Anypony that knew something about pub culture like that was someone he could respect, and he found himself taking a liking to this mare every minute.

"Me preference is to Cricket or Fifty-One in 5's." he said with a smile, holding up a hoof to indicate she could relax and take a breath instead of continuing to rattle off dart games. "I'm really impressed ya know half those, Caramel." he added with a smile, grabbing his own darts in between his teeth and heading off to the small table that marked the throw line, and he set his darts down on it.

"S'up to ya which one ya prefer." Muggo' said, waiting for her to make her choice. Both were fun games, and both required a lot of skill to do, unlike a game of three or five-oh-one, which just required you to know where to hit repeatedly.

[SteelEagle]

There had been grins shared by both that night, but as he mentioned the games Cricket and Fifty-One in 5's, Caramel had no doubt that the smile that cast itself on her face had a decidely sinister and hungry flavor to it. She tried desperately to contain it and after a few silent seconds, she managed to get the vicious smile reduced to a confident smirk. No, she wouldn't lay Crickets down on him just yet. She wanted a second date and pulling his heart out and crushing it in front of his face was one of the least successful courting methods she could think of. No, Crickets was right out.

"Fifty-One in 5's would be a good first game, Muggo'. You may go first- and please dear, be gentle. You may be impressed by my knowledge but you are the pub pony! Oh, the shame if you did a once-over on this simple farm mare," Caramel said with a snappy laugh as she trotted in behind Muggo' and took her darts in mouth. She was more than capable of holding her own in not only the game of darts but in eliciting laughs from herself. At least she thought she was rather comedic. The only thing that wasn't going to be comedy was how badly poor Muggo' was about to get run through by Caramel.

Poor Stallion; Tartarus hath no fury like a mare playing darts on a date!

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' noticed the rather mischievous, vicious smile and the equally mischievous smirk that came afterwards. All like she knew something he didn't about all of this. Was she a skilled dart player, perhaps? It would be interesting to see.

He laughed at what she said, smiling. "Oh, but I may be wrong, but somethin's tellin' me yer not tellin' me everythin'." he said with a chuckle. He grabbed the first dart in his mouth, turned his head to the side, and quickly turned it toward the dart board, letting the dart go. It sailed through the air and landed on a single 20, just barely outside the triple ring. The second dart went a little wider, hitting a single in the 18 slice. He had to aim carefully for the second one, lest his entire round go to waste. He launched the third dart, and it hit a single 2 with the same muffled 'thump' as the previous two.

"Eight points. Been a bit o' time." he said with a laugh, going to mark his score on the chalkboard next to the dartboard, then retrieving his darts and going to stand behind Caramel. "Not a bad first run. Well, ya seemed pretty confident in yerself, Caramel. Show me what ya got then." he said with a chuckle. He wasn't taunting her, instead he was genuinely curious to see if she really was that good at darts.

[SteelEagle]

Fifty-One in Five's was one of the fun games that a dart player could engage in. Depending on the players, it could take five minutes or an hour. Muggo'

seeemd to show some aptitude, so she didn't think they'd be there for too long. Eight points wasn't entirely too many but it was respectable. This wouldn't be a walk in the park, thank Celestia- playing Bumpkin could be frustrating if only because for all of her excitement and joy, she was somewhat clueless when it came to darts. Competition was the finest way to hone skills!

"Oh, not bad at all Muggo'. Let me see if I can show you how a real game of Fifty-One is played, sweetie," She said, confidently approaching the line with her darts in hoof. She placed two on the ground, looked at the board, and waited. It was vital that one took their time to prepare the shot, lest your strategy failed. She wanted to get ten points- four sets of ten followed by one of eleven was easy, reliable, yet somewhat difficult to repeat. It did allow a number of ways to get there, making it also easy to line up the first shot. The first dart shot out and pierced the board; 16. The second dart arched and slammed into the 20. She needed a fourteen. Caramel took a heavy breath and took aim and fired- and missed by an inch north, slamming into a 9. The total was forty-five, certainly not a bad number but somewhat annoying considering it left her behind her chosen pace. She sighed mightily.

