Brotherly Bonding Time

by Sketcha-Holic

18.2--Too Many Cooks

The next day, Peanut Butter showed them the plaza that he and Jelly wanted to have their wedding in. With a color scheme of reds, browns, and whites--to the point that somepony joked that Tomato blended in--it was a surprisingly humble circle of shops that nopony would guess a star athlete would want to get married in. Shop owners in the plaza were sweeping the red-bricked street, scrubbing dirt off the stucco buildings, and sprucing up their shops with flowers. They glanced at the arriving group and said their greetings, but most continued their chores, while one little old pink mare trotted up to them.

"Oooh, hola, Peanut Butter! Jelly!" she trilled, kissing over both cheeks of both ponies. Patting Peanut's foreleg, she gestured to the rest of her friends and said, "I see your families have arrived for the wedding? Me and my friends have already started tidying up the plaza, and we'll be happy to help in setting up both the wedding and the reception."

Jelly beamed. "Aw, you're too kind, Rosita!"

Peanut chuckled. "Well, I suppose that our five planners will appreciate the helping hoofs."

"Oh?" Rosita leaned left and right to gauge the number of ponies in the group, counting both sets of parents, the siblings, the cousins, the aunt, and the three friends. "Which five do you speak of?"

Peanut gestured to certain ponies, a couple of them wearing saddlebags--with the tan stallion laughing at the pegasus mare swatting away a seagull that had perched on her head--and another pony pulling a wagon. "Cheese Sandwich, Lightning Dust, and Victory Screech. Cheese is my cousin, and the other two are friends and pupils of mine."

Jelly did the same, her planners carrying bags as well. "My friend Pearly Whites and my aunt Cherry Jubilee are with them."

Rosita narrowed her eyes at Pearl in a mock glare. "Oh, I remember you, Pearly. My teeth are fine, thank you."

Pearl waved a hoof. "Don't worry, I'm off the clock!"

"Yeah, she and those other four are going to hang around here and plan stuff, while Jelly and I get our families to get to know each other," Peanut Butter said, gesturing to the two families. "You've met my parents and sister, and the red guy is Cheese's brother Tomato."

Cocoa waved at her. "Hey, Rosita, how's your flower shop?"

"Lovely as usual, though it gets lonely," Rosita answered. She looked at Tomato and giggled. "He looks like my grandson."

Peanut Butter glanced at a surprised Tomato, nodded, and said, "Yeah, I've noticed."

Rosita turned to Jelly and family. "And you?"

Jelly blinked. "Oh! Meet my papa Marmalade, mama Strawberry Delight, and my brothers Grapefruit, Apricot, Mulberry, and Huckleberry. Let me tell you, it was a hassle getting them here, since during a stopover, somepony--" She glared at the twins. "--lost their glasses in an art museum and nearly uprooted every exhibit trying to find them."

One of said twins piped up, "And when we found Huck's glasses, we nearly got in trouble for 'stealing an art piece'."

Huck, the bespectacled twin, huffed. "Apparently, a pair of glasses on the floor makes for 'deep', modern art appreciated by weirdo critics."

Rosita blinked and scratched her head. "Ponies these days... searching for meanings in the strangest of things... I do not understand what that would mean other than 'somepony has lost their glasses'."

Cherry Jubilee shrugged. "I don't get it either, darlin'. Glasses on the ground don't need no fancy meanin'."

Cheese thought for a moment. "Uh... some poor soul is blind and cannot see?"

"Well, thank you, Captain Obvious," Lightning Dust deadpanned. "That was the deepest observation I've ever heard."

Vic just stood there puzzled. "Sounds like my oldest sister in a drama mood."

Cheese rolled his eyes, and said, "Well, as nice it is to stand around and chat, we better get started on setting up the whole shindig. Don't want to burn daylight for too long." He turned to Peanut Butter and Jelly. "Now, you two and your families have fun today! Me and the crew will have this thing set up by the time you come back."

Peanut saluted him. "Will do, Cheese. Make sure that Lightning and Vic don't kill each other. They've been squabbling since I've met them. And please respect Rosita and the other shopkeepers in the plaza; I've kept this wedding location under wraps not just for my and Jelly's privacy, but for their privacy as well. Rosita's a gracious host, and is basically everyone's abuelita."

