My Little Pony: The Elements of RP
Main => Canterlot => Topic started by: Choc Pretzel on July 26, 2015, 07:49:08 am
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Choc came in through the doors of the SnS bakery early in the morning, humming a tune as he walked behind the counter, checked the cash register and put on his apron. "Just great. Another day in this uptight city, and another day away from home." Choc said to himself as he checked the baked goods. "Thank Celestia. Last night's shift restocked for me. That's one less thing I have to do." He then proceeded to sit down in a chair behind the counter, to wait for the day's first customer.
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Choc came in through the doors of the SnS bakery early in the morning, humming a tune as he walked behind the counter, checked the cash register and put on his apron. "Just great. Another day in this uptight city, and another day away from home." Choc said to himself as he checked the baked goods. "Thank Celestia. Last night's shift restocked for me. That's one less thing I have to do." He then proceeded to sit down in a chair behind the counter, to wait for the day's first customer.
Octavia Melody had never been fond of mornings. Yes, she had learned to get up whenever necessary, be it 10:00 AM or the crack of dawn, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Luckily for her, this was not a morning where she would be racing against the sun's progress past the horizon. By the time she actually got out of bed, showered, and ready for her day, it was nearly... 9:00. AM.
"Hmph. Alright, perhaps I need practice sleeping in and relaxing." She said as she took a passing glance at the clock, hoof on the door and ready to open it. She stood deep in thought on that topic for a few seconds, before finally shrugging, resettling her precious cello in its case on her back, opening the door, and stepping through it. Have an apartment on the second floor was both a blessing and a curse. She was lucky enough to have a window that overlooked the city, or at least part of it, and the view was much better then on the ground. However, the second floor meant stairs. And after a long day, climbing stairs with a heavy instrument on her back was awful. Still, there was nothing she could do about it. She trotted quickly down the stairs, making her way out of the building complex.
"First priority, breakfast." She said, with a brisk nod as though she was agreeing with herself. She often cooked meals by herself, but every one and a while she ate out somewhere, as a treat. Getting breakfast out was her favorite, since it was both the cheapest, and the biggest improvement from the food she would have made herself. She trotted down the street cheerfully, trying to decide where was calling her the most. She paused before a rather large bakery, looking up at the sign.
"The Sweet and Savory Bakery? Sounds promising. I wonder how this place has alluded my attention before; it's so close to my apartment." She stopped, trying to think if she had even seen the bakery in passing previously. Nothing came to mind, but that didn't mean much, she had been known to miss rather obvious things before. Another shrug, another cello resettling, and she walked in. The first that came to mind was quaint, more like something you would see in a town like Ponyville, but not in a bad way. Off to the left there were a few small tables, only one of which was occupied, and to the back was the counter, menu, and display. Octavia walked up to the counter, throwing a quick smile in the direction of the brown-coated unicorn behind the counter before looking in the display case.
"Hmm... I have never been here before, so I am not sure what's good. What would you recommend?" She asked, finally making steady eye contact with the stallion. Given his cutie mark, she decided she probably knew what answer was coming, but she had to give him a chance anyway.
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Choc watched as the light grey mare entered the bakery with the sort of poise you could only find in some pony with a refined lifestyle. As she asked for a recommendation, Choc stood up and smiled. "In which case, welcome to the SnS bakery. Hope you find something you enjoy. Now, recommendations. Hmm...the croissants have always been a personal favourite of mine. My co-worker, Sweet Treat, always does an excellent job with them. She also makes excellent muffins. I would recommend a pretzel or two, but they aren't the best thing to have for breakfast. So...hmm...I reckon either a custard and plum croissant, or a berry twist muffin."
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Octavia stood quietly, listening to the stallion's recommendations. She was a little taken aback by his saying that croissants were 'a personal favorite' and his only brief mention of pretzels, as though for whatever reason he wasn't as fond of them as it would seem.
"I must be honest, I did rather expect you to recommenced pretzels without hesitation, but I suppose that's narrow-minded of me, to assume that even a can't have other tastes then the ones they were gifted with. But, that's not important. The croissant you mentioned does sound appealing, I think I'll have one of those. Oh, and do you have any breakfast teas? No quality pastry breakfast is complete without a nice tea." She asked, smiling warmly. She didn't have terribly high hopes, this didn't seem like the tea sort of place, but it never hurt to ask.
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"It's like I said. Pretzels aren't exactly the best thing to have for breakfast. If you had asked me at midday, I would have recommended them in a heatbeat. I can, however, get you a cup of tea. It won't be as good as some of those fancy cafés, but I reckon it will do nicely." Choc walked over to the dislay case and grabbed out a croissant with his magic, and placed it in a paper bag. Next, he walked over to a small pot of tea he had brewing in the corner, and poured some into a foam cup, placing the lid on as he walked back to the counter. "One croissant and one cup of tea. Anything else you want?" Choc asked the mare.
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Octavia had to resist the urge to reel back in disgust as he put her precious tea in a foam cup. Well, he probably thought I wanted it to go. She thought, forcing herself to smile as she accepted the bag and foam atrocity from the stallion. Although, he should have asked. Is it still worth making a point and eating in? What if he did it on purpose? Do they even have real cups?" She wondered, standing still as she ran through her possibilities mentally. Suddenly, she remembered his question.
"Oh, um, uh, no, I think that's it. What do I owe you?" She asked, shaking her head to clear her concerns away at least until she finished the conversation.
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A pink alicorn suddenly bursted through the door and quickly leaned against it breathing heavily as her wings were extended horizontally across the door. Her eyes dated around and was relieved to see the place looked like it had just opened up for the day.
