A Night on the Town [Sturmmann and SteelEagle]

[SteelEagle]

No one could fault Muggo' for his relative lack of dancing skill. He wasn't somepony given to dating all that often based on what she had seen and if stallions danced for any cause, it was to impress a mare. However, just because he was being given leeway did not excuse his attitude, for he had none of the excited enthusiasm that marked a dancer of talent and skill. She would give him a break for she could tell he was given it his Equestrian best and there was little else she could ask of him. Well, that and be a better dancer but such silliness had to be discarded outright at this juncture. Abject mediocrity was a reasonable goal in this case and she would have him strive to reach that even if it took all night.

He was showing some improvement, breaking from the robotic dancing of his peers in a bold move to look like a slightly more interesting foal than your average pony did. He was starting to find himself; it was just a shame that he found Muggo' Ale! That thought made her chuckle as she continued her own dance, which showed vastly more experience. She was light on her hooves and comfortable in her own fur, facets which lent themselves well to both foal making and good dancing. She got better as the beat got faster and as the music started to wind up towards the climax. When it hit, she flowed with it, and from it into him, finishing up holding his top with a smile.

"Maybe you'll get dance lessons. You're getting better, though...still dancin' like a griffin but that's okay, you can-" She continued talking but was cut off by the roar of the crowd who stomped their hooves in appreciation and chanted their approval to the band, whose groove had just gotten started for the night.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale was happy that he'd made some kind of improvement, though he could tell by his date's reaction that he still wasn't quite getting it. Oh well. Like perfecting a brew or, well, anything else, it took time, practice, and effort to figure it out. Enough dates out to shows like this, or just practice dancing, and he'd be as light on his hooves as any professional. He did pride himself on the fact that, at least, he wasn't the red-coated stallion off to the side a ways, that had managed to get his hooves tangled up in a drunken attempt to show off to a mare, and fell to the floor. He wasn't the best, but at least he was better than that.

He smiled back at Caramel. "Hey, at this point, that's a compliment." he said with a laugh. He couldn't help but chuckle as the crowd drowned out the rest of what she was saying in a roar of noise as the mare on stage took a bow. But they weren't done, far from it, and before long the mare was singing again, this time attracting even more love from the stallions in the crowd by singing in Fancy while her band picked up again, a fast, swinging beat.

Once the crowd died down and was replaced by just the song, it was relatively quieter, enough for them to speak again, if they raised their voice enough. "Didn't catch that last bit, me dear. Ya complimentin' me on me dancin'?" he teased with a grin, waiting to see what she was going to do for this next song. Maybe if he played off her dancing, took her lead, it would improve him a bit more.

[SteelEagle]

Stallions could be so incredibly dense when it came to compliments or the mareish art of gently informing them that for the greater good of all, they needed to stop what they were doing. Muggo' had heart, but he also had four left hooves. A valiant effort was enough for her and all she could do as the music started to die finally and he looked hopeful was give him a nod and a smile. A nod and a smile. She wasn't going to lie completely as he had shown improvement, but there was no compliments coming for him either. No, it wasn't a lie.

"Oh, yes, of course it's a...compliment...of course it is, Muggo'. Sweetie?" She offered up with a negligent smile as the crowd clapped some more. The lead singer approached the mic during a lull and nodded towards the crowds.

"Well well, I gotta say this crowd definitely has some ENERGY!"

A roar of approval, including from Caramel who stomped her approval with abandon.

"I love you!" A slightly overweight stallion nearby in glasses launched his two front hooves onto the platform before being pulled back into the crowd by those surrounding him. Not security, just equally enamored stallions who immediately decided that a mare of such stature shouldn't have to deal with a rather unattractive member of the species.

"Well, I love you too!" She responded kindly, having had to deal with probably a few hundred of those types a month. It was comforting to hear for the overweight one who was currently being wailed on by a small pack of inebriated stallions.

"So, what song should we play next, eh?" She continued, nearly inhaling the mic.

"Clash! Clash!"

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale simply laughed at Caramel's words. He had just been kidding around, for the most part. He smiled back at her and looked up at the stage as the crowd roared. He politely stomped his hooves with the rest of the crowd in applause for the energetic swing band, unable to help but let out a little snort of laughter at the poor stallion getting hauled away. Poor guy was probably rather inebriated, and probably didn't get much in the way of mares. Any mirth quickly died down when he noticed the guy seemed to be taking a beating from the other stallions.