Rosita nodded proudly. "Si, I enjoy the company of the young ponies. You best behave yourselves!"

Cheese nodded. "Don't worry, I'll make sure everyone behaves. Swear on Camembert."

Peanut smiled. "Great. See ya later."

As the couple and their families left, leaving the five ponies with Rosita to plan, Cheese hollered, "Oh, and remember to keep Tomato out of trouble!"

Peanut didn't respond, but Tomato made it clear that he heard when he looked back and scowled at him. Cheese refused to acknowledge it, instead going straight to business. He spun around on a front hoof and faced the other four planners, plus Rosita. He scratched his chin. "All right, now to see where to start. What have you each got in your bags?"

Cherry Jubilee opened up her saddlebag first, and started to pull out fake fruits; most of them were cherries, but there were plenty of grapes, strawberries, apples, pears, and others. "I got them fancy fruit centerpieces on the way here, since little Jelly has always loved fruit." Tangled wires of lights was pulled out, and she glared at it. "I also got fancy Hearth's Warming lights..." Setting aside the lights and fruit, she also pulled out posters and banners and started to unroll them. "And I had a friend of mine paint portraits of the two families."

Cheese nodded. "So far, so good."

Pearl's bag was more a suitcase, which she snapped open and turned into view to show him the neatly organized compartments of her decor. "As for me, I have packed some clean tablecloths and curtains, pearls and beads and seashells for decoration, some of my older sister's finest silverware and white china--mind you, I had permission to borrow it--synthetic flowers, scented candles, lace, air freshener, a long carpet so that Jelly doesn't dirty her dress--"

"That's why me and my friends are sweeping!" Rosita interjected.

"Well, you've definitely got a lot of stuff for us to work with," Cheese said, rubbing the back of his head. He turned to Lightning Dust. "What about you, what have you brought?"

With half-lidded eyes, she opened her saddlebag, and dumped some jerseys and trophies on the ground. "Peanut said it was okay to use them as decoration."

Pearl scoffed. "Well, the jerseys are not good decoration if they're dirty!"

Lightning sneered at her, and then watched as a few feathers fell out of the bag. "Oh, yeah, and we could use some of my molted feathers as decoration."

Pearl cringed. "That's like using dandruff for fake snow during Hearth's Warming!"

"No, it isn't! For goodness' sake, I had to think fast for this situation! Besides, I was also thinking of doing some stunts for the wedding and showing everyone my stuff." She smirked and fluttered her wings. "Maybe if I had a cool contrail so that I could write the names of the bride and groom while I'm in the air, this wedding could be epic."

Vic snickered. "Well, just as long as you don't endanger any lives this time."

Lightning Dust made the motion of rolling up an imaginary sleeve when Cherry stepped between the two athletes and said, "Aw right, y'all, no need to fight like two bears over a giant trout. I'd like to see what little ol' Vic's got for us."

Vic picked up his bag, and then unceremoniously dumped a ton of empty plastic peanut butter and glass jelly jars onto the brick pavement. It was a miracle that none of the glass jars shattered on impact with the ground.

Cherry stepped back in alarm. "What in tarnation?!"

As Lightning started to snicker, a confused Pearl asked, "Eh... why do you have so many jars?"

Vic looked at the scattered jars rolling around him. "Grew up in a big family. We used these things to hold our savings." He took note of one half-empty jar of peanut butter and picked it up. "Oh, oops! I think I grabbed this one when I was hurrying to catch the train!" He looked at Pearl, and held it up for her to see. "Hey, you want some?!"

Pearl gagged. "No, thanks... I'm not fond of peanut butter... it sticks to the roof of my mouth and it drives me nuts!"

Cheese raised a hoof. "I'd like some!"

Vic laughed and tossed the jar to Cheese. "So, what have you got?"

"Lots of stuff!" Cheese stuck his muzzle in the jar and started licking the gooey peanut butter. His tail swung the wagon around, showing the others the fruit-flavored fireworks. "I gotta foot-favored fiyah-works! Dere as yummy as dis peenot buttah!"

He didn't notice the others looking at him oddly as he slurped up the peanut butter. He pinned the jar onto the ground and laid his head down beside it, all the while keeping his keister raised up high for the world to see. His tail wagged as he continued, "I ah-so got mah a-curl-dion, lotsa stweamahs, confett-eh, pints, gag impah-mints, rubbah tickens... all kindsa 'tuff!"

