Chocolate Roses
Music drifted throughout the condo from a brand-new record player, quiet enough to not disturb any neighbors at that late hour of the night, but loud enough to move Crystal's hooves and hips almost of their own accord.
Slowly, slowly, you will fall in love, the recorded voice sang.
The path of love is difficult; it's bound by shyness
It's a strange war with myself; this heart worries all the time.
As she lifted a piece of paper and a quill, she mumbled, "Oh, Silent Knight, what am I going to do about you?"
The quill bobbed up and down as it scribbled along the page when she stopped talking long enough to focus on the story.
"You're no help, you know." She giggled. "You can write all these fanciful situations, but they'll never happen."
The quill added a period with an irritated plik.
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry. Let's see what you've done." She lowered the quill and scanned the page.
He put a hoof to her chin and forced her to look at him. "What are you trying to say?" She tried to pull away, but his hoof held her still, forcing her to confront him. "Talk to me, please."
She sighed and set the paper down on the coffee table. "Oh, I'd talk to you, big boy, if you'd just ask me to."
Her ear twitched at the sound of three short, quick knocks.
"Just a minute!" she called, her magic flaring. The record player shut off and she flipped a few more lights on before she went to the door and opened it. Her knees went weak and her breath caught in her throat as she squeaked, "Oh!" She swallowed.
There he was, standing in full armor, looking down at her with those calming silver eyes. A tuft of blue mane poked out from under his helmet, the only thing out of place in his otherwise proper appearance.
"Silent Knight," she breathed more than said as she struggled not to swoon.
Realization hit her and the love-struck warmth froze with a horrified chill. One hoof flew to her mane, which was pulled up in a messy bun, then lowered to the silky robe that was draped over her form. She was in embarrassing disarray.
"I'm so sorry, I'm a mess! Let me freshen—"
Silent shook his head. "No, you're fine, Crystal Wishes. It's my fault for disturbing you at this hour." He removed his helmet and tucked it under his foreleg. "I know that Velvet is away on her trip and I wanted to make sure you were doing all right by yourself."
Crystal blinked a few times, her hoof continuing to fidget with her robe. "Really?" She felt her face grow warm. "That's really sweet of you, Sergeant. Please come in. Would you like some tea?" She stepped off to the side and pulled the door all the way open.
"No, but thank you." He nodded and walked inside. He took a moment to look around, his expression an unwavering neutral, before he looked at her and smiled. "So, how are you doing?"
Crystal walked over to the pillows. "I'm perfectly all right. Won't you have a seat?" She settled down and gestured at the one across from her. Her gaze followed him as he walked over and carefully lowered himself, careful to not catch the plush material on the edges of his armor.
"I had known she was going to travel when we first moved in together," she continued. "I miss her, but I know it's good for her. Her last letter seemed very positive about her performance. At this rate, she'll be going on tour several times a year to perform in other cities." She smiled. "It's a wonderful opportunity and I only want the best for her."
Silent's eyes took on an unfamiliar softness as he said, "I know that you, of all ponies, truly mean that. You are one of the kindest ponies I know, Crystal Wishes."
Crystal couldn't fight the blush that she was sure showed through her off-white coat. "Oh, you flatterer." She giggled. "Thank you."
"Anyway, she'll be back soon, won't she?"
"Not soon enough." Crystal sighed. "But I am getting better at being on my own. Now, enough about me." She tilted her head. "You got off work late but still found the time to drop by just to check in on me, but you call me the kind pony?"
"It's an occupational hazard." He paused, then clarified, "I mean staying late. Seeing a good friend is a pleasure, not a hazard at all."
Crystal giggled behind one hoof. "I understand. So, what was the hazard today that kept you?"
Silent rubbed his cheek, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh, well. You know Thunder Tumble?" She nodded. "Well, he got in a bit of a tussle with one of the new rookies on Princess Celestia's House Guard."
"What? Thunder Tumble?" She blinked. "But he's so sweet!"
"He is. Until somepony throws a punch." He chuckled and shook his head. One hoof raised to smooth his helmet-mussed mane. "From what I was told, they were having a debate over who had the best unit sergeant and some less than flattering comparisons were made regarding my rigidity. Thunder, well, he didn't take too kindly to what was said."
Crystal broke out into short but heartfelt laughter. "He was defending your honor?"
Silent seemed to fight it, his mouth wriggling a moment, before he laughed with her and nodded. "It seems so."
"And how did you handle having your honor defended like a maiden?" She tried not to grin.
"Honestly, it was a little embarrassing. Sunny Day and I managed to separate them and we agreed that we'd handle our respective guards ourselves." He shifted some, glancing down at the pillow beneath him. The one he had selected was a little small for a stallion his size, so he had to be sure to not shift himself right off it. "Thunder was pretty upset. It took a while just to get him to calm down enough just to talk about it rationally."
She almost laughed, but the sound instead came out as a chuffle when a thought struck her. "Oh, dear, he won't be in much trouble, will he? His intentions were in the right place, after all."
"Don't worry." Silent shook his head. "He'll receive a small slap on the hoof because he should have been the bigger pony. He really knocked the other guard down a peg or two, though. Off the record, just between you and me, I'm proud of him. He won the fight hooves down, no question about it."
"You're proud of him for winning a fight?" She laughed this time, but she did manage to cover it politely with one hoof. "I don't know that I understand stallions sometimes."