"Pardon me for a moment. Still me bar, even if I'm off for the night." he apologized to Caramel, disappearing into the crowd to tell off the stallions, threatening to kick them out should they disrupt anything else. He helped the overweight stallion back to his hooves, then trotted back over to Caramel Apple.

"Sorry 'bout that. Nopony else seemed to be interested in helpin'." he said when he'd returned. He would have let it go if the stallions had just dragged the other one away, but it had escalated a bit. "Where were we? Somethin' about ya coachin' me a little?" he asked with a grin. Of course, it hadn't been what they were talking about, but his date seemed to put quite a bit of stock into dancing ability, and hadn't seemed very impressed with his initial performance. He didn't want to make a fool of himself, so while he was improving on his own, getting some help would probably go a long way, too.

[SteelEagle]

Caramel appreciated a stallion who knew when his authority was in play and wasn't afraid to exercise it for the benefit of others. It was a sign that unlike some who used the trappings of power or authority to take away, he would use to give. She was well-acquanted with such situations, being the driving force behind Tiny Apple Valley and all, and had dealt with a huge array of stallions and mares of all types. In her experience, the most unpleasant of them all were those with the power and means to do good who instead sought little other than the fulfillment of base desires of power and respect. A sad state of affairs, it was. It was nice to see that some in that position used it for the benefit of others. Muggo' got a reward for his actions, a nice smooch on the cheeck as he came back. Then it was back to discussion regarding the true event of the evening, his dancing. Or flailing. Or combination thereof.

"At a later date, perhaps," She offered with a grin before nodding towards the overweight stallion who looked a bit woozy. Poor colt, a nerd at heart. Or just an overweight fancolt of the band. Either way, he was saved the memory of tonight's event by the intervention of Muggo', though whether that was a positive or negative in his mind was up for debate.

The moment was broken by a sudden string of the guitar, crushing of the drum set, and the start of a badflank bass and techno line.

"Clash, honeeeeeeeeeey...." and then the techno-dance music started. Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh yeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaahhhh!

Until just as quickly as it started, it ended as the speakers crackled and shut off.

[Snowshoe]

"Ah, so there will be another date." Muggo' Ale joked. He knew exactly what she'd meant by 'later date', he was just teasing her. The green-coated earth pony looked back at the stage as the band got ready to play their next song. Before they could even get the song properly started up, a loud crackle burst over the speakers as they both died. Muggo' winced a bit, more from the sudden, harsh sound of the crackle than anything else. Immediately, two of the band's stage-hooves were on stage, trying to fix the problem. As soon as they opened the back of the one to examine the magi-tech workings inside, however, there was a loud pop, and a small flame from the back, causing a few people nearest to the speaker to gasp in fright. The flame was quickly put out and the broken speakers hauled off stage.

The band seemed undeterred, however, in the face of their disappointed-looking fans. With their finale, which had been comprised of most of their louder, more techno-based songs, unable to be played properly "unplugged," they were quick to respond, able to change the song into something resembling a swingy power-ballad, keeping the same style of the song but now keeping to only their physical instruments and the singer's voice. It wasn't nearly the same but close enough to sate the masses, though instead of trying to stretch it further, their next song was changed to one of their slower, jazzier numbers. Rather than embarrass himself further, Muggo' kept the dancing during the first song to a more basic kind of thing, just moving and swaying a little to the music. Once the slower song came around, however, he offered a hoof to Caramel Apple.

"Now this I can do." he assured her.

[SteelEagle]

It was nice to see that the bar was equipped well enough to respond to sudden crises. She had seen activities of equal mirth brought low by the ineffective response of the hosts when problems naturally arose. That was the unsung requirement of authority, responding to situations out of control or unexpected. he had done it well this night and while it did not tip the balance- not that one needed to be tipped- it did help make her believe that he was a stallion of worthwhile ability and intelligence. Intelligence and ability were attractive traits in anypony.

The song slowed and the dancing that followed seemed more Muggo's style. Caramel held no ill will towards this flavor of dance but it lacked the essential groove and excitement that made dancing thrilling. Still, he had done what he must to entertain her and now it was her turn. She smiled and let him lead as the music played well to the slow dance that overtook the once hopping scene. It was a tad disappointing, but she gathered that there was little she could do at such a juncture beyond appreciate the fact that he did not have four left hooves when he was allowed to dance slowly. Any sign of progress was truly wonderful.

