(Trottingham) Business in the off-season (open)

[Andifferous]

The weather was nice and sunny on this crisp cool day in Trottingham; one of the first days in fall, the town was already considerably quieter than it had been only a week ago, as most of the seasonal residents and vacationing ponies had started to leave for the coming winter. Nevertheless, it was a welcome change, transforming Trottingham from bustling vacation hotspot to sleepy lakeside town, and residents who stayed here year round enjoyed the more relaxed pace.

It had been a good summer for Semolina, and her little bakery had proven itself quite prosperous in its first season; many ponies both visiting and living in Trottingham seemed to enjoy stopping in every morning for a few slices of warm bread, or a fresh bagel. This morning was a quiet one though, the usual morning rush of ponies who wanted something to eat was greatly diminished, and regular business itself was rather slow. The slow day as beginning to take its toll on the baker mare.

The shop was small; the kitchen area took up about half of the front of the shop, divided from the rest by the large oak countertop. She hadn't bothered to put up a wall or divider to hide the kitchen, since the ability to watch the baking take place seemed to draw in more customers. The rest of the shop was occupied by a handful of small tables, for customers who wanted to sit and relax while they ate or waited for their orders. A few baskets sat in the front window, displaying some goods, while the rest of the breads neatly organized in a rack next to the kitchen area, on clear display for any customers. Decorations in the shop were sparse, but tasteful, and the warm aroma of baking bread hung perpetually in the air.

Semolina stretched a bit, looking around the empty shop as the clock struck noon. The shop was completely empty, all her orders were ready to go, and the regular stock of bread was finished, leaving her with nothing to do. With a bored sigh she sat behind the counter, resting her chin on the heavy oak, a bored look across her face. With a frown she blew a stray lock of hair that had chosen to settle in front of her eyes. She sat there for what seemed like hours, the dull ticking of the clock in the corner lulling her into an almost trance-like state.

Of course all of that was forgotten the instant the door was opened, the little bell on it jarring her back to reality. Happily she quickly sat up to greet her visitor with a broad smile.

(would like for this to be something simple; making friends, simple dayto-day adventure/shennanigans, ect)

[Xiee]

It was a nice quiet day as the train arrived at the station. Few ponies alighted from the train as a few others boarded them. Trottingham was a tourist spot for ponies far and wide and it brought a particular mare to its doors. The Mayor had been planning to go on vacation for a while now, leaving her stressful job behind in the hopes of getting fresh perspectives of other great towns and cities. Trottingham came to mind as she had compared to how somewhat similar Ponyville. The laid back atmosphere, the hospitality of the ponyfolk and the sights it graced those who wished to think of it as a home away from home.

As she hopped and trotted unto the platform she made her way to the carriage cars to claim her baggage. One of the station hands helped unload her bags. The Mayor suggested that she could handle the single bag herself but the station hand pony insisted to carry her baggage until they made it to the station gate where the carriage taxis were waiting. She gave the station hand pony a tip of one bit as he nodded his head and went off.

She thought it would be better to just take a trot with her baggage in tow and to just enjoy the sights. It was not until 30 minutes of walking that she had realized that it was starting to chill. She chose to come at a precarious time when winter was coming. She knew that coming at a time such as this, Trottingham wouldn't be too crowded and this way she could enjoy it in peace. As she trotted along she chanced upon an aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air. It was so enticing that she just had to find out where the smell was coming from. Around the corner she spotted a bakery that seemed empty. She trotted towards it deciding that it was just about time for lunch and now was as good a time as any.

"Hello?" She said in anticipation as she swung the shop's door open finding a Mare waiting casually on the counter. "That smell, so... delicious. I'd like to order a few slices of that bread please."

[Andifferous]

The sound of the little bell over the bakery door stirred Semolina from her bored reverie, causing her to let out a surprised gasp. Quickly she sat up, offering her customer a broad smile. She was an older mare that Semolina hadn't seen before; probably someone who was just visiting Trottingham. It was a little surprising to see someone visiting the vacation town this late in the year, but then she probably wished to avoid the crowds that could develop during the summer months.

The brown-maned earth pony nodded at her customer's request, quickly taking the loaf that she had indicated and cutting a few thick slices. Setting them on a wooden tray, she slid them into the oven for a few moments to get them good and warm. While the bread was being heated, she pulled out a little notepad from under the counter, and flipped through it, before setting it down in front of her customer;

-Anything else that I can get for you today?- Was written in neat clean writing on the open page.