"Sorry... for this kind of entrance. We were heading towards Donut Joe's when a mob of ponies came and swarmed us. Celestia told me to go on ahead and look for another bakery while she greets the ponies here... I was actually chased in here but I think I lost them for now." After dusting herself off and ruffling her wings, Cadance waited behind Octavia trying to act like any other pony in the store.
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Octavia saw as the stallion started to open his mouth, before he was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open behind Octavia. She spun around to see who would so rudely enter the establishment, but when she laid eyes on the figure her jaw dropped. Standing before them was the ruler of the Crystal Empire and the princess of love herself, Princess Cadence. The princess excused herself, dusted herself off, then lined up behind Octavia, all the while the the poor gray mare simply stood in shock. Suddenly, she remembered her manners, and dropped to the floor in a deep bow.
"P-P-Princess! Please, take my place." She said, rapidly scooting out of the way to allow the regal alicorn access to the counter.
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Choc regarded Princess Cadence with a confused look. "Oookay then...hello Princess. It's not often we see you in Canterlot" Choc stared at the Princess, wondering what exactly was going on, and worrying about wether the Princess knew about his secret. "Anyway miss, that'll be five bits. Thanks for stopping by." As Choc spoke, his eyes darted back and forth between the Princess and the grey mare, visibly uncomfortable with a Princess being so close to him, and the possibility of a second Princess being close by.
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"Oh, uh, right. Here." She said sliding the bits to him while doing her best not to get in the way of the princess. She promptly backed away from the counter, and over to one of the tables near the door, sitting down and placing her food on the table, not taking her eyes of the understandably nervous looking stallion and the princess.
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“This place smells wonderful. I was wondering though if you sell donuts here? Princess Celestia said that this place was delicious.” She kept her smile on but tilted her head when she noticed that Choc looked a bit nervous. “Is everything alright? I didn’t mean to make your nervous or anything. I’m not a royal princess today, you don’t need to treat me as such. I’m just visiting Canterlot having a bit of a vacation. Just another tourist.” The princess chuckled.
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"No no everything is fine." Choc lied, shifting his footing every two seconds. "We do sell donuts, but they aren't as good as Joe's. What kind do you want?" As Choc spoke, he mentally prepared his teleportation spell, so that if things go bad he can make a quick escape.
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Octavia opened the bag and took out her croissant, taking a bite out of it as she watched to see what the stallion would do. Eventually, she took the top off her tea, sniffed it, and took a cautious sip. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't the best she had ever consumed. As she watched the confrontation, she noticed some of the more basic tell-tale signs of a unicorn preparing to use magic, something she had picked up in her many years around them. Even if he wouldn't admit it, there was clearly something wrong, from his ever-changing stance, to the occasional sparkle on his horn that was a giveaway of an inexperienced unicorn preparing a difficult spell. She had no doubt that the princess could handle the problem, but she couldn't help but be a little worried anyway.
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"Oh.. okay then... Hmmm, I have had all the classic flavors. Do you sell any original kinds here? Unique kinds maybe?" She was getting a bit suspicious, as she felt he was preparing a spell but the princess dismissed the idea. Cadance had been on edge lately and needed to loosen up.
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Choc starts to relax, sensing that Cadance is just here for a donut or two. Just to be safe, he continued to prepare the spell, but he started to focus more on the order. "Well, we do have one special donut. It's called the Fruit Salad Twist. It's a regular donut with a spiral pattern of multiple fruit icing flavours." Choc said as he located the special donuts with his magic, preparing to pick it up.
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"That sounds delicious! I'll take two of those for here... Hopefully Princess Celestia will show up soon." She glanced out the window. "How much do I owe you?"
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At the mention of Princess Celestia, Choc's legs locked up. Willing himself to move, he walked over to the display case and grabbed out the donuts. "That'll be four bits Princess. Hope you enjoy."
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Octavia watching as the situation cooled down. The tension in the air lifted, and it seemed like the excitement was over. She went back to her breakfast, alternating sips of her tea and a bite of her croissant. She didn't see any reason to stay any longer then necessary, since she saw Princess Celestia more often then most ponies, what with working for her and all. She finished off her breakfast, then headed out the door with a quick wave.
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Broadshield trotted through the streets of Canterlot, which he noticed were a bit quieter than usual. Not being on active service at the moment had been a blessing and a curse. One one hand he could spend his days gaming, or even drawing up schematics for new weapons uninterrupted. On the other hand, there were days where he would for some reason be unable to game or stay in his workshop, and wonder aimlessly around trying to get over his creative bloc as he called it, as well as being annoyed at himself for wasting time. Today was one of those days. After some time wandering around Canterlot, he found himself at the front of Sweet and Savory Bakery. 'Sweet and Savory Bakery? Sounds promising.' He said to himself as he opened the door.
As he entered, he saw the Princess of Love and ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence ordering food as if she were any other pony. He then noticed the stallion serving him. 'He looks and talks like any other normal pony, but I can't help but feel suspicious about him,' he said to himself. His stomach began to growl indicating that he probably needed to eat. 'I'm probably being paranoid. Probably just need to eat.' He said to himself. As he began to line up, he suddenly remembered about the Princess. "Princess Cadence, I didn't expect to find you here" he said as he saluted the Princess.
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"No need for anything formal, I'm trying to take a bit of a vacation from being a princess, but thank you!" She gave the red stallion a smile.
Then, the Cadance turned back to Choc. "Thank you." Her horn glowed as she took the donuts and floated 10 bits over to him. "Sorry if I startled you. I didn't mean to show up unplanned. Keep the change."
The princess of love trotted over to a seat and sat patiently.
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Choc grabbed the bits in his magic, opened the register and put them away. "Enjoy your donuts Princess." Choc then turned to the red pegasus who was next in line. From his stance, and the way he interacted with Princess Cadance, he seemed to be a member of the military. "Welcome to SnS bakery sir, what would you like?" Choc asked the stallion.