The little concert continued for a little while longer, but the band had been put into a truly effective bind. They were a swinging electric party band, not some jazz group and did not have the playlist to support the current situation. They played a few songs, made a few jokes, smiled their professionally crafted and honed smiles, then promptly packed it up and made their way outside. A few despnate stallions, including the poor fellow with the glasses, trotted out for more discussion time, But Caramel had no time for that, for her mind was on more pressing matters. Her date, for the most part.

"Well, that was highly unexpected, Muggo'. What are you thinkin'?"

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale was surprised by the band. Quite a few would have just packed it up after a few apologies. But despite not playing their standard fare Caravan was able to mostly salvage the night, and still keep the audience entertained. He'd have to remember to try and bring them back to the bar again one day. With the show over and the crowd slowly dispersing, it was easier to talk. By the time Caramel Apple asked her question, the room was half empty, with most of the ponies staying behind to either chat at one of the tables, or play one of the games.

"Unexpected, but they managed to pull it off." he agreed. As for what he was thinking, he shrugged a bit. "I'm thinkin' that I happen to be out o' ideas." he admitted with a sheepish smile. "An' that it's gettin' a little on the later side. So I'm thinkin', how about I walk ya home, unless ya got other plans?" he offered with a smile. He truly was out of ideas, but figured dinner, a few drinks, a tough game of darts, and a pair of short concerts was enough for a first date. It wasn't entirely that he lacked in creativity, and more that at that hour of the night, there was little else to do. Besides, it was probably a bit of a walk to her farm from here, giving them time to talk, or get inspired to do something else along the way.

[SteelEagle]

Caramel was a simple mare with simple desires and wishes that were aided by a stiff spine and strong legs. This meant several things were as true about her as they could be about anypony else. First and foremost, she was not some weakling in need of a strong stallion to keep her safe during her travels, a colt to cuddle when the storms raged and the lightning crashed down around her in their thin and sister strings of light. She respected mares of that sort as she doubted they had any more control over their weaknesses than she had over hers, but it did leave a sour taste in her mouth when some implied that as a mare she was in need of some hero. Her simple-mindedness had little room for anything other than the quickest and most efficient route to and from her home and that was alone, unaided nor slowed. It was just one desire, however.

Another and all together conflicting desire of hers was one that demanded the honor and respect owed a lady. It had nothing to do with her being weak or him being strong, she a mare and he a stallion. It was entirely about proper dating etiquette; how rude would it be for a stallion to just leave a mare or a mare leave a stallion at a bar? Even on the best of times it was at best disappointing and at worst highly disrespectful. Disrespect was something she didn't peddle in and wouldn't allow others in her sphere of influence to partake in, regardless of circumstances. Indeed, it wasn't about mares, stallions, dating, strengths or personal beliefs. It was about allowing her date the opportunity to show her respect by walking her home, and giving her date the chance to show that he was worthy of consideration. Win-win all around, she believed.

"Yes, that sounds like a fantastic idea, Muggo'," Caramel asked as she wormed one of her hooves in with one of his and started walking.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale smiled when she put her hoof in his, and he made his way to the stairs. He'd suggested walking her home, not out of a want to be some kind of protector for her, because he had no doubt in his mind that she was more than able to take care of herself. It was, instead, a politeness thing. He could have easily said 'Well that was fun, talk to you later' and headed upstairs to his apartment. But, in his mind, that would be incredibly rude, so he decided they could walk, maybe talk a bit more before ending their date. Out the front doors into the street they went, and he started to walk. There really was only one direction to go: looking up one side of the street, the harbour could be seen, while the other end led out of the city. Besides, he had an idea where her farm was, having recognized it after his father mentioned that's where he bought their apples from.

The green-coated Earth pony looked over at her after a few moments of silence. "I've got to say, I had quite a lot o' fun." he admitted with a smile. He wasn't usually good at dating, but he figured this one had gone off without a hitch, for the most part. "An' I'm wonderin' if perhaps there'd be a second date on the horizon, unless yer tired o' me already." he added with a chuckle.

[SteelEagle]

You could almost taste the difference in the air between the city and the farms that surrounded it. It was heavier, thicker, almost rude in how it treated the oxygen in its domain. It didn't seem to have an ounce of kindness or consideration to share and fought with its fellows for elbow space in the sky above, let alone when competing with the throngs below. It reminded Caramel of the bar, the crowds, the excitement and the unease that came with them. Perhaps it was this sort of air even more than anything else that so sincerely unenrved her and stopped her from engaging with those around her as joyfully as she would have liked, sending her to the depths of personal unease with the least of pushes. Combined with the sea-air that cooled it and allowed it to settle in her lungs, and she was happy to be rid of the city and all of its lung-focused attacks. She would welcome the rural air in all of its boring cleanliness, lacking in excitement just as easily as it provided what it said it would and little else.