"Drats. I was aiming for the fourteen there, but I gather one mustn't cry over spilled milk. Nine points is a decent start. Your turn, Muggo'," She said with a slightly annoyed sigh, not enjoying having missed at all.

[Snowshoe]

The green-coated Earth pony grinned, letting her take her shots. She was quite good, her shots fairly accurate. "Aye, not a bad start at all." he agreed with a smile. He caught the annoyed sigh and gave her a gentle one-legged hug around her neck. "Ah, don't beat yerself up. Just a fun game." he said with a smile. Still, it would be fun to win. To try and give himself the edge, he planned out a bold move as she grabbed her darts and marked her score. If he wanted to try and come out on top, he would need to get a great score. He also wanted to get his score mostly squared away early on...the 1 of the 51 would be a hard thing to get, and he didn't want to keep getting wasted rounds at the end trying to get it. He wanted to get 65, for a score of 13, which would bring him to a nice, even 21. From there, getting the three tens needed to bring it to 51 would be a little easier.

"Ya got quite the shot, if I say so meself. Play a lot o' darts on the farm?" he asked, genuinely interested in how she'd learned to play, and come to know so many games. He took his position and once she was clear, sent the first dart flying. A nice hit on single 5. The second shot was aimed at the double-ring for 20, knowing he had to get it, then another 20, for it all to count.

The second dart sailed through the air, and it shocked Muggo' that he actually managed to hit, but very nearly missed. The dart was just along the wire rim at the top of the double-ring. Confident, he went to toss the last dart, but again, it went off course, hitting firmly in the 1. "Oh, Celestia t'underin'..." he mumbled with a chuckle, heading up and marking a 0 under his last score and grabbing his darts. 46, not dividing cleanly by 5, meant his entire three darts were a scratch, and the set didn't count.

[SteelEagle]

Fifty-One in 5's was a difficult game at times when bad shots started to befall a player. Carefully laid out math and plans were easily undone when fate mocked you and took your hopes of accuracy and cruelly dashed them. Such was the fate that befell her date as he walked away with zero points. Perhaps in a different game, different age, with a different mare some mercy would be granted and he would find himself not statistically worse for the wear. This was not going to happen tonight, however, for Caramel had no intention of letting such easy prey off of the hook.

"Aww, too bad there, Muggo'. Getting a blank spot isn't going to impress me very much!" Caramel's laugh was boisterous and cocky, the shell of the farm-business mare cracking under her glee. Almost like a cat playing with an injured rodent, the thrill was much the same and she certainly felt the same coursing energy and predatory instinct. Sadly for her dart, there would be no heartstricken bleeding heart pet owner putting an end to the torture. Just the impact of darts. Thud. Thud. Thud.

The first had sliced through the air and beat into the ten spot, the second had pierced the shell of the fifteen, and her final dart had sailed straight and true to the twenty spot. The score was forty-five, giving her nine for the round. Not the greatest score, but consistency was as valuable a trait in this game as it was in real life. She marked her score in silence and grabbed her darts swiftly before that predatory smile eased naturally back onto her face as she moved past her date to allow Muggo' to mount his comeback.

"I do believe you need to get your rear in gear, Muggo'!" She laughed as she curled up behind him and watched his next round of darts with great, shining amusement damply visible in her eyes. If only this cat had claws.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale laughed, trotting back with his collected darts. "Well, I hope the next set's a little better then. Meanwhile, ya got me impressed still." he said, setting the darts on the table and trotting over to stand next to her while she took her shots. Thud, right in the ten. Thud, fifteen. Thud, twenty. A decent run, and a decent score to boot, the same nine as before, which put her in the lead by ten points. He had to find a safe yet slightly bold move that would get him either close to, or past, her score.

He smiled at her body language as she made her way back, the confident, almost predatory smirk, her occasional little taunts. It was interesting to say the least, not exactly what he'd expected, but not unliked. It was nice to know that she had a playful streak to her.

"Let's see what I can pull then." he said with a smile, getting a dart ready and stepping up to the line. He threw the first dart, and it sailed neatly into the single 20 zone with a muffled thump. The second could have pulled him far ahead, had he been luckier: the dart soared across the way, and for a moment, Muggo' swore he'd come ahead by a stroke of luck. The dart had been about to hit the triple ring in the 20 section, but the tip just glanced off the wire, causing the dart to thud into the standard single. Muggo', however, didn't see that, and let out a bit of a cheer.