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After the Princess had left, Broadshield moved up the queue to the stallion serving him. "Hi, I was just wondering if you have any apple and cinnamon muffins?" he asked. Standing in front of the stallion he could get a closer look at him. 'He's like any other pony, but there's something about him...' He thought to himself as he waited for his answer. He then noticed a tiny sparkle above his horn, the sign of one secretly preparing a spell. 'What's he doing? Better wait and see.' he said to himself.
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Choc started to relax a bit more, eventually deciding to stop his teleport preparations seeing how the tension in the room was settling down. As the stallion at the counter spoke, Choc kept an eye on the Princess, who was sitting at her table quietly, waiting for someone who Choc dreaded seeing. Once the stallion finished speaking, Choc searched through the catalogue of baked goods in his head, looking for the muffin in question. "We should have some apple and cinnamon muffins over in the display case. They aren't our most popular item, but we stock 'em anyway. How many do you want?" Choc asked the stallion.
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Now sensing the the stallion serving him had stopped preparing the spell, and whatever tension was in the room started to settle, Broadshield began to relax a little bit. "Oh, uh, I'll take 2 of those muffins thanks." he answered. Even though everything seemed normal and he began to relax, Broadshield couldn't help but still feel a little bit suspicious about the stallion. 'Hmm, he may be a normal pony, but there's something about him that doesn't seem right with me. I better keep an eye on him.' he said to himself, trying not to act suspicious himself.
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The door opened and in walked the Princess of the Sun. She looked as calm and serene as ever, though inwardly she was the tiniest bit frazzled. It had taken longer than expected to greet and answer the questions of all the ponies who had swarmed the two princesses. Celestia knew Cadance had just wanted a day off, a day to relax. Hopefully things would go a bit more smoothly from here on out. She looked around, giving everyone in the bakery a personable smile before she caught sight of Cadance and made her way over. “I’m sorry I took so long, more ponies just kept coming,” she apologized to Cadance. She eyed one of the donuts sitting on the table, and her stomach rumbled rather loudly. Celestia chuckled slightly. “It looks like my stomach agrees with your choice of this place."
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"Glad to see that you made it in one piece." She joked. "Can't wait to try it, I have been staring at it for a few minutes." She levitated the donut up to her mouth and took a bite. The flavor exploded in her mouth. "Mmmm! This donut is even better than some of the ones I have had at Joe's."
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As the door opened behind him, Broadshield turned around only to find Celestia, ruler of all of Equestria at the door, looking as regal and serene as always. Out of courteousy, he gave a small salute to the Princess, who then trotted over to the table where Princess Cadence was waiting. He then turned around to the stallion serving him and said, "Not everyday do you get not one, but two princesses enter your bakery huh? How much do I owe you?"
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Choc grabbed the two muffins with his magic, just as Princes Celestia entered the room. Having proir knowlege that Celestia was on her way here was the only reason Choc didn't shift into one of his more agile forms. He couldn't, however, stop himself from flinching for a second, before placing the two mufuns on the counter. "Th-that'll be five bits." Choc managed to stammer out. As he spoke, he prayed that he wouldn't shift on accident. Luckily, Choc had practised this scenario in his apartment, and would be able to prevent himself from shifting. Probably. Luckily the other two Princesses weren't here otherwise he would have accidently shifted for sure.
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Noticing the stallions stammering and nervousness, but deciding not to push, he pushed 5 bits to the stallion and took the 2 muffins. "Thanks for the muffins!" he said. Broadshield then trotted to the table between the cashier and the princess, having his guard instincts subconsciously kick in. He then proceeded to eat his muffin waiting to see what would happen next.
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Celestia smiled. "It was a touch and go for awhile," she joked back. She took a seat. "Thank you for waiting, hopefully we won't get swarmed anymore today," she said, then levitated the other donut. She took an experimental bite, and her eyes widened. "This is wonderful!" The flavor wasn't like any she had at her favorite donut shop, but it was delicious. "Don't tell Joe, you know how sensitive he can get about his donuts," she remarked before taking another bite.
Constantly aware of the happenings around her, her ear swiveled towards the cashier. He was quite nervous, that much was clear. Celestia hoped it wasn't because of her, but she had a sneaking feeling it was. Her subjects sometimes seemed to get irrationally nervous around her, and it saddened Celestia slightly. She quickly decided the best course of action was to leave the poor stallion be and hope he'd calm down.
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"My mouth is shut." Her hoof motioned across her mouth to simulate a zipper. Cadance turned and looked at Choc again. "Uh... Im sorry. If we are making you nervous we can eat outside... Sorry, I really didn't mean to surprise you or cause an unnecessary anxiety."
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Choc shook his head with a forced grin. "It's no problem Princess." Choc decided that being in such close proximity to two of Equestria's rulers was increasingly dangerous. "I'm heading into the back room for a tick, I suppose I can trust you all not to rob me?" As Choc spoke he took off his apron and walked into the back room, making sure to lock the door behind him.
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Not even ten seconds had passed from Choc's departure when the doors open to his shop once more. Giving a faint yawn, a dark coated earth pony walks into the room and goes straight to the counter, not even noticing the other patrons sitting there. Her mane is a mess, her eyes are baggy, and the only lively part of her is her marble colored python wrapped around her shoulders. In her saddlebag a tissue could be seen sticking out, it's need for her seasonal allergies. As she stops by the counter, she lets out a small sneeze; reaching for her tissue to cover her nose. "Hello? Anyone back there? Looking to buy something up here."