Silent shrugged and explained, "My father always taught me to never start a fight but if somepony else did, I had better finish it, and that's exactly what Thunder did."
Crystal paused. She blinked a few times, her gaze focusing on nothing in particular as a feeling of deja vu tickled the back of her neck before she shook her head once to chase it away. "That makes sense in some way, I suppose."
There was a small pause before Silent smiled. "Oh, how is your new book coming? Princess Luna is very eager to get her hooves on it as soon as possible. She said you're working on something special. I think she's your biggest fan, from what I can tell."
Crystal turned her head to look at the sofa. It was really an odd size between a sofa and a loveseat and it served more as a desk than a seating area. In fact, since she had bought it, she hadn't actually sat on it once. At that moment it was covered with pages, some blank and others full of notes.
She finally relented with a sigh, "It is, well, it's coming along. I'm trying something—how do I put it—new, you might say, but it's also somewhat unfamiliar territory for me." Her tail lashed to curl around her as she glanced at him. "I've been stuck on something for a few days now, actually. Every time I try to plan it, it either falls flat or feels forced. I could use a stallion's perspective, if you don't mind?"
Silent's ears perked. "Not at all. I'd be happy to help."
Crystal's heart broke into a thunderous pounding in her chest and her words caught in her throat. She took a small breath and forced the question out despite her nerves. "As a stallion, if you found yourself in love with two ponies, how would you choose between them?"
Silent looked at her with his brow raised in surprise. He blinked a few times and admitted, "You might not like my answer, I'm afraid."
With the way her heart pounded faster and her mouth went dry, she was fairly certain she was the one who was afraid at that moment. "Try me."
Silent shrugged. "Well, I would first make a list of why I thought I loved them. If it really was love, couldn't I explain why I felt that way? If I couldn't, that might make it easier to realize I only really loved one, or perhaps neither."
Crystal nodded slowly. He was right; the idea of an intangible list didn't help her much at all. She licked her lips and pressed, "So you make a list for the first pony, and another for the second. What then?"
Silent took a deep breath and released it slowly as he gave the question more thought. Finally, he answered, his voice low and careful, "I guess I would have to decide on the long-term traits I want in a partner. When I imagine being in love, I'm not worried about whether she's beautiful or rich. True love is a long-term commitment and those are temporary things. I'd love the pony that is patient and kind, who would put her desires after my own but know when to let me do the same for her. She would be my friend and confidant, somepony I could tell anything without her judging me."
He didn't look at her, instead looking at his hooves as they shifted to cross left over right. "Infatuation is one thing, but for true love, I'd take the mare who was sweet to me and looked out for me. That is how I'd know she was the one, since there can't be two ponies like that, can there? If I really had to make lists, then they would make it clear which one was true love and which was just infatuation."
Silence followed his words as Crystal stared at him, struck speechless. She started to smile and fought to keep it from growing to a full-on beam. She tried to speak, but her voice came out instead as a whisper. "I had no idea you were a romantic."
He shrugged. "Perhaps I am. Or perhaps I'm waiting for a pony that doesn't exist, but I can wait if she does. I'd rather get the right one later than settle for the wrong one just because she came along sooner."
"I am certain a mare like that exists, Silent Knight." Crystal reached out and put a hoof on his, lifting it to slip her other underneath so she could hold it gingerly. "And I'm certain you'll see her, eventually."
Silent stared at her, then smiled. "For some reason, I believe you." He slipped his hoof out of her grasp and stood up. "Anyway, I should let you get to bed. I didn't mean to keep you up so late. Thank you, Crystal Wishes."
Crystal blinked a few times and tilted her head. "Why are you thanking me?"
"I came here to make sure you were okay, but instead, you made me feel more hopeful about my prospects of love all of a sudden. So, thank you for that. You are the sweetest pony I know." He picked up his helmet and started to set it on his head.
Before he could revert back to his stoic self under the safety of his complete uniform, Crystal asked, "Oh, sergeant, out of curiosity, are you doing anything for Hearts and Hooves Day?" Her heart fluttered eagerly, excitedly.
Silent paused, then shook his head and replied, "Iridescence and Miley Hooves asked me to cover for them. They had plans and I didn't, so I'll be on duty. Why do you ask?"
"Oh." The fluttering calmed down, her excitement deflated in an instant. "I see. I suppose I will end up spending the day with Velvet, since she'll be back by then and I currently don't have anything else planned."
"I'm sure you two will have fun," Silent said with a smile and turned for the door. "Good night, Crystal Wishes."
"Good night," she called after him just before the door shut. She dropped her head down to rest on her hooves, letting the events roll around in her mind until they came to a boil and she sprung to her hooves. "I'm kind! I can put you before myself!" She started to prance around the room, her tail and head held high. "And I most certainly can continue to be patient!"
Her hoof landed on a loose sheet of paper and she slipped, stumbling forward but catching herself just before she fell. She glanced around to ensure the condo was still as empty as it should have been, then closed the distance between herself and the record player. The lights dimmed and the needle lowered to the record, which started to spin.
Have a little patience, my love
Take a deep breath, my dear
Crystal shifted her weight to stand on her hindlegs and began to waltz across the living room floor, the silk night robe sweeping behind her, reminiscent of a ball gown.