Muggo' proved his worth by walking with her, stallion and mare completing the picture of a perfect date night as they ventured further and further from the bar. It was easy enough to see and even easier to feel as the aura around them settled. They weren't a couple given to the air of excitement or seeking out controversy and scandal. They were content with being bored and enjoying the silence that came with confidence, and that was worth a thousand words more than the greatest of pictures. Was it love? Perhaps. Perhaps it was instead just a mare content with a night well-lived free of regret or commitment. Maybe it didn't matter- it surely didn't, now that she gave voice to her thoughts and put power behind them. He had done well the whole night, taki g her playful jabs and expertly playing off of his own foibles and failure. It took a good stallion and a better date to do that and Muggo' had earned more points through failure than he had through any of his successes.

But that didn't mean she was going to make it easy on him.

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that, Muggo'," She said, her face grim and not betraying her inner smirk. "I'm not sure of that at all. You made a few mistakes," She had venom in those words, needing to go the extr mile to keep the act up as they walked and walked and walked through the dying city.

[Snowshoe]

While he waited for his answer the stallion looked up at the sky for a moment. It was a beautiful, crystal clear night. A silent thanks went out to the Princess who made it possible, then he looked back at Caramel Apple while she spoke. He took a moment to figure out what he'd say.

He may not be perfect when it came to dating or mares, but if there was one thing he was good at, was reading ponies. Had he not been, he might have fallen for her joke...she had an absolutely perfect poker face, and had actually come close to pulling it off. But she seemed relaxed while she was walking, and they were walking side by side and rather close...not to mention they'd both been enjoying themselves not a few minutes previous.

Trusting in his instincts the bartender grinned. "Yeah, that's true." he agreed. "But isn't there a margin o' error? I'd say me grade has to at least be a pass, despite all that." he pointed out. "Or, if ya'd rather, I can put ya in touch with the poor b'y who tried to jump up on stage earlier, or one o' the other stallions there." he added with another grin, this one carrying a hint of mischief.

"An' by the by, it's a little easier to pull off the grim an' disappointed look when you're not still walkin' hoof-in-hoof with me." he pointed out after a short pause, grinning and taking the opportunity to give her a playful little bump. "It's the little things, an' all that." He may not be the smartest stallion around, but Muggo' was nothing if not observant of things.

[SteelEagle]

Caramel sighed, shaking her head and casting a glance to the ground. She wished she was a better liar but being honest was something every Apple pony had at the very least pressed like an iron into the very essence of their being. It was hard to go against such an upbringing for reasons trite and entirely comedic, and the result had been in hindsight easy to see. He was astute and aware enough to see through her and she was not a good liar: Things were determined from the start. She was to be the ineffectual and laughably inferior liar for the evening and he the valiant knight of truth who with his sword of justice vanquished the aura od deceit. It was a highly romantic image that had popped into her mind on the spot. Filly, you gotta get rid of all the romance novels you have. All of them.

Caramel laughed.

"Oh, Muggo', you have to indulge a mare in her silly little games to properly court her. Shame on you for calling a mare out on her bluff! Didn't your mother teach you anything?" She asked with an exaggerated flourish, the two continuing their gentle stroll. After a few more moments, she smiled.

"You did fine, Muggo'. The only thing stopping a second date is a truly hectic schedule."

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale smiled at what she said, laughing at her exaggerated little flourish. When she mentioned the busy schedule, he chuckled. "Oof. I know all about that." he said, quite sincerely. He was up every morning rather early, after being up late every night. He took Mondays and Tuesdays off, as they were days when few ponies stopped by at the bar. It made for a rather hectic lifestyle, but he wouldn't change a thing about it. Not now, and probably not ever.

"I might just have to drop by yer farm one day an' force yer siblin's to let ya go for a few hours." he joked. He planned on dropping by one day anyways, just to see what the farm was like, and say hi.