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Noticing the door opening, Broadshield swiveled his head towards the door, noticing the brown mare at the door. She looked frazzled and tired. On top of that, the poor mare was sneezing, which probably was from allergies. She then trots up to the counter, she then sneezes and pulls out a tissue to cover her nose. "Hello? Anyone back there? Looking to buy something up here." she asked. "Yeah, the stallion in charge just went to the back to do something, shouldn't be too long" Broadshield responded.
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Meanwhile, Choc was pacing around in the back room, wondering wether he should go back out. "Should I risk it?" Choc asked himself. "On one hand, this week has been pretty tight on funds, but on the other hand, I might accidentally shift, and get chucked into the castle dungeons. Sure, the Princesses seem happy with things, but who knows? They might be suspicious. Or worse yet, they might know already." Choc dunked his head into a bucket that he used for mopping the floor. "No. I got this. I've had such a good run since the blackmail incident in Manhattan, I can't give up now." Choc composed himself, checked the mirror to make sure he was looking presentable, and walked back into the main shopfront, noticing a frazzled mare waiting at the counter. "Sorry about that, had to go to the loo. What would you like miss?" Choc asked as he put on his apron and tried not to acknowledge the two Princesses which were causing him so much stress.
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Celestia looked over at Cadance’s suggestion, about to get up when Choc spoke and went in the back room. She blinked guiltily, about to voice that very guilt to her niece when another customer came in. She did not look well in the least, Celestia reflected. The princess was relieved when the stallion at the counter came back, both out of sympathy for the sneezing mare, and to be honest, she had been a bit worried that the stallion would escape out the back door just to avoid her and Cadance. So Celestia went back to peacefully eating her donut, which was more delicious by the bite
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Cadance tried to initiate a conversation to distract herself from the storekeeper.
"So I see there hasn't been any trouble lately. No evil monsters trying to take over Equestria... at least no news of that reached the Crystal Empire. Maybe it has become so common that they never win that nopony tries to report it anymore." The princess of love winked and took another bite.
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"Oh, hello um..." Nivalia replies to the shopkeeper. "May I have a French vanilla coffee, cream and sugar? And a-a... ACHOO!" The mare sneezes, even more forcefully this time. She manages to cover her mouth and turn in a different direction; but those with a keen eye could vaguely spy a horn poking through her mane. Nivalia wipes her forehead, making the horn disappear just as fast as it showed up. "Excuse me. Um, a banana but muffin please?" The earth pony goes into her saddlebag and picks up the right amount of payment. Meanwhile, Caprica (the python) simply moves its head around the room, tongue flicking with nonchalance as it observes the others in the shop.
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Choc, who had grown accustomed to spotting out secrets over his years of running, spotted the horn in the "earth pony's" mane, and had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't the only shapeshifter in the store. But, he kept his mouth shut. Best not to draw attention to this little bakery, less somepony starts to dig aroumd in my past. "Sorry ma'am. We only do regular coffee here. If your heart is set on it though, might I suggest the Magic Bean, a few blocks from here. They make excellent coffee over there. Anyway, one Bannana Nut muffin coming right up. That'll be two and a half bits." It was at this moment that Choc noticed the python rapped around the mare's neck, and prepared to grab his anti-poison magic book if things went haywire.
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Suddenly the doors to the bakery sudden burst open with a bang and three ponies strutted into the establishment. Leading the three at the centre was a light blue earth pony whose face was framed with her white bob cut-style of a mane and her long white tail poked out from her black, white and pink dress. Despite coming indoors she didn't remove her hot pink sunglasses and each stride she took was filled with attitude and sharp movements. On her left was her Make Up Stylist and on the right was her Manedresser; it seemed that the trio were either on a break from a shoot or had just finished one for today.
The trio made their way right up to behind Nivalia and proclaimed, "I, Photofinisch, haf arrifed!" Her voice was thick with an Austrian accent and was clear that she was not the most patient of ponies, especially with a reputation of telling and expecting other ponies to 'go' away instantly. So much so that she had even called over Nivalia's shoulder before she had the chance to even leave the counter yet, "You zer! Zree Almond Croissants - make schure zat zer aren't too many almonds on it. Also two black coffees, one varm, one hot and one vhite coffee vith soy milk - extra hot! Quickly zer isn't much time!"
Though the celebrity couldn't see it, her Manestylist standing behind her cast an apologetic smile at the employee of the store but it was quickly washed off her face when Photofinish turned to the two accompanying her. The mare was muttering - it sounding vastly more hushed than just before - to them as if finishing the conversation she was having with them earlier, she even rubbed her temples from both stress and exhaustion, "... Zis is disastrous! Simply disastrous! Ever since Flutterschy quit zer hasn't been a pony vith half as much elegance and poise as her... zese new models vee haf are amateurs! Amateurs I tell you! Ve must start lookink for a new-new model for the schoot next week - NO! Two more of them... aiii weltschmerz..."
She then placed a tied hoof over her forehead.
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((I am not German/Austrian and am not going to pretend that I will be getting all the little details correct, lol. But I have been following guides on the Internet to make it sound believable and have a smooth flow to it as much as possible. Still! Photofinish is so much fun to RP! Such a compelling challenge~ :D ))
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The door swung open once more as a mint pony strolled in with her eyes shut and a lyre floating in front of her.
"UhI'mmmm hereee again! UhI love this place it's always so quiet and..." She spoke in an Irish accent. Lyra's eyes opened up and saw the princesses as well as photo finish. "Ah dear. What's going on t'day. Some sorta event?"