"Don't talk while you're eating!" Pearl scolded, reaching for the jar. "Get your muzzle out of there, it's not the proper way to eat peanut butter!"

The fur on his back bristling, Cheese growled and snapped at Pearl's hoof. The pale blue mare briefly shrieked and stumbled back, her eyes wide and blinking as she stared back at Cheese; a peanut butter covered muzzle had never looked so fierce. She quickly examined her hoof, despite the jaws missing their mark.

The others stared for a moment, and backed away from the irritated Cheese. Lightning broke the silence by asking, "So... what is the 'proper' way to eat peanut butter?"

"On bread," Pearl squeaked. "Or a graham cracker."

Vic pursed his lips. "I was planning to have some peanut butter myself, but now there's too many Cheese germs in the jar."

"He's enjoyin' that peanut butter like a dog enjoys a bone; let's let him be and start settin' up tables," Cherry said. She turned to Rosita. "Do y'all have any tables on you?"

Rosita smiled and nodded.

---

Nothing of note happened while Cheese had finished off the peanut butter, with the tables being set up nicely. He couldn't help but be happy with the arrangement of the round tables, the head table where the two main families would sit, and the buffet table. Pearl's tablecloths were lovely with their alternating fruit and flora patterns, and Cherry Jubilee was in the process of untangling her lights so that she could have Lightning Dust hang them around the square.

Cheese dumped art supplies at one unclothed table, with the intention of maybe getting some banners and flags by the local foals done, and perhaps encourage Lightning Dust and Victory Screech to contribute a bit more to the decorating. Lightning blew it off, saying that she was over kids' stuff, but Vic wholeheartedly threw himself into the art alongside the foals.

Now, Rosita's fresh flowers were something that he could work in, both as decor and cuisine. As a matter of fact, he also agreed to let the shopkeepers cook up some delicious dishes to serve at the wedding. After all, they mentioned that both bride and groom had visited their little plaza and tried their dishes, loving them.

Cheese tried cacti that Rosita and crew referred to as nopales for a little snack--it was good, but gee, was it slimy! Still he figured that some cactus and flower salads and soups wouldn't hurt--especially since they were stripped of their spines--as well as vegetable empanadas, hay taquitos, and rice and beans. A baker even offered to make wedding cookies and tres leches cake, which Cheese saw no problem with. He had an odd feeling that there was something missing, but as far as he could tell, the food was fine.

So far, so good, he had thought.

They hit a roadblock soon enough.

"Oh, no, no, no," Pearl argued, setting her basket of shells on the table, and holding the jar of pearls up to Cheese's face. "These are not easy to find! I've been painstakingly collecting these and the shells back home in Halterside for hours upon hours! It helps to have my crazy sister around to dig up shells, but let me tell you, it's hard, especially the dirty work of cracking open oysters. I don't want my efforts to be wasted."

Cheese sighed. "I'm sorry, but I'm not entirely sure where to put them. Just because they're 'clean' doesn't mean they fit the theme." He looked around the area, scratching his chin. Smelling the scent of delicious cuisine, cooked by the restaurant owner for some customers in another plaza, was fogging up his mind, so he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. "I might have to think it over a bit to see how we can work them in..."

Vic popped up in his vision, holding up a cardboard basketball hoop, with a net made out of streamers. "Eh? I made this out of the art supplies that you pulled out. You think Peanut Butter would like it?"

Cheese didn't doubt that he would. Now, to decide where exactly it should go... if only those beans didn't smell so good...

"Yoo-hoo!" Cherry called. She and some of the shopkeepers were trying to straighten the family portraits at the head table, only for them to dip one way or the other--or even outright fall to the pavement. "We're having a little trouble keepin' 'em straight, mind helpin' us a mite?"

"Uh, yeah, I'll be right--"

A tangled up Lightning Dust fell into vision, looking a little like a Hearth's Warming tree. "Evil seagulls are evil."

Cheese grimaced and shouted to Cherry, "Uh, you'll have to wait a bit longer! Lightning needs a bit of help."

Lightning snorted, and attempted to wriggle out of the wires on her own. "I don't need any help; in fact, I'm sure you're just out to make me look bad. I've been in tighter spots than this, and escaped them all my own; so, don't bother, Miss Dust has got this."