Turning back to the oven she carefully withdrew the warmed up slices from the oven with a large wood spatula, before setting them on a simple china plate, along with some butter and jam. Picking up the plate she brought it over to the counter next to her customer, giving a warm, if slightly shy smile.

(also sorry for the delay, didn't have this watched for some reason.)

[Xiee]

The Mayor was surprised at the message on the notepad. It was a rather unusual response but she didn't want to pry and ask why she didn't talk. Being the politician that she was, she greeted the silent mare in a cheerful tone.

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Gray, The Mayor of Ponyville. I'm on vacation and just wandered into town. I must say, I love the smell of your bread. And I suppose a cup of coffee would nicely accompany this bread."

It was not so often that the Mayor had met such unique Ponies (with the exception of Derpy of course), so she tried to be as casual as any political pony could. Looking around the shop, she knew that there were personal touches everywhere. It was also hard to believe that just one Pony had the dedication and drive to bake all these wonderful breads and pastries. Maybe the Cakes would like to meet her sometime and they would probably be glad to exchange recipes. She took a mental note of that and put it aside. Right now she just wanted to relax, and the silent mare seemed to have a mystery to her that intrigued the Mayor.

(( OCC: It's alright, take your time and no rush there. ))

[Andifferous]

Semolina nodded at Gray's request, smiling at the compliments toward her baking as she quickly putting on a pot of coffee. It would be a few minutes, but she'd bring it over to her customer when it was ready. In the mean time she rang up the price, coming out to about five bits. Thankfully she'd gotten her hands on a register with nice clear numbers and labels, so it was easy to understand exactly what was being rung up.

Flipping through her notepad she turned back toward the front,

-I'm Semolina Flour, Its a pleasure to meet you!- Was written on the page.

It seemed like the first half of the notepad was filled with phrases she would end up using on a regular basis. She was a little surprised to have somepony with such a prestigious occupation in her little store, but then everypony could use a break once in a while.

[Xiee]

This was a definitely unique experience. For the first time, the Mayor felt that she was saying too much and somehow wanted to make it easy for the owner of the shop. But she made it this far and it was no reason to not treat her like anypony else. In a way, she was proud for what this unique individual had to go through. The smell of the fresh coffee played along her nose and she couldn't wait for it more.

She reached into her saddlebag and paid the exact amount of bits as she noticed the mare flip through her notepad once again and showing her a greeting note and introducing herself. It was for certain that Semolina had thought of everything to communicate as easily and effectively to her customers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Semolina Flour." She said in a cheerful tone. "I'm quite impressed with your little shop here. It's so cozy and welcoming. I'm glad I've stumbled upon it."

[Andifferous]

The young mare couldn't help but smile broadly at the compliments, a slight blush tinging her cheeks. Cozy and welcoming was exactly what she had wanted the little bakery to be, and it always pleased her to know she was accomplishing just that. She finished ringing up the order, letting her visitor find herself a seat.

It was a few more minutes before the coffee was finished brewing, the machine giving a quiet -ting!- as its timer ran out. Carefully she brought over a small tray with the pot and an empty mug for Gray, and set them gently on the table. It was clear from her focus on the actions that she'd learned the hard way not to move to fast with hot coffee.

[Neoniie]

Despite the frequency of travel in her youth, Wrong Note didn't often venture outside the little harbour town of Hoofington which she had taken to as her home. However, she couldn't resist the idea of at least a short vacation here and there. After all, if she had continued on her original career path, travel would have been a regular occurrence. Perhaps she had an innate affinity for it. Regardless, Trottingham was a popular destination at any time of year and the earth pony could think of no better place to go.

Trotting off the train platform, the purple mare began to make her way to the rented room that she would be staying in for the duration of her trip. It wasn't the largest location she'd ever visited in Equestria, but Manehatten would be hard to top by any city in her eyes. At the thought of Manehatten, the mare sighed, not wanting to deal with the memories associated with the famed metropolis.

Luckily, on exiting the hotel after dropping off her bags, a wonderful scent distracted her from that thought for a while longer. It was one she recognized, the smell of baking and coffee mixing together in the air around the shop that Wrong Note had pinpointed as its source. With a rumble of her stomach that solidified that half-formed idea, she trotted toward the shop at a casual pace.

With a light tingle of the bell, the mare had entered the shop and looked around on the threshold of the shop. It was small, but in the cozy sense rather than the claustrophobic sense. A gray-manned mare and another mare, one who Wrong Note assumed was the owner of the store, were the only other ponies in the store at the moment. Smiling at them, she moved into the centre of the shop, not entirely sure of what she should do next.