"Ha! How's that for gettin' me rear in gear?" he said, turning his head to look at her with a mischievous smile. He threw the last dart, having it land cleanly in the 20 zone, and he trotted over to collect his darts. "Oh, thought that was a triple." he said as he retrieved the second dart, frowning a little. "Still, that's 12 points, which puts me at 20." he said with a smile, heading back to her.

"An' by the by, Caramel. We doin' this for fun, or does there goin' to be somethin' in it for the winner?" he teased with a chuckle.

[SteelEagle]

Muggo' was so pleased with his results, so confident in his potential comeback. It was so cute that he still thought he had a chance, unaware that even though he was ahead now, he was truly behind still since she had yet to take her turn and just as Celestia rose the sun, Caramel would score in a game. Consistency and experience counted in increasing intensity as the game continued. Once she knew how the darts moved and the minutia of the layout, poor stallion had about as much chance of victory as she had of becoming an opera singer. That is to say, none at all.

She clapped her hooves as he came back, smiling genuinely.

"Well done, Muggo'! Hopefully you can keep it up or else this game will be dreadfully boring, sweety," She said as she took her darts and before responding to his potential wager, launched her own darts and launched them in quick succession. The first landed in a triple fifteen with a crushing thud. Her second dart missed her intended target and limply hung to the three.

"Land's sakes!"

She very swiftly looked at the board and picked a target, her aim slow and concrete- the final dart pierced the double eleven spot.

"Total of seventy, or fourteen points. Not a bad day so far- at thirty two. As for the wager, oh...thinking something small, like the loser must do anything the winner says for a period of time starting when the winner decides it does?" She said with a smirk, walking back confidently. It was a wonderful bet- one of her go to ones. She had crushed Apple Bumpkin a few dozen times and knew just how useful such a bet could be. Who loved breakfast, lunch, and dinner in bed?

Caramel did, that's who.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' smiled right back at her, getting ready as she took her turn at the dart board. He thought he was going to make it when the dart struck three. Three was not usually something that would make the score divide evenly by five, meaning she'd lose the turn if she didn't pick her next target carefully. However, he could tell by the way she set herself facing the board that that's exactly what she was doing, and sure enough...right in the double eleven. Muggo' laughed. She'd managed to not only round her score off, but actually improve it better than if she'd just fired for another odd number. She put herself twelve points ahead of him. He chuckled as she took up his wager, nodding. "Sounds like a plan to me." he said simply, grabbing his darts and getting ready for his turn.

He launched the first dart, aiming to go for at least a 60-point score. It wasn't the greatest, but it would at least put him close. Especially if he could hit the triple 20, putting him high above her score. The first dart thudded into the 20 section, and he readied his next one.

Where he'd sworn he'd gotten a triple 20 the last round, this time was less wishful thinking, and more happening. Muggo's dart flew true, hitting just inside the small rectangle that formed the triple zone of the 20 slice on the board. He grinned. Eighty, which put him at thirty-six, and just ahead of her. The third dart sailed high, aimed for the double, but still thudded neatly into the 20. A hundred, giving him twenty points and a score of 40. Not bad, and ahead of her, though she would probably be able to beat it. Still, he was happy. "Well, that's not a bad bit nice at all. Puts me a bit ahead o' ya. I'd say that's me starn back in gear, aye?" he said with a chuckle, marking his score and retrieving his darts. Nevertheless, he had a feeling she was still going to win, which didn't bother him all that much. He'd rather a challenging game than having to balance between throwing the game and having her accuse him of it (and hurting her feelings) or having him win by a huge margin (to the same effect), like the last time he'd played darts with a mare.

[SteelEagle]

Let nopony deny that Muggo' had skills when it came to darts! He went big and whether he failed or succeeded, it was a little charming to see it happen. Better a bold stallion than one who constantly played it safe, even if defeat was his only avenue now. He was now too close for comfort and nineteen points was a completely reasonable number for her to get. Poor Muggo' would be sweeping her barn before the week was done.