Go shoo all the fears away, my love
Life is too short for that
She had practiced the waltz and other ballroom dances more times than she would ever use over the course of her life, but the over-practice did mean that her legs could step and twirl without too much thought. It freed up her mind to focus on other things, like imagining her forelegs were wrapped around a strong, muscular stallion, and his held her securely but gently…
Slowly, slowly, you will fall in love, my dear
Slowly, slowly, you will fall in love…
♡
The usual sounds of the cafe buzzed around them: cups clinked against their saucers, steam hissed from the espresso maker, and quiet chatter echoed from all directions. Crystal sipped her tea while Raven pored over the loosely bound papers levitating in front of her, held by her magic.
"Okay," Raven said once she finished reading and raised her head to peer across the table at Crystal, "so I'm fairly certain I know who Stoutheart is modeled after. Do you have something to confess?"
Crystal's ears perked straight up. "If you already know, then what point is there in confessing?" She smiled and took another sip of tea.
"To rid your conscience of guilt, of course." Raven leaned back into her seat and laughed. "So, should I take this to mean that since we last spoke, your situation has gotten better?" A coy smile curled her lips. "Will I be seeing even more of you at the castle now?"
"It's too soon to say." Crystal reached out and tapped on the papers. "But, about the matter at hoof?"
Raven blinked and looked down. "Oh, yes. It's a good start. It has a different feel than your usual work." She quickly raised a hoof. "Not in a bad way, of course. It's just clear to me that you're putting your feelings into this, instead of others'. The Mare's Temptation was a lot of me, and The Princess of the Knight was just—" She shrugged. "Fantasy?"
Crystal twiddled her hooves, staring at the table, her face heating up. "I suppose that's all true. This story is much more personal to me than the others." Her head jerked up and she frowned at Raven. "Do you think it's too personal? What if nopony can relate to it? What—"
"Oh, calm down." Raven laughed softly. "I said it was different and not in a bad way, didn't I? It feels real, and that's a good thing. You're growing as an author, and you should be proud of that." Her expression grew playful as she teasingly added, "You're also growing as a mare, and you should tell me more about that."
Crystal huffed. "This seems awfully familiar."
"It does, doesn't it? 'Oh, please, tell me about your love story, I'm so desperate to hear one!'" Raven laughed again, shaking her head. "Now you're the one with a love story who won't share the details, and we're friends! I was a complete stranger then and I told you about my love life!"
Crystal gathered up her papers and tucked them into her saddlebags, shaking her head. "There's not much to tell, at least, not yet. He's not aware that I have feelings for him, but I can be patient." She giggled. "I have waited this long to fall for somepony, after all, so I can wait a little longer."
"Hmm." Raven tapped her hooves on the table. "I can help out, you know. I run into him a lot, given how close he is to Princess Luna. Though, I suppose you'll want to make friends with Willow, given that, hopefully soon, she'll be taking over that side of the castle."
Raven sighed heavily. "It will be so nice to have some free time. Moving in with Moore has let me see him more,"—she giggled at the lyrical ease with which the sentence fell off her tongue—"but I'm still stressed by the workload. Willow is competent, though a little headstrong."
"Headstrong?" Crystal blinked. "She seemed fairly normal the times I've met her."
Raven let out a small sound that was a cross between a chuckle and a groan. "She's anything but! Granted, she can shift a schedule around in her mind like nopony I've ever met, but she takes the job too seriously. Princess Luna seems to like her, however, because Willow can always find time for the things she wants to do in between what she has to."
"I think you're just a little jealous because Luna might like her more than you." She giggled when Raven scoffed.
"Well, that false accusation aside, that does remind me. Velvet is back, isn't she?" Crystal nodded, and she continued, "How did her first big tour go?"
"Wonderfully. Just as I predicted, she wasn't laughed off the stage or anything dramatic like that. She made a few nervous fumbles the first night, but after a few performances I guess she got into a groove because she came back with tons of bouquets. We're still trying to find recipes to use them in so they don't go to waste."
Crystal laughed and added, "Anyway, do you and Moore have any plans tonight after you get off work?"
Raven's mood swung to that of a school filly as she twiddled her hooves. "Oh, yes! He said he made reservations for dinner, so I had to pack a nice gown to change into so I can go straight from the castle to there." She squirmed in her seat. "I know we've had dinner before, but this is our first Hearts and Hooves Day together, and he said it would be special. I can't help but be excited!"
Crystal gasped and leaned in. "Do you think he's going to propose?!"
"What? No!" She paused, then gasped as well. "Oh my Celestia, what if he does?"
Crystal stared at her with wide eyes, the corners creased from her growing smile. "You'll say yes, won't you?"
Raven returned the wide-eyed, wide-smiled expression. "Of course!" She patted her cheeks and cleared her throat. "Of course, that depends on if he asks. I don't want to get my hopes up and ruin an otherwise perfectly romantic evening." The smile crept back into place. "But I hope he does."
Crystal giggled and slipped out of her seat. "Let's have lunch again tomorrow so I can hear all about it, okay?"
Raven nodded. "All right. Good luck with your own stallion, and your new novel!" She folded her forelegs on the table and leaned forward. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Crystal."
"Yup!"
Once she was outside the cafe and around the corner, Crystal let her smile fall. How could it be a happy Hearts and Hooves Day when she had nopony to spend it with? Velvet was waiting at the condo and they had plans to drown themselves in chocolate, but it wasn't the same.