Cheese snorted in return. "Very well. I'll just help Cherry Jubilee then."

He was by Cherry Jubilee in a flash, and very quickly fixed the nails so that the paintings didn't fall off, followed by straightening them. The older mare smiled and said, "Well, aren't you a mighty fine gentlecolt? Why haven't you found yourself a nice gal?"

Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I move around so often that I don't really have time for any steady dating. Heck, I don't even do one night stands."

"Well, if you ever change your mind 'bout it, I know a gal that'll be perfect for you." Cherry winked at him.

Cheese had to admit that Cherry was quite the looker, but he wasn't really into older mares. "Uh..."

"Oh, I'm not talking 'bout me, if that's what you're thinkin'; I'm talkin' about a Miss Pinkie Pie!"

"Oh..." Cheese's eyelids lowered, and he replied coolly, "I've met her. We're, uh... we're, uh... rivals."

"Aw, I shoulda known that a party pony would know a party pony!" Cherry fluffed up the bump in her mane and flipped bangs out of her eyes. "Rivals, huh? Well, color me more surprised than a bird flyin' in fireworks, I'd think that they wouldn't think of no rivalry before friendship."

"Rivalries happen with every talent, Miss Jubilee." Cheese felt a knot in his stomach, now that spiciness was reaching his nostrils. What time was it? Was it lunchtime already? Was anypony else too busy drooling over scrumptious smells to focus properly? That was frustrating, given that little progress in decor had been made.

A crash sounded behind them, and they spun around to find that Lightning Dust had freed herself from the Hearth's Warming lights, but at the cost of a few of the tables, and an uneven loop of lights drooping onto the pavement. She was lucky that no centerpieces had been decided for the tables yet, but she was soon to meet the wrath of the shopkeepers who provided the tables. Cheese and Cherry were quick to gallop to the scene and help her out of the pile.

"You all right, darlin'?" Cherry asked.

Lightning stretched and popped her wings, and flapped them to ensure that they weren't broken. Looking at the tables, then at the lights, and finally at the sky, she shouted, "What is with those stupid Applewood seagulls?! They seriously want to pick a fight."

"Yeah, sure, blame the seagulls!" Vic called from his table, making origami sports balls of all kinds.

Pearl was soon at the site of the crash as well. "Oh, no! We have twenty-four less seats for the guests! We need to get more tables or else we'll be forced to spread picnic blankets onto this brick road! Do you know how uncomfortable it is to sit on brick?"

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Gee, I wouldn't know how uncomfortable that is."

"Okay, okay, let's not start a fight." Cheese took a deep breath and exhaled. "Let's just clean up this mess, get some new tables from any wood shops around here, and we can get back to business."

Pearl piped up. "Oh, I know where to find one! It's near my office." She trotted off to the plaza's exit, chirping, "Miss Lightning, Mr. Vic, come along with me, I need a bit of muscle to carry all four replacement tables."

The two mentioned ponies groaned, but they complied, with Lighting hovering after her, and Vic peeling away from his table to let the kids work on their little tissue paper flags. As the three left, Vic gave a sharp nudge to Lightning, and Lightning kicked back.

"Well, while we pick up them table pieces, we could figure out where our decorations go?" Cherry asked, pointing to the unused items--the fake fruit, the fake flowers, the beads, the jerseys and trophies, and the jars--that sat in the corner, gathering dust that blew their way.

Cheese rubbed his temples, trying to keep from shuddering from sheer irritation. His gears were having some trouble turning.

---

The mess had been cleaned up and the tables replaced, but now Cheese had new ideas being thrown at him relentlessly.

The list in his head grew longer and longer, and he spent more time reviewing things than actually doing things. Not only shall one arch be erected for bride, groom, and officiant to perform the ceremony under, but also another to serve as a gateway into the plaza. Perhaps the lights should blink, making for a more visually interesting light show. How many sports-related things could serve as decoration anyway? He needed to install a defense system to keep the paparazzi or any other troublemakers away--maybe use the fruit-flavored fireworks for that! Maybe serving peanut butter squares and jelly donuts would be fitting for the couple. Do we throw rice or feathers in celebration of the newlyweds? More cherry-related decor, arrange the seashells into flowers, make a piñata, let Lightning practice tricks above them--if the vicious seagulls would just stop pecking and biting at her--stick glow-in-the-dark stars on the walls, get a mariachi band, serve watermelons, wave Peanut's jerseys like flags, and what the hay are they supposed to do with the peanut butter and jelly jars?