He was quiet for a few minutes, letting a comfortable silence fall between them. "Now this is one heck of a beautiful night. Not a bad bit nice, if I say so meself." he commented after a few moments. Not to break the silence because he felt it was getting too quiet...he was fine with the quiet, actually. He just felt like making the comment. "Would bet it looks a bit better from your end o' town than mine, though." he added after a moment. Fillydelphia's street lamps stayed lit most of the night, their oil reserves usually topped off early in the morning after they were put out. Combined with the fact some ponies worked late in the busier sections of town, and there was always just enough light around to make it tough to see every star in the sky.

[SteelEagle]

They continued the walk through the city, the smells of the harbor eagerly fading away and the countryside started its tantalizing call to her. She wasn't the most attached to the earth of all her family but even she, with her desires for the city and tastes more refined, could hardly resist the warm glow of her property. She couldn't blame him for wanting to see the moon's beauty from the country; as beautiful as the city was, it devastated the night sky. From her house the sky was clear and inviting while a certain clouding of light smeared it from the city. Yes, he would have to see it from her house- not this night, but eventually. She allowed herself to fall deeper into him and nodded.

"Yes, it does. You'll see it, someday. Perhaps soon," She offered as the pair continued. She nodded along and laughed; they did have a few similarities in terms of structure and business schedules. They both had family to overcome in the name of free time, it seemed. She allowed a few more minutes to pass and they were now starting to probe the very end of the city.

"Yes, someday soon...when the harvest isn't bearing down on me and the family's finances not in such a state of affairs. That will be a wonderful time for a second date, perhaps?"

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale always found the edges of town the most interesting, with their blending of the country and the city lifestyles. The buildings slowly started to get further and further apart, and shorter, too. No more of the multi-storey buildings of the business district, replaced instead by one or two storey homes and smaller businesses, and here and there a tiny farm sprouted up, mostly personal things or for small scale specialty stores. Here, on the transitional area of Fillydelphia, the soft breeze off the plains and hills outside in the country rolled in, mixing the clean, crisp smell of the countryside with the warm, smoky air of the city, making it a truly unique place. Muggo' didn't get to spend too much time out this way, and he promised himself he would after this.

"Aye, that sounds like a perfect time," he agreed with a warm smile. It was tough to get free time...he was working early in the morning to late at night, all the time, be it cleaning or preparing for the day, or running the lunch, dinner, and evening rushes. On occasion he could pass the buck onto his seniormost employee, or his father, but he usually reserved that for long term things, like his occasional adventures that his friends dragged him out on. For the most part though he was stuck, but as he'd often say, he'd never choose to have it any other way.

"Ya got problems with the farm's finances?" he asked after a moment, that part having just consciously set in. "I mean, I know this date's settin' ya back a step or two on the paperwork, ya said as much earlier, but ya havin' problems?" he explained. He wanted to help, but then again, he had his own finances to take care of. Muggo' did give her a wry grin, however. "If it gets to be a bit much, I can drop a keg o' me best off for ya. Whatever yer poison is, from stout to cider to lager."

[SteelEagle]

You could always tell Tiny Apple Valley from the farms that surrounded it. Around it was a swirling ocean of chaos, a cornucopia of mismatched produce and trees, smells and colors that seemed perfectly designed to throw casually into the wind the promise that the area held for an intelligent farmer. Farms were categorized into four types depending on the amount of land they used up, and her fellow type three farms did not use their land wisely. Maybe they were just idiotic but it seemed just as likely that with such spoils laid before them they failed to plan properly. They either thought they had more land and they were informed too late of reality, or they were too frugal and had to hammer out ideas to fill the space. She was happy to say that Tiny Apple Valley was perfectly planned, perfectly spaced, and organized wonderfully. It stood out because it didn't try to stand out.

She could tell that they drew close when the apple trees that stood guard near the entrance could be seen lightly swaying in the soft breeze that accompanied the equally gently moonlight. She had a certain affinity for moonlight and ponies given to introspection or gentle natures were also popularly transfixed by it. It didn't hammer at every inch of you or force upon you any condition not already impacting it, just as a dear lamp on the dimmest setting accentuated the atmosphere rather than boldly changed it. This light was ill-suited to the jagged outlines of her fellow farms but it laid itself well on Tiny Apple Valley. Home of the Apple family finances, she glumly reminded herself as he replied to her foolish divulgence. As they neared the entrance, she gave a heavy, partially exasperated sigh.

"No, not really trouble, but you try sorting out paperwork and the finances when it seems as though a full half of your relatives can't read, write, or commit to simple math. I'll NEED your best by the time I'm in the thick of it," She said, slowing down at the entrance and smiling as she nuzzled him.