Crystal stopped and looked over her shoulder, up at the castle. Somewhere within its walls stood Silent Knight, unwittingly on duty. She sighed and turned her head back forward only to yelp in surprise when she found herself nearly nose-to-nose with a pink collage of a mare.
"Hi!" the mare chirped, her wings fluttering excitedly. "I'm Lovey Dovey!"
"Hi?" Crystal took a step back to regain some personal space. "Can I help you with something?"
"Huh? Oh, no." Lovey smiled.
Crystal waited a moment, then lifted a hoof to walk around the mare. "Then—?"
Lovey blinked, tilted her head, and mirrored the movement of lifting a hoof. "Yes?"
Crystal's brow slowly furrowed. "Is there something you need?"
"Nope!"
Crystal sputtered several attempted questions before she settled on, "What are you doing?"
Lovey's wings fluttered again. "I just wanted to say hello! I saw your cutie mark from across the road and thought, 'Wow, that pretty mare has a pretty cutie mark!' But I might be biased because I love hearts. And love." She leaned in, staring at Crystal's chest a moment, then up to meet her gaze. "You love love, too, don't you?"
"I, well, that is—What?" Crystal blinked a few times.
Lovey half-snorted, half-giggled. "Of course you do! So, since I haven't met a lot of ponies in Canterlot who don't love fashion or money or art but instead love love, I'd really like to be friends!"
Lovey's expression sobered rather suddenly, her ears falling to the sides and her eyes closing halfway. "That is, if you have some time. I understand if you're busy. I just can't seem to find a lot of lovey cheer on such a lovey holiday in this un-lovey city."
Crystal started to smile, then broke out into delicate laughter. She put a hoof on Lovey's shoulder and nodded. "Why don't you come with me? My friend Velvet and I are going sulky for the holiday."
"Sulky?" Lovey glanced downward. "Oh, but you have no reason to sulk!"
This gave Crystal pause before she shook her head. "No, no." She gestured for Lovey to follow as she started to walk in the direction of the condominium. Lovey squeaked and hurried after her.
"You must not spend a lot of time in Canterlot," Crystal said with a smile.
"Nope! I live in Ponyville. Strangely, although I've been all over Equestria at some point or another, I just don't end up in Canterlot that often!"
"Oh?" She glanced at the mare. "Anyway, 'going sulky' is the local slang for 'going solo'. It doesn't mean we'll be sitting there sulking all afternoon. Or, at least, Velvet won't." She laughed again, albeit a little less happily.
Lovey furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. "Well, that's an awfully sad slang!"
Crystal raised a hoof to gesture off to the right at a stallion pulling a cart, a mare resting in the seat and fanning herself as she regarded her surroundings with disdain. "That's a sulky. Admittedly, I don't know why it's called that, but it is. Given that it's a one-pony cart, the name was adapted to mean being single. I don't think a lot of other towns have sulkies, though."
Lovey's pout brightened up. "Oh, that's actually kind of cute! Odd, but cute!" She giggled. "So what's your name?"
"I'm so sorry!" Crystal blinked. "I completely forgot. I'm Crystal Wishes, but of course, you can just call me Crystal." She smiled, returning her gaze to the road ahead of them. "I have a feeling you'll get along well with Velvet. She can be a little high-strung, too."
"What?" Lovey gasped. "Are you saying I'm high-strung?"
"I—No, of course not, I just—" Crystal frowned lightly when Lovey started laughing.
"Of course I'm high-strung! You would be, too, if you were surrounded by love." She pranced on the tips of her hooves, looking around them. Her feathers started to ruffle before her wings fluttered. "Nopony seems to want to admit it, but there's love in this city. I can see it even if they can't!"
Crystal arched her brow and said nothing for a moment, simply letting the mare ramble on before she finally asked, "Lovey, when you say you see it, do you mean you actually see love?"
"Huh? Well, yes, of course! Why would I say I could see it if I couldn't?"
Crystal stared at her with wide eyes. "That's amazing! Is that your talent?"
"Maybe!" Lovey shrugged. "I've met a few other ponies who can see love lines, though I've certainly met a lot more who can't."
"These, er, 'love lines'?" Crystal paused to open the door to the condominium building. "Do they tell you who a pony loves or some such thing?"
Lovey shook her head. "Oh, no. I mean, well, yes. But not always. Love lines link two or more ponies who are perfect for each other. It's kind of like soulmates, but not a guarantee." She sighed. "Love lines are really delicate! But don't worry, yours is very strong."
"Mine?" Crystal's ears perked straight up and she stopped halfway up the stairs. "You can see mine? Where—Where does it go?"
There was a small pause as Lovey didn't look at her for a moment, then mumbled, "I'm sorry, but I get the feeling that you're the kind of mare that wants to find out for yourself. I could tell you if you really want, but—"
"No, you're right," Crystal interrupted, rubbing the back of her neck. She sighed and continued up the stairs, though a smile graced her lips. "I don't want any spoilers, as tempting as it might be. I'm just happy to know that whomever I'm meant to be with, it's a strong connection."
"Yup!" Lovey jumped into the air and hovered above Crystal to look down at her, smiling and giggling. "It's very strong! You're a lucky mare indeed!"
One of Crystal's ears twitched, then perked upright, followed by the other. "That said, I wouldn't mind some spoilers regarding"—she worked the lock and threw open the door, pointing at the unsuspecting and surprised Velvet—"her!"