It didn't help that it felt like he was babysitting a bunch of rowdy children. He was no stranger to looking after kids, but the ponies he was dealing with were all adults! The sanest one no doubt was Cherry Jubilee, but she had a few out there ideas of her own and wanted them included in the setup. Not to mention the questions that Cheese had to answer and the weird things that came out of his mouth.

"Cherry, you should have a bit more variety in fruits for this, not just cherries."

"Pearl--cough!--I don't think--ack!--the air freshener is--cough, cough!--necessary!"

"I don't know if killing seagulls is illegal, Lightning."

"No, Vic, origami is not a part of this culture."

"Yikes! Careful with the beach ball! Rosita's flowers are part of the decor!"

"Pearl... it's okay. We don't need to see our reflection in the bricks."

"Vic, Lightning, stop throwing your stupid wads of paper at each other!"

"Yes, I do intend on playing my accordion. I do know a few romantic tunes."

They managed to get some flowers woven in both arches that Cheese had built. The fake ones were woven into the entrance, while real ones were in the arch where the ceremony was going to take place. Rosita, a couple of her elderly friends, and a few of the foals wove zinnias within the wooden frame, while Pearl's synthetic flowers and vines were intertwined with the other one.

He was happy that the arches were at least done and flowers were adorning windowsills, but he still looked in the corner, with unused implements still waiting for a purpose, and then at the still centerpiece-less tables, the lights still drooping to the ground, and just how barren and empty the place looked aside from sports-themed art projects haphazardly taped to the walls. At least he got Pearl to hold off setting the tables until tomorrow, knowing that chances were that they could be broken overnight.

Cheese sat down, and vigorously scratched his ear. It felt like that they had been at it for hours, and yet he hadn't come up with a way for it all to mesh perfectly. All those ideas, all these implements, and those four ponies who didn't seem to have a grasp on finer party planning details and yet trying to have some control over it... he felt like he was carrying saddlebags of rocks and that his imagination had been ripped out. Ceasing his scratching session, he looked over the area again, and groaned, knowing that he should be faster than this.

He simply watched as Lightning Dust fell into the plaza, flight practice interrupted by seagulls yet again. She swatted and they pecked, she angrily whinnied and they squawked, and all were flapping. Cherry, Pearl, and Vic all came galloping to rear up and strike at the birds, or buck them, or swat them along with her. Cheese only watched for a few moments before standing up, walking over to the melee, and then barking like a dog to scare the birds away.

The seagulls flew off at the sound of a dog, leaving the plaza with a mess of their feathers and Lightning's. Blinking, the pegasus picked them up, and muttered, "All right, more feathers. At least some good came out of my fights with those winged rats."

"I have to ask, what did you do to tick them off?" Vic inquired, spitting out some feathers of his own. "Did you send a tornado after them, too?"

Lightning pinned her ears back and flicked her tail. "No, but thanks for the idea."

"Aw, ew! I think one of them pooped on me!" Pearl cried.

"Naw, you're fine, it's me they took a crap on," Cherry grumbled. She looked up at Cheese. "I never thought barkin' was an option."

"My oldest brother does that a lot..." Vic mumbled.

Cheese rolled his eyes. "It's a pretty obvious solution. Most birds scatter when barked at."

Pearl brushed off her shirt. "Does anypony need to take a bath? I think I need to take a bath." She looked around at the tables. "Also, question, where is the wedding cake supposed to go? Shouldn't it have its own table?"

Cheese's eyes widened, and he mumbled, "I, uh..." He pursed his lips, and then said, "Well, now that I think of it, I don't believe they've gotten the wedding cake yet! I checked Peanut's fridge this morning, there wasn't one, and I think he might have commissioned a baker for it." He cleared his throat and stood erect. "It's probably done by now, so I guess someone will have to fetch it and stick it in that fridge for tomorrow."

"Oh, I can go after--"

Cheese stopped Pearl right there. "I'm going to save you the trouble and just go get it right away."

He had turned around and started walking away when Cherry asked, "And just what do you expect us to do?"