"Not a bad go at it Muggo', not at all. By the way, how good are you at sweeping?" She asked mischievously as she took her position. Unlike the previous times, she stood there for a few second, dart in hoof, peering at the dart board intensely. She needed to win this round, which means she needed ninety-five points. She considered the possibilities and took a deep breath before launching her first dart, her eyes eating up the board and her aim slow and precise. The first dart sailed into her first target, the triple twenty.

"Sixty."

Second one hit the single twenty, Caramel licking her lips.

"Eighty. Hey, Muggo', do you think Tuesday would be a good day for you sweep my floor, do my dishes, rub my back, and-" She began as she considered the fifteen spot, focused herself on it, and fi-

"Hey ma'am, could you move?"

-The dart sailed on her, not missing the target by much, just enough. It hit the metal divide between numbers dead on, shifted, hit against the dart board sideways, and fell to the floor.

"What!?" Caramel jumped back from the stallion, who looked more than shocked.

"Uhh...I need to run this cord..." He waved the cord around, which didn't help matter.

"Yes, yes, of course," Caramel responded tersely as she observed the absolute failure of her last dart to achieve victory she sighed as she picked up her darts and trotted back.

"Eighty for sixteen, at forty-eight. You better thank Celestia that cord-colt over there came in when he did!" She laughed, though a tinge of slight frustration eked in. She didn't mind losing but she did mind losing due to a third party.

"As for me...I'm really good at sweeping."

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' chuckled. "Not too bad at it. Gotta maintain a respectable bar somehow, aye?" he joked. It was mostly true though, he did do a lot of the work on the upkeep, and occasionally, his seniormost employee, Meadow Runner, or one of his other employees to do so. He let out a low whistle of admiration when her first shot of the entire round struck the dartboard directly in the triple 20. He chuckled, nodding. "Aye. Tuesday just happens to be me day off." he teased, grinning at her and letting her take her second shot. Eighty points, which put her...well, nearly at her goal. He watched as she took aim for the last dart, and he figured he'd lost. She'd been that accurate up to now, and if everything went as it had before, the dart would sail neatly into the 15, getting her her 95 and her winning score. Instead, one of the stage hands had to come by with a cord, interrupting her shot and causing the dart to glance off the board and clatter to the ground. 48 points for her, and he only needed 11 to win. A simple 20, 20, and 15.

"Well, now I'm stuck as to what I should do." the green-coated stallion said with a chuckle and a sheepish smile. "Do I take me turn an' make a stellar comeback, beatin' ya but only because of somepony that couldn't just wait, or do I do the gentlecolt thing an' let ya take yer turn over, which guarantees I lose?" he said with a smile. He decided to go for the former...she'd fought hard, but he wasn't going to let the chance slip.

He took his stand and launched his darts. Twenty, twenty, fifteen, just as planned for him. "Forty-five divided by five, that's eleven, for fifty-one. Sorry, Caramel." he said with a smile, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Ya did great though. Really, I'd never played against somepony like ya." he said sincerely. She had skill, and lots of it to boot, but sometimes, it was just a bit of luck that determined the outcome of events. "I'd be more than happy to take ya on at a game of yer choice, if ya'd like to go again. We can even hold off on the wager until the rematch if ya'd like. Otherwise, I think the band might be ready to play." he said with a smile, hoping she didn't take it too hard. Just to show there were no hard feelings, and that it was, after all, just a game that they could always play again, he hugged her with one of his forelegs. "An' by the by, if we aren't takin' a rematch, I can always use a good back rub after a long day o' work..." he teased.

[SteelEagle]

As Muggo' slowly but surely marched towards his victory, Caramel could only imagine the beatific victory that had been denied by that stage hand. She wasn't an entirely unsportsmanlike mare but she hated losing, and hated losing more so due to interruptions and pure chance rather than getting soundly trounced. She nonetheless gave a laugh as he won and with playful arrogance hugged her and hinted towards a back rub. If only she could have gotten that back rub, such relief after the day was denied by that stage hand. She was smelling a conspiracy; surely that was Muggo's stage hand!