Lovey flew in and skidded to a halt in front of Velvet, her head lower than Velvet's to stare at her chest. Just as Velvet was about to protest, Lovey straightened up with a curious, almost confused look on her face. "Oh?" She blinked a few times. "Hi! I'm Lovey Dovey!"
Velvet stared at them with wide eyes and a quirked brow. "Um, hi?" Her gaze settled on Crystal. "I didn't know we were going to have company."
Crystal walked inside and shut the door behind Lovey. "Me neither, but she's a little lonely today, and you always tell me I need to make more friends." She sat down on one of the pillows, her nose upturned.
"Well, yes, but I didn't mean grab strangers off the street and drag them home." Velvet laughed and straightened up. She offered a hoof to Lovey, continuing, "Anyway, hi, I'm Velvet Step. Welcome to our sulky party!"
Lovey took the hoof, but frowned. "Nope, nope, nope! Even now that I know what that means I just don't like it. Why can't it just be a party?"
Velvet looked to Crystal and they shrugged back and forth, then she said, "All right, then. Welcome to our party."
"Much better!" Lovey settled onto one of the remaining pillows, turning her attention to Crystal. "I thought you said she was high-strung like me?"
"You told her I was high-strung?" Velvet reared up onto her haunches, crossed her forelegs over her chest, and raised one brow. "You've got some explaining to do, missy!"
Lovey gasped and glanced between them as they stared at each other, Velvet with a frown and Crystal with a pout. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—Please don't fight, I just—"
Velvet sputtered into laughter and reached out to flick Crystal's forehead. "Oh, don't worry," she said, looking over at Lovey. "I'm just joking. I mean, I still wouldn't call me high-strung, but that just means I'm not going to share any of the chocolate fondue I made."
Lovey's fears were instantly washed away by a squeal. "Chocolate fondue? Really?"
"Yup! I even brought some sugared rose petals from Mom and Dad's, too." She sighed and looked on the coffee table where a fondue pot and a plate of fruits and the petals rested. "Guess I'll just eat it by myself."
Lovey pointed at Crystal and exclaimed, "She called you high-strung, not me!"
Velvet grinned. "Then you may have some fondue."
"Yay!" Lovey hopped to her hooves and dragged her pillow over to the table. "Sorry, Crystal, but I've known chocolate much longer than I've known you!"
Crystal laughed and folded her hooves, watching Velvet and Lovey enjoy the fondue, the former with much more exaggerated expressions and reactions. Finally, she scooted her pillow closer. "All right, all right. You're not high-strung. Now can I have some chocolate?"
Velvet relented with a giggle and motioned her closer so that the three could enjoy an afternoon of chocolate and chatter. By the end of the evening, even though Lovey had abruptly left with the exclamation of a 'love line emergency,' Crystal found herself in much higher spirits than she would have expected for going sulky on Hearts and Hooves Day.
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Oh, Celestia above, it's Lovey Dovey! Someone save us from the love-based silliness!
If she meets Cadance ever, I'm running.5970404
I have a short story in the backlog titled "Lovey Dovey and the Great Love Challenge" that may or may not feature our dear Cadence. I know the show spells it "Cadance," but I think that's silly. How does Cadenza turn into Cadance! And the word is cadence! It boggles me and I will continue to be contrary on the spelling because neener neener, I can't hear you, la la la.
In my personal headcanon for this universe, Cadence is one of the ponies Lovey mentions that she's met, though Cadence can actually tap into and repair them via magic a la the flashback of Twilight watching said reparations. Lovey can see and follow them, and from there do her best to try to fix any through more conventional means, like grabbing ponies and dragging them to their soulmate.
I don't know if any of that is really spoilery or not. Oh well!
Holy snaps - an edit here too. :3
Excellent use of eqine-related wordplay.
You know, it's wierd how much I enjoy stories about love. I kind of ward off emotions and I haven't cried in six months, but it didn't stop me from giggling halfway through this story and favouriting other, more fluffy pieces.
BTW, added this story to my favourites.
5970454 But muh jimmies, CW! They're so rustled!
Anyway, I could totally see them meeting. I kinda see/write Cady as being a bit teasing and acting as a matchmaker with her friends, but not quite as overt as Lovey Dovey. So no dragging ponies through the Crystal Empire because "LOOOOOOVE!"
Spoilers? What spoilers? I see no such thing!
Ugh, and there's still so much time before anything happens with... certain ponies and their relationships. No spoilers here though. None at all.
On a more serious note, I'm actually really looking forward to Silent Knight's, ah, leave of absence, since we didn't get really any information about what was going on with Crystal during that time, especially the time after.
It's really hard to comment on this without spoiling memoirs for readers who might not have gotten around to there yet.
Anyway, thanks for another great chapter! 
EDIT: Also it's adorable that you and Anzel have your fics in the featurebox at the same time.
Yay, new chapter!!! And its got lovey in it!!! Fantastic!
The first part of this chapter, I remember reading this from Silents perspective, with a double facepalm, saying "Silent you are one dense pony" I read it from this perspective, and again, Im doing and saying the same thing. Then I wanted to yell at crystal for not dragging him back into the apartment and clear things up and how she feels.
Lovey is a fun charachter and its nice to see her in this story. yeah I read her story too. Anyway she reminds me of a love oriented simi toned down pinkie pie and I love it!