(Im also attempting an Irish accent for Lyra. It's a bit hard but im working on it :D)
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"What is it with ponies bursting through the doors today? It'll be a miracle if the doors are still intact by the end of the day." Choc muttered to himself as Photo Finish made her way over to the counter. As she spoke, Choc shook his head with a sigh. "I'm sorry, miss but you will have to wait in line like every pony else." Choc told the impatient celebrity. Choc then turned back to Nivalia and smiled. "Now, where were we?" Choc asked, blocking out the photographer a few meters away. As he spoke, one of Choc's regulars, Lyra Heartstrings, walked into the room. "Lyra! Welcome back." As Lyra spoke, Choc surveyed the Bakery, thinking to himself what a busy day he was having. "If there is an event happening, I wouldn't be the one to ask. You're the only pony here I actually know." Choc told the mint coated mare.
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One after the other, pony after pony after pony burst through the door, making some kind of entrance, which really didn't help Broadshield as Photo Finish made her entrance, nearly spitting out the last of his second muffin in surprise. 'I swear, if one more pony makes another loud entrance I'm gonna have a heart attack from shock...' he joked to himself, before completely finishing his muffins. Looking around, there probably 10 ponies in the bakery, including himself. He then took his rubbish, and dropped it into the bin, deciding it was probably good to move on. After saying his goodbyes to every pony, and giving a courteous salute to the Princess, he trotted out of the door, making sure to close it gently.
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Photofinish frowned a little at the employee's reply, reluctantly accepting his answer and waited her turn. She looked about the bakery briefly and then down to her watch before shaking her head and making a tutting noise, "Zis is ridiculous, vhat is such a busy establishment in the middle of Canterlot of all cities do-ink vith just one employee? Such a sing needs to be amended... Zer are just far too many, busy ponies in zis grand city to cater to- I still need to start my search for zose models..." she complained quietly to her co-workers.
It was when the mint-green unicorn whom entered the bakery that had caught her attention, she let out a gasp and a sudden broad grin stretched across her face. "YOU!" she yelled at the mare, suddenly rushing up to her and placed a foreleg around the back of Lyra's neck and pulled her into a side-hug. With her other foreleg she pointed it up high into the air in a sharp and dramatic fashion and proclaimed, "I, Photofinisch, haf finally found my first, next model!"
The earth pony excitedly walked around Lyra, drinking in her aesthetics through her hot pink glasses, "Ahh, wundabar! Yes! You are perfect! Just perfect! You must be a part of my next photoschoot - today actually! I, Photofinisch, vill be able to make you shine all across of Equestria and be the fery enfy of efery mare and filly! Vhat do you say? Yes, no?"
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"Me? A modul?" Lyra put her lyre in her saddlebad. "But yah just met me. I just came up here for a wii bit of coffee. Is this some sorta joke? Wait, i know yah!" Her eyes widened. "You were in ponyville a couple of times. Me? Be your model and have a photoshoot today? I don't know if tha fits in my schedule."
(Misspelling and removing spaces on things on purpose to bring out the accent a bit)
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"Ahhh yes! Even her accent vill be perfect..." Photofinish murmured to herself before stopping in front of the mare, "But of course you knov me! I, Photofinisch, am one of the most recognized ponies across all of Equestria! Yes, I haf been to Ponyfille before.Ah but madam - vhat vas your name? I must insist! Zis is an opportunity of a life time! Ze stars, ze glamour - just sink of the fans you could haf! Vhy, being one of my models could mean for you to haf food, clothes, accommodation and trafel expenses all paid for durink the week of your employment. Efen for today, I'll haf my accountant organize somethink for you to compensate you so as to make room in your schedule! You may efen brink a friend to vatch if you so vish!"
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Nivalia lightly tenses as Photo Finish bursts into the shop, followed by Lyra doing the same thing. She keeps quiet as she's cut off, grinding her teeth in agitation. Deciding to get the coffee afterward, Nivalia pays for the muffin and thanks the shopkeeper for his service. Taking her baked good by the hoof she trots over to a vacant space a bit remote from the other patrons. Looking a little defeated, she places her muffin on the table, reaches into her bag and pulls out several papers. They are filled with scrawled notes and charts as well as a photo of several flora. Before she can even take a bite of her treat, she sneezes again. This time a pair of wings shoot up before immediately disappearing again, not even noticed by the mare herself. Disconnected from the rest of the shop, she begins her reading as her pet rests quietly on her shoulders.
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Celestia chuckled. "No, things have been quite peaceful. I hope things have been the same at the Crystal Empire, besides general busyness?” Focused on the conversation and her tasty donut, Celestia’s ear twitched at Nivalia’s sneeze, but she did not look over and see the horn that briefly appeared poking out of the mare’s mane. However, the door bursting open did catch her attention as three more ponies entered. Celestia sighed slightly at Photofinish’s rudeness. She knew of the celebrity, of course, but she certainly didn’t view fame as an excuse to demand things in such a manner.
Another pony came in, which Celestia vaguely recognized. She believed she was one of the original bridesmaids at Cadance’s wedding, but she couldn’t be sure. She simply met too many ponies to be able to remember them all. Not to mention that Celestia tried to not think about the day the changelings invaded Canterlot too much. It was a dark day when Celestia could not protect her own kingdom. Thank goodness Cadance and Shining Armor had been able to harness the power of their love and save the day. Celestia, still mostly lost in her thoughts, gave Broadshield an absentminded nod as he saluted her and left. She turned away as Photofinish conversed with Lyra, refocusing on her snack, though her mind was still on changelings.
Just then, she happened to look up as Nivalia sneezed and saw the wings briefly appear. The Princess was so surprised that her levitation faltered and she briefly dropped her donut, barely managing to catch it with her magic before it hit the table. She looked down, still subtly watching Nivalia. Had she imagined it? Perhaps her mind had been so filled with changelings, that she happened to mentally project one of the creature’s characteristics of being able to alter their appearance on an innocent pony. Either way, she had to check. She leaned forward, speaking very softly so no one but Cadance could hear her. “Did you see that?” Celestia asked, ever so slightly tilting her head towards Nivalia.