"Oh Muggo', we'll have a second go at it after the band, for sure. This time, you can't send one of your stage hand lackeys to interrupt me! Besides, you had one more turn than I. You won by luck, sweety," She shot back playfully as she imagined that conservative playing style of hers would not make another appearance in the second game. Still, it was best to make sure they played when all possible commotion was finally put down so she could focus her efforts on redoubling the stakes of her previous defeat.

"But until then, I'm always available for that back rub. When's the-" Caramel began asking about the band, then the answer came from a source that was not the stallion in front of her.

"Hey hey hey! Y'all ready?"

[Snowshoe]

"Just pure happenstance, me dear. I got no stage-colts on the books." Muggo' Ale said with a chuckle. It was true, he didn't. Just pure bad luck, unfortunately. He was clearing the score off the board and setting the darts back in the holder on the side of the board when she began to ask about when the band was going to start up. He turned around to hear the tail end of her question and answer, when the stallion on stage answered for her. With a smile he trotted over to his date.

"Want to start dancin' right away, or sit down for a bit?" he asked, heading toward the stage, and the dance floor. He didn't know if she was the type to get right into it, or wait to see what kind of music the stallion would play first. He would admit that he himself didn't know what the musician played, besides, well, country music. He had his own silent question answered shortly after when the musician started to play. The song started out slow, but after a short few intro lines, it ended up relatively fast paced song, listing off the many cities the stallion had visited.

"I was tottin' my pack along a dusty Appleloosan road...when along came a wagon with a high and canvas covered load..."

[SteelEagle]

Country music wasn't her favorite flavor when it came to food for the soul, the strings of an acoustic guitar building softly being audibly pleasing but emotionally for her lacking in resonance. Still, she could vaguely recall from the recesses of her memory this country star's name and it turned out for good reason. He was highly skilled and his band was very much behind him and the tempo built up splendidly. It was a good song, though the lyrics didn't speak to her personally and the style was not of her own choosing. Still, it was a palatable precursor to Caravan and their swing.

She smiled at her date and gave him a re-assuring nuzzle.

"I think we'll sit for now. Must save the dance muscles for the swing band, my dear!" She whispered so as to not offend anypony who was ready to exercise those very muscles for the country star. Around them, the crowd came alive for the music, the singer recounting his travels across the nation until he came across a specific and noted caravan.

"Out stepped a sight so forever fair, blonde-mane and well-toned tail mare..."

Ahh. It was a love song. Quaint.

"Odds that this ends in heartbreak, Muggo'?"

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale smiled at her nuzzle and nodded, finding a place to sit down near enough that they could watch the musician play, and relax a little. He quite enjoyed the stallion's music, though he'd never been one for country music all that much. Which was strange, given his passion for Hoofington sea shanties, many of which he knew by heart, and many far too rude for pleasant company (but such was the nature of the sailors that invented them). It was almost the same thing, he realized. Folk tunes loved by many, usually rather simple in both lyircal style and content. It actually made him stop and try and think as to why he didn't listen to more country music.

He was brought back from his thoughts by Caramel's voice, and he grinned. "If I know me country music, one o' two things'll happen. He either gets heartbroken an' gets over it rather fast, or they got together again in the end." he whispered back, a soft chuckle following it. That seemed to be a common theme with these songs.

[by the way, if I'm not giving you enough to work with, just tell me and I'll add more.]

[SteelEagle]

Caramel had to admit that she didn't even consider the second option but for a brief, fleeting moment when she first hear mentions of the mare. Indeed, Muggo' was entirely correct considering country music as a rather enormous amount of it concerned someone travelling around the land and meeting a mare or stallion- on rare occassions, even both. Then they would have their heart broken by the experience or it would be the one with whom they would eventually marry. It was a bit trite but she happened to enjoy many trite things; it was simply the style of music that did not appeal to her for the greater whole. Still, he was a talented musician and as the song continued, she was willing to lose herself momentarily in the music.

It was good for what it was, the temp increasing subtly as the song continued. He apparently fell in love with her so quickly that the next day as he recovered from a night of romantic overtures, he bemoaned the fact that he had to continue traveling. They kept in touch through letters, but as time went on they started to lose touch until finally the letters stopped. The tempo slowed with the letters. During his next trip to the town they had met, she was married with another stallion. He then launched into the refrain and eventually the opening lines of the song, with the tempo the same as the start. Well-crafted song, to be sure, and the song ended with the applause of the audience. Caramel had no problem adding her own clapping to the mix.