[Xiee]

The coffee smelled divine, even better than the ones she regularly had back at the Ponyville Cafe. With the face of a filly she nibbled on the warm fresh bread and took a sip of coffee. It tasted like heaven. At that instant she suddenly knew that taking a vacation wasn't so bad after all. She hadn't felt this content, this comfortable and this carefree in a while.

"Oh my..." The Mayor said in glee. "I should tell the townsfolk of Ponyville to make it a point to visit your store when they do visit here. I'm sure they'll feel the same way as I do."

She took another nibble of the bread slathered with jam and indulged herself more with the coffee. Though Semolina couldn't speek, the Mayor could see in her eyes that she was really happy to have a customer like her. After a few more bites the door opened as a new customer came in. She paid little attention as she sipped some more coffee and laid back on the chair enjoying the moment.

[Andifferous]

Semolina practically beamed at the compliments from the older mare; sure she got plenty of smiles and thanks from other customers, but it was rare for anyone to say so many nice things about her store like this. Pleased that Gray had everything that she needed for now she started trot back to the counter, a bit more of a spring in her step than usual,

Her ears perked up a bit at the chime of the door again, turning to deliver a warm smile to the mare who had just walked in, this one another earth pony, with a vibrantly colored coat and mane. Quickly Semolina made her way behind the counter, standing ready for whatever her new guest wanted to have. With two customers in such quick succession she started to get hopeful; maybe it would turn into a busy day after all.

She saw that this new customer seemed a bit unsure of what to do, so she stepped back a little bit, allowing a better view of the rack that ran along the wall behind the counter, each item on her menu clearly labeled and priced.

[Neoniie]

The mare was slightly surprised by how immediately the white earth pony dashed behind the counter once she had seen Wrong Note enter. She seemed like a nice pony on first impression, since she had smiled at her with genuine warmth. It was only when she trotted up to the counter that she remembered why she didn't often visit shops. It meant she'd have to talk and that never really turned out well for either side of the conversation. She shuffled her hooves in place, trying to occupy herself with choosing from the menu rather thanworry about the actual communication part of her visit. Everything quite honestly just seemed mouthwatering to the mare and she was as hungry as a parasprite. So, she ended up indicating in the direction of a batch of cupcakes. Wrong Note tried to make it seem as natural as possible and not as though she wasn't speaking for some other reason, which was technically a partial truth. It was almost natural by now.

As she waited the brief period it would take for the baker to get the cupcakes, the mare glanced idly around the shop again. She really did enjoy the atmosphere of the place. It reminded one of home, with that cooking smell and cabin-like coziness. Then again, the home she'd had for most of her life hadn't exactly been filled with cooking or warmth, but she supposed it was as apt a metaphor as any other.

[Xiee]

The Mayor noticed that Semolina had hurriedly scuffled back behind the counter. She was eager to please another customer so she let the two alone. She held the warm cup of coffee between her hooves as she gingerly sipped its contents. She had to ask Semolina where she got her coffee beans, they were quite a delight to the senses. As she laid down the cup, she slathered another helping of jam on her freshly baked bread and began to nibble it little by little savoring the taste. The whole experience has led her to a relaxed state that she made another mental note to take another vacation here in Trottingham again.

The other customer began to eye the shop admiring its simple cozy design and roomy feel. As their glances met, the Mayor gave her a simple smile and a nod.

[Andifferous]

Semolina was a little bit surprised by the silence of her new customer; was this someone who had the same voice problems as her? Her smile faltered slightly as curiosity rose, but she quickly shook that off and got the mare's order ready. Cupcakes and other sweets weren't really her forte' but she usually ended up preparing a batch or two of pastries and sweets for ponies who wanted a treat. Carefully she picked out one that had a generous amount of frosting on top and placed it on a plate along with a couple napkins.

Setting the tray on the countertop next to the register she rang it in, just two bits. She gave another warm smile to her customer, flipping her notebook open and showing it to her customer.

-Anything else I can get for you?-

[Neoniie]

Wrong Note was glad to recieve a friendly smile from the tan mare who sat at a table a respectable distance away. It was much better than the odd stares she had a tendancy to garner if she didn't remember to keep herself from speaking. The staring bothered her less now, certainly not as it had when this whole issue had begun, but it still made something in her twinge. So, she hummed a bit in obvious happiness. Not really humming, more of a buzz than a tune, as that would likely be just as jarring as speech.