-
"Why is everyone coming in here looking for coffee?" Choc muttered to himself. "It seems that an investment I should make in the future is a better coffee machine. And someone to work it." Choc watched from behind the counter at the busy room. Choc, who was on the lookout for trouble, was keeping an eye on Nivalia. As she sat down and started pulling out files, she sneezed again, and a pair of wings shot out, then shot back in. And it seemed that Choc wasn't the only one suspicious now. Princess Celestia was also eyeing Nivalia with a suspicious look, and was whispering to Princess Cadance about something. If, Choc's suspicions were correct, then it left a few questions. Who is this mare? Is she a changeling? And if so why is she eating? If not, could she be another Shifter? No, the odds of that last one are incredibly few. Choc had no doubt in his mind that Nivalia was a changeling, and the longer she stays in his store, and in proximity to the two Princesses (and Lyra, come to think of it) after the catastrophe at Cadance's wedding, the more likely the shop wouldn't last 'till closing time.
-
Lyra gave Choc a bright and cheery smile. "I heard from a lad in here that there was some coffee. Thought'd I might check it out." The unicorn turned back to Photofinish.
"My... accent... you are the first poneh that told me my accent is perfect besides Bonbon. The name's Lyra Hearthstrings. I guess a photo shoot today wouldn't hurt too much, especially if fame and glamour were involved." She paused and got excited. "A friend? Oh Bon would probably love to come and watch! Oh... if she wasn't in Ponyville. Damn, I guess I can show her when I'm done."She took the lyre back out from her bag. "I also play the lyre and a few other instruments. If that means anything!"
-
Cadance was slowly chewing and listening to Celestia when she saw Photofinish walk in. After listening to her she rolled her eyes and met them with Celestia's before another pony walked in.
"Huh, I didn't think I would se e Lyra after the wedding." She smiled at her before looking at Celestia. "Did I see what?" The princess whispered back still chewing and turned her head to look at Nivalia.
"No I didn't. Is there something wrong?" She was beginning to feel something strange was happening in this shop.
-
"Okay so for the last quarter, budget versus actual has gone up 2.4% compared to last year..." Nivalia says to herself as she reviews another report. She scratches her head as she brings up another form, "Nirnroot supplies have been ordered. I still gotta submit that invoice; better mark it down." Still looking either down or at her papers, Nivalia's eyes lightly glow as a pen levitates from a pocket in her bag up to her hoof. The mare jots down some notes as her eyes return to normal, not at any point looking up to see the suspicious looks directed towards her. "Ugh, I gotta get replacement UV bulbs for the indica tables. There goes my contro- contr- achoo!" Nivalia sneezes sending a few papers off the table. Most she manages to catch by hoof; as for the last two, they suddenly glow green and are lifted back to the table with ease as the mare covers her nose with another tissue. Although her eyes would be glowing from the usage of magic, they remain closed this time due to their irritation from the sneeze.
-
The earth pony grinned and clapped her front hooves together, "Ahhh, brilliant! I knew you vould see sings my vay! Right after vee finish up 'ere, you and I schould be on our way to create 'Zee Magics'!" she replied in a rather dramatic fashion, even stooping into a theatrical pose at her last two words.
Photofinish then huffed a bit as she looked to her watch, the career-focused pony was feeling even more pressed for time. Who knows, maybe this mare can be very kind and considerate when she has a day off, but during the time of work she is like a freight train. So focused to stay on track of things and bulldoze through everything according to schedule, meeting deadlines, cramming in as many photo shoots as possible at once, meetings, more meetings, more photoshoots and more often than not she comes across as brash and rude. Seemingly not taking consideration for others when she is so tunnel-visioned in the middle of the excitement of her work.
The Fashion Photographer tapped a hoof while she waited for her order to be ready and once she was, the mare left a small bag filled with bits on the counter before taking her order. If couted there was a fair bit of a tip in it as well. Whether Photofinish was being generous or maybe she really didn't have the time to count her Bits, no one knows.
"I, Photofinisch, thank you." she told the employee before taking a seat at a table with her back to the princesses - surprisingly she still hadn't noticed them yet.
Seconds later an all too familiar irritated noise came out from Photofinish's mouth; quickly drawing the attention of the Make Up Artist accompanying her.
"Ugh, I said to make schure zat zer vere not too many almonds!" she complained with a frown.
The Make Up Artist pony, Powder Rouge, then quickly moved to her side to remove some of the almond toppings.
"Not enough!" Photofinish cried out.
So, Powder Rouge put some back on.
"Too much!"
Some were taken off again.
"Not enough!"
Some more were put back on.
"Too much!"
Once again more were taken off.
"I said not enough!"
More almonds were put back on again, this time, it was quite possible that these were the exact amount as there were on originally.
"Perfect!"
The Make Up Artist sighed a little, using every bit of her will power to not roll her eyes. She found her self feeling a sense of De Ja Vu, back when she did Fluttershy's make up some time ago.
Meanwhile the pale pink Manedresser had approached Nivilia with an apologetic look. She brushed her short, sharp mane out of the way from her eyes. She blinked with surprise when the papers scattered and motioned to help until the Changeling-in-disguise had gathered them all back up in her green magic. It was then she finally spoke up to her, "Excuse me. My name is Vidala Swoon, I just wanted to apologise on her behalf for earlier. Photofinish has just been really stressed as of late and has a tendency to be rather short to other ponies at times... well a lot of the time. Are you okay? You seem to have some allergies - it's not because of the perfume I am wearing, is it?"