"Not bad," Caramel whispered to her date as she clapped, hooves anxious for some action.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale let himself get a little lost in the music, idly tapping his left forehoof against the table for a few short moments at one point, timed to the beat of the song. He couldn't help it, it was a rather catchy tune. When the song ended, he, like Caramel and the others, clapped. The stallion was definitely talented, and while the song itself wasn't something he'd listen to on a record, he had to admit it was quite well done.

"Aye." he agreed in a whisper of his own. Not bad at all. Once the clapping died down the stallion started up another song, one in a different style, and one that Muggo' happened to know. It had been taught to him by a musician that had passed through. And, much like the song before it, it was about a mare, although this one was a little more simple: a more traditional folk staple, and a lot more cheery in theme.

"Hey, I got a gal, at the head of a creek, an' I'm goin' up to see her, 'bout three times a week..." Muggo' caught himself unintentionally singing along, though very quietly and to himself to keep from disturbing anyone (especially the musician). He smiled sheepishly to himself when he realized what he was doing, and stopped singing. Instead, he looked over at Caramel and leaned over to whisper to her.

"This one ends on a bit more o' a higher note." he assured her with a smile. Sure, maybe it was a bit of a spoiler, but hey. The stallion sang on about the mare who lived at the end of a small creek known as Ripple Creek, and how it was tough to cross, but the stallion always made the trip to be with his love. "An' because I know this one, I'm goin' to get some water. Can I get ya anythin' while I'm upstairs?" he asked, still in a whisper.

[Had to stretch my brain there to think of another country song to add to the "playlist" as it were. Old Kentucky folk song called "Cripple Creek", happened to have a dulcimer version of it bookmarked.]

[SteelEagle]

The music didn't change at all or at least that is what a mare whose knowledge of the genre was woefully inadequate would say. It was a symptom of the genre or a trope if one decided to use that term that the rhythm seemingly didn't change song to song until one got further in- and every song was seemingly about true love or devastating heartbreak that sent him into a spiral until he found a new mare or found solace in a pub. That was likely shortchanging both the excellent musician as well as the entire country genre but she was less than willing to invest the mental resources required to combat long-standing biases and stereotypes for the sake of a small selection of songs. Still, it was nice to see that her date knew enough of other forms of music that the lyrics to the song came easily to him. She nodded along with him politely.

"Secretly a country music fan, eh?" She teased and nudged him as the crowd sang along with the artist, the song recounting a successful if tumultuous romance between him and the mare he'd see three times a week. Just like before the temp changed in accordance with his voice and she had the distinct pleasure of noting that it moved in exact accordance with the previous shifts from the last song. It wasn't his fault, really, and to his credit it was a good tempo shift. Still, as the song started to wind down, she felt as though this multiple trick pony was content with showing just a single one for now. The next song was on track, though the one that followed certainly changed the pace: fast tempo from the start and more of a chuckle worthy recounting of a slightly terrible night on the town. It earned a few worthy nods fro Caramel, but as that wrapped up, a problem arose.

"Hey Muggo', any idea where the little filly's room is?" She asked, head lazily looking around as she gandered about in search of the fabled restroom.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale grinned as she teased him about knowing the song. "Just this one." he admitted with a laugh. He got off his chair with the intention of getting the water as he'd said when she asked her question. He pointed with a hoof toward the other end of the room. "Door on the left." he said with a smile, though he knew she'd be able to figure it out on her own once she got over there. With that he went upstairs to find the bar as busy as usual. Many had meandered a little closer to the stairs to listen to the musician while they enjoyed a few drinks with some friends. Muggo' stopped to greet a few regulars, then hopped over the bar to collect a tray and two glasses of water. With that done, the green-coated earth pony jumped back over the bar, gripped the tray in between practised teeth, and trotted back downstairs to their table. He set the tray down and sat back down in his chair, waiting for Caramel's return, though he'd probably end up going out to the little colt's room shortly himself. Speaking of that, he took a sip of water, then trotted off there himself. By the time he returned to his seat, and to Caramel Apple, the country music singer was just on the tail end of his last song and getting a rousing bit of applause from the audience.