Cheese slouched, feeling both mane and fur bristle. Forcing his most pleasant voice, he said, "Just go along and take your baths, we don't want anypony asking why you smell like bird poop. If I'm not back by the time you're done, be sure to clean stuff, guard stuff, make sure it's all organized... stuff like that." He continued on his way, adding, "Also, Cherry Jubilee's in charge."

The other four looked at each other. Then Vic asked, "So, wait, why was he in charge in the first place?"

"He's the professional party planner, hon," Cherry answered.

---

A quick trip back to Peanut's place to check which baker he needed to go to, and Cheese was well on his way to fetching cake.

For now, he could feel his body relaxing on getting away from that plaza. Good grief, he had co-planners before, but it was typically one, and another party pony! Usually, non-party ponies he was working with were those who he was directing, to set up the plans inspired by the ideas or interests of the guest of honor. Having so many ideas shoved shoved onto him by too many co-planners was exhausting! It was nice to finally have some time alone to think. Well, maybe he could talk to Bone--

He forgot Boneless 2 at the house. Dang it.

He snorted. "Who needs him, anyway? That chicken's been refusing to talk to me for the past week."

So, he briskly trotted alone on that Applewood street, passing homes and small businesses and talkative ponies along the way. Looking at the palms, he wondered if he could use any of them as a catapult to travel to another part of the city. He decided that he probably could, but he didn't want to overshoot his mark. After all, this was a quick errand, probably taking the amount of time it'd take for the others to finish their baths. The sun beating down on him, his tongue rolled out into another round of panting. Immediately, he could feel the heat go down.

Merging into a more graffitied part of town, he bumped into a mare and backed up. "Whoa, hey there."

The other pony hissed and waggled a serpentine tongue at him. Cheese jumped, and after processing the rudeness as a threat, he growled back at her. The two ponies glared and snarled at each other, with other ponies noticed and backing away awkwardly. Nopony quite knew who looked more inequine, but they didn't want to stick around for the fight, save for a few curious teenagers. Seeing the mare not backing down, Cheese was preparing to bite her and thrash her if necessary.

However, before any blows were traded, the strange mare bolted past him in a hurry. Blinking, Cheese looked back at her for a moment, and then huffed. "And I thought Manehattan ponies were cranky. That was weird..."

He shook his head. "Never mind that, I got to get cake." He continued forward toward the destined bakery and repeated, "Gotta get cake... gotta get cake... gotta get cake..."

"Meow."

Cheese paused, perked up, and then looked across the street. Right there, in plain sight, was a gray tabby cat, licking its paw and grooming its head. Though a messy stray, it somehow looked so majestic and so pure, like some sort of silver deity.

He stared at the cat for a good ten seconds before shaking his head and reminding himself, "I gotta get cake!" He started his walk once again. "I gotta get cake... I gotta get cake... I gotta get... cake... I gotta... get... CAT!"

He bolted across the street, shouting "Kitty! I want to be your friend!"

The shout caught the cat's attention, and it shrieked at the sight of a tall, golden-brown horse galloping at full speed toward it. Taking off in the other direction, the cat ran like Tartarus in order to escape its pursuer. It ignored Cheese's barks of friendship offers, while Cheese didn't notice puzzled onlookers watching him chase a cat.

Author's Note:

You know something? I hate my slow pace. But, nevertheless, I got a thing done. Rejoice.

Anyway, in case you're wondering, yeah, it turns out that cactus (or specifically nopal, aka prickly pear) is a thing you can eat. My cousin tried it when she was in California; she says it was slimy. She was also giving me a few ideas for what to write in this part, though I still have a general story to stick to.

The funny thing about this chapter was that it was a groaner because the too many ponies with too many ideas thing was wearing me out, slowing me down, and putting my imagination on halt... like what happened with Cheese. Thankfully, I picked up the pace once he was out of there and starting his weird misadventure through Applewood.

Starting with a cat. Meow.

Comments

[Goldfinch142]

I guess they could try putting flowers or candles or something in the peanut butter and jelly jars. I dunno.

Those seagulls kind of remind me of Chipparooney. At least they aren't throwing things at poor Lightning Dust in addition to the pecking and *ahem* relieving themselves on the others.

[Jordan179]

He snorted. "Who needs him, anyway? That chicken's been refusing to talk to me for the past week."

This strikes me as an ominous development, given the importance of Boneless to Cheese's talent and fundamental nature as a Party Pony.