((I only found out today that these two accompanying Photofinish actually have names! That's pretty cool! :D ))
-
Celestia continued speaking softly. “That mare over there, she had wings for a moment, before they disappeared.” She was about to go on as she continued watching Nivalia, when several things happened in quick succession. “Did you see that?" she asked quickly, her voice going even quieter. "She used magic. An Earth pony. And her eyes, I’ve seen those type of eyes before….” She looked back at the pink alicorn.
“Cadance, that mare is a changeling. I’m sure of it.” She faintly heard Photofinish’s antics but ignored them, focusing on the problem at hoof. How was the changeling here? Cadance and Shining Armor’s love had blasted them all to distant lands. Or so she had thought. Celestia watched out of the corner of her eye as Photofinish's Manedresser approached Nivalia and spoke to her.
-
"What?!!" Cadance said out loud but quickly brought her hooves to cover her mouth looking around. "Are you sure?" She whispered leaning in again. "What should we do? If it isn't causing trouble we can't just attack it..."
-
Choc walked over to the Princesses, despite his best instincts, because he needed to keep up appearances as a simple baker. "E-excuse me Princesses, is something wrong?" Choc asked, despite already knowing the answer.
-
Nivalia looks up to Vidala, placing her papers down as she spoke. When the manedresser asked about her and her allergy, the changeling couldn't help but warmly smile at the gesture. "Oh your perfume is fine, lovely actually. My allergies are from work, sniffles are something a botanist could do without." Nivalia glances over to Photofinish, "You don't need to apologize. I've gotten like that at t-" Before she can continue, she pauses as another sneeze looms ahead. After a moment of silence, she takes a deep breath, "Ok, sorry. Anyway I w-" An even louder sneeze erupts from Nivalia, the mare turning away just in time to avoid hitting Vidala with it. Under the table, her hind legs quickly erupt in a green flame, revealing her channeling anatomy for a brief moment before changing back to her disguised self. "Sorry again. But yea, don't worry about it."
-
Since Photofinish was being surprisingly quiet for the meantime, Vidala Swoon guessed that she was currently enjoying her croissant and coffee for the meantime... still she was prepared to suddenly rush out the split second Photofinish wanted to leave.
The pink mare sighed from relief, "Oh good, thank you. Oh, Botany? Must be quite a rewarding career, is there a particular focus on the type of plant that yo-" she began but stopped abruptly upon seeing her true form for a brief moment; causing for her lower jaw to drop quite generously. She shook her head in disbelief before her knees started to wobble and her heart race as fear took over her.
The mare cleared her throat, "Er- well, I was going to ask how you did that magic trick with the papers but now I realize that it isn't my business. Hee. Hee. Bye, bye now!" she squeaked with a nervous laugh before rushing back to the two other ponies she was with. Vidala was clearly nervous, perhaps the sudden surge of fear and panic started to show on her face as she whispered to Photofinish.
"Yes, yes vat is it?"
More whispering from the Manstylist.
"Uhuh... vat? Can you be schure?" she prodded, casting a glance at Nivalia from the corner of her eye.
"Yes, positive. Can we go now, please? We are... running out of time finding more models right?" Swoon pleaded with a forced smile.
The blue mare narrowed her eyes behind her thick lenses as she watched Nivalia closely, a stream of thoughts running through her mind. Her eyes and head turned about the room and it was only just now that she noticed the princesses and she nearly fell off of her chair. She exclaimed a phrase in a foreign language to express her surprise, "Ah! Since ven ver Princess Schelestia and Princess Cadance here?" she muttered to her co-workers through gritted teeth.
"They have been here the whole time, Photofinish." Powder Rouge replied simply, looking over to the royal ponies and giving a courteous bow; followed by the other two Earth Ponies with her soon after.
The trio walked away from the princesses a bit towards the direction of where the Changeling was - Vidala being at the back of the three.
"Changeling you say?" Photofinish whispered.
"Y-yes." Vidala whispered back.
"Zen zis is quite zee opportunity! Just sink about it! Hafing any aeshzetic of any pony visin the one Contractor could profe for her to be a faluable asset!"
Powder and Vidala exhanged looks.
"But, Photofinish, don't you remember what they did in Canterlot?!"
"I nefer look back, Povder Rouge, it dishtracts from zee now." Photofinish finalized before finally stopping in front of Nivala and spoke to her, keeping the same, surprisingly hushed tone as before.
"Excuse me, I'm curious as to why somepony, such as yourself, is shtill vandering about Canterlot efen after zee recent invasion..." she glanced back at the princesses again and then her watch, "Ah let's cut to the chase schall vee? My co-worker has told me zat your schneezes betray you, Ms Changeling, I haf a proposition for you so that you can benefit more from your talents. I aschume zat you knov vho I, Photofinisch, am, yes? Yes. I am looking for more models to schine across all of Equestria and you seem to fit zee bill. You efen get to live it up vith many benefits and expenses paid off within the district vhere the Canterlot Elites reside, hmm~? Not only that, it also provides you vith a vay out from the scharp eyes of zee Royals... vhom don't look fery calm at zee moment. Vhat do you say, Miss-?"
---
((Since there were so many cues, I'm guessing that you wanted Nivalia's true form to be known... Later on I'm going to start up a thread with some dramatic photoshoot sessions with a couple of other RPers. So it's up to you if you want Nivalia to join or not, I don't mind. :D ))
-
“I’m positive,” Celestia whispered. “You’re quite right. Not to mention that if we did attack, we don’t know how she’d react… and under no circumstances will I risk the safety of the ponies present.” Referring to the changeling as “she” was automatic- Celestia had long learned from diplomatic missions that it was rarely wise to refer to a sentient creature as an “it”. Something she may have to rethink, she reflected, since she couldn’t tell for sure if the changeling was male or female. Or she could possibly be some third previously unidentified gender that was specific to changelings. She thought a moment, considering. She finally spoke quietly.