"It was a wonderful evening, Muggo'."

[Snowshoe]

The layout of the farms caught Muggo' Ale's attention immediately. Like a beacon of order in sea of chaos for the other farms around it. It was kind of funny to look at...the other farms looked like the farmers had just decided one day they wanted to grow things without really doing any research into the best way for doing that. Well, whatever floated their proverbial boat, or as his father would say, 'They's the b'ys that build the boat, we's the b'ys that sails 'er,' basically that they took care of their side, the farmers took care of their own, and neither bugged the other.

Caramel's farm was a bit different. It felt quite inviting, with its clean outlines for the orchards and the trees that swayed gently in the breeze. Gone was the occasional noises of continuing city life...it was dead quiet out here, except for the soft rustling of the trees.

She answered his question, and he couldn't help but chuckle a bit. At least all he had to deal with was his own writing. "I'll see what I can scrounge up for ya," he assured her, smiling warmly when she nuzzled him.

"Aye. Most fun I've had in a long time," he said with a smile. Muggo' wrapped his forehooves around her and gave her a hug, pulling away a bit. "Ya get some rest, an' try not to work yerself too hard, yeah?" He understood what it was like to be busy, but he understood the need to relax sometimes, too. "I'll keep in touch. Send a few letters or somethin'. Until then though..." he gave her a soft kiss, right on the lips. He didn't hold it for too long, still not perfect with this whole 'dating etiquette' thing. Oh well. He smiled as he pulled away. "Ya have a good night, Caramel. Sweet dreams an' all that."

[SteelEagle]

She wasn't a fan of the aggressively pushed and gently placed kiss, but it was nice to get anyway. A date that ended otherwise would be somewhat unusual considering how well it had went. She couldn't begrudge him that and couldn't deny that he had some experience and verve behind it and as such she returned the kiss just as quickly as he had given it, though it was more punctual and formal than it was passionate. After an extra few seconds, she pulled away. It had indeed been a magical night and against the backdrop of the entrance to her home she had little to say or impart upon him. Maybe she would send a letter or perhaps a new date would be swiftly ordained by the easing up of her schedule. Either way, it was not the end but rather simply the end of the beginning.

Plus, he'd send ale.

She pulled away from him and smiled, nodding her head knowingly as she turned and trotted away, deeper into the depths of her farm. Everything was in order as it should be and this set the mare's heart to ease. That was until she felt something askew and off not in the physical world but something off mentally. A quick search revealed the dubious and vile source of this personal discomfort. She remedied this immediately, throwing her head over her shoulders to cast a sideways glance at Muggo'.

"Scrounge up your best," was all she said and with that simple reply, she vanished into the darkness of Tiny Apple Valley.

(Exit)

[Snowshoe]

So Muggo' Ale hadn't messed up too terribly, given that she'd returned his kiss. He smiled and watched her heading back toward her farm. He had quite liked the evening, and very much enjoyed the time spent with this mare. The earth pony truly hoped their schedules would provide another opportunity for a date at some point.

He felt something, too. He wasn't sure what, just yet. Love was definitely not the proper word for it, given that they were on their first date, and he was long since passed the age where a single date brought on those feelings. But Muggo' did know he wanted to see her again, at some point.

She turned back and said just a few simple words, and he laughed, sweeping his hat from his head in a bit of a bow. "Only the best for ya," he assured her. He stuck the tweed bakersboy back on his head and turned to leave as she disappeared into the darkness of the orchard, and he made his way back to Fillydelphia.

He'd of course have to take the teasing abuse from his father that he'd had to resort to a matchmaking service, but he also had to admit, it had done a very admirable job, and worked to give him a great night. And who knows, it may lead to him finding his special somepony.

Time would tell, of course. Muggo' Ale just kept walking, though there was a subtle change in his body language, that showed how pleased he'd been with how things had gone. His head was a bit higher, his step a bit lighter. And as he passed one of the other farms, and its chaotic, unplanned outline, he started humming one of the sea shanties he knew, of which he always seemed to have one for any situation (even this one), eventually turning to quiet words.

"Yer friends all complain' that yer goin' insane, but the truth is that they're just afraid. An' he~ey, hey, somewhere...ya threw yer fear in the sea o' no cares..."

[And end. Quite the fun little RP, in my own opinion. Not sure how to want to handle it from here. Another topic eventually for a second date or something? Up to you.]