I think you meant chuckle, although chuffle is a real word. I checked on dictionary.com, it means "(of the larger species of cats) to make a low snuffling sound analogous to the purring of smaller cat species, often as a greeting." I doubt Crystal made such a sound in situation she's in, but I wouldn't doubt she would do so at some point in the future, especially if it involved a certain white pegasus stallion coming to get her for a date.
5970515 I actually did mean chuffle, not for how big cats use it (as a greeting) but because that's the sound she made. The tigers at a local conservation center chuffle at the keepers, and when I was thinking of how to describe the sound, that was all I could hear.
5970534 Ahh Crystal, you clever wordsmith you!
What would life be like if we didn't have words like: 'bromance', 'twitterpated', 'chillax', 'chortle', and the thousands if not tens of thousands of words invented by authors, speakers, and politicians who refused to be limited by only the words currently found in the dictionary?
Nice chapter. It was cute to see Crystal blow up after Silent left. Great job.
Well that was certainly something.
I loved this line! It is such a juxtaposition on pony-vs-human traditions. Can you imagine going to a performance and bringing along a bunch of carrots to show your appreciation to the Prima Ballerina? Or throwing ears of corn onto the stage after an excellent performance? Or maybe tossing colorful lettuce onto the ice for the winning ice dancers? Because that is kinda how roses could be seen by ponies in Equestria.
Although now that I think about it, maybe they would be seen exactly like fruit bouquets are seen now? They just required less preparation in pony society.
Dear Crystal of Canterlot,
Silent Knight might be very, very dense, but you're no help when you state, without explanation, that you're going to have to spend Hearts and Hooves Day with Velvet if you can't spend it with Knight.
Sincerely,
Your exasperated fan
On a side note, great chapter and I love Lovey. :-D She is amazingly funny and epic (I'm going to read LD and the BP this week some time). :-P Though now I'm thinking of what would happen if she was in a room with other characters I know or even some of my own OC's....
A scary thought. Anyway, thanks for the amazing chapter and happy Sulky Day. I have gone sulky every Hearts and Hooves Day! Wait... I really shouldn't be proud of that, but ANYWAY, off to read more stuff and await more of your awesomeness come Thursday!
Sincerely,
[Current Username Here] :-P
5970454
In the setting I'm writting up*, "heart speech" is one of many magics under the umbrella of thaumaturgy, the magic of speaking with and influencing spirits and souls, which pegasi are largely instinctive casters for. So Lovey-Dovey would definitely fit in that.**
*I'm part of the way through chapter 3 now but it might be a while before I publish any of them.
**Cadence, having originally been a pegasi, also does. The comparison I would make that, even pre-Alicorn, Cadence was a buck-mothering genius. Like, Lovey Dovey self-taught on a piano remarkably well. Cadence churned out classics when she first sat down. In canon, IIRC, Cadence's ascendance came after she defeated and redeemed a villain with an amulet terrorizing Cloudsdale. In my version of things, she sung a dirge of love lost that brought the sorceress to tears and filled the amulet, the Empty Heart.
Oh Lovey! Hey there! *gets glomped by Lovey*
Your soulmate is this way! *gets dragged away*
But wait! I haven't commented yet! *complaint sounds fading from being dragged away by a surprisingly strong pegasus*
-
-
-
-
*returns later*
I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Lovey just yet haha
That was clever, Crystal, but I'm honestly a little disappointed in you all the same. These are mares that we're talking about; it would be a "doe party."
Although that does sound an awful lot like a "dough party," which would be a baking thing. Or possibly a banking thing.
...
Le gasp! Velvet Step's parents are bakers! And Lovey Dovey is lovey on a banker!
Or a stallion who represents a nebulously-defined business concern because his exact profession wasn't important to the story, not so much as he was just so focused on his work —
A banker!
And there they are with chocolate! And do you know what happens when you have chocolate at a doe party?
The mares there sound delicious!
Get in the chocolate chip cookie bag!
Brought to you by... I don't even know, anymore. Low blood sugar, I guess.
Not gonna lie, Lovey's reaction to Velvet makes me very curious. Very curious indeed...
And on a completely unrelated note, I feel like, even more than Cadance, the world would be in danger if Lovey Dovey ever met Dr. Candyfloss (from Shipping and Handling)
Velvet represent'n all o' us up in he-ah!
5970475 Thanks! I was a little unsure if it'd be one of those wordplays that falls short or actually works.
I am glad, however, that my story can bring you some giggles and earned a favorite! Thank you so much!
5970484 Oh, I'll rustle your jimmies... Wait, that sounds sexual. Maybe I won't. Can I just taunt your jimmies from afar with my stubbornness?
Yess, they're very, very different, especially in that regard.
I see her the same way you do. Lovey is kind of driven half-mad, I like to think, by her desire to help everypony and that resulting in an overload of love-love.
5970486 The next chapter will be of great interest to you then! ... And the one after that! And, aw, shucks, the one after that... I guess you'll just have to keep reading to have all those curiosities resolved!
5970488 Yay, I'm happy people are happy to see Lovey! She's one of my favorites. (If you asked me about any of my OCs, I'd say x was one of my favorites... because they're ALL my favorite! Just in different ways!)
5970491 Heehee, yeah, Crystal kind of wimped out at the end, but she's feeling really good about her prospects, so, eh, you win some, you lose some!
5970669 I'm so glad someone commented on that! That was one of three itty bitty one-liners I snuck in there a) because... well... they happened and b) to see if someone noticed enough to comment.