“We must take stock of the possibility that she merely lives in Canterlot and is doing no harm whatsoever.” Celestia hoped with all her heart that this was the case. “However,” her expression turned grim. “We must also consider the possibility that she is impersonating another pony who is imprisoned somewhere, and draining love from Canterlot’s inhabitants.” Celestia took a deep breath. “Quite honestly, I think our best chance is to talk to her. Find out what she’s doing in Canterlot. If she is innocent of any wrongdoing, she should have nothing to fear from us. However, to be the safe side, we should either persuade her to come with us to somewhere more private or subtly evacuate the bakery. But your counsel is very important to me, what do you think we should do?”
Just then, the baker walked up, asking if something was wrong. Celestia straightened up and gave him a calm smile. It was of utmost importance that they did not cause a panic. “Oh no, we are quite alright. Just enjoying these delicious donuts.” Out of her peripheral, she continued watching Nivalia closely. Her eyes widened every so slightly as the changeling’s true anatomy was briefly revealed. Things were getting out of hoof. It was only a matter of time before somepony else noticed… oh no. Temporarily forgetting about Choc, Celestia's head swiveled to look at Nivalia full-on. She watched as Photofinish approached the changeling and spoke to her, her words too quiet to be heard. Did Photofinish know? What could she possibly be speaking to Nivalia about?
-
'Oh no, she found out. Have I been revealing this the entire time?' Nivalia asks herself as she sees the manedresser's obvious reaction. Slowly she stacks up her papers and puts them away as she watches the group of fashionistas talk across the room. She packs her things just as Photofinish approaches her. As she speaks, the changeling's mind begins to race. 'Oh nuts, they know! I need to find a way out of here! What if she calls the gu- wait, a proposal? Modeling? I've never done modeling before, and what Royals are she talking about...' Nivalia turns her head slightly, finally spotting Celestia and Cadence in the corner of her eye. Immediately she looks back to Photofinish, her adrenaline spiking as she struggles to remain calm. She knew of the invasion, and imagines that the two leaders of Equestria may not take too kindly to her type; their Royal Guards certainly havent, something she learned the hard way. "Uh, N- Nivalia." the mare answers as her hind hooves begin to tremble from anxiety. "I can't do anything right away. But I'm certainly interested in your proposal." Her eyes close as a small pocket on her bag opens up, a professional business card emerging in green magic. It hovers over to the stylist, "Here's my contact information. I should have some time later this week if that's alright with you." Nivalia's stare quickly passes Vidala, her ears tilting back slightly, "I'm sorry ahead of time if my... " she pauses for a moment as she thinks of the right word, "physique causes any trouble with your associates or clients."
-
"Yup! Just us enjoying the yummy donaughts haha." Cadance tried acting natural. "In fact can I have another one to go?" She smiled and floated more bits to him.
-
Choc grabbed the bits in his magic and floated another donut over to the Princesses table. "There you go Princess. Enjoy." Choc walked back to the counter, wondering whether the Princesses knew about the changeling at the back of the store.
-
"Hey Choc, could you be a dear and also grab me a croissant. I've been starvin' all mornin'." She trotted to the counter. Lyra typically was in a good mood, but after being chosen to be a model, her day got eve better.
-
"No problem Lyra." Choc said, turning away from his sources of stress to focus on the task at hand. He floated the croissant over to Lyra, making sure not to drop crumbs everywhere, as they can be pesky to clean up. "That'll be 3 bits. Hope you enjoy." Choc turned away to power up his lockdown system, which he had installed just in case things ever got too hectic, deciding to leave it on standby until the Princesses and the Changeling were out of sight.
-
"Nifalia! Mhmm, certainly has a nice ring to it, don't you sink?" Photofinish asked her associates but didn't quite wait for an answer. Vidala relucantly accepted the business card as Photofinish hoofed over her own to the Changeling, "Nonsense darlin', nonsense! If anysing your physique has attitude and pizzazz - or even ozerwise, given your skill-"
"Photofinish," Powder Rouge spoke up, "friendly reminder that your three o'clock has been moved to one o'clock."
The blue mare let out a gasp and started shoving her associates out the door, "WE GO!" she yelled before disappearing from the shop.
-
"Thank yah Choc." She floated bits over to the baker and began eating while standing and blinking at Nivalia. After seeing her sneeze Lyra nearly began to choke on his croissant.
-
Nivalia takes Photofinish's card and puts it in her bag. After the fashionista and her entourage exit, the changeling looks over to the other patrons of the shop. Lyra's stare was one thing, but the gaze of the Princesses made her anxiety grow. Securing the last of her things, Nivalia gets up from her seat and makes her way to the door; her eyes stay focused on the floor as her ears fold back. As soon as she exits the shop, the mare picks up her pace, her breaths quickening as she tries to leave the area as fast as possible. Caprica tightens her grip around Nivalia's shoulders to keep herself from falling off.
-
After finishing it she thanked Choc one last time and left the cafe and headed off. It was obvious that she was in a good mood.
-
As the ponies filed out of the bakery one by one, Choc smiled to himself. What a day. A changeling, two princesses, a celebrity, a soldier. Today had it all. He took off his apron, hung it on it's hook, and cleared out the cash register, placing the money into a safe in the back room. "Ok everypony, we're closing up for the day. If you could all please leave pretty soon, that would be great." Choc announced to the remaining customers.
-
Once everyone had left, Choc locked the door, closed the blinds, and left through the back entrance. Looking down to his forehoof, he noticed his wristband starting to become visible. "Dammit! Not now. I'm too far away from home. Need to find a good spot to shift, before someone spots me." Choc started to gallop away, following the back streetsand allyways.