She was surprised that her (admittedly light) order was a mere two bits. Perhaps she was used to the heightened prices of non-seafood products in Hoofington, but it came as an odd occurance nonetheless. Then, directed toward the notebook, she contemplated the selection again. The notebook also clued her into something about the owner of the shop, she was mute. That in particular was interesting to the mare. It meant that this pony, despite not having quite the same trouble as her, was able to live in the same way as any other pony. In essence, she'd managed to overcome it, which Wrong Note was still having some difficulty with. Again, she pointed to indicate her choices. First toward the bread that had managed to draw her in, and then to the coffee that the owner had been serving earlier. She smiled at the completion of her order, conveying the "please/thank-you" that she couldn't give directly.

[Xiee]

The Mayor noticed that the new Pony who walked in was a bit nervous and shy. She seemed to almost said nothing until she ordered and said thanks. It was cute. The Ponies in this town were surely different. Knowing Trottingham to be a tourist spot, the Mayor would have figured that everypony would have been more lively, yet there were these two quiet ponies who seemed to get on just fine. She had wondered if there were such other Ponies who she hadn't met in her own town that mimiced theses two (except Fluttershy of course).

As the new pony made her order, the Mayor smiled at her. This was turning out to be a swell first day. She'd only be here for at least 3 days mostly enjoying the sights and the possible tour around the Nimbusgait Lake. With her bread finished, she continued to enjoy her warm cup of freshly brewed coffee. She would want another refill soon, it was too delicious to pass up.

[Andifferous]

The baker pony nodded her understanding as her new customer paid for the food, ear flicking a little bit at the soft somewhat odd humming coming from her. Beyond the sounds of the register and Gray it was just about the only sound in the quiet shop. As she followed the pony to a table to pour her coffee, Semolina reminded herself to save up what income she could to purchase a gramophone for the little shop. It might take a while though; the bakery's current budget was very tightly balanced now that the tourist season was over, and profits would be somewhat slim over the winter months.

Once her new guest was situated, she paused at Gray's table, noting her cup of coffee was almost empty, so she quickly, but carefully leaned in to refill it, before trotting back to the counter.

[Xiee]

The Mayor smiled as Semolina poured her another cup of coffee. She had been taking her sweet time nibbling on the jam-filled bread. She reminded herself once again to pick up at least a loaf of bread before she went back to Ponyville. Seeing as the other customer had settled down on their own corner of the store, she decided to try to know more about the gracious store owner.

Semolina wasn't exactly the talky type so she wondered how she could effectively speak with her like how she could talk to other ponies. Maybe she had planned for every sort of reply on that little notepad of her's. If not then that would mean she had to write down everything on paper and that would take a while. The Mayor went ahead and asked anyway.

"Uhm... So, how long have you been in this business? I can't imagine how many customers you must have with your amazing bread."

[Andifferous]

Semolina thought for a moment, before starting to tap the floor with her hoof, trying to signify how many months her little store had been open for, but paused halfway, reconsidering. Just tapping was a little too vague; it could mean years, months, days, even. Picking up her notepad she flipped to an open page and started writing again. It would take a couple of moments, but it was the easiest way to convey her thoughts.

-I opened this store up a little after the last Winter Wrap-Up.- She wrote out. -But I've been baking since I was a filly.- She smiled a little as she set the notepad on the table, turning so the mayor could see her baguette cutie mark.

[Xiee]

It seemed that Semolina was about to tap her hoof? She somehow paused and started writing on her notepad and then placed it in front of the Mayor to read. She knew that this was probably going to be the method of communication but it didn't bother her. Meeting new ponies always gave some sort of joy in the Mayor's mind.

"Oh then you're pretty much new in town too?" She sipped more coffee. "Hmmm. Tell you what. If you have a few fliers or business cards around, give them to me. When I get back to Ponyville, I'll recommend your store to anypony who visits Trottingham. Your little store deserves the attention. And I'm sure that the moment they smell your freshly baked bread across the street, they'll come flocking over."

She nibbled more on the bread and took another sip of coffee. She truly hasn't tasted anything like this not even in Ponyville. They had fine bakers back home but none as dedicated as this.

"Oh! Before I forget, I'll buy a few loaves of bread from you before I leave for Ponyville in the next two days. And this amazing jam as well."