Yes, I am really amused by the idea of a stallion unwittingly giving a starved mare a bouquet and, unable to control herself, she just chomps the flowers right off the stems. I imagine there's etiquette, especially in that circumstance. Don't eat the flowers until you get home. Maybe let them start to wilt before you chow down... 
5970779 Crystal doesn't understand why people think they're together! They're just really good friends! Obviously one would spend Hearts and Hooves Day with a friend if they had no other offers on the table...
5970907 That is a really interesting premise you've got set up there! I'll have to make sure I'm following you so I can keep an eye out when you do decide to publish!
5970922 Hehehe, yes! I willfully ignored the Lovey comment because you knew too much, accidentally!
(adding 5971426 to this part) I am happy when people catch the little things. This was another one of the three "one-liners" I snuck in to see if they got any comment action... We have no idea what Lovey saw in Velvet's love line that made her make that face. Maybe there's not one at all, or maybe it's just murky and clouded, or really tangled up, or Lovey just can't get a good read on it... It's up to the reader to decide, because I'm not going to tell. 
I will say that Velvet, in the present and foreseeable future, is happy, and I don't have a sad ending planned for her.
5971090
W-welcome back! 
And yes, this is not the last of Lovey for sure! She's too much fun to write to let drift off into obscurity...
5971331 Heehee, I did consider "doe" as the female counterpart to "stag," but... I dunno... I guess I wanted to be a special snowflake.
As for Magnate, your silly antics aside, yes, I was somewhat vague with his actual job description because he's somewhat in denial of his own position. He's a paper pusher. Number cruncher. He wants to believe he's close to a promotion that'll rise him up in the ranks, and his boss his more than happy to feed that lie to him, but he'll likely be stuck in that same office, doing the same work, year after year...
Speaking of Lovey... since y'all seem to like her so much, here. Have a teaser cover art for the sequel to Lovey Dovey and the Business Pony, as well as the title: Lovey Dovey and the Uncertain Stallion. No ETA on when I'll finish it, because I'm just barely able to scrabble together chapters for the Tues/Thurs updates, but... Hopefully this will tide everyone over until then!
img00.deviantart.net/0ac3/i/2015/131/b/c/lovey_dovey_and_the_uncertain_stallion_by_crystal_wishes-d8szln7.png
Also, I don't know if anyone was curious, but the song that Crystal was singing to in the previous chapter and dancing to in this one was a rough, loose translation I found online for one of my favorite songs, Haule Haule (the subtitles in the video are different from the ones I used, but you get the gist). If anyone actually knows Hindi and has a better translation for the lyrics, I am totally open to changes.
5971516 I'm a hockey player, you'll have quite the time trying to do so
I did sort of get that vibe. I mean, she dragged a mare by the tail in her story lol.
5971575 Well, I'm happy that my story brings you in enough to be frustrated, though I'm not happy to have you frustrated!
If you're really wanting to know, I can PM you the answer. It's likely something that would not be outright resolved in this story, but instead in a side story all on its own, which means there'd be a long wait!
5971516
There's a part of me that wants to say Velvet's line was pointing at Crystal (which is still possible since Lovey mentioned that not all the lines are necessarily romantic in nature), but the more I think about it, the more I doubt that. Lovey wouldn't be confused by that.
Maybe she doesn't have one at all? Or maybe she does, but rather than pointing to another pony, it points to a place or a thing?
Curse you for being so vague, Velvet!
Ooh! Ooh! What if the chapter itself gave us the answer!? Her line was obviously pointing towards the chocolate.
5971601 I won't lie, a part of me is kind of enjoying the confusion buzzing around this. *ahem* ... I mean, yes, you got it! Chocolate! It was the chocolate all along!
After all, way back in A New Chapter, Velvet did purr at the chocolate as she licked it off her hoof. We may have been witnessing a very intimate moment... I may need to retroactively add a sex tag for that scene!
5971617 Heehee, it's up to you. Someone's already asked in PM, so there is a traitor amongst you that knows the answer already... *slowly backs away* You know who you are, and it's okay, I don't mind that you know, but you may not want to let Scorpia know you know.
5971631
Mmmm... How deliciously kinky. I approve. Coincidentally, so does Pinkie.
Pinkie x Velvet OTP.
5971680
I could see their relationship being romantic, but I doubt it will be a thing. Velvet wouldn't end up like Crystal, watching from the sidelines and hoping to be noticed; she's too transparent for that. She does have that nervous streak when she's afraid of messing up something important, but even then her very obvious nervousness would give her away.
If anything it seems most likely that her earlier comments about not being interested in that sort of thing right now are entirely accurate and she really doesn't have anyone she's got her eye on (yet. I highly doubt that Lovey would leave her alone if that was going to be her end result.).
5971516 Yeah very true. Im enjoying every second of this story. And reading what ZOMG had to say, I would hate to see how mad/love drunk Lovey would be if she went to the Crystal Empire o.O... wait.. Has it shown up yet?
5971801 *sneaks in amidst the Velvet discussion*
psst... Nope, the Crystal Empire hasn't returned yet. That happens after Silent Knight returns from the gryphon kingdom. But for the record, Lovey initially met Cadence here in Canterlot!
*sneaks back out and resumes reading with steepled fingers*
5971819
I have no doubt that Velvet has a line going to Crystal, just not a romantic one (can a pony have more than one? The thing with Azu in Hearts seems to imply that they can, but idk...). If Velvet was interested in Crystal romantically, she would have given herself away. She's not subtle, even when she doesn't have the confidence to just go straight for whatever it is that she wants.