Muggo' Ale looked over at his date as the stallion walked off, and a larger group got ready for their set. "So, ya a fan o' this band?" he asked casually. He'd heard them play a few times, and did quite enjoy their music.

[SteelEagle]

Relieving herself did more than just physically alieve her of commonly held issues. She was able to decompress from the night's events, the date that went well enough to be extended beyond the planned single-dinner experience, the nervousness, nice still, negligibly annoying country singer. It had gone off rather well and she was pleasantly surprised that the stallion wasn't making a fool of himself. She was more than willing to cut most stallions some slack but previous experiences had taught her to keep expectations low. He had easily leapt over those low bars and on the whole her date had gone off without even the smallest hitch- well, that they had control over. What mannerisms given to her at birth precluded her from operating well in crowds were beyond her control to show and his ability to stop from happening. Well, they could just always avoid crowds but that was unlikely given their situation.

She eventually trotted out of the little filly's room and back downstairs, the packed bar showing plain that the event of the night was a grand success. She slithered her way past the long lines and well-stocked ponies until she could finally see her date preparing himself before the stage. Like any good stallion, he was prepared with beverages. She moved into position next to him as silently as she could- oh wait, that wasn't Muggo'. That was somepony else. She silently moved away just as Muggo' appeared next to her and asked a question which was quickly and excitedly answered.

"Oh yes. They're one of the few bands that I can shake my flank to, for sure!" She said, absentmindedly shaking her flank as she spoke, watching the band on stage set-up.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale was nearby and couldn't help but grin when she accidentally stepped up to the wrong stallion. "I can see how ya can make that mistake, he's quite a good lookin' b'y, like meself." he joked, the warm smile on his face showing that he found it genuinely a little amusing, and he wasn't trying to make her feel bad, or be mean or anything like that. Just a playful tease.

He grinned when she absently gave her flank a bit of a shake while she spoke. "Well, ya talk a lot about dancin'. If yer as good as y'are at dancin' as y'are at darts, I think ya might wear me right out." he pointed out. She was quite skilled at darts, and that game was a lot easier to play than dancing to what was probably going to be fast paced swing music. Oh well, he'd manage, somehow. Muggo' wasn't that old, despite his grey mane.

He sat down at the table and took a sip from his glass of water, figuring he'd probably need most of that water after the dancing was over. The band was nearly set up, and their singer, a bright blue mare, was up at the front of the stage getting the crowd riled up as the rest got their instruments set up. The musicians started to play, one of the unicorns in the back plucking at a large double-bass and setting up a tempo. Muggo' got down from his chair and smiled, motioning with his head toward the dance floor and heading with his date over to it. The mare on the stage grinned and started tapping her hooves to the fast rhythm of the song.

'Clear the way boys, the lady has arrived. All you handsome fellas, please wait for me to the right. Don't keep me waiting, oooh, thank you for the drink, it's quarter past eleven, I'm not in the mood to think...'

Clearly, many of the stallions in the audience were here more for the mare on stage than the rest of her band, based on the cheers, which just made Muggo' grin as he started to move along to the beat of the song, tapping his own hooves on the wooden dance floor.

[SteelEagle]

Caravan was a highly popular band. From Roam to Appleloosa they played to small crowds out of their sheer will to do so, unlike some bands like Germanic Blockade and Snails and Mail who were forced into small venues thanks to a string of increasingly poor decisions. No, Caravan was a successful band for many reasons- the stallions loved the singer and mares loved the groove that caravan provided so easily. She had first stumbled upon them a few years ago when they were passing through the countryside and stopped by for some apples. Nice ponies, wonderful musicians, and the best genre of music in the world combined to form one of her favorite bands.

The music started up with verve and within about ten seconds, Caravan was in full swing and flanks were starting to shake all around. It was the only proper response and Caramel felt herself moving without thought lightly to it. Before she made too much of a fool of herself, she took back control as the tempo changed and looked swiftly to her date, a gleam in her eyes.