[Andifferous]

Semolina's eyes lit up as the mayor offered to spread word of her little shop. Something like that would be a huge boon to her small business, if things went well enough she might even have to hire additional help! The older pony's compliments left her beaming and blushing a little bit, almost forgetting about her request. She gave sort of a 'just-a-moment' smile, before darting off into the back.

a few minutes later she returned with a hoof-full of flyers with the name and address of her little bakery written on them, (still don't have a decent name for the bakery) She set them on the table with a smile and checked to see if the mayor needed anything else. She'd happily give her whatever sort of bread she wanted, although the jam wasn't her doing. That came from a preserves and canning shop a few stores down, but she'd happily guide the mare in the right direction.

[Xiee]

The Mayor kept the fliers in her saddle pouch and made a mental note to post some of the flyers at her office's bulletin board when she got back. It was the quickest way for her shop to get known since a lot of ponies frequent the bulletin board by the Town Hall often looking at news or for work. She took one last bite before the bread disappeared in her hooves. Satisfied and in a good mood, she took one more sip of her coffee.

She enjoyed her conversation with Semolina so decided to ask her a few more questions.

"Oh I'll be here for the next two days. Any sights you could recommend for me to visit?"

[Andifferous]

Semolina pondered for a bit. To be honest, she had been mostly focused on getting her little shop up and running. It took up most of her time and as a result she hadn't really explored the town all that much. True she had taken the occasional day to visit the beach, but beyond that the town was still very new to her. Certainly nothing like the bustle of her hometown of Fillydelphia. Looking around her shop, she spotted a small little rack by the door, that had been given as part of owning a small business in Trottingham.

It had several different printed flyers on it, advertising different seasonal entertainment and assorted tourist traps. After a brief moment she selected one that seemed to be just about the town in general; more importantly it possessed a fairly detailed map of the town. With Trottingham relying on a strong tourism industry, such stands and pamphlets were fairly commonplace, to help wandering vacationers find their way around the town and surrounding area.

Setting the pamphlet on the table she opened it up to the map. Looking over it a bit, she pointed to several local attractions that customers had chattered about. An old but prosperous vineyard to the north of the town, a small business where some pegasi used their chariots to give aerial tours of the town, and a few other things she'd heard good things about. She gave the mayor a smile, not knowing if any of them were worth it, but hoping this would prove useful.

[Xiee]

The Mayor scanned the pamphlet diligently taking note of a few places she would visit. Being a politician herself, she decided to drop by the City Capitol. Though Trottingham wasn't that big of a city, it was still a city and far easily bigger than Ponyville. For a moment the Mayor was lost in thought as she began to delve into possibilities of Ponyville becoming a city. It would definitely boost the businesses of everypony and attract investors. But that would loose it's small town charm that most ponies who visited always loved. Such a dilemma.

She snapped out of her daydream when she noticed Semolina staring at her as if asking a question. "Oh sorry!" She smiled uneasily. "I was just thinking about something. Got distracted a bit."

She scanned the pamphlet a little bit more, noting down what to visit during her two day stay in the city. In fact she opened her saddle bag and brought out a notebook and a pencil and started writing down places of interest to visit. She paused then reached out for her cup of coffee, embarrassingly she noticed it was empty. She got caught up in her planning that she forgot that she had just finished her cup of coffee.

"Uhm..." She blushed. "Can I have some more coffee please?"

[Andifferous]

Semolina smiled a little, hoping that the mayor wasn't overwhelmed by the map and the different things she had pointed to. She had to admit to herself she had gotten just a bit over-excited while trying to help the older mare plan out her next couple of days. She breathed a faint sigh of relief when the mayor explained that she had simply been distracted. Nodding a bit she took a couple steps back to give her some space, ready to go back to maintaining the little shop.

Her ears perked up at the mention of the coffee, and she trotted over with the pot carefully held in her teeth. Another quick pour and the mayor's mug was re-filled, leaving about a half-cup left in the pot. She set that down and flipped open her notepad, holding it up to show the pre-written message.

-Anything else I can get for you?-

[Xiee]

"I think I'm fine my dear." The Mayor said as she finished the last cup of coffee. "And I think it's about time I headed out. I still need to check into my hotel and get settled in."

She'd been in the shop enjoying the company of it's owner for the past hour that she'd almost forgotten to check into her hotel. The Mayor was kind of sad for leaving, especially that she'd met an interesting pony. But she had promised to get back before she left. She still wanted those freshly baked loaves of bread to take with her back to Ponyville.

"I'll be sure to drop by later when I get settled in. Don't want to walk around pulling my luggage now would I?"

The Mayor stood up and stretched a bit, then looking back to Semolina, being the politician that she is, shook her hoof with practiced vigor.

"It was a treat for me today and I'm glad to have met you. I'll come by again maybe later for more bread and perhaps some tea and I'd love for you to join me."