The thing about Lovey not letting Velvet stay like that was directed at the possibility of her not having a romantic line at all. Lovey doesn't seem like the kind of pony to let that stand. So she has one, but the other pony (or thing) it's attached to is what's confusing Lovey.
Also, I have no idea what the "LLE" is.
5971516 Sorry, pardon my randomness.
In my eyes Lovey is a bit random so I felt the need to be random that once.
5971516
Lovey Dovey is best shipping pony!
After Lady Cadence. Lady Cadence is best shipping pony!
After Queen Marshmallow. All hail Queen Marshmallow!
5971933
Ahhh, I see.
Hmm... It could be about velvet... But I seem to remember her dashing off at some other time in one of the stories with that exact same line. Gah! I hate these moments... when you know that something's happening, but you don't have enough information to tell what parts are the truth and what are just the red herrings muddying up the waters...
Wouldn't it be a Hen Do anyway?
Wait... Is this before or after Lovey Dovey met Magnate?
The ending got me. Oooooh wow. Hehehehehe...
Waitwaitwait...
so when Lovey meets Silent in the castle, do you think Crystal sent her in search of Crystal's 'soulmate' and Lovey figured out it was Silent?!
Okay, spoiler over. This was brilliant. :)
5970616 Waitwaitwait... I thought that 'chortle' was just like... a normal word. Did Shakespeare make that up too?
BTW best word is 'contrafibularities.' X3
5971516 Also, sorry if this has already been answered, but shouldn't Lovey be with Magnate on Heart and Hooves day.
5972096 I did look up what the female counterpart to 'going stag' would be and saw some suggestions of 'going hen' or 'going doe,' but personally, I've never heard either of those in my life - I've always heard 'going stag'... and, well, I like to give ponies their own idioms, too.
We do have very different cultures, after all, and maybe their deer are sentient and don't appreciate being used in such contexts!
5972249 5972377 Lovey Dovey meets Magnate well after this takes place, but granted the only clues readers have for the timeline are scattered and small mentions. In Three of Hearts, Azurite meets Lovey Dovey when she's only at "over 1,000 successful matches", and that takes place well after the gryphon arc in Memoirs, which is well after this chapter. In LDatBP, Lovey Dovey starts off with making her 1,999th match. I don't expect folks to have read all three stories and know those tiny details, of course, but... there ya have it! This version of Lovey Dovey is the youngest version we've seen in all four stories she's appeared in.
5972266 Going to use an emoticon in a spoiler tag so 5966234 doesn't feel left out...
I like sulky. I think it worked. Kinda British, if you ask me. Great chapter, in really liking how it's all coming together (sorta, in its own way).
5972609 Yes! I didn't put that together at first but it is kinda British, which seems very appropriate to me for Canterlot, as I imagine it as more of a Canterlot thing (after all, Manehattan has outright taxis and I don't remember seeing any kind of pony-pulled pony transportation in Ponyville other than, like, faire hay rides. The sulky just seems so... posh in pony culture context.)
5972274 Yes, that is my understanding. As you know:
*Source: http://h2g2.com/entry/A75377596
Chortle isn't on this list, but I remember it being attributed to him. Although, I may be in error.
5971998 5971989 I really enjoyed your debate on the love line(s) of Velvet... As a reward for entertaining me, I will confirm that Velvet will have her own side story that will explain Lovey's confusion, but it likely won't be released until after this story is complete, given that it takes place chronologically later than where this will end.
I don't know if y'all will like the answer, but you'll get one for sure!
5972931
See, now you're just taunting me.
Though, in all honesty, the only answer I really won't like is if you say that she has no love lines for some reason. Velvet deserves a good romance. Hell, I'd even be ok with that chocolate thing becoming reality (seriously, Velvet x Pinkie OTP).
5972957 Crystal comes home and finds Velvet rolling in a puddle of chocolate... "It's not what you think! ... Okay, it's exactly what you think, but it's not as weird as you think. It's completely consensual!"
(adding 5972968) Since it will likely be a long while before we finish Wishes, I'll be nice: Lovey would definitely be outwardly and bluntly sad if she met somepony that had no love line at all.
5972988
First off, the image of Velvet doing that is both hilarious and amusingly fitting. And this is why I love characters that have no filter. It makes predicting them so much easier.
5972614 even the word sulky has a brisk ring to it, and I think it's perfect to think of Canterlot as either British, or maybe French. Watch a movie on Netflix called Ridicule for an example.
Aww yeah, this scene, possibly even better from Crystal's perspective since we got to see her reactions once Silent left.
Turnabout is fair play!
I really need to read the Lovey Dovey side story, don't I? That's an interesting ability she has, feels very anime.
Hmn, count me fairly curious about that reaction.
I keep coming back to this...
The cynic in me doesn't believe that there's actually anyone like her.
The romantic in me keeps hoping I'm wrong.
5974583 Technically, Lovey Dovey and the Business Pony takes place after Wishes... So it's not required reading! Just, well, if you like Lovey, then you might enjoy it.
It's an intentionally cliche "romantic comedy," and the work-in-progress sequel brings in an element of realism to the "happily ever after" ending... I just... need to find time to write it. 
5974643 Hmm... Well, I can say I've known women (and men) with patience in love, so they do exist!