"Muggo', time to own the dance floor. Come!" Caramel blasted out as the music grew in volume, biting him gently on the ear and pulling him coyly to the dance floor. She knew she had the moves but Muggo'? Muggo' was being tested out, like any proper date that ended up at what amounted to a swing dance. No time for passivity tonight, as the dance was on, the drinks were flowing, and the party was about to get started.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' grinned. If she hadn't already impressed him enough, her coy little bite to his ear to drag him out to the floor was something that would have endeared him rather quickly. There was just something about it that couldn't help but make him grin. It was cute and rather playful.

"Let's see if I can keep up then." he said with a grin. He was sure he could, though he was better at darts than he was dancing if he had to admit it. His hooves tapped along the wooden face floor as he faced his date, first just tapping and swaying along to the beat of the song, but eventually following the lead of both Caramel Apple, and the other males in the audience (those that weren't drooling over the singer, of course), he was truly dancing along to the song.

"Mr. Band Leader, the arrangement has to change, gimme something, light it up, won'tcha let the boogie start to play?"

Muggo' Ale's hooves worked quickly, crossing around each other, hooves weaving in and out as he danced to the fast swing song. He wasn't as elegant as the other dancers, nor probably as creative when it came to dancing, but his hooves weren't getting mixed up and he was holding up surprisingly well for claiming to not be the greatest of dancers. He grinned and sort of slid across the floor to end up next to Caramel. "How's that? Doin' alright so far?" he asked with a grin, not a sign of being tired out yet. He only looked old, after all.

[SteelEagle]

What in the name of Celestia's good grace was Muggo' Ale doing?

Caramel wasn't some dancing snob pony with impeccable standards of quality or precision. Nor was she some ill-educated sloth who found the stomping of hooves to an overlying beat to be aurally soothing. What she was was a mare who knew what a good dance was and how to dance a good dance, and whatever it was that Muggo' was doing was the opposite of all that. It made her eyes bleed and soul screech with the pain of a thousand ponies watching a thousand caterpillars consume a thousand apple trees. And the scary thing was that judging by the look on his face, poor Muggo' saw little ill with his performance. He wasn't as bad as some others, but then again, caramel saw a hooffull of stallions she'd have forcibly escorted from the premises if she were in charge.

She shook her head defiantly, angrily even, and put one hoof up to his shoulders and placed it firmly on there as she continued to shake her head.

"No. Stop. No more dancing from you," Caramel said without even the slightest hint of joy in her, like a mother who wasn't angry at her son but rather just very disappointed. Muggo's dancing lacked passion, creativity, fun. It was mechanically sound but she was an orchard pony who viewed machines as just tools. If she wanted to date a tool there were options out there. She wanted a pony.

"Your dancing lacks excitement, Muggo! Don't be a machine, don't be afraid to make some mistakes in the name of a good dance!" She yelled with a smile as the tempo grew and she along with it, her flank changing in ninety degree angles as she was still pivoted on her date.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale's expression turned to a sheepish smile. If she was like a mother disappointed in her son, well, he was the son embarrassed about it. He took the admonishing and nodded. "Sorry, but yer gunna have to give me a bit more than that." he said, though he watched her own dancing to try and get an idea of what she meant exactly. Make some mistakes, be exciting...he kept to a basic kind of shifting, hoof-tapping dance to keep himself moving while he looked around the room, trying to get a feel for what Caramel Apple meant. He didn't want to end up embarrassing her again, and ruining part of the date on account of his bad dancing. He thought he figured it out...less following others, and more of letting himself take over.

He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the music now more than just the beat and what others were doing. Now his hooves, flank, and entire body started moving a little differently. More fluidly, for one thing. And now as different parts of the song played, from different instruments, that affected how he moved, instead of just the notes from the bass and the general tempo of the song.

The bartender opened his eyes, looking at Caramel. His new dancing was a bit rough at first, with a couple mistakes and mis-steps, but over all was a lot more on the creative side. A lot more "him", as it were. "Doin' a bit better?" he asked. In his mind at least, he was doing a lot better than before. Still room for improvement, though. "I think ya might have to give me some dance lessons, though." he added